Monthly Archives: August 2018

Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 5

In the first major restructuring of the Army headquarters in the national capital, the Ministry of Defence is learnt to have reduced some 20 per cent of the officer posts, merged two weapons and systems procurement agencies and created a new post of Deputy Chief who will coordinate with military intelligence, operations and logistics wings.

Sources say Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has taken the decision in line with the government’s resolve to make the 1.3-million strong Army leaner and fit for a 21st century war. A formal notification is expected anytime soon.

The new Deputy Chief will oversee strategy and operations, intelligence collation, conduct of operations and the movement of logistics. At present, the DG (Military Operations) and the DG (Military Intelligence) report to the Army Chief or Vice-Chief.

Also, the restructuring will merge the Master General Ordnance (MGO), who is currently under the Vice-Chief, and the DG (Weapons and Equipment) under a single vertical with the Deputy Chief (Planning and Strategy), which will be renamed Capability Development.

The officers who will be weaned off the headquarters will be sent to formations.

At present, there are an estimated 950 to 1,000 officers posted at the headquarters.

The MoD has also okayed the creation of a consolidated information warfare wing that will subsume two existing wings under the DGMI and the DGMO. The DG (Military Training) will now be merged with the Shimla-based Army Training Command.

Part of four major in-house studies, the restructuring okayed now is called “Reorganisation of the Army headquarters” and is aimed at its integration.

The other three studies on which a decision is yet to be announced are “Reorganisation and rightsizing of the Army”, “Cadre review of officers” and “Review of terms of engagement of rank and file”.

The rightsizing move is aimed at having a balanced cadre to meet the aspirations of the officers. This will include longer tenures as Brigadier, Major General and Lieutenant General and faster promotion from Colonel to Brigadier. The purpose of the last one is to have a younger profile of the officers.

Nashik, March 1

The mortal remains of pilot Ninad Mandavgane, who died in an IAF helicopter crash in Jammu and Kashmir two days back, were consigned to flames with full military honours here on Friday.

Mandavgane (33), who hailed from Nashik, was cremated on the bank of Godavari river around 12.30 pm.

Mandavgane and six others died on Wednesday, when the IAF chopper crashed in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir.

According to officials, the helicopter crashed in an open field near Garend Kalaan village in Budgam around 10.05 am. Besides its pilots, four others on board and a local resident died in the incident.

Mandavgane’s body was brought to Ojhar airport from New Delhi by a special IAF plane on Thursday night. Air Force officials, including Air Commodore Samir Borade, Commanding Officer of the IAF Station Ojhar, and Nashik Collector Radhakrishna B, paid tribute to the pilot at the airport.

The body was later taken to his residence in DGP Nagar locality in Nashik.

A large number of people gathered at the crematorium on Friday to bid adieu to the departed soul. When the body was brought to the crematorium around noon, people present there raised slogans of ‘Vande Mataram’ and ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’.

Mandavgane’s father Anil, mother Sushma, wife Vijeta and their two-year-old daughter, his relatives and other people attended the funeral.

Before the funeral pyre was lit by Mandavgane’s father, the Nashik unit of IAF and city police gave a 21-gun salute.

Before joining the IAF, Mandavgane had studied in Bhonsala Military School in Nashik, Services Preparatory Institute (SPI) in Aurangabad and the National Defence Academy (NDA) in Pune. PTI

Our Correspondent

Anantnag, March 28

Four militants were killed in two separate gunfights in the poll-bound Kashmir valley on Thursday.

Three local militants, which the police say was a combi-ned group of the Hizbul Mujahideen and the Lashkar-e-Toiba, were killed in a gunfight with security forces in the Kellar area of south Kashmir’s Shopian district during the wee hours of Thursday.

The slain militants have been identified as Sajad Khanday, Aqib Ahmad Dar and Basharat Ahmad Mir, all residents of Pulwama district.

The three of them, the police said, were involved in a number of attacks on security establishments.

“They had a long history of terror crimes and were wanted in many cases registered against them,” a police officer said.

The gunfight triggered in the Yarwan forest in the Kellar area at 2.30 am on Thursday. Soon after the gunfight, a cordon and search operation was launched in the area.

“The militants were hiding in the forest area, which was cordoned off following specific inputs regarding their presence,” the police officer said.

He said the militants opened indiscriminate fire in a bid to escape but were cornered by retaliatory firing.

“After a few hours of exchange of fire, all three militants were killed. Their bodies along with the weapons were retrieved from the site of the gunfight,” the police officer added.

