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Tribune News Service

Jammu/Rajouri, January 20

Four persons, including a soldier, were killed on Saturday as Pakistan continued shelling border posts and civilian areas along the International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu region. Eighteen persons were injured, an SSB and a BSF jawan in the Pargwal sector among them. With the authorities sounding a red alert, more than 10,000 residents of border villages have shifted to safer places. Over 300 educational institutions along the IB and the LoC in Jammu region have been shut for three days.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)“Pakistani troops initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms and automatics and mortar bombs in Krishna Ghati sector along the LoC in Poonch at 8.20 am. The Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively. However, in the exchange of fire, Sepoy Mandeep Singh of Alampur village in Punjab’s Sangrur district was grievously injured and succumbed to his injuries. He is survived by his father Gurnam Singh,” a defence spokesperson said. He said as Pakistan resorted to unprovoked shelling in Gajansoo area of Kanachak sector in Jammu this afternoon, shells exploded at the Gajansoo bus stand, injuring two persons. One of them, Tarseem (25), died in hospital later. Pakistan Rangers also shelled forward hamlets in RS Pura. Gaura Ram (17) of Kapurpur and Gahar Singh (45) of Abdullian were killed and five others injured.Already this year, Pakistan has violated the ceasefire over 100 times, resulting in the death of three Army soldiers, three BSF men and six civilians. The Indian Army has lost two soldiers and the BSF two jawans since Thursday. The shelling has caused extensive damage to property and livestock. “The border hamlets have virtually turned into war zones,” the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of RS Pura, Surinder Choudhary, who led a police team to rescue and shift the injured, said. “Border residents would not have died or been injured had the government constructed bunkers or given us land in a safe area, as promised several years ago,” said Sudershan Singh of Arnia.While firing and shelling ended in Hiranagar, Samba and Arnia at 1.30 am today, it continued in Ramgarh sector till 5.30 am. (With PTI inputs)

Gauri Chhabra

In a path-breaking move, the Indian Army opened combat positions for women, a gender barrier broken by only a few countries globally. The role of women in the armed forces for a long time was limited to the medical profession, that is doctors and nurses. In 1992, the doors were thrown open for women’s entry as regular officers in aviation, logistics, law, engineering and executive cadres. Thousands of spirited young women applied against advertisements and it was a turning point in the history of the Indian Army. In the recent years, steps have been taken to make armed forces more women inclusive by enabling them to serve on submarines, in ground combat positions and tank units. In February 2016, President Pranab Mukherjee announced that women will be allowed to take up combat roles in all sections of the Indian Armed Forces, signalling a radical move towards gender parity in one of the world’s most male-dominated professions. A few months ago, the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence has asked all wings of the Army to come up with suggestions for roles for women. In October, the government took the first steps towards bringing women into combat roles and approved air force plans for female pilots to fly warplanes from June 2017, on a three-year experimental basis.

Getting in

The Indian Armed Forces are the federal military forces of the Union of Republic of India. It consists of four professional uniformed services: The Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and Indian Coast Guard. Recruitment is voluntary, which implies that every citizen of India is eligible to be a part of it, provided he/she fulfils the specified criteria for selection. Manpower in each of the services is broadly divided into commissioned officers, JCO’s (Junior Commissioned Officers) and other ranks, based on their qualifications and seniority.

