The Indian Army will be participating in a multi-national defence exercise being held at Russia’s Nizhniy from September 3 to September 16, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.

A 200-personnel contingent from the Indian Army will carry out war games with 16 other countries in the drill, known as Zapad 2021. One of the theatre-level exercises of Russian Armed Forces, it will focus primarily on operations against terrorists.

"Over a dozen countries from Eurasian and South Asian Region will participate in this signature event," the Indian Army said in a statement. 
 
The countries invited for the drill include Armenia, Belarus, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Serbia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Pakistan and Chinese armies would be observers as they are not part of the exercise. 
 
The 14-day-long exercise is scheduled to take place at Mulino Training Ground in Nizhniy, 423 km east of Moscow. The series rotates through four main Russian strategic Commands, including Zapad (West), Vostok (East), Tsentr (Centre) and Kavkaz (Caucasus).

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/fact-check-was-jallianwala-bagh-memorial-tampered-with-in-restoration-409899">Fact Check: Was Jallianwala Bagh memorial tampered with in restoration?</a>

The exercise aims to enhance military and strategic ties amongst the participating nations while they plan and execute it.

From India, the Naga battalion group will participate in the exercise and will feature an all-arms combined task force.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Indian Army will be participating in a multi-national defence exercise being held at Russia’s Nizhniy from September 3 to September 16, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.

The Indian Army will be participating in a multi-national defence exercise being held at Russia’s Nizhniy from September 3 to September 16, the defence ministry said on Wednesday. A 200-personnel contingent from the Indian Army will carry out war games with 16 other countries in the drill, known as Zapad 2021. One of the theatre-level exercises of Russian Armed Forces, it will focus primarily on operations against terrorists. "Over a dozen countries from Eurasian and South Asian Region will participate in this signature event," the Indian Army said in a statement. The countries invited for the drill include Armenia, Belarus, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Vietnam, Serbia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. Pakistan and Chinese armies would be observers as they are not part of the exercise. The 14-day-long exercise is scheduled to take place at Mulino Training Ground in Nizhniy, 423 km east of Moscow. The series rotates through four main Russian strategic Commands, including Zapad (West), Vostok (East), Tsentr (Centre) and Kavkaz (Caucasus). Also read | Fact Check: Was Jallianwala Bagh memorial tampered with in restoration? The exercise aims to enhance military and strategic ties amongst the participating nations while they plan and execute it. From India, the Naga battalion group will participate in the exercise and will feature an all-arms combined task force. (With inputs from agencies)

India to partake in 17-nation wargames in Russia

The Indian Army cleared the way for the promotion of five women officers to Colonel rank, post completion of 26 years of reckonable service.

This is the first time that women officers serving with the Corps of Signals, Corps of Electronic and Mechanical Engineers (EME) and the Corps of Engineers have been approved to the rank of Colonel.

Previously, promotion to the rank of Colonel was only applicable for women officers in the Army Medical Corps (AMC), Judge Advocate General (JAG) and the Army Education Corps (AEC).

The widening of promotion avenues to more branches of the Indian Army is a sign of increasing career opportunities for women officers. Combined with the decision to grant permanent commission to women officers from a majority of branches of the Indian Army, this step defines the Indian Army`s approach towards a gender-neutral Army.

The five women officers selected for Colonel Time Scale rank are -- Lt Col Sangeeta Sardana from the Corps of Signals, Lt Col Sonia Anand and Lt Col Navneet Duggal from the Corps of EME and Lt Col Reenu Khanna and Lt Col Ritcha Sagar from the Corps of Engineers.

In a big development, the Supreme Court last week passed an interim order allowing women to take the admission exam to National Defence Academy (NDA) where earlier only men could join.

Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Centre, argued that it is a policy decision of the government. Disagreeing with Centre`s contention, a bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Hrishikesh Roy observed, "This is a policy decision based on gender discrimination...respondents (Centre), must take a constructive view."

The top court pulled up the Army for resisting opportunities to women, and asked it to change its attitude and not wait for judicial orders to be passed in such matters.

The top court directed that women can sit for exams for entry in NDA, which is slated for September 5. The top court added that admissions, etc will be subjected to its final order. "Cannot create bar for women in NDA," noted the bench.

The Indian Army cleared the way for the promotion of five women officers to Colonel rank, post completion of 26 years of reckonable service. This is the first time that women officers serving with the Corps of Signals, Corps of Electronic and Mechanical Engineers (EME) and the Corps of Engineers have been approved to the rank of Colonel.

The Indian Army cleared the way for the promotion of five women officers to Colonel rank, post completion of 26 years of reckonable service. This is the first time that women officers serving with the Corps of Signals, Corps of Electronic and Mechanical Engineers (EME) and the Corps of Engineers have been approved to the rank of Colonel. Previously, promotion to the rank of Colonel was only applicable for women officers in the Army Medical Corps (AMC), Judge Advocate General (JAG) and the Army Education Corps (AEC). The widening of promotion avenues to more branches of the Indian Army is a sign of increasing career opportunities for women officers. Combined with the decision to grant permanent commission to women officers from a majority of branches of the Indian Army, this step defines the Indian Army`s approach towards a gender-neutral Army. The five women officers selected for Colonel Time Scale rank are -- Lt Col Sangeeta Sardana from the Corps of Signals, Lt Col Sonia Anand and Lt Col Navneet Duggal from the Corps of EME and Lt Col Reenu Khanna and Lt Col Ritcha Sagar from the Corps of Engineers. In a big development, the Supreme Court last week passed an interim order allowing women to take the admission exam to National Defence Academy (NDA) where earlier only men could join. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing the Centre, argued that it is a policy decision of the government. Disagreeing with Centre`s contention, a bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Hrishikesh Roy observed, "This is a policy decision based on gender discrimination...respondents (Centre), must take a constructive view." The top court pulled up the Army for resisting opportunities to women, and asked it to change its attitude and not wait for judicial orders to be passed in such matters. The top court directed that women can sit for exams for entry in NDA, which is slated for September 5. The top court added that admissions, etc will be subjected to its final order. "Cannot create bar for women in NDA," noted the bench.

Indian Army promotes 5 women officers to Colonel rank

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One terrorist of the proscribed terror outfit Al-Badr was killed in Budgam by security forces in a joint operation by security forces, while another terrorist of Lashkar-e-Taiba was arrested in another operation in Awantipora in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

"During the search operation, as the presence of terrorists was ascertained, they were given an opportunity to surrender. However, instead of surrendering, they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which led to an encounter, " said a press release by the police.

"In the ensuing encounter, one terrorist of the proscribed terror outfit Al-Badr was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of the encounter. He has been identified as Shakir Bashir Dar, the son of Bashir Ahmad Dar, and a resident of Goripora in Awantipora, " it added.

