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US set to build military coalition to patrol Gulf

RHETORIC HEATS UP US prez vows to ‘substantially increase’ sanctions on Iran

WASHINGTON: The US hopes to enlist allies over the next two weeks in a military coalition to safeguard strategic waters off Iran and Yemen, where it blames Iran and Iran-aligned fighters for attacks, the top US general has said. Under the plan, which has only been finalised in recent days, the US would provide command ships and lead surveillance efforts for the military coalition. Allies would patrol waters near those US command ships and escort commercial vessels with their nation’s flags.

■ The Sterett Destroyer escorts aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln through the Strait of Hormuz.REUTERS

President Donald Trump accused Iran on Wednesday of secretly enriching uranium for a long time and said US sanctions would be increased “substantially” soon, as the UN nuclear watchdog held an emergency meeting on Tehran’s breach of the 2015 nuclear deal. “Remember, that deal was to expire in a short number of years. Sanctions will soon be increased, substantially!,” Trump tweeted.

Washington used the session of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s 35-nation Board of Governors to accuse Iran of extortion after it inched past the deal’s limit on enrichment levels, while still offering to hold talks with Tehran. Iranian representative Kazem Gharib Abadi said it was a “sad irony that this meeting is convened with the request of the United States” as the current impasse was the result of the US’s “outlaw behaviour”, and condemned what he called the “sadistic tendency” of the US to impose sanctions on Iran.

Russia’s Ambassador to the IAEA Mikhail Ulyanov tweeted after the meeting that the US “was practically isolated on this issue”. Iran President Hassan Rouhani rebuffed a warning by European powers to continue compliance with the deal.


Ministry of Defence Revision of OROP Scheme

Posted On: 08 JUL 2019 4:27PM by PIB Delhi
A Committee has been constituted on 14.06.2019 under the Chairmanship of Controller General of Defence Accounts (CGDA) to work out the modalities & methodology of implementation of next revision of pension under One Rank One Pension (OROP)..  The composition of the Committee is as under:-
            (i)  CGDA                                                         :  Chairperson
            (ii)  Joint Secretary (ESW)                               :  Member
            (iii) Addl FA, Defence (Fin.)                             :  Member
            (iv) Representative of three Services             :  Member
            (v)  AddlCGDA                                                 :  Member
            (vi) PCDA (P), Allahabad                                 :  Member
            (vii) Joint CGDA (Pension)                               :  Member & Convener
A Committee has been constituted as above.
This information was given by Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Shripad Naik in a written reply to Dr. T. Subbarami Reddy and Shrimati Ambika Soniin Rajya Sabha today.
Nampi/HS

HONOURING SPORTS CHAMPIONS

Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh felicitated around 100 sportspersons, including veterans, with the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award in Chandigarh on Tuesday. The CM also visited the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, to present the award to hockey legend and three-time Olympic gold medallist Balbir Singh Senior. The award, which was instituted in 1978, carries a cash prize of ₹2 lakh, a trophy of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in armour atop a steed, a blazer and a scroll. Saying that the award has been re-instituted after a decade and would now be an annual event, Amarinder added that he would recommend Balbir’s name for Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in the country.

Each of the awardee received a trophy, citation and cash incentive of ~ 2lakh

From page 01 CHANDIGARH : Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh honoured 101 outstanding sportspersons with the state highest sporting honour — Maharaja Ranjit Singh Awards — at a state-level function in Chandigarh on Tuesday. Sports minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi was also present on the occasion.

■ Former India hockey skipper and Punjab police DSP Rajpal Singh being honoured.

Legendary athletes Milkha Singh, Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, Kamaljeet Kaur Sandhu, 1975 hockey World Cup winning skipper Ajit Pal Singh, former Indian cricket team skipper Bishen Singh Bedi, Olympic medallist hockey players Col Balbir Singh and Brigadier Harcharan Singh were among the sportspersons who were bestowed with the state honour.

Triple Olympic hockey gold medallist Balbir Singh, who is hospitalised, couldn’t attend the ceremony. The Punjab CM will honour him at a special ceremony later.

