Smoke rises next to the US Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, on August 15, 2021, as the Taliban wrests control of Kabul. AP/PTI file photo

Skojpe, August 20

As thousands of people thronged Kabul airport in a bid to escape the advancing Taliban on August 15, Kam Air pilot Jovica Rajhl and his colleague had to resort to subterfuge to reach their plane and take off safely.

Rajhl, 54, a North Macedonian, said that ahead of the fall of Kabul, his employer Kam Air, the largest Afghan private airline, had contingency plans to rebase its three Boings 737 and three Airbus 340 to Ukraine’s capital Kyiv.

But the advance of the Taliban was too quick.

Many Afghans in the company were “discussing … plans B and C in case of Taliban arrival … there was a great fear among Afghans”, Rajhl told Reuters on Friday in Skopje, where he lives.

Rajhl said that he and his colleague were told to prepare for a flight to Kyiv on Sunday, August 15, shortly after news reached them that the Taliban had taken over government buildings in Kabul.

“The airport was completely open … all the security people were gone,” he said.

Thousands of Afghans hoping to board planes out of the country flocked to Kabul airport. The capital has swelled with people from other provinces fleeing the advance of the Taliban.

Rajhl’s Boeing 737 was parked away from the main boarding platform, where throngs of people “were climbing and falling from ladders”, he said.

Three Kam Air planes were already blocked by the crowds.

“Our biggest fortune was that no one paid attention to us. One of us was not in uniform but in civilian clothes,” he said.

Passengers from their flight were told to board quickly and as night fell, Rajhl and his crew decided to start engines and perform take-off procedures in complete darkness to avoid drawing the attention of the crowd.

“It was good that the people on the other side (of the runway), and I am sorry about them, could only hear noise but saw nothing moving with its lights on.”

Shortly before takeoff, the crew had been warned via radio that they would have only 10 minutes to depart, after which their “security will not be guaranteed on ground and in the air”.

Rajhl’s plane finally took off at 20:32 local time and, after refueling in Tbilisi, Georgia, made it to Kyiv.

In October 2017, the Army began the process to acquire seven lakh rifles, 44,000 light machine guns and 44,600 carbines

Photo for representational purpose only. iStock

New Delhi, August 20

India has finalised a deal with Russia to buy a sizeable number of AK-103 series of assault rifles for the Indian Army under the provisions of emergency procurement, people familiar with the development said on Friday.

The Army is implementing a mega infantry modernisation programme under which a large number of light machine guns, battle carbines and assault rifles are being purchased to replace its ageing and obsolete weapons.

“A deal has been finalised with Russia for direct purchase of a batch of AK-103 series of assault rifles,” one of the persons cited above said without specifying the number of rifles or the cost of procurement.

There is no official announcement on the deal yet.

The people said the rifles are being procured under the emergency financial powers granted to the three services to make urgent purchases.

In October 2017, the Indian Army began the process to acquire around seven lakh rifles, 44,000 light machine guns (LMGs) and nearly 44,600 carbines.

The government has accorded priority to the modernisation of the armed forces and the infantry modernisation has been initiated as part of the larger process to further enhance the combat capability of the Army.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh approved a proposal on putting up relevant details of planned procurements by the three services on their or the defence ministry’s website.

“To promote ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and provide more transparency in the capital acquisition process, aligning with the aspirations of industry, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved a proposal mandating the service headquarters to publish the relevant details on the service headquarters/MoD website within one week of receipt of approvals,” the defence ministry said in a statement.

“The details shared will be subject to sensitivities keeping the security aspect in mind,” it added. PTI

The projected ICV upgrade would include fitting them with more powerful engines, third-generation thermal imager-based gunner and panoramic sights, modern fire control systems and automatic target trackers
by Rahul Bedi
Chandigarh: The Indian Army (IA) has initiated the indigenous upgrade of 811 of its licence built Soviet-era BMP-2/2K ‘Sarath’ infantry combat vehicles (ICVs) by equipping them with more powerful engines, night fighting capability and varied advanced systems.
The force recently despatched a project sanction order (PSO) to 12 domestic private and public sector companies – referred to as Development Agencies (DAs) – to produce a retrofitted prototype within 52 weeks (or by July 31, 2022) for user trials, UK’s Jane’s Defence Weekly reported on August 17. One ICV apiece would be supplied to each potential vendor by the IA for this purpose, the classified 12-page PSO stated.
Thereafter, at least two vendors would be selected from amongst those who met the IA’s preliminary staff qualitative requirement (PSQRs) for the upgraded ICVs, and the one that emerged L1, or the lowest bidder, would be shortlisted to series upgrade all 811 platforms, Jane’s stated.
The magazine said officials associated with the ICV upgrade stated that the BMP-2 upgrade would be processed under the Buy Indian-Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured (Indian-IDDM) category of the Defence Procurement Procedure-2020 (DPP-2020), which mandates a 50% domestically sourced content for the retrofit.
The potential vendors on the IA’s list include Alpha Design Technologies, Bharat Electronics Limited, Bharat Forge, Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) Larsen & Toubro (L&T), Reliance Defence and Infrastructure and Tata. All these companies would be permitted to enter into collaborative agreements with overseas original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for the project, and according to industry sources many already had already finalised cooperative arrangements
Official sources told Jane’s that the projected ICV upgrade would include fitting them with more powerful engines to replace their present UTD20/2 300hp power packs, third-generation thermal imager-based gunner and panoramic sights, modern fire control systems and automatic target trackers. The retrofit would also encompass upgrading the platforms on-board weapon systems that include a 30mm 2A42 auto-canon with dual ammunition feeds, capable of firing 9M113 Konkurs wire-guided anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) and a secondary coaxial 7.62x54mm machine gun.
Earlier, in July 2017, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) had approved the ongoing Rs 2,400 crore upgrade of 639 BMP-2/2K to BMP-2M standards by the state-owned OFB. This included fitting them with six cylinder four stroke UTD-23 supercharged 360hp diesel engines and thermal imaging fire control systems (TIFCS). Some are also reportedly being armed with the locally developed Nag ATGMs and automatic grenade launchers.
Equipping the ICVs with TIFCS’, however, follows a rare admission by the force last year that the BMP2/2K’s, inducted into service 1985 onwards were ‘night blind’ and that their sighting systems, based on Image Intensifier Technology were ‘not fit for modern day warfare’. Many such BMPs had been deployed to eastern Ladakh in response to the enduring standoff, since May 2020 between the IA and China’s People’s Liberation Army along their disputed Line of Actual Control or LAC.
The IA has so far acquired 2,691 BMP-2/2Ks since the mid-1980’s, of which around 1,700 were presently operational, doubling in many instances as armoured ambulances, amphibious bulldozers and engineer reconnaissance vehicles. Some ICVs, with modified chassis have also been employed as Nag missile carriers (NAMICA) – capable of carrying up to six locally developed Nag ATGMs – and as part of the medium-range surface-to-air (SAM) Akash air defence missile systems to transport their indigenously designed Rajendra phased array fire control radar.
And in June 2020, the MoD had approved the procurement of 156 licence-built BMP-2 ICVs from the OFB Medak unit in Telangana that has been series producing the ICVs since 1987. Officials indicated that OFB Medak is required to complete delivery of all 156 ICVs within 24 months.
Weighing 14.3 tons and operated by a three-man crew, including the commander and gunner and powered by a UTD20/3 300hp diesel engine, the BMP-2s are capable of transporting seven fully-equipped infantrymen. The ICVs have an operational range of 600km and are capable of travelling at a maximum speed of 65kph on roads, 45kmph off-road and at 7kmph when engaged amphibiously..
According to Jane’s, the IA had kickstarted its long-delayed upgrade of 811 BMP2 ICVs to meet the challenge posed by the PLA in Ladakh. Senior IA officers, however, had told the magazine that the ICV upgrade was a ‘major project’ to execute locally and faced ‘serious’ financial and technological challenges. It was also possible that the deadline to produce a prototype in 52 weeks by July 2022 could also be rescheduled.
Jane’s experts added that the ‘Sarath’ ICVs lacked several mission systems that were fairly standard, rendering an upgrade a ‘necessity to avoid obsolescence’ until a replacement platform was procured or the long-delayed Future Infantry Combat Vehicle or FICV was developed. The financially and technologically ambitious $12 billion FICV program, initiated in 2009 to locally design and build 2,610 20-22 ton ICVs as replacements for the BMP-2.2Ks has been abandoned, revived and once again dumped several times.
Meanwhile, industry officials, for their part were sceptical over whether the ICV upgrade would meet the mandated 50% indigenous requirement for the program, as a large proportion of systems needed for its upgrade would necessarily be imported, as developing them locally would not only be expensive but also time consuming.
“Hopefully, the elaborate ICV upgrade project will not flounder over the seemingly unattainable requirement for indigenisation in the name of Atmanirbharta or self-reliance,” said Amit Cowshish, former Ministry of Defence advisor on acquisitions. It’s time for the MoD and services to err on the side of practicality in such programs rather than get bogged down in procedural complexities, many of which are unattainable, he added.

