Top court sets aside an order of Punjab and Haryana High Court, says direction to allow a retired public servant to retain such premises for an indefinite period is distribution of state largesse without any policy.
Photo for representation. — iStock
New Delhi, August 12
Government accommodation is meant for serving officials and not retirees as a “benevolence” and distribution of largesse, the Supreme Court has said while setting aside an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court allowing a retired public servant to retain such premises.
Right to shelter does not mean right to government accommodation, the apex court said, observing that direction to allow a retired public servant to retain such premises for an indefinite period is distribution of state largesse without any policy.
While allowing the appeal filed by the Centre, a bench of justices Hemant Gupta and A S Bopanna set aside the high court order and directed the retired Intelligence Bureau officer, a Kashmiri migrant, to hand over vacant physical possession of the premises on or before October 31, 2021.
The bench also directed the Centre to submit a report of action taken against retired public servants, who are in government accommodation post their retirement by virtue of orders of the high courts, by November 15, 2021.
The officer, who was transferred to Faridabad where he was allotted a government accommodation, had attained the age of superannuation from service on October 31, 2006.
“The right to shelter does not mean right to government accommodation. The government accommodation is meant for serving officers and officials and not to the retirees as a benevolence and distribution of largesse,” the bench said in its judgement passed last week.
The top court was hearing a plea against the July 2011 order of a division bench of the high court which had dismissed a petition against its single judge order.https://65ae3afaba79bd4cf4ce766896be283d.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
The single judge had said it was not possible for the retired officer to return to his own state due to which the order of eviction shall be kept in abeyance. The high court had also said the authorities were at liberty to provide alternative accommodation to him on nominal licence fee in Faridabad.
The officer had earlier given representation to the concerned authority to allow him to retain the government accommodation and he was allowed to retain the house for another one year.
Later, he submitted another representation in June 2007 to allow him to retain the house allotted to him on a nominal licence fee till the circumstances prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir improve and the government makes it possible for him to return to his native place.
He was served with a notice under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupant) Act, 1971 and later, an order for eviction was passed but it was stayed by a district court in Delhi.
When an objection was raised about territorial jurisdiction of Delhi court, he withdrew his appeal and filed it in Faridabad court which dismissed it in August 2009. Later, the matter reached the high court.
In its verdict, the apex court referred to several judgements delivered earlier and said it was held that government accommodation is only meant for in-service officers and not for the retirees or those who have demitted office.
“The compassion howsoever genuine does not give a right to a retired person from continuing to occupy a government accommodation,” it said.
It noted that according to a policy framed by the government, a displaced person is to be lodged in a transit accommodation and if it is not available, then cash compensation is to be provided.
“There is no policy of the central government or the state government to provide accommodation to displaced persons on account of terrorism in the state of Jammu and Kashmir,” it said. “The hardship faced by them does not lead to a corresponding duty of the state to provide them alternative government accommodation.”
It noted that a section of society, more so retired public servants who have earned pension and drawn retirement benefits, cannot be said to be in such condition where the government should provide government accommodation for an unlimited period.
“A section of the migrants cannot be treated as preferential citizens to give them the right to shelter at the cost of millions of other citizens who do not have a roof over their heads,” it said.
The bench said right of shelter to a displaced person is satisfied when accommodation had been provided in the transit accommodation.
The bench said in terms of the policy, which was considered in an earlier verdict of the apex court, Kashmiri migrants are entitled to transit accommodation and if transit accommodation could not be provided then money for residence and expenses.
It said the retired officer in the matter and such persons are not from the poorest section of migrants and have worked in the higher echelons of the bureaucracy.
“To say that they are enforcing their right to shelter only till such time the conditions are conducive for their safe return is wholly illusory. No one is sure that at what point of time the condition will be conducive to the satisfaction of the migrants. Such benevolence and preferential right to section of the citizens is unfair to the serving officers,” it said.
It set aside the high court’s order and restored the writ petition challenging the order under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupant) Act, 1971. PTI
Good morning , friends!.. ..I feel elated to share with you all this proud moment of the stupendous achievement by Neeraj, my Regimental boy!.. he was picked up by our regiment, Rajputana Rifles( Raj Rif) in 2016 as Direct Hav in Sports quota. Col Dinesh Alagh was his mentor initially at our Raj Rif Regt Centre, Delhi but soon realised his potential & recommended his further training at Germany n since past 5 years has been training in GERMANY only!. He has not been to even his unit 4 Raj Rif, which is there with me in Udaipur , but purely due to his dedication , focussed approach n hard wk, he has performed consistently well over the past 5 years n reached this stage today!…Incidentally, he also holds the World Record with a throw of 88.67 m.. Congratulations to us all Indians, the Indian Army n Rajputana Rifles!.History is created- by the Indian Army yet again ! Unfortunate that his mentor, Col Dinesh passed away a few weeks back n could not see the end result !. Veer Bhogya Vasundhara !🎉🥂🍾🎼💃💐
Neeraj Chopra ends India’s 100-yr wait for track & field medal in Olympics
Indias Neeraj Chopra reacts as he competes in the final of the mens javelin throw event at the 2020 Summer Olympics, in Tokyo.
