Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier has rubbished Pakistan’s claim of having downed three of the Indian Air Force Rafale jets, calling it “inaccurate”.
The remarks by the top official of the jet manufacturer came in an interview to a European publication, ahead of the Paris Air Show (June 16-22). Trappier was referring to the recent skirmishes between India and Pakistan (May 7-10). Asked whether India’s loss of at least one Rafale jet had raised questions in the defence circles, Trappier said: “The Indians have not communicated, so we do not know exactly what happened.” “What we already know is that
what the Pakistanis are
saying (downing of three Rafale jets) is inaccurate,” he added.
“When the truth comes out, some people might be surprised,” he said, adding “the success of the combat mission is not having zero losses, it’s about having achieved the objectives”.
Helicopter crashes near Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand, all 7 on board killed
The chopper belonging to Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd crashes between Gaurikund and Trijuginarayan in Kedarghati
A helicopter crashed near the Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand amid poor visibility early Sunday, killing all seven on board.
Rudraprayag District Disaster Management Officer Nandan Singh Rajwar said the accident took place above the forests of Gaurikund.
Five pilgrims, the pilot and an employee of the Badrinath-Kedarnath temple committee was among those killed.
The helicopter took off from Kedarnath for Guptkashi around 5:30 am and crashed soon after.
The crash site is located nearly 5 km above Gaurikund known as Gauri Mai Khark.
Sources said the chopper belonging to Aryan Aviation Pvt Ltd crashed between Gaurikund and Trijuginarayan in Kedarghati and caught fire.
Rajwar said zero visibility caused by bad weather apparently led to the crash and added that rescue and relief teams have been dispatched to the spot.
District Tourism Development Officer and Nodal officer for Heli Service Rahul Chaubey said information about the helicopter going missing was received early this morning and a search was launched immediately.
The deceased hailed from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh.
Those on board the helicopter included Shraddha Rajkumar Jaiswal (35) from Maharashtra, Kashi (2) from Maharashtra, Rajkumar Suresh Jaiswal (41) from Gujarat, Vikram Singh Rawat from Uttarakhand, Vinood Devi (66) from Uttar Pradesh, Tushti Singh (19) from Uttar Pradesh and the pilot Capt Rajveer Singh Chauhan.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said in a post on X that the State Disaster Response Force and other agencies are engaged in relief and rescue operations.
The chopper crash comes days after an Air India flight to London crashed in Ahmedbad, killing 241 people on board and several others on the ground.
Earlier, on May 8, a helicopter going to Gangotri Dham crashed in Uttarkashi district in which six people were killed.
On June 7, a helicopter going to Kedarnath had to make an emergency landing on the road due to a technical fault soon after take-off in which the pilot was injured but the five devotees on board were rescued safely.
In the wake of the latest crash, Dhami issued strict instructions for helicopter operations in the state.
The Chief Minister said a strict SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) should be prepared for the operation of heli services in the state, in which a complete check of the technical condition of the helicopter should be made mandatory. Weather status should also be checked before heli operations.
The Chief Secretary has been directed to constitute a committee of technical experts, which will prepare the SOP after thoroughly reviewing all technical and safety aspects of heli operations.
This committee will ensure that the operation of heli services is completely safe, transparent and as per the prescribed standards, an official statement said.
Dhami has also directed that the high-level committee constituted to investigate helicopter accidents that have took place in the past in the state will thoroughly investigate every aspect of the earlier heli accidents as well as today’s heli crash and submit its report.
This committee will investigate the causes of each incident in depth and identify the guilty persons or institutions and recommend strict action against them.
The Chief Minister said the importance of heli services in the state is immense for pilgrimage, disaster management and emergency services, hence safety will be given top priority in these.
Government likely to clear new 3 air defence missile regiments for army
Defence officials told India Today that the proposal will be reviewed during the upcoming meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council, scheduled around the fourth week of June.
The systems are intended for deployment along both the western and northern borders adjoining Pakistan.
The QRSAM, with a range of approximately 30 kilometres, is designed to complement existing short-to-medium-range air defence platforms such as the Akash and Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) systems currently in service.
The decision comes in the wake of Operation Sindoor, during which Indian Army and Air Force air defence units successfully countered Pakistani aircraft, missiles, and drone incursions.
During the four-day cross-border firing with Pakistan, the Indian Army’s Air Defence units destroyed the majority of the drones using L-70 and Zu-23 air defence guns, along with the Akash, MRSAM, and the Indian Air Force’s Spider and Sudarshan S-400 systems.
