How to Be a Veteran Leader

Want to know how to be an awesome Ex Servicemen leader that people can look up to? Here's your chance to find out. Our Retiring Jawans need more attention in civilian life. Who better qualifies to lead them?

1. Be very dedicated to what you are doing. Being a leader is a lot of responsibility and hard work, and you have to be up to it. Truly understand the field in which you are leading and be willing to spend a lot of time with whoever you're working with.
2. Help out others as much as you can. Spend quality time with those that need you.
3. Know right from wrong. Be cooperative as much as you can but also realize when you need to be assertive. Let people know when they are doing something that is not right.
4. Lead from the front. Put yourself on the front lines with your people, instead of trying to lead by just barking orders.
5. Be a good role model. Support those you are working with and do all you can to show everyone the strength of your team/ group.
6. Have confidence and be positive. A good leader never lets their team down. The meaning of the word team is "Together Everyone Achieves More". Work with everyone you can and have a good attitude.

Tips
Give everything all you've got. Just remember that people are relying on you.
Encourage those who follow you and build alliances.
Your example will set the tone. If you are patient and optimistic, ESM will learn to follow your example.

Warnings
Don't get too carried away. Being a leader doesn't mean you need to be cracking a whip over others constantly.
Don't be overly critical, but constructive.

Army's Web Portal

Indian Army website is a sight on eve of the Army Day on Tuesday. The only thing right about it is the name of the current Chief of Army Staff, General Deepak Kapoor, otherwise the official portal is full of half-baked and inaccurate information.

Under the heading major operations, the website stops at 1961. Anyone who visits the army website might think that after 1961, there have been no operations undertaken by the force.

There is no mention of the three major wars of 1962, 1965 and 1971, or the Kargil operations in 1999.

Ironically, it does list Indian Army's participation in the Ist and the IInd World wars when it was really the British Indian Army.

The website gives out information about India's participation in UN operations but again details are available only up to the year 2000. Similarly there is no information about hundreds of martyrs who lay down their lives in the line of duty every year.

There are several other shortcomings on the portal. The photo gallery displays former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and former defence minister George Fernandes' photographs but the current prime minister and the defence minister are missing.

''This is certainly a disgrace as it sends out a wrong signal about the Indian Army, it should be updated,'' said Lt General (retd) JBS Yadav.

In an era when modernisation is the buzzword in south block, not to get something as basic as the official website right does not reflect very well on the Indian Army of the 21st century.

Credit: Sudhi Ranjan Sen of NDTV
Monday, January 14, 2008 (New Delhi)

e- Gurukul for Ex Servicemen

The Corps of Signals of the Indian Army has embraced technology using a facility called e-gurukul. By using commercially available equipment, an interactive video and web based virtual classroom has been created for the first time in the Army.

Instructors based in a central location can run classes on the backbone communication network of the Indian Army with students that are in remote far- flung areas. To add an element of "human touch", video images of the instructor will be streamed live to all students.

The students can interact with the instructor either via a chat facility or through an embedded voice application. Students can choose their own time and place to fine tune skills. An online test feature added will allow the assessment to be carried out individually.

Training institutes of the armed forces are spread across the country. Soldiers have to physically reach training institutes for training. This may not be possible due to various commitments. There is a constant need to fine-tune skills given rapid technological advances. The movement of manpower from peace- time locations to training institutes would reduce, increase manpower availability and reduce costs. The updated information would then be available round the clock to the user.

Can similar system suitably modified be replicated by Directorate General Resettlement (DGR) which will greatly assist all our retiring Jawans seeking resettlement?