NOMINATION FOR LTA (LIFE TIME ARREARS) ON SPARSH*

1. On Migration to SPARSH, Updating Nomination for LTA, is equally Important as your Personal Details.
2. After Migration to SPARSH, Nomination done earlier at the time of Retirement or thereafter by the Pensioners in Banks etc has No Relevance. If you don’t Update the Nomination for LTA in the SPARSH Portal, it amounts to you having not Nominated anyone. In the absence of the Nomination, LTA can only be claimed by the family members after becoming Legal Heirs.
3. You can’t type the Names of Nominee or Alternate Nominee. These can only be Selected from the Scroll Down Names of Family Members available in the SPARSH Portal after login, under > Manage Profile – > Nomination (Nomination Form).
4. It is therefore Essential that to whosoever you would like to Nominate, eg Spouse, Son or daughter etc must be already Existing under Family Details. If not then the names are required to be Added under Family Details got verified from MP5 before updating the Nomination Form.
5.The names of Family members should have been recorded in your Service Particulars.
6.All Members are Advised to Update the Nomination for LTA in the SPARSH Portal at the earliest.
7.If you can’t do it yourself get it done in a Sparsh Service Centre.

Jai Hind.
It is sad for Military Veterans like me in India, who fought the 1971 War in the Eastern Theatre, culminating in the surrender of Lt Gen AAK Niazi, the C-in-C of the Pakistan Armed Forces in then East Pakistan alongwith 93000 Pakistani troops; and liberation of Bangladesh; to see the ouster of Sheik Hasina, the PM and her party, the Awami league; and to watch on the TV Bangabandhu Sheik Mujibur Rahman’s Statue being broken & vandalised.
Is it to see this day, that the Soldiers of the Indian Army, Navy & Air Force had shed their blood & sacrificed their lives for the liberation of Bangladesh?
*There is no doubt, Sheik Hasina, over the years had become autocratic & intolerant; and it is her indulging in enacting anti-people policies, like the present reservation policy, that have led to her downfall & disgrace*.
I believe that in a Democracy, the Armed Forces have a definitive role to play in ensuring ‘good governance’ and the welfare & well-being of the Nation. *That does NOT mean taking over the Country and rule the Country; for no Country in this World has ever prospered under Army Rule*.
*It would be a sad day for any Country when its Army takes over the Country; for, ruling the Country is NOT the Army’s job*. There will always be euphoria when the Army takes over the Country; but believe me, it will be short-lived; for soon, the Army too would become equally corrupt; and thus the Army would soon lose the love, affection & respect of the people; and become a ‘hated Army’.
*It is imperative that the CDS & the three Service Chiefs form part of not only the National Defence & Security Committee headed by the Prime Minister; but also form part of the highest Policy Planning Committee/Body of the Nation; for, the CDS & the three Chiefs have a stake in ‘good governance’ and the welfare & well-being of the Nation*.
For the CDS & the three Chiefs to render balanced & mature advice to the PM and his Council of Ministers on matters of National Defence & Security; it is imperative that the Govt does NOT play politics with the Armed Forces or play favourites by way of appointing Army Commanders (and their equivalents in the Navy & Air Force) as Chiefs by superseding their seniors; for, in doing so, they would have only ‘poodles’ as Chiefs, to detriment of National Defence & Security.
*In India’s context*, one often hears that Democracy in India rests on three pillars, viz. the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary. Well, even if one of the three pillars fail, Democracy in India would cave in and the whole edifice of Democracy would come down crashing. The fact that it has not happened, but on the contrary, Democracy in India is vibrant & thriving, despite all its ills, it is because there is yet one more pillar which is holding Indian Democracy aloft. *And that is the central pillar, the strongest pillar of them all, the Armed Forces of this Country*, which stands guard 24x7x365, ie. year after year, decade after decade, safeguarding our far flung borders in most inhospitable terrain. If not for the devotion, dedication & valour of the Officers & Jawans of the Indian Army, India would have lost Kashmir, long ago. This is borne out by the fact by the number of Officers & Jawans getting killed in the line of duty, every now & then in J&K, fighting Pakistan trained terrorists. Would anyone like to dispute that?
*Reverting to the happenings in Bangladesh*, there is an Armed Forces Division (AFD) headed by a senior Lt Gen as part of the PMO, which advises the PM on all matters of National Defence & Security.
I wish the CDS, the three Chiefs of the Armed Forces and the PSO AFD, Bangladesh, in the interest of Bangladesh had advised/warned/cautioned Sheik Hasina, the now deposed PM of Bangladesh, regarding the ruinous path/policies being pursued by her; instead of allowing things to drift, resulting in loss of 300 innocent lives over the period of last one month.
*Going by what one hears, the likely formation of a coalition Govt by the Jamaat-e-Islami, the BNP and the Jatiyo Party does not bode well for India; for, all three of them are not only rabid anti-India, but are Pro-Pakistan & Pro-China, thus queering the pitch for India’s foreign policy and our Security concerns*.
Regards,
Rajan
colonelrajan44@gmail.com
Bangalore, 9449043770

Wayanad landslide | On search and rescue operations, Major General Mathew says, ” …We are here supporting the Kerala govt and people since 30th July morning. We have recovered 100+ bodies and overall body count is much more. We have also rescued so many people…almost all those who needed help were rescued and now we need to get into the houses and see if people are trapped there, for that we need heavy equipment. The bridge construction will be completed by 10 am today and after that, we will be able to bring the heavy equipment to the site and start looking for people. We have been doing the bridge construction day and night, it is going to be completed today and it will change the dynamics of the search and rescue op…we will also use our dog squad…500+ Army personnel are on the job…”

