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MAJ GEN IN UNIFORM BETRAYED ARM FORCES FOR NON GRANT OF NFU
Inter-ministerial panel rejects military officers’ plea for pay parity
Cites legal, financial hurdles for denial of non-functional upgradation | Hearing in Supreme Court today
An inter-ministerial high-level committee has rejected a plea seeking parity in status and salary for middle-level officers of the armed forces with their civilian counterparts.
Army personnel undergoing training Photo: Indian Army
An inter-ministerial high-level committee has rejected a plea seeking parity in status and salary for middle-level officers of the armed forces with their civilian counterparts.
Called non-functional upgradation (NFU), it is given to the entire civilian bureaucracy and police. It results in a higher pay band after a certain number of years of service. Armed forces personnel do not receive this higher pay band.
The committee has suggested that the issue be referred to the 8th Central Pay Commission, which has already been set up.
The matter is listed for hearing in the Supreme Court tomorrow, and the court may accept or reject the committee’s findings.
On Tuesday, the ‘Pay and Salary Cell’ of the Ministry of Defence filed an additional affidavit in the Supreme Court, citing the findings of the inter-ministerial high-level committee. It said, “Taking into consideration all aspects, the committee arrived at the conclusion that the complexities in implementation, possible legal complications and significantly large financial implications do not favour the grant of NFU to armed forces personnel.”
The committee was set up in January this year to conduct a “fresh and exhaustive review” of the demand for salary upgradation for armed forces personnel who do not get promoted beyond a certain rank due to paucity of vacancies, despite serving for a specified number of years.
The MoD formed the committee after the Supreme Court, while hearing the matter in December 2025, directed the ministry to re-examine the issue. Respondents and legal representatives of those who moved the court were invited by the MoD for an interaction.
The MoD affidavit said the committee held several internal deliberations and also provided the respondents an opportunity to present their justification for the grant of NFU.
In December 2016, the Armed Forces Tribunal in Delhi had granted NFU to armed forces personnel. The government challenged the order in the Supreme Court, where the case has since been pending.
Army commemorates veteran’s 100th b’day in Chandimandir OF Brig Wazir Singh Choudhary (retd)EX EME
Western Command felicitates Brig Wazir Singh Choudhary (retd) on the occasion of his 100th birthday in Chandimandir on Tuesday. Photo sent by Vijay Mohan
Commemorating the 100th birthday of its veteran, Brig Wazir Singh Choudhary (retd), the Army today hosted him at Chandimandir and felicitated him. Lt Gen Pushpendra Singh, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, also extended his greetings to him.
Maj Gen Sunil Rampal, head of the EME Branch at the Headquarters, Western Command, on behalf of the Director-General, EME, and all ranks, extended heartfelt greetings and presented a commemorative medallion to Brigadier Choudhary.
After completing his engineering in 1948, Brigadier Choudhary joined the Indian Military Academy in 1949 and was commissioned into the Corps of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (EME) the following year.
He participated in the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan, and was awarded the Chief of Army Staff’s commendation for his services. He retired in 1979 as Commandant of the 515 Army Base Workshop in Bangalore, and settled in Panchkula. Hailing from Gujranwala (now in Pakistan), his family migrated to India during the Partition and initially settled in Amritsar. An avid golfer, he has won several tournaments, including those for seniors, and even at this ripe age takes to the greens occasionally.
Army’s first woman canoeist bags India’s first international gold in canoeing
Havildar Megha Pradeep clinched two golds in the C1 200-meters and C1 500-meters category, and a silver in the C2 500-meters category at 2026 Canoe Sprint Asian Games Test Event in Miyoshi City
The first woman canoeist to join the Indian Army has blazed a trail, bagging the country’s first gold medal at an international event in the high-intensity paddling sport.
Havildar Megha Pradeep clinched two golds in the C1 200-meters and C1 500-meters category, and a silver in the C2 500-meters category at 2026 Canoe Sprint Asian Games Test Event in Miyoshi City, the Army said on Monday.
The event is a key qualifier for the 2026 Asian Games that are scheduled to be held in Japan, in which 45 countries are expected to participate.
In 2025, Oinam Binita Chanu from Odisha had won gold in kayaking at Canoe Sprint International President Cup in Uttarakhand, in which 21 countries had participated. Another woman kayaker, Prachi Yadav, won a gold in 2023 Asian Para Games for athletes with physical disabilities.
Canoeing and kayaking are different in the sense that the design of the boats and the seating positions are different. Canoes are open and use a single-bladed paddle while kayaks are closed-top and use a double-bladed paddle. All these have a bearing on balance, speed and manoeuvrability.
Besides Megha, two Army paddlers outshone at the meet, with Naib Subedar Sunil Singh bagging the gold in C1 200-m and C1 500-m, and Subedar Raju Rawat getting the silver in C2 500-m.