Rezaul Hasan Laskar reports that some members of the Taliban leadership informally reached out to Indian authorities a few days ago “requesting” that India retain its embassy in Kabul. Sher Mohammed Abbas Stanekzai, a top-tier Taliban leader based in Doha (and an early-1980s alum of the Indian Military Academy Dehradun) assured his Indian interlocutors of the safety of the Indian mission and its diplomats.

This should surprise us, but only mildly. The surprise arises from the antipathy the Taliban has shown towards India’s role in Afghanistan and its complaints (echoing Pakistan’s) about the activities of Indian missions in the country.

Beyond that, Stanekzai’s overture is quite understandable. If and when the Taliban take over the reins of power, their relationship with their backers and allies will undergo a simple, but profound shift. No sovereign likes to be treated as a puppet. The Taliban leadership is acutely aware that their ranks comprise fighters, not administrators, who are now called upon to govern a war-torn land-locked country, with precarious finances and an unsustainable economy. Those who put you on the throne will demand their pound of flesh at the best of times. In the present circumstances, China, Pakistan, Russia and Iran are unlikely to spare any time before they start pressing the new regime to accommodate their interests.

To balance this pressure, the Taliban regime will need counterweights. New allies and also new causes that reduce the leverage its backers have over it. Who can those new allies be? Not the West, for now. Gulf Arab countries, perhaps, but given their past experience in prevailing over their Afghan-inspired radicals, they will not be overly enthusiastic. The relationship with Iran complicates matters even further. So it is understandable that the Taliban will want to engage New Delhi. Of course, on their own terms.

Against such realpolitik considerations there is the fact that for all its attempts to show a less extremist face, the Taliban is led by Haibatullah Akhundzada, a man who is more of a fundamentalist zealot than Mullah Omar was. Then there is the Pakistani element whose primary objective is to remove all traces of Indian influence in Afghanistan. The Taliban regime’s attitude towards India will be determined by these push-pull factors and Stanekzai’s tentative outreach might not end up as its actual policy.

Also read: Did India rely too much on US? Taliban siege of Kabul is affecting our regional power status

How should New Delhi respond?

First, closing the embassy and flying Indian officials back was both the prudent and astute thing to do. There are a lot of people in capitals around the world who are now looking stupid after believing in the Taliban’s commitments. We need not add to their number. Informal or formal, the Taliban’s promises are not worth the paper they are not written on. Indian interlocutors must let this be known to Stanekzai and his associates.

Second, whatever Stanekzai might promise and genuinely intend, it is unclear if the Taliban leadership has adequate control over the situation on the ground that can ensure the safety of Indian diplomats. Even if they control Taliban ranks, Pakistani proxies are almost certain to use the chaos to carry out terrorist attacks against Indian targets. Razaul’s report alludes to intelligence assessments on the active presence of Pakistani jihadi groups in Kabul. Like during the IC-814 hijacking, the Taliban will tolerate and protect such terrorists.

Third, maintaining the mission would have meant a de facto diplomatic recognition of the de facto Taliban government in Afghanistan. Diplomatic recognition is not a concession that must be made readily. This is something that they have to earn. And it cannot come so cheaply.

Also read: India trained Afghan forces who joined Taliban govt. They can now be our ambassadors

Fourth, New Delhi should not be in any rush to spoil the Taliban’s enjoyment of the company of their backers. As I have pointed out, there are a number of faultlines among China, Pakistan, Russia, Iran and the Taliban. They have managed to suppress the conflicts in their interests so far, but now that Kabul is in Taliban hands, they will begin to emerge. Let the Taliban leadership smart and chafe at the noose around their neck. As the pressure tightens, so will the need for fresh air.

It’s not only the Taliban. India too has the time.

Nitin Pai is the director of the Takshashila Institution, an independent centre for research and education in public policy. He tweets @acorn. Views are personal.

This article has been republished from nitinpai.in with permission from the author.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

New Delhi, August 19

The next round of challenge seeking startups to join the technology bandwagon in military equipment was launched today. The industry has been asked to address 35 separate technology demands of the armed forces and also the Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs).

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is looking at areas such as situational awareness, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, aircraft-trainer, non-lethal devices, 5G network, under-water domain awareness, drone swarms and data capturing.

The technology being sought is designed to ensure military advantage in the foreseeable future. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the scheme today it. Called the Defence India Startup Challenge, this is the fifth round of the challenge and is aimed to enrich Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX). The iDEX is a platform for different stakeholders in the defence and aerospace sectors, essentially acting as an umbrella organisation to oversee technology development and potential collaborations in the specific field.

iDEX uses the strong science technology and research talent base of the country. — TNS

A squad of the ITBP’s 45th battalion, which was out on an area domination operation, was fired upon by a small action team of the ultras, when it was approximately 600 metres away from the camp

Photo for representation only

Narayanpur, August 20

An assistant commandant of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and his colleague were killed in a Naxal attack in Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district on Friday, a senior police official said.

The incident took place around 12.10 pm near Kademeta camp of 45th battalion of the ITBP under Chhotedongar police station limits, Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P told PTI.

As per the preliminary information, a squad of the ITBP’s 45th battalion, which was out on an area domination operation, was fired upon by a small action team of the ultras, when it was approximately 600 metres away from the camp, he said.

“Assistant Commandant Sudhakar Shinde and Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) Gurmukh Singh, both from the ITBP’s 45th battalion, were martyred in the firing,” the IG said.

After the attack, the Naxals also looted and escaped with one AK-47 rifle, two bullet-proof jackets and one wireless set of the security personnel, he said.

Reinforcement had been rushed to the spot and the bodies of the martyred personnel were being evacuated, he added. PTI

Recipients of the prestigious award are Major Arun Kumar Pandey, Major Ravi Kumar Chaudhary, Captain Ashutosh Kumar (posthumously), Captain Vikas Khatri, Rifleman Mukesh Kumar and Sepoy Neeraj Ahlawat

Photo for representation. PTI

New Delhi, August 14

India’s third-highest gallantry medal in peacetime, Shaurya Chakra, has been awarded to six Army personnel, including posthumously to one, for displaying bravery in anti-terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir last year.

The recipients of the prestigious award are Major Arun Kumar Pandey, Major Ravi Kumar Chaudhary, Captain Ashutosh Kumar (posthumously), Captain Vikas Khatri, Rifleman Mukesh Kumar and Sepoy Neeraj Ahlawat, according to the Indian Army.

It said four Army personnel were conferred the Bar to Sena medal while 116 others were named for the Sena medal on the eve of Independence Day.

According to the Army, Major Pandey of the 44th battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles led an anti-terror operation in a village in Jammu and Kashmir on June 9 and 10 last year and showed “unparalleled courage” while neutralising two hardcore terrorists.

Major Chaudhary of 55th battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles “exhibited exceptional resoluteness” and fortitude in leading four successful operations by his unit resulting in the elimination of 13 terrorists, the Army said.

An operation led by him on June 3 last year was specifically mentioned in his citation.

Captain Kumar of 18th battalion of the Madras Regiment has been conferred the Shaurya Chakra award posthumously for displaying “indomitable courage” and professional acumen of “highest order” in saving the life of one of his fellow soldier and eliminating a hardcore terrorist in an operation on November 8 last year.

Captain Vikas Khatri from the 16th battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles was deployed as part of a special task of “area domination patrol” in Jammu and Kashmir under the challenging terrain at the height of 12,000 feet on the nights of December 12 and 13 last year.

The Army said he eliminated one foreign terrorist despite heavy retaliation, showing raw courage and bravery.

Rifleman Kumar from the ninth battalion of the Rashtriya Rifles was part of a cordon and search operation launched on the night of July 16 based on specific intelligence inputs of the likely presence of terrorists in a remote village of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Kumar physically wrestled with the terrorist, who was shocked by the ferocity of the assault. He kept attacking the terrorist with the butt of his weapon in spite of sustaining a gunshot wound,” the Army said.

