The Smile of Gratitude

The other day, while there to pick up my one litre of milk from the Mother Dairy booth, normally manned by a husband and wife team, I noticed the lady, alone and unsuccessfully trying to transfer a large number of Curd crates placed on the ground to the ice box.

The door of the ice box would swing back every time she would lift a crate, leaving her helpless and frustrated. Noticing her dilemma, I walked the couple of steps to the box and held its door open. The crates safely in, the door closed, she moved back to man the booth and I too, ignoring the confused, amused looks of others, to my position in the Q.

As she handed the milk sachet to me, I placed the notes of the requisite amount on the counter and an addition one rupee coin for the plastic carry bag. She, with half a smile on her lips, returned the coin and handed me the carry bag, gratis. The smile of gratitude was a more than a small gesture, in return for
my very small gesture.
Brig Lakshman Singh (Retd)

Indian Army: Inflated Annual Confidential Reports creates sycophancy

Curbing Inflated ACRs
The curse of inflated ACRs is the bane of the Army. This need to be checked by simply following the laws of averages where in any organisation there are very few outstanding persons and equally few below average persons. The bulk is in the average category. The Air Force and the Navy follow a very sound ACR system in which the inflation of the ACRs is negligible as compared to the army. In these services due weightage is given to the technical acumen of an individual unlike in the army, where organisation of a non professional event, like a sports event or a dinner party, has an over riding bearing on one’s career prospects. If a person is a good flyer in Air Force or a good technician in the Navy he gets his due. On the other hand in the army a prestigious DSSC Wellington graduate (psc), is also judged for his event management skills which are of no professional consequence. A 9 pointer ACR should be as rare as a PVC or a PVSM. The bulk of the Indian army officers should find satisfaction in 5 or 6 pointer ACRs with bright ones getting an odd ‘7 pointer’. An ‘8 pointer’ should be personally judged by two levels up and if deemed otherwise by the RO or the SRO, it should negatively reflect on the poor judgment of the IO. This will not only reduce the rat race but will also show some logic in the reporting system. Further more for those persons who are actually outstanding, there will be lesser competitions from other officers who are actually average but graded higher than what they deserve. The ACR form should also have a column to indicate whether the Reporting Officer is a good judge of his command or not. Our ACR system is the root cause of all the ills in the army. Earlier it is corrected the better.
Brig Harwant Singh(Retd)
Read the full article
ACRs in the Army: click here

ACR- Stab in the Back?
1. He has done his job well and has produced results. Has done various courses including the prestigious ones on competitive basis. Has held various important appointments. Has, may be, an award or a decoration.
2. His superiors find nothing wrong with him, indeed, find him good and recommend him for his next promotion.
3. One day he is told that he is not suitable for promotion. And this has been decided by a bunch that doesn’t know him, has never seen him, find nothing wrong with him and yet he bites the dust. Hasn’t he been stabbed in the back? (He is, of course, an officer of the Indian Army!)
To Be Objective or Not To Be
1. What you write in an ACR must be objective and never subjective. Very sound advice! All those who write ACRs know this. They also know that if one is to get his promotion (that is the “objective” in other words), he must be given a 8 point if not a 9 point report. Only then he has a fair chance. Anything less, he is doomed.
2. If you want to punish one, give him 7 points. He has to be recommended for promotion, as that is the rule. But he will never make it, and knows it. He can’t complain as he is above average and can’t support a claim for a better grading. He can neither smile nor weep.
3. Isn’t the IO being really ‘objective’ when he gives 8 or 9 points? Well, mustn’t he ensure that he attains his objective? So, why all this fuss about a large number of officers getting 8 and 9 points? Hasn’t the situation been made to order?
Col BN Ratha(Retd)
04 Jun 10

Moderator Comment
Armies in which promotions depend on personal prejudices, rather than dispassionate assessments of professional capability, will see poor quality leadership rise to the top. "There are many senior military officers who surround themselves with career opportunists. This is in part because they invariably begin to believe the sycophants who gather around him." How can such senior officers as IO, RO and SRO write a fair objective ACR of their juniors?

