Lockheed and Sweden”s Saab are in a two horse-race to equip the Indian military with at least 100 single-engine jets that have to be produced locally under Prime Minister Narendra Modi”s ”Make-in-India” plan. Reuters file photo

New Delhi, August 29

Lockheed Martin is closing in on an international deal for F-16 fighter planes, and has offered to eventually build all the jets at a proposed plant in India if it wins a bigger order to supply the Indian Air Force, a top executive said.

The US defence giant and Sweden’s Saab are in a two horse-race to equip the Indian military with at least 100 single-engine jets that have to be produced locally under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make-in-India’ plan.

Randall L. Howard, who leads F-16 business development, said Lockheed is offering to make India the sole F-16 production centre, so eventually it will make the planes not just for India, but also for other countries.

Lockheed is closing its F-16 production line at Forth Worth, Texas, and will supply new orders from a new facility at Greenville, South Carolina. But the plan was to eventually build the planes in India, Howard told Reuters.

“Our next customer, which we believe to be very soon … we will produce those aircraft out of that (Greenville) facility,” he said. “As you look beyond that, the opportunity for India is to then move all of that into India and that’s what’s being proposed … to have a single production line in India that would service the new production requirements of global demand, the global market.”

India’s government is set to issue a formal request to Lockheed and Saab over the next few days to provide information about their plans to design, develop and produce combat jets in India, a government official said.

The planes will be produced under a new ‘strategic partnership’ policy under which the foreign aircraft maker will collaborate with an Indian firm to develop a world-class indigenous aeronautical base that India has struggled to build for decades.

Lockheed has picked Tata Advanced Systems as its local partner, while Saab has not yet announced its Indian collaborator to produce the Gripen E aircraft that it has offered to the air force.

Howard said the plan to relocate the F-16 plant to India enjoyed the support of the US government after initial concerns it would conflict with President Donald Trump’s ‘America First’ campaign under which he has pressed for companies to invest in the United States and create jobs.

Howard said winning the Indian contract worth billions of dollars would protect thousands of jobs at Lockheed in the United States as well as at dozens of components suppliers, since the Indian facility will come up gradually.

“We will start with an assembly, you can’t go from ground zero, from a standing stop to full production in a week. You have to phase it in.”

India’s Air Force is running short of hundreds of aircraft as its indigenous Light Combat Aircraft programme is dogged by delays and quality issues.

Modi’s government last year cleared the purchase of 36 Rafale combat jets from France’s Dassault Aviation, scaling back a plan to buy 126 planes, leaving the Air Force scrambling for replacements. Reuters

New Delhi, August 4

The government has made Aadhaar number mandatory for the registration of death from October 1, to prevent identity fraud.

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The Home Ministry said on Friday that it would be applicable for the residents of all states except Jammu and Kashmir, Assam and Meghalaya, for which a date would be notified separately.

“Aadhaar number will be required for the purpose of establishing the identity of the deceased for the purpose of death registration with effect from October 1,” according to a notification issued by the Home Ministry.

The office of the Registrar General, which functions under the home ministry, said the use of Aadhaar would result in ensuring accuracy of the details provided by the relatives or dependents or acquaintances of the deceased.

“It will provide an effective method to prevent identity fraud. It will also help in recording the identity of the deceased person. Further, it will obviate the need for producing multiple documents to prove the identity of the deceased person,” it said. PTI

Thinkstock photo for representation only.

