Indian Army: News and Discussion

[F-14]

wow how grate why dont we abandon the westminsiter stly democrecy also please sinces the rules that run the goverment are also written by the Brits not us the GoI act of 1935 remember this is also a relic of the Raj period lets return to the good old days of Royal rule

 

[SATISH]

I am happy atleast now the government woke up...atleast now the young jawans wont feel "is this why i joined the army"...while polishing the boots. The babus have woken up atlast.

 

[youngindian]

Army needs new air defence guns

July 29: A significant percentage of the Indian Army’s air-defence guns are obsolete and the Army will need to acquire modern air defence guns, sources have said. Currently, the Army has air defence guns of Soviet Russian vintage like the L-70 (single-barrel guns which were acquired in the 1960s), the ZU-23 (twin-barrel guns which were acquired in the 1980s) and the Schilka air defence guns (four barrel guns acquired in the 1970s). Sources said the Army would need modern eight-barrel air defence guns capable of ensuring adequate air-defence. The government has been maintaining that it is modernising equipment of the armed forces which is a continuous process.

Incidentally, the Indian Air Force will also be phasing out hundreds of its Pechora surface-to-air missiles within the next four years. Sources said that the Soviet-era missiles, which were procured from the former Soviet Union more than three decades ago, will be destroyed in phases at the IAF’s firing range at Bapatla in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh.

There are currently about 24 Pechora missile squadrons of the IAF at air-bases all over the country, including border states such as Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Gujarat and Rajasthan. Each missile squadron comprises of over 40 missiles. The IAF will wait for the induction of the DRDO’s Akash missiles.


The Asian Age - Enjoy the difference

 

[dave lukins]

will be destroyed in phases at the IAF’s firing range at Bapatla in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh.

Couldn't they be 'accidentally' destroyed on LeT locations

 

[Antimony]

Some officers have also argued that civilian government officials enjoy similar perks — and often treat their staff far worse.

Yes, lets strip the babudom of their ill deseved perks. If a babu wants a personal servant, he/ she can hire one like the rest of us.

I have seen enough babus abusing their position and their staff.(((

Even more disgusting, the spouses seem to enjoy the powers more than the actual babu

 

[p2prada]

Couldn't they be 'accidentally' destroyed on LeT locations

Would love to see the fireworks.

 

[venom]

Would love to see the fireworks.

Lets fire those across the LOC....... ha ha

 

[bhramos]

Sikh soldiers to guard Queen Elizabeth II

Sikh soldiers guard Queen Elizabeth II



Fri Jul 31, 10:33 am ET


LONDON – Queen Elizabeth II has switched bearskin hats for turbans outside Buckingham Palace, where Sikh soldiers have begun guarding the monarch and her treasures, Britain's defense ministry said Friday.


Signaler Simranjit Singh and Lance Cpl. Sarvjit Singh are the first Sikhs to take part in patrols outside the queen's residence and to stand watch over the Crown jewels at the Tower of London across town.


Guard duties are usually carried out by the Guards of Household Division, famed for their bearskin hats and crimson coats that attract picture-taking tourists in their thousands. The ministry said the Sikh soldiers instead wore turbans and blue uniforms.


Other army regiments often help carry out guard duties at Britain's Buckingham Palace when the Household Division is on operations. The ministry said the two soldiers are the first of the 90 Sikhs in Britain's army to be handed the task.


"It's purely a coincidence that this has happened now," said a defense ministry spokeswoman, on condition of anonymity in line with policy.


"Regiments take it in turn to stand in for the Household Division and it just happens that two of the soldiers this time round are Sikh."


Sarvjit Singh, who was born in India and is a member of 3 Regiment Army Air Corps, said he was thrilled to have had the opportunity to guard the queen.


"My experience being a Sikh on the queen's guard is beyond words," said the 28-year-old. "It is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I feel privileged to have this honor."


"Being in London and parading in front of hundreds of people has been brilliant.



Being Sikh hasn't made any difference," said Simranjit Singh, 26, from Coventry in central England, who is attached to the 21 Signal Regiment (Air Support).


"It's been hard work, but definitely worth it," he said.


