EME beat ITBP (red) 4-0 in the semifinals of the Dashmesh Hawks Festival in Ropar. Tribune Photo

Ropar, March 29

Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) will take on Signals in the final of the 28th Dashmesh Hawks All India Hockey Festival at the Hawks Stadium on Tuesday. Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) blanked ITBP 4-0 in the first semifinal, while Signals defeated Jalandhar XI by a solitary goal on Monday. In the first semifinal, EME took the lead through a penalty corner by Saimon (10th min). Saimon scored again through a field goal in the 29th minute to make it 2-0. The second-half started on brisk note and EME scored the third goal through a solo effort by Mandeep Singh (Sr.) (37th min). Saimon scored his third goal (57th min) of the match to give EME  an unassailable 4-0 lead. In the second semifinal, Signals and Jalandhar XI made a number of moves early on but the forwards failed to give the finishing touches. As a result, the first-half ended goalless. Jalandhar XI was the first one to concede a goal in the 39th minute when G Das of Signals scored a field goal. Signals won the match by a margin of 1-0 and booked a seat in the final. — TNS

Pakistan JIT visits a spot near the Pathankot IAF base on Tuesday. PTI

Tribune News Service & PTI

Pathankot, March 29

A five-member Pakistan Joint Investigation Team (JIT), accompanied by NIA officials, today visited the Pathankot air base that was for most part visually barricaded as scores of Congress and AAP workers protested outside against their probe into the terror attack.On January 2, a group of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists had launched a pre-dawn attack on the air base, killing seven security men.The team that arrived in Amritsar in the morning from Delhi in a special plane was taken to Pathankot by road to avoid giving it an aerial view of the strategic base. The team was ferried in six bullet-proof vehicles for the 118-km journey.Around 11.30 am, the members were led into the complex through a specially created entrance at the perimeter wall that was breached by the terrorists. White curtains were used as visual barricades to ensure they could not have a glimpse of valuable defence assets.The team, officials said, was taken to only the “scene of crime”. After spending around 40 minutes at the air base, the visitors were taken in a mini bus to other places relevant to the case. The team was driven to Koliyan village area where Punjab Police SP Salwinder Singh, his friend Rajesh Verma and cook Madan Gopal were abducted. It also visited Gulpur village where the SP and his cook were dumped.They were then taken to Tajpur village where the SUV in which Rajesh in injured condition was finally found.The team also visited the spot near Kathlour bridge where Ikagar Singh, a taxi driver, was killed after being kidnapped. The proposed tour to the civil hospital mortuary, where the bodies of the four terrorists have been kept, was called off at the last minute. The team could also not go to the forward post in Bamial as the BSF had reservations given its strategic importance.NIA wants undertakingNew Delhi: The NIA has asked the JIT to give an undertaking that the evidences gathered in India will be admissible in a Pakistan court. NIA DG Sharad Kumar said: “During the 26/11 trials, we had sent several evidences and dossiers to Pakistan, but they said they were not admissible in their court. So we have asked them to give the undertaking.” TNS.

Srinagar, March 28

The Army in Baramulla district carried out a plantation drive at Kashmir University’s north campus in Delina. It planted more than 1,000 saplings in a joint effort with the Forest Department. “This drive is an endeavour to augment the expanse of forest cover in Baramulla to preserve the environment,” an Army officer said.The 21 Rashtriya Rifles conducted a seminar on “youth engagement” in north Kashmir’s Handwara town. “The seminar was aimed to provide guidance to industrious youth about various options available to them for becoming self-reliant. — TNS

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar

Panaji, March 27

India’s Defence Procurement Policy (DPP) would be launched online during Defence Expo India-2016, to be held in south Goa from Monday, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said.

We will be launching the Defence Procurement Policy online during DefExpo. It will be put on Ministry’s website,” Parrikar told PTI ahead of the inauguration of the two-day mega event.

Parrikar said expo’s current edition is one of the most important events in the field of production, exports and Indianisation of the sector.

He, however, clarified that ‘Make in India’ in the defence sector and DefExpo are two different things.

