Ex-servicemen status for retired paramilitary troops

Ex-servicemen status for retd paramilitary troops
Deeptiman Tiwary, TNN | Nov 2, 2012, 01.41AM IST
NEW DELHI: In the run up to Himachal Pradesh assembly and an eye on 2014 parliamentary polls, the government has decided to extend ex-servicemen benefits to retired central paramilitary personnel. The move will please 17 lakh serving and retired personnel from the forces, who were treated like any other government employee.
The Cabinet on Thursday passed a proposal moved by the home ministry to declare retired personnel from Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) as "ex-central police personnel" and extend them several benefits that ex-servicemen from the armed forces get.
Like former servicemen, now the retired paramilitary forces personnel will get quota in jobs, higher education for their wards and attendant medical benefits. However, they won't be eligible for certain Central government benefits such as preferential allotment of petrol pumps and gas agency as the Centre has put financial burden of the development entirely on states.
They will also not share the quota of ex-servicemen from defence forces, but have separate reservations as decided by different states.
The move has come at a time when Himachal Pradesh, which sends a large number of its men to various forces, is facing elections. And with general elections only a year and a half away, the policy decision will bring cheer to over seven lakh retired paramilitary personnel across the country apart from nine lakh serving in various forces such as CRPF, BSF, SSB, ITBP and CISF.
The government also hopes the move will help bring attrition in the forces down. Around 44,000 personnel have resigned from paramilitary forces since 2009 due to stressful conditions of work and lack of medical benefits.
Though the proposal for these benefits was made in 2010 itself, home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde announced its passing by the Cabinet in quite a dramatic fashion. While attending a CRPF function on Thursday morning, he said, "I am moving a proposal in the Cabinet to grant retired paramilitary personnel the status of ex-servicemen. Paramilitary personnel, like defence forces, put their life at stake in the line of duty and there is no problem in granting them this honour."
Four hours later, at function organized by CISF, the minister said, "I had announced at the CRPF function about granting ex-servicemen status to retired paramilitary men. After that I went to attend the Cabinet meeting and the Cabinet approved the proposal. These personnel will be called as 'ex-central police personnel' on the same footing as ex-servicemen in the defence forces."
The forces, in particular their retired personnel, have a mixed reaction. P S Nair, general secretary of All India Central Paramilitary Forces Ex-servicemen Welfare Association, said, "We have been struggling for this for the past several years. We are happy it has come now. It will make us eligible for 60-65 benefits given to ex-servicemen by states. However, this is not enough. We also want one-rank-one-pension like the Army. We are doing a gherao of the CGO Complex on November 21 to press for our demands."
Ex-servicemen status for retd paramilitary troops
Hindu: Ex-servicemen status for retired paramilitary personnel

Adarsh Scam: Gen NC Vij did not apply his mind

Ref:‘I did not apply my mind to question whether Adarsh was security threat’
Former Army Chief General (retd.) N.C Vij, says he was not aware of a parliamentary query about land ownership
COMMENTS:

Dear Gen. Vij; This is not expected of a retd. army chief. Army chief not being informed about the parliamentary questions and applying for the membership of the same society after retirement. It is not done, Sir.
from: Krishnan Posted on: Aug 23, 2012 at 05:20 IST

Sad that an ex- army chief can give such evasive answers that reeks of malafide intentions. Despite visiting the 28 floor of the building where he had been allotted a flat, if he did not think of Adarsh as a security threat to the military installations surrounding the area, then he should not have been in the position of military chief. Any layman - not necessarily with a military background, knows that a civilian construction offering a birds-eye view of military installations is a security threat. And he says " people occupying the building need to be scrutinised from security angle and whether the persons occupying the building are trustworthy and dependable". How in the world is that possible in a civilian premises? Can he please offer an answer?
from: V.J. Nambiar Posted on: Aug 23, 2012 at 07:38 IST

Firstly, while unequivocally accepting the unimpeachable personal integrity of the former chief of army staff and former vice chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, the simple legal stand in most cases of land ownership and issue of encumberance certificate that precedes transfer of title to property presupposes that ignorance of a possible fraud, forgery, foul play or manipulation committed cannot stand in the way of title and access to disputed property being restored to the legal owner / lessee. Ignorance of law and absence of malice could only perhaps somewhat mitigate the legal exposure of the victims but cannot stand in the way of title of ownership from being restored to the rightful owner. Hence all those who had invested in or been awarded membership will stand to lose title to the disputed property if it is proven that the Society had no legal title to begin with or if the legal title had been obtained in violation of rules and regulations in force.
from: R.N. Iyengar Posted on: Aug 23, 2012 at 08:29 IST

National Defence University

Ministry of Defence 21-May, 2012 16:30 IST
The Union Cabinet, in its meeting held on 13th May, 2010, has accorded "in principle" approval to setting up the Indian National Defence University (INDU) at Binola in District Gurgaon, Haryana. The Government of Haryana has issued the Notification for the acquisition of land. Educational Consultants of India Limited, (EdCIL) a Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of HRD has been appointed as a consultant for the preparation of the Detailed Project Report, the Layout Plan and Draft Act & Statutes for setting up the university. An estimated expenditure of Rs.295 Crore (at the rates of year 2010) for setting up the university and Rs.162 Crore (at current rates) for the acquisition of land is likely to be incurred.
In INDU it is proposed inter alia to conduct courses of varying durations on subjects ranging from Strategic Studies, War Gaming and Simulation, Neighbourhood Studies, Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorism, Chinese Studies, Evaluation of Strategic Thought, International Security Issues, Maritime Security Studies, Eurasian Studies, South East Asian Studies, material acquisition, joint logistics, national security strategy in peace and war, etc. It is projected that the establishment of INDU and its constituents will be spread over seven years. This information was given by Minister of Defence Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Inderjit Singh Rao in Lok Sabha today. PK/NN   (Release ID :84266)
National Defence University

Loud Mouth Brajesh Mishra Brags

More Dope on Loud Mouth Brajesh Mishra
by K. Gajendra Singh
An extract from my article
Decrepit Publicity Hog BC Mishra Spouts Nonsense
Now former National Security Advisor, a decrepit Brajesh Mishra has been brought out of the dead cobwebs. He told Karan Thapar on TV that he held both the minister and the general responsible for not taking action on the bribery allegation but wanted Gen V K Singh to be sent on forced leave. "My view is that both the minister and the Army chief are responsible for not taking action," he said commenting on the allegations by Gen Singh that he was offered a bribe of Rs. 14 crore for clearing a contract for trucks and had informed the Defense Minister about it.