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, July 9

The Punjab Government after a gap of almost a decade re-introduced Maharaja Ranjit Singh awards and honoured 20 legends and 81 other players, who brought laurels to the state at a function, today.

The Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh honoured a total of 101 players with state’s highest honour ‘Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award’ along with Punjab Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi and Sanjay Kumar, Secretary Sports.

The winners were awarded with a cash award of Rs 2lakh along with a trophy memento. The Punjab Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi also announced that the government has decided to increase the prize money to Rs 5lakh from next year. “The Punjab government has decided to increase the prize money to Rs 5lakh from next year. We have also decided to increase the quota of inviting seats for awarding this prestigious award,” said Sodhi.  “I don’t know the reason behind not giving the awards in past years. But keeping in mind its importance, we will ensure it to be regular feature. I congratulate the Sports Minister and Secretary Sports for their effort in bringing back the Punjab’s legacy,” said Captain Amarinder Singh. The amended sports policy of the state was also launched. Former players

Balbir Singh Sr, Milkha Singh, Gurbachan Singh Randhawa, Ajit Pal Singh, Bishan Singh Bedi, Kamaljeet Kaur Sandhu, Brigadier Harcharan Singh, Colonel Balbir Singh, Baldev Singh, Harmik Singh, Hardeep Singh, Jagjeet Singh, Gulshan Rai, Jaipal Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Balwinder Singh, Paramjit Singh and Harbhajan SinghAwardees for 2011 

Rajpal Singh, Rajinder Singh Rahelu, Heena Sidhu, Mandeep Sidhu, Mandeep Kaur, Gagandeep Kaur, Dilawar Singh, Kuljit Singh, Jagdeep Singh, Komalpreet Shukla, Ravipal, Ranjit Kaur, Mankiran Kaur, Gurchand Singh, Hardeep Singh and Manjit Singh

2012

Navpreet Kaur, Sunita Rani, Gurinder Singh, Amrit Singh, Shammipreet Kaur, Kiranjit Kaur, Rajwant Kaur, Sarwanjit Singh, Sahil Pathania, Jashandeep Singh, Lakhbir Kaur, Navjot Kaur, Ranjit Singh and Mahabir Singh

2013

Mandeep Kaur, Amandeep Kaur, Sapna Dutta, Samit Singh and Triptpal Singh

2014

Davinder Singh, Gurbaaz Singh, Jasmine, Mandeep Singh and Baljit Singh

2015

Arpinder Singh, Trisha Deb, Shahbaz Singh Bhangoo, Dharamvir Singh, Aman Kumar, Rubi Tomar, Shiv Kumar, Vikas Thakur, Davinder Singh and Amandeep Sharma

2016

Swaran Singh Virk, Khushbir Kaur, Kanwalpreet Singh, Amjot Singh, Rekha Rani, Neelam Rani, Prabhjot Kaur Bajwa, Maninder Kaur, Gurwinder Singh, Rajwinder Kaur, Gurinder Singh, Malaika Goyal, Gurpreet Singh, Jasvir Kaur, Parul Gupta

2017

Raj Rani, Amandeep Kaur (handball) , Amandeep Kaur (hockey), Varinder Kumar, Ajitesh Kaushal, Davinder Singh and Sanjeev Kumar

Awardees for 2018

Manpreet Singh, Navjit Kaur Dhillon, Ramandeep Kaur, Gurjit Kaur, Randeep Kaur, Veerpal Kaur, Navneet Kaur, Sahil Chopra, Harshdeep Kaur and Veena Arora


MOD Decides to Give Special Family Pension/Liberalised Family Pension to NOKs of Pensioner on Death Attributable to Military Service

Prior to 17.01.2013, the Next of Kins (NOKs) of Armed Force Pensioner who got re-employed in civil department after getting retired from military service were authorised to draw Ordinary Family Pension (OFP) either from military side or from civil side whichever was beneficial to them in terms of GoI, MoD letter No. 10(6)/92/D(Pens/Sers) dated 28.09.1992.

