Militants opened fire on security forces, who retaliated, triggering a fierce gun battle. ANI

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, November 30

Five militants were killed on Thursday in two encounters with security forces in Kashmir’s Budgam and Baramulla districts, officials said here.Security forces launched a cordon and search operation at Futlipora in Pakherpora area, 45 km from here, following information about the presence of militants in the area, an Army official said.He said the militants opened fire on security forces, who retaliated, triggering a fierce gun battle.

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“Four militants were killed in the gun battle,” the official said, adding that the operation was still in progress.Police sources said a security force personnel suffered injuries during the operation while two civilian youths were hurt in security forces’ action against protesters who were trying to disrupt the anti-militancy operation.In another encounter at Bomai in Sopore area of Baramulla district, security forces shot dead a militant, a police official said.He said the operation was still under way when the reports last came in. With PTI

Beijing, July 31

Chinese language should be taught in Africa to ward off cut-throat competition from Indian and Japanese businessmen who have in the recent past shown huge appetite for investment and trade with the countries in the region, an article in a Chinese daily said.”One of the toughest challenges the Chinese face as they push for investment in African countries has been the cultural barrier, especially coping with language challenges,” the article in the state-run Global Times said.The article said the efforts by Chinese to learn about and adopt African countries’ different cultures will significantly close the gap between them and local people, boost the working relationship and kill the misunderstandings that have existed between the two for ages.”There is little doubt that when Chinese Africanise themselves, they will increase their bargaining power with local people, in addition to beating emerging cut-throat competition for opportunities, especially from Japanese and Indian businessmen who have in the recent past shown huge appetite for investment and trade with African countries,” it said.Faced with language problems in African countries since their arrival almost a decade ago, the Chinese are also fast learning local languages such as Swahili, which is widely spoken in Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Mozambique and Uganda, it said.”The biggest challenge ahead now is for the Chinese to take a step and start teaching Africans their language. Today, most Africans speak languages such as French, German and English, thanks to the colonialists. It is time, too, for the Chinese language to be inculcated in African countries’ education system,” it said.”It is already being done through Confucius Institutes, but the scale is not large enough for the millions of Africans who yearn to learn the “strange” language. More institutions need to be set up, or collaborations with colleges established, so that the Chinese language can be taught as early as when students are at the primary level”, it said. — PTI

Students and faculty of Chandigarh Group of Colleges, Landran, celebrating Army Day on Friday. They presented a cheque for ₹85,000 to the Army Wives Welfare Association. The dignitaries present included senior adviser to Punjab CM Lt Gen TS Shergill, former general officer commanding­in­chief, northern command, Lt Gen Deependra Singh Hooda; BSF north frontier director general Kamal Nayan Choubey and Lt Gen HS Panag (retd).

Srinagar, December 22

The Army on Friday said it saved two residents who got trapped in a toppled truck in the Shajimarg area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.“An FCI truck had toppled at some distance from the Shajimarg Army camp at 7.10 pm on Thursday. After getting information, the Army immediately got into action and rushed to the accident site,” the Army said.In another incident at Ziran in Pulwama, the Army was approached by a local after his minibus got stuck near Hajibal. “An Army team reached the site and recovered the bus without any damage,” it said. —TNS

Arun Jaitley. File photo

New Delhi, July 28

The Indian armed forces are fully equipped to face any contingency, Defence Minister Arun Jaitley told the Lok Sabha on Friday amid the ongoing border standoff with China.Asserting that any shortage in terms of arms and ammunition would be expeditiously made up, the minister said the observations by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) about ammunition supplies was for a particular period.Last week, the CAG had slammed the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) for critical deficiency in availability of ammunition to the Army.“The armed forces are fully equipped to face any contingency” and any shortage of ammunition would be expeditiously made up, Jaitley said during Question Hour.The remarks come at a time when India and China have been locked in a standoff over the Doklam issue while there have also been rising terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir.In a report, the apex auditor had also criticised the OFB for inadequate quality of ammunition supplied to the Army since March 2013.According to the report, despite serious concerns highlighted in a high-level report on ‘Ammunition management in Army’ in 2015, no significant improvement took place in the critical deficiency in availability of ammunition and quality of ammunition supplied by the OFB.Regarding CAG reports, Jaitley said that as per procedure, after tabling in Parliament, they go to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and if the latter makes some recommendations, then action would be taken.“If any action is to be taken, it will be taken,” Jaitley said in response to queries on whether any action would be taken against officials following observations in the CAG report.

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When a member wanted to know about the amount of ammunition required and other details, Jaitley said it is better in public interest not to make any such disclosure.Responding to queries, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre assured the House that no ordnance factory would be closed down and no one would be rendered unemployed.On strategic partnerships in the defence sector, Jaitley said it is intended to institutionalise a transparent, objective and functional mechanism to encourage broader participation of the private sector in the manufacture of defence platforms and equipment.Besides, the government has approved a proposal for manufacturing of ammunition for the Indian Army by the Indian industry, he said.In this regard, Jaitley said Request for Proposal (RFP) under open tender enquiry was issued in March.“Since the proposal is presently at RFP stage, grant of permission to any private company for manufacturing ammunition in parternship with foreign vendors/companies which have been blacklisted/banned for wrong doings/corrupt practices, does not arise,” the minister said.Jaitley said the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP)/Defence Procurement Manual (DPM) contain provisions in standard clauses of contract for use of undue influence, including engagement of agents unauthorisedly by the seller.“DPP/DPM also provides for execution of a pre-contract integrity pact with the objective of ensuring that the procurement process is free from any wrongful business practice,” he added.The minister also said violation of the pact can result in calling off the negotiations, cancellation of contracts, encashment of bank guarantees and debarment from future procurement. PTI