Asked whether the army chief should be sacked or sent on compulsory leave, Mishra told Karan Thapar on the Devil's Advocate programme that "If he is sacked, then something more may happen. If he is sent on compulsory leave, he is not being sacked. He should be told that enjoy your two months’ vacation with government salary and then take pension and go home."

How very considerate but trite of Mishraji. A former Indian diplomat Mishra was removed in 1980 as Indian Envoy from his New York post for not following the policy on Afghanistan of the newly elected Indira Gandhi govt in1980. He was adopted by Washington and given a cushy job in UN.

Son of formidable senior Congress leader late DP Mishra, Brajesh soon came close to AB Vajpayee and became his evening companion. Power and publicity hungry, he was National Security Advisor and defacto PM as Principal Sec to PM Vajpayee. He tried to run MEA too. He was stopped from hogging publicity by his detractors in BJP. The job of Principal Sec to PM is rightfully for a senior IAS officer. An expert on multilateral diplomacy i.e. fighting over commas and full stops, Mishra had little experience or expertise in administration and finance. IAS officers in PMO ran circles around him, enriching themselves and letting their friends and patrons, India’s emerging robber barons loot the exchequer. This was later described as India Shining era. The BJP was ousted from power. How the corporate robber barons thrived when Mishra was de facto PM needs investigation and a serious case study. But similar policies have continued.

Karan Thapar’s TV interview was a trite. It was pathetic and unbecoming performance by Mishraji brought out from the cobwebs to tarnish an upright and honest Army chief.

Sometime ago Mishra had rightly opposed the Indo-US Nuclear agreement, from which India has gained little and lost very much. But Mishra soon changed sides merely to remain in limelight and be on the US high table (dinner!).

I am disappointed that anchor Karan Thapar has changed sides. He should know how his own father the Army Chief was humiliated and removed for mistakes committed by those appointed to senior command posts by interfering and scheming politicians and self-serving civil servants.

On Mishra’s connection with Zionist lobby and Neo-Cons, who planned and executed US led illegal invasion of Iraq in 2003, which strategically and historically can be compared with Nazi Germany‘s invasion of the Soviet Union in WWII .The sacrifice of Israeli resistance and people has destroyed the US army, i.e. its ground forces leading to US hyper power’s decline and likely fall sooner than later.
More Dope on Loud Mouth Brajesh Mishra
Comment: A pathetic interview indeed. Will go down in history as to what type of Scumbags a few bureaucrats are... truly are after retirement- what limelight for their misdeeds?

Babu shunted for leaking Army Chief's Top Secret Letter

Senior officer leaked army chief's letter to PM
May 13, 2012 21:58 IST
A joint secretary-rank officer in the Cabinet Secretariat has been found guilty of leaking Army Chief General V K Singh's letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [ Images ] about the poor state of preparedness of his force and has been shunted out.
A probe into the leakage by the Prime Minister's Office has also cleared General Singh of any wrongdoing in the episode, highly-placed sources said.
In his letter, the army chief had highlighted the critical shortage of equipment and ammunition in artillery and armoured regiments.
The female officer, belonging to the Indian Economic Service, was handling the charge of intelligence agencies under the Cabinet Secretariat and was nailed after interrogation of some suspected people.
The officer has now been repatriated to her parent cadre and further action can be taken against her for leaking such a sensitive document, sources said.
After the letter surfaced, both the Houses of Parliament were rocked over the issue and certain parties had demanded action against General Singh.
At that time, General Singh had said that incident should be treated as "high treason" and the source of leakage should be dealt with "ruthlessly."
"The leakage of the letter should be treated as high treason. Cynical approach to tarnish my reputation should stop. Sources of the leakage should be found and dealt with ruthlessly," General Singh had said in a statement issued by the army headquarters. Following the incident, the government had asked the Intelligence Bureau to investigate the matter and find out the person responsible for it.
The letter was leaked to the media after General Singh made a sensational disclosure in an interview that he was offered a bribe of Rs 14 crore by a retired lieutenant general for favouring a sub-standard defence deal regarding the purchase of army trucks.

Readers comments sample

apology by aam admi on May 14, 2012 12:15 AM those political leaders, who abused and blamed the General for leaking the letter to Media, should apologise to General VK Singh, if they have left any grace in their behaviour, they should not shout and abuse people of the society in Parliament as and when they wish.This is disgraceful on their part.

by Raghvendra Singhon May 13, 2012 10:37 PM
Time and again it has come to light that General VK Singh has been correct in all his statements and actions. Yet every time there has been biased reporting against him, asking for his head. He has not been allowed to serve for an additional year as is rightfully his due, history will forever remember this. It is a National loss, but he will do his bit for the country in whatever direction Destiny will take him.
Senior officer leaked army chief's letter to PM
Babu shunted for 'leaking' army chief's letter
Army chief letter leak: Cabinet Secretariat officer found guilty
Government's Denial Drama and Dilemma
It's very understandable why the Prime Minister's office and the government is hurriedly issuing a denial because it gives a clean chit to the Army Chief but raises some alarming questions on the government's role behind this Army Chief controversy, and with the Opposition bound to corner the government once again on this, one can understand why the Prime Minister's office wants to step in and issue a denial.
Read More: Click here for the original post
Comment: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is correct when he said "After 60 years we are not a perfect Democracy". What he missed out was that we are fast graduating into a Banana Republic. The treatment meted out to a Patriotic Gen VK Singh by the Government speaks volumes of its gradual graduation!

Antony urges top brass of Armed Forces to be honest and transparent

Ministry of Defence 24-April, 2012 15:39 IST : Core Values not to be Given up in Modernisation Process: Antony
The Defence Minister Shri A.K. Antony today told the top brass of Armed Forces that while modernization remains the topmost priority of the Government and to achieve the same a mechanism has been put in place to fast track procurement of equipment and upgradation of infrastructure, this however cannot be done at the cost of a set of core values- transparency, probity and accountability. Addressing the Unified Commander’s Conference, here, Shri Antony urged all commanders to ensure that these principles are adopted and followed in letter and spirit. “We have a collective responsibility to ensure that every single rupee is spent meaningfully and judiciously and wasteful expenditure is eliminated”.

