It is unjust to entirely blame the Finance Minister’s decision to reintroduce the long-term capital gains tax for the falling Sensex. The market went topsy-turvy due to various local and global developments, including the rising oil prices and a possibility that the RBI may favour hiking interest rates. The Sensex shed about 300 points on Monday, after the weekend mayhem when it had lost 840 points. The fall had to happen because no bull run would remain unimpeded for ever. The tax reimposition, however, acted like a trigger.  The sudden levy hurt the market sentiment. No one wants to pay tax voluntarily, especially after being accustomed to enjoying tax freedom for more than 14 years. A 10 per cent tax will naturally be opposed because of high stakes. Last financial year, stock investors had declared an income of Rs 3,67,000 crore, which is over two-and-a-half times more than the country’s health, education and social protection Budget for 2018-19. However, even before the reintroduction of capital gains tax, the Sensex had already started losing its steam after touching an all-time high, three days before the Budget. The 30-share index, which saw a turbulent time after the Budget announcement, quickly came to terms with reality and closed after losing a mere 58 points. The sharp fall in the next two trading sessions merely reflects the inherent weakness of the Indian economy and the global weaknesses. The Asian markets also fell on global cues — Hang Seng fell almost 2 per cent while Japan’s Nikkei shed more than 2.4 per cent on Monday. Nevertheless, the government cannot be absolved of the two senseless disruptions — demonetisation and the hasty implementation of GST. The country would have contained the fiscal deficit at a manageable level but for the two blunders. Every bull run is followed by a bearish market. Bankers had cautioned small investors against the bubble. Trading in stocks is prone to market risks, but that does not mean they, like the Indian farmer, should not be taxed.

What is required is control over the prices of the inputs: medicines, equipments, implants, hospital stay, diagnostics etc. The medical insurance scheme may end up benefiting corporate hospitals rather than the patients.

GS Grewal

Ex-president, Punjab Medical Council, Member, Core Committee, Alliance of Doctors on Ethical HealthcareNoble intent behind the medical insurance scheme announced by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget speech notwithstanding, the scheme is most unlikely to benefit the common man. Rather, it is likely to be abused if some other measures are not taken simultaneously. Given the experience, the scheme runs the risk of being abused by unscrupulous elements who have already commercialised the medical profession. The scheme may end up benefiting big corporate hospitals only, while the common man, for whom it is aimed, will be left high and dry.The scheme will not serve its purpose if the prices of the inputs are not regulated and a cap is not put on these. Given the current rate at which the hospitals charge the patients for everything, Rs 5 lakh may seem to be peanuts.What is required is an effective and rigorous control over the prices of the inputs: medicines, equipments, implants, hospital stay, diagnostics etc. Last year, the Government of India had taken a revolutionary measure by capping the prices of stents. The prices had been reduced by as much as 200 per cent. But did the actual benefit reach the patients? The answer is a big no. Because unscrupulous elements in the medical profession, particularly those running big corporate entities, have raised the costs of other things. The patient, who should otherwise have got massive benefits, either gets no benefit or just a meagre benefit. Thus, a noble measure was eventually wasted.The medical insurance scheme is likely to meet a similar fate. The corporate hospitals, which are already empanelled with the government, will misuse the scheme. An unsuspecting patient may get admitted in such hospitals under the impression that his costs are covered. But for a corporate hospital, Rs 5 lakh virtually means nothing. Otherwise, Rs 5 lakh is a handsome amount and can adequately cover serious health problems like heart or brain surgery. However, it will not hold true about the corporate hospitals which are notorious for charging exorbitant fees and dues from the patients. Only a few months ago, a parent was made to cough up a whopping Rs 17 lakh for the treatment of his eight-year-old daughter. Even this much of expenditure could not save his daughter.Under these circumstances, we need effective regulation and control of the inputs which are needed for the treatment. First and foremost, we need to control the prices of the medicines, which are the basic requirement for any treatment. Given about four decades of medical practice, one can see the massive gap in the actual manufacturing cost of the medicines and the prices these are sold to the patients. One has seen a price variation of 1,000 per cent in the prices of medicines with the same salts. The patient, under the belief that “the costlier the drug more effective it might be”, can never smell or suspect the fraud that is being committed on him. And if his medical costs stand covered, even if to a certain limit only, he will not bother. The loss will be that of the government and, consequently, the people also as more patients can otherwise be covered if the insurance money is genuinely spent by keeping the input costs under control.There is a large section among the medical fraternity which believes in ethical practices. But in the present day competition driven by advertisements, a genuine doctor will find it difficult to survive professionally. If he prescribes genuine medicine which is genuinely priced (read less priced), he may end up losing his practice and patients as most of the patients are still under the belief that the costlier medicines are better and more effective.In fact, people have to still carry the corpse of their dear one on their shoulders or cycles, for lack of ambulance services which is a national shame for human dignity.Now that the medical insurance scheme has been announced, the government must couple it with strict price regulation of the input costs. This will strengthen the scheme and help provide complete and better treatment to patients within the stipulated amount. Otherwise, what will Rs 5 lakh mean for a corporate hospital that charges Rs 17 lakh for unsuccessful dengue treatment?