He said the toughest part of the role is keeping perfectly still when on sentry duty outside the queen's home.


Sikhs routinely guarded Queen Victoria — a colonial ruler of India. At the time of World War I, Sikhs formed about 20 percent of the British army, but numbers dwindled following India's independence.


Sikh soldiers guard Queen Elizabeth II - Yahoo! News

Its great honour to both Sikh and Indian Communities

 

[I-G]

5000 youngsters recruited to raise reserve battalions in J&K


Srinagar (PTI): Around 5000 youngsters have been recruited in Jammu and Kashmir to raise five India reserve battalions, a senior police official said on Sunday.

Inspector General of Police Dilbagh Singh, during an inspection of a subsidiary training centre (STC) at Sheeri, 50 kms from here in Baramulla district, said that the recruits will be put to training shortly.

The STC Sheeri will train around a thousand recruits.

Mr. Singh asked the officers and jawans to be fully prepared for law and order and security duties.

He also ordered them to exercise restrain and maintain a human face while dealing with sensitive situation.


The Hindu News Update Service

 

[RPK]

Huge response from J&K to recruitment

LUDHIANA: A large number of Kashmiri youths are keen to join the Indian Army, claimed deputy director general (DDG) recruitment, Punjab and
Jammu-Kashmir, Brigadier KD Malhotra. He said cases of impersonation too, were continuously being detected in the recruitment rallies held in the region.

Malhotra, who was here to monitor the ongoing Army recruitment rally said for last some years they have been detecting cases in which Kashmiri youths used forged documents including residence proof to join the Army. He said though the civil administration issues all necessary certificates, if they observe any such doubtful case during the selection process, they make it a point to visit the house of the concerned person to verify his credentials.

On a query regarding the efforts of the ultra to join the Army through such forged documents, Brigadier Malhotra said that they keep regular check and balances regarding it.

The Army officer said hike in salaries of the Army personnel after the Sixth Pay Commission along with lesser job opportunities in other fields had increased the interest of youth in joining the army. He said they have received very good response from the youth during the recruitment rally in the region.

He said as they were committed to recruit the best and bright youths in the Army, they strictly adhere to the recruitment norms. "This time, we have made all possible efforts to ensure transparency in the recruitment process," he claimed.

Talking about the ongoing Army recruitment in the city, Brigadier Malhotra said the rally has been receiving good response from the Punjabi youth as more than 10,000 aspirants had attended the rally till now, whereas only around 6,000 youth had attended the rally held last year at Moga.

 

[RPK]

Five die in Kashmir gunbattle: Indian army

SRINAGAR, India — Four Muslim militants and an Indian soldier were killed in a gunbattle in Indian Kashmir close to the Pakistan-controlled section of the disputed region, the army said Sunday.

"The fighting erupted late Saturday when a group of heavily armed militants were spotted and ordered to surrender. They instead opened fire," spokesman J.S. Brar told AFP.

Soldiers in the Bungus valley, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) north of summer capital Srinagar, were chasing down the surviving militants, Brar said.

The clash came a day after militants shot dead two policemen minutes apart in the main city of Srinagar, ending a lull in violence.

The insurgency, which erupted in 1989, has left more than 47,000 people dead by official count

 

[Sridhar]

Army says yes to 'world-class' missile Pinaki Bhattacharya New Delhi, August 1, 2009

The Army has finally said yes to the Akash area air defence missile system. It recently expressed interest in acquiring the 30-km range missile to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
The Army's wishlist also includes a surface-to-air 50-km range missile and a low-level quick reaction missile for ranges less than 15 km.
But the requests for these two have not been finalised yet.
The Army was engaged in a battle with the Indian Air Force (IAF) over acquiring the 50-km range missile. The IAF had said they needed the missile as they, unlike the Army, had to defend air space.
But now, the Army has told the DRDO that "we are considering induction" (of the Akash missile system). C.K. Prahlada, chief controller at the DRDO, said: "We are grateful to the Army for this decision. In fact, Akash was developed keeping the Army in mind. I have assured them a world-class missile." The DRDO has said they'd deliver the missiles within two years from the date of the order.
"It will be to the Army's specifications and at a delivery rate of its choosing. We shall provide services for upgradation and product support," Prahlada said.
The DRDO is interested in bidding for the low-level quick reaction missile that the Army needs, but it cannot pitch Trishul missile as its range is only 9 km. "We will have to develop a missile for a range of 12 km," he added.
The DRDO is also happy that the two radars of the Akash missile system are generating a lot of business for the Indian indigenous industries.

