Indian Army Dental Corps Recruitment 2012

Indian Army Dental Corps Recruitment 2012 : 36 SSC Officers Vacancies
Nitin Oct 3rd, 2012
Indian Army Dental Corps Recruitment 2012 Applications are invited from Indian Nationals for grant of Short Service Commission in Army Dental Corps (AD Corps).
Total No. of vacancies – 36
Eligibility:
(a) Candidates must be BDS (with minimum 55% marks in final year)/MDS from a College/University recognized by Dental Council of India (DCI). (b) Should have completed one year rotatory Internship recognized by DCI by 31 Oct 2012.
(c) Should be in possession of Permanent Dental Registration Certificate valid at least upto 31 Dec 2012.
(d) Should be less than 45 years of age as on 31 Dec 2012.
(e) Should be medically fit in all respects for service in the Armed Forces.
Selection Procedure:
(a) Short-listing for interview: BDS candidates found eligible will be short-listed based on their Final BDS marks and attempts taken in Final BDS. Short-listed candidates will be called for interview. All MDS candidates found eligible & in possession of MDS degree will be called for interview. There will be no short-listing in their case.
(b) Medical Examination: Candidates provisionally placed on merit list after interview by Selection Board will be brought before a Medical Board for ascertaining their Medical Fitness.
Pay Scale:
The candidates on commissioning in AD Corps will be granted rank of Capt in the pay scale PB-3 (15600-39100). They will be granted Grade Pay of Rs 6100/- & Military Service Pay of Rs 6000/-. Non-practicing allowance (NPA) at the rate of 25% of the Basic pay, Grade Pay & MSP and DA as admissible (total emoluments will be appx Rs 60,000/-p.m.). In addition, entitled free ration, subsidized accommodation and allied facilities shall be provided. MDS degree holder will be eligible for PG allowance of Rs.1250/- p.m. or specialist pay after undergoing the laid down procedure. In addition, officers are entitled to 60 days annual leave & 20 days casual leave, LTC, free Medical facilities for self and family including dependent parents, Group Insurance of Rs. 40 lakhs & unit CSD facility etc as per the existing rules.
How to Apply for Indian Army Dental Corps Recruitment 2012:
Candidates should apply to the Director General Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS/DENTAL), Room No.12, ‘L’ Block, Ministry of Defence, New Delhi – 110001, on a separate plain paper giving particulars in the application form click here for specimen format, so as to reach by 31 Oct 2012. Candidates who have applied earlier may also apply if they fulfil the eligibility criteria.
Indian Army Dental Corps Recruitment 2012

Adarsh Scam: Two former chief's indicted

Adarsh scam: CAG names two former Army chiefs
NEW DELHI: The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report on Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society scam tabled in Parliament on Tuesday has blamed top defence officials including former Army chiefs General Deepak Kapoor and General NC Vij and other service officers of showing clear conflict of interest.
According to the CAG report local military authorities in collusion with the defence estate organisation officials misappropriated prime government land for the benefit of a select few. It notes unusual alacrity by local military authorities and the defence estate office in issuing a no objection certificate to Adarsh.
Former Maharashtra MLC and Adarsh promoter Kanhaiyalala Gidwani, suspended Maharashtra information commissioner Ramanand Tiwari, former Collector Mumbai City IA Kundan and many bureaucrats in the Urban Development Department too have been indicted.
On the issue of granting of additional floor space index to Adarsh, the report mentions that Gidwani wrote to Maharashtra chief minister in 2003 to adopt a positive approach as the society was for those who had dedicated life to the nation.
The reports also points out that the Indian Army had land but title was not transferred to the Ministry of Defence, which led to exploitation.
The Adarsh Society was originally meant for Kargil War heroes and widows of the soldiers but many of the flats were allotted to politicians, their families, senior bureaucrats and defence officers.
Original Post

How did our last Chief landed a flat in Adarash?
Do you think it was by accident or design? He is a manipulator as some news paper said. Can you imagine the Indian Army had a differently abled Chief who was masquerading as fighting fit. He was deaf to the cries of his men, yet did not wear a hearing aid lest his looks be lost. But to get a disability pension he let the cat out of the bag a few months before he retired. That the able specialists of AMC were unable to detect this fraud for so long is another scam no one will bother for. That an obese Chief died of myocardial infraction while in office is a closed chapter.
Sir, let the law take its own course. We should not defend people who have brought shame on us.
With warm regards,
Col Rajesh Mathews (Retd)
Adarsh Scam: Depth of Corruption in Defence Forces- click here to read more
Comment: Will the high and mighty get away scot free?

