Command and control of red tabs over troops decline by the day

Ordered to do menial tasks, Army jawans desert Patiala unit
Last Updated: Friday, November 02, 2012, 18:40
Zeenews Bureau
Chandigarh: In yet another breach of discipline in the Indian Army, around 16 soldiers of an armoured regiment based in Patiala left their unit after being forced by their seniors to perform 'menial tasks'.
As per reports, the jawans were part of the 56 Armoured Regiment stationed at Patiala as part of the elite 1 Armoured Division.
The jawans were allegedly asked by some officers to carry out 'menial tasks'. They allegedly protested stating that they belonged to Army's clerk cadres and were supposed to do specific tasks only, The Indian Express reported.
Reports stated that the soldiers returned to their regimental centre in Ahmednagar after the Commanding Officer (CO) issued orders to punish them for showing dissent.
CO had the jawans put through a 'Battle Physical and Proficiency Test (BPET) which requires one to run several kilometres and cross obstacles in full battle gear. They were then forced to do a 'route march’.
The newspaper added that queries to Western Command's Chandimandir-based headquarters went unanswered and no statement was issued in this regard.
Over a 1,000 soldiers have committed suicide since 2003, with the yearly toll regularly climbing over 100. Incidents of fragging (to kill or wound a fellow soldier) have also become a regular phenomenon in the 1.13-million strong Army.
A report by the Defence Institute of Psychological Research had held that "perceived humiliation and harassment, over and above occupational and familial causes", by their superiors often serves as the final "trigger" for jawans in stress-related cases in the forces.
The Army has, meanwhile, ordered a probe into the matter.
Ordered to do menial tasks, Army jawans desert Patiala unit
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The UN indictment of Indian troops in that episode of sexual abuse had surfaced in a probe report, which had revealed "prima-facie evidence" against a number of Indian peace-keepers previously assigned to one of the units with the UN Mission in Congo.
CoI verdict against Indian peacekeepers expected soon
Comment: The red tabs (only the symbols on uniforms) of all full colonels need to be done away with immediately to reduce the psychological barrier between the troops and unit commanding officers. This gesture is likely to assuage the feelings of the troops under command. The VIP status and VIP culture ingrained in Officers must be slowly got ridden off. Generals need to meet the expenses of batmen, dhobis cooks and waiters from their own funds. No appointment comes with free services and privileges. Now a days there are adequate high tech gadgets to do away with combatants working in Generals houses needlessly in peace areas especially in AHQ and all Command/ Area HQ's.

Bill likely to raise MPs' salary, allowances fivefold

New Delhi, June 23 (PTI) The government is planning to bring a Bill in the Monsoon session of Parliament next month to raise the salaries of MPs as also some allowances in the wake of a Standing Committee report recommending five-fold increase in the salaries of the law makers to Rs 80,000.

"The report of the Standing Committee has been received. It is under the consideration of the government. It is formulating its views and hopes to bring the Bill in the next session,"Parliamentary Affairs minister Pawan Kumar Bansal told PTI.

Reports have said that besides increase in salary, the other proposals include raising the daily allowance from Rs 1000 to Rs 2000 when Parliament is in session. Office expense allowances are also recommended to be increased substantially so also their constituency allowance.

Among the proposals is also 34 free flights for the members to ensure that they remain in touch with their electorate.

Bansal, however, insisted that"no decision"has so far been taken on these recommendations and government was considering them.
Bill likely to raise MPs' salary, allowances

And, here are some more less-known facts about the Indian lawmaker:
On paper, the salary of an MP in India is Rs 144,000 per year (about $3,200), which works out to just Rs 12,000 (about $266) per month. But it is meagre only if you don't consider the numerous allowances and freebies an MP is entitled to. Here is a look at the allowances and perks that every MP -- India has 790 of them -- enjoys.

Each Indian MP in 2005 got: These have grown over the years till date...

Rs 14,000 (about $311) for office expenses every month, which includes Rs 3,000 for stationary items, Rs 1,000 on franking of letters and Rs 10,000 for secretariat services.

A monthly constituency allowance of Rs 10,000.

A daily allowance of Rs 500 when Parliament is in session. Parliament has three sessions every year. The Budget Session (February to May), Monsoon session (July to September), and Winter session (November and December).

A daily travel allowance of Rs 8 per kilometre.

Each MP and his spouse or companion are entitled to unlimited, free, first class railway travel anywhere in the country.

They can also travel anywhere in India -- with a spouse or companion -- 40 times by air free of cost every year, business class.

An MP gets a sprawling bungalow in the heart of New Delhi [ Images ] for which he pays a rent of just Rs 2,000 (about $44) per month.

Each MP gets near-free electricity of 50,000 units every year. And free water.

The MP's bungalow is furnished -- with air conditioners, refrigerators and television sets -- free of cost. Maintenance of the house -- including washing of sofa covers and curtains -- is done free of cost by the government.

MPs are entitled to three phone lines and 170,000 free local calls every year.
When an MP travels abroad officially, he is entitled to free business class air tickets. He is also paid a daily travelling allowance, which varies depending upon the country being visited.

Most medical expenses of MPs are taken care of by the Contributory Health Service Scheme of the Union government.

