Indian Army: News and Discussion

[Kunal Biswas]

Debate Competition , Major Chinmay Nair NSG

 

[Kunal Biswas]

Debate Competition, Rifleman Balwan Singh

 

[fyodor]

Debate Competition , Major Chinmay Nair NSG

He said: "India obviously cannot do that(taking war to enemy terrority) because our enemy is nuclear powered who have insane generals with fingers on nuclear buttons".
This is an absolute horses**t motion popular in Indian establishment who want an excuse for their bania-giri. I don't blame the Major in the video, he obviously can't criticize the government openly.

But here is the situation:

1) Pakistan is not manned by "crazy, insane" generals. Infact, they are quite intelligent and always look for their interest(their personal interest that is) with whatever resources they have.

2) Pakistan cannot risk a nuclear war or ever think of launching direct nuclear strike on India. Their complete annihilation is guaranteed.

3) In case of their annihilation, the Pakistani generals will loose the empire and wealth they have created for themselves. And even if they survive, they will be treated as pariahs world over.

4) It is India's unwillingness due to corrupted will and a missing "Kshatra" mindset that the only war we fight are defensive. Pakistan always punches above its weight but India just shields itself.

5) Unless and until we regain our sense of adventurism, glory and ideology as a nation, we will remain a third-rate country.

 

[samsaptaka]

He said: "India obviously cannot do that(taking war to enemy terrority) because our enemy is nuclear powered who have insane generals with fingers on nuclear buttons".
This is an absolute horses**t motion popular in Indian establishment who want an excuse for their bania-giri. I don't blame the Major in the video, he obviously can't criticize the government openly.

But here is the situation:

1) Pakistan is not manned by "crazy, insane" generals. Infact, they are quite intelligent and always look for their interest(their personal interest that is) with whatever resources they have.

2) Pakistan cannot risk a nuclear war or ever think of launching direct nuclear strike on India. Their complete annihilation is guaranteed.

3) In case of their annihilation, the Pakistani generals will loose the empire and wealth they have created for themselves. And even if they survive, they will be treated as pariahs world over.

4) It is India's unwillingness due to corrupted will and a missing "Kshatra" mindset that the only war we fight are defensive. Pakistan always punches above its weight but India just shields itself.

5) Unless and until we regain our sense of adventurism, glory and ideology as a nation, we will remain a third-rate country.

But we should also consider the pressure from the crazy abduls to retaliate with nukes if they’re pushed to a corner. I would say there is a 30% chance of porkies awaam mullahs retaliating with nukes if they lose massive territory.

 

[ezsasa]

RFI have started flowing again...
This is for order of 10 lakh mine, only for private companies..

 

[12arya]

A file photo of Siachen glacier. Photo: AP
Planning a Leh-Ladakh trip? You might be allowed entry to Siachen glacier soon

• Mountaineering expeditions to Siachen in Ladakh were allowed till 1984
• Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said he is thinking over a proposal to open the Siachen Glacier to people

NEW DELHI : The Army is considering a proposal to re-open Siachen Glacier, the world's highest battlefield, in Ladakh for tourists, sources said on Tuesday.

Mountaineering expeditions used to be allowed to Siachen till 1984 before the ice-clad high altitude region was militarized following machinations by Pakistan.

The sources said the proposal is being considered with all earnestness since it has come directly from Army Chief General Bipin Rawat but no concrete road map has yet been laid out in this direction.

"The remark was made by the Army chief during a closed-door meeting recently. The chief said that he is thinking over a proposal to open the Siachen Glacier to people," a senior Army official told IANS.

The Siachen Glacier, which once used to be a demilitarized zone, came under the strategic control of India in 1984 following 'Operation Meghdoot'.

The operation had been launched by the Indian armed forces, under the leadership of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, after Pakistan allowed a Japanese team to undertake an expedition to a strategic peak in the glacier.

The peak directly overlooked the Aksai Chin, an area that is under dispute between India and China.

