(v)

SYNOPSIS

"Stripped for the hardest work, every muscle firm and elastic, every ounce of brain

ready to use and not a trace of superfluousflesh in his nerves and supple body,every
soldier is supposed to be medicallyready and deployable."

TRODUCTION

John F Kennedy had once rightly said "Physical fitness is not only one of the most
portant keys to a healthy body, but is the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual ability'.

me statement clearly shows the importance of physical fitness. Although the statement is

ually applicableto each and every citizen, but it is all the more important for soldiers who
ed to perform at optimum level under testing conditions in difficult terrains.

Readiness for combat begins with operational fitness of the individual soldiers. Total

ldier fitness necessarily includes physical, psychological, nutritional, social, and family
alth. The training schedule and Military routine tend to ensure only physical fitness at

otimum levels, but due to the significant changes in the socio-economic conditions and
arious other life-style disorders, the percentage of medicallyunfit soldiers is on the rise and
cause for worry. A medically unfit soldier becomes non-deployable in combat zones and
ffects operational readiness of the Unit. Indian Army and all other World Armies which are

onsistently deployed in conflict zones in difficult terrains therefore need to suitably manage
e medicallynon- deployable population.

USTIFICATION FOR THE STUDY

Soldiersare trained and mandated to remain fit at all times as fitness is significantly

nd positively correlated with self-esteem,hardiness and conscientiousness. However due

o deployment in inhospitableterrains, socio-economic changes and life-style disorders, large

umber of soldiers are becoming unfit and being placed in lowmedical category.Continued
ombat stress, disintegration of joint family system, and other stress factorsare leading to

sychological, social and family health problems. Due to above reasons the percentage of

such medically unfit and operationally non-deployable individuals is on the rise. As per an

estimate approximately 7-8% of PBOR are placed in low medical category for various

ailments/abnormalities and are medically non deployable. This translates into the fact that
 (vi)

approx.70-80 thousand PBOR are not available for actual operational deployment at any
given time. This is a constant source of concern for the organization.
4. Besides being non-available for the operational tasks,these individuals are a cause

of de-motivation and sometimes indiscipline due to their lackadaisical attitude and loss of

commitment. This change in attitude affects the personal life and organizational capabilities

to a greatextent. The issue also translates into financial burden to the exchequer by way of

increased medical expenditure and disability pensions.

5 At the same time, the low medical condition also significantly affects the morale and

personal ego of the individual who gets affected. It affects his mental state, promotional

avenues and family commitments. The individual looks towards organization for continued

support.

There is thus a continuous dilemma in the mind of allconcerned as to how to deal with

these medically unfit/ non-deployablesoldiers whose individual aspirations develop serious

conflict with organizational requirements.

7. This brings us to the central idea of the dissertation that how to manage this vast ever

increasing Low Medical Category (LMC) PBOR population in the Army to meet individual

aspirations and organisational requirements. Although the issue of medical fitness also

affects the officer cadre also, but due to entirely different cadre management norms, terms
and conditions, and limited availability of time in the course, they will not be included in the

present study.

Tomitigate the above problem,various guidelines have been issued from time to time
8.
regarding management/disposal of LMC Personnel Below Officer Rank (PBOR).AO 46/80
lays down following conditions for retention of permanent LMC personnel:

(a) Availability of suitable alternative appointments commensurate with their

medical category.

(b) Such retention will not exceed the sanctioned strength of the Regiment/Corps.

9.
Various other guiding principles and sanctioning authority are given in IHQ of MOD
(Army) letter no B/10201/Vol-VI/MP-3(PBOR)dated 30 Sept 2010.
10. The provisions however lack holistic approach to meet the individual aspirations of

affected PBOR vis-å-vis organizational requirements and adversely affect the both. The
affected individual looses on personal front and organization on its operational readiness.

There is thus a requirementto comprehensivelystudythe hopes of the affected individuals

along with various organizational imperatives to draw out a strategy for effective
 (vi)

management of this vast strength of individuals who are otherwise affecting the
organizational effectiveness. It is also proposed to examine the various new concepts about
soldier readiness councils and total force fitness which are being practiced with suCcess in
various other Armed Forces.