Each MP also gets Rs 20 million (about $434,782) each year from the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Fund. But the MP does not get the money directly. Instead, it is transferred to respective district headquarters where projects are being implemented.

After an MP completes a term in office, he is entitled to pension. The basic monthly pension amount is Rs 3,000 (about $66). But it goes up according to the number of years an MP has served in Parliament.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India last year alleged that many MPs have violated norms in the usage of this money.
How much does an MP earn? Perks as on December 13, 2005

The real question: What is the MP's contribution towards poverty alleviation of our citizens? The answer is zilch!

Is the VIP culture demonizing Indian Military?

Let’s stop cribbing and concentrate on ‘homework’: A wake up call
Charity begins at home they say. While we continue cribbing about the treatment meted out to us by others, what have we done to set our own house in order?. Cynicism is something I detest and the aim of this is not to be critical, I’m looking for insight on how things have come to such a pass and I’m sure many of us are on the same trip. Seniors and juniors alike, it’s our collective responsibility to restore the past glory of the forces. Especially in public, we should stop cursing the system, our seniors, our bureaucrats- all and sundry, there is so much lack of positivity around us these days. We must realise that we are in this so called 'system'. We could definitely do with a little more optimism and project our services in a better light.

How we behave with our own people becomes a benchmark for others to emulate in life outside the cantonment. While we tend to compare our status, stature and salaries with other services, isn’t there an underlying negativity in behavioural patterns being displayed with impunity by us? Are we setting the right example for others to follow or sending the right signals? Are we projecting our service as a hallmark of pride of the nation?. The answer is definitely in the negative. Our internal organisational behaviour ultimately extends to how we are treated by the outside world and we definitely need to improve on how we interact with our own. There is no dearth of examples as to how we dig our own graves. How often do we see more than one Commissioned Officers being bunched into below-status single rooms in Messes on the ground of non-availability. I, for myself have seen situations where ample accommodation is available but still officers being asked to stay in small living spaces on the pretext that the (abundant) vacant accommodation is a contingency back-up for (imaginary) ‘VIPs’. Do we see the same on the civil side ? Do we see SDMs who are equivalent to Lieutenants of the Army being asked to live and stay in rooms like we do ? Never. Often we see junior officers being asked to travel in heavy trucks despite the availability of respectable light transport, why do we do this? Do we expect people outside to be impressed by a strapping young Captain in Combats sitting in a Three Tonner ? Do we, by this action, attract youngsters to join the services ? No amount of ‘Do you have it in you ?’ campaign would work unless we bring the pride, the glamour and the respectability back into our uniform and the so called ‘baboos’ are not responsible for this, the problem lies closer to us than we think – each of us is to blame. Honour has no rank. A Subaltern is much more capable than merely looking for an apt place to put the shamiyana in the Mess lawn. That Subaltern’s civilian counterpart - an SDM or an Addl DC/DM with the same education and from the same recruitment pool, looks after the revenue, executive, administrative, law & order and quasi-judicial functions of an entire sub-division and sometimes even a district and we are not even able to trust our own guy with a Light Motor Vehicle !

How we behave and conduct ourselves outside ultimately has an indirect effect on how people in uniform are perceived and it percolates down to the last rank in the file. PB-4 or no PB-4, the Indian military officer is not badly paid but still we see senior officers in uniform driving around scooters and mobikes to save a few bucks. I’m not such an elitist to be against officers driving two-wheelers out of passion, but we should not project such a miserly picture to the outer world. Officers can absolutely afford respectable means of personal travel. And still we see Commissioned Officers using such means of public transport definitely below their status and class, why ? Irrespective of remuneration, it does not happen in the civil services so why in the defence services ?. We sitting in Headquarters try to impose restrictions on our own people, for example in travel and accommodation guidelines even when the govt does not. As you read this, someone sitting somewhere would be working on how to impose an in-house restriction on the new TA-DA regime introduced after the 6th CPC !, on how to ensure that officers are not able to draw thousands per day for hotel accommodation and to ensure that they continue staying in small rooms in messes with three other roommates clamouring for time in the single attached bath.

Excessive ‘Sirring’ outside the organisation should also cease. While ‘Sir’ may just be a substitute for ‘Shreeman’ for us, it does not have the same connotation outside. It is a symbol of servility in the civil world. Broadly speaking, in my humble opinion, constitutional appointments and senior civil officers elder in age and with an established longer length of Group-A service should only be addressed as ‘Sir’ while ‘Mr’ should be the correct form of address for others. We are so naive that we ourselves first pamper others with our servility and then curse when a Pay Commission degrades our status. When a Major calls up his counterpart in a civil department, he talks less and Sirs more and when that civil counterpart calls up a Colonel, he addresses him as ‘Colonel Sahib’. And once you sir them, they would expect all officers of similar rank to behave likewise. The problem is that to get a piece of work done, we stoop to any level, don’t we ? And in the bargain end up damaging our service for personal short-term gains. There are, on the other hand, also examples of military officers not sirring their own seniors in length of service (who are junior in rank) within the services but displaying servility towards junior civilians. I’ve also seen selection grade officers not sirring senior time-scale ones, where are we going ? Have we forgotten the age old adage that in the defence services, irrespective of rank, ‘once senior is always senior’ ?. Sirs and Ma’ams, I do not mean to talk sharp but to earn respect from outsiders we need to first respect our own juniors and seniors.

