Monthly Archives: August 2018

PTI

Paradip (Odisha), March 8

A pigeon fitted with devices which appear to be a camera and a microchip was caught from a fishing boat off the Paradip coast of Odisha’s Jagatsinghpur district, with the police suspecting that the bird was being used for spying.

Some fishermen found the pigeon perched on their trawler while fishing in the sea a few days ago. The bird was captured and handed over to the Marine police here on Wednesday.

“Our veterinarians will examine the bird. We will seek the help of the State Forensic Science Laboratory for examining the devices attached to its legs. It appears that the devices are a camera and a microchip,” Jagatsinghpur Superintendent of Police Rahul PR told PTI.

It also appears that something is written in a language unknown to the local police on the wings of the bird.

“Experts’ help will also be sought to find out what is written,” the SP said.

Pitambar Behera, an employee of the fishing trawler ‘Sarathi’, said he saw the pigeon perched on the boat.

“Suddenly I noticed that some instruments were attached to the bird’s legs. I also found that something is written on its wings. I could understand it as it was not Odia,” Behera said.

He called the pigeon and caught it after the bird came closer. Behera then informed the incident to the owner of the trawler.

The pigeon was found on the trawler when it was anchored around 35 kilometres off the coast from Konark around 10 days back.

Behera said he fed the bird broken rice for the past several days.

PTI

Mumbai, March 8

An Indian Navy Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) on a routine sortie with three personnel on board made a controlled landing off the Mumbai coast on Wednesday, an official said.

The crew was rescued by a naval patrol aircraft, said the official.

“An Indian Navy ALH on a routine flying mission off Mumbai experienced a sudden loss of power and rapid loss of height. The pilot carried out controlled ditching over water. All three aircrew exited the helicopter safely and were recovered as part of a swift rescue operation,” the official said. 

Ditching refers to a controlled landing on water, the official said.

“The pilot did a controlled landing so that the aircraft is not lost. The floatation gears were deployed and efforts are on to salvage the helicopter,” the official said.

The crew was brought to the Navy’s helicopter base INS Shikra and medically examined. All three are safe, said the official.

An inquiry to investigate the incident has been ordered, the official added.

꧁𝒬☞♔♔♔☜𝒬꧂
𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐘 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐈

आपको और आपके परिवार को होली के पावन अवसर पर मेरे और मेरे परिवार की तरफ से, हार्दिक शुभकामनाये! ☜𝒬꧂
꧁𝒬☞ होली के रंगो की तरह आपकी जिंदगी भी, खुशियों के रंगो से भरी हो,मेरी यही कामना है…. ☜𝒬꧂
꧁𝒬☞ भगवान् आपको,
ज़िन्दगी के रंग, खुशिओं के रंग दोस्त के रंग प्यार के रंग और वो सारे रंग जो आप अपनी ज़िन्दगी में लाना चाहते हैं आपको प्रदान करे

Gp Capt Shaliza Dhami is currently posted in a border area in Punjab.

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 7

Group Captain Shaliza Dhami of the Indian Air Force (IAF) today created history. She has been selected to command a frontline combat unit of the force along the western sector. She will be the first woman in the three services to command a combat unit.

Group Captain Dhami, hailing from Ludhiana, will command a missile unit near India-Pakistan border in Punjab, sources said. The missile unit, tasked for an air defence role, has surface-to-air-missiles in its arsenal. Ground-based missile units are the first line of defence to tackle any air intrusion from the western front – Pakistan. Group Captain Dhami was commissioned in the IAF in 2003 as a helicopter pilot and has over 2,800 hours of flying experience. A Qualified Flying Instructor, she has served as Flight Commander of a helicopter unit in the western sector, meaning she was the second-in-command. The officer has done schooling from the government school on Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) campus, and higher studies from Khalsa College for Women in Ludhiana.

She was commended by the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief on two occasions, and is at present posted in the operations branch of a frontline command. Women have been inducted in the Indian Air Force for more than 30 years.

Alumna of Khalsa College for women

Commissioned in 2003 as copter pilot, Gp Capt Shaliza Dhami studied in Khalsa College for Women in Ludhiana