Karam Prakash
Tribune News Service
Patiala, August 7
Neeraj Chopra (23) knew he’d thrown big — the javelin left his hand, the momentum carried him close to the final line and he swivelled and turned his back to the flying spear. He knew it was going far. He simply raised his arms in triumph. He had got a big one — 87.58 metres. That was the gold standard. It was only the second of his six throws of the night. No one came close to beating him.
The son of a Panipat farmer and an alumnus of Chandigarh’s DAV College, Chopra remained calm through the next half-an-hour as spear after spear flew in the Tokyo night. He vented out his joy with a massive roar, only when his closest competitor, Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic, who had hit 86.67 in his fifth attempt, finished with a foul on his sixth and final throw. Gold in his pocket, Chopra threw the spear for the one final time in Tokyo — a creditable 84.24 metres.
Chopra’s gold is India’s second individual gold in the Olympic Games after Abhinav Bindra’s shooting gold at Beijing in 2008. Chopra’s gold feels doubly burnished as it comes in an event that requires the highest levels of athleticism, power and agility.
India came close to a medal in track and field only twice before — when Milkha Singh finished fourth in 400m at the Rome Olympics in 1960, and when PT Usha fell a hundredth of a second short of bronze in the 440m hurdles at Los Angeles in 1984. In 100 years of trying, since India first participated in the Olympic Games in 1920, Chopra’s is the country’s first-ever medal in athletics.
“This is our first Olympic medal for a very long time, and in athletics it is the first time we have gold, so it’s a proud moment for me and my country,” Chopra, a Subedar in the Indian Army, said later. “In the qualification round, I threw very well. So I knew I could do better in the final. I didn’t know it would be gold, but I am very happy.”
Chopra has always focused on big events. Before he left for training and competitions in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics, Chopra said he had given up on a lot of things to focus on the biggest multi-sports event of the world. “One has to make sacrifices to achieve something big in life,” he had said at the National Institute of Sport here before leaving for the Games.
Parveer Singh, athletics coach, said: “Neeraj had already competed with the best throwers in the world before participating in the Olympics. The majority of his best performances have come at big events. He’s mentally a strong kid.” Chopra is made for big events. He was just 18 when, in his first big multi-sports competition, the South Asian Games, he won gold with a throw of 82.23m. A few months later, he became the Under-20 world champion in Poland with a massive throw of 86.48m, then India’s national record. Two years later, he won gold medals at the Commonwealth and Asian Games — the first Indian athlete two win gold at these two events in the same year since Milkha Singh in 1958.
Less than two months ago, Milkha Singh died, and his wish of seeing an Indian athlete win an Olympics medal remained unfulfilled. But Chopra’s gold would be a shot in the arm for the Indian athletics community.
Dedicates win to late Milkha Singh
Second Indian to win individual gold medal in Olympics after Abhinav Bindra (2008)
India surpasses previous best haul of 6 medals in 2012 Games
The 23-year-old son of a farmer from Panipat was confidence personified in the final
Neeraj Chopra dedicates gold to Milkha Singh, fulfils his wish of Olympic medal in track and field events::Fauji to Fauji
Jeev Milkha Singh thanked Olympic gold medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra after he dedicated his gold to legendary Milkha Singh
Milkha Singh and Neeraj Chopra with gold medal. — File/PTI photo
Gaurav Kanthwal
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 7
Legendary Milkha Singh’s famous wish of seeing India win an Olympic medal in track and field event could not be fulfilled in his lifetime, but javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who won the gold medal with a throw of 87.58m at the Tokyo Olympics, has done it barely two months after the death of the Flying Sikh on June 18, 2021.
Jeev Milkha Singh thanked Olympic gold medallist javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra after he dedicated his gold to legendary Milkha Singh.
Milkha Singh’s constant refrain in his lifetime was that he wished to see India winning Olympics gold in track and field events before he breathed his last.
Jeev said, “Dad from above is crying in joy. His dream has come true. Proud moment for India. I salute him for his determination and hard work. God bless him.”