Vide GoI, MoD letter dated 17.01.2013 & 21.03.2013, it was decided that the families of Armed Forces pensioners who got re-employed in civil departments/military after getting retired from military service and were in receipt of military pension till death, shall be allowed to draw family pension from military side in addition to the family pension, if any, authorised from the re-employed civil department.

The Government has been receiving grievances from various quarters for grant of dual family pension including Special Family Pension/Liberalised Family Pension where death of the re-employed government servant is attributable to government service.

The matter has been examined in the Ministry and now, it has been decided by the Ministry of Defence that Special Family Pension (SFP)/Liberalised Family Pension (LFP), would be admissible on death of a pensioner who was re-employed in military service and if his death is attributable to military service, in addition to Ordinary Family Pension in respect of the previous military/civil service subject to fulfilment of other condition as mentioned in the said Government letter.

Kind regards
G.S.Sidhu
Chairman
AFVAI


INCOME TAX RECKONER Zoom

Income tax rates remained unchanged from the interim budget, which means the slight relief announced in February will continue except for the super rich, who will have to pay more

SLABS REMAIN UNCHANGED

The three tax slabs are 5%, 20% and 30%. The budget has increased surcharge for income above ~2 crore and ~5 crore. Also, individuals with income up to ~5 lakh get a tax rebate.

 

 

 


Indian Army General gets into Twitter spat over treating jawans as ‘slaves’

A Twitter user identifying himself as a ‘veteran jawan’ accused former Western Army Commander Lt Gen. K.J. Singh (retd) of keeping a platoon for household chores, among other charges.

Lt Gen. (Retd) K.J. Singh

New Delhi: Army veteran Lt Gen. K.J. Singh (retd) Monday got into a Twitter spat with a user identifying himself as “veteran jawan”, who alleged that Singh had treated jawans as “slaves” and kept a platoon at his home for performing household chores while he was in service.

Singh, a former Western Army Commander, was recently made a state information commissioner by the Haryana government.

The handle, @OROP_for_JAWANS, further alleged that Singh did not check the downgrade of jawans during successive pay commissions while he was in service and also faced a CBI inquiry on serious charges.

Singh refuted the allegations, saying that he never had a platoon, and that he was actually most frugal in his approach.

“I never had platoon & in one secret audit created by my Corps Cdr, I was found 2 b most frugal in running flag staff house. Don’t really need ur certification as I still care & work 4 Jawans. Jai Hind (sic),” he tweeted.

Veteran Jawan@OROP_for_JAWANS
 

General sahab your tweet seems to be the effect of Italian waters, cause you yourself have treated jawans as your slaves and kept platoon at your residence during service, to do household chores @officerslave @foujiJAWANunion @ashwaryas @mananbhattnavy

 
Lt Gen K J Singh@kayjay34350
 

I never had platoon & in one secret audit created by my Corps Cdr, I was found 2 b most frugal in running flag staff house. Don’t really need ur certification as I still care & work 4 Jawans. Jai Hind.

 

o the Haryana government, he had got the government to accept junior commissioned officers as Grade 2 and gazetted officers and overcame opposition to do so.

“Martyr JCO’s daughter became BDO first time. My Dharma, I work 4 men. U seem 2 follow- destroy officers reputation. Even this thread started on logic & policy. U made it personal. Reduce toxicity(sic),” Singh wrote.

 
Veteran Jawan@OROP_for_JAWANS
 

You were a general and now you are an ESM or a Veteran so am I. I am not some 16 yr old jawan trainee.

Let’s be equals now

 
Lt Gen K J Singh@kayjay34350
 

As Advisor,got Govt 2 accept JCOs as Gde 2& Gazzetted offr overcoming opposition. Martyr JCO’s daughter became BDO first time. My Dharma, I work 4 men. U seem 2 follow- destroy officers reputation. Even this thread started on logic & policy. U made it personal. Reduce toxicity.

 ThePrint tried to contact Lt Gen. Singh through calls and messages, but all he said was he’s “away on family holiday”.