So friends the time has come to get out of the cocoon, be aware of what’s happening around us and finally WAKE UP in the interest of our dignity and the pride of our respective services. There should be prudence all around but not such silliness that we reduce all our privileges, facilities and benefits provided to us by law to a poor joke. We need to stop cribbing about ‘baboos’, they are not that bad. On the contrary, we need to take pride in our uniform and what we do, we need to put more responsibility on the shoulders of our youngsters and redeem our self-esteem, ego should be shunned but self-respect has to be granted its utmost due. Let us do our homework.
Posted by Navdeep / Maj Navdeep Singh

India's Hot New Anti-Terror Weapon: Spicy Chilly

Photo: Manish Swarup, AP. The Indian military has decided to use the world's hottest chili to make tear gas-like hand grenades. Here, a farmer holds one of peppers pulled from his field in the northeastern Indian state of Assam in 2007.
(March 23) -- The fight on terror is heating up in India, thanks to an innovative new weapon: the spiciest chilly in the world.

Terrorists wouldn't be forced to swallow it in deadly amounts, however. Loaded into a hand grenade, its smell alone would reportedly force them to surrender.

The chili grenade "is definitely going to be an effective nontoxic weapon because its pungent smell can choke terrorists and force them out of their hide-outs," a senior military scientist, R.B. Srivastava, was quoted as saying by The Associated Press.

The thumb-sized bhut jolokia chili pepper plant was given its No.1 spicy spot in 2007 by Guinness World Records. Spiciness is measured in Scoville units, and bhut jolokia has more than a million of them, compared with up to 8,000 for the jalapeño. It's nearly twice as hot as Mexico's red savina, the variety it replaced as the hottest.

The pepper is grown and eaten in northeastern India for its taste, as a cure for stomach troubles and to fight the summer heat, the news agency said.

"The chili grenade has been found fit for use after trials in Indian defense laboratories, a fact confirmed by scientists at the Defense Research and Development Organization," a defense spokesman, Col. R. Kalia, told the AP.

Srivastava, director of the DRDO's life sciences department in New Delhi, said trials were under way to produce aerosol sprays containing the spicy pepper.

Once developed, the police could use them to control unruly mobs, and women could defend themselves against attackers.
India's Hot New Anti-Terror Weapon: Spicy Chilly

DRDO to develop technologies to fight terrorists, insurgents

21/02/2010
DRDO to develop technologies to fight terrorists, insurgents
New Delhi: Against the backdrop of increasing terror threats and insurgency, the DRDO on Saturday said it has ventured into technologies to support security forces in operations, including against nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) attacks.

DRDO chief V K Saraswat said his organisation has opened a Low Intensity Conflict (LIC) Division that would cater to weapons, equipment and life support systems for the paramilitary and police forces.

"Most of the wars in the 20th century are low-intensity conflicts, sub-conventional war, asymmetric warfare, counter-insurgency, and terrorism. These are going to be the emerging battle scenario. It is going to be the order of the day for the next 100 years.

"DRDO now has very focused programmes on technologies for low-intensity conflicts, which includes NBC weapons," Saraswat said at a media interaction on the eve of a three-day DRDO Director's Conference here.

He said the DRDO also launched another LIC-related programme with soldier-centric technologies with his "survivability, sustainability, efficiency and lethality" as the focus areas.

"For Futuristic Indian Soldier as a System (F-INSAS), we need technology for his armour, communication, psychological profile, life support, battle scenario devices, scanning devices and grenades. It will be a concerted programme," DRDO Chief Controller Dr W Selvamurthy, who was present, said.

"Most of these technologies are spin-offs. We already have technologies from our strategic weapons programme, which can be customised for LIC needs," Saraswat said.

Asked if the shift in focus would impact the DRDO's strategic weapons programme, he said it would not be so. This would be an incremental work to help the nation to achieve self-reliance in this niche area too, he added.

"Both (strategic and LIC programmes) are important. Strategic weapons, you cannot get from anywhere else. Nobody will give you the technology. It has to be developed internally. Most of the LIC technologies are also important," Saraswat added.

The DRDO chief said his organisation was a technology provider. "We (DRDO) identify in consultation with the Home Ministry as well as others, if there are gaps in certain areas such as foliage penetration or ground penetration, communication, jamming and communication interception systems, we would work on them and provide solutions," he added.

Asked if there were plans to dump the indigenous INSAS 5.56 mm rifle, the DRDO chief said there were no problems and the feedback received from troops suggested that the weapons were performing satisfactorily.

"The problems faced by troops must be a local perception nature, by some individual. But it is not a general perception," he said.

Source: The Indian Express
DRDO to develop technologies to fight terrorists, insurgents

Mumbai Mayhem: Plight of Martyrs

Message from Vinita Deshmukh Co-Author of the book 'To The Last Bullet’

Kavita Karkare’s heart rending poem which she read out on the occasion of the Marathi edition launch of `To The Last Bullet’ on December 22, in Pune should pierce the heart of every conscientious citizen of this country. I have translated it as follows:

Do not become a martyr in this country
Do not commit the mistake of becoming a martyr in this country
Your image will be tarnished by being called as `Headless Chicken’ or `Dumb Ass’
Hence, never commit the mistake of being a martyr in this country.

