Dear Veterans,
I knew there was a miss some where in this communication from MP5, IAF and IN.
Please note this scheme is for those officers who participated and are not getting any pension from any Govt Source.
I shall share the AG branch letter after refining the scanned copy.
The Appx clearly indicate that ITRs of Last 5 years are to be provided.
Eligible Veterans please note that the last date for you to submit your data is 2 Sep.
Pensioners – No Free Lunches.
BEST WISHES.
Brig Narinder Dhand
Founder & Convener
Bigger Family of Veterans
My father used to tell me often how when he was a Gentlemen Cadet as part of the Third Regular Course in the Indian Military Academy (IMA) during Partition, all the cadets were summoned by the then Commandant, Brigadier AB Barltrop, to the ante room and asked whether they would like to remain in India or be sent to Pakistan. The time to decide was a matter of hours and young men in their teens without access to any sort of communication had to make this decision. It was broadly mandated that all Hindu and Sikh Gentleman Cadets were to remain in India and all Muslims belonging to Pakistan were to remain in Pakistan. The Muslim cadets from India were free to choose their country of residence. The Christian and Parsi cadets, too, could opt for any country.
The history of the Third Course is closely linked with Partition. They had reported to the Academy on January 20, 1947. Just down the road from IMA in Prem Nagar, there was a camp of about 10,000 Sikh and Hindu refugees from Pakistan. Soon after Independence, anti-Muslim riots began in Dehradun and the IMA suddenly found itself involved in preserving internal security. Brig Timick Lal of the Second Course, now in his nineties, clearly remembers being involved in patrolling as a cadet on foot and in Bren gun carriers, carrying out ambushes, from August to September 1947.
By October 1947, life in the IMA returned to normal. Some cadets had opted for Pakistan but were to leave only after completing their course. The British officers were making plans for their repatriation, but it seemed the Pakistani government had made representations to Gen Auchinleck regarding the safety of its cadets. There was the possibility of hostilities breaking out between the two countries, and the Pakistani authorities felt they could no longer leave them at Dehradun. Auchinleck could not deny their request.
The transfer of the officers and cadets to Pakistan remained cloaked in secrecy. As per Col Girdhari Singh, who wrote about it on the golden jubilee of the Third Course, “The cadets were watching a hockey match when Brig Barltrop entered the field from the goal end and signalled to the umpire, Maj AJ (Jim) Wilson, the Adjutant, to see him. The cadets knew all was not well. It was in the evening on October 17, 1947, when the cadets were ushered into an ante room in the Kingsley Block and told of the plan.”
It was apparently met with stunned silence. Eight hours later, after midnight, the Pakistani contingent moved out of the IMA gates with a few belongings (the rest were sent later) and drove to an air base near Saharanpur where Dakotas of the 31 Squadron of the Royal Air Force flew them to Lahore.
The parting was hurried but emotional. Some cadets had tears in their eyes, there was an exchange of gifts and promises to keep in touch. Sadly, this never materialised as the two countries would soon be at war. The departure of 67 cadets — 66 Muslims and one Christian — of the Third Course was carried out with such secrecy that the next morning the bearers were surprised to see their Gentlemen Cadets missing. Soon after, in November, Brig (later Maj Gen) Thakur Mahadeo Singh was appointed the first Indian Commandant of the Academy. Capt (later Lt Gen) SP Malhotra took over as the first Indian Adjutant of IMA.
Cadets of the Second and Third Course, who were undergoing training during Partition, were shaped by historical events in which they could not help but be immersed. They were part of the process of ‘Indianisation’ of the Army. The Third Course was the smallest batch ever to graduate from IMA. Its uniqueness is also seen in the truncated duration: it was cut short from two years to 21 months in response to the urgent military needs.
Trouble on the northern borders and a shortfall of Army officers resulted in the Indian government pushing for the Third Course to be commissioned even earlier than December 1948. A compromise date was reached and 185 cadets passed out of the IMA on September 12, 1948, with the Sword of Honour being awarded to Under Officer (later Maj Gen) Narinder Singh. The numbers would have been larger, but 67 of their coursemates had opted for Pakistan and finished training at the newly created Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) in Kakul.
To make the occasion memorable, the salute at the passing-out parade was taken by Baldev Singh, the first Defence Minister of India.
