Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

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Viv S
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by Viv S »

ramana wrote:So what arms were those? Looks like to me small arms for MB to provide plausible deniability.
Well, seeing as the Army had infantry battalions operating across the border in mufti, I doubt deniability was much of an issue at the time.
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by ramana »

India and Israel should have been open about it. It would have undercut Nixon-Kissinger duo quite bit.
When Israel was facing the 1973 Yom Kippur war was there any Indian cooperation for past help recieved?
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by Philip »

Since the VKS affair is mentioned,posting here instead of the intel/securioty td.A welcome call from Adm.Prakash.

http://www.mizonews.net/nation/former-n ... tary-ties/
Former navy chief calls for ‘less adversarial’ civil-military ties
New Delhi: Terming the relationship between the Indian military and politico-bureaucratic establishment “brittle and laden with suspicion”, former navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash said Monday the “widening chasm” between the two was highlighted by the row over former army chief General V.K. Singh’s age and a media report “suggesting that an incipient military coup d’état had been uncovered”.

Delivering the third K. Subrahmanyam Memorial Lecture, Admiral Arun Prakash said the two controversies “demonstrated, yet again, not just the widening chasm between the military and politico-bureaucratic establishment, but also the sheer incapability of the latter to cope with crises of this nature”. He said the media report was made “to plant suspicion about the loyalty of India’s armed forces in people’s minds”, and added: “A deeply disturbing aspect of this episode is the suggestion that media could not have dared to concoct such a preposterous canard without a nod from the establishment”. He suggested that a “better system of higher defence management and a less adversarial civil-military relationship” could have helped avert such episodes, adding: “A strong political personality in South Block, too, could have defused most of them.”

The lecture on “Civil-Military Dissonance: Chink in India’s Armour”, organized by Global India Foundation, was held at the India International Centre. Admiral Arun Prakash pointed out the “subordinate status” of the service headquarters as among the reasons of India’s failure to attain self-reliance in weapons production and also “interminable delays” in deciding cases relating to acquisition of hardware, ordnance and manpower. Each case “is required to be steered through multiple layers of bureaucracy”, countering on the way numerous questions that are “repetitive and often raised to prevaricate; and every file movement takes weeks, if not months”, he said. This, he said, “has not only thwarted force modernization, inspite of recent reforms in procurement procedures, but also affected combat readiness”.

Admiral Arun Prakash said with civil servants lacking the necessary expertise to decide on requirements of the services and with no system of consultation with the armed forces, “the preferred solution for the un-informed bureaucracy is to cast the case in limbo. That is why delays ranging from 5-15 years are fairly common and modernization remains stalled”. The former naval chief said “major resistance to change” has come from the civil services which have “resolutely stalled every attempt at integration” of the service headquarters with the ministry of defence “since they apprehend erosion of their influence and authority”. “They are stubborn in their conviction that advice to the politician must come only from the bureaucracy, whose role in decision-making is the, putative, key to ‘civilian control’ of the armed forces,” he said.


Admiral Arun Prakash said the country’s lawmakers and politicians must decide whether the “civil-military dissonance has, indeed, created an urgent need for reforms in India’s national security structures”. Among the options he has suggested are studying afresh the task force reports of 1999 and 2011 on security reform to see if they can be implemented and a fresh panel set up to study civil-military relations. He pointed out that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in his address to the Combined Commanders Conference in November had called for “the right structures for higher defence management” to be set up and for an “appropriate civil-military balance in decision making”. “The fact that the head of government has openly admitted these shortcomings may hold out some hope; perhaps post-elections 2014,” he said.

Omprakash Mishra, member Secretary of Global India Foundation, in his address said: “India’s resilience and its global role can be maintained and sustained when compatibility, harmony and interdependence of civil sphere and military domain is better understood and achieved.”

Read more: http://www.mizonews.net/nation/former-n ... z2r8QIyeur
Last edited by rohitvats on 22 Jan 2014 19:55, edited 2 times in total.
Reason: highlighted relevant part in blue
Aditya G
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by Aditya G »

^ Even amongst the select club of retired chiefs, Adm. Arun Prakash has the intellect and stature to highlight these problems. I thank him for being active on such forums.
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by anand_sankar »

Just got to know of this! AND I AM SO PROUD! 5/5 GR is a unit with which I have many fond memories. A buddy has served with them as an officer and I have had the honour of spending a lot of time with the unit.

"Naib Subedar Bhupal Singh Chhantel Magar of 5/5 Gorkha Rifles was awarded the Kirti Chakra for "displaying exceptional bravery, raw courage and junior leadership beyond the call of duty, in successful counter infiltration operations" along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir."

