Appointing Army Chief prerogative of govt: Ex-deputy chief of Army Raj Kadyan

MATHURA: Former deputy chief of Army Staff Lt Gen (retired) Raj Kadyan today said it is the prerogative of the central government to appoint an Army Chief.

"There is no doubt on the competence of other officers, who were in the race for the post. However, the government has to see other factors, including exposure, experience in different Indian terrains and operational deployment," he said here commenting over the appointment of Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as the new Army Chief .

On shortage of officers in the Army, Kadyan suggested that joining the Army as an officer should be made more "alluring and lucrative".


The former deputy chief of Army said he did not agree with the suggestion of promoting officers to overcome shortage in different ranks and said the Army needs young officers.

On a separate pay commission for armed forces, Kadyan said he was in favour of it.

"There should be a separate pay commission for the armed forces because the manpower structure is complicated and only uniformed personnel can understand the nuances," he said, adding nearly 85 per cent of army personnel retire by the time they reach 40 years.