Most of the newly commissioned officers went straight into action. Those in the Infantry were sent to Kashmir. Those in the Armoured Corps saw action in Operation Polo for the liberation of Hyderabad. Moreover, while still in training, they were deployed for patrolling and suppression of violence. As cadets, they even provided escorts and guides right up to Delhi.
As regards the Second Course; 249 of them had joined the Academy on August 8, 1946. Independence was on the horizon, so they were to be the leaders of a free India and were filled with patriotic zeal.
On October 14, 1947, towards the end of their course, 45 cadets left for Pakistan. As per Lt Gen Sushil Kumar, in his book ‘Jawan to General’: “Soon after their arrival at Chaklala, they were ‘commissioned’ on October 20, 1947, and sent to their respective Regiments.” The course passed out on December 21, 1947, with 189 Indian Gentlemen Cadets being commissioned as Second Lieutenants in a sparkling passing-out parade, for the first time under the Tricolour.
Brig Barltrop had urged when he announced the partition of IMA on October 14, 1947: “Those cadets and staff who remain at the IMA have the onerous task of consolidating the conditions and traditions of the Academy, which is to serve the Dominion of India. See to it that your work, conduct and discipline are worthy of the nation of which you are privileged to serve.”
Twelve officers of the Second Course attained the rank of Lieutenant General, five became Army Commanders and one the Military Secretary. The Sword of Honour was awarded to Senior Under Officer Harbhajan Singh.
The Third Course, too, did its alma mater proud, producing 12 Lieutenant Generals, 22 Major Generals, 10 Param Vishisht Seva Medal awardees, five Maha Vir Chakra awardees (one posthumous) and a Padma Shri awardee: Maj KC Johrey, IAS. There have been two Army Commanders, Lt Gen Hridaya Kaul and Lt Gen Ranjit Singh Dyal, and two became Commandants of the IMA: Lt Gen Matthew Thomas and Lt Gen Surjit Singh Brar.
The MVC awardees included Lt Col NN Khanna of 2 Sikh, Maj (later Lt Gen) Ranjit Singh Dyal of 1 Para, Lt Col Desmond Hadye of 3 Jat, Brig (later Lt Gen) K Gauri Shankar and Brig Mohindar Lal Whig.
The cadets who left for Pakistan formed the First Course of the PMA. Gentleman Cadet No. 391 at the IMA, who became Cadet No. 1 at the PMA, Rahim Uddin Khan, rose to the rank of General and became Joint Chief of Staff. The Instructors who left also had successful careers, including Capt Tikka Khan (the butcher of Bangladesh), a platoon commander who became the Pakistan army chief.
The two courses were witness to the process of Independence. Their distinguished record, leadership qualities and high standards of valour and service have been worthy of emulation!!
आदरणीय राष्ट्रपति महोदया, सिर्फ कोलकाता ही नहीं आपको महाराष्ट्र, राजस्थान, बिहार, यूपी और एमपी समेत देश भर में महिलाओं के प्रति बढ़ते अपराधों के लिए सरकारों को नसीहत देने की ज़रूरत है। आपको मणिपुर और महिला पहलवानों के यौन शोषण की घटनाओं और उन्हें इंसाफ दिलाने के लिए आगे आने की ज़रूरत है। आपको दलगत राजनीति से ऊपर उठकर देखने की ज़रूरत है। विपक्ष की ही नहीं सत्तारूढ़ बीजेपी और उसकी डबल इंजन की सरकारों की भी जिम्मेदारी तय करने का साहस दिखाईए।
New Delhi, August 28
In her first public statement on the rape and murder of a doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital, President Droupadi Murmu expressed strong condemnation of the incident and said she was outraged.
“The gruesome incident of rape and murder of a doctor in Kolkata has left the nation shocked. I was dismayed and horrified when I heard of it. What is more depressing is the fact that it was not the only incident of its kind; it is part of a series of crimes against women. Even as students, doctors and citizens were protesting in Kolkata, criminals remained on the prowl elsewhere. The nation is bound to be outraged, and so am I,” the President said in an exclusive signed article for PTI. She flagged the objectification of women and stated that countering the mindset is a task for both the State and society.
“Women have had to fight for every inch of ground they have won. Social prejudices as well as some customs and practices have always opposed the expansion of women’s rights. This is a rather deplorable mindset. I won’t call it a male mindset, because it has little to do with the gender of the person: there are many, many men who don’t have it. This mindset sees the female as a lesser human being, less powerful, less capable and less intelligent. Those who share such views then go further and see the female as an object. It is this objectification of women by a few that is behind crimes against women,” she said.
