21 NOV 2024 NEWS BELOW
Current Events :
Taking exception to the Centre filing an appeal against an order of the Armed Forces Tribunal in a case of disability pension where the law has already been settled by the courts, the Delhi High Court has imposed a fine…
Taking exception to the Centre filing an appeal against an order of the Armed Forces Tribunal in a case of disability pension where the law has already been settled by the courts, the Delhi High Court has imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Navy.
The HC had made it clear to the MoD in October that if it continued to challenge orders covered by previous judgments, it would be burdening the ministry with heavy costs for wasting public money and time of the court.
The Bench of Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Shalinder Kaur, on November 12, dismissed the writ petition filed by the MoD and the Navy against the grant of disability pension to a former Navy Commander, AK Srivastava, who had been granted relief by the AFT on the basis of the law laid down by the SC.
The top court had held that the benefit of doubt for disability was to be given to medical conditions arising during service unless the disability was pre-existing and a note had been recorded that it could not be detected on entry into service. The SC had held that soldiers were not to prove their entitlement and rules had to be interpreted liberally irrespective whether the disability was detected in peace or field area.
The MoD and the Navy, despite the case being covered by HC and SC judgments, had challenged the order which has now been dismissed by the HC with costs of Rs 50,000 to be paid to the officer by the ministry.
Despite slight lull in violence in Manipur, the suspension of Internet was extended for another three days till November 23 in seven districts, even as curfew was relaxed for five hours in three districts. Exemptions were granted only for government…
Despite slight lull in violence in Manipur, the suspension of Internet was extended for another three days till November 23 in seven districts, even as curfew was relaxed for five hours in three districts. Exemptions were granted only for government offices and specific cases approved by the state government.
Meanwhile, the Manipur Police detained five persons during search operations in hill and valley districts.
In a display of rare empathy, a Kuki group called Kuki Organisation for Human Rights Trust (KOHUR) in a statement condemned all kinds of violence against all communities, including the killing of six members of a Meitei family and sought to know why violence escalates in the state whenever CM Biren Singh’s matters come up for hearing in the Supreme Court.
Taragi Cheisu, a unified Meitei foundation, also condemned the Jiribam killings, labelling it a gross violation of International Humanitarian Laws (IHL) and Indian law. Cheisu also denounced the killing of a Hmar woman in Jiribam on November 7, calling for justice for all victims, regardless of their community.
It was referring to the killing of six members of a family, who were residing in a relief camp in Jiribam, and also to the encounter on November 11 between the CRPF and suspected militants, which had led to the death of 10 suspected extremists.
Cheisu also criticised the Centre for its silence on the atrocities and its failure to protect civilians. The reimposition of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in six police station areas, including Jakuradhor, also drew a sharp rebuke from the body.
Cheisu highlighted that AFSPA failed to prevent the massacre despite its presence in the region.
On the political front, just days after the National People’s Party (NPP) withdrew its support from the N Biren Singh government in Manipur, the BJP has dared the erstwhile alliance partner to end their partnership in Meghalaya. The BJP accused the NPP of staying in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) only to secure central funds.
Meghalaya BJP vice-president Bernard N Marak, while speaking to an online portal, said the NPP “cannot afford” to detach itself from the BJP due to “rising debts” of the state government, led by Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma. The NPP, which has 31 MLAs in the 60-member Meghalaya Assembly, leads the ruling Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) in the state. The BJP, which has two MLAs, is a constituent of the NDA. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had backed the two candidates fielded by the NPP in Meghalaya.
Earlier the NPP on November 17, had withdrawn support from the BJP government in Manipur. On November 18, Sangma said the withdrawal of support was specific to his counterpart N Biren Singh.
Sangma had told the media, “We have withdrawn our support to the Biren Singh-led government, so it is very specific to him. If we see that there is a change in leadership, a positive step forward and a plan to find a solution and we can constructively cooperate and contribute so that peace and normalcy return, then we will be happy to be working (with BJP) but we will see the situation.” He added that the NPP was supporting the government hoping that the situation would improve but in the last week, the situation further deteriorated.
Justice Krishnakumar to be new Manipur CJ
- The Centre on Wednesday notified the appointment of Justice D Krishnakumar of the Madras High Court as the next Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court.
