|
|
|
|
|
Army inches closer to change the way it goes to battle
Maoists blow up rail track in Jharkhand
More MiG fighters lost in crashes than those remaining in service
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Sappers to have eyes in sky
AICTE announces common management entrance test
Perception of India being corrupt grows
Mullaperiyar row Mullaperiyar row
Rifles, cartridges seized from vessel in Gujarat
Hyderabad gets NSG hub
Plan panel for no fee on health services
Lodged in jail, SP leader seeks votes for son
|
|
Army inches closer to change the way it goes to battle
In what will have a decisive impact on future conflicts, the Indian Army has inched closer to being a ‘proactive’ transformed force of the next generation. High-end technologies like satellites and UAVs are being harnessed to provide real-time information to precisely deploy troops, tanks, choppers and rocket launchers in a battlefield where reaction time would be limited.
Prez rides T-90 main battle tank
After taking a flight in the frontline Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft, President Pratibha Patil yet again donned military fatigues to ride a T-90 main battle tank. Dressed in black overalls worn by personnel of tank regiments, the 76-year-old President entered
'Sudarshan Shakti' in Barmer riding in a tank
with Army Chief General VK Singh. Defence Minister AK Antony also arrived in a tank to witness the exercise and was accompanied by Southern Army Commander Lt Gen AK Singh. Earlier, President Patil witnessed the exercise and addressed the troops. “The country is faced with multi-dimensional challenges and the Army has to measure up to these threats,” she said.
In the deserts of Rajasthan, one of the biggest military exercise in two decades - the 1988 Brasstacks being the foremost - is being conducted by the Pune-based Southern Command of the Army. ‘Sudershan Shakti’ involves around 50,000 troops, 300 tanks and 250 artillery guns besides armed helicopters. It’s ethos: to change the way the Army goes to battle. The Bhopal-based 21 Strike Corps is conducting the exercise, the second such exercise in transformation this year after ‘Vijayee Bhava’ conducted during summer.
The transformation is aimed at re-organising and re-equipping the force to provide it the necessary ‘teeth’. All resources of particular ‘theatre’ are utilised optimally and all will go to battle in quick, sharp thrust, said sources. With this exercise, studies on transformation are complete and will now enter the implementation stage if given the nod by Army Chief General VK Singh and GoC-in-C of the Southern command Lt Gen AK Singh.
Once the transformation is implemented, it will bring about quicker deployment. The soldier will operate the next level of battle-technology, which is totally networked and fully backed by real-time intelligence inputs provided by over-flying UAVs, geo-stationary satellites, ground-based sensors and radars. In the ongoing exercise, Sukhoi-30 MKI and Jaguars were used for nighttime and daytime photography.
The aim is that all these inputs be made available to tanks on the ground, IAF aircrafts in the sky and even advancing infantrymen of those para-dropped behind enemy lines. Commanders on the field and generals sitting in war-rooms will see the same live pictures, as the entire battlefield will be connected in a seamless fashion. The data will be beamed across laptops using a mix of satellites and radio communication. “All this will have a very high encryption level and is very secure to prevent snooping,” explained an officer.
The ongoing exercise ‘Sudershan Shakti’ did all this and each available input, its quality and use in the battlefield was evaluated and will be reviewed. The Army is testing some new equipment that is still not known in the public domain, an official said. The Army Chief Gen VK Singh had ordered transformation studies.
