Tribune News Service,Dehradun, January 15

The much-awaited Civil Military Laisioning Conference will take place in Uttarakhand shortly.Talking to mediapersons in Dehradun on occasion of Army Day today, Uttarakhand sub area General Officer Commanding (GOC) Maj Gen Shammi Sabharwal said the laisioning conference, which holds key importance from both civil and military point of view, was expected to be held in the state shortly.The conference was an important platform to address various issues that affected the general public. The last Civil Military Laisioning Conference had taken place in 2012, he stated.Referring to Army Day, Maj Gen Sabharwal said army personnel of Uttarakhand sub area had re-dedicated themselves for the betterment of the nation as part of Army Day observation.Army Day symbolises tributes to valiant soldiers who have sacrificed their lives for the nation, he added. Several senior Uttarakhand sub area Army officials were present on the occasion.

Tributes paid to martyrs on Army Day

Tribune News Service,Dehradun, January 15

Golden Key Division paid rich tributes to martyrs on the occasion of 68th Army Day here today. Brigadier Paritosh Pant, Deputy GOC, Golden Key Division, laid a wreath at the Golden Key War Memorial on behalf of the division.He complimented all ranks of the division who had dedicated their lives to the service of the nation. Remembering the martyrs, he said their sacrifices would never be forgotten.Army Day is celebrated on January 15 in the remembrance of late Field Marshal KM Cariappa, the first Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army who took charge from Sir Francis Butcher, the last British Commander, in 1949.Golden Key Division has a glorious history of valour and sacrifice which was displayed not only during World Wars but also with acts of bravery and unswerving sense of duty during the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan.

Army Day celebrated at Chetak Corps

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 15

Army Day is celebrated on January 15 every year, in recognition of Lieutenant General (later Field Marshal) KM Cariappa’s taking over as the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of our Army from General Sir Francis Butcher, the last British Commander-in-Chief, on January 15, 1949.This year Chetak Corps organised a series of events to commemorate this auspicious day. The day started with paying respect to the courageous and brave soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice while defending the country, by a solemn wreath laying ceremony at the war memorial ‘Yodha Yaadgar’ by Lieutenant General DR Soni, General Officer Commanding, Chetak Corps.Later, to honour the contribution of our veterans, war widows and veer naris a function was organised at Bathinda Military Station. Lieutenant General DR Soni, General Officer Commanding Chetak Corps, the chief host of the function welcomed all veterans, war widows and veer naris.During the interaction he reiterated that the Indian Army has always been committed to the well being of the veterans, widows and their dependents. Rendering care and compassion to the retired fraternity is an important part of the Army life.Apart from resolving pension related problems and resettlement issues, canteen service outlet, bank counters, ‘grievances cell’ were also established to address the problems of ex-servicemen, veer naris and war widows.Suman Soni, zonal president, AWWA, Chetak Corps felicitated and interacted with the veer naris and thanked them for their presence and assured them of all assistance.The veer naris, war widows and veterans thanked and extended their gratitude to the Chetak Corps for the concerted effort in organising the event and for looking after them.

An evening with Army veterans

Tribune News Service,Chandigarh, January 15

As patriotic music played in the background, and servers dressed up in fauji colours carrying trays of piping hot eatables, some seniors got to know each other over a cup of coffee.In a first-of-its-kind initiative, ex-Army officers with their spouses enjoyed an evening filled with music and fun outside their own set up. The occasion was Army Day, which was celebrated at a local hotel to honour the Army veterans.“I retired in 1987 and its for the first time that I am invited and honoured at a civilian gathering,” said Col Gurpreet Inder Sidhu (retd). With his wife Manjit Sidhu, he enjoyed the attention showered on them as they merrily walked the ramp. Col Gursewak Singh (retd) made an impressive picture with some 14 stars and medals shining on his chest. Enthusiastically he pointed out that the stars were for having fought the wars and rendering a fine service.He introduced his wife Bhupinder, who at one point of time during the Operation Prakram had six relatives on the border. “My husband, son, son-in-law, two brothers and a nephew were on the duty,” she said. Did it scare her? “No,” comes an emphatic reply.“In the Army, we are a unit, a family. Senior most officer’s wife would take us all in her cover. We would eat, play cards and even watch news together,” she smiled.In the company were AVSM Brig BJS Oberoi (retd) with his wife Rupinder, Brig Subhash Khullar (retd) with wife Kamal and Maj SS Parwana (retd) with his wife Simarjit. Remembering the wars with a sense of pride was the highlight of the evening and the couples enjoyed karaoke and danced on old numbers like “Awara Hoon”.Kamal Khullar, a proud wife, said, “My husband was a para commando. He would go for the jump and trust me I was scared at the slightest sound when he was at practice but then there comes the honour of being in the Army family.”“The idea behind the programme was to show gratitude towards the armymen who faced all kind of challenges so that we could enjoy a peaceful life,” said Deepak Gupta, organiser of the event.

