Pervin Malhotra
Q. I am studying in Class XII (science stream) keen on joining the Army. Could you please tell me about the selection procedure? — Rupika KaushalA.At present women are inducted into the Army after Plus II only in the Medical and Nursing corps wherein they’re eligible for Permanent Commission (PC) jobs.While earlier, all other posts were for graduates and post-graduate women candidates as Short Service Commissioned Officers for a period of 14 years (with multiple extensions), the Centre is holding consultations to consider granting Permanent Commission to current women officers in the SSC. The final policy should be ready within six months.So, the time isn’t far when even the permanent commission will open up for women in the Army – making it the last military bastion to shed its resistance to women serving in the force until retirement. The Navy and Air Force shed their opposition to granting PC to women, way back in 2010. Currently, 350 women in both the forces are serving as PC officers, besides doctors and nurses who’ve historically served alongside their male counterparts.The concerns are no longer about women’s capability to serve on the frontlines but about the practical challenges of deploying women in active areas such as Kashmir and the logistical requirements of accommodating them in operational areas which were built exclusively for men. To be considered fit for the armed forces, women candidates must be in good physical and mental health and free from any disability which may interfere with the performance and efficiency at work.You haven’t mentioned which science stream you’ve opted for, but if you’ve taken physics, chemistry and biology, you can either join the Armed Forces Medical Service or Military Nursing Service. While you can join the former after completing MBBS from the Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune, entry to the latter is after BSc (Nursing) from the same medical college.
Passion for designing hospitalsQ.After doing my BArch, I’ve been working with a large architecture firm which is designing a hospital in the Middle East. While working on a small part of the design, I have developed a great interest in the medical vertical. Are there any specialized courses I could look at in this field, preferably in India? I tried looking but couldn’t find any. Am I missing something? — Jayant ChopraA.Of late, India has been witnessing an unprecedented boom in healthcare infrastructure. However, designing hospitals — specialty as well as multi-specialty, state-of-the-art medical colleges, labs, spas and related healthcare infrastructure is a highly specialised field that goes beyond the ambit of general architecture.To address this requirement, the National Institute of Healthcare Engineering & Architecture at PGI, Chandigarh plans to launch PG level courses such as MBA in Health Facilities Planning & Design and MBA in Healthcare Engineering & Management.These may be just what the doctor orders as far as you are concerned.Being multi-disciplinary in nature, graduates from various fields i.e. engineering, medicine, veterinary science and nursing, besides architecture and engineering would be eligible to apply for these courses which have been approved by AICTE and the Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. email your queries to careers@tribunemail.com
Suhail A Shah
Anantnag, May 28
A jawan and a civilian were killed during an exchange of fire between Army personnel and militants outside an Army camp in the Kakapora area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. After the Centre announced cessation of operations during the holy month of Ramzan, this is the first strike by militants where forces have suffered a casualty.Also, three Army men were injured in an explosion of an improvised explosive device (IED) early in morning in Turkewangam village of Shopian district in south Kashmir.The soldier killed in the Kakapora firing has been identified as Vikram Singh and the civilian killed as Bilal Ahmad Ganaie, a local Sumo driver. The incident took place about 10 pm on Sunday evening.According to police reports, militants fired at an Army camp in the Kakapora area of Pulwama district in an indiscriminate fashion.“The Army men patrolling outside the camp retaliated the fire of militants, triggering a brief gunfight,” a senior police officer said, adding that the militants managed to flee, taking advantage of the darkness.As the firing subsided, the police said, it was found that a civilian had been shot dead during the crossfire and an Army man had been injured.“The soldier succumbed to his injuries at the Army’s base hospital in Srinagar,” said Superintendent of Police, Pulwama, Chaudhry Aslam.The area was cordoned off following the firing, and massive searches were carried out to nab the militants. The searches were called off about midnight with no success.In yet another militant attack in the wee hours of Monday, an IED planted by militants was detonated right in front of an Army vehicle in Shopian district, leaving at least three Army men injured. “The soldiers were evacuated to hospital for treatment,” a police spokesperson said.He said that another IED planted in the vicinity of the detonated one was spotted and defused without causing any damage by alert security forces.Militants rob bank in Bijbehara Militants robbed yet another branch of J&K Bank, this time in the Mahend area of Bijbehara in Anantnag district. It is the twelfth robbery in south Kashmir since demonetisation was announced in November 2016. The police report says Rs 1.72 lakh was taken away from the branch in Mahend. “The gunmen also took away two 12-bore rifles of the guards posted at the bank,” a senior police officer said.
