Saturday, June 12, 2010

Army will not fight Naxals, says Cabinet Committee on Security

Vishwa Mohan, TNN, Jun 12, 2010, 01.13am IST
NEW DELHI: The Army will not be used in a "combat role" in the ongoing anti-Naxal battle. The Centre and states will, instead, recruit ex-servicemen — including retired sappers for de-mining exercises — on contractual basis to fill the gap and will focus on strengthening paramilitary and police personnel through intensive training and recruitment programmes. Role of armed forces will only be limited to "training".

The Cabinet Committee on Security, which met under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday, took these decisions. It expected states to lead the charge against Maoists with the Centre mainly helping them with additional "security assistance" in terms of paramilitary personnel and "more funds" for modernisation of police forces and pursuing "development programmes". The committee, which analysed the proposals and counter-proposals of both the home and defence ministries before arriving at the decisions, also decided to meet again soon to give final shape to the strategy.

"CCS will also invite chief ministers of Naxal-affected states. Their views will help the Centre in finetuning the strategy," a top government official said.

Although the CCS meeting remained inconclusive in terms of giving final shape to the strategy and earmarking additional funds, it addressed major concerns of both defence and home ministries on major issues. "Since it was decided not to expand the role of armed forces at all beyond training, the focus was mainly on looking at alternatives to address the need of home ministry as well as states," the official said.

As the armed forces do not want to be dragged into yet another internal security duty beyond their existing roles in J&K and N-E states, the CCS allowed home ministry to fill the gap by recruiting ex-servicemen in a big way.

"While a couple of states are already doing this, remaining ones will also be asked to recruit retired armed force personnel for de-mining exercises and other security duties on minimum three years contract," the official said.
The committee decided that the Centre would provide adequate funds to states for this purpose as well as for recruiting regular police personnel and increasing number of police stations in Naxal-hit districts.

Since the defence ministry argued that IAF could not spare a more helicopters to ferry troops, the CCS explored the option of hiring choppers from Pawan Hans for emergency duties including evacuation of injured personnel.
Army will not fight Naxals, says Cabinet Committee on Security

Letter to Editor
Dear Veterans,
1. Please refer to above news item
2. In this connection Letter to Editor click here.
With Kind Regards,
Jai Hind
Yours Sincerely,
Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM
Vice Chairman Indian ESM Movement

Veteran Voice
Maoism in India cannot be viewed from the angle of a few more jobs for some ex servicemen. Indian soldier remains a soldiers even in retirement (hopefully) - disciplined(?), apolitical and patriotic. Ethically never to turn their training for war into mercernaries for hire.
Maoists are Indians. Indian Army soldiers should not be asked to turn their guns on them. Its a political mess, created for politicians future and multicorporations benefit. It had been researched that one tree in the jungle, as a natural process, shed enough leaves and dead wood to take care of one tribal familiy's need of fire wood for a year. The politician wants to cut that tree and hand over the place to a business house. Think about that tree in all its economic, social and humanitarian nuances.
We live in a land where at the end of a 10 percent GDP spectrum you have a Mukesh Ambani presenting a 1000 crore aeroplane to his wife on her birthday and on the other a tribal digging for edible roots for sustenance.
K Khorana
PS: Excuse me. I am not a 'commie'! They would prove worse than all political parties put together.

Terrorists strike in Tamilnadu

Suspected LTTE supporters blast rail track in TN
Trichy-Chennai Rockfort Express had a providential escape as suspected LTTE supporters blasted a Railway track near Perani Railway station in Villuppuram district of Tamil Nadu early on Saturday. Police sources said the railway track was blown up to a distance of three metres. The incident had occurred a few minutes before the train, carrying nearly one thousand passengers, was about to cross the Perani station.
Read more: Suspected LTTE supporters blast rail track in TN

On the heels of fake drugs and fake colleges now citizens are besieged by Fake and Quack doctors
The Indian Medical Association had provided a list of 2,000 quack doctors throughout Tamil Nadu on June 2 to the Health department, the State DGP and the ADGP and the Chennai City Police Commissioner have managed to arrest 170 of them (less than 10%)
Read more: Over 170 quacks in State arrested

Zero tolerance for corruption in Army: Antony

Additional Rs 3000 for disabled pensioners
Read Maj Navdeep Singh comments: Click here
Posted On: 05-Jun-2010 13:57:19 By: Aakash Singh
Lucknow: Claiming that army personnel should follow the policy of Zero Tolerance towards corruption and refrain from making any Human Rights violation, Defence minister A K Antony today announced an additional payment of Rs 3000 per month to army personnel who retired on disability pension.

"Keeping in view the valour and sacrifice made by the army personnel, those who retired on disabled ground would get an additional Rs 3000 per month as constant attendant in additional to the disability pension," announced the minister while addressing the Army personnel during his day long visit to the Central Command Headquarters here.

He said some armed forces personnel were retained in service despite a disability that was attributed, or aggravated by military service, who forego a lump-sum compensation in lieu of disability.

"Now it has been decided to grant these army personnel as a disability element or war injury element at the time of their retirement or discharge in additional to pension and gratuity besides the constant attendant allowances of Rs 3000 per month," he disclosed.

Mr Antony said adopting Zero Tolerance towards corruption and refraining from Human Rights violation will substantially enhance the image of the Army and remove any existing misgivings.

''There is no doubt that the defence and security of the nation is in safe hands and all of your will always continue to preserve the glorious traditions of the Indian Army,'' he told the army personnel in his address.

"I urge the Commanders to think and devise ways and means to be more accessible to jawans beside there is also an urgent need to provide the best possible education facilities for the children of the defence personnel," he said.

Talking about the hardships faced by the army jawans and officers in the extremely difficult conditions and inhospitable terrain, Mr Antony said that keeping this in view the government had taken several welfare measures for the defence personnel including improvement quality of ration.

"We remain firmly committed to build upon and carry forward these measures and do a lot more for the all-round welfare of our jawans in future," he added.
Zero tolerance for corruption in Army: Antony

Can remaining apolitical reduce corruption and enhance National Security?
According to Raja Mohan, General Singh will have to check corruption in the Indian Army for the purpose of retaining public confidence and present the army as an attractive career option for young Indians. Civilian control of the Indian military has raised concerns about the role of the Army in contributing to the national security.
The apolitical nature of the army is attacked by Lt. Gen. Oberoi in direct terms, “The military also needs to modify the concept of being apolitical. The army’s long standing stance of keeping a distance from the leaders of political parties other than those of the party in power needs to be modified.
Read More
Views on ‘apolitical’ Character of the Indian Army By madhavibhasin Wednesday, April 7 4:00

Questions for the Veteran Community
Can Veterans assist in combating overall corruption in the Nation by being apolitical?
Or should Political leanings be dynamic depending on the merit of the Political Parties?
This is an endless debate... Veterans are the cream and patriotic citizens of the Nation and therefore need to listen to their inner conscience and not be swayed by blindly pursuing a static "apolitical role" which can be degenerative... as political parties keep changing their stance and are steeply embedded in undemocratic and corrupt norms... each election changes the equations of the power corridors...
Do very large numbers of ESM (as members) indicative of the organisation's strength to work for their common good and welfare?
Is locus standi with Power Corridors essential if ESM organisations are Registered under the Indian Society Act of 1860?
Are the Power Corridors truly democratic? If so why are all the favourable court rulings initially scuttled?
Should Veteran welfare organisations work in tandem or at crossroads?

Caution
Burning through or increasing or claiming/ clamouring for ESM membership in lakhs is not a decent approach to keeping our Veteran community active. It’s the worst thing you can do. You only develop transient relationships at best and, eventually, you run out of fresh blood and steam. It’s like a bad pyramid scheme. (A pyramid scheme is a non-sustainable business model that involves the exchange of money primarily for enrolling other people into the scheme, without any product or service being delivered.)

The best indicator of an ESM organisational strength and survival is how many active members you have? How many members have been participating for the last two years? A single active veteran is worth 1000 inactive members, maybe even a 1,00,000 dormant ones some of whom are not even traceable after 3 years. ESM organisations who depend only on numbers are certain to fail the Veteran community at large. Organisations have to take action today so that they will develop active ESM participation three years hence. Spend more time responding to welfare issues of members rather than raking up frivolous unconnected issues against others. ESM Organisations need to carry out an audit of their achievements rather than running down other brother organisations to score a brownie point! We need to remember our basic mission is Justice for our Jawans.