Why has the martyr being adorned with `Ashoka Chakra’?
Is what they will argue aimlessly and insensitively
Even the `Ram Pradhan Committee (meant to give justice) will hang the martyr
Hence, never commit the mistake of being a martyr in this country.

While fighting terror, why didn’t help come in time? Why were the injured lying for 40 minutes without help?
As a martyr’s wife in this country, never ask such questions.
Firstly, never commit the `crime’ of being a martyr in this country.

Nowhere in the world is a martyr tested for alcohol, but in this country this humiliation is also not spared
Never try to understand the politics behind this irrational demand.
Never commit the mistake of being a martyr in this country.

Which senior officer switched off his mobile during the hour of terror?
Or which senior officer twiddled his fingers on a terrace?
Never pick up courage to point such fingers.
Never commit the mistake of being a martyr in this country.

We have been reminded a hundred times about compensation to martyrs
As also the money we got as their `Leave Encashment’ and `Provident Fund.’
If that was not enough, we were reminded they paid us Rs.15,000 for our husbands’ funeral,
Never commit the mistake of being a martyr in this country.

By being in the government service
Never make the mistake of being a martyr in this country
In this country, the crime of murder is pardoned
The corrupt released from the prison
Walk in public, with their head held high
But if you become a martyr, you are ostracised from society
Never commit the mistake of being a martyr of this country.

Should the martyr be hanged?
Or should he be kept alive?
You will decide that
We have set aflame the torch,
Which you will keep it burning.

by Kavita Karkare
On the occasion of the release of the Marathi edition of `To The Last Bullet’

India's Internal Security at Peril due to lack of Governance and Galloping Graft of Civil Administrators

India signals new anti-Maoist offensive By Rupam Jain Nair (AFP) – Oct 9, 2009
NEW DELHI — India looks set for a major offensive against Maoist rebels, whose growing influence and increasingly brazen attacks have been branded a national security failure, officials and sources said Friday.

"A new anti Maoist plan has been approved by the cabinet. States hit by this insurgency are instructed to follow the new plan and get their act together," senior home ministry official Kashmir Singh told AFP on Friday.

The cabinet met Thursday just hours before left-wing guerrillas gunned down 17 policemen in western India, the latest in a series of assaults in an increasingly lethal insurgency.

At least 150 Maoists attacked the policemen in a forest village in Maharashtra state, near the border with Chhattisgarh state where the rebels have their stronghold.

Security sources cited by the media said the new strategy was for a large-scale, coordinated offensive involving seven states worst affected by Maoist violence, with support from federal security services.
India signals new anti-Maoist offensive

Indian Express Sunday , Oct 11, 2009 at 1411 hrs
Refusing to bracket Naxals with terrorists, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday ruled out use of armed forces against them and said that the government is willing to hold talks with them if they abjured violence.

"They (Naxals) are banned organisations and are covered under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act," he said replying to a question if the government proposed to declare the ultra-left groups as terror outfits.

"We are not in favour of using the armed forces against the Naxalites. The para-military forces and police are adequate (for counter-Naxal operations)," he told a press meet here and underscored the need for looking at the causes of alienation of the people, particularly the tribals.

While terming Naxalism as the biggest internal security threat, the Prime Minister said dialogue with them was possible only if they shunned violence.
PM rules out use of armed forces against Naxals

Genesis of Maoist and Naxalite terror in India
'Naxalism'- The Retreat of Civil Governance by Ajai Sahni

India prepared to fight Taliban: Antony

Left Wing Extremist Affected Areas in India
Click here for more details on conflict areas
Click map for enlarged view

Indian Hawala transanctions finance world terrorism

The Financial Intelligence Unit marked 200 transactions in India- running into Rs 2,000 crore- as terror-financed. Now, it has commenced its probe to trace the origin of the funds.

It is a known fact that terrorist outfits use counterfeit notes to finance terror operations. This is just one of the means adopted by terror outfits and Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence to raise Rs 1,800 crore a year to finance terror. However, in the case being probed by the FIU, there is a considerable amount of money deposited in the banks, meaning they are not counterfeit.

The money which is pumped into terror operations is generated through various sources: smuggling of opium, real estate, fake notes and extortion bids.
How hawala money is used to fund terror
Latest terror finanacer nabbed due to USA pressure
Indian accused of terror financing booked for hawala operation in Delhi

Tailpiece
Every MP of UPA is crorepati (India Today January Issue). Is he a Hawala or Real Estate Agent or Bollywood Actor?

Motor Vehicles Act to be amended to meet future needs: Kamal Nath

Illegal Parking
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 19:27 IST
The Minister for Road Transport & Highways Shri Kamal Nath has said that a comprehensive review of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 would be done so as to meet the future requirements of the country. He said that a Committee has been constituted to review the Motor Vehicles Act and it will give its suggestions in three months time. Shri Nath said,” We need to not only learn lessons from the past but also stimulate what would happen in future.” Thus, the amendments in the Act would take care of the best practises abroad and would not only “serve the present but also future”. The Minister was speaking at the launch of the National Campaign for “Reduction of Road Fatalities”, a joint initiative of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and International Roads Federation (IRF), a Washington and Geneva based worldwide platform for Road Safety.