The person behind the Twitter handle later identified himself to ThePrint as veteran junior warrant officer (Indian Air Force) Nalin Talwar, national spokesperson of the Saabka Sainik Sangharsh Committee, an organisation fighting for soldiers’ rights.

Asked why he chose to be anonymous on Twitter, Talwar said it is because the handle was created to fight for one rank, one pension for jawans as “no one cared or spoke about them”.


Supreme Court asks Centre to set up panel to assess effect of aircraft fumigation on passengers

The court was hearing pleas against a ban on spraying of disinfectants and pesticides in aircraft

Supreme Court asks Centre to set up panel to assess effect of aircraft fumigation on passengers

The ministry of health and family welfare told the top court that spraying of disinfectants was not harmful and it was in accordance with guidelines of World Health Organisation.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Centre to constitute within two weeks a high-level committee of experts to ascertain whether spraying insecticides or fumigation to ward off mosquitoes in aircraft was harmful for passengers.

The court, which was hearing pleas against the National Green Tribunal’s ban on spraying of disinfectants and pesticides in aircraft, said that it was not in favour of a blanket restriction and may allow it on some routes where mosquito problem was prevalent after the committee submits its report.

The ministry of health and family welfare told the top court that spraying of disinfectants was not harmful and it was in accordance with guidelines of World Health Organisation.

A bench of justices D Y Chandrachud and Indira Banerjee asked the Centre to constitute a high-level committee of experts, which may include a representative from airlines, within two weeks.

“With regard to the nature of the issue and in the context of public health… we consider it appropriate that the Union of India constitute a high powered committee of experts to assess the harmful and hazardous effects of fumigation and the issue of of policy which needs to be examined…,” the bench said.

It asked the Centre to apprise it about constitution of the committee in two weeks.

‘NOT HARMFUL’

Additional Solicitor General ANS Nadkarni, appearing for the Centre, said that the ministries of Health and Family Welfare, and Civil Aviation have said that spraying of disinfectant was not harmful in an aircraft loaded with passengers.

Senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, who has been appointed amicus curiae in the case, told the bench that there were two kind of disinfectants/pesticides which were used in aircraft generally.

“One of the disinfectants has immediate effect and the second one has lesser effect. There are reports which say that these disinfectant are not harmful,” she said.

Advocate Saurabh Kripal, appearing for Interglobe Aviation Ltd (Indigo Airlines), said that spraying of disinfectants/pesticides was stopped after the order of National Green Tribunal (NGT).

To this, the bench said that it was a policy decision and it would be better if the Centre constitutes a high-level committee of experts to take a call on the harmful effects of disinfectants/pesticides.

The apex court had on March 15 termed it as an issue of importance and appointed senior advocate Meenakshi Arora as amicus curiae in the matter.

THE BAN

The green tribunal had initiated proceedings on an e-mail written by a US-based neurologist Dr Jai Kumar.

Kumar had contended that spraying of pesticides on planes with chemicals like phenothrin, an organo-phosphorus neurotoxin, was injurious to human health as their use carries risk of causing cancer and auto-immune diseases like lupus, Parkinson’s disease and memory loss.

Kumar had claimed that while all other airlines have stopped spraying of pesticides, this practice is prevalent in Indian airlines.

Indigo Airlines, which has moved the apex court after NGT refused to accept its several pleas for fumigation of aircraft, has contended that the airports which are most affected by mosquito problems are — Kolkata, Patna, Lucknow, Delhi, Guwahati, Raipur, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Jaipur, Pune, Bengaluru, Dehradun and Bhubaneswar.

It had said there was a spiralling growth in dengue and malaria cases with the onset of Monsoon season and due to the “blanket ban”, they were not able to take any step for protection and safety of passengers.

The airline had said Monsoon was a critical season as there was a sudden spurt in dengue and malaria cases because weather conditions were conducive for mosquito-breeding.

It has stated that the airline has already received numerous complaints from flyers, some of whom have even filed cases against the company in the consumer fora.


ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN BY NOK ON DEMISE OF AN AIR FORCE VETERAN

ACTION TO BE TAKEN ON DEMISE OF A PENSIONER

(a)  Death if due to accident or unnatural causes should always be reported to the Police Station in whose jurisdiction the area falls. It avoids lot of troubles later on. In such cases get the autopsy done to establish proper cause of death.

(b)      Do obtain two ink signed copies of Medical certificate specifying cause of death from the Hospital or the authorized Medical Practitioner. One of these is required by the authorities at the cremation/ burial ground. The other is required by the authorities (Registrar of Deaths & Births) who issues Death Certificates. Obtain cremation/burial certificate from the cremation/burial ground.

(c)       A close relative should apply for issue of Death certificate within 15 days of the death of the pensioner/ deceased. Obtain at least 20 ink signed & equal number of Photostat copies duly attested by a class one officer.

(d)     Write to the Pension paying Bank Intimating them of demise of the pensioner, asking them to discontinue the pension of the pensioner and payment of the family pension of the spouse l N O K (give name). Enclose ink signed death certificate & copy of the original P P O having joint photograph of the pensioner & spouse/ NOK. Also state PPO and pension S /B A/C numbers.. Sample Application form as at Annexure.

(e)     If the Pension A/c is a joint account or the spouse is a nominee in it Then it is simpler to operate the same A/C for family pension, otherwise a fresh S/ B A/C is to be opened in the same bank. It requires proof of Identity and proof of Residence. Photo copy of voter I Card! PAN card will suffice- with three copies of attested photographs.

(f)    Write separately to Pension sanctioning Authority, PCDA ( P) to start family pension, on demise of the pensioner and enclose ink signed copy of death certificate:-Sample Application is at Annexure

(g)    In the case of Retired Army Pensioner Write to the A Gs branch (MP-5, CW 4) to update their records. & to Pay Platinum Grant if Applicable As per Annexure.

(h)    If the age was less than 70 years write to Army Group Insurance Fund (AGIF) to Make payment of life insurance amount. Application Performa at Annexure.

(i)    Return Retired Officers I Card to Area HQ (lnt Br.) for further Disposal. (j) If there are other Insurance Policies write to them to pay Insurance amount.

(k)    Write to all banks wherein the pensioner has his accounts to transfer closing balances to the spouse / N O K giving bankers address, a/c number.

(I)    Write to Regional Transport Officer to transfer the Automobile to the NOK.

(m)    Write to Arms Licensing Authority to transfer the weapon (if any) to the NOK meanwhile deposit the weapon(s) in concerned Police Station Arms Dealer for safe custody. The NOK should apply forArms License at the earliest.

(n)    Write to Electricity Providing Agency to transfer the meter in the name of spouse/NOK and start further billing against that name.

(o)    Write to the Telephone providing Agency to Change the name of the subscriber, transfer the connection to the name of the Spouse/NOK for further billing (p) Apply to AWHO to transfer the dwelling unit to the spouse/NOK. Performa for Application should be obtained from the AWHO / Welfare Society . The Society has to render No Objection Certificate (NOC).stating that there is No encroachment of common land, No major modification to the Approved design and all Dues to the Society has been cleared. If not already done you may have to do it before they issue NOC.

(q)    Write to all the clubs & societies to transfer the membership to the spouse/NOK (r) Write to all Debtors to clear all dues and make payment to the Spouse/NOK.

(s)    Clear the outstanding dues if any of the Creditors and credit cards and loans taken if any. Return the credit cards to the Bank concerned.

(t)    Some of the banks may have issued Insurance certificate for the amount of FD/Bank Balance then claim it.

(u)    Write to Income Tax authorities to intimate death of the Pensioner to close his Income Tax file and open Income Tax file in the name of the Spouse/NOK Quoting PAN number of both.

(v) Write to the Municipal Authorities to Close Property case file of the deceased person and open it in the name of the spouse/NOK.

(w)    Approach the district Courts for Probate of the WILL, if it is in possession, otherwise obtain a Succession Certificate. From the District Judge.
Annexure — DRAFT LETTER FOR FAMILY PENSION 
 
From

Name.