“The basic concept of Defence Expo is a commercial exchange between various companies which will happen here,” the former Chief Minister said.

The website of Defence Expo, monitored by the Defence Ministry, has listed 1,054 companies who will be setting up their stalls for the exhibition to be held at Naqueri-Betul village in south Goa.

“Defexpo India is clearly steering the path of steady growth and has been receiving overwhelming and unprecedented international response with each edition,” ministry’s website on the mega event said.

The exhibition will have live demonstration of air display on March 28-29 at the site which is located adjacent to the Arabian Sea.

The land that was acquired for setting up an industrial estate has been temporarily allotted to the Defence Ministry for the expo. The exhibition would be spread over six lakh square metres of land.

The event earlier witnessed protest by locals and activists claiming that they were not taken into confidence.

Petitions had also been filed before the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court opposing it.

The High Court, which would be hearing the matter on Wednesday, refused to stay the event. — PTI

Hyderabad: Chief of Army Staff General Dalbir Singh said that the pace of modernisation in the Indian Army has been accelerated and efforts were being made to replace old and obsolete machinery and equipment with new ones. The results of these efforts will be seen in two to three years, he said, while addressing the valedictory function of the Higher Defence Management course at the College of Defence Management in Secunderabad on Wednesday.
“The Indian Army will overcome the shortage of infrastructure soon,” he said during the function. The Army Chief said that the defence forces need to be vigilant across borders as the ‘neighbouring country’ is indulging in a proxy war with the help of non-state actors and accumulating its forces at the borders.He expressed confidence that training in identifying cognitive biases during the course would help the participating officers take timely action and positive decisions as senior military leaders.
The Army Chief awarded degree certificates in Master of Management Studies by Osmania University and a certificate of Advanced Course in Management by the All India Management Association to students.

Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s house at Chak No 105 GB (now Bangay village) in Lyallpur, Pakistan. Tribune file photo

Vishav Bharti

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 21

Declared a heritage site two years ago, Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s birthplace Chak No 105 GB (now Bangay village) in Lyallpur (Pakistan) has been thrown open to the public after its preservation. Activists of Lyallpur are organising Sardar Bhagat Singh Mela in the village on March 23, his martyrdom day.In February 2014, then Faisalabad district coordination officer Noorul Amin Mengal had visited Bhagat Singh’s house and announced that the district administration would preserve the martyr’s birthplace as a heritage site by spending around Rs 5 crore (in Indian currency).Mengal, who had earlier served in Lahore, had initiated the process to rename Shadman Chowk after the martyr.Tohid Chattha, research scholar, Government College University, Faisalabad, who is one of the organisers of the mela, said the district administration’s initiative had motivated the civil society of Lyallpur to honour the martyr’s memory. “Apart from his house, the entire village is being developed as a tourist place. The school in which Bhagat Singh studied is also being preserved,” said Chattha.“We will discuss his ideas and local singers will sing his heroic songs, which are part of our folklore,” he added.Prof Jagmohan Singh, Bhagat Singh’s Ludhiana-based nephew, who has also done research on the martyr’s works, said the mela was first held in 1932, a year after Bhagat Singh’s martyrdom. “It continued till 1947 but stopped after that. Then, people in India started holding a similar mela at Khatkar Kalan (Nawanshahr),” he added.Welcoming Pakistan’s restoration plan, Prof Jagmohan Singh said it was testimony to the universality of Bhagat Singh’s ideas. “His ideas transcend the narrow barriers of caste, religion or borders,” he said.Earlier, the house was being owned by an advocate, whose ancestors have preserved some of the martyr’s belongings all these decades. But the district administration acquired it from him.The belongings included a spinning wheel used by Bhagat Singh’s mother, a copper kneading tray, two wooden trunks and a closet of steel.“The people of Faisalabad take pride in the fact that Bhagat Singh was the son of their soil. They want the place to be known by his name,” Mengal had said when the restoration work was started.Bhagat Singh was born on September 28, 1907, at Bangay village, 150 km from Lahore and 35 km from Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak.

Martyr’s museum project hanging fire for 7 years amid lack of funds