Indian Army is fat not fit, says internal audit

[Kunal Biswas]

Don't feed the trolls, Ignore / Report and continue the debate..

[Kunal Biswas]

The point that all categories need not have the same scale of rations.

The different arms and services are below.

Armoured Corps
Artillery
Army Air Defence
Army Aviation
Engineers
Corps of Signals
Mech Infantry
Infantry
Army Service Corps
Army Medical Corps
Army Dental Corps
Army Ordnance Corps
Corps of EME
Remount And Veterinary Corps
Army Education Corps
Corps of Military Police
Pioneer Corps
Army Postal Service
Territorial Army
Defence Security Corps

It maybe mentioned that they perform different tasks with different physical levels in their work environment. And each have a different mental level in work environment and both factors have different levels of stress. This is further different, even if from the same arms or services because the issues mentioned are different for personnel from these same arms and services working under different climatic zones and different elevations from the Mean Sea Level!

Therefore, in exactly scientific terms the ration scales will depend on the type of work, the physical exercise done, the climate where operating, the altitude where operating.

Now, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, in 2010 the Indian army had a strength of 1,129,900 active personnel and 960,000 reserve personnel.

Imagine if the parameters were to be applied as per scientific to calculate the different scales of rations, what a total confusion it would lead to!

Imagine the procurement problems as also calculating the transport required to move the rations (taking into consideration the requirement in different areas, for each different arms and services, and depending on the climatic conditions and also the elevation the said different types of troops from different arms and services.

Now, imagine for some reason, some troops are redeployed for some operational reason to an area with totally different parameters to what was forecast, planned, procured and moved! How does one now, at this late stage, cater for what can become a shortfall or become surplus.

Therefore, there has to be standardisation in ration scales. However, with add ons for the High Altitude and maybe for water and ice in the deserts for troops under canvas or training.

In so far as the standard of rations is concerned, I was a Member of a Board of Officers that was constituted under Brig Bhim Sohag (a polo player and who was the BASC), based on a Study by one lady professor of the Punjab Agriculture University.

That Study indicated that the IA was the second best fed army in the world in so far as the rations went, but was way down by the time it became food.

Poor procurement, low contract rates and bureaucratic hurdles prevent the quality that should have been there as per the ASC Specifications. In the bargain, the food procured was substandard and only half of what was procured could be consumed as the remainder had to be discarded being unsuitable (rotten, pulpy, discoloured and soft amongst the hard varieties and so on and so forth)

The Cooks who were to cook the food, were in no way Cooks, but people who learnt on the job in a manner of speaking.

The ration sacles for PBOR has improved immensely since my time and I have gone and seen the same. The quality has also improved, but nowhere still qualifying to be money's worth!

The only improvement in Cooks is that they are no longer called Cooks, but are called Chef. However, the standard of cooking remains the same rotten stuff. (One Haviladar Cook who was a Sepoy Cook in my time, when I asked him if he had improved in cooking since my time, corrected me and told me "Saheb, I am not a Cook, I am now called a 'Cheap and I am a 'Cheap' who is a Havildar. Lekin saheb, as you used to call my cooking crap, it still remains the same crap and you will once again have to suffer me while you are here on your visit!" He was our Mess Cook and since I also used to join in to improve the Mess food with him, he could pull my leg.

When I told him he was always a Cheap chap, he looked at the PMC who quickly told me that it was 'Chef' that he was mis****ouncing as 'Cheap'.

To be fair to my cook, he had improved and was quite good since he has been sent to ITC for training on a totally 'old boy' net since the Director of Welcome Group Hotels was Major Rehman of our Regiment!

So, my Mess cook had the last laugh!

Wise Words..

Brigadier Ray from DFI..

[Nikhil1256]

welshmann is not American he afaik he is a British..

My bad, should have taken the clue from the name. But what I meant to say was that most of the people in developed countries think of India as a billion people living in slums and cannot see that their countries also have problems that their governments are not doing much about either. I travel, and I have been asked similar questions so many times like 'how come your government spends $$ on moon mission/modern aircraft etc while so many people are poor/hungry/illiterate etc.' that I get sick when I see comments like this.

[sunnysandy]

Could you describe what the quarterly PT tests look like? And are there other tests as well? Thanks!

There are two basic tests P.P.T (Physical Proficiency Test) and B.P.E.T (Battle Physical Efficiency Test).

P.P.T consists of a 2.4 km/1.5 mile run in a minimum of 10 minutes 30 seconds. Dead Hang Pull Ups, Toe Touches an exercise similar to Toes to the Bar in Crossfit, Sit Ups, 5 meter shuttle run and 100 meter sprints.All this in PT uniform ie running T shirt , Shorts and running shoes.

B.P.E.T is done in Combat Dress, boots, Belt Kit with about 15 kgs and Rifle. It consists of a 5km/3mile run in 28 minutes, jumping across a 9 meter ditch, climbing a 4meter vertical rope, monkey crawl across a horizontal rope and a 100 meter sprint.

These are basic tests, but a junior officer or soldiers up to the rank of Corporals would have to be competitive . The Infantry, PARAs and the NSG also use Speed Marches similar to tabbing or ruck marches.

[sunnysandy]

Most of our recruits are on the lower end of BMI scales, there is no denying that.

Because the military wants a low BMI person.When my sis was applying for navy,she had to reduce her weight to 49 kgs from 60.

But not necessarily all low BMI persons are malnourished.I have seen many of my friends eating 2-3 plates of rice,dal,mutton and oil soaked sabzi but they are as thin as a stick.Some of them are consuming medications for weight gain.

True. Cant say about regular infantry being fat, but I am not sure about the high ranked officers though

There physic are like that, If you see a himachai or Kashmiri recruit he is like that..

Physical Fitness Tests(PFT)

To determine the Physical Fitness, the following tests carrying 100 marks are held :-

(a) 1 Mile Run
(b) Pull Ups
(c) Balance
(d) 9 Feet Ditch

Marking system is as follows :-

(a) 1 MILE RUN

(i) 5.40 Mins and below 60 Mks
(ii) 5.41 Mins to 5.50 48 Mks
(iii) 5.51 Mins to 6 .05 36 Mks
(iv) 6.06 Mins to 6.20 24 Mks

(b) PULL UPS

(i) 10 and above 40 Mks
(ii) 9 33 Mks
(iii) 8 27 Mks
(iv) 7 21 Mks
(v) 6 16 Mks

(c) BALANCE Should be qualified and no marks are awarded.

(d) 9 Feet Ditch Should be qualified and no marks are awarded.

I got the above from the Indian Army website, the above tests are a initial test for someone wanting to join as a Jawan(Soldier). If you want to join as a officer you have no Physical Tests just a Medical Test after you clear your S.S.B

If you notice there is hardly any emphasis on upper or lower body muscular strength, the running test has more importance. Joining the Army even as a soldier is a highly sought after career in India. So because of the competition all the candidates aim at scoring full marks in the Physical tests to get ahead.

The Beam Balance and 9 feet Ditch is child's play and the 10 pull ups is no big deal for most village boys. But running a mile ie 1600 metres in 5minutes 40 seconds and below to get a max score is no easy task.

Most of the recruits drop a lot of body weight to meet the standards.But once they join basic training the emphasis is on over all fitness and most of them put on some weight.