Friday, June 11, 2010

IESM: Press Conference Pune

Courtesy: Sakaal Times

click on image for enlarged version

Press Conference 10 Jun 2010 Pune
Dear Veteran Kamboj,
I have been personally congratulated every time there is something good done by the Pune Core Group. I must bring out that it is not merely my personal effort but that of the entire group. May i request you and all others to kind appreciate the group effort.
Kindly put this request in circulation.
Best regards,
Ravi
Cdr Ravindra Waman Pathak I.N.(Retd)
Member and Coordinator IESM Pension Cell
Ex Servicemen urge peaople to support their fight

Dear Ravi,
Just read Sakaal. May I congratulate through you the Pune fraternity of IESM. We are all proud of you. My compliments to you personally for the dedicated work done by you to make Pune IESM chapter the success it is today.
Good luck for the future also. God Bless
Best wishes and fond regards
Arun
(Cdr Arun Saigal)

Naxal menace has no military solution: Ex- DG BSF

Arunima , CNN-IBN Posted on Jun 10, 2010 at 17:37
Former Director General of Border Security Force EN Rammohan has cautioned the Government against deploying Army to tackle Naxals.
Courtesy NDTV
Rammohan, the head of the one-man committee that investigated the Naxal ambush which killed 76 security personnel in Dantewada, told CNN-IBN that sending in the Army in the Naxals-infested areas will lead to civil war
CNN-IBN: Is Army the solution? What's your view?
EN Rammohan: Army is not the solution. There is no military solution to this problem. The problem is basically because of the domination of the upper class on the lower class, denial of land rights to them and now denial of forest rights to them.
CNN-IBN: Sir, a lot of people in the establishment in the government including people in positions, in the authority or the decision making think it's a purely law and order problem. That's the reason why we need more weapons and more military forces, greater air support to tackle this Naxal problem?
EN Rammohan: I don't agree at all. I don't that there is a military solution to this problem or need of Army at all because it's your own people. For 60 years you have done nothing for them, they were only suppressed; taken away everything from them. First of all give them those facilities or at least announce them. Enforce the land sealing legislation. There are people who own 15,000 acre of land. In Bihar, landlords openly say with contempt that “Hum toh apne zameen kutto or billi ke nam pe laga dete hain” (We keep our lands in the name of our dogs and cats). What is the arrogance of this kind? When is this going to stop?
CNN-IBN: Do you think CRPF is well-equipped to handle a war of this scale?
EN Rammohan: My point about CRPF is a basically a law and order force. The force is excellent, the men are excellent but it needs good leadership. Paramilitary forces like BSF and ITBP - their ethos is different.
CNN-IBN: You have mentioned problem of leadership. In your report you have cited that command and leadership failure at Chintalnar and at the same time Home Ministry went ahead and gave instructions to take action against those state level officers, who you have reportedly told to take action then. There has been no action against those state level officers. What do you have to say?
EN Rammohan: I have not named any officer in my report. It is the responsibility of the Home Ministry to publish the report or not. I will not say anything about it.
Naxal menace has no military solution: Ex- DG BSF

Bhopal mass gas murder: Warren Anderson should stand trial in India- Frank Pallone

Press Trust of India, Updated: June 11, 2010 07:07 IST, Washington
Influential New Jersey Congressman Frank Pallone has said former Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson deserves to be extradited from the US and stand trial in India in connection with the Bhopal gas tragedy case.

"All those responsible for this disaster, including the former chairman of Union Carbide Warren Anderson, should stand trial in India and receive punishment that reflects the devastation and pain they have caused for thousands of people," Pallone said in a statement.

"Warren Anderson absolutely deserves to be extradited from the US and punished for the full extent of his crimes. As chairman of Union Carbide at the time of the Bhopal gas disaster, Anderson was ultimately responsible for his company's actions," said Pallone, who is a powerful member of the India Caucus in the Congress.

Noting that this court ruling is long overdue, Pallone said the executives of Union Carbide and its Indian subsidiary deserve to be criminally prosecuted.

"The court's sentence of merely two years for those responsible for the world's worst chemical disaster is outrageous," he said.

Pallone commended the Indian government on swift action to reconstitute the Group of Ministers (GoM) to review the circumstances surrounding the Bhopal disaster and pursue rehabilitation efforts.

"As the GoM recommended in 2008, I encourage the Indian government to establish an Empowered Commission on Bhopal which will have adequate authority and funds to ensure that rehabilitation efforts are pursued and care is offered for survivors of the disaster," he added.

The State Department, however, has remained silent on the issue. State Department spokesman P J Crowley had earlier said the US does not comment on extradition related issue. But, he said the United States has an extradition treaty with India.
Warren Anderson should stand trial in India: Frank Pallone
Read related articles
US says will consider fresh plea for Anderson's extradition
Who mocks at Indian justice better than itself?
Bhopal tragedy: Govt did its job, judiciary took time, says Moily
Indian Court Convicts 7 in Bhopal Gas Tragedy: ABC News

Comment: If Warren Anderson has a conscience- as he is being construed and portrayed as a gentleman- he should volunteer to surrender to honest Indian Officials at Bhopal and offer an apology to the Gas Victims. This act will not only shame and expose the Indian corrupt Bureaucracy, deceitful Politicians and obliging Judiciary who have taken the victims through a two decade Judicial ride, but will also put the cog wheels of Indian Democracy on the right track. He is bound ultimately to be extradited if India so desires. However India may not find it convenient to face the truth of who bribed whom! The citizens and media should fight till the truth is out and culprits punished. This will placate the 20 year suffering of Victims in a small measure.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

भारतीय पूर्व सैनिक मूवमेंट

पेंशन समानता के लिए सिफ़ारिश के लिए सुप्रीम कमांडर को पत्र
लेफ्टिनेंट जनरल राज कादयान, पीवीएसएम, एवीएसएम, वीएसएम
अध्यक्ष
8 जून 2010
कृपया हमारे लिए कोई पत्र 16 मार्च, 2010 दिनांकित और 13153/RK/2010 IESM/Medals/2010 उल्लेख दिनांक 12 अप्रैल, 2010 सशस्त्र सेनाओं के सुप्रीम कमांडर के साथ पदक जमा करने के विषय पर.

यह प्रस्तुत की है कि हम अभी भी माननीय, Äôble सुप्रीम कमांडर के लिए अपने अनुरोध करने के लिए एक जवाब नहीं मिला है व्यक्ति में पूर्व सैनिकों का पदक प्राप्त करते हैं. उनके पदक जमा `का एक लम्बे समय से चली मांग रैंक एक पेंशन, AO (OROP) में अस्वीकृति पर पूरी पूर्व सैनिकों की आबादी का मोहभंग का प्रतीक है.

यह एक बार फिर से अनुरोध किया है कि सुप्रीम कमांडर के लिए यह व्यक्ति में सुविधाजनक करने के लिए 5000 पदक वापस कि पहले राष्ट्रपति भवन से लाए थे पर हाथ प्रतिनियुक्त प्रतिनिधिमंडल प्राप्त करने के लिए समय लगता है.

मुझे उल्लेख है कि एक उचित समय के भीतर अगर आपकी उपलब्धता या किसी अन्य प्रतिक्रिया अभी भी है, सम्मान में पूर्व सैनिकों समुदाय की इच्छाओं को नहीं सूचित करने के लिए हमें, हमारे पदक ले प्रतिनिधिमंडल कोई विकल्प नहीं है लेकिन राष्ट्रपति की यात्रा करने की अनुमति देगा पूर्व घोषित तिथि पर भवन. मामले में, अपने महामहिम प्रतिनिधिमंडल को पूरा नहीं करता है और व्यक्तिगत रूप से पदक प्राप्त करना नहीं, प्रतिनिधिमंडल पीठ पर पदक सौंपने के बिना आ जाएगा. यह हर महीने दोहराया जाएगा जब तक हम OROP मिलता है.
सबसे अच्छा के साथ संबंध है,
सादर
(राज कादयान)

श्रीमती. राष्ट्रपति श्रीमती प्रतिभा देवीसिंह पाटिल
भारत के राष्ट्रपति
सशस्त्र सेनाओं के सुप्रीम कमांडर


रक्षा मंत्री को पत्र सेवा करने के लिए बढ़ाया विधवा पेंशन के लिए सिफ़ारिश
लेफ्टिनेंट जनरल राज कादयान, पीवीएसएम, एवीएसएम, वीएसएम
अध्यक्ष
09 जून 2010
मैं तुम्हें सेवा विधवाओं को पेंशन लाभ बढ़ाया गैर अनुदान के संबंध में दृष्टिकोण लिखें. जैसा कि आप जानते हैं, बढ़ाया पेंशन लाभ सरकार द्वारा वहाँ की घोषणा पत्र ख़बरदार थे 8 मार्च, 2010 दिनांकित. इस घोषणा के कार्मिक अधिकारी के अलावा अन्य शामिल हैं. हालांकि नहीं है यह, Äòone एक पेंशन, AO, रैंक, जिसके लिए हमारे प्रयास जारी है, पेंशन में वृद्धि होगी और आपका स्वागत है एक सकारात्मक कदम था. हालांकि, कुछ अबोध्य कारण सेवा विधवाओं इस प्रावधान के दायरे से बाहर रखा गया है के लिए. इस चूक के लिए एक महान आश्चर्य और आघात के रूप में आ गया है. विडंबना यह है कि हम भी एक स्थिति में नहीं हैं करने के लिए सेवा के परिवारों के साथ हमारे संपर्क के दौरान इस भेदभाव के लिए तर्क समझाओ.
सरकार के आदेश को बढ़ाने की घोषणा की प्राप्ति पर, मैं पूर्व नौकरीपेशा विभाग के सचिव को एक पत्र बाहर से ऊपर विसंगति ओर इशारा करते हुए लिखा था. हालांकि, वहाँ कोई जवाब नहीं दिया गया है. इस किया जा रहा एक महत्वपूर्ण पेंशनरों, AO जनसंख्या, मैं सरकारी आदेश के दायरे के विस्तार के लिए रक्षा पेंशनरों की सभी श्रेणियों के लिफाफे में अपनी तरह के हस्तक्षेप के अनुरोध के एक बड़े वर्ग को प्रभावित मुद्दा.
सबसे अच्छा के साथ संबंध है,
सादर
(राज कादयान)

श्री ए.के. एंटनी
रक्षा मंत्री

IESM: Letters to Supreme Commander and Defence Minister

Letter to Supreme Commander for pleading for Pension Parity
Lt Gen Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Chairman
8 June 2010
Kindly refer to our letters No IESM/Medals/2010 dated 16th March, 2010 and 13153/RK/2010 dated 12th April, 2010 on the subject of depositing medals with the Supreme Commander of Armed Forces.

It is submitted that we still have not received a reply to our request to the Hon’ble Supreme Commander to receive medals of the ex-servicemen in person. The depositing of medals is symbolic of the disenchantment of the entire ex-servicemen population at the rejection at their long standing demand of `One Rank One Pension’ (OROP).

It is once again requested that the Supreme Commander find time to make it convenient to receive in person the delegation deputed to hand over the 5,000 medals that were brought back earlier from the Rashtrapati Bhawan.

