Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat at Northern Command headquarters, Udhampur, on Saturday. Tribune photo

Jammu, November30

Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat on Saturday visited the Northern Command headquarters at Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir and urged troops to be alert against any inimical design of the enemy and stay aggressive in their approach.

“The Chief of Army Staff interacted with the troops and conveyed his appreciation to the soldiers for their steadfastness and high morale, which were reflective of their unwavering commitment and selfless dedication to the nation,” a defence spokesperson said.

He said the Army chief “urged the troops to be alert against any inimical design of the enemy and be aggressive in their approach”.

Gen Rawat also lauded “the synergy and cooperation” between the northern command, Air Force, para military forces, civil administration and the central police organizations operating in the region, the spokesperson said.

He said the general exhorted all ranks to continue carrying out their task in a professional manner for creating a secure and peaceful environment for the ‘Awaam’ (people) of Jammu and Kashmir. — PTI

160 participants from 9 countries l Opening at Sultanpur Lodhi l Winning team to get Rs 25L

Stadium ready for International World Kabaddi Cup at Sultanpur Lodhi. Tribune Photo

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 29

The state government will host the special edition of the International Kabaddi Tournament-2019 to mark the 550th Parkash Purb from December 1 at Guru Nanak Stadium, Sultanpur Lodhi.

Sports and Youth Services & NRI Affairs Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi said the kabaddi extravaganza would be represented by over 160 players from nine countries.

“Eight countries, besides India, which are taking part in the tournament, are Australia, Canada, England, Kenya, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and US,” the minister said, adding that the Canadian team had got an NOC from the Union Government while the approval to Pakistan team is awaited and hopefully it would be issued soon. The minister announced that the winning team would be given a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh while the runners-up and the team clinching the third position would get Rs 15 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, respectively.

Divulging the tournament schedule, Rana Gurmit said the opening ceremony would be held at Guru Nanak Stadium, Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala, on December 1 and the closing ceremony will take place at Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur district on December 10.

He said Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh would be the chief guest at the closing ceremony and distribute prizes to winners. The other matches will be played at Guru Nanak Stadium, Amritsar, on December 3, Guru Ram Das Stadium, Guru Harsahai, Ferozepur, on December 4, Outdoor Sports Stadium, Bathinda, on December 5, Polo Ground, Patiala, on December 6. The minister said the semi finals would be held at Charan Ganga Stadium, Sri Anandpur Sahib, in Roop Nagar district on December 8 and finals would be played at Dera Baba Nanak on December 10.

A Bill which seeks to enhance punishment for illegally possessing and making prohibited arms besides other changes in the six-decade-old Arms Act was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. The Bill was introduced by Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishen Reddy. As per the Bill, the government proposes to amend Section 25 (1AA) of the Arms Act, 1959, to give punishment from the usual life term of 14 years to “imprisonment for the remainder of that person’s life” for manufacturing, selling, repairing and possessing “prohibited” arms. The minimum punishment under this section will be 14 years.  PTI

Capt Amarinder urges Centre not to reduce firearms per licence

Photo for representational purpose only.

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 29

Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has urged the Centre not to reduce the number of firearms permissible on a licence from three to one in Punjab in view of the sensitive location and troubled history of the state.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister sought a review of the proposal of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to amend the Arms Act, 1959, thereby restricting the number of firearms, an official statement said.

He has, however, made it clear that if some states are keen on reducing the number of weapons, they may be allowed to do so without prejudice to other states.

In his letter, the chief minister said he had personally raised the issue with the prime minister during the latter’s recent visit to Punjab for the opening of the Kartarpur corridor.

The Punjab Government was in agreement with most of the proposed amendments but had strong reservations regarding restricting the number of firearms a licensee could possess, he said.

The chief minister stressed that Punjab being a border state and having gone through a long period of terrorist violence, a large number of people possessed more than one firearm and many farmers who reside away from the villages where their agricultural lands/farms were located also possessed firearms for crop protection.

Therefore, he wrote, it was significant to note that only a small fraction of crime was committed using licensed weapons.

These facts, he said, could be independently ascertained as they were within the domain of the MHA.

Amarinder Singh observed that restricting the number of firearms might not be of much help for the control of crime.

On the contrary, a large number of people would be inconvenienced by way of surrender of additional weapons and the farming community would also be deprived of weapons meant for crop protection, he added.

http://

Sandeep Dikshit
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 29

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said mere changes in the policy alone will not help revive the economy as a “toxic combination” of deep distrust, pervasive fear and a sense of hopelessness in society is stifling economic activity and, hence, economic growth.

“With an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha and low global oil prices, this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to catapult India to the next phase of economic development and create new jobs. I urge the Prime Minister to set aside his deep-rooted suspicion of our society and nurse us back to a harmonious, confident and mutually trustworthy society that can revive the spirits and help our economy soar,” he said.

In his valedictory address at the National Economy Conclave organised by the Samruddha Bharat Foundation and Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Contemporary Studies here, Dr Singh spoke of a palpable climate of fear in society.