The QRSAM system has undergone extensive trials and demonstrated effective performance in both day and night operational conditions.
In addition to the proposed QRSAM acquisition, the Army Air Defence is also enhancing its capabilities with new radars, very short-range air defence systems, jammers, and laser-based technologies to counter aerial threats, including drones of Turkish and Chinese origin.
The Defence Ministry is expected to clear a proposal to buy three new regiments of the Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) systems for the Indian Army.
Why Gen Asim Munir’s rank as Field Marshal raises eyebrows
General VN Sharma has made this statement in the course of an interview to a former Judge Advocate General of the Army, Maj Gen Nilendra Kumar, on a YouTube cha…
IAF should remain a single entity’: Ex fighter pilot says military theaterisation is an outdated concept
Indian Army 8th Pay Commission Salary Projections: Like many central government employees, the Indian Armys junior commissioned officers (JCOs) and commissioned…
Senior Citizen Card 2025 – बुजुर्गों के लिए खुशखबरी है। 60 साल की उम्र पार कर चुके लोगों के लिए सरकार ने एक खास कार्ड लॉन्च किया है – सीनियर सिटीजन कार्ड
Zila Sainik Board seeks hike in ex gratia relief for kin of martyrs
Manipur crisis needs a rule-of-law reset
No end to uncertainty in Bangladesh
Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, who Pakistan contacted for ceasefire, appointed Deputy Chief of Army Staff
Track all drone firms, declare no-fly zones near…’: Former army chief says entire country is now the battlefield
At a time when Indian air defence systems successfully thwarted the Pakistani aircraft, missile and drones attacks under Operation Sindoor, the Indian Army is a…
Major Divya Ajith Kumar stands as a beacon of inspiration and achievement in the Indian Army, marking a significant milestone in its history. As the first femal…
General VN Sharma has made this statement in the course of an interview to a former Judge Advocate General of the Army, Maj Gen Nilendra Kumar, on a YouTube cha…
Former Army Chief General VN Sharma (retd) has made a startling revelation that the Military Operations Directorate had advised the then Army Chief General AS Vaidya that the Indian Army should not get involved in any operation to flush out Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and his supporters from the Golden Temple as it was a political move.
General VN Sharma has made this statement in the course of an interview to a former Judge Advocate General of the Army, Maj Gen Nilendra Kumar, on a YouTube channel-Lex Consilium Foundation. The interview was uploaded on the channel on June 5, a day ahead of the 41st anniversary of Operation Blue Star and has generated considerable number of views and comments.
The 95-year-old General VN Sharma was serving as Additional Director General Military Operations (ADGMO) in the Military Operations (MO) directorate at the time Op Blue Star was launched. Lt Gen CN Somanna was the Director General Military Operations (DGMO) at the time while Maj Gen (later Lt Gen) VK Nayar was the other Additional Director General Military Operations in the directorate. Both, Somanna and Nayar have passed away many years back.
Gen Sharma says in the interview that the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi wanted the Army to carry out the operation inside Golden Temple because the Punjab Police had refused to do so. “Arun Vaidya was called to the Prime Minister’s Office and was told that Bhindranwale had to be removed because he was getting too big for his boots, he doesn’t listen to anyone so take the Army in. General Vaidya said okay,” Gen Sharma recalls.https://d-19446906092031984310.ampproject.net/2505300108000/frame.html
He says the Army Chief then arrived at the MO directorate and spoke to the DGMO and the two ADGMOs regarding the task to be done. “We suggested to him that this was not a correct employment of the Indian Army. We explained that according to the Constitution the Indian Army cannot be used for political purposes by any government,” said Gen Sharma.
He goes on to say that the then PM wanted the Army to do the task because the police had refused. “So we told General Vaidya that it was not politically expedient because we cannot use the military for political purposes. She did a political stunt to put Bhindranwale there and now she was doing another political stunt to remove him by force using the Army since the police has refused,” says General Sharma in the interview. General Sharma goes on to say that the Army Chief General Vaidya was told my the three senior-most MO directorate officers that some other force like BSF, CRPF should be used and the Army should not intervene.
“He said she is the boss and when the boss says to jump you have to jump. We said no. You are a constitutional authority, the Army Chief, you have to ensure that the constitution is not violated. One option is to go to the Supreme Court and ask them as to whether this is legal or not legal. He said what do you expect me to do. We suggested that he go to her and tell her that it is not Army’s job,” said General Sharma.