The Flying Sikh came close to win an Olympic medal in the 1960 Games only to finish 4th in the final of men’s 400m.
Some people are born to lead, but even these born warrior leaders must learn professionalism in modern warfare before they can successfully lead men in battle. Sagat was one such man. He joined the Bikaner State Forces as an other rank and within a short time was promoted as an officer in Sardul Light Infantry (now 19 Rajput) just before it moved to Iraq for war. By the time the unit had returned to India, after four years, he had been nominated to attend the Staff College at Quetta. What qualities made this man, who was more comfortable speaking in the vernacular, achieve these heights?
Dhaka had been surrounded in one of the swiftest and greatest feats of arms in less than 16 days. Lt Gen Sagat’s vision, which he kept close to his chest, saw him use all resources innovatively, not giving up on his aim and relentlessly pursuing, bypassing and defeating the enemy
Sagat had this constant yearning to learn and achieve. He always volunteered for any professional course allotted to the battalion. Such was his ability that he was made to do the Staff Course at Haifa; maybe the only Indian officer to be nominated to do two staff courses. Sagat commanded two battalions of 3rd Gorkha Rifles and was serving in Army HQ as a Colonel, when the COAS picked him up in an unprecedented step to command 50 Para Brigade. A normal infantry officer never got such an appointment. Sagat did his jumps quickly and got down to training his brigade when he was asked to move to Belgaum for the liberation of Goa.
The Para Brigade was allotted the subsidiary axis in the north from Sawantwadi, while the main body, consisting of 17 Infantry Division, moved from Belgaum, across the Sahyadris, from East to West, into Goa. Sagat had no bridging equipment but had four main rivers to cross in his advance. The Army Commander (later COAS), Lt Gen JN Choudhury, had little expectation of the Para Brigade achieving anything much, but Sagat bet Brig DK Palit, the Director of Military Operation, that he would be in Panjim first. The stakes were a drink at the Mandovi Hotel bar.
On the face of it, Sagat had little chance of making it first, pitted against the resources of a division. On top of that, he had only two Para battalions and was allotted an under-equipped and under-trained 2 Sikh LI only at their concentration area in Belgaum. Sagat was a hard task master and did his best to get the battalion into shape.
The advance commenced on December 18. The Para Brigade would move directly south and link up with 17 Infantry Division at Pillem, while 2 Sikh LI, with an armoured squadron, was to move on a parallel axis to Mapuca, which was opposite Panjim and separated by the Mandovi river. It was the intention of the Division Commander to enter the Portuguese capital with his Division. Sagat had this great quality of not breathing down his subordinates’ necks and he allowed the Para battalions to use their heads while he spent time with 2 Sikh LI, encouraging them to accelerate their advance. The Paras crossed three rivers through ad hoc means and kept on advancing till nightfall, when Sagat called a halt as 17 Infantry Division had still not linked up. By then, straining at the leash, 1 Para had captured Ponda, an objective of the Division, and 2 Para was on the road to Panjim.
50 Para Brigade had ringed the capital from three directions. 17 Infantry Division was still out of communication when the Army Commander decided that night to allow 50 Para Brigade to recommence its advance. That was enough. 2 Sikh LI, emboldened as never before, crossed the Mandovi in the morning and entered Panjim, while 1 Para made a dash and captured the seat of government. Brig Palit flew down to Goa and paid for the drink with Sagat.
Sagat’s grand achievement catapulted him as a cynosure. He had this unique ability of understanding a situation more rapidly than anyone else and then acting on it decisively. For him, the fog of war dispersed more rapidly. He would remain cool and calculating despite the fluidity of the battle. He was anything but orthodox and imbued his command with his confidence, daring and courage and allowed them their initiative.
After his NDC Course, Sagat was posted as the Brigadier General Staff at HQ 11 Corps. Just before the war, he was posted as the Division Commander of 17 Mountain Division, deployed on the Sikkim Watershed.
In those days, troops deployed on the Watershed acted as a trip wire against any Chinese ingress and carried out delay and warning up to the main defences which were in depth. Sagat realised that giving up the Watershed would entail a most difficult operation to re-occupy it. It would also enable the enemy to roll down more easily towards Gangtok. He gave orders that the Watershed would not be given up and set about shoring up its defences. He was soon put to the test as the Chinese started pushing the defences in solidarity with Pakistan. Sagat’s orders were firm. Troops will hold on regardless. The neighbouring formation, as per orders, gave up Jelep La and deployed main defences in the depth. Since then the Chinese hold Jelep La and India has not been able to recover it. Despite instructions, Sagat denied the Watershed and that’s why we continue to hold Nathu La and Chola.
