Every Central Pay Commission (CPC) is expected to bring fairness across services. For the Armed Forces, however, it has repeatedly reinforced disparity instead of reducing it. The paradox is unmistakable: the institution with the steepest career pyramid, the shortest tenures, and the highest attrition is denied benefits extended even to cadres with assured progression.
The Armed Forces operate in a unique structure. Promotions are few, the pyramid narrows quickly, and most officers leave service by their early 50s. Only a fraction rises beyond the middle ranks. This means officers with proven ability are forced out early with modest pensions, while civilian counterparts in linear hierarchies continue to rise until retirement at 60.
The CPC model has compounded this imbalance. The Sixth CPC introduced Non-Functional Upgradation (NFU), which gave civil services and later the Central Armed Police Forces automatic pay progression irrespective of promotion. The Armed Forces were excluded. This exclusion was reaffirmed by the Seventh CPC, despite repeated demands from the Services. It is hard to justify why those with the least secure career paths should be denied what has been granted to those with guaranteed ladders.
The Seventh CPC also left behind a long trail of anomalies — 37 in all — covering rank equivalence, allowances and pensions. Formal representations by the Service Chiefs to the government did little to resolve the issues. The memory of the 1986 Rank Pay cut, which reduced the basic pay of Army officers and triggered years of litigation, remains another reminder of how CPC decisions have steadily eroded parity and morale.
This is not just about money. It is about recognition and motivation. Soldiers see their civilian peers assured of upgrades, steady pensions and extended careers, while they themselves exit early with fewer prospects. At a time when India’s armed forces are under pressure to attract and retain the best young talent for increasingly complex conflicts, this erosion of status is strategically damaging.
The truth is that the CPC framework was built for civil services, not for the Armed Forces. Applying a civilian template to a military structure has produced distortions that no amount of piecemeal correction can fix. If India is serious about sustaining morale, retaining talent and recognising unique service conditions, then either NFU must be extended to the Armed Forces or, better still, the military must have a pay structure designed specifically for its needs.
Until that happens, the pyramid paradox will remain — punishing those who serve in the most demanding careers while rewarding those with the most secure ones.