The exercise saw the indigenous Dhruv helicopter in a new role -- it was used by Army Aviation to carry a jeep slung under its belly. The spectrum of exercise includes joint operations of T-90 tanks, Arjun tanks, Bofors artillery guns, infantry-carrying vehicles, field radars, UAVs, fighters Jaguars and Sukhoi-30 MKI and the Mi-35 attack helicopters.
|
|
Maoists blow up rail track in Jharkhand
Dhanbad, December 5
In Jharkhand, the Maoists set off IEDs damaging a metre of the railway track and the overhead wires between the Nishitpur and Matari railway stations after the Dhanbad-Kharagpur passenger train passed around 11:00 pm last night, said Divisional Operative Manager Ved Prakash. Over 30 trains were stranded at different places, he said. Long-distance buses and trucks stayed off the roads with the police patrolling the national highways. In Bihar, a group of 70 Maoists set fire to the rest room of a mobile tower in Rajpur Kaul Marpa village in East Champaran district, Phenhara police station in charge Subhash Kumar said. In Odisha, shops and business establishments remained closed in the Kalimela, Motu, Padia and Chitrakonda areas of Malkangiri district and Suundergarh district bordering Jharkhand, the police said. — PTI
|
||
|
More MiG fighters lost in crashes than those remaining in service
Chandigarh, December 5 A written note on the subject by the Ministry of Defence states that a majority of accidents attributed to technical defects pertain to old-technology aircraft. Problems associated with vintage technology, especially aero-engines in MiG-21 and MiG-27, are more pronounced. The MiG-21 is over 40 years old and the IAF is stated to be the only force flying this aircraft now. In the last decade, the MiG-21 Bis series aircraft were upgraded to the “Bison” configuration to extend their service life and operational capability. The report also indicates that all may not be well with the technical aspects of the MiG-29 fleet either. The report quotes the Defence Secretary as saying, “Unfortunately, I must confess the Russians are extremely reluctant to share certain information. On the MiG-29 too, there have been instances in the past where we have to really come down heavily. We actually struggle to get the information. They are very secretive about what goes wrong with the machine.” The IAF has lost more than a thousand fighters since 1970. Investigations into the cause of the accident are still underway in over 15 cases. In the past six years, the IAF has lost 46 aircraft, with 10 going down in 2009, eight in 2006 and 2008 and six in 2005, 2006 and 2010. According to available information, 40.6 per cent accidents have been attributed to human error (39 per cent by air crew and 1.6 per cent by technical crew), 39.5 per cent to technical defect, nine per cent to bird-hit and 0.6 per cent to manufacturing/servicing by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited. In fact, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne went on record recently saying that most accidents had taken place due to inexperience of pilots who were unable to control the aircraft during take-off or landing. He stressed upon the need for a basic trainer for the force. In the Parliamentary report, the MoD had also acknowledged that availability of a suitable trainer has been “an area of concern”. The ministry’s note stated that there was need to modernise the IAF’s trainer fleet to meet the requirements of modern high-performance aircraft. This assumes significance in light of the IAF procuring 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft as well as upgrading its existing fleet to Russian and Western origin fighters. The IAF has, in the recent past, introduced several measures including modifying the pilot’s training curriculum, reviewing flight safety audit mechanisms, improving airfield environment and developing training and management capsules.
|
||
|
Sappers to have eyes in sky
Chandigarh, December 5 The Army’s engineer regiments are to be equipped with micro-unmanned aerial vehicles (micro-UAVs), something similar in size and shape to the flying gadget developed by engineering student Joy Lobo in the film ‘Three Idiots’. Referred to as Aerial Engineer Recce Equipment (AERE), these are stated to be in the process of indigenous development. They would be capable of being remotely operated on a pre-fed way point, transmitting real-time video from high-resolution cameras. They can take off and land vertically, enabling their use in any kind of terrain and space. Sappers or combat engineers are responsible for paving the way for offensives through enemy minefields and across other defences and obstacles like bundhs, canals, rivers and ditches. They are also required to lay tracks and build bridges for men and vehicles to negotiate adverse terrain. AERE would give the commander and troops on the ground a bird’s eyeview of the lay of the land immediately ahead of them, enabling them to assess the situation and identify the topography most suited for operational requirements. These would also help detect enemy presence and gauge the location and strength of their defences. Besides reducing the risk of exposure to troops, AERE would facilitate faster assimilation and dissemination of information, thereby limiting the need for physical and time-consuming manual survey of the area. Apart from Sappers, other arms are also planning to induct micro and mini-UAVs for meeting operational requirements. Headquarters Northern Command recently issued a tender for procurement of a limited number of micro-UAVs for deployment in the volatile Northern Sector. The Army is also reported to be in the process of employing about 500 micro and mini-UAVs for tactical surveillance and recce. These are in addition to larger UAVs for long-range operations being procured from indigenous and foreign sources. In fact, even police forces and paramilitary organisations and law-enforcement agencies have been evincing interest in procuring micro-UAVs to assist them in maintaining law and order during public rallies, demonstrations, general unrest or to deal with specific situations like terrorist encounters or hostage recovery.