AIM

11.
The aim of the studywould be to recommend various ways to find a balancebetween
the indl aspirations and org regmts while employing the LMC personnel.

SCOPE

12. The studywill be exploratory in nature and will endeavor to:

(a) The studywould attemptto analyzeeffect of increasing strength of Low Medical

Category personnel on operational readiness, if any and try to analyze the conflict

between individual aspirations vis-à-vis organizational requirements.

(b) ldentify effects of medical unfitness on individual morale and organization

readiness.

(c) ldentify the suitability of present provisions in meeting organizational

requirements.

(d) Propose a methodology towards reducingthe strength of LMC personnel after

analyzing the etiology and identify steps for effective management of LMC
personnel.

(e) To study if latest concepts of Total Force Fitness and Soldier Readiness

Council can be applied in Army.

HYPOTHESIS

3. Current provisions on management of low medicalcategorypersonnelare sufficient

omeet the individual and organizational aspirations in Indian Army.

METHODOLOGY

4.
The dissertation will be covered under the following chapters:
 (vii)

(a) Chapter 1: Introduction. This chapter will describe the background of the
study alongwith system methodology and sample design.

(b)
Chapter 2: Current Organisational Imperatives for LMC Personnel. This
chapter will analyze the current organisational imperatives for the LMC personnel in

the Army. Views of LMC personnel seeking their aspirations will be obtained and
juxtaposed with organisational requirements as obtained from the officers who are
commanding or have commanded troops.

(c) Chapter 3: New Approaches towards management of LMC Personnel. In

this chapter approaches/provisions which can contribute towards effective

management of LMC personnel will be analysed. Latest conceptslike Soldier Medical

readiness Council andTotal Force Fitness will be discussed.

(d) Chapter 4: Validation of Hypothesis. Based on the responses to the survey

by LMCand SHAPE-1 PBOR and Officers, the hypothesis is sought to be validated,

(e) Chapter5: Recommended strategies. Based on the fore-mentioned analysis,

and also based on the discussions with various stake-holders, it will be endeavored
to recommend various strategies to effectively deal with LMC personnel for

maintaining balance between individual aspirations and organisational requirements.

(Total words -1126)

 CHAPTERI

INTRODUCTION

"Physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body,
itis the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity."

John F.Kennedy

General

1. Health is the generalcondition of a person's mind and body, usually meaning

to be free from illness, injury or pain. It is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency

of a living organism. The World Health Organization (WHO)defines health in its

broadersense as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not

merely the absence of disease or infirmity."" It is increasingly recognized that health

is maintained and improved not only through the advancement and application

of health science, but also through the efforts and intelligent lifestyle choices of the

individual and society. According to various reports and the WHO, following three

interdependent fields have been identified as key determinants of an individual's

health:

(a) Lifestyle. The aggregation of personal decisions (i.e., over which the
individual has control) that can be said to contribute to, or cause, illness or

death.

(b) Environmental.All matters related to health external to the human

body and over which the individual has little or no control.

(c) Bíomedical,All aspectsof health, physical and mental, developed withìn

the human body as influenced by genetic make-up.

1 World Health Organization. WHO definition of Health, Bulletin of the World Health

Organization 80 (12): 982.

 2

2 Physical fitness can be defined as a general state of health and well-being or

more specifically as the ability to perform aspectsof sports or occupations.? It is a set

of attributes or characteristics and relates to the ability to perform a given set of
physical activities. is generally achievedthrough
It correct nutrition, exercise, hygiene
and rest. Physical fitness is the cornerstone of combat readiness. Physical exercise

keeps soldiers in top condition so they are always ready for any mission. Through
carefully planned and implemented physical training exercises, each branch of the
military is able to maintain a high level of combat readiness with healthy, capable
service members.

3 Physical fitness has been linked to a number of factors important for the

successful performance of military duties, and it is an important predictor of success

in military training, attrition, injuries, and reactions to stress. The issue assumes
particular significance in Indian context as our soldiers are continuously deployed in
difficult and harsh climatic conditions. Service members who do not meet fitness

standards become non-available for operational tasks causing concern to

commanders at all levels. Besides adversely affecting the operational readiness

these individuals require regular medical attention involving huge avoidable costs.