Selection process

The procedure for becoming a lady officer in the army is the same as the one followed for men. The candidates have to clear a written exam — CDSE in this case — or there is direct shortlisting on the basis of cutoff percentage, like in the SSC-Tech and NCC entries. After getting selected in the initial process that is written or getting shortlisted, Service Selection Board(SSB) calls are made. The women candidates are called at various selection centres of the Indian Army. Post getting recommended in the SSB, which is a two-stage process, — after clearing stage I you advance to stage II — medical examination of successful candidates is conducted. The All India Merit List decides the final entries, based on the vacancies.Currently, women in the non-medical cadre, serve as Short Service Commissioned (SSC) officers. Under this commission, they can serve in the armed forces for a period ranging from 5-14 years. On release, they can pursue a career in the civil sector. SSC officers are released with gratuity and can avail some benefits as ex-service person, but they do not get pension.  Women in the medical branch that is doctors and nurses can serve as Permanent Commissioned (PC) officers and are eligible for pension after retirement. They also have the option to serve as SSC officers.Here is the list of branches, in which eligible women candidates serve as Short Service Commissioned officers…ArmyThe Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination is conducted twice a year by the Union Public Service Commission for recruitment into the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Officers Training Academy (OTA), Indian Naval Academy (INA) and Indian Air Force Academy (AFA).Girls are only eligible for Officers Training Academy (OTA). The other three —  IMA, AFA and  INA — are only for men candidates. NCC special entry: You can take the NCC Special entry exam if you are an NCC women cadet. The qualification needed is: The candidate should be between 19-25 years of age. The candidate must have completed a degree with 50 per cent aggregate.JAG entry: This entry is for the law graduates. Age limit is between 21-27 years. Education qualification should be LLB degree.Air ForceAir Force Common Admission Test (AFCAT) is a written exam conducted by Indian Air Force twice a year to induct officers in the IAF. The written exam is followed by Air Force Selection Board Interview for shortlisted candidates.  The air force entry is possible for women through the AFCAT. The candidates should be a graduate from any stream with physics and Maths in Class XII.NavyPresently, the women are recruited for ATC, observer, law, logistics, education, naval architecture streams.Short Service Commissioned Officer Under University Entry Scheme (UES): Women candidates who fall between19-25 years of age. Educational qualification: Should have completed B.E/B.Tech degree in Naval Architecture / Mechanical / Civil / Aeronautical/ Metallurgical/ Aerospace engineering with an aggregate of 60 per cent are eligible. SSC Naval Architecture: The candidate appearing for this exam should be between 21-25 years of age and should have completed B.E/B.Tech in Computer Science, IT, Electrical, Electronics, Mechanical or M.Sc in physics/ maths/ computer application, with at least 50 per cent marks.SC ATC: The candidate should be 19-25 years of age. The candidate should have completed B.E/ B.Tech (any discipline) with 60 per cent marks from a recognised university/ institution with maths and physics in Class XII.SSC Observer: The candidate should be between 19-24 years of age and should have completed B.E/ B.Tech in any discipline with minimum 55 per cent marks from a recognised university/ institution with maths and physics in Class XII.SSC Logistics: The candidate should be within 19-25 years of age. Educational qualification: B.Tech/ B.E (any discipline), MBA with First Class, B.Sc/ B.Com/ B.Sc(IT) with first division and a Post Graduate Diploma in Material Management/ Finance/ Logistics/ Supply Chain Management.Catering billetsM.Sc (Hotel Management)/ MBA (Hotel Management)/ BSc or BA with First Class and a Post Graduate Diploma in Hotel Management.SSC education: The candidate should be between 21- 25 years of age. 

• B.E/ B.Tech/ M.Tech in IT/ Computer Science Engg / Electrical & Electronics/ Electronics & Telecommunication/ Electronics & Instrumentation / Mechanical/ Electronics and Communication/ Instrumentation/ Telecommunication.
• M.Sc (maths) with physics in B.Sc /M.Sc (physics) with maths in B.Sc / M.Sc (Operational Research)/ M.Sc (Analysis).
• MCA (physics or maths at graduation level).
• M.A (english) / M.A (history).

Indian Coast GuardWomen are recruited in Coast Guard only as officers in General Duty (Pilot / Navigation) and General Duty (CPL Holders, Short Service entry) branches. The selection process for women is similar to that of male candidates. Assistant Commandant (GD)-SSA: General Duty (Short Service Appointment for a period of eight years, which may be extended to ten years and can be further extended upto 14 years). Age limit: 21-25 years (Five years relaxation for SC/ST and three years for OBC) Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline from any recognised university by central/ state government/ UGC with mathematics and physics as subjects upto Class XII.

Assistant Commandant (Law)

Age limit: 21-30 years (Five years relaxation for government employees)(i) A degree in law (ii) Knowledge/ Experience connected with International Law/ Maritime LawTAKE THE CHALLENGE HEAD ON As commissioned officers are between the age of 22-23 years, they may often have subordinates older than their parents. Hence, from day one, it is a challenge and leadership qualities are under test. An officer may have to work in tough terrains or difficult circumstances. Most women, however, who undergo training as cadets in various military academies, cope up with various difficult situations easily. Being a transferable job, transfers and movements are seen as unique travel opportunities to remote locations in the country. 