The ACRs and Medical Reports do not generally represent the true picture of the Officer especially from rank of Brigs to Lt Gens as all are branded "High Profile" (9 pointer). The Medical Standards need to be made more stringent to knock out the flab. Very few Generals can pass the mandatory physical standards as no tests are conducted for their physical fitness assessment. Fifty percent or so of the Generals are medically unfit but due to their superior rank and sphere of influence they retain SHAPE One category till retirement and most of them aspire to serve and retire in and around Delhi having developed local interests, as per statistics.

Army hit by sex scandal

Army hit by sex scandal
3 Jun 2010, 1425 hrs IST
In a major embarrassment for the Army, the Engineer-in-Chief, Lieutenant General A K Nanda has been accused of sexual misconduct towards the wife of a fellow Army officer. There have been unconfirmed reports that he even has been asked to resign; at any rate the allegations made to Army authorities by the victim seem to be strong enough for the general to now face an internal probe.

If the general is found guilty, he could face a court martial and be forced to either resign or take an early retirement and could even lose his pension.

The lady concerned is the wife of the technical secretary of the Engineer-in-chief, and was allegedly sexually misbehaved with by the accused lieutenant general during a trip to Israel. She thereafter reportedly complained to the Army Chief's wife, who is also the president of the Army Wives' Welfare Association (AWWA).

A serious a charge against such a senior general who is almost on the verge of retirement, warrants two possible responses by authorities; He could be asked to leave the Army immediately, or face a courtmartial. Both options would be a major embarrassment for the Army. But the reputation of the Army is at stake and one can expect the Army Chief to take prompt and stringent action to set the right example.

In the last 20 years there have been several cases where officers have been asked to leave the defence services on account of 'stealing the affections of a brother officer's wife' - as mentioned in the rules and regulations. However cases of sexual misconduct is also a criminal offence and can attract civil prosecution.

Wing Commander (retired) Bakshi, commenting on the development, said "If this lady reports the matter, authorities will take suitable action, they will order a court of inquiry for which suitable officers will be selected. Then, if there is enough evidence against the accused, the Army chief can call for a courtmartial. The general will also get judicial guarantees and an opportunity to defend himself against the allegation. There is a feeling that in the Armed forces people can get away with such things - that is wrong. The standards are very high provided the commanders can maintain them."
Army hit by sex scandal

Lt-Gen accused of molesting aide Col’s wife
The accused, Lt-Gen A K Nanda (59), who as the engineer-in-chief (E-in-C) is among the eight principal staff officers of the Army chief, is alleged to have molested the wife of his aide, Colonel C P S Pasricha, during an official trip to Israel in the second week of May.

There were even indications that the case could be the result of some dirty top-level jostling for the "extremely lucrative" E-in-C post, controlling "all the construction and works projects" of the 1.13-million strong Army spread across the country. In the steeply hierarchical structure of the armed forces, a senior officer being sacked or resigning before his term ends can change the entire chain of succession after him. Nanda is to retire in September.

Nanda’s wife, Neerja, too jumped to her husband’s defence. "The allegations are not true. I was also part of the five-day trip to Israel... I can vouch 100% for my husband’s character. We have been married for 35 years. Let the Army conduct an inquiry... the truth will come out," she said.
Lt-Gen accused of molesting aide Col’s wife: TNN, Jun 3, 2010, 05.37pm IST
Sex scandal in Army takes many twists and turns

Inference from Media Reports
1. Do wives accompany officers on Official Foreign assignments. Even if permission has been granted it behooves on the Senior officer to maintain decorum and honour in keeping with the traditions of the Military in so far as ladies are concerned.
2. The trip primarily seems to be for joint vacation to Egypt for which advance payments had been made.
3. Junior officer's contention of not reporting in foreign soil is genuine. No one will want to throw up dirty linen abroad. Molestation is a serious charge where the accused can be arrested irrespective of status or rank in any country irrespective of one's nationality.
4. The Senior Officer by posting out his Junior Officer to Bhopal on return to Delhi exposes his complicity.
5. Performance of an Officer cannot diminish in a couple of days in a foreign nation.
6. The onus rests with the accused to prove his innocence.