A C1 event is a high-speed flatwater race where one paddler kneels in a canoe and uses a single-bladed paddle to propel the boat, whereas a C2 event involves two paddlers in an open canoe, requiring synchronised power.
Canoe sprint is an extremely intense discipline requiring elite cardiovascular endurance, explosive power and exceptional balance as the athletes have to kneel in a narrow, unstable boat and paddle on only one side.
The athletes had trained at the Army Kayaking and Canoeing Node, which is managed by Bengal Engineer Group and Centre at Roorkee in Uttarakhand.
Megha became the first female athlete recruited into the Army Kayak and Canoe Node, marking a historic step for women in Indian water sports as part of the Army’s drive to enrol promising women sportspersons after entry into the rank and file was opened for females in 2022 under the Agnipath scheme.
Her defining breakthrough came at the 2024 Asian Canoe Sprint Championships in Tokyo, where she won a bronze medal in the women’s C1 500-m event, opening India’s medal tally and establishing herself among Asia’s elite canoeists.
While Megha has won gold medals at national events, the 21-year old’s international rise began with a silver medal at 2023 Junior Asian Canoe Sprint Championships and a bronze in the women’s C1 500-m at the 2024 Asian Canoe Sprint Championships in Tokyo.
At 2025 U23 World Championships in Portugal, she became the first Indian woman to reach the C1 500-m finals. Though she finished 17th, it was a historic milestone for Indian canoeing on the global stage.
Several women sportspersons recruited into the Army have also performed well in other disciplines, bagging gold in international events like boxing.
MoD Signs ₹975 Crore Contracts For Indigenous TRAWL Assemblies To Boost Army’s Minefield Breaching Capability
The Ministry of Defence has taken a significant step towards strengthening the Indian Army’s operational capabilities by signing contracts worth approximately ₹975 crore with Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) and Electro Pneumatics and Hydraulics (India) Private Limited.
The contracts, concluded in New Delhi on 21 April 2026 in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, are for the procurement of TRAWL Assembly systems designed for T-72 and T-90 tanks.
The TRAWL Assembly, developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is a critical piece of equipment that will substantially enhance the Army’s minefield breaching capability.
By enabling the creation of Vehicle Safe Lanes through minefields containing anti-tank mines with proximity magnetic fuses, the system will improve the Army’s ability to manoeuvre in hostile environments.
This added capacity is expected to significantly bolster the operational effectiveness of armoured formations in combat scenarios.
The procurement falls under the Buy (Indian-Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured) category, underscoring the government’s commitment to the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
Geopolitical Strategy India
This move not only modernises India’s defence infrastructure but also empowers indigenous industries to take a leading role in equipping the armed forces.
The project is anticipated to generate substantial direct and indirect employment opportunities, particularly by encouraging the participation of the MSME sector in the manufacture of components.
The contracts represent a convergence of strategic necessity and industrial empowerment. By equipping frontline tanks with advanced minefield breaching systems, the Indian Army will gain a decisive edge in battlefield mobility. At the same time, the initiative strengthens the domestic defence manufacturing ecosystem, ensuring that critical capabilities are developed and sustained within the country.
This dual benefit highlights the broader vision of self-reliance in defence production, where operational readiness and industrial growth go hand in hand.
Lessons from Pahalgam
Pakistan unwilling to shun terrorism despite paying an enormous economic, social & political price
Vivek Katju
THE Pahalgam terror attack’s first anniversary should be an occasion for a sober reflection on terrorism, its regional and international manifestations, global patterns and the places where it has become endemic. It’s time for the Indian establishment and the political class to make a dispassionate assessment of how India has handled Pakistan-sponsored terrorism over the past three-and-a-half decades, especially since 2014.
Pakistan has repeatedly used force against India in a bid to achieve its security and foreign policy objectives. The despatch of tribal raiders to Kashmir in 1947, Operation Gibraltar and Operation Grand Slam in 1965, the initiation of hostilities in 1971 and the Kargil war in 1999 are illustrative.
Terrorism targeting India has become part of Pakistan’s security doctrine. It is particularly striking that Pakistan has raised the bogey of nuclear weapons as a shield. In doing so, it has turned on its head the doctrine that has prevailed among nuclear states. Pakistan is unwilling to shun terrorism despite paying an enormous economic, social and political price for it. That is a lesson which the Pahalgam attack reaffirmed.
India worsted Pakistan each time it used conventional force. This was so even when it was surprised, as in Kargil. However, has it got the better of terrorism originating from Pakistan? Has India succeeded in containing it, let alone eliminating it? Sadly, the answer to these questions is ‘no’. Till the Uri attack of 2016, India used diplomatic means to make the global community exert pressure on Pakistan to abandon the path of terror. On each occasion, the major powers assured India that they would deter Pakistan, but did nothing to this effect. It continued to promote terrorism, confident that it would not have to face the consequences. This, too, is a lesson reinforced by Pahalgam.