“Unmindful of his injuries, Rifleman Mukesh Kumar neutralised the terrorist from point-blank range ensuring no injuries to own troops or the civilians,” it added.

Sepoy Ahlawat has been conferred the Shaurya Chakra award for showing “exceptional gallantry beyond the call of duty and nerves of steel” during an anti-terror operation in Jammu and Kashmir on June 20 last year, the Army said.

One hardcore Pakistani terrorist was eliminated in the operation, it said.

Detailing about the incident, the Army said a group of terrorists was firing indiscriminately towards the inner cordon of the troops in a bid to escape, taking cover of civilians in the area as human shields.

It said Ahlawat waited for an opportune moment and fired accurately on the fleeing terrorists after exercising extreme restraint and displaying composure in the face of a rapidly escalating situation.

“One of the terrorists was eliminated on the spot. The second terrorist opened heavy fire towards Sepoy Ahlawat at close range. Despite the grave danger, he showed indomitable courage to hold onto his position and continued engaging the second terrorist, injuring him and damaging his sophisticated M-4 Assault Rifle,” it said.

The gallant actions of Ahlawat led to the elimination of a Pakistani terrorist, the Army said. PTI

SHAURYA CHAKRA

1. IC-72371Y MAJ ARUN KUMAR PANDEY, RAJPUT 2. SS-45282W MAJ RAVI KUMAR CHAUDHARY, GRENADIERS 3. IC-83765X CAPT ASHUTOSH KUMAR, MADRAS (POSTHUMOUS) 4. IC-80468Y CAPT VIKAS KHATRI, MECH INF 5. 16026460F RFN MUKESH KUMAR, RAJ RIF 6. 3208099H SEP NEERAJ AHLAWAT, JAT

BAR TO SENA MEDAL (GALLANTRY)

1. IC-66544P LT COL KRISHNA KANT BAJPAI, SM**,  RAJPUT 2. IC-71917F MAJ SURENDRA SINGH LAMBA, SM, GRENADIERS 3. IC-75491H MAJ RAHUL BALAMOHAN, SM, MAHAR 4. IC-77053Y MAJ ANKIT DAHIYA, SM, PUNJAB

SENA MEDAL (GALLANTRY)

1. IC-63839A LT COL DHIRENDRA PRATAP SINGH RAWAT, GR 2. IC-66188A LT COL BHAGAT AKSHAY SURESH, KUMAON 3. IC-67028M LT COL MANPREET SINGH, SIKH LI 4. IC-69674H LT COL CHETAN KAUSHIK, R&O FLT 5. IC-71481F MAJ BHARAT SINGH JHALA, JAT 6. IC-72317L MAJ YASHOVARDHAN BHATI, GRENADIERS 7. IC-72325K MAJ ANKIT THAKUR, ARTY 8. IC-72402N MAJ RAKESH RANJAN, GR 9. IC-72427A MAJ ROHIT SHARMA, GRENADIERS 10. IC-72567M MAJ ANIL KANDPAL, ENGRS 11. IC-73322H MAJ AJIT PAL SINGH, SIKH 12. IC-73831F MAJ GOVIND JOSHI, GR 13. IC-74904P MAJ ANIL KUMAR RANGI, GRENADIERS 14. IC-75580F MAJ GAURAV ANAND BOURAI, ENGRS 15. IC-75625W MAJ VIPRANSHU PANDEY, ENGRS 16. IC-75883W MAJ GAURAV CHOUDHARY, PARA (SF) 17. IC-75908X MAJ TAPAN KUMAR TAMANG, JAK RIF 18. IC-76197P MAJ NARENDER KUMAR, SIGS 19. IC-76604M MAJ ABHISHEK KUMAR, ARTY 20. IC-77202F MAJ ASHUTOSH KUMAR, ENGRS 21. IC-77234K MAJ RANDEEP SINGH, JAK RIF 22. IC-77313Y MAJ MAHENDRA SINGH, ASC 23. IC-77496A MAJ RAHUL DUTTA, ARTY 24. IC-77783K MAJ SATISH KUMAR GUPTA, SIGS 25. IC-77961F MAJ SAHIL SHARMA, RAJPUT 26. IC-78088F MAJ MAYANK VISHNOI, RAJPUT 27. IC-78153W MAJ ATHUL JAMES, ENGRS 28. IC-78368P MAJ ROHIT KUMAR UPRETI, ENGRS 29. IC-78823M MAJ PATHAK SAKET, EME 30. IC-78949M MAJ ANKESH JARIAL, ENGRS 31. IC-79250A MAJ NAOREM CHINGTHANGKHOMBA SINGH, KUMAON 32. SC-00699K MAJ KUNDAN KUMAR, ENGRS 33. SC-01005L MAJ HARJEET SINGH, RAJPUT 34. SS-44993K MAJ MANISH KUMAR VERMA, SIGS 35. SS-45292A MAJ VIBHORE JOSHI, KUMAON 36. SS-46780P MAJ ABHISHEK GHOSH, EME 37. IC-79580Y CAPT AADITYA ANAND TYAGI, ASSAM 38. IC-79612W CAPT SURYA PRAKASH, ARMD 39. IC-79711Y CAPT NEIL SILAS LOBO, ARMD 40. IC-80398L CAPT SANJAY KUMAR KHANKA, JAT 41. IC-81070W CAPT ROHIT KUMAR SWAMI, GARH RIF 42. IC-81317M CAPT SNEHASHISH PAUL, SIGS 43. IC-83768L CAPT MANOJ KUMAR KATARIA, JAK RIF 44. JC-452643A SUB SUKHDEV SINGH, GRENADIERS (POSTHUMOUS) 45. JC-491687N SUB AMAR PAL SINGH, JAT 46. JC-510962A SUB SATWARG SINGH, SIKH LI 47. JC-511035Y SUB BALKAR SINGH, SIKH LI 48. JC-285397W NB SUB ANIL KUMAR, FD REGT 49. JC-453239X NB SUB RAVINDER, GRENADIERS (POSTHUMOUS) 50. JC-501887A NB SUB SUKHWINDER SINGH, SIKH 51. JC-511610P NB SUB RAJWINDER SINGH, SIKH LI (POSTHUMOUS) 52. JC-583284N NB SUB PUSHAKAR RAJ, JAK RIF 53. 15479109Y DFR RANJIT KUMAR, ARMD54. 13625764F HAV GURJEET SINGH, PARA (SF) 55. 13766697L HAV SURESH DEWAN, JAK RIF 56. 14930612Y HAV RAKESH KUMAR TIWARY, MECH INF 57. 15152232P HAV HARDHAN CHANDRA ROY, MED REGT (POSTHUMOUS) 58. 2612806W HAV CHEEKALA PRAVEEN KUMAR, MADRAS (POSTHUMOUS) 59. 3000918H HAV MAHAVEER SINGH, RAJPUT 60. 3005523L HAV KAYAM SINGH, RAJPUT 61. 4190419X HAV GOKARAN SINGH, KUMAON (POSTHUMOUS) 62. 4475600W HAV AJIT SINGH, SIKH LI 63. 4575166K HAV GULJAR SINGH, MAHAR 64. 9108789H HAV SHOWKAT AHMAD SHEIKH, PARA (SF) 65. 13769111P NK RAKESH KUMAR, JAK RIF 66. 14936580X NK RADHE SHYAM, MECH INF 67. 2499980M NK GOVIND SINGH, PUNJAB 68. 2503271X NK RAJWINDER SINGH, PUNJAB, (POSTHUMOUS) 69. 2701667M NK SAYAR KHAN, GRENADIERS 70. 2708103M NK SHAITAN SINGH MEENA, GRENADIERS 71. 4201601A NK JEEVAN SINGH, KUMAON 72. 4202514Y NK SHIVAJI, KUMAON 73. 4485405M NK GURPREET SINGH, SIKH LI 74. 4582354N NK BALJIT KUMAR, MAHAR 75. 13629979X L/NK NONGMAITHEM DHANABIR SINGH, PARA (SF) 76. 13631872F L/NK HIMMAT SINGH, KUMAON 77. 14941510H L/NK BRIJ MOHAN, MECH INF 78. 3015017N L/NK KULDEEP KUMAR, RAJPUT 79. 4202647P L/NK DILEEP KUMAR YADAV, KUMAON 80. 4206527N L/NK RAJENDRA SINGH DOSAD, KUMAON 81. 5252614W L/NK SURYA BAHADUR SOTI, GR 82. 12984718M SEP JAHANEER AHMAD WAR, SIKH LI 83. 13631225F SEP MOHIT BHADANA, RAJPUT 84. 14945050K SEP SAMSAD ALI, MECH INF 85. 14947048L SEP GAUTAM TAMANG, MECH INF 86. 14948119N SEP PRASHANT SHARMA, MECH INF (POSTHUMOUS) 87. 15500342H SEP MANISH KUMAR, ARMD 88. 15506706A SEP KULDEEP SINGH, ARMD 89. 2512664P SEP ROHIN KUMAR, PUNJAB (POSTHUMOUS) 90. 2622827A SEP RYADA MAHESHWAR, MADRAS (POSTHUMOUS) 91. 2711270N SEP ASHISH KUMAR, GRENADIERS 92. 2713321P SEP HAWA SINGH, GRENADIERS 93. 3013548M SEP LACHCHHU SINGH, RAJPUT 94. 3014893M SEP GAURAV KUMAR TOMAR, RAJPUT 95. 3015141P SEP JITENDRA SINGH JODHA, RAJPUT 96. 3015362F SEP ANUJ MAVI, RAJPUT 97. 3016960L SEP ANUJ RANA, RAJPUT 98. 3017919F SEP RAJESH SINGH KASANA, RAJPUT 99. 3211229L SEP DEEPAK KUMAR, JAT 100. 4379650K SEP ELONTHUNG N PATTON, ASSAM 101. 4493034K SEP RAMANDEEP SINGH, SIKH LI 102. 9114846P SEP TANVEER AHMED, JAK LI 103. 13777546M RFN ROHIT, JAK RIF104. 13778307K RFN NARANJAN, JAK RIF 105. 9119122F RFN SAJAD HUSSAIN KHAN, JAK LI 106. 16122753K SPR BIBIN C, ENGRS 107. 16123692K SPR SIVAKUMAR G, ENGRS 108. 16124910K SPR BURLA ANJANEYULU, ENGRS 109. 2708179M GDR VIKASH KUMAR RAM, GRENADIERS 110. 2709595H GDR RAVI KUMAR SINGH, GRENADIERS, (POSTHUMOUS) 111. 2710803Y GDR PRASHANT SINGH, GRENADIERS, (POSTHUMOUS) 112. 15245939Y GNR BHUPENDER, MED REGT (POSTHUMOUS) 113. 15251323F GNR SUBODH GHOSH, MED REGT (POSTHUMOUS) 114. 13628400A PTR MANMOHAN SINGH, PARA (SF) 115. 15512815H SWR JILAJEET YADAV, ARMD, (POSTHUMOUS) 116. 9430387K SCOUT TASHI NAMGYAL LEPCHA, GR

