Monthly Archives: August 2018

Addressing the Indian DefSpace Symposium, he said military space doctrine to be out within 2-3 months

Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service

Stepping up its efforts to harness the outer space for military use, India is set to launch 52 dedicated satellites for gathering intelligence and surveillance.

In addition, a military space doctrine, which would serve as a policy for the armed forces, was expected to be finalised within the next three months, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan said today in his address at the Indian DefSpace Symposium here.

“We are looking at launching 52 satellites for the purpose of intelligence gathering, reconnaissance and surveillance. This will be done by the Indian Space Research Organisation in association with the private industry,” he said. The symposium was organised by the Indian Space Association at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses here.

Apart from the military space doctrine, the government was also working on a national military space policy, said General Chauhan. The doctrine, he said, would define space for the military in terms of low and medium earth orbit constellations.

“With space emerging as a new domain that will dominate warfare, the tri-services need to have their own space warfare school for training in the near future,” he said.

The General listed how militaries were using space for observation, communication and targeting. “This will form the basic building block for future wars,” he said.

The CDS said the nation needed to have a space culture that fostered new ideas and capabilities in warfare. “This culture should include seminal research, original doctrines and strategies. It’s not just about creating startups, but we also need to have journals and institutes to ideate on the subject,” he said.Former Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari (retd) said, “Satellites are shrinking in size but growing in capability. We are witnessing a strategic shift from large satellites to proliferated and resilient constellations across multiple orbits.”

On the private sector’s emergence in the space sector, Indian Space Association Chairman Jayant Patil said, “The Indian industry has already delivered technologies such as surveillance and communication satellites, jammers and tracking radars”. The symposium was aimed at exploring the latest trends, opportunities and challenges in the defence and space sectors, said Patil.

Days after an encounter between terrorists and security forces in Kathua, in which four policemen were killed, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that an electronic surveillance system is being deployed along the border with Pakistan to prevent the movement…

Arjun Sharma Our Correspondent

Days after an encounter between terrorists and security forces in Kathua, in which four policemen were killed, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that an electronic surveillance system is being deployed along the border with Pakistan to prevent the movement of terrorists through underground tunnels.

On the second day of his visit to Jammu and Kashmir, the Home Minister visited Vinay Post in the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district, where he interacted with commanders and BSF personnel.

While addressing the BSF personnel, Shah said, “Two models of electronic surveillance systems have been developed for deployment on the border. Once installed along the entire border, soldiers will be better equipped to receive intelligence and respond swiftly to enemy actions using advanced technology. Several experiments have been carried out to detect infiltration and to identify and destroy tunnels through the use of technology.”

He further stated that, in a few years, security forces deployed along the entire India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders would be fully equipped with technological assistance. “The sacrifice, bravery, valour, and courage of our soldiers form India’s shield against enemies across the border. This is why the people of the country deeply respect the BSF,” Shah said.

“Currently, 26 technology-related experiments are being tested, including anti-drone systems, tunnel detection, and electronic surveillance,” he added. Shah expressed confidence that results from some of these trials would be achieved by next March, significantly aiding soldiers in their duties.

The latest infiltration from the border in Kathua saw a group of at least five Pakistani terrorists first spotted by locals in the Hiranagar sector on March 23, leading to a brief gunfight. The terrorists managed to escape and were later involved in another encounter in the Ghati Juthana area on March 27, in which two terrorists and four policemen were killed. The remaining terrorists engaged in another gunfight in the Panjtirthi area of the district on March 31 before fleeing the scene.

The Home Minister was accompanied by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, and BSF Director General Daljit Singh Choudhary. Shah paid tribute to Assistant Commandant Vinay Prasad of the BSF, who was martyred while on duty at the International Border in Kathua in 2019.

Shah also inaugurated newly built facilities at the border, including eight women’s barracks, high-mast lights, a tower, and a composite Border Out Post — all constructed at a cost of Rs 47.22 crore.

Praising the BSF’s commitment, Shah said, “Visiting this post highlights the difficult conditions under which BSF personnel operate to secure the country’s borders.” He added that despite harsh weather — extreme cold, heavy rainfall, or temperatures reaching 45°C — and challenging geography, the soldiers remain ever-vigilant and committed to their mission.

