S.No.DescriptionAmount EntitledProcessed by1.Liberalised Family PensionLast pay drawnCDA (P)Allahabad2.

1. Rs 10.00 lacs
2. Rs 10.00 lacs
3. Rs 15.00 lacs
4. Rs 20.00 lacsRecords Office / MP-5 for cases CDA (P) Allahabad3.
5. Air Travel Concession: 75% concession in domestic flights by Indian Airlines to War Widows Zilla/Rajya Sainik Board4.

 Zilla/Rajya Sainik Board5.Reservation of seats in professional institutes Zilla/Rajya Sainik Board

6.Priority in Telephone Connection: No installation fees. 50% concession in Rental Charges Zilla/Rajya Sainik Board

7.Allotment of oil product agencies under the 8% defence quota Director General of Resettlement

8.Education Concession from MOD: Full re-imbursement of tuition fees, transportation charges and hostel charges less mess charges. Re-imbursement of the cost of books/stationery @ Rs 1000/-p.a, cost of uniform where compulsory upto Rs 1700/- during the first year and Rs 700/- for the subsequent years, and cost of clothing @ Rs 500/- for the first year and Rs 300/- for the subsequent years. The above educational concessions will be upto and inclusive of the first degree course (Revised rates wef 01 Sep 2008) AG’s Br (CW-3)

9.Final Settlement of Accounts-PAO/CDA(O)

10.AFPP/DSOP FundAs per contributionPAO/CDA(O)

11.Death cum Retirement GratuityBased on length of serviceCDA(P) Allahabad

12.Retention of Govt married accommodation for 2 yrs extendable upto 3 years & 6 months at Govt rates QMG BranchBENEFITS BY STATE GOVTS

13.Benefits from State GovtsAs per State RulesState GovtBENEFITS PROVIDED BY ARMYS.No.DescriptionAmount EntitledProcessed by

14.Army Group Insurance (Revised rate wef 01 Jan 2009)Rs 15.00 to 30.00 lacsAGIF

15.AGI MaturityAs per contributionAGIF

16.Leave EncashmentAs applicablePAO/CDA(O)

17.Army Wives Welfare Association (Revised rate wef 01 Apr 2009)Rs 6,000/-Welfare Complex

18.Army Officers Benevolent FundRs 50,000/- (Officers only)AG’s Br (Accts Sec)19.

1.Rs 1.00 lacs

2.Rs 30,000/-AG’s Br (R&W Sec)20.

1. Tuition Fee + Rs 5,000/-(for Books) subject to a maximum of Rs 25,000/-p.a
2. Rs 20,000/-
3. Rs 20,000/-
4. Rs 20,000/-
5. Rs 25,000/-AG’s Br (R&W Sec)21.Housing 3% reservation in AWHO projects AWHO

A total of 72,400 assault rifles and another 93,895 carbines will be procured. — Photo for representation

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 16

The Defence Acquisition Council, the top decision making body of the Indian Ministry of Defence, on Tuesday okayed a Rs 3,547-crore project to acquire two separate types of rifles for the Indian Army.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)The DAC, headed by Nirmala Sitharaman, okayed the procurement of 72,400 assault rifles for the infantry and another 93,895 carbines for close quarter encounters in built up areas – largely fighting insurgency. The assault rifles will replace the Army’s standard assault weapons. This will replace the existing INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) rifle, a 5.56 calibre, which was designed some three decades ago. The new rifle will be 7.62 calibre, meaning it can fire bigger ammunition.The carbines are seen as replacement for the Russian made AK 47 assault rifles. These will weigh less than 3 kg and have the ability to fire at distances up to 200 metre.Besides the numbers okayed today, the Army needs another 6 lakh assault rifles and the 3.25 lakh carbines.The remaining quantity will be made in two tranches – 25 per cent by the Ordnance Factory Board and the remaining by the Indian private industry.The one developed in India will eventually be the standard issue for the forces and also the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). This will mean some 15-18 lakh such rifles in all.In June last year, the Army rejected the rifle made by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). The OFB made eight such pieces which were being tested by the Army. The OFB is not happy with the Army’s decision and says the weapon did well in the trials. A reliable weapon of an infantry or a paramilitary soldier is a good self-loading rifle that can fire with accuracy. The DAC also made some changes in the policy for make in India procedure, this includes relaxation in norms to participate in prototype development.

 Brig R Vinayak, VSM

COMMENTS BY COL CJS KHERA GEN SECY SANJHA MORCHA

Army men at the wreath-laying ceremony of Lance Naik Yogesh Muralidhar Bhadane in Akhnoor.

