Ex MNS officers name for ESM rights restored; query Ladies Empowerment.
The Navy Nursing Service (MNS) as one of many oldest and most distinguished all-women companies within the Armed Forces, holds 1000’s of officers posted at numerous hospitals of the Armed Forces. MNS marked its 99th Elevating Day on Oct 1, 2024 with solemnity and delight.
The information poured in from numerous corners of our nice nation the Bharat, chopping of truffles, the ceremony as a testomony to the camaraderie {and professional} excellence of the service which has performed an indispensable function within the well being and welfare of Indian troopers, significantly throughout wars, conflicts, and nationwide emergencies for final 98 years.
Although truffles have been candy however mockingly the identical appeared bitter to lots of those that on profitable completion of 5 to 14 years of lengthy service in Navy are being launched or already launched however being denied the standing of ESM (Ex Service Males) which in any other case such officers had been rightfully been having fun with prior to now for many years.
One of many Ex MNS officer of Capt rank a PCS qualifier who’s combating for her proper of ESM, in courts bitterly circulated on socialmedia, “99 years of celebrating #MNSRaisingDay, however behind the fanfare, numerous MNS officers are battling for justice, recognition, and fundamental rights. Ladies in uniform are hailed as empowered, but we proceed to combat in courts for what’s rightfully ours. When will the system acknowledge the years of service, sacrifice, and dedication? How lengthy should we wait? It’s time to query: Is that this the empowerment we have a good time?”
In Delhi Maj Gen Ignatius Delos Flora, Addl Director Basic of Navy Nursing Providers laid a wreath on the Nationwide Struggle Memorial, within the presence of senior MNS officers and veterans.
Based on information from Delhi the Chief of the Military Workers (COAS) Gen Upendra Dwivedi in his message, counseled the MNS Officers for his or her unwavering dedication to affected person care, even in essentially the most difficult circumstances. He highlighted the numerous function of MNS officers, as Pillar of power of Armed Forces Medical Providers.
The Navy Nursing Service, established in 1926, has grown into a sturdy and indispensable a part of the Indian Armed Forces. Over the previous 98 years, it has developed right into a extremely expert and specialised cadre, dedicated to offering the very best medical care to Indian troopers and their households. The Navy Nursing Service continues to uphold its mission of “Service earlier than Self,” and the motto ‘Service with Smile’ that resonates deeply with each MNS officer within the service.
The origin of MNS dates again to the pre-independence colonial period when British and Indian troopers served within the British Military and 10 British nurses arrived in INDIA to setup nursing companies in India. The British Indian authorities established the Indian Military Nursing Providers (IANS) marking the formal starting of Navy Nursing in India.Thereafter in 1902 renamed as Queen Alaxendra Navy Nursing Providers.Throughout WW1 in 1914 Non permanent Indian nursing companies began.
The officers of IANS had performed an important function in offering medical care to wounded troopers throughout World Struggle I and ll. On 1st Oct 1926, the Everlasting Nursing Service was raised within the Indian Military and designated because the Indian Navy Nursing Service. Submit Independence, the MNS was established as a part of the AFMS. It has developed as a famend service recognized for its wealthy historical past of dedication and exemplary service in each battle and peace. The MNS is likely one of the finest nursing companies on the planet with a powerful will, willpower, and braveness.
Why the cake tasted bitter?
On seventh March 2024 in nationwide seminar held in Delhi beneath the banner of EMNOWOI (Ex Navy Nursing Officers Welfare Organisation India), it’s founder; a philanthropist Ashwani Joshi had briefly defined the difficulty and recommended the categorical resolution to the Prime Minister of India that will serve an incredible justice to those younger officers who’re actually a lot superior to lately so known as Aganiveers! Extra over it known as for Ladies Empowerment!
Based on Ashwani Joshi viewing the matter in right perspective; let’s perceive the Root trigger and easy resolution to it and to request the honorable Prime Minister of India to intervene to handle the burning challenge particularly to those brief service commissioned girl officers.
1. It turns into vital to first present a background to the difficulty earlier than continuing with the matter for the reason that controversy is the resultant of pointless problems on the topic because of sure erratic steps and won’t require any detailed coverage intervention by the government.
2. Ex Navy Nursing service officers, who, as per statutory provisions, are members of “Armed Forces of the Union”, since instances immemorial have been granted Ex-Serviceman (ESM) standing and confronted no issues in any respect on this regard. The Ex-Servicemen (Re-employment in Central Civil Providers and Posts) Guidelines, 1979 granted ESM standing to all members of the “Armed Forces” and contained an exception clause for “paramilitary forces”.
There was no controversy on Ex Navy Nursing service officers being ESM since MNS is an “Armed Drive of the Union”. Through the years, members of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) additionally began claiming ESM advantages beneath the Guidelines on the pretext that they have been additionally categorized as “Armed Forces” as per their respective Acts.
So as to take away any such confusion, the time period “Armed Forces” within the ESM Guidelines have been restricted to “Common Military, Navy and Air Drive” through the years, and later solidified within the present guidelines, that’s, Ex-Servicemen (Re-employment in Central Civil Providers and Posts) Modification Guidelines, 2012 dated 04 October 2012.
