Indian Navy discharges its sailors in many ways. One of those methods is discharge as unsuitable, incompetent or undesirable sailors. The provision is given in regulation 278 of Regulations for Navy (Regs Navy), part-III.
Clause-1 Under this regulation , if the Commanding Officer of a unit observes that any sailor under him is unable to perform his duties (either due to physical/mental incapacity or due to incompetence) and he cannot perform the lowest rank duty of his branch, or Retention of him is considered undesirable due to his conduct or character, the commanding officer can take best action from following:
Action 1: Sailor volunteers for some other rank: and it is considered that he is fit to do that rank’s duty, an application to transfer him in that rank will be made.
In case, A sailor is serving in a branch, but he was allotted some other branch in INS Chilka initially, and now he is unable to serve in the lowest rank properly in current branch, then he will be reverted back to his original branch which he got in Chilka. This case is very much evident with sailors in provost branches.
Action 2:This action is dangerous for sailor. In this case the commanding officer of the Sailor will make a case and through CinC, to send it to CABS, who will forward it to NHQ, where CNS may grant approval to discharge the Sailor as unsuitable.
Any sailor whom his DO/CO do not want to continue in service because of his efficiency or health or value has become bad, can be recommended for discharge.
Clause-2 Whenever any sailor is found incompetent in his profession (branch), the commanding officer of that sailor will give him warning as well as an opportunity to improve. On no improvement, the CO can recommend discharge of the sailor.
Clause-3 There is no stigma attached to discharge as ‘unsuitable’. Sailors will get their AFPPF/NGIS/Gratuity/Pension (if applicable) benefits. Sailor can also apply for other government jobs. This type of discharge is not punishment. Those sailors who can be made fit after medical treatment shall not be recommended for discharge as ‘unsuitable’.
Clause-4 This clause is applicable to under trainee sailors who have entered in Indian Navy and are undergoing training and are under probation in various schools of Navy such as INS Chilka/INS Valsura/INS Shivaji/INS Venduruthy/INS Vishwakarma/INS Garuda/INS Hamla etc. The under trainees can be discharged as ‘unsuitable’ if their training progress or their conduct (discipline, behaviour etc) is not upto the mark.
- MER/SSR can be discharged by CO of the training school such as INS Chilka/INS Valsura/INS Shivaji/INS Venduruthy/INS Vishwakarma/INS Garuda/INS Hamla etc. But if MER/SSR is on ship training then CABS can discharge the under trainee on recommendation of Captain of the ship.
- In case of Artificer Apprentices, the CO of the training school such as INS Chilka/INS Valsura/INS Shivaji/INS Dronacharya/INS Vishwakarma/INS Garuda etc.can discharge the apprentice directly. But first the CO must confirm that the apprentice can be given some other branch. This is because the Apprentices undergo tough technical training and other branches training is much much easier.
- Direct Entry Sailors such as sports quota sailors can be discharged by the CO of the training school such as INS Chilka/INS Valsura/INS Shivaji/INS Venduruthy/INS Vishwakarma/INS Garuda/INS Hamla etc.and after their training, they can be discharged directly by the CABS.