Do allow me to mention that if your availability or any other response is still not intimated to us within a reasonable time, in deference to the wishes of the ex-servicemen community, our delegation carrying the medals will have no choice but to visit the Rashtrapati Bhawan on a pre-announced date. In case, your Excellency does not meet the delegation and does not receive the medals personally, the delegation will come back without handing over the medals. This will be repeated every month till we get OROP.
With best regards,
Yours sincerely,
(Raj Kadyan)

Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil
Hon’ble President of India &
Supreme Commander of Armed Forces

Letter to Raksha Mantri pleading for enhanced pension to service widows
Lt Gen Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Chairman
09 June 2010
I write to approach you in connection with non grant of enhanced pensionary benefits to the Service widows. As you are aware, enhanced pensionary benefits were announced by the government vide there letter dated 08 March 2010. This announcement covered personnel other than officers. Even though this is not ‘one rank one pension’, for which our efforts will continue, the increase in pension was a positive and welcome step. However, for some inexplicable reason the Service widows have been kept out of the ambit of this provision. This omission has come as a great surprise and shock. Ironically, we are not even in a position to explain the rationale for this discrimination during our interaction with the Service families.
On receipt of the government orders announcing the enhancement, I had written a letter to the Secretary Ex Serviceman Department pointing out the above anomaly. However, there has been no reply. This being an important issue affecting a large section of the pensioners’ population, I request your kind intervention in enlarging the ambit of the government orders to cover all categories of Defence pensioners.
With best regards,
Yours sincerely,
(Raj Kadyan)

Mr AK Antony
Hon’ble Minister of Defence

We congratulate and applaud IESM for the dedicated governing body headed by Veteran Raj Kadyan for grappling, addressing and taking up the welfare related issues of Ex Servicemen with the concerned authorities on regular basis.

Gandhi used Army to crush Maoists

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Indira Gandhi used Army to crush Maoists: Former General to NDTV
At a time when there are divisions within the government on whether or not to use the Army against the Maoists, a key former General in the Eastern Command told NDTV that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had indeed sent in the Army to crush the original Naxal uprising in West Bengal in the late 60s.

Lt General (Retd) J F R Jacob also added that para-commodes were also used against the Naxals in the 60s and 70s.

"In 1969 in the month of October, General Manekshaw and secretary Govind Narain came to Calcutta to see me. We had a meeting and Manekshaw told me that the government had decided that the Army would be used to break the Naxals and it is the order of Mrs Gandhi. She had directed that the Army be used to break the Naxals." he said.

"I told Manekshaw that I need more troops. We had 20 divisions in the Naxal areas but nothing south of the Ganga. He said, 'How much troops do you need?' I said I at least need two divisions. So he said Jake I will be good to you. I will not only give you two more divisions but I will give you 40 para-brigade as well. I said give me something in writing. He said nothing in writing. Then Govind Narain turned up and said no publicity and no records. There was no disturbed area act enforced, no AFSPA enforced. We just operated within the law. I would presume you would call it aid of civil power and we had no protection," he added.

The Cabinet Committee on Security will today on the Home Ministry's proposal for greater assistance from the Army in tackling the Naxals. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will chair this key meeting.

The Army leadership, however, continues to remain wary of getting embroiled in the Naxal areas, one reason why the Ministry of Home Affairs has reportedly refrained from seeking Army's direct deployment in the counter-Naxalite strategy.

Instead, the Army has offered post brigadier-level officers in Naxal-affected states as advisers and part of the Unified Command.
Indira Gandhi used Army to crush Maoists: Former General to NDTV

Disgracefully India is among the least peaceful places in the world

Thursday, Jun 10, 2010 The Hindu by Narayan Lakshman

Washington: India is among the least peaceful of major countries in the world and is getting even less peaceful year on year. This was the major finding of the Global Peace Index Report (GPI), an annual publication by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), a think tank focused on researching the relationship between economics, business and peace.

According to the 2010 report, which considered a range of peace-related variables among 149 countries, India's rank was 128, six ranks lower than its 2009 position.

Some of India's key neighbours in South Asia ranked in the bottom 20 per cent along with India — Sri Lanka was ranked 133rd, Pakistan 145th and Afghanistan 147th. However, Nepal did much better, ranked in 82nd place and Bangladesh in 87th. Bhutan, ranked at 36th, narrowly missed being in the top 20 per cent of nations.

Commenting on the results the IEP said, “South Asia saw the greatest decrease in peacefulness, as a result of increased involvement in conflicts, a rise in deaths from internal conflict and human rights abuses. It added, “The main countries experiencing decreases in peacefulness were India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.”

The report's authors also observed that, overall, the world became “slightly less peaceful in the past year,” adding that in some nations, an intensification of conflicts and growing instability appears to be linked to the global economic downturn in late 2008 and early 2009.

While most developed countries including those of Western Europe and Canada, ranked in the top 20 per cent of peaceful nations, the United States was an anomaly, ranking at 85th, outranked by countries such as Rwanda, Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

India also ranked 19th out of 25 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. The leader in the region, New Zealand, was also the most peaceful nation globally. Close on its heels were Iceland and Japan. Iraq was estimated to be the least peaceful, accompanied at the bottom of the table by Somalia, Afghanistan and Sudan.

The identification and weighting of indicators in the GPI, which is compiled by the Economist Intelligence Unit, was undertaken by an international panel of experts in the study of peace.

“How peaceful a country is depends on the internal structures, institutions, and attitudes that sustain and promote peace as well as on external factors,” said Clyde McConaghy, board director of the IEP.
India among least peaceful places in world

Moderator Comment
Citizens in India are not safe including the tourists. This is obvious from media reports of rape, kidnap, murder, criminals let loose, criminal councillors/ politicians, fakes right from medicines to currency, corrupt bureaucracy, money laundering, black money and criminalisation of citizens by the state. The list of atrocities on citizens by the bureaucracy and criminals is endless!
Only Politicians are safe because they are protected by NSG like security personnel. Common citizens have no protection at all as it is illegal to own guns for self defence. The Nation urgently requires Police and Judicial reforms if we need to redeem our status in the comity of civilised Nations. The bureaucracy has made mockery of our Democracy for the last 63 years. The GDP and economic growth are no indicators of our sordid decline in human values and glaring and squalid poverty of the large majority of our citizens.

Internal and External Security: Do we have a National Strategy?

Here are some media highlights that illuminate our National Strategy Spectrum

Should Army be used to tame Naxalism and Maoism?
Prime Minister and Cabinet Committee on Security, while taking the final call on the ‘larger mandate’ sought by the Home Minister, should deeply ponder and ask two critical questions before ordering militarization of Dandakaranya forests and Army marching over tribal territory. One is whether it would not signify collective and complete collapse of civil governance? And the second, will not the world opinion justifiably equate India with Pakistan, which is considered a ‘failed state’? Do we really need this dual shame?
Writer is a former Army and IAS officer
Read the detailed analysis:
Army against Maoists- Pros and Cons by M.G.Devasahayam

NDTV: Army to tackle Naxals?
Latest News: Will the Cabinet send in the Army to tackle Naxals?

Indian Army not meant to fight own citizens
The government faces its gravest internal security problem in recent times with the Maoists or Naxalites executing a series of brazen attacks against security personnel and civilians in the last two months. The incidents have given fresh impetus to the debate on whether the Indian Army should be deployed in countering the Maoist threat.
Lieutenant General D B Shekatkar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM a distinguished soldier and commander with a vast experience in combating insurgency in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast, feels the deployment of the army in combating the Maoists would be a wrong step.
Deploying Army against Naxals would be a wrong step

Army not for Policing own citizens
Want to pass on Government's incompetence to the army? Army should take a considered view only on the advisory role. Otherwise when things go wrong it will be very easy to fire a colonel or dismiss a major. Dealing with Naxals is not the army's job, it will be extremely bad for the country to get the army involved in this mess. This is a politically created problem. The solution needs to be political, backed by the police and judicial system. Prosecute the people involved and stop this thing from spreading. No one has even heard of any arrests or punishment for perpetration of crimes in the Naxal/ Maoist affected areas.

Obama has gone further than Bush on India
If India worries that it is being treated as a mere regional power, the US is willing to discuss global issues, even the Middle East, with India. As for the permanent membership of the UN Security Council, the US is willing to consider India's claim. No further commitment can be given since the US is not sure what course the inter-governmental negotiations will take in New York.
The Obama Platter: Obama has gone further than Bush on India

A new approach for India in Afghanistan
India’s stakes in Afghanistan are multi-faceted and India’s policies there will affect the way other countries perceive India”, says Raja Karthikeya, one of the lead authors of the report
A new approach for India in Afghanistan

Breadth Of US Talks Is Sign Of Progress
US policy toward militarised Pakistan is still one of solicitousness and is likely to remain so. And yet, both secretary of state Hillary Clinton and President Barack Obama sought to reassure external affairs minister S.M. Krishna, who led the dialogue for India, that the US did not see ties with India only in the Pakistan and Afghanistan context, and indeed it was made clear that the Indian and US perspective on Afghanistan had moved a lot closer and included helping build a democratic and sovereign Afghanistan “without outside interference”.
Breadth Of US Talks Is Sign Of Progress

The world yearns for a New Pakistan
Pakistan of the 1971 vintage is becoming an increasing threat to the homeland security of many nations of the world- in the West as well as the East, in the Ummah as well as in the non-Islamic world. One has to work for a reduced Pakistan to make this threat manageable and ultimately eliminate it.
Wanted: A New Pakistan By B. Raman

Lot of hype Obama style: Anderson not addressed still elusive
Joint Statement issued after the conclusion of U.S. - India Strategic Dialogue