HM visits kin of martyred DSP in Srinagar

Srinagar: Amit Shah on Monday visited the family of Kirti Chakra awardee Deputy Superintendent of Police Humayun Muzammil Bhat, who laid down his life battling terrorists in 2023.

Shah went straight to Bhat’s house at Humhama after landing at Srinagar airport. The Home Minister spent nearly 20 minutes with the slain police officer’s father, retired IGP Ghulam Hassan Bhat, before heading to Raj Bhavan. He was accompanied by L-G Manoj Sinha and CM Omar Abdullah.

Bhat was among four security personnel who died in the line of duty while battling terrorists in the dense forests surrounding Gadool village of Kokernag in Anantnag district in September 2023. — OC

Ashu, 54, of the Punjab Congress, has represented the Ludhiana West seat earlier

The Congress on Friday evening announced former cabinet minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu as the party candidate for the high-stakes Ludhiana (West) Assembly bypoll.

Ashu, 54, working president of the Punjab Congress, is a prominent Hindu face of the party and has represented the Ludhiana West seat earlier. His candidature for contesting the bypoll from the seat was approved by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, according to a party statement.

The Ludhiana West seat fell vacant following the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Bassi Gogi in January. The date for the bypoll has not been announced yet.

AAP had earlier named Rajya Sabha member Sanjeev Arora as its candidate for the Ludhiana West assembly bypoll.

Ludhiana West bypoll: Congress bets on veteran Ashu

“The party is banking on Ashu’s extensive grassroots network and leadership experience in the upcoming byelection. His ability to mobilise party workers and reconnect with the electorate is seen as a potential game-changer for the party in Ludhiana West,” said a local Congress leader, who did not want to be named.

THE recent assault on a Colonel and his son by police personnel in Patiala has sparked a public outrage across the country. Serving as well as retired Army officers and their families have upped the ante over their demand for…

Ramesh K Dhiman

THE recent assault on a Colonel and his son by police personnel in Patiala has sparked a public outrage across the country. Serving as well as retired Army officers and their families have upped the ante over their demand for a fair probe and exemplary punishment.

More often than not, those who don Army fatigues are seen in a battle-ready mode, guarding the nation’s frontiers in tough terrain and cold climes. They also take part in relief and rehabilitation work when natural calamities wreak havoc, leaving thousands marooned or displaced. Many a times, they assist the civil and police administration in the restoration of law and order whenever the situation spins out of control due to inept handling by the authorities.

One can never forget Major Ivan Joseph Crasto (who retired as a Colonel), the Para commando who became a guardian angel for the tourists who were trapped aboard a cable car at Parwanoo (Himachal Pradesh) in 1992. There is no dearth of such tales of heroism.

I remember a four-decade-old incident that showcased the unwavering compassion of Army personnel. Those were the times when Punjab was in the throes of militancy. A round-the-clock curfew was clamped in Punjab and Chandigarh immediately after the imposition of President’s rule. During the curfew, a special relaxation was allowed to the public to procure provisions and other items of daily use.

One hot and humid Sunday afternoon, I saw my neighbour trying to console his newborn baby, who was crying for milk. The milk he had brought home in three pouches had turned sour due to the heat. All of a sudden, a military vehicle screeched to a halt bang opposite the main gate of the residential complex. While we ran pell-mell, the defiant father refused to budge.

The young officer directed jawans to summon the man. Then, he asked, “Don’t you know that it’s curfew time? Why are you roaming in a forbidden area?”

Without waiting for an answer, he posed another question, “Why is your baby crying so loud?” The father told him that his newborn needed milk. The officer enquired whether he knew any milkman around. My neighbour nodded and said, “Yes, his house is about 3 km from here.”

The officer asked him to immediately fetch a container from his house and accompany them. Later, the soldiers dropped him at his residence after getting sufficient milk for the baby. They advised him to stay indoors, especially during the curfew hours.

The father heaved a sigh of relief and expressed deep gratitude to the gentleman officer for his generosity.

After the Punjab and Haryana High Court handed over the investigation in Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath’s assault case to the Chandigarh Police, his wife Jaswinder Kaur visited the private hospital where Inspector Ronnie Singh, one of the accused, along with…

Mohit Khanna Tribune News Service

After the Punjab and Haryana High Court handed over the investigation in Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath’s assault case to the Chandigarh Police, his wife Jaswinder Kaur visited the private hospital where Inspector Ronnie Singh, one of the accused, along with another cop named Randhir had gone for treatment, to secure the CCTV footage.