Address Tele No.                                                                                                                                      To,
The Manager

Name of Bank Address
Sir,
Subject: – GRANT OF FAMILY PENSION ON DEMISE OF PENSIONER.

1. Reference- Our Joint Pension SB A/C No. held in your Bank.

2. I regret to inform you that my husband, IC No, Rank ………….. Name has expired on at due to Certificate of his death is enclosed for ready reference. He was drawing his pension through your bank. Kindly, stop his payment of his pension with effect from and Start payment of family pension at the rate prescribed vide Annexure three to 6th Pay Commission Report i.e. Rs; 15630/= + DA @ 51 % or as applicable to me through the same Pension SB A/C No.   held in your Bank. We have no dependent children.

3. You are requested to forward the attached copy of this letter along with Copy of his Death certificate duly endorsed for its correctness.

Yours faithfully,
Signature(Name)Email ID

Date
Copy to – PCDA (P), Dropadi Ghat, Allahabad 211014: for similar action.

DRFAT LETTER FOR ARMY GROUP INSURANCE EXTENDED POLICY 

From: Name                                                                                             Tele No: Mob

Address

To,
The  Chairman,
Army Group Insurance Fund,
AGIF House, Rao Tularam Marg, NEW DELHI – 110010

Sir,

Sub:- ENCASHMENT OF EXTENDED ARMY GROUP INSURANCE POLICY Ref.

Extended Army Group Insurance Certificate No. issued to IC No.Rank Name of Corps of signals. (Encl in original)

1.    I regret to inform you that my spouse, I C.     No. Rank Name        has expired on……. at………. His/Her Death Certificate issued by …………… is enclosed for ready Reference.

2.    I am enclosing the Extended Army Group Insurance Certificate for encashment duly completed in all respect. His date of birth is………………………… Kindly send the cheque of the sum assured to me on my address as given above. My Bank details are as under:-

SSB A/C No. Name and address of my Bank.

Thanking you in anticipation,

Yours  Faithfully,
Signature                                                                                                                                                                  (Name)   &
Annexure- DRAFT LETTER FOR ARMY OFFICERS BENOVELENT FUND – RS 50,000/-

From;

Name

Address

To

The AOBF (Accts Sec), AG’s Branch,

IHQ of MOD (ARMY) Room No 279A, South Block

DHQ PO, New DeIhi110011

Sir,

Subject:- Payment of Platinum Grant (AOBF) On Demise of IC No IC Rank Col Name (Late) of Corps of Signals.)

  1. Reference PPO No. ……………….. (Photocopy enclosed) 1. I regret to inform you that my husband, IC No.    Rank     Name      has expired on ( date) at (Name of Hosp) , Address(Place) , Due to (Cause of Death)
  2. The Certificate of his death Issued by (Civil Authority) is enclosed for ready reference.
  3. You are, kindly requested, to send me his Platinum Grant on his demise. His date of birth is ———– Photo Copy of his Retired Officers’ Identity Card is enclosed for ready reference.
  4. The cheque may please be issued to me on the Address given on top of this letter.
  5. My Bank details are as under:

Name of Bank Address SBA/C No 3. We have ———–/ do not have dependent Children.

Thanking you in anticipation.

Yours Faithfully,

Signatures

( Name- Mrs xxxxx xxxxxx xxxxx xx) W/O Late xxxxx xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx

