[1]: p 1  The demand for pay-pension equity, which underlies the OROP concept, was provoked by the exparte decision by the Indira Gandhi-led Indian National Congress (INC) government, in 1973, two years after the historic victory in the 1971 Bangladesh war.

Against the background of perceived discrimination, and slights, and dismissive response of the Government, armed forces veterans, in the later half 2008, started a campaign, of nationwide public protests, which included hunger strikes.

[6][7] In contrast to almost hundred percent Apex-OROP coverage to past and future retiree from the civil services, including majority of defence civilian officers in Ministry of Defence responsible for providing secretarial, logistic, and rear area services to the Armed Forces, like accounts and audit, land, only one tenth of one percent of the armed forces officers, as 'stratagem' and hedge against their opposition to the scheme, were also included in the apex OROP scheme.

[24] : para 7.3.18-7.3.25 [25][26][27] The unexplained exclusion of Armed Forces officers corps from the NFU, despite representation by the Chief of Staff,[26] has wide-ranging implications :[28] it impacts adversely the pay and pension structures, of colonels, brigadier and generals, and their equivalents in the navy and the air-force; it like OROP, become an emotive 'honor' issue;[29] and, according to former senior military commanders, has had a corrosive impact on the Armed Forces morale, status, cohesion, and national security,[24] : para 7.3.25 [26] Despite the serious long term implications of NFU, the issue was ignored by the UPA government, and even the BJP Government has chosen not to dwell on it.

[2]: para 4, and 4.1  The Koshyari Committee however, disagreed with submissions by the Ministry of Defence and found "merit in the demand for One Rank One Pension by Armed Forces Personnel", and urged the Government to implement OROP at the earliest.

Four former heads of the Armed Forces in August 2015, in an open letter addressed to the President of India flagged "The hostile approach of MoD bureaucracy" and its "antagonistic handling of problems related to pensions and allowances of aging veterans, war widows and battle-casualties".

We propose to set aside a further sum of ₹ 1,000 crore to meet this year's requirement"[71]: page 25, para 140 14 August 2014 Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM, Chairman IESM, writes to Narendra Modi, Prime Minister, in response to his statement in Leh on 12 Aug 2014 stating that budget caters for the demand of OROP.

The crowd supported Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh for his ceaseless effort on the issue and thanked other associated Officers, JCOs and ORs for their valuable contribution and sacrifice.

General Officer Commanding, Bathinda, Sub-Area, to the great disappointment of the protesting ex-servicemen, declined request to provide drinking water thinking it was illegal and fearing that "an explanation could be sought for this act."

[95] 8 July 2015 Ex-Servicemen protesting against Government failure to implement OROP blocked traffic on Bathinda-Chandigarh highway from 10 am to 1 pm, and sat in dharna in front of the police post in Bhatinda cantonment.

24 July 2015 On the 40th day of the Relay Hunger Strike at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, and protest in other locations in the country, Maj Gen Satbir Singh, SM (Retd), Advisor United Front of Ex-Servicemen and Chairman IESM, in written message to veterans said "we have upgraded our Agitation with effect from mid night 23 Jul 2015".

On 24 July, Maj General Satbir reported that officers from the 1st National Defence Academy (NDA) course, who are in their 80s, visited Jantar Mantar, Delhi, to show solidarity with the relay hunger strikers and express disapproval of government policy.

26 July 2015 To coincide with Vijay Diwas (Victory Day) events to mark the Kargil War, UK based Non Resident Indians (NRIs) held a one-day hunger strike to protest BJP Government failure to implement One rank One pension (OROP), outside the High Commission of India, London.

[100] 31 July 2015 Admiral Ram Das Former Chief of Naval Staff visited Jantar Mantar to meet with and show solidarity with the Ex-servicemen and widows of veterans on hunger strike protesting the BJP Government failure to implement OROP and honour its election pledge.

[53] General S F Rodrigues, former COAS, and Admirals L Ramdas, Arun Prakash and Sureesh Mehta, former Chiefs of Naval Staff, wrote an open letter to President Pranab Mukherjee, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

[57][58] 15 August 2015 Prime Minister Narendra Modi refers to "One Rank One Pension" as a problem "pending to be resolved" in his Independence Day address from Red Fort, New Delhi.

The movement continues to gain momentum, and perceptible increase in support and participation by former high-ranking officers of the armed forces, from Lt generals, Admirals, air marshals, Group Captains, and Colonels.

[104] 24 August 2015 Colonel Pushpendra Singh, one of three veterans on hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, was evacuated to Army Research and Referral Hospital, Delhi, in a private car, due to deteriorating condition.

Visitors to Jantar Mantar included: Mrs. Charu Sheela(95 yrs) mother of Col. Pushpender; representative of Rashtra Sewak Trust; Air Marshal J S Bawa and Lt Gen Suri; and Officers from 10th NDA and 19th IMA courses.

[63][113][114] 17 October 2015 Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, former colonel, MP from Rajasthan, and Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting in the BJP Government, in an interview to a TV news-channel, denounced the Ex servicemen for continuing with their protest.

[124] 4 December 2015 Rao Inderjit Singh, by Minister of State for Defence, confirmed that Government will appoint a "Judicial Committee to look into anomalies" including issues concerning "methodology for fixation of pension, periodicity of its revision, coverage of future PMR cases" raised by veterans.

[131] 17 January 2016 About 200 veterans including Major General Satbir Singh, protested outside 2, Krishna Menon, Marg, New Delhi, the official residence of Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.

The protesters highlight Jaitley's failure to take heed of their concerns, and breaking his promise given to them on 3 January that he would speak with Manohar Parrikar, Defence Minister, and 'get back' within a week on status of OROP issues that need to be resolved.

[137] Former Army Chief General Ved Prakash Malik, and Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Ajay Prasad, in a panel discussion on TV, argued in favor of OROP even for those who opt to take that 'pre-mature retirement (PMR) for what ever reason, to keep the armed forces young.

The complaint also named Maj General Satbir Singh, the present head of the IESM, and Group Captain VK Gandhi, both of whom secured anticipatory bail from the Chandigarh high court.

Mr Parrikar, according to media reports, assured the veteran delegation that their concerns will be addressed; and that the recommendations of seventh pay commission would be applicable to all ex-servicemen [150] 3 August 2016 Maj. Gen. Satbir Singh (retd), Chairman of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement, on 3 August, wrote to Mr. Parrikar and Justice L. Narasimha Reddy, former Chief Justice of the Patna High Court, and head of the one-man judicial commission of constituted in December last year, conveying the "anguish and concern" of exservicemen on the "neglect of defence personnel" and "betrayal" by the government.

[67] 11 November 2016 Subhash Bhamre, Minister of State for Defence, in a written reply to question by Alok Sanjar informed Lokha Sabha that Financial year 2016–17, a sum of Rs.

[153] 19 November 2016 Maj Gen (retd) Satbir Singh, while attending a workshop organised by the Uttarakhand Ex-Servicemen League in Dehradun says that BJP Government has dishonored ex servicemen by denying them OROP.

[156] 29 November 2016 Subhash Bhamre, Minister of State for Defence, in a written reply to D Raja informed the Rajya Sabha that the "United Front Movement of Ex-Servicemen is continuing their 'protest action' since 14th June 2015 for their demands on OROP."

The reply says that Government has accepted the demands of Ex-Servicemen associations to implement OROP, and pay arrears starting from 1 July 2014, and provide coverage to Premature Retirees (PMR) cases up to 7 November 2015.