Since the boundaries between India and Pakistan in the Siachen region were not properly defined in the Karachi Agreement of 1949, Pakistan used to send tourist expeditions to the glacier in the 70s and the 80s. The Indian Army had also been allowing expeditions to Siachen in the late-70s.

In June this year, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, accompanied by General Rawat, had visited Siachen and praised the "tenacious resolve and unstinting commitment" of soldiers deployed in the region.

Singh had undertaken an aerial reconnaissance of the Siachen Glacier and interacted with troops at one of the forward posts.

The thought over opening the glacier to tourists has come at a time when Ladakh, where Siachen is located, is being carved into a Union Territory.

The Union government is working on a range of other proposals to develop the Ladakh region after it was carved out as a separate entity from the state of Jammu and Kashmir. To revitalise health and medical education in the Himalayan region, the central government on Monday announced a new medical college in Leh, the capital of Ladakh.

 

[12arya]

Indian Army To Procure One Million Anti-Personnel Mines From Private Sector To Secure LoC Against Infiltration

In what is likely the Indian Army’s largest such order till date, private players have been invited to participate in the bidding process for a contract of around 1 million anti-personnel mines, reports The Economic Times. Interestingly, it is only private companies who are being asked to bid.

Such mines are used regularly along the Line-of-Control (LoC) to tackle infiltration attempts by terrorists and by their Pakistan Army backers. The LoC remains the world’s most mined area after the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing North and South Korea.

Currently, there is no Indian private firm which produces or supplies anti-personnel mines; some do however provide parts for anti-personnel mines manufactured by the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), so responses to the invitation are expected from such private players.

The company which clinches the contract will be required to supply one million mines over a five year timeline. The mines which the Indian Army wants to procure are of the Non Metallic Mine (NMM) 14 type, which is especially difficult to detect as it is primarily made of plastic

 

[12arya]

River Rafting, Yoga And A War Memorial: How The Indian Army Is Piecing Together A Plan To Boost Arunachal Tourism

The Sela Pass in Arunachal Pradesh (Saurabhgupta8/Wikimedia Commons)


The Indian Army is working on a plan to massively improve the state of the tourism sector in Arunachal Pradesh and thus help integrate this remote corner of India with the rest of the country, reports Hindustan Times.

A critical piece of the puzzle of attracting more domestic tourists to Arunachal Pradesh is the Dong village, where the sun’s rays first hit Indian territory. The Army wants to also introduce rafting facilities at the Lohit River, located north of Dong, in a bid to create infrastructure for adventure sports.

Yoga and Meditation centres can also be set up in Arunchal’s villages, considering the idyllic and picturesque natural landscape of the state. Apart from this, Arunchal Pradesh also has a lot to offer for military history buffs: a war memorial commemorating the sacrifice of 400-odd Indian soldiers who were martyred fighting the Chinese in 1962 is situated in Walong, site of the famous Battle of Walong.

But developing and popularising tourist sites in the state is just one part of the plan to attract tourists. Visitors will also need a comfortable and accessible transportation system which will allow them to travel to these destinations comfortably.

Keeping that in mind, the plan envisions helicopter services by Pawan Hans being launched from Tezu to Walong. North of Walong, e-rickshaws can be useful in plugging the gap left by traditional transport services.

If this plan is successful, Arunachal Pradesh may soon transform from a far-off inaccessible state to a must-see destination for Indian tourists.

 

[12arya]

China Frets As Indian Army Holds Its Biggest Ever Mountain Combat Exercise In Arunachal Pradesh ‘Him Vijay’

Indian army soldiers stand guard at the Indo-China border in Arunachal Pradesh


As the Indian Army holds its biggest ever mountain combat exercise 'Him Vijay' in Arunachal Pradesh, the first-ever such drill in the northeastern state, it is reported to have irked China which considers large parts of Arunachal Pradesh as part of South Tibet.

Three battle groups, each comprising 4,000 soldiers, are participating in the exercise at a height of 14,000 feet, -- 100 kms away from the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

It is being carried out in phases in the upper reaches of Arunachal Pradesh near Tawang, and will end on 25 October. The exercises are being held at a time when Chinese President Xi Jinping is to visit India for the second informal meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, likely in Mahabalipuram.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui, who is here to oversee the visit of President Xi, is reported to have raised the issue during his meeting with Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale on Thursday (3 October).

