Current Events :
Sq Ldr Lokender Sindhu 3 yrs old lost his life while flying an old Aircraft Jaguar . He left behind his one yr old son and wife Surbhi and old father.
NO Single Neta /politicians attended the funeral which took place in Rohtak Haryana ,nor any higher echelon from IAF /MOD. what a disgrace and disrespect shown to a fighter Pilot of IAF .
16-acre campus of Sec 23 govt school to be converted into defence edu institution
In a move aimed at expanding the access to quality education and nurturing future leaders of the nation, the Chandigarh Administration has decided to have Sainik School here. The school will be set up in collaboration with the Sainik School Society (SSS) under the Union Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The development assumes significance as this will not only be the first Sainik School in Chandigarh but also the first such institution to operate under government — Government Sainik School. All other such institutions in the country are operating in the private sector.
The upcoming school in the city will also be developed as Model Sainik School. Of the total 41 such schools in the country, one is in Nabha (Punjab), three in Haryana (Rohtak, Kurukshetra and Fatehabad) and two in Himachal Pradesh (Hamirpur and Solan).
The brainchild of Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, the city’s maiden Sainik school will come up on the sprawling 16-acre campus of the Government Model Senior Secondary School (GMSSS) in Sector 23 here.
The UT Education Department has submitted an online application to the SSS with the proposal to convert the GMSSS-23 into a Sainik school.
The UT Education Secretary, Prerna Puri told The Tribune that Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth conveyed to the Chandigarh Administrator on June 2 that the Centre has approved the setting up of 100 new Sainik schools in the partnership mode with NGOs/private/government schools. These schools will come up in a graded manner, starting from Class VI onwards with an effort to cover as many states and UTs as possible, under the aegis of the SSS in the country.
“Some of the states/UTs either have not applied for or applied but none of their applications was found fit by the approval committee,” the MoS Defence wrote in a demi-official letter, while urging the UT Administration to apply online for approval of the new Sainik school in Chandigarh by July 14.
Seth said this initiative would provide an opportunity to the students of Chandigarh and its nearby areas to undergo quality education based on the ethos of Sainik schools, which will help them become disciplined citizens and future leaders in different spheres of life, including the defence forces.
Acting swiftly on the proposal, the Chandigarh Administration constituted a committee of the School Education Department to work out and complete the modalities for applying and establishing a Sainik school in the city.
It has submitted a preliminary report with recommendations on the suitability of the sites and requirements for further action.
Director School Education (DSE) Harsuhinder Pal Singh Brar, who chaired the first meeting of the committee, disclosed that the proposed school will be affiliated to the SSS to create a system that combines academic rigour with a degree of discipline. There will be increased focus on value-based education, which will enable the children to develop pride in the rich culture and heritage of the nation.
He said the admissions to the school will be conducted through All-India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISSEE) held annually by the National Testing Agency (NTA). “The school will provide all the required facilities as per the norms of the SSS,” Brar added.
“It will be an exemplar of quality school education in India — a model of excellence. The idea is that this school will serve as a benchmark for quality education, infrastructure, governance, extra-curricular activities and learning outcomes,” he said.
CLASSES FROM NEXT SESSION: GUV
“We are optimistic that our first Sainik school will begin classes from the next academic session. The initiative will meet the growing demand for a Sainik school in Chandigarh. It will focus on effective physical, psycho-social, spiritual and intellectual development of students, so they become the youth with leadership qualities.”
said Gulab Chand Kataria, Punjab Governor-cum-UT Administrator
HERITAGE BUILDING
The GMSSS-23 building, established in 1955, holds significant heritage value as it was among the first few structures constructed at the beginning of Chandigarh’s development. At that time, construction across the city was still in progress, so this building served a critical temporary role. The main hall functioned as the first office space for eight key departments, including sanitation, design, and others. It essentially operated as a multipurpose office hub.
The architect of the building was Jane Drew, a notable figure in the design of Chandigarh.
The current lecture hall, one toilet and the staff room were once part of a BEd college. In fact, this building was shared by three educational institutions at one time.
Established as OTS Madras– 15 Jan 1963
(7 OTS were set up during WW-II, between 1942 to 1945, however all closed down at the end of war but produced four India Army Chiefs)
Post-independence, two OTS were set up at Pune & Madras in 1963 to train ECOs however OTS Pune closed down in 9 May 1964.