Shri Antony said, the Government is constantly fine tuning the Defence Procurement Procedure to cut down delays in procurement process. He asked the Services to put their best foot forward by having a well-defined approach to procurement, based on clear and objective General Staff Qualitative Requirements (GSQRs). He said there is also a need to ensure that procedures are strictly adhered to and the Services ensure the timely meeting of technical parameters.

Referring to a nationwide, secure and dedicated optical fibre network, to be implemented by the Ministry of Communication & Information Technology, in lieu of the vacation of a part of spectrum by Defence Services, Shri Antony said the approval of Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure for the budget is awaited. He said, the “defence band” and the “defence interest zone” have been mutually agreed upon by the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Communication & Information Technology to meet the spectrum requirement for strategic communication of defence forces and this will be promulgated soon. Shri Antony said, while on the one hand IT has helped in breaking down linguistic and geographic barriers and resulted in a level playing field, on the other hand, Information and Communication Technology are also being misused by anti–social and anti-national elements. Describing Cyber-crimes as another dimension in the security architecture, Shri Antony said the Services need to be fully aware of the implications and put in place security systems and standard operating procedures to counter such threats.

Talking about the neighborhood, the Defence Minister said latest events in the Af-Pak region clearly show that it cannot be presumed that the Af-Pak issues are nearing solution. He said we need to keep a close watch on the situation in the region as any developments in the Af-Pak region will have strategic and security implications for India. Referring to Jammu and Kashmir, Shri Antony said the situation in the State has improved over the past few years. However, the coming summer months will prove to be a real test for an even more realistic assessment. “We have to remain vigilant and active and cannot afford to drop our guard”, he said.

Shri Antony, at the very outset, congratulated all Scientists, technicians and other DRDO personnel for the successful flight test of Agni –V and said, this significant achievement has done the entire nation and our Armed Forces proud. SitanshuKar/NA (Release ID :82460)
Core Values not to be Given up in Modernisation Process: Antony

Professional Matters Blog

The Professional Matters Blog at http://reportmysignalpm.blogspot.in/
Professional Matters of Report My Signal- Blog will henceforth be moderated by Lt Gen Harbhajan Singh, PVSM (Retd).
The following new articles have been recently posted on this Blog:

The Road to Smart Vehicles

Turbulence in India-US Ties

Sleeping tiger, crouching dragon

ISRAEL-UNITED STATES: DIFFERING PERCEPTIONS ON MILITARY STRIKES AGAINST IRAN ANALYZED

CHINA'S FORCE MULTIPLIERS

India's Arab Sprint

The Indian Express
Sanjaya Baru : Wed Feb 22 2012, 03:23 hrs
Riyadh and Delhi are quietly drawing closer, acknowledging their many shared concerns
Amidst last week’s focus in the Indian media about a coming conflict between Iran and Israel, not much attention was paid to a historic visit to Saudi Arabia by the defence minister, A.K. Anthony.

Several interesting facts marked Anthony’s path-breaking travel across the Arabian Sea. First, the visit was the first ever such official visit by an Indian defence minister to the epicentre of the Arab world. Second, it came in response to persistent invitations from the Saudi government. Anthony was unable to make the trip on two earlier occasions when an invitation had been issued, but finally made it after a third call from Riyadh. Third, the defence minister was accompanied not just by diplomats and civilian officials but by three senior defence officials — the vice chief of army staff, the deputy chief of naval staff and an air vice marshal. Fourth, Anthony had one-on-one talks with his counterpart Prince Salman and an extended audience with King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques.

At the end of what has been described as “wide-ranging” talks, India and Saudi Arabia have agreed to set up a joint panel of officials who will together draft a defence cooperation agreement and a “road map” for defence cooperation that would include joint exercises between the three services of the two nations, training and co-production of defence equipment. The militaries and navies of both countries will undertake joint patrolling of the Arabian Sea, fighting sea piracy and disruption to maritime traffic.

India’s main concern is energy security and the security of the Indian community in the region. Already, rising tensions have pushed the price of oil up. Even if hostilities were not to break out, the persistence of raised risk levels will keep oil prices high. Finally, if Iran were to lay mines in the sea as a pre-emptive or provocative act, this would seriously disrupt the movement of oil tankers. Any sustained rise in the price of oil will hit the Indian economy hard.

King Abdullah has, it is reliably learnt, offered cast-iron assurances to Anthony that Saudi Arabia would step in and help both in making more oil available to India and in assuring the safety and security of Indian expatriates in the region.

An interesting aspect of the bilateral understanding reached between Anthony and Prince Salman is that India and Saudi Arabia would also undertake joint research and projects in the field of hydrography, exchanging information on nautical cartography and hydrographic surveys of coastal areas, ports, harbours and designated sea areas. In the near term this would also facilitate de-mining!

The people of India and Arabia have interacted across the waters between them for thousands of years. Omani and Gujarati seafarers were among the earliest and Arabs reached the Kerala coast as traders and teachers, not conquerors. In fact, among all the Muslim communities of the Middle East and Central Asia it is only the Arabs who never sought to conquer India. The Turks, the Persians, and the Central Asians came by land to plunder or rule. The Arabs came by sea to trade and teach.

While history has its limitations in shaping contemporaneous and forward-looking strategic choices, it does shape popular perceptions. What is, however, driving the India- Saudi relationship today is not this benign history but shared concerns about stability and growth in the Arabian Sea littoral and the Gulf.

Saudi Arabia is as concerned about events in Iran as it is about trends in Pakistan. Riyadh’s outreach to New Delhi is also an indicator that the Saudis are worried about what is happening in Pakistan. In this “arc of instability” Riyadh hopes India would be a reliable and credible guarantor of stability.
The writer is director for geo-economics and strategy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and honorary senior fellow at the Centre for Policy Research
India's Arab Sprint: click here to read the full article

Is Home Minister walking diplomatic tight rope?