The dates for Xi's India visit have not been announced yet.

His visit comes amid strains in India-China ties over the issue of Kashmir, with Beijing choosing to side with Pakistan. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had also raised the Kashmir issue at the UNGA last week.

In this exercise, the capability of newly-conceived Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) will be tested. The 'Him Vijay' will include troop mobilisation, mountain assault and air assault.

In February too, China had "firmly opposed" the visit of Modi to Arunachal Pradesh to inaugurate projects there.

 

[12arya]

After A Decade Of Wait, Indian Army Gets Night Fighting Capable Spike Anti-Tank Guided Missiles

Israeli soldiers launch a Spike anti-tank guided missile during a training exercise. (Rafael Advanced Defense Systems)


In a major addition to the Indian Army's firepower, the soldiers have now been equipped with the Israeli Spike anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) which will give much teeth to the Army while Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) readies indigenous versions for induction, reports Times of India.

The first lot of 210 Spike missiles arrived into India about 10 days ago with about a dozen launchers. It should be noted that the Spike missiles are also touted and renowned as 'fire and forget' missiles.

The procurement of Israeli Spike missiles comes as the present ATGMs available with the Indian Army - Milan-2T and Konkurs - do not have night-fighting capabilities. The DRDO is presently working on the building of ATGMs with night-fighting capabilities which have already completed three successful trials. The end-user trials of the same are expected to be wound up by mid-2020.

The induction of the Spike ATGMs also gains significance as the Army had been clamouring for equipping its 380 infantry battalions and 44 mechanised infantry with third and fourth generation ATGMs for over a decade. The present development thus provides a major upgrade to the Indian Army and its soldiers

 

[12arya]

LoC To Remain Sacrosanct As Long As Pakistan Remains Quiet: Army Chief General Bipin Rawat

Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/India Today Group/Getty Images


Asserting that surgical strikes in September 2016 and Balakot air strike has delivered the message to Pakistan about India’s firm resolve to cross Line of Control (LoC) if needed, Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat has warned Islamabad that New Delhi is no longer going to allow the former to vitiate atmosphere in Jammu and Kashmir.

“The strikes (Balakot and surgical strikes in 2016) have delivered the message that the Line of Control (LoC) will remain sacrosanct as long as the other side remains quiet and does not vitiate the atmosphere,” the Army Chief said in an interview while replying to a question on Pakistan reactivating Balakot terror facility, reports Times of India.

“Pakistan controls the terrorists, who act as its proxies. It’s no longer going to be hide and seek. If we have to go across, we will, through the air or the ground route or both. The red line has been very clearly drawn as to what will be the future course of action,” General Rawat said.

The Army chief also said that Pakistan’s open call for Jihad in the aftermath of India abrogating the special status of J&K is tacit acceptance of their support to terrorism in the erstwhile state of India.

“You cannot develop this kind of a machinery to spread terrorism overnight… It was always there. There are terror training camps in Pakistan, though they keep on shifting them. Fighting a proxy war with us is the state policy of Pakistan,” he said.

 

[12arya]

Assam Rifles-ITBP Merger: Why Bureaucrats Are Pushing This Bad Idea Despite Army’s Opposition
by Jaideep Mazumdar - Sep 26, 2019, 4:49 pm

Assam Rifles (Aditya Raj Kaul/Twitter)

Snapshot

• Assam Rifles has long suffered from dual control: it is under the MHA’s administrative control and under the MoD’s operational control.
  
  The Army leadership has prepared a presentation for Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, making a convincing case for bringing the Assam Rifles under the total control of the MoD.
  
  Further they have also asked for handing over operational command of the ITBP and BSF units posted along the active borders with Pakistan and Tibet to the Army.

A proposal by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to take the Assam Rifles out of the operational control of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has raised the Army’s hackles once again.

The 184-year-old Assam Rifles has long suffered from dual control: it is under the MHA’s administrative control but under the MoD’s operational control.