Acting on specific information generated by the Budgam Police about the presence of terrorists in the Mochwa area of Chadoora in the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by the police, 50RR and 181BN CRPF in the said area on Saturday, a Jammu and Kashmir police official statement read.

As per police records, the killed terrorist was part of a group involved in various terror crime cases and several terror crime cases were registered against him. Shakir Bashir was earlier working as a terrorist associate with proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and joined the terror folds of proscribed terror outfit Al-Badr recently.

Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition, including 1 AK-rifle with 02 magazines, 32 rounds, 1 Chinese pistol with 2 magazines, 16 rounds, a bag-pack and a pouch were recovered from the site of the encounter.

"While the said operation was in progress, it was learnt that while laying cordon another terrorist had managed to escape from the encounter site and the information was shared with Awantipora Police. Awantipora Police, while developing the lead further launched a cordon and search operation in the Mantaqi Colony Khrew area along with 50RR and 185BN CRPF," it added.

During the search, the escaped terrorist was tracked down and arrested while hiding in a truck bearing registration No. JK13-2397. He has been identified as Shabir Ahmad Najar, a resident of Wuyan Khrew, linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT. The driver of the truck identified as Mohd Shafi Dar, a resident of Gratwani Mohalla Khrew, has also been arrested. Besides, the said truck has also been seized," the police statement read.

Incriminating materials, arms &amp; ammunition including 1 Chinese Pistol, 1 Pistol Magazine, 7 Pistol rounds, 2 AK-Magazines, 50 AK-rounds, 1 Chinese grenade, 5Kgs IED (destroyed on spot) were also recovered from the site.

IGP Kashmir has congratulated the joint teams of Police/SF for showing exemplary coordination in conducting the operation successfully in a professional manner without any collateral damage and tracking down the escaped terrorist. Besides, IGP Kashmir appeals to parents of newly recruited terrorists to bring their children back to the mainstream.

In this connection, Police have registered cases under relevant sections of law and further investigation is in progress.

One terrorist of the proscribed terror outfit Al-Badr was killed in Budgam by security forces in a joint operation by security forces, while another terrorist of Lashkar-e-Taiba was arrested in another operation in Awantipora in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

One terrorist of the proscribed terror outfit Al-Badr was killed in Budgam by security forces in a joint operation by security forces, while another terrorist of Lashkar-e-Taiba was arrested in another operation in Awantipora in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday. "During the search operation, as the presence of terrorists was ascertained, they were given an opportunity to surrender. However, instead of surrendering, they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party, which led to an encounter, " said a press release by the police. "In the ensuing encounter, one terrorist of the proscribed terror outfit Al-Badr was killed and his body was retrieved from the site of the encounter. He has been identified as Shakir Bashir Dar, the son of Bashir Ahmad Dar, and a resident of Goripora in Awantipora, " it added. Acting on specific information generated by the Budgam Police about the presence of terrorists in the Mochwa area of Chadoora in the Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by the police, 50RR and 181BN CRPF in the said area on Saturday, a Jammu and Kashmir police official statement read. As per police records, the killed terrorist was part of a group involved in various terror crime cases and several terror crime cases were registered against him. Shakir Bashir was earlier working as a terrorist associate with proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and joined the terror folds of proscribed terror outfit Al-Badr recently. Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition, including 1 AK-rifle with 02 magazines, 32 rounds, 1 Chinese pistol with 2 magazines, 16 rounds, a bag-pack and a pouch were recovered from the site of the encounter. "While the said operation was in progress, it was learnt that while laying cordon another terrorist had managed to escape from the encounter site and the information was shared with Awantipora Police. Awantipora Police, while developing the lead further launched a cordon and search operation in the Mantaqi Colony Khrew area along with 50RR and 185BN CRPF," it added. During the search, the escaped terrorist was tracked down and arrested while hiding in a truck bearing registration No. JK13-2397. He has been identified as Shabir Ahmad Najar, a resident of Wuyan Khrew, linked with proscribed terror outfit LeT. The driver of the truck identified as Mohd Shafi Dar, a resident of Gratwani Mohalla Khrew, has also been arrested. Besides, the said truck has also been seized," the police statement read. Incriminating materials, arms & ammunition including 1 Chinese Pistol, 1 Pistol Magazine, 7 Pistol rounds, 2 AK-Magazines, 50 AK-rounds, 1 Chinese grenade, 5Kgs IED (destroyed on spot) were also recovered from the site. IGP Kashmir has congratulated the joint teams of Police/SF for showing exemplary coordination in conducting the operation successfully in a professional manner without any collateral damage and tracking down the escaped terrorist. Besides, IGP Kashmir appeals to parents of newly recruited terrorists to bring their children back to the mainstream. In this connection, Police have registered cases under relevant sections of law and further investigation is in progress.

LeT terrorist arrested, another terrorist affiliated to Al-Badr killed by security forces in J&K

In a positive development, Indian army and Chinese people's liberation army (PLA) on Sunday announced the establishment of a hotline. The hotline was established between the Indian Army in Kongra La, North Sikkim and PLA at Khamba Dzong in Tibetan Autonomous Region to "further the spirit of trust and cordial relations along the borders", Indian Army said.

The announcement incidentally came on PLA day, i.e. August 01. It was on this day in 1927 the PLA was founded. This is the sixth hotline between the two countries.&nbsp;Now, both sides now have two hotlines in Eastern Ladakh, two in Sikkim and two in Arunachal Pradesh.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/fifth-pre-1965-rail-link-operationalised-between-india-bangladesh-402262">Fifth pre-1965 rail link operationalised between India, Bangladesh</a>

The Indian Army release highlighted, "the Armed forces of the two countries have well established mechanisms for communication at ground commanders level", adding&nbsp;that these "hotlines in various sectors go a long way in enhancing the same and maintaining peace and tranquility at the borders".

The inauguration of the hotline was attended by ground commanders of both the countries and&nbsp;messages of "friendship and harmony" were exchanged through the hotline.

This&nbsp;development comes a day after Indian, Chinese military talks happened at Moldo for disengagement at Hot springs, Gogra &amp; Depsang in Eastern Ladakh. Ties between the two countries have gone downhill since April-May last year after China amassed its troops at Line of Actual (LAC) control. The Galwan incident of 2020 resulted in the deaths&nbsp;of 20 Indian soldiers due to aggressive Chinese action — the worst such development at LAC in decades. 
&nbsp;

In a positive development, Indian army and Chinese people's liberation army (PLA) on Sunday announced the establishment of a hotline. The hotline was established between the Indian Army in Kongra La, North Sikkim and PLA at Khamba Dzong in Tibetan Autonomous Region to "further the spirit of trust and cordial relations along the borders", Indian Army said.

