india

Updated: Jun 04, 2019 23:35 IST

From doing away with multiple cars for the navy chief during official visits to asking junior officers to be respectful but not subservient, from not lining up women and children for VIP visits to no bouquet presentations, new Indian Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh has issued a raft of instructions to curb ostentatious displays in the force.

The list of instructions, seen by Hindustan Times, also has a provision to bring about greater equality in the navy: the same standard of drinks, food, cutlery and crockery to be followed for all ranks attending any function. It is no secret that military personnel often get different treatment at functions depending on their ranks.

According to the new directive, the use of the third person in addressing senior officers is to be discouraged, their full title is not to be used repeatedly in speeches, and refreshments and meals have to simple and “devoid of ostentation”. Singh took over as navy chief on May 31. He is the first helicopter pilot to be in the top naval job.

Junior officers have to be encouraged to be “disciplined and respectful but not subservient”, states the directive issued by the navy chief’s office. It bars women and children from being “lined up” to receive or see off dignitaries. Another important instruction is that bouquets are not to be presented to officers and their spouses during official visits.

The navy chief also wants the citing of decorations after the names of officers to be restricted only to formal correspondence and formal functions. “On all other occasions including introductory speeches, only rank and appointment to be used,” the instructions say.

The preamble to the instructions stresses the need for optimal utilisation of manpower and resources.

“As a modern fighting force, it is important that we imbibe contemporary social and ceremonial procedures towards optimal utilisation of manpower and resources,” reads the introduction to the new guidelines that come into effect immediately. Several navy officers HT spoke with welcomed the instructions issued by Admiral Singh.

“Some of these things should have been done long ago. We are glad it is finally happening now,” said a serving officer on the condition of anonymity.

Former Western Naval Command chief Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha (retd) lauded the new instructions. “I had issued a similar diktat when I was heading the Western Naval Command. It’s a great move that will raise the navy’s morale,” he said.