India also tried to engage Pakistan in a composite dialogue from 1998 onwards, but these efforts were unable to withstand a major terror attack. The last time India attempted to go down this road was in December 2015, when it agreed to a comprehensive dialogue. Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid a surprise visit to Lahore on Christmas that year, but it was a wasted effort because just a week later, the Pathankot airbase was attacked by terrorists.
CM Omar Abdullah on his way to Nowshera inspects the ongoing works on the Sungal Tunnel project and reviews the progress on site.
Pahalgam tragedy: Braveheart ponywallah’s family provided house by Maharashtra Deputy CM Shinde
Recalling his sacrifice, his father says the selfless act stood as an example of valuing humanity above religious divisions
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday handed over a newly constructed house to the family of Adil Shah, the lone local victim of the Pahalgam terror attack, fulfilling a promise he made last year.
Adil was a ponywallah who, along with 25 tourists, lost his life in the attack by a group of terrorists in Baisaran Valley, a popular tourist spot, on April 22, 2025.
The Shiv Sena organised a function in Adil’s native Hapatnar village here on the eve of the first anniversary of the attack. Shinde participated virtually in the function.
Maharashtra ministers Sanjay Shirsat and Yogesh Ramdas Kadam were present in Hapatnar to hand over the house built as a tribute to Adil.
His father, Syed Haider Shah, said the family is thankful to Shiv Sena chief Shinde for the house and the financial assistance.
He added that they are also thankful to the J-K Government for providing a job to Adil’s wife and his younger brother.
“We are very grateful to Shinde ji. After the incident, he sent his aides to our home with financial help and promised to build a house. He has built the house and given it to us, along with financial support,” Syed Haider said.
He said the outreach from the Maharashtra deputy CM has continued beyond initial assistance. “He (Shinde) called us to Srinagar for a meeting, and his team remains in touch even now. One of his aides told us, ‘We are like your sons…I am also your Adil.’ That gives us strength,” Syed said.
The family has also received support from the government, including a job for Adil’s wife and financial aid. However, Shah said no assistance can compensate for the loss of a son. “No matter what is given, the person will not come back. There is no peace,” he said.
Recalling his son’s sacrifice, Syed said it stood as an example of valuing humanity above religious divisions.
“He did not care for his own life. He gave his life to save others. He did not see Hindu, Muslim or Sikh. He showed that humanity comes first, that the same blood runs through everyone’s veins,” the grieving father said.
Syed said he takes pride in the fact that Adil’s actions demonstrated through his sacrifice what humanity stands for.
Adil, he added, was the backbone of the family. “All responsibilities were on him…taking care of parents, brothers, everyone. But this was Allah’s will.” Syed said memories of him remain vivid even after a year.
“We remember him every moment. When we see his photos at home, we remember him even more, he said, adding that this time of the year he used to go to Pahalgam. Today, he is buried in the ground.
“His sense of humour was very good. He used to keep laughing and playing. You wouldn’t even feel that he was the elder brother,” Syed said.
The family takes pride that Adil did not care for his own life, he said. “There were thousands of other labourers too – horse riders, the ones who carry loads, and the hotel people – everyone saved their own lives and ran away.
But Adil gave his own life for the people who were there, the father said.
India’s silent heroism in Korean war to be honoured with new memorial in South Korea
Seventy-five years after India played a stellar role in non-combat role during Korean war, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit South Korea next month for the joint inauguration of a War Memorial being built to commemorate India’s participation in the War.
When the Korean War broke out in June 1950, India, then a newly independent country, tested out its nascent foreign policy of Non-Alignment.
While India did not contribute combat troops, its influence on the war’s outcome was noted globally. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru made the strategic decision not to send combat battalions, fearing that military involvement would compromise India’s neutral status. Instead, India dispatched the 60th Parachute Field Ambulance, an airborne medical unit. Led by Lt Col AG Rangaraj, the unit arrived in November 1950. Their impact was immediate: called ‘Parachute Doctors’, they frequently dropped behind or near enemy lines to treat the wounded.
By 1952, the war had reached a stalemate. The primary obstacle to a ceasefire was the issue of Prisoners of War (POWs). India proposed a Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission (NNRC). The plan suggested that prisoners who refused to go home should be handed over to a neutral body to decide their fate.
Initially rejected by both sides, the resolution eventually became the blueprint for the 1953 Armistice Agreement. India’s ability to talk to both Washington and Beijing—at a time when they were not talking to each other—was the key that unlocked the peace process.