In a positive development, Indian army and Chinese people's liberation army (PLA) on Sunday announced the establishment of a hotline. The hotline was established between the Indian Army in Kongra La, North Sikkim and PLA at Khamba Dzong in Tibetan Autonomous Region to "further the spirit of trust and cordial relations along the borders", Indian Army said. The announcement incidentally came on PLA day, i.e. August 01. It was on this day in 1927 the PLA was founded. This is the sixth hotline between the two countries. Now, both sides now have two hotlines in Eastern Ladakh, two in Sikkim and two in Arunachal Pradesh. Also read | Fifth pre-1965 rail link operationalised between India, Bangladesh The Indian Army release highlighted, "the Armed forces of the two countries have well established mechanisms for communication at ground commanders level", adding that these "hotlines in various sectors go a long way in enhancing the same and maintaining peace and tranquility at the borders". The inauguration of the hotline was attended by ground commanders of both the countries and messages of "friendship and harmony" were exchanged through the hotline. This development comes a day after Indian, Chinese military talks happened at Moldo for disengagement at Hot springs, Gogra & Depsang in Eastern Ladakh. Ties between the two countries have gone downhill since April-May last year after China amassed its troops at Line of Actual (LAC) control. The Galwan incident of 2020 resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers due to aggressive Chinese action — the worst such development at LAC in decades.

In a positive development, Indian, Chinese Army establish 6th hotline

The Indian Army’s Dakshin Bharat Area recognized and felicitated the 1971 Bangladesh-liberation war veterans and their families, who are based out of Tamil Nadu.

According to the Army, 1,670 men and women from Tamil Nadu, the southern Indian state, served with India’s Armed Forces during the Bangladesh-liberation war.

In 1670, 42 soldiers made the supreme sacrifice and 37 were wounded. Among those from Tamil Nadu are 3 Vir Chakra Awardees, 1 Mahavir Chakra Awardee, and 1 Sena Medal Awardee. Nine war heroes and three Veernaris(women who lost their husbands in combat) ) were honored at the event here.&nbsp;

Among those who were honored here by the Army and the Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, were three living legends who played a significant role in Pakistan’s defeat.

Commodore Gopal Rao, under whose leadership a Pakistani Navy Destroyer was sunk and Karachi Port was paralyzed, Rear Admiral S Ram Sagar, a Naval Aviator who prevented the enemy from operating their airfields, bombarded their troop-carrying ships and Col Krishnaswamy who led his men to inflict severe casualty, damage on Pakistani tank formations.&nbsp;

Speaking at the event, Lt. Gen. A.Arun, General-Officer-in-Command(GOC) Dakshin Bharat Area&nbsp;profusely thanked and conveyed his respects to the veterans and their families.

He lauded their service and sacrifice for the nation. Recalling the 1971 war, he said that India fought a battle against Pakistan on its east and west, thus giving rise to a new nation called Bangladesh, out of East Pakistan. He emphasized that it was a war that witnessed 3,800 Indian men and women making the supreme sacrifice besides the 9,851 peronnel who were injured.&nbsp;

On the historic significance of the 1971 war, he said that it was the first time since World War 2 that nearly 93,000 soldiers had surrendered with all their arms, ships, rockets, artillery and aircraft.

“Indian Armed Forces captured 15,000square kilometers of Pakistani territory in 1971, which we so graciously returned the next year” he added. The top Army officer also recalled that the iconic Taj Mahal had to be camouflaged, in order to protect the glowing monument from night-time Pakistani Air raids.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Armed forces fraternity and the Governor lauded the role of ‘Veer Naris’ (women who lost their husbands in combat) for their contributions to the nation. They were also among those honored, along with other military families. Lt Gen Arun took the stellar example of a Veernari(martyred Jawan’s wife) from Tamil Nadu, who brought up their kids to become successful IITans. He added that this was the bravery of Tamil Nadu and Chennai.

&nbsp;

The celebrations held in the city are part of the pan-India Swarnim Vijay Varsh (Golden Jubilee of 1971 War). The event included displays by the Military band, Equestrian team, Drill team, Martial arts teams among others. As a part of the Golden jubilee year, four commemorative flames are being paraded across all four directions of the country, since late last year. Soil from the cities and villages of the 1971 Indo-Pak War Heroes are being collected and taken to Delhi to be ensconced with the National War Memorial.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Indian Army’s Dakshin Bharat Area recognized and felicitated the 1971 Bangladesh-liberation war veterans and their families, who are based out of Tamil Nadu.

The Indian Army’s Dakshin Bharat Area recognized and felicitated the 1971 Bangladesh-liberation war veterans and their families, who are based out of Tamil Nadu. According to the Army, 1,670 men and women from Tamil Nadu, the southern Indian state, served with India’s Armed Forces during the Bangladesh-liberation war. In 1670, 42 soldiers made the supreme sacrifice and 37 were wounded. Among those from Tamil Nadu are 3 Vir Chakra Awardees, 1 Mahavir Chakra Awardee, and 1 Sena Medal Awardee. Nine war heroes and three Veernaris(women who lost their husbands in combat) ) were honored at the event here. Among those who were honored here by the Army and the Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit, were three living legends who played a significant role in Pakistan’s defeat. Commodore Gopal Rao, under whose leadership a Pakistani Navy Destroyer was sunk and Karachi Port was paralyzed, Rear Admiral S Ram Sagar, a Naval Aviator who prevented the enemy from operating their airfields, bombarded their troop-carrying ships and Col Krishnaswamy who led his men to inflict severe casualty, damage on Pakistani tank formations. Speaking at the event, Lt. Gen. A.Arun, General-Officer-in-Command(GOC) Dakshin Bharat Area profusely thanked and conveyed his respects to the veterans and their families. He lauded their service and sacrifice for the nation. Recalling the 1971 war, he said that India fought a battle against Pakistan on its east and west, thus giving rise to a new nation called Bangladesh, out of East Pakistan. He emphasized that it was a war that witnessed 3,800 Indian men and women making the supreme sacrifice besides the 9,851 peronnel who were injured. On the historic significance of the 1971 war, he said that it was the first time since World War 2 that nearly 93,000 soldiers had surrendered with all their arms, ships, rockets, artillery and aircraft. “Indian Armed Forces captured 15,000square kilometers of Pakistani territory in 1971, which we so graciously returned the next year” he added. The top Army officer also recalled that the iconic Taj Mahal had to be camouflaged, in order to protect the glowing monument from night-time Pakistani Air raids. The Armed forces fraternity and the Governor lauded the role of ‘Veer Naris’ (women who lost their husbands in combat) for their contributions to the nation. They were also among those honored, along with other military families. Lt Gen Arun took the stellar example of a Veernari(martyred Jawan’s wife) from Tamil Nadu, who brought up their kids to become successful IITans. He added that this was the bravery of Tamil Nadu and Chennai. The celebrations held in the city are part of the pan-India Swarnim Vijay Varsh (Golden Jubilee of 1971 War). The event included displays by the Military band, Equestrian team, Drill team, Martial arts teams among others. As a part of the Golden jubilee year, four commemorative flames are being paraded across all four directions of the country, since late last year. Soil from the cities and villages of the 1971 Indo-Pak War Heroes are being collected and taken to Delhi to be ensconced with the National War Memorial.

