Thread by @ColSanjayPande

1. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia “Go ahead sir, it will be an eye opener for many others especially those who complain about armed forces!”
👆was a response to my tweet 👉🏻“Post-Retirement” strikes as something that starts at 61 yrs age. Here ‘post retirement’ commences at 36 yrs Contd...

2. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia Contd... Here ‘post retirement’ commences at 36 yrs age and by 54 yrs age, 98% Armed Force RETIRE. I want to do a thread on #LifeOfVeteranInIndia Will it be liked? It will be DEPRESSING. But then truth is always bitter.👈🏻 How many want to know? RT for YES

3. @drrbpatil you will see the response soon. India THINKS that Veterans have an absolute 5Star life post-retirement. Veteran OR Ex-Service Men (ESM) include retired Generals to retired Sepoys. India has no clue of how pathetic the life is. This thread will OPEN your eyes.

4. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia A twitterity’s response to my first three tweets “While what you write about #lifeofveteraninindia will be hardcore truth and facts and should be brought out in the open, you may like to keep in mind that it also will be read by aspirants of Armed Forces.

5. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia Contd . ..aspirants of Armed Forces..You may have to keep the balance between truth and not sounding demotivating...
Another one
..there maybe a very thin line between stating brutal truth and putting your fraternity in a bad light.. contd..

6. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia contd.... asking you to be mindful of that if you can..I was given this feedback once that if you keep writing on issues, who will want to join then? UNQUOTE. Why should ANYONE be apprehensive if ‘alleezwell’? Media is gung-ho with Armed Forces!! Read on.

7. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia Since 2015 I am writing on state of Forces widows, how ‘Veer Naari’ term was getting formalised, how ‘using’ Veer Naari term was creating impression that 100% widows of Army were being looked after. @adgpi Thank you for declaring 2019 as Year of NoK.

8. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia thread is all about telling India what life a soldier gets on ‘retiring’ at 36 yrs of age. 98% all ranks retire at 54yrs age. Where exactly are they on timeline of life? The 36 yr old has two kids of 6-10 yrs age, the 54 yr one has 18-24 yr old kids.

9. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia Read on net ‘INDIAN ARMY DEDICATES 2019, FOR THE NEXT OF KINS (NOKs)’ I am confident that
👉🏻welfare schemes available for widows & their wards will be known by Commanding Officers.
👉🏻Units will make list of widows. Contd.....

10. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia Contd...
👉🏻Term ‘Veer Naaris’ will be discontinued and ‘Widow of Battle Casualty OR Physical Casualty’ will be used.
👉🏻Free Education / Education grant ACTUALLY reaches children.
Contd....

11. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia contd..
👉🏻Units reach widows rather than leaving widows to fend for themselves.
MY humble request to @adgpi PLEASE publicise as widely as possible. This has been biggest flaw of Forces. Let India know how much you care for your men even after they die.

12. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia To, @adgpi , This thread on Life if Veterans In India MUST get wide publicity since its reality. I am pained by the complete absence of empathy in law makers, bureaucrats and by extension better part of ‘uninformed’ population. There is nothing to hide.

13. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia Service of a jawan, recruited at 19 yrs of age starts from the day he steps in a recruiting centre. He MUST become a Naik by 17 yrs service, if he doesn't, he gets two yrs extension and retires. Retirement age? 36-38 yrs.

14. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia A Naik retires at 22 yrs. Retirement age? 40 -42 yrs.
A Havaldar retires at 24 yrs service. Retirement age? 43-45 yrs.
Subedar retires at 28 yrs. Age? 47 yrs.
Question is HOW many reach these ranks? One Sepoy out of seven becomes Naik, SIX Jawans retire.

15. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia
Assume 50,000 recruits joined in year 2000. In 2019 42,850 WILL RETIRE in sepoy’s rank at 36-38 yrs age. This will happen every year.
Of the 7150 Naiks one in 4 will reach Havaldars rank. 5360 will retire as Naiks at 40-42 yrs age.

16. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia So out of 50,000 recruited 48,210 are out on streets at less than 42 yrs age.

Of the 1790 Havaldars, only 40% will become JCO’s. 725 odd out of 50,000 become JCO’s. 49,285 retire at age 46-47 yrs and less.

This happens each year, year on year.

17. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia Each year 50,000 to 70,000 soldiers hit Civ Streets.
Analyse the Recruitment to Retirement figures.
👉🏻WHICH Central Govt Service hires 50,000 to 70,000 people EACH year and retires approx 49,000 to 69,000 when between 36 yrs to 46 yrs age?
Contd...

18. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia
👉🏻The finest Human Resource in terms of capability, commitment, integrity released on streets to keep Army YOUNG.
👉🏻These are the finest Soldiers, Gunners, Tank men, Engineers, Air Defenders, Electrical and Mech Technicians, Medical people and more.

19. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia
👉🏻These people win Kargil, get PVCs, Ashok Chakras and entire range of awards. These soldiers are in flood relief, counter insurgency Republic Day Parade in fact EVERYWHERE.
👉🏻Each year 96-98% of a batch RETIRE while being less than 45 yrs age.
Contd...

20. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia What exactly is their state?
👉🏻Most are from rural areas or small towns.
👉🏻Have no house of their own.
👉🏻Fall back to parents homes and build couple of rooms.
👉🏻Children are in primary school to college.
Contd...

21. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia
👉🏻Salary stops overnight and are on pension of 18-30K per month.
👉🏻Responsibilities of life have just begun.
👉🏻Lumpsum payments during retirement are the only reserves.
👉🏻They become #OrphansOfState overnight.
Contd...

22. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia
👉🏻Jobs? Reserved seats for ESM? Organisations to resettle soldiers? Industry? Salaries? Kendriya Sainik Boards?
👉🏻With everyone claiming success of schemes, why is there sadness seen in a soldiers eye?
Contd...

23. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia
👉🏻REASONS are simple. There is NO connect between those manning organisations and Veterans. MASSIVE DISCONNECT.

I do not support ACP and Re-Employment that makes Army ‘old’. We must retain a ‘young’ Army.

24. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia We must retire soldiers as done now after removing ACP and re-employment. This can happen only when we plan their careers up to 60 yrs age.
Have a look at life of these soldiers once they are released at such young age and in middle of timeline of life.

25. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia A retired soldiers life. I will cover Sepoy, Naik, Havaldar, Naib Subedar & Subedar together & Captain to Brigadiers separately.
👉🏻👉🏻Sepoy, Naik, Havaldar, Naib Subedar and Subedar
👉🏻Army has wide variety of technical and non-technical skilled soldiers.

26. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia 👉🏻Technical like Electrical and Mechanical Diploma holders, Electrinic and Communication Diploma holders, Education Corps, Medical and Nursing professionals and like. They are fairly well absorbed in job market. They form about 30% of total men.

27. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia
👉🏻The MAJORITY 70% are combat soldiers, absolute top class in their job like Infantry, Artillery, Armoured, Air Defence, Mechanised Infantry
BUT ABSOLUTELY UNSKILLED for any post retirement jobs except one. GUARD.

28. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia
👉🏻What a downfall! What a shame! Dignity and self esteem crushed! From jawan to JCOs only place to fit in is GUARDS. Shocking.
👉🏻A life spent with pride, dignity, elan, the best of the best, the best man behind machine, they win Kargil, Basantar, contd.

29. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia contd..Longewala, East Pakistan and finish as GUARDS.
👉🏻Skill Development by Army? Shocking. ITI classes, Poultry, nonsense. Resettlement Directorate is FULL TIME working on providing GUARDS. Their imagination is restricted by their intelligence.

30. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia Is this how WE respect our OWN men?
👉🏻 Industry finds no other way to employ them. GUARDS. A JCO as guard? Giving 12 hours duty THIRTY days a month? That’s Industry.
👉🏻Kendriya Sainik Boards, Directorate General of Resettlement, Contd....

31. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia contd..Secretary ESM Welfare, Chiefs are all the biggest living example of FAILED leadership. The fact that even TODAY men join as GUARDS speaks of failed Military and Bureaucratic Leadership of last three decades.

32. 12. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia
👉🏻The proudest of our soldiers look like a heap of pity with perpetual sadness in their eyes. EVER MET ONE?
👉🏻These are the soldiers on Rajpath on 26 Jan, Guard of Honours, Counter Insurgency, War, Flood Relief, Kashmir, contd...

33. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia Ladakh, Glacier, Sikkim, Arunachal, United Nation Missions in short SARVATRA, they are everywhere.
👉🏻Can anyone have courage to look into their eyes?
👉🏻How many have written about what I write?
👉🏻Aren’t we to blame?
Contd...

34. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia
👉🏻A common saying in Army is that a dead soldier leaves much for his family but a living veteran can barely make two ends meet.
👉🏻👉🏻Reality is bitter. These soldiers taste bitterness from 37 years of age.

35. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia
👉🏻GUARDS. Salary? Directorate General of Resettlement says approx Rs 18,000/- per month. They provide guards to PSUs. The soldier must pay rent, food, commuting, travel on leave and medical from 18K. He must work away from home. Savings? ZERO.

36. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia
👉🏻He cannot take up Guards work in private. Reason? PASARA - Private firms permitted in security employ rural uneducated youth at salaries of Rs 9-10K per month. Just step out and ask salary of first guard you meet on the street.

37. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia
👉🏻👉🏻A proud soldier resigns to fate and his self esteem crashes. A sad end to glorious career.
WE AS LEADERS CAN DO SO MUCH, WE DONT. Read #CostOfLeadership a hashtag under which I have written reasons of failed leadership.

38. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia I will give realities of retired soldiers challenges which no one addresses👉🏻NEXT let me take on the pathetic state of officers. I promise you pin drop silence when I tweet. Again as I say, reality is bitter. “Do you have it in you (to read my tweets)?”

39. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia The common understanding is that officers are very well off after retirement. Here are BRUTAL FACTS.
👉🏻Approx 12-1400 officers are commissioned each year. Assume that in 2003 complete year 1400 were commissioned.
Contd..

40. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia
👉🏻The Officer commissioned with a Lieutenant rank, gets Captains, Major and Lt Colonels Rank fulfilling basic requirements over 13 yrs service. Age 34 years. Family status? Married with two kids in 5-9 yr age group.
Contd...

41. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia
👉🏻 THE FIRST pothole. After two-three years as Lt Col, the FIRST Selection Board of Army HQ will decide how many among 1400 Lt Cols of 2003 batch will become Colonels. Ratio? 1:3or4 which means 420 to 560 officers will become Full Colonels.
Contd...

42. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia
👉🏻Rest? 840 to 980 Lt Cols? They are side tracked for balance of military life. They will retire at 52 yrs or 54 yrs age. Same rank or time scale Col which has no meaning.
👉🏻 Of the 420-560 Colonels, ONLY 120-130 will get promoted to Brigadiers. Contd..

43. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia contd...Rest 300-440 Colonels will retire in same rank.
👉🏻1400 started, by 52-54 yrs age 1270-1280 will retire.
👉🏻By 56 yrs age 60-80 Brigs will retire.
👉🏻THIS IS PYRAMIDICAL STRUCTURE. Nothing wrong. Army requires to be young. Contd..

44. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia contd..Officers once overlooked for next rank must be allowed to shift out. It does not happen.
👉🏻Army requires officers and mass exodus is not in org interest. So? An officers ambition, future, desire and life is sealed. Contd...

45. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia Tge Officer must carry on and he carries on since he wants pension.
👉🏻Reality is, retirements commence at 52 yrs age and by 55 yrs 90 % of batch is out.
👉🏻NOW comes life after retirement. He is a veteran now. THE REALITY HITS NOW. Read on.

46. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia Anyone trying to draw wedge between Officers, JCO’s & Other Ranks by trying to differentiate post retirement life of Veterans is an idiot. Anyone trying to blame @adgpi is a bigger idiot and anyone who thinks Bureaucracy is not involved is ‘super/idiot’.

47. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia I have no hesitation is using word ‘idiot’. Reason is simple. We have not tried to change. We cannot have British Systems guiding us. There is no connect between Bureaucracy and Military. Men and officers are recruited by Army, serve in Army but....

48. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia Army but....contd... but are thrown in front of and under ‘Secretary ESM’ one of the three Secretaries in MoD besides Secretary Defence and Secretary R&D. Officially Army has no control over anything to do with ESM. The Secretary ESM ‘rules’. Has ANY....

49. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia Contd..The Secretary ESM ‘rules’. Has ANY military leader (‘leader’ is a person who knows, writes, corrects & helps resolve) serving or retired ever written about scrapping this Secretary ESM post? If it’s too much to handle WHY not carve out a new .Org?

50. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia Directorate General of Resettlement (dig deeper and reality will hit you), Kendriya Sainik Board, ECHS, CSD and more. The CLIENT is a Veteran, Service Provider is Secretary ESM who has NO CLUE of services. Army, Navy Air Force -ALL VETERANS SUFFER.

51. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia Army, Navy Air Force -ALL VETERANS SUFFER. @adgpi @IAF_MCC and @indiannavy do a lot for Vererans but have no control. ECHS is MONEY, RESETTLEMENT is MONEY, CSD is MONEY. A token head from Forces & uniformed manpower as ‘workers’ is all that forces have.

52. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia All Organisations under Secretary ESM are purely to serve Veterans and Widows. Why are serving persons posted in manning these orgs? @adgpi @IAF_MCC and @indiannavy are under Secretary Defence. THIS IS THE CORE where rot begins. @PMOIndia

53. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia @PMOIndia WE SHOULD SEAMLESSLY INTEGRATE VETERANS INTO SOCIETY. I extensively addressed @PMOIndia #RajeshPratapRudy, #SmritiIrani and #PrakashJavdekar in May 2015 giving solutions through #SkillIndia

54. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia @PMOIndia The essence was to capitalise SKILLSET of PBOR that seamlessly integrates them. Do we realise that FIFTY TO SEVENTY THOUSAND must retire each year to keep army young? With practically no skill set as is demand of industry, what do they do?

55. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia @PMOIndia Most look old, tired & disappointed with life & Govt. Everyone in Armed Forces joined "Central Govt". Nation requires young army. Perfect. What responsibility should nation have towards Armed forces personnel who retire between age of 35 to 52?

56. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia @PMOIndia They have families to feed but no jobs. Ask veterans, 100% will be ready to give up pensions at 37 yrs to 52/54 yrs age in lieu of a central govt job that protects service & pay at par as in NFU till 60 yrs age like any other central govt job.

57. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia @PMOIndia Pension commences at 60. What about Widows? Disabled? who cannot fulfill above? Their state is absolutely pathetic. Shouldn’t they get full salary till their husband had turned 60 or disabled turn 60?

58. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia @PMOIndia EVER heard any military veteran or officers in position of influence bringing this to national attention? This is the crux of problem. Its slightly better in IAF & Navy. Its brutal in Army. Army is most affected.

59. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia @PMOIndia The problem gets compounded for Infantry, Artillery, Armoured & Air Defence- the "fangs" of Army. #OrphansOfState If there is an orphan of state it is a Veteran. Dumped at 37 yrs by nation, on their own for whole life thereafter.

60. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia @PMOIndia In last 37 years (my Commission year) I havnt heard or read anyone bringing these issues up. These issues can either be sorted out by @PMOIndia or no change will take place for another few decades. MY SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS START FROM 61st Tweet’

61. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia @PMOIndia WE SHOULD SEAMLESSLY INTEGRATE YOUNG-VETERANS (retired at 37 yrs to 54 yrs age) UPTO 60 yrs AGE. No compromise on capabilities, promotion, service years put in, no discrimination, no cadre clashes & numerous choices be created. It is possible.

62. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia @PMOIndia I extensively addressed @PMOIndia #RajeshPratapRudy, #SmritiIrani and #PrakashJavdekar in May 2015 giving solutions through #SkillIndia . The essence was to capitalise SKILLSET of PBOR that seamlessly integrates them. NO RESPONSE RECEIVED.

63. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia @PMOIndia @adgpi @iaf_mcc @indiannavy ACTION POINT 1- Abolish post of Secretary ESM in MoD and reorganise complete structure under it to integrate seamlessly with Armed Forces. You achieve ‘Womb-to-tomb’ connectivity. Get 100% data online.

64. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia @PMOIndia @adgpi @iaf_mcc @indiannavy ACTION POINT 3- Kendriya Sainik Boards are the biggest money guzzlers & NO reach. The fact, 72 years & no scheme reaches Veterans & Widows proves it. KSB has officially accepted there is ‘No last mile connectivity’.

65. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia @PMOIndia @adgpi @iaf_mcc @indiannavy
ACTION POINT 3 - Segregate Action Points in seniority in “Immediate Impact” to “Two Year Target”. Complete all actions by 2021. Give priority to Jawan & JCO’s followed by Officers. Solutions are simple and workable.

67. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia @PMOIndia @adgpi @iaf_mcc @indiannavy
ACTION POINT 5 - Institute new qualification criteria for working in MoD. Let entire staffing be done on merit of understanding of Forces. Clueless people man MoD. Air India is staffed by Aviation people. Chairman?

68. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia @PMOIndia @adgpi @iaf_mcc @indiannavy
Action Point 6 - Converge ALL Kendriya Sainik Board Offices, ECHS, CSD Canteens and open new ones in EACH District. Call them ‘MoD Complexes’. KSB already exists, use its infrastructure. Increase number.

69. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia @PMOIndia @adgpi @iaf_mcc @indiannavy
Action Point 7 - Convert EACH MoD Complex into SKILL BUILDING INSTITUTE. From Nursing to Aircraft Maint, Policing to Recruitment, Engineering to Medical, Repair to Ship building -100% Top Instructors can be Veterans.

70. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia @PMOIndia @adgpi @iaf_mcc @indiannavy
Action Point 8 - Convert each District Hub into Centre of Excellence. KEEP IAS, IPS and ALL GENERAL RANKS AWAY. Any Bureaucrat & Military Leader who has never addressed “Life of Veteran and Widow” issues be excused.

71. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia @PMOIndia @adgpi @iaf_mcc @indiannavy
Action Point 9 - Skill Building Hubs, Veteran Data Base, National Skill Registry, FICCI, CII and more organisations must contribute towards organising these hubs. TCL, Infosys & Wipro type companies must be involved.

72. #LifeOfVeteranInIndia @PMOIndia @adgpi @iaf_mcc @indiannavy
ACTUON POINT 10 - Let these Skill Hubs be manned, managed, directed by professionals and veterans. Identify Veterans in public life who dedicate their lives to ‘sewa’. CONTINUED... Action Point 11 to 20 follow.