Supreme Court okay for younger commanding officers in combat infantry arms of army

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the government’s stance on having younger commanding officers in the combat and infantry arms of the army, putting to rest questions on preferential promotions as part of the 2009 "Command Exit Policy’. The SC has further directed the government to create 141 vacancies to accommodate promotions to commanding officers from combat arms other than the Infantry and Artillery.

After the Ministry of Defence approved the policy in 2009, its preferential nature of according promotions to only combat arms had raised questions on the justness of such a policy for officers of services like ASC.

The Command and Exit policy was put in place after the AV Singh Committee Report recommendations called for younger and fitter officers to assume charge as commanding officers of infantry and artillery units.