Swarnim Vijay Varsh -1971 War Veterans and Families felicitated by Army

In a major restructuring like reorganising Indian Military into Theatre Commands, there will be variation of views between stakeholders and many rounds of discussions on merits and demerits of the existing force structure vis-a-vis the proposed one; hence it may not be appropriate to call it a ‘turf war’ as has been referred in some media reports.

Is the Timing Right?

Today, India is facing a ‘Two Front Threat’ in real terms, in a manner that it is already in standoff with the largest military in the world, and the other adversary is also devising new ways to disturb peace through drones/terror attacks. Irrespective of merits and demerits of theaterisation, strategically, it is not the right time to go through such a major apex level restructuring, when the largest military force is knocking at Line of Actual Control. Such major restructuring takes at least few years of teething problems; hence it will bring turbulence in time tested command structure during the intervening period, a risk which the country must avoid. In an overdrive to minimise cost of defence, or meet certain personality oriented deadlines, the restructuring should not compromise operational effectiveness of Indian Military. &nbsp;

What needs to be restructured?&nbsp;

Regarding implementation of Indian model of Theatre Commands, I endorse Air Defence Command, Defence Space Agency (DSA), Armed Forces Special Operations Division (AFSOD), integration in logistics and recommend up-gradation of Defence Cyber Agency (DCA) to “Information Warfare Command” as explained in my detailed analysis. &nbsp; 
The critical shortage of air and other assets is a concern, too serious to be overlooked. The Maritime Command accruing advantage of unity of command, will have to be weighed against manageability of increased span of control, as Indian definition of Indo-Pacific and area of maritime interest has grown from eastern coasts of Africa to northern Pacific, up to Japan. With tri-service structure, reporting to single Service Chief has its own &nbsp;problems. Reporting to CDS may be difficult for him to manage them in operations, (unmanageable span of control), and he not being tasked and organised for it. The first priority of India should be to do capability development over restructuring of apex level restructuring.

The Air Power Debate!

The Indian Air Force is an offensive component of Indian Military. It has national role besides synergising with other services to contribute to national combat power. For comprehensive air battle, with inadequate air resources, switching assets between operational commands of same service is much more effective than trying to do so between integrated theatre commands with dedicated resources, through CDS/ COSC Committee System.&nbsp;

It also needs to be noted that with the current speed of fighter aircrafts and high intensity of lethal air defence systems, globally, the close air support role is being performed better by attack helicopters and variety of artillery assets due to safety concerns. New generation aircrafts are mostly multi-role, increasingly employed for long and short-range interdiction, creating favourable air situation, degradation, offensive air missions and strategic national missions.&nbsp;

Indianised Model&nbsp;

US and China have laid down expeditionary role for their military away from mainland; hence their theatre commands like Indo-Pacific Command can’t be supported from air assets from mainland, which justifies separate allocation of air assets.&nbsp;

Both these countries have done so after reaching self-reliance in defence production. In case of India, expeditionary role doesn’t hold good for considerable period, when it finds raising of much needed mountain strike corps to threaten immediate adversary too costly. India must first bring up its asset availability up to a point that they can be distributed as first priority, with indigenous technology and hardware by self-reliance, which is a work in progress.&nbsp;

Everyone needs focus on capacity building at this time under discernible ‘Two Front Threat’, rather than igniting debates on apex level Restructuring, which doesn’t improve combat capability very much at cutting edge, where we need more military assets like aircrafts and drones.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

In a major restructuring like reorganising Indian Military into Theatre Commands, there will be variation of views between stakeholders and many rounds of discussions on merits and demerits of the existing force structure vis-a-vis the proposed one; hence it may not be appropriate to call it a ‘turf war’ as has been referred in some media reports.

In a major restructuring like reorganising Indian Military into Theatre Commands, there will be variation of views between stakeholders and many rounds of discussions on merits and demerits of the existing force structure vis-a-vis the proposed one; hence it may not be appropriate to call it a ‘turf war’ as has been referred in some media reports. Is the Timing Right? Today, India is facing a ‘Two Front Threat’ in real terms, in a manner that it is already in standoff with the largest military in the world, and the other adversary is also devising new ways to disturb peace through drones/terror attacks. Irrespective of merits and demerits of theaterisation, strategically, it is not the right time to go through such a major apex level restructuring, when the largest military force is knocking at Line of Actual Control. Such major restructuring takes at least few years of teething problems; hence it will bring turbulence in time tested command structure during the intervening period, a risk which the country must avoid. In an overdrive to minimise cost of defence, or meet certain personality oriented deadlines, the restructuring should not compromise operational effectiveness of Indian Military. What needs to be restructured? Regarding implementation of Indian model of Theatre Commands, I endorse Air Defence Command, Defence Space Agency (DSA), Armed Forces Special Operations Division (AFSOD), integration in logistics and recommend up-gradation of Defence Cyber Agency (DCA) to “Information Warfare Command” as explained in my detailed analysis. The critical shortage of air and other assets is a concern, too serious to be overlooked. The Maritime Command accruing advantage of unity of command, will have to be weighed against manageability of increased span of control, as Indian definition of Indo-Pacific and area of maritime interest has grown from eastern coasts of Africa to northern Pacific, up to Japan. With tri-service structure, reporting to single Service Chief has its own problems. Reporting to CDS may be difficult for him to manage them in operations, (unmanageable span of control), and he not being tasked and organised for it. The first priority of India should be to do capability development over restructuring of apex level restructuring. The Air Power Debate! The Indian Air Force is an offensive component of Indian Military. It has national role besides synergising with other services to contribute to national combat power. For comprehensive air battle, with inadequate air resources, switching assets between operational commands of same service is much more effective than trying to do so between integrated theatre commands with dedicated resources, through CDS/ COSC Committee System. It also needs to be noted that with the current speed of fighter aircrafts and high intensity of lethal air defence systems, globally, the close air support role is being performed better by attack helicopters and variety of artillery assets due to safety concerns. New generation aircrafts are mostly multi-role, increasingly employed for long and short-range interdiction, creating favourable air situation, degradation, offensive air missions and strategic national missions. Indianised Model US and China have laid down expeditionary role for their military away from mainland; hence their theatre commands like Indo-Pacific Command can’t be supported from air assets from mainland, which justifies separate allocation of air assets. Both these countries have done so after reaching self-reliance in defence production. In case of India, expeditionary role doesn’t hold good for considerable period, when it finds raising of much needed mountain strike corps to threaten immediate adversary too costly. India must first bring up its asset availability up to a point that they can be distributed as first priority, with indigenous technology and hardware by self-reliance, which is a work in progress. Everyone needs focus on capacity building at this time under discernible ‘Two Front Threat’, rather than igniting debates on apex level Restructuring, which doesn’t improve combat capability very much at cutting edge, where we need more military assets like aircrafts and drones. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Opinion | Theatre Commands: Is India on right path, at right time? 