Indian and Pakistani flags flutter at the Attari-Wagah border in August 2017. Tribune file photo

Attari, January 18

The war of flags between India and Pakistan at the Attari-Wagah joint check post (JCP) is set for a renewal with the authorities on the Indian side readying to make the Tricolour flutter once again on top of a 360-foot-tall flagpole at Attari.While the Pakistani national flag has been fluttering since last August, the Indian flag had to be taken off on a few occasions last year as strong winds along the border belt have repeatedly damaged the Tricolour.The Amritsar Improvement Trust (AIT), which manages the Indian flag at Attari, has handed over the task of hoisting and maintenance of the flag to Delhi-based company Fast Track. The company manages the giant national flag fluttering at Central Park in New Delhi’s busy Rajiv Chowk.The AIT has given the contract for maintaining the flag to the company for over Rs 46 lakh annually. The pole and flag were installed last year at a cost of Rs 3.5 crore. The flag, which got damaged four times, has been replaced five times at a cost of Rs 6 lakh each time. Even though the Pakistani flag is fluttering on a higher 400-foot pole, the Indian authorities have decided to keep the Tricolour at a height of 360 feet only.India had pipped Pakistan in this war of flags by hoisting the flag in March last year, much ahead of Pakistan’s move to hoist a flag near the JCP. However, the Indian flag had to be taken off from the pole as the strong winds repeatedly damaged it. The main reason for this was that the Tricolour is made, as per specifications, from khadi material which could not sustain itself at the height of 360 feet. The Pakistani flag is reported to be made from a finer and stronger material. — IANS

CM Capt Amarinder Singh’s chief adviser Tejinder Shergill (R) hands over a cheque to family members of Lance Naik Gurmail Singh at Alkare village in Amritsar on Monday. Tribune photo

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 1

Tributes were paid to Lance Naik Gurmail Singh during his bhog and antim ardas ceremony at his native village, Alkare, in the district today.Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh’s chief adviser Tejinder Singh Shergill gave Rs 5 lakh to the bereaved family as ex gratia grant and paid homage on behalf of the state government. He promised to provide a government job to Gurmail’s kin. He said he would urge the government to upgrade the village school and name it after the martyr.Gurmail was killed in the Keri sector along the Line of Control in Rajouri district after Pakistani troops violated ceasefire on December 23. Col Amarbir Singh Chahal, Deputy Director, Social Security and Welfare, said the Centre would pay around Rs 90 lakh to Gurmail’s family, while the state would give Rs 12 lakh and a government job. The Sainik Welfare Department contributed Rs 25,000. His Army division gave Rs 1 lakh to the martyr’s kin as immediate relief.The political leaders present included ex-minister Bikram Singh Majithia, Bhagwant Singh Sachhar, Sawinder Singh Kathunangal, Laxmi Kanta Chawla, Sukhjinder Raj Singh Lalli Majithia and Veer Singh Lopoke. Majithia demanded Rs 1 crore as compensation for Gurmail Singh’s family and a government job to a family member.Gurmail, who was the breadwinner of the family, is survived by wife Kuljit Kaur and daughter Vipindeep Kaur (8). He has also left behind father Tarsem Singh, mother Gurmeet Kaur, younger brother Harpeet Singh and sister Daljit Kaur.Gurmail had joined the armed forces around 14 years ago. Over a month ago, he had visited his village.