Gorkhas and bravery are synonymous, and Nb Sub Magar has lived up to the highest traditions! I am told what he did was phenomenal! A host other personnel from the unit were also awarded in the same op! My hearty congratulations to the unit!

The citation for Nb Sub Bhupal Singh said he had been chosen for the Kirti Chakra for displaying exceptional bravery, raw courage and junior leadership beyond the call of duty, in successful counter infiltration operations along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu & Kashmir. He is a resident of Rupendehi district of Nepal.

According to the citation, on 31 August 2013, while guarding a crucial gap along the LoC in Kupwara district, Nb Sub Bhupal Singh spotted movement of six heavily armed terrorists.

"Displaying remarkable presence of mind, he immediately side-stepped his position in rugged and boulders ridden terrain and closed in towards the terrorists, despite being under fire. The gallant soldier, displaying nerves of steel, fired a long burst, killing one terrorist. He pursued the second terrorist and injured him. While the injured terrorist was hiding behind a boulder, the junior commissioned officer (JCO), unmindful of his personal safety, charged towards the terrorist and killed him," it said.

A pic from my time with the unit: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater
Last edited by anand_sankar on 27 Jan 2014 19:17, edited 1 time in total.
member_23455
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by member_23455 »

anand_sankar wrote:Just got to know of this! AND I AM SO PROUD! 5/5 GR is a unit with which I have many fond memories. A buddy has served with them as an officer and I have had the honour of spending a lot of time with the unit.

"Naib Subedar Bhupal Singh Chhantel Magar of 5/5 Gorkha Rifles was awarded the Kirti Chakra for "displaying exceptional bravery, raw courage and junior leadership beyond the call of duty, in successful counter infiltration operations" along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir."

Gorkhas and bravery are synonymous, and Nb Sub Magar has lived up to the highest traditions! I am told what he did was phenomenal! A host other personnel from the unit were also awarded in the same op! My hearty congratulations to the unit!

A pic from my time with the unit: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =1&theater
Awesome!

For those interested in such trivia 5/5 GR (FF) also has the honour of being awarded the first ever Ashok Chakra.
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by anand_sankar »

@RajitO

The last decade has been a very turbulent one for the unit. For those of us close to them, this is a very special moment. Now the unit has its pride back!
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by anand_sankar »

I live in Dehradun now, anyone wants the story, feel free to buzz me and drop by for cup of tea!
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by anand_sankar »

Sepoy Ran Bahadur Gurung (posthumous) , 5/5 Gorkha Rifles, was awarded the Shaurya Chakra for another op. RIP the braveheart!

"Sepoy Gurung has been chosen for the Shaurya Chakra posthumously for displaying exceptional resilience, commitment and epic bravery during counter infiltration operations along the Line of Control in J&K. He is a resident of Kaski district of Nepal.

On 31 Jul 2013, Sepoy Gurung was part of the surveillance detachment deployed in boulders and steep cliffs. Despite being in virtually cramped position for four days during inclement weather, he maintained sharp vigilance. On 3 August 2013 at approximately 5:30 AM, he sensed some movement in the fog and alerted his party. Suddenly, the terrorist opened indiscriminate fire and lobbed two grenades towards the neighbouring team.
ADVERTISEMENT

"Sensing threat to his colleagues Sepoy Ran Bahadur Gurung fired at the terrorist and crawled closer towards him. This action diverted the terrorist’s attention who charged towards Sepoy Ran Bahadur Gurung and lobbed another grenade. Displaying steely nerves, Sepoy Ran Bahadur Gurung kept engaging the terrorist, giving crucial time for neighbouring team to readjust. However, another burst by the terrorist caused a fatal injury to the gallant soldier, who sacrificed his life in the defence of the nation," the citation added."

http://netindian.in/news/2014/01/25/000 ... 7-soldiers
anand_sankar
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by anand_sankar »

Finally, Sena Medal Gallantry:

LANCE HAVILDAR BISHAL GURUNG 5/5TH BATTALION THE GORKHA RIFLES (FRONTIER FORCE).
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by P Chitkara »

Just curious as to why did the Army not display any of the local equipment (Arjun, Pinaka) this year.
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by nelson »

rohitvats
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by rohitvats »

anand_sankar wrote:@RajitO

The last decade has been a very turbulent one for the unit. For those of us close to them, this is a very special moment. Now the unit has its pride back!
Do pass on congratulations and small thank you from us fellow country men...tell them we're proud of them.

