Retirement rules

In the last many issues you have been writing (Retd) after the rank of service officers, e.g. Brig (Retd) Jahangir Anklesaria. This is wrong. A service officer has earned his rank while serving the country. He only retires from his service, never from his rank. The correct way to address a retired officer is: Brig Jahangir Anklesaria (Retd) IA (Indian Army). The same rule applies to all three branches of the armed forces — the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.
The same criterion holds for retired Indian Police and Indian Administrative Service officers as well. They have all earned their ranks, and never retire from that. Therefore one does not write (Retd) Bomi Hirji IAS (Indian Administrative Service). You say Bomi Hirji (Retd) IAS. Parsiana is not the only magazine to make this mistake. Many other publications also err in this matter. Hence, an official statement from the Army Head Quarters, a few months back, had clearly confirmed that "Retd” can only be added after an officer’s name and not after the rank he has earned during his service.
MINI N. GRANT
Poona
minigrant34@gmail.com

The editors reply:
Our apologies.