The MHA has prepared a draft note proposing that the force’s operational control be handed over to the MHA and that it be merged with the ITBP. The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), headed by the Prime Minister and comprising the Home, Defence, Finance and External Affairs Ministers, will take a final decision on this.

The reason why the Army is strongly opposed to the MHA’s move is because it would sound a death knell to the fighting force that has won many laurels and gallantry medals in many conflict zones, and is also crucial for counter-insurgency (CI) operations in the North East.

The Assam Rifles has 46 battalions and 65,000 soldiers, and 80 per cent of its officers are drawn from the Army.

“The Assam Rifles shares the Army’s operational ethos and culture and is a fine fighting force. It fought in the 1962 border war with China, was part of the IPKF operations in Sri Lanka, and conducted itself in an exemplary manner in various UN missions as well as other operations.

“It frequently operates alongside the Army in the Northeast and the existing synergy between the Assam Rifles and Army is essential for the successful conduct of operations,” said a retired major-general who served in the Assam Rifles.

“Since most of the officers of the Assam Rifles are drawn from the Army, the two entities perform in unison in the CI grid in the Northeast, just like the Army and the Rashtriya Rifles (manned by Army officers and soldiers) do in Kashmir,” said a serving senior Army officer at the Eastern Command headquarters in Kolkata.

If the Assam Rifles goes under the total control of the MHA, Army officers will no longer be deputed to the force. “That will immediately lead to the force losing its fighting edge. And the synergy with the Army that is necessary for successful CI operations will be missing.

“The major reason for the success of CI operations in the Northeast, and for insurgency being curbed in the region, is the great synergy between the Army and Assam Rifles that have conducted countless joint CI operations,” said the Brigadier-rank officer stationed in Kolkata.

But the powerful IPS lobby within the MHA is not bothered. For them, it appears, bringing the Assam Rifles under the operational command of the MHA and merging it with the ITBP will open up cushy positions within that force for them.

The Assam Rifles will then become another Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) like the CRPF, ITPB, SSB, CISF, BSF and the NSG whose higher echelons are manned by senior IPS officers.

For IPS officers, a deputation to a CAPF is a sinecure of sorts. “They enjoy the perks of office, and in a CAPF the perks are generally better than in a state police force. And they don’t have much work to do, nor do they lead their men in conflict situations,” said an Army officer.

In the CAPFs, IPS officers occupy the senior positions from the DIG level right till that of the director-general (DG).

“These are usually office jobs. But the CAPFs have a lot of resources like airplanes and choppers, which the IPS officers deputed to the CAPF gain access to and are known to misuse. They lead lavish lifestyles, live in huge bungalows and enjoy life in general,” said a BSF officer (not an IPS) who retired from the force’s North Bengal Frontier HQs with the rank of a DIG (deputy inspector general).

Generally, IPS officers opt for deputation to the CAPFs once they cannot get along with the ruling politicians or dispensation in the state they serve in or if they get embroiled in controversies.

“IPS officers opt for CAPF posting to bide their time till conditions turn favourable for them in their states or till they can get a better posting in the MHA or at the centre. A CAPF deputation is a cushy one that offers many perks without much responsibilities,” said a senior IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre.

Even in a CAPF like the ITBP, it is the men and officers of that particular force — and not the IPS officers — who will be doing the actual work like guarding the borders and resisting intrusions by the Chinese soldiers.

The IPS officers in the ITBP will rarely go to the inhospitable borders except on short inspections. Similarly, IPS officers on deputation to the BSF or CRPF deployed in Maoist-infested states or in the Kashmir Valley rarely get involved in actual operations on the ground since they occupy the higher offices of DIG and above.

As for the Assam Rifles, due to its long deployment in the Northeast and with most of its units being static (unlike regular Army battalions), the force has accumulated considerable physical assets.

The headquarters of the sectors (a DIG, now an Army Brigadier, is in charge of one sector) and inspectorate-general (headed by an IG, now an Army Major-General) are well-located and a DIG and senior ranks have access to a lot of facilities. Added to that is the prestige of being an officer in a force that has won many gallantry medals.