Army holds ex-servicemen rally

DARHAL: An ex-servicemen rally wаѕ organised fοr thе benefit οf ex-servicemen οf armed forces frοm Rajouri District οn Sunday аt Government Boys Higher Secondary School Darhal bу a Rashrtiya Rifles Battalion under thе aegis οf Sector Rashtriya Rifles аnԁ Counter Insurgency Force, Romeo.
Approximatly 500 ex-servicemen attended thе rally. Students frοm Government Higher Secondary School Darhal presented a cultural programme аѕ a mаrk οf respect tο ex-servicemen.
Thе rally wаѕ inaugurated bу Commander Sector Rashtriya Rifle. Eminent personalities frοm civil administration whο graced thе rally include Vijay Kumar, IPS DIG Poonch Rajouri, Raj Kumar, SDPO Rajouri, Maj (Retd) R.S Thakur, Secretary Zila Sainik Welfare Board, Rajouri, representatives frοm Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme Rajouri, Defence Pension Disbursement Office, Fishery Department, KVIC аnԁ nationalised banks. Thеу addressed thе ex-servicemen аnԁ informed thеm аbουt various welfare activities whісh thе government hаѕ ѕtаrtеԁ fοr thеіr benefit.
Alongside, a medical camp wаѕ аƖѕο organised wherein five army doctors including, surgical specialist, medical officers аnԁ a team οf six civil doctors provided healthcare advice аnԁ free medicines tο thе ex-servicemen. A dental detachment wаѕ аƖѕο available tο treat thе dental cases.
An Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme counter, CSD Smart Card counter, CSD аnԁ Non CSD counter wеrе аƖѕο established аt thе rally site fοr thе benefit οf ex-servicemen. A grievance cell tο register thе grievances аnԁ problems οf ex-servicemen аnԁ аn information cell primarily tο provide multifarious information tο thеm wаѕ аƖѕο established аt thе site.
On thе occasion sixteen Veer Naris wеrе аƖѕο felicitated whose husbands hаԁ sacrificed thеіr lives fοr thе country. Overall thе rally wаѕ a ɡrеаt success wherein thе ex-servicemen wеrе apprised οf numerous schemes/projects conceived fοr thеіr welfare.
Army holds ex-servicemen rally

Ex-Servicemen turn Conmen

Wednesday, June 22, 2011 11:33:41 AM (IST) Daijiworld Media Network
New Delhi, Jun 22: A fake recruitment racket run by ex-servicemen got busted here by the police.
The ex-servicemen who used to be Majors in the Army Medical Corps fooled young men who aspired to join the Indian Army.
The two conmen, one posed as a doctor for medical check-ups assured the candidates of a suitable placement in the Indian Army.
The candidates were asked to fill up personal details on answer sheets that were later filled by specialists and submitted to the Head Office. They were informed that they would recieve their joining letter through post.
Only when they did not recieve anything related to the Indian Army in their mailboxes did they realize they had been cheated.
The racket is said to be worth a lot of money as each of the candidates had to pay around Rs 3 lac.
Based on a complaint given by one of the candidates, the Crime Branch of Delhi police arrested four who were the masterminds behind the racket in Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
New Delhi: Ex-Servicemen turn Conmen

