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NDA prepares cadets for modern wars
IAF returns to highest airfield after 43 years
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Autopsy completed on 1 of 14 bodies Jaipur, May 31 After waiting for the kin of those who died in the police firing to turn up at the Sawai Man Singh (SMS) hospital here and claim the bodies, the state government went ahead with the first postmortem here this evening. Bainsla softens, ready to talk
Reformist measures to govern new universities
1993 Riots Case
Ahead of polls, commoners launch J&K Labour Party
Mamata ready to join hands with Cong
Gujjar protest hits tourist flow in Uttarakhand
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NDA prepares cadets for modern wars
Pune, May 31 All changes have been introduced in the past year or two. The change has come about after an expert committee recommended the shift in curriculum to bring in aspects that are more suited for the needs of the armed forces. The learning of Chinese language is of course due to the growing needs to keep abreast with the developments in China that has emerged as a major military power. Nuclear physics and aerodynamics are needed when sophisticated missiles and ammunition are fired that are operated on computer-based systems. A virtual battle field that will have a high degree of automation and reliance on computer aids is going to be the next type war. Commandant of the NDA Air Marshal T.S Randhawa said the changes in the curriculum had been made after the academic study review had a look at the syllabus. The group had professors from Jawaharlal Nehru University and also senior officers of the armed forces. The first half of the three-year course at the NDA is now devoted to academics while the second half has the focus on service subjects i.e. subjects that are oriented towards the armed forces and their needs in real time battle situations. The process of giving laptops and providing on-campus connectivity is on. The boys will be able to just plug in their respective laptops in their classrooms and use them. These have been specially designed keeping in mind the needs of the cadets, said the Commandant. Air Marshall Randhawa said they were getting cadets who were not very physically active before joining the NDA and it took some months to bring them to a level of physical activity and hone their abilities. He said till some years ago the boys coming into the NDA used to be active and had played sports in their hometowns. However, the NDA cadets continue to meet the same standards as before there was no downgrading. He allayed fears that there was a shortfall in the number cadets joining the NDA. The academy was short of about 45 cadets at present, but this was a normal phenomenon. Every year there was a shortfall in January, however, in June this was covered up. Like this June, some 400 new cadets would be joining as against the quota of 300, he added. On girl cadets at the NDA, the commandant said, “We should have girl cadets, however, no decision has been conveyed”.
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IAF returns to highest airfield after 43 years
Chandigarh, May 31 Operations by transport aircraft from DBO will give a much-needed boost to providing logistic support to troops deployed in the forward regions in the Aksai Chin Sector. It would also enable troops to be airlifted out at regular intervals since roads and communication network in that area is very poor. “At present, air maintenance is through helicopters, which are slower and have lesser payload carrying capacity or airdrops by AN-32, Air Marshal P.K. Barbora, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command who was onboard the trial sortie, said. “After the successful first landing, we would be carrying out a study on how to optimise this new-found capability,” he added. Stating that it was a pre-planned operation that had been conceived some time ago, he ruled out the possibility of any current international developments being the reason for this mission. Located at an altitude of 16,200 feet near the strategic Karakoram Pass, just about 10 km from the Sino-Indian Line of Actual Control, DBO is an important Army forward post which links with the ancient Silk Route to China. The airstrip was build during the 1962 Sino-Indian conflict and three-engined Packets operated from DBO from 1962 to 1965. Gp Capt S.C. Chafekar, Commanding Officer of 48 Squadron that undertook the mission, said extreme altitude and temperature were the major challenges they faced. Engine performance deteriorates in rarified air. “We touched down at 6.20 a.m. when the temperature was minus 8 degrees. We kept the engines running during our brief halt in case they failed to start up later,” he said. Besides Group Captain Chafekar, the crew comprised Wg Cdr M.B. Aserkar, Wg Cdr S.K. Verma, Wg Cdr A. Ray and JWO R.N. Verma. “From terrain to the weather, the mission was full of challenges,” Gp Capt Chafekar said. “Extensive planning had gone into the mission and we were prepared for the worst-case scenario like the aircraft skidding on the runway or not being able to stop within the space available,” he added. The strip was 6,000 feet long whereas the ideal length required under the conditions was 10,000 feet. General Officer Commanding 14 Corps, Lieut-Gen V.K. Ahluwalia said it was a Herculean effort by Army troops as well as ITBP personnel to prepare the landing strip for operations within two months. He said the achievement was a great morale booster particularly as troops could be airlifted now. Last year troops could not proceed on leave for several months at a stretch, as roads were inaccessible. Regular operations to DBO are expected to commence by October this year. In winters, air maintenance is the sole means to sustain troops in that region. Since DBO is situated in a bowl, it would have little snow cover, enabling frequent sorties in winters. In winters, an AN-32 could ferry in over four tonnes of load and carry out 1.5 tonnes on the return journey.
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Autopsy completed on 1 of 14 bodies Jaipur, May 31 Out of the 39 protestors, bodies of 14 are lying at the SMS hospital here. Two days ago, the relatives of the dead had been demanding that the bodies be handed over to them after the postmortem. The state government through a notice in newspapers today asked the relatives to cooperate with the police in conducting the post-mortem, failing which the government would go ahead with the procedure. When no one turned up till late this evening, the police conducted the postmortem of Rajesh Kumar, a resident of Dubbi village. The body has been embalmed and the police has appealed to the relatives of the victim to take the body for cremation. Gujjar MLAs Pahlad Gunjan and Attar Singh Badhana, who are lodged in the Central jail, sat on a hunger strike unto death in support of the Gujjar cause here today. The two leaders had been suspended from the BJP after they urged the Gujjars to support the BSP in the coming legislative assembly elections in the state. Taking preventive action, the two leaders were arrested on May 24. |
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Bainsla softens, ready to talk Jaipur, May 31 Bainsla, spearheading the agitation for nine days, told PTI over phone from Karwady where he is camping along with his supporters for the last nine days. However, sources close to Bainsla refused to confirm any such developments to the
TNS.