Bent on preventing the continuous Chinese pinpricks at Nathu La, Sagat decided to lay a fence on the Watershed. He took his superiors on board and a single strand of barbed wire was laid on August 18, 1967, despite physical interference and intimidation by the Chinese. The fence was being turned into a formidable obstacle. On September 11, as work commenced, without warning the Chinese opened devastating small arms fire. There were heavy casualties and Sagat asked for permission to open artillery fire. As it was not forthcoming, he gave the orders nevertheless. Our domination of the Watershed enabled the observation posts to look deep into Chinese territory. Heavy casualties were caused, and it took some time for them to recover.
Shortly after the situation stabilised, Sagat was posted as General Officer Commanding, 101 Area, with responsibility to counter the insurgency in Mizoram. Counter-insurgency operations multiplied with small teams to the fore. Junior officers were allowed to exercise initiative and take responsibility for operations. Sagat carried out a parallel initiative in the resettlement of villages as well as winning the hearts and minds of people. By the time he got posted out, Sagat had ensured that the back of insurgency had been broken.
Sagat was posted as General Officer Commanding, 4 Corps, in December 1970 and was awarded a Padma Bhushan on January 26. Meanwhile, East Pakistan was in turmoil. There was no alternative but to exercise the military option. This could only be done, on account of climate and terrain constraints, in December. Sagat got to know of the role he was to play in July 1971. Operational Instructions were issued in August. He moved to Tripura in September. He was allocated the counter-insurgency formations of 8 and 57 Mountain Division and was also allotted his reserve, 23 Mountain Division. Several ad hoc forces were created, prominent among them being K Force, which was to play a prominent role in the advance to Chittagong. To create administrative maintenance areas in a short time for such a large force under the most hostile circumstances was a major achievement.
The initial task required 4 Corps to advance up to the Meghna river line, capture Chittagong, if possible, and contain Sylhet. Sagat was not satisfied with his tasking. Dhaka was the lynchpin of the Theatre Offensive, but it was not mentioned anywhere as an objective. Sagat had little time to train his units in conventional operations, but carefully monitored their activities. Before the offensive, there were three brigade-level operations. Not satisfied with some of the performances, Sagat was brutal in telling his commanders and troops that he would not accept foot dragging.
The Corps offensive started by the end of November, which required the initial crust of the enemy defences to be pierced. The most savage fighting was opposite Agartala, where 57 Mountain Division was tasked to capture Akhaura. It was a slogging match lasting five days and Sagat set the tone by venturing ahead of the forward troops in a helicopter and then landing amongst them to encourage them on. He allowed no rest as the enemy front started crumbling.
The habit he established initially set the tone of the campaign. His formations were spread over a large geographical area. The Northern Sector was where the offensive was being carried out by 8 Mountain Division towards Sylhet. The North-Central Sector was with 57 Mountain Division as it advanced from Agartala. The South-Central Sector was under 23 Mountain Division as it advanced towards the river port of Chandpur and the Southern Sector was under the ad hoc K Force, which was tasked to head south towards Chittagong.
Every day Sagat would range over his entire frontage in an Allouette helicopter of the Air Force (subsequently, he started using an Air OP flight helicopter piloted by Maj, later Lt Gen, GS Sihota). He would take flight at the crack of dawn, mostly as per an itinerary chalked out late the previous night. He would visit the formations, sometimes flying ahead of the forward troops, and land amongst them, constantly encouraging them while giving them critical information of the enemy. There were times when he would change focus seeing the progress of the offensive. He would land back at the Corps HQ, sometimes after last light, and then after a quick wash, would head for the Operations Room. Thereafter, he and the senior staff would go to the A Mess, where he would issue orders for the next day, setting his staff in a tizzy. At times, the complete plan would change. For Sagat, written instructions were only pieces of paper.
The first major change occurred when he allowed 23 Mountain Division to infiltrate between the enemy defences rather than hit them head-on. The second was when the first heliborne operation of the Indian Army was carried out on a shoestring. After reconnaissance by Group Captain Chandan Singh, on the night of December 7, 4/5 GR with a company of 9 Guards was landed near the Surma bridges at Sylhet. The Mi4 was an old war horse and had seen its best days, but it and the pilots performed marvellously. Instead of contesting the landing, the Pakistani units hemmed themselves in, waiting to be overwhelmed.
