India, Aug. 29 -- In recent months, the debate over Non-Functional Upgradation (NFU) has re-emerged as one of the most contentious issues affecting India's military community. Veterans' organisations had even announced plans for a mass mobilisation in Delhi in July 2025 to press their case on NFU, One Rank One Pension (OROP), and service anomalies.

Whether or not such calls translated into a demonstration, the very fact that ex-servicemen felt the need to rally speaks volumes. The NFU has become more than a technical matter of pay it is now the most visible symbol of how the Armed Forces are being downgraded in terms of status, dignity, and recognition.

NFU was introduced after the Sixth Central Pay Commission to address creer stagnatio...