Monthly Archives: August 2018

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 4

Sainik School Kapurthala organised its 57th Annual Day Function today. Lieutenant General TS Shergill (Retd), senior advisor to Chief Minister, Punjab was the chief guest on the occasion. The event commenced with a wreath-laying ceremony at Saikap Smriti Sthal, followed by a guard of honour, presented by cadets to welcome the visiting dignitary.

The school band contingent presented a band display. The chief guest expressed a keen interest on various thought-provoking science and art exhibits put up by the cadets. A series of cultural items were presented by the young cadets. Principal Col Vikas Mohan welcomed the chief guest and presented the annual report highlighting impressive achievements of the school made during the session. The chief guest gave away the prizes to the cadets who had excelled in various activities during the session and Cock House trophies to the champion houses. Bhagat House bagged the Principal’s Banner and over all Cock house Trophy, among Senior Houses, while Chittaranjab and Nalwa Houses lifted Cock House Trophies among Junior and Holding Houses, respectively.

The Bhagat House bagged the NDA Trophy for sending maximum number of cadets to NDA. The meritorious cadets received cash awards for their impressive performances. The Best Communicator Trophy was awarded to Cadet Naveen Kumar XI. He also released the School Magazine ‘Saikapian’ of or the session 2017-18. In his address, the chief guest exhorted the cadets to make the best use of excellent facilities available in the school and do their utmost to materialise their cherished dreams. On the holding of pro-Khalistan seminar in UK, the General said the government was not bothered about holding such anti-national seminars on foreign land.

He said state government has sanctioned Rs 2 crore for the development of the school.

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 1

A Brigadier and four other officers, including three Colonels and a Lieutenant Colonel, are facing disciplinary proceedings for allegedly causing a loss of about Rs 56 crore to the government by procuring items at highly exorbitant rates, as well as downgrading equipment for disposal without following due process, it is learnt.

According to sources, five charges were levelled against the Brigadier, who was then the Commandant of an Ordnance Depot, under various provisions of Section 52 of the Army Act for intent to defraud and criminal breach of trust in respect of property belonging to the government.

The other officers, who were then posted under the Brigadier in the same depot, are facing different charges. Following a court of inquiry that held the officers blameworthy for their acts of commission and omission, they were attached with Headquarters Purva Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh Sub Area for recording of the summary of evidence (SoE), which concluded at Agra today.

The SoE is a prelude to a possible trial by court martial and a decision to hold such a trial is taken on the evaluation of the available evidence and advice thereon by the Judge Advocate General’s branch.

Sources said that according to the tentative chargesheet on the basis of which the SoE was recorded, the professional officers’ valuation board, tender documents and price negotiation committee proceedings were approved for procuring various items from a private firm well knowing that the rates were much higher than the last purchased price rates, thereby causing wrongful loss to the government.

The chargesheet also states that the said firm was not registered with the Directorate General of Quality Assurance as was required. Further, a large quantity of communication and electro-optical equipment and generators was downgraded without going through the stipulated echelons of repairs.

The court of inquiry into the matter, presided over by the General Officer Commanding, Paschim Uttar Pradesh Sub Area at Meerut, had been ordered after complaints of misappropriation and financial irregularities were received by the office of the Chief of Army Staff in 2017, sources said.

Bengaluru, November 25

Pictures of 26/11 martyr Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan are everywhere in his house tucked in a quiet locality here.

The gallery in the two-storey house of the National Security Guard Commando is full of memories and collection of personal articles.

They narrate the winning attitude, valour and charitable nature of Sandeep, who lost his life while leading a team of NSG commandos to flush out terrorists from the Taj Palace Hotel in Mumbai.

“My son always had this attitude of winning. He liked Sachin Tendulkar for this reason. Sandeep always wanted our country to win,” said his father Unnikrishnan, a retired ISRO officer.

Talking about Sandeep’s charitable nature, he recalled: “I did not know about it earlier. Going through his bank balance, I only found Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000, though he was drawing a decent salary.”

“One of his colleagues later told me he had borne all health expenses of his mother, who was suffering from a spine problem,” he said.

“Sandeep regularly donated money to a number of charitable institutions,” he added. Sandeep was a true patriot. “He always supported nationalism. For him nationalism meant you do something good for the country,” said Unnikrishnan.

Major Unnikrishnan was conferred the Ashok Chakra, the country’s highest peace time gallantry award, on January 26, 2009. — PTI

Tribune Web Desk
Chandigarh, November 23

Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday credited his visit to Pakistan for Imran Khan’s swearing-in for the decision by the Indian and Pakistan governments to build the Kartarpur Corridor to facilitate easy pilgrimage to Sikh devotees to historic Nankana Sahib gurdwara across the border.

