The Indian army has revised its policy for the p ..

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From June 1, only vehicles with an engine capacity up to 2,500 CC and costing up to Rs 12 lakh will be available through Canteen Stores Department for serving and retired officers of Indian defence forces.

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Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
Gwalior, June 24

Just 24 hours before the Indian Air Force launched the airstrikes on Balakot in Pakistan, the Mirage 2000 fighter jet base at Gwalior was abuzz with activity.

The young pilots knew something was on since they had been sent on regular combat air patrols at night. Like all other fighter bases in North India, Gwalior was on operational readiness after the February 14 terror attack on a CRPF convoy, that killed 40 troops at Pulwama.

Around 4 pm on February 25, things became clear when technical teams started to ‘feed’ the Spice 2000 bombs with geo-coordinates of the Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp, which was finally attacked some 12 hours later at 3.30 am on February 26.

A small chip in the Spice 2000 holds the key information on how the bomb will travel and hit the target. After its release, it travels on an inbuilt ‘seeking device’ to hit the target. “No target was missed,” say the teams.

The town hosts three squadrons of Mirage 2000 — BattleAxes, Tigers, Wolfpack.

That night, the strike pack flew off at 2 am, like on a combat patrol. A small number of Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter jets showed up at the western front over Rajasthan. In this backdrop, the Mirage pilots flew almost behind the Himalayan ridge line to avoid Pakistani radars.

The last “90 seconds” of the mission meant every  communication equipment was switched off. The pilots then turned back. Some landed at Agra, some at Adampur. Their mates back in Gwalior were all smiles,  this was the first hit into Pakistan since the 1971 Indo-Pak War.

For feb 26 air attack

The Mirage 2000 jets were armed with two separate types of Israeli ammunition.  While the Spice 2000 is designed to penetrate deep inside the structures, the Crystal Maze was to send back video feed.

When pak tried to repeat kargil in 2002

Gwalior: The IAF on Monday publically admitted that Pakistan tried to repeat a Kargil-type intrusion in July-August 2002, but was rebuffed. IAF jets straffed Pakistan occupation some 3-4 kms on the Indian side of Line of Control in ‘Kel’ sector in north-west part of J&K. Air Marshal Rajesh Kumar, who is commanding Central Air Command, said, “We wanted to send a message without declaring war. It was a secret affair.” TNS

War-footing: Soldiers of 15th Ludhiana Sikhs were among the first Indian troops to disembark at Marseille. Photo courtesy: USI, New Delhi

Singapore, June 21

Sikhs in the United Kingdom have demanded a war memorial to be dedicated to the martyred community members who fought for the British during World Wars I and II, a senior community member has said.

Statistical data has been used effectively to lobby the government and other public authorities to ensure that a space can be found in central London for the memorial, Jasvir Singh, who chaired the British Sikh Report 2019, said.

“A vast majority of Sikhs want to have a war memorial in central London dedicated to Sikhs who died in the First and Second World Wars,” he said.

“There have been memorials that have been made across the country as well and dedicated to those who died in the two wars,” he said.

Singh was in Singapore to attend the International Conference on Cohesive Societies from June 19-21.

Singh leads the ‘Grand Trunk Project’ which brings Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh communities of British-Asian heritage, along with smaller communities from the Subcontinent, together in dialogue and understanding.

In his work on Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims as minority in the UK, Singh hopes “that people are able to see the similarities, respect and celebrate the differences”. Expressing his views on the 100th anniversary of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, he referred to the British Sikh Report 2019 and said 85 per cent of British Sikhs believe that events like this should be taught in schools in the United Kingdom.

According to the survey in the report, 79 per cent of respondents believe that the British Government should apologise for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

“This view was shared across the age groups with those aged 19 and under and those aged 65 or more, (who) most likely to want an apology,” Singh said.

The survey included nearly 2,500 respondents spread across the United Kingdom. PTI

New Delhi, June 18

Reversing a two-year-old order, the government today okayed the restoration of ration supply in kind for officers of the armed forces.

In July 2017, the government had stopped rations to officers on peace postings and instead started giving a monetary allowance per man per month as per instructions.

The allowance for the ongoing fiscal was Rs 117.29 per month. The decision had led to confusion as officers on peace posting frequently went out with their units for field exercises, where their troops were getting rations, but they had to make “own arrangements”. 

In the Army, when in a field exercise or on a forward location, the officers are supposed to have the same food as the troops. Similarly, some of the special forces of the Army, Navy and the IAF are based in what are classified as “peace postings” but are constantly training and the troops and officers again eat the same food. A large chunk of the forces, especially the Army, is deployed in forward areas.

The move had outraged the serving community and a serving Colonel sent a legal notice to the government, warning he would go to court if the order was not rolled back. 

Officers are required to have a daily calorie intake of 1,800 to 2,000, which was not possible with the allowance.

