New Delhi, Oct 1 : The Union Cabinet today approved the Ministry of Defence''s proposal for effecting the upgradation of 1,896 posts in the services.

The move is a major step to improve career mobility, to fulfill aspirations and to achieve combat effectiveness by bringing down the age profile of commanding officers.

Popularly known as Phase-II of the Ajay Vikram Singh Committee (AVSC), report the proposals approved today would reduce stagnation.

Defence Minister A K Antony had taken a personal interest in the implementation of the proposal and played a crucial role in evolving a consensus among the services.

The measures taken today will also lead to a progressive promotion of junior batches without adversely affecting the promotional aspects of senior batches, thereby reducing the age profile of officers in select ranks.

The upgradation will be carried out in the Army over a period of five years, in the Navy over the next ten years and in the Air Force over a period of five years.

The Cabinet also approved the proposal for the reduction in the regular cadre and corresponding increase in the support cadre consisting of Short Service Commissioned Officers and re-employed officers (for Army) as envisaged in the AVSC report and as per requirement of the three services irrespective of gender.

The Ministry of Defence had set up the Ajay Vikram Singh Committee on July 16, 2001, to achieve ''combat effectiveness'' by bringing down the age profile of battalion or brigade level commanders.

The Committee submitted its report on February 2003 and the Defence Ministry accorded approval to the report in September 2003.

AVSC Phase-I in respect of non-select ranks, that is, Lieutenant Colonel and equivalent and below was implemented in December 2004. (ANI)