1st Commandant – Brig Ram Singh (Brig AMM Nambyar was 3rd Commandant at our time)
1st OTA alumni Commandant – Maj Gen SD Awasthi
1st cadet to arrive at OTS – Lt Gen OP Kaushik, EC1
1st OTS course – EC1 – 15 Jan 1963 – 442 cadets. EC12 – Last EC course – Apr 1965 (Alternate EC courses were passing out from OTS & IMA)
1st SSRC course – SS1 – 2 Feb 1965
1st SSRC Technical course – SSRC (T) 1 – Oct 1969
1st Women course – WSES 01 (“Women Special Entry Scheme” with SS-58) – 21 Sep 1992 (25 cadets)
OTS Madras granted permanent status in 1985
OTS renamed as OTA Chennai – 1 Jan 1988
Presidential Colour presented by Sri R Venkataraman – 18 Aug 1990
1st PVC (and only) – Maj Ramaswamy Parmeshwaran(P) – SS-12, 8 Mahar, Sri Lanka
1st Ashok Chakra (so far 8) – Maj D Sriram Kumar, 39 Assam Rifles, [Lt Navdeep Singh (P), 15 MLI, Capt Jas Ram Singh, 6 Rajput, Capt Jasbir Singh Raina, 10 Guards, 2/Lt Cyrus A Pithawalla, 17 JAK, Lt Col Harsh Uday Singh Gaur, 10 Bihar, Maj Mukund Varadarajan (P), 44 RR & Col Jojan Thomas (P), 45 RR]
1st MVC (so far 10) – 2/Lt SS Samra (P), 8 Guards (My Coursemate), Brig Kuldip Singh Chandpuri, 23 Punjab, Maj PS Ganpathi, 8 Mahar, Maj KG Chatterjee, ¾ GR, 2/Lt Rajiv Sandhu, 7 Assam, Maj Padmapani Achatya (P), 2 Raj Rif, Col Sonam Wangchuk, Ladakh Scouts, Lt Balwan Singh, 18 Grenadiers, Lt Keishing Clifford Nongrum (P), 12 JAK LI, Capt Pratap Singh (P), 75 Med.
1st KC (so far 22) – Capt Haripal Singh Ahluwalia (P), 7 Jat (My Coursemate)
VrC – 63 (10 from my Coursemate), SC – 119, SM – 587
OTS had initially two Battalions – Ranjit Singh Bn & Shivaji Bn. Subsequently 3rd Bn Maharan Pratap added in 1969 and later reverted back to original two Bns.
As on date 2 Bns & 7 Companies (5 for Gentlemen Cadets & 2 for Lady Cadets)
Ranjit Singh Bn – 4 Companies – Kohima, Jessami, Basantar & Phillora (Lady Cadets)
Shivaji Bn – 3 Companies – Meiktila, Naushera & Zojila (Lady Cadets)
Jai Hind
Arvind Nautiyal
SS8
The Airline Pilots’ Association of India urges government to include its representatives in the investigation process
The Airline Pilots’ Association of India (ALPA-India) on Saturday raised serious concerns over the transparency and direction of the investigation into the Air India AI 171 crash in Ahmedabad, following the release of the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau’s (AAIB) preliminary report.
The pilots’ body objected to the report being shared with the media without official attribution, calling it a breach of protocol that undermines public trust. The association also questioned why experienced personnel, particularly line pilots, have not been included in the investigation team so far.
The ALPA-India took particular exception to a report in The Wall Street Journal published on July 10, which referenced inadvertent movement of the aircraft’s fuel control switches — a key element of the ongoing investigation. The pilots’ body demanded clarity on how such sensitive information was leaked to international media.
In a statement, the organisation flagged compliance concerns related to a serviceability bulletin mentioned in the AAIB report regarding the fuel control switch gates, originally issued by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The ALPA-India sought clarity on whether the bulletin’s recommendations were implemented before the flight.
It further criticised what it termed a “presumption of pilot guilt” reflected in the investigation’s tone, categorically rejecting any such bias and calling for a fair, fact-based inquiry.
