Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 4

The Government today issued a tender to procure 1.16 lakh bulletproof jackets for the Army.This comes after last month’s ‘emergency’ procurement contract worth Rs 140 crore for 50,000 such jackets. An Indian company has been selected and all jackets will be delivered by January next year.The move of buying 50,000 jackets and the tender for another 1.16 lakh jackets comes after a major tender to procure 1.86 lakh jackets was withdrawn in October last year. The tender – first issued in 2009 — had been withdrawn after the items fielded by the vendors failed the trials, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar told the Rajya Sabha in December last year.

Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 31

Even as leaders from more than 50 nations gather in Washington to address the growing challenge of nuclear terrorism and safety, the UStoday praised India’s role saying the country “has a long record of being a leader, of being responsible”.The world leaders will over the next two days discuss the challenges posed by non-state actors and terror outfits trying to acquire nuclear weapons, besides a host of other issues related to nuclear safety.Russia has chosen to boycott the summit while Pakistan chose to pull out citing the Lahore blasts and has instead sent a low-level representation to the summit. Initially, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was supposed to attend the event.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in Washington today to attend the fourth and last edition of the Nuclear Suppliers Summit (NSS), is likely to meet US President Barack Obama on the sidelines of the summit.National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Wednesday met US Secretary of State John Kerry. Both leaders discussed many global and regional issues.Speaking before his meeting with Kerry, Doval said India “shared many concerns, particularly about terrorism, cyber space and we’ll be working together on that”.“We hope that together we will be able to make it a better place to live and meet these challenges together, and in cooperation with other likeminded countries,” he said.Kerry said, “India has a long record of being a leader, of being responsible and it is particularly important right now at a time when we see in the region some choices being made that may accelerate possible arms construction, which we have serious questions about.” The reference to Pakistan did not go unnoticed by anyone.“We’ve raised them with various partners in the region. So, our hope is that this Nuclear Security Summit will contribute to everybody’s understanding about our global responsibilities and choices,” Kerry said.

Mumbai, April 29

Holding that the scam-tainted 31-storey Adarsh Housing Society was illegally constructed, the Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to demolish the tower in Colaba area of South Mumbai and sought criminal proceedings against politicians and bureaucrats for “misuse” of powers.

However, on a plea made by Adarsh Housing Society, a Division Bench stayed its order for 12 weeks to enable it to file an appeal in the Supreme Court, despite opposition by the Maharashtra government.

The demolition should be carried out at the expense of petitioners (Adarsh society), ruled the court.

The court also asked the Centre and Maharashtra Government to consider initiating civil and criminal proceedings against bureaucrats, ministers and politicians, if not already done, for various offences in acquiring the plot on which Adarsh society stands and also for misuse and abuse of powers.

However, it noted that the courts concerned shall decide the cases on the basis of evidence on record and in accordance with law, undeterred by the observations or findings made by the high court in this judgment.

The order was delivered in an open court by a Bench of Justices R.V. More and R.G. Ketkar on a bunch of petitions filed by Adarsh society challenging the demolition order of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and a title suit filed by the Defence Ministry claiming that it owned the land on which the 31-storey society building was constructed.

The court further asked the Centre and state government to consider taking departmental proceedings in accordance with law against bureaucrats.

“The disciplinary authority shall take decision in accordance with law without being influenced by the findings of the high court,” said the bench.

The bench placed on record its appreciation for the complainant Simpreet Singh, a member of National Alliance of People’s Movement. “But for this intervention, perhaps the gross violation by the petitioners (Adarsh Society) would have been detected,” said the Judges.

The court also asked the Adarsh Society to pay Rs 1 lakh as cost to each of the  six respondents, including Bharat Bhushan, Director of Ministry of Environment and Forests, Nalini Bhat, Adviser and Competent Authority, MoEF, Sitaram Kunte, former Commissioner of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and three others. — PTI

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 20

The Navy will further open more opportunities for women and allow them as pilots on its fleet of reconnaissance planes.Starting 2017, women officers can choose to join as pilots of Maritime Reconnaissance planes, the Navy said today. The Navy operates the Boeing P8I, Dornier 228 in a reconnaissance role along the sea line of communication, or sea trading routes, carrying billions of dollars of cargo. The Navy protects these from pirates.On April 15, a Boeing P8I had scarred off possible pirates who were chasing a merchant vessel in the Arabian Sea. The Boeing had made low pass over the pirates’ boat in high seas which forced them out of fear to stop.In the Indian Air Force, women already fly helicopters and transport planes and the first women fighter pilots are under training.Women will also be allowed in the Naval Armament Inspectorate cadre from 2017. Thus, a total of eight branches/cadres will be opened for women officers in the Navy.Several first-time initiatives have been taken by the Navy in the past few months towards empowering women officers. Recognising the importance of providing equal opportunities to women officers, seven women officers from the batch of Short Service Commission officers of the Education branch and Naval Constructor cadre, who joined in 2008-09, have been granted permanent commission.The Navy is also finalising the policy for women officers to serve on select warships that have appropriate facilities for women. A crew of six Naval women officers, including the skipper, is meticulously preparing for the first, all-women, circumnavigation of the world in 2017 by an Indian team, in an indigenously built ocean sailing vessel, Mhadei II.Meanwhile, the Navy commanders’ conference starts tomorrow in New Delhi. It will be inaugurated by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and the entire top brass of the Navy would discuss key issues such as shortage of submarines and naval helicopters.