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

J&K's mercenaries in uniform

Click image for readable version

VERY IRRESPONSIBLE ARTICLE BY ARUN JOSHI IN HINDUSTAN TIMES
Dear Brigadier Kamboj,
You must have read the report in today's HT about soldiers getting money to kill terrorists. I think this needs to be taken up by the Army, as it sullies our image. I have already written a letter to the Editor, a copy of which I have endorsed to you. As I have pointed out, this practice is prevalent in the Police. I hope it has not started in the Army. Cases on my RTI application are being heard in the CIC. I only hope the news report has not been planted by some one to divert attention from the issue.
If needed, we can file a complaint with the Press Council, for false reporting. Recently, the Editor of the HIndu has expressed regret for a case of false reporting by Praveen Swami in 2001, about the GOM Report on National Security being tabled in Parliament.
Regards
Maj Gen VK Singh

LETTER TO THE EDITOR HT- mercenaries in uniform
Dear Sir,
This is with reference to the news report by Arun Joshi in today's paper, which contends that soldiers IN J&K get money for killing terrorists. Frankly, I was shocked. Throughout my 37 years in uniform, I have not heard of any such thing.
The practice of giving cash awards and out of turn promotions is prevalent in the Police. However, there is no provision for giving cash awards or out of turn promotions to armed forces personnel. In response to an RTI application, I find that during the period 2000 to 2008, the Special Cell of Delhi Police had 25 encounters in which 66 persons were awarded the Police Medal for gallantry. Three were also 34 instances in which 74 persons were given out of turn promotions. In all cases the wording is almost the same - the terrorists fired on the police party; the latter fired back in self defence in which the criminals were neutralised. In none of the cases was a policeman man killed or injured. The information about cash rewards has not been provided so far on the grounds that it will endanger the lives of the policemen involved.
Can you kindly check on the veracity of the news report by Arun Joshi?
Maj Gen VK Singh (Retd)

Dear Veterans
Letter to Editor titled Don’t Denigrate the Armed Forces” is as given below.
With Kind Regards,
Jai Hind
Yours Sincerely,
Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM
Vice Chairman Indian ESM Movement

LETTER TO EDITOR: DON’T DENIGRATE THE ARMED FORCES
Dear Editor in Chief,
1. Aprop article “Uniform Decline” in HT dated 07 June 10 and another article “dubious reward J & K’s mercenaries in uniform” dated 07 June 2010.
2. While not questioning the freedom of the media, aforesaid two articles in your esteemed News paper are not only derogatory to the armed forces but are based on untruths and lack total credibility. This tantamounts to denigrating the armed forces, which over the years, time and again, have proved to the nation their patriotism, valour and steadfastness in all adverse conditions and calamities both internal and external -this inspite of such articles in the media and indifferent and unsympathetic approach of the Govt towards the Defence Forces.
3. In one of the above articles, resume of purported disciplinary cases has been given. I wish to remind you that as per norms of natural justice everyone is believed to be innocent till proven guilty. Defence Forces are known to strictly and ruthlessly punish persons held guilty by various courts of inquiries. In all the cases brought out by you, none of the individuals mentioned, have yet been proved guilty.
4. As for as the other article where in the armed forces have been referred to as “mercenaries in uniform”, it reflects poorly on the mind set of the author and his scant regard to the ethos of the Defence Forces. This article is not only defamatory but shows lack of knowledge on the functioning of the Defence Forces. I sincerely wish your esteemed paper concentrates on the corruption cases pertaining to bureaucrats and politicians who are blatantly bleeding the nation. In contrast the Defence Forces have contributed to a large extent in maintaining the integrity of the country.
5. I implore upon you not to further denigrate the Armed Forces any further, for, whipping a running horse will provoke the horse to either slacken or give a kick which either way would be disastrous for the country.

The author is a Former Senior Fellow and Security Analyst of Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis (IDSA), has been examiner PhD thesis in Defence & Security Studies, Ex Commandant Services Selection Centre & President SSB, besides being Instructor at four premier institutions of the Army. Presently he is a Vice Chairman of Ex-Servicemen Movement (IESM)

Indian Army: Court martial for not eating is too much

The Hindu: New Delhi, June 9, 2010
Fifteen years ago, an Army jawan was dismissed for disobeying a superior's order to eat food. His dismissal has now been set aside by an Armed Forces Tribunal.

Signalman Ram Kumar Maurya was summarily court-martialled by the officiating commanding officer for “disobeying a lawful command given by his superior officer,” as he refused to eat food after having been punished on another charge of indiscipline.

On Maurya's petition, a tribunal Bench headed by Justice S.S. Kulshreshtha said the “disproportionality” of the sentence was “apparent” and “the summary court martial proceedings, including the sentence, are set aside.” Maurya would be deemed to be in service till the date he reached pensionable service.

While serving at 1 Strike Corps in Mathura, Maurya was awarded a 28-day simple sentence (of confinement) by his commanding officer on disciplinary grounds on April 6, 1995. In protest, he refused to eat food despite counselling by his company commander.

As he continued to be defiant, officers in the unit began disciplinary proceedings in form of a summary court martial and he was dismissed.

Maurya contended that “he could not have been ordered to consume his food. Whether he needed to eat or not was a personal decision and the Army could not order him to eat food.”

He termed the charges “incorrect, illegal and unsustainable” and said the punishment meted out to him was “grossly disproportionate” to the offence. Maurya also raised questions on initiating disciplinary action on grounds that he was placed under a medical category and diagnosed as a ‘psychiatric patient' and could not be court-martialled.

The case was transferred from the Delhi High Court to the tribunal after it was launched in August 2009.
Court martial for not eating is too much'

Moderator Comment
Red Tabbed full Colonels command units. How come officiating CO is made a scapegoat? Sounds like the red tabs always see red and no reason!

Countering Maoist menace- Avoid Army deployment

Tuesday, June 8, 2010, Chandigarh, India
The Tribune: Countering Maoist menace- Avoid Army deployment by Gurmeet Kanwal
THE police and paramilitary forces of the state governments and the Centre fighting Maoist terrorism need to inculcate the Army’s professional ethos, operational culture of young officers leading from the front and high standards of personnel and sub-unit training. However, they do not need the Army’s physical presence to boost their morale and achieve operational effectiveness. Nor can the already over-stretched Army sustain another major long-term internal security commitment.

The Army has been deployed for counter-insurgency operations in several north-eastern states for over half a century. It has been engaged in counter-proxy war operations against the so-called mujahideen mercenaries sponsored by the Pakistan Army and the ISI in Jammu and Kashmir for two decades. While answering a question in Parliament a few years ago, the Defence Minister had averred that 1,20,000 Army personnel are deployed for counter-insurgency operations. In addition, 65 battalions of the Army’s counter-insurgency force, the Rashtriya Rifles, are deployed in J&K, and 31 of the 46 battalions of the Assam Rifles in the North-East.

The Army’s prolonged employment on internal security duties, its secondary role, hampers its preparedness for its primary role of safeguarding the territorial integrity of India’s land borders by defeating aggression and fighting and winning conventional wars against the country’s military adversaries when necessary. It wears out front line weapons and equipment. It also imposes a heavy burden on the Army’s annual budget due to the cost of replenishment of ammunition expended in counter-insurgency operations and frequent replacement of vehicles and other equipment and, consequently, adversely affects the Army’s modernisation programme.

The prolonged employment of the Army for internal security duties could encourage inimical neighbours to undertake military misadventures. The Pakistan Army launched large-scale intrusions across the LoC into Kargil in 1999 under the mistaken belief that nine years of counter-insurgency operations in Kashmir would have tired out the Indian Army. Such deployment reduces the peace-time “rest and recoup” tenures of Army units, especially infantry battalions, curtails the time that the troops can spend with their families and eventually — imperceptibly but surely — undermines the morale of individual soldiers and even whole units. No thinking Indian would like to see the latter development take place as its consequences for national security and India’s integrity as a nation-state would be truly horrendous.

In 2000, the Group of Ministers (GoM), led by Mr L. K. Advani, then Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, had accepted the recommendation of the Task Force on Internal Security to designate the CRPF as the primary Central government’s strike force for counter-insurgency operations. Since then, 10 years have passed and many battalions have been deployed in J&K but, regrettably, the CRPF has not so far done enough to rise to the challenge. This was borne out by the dastardly massacre of 74 of its men at Dantewada. The report of the E.N. Rammohan Enquiry Committee that looked into the incident has reportedly pointed out the major organisational and training lapses in that operation.

For success, CRPF units must upgrade the quality of their counter-insurgency tactics, techniques and procedures and be armed with modern weapons for close-quarter battle and surveillance, reconnaissance and communications equipment suitable for jungle terrain. Leadership at the level of commanding officer (CO) should be drawn through lateral induction of volunteers from the Army, as was done when the BSF was initially raised. Young IPS officers must spend the first three years of their service with CRPF battalions on active duty in Maoist-infested areas. This will instil confidence in them and give them valuable operational experience in internal security duties.

CRPF units must operate as cohesive battalions under the direct command of the CO and not as independent companies in penny packets, with the CO responsible only for administration. No CO, whose companies are deployed for anti-Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh and who himself is sitting in his battalion HQ in Allahabad, can be effective in exercising operational control, ensuring high standards of training and boosting the morale of the men under his command. Nor can he be held responsible for operational and administrative lapses under such circumstances.

The army must continue to train CRPF and state police personnel for counter-insurgency operations and provide whatever logistics support is possible. However, the DG, CRPF, must ensure that full sub-units are sent for training together and not individual personnel. The CRPF officers must accompany their troops for training, and all of them should be physically fit. Recent experience has shown that many of the CRPF personnel report sick on arrival, the officers rarely accompany them and the men are disinclined to put themselves through the rigorous training regimen.

