Not giving ‘One Rank, One Pension’ to the ex-servicemen of the country and the soldiers and officers of the three Armed-forces, is a direct betrayal with more than 30 lakhs of them. Although BJP and Modi government collect votes in the name of valour and sacrifice of soldiers, yet oppose giving them ‘One Rank, One Pension’. Not only this, the Modi government has got the said right of OROP dismissed by the Supreme Court saying that it is a policy decision, not a legal right.

Facts of ‘One Rank, One Pension’ (OROP)

1. Between 2004 and 2012, the central government of the UPA-Congress had increased the pension of the forces three times and had made an additional benefit of 7,000 crores.

2. Presenting the budget in the Parliament of the country on February 17, 2014, the then Finance Minister, Shri P. Chidambaram had announced the decision to give ‘One Rank, One Pension’ from April 01, 2014, as per the ‘Koshiyari Committee’.

3. On February 26, 2014, the then Defense Minister of Congress, Shri A. K. Antony had held a meeting and decided that all the soldiers retiring from the same rank after serving for the same period of time in the armies would be given the same pension, even if they had different dates of retirement. In future, the benefit of the increase in pension will also be available to all the old pensioners.

4. On April 24, 2014, a working group was constituted by the Defense Ministry of the UPA-Congress government to implement OROP, reiterating the order of ‘One Rank, One Pension’. Not only this, the entire process of the implementation of ‘One Rank, One Pension’ was also decided and a comprehensive instruction was issued in this regard.

5. At Siachen Glacier, on the occasion of Diwali on October 23, 2014, the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and on July 10, 2014, the then Finance Minister, Shri Arun Jaitley in his budget speech, also reiterated the need to implement ‘One Rank, One Pension’. But on November 7, 2015, by issuing a new order, the Modi government made ‘One Rank, One Pension’ a scheme of ‘One Rank, Five Pension’ and all the ‘Prematurely Retired’ soldiers were deprived of ‘One Rank, One Pension’. May it be noted that 46 percent of soldiers opt for premature retirement. According to the Koshiyari Committee, only 1000 out of 13 lakh soldiers of the Army reach the retirement age of 60 years. Most of the jawans and Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) retire by the age of 40. In the armies, 85 percent of soldiers retire by the age of 38 to 40 years and 10 percent retire by the age of 46. Naturally, all of them will be deprived of ‘One Rank, One Pension’.

6. The Indian Ex-Service Movement filed a petition in the Supreme Court demanding the original ‘One Rank, One Pension’. The Modi government strongly opposed this in the Supreme Court. Instead of describing the ‘One Rank, One Pension’ as the right of the soldiers, it was called a policy decision of the government’s will. Not only this, the Modi government argued that the court cannot give directions on a policy decision leading to economic burden.

On March 16, 2022, the Supreme Court dismissed this petition for ‘One Rank, One Pension’.

Direct questions to Modi government and BJP: 1. Is depriving more than 30 lakh ex-soldiers of ‘One Rank, One Pension’ not a betrayal with the country’s army? 2. What is the reason for the Modi government to have opposed ‘One Rank, One Pension’ in the Supreme Court? 3. What is the reason that the Modi government is refusing to implement the UPA-Congress’ February 26, 2014 and April 24, 2014’s ‘One Rank, One Pension’? 4. What is the reason that the Modi government rejected, by opposing in the Supreme Court, the then Finance Minister Shri P. Chidambaram’s promise made in the Parliament on the behalf of the government on February 17, 2014, to implement ‘One Rank, One Pension’? 5. What is the reason that the Modi Government rejected the decision of the then Defense Minister, Shri A.K. Antony and the Ministry of Defense for the implementation of ‘One Rank, One Pension’ on February 26, 2014, before the Supreme Court saying that it is not the decision of the government? 6. What is the reason that despite the clear decisions of UPA-Congress to implement ‘One Rank, One Pension’, the Modi government is refusing to accept these as decisions taken by the government. 7. Was garnering votes by chest-thumping decision to implement ‘One Rank, One Pension’ in the five electoral states, just an election gimmick? We request the Prime Minister, Defense Minister and Modi Government to implement the UPA-Congress government’s decision on ‘One Rank, One Pension’ made on February 26, 2014 and April 24, 2014 without delay. Electoral victories in a democracy are meant to fulfil promises, not to break the trust of soldiers and ex-servicemen.

Based on Media briefing