PS: Is this the same unit from recent LOC flare-up in Kupwara? Thanks.
anand_sankar
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by anand_sankar »

Same neck of the woods. The flare up was last year. Dunno if the same area of ops.
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by member_23455 »

anand_sankar wrote:I live in Dehradun now, anyone wants the story, feel free to buzz me and drop by for cup of tea!
You are in hallowed surroundings. Here's another story worth looking up in your neck of the woods with a GR (1/11), Ashok Chakra, J&K connection...poignant stuff.

http://mohyalsabhadehradun.com/2nd-lt-puneet-nath-datt/

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORC ... ge/Puneet/
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by anand_sankar »

@RajitO, never a dull day, always a story to hear, and someone to offer a peg :)

Thanks for the link, interesting to follow up.
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by Akshay Kapoor »

My first close experience of the Gorkhas was standing in a UAC pit as a teenager with the ustad telling us in graphic detail of his first time in ''action'' with a working lady (as they say in Vegas) ;-) And then he proceeded to tell us about the difference in male and female anatomy in the context of effective unarmed comabt. 8GR if I remember correctly. Later that day in a demo of rock climbing one of them scrambled up a bare vertical rockface without any gear. The awe of the morning only increased !
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by Prem Kumar »

Amazing story of a Kargil Blade Runner

http://yourstory.com/2014/01/left-dead- ... de-runner/
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by chetak »

Received by email

Posted on 26 Jan 2014 by Sword


"A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of coloured ribbon” Napoleon is said to have told the captain of HMS Bellerophon, which was transporting him to exile at St Helena in 1815.

Much has changed in the world in the 200 years since – but the truth of this statement still holds as good today for soldiers across the world. The bit of coloured ribbon, with a metallic talisman attached at the end, is the ultimate reward a soldier gets for doing his utmost even while risking, and often losing, limb or life – a gallantry award as a token of appreciation and admiration by a grateful nation.
But not every commendable act or series of acts take place in the face of the enemy. Some acts of devotion to duty don’t involve physical courage or valour, but nevertheless exhibit extreme sense of selflessness – putting ‘Service Before Self’. And the corresponding rewards for such acts are medals for distinguished service. Like all awards, these are meant to highlight commendable acts, encourage the awardee, and motivate others to emulate.
Then there is a third category of ribbons and medals adorned by service personnel. These are not really ‘awards’, but given as a matter of routine to mark completion of a particular length of service (nine years, twenty years), or for serving in a qualifying area such as high altitude or specified operational areas. These are colloquially referred to as ‘free ration’ medals – a term originating in the fact that prior to the eighties, the entitlement of free rations for officer extended only to those serving in field areas, which were generally the same as the qualifying areas for such ribbons and medals.


With that in mind, consider the following rank-wise breakdown of recipients of the 184 distinguished service awards announced this Republic Day 2014 :-
Lt Gens – 51
Maj Gens – 37
Brigs – 43
Cols – 45
Lt Cols – 05
Majs – 03
Capt / Lt – Nil
Persons Below Officer Rank (PBOR) – Nil

The army is authorized a total of 81 Lt Gens, 274 Maj Gens, 1044 Brigs and 4013 Cols. Thus 63% of all serving Lt Gens, 13.5% of Maj Gens, 4.1% of Brigs and 1.1% of Cols have been recognized for distinguished service. And, ostensibly, not one out of the over 10,00,000 personnel below the rank of officer performed any act qualifying him to be recognized for devotion to duty.

In June last year, a terrible disaster struck Uttarakhand. A massive rescue and relief operation was launched, that involved thousands of soldiers. They worked tirelessly and selflessly to provide succor to the victims. The fact that not a single one of those thousand soldiers was chosen to be recognized on Republic Day with a distinguished service award doesn’t speak very highly of the entire system of awards. Agreed, that there are other, lower awards –Commendation Cards of the Chief and Army Commanders, which would have been awarded to quite a few of the PBOR including those involved in the rescue operations. But the non-inclusion of any of the lower ranks amongst the higher awards, and the explicit rank bias exhibited in the percentages above, suggests a clear co-relation between rank and recognition for distinguished service. This is something that negates the very purpose of such awards – viz, distinguishing the extraordinary from the ordinary. It undermines the significance and the value of such awards.


There is no denying the fact that any individual who rises to the upper echelons of the steep pyramid of army hierarchy does so based on outperforming his peers. The reward for such differential performance is the promotion, which is pretty elusive in itself. But duplication of such performance parameters with qualification for distinguished service awards cannot be justified. Thus, the bar for what can be considered as ‘distinguished service’ should be raised with the rise in ranks. This would ensure that at every level of rank and service,individuals who perceptibly differentiate themselves from their peers by performing outstanding service are duly recognized by such awards. Otherwise, if we continue this trend unabated, distinguished service awards may soon be reduced to glorified ‘free ration’ medals for senior officers.
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by Vipul »

Tatas to bag Rs 1k cr Army contract to supply heavy duty trucks, Tatra trucks’ monopoly to end.

