Maken requests defence ministry for out-of-turn promotion for Vijay

New Delhi - India’s Sports Minister Ajay Maken has requested Defence Minister A.K. Antony to change out of turn promotion rules for Olympic silver medallist Vijay Kumar, who is a subedar in the Indian Army.

Vijay Kumar had won the silver medal in the men’s 25m rapid fire event at the 2012 London Games. He is second Army man after Colonel Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore to win an Olympic silver medal.

The Army Sports Control Board has informed the sports ministry that Kumar can get two out-of-turn promotions as a junior commissioned officer (JCO) and be made a subedar major. But these promotions were due to the shooter before winning the silver medals.

Maken in a letter asked the defence minstry to bring changes in its rules to bring military promotions for outstanding sportspersons at par with civilian promotion scales.

“It would be in fitness of things that there is parity in award of out of turn promotions for all sports persons, who have excelled in sports events nationally or internationally so as to obviate any sense of deprivation in respect of defence service employees on one hand and reward them equally for their excellence in sports events on the other hand,” Maken said.

The sports ministry has recently changed the government policy that has provision for three out of turn promotions for sportsperson for winning Olympic medals.