Army says yes to 'world-class' missile: India Today - Latest Breaking News from India, World, Business, Cricket, Sports, Bollywood.

 

[RPK]

Army to act tough against fake identity proof holders’

In an indirect confirmation that there could be an attempt by the members of terrorist outfits to join the Indian Army, Deputy Director General of Recruiting (Punjab and J&K) Brig K D Malhotra said the army had found various cases of fake documents in the recruitment rallies held at J&K.



While speaking in the city on Saturday, he said the army had, therefore, strengthened the process of the verification of documents, adding the cases of fake identities were handed over to the police.



“We have strengthened the verification process and in case there is some suspicion about any documents or person, we also check the authenticity of the credentials of a candidate by sending our team to the address furnished by him,” he said.



He said as many as 8,243 candidates have been screened from July 29 in various categories in the ongoing recruitment rally being held at the Army Recruiting Office in the city. He said there was a good response from the youth of the state and candidates from Ludhiana, Moga, Ropar and SAS Nagar have shown interest in joining army in the current rally.

 

[nitesh]

Army says yes to 'world-class' missile

 

[RPK]

Visually challenged girls tie Rakhi on the wrists of Indian Army personnel

Mumbai, Aug.2 (ANI): Ahead of the sibling festival Rakhi that marks the bondage between a brother and a sister, the National Association for the Blind (NAB) in Mumbai hosted a function on Saturday in which many visually impaired girls tied Rakhi, the sacred wrist bands, on the wrists of Indian Army personnel.


This year, Rakhi festival will be celebrated on Wednesday (August 05).


While tying the Rakhis, the visually impaired girls and women wished all the people of the Indian Army success and happiness in their career.


The occasion was an unforgettable moment for these girls and women, as they got an opportunity to tie Rakhis on the wrists of those who guard the country's frontiers.


"I am feeling so good because Indian soldiers guard our borders even in adverse climatic conditions. They protect us. My happiness is more than what I feel when I tie Rakhi on the wrist of my brothers (the army personnel)," said Pallavi Kakde, a visually challenged woman of National Association for the Blind (NAB).


As a part of their vocation, many women at the NAB are also engaged in making the Rakhis, which will be sent to Indian troops posted along the borders. They have been working for the last two months to meet their target of around 100,000 of Rakhis.


Personnel of the Indian Army from the Bombay Sub Area, who were present on the occasion, were overwhelmed by the affection showered by the visually impaired girls and women.


"It is a great pride that all these visually challenged ladies are self-reliant and they have done extremely well for themselves. This goes a long way in helping to move forward in life," said Col. R K Monga of the Indian Army. (ANI)

 

[RPK]

India's defence budget stays at Rs 141,703 crore

India's defence budget stays at Rs 141,703 crore



India's defence expenditure during 2009-10 remains unchanged from Rs 141,703 crore ($28 billion) allocated in the interim budget earlier this year - which was a hike of 34 percent over the previous year.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, while presenting the budget in the Lok Sabha, had a word of cheer for soldiers and junior commissioned officers (JCOs), saying their pensions would be enhanced. However, the officer cadre, which had led the "one-rank-one-pay" (OROP) demand, has been ignored.

In presenting the interim budget on February 16, Mukherjee had justified the 34 percent hike by saying a security "threshold has been crossed" with the Mumbai terror attacks.


"We are going through tough times," Mukherjee had said at the time, adding: "The Mumbai terror attacks have given an entirely new dimension to cross-border terrorism. A threshold has been crossed. Our security environment has deteriorated considerably."

Of the allocation for the fiscal that began April 1, plan expenditure for defence has been pegged at Rs.86,879 crore against Rs 73,600 crore for the financial year just ended March 31.

This includes Rs.54,824 crore for capital expenditure as against Rs 41,000 crore in the revised estimates for 2008-09.