Speculative reports have appeared about the imminent deployment of eight or more Rashtriya Rifles battalions after approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). These battalions and two or three Sector HQ will have to be pulled out from the counter-insurgency grid in J&K, provided the CCS is convinced of the operational necessity of an immediate surge in anti-Maoist operations. However, it is not sustainable in the long-term. Enough evidence is available to affirm that whenever the counter-insurgency grid in a district is denuded of troops, the insurgents make a rapid comeback. If such deployment is being contemplated by the CCS, it would be better to raise additional Rashtriya Rifles battalions for the purpose.

The regular Army should not be employed for internal security and counter-insurgency duties unless it becomes absolutely unavoidable due to the presence of well-trained and well-armed foreign terrorists, and when secessionist tendencies are discerned in a movement. Even then it should only be for short-duration surgical operations under the umbrella of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act with a Unified Command in place. In certain circumstances special forces units should be preferred over infantry battalions, for example, for hunting down the leadership of the politburo of the Maoists.
The writer is Director, Centre for Land Warfare Studies, New Delhi.
Countering Maoist menace- Avoid Army deployment

Moderator Comment
Source of funding and arms for the Terrorists, Naxals and Maoists must be nipped at the bud. Why is government allowing the arming of the Left Wing Extremists and then fighting them? We need to drain the resources of the Terrorists first before we wage a war against our own citizens. It all boils down to negligible governance at grassroots levels. Sad commentary on bureaucracy and Democracy in India.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Spy ring in the Army?


ndtv — June 08, 2010 — The bad news for the Army doesn't seem to stop. NDTV has learnt that the National Investigative Agency inquiring into a leak from the Andaman and Nicobar Command, allegedly to the ISI, may be bigger than initially thought. Earlier, a Major had been questioned but now, sources say the role of more officers is being investigated.

RTI exposes Government apathy towards ESM and their dependants

The Tribune Jalandhar, June 7, 2010
If facts are any indication, as many as 528 war widows in the state, including those who lost their husbands in counter-insurgency operations from January 1, 1962, to December 1, 1998, have not received any jobs or other benefits from the government so far.

Out of a total of 537 Army casualties during this period, only nine war widows received jobs and allied benefits. These shocking facts have come to light in information procured by Gulshan Sandhu of Jalandhar under the RTI Act.

He had sought information on how many soldiers had died during counter-insurgency operations and wars during this period, how many war widows received jobs and other benefits and their present status. The data was procured from Amritsar; Bathinda; Faridkot; Fatehgarh Sahib; Ferozepur; Gurdaspur; Hoshiarpur; Jalandhar; Kapurthala; Ludhiana; Mansa; Moga; Muktsar; Patiala; Rupnagar; Sangrur and Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar.

In its reply, the Sainik Welfare Office at Hoshiarpur, which had maximum casualties of 386 soldiers, maintained that they were not aware of the job status of war widows. “Not known”, was the reply from Hoshiarpur.

At Bathinda, three soldiers had died and none of the widows was given a job. Among other districts where none of the widows could get a job include Faridkot, Gurdaspur and Kapurthala.

In Fatehgarh Sahib too, there was one casualty but again no job for the widow. At Ludhiana, 10 soldiers lost their lives but none of the families received any jobs.

Similarly, of the four widows at Mansa, none got any job while at Moga, seven soldiers lost their lives but again no jobs. The districts, which provided benefits to war widows, include Amritsar, where nine soldiers were killed during this period, of which two were given jobs while one was given a gas agency.

In Jalandhar, 13 soldiers were killed and only two were given jobs and two were given gas agencies. While at Rupnagar, nine soldiers were killed and only two war widows were given jobs.

However, the lone exception was Ferozepur where only one soldier was killed and his widow was given a job. Even at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar only one martyr’s family was able to get a job out of the total 24.

Senior officials at the Sainik Welfare Boards maintained that the state government had issued a notification, which stated that jobs could be given to next of kin of only those soldiers who died after January 1, 1999, as the Kargil War took place this year.

It is pertinent to mention here that from January 1, 1962, to December 31, 1998, two major wars took place apart from other concurrent operations. This includes the 1965 Indo-Pak war, 1971 Indo-Pak war, Operation Pawan, Operation Meghdoot, Operation Rakshak, Operation Hifazat and Operation Rhino.

Director, Sainik Welfare, Brig Inderjit Singh Gakhal (retd) said the state government had provided benefits to all war widows apart from the mandatory gratuity benefits. “The state government has been providing due benefits to all war widows as per the state policy. At the Rajya Sainik Board, we ensure that war widows avail the maximum benefit out of various welfare policies,” he added.
528 war widows still await benefits by Kusum Arora: Tribune News Service

Left wing extremism fast forwards the creeping bureaucracy

Tuesday, June 08, 2010
Ministry of Panchayati Raj asks States affected by Left Wing Extremism to ensure proper implementation of PESA Guidelines

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has asked all the States particularly those affected by the Left Wing Extremism to ensure proper implementation of Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Guidelines in their areas so that the Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) could be made stronger enough. In a letter written to all Chief Secretaries of States to States the Ministry has urged them to take all necessary steps that are required to check the deepening and widening of extremism in PESA areas. The Ministry has also underlined the need to activate Gram Sabhas in a mission mode for resolving disputes, supervisining land acquition and assess the impact and delimitation of villages.

The advisory further details essential features of PESA that need to be complied with in relevant statutes/rules/guidelines and covers (a) Delimitation of Villages and Gram Sabhas, (b) Procedure to be followed for consultation with Gram Sabha for land acquisition and defining minor minerals and securing recommendation of Gram Sabha [Section 4(k)], and (c) Endowing Gram Sabhas with powers and authority under Section 4m (i) to 4m (v) relating to Excise, MFP, Land alienation, Village markets and Money lending.

Accordingly, the States may take the following steps to operationalise PESA. In the mean time the M/o Panchayati Raj is separately examining the Central laws and policies related to Forest, Mining, R&R etc. for PESA compliance.

The States have been asked to adopt Model PESA Rules (available at panchayat.gov.in) circulated by MoPR with suitable modifications so that the field functionaries have a clear framework for implementing PESA. Amend State Panchayati Raj Acts for consonance with PESA. Particularly important here is the definition of ¡®village¡¯ and powers of the Gram Sabha. State Election Commission (SEC) could be given the responsibility of delimitation of Villages as suggested in Annex IV. They can amend laws, rules and executive instructions on Mines & Minerals, Minor Forest Produce, Excise, Money Lending etc. on the lines of Annex IV and Expedite comments on the amendments to PESA proposed by MoPR for removing certain infirmities (Annex V).

As per the guidelines the States have been also asked to empower the Gram Sabha as above and ensure its effective functioning. Follow the guidelines issued by MoPR on 2nd Oct., 09 in this regard. Undertake special programmes to acquaint the Gram Sabhas of their rights and duties. Develop appropriate training and informative material in the regional language. Identify, train and deploy a social mobilizer in each Gram Sabha for activating the Gram Sabha.

They have also been advised to Conduct regular training programmes on PESA for State and Panchayat functionaries (both elected and officials) to sensitize and educate them on PESA with focus on the role and conduct of the Gram Sabha.

With regard to Administrative Measures it has been made clear that since implementation of PESA involves several departments, the states should constitute a Committee headed by the Chief Secretary with membership of the relevant departments to review it every three months. Also Involve reputed Experts for getting another perspective, form similar committees in the districts and activate Tribes Advisory Councils & Tribal Research Institutes.

The States should also include a prominent section on the implementation of PESA in the Annual Governor¡¯s Report, as mandated in Schedule V and strengthen Administrative machinery in the PESA Areas through filling up all vacancies, creation of separate cadres, hardship allowance, preference in education, accommodation etc.

They should also create Information-cum-grievance redressal mechanisms at various levels where persons dissatisfied with the implementation of PESA may register their grievances and obtain advice/justice.

The Ministry has also asked States to urgently review the position particularly on the following issues for ensuring that the most important needs and concerns of the people are addressed:
(a) Mandate SEC to delimit villages.
(b) Activate Gram Sabhas in a Mission Mode and enable it to exercise its powers & functions including in relation to planning & implementation of Central/State schemes, grant of UCs and dispute resolution.
(c) Ensure that complete information about the land to be acquired and impact of the proposed project, is placed before the Gram Sabha and its recommendations are generally followed.
(d) Incorporate definition of MFP, as provided in the Forest Rights Act, 2005, in all laws and rules. Undertake management of MFP with the consent of the Gram Sabha and in case MFP is collected by a para-statal organization, the net income should go to the people.
(e) Enable the Gram Sabha, particularly women, to take decisions regarding the opening and continuance of liquor shops, sale of intoxicants, etc.
(f) Furnish information as per the questionnaire for ascertaining the current status of implementation of PESA and taking follow up action. ST/-
Ministry of Panchayati Raj asks States affected by Left Wing Extremism to ensure proper implementation of PESA Guidelines

Related Post
Is India a shining example of Democracy. What is bleeding/ killing Democracy?

Indian Armed Forces: Annual Confidential Reports and Promotion Boards

ACR AND PROMOTION
The Special Army Order (SAO) giving guidelines for writing ACR is logical and lucid. Very pragmatically and wisely it lays down that all those getting 7 and above in box grading must be recommended for promotion. If not, the reasons must be recorded. In other words, any one who can do his job quite well in the present rank, should be able to perform at least adequately in the next (nothing to do with Peter’s principles, if you please). A rational approach, as there is no facility to test one in the next rank or any other alternative. Most will be horrified at the thought of settling for only average performers. However, it is a fact that the bulk of officers cleared their SSB tests with average, or even low average grading. The ‘cat’s whiskers’ must check this as it will be good for them and a boon for the Services. This obsession to promote only the ‘out standing’ or ‘above average’ is the bane of Indian Army. The poison seed sown a couple of decades back is now a giant tree, with numerous branches, bearing hideous flowers spreading its stench. We get a generous whiff daily from newspapers and TV.