Permanent commission

• Breaking gender barrier, seven women officers of Short Service Commission batch of 2008-09 have been granted permanent commission by the Navy
• Navy is the last of the three wings of the armed forces in the country to allow permanent commission for women

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 19

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has started the reconstruction of military assets in Jalandhar cantonment that had to be demolished due to the expansion of the National Highway No. 1 passing through the city.The new buildings will replace the ones that had to be removed for paving the way for the highway.The first such building being constructed is the Junior Commissioned Officers Mess of one of the units of the Vajra Corps.“A number of other structures, which are being demolished, will be constructed at appropriate sites in due course of time,” a statement issued here today said.The foundation stone for the reconstruction work was laid today by Major General Sanjiv Bajaj, General Officer Commanding, Jalandhar sub area.The ceremony was attended by a number of senior officials, including Brigadier RPS Sandhu, Station Commander Jalandhar, Kamal Kishore Yadav, Deputy Commissioner, Jalandhar, and Vipin Sharma, Project Director, NHAI.The construction of a security wall by the NHAI is about 65 per cent complete and work is in progress to complete the remaining portion.The work on the NH-1 expansion is likely to commence once the construction of the security wall and guard posts is completed by the NHAI.This will alleviate the problem of traffic congestion at the Rama Mandi Chowk and PAP Chowk.The Army authorities, district administration and the National Highway Authority of India have been working in close coordination to expedite the widening of the national highway and ensuring the security of the cantonment.

ribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 18

The Prakash Singh inquiry commission, appointed by the Haryana Government to look into lapses by officers during the Jat agitation, will now submit its report by month-end.“I will submit the report to the government by April-end. It is taking time given the volume of evidence collected during my visits to arson-hit districts. The report is at the halfway stage. It is, though, gathering momentum,” he told The Tribune.He further said the only copy of the report, which was still being prepared, was with him. “Nobody has access to the content. There is no way it can be known.”Earlier this month, the former IPS officer had hinted at dereliction of duty on the part of officers, resulting in large-scale violence.Having met about 2,500 people during the course of its visits, the commission collected recorded statements, written representations and several videos, besides oral testimonies.

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar along with Chinese counterpart General Chang Wanquan inspects the guard of honour at the PLA headquarters in Beijing on Monday. PTI

Beijing, April 18

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today kicked off his first visit here by holding talks with Chinese counterpart Gen Chang Wanquan stating that India attaches highest priority to its relationship with China and is committed to further develop the ties.“India attaches highest priority to relations with China and committed to further developing friendly and cooperative relations with China,” Parrikar told Chang in his opening remarks before the two delegations started the talks.Parrikar was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the headquarters of the Chinese military here by a contingent of PLA soldiers. Welcoming Parrikar, Chang said: “Hope your visit improve strategic mutual trust between the two armed forces.” After his meeting with Chang, Parrikar will hold talks with Gen Fan Changlong, Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission, (CMC).In Chinese military hierarchy Gen Fan is ranked higher, as CMC is overall head of the 2.3-million-strong People’s Liberation Army (PLA).He is also due to call on Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and visit China’s recently-integrated western command military headquarters in Chengdu which has jurisdiction over entire borders with India.During Parrikar’s talks today with top Chinese military officials, recurring incidents of incursions, implementation of an agreement to reduce tensions between border patrols and Sino-India strategic concerns are expected to figure.While Indian officials said the talks were expected to review the whole gamut of bilateral ties, India’s concerns over aggressive patrolling by Chinese troops especially in the Ladakh sector remains high. China denies any incursions, asserting its troops patrol areas within its territory along the 3,488-km disputed border. The two militaries also have strategic concerns over each other’s military tie-ups with other countries.Ahead of Parrikar’s visit, China hinted that it may take up the recent decision by India to open up military bases to the US for logistics and efforts to conclude a pact to share aircraft sharing technologies. — PTI

Azamgarh (UP), April 17

With rumors amuck of late freedom fighter Subhash Chandra Bose making an appearance as the mysterious godman Gumnami Baba, Netaji’s driver Colonel Nizamuddin is now set to make headlines by opening a bank account at the ripe old age of 116 years.

According to Colonel Nizamuddin alias Saifuddin’s voter identity card and passport, which he produced as proof of identity before the State bank of India for opening the account, he was born in 1900.

In February this year, a Japanese man, who was believed to be the oldest man alive, passed away at the age of 114.

That way, Colonel Nizamuddin is the oldest human being alive on the planet right now, as he completes 116 years 3 months and 14 days on Sunday.

Another startling aspect is that Colonel Nizamuddin’s wife, Ajbunisha, is 107 years old and the couple has opened a joint account with SBI.

Locals and the district administration were delighted to know about Colonel Nizamuddin amazing feat of being the oldest man alive. They are, in fact, proud of the fact that such an elderly person is part of their neighbourhood. — ANI

Over 300 officers of the Indian Army’s Combat Support arms have moved the Supreme Court over the non-implementation of the promotion policy. The officers claim that new ‘Colonel’ vacancies have not been created. This comes after the SC had directed the Defence Ministry in October last year to create 141 additional posts of ‘Colonel’ for the Combat Support stream.