Reiterating its long-standing demand, the ALPA-India urged the government to include its representatives in the investigation process, at least as observers, to ensure transparency and accountability. “Investigations continue to be shrouded in secrecy, undermining credibility and public trust,” ALPA-India president Capt Sam Thomas stated.
The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has put on hold the repair and maintenance of houses earmarked for allotment to CISF personnel at its Nangal township. The move comes after the state Assembly on Friday passed a resolution against the deployment of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at the BBMB projects.
Last month, the board, in a letter issued to its officials at Nangal, had earmarked houses in CC, HH, H, GG and DD blocks of the township for allotment to CISF personnel. The board employees already residing there were asked to vacate those houses. They were promised accommodation in other parts of the township.
Orders were issued to the officials concerned to get those houses vacated and issue tenders for their repair and maintenance. Family accommodation was to be provided to 142 personnel in the township, including one commandant, two assistant commandants, three inspectors, eight sub-inspectors, 20 assistant sub-inspectors, 35 head constables and 73 constables. The remaining CISF personnel were to be accommodated at Talwara township. However, the move has now been put on hold.
Meanwhile, partner states Haryana and Rajasthan continue to support the move to deploy CISF personnel at various BBMB projects. The board was yet to take a final decision on the issue, sources said. The maintenance work of houses earmarked for CISF personnel had been put on hold fearing budget misuse objections by Punjab.
The Punjab Government, having 52 per cent share in the BBMB, contributes budget accordingly. However, it has decided not to contribute budget for the CISF deployment. The Union Home Ministry had asked the BBMB to pay Rs 7.5 crore as charges for deploying 296 CISF personnel.
In 2021, the Punjab Government had given assent for the CISF deployment. However, in May this year, there was a row over water sharing with Haryana. CM Bhagwant Singh Mann led a dharna of his party workers at the Nangal Dam till May 20. The BBMB authorities were not allowed to release extra water to Haryana from the Punjab share. While the controversy was going on, the Union Home Ministry okayed the CISF deployment and asked the BBMB to deposit Rs 7.5 crore as charges.
National Conference says leaders put under house arrest
Authorities on Sunday sealed all roads leading to Martyrs’ Graveyard in the Nowhatta area of the old city, even as the ruling National Conference claimed that several of its leaders have been placed under house arrest.
Police and central paramilitary forces were deployed in strength at all entry points leading to Srinagar city as there were apprehensions of law and order problems on the occasion of Martyrs Day.
Only vehicles of officials and security forces were allowed to cross the barricades set up at the entry points, officials said.National Conference (NC) had applied to the District Magistrate Srinagar, seeking permission to pay homage to the martyrs of July 13, 1931.
However, the district administration refused to grant permission.
“The District Administration Srinagar has denied permission to all applicants intending to proceed towards Khawaja Bazar, Nowhatta on July 13, 2025 (Sunday),” the Srinagar Police said in a public advisory posted on X.
The police said that the public is advised to comply with these instructions and refrain from violating the orders issued by the district administration.
“Any violation of these orders shall invite strict legal action under relevant provisions of law,” the police warned.The NC termed the denial of permission “deeply unfortunate.” NC chief spokesperson Tanvir Sadiq said that July 13 is not a routine date.
“It is a solemn reminder of the sacrifices made in the pursuit of dignity, justice, and rights,” Sadiq said on X.Sadiq further said the people of Kashmir will continue to “honour their martyrs” peacefully, with dignity, and with unwavering resolve.
July 13 used to be a public holiday in Jammu and Kashmir before the reorganisation of the erstwhile state into two Union territories in August 2019. However, the administration dropped the day from the list of gazetted holidays in 2020.
On the day, mainstream political leaders used to visit the “martyrs’ graveyard” to pay homage to the Kashmiris who fell to the bullets of the Dogra army while protesting against the rule of the Maharaja.
Meanwhile, Sadiq in a fresh post on X claimed that several party leaders have been placed under house arrest.“Since last night, I like many of my colleagues, including the party leadership at Gupkar, the Advisor to the Chief Minister, and a majority of sitting MLAs have been locked inside my home,” he said.
He said this is not just unfortunate but a deliberate attempt to suppress remembrance and deny the right to honour the martyrs of July 13.“Such actions are not only unnecessary they are unjustified, deeply insensitive, and reveal a troubling disregard for history,” he added.