The portions in colour hit the nail on the head. The bureaucrats have no urgency and no accountability with the result our police and security agencies are severely handicapped.
Same is the case with the Defence Services!
Till funtioning of IAS and Finance is reformed, our governance and security will NOT repeat NOT come to required standards.
Lt Gen Harbhajan Singh (Retd)

Israel attack: Is Home Min walking diplomatic tight rope?
February 14, 2012 21:56 IST
While Home Minister P Chidambaram has declared the Israel embassy car bombing as a terror strike, he has opted not to name the perpetrators of the attack. Anil Chowdhry wonders why...
One watched with concern the explosion in an Israeli embassy car near the prime minister's 7 Race Course house in New Delhi [ Images ] on television news channels on Monday. On Tuesday, a similar incident took place in Bangkok -- the Thailand capital was rocked by three explosions.
While the Israeli establishment was prompt and forthright in holding Hezbollah and the Iranian government responsible for the attacks, Home Minister P Chidambaram has opted to not name any outfit. Whether he is clueless or trying to walk the diplomatic tight rope is anybody's guess.
The vent sets me thinking as an ex-security person whether such incidents, apparently caused by highly trained and motivated terrorists can be prevented?
Well, in my view, it is difficult for the police to prevent them, keeping in mind the volume of persons at any public place in the city and the chaotic condition of our roads. Detection of such cases, of course, depends a lot on public cooperation and technical and forensic expertise available to the police of the metropolis that is attacked.
Well-planned deep penetration intelligence operations backed by technical intelligence inputs are very complex and need dexterous handling by experienced sleuths. Moreover, they need full support from the government to succeed in preventing terrorist attacks in public places.
In both these areas our police and intelligence agencies are seriously handicapped by tight bureaucratic controls in the matter of recruitments, procurements, and purchases. I don't know about the other metropolitan police forces in the country but in Delhi, the police commissioner is rather tied up with several proposals from the home ministry aimed at making the police and intelligence agencies effective to counter terrorist organisations.
Files keep making their endless journeys up and down the corridors of North Block between the Union Territory -- police divisions of the MHA to the expenditure division of the Ministry of Finance, all located on the same floors. And the blame game between the state police and central intelligence agencies invariably starts after such incidents. In Delhi it is less pronounced since both report to MHA.
It is unimaginable that a capital city with a high level of threat from religious terrorist groups does not have in position a CCTV network even in its high security zone. It is yet not known if the Delhi police has been able to get hold of the number plate and photographs of the motorbike and its rider who is believed to have stuck the magnetic explosive device on the embassy car.
I know that the IB's counter-terrorism wings and the operations unit of the Delhi police are manned by some of the best intelligence officers, but the lack of adequate technical intelligence support is a handicap for both.
Let's hope that the HM, who has shown that he is a man of action and not words, is able to quickly fill this critical gap.
(The writer is a retired member of the Indian Police Service.)
Is Home Min walking diplomatic tight rope

Strategic communications only way to enhance Indo-Pak ties

The Hindu Business Line
Kochi, Jan. 25: Lt General Prakash Menon (Retd), former Commandant NDC, military Adviser in the National Security Council Secretariat, New Delhi, has said that strategic communication is the remedy for enhancing cordial relationship between India and Pakistan.

He was speaking at a meeting on Indo-Pak Relations- Balance of emotions and its economic impact organised by Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) in association with ‘TIE' here.

Elaborating the significance of strategic communication, he said that communication is a much faster than decision making from the Government and hence has a great influence on the people. Even the decision making process by the Government is influenced by the public opinion shaped through media. The emotions which prevail on the people of India are hope where as the people in Pakistan are confronted by fear and humiliation. For both the countries to have a friendly relation, it is very essential to overcome these apprehensions for which strategic communication plays a pivotal role, he said.

He also proposed the idea of opening the educational institutions in India for Pakistani students.
Strategic communications only way to enhance Indo-Pak ties

Cancelled telecom licenses: Impact on consumers, economy

2G Spectrum Scam- 122 Licenses cancelled- Corrupt Communication Corporates in the Dock
NDTV Correspondent, Updated: February 02, 2012 13:26 IST
New Delhi: India is the world's second-largest telecom market in terms of subscribers - it has 900 million subscribers. So far, the telecom sector has been crowded with more than a dozen players. Call rates in India among the lowest in the world.

Now that the Supreme Court has cancelled 122 licenses, here is a quick look at the likely impact.

EFFECT ON TELECOM SECTOR
Verdict to shake up India's fragmented telecom market
To lead to consolidation in the telecom sector
Non-serious, weak players will be weeded out
Spectrum to be linked to market prices and auctioned
Established players like Bharti, Vodafone, and Idea to benefit
Policy uncertainty for the telecom sector as the judgement is studied and evaluated

EFFECT ON CONSUMERS
Telecom rates to go up in long run as spectrum will be auctioned

EFFECT ON ECONOMY
Auction of spectrum will lead to another financial windfall for government
2G telecom auction may help plug government's fiscal deficit
May further dampen business climate and investor sentiment
Bad news for foreign investors in telecom, may further impact FDI
Read more at: Cancelled telecom licenses: Impact on consumers, economy

Comment: The Supreme Court verdict is historical and could be forerunner to the Strong Lokpal Bill. The citizens need to go after the black Money and Swiss Secret Acounts. Politicians who are criminalising the citizens must find their rightful place in the Jail!

Citizen's Right to Fight Corruption is Constitutional
New Delhi: The Supreme Court has today said that the right to file a complaint against a public servant under Prevention of Corruption Act is a constitutional right. The two judges also faulted the Prime Minister's office not taking appropriate action when Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy wrote in, asking for then telecom minister A Raja to be tried for corruption. Here are five big facts on this story: Click here

Pune Land Scam: Former vice chief of Army raided

Former vice chief of Army raided as part of land scam inquiry
Nitin Gokhale, Updated: January 31, 2012 19:55 IST
Pune: Lieutenant General Noble Thamubraj, the former vice chief of the Army and former Defence Estates Officer, Pune, SR Nayyar have been raided in connection with a land scam in Pune.
Officials from the CBI visited their homes in Pune this morning. Cases against them now include charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal misconduct.
Both officers allegedly played lead roles in violating the terms of lease of a one-acre plot of Army land in the Pune cantonment area to Kalpatru Builders.
Noble Thamburaj was Southern Army Commander before becoming Vice Chief of Army Staff. He retired in 2010. The CBI says that Nobel Thamburaj and SR Nayyar sanctioned a deal skewed in favour of the real estate developers, costing the Army Rs 46 crore.
Kalpataru Builders are involved in another land scam in Mumbai. According to the CBI, in 2007, three acres of land in Kandivali West next to an Army Ordnance Depot was used by by Kalpatru Builders to construct a multi-storied building. Army officials said the mandatory No objection Certificate was not taken from the authorities concerned. The building also compromised the Army's security. The Army believes that a network of officers colluded to profit from underhand arrangement.
Read more at: Former vice chief of Army raided as part of land scam