MENTION-IN-DESPATCHES

OPERATION RAKSHAK 1. IC-62767P COL JASBIR SINGH MAAN, ARMY AVN SQN (R&O) 2. IC-69539P LT COL SHIV BAHADUR SINGH, ENGR REGT 3. IC-70410N MAJ SWAPNIL ZENDE, ARTY 4. IC-71908A MAJ DEEPAK KUMAR SINGH, ASC 5. IC-75737W MAJ PARTHA SARATHI BATABYAL, ARTY 6. IC-75865N MAJ PRADIP SHUKLA, GARH RIF 7. IC-77164W MAJ ADITYA BHADAURIA, KUMAON 8. SS-46311M MAJ HIMANSHU PRADHAN, SIKH 9. IC-80097F CAPT SHIVAM DAGUR, SIGS 10. IC-80233M CAPT SACHIN MALHOTRA, R&O FLT 11. SS-50090H LT HARINDER JIT SINGH, GRENADIERS 12. 4480174X HAV KULJINDER SINGH, SIKH LI 13. 15184292X NK ROSHAN SINGH, SATA BTY 14. 15216741X NK KARUPPA SAMY K, LT REGT 15. 2613899H NK ANEESH THOMAS, MADRAS (POSTHUMOUS) 16. 4582500H NK MANDLE PRADIP SAHEBRAO, MAHAR (POSTHUMOUS) 17. 9109266W NK KULDEEP KUMAR, JAK LI 18. 9113397Y NK SARTAJ AHMAD WAGAY, JAK LI 19. 9113576Y NK RAYEES AHMAD MAGRAY, JAK LI 20. 4090765Y NK VIKRAM SINGH, GARH RIF 21. 4094228L L/NK GAURAV SINGH, GARH RIF 22. 4201982M L/NK KAMLESH PANT, KUMAON 23. 3016320F SEP LADHU SINGH, RAJPUT 24. 15506422W SEP KHUVENDRA SINGH, ARMD  OPERATION SNOW LEOPARD 25. 15487120M L/DFR VIKRAM SINGH, ARMD REGT (POSTHUMOUS)

OPERATION RHINO 26. SS-45386X MAJ SOUBAM KINOBABU SINGH, JAK LI 27. JC-635706L NB SUB PREM KUMAR TAMANG, GR 28. 13014072P L/NK ANAL JYOTI NATH, ASSAM