Army Day celebrated by Vajra Corps

Tribune News Service,Jalandhar, January 15

The Vajra Corps headquarters, Jalandhar, today celebrated the Army Day with a wreath-laying ceremony.The Army Day is celebrated on January 15th every year, in recognition of Lieutenant General (later Field Marshal) K M Cariappa’s taking over as the first Commander- in-Chief of the Indian Army of Independent India, on 15 January 1949. The Indian Army marks this day to pay homage and salute the valiant soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect our country.As a mark of respect to the martyrs, a solemn wreath laying ceremony with appropriate military decorum was held at “Vajra Shaurya Sthal”. The Wreath was laid by Lieutenant General JS Cheema, General Officer Commanding, Vajra Corps, followed by a large number of senior officers and Subedar Majors of the units. The event was attended by a large number of servicemen.As many as 250 NCC cadets and 20 students of Sainik School, Kapurthala were special invitees to the event.

500 woman constables join ITBP

Tribune News Service,Chandigarh, January 15

As many as 23 widows of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel, who died in harness, were among 500 woman constables inducted into the force today. This is the largest batch of women constables to pass-out since women were allowed to join the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) a few years ago.While the Ministry of Home Affairs has a long standing policy to provide employment in the CAPFs on compassionate grounds to widows, they were earlier recruited for ministerial posts. Induction as constables in the CAPFs, other than the Central Reserve Police Force, which has special women’s battalions, is a recent development.ITBP officers said though relaxation in some rules like age limit was granted, the minimum educational and physical standards had to be met by them for induction as constables. Among them was a woman who had a young child and special arrangements were made for the child to stay at the basic training centre (BTC) here, the alma mater of all ITBP recruits.There have been instances of widows being recruited as constables in other CAPFs like the Border Security Force. Many of the new inductees are well educated. Though minimum qualification for induction as contables is Class X pass, 40 of them hold masters degree in commerce, education, science and arts. Only five per cent of the total number had the minimum educational qualification. Uttarakhand, Uttar Pardesh and Bihar had the highest contribution of recruits in the batch.The Director General ITBP, Krishna Chaudhary, reviewed the passing-out parade and gave away prizes for outstanding performance during the training. These included Shuhani Kunda (best in physical), Manshi (best in dirll), Gita Chaudhary (best in weapon handling), Shama (best in sports) and Deepika Tyagi (over all best trainee).The Deputy Inspector General, BTC, PS Papta, said the recruits had undergone a 44-week intensive training programme that included all aspects of service orientation and physical fitness.

Amit Khajuria,Tribune News Service,Jammu, December 31

In a major security concern, Pakistan has increased its mobile tower range near the international border, keeping security agencies on their toes. The Defence Ministry remains tightlipped on the issue.Pakistan has spread its mobile tower range across the international border, touching the Jammu-Pathankot national highway in Jammu and Kashmir.Mobile phones in Kathua and Samba districts in Jammu and Kashmir are catching the service of Pakistani telecom operators, which have raised their signal strength near the international border.Pakistani telecom operators like Mobilink, Zong and PakUfone are active on National Highway 1, which connects Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country. It had remained among the targets of terrorists for 12 years.After crossing Lakhanpur, prepaid mobile phones of networks from the rest of the country stop working and mobile phones start searching for network automatically.Some mobile networks from the other side of the border are tracked by the mobile phones, causing fear among tourists and pilgrims and raising a a big question mark on security.A number of incidents involving terrorists had taken place on the highway in recent years. The strong mobile signal strength on this side of the border could help Pakistani terrorists in their operations. Despite repeated attempts, the Defence Ministry did not respond on the issue.A technical expert of a telecom operator in Jammu told The Tribune on the condition of anonymity that no one was allowed to install a tower or radiation equipment within a radius of 10 km from the border on the Indian side.

