Facing a shortage of 11,500 officers, the army has indicated to its leadership that it will take up to 20 years of best efforts to fill up the vacancies.
"This projection is conditional. The army can fill up the vacancies in 20 years only by increasing training capacities in officers' academies, keeping exit rate of army officers low, and a handsome pay package to attract qualified youth," a senior officer at the army headquarters told PTI.
The data, compiled through a study, showed that the army faced an average of 1,500 pre-mature retirements of officers every year. The current annual average number of officers commissioned in the army stood at 1,700.
At present, the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun has a capacity to train 950 officers per year and the Chennai-based Officers Training Academy about 500 officers. It could be stretched to allow IMA to accommodate 1,100 cadets and OTA 600 cadets a year.
"This will mean, the army has a net increase of about 200 officers every year considering the present rate of PMRs and intake in academies. At this rate, the army will never make up the shortage in its officer cadre," the officer said.
On the basis of the study, it was suggested at the recent Army Commanders Conference that the rate of intake in the IMA and OTA should be increased by raising training capacities of the two institutions.