And the existing supply of rations was not resulting in a major fiscal outgo as bulk purchases meant cheaper rates of items. The forces have ‘scale’ of ration, which could be two eggs a day, some grams of chicken or mutton, or paneer and fresh vegetables. — TNS

Washington, June 8

The Trump administration has approved sale of armed drones to India and has offered integrated air and missile defence systems aimed at helping the country boost military capabilities and protect shared security interests in strategically important Indo-Pacific region.

The approval-cum-offer from the US came in the aftermath of the February 14 Pulwama attack in which 40 Indian soldiers were killed and the increasing militarisation and assertiveness of China in the Indo-Pacific ocean.

During the June 2017 meeting between PM Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump, the US had agreed to sell surveillance version of the Guardian drones. India was first non-treaty partner to be offered a MTCR Category-1 Unmanned Aerial System, the Sea Guardian UAS made by General Atomics. — PTI

File photo of AN-32 transport plane. Reuters

Itanagar, June 7

There was no breakthrough in the search of the AN-32 aircraft of the Indian Air Force that went missing with 13 persons on board with operations continuing for the fifth day on Friday amid inclement weather, officials said.

IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Ratnakar Singh said despite inclement weather, the joint search operations by IAF, Army and local administrations were continued.

“Search operations by helicopters, P-8I of the Indian Navy, besides C130J and ground parties of the Indian Army and locals were conducted but there was no sight of the aircraft,” Singh said.

He added that the search operations by helicopters were called off due to low lights and would resume on Saturday morning.

Ground teams of Indian Army and Indo-Tibetan Border Police along with locals and district administration officials are searching areas around Siang district, official sources said.

A senior IAF official said P-8I of the Navy undertook a search mission from Arakonnam base on Friday morning.

“The helicopters, transport aircraft, UAVs and other sensors are involved in extensive search and rescue whenever weather is permitting. The search area continues to expand to look at all possibilities. All electronic, radar, optical and infrared sensors, including satellites, are being employed to scan the area for any probable clues,” he said.

The IAF said Army, police, state government, paramilitary forces and local people are lending crucial support in the search operation.

“Army search parties have been in the area for over two days, going through thick forest trying to locate the aircraft. Senior Air Staff Officer of Eastern Air Command is coordinating and supervising search operations at Along.

“IAF is not sparing any effort in locating the missing air warriors. We stand in support of the families in these difficult times,” the officer said.

The search operation encompasses an area of about 2,500 square km which falls under Kaying and Payum circle of Siang district.

“The IAF is in regular touch with the families of missing air warriors. All possible assistance is being provided to the families. Some family members met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on June 6 and they were briefed about the search efforts. AOC-in-C, Eastern Air Command, Air Marshal R D Mathur had earlier met the families of missing air warriors at Jorhat,” the official said.

The Russian-origin transport aircraft took off from Assam’s Jorhat at 12.27 pm on Monday for the Mechuka Advanced Landing Ground in Shi-Yomi district of Arunachal Pradesh. Its last contact with the ground control was at 1 pm.

Eight crew members and five passengers were on board the aircraft. —

Pervin Malhotra

Q.I will be taking the NDA exam this year, but would like to keep my options open. Could you tell me something about the prospects in the paramilitary services? — Sarvesh Datta

A.The CAPF comprises the following seven forces functioning under the Union Home Ministry:

1. Border Security Force (BSF) for manning the land borders of the country, except in the mountains. (186 Battalions) Headed by Indian Police Service Officer

2. Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) for manning the border with China on the Himalayan portion of the Tibetan plateau. (55 Battalions) Headed by Indian Police Service Officer

3. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF): The largest of the Central Armed Police Forces (200+ battalions). The CRPF includes the Rapid Action Force (RAF), a 10 battalion anti-riot force trained to respond to sectarian violence, and the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA) which is an anti-Naxalite force.

4. Central Industrial Security Force (CISF): 130+ Battalions

5. Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) guards the Indo-Nepal & Indo-Bhutan Borders. 8.

6. Railway Protection Force (RPF) protects the railways of India and ensuring safety of citizens in trains.

7. National Security Guard (NSG) which is Headed by Indian Police Service officer), also includes the Special Protection Group (SPG), whose personnel provide protection to India’s political leadership.

8. The Assam Rifles (AR) (led by Indian Army officers reporting to the M/o Home Affairs)

Now, Paramilitary Forces refers to three organisations that closely assist the Indian armed forces:

The Special Frontier Force (SFF) is led by Indian Army officers reporting to Indian Intelligence.

The Indian Coast Guard (29 stations) is led by Indian Navy officers and reporting to the M/o Defence.

Maoist-affected states remain the main battleground for our paramilitary forces. About 38 per cent of the total strength of the 3,000-odd companies is deployed in these areas, followed by 26 per cent in insurgency-affected Northeast and 21 per cent in J&K. Only 15 per cent are deployed in other states.

While retaining their individuality, the forces come under one unified command and function homogeneously to combat insurgency and border security. This also helps upgrade and share their operations, weaponry, training and intelligence to improve the country’s internal security management.