As news of the militants’ killing spread despite the Internet being snapped, clashes erupted in parts of Shopian and Pulwama district. Hundreds of people took to streets and threw stones at the security forces deployed in these areas. The forces used tear-smoke shells and pellet guns to disperse the protesting youth. Later, thousands assembled to offer funeral prayers of the slain militants in their respective villages.

Meanwhile, another militant was killed in a separate gunfight in north Kashmir’s frontier Kupwara district.

The police said a cordon and search operation at Yaroo Langate, Handwara, turned into a gunfight when the party was fired upon by the hiding militants.

“In the ensuing encounter, one terrorist was killed and the body was retrieved from the encounter site. The identification and affiliation of the terrorist is being ascertained,” a police spokesman said.

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Washington, March 8

The US has asked Pakistan to take “sustained and irreversible” actions against terrorist groups operating from its territory, according to a top State Department official.

The State Department statement came as Pakistan, under global pressure after the Pulwama terror attack and India’s air strikes against a JeM terrorist camp in Balakot on February 26, has started taking actions against some of the terrorist outfits and their leaders over the past few days.

In Islamabad, the Interior Ministry announced that a total of 121 members of the proscribed groups had so far been taken into “preventive detention” across Pakistan.

State Department Deputy Spokesperson Robert Palladino told reporters at his biweekly news conference on Thursday, “I would say that we, the United States, note these steps and we continue to urge Pakistan to take sustained, irreversible actions against terrorist groups that will prevent future attacks and promote regional stability.”

“We reiterate our call for Pakistan to abide by its United Nations Security Council obligations to deny terrorists safe haven and block their entry to funds,” he said.

Responding to questions, Palladino refrained from giving a direct answer on the move in New York to designate Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) leader Masood Azhar as a global terrorist, but said the US and its allies in the UN Security Council wanted to update the UN list of terrorist organisations and leaders.

“Our views on Masood Azhar and Jaish-e-Mohammed are well-known. Jaish-e-Mohammed is a United Nations-designated terrorist group that has been responsible for numerous terrorist attacks and is a threat to regional stability. Masood Azhar is the founder and leader of JeM,” he said.

Questions on United Nations sanctions committee deliberations are confidential and as such it is not something that the State Department is going to be able to comment on specific matters in that regard, he said.

“But we will continue to work with the sanctions committee to ensure that the list is updated and that it is accurate,” Palladino said.

At the US Capitol, India’s ambassador to the US Harsh Vardhan Shringla met Kevin McCarthy, the Republican leader in the House of Representatives.

“We must stand strong against acts of terrorism and work together to improve trade between our nations,” the top Republican leader said after the meeting.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based terror group JeM killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district in February 14.

India launched a counter-terror operation in Balakot. The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured its pilot, who was handed over to India on March 1. PTI

IN what is the beginning of the first full-cadre review of the Army in over 30 years, and the restructuring of the Army Headquarters in New Delhi, the Ministry of Defence has decided to cut officer posts by about 20 per cent and combine weapons and systems procurement agencies. This was long due. Keeping in sight the emerging security matrix and the abiding challenge of sprucing up the force and equipping it with cutting-edge armoury and equipment on a budget, this can but be a part in a series of changes that must be executed to achieve the objectives of a competitive force.

Twofold restructuring comprising internal recast and higher defence management must drive the endeavour. While the closure of 39 military farms in 2017 — recommended by Shekatkar Committee — and integrated battle groups are part of the reforms, the post of Chief of Defence Staff is still to be created. This is critical to check inter-service delays and plug communication gaps in an age of swift warfare. The US, UK, Russia and China, all have a single unified command structure. The reforms, also recommended by Ajai Vikram Singh Committee and Naresh Chandra Task Force, must be carried out in toto at multiple levels to ensure jointness in operations and planning. Decadal discussions have gone on for too long. In 1998, the then Army Chief, Gen VP Malik, had come up with a plan to snip manpower by 1.5 lakh over three years. However, Kargil happened, imposing status quo. The incumbent Army Chief, too, has underscored remodelling the force for future requirements.

The other components that need brisk attention are rightsizing, cadre review and terms of engagement of rank and file for a younger, future-ready force. For the second largest army in the world, we are trudging along a piecemeal approach, undermining cost and combat effectiveness. The clock is ticking furiously. The force needs to be prepared to face the enemy at the door, any time, and have an edge.

Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, March 7

In a historic decision, the Cabinet has extended the benefit of Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) to short service commissioned officers and emergency commissioned officers (SSCOs and ECOs) as well as some other categories of ex-military personnel.

Under regulations in vogue, only those defence personnel drawing a pension from the defence estimates are considered as “ex-servicemen” and those who do not fall under this category were not being granted certain benefits like the ECHS. They had been struggling for getting such benefits for the past several years.