Ashish Negi

Rampur, August 3
Minister for Public Works Department (PWD) Vikramaditya Singh visited Samej village near Rampur in Shimla district today and inspected the cloudburst site. He met with cloudburst-affected villagers, who briefed him about the devastating incident.
The minister announced that two bailey bridges would be set up in Samej village and the equipment for the purpose had already been ordered for. The bridges would become operational within a few days to facilitate local transportation. Besides, additional machinery was being deployed to accelerate search and rescue operations and the department concerned had been given instructions.
Vikramaditya said that it was a heart-wrenching tragedy and the government was committed to helping the affected people. “The state government is providing all possible assistance. A search operation is underway to locate missing persons though heavy debris poses a significant challenge. The search is being conducted over an area of 85 km with the involvement of personnel of the NDRF, SDRF, Army, paramilitary forces, police, Home Guards and the Fire Department.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, during a visit to Samej village yesterday, announced an immediate relief of ?50,000 for the disaster-affected families and ?5,000 for three moths to rent accommodation. He also urged the Centre to provide generous financial assistance to Himachal for disaster management. — TNS

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 2
BJP leader and former Jalandhar MP Sushil Rinku on Friday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital and requested him to name the Adampur airport after Guru Ravidas.
Rinku said Shah had told him that the Cabinet would soon approve the proposal. The ex-MP reminded Shah that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, in the election rally in Hoshiarpur on May 30, said he wished to name the Adampur airport after Guru Ravidas.
Rinku told Shah that people had been demanding naming of the airport after Guru Ravidas since long.
The ex-MP said he had given a detailed information about the deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab and the pending development works in Jalandhar district to the Home Minister. He told him that robbery, dacoity, ransom and gang war had become common in the state. Women and the elderly were being targeted. Rinku said Shah had assured him that instructions would be passed on to the DGP of Punjab.
Rinku also informed the Home Minister about the development work going on in Jalandhar district.

Baltal base camp for Amarnath yatra has also been rendered inaccessible

Srinagar, August 4

A cloudburst in Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir has damaged a road, leading to the closing of the arterial Srinagar-Leh national highway, officials said on Sunday.

Authorities are on the ground to provide help and assistance to those in need, the official said.

The closure of the highway has cut off Kashmir valley from Ladakh union territory while Baltal base camp for Amarnath yatra has also been rendered inaccessible.

Rampur, August 4

The Army continues its efforts in rescue and restoration in the areas affected by the cloudburst that occurred on Thursday in Rampur’s Samej.

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The Army has established temporary bridges to establish connectivity between areas cut off to facilitate rescue operations.

Teams of NDRF, SDRF, Home Guard and CISF have been coordinating to carry out the rescue and search operation.

Home Guard Commandant RP Nepta informed ANI about the rescue operation that recommenced at 7 am in Rampur’s Samej. He stated that five JCBs had been deployed and various teams trying to coordinate to recover the maximum number of bodies.

“It is the fourth day today. Yesterday there was a review meeting. Today, we will work on a war footing. Five JCBs have been deployed here. Task forces have been assigned different roles here. The search operation commenced at 7 am. I am hoping that we will recover bodies today. Local people have told us where we can possibly find bodies. We will conduct search operations over there as well. We are also building a bridge,” said the Home Guard Commandant.

“NDRF, CISF, Army, and Home Guard teams have reached there. We are hoping that the maximum number of bodies will be recovered today. The three bodies that have been recovered have not been identified yet. That is why we are showing those bodies to people. We are also providing relief to people. As many as 36 people are missing here,” he added.

Minister Vikramaditya Singh said on Saturday that around 50 people are feared dead in the affected areas and the official number can only be declared after official confirmation and completion of rescue operations.

Singh said the topmost priority of the state government is to retrieve the bodies and restore connectivity in the affected areas of the state as soon as possible.

Precision Strike on Haniyeh

Amit S.

Amit S.

Consultant | Security and Fraud Risk Management

Introduction

In the early hours of July 31, 2024, a precise military operation unfolded in Tehran. Israeli forces targeted Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, marking a significant event in the ongoing conflict. This operation likely involved advanced technology, possibly a high-precision, long-range missile or drones equipped with missiles for accurate strikes. It’s also possible that ground operatives used laser guidance to pinpoint Haniyeh’s location, ensuring the missile hit its target. The assassination of Haniyeh points to deep penetration by Israeli intelligence within Iranian security services.

The war erupted when terrorists led by Hamas stormed southern Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 Israelis citizen, most of them civilians, and taking around 250 hostages back to Gaza. In the retaliatory Israeli offensive, the Gaza health ministry reported more than 39,000 Palestinian fatalities, most of them civilians.

329 soldiers of Israel have laid down their lives and around 13, 000 Palestinian dead are suspected to be terrorists.

Weapons and Technology?

Missiles

Haniyeh’s assassination likely involved a high-precision, long-range missile. Speculations suggest the missile might have been launched from the Caspian Sea or neighboring countries like Azerbaijan. The strike’s pinpoint accuracy indicates the use of advanced guidance systems, possibly laser-targeted by ground operatives.

Drones

While unconfirmed, the use of drones is a plausible scenario given recent history of employing them for targeted operations. Drones equipped with missiles offer the capability to deliver precise strikes with minimal risk to personnel.

Laser Targeting

The precision of this attack suggests the potential use of laser guidance technology. Ground operatives could have marked Haniyeh’s location with a laser, allowing the missile to home in on its target with exceptional accuracy, thus reducing collateral damage.

Geopolitical Considerations

The proximity of Azerbaijan to Iran and the strategic positioning of Israeli forces in the region are critical factors. Israel’s ability to carry out such an operation suggests a strong network of human intelligence (HUMINT) and signals intelligence (SIGINT) that could track and confirm Haniyeh’s presence in a heavily secured location.