New Delhi, February 4

After over a decade of hounding and humiliation, the CBI has not found anything against former Captain of Indian Navy Kashyap Kumar, who was dismissed by the government in 2005 for being allegedly involved in the infamous naval war-room leak case.The CBI submitted its report quietly in a designated court and the Delhi High Court late last year, saying that “the investigation in respect of petitioner Kashyap Kumar has concluded and CBI has decided to close the case against him”.The status report on the CBI probe came on a petition moved by the 58-year-old Captain in the High Court seeking quashing of the FIR against him. Kashyap Kumar was dismissed from service in October 2005 in exercise of the rarely used President’s “pleasure doctrine” under Article 311 of the Constitution without facing a court martial after his name surfaced in the naval war-room leak case.He filed a writ petition in November 2005 challenging the decision. He was named in the FIR after the CBI took over the probe but the agency did not chargesheet him for want of evidence. Six people, including Ravi Shankaran, a relative of former Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash, and Delhi-based businessman Abhishek Verma, were chargesheeted by the CBI in 2006.Besides these two, former Navy officer Kulbhushan Prashar, former Commander Vijender Rana, sacked commander VK Jha and former IAF Wing Commander Sambha Jee L Surve are facing trial in the case for criminal conspiracy under the IPC, besides various provisions of the Official Secrets Act.During the probe, the CBI examined all the files and questioned some Navy officers regarding the role of Kashyap Kumar in the leak but failed to get any convincing answer about his involvement. They got a routine reply that Kumar stood dismissed under Section 15 of the Indian Navy Act, an action which has already been challenged in the Delhi High Court.Kumar was dismissed under the Section 15 of the Navy Act wherein an accused official has no right to present his case or see the allegations that have been levelled against him.Even after his name has been cleared by the CBI, the former Captain is gearing for another fight at the Armed Forces Tribunal where he has challenged his dismissal from the Navy. The petition was transferred to the tribunal by the High Court last year after 12 years of hearing. — PTI

CBI closes case against sacked captain in naval war-room leak

The status report on the CBI probe came on a petition moved by the captain in the HC seeking quashing of FIR against him.