Most of the affected individuals display poor motivation and adversely affect the work

ethos and org climate of units.

4. Physical fitness proceduresare though well ingrained in the training schedules

of Armed Forces and are checked at all levels but they get affected due to

deterioration in other essential components (psychological, behavioural, social,

environmental, spiritual, medical and nutritional) which are often ignored.

Issue under concern

5. No Commander wants even one of his fully trained soldier to be medically non

deployable as "Boots on ground" have a direct bearing on all military operations

operations low intensity conflict operations

particularly on manpower intensive like

2 As given in htp:/len.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_fitness
 3

(LICO) and counter insurgencyoperations (CIOps). Physical fitness is thus a major

key result area (KRA) for all commanders. Despite best organisational and individual

efforts the strength of medically non-deployablepersons has been on the rise and a
cause of worry. As per an estimate approximately 7-8% of the Personnel below

Officer Rank (PBOR) are always in medically non-deployable state. The percentage
is theoretically comparable with most other countries but does not include non

availability due to temporary categorization, hospitalizations and routine sick reports.

The monitoring system to know the exact strength of such population is also far from

satisfactory as procedures involved are manual and not exhaustive. The strength of

medically non-deployable individuals in sister services is also on similar lines and

cause of worry. The issue was also highlighted by AOP, Indian Air Force during a

guest lecture on "prevalent Thought Process being Conceptualised for HR Mgt in IAF"
for HDMC 10 Course

6. The management of such a large number of medically non-deployable PBOR

is a live problem facingthe Army today. Channelizing the potential and expertise of

such large strength has become a major challenge. Judicious rationalization and

optimum employment of these individuals needs to be addressed in the right earnest

at the earliest.

7. had got highlighted media from time to time. Silicon India in an

The issue in

article "Indian Army crippled with fitness issues" dated 05 Sep 2011 had reported that

four out of five Indian army personnel were unfit. The article though lacking

authenticity was reportedly based on a sample survey conducted by the Indian

Medical Research. It further brought out that personnel suffered from pre
Council of

were overweight and two third had low level of good

hypertension, about a third

cholesterol.

reasons such as
8 Medical non-deployment can be related to various

actions (Battle Casualties (BC), harsh and difficult deployment

battlelenemy

(Attributable) and life-style disorders (Non attributable).

conditions, combat stress

3 http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/lndian_
ArmyCrippled With_Fitness_lssues-nid-90247-cid

1.html
 4

Medical disposal of these categories may be different but the effect on unit functioning
is almost identical.

Global perspective

The issue of medical non-deploymenthas been a matter of concern for

9.
major

al
Armed Forces. Department of Defence (DoD)of United States of America (USA) has
been continuously trying to investigate the causes and forcing remedial actions. In a

November 2011 report, DoD has brought out that about 30% of National Guard and

Reserve and 15% active-duty force are not able to deploy due to medical reasons.4

The report has quoted US Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker, MD, as

saying that "medically unfit soldiers is a problem that has begun to erode the

readiness of the Army as a whole. It is an issue that the leadership of the Army has
identified as a major problem." In other articles Malish et al and Ruple et al have

described that increasein medically non-deployable population has caused serious

readiness problems inthe US Army. As per one report more than 75,000 soldiers of

US Army are non-deployableon any given day.5 A recent (Oct2014) report of DoD
has outlined the latest government initiatives to reduce military suicide rates and to

improve the medical care.

10. A North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Guide for "Assessing

Deployability for Military PersonnelWith ChronicMedical Conditions: Medical Fitness

for Expeditionary Missions, Task Group 174,Human Factors, and Medicine Panel"
by Russell et al states that each time a deployed military member has an
exacerbation of a pre-existing chronic disease there is a potential risk to mission
Success, individual health, and the safety of the unit. NATO member nations employ

different approaches toassessing an individual's medical fitness for deployment.