On the occasion of the birthday of Captain Gurjinder Singh Suri, who died during the operation "Birsa Munda" in 1999, the Indian Army inaugurated a war memorial in memory of Captain in Gulmarg near the Line of Control (LOC).

Lieutenant Colonel (Col), Tej Prakash Singh Suri (Retd), father of Captain Gurjinder Singh Suri, MVC (Posthumous) was also present on the occasion.

"On the occasion, Lieutenant Colonel (Col), Tej Prakash Singh Suri (Retd), father of Captain Gurjinder Singh Suri, MVC (Posthumous) traveled hundreds of kilometers to a forward location at more than 10000 ft height along the Line of Control, to finally accomplish his dream of visiting the Battlefield where his son had made the ultimate sacrifice during operation BIRSA MUNDA in 1999," read a release by the Army.

'Birsa Munda'&nbsp;operation was a punitive raid conducted against a Pakistani post by a Bihar battalion of the Indian Army in the month of November 1999.

"This was the time when operation VIJAY had drawn two-way close but the Line of Control was still active with sporadic incidents of trans Line of Control violence. In a swift and meticulously planned operation, the entire Pakistani post was destroyed, killing 17 Pakistani soldiers," the Army said.

The nation also paid the human cost of military action and lost Capt Gurjinder Singh Suri, raid commander who was later awarded Maha Vir Chakra (Posthumous).

Three of his team members Sepoy Manoj Kumar, Vir Chakra (Posthumous), Sepoy Birendra Kumar, Mention-in-Despatches (Posthumous), and Lance Naik Birendra Nath Tiwari, Mention-in-Despatches (Posthumous) also made the supreme sacrifice, the release said.&nbsp;

On the occasion of the birthday of Captain Gurjinder Singh Suri, who died during the operation "Birsa Munda" in 1999, the Indian Army inaugurated a war memorial in memory of Captain in Gulmarg near the Line of Control (LOC).

On the occasion of the birthday of Captain Gurjinder Singh Suri, who died during the operation "Birsa Munda" in 1999, the Indian Army inaugurated a war memorial in memory of Captain in Gulmarg near the Line of Control (LOC). Lieutenant Colonel (Col), Tej Prakash Singh Suri (Retd), father of Captain Gurjinder Singh Suri, MVC (Posthumous) was also present on the occasion. "On the occasion, Lieutenant Colonel (Col), Tej Prakash Singh Suri (Retd), father of Captain Gurjinder Singh Suri, MVC (Posthumous) traveled hundreds of kilometers to a forward location at more than 10000 ft height along the Line of Control, to finally accomplish his dream of visiting the Battlefield where his son had made the ultimate sacrifice during operation BIRSA MUNDA in 1999," read a release by the Army. 'Birsa Munda' operation was a punitive raid conducted against a Pakistani post by a Bihar battalion of the Indian Army in the month of November 1999. "This was the time when operation VIJAY had drawn two-way close but the Line of Control was still active with sporadic incidents of trans Line of Control violence. In a swift and meticulously planned operation, the entire Pakistani post was destroyed, killing 17 Pakistani soldiers," the Army said. The nation also paid the human cost of military action and lost Capt Gurjinder Singh Suri, raid commander who was later awarded Maha Vir Chakra (Posthumous). Three of his team members Sepoy Manoj Kumar, Vir Chakra (Posthumous), Sepoy Birendra Kumar, Mention-in-Despatches (Posthumous), and Lance Naik Birendra Nath Tiwari, Mention-in-Despatches (Posthumous) also made the supreme sacrifice, the release said.

Indian Army inaugurates war memorial of Capt who died during 1999 ''Birsa Munda'' operation

Easy availability of drones has increased the complexity of security challenges and the Indian military is developing capabilities to effectively deal with the threats, be it from state-sponsored elements or by states themselves, Army Chief Gen&nbsp;Manoj Mukund Naravane said on Thursday.

In an address at a think-tank, General Naravane said the security establishment is well aware of the challenges and certain measures have already been put in place to deal with them.

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"We are developing capabilities to deal with the threats whether they are state-sponsored or by states themselves. We are developing capabilities to deal with drone threats both in the kinetic and non-kinetic realm," he said.

General Naravane was asked about the recent drone attack on Jammu Force Station.

On the situation along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, the Army chief said there has been no infiltration along the LoC after a ceasefire understanding was reached between Indian and Pakistani militaries in February.

Since there is no infiltration, the number of terrorists in Kashmir is lesser and so a number of terrorism-related incidents also came down, he said.

"There will always be elements who will try to sabotage process of peace and development; we have to cater for that," he said without elaborating.

"We have a strong counter-terrorism and counter-infiltration grid in Jammu and Kashmir and our operation to ensure peace and tranquility will continue," he said.

Easy availability of drones has increased the complexity of security challenges and the Indian military is developing capabilities to effectively deal with the threats, be it from state-sponsored elements or by states themselves, Army Chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane said on Thursday.

Easy availability of drones has increased the complexity of security challenges and the Indian military is developing capabilities to effectively deal with the threats, be it from state-sponsored elements or by states themselves, Army Chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane said on Thursday. In an address at a think-tank, General Naravane said the security establishment is well aware of the challenges and certain measures have already been put in place to deal with them. "We are developing capabilities to deal with the threats whether they are state-sponsored or by states themselves. We are developing capabilities to deal with drone threats both in the kinetic and non-kinetic realm," he said. General Naravane was asked about the recent drone attack on Jammu Force Station. On the situation along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, the Army chief said there has been no infiltration along the LoC after a ceasefire understanding was reached between Indian and Pakistani militaries in February. Since there is no infiltration, the number of terrorists in Kashmir is lesser and so a number of terrorism-related incidents also came down, he said. "There will always be elements who will try to sabotage process of peace and development; we have to cater for that," he said without elaborating. "We have a strong counter-terrorism and counter-infiltration grid in Jammu and Kashmir and our operation to ensure peace and tranquility will continue," he said.

Indian military developing capabilities to deal with drone threats: Army chief

The visit comes even as the Chinese still have not disengaged from other areas of the LAC like Gogra and hot springs. Over the last year, the Chinese forces at the LAC had been growing continuously, raising tensions in the region.

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrives on a 3-day visit to Ladakh

A committee has been formed to address the issues related to the involvement of external agencies in the creation of new military theatre commands.

