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In high spirits: Newly commissioned officers celebrate after the passing-out parade; and (below) Foreign Gentleman Cadets pose for a photograph at the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun on Saturday. Tribune photos: Abhyudaya Kotnala

Himanshu Kumar Lall

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 11

A total of 610 Gentlemen Cadets (GCs) passed out of the Indian Military Academy (IMA) here today. They took part in an impressive passing-out parade held on the drill square in front of the historic Chetwode Hall, marking the end of their training.  Lt-Gen Sarath Chand, General Officer Commanding-In-Chief (GOC-In-C), South Western Command, and Colonel of Garhwal Rifles, and Garhwal Scouts, was the Reviewing Officer of the parade. The fleet of 610 GCs include 425 from 138 Regular Course, including 107 GCs from direct entry, and 140 from 121 Technical Graduate Course, including 24 University Entry Scheme and 45 from six friendly foreign countries.The parade began with company markers marching on the drill square and forming the inspection line. The eight Company Sergeant Major (CSM), who were company markers of their company, formed the line. The physically tough and immaculately dressed GCs in different contingents entered into the drill square on the tunes of the academy song “Bharat Mata Teri Kasam”, “Col Bogey” and “Sare Jahan Se Achcha”. The contingents were led by Parade Commander Academy Cadet Adjutant (ACA) Rajendra Singh Bisht.Lt-Gen Sarath Chand along with IMA Commandant Lt-Gen SK Saini inspected the parade. The most-awaited ceremonial march past began with smartly dressed-up GCs of the passing-out course from different companies of the academy exhibiting their drill skills.In the address to the pass-out course cadets, Lt-Gen Sarath Chand urged them to keep themselves updated about modern warfare as the latest lethal weapons and advance technologies were capable of more casualties. He said the pre-commissioning training would help them to face any adverse situation.“Your juniors will blindly follow you, if as young officers you lead them by setting examples,” he said. It was the need of the hour to remain professionally competent and adept yourself as the situation demands in war or peace time. Lt-Gen Sarath said young officers should work hard to learn new military technologies and strictly take care of men behind weapons. Later, he gave away prizes to GCs who excelled in military training, academics, sports and extra-curricular activities during the pre-commissioning training.ACA Rajendra Singh Bisht won the most coveted “Sword of Honour” for being adjudged the best from the regular course and the bronze medal for standing third in the order of merit. BUO Aman Dhaka wont the gold medal for standing first in the overall order of merit from the regular course while SUO N Dinesh Kumar won the silver medal.Among the technical entries, GC Avijit Hazra Chowdhury won the silver medal for being adjudged second in the order of merit while FGC Choki Dorji from Bhutan bagged the silver medal. The Chief of Army Staff Banner was given to “Imphal” Company for being adjudged the best company among all companies of the academy. Later, emotions ran high among the parents and relatives of the GCs of the passing-out course as they started towards the ‘final step’. Three helicopters showered petals on the GCs as they headed towards Antim Pag (final step), Chetwode Hall. The day ended with the peeping-in and oath-taking ceremony.

Rajouri, June 11

Troops of the 38 Rashtriya Rifles and the Rajouri police this morning busted a militant hideout in Thanamandi tehsil of Rajouri district and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition.Army sources said the operation was launched in collaboration with the personnel of the Special Operations Group of the Rajouri police after specific inputs about the militant hideout in a forest adjoining Phangai village.“The hideout was in a natural cave at Lakrewali Gali near Dera ki Gali, a tourist spot, and was busted this morning after taking every possible security measure,” said a senior Army officer.An Army spokesperson said the recovery included one AK-47 rifle with two magazines and 115 rounds, one Chinese pistol with a magazine, four Chinese grenades and four under-barrel grenade launcher (UBGL) rounds.The grenades and UBGL rounds were destroyed on the spot by the troops while the arms and other ammunition was handed over to the police for further investigation and legal action, he added. — OC

Lt-Gen SK Saini, Commandant, Indian Military Academy, lays a wreath at the war memorial of the academy in Dehradun on Friday. The solemn ceremony is held every term as a precursor to the passing-out parade. Tribune photo

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, June 10

A day before the passing-out parade, a wreath-laying ceremony was held at the War Memorial of the Indian Military Academy (IMA), here today. The solemn ceremony is held every term as a precursor to the passing-out parade.The remembrance ceremony is to pay homage to the brave alumni of the prestigious training academy, who laid down their lives in keeping the highest tradition of sacrifice, upholding the honour of the nation.Lt-Gen SK Saini, Commandant, Indian Military Academy, along with officers and the Academy-under-officer, on behalf of the passing-out course, laid wreaths and offered floral tributes to the gallant martyrs.The sanctum-sanctorum of the War Memorial is a seven-and-a-half-feet bronze statue of a gentleman cadet saluting with a sword. To the rear of the statue are designed arches on which are etched the names of the 832 valiant alumni, who have sacrificed their lives till date.As many as 610 cadets took the resolve to keep the nation’s flag flying high.