Copy to:- MOD IHD, Army/HQ AG ( MP 5/ CW 4) For Similar Action

 CHECK LIST — ACTION TO BE TAKEN ON DEMISE OF PENSIONER. 1. In case of death due to accident lodge an FIR with the nearest Police Station, and get theirwritten permission before last rites are performed. 2. Arrange last rites even in cases of natural demise only after getting Medical Certificate of cause of Death from a doctor (Authorized Medical Practice nor). Intimate time of Funeral and CHAUTHA/UTHALA/ Prayer meeting to all concerned preferably through an insertion of obituary in News Papers(s). 3. Apply for and obtain Death Cetificate-20 or more copies from the Office of Registrar of Births and Deaths/ Municipal Authority. These are required to be submitted with all claims. 4. Forward the information with certified photocopy of Death Certificate To the following: (a) PCDA (Pension), AG’s Branch MP 5 (b) and PS4. (b) Army Officer’s Benevolent Fund for Payment of Platinum Grant. (c) AGIF For settlement of life Insurance cover as applicable (d) Station HO To surrender Identity Card of the deceased Officer and Issue of CSD Canteen Card. (e) Bankers forfamily Pension, FD’s Loans (if any), PPF and Locker: (f) Clubs For transfer of membership or refund of security deposit as applicable. (g) Municipal Authority/AWHO/DDA/NDA/GNDA/HUDAILOCAL Development Authority For transfer of House /Apartment to a single name of the surviving spouse as per WILL of the deceased. (h) MTNUBSNUTELECUM COMPANEY For transfer of tale connection and future billing. (i) BSES/NDPULOCAL ELECTRICITY DEPARTMENT For transferring of electric connection and future billing in the name of the house owner. (j) ITO For closing of file of the deceased and linking up with the files of the beneficiaries and for wealth Tax assessment. (k) Licensing Authority for motor vehicles, Personal Arms and Tractors etc For Transfer of Ownership. (I) LIC/GIC/Insurance Companies/Banks for insurance policies covering Life, Medical, Vehicles and property etc. (m) Secretary Zila Saink Board For issue of Ex-Servicemen widow’s Identity card. 5. Obtain Probate of WILL (if held) otherwise succession certificate is required from the District Judge under Indian

 


Apache on way, to be deployed in Pathankot US attack copter to arrive by mid-July

Apache on way, to be deployed in Pathankot

The first US-made Apache AH-64E attack helicopter is set to arrive in India by mid-July.

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 29

The first US-made Apache AH-64E attack helicopter is set to arrive in India by mid-July and will be inducted into the Indian Air Force a few weeks later at the frontline Pathankot Air Force Station.

The helicopter is slated to arrive on July 18 and will come from the Boeing facility in the US in heavy-lift cargo plane C-17. Sources said the induction is planned at Pathankot as it already holds a unit of Soviet/Russian attack helicopters.

This is the first attack helicopter from the US. The IAF currently uses Soviet/Russian origin Mi-25/Mi-35 helicopters. These are tasked with tank formations. Earlier, Boeing had handed over the first Apache to an IAF official at a production facility in Mesa, Arizona, on May 11. 

The IAF had signed a contract with the US Government and Boeing in September 2015 for 22 Apaches.

Select air and ground crew have undergone training at the training facilities in US. The helicopter has been customised to suit IAF’s future requirements and will have significant capability in mountainous terrain. It can fly up to an altitude of 21,000 feet.

The helicopter has the capability to carry out precision attacks at standoff ranges and operate in hostile airspace with threats from ground.

The ability of these helicopters to transmit and receive the battlefield picture to and from the weapon systems through data networking makes it a lethal acquisition.

These helicopters will provide a significant edge in any future joint operations in support of land forces.

The Apache is fitted with new sensors, avionics and has improved night operation capabilities. Furthermore, it can control a couple of UAVs.

The airframe is designed to withstand hits from guns of up to 12.7 mm calibre. Rotor blades can withstand hits from 23 mm guns. The pilots get systems for the detection and attack of targets. The AH-64E comes with a 30 mm M230 cannon with 1,200 rounds of ammunition.

 


Playing catch-up in info warfare Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (retd)

India has a lot of ground to cover in the fast-changing scenario

Playing catch-up in info warfare

Air Vice Marshal
Manmohan Bahadur (retd)
Addl Director General, Centre for Air Power Studies, New Delhi

IT’S 0335 hours on February 26, 2019, when most are asleep. A one-line tweet announces: “At 0330 hours, IAF fighters have struck terrorist facilities at Balakot, Pakistan. Details follow.”  In the event, this announcement did not happen till an official briefing at 4 pm, while Pakistan’s ISPR (Inter-Services Public Relations) tweeted at 0512 hours, “Indian Air Force violated Line of Control. Pakistan Air Force immediately scrambled. Indian aircrafts gone back. Details to follow (sic).” Thereafter, India was playing catch-up in info warfare, with Pakistan laying out the story of only trees having been hit and India trying to prove that terrorist barracks had indeed been struck. Back in 1999, when the IAF shot down an intruding Pak Navy Atlantique maritime recce aircraft, it was BBC that led the TV reporting. We still have much to learn. Meanwhile, info warfare, the science and art of tailoring human perceptions, has moved a notch up further; perception management of machines through artificial intelligence (AI) and machine intelligence (MI) is the next big thing in information warfare.