The decision would immediately benefit over 43,000 individuals, who can now avail of free medicare in ECHS polyclinics and private empanelled hospitals after paying a one-time subscription, sources said.

The decision today comes in wake of directions issued by the Supreme Court in January that granted time to the government till April to act upon the issue while hearing an appeal filed by Ministry of Defence (MoD) against a judgement of the Chandigarh Bench of Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT).

In 2011, the AFT had ordered restoration of medical facilities to non-pensioner military veterans that had been abruptly withdrawn by the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS) in late 2000s.

Medical facilities in military hospitals (MHs) were being provided to non-pensioner ex-defence personnel since 1970. Later, pension was made compulsory for availing facilities.

In 1997, the term ‘ex-service pensioners’ was again replaced by ‘ex-servicemen’ by the MoD thereby restoring facilities to those veterans who were released with the status of ‘ex-servicemen’ but without getting any pension.

In late 2000s, the DGAFMS started refusing treatment in military hospitals to non-pensioners. The AFT, in a strongly worded order, had directed the DGAFMS to restore the “illegally” withdrawn facilities, but the order was challenged in the apex court the same year.

In 2015, a Committee of Experts constituted by the government to suggest ways for reducing litigation had also came down heavily on the DGAFMS for this action, terming it to be illegal and recording that “such persistence and exertion in pursuing such misdirected litigation should rather be used for constructive activities”.

The panel also castigated the establishment for citing grossly exaggerated figures of affected beneficiaries in the appeal filed in SC. The committee’s recommendation for withdrawal of the appeal was accepted by the then defence minister, but his directions were not given effect which prompted the SC to direct the MoD to speed up the process.

Sources said the Cabinet decision to implement the judicial orders, which would affect thousands of past, present and future officers, not only includes non-pensioner SSCOs, ECOs and World War II veterans but also premature retirees of other categories. The fine print of other modalities of the scheme would be known in due course.

Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 5

In the first major restructuring of the Army headquarters in the national capital, the Ministry of Defence is learnt to have reduced some 20 per cent of the officer posts, merged two weapons and systems procurement agencies and created a new post of Deputy Chief who will coordinate with military intelligence, operations and logistics wings.

Sources say Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has taken the decision in line with the government’s resolve to make the 1.3-million strong Army leaner and fit for a 21st century war. A formal notification is expected anytime soon.

The new Deputy Chief will oversee strategy and operations, intelligence collation, conduct of operations and the movement of logistics. At present, the DG (Military Operations) and the DG (Military Intelligence) report to the Army Chief or Vice-Chief.

Also, the restructuring will merge the Master General Ordnance (MGO), who is currently under the Vice-Chief, and the DG (Weapons and Equipment) under a single vertical with the Deputy Chief (Planning and Strategy), which will be renamed Capability Development.

The officers who will be weaned off the headquarters will be sent to formations.

At present, there are an estimated 950 to 1,000 officers posted at the headquarters.

The MoD has also okayed the creation of a consolidated information warfare wing that will subsume two existing wings under the DGMI and the DGMO. The DG (Military Training) will now be merged with the Shimla-based Army Training Command.

Part of four major in-house studies, the restructuring okayed now is called “Reorganisation of the Army headquarters” and is aimed at its integration.

The other three studies on which a decision is yet to be announced are “Reorganisation and rightsizing of the Army”, “Cadre review of officers” and “Review of terms of engagement of rank and file”.

The rightsizing move is aimed at having a balanced cadre to meet the aspirations of the officers. This will include longer tenures as Brigadier, Major General and Lieutenant General and faster promotion from Colonel to Brigadier. The purpose of the last one is to have a younger profile of the officers.

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 1

The Vajra Corps celebrated its 70th Raising Day today. To mark the occasion Lt General Arvind Dutta, General Officer Commanding, Vajra Corps, laid a wreath and paid homage to the martyrs of Vajra Corps at Vajra Shaurya Sthal.

The ceremony was attended by serving personnel and veterans. Vajra Corps was the first Corps raised in the country in 1950 by Lt General Kalwant Singh at Ambala. The Vajra Corps headquarter was relocated at Jalandhar in 1951.

The Corps has proved its mettle on the Western Front in various wars. The Corps witnessed some of the fiercest battles during the 1965 war.

From the graveyard of Patton Nagar to the ruins of Barki and Dograi, numerous acts of individual and collective bravery, gallant sacrifices and inspiring leadership ensured that Vajra Corps played a pivotal role in shaping the history of the nation.

The Corps is bestowed with the Theatre Honour of ‘Punjab’ and Battle Honours of ‘Sehjra’ and ‘Dera Baba Nanak’ and is proudly identified as the ‘Defenders of Punjab’.