ibune News Service

Jammu, October 23

A wreath-laying ceremony was organised in Jammu to pay tributes to martyr Naib-Subedar Valte Sunil Ravsaheb, who sacrificed his life for the motherland while fighting the enemy along the Line of Control in the Nowshera sector of Rajouri.

The wreath was laid by Brig Vikrant Kulkarni, Officiating Station Commander, Jammu, Brig AS Berar, Group Capt Sandeep Sharma, Col Sandeep Sharma and many other Army officials.

His mortal remains were flown from Jammu to Delhi in a service aircraft and will be further taken from Delhi to Pune by the civil airlines. The mortal remains will be taken by road from Pune to his native village-Dahigaon in Ahmednagar district for the last rites.

A grand Defence Investiture Ceremony was held at the premises of Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi on 19 March 2019. At this ceremony, many distinguished officers of the Tri-services were presented with medals for their service in the armed forces. Lieutenant General Mahendra Vikram Singh, who was formerly an Air Vice Marshal in the Indian Airforce was presented the Ati Vishist Seva Medal (AVSM) for his successful tenure in the armed forces. AVSM is presented to all ranks of Indian Armed Forces in order to recognize their “distinguished service of an exceptional order”. The awardee has the full right to use the “AVSM” as post-nominal letters as we see in most of the cases. Lt General Mahendra Vikram Singh was commissioned in 1983 in Indian Airforce and has been appointed the Commandant of Command hospital Airforce, Bangalore where he provided his exceptional services. He was then given the charge of Training command in Bangalore in March 2018. He made the news because of switching between the services and due to holding two of the second highest ranks of Indian Army and Indian Airforce respectively.

What caught the attention of many defence enthusiasts and aspirants was the former rank and service of Lt General Mahendra Vikram Singh who was awarded AVSM in the ceremony. Many of the aspirants were confused and thought it was a mistake in typing while some of them claimed it as a case of mistaken identity. The comment section of the Instagram post was filled with many uninformed comments suspecting the credibility of the admin of the Instagram page of official Indian Airforce. Clearly, they weren’t properly aware of such a case of changing the services in between and didn’t possess the information if such a thing can happen in the armed forces. The change in the services have been a norm, yet happen on rare occasions

Let’s have a look at the rules regarding the change in services in between the services, if possible in any scenario.

Now, according to the currently existing rules of the armed forces of India, an individual belonging to the Medical or the dental branch can change the services given if any kind of vacancy or urgent requirement arises in the chosen service. Officers from the Armed Forces Medical Services pool have the advantage to change the services in between Indian Army, Indian Airforce and Indian Navy in any kind of given order. Certain conditions arrive where an officer or any other ranks go on deputations or on temporary duty to other services and sometimes they act as a liaison between the services as per the situational demand.

Let’s look for another example of this Lady officer:

The second and earlier prominent example of such a case is Lt. General Punita Arora of the Army Medical Corps (AMC) who graduated from AFMC, Pune. She did her masters in Gynaecology and Obstetrics from her alma mater only. During her career span of over 40 years, she held various distinguished posts in the field operational areas as well and after taking the command of AFMC, Pune in 2004 she became the first women officer in Indian armed officer forces to command a medical college. She moved from Indian Army to Indian Navy as the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) have a common pool from where an individual can get a transition from one service to another which completely depends upon the requirement factor. She is the first woman in India to reach the second highest rank in both the Indian Army and Indian Navy which is Lieutenant General and Vice Admiral respectively.

The basic reasoning behind such perks allotted to the AFMS pool is that because the officers in different services are trained specifically for their prescribed role such as flying, technical, administrative or combat. A medical officer won’t have to change much in his work profile and can be consistent in his role.

I guess this must be clear in the mind of many aspirants who were dwindling about the above case and were confused.

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, October 21

A day after India hit the terror pads, J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik warned Pakistan of more deadly strikes and threatened to go inside the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), if they don’t behave.

A 50-year-old civilian and two soldiers were killed, whereas six civilians were injured in the Pakistani shelling, which happened in Tangdhar bowl in frontier Kupwara district on Saturday.

India retaliated to the ceasefire violation and targeted terror pads across the Line of Control using artillery guns. While India claimed to have killed six to ten Pakistan soldiers and many militants, Pakistan rejected the claim saying five civilians and a soldier were killed in the shelling.