Dear Sir,

1. Many veterans seeking clarifications on OROP – II and SPARSH.Doubts Clarified by Lt Col Ranjan Kumar, OiC, DPCC, PCDA (Pensions) Prayagaraj.as under .
2. There are four categories of pensioners. First category is Migrated to SPARSH. The revision of pension as per OROP – II is being done by PCDA (Pensions) Prayagraj on war footing and all will get their arrears in due course. Whether it is one go or in four half yearly instalments is not known to Principal Controller himself. This is not yet being conveyed by Min of Def to PCDA (Pensions) Prayagraj. Pensioner should not worry on this account.
3. The second category are those who are migrated to SPARSH and not benefited by OROP – II as their pension in Jun 2019 is higher than pension in OROP – II. SMSs are being sent to those who are already migrated to SPARSH.
4. Third category are those pensioners retired in the period Jul 2014 to 30 Jun 2019 and are not yet migrated to SPARSH. PPOs were made and sent to all CPPCs as the pensioners are not yet migrated. Pension revision as per OROP – II will be done by CPPCs of banks for which instructions have been issued to them by PCDA (Pensions) Prayagraj. Officers retired in this period are to log into RODRA and see their own PPOs. For JCOs /OR the Record Officers have received the PPOs and they are required to approach their Record Office to get a copy of PPO revised with OROP – II pension.
5. Fourth Category of Pensioners. Those are not yet migrated to SPARSH and retired prior to Jun 2014 like I am. Their CPPCs will work out their arrears and remit the revised pension with arrears. Whether it is in one go or in four instalments is not known. Instructions will be issue later.
6. 20 Mar 2023 the last date for Submission of Life Certificate. It has been clarified that this is applicable only to those who did not give their life certificate to their banks in Nov 2022. They are given extension of three months till 28 Feb 2023 and again given one more extension till 20 Mar 2023. They are to go to their banks / CSCs / DPDOs / Col Veterans in HQ Sub Area or Helpline Centres in Comd HQ and give their life certificate. They can send the life certificate as it was done in Jeevan Pramaan with PDA as SPARSH / PCDA(Pensions) Prayagraj. They can also get Manual Life Certificate and signed by a gazette officer and send it to SPARSH.
7. Those who Gave their Life Certificate in Nov 22 to their banks Need NOT submit again. Their life certificates have been collected from the banks at the time of migration along with their Aadhaar Card, PAN Card, Mobile No and Email address.
8. Reason for Removal of Circular 667. It is not known and none in PCDA (Pensions) Prayagraj are aware of it. They just have been told to remove it and faithfully it was done.

warm regards.

Brig CS Vidyasagar (Retd)

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 7

Almost 30 years after the Indian Army started inducting women as officers, important positions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Kashmir valley and other locations are now occupied by women.

Earlier this month, the Army began assigning women officers to command roles for the first time. Around 50 of them will head units in operational regions, including forward areas. This will happen in both the Northern and Eastern Commands. However, these are non-combat positions.

The role of women in frontline areas is otherwise growing. Today, there are women assigned to specific roles in aviation, signals, air defence, beside intelligence corps in forward locations. Other than infantry and armoured corps, women are taken in as officers in all streams. The Army has already deployed a woman in helicopter unit in Kashmir.

In January, Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande said the Army had moved a proposal to have woman inducted in the Regiment of Artillery.

Among the important locations where women are posted is Arunachal Pradesh. Lt Col Priyadarshini is at a location there. She is tasked with reading satellite imagery along the LAC. “It is an enriching experience and has added to my intellectual personality,” the officer said over the phone. She joined the Army as short service commission in 2008 and opted to serve full time.

Capt Deeksha C Mudadevannanava, an Army doctor, has undergone gruelling induction into the special forces. She is stationed at a unit in the Himalayan foothills.

DG BRO Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry conducted the final breakthrough blast for the 980 m long Sela T1 tunnel . Breakthrough for T2 had already been achieved last year. With this a stupendous 4000 m excavation stands completed.
The twin tunnel complex at 13800 feet above msl will be completed next month, after 4 years of construction at one of the highest and most rugged terrains in the world.

Tribune News Service

Vijay Mohan

Chandigarh, March 7

Revamping its training to meet emerging field requirements, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force (ITBP) has introduced Israeli martial art ‘Krav Maga’ for its personnel for hand-to-hand combat.

The training programme for the first batch of 50 personnel, which is of nine weeks duration, commenced at ITBP’s Basic Training Center in Bhanu near Chandigarh on Tuesday. The trainees are sub-ordinate officers who will be trained as instructors to further impart training to the rank and file on a regular basis.

Krav Maga was first introduced in India in 2007 by the Special Protection Group, responsible for the Prime Minister’s security. After the violent face-off with Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh during 2020, a need was felt to revamp close combat training in the ITBP, sources said.

Developed by the Israeli defence forces, Krav Maga uses a combination of various martial techniques like judo, karate, boxing and wrestling in a “no holds barred approach” for offence as well as defence, and teaches the combatant to adapt any object as a weapon in a practical and effective manner.

“For some time now, the ITBP has been working out ways to enhance the unarmed combat potential of its troops and modify its training procedures accordingly. Krav Maga was also explored and an instructor was trained by a team from Singapore, who in turn had conducted a training programme for some other personnel on a pilot basis,” an ITBP officer said.

Face-offs and at times clashes and jostling with Chinese troops occur frequently along the Line of Actual Control. “After the Galwan incident, where various types of crude weapons were used, the move to revamp hand-to hand combat training, along with some other measures, got a fillip and Krav Maga has been made part of the institutionalized training programme for all personnel, including recruits,” he added.

Once their training is complete, the new instructors will also be sent to various ITBP establishments and units to conduct training programmes. This will also be extended to women personnel as well as officers.

Krav Maga also forms part of the training curriculum of the British Special Air Service and the US Marines. It is said to be extremely efficient as it was derived from the street-fighting experience of Israeli martial art experts. It is focused at finishing a fight as quickly and aggressively as possible, with attacks aimed at the most vulnerable parts of the body which are not limited to avoiding serious injury or even death.