Outcome of this mind set is an overwhelming desire to select the best. Nothing wrong, prima facie. But, how does one achieve it? In order to select the best of the lot, a merit list has to be drawn. Though no one admits it, this is precisely what the Promotion Boards have been doing. How else does one explain rejections of well qualified officers with unblemished records but having only 7 points, while some with minor punishments but 8 or 9 points in the kitty sail through? How can the relative merits be assessed fairly when the assessors are different and so are the service conditions– place (peace, field, high altitude), formation, task and so on. Far too many variables and parameters to apply any corrective measures and yet it is done! IITs, IIMs, AFMC and such others do not consider the marks awarded by established Universities or Boards but conduct their own tests as that is the best, if not the only, way of determining relative merits. Don’t we also have our own DSSC and TSC examinations! As examinations are not possible or practicable in this context, we have to settle for the next best. That is, let the Promotion Boards ‘pass’ or ‘fail’. Those who pass are promoted in their turn. Here comes a sore point. One is stuck with his IC number forever. What one did or did not do in his formative years, coming from diverse backgrounds, while still under the stress of training, hounds him until retirement. One may be brilliant but he cannot overtake his senior by even one number, unless the senior falters. As all of us can cite examples, hence, I will not. That, however, is another can of worms. So, let us have the ‘passed’ list, which will naturally include the ‘best of the batch’. There will be no catastrophe or even a bigger mess. Rather, there will be less injustice, heartburn, humiliation, rivalry, fake encounters to get a medal and other bad things. Showmanship has taken precedence over professional competence. Prudence, circumspection, sincerity, honesty, probity and so on are no more virtues, the last one – an offence.

Promotion Boards should, basically, screen/ clear/ approve officers for tasks or job content and not any rank– that comes later and is more of a policy matter. For example, the questions, ‘Is he fit to command a major unit’ and ‘Is he fit to be a Colonel’ are not the same as the former is precise and the latter requires derivation or redirection. Here comes the mix up in thought process, concept and visualization. The confusion thus created gives rise to unfairness and injustice. Consider the cadre review whereby Cols command units. This was not done because command of a major unit had become more arduous or demanding, requiring greater capability! Therefore, logically, all selection grade Lt Cols at that time, should have automatically been cleared to be Cols. That did not happen. Why? What happened to clear thinking, conceptualization and visualization? Matters related to ACRs and promotions are regularly tinkered with by various Chiefs and MS branch luminaries. After doing LDMC or SDMC, some feel decidedly knowledgeable and wise and start applying concepts of statistics at unit level! Thus, units start getting bizarre orders. They are subsequently cancelled but not before damaging or even sealing the careers of a few. They must have heard or read, “A little knowledge is a dangerous thing”, but to what avail?!
Col BN Ratha(Retd)
07 Jun 10
Previous Post
Inflated ACR's

The bizzare attitude of the Armed Forces Medical Board

“A shockingly bizarre incident reflects inhuman treatment which has crossed all boundaries of humanity by superior responsible Armed Forces Medical Officers (AMB), whose actions when resulted into injustice forced the applicant to seek his legal remedy in the form of the present application for grant of disability pension”

Not taking this lightly, the Hon’ble AFT, besides granting him disability pension, has also directed the payment of costs of Rs 100,000/- to the veteran to be recovered from the salaries of the members of the Appeal Medical Board who had declared the disability as NIL and ‘neither attributable to, nor aggravated by service’. The Govt has also been directed to initiate disciplinary action under the Army Act against all three members of the AMB.

Extract of the historic judgement
“What has rankled us more is the callous manner, inhuman approach and failure of performance of duty on the part of the members of the AMB dealing with applicant’s case. The applicant has to be compensated for the travails undergone by him. For this gross negligence, we impose costs of Rs 1,00,000/- (Rs One Lakh only) to be paid to the applicant by the non-applicants but it is to be recovered from the salary of all the three Officers of the AMB i.e. ABC, DEF and GHI jointly and collectively in equal ratio. We also direct that all these three Officers should be subjected to disciplinary action under the Army Act.”

Is AMC treading the MCI footsteps?
A must read click here: Posted by Navdeep / Maj Navdeep Singh

Comment: The AMC owes an apology to the disabled soldier. The board members must be strictly punished as per Army Act and the officers themselves be boarded out of service. Compare this: A General before retirement has got 100% disability for partial hearing loss? Amazing is it a fiction or fact or hearsay?

Bhopal victims, activists fume at 'mockery of justice'


07/06/2010
Bhopal: Victims and activists were furious that seven officials of Union Carbide were on Monday convicted only for criminal negligence, which is punishable with a maximum of two years in jail, despite the enormity of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy.
Bhopal victims, activists fume at 'mockery of justice'

Pinnacle of Justice in India
Are the Indian citizens safe? Height of travesty of justice... unbelievable after two decades. The corrupt and the powerful have made Justice in India a mockery of democracy! There seems to be no redemption in the near future... maybe Justice will prevail after the Naxals and Maoists score victory over corruption which will be the saddest day in Indian history. Nation's conscience is tainted and all need to wake before Indian Politics degrades us further! Now the Government yearns that the Military take on the cudgels to fight Maoists and Naxals... the Military itself is a victim of Bureaucracy and ESM remain demoralised!

War Memorial as tribute to our gallant Jawans

The memorial at Neuve Chapelle, designed by Sir Herbert Baker, was unveiled in 1927. Photo by KJS Chatrath. A tribute to 4,700 Indian soldiers in France, who died during the WWI.
Brave sons of India. There is a lone memorial at Neuve Chapelle in France, built to honour more than 4,700 Indian soldiers, who died during World War 1: click here to read the Tribune article

Dear friends,
Finalising the location of the War Memorial in New Delhi, to honor those soldiers, sailors and airmen, who paid the supreme sacrifice for defending India. A worthy cause for IESM to take up and expose the callous attitude of the politicians and the bureaucrats. It is their job to reconcile conflicting requirements of different departments/ ministries. The worthy cause cannot be held ransom to such things.
No one less than the Prime Minister should chair a committee to finalise the issue, so that all ministries fall in line.
Lt Gen Harbhajan Singh (Retd)

Indian Irony
How grateful is another culture that honours the people who fought to defend them and in the process sacrificed their lives in far off lands. And, here in "Mera Bharat Mahan", the ruling coterie of Netas and Babus deny a decent place at Delhi to honour its own soldiers, who died defending this country. What an irony!.

IESM: March towards Pension Parity

Dear Colleagues,
It is a matter of great honour for me to welcome Air Chief Marshal H Mulgaonkar into the IESM family. He is the first Air Chief to have joined and this makes the occasion really special. We hope to benefit from his guidance and advice in our pursuits. He has also been generous to have donated Rs 2,400.
I compliment Cdr Ravi Pathak and Colonel Krit Joshipura to have persuaded the Air Chief Marshal to join. A great achievement indeed. Contact with ESM from different parts of the country continues. Sub Hari Singh from Hisar remains active. Happily he has also motivated many post 1.1.2006 retiree ESM also to join and actively support the IESM.
As would be known OROP has been recommended by the Parliamentary Committee on Defence in their report tabled in the Parliament on 7 May 2010. Building upon this we have also written to many Chief Ministers requesting them to use their influence with the Centre and prevail upon the latter to grant OROP. States with high ESM density may not find it easy to ignore the request.
Best regards,
Lt Gen (Emeritus) Raj Kadyan, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Chairman IESM

ESM rights the fight continues
Truth is on the march and nothing can stop it.
We make our greatest mistakes through ignorance.
Never take away a person's hope. It may be all that they have.
Real insanity is seeing the world as it is and not as it should be.
...until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
IESM is here to fight for ESM rights and right the injustices heaped on them.
We need to force the Government to accept the Court Judgements/ Rulings pronounced on various Pension issues, instead of scuttling them.
We unitedly need to turn the tide towards righteousness...

Major gets pension after 27 years of retirement

Vijay Mohan/TNS Chandigarh, June 6
Twenty-seven years after he retired, a Major from the Territorial Army (TA) has been finally granted pension. Ruling that TA personnel shall be treated on a par with regular Army personnel for the purposes of pension, the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) has ruled. The tribunal has also ordered that the pension be paid from the date of retirement along with 12 per cent interest.

Major Hardev Singh Gill, a resident of Patiala, was commissioned into the TA in March, 1961. He superannuated in June, 1983, on attaining 50 years of age. He was denied pension on the grounds that his total qualifying service was about 16 years, which was less than the minimum required period of 20 years. Drawing reference to its earlier judgment on a similar issue, the tribunal observed that Regulation 292 of pension regulations stated, “The grant of pensionary awards to members of the Territorial Army shall be governed by the same general regulations as are applicable to the corresponding personnel of the Army except where they are inconsistent with the provisions of regulations in this chapter.”Late entrants into the Army are eligible for grant of full pension after 15 years of service, according to the policy letters issued on the subject by the Central Government.

In the case of Maj SD Sharma decided in February, on the basis of which Maj Gill’s petition was allowed last week, the tribunal observed relevant orders made it explicitly clear that TA persons would be governed by the necessary pensionary regulations that were applicable to the Army also and there were no two opinions in the matter nor any room for doubt.