Captain Amarinder Singh

The year 2017 was momentous for Punjab, whose people voted for a much-needed political change. Today, as I look back at the year gone by, I recall that moment when, on March 11, I received the people’s mandate to lead the state into the future. There was, of course, a lot of anger in that mandate against the previous regime. More importantly, however, there was much hope and optimism, as the people of Punjab welcomed the Congress government with open arms to bring them out of the debris of ruin into which they had been plunged over the previous decade.To say that I felt humbled by this mandate would be an understatement. I, and I am sure every other member of our party, was truly overwhelmed as we took on the onerous responsibility which the people had handed over to us. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)It took us some time to come to terms with the harsh realities facing us, and as we started unravelling the depth of the havoc which the erstwhile government had wreaked on our beloved state, we realised that the task before us was daunting to the extreme. We had the option of sitting and crying, and spending the next one year blaming the Akali-BJP leadership for what they had done to the state, or getting down to fulfilling our poll promises one by one. We chose the latter.Nine months is hardly any time to judge the success or failure of a government elected for five years, especially considering the mess we have inherited on every front. Yet, we have managed to not only implement many of our key election promises but, in fact, have set the ball rolling for the others. It is not my intention here to list out all the work we have done in this short period of time. But it does give me pleasure to share some of the promised tasks we have successfully executed.  And let me clarify that I am doing so, not because I want to brag about our achievements but, more importantly, to put an end to the Opposition’s campaign to mislead the people of the state with their blatant deceits and falsehoods.Let me begin by talking about the crop loan waiver issue, which the Opposition has been trying to use as a missile to fire at my government at every opportunity. Frankly, we could have easily taken refuge in the stark reality of empty coffers to push back the implementation of this promise, which has a huge financial implication. We chose not to do that, as we realised the gravity of the problems faced by the farmers, as a result of the lopsided policies of the previous government. A few days from now, I will be formally launching the farm debt waiver scheme, which will eventually go on to benefit 10.25 lakh of the worst-hit farmers in the state. This will be in addition to all the other steps we have taken for the welfare of the farming community, including abolition of kurki, take-over of loans of farmers who committed suicide, and hike in kharaba compensation from Rs 8,000 to Rs 12,000 per acre.  And, of course, you are all aware of the unprecedented hassle-free procurement of wheat and rice, which has helped bring some semblance of security back into the lives of our beleaguered farmers.Moving now to another critical promise of my government, the new industrial policy, complete with power subsidy and an end to the free reign of the transport unions, is already a reality. And it has started showing tangible results by bringing in substantial investment and business to the state, which had been witnessing large-scale closure of industries over the past 10 years. From contributing to the state’s economic development, to generating the much-needed employment for our youth, I see this policy yielding excellent results in the new year, and ahead.Drugs is another issue on which, notwithstanding the Opposition’s attempts to project the contrary, our accomplishment on the ground is self-evident. For those who do not believe in numbers (though there are enough numbers to show that our efforts to destroy the drugs mafia have resulted in resounding success), I would like to point to the virtual non-availability of drugs in the open market to show that we have, well and truly, succeeded in breaking the backbone of the drugs mafia. Some of the big fish might have managed to evade arrest so far, but the day is not far when they would land in the police net, and meet the fate that is inevitable, considering the seriousness of their crime.An important aspect of our accomplishments so far, which definitely requires mention here, is the various social welfare initiatives that have paved the way for the upliftment of the underprivileged sections of the society. Hike in social security pension and financial assistance under the Ashirwad scheme, besides increase in reservation for OBCs in educational institutions and for SCs in all government schemes, are some of the measures we have implemented on this count. Women empowerment, rural and urban infrastructure development, in addition to improvement in education and health welfare, have also been high on our implementation agenda.From improved law and order, to decline in the cases of sacrilege, the overall enrichment in the lives of the people of Punjab is not something that even the most pessimist can easily deny. It was my promise to bring to book those responsible for victimisation of innocent people through false cases, and the process is well under way. As mentioned earlier, this is not a comprehensive list. But this should suffice to show the commitment with which we have embarked on our journey to bring Punjab’s development and growth back on track. The beginning has been made, and made well. And as they say, well begun is half done. The momentum has been set for the next four-plus years that we still have to go. And, if need be, I am quite prepared to take on the mantle of Punjab’s governance again after the end of this term to ensure that the state is not thrown back on the path of regression from which it has just started to recover. My promises are sacrosanct, and I will stand by them, whatever it takes for me and my government.Finally, Happy New Year, my Punjabi brethren. May it bring peace, happiness and prosperity in your lives.(The writer is the Chief Minister of Punjab)

In retrospect, 9/11 was the defining moment of the re-engagement and recalibration of the US-Pak dynamics that till then were nestled in favour of Pakistan as a ‘major non-NATO ally’. After the Cold War ended in the 1990s, Pakistan had fallen off the immediate radar as Washington was busy meddling with the affairs of the Middle East. In the process, it effectively overlooked Pakistan’s dangerous transgressions as in Kargil, its support to terrorism in Kashmir or even its surreptitious stockpiling and proliferation of its nuclear wherewithal.

The ‘Bush-Mush’ equation underwent a sudden reality-check as the simplistic ‘with us or against us’ spirit accompanying the looming ‘war on terror’ was evident when the Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage threatened Pakistan’s Intelligence Director ~ “Be prepared to be bombed. Be prepared to go back to the Stone Age”, in case Pakistan failed to join the US-led initiative against Al Qaida and the like.

Since then, Pakistan has undertaken a delicate dance of pandering to contradictory pulls from both the external and internal constituencies, leading to the perfection of its famed and patented ‘double game’. The coercive tone of the US notwithstanding, the Pakistanis had managed to extract three important concessions from Washington ~ an assurance that India and Israel would not join the mopping up operations, an undertaking that the US will not act unilaterally inside Pakistani territory and above all, securing the invaluable ‘reimbursements’ in exchange for its operational costs and commitments towards the ‘war on terror’. And yet, a reluctant and visibly embarrassed Pervez Musharraf had to publicly retract from his erstwhile policies of open-patronisation of the terror groups like the Taliban, and join the chorus of ‘war on terror’, albeit, selectively.