11. A British newspaper "The Independent"has published areport quoting Defence

Ministry sources which suggests that barely two-thirds of soldiers are as fit as they

4
htp:/www.usmedicine.com/agencies/department-of-defense-dodlarmy-readiness-eroded-by
increasing-numbers-of-medically-unfit-soldiers/

5 Scott Arnold, Non-deployable soldiers: understanding the army's challenge, USAWC report,2011
www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA560651
 5

should be,despite commanders' insistence that fitness is vital to the "battle-winning

edge needed to ensure success on operations". It further reports that thousands of

British troops fail to reach the Army's own basic standard of fitness, amid growing

concerns that many soldiers are becoming too fat to fight.6

12. The Australian Defence Force Health StatusReport published in 2000 identifies
the leading causes of injury and illness among Australian Defence Force (ADE)

personnel, and wherever possible, provides an indication of the costs in terms of

personnel capability lost and monetary expenditures. The report considers potential

causes of the leading categories of injury and illness so that strategies for reducing

preventable illness and injury can be determined and implemented.By continuing to

measure health status indicators over time, the effectiveness of preventive

interventions can be determined and strategies refined as needed. It further states

that success in providing a fit and healthy force, preventing casualties, and treating

casualties in peace and during operations are all contingent on such an outcomes
based approach.7

13. Sudom and Hachey (2011) while reviewing the temporal trends in health and
fitness of Military personnel in Canadian Army have suggested that the effectiveness

of military operations is often dependent upon the physical fitness of its members.
The impacts of low fitness are evident on aspects of military performance such as
training outcomes, attrition, injuries, and readiness. They further suggestthat since
military recruits are drawn from the civilian population, negative trends in physical

fitness, overweightand obesity, and health behaviours observed may have an impact

on the ability of military organizations to recruit and retain high-quality, physically fit

personnel. The report reviews health and fitness among military members, indicating

parallel trends in civilian populations. It suggests that programmes and policies to

enhance the health and fitness of military personnel, as well as assessments of

military fitness, should also address health behaviours, such as smoking cessation,

alcohol use,and nutrition, in addition to maintaining a healthy body weight.

6 Unfit sentries: One-third of UK special army guard soldiers have medical restrictions 2014
http://rt.com/uk/154748-british-soldiers-unfit-mpgs/

7http://www.defence.gov.au/media/2000/health/front.pdf
 6

Existing Provisions

14. Guidelines regarding disposal of Low Medical Category (LMC) personnel are
given in following orders/instructions:

(a) Army Order (AO)46/80.

(b) Army HQ letter No B/10122/LMC/MP-3(PBOR) dated 15 Mar 2000.

(c) Gazette Notification issued vide SRO 22 dated 12 May 2010.

(d) IHQ of MoD (Army) letter No B/10201/Vol-VUMP-3(PBOR) dated 30Sep

2010.

15. As per present instructions all PBOR are required to undergo annual or periodic
medical examination. Based on the findings of medical examination, medical status

of each individual is characterized as under:

(a) SHAPE1--physicallyfit for all purposes.

(b) SHAPE2 & SHAPE 3--not fit for certain duties and are reguired not to

undertake strain.

(c) SHAPE 4--those who are in hospital for certain ailments and

(d) SHAPE 5--unfit for further service of the Army.

16. PBOR who are categorized in SHAPE 2/SHAPE 3 are placed in Low Medical

Category (Temporary/Permanent) and reviewed regularly (Temporary - 6 mths,

Permanent -2 yrs), In Review Medical Board, the medical category of the personnel

may be changed keeping in view his recent medical condition. Thus, SHAPE 2 or
SHAPE 3 may be placed in SHAPE 1 also and vice versa, Any individual in

LMC remains medically non-deployable but cannot be

Temporary
invalidated/discharged. He continues to affect the unit readiness for deployment.
 7

17. Existing guidelines for management of permanent LMCpersonnel are laid down
in AO 46/80and IHQof MoD (Army) letter No B/10201/Vol-VI/MP-3(PBOR)dated 30
Sep 2010. AO 46/80 specifies that retention of such persons is subject to following
conditions:

(a) Availability of suitable alternative appointmentscommensurate with their

medical category.

