§ Major POLEasked the Secretary of State for India the number of Indian and European commissioned officers, executive officers, and other ranks in the Cantonments Department of the Indian Army; and how many Indians and how many Europeans have been admitted to the higher ranks of the Cantonment Department since this department was open to Indians?
982W
§ Mr. BENNAccording to the latest Budget Estimates, the establishment of the Cantonments Department of the Government of India, Army Department, on 1st April, 1929, was composed of 40 officers with King's Commissions, of whom one was an Indian, and 16 officers with Viceroy's Commissions, all of whom were Indians. There were no other ranks. The department comprises a director, an inspecting section, an executive section, Class I, for which only King's commissioned officers are eligible, and an executive section, Class II, for which only Viceroy's commissioned officers are eligbile. Indian officers holding the King's Commission are equally eligible with British officers for appointment to Class I and for promotion within the department. It appears that all the 17 Indian officers mentioned above have been appointed since the reorganisation of 1924; the corresponding figure for European officers is not available.