Tata is in the final stages of concluding a Rs 1,000 crore contract with the Ministry of Defence for the supply of 1,239 heavy duty trucks, in a move that will herald the end of a decades-long monopoly Czech-made Tatra trucks enjoyed in supplying the military's high-end vehicles.

The deal for the so-called six-wheel-drive high mobility vehicles (HMV), fitted with material handling cranes, has the option of a follow-on order for 600 more units, a senior company executive said. This deal is among the three procurement projects the defence ministry kicked off last year involving specialized trucks.

"We have been out of this category for 30 years. We had to get into this. This is the future," said Vernon Noronha, vice president, defence and government business at Tata Motors.

He said the company expected to conclude the deal in a few days. In November last year, the company had emerged as the lowest bidder, beating three other contenders—Vehicles Factory Jabalpur with Ashok Leyland, Force Motors with MAN SE and BEML with Tatra.

In April last year, ET reported that a consortium of Larsen and Toubro and Ashok Leyland had emerged the lowest bidders in a Rs100 crore contract to procure 100 multi-barrel rocket launchers (meant to replace the Grad BM21 truck-mounted rocket launchers). That deal is still with the contract negotiation committee (CNC), which is the final stage in all defence procurement.

The defence ministry is currently holding trials for two other con tracts involving trucks—eight-wheel-drive high mobility trucks and a specialised platform called the Field Artillery Tractor (FAT).

Tata Motors is participating in both. The eight-wheel-drive HMV contract is for 255 units and has an approximate value of Rs 400 crore, while the FAT contract is for 100 units with an approximate total value of Rs 80 crore.

A defence ministry spokesperson declined to comment. An analyst who closely tracks the ministry's finances said it was unlikely that the ministry will sign any new contract this fiscal as the finance ministry had made revisions to the defence budget, moving Rs 7,800 crore from capital expenditure to revenue expenditure category. This means the MoD is left with little money to spend on acquisitions.

"It's unlikely that the contract will be signed before 31 March. But it is a welcome move. It was a huge anomaly that a country with aspirations of building a nuclear submarine and a fourth generation fighter jet and intercontinental ballistic missiles continued to import trucks. This should have happened 20-30 years ago.

This is happeneing now due to the Tatra controversy," said Laxman Kumar Behera, a research fellow with the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

Behera was referring to the federal investigation into Indian army's purchase of more than 7,000 Tatra trucks from the state-owned BEML since 1986.

The controversy erupted after the former army chief General VK Singh said that he had been offered bribes to continue buying trucks made by Tatra.
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by Shrinivasan »

^^^ Can anyone confirm if the 10 trucks for MBRLs (from L&T and AL) is for Grad or Pinaka? AFAIK Grad was mounted on a TATA truck and Pinaka was mounted on an AL truck. Anyway... these new and incremental puchaces would go a long way in improving mobility!!! Hopefully they all with be RHD trucks?!?
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by svenkat »

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/even-after-44-years-relief-eludes-disabled-soldier/article5642816.ece?homepage=true
Forty-four years after he suffered 230 per cent disability and blindness in a TNT explosion while serving in the 1 Armoured Engineering Regiment, R. Mani was recently offered a sum of Rs 1 lakh by the Indian Army under a self employment scheme meant for rehabilitation.

The offer has only added to the sense of hurt to Mr. Mani, who is now 70 years old and having lost both his arms, sight of the eyes and some hearing power is in no position to take up an employment scheme.

For Mr. Mani, though this is not the first time in the last 44 years that he has had to fight the system for his rightful dues. According to him, the Army treated him like a “medically invalid man” rather than a “war casualty”.
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by Austin »

Interview with Lt General Nitin Kohli, Signal Officer-in-Chief and Colonel Commandant, Indian Army

'The profession of arms is a 'calling', rather than being just a job'

Interview with Chief of Army Staff General Bikram Singh

The budgetary allocation to the Army in the recent years has been fairly consistent'
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by Rahul M »

ramana wrote:So what arms were those? Looks like to me small arms for MB to provide plausible deniability.

Moshe Dayan had written that Israel and India had links right after 1956.

BTW role of Shah's Iran was not any revelation except for the 'no memory' folks. Right after 1965, Shah of Iran diverted 'old' F-86s from West German arms dealers to TSP.

Hind Times review of the book:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-new ... 46011.aspx
MK Dhar's novel operation xxx has details of such an ops involving an ex mossad arms seller ferrying guns for MB.
it has been hinted enough times that the incidents of the novel are inspired by real life cases.
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by Rahul M »

Col. Kaleem, a retd. IA officer is on a 35,000 km long solo bike trip around the country over 90 days to raise awareness about environment.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/hvkumar ... ream_ref=1
http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/news/28127- ... india.html
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by SanjayC »

World War I, the India story retold

The stories of 1.3 million Indian soldiers who fought the First World War have been almost forgotten. Now in the centenary year of the Great War, a project plans to collate their tales.

