150-500 km missile’s range
ANI
New Delhi, December 20
Organs of a newly-wed Corporal from the Indian Air Force, who was declared brain dead last week, have been successfully transplanted to serving personnel, Army officials said.
Corporal Sachin (27) was last week brought to the Army Research and Referral Hospital (AHRR) with head injuries and despite the best efforts by doctors at the prestigious hospital, he could not be saved.
The Army hospital authorities counselled the young wife and elderly parents of the air warrior to convince them to donate his organs to other serving personnel and help save their lives, Army officials said.
“After counselling, his young wife Manisha (22) and parents consented to donate the heart, liver, lungs, both kidneys and the cornea to give several patients a new lease of life,” officials said.
The lungs of the deceased officer were allocated to Medanta Hospital and transported via the green corridor in the national capital. One kidney was allocated to AIIMS while the heart, liver, another kidney and both cornea were used for patients undergoing treatment at the Army Hospital.
“All the organs were successfully transplanted to serving personnel,” Army officials said.
This year AHRR has already performed nine heart transplants, four liver transplants and numerous kidney transplants.
New Delhi, December 20
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), in a report presented in Parliament today, said the coastal security force set up after the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks still did not have full infrastructure.
CAG said the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) sanction in February 2009 following the November 2008 terror attack was for setting up a maritime force called the Sagar Prahari Bal. This was to be set up within three years to provide security to all coastal and offshore naval assets.
The plan was “diluted due to delays in creating the enabling setup (fast interception crafts (FICs), manpower and infrastructure,” CAG said. The specialised boats (FICs) were inducted into the force with a delay of 13 to 61 months, infrastructure for basing of these was not available (as of June 2021) at a few naval ports which was envisaged in the CCS sanction.
Manpower deployment at the officer level was deficient. The operational availability and exploitation of FICs since their induction at designated ports were sub-optimal, CAG said in its report on “Defence Services (Air Force and Navy)”.
Speaking on the project to upgrade runaways, CAG said contracts were awarded to ineligible contractors by compromising the tendering process, which resulted in the execution of poor quality of work as well as foreclosure.
“In one case, relating to runway works, the award of work to an ineligible contractor led to premature failure of runway, which in turn required fresh sanctioning and execution of work through another contractor for the same work,” CAG said.
New Delhi, December 20
The fifth submarine of the Kalvari-class submarines, Vagir, was delivered to the Indian Navy today by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), Mumbai.
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The induction of the submarine, built under Project-75, is set to bolster the Navy’s combat capability.
India has been focusing on shoring up its maritime capability with a focus on the Indian Ocean in the backdrop of concerns over China’s growing foray into the region, considered the backyard of the Indian Navy.
In all, six submarines of the Kalvari class, based on the Scorpene design of the Naval Group of France, are being constructed at the MDL in collaboration with the Naval Group of France. Launched at sea in November 2020, Vagir commenced sea trials in February 2022. The vessel has completed all major trials, including weapon and sensor, in the shortest time as compared to the earlier submarines of the same class. The submarine will shortly be commissioned into the Navy.
The first of the Kalvari class was commissioned into the Navy in December 2017 and at present, four submarines of this project are in commission in the Navy. Vagir will be the fifth while the sixth and last submarine, Vagsheer, is undergoing sea trials and is likely to be delivered next year.
Respected ESMs and Veer Narees
1.Writ petition has been filed for further extension of OROP arrears
2.All ESM and Veer Narees are requested to take out Rosh Rallies in respective Districts/Tehsil/Blocks on 20 Dec 22.
3.Vernacular media coverage in respect of Pathankot is enclosed
May I request all Ex Dist Heads to pl organize Rosh Rallies at Dist and Tehsil levels.
For 20 Dec 22 Motorcycle Rosh Rallies Shall have Two Mudhas
defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday called a high-level meeting to discuss the India-China border clash in Arunachal Pradesh. Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval along with chiefs of all three defence forces-Army Chief General Manoj Pande, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari- arrived at Defence Minister’s Delhi residence for the meeting.
As per defence sources, during the meeting, CDS Chauhan, and the chiefs of three defence services will brief Defence Minister on the security situation along LAC with China. The security forces have updated him recently on the clashes between troops of both sides in Tawang, they said.
Singh is also likely to address the Parliament over the issue amid Congress and other opposition parties’ call seeking a discussion on the border situation in both houses.
