Amritsar, September 25

The last date for applying for 55,000 posts in the Central Security Forces, including the BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP, SSB, ARNIA and SSF, has been extended till September 30, said Deputy Commissioner Kamaldeep Singh Sangha. Earlier, the last date was September 17.

Sangha said the recruitment process would be conducted by the Staff Selection Commission and unemployed youths could avail the opportunity. The DC said the date had been extended due to some technical glitches on the commission’s website.

The general and OBC category candidates can fill the application form by paying a fee of Rs100. The SC candidates have been exempted from paying any fee.

Sangha said the state government would provide free two-month coaching for the written test along with physical training to the candidates for the competition. — TNS

Army chief General Bipin Rawat said in modern day warfare, information warfare was important and artificial intelligence or AI was being talked about

NEW DELHI: 

https://www.ndtv.com/video/news/news/can-t-keep-soldiers-away-from-social-media-smartphones-says-army-chief-493038

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Soldiers cannot be prevented from using smartphones and social media but there has to be discipline, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said today. He said he had been advised to keep soldiers away from smartphones, but that was not possible, so best to allow it.

“Social media is here to stay, soldiers will use social media. Our adversary will use social media for psychological warfare and deception, we must leverage it to our advantage,” the Army Chief was quoted as saying by ANI news agency.

There are reports that the government wants to keep soldiers away from social media. The policy for social media use in the military came under sharp focus when a rash of videos emerged on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter of soldiers critical of the army or their seniors.

Recently, the subject came back in the media glare after a Lieutenant Colonel posted in Jabalpur was trapped by the Pakistani intelligence through social media.

“We have received advice that we should advise our soldiers to stay away from social media. Can you deny a soldier from the possession of a smartphone?” General Rawat questioned.

“If you can’t prevent usage of smartphone, best to allow it, but important to have means of imposing discipline,” he added.

General Rawat also said in modern day warfare, information warfare was important and artificial intelligence (AI) was being talked about. “If we have to leverage AI to our advantage we must engage through social media as a lot of what we wish to gain as part of AI will come via social media,” said the army chief, according to ANI.

On the second anniversary of Surgical Strikes, Pakistan army violated ceasefire and tried to push in a group of terrorists under the cover of heavy firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Tangdhar sector of North Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

“Infiltration attempt by terrorists and Ceasefire Violation by Pakistan Army in Tangdhar Sector in evening hours today,” confirmed Colonel Rajesh Kalia, defence spokesman at Srinagar.

Indian Army immediately swung into action and retaliated in equal measure to silence Pakistan guns.

“Own forces retaliated strongly and foiled infiltration bid being attempted under covering fire by Pakistan Army.  No damage, injury or casualty on own side,” Colonel Kalia said.

The cross birder firing comes on the day when the nation is celebrating the second anniversary of surgical strikes by Indian Army on terror launch pads across the LoC in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir.

The ceasefire violation comes a day after External Affairs Minister Shushma Swaraj snubbed Pakistan after she left midway during SAARC conference.

Figures released by Ministry of Home Affairs reveal that 2,855 incidents of Cross Border Firing occurred during two-and-half years.

In a reply to the RTI application filed by Jammu based activist Raman Sharma, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said over 2855 incidents of unprovoked cross border firing from Pakistan has occurred on Line of Control (LOC) and International Border (IB) since 2016 to July 2018.

More than 109 people including 35 army soldiers and 21 BSF personnel were killed while 565 people were injured including 302 civilians and 263 security force personnel in the cross border firing since January 2016 to July 2018

Photo for representational purpose only. iStock

Kolkata, September 30

The Indian Navy currently has only two minesweeper ships at its disposal to safeguard sea lanes and ports spread across thousands of kilometres of coastlines in the eastern and western seaboards, a top Navy officer has said.

The Navy requires 12 minesweeper ships, but at present has only two, Rear Admiral Rajaram Swaminathan, Assistant Chief of Material, Indian Navy, said.

“The Navy needs these ships urgently,” Swaminathan said.

Minesweepers are small naval warships that detect and destroy underwater mines and are considered vital for keeping the critical sea lanes safe for movement of essential cargo, including crude oil.

Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of a fuel barge for the Navy on Friday, he said that Defence PSU Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) is in the process of collaborating with a foreign firm for manufacturing minesweepers.

The government has been looking for a foreign collaborator for its over Rs 32,000 crore project, entrusted to GSL, for procuring 12 minesweeper ships.

The basic function of these ships would be to locate, classify, sweep and neutralise all types of ground moored and drift mines.

A parliamentary standing committee on defence last year had slammed the government for delay in procurement of the minesweepers and asked it to make efforts to fill the gap in the Navy’s capability.

There are at least 12 major ports and several other minor or intermediate ports in the eastern and western seaboards. PTI

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 27

Lt Gen AK Bhatt, General Officer Commanding, 15 Corps, met Governor Satya Pal Malik on Thursday. He briefed him about issues relating to the security situation in the Valley and security arrangements made for the upcoming urban local bodies and panchayat elections. The Governor stressed the importance of maintaining a sustained coordination between the security forces and the civil administration to meet the security challenges in the st

Srinagar, September 23

The army on Sunday foiled an infiltration bid and killed two militants in Tangdhar sector on the Line of Control (LoC).

Defence sources said an encounter ensued after the militants were challanged by alert troops.

“Two militants have been killed,” an official said

Quit, Hizb warns 24 J&K policemen

Releases pictures on social media

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 22

A day after abducting and killing three cops, Hizbul militants on Saturday issued threats specifically to 24 policemen, including two officers posted in the militancy-infested South Kashmir, asking them to quit.

The Hizbul Mujahideen released pictures of these personnel on the social media (authenticity yet to be verified). It asked these policemen to announce their resignation via a videotape, failing which they would be killed.

Posting the picture of a particular police officer, the militants threatened: “There is no warning for you, will send you to hell.” In another post, the Hizb asked women constables and SPOs to resign too.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police see this as part of “psychological warfare” aimed at demoralising  the force.

The targeted killing of three policemen in Shopian district on Friday morning had triggered a series of resignations by Special Police Officers (SPOs) who made the announcement via mosques or videotapes. However, the Union Home Ministry dismissed such reports as  mere “propaganda” by militants.

The militants had swooped on Kaprin and Batagund villages in Shopian and abducted three cops — Nisar Ahmad Dhobi (38), Firdous Ahmad (28) and Kulwant Singh (35). A relative of a cop was abducted too, but was set free later.

This year, 37 policemen, including eight SPOs, have been killed by militants so far — the highest police fatalities in 12 years.

Shopian killings: FIR names 24 ultras

Srinagar: The J&K Police have named 24 local militants, including Syed Naveed, who was once a cop, while filing an FIR on the Shopian killings.

“The militants (named in the FIR), carrying arms and ammunition at the behest of Riyaz Naikoo, a Hizbul Mujahideen commander, entered the houses of the policemen at Batagund and Kaprin and kidnapped them with the intent to kill. It was done to intimidate the cops and their families,” the FIR reads. TNS