"The committee has been formed after the Defence Ministry pointed out the issues that may emerge due to the placement of some paramilitary forces under military theatre commands," government sources said on Saturday.

They added that the Committee comprising the three Vice Chiefs will be looking into only the issue of the involvement of external agencies such as the Ministries of Home and Finance.

"The committee would be looking only at the limited issue of discussing with external agencies about the structure and their respective roles in the formation of theatre commands," they said.

The committee formation comes after questions were raised by the Defence Ministry on the proposed structure of commands during a presentation on the draft cabinet note prepared for the theatre commands.

Sources said that the proposed theatre commands suggested bringing some of the paramilitary forces of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) under the theatre commands along with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). The defence functionaries in the meeting felt and suggested that since organisations from outside the Ministry of Defence were involved, there was a need for setting up inter-ministerial committees to discuss the matter with them.

The command structure, sources said, also suggest giving service extension to the proposed theatre commanders who would be above the vice chiefs of the three services and below the chiefs. "Citing foreign models on theatre commands, points were raised as to why geography specific commands were being planned as the formations comprise the elements of all three services," they said.

A committee has been formed to address the issues related to the involvement of external agencies in the creation of new military theatre commands. "The committee has been formed after the Defence Ministry pointed out the issues that may emerge due to the placement of some paramilitary forces under military theatre commands," government sources said on Saturday.

A committee has been formed to address the issues related to the involvement of external agencies in the creation of new military theatre commands. "The committee has been formed after the Defence Ministry pointed out the issues that may emerge due to the placement of some paramilitary forces under military theatre commands," government sources said on Saturday. They added that the Committee comprising the three Vice Chiefs will be looking into only the issue of the involvement of external agencies such as the Ministries of Home and Finance. "The committee would be looking only at the limited issue of discussing with external agencies about the structure and their respective roles in the formation of theatre commands," they said. The committee formation comes after questions were raised by the Defence Ministry on the proposed structure of commands during a presentation on the draft cabinet note prepared for the theatre commands. Sources said that the proposed theatre commands suggested bringing some of the paramilitary forces of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) under the theatre commands along with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG). The defence functionaries in the meeting felt and suggested that since organisations from outside the Ministry of Defence were involved, there was a need for setting up inter-ministerial committees to discuss the matter with them. The command structure, sources said, also suggest giving service extension to the proposed theatre commanders who would be above the vice chiefs of the three services and below the chiefs. "Citing foreign models on theatre commands, points were raised as to why geography specific commands were being planned as the formations comprise the elements of all three services," they said.

Committee set up to discuss involvement of external agencies in Indian military theater commands

In a historic move, the Army has selected two women officers to train as combat helicopter pilots for its aviation wing, officials said on Wednesday.

The selection came six months after Army Chief General MM Naravane cleared a proposal to induct women as pilots.

As of now, women are allowed in air traffic control and ground duties in the Army aviation wing.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/equal-roles-for-women-in-indian-armed-forces-the-road-ahead-291798">Equal roles for women in Indian Armed Forces: The road ahead</a>

The two women officers will undergo training at the Combat Army Aviation Training School at Nashik in Maharashtra, the officials said.

Fifteen women officers volunteered to join the Army aviation wing. However, only two have qualified through the stringent selection process, the officials said.

The two women officers will join flying duties by July next year on successful completion of the training period, they added.

In 2018, Flying Officer Avani Chaturvedi of the Indian Air Force scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo. She flew a MiG-21 bison in her first solo flight.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/first-batch-of-83-women-soldiers-inducted-into-indian-army-383752">First batch of 83 women soldiers inducted into Indian Army</a>

Chaturvedi was part of a three-member women team commissioned as flying officers in July 2016, less than a year after the government decided to open the fighter stream for women on an experimental basis.

Last year, the Navy announced deploying its first batch of women pilots on the Dornier maritime aircraft.

In a significant move, the Army in 2019 began the process of inducting women into the military police.

The role of the military police includes policing cantonments and army establishments, preventing breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, and extending aid to the civil police, whenever required.

In a historic move, the Army has selected two women officers to train as combat helicopter pilots for its aviation wing, officials said on Wednesday. The selection came six months after Army Chief General MM Naravane cleared a proposal to induct women as pilots.

In a historic move, the Army has selected two women officers to train as combat helicopter pilots for its aviation wing, officials said on Wednesday. The selection came six months after Army Chief General MM Naravane cleared a proposal to induct women as pilots. As of now, women are allowed in air traffic control and ground duties in the Army aviation wing. Also read | Equal roles for women in Indian Armed Forces: The road ahead The two women officers will undergo training at the Combat Army Aviation Training School at Nashik in Maharashtra, the officials said. Fifteen women officers volunteered to join the Army aviation wing. However, only two have qualified through the stringent selection process, the officials said. The two women officers will join flying duties by July next year on successful completion of the training period, they added. In 2018, Flying Officer Avani Chaturvedi of the Indian Air Force scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo. She flew a MiG-21 bison in her first solo flight. Also read | First batch of 83 women soldiers inducted into Indian Army Chaturvedi was part of a three-member women team commissioned as flying officers in July 2016, less than a year after the government decided to open the fighter stream for women on an experimental basis. Last year, the Navy announced deploying its first batch of women pilots on the Dornier maritime aircraft. In a significant move, the Army in 2019 began the process of inducting women into the military police. The role of the military police includes policing cantonments and army establishments, preventing breach of rules and regulations by soldiers, maintaining movement of soldiers as well as logistics during peace and war, and extending aid to the civil police, whenever required.

Two women Army officers selected to train as combat helicopter  pilots

Nearly a year after India's Bhishma tanks were deployed in the Himalayas amid tensions between India and China along the Line of Control(LAC), according to the Request for Information(RFI) floated by the defence ministry, the Indian Army is looking to procure new generation "Future Tank" platform for "Future Ready Combat Vehicle" (FRCV) in a phased manner.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/india-china-standoff-how-indias-t-90-bhishma-battle-tank-is-outflanking-chinas-pla-at-lac-328483">In Pics:&nbsp;How India's T-90 Bhishma battle tank is outflanking China's PLA at LAC</a>

The Army intends to induct the "Future Tanks" by 2030.

The Indian Army has sought foreign takers for the tender and plans to procure the tanks under the "strategic partnership" route.

The RFI says that "in conformity with the emerging future threat spectrum and the technological advancements, the Indian Army intends to induct a new "state-of-the-art" "technology-enabled" tank to operate in varied terrain profile (High Altitude Areas, Plains/Riverine, Deserts/Semi-Deserts) across the current and future spectrum of conflict.

The RFI clearly states that the government has invited "responses only from foreign OEMs" with the end-user of the equipment being the Indian Army.