In real terms, however, the budgetary hike works out to little over 23 percent as the revised expenditure for 2008-09 has been placed at Rs 114,600 crore against the allocation of Rs 91,681 crore.

As in past years, the 1.1 million strong Indian Army has received the lion's share of 41 percent or Rs 58,648 crore, with the Indian Navy being allocated Rs 8,322 crore and the Indian Air Force Rs 14,318 crore.

The army's allocation is even larger than the Rs 54,824 crore that has been set aside for capital expenditure for all three services.

However, in the case of capital expenditure, the bulk of this - almost Rs.20,000 crore - has been set aside for the air force, against Rs.17,767.95 crore for the army and Rs.11,873.73 crore for the navy.

What remains to be seen is how much of this will actually be spent by the time the fiscal ends March 31, 2010, as the armed forces returned Rs.7,000 crore of the Rs.48,007 allocated for capital expenditure for 2008-09.

For the army, the budgetary hike - minus the allocation for capital expenditure - works out to a little less than Rs.10,000 crore over the revised estimates of Rs.48,195 crore. The original allocation for the army in the 2008-09 proposals was Rs.36,270 crore.

For the navy, the hike is a mere Rs.288 crore over the revised estimates of Rs.8,034 crore for the fiscal just ending but a rise of Rs.901 crore over the original allocation.

For the air force, the hike works out to Rs.1,109 crore over the revised estimates Rs.12,199 crore for the closing fiscal against an original allocation of Rs.10,855 crore.

Of its allocation, the army will spend a staggering Rs.36,081 crore or 64 percent on pay and allowances. The navy has set aside Rs.2,850 crore or 34 percent on this count and the air force Rs.4,880 crore or 34 percent.

Taken together, the three services will see Rs.43,811 crore or nearly 54 percent going toward pay and allowances.

The budget has also allocated Rs.21,790 crore for pensions, Rs.4,757 for the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Rs.832 crore for defence ordnance factories.

Curiously enough, while Mukherjee said that the enhanced pensions would annually cost the government Rs.2,100 crore, there was no mention of this in the budget documents.

"The decision will benefit more than 12 lakh jawans (soldiers) and JCOs. Certain benefits being extended to war wounded and other disabled pensioners are also being liberalised," Mukherjee said.

Stating that the country owed a deep dept of gratitude to "our valiant ex-servicemen", the minister said the committee headed by the cabinet secretary on OROP had submitted its report and the committee's recommendations have been accepted.

"On the basis of these recommendations, the government has decided to substantially improve the pension of pre-1.1.2006 defence pensioners below officer rank (PBOR) and bring pre-10.10.1997 pensioners on par with post 10.10.1997 pensioners. Both these decisions will be implemented from 1st July 2009, resulting in enhanced pension for more than 12 lakh jawans and JCOs.

"These measures will cost the exchequer more than Rs.2,100 crore annually. Certain pension benefits being extended to war wounded and other disabled pensioners are also being liberalised," Mukherjee said.

 

[RPK]

Army organizes medical camp for speech and hearing impaired in Kashmir


DODA - Army has sent a team of doctors to Dadhkai village in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir to treat villagers who are either speech or hearing impaired.


The doctors are members of a team organized by 26 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) of the Indian Army.

The Dadhkai village that comes under the sub district of Gandoh has a history of speech and hearing impaired patients, with the first reported case dating back to 1931. It is said that every third family in Dadhkai has a patient who is either speech or hearing impaired.

The village is also referred to as the village of ‘deaf and dumb’.

The team that included renowned neurologists and genetic scientists examined around 87 patients who were born with these imparities and their blood samples were collected.

Villagers expressed happiness that such a camp has been organized.

“It is a big medical camp that has been organized by 26 RR. Renowned child specialists have visited the village. But the focus is on deaf and dumb patients. Research is being conducted. Their blood samples, samples of food are being taken,” said Chaudhary Mohammad Hamid, the village head.

Doctors are trying to ascertain the exact cause of the disorders. The samples of the patients will be sent oversees for DNA analysis.

“We are taking blood samples for DNA analysis which will be sent abroad. We are performing ECG of all the patients.