Speaking at the function in Delhi, Shri Nath said that we need to make not ony 20km of roads per day but also ensure that they are safe. The roads would be built with safety stndards and no over or under engineering will be done, he said.

As per the WHO's global status report on road safety, India tops the global list of deaths in road accidents with 125,000 fatalities and at least 2.2 million serious injuries each year. India accounts for 10 per cent of global road accident deaths. The national campaign has been launched with the target of reducing road accident deaths by 50 per cent by the year 2012.

Shri Brahm Dutt, Secretary, MoRTH and Shri Nirmaljit Singh, Director General & Special Secretary, MoRTHwere also present on the occasion. Gre5/
Motor Vehicles Act to be amended to meet future needs: Kamal Nath

Illegal Parking on carriageways, berms and footpaths
Greatest menace to road safety is illegal parking of vehicles on carriage ways, berms, footpaths, highways and streets especially by the commercial vehicles. This restricts the road space available for driving to less than 40% of road surfaces paved for smooth flow of vehicles. Strict laws should be brought in to curb menace of illegal parking in metro cities and on the National Highways. Safety norms are violated in connivance with traffic police who accept bribes from the traffic violators and law breakers.

Mend your ways before Commonwealth, Chidambaram tells Delhiites

22/09/2009
New Delhi: Delhiites should seize the opportunity provided by the Commonwealth Games and mend their ways to present the capital as an international city, home minister P Chidambaram said on Tuesday.

"We should seize the opportunity of the Commonwealth Games to change our behavioural pattern. We must behave as (residents of) an international city," he said here after inaugurating a police station.

Observing that people in the city often do not obey traffic rules, he said the national capital needs to change its mindset.

"People should change their behaviour. We have noticed over many years that the behaviour of people has not changed. Vehicles are jumping red lights, even police vehicles are jumping red lights.

"Some are moving (in their vehicles) without having registration plates, some are crossing roads where they should not. People are not using overground or underground passes. We want to encourage people to change their mindset," he said.

His comments came after Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit said at the function that her government was starting a campaign to change the way the society behaves so that it becomes more caring and also sharing.
Mend your ways before Commonwealth, Chidambaram tells Delhiites

Comment: The same state of affairs if not worse is the hallmark of all metro cities- CHAOS. Chennai takes the cake for sending maximum personnel daily to eternity! There is no order in roads and all Signals are mute spectators to traffic violation. Mumbai, Kolkatta and other cities have their unique statistics. Planned infrastructure projects to improve traffic flow sadly worsens and impedes the smooth traffic! City Police are the most ineffective and corrupt throughout the breath and length of our country. Only Police Reforms and reducing VIP terror can improve the chaotic situation.

Swiss Style Terrorism more dangerous than Pakistan Terror

Atul Bharadwaj
The time for making customary noises against Swiss bank accounts is over. An issue which gained prominence during the last Lok Sabha polls cannot be allowed to revert to its usual state of dormancy.

If you thought that Pakistan (a terrorist haven) is the only country which does not listen to the Indian demand to book terrorists like Hafeez Saeed, you may be in for a shock. We have a peace loving, “neutral” Switzerland (tax haven) which is equally obdurate in conceding to Indian demands. The Swiss simply refuse to disclose the names of Indian money launderers - who have stashed away $1500 billion (more than 75 Lakh Crore) of Indian wealth in tax havens in the European heartland - Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, and Channel Islands popu.

Both the nations mentioned above, however, dutifully follow the dictates issued by the US administration. Pakistan allows the US drones to attack everywhere on its territory (without ever asking for proof) and Switzerland puts aside all its banking laws to oblige the US with details of 4,450 secret accounts held in their “dirty” banks.

When India asks the Swiss to be good global citizens, all we get to hear is that maintaining the privacy of the Swiss bank account holders is paramount. Both Pakistani and Swiss authorities use the same weather-beaten argument of “forged” documents to delay the process of millions of Indians seeking justice. Are the Swiss naive? Don’t they know that a large chunk of money in their banks actually fuels the growth of poverty, terrorism, drug trade and all other ills plaguing the world?

All that they need to do is visit the web site of Transparency International (a western NGO)and see that India is one of the most corrupt countries in the world - beneficiaries of this corruption seek solace in the snow clad mountains and safe lockers offered by Switzerland. If these revelations do not satisfy the peace loving Swiss then they should rely on the World Bank (the mother of all banks) report which states that 42% of the Indian population lives on less than $1.25 a day. The amount of Indian money in Swiss banks is equivalent to 13 times the Indian foreign debt. It is 49 times the Indian defence budget. We cannot let the “Swiss knife” bleed India through these billion dollar “cuts”. So long as the Swiss non-cooperation to tackle financial terror continues, the Indian elite will continue to bow before the outside powers to prevent the skeletons from tumbling out of their cupboards. They will not hesitate to even sell India in order to protect their vested interests. Let the truth come out in the open. India would not be a loser. Let politicians, bureaucrats and industrialists who have hidden black money in the tax heavens lose face. Let the Indian polity suffer a jolt, it will certainly be worth the effort. After all, it is a question of national silver - the hard earned money of our toiling masses. And who would not like to see this money being used to alleviate poverty in India?

