The recent Army Commanders Conference decided to modify the uniforms worn by top Army officers.
Changes to the Uniform
- All officers with the rank of Brigadier or higher will henceforth wear the same uniform pieces.
- Berets, rank badges, belt buckles, and shoe patterns are all common uniform pieces.
- Officers of these higher grades will no longer wear regimental lanyards or shoulder flashes.
- There will be no uniform to identify them as belonging to a specific Regiment or Corps.
Display Uniform Accessories
- Officers from Lieutenant to General currently have uniform accessories that correspond to their regimental or corps designation.
- According to regimental traditions, each Infantry Regiment and Corps has its unique pattern of lanyard, rank badges, buttons, and belt buckle.
The Reason for the Change
- For most officers who advance in rank, regimental service in the Army ends with the rank of Colonel.
- Senior officers commanding troops with mixed regimental ancestry should wear a neutral uniform rather than a regimental uniform.
Return to Previous Practise
- The Army is now reverting to the approach that was in place about 40 years ago, when the shift towards wearing regimental affiliations became widespread.
- Until the mid-1980s, officers with the rank of Colonel and above wore uniforms with the same patterns and insignia.
Other Armies’ Traditions
- To differentiate it from the Regimental uniform, officers of the level of Colonel and above wear the Staff uniform in the British army.
- The military of bordering countries, Pakistan and Bangladesh, follow the same system as the British army.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/common-uniforms-at-higher-ranks-of-the-army-why-and-what-will-change-8600390/