(b) Such retention will not exceed the sanctioned strength of the

RegimentCorps.

18. Guiding principles for consideration of competent authority (Commanding

Officer) and OIC Records for retention/discharge of permanent LMC personnel as
given by ServiceHQ are:

(a) Allendeavors should be made to allow such personnel to complete their

minimum pensionable service in present rank (SHAPE 5 -10years, SHAPE
2/3 – 15 years).

(b) Capability of the individual to look after himself outside the service and

need to continue treatment at ServicesHospitals be considered.

(c) Circumstances under which the injury was sustained/ or aggravated.No

differentiation between attributable and non-attributable cases be made.

(d) Discharge of such personnel should help to maintain the operational

efficiency of the unit as also the man-management.

19. Besides this sanctioning and approving authorities for various categories (BC
(willing/unwilling)and Non Battle Casualties (willing/unwilling)) of LMC personnel
have been specified, Whereas Release Medical Board is competent to recommend

discharge for SHAPE 2/3 LMC personnel, Invalidating Medical Board is required for

SHAPE –5individuals.
 8

Provisionsin Other Armed Forces

20.
Perusalof relevant literature reveals that detailed guidelines for monitoring and

management of LMC personnel (called medically non-deployable)are available in

respect of US Army. The issue has assumed serious significance in recent years and

strict actions are being initiated to control the problem. Following documents provide

detailed guidelines for dealing with problem of individual medical non-deployment

and medical readiness of the units.

(a) DoD Instruction Number 6490.07 dated February 5, 2010 and titled:

Deployment-Limiting MedicalConditions for Service Members and DoD Civilian

Employees.

(b) DoD Army Bulletin No dated 20 Jul 2011 titled: Medical Management
Unit (MMU). It is a medical command element that provides centralized

management of nonqualified /non-deployableSoldiers with medical issues.

(c) Commanders Medical Readiness and Deployment Guide with details of

MEDPROs (Medical protection system),e Profile (Electronic profiling system)

and MODS (Medical Operational Data System).

(d) Military Health System Review -A report submitted to Secretary

Defence in August 2014.

(e) Army Regulation 635 40 regarding Physical Evaluation for Retention,

Retirement, or Separationpublished on 20 March 2012.

() Total Force Fitness for 21st Century- A New paradigm; A supplement

publication of Military Medicine (August 2010) giving complete details of new

concept called Total force Fitness.

21. In the US Army when amilitary member has a medical condition which renders

him unfit to perform his required duties, he may be separated (or retired) from the

military for medical reasons. The process to determinemedicalfitness for continued

 9

duty involves two boards -- One is called the Medical Evaluation Board (MEB), and
the other is called the Physical Evaluation Board (PEB). While most MEB/PEB
actions Occur when a military member voluntarily presents him/herself at the Medical

Treatment Facility (MTF) for medical care, commanders may, at any time, refer
military nmembers to the MTFfor amandatory medical examination, when they believe
the member is unable to perform his/her military duties due to a medical condition.
This examination may cause conduct of a MEB, be forwarded to
which will the PEB
when it finds that the member's medical condition falls below medical retention

standards. 8The PEB is a formal fitness-for-duty and disability determination that may
recommend one of the following:

(a) Return the member to duty (with or without assignment limitations, and
or medical re-training into a job he/she willbe medically qualified to perform)

(b) Place the member on the temporary disabled/retired (TDRL) list

(c) Separate the member from active duty, or

(d) Medically retire the member.

22. The standard used by the PEB for determining fitness is whether the medical

condition precludes the member from reasonably performing the duties of his or her

office, grade, rank, or rating. As per DoD Instruction 1332.38, inability to perform the

duties of office, grade, rank or rating in every geographiclocation and under every

conceivable circumstance will not be the sole basis for finding of unfitness.

Deployability, however, may be used as a consideration in determining fitness.