The last date of "acceptance of receipt of response" has been set for September 15.

The Army is looking for a "modern" battle tank platform that is not only superior but also "incorporates niche technologies" i.e Artificial Intelligence, see-through armour along with the ability to operate in a "network-centric environment."

The new tanks are also required to be in continuous operations by day and night in real-time awareness, all-terrain agility and high mobility, precision lethal firepower, multi-layered protection with the use of niche technologies.

The Army needs the next generation battle tank to have high detection recognition and identification ranges with thermal night fighting and "lock on target" capability with smoke dischargers with anti-thermal and laser capability.

The Army wants the battle tank to have a loading system to provide auto-loading with minimum intervention and engagement time.

The Army has insisted the tank should be lightweight in order to achieve higher operational advantage, with "soft kill systems" and other countermeasures meaning laser warning system and RF sensors.

Not just this, along with the tank, the company should also be able to provide a family of combat vehicles for example recovery vehicle, bridge layer tank based on modularity and standardisation of platform, the Indian Army has stated in the RFI.

Watch this space for more...

Nearly a year after India's Bhishma tanks were deployed in the Himalayas amid tensions between India and China along the Line of Control(LAC), according to the Request for Information(RFI) floated by the defence ministry, the Indian Army is looking to procure new generation "Future Tank" platform for "Future Ready Combat Vehicle" (FRCV) in a phased manner.

Nearly a year after India's Bhishma tanks were deployed in the Himalayas amid tensions between India and China along the Line of Control(LAC), according to the Request for Information(RFI) floated by the defence ministry, the Indian Army is looking to procure new generation "Future Tank" platform for "Future Ready Combat Vehicle" (FRCV) in a phased manner. In Pics: How India's T-90 Bhishma battle tank is outflanking China's PLA at LAC The Army intends to induct the "Future Tanks" by 2030. The Indian Army has sought foreign takers for the tender and plans to procure the tanks under the "strategic partnership" route. The RFI says that "in conformity with the emerging future threat spectrum and the technological advancements, the Indian Army intends to induct a new "state-of-the-art" "technology-enabled" tank to operate in varied terrain profile (High Altitude Areas, Plains/Riverine, Deserts/Semi-Deserts) across the current and future spectrum of conflict. The RFI clearly states that the government has invited "responses only from foreign OEMs" with the end-user of the equipment being the Indian Army. The last date of "acceptance of receipt of response" has been set for September 15. The Army is looking for a "modern" battle tank platform that is not only superior but also "incorporates niche technologies" i.e Artificial Intelligence, see-through armour along with the ability to operate in a "network-centric environment." The new tanks are also required to be in continuous operations by day and night in real-time awareness, all-terrain agility and high mobility, precision lethal firepower, multi-layered protection with the use of niche technologies. The Army needs the next generation battle tank to have high detection recognition and identification ranges with thermal night fighting and "lock on target" capability with smoke dischargers with anti-thermal and laser capability. The Army wants the battle tank to have a loading system to provide auto-loading with minimum intervention and engagement time. The Army has insisted the tank should be lightweight in order to achieve higher operational advantage, with "soft kill systems" and other countermeasures meaning laser warning system and RF sensors. Not just this, along with the tank, the company should also be able to provide a family of combat vehicles for example recovery vehicle, bridge layer tank based on modularity and standardisation of platform, the Indian Army has stated in the RFI. Watch this space for more...

Why Indian Army is seeking 'Future Tanks' amid tensions with China

Indian Army targets AI-powered battle tanks with eye on China

The Indian Army Battalion at Gulmarg, with the help of locals, repaired the structure of an old Shiv temple, which was featured in the famous 1974&nbsp;Hindi film 'Aap Ki Kasam'.&nbsp;

The song from the film "Jai Jai Shiv Shankar" was filmed around this Shiv temple.

This Shiv temple was constructed in 1915 by Maharani Mohini Bai Sisodia, wife of erstwhile Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu &amp; Kashmir.

The Shiv temple required extensive renovation since no restoration work had taken place for a long. A large number of locals and tourists visiting the scenic town Gulmarg had expressed their desire to see the temple restored to its original state.&nbsp;

Indian Army has always maintained a close connection with the local Kashmiri public and took it as an opportunity to contribute to the plural heritage of Kashmir. &nbsp; 
 
<img alt="Gulmarg's Shiv Temple" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5083c769-9846-4d6f-8186-84ab2916840f" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/inauguration.jpg" />

The renovated Shiv temple was resurrected and reopened to the public today. Speaking on the occasion,&nbsp;Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh, the caretaker of the Shiv temple, said that “the Shiv Temple is a testimony to the pluralistic culture of Kashmir and its proud heritage." 
 
He further exhorted the Gulmarg community to continue doing community service without any religious prejudice and in the true essence of Kashmiriyat.

Commander 161 &nbsp;Brg B S Fogat said “it’s known to everyone that Kashmir is a paradise on earth but the real beauty of Kashmir is its people and the massage to the world is of Kashmiriyat and brotherhood if we see around us here we will find a Gurudwara a church a mosque and a temple this is real Kashmiriyat this temple is taken care by a Muslim from last 30 years which is a big example of Kashmiriyat and an inspiration for all."

"Gulmarg is a tourist place and keeping in view that Indian army and civil administration we took together the work&nbsp;of renovation and locals helped a lot and we took initiative but it was completed with everyone’s effort,” he added.

The reopening of the temple was done with help of the Kashmir Tourism department. 
 
Speaking on the renovation of the Shiv Temple Director Tourism Dr GN Itoo said “ Gulmarg is a symbol of brotherhood and we have Temple, Church, Mosque and Gurdwara here and whenever a tourist come to this place whatever religion he had he gets a nice feel apart from the scenic beauty," Dr Itoo said.

“The tourism Department will keep taking projects of beautification of religious places across the valley. We are trying to promote religious tourism also,” Mr Itoo added.

The Indian Army Battalion at Gulmarg, with the help of locals, repaired the structure of an old Shiv temple, which was featured in the famous 1974 Hindi film 'Aap Ki Kasam'.