A day after border skirmishes, Malik today asked Pakistan to “mend ways or be ready for a strong reaction, which would be more severe to what was done yesterday.”

“Pakistan ko behave karna chahiye. Agar woh baaz nahin aaya toh kal jo hua hai, usse zayada hoga. (Pakistan should behave. If they don’t mend their ways then there would be a strong reaction as compared to what was done yesterday),” Malik told reporters on the sidelines of a police function at Zewan in the outskirts of Srinagar.

“We will destroy the terrorist camps…if Pakistan doesn’t mend its behaviour then India may be forced to go inside their territory (PoK) to hit them,” he said.

He asked the youth who are joining militant ranks to join the peace process and start their new journey in “naya Kashmir.”

He also asked people of Kashmir to participate in “Naya Kashmir’, which he said would come into existence from November 1, when the J&K state would get bifurcated into two union territories.

“Those boys (referring to militants) which are roaming, I want to ask them what have they gained till date. If they want to achieve something, they should own their state. If they don’t stop their activities then they would be met with a stern action,” he said.

Mumbai, October 21

A 45-year-old woman died on Monday after getting trapped in the lift shaft of a building in a Navy residential colony in Colaba in south Mumbai, police said.

Arti Pardeshi, a domestic help, got trapped in the lift shaft and was pinned against a wall between two floors of a multi-storied building in the colony around 12.15 pm, an official said.

“Pardeshi, who works in a third-floor flat, was going out to walk a pet dog when she fell into the gap between the lift and the wall while trying to enter the lift,” he said.

“The police and fire brigade managed to pry open the doors of the lift and rush Pardeshi to Naval hospital INHS Asvini nearby but doctors there declared her dead on arrival,” he said.

An accidental death case has been registered at Cuffe Parade police station and further probe into what may have caused the incident is underway, he informed. — PTI

New Delhi, October 18

Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat today said India was committed to peace and stability in the neighbourhood. The Army, he said, would continue to partner with friends to confront any emerging threats.

Addressing a conclave of defence attaches here, he said, “We are one of the leading armed forces, not by virtue of our size but by our extensive combat experience, our professionalism… We are deeply committed to peace and stability in the neighbourhood.” He urged the defence industry to provide solutions for the armed forces.

Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh cited maritime threats such as piracy, which, he said, had “transnational” ramifications. He pitched for having greater maritime cooperation and leveraging “collective military competence” of the world.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh called for “jointness” among the three forces and termed it as an operational necessity. He asked the Army to take a lead towards achieving this and cited the soon-to-be-created position of Chief of Defence Staff for having a role in synergising the efforts of the services. On defence preparedness, Rajnath assured there would be no criticalities. However, he also apprised the field commanders on the budgetary constraints. — TNS

New Delhi, October 18

The Indian Army and the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) will come together in Bengaluru next week to orient veterans to the modern industrial needs in the IT sector in order to tap their expertise and potential by offering them jobs.

The initiative has been planned as several multi-national firms, which have in the past, failed to hire Army veterans, despite their keenness, because of technological and cultural differences with the corporate world. The move, as per experts in the IT sector, will have far-reaching implications in the industry.

The initiative has been taken jointly by the Indian Army, the NASSCOM and US-based multinational financial services firm Wells Fargo which is also being supported by the multi-national e-commerce firm Amazon India.

“NASSCOM is looking for a single-point contact where it can get all details of Army veterans in the IT sector. We are organising a two-day conference in Bengaluru on 22 and 23 October where we can deliberate on how to take this forward,” said Major General Deepak Sapra, MD, Army Welfare Placement Organisation.

A statement from the Indian Army said while Army will assess industrial needs during the two-day event, NASSCOM will help Army in orienting to the modern industrial needs in the IT sector. — IANS

Chandigarh, October 12

Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal today gave Rs 25 lakh for construction of a memorial for Brigadier Kuldip Singh Chandpuri.

He, along with JP Dutta, director and producer, attended the first death anniversary programme of Brig Chandpuri, Maha Vir Chakra awardee, here on Saturday. The hero of Batte of Longewala passed away on November 17, 2018. — TNS

Top 5 Reforms By General Bipin Rawat

General Bipin Rawat has been one of the countries most well known Army Chiefs. The strong-willed and outspoken leader of the 1.3 million-strong Indian army has not been shy of the media and has displayed the moral courage to speak one’s mind, even when the opinion seemed unfavourable. Indeed, General Rawat marched on spearheading landmark reforms in the Indian Army. From proposing structural reforms in the military’s higher commands to pushing for leaner and meaner teeth driven Army to offer soldierly support to the JCO’s and NCO’s to serve as commissioned officers, here are five of General Rawat’s landmark reforms, in layman’s terms.

