A Study of Opportunities and Challenges for resettlement of Veterans during transition from Military Service to Second Career in Civil Life

Abstract

The Indian Armed Forces are among one of the larges, finest, and best trained armed forces in the world and is one of the world s largest volunteer army. It employs over 1.2 million personnel on active service and maintains approximately 2.5 million retired personnel referred to as veterans. Young eligible Indians join the active military life at a young age ranging from 17 to 27 years as per the job profile. On induction and during their military service a structured and well managed Human Resource management policy enables them to undergo continuous physical, leadership and technical training. The regular technical and managerial development programmes; their subsequent roles and employment, makes them multi skilled and trained Human Capital. Soldiers acquire skills and higher qualification which makes them confident and competent to operate, maintain and repair the state-of-the-art sophisticated warfighting machines, and equipments. They excel in effective and efficient resource management even in most hostile, volatile, and difficult terrain and environment. A soldier retires after rendering about 15- 30 years service depending upon the health and promotion criteria and terms of engagement. Young retired soldier (referred to as veteran or Ex-Serviceman or ESM) still has enough physical and economic productive life ahead of them but have lot of family and personal responsibilities and liabilities to manage out of their meagre pension which is often inadequate to meet their financial needs, so they look for a second career after retirement.A veteran despite being young energetic, disciplined, skilled and experienced faces large number of challenges during transition from military to civil life. Timely identification of obstacles and challenges is a prerequisite for planning for measures to be taken to mitigate those challenges. Veterans and other stake holders can take timely remedial measures to facilitate veteran s smooth transition to a comfortable second career and retired life.