Comment: What about Officers involved in the Adarsh Scam? Why the go slow?
Noble Career engulfed in corruption
Lieutenant General Noble Thamburaj, a 1969 batch officer, had a distinguished career spanning 38 years. Associated with the Armed Forces services right from childhood, this second generation officer is an alumnus of King George’’s Military School Chail, Sainik Schools Amravati Nagar and Jamnagar, and the 34th NDA Course, before he was commissioned into the Bombay Sappers. An alumnus of Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, the General has done his Senior Command, Higher Command and NDC Courses. He is also accredited with higher technical qualification, M Tech (Bldg Sc) from IIT Delhi and M Phil (Defence Studies) from Indore University. During his illustrious career, the General has held many important assignments including that of a Brigade Major of a Mountain Brigade, command of 411 parachute field company, command of his parent unit 109 engineer regiment in high altitude area in the eastern region. He commanded a Rashtriya Rifle sector in counter Insurgency environment during ”Operation VIJAY” and an infantry division during ”Operation PARAKRAM”, in deserts. Besides, he has been an instructor in Defence Services Staff College Officers Training Academy, Chennai. A paratrooper, the General still participates in the para drops whenever opportunity comes his way. For his distinguished service, the General has been awarded Sena Medal and Chief of the Army Staff commendation card twice in his career. In his career spanning 39 years, the General has seen action during Indo-Pak war, counter insurgency in North East and Jammu and Kashmir. The General is married to Anita Thamburaj and has two daughters. (ANI)
click here to read more

Former Army Commander's lukewarm and unsoldierly response
Why am I 'singled out', asks ex-Army vice chief He should come clean on the conspiracy, beneficiaries and the co- conspirators.

Indian Government Asks Army to get off Facebook

Earlier this week, TV media was reporting of how 4 naval officers leaked confidential information on social networking sites divulging information about the location of warships and other confidential data etc.

The four officers were being tracked for quite some time by naval authorities for allegedly leaking confidential information, including location of warships, armaments being carried by them and their patrolling patterns (source) and now, government is reported to have issued orders asking all its men, officers and other ranks, who had joined social networking sites like Facebook or Orkut earlier to immediately quit them.

Similar incident happened in 2009 when government advised army to stay away from social networking sites and even banned social networking sites/ picture sharing sites for Indian diplomats.

“The Army’s worry is that public access to such information could increase the vulnerabilities of both the Army and its personnel. Some information could provide clues to the Army’s strategies. It could also make personnel more vulnerable to things like honeytraps (spies using sex to extract information)”.

Incidentally, Indian Prime Minster joined Twitter 2 days back.
Indian Government Asks Army to get off Facebook

Banning or curbing social media could become a major demotivating factor for youth aspiring to join the Army at all levels
This very important aspect is actually a point currently not even on our radar. We must find a practical and balanced solution in consonance with the times which would not only ensure personal freedom but also hands-on adherence to security requirements. If social media is taken as an enemy of security then so could be normal day to day human interaction, all types of computing devices and mobiles. Would be, or could we ban those too? Posted by Navdeep / Maj Navdeep Singh
Read More: Social media and the Armed Forces : Need to refrain from knee-jerk reactions

Defence Land Scams an update

Ministry of Defence
21-December, 2011 15:03 IST Defence Land Scams
Adarsh Housing Society and Kandivili cases are being investigated by CBI. Action shall be taken based on the recommendations of the investigation. No defence personnel has been found involved in Pune land case. Suitable action has been taken against Army personnel found involved in the Sukna land case.
It has been decided to resume Audit of defence lands which among others shall cover encroachments also.
The details of Adarsh Housing Society scam, Kandivili land scam, Pune land scam and Sukna land scam are as under:
1. Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society Case
Adarsh Co-operative Housing Society (ACHS) has constructed a multi-storied building on a land measuring approximately 3837.57 sq. mtrs, at Block VI, Colaba, Mumbai. ACHS had sought allotment of land from Government of Maharashtra for the welfare of serving and retired personnel of defence services. Prima facie, there have been irregularities and issues of concern in this regard include issue of `NOC by the Army to inter alia alienate the land in its possession in favour of ACHS; by¬passing Coastal Land Regulation Zone clearance; inclusion of civilians in the membership of the society; change of Floor Space Index; deviation from the commitments made for the welfare of defence services; disregard to security concerns of defence services etc. The Government has entrusted enquiry to CBI with a view to getting the matter thoroughly investigated and fix responsibilities.
2. Kandivili land case
As reported by Director General of Defence Estates, 13.28 acres of State Government land in village Akurli was held on hire by Army since long. In 2007, Collector, Mumbai Suburban District, allotted 5166.50 Sq Mtrs of land adjacent to Central Ordnance Depot (COD) to M/s Neo Pharma Ltd. after receiving its market value. This was objected to by COD and Defence Estates Officer (DEO) on the grounds that this formed part of Defence land on hire. Collector was also informed that COD will not permit any agency to take possession of Defence Land without approval of Ministry of Defence. However, their objections were overruled by the Collector. COD persisted with its objections and resisted handing over possession of the said land. Subsequently, at the direction of Headquarters, Southern Command, all obstacles were removed and Neo Pharma was permitted to go ahead with the planned development of the Plot.
Head Quarters Southern Command has sought that the matter be investigated at appropriate level. Army Headquarters (AHQ) recommended that the case be investigated by the CBI. After considering the matter, Government has asked AHQ to ascertain either by holding a Court of Inquiry or otherwise as to how Head Quarters Southern Command relinquished claim on the said land. The case has been investigated by a Court of Inquiry by Head Quarters Southern Command. The Court of Inquiry has been completed and case has been handed over to CBI on 30th November 2011.
3. Pune Land case
In March 2008 sanction was issued for transferring an area admeasuring 4498.56 sq. mtr. lo the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). When sanction was issued, it came to notice that while the subject land was entered in Revenue Records as `Military Line Kade’, it was not entered in the Military Lands Register of the Defence Estates Officer, Pune. There were some claimant(s) and the State Government authorities changed entry` in the Revenue records. The matter was therefore referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The case is under investigation
Corrective action has been taken and "Military Line Kade" has been restored in the Revenue records, the land has also been entered in the Military Lands Register.
4. Sukna land case
Sukna Land case pertains to land in Chumta Tea Estate neighbouring defence land and not defence land. This is a case of incorrect issue of No Objection Certificate (NOC) by HQ 33 Corps. A Court of Inquiry was ordered by HQ Eastern Command to investigate the circumstances under which No Objection Certificate was allowed to be given and MoU agreed by HQ 33 Corps for land in Chumta Tea Estate. The Court of Inquiry has been finalized and suitable action taken against erring officials.