Network@neighbour

• Mobiles in Kathua and Samba districts catching service of Pak telecom providers
• Service providers like Mobilink, Zong and PakUfone active on National Highway 1
• Strong mobile signal strength on this side of the border can help Pakistani terrorists

ATHANKOT: A large number of ex-servicemen held a rally in favour of One Rank One Pension (OROP) at RB City near Pathankot on Sunday.

Led by Maj Gen Satvir Singh (retd), the rally was attended by ex-servicemen from Himachal Pradesh, J&K and Punjab. Singh, in his address, said the Union government did not do justice to the demands of the security personnel. He said that a case in this regard would be filed in the Supreme Court shortly. He claimed that on February 21 a mega rally would be organised in Varanasi.

Ex-servicemen want pension details out

Our Correspondent,Sundernagar, January 31

The Himachal Pradesh Honorary Commissioned Officers Welfare Association has urged the Central government to immediately issue the table on revised pension so that ex-servicemen can benefit from the One Rank-One Pension (OROP) scheme.Jagdish Chand, president of the association, said the demand was accepted after 40 years and a notification was issued by the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Ministry of Defence, November 7 last year. “Detailed instructions related to the implementation of One Rank-One Pension along with the table on revised pension for each rank and category were to be issued by the Pension Disbursing Agencies,” he said.He said even after three months, the Central government had not issued the table, delaying the release of arrears. The association has urged the Centre to issue the table and other guidelines to the authorities at the earliest.

Army Day 2016: Army Chief General Dalbir Singh on Friday said the Indian Army is ready to face any challenges and is among the world’s most professional forces.

Army Day 2016: Army Chief General Dalbir Singh on Friday said the Indian Army is ready to face any challenges and is among the world’s most professional forces.

“Our response to natural disasters has been efficient, the world has also praised our efforts during the Nepal quake. We are ready to face challenges and are more than capable of overcoming them. Our biggest strength are our soldiers, we are counted among the most professional forces in the world,” General Singh said on the occasion of the 68th Army Day.

General Singh also said that good coordination between all three services (Army, Navy, Air Force) is the most crucial aspect to overcome any challenges.

“We will soon establish a veteran wing at Base Hospital, where the veterans will be exclusively treated. Modernization of our weapons is very important,” he added.

Army Day is annually celebrated on January 15. It marks the day in 1949 when Lt.Gen. K.M. Cariappa took over as the first commander-in-chief of the Indian Army from the last British commander-in-chief.

Honouring the indomitable valour and extreme courage of the armed forces, Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the forces on the occasion of Army Day.

“Saluting the indomitable valour, determination and dedication of our Army on Army Day,” Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

General Dalbir Singh, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Robin Dhowan and Chief of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha paid homage to martyrs by laying wreaths at the Amar Jawan Jyoti.

Army Day is a day when the nation salutes the sacrifices and contributions as also the martyrdom of its valiant soldiers.

India has sought from the US 100 latest unmanned aerial vehicles, both armed and surveillance versions, worth USD 2 billion to bolster its arsenal amid recurring incursions by Chinese troops.

Industry sources familiar with New Delhi’s interest and ongoing talks between the two governments, said India had requested for the latest Avenger drones, which is basically an unmanned combat air vehicle, and is mainly being sought with an eye on China.

It has also sought Predator XP category which is a surveillance version for internal security issues and terrorist threats.

According to industry sources, India is looking for about 100 drones worth USD 2 billion.

However, while talks in this regard have accelerated in the past few months, the US has not made any formal commitment or given a public indication pending India’s application to joining Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR).

Italy, which is upset with New Delhi’s treatment of its marines, appears to have currently blocked India becoming a member of MTCR.

However, both Indian and US officials are confident that they would be able to get through the last hurdle in the next few months, thus making them possible to take the defence trade – which would include armed drones – to the next level.

“Yes, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) is aware of India’s interest in Predator-series Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA),” Vivek Lall, chief executive of the US and International Strategic Development of General Atomics told PTI.

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems produces Predator series of remotely piloted aircraft.