Rat Menace Grips the Armed Forces

Armed Forces Medical Services tasked to reduce rat population
New Delhi: Army is searching for a Pied Piper in Ladakh where rats are gobbling up its ration which reaches there through a long and arduous supply route. The Indian Army stocks supplies for winter in the summer itself as the road links to higher altitudes remains cut-off from the rest of the country in winter due to heavy snowfall for around six months.
As the roads are too narrow, they take the help of mules to carry these rations and other essential supplies to an altitude of over 15,000 feet. Since there is significant rodent infestation in the Army settlements in higher altitudes, the Medical Research Wing of the Armed Forces Medical Services are going to undertake a study to find out the extent of the problem of rodent nuisance in eastern and western Ladakh armed forces settings.
"Rats cause a great deal of nuisance everywhere. They spoil precious stocks, lead to nuisance and also spread diseases. Army settlements in higher altitudes are not spared from this as these rats are spoiling the winter stocks.
"All conventional methods of controlling them are not as effective as they are in the plains," Lieutenant General Naresh Kumar, Commandant, Army Hospital Research and referral and officiating DGAFMS said.
Conventional methods exist to control rodent nuisance like rat traps, rodenticides and repellents have failed in Ladakh. "Carrying rations and other essential supplies to an altitude of over 15,000 feet is no easy task. As such we have decided to conduct a study to identify the problem of rodent nuisance in eastern Ladakh and western Ladakh in Armed Forces setting and evaluate various methods to control them for effective management of their infestation in our areas in eastern and western Ladakh," Major General Mandeep Singh, ADG, Medical Research, Armed Forces Medical Services said.
Rats not only waste our food grains like wheat, rice and atta but they also cause a great deal of nuisance by scampering, running around and making noise.
And needless to say they are carriers of various diseases, he said.
"None of these conventional methods are of help to us. In the study that will be undertaken, we will concentrate on three aspects. We will look for measures to identify the most effective technique to control the nuisance spread by rats.
While looking into the various nuisance spread by them we will also find if they have the potential to spread diseases," Lieutenant Colonel Dennis Abraham, preventive medicine specialist said.
"These rats never were present here in the higher altitudes or came in with the food stock in trucks and gradually breeded in large quantities -- all these details need to be found out.
"There is no established study of rodent nuisance in higher altitudes," he said. PTI
Army is searching for a Pied Piper in Ladakh

Comment: Chinese love Rats. Mr Zhang's restaurant is as trendy as they serve rat dishes. The 15-table, two-story eatery is a mixture of blond wood furniture, stucco walls and wooden lattice laced with plastic vines. What we need to do is trade rats with PLA Soldiers in exchange for critical food items.

ECHS: Threefold increase in subscription rates

3-fold hike in rates of ex-servicemen health plan
Vijay Mohan/TNS

The Tribune Chandigarh, October 17, 2010
The Union government has revised the subscription rates for the Ex-servicemen's Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS). The revision comes about six years after the scheme was first launched for the veterans. The quantum of increase in rates is over three times the existing rates.

Orders issued by the Ministry of Defence on September 29 announcing the increase in the one-time payable rates have been circulated to medical and welfare establishments over the past few days.

The increase in rates, according to sources, is consequent to the hike in salaries and pension of armed forces personnel following the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission. This also comes in the wake of the recent increase in charges levied by the Central Government Health Scheme for civilian pensioners.

The new ECHS rates for all ranks up to havildar and equivalent would have to pay Rs 15,000, with the next slab up to naib subedar being liable to pay Rs 27,000. From subedars up to the rank of major, the revised charges are Rs 39,000 and for lieutenant colonels and above, it would be Rs 60,000.

Earlier, the contribution for those drawing a pension of between Rs 3,000 - 6,000 was Rs 4,800, Rs 8,000 for those drawing Rs 6,001 to Rs 10,000 and for those getting Rs 10,001-Rs 15,000, the rate was Rs 12,000. Veterans drawing a pension of above Rs 15,000 had to pay Rs 18,000.

ECHS was launched in April 2003 and the aim of the scheme was to provide quality medicare to its members and their dependents.
3-fold hike in rates of ex-servicemen health plan

Spirit of Jawan: Life sans limbs

Folks,
Have a look at the above video clip. Hope it gets the message across.
Fond regards,
Col (Retd) Rakesh Sachdeva

Cabinet nod to cadre restructuring of Military Nursing Service

Cabinet nod to cadre restructuring of Military Nursing Service
Press Trust Of India
New Delhi, August 26, 2010
Cabinet on Thursday approved the cadre restructuring of the Military Nursing Service (MNS) officers, aiming to reduce stagnation and providing adequate career opportunities to officers. "The decision will reduce stagnation in the various ranks of MNS by increasing the number of select appointments
and will also help in retaining competent and qualified officers in service by providing adequate opportunities for career progression," a government release said.