- Justice Krishnakumar will replace present Manipur High Court Chief Justice Siddharth Mridul, who is due to retire on Thursday.
- The notification came two days after the SC Collegium, led by CJI Sanjiv Khanna, on Monday recommended the appointment of Justice Krishnakumar as the next Chief Justice of the Manipur HC.
An ex-serviceman was strangled to death, allegedly by his wife and her paramour in Baba Bakala sub-division here last night. The police have arrested the suspects from Ferozepur railway station and a case registered in this regard. The deceased was…
An ex-serviceman was strangled to death, allegedly by his wife and her paramour in Baba Bakala sub-division here last night.
The police have arrested the suspects from Ferozepur railway station and a case registered in this regard.
The deceased was identified as Sukhdev Singh alias Fauji, while the accused were his wife Jaswinder Kaur and her alleged paramour Kulwant Singh, a resident of Bhullar village.
Gagandeep Singh, SHO, Baba Bakala police station said that Partap Singh of Vedadpura village informed the police that his niece called him and said that some unknown person along with her mother Jaswinder Kaur was strangling her father. He said the police teams immediately rushed to the spot but the accused had fled the scene.
He said the police analysed footage from the CCTV cameras and arrested the suspects from Ferozepur railway station.
As per preliminary inquiry, Jaswinder Kaur had developed illicit relations with Kulwant Singh. The victim used to object to it and they decided to get rid of him. Yesterday, the duo along with an unknown accomplice killed Sukhdev Singh. The police have registered a murder case against three persons. Further probe is on in the matter.
Embassy also instructed employees to shelter in place
The US Embassy in Kyiv said it has received warning of a potentially significant Russian air attack on Wednesday and would be closed as a precaution.
In a statement, the embassy also instructed employees to shelter in place and also recommended that US citizens in Kyiv be prepared to immediately shelter in the event of an air alert.
The warning was unusual for its specificity as Russian air attacks have become a common, near-daily occurrence in Ukraine.
But it comes one day after Moscow said US-made longer range missiles had been used in a Ukrainian attack that struck a weapons warehouse in the Bryansk region after US President Joe Biden authorised their use.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in September that if Western countries allow Ukraine to strike deep inside Russia with their longer-rage weapons, “it will mean that NATO countries, the US, European countries are at war with Russia.” “And if it is the case, then, bearing in mind the change of the very essence of the conflict, we will be making appropriate decisions based on threats that will be posed to us,” Putin said.
Russia has recently escalated air attacks, launching complex combined drone and missile barrages to target energy infrastructure this week as temperatures begin to drop.
Will be conferred the honorary rank of “General of the Nepal Army” by Nepalese President Ramchandra Paudel on Thursday in continuation of an age-old tradition that first started in 1950
Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi embarked on a four-day visit to Nepal on Wednesday to further ramp up the already close defence and strategic ties between the two countries against the backdrop of the evolving regional security situation.
Gen Dwivedi will be conferred the honorary rank of “General of the Nepal Army” by Nepalese President Ramchandra Paudel on Thursday in continuation of an age-old tradition that first started in 1950, reflecting the strong ties between the two militaries.
The Army Chief’s visit to Nepal from November 20-24 aims to strengthen military cooperation between the militaries of India and Nepal, besides exploring new avenues of collaboration between the two nations, the Indian Army said.In Kathmandu, Gen Dwivedi is set to hold extensive talks with his Nepalese counterpart Gen Ashok Raj Sigdel and will call on President Paudel, Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli and Defence Minister Manbir Rai.
Gen Dwivedi will also be briefed by the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the Nepali Army on issues of common interest at the Nepali Army headquarters on Thursday, officials said.
Gen Upendra Dwivedi is also likely to visit the Shri Muktinath temple in the Mustang region of Nepal.
It is learnt that India’s first Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat also wanted to visit the temple. In his memory, a Bell named ‘Bipin Bell’ was installed in the temple in February 2023.
Gen Dwivedi’s visit is expected to focus on the ongoing defence modernisation in both militaries, through various initiatives, officials said.