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in written reply to Dr. Gyan Prakash Pilania in Rajya Sabha today. HH/NN (Release ID :79106)
Defence Land Scams
CBI to probe defence land scam

Greedy Generals Subvert Military Land Titles

Generals Vij and Deepak are they the perpetuators of this Puzzle?
Puzzling land title system behind Adarsh scam: Jaipal Reddy
New Delhi, Nov 27 (PTI)
Against the backdrop of Adarsh scam, the Union government today blamed the complex land title system for increasing number of such cases and favoured urgent reforms in the sector to make it transparent and effective.
"The recent scandal relating to Adarsh housing society is a classic example. Nobody knows to whom the land belongs," Union Urban Development Minister Jaipal Reddy said here at a seminar on Guaranteed Land and Property Certification system.
He said, "Can there be a more sorry example of land titling. I am not talking of misuse by the people belonging to every important walks of life -- politicians, defence forces, bureaucrats...I am not referring to the scandal part of the thing. Today nobody knows to whom the property belongs."
The seminar was organised to discuss ways for introducing property certification system in the country. He said the system is being exploited by people like Haji Mastan (land mafia) and there is a nexus between politicians and officials.
"Thanks to the problem of urban land titling, we have Haji Mastans (land mafia) in every towns. Most of the politicians, policemen, officials... are hand in glove when it comes to urban land," Reddy said, adding, "In the last ten years, mining land and urban land have become best source of money making. It is difficult to find a non-disputed land."
He said, "Land titling is a ticklish question not only in urban area, but also in rural areas. Even in pre-Independent India it took decades to settle the land suit and that situation remains (till today)." Since urbanisation is growing apace it is difficult to distinguish rural and urban land, he said.
Referring Nandigram, the minister said there is need for a comprehensive law for guaranteed land titles. "We saw the problem in Nandigram where land owners were in Kolkata and somebody else was the tenant. Today no body knows to whom the property belongs. In my view, land titles pose most legal puzzle to our system."
Hoping that there will be a way forward, he said, "The subject is with the state government and not with the Centre. Let us find a solution. Let us take a few small steps." The Centre has already set up a working group and is developing a model land title for the states. The model will be provided to the state so that they can adopt a modern, effective and transparent land title certification system, Urban Development Secretary Navin Kumar said.
Puzzling land title system behind Adarsh scam- Deccan Herald Report

Tailpiece
Court-martialled officer not to get post-retirement benefits
Army sacks guilty General in Sukhna scam
New Delhi/Guwahati, Dec 3, DHNS:
Former military secretary Lt Gen Avadesh Prakash was on Saturday dismissed from service after he was found guilty on three counts in a land scam at the Sukhna military station in West Bengal in 2008.
Sixty-one-year-old Prakash is the third Lt Gen rank officer to be court-martialled and the second to be sacked.
As Prakash has already retired from service on January 31, 2010, as per the Army Act, the dismissal means he will not get any post-retirement benefits like pension, medical facility and provident fund or be able to retain the rank and status of Lt General. He also automatically stands stripped off all his medals.
The order by the military court will be sent for confirmation to the eastern army commander, the convening authority of the General Court Martial in the case.
The order has to be signed by the Army chief to come into effect and Lt Gen Prakash can appeal against it in the civilian higher judiciary
Sukhna Scamster dismissed

DRDO’s herbal care product

Weekday levity: India’s top defence laboratory produces a herbal product for Leucoderma
Here is from Government of India’s press release on the subject:
Lukoskin, a herbal product for Leucoderma developed by DRDO, was launched by Dr. W. Selvamurthy, Distinguished Scientist & Chief Controller Research & Development (Life Science & International Cooperation) in New Delhi, yesterday. The product will be a boon for the patients of Leucoderma and is backed by extensive R&D work by the scientists of Defence Institute of Bio-energy Research (DIBER) (formerly Defence Agricultural Research Laboratory), Haldwani. DIBER, a DRDO laboratory has carried out extensive work in the area of medicinal plant and is also engaged in R&D in generating bio-energy solutions for energy security.[PIB] click here for more

Is this for real? Earlier DRDO had developed a mosquito-repellent cream and handed it over to a private firm for mass production. No one is denying the efficacy of these products or the need in India for such solutions. The question that begs attention is: should the DRDO not restrict itself to areas of strategic importance or high-tech weapon systems?

Defence ministry had constituted a study committe under P Rama Rao to suggest measures for improving the functioning of DRDO. It had submitted its report in 2008, which was then studied by another committee chaired by the defence secretary in June 2009. While Rama Rao Committee had suggested hiving away dozen or so laboratories working on non-critical technology areas, the recommendations of the committee which were accepted by the government in May 2010 resulted in hiving off only three of its 51 labs, two to CSIR and one to ICAR. This was then hailed as a major restructuring and revamp of the DRDO.

If the proof is in the pudding, after all the restructuring and revamp of the DRDO, this is what we have ended up with: a herbal product for Leucoderma!

And for Christ’s sake, let us never again talk about DRDO and DARPA in the same breath again.
Pragmatic Euphony

Delhi HC blast: Investigators still grappling for clues

8 Sep, 2011, 06.23PM IST, IANS
NEW DELHI: Investigators probing the Delhi High Court bombing were on Thursday grappling for clues to identify the perpetrators, a day after a powerful explosion outside the complex killed 12 people.

"Investigation teams of the NIA ( National Investigation Agency) are vigorously pursuing various leads with the cooperation of Delhi Police," U.K. Bansal, secretary (internal security) in the home ministry, told reporters.
He said forensic experts summoned from Gujarat and Hyderabad to assist in the investigation again scanned the scene of the crime Thursday.
"They have found some more material which may have relevance to the investigation," Bansal said, indicating that there was no concrete evidence related to the explosives used in the bomb.
He, however, said traces of a mixture of nitrate and PETN, (pentaerythritol trinitrate), have been found but that was not conlcusive.
"We will let you know about the forenic report when it comes," he said.