New Delhi, August 24How does marriage affect one’s ability to become an officer in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) service, the legal arm of the Indian Army, the Delhi High Court asked on Thursday.The query was posed to the Centre after it submitted before a Bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Sangita Dhingra Sehgal that now even married men are barred from being recruited in the Army.The submission came after the court on August 10 had questioned the non-recruitment of married women in the JAG and observed that such acts amount to “hostile and 100 per cent discrimination”.It had made the observation while hearing a PIL by lawyer Kush Kalra claiming there was institutionalised discrimination against married women by not inducting them in JAG service.The government today contended before the Bench that since married men are also barred from being recruited in the Army, after a recent amendment in its recruitment rules, the PIL has become infructuous.The court, however, did not agree with the contention and questioned the rationale behind barring married individuals from getting recruited in the Army.“Suppose one gets married and then wants to join JAG service? One can get married at the age of 18 years. How does marriage affect someone’s ability to become a JAG officer?“Right to family is recognised as a part of right to life under Article 21. Apply your mind. There can be no other rationale here, other than somebody’s whim. Somebody has got something in their mind against marriage,” the Bench said.It said the impact of the change in recruitment rules was that a person should either be unmarried or get divorced if they want to join the Army.The court did not pass any order and adjourned the matter to November 9 to be heard by the regular Bench which was hearing the plea along with another PIL by Kalra on the issue of only gainfully employed men being recruited in the Territorial Army (TA), the second line of defence after the regular Army.The TA is an organisation of volunteers who receive military training in order to be mobilised for the country’s defence in case of an emergency. — PTI

“The Pakistani Army violated ceasefire by using light weapons and MMGs (medium machine guns) along the LoC in the Baba Khori belt of Naushera sector of Rajouri district at 2230 hours tonight,” Deputy Commissioner Rajouri Shahid Iqban Choudhary said.

In another case of ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC), the Pakistani army opened fire on Indian posts in Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district late on Sunday night. “The Pakistani Army violated ceasefire by using light weapons and MMGs (medium machine guns) along the LoC in the Baba Khori belt of Naushera sector of Rajouri district at 2230 hours tonight,” Deputy Commissioner Rajouri Shahid Iqban Choudhary said.

This is the latest incident in a series of recent ceasefire violations by Pakistan. On Saturday, Indian and Pakistan Armies exchanged heavy fire along the LoC in Digwar area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district after Pakistan resorted to unprovoked shelling and firing at Indian positions. This occurred around 7.30 pm.

On July 21, Indian Rifleman Jayadrath Singh was killed in Sunderbani sector of Jammu and Kashmir when Pakistani army initiated unprovoked firing in the evening.

There have been 23 incidents of ceasefire violation, one BAT attack and two infiltration bids by Pakistan in June, in which 4 people, including 3 jawans, were killed and 12 injured.

In July, 11 people, including 9 soldiers, have been killed and 18 injured in ceasefire violations by the Pakistani army along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir.

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 21

Following a furore over the deaths of two gentlemen cadets (GCs), the Indian Military Academy authorities today admitted that seven GCs had fallen ill owing to exhaustion and dehydration while participating in a 10 km-long run during training at Badshahi Bagh near Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh. They said although the GCs were provided the best medical facilties, two of them — Deepak Sharma and Nabin Kumar Chhetri — could not be saved. “The other gentleman cadets have been treated at the military hospital and they are stable,” the Army said.After first-aid, gentleman cadet Sharma was rushed to the nearest medical centre (Lehman Hospital) in Vikasnagar, Dehradun, but he succumbed to exhaustion and dehydration on August 18. Gentleman cadet Chhetri was rushed to Mahant Indresh Hospital but he too died on August 20.Sharma hailed from Bathinda in Punjab and  Chhetri was from Darjeeling in West Bengal.The IMA conducts “Pahla Kadam” at Badshahi Bagh for all gentlemen cadets in their first term of training.

Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 25

China today continued to send hostile signals on the Doklam standoff. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Indian troops must withdraw as senior Indian officials had openly admitted that Chinese troops “did not enter the Indian boundary”. He also demanded that Indian troops must “conscientiously pull back” from the area if they wanted to resolve the issue.“The rights and wrongs are very clear and even senior Indian officials have openly stated that Chinese troops did not enter the Indian territory,” Wang said yesterday in Bangkok. His comments are significant since this is the first time a senior Chinese government official has commented on the standoff.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)“In other words, the Indian side admitted to entering the Chinese territory. The solution is very simple: conscientiously withdraw,” he said in a brief quote posted on China’s Foreign Ministry website today. In another hard-hitting editorial, the state-run Global Times referred to National Security Adviser Ajit Doval as the “main schemer” and also made it clear that Doval’s visit won’t sway the Chinese. Another publication, China Daily, however, hoped that Doval’s visit would help both countries come to a peaceful resolution.In an op-ed, GT made no bones about how China views the issue. The fact that Indian troops need to withdraw as a precondition is the basis for any start to a dialogue, it said.GT drew a dismal picture of Doval’s upcoming visit. “He will inevitably be disappointed if he attempts to bargain on the border disputes,” said the op-ed. Doval’s visit to Beijing later this week is primarily to attend the BRICS NSA meet but China indicated yesterday that a bilateral meet is possible between him and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi.