23. Complete details about the processes involved in examination, evaluation and

recommendation and disposition of medically non-deployable soldier are available in

the open domain. The system of monitoring medical problem and unit readiness for

deployment is completely automated and real time. The provisions made for disposal

or management are primarily based on future employability and utlisation. Major

conceptual variations observed vis-à-vis our system include:

8 Rod Powers Disability (Medical) Separations and Retirements

Military

http://usmilitary.about.com/od/theorderlyroom/a/medseparation.htm
 10

(a) Detailed analysis of health problems in civil and its likely impact on

recruitment, training and deployment options are given due consideration.

(b) Medical re-training into a job he/she will be medically qualified to

perform.

(c) Feedback from Field commanders is considered in decision making.

(d) Primary concern is to generate awareness and concern for being

healthy.

(e) Holistic health practices (Total Force Readiness) are followed.

(f) Unit Readiness Councils- a formal body to progress the cases of medical

non-deployment is functional.

(9) Temporary profiling (Temporary LMC) is only for six months with 3
monthly review. This helps in progressing the cases faster.

24. The Australian defence Forces follows MEC system for medical classification

which ranges from MEC 1 to MEC 5.The five levels are defined within clearly

delineated, deployableand non-deployablecategories as follows:

(a) MEC 1:Fully Employable and Deployable.

(b) MEC 2: Employable and Deployablewith Restrictions.

(c) MEC 3: Rehabilitation.

(d) MEC 4: Employment Transition.

(e) MEC 5: Separation

Conflict situation

25. Soldiers are trained and mandated to remain fit at all times as fitness is

and positively correlated with self-esteem, hardiness and

significantly

conscientiousness. However due to continuous deployment in inhospitable terrains,

increased combat stress, disintegration of joint family system,and other stress factors

and operationally non-deployableindividuals is on

the percentage of medically unfit

the rise. Besides being non-available for the operational tasks, these individuals are

and sometimes indiscipline due to their lackadaisical attitude

acause of de-motivation

attitude affects the unit readiness and

and loss of commitment. This change in

capabilities to a great extent. The issue also translates into financial

organizational

to the exchequer by way of increased medical expenditure and disablity

burden
 11

pensions. Increased number of such individuals in the organisation is thus a cause

of decreased operational readiness. Organisation always attempts to either retire

such individuals or bring them back to fit condition at the earliest.

26. At the same time, the low medical condition significantly lowers the morale and
personal ego of the individual who gets affected. It affects his mental state,

promotional avenues and family commitments. The individual looks towards

organization for continued supportin this difficult situation

27. There is thus always a continuousdilemma in the mind of those responsible as

to how to deal with these medically unfit/ non-deployablesoldiers whose individual

aspirations develop serious conflict with organizational requirements. The problem

gets further compounded as the requirementfor manpower is alwayson the rise due
to increased commitments and new raising. Due to budgetaryproblems increase in

allocation is never forth coming and units are required to overstretch existing

resources. Significant population of medically non-deployablepopulation thus affects

the organisational readinessfurther.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Research Objective

28. The objective for the research is to ascertain whether current provisions on

management of LMC personnel are sufficient to meet the individual and

organisational aspirations in Indian Army.

29. Since the study is concerned with ascertaining peculiar requirements of a

particular group (LMC personnel) and seeks to find linkages of motivation and
behaviour of such persons with Organisation Effectiveness, it would be categorised

as Qualitative Research of ExploratoryType.

 12

Scope

30. The study will endeavour to:

(a) Analyse effect of increasing strength of LMC personnelon operational

readiness,if any and try to analyse the conflict between individual aspirations

vis-à-vis organizational requirements.

(b) ldentify effects of medical unfitness on individual morale and

organization readiness.

(c) ldentify the suitability of present provisions in meeting organizational

requirements.

(d) Proposea methodologytowardsreducing the strength of LMC personnel

after analysing the causes and identifying steps for effective management of

LMC personnel.

(e) Tostudy if latest concepts of Total Force Fitness and Soldier Readiness
Council can be applied in Army.

31. This Study would act as a Spot Check, to ascertain the response of LMC
personnelregarding their aspirations and expectations from the organisation. The
opinion of the current hierarchy would be handy to give pointers towards the right

policies to evolve on how to deal with this important subject. Thus, this Study could

provide supporting material to policies under implementation

Hypothesis

32. Current provisions on management of low medical category personnel are

sufficient to meet the individual and organizational aspirations in Indian Army.