The former Army Chief then goes on to say that General Vaidya went back to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and told her the view of the MO Directorate. He said that the PM then decided to approach the Western Army Commander Lt Gen K Sundarji directly in order to get the operation conducted since the Chief was reluctant.
“Vaidya’s office told Sundarji to go meet the Prime Minister. He (Vaidya) came back to the MO directorate and told this has happened. We said sir ‘maaf karo’ you have no business to allow an Army Commander to go directly to the Prime Minister,” he said.
General Sharma said the MO directorate was in touch with the staff of the Prime Minister’s Office and came to know that General Sundarji had been asked to conduct the operation. “When he (Sundarji) came out of there we rang him up and said that you may like to step into the MO directorate and discuss this issue with us. He said I am not interested in you people, I have got my orders and I am going to do it,” said General Sharma.
The former Army Chief further says that the decision to use 9 Infantry Division, headquartered in Meerut was that of General Sundarji himself and not the MO directorate. He added that Sundarji’s first choice was to approach GOC 15 Division (Maj Gen Jamwal) to do the task but he refused. “Sundarji asked him to produce a battalion of infantry and some support some tanks or something to take on this job, he refused. He said it was a political situation and not for Army to get intervened,” said General Sharma. He says General Sundarji thereafter chose 9 Division commanded by Major General KS Brar and that one of the reasons was that he wanted Sikhs conducting Operation Blue Star and taking part in actual action on ground.
During the course of the interview General Sharma also holds forth on the ethos of Indian Army training and obeying a lawful command. “The Indian Army officers training during command is to be an independent officer. If you find something wrong don’t do it. It is not a question of disobedience of orders. It is a question of obeying orders despite their better sense, because they are yes men and they want their promotion,” he said.
General VN Sharma’s remarks are bound to create a stir and the aspect of MO directorate opposing the use of Army has never been discussed in public.
‘IAF should remain a single entity’: Ex fighter pilot says military theaterisation is an outdated concept
Military theaterisation is an outdated concept that does not reflect the demands of contemporary warfare, former IAF Group Captain Ajay Ahlawat said on Monday. In an opinion piece for The Print, Ahlawat recalled the mandate behind India’s most significant recent defence reform. In February 2020, the Centre created the Department of Military Affairs and the office of the Chief of Defence Staff. One of the key tasks assigned to DMA/CDS, he said, was the creation of joint/theatre commands. “More than five years later, however, we have seen little progress on this front.”
The former pilot noted that initial debates over theatreisation were confined to ministries, service headquarters and a handful of experts. “Understandably, building consensus has proven difficult…But since Operation Sindoor, public interest in the functioning of the Indian Armed Forces has surged. This warrants a better understanding of the proposed theaterisation model, and the challenges that have stalled its implementation.”
At its core, he explained, theatreisation envisages reorganising the Army, Navy and Air Force into Integrated Theatre Commands (ITCs), each defined by geography and led by a single commander, with the goals of enhancing joint operations, optimising resources and streamlining command structures. Yet, Ahlawat warned, the model misunderstands both the problem and the solution.
“We are seeking a physical integration of forces that operate in fundamentally distinct domains — air, land, sea — with divergent operational needs and substantially different organisational cultures. The proposed ‘one size fits all’ model of theaterisation is built on an outdated conceptual framework that does not reflect the demands of contemporary warfare,” he said. “With its focus on geographic restructuring rather than functional alignment, the model is actually a solution in search of a problem.”
Modern conflicts, he argued, have moved beyond rigid regional deployments. The Russia-Ukraine war demonstrated how real-time intelligence, satellite-based communications, drones and long-range precision strikes can offset numerical inferiority, while Israel’s Gaza operations and India’s own Operation Sindoor underscore a turn toward non-contact, network-enabled warfare. As CDS Gen Anil Chauhan observed, Ahlawat pointed out, future wars are likely to unfold in cyberspace, space and standoff domains rather than along fixed frontiers.
“These data points suggest that the battlefield is being shaped by long-range fires, precision stand-off weapons, near real-time intelligence, space-based capabilities, unmanned systems, and strategic communications. The physical or geographic proximity of assets and commanders has very little role. Agility in decision-making is more important than integration of decision-making.”
The proposed ITCs appear more focused on optimising military bureaucracy by aligning commands geographically — for example, a Western Command for Pakistan, a Northern Command for China, and a Maritime Command for the Indian Ocean Region, the former IAF officer said. “While this may streamline administrative processes, it does not necessarily address the core requirement of modern warfare.”
