It is surprising that such a travesty of the truth is being put across as news. #1 As pointed out severally, the elected representative who directly controls the Services (nominal head being the President) is the Defence Minister. Unless news channels have been running a fake, this gent seems to have been viewed on National TV agreeing that the Services have a problem and requesting the PM to intervene. #2 There is an interim award notification that was issued just a few days ago. The Services have not indicated any assent or dissent to it. On examination, they may implement it, if not, they will go to their boss to ask for relief. Guess who that boss is? No, not a babu. It is, surprisingly, an elected rep, the Defence Minister. #3 "In any democracy, armed forces officers have no business demanding parity with civil servants". You dumb, dumb, man. The SCPC and the Govt framework asks for specific parity between various ranks and designations. Without it how do you think interactions would be regulated ? The issue is that the Services feel the parity has been downgraded, the Committee of Secretaries feels otherwise.