VACANCIES IN THE ARMY

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Rajya Sabha

At present there is a shortage of 12,554 officers in the Army. Deficiencies of varying levels have been existing over a period of time.

Some of the factors which could be attributed to the shortfall in the strength of officers in the army are the following:-

• Although a good number of candidates pass through the written part of the examination, many get rejected as they are lacking in requisite calibre.
• Relatively risky and hazardous career in the army compared to other options available in today’s developing and modern society has also made a significant impact on the preferences of potential Army aspirants.

Several steps have been initiated by the Government to motivate recruitment. An Image Projection Campaign of the Army was launched during 1997-98. The Campaign has made a positive impact on the availability and selection of candidates. Steps have been taken to continue the campaign.

Through in-house re-appropriation of resources, the training capacity has been increased resulting in increased intake of about 400 officers per annum.

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri George Fernandes in a written reply to Shri Ramachandra Khuntia in Rajya Sabha today.