New Delhi, February 4

After over a decade of hounding and humiliation, the CBI has not found anything against former captain of Indian Navy Kashyap Kumar, who was dismissed by the government in 2005 for being allegedly involved in the infamous naval war-room leak case.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)The CBI submitted its report quietly in a designated court and the Delhi High Court late last year, saying that “the investigation in respect of petitioner Kashyap Kumar has concluded and CBI has decided to close the case against him”.The status report on the CBI probe came on a petition moved by the 58-year-old captain in the high court seeking quashing of FIR against him.Disposing of the petition filed by Kumar, Justice Ashutosh Kumar had said in his single page order that the CBI, “on the strength of the relevant documents, has submitted that the case against the petitioner has been closed by the CBI”.Kashyap Kumar was dismissed from service in October 2005 in exercise of the rarely used President’s “pleasure doctrine” under Article 311 of the Constitution without facing a court-martial after his name surfaced in the navy war-room leak case.He filed a writ petition in November 2005 challenging the decision. He was named in the FIR after the CBI took over the probe but the agency did not chargesheet him for want of evidence.Six people, including Ravi Shankaran, a relative of former Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash and Delhi-based businessman Abhishek Verma were chargesheeted by the CBI in 2006.Besides these two, former Navy officer Kulbhushan Prashar, former Commander Vijender Rana, sacked commander V K Jha and former IAF Wing Commander Sambha Jee L Surve are facing trial in the case for criminal conspiracy under the IPC, besides various provisions of the Official Secrets Act.During the probe, the CBI examined all the files and questioned some navy officers regarding the role of Kashyap Kumar in the leak but failed to get any convincing answers about his involvement. They got a routine reply that Kumar stood dismissed under Section 15 of the Indian Navy Act, an action, which has already been challenged in the Delhi High Court.Kumar was dismissed under the Section 15 of the Navy Act wherein an accused official has no right to present his case or see the allegations that have been levelled against him.In one of the petitions submitted by the former captain said, “The pendency of the petition before this court, particularly in view of the fact that no material against the petitioner (Kumar) has been brought to light even after thorough investigations by independent agencies, is causing grave prejudice to the petitioner.””Although the CBI in its status report before this court has stated that the CBI has found nothing against the petitioner – yet, the petitioner is facing issues during the course of his present employment/employability as employers need a clean chit in this regard. For this purpose, the present petition, in the interest of justice, may be expedited so that the petitioner may satisfy this court about the unfairness meted to the petitioner and the petitioner may vindicate his stand before this court,” his petition had said.A shy person, Kumar keeps away from being in the limelight, says friends close to him who still vouch for his sincerity and integrity. “His father was an Army colonel and he also served the nation but see what reward he has got in return,” said a close family friend, who has been standing with him in his long wait for justice.The agonising wait for justice notwithstanding, Kumar soldiered on, doing low-paying jobs for Rs 20,000 a month and even ploughing farms owned by others to sustain his family. He has lost many jobs because of his past.Even after his name has been cleared by the CBI, the former captain is gearing for another fight at the Armed Forces Tribunal where he has challenged his dismissal from the Navy. The petition was transferred to the tribunal by the high court last year after 12 years of hearing. — PTI 

Tej Bahadur Yadav. — File photo

Chandigarh, January 31

A former BSF constable, who had posted a video online complaining about the alleged poor quality food being served to troops, has moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking quashing of an order of his dismissal from the service.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)The single bench of Justice P B Bajanthri issued a notice to the Centre, Director General of the BSF and others, in connection with the petition filed by ex-BSF constable Tej Bahadur yesterday, his counsel S P Yadav said here.Bahadur is a resident of Rattan Kalan village in Haryana’s Narnaul district.“Since no improvement took place in food quality and quantity the petitioner and his BSF colleagues decided to make a video proof of such poor quality and quantity of food for showing it to their senior officers,” Yadav said.”But, the petitioner does not know when his colleagues uploaded such video on the Facebook account of the petitioner,” Bahadur’s counsel said.In the petition, Bahadur further submitted that two charge-sheets were issued against him in February 2017 and the Summary Security Force Court (SSFC) passed an impugned order in April 2017 whereby he was “dismissed” from the BSF.His appeal against the SSFC order was also rejected by the the Director General of the BSF in November 2017, the counsel said.”We just raised a point that petitioner was just demanding food in sufficient quantity. But he was dismissed from service,” Yadav said.The court has fixed the next date of hearing on May 28, the counsel said, adding that the petitioner has sought quashing of impugned order of his dismissal.”The impugned orders are liable to be set aside being illegal, unjust, biased, arbitrary, violative of Article 21 of the Constitution and against the principle of the natural justice,” Yadav said.Bahadur, in January last year, had posted the video on Facebook, complaining about the alleged poor quality food being served to the troops posted in inhospitable terrains along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.The 42-year-old was seen in the video in his battle fatigue and carrying his service rifle. Bahadur had also alleged that the troops were subjected to “cruelty” as they were served bad quality food, and at times had to go to bed on an empty stomach.He had joined BSF in 1996. — PTI 