Far from the public eye, a handful of men have been hard at work for the last one year at the Centre for Armed Forces Historical Research in Delhi. Their mission is to painstakingly put together the forgotten story of the 1.3 million Indian soldiers who had been sent to fight for the British Empire in the First World War.

For a hundred years, the story of this force had been nearly forgotten — the narrative of World War I has so far been predominantly white. The Indian story had to be told because it rarely happens that one nation's war is fought by another's armies. But not only did Britain downplay the contribution of these men but India, too, chose to ignore them. In fact, the nationalist voices in free India actively disowned parts of this history.

"It's a shame that we have to push for preservation of the memory of the First World War through the centenary celebration. Even in Britain, there is less public awareness about the Great War. There is an instant connect when it comes to World War II, since people who took part in it or saw it are still alive. Also, it happened just a little over 20 years after the Great War, nobody really got enough time to think about the importance of the first. But four years ago, we opened a gallery at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton dedicated to the memory of the Indian soldiers who stayed there, and that generated a lot of awareness about them. Now, people in Brighton know and understand the important role the Indians played in WWI," says Jody East, creative programme curator of Brighton Museum & Art Gallery.

East was on a whirlwind trip to India in search of WWI relics and was in Delhi when TOI spoke to her on Tuesday. Earlier, she was in Kolkata to meet the curator of Victoria Memorial Museum. But she couldn't find much there to take back home, save some valuable verbal inputs. Finding comprehensive records of the war in India is a problem. But there are countless profiles in courage buried in the cold vaults of libraries and museums across the world.

Squadron Leader (retired) Rana TS Chhina, an authority on the history of the Indian armed forces who is heading the project, acknowledges this neglect. "WWI records do not exist in a consolidated form in India. We have been trying to put together an archive for some time now. We've made some progress and have been collaborating with the Commonwealth countries. We will soon bring out a coffee table book, leaflets and booklets on the Indian Army's involvement in the war," he says.

He points out that the First World War exposed Indian troops to modern warcraft for the first time. Roped in by the British to help halt the German juggernaut, these men were only trained and equipped to fight 19thcentury wars. "This was a modern war with casualties of an industrial nature — whole battalions would be wiped out in a single day. But despite that, the Indian soldier doggedly held his ground and pressed on with such tenacity that the enemy was forced to take notice."

Indian troops suffered heavy casualties as they fought in the frozen trenches of Europe, in the bloody campaigns of the Middle East, the Dardanelles and the Mediterranean, and East Africa. The Indian Expeditionary Forces would lose 74,187 in the war and 69,214 would return home wounded.

Sadly, when the survivors returned home, no hero's welcome awaited them. India had given full military, political and economic support (the country had gifted 100 million pounds to fund the war) to Britain anticipating dominion status and home rule in return. But once the war ended, the British were in no hurry to appease India. So, the returning army seemed to Indians like the Empire's instrument of oppression. But now, there is hope that the Indian soldier will get his due place in history.

By 1915, the British Indian Army lost over 3,000 men in the Western Front. The 14,000 wounded were brought to Southampton and from there to the three hospitals in Brighton of which the Royal Pavilion was the most noteworthy. It was a palace that was converted into an Indian military hospital and 4,306 men were treated here.

"The soldiers were well looked after and even King George V and Queen Mary visited them at the hospital. But the whole thing became part of the British propaganda. Happy-looking Indian soldiers were filmed relaxing in the palace environs; picture postcards of Indian soldiers were made and 1,20,000 of them were sold locally. Sometime later, a multilingual commemorative book was also printed and 20,000 copies were shipped to India alone," East says.

There is no denying that the loyalty of many of these soldiers to the King Emperor grew stronger in England. But the letters these men sent home also reflect a sense of despair. "They were constantly watched and couldn't go out alone. This was probably because English women were interested in them and the government didn't want word of any liaison between Indian men and British women to reach India," East says.

An exhibition is being put together at the Royal Pavilion where the Indian soldier and his role in the First World War will be honoured. After all, he belonged to the largest voluntary force in history at that time, significantly bigger than the combined troops of Ireland, Wales and Scotland, and even bigger than the 1.12 million-strong Indian Army of today.

(If your ancestor fought in WWI or you have any memorabilia of it, please email manimugdha.sharma@timesgroup.com)
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by Nikhil T »

Rahul Gandhi backs One-Rank-One-Pension demand
Around 3 million defence pensioners may finally see their long-standing demand of ‘one rank, one pension (OROP) fulfilled with Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi reportedly backing the proposal.