1st Sikh in decades graduates Army officer school

U.S. Army Capt. Tejdeep Singh Rattan, center wearing turban, stands with other graduates during a U.S. Army officer basic training graduation ceremony at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio on Monday, March 22, 2010. Capt. Rattan is the first Sikh allowed to complete officer basic training while wearing the traditional turban and full beard since the Army altered the dress code, which had made exceptions for Sikh soldiers, in 1984. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)

1st Sikh in decades graduates Army officer school
By MICHELLE ROBERTS (AP) – 16 hours ago

SAN ANTONIO — The soldiers in standard-issue fatigues and combat boots stood side-by-side repeating their creed: "I am an American soldier. I am a warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States and live the Army values ...."

Capt. Tejdeep Singh Rattan was no different except that he wore a full beard and black turban, the first Sikh in a generation allowed to complete U.S. Army basic officer training without sacrificing the articles of his faith. He completed the nine-week training Monday after Army officials made an exemption to a policy that has effectively prevented Sikhs from enlisting since 1984.

"I'm feeling very humbled. I'm a soldier," said the 31-year-old dentist, smiling after the ceremony at Fort Sam Houston. "This has been my dream."

Rattan had to get a waiver from the Army to serve without sacrificing the unshorn hair mandated by his faith. An immigrant from India who arrived in New York as a teenager, Rattan said he hopes his military commitment will allow him to give back to his adopted home country and will help diminish prejudice Sikhs sometimes face in the U.S.

The Army in 1984 eliminated an exemption that had previously allowed Sikhs to maintain their articles of faith while serving, but officials can issue individual waivers to the uniform policy after considering the effects on safety and discipline, said Army spokesman George Wright. Only a handful of such individual religious exemptions are ever granted.

Rattan and Dr. Kamaljeet Singh Kalsi, who will attend basic training this summer after completing an emergency medicine fellowship, are the first Sikhs to receive exemptions in more than 25 years.

Rattan — who received a master's degree in engineering before pursuing a dental education_ and Kalsi both offer health care skills that are in high demand in an Army stretched by wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Rattan said he encountered no trouble from fellow soldiers during training.

"The Army is all about what you have to offer. If you're sitting back there, not doing anything, they're definitely going to talk about you. But if you're up there running with them, you have good scores, you run neck-and-neck with them, they love you," he said. "I made a lot of friends."

1st Sgt. Jeffrey DeGarmo said he made sure the officers-in-training in his unit understood that Rattan wasn't a foreign national and had received the Army's permission to maintain his beard and turban. Once the other soldiers understood that, there were no issues, he said.

"It went pretty well," DeGarmo said. "I think he did an outstanding job adjusting."

During training, Rattan wore a helmet over the small turban, which he doesn't remove, and was able to successfully create a seal with his gas mask despite the beard, resolving the Army's safety concerns, said Harsimran Kaur, the Sikh Coalition's legal director.

Rattan also worked with an Army tailor to create an insignia patch normally worn on soldiers' berets that could be affixed to his black turban, she said.

An estimated 300,000 Sikhs live in the United States. The unshorn hair wrapped in a turban and beard are required to keep adherents in the natural state in which God made them, said Amardeep Singh, director of the Sikh Coalition, a New York-based advocacy group that helped Rattan and Kalsi push for Army admittance.

The Sikh community has a long tradition of military service in India, from where most adherents originally emigrated, and in other countries, such as the United Kingdom and Canada. Sikhs represent 2 percent of India's population but make up about 30 percent of that country's army officers, Singh said.

Before the Army's regulation change in 1984, Sikhs served in the U.S. military during every major armed conflict going back to World War I. Those who joined before the change were allowed to serve with their beards and turbans, but the policy effectively prevented new enlistment of Sikhs, Kaur said.

The coalition continues to push the Army to change the overall policy.

"If government can say to someone, 'You can't serve, not for any reason that has to do with your abilities,' that sends the wrong message," Singh said. "We don't want to be perpetual outsiders."
Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
1st Sikh in decades graduates Army officer school

Indian Army faces Massive Shortage of Officers- ground report

SYED ALI MUJTABA SYED March 18, 2010
India's army, the world's fourth largest, is failing to attract enough youngsters with "officer-like qualities'' for its 1.13-million strong Army. The second is Indian Army is facing a massive exodus from its ranks, with more and more officers opting for premature retirement. The shortage of officers in the Indian defence forces is blamed on stress, low pay, slow promotions and the military's tough lifestyle.