The NIA has also detained some suspects related to the bombing, including three in Jammu and Kashmir.
Those detained include two owners of a cyber cafe in Kishtwar district of the state who were questioned about the person who had sent an email claiming responsibility for the blast.
The email, attributed to the Harkat-ul Jehadi Islami, was found to have been been sent from Global Internet Cafe at Malik Market in Kishtwar, once a militancy hub in Jammu region.
On questioning the owners of the cafe, investigators garnered some information about how the sender of the email looked.
"We have got some details about the physical features of the person. Police parties have been deputed to trace him," a senior police officer working on the investigations told IANS.
Bansal also said that "some information pointing to a Kashmir connection with the email received" was being pursued with the help of the Kashmir police.
The email theory got a new twist on the day after the blast as another email attributed to the 'Indian Muzahiddin' claimed responsibility for the bombing.
Written in Hindi, it said the outfit had timed the blast on the day when the crowd outside the court was huge.
"We have done it," it said and threatened to carry out another blast at a shopping mall in Delhi next Tuesday.
The email remains unverified, even as Bansal said it was being studied by the intelligence agencies.
Meanwhile, teams of anti-terrorism squads from the neighbouring states have also reached Delhi "for discussions and consultations with NIA and Delhi Police in connection with the investigation", said Bansal.
Struggling for any concrete clue, the NIA also announced a reward of Rs.500,000 for anyone providing clues about the suspects.
"The NIA has announced a reward of Rs.5 lakh for anyone giving any information to follow up the case. As far as investigation is concerned, it is going on. Delhi Police and NIA are coordinating," Home Secretary R.K. Singh told reporters.
Police also junked the theory that a missing car may hold a clue to solving the blast puzzle after the vehicle was found in Faridabad, on the outskirts of the capital.
The car -- a silver Santro with registration number DL9CA 6034) -- was seen by eyewitnesses near the blast site just before the explosion.
The car, owned by National Insurance Company employee Inshu Minocha, was stolen in 2009.
"The car has nothing to do with the bomb blast," said a police officer.
The NIA also detained a suspect from Uttar Pradesh. He was identified with his first name Shehzad only. Source said he resembled with the sketch of the suspects prepared by police.
The agency also ruled out the possibility that the attackers may have been among the 12 people who died in the blast, after all the victims were identified.
It has also carried out background checks on the over 91 injured and confirmed that none were suspects.
Delhi HC blast: Investigators still grappling for clues

No unity with MoD: Forces tell PM

Josy Joseph, TNN | Sep 1, 2011, 02.31AM IST
NEW DELHI: The old debate in the Indian defence establishment, about the lack of integration between the bureaucracy and the military, is back - and as expected the civilian bureaucracy has disagreed with the military leadership.

Authoritative sources said the Chiefs of Staff Committee, comprising the three Service chiefs, has complained to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh about the lack of integration between the ministry of defence and the three Services, saying it was contributing to prolonged delays in procurement and hampering other higher defence management activities.

According to a senior official, Air Chief Marshal PV Naik, who was the chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, in a detailed communication to the PM put forward the military concerns. It was among ACM Naik's last communications to the PM before he retired on July 31.

Sources said ACM Naik pointed out to the PM that the Kargil Review Committee, appointed after the 1999 conflict between India and Pakistan, had recommended integration between the defence ministry and the three Services, and it was duly approved by a Group of Ministers. The Committee had recommended that the "structure and interface between the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Armed Forces Headquarters be comprehensively studied and reorganized". Many decisions of the GoM were implemented, resulting in the setting up of the Integrated Defence Staff (IDS), Defence Intelligence Agency etc.

Some aspects specifically regarding the integration between the MoD and the Service headquarters were also implemented, among them being the concept of the single file system. Earlier, the MoD and Service headquarters used to maintain separate files on the same subject, but this was given up. The Army and Navy headquarters have been renamed "Integrated Headquarters of MoD".

However, ACM Naik complained to the PM that the level of integration was not enough, with the civilians in the MoD having overriding powers over most crucial activities of the military, especially big ticket purchases. He suggested that it was high time that the government appointed senior military officers in the MoD, at the level of joint secretary etc, sources said.

In response, the MoD in a recent communication told the Chiefs of Staff Committee that the integration was in fact complete and was visible in several aspects. The MoD cited the single file concept and the renaming of the military headquarters to back its claims.

The Kargil Review Committee had pointed out that India perhaps was the only major democracy where the Armed Forces Headquarters were "outside the apex governmental structure". Thus the Service chiefs have "assumed the role of operational commanders of their respective forces rather than that of Chiefs of Staff to the Prime Minister and defence minister". The committee said the "Prime Minister and defence minister do not have the benefit of the views and expertise of the Army commanders and their equivalents in the Navy and Air Force so that higher level defence management decisions are more consensual and broadbased."
No unity with MoD: Forces tell PM

War on Corruption- Strategic Impact

Dear All,
I am appending below an advance copy of an article titled "War on Corruption - Strategic Impact" that has been sent to a magazine for publication. It is too long to be published in a newspaper, for which a shorter version has been sent, but has not yet been published. If you have the time, do peruse it.
Regards.
Vijay Oberoi

WAR ON CORRUPTION- STRATEGIC IMPACT
By Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi and Ashish Puntambekar
Introduction
Corruption is undoubtedly the hottest subject in India today. The credit for bringing it in focus must naturally go to Anna Hazare and the team that had the brilliance of making him the leader of the movement. Today, Anna is drawing crowds because the populace is fed up of mounting corruption in all fields of official and private interaction in our country. While a strong Lokpal Bill will help in prosecuting many corrupt leaders and officials, it is just one action that will rid the country of massive corruption. It will undoubtedly help, but much more effort would be needed at many levels. Besides enactment of the Lok Pal Bill, the government will have to carry out a major exercise on simplification of rules and procedures in all ministries and departments, especially relating to permissions/sanctions and to prepare clear and precise guidelines relating to business activity. In army parlance, corruption is being currently tackled at the tactical level. For much higher dividends, we need to upgrade it to the strategic level and fight a war against corruption, consisting of many battles. Besides benefits at the individual levels, India would reap major strategic gains by eradicating corruption or at least bringing it down substantially.