Under this, the number of vacancies in senior ranks in the service have been increased by the government.

"74 posts of Lieutenant Colonels (time scale) have been upgraded to Lt Col (Select) and above. Now, there will be two Major Generals, 18 Brigadiers, 58 Colonels and 157 Colonels (Select) in MNS," the release said.

After this decision, the number of officers under selection grade has been increased from 161 to 309 in the 3,860 officer-strong cadre to further improve the quality of leadership in the service.

"To retain qualified and trained nursing officers, it was considered necessary to improve promotional avenues at all levels to mitigate the hardship of nursing officers by increasing the number of posts in select grade appointments within the overall strength of cadre," the statement said.

The time scale promotion of MNS officers up to the rank of Lt Cols has also been reviewed; as an officer will become a Captain from Lieutenant after three years of service from existing five years, become Major after eight years and a Lt Col (time scale) in 16 years from the present 20 years.

The qualifying service for Lt Col (Select) rank by the Selection Board has also been revised from the existing 18 years to 14 years. The last cadre review of Military Nursing Service was carried out in 1986.
Cabinet nod to cadre restructuring of Military Nursing Service
Press Trust Of India

Army Medical Corps: Major arrested for taking bribe

Major Dipendra Bhushan
Mumbai Mirror Bureau Posted On Sunday, June 20, 2010 at 02:54:36 AM
An Army major, attached to the Army recruitment office at Colaba, was arrested by the CBI for allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 50,000 to clear medical tests of a fresh recruit in the Army.

Major Dipendra Bhushan's driver Bharat Ram was also arrested after the CBI found that he too was a part of the racket.

“We have arrested Major Dipendra Bhushan and will produce him in court on Sunday. Search of the officer's residence is on,” DIG CBI Praveen Salunkhe told Mumbai Mirror.
Major Dipendra Bhushan
According to sources in the CBI, Major Dipendra Bhushan was in-charge of supervising medical tests of fresh recruits. The army recruitment centre in Colaba, where the medical screening centre is located, checks hundreds of army recruits every year.

Sources alleged that the Army major and his driver had spread a word among the fresh recruits that only those who would pay Rs 50,000 to the senior army official would be cleared in the medical tests. Several jawans therefore contacted driver Bharat Ram.

The complainant in the case also approached driver Bharat Ram, but he lodged a complaint with the CBI as well. “On Saturday afternoon, the major called the complaint near Fashion Street to collect money. His driver Bharat Ram was also present when the amount was being paid,” sources said.

According to Joint Director, CBI, Rishiraj Singh, it’s very unfortunate that in a premier institution like Army this kind of corruption is on. Singh has requested all prospective jawans, NGOs & GOs to inform the CBI immediately on 9820185123, 022-22884433 if they are compelled to make such payments.
Major arrested for taking bribe
Army major arrested for accepting bribe
Corrupt armyman was being watched for 8 months: Medical clearance without examination
Overall decline of Medical Standards in India
Bhopal tragedy: Doctors duped survivors

Comment: Looks and sounds like Desai effect of MCI corruption spreading its tentacles to the Armed Forces Medical College/ Military Medical Services. There is an urgent need for a major surgical operation to cleanse the Armed Forces Medical Services/ College and its Officers of corruption right from top to the bottom. The Medical Corps Care ethos and ethics must be instilled in its true perspective. Medical Officers who have bribed lakhs of Rupees for purpose of admission to Medical Colleges are the ones who tend to succumb to make a quick buck to make up the loss! Constant in- house monitoring and peer pressure should enable the Medical Corps to regain its lost prestige and honour. Major Bhushan, an Armed Forces Medical College alumni, had been in the service for the past 11 years and unluckily he has been caught; what about the others donning his feathers? What a disgrace for the Premier Military Educational Institute!