|
||
|
AICTE announces common management entrance test New Delhi, December 5
The first national level Common Management Admission Test (CMAT)-2012 will facilitate institutions to select suitable students for admission to all management programmes approved by the AICTE for the year 2012-13. The test will be conducted online in 61 cities from February 20 to 28, 2012 and scores awarded will be used for admission in the post-graduate management programmes both at the degree and diploma level all over the country for the year 2012-13. The CMAT scores will help students get admissions in the AICTE-approved institutes, university departments in all management programmes catering to more than four lakh sanctioned seats of the AICTE-approved management institutions. The respective secretaries of the states dealing with technical education and Vice-Chancellors of universities have been requested to advise the competent authority for admissions in their respective states and jurisdiction to use the merit list of CMAT-2012 for allotment of students in the AICTE-approved management institutions for the academic year 2012-13. The institutions and the state governments are also required to register online free of charge for opting for the CMAT-2012 scores for admissions for the 2012-13 session. The minority institutions shall effect admissions as per the provision available for such categories. The test will comprise 400 marks and will have four sets of question papers - on quantitative techniques and data interpretation; logical reasoning, language comprehension and general awareness. Each section will carry 25 questions of 100 marks. In north, the centres have been set up in New Delhi, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Ghaziabad, Jammu, Jaipur, Hisar and Gurgaon.
|
||
|
Perception of India being corrupt grows
New Delhi, December 5 Thanks to rampant bribery and lack of accountability in public life, there has been a persistent decline in India's integrity score. This year, India's score (which indicates people's perceived level of public sector corruption on a scale of 0 to 10, zero being the worst) is 3.1 as against 3.5 in 2007; 3.4 in 2008 and 2009 and 3.3 last year. Serbia, Ghana and Namibia are perceived as less corrupt than India. India's rank on the TI's Corruption Perception Index (CPI) has slipped further to 95 out of 183 countries surveyed this year as against 87 out of 178 countries surveyed in 2010. The slide indicates significant increase in people's perception about corruption growing in India, which witnessed a series of scams - 2G Spectrum; Commonwealth Games and Adarsh Housing - in 2010. The CPI is by far the most respected measure of corruption. The data sources used to compile this index include questions relating to the abuse of public power for private gain and focus on bribery of public officials; kickbacks in public procurement, embezzlement of public funds and on questions that probe the strength of effectiveness of anti-corruption efforts in the public sector. The most transparent country - by people's perception - is New Zealand with an integrity score of 9.5 on a scale of 10. Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Singapore, Norway, Netherlands, Australia, Switzerland and Canada follow in the order of merit. In Asia, Singapore is ranked fifth globally. Bhutan follows at the 38th slot and Sri Lanka at the 86th. India follows Sri Lanka (integrity score of 3.3) on the CPI.
