Military Engineer Services (India): Difference between revisions

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| leader_name2        = Sh. Mahesh Kumar Gupta, IDSE

| region              = India {{flagicon|IND}}

'''Military Engineer Services''' (MES) is one of the oldest and largest government defence infrastructure development agencies in [[India]]. It is mainly employed in engineering and construction for the Indian Armed Forces, including the [[Indian Army]], [[Indian Navy]], [[Indian Air Force]], [[Indian Ordnance Factories]], [[Defence Research and Development Organisation|DRDO]] and the [[Indian Coast Guard]]. {{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}

Besides conventional building construction for the Armed Forces, Military Engineer Services is also involved in the execution of sophisticated and complex projects, including airfields, buildings, workshops, roads, sports complexes, runways, hangars, dockyards, wharves, and other marine structures. {{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}

Military Engineer Services has also been entrusted with the construction of the [[National War Memorial (India)|Indian National War Memorial]]<ref name=":3" /> and the National War Museum.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}

MES is an Inter-Service Organization with both military and civilian components to officers and other subordinate staff. Whilst the execution of all construction work is carried out through contracts, maintenance services are partly conducted by departmentally employed labour (DEL) as well as by contract.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mod.gov.in/dod/mes#mis|title=MES {{!}} Department Of Defence|website=mod.gov.in|language=en|access-date=2018-09-25}}</ref>

Army officers from The Corps of Engineers form the military component of the organization. The civilian element is made up of the IDSE (Indian Defense Service Engineers) and IDCMS (Indian Defense Contract Management Service), or Surveyor cadre, which is selected through [[Indian Engineering Services]] conducted by the [[Union Public Service Commission|UPSC]], along with the Architect cadre and Barrack/Stores cadre. The civilian and military components together are responsible for the efficient working of the organization.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}

== History ==

MES was established as a construction agency and is one of the pillars of the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army that supports back-end engineering development for armed forces.<ref name="MES Reference1">{{cite news|date=7 May 2020|title=Defence Ministry Abolishes 9,304 Military Engineering Services Posts|publisher=outlookindia.com|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/india-news-defence-ministry-abolishes-9304-military-engineering-services-posts/352263|access-date=31 March 2021}}</ref> Though it was established as a military organization, personnel with civil backgrounds can serve as officers and support staff. Currently, it is one of the largest government construction and maintenance organizations in India, with a total annual budgetary allocation of approximately Rs 13000 crores. It is also responsible for strategic and operational infrastructure like roads, homes, offices, and residential buildings for all three services and associated organizations of the [[Ministry of Defence (India)|Ministry of Defense]].<ref name=" MES Reference1" /> MES was created and brought under the unified control of an Engineer-in-Chief on 26 September 1923 by the then-Secretary of State of India and by the unification of the Royal Corps of Engineers Personnel and Civilian Staff. The Engineer-in-Chief is the advisor to the [[Ministry of Defence (India)|Ministry of Defense]] and its three services on operational and peacetime construction activities.<ref name="MES Reference1" /> The department is responsible for the design, construction, and maintenance of all infrastructure assets of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.<ref name="MES Reference1" /> To facilitate the efficiency and quality of work, the organization is structured to design works that are executed through contracts under the supervision of officers and staff consisting of qualified civilians and combatants from the Corps of Engineers.<ref name="MES Reference1" /> To enable integrated work, the members form a multi-disciplinary team of civil, electrical, and mechanical engineers, as well as architects, structural designers, quantity surveyors, and contract specialists for the planning, designing, and supervision of infrastructure assets.<ref name="MES Reference1" /> The civilian staff of the department is divided into four main categories: engineers, surveyor staff, architects and BSO (all being qualified engineers), and administrative staff.<ref name="MES Reference1" />{{Clarify|date=May 2021}}

The organization has historical significance, as it was created more than 200 years ago to execute civilian and military infrastructure. However, until the 18th century, the organization remained as part of the army as the Public Works Department (PWD), controlled by the Indian Corps of Engineers, which operated under the control of a Military Board. In 1851, the PWD was subjected to civilian control, though it remained responsible for military and civil works.<ref name="MES Reference1" /> Then, in 1881, the military-related works of PWD were segregated and transferred to the military department and were headed by a Director General (a rank created in 1889). Subsequently, the "Army in India" committee (1919–1920) allocated military-related works under the Quarter Master General and the Sappers/Miners-related works under the Chief of the General Staff. These were later combined under Engineer-in-Chief in September 1923.<ref name="MES Reference1" />{{Clarify|date=May 2021}}

Since then MES Day is celebrated on 26 September every year.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=h16|url=http://sainiksamachar.nic.in/englisharchives/2012/dec16-12/h16.htm|access-date=2021-05-20|website=sainiksamachar.nic.in}}</ref> The 90th celebration was celebrated on 26 September 2012, and its theme was "Cementing Bond with Users".<ref name=":0" />

Both civil and military engineer services in India began as military service. When the [[East India Company]] was extending and consolidating its rule over India in the 18th and 19th centuries, the army's engineering requirements were more predominant{{Clarify|date=May 2021}} than those of other departments.<ref name=":1">{{Cite report|url=https://eparlib.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/4901/1/ec_2_25_1958.pdf|title=Estimates Committee 1957-1958 Twenty-Fifth Report (Second Lok Sabha)|date=April 1958|access-date=20 May 2021}}</ref>

 

 

 

==Indian Defense Service of Engineers (IDSE)==

The Indian Defense Service of Engineers (IDSE) is an engineering service that is the backbone of the infrastructure of the [[Indian Armed Forces]]. Engineers are selected through the Indian Engineering Services examination conducted by [[Union Public Service Commission|UPSC]]. They are initially posted as assistant directors (staff appointment) or assistant garrison engineers (executive appointment) and then promoted up to director general (personnel) (HAG level post). When on an executive appointment, these officers are responsible for the overall functioning of their offices by way of providing B/R or E/m services in garrison or on the project. While on staff appointments, they are associated with planning, structural design, legal and personal matters.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}