ECHS: Easy access to ESM health care

Expansion of Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS)
The Union Cabinet has approved establishment of 199 additional New Polyclinic including 17 mobile military medical facilities alongwith 15 New Regional Centres and re-organisation of Central Organisation ECHS. Authorising additional 67 officer and 270 PBOR at 15 New Regional Centres, Central Organisation ECHS and 2263 additional contractual employees for 199 new polyclinics will enhance quality of medicare provided to Ex-Servicemen.

Financial implications towards creation of infrastructure will be about Rs.141 crore. This will entail a capital expenditure of Rs.118.52 crore towards cost of land, construction and medical equipment. An amount of Rs.22.25 crore of expenditure will cover purchase of furniture etc, and IT hardware. On the recurring side, an expenditure of Rs.43 crore per annum is envisaged.

The expanded network envisages 426 polyclinics in 343 districts of the country which will benefit Ex-servicemen residing in remote and far flung areas. The expanded network envisages coverage of about 33 lakh beneficiaries.

Background: The ECHS was introduced with effect from 01 April 2003 to provide comprehensive medical coverage of Ex-servicemen Pensioners, war window and dependents by establishing 227 polyclinics at Stations with ex-servicemen population above 2500 through out the country.

A large segment of Ex-servicemen are staying at locations where there is no ECHS Polyclinic within a radius of 200/300 km causing great inconvenience in accessing medical facilities. To address this 199 polyclinic will be established in those places with minimum ex-servicemen population of 1500.

At present Ex-servicemen residing in remote areas where the ex-servicemen population is less than 2500, face a lot of inconvenience in reaching the polyclinics due to distant location varying from 200 to 300 km from their place of residence. The expansion of ECHS will provide easy access to health facilities for such ex-servicemen and their dependents.
Expansion of Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS)

ECHS: Army chief inaugurates ex-servicemen’s polyclinic

Army chief inaugurates ex-servicemen’s polyclinic
Tuesday, June 15, 2010 8:39:18 PM by IANS
New Delhi, June 15 (IANS) Indian Army Chief Gen. V.K. Singh Tuesday inaugurated a polyclinic for ex-servicemen in Gurgaon, on the outskirts of the national capital, that will provide quality services to nearly 22,000 former defence personnel and their families.
The polyclinic, constructed at the military station in Dundahera, was built at a cost of Rs.49.07 lakh. “It will provide quality OPD services to 22,000 ECHS (Ex-servicemen’s Contributory Health Scheme) beneficiaries,” an army spokesperson said.

On May 26, in a major effort to boost the quality of medicare provided to India’s 34 lakh ex-servicemen and their dependents, the cabinet approved the creation of 199 additional polyclinics at a cost of Rs.141 crore ($30 million), to take their total number to 426.

As part of this, another polyclinic will be established at Gurgaon’s Sohna Road, one the eight more coming up in the National Capital Region, which presently has six such clinics.

The ECHS was started in April 2003 to meet the long-standing demand of the armed forces veterans for comprehensive medical cover.

Nearly 11 lakh ex-servicemen have joined the scheme, and together with their dependents, the beneficiary base of the scheme has crossed 34 lakh.

A total of 1,355 hospitals and diagnostic centres are empanelled in the country for providing cashless treatment to the ECHS beneficiaries.
Army chief inaugurates ex-servicemen’s polyclinic

Indian Military: Medicines purchased from unregistered sources

‘Tainted’ Brigadier asks for promotion
He is facing trial for procuring medicines worth Rs 9 cr illegally
Vijay Mohan
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 1
While the Army has convened a general court martial (GCM) to try the commandant of a military hospital on charges of corruption, the accused Brigadier in turn has moved the Armed Forces Tribunal challenging his trial and demanding that he be promoted to the rank of major general as approved by a selection board earlier.

Brig Anil Kayastha, who was head of the Military Hospital, Jalandhar, is facing six charges, including three involving moral turpitude. He is alleged to have purchased medical supplies worth more than Rs 9 crore from the unregistered dealers with intent to defraud during November 2006 and January 2008.

The trial, presided by Maj Gen T.K. Das, Chief Signal Officer, Western Command, commenced at Ferozepur on April 29. Brigadier Kayastha has submitted a plea before the GCM, challenging its jurisdiction on the grounds that no charges are made out against him and there is no due application of mind by the authorities concerned while deciding his case.