She said in the aftermath of the gang rape of Nirbhaya in 2012, strategies were devised to not let another such incident take place but the task would remain unfulfilled as long as women feel unsafe at her workplace. The President said since Nirbhaya’s rape and murder, there have been several tragedies of similar nature though only a few got attention and forgotten.
“This collective amnesia, I am afraid, is as obnoxious as that mindset I spoke of. I am of the firm belief that we should not let amnesia prevail over the memory of such criminality. Let us collectively say enough is enough,” she added.
‘What about Make in India?’: Sig Sauer’s rival SSS Defence challenges Govt, Army over 73k Sig-716 rifles deal
he recent announcement by US-based firearms manufacturer Sig Sauer Inc, which involves supplying an additional 73,000 Sig-716 assault rifles to the Indian Army, has sparked a heated response from Bengaluru-based SSS Defence. The company’s CEO, Vivek Krishnan, has publicly criticised the Indian government’s “Make-in-India” initiative and called into question the decision to procure more foreign-made rifles rather than supporting domestic arms manufacturing.
In a detailed post on X (formerly Twitter), Krishnan expressed frustration over the perceived neglect of Indian-made weapons. He challenged the Indian Army to put indigenous weapons from SSS Defence against global benchmarks for testing, advocating for transparent and open evaluation similar to practices followed by other serious armies.
“Here’s the challenge – We’ve heard from the buyer for a long time that “we’re not there on metallurgy” or “our designs are behind time”. I say put an indigenous weapon of ours against a global benchmark in each caliber and test out. Make the results open like real serious armies do. Test protocols are clearly defined. It would be the best for both sides. How difficult is that?” Krishnan said
Krishnan’s comments follow the Indian government’s decision to order an additional 73,000 Sig-716 rifles from Sig Sauer Inc. This latest order comes after an initial purchase of 72,400 rifles in 2019, which were distributed to various branches of the Indian armed forces. Specifically, 66,400 rifles were allocated to infantry troops stationed at the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan and the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. The Indian Air Force and Indian Navy received 4,000 and 2,000 rifles, respectively.
SSS Defence’s CEO criticised the procurement decision, suggesting that the defence ministry could have sought more opportunities for private Indian firms to present competitive indigenous solutions.
“I wish the govt had not acquired more of these. A private solicitation and insistence on Indian design and content would’ve easily thrown up a contender or many in fact. Testing the same against the in service system would’ve been rather easy,” he remarked.
Krishnan also addressed the broader implications for India’s defence sector, stating that despite the setback, SSS Defence is committed to remaining in the business and expanding globally.
“Now that it’s done, what can we do right. Most others would disband. Not us @sssdefence. We made a decision a long while ago to be the most fearless dog in this business. We shall still have a weapon for each caliber and the user to us is still the man in uniform. We will be global,” he asserted.
Reflecting on the “Make-in-India” campaign, Krishnan expressed scepticism about its impact on the defence sector. He noted the challenges faced by Indian manufacturers and highlighted a need for more support and patience to develop indigenous weapons.
“What about Make in India for defence ? There are a handful of guys really doing good work in the small arms space. There’s commitment from them and all it’ll take is patience. With our neighbourhood, only a fool can imagine doing without indigenous weapons. They’ll have to come and buy from us,” he stated.
Krishnan also touched upon national pride in Indian-made products, criticising past failures in the government’s controlled space and expressing optimism about the private sector’s role in reclaiming that pride.
“What about pride in Indian stuff ? We lost that pride a long while ago by building sub standard weapons in the govt controlled space. If anything, the private sector is regaining some of the pride. But making good weapons & getting them accepted is a difficult task. We know since going global has taught us that. In any case, we brown skinned Indians have always found that we’re respected by our own global peers before the country wakes up. It’s a self esteem thing,” he remarked.https://static.asianetnews.com/twitter-iframe/show.html?url=https://twitter.com/rav26051/status/1828634228738711828?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Ravi Kumar Gupta, a former DRDO scientist, responded to Vivek Krishnan’s post on X, expressing support for Krishnan’s challenge and urging Indian leaders to take the issue seriously. Gupta emphasised the importance of listening to voices from the industry and giving thoughtful consideration to indigenous capabilities.
He specifically called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to address the concerns raised by Krishnan, highlighting the need for a serious evaluation of Indian-made weapons against global standards.