 

Officers who are promoted to EE from AE (departmental promotion from JE level) automatically become part of IDSE Gp A. {{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}{{Clarify|date=May 2021}}

==Military Officers (Corps of Engineers)==

Corps of Engineers Officers and the Military Junior Engineers and Clerical staff form the Military Cadre in the MES. The officers, JCOs, and other ranks are posted to MES Establishments on tenures. Officers' tenure appointments range from Assistant Garrison Engineers to Engineer-in-Chief. {{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}

 

The '''Indian Defense Contract Management Service''' ('''IDCMS''')<ref>{{cite web|url=http://idcms.org|title= IDCMS|website=idcms.org|accessdate= 1 August 2020}}</ref> is a civil service of the [[Government of India]]. The IDCMS is a[[Gazetted Officer (India)|Gazetted]] (Group A) of defence-civilian officers under the [[Ministry of Defence (India)|Ministry of Defense]]. They are responsible for all the financial matters, including procurement, tendering, contract management, dispute resolution, arbitration, and quantity surveying. IDCMS (Indian Defense Contract Management Service) is one of the organized Group 'A' Services of Union of [[India]] under Administrative Control of the [[Ministry of Defence (India)|Ministry of Defence]]. IDCMS officers are basically Civil Engineers by qualification who are experts in the field of Public Procurement, Contract Management, Arbitration, Quantity Surveying and negotiating the terms and conditions of Contract and ensuring compliance with the terms and conditions of the Contract to maximize financial and operational performance and minimize risk and disputes.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}{{Clarify|date=May 2021}}

The officers in this cadre are involved in all the stages of Contract Management, from NIT up to Arbitration and Court Cases. Inter alia is involved in the framing of specifications, detailed contract drafting, competitive bidding, and tenders' analysis and acceptance. IDCMS is the Procurement and Contract Management specialist service of the Central Govt Services.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}{{Clarify|date=May 2021}}

{{Unreferenced section|date=May 2021}}

{|border="1" cellpadding="5"

! scope="col" | Designation in Headquarter

! Pay Scale

| {{INR}} 56100

| {{INR}} 67700

|Senior Time Scale (Non-Functional)

| {{INR}} 78800

| {{INR}} 123100

| {{INR}} 144200

| {{INR}} 182200

|-

==Architect Cadre==

Architect cadre officers are responsible for producing the architectural drawings of various buildings and other structures. These officers are posted as Deputy Architects and promoted up to Additional Director General (Arch.){{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}{{Clarify|date=May 2021}}

 

==Barrack & Stores Cadre==

The Barrack Service Cadre is as old as Military Engineer Services though it remained under the Control of respective Station Commanders in the initial years during the pre-independence era. The Barrack Organization was originally introduced in 1946 to build up a service of the Barrack Department on the British Army Pattern, eventually to place it under the Army Service Corps as in the [[United Kingdom]]. Special Army Order 5/S/48 was issued setting up the Barrack Service by the MES to be ultimately transferred to the OC Station for Revenue Duties. Thus the cadre was responsible to two authorities, one to the MES for furniture and stores and the other to the Station Commander for revenue duties such as handing/taking over of buildings, submission of occupation/vacation returns, issue License Fee Bills, recovery of rent & allied charges from paying consumers in occupation of defence land/buildings, etc. The position was reviewed during 1949, and a Memorandum of Procedure, Organization, and Duties of Barrack Services was issued in July 1949. Accordingly, Barrack Services was made responsible for Revenue duties, and the responsibility of billing was transferred from Station Commander to the BO function independently under Commander Works Engineers. Barrack & Store Branch provides Barrack services in addition to procuring, accounting, stocking/preserving, and issuing of stores, both for works and maintenance. Barrack services include handing/taking over buildings to/from units & officers/staff and providing & maintaining technical & married accent furniture. These services also include regular billing for rent, water, and electricity consumed by service personnel, civilian officers/staff & private parties, and charging for barrack damages whenever they occur. The B/S officers are posted as Barrack Stores OFFICER and promoted up to PRINCIPAL BARRACK STORES OFFICER.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}}{{Clarify|date=May 2021}}

 

<center>

|CCE (ARMY) NO 1 DINJAN

|CCE (ARMY) NO 2 MISSAMARI

|CCE (ARMY) NO 3 NARANGI

|CCE (COD) NEW DELHI

|CCE (NEP) CHABUA

|CE (AF) ALLAHABAD

|CE (AF) BANGALORE

|CE (AF) GANDHINAGAR

|CE (AF) NAGPUR

|CE (AF) SHILLONG

|CE (AF) UDHAMPUR

|CE (FY) HYDERABAD

|CE ANDAMAN NICOBAR ZONE

|CE BAREILLY

|CE BATHINDA

|CE BHOPAL

|CE CHANDIGARH

|CE CHENNAI

|CE DELHI

|CE JABALPUR

|CE JAIPUR

|CE JALANDHAR

|CE JODHPUR

|CE KOLKATA

|CE LEH

|CE LUCKNOW

|CE NAVY KOCHI

|CE NAVY MUMBAI

|CE NAVY VIZAG

|CE PATHANKOT

|CE PUNE

|CE RD DELHI

|CE RD SECUNDERABAD

|CE SE FALLS SHILLONG

|CE SILIGURI

|CE SRINAGAR

|CE UDHAMPUR

|DGNP MUMBAI

|DGNP VIZAG

== See also ==

== References ==