DRAFT GAZETTE OF INDIA (EXTRAORDINARY)
PART I – SECTION 4
(ARMY BRANCH)
B/43432/ID21/AG/CW-2 New Delhi, the 15 August 2021
No. 09(E) dated 15 August 2021. The President is pleased to award honorary commission to the rank of Honorary Captain/Lieutenant on the eve of Independence Day 2021 to the under mentioned
Honorary Lieutenants/JCOs on active list under Para 177 of Regulation for the Army 1987, with effect from 15 August 2021 subject to the individual not being under any disciplinary action and satisfactory
continued performance :- TO BE HONORARY CAPTAIN (ON ACTIVE LIST)
ARMOURED CORPS
1 JC244322K RIS MAJ & HONY LT ANGREJ SINGH
2 JC244823K RIS MAJ & HONY LT GANGA RAM SHARMA
3 JC244520P RIS MAJ & HONY LT NARINDER SINGH
4 JC245411P RIS MAJ & HONY LT SHOKAT KHAN GAUR
5 JC244080M RIS MAJ & HONY LT THOTA RAMANAIAH
6 JC245494L RIS & HONY LT BUDUMURU RAMA PRASADA RAO
7 JC245181M RIS & HONY LT LAXMAN SINGH SHEKHAWAT
8 JC247009K RIS & HONY LT NABIN CHANDRA KIRAN
9 JC245478N RIS & HONY LT RAJGIR ROY
REGIMENT OF ARTILLERY
10 JC274472P SUB MAJ & HONY LT ABID HUSSAIN
11 JC277634A SUB MAJ & HONY LT ANIRUDH SINGH
12 JC256373K SUB MAJ & HONY LT ARUN KUMAR GAUTAM RT
13 JC273923X SUB MAJ & HONY LT BISHAMBER SINGH
14 JC273868M SUB MAJ & HONY LT GURNAM SINGH
15 JC272333M SUB MAJ & HONY LT KALLA VENKATARAMANA
16 JC273189P SUB MAJ & HONY LT LAL CHAND
17 JC277381W SUB MAJ & HONY LT ONKAR SINGH
18 JC275620F SUB MAJ & HONY LT PATOLE VIKAS RAMCHANDRA
19 JC273681A SUB MAJ & HONY LT RADHE SHYAM SHARMA
20 JC273084L SUB MAJ & HONY LT RAM SARAN SINGH
21 JC273668W SUB MAJ & HONY LT RAM SWAROOP YADAV
22 JC274527N SUB MAJ & HONY LT RATAN LAL SONKAR
23 JC273858H SUB MAJ & HONY LT SATISH KUMAR
24 JC273115A SUB MAJ & HONY LT SHAMSHER SINGH
25 JC273959W SUB MAJ & HONY LT VISWAMBHAR SINGH
26 JC279729Y SUB & HONY LT BRAJBHUSAN PACHOURI
27 JC274766H SUB & HONY LT GURBAX SINGH
28 JC275999W SUB & HONY LT HIMANSHU KUMAR SINGH
29 JC278058N SUB & HONY LT NARINDER SINGH
30 JC278187N SUB & HONY LT OM PRAKASH
31 JC270634X SUB & HONY LT PB BINU
Col
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2
32 JC282003F SUB & HONY LT PRAMOD KUMAR SINGH
33 JC279169X SUB & HONY LT PUSARLA ESWARA RAO
34 JC281360X SUB & HONY LT RUDRA KANT MISHRA
35 JC279986W SUB & HONY LT S KUMAR
36 JC279898A SUB & HONY LT SADANAND KUMAR BIHARI
37 JC274376A SUB & HONY LT SATYA VEER
38 JC272799P SUB & HONY LT SITA RAM CHAUDHARY
39 JC281165A SUB & HONY LT SURAJ SINGH YADAV
ARMY AIR DEFENCE
40 JC302096L SUB MAJ & HONY LT JAGDISH CHANDRA BHATT
41 JC303026Y SUB & HONY LT DHAN SINGH SAINI
42 JC303490H SUB & HONY LT K CHANDRA MOHAN SINGHA
43 JC302864F SUB & HONY LT MANOJ KUMAR SINGH
44 JC302763N SUB & HONY LT NAND SINGH CHAUHAN
45 JC301779M SUB & HONY LT OM NARAYAN SINGH
46 JC303164A SUB & HONY LT RENGARAJAN K
47 JC301463A SUB & HONY LT SULTAN SINGH RAWAT
ARMY AVIATION CORPS
48 JC850072F SUB & HONY LT PREM PAL SINGH
MADRAS ENGINEER GROUP
49 JC309893Y SUB MAJ & HONY LT M RAVI
50 JC309863F SUB MAJ & HONY LT M SUBRAMANI
51 JC311884W SUB & HONY LT ARUMUGAM V
52 JC307371K SUB & HONY LT BENOY SEBASTIAN
53 JC311297L SUB & HONY LT K GAJENDIRA KUMAR
BENGAL ENGINEER GROUP
54 JC339775A SUB MAJ & HONY LT BRIJESH KUMAR SINGH
55 JC339735Y SUB MAJ & HONY LT KULWINDER SINGH
56 JC339776H SUB MAJ & HONY LT LAXMAN SINGH
57 JC339264W SUB MAJ & HONY LT RAM NARESH SINGH KUSHWAH
58 JC339099W SUB MAJ & HONY LT UDAY BIR SINGH PUNDIR
59 JC341250P SUB & HONY LT HARISH CHANDRA JOSHI
60 JC327206A SUB & HONY LT JOHN VARGHESE
61 JC341190L SUB & HONY LT MANOJ KUMAR SINGH
62 JC341192W SUB & HONY LT RAM DHIRAJ SINGH YADAV
63 JC341603K SUB & HONY LT SANJAY SUMAR SINGH
64 JC341427X SUB & HONY LT SHINGARA SINGH
65 JC341172H SUB & HONY LT VINOD KUMAR SINGH
Col
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3
BOMBAY ENGINEER GROUP
66 JC352097K SUB MAJ & HONY LT
DHOBI NARENDRA CHANDRIKA
PRASAD
67 JC352085P SUB MAJ & HONY LT HANUMAN DUTTA SINGH
68 JC352081Y SUB MAJ & HONY LT MOHAMMAD MUSTKIM
69 JC352676W SUB MAJ & HONY LT R MOHAMMED RAFIEK RAJA
70 JC352055X SUB MAJ & HONY LT SHUKLA NAGENDRADEV
SHRIKRISHAN
71 JC352068P SUB MAJ & HONY LT SURJIT SINGH
72 JC352122X SUB MAJ & HONY LT TARSEM SINGH
73 JC352033Y SUB MAJ & HONY LT VIJAY KUMAR YADAV
74 JC353243L SUB & HONY LT BHOSALE RAM MARUTI
75 JC353259W SUB & HONY LT DILEEP PATIL
76 JC353351P SUB & HONY LT HARJIT SINGH
77 JC353423N SUB & HONY LT KRISHAN SINGH
78 JC353748F SUB & HONY LT MALOOK SINGH,SM
79 JC353403A SUB & HONY LT MORE YESHVANT VITTHAL
80 JC352850X SUB & HONY LT PASTE SURYAKANT LAXMAN
81 JC353200W SUB & HONY LT PAWAR RAJKUMAR KISAN
82 JC352845M SUB & HONY LT RAJESH KUMAR
83 JC353429P SUB & HONY LT SHIDA UNUS ISMAIL
84 JC353422L SUB & HONY LT TANVIR HASAN
CORPS OF SIGNALS
85 JC380935K SUB MAJ & HONY LT AWTAR SINGH
86 JC380772F SUB MAJ & HONY LT LAKSHMAN SINGH CHOUHAN
87 JC380718N SUB MAJ & HONY LT PAWAN KUMAR SHARMA
88 JC379400K SUB MAJ & HONY LT PUNAM LAL
89 JC380778H SUB MAJ & HONY LT RAMESH KUMAR S
90 JC379314Y SUB MAJ & HONY LT VINAY KUMAR OJHA
91 JC382659L SUB & HONY LT AKAS CHAKRABORTY
92 JC385244F SUB & HONY LT DARURI UMAPATHI NAIDU
93 JC383370P SUB & HONY LT HAYAT SINGH SIROLA
94 JC383371X SUB & HONY LT NAVENDRA PRASAD BHATT
95 JC384752L SUB & HONY LT NILAKANTHA PATTNAYAK
96 JC377471M SUB & HONY LT P PALANI
97 JC385405Y SUB & HONY LT SHEO SHANKER RAM
98 JC383842A SUB & HONY LT SHOKEEN
99 JC385243Y SUB & HONY LT SOMBIR SINGH
100 JC383636W SUB & HONY LT SUKH DEV
101 JC384285Y SUB & HONY LT SUNIL A
102 JC383169K SUB & HONY LT UMESH KUMAR PATEL
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4
THE BRIGADE OF GUARDS
103 JC404407F SUB MAJ & HONY LT MAIFOOJ ALAM
104 JC404346P SUB MAJ & HONY LT RAJALE LAXMAN BABU
105 JC405230L SUB & HONY LT JAG BARAN
106 JC405622Y SUB & HONY LT VINOD PRASAD
THE PARACHUTE REGIMENT
107 JC413448M SUB MAJ & HONY LT BHAWANI DATT,SM
108 JC413449P SUB MAJ & HONY LT RAJ PAL SINGH
109 JC413998P SUB & HONY LT HARENDRA
110 JC413870K SUB & HONY LT RAJESH KUMAR BALOURIA
111 JC413872P SUB & HONY LT UDA RAM
THE MECHANISED INFANTRY REGIMENT
112 JC421708F SUB MAJ & HONY LT BHAGWAN SINGH
113 JC421833L SUB MAJ & HONY LT DHARAMJEET TIWARI
114 JC421063K SUB MAJ & HONY LT KANHIYA LAL GURJAR
115 JC421706W SUB MAJ & HONY LT OM PRAKASH
116 JC422396H SUB & HONY LT DIPAK KUMAR CHETRI
THE PUNJAB REGIMENT
117 JC430726L SUB MAJ & HONY LT HARDEV SINGH
118 JC430579N SUB MAJ & HONY LT RESHM PAL SINGH
119 JC431670W SUB & HONY LT JAGTAR SINGH
120 JC431769M SUB & HONY LT LAXMI CHAND SHARMA
121 JC431671Y SUB & HONY LT MANGAT SINGH
122 JC431251Y SUB & HONY LT RANJIT SINGH KATAL, M-IN-D
THE MADRAS REGIMENT
123 JC440325K SUB MAJ & HONY LT GINJALA GANGARAJU,SM
124 JC440418Y SUB MAJ & HONY LT R PRABU
125 JC440205L SUB MAJ & HONY LT RAJU TM
126 JC440283H SUB MAJ & HONY LT RANJITH RADHAKRISHNAN M P
127 JC441034W SUB & HONY LT DASARATHAN M
128 JC441033N SUB & HONY LT KUMAR N
THE GRENADIERS
129 JC450988H SUB MAJ & HONY LT AJEET SINGH SHEKHAWAT
130 JC450607W SUB MAJ & HONY LT ARUN KUMAR SINGH
131 JC450986X SUB MAJ & HONY LT AYUB KHAN KAYAM KHANI
132 JC450884F SUB MAJ & HONY LT SELLAERRA MADDULETY
133 JC450991H SUB MAJ & HONY LT SHRAWAN LAL
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5
134 JC450944L SUB MAJ & HONY LT SUBHASH CHANDER
135 JC450915W SUB MAJ & HONY LT YOGENDRA SINGH YADAV,PVC
136 JC451409X SUB & HONY LT MIRZA NIHALOODDIN BEG
137 JC451747P SUB & HONY LT RANBIR SINGH
THE MARATHA LIGHT INFANTRY
138 JC460122F SUB MAJ & HONY LT JAGATAP MAHADEV KISAN
139 JC460022W SUB MAJ & HONY LT KADAM DEEPAK KUMAR
NARAYAN
140 JC461108F SUB & HONY LT CHALAKE RAJESH GANGARAM
141 JC460702W SUB & HONY LT MORE ASHOK GANAPATI
THE RAJPUTANA RIFLES
142 JC470695Y SUB MAJ & HONY LT DILIP KUMAR SINGH
143 JC470832M SUB MAJ & HONY LT HANUMAN RAM
144 JC470909K SUB MAJ & HONY LT SANTOSH KUMAR SINGH
145 JC470741H SUB MAJ & HONY LT VADAN SINGH RANAWAT
146 JC470956F SUB MAJ & HONY LT VIJAY SINGH,SM
147 JC470950A SUB & HONY LT JITENDRA SINGH
148 JC471438N SUB & HONY LT SHANKER LAL BHICHER, M-IN-D
149 JC471525F SUB & HONY LT SITA RAM
150 JC471209H SUB & HONY LT SURENDRA SINGH THAKUR
THE RAJPUT REGIMENT
151 JC480174Y SUB MAJ & HONY LT DHARAM PAL
152 JC480545W SUB MAJ & HONY LT KAMALESH KUMAR SINHA
153 JC480483F SUB MAJ & HONY LT SHEESH RAM GURJAR,SM
154 JC480717A SUB MAJ & HONY LT VISHWAMBHAR SINGH JADON
155 JC481559H SUB & HONY LT DEV RAJ SINGH
156 JC481132Y SUB & HONY LT MANAK SINGH,SM
157 JC481079Y SUB & HONY LT SURENDER KUMAR
158 JC481009A SUB & HONY LT SURENDRA KUMAR SINGH
159 JC481315P SUB & HONY LT VED RAM
THE JAT REGIMENT
160 JC490203W SUB MAJ & HONY LT DILBAG SINGH
161 JC490250N SUB MAJ & HONY LT HIMMAT SINGH CHAHAR
162 JC490248W SUB MAJ & HONY LT SATISH KUMAR
163 JC490749W SUB MAJ & HONY LT SHIV RAM DISWAR
164 JC490874A SUB & HONY LT GOPAL SINGH CHOUDHARY
165 JC490997M SUB & HONY LT NEM SINGH,SM
166 JC491362A SUB & HONY LT ROHITAS KUMAR
167 JC491032F SUB & HONY LT SAHI RAM
