Jaitley urges corporates to employ ex-servicemen

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley Tuesday said the corporate sector should utilise the services of ex-servicemen as their commitment to work and discipline is without parallel.

The defence minister said mid-career and late-career stage jobs are relatively more in the private sector than in public sector and ex-servicemen are a useful resource.

"Corporate India needs trained minds and personnel. Ex-servicemen constitute a huge resource of trained and disciplined manpower," Jaitley said, addressing a function organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

"These men have worked in a different environment. For them commitment to duty is paramount. They show exemplary discipline and very high integrity. They are physically fit and can perform a variety of jobs.

"The existing situation, wherein corporate sector needs men with such qualities and ESM need reemployment, ideally fits into the supply and demand principle of economics," the minister said.

The defence minister was addressing the Directorate General of Resettlement conclave where industry body CII and the Army would work together to provide jobs to ex-servicemen.

He said the majority of ex-servicemen are "retired but not tired".

"Society owes debt and gratitude to the ex-servicemen. It is very important that segment of society come forward and absorb these extremely talented and trained men into jobs," Jaitley said.

He added that ex-servicemen are best suited to run Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programmes.

Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha, Army Chief General Dalbir Singh, and Navy Chief Admiral R.K. Dhowan were also present at the event.

According to official figures, nearly 60,000 armed forces personnel either retire, or are released every year. A majority of these personnel are between 35-45 years of age and are a rich repository of knowledge in different fields like security, mechanical, technical, administrative, medical, aviation, tourism and hospitality.