Security personnel take position near the Army flats where the terrorists were hiding inside Sunjuwan military station. PTI

Arteev Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, February 10

Four to five heavily armed Jaish terrorists stormed the Sunjuwan Military Station (36 Brigade) on the Jammu-Lakhanpur highway in the wee hours of Saturday, leaving two officers dead and nine, including a Colonel, five women and two children, injured.   Those killed were a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) and a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO).  The Army said two terrorists in combat gear were eliminated in a fierce gunbattle, but Intelligence sources  said three militants had been neutralised. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)
The Army has rushed diesel generator sets and floodlights to capture the terrorists holed up inside the residential quarters. The operation to eliminate the terrorists is being “carried out with extreme caution” to minimise collateral damage in view of the women and children inside the family quarters. “Two heavily armed terrorists have been killed. They were carrying AK-56 rifles, ammunition and grenades. A search of their belongings confirmed they were from Jaish-e-Mohammad. Operations are in progress with caution and restraint to safeguard the unarmed soldiers, women and children inside the houses,” defence spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand said.He said most of the over 150 houses in the complex had been cleared and occupants moved to safety. “So far,  a JCO and an NCO, both belonging to Jammu and Kashmir, have been martyred and nine,  including five women and children, injured, two of them critically. Operations will continue till the terrorists are apprehended or killed.” The spokesperson said the ultras entered the complex after a brief exchange of fire with the sentry.  “The Quick Response Teams (QRTs) cordoned off the area and isolated the terrorists, who were holed up in a few houses. During the operation to evacuate the families, a JCO was martyred.” Para Commandos were airlifted from Udhampur for the operation. Schools within a radius of 500 metres have been closed.The spokesman said the Army first focused on rescuing the trapped families even as the CRPF and the police laid a cordon outside to ensure no terrorist  escaped. Rattled by the attack, there was commotion in the J&K Assembly with Speaker Kavinder Gupta blaming refugees belonging to a particular community, residing a few metres from the military station, for the attack. National Conference MLA Mohammad Akbar Lone, a former Speaker, raised “pro-Pakistan” slogans to counter the BJP legislators’ “Pakistan murdabad” slogans. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri informed the House that two Armymen had been killed. He identified them as Subedar Madan Lal Chowdhary and Subedar Mohammad Ashraf Mir. He said as per the initial call received at the Police Control Room at 4.55 am, four to five militants were involved in the attack.Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to DGP SP Vaid, while CM Mehbooba Mufti chaired a security meeting in the evening. Intelligence agencies had warned of an attack on a security establishment in view of the death anniversary of Afzal Guru, who was hanged on February 9, 2013, after he was convicted of masterminding the Parliament attack in 2001. 

Sunjuwan saw similar attack in 2003Jammu: The attack on the Sunjuwan military station on Saturday was the second one in 15 years. On June 28, 2003, 12 soldiers were killed and seven injured in a similar attack. The Sunjuwan station is located on the Jammu-Pathankot highway and is densely populated with civilians. Army Chief Bipin Rawat had visited the camp on October 21 last year to present the President’s Standard to 47th Armoured Regiment. He had then asked the forces to be ready for security challenges. On Saturday, heavily armed JeM terrorists sneaked inside the station from the middle gate near the Gurjar Desh Charitable Trust building in the wee hours. TNS

The shells fell deep inside the Indian territory, triggering panic and fear among residents. Tribune file

Jammu, February 11

Pakistani troops on Sunday launched heavy mortar shells at civilian areas along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, officials said.

