THE ‘DO-MORE’ CHORUS BY US FOR PAK BY LT-GEN BHOPINDER SINGH (RETD)

SPECIAL TRAINS FOR PATNA SAHIB FROM PUNJAB

VIJAY DIWAS : A FINE REMINDER OF NATIONAL COMMITMENT BY LT GEN SYED ATA HASNAIN

CHINA’S TROOPS AT DOKLAM THIS WINTER IS JUST STRATEGIC MESSAGING BY LTY GEN SYED ATA HASNAIN

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE RECRUITMENT 2017 2018: VACANCIES ANNOUNCED FOR 818 LDC, STENOGRAPHER, TRADESMAN POSTS

POWS IN PAKISTAN

GUREZ AVALANCHE: BODY OF THIRD SOLDIER FOUND

FLAG DAY: GUV LAUDS ARMED FORCES’ ROLE

PAK 360-FT FLAG NEAR BORDER RAISES SECURITY CONCERN

LOK SABHA PASSES IMMOVABLE PROPERTY (AMENDMENT) BILL

LASER FENCE ALONG NEPAL, BHUTAN BORDERS SOON

2 YRS ,75 PROPOSALS OF DEFENCE PANEL, ONLY ONE IMPLEMENTED

SUBMIT PROPOSAL FOR 83 MORE TEJAS, HAL TOLD

TRUMP, MODI IN SAME BOAT BY KC SINGH

AFT: RAISE RETIREMENT AGE OF COL BY 2 YRS

COCKINESS ALONE WON’T DO BY SANDEEP DIKSHIT

KARGIL FREEZES AT -14.5°C AS COLD WAVE CONTINUES IN J&K

NAVY’S RED LETTER DAY BY CMDRE MUKUND KUNTE (RETD)

HOW ARMY PRO AIDED ’71 VICTORY

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 20

The Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) today directed the Centre and the Army to consider raising the retirement age of Army officers of the rank of Colonel by two years  to bring them on a par with similarly placed officers in the Navy.Disposing of a bunch of 70 petitions by officers from various arms and services, the tribunal Bench comprising Justice VK Shali and Lt Gen SK Singh asked the Army to review its earlier order fixing the retirement age of Colonel at 54 years.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)“We had sought that the retirement age of Colonel be increased by three years to 57 years,” Jyoti Singh, counsel for some of the petitioners said. “The Army, however, had been adamant on keeping the retirement age for Colonel at 54,” she added. The retirement age for Colonel in arms and services, barring minor corps, is 54 years. Officers holding the rank of Commodore/Captain in the Navy retire at 56, while those in the Navy’s education branch retire at 57 years. In the IAF, the retirement age for Group Captain (select) is 54 years in the flying branch and 57 years in some other branches.Family pensionThe MoD has extended the benefit of Liberalised Family Pension to the next of kin of soldiers who die in harness during deployment along LAC and the border with China 

Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh signs off the first Military Literature Festival in Chandigarh on Thursday. Tribune photo

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 15

Signing off the first Military Literature Festival (MLF) held here last week, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh yesterday called for making the event more holistic through the participation of authors and veterans from other nations, including Pakistan.“It would be interesting, for instance, to see the 1965 war veterans from India and Pakistan come face to face to share their experiences in a new environment,” the CM said while addressing a gathering.Tracing the journey of the festival from its conception to its eventual conduct, Capt Amarinder said the event proved to be an exciting platform to promote understanding and awareness among the people, especially youth, about India’s defence forces. He hoped the festival would imbibe a spirit of nationalism among youth and encourage them to join the defence forces.“Being part of the armed forces is a matter of pride for every Indian and this festival would go a long way in strengthening that feeling among youngsters,” he said while extending his government’s support to scale up the event.Lt Gen TS Shergill (retd), senior adviser to the CM, said the Military Literature Festival Society had been set up as a permanent body and would continue to initiate various activities to promote exchange of ideas and experiences in this field.