A chopper pressed into service, makes several sorties to refill water from Chandigarh to douse flames
Ambika Sharma
Tribune News Service
Solan, May 26
A massive forest fire erupted in the forest area around the Air Force Station, Kasauli, where a chopper was pressed into service by the defence authorities to douse flames Saturday evening .The presence of dry pine needles on the forest floor triggered the blaze which spread from Dochi village on the Kimmughat-Chakki-Ka-Mor road to Naam village and Naam Sari village just below the Air Force Station. The defence station was engulfed in thick smoke as another fire broke out in the forest area lying behind the Hanuman Temple at the Monkey Point, making the task arduous for the fire-fighting team.Keeping in view the exigency of the situation, the forest staff and policemen also rushed to the spot. Four fire tenders from Parwanoo, Kasauli Cantonment and Solan also reached the spot to douse the fire.Several locals from the villages near the defence area were also seen assisting the fire-fighting operations.SHO, Kasauli, Nirmal Singh, said an IAF chopper was pressed into service to douse the fire as it was approaching the IAF station.The fire-fighting operations, which began in the afternoon, were continuing till the filing of the report and fire in about 60 per cent of the area had been controlled though it would take some more time to extinguish it.DFO, Solan, RS Jaswal, said eight to 10 staffers had been deployed to assist the defence staff. Though a fire, which had erupted at Dochi last evening, was doused around 1:30 pm, the simmering fire on the forest floor was fuelled by strong wind. It spread upwards from Naam and Naam Sari village towards the Air Force Station by evening, putting the defence authorities in a state of high alert.The chopper made several sorties to refill water from Chandigarh. DFO, Solan, RS Jaswal, also said two labourers were injured last evening while trying to douse flames which had erupted at a Sanawar village. Resorts lying on the Kimmughat-Chakki-Ka-Mor road were also threatened by the forest fire. The resort staff rued that despite calling the fire station at Parwanoo, no help had been received initially and it assumed an alarming proportion by evening.An arduous taskThe presence of dry pine needles on the forest floor triggered the blaze which spread from Dochi village on the Kimmughat-Chakki-Ka-Mor road to Naam village and Naam Sari village just below the Air Force Station. The defence station was engulfed in thick smoke as another fire broke out in the forest area lying behind the Hanuman Temple on the Monkey Point, making the task arduous for the fire-fighting team
Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 24
The Army has instructed its personnel not to stop or check civilian vehicles entering military cantonments across the country, leading to voices of protest. A letter issued to all commands by Lt Gen RK Anand, Director General, Land Works and Environment Directorate, stipulates that civilians can use all roads inside cantonments.“All barriers, check-posts and roadblocks will be removed. Vehicles will not be stopped or checked,” says the May 21 letter.Retired personnel have taken to the social media to voice their concern over how such orders may be detrimental to the safety and security of Army personnel and their families, given that terrorists have targeted military stations in the past.A large number of families of soldiers posted on “tough duties” like Siachen, Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh live in accommodation provided inside cantonments.The instructions are the outcome of a May 19 meeting chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to review the “closure of roads in cantonments”. It was decided that all roads, partially or fully closed, would be opened on May 22. Around 80 roads have been opened for civilian use. As per the Director General of Defence Estates, 62 cantonments, including Ambala, Amritsar, Dagshai, Dalhousie, Delhi, Ferozepur, Jalandhar, Kasauli and Subathu, are notified under the Cantonments Act 1924, amended in 2006.The letter stipulates that sentries will record the flow of traffic on these roads for 30 days. A review of the threat perception and security concerns, besides inconvenience to the civilian population, will follow.A senior functionary, however, said this review should have been carried out before opening these roads. A January 2015 letter by the Army lays down specific rules and procedures for opening roads in cantonments. It calls for a review before any such move.There has been concern over how the civilian population is inconvenienced owing to the closure of roads in places like Secunderabad and Pune. However, there is umbrage within the force and ex-servicemen over lack of review of the risk involved.The May 21 letter, however, exempts Badami Bagh Cantonment in Srinagar, Satwari road at Jammu Divisional Headquarters, and Parade road in Delhi Cantonment, which will remain open to public from 5 am to 11 pm.
Neeraj Bagga
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, May 21
Dr Jaipal Reddy, a resident of Hyderabad, had to face an utter disappointment in the city after Rs 20,000 were pickpocketed during Beating the Retreat ceremony at the Attari-Wagah Joint Check Post on May 18. He did not register a police case but expressed his loss to the hotel owner where stayed with his family.This is not the sole case as such incidents continue to occur, targeting tourists. Most of the tourists don’t bother to lodge police complaints.An association has even written to the BSF to curb the nefarious activity.A hotelier, Jatinder Singh Narulla, said, “Around three to four customers of my hotel complain of theft, pickpocketing and snatching at the JCP every month.”Since such incidents are rising, it is high time for the authorities concerned to act, he said. According to him, the BSF allows access to the visitors in the gallery from the gate in small groups, maintianing discipline, but the same regimen is not followed at the conclusion of the ceremony, resulting in a melee-type situation and paving the way for miscreants to target tourists.APS Chatha, president, Amritsar Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHARA), said the matter often cropped up at the meetings of the association. “Since no positive response comes from the authorities, we have started alerting tourists to remain vigilant and avoid taking valuables to the Beating the Retreat ceremony,” he said.Mall Road Welfare Association president Kamal Dalmia, in a communiqué to the BSF, requested for proper security of visitors at the border. He opined that cops in mufti among the visitors could keep a watch on unscrupulous elements. CCTV cameras should also be installed at the JCP to nab the culprits, he said. Incidents of crime bring a bad name to the city that has been known as ‘Sifti Da Ghar’.
