In an unusual step that many believe has been taken to benefit a key aide of Navy Chief Admiral R.K. Dhowan, the Navy HQ has bent the rules for promotion of officers to the rank of Captain by approving a controversial 'one time dispensation' that does away with the need for the officer to spend mandatory time at sea.The one time exception, issued by Naval HQ last month, also gives officers who have not qualified for the key 'Command Exam' another attempt to appear and qualify for the rank of Captain. The one time exception was issued on July 18 by Rear Admiral S.N. Ghormade, the Assistant Chief of Personnel.
The circular said that the additional attempt for appearing in the Command Exam was issued due to a 'number of requests in the recent past'. However, what has touched a raw nerve for many in the Navy is that the exception has led to Commander Satpal Singh, the staff officer to the Navy chief making it to the rank of a Captain despite not qualifying earlier for it.
The circular has also given exemption for mandatory one year service at sea for executive officers for attaining the rank of a Captain. The contention by many within the Navy is that both exceptions have been given to benefit only Commander Singh who has been on the staff of Admiral Dhowan for over six years.
"The officer neither qualified for command exam nor did his mandatory sea time. Now these are the two critical criteria's that have been tweaked in the one- time exception. All he now needs to do is clear the command exam and he shall become captain without serving time at sea," an officer who does not want to reveal his identity said.
While the circular and exception itself had raised questions by many in the navy, a list of officers considered for promotion to the rank of Captain that was released by Navy HQ on August 4 contains the name of the Navy Chief's staff officer in the deferred list, qualifying him to the next post based on the exception.
While the order has raised much talk within the Navy, no formal reaction has come from HQ yet on the issue. However, senior officers have held that the promotion process of the Navy is fair and that only deserving candidates qualify for senior posts.
via India Today
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