COMMON UNIFORMS FOR ARMY – DEFENCE AND SECURITY

News: Common uniforms at higher ranks of the Army

 

What's in the news?

       In a move that seeks to establish a common identity for the Army’s senior leadership, all officers of the rank of Brigadier and above will wear a common uniform from August 1 this year, irrespective of their parent cadre and appointment.

 

Key takeaways:

       This ends the long-standing practice of officers donning different uniform and accoutrements reflecting various arms, regiments and services in the Army.

       For instance, officers of the parachute regiment wear a maroon beret, while those from the infantry, armoured corps, combat support arms and services wear green, black and blue berets, respectively.

 

Common Uniforms:

       All officers of the rank of Brigadier, Maj General, Lt General, and General will now wear berets (caps) of the same colour, common badges of rank, a common belt buckle, and a common pattern of shoes.

       They will no longer wear regimental lanyards (cords) on their shoulders.

       They will also not wear any shoulder flashes like ‘Special Forces’, ‘Arunachal Scouts’, ‘Dogra Scouts’, etc. Thus, there will be no item of uniform that will identify them as belonging to a particular Regiment or Corps.

       All officers of these higher ranks will dress alike in the same pattern of uniform.

 

Reasons for the change:

1. Common Identity:

       A standard uniform will ensure a common identity for all officers of senior rank while reflecting the true ethos of the Indian Army.

       This will also reinforce the Indian Army’s character to be a fair and equitable organization.

2. Check on Favoritism:

       Most officers promoted to the rank of Colonel no longer engage in regimental service.

       Consequently, all uniform affiliations with that particular Regiment or Corps must also end at that rank to ensure that any Regimental favoritism is not promoted to the higher ranks.

       The senior officers in charge of these troops should present themselves in a neutral uniform rather than a regimental one, as appointments at higher ranks sometimes entail leading troops with mixed regimental lineage.

3. Reverting to old practice:

       The army is reverting to a practice that was followed about four decades ago when changes towards wearing regimental affiliations began in the army.