“Due to US export laws, the US government has to approve the export of a Predator-series RPA to the Indian government. GA-ASI remains very encouraged by the recent India-US bilateral engagements at the highest levels and we are hopeful that we can play an important supporting role in these discussions,” he said.

“Predator-series RPA could provide a world-class Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability for India which would include both high-definition radar and Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR) coverage along India’s borders,” Lall said in response to a question.

Additionally, the RPA can perform humanitarian aid/disaster relief surveillance over both land and sea, said Lall, who had previously played a key role in US sale of high tech military assets to India during his stint at Boeing.

– See more at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/with-eye-on-china-india-seeks-100-armed-drones-worth-2-billion-from-us/?utm_source=inshorts&utm_medium=inshorts_full_article&utm_campaign=inshorts_full_article#sthash.K7FUQuuz.dpuf

Vijay Mohan,Tribune News Service,Pathankot, January 4

As operations to clear the Pathankot Air Force Station of terrorists continued for the third day, security forces came up with what could be construed as a definitive figure to end the confusion: the fifth terrorist had been killed today. They, however, chose to maintain silence on the possible presence of more terrorists inside, saying combing operations were underway.

Edit:unsatisfactory response

Earlier during the day, there were reports of six terrorists having been killed, with the last one blowing himself up, but the commanders on the ground did not officially mention any additional number  other than five.“We have eliminated the fifth terrorist today and the combing and search operations are still continuing,” Maj Gen Dushyant Singh, Inspector General (Operations) of the National Security Guard (NSG), announced at the airbase this evening as an IAF C-130 Super Hercules special missions aircraft circled overhead and intermittent gunshots could be heard nearby.Gunshots indicated the possible presence of more terrorists inside or a cautionary measure being undertaken by combat elements when faced with a doubtful situation.The operations are being conducted by the NSG with support from the Army, which is contributing a “major combat element” along with medical and administrative support.The IAF has also deployed its assets, including Mi-35 helicopter gunships, Mi-17 and Dhruv helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and its Garud special forces.“Given the magnitude of the airbase, the search operations will continue till we can declare the station fully safe,” Maj Gen Dushyant Singh said, adding that all assets at the station, including personnel and families, were secure and safe. The air base is huge, spread over 75 acres with a residential area, a school and other amenities, besides technical facilities. Senior officers said the Army was on a general alert since January 1 following inputs of a terror strike. The area around the air base remains cordoned off and access roads have been barricaded with armed Air Force guards along with the police manning the check-points. Life beyond the vicinity of the air base appeared to continue as routine, with bustling markets and jostling traffic.There have been no reports of any further casualties among NSG and armed forces personnel present at the airbase. Seven persons, including a Lieutenant Colonel have been killed in the operations, besides about 20 being injured.Ravi Dhaliwal adds: The Army and Air Force were said to be under pressure from New Delhi to tear down the residential building where two terrorists had taken position after four co-attackers had been shot dead. The two, it is learnt, had entered the building last evening.The Army, anticipating their move, had got the premises vacated. The building is adjacent to the Technical Area and has been partially damaged. It was during the blast that one of the ultras was killed while the remaining one managed to escape. A hunt is on to nab or kill him.Experts also examined the drain from where the terrorists are believed to have entered the Air Force complex. The drain flows from outside the high-walled station, near the Akalgarh Gurdwara, to inside the base away from the Technical Area. That is the reason why the terrorists kept firing from the outskirts and failed to enter the space where high-tech air equipment, including a squadron of fighter planes and helicopters, has been parked.Meanwhile, Punjab Police have formed a special team to trace the route taken by the terrorists to reach the outskirts of the air base. Some officers opine that the armed men trudged their way in from Paharipur village, near the border, in this district. However, another section says the terrorists might have come in from either Bamyal or from the border near Dinanagar. The police team is working in tandem with the BSF officials.