“Many industrialists tell me they live in fear of harassment by authorities. Bankers are reluctant to make new loans, for fear of retribution. Entrepreneurs are hesitant to put up fresh projects, for fear of failure attributed to ulterior motives. Startups that are an important new engine of economic growth and jobs, seem to live under a shadow of constant surveillance,” he said.

“Policy makers in government and other institutions are scared to speak the truth or engage in intellectually honest policy discussions. There is profound fear and distrust among our various economic participants. Public trust in independent institutions such as the media, judiciary, regulatory authorities, and investigative agencies has been severely eroded,” he said.

He pointed out that India is now a $3 trillion global economic powerhouse driven largely by private enterprise and not a tiny command and control economy that can be bullied and directed at will.

4.5% GDP growth unacceptable: Manmohan

A screen grab of the viral video.

New Delhi, November 30

A video of Russian military cadets singing the famous Hindi patriotic song “Aye watan, aye watan, hamko teri Kasam Teri raahon mein jaan tak loota jaayenge” from the movie ‘Shaheed’, has gone viral on Twitter.

Sung by Mohammad Rafi ‘Aye Watan’ was released in 1965. A Twitter user said: “It made my day… Russian army cadets singing Ae Watan Ae Watan”.

Brig Rajesh Pushkar, Military Advisor at the Indian Embassy in Moscow, could also be seen in the video. Another said: “Amazing! Ruski singing Indian patriotic song. Aye watan, Aye watan..” 

“Russia is true counterparts of India since Independence. Glad to have their support!?” –– IANS

Rajnath Singh. PTI file

Pune, November 30

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said Pakistan was indulging in a “proxy” war as it had realised that it could not win a “conventional” one.

The path of “proxy” war chosen by Pakistan would only lead to its defeat, he added.

Singh was speaking at the passing-out parade of the 137th course at National Defence Academy in Pune.

Pakistan had realised right from 1948 through the wars in 1965, 1971 and 1999 that it could not win against India in any conventional or limited war, the minister said.

“It has chosen a path of proxy war through terrorism and I can tell you with full responsibility that Pakistan will not get anything but defeat,” he said.

India always had cordial and friendly relations with other countries, Singh said, adding that the country never had any extra-territorial ambitions but if provoked, it would not spare anyone.

“We are committed to the sovereignty and security of the people of the country. But if someone runs terror camps on our land or are involved in an attack, we know how to give a befitting reply,” he asserted. PTI

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the passing out parade of the 137th course at National Defence Academy in Pune on Saturday, November 30, 2019. PTI

Pune, November 30

A total of 284 cadets graduated from the National Defence Academy here on Saturday.

Passing-out parade of the 137th course of the NDA was held on the Khetrapal Parade ground at the academy in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Among the graduating officers, there were 188 Army cadets, 38 Naval cadets, 37 Air Force cadets and 20 cadets from friendly foreign countries.

The foreign cadets belonged to Bhutan, Tajikistan, the Maldives, Vietnam, Mauritius, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Myanmar.

The president’s gold medal was awarded to Captain Majji Giridhar for standing first in overall order of merit.

The president’s silver medal was awarded to Battalion cadet captain Kushagra Mishra and battalion cadet captain NK Vishwakarma won the president’s bronze medal.

‘Mike’ Squadron bagged the prestigious chief of staff banner for being the champion squadron.

Speaking on this occasion, defence minister Singh praised the parents of passing out cadets for their decision to send their children to the Armed Forces.

The “grit and grime” at NDA makes cadets tough to face any challenge in their military career, he said.

India has been spreading message of peace, and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country has also shown that it can be tough and aggressive whenever required, Singh said.

It was also remarkable how the Armed Forces provide humanitarian assistance during natural calamities, the minister said, adding that while other institutions are failing or finding it difficult to sustain themselves, the NDA is the only institution whose glory is rising. — PTI

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh shakes hands with his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Toshimitsu Motegi look on, before India-Japan 2+2 meeting, in New Delhi, on Saturday, November 30, 2019. PTI

New Delhi, November 30

In their inaugural foreign and defence ministerial dialogue, India and Japan on Saturday deliberated on the threat posed to regional peace by terror networks operating from Pakistan and asked it to take “resolute and irreversible” against them.

The two countries specifically called upon Islamabad to “fully comply” with its international commitments to deal with terrorism including the steps prescribed by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the global anti-terror watchdog.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar led the Indian delegation while the Japanese side was headed by Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Minister of Defence Taro Kono, officials said.

The talks under the new two-plus-two framework took place following a decision taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe during the 13th India-Japan annual summit last year.

“The ministers underlined the need for all countries to ensure that all territory under their control is not used to launch terrorist attacks on other countries in any manner,” an Indo-Japan joint statement said.

“They noted in this context the threat posed to regional security by terrorist networks operating out of Pakistan and called upon it to take resolute and irreversible action against them and fully comply with international commitments including to FATF,” it said.

India and Japan also called upon all countries to take resolute action in rooting out terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupt terrorist networks, eliminate financing channels and halt cross-border movement of terrorists.

“The ministers condemned in the strongest terms the growing threat of terrorism and acknowledged that it constituted a major threat to peace and security in the region,” the joint statement said. — PTI