Union Minister for Defence, Nirmala Sitharaman addressing at the 90th Annual General Meeting of FICCI, in New Delhi on Thursday. PTI

New Delhi, December 14  A “shake up” is being given to the Defence Ministry to speed up various acquisition projects, ensure transparency and clear backlogs for key programmes, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said.In an address at an industry chamber, she also said the government is seriously examining functioning of around 39 ordnance factories and possible ways to boost their productivity, including through joining of hands by the private sector.She said the efforts are on to ensure that the defence acquisition council (DAC) clears all the backlog relating to various procurement by December 31, emphasising that speeding up of decision making process has been one of her focus areas.The DAC is Defence Ministry’s highest decision making body on procurement.“There is a sense of making sure that every aspect of this large ministry is given a shake up,” Sitharaman said, adding the aim is to make a difference so that the ministry, which was sort of a cocooned, do things in a faster and transparent way.On various acquisition projects, she said, “I may be confident enough to say that by December 31, at least DAC would be on the top of it in the sense that no more waiting list would be with me.” She was addressing a FICCI event.Sitharaman, who assumed charge of the ministry in September, also said ensuring transparency is a major priority area for her.“The biggest compliance issue which we are definitely 100 per cent following is to have greater transparency, put everything in the public domain and make sure that every decision stands up to the principle of accountability,” she said.Her comments came in the backdrop of the Congress accusing the government of flouting laid down norms in sealing a deal to purchase 36 Rafale fighter jets from France.The party had recently raised several questions about the deal, including the rates, and accused the government of compromising national interest and security while promoting “crony capitalism” and causing a loss to the public exchequer. The government had rejected the allegations.Asked about handing over of the strategically located Hambantota port to China on a 99-year lease by the Sri Lankan government, she only said India has been watchful of all the developments in the neighbourhood.On ordnance factories, she said government was doing a major review of their work and examine whether they can have joint venture or benefit from technology transfer.Talking about the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Sitharaman said it should identify the patentable products so that they can be used commercially.Referring to the strategic partnership model, she said it was brought to support the domestic defence industry and to ensure that India, which is now a leading importer of military hardware, becomes a defence exporter.The strategic partnership was unveiled nearly four months back under which domestic defence manufacturers can tie up with leading global defence majors to manufacture specific military platforms like fighter jets.Sitharaman also said the government was in the process of identifying “organically grown” defence industry clusters in various parts of the country so that they can be supported.“We are planning to tell them about the requirement of the armed forces for the next 40-50 years so that they can lay a roadmap for their capacity building,” she said.She also said start-ups in the defence sector will be given encouragement. — PTI

Bangladesh Army Chief Gen Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq presents an award to a winner at the Indian Military Academy in Dehradun on Saturday. Tribune photo

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, December 9

Bangladesh Army Chief Gen Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq has hoped for an amicable solution to the Rohingya refugee crisis, asserting that his country has good relations with Myanmar.“Yes there is an issue, which we will resolve amicably”, he told journalists when asked about the Rohingyas refugee influx. Gen Belal was interacting with the mediapersons on the sidelines of the passing-out parade at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, which he attended in the capacity of a Reviewing Officer today.The Bangladeshi General’s statement comes at a time when a large population of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar have taken refuge in Bangladesh. He said it was a special day for both India and Bangladesh as he had been given the honour of reviewing the IMA’s passing-out parade and said the two nations shared strong ties and had even gone for joint military exercises in the past.The Bangladesh Army Chief also held that the his country had a zero tolerance policy towards terrorism reaffirming his country’s commitment to fighting terrorism. Earlier, addressing the Gentlemen Cadets at the Drill Square in front of the Chetwode building, the Bangladesh Army Chief expressed his gratitude to the Indian Army men for their role in the 1971 Bangladesh war of liberation. He said Indian Army officers and soldiers worked shoulder to shoulder with freedom fighters for the liberation of Bangladesh. He also remembered Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who led the movement for the liberation of Bangladesh. He said both India and Bangladesh not only shared borders but kept long cultural and historical ties and described his presence at the parade as a momentous occasion for both countries. 

Lt Gen Depinder Singh addresses the audience as Col Anil Kaul looks on during their session at the club. Tribune Photos: Ravi Kumar/Vicky Gharu