The Indian government must use all possible diplomatic methods to get the Indian money back. India’s sustained campaign against Pakistan sponsored terrorism made the world realize the dangers of global terrorism. Similarly, India must launch a global movement against Swiss double standards and let the world know how the archaic Swiss laws are making millions of Indians starve.

To begin with, India can bestow the Bharat Ratna on the former employees of the Lichtenstein bank and Swiss bank UBS, who blew the whistle and divulged the data on secret accounts to the Germans in 2008. The civil society in Switzerland must appreciate that they have to start earning good Karma by putting pressure on their government to stop illegal money transactions and civil society in India on their government to persevere till it succeeds.

Atul Bhardwaj Editor Salute is a retired Naval officer.
Swiss style Terrorism

Reforming the Civil Services: Can Bureaucrats be ever made accountable?

Saturday, 13 December, 2008 4:30:16 PM
Dear Mr Veerappa Moily,
I was very happy to hear on the TV news that the ARC has recommended that civil services will be be judged on their performance. The recommendation is against the ethos of government service which every Indian aspires to join for a life time of security. To my mind the ARC has a potential revolt on its hands. However, being an ex- serviceman I think such a result should be risked in the interest of our country.

I am of the opinion that the civil services have been feather bedding themselves during the last 61 years of our independence. It was not so obvious in the earlier years but the greed has increased in direct proportion to immorality of the politicians who have gone about looting the country with both hands. Consequently the civil servants feel empowered to do the same. Now that an IAS officer becomes a Joint Secretary in 14 years and, due to the new rule he cannot be proceeded, against legally, even if he is caught with his hands in the till. So he can serve over 20 years without let or hinderance as the rest of his Cadre will be there to deny or delay permission to prosecute even if found fit to be charged. We have the case of Goswami of Bihar Cadre who was found to have been involved in scam of Rs 17 crores. Same thing has happened in the case of Neerja Yadav and AK Singh ex- chief secretaries of UP, and many others. Why shouldn't the civil servants do the same, as the politicians are setting an example like Lalu Yadav, Mayawati, Mulayam Singh, Jayalalitaa et al.

I feel that the British modeled the administration in India on the lines obtaining in Great Britain. A small country with a number of counties being managed centrally, replicated by a similar organisation to manage India's provinces, each one of them equal to or greater, than the entire GB. With our administration in the states taking on new dimensions eg., looking after development, health, roads, electricity and an aggravated law and order situation, the present system is found wanting. As we found recently in our intelligence setup, accountability is defused. When an IAS/ IPS does not perform or is not found suitable by the political bosses he pulls all sorts of strings to get out of the state to job at the centre or in a non cadre job. With the result that non- performers never get pinned down and the AAM ADMI suffers. The present practise of political bosses picking up an officer from the bottom of the barrel because they like him, and all officers senior to him being promoted under the one below rule, must be stopped. Because in the bargain senior officers have to occupy posts which are tenable by those with lesser service.

The earlier India discards the UK model the better it would be. The country should adopt a model which is working in a country which is closer to our size and has a federal form of goverment. I think India should adopt a model like the one in the USA, where the states have a federal form of relationship with the Centre. The states should have their own civil services which are tailored to their size, requirement and finances. Now, when a pay commission award is announced the states cry out that they cannot afford the additional burden. Let the states recruit their own citizens and fix salaries according to their means. Such civil servants will be more accountable and not look over their shoulders for help if they are found wanting in their own jobs. If they are not suitable, they should be turfed out and not become a liability on the state exchequer. Security of a job should be offered only to performers while non- performers should feel the heat.

My other suggestion is that time scale promotions should be avoided. It leaves no incentive to perform above mediocrity. As in business, when there is competition the quality improves and price of a product falls. However, as we saw in our socialist era, without competition the quality was abysmal and the prices high. I am sure some of the states will be able to get better people at lower salaries. It is irrational to have uniform dearness allowance for all the states when the cost of living is quite different in each.

As regards staffing at the centre, it should be based on fitting round pegs in round holes and not that all shapes and sizes should fit all holes. Please get specialists for each department to get the maximum benefit. Imagine an IAS officer in DGCA, an IFS officer in IDPL and an IAS/ IPS officer as Tea Commissoner in Australia or the UK. The results can be predicted.

I know I am suggesting a drastic rethinking in the form of administration that we should design for our country, but drastic problems cannot be solved with minor tinkering. The country, which has all the potential of becoming a super power, will be grateful if the ARC does some thinking out of the box.
Lt Gen SK Bahri (Retd)
Reforming Services in India: A world Bank Review

This is the way it should be... Example for Politicians

THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD BE
You may recall that Truman was a mediocre and relatively unknown who became the President of the United States thru default.( owing to the the sudden passing away of President Roosevelt.) He matured and grew into one of the great Presidents not hesitating to take unpalatable and hard decisions like the sacking of Gen MacArthur and the dropping of the atom bomb. On His desk in the" White House" he had a plaque " The buck stops here "
THIS IS THE WAY IT SHOULD BE...

