Monthly Archives: August 2018

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 17

Six months after Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa spoke about using a blend of biofuel with aviation turbine fuel (ATF) for planes, the Indian Air Force today said it will fly an AN-32 transport aircraft on blended fuel over Rajpath at the forthcoming Republic Day Parade.

Two days ago, the Union Agriculture Ministry conducted a day-long seminar in Mohali, Punjab, to tell farmers how non-edible crops are needed to produce the biofuel.

At the flypast, the lead aircraft of the three-plane AN-32 formation will be flown using a blend of bio-fuel and ATF. It will be piloted by Squadron Leader Mehtab Sond of the Aircraft Systems Testing Establishment.

It will be a blend of ATF and 10 per cent bio-fuel extracted from jatropha plant seeds using a technology patented by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research and Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun, the IAF said.

The IAF initiative is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to reduce crude oil import and dependency by 10 per cent by 2021.

HAL copter succeeds in firing missile

• Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s indigenous Light Combat Helicopter has achieved a milestone by successfully firing a missile at a moving target
• HAL Chairman R Madhavan said it was the first time in the country that a helicopter carried out air-to-air missile engagement. With this, the LCH is ready for induction

Speaking at a panel discussion at the Raisina Dialogue in the national capital, the Army Chief said that terrorism is a menace which is spreading its head like a `multi-headed monster`.

Army Chief Bipin Rawat on Wednesday warned that terrorism cannot be wiped out untill “nations continue to sponsor it as state policy”. He stated that terrorism is becoming a new form of warfare. Speaking at a panel discussion at the Raisina Dialogue in the national capital, the Army Chief said that terrorism is a menace which is spreading its head like a “multi-headed monster”.

Terrorism is here to stay as long as there are nations that continue to sponsor it as a state policy, Rawat said, without naming Pakistan.

“Terrorism is becoming a new form of warfare. A weaker nation is using terrorists as a proxy to put pressure on another nation to come to terms with it,” he said. He also asserted that Pakistan has always kept the Taliban in its backyard and should be concerned about it. On the Afghan peace process, he said there should be negotiations with the Taliban, but without conditions.

Rawat also said that there was a need to control social media as it was becoming a source of spreading radicalisation. He said a different kind of radicalisation was being witnessed in India and in Jammu and Kashmir, the youth were getting radicalised due to a lot of misinformation, disinformation, and a lot of falsehoods on religion being fed to them.

Radicalisation through social media is becoming one of the reasons for raising funds for terrorists organisations. “That is why you find more and more educated youth being drawn into terrorism,” he said.

“Terrorism is here to stay as long as there are nations that continue to sponsor it as state policy. Terrorism now spreading its head like a multi-headed monster. Terrorism becoming a new form of warfare,” said General Rawat.

“Pakistan always kept Taliban in its backyard. Pakistan should be concerned about it. There should be negotiations with Taliban, but without conditions,” he added.

“Need to control social media as it is becoming a source of spreading radicalisation. Radicalisation has taken a different form in our country. In Jammu and Kashmir, youth is getting radicalised due to misinformation & falsehood about religion being fed to them. This is becoming a form of warfare,” he further said.

“Biggest issue is that the social media needs to ensure that radicalisation does not happen through false information and misinformation. Radicalisation through social media is becoming one of the reasons for raising funds for terrorists organisations,” he added.

Raisina Dialogue is India’s annual flagship event on geopolitics organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and think tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF).

he 1965 armed conflict was formally brought to an end by signing this agreement at Tashkent on January 10, 1966. File photo

Kolkata, January 10

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday remembered the soldiers who laid down their lives during the India-Pakistan War in 1965, following which the Tashkent Agreement was signed on this day.

“On this day in 1966, Tashkent Agreement was signed by Lal Bahadur Shastri and Ayub Khan, ending the war between Pakistan and India. Homage to all the soldiers who laid down their lives for the country. Jai Hind,” Banerjee tweeted.

The 1965 armed conflict between India and Pakistan was formally brought to an end by signing this agreement at Tashkent on January 10, 1966. PTI

Our Correspondent

Nurpur, January 4

The Sainik Welfare Board (SWB) organised a sammelan to redress the grievances of the ex-servicemen of the area and to sensitise them and their families about the welfare schemes launched by the Centre and state government. Local MLA Rakesh Pathania presided over the camp.

Officials of the Defence Pension Disbursing Officer (DPDO), Pathankot, listened to the grievances of the ex-servicemen and redressed most of them on the spot.

Brigadier (retd) SK Sharma, Director, Himachal Pradesh Sainik Welfare Board, addressed the ex-servicemen on the occasion. He briefed them about the activities of the board.

A free health camp was also organised on the occasion.

Pathania said the state government had approved a war memorial for Nurpur for which 22-kanal area had been transferred in the name of SWB and Rs 1 crore had been earmarked. He said the Centre and the state government were committed to the welfare of the Army and para-military forces. He also exhorted the ex-servicemen to take benefit of the programmes and schemes launched by the state and Central Government for their welfare. The state government had started to identify land for the proposed central school sanctioned for Nurpur area, he added.

Two-minute silence was observed on the occasion to pay homage to martyr Lance Naik Sapan Chowdhary of Sihal village in Kangra who lost his life as an avalanche hit an Army post in Poonch district of J&K Thursday.

The Accidental Prime Minister. Photo Credit: Twitter.

Patna, January  3

A case has been filed against actor Anupam Kher and others associated with upcoming film ‘Accidental Prime Minister’ in a Bihar court on Wednesday for damaging the image of some top people.

Lawyer Sudhir Kumar Ojha filed the case in Muzaffarpur’s Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court. The court has admitted the case and fixed January 8 to hear the case in Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate court.

Ojha in his petition complained that Anupam Kher and Akshay Khanna, who have played the role of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his press advisor Sanjaya Baru in the film, have damaged the image of both of them. “It hurt me and many others,” he said.

In his complaint, Ojha said others who have played the role of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Vadra also damaged their image. He has also complained against the film director and producer. IANS