The government orders dated October 30, 1987, for the implementation of the Fourth Central Pay Commission and February 3, 1998, for the implementation of the Fifth Central Pay Commission made it abundantly clear that that TA personnel would be governed by the Indian Army Pensionary Regulations for the purposes of working out their pensions, the tribunal ruled
Major gets pension after 27 years of retirement by Vijay Mohan/TNS

Monday, June 7, 2010

IESM: Judgements in favour of Ex Servicemen scuttled by Ministry of Defence

The Ex-Servicemen (ESM) are amazed at the reply given by the Defence Minister in parliament that granting of One Rank One Pension was not possible due to financial, legal and administrative reasons. The financial burden is too inconsequential and legal reasons have been adequately set aside by the courts in many of its recent judgements. As for as the administrative reasons are concerned, this is due to the mental block of the bureaucracy and its agnostic attitude towards the Defence Forces. That such a statement should be made by Defence Minister of India, in Parliament in spite of various SC, HC and AFT judgements to the contrary shows the scant regard and respect the Govt has in general and the Defence Ministry in particular for the Judiciary and Morale of the Defence Forces. Recent judgements in favour of ESM scuttled by the Ministry of Defence are as under:
  • SC Judgement of 09 Sep 2009 in the case of Union of India &
    Maj Gen Vains and Others. The SC ruled that:
    (i) No Defence Personal Senior in rank can get less pension than his junior irrespective of the date of retirement.
    (ii) Similarly placed Officers of the same rank are to be given the same pension irrespective of the date of retirement.
  • AFT Chandigarh Judgement dated 03 Mar 2010. In the case of union of India and Maj Gen Vains and Others. The AFT ruled that the SC ruling in the case of Maj Gen Vains and others Vs Union of India dated 09 Sep 2009 be applied to the Petitioners for pre 2006 and post 2006 retirees and the judgement be implemented in three months.
  • AFT Chandigarh Judgement dated 08 Mar 2010 in the case of Union of India Vs Babu Ram Dhiman and Union of India Vs Sohan Singh The AFT has directed the Union Government:-
    (i) That the state cannot lay down different criteria for grant of pensions to officers, JCOs and Jawans on the basis of cut off date of retirement.
    (ii) No Senior in rank defence person can draw less pension than his junior irrespective of the date of retirement.
    (iii) All pensioners of the same rank and service irrespective of the date of retirement are entitled to same pension.
    (iv) The above directions be implemented within four months.
  • SC Judgement dated 08 Mar 2010 in the case of retired Defence Officer Association Vs Union of India. SC has ruled that the anomaly of 4th Pay Commission regarding rank pay which was removed by the Kerala High Court in one case is applicable to all officers who were in service on 1.1.86 and arrears will be paid to them with 6 percent interest. This judgement has for reaching consequences in that the pay and pensions of officers in 5th & 6th Pay Commissions would have to be worked out afresh.
    Maj Gen (Retd) Satbir Singh, SM
    Vice Chairman Indian ESM Movement

    Rank Pay anomaly intentionally introduced by the Expenditure Secretary
    Serving as well as ESM have been grossly and unfairly cheated by the Expenditure Secretary who surreptitiously deducted the Rank Pay from the basic pay (4th Pay Commission) and cheating them of their legitimate salaries and pension. Will the Secretary be held accountable?
  • Sunday, June 6, 2010

    Know the unknown soldier: Remember him when the chips are down?

    Hindustan Times: Published 2 years ago- Nothing has changed!
    Know the unknown soldier by Barkha Dutt 18 April 2008
    We push our military into duties that were never really part of its job description. So, apart from and in addition to fighting wars and terrorism, we count on our soldiers to play roles as varied as building bridges when the tsunami hits, keeping the peace during religious riots and even managing the now-epidemic condition of saving children who mysteriously end up at the bottom of borewells.

    But if we are a country that really cares so deeply for its military, why is it that a monster called apathy is in serious danger of devouring the future of the Armed Forces?

    This week, while we were all consumed by whether the Olympic torch would make its way safely past India Gate (built by Edwin Lutyens to honour the 84,000 Indian soldiers who died in World War I), the Army Chief was making a trip down the same road. He was on his way to meet the Urban Development Minister, probably wondering — as many of his predecessors had before him— whether he would have any luck convincing this government to do, what the British had already done as far back as 1921. He was carrying a file that has now travelled through multiple ministries for seven years: the plans and architectural designs for a National War Memorial.

    For the last two years, different government bodies including the Delhi Urban Arts Commission, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Heritage Conservation Committee have squabbled like recalcitrant children over whether the designs for the memorial are tenable. Could anything be a more shocking illustration of the stranglehold of red-tape around what should have been a flagship project for any government?

    The PLU (People like us) brigade would no longer consider the military as a career option and many of those who did are now lining up and pleading for the freedom to leave. Ask the Generals and Admirals unofficially, and they will concede that they have to reject resignations, because the shortfall would be too dire to deal with. In Kashmir, there are already reports of ordinance and artillery units doubling up for infantry duty, because of the numbers crunch. And for the first time in years, the Army is actually considering a one-time emergency, short-service commissioning of officers to fill the ever widening gap. That’s how serious and morale weakening the situation is.
    Know the Unknown soldier

    WHEN THE "CHIPS ARE DOWN"- WHO ELSE- BUT THE "ARMED FORCES"!!!
    Army may take on Maoists
    'Deploying Army against Naxals would be a wrong step' June 07, 2010 12:14 IST- feels retired Lieutenant General D B Shekatkar
    'Naxalism' The Retreat of Civil Governance by Ajai Sahni: This bloodbath will continue as long as basic realities are ignored.

    Are ex-servicemen Enemies of the State?

    Favour nor pity
    The growing adversarial relationship between the Government and ex-servicemen is a matter of grave concern.

    For the last few years, an impression is gaining ground that the Government is becoming increasingly intolerant and biased against ex-servicemen and is treating them unfairly.

    The military is an instrument of the Government. How can a Government let itself be seen as an adversary of its own constituent? More so when the affected constituent consists of retired soldiers who have given the best part of their lives to the nation and now, in the twilight of their lives, look up to the Government for support to be able to lead a respectable life?

    They do not seek favour or pity but ask for compassion, understanding and equity. They want their Government to acknowledge the severity of their service conditions and their contribution to nation safeguarding.

    The vindictiveness and wickedness with which the Government is contesting court orders given in favour of the ex-servicemen has shocked even die-hard supporters of the Government. Three sets of recent cases clearly show the Government's intransigence and obduracy.
    Read full article as slideshow
    Are ex-servicemen Enemies of the State? click here
    Read text only
    click here: courtesy sify.com
    Major General Mrinal Suman, (Retd) AVSM, VSM, PhD
    (The author directs the Defence Acquisition Management Course for Confederation of Indian Industry and heads its Defence Technical Assessment and Advisory Service. A prolific writer, he is often consulted by policy makers and the Parliamentary Committee on Defence, and is regularly invited to address various industrial chambers in India and abroad. The views expressed here are his own.)

    Pre-2006 Majors receive pension lower than JCOs

    Fresh controversy over pay panel recommendations
    Vijay Mohan Tribune News Service Chandigarh, June 5, 2010
    A fresh controversy over anomalies in fixation of pension has arisen, with officers who retired as Majors and equivalent claiming that their pension has not been fixed in accordance with the accepted recommendations of the Six Pay Commission (SPC) recommendations. Consequently, their pension has been fixed at the minimum scales applicable to a Lieutenant, two rungs below, thereby not only lowering their status, but also causing them a loss of several thousand rupees per month.

    The matter affects thousands of officers from all three services who retired in this rank before January 2006, the date of implementation of the SPC. Based upon a petition filed by 17 officers, a Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal comprising Justice Ghanshyam Prashad and Lt Gen HS Panag issued notices to the central government for August 2.

    The minimum basic pension of a pre-2006 retired Major as on date is Rs 14,100, while that of a Major who retired in 2006 or afterwards is about Rs 22,000. On the other hand post-2006 pension of an honorary Lieutenant is Rs 15, 465 and that of an honorary Captain is Rs 16,145. These are the JCOs who have been granted an honorary rank of an officer in recognition of their services. Moreover, the difference in pension of a Major and that of Captains and Lieutenants has also narrowed down considerably after the SPC.

    Whenever pay panel recommendations are implemented, modified parity is granted to employees who retired prior to the date of implementation so all past retirees are granted the benefit of the newly introduced pay scales. They are placed at the bottom of the new pay scales applicable for employees of the same grade who are serving on the date of implementation of the new scales. The SCP had, hence, fairly recommended that the pension of all those officers who retired prior to 2006 would be fixed not less than 50 per cent of the sum of the minimum pay in the pay band and the grade pay corresponding to the pre-revised pay scale from which they had retired.

    Instead of continuing with separate scales for different ranks as was being done previously, the SPC initiated a system of pay bands and the earlier 35 different military and civilian scales were merged into four basic pay bands. Lieutenants, Captains and Majors were placed into a single pay band (PB-3) of Rs 15,600-39,100, with grade pay of Rs 5,400, Rs 6,100 and Rs 6,600, respectively. The Special Army Instruction issued for serving military personnel with effect from January 1, 2006, fixed the minimum basic pay for major at Rs 23,808 in addition to grade pay, military service pay making minimum admissible pay Rs 36,408. The minimum basic was Rs 15,600 for Lieutenant and Rs 18,600 and for Captain.

    However, the Dept of Pensions, the petitioners contended, interpreted the above stipulation to mean that the pension of all pre-2006 retirees of the rank of Lieutenant, Captain and Major would be calculated by taking into account the minimum of PB-3.
    SCPC: Pre-2006 Majors receive pension lower than JCOs

    Murder: Macchil killings point to malaise in military

    The Hindu: Praveen Swami: SRINAGAR, June 6, 2010
    Forensic investigators found no evidence to support the proposition that a fire-fight had taken place: the three victims had all been shot through the head at point blank range.

    Shah, a former jihadist who was recruited to the 161 Territorial Army Battalion, is believed to have told the police that Major Singh paid each of the conspirators Rs. 50,000 for helping to kidnap the victims.

    Police sources told The Hindu that Colonel Pathania kept Rs. 2,00,000 of the source-payment funds authorised by XV corps. Major Singh is thought to have kept Rs.1,50,000.

    The 4 Rajput claimed to have recovered Kalashnikov assault rifles, three other assault rifles, 230 rounds of ammunition and grenades from the killed men. The police believe that they were likely part of a cache recovered by troops along the Line of Control in 2009.

