(1) An officer appointed to command shall have the power of command over all officers and men, irrespective of seniority placed under his command.
(2) (a) In the contingency of an officer being unable to exercise the command, to which he has been appointed, due to any reason, the command shall devolve on the second-in-command, if one has been so appointed.
(b) If no second-in-command has been appointed, it shall devolve, on the officer who may be appointed to officiate by the immediate superior of the officer unable to exercise command.
(c) If no such officer has been so appointed, command shall devolve on the senior most officer present.
(d) The inability of an officer to exercise command and its assumption by any other officer in accordance with this sub-rule shall be immediately reported to the next higher authority by the officer who has assumed command.
(3) If persons belonging to different battalions and units are working together:-
(i) in regard to the specific task on which they are engaged, the officer appointed to command or in his absence the senior most officer present shall exercise command over all such persons;
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(ii) in all other matters the senior officer belonging to each battalion or unit shall exercise command over persons belonging to his battalion or unit, as the case may be.
(4) When officers and other persons belonging to the Force are taken prisoner by an enemy, the existing relations of superior and subordinate and the duty of obedience shall remain unaltered and any person guilty of indiscipline or insubordination in this behalf shall, after his release, be liable for punishment.
(5) Subject to the provisions of the Act, disciplinary powers over a person subject to the Act shall be exercised by the Commandant of the battalion or unit to which such a person belongs or the officer on whom command has devolved in accordance with sub-rule (2).
(6) Where such a person is doing detachment duty, including attendance at a course of instruction the Commandant of the battalion, unit, centre or establishment with which he is doing such duty shall also have all the disciplinary power of a Commandant.
(7) The Director-General, the Additional Director-General, the Inspector-General and the Deputy Inspector-General may specify one or more officers of the staff who shall exercise the disciplinary powers of a Commandant in respect of persons belonging to or doing detachment duty at their respective Headquarters.
(8) The Director-General may also specify officers who shall exercise the disciplinary powers of an Inspector-General or Deputy Inspector-General respectively in respect of persons belonging to or doing detachment duty at his headquarters.
(9) An Inspector-General may specify an officer who shall exercise the disciplinary powers of a Deputy Inspector-General in respect of persons belonging to or doing detachment duty at his headquarters.
Explanation.- In this rule, except in sub-rule (2) the word “officer” shall include a subordinate officer and an under officer.
CHAPTER III RECRUITMENT