Gandhi will meet a delegation of ex-servicemen (ESM) on Friday to discuss the OROP issue, which could boost the Congress’ fortunes in an election year.

"He is taking personal interest in the OROP issue and there could be some forward movement,” a source said. The Congress vice-president will also address an ESM rally in Uttarakhand on February 22.

The OROP will ensure that retired soldiers of the same rank and the same length of service receive the same pension, irrespective of their date of retirement. The scheme is estimated to cost Rs. 2,000 crore annually.

Currently, all pre-2006 (the year the 6th pay panel report became effective) pensioners receive lesser pension than not only their counterparts but also their juniors. For instance, a major general who retired in 1995 draws a basic pension of Rs. 30,350 but an officer retiring in the same rank after 2006 gets Rs. 38,500. Similarly, a colonel who retired in 2003 gets Rs. 26,150, compared to Rs. 34,000 drawn by a colonel who retired this year.

Gandhi’s now-famous interventions are seen to produce results, be it raising the cap on LPG cylinders from nine to 12 or junking a controversial ordinance shielding convicted lawmakers.

The push for OROP, which will benefit about 600,000 widows, comes at a time when Gandhi has made a strong pitch for women’s empowerment.

He also seems to have tapped into a potent source of discontent among defence pensioners.

“My pension is lesser than a colonel’s. It is humiliating. The ESM vote will go to the party that implements the OROP,” said Major General Satbir Singh (retd), who heads an ESM outfit. ESM groups claim they can influence at least three crore votes.

Decorated veterans have in the past returned their medals, gone on hunger strikes and signed petitions in blood to draw the government’s attention to the OROP issue.

The government had in 2009 declared that it had earmarked Rs. 2,200 crore annually to improve the pension of jawans, a step it described as “partial implementation” of the OROP that had benefitted 1.2 million pensioners.
So UPA won't care if soldiers go on hunger strikes, write letters in blood and even return their hard-fought gallantry medals. All it takes is a nod from RG.
vic
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by vic »

Vipul wrote:Tatas to bag Rs 1k cr Army contract to supply heavy duty trucks, Tatra trucks’ monopoly to end.

Tata is in the final stages of concluding a Rs 1,000 crore contract with the Ministry of Defence for the supply of 1,239 heavy duty trucks, in a move that will herald the end of a decades-long monopoly Czech-made Tatra trucks enjoyed in supplying the military's high-end vehicles.

The deal for the so-called six-wheel-drive high mobility vehicles (HMV), fitted with material handling cranes, has the option of a follow-on order for 600 more units, a senior company executive said. This deal is among the three procurement projects the defence ministry kicked off last year involving specialized trucks.


In April last year, ET reported that a consortium of Larsen and Toubro and Ashok Leyland had emerged the lowest bidders in a Rs100 crore contract to procure 100 multi-barrel rocket launchers (meant to replace the Grad BM21 truck-mounted rocket launchers). That deal is still with the contract negotiation committee (CNC), which is the final stage in all defence procurement.

The defence ministry is currently holding trials for two other con tracts involving trucks—eight-wheel-drive high mobility trucks and a specialised platform called the Field Artillery Tractor (FAT).

Tata Motors is participating in both. The eight-wheel-drive HMV contract is for 255 units and has an approximate value of Rs 400 crore, while the FAT contract is for 100 units with an approximate total value of Rs 80 crore.

But it is a welcome move. It was a huge anomaly that a country with aspirations of building a nuclear submarine and a fourth generation fighter jet and intercontinental ballistic missiles continued to import trucks. This should have happened 20-30 years ago.

This is happening now due to the Tatra controversy," said Laxman Kumar Behera, a research fellow with the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.
As soon as we were able to shake off the import lobby leech stuck on the India with glue of bribes, were Indian Companies able to get orders of around Rs 2000+ crores.
SanjayC
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by SanjayC »

As soon as we were able to shake off the import lobby leech stuck on the India with glue of bribes, were Indian Companies able to get orders of around Rs 2000+ crores.
Imagine if 20,000 crore rupees circulates within Indian economy every year due to defense contracts going to Indian firms, what kind of difference it will make to jobs for Indians and our companies will get the necessary scale to compete globally and invest in defense R&D. However, till now, our babus have been sending this money out of India to finance the economic growth of other countries.

Isn't it absurd to bar your own private companies from defense sector in the name of socialism and then have no problem in giving the same contracts to private companies of other countries.
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by mody »

chetak wrote:Received by email

Posted on 26 Jan 2014 by Sword


"A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of coloured ribbon” Napoleon is said to have told the captain of HMS Bellerophon, which was transporting him to exile at St Helena in 1815.