As per the US Agency for International Development (USAID) data, the US had sanctioned up to $33.4 billion during the past 15 years, of which 44 per cent ($14.57 billion) was earmarked for logistics and aerial support in the Afghan war, whereas the remainder $18.8 billion was meant for civilian and internal security-related infrastructure. However, given Pakistan’s track record of misuse, persistent ‘double game’ and cozying-up to the Chinese, the levels of US support and aid for Pakistan are steadily declining and the relationship is on a functional lifeline. According to opinion polls, the societies in both Pakistan and the US have the most negative perceptions of each other. This trust deficit between the two ‘allies’ has led to bitter counter-accusations, with Pakistan claiming $123 billion as the financial cost and the loss of 60,000 Pakistani lives, on account of its commitments towards the ‘war on terror’. The US administration, on its part, is increasingly talking about getting ‘ripped off’, with routine threats of cutting all military aid to Pakistan.

China has strategically moved into the vacuum created by the US disinterest in Pakistan, and is trying to plug the financial-military-diplomatic gap. As per the official Board of Investment figures released by the Pakistani PMO, the foreign investment inflow into Pakistan by the US in 2008-09 was $ 869.9 million and that of the Chinese was a negative $ 101.4 million. The figures for the July-November 2017-18 period read as $42.6 million by the US and $837.4 by the Chinese. The latest Pentagon report to the US Congress has upped the ante by reiterating, “To move forward, we must see fundamental changes in the way Pakistan deals with terrorist safe havens in its territory”. Rather provocatively, it suggests the “use of a range of tools to expand our cooperation with Pakistan in areas where our interests converge, and to take unilateral steps in areas of divergence”. This is virtually forcing Pakistan to drop its deliberate ambiguity and duplicity of the ‘double game’, failing which it will be left with only one recourse ~ sovereign sustenance, via China.

Beyond ‘all-weather-friendship’, the Sino-Pakistan equation is bereft of any civilisational, cultural or ideological convergence; it is an outright case of hardnosed realpolitik and compulsions. This over-dependence on Beijing is fraught with risks for Islamabad, as the implications of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) are gradually unfolding. Already rumour mills in Pakistan are awash with the hard bargaining that the Chinese have done in the CPEC projects, with the Pakistan government giving up a lot more than it secured in the bargain. Demeaning suggestions like making the Chinese yuan the free-usage currency in the Gwadar Free Zone has growing portents of compromising on Pakistan’s ‘economic sovereignty’.

Economically, the US remains the biggest trade partner (four times that of China). Militarily, Pakistan needs the US drones to target specific areas in the restive Af-Pak frontier. The bulk of Pakistani military hardware still has US-markings (F-16 fighter planes, Lockheed C-130 transporters, Cobra Attack Helicopters, M113 APC’s, artillery guns, Aati-tank missiles and so on). Therefore, beyond the political theatrics and sabre-rattling, a sudden freeze of US support could be devastating for the Pakistanis, both economically and militarily. Equally for the US, avoiding the Pakistani land routes and ‘airlifting’ the wares for its men and material deployed in landlocked Afghanistan, would be impractical and prohibitive.

There is an obvious urgency to curb the menace of extremist ideologies and the terror industry that is consuming, bleeding and sapping the vital interests and energies of both Pakistan and the US. Towards that end, Pakistan has to overcome its traditional instincts and confidence in retaining leverage with select terror groups (e.g. the Haqqani network that faces Afghanistan and Lashkar-e-Taiba, that faces India). It will have to dispense with its flawed belief in China adequately stepping in to fill in the vacuum caused by US disinterest.

The principal institutions in Pakistan ~ the military, the political class and the clergy ~ must desist from misusing the ‘extremist’ elements for furthering their own institutional interests in the ongoing turf wars for control of power. The US-bashing may make political and emotional sense in the short-run. However, for Pakistan to retain the economic-military control over its own sovereignty and destiny will call for Islamabad to make peace with its hypothetical “ghosts”, ulterior motives in the neigbourhood, and a reality check of the efficacy of its fabled ‘all-weather-friendship’ with China.

The writer IS Lt Gen PVSM, AVSM (Retd), Former Lt Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands & Puducherry