168 JC491249L SUB & HONY LT SURENDRA KUMAR,SM
169 JC491417Y SUB & HONY LT VIJAI SINGH JAKHAR
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6
THE SIKH REGIMENT
170 JC500440W SUB MAJ & HONY LT HARMASH SINGH
171 JC499843F SUB MAJ & HONY LT PARGAT SINGH
172 JC500072M SUB MAJ & HONY LT RACHHPAL SINGH
173 JC501239X SUB & HONY LT JASWINDER SINGH
174 JC500828F SUB & HONY LT MLAKIAT SINGH
175 JC500528A SUB & HONY LT SURINDER SINGH
THE SIKH LIGHT INFANTRY
176 JC509883Y SUB MAJ & HONY LT DAVINDER SINGH
177 JC509746A SUB MAJ & HONY LT SATPAL SINGH
178 JC510918W SUB & HONY LT AMRIK SINGH
179 JC510758F SUB & HONY LT JAGWINDER SINGH
180 JC510120P SUB & HONY LT KULWANT SINGH
THE DOGRA REGIMENT
181 JC521207W SUB MAJ & HONY LT ASHWANI KUMAR RANA
182 JC521233X SUB MAJ & HONY LT DEEPAK KUMAR
183 JC521194K SUB MAJ & HONY LT HARI SINGH
184 JC521355F SUB MAJ & HONY LT RANDHIR SINGH,VSM
185 JC522109H SUB & HONY LT ATMA SINGH
186 JC521945A SUB & HONY LT PREM LAL
187 JC521897L SUB & HONY LT RAKESH CHAND
188 JC518601W SUB & HONY LT ROSHAN LAL MISHRA RT
THE GARHWAL RIFLES
189 JC530777N SUB MAJ & HONY LT AWATAR SINGH
190 JC530935X SUB MAJ & HONY LT VIJAY SINGH
191 JC531868K SUB & HONY LT MAHESHWAR PRASAD
192 JC531854K SUB & HONY LT NARENDRA SINGH
193 JC531361H SUB & HONY LT SURENDRA SINGH
194 JC532205L SUB & HONY LT TRILOK SINGH
195 JC531869M SUB & HONY LT VIJAI PAL SINGH RAWAT
THE KUMAON REGIMENT
196 JC540827F SUB MAJ & HONY LT CHANDRA SHEKAR JOSHI
197 JC540618K SUB MAJ & HONY LT JIWAN SINGH PUJARI
198 JC540678Y SUB MAJ & HONY LT RAJENDER SINGH
199 JC540550N SUB MAJ & HONY LT VIKRAM SINGH BISHT
200 JC541531P SUB & HONY LT HARISH CHANDER SINGH, SM
201 JC541627X SUB & HONY LT NAR PAL SINGH
202 JC541006Y SUB & HONY LT RAM KISHAN YADAV,SM
203 JC541554W SUB & HONY LT SATISH KUMAR
204 JC541184F SUB & HONY LT SUNIL KUMAR
Col
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7
THE ASSAM REGIMENT
205 JC549316Y SUB MAJ & HONY LT BABU RAM THAPA
206 JC550221L SUB MAJ & HONY LT DAYARAM RAMCHIARY
207 JC550294X SUB MAJ & HONY LT TOIJAM CHANDRA SINGH
208 JC549792X SUB & HONY LT THAMAN GURUNG
THE BIHAR REGIMENT
209 JC560181H SUB MAJ & HONY LT MAHESH YADAV
210 JC560491N SUB MAJ & HONY LT SHATRUGHAN SINGH,VC
211 JC558056A SUB MAJ & HONY LT TARKESHWAR TIWARY RT
212 JC561387M SUB & HONY LT MANOJ KUMAR SINGH
213 JC561450W SUB & HONY LT PERMESHWAR ORAON
214 JC561780P SUB & HONY LT SANJAY KUMAR
215 JC561515Y SUB & HONY LT SUNIL PRASAD KUSHWAHA
THE MAHAR REGIMENT
216 JC570254X SUB MAJ & HONY LT AJIT SINGH
217 JC570430K SUB MAJ & HONY LT JOGINDER SINGH
218 JC413446F SUB & HONY LT GANGA SINGH
219 JC571422X SUB & HONY LT MAN SINGH MANESHA
220 JC571348F SUB & HONY LT PARAMJIT SINGH
221 JC570994M SUB & HONY LT VIJENDRA SINGH RATHORE
THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR RIFLES
222 JC581302M SUB MAJ & HONY LT GYANENDRA KUMAR RANA
223 JC580976X SUB MAJ & HONY LT KUNDAN LAL
224 JC581112A SUB MAJ & HONY LT MADAN LAL
225 JC580603K SUB MAJ & HONY LT SAJJAN SINGH
226 JC580796P SUB MAJ & HONY LT SUKHDEV SINGH
227 JC582340P SUB & HONY LT ASHOK KUMAR
228 JC582213A SUB & HONY LT SHRI DEV
229 JC582035H SUB & HONY LT SURINDER PAL SINGH
THE LADAKH SCOUTS
230 JC588493P SUB MAJ & HONY LT WANGCHAN TANTAK
231 JC588785X SUB & HONY LT PHUNCHOK ANGCHOK
THE NAGA REGIMENT
232 JC590308P SUB MAJ & HONY LT PARVEEN SINGH CHAUHAN
Col
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THE JAMMU AND KASHMIR LIGHT INFANTRY
233 JC593966M SUB MAJ & HONY LT GURMEET SINGH
234 JC593699W SUB MAJ & HONY LT GURMEET SINGH
235 JC593715H SUB MAJ & HONY LT HARDEV SINGH
236 JC593782N SUB MAJ & HONY LT NISAR AHMAD BHAT
237 JC593642F SUB MAJ & HONY LT RATTAN LAL
238 JC594139W SUB & HONY LT GULAM MOHD
239 JC593973H SUB & HONY LT PUSHPINDER SINGH
240 JC594173W SUB & HONY LT RAKESH KUMAR
1 GORKHA RIFLES
241 JC602857K SUB MAJ & HONY LT HASTA BAHADUR GURUNG
242 JC603178Y SUB & HONY LT RUPINDER THAPA
3 GORKHA RIFLES
243 JC607986N SUB & HONY LT HARI BAHADUR THAPA
4 GORKHA RIFLES
244 JC612741F SUB MAJ & HONY LT GOPAL BAHADUR THAPA
245 JC612763A SUB MAJ & HONY LT MANOJ KUMAR GURUNG
246 JC612665A SUB MAJ & HONY LT TARA BAHADUR RANA
5 GORKHA RIFLES
247 JC617983N SUB MAJ & HONY LT KHADAK BAHADUR PUN
8 GORKHA RIFLES
248 JC623846L SUB MAJ & HONY LT HUM RAJ SHRESTHA
249 JC623859H SUB MAJ & HONY LT KARNA BAHADUR THAPA
250 JC623097A SUB MAJ & HONY LT SACHCHIDA NAND MISRA RT
9 GORKHA RIFLES
251 JC630023N SUB MAJ & HONY LT JAGAT BAHADUR KHAN THAKURI
252 JC630260X SUB & HONY LT BIDUR BAHADUR KUNWAR
11 GORKHA RIFLES
253 JC634853F SUB MAJ & HONY LT BHISMA KUMAR SHRESTHA
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ARMY SERVICE CORPS(SOUTH)
254 JC660506A SUB MAJ & HONY LT ARUN KUMAR RT
255 JC667216L SUB MAJ & HONY LT BRAJESH KUMAR JHA
256 JC667803W SUB MAJ & HONY LT K MOHAN KUMAR
257 JC643273N SUB MAJ & HONY LT NANAVARE RAJARAM LAXMAN
258 JC663009F SUB MAJ & HONY LT RAUT DNYANESHWAR DEVIDAS
259 JC667985P SUB & HONY LT HEMANTA KUMAR PRADHAN
260 JC670604N SUB & HONY LT PANKAJ KUMAR
ARMY SERVICE CORPS(ANIMAL TRANSPORT)
261 JC681335M RIS MAJ & HONY LT MOHAN LAL
262 JC681402M RIS MAJ & HONY LT SURENDRAN V
263 JC681690K RIS & HONY LT BINOD KUMAR
264 JC681686F RIS & HONY LT K PALANI
265 JC681726X RIS & HONY LT KAPILDEV YADAV
266 JC681679L RIS & HONY LT LALTA PRASAD
267 JC681676X RIS & HONY LT RAMESH SINGH SOMBRIA RAJPUT
268 JC681684W RIS & HONY LT RAMESH SINGH
ARMY MEDICAL CORPS
269 JC699389W SUB MAJ & HONY LT ARBIND KUMAR GUPTA
270 JC699557K SUB MAJ & HONY LT ARVENDRA KUMAR
271 JC699554W SUB MAJ & HONY LT AWADHESH KUMAR SINGH
272 JC699397P SUB MAJ & HONY LT BABULAL
273 JC699391N SUB MAJ & HONY LT DEV CHIRAN RATHORE
274 JC699236M SUB MAJ & HONY LT HERA PRASAD
275 JC699242A SUB MAJ & HONY LT JAI SINGH
276 JC699405H SUB MAJ & HONY LT P SURYA NARAYANA
277 JC699272X SUB MAJ & HONY LT RAJENDER PAL
278 JC699162H SUB MAJ & HONY LT S UMASANKAR
279 JC699392W SUB MAJ & HONY LT VIRENDRA PANDEY
280 JC701478W SUB & HONY LT DAGADE SHASHI KANT NIVRUTTI
281 JC699812L SUB & HONY LT KAILASH VIR
282 JC701882L SUB & HONY LT MANOJ KUMAR YADAV
283 JC701341K SUB & HONY LT TARA CHAND
ARMY ORDNANCE CORPS
284 JC726948F SUB MAJ & HONY LT BIRENDER SINGH RANA
285 JC730216H SUB MAJ & HONY LT SAHAB SINGH
286 JC730231X SUB MAJ & HONY LT SUSHANTA BISWAS
287 JC731899N SUB & HONY LT AJAY SINGH CHAUHAN
288 JC731905W SUB & HONY LT ASHOK SINGH
289 JC731776F SUB & HONY LT KISHORI LAL
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290 JC730865N SUB & HONY LT NOOKAPAJU PRAGADA
291 JC731814M SUB & HONY LT SIRIGIRI CHINNA OBAIAH
292 JC731835H SUB & HONY LT VED PRAKASH
CORPS OF ELECTRONICS AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERS
293 JC767404F SUB MAJ & HONY LT ARVIND KUMAR SINGH
294 JC760287Y SUB MAJ & HONY LT BISWAJIT BISWAS
295 JC760046Y SUB MAJ & HONY LT CHABIN CHANDRA ROY
296 JC760288F SUB MAJ & HONY LT CHANDRASEKARAN P
297 JC759932W SUB MAJ & HONY LT CHAVAN SURESH SADASHIV
298 JC767398Y SUB MAJ & HONY LT DHARAM SINGH
299 JC759961L SUB MAJ & HONY LT JAINENDRA KUMAR
300 JC760286W SUB MAJ & HONY LT K UDHAYASURIYAN
301 JC760291F SUB MAJ & HONY LT MANOJ KUMAR
302 JC767704H SUB MAJ & HONY LT P LOURDUSAMY
303 JC767700M SUB MAJ & HONY LT PARASH NATH RAI
304 JC759956A SUB MAJ & HONY LT SHIV DARSHAN TRIPATHI
305 JC760031W SUB MAJ & HONY LT SYED SAMAD SYED AHMED
306 JC764688L SUB MAJ & HONY LT VIJAY SINGH
307 JC759958L SUB MAJ & HONY LT VINOD KUMAR PANDEY
308 JC772531A SUB & HONY LT BRIJ MOHAN SINGH
309 JC769346F SUB & HONY LT KARAN SINGH
310 JC765178W SUB & HONY LT KRISHAN KUMAR
311 JC763723W SUB & HONY LT M RAGHAVAN
312 JC769144A SUB & HONY LT MOHAN CHANDRA JHA
313 JC772521W SUB & HONY LT RAJEEV RANJAN KUMAR
314 JC767902N SUB & HONY LT RAM BACHAN PRASAD
315 JC772519Y SUB & HONY LT SATBIR SINGH
316 JC772383A SUB & HONY LT SATYAPAL CHALRS
317 JC772372N SUB & HONY LT SURJEET SINGH
ARMY EDUCATION CORPS
318 JC804486P SUB MAJ & HONY LT ANIL KUMAR
319 JC804248H SUB MAJ & HONY LT NARAYAN CHANDRA DWIVEDI
320 JC804869F SUB & HONY LT AJEET SINGH
321 JC804838F SUB & HONY LT DEEPAK KUMAR PAIKRAY
REMOUNT AND VETERINARY CORPS
322 JC797709W RIS & HONY LT DHARAM PAL
THE INTELLIGENCE CORPS
323 JC811502K SUB MAJ & HONY LT SATYA NARAYAN
324 JC811900L SUB & HONY LT SUBASH CHANDER
325 JC811701X SUB & HONY LT VIJAY KUMAR
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CORPS OF MILITARY POLICE
326 JC819636X SUB MAJ & HONY LT ROHTASH
327 JC820098F SUB & HONY LT MUNNA KUMAR PANDEY
THE PIONEER CORPS
328 JC829541L SUB MAJ & HONY LT SHAWAL RAM
DEFENCE SECURITY CORPS
329 JC842587M SUB MAJ & HONY LT RAJ KUMAR PATYAL
330 JC841755N SUB & HONY LT SHRI BHAGWAN
331 JC843757X SUB & HONY LT SALIMUDDIN BARBHUIYA
TERRITORIAL ARMY
332 TJ5739K SUB & HONY LT ASHOK KUMAR
333 TJ5108F SUB & HONY LT GAWARE RAMNATH SUKDEV
334 TJ5884F SUB & HONY LT NIRMAL TAMANG
335 TJ6021M SUB & HONY LT OM PRAKASH TIWARI
336 TJ5987A SUB & HONY LT PRABHAKARAN EV
337 TJ5254F SUB & HONY LT SUBHASH CHAND