    Military sources say the killings were likely driven by intense pressure to secure operational success — a prerequisite for promotions in the Army's intensely competitive hierarchy. The 4 Rajput had registered little counter-infiltration success, compared with other units in the 53 Brigade and adjoining 104 Brigade's areas of operations. The police are now investigating the possibility that the 4 Rajput might have staged an earlier shootout that took place in August 2009 in the Sonapindi pass.

    Key to the malaise, the Jammu and Kashmir government believes, is the Army's failure to act against rogue elements.
    Read full acount of military misadventure: The Hindu: Macchil killings point to malaise in military

    Gen Jaiswal said, “It (inquiry) will be totally transparent and the truth will be there.... The inquiry is on. Our genuine concern is to be transparent. This is the first step. And this should be the indicator that subsequently we will be coming out with the truth.”

    This is the second time that the Army has removed a serving officer from a command. Earlier, Colonel Gloria of 33 Rashtriya Rifles was removed for allegedly killing three boys who were playing cricket in a playground in Dudipora-Handwara in February 2006, three months after he had taken over the reins of the counter-insurgency unit.
    Read more: Colonel removed, Major suspended in J&K fake encounter case: click here

    भारतीय सेना के जवानों के लिए कॉलेज की डिग्री

    ज्ञानदीप परियोजना एक समझौता ज्ञापन के आधार पर शुरू किया गया था (एमओयू) 4 सितम्बर 09 पर सेना और इग्नू के बीच हस्ताक्षर किए गए. परियोजना भारत के माननीय राष्ट्रपति द्वारा 19 नवंबर, 2009 को राष्ट्र को समर्पित किया गया. परियोजना का उद्देश्य के लिए मान्यता के अनुसार "सेवा में" व्यक्तियों द्वारा अपनी सेवा कैरियर की संपूर्ण अवधि के दौरान किए गए प्रशिक्षण के लिए द्वारा भारतीय सेना के जवानों को शैक्षिक प्रमाण पत्र प्रदान है. उद्देश्य यह भी है कि उन्हें एक डिप्लोमा के साथ डिग्री / arming इतनी के रूप में एक दूसरे कैरियर के बाद सेवानिवृत्ति की सुविधा के सभी जवानों को सशक्त. इस कार्यक्रम के लिए सैनिकों की उन्हें एक औपचारिक योग्यता से लैस है और उन्हें प्रतियोगी नौकरी के अवसर के लिए तैयारी कर सेवानिवृत्ति के बाद जीवन को बदलने की क्षमता है.

    जवानों को जो डिप्लोमा के पुरस्कार के लिए डिग्री / उनके संबंधित रेजिमेंटल सेंटर के माध्यम से ऐसा कर सकते हैं, जो सभी के साथ किया गया है इग्नू आर्मी इग्नू सामुदायिक कॉलेजों के रूप में पंजीकृत रजिस्टर करना चाहते हैं. इन सामुदायिक कॉलेजों में गठित स्वायत्त संस्थानों के रूप में कार्य शैक्षणिक, प्रशिक्षण और प्रशासनिक जिम्मेदारियों आदि किसी भी समय और संबद्धता इग्नू करने के लिए नहीं लेनी होगी. सामुदायिक कॉलेजों के शैक्षणिक कार्यक्रमों की पहचान के लिए स्थानीय नौकरी की आवश्यकताओं और अवसरों की एक आवश्यकता के विश्लेषण के आधार पर इस कार्यक्रम के लिए सैनिकों के समुदाय के लिए की पेशकश की और पाठ्यक्रम में इन निष्कर्षों को शामिल करेगा, और इसलिए आवश्यक है, अगर इग्नू से सहायता लेने में जैसे शैक्षणिक कार्यक्रमों की पहचान करना. सामुदायिक कॉलेजों के मानदंडों और इग्नू, जिसके तहत इग्नू नियम और सामुदायिक कॉलेज स्कीम की शर्तों को संशोधित करने के लिए एकमात्र अधिकार है के द्वारा योजना के लिए निर्धारित दिशा निर्देशों का पालन करेंगे.
    अधिक जानकारी: जेसीओ के लिए कॉलेज की डिग्री अपने सैन्य सेवा के बाद NCOs और जवानों: यहाँ क्लिक करें

    सुनहरा मौका
    एक डिग्री के लिए अग्रणी शिक्षा प्रदान अग्रणी कल्याण के लिए उपाय है हमारी अच्छी तरह से जवानों लायक थे. परियोजना ज्ञानदीप हमारे सैनिकों के लिए शानदार सफलता की कहानियों का अगर ईमानदारी से लागू एक हो जाएगा. यह एक जीत सैन्य और राष्ट्र के लिए स्थिति जीत है.
    मॉडरेटर.

    College degree for JCOs, NCOs and Sepoys of the Indian Army

    Project GYANDEEP was launched based on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Army and IGNOU on 04 Sep 09. The project was dedicated to the Nation by the Honourable President of India on 19 Nov 2009. The aim of the project is to confer educational certification to JCOs, NCOs and Sepoys of the Indian Army by according recognition to the “in service” training carried out by individuals during the entire span of their service career. The aim is also to empower all JCOs, NCOs and Sepoys by arming them with a diploma/degree so as to facilitate a second career post retirement. This programme has the potential to transform the post-retirement life of soldiers by equipping them with a formal qualification and preparing them for competitive job avenues.

    JCOs, NCOs and Sepoys who wish to register for award of diploma/ degree can do so through their respective Regimental Centres, all of which have been registered as Army-IGNOU Community Colleges with IGNOU. These community colleges will function as autonomous institutes in instituting academic, training and administrative responsibilities etc and at any time will not seek affiliation to IGNOU. The community colleges will identify academic programmes to be offered to the community of soldiers for this program on the basis of a need analysis of the local job requirements and opportunities and incorporate these findings into the curriculum, and if so required, take assistance from IGNOU in identifying such academic programmes. The Community colleges will abide by the norms and guidelines defined for the scheme by IGNOU, whereby IGNOU has the sole authority for modifying the terms and conditions of the community college scheme.
    More details: College degree for JCOs, NCOs and Jawans after their Military Service: click here

    Golden opportunity
    Providing education leading to a degree is the foremost welfare measure for our well deserved Jawans. Project Gyandeep will be one of the resounding success stories for our troops if implemented sincerely. It is a win- win situation for the Military and the Nation.
    Note: Person Below Officer Rank (PBOR) in the original text has been replaced by JCOs, NCOs and Sepoys as the term PBOR is distastefully coined by MOD babus to demean the soldiers. Let the Armed Forces refrain from using the term PBOR.
    Moderator

    China's counterproductive actions in Asia

    The Sunday Guardian, May 30, 2010
    China’s rise in one generation as a global player under authoritarian rule has come to epitomize the qualitative reordering of power in Asia and the wider world. Not since Japan rose to world-power status during the reign of the Meiji emperor in the second half of the 19th century has another non-Western power emerged with such potential to alter the world order as China today. As the 2009 assessment by the U.S. intelligence community predicted, China stands to more profoundly affect global geopolitics than any other country. China’s ascent, however, is dividing Asia, not bringing Asian states closer.
    Read the full article
    China pushes Japan and India closer to the U.S. by Brahma Chellaney

    CDS: Is India going to follow Pakistan footsteps?

    Pakistan bids for CDS. Interesting If Pakistan gets a CDS, our politicians might follow a few years later!

    Read how Pakistan is thinking of changing the Command and Control gear of its Military as suggested by General Retd Mirza Aslam Beg | Published: May 28, 2010.

    Three steps are needed to set the fundamental direction right:
  • Step One: Defuse the ongoing controversy between the judiciary and the government. Independence of judiciary is sacrosanct, as much as is the sovereignty of the parliament. There are enlightened people on both sides of the fence and they will find the answer. Justice Jawad Khawaja’s recent comment is very reassuring indeed: “We don’t claim any right beyond the will of the people.” A better understanding is developing between the two prime institutions.
  • Step Two: Give a meaning to the decision of the three services chiefs of 17th August 1988, by establishing the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as recommended by General Muhammad Sharif Committee in 1975. Mr Bhutto ignored this recommendation and suffered. Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and Mr Nawaz Sharif both ignored my pleadings, to create the post of CDS. Nawaz Sharif ultimately had to bear the brunt. Why one may suffer any more?
  • Step Three: Having created the post of Chief of Defence Staff, it would be proper to appoint General Kayani as the first CDS, for a three years’ tenure. His credentials are well established. And a new Chief of Army Staff may be appointed in his place.
    With these steps taken, better harmony would prevail between civil-military relations and understanding would develop to safeguard the independence of judiciary and the sovereignty of the parliament. And from military point of view also, the appointment of CDS is as important, if we care to learn from history. The ’65 and ’71 wars were started without due coordination with the other two services and we suffered. The Kargil operation was a bad example. Now is the time to take this well-considered decision, as the bedrock of harmonious civil-military relations.
    The writer is a former COAS, Pakistan
    Read more: Civil-Military Relations in Pakistan: Article by General Mirza Aslam Beg

    Indian response- Integrated Defence Staff
    A decision regarding the recommendation of the Group of Ministers for creation of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) has not been taken by the Government as yet pending consultation with political parties. However, with a view to ensure higher degree of jointness amongst the Services and attempt inter-service and intra-service prioritization, the Government has set up the Integrated Defence Staff, headed by the Chief of Integrated Staff to Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC), to support the Chiefs of Staff Committee and its Chairman in the optimal performance of their roles and functions. The CISC supervises the Integrated Defence Staff, chairs all multi-Service bodies and the Defence Crisis Management Group (DCMG) and is also responsible for the coordination of long-range plans, five year plans and annual budgetary proposals of the three Services in consultation and co-ordination with the Integrated Services Headquarters.
    Integrated Defence Staff: India
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