As per rules, medicines are to be procured through local purchase only from registered dealers selected by a board of officers. According to sources, when board proceedings containing names of 60 dealers was put up to him for approval, he allegedly asked the board’s head to include the names of 20 more dealers. He is also alleged to have cancelled, with intent to defraud, the rate inquiries prepared by the officer in charge of the hospital’s medical store to be issued to vendors for procurement.

In his petition before the Tribunal, he has claimed that he was screened for promotion in 2008-09 and had reasons to believe that he was approved for promotion to the rank of Major General. He was expecting formal orders to this effect in May 2009 but those junior to him were promoted in June 2009. He has contended that he was denied promotion due to pendency of disciplinary proceedings whereas there were no disciplinary proceedings against him at the time he was approved for promotion.

He has claimed that he was due to pick up his rank on May 1, 2009, while the tentative charge-sheet following the court of inquiry was issued only on June 23, 2009. He had taken up the matter of denial of promotion with the Director General Medical Services, but got no response.
Tainted Brigadier asks for promotion
Local Purchase Scam
Brigadier Under Scanner In Jalandhar Medicine ‘Scam’

Comment: Local Purchase of sub- standard products for the soldiers is a common phenomenon. Commission in the range of 10% to 20% as bribes exchange hands and travel up the ladder. The local purchase syndrome should be curbed as Junior Officers too get involved in commissions even on minor purchases- (A vendor in Chennai confirmed an Officer from the Army wanted 20% commission for purchase of dry fruits- the vendor wondered how such an officer is going to defend the Nation?) The disease is cancerous and soon bound to degrade Military Profession in general. Promotions of Officers are based on ACR's which are generally biased and skewed. How come corrupt and tainted officers are recommended for promotion? Is the MS branch also in the corruption loop one wonders!

Degradation of MNS Officers muted by Armed Forces Tribunal

MNS Officers entitled to service privileges of regular officers : AFT
In a well reasoned decision, the Hon’ble Principal Bench of the AFT has held that MNS officers are also commissioned officers and are authorised to the privileges of their respective ranks.

The decision comes in the backdrop of the refusal of authorities to allow a Major General of the MNS from sporting stars and flying a flag on her official car.

The order has settled the controversy once and for all, but the issue makes one wonder as to why were stars and flags refused to such officers in the first place ? When an officer is holding a particular military rank, then it makes no sense to deny the ceremonial ancillaries of the same. It is the rank that is entitled to such privileges and not the service or the person who is wearing that uniform. When there is no bar on sporting the ‘stars’ on the collars, then in my humble opinion there should be no reason as to why a bar should exist on sporting the same very stars on the car !.
Posted by Navdeep / Maj Navdeep Singh

Self Inflicted Injury
How the Armed Forces degrades itself is evident from the AHQ, COAS letter to Defence Secretary who is responsible for CoS and Anomaly Committee being convoluted and negated! Click link below.
Degrade Basic Pay, Grade Pay and Status of Nurses in Armed Forces

Some suggested measures to redeem the damage inflicted on the MNS Cadre:

Add a web page for the Military Nursing Service under the arms/ services in the official web site.

Re-commence the Officers training at AMC Centre and School for the Newly Commissioned Officers of the Military Nursing Service.

Re-commence the arms training to Nursing Officers (stopped in the early Nineties). To fulfill the Articles of the Geneva Convention MNS are required to be trained in arms/ weapon handling. Incidentally, the Army still has Golding Medal for Shooting championship for the Nursing Officers from the British era.

Bring the Military Nursing Service fully under the Army Act (remove the auxiliary force tag).

We are talking about allowing women in all arms and services of the Army. However still we do not allow eligible men to become Commissioned Nursing Officers! Therefore, remove the restriction on men to join the Nursing Services as Commissioned Officers.

Brave Major dies fighting chain-snatcher

February 6th, 2010 Deccan Chronicle
Brave Major dies fighting chain-snatcher
Tiruchy, Feb. 5: An army major was murdered by an unidentified miscreant on Thursday evening when he prevented the culprit from snatching the jewels of his wife at knife-point at Mukkombu, near here.