Campaigning in Madhya Pradesh, Sidhu said the decision would benefit 15-16 crore Sikhs. Sidhu said his hug was still better than the Rafale deal.

His hug to Pakistan Army chief during the swearing-in visit led to a huge controversy.

“Kam se kam vo rafale deal toh nahi thi,” said Navjot Sidhu on the BJP criticising him during Madhya Pradesh campaign, for hugging Pakistan Army Chief #KartarpurCorridor.

View image on Twitter

View image on Twitter

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 16

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday directed the Union Ministry of External Affairs to once again take up with Pakistan the release of war prisoner Surjit Singh. The direction by Justice Rajan Gupta came after the surfacing of “new evidence”.

The direction came on a writ petition filed by Angrez Kaur for release of her husband Surjit Singh. A constable with the Border Security Force, he was captured by the Pakistani army during the 1971 war in the Chhamb sector. He was, however, presumed to have been killed in the war.

Appearing before the Bench, her counsel HC Arora relied upon a statement given in April 2011 to a newspaper, “Jang”, by former Pakistani Human Rights Minister Ansar Burni. It was later reported in a vernacular newspaper. Among other things, it said Surjit Singh was in the Pakistan jail after completing 20 years of imprisonment.

The petitioner stated that subsequent news reports suggested that he was being released. The wife even went to the border to receive him, only to find one Makhan Singh, who was undergoing imprisonment in Pakistan on the charge of spying, but was repatriated under the assumed name of Surjit Singh. Makhan Singh admitted before news channels that Surjit Singh was still in a jail in Pakistan.

Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 2

The Indian Navy is considering entry women as sailors—equal to jawans of the Indian Army—and separately to permit existing women officers on board warships.

While addressing the Naval Commanders on Friday, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman asked the top-brass of the Indian Navy to give more impetus to enrollment of women in the Navy. Navy’s Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba confirmed that the enrollment of women in sailor-ranks is one of the agenda of the three-day Naval Commanders’ conference that concluded Friday, official sources said.

So far, the armed forces do have not women in non-officer ranks. In March this year, the Army announced that it will start recruiting women in other ranks in the Corps of Military Police.

The Navy has 639 women officers (including 148 doctors). The only combat-related role they have is as ‘observors’ on the maritime reconnaissance aircraft the Boeing P8-I, the IL-38 and the Dornier. Women officers are also in logistics, law, education and naval constructors, etc.

The Defence Minister was assured at the conference that Navy was considering inclusion of women in the sea-going cadre. That is being looked at in the near future, official sources said.

The Defence Minister complemented the Navy for maintaining a high operational tempo and ensuring maritime security of the country. She reiterated the need for the nation to be strong at sea and the Navy to be ready and vigilant to counter any challenge in the maritime domain.

She appreciated Navy’s efforts in the area of indigenisation, self-reliance and support to the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the government.  She expressed her satisfaction at Navy’s initiatives to achieve ‘Digital Navy’ vision in line with the Government’s initiative of ‘Digital India Programme’.

She lauded the navy for the outstanding and efficient rescue operations undertaken in the wake of the recent floods in Kerala wherein close to 17,000 personnel were rescued. The conference undertook a review of the Navy’s modernisation plan, including induction of aircraft carrier, ships, nuclear powered submarines, conventional submarines, re-vitalisation of the aviation and sub-surface assets and induction of certain state-of-the-art weapons, sensors and equipment. Further, development of technical and support infrastructure for maintenance of these assets were also discussed in consonance with the ‘Indian Naval Indigenisation Plan 2015-30’, which has formulated the requirements of the Indian Navy towards indigenous development of equipment and systems over the next 15 years.

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 28

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said India was facing Pakistan-sponsored hybrid war since 1947 and advised against lowering guard in wake of recent overtures like opening of the Kartarpur Gurdwara corridor.

“In tackling hybrid warfare we have two options — one is to engage in hybrid warfare as a nation or be defensive. Pakistan is an example of what happens. There is no good or bad terrorist. The use of such elements will eventually cost the country itself. Creating unrest in other countries is not something that we do,” he said.

Gen Rawat said a coordinated approach and response was being given. Pakistan has used regular and irregular (terrorists) forces for hybrid warfare in J&K. Pakistan’s modus operandi for long time has been to send terrorists supported by regular forces, he said.

He described hybrid warfare as a well-sequenced warfare focusing on population and infrastructure. “As a nation, we have never been expansionist. We want to be peaceful with our neighbours,” he said at the annual YB Chavan Memorial lecture on “Addressing the Challenges of Hybrid Conflict in the 21st Century” at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

Chavan was the Defence Minister from November 21, 1962, to November 13, 1966.

General Rawat said the tolerance level of Kashmir had decreased and the Kashmir youth were being misguided.