Scanning will be performed on many in the Jammu. We are providing them free tokens so that at least one fourth of the patients can benefit from free MRICT to be conducted in Jammu.

I hope we reach some conclusion in the near future,” said Dr. Sushil Razdan, a neurologist.

Indian Army has been organizing medical camps for the welfare of villagers living in remote regions of Kashmir. (ANI)

 

[youngindian]

Northeast to get Territorial Army’s first women’s battalion

August 4th, 2009

NEW DELHI - The Territorial Army, a reserve force of trained civilians for the Indian Army, proposes to raise an all-women’s unit in the insurgency-hit northeast region, an official said Tuesday.


Presently, women can only join as doctors and nurses in the Territorial Army, which has a strength of 40,000.

There is a proposal for raising an all women’s battalion for the northeast, Maj. Gen. K.V.S. Lalotra, the additional director general of the Territorial Army, told members of parliament during a presentation on the force.

Also, in a bid to tap young talent from the corporate, engineering, IT and other fields, the Territorial Army proposes to make its training schedule more flexible to accommodate the requirements of working professionals.

There is a proposal to shorten their training period because if you are taking in an expert then you do not have to give him that much training,” Lalotra said.

Currently, on joining the Territorial Army, officers have to undergo mandatory training of four months followed by two months of training every year. This is now proposed to be cut down to one month and 14 days respectively.

The young MPs hailed the proposal.

Many politicians are keen to join the Territorial Army but considering our responsibilities towards our constituencies we can not. But this flexible training programme will solve that problem also, Deepinder Hooda, MP from Rohtak, told IANS.

The Territorial Army is a voluntary, part-time Citizen’s Army, consisting of people who are not professional soldiers but civilians eager to do their bit for the country’s defence. It acts as a reserve for the regular army in times of need and draws men from the 18-42 age group.

Northeast to get Territorial Army’s first women’s battalion

 

[youngindian]

India's artillery upgrade remains in limbo

04 August 2009

The Indian Army's long-overdue plans to upgrade around 390 Bofors FH-77B 155 mm 39-calibre howitzers to 155 mm 45-calibre, stand jeopardised due primarily to the 'over-ambitious' qualitative requirements (QRs) drawn up by the artillery directorate for the retrofit.

The army first acquired the howitzers in 1987 and currently has a total of 410 in its inventory. The upgrade is intended to enhance the range of the guns, and includes replacing the gun barrel, breech block, strengthening the undercarriage and fitting the howitzers with a state-of-the-art sighting system, allowing them to fire heavier ordnance.

"Some of the upgrade QRs are unrealistic for these 25-year-old guns, demanding even more capability than newer howitzers," said an armament industry source associated with the project.

The army, he declared, was unwilling to revise or modify the request for proposals (RfP), even though many in the artillery directorate conceded that the QRs were unrealistic because only the defence minister had the authority to effect a change in the tender and they were circumspect about approaching him.

An earlier, similar RfP issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in 2006 lapsed unfulfilled. It required competing vendors such as BAE Systems (which now owns Bofors AB), the FH 77B's original equipment manufacturer (OEM), private defence contractor Tata of Mumbai and the state-owned Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) to develop an upgraded prototype howitzer within a year.

India's artillery upgrade remains in limbo

 

[Rage]

Young MPs show interest in joining Territorial Army


New Delhi, Aug 4 (PTI) Keen to don the olive green uniform of the Indian Army, over 30 Members of Parliament (MPs) attended a presentation on Territorial Army here today.

The presentation, to give an overview of the functioning and roles of the Territorial Army, was organized after various 'young guns' of the Parliament showed interest in the citizen's Army.

Congress MPs Navin Jindal, Deepender Hooda, Hamdulla Saeed and Nilesh Rane, Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav and Biju Janata Dal's Jay Panda and Kalikesh N Singh Deo and Rashtriya Lok Dal's Jayant Chadhary were the few who were present there.

"I want to join the TA so that I can serve the nation in a better manner and set an example for the youth," said Congress MP from Kurukshetra and Industrialist Navin Jindal said.


http://www.ptinews.com/news/211993_Young-MP-s-show-interest-in-joining-Territorial-Army