Of the 1,051 posts in the Army, 20 are at the level of Lieutenant General and equivalent, 75 at Major General and equivalent, 222 at Brigadier and equivalent, and 734 at Colonel and equivalent. The corresponding figures in the Navy will be four at Vice Admiral and equivalent, 14 at Rear Admiral and equivalent, 324 at Commodore, Captain and equivalent. In the Air Force up gradation will take place for six posts at Air Marshal and equivalent, 21 at Air Vice Marshal and equivalent, 61 at Air Commodore and equivalent, 415 at Group Captain and equivalent.

It may be recalled that the Defence Ministry had set up a committee on July 16, 2001 under the chairmanship of Ajay Vikram Singh, the then Special Secretary and later Defence Secretary, with representatives of the three Services with an aim to achieve 'combat effectiveness' by bringing down the age profile of battalion and brigade level commanders.

The committee submitted its report in February 2003 and phase-I of the report focussing on ranks of Lieutenant Colonel and equivalent and below was implemented in December 2004.

Welcoming the decision, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Fali Major said here that it was a great motivator for officers of the armed forces. As regards the anomalies in the Sixth Pay Commission and the services reservation, he said the Government 'graciously' set up a high level ministerial committee headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee to look into it. He also debunked the claim that the armed forces had set a precedent of so-called indiscipline by going public on the pay commission issue.