Much has changed in the world in the 200 years since – but the truth of this statement still holds as good today for soldiers across the world. The bit of coloured ribbon, with a metallic talisman attached at the end, is the ultimate reward a soldier gets for doing his utmost even while risking, and often losing, limb or life – a gallantry award as a token of appreciation and admiration by a grateful nation.
But not every commendable act or series of acts take place in the face of the enemy. Some acts of devotion to duty don’t involve physical courage or valour, but nevertheless exhibit extreme sense of selflessness – putting ‘Service Before Self’. And the corresponding rewards for such acts are medals for distinguished service. Like all awards, these are meant to highlight commendable acts, encourage the awardee, and motivate others to emulate.
Then there is a third category of ribbons and medals adorned by service personnel. These are not really ‘awards’, but given as a matter of routine to mark completion of a particular length of service (nine years, twenty years), or for serving in a qualifying area such as high altitude or specified operational areas. These are colloquially referred to as ‘free ration’ medals – a term originating in the fact that prior to the eighties, the entitlement of free rations for officer extended only to those serving in field areas, which were generally the same as the qualifying areas for such ribbons and medals.


With that in mind, consider the following rank-wise breakdown of recipients of the 184 distinguished service awards announced this Republic Day 2014 :-
Lt Gens – 51
Maj Gens – 37
Brigs – 43
Cols – 45
Lt Cols – 05
Majs – 03
Capt / Lt – Nil
Persons Below Officer Rank (PBOR) – Nil

The army is authorized a total of 81 Lt Gens, 274 Maj Gens, 1044 Brigs and 4013 Cols. Thus 63% of all serving Lt Gens, 13.5% of Maj Gens, 4.1% of Brigs and 1.1% of Cols have been recognized for distinguished service. And, ostensibly, not one out of the over 10,00,000 personnel below the rank of officer performed any act qualifying him to be recognized for devotion to duty.

In June last year, a terrible disaster struck Uttarakhand. A massive rescue and relief operation was launched, that involved thousands of soldiers. They worked tirelessly and selflessly to provide succor to the victims. The fact that not a single one of those thousand soldiers was chosen to be recognized on Republic Day with a distinguished service award doesn’t speak very highly of the entire system of awards. Agreed, that there are other, lower awards –Commendation Cards of the Chief and Army Commanders, which would have been awarded to quite a few of the PBOR including those involved in the rescue operations. But the non-inclusion of any of the lower ranks amongst the higher awards, and the explicit rank bias exhibited in the percentages above, suggests a clear co-relation between rank and recognition for distinguished service. This is something that negates the very purpose of such awards – viz, distinguishing the extraordinary from the ordinary. It undermines the significance and the value of such awards.


There is no denying the fact that any individual who rises to the upper echelons of the steep pyramid of army hierarchy does so based on outperforming his peers. The reward for such differential performance is the promotion, which is pretty elusive in itself. But duplication of such performance parameters with qualification for distinguished service awards cannot be justified. Thus, the bar for what can be considered as ‘distinguished service’ should be raised with the rise in ranks. This would ensure that at every level of rank and service,individuals who perceptibly differentiate themselves from their peers by performing outstanding service are duly recognized by such awards. Otherwise, if we continue this trend unabated, distinguished service awards may soon be reduced to glorified ‘free ration’ medals for senior officers.

If the above is true, it does raise some uncomfortable questions about our army.
nelson
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by nelson »

mody wrote:...
Posted on 26 Jan 2014 by Sword


"A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of coloured ribbon” Napoleon is said to have told the captain of HMS Bellerophon, which was transporting him to exile at St Helena in 1815.

....

With that in mind, consider the following rank-wise breakdown of recipients of the 184 distinguished service awards announced this Republic Day 2014 :-
Lt Gens – 51
Maj Gens – 37
Brigs – 43
Cols – 45
Lt Cols – 05
Majs – 03
Capt / Lt – Nil
Persons Below Officer Rank (PBOR) – Nil

The army is authorized a total of 81 Lt Gens, 274 Maj Gens, 1044 Brigs and 4013 Cols. Thus 63% of all serving Lt Gens, 13.5% of Maj Gens, 4.1% of Brigs and 1.1% of Cols have been recognized for distinguished service. And, ostensibly, not one out of the over 10,00,000 personnel below the rank of officer performed any act qualifying him to be recognized for devotion to duty.

....

...

If the above is true, it does raise some uncomfortable questions about our army.
That is the reason they are called "Vichitra Seva Medals", many a time.
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by chetak »

kangress ke haath, aam aadmi ke saath


Disabled brigadier dies awaiting medical reimbursement


Disabled brigadier dies awaiting medical reimbursement
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 15


The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has proved to be the nemesis of a critically ill disabled brigadier. The officer died yesterday while waiting for the reimbursement of expenses incurred on his emergency treatment several years ago. Despite judicial orders three years ago, which were upheld by the Supreme Court, the MoD has been sitting on the case.

