Echoing the same fear of mounting human resources crisis in the army, General Deepak Kapoor recently administered Compulsory military service or conscription in the long run as a way to combat this enemy.
While addressing on the eve of the 60th Army Day, General Deepak Kapoor acknowledged that the army had proved itself no match for the corporate sector, which with its big-ticket jobs was depriving the force of its most vital resources.
"We are not getting the right material. The corporate world is paying much more. It is a source of worry," he said.
General Kapoor's view on conscription reflects at army's constant worry towards growing attrition rate and its inability to attract right raw material in presence of corporate giants.
At last count the army was short of 11,238 officers. Worse still, the Indian Military Academy and the National Defence Academy are functioning way below their capacities.
Definition: CONSCRIPTION is a system whereby the state requires all men (and in a few cases women) to serve a period in the armed forces. Initiated in Prussia in the 18th century and later developed by Napoleon in France and then it spread across the Europe.
Countries without mandatory military service
1 Argentina
2 Australia
3 Belgium
4 Belize
5 Bosnia and Herzegovina
6 Bulgaria
7 Canada
8 Costa Rica
9 Croatia
10 Czech Republic
11 France
12 Hungary
13 India
14 Iraq
15 Republic of Ireland
16 Italy
17 Jamaica
18 Japan
19 Latvia
20 Lebanon
21 Luxembourg
22 Republic of Macedonia
23 Montenegro
24 Morocco
25 Netherlands
26 New Zealand
27 Peru
28 Portugal
29 Romania
30 Slovakia
31 Slovenia
32 South Africa
33 Spain
34 Tanzania
35 United Kingdom
36 United States
Countries with mandatory military service*
1 Albania
2 Armenia
3 Austria
4 Belarus
5 Bermuda
6 Brazil
7 Chile
8 China (PRC)
9 Colombia
10 Cyprus
11 Denmark
12 Egypt
13 Finland
14 Germany
15 Greece
16 Iran
17 Israel
18 Korea, South
19 Malaysia
20 Mexico
21 Norway
22 Poland
23 Russia
24 Serbia
25 Singapore
26 Sweden
27 Switzerland
28 Taiwan (ROC)
29 Turkey
30 Ukraine
Albania
Albania has compulsory military service.
Armenia
Armenia has compulsory military service for two years for males from 18 to 27 years.
Austria
Austria has mandatory military service for fit male citizens from 18 to 35 years of age. Since 2006, the period of service has been six months. Conscientious objectors can join the civilian service (called Zivildienst) for nine months. Since January 1, 1998, females can join the military service voluntarily.
Belarus
Belarus has mandatory military service for all fit men from eighteen to twenty-seven years of age. Military service lasts for eighteen months for those without higher education, and for twelve months for those with higher education.
Bermuda
Bermuda, although an overseas territory of the United Kingdom, still maintains conscription for its local force. Males between the age of eighteen and thirty-two are drawn by lottery to serve in The Bermuda Regiment for a period of thirty-eight months.
Brazil
Males in Brazil are required to serve 12 months of military service upon their 18th birthday. While de jure all males are required to serve, numerous exceptions mean military service is de facto limited mostly to volunteers, with an average of between 5 and 10% of those reporting for duty actually being inducted.
Chile
Chile has mandatory military service for male [9] citizens between eighteen and forty-five. The duration of service is twelve months for the army and twenty-four months for Navy and Air Force.
China (PRC)
Conscription has existed in theory since the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949; however, because of China's huge population and therefore the large number of individuals who volunteer to join the regular armed forces, a draft has never been enforced.
Colombia
Colombia has compulsory military service for males.
Cyprus
Cyprus has compulsory military service for all Greek Cypriot men between the ages of eighteen and fifty. Military service lasts for twenty-five months.
Denmark
As described in the Constitution of Denmark, § 81, Denmark has mandatory service for all able men. Normal service is four months, and is normally served by men in the age of eighteen to twenty-seven. Some special services will take longer.
Egypt
Egypt had a mandatory military service program for males between the ages of eighteen and thirty. Females of comparable age serve in a civilian program.
Finland
Finland has mandatory military service for men of a minimum duration of six months (180 days), depending on the assigned position: those trained as officers or NCOs serve for twelve months (362 days), specialist troops serve for nine (270 days) or twelve months, while rank and file serve for the minimum period. Unarmed service is also possible, and lasts eleven months (330 days). Since 1995, women have been able to volunteer for military service.
Germany
Germany has mandatory military service of nine months for men. Women may volunteer and are allowed to perform similar jobs as men.
Greece
As of 2006, Greece (Hellenic Republic) has mandatory military service of twelve months for men. Although Greece is developing a professional army system, it continues to enforce the 12-month mandatory military service despite earlier promises that the draft will be reduced to six months. Women are accepted into the Greek army, they are not obliged to join as men are.
Iran has mandatory military service for men. Duration of military service is dependent on some conditions and circumstances, but it is usually 21 months in normal conditions on top of the three months of initial training. E
Israel
Israel has mandatory military service for both men and women.
Korea, South
South Korea has mandatory military service of 24 to 27 months.[11] There are no alternatives for conscientious objectors[12] except imprisonment. The duration of service varies from branch to branch of the military however, by 2012, army military service will be reduced to 18 months varying by age and background of education.
Malaysia
Main article: Malaysian National Service
As of 2004, Malaysia has mandatory national service of three months for a selected group of both men and women. Twenty percent of 18-year-olds are selected through a lottery system to join this program.
Mexico
Currently, all males reaching eighteen years of age must register for military service (Servicio Militar Nacional, or SMN) for one year, though selection is made by a lottery system using the following color scheme: whoever draws a black ball must serve as a "disponibility reservist", that is, he must not follow any activities whatsoever and get his discharge card at the end of the year.
Norway
Norway has mandatory military service of nineteen months for men between the ages of 18.5 (17 with parental consent) and 44 (55 in case of war).
Poland
Russia
The conscription system was introduced into Imperial Russia by Dmitry Milyutin on 1 January 1874. As of 2007, the Russian Federation has a mandatory 12 months draft.
Serbia
Serbia has compulsory national service for all men aged between 19 and 35. In practice, men over 27 are seldom called up. Service is usually performed after University studies have been completed. The length of service was 9 months but has recently been reduced to 6 months (2006).
Singapore
In Singapore, the NS (Amendment) Act was passed on 14 March 1967, under which all able-bodied male citizens of 18 – 21 years of age were required to serve 24 months of compulsory national service in the Singapore Armed Forces, the Singapore Police Force, or the Singapore Civil Defence Force. Upon completion of full-time NS, they undergo reservist training cycles of up to forty days a year for the next ten years.
Sweden
Since 1902 military service is mandatory in Sweden. All Swedish men between age 18 and 47 can be called to serve with the armed forces. The number of drafted have changed over time, but during the Cold war it was about 90%.
Switzerland
Switzerland has the largest militia army in the world (220,000 including reserves). Military service for Swiss men is obligatory according to the Federal Constitution, and includes 18 or 21 weeks of basic training (depending on troop category) as well as annual 3-week-refresher courses until a number of service days which increases with rank (260 days for privates) is reached. Service for women is voluntary, but identical in all respects.
Turkey
In Turkey, compulsory military service applies to all male citizens from twenty to forty-one years of age (with some exceptions).
Ukraine
The options are either reserve officer training for two years (offered in universities as a part of a program which means not having to join the army), or one year regular service. In Ukraine, a person cannot be conscripted after he turns twenty-five.
