The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Centre questioning the authorities and seeking an explanation for ‘why an Indian Air Force pilot should not be permitted to take premature retirement on full reimbursement of the money spent by the government on his training?’
He was even recommended by two immediate superiors on the ‘extreme compassionate ground of matrimonial disharmony.’ The pilot, serving the IAF for 13 years, had urged the court to take into account the fact that his two minor children aged four and eight were living with their ailing grandmother
The High Court said:
An IAF officer at the time of induction takes an oath to make supreme sacrifices for the country and is very well aware of the exigencies involved with the job and postings. As such, he cannot complain that it was affecting his marital life
Tyagi had moved the HC after the IAF discarded his plea for premature retirement, terming it as an alibi to join the flourishing private airline industry.
I believe that since IAF has faced an mass departure of pilots from the Indian Air Force to private airlines, High court decision too is right but it seems that HC has kept only one side of problem in mind and has completely ignored the families and problems of their fighter pilots, I feel that many times this stern rule of IAF can disrupt the family life of a pilot.
As far as I am concerned, I think, pre mature retirements should be allowed to IAF pilots only on extreme compassionate and humanitarian grounds and even the government loss is put right as the pilot will reimburse the cost of training. Where is the problem then?
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