Harry Truman Harry Truman was a different kind of President. He probably made as many, or more important decisions regarding his nation's history as any of the other 42 Presidents preceding him. However, a measure of his greatness may rest on what he did after he left the White House.

The only asset he had when he died was the house he lived in, which was in Independence Missouri. His wife had inherited the house from her mother and father and other than their years in the White House, they lived their entire lives there.

When he retired from office in 1952, his income was a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year. Congress, noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and, later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year. After President Eisenhower was inaugurated, Harry and Bess drove home to Missouri by themselves. There was no Secret Service following them.

When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating, "You don't want me. You want the office of the President, and that doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it's not for sale."

Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing, "I don't consider that I have done anything which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise."

As president he paid for all of his own travel expenses and food.

Modern politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on the Presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today, many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices are now for sale.

Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, "My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!
Newly elected MP’s incur Rs 3.71 crore hotel expenses

Pakistan's Non-campaign Against the Taliban

By Bobby Ghosh / Washington Friday, Aug. 28, 2009

Pro-Taliban militants take control of a mosque in Pakistan's tribal area of Mohamand, along Afghanistan's border: Mohammad Zubair / AP
Despite strenuous entreaties by top U.S. officials, Pakistan has abandoned plans to mount a military offensive against the terrorist group responsible for a two-year campaign of suicide bombings across the country. Although the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has been in disarray since an Aug. 5 missile strike from a CIA-operated drone killed its leader, Baitullah Mehsud, the Pakistani military has concluded that a ground attack on its strongholds in South Waziristan would be too difficult.
Pakistan's Non-campaign Against the Taliban
Related Reading
Q&A: 'India & Pakistan need to bring down threshold of mistrust'

RBI Advisory: Taliban terrorists use counterfeit currency to finance terror in India

Avoid accepting Rs.1,000/- note of series 2 AQ and 8 AC. More then 2.00 CR duplicate notes worth Rs.2,000 CR have already entered India. Copy of this circular from RBI is as above. Please read & pass it on to Family & Friends.

Taliban will weaken Pakistan- More Mumbai like terror threat

The Taliban are in an emboldened state today, despite the recent successes claimed by the Pakistani military. The Taliban have unfortunately been allowed to become too strong. Across the entire swathe of tribal areas along the Afghanistan border, the Taliban are rapidly consolidating power by activating their cells, regrouping and are challenging the army.

The Pakistan Army may well be treating the current anti-Taliban operations as a temporary phase, to please the United States and obtain much needed funds. However, if they are not serious in pursuing the Taliban menace and the riposte weakens, the very viability of Pakistan would be at risk .

Any deterioration of the situation in Pakistan can have grave repercussions for India. Our overall policy for meeting security related threats needs to be revamped. We need to strengthen our intelligence set up and hasten up our decision–making processes. The need of the hour is to prepare a series of contingency plans, to meet the situations that are likely to crop up.
Read full article:
PAKISTAN’S OFFENSIVE AGAINST THE TALIBAN- An Analysis from India’s Viewpoint By Lt Gen Vijay Oberoi
The writer is a former Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS) and a former Founder Director of the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS).

No more VIP duty please: NSG

Sudhi Ranjan Sen, Thursday July 23, 2009, New Delhi
Parliament could not function properly on Thursday because UP Chief Minister Mayawati's partymen were enraged at the thought of their leader's security being scaled down. Maya's MPs disrupted both the Houses to such an extent that they had to be adjourned twice.

But could VIP security change altogether?
NDTV has learnt that the elite National Security Guards (NSG), used for special operations like 26/11, wants to wash its hands of guarding VIPs altogether; they'd rather focus on terror entirely but will the government agree?
The NSG wants to re-deploy the commandos for anti-terror operations, what they were originally intended for, and after 26/11 it believes they have a stronger case.

The NSG has told the Union Home Ministry:

It cannot protect any more people as it is short of hands

That affects operational capabilities

The NSG wants most of the 3000 or so commandos on VIP guard duty to be redeployed in the four new hubs set up after the Mumbai attacks

This itself could fill as many as half the vacancies

But will the government be politically brave and at least reduce the number of VIPs protected by black cats?

On Thursday, when BSP MPs disrupted the House opposing any cut in Mayawatis security the government quickly clarified.

"Government is deeply concerned about the security of all political leaders who have been given security. I want to assure the House that security will not be reduced," said Prithiviraj Chavan, Minister of State, PMO.

The Home Ministry hasn't agreed to the NSG pull out yet but sources say the government could keep its promise and free NSG commandoes and give VIPs commandos from other central forces.

The big question is whether the home minister who has set an example himself go by political compulsion or national security.

Even if that means withdrawing the NSG cover of people like Bhajan Lal and Buta Singh who got these guards at the height of their power years ago when their threat perception was higher.
No more VIP duty please: NSG

Comments on VIP Terror
Posted by murthy on Jul 24, 2009
Security forces are for the protection of people. Politicians are because of us, we are not because of politicians. SC itself had commented once "Politicians are not national asset that need protection".

