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Legal experts conversant with the issue said that there have been numerous instances where officers have retired from service while awaiting their promotion board results that were inordinately delayed.

The Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) has stayed the retirement of a Brigadier whose selection board for the rank of Major General was conducted by the Army in July but the result could not be released before his superannuation on September 30.

Acting on the petition of Brig IM Lamba of Artillery, a bench of Justice Sunita Gupta and Lt Gen Phillip Campose, stayed his retirement till the time the result of his promotion board is not declassified. If he is approved for promotion, then he would be promoted to the rank of Major General. In case his promotion is not approved, then he would be deemed to have retired on September 30, 2019 and will return any pay and allowances that may have been paid to him for the period thereafter.

The Brigadier had moved the AFT aggrieved by the fact that the results of the selection board in the Artillery Stream, which was conducted in July this year, in which he was considered as a ‘First Review’ case, has not been pronounced as yet. He feared that, in case he had been approved for promotion in the said selection board, he will not be promoted due to the fact that he would have superannuated on September 30 despite being fully qualified for promotion.

The officer contended that, in such an eventuality, it would be a travesty of justice.

For representation only. File photo

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 4

The Centre has asked the National Investigation Agency to investigate the recent recovery of huge arms, ammunition and communication hardware in Punjab.

Officials in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said Punjab government had asked for the central agency to step in after the consignment was suspected to have been delivered using drones from across the border. Punjab Police claims that their bust a terror module of the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF)— backed by a group based in Pakistan and Germany—last month had revealed that the group had planned a series of strikes in Punjab and adjoining states.

Officials quoted the MHA’s order to say that the central government believed that the case involved scheduled offences under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008 and “these are required to be investigated by the NIA in accordance with the Act and is hereby directed to take up the investigation of the aforesaid offences”.

The offences included a “conspiracy to carry out terrorist activity to create communal tension, instability and revival of terrorism in Punjab”, the official said.

Initial investigations found that drones were used to deliver weapons and communication hardware from Pakistan, the MHA official said, adding that according to reports four people were arrested from the outskirts of Chohla Sahib Village in Tarn Taran district of the state on September 22. A huge cache of arms, including five AK-47 rifles, pistols, satellite phones and hand grenades were seized from them, they said.

The weapons were suspected to have been delivered from across the border by the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI for jihadi and pro-Khalistani terrorist outfits working under its command, Punjab Police had said.

Amarjot Kaur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 1

In a recent turn of events over the issue of Panjab University’s proposal to merge the Department of Urdu and Persian with the School of Foreign Languages, in view of the NAAC recommendations, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has written to the university’s Vice-Chancellor Prof Raj Kumar.

Capt Amarinder’s tweet posted on Tuesday stated: “I have written to @OfficialPU to reconsider their decision of include Urdu as a part of ‘School of Foreign Languages’. Classifying it as a foreign language with German, Chinese or Russia is not desirable. At a personal level, I regret that I did not have the chance to learn Urdu.” He has also posted a picture of the letter addressed to Prof Kumar.

The CM’s tweet comes a day after PU cancelled the meeting of a 15-member committee that was to take a call on the proposal regarding the merger of departments.

Also, Capt Amarinder had on Sunday posted a tweet, expressing concern over Panjab University’s proposal.

On September 17, a 15-member committee constituted by the university under PU (DUI)Prof Shankarji Jha had proposed to merge small departments to form bigger centres in the view of an NAAC directive.

Mirza GHALIB would have nailed the debate with this couplet: ‘Har ek baat pe kehte ho tum ki tu kya hai, tumhin kaho ki ye andaz-e-guftugu kya hai.’ Panjab University has courted needless controversy with the proposal to bring its Urdu Department under the School of Foreign Languages. The very idea of considering Urdu as a foreign and not an Indian language defies logic and reeks of insensitivity, no matter the administrative considerations. The department’s strong objection to the move highlighted how Urdu was ‘born, nurtured and cultured in India in the 13th century by Amir Khusro. From that moment onward, Urdu and Hindi languages have not looked back. Not only this, even Punjabi language was put on the path of development by Baba Farid Ganj Shakar’.

India’s composite way of life, where languages, religions, belief systems merge, coexist and nurture each other is a cherished idea. In the unique Hindustani communication fibre that binds India, and indeed the subcontinent, Urdu holds a pride of place. There has alongside been undeniable curiosity and eagerness to engage with this language of poetry and prose, and seek out more than just the meaning of lyrics and dialogues Bollywood so indulgently rests its standing on.

The contentious PU proposal gained traction after Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s tweet expressing concern. Language can be a great unifier and carries the potential to create irredeemable divisions where none existed, as witnessed following the recent remarks by Central ministers on exploring Hindi as the language of the country. If teaching of Indian languages like Urdu needs support, the State needs to step in, not distance itself from a national project. Some tasks demand affirmative action, this is one of them. Seeing language through the prism of religion, or even giving such an impression unknowingly, is fraught with danger. Just days before his death, Mahatma Gandhi had admonished those opposing Urdu. Cherish it, he counselled, ‘you will only gain’.

Aboard the INS Vikramaditya, September 29

The threat of terror incidents along the Indian coastline remains and a neighbouring country is involved in “nefarious” actions to destabilise India, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday.

Singh was speaking to reporters on board the aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya which is currently sailing along India’s western coastline.

Asked about terror threats along the country’s coastline, the defence minister said, “Any country in the world should have adequate security for itself. We cannot rule out any possibilities (of terror threats).”