Type of Data

33. The research was done with Primary data obtained from Officers and PBOR
(SHAPE-1 and LMC) to assess mind-set of both the affected individuals and those

responsible to maintain the organisational effectiveness. Inputs helped to understand

the current organisational imperatives for LMC personnel and need to revise the

management guidelines for such individuals, if any.

 13

Sources of Data

34.
Primary data was captured from two strata to eliminate possibility of bias and
to provide inputs towards finding solutions:

(a) PBOR (SHAPE-1 and LMC).

(b) Officers who have commanded units in Fd/Peace (including

officers from HDMC).

35.
Methods of Data Collection. Primary data was obtained in the form of

questionnaires. Questionnaires were served in paper format, as well as through

electronic media. Two sets of questionnaires were prepared – for PBOR (Appendix
A) and for Officers (Appendix B) respectively. Secondary Data was sought informally
from DGMS and PSBranches of lHQ of MOD (Army)besides perusal from internet.

36. Technique Used for Sample Design. Stratified Random Sampling was
done to obtain the relevant data from PBOR and Officers. Considerable effort was
expended to cast the net wide for samples.Samples were collected from units located

at Secunderabad, Meerut, Babina, Jhansiand Delhi. Representatives from Arms,

technical Arms and Services were included in the sampling to arrive at logical

conclusion without any bias.

37. Responses. A total of 224 responses (143-PBOR and 81-Army Offrs) were

received. The details of individual responses to the questions are reflected at

Appendices C and D respectively for PBOR and officers. Demographic details of the

total responses received were as under:

Officers PBOR
Category

Groups Arm/Sevice No of Years Rank Med Cat

ub > 20 <20 SHAPE
roups Arms Technical Services Years Years NCO JCO LMC

37 12 32 49 32 44 99 60 83

otal 81 81 143 143

Grand
otal
224

Table 1: Details of Responses Received

 14

38. Data Analysis. Data obtained through

questionnaires was analysed using
Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). KMO and Bartlett's Test was
conducted to check the sampling adequacy and sphericity for factor analysis. The
results obtained were as under:

Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy. .548

Approx. Chi-Square 184.490

Bartlett's Test of Sphericity 105

Sig .000

Table 2:KMO and Bartlett's Test

39. The Bartlett's sphericity test (<0.05)and the KMO index (>0.5) enable to detect

if we can or cannot summarize the information provided by the initial variables in a

few number of factors. The values in the present study were (0.000 and 0.548)

sufficient to indicate that designed tests could be carried out. Rotated factor matrix

as derived after analysis by SPSS are as given in Appendix E and F. Factors

showing Eigen value of more than 1 were only considered. Scree plot of the same is

as given in Appendix G.

40. Summary of Descriptive Statistics for Officers and PBOR is given at Appendix

H and J respectively.Tables of Frequency distribution and Chi square as obtained

using SPSS are given at Appendix Kand L for Officers and PBOR respectively.

Limitations of Study

41. Following limitations are importantfor considering the issue in a holistic way:

(a) Sampling Units were selected from all over the country. All out

endeavour was made tO utilise multiple modes of communication and contact

 15

to collect responses to the questionnaires. However, the Study is limited by the

number of samples received from the Universe in the limited time frame.

(b) Becoming Low Medical category is a stressful event in the life of an

individual. Seeking inputs on this sensitive subject from LMC personnel was
difficult as most view any survey with a negative mind-set.

(c) The problem of LMC/medical non-deployment is equally important

amongst officer cadre. However due to limited time at the disposal and entirely
different set of rules governing this group, they were not considered in the

study.

(d) Battle casualties suffered due to enemy action are considered different

from LMC due to physical reasons and life-style disorders. Battle casualties are

not considered in this study due to separate guidelines existing to deal with

them.
 59

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Department
of Defense : Deployment Limiting medical conditions for Service

and DoD Civilian Employees, Washington, DC, DoD, February 5, 2010.

Members

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