(1) Why are military officers underpaid ?

Answer 1 (A1) –

As per MMS not being IMF (US) agent — he became FinMin because IMF had put a condition before PVNR and ABV, and Indian elitemen that IMF will bail out India ONLY if MMS is made FinMin. IOW, commons of India or MPs of India did NOT make him FinMin, IMF did,

Army men are NOT highest paid, but in US etc they are well paid. eg in US soldiers get far more than policemen. In India too, they were well paid till 1990.

Now in India, they are paid peanuts compared to even policemen and similar skill level in private sector.

There is no clause in Constitution which says that salaries of military offiers MUST be linked with corresponding position in police. This guideline was made by Indira Gandhi, looooong back in early 1970s when corruption in police was not all that high and values of perks military got (central school, army public schools, clubs, pensions, plots etc) was very high compared to perks people got in private sector and police. By 1991, it was clear that soldier was getting LESS paid than a policeman and IAS even if all perks are included.

So in 1991, it was to time to change the guideline that linked salaries of soldiers with IPS. Salaries of soldiers should have been linked with official and presumed unofficial incomes of IPS. But MMS insisted that soldiers MUST not be paid more than policemen’s official salary, and refused to raised salaries. He was no fool. He knew that IAS/IPS’s salaries are now imaterial given the bribes they make.

The PMs and FinMins have CONSISTENTLY followed a wrong policy of under-paying soldiers for 16 years. Not 1-2 years, but 16 years. Thats too long a time to make genuine mistake. Whatever they did, now soldiers are highly demoralized. Less pay, and volley of insults from MNC-agents like ToI has created a volcano waiting to erupt.