“When the question of our neighbouring country comes, you know very well that to destabilise and to break India up, it keeps taking nefarious actions (napak har katein),” Singh said in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

During his overnight stay on the INS Vikramaditya, Singh witnessed various military exercises involving submarines, frigates and the carrier.

“I can say this with complete belief that our Indian Navy has a solid and attentive presence here for maritime security. There is not an iota of doubt,” Singh said, adding that a Mumbai-like incident cannot be allowed to recur.

“We cannot forget what happened on 26/11/2008 (the Mumbai attack). If some mistake has happened once, it must not be repeated again at any cost. Therefore, our Indian Navy and Coast Guard always remain vigilant,” he said.

On the Army Chief’s statement that terrorists have again come into play in Pulwama, Singh said,”No one needs to tell what will happen to the terrorists who have come into existence.”

Not only in India, the whole world knows what will happen to terrorists, the Defence Minister said.

Singh, after a yoga session on the aircraft carrier early Sunday morning, said yoga has been accepted not only in India but across the world.

“It has got international recognition, and the credit goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.

“He presented this resolution (on yoga) at the United Nations and it received the support of 177 countries. In almost all the countries, there is a substantial population, which practices yoga,” the Defence Minister said. PTI

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has indigenously developed Thermal Imaging and Day Sight equipment to arm the tanks in Indian Army’s inventory with a sharper night vision, ThePrint has learnt. The night vision equipment, to be installed in the T-72 and T-90 tanks, is meant for a clearer night vision even in pitch darkness. It will have a higher range of sight as compared to the existing technology, said a DRDO official. It can be used for both day and night operations, and also boasts of superior image processing features at any given time of the day. Further, it will serve the same purpose on both varieties of tanks, only the mechanics would be different, added the official who didn’t wish to be named. Out of an order of about 1,000 units of the night vision equipment for the T-72 tanks, nearly 300 have already been delivered to the Army, said the official. For these tanks, the  equipment will have a 3-km range for tank targets. The night vision equipment being developed for the T-90 tanks will have a range of around 4 km and will help in “battlefield surveillance, acquisition and firing on targets” and provide a “hunter-killer” capability to tank commander, said the DRDO official. The equipment units for the T-90 tanks are yet to be delivered. The night vision equipment has been developed by DRDO’s Instruments Research and Development Establishment, and is being jointly produced by Bharat Electronics Limited, Machilipatnam, and Ordnance Factory, Dehradun. Upgraded technology The DRDO official told ThePrint, “So far, image intensive tubes were used for night sight in the tanks which had a range of 150-200 metres and also required some amount of light to process a clear image. This was an old technology. Now, it will be replaced with the new equipment developed by us.” There are over 5,000 tanks in the Indian Army’s inventory. A senior Army officer told ThePrint that the latest equipment will provide better vision at night as it is a technology upgrade for the tanks over the existing one. “The project started around 2011-2012 and it has been a collaborative effort between the DRDO and the Army. “The equipment is working well for the T-72 tanks, but there have been some issues with the ones for T-90 tanks. We are working on it and hopefully they should be sorted out soon,” said the officer, who did not want to be named.

idrw.org .Read more at India No 1 Defence News Website https://idrw.org/indian-army-tanks-now-have-sharper-night-vision-equipment-developed-by-drdo/ .

United Nations, September 27

The US has asked Pakistan why it is only bothered about    the human rights of Muslims in Kashmir and is not highlighting the “horrific conditions” that continue to exist for the members of the community throughout China.

Alice Wells, US Acting Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia, during a special briefing at the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly criticised Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for not speaking out against China, which has detained an estimated one million Uyghurs and other Turkic-speaking Muslims in Xinjiang province.

China is an all-weather ally of Pakistan. Beijing has often come to the rescue of Islamabad by trying to scuttle global efforts to impose sanctions against Pakistan-based terrorists like Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar and Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed. 

China has been providing financial help to cash-strapped Pakistan to overcome its economic woes.

“I would like to see the same level of concern expressed also about Muslims who are being detained in Western China, literally in concentration-like conditions.

“And so being concerned about the human rights of Muslims does extend more broadly than Kashmir, and you’ve seen the administration very involved here during the UN General Assembly and trying to shine a light on the horrific conditions that continue to exist for Muslims throughout China,” Wells said. — PTI

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. File photo

Srinagar, September 26

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval chaired a high-level meeting here on Thursday and directed security officials to intensify anti-militancy operations and work towards improving the life of common people in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

Doval, who returned to the national capital after arriving here on Wednesday, held a series of meetings with security officials and bureaucrats during which he made it clear that common people should be able to exercise their daily routine without any fear from terrorist groups, they said.

This is his second visit after the Centre abrogated provisions of Article 370 in the state on August 5 and bifurcated it into Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh, which will come into being on October 31 with the swearing-in ceremony of first Lt Governors.

During the meeting, the National Security Advisor (NSA) reviewed the developmental schemes for people and asked officials for their speedy implementation, which includes providing best health care, shipment of apple boxes out of the Kashmir Valley, among other things.

The NSA also reviewed the security situation and directed the officials to intensify anti-militancy operations and target key terrorists operating in certain parts of the Valley, the officials said.

NEW DELHI – Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat threatens to take over Azad Kashmir with full force in a big warning to Pakistan.

Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Thursday said that the Centre has to take a decision as regards what to do in Pakistani Kashmir, stressing that Army is ready for any scenario, Zee News has reported.

Armymen pay tribute to Gorkha Rifles soldier Rajib Thapa, who was killed in a ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops in Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir, at Palam Air Force Station in New Delhi on Saturday