Deputy Commissioner (Rajouri) Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said the Pakistan Army was launching heavy mortar shells in Naika, Panjgrain, Khorinar, Rajdhani forward areas besides the villages in Rajouri since Sunday morning.

The shells fell deep inside the Indian territory, triggering panic and fear among residents.

Last night, Parveen Akhter was killed in firing by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control. They had fired in Khadi Karmara and Chakan Da Bagh forward areas in Poonch district.

On February 8, a 45-year-old woman was killed in shelling by the Pakistani troops along the LoC in the KG sector of Poonch.

Ten security personnel and nine civilians were killed and over 75 injured in Pakistani shelling along the LoC and the International Border in Jammu region this year. PTI

Talk peace: Too many young soldiers are dying in this mindless, undeclared war.

Pravin Sawhney

THE year 2018 does not augur well for the stability of the LoC between India and Pakistan. The latter has reportedly done 240 ceasefire violations since the New Year against eight in the same period last year. Consequently, India has been compelled to evacuate hundreds of civilians living close to the LoC. Pakistan has upped the ante by using Anti-Tank Guided Missiles (ATGM) to blast Indian observation posts. The Pakistan army today has more tactical-level options since India frittered away its lead in this war-domain by the militarily ill-conceived September 2016 surgical strikes. This was the proverbial last straw on the camel’s back as India has now lost its deterrence at all levels of war, namely, strategic (politico-military), operational (warfighting) and now tactical (battles) against Pakistan.  Ironically, it has been the NDA governments of Vajpayee and Modi, which claimed to be the best custodians of national security, that have harmed it the most. A common-sense dictum lost on these governments is this: for militarily powerful nations, like the US, Russia and now China, deterrence (ability to generate fear in enemies) is directly proportional to showcasing its might. The converse is true for nations with limited military resources; the more they hide their military capabilities, the more deterred the enemy remains because of uncertainty.  India’s 1998 N-tests blunted its strategic options since Pakistan followed suit to restore the strategic balance. With the fear of the unknown big bomb over, deterrence shifted to a lower level about which side would undertake the transition from conventional to nuclear war better. Pakistan scores in this since, unlike India, its conventional and nuclear assets are under the command and control of the Pakistan army chief.Similarly, the 2001-2002 Operation Parakram (the 10-month military face-off), where India’s coercive deterrence failed, blunted its operational-level capabilities vis-à-vis Pakistan. India lost nearly 900 soldiers to obsolete land-mines (details in Gen VK Singh’s book Courage and Conviction), took over three weeks for mobilisation and finally did nothing. The fear of the Indian Army’s capabilities was over for Pakistan.The 2016 surgical strikes did worse. The LoC is about tactical-level dominance, which is essential by itself in peace-time and provides ingress for offensive forces during war. By announcing immediately that it did not intend to do any further tactical-level strikes, India confirmed its unpreparedness for escalation to warfighting level. It may have established its Special Forces’ limited capabilities and capacities for even small battles, when these forces, the world over, are used, with stealth and denial, for strategic and operational-level gains.Having achieved the upper hand at the tactical level by India’s unsubstantiated bravado, the recent use of direct-firing, optically-tracked and state-of-the-art ATGM in Rajouri sector of the LoC, which killed four Indian soldiers, was the natural choice for the Pakistan army. In all probability, the Chinese origin 4-km range HJ-8F bunker-buster with thermobaric warhead (which uses atmospheric oxygen to produce longer and lethal blast) were used to hit and blast the Indian bunker.The use of HJ-8F ATGM by Pakistan has created three problems for our Army. One, India, unlike Pakistan, has limited Steel Permanent Defences (SPD) which can withstand even the direct hit of a 155mm artillery shell. Most bunkers, including hundreds of observation bunkers meant to track infiltration, are made of concrete, which can be blasted by HJ-8F ATGMs. The big task for the Army would be to strengthen its bunkers to SPD-level. This will entail huge financial and manpower resources over an extended period.Two, given the interoperability between Pakistan and China, the latter would be willing to give its stocks of HJ-8F ATGMs to Pakistan so that its use is not restricted by paucity of numbers. The Indian Army, not having this luxury, would need to ration its old-generation and critically-low ATGM stocks. The argument being made by Generals that India should retaliate with long-range artillery guns (like before the November 2003 ceasefire) is flawed. It would put the burden of escalation on India. Also, it is no secret that let alone meagre stocks of artillery ammunition, there are critical deficiencies of artillery fuses meant to fire shells (pointed out by two consecutive CAG reports). And three, the Indian Army, unlike Pakistan, has limited communication trenches which provide safe passage from one bunker to another. Hundreds now would need to be built under direct enemy fire. If this was not enough, China, as evident from the reported 48 per cent increase in face-offs in 2017, would ensure that the Indian Army is unable to shift its assets from north to west facing Pakistan. Unless the government is prepared to live with the unending, and completely unnecessary bloodbath on the LoC, it should open multi-prong conversations with Pakistani leadership. In addition to formalising talks between the two director-generals of military operations, the two national security advisers should look beyond terrorism. Perhaps, a back channel should be established for preliminary discussions on Kashmir. This would also give an opening to the government’s interlocutor on Kashmir, Dineshwar Sharma, who has hit a wall in the Valley with nobody willing to talk to him. Perhaps, this would also stem the tide of local boys from joining terrorist groups.Of course, all this will not be easy for the Modi government, given its penchant for bravado. But it should draw inspiration from its strategic partner, the US. Notwithstanding his harangue against Pakistan, President Trump has done a climb-down for his national interest. A lesson from recent history will do the PM no harm. The most peaceful years in Kashmir since the insurgency began were when India and Pakistan were engaged in a dialogue from 2004 to 2008.And even as the process with Pakistan begins, the government must advise serving and retired officers to replace manufactured rage against Pakistan with prescriptive suggestions for peace on television shows. For all their worth, they are taken seriously by multitudes. Similar counsel should be given to news anchors, who, while remaining level-headed on China, go ballistic on Pakistan, waging wars in their studios.If India does not make a serious effort towards peace now, it will continue to lose its young, well-trained soldiers. The writer is editor FORCE newsmagazine