To address the challenges of modern warfare, Ahlawat said, armed forces must prioritise functional integration over rigid geographic restructuring. He said the number of geographic commands should be reduced to three: “a Western Command for Pakistan, a Northern Command for China, and a Maritime Command for the Indian Ocean Region.”
According to him, the army’s resources should be divided into two geographic theatres: West (Pakistan) and North (China), reflecting operational requirements and terrain specialisation. The Navy, he added, should maintain one command (Maritime) and two fleets — Eastern and Western. The responsibility of island territories (Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep) must be taken over by Maritime command.
“The IAF should remain a single, unified entity covering the entire country due to its rapid deployment capabilities and nationwide operational flexibility,” he said. “However, it could be subdivided into two functional commands — Air Defence Command and Strike Command. Air Defence assets of other Services must be aligned with IAF’s AD command.”
Ahlawat suggested that the forces need to establish dedicated tri-Service functional commands for logistics, training, space, unmanned systems, cyberspace, strategic forces and design & development. “These functional commands would foster synergy, reduce costs, and ensure that domain-specific expertise is leveraged effectively.”
Indian Army 8th Pay Commission Salary Projections: Like many central government employees, the Indian Armys junior commissioned officers (JCOs) and commissioned…
Indian Army 8th Pay Commission Salary Projections: Like many central government employees, the Indian Armys junior commissioned officers (JCOs) and commissioned officers have also been waiting for the 8th Pay Commission to be implemented. It is likely to give a substantial boost to their basic pay. But what can be estimated revised salaries for JCOs and officers like Captain, Major, Lt Colonel and Colonel at 1.92 and 2.28 fitment factors in the 8th CPC?
Indian Army 8th Pay Commission Salary Estimates: Central government employees have been waiting for the 8th Pay Commission recommendations to be implemented. Indian Army officers and junior commissioned officers (JCOs) are no exception, as their basic salaries and allowances are likely to see a substantial rise. JCOs such as Naib Subedar, Subedar, and Subedar Major and officers such as Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel will see their salary, pension, and other allowances revised once the pay commission is implemented.
The increase will most likely depend on the fitment factor that the pay commission decides.
But what can be their estimated revised basic salary if the 8th Pay Commission fitment factor is 1.92 or 2.28? See estimates –
Basic pay structure for junior commissioned officers (JCO)
Allowances and perks for army JCOs and commissioned officers
Like many central government employees, Army personnel get basic allowances such as dearness allowance (DA), house rent allowance (HRA), and child education allowance (CEA).
However, based on their rank and the place of posting, they also get many other perks and allowances.
Some of the prominent of them are.
Military service pay (MSP): Rs 15,500 for officers up to the Brigadier rank.
High altitude allowance: For personnel posted in high-altitude regions, the allowance can be from Rs 1,600 to Rs 16,900.
Siachen allowance: Rs 42,500 per month Field area allowance: It can be in the range of Rs 10,500-Rs 25,000 depending on their hardship level. Special forces allowance: Rs 25,000 is given to the officers posted in special forces units. Uniform allowance: The annual uniform allowance is Rs 20,000. Kit maintenance allowance: Rs 400 per month Counterinsurgency: Rs 6,300 Some other benefits that army personnel get are canteen facility (CSD), medical benefits, accommodation, pension and gratuity, and insurance cover.
Calculations for story
We will calculate estimated minimum basic revised salaries for JCOs and Commissioned Officers at fitment factors of 1.92 and 2.28.
(Disclaimer: These are projections. Actual basic salary revisions may vary.)
Senior Citizen Card 2025 – बुजुर्गों के लिए खुशखबरी है। 60 साल की उम्र पार कर चुके लोगों के लिए सरकार ने एक खास कार्ड लॉन्च किया है – सीनियर सिटीजन कार्ड
Senior Citizen Card 2025 – बुजुर्गों के लिए खुशखबरी है। 60 साल की उम्र पार कर चुके लोगों के लिए सरकार ने एक खास कार्ड लॉन्च किया है – सीनियर सिटीजन कार्ड 2025। इस कार्ड की मदद से बुजुर्गों को कई सरकारी और निजी सुविधाएं आसानी से मिल सकती हैं। अब न तो लंबी लाइनें लगानी होंगी और न ही बार-बार कागजों की जांच में परेशान होना पड़ेगा। सीनियर सिटीजन कार्ड एक पहचान के साथ-साथ सम्मान का प्रतीक भी बन चुका है।
अब सवाल उठता है कि ये कार्ड है क्या और इससे फायदा कैसे मिलेगा? तो चलिए आपको आसान भाषा में सबकुछ बताते हैं।
सीनियर सिटीजन कार्ड क्या है?