Army officers say that the IPS lobby wants access to all these privileges now without actually earning or deserving them. “Army officers right from the land of Second Lieutenant on deputation to the Assam Rifles lead the men of the force from the front like they do in their regular Army units.

“The same sort of discipline, ethos, culture, training, spirit of sacrifice and combat-readiness that exists in the Army is instilled in the Assam Rifles too. All that will be lost if the Assam Rifles goes under the operational control of the MHA and IPS officers get to occupy the senior ranks of the force,” said the retired major general.

The Assam Rifles, for instance, has been closely involved in a series of joint operations codenamed ‘Operation Sunrise’ with the Indian Army that was launched from January this year.

This operation, launched in cooperation with the Myanmarese Army, has resulted in many bases of Northeast insurgent groups in Myanmar being destroyed and cadres belonging to these outfits being arrested from both sides of the border.

Had the Assam Rifles been led by IPS officers, cooperation between forces may have been severely redistricted. “Police are trained for general law and order duties, crime detection and provisions of the IPC and CrPC.

“IPS officers are not trained for battle or CI operations that the Assam Rifles undertakes. So putting the Assam Rifles under IPS officers and merging the force with the ITBP is a sure-shot recipe for disaster,” said a serving Army officer at the Eastern Command HQs.

“It will leave a huge void in the CI grid in the Northeast and will definitely encourage insurgent outfits to regroup and gain a fresh lease of life,” the officer added.

It is also ironic that the IPS wants control of a force that undertakes CI operations precisely because the police forces of the Northeastern states headed by IPS officers had failed to control insurgency in their own states.

“If the state police that they head had proved unequal to the task of tackling insurgency, how are they capable of heading a force specialised to tackle this threat?” wondered the Army officer.

The Army leadership has prepared a presentation for Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in which they make a convincing case for not only bringing the Assam Rifles under the total control of the MoD but also for handing over operational command of the ITBP and BSF units posted along the active borders with Pakistan and Tibet to the Army.

The Army HQs contends that portions of the borders guarded by the ITBP and BSF are soft spots and have witnessed repeated incursions. Hence, giving the Army operational command of the BSF and ITBP units deployed in the Indo-Pak and Indo-Tibet borders makes strategic sense.

 

[bhramos]

India, Japan to hold joint military exercise from October 19

 

[12arya]

3 Army Officers Who Have Summited Mount Everest

Conquering Mount Everest, the worlds highest peak is the dream of every professional mountaineer. Summiting this behemoth of a mountain peak requires nerves of steel, superhuman will and out of this world physical conditioning. Despite years of rigorous and dedicated training, Everest has put even the toughest and most accomplished mountaineers to their knees and, on many unfortunate instances to their untimely grave.

Indian Army personnel are deployed in Siachen Glacier which is the Worlds highest battlefield (Picture Courtesy Praveen Khanna)
For the Indian Army, however, the risk to life and limb is just another day at the office, with courage being in ample supply! Officers of this remarkable institution are some of the unique individuals in the country. These men and women are known for their indomitable spirit, laser-like focus and the relentlessness required to accomplish the task at hand aggressively, often at high personal cost! So, it should come as no surprise that many officers of the Indian Army have summited Mount Everest, in several instances on multiple occasions.



1.) Colonel Ranveer Singh Jamwal

Colonel Jamwal hoisting both the National Indian Army’s flag following a successful summit
Colonel Ranveer Singh Jamwal is a renowned army officer whose exploits genuinely showcase the spirit of adventure that is ingrained in the army’s culture. Colonel Jamwal has successfully summited seven of the worlds highest peaks, scaling Mount Everest not once, but thrice! The army officer had his first experience with mountaineering in 2003 when he was inducted for mandatory training at the High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) in Sonemarg, Jammu and Kashmir.