3. Even after issuance of the Modification Guidelines of 2012, no downside was confronted by Ex Navy Nursing Officers because it was nicely understood that they have been coated beneath the definition of ESM. When sure doubts have been raised by some quarters on the difficulty, it was clarified by the Kendriya Sainik Board vide Letter No 2(2)/Coverage/KSB/A dated 08 July 2014 that Ex Navy Nursing officers fall beneath the definition of ESM. Even until that time, no downside was confronted by ex MNS Officers. When once more doubts have been raised, these have been laid to relaxation by the AG’s Department after searching for the recommendation of JAG vide their Observe No B/33143/AG/PS-2(b) dated 26 Dec 2016 clarifying that Ex Navy Nursing officers have been coated beneath the definition of MNS and that they serve within the Common Military.
4. Although there was no want of any additional exposition or deliberation, the standing of ESM loved all all through was unnecessarily disturbed by the KSB which issued one other letter, that’s, Letter No 061/Gen Coverage/KSB/A dated 31 July 2019 through which the KSB acknowledged that as per the present definition of ESM (04 Oct 2012) issued by the DoPT, Ex Navy Nursing officers usually are not ESM.
It could be famous that this simply one-page letter issued by the KSB had no authority of the MoD and even the Military HQ and was issued suo moto with none dialogue with any stakeholder.
Additionally it is a matter of concern that whereas the mentioned ESM Guidelines solely cope with the restricted performance of reservation in particular posts of the Central Authorities, after the issuance of the mentioned letter of 2019 Ex Navy Nursing officers have been disadvantaged of many different advantages in numerous spheres that they have been entitled to being former officers of the Armed Forces.
5. Within the meantime, the grievance reached the Excessive Stage Committee that was constituted in wake of the orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court docket in Civil Attraction 7417/2010 Union of India Vs Maj Gen Usha Sikdar whereby this level was additionally raised with the committee which was coping with a number of grievances not restricted to those coated within the mentioned Civil Attraction.
Whereas noting the grievance, the Committee acknowledged that Ex Navy Nursing officers have been at all times ESM and their standing as ESM was “nicely established”. The mentioned suggestions have been additionally authorised by the Authorities of India after the sanction of the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri vide MoD ID No 13/CC/18/D(Med) dated 07 March 2019. Useless to state, the regionally issued letter by KSB primarily based upon a private notion of simply an officer couldn’t have overridden what had been the accepted definition for the reason that inception of the Armed Forces as additionally the reason / clarificationin this regard by the Military HQ, the Excessive Stage Committee and the approval by the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri. Apart from, MNS Officers are additionally included within the Rules for the Military, 1986.
6. The matter has not been put to relaxation until date regardless of the approval by the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri. Nonetheless, the issues being confronted by MNS officers usually are not a results of any particular requirement of a coverage change or any additional inclusion or modification within the DOPT Guidelines however are a results of a very pointless letter dated 31 July 2019 issued by the KSB with out due authority.
In between, it had been acknowledged that the matter might be additional mentioned after the choice within the Civil Attraction filed in Maj Gen Usha Sikdar’s case.
Nonetheless, it must be identified right here that the enchantment in Maj Gen Sikdar’s case was filed within the yr 2010 which was a lot previous to the issuance of the present guidelines (2012) or the controversy created by the KSB (2019) and has no hyperlink with the difficulty of ESM standing.
Actually, Maj Gen UshaSikdar was a serving officer however not an ex officer and the controversy in that case associated to problems with serving officers reminiscent of Automobile Plates and Salutation and so on.
7. The direct deleterious results of the issuance of the undue letter by the KSB dated 31 July 2019 have been very damaging and have the propensity to dent the picture of the Armed Forces and likewise the Authorities, in addition to affecting the morale of MNS officers.
For instance, Quick Service Commissioned Officers of the MNS launched in youthful age are actually not being granted reservation and age leisure in numerous govt jobs on the pretext that they aren’t ESM, which has turned to be exploitative for such SSCOs who’re neither assured a everlasting job within the MNS, nor thought-about for reservation and leisure or advantages for civil jobs thus leaving them excessive and dry from all sides.
Until 2019, no such downside was being confronted. The purpose of the Quick Service Scheme itself is to offer a number of years of service within the navy in order that such officers can then be a part of the civil sector in numerous capacities however not wasted out the ability experience.
The very idea of Quick Service for the MNS is beneath menace with the letter dated 31 July 2019 issued by the KSB. Even senior MNS Officers retiring with pension are unable to use for posts on the civil aspect, together with these within the nursing, medical and administrative fields on the identical pretext.
8. It’s subsequently requested that reasonably than taking over the circuitous and sophisticated route of searching for an modification within the DoPT Guidelines or searching for so as to add any clarification within the mentioned Guidelines, as is being recommended, a easy motion of withdrawing the KSB Letter dated 31 July 2019 which has led to all this confusion and harm could also be taken and the mentioned letter could also be directed to be handled as cancelled thereby restoring the pre-31 July 2019 place when Ex Navy Nursing officers have been being duly thought-about ESM.
Alternatively, for the reason that matter already stands authorised by the Hon’ble RM, a brief letter of clarification could also be issued stating that “it’s clarified that Ex Navy Nursing officers are to be handled as coated beneath the definition of ESM”.