Mumbai, January 12

Warships INS Nirbhik and INS Nirghat were decommissioned here, after serving the Navy for 30 and 28 years respectively.The warships were decommissioned at a solemn ceremony at the Naval Dockyard yesterday, a Defence spokesperson said on Friday.The ceremony involved traditional lowering of the ensign and commissioning pendants with playing of ‘Last Post’.The chief guest for the ceremony was Rear Admiral R B Pandit, Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet, who had commanded INS Nirghat earlier, the spokesperson said in a statement here.Cdr V R Naphade, (Retd) and Commodore S Mampully, (Retd), the commissioning Commanding Officers of Nirbhik and Nirghat respectively were the guests of honour.The ships, belonging to the Killer squadron, are inheritors of a proud legacy as their original avatars were flag bearers of the naval offensive action on Karachi harbour during the India-Pakistan war in 1971.The warships, in their new avatar, were commissioned at Poti, in the erstwhile USSR on December 21, 1987 and December 15, 1989 respectively.They participated in many operations including Op Parakram and Vijay and were deployed off Gujarat on many occasions for patrolling, the spokesperson said. — PTI

Dayal Singh College in New Delhi. File photo

Syed Ali Ahmed

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 20

A criminal complaint has been filed with the police against Dyal Singh College’s governing body chairman and evening college principal, seeking action against them for “illegally trying to rename” Dyal Singh Evening College as Vande Mataram Mahavidyalaya.

Edit: Renaming legacy

Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSG-MC) general secretary and MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa, in his complaint, has alleged that chairman Amitabh Sinha and principal Pawan Kumar Sharma had taken the decision “clandestinely”, which was illegal.The college was transferred to the University of Delhi on June 22, 1978. The transfer deed mentioned: “It has further been decided that the college after its takeover by the university will continue to be known as Dyal Singh College.”(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)The complaint said it was a breach of trust as per the resolution signed by the Dyal Singh College Trust Society and University of Delhi, which reads: “Whereas the University of Delhi has agreed to run Dyal Singh College at Lodhi Road as a university-maintained institution, it is resolved that the entire land measuring 10.568 acres on which Dyal Singh College is built and belongs to Dyal Singh College Trust Society be transferred to the University of Delhi in Trust without any monetary consideration.”“The existing governing body of Dyal Singh College has intentionally violated the resolution and transfer deed and made criminal conspiracy under IPC sections 120-B, 420, 425 and 423 and they should be prosecuted for criminal acts,” the complaint said.Meanwhile, the protesting students, including those of the NSUI, and teachers said they were not against opening of a new college. The college governing body should have developed infrastructure before taking the decision.Sujit Thakur, who teaches in the college, said: “Opening a new college is not objectionable. The objection is against opening a new college on the campus of Dyal Singh College and sharing its infrastructure.” Holding Dyal Singh College (morning) principal IS Bakshi responsible for the controversy, the teacher said he was aware of the move to open a new college on the Dyal Singh College campus. But he kept the teachers and students in the dark, he alleged.Countering the allegation, the principal said: “I have written to the University of Delhi raising objection against this decision. I also said Dyal Singh College is the legacy of its founder Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia. The new college should not be opened on this campus. I have disclosed all this to the teachers in the meeting.”

Lt Gen RS Sujlana (retd)ADHERING to the adage of ‘Tradition is not the worship of ashes but the preservation of fire’, an age-old policy termed ‘Parental Claim’ exists in the Indian Army. Under this, tradition is preserved and the fire remains kindled in generations that follow their forefathers to serve the nation in the Army. On commissioning, cadets from the Indian Military Academy can opt for the same regiment that his father served in. However, this option is restricted to only the fighting arms — Infantry, Mechanised Infantry, Armoured Corps and Artillery. The word appropriately used is ‘parental’ and not father, as an Army wife is equally wedded to the olive green and its ethos. A sudden flash enlivened this tradition, when at a gathering, a former Brigadier, a blue-blooded Rathore who goes by the initials of SMS (today’s technology has ensured daily usage), announced that their son was soon taking over the command of an artillery regiment, where he too had served. The joy and pride of the parents was visibly infectious. They were looking forward to be by their son’s side on the day he takes over command, to bless him and pip the Colonel’s rank on his broad shoulders! What emotions will flow that day is difficult to comprehend by anyone who has not been through a similar experience, but for me memories flooded back and took me back some 25 years.I was commanding 3 Sikh, the same battalion that my father had also commanded — both did so incidentally in J&K; he during the 1965 War and I fighting the same enemy, but in a sponsored form. Later, when I moved to a peace station, my father visited us for a few days and then came a day we both eagerly awaited. I was immersed in a file when the stick orderly (a soldier dressed in ceremonial standing duty at the CO’s door) smartly saluted and announced: ‘Saheb, wadde CO saheb aye ne’ (Sir, the elder CO has come). I sprung up from my chair just in time to simultaneously salute my father who stood at the door in his habitual smart posture in attention and was saluting me. ‘Son, I cannot express my feelings at this point, but how I wish your mother was alive to cherish this moment. But we both are here to bless you!’ Humbling, indeed, were the words of my father but also an incomparable honour. Even today, those moments and his words remain etched in my memory. My father’s heart was a cornucopia of pride and joy, but yes, we both missed the better half of the Parental Claim!