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 14

The White Knight Corps (16 Corps) today bid farewell to Lance Naik Yogesh Muralidhar Bhadane, who was killed in a ceasefire violation by the Pakistan army on the Line of Control (LoC) in the Sunderbani sector on Saturday.A wreath-laying ceremony was organised in honour of the soldier here.The Public Relations Officer (PRO), 16 Corps, said a military send-off was organised for the slain soldier. The PRO said the General Officer Commanding (GOC), Crossed Swords Division, Akhnoor, and other military dignitaries laid wreaths on behalf of Lt Gen D Anbu, Northern Command chief, and Lt Gen Saranjeet Singh, GOC, White Knight Corps. Lance Naik Bhadane, 28, belonged to Khalane village in Dhule district of Maharashtra. He is survived by his wife Punam Yogesh.

‘Humbled’ China may go for ‘salami slicing’ of disputed areas

Keep the peace: Confrontation shouldn’t be met with jingoism; a sure recipe for a flareup.

Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (retd)WITH the reported presence through winter of enhanced strength of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China opposite Doklam, with improved operational and logistics infrastructure, is a Chinese military standoff or more with India almost a surety in 2018? The end of the 72-day standoff over Doklam was hailed as pragmatic; an example of political maturity and military astuteness by all. That was the need of the hour for China. It was about to conduct its five-yearly signature political event, the Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) from October 18, 2017. Xi Jinping’s image would not be very high if China was seen to be in the middle of an ugly border spat with a neighbour, which could turn violent with an innocuous trigger. It was also hosting the BRICS Summit at Xiamen, and, presumably, could not be seen to be in an armed border standoff with one of the members. If China did actually pull back from the standoff, albeit reluctantly and without clarity and with those events now over, what holds it back from pressing its claims in the next season and instigating a similar situation? The Army Chief, Gen Bipin Rawat, to his credit, did mention that we have to be prepared for more such standoffs with China, which could resort to “salami slicing” and muscle flexing by it to nibble away at areas claimed by it and under dispute with India.The 19th CPC was about bigger things. It set the tone for China’s future superpower status by 2050 and capability to win wars. Doklam was just an aberration, but for Jinping’s personal ego and that of the PLA, it was enough of a setback, temporarily papered over. India won fulsome praise for its ability not to back down in the face of severe intimidation. This model is being examined by various nations in East and South East Asia, perhaps much to the embarrassment of the PLA and Xi himself. So, is China likely to be in a hurry to retrieve lost prestige from the perceived slight or remain pragmatic and patient? It needs to be remembered that in the leadership provided by Xi in the last five years and more, diplomacy and economic leveraging have played a major role. Yet the restructuring of the military and Xi’s ability to push new strategy has dominated the scene. In its stance towards the disputes in the South China Sea and with Japan in East Asia, China has continued to follow the “Three Warfares” principles adopted in 2003. These relate to intense psychological operations, media manipulation and legal warfare designed to manipulate perception of target audiences on claims put forth by China. The manifestation of this, in practice, really commenced more robustly under Xi although “war under informationised conditions” was a strategy first mooted in the early ’90s. This is the broad strategy it has played out in Ladakh over the last seven to eight years with “walk in operations” aimed to see the capitulation of Indian leadership under persistent claims pressed through military pressure, albeit without firing a shot.  It could always have triggered an armed standoff and hoped to secure its claim lines under imposed robust duress on the Indian forces. Yet, China has long been the exponent of Sun Tzu’s concept of winning wars without fighting; “to subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill”, wrote Sun Tzu, thus giving Chinese military thought a supposed pearl. In Xi’s assumed slight due to Doklam there exists the greatest potential of employing Sun Tzu’s age-old philosophy juxtaposed with the modern concept of “Three Warfares”. This should rest some minds which assume war fighting as the only realm of Chinese strategy. Xi should, and probably will, not be in any hurry to restore his pride after the slight at Doklam because he has gained enough stature after the 19th Congress of the CPC. The enhanced military presence opposite Doklam is a part of the three warfares strategy. However, winning without going to war in the context of the Doklam involves two things. First is to build the disputed road unhindered on the territory claimed by it, but currently technically under Bhutan’s control; second, to establish a closer diplomatic relationship with Bhutan as a breakthrough and wean it away from Indian “stranglehold”, much as Nepal has been weaned away.For India, it will be a win-win if it can continue to retain Bhutan’s loyalty and thereby play up the Indo-Bhutan Friendship Treaty of 2007 for mutual consultation and prevention of use of each other’s territory for inimical purposes. Thus in Bhutan lies the key and the focal point. If China really wishes to follow the wisdom of its ancient sage with the technology of the modern times, it will focus on Bhutan, while continually intimidating India through low-level military standoff, but high-energy media and psychological war with persistence on claims to keep the legal pressure at a high, almost akin to the South China Sea dispute. Military brinkmanship will, no doubt, form a part of it, but the area where China is likely to be more cautious and probably review its strategy is in the field of media manipulation. Its information strategy in 2017 backfired as state mouthpieces, The Global Times and People’s Daily just could not make that difference. In a ham-handed show of information warfare, China failed to intimidate India, placate Bhutan or win support internationally. That is a sphere it will now concentrate upon, although it is an area much more difficult to convert to advantage. Thus while keeping our powder dry,  which must anyway be a part of considered prudence, it is the sphere of information warfare and local regional diplomacy in which India must prepare itself much better. The feasibility of China displaying a trailer of its cyber capability focused on a sphere of Indian military or non-military activity also remains a reality for which India must prepare itself. 2018 may well be the year when threats of war fighting may be overtaken by threats of cyber and information warfare. The last reminder: Bhutan will remain the key to the standoff and the retention by India of the current relationship will be the decisive factor. The last time, Indian strategic thinking hit the bull. If the basics are right it will do so again. The writer is former GOC of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps

Leader of Opposition Abhay Chautala at the residence of Sepoy Pargat Singh in Ramba village of Karnal district on Wednesday. Tribune photo

Tribune News Service

Karnal, December 27

Leader of the Opposition Abhay Chautala today visited the house of Sepoy Pargat Singh, who was killed during a ceasefire violation in Keri sector of Rajouri district (J&K) on Saturday.Pargat had dual responsibilities — one towards the nation and second towards his family, the INLD leader said, adding that as Pargat was the sole breadwinner of the family, the government should provide all facilities to his family.Abhay was accompanied by party general secretary Brij Sharma, former Gharaunda MLA Narendra Sangwan, district INLD president Yashveer Rana and former youth district president Gurdev Ramba.He demanded of the government to make facilitate the admission of Pargat’s son Yuvraj Singh to an academy, so that he could get good education. “Yuvraj wants to serve the country like his father.”Earlier, while addressing a public meeting in Dadupur village, Abhay served an ultimatum on the state and the Central governments to construct remaining part of the SYL canal by February 23, failing which he said the INLD would organise a rally in New Delhi on March 7 to decide the future course of action.

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat. File

Jaipur, December 22

Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Friday said peace talks with Pakistan can take place only when it stops supporting terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir.

Given its actions, it doesn’t appear that Pakistan really wants peace, the Army Chief added.

He was in the Thar desert in the western sector to witness the ‘Hamesha Vijayee’ exercise conducted by the Southern Command close to the India-Pakistan border in Rajasthan.

Rawat said Pakistan should stop supporting terrorists.

“Only then can we say that peace talks should take place,” he told reporters in the exercise area near Barmer.

“We also want that relations should be better but given what kind of actions there are (from their side) and terrorism is spreading in Jammu and Kashmir, it doesn’t appear that they really want peace,” Rawat said.

Asked about China’s rising presence and influence in Pakistan through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the Army Chief said India is also taking its steps while keeping security aspects in mind.

“The way they are taking steps, we are also taking our steps while keeping our security perspective in mind,” he said.

Rawat said the Army, paramilitary forces and the Jammu and Kashmir police have been taking actions against militants in Jammu and Kashmir successfully and the action will continue.

His comments come a day after Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said India would like good relations with Pakistan provided Islamabad takes action against terror groups.

“It is important for Pakistan to understand our core concern, which is terrorism. We have time and again asked them to take action against terrorists who are operating from their soil. This is something they (Pakistan) will have to handle if they are serious in cultivating this friendship,” Kumar said.

The assertions follow Pakistan’s Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa pledging his support for better ties.

According to media reports, Bajwa has said he will support any initiative of the civilian government to resolve issues with India through talks. PTI

Gen SK Saini, GOC, 9 Corps, with Governor NN Vohra in Jammu.

Jammu, December 20

Lt Gen SK Saini, General Officer Commanding (GOC), 9 Corps, called on Governor NN Vohra at Raj Bhawan and briefed him about the security situation in the area of responsibility of his command.The Governor discussed with General Saini issues relating to the continuing Pakistani attempts to infiltrate terrorists across the International Border. He also stressed the importance of the state police enforcing heightened surveillance in the entire hinterland on a sustained basis. — TNS