Geetanjali Gayatri

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 11

Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI), an enterprise of the Ministry of Defence, will shortly set up its unit in Industrial Model Township (IMT), Rohtak, making it the first “big project” to come to the district under the BJP government in Haryana.Spread over 10 acres, the government undertaking has been awarded land at concessional rates. Sources say that land has been allocated at 50 per cent of the rate to MIDHANI which wants to establish an Armour Fabrication Unit though the company had sought 15 acres of land from the government in HSIIDC, Manesar.However, after a visit to IMT, Rohtak, the company has decided to set up its unit to manufacture 13 types of armoured vehicles with a start-up business plan of Rs 50 crore which will be gradually increased to Rs 250 crore.The move to open a unit in the National Capital Region (NCR) comes in the wake of increased supplies to the northern region since Hyderabad, the current location, did not seem ideal to the company with most business opportunities being concentrated in the northern region.Sources in the Industries Department say that the coming of the unit to Rohtak will not only create employment opportunities, but evolves an ecosystem to enhance economic activities in the region.The company has already been sent a letter of confirmation by the HSIIDC and work on ground is expected to begin once the formalities of land allotment are over.With this “deal” already under its belt, MIDHANi is learnt to have approached the Haryana Government through the Ministry of Defence for land in Hisar as well.Unlike the Rohtak unit, which will concentrate on the armouring business and the creation of a state-of-the-art armour production plan, the Hisar unit will manufacture special containers used by nuclear power plant for disposal of waste.Sources claim that talks are already underway for providing land at concessional rates for this unit as well.

India should reclaim PoK, says Baba Ramdev

Motihari, June 10

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev on Saturday said that India should immediately reclaim Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) as it was the root cause of all the problems emanating from Pakistan.

“All the problems emanating from Pakistan is because of PoK and hence India should immediately reclaim PoK,” Ramdev said.

He also said that India should destroy all terror camps operating from PoK.

Yoga guru was talking to reporters on the third and concluding day of a three-day yoga-cum-meditation camp organised by his Patanjali as part of Champaran Satyagrah centenary celebrations here at historic Gandhi Maidan.

Holding terrorists like Azhar Masood, Hafiz Sayeed, Dawood Ibrahim responsible for bloodshed at the Indo-Pak border, Ramdev said that these terrorists should be handed over to India, dead or alive.

He, however, praised the people of Pakistan saying that they were good — peace loving people except some bad elements who believe in bloodshed.

Replying to a query on human rights violations in Jammu and Kashmir, Ramdev said that Indian Army personnel too had their human rights.

In reply to another question, he said that Patanjali Yogpeeth would set up a unit in Bihar to process products like jaggery, honey and litchi among others this year. Besides, Ramdev said that Patanjali would also start work on ‘cow research and promotion centre’ in Bihar in near future.

Ramdev heaped praise on the Nitish government’s decision to implement prohibition in the state and said that ‘yoga education’ be included in the government and private schools in the state.

Inclusion of yoga as part of education would help better the future of students, he said while making it clear that “Yoga is not a political agenda at all.” —PTI

Suresh Kumar

Our correspondent

Kangra, June 7

The family of Suresh Kumar (32), who attained martyrdom at Sukma in Chhattisgarh on March 11 this year while being part of the patrolling party, accused the state government and politicians of ignoring his great sacrifice.Martyr’s father Mast Ram (65) today said his son was serving in the CRPF 219 Battalion, popularly known as Cobra Battalion, and was part of the patrolling party for road opening at Sukma in Chhattisgarh on March 11 at 10.30 am, when the Maoists attacked them. He said Suresh left behind his 27-year-old wife Neena Devi, a year old daughter Navya and his old parents.Suresh was the only bread-earner for his family, which is not economically well-off. The mortal remains of Suresh were consigned to flames with state honour at his native village in Sunni and DC Kangra CP Verma gave a cheque of Rs1.50 lakh to the family. Mast Ram said he feels anguished why there was disparity between martyrs of the same CRPF, who attained martyrdom under the same circumstances.He said they were given Rs1.5 lakh as ex gratia, whereas the state government gave Rs20 lakh each to Surender Kumar of Ner Chowk and Sanjay Kumar of Nagri Chachian of 74 Battalion of the CRPF, who too attained the martyrdom at Sukma on April 24 this year.Mast Ram said even politicians did not even visit them. He said only Transport Minister GS Bali visited the family. He said he was happy that Speaker BBL Butail, former Chief Ministers PK Dhumal and Shanta Kumar visited Sanjay Kumar’s family and even Union Minister JP Nadda visited Surender Kumar’s family at Ner Chowk, but none of them remembered my son.