She said the High Court had issued directions to the Civil Lines police station to secure the footage of the incident and cops had accompanied her to the hospital.

“The incident occurred near Rajindra Hospital late in the night. I will share the video clip in which it is clear that Randhir was not involved in the fight, but his medico-legal report (MLR) was made from the private hospital. Around 1.20 am, Ronnie Singh and Randhir had visited the private hospital for treatment. If the incident had occurred just outside Rajindra Hospital, why did they visit a private hospital for treatment? Why didn’t they go to Rajindra Hospital the way my husband and son had?” asked Jaswinder Kaur.

On whether she apprehended tampering with the evidence, she stressed, “We have told the authorities of the private hospital that as per the court’s direction, the digital video recording has to be secured.”

Inspector Ronnie Singh claimed that he had been falsely implicated in the case. In a petition before the High Court, he had claimed that he along with a police team had conducted a raid near Rajindra Hospital following an intelligence input on a wanted drug trafficker.

It was alleged in the petition that during the operation, he encountered individuals consuming alcohol in public and obstructing access to hospital. On being asked to clear the passage, those persons, including the Colonel and his son, reacted aggressively, assaulted the petitioner.

The district unit of the Punjab State Pensioners and Senior Citizens Association has criticised the state government for it indifferent attitude towards their current demands. The members, most of who were from different parts of the district, participated in the.

The district unit of the Punjab State Pensioners and Senior Citizens Association has criticised the state government for it indifferent attitude towards their current demands. The members, most of who were from different parts of the district, participated in the meeting organised at Gandhi Municipal Park here. District president of the association, Baldev Singh Kallha, in his address, stressed on payment in one installment of the arrears of Sixth Pay Commission recommendations and DA installments. He also called for the revival of the Old Pension Scheme. Gurdev Singh Sandhu and Satpal Sharma were among those who addressed the gathering. The leaders laid stress on increasing the monthly medical allowance to Rs 3,000 per month. The leaders warned the state government of launching a stir if their demands are not met.

Known as ‘Insta Queen’, used to flaunt her flamboyant lifestyle in reels

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Suspended Punjab Police constable Amandeep Kaur was today remanded in two-day police custody following the alleged seizure of 17.71 gm of heroin from her. Sh was dismissed from service yesterday.

Known as “Insta Queen” for her active social media presence, the police are now interrogating her to uncover more details about her alleged drug trafficking network and financial trails.

Kaur frequently posted Instagram reels on her handle “police_kaurdeep” featuring her SUV and luxury items, amassing more than 30,000 followers. Her social media activities had previously drawn attention within the Police Department.

In addition to her social media presence, allegations surfaced regarding her personal life and assets.

It is learnt that for the past three years, many persons had been filing complaints against her with the Punjab Government officials and senior police officers, but she used to escape scrutiny due to her “high-level connections”.

It is also learnt that she tried to flaunt her close connections with a senior IPS officer to escape this time when stopped for checking.

During her 14 years’ of service, Amandeep had seen 31 transfers and two suspensions.

A woman named Gurmeet Kaur had accused Amandeep Kaur of maintaining a lavish lifestyle disproportionate to her known sources of income, claiming the ownership of a house worth ₹2 crore, multiple cars and a watch valued at ₹1 lakh. Further, Gurmeet alleged that Kaur was involved in a relationship with her husband (Balwinder Sonu) and implicated in drug distribution activities using an ambulance.

According to Gurmeet, Kaur rarely attended duty and would instead go on “medical leave” to travel with Balwinder to purchase heroin. She claimed that Balwinder was responsible for packing and selling the drugs, while Kaur used her police uniform to avoid scrutiny.

These facets of Kaur’s social media behaviour and personal life have drawn significant public and departmental scrutiny, culminating in her arrest and dismissal from the police force.

Bathinda SSP Amneet Kondal said, “We have already started probe into her financial and revenue assets. A team also conducted raid at her house in Bathinda.”

She also said that Balwinder Sonu had also been included in the FIR and further probe was on.