Colonel Jamwal being awarded for a successful expedition by Army Chief Bipin Rawat
It was during his training there, did he first encounter a vertical rock face, which was 5,000 metres in height. Colonel Jamwaal has come a long way since scaling 5,000-metre rock surfaces at HAWS, successfully leading the Indian Army’s all-woman Everest expedition in 2012 as a Lieutenant Colonel. He has been awarded the Tenzing Norgay award for adventure for his daring exploits. The distinguished Indian army officer is a rescue specialist and was extensively involved in rescue and relief operations during the Nepal earthquake in 2015 during which over 9,000 people lost their lives. His expertise in rescue operations combined with his world-class mountaineering acumen, helped save many lives during the disaster.

Colonel (Major at the time) Being conferred the Tenzing Norgay award by former President Pranab Mukherjee

2.) Colonel Saurabh Singh Shekhawat

A still from a Times Now feature on the PARA SF, showcasing Colonel SS Shekhawat firing an Israeli Tavor rifle
Colonel SS Shekhawat is a personality of his own and needs no introduction to our readers! But for those who have been living under a rock, Colonel Shekhawat is the Commanding officer of the uber elite 21 Para Special Forces, the crack commando unit specializing in jungle warfare. Beyond that Colonel Shekhawat has earned the distinction of being the most decorated serving officer in the Indian Army, having been awarded the Kirti Chakra, Shuarya Chakra, Sena Medal and Vishist Sena Medal for his meritorious service as a special operator.

He is admired in the military and special forces communities for his humility, leadership and tactical acumen, his textbook execution of the complex Loktak Lake operation is the stuff of legend. Being a true officer, he is known to regularly train and break bread with his boys, despite being a Colonel rank officer. Other than being a battle-hardened Special Forces leader, he is an avid mountaineer. Colonel Shekhawat has summited 17 of the highest mountains and has successfully conquered Everest three times in his military career.

A still from Wildfilms India documenting the Commando’s Everest expedition

3.) Colonel Narendra ‘Bull’ Kumar

Black and white photograph of Colonel Narendra Kumar

Colonel Kumar spearheaded the operation which gave India the strategic Siachen
Colonel Narendra Kumar, known as Bull Kumar in army circles, is a man of many legends, he spearheaded the hair raising operation which gave India the strategic Siachen Glacier. Colonel Kumar is a specialist in mountain warfare and headed the Indian army’s internationally renowned High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS). Beyond his expertise in Mountain warfare, he has won international accolades by the mountaineering community for his high altitude mountaineering expeditions. Colonel Kumar lost four of his toes to frostbite during an expedition in 1961! Despite his apparent handicap, the gallant officer went on to become the first Indian Army officer to summit both Nanda Devi in 1964 and Mount Everest in 1965.

For the bull, summiting Everest despite his loss of toes was not enough. He had gone on to attempt scaling Mount Kancheganga from its northeastern face which is far more challenging and fraught with risks. The British Alpine Journal wrote about Colonel Kumar’s Kancheganga achievement writing that it was “far more difficult than the Everest attempt.” The legendary army man was a life long friend of the iconic Nepali mountaineer Tenzing Norgay, who was the first mountaineer to summit Everest and the man under whose name the most prestigious adventure award is conferred. Bull has risked his life around twenty times solely for the spirit of adventure by going into the ‘oxygen-depleted fatal zone’ above 8,000 metres.

It’s unsurprising that given Colonel Kumar’s contributions to mountain warfare and mountaineering expeditions he is one of the Indian army’s most decorated officers. He is the only Colonel rank of the Indian Army to be awarded the Param Vishist Seva Medal for exceptional services to the nation. He has also been awarded the Athi Vishist Seva Medal, Kirti Chakra (for valour), and the Arjuna award for sports. Colonel Kumar is a recipient of the Padmashri and the prestigious McGregor award by the United Services Institution, for excellence in military reconnaissance, exploration and survey. Colonel Kumar is the definition of undying dedication to duty and passion towards one’s craft. He is a patriot in every sense of the word.

 

[12arya]

Thousands of Jammu Kashmir youth participate in Indian Army recruitment drive in Srinagar

For the past two years we have seen overwhelming support with about 800 youth participating in the rally. Today is the first day of this rally and more than 2,000 candidates have come inside and more are waiting outside the gate

Candidates walk on balance beams during their physical fitness test at an Indian Army recruitment rally (HT File)

The Indian Army on Saturday here held a recruitment drive in which scores of local youths of South Kashmir participated.