Even though the salaries of armed forces have substantially increased after the 6th Pay Commission, the youngsters still find them less compared to the private sector. This consideration is put forth especially is one takes into the account of the life of a soldier which is tough and risky.

Then army has severe promotional bottlenecks. After entering the army, an entry level officer must wait up to 10 years before donning the flashes of a lieutenant-colonel. But even at that level the monthly basic salary does not exceed much. The other contributing factors are poor promotional avenues and frequent transfers that disrupt family life of the officers.

The traditional catchments area like; Punjab and Rajasthan for recruitment of Army officers have gone dry. Most of the families that have strong soldiers background have stopped sending their wards to the Amy schools and are keen to send them abroad have hampered the steady flow of the officers in the Indian Military service.

Added to it is the lack of interest of the Anglo- Indian and Muslim communities in joining the Indian Army that has resulted into the shortage of the officers in the armed forces. If we check the old records and compare with the recent ones the total desertions of these two communities from the armed forces is glaring.

We may like it or not, corruption has entered into the armed forces as well. Many talented recruits feel patriotism and valor the two cardinal features of the defence services are compromised with corruption coming into its ranks. This has resulted in keeping them away from the defense services.

Indian Army faces a dire shortage of officers because the booming private sector is recruiting the best talent. The private sector, which has been luring away India's best talent by offering hefty wages and generous perks and the government and the services, simply cannot compete in matters of salary and perks with the corporate world.

The approval of the Union Government to open a second Officers' Training Academy (OTA) at Gaya in Bihar marks a major step to solve the problem of shortage of officers in the country.

The new academy will function on the similar lines as one that exists in Chennai. Initially the new Officers Training Academy at Gaya will commence the training of 250 cadets, but in due course of time it will be upgraded to its full design capacity to train 750 short-service commission officers annually.
Extracted- Read the full article:
Indian Army faces Massive Shortage of Officers

What the Army has given you?

Reference: What has Army Given You?
A very good response indeed. Talking about "Çomradery", I remember being at a dinner where I met someone who was going to retire as Managing Director of an old Canadian MNC in India.We were talking about being able to meet and visit our regts or formations after retirement. I asked him if he has a lien on his company facilities like holiday homes and guest houses. His reply was "Not a chance. They have seen alot of me, think they are happy to see the back of me." There is no such thing in the corporate world where retired people are still given due respect and you belong somewhere.
Lt Gen SK Bahri (Retd)

What has Army Given You?
Army is a way of life. It is not about making a living. As far as supersession is concerned, lady, that is way of army life. You can’t complain just because your personal interest, as you perceive it, has not been looked after. Army has wonderful, time-tested evolved systems. You don’t fight personal battles for the heck of it. And it is about selfishness, dear – Service Before Self is our motto. Remember it is a Service (seva). There are no expectations of rewards in Seva, for Seva is considered its own reward. ‘What has Army given me?’, you asked. It has given me a glimpse and understanding of dimensions you, in the civil sector, can only wonder and feel over-awed about.
Have you any idea of camaraderie? When you see a soldier brave the shower of artillery shrapnel’s to rush to rescue his bleeding colleague just wounded in the shelling you KNOW the meaning of the word ‘camaraderie’. When you are lying in a hospital on a DI List, and there are 20 blood donors of your blood-group spending the cold night in the verandah of the hospital, just so that any emergency call for blood to save your life may be attended to, that is camaraderie. Camaraderie implies selfless help and support to someone who is not necessarily a friend. You have to cross Banihal, my dear, to understand all this.
Col Abhay Gupta
Read the full article
What has Army Given You?
Related article
Where there is one God
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PM’s vision lacks a reality check
Defining ‘strategic depth. This article is written by a Pakistani writer in a Pakistani newspaper.
USA- Indian Americans walking the corridors of power: THE TIMES OF INDIA, DECEMBER 19, 2009- Desis in DC by CHIDANAND RAJGHATTA
The battle Hymn

Positive criticism should evolve from sane human attributes

Nature has three attributes:

Sattwa = pure, chaste and truth

Rajas = Self-indulgence, luxury and gratification

Tamas = Indolence, passivity, indifference, hated, anger and so on...
As human beings we too are part of Nature (Prakriti) and, therefore, possess all these attributes in varying measure. Our behaviour explains which of these attributes rules us at a particular time and for a period. Like in each of us, these traits or a mix of good and evil is also strewn in every group or mass of people.