An Air India aeroplane. PTI file photo

New Delhi, June 3

In a novel gesture to honour armed forces personnel, national carrier Air India will allow recipients of war and peace time gallantry awards to upgrade to the business class if vacant seats are available at the time of boarding.According to Air India, the soldiers who have been bestowed with military honours such as Param Vir Chakra (PVC), Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), Vir Chakra (VC), Ashok Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra, will get an upgrade to business class from economy at the time of boarding in case seats are available in the aircraft from this month.”If seats are available, we will upgrade these awardees to business class at the boarding gate,” an Air India official said.The decision to upgrade these recipients of various gallantry awards to a higher class, which is effective from this month, is an initiative of Air India Chairman and Managing Director Ashwani Lohani, he said.The Indian Armed Forces are eligible for various military decorations, which are awarded for extraordinary bravery and courage, as well as distinguished service during times of war and peace.Domestic carriers, including Air India, already provide a 50 per cent discount on basic fare on select classes on their domestic network to active Military personnel of Indian Armed Forces and their family members travelling at their own expense.The upgrade scheme, according to Air India, can be availed on the production of identity cards at the airline’s check-in counters. — PTI

Air India to allow gallantry award recipients free upgrade to business class

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 2

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar headed off to Singapore and Vietnam tonight to pursue two different tracks of the “Act East” policy.In Singapore on June 3 and June 4, Parrikar will attend the Shangri-La Dialogue where, on the sidelines of the summit, he is slated to meet his counterparts from the US, Japan, France, UK, Canada and Switzerland. At the dialogue, Parrikar is expected to address India’s concerns on various issues in Asia.On his second leg of his tour (June 5 and June 6), he will visit Vietnam, a country that has a defence cooperation agreement with India, and is now seeking the BrahMos missile. Parrikar will be accompanied by the DRDO Chief, Secretary (Defence Production), Chief of the Eastern Naval Command, Director General Military Training and Director Generation Operations of the IAF.This will be Parrikar’s second visit to a country that is seeking the Brahmos. On May 22 and May 23, he was in the UAE, which is also keen to have the BrahMos in its arsenal. As of now, there is no hint that New Delhi has agreed to sell the missile to either of the two nations.The missile, a joint venture between Russia and India, can be launched from ship or land. Its supersonic speed and the ability to skim the surface at heights as low as 10 m make it hard for an enemy’s radar to track. It is practically invulnerable to modern anti-missile and air defence systems.Vietnam, along with China, is one of the six countries locked in a bitter dispute over navigation rights through the South China Sea. More than $70 billion worth of Indian trade is routed through these waters. India also has rights to two oil-drilling blocks off the Vietnam coast. India’s relations with Vietnam in the past few years have been keenly watched by China. When Russia sold the Kilo Class submarines to Vietnam, the Indian Navy trained the Vietnamese Navy.India, on its part, is also setting up a satellite tracking and imaging centre in southern Vietnam that will give Hanoi access to pictures from Indian earth observation satellites that cover the region, including China and the South China Sea.On May 23, the US announced an end to its embargo on sales of lethal arms to Vietnam, a historic step that draws a line under the two countries’ old enmity.

To raise India’s concerns at Shangri-La Dialogue

• In Singapore, Defence Minister Parrikar will attend the Shangri-La Dialogue where heis expected to address India’s concernson various issues in Asia
• On his second leg of his tour (June 5 and June 6), he will visit Vietnam, a country that has a defence cooperation agreement with India, and is now seeking the BrahMos missile

नई दिल्ली: केंद्रीय वित्तमंत्री अरुण जेटली ने सातवां वेतन आयोग की रिपोर्ट लागू करने के कैबिनेट के फैसले के बारे में मीडिया को जानकारी दी। उन्होंने बताया कि इस आयोग की रिपोर्ट को लागू करने से सरकार पर सालाना 1.02 लाख करोड़ रुपये का सालाना भार आएगा।

