By IANS
New Delhi : A row over the age of a three-star Indian Army general slated to be its next chief has blown over with the authorities clearing the officer of any wrongdoing.
“What is now being investigated is why it took so long to rectify the records,” an officer said Monday.
At issue was the date of birth of Lt. Gen. V.K. Singh, who currently commands the Ambala-based elite 2 Corps, one of the three premier strike corps of the Indian Army. He will be the senior-most three-star officer when the present Indian Army chief, Gen. Deepak Kapoor, retires in 2010 and will be elevated to the highest post.
Last month, it emerged that records with the Adjutant General’s branch showed that Singh was born on May 10, 1951 while the records of the Military Secretary’s branch said he was born on May 10, 1950.
The Adjutant General’s branch maintains records of officers from the time they enter the National Defence Academy (NDA) or the Indian Military Academy (IMA). The Military Secretary’s branch keeps records of officers’ promotions and postings.
When the discrepancy was pointed out, Defence Minister A.K. Antony’s office asked for an explanation from the army chief’s secretariat, which in turn sought an explanation from the two record-keeping branches.
“An investigation has shown that in all of Lt. Gen. Singh’s reports since his commissioning – be they ACRs (annual confidential reports) or annual medical reports – his date of birth is consistently recorded as May 10, 1951,” said an officer who spoke to IANS on condition of anonymity.
“We are now investigating how and why this error occurred and why it took so long to rectify it,” the officer added.