New Delhi, Dec 9 (IANS): The Indian armed forces are short of 9,845 officers, and the government said Tuesday that it had taken several steps to overcome the situation.

The highest shortage, as of July 1 this year, was in the army: 7,899 officers, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told the Rajya Sabha. This was followed by the navy (1,499 officers) and air force (357).

He said the government had taken a number of measures to encourage youths to join the armed Forces.

These include sustained image projection and publicity to create awareness about military jobs and the advantages of taking up "a challenging and satisfying career", he said in a statement.

The government was also making armed forces jobs attractive, he said.

The government had implemented the recommendation of the Sixth Central Pay Commission with improved pay structure, additional family accommodation for married personnel and better promotion prospects.