जेटली की कही बातों का मुख्य अंश –

• 3 बड़े हाइवे प्रोजेक्‍टस को कैबिनेट की मंजूरी।
• पंजाब, ओडिशा और महाराष्‍ट्र में हाइवे का प्रस्‍ताव।
• महिलाओं के लिए रोजगार का अवसर बढ़ाने की कोशिश।
• महिलाओं को देर तक काम करने की इजाजत का प्रस्‍ताव।
• 5वां पे कमिशन आया था तो सरकार को उस पर निर्णय लेने के लिए 19 महीने लगे, जबकि 6वें में 36 महीने लगे थे।
• पे और पेंशन के संबंध में कमिशन की सिफारिशों को सरकार ने स्‍वीकार किया है। 1 जनवरी 2016 से लागू होंगी।
• 47 लाख सरकारी कर्मचारी और 56 लाख पेंशनर्स पर प्रभाव पड़ेगा।
• निजी सेक्‍टर से सरकारी सेक्‍टर की सैलरी की तुलना की गई। निजी सेक्‍टर से तुलना के आधार पर सिफारिश की गई।
• कमेटी की सिफारिशें आने तक मौजूदा भत्‍ते जारी रहेंगे।
• सातवें वेतन आयोग की सिफारिशों को अधिकतर स्वीकार किया गया है।
• ग्रुप इंश्‍योरेंस के लिए सैलरी से कटौती की सिफारिश नहीं मानी।
• इस साल एरियर का 12 हजार करोड़ का अतिरिक्‍त बोझ पड़ेगा।
• क्लास वन की सैलरी की शुरुआत 56100 रुपये होगी।
• वेतन आयोग रिपोर्ट में जो भी कमी है उसे एक समिति देखेगी।
• ग्रैच्युटी को 10 लाख बढ़ाकर 20 लाख किया गया।
• एक्स ग्रेशिया लंपसम भी 10-20 लाख से बढ़ाकर  25-45 लाख रुपये किया गया।
• वेतन आयोग द्वारा सुझाए गए भत्तों पर वित्त सचिव अध्ययन करेंगे और फिर इस अंतिम निर्णय होगा।
• कुछ कर्मचारी संगठनों के विरोध के प्रश्न पर जेटली ने कहा कि विरोध का कोई औचित्य नहीं है।

इससे पहले जेटली ने ट्वीट कर कहा था कि सरकारी कर्मचारियों के वेतन और पेंशनभोगियों के पेंशन में ऐतिहासिक वृद्धि करेगा। प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी की अध्यक्षता में केंद्रीय मंत्रिमंडल ने बुधवार को सातवें वेतन आयोग की सिफारिशों को मंजूरी दे दी।

मंत्रिमंडल की बैठक के बाद जेटली ने एक ट्वीट में कहा, “सातवें केंद्रीय वेतन आयोग द्वारा केंद्र सरकार के अधिकारियों, कर्मचारियों और पेंशनभोगियों को उनके वेतन और भत्तों में ऐतिहासिक वृद्धि पर बधाई।” वेतन आयोग की सिफारिशों को मिली मंजूरी का लाभ केंद्र सरकार के करीब 47 लाख कर्मचारियों और 52 लाख पेंशनभोगियों को मिलेगा। जेटली बुधवार को ही बाद में अन्य विवरणों की और जानकारी देंगे।

The Narendra Modi government’s decision to accept the 7th Pay Commission recommendations, promising Rs 1 lakh crore of hikes in salaries, perks and pensions for over 1 crore serving and retired government employees, has been hailed as a big bonanza for the top executives in the government. Besides, this is also a booster dose for the growth-hungry Indian economy that’ll benefit from a consumption boost.

But, no government employee is really celebrating the 7th pay commission hike — neither the top babu nor the class C employee, who is the lowest cadre. Why?

Reasons will vary depending on who you talk to.

If it is a top executive, he will complain about the huge difference in compensation with the private sector. Even after the 7th Pay Commission hike, the highest salary drawn by a government employee, the cabinet secretary, is Rs 2.5 lakh per month.

If one compares this with that drawn by a chief executive of a medium-sized private sector company with an annual turnover of Rs 1,000-2,000 crore, this figure is a pittance. The private sector counter part will be drawing anywhere between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 25 lakh per month, besides generous provisions for annual bonuses and performance-linked perks.

