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.

Lahore, April 8

Amidst escalated tensions between India and Pakistan, veteran actresses from Pakistan have urged cross-border peace using a rap number.

http://

 YouTube ‎@YouTube

Bushra Ansari has teamed up with sisters Asma Abbas and Neelum Ahmad Bashir for the track “Humsaye maa jaye”, a song which talks about unnecessary divisions between the neighbouring countries.

Asma and Bushra perform the track and Neelum has written it, the Dawn reported.

Bushra and Asma play Indian and Pakistani neighbours respectively, who are kept apart not just by a wall but the animosity between the two countries.

In their lyrics, they hint towards the fact that the average Pakistani and Indian wants peace but it is the politics and war-mongering that keeps them apart.

This is the first video that has been uploaded on Bushra’s YouTube account.

They have described their release as “a music video that goes beyond war and borders to the hearts of people living so close, and yet so far away.” According to Samaa TV, Bushra had shared in a recent BBC interview that people have shown immense love for the song. “My inbox is filled with viewers’ feedbacks who say the song is the voice of their soul,” she said.

US count of Pak”s F-16s fighter jets found none of them missing

Washington, April 5

A US count of the F-16s with Pakistan has found that none of them are “missing” and all the fighter planes were “present and accounted for”, according to a report in a prominent American magazine.

The finding by the US on the ground in Pakistan “directly contradicts” India’s claim that its air force shot down an F-16 fighter jet during an aerial dogfight on February 27.

The Indian Air Force on February 28 displayed pieces of the AMRAAM missile, fired by a Pakistani F-16, as evidence to “conclusively” prove that Pakistan deployed US-manufactured F-16 fighter jets during an aerial raid targeting Indian military installations in Kashmir.

Pakistan had categorically said that no F-16 fighter jets were used and denied that one of its planes had been downed by the IAF.

According to the Foreign Policy magazine, Pakistan invited the United States to physically count its F-16 planes after the incident as part of an end-user agreement signed when the foreign military sale was finalised.

“A US count of Pakistan’s F-16 fleet has found that all the jets are present and accounted for, a direct contradiction to India’s claim that it shot down one of the fighter jets during a February clash,” Lara Seligman of the magazine reported on Thursday.

The count of the F-16 fighter planes in Pakistan has been completed, and “all aircraft were present and accounted for,” an unnamed defence official was quoted as saying by the magazine.

The Department of Defence did not immediately respond to a question on its count of F-16 fighter jets in Pakistan.

“As details come out, it looks worse and worse for the Indians,” MIT professor Vipin Narang told Foreign Policy magazine.

“It looks increasingly like India failed to impose significant costs on Pakistan, but lost a plane and a helicopter of its own in the process,” he said.

Generally, in such agreements, the US requires the receiving country to allow its officials to inspect the equipment regularly to ensure it is accounted for and protected, the news report said.

Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the suicide bomber of JeM killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on February 14.

India launched a counter-terror operation against a JeM training camp in Balakot. The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed a MiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured its pilot, who was handed over to India on March 1. PTI

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 31

The Indian Air Force (IAF), which is operating at its lowest strength of fighter jets, has lost six jets so far this year, including the one downed by Pakistan in the February 27 dogfight over Nowshera in Jammu and Kashmir.

A MiG-27 upgraded version jet, which had taken off from Uttarlai Air Force Station, crashed in Sirohi district near Jodhpur today. While the pilot ejected safely, a court of inquiry has been ordered. This is the second IAF jet to have crashed this month.

This means, the IAF is losing two jets every month and the new accretions, including the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, are just not enough to prevent the slide in numbers.

Crashes occur due to multiple reasons, one being the age of MiG-21 and MiG-27 jets, which the IAF is flying for want of newer options.

The IAF is now operating at its lowest strength of 31 fighter squadrons — around 16-18 planes in each. The Cabinet Committee on Security has mandated 42 squadrons for a simultaneous two-front war scenario with Pakistan and China.

Even the addition of 36 Rafale and 123 Tejas jets projected over the next eight years will not help the IAF stem the downward spiral.

Over the next four-five years, around 110 planes of MiG-21 and MiG-27 series are slated to retire.

The year began with a Jaguar jet crash in Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar district, in which the pilot ejected safely.

On February 1, two pilots were killed after a Mirage 2000 upgraded trainer version by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited crashed in Bengaluru. The plane was undergoing its acceptance trial by the IAF when both pilots ejected and one pilot crash-landed in the burning wreckage.

On February 12, a MiG-27 crashed near Pokhran range, while the pilot ejected safely.

Two weeks later, on February 27, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was shot over Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the air duel.

On March 8, a MiG-21 crashed near Bikaner, but the pilot ejected safely.

In February, two Hawk trainer jets, part of the ‘Surya Kiran’ aerobatic team, had crashed mid-air, killing a pilot. Also, on February 27, a Mi-17 helicopter ‘crashed’ killing six persons, including two pilots. It is being investigated if the helicopter was ‘accidentally’ shot down.