Army Vice-Chief has say

• China is expanding influence across Himalayas and is bound to be a “threat” in the coming years, Lt Gen Sarath Chand, Vice-Chief of the Indian Army, said on Tuesday
• Pakistan has better military industrial base and exports more defence equipment than India, he said, coming down heavily on the Indian ordnance factories pti

Srinagar, August 19

Army personnel allegedly thrashed two policemen in Kupwara district of Kashmir today after they objected to “harassment” of a civilian by the soldiers, sources said.Two policemen were beaten up after they asked the soldiers to let go a motorist, who was held by the Army personnel, the police sources said.They said one of the policemen was taken to hospital for first aid.However, senior police officers downplayed the incident, saying there was a minor altercation between the soldiers and the policemen but no manhandling took place.“The Army had seized the vehicle of a local commuter and the Munshi of the Kupwara police station had gone there to get his vehicle released,” he said.“However, the Army personnel did not release the vehicle which resulted in a minor altercation. The matter was later resolved amicably,” a police officer said. — PTI

“The (Doklam) border row this time is an action targeted at China that caters to the demand of India’s religious nationalists,” it claimed. AFP file

Beijing, July 20

The Sino-Indian border row is an offshoot of rising Hindu nationalism in India which has hijacked New Delhi’s China policy and can lead to war between both countries, a Chinese daily warned on Thursday.

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“Nationalist fervour that demands revenge against China has taken root in India since the border war. The election of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fuelled the country’s nationalist sentiments,” said a commentary by the Global Times.

“In diplomacy, New Delhi is demanded to act tougher in foreign relations, especially toward countries like Pakistan and China. The border row this time is an action targeted at China that caters to the demand of India’s religious nationalists,” the article by Yu Ning said.

Chinese and Indian armies have been engaged in a stand-off that began more than a month ago at Doklam in the Sikkim section of the winding Sino-Indian border. This covers the trijunction of India, Bhutan and China.

“The Modi government can do nothing if religious nationalism becomes extreme, as shown in its failure to curb violent incidents against Muslims since he came to power in 2014,” said the commentary.

“India is weaker than China in terms of national strength but its strategists and politicians have shown no wisdom in preventing India’s China policy from being kidnapped by rising nationalism.

“This will put India’s own interests in jeopardy. India should be careful and not let religious nationalism push the two countries into war.

“Since India’s defeat in the Sino-Indian War of 1962, some Indians have been stuck in a zero-sum mentality in dealing with China.

“The war inflicted lingering pain on India and it became a hard knot to untie, leading to an ingrained suspicion of Chinese strategy.

“China’s development is seen as a misfortune to India. The faster China grows, the more fearful they are,” the commentary said. — IANS

Hindustan becoming ‘lynchistan’, says Selja

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 20

Congress leader and former Union minister Kumari Selja today said the 5,000-year-old Hindustan was also being known as ‘Lynchistan’.Speaking during a discussion on the increase in lynching incidents and atrocities on minorities and Dalits across the country, the former minister said while the government was talking about the Dalit progress, it had reduced funds for SC/ST schemes.Talking about the Una incident, she asked, “What would you call those who eat dead animal’s meat due to poverty? The government is talking about action after the incidents, but my question is why these incidents are happening at all… only because of you the mob mentality has risen its head.”“Why these ‘gau rakshaks’ and cow lovers can’t take care of cows which are dying instead of targeting the cattle transporters?” she asked. “With shame I’m saying about the incident in my place Hisar. A mob… people from some of your sister concerns… like the Bajrang Dal came and killed a Muslim guy. What action would you take?” she asked. “The government’s denial mode is not going to help the country. And you cannot become a Hindu by speaking good Hindi, but by becoming a Hindu in heart,” Selja said while concluding.

