Sachin Pilot today became the first Union minister to be commissioned
as a regular officer in the Territorial Army, fulfilling his desire to
follow his father's footsteps to be in the armed forces.
At a ceremony held here in South Block, Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh
and Sachin's mother Rama Pilot pipped ranks of lieutenant, formally
commissioning him as officer in the 124 TA Battalion of the Sikh
Regiment.
"This has been my desire to join the army for very long
as I wanted to have my links with the armed forces like my father and
grandfather.
"I am honoured to part of this family," Pilot said
after getting his commission. He said he hoped to contribute
meaningfully to the cause of the armed forces.
To a query if his
joining TA and drawing wages from there would be construed as an 'office
of profit', he said, "The clause of office-of-profit in the Indian
Constitution, in that, the Territorial Army is an exception."
"I had considered all these legal aspects before joining the TA," he said.
Asked
if he would be ready to serve in the armed forces in times of conflict
as the TA commission required to do so, he said, "absolutely. I would
always be there to serve the country."
On whether he would be able
to give due time for the Territorial Army along with his duties as
minister of state for information technology, Pilot said he would
perform all his assigned duties in the unit and all requirements for
working in the organisation would be fulfilled.
"I think if
educated and young people join any field including politics, this would
help," he said when asked whether his joining the TA would in anyway
help in improving the image of politics and politicians.
"In the
last few years, youths are joining politics at state and panchayat level
and I feel this would help in bringing about a positive change in the
country," Pilot said.
35-year-old Pilot, an MP from Ajmer in
Rajasthan, cleared the Preliminary Interview Board (PIB) at Western
Command, Chandimandir and the Services Selection Board (SSB) at
Bangalore along with his medical examination for joining the TA
recently.
His first introduction with the TA took place around two
years ago during an orientation program organised by the Defence
Ministry for young Parliamentarians.
Soon after, the minister expressed his desire to be a part of the organisation and started preparing for it.
He
followed a rigorous schedule to clear the written examination,
interview and physical tests, one of Pilot's close aide told PTI.
The
minister, who joined as a regular officer, will have to undergo
mandatory training at TA Academy at Devlali in Maharashtra and IMA,
officials said.
His father Squadron Leader Rajesh Pilot was a
fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force (IAF) and his grandfather served
the Indian Army as a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO).
Celebrities
like cricketers Kapil Dev, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and actor Mohan Lal have
joined the force as Honorary Lieutenant Colonels.
Source : http://www.dnaindia.com, Sept 6, 2012
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