Panaji, May 19
Over eight months after it set sail from Goa, the all-women crew of the Indian Navy on board the naval vessel INSV Tarini will return to the state on Monday after the historic circumnavigation of the globe. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will welcome the all-women crew when it arrives near Panaji, from where they had embarked on the journey on September 10 last year.“The Defence Minister and Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba will be present for the flag-in ceremony of the ship near Panaji on Monday,” a Navy spokesperson said.The expedition named ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama’ is led by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi and it is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew, the spokesperson said. The crew also included Lt-Commanders Pratibha Jamwal and Swati P, and Lieutenants Aishwarya Boddapati, S Vijaya Devi and Payal Gupta.The six women officers trained under Captain Dilip Donde, the first Indian to solo-circumnavigate the globe in 2009-10, the Navy official said.The expedition was sailed in six legs, with stopovers at the Fremantle (Australia), Lyttleton (New Zealand), Port Stanley (Falkland Islands), Cape Town (South Africa) and Mauritius.“It covered 21,600 nautical miles in the Indian-built sailing vessel INSV Tarini that visited five countries and crossed the Equator twice, sailed across four continents and three oceans, and passed south of the three Great Capes—Leeuwin, Horn and Good Hope,” the spokesperson said. — PTI
Police say army has been asked not to hold Iftar parties in areas where there could be trouble
The army had organised the Iftar party at DK Pora village in south Kashmir’s Shopian district. The event was part of the affirmative measures following the recent ceasefire announcement by the central government, meant to restore peace and goodwill in the valley.
The locals, however, refused to accept the biryani offered by the army. It led to chaos and clashes. Police said miscreants started throwing stones at the soldiers and the army opened fire, injuring four people.
“It’s unfortunate. It was a good gesture by the army, but it was not properly planned. I think the Iftar party could have been held inside the camp itself,” said SP Vaid, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police.
In large parts of Kashmir, relations between the security forces and locals are at an all-time low for the last few years. The security forces have often complained of people trying to foil counter-terror operations. There have been numerous incidents when mobs surrounded security forces — even when an encounter was going on.
The Iftar party was part of the affirmative measures following the recent ceasefire announcement by the central government
Since the clashes in 2016 following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen operative Burhan Wani, over 200 civilians have been killed in security forces firing after clashes and thousands have been injured. The use of pellet guns has left over 1,500 people with eye injuries, according hospital records.
There have also been numerous attacks on police, paramilitary and army camps in Jammu and Kashmir over the last two years.
Because of the volatile situation and civilian casualties, it has become a challenge for the government to reach out to the locals amid the intermittent violence.
During his visit to Jammu and Kashmir last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reached out to the people of Kashmir by saying that the Kashmir issue can be solved only by embracing Kashmiris.
“The Kashmir problem cannot be resolved through bullets or abuses. It can be resolved only by embracing every Kashmiri,” PM Modi had said.
Police sources say they have now asked the army not to organise Iftarparties in areas where they believe the locals could turn hostile.
MILITANTS COULD PUT NORTH ON RADAR IN AN ATTEMPT TO NOT GIVE AN IMPRESSION THAT ONLY THE SOUTH IS AFFECTED
NEW DELHI: Even as south Kashmir has become a hotbed of violent confrontation between security forces and local Kashmiri commanders, police and state intelligence are warning of a sharp rise in militant activity in north Kashmir with infiltrators from across the border attempting to gain a foothold in the region.
According to experts, senior Jammu and Kashmir police officers and intelligence officers, several incidents in north Kashmir in the past few of months, coupled with fresh intelligence inputs, seem to suggest that the northern region of the Valley could be a major target area for militants. “A string of civilian killings that have taken place in north Kashmir is an extremely disturbing sign. These civilians were suspected to be informers for the security forces and their killings, we fear, serves a dual purpose. One, it deters locals who cooperate with authorities and two, it gives militants a platform to display their strength,” said a senior J&K police officer who asked not to be named.
On April 30, three civilians, all in their twenties, were shot dead in the Old Town of Baramulla district. On April 8, two civilians were abducted from their homes and killed in Hajin area, a few days after another civilian was abducted from his home and killed by suspected militants.
The officer added that, unlike in south Kashmir, insurgency in the north is led by Pakistani nationals who suffered a major blow last November when six militants, including the nephew of Lashkar-e-Taiba chief and alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, were killed in a gunbattle in Hajin. Civilian killings are not the only indication of a growing militant presence in north Kashmir. The Indian Army on Thursday said it had foiled a major infiltration bid in Keran sector of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district and local police sources said at least 15 militants were attempting to cross over.