December 6 was also the day when Sagat carried out drastic changes to his plan. 57 Mountain Division, which had been tasked to head for the Meghna on an axis north of Maynamati, was ordered to continue its advance ahead of Akhaura towards Brahmanbaria. Taking 61 Brigade under his command, Sagat ordered it to head for Daudkhandi on the Meghna, while shedding two battalions to contain and attack the enemy defences on Lalmai Heights. 8 Mountain Division was asked to get a brigade ready for a heliborne operation on Dhaka. Sagat was a battle opportunist par excellence.
Suspecting what Sagat had in mind, the Army Commander rang him on December 7 and told him firmly not to attempt a crossing of the Meghna. This led to an acrimonious argument, resulting in Aurora visiting him on December 8, where Sagat managed to convince him to go ahead with his plans.
December 9 was an extraordinary day even for Sagat. He flew to Daudkhandi on the Meghna and found it to be vacated. Then he flew south along the river to Chandpur, where he found no enemy, so he flew rear wards, landed in front of the leading battalion and the armoured squadron, picked up their commanding officers, showed them Chandpur from the air, dropped them back and told them to go hell for leather. He flew to Daudkhandi and landed in front of the leading company commander and told him to rush for the river and commandeer all boats. Thereafter, he flew to Agartala, picked up the Air Force squadron commanders to fly along the Meghna to do a recce of likely landing sites. While returning, he saw explosions near the only bridge at Ashuganj and flew over it. A machine gun opened fire, injuring the pilot and grazing the General. He returned to Agartala, had the pilot evacuated, commandeered another helicopter, flew to Brahmanbaria where he saw the preparations for the famous ‘Meghna Air Bridge’ going on. He met Lt Col (later Lt Gen) Himmeth Singh, CO of 4 Guards, and others involved in the heliborne operation being planned over the Meghna and returned to the Corps HQ late in the evening, where he allowed his injury to be treated.
4 Guards with other troops was flown over the Meghna at night. Other units took river crafts across. The squadron of 63 Cavalry, under Maj Shamsher Mehta, which was right in the forefront of the advance, swam across. By the time Dhaka surrendered, it had been encircled from three sides. From the East, across Daudkhandi and from the NE and north. Brigades had successfully crossed the Meghna and carried on advancing, while the Pakistan brigade in opposition, with the GOC of their 14 Division, was successfully contained at Bhairab Bazaar.
Dhaka had been surrounded in one of the swiftest and greatest feats of arms in less than 16 days. Sagat’s vision, which he kept close to his chest, saw him use all resources innovatively, not giving up on his aim and relentlessly pursuing, bypassing and defeating the enemy. He was ruthless in the pursuit of this vision but ensured his troops and commanders were imbued with it. His personal courage, stamina and far-sightedness have never been matched in the annals of the Indian Army, which covered itself in glory.
— The writer was then ADC
to Lt Gen Sagat Singh
Jharkhand announces Rs 50 lakh each for state players in women’s hockey team::
Indian players take selfies as they celebrate their victory against Australia during womens field hockey quarterfinal match at the 2020 Summer Olympics, in Tokyo. — Reuters
Ranchi, August 7
The Jharkhand government has announced a cash award of Rs 50 lakh each for the players hailing from the state who were part of the women’s hockey team which finished fourth in the Tokyo Olympics.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren said that the Indian women’s hockey team could not win a bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics, but the way all the girls played against the last Olympic gold medallist Great Britain in the bronze medal match was commendable.
“I salute the entire Indian women’s hockey team. The daughters of Jharkhand and my sisters made a wonderful contribution to the performance of the Indian women’s team,” he said.
The Jharkhand government had announced before the start of the Olympics that Rs 2 crore each would be given to the players of the state for winning gold, one crore for winning silver and Rs 50 lakh for winning bronze.
The Indian women’s team could not win the battle for bronze but for the better performance of players from Jharkhand, the government decided to modify its earlier decision and give Rs 50 lakh to all the players from the state included on the women’s hockey team and convert everyone’s ancestral house into a pucca house.
“There is an incomparable contribution of every player, coach and all the support staff in taking the Indian women’s team to this point. I and the whole of Jharkhand express my gratitude from the bottom of my heart and congratulations on the excellent performance and best wishes for the future,” the CM said.
He said that recently the government has provided jobs to sportspersons who have won medals at the international level and this will continue. — IANS
Scrap L1 concept for procurement, need revolution in bureaucratic affairs, Army chief says
At a seminar by the United Services Institution, Army chief Gen. M.M. Naravane speaks out against procedural lacunae in defence procurement, emphasises need for more agile processes.