NSG commando’s last rites in Kerala today

Shubhadeep Choudhury,Tribune News Service,Bengaluru, January 4

Karnataka CM Siddharamaiah today announced Rs30 lakh as compensation to the family of Lt Col Niranjan EK who died fighting terrorists at Pathankot.Siddaramaiah said, “Karnataka had given Rs30 lakh as compensation to the family of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, a martyr in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. We will give the same compensation to Niranjan’s family.”Kumar’s body was brought to the HAL Airport at Bengaluru today and kept at the mortuary at Command Hospital. The body was brought to his residence around 7 am where family members burst into tears after they saw the mortal remains. Niranjan’s mother is no more. His family comprised his wife and a young child, father, elder brother, sister and stepmother and a stepbrother. His brother E Sharath is an IAF pilot. Union ministers Ananth Kumar and Sadananda Gowda, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, former Union minister Veerappa Moily paid tributes to the martyr.The body was then flown by a Mi-17 helicopter to Niranjan’s native village Palakkad in Kerala where the cremation would take place tomorrow.

Kangra family says 3-day wait for body added to their agony

Lalit Mohan,Tribune News Service,Dharamsala/Chamba, January 4

The family of Sanjeevan Singh Rana, killed on Saturday in the Pathankot terrorist attack, had to wait for three days to receive his body. The “long delay”, they said, had compounded their miseries.This, rued the relatives of Sanjeevan, who belonged to Shahpur’s Siyunh village in Kangra district, could have been avoided by the state government had it made “some efforts”.Onkar Thakur, a relative, alleged while the Punjab and Haryana governments made special arrangements for bringing home the bodies of their victims, no such effort was visible on the part of the Himachal government.“Let aside the Chief Minister or other higher-rung bureaucrats, not even a lower-rank official from Himachal reached Pathankot to get the body. This is painful disregard for the martyrdom of the soldiers from Himachal by the state government,” said Onkar.Sanjeevan is survived by his wife Pinki Devi, two daughters—Komal, a Class XII student, and Shivani, who is pursuing BCA—and a son, Shubham, who is doing B. Pharma. Serving in the Army has been a tradition with the family as Sanjeevan’s father Rattan Singh Rana is also an ex-serviceman. Rattan Singh, a septuagenarian, said India should toughen its stance towards Pakistan. “Why is Indian government not doing anything when terrorists trained in Pakistan are repeatedly attacking India? We should strike back in the same coin,” he said.Among others who attended Sanjeevan’s cremation were Cabinet Ministers GS Bali and Dhani Ram Shandil, Himachal Pradesh State Forest Corporation vice-chairman Kewal Singh Pathania, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh’s son and state Youth Congress president Vikramaditya Singh, state Congress committee secretary Raghubir Singh Bali, BJP legislator Sarween Chaudhary and Kangra Deputy Commissioner Ritesh Chauhan.

Govt to give Rs 20 lakh

• The Himachal Pradesh government said it would provide Rs 20 lakh each to the families of the two martyrs killed in the Pathankot terror attack
• State Minister GS Bali said the government earlier used to give Rs 5 lakh to the families of martyrs, but Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Monday increased the amount to Rs 20 lakh
• Bali said the family members of both the victims would also be entitled to free travel in the state transport buses

Heart-rending scenes mark final journey

Suman Bhatnagar,Ambala, January 4

Chamba man wanted to enter new house

Lalit Mohan,Tribune News Service,Dharamsala/Chamba, Jan 4

Jagdish Chand’s family at Basa village in Chamba was on fast since they received the news of his martyrdom.Jagdish had recently built a new house at his native village and was planning to shift there. There is no road link to his village and one has to walk 2 km on foot. His relatives said the destiny did not allow Jagdish to spend time in his new house.Jagdish Chand had retired from the Army in 2009 after serving in the 7 Dogra Regiment for 26 years. A year later, he joined the Defence Security Corps (DSC). He was transferred to Pathankot from Leh on November 23. He visited his village on December 31 and assured the villagers that he would return for the panchayat elections on January 10.The villagers said Jagdish was off duty and was working in a mess when terrorists attacked the Pathankot airbase. Unarmed, Jagdish snatched a rifle from the terrorist and killed him. However, he could not survive attack from other terrorists.Jagdish is the third martyr from Basa village with a population of 250. The other two martyrs were Suja Ram of 15 Dogra who was killed while serving the IPKF in Sri Lanka and Khemraj, who was killed in the Kargil war. Jagdish Chand is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.