सीनियर सिटीजन कार्ड 2025 एक ऐसा पहचान पत्र है जिसे केंद्र या राज्य सरकार 60 साल या उससे ज्यादा उम्र वाले भारतीय नागरिकों को जारी करती है। इसके जरिए बुजुर्गों को सरकारी योजनाओं, स्वास्थ्य सेवाओं, यात्रा में छूट, बैंकिंग में प्राथमिकता, और सामाजिक सुरक्षा जैसी कई सुविधाएं मिलती हैं।
ये कार्ड किसी भी राज्य के समाज कल्याण विभाग, नगर निगम या तहसील कार्यालय से बनवाया जा सकता है। इसकी वैधता कुछ जगहों पर आजीवन होती है, तो कुछ राज्यों में इसे समय-समय पर रिन्यू भी करवाना पड़ता है।
कौन कर सकता है आवेदन?
आपकी उम्र कम से कम 60 साल होनी चाहिए।
आप भारतीय नागरिक हों और जिस राज्य में अप्लाई कर रहे हैं वहां के स्थायी निवासी हों।
जरूरी दस्तावेज आपके पास होने चाहिए जैसे आधार कार्ड, पैन कार्ड, फोटो, निवास प्रमाण आदि।
किन-किन चीज़ों में मिलता है फायदा?
अब बात करते हैं असली मुद्दे की – फायदे क्या हैं? सीनियर सिटीजन कार्ड के साथ जो सुविधाएं मिलती हैं, वो बुजुर्गों के लिए वाकई बड़ी राहत लेकर आती हैं:
अपने राज्य की समाज कल्याण या नगर निगम की वेबसाइट पर जाएं
फॉर्म भरें और जरूरी डॉक्युमेंट्स अपलोड करें
आवेदन सबमिट करें और रसीद डाउनलोड करें
कार्ड वेरिफिकेशन के बाद पोस्ट या पोर्टल से मिल जाएगा
ऑफलाइन तरीका:
नजदीकी समाज कल्याण विभाग या नगर निगम ऑफिस जाएं
फॉर्म लें, भरें और दस्तावेज लगाएं
जमा करें और रसीद लें
वेरिफिकेशन के बाद कार्ड जारी होगा
कुछ जरूरी बातें
आवेदन करते समय इंटरनेट सही चले और डॉक्युमेंट्स साफ स्कैन हों
रसीद और कार्ड की कॉपी संभाल कर रखें
किसी भी मदद के लिए हेल्पलाइन नंबर 14567 पर कॉल करें
फर्जी वेबसाइट या एजेंट से सावधान रहें, सिर्फ सरकारी पोर्टल का इस्तेमाल करें
2025 तक भारत में सीनियर सिटीजन की संख्या 15% से ज्यादा हो चुकी है। ऐसे में यह जरूरी हो गया है कि बुजुर्गों को सम्मान और सुविधा दोनों मिलें। सीनियर सिटीजन कार्ड न केवल उन्हें योजनाओं का लाभ दिलाने में मदद करता है, बल्कि उन्हें समाज में एक पहचान और आत्मनिर्भरता भी देता है।
Zila Sainik Board seeks hike in ex gratia relief for kin of martyrs
The Zila Sainik Board (ZSB) has sought an increase in ex-gratia relief and additional 10% reservation for Agniveers in government jobs.
A meeting of the ZSB was today held under the chairmanship of Nishant Kumar Yadav, Deputy Commissioner-cum-president of the board. The meeting was attended by Brig BS Dhillon (retd), vice-president of the board, Lt Col Sanjeev Sharma, a representative of Station HQ Chandigarh, Lt Col RK Singh (retd), KK Sharda, a social worker, and Col HS Ghuman (retd), Zila Sainik Welfare Officer.
The board deliberated on key issues pertaining to the welfare of ex-servicemen and their families. After thorough discussions, the board forwarded various proposals to the UT Administration for consideration and necessary approval. It proposed to increase the rate of ex-gratia compensation from the existing Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore for the families of armed forces and paramilitary forces martyrs.
A recommendation was made for an additional 10% reservation for Agniveer candidates in all direct recruitment for Group ‘B’ and Group ‘C’ posts under the Chandigarh Administration, recognising their service and commitment to national security.
The Deputy Commissioner emphasised the urgent need to renovate the Sainik Rest House and instructed the officials of the noard to coordinate with the UT Chief Engineer to expedite the process of floating a tender for it.
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