MAJ GEN DIES OF SPORTS INJURIES

LIFE HAS PURPOSE, BUT WHAT? BY COL HP SINGH (RETD)

WOMEN TO BE ALLOWED IN COMBAT ROLE IN ARMY: GEN BIPIN RAWAT

WOMEN TO GET COMBAT ROLE

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP MODEL A BIG TICKET MOVE: ARMY CHIEF

ARMY PAYS HOMAGE TO 2 QAZIGUND MARTYRS

CHINESE COPTERS OVER CHAMOLI, IAF PROBING

GAUSHALA HURDLE FOR HOWITZER GUNS’ TRIAL

PAK ARMY RELEASES VIDEO CLAIMING DESTRUCTION OF INDIAN POSTS ACROSS LOC

PAK, UAE CURRENCIES SEIZED IN FRESH RAIDS

INDIA’S HEAVIEST ROCKET SET TO FLY

TRUMP MUST PLAY PACIFIER BETWEEN IRAN AND SAUDI ARABIA BY LT GEN (RETD) SYED ATA HASNAIN

New Delhi: In a transformational move, the Indian Army is all set to open up combat positions for women, a gender barrier broken by only a few countries globally.

Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat said the process to allow women in combat role, currently an exclusive domain of men, is moving fast and initially women will be recruited for positions in military police.

“I am looking at women coming as jawans. I am going to start it soon. Firstly, we will start with women as military police jawans,” he said, giving details of the move to allow women in the male-dominated positions in the Army.Currently women are allowed in a number of select areas including in medical, legal, educational, signals and engineering wings of the Army but combat roles are kept off limit for them due to operational concerns and logistical issues.

The Army Chief said he was ready to recruit women as jawans and the matter is being taken up with the government.

“We have already started the process,” Gen Rawat told PTI in an exclusive interaction recently.

He said women will have to show grit and strength in taking up challenges in combat role and shattering the glass ceiling.

Very few countries including Germany, Australia, Canada, the US, Britain, Denmark, Finland, France , Norway, Sweden and Israel have allowed women in combat roles.

The roles of military police include policing the cantonments and army establishments, prevent breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, handling prisoners of war and extending aid to civil police whenever required.

Creating history, the Indian Air Force, last year, had inducted three women as fighter pilots, less than a year after the government decided to open the fighter stream for women on an experimental basis.

A decision on having women as fighter pilots will be taken after evaluating performance of the three women – Avani Chaturvedi, Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh who are now part of IAF’s fighter squadron.

The Indian Navy is currently deliberating on a policy on having women onboard the ships. The Navy allows women in various other segments including in legal, logistics, naval architecture and engineering departments.

 

 

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 1

Two Pakistani soldiers were killed after the Indian Army retaliated to unprovoked ceasefire violation that left a civilian dead and four others injured on the Line of Control (LoC) in the Krishna Ghati (KG) sector of Poonch district today. The Pakistan army also violated truce in the Nowshera sector.A Jammu-based defence PRO said the Pakistan army opened indiscriminate fire using small arms and automatic weapons, besides 82 mm and 120 mm mortars, around 7.20 am along the LoC in the Nowshera sector and at 7.40 am in the KG sector. “The firing stopped around 10 am in the Nowshera sector, while it continued till 1 pm in the KG sector,” the PRO said.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) He said the Army retaliated in an effective manner using similar calibre weapons.Sources said two Pakistani soldiers were killed in retaliatory fire while a few others were injured. Five persons, including a BSF head constable, were injured in shelling by Pakistan troops in the KG sector. One of the injured, Parvez Ahmed, a labourer with GREF, succumbed to his injuries while being taken to the hospital. The other injured include Radhe Krishan (45), Sarwan Singh (28) and Haroon Rashid (22).This is the first truce violation on the LoC this month. In May, three people were killed when the Pakistan army resorted to heavy shelling in the Nowshera sector. Pakistani media reports said two of their civilians were killed and six  injured in shelling in the Battal sector.The Pakistan Foreign Office later summoned Indian Deputy High Commissioner JP Singh and lodged a protest over the death of civilians in cross-border firing.

Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, May 26

The Army today foiled a major BAT (Border Action Team) attack by Pakistan when they killed two militants on the Line of Control in the Uri sector of north Kashmir.The BAT action was foiled in a thick forest area close to Aman Setu, the peace bridge which connects Uri in Kashmir to Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said the BAT action was aimed against the Army along the LoC. “Two BAT terrorists were killed in the operation,” the defence spokesman said.Sources said that around 8.40 am today, two armed intruders came close to an Army post, about 500 m inside the LoC. They said the intruders came from a known Pakistani post.Their movement was picked up by Army’s 4 Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) Regiment deployed in the area.“They were challenged and in a 30-minute gunfight, two BAT terrorists were killed. The bodies of the two have been recovered. The duo was only carrying a AK-47 rifle and a pistol. They were not carrying stuff like rucksack, which the infiltrators usually carry while they sneak into the Indian territory,” they said.“As the terrorists were not carrying rucksacks, it clearly indicates that the two were BAT members who had planned an attack on the Army before fleeing back to Pakistan,” the sources further said.Commanding Officer of the 4 JAKLI Regiment Col Bhanwar Singh told reporters at Uri that the combing operation in the forest area was underway as the Army expected more BAT members were hiding in the area.This is the second time that BAT teams — small groups of specialised Pakistani troops supported by militants — have tried to attack the Army in J&K.On May 1, two soldiers were killed and their bodies were mutilated in BAT action in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district in the Jammu region. The mutilation of bodies had triggered tension along the LoC and the Army had carried out a fire assault on Pakistani posts which were “aiding cross-border infiltration” in the Nowshera sector.

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 25

An Armyman lost his life due to a fault in a mortar fired during a field firing exercise north of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh today.Sources confirmed that one soldier died and three seriously injured were airlifted to a military hospital in Kolkata. Two other injured are being treated at Tezpur. The blast had such an impact that four trucks and signals equipment were destroyed completely.The location of the firing range is just 10 km short of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. The range is used by Army to practice firing at altitudes more than 9,000 feet.The mortar shell did not travel its entire mandated distance, it changed its trajectory and landed on the four vehicles, killing one person on the spot.Normally, a mortar shell travels on a parabolic trajectory and hits at targets up to 5 km.  A source said this occurs when there is fault in the charge of the mortar.

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 25

Two years after the practice of the Army headquarters modifying and moderating the annual confidential reports (ACR) of officers after those had been duly finalised by the appropriate chain of command was struck down by the Ministry of Defence, it is now being re-introduced. The policy was done away with earlier following a legal opinion rendered upon it by the Solicitor General. Assessments in ACRs are the basis of promotion.Following deliberations in the Army Commanders Conference held in April, Army headquarters — in a letter sent to all Commands last week — highlighted the salient features of the policy. The headquarters maintains it will curb the “inflationary” trend of commanders awarding high grades to assessees in routine.Under this policy, the Military Secretary’s Branch will filter all ACRs by adopting a computer-assisted mathematical formula to identify assessment inconsistencies.Individual cases will then be identified for further analysis by a board of officers, which will give specific recommendations — requiring the Army Chief’s final approval — of corrective action to be carried out in each case. The changes will be subject to review if an individual feels aggrieved.The policy, according to the letter, will act as a precise tool to handle inflationary and deflationary assessments when warranted, control violation of NPN norms and assist in balancing assessments.The present tools, the letter added, suffer from certain limitations and have failed to arrest inflationary trends.Some officers, on the other hand, are of the opinion that the policy of moderating ACRs at Army headquarters amounts to questioning the credibility and judgement of senior reporting officers within a well-established hierarchical system assessment.It also runs the risk of promoting favouritism by targeting officers who have been otherwise found meritorious in original ACRs.The implementation of the policy could also lead to more litigation involving service matters. A large portion of cases concerning the armed forces are associated with ACRs, promotions and distribution of vacancies amongst various arms and services at the higher echelons.There have been several judgments in the recent past where the courts have come down heavily on the Army in the manner in which promotion matters have been handled. Also under scrutiny is the “value judgement” component of ACRs which accounts for 5 per cent of the marks awarded and is the discretion of the assessing officer.