Synopsis and List of dates The integrated HQ of MOD(Army) vide letter dated 22 April

2009 has revised the eligibility criteria for the Defence Service Staff College(DSSC)/ Technical Staff Officers Course(TSOC) entrance examination w.e.f. the year 201 wherein the upper age limit for the officers of NDA, IMA (Direct Entry) and NCC entry has been reduced from 35 years to 34 years and for all other entries the upper age limit has been reduced from 37 yrs to 36 yrs. It was also decided that the old and the new policy will run concurrently for the examinations in the years 210, 2011, 2012.

The complainant being Technical Graduate Entry(TSG) was restricted by the upper age limit of 37 years as per the old age policy and had to appear for DSSC/TSOC examination

conducted in oct 2010. The result of the TSOC were declared on 12 nov 201 and the complainant had cleared the TSOC Examination but had been placed in the reserve list. The result of SOATE was declared on 19 nov 2010 and he got nominated for this course. The IHQ of MOD(Army) vide their letter dated 04.1.2011 has also revised quantification policy vide which the TSOC course has been quantized for 1.5 marks for the No 3 SB(Selection

Board for full Col )

whereas SOATE has been quantified for

0.75 marks only. Thus the SOATE course has been given a very low grading compared to TSOC.It is further pertinent to note that DSSC and TSOC are staff courses which give better promotion prospects and better employability within Corps of Signals.

The IHQ of MOD(Army) vide their letter dated 14.09.2011 and dated 23.09.2011 has also introduced three pilot staff courses namely, e-PSC, Administration and Logistics Management

Course (ALMC) and Intelligence Staff Course (ISC) for the applicants of DSSC/TSOC from the year 2011 onwards to meet the deficiency of the staff course qualified officers. Nomination to these courses is done from the list of the officers who have appeared for the combined entrance examination for

DSSC/TSOC and presumably did not qualify in the same since nominated officers will not opt for these courses. It will not be incorrect to say that these pilot courses mentioned in the aforesaid para will also get quantized on the line of quantization of DSSC and TSOC in due course of time. Further, The reduction of age for DSSC/TSOC examination without adequate warning and the concurrent running of two different age policies for the years , 2010, 2011 and 2012 wherein the number of applicants increased by 42% for DSSC

and by 37% for TSOC examination. It is worthwhile to note that if the number of the candidates for the year 2010 were normal i.e around 500 (the Average of previous years ) , the complainant would have comfortably made the grade and would have been nominated. Thus, inspite of the increase in applicants for the DSSC/TSOC examination in the year 2010 , the authorities failed to suitably increase the number of seats for these courses . This action of the authorities seriously affected the career prospects of the complainant and introduced new pilot courses for candidates who appeared in the examination for the year 2011 and onwards as well as increased the intake for the DSSC and TSOC from the same year and onwards. The complainant was deprived of both the benefits despite the two policies were running concurrently for the years 2010, 2011 and 2012. The complainant could have benefited if the increase in intake was implemented properly from the 2011and onwards. According to which if the intake was increased in the year 2010 all the ten reserve candidates of TSOC including the complainant would have been nominated. At present The complainant is undergoing a training in SOATE by virtue of clearing the entrance examination dated Oct 2010 but is further effected because SOATE being a Post Graduate Course will fetch a maximum of 0.75 marks in No3 SSB for the promotion to the rank of Colonel, much less than that of TSOC and New pilot courses introduced in 2011. The complainant is deprived of attending the TSOC course for the year 2010 for which he was reserve whereas all reserve candidates for the year 2011 were nominated and other who could not qualify nominated to the pilot courses as per the policy which has seriously affected the employability and

promotion avenues because those who have qualified for these courses will have wider employability and will have better scope of clearing SSB due to higher quantization of these courses as compared to the quantization of SOATE. Thereby causing serious harm to the complainant and all reserve candidates due to lack of foresight and planning on part of the military for not implementing such actions for candidates of 2010 examinations

List of dates 23.04.2009 The IHQ of the MOD(Army) vide their letter revised the eligibility criteria for the Defence Services Staff College(DSSC)/ Technical Staff Officers Course (TSOC) entrance examination w.e.f to the year 2011 wherein the upper age limit for the officers of NDA, IMA (Direct Entry) and NCC entry has been reduced from 35 years to 34 years and for all other entries the upper age limit has been reduced from 37 yrs to 36 yrs. It was also decided that the old and the new policy will run concurrently for the

examinations in the years 210, 2011, 2012. 12.11.2010 The result of TSOC were declared and the complainant cleared the examination but had been placed in the reserve category .

19.11.2010 The Result of SOATE was declared and the complainant was nominated for this course. 04.1.2011 The IHQ of MOD(Army) vide their letter also

revised the quantification policy vide which the TSOC course has been quantized for 1.5 marks for the No 3 SB(Selection Board for full Col ) whereas SOATE has been quantified for 0.75 marks only. 14.09.2011 & 23.09.2011 The IHQ of MOD(Army) vide their letters

has also introduced three pilot staff courses namely, e-PSC, Administration and Logistics Management Course (ALMC) and Intelligence Staff Course (ISC) for the applicants of

DSSC/TSOC from the year 2011 onwards to meet the deficiency of the staff course qualified officers. Nomination to these courses is done from the list of the officers who have appeared for the combined entrance examination for DSSC/TSOC and presumably did not qualify in the same since nominated officers will not opt for these courses.

GROUNDS 1. because of the reduction of age for DSSC/TSOC examination conducted w.e.f 2010 without adequate warning and concurrent running of two policies for the years 2010, 2011, 2012, the number of applicants rose but to deal with such a huge intake the authorities increased the intake only from the year 2011 and 2012, i.e. second year of concurrent running of age policies. This mismanagement of the authorities has seriously deteriorated the employability of the complainant and hence is a gross violation of Art 14 of the Constitution. 2. Because the authorities introduced new pilot courses ePSC, ALMC and ISC for those candidates who appeared for the examination from the year 2011 onwards and failed to qualify the DSSC/ TSOC. The complainant is deprived of the new pilot courses introduced in connection with the two age policies running concurrently. 3. Because of the applicants of TSOC for the year 2011 has been compensated by increasing the number of vacancies based on which all reserves have been nominated whereas the same would have been done for the reserves of examination year 2010.

This action is not only arbitrary and unjust but has deprived the complainant a seat to the TSOC course and thus affecting not only his employability and promotion avenues because DSSC and TSOC give better promotion prospects and better employability in army , ie all arms employment , whereas SOATE is signals specific course and limits employability within corps of signals .

4. Because according to the revised quantification policy , the TSOC as well as the pilot courses course has been quantized for 1.5 marks for the No. 3 SB( selection board for full Col) whereas SOATE has been quantified for 0.75 marks only. This policy has seriously affected the employability as well as the promotion avenues because those who have qualified on these courses will have wider employability and will have better scope of clearing SSB due to higher quantization of SOATE course (where the complainant is presently serving). The above hurts the basic principle of natural justice.