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 8

The present quadruple of India-Australia-Japan-United States is not enough to deal with the challenge that China poses in the Indian Ocean and we have to bring in Europe and Vietnam on board.This was stated by former Indian diplomat G Parthasarthy at a session on ‘Strategic perspective on China’ during Military Literature Festival here today. He said the Indian Ocean was of a great concern to China and it might like to take control of the ocean, as 80 per cent of its petro-chemical trade was through this region.He said China would not settle the border issue with India. “We have to be prepared to defend our borders. Patience and diplomacy is the correct approach towards dealing with China,” he said.He said: “China is an ambitious country which envisions being unchallenged in Asia and being on a par with the United States globally. China has managed to dominate Asia through a clever mix of diplomacy and coercion.”Cautioning that the China-Pakistan nexus was much stronger than believed, he said: “Building up Indian maritime power is crucial”. He said for the first time, there had been resistance in Pakistan against China’s ‘One belt and One Road’ project due to its economic implications.Lt Gen JS Bajwa (retd) said the recent development of China holding back funds for its ambitious China-Pakistan Economic Corridor that links Western China hinterland with sea, could mean that it is trying to get India on board for the project. He said while China was satisfied with its politico-economic system and with what it has achieved, it would not take any such steps which could harm its interests.Maj Gen BK Sharma said: “China’s forays into the Indian Ocean have implications on the strategic environment in South Asia, which needs to be balanced.” Stating that the India-Japan-Australia-US quadruple needs to be strengthened, he said India should also work towards building strategic trust with China.Claude Arpi, a Chinese expert, said though China has been traditionally wary of having minorities in the armed forces, the trend has reversed. Speaking on lessons learnt from the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka, Lt Gen Depinder Singh, the then General Officer Commanding-In-Chief  (GOC-in-C), Southern Command, said when the force went in, the government had no clear-cut political objectives and the individual training of the soldiers was found to be wanting. The force initially had a high tri-service component, but as time went and there was little action, the Navy and Air Force elements began to reduce steadily on the pretext of employing resources elsewhere. Col Anil Kaul, a decorated veteran, spoke about his combat experience in Sri Lanka.Experts also discussed the role of Indian soldiers in the World War I. These included military historian Alan Jeffreys from the UK, Lt Gen PK Singh, Director United Service Institute, Prof Rakesh Datta from Punjab University, journalist Rahul Bedi and writer Pushpinder Singh Chopra. Various aspects of the first war of independence in 1857 were also discussed at another session.GL Batra, father of Param Vir Chakra recipient Capt Vikram Batra, spoke about the communication with his son from the battlefield during the 1999 Kargil conflict. He said the stories of martyrs and war heroes need to be immortalised for the benefit of future generations. Rachna Rawat Bisht, Rahul Singh and Shiv Aroor spoke about their books covering tales of gallantry. Col Balwan Singh, decorated with the Maha Vir Chakra in Kargil, spoke about the physical and psychological aspects of bravery and the motivation behind the acts of gallantry.

Dehradun, December 8

As many as 409 Gentlemen cadets from different states are set to take the “Antim Pag” (final step) on course to becoming Army officers during the passing out parade at the Indian Military Academy here on Saturday.With 76 Gentlemen cadets belonging to Uttar Pradesh alone, the state tops in terms of contribution to the academy this year, followed by Haryana (58) and Uttarakhand (38). The other top contributors are: Bihar (25), Punjab and Maharashtra (24 each), Rajasthan (23), Delhi (22), Madhya Pradesh (19), Himachal Pradesh (18) and Karnataka (15).As a precursor to the passing out parade, the wreath-laying ceremony was held at the academy’s War Memorial today. Academy’s Commandant Lt Gen SK Jha along with officers and the Academy Under-Officer on behalf of the passing out course laid wreaths and offered floral tributes to the gallant martyrs. — TNS

Param Vir Chakra recipients Capt Bana Singh, Naib Subedar Sanjay Kumar and Subedar Yogendra Yadav with other dignitaries at the Military Literature Festival at the Lake Club in Chandigarh on Friday. Tribune photo: Ravi Kumar

Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore.

Chandigarh, December 8

Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore today said the Military Literature Festival could be a powerful platform, especially for the younger generation, to know and learn about the country’s rich and glorious military legacy, as well as get motivated to become a part of the armed forces. The Governor pointed out that many millennia of warfare had spawned tales and poems of courage, honour and sacrifice that were sung to this day. Warfare, however, was not all about fighting but was also about avoiding conflict, he said while referring to Sun Tzu’s dictum that the finest battle is the one that is won without having been fought.Badnore also honoured Capt Bana Singh, Subedar Yogendra Yadav and Naib Subedar Sanjay Kumar, the three living recipients of the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), the highest award for gallantry. There are a total of 21 PVC recipients.Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal said Punjab was proudly known as the sword arm of India.  He hoped that the festival would go a long way in imbibing a spirit of patriotism and nationalism among youngsters, besides motivating them to opt for the armed forces as their career. The General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, Lt Gen Surinder Singh, said the festival would be upgraded to elicit maximum participation of the military academia and experts from across the country to make civilians aware of the military’s glorious past and to keep society updated on various military activities.   The festival is being organised jointly by the Punjab Government, the Chandigarh Administration and the Western Command. — TNSGuv for more such events Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore, the man behind the proposal for holding the Military Literature Festival in the city, now wants more such important events hosted in the city. A leading global watch maker has been asked  to host its vintage car rally in the city, Badnore told The Tribune on Facebook live chat.

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