Army on Monday said that Indian and Chinese troops clashed in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh on December 9, resulting in injuries to a few personnel on both sides. The clash near Yangtse along the LAC in the sensitive sector took place last Friday amid the over 30-month border standoff between the two sides in eastern Ladakh.
Chandigarh, December 18
Two students of the Mai Bhago Armed Forces Preparatory Institute for Girls, Mohali, added another feather in its cap when they graduated as officers in the Indian Air Force.
Sehajpreet Kaur and Komalpreet Kaur were commissioned as Flying Officers from the Air Force Academy at Dundigal near Hyderabad on Saturday. They were ‘pipped’ by Air Chief Marshal Shaikh Abdul Hannan, Chief of the Air Staff, Bangladesh Air Force, who was the chief guest and reviewing officer of the combined graduation parade.
Flying Officer Sehajpreet Kaur, who will be joining the Transport Stream of the Flying Branch, is the daughter of a serving Subedar Major of the Army and hails from Amritsar district. She performed creditably at the academy and was adjudged the best cadet in officer-like qualities and general studies.
Flying Officer Komalpreet Kaur’s father is serving in the Punjab Police and belongs to Gurdaspur district. She will be joining the Navigation Branch of the Air Force.
Mai Bhago AFPI is a unique initiative of the Punjab Government under the Department of Employment Generation, Skill Development and Training, enabling girls from Punjab to become commissioned officers in the Armed Forces. The institute is a fully residential campus with the state-of-the-art infrastructure and the only one of its kind in the country.
Pune, December 18
A book on Malegaon blast accused Lt Col Prasad Purohit was launched here on Sunday amid protests from some groups who claimed it was inappropriate to hold such an event when the trial in the case was underway.
The launch of “Lt Colonel Purohit — The Man Betrayed”, written by Smita Mishra, took place in SP College in the presence of retired IPS officer Jayant Umranikar, with the programme being hosted by defence expert and television personality Major Gaurav Arya (retired).
Some local outfits, including the Bhimarmy Bahujan Ekta Mission and the Mulnivasi Muslim Manch, staged protests during the day after their plea to SP College authorities to cancel the book launch event did not elicit a response.
“It is inappropriate to hold such an event to launch a book such as this when the trial in the Malegaon blast case is underway. Our protest is against Purohit,” Mulnivasi Muslim Manch president Anjum Inamdar said. Six persons were killed and over 100 hurt in the 2008 blast.
New Delhi, December 18
A Pakistani minister has resorted to nuclear threats in the ongoing spat between India and Pakistan that began with a verbal exchange between their Foreign Ministers in New York and has escalated after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s name was also dragged in.
Pakistan People’s Party leader and Minister Shazia Marri in an interaction with the local media said, “India should not forget that Pakistan has an atom bomb. Our nuclear status is not meant to remain silent. We will not back down if the need arises.”
She was holding a press conference to back Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari who is also the Chairman of PPP and his father is the President.
“If you keep making allegations against Pakistan again and again, Pakistan cannot keep listening silently, this will not happen,” she added. Pakistan Foreign Office has also complained that India is defaming Islamabad at all international forums.
Pakistan’s FM responded to inciting comments by the Indian Minister. Pakistan has sacrificed far more than India in the fight against terrorism,” she tweeted.
She later tried to retrieve ground by blaming the Indian media for creating panic. “Pakistan is a responsible nuclear state. Some elements in Indian media are trying to create panic. Pakistan’s FM responded to inciting comments by the Indian Minister. Pakistan has sacrificed far more than India in the fight against terrorism.Modi Sarkar is promoting extremism and fascism,” she tweeted.
The diplomatic spat began when External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar exercised the right to reply to Bhutto’s statement at a UNSC debate in which he raked the Kashmir issue. To Jaishankar’s retort that those who have hosted Osama shouldn’t sermonise before the UNSC, Bilawal said while Osama is dead, “the butcher of Gujarat is still alive and he’s the PM of India”.
Union Ministers Anurag Thakur and Meenkashi Lekhi as well as the MEA responded to Bilawal’s ‘uncivilised’ remarks, with MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi stating that, “these comments are a new low, even for Pakistan. Pakistan’s Foreign Minister’s frustration would be better directed towards the masterminds of terrorist enterprises in his own country, who have made terrorism a part of their state policy. Pakistan needs to change its own mindset or remain a pariah”.
