Four, the delay is not at the behest of the Govt but because of the Apex Court asking the Govt to serve the notices to remaining petitioners so that they can also be heard.

But the armed forces are yet to get the benefit. This resulted in a situation in which civil officers junior to armed forces officers get higher pay grades. The Seventh Pay Commission had urged the government to either do away with it or extend it to the armed forces. This created an anomalous situation in as much as defence officers on deputation to the ministry got less than their civilian counterparts. The situation was worse in insurgency-affected areas where CAPF forces, functioning operationally under command of the armed forces, have higher pay grades.