New Delhi: The Armed Forces and different organisations of the Ministry of Defence will be conducting various events across the country to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence, being celebrated as ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will formally launch various major events virtually from New Delhi on Friday.
Following are the events to be launched in the run-up to Independence Day 2021:
Unfurling of National Flag at 75 Passes/Places: To commemorate 75 years of Independence, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) will unfurl the National Flag at 75 important passes and places in the country, displaying their resolve in developing border infrastructure. 75 teams of BRO will depart on August 13, 2021, to these remote passes. The most prominent among them is ‘Umlingla Pass’, which is the highest motorable road in the world at 19,300 feet, in Eastern Ladakh. The national tri-colour will also be unfurled at prominent infrastructure landmarks like Atal Tunnel, Rohtang and Dhola Sadiya Bridge in the Northeast, besides in friendly foreign countries.
Unfurling of National Flag in Islands: Indian Coast Guard will be unfurling the National Flag at 100 islands Pan-India on August 15, 2021, as part of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’. The proceedings will start on August 13, 2021.
Freedom Run: Indian Navy personnel and their families will participate in the freedom run at Naval Officers Mess in Varuna, New Delhi. The Defence Minister will virtually flag off the freedom run, which is part of the Fit India Freedom Run 2.0 being launched across the country on August 13, 2021, to celebrate the 75th Independence Day.
Army Expedition: To instil a sense of pride and confidence among citizens that the Indian Army is committed to protecting the country in all types of terrain and climate, the teams of the Army will scale 75 mountain passes to mark this momentous occasion. The passes include Saserla Pass in Ladakh region, Stakpochan Pass in Kargil region, Satopanth, Harshil, Uttarakhand, Phim Karnla, Sikkim and Point 4493, Tawang region of Arunachal Pradesh. The Raksha Mantri will flag off the event on August 13, 2021.