1.) Integrated Battle Groups

General Rawat has proactively worked towards developing a leaner and meaner fighting force, shedding the unnecessary flab, lowing down the Indian military machine! Following the review of a detailed internal military study, General Rawat announced the phased implementation of what is being called ‘Integrated Battle Groups’. IBG’s are highly agile, self-sustaining brigade-sized combat formations. These combat formations are tailor-made based on a strategic assessment taking into account factors such as Terrain, Tanks and resources into consideration. These mobile combat formations will be able to rapidly mobilise into a theatre of operation within 12-48 hours, (based on the nature of operations) This is predicted to enhance military lethality with existing resources and manpower.

2.) Indian Army Launches Special Human Rights and Vigilance Cells

Under the recommendations of the aforementioned internal study, the Indian Army Chief along with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched a Special Human Rights Cell and a special vigilance cell. The decision to form an Independent Human rights cell as a result of increasing international human rights reports, alleging gross violations of human rights by the army in the valley and the Northeast. The body is to investigate the legitimacy of the claims and take actions accordingly. The Human rights body has been set up at the Army Headquarters (AHQ) in New Delhi and is headed by Additional Directorate General (ADG), a Major General rank officer. The cell reports directly to the Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS). The decision to create specialised anti-corruption cell stemmed from increasing allegations of corruption by personnel of the Indian Army. The anti-corruption body will come under the direct authority of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) and will be headed by an Additional Directorate General (ADG), who is a Major General rank officer, reporting solely to the COAS.

3.) Young Leaders Training Wing To Train Jawans For SSB Interview

General Rawat in perhaps one of the Indian Army’s most heartwarming initiative has called for reorganising and reforming the Young Leaders Training Wing at the Officers Training Academy in Chennai. Gen Rawat’s new initiative aims to help serving Jawaans (Other Ranks, Non-Commissioned Officers and Junior Commissioned Officers) prepare for the gruelling five-day officer selection procedure, known as the Services Selection Board. This initiative will help serving soldiers with ground-level operational experience in their respective trade/speciality to get an opportunity to lead units as commissioned officers. The preparation program, comprising of an intensive personality enrichment course, is designed to enhance a jawan’s odds of selection for pre-commission training at OTA Chennai.

4.) Artillery Revolution

Artillery superiority is one of the single most decisive factors in modern warfare. Accurate artillery fire has been recorded to be the leading contributor of military casualties in 21st-century military combat. Following the political fallout of the infamous Bofor’s scandal in the ’80s, the Indian Army remained majorly handicapped in its procurement of artillery guns. With the Bofor’s artillery guns having run its combat effectiveness, the Indian Army, under General Rawat has pushed for the induction of several artillery systems, most notably the Dhanush, the Vajra K9 and the M777 Howitzer. The Ordnance Factory Board is scheduled to deliver 400 indigenous Dhanush artillery guns to the Indian Army by next year.

Furthermore, the Army is expected to receive the uber advanced United States manufactured M777 Howitzers; the American M777 will be replacing the ageing Bofor’s. The indigenously designed Vajra K9 self-propelled Howitzer will also soon be pushed into service. The induction of the Dhanush, M777 and the Vajra will bolster the Indian Army’s lingering artillery capabilities and enhance its overall combat effectiveness.

5.) A War On Obesity!

General Rawat has made it a requirement that officers and soldiers of the Indian Army remain, and look fit! Senior officers found to be with a paunch will be passed over for promotions and foreign postings. The result of not maintaining a military-level of physical and medical fitness will reflect on the officer’s annual confidential reports drastically affecting his/her career progression in the service. The general has even called for a complete overhaul of the food available at the respective officers, JCO’s, NCO and OR’s mess. with oily, unhealthy food to be mercilessly struck off from the menu under the general’s directives! Young officers undergoing their post-commission training at Mhow will now be mandated to undergo an extremely stringent physical fitness evaluation, and if not found to the standards expected, it will result in these officers not receiving their instructors grating. The lack of being awarded an instructors grading will reflect extremely poorly in their ACR’s and will thus hamper their career progression in the long run.