Criticism is desirable and a healthy activity for improvement if only it retains objectivity- a positive element of Satwa or Satogun. Bitterness comes from Tamas or Tamogun which distorts truth and fills us with anger and hatred.

Although their number is fast diminishing, there are still some good politicians and good bureaucrats even in today's corruption ridden system. But isn't there an unfortunate increase in cases where senior army officers have been found involved in corruption and moral turpitude? The trend is certainly disturbing, ie, Sattwa on downward trend and Tamas on the rise! Fortunately, there is a subtle difference that despite the rising trend of misdemeanour of some senior officers in the Armed Forces, there are fewer evils in the Armed Forces vis-vis Civil Services. Let's be objective in looking at things and magnanimous in our reactions.

But to say that we do not find a bureaucrat who is not “petty, dull, almost witless, crafty or stupid, an oppressor or a thief, a holder of little authority…….” etc hardly shows our magnanimity. On the contrary, it paints us poorly because such a remark is itself petty in the first place. I have met a number of excellent bureaucrats who are excellent human beings, efficient administrators, brilliant thinkers, writers and diligent negotiators. and what's more- corageoous whistle blowers against their own breed too! Agreed, their number is but small. But why not praise and encourage these few instead of burying them alongwith their tainted lot.

Is it courteous or urchin-like behaviour to indulge in abusive language, calling names, shouting and denouncing an entire class of people? Time was when an Army Officer was known by his demeanour as a ‘Gentleman’. His elegance and high value conduct came to be known as ‘Chivalry’, which combines all the finer qualities of great soldiering, eg: gallantry, courtliness, politeness, courtesy, graciousness, loyalty and so on. Can we blame others if we have distanced ourselves from this frame in which our people adored us for centuries?

I request you, Friends, to please exercise restraint when you feel angry. Better behaviour wins us support and goodwill, bitter behaviour creates bad blood and more enemies. Think it over. If you thought I was preaching– please be gracious to pardon me! Wishing you all a very Happy and prosperous New Year 2010,
Col Karan Kharb (Retd)

A Soldier's Journey through life: A review

BOOK REVIEW
A Soldier’s Journey through Life with Two Wives. By Brigadier Lakshman Singh VSM (Retd) (NOIDA : BLS Publishers, 2009) pp..306, Rs. 450, ISBN 978-81-901855-1-6.

It is difficult to classify this book – it is neither a love story, nor an autobiography, nor an historical saga, nor a personal narrative. Perhaps, it is a combination of all these and more. In spite of the suggestive title, it is in essence the tale of a man torn between his two loves– his wife and his calling, a dilemma faced not only by soldiers but many others who are wedded to their careers, some even more demanding than the profession of arms. It is not easy to reconcile the demands of one’s family and his job, a point the author has highlighted in his narrative.

Written in an earthy style, the book traces the story of a young boy born in a middle class family in Western Uttar Pradesh, his early education, graduation from college and university, training at the Indian Military Academy, service in various units and training establishments, stints in the DRDO and RAW, retirement from the Army and life thereafter. There are vignettes of village life, ‘boot camp’ during cadet training, the first experience of battle during 1962, and the slow but steady rise up the ladder in the military hierarchy. To keep the reader’s interest alive, the author has peppered the narrative with personal anecdotes. A parallel theme is the poignant story of two people deeply in love - the author and his wife Rosy,
also called Jeet. Starting from their courtship and marriage, the book takes us through their intimate moments, separations, reunions, tribulations, the pain suffered by both in her fight with cancer, and
her death in his arms.

Though it is a commonplace tale of an ordinary person, there are a few things that make it extraordinary. The book gives an insight into the challenges faced by a military leader, the strong bonds between an officer and his men and the loyalty and grit of the Indian Jawan in the face of adversity. The only jarring note is the presence of numerous grammatical mistakes and mis-spelt words, which detract from the readability of the book. Notwithstanding this flaw, the book will interest both soldiers and civilians, and will be a valuable addition to libraries as well as
personal collections. It is especially recommended for young officers, who will find valuable lessons in command at a sub unit level.
Maj Gen VK Singh (Retd)

India's Fauj: Who rules it?