File photo of Army chief General M.M. Naravane | ANIText Size: A- A+
New Delhi: Army chief General M.M. Naravane Tuesday called for a “revolution in bureaucratic affairs” and spoke out against procedural lacunae in the defence procurement process because of what he called the ‘Zero Error Syndrome’.
Speaking at a seminar organised by the United Services Institution, the Army chief also called for a rethink of the L1 vendor concept altogether.
Under this system, the lowest bidder, known as L1, wins the contract.
The Army chief underlined that the force has brought about major structural changes by aligning both the revenue and capital routes of procurement under the Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Capability Development and Sustenance).
“This alone is not enough. Our procurement process unfortunately has not kept pace with the requirements of time. Many procedural lacunae have crept into the acquisition process due to the overbearing nature of our rules and regulations, leading to a ‘Zero Error Syndrome’,” he said.
The Zero Error Syndrome, as he sees it, is the bureaucratic web of checks and balances, in place to ensure zero error, that in turn results in a slower pace of functioning.
Speaking on the topic ‘Transformation Imperatives for the Indian Army in the coming decades’, the Army chief said the needs of the information era warfare “cannot be hamstrung by the procedures of the Industrial Age”.
“The need of the hour is to have a metamorphosis here too, perhaps even doing away with the concept of the L1 vendor altogether. For real transformation to take place, we require a revolution in bureaucratic affairs.”
Gen. Naravane added that the dual requirement of fast-tracking modernisation, and simultaneously promoting self-reliance, are indeed challenging objectives for a developing nation such as India.
Considering the quick pace of defence modernisation being undertaken by our adversaries, we cannot afford to lag behind, he further said.
The Army chief said wars today, more than ever before, require a ‘whole of nation’ effort.
The transformation of the Indian Army, and indeed of the armed forces, needs to be ‘resource informed’, he underlined.
India cannot hope to fight and win the next war with legacy structures evolved from the past, he added. Our force structures must be agile, flexible, modular and networked and they should reflect the realities and challenges of the contemporary battlefield, he said.
What the armed forces have achieved so far is merely jointness for the industrial era, he noted, saying India needs to transit rapidly to full scale integration for digital era combat as well as greater interoperability.
“It is hard enough to be joint, the difficulties in interoperability will be many times greater,” he said.
New Delhi: India is currently pursuing multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones programme in an attempt to arm its three services — Army, Navy and the Air Force — with weapons that would play a critical role in future wars.
These UAVs are not just meant for long range surveillance but also for carrying out precision strikes from standoff distances and for Kamikaze operations.
Among the several drone programmes that the Indian military is pursuing, one of them is Project Cheetah.
Project Cheetah, which is divided into two separate programmes, aims to upgrade and arm India’s Heron drones, with the assistance of Israel, the manufacturer.
As reported by ThePrint earlier this week, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has “completed cost negotiations” and the project has “entered final stages of
Another programme that India is pursuing is the procurement of 30 MQ-9 Reaper or Predator B drones, which will be a tri-service initiative.
ThePrint takes a look at the various UAVs that are part of India’s unmanned aerial squadrons and possible future acquisitions.
Heron
Developed by the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the Heron, also known as Machatz-1, is a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) UAV.
In November 2005, India had reportedly signed a $220 million (approximately Rs 1,630 crore) deal with IAI to procure 50 Herons. According to Defense Industry Daily, the deal was said to have been near completion in 2004, but was postponed due to Lok Sabha elections that year.
The Daily also said that India had previously used 12 Heron-1 UAVs in its search and rescue operations following the December 2004 tsunami, and their performance in those operations played a part in sealing the deal for India and IAI.
In 2006 and 2011, the Indian Navy ordered Heron UAVs for squadrons set up in Kochi and Gujarat respectively.
In all, there are about 90 Herons in service with the country.
Heron II
One big lacuna in the Herons in use with India is that they are not equipped for satellite navigation, which helps in better range and wider coverage.
Following tensions at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China since May last year, the Army ordered on lease four latest generation of Herons, known as the Heron II.
While initially it was believed that the Army was leasing Heron TP, a variant of the Heron, sources in the defence and security establishment confirmed it was actually Heron II.
The Heron TP is 14-metre long with a wingspan of 26 metres and endurance of up to 30 hours, while its beyond line-of-sight range and altitude capabilities are the same as the Heron.
The Israelis also offered Heron TP to India for possible procurement.
Also developed by IAI, the Searcher was first deployed in 1992, but it was the Searcher Mk II, introduced in 1998, that India procured after 2000.