The UK, Germany, France and India have deployed warships that have transited or will transit the South China Sea. Many say this convergence is intended to demonstrate their collective and coordinated will and capability to defend the existing “international order” against China’s illegal claims and bullying.
But while Washington may have thought – or wanted the world and Americans to think – that these countries were in united support of its crusade to contain China, they each had their own motives and their messages were mixed.
But before analysing the details of the messaging, it is important to clear up some confusion regarding the purpose of these deployments. Some have implied that they are freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs) challenging China’s claims. They are not. FONOPs are formal pre-programmed operational challenges with warships and warplanes against claims the US believes are inconsistent with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), such as prior permission to enter a territorial sea, closing baselines around the Paracels, or claims to low-tide features.
Whatever it is that Beijing is claiming with its nine-dash line, it has no objection to normal passage of warships through the South China Sea. To imply that such passages are a challenge to China’s claims or FONOPs is inaccurate. The confusion stems in part from the United States’ disingenuous conflation of freedom of commercial navigation with its military priorities there – freedom to probe China’s defences and to attempt to intimidate it into abandoning its claims.
The US implies that China’s objection to its military probes and FONOPs is a threat to commercial navigation. But – other than temporarily closing off high seas for the safety of navigation during military exercises – China has not interfered with commercial freedom of navigation and is unlikely to do so in peacetime.
China, however, does object by word and deed to what it perceives as the US military’s abuse of “freedom of navigation,” its violations of UNCLOS and its intimidation and coercion in enforcing its own interpretation of UNCLOS provisions – even though it is not a party to that treaty.
The US has for many years been pressuring others in and outside the region to join its FONOPs there, without success. US allies including Australia, Japan and the Philippines have so far declined such US requests. They all have their own particular reasons for doing so but a common one is that they do not see China’s claims as a threat to commercial traffic or their security, despite Washington’s dire warnings to the contrary.
The UK is the only country that has answered the call – and that was a unilateral one-off. In 2018, HMS Albion undertook a FONOP that violated China’s closing lines around the Paracels, one of Beijing’s most egregious claims.
Perhaps London was trying to please the Americans but avoid serious provocation by refraining from challenging China’s sovereignty claims to low tide features. In any event, given the political and economic blowback from China, it is unlikely to do so again under current circumstances.
In September 2020, France, Germany and the UK jointly submitted a note verbale to the United Nations emphasizing “the importance of unhampered exercise of the freedom of the high seas” in the South China Sea. Given this context, the deployments certainly send a collective political and strategic signal – the latter intended or not.
Beijing perceives the South China Sea as being well within its “sphere of influence.” For China, it is a historically vulnerable underbelly that must be turned into a “natural shield for its national security.”
It also provides relative “sanctuary” for its second-strike nuclear submarines. They are its insurance against a first strike – something the US, unlike China, has not disavowed. So to China, these deployments mean that the US and its allies want to deny it the defensive buffer and sanctuary of the South China Sea.
The strategic problem is that China’s military controls its near seas including the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, and the US and its allies will not be able to get to a conflict there in time. Given this background, what specific messages did the deployments send in terms of what they are willing and capable of doing about that?
The US Pacific Command organized joint exercises with the militaries of Australia, Japan and the UK in the Philippine Sea. According to the Pacific Command, this Large Scale Exercise 2021 signalled “to our competitors [that] the US military remains ready for the high end of warfare expressly because of its global commitments.”
This was the largest military exercise in the area since the Cold War. The US clearly intended to demonstrate its capacity and will to both China and to its allies and friends in Asia. It hoped that its partners would do the same.
UK Treads Cautiously
But did they? The UK sent its premier aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth and its strike group to sail through the South China Sea. China warned it not to undertake any “improper acts” – and it complied. It explicitly avoided sailing within the 12-nautical-mile territorial seas of China’s claimed features.
The UK’s actions and reassurances diluted the United States’ intended message by not challenging China’s claims to some of the disputed features that the US says are illegitimate. The UK also announced that the strike group would not sail through the sensitive Taiwan Strait, an act that China would consider politically provocative. Ironically, under UNCLOS it has the right to do so – but unlike the US, which seems to enjoy provoking China, it chose not to.
In sum, the message sent by the UK naval deployment was definitely mixed and muddled. Further confusing the message, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin questioned the wisdom of Britain undertaking such a mission so far from its own region where its capabilities could be more efficiently and effectively applied.
He seemed to be cautioning the UK to be careful and not start something it cannot finish.
Germany Plays Both Sides
Germany’s message was even more tentative and mixed. For the first time in nearly 20 years, Germany deployed a warship, the frigate Bayern, to the region and through the South China Sea.
As it set sail, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said, “We aim to be involved and to take responsibility for maintaining the rule-based international order.”
Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer declared, “The message is clear, we are raising the flag for our interests and values.” This is “important” because “for our partners in the Indo-Pacific, it is a reality that sea routes are no longer open and secure….”
This was nonsense both in fact and in intent. In truth, Germany tried to hedge to please both the US and China.
It sent the Bayern because of pressure from the US. But it assured China that it would not undertake any provocations or confrontations. It pledged to confine its transit to traditional sea lanes and that it would not enter the Taiwan Strait. It also pointedly said it would not participate in the massive US-organized joint exercises in the Philippine Sea.
It even went one step further to mollify China by requesting a port visit in Shanghai. But because that port call would have occurred before it entered the South China Sea (on its return journey from Japan), it conveyed to some that Germany was implicitly requesting China’s approval of the transit.
Ironically, China rejected the request pending a better explanation of why Germany was sending the Bayern to the region in the first place. So Germany’s hedging backfired, and it now may be forced either to further muddle the message or anger China.
India Wary of Red Lines
Now India is sending a naval task force to the South China Sea. “The deployment of the Indian Navy ships seeks to underscore the operational reach, peaceful presence and solidarity with friendly countries towards ensuring good order in the maritime domain,” the navy said.
The vessels will have individual military exercises with Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore and Indonesia and then join those of the US, Japan, Australia in the annual Malabar exercises.
But India’s participation in a security arrangement against China is not certain. India is steadfastly non-aligned and moreover does not measure up to US preferred standards of democracy and human rights. These differences could present serious obstacles to a closer security relationship.
Moreover, China can use its economic might and pressure on its disputed land boundary to prevent India from being actively involved in a security grouping against it. The deployment may be a counter to China’s pressure on their common border in Ladakh. But India is unlikely to cross a red line and challenge Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea.
Despite the political and strategic signalling, China is unlikely to be militarily intimidated by the occasional transits of a few naval vessels sending mixed messages.
In response, Beijing announced a simultaneous large-scale military exercise in the north-western South China Sea involving a variety of services and weapons. There is a rumour that it may even include test firing of its “carrier-killer missiles” as it did last year in the same area. That would be an escalation of the messaging “war.”
Where is this mixed messaging contest likely to go – and end? It certainly is not going in the right direction, and mixed messaging only contributes to the risk of conflict.