Posted by suparna on Jul 24, 2009
it is time that india asks its politicians to pay for their own security, if they think they need it. why should the tax payer bear the brunt of megalomania??

The corroded frame: Bureaucrats must be more accountable

Officers belonging to the All India Services like the IAS and the IPS have always been powerful, privileged and pampered. But increasingly many among them seem to be becoming a law unto themselves. What is even more disturbing is that reports of officers grabbing prime land, getting arrested while accepting bribes or defying rules while withdrawing public money have ceased to shock the common man, who is resigned to their inevitability.

There has indeed been an alarming increase in the number of officers found misusing their authority and allowing greed to dictate their action. While the decline of the All India Services has been a matter of concern for some time, recent reports have once again drawn attention to the urgency of making the officers more accountable.

A seemingly helpless Additional Director General of Police is reported to have informed the Punjab and Haryana High Court that 42 IAS officers and 10 IPS officers have been refusing to submit details of their property. An IAS officer was arrested in Himachal Pradesh last week while accepting a bribe.
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has pulled up the Director General of Police in Jharkhand for withdrawing a whopping Rs. 6 crore on a single day from the ‘secret fund’ without following financial rules. It is a paradox that some of the best and the brightest of the land, carefully chosen to serve the nation, should end up as virtual parasites. It is time the black sheep in the elite services are dealt with severely.

They have subverted the system and slowed down the government’s ability to deliver but successive governments have been far too lenient, reinstating most of them after a period of suspension. Service conditions need to be changed, if necessary, and rules made more stringent so that public money can be recovered and officers compulsorily retired or dismissed from service.
The corroded frame: Bureaucrats must be more accountable

DoPT gains some sanity?

Friday, July 10, 2009
DoPT regains some sanity – asks all Ministries to disclose file notings under RTI Act
Well, the threat of strong action under the Indian Penal Code by the Central Information Commission (CIC) against two officers of the DoPT has had the desired effect. DoPT has officially issued a circular to all Ministries and Departments that file notings have to be disclosed under the RTI Act.

The action came against the backdrop of serious vacillation on the part of the DoPT to correct contents of its website wherein it was stated that ‘file notings’ were not a part of the definition of ‘information’ under the RTI Act. Despite various decisions by the Central Information Commission declaring file notings disclosable under the Act, the DoPT did not amend the web material. In fact, even in the face of specific directions to remove the offending portion from its portal, the department failed to act in the matter fully knowing that as per the RTI Act, CIC decisions are binding on public authorities.

Some officers suggest that disclosure of file notings and minute sheets would lay open to scrutiny their decisions in tough public matters, not realising that transparency is much more important in public life than secrecy of identity. Moreover, officers taking decision as per law with proper application of mind have nothing to be afraid of. File notings have an important role to play in public administration – it is these notings which bring to light the logic or reasons behind administrative decisions and matters of public policy, it is these notings which disclose whether a particular public authority acted in a bonafide manner or was misled into taking a particular action by someone in the channel leading to the particular final policy decision. File notings also assist Hon’ble Courts of Law under the writ jurisdiction since the rationale and motives behind objectives sought to be achieved through public policies and decisions are disclosed and laid bare, which is good for any democracy, especially where public servants (masters ?) tend to hide behind a thick veil of official secrecy.
Posted by Navdeep / Maj Navdeep Singh at 5:08 AM
Ministry of Personnel, Grievances and Pensions

As reported by Aloke Tikku and Chetan Chauhan in timesofindia.indiatimes.com on 29 December 2008:
Why babus won?t reveal file notings- Hindustan Times
In a move that can strike a dent to the purpose of Right to Information Act (RTI) in the country, bureaucracy is averse to reveal official file notings that contain the discussions on the subject under consideration before the government.

The bureaucracy points to the instructions from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) — which comes directly under the Prime Minister — to keep the file notings under wraps. This decision will have a negative impact on the RTI purpose. Because making official notings public would have helped fix the trail of responsibility and accountability within the government.

The bureaucracy had tried to draw an iron curtain over this part of the file. The government, however, hasn't given up. A DoPT circular on April 10, 2008 noted CIC rulings that file notings was an integral part of a file and should be disclosed. “Applications seeking copies of the file notings may be disposed of as per clarification given on the website,” the circular issued by DoPT deputy secretary, Zoya CB, said.

Exasperated CIC Wajahat Habibullah said: “The DoPT view is illegal according to the RTI Act.” He told HT that the commission has asked DoPT to remove illegal definition of information from DoPT website.

DoPT's website had defined the information as all information except file notings. All Central government ministries had been following DoPT's version of information, and thereby denying file notings.

Habibullah said if the DoPT fails to comply with its direction, a penal action could be taken against the government official responsible for complying with the order.

On the DoPT’s order to different Central government ministries that file notings are not be provided unless the CIC issues a specific order, Habibullah said the issues will be resolved once the DoPT corrects its definition of information on its website.
Dept of Personnel and Training violating RTI Act: CIC

Tail Piece
Bureaucrats are white shepherds guarding the black sheep. Bureaucratic and Political terrorists are more dangerous than foreign terrorists who strike randomly whereas the former destroy our own social fabric slowly and surely.