Described by Israeli Weapons, an online database on the history, development and usage of arms by the Israeli Defence Forces and companies, as a “multi mission tactical UAV system”, the Searcher Mk II is 5.85-metre long with a wingspan of 8.55 metres, and endurance of up to 18 hours. Its range is listed as 300 km while altitude capabilities are at 20,000 feet.
In 2002, the IAF’s use of the Searcher Mk II caught the eye of Pakistani media when the Pakistani Air Force reportedly shot down an Indian UAV near Kasur, along the Line of Control (LoC).
Alongside the Heron UAVs, the Indian Navy also uses Searcher Mk II. However, currently, the biggest user of the Searcher is the Army.
Sea Guardian
Developed by the American firm General Atomics Aeronautical Systems (GA-ASI), the MQ-9B Sea Guardian is a variant of the MQ-9 Predator B, which is described by the United States Air Force as a “remotely piloted aircraft” instead of the widely-used UAV.
Unlike the Heron, the Sea Guardian comes under the High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAVs. It is 11.7-metre long with a wingspan of 24 metres and a maximum endurance of 40 hours. Its range is listed as over 5,500 nautical miles, or over 10,000 km, while altitude capabilities are at 40,000 feet.
Indian Navy inducted two Sea Guardian drones on lease last year in order to expand on surveillance activities over the Indian Ocean Region.
SWITCH UAV
Developed by Navi Mumbai-based firm ideaForge Technology, the SWITCH UAV is termed as a “first of its kind” Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft and fixed wing hybrid UAV.
In January this year, the Army awarded a $20 million deal (approximately Rs 148 crore) to ideaForge, for an undisclosed number of the advanced version of SWITCH tactical drones.
These specialised systems are made to operate in high altitude areas like Ladakh, for use by infantry soldiers and special forces.
While the Army ordered an upgraded version, the standard man portable SWITCH weighs 6.5 kg and is capable of vertical take-off, conventional flight with an endurance of two hours.
It can carry out surveillance up to 15 km from altitudes of 4,000 metres. It has a maximum operating altitude of 1,000 metres and has a wind resistance up to 10.8 knots or 20 km per hour.
The infantry battalions of the Army use multiple varieties of quadcopters.
These drones are manufactured by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and also by private firms.
These drones are used for tactical surveillance by soldiers during anti-terrorism operations and patrolling for a much deeper situation awareness.
Costing no more than a few thousand rupees, these kind of drones are extensively used by the forces along the LoC and in Jammu and Kashmir.
Harpy and Harop
The IAF uses two kind of kamikaze drones — Harpy and the upgraded Harops — both procured from Israel.
The Harpy is an all-weather day/night ‘Fire and Forget’ autonomous weapon system that is used to take out enemy radars and, hence, disables their air defence systems. It can also be used to take out other targets as well.
This is launched from a ground vehicle behind the battle zone.
It has a communication range of 200 km and an endurance of nine hours precision of less than 1 metre with a 16kg warhead.
The Harop is a loitering missile (LM) which serves as an Electro-Optically guided attack weapon.
The Harop can be used for taking out a number of targets, including moving vehicles.
File image of Indian soldiers in Ladakh | Representational image | By special arrangement
New Delhi: India and China have completed troop disengagement from the Gogra area of eastern Ladakh, after 15 months of a “sensitive face-off”, the Army announced Friday.
The disengagement process, which includes removal of all temporary structures and other allied infrastructure by both sides, and restoration of landform to “pre-stand-off period”, was carried out over two days, that is 4 and 5 August, the Army said in a statement.
“As per the agreement, both sides have ceased forward deployments in this area in a phased, coordinated and verified manner… The troops of both sides are now in their respective permanent bases,” the Army added.
The development comes days after the 12th round of corps-commander-level talks between India and China, which were held on 31 July at the Chushul-Moldo meeting point on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Sources in the defence and security establishment told ThePrint that as part of the disengagement process, which was first initiated in the area in 2020 but not completed by China, a buffer zone has been created. No patrolling will take place in the area in the foreseeable future, by either India or China, they said.
The disengagement, the sources added, involved a “platoon-plus strength” (a platoon roughly comprises 25 soldiers) on both sides.
“The disengagement process was initiated last year too. However, China did not complete the entire process and kept a platoon-plus strength of soldiers, which they have now withdrawn after the fresh agreement at corps commander level,” a source said.
Sources said the disengagement was the outcome of a “step-by-step” process, which involved a lot of “patience and perseverance”.
One source added that “being on an equal footing helps”, alluding to India’s refusal to back down in the face of Chinese aggression since May last year.