Ramesh (33), son of Rangasamy, a resident of Tumkur, in Karnataka, and serving as army doctor in Visakhapatnam, was in Tiruchy the past few days to screen aspirants who attended the army recruitment rally at Tirunelveli recently.

Accompanied by his wife Anuradha (27), two-year-old daughter Mridhula and in-laws, he went to Mukkombu on Thursday. When they were about to leave the place around 6.45 pm an unidentified man approached Anuradha and threatened her at knife-point to part with her jewels.

When Anuradha cried for help, Ramesh, standing a few metres away, came rushing to her rescue. Sensing that he might get caught, the culprit started to run. However, Ramesh gave chase and caught hold of his shirt. Unable to escape his clutches, the culprit stabbed him in the throat. Since Ramesh did not loosen his hold even then, the culprit wriggled out leaving his shirt behind.

Ramesh was rushed by his relatives to a private hospital at Pettavaithalai where he was declared as brought dead. The body was then brought to the government hospital. Central zone IG Karan Singha visited the spot and conducted enquiries. Tiruchy rural district SP A. Kaliyamurthy said the duo ran till the main road and boarded a bus. Col Sanjeev Kumar, director (recruiting), Army recruitment office, Tiruchy, said the body of the ‘brave officer’ was given full army honours.
Brave Major dies fighting chain-snatcher

Bangalore Command Hospital bags Defence Minister’s trophy

NEW DELHI: The Command Hospital (Air Force) in Bangalore was on Monday presented the
Defence Minister’s trophy for the Best Command Hospital for the year 2009. The trophy, along with a purse of Rs.5 lakh, was presented by Defence Minister A.K. Antony to Air Vice Marshal AK Behl, Commandant of the hospital, at a function here.
The Command Hospital, Eastern Command, Kolkata, was adjudged the Second Best Command
Hospital. Commandant of the Hospital Major General YS Sarma received the trophy.

Need to to recognise Nursing Service in true perspective

The members of Military Nursing Service (MNS) are of Commissioned rank appointed by a notification in the Gazette of India as Officers of MNS forming part of regular Army (Section 5 Military Nursing Service Ordinance 1943). As they are Officers holding a Commissioned rank, they are Commissioned Officers ranking equally with any other arm/service Officers of same titular rank [Defence Services Regulations (Army) Para 733 (b)]. As other Officers are not addressed as Members of EME or AMC, JAG etc. the increased tendency in the Army to refer the MNS Officers as Members of MNS is inappropriate and misleading.

The sense of fairness of today's Officers has been seriously affected by the propaganda campaign unleashed by few of the AMC Officers or Commissioned Members of AMC (in their own language). The Members have convinced the entire Army and including the supposed to be wise Generals of other arms/ services that the MNS Officers are an out cast and shall be lowered from the Commissioned Officers Status. The proof is the Army Chiefs letter asking to lower the pay scales of MNS Officers. The Army Chief through his letter dated 20 Jun 2008 asked the Cabinet Secretary to lower the pay scales of MNS Officers to ensure patient care in armed forces hospitals!

The army doctors like the army nurses, also does not undergo the Services Selection Board (SSB) interview to test their Officer Like Qualities (OLQs). The doctors, dentists and nurses are given Commission not because of their OLQs, but merely for their professional qualifications. Therefore the army Doctors supposed fears of 'nurses pay adversely affecting the patient care in the long run' should be correctly interpreted as their 'lack of leadership qualities adversely affecting the management of the medical establishments'. Due to their inferiority complexes, many of the doctors after wearing army officers uniform tries to become more officer like than the true Officers and end up being an 'Army Nurse Basher'. They have misplaced notions about officer like qualities. Such army doctors tries to vent their frustrations originated out of their professional inabilities and lack of leadership qualities by pulling down the Army Nurses. The survey conducted by the WHO in 2008, ranked the Indian Army Nurses as the best Nurses in the world.