A Fitting Legacy

With General Rawat’s tenure coming to a close and the search for India’s new army chief underway, the reforms proposed by the flag officer will undoubtedly push the Indian army to reassess itself as a modern military machine, recalibrate and then rise to meet the future security challenges faced by the country. The successful implementation of these reforms shall be a fitting tribute to the general’s forty-plus years of national service in uniform.

Anirudh Gupta
Ferozepur, October 8

The security forces along the India-Pakistan border went into a “tizzy” after drones originating from the Pakistan side were spotted along the Hussainiwala border last night. At one point, a drone ventured a kilometre inside the Indian airspace.

This comes amid recent reports of use of drones by Pakistan-based terror groups to airdrop sophisticated arms and ammunition aimed at fomenting trouble in Punjab.

Sources said troops of BSF’s 136 Battalion spotted high-flying drone-like objects five times between 10 pm and 10.40 pm and later at 12.25 am last night. A drone was first spotted four times on the Pakistan side before it ventured a kilometre inside the Indian territory near border outpost ‘HK Tower’ close to the Hussainiwala joint check post, around 9 km from district headquarters. Before it returned to the Pakistan side, its light and sound could not be traced for a brief period. Another drone was spotted near border outpost ‘Basti Ram Lal’ around 12.25 am on the Pakistan side. The BSF troops with help of Punjab Police conducted a search operation in the area, but couldn’t find anything suspicious.

Since Ferozepur border is closely guarded by the BSF and has an Army formation too, the Pakistan agencies were apparently trying to conduct aerial surveillance or were up to some mischief, said an official.

“The information has been shared with senior officials and an alert has been sounded,” said the official. The BSF has started sensitising locals about alerting the police or BSF authorities if anything unusual is sighted near the zero line.

Sources said following the abrogation of Article 370 in J&K, Pakistan’s spy agency ISI was trying to push Khalistani terrorists into Punjab.

Recent seizures

Sept 24   The BSF/STF seize five AK-47 rifles, 10 magazines, 200 rounds, a Glock pistol, 22 magazines and 20 rounds from Mamdot area of Ferozepur

Sept 22   Terror module busted and five AK-47 rifles, four .30 bore pistols, nine hand grenades, five satellite phones dropped by drone seized in Tarn Taran

Sept 12    A consignment of four AK-56 rifles, two AK-47 rifles, besides over 10,000 bullets seized from a truck at Lakhanpur in J&K’s Kathua

New Delhi, October 6

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will on Tuesday perform ‘Shastra Puja’ (worship of arms) on the occasion of Dasehra in Paris where he will receive the first Rafale fighter jet, officials said.  “The Defence Minister will perform shastra puja in Paris on the occasion of Dasehra. He has been doing so for last several years, including as Union Home Minister,” said a senior official.

Rajnath will be leaving for Paris on a two-day visit, primarily to receive the first of 36 Rafale fighter jets on Tuesday when Dasehra coincides with the foundation day of the Indian Air Force. The Defence Minister will take a sortie in the aircraft from an airbase in Paris for first-hand experience. The first batch of four aircraft will reach India by May next year.

Officials said top military brass of France as well as senior officials of Dassault Aviation, the makers of Rafale, would be present at the Rafale handing-over ceremony. Sources said a high-level team of the Indian Air Force was already in Paris to coordinate with the French officials on the ceremony. On October 9, Rajnath is scheduled to hold extensive talks with top defence brass of the French Government on ways to further deepen defence and security cooperation between the two countries.

The sources said the first squadron of the aircraft will be deployed at the Ambala Air Force station. The India-Pakistan border is about 220 km from there. The second squadron of Rafale will be stationed at Hasimara base in West Bengal. The Rafale jets will come with  India-specific modifications, including Israeli helmet-mounted displays, radar-warning receivers, low-band jammers, 10-hour flight data recording, infra-red search and tracking systems. — TNS/PTI

ON FRANCE VISIT, RAJNATH TO FLY SORTIE

1st aircraft  to be ‘handed over’at Merignac; French Minister of Armed Forces Florence Parly to attend event

Rajnath will address CEOs of the French defence industry and urge them to participate in ‘Make in India’

First squadron of the aircraft will be deployed at the Ambala Air Force station