Amandeep Kaur hails from Chak Fateh Singh Wala village in Bathinda and was currently attached to the Bathinda police lines.

She was arrested during a joint operation by the Bathinda Police and the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) as part of the state’s “Yudh Nasheyan Virudh” anti-drugs campaign.

Scuffle between couple in court complex

Tension flared in the District Courts complex today when co-accused in the case and Gurmeet Kaur’s husband, Balwinder Sonu, arrived in the court and both had a scuffle. Police personnel present there intervened in the matter to control them.

Gurmeet Kaur later accused her husband of not only beating her but also threatening to kill her.

Balwinder Singh alleged that Gurmeet Kaur was blackmailing him and also levelling false accusations against him.

There is an urgent need to renovate the building and guestrooms of the Sainik Rest House, said Nishant Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner-cum-president, Zila Sainik Board, after visiting the Zila Sainik Welfare Office here today. During the visit, he was briefed…

There is an urgent need to renovate the building and guestrooms of the Sainik Rest House, said Nishant Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner-cum-president, Zila Sainik Board, after visiting the Zila Sainik Welfare Office here today.

During the visit, he was briefed on functioning of the office and the house by Col HS Ghuman (retd), Zila Sainik Welfare Officer (ZSWO). Yadav was also apprised of the addition and upgrade of the welfare schemes for ex-servicemen, widows and wards being run by the Chandigarh Administration.

The Deputy Commissioner was shown the various facilities available at the office complex for ex-servicemen. The Deputy Commissioner said there was an urgent need to renovate the building and the guestrooms. The office of Chief Architect, Chandigarh, has already approved the drawings for the renovation of this building with a proposal to install a lift.

The DC said the Chief Engineer Office would start the renovation work soon. After approval from the DC, the office recently paid grants to several beneficiaries.

Yadav appreciated the efforts of the Zila Sainik Welfare Office towards welfare of ex-servicemen, widows and wards.

Cites UN convention in veiled dig at China | Flags off INS Sunayna for one-month deployment in Indian Ocean

Ajay Banerjee Tribune News Service

For the second time in as many days, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has asked the Indian armed forces to plan, prepare, keep a vigil and conduct exercises, keeping China and its activities in mind.

On Saturday, while reviewing maritime security at the Naval commanders conference at Karwar on the west coast, the Minister said, “India stands for a free, open and rules-based order in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).”

Singh urged the Commanders “to assess the changing circumstances and ensure planning, resourcing and exercising, accordingly, while remaining alert and prepared. Although he did not mention China, the reference to ‘free, open and rules-based order’ and the UNLCOS was towards the India’s neighbour, which had refused to accept the verdict of UNCLOS in the South China Sea maritime dispute.

Beijing has made artificial islands in the sea and self-assumes territorial rights over vast portions and has questioned navigation rights of other countries.

On April 3, the minister was at the Army Commanders’ Conference, following which a statement by the Ministry of Defence said, “He complemented the armed forces for standing firm and vigilant along the northern borders and said same should continue”.

In Karwar, the Minister called for reorienting the future roles of the Armed Forces, adding: “It is our responsibility to ensure peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region”.

The Defence Minister also flagged off INS Sunayna, which is headed for month-long deployment in the Indian Ocean and is the first Indian warship to carry a 44-member crew from nine friendly countries —- Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka and Tanzania.

The Minister took another dig at China’s attempts at hegemony at sea, saying “The Indian Navy ensures that, in Indian Ocean, no nation suppresses another on the basis of overwhelming economy and military power. We ensure that the nations’ interests are protected without compromising their sovereignty”. He also inaugurated repair and logistic facilities under the ‘Project Seabird’ at Karwar. This include marine infrastructure designed for berthing ships, submarines and harbour craft, an armament wharf, two piers, specifically equipped for refits, marine utility complexes, residential infrastructure.

In March last year, berthing facilities were created at Karwar to allow simultaneous docking of two sea-going aircraft carriers – INS Vikramaditya and INS Vikrant. They are the biggest warships in the Naval fleet each being close to 50,000 tonnes.

The INS Vikramaditya is 284-m long, while the Vikrant is 262-m long. The warships need a specific depth of water near the coast and length of jetty needs to match their sizes when they come for routine maintenance.