Azhar Qadri

Tribune News Service

Hajin, March 24

In Hajin, which defended militants in recent years, people are angry over the abduction and killing of a young boy as foreign militants face serious erosion of public sympathy in this north Kashmir town which was fiercely supportive of them.

A rare hostage crisis on Friday in which two militants refused to let go of a 12-year-old boy — whose charred body was foundafter a gunfight, which ended when security forces blasted a house — has shocked Hajin where residents had shielded militants during manycounter-insurgency operations.

The act of holding the boy hostage now threatens to erode the sympathy which the militants enjoyed for the last three years, when the first group of mainly foreign militants settled in the densely populated town which has a tribe-like social structure.

“The militants committed a big blunder. Hajin had become a paradise for them. e protected them with our blood but they ruined it all,” a shopkeeper in Hajin’s main roundabout said.

Even as people talk with reverence about militants who stayed and died in Hajin, like a foreigner code-named Musaib, whose body locals had refused to handover to the police, the shock from the hostage incident is overwhelming.

Atif, the young boy who was taken hostage, was the only son of a well-settled orchardist, Mohammad Shafi Mir, and Shareefa Jan, who also have three daughters. His cousin Abid Hamid Mir, alias Arhaan, was among the two Hajin youthswho became militants in 2017, the first from Hajin in more than two decades. His uncle Hilal Ahmad Wani from Sopore was also a militant and had died in 2008.

A distraught Mohammad Shafi, who attended to the mourners at a tent pitched in a neighbour’s courtyard, told The Tribune he did not know why his son was kept hostage. “The militants came three or four days ago. I don’t know why they did it,” he said.

Hajin’s history is chequered with violence. It was the home to Kashmir’s most feared counter-insurgency militia commander, who turned the town into a base for his ruthless campaign against militants, their sympathisers and civilians.

The dreaded militia was disbanded by the government and its members hunted and killed, and, by 2013, Hajin was forgotten as conflict moved to different arenas.

More than a decade later, a group of foreign militants — which failed to reach south Kashmir where they were to reinforce a resurgent wave of populist militants — settled in Hajin in late 2015 and found sympathy, support and protection among its people, who were eager to shed the tag of association with the militia.

Ali, the militant who held the boy hostage, is believed to be either a part of that first group or the second group that followed into Hajin two years later.

In Hajin, like anywhere else in Kashmir, the new generation of militants is seen with reverence and their deaths are celebrated as martyrdoms. However, Ali, described by residents of Hajin as a seven-foot tall Baloch and athletic, was killed on an ignominious note.

“Satan had overtaken him,” said a resident of Hajin’s Mir Mohalla, where Ali had held the boy hostage. Another man, a next door neighbour of the Mir family, said the crime was unforgivable. “No matter what, he should have let the boy go,” he said.

Such was the impact that for the first time since 2016, there was no stone throwing in the area even as the gunfight dragged for two days. The shutdown that was later observed was specifically for Atif and not for Ali and another foreigner Hubaib, residents said.

Three days after the incident, neighbours volunteered on Sunday to clear the debris of Mohammad Shafi’s blasted home as anger against militants continued to deepen in the neighbourhood.

A young man from Mir Mohalla, who was sympathetic to militants, said Ali had become “frustrated and rogue” and wanted to marry the daughter of the house owner. “When it was refused, he lost his mind,” he said.

“They (militants) would knock on any door in Hajin and it would be opened for them because it was out of love. This will not happen now,” he said. “They came here for a cause and we trusted them but for now, the trust is broken,” he said.

Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 20

Air Commodore Ajay Singh Pathania took over the command of the Jammu Air Force Station as the Air Officer Commanding (AOC) from Air Commodore SK Mishra today.

On this occasion, an impressive ceremonial parade by the Air Warriors was held at the Air Force Station in Jammu.

Air Commodore Pathania was commissioned in the Indian Air Force in 1986. An experienced flying instructor and a graduate of Defence Service Staff College, the officer has flying experience of about 6,000 hours on helicopter and trainer aircraft in India and abroad to his credit.

He has been the Flight Commander of three types of helicopters and commanded two types of helicopter units, which includes Chetak/Cheetah in the eastern sector of India and MI-25 in UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

He has been the Chief Operational Officer of a premier IAF base and also commanded a Tactical Air Command in the eastern sector. The officer has also served as personal and operational staff at Air Headquarters. He was directly involved in major humanitarian assistance and disaster relief helicopter operations between 2012 and 2015, including in the Kashmir valley, Jammu and Uttarakhand, etc.

He was instrumental during the rescue and relief operations after the Nepal earthquake as well as the Yemen evacuation in April 2015. He has been the AOC and President of the Air Force Selection Board at Kolkata (Kanchrapara) and Dehradun.

He was awarded the Chief of the Air Staff commendation in 1995, AOC-in-C HQ Training Command commendation in 1997 and the Vishisht Seva Medal in January 2015.