A mega rally was held at the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAKLI) centre here.

“As part of the recruitment drive which is going on in Jammu and Kashmir, we are screening the candidates for south Kashmir particularly the districts of Anantnag, Kulgam, and Pulwama. We have vacancies for 162 Infantry Battalion TA and 163 Infantry Battalion Home and Hearth. As you can see that the response is overwhelming. This is the perfect opportunity for the youth of the Valley to be a part of the Indian Army and security of the nation,” RR Sharma, Commanding Officer 162 TA told ANI.

“For the past two years we have seen overwhelming support with about 800 youth participating in the rally. Today is the first day of this rally and more than 2,000 candidates have come inside and more are waiting outside the gate. We have only one message, come and join the great Indian Army and be part of the development and security of the nation,” he added.

“I have come from Anantnag, which is around 80 kilometres away. I was always passionate about joining the Indian Army, and not only that it will also make me financially sound as I was unable to complete my studies. I hope I am selected today,” said Danish Bashir, one of the participants.

Akhtar Noor, another participant said: “I have come from Kulgam district. I have completed one round. I am an under-graduate but there are no jobs so I have come here. I encourage everyone to come and join the army.”

“I have also come here from Anantnag. I have passed the race test. I have been training for the last ten days. Unemployment is increasing and this drive will provide us jobs,” said Shahid, another participant.

The drive will continue for around four days in which the army will cover all the districts of south Kashmir as well as the districts of north Kashmir which include Kupwara, Baramulla, Bandipora and Ganderbal.

 

[sthf]

Assam Rifles-ITBP Merger: Why Bureaucrats Are Pushing This Bad Idea Despite Army’s Opposition

Why the hell not?

1) Kargil review committee clearly stated that counter insurgency operations are harming the army's primary objective i.e. fighting conventional wars.

2) Every other week some retired army officer will write a lengthy article lamenting about the shortage of officers in IA. Assam rifles has what 2000-2500 army officers doing policing jobs. Can't have your cake and eat it too. Army officers should only be in the role of trainers, advisers, intelligence and auditors.

3) I seriously doubt that IPS officers are dying to do CI ops in NE. As for control of the organisation, CAPFs have their own officer cadre. Let them handle the CI ops as well as the organisation.

4) ITBP is a very capable force unlike half of CAPFs.

5) Insurgency in NE is not what it was. Major strides have been made in recent years. Two surgical strikes in last 4 years have dented the insurgency significantly.

https://satp.org/datasheet-terrorist-attack/fatalities/india-insurgencynortheast

===========================================================

Instead of presenting objective analysis, the author is quoting unnamed sources about subjective things. Who in their right mind considers a small town in Manipur or Nagaland a "cushy job"? The comfort seeking IPS officers want to leave Jaipur and Indore to go to Jorhat, Assam and Kamalpur, Tripura?

 

[12arya]

Since they summonned the HC, i feel the death toll was much more!

Pakistani soldier killed in cross-LoC firing by Indian Army: ISPR

ISLAMABAD, Oct 10:A Pakistani soldier was killed and two women were injured on Thursday in an alleged cross-border shelling by Indian security forces along the Line of Control (LoC), the Pakistan Army said.

The shelling occurred in Baroh and Chirikot sector, the Inter-Services Public Relations, the army’s media wing, said in a statement.

In response, Pakistan troops targeted Indian Army posts which were “substantially damaged” and there was also reports of casualties of Indian troops, the statement said.

Pakistan has frequently summoned Indian envoys over the human losses in the firing across the LoC.

On October 8, Foreign Office summoned Deputy High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia to record a strong protest against the killing of woman in “unprovoked ceasefire violations” by Indian forces on October 6 and 7.

Ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after New Delhi’s decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on August 5. Pakistan reacted angrily to the move and expelled the Indian envoy. Since then, Pakistan has been trying to rally international support against India on the issue.