HRD minister will deliver the convocation address at the GNDU on February 19. Tribune photo

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 5

Prakash Javadekar, Union Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD), is all set to deliver the convocation address at the upcoming 44th convocation of Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) to be held on February 19. Javadekar will preside as the chief guest of the event. The university authorities are also set to confer honorary degrees on former Chief of Army Staff Gen Bikram Singh (retd) and former Chief Justice of India Jagdish Singh Khehar in their upcoming convocation.More than 500 degrees will be given in the field of PHD, MPhil, MBA, MA among others to pass outs. The honorary degrees in science and laws will be given to Singh and Khehar, respectively, as a mark of respect of their achievements. Punjab Governor VP Singh Badnore will also attend the event.Preparations for the gala academic event are in full swing. Around 19 committees have been constituted by the university authorities to look into the nitty-gritty of the affairs. Elaborating on the choices of the dignitaries, Prof KS Kahlon, Registrar, Guru Nanak Dev University, said, “The choice of conferring degrees on Gen Bikram Singh and Jagdish Singh Khehar is based on their remarkable and inspiring achievements. The idea is to make the convocation an inspiring events for our students. The mere presence of dignitaries of such repute is a matter of the pride for the university.”“In future too, we shall be calling such established names. We feel honored that Minister of Human Resource Development Prakash Javadekar has consented to preside as the chief guest. It will be a great opportunity for our students as well members of the civil society to interact and listen to such stalwart personalities,” he added.