A key pillar of India-Nepal military cooperation is the annual ‘Surya Kiran’ joint military exercise, which enhances interoperability between the two armed forces.
This exercise, which focuses on counterterrorism, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance, will see its 18th edition in December in Nepal.
India has been supporting Nepal in its military modernisation by supplying various forms of military hardware, including small arms, vehicles, and advanced training simulators.
Need to focus on cooperation than conflict, says Rajnath
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun, who met on Wednesday, agreed to ‘rebuild’ mutual trust and understanding.
The duo met on the sidelines of the 11th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM Plus) at Laos. Rajnath is on three-day visit to Laos from November 20 to 22.
The Ministry of Defence, in a statement, said Rajnath Singh called for reflecting on lessons learnt from the unfortunate border clashes of 2020 (Galwan June 2020). Rajnath asked for the need to “take measures to prevent recurrence of such events to safeguard peace and tranquillity along the border”.
The MoD said: “Both sides agreed to work together towards a roadmap for rebuilding mutual trust and understanding.” Rajnath Singh emphasised and looked forward to greater trust and confidence building between the two sides through de-escalation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
ADMM is the highest defence consultative and cooperative mechanism in ASEAN. ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN member states – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam – and its eight Dialogue Partners – India, US, China, Russia, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand – to strengthen security and defence cooperation.
India became the dialogue partner of ASEAN in 1992 and the inaugural ADMM-Plus was convened in Hanoi, Vietnam, on October 2010. Since 2017, ADMM-Plus Ministers have been meeting annually to bolster the cooperation amongst ASEAN and the Plus countries. Laos is the chair and host of 11th ADMM-Plus.
Stressing the importance of integrating the three armed forces to fight future wars, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan on Wednesday said 180 initiatives had been identified to integrate the forces. He said the vision statement, which was like…
Gen Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff, with NN Vohra, former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, in New Delhi on Wednesday. Tribune Photo: Mukesh Aggarwal
Stressing the importance of integrating the three armed forces to fight future wars, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan on Wednesday said 180 initiatives had been identified to integrate the forces. He said the vision statement, which was like a roadmap for 2047, had three phases. He said a written national security policy document was being worked out.
The CDS was speaking on the subject of future wars and the armed forces at an event organised by the India International Centre here this evening. He was in conversation with NN Vohra, former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, who also held key positions during his bureaucratic career.
The CDS said the vision statement laid down the period till 2027 as a phase of transition by when the structures of the integrated operations should come up. The next 10 years (2027-37) would be the period for consolidation. In the last phase (2037-47), the CDS said, the projections were “slightly hazy” as the period was too far away in this era of fast-changing technology.
Vohra bats for national security document
We need a well-worked-out written framework with ministries like Home, Defence and External Affairs, along with intelligence agencies, having a mandate in it. Their accountability should be assessed under this framework. NN Vohra, Former governor, J&K
The armed forces were looking at eight domains to integrate and for that 180 initiatives had been identified, said General Chauhan. “We need organisational and structural changes. The integrated theatre commands would lay the foundation of change. The creation of theatre commands is just the beginning of the next set of reforms,” he said.
The CDS said, “We have a vision and we are preparing for that. The forces will be ready to respond to a full spectrum of conflict. The nature of combat is changing. Rising uncertainties mean we need to make doctrinal changes for future wars. We should be able to fight integrated multi-domain operations.”
Vohra, who is also a former Defence Secretary and was part of the Kargil War Review Committee, raised the matter of having a national security document. “What is preventing us from saying that we want to go ahead to have a national security policy,” said Vohra, as he recollected that a draft of a written national security document was worked out and reworked multiple times in the past two decades or more.
Vohra suggested to the CDS, “We need a well-worked-out written framework with ministries like Home, Defence and External Affairs, along with intelligence agencies, having a mandate in it. Their accountability should be assessed under this framework.”
The CDS, who was asked by Vohra to clarify if a written national policy document was needed or not, responded by saying that the nation could not function in its absence. “A written document is being worked out,” he added.
Internal security was 95 per cent the job of states and the Union Home Ministry and the Army should not be burdened with day-to-day peacekeeping, said Vohra, who has also served as the Union Home Secretary.