Many people agree in private but (especially those in power) refuse to admit in public that the Indian Defence Forces comprising the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force (or, briefly, India’s “fauj”) are not treated fairly by government. Of course, there is the fringe opinion that the fauj lives in luxury and is even overpaid, when they observe things like availability of canteen facilities (especially liquor) and the period of leave admissible in a year. They obviously know nothing at all about the risks and hardships that Jawans and young officers face in daily life.
But what risk does the fauj face in peacetime? Actually the word “peacetime” used as the antonym of “wartime” is quite inappropriate, because even if India is not at war with any country, the conditions of service in countering insurgency are just as risky as any wartime deployment if not actually more so. Today, the fauj loses on average one man every day to militant action. And hardship? Even if the subhuman conditions of mere survival on the Siachen Glacier are omitted, there are severe hardships, both physical and mental, in manning posts on the borders and even in participation in military exercises from bases in “peace stations”.
The fauj consists of about 1.4 million personnel below officer rank (PBOR), with leadership provided by about 50,000 officers instead of 65,000 required, the greatest shortage (11,238 against 46,615 sanctioned) being in the army. The actual fighting is done by the PBOR but under the leadership of officers who, in the Indian fauj, have always led from the front, as statistics of officer versus PBOR casualties in operations have always shown. But without PBOR there would be no need for officers and without leadership, PBOR would be ineffective – it is the combination of the two with the right kind of weaponry, equipment, training, and motivation that can maintain India’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, the primary responsibility of the fauj. It is said that the man behind the gun is at least as important as the gun itself, which means to say that superior military technology by itself may win battles but cannot win wars unless the fauji (the soldier, a generic term that includes PBOR and officers of the Army, Navy and Air Force) is adequately equipped, trained and motivated. The examples of the US military in Vietnam and in Afghanistan and Iraq bear testimony to this military truth.
Maj Gen S.G.Vombatkere (Retd)
Maj Gen S.G.Vombatkere was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers in December 1962 and held the position of Addl DG (Discipline & Vigilance) at Army HQ, New Delhi, from which he retired in September 1996. In 1993, the President of India awarded him the Visishta Seva Medal (VSM) for distinguished services rendered in Ladakh.
Complete article with three case studies: click me

Women officers grieviences addressed

The Government has decided to grant Permanent Commission prospectively to Short Service Commission officers, both men and women, in branches and cadres of the three services, which do not entail direct combat or possibility of physical contact with enemy.

The branches where permanent commission would be granted include Judge advocate General, Army Education Corps and its corresponding branches in Navy and Air Force, Accounts branch of the Air Force and Naval Constructor of the Navy.

The selection will be based on a common merit and eligibility criteria, which would be decided by each Service Headquarters. A tri-service study carried out in 2006 on all aspects of employment of women officers in the Services recommended that women officers would be excluded from induction in close combat arms where chances of physical contact with enemy were high.

Women officers have been in the Armed Forces for about 80 years and served with competence and distinction. They were inducted in the Military Nursing Service in 1927 and in the Medical Officers Cadre since 1943. Following Cabinet approval, induction of women officers in other branches in the three services started in 1992.

• 1072 women officers in Army (excluding medical services)
• 793 women officers in IAF including medical officers.
• 63 women officers in IAF in Flying Branch.
• 126 women officers in Medical & Dental in IAF.
• 258 women officers in Navy.
• 752 Women Medical Officers in AMC
• 490 Women Medical Permanent Commission Officers.
• 2834 Women officers in MNS.

The decision of the Government is a great break through in leveling the gender discrimination. When a nation can have women P.M and President (The Supreme Commander) why not a COAS ? The day is not far off for India to have woman Marshal of the Air Force.

The First Women General in the Indian Army Maj Gen (Miss)GA Ram (Director MNS) was appointed on Aug 27, 1976.

Mother Theresa and Mahatma Gandhi cannot be compared. Millions admire Mahatma, but billions love Mother Theresa. A Mother is always loved more than a Father. (The women officers in the Armed Forces should keep this in mind and be Proud of being Mother first and Officer next).

