The government's decision on the date of birth of the man who heads the Indian Army may not provide the closure many have been hoping for. Experts say a complicated and lengthy legal battle could follow in the next few months.
Yesterday, the Defence Minister said that the government had accepted 1950 as the year in which General VK Singh was born. The Army Chief has been arguing that he was born a year later. The problem is that Army records reflect both.
The biggest implication is the year in which the Army Chief will retire - 2012, according to the government's decision. If it had accepted Mr Singh's date of birth, his tenure would have extended to 2013.
Several legal experts, including three retired Chief Justices, have said that Mr Singh has a strong case against the government, should he decide to go to court.
The Defence Ministry has asked the official record-keeper of the Army - the Adjutant General's branch - to change Mr Singh's date of birth in its records from May 10, 1950 to May 10, 1951. But defence regulations state that service records cannot be altered - a fact that the Adjutant General is likely to stress today to the government.
This is the first time that the age of a military chief has become a matter of national concern and debate. Former Army chiefs state that the government's decision could inadvertently turn General Singh into a lame-duck Army Chief.
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