Gupta also challenged the Indian Army’s Directorate General of Military Operations (DGMO) to accept Krishnan’s challenge with integrity. He questioned whether the allure of imported weaponry and the associated benefits might overshadow the potential of domestic innovations.
“Well said @Viv_Krishnan. Hope our leaders esp Hon’bles @narendramodi jee and @rajnathsingh jee lend their ears and give a serious thought. Will @adgpi accept the challenge honesty (Overcoming lure of IMPORTs and Makhan Malai). “Here’s the challenge – we’ve heard from the buyer for a long time that “we’re not there on metallurgy” or “our designs are behind time”. I say put an indigenous weapon of ours against a global benchmark in each caliber and test out. Make the results open like real serious armies do. Test protocols are clearly defined. It would be the best for both sides. How difficult is that?” The only difficulty I presume is the lure of Makhan Malai,” Gupta remarked.
Been bombarded with messages since y’day seeking “my” opinion on the follow on acquisition of SIG 716i by the Indian army. Well, we knew this was coming. So, just went about our work. But some plainspeak is well worth it. 1. I wish the govt had not acquired more of these. A private solicitation and insistence on Indian design and content would’ve easily thrown up a contender or many in fact. Testing the same against the in service system would’ve been rather easy 2. Now that it’s done, what can we do right. Most others would disband. Not us
@sssdefence. We made a decision a long while ago to be the most fearless dog in this business. We shall still have a weapon for each caliber and the user to us is still the man in uniform. We will be global 3. What about Make in India for defence ? There are a handful of guys really doing good work in the small arms space. There’s commitment from them and all it’ll take is patience. With our neighbourhood, only a fool can imagine doing without indigenous weapons. They’ll have to come and buy from us 4. What about pride in Indian stuff ? We lost that pride a long while ago by building sub standard weapons in the govt controlled space. If anything, the private sector is regaining some of the pride. But making good weapons & getting them accepted is a difficult task. We know since going global has taught us that. In any case, we brown skinned Indians have always found that we’re respected by our own global peers before the country wakes up
. It’s a self esteem thing 5. One last bit. Here’s the challenge – we’ve heard from the buyer for a long time that “we’re not there on metallurgy” or “our designs are behind time”. I say put an indigenous weapon of ours against a global benchmark in each caliber and test out. Make the results open like real serious armies do. Test protocols are clearly defined. It would be the best for both sides. How difficult is that ?
http://dhunt.in/Wjtu9
By Asianet Newsable via Dailyhunt
New Delhi, August 28
Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter pilot Air Marshal Denzil Keelor (91), who attained fame for shooting down a Pakistani Air Force F-86 Sabre jet in the 1965 War, has died of natural causes.
After retirement, he made Gurugram his home. Air Marshal Keelor, who was flying a Gnat aircraft, brought down the much superior F-86 plane in a midair duel on September 19, 1965, for which he was awarded the Vir Chakra.
The Vir Chakra is the third highest war-time gallantry award. In 1978, he was awarded the Kirti Chakra — the second highest gallantry award in peacetime.
SN Prasad, in his book ‘The India-Pakistan War of 1965’ — an authorised account from the Ministry of Defence archives — says, “Despite the fact that this was the first-ever war where an unprepared and technologically inferior IAF had been involved in aerial combat, its men fought heroically.”
Air Marshal Keelor’s elder brother, Wing Commander Trevor Keelor, is credited as the first Indian pilot to have ‘shot down an enemy plane in mid-air’. He was also awarded the Vir Chakra.
The new inputs include a fresh geographical and operational definition to the limits of the proposed theatre commands
ribune News Service
New Delhi, August 28
A blueprint on operational framework of the proposed theatre commands for the armed forces is ready, and will be shared with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in the first week of September.
The minister will address the Joint Commanders’ Conference at Lucknow next week, where the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen Anil Chauhan, and the Chiefs of the Army, Navy and IAF would be present, along with all the Commanders.
The minister will be given a detailed presentation on contours of the operational aspects of the planned integration. This would include how an integrated command — also referred to as a theatre command — would function in peace and conflict and maintain battle-readiness, sources said.
The post of the CDS, created in 2019, is tasked to promote ‘jointness and integration’ and modify the structures of the three services to enable joint operations. This is seen as the single biggest change to the form and shape of the country’s war-fighting structure. It entails having a single commander leading the men and officers from the three armed forces.
In September last year, the previous suggestions were asked to be tweaked. The CDS had again sought inputs, which have since been collated and dove-tailed into the new architecture to be presented to Rajnath Singh.
