Celebrities conferred honorary ranks absent from annual parades

Navy decides not to confer honorary ranks henceforth
Dehradun: In a significant move, the Indian Navy, after sensing the apathy of the honorary-rank holder celebrities towards armed forces, has decided to not to confer anyone with these prestigious ranks henceforth.
Navy has concluded that the celebrities previously conferred with such ranks have remained apathetic towards the armed forces. Chief of Navy staff, Admiral DK Joshi said that the Indian Navy is now not in favour of conferring prestigious titles to the civilians.
Recently, following the footstep of cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, Indian cricket team captain MS Dhoni, who also holds the honorary rank of Lt-Colonel in the Territorial Army, had chosen to give a miss to the Army’s annual parade ceremony. Last year, Dhoni was conferred with the honorary rank of Lt-Colonel in the Territorial Army amid much fanfare.
Tendulkar was inducted into the Air Force as an Honorary Group Captain in September 2010.
The absence of Dhoni and Tendulkar from their respective organisational events had sparked off a debate on whether the celebrities should be conferred such titles or not. The Ministry of Defence had started conferring such titles to the celebrities in a bid to attract the youths for opting defence as their career. But the non-participation and non-commitment of these celebrities towards their duties have caused disappointment which has culminated into the fresh decision of Indian Navy to stop honouring any celebrity with these titles. JPN/Bureau
Navy decides not to confer honorary ranks henceforth MS Dhoni skips Territorial Army Day parade
Comment: Absent from parade means they should be discharged from service.

Abolish sahayak system: House panel to Army

Tribune News Service New Delhi, March 4, 2010
A Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence today asked the Indian Army to abolish the “colonial” practice of employing jawans as sahayaks of officers. It also expressed "strong displeasure" over the Defence Ministry's procedure to assess the exact level of indigenisation achieved by its production agencies to manufacture equipment.

On sahayaks, the committee asked the Army to abolish the "demeaning and humiliating" system. In an action taken report tabled in both the Houses of the Parliament, the committee said it was unable to comprehend why it was necessary to continue with the sahayak system that "lowers the self-esteem of a jawan" when the Navy and Air force have abandoned it.

Several jawans were engaged at the residence of senior officers for domestic work and to serve the family members of officers. In reply, to the committee's suggestion, the Defence Ministry had said a sahayak was "a comrade-in-arms" to officers.

The Army has issued instructions to its units to ensure that combatant soldiers were under no circumstances be employed on a job not in conformity with the dignity and self-respect of a soldier.
Abolish sahayak system: House panel to Army

Raksha Mantralya (MOD) Broad Functions

Raksha Vibhag (Deparment of Defence)

01. Defence of India and every part thereof including preparation for defence and all such acts as may be conducive in time of war to its prosecution and after its termination to effective demobilisation.
02. The Armed Forces of the Union, namely, Army, Navy and Air Force.
03. Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence comprising of Army Headquarters, Naval Headquarters, Air Headquarters and Defence Staff Headquarters.
04. The Reserves of the Army, Navy and Air Force.
05. The Territorial Army.
06. The National Cadet Corps.
07. Works relating to Army, Navy and Air Force.
08. Remounts, Veterinary and Farms Organisation.
09. Canteen Stores Department (India).
10. Civilian Services paid from Defence Estimates.
11. Hydrographic surveys and preparation of navigational charts.
12. Formation of Cantonments, delimitation/excision of Cantonment areas, local self-government in such areas, the constitution and powers within such areas of Contonment Boards and authorities and the regulation of house accommodation (including the control of rents) in such areas.
13. Acquisition, requisitioning, custody and relinquishment of land and property for defence purposes. Eviction of unauthorised occupants from defence land and property.
14. **
15. Defence Accounts Department.
16. Purchase of food stuffs for military requirements and their disposal excluding those entrusted to Department of Food and Public Distribution.
17. All matters relating to Coast Guard Organisation, including- surveillance of maritime zones against oil spills; combating oil spills in various maritime zones, except in the waters of ports and within 500 metres of off-shore exploration and production platforms, coastal refineries and associated facilities such as Single Buoy Mooring (SBM), Crude Oil Terminal (COT) and pipelines; Central Coordinating Agency for Combating of Oil Pollution in the coastal and marine environment of various maritime zones; implementation of National Contingency Plan for oil spill disaster; and undertaking oil spill prevention and control, inspection of ships and offshore platforms in the country, except within the limits of ports as empowered by the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958 (44 of 1958).
18. Matters relating to diving and related activities in the country.
19. Procurement exclusive to the Defence services.

Poorva Sennani Kalyan Vibhag (Department of Ex- Servicemen)

01. Matters relating to Armed Forces Veterans (Ex-Servicemen) including pensioners.
02. Armed Forces Veterans (Ex-Servicemen) Contributory Health Scheme.
03. Matters relating to Directorate General of Resettlement and Kendriya Sainik Board.
04. Administration of- the Pension Regulations for the Army, 1961 (Parts I and II); the Pension Regulations for the Air Force, 1961 (Parts I and II);the Navy (Pension) Regulations, 1964; and The Entitlement Rules to Casualty Pensionary Awards to the Armed Forces Personnel, 1982.