Corruption Status
Corruption in our country has now reached every nook and cranny of our daily living. It is not just the political leaders; senior bureaucrats; judiciary; and the hierarchy of the police; that are manifestly corrupt, but most if not all government servants, at all levels are as corrupt to a lesser or greater degree. Similarly, the corrupt include revenue officials; lower judiciary including their subordinates; the rank and file of the police, besides the hierarchy; and railway officials at every level. While the Lokpal Bill focuses on the big fish, the huge shoals of smaller fish in every walk of life, amounting to nearly 95%, will also need to be tackled simultaneously. The Media debate has not highlighted this, though it is included in the Jan Lokpal bill
We must also not forget the private sector. Here too corruption prevails at all levels, from corporate houses to the fields of education, medical practice, law, chartered accountancy and especially the entire entertainment industry. Even the media has its share of corruption. It manifests itself as biased news, paid news, suppressing of facts; manipulating statistics and facts and even actively working for influencing decisions of the government, as it was clear from the Radia Tapes episode.

Multi-faceted Approach
The aim of listing out the above is to emphasize that corruption has to be attacked at all levels and not just at the Lokpal or Lokayukt levels. In military terms, what is being attempted by Anna’s Team is to fight just one battle in the big war against corruption and that many battles of varying intensities need to be fought at successive levels of governance as well as in the private sector. Only then will we be able to make a substantial dent in achieving a relatively corruption-free society in our country. Let us now reflect on how widespread corruption has adversely impacted and continues to impact at the strategic level. Since Independence, we grew at the so-called Hindu rate of growth of 2.5 to 3 per cent for decades, on account of the ‘command economy’ and the overbearing controls of the government, better known as the ‘licence – permit raj’. That was the start of corruption. In the early Nineties, we opened the economy somewhat and the results were spectacular, but now on account of rampant corruption that has increased exponentially, the Growth Rate is slowing down. The reason is that no attempt was made to change the system of governance, as it suited the corrupt leaders and officials eminently!

Impact at Strategic Level
Now, we can come to the main purpose of this article, which is to show how widespread corruption has adversely impacted and continues to impact at the strategic level. Our economy is currently stagnating on account of slow decision making; bureaucratic red tape; lack of transparency; and widespread corruption. The military is hollow on account of no modernization and its downgrading in society, which is both misguided and intentional. A powerful and prosperous nation needs a vibrant economy and a strong military. One complements the other. The following paragraphs will highlight the economic and security benefits that eradication of corruption at all levels will deliver to the nation. A substantive dilution of corruption will bring about a major change in the investment climate through transparent decision making at all levels of the government and the reduction of money being sucked away by the corrupt, which finds its way in non-productive assets or is whisked away abroad. This transparency will then macro impact on both the economy and the military.
Click here to read more...

Anna Hazare: Corruption versus Patriotism

Here is a first person account from someone who met him in his own village years back, and came back impressed.
I met Anna Hazare in 1998, during a visit as an Air Cmde from DSSC, alongwith my friends, Ravi Burli and Kalaichelvan. We were then in Ahmednagar at the Armd Corps Centre and school. Having arranged a vehicle to take us to Ralegaon Siddhi, we drove along the Nagar-Pune road, till a friendly ex-army sub directed us. As we entered RS,the road was lined with trees on either side!
The road then took a dip and we entered a verdant village,full of greenery .We met Anna rebuilding the temple with other villagers. My idea was to find out how a Naik ASC driver, could have transformed a village, steeped in the making of hooch, to this green village and had been awarded the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Shri.
When Anna arrived in his village, everything was in his words- imported. The villagers were busy collecting wood to burn and heat the still, and when they started removing th temple wooden beams, it was the last straw! He had Rs20,000/ as his commuted pension, and he used this to buy bricks to replace the beams and make the walls stronger. The villagers were ashamed at this, and joined hands. He identified water availability as the crux, and with the advice of the Irrigation dept, he made a series of check dams, using chain-link pieces and stones, to hold the small runoffs, till the base, where he built a concrete dam to hold the water during the rains.
His efforts were so successful, that in one year the water table rose by 12 ft and water from then on was available to the village on a perennial basis. He then convinced the villagers to adopt-Nasha Bandhi, Nas Bandhi, Chara Bandhi(they were to cut the grass and feed it to the cattle, instead of letting them roam at will and denude the hillsides of precious grass), 100% literacy, no caste discrimination and care for the girl child! Water made Ralegaon Siddhi self sufficient in grain, fruits(they started selling Mangoes, Chikoos, Bananas, Papayas etc), and in his words, the GDP of each villager to Rs 3000/.
They built a double storey building for their residential school, were no student would be failed- a revolutionary idea!
When an SC person was facing financial difficulties, he mustered funds, got the person out of trouble, and even collected funds to arrange for his daughter's marriage!
When I asked why I did not see a domino effect, he put it to leadership. He told me that he did not marry, as it would have diverted his attention from bringing up the village- it took 20 years of hard toiling effort. He did not accept any financial help from my side, as he said that it would lower him in his eyes- he had refused to accept $1000 from a German TV unit for that same reason.
When we left, I saluted him, as I felt deeply humbled in the presence of a man who had achieved so much, in his life. That is Anna Hazare
Air Marshal Raghu Rajan

Airforce Corruption in Aero Shows
Dassault executive accused of bribery. The news item went on to explain that the ‘Indian Air Force has put on hold its dealings with the country manager of French defence firm Dassault Aviation for his role in the bribery scandal during the Aero India show in Bangalore’.

Exactly what was the role this manager played in the bribery scandal? It turns out that a Wing Commander of Indian Air Force, in charge of allotting parking spots for the aircrafts going on show demanded Rs 20,000 for allotting a preferred spot. An official premium for a preferred slot would have been understandable; but a personal consideration? Apparently this gentleman paid the sum, but took his complaint to the higher ups in Air Force, where upon the gentleman was accused of being involved in bribery and black listed, while the officer concerned wasn’t; or if he was, the news paper did not say so! Insiders tell us stories of how even preferred timings of demonstration flights have their ‘rates’!

Now is this your plain vanilla corruption of the usual business man variety or it something else? Air shows are meant for civilian and military aircrafts manufacturers alike to show case their wares. A wrong choice of the aircraft because it was not given a due slot could compromise the lives of passengers if the aircraft is civilian, and compromise national security if the aircraft in question was a military one. See what I mean about corruption and un-patriotism being inter-linked?
Read the full story: Anna Hazare by V Raghunathan