Since September last year, a set of fresh combinations and permutations have been studied by the Department of Military Affairs (DMA). The CDS also heads the DMA.
The new inputs include a fresh geographical and operational definition to the limits of the proposed theatre commands. A formula to integrate existing logistics, maintenance, training and supply lines of the armed forces is also in the works.
The DMA had originally arrived at an understanding on having three such theatre commands — one each for the northern and western front, and the third for maritime domain. The armed forces and the DMA have now suggested more such commands. Once an outline of the structure is done, and the government approves the concept, the theatre commands will be allocated resources, assets and manpower. A theatre commander controls all war assets of a defined area. At present, the Army, IAF and Navy have separate war-fighting assets. The Ministry of Defence, in May this year, notified an Act that provides disciplinary powers to the Commander heading tri-services organisations, like theatre commands.
The security forces, including the Army, paramilitary forces and local police, have been aggressively carrying out anti-terrorism operations in J-K for the last two months
Srinagar, August 29
Three terrorists were killed on Thursday in two encounters in J&K’s Kupwara district as the third operation against terrorists continued in the Rajouri district.
Officials said that two terrorists were killed in the Machail sector and one in the Tangdhar sector of Kupwara district when the Army foiled infiltration bids in these areas of the Line of Control (LoC).
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“Three terrorists have been killed in two anti-infiltration operations, two in Kumkadi area of Machail and one in Tangdhar sector in Kupwara district on Thursday. In the ongoing anti-Infiltration operation two terrorist bodies have been seen by distance in the Kumkadi area and one terrorist body in the Tangdhar area. Due to inclement weather as it is raining heavily in the area, the search operation has been hampered. Once the weather improves operation in the area will continue”, officials said.
The Officials said earlier that following intelligence inputs about the presence of a group of terrorists in Lathi village of Rajouri district, security forces including the Army, local police and the CRPF started a CASO (Cordon & Search Operation).
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“When the joint forces came closer to the hiding terrorists, they fired and an encounter started which is now going on”, officials said.
The security forces, including the Army, paramilitary forces and local police, have been aggressively carrying out anti-terrorism operations in J-K for the last two months.
The heightened security alert is being maintained throughout the union territory to ensure that the terrorists are prevented from disturbing the upcoming Assembly elections.
Over 300 additional companies of paramilitary forces are being deployed to augment the strength of the already existing security forces in the UT to secure the democratic process.
After reports of a group of hardcore foreign terrorists operating in the hilly districts of the Jammu division came in, the Army deployed over 4,000 trained soldiers, including the elite para commandos and those trained in mountain warfare to secure the mountain tops in the Jammu region.
Terrorists have carried out ambush attacks against the Army, security forces and civilians in Kathua, Doda, Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi and Udhampur districts during the last two months.
The modus operandi of the terrorists has been to carry out surprise attacks and then disappear into the densely foliaged and forested areas of these distrusts.
The deployment of the Army and the CRPF inside the densely forested areas is meant to deprive the terrorists of this element of surprise.
Senior security forces officers believe that the revised anti-terrorism strategy is working well as the forces have been able to keep the terrorists engaged in encounters so that they cannot carry out sly attacks.
A search operation was initiated by security forces in the area.
Rajouri/Jammu, August 29
An encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district after troops launched a cordon and search operation in response to suspected militant movement, officials said.
“A search operation was launched by security forces in the general area of village Kheri Mohra Lathi and Danthal in Rajouri district at 2130 hours on Wednesday night (following suspected terrorist movement),” a police spokesperson said.
During the search operation, at around 2345 hours, a contact was established with terrorists, leading to an exchange of fire between the militants and security forces near Kheri Mohra area, the spokesperson added.
Security forces also fired few shots of tracer rounds to illuminate the area, the officials said.
Two to three terrorists are holed up in the cordon area, they said, adding that additional forces have been rushed to the area to strengthened the cordon and the operation.
On Monday night, a group of Village Defence Guards (VDGs) noticed two unidentified persons near a house in Meira-Nagrota village at Rajouri district, and fired into the air. Following this, a search operation was initiated by security forces in the area.
Scapegoat found . This time it’s Indian Navy ( they know being disciplined force won’t speak ) .The Navy, not Maharashtra state government, constructed the 35-foot Shivaji statue in Sindhudurg which collapsed, deputy CM Fadnavis said.