Owing to an in-service disability, an automated implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (AICD) was implanted on Brig TS Sekhon (retd) in 2003. It controls low as well as high heart rate and its wires and leads are connected to the heart. The device has a life of about four years. A surgery to replace the AICD and to remove the wires was not successful.

While on a visit to Germany to meet his daughter, the brigadier had a medical emergency. He was evacuated to a hospital where an emergency procedure was carried out to save his heart through a laser surgery and the wires were also removed.

It was certified by doctors that the procedure was an emergency procedure and it was also endorsed by doctors of the Army in India. The total cost incurred was Rs 5.56 lakh which, it was claimed, was much less than the treatment that would have cost in India. The Ex-servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) provides for reimbursement in emergencies at the government hospital rates. Hence, Brigadier Sekhon applied for reimbursement.

Despite it being certified by the Indian and German doctors as a medical emergency, the claim was rejected by the MoD on the ground that he should have returned to India for the procedure and that the reimbursement of medical emergencies outside India was not permissible. The brigadier contested both the statements on the grounds that it was clear from the medical documents that it was an emergency and there was nothing in the ECHS policy which stated that emergencies outside India would not be reimbursed. The only stipulation in the policy was that in case of an emergency, only the rates as applicable to the AIIMS would be considered.

He moved the Chandigarh Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal, which allowed his petition in February 2011 and directed the MoD to release the reimbursement at the rates at which the treatment would have cost in India. The Tribunal also quoted a Supreme Court (SC) judgment which provides that medical expenditure has to be released at the Indian rates even if an emergency has happened outside India.

The MoD did not implement the order despite no stay on it and appealed against it in the SC. Though the MoD’s appeal was dismissed by the SC, his application for the execution of the orders kept getting adjourned by the Tribunal.
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by VinodTK »

Troops to economy, army cells to keep a watch on China

In a first, the Indian Army has deployed a special team of officers to keep tabs on China’s growing capabilities, dig into the heart of its strategic mindset and predict its impact on national security.
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These officers, assigned to “China cells” scattered across the northern, central and eastern sectors where the two countries have long-simmering border disputes, have been given the sole mandate to track every Chinese move and file reports on a daily basis, a top officer told HT.

The teams are monitoring not only China’s military capabilities but also critical areas such as its international relations strategies, soft power efforts and economic reforms, said a source.

The army looks at the move- a brainchild of army chief General Bikram Singh – as a way of understanding China better, amid global concerns about its strategic intent.

"It’s not about an incursion here or a transgression there. The China cells are looking at the big picture,” the officer said. He clarified that the army wasn’t interfering in the domain of the ministry of external affairs, describing the cells as the army’s “in-house think tanks.”

The cell set up at the Kolkata-based Eastern Command is staffed by six officers, including a brigadier (China) who heads it. The squads at the Udhampur-based Northern Command and the Lucknow-based Central Command consist of three officers each and are headed by colonels.

In recent months, China has grown increasingly aggressive along the line of actual control (LAC).

This has happened in spite of the two countries signing a new border pact, with a series of incursions straining bilateral ties. China’s aggressive foreign policy has triggered disquiet globally, at a time when the US is focusing on the Asia-Pacific region, seen as a counter to China.

There have been growing concerns about China bullying countries with whom it has territorial disputes in the South China Sea, parts of which are claimed by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan. China also set off alarm bells last year by unilaterally declaring control of the airspace above large parts of the East China Sea, where it is locked in a territorial dispute with Japan.
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by Paul »

one rank one pension approved per breaking news on Times now!
Paul
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by Paul »

Defence spending to be 2.25 lakh crores.
Austin
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by Austin »

Paul wrote:one rank one pension approved per breaking news on Times now!
Good for the Armed Forces , So Rahul Gandhi supporting it makes all the difference :)
Austin
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by Austin »

Paul wrote:Defence spending to be 2.25 lakh crores.
At todays Rupee Rate of 62 how much is 2.24 lakh crore in USD ?
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Re: Indian Army: News and Discussions 15 Apr 2012

Post by Roperia »

Austin wrote:
Paul wrote:Defence spending to be 2.25 lakh crores.
At todays Rupee Rate of 62 how much is 2.24 lakh crore in USD ?
2.25 lakh crore = $36.29 billion at that rate.

Last financial year it was $37.24 billion (even though the rupee figure was lower at 2.04 lakh crore).

IMO, 10.29% hike is pretty decent.
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