The USA became the first country in 1901, to constitute the Nursing Services as a Corps of its Army and placed all the Nursing Personnel under it. Now the Army Nurse Corps Officers (Nurses) are considered equally for even Command positions in their Army Medical Service (US Army Nurses routinely Commands Military Medical Establishments and Army Medical Commands). The logic is that, in a system when neither (doctor/nurse) is tested for OLQs, any one who has the requisite leadership abilities should be given the opportunity to Command. A Nurse can be a better Commander than a Doctor, because Command is a test of Leadership. Any army nurse is also equally qualified to perform in leadership positions like the doctors in the army, but both are not tested for OLQs. In India the Command of medical units is a sacred act performed only by the Doctors! Let it remain that way, I don't think any army nurse will demand for such posts due to our "caste- mindedness".

In 1943, the Nursing Services of all the Imperial Forces (Armies of India, Canadian, Australian, South African and including British etc.) had the same status as 'auxiliary force of army'. After the war, all these Countries including Pakistan have formed Army Nurse Corps out of their own Military Nursing Service. The nursing personnel (Nursing Assistants/ Nursing Orderlies) previously part of Army Medical Corps were then transferred to the Nurse Corps for proper management by the professional Nurses. But in the Indian Army the Nursing Assistants are still part of AMC. Many of them are being misused as 'sahayaks' at the AMC Officers houses and Messes, whereas they are meant for assisting the Nurses in the medical units. Almost every country has constituted Army Nurse Corps in their Armies after the WW-II. However, the MNS still continues as an 'auxiliary force of Indian Army'.

The Nurse to Doctor Ratio in Indian Army is 1:2 (3000 nurses and 6000 doctors). The ideal ratio is 4:1 as recommended by the Indian Nursing Council and being followed by Civil Hospitals. Such low ratio of Nurses is being justified by showing the 20000 strong Nursing Assistant tradesmen of AMC, as available for assisting the Nurses. This is theoretically true but practically exists only on paper. The Army manages by making the Nurses to work for 72 hours a week as against the 48 hours in Civil. The minimum hours of work to be performed by the Army personnel in a week are also 48 hours.

The most of the Countries including Pakistan have Army Nurse Corps as part of their Army. In USA the Army Nurse Corps Officers (Nurses) even commands Army Hospitals and Medical Commands. Is the Patient Care in those Army's have been adversely affected due to this? The answer is no. The Indian Army Nurses are the best professionals in this field. The patient care in the Indian Army is better than the Civil. However, the Army's discriminatory attitude to the MNS Officers is going to adversely affect the patient care (if not already affected). It will further erode in the coming years unless immediate corrective steps are taken. The supposedly wise Generals will realize it only post retirement, when there is nobody else to look after them, other than an Army Nurse. Every General like the Deepak Kapoor should get an opportunity to point out to an Army Nurse while lying on a Military Hospital bed, that she is an 'inferior class of Officer as being from an auxiliary force'. He is assured of a good care from her.

The need of the hour is to strengthen the Nursing Services by allowing it to be managed by the professional Nurses. Presently the Nursing Services in Army is managed by the Doctors. We shall follow in the steps of other nations by re designating the Military Nursing Service as a Corps of regular Army. And then transfer all the nursing personnel to the Nursing Corps for proper management of nursing resources. This is the only way the Nursing Services and thereby the Patient Care can be improved in the Indian Army.

Col Mathew Thomas (Retd)
Related: Need to reorganise the Nursing Services by by Brig (Dr) C P Joshi

Army Expedition to Jongsang Glacier

Kripan Division organised an expedition to the Muguthang sector in North Sikkim from June 24 to July 9.

The area is a typical glacial zone with steep cliffs, ice pinnacles and walls, hanging glaciers and frozen lakes which may burst any time. The expedition by the Trishakti Corps was in consonance with the army’s practice of developing love for nature, mountains, flora and fauna among the men in uniform.

The trek was also aimed at developing key leadership traits such as mental and physical robustness, camaraderie, decision making and problem solving ability among the junior leaders of the army. The expedition team, led by Captain Shanu Krishna, comprised three officers, one junior commissioned officer and 24 personnel of Kripan Division.

While most of the team members were the personnel of the Punjab Regiment, others were from Corps of Signals and Army Medical Corps for technical support. The expedition traversed through Jongsang Glacier to complete its mission by scaling Point 5630 near Jongsang Peak.
Army Expedition to Jongsang Glacier