Don’t give it a political colour: Gujral

• SAD Rajya Sabha member Naresh Gujral on Thursday urged members to refrain from giving political colour to lynchings incidents, which were forcing investors to stay away from India
• Gujral said the government could talk to the Chief Justice of India for creating a special court for speedy trial of lynching cases, which amounted to acts like ‘terrorism’

Shaheed Sandeep Singh Chowk at Parasram Nagar in Bathinda. Photo: Vijay Kumar

Ravi Chandel

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 14

On the eve of Independence Day, when the country is busy making preparations for celebrations and functions to mark the day, many monuments and places named after the great freedom fighters look desolate.Many such places in the city have faced neglect of the district administration on this occasion. They include Jarnail Singh Rathore Chowk near the Multania flyover, Parasram Nagar Chowk near the railway underbridge and Fauji Chowk in the heart of the city.

Jarnail Singh Rathore Chowk

Hav. Jarnail Singh Rathore, a Punjab Police commando, laid down his life while fighting with terrorists. He was deployed in Jammu and Kashmir during elections in 2002.At that time, the Captain Amarinder Singh government had built a roundabout near the Multania flyover and named it as Jarnail Singh Chowk. A welfare society was also launched after the name of the martyr.Avtar Singh Goga, president of the Jarnail Singh Rathore Welfare Society, said, “Despite repeatedly bringing it to the notice of the authorities, nobody bothers to give it a facelift and decorate it. We painted it on our own and decorated it,” he said.Sandeep Singh Chowk near Parasram NagarSoldier Sandeep Singh of the 20 Sikh Regiment laid down his life fighting with the Pakistan army in the Kargil war. The government built a statue of the brave soldier in his memory.Ratha Singh Dhillon, father of the soldier, said, “The authorities only give assurances. They haven’t decorated the statue of Sandeep Singh over the years. Municipal councillor Vijay paints and decorates the statue on his own every year.”

Dhanoa in France: Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa (R) after a sortie in Rafale during his France visit. PTI

Zhukovsky (Russia), July 19

India and Russia have entered the second stage of negotiations for jointly developing the Fifth-Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) and the two sides will sign a contract “in the near future”, a top Russian official has said.Sergei Chemezov, the CEO of Rostec State Corporation, said all decisions over the multi-billion dollar project to jointly develop the FGFA will be finalised in the “near future”. The two nations inked an inter-governmental pact for the FGFA project in 2007.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)“As for the 5th generation (fighter aircraft), the work is underway. Stage one is over. Now we are discussing the second stage. And I think in the near future, all decisions will be made and contract documents will be signed,” Chemezov said on the sidelines of Russia’s premier air show “MAKS 2017” here.“But the work is going, it is very complicated, so it is not going fast,” said the head of Rostec, Russia’s umbrella organisation of 700 hi-tech civilian and military firms.He stressed that Russia was the only country for India that transferred all technologies without any restrictions.Chemezov’s remarks came more than two months after government sources in New Delhi said almost all the ground work had been completed to finalise the deal for the design of the FGFA jet and other critical issues.“The contract for the detailed design would be signed soon and that will be a milestone. It should be signed in the second half of the year,” a top official involved in the negotiations with Russia on the project had said.The official had said both countries were co-developers and India would have equal rights over the technology.In February last year, India and Russia had revived talks on the project after a clearance from then Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.Since then, a lot of issues related to work share, Intellectual Property Rights and technology transfer among others have been sorted out between the two sides, along with the monetary commitments. In December 2010, India agreed to pay $295 million towards the preliminary design of the fighter, which is called in India as the “Perspective Multi-role Fighter”. However, negotiations faced various hurdles.Chemezov also talked about Russia’s own fifth generation fighter jet programme PAK FA. “Today one of Rostec’s key milestones is the development of the second stage engine for PAK FA.” — PTI