Posted By Muthukrishnan to indianexserviceman at 5/06/2009 09:53:00 PM

National Defence Academy- childhood reflections

Sir,
Being from a totally fauji background and having a dad who loved to tell stories, I grew up as familiar with NDA as if I had trained there myself. Then Daddy was posted there as OIC ATT and I cycled around everywhere from the stables to Peacock Bay. As a cadet, I could chat so comfortably with my ex-NDA coursemates about GFCL and FL and 'restrictions' and GCI and everything, that they made me an honorary ex-NDA (from Echo Sqn, in honour of Daddy). When my brother was training, I returned every term to that sacred institution more out of my reverence for the Academy than my desire to visit Nipun. I was an officer by then and could throw my weight around a bit. A couple of my coursemates were Div Os too, and that only added to the fun.
After such long association with NDA, it was only natural that when I began writing, one of my initial articles revolved around the Academy. I am attaching a copy of it for your amusement, Sir.
Thank you,
Sugandha Thakran

LIVING WITH AN EX-NDA A BEGINNER’S GUIDEI have been surrounded by ex-NDA officers for as long as I can remember. My father, my brother, and now my husband and father-in-law too. All products of that fine establishment, the maker of men – the National Defence Academy. In the course of my life among these officers and gentlemen, I have come to some conclusions. Conclusions which could prove priceless advice for some naïve young thing about to get associated with a man from above said breed.

To start with, there’s the Squadron. One of the fifteen first alphabets expanded into their telegraphic full form, to which each ex-NDA swears undying loyalty. A fellow in arms who belonged to the same squadron at any point of time since the inception of the Academy is a buddy. Needless to say, the senior among the two ‘Squadron types’ is obliged to favour the junior with more liberty than he would have otherwise received. Always remember your ex-NDA’s squadron, it’s traditions, it’s strengths (it never had any weaknesses) and the names of his Divisional Officers or DivOs. Never, ever criticize anything even remotely connected with his squadron unless you want to earn an instant battle or frigid silence, depending on the temperament of the man. His squadron is the supreme body of the supreme establishment which made him a man.

Next is the matter of hierarchy. There are many approaches to establishing the pecking order, which is never vulgarly obvious, but sacred nonetheless. “He’s from the twentieth course, man! Way, way beyond our league.”, “Oh, he was just an OC”, “He’s a General- both times discipline”, “Swimming Blazer. Did the Peacock Bay on campfire night for the tipsy”, “Arrey yaar, he’s a RIMCO. He’ll get it done through his network.”. Make yourself familiar with the terminology and never get confused between a course and a term. Remember his place in the hierarchy and along with him, sneer at those below and display appropriate awe towards those above.

Of all the physical events at the NDA, the two most dissected and rehashed by all ex-NDAs nostalgically are the Cross Country race and Swimming. No matter if he was a cross country medalist or a dead sinker, your man will never tire of discussing each visit to the pool and the usual six cross country races in excruciating detail. Listen with wide eyed interest and remember the best enclosure he ever achieved. Never, ever, ever compare your Asian Games gold medal in decathalon with his cross country participation. Never. A cross country in which he participated was sacred and at least one cadet died in the race during at least one of his six terms. You could never have died doing a shitty decathalon.

Term privileges are hard won freedoms which differ from one ex-NDA to another, depending on his Squadron. He will often use the same principle in the disciplining of his children. If it worked for the kids there, why not for his own? And trust me, it usually does… So if the man doesn’t take you for that long awaited movie just because you sewed the button on the wrong side of the cuff, forgive him. That sort of logic is only his training speaking. Likewise, he will also understand the principle of extra privileges and withholding privileges in your dealing with him.

Like all establishments, the NDA has its own jargon. OC is not the Officer Commanding like you would imagine, and FL is not Fairy Lights. GCI is not General Cleanliness Inspection and Cabin Cupboard is not a piece of furniture in a cosy little cottage. Patti Parade is not first aid practice and Fall In is not the opposite of a Fall Out. Bewildering though this unique language of the Ex-NDA may seem to you, never display any sign of scorn or boredom. Unless you want to be left out at every occasion when he meets a brother, pick up the terminology as quickly as you can. It is not too difficult. Most Ex-NDAs only need subtle encouragement to start a class.