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Reformist measures to govern new universities
New Delhi, May 31 Detailed project report for WCUs is being worked out by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). Meanwhile, states have been asked to identify 500 acres of land at appropriate locations for the purpose. Striking among the nuances being considered to distinguish the new set of universities from the old are - having English as the compulsory medium of instruction, admission on all-India basis, possibly through a common entrance test to attract quality students, semester system, continuous internal assessment and transfer of credit from one university to another. Right now, few universities in India offer the facility of credit transfer. The draft bill for central universities, which is in advanced stages of completion, has other proposals to enforce academic discipline. “We would like the universities to conduct examinations by a certain date; all-India entrance test would be desirable,” highly-placed sources in the MHRD told The Tribune. The ministry also favours unitary character for new universities, which means they would not have affiliated colleges. “We are averse to affiliating as the practice dilutes the serious business of learning and disseminating knowledge. Delhi University, for example, has 80 affiliated colleges and wastes a lot of its resource and energy in conducting exams and managing other administrative issues for its affiliates,” the sources said. Interestingly, the ministry, while writing to the states to identify suitable locations for new universities, has strongly indicated that locations should be such as can “attract and retain good faculty.” “Strong social infrastructure, ICT connectivity, free land will be among prime considerations for site selection,” officials said. The hunt for locations will, however, not be easy with some states already seeking to correct regional imbalances by recommending certain sites. Political considerations are impacting states’ recommendations, a matter which HRD ministry officials have raised before the site selection committees.
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1993 Riots Case
Mumbai, May 31 The warrants were issued after Khanolkar failed to appear before the court at the last two hearings despite summons served on him. Khanolkar, now retired, was an inspector at Nirmal Nagar police station when the case against Sarpotdar was registered. Magistrate R C Bapat Sarkar issued the warrants directing him to appear before the court on June 6. Khanolkar is the last witness to be examined in the case, with five others having been examined already. Additional public prosecutor Mohan Kadam said Khanolkar had gone on a pilgrimage and thus had not been informed about the summons issued against him in the last two hearings. Five witnesses, who have already deposed before the court, turned hostile with one constable claiming that he had suffered memory loss and thus could not remember the incident. — PTI
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Ahead of polls, commoners launch J&K Labour Party
New Delhi, May 31 Heading the Jammu and Kashmir Labour Party (JKLP) is Mohammad Shafi, a CPM worker from Baramulla, who was, until recently, working closely with Yusuf Tarigami, the most prominent communist figure in the state. Listing its political agenda, the party leadership today said they favoured the liberation of PoK and its annexation to India and believed that Kashmir was integral to India. The party’s agenda includes conversion of the LoC into an international border, liberation of all parts of Kashmir, scrapping of the Indus Water Treaty, return of the Kashmiri pundits and establishment of a committee to look into cases of missing persons in J&K. Politically novice, the party leadership today said they had full faith in the people and had sensed their frustration. The people, they said, were desperate for good alternatives. When asked as to why they took so long to announce the party (elections are practically due), the leaders said they were preparing ground since 1996 and wanted the party cadres to consist of bright, young people, with unblemished records and zero political gains in mind. All members of the JKLP are therefore new to politics, “but these are people who want to genuinely serve the state,” Shafi said, brandishing both the Hurriyat and ruling coalition partners as “fraud, who were non serious about the Kashmir issue.” “Hurriyat leaders”, they said, “had sent their wards abroad for studies.” The JKLP leaders also clarified at the outset that they had no intention of playing kingmakers. “We have created a mass base in the valley, where the young generation has realised that the existing political structure does not mean well for anyone. We will go it alone and sit in the opposition if needed. But we will not ally with anyone,” Shafi said. The party has already applied to the Election Commission of India for a symbol, and will hold a massive rally in Srinagar to announce its state launch.
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Mamata ready to join hands with Cong
Kolkata, May 31 Mamata alleged that the Congress had betrayed her during the last Lok Sabha polls, the Assembly byelections, and the recently held panchayat polls, when the West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee (WBPCC) was following a double standard. The leadership, then, was more interested in defeating the Trinamool candidates to please the CPM, she added. She said if the Congress did not field candidates in 70 odd seats in the last Assembly polls against the Trinamool candidates, the CPM-led front government would have been nowhere in the picture now. She further alleged that on several occasions even after signing the agreement with the Trinamool Congress, the Congress looked after interests of the CPM. Mamata said an impression was created by the WBPCC that she was not willing to join with the Congress for fighting against the CPM. On the contrary, she said, she was still eager to make an alliance with any party if it was meant for defeating the CPM and ending the “Cadre Raj” in the state. Meanwhile, addressing a meeting at Nandigram, Mamata asked people to teach the CPM the Nandigram lessons and remove them from the power in the coming Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. The meeting was organised jointly by the Trinamool Congress and the Bhoomi Raksha Committee today on the occasion of their victory celebration in the panchayat
polls.
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Gujjar protest hits tourist flow in Uttarakhand
Hardwar-Rishikesh, May 31 Bhupendra Bharati, a hotel owner at Har Ki Pauri, said, “The ongoing Gujjar agitation really cuts the number of devotees to 50 per cent in the holy town as most of our customers in summer are from the western states.” Due to agitation, seven trains travelling to and from Udaipur, Jaipur, Kota, Gwalior and Agra were cancelled. In addition to this, the bus services plying to Alwar, Bharatpur, Agra, Kasauli, Kota and Jaipur were also cancelled.
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