The UPSC conducts a Joint Entrance Exam for recruiting Assistant Commandants for the Central Police Forces and the Services Selection Board (SSB) for  the BSF, CRPF, CISF, ITBP and Special Services Bureau (on the lines of the NDA exam) to ensure uniformity in the selection process.

Paper-I of the Written Exam comprises questions on General Ability and Intelligence (Objective Type) 250 Marks

Paper-II includes an Essay, Précis writing and Comprehension (Conventional Type) 150 Marks

Those who qualify the written exam have to clear the physical & medical standards test.

Selection Interviews (for Personality Test 200 marks) are subsequently conducted by the respective paramilitary forces.

Tradesmen in Technical Trades, Ground Duty Staff and Medical Corps staff are recruited directly by the respective battalions.

Recently, they’ve announced recruitment of Assistant Commandants through an All-India Exam on August 18, 2019. Details re: eligibility, syllabus and examination scheme are available on their website: www.upsc.gov.in)

Apply online on: https://upsconline.nic.in

Incidentally, there’s a 33 per cent quota for women in the CAPF.

Check out BDes at DU

Q. I could not make it to NID this year. Neither did I prepare for the BDes programme at the IITs. Is there any programme of similar repute offered by a govermnent college in product design? I don’t wish to drop a year and can’t afford to pay for the expensive private design schools. — Saudamini Sharma

A.Well there’s one option of a few such options that’s still open. Admission to the four-year BDes programme offered by Delhi Technological University (DTU) is  on the basis of merit in the UCEED 2019. The Entrance Exam is open to students of all subject streams (science, commerce, humanities). The online application process starts on June 8, 2019.

The total intake at DTU, which comes under the Govt of NCT of Delhi, is 60. Besides the usual reservation quota that applis to government insttutions, there is a regional quota as follows:

Delhi region: 85 per cent  seats are reserved for candidates who’ve passed their qualifying exam from a school in National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi.

Outside Delhi region: 15 per cent seats are for candidates who’ve passed their qualifying exam from a school located outside the NCT of Delhi.

Eligibility: Class XII pass

Make sure you register and fill the online application on: www.dtu.ac.inwhich will be open from June 8 – 30, 2019

Can science stream students opt for BBA?

Q.I am a science student, but wish to go in for a good business studies programme at the undergraduate level. Can you recommend some good BBA or any undergraduate course for that matter, (other than BTech) that is industry-oriented?— Arnav Bhatia

A.There are quite a few such offerings, particularly those offered by some of the good private universities. But here’s one that recently caught my eye:

To bring in a transformational change in the country’s transportation sector the Indian Railways established India’s first university focused on transport and allied industries. The National Rail & Transportation Institute (NRTI), a deemed to be university offers two specialized courses: a) BSc in Transportation Technology (b) BBA in Transport Management

Started in 2018, the programmes focus on experiential learning and practice, and cutting-edge research and innovation.

Academic partnerships with top-ranked global universities offer opportunities for student and faculty exchange, joint research and learning, including Cornell University (USA), University of California Berkeley (USA), Russia University of Transport (MIIT) Moscow (Russia), St. Petersburg State Transport University (Russia).

There are 105 seats across both courses and the selection is based on merit obtained in the NRTI Undergraduate Admission Aptitude Test (NRTI-UAAT) which is common for both BBA as well as BSc programmes.

The applications close on June 7, 2019. For details, check NRTI-UAAT-BBA and NRTI-UAAT-BSc

Email your queries to careers@tribunemail.com 

New Delhi, April 20

Lt Gen JFR Jacob, who played a key role in negotiating the surrender of Pakistani troops in Dhaka (then known as Dacca) after the 1971 India-Pakistan war, will be honoured by Israel.

Lt Gen Jacob, who after retirement was Governor of Punjab (November 1999 to May 2003), was a Jew by birth and religion and Israel is a Jewish country. He will be honoured by unveiling of a plaque on the wall of Honour at Jerusalem Ammunition Hill for Jewish soldiers men, women and who served with distinction in armies of other countries. A special ceremony is scheduled on April 30.

At that time of the 1971 war, Lt Gen Jacob was a Major General and the Chief of Staff of the Kolkata-based Eastern Army Command. He later became the eastern Army Commander (August 1974-July 1978). He died on January 23, 2016, at the age of 92 in New Delhi. — TNS

Kurukshetra: During the third inspirational lecture series organised by Kurukshetra University, named as ‘apni baat’, Lt Gen general KJ Singh (retd) said when a soldier guards the nation at the border under adverse circumstances, he is guided by utter devotion to his country. In his interaction with students, the decorated ex-Army officer explained various types of borders, namely, the International Border, Line of Control, Line of Actual Control, Actual Ground Position Line, etc, that India shares with neighbours. He said in case a soldier comes across news that his own countryman are fighting against each other and raising questions on his commitment to the nation, he gets demotivated.