In its statement, the Army said “both sides agreed on disengagement in the area of Gogra”, adding that it was an outcome of the corps commander meeting.
“The troops in this area have been in a face-off situation since May last year,” the Army said.
This agreement ensures that the LAC in this area will be strictly observed and respected by both sides, and that there is no unilateral change in status quo, it added.
“With this, one more sensitive area of face-off has been resolved. Both sides have expressed commitment to take the talks forward and resolve the remaining issues along the LAC in the western sector,” the statement said.
The Indian Army, it added, along with the ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police), is totally committed to ensure the sovereignty of the nation and maintain peace and tranquillity along the LAC in the western sector.
Next focus point
India and China had been locked in a stand-off at the LAC since April-May last year — a stand-off that also resulted in a clash at Galwan Valley that killed 20 Indian soldiers. Efforts have been underway at multiple levels since last year to resolve the tensions.
While Gogra disengagement has been finalised now, disengagement has also been completed at two other points of friction, Pangong Tso and Galwan Valley, since last year.
The corps commander talks held last month were the shortest-ever, but were described as successful, and forward movement was expected.
Sources said the next focus of India-China talks will be the Hot Springs area, which is Patrolling Point 17A.
The Hot Springs area, they added, is also doable and there is “not much difference” in the opinions put forward by both sides.
The remaining friction points — like Depsang Plains and Demchok — will take time.
He’s your average soldier, who bends his back to demands of an exacting profession. He’s lived in swamps, roasted in deserts, eaten dust, frozen his marrow in Siachen
Photo for representational purpose only
Lt Col AK Ahlawat
Mercury is used to measure the behaviour of temperature and Bhoop Singh that of your average soldier. What would Bhoop Singh do when faced with such and such a situation? Is this new equipment Bhoop Singh proof? How many calories’ diet will Bhoop Singh require in this terrain? How will Bhoop Singh relay the message of appearance of Halley’s comet to his battalion?
Bhoop Singh is the ideal, or not-so-ideal, average soldier of our Army. Kipling created soldiers like privates Learoyd, Mulvaney and Ortheris. George MacDonald Fraser gave us private McAuslan. It is debatable as to who introduced Bhoop Singh into the lexicon, but certainly the phenomenon needed introducing.
Once I gave a lift to some jawans in my old Maruti 800. When they disembarked, all of them banged shut the doors with such might that the little car nearly overturned. That is your average Bhoop Singh way of doing things. You need everything to be four times multiplied by the ordinary.
In the vein of Kipling’s ‘The Three Musketeers’, Bhoop Singh is the representation of admiration one feels for our average soldier. He is not perfect, not overly educated or overly faux cultured. He is a farming man, a tiller of our ancient earth distinguished by dialect characteristics. Till a few years ago, he would wear his uniform threadbare and get his boot soles patched up by the unit cobbler with pieces cut from airplane tyres. He would self-dye his faded uniform darkest green to make it last and last. He respects and supports the traditions of his regiment. He is thrifty to the depths of parsimony and saves most of his pay which he money orders home. He has a wife, a father and mother and a buffalo to support. His family makes homemade ghee for him to take along after leave. They melt it and fill it in 2-litre Coca-Cola bottles for ease of carriage. He pays bounced-up fees to send his children to ersatz English medium schools that are cropping up fast.
He is part of his company and battalion teams in sports. It’s expected of him and he does not shun the team’s honour. More often than not, he ends up with an injury during his Army career that plagues the rest of his days upon earth but he laughs it off and treats it as a scar of honour.
He is the unwearying boot that carries his country’s arms and stands guard to its Constitution, civilisation and national values, bends his back to the demands of an exacting profession.
Slow talking, infinitely patient and delayed to anger, he spends his life in unknown and remote arenas of conflict, never seen or visited by his countrymen. He is not admitted to the outer doormats of any powerful offices. His profession keeps him away from smalltime fads of preening and self-shining. His duty is to keep his legs strong, aim unwavering, heart staunch and mind sagacious. He has to guard against the insidious call of getting drunk after a hard day’s hill bashing more than required, thereby spoiling his chances of an additional stripe.
This is our Bhoop Singh, your average soldier. He has lived in swamps, roasted in deserts, eaten dust and sand, frozen his marrow in Siachen. He is scarred, resourceful and old shod in soldiering. As George Orwell said, “People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.”
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Chopra’s gold is India’s second individual gold in the Olympic Games after Abhinav Bindra’s shooting gold at Beijing in 2008. Chopra’s gold feels doubly burnished as it comes in an event that requires the highest levels of athleticism, power and agility.