The wailing family of Commando Gursewak Singh in Ambala. PTI

The mortal remains of Garud Commando Corporal Gursewak Singh (26), who was killed in the Pathankot terror attack on Saturday, were consigned to flames with full state honours at his native village Garnala today.Gursewak is survived by his wife Jaspreet, who he had married one-and-a-half months ago, parents and an elder brother. The family was inconsolable as an Air Force vehicle brought the body, wrapped in the Tricolur, to the village.Around 300 Air Force personnel escorted the funeral procession. Emotions ran high as the commando’s elder brother Hardeep Singh lit the pyre amid the raising of patriotic slogans.Besides the Air Force and Army contingents, hundreds of people from various walks of life attended the cremation. Prominent among them were Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij, Finance Minister Abhimanyu and Minister of State for Mines Nayab Singh Saini, MLA Aseem Goel, INLD state president Ashok Arora, Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar, All-India Anti-Terrorist Front president MS Bitta, Anti-Terrorist Front India chief Viresh Shandily, former state minister Nirmal Singh and senior officers of the district administration.Amid heart-rending scenes, Gursewak’s mother Amrik Kaur and father Sucha Singh said their son had made them proud.Sucha Singh, an exserviceman, said, “My son has laid down his life for the country.” He said his elder son Hardeep Singh too was in the Army and he wished that his grandson should also join the armed forces to keep the family tradition alive.

Daughter lends shoulder to Punjab shooter’s body

Ravi Dhaliwal,Tribune News Service,Gurdaspur, January 4

Poignant scenes were witnessed at the crematorium of Jhanda Gujran, the native village of Capt (Hon) Fateh Singh who was killed by the militants in Pathankot on Saturday. The soldier’s body was brought to his village yesterday and was cremated with full military honours today in the presence of Brig RK Tiwari. A guard of honour was given by the Sikh Regiment.Fateh Singh’s daughter Madhu Radha Katal, an English teacher at a college in Mhow (MP) who had come to the air force base on a vacation, lent her shoulder to her father’s body at the crematorium.Fateh Singh, a former international-level shooter who has bagged 64 medals of various hues in national and international events, retired from the Army before joining the Air Force. He is survived by his wife Shobha Thakur, daughter Madhu and two sons, Gurdeep Rana and Nitin Thakur. The eldest son, Gurdeep Rana, is working with the 15th Dogra Regiment, the same regiment from which his late father retired.An inconsolable Madhu said she heard a loud noise, following which power supply to their quarter at the air base was disconnected. “I was afraid and crawled under a bed. Minutes later, somebody told me that Papa was admitted to the Military Hospital, and that his condition was critical. My mother consoled me and my other family members. My father used to consider me as his third son,” she said, tears rolling down her cheeks.

DOUBLE CLICK THE IMAGE FILE ABOVE TO READ ENLARGED VIEW SEPARATE IN NEW WINDOW

R Sedhuraman,Legal Correspondent,New Delhi, February 15

The Supreme Court today endorsed the government’s command exit policy for promotions in the Army in order to reduce the age profile of commanding officers and achieve optimal combat effectiveness, as suggested by The Ajay Vikram Singh committee in the light of the 1999 Kargil war.“There is nothing perverse, unreasonable or unfair about the policy that the age of officers serving in combat arms and combat arms support will be lowered by creating additional vacancies to be allotted on command exit model,” a Bench comprising Chief Justice TS Thakur and Justice Kurian Joseph ruled in a 58-page judgment.The court delivered the verdict on appeals by the Centre challenging the Armed Forces Tribunal’s March 2, 2015, order quashing the government’s January 20, 2009, policy circular.Citing the lower age profiles of commanding officers in Japan, China and Pakistan, the government had sought to ensure quicker promotions for such officers in combat arms and combat arms support in India by creating additional posts for them. The affected officers in other units had gone to the AFT, challenging the circular.The SC ruled that all Army officers could not be treated as belonging to a single cadre as in the case of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) or the Indian Police Service (IPS). While hearing the appeals, the court had framed a question: “Do officers serving in arms and arms support services constitute a single cadre?”“We have no difficulty in answering the question in the negative and holding that officers in service streams do not constitute a single cadre with those serving in arms and arms support for purposes of allocation of additional vacancies created pursuant to the recommendations made to the government by the AV Singh committee,” the Bench said.As a result, it refused to accept the contention of the affected officers that the policy had denied them their “legitimate expectation for batch parity”.