And last, but most important of all, never underestimate the power of ‘Tipsy Pudding’. This one sweet factor to the life of an Ex-NDA cadet is like ambrosia on a parched tongue. Don’t even think of trying to whip it up in your kitchen, and take comfort in the fact that even the Queen’s kitchen cannot produce the item which he will accept as the ‘real’ Tipsy Pudding. No. The only real Tipsy Pudding is the one he licked off his filthy fingers out of a half full ‘pateela’ in which one of his coursemates stood knee-deep in fruits, nuts, cream and rum soaked cake, ladling out the treasure with his bare hands. If you have understood the passion which drove those young boys trembling on the brink of manhood and accept with a philosophical shrug that somewhere deep down, that boy is crystallized in his Tipsy driven optimism, then you will have no problems. For only a man who can doggedly claw his way through three years of weathering will surely in the light of your acceptance, stay doggedly by your side.
Sugandha Thakran

President wants soldiers to be ‘technology efficient’

The Hindu Sunday, Mar 22, 2009
— Photo: S. R. RaghunathanBEST PERFORMANCE: President Pratibha Patil honours a meritorious candidate at the passing out parade at the OTA in Chennai on Saturday.


CHENNAI: Modern warfare must necessarily incorporate measures to counter terrorism, President Pratibha Patil said here on Saturday.

Speaking after reviewing a passing-out parade at the Officers Training Academy here, at which 151 men and women were inducted into the Army, the President said terrorism posed a grave threat to global peace, stability and progress. The country was a victim of such attacks. This menace had to be tackled with determination and eradicated.

“During your training, you would have been sensitised about the external security scenario, particularly of our region,” Ms. Patil pointed out, adding that an understanding of the threat perceptions was important for the young officers’ preparedness in dealing with such challenges. The modern army was a knowledge-based force and application of science and information technology had become an integral part of defence preparedness and warfare. “In today’s knowledge-centric era, every soldier should be ‘technology efficient’, a requirement that highlights the need for better training and increased efficiency,” the President said.

Matter of pride
Turning her attention to women officers, she said it was a matter of pride that they had joined the Army after successfully completing the full training capsule in the first Short Service Course for Women. “It shows they have come a long way since our national freedom movement and today are standing, firm and determined, on the frontiers of the nation with matching zeal and enthusiasm.” She noted that youth from friendly countries — Afghanistan, Jamaica and Seychelles — were trained here and was confident the training would benefit their country and their friendship with Indian cadets would strengthen ties between the nations.

Medals presented
The President gave the Sword of Honour for the Best All Round Cadet and Silver Medal for standing second in order of merit to Prashant R.Pillai; the Gold Medal for standing first in order of merit to Shikha Bhaduria; and the Chief of Army Staff Banner to Jessami Company.

During the Pipping Ceremony she got down from the stage, walked around the lawn interacting with cadets, congratulating them and their parents and obliging children who wanted to be photographed with her.

General Deepak Kapoor, Chief of Army Staff, Governor Surjit Singh Barnala, members of the Diplomatic Corps were among the dignitaries present.

Prashant R.Pillai, hails from Pattanamthitta in Kerala and joined Indian Air Force as an Airman after completing Plus-Two. During his seven-year stint with IAF, he completed B.A. (History) through correspondence from Indira Gandhi National Open University.

Shikha Bhaduria, a physics graduate, belongs to Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh and comes from a family whose many members are in the armed forces. This is the first time that women were trained for nine months, on a par with men, ever since they were inducted for training in 1992, an OTA officer said.
President wants soldiers to be ‘technology efficient’

Indian Army's Changing Face

India Today April 13, 1998

Middle-class officers, more educated soldiers and women are changing the face of the army which is confronted by tough professional challenges. But a relative decline in wages and social status are hurting the army's self-esteem and could affect its performance.
By Manoj Joshi


Full Article: Indian Army's Changing Face
FOOD FOR THOUGHT?
Courtesy Lt Gen Prakash Katoch
A GOOD WRITE UP FOR PROFESSIONAL DEBATE. Readers are invited to provide valuable inputs which will be debated and discussed in the Professional Blog at: Professional Matters