AI is revolutionising life; Alexa is now a family member. Systems with AI influence human thought through bot-generated ‘likes’ and ‘shares’, creating enlarged interest in a particular communication. However, the fast developments in machine learning have some analysts referring to AI as, “…so last year.” Scientists at MIT claimed in February 2017 that they knew how to add human intuition to machine algorithms; in fact, MI has overtaken AI, is more cognitive and now mimics humans too. This portends a complete re-appraisal of information warfare operations since intelligent machines would be an integral part of human decision- making and acting independently in some areas. Hence, earlier, while perception management of humans was the focus of research, a similar challenge with respect to ‘intelligent machines’ would have to be met! Would the same aspects, as for humans, come into play? Would there be ‘leaders’ among machines or ‘groups of machines’ that would require to be influenced? And ‘masses’ of humans that were targets in yesteryear be replaced by a network of machines whose ‘thinking’ would need to be influenced, or shielded from being influenced?

These issues would be a reality in the coming decades. But a counter-point can be made that, maybe, machine intelligence could be made impervious to influence through the use of protective software programming. But this raises a counter counter-point that if machines have to improve their ‘learning’ and come closer to human learning capabilities (which is the aim of scientists), they need to be allowed to learn freely and continuously in their environment, just as humans do — which would then make them targets of ‘learning management’. This learning management would happen through humans for sure, but could also be solely driven by other machines, including adversarial ones, a la perception management campaigns targeting the human mind. Therefore, theoretically, machine intelligence could reach levels of an order higher than what a human (its owner) envisaged! Frightening thought, but true all the same, and a phenomenon that could soon be upon mankind.

So, if software in machines could be subject to ‘learning management’ through ‘machine learning’and machine experiences, is it possible to alter the way a human learns and responds by bringing in changes in the brain (software), which is effectively his/ her biological computer?

An April 2017 article in Time magazine talks of ongoing US Navy research in managing and manipulating precognition to analyse ‘sixth sense’ or ‘premonition’. In a series of documented occurrences, where the ‘sixth sense’ of some soldiers in combat saved lives many times over, the article quotes a researcher at the Warfighter Performance Department for Human and Bioengineered Systems, “If we can characterise this intuitive decision-making process and model it, then the hope is to accelerate the acquisition of these skills…..[Are] there ways to improve premonition through training?” This extrasensory perception has been named ‘sensemaking’, where soldiers are taught to ‘sense’ the future. This is an offshoot of a programme to help patients of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder by using biofeedback with virtual reality technology to channel thoughts so as to produce changes in the way one’s brain processes information. Could this be developed further to devise means to channel adversarial thought process to one’s advantage? But since technology targeted at an adversary could well be used on one’s own populace, could this lead to a situation of robotisation of human thought through programmes driven by the State against its own people? Another scary thought, but not an improbable outcome!

To counter an inimical information warfare campaign, medical research comes in handy again. In an article on renowned website warontherocks .com, a computer analyst of the US Department of Defence quotes a book Snow Crash, in which malicious viral information is spread to infect computers and human brains through computer networks, exchange of body fluids, exposure of eyes to a code and the like. This is science fiction at present but conveys an important point; the aim in information warfare in future would be to infect the software in computers and ‘software’ in human brains with viral information which then propagates to infect other computers/human brains.

Info warfare is changing very fast and entering fields never thought of before. India has a lot of ground to cover; we better accept the critical role of perception management in warfare, else the 0335 hours Balakot tweet would be missing again, the next time round.

(Views are personal)