India has been maintaining that the Kashmir issue is a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan and there is no scope for third-party mediation. (PTI)

 

[darshan978]

Since they summonned the HC, i feel the death toll was much more!

Pakistani soldier killed in cross-LoC firing by Indian Army: ISPR

ISLAMABAD, Oct 10:A Pakistani soldier was killed and two women were injured on Thursday in an alleged cross-border shelling by Indian security forces along the Line of Control (LoC), the Pakistan Army said.

The shelling occurred in Baroh and Chirikot sector, the Inter-Services Public Relations, the army’s media wing, said in a statement.

In response, Pakistan troops targeted Indian Army posts which were “substantially damaged” and there was also reports of casualties of Indian troops, the statement said.

Pakistan has frequently summoned Indian envoys over the human losses in the firing across the LoC.

On October 8, Foreign Office summoned Deputy High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia to record a strong protest against the killing of woman in “unprovoked ceasefire violations” by Indian forces on October 6 and 7.

Ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after New Delhi’s decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on August 5. Pakistan reacted angrily to the move and expelled the Indian envoy. Since then, Pakistan has been trying to rally international support against India on the issue.

India has been maintaining that the Kashmir issue is a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan and there is no scope for third-party mediation. (PTI)

Porkistanis faking woman's death to gain human right violation simpathy,
What woman was doing near pakistani army post?
actually it might be soldier but.
Whenever there is significant damage caused, then only they will announce casualities..

 

[sorcerer]

Porkistanis faking woman's death to gain human right violation simpathy,
What woman was doing near pakistani army post?
actually it might be soldier but.
Whenever there is significant damage caused, then only they will announce casualities..

Also..if pakistan say its a paki woman who got killed near pakistan army post..it simply means a terrorist in Burqa..the usual pakistan non state actor attire.
anyway..everyone in paki wear kameez

 

[12arya]

Kashmir, drone threat from Pakistan top focus of 3-day army conference

During the three-day conference, top officers of the Indian Army will discuss ways to prevent Pakistani drones from infiltrating India apart from analysing the security situation in Kashmir.

Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat. (Photo: ANI)


HIGHLIGHTS

• Top officers of Indian Army discussed ways to prevent Pakistani drones from entering Kashmir
• Army officers also reviewed the security situation in Kashmir
• They are likely to discuss about increasing age of retirement for certain specialized cadre

Finding ways to stop Pakistan from using drones to airdrop ammunition and drugs in Kashmir valley was one of the key issues discussed on the first day of the three-day Army Commanders' Conference in New Delhi.

The heightened security challenges in Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 was another important issue that was on the agenda on Monday. It is likely that top officers of the Indian Army will be discussing plans and strategies to prevent such incidents on the second and third days of the conference as well.

An overall security analysis will be done focusing on the situation in Kashmir and the Line of Control (LoC) as Pakistan continues to make several attempts to push infiltration and use drones to airdrop ammunition, drugs, and counterfeit currency.

"Additional surveillance means to detect the use of drones and the situation in Kashmir will be among the important areas. There will also be HR issues like increasing the retiring age of soldiers that will be discussed," said an army official.

DRONES IN FOCUS

The use of drones particularly in Punjab had recently alarmed security agencies. Punjab police busted a module linked Pakistan-backed Khalistan Zindabad Force involved in the dropping of arms and ammunition from drones. Four people were arrested in the case.

An army official said such use of drones has not been seen at the LoC and is restricted to the International Border (IB) till now. "If it is observed anywhere near the LoC it will be shot down."

The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) for a more robust surveillance mechanism to detect such arms and ammunition laden drones will also be discussed. The army is looking at inducting systems for AI within the next two years as the roadmap for its implementation is being finalized.

The other key area of discussion will be on increasing the age of retirement of certain specialized cadre at the soldier level like nursing assistants, those working with electronic and mechanical engineering branches, drivers to name a few.

The proposal is to enhance it to the age of 55-58 and the modalities are still being discussed at various levels. Currently, soldiers retire in the age group of 35-37.