Key Points

  • Col Pushpender Singh (Retd) and Haviladar Major Singh fast unto death.

  • Demand for early implementation of OROP.
  • A relay hunger strike is already on.
  • PM Modi has not given a timeline for OROP.
  • PM said “expecting something positive” during I-day speech.

Ex-servicemen during protest for One Rank One Pension at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi | Source: PTI

The protesters have been on a relay hunger strike so far. Havildar Major had been on relay hunger strike since the agitation started.

Ex-servicemen shout slogans during their agitation for “One Rank One Pension” at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi | Source: PTI

Close to 22 lakh ex-servicemen and over six lakh war widows stand to be immediate beneficiaries of the scheme, which envisages a uniform pension for the defence personnel who retire in the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement.

Currently, the pension for retired personnel is based on the Pay Commission recommendations of the time when he or she retired. So, a Major General who retired in 1996 draws a lower pension than a Lieutenant Colonel who retired after 1996.

Read more:

OROP: Ex-Servicemen Resist Eviction, Continue Protests At Jantar Mantar

One Rank One Pension: Why Are Army Veterans Protesting? Why Should Govt Be Concerned?