“This is one reason why there is a drain form the government to private sector that has escalated of late,” observes a senior government official who wished not to be identified. “And many of those who stay back have a feudal-sort of mentality. They make up for their losses for serving the government by way of hefty ‘under table’ payments,” the official said.

The government has announced salary increases in the range of 14. 27 percent to 25.5 percent. The government has put on hold allowance payments. This is against about 40 percent rise in pays implemented by the sixth pay commission in 2008. The 7th pay hike, the employee unions argue, is the lowest in the last 70 years.

Unlike the private sector, where the compensation is revised annually depending on the performance and skills, government employees have to typically wait for a decade for any substantial revision in their wages, if one sets aside the 3 percent routine annual pay increase.

Often, even the well performing bureaucrats feel that there is no value for their work, beyond the element of mental satisfaction, since the reward is same for the performers, laggards, sleepy heads and those who take a detour during their morning walks to office only to punch in their attendance and later return post lunch.

Performance-based pay dumped?

A quick glance at the 7th pay commission recommendations show that the government hasn’t so far accepted the Mathur panel recommendation of performance-based pay or has watered down the key proposal to nothing.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley largely dodged questions on performance pay saying administrative issues will be looked at by a separate committee. This has irked many bureaucrats who were batting against uniform pay for all.

This was suggested by the sixth pay panel too, but remained on paper since there was no methodology to effectively assess performance. Mathur panel, noting that now the systems are in place, had pushed for performance pay and even sought to change the bonus mechanism.

“We are also of the view that there should not be automatic payment of bonus and all existing schemes of payment of bonuses should be linked to productivity,” it said.

Until the time the performance-linked pay scheme is implemented, the existing bonus schemes should be reviewed and linked with increased profitability and productivity under well-defined parameters, the panel had proposed.

This recommendation was critical since if the pay is linked to performance that can change the very ‘sarkari’ nature of the government staff and improve the productivity of the government departments. The Mathur panel also talks about how the civil servants need to be more efficient focusing more on targets and not processes.

Now, in the case of non-executive cadre (the C-class employees, there is no more class-D peons), their salary is now better than their counter-parts in the private sector. Jaitley, during the presser, cited an IIM-Ahmedabad study that said the pay of government employees is now distinctly greater than their private sector counter parts leaving no room for protests.

But, they too are unhappy. Why?

The fundamental reasons can be tracked to the rising aspirations of middle class and a sharp spike in the cost of goods and services over the period, though inflation figures indicate otherwise. When it comes to ambitions, the class difference almost nil. The wish for better education and lifestyle among the lower-income group is as high as the upper class.

“Even a clerk wants to send his son to a top engineering college or even abroad for higher studies. That is one side of the ‘problem’ why the class C staff isn’t satisfied with even a marginal increase in pay. On the other hand, the cost of living and prices of food items have gone up so much since the sixth pay commission that a salary of Rs 20,000 means nothing for him,” said the official who quoted earlier.

That’s a valid argument. The pay package of non-executive staff, which makes up majority of the total government workforce, hasn’t gone up commensurate with the sharp rise in the costs of expenses. This is possibly the reason why they lament despite the pay increase, the official said.

If indeed the government has dumped the proposal to link the pay increase and bonus provisions to performance and targets, that is a big regressive step and mistake by the Modi government. It wouldn’t do any good to improve the efficiency and work culture of the government staff.

As for the Rs 1 lakh crore bonanza, yes it will certainly fuel the consumption growth in the economy. But, don’t get it wrong thinking that the government staff are happy. They are not.http://www.firstpost.com/business/7th-pay-commission-heres-why-govt-staffers-arent-really-celebrating-windfall-2864594.html?utm_source=FP_CAT_LATEST_NEWS

File photo

New Delhi, June 20

Initiating fresh action in the VVIP chopper deal money laundering case, the ED today conducted searches in Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad on at least 10 premises of some “involved” firms and froze shares worth over Rs 86 crore kept by them in foreign shores.Officials said during the searches, conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), the agency seized many documents and issued orders to freeze shares of certain firms located in Dubai, Mauritius and Singapore.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook and Twitter @thetribunechd)The agency had recently filed a fresh chargesheet in the case naming British national and alleged middleman Christian Michel James as part of its probe.The ED had registered a PMLA case in this regard in 2014 and named 21 people in its FIR. It had also arrested Delhi-based businessman Gautam Khaitan in the case, who is out on bail now. — PTI