|
||
|
SC-appointed panel to visit dam
New Delhi, December 5 The decision to send two members of the five-member committee was taken today when the empowered panel met lawyers representing the two states making representations on their stands and asking it to hear them before submitting its report. "Yes, two members (of the committee) will be visiting the Mullaperiyar dam site later this month. The committee will meet again on January 2 and 3 to discuss their findings," said a senior official attached to the committee. The dates of the visit, which are agreeable to the two states, will be decided later. The committee, headed by former Chief Justice of India A S Anand, is expected to submit its report on the controversial issue by February. — PTI
|
||
|
Mullaperiyar row New Delhi, December 5 Union Water Resources Ministry today sent out letters to Secretaries of Water Resources departments in both states inviting them for a meeting on the issue either on December 15 or 16 here, sources said. This will be the first official meeting between the two sides on the issue in six years.
|
||
|
Rifles, cartridges seized from vessel in Gujarat
Rajkot, December 5 “We have seized four SLRs, which seem to have been procured from the Sri Lankan Naval armoury, from two security guards on board the Genco Province, which arrived at the Navlakhi port on December 2,” said a senior custom official of the preventive wing. “Around 392 live cartridges of foreign origin have also been seized,” he said, adding that two security guards on the vessel, carrying the arms, have nationality of Marshall Islands in Iceland. — PTI
|
||
|
Hyderabad gets NSG hub
Hyderabad, December 5 Inaugurating the NSG hub at a simple ceremony here today, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said that it would serve as a major training centre for all the southern states in raising their own commando force, anti-terrorist force and quick reaction teams. This is one of the four regional hubs established in the country. The others are located in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. The Hyderabad NSG unit, set up on a 22-acre site at Tirumalgiri at a cost of Rs 37 crores, will have a total strength of 5,150 commandos. The regional training center here is on the lines of the one at Manesar in Haryana. —TNS
|
||
|
Plan panel for no fee on health services
New Delhi, December 5 At the first meeting convened by the Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia to evaluate the proposals recently, there was consensus on substantive recommendations of the HLEG, namely tax-based financing instead of the current contributory insurance programme model used to fund health services, cashless National Health Package (NHP) for delivery of primary, secondary, and major tertiary care facilities to all, free essential drugs to all, use of government facilities to deliver the goal of UHC by 2022 and contracting in private facilities when needed. Speaking to the Tribune after the meeting, chairman of HLEG, Dr K Srinath Reddy of the Public Health Foundation of India, said free delivery of essential drugs was one area of priority on which the experts said there could be immediate action for early impact. “The Centre, with the help of health experts, would design the National Health Package. There was also agreement that the NHP would be as comprehensive as possible with a few high-cost, low-yield tertiary care procedures, like liposuction, remaining out of it. The important part is broad consensus on the concept of UHC, use of general taxes to finance health services and some sector-specific taxes like those on tobacco and alcohol to augment revenues and a cess if necessary, especially an excise tax,” Reddy said. As for contracting in private service providers, experts agreed on the HLEG suggestion of doing away with private insurance intermediaries to fix the terms of engagement. “We have proposed that whenever private players are asked to offer UHC package, a government-linked mechanism must be in place to determine the terms of engagement. The idea is to monitor the outcomes well. Right now, private insurance intermediaries fix such terms,” Reddy explained.
|
||
|
Lodged in jail, SP leader seeks votes for son
Lucknow, December 5 In a video clip, the incarcerated politician lodged in Haridwar jail, is seen making a passionate appeal to the voters of his constituency asking them to ensure the victory of his son, Aman Mani Tripathi, who has been fielded by the Samajwadi Party for the 2012 Assembly polls. The clip being telecast on local channels, shows Tripathi speaking into the camera with a poster of SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav in the background. In his address, he asks voters what crime he has committed? “ What have I done? Big thieves and dacoits are roaming free but my family is in jail and my children are on the streets. If you vote the SP to power, I will be able to walk free.” — TNS
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
The latest report by Parliament’s Standing Committee on Defence, released in August, states that 476 MiG aircraft had met with accidents thus far, while the remaining fleet comprised 470 aircraft. Since the report was tabled, there have been four more crashes, including those of two MiG-21s, a MiG-29 and a Jaguar.