The Indian Army Battalion at Gulmarg, with the help of locals, repaired the structure of an old Shiv temple, which was featured in the famous 1974 Hindi film 'Aap Ki Kasam'. The song from the film "Jai Jai Shiv Shankar" was filmed around this Shiv temple. This Shiv temple was constructed in 1915 by Maharani Mohini Bai Sisodia, wife of erstwhile Maharaja Hari Singh of Jammu & Kashmir. The Shiv temple required extensive renovation since no restoration work had taken place for a long. A large number of locals and tourists visiting the scenic town Gulmarg had expressed their desire to see the temple restored to its original state. Indian Army has always maintained a close connection with the local Kashmiri public and took it as an opportunity to contribute to the plural heritage of Kashmir. The renovated Shiv temple was resurrected and reopened to the public today. Speaking on the occasion, Ghulam Mohammad Sheikh, the caretaker of the Shiv temple, said that “the Shiv Temple is a testimony to the pluralistic culture of Kashmir and its proud heritage." He further exhorted the Gulmarg community to continue doing community service without any religious prejudice and in the true essence of Kashmiriyat. Commander 161 Brg B S Fogat said “it’s known to everyone that Kashmir is a paradise on earth but the real beauty of Kashmir is its people and the massage to the world is of Kashmiriyat and brotherhood if we see around us here we will find a Gurudwara a church a mosque and a temple this is real Kashmiriyat this temple is taken care by a Muslim from last 30 years which is a big example of Kashmiriyat and an inspiration for all." "Gulmarg is a tourist place and keeping in view that Indian army and civil administration we took together the work of renovation and locals helped a lot and we took initiative but it was completed with everyone’s effort,” he added. The reopening of the temple was done with help of the Kashmir Tourism department. Speaking on the renovation of the Shiv Temple Director Tourism Dr GN Itoo said “ Gulmarg is a symbol of brotherhood and we have Temple, Church, Mosque and Gurdwara here and whenever a tourist come to this place whatever religion he had he gets a nice feel apart from the scenic beauty," Dr Itoo said. “The tourism Department will keep taking projects of beautification of religious places across the valley. We are trying to promote religious tourism also,” Mr Itoo added.

Indian Army renovates Gulmarg's Shiv Temple which featured in Rajesh Khanna-Mumtaz song 'Jai Jai Shiv Shankar'

Among the 198 cadets passing out of the Indian Army Officer’s Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai was Nitika Kaul, wife of Late Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal, who was killed in action&nbsp;in February 2019, fighting against terrorists in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. At the time of her husband’s demise, the couple were barely ten months into their marriage.&nbsp;

About six months after her husband made the supreme sacrifice for the country, Nitika opted to join the Indian Army under the Short Service Commission. While the Indian Army relaxes the age criteria for the war widows (Veer Naris) that want to join the service, the training and selection process is as tough as usual.&nbsp;

Niikta had undergone the 11-month gruelling, multi-disciplinary training regimen from June 2020 at the OTA in Chennai, which is the only academy in the Indian Army to train women officers. Of the 198 cadets that passed out of the academy, 167 were gentleman cadets, 31 were women cadets. Five gentlemen cadets and seven women cadets from the mountain Kingdom of Bhutan also had undergone the 11-month course at the academy, along with their Indian counterparts. This is in line with India’s foreign policy of ensuring peaceful development of friendly, neighbouring countries by providing financial, infrastructural, military and medical aid.&nbsp;

The passing out parade at the Parameswaran Drill Square was reviewed by Lieutenant General YK Joshi, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Northern Command. However, owing to the COVID-19 protocols in place, there was a significant addition and a conspicuous absence at the parade this year - all cadets wore Indian Army-monogrammed masks and their proud parents watched the ceremony live on TV and YouTube from their homes.&nbsp;

During the Pipping, which is the final ceremony on parade day, officers take the oath in the name of the Constitution of India in the presence of Indian tricolour and consecrated by religious teachers of all faiths. This is followed by officers donning the&nbsp;coveted stars of a lieutenant.&nbsp;

After the ceremony, Lt. Nitika Kaul recalled how her journey has been marvellous and that she had learnt a lot in life, over the bygone 11 months. She thanked her mother and mother-in-law and several others for having put their faith in her and being a part of her journey.&nbsp;

“I feel that I’m travelling the same journey that he did. I believe he’s always going to be part of my life, even today he’s somewhere around looking at me and I can feel that he’s just holding me and saying you just did it. I Love you Vibhu” she fondly recalled&nbsp;her Late husband Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal.&nbsp;

“Everyone please have faith in yourself, there’s absolutely nothing that can stop you from achieving what you have aimed for” is her message for all the women out there.&nbsp;

During 2018-2019, Maj Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal’s unit 55 Rashtriya Rifles&nbsp;was deployed in Pulwama district in J&amp;K and&nbsp;engaged in operations against the militants on a regular basis. Following the suicide bombing attack on the CRPF convoy in Pulwama on February 14, 2019, the security forces were maintaining a state of high alert, and subsequently, a massive operation was launched to nab the perpetrators of the attack.&nbsp;

On February 17, 2019&nbsp;the security forces received credible information from the intelligence sources about the presence of terrorists in Pinglan village of Pulwama district. Based on the intelligence inputs 55 RR along with the Special Operation Group of J &amp; K Police launched a search and destroy operation.&nbsp;

In a fierce 20-hour long gunfight, a number of hardcore terrorists were eliminated by the Indian security forces, whereas eleven security personnel were injured. Four soldiers including Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal succumbed to their injuries. He was was given the gallantry award, "Shaurya Chakra" for his exceptional courage, devotion to duty, and supreme sacrifice.

Among the 198 cadets passing out of the Indian Army Officer’s Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai was Nitika Kaul, wife of Late Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal, who was killed in action in February 2019, fighting against terrorists in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir.

Among the 198 cadets passing out of the Indian Army Officer’s Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai was Nitika Kaul, wife of Late Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal, who was killed in action in February 2019, fighting against terrorists in Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir. At the time of her husband’s demise, the couple were barely ten months into their marriage. About six months after her husband made the supreme sacrifice for the country, Nitika opted to join the Indian Army under the Short Service Commission. While the Indian Army relaxes the age criteria for the war widows (Veer Naris) that want to join the service, the training and selection process is as tough as usual. Niikta had undergone the 11-month gruelling, multi-disciplinary training regimen from June 2020 at the OTA in Chennai, which is the only academy in the Indian Army to train women officers. Of the 198 cadets that passed out of the academy, 167 were gentleman cadets, 31 were women cadets. Five gentlemen cadets and seven women cadets from the mountain Kingdom of Bhutan also had undergone the 11-month course at the academy, along with their Indian counterparts. This is in line with India’s foreign policy of ensuring peaceful development of friendly, neighbouring countries by providing financial, infrastructural, military and medical aid. The passing out parade at the Parameswaran Drill Square was reviewed by Lieutenant General YK Joshi, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) Northern Command. However, owing to the COVID-19 protocols in place, there was a significant addition and a conspicuous absence at the parade this year - all cadets wore Indian Army-monogrammed masks and their proud parents watched the ceremony live on TV and YouTube from their homes. During the Pipping, which is the final ceremony on parade day, officers take the oath in the name of the Constitution of India in the presence of Indian tricolour and consecrated by religious teachers of all faiths. This is followed by officers donning the coveted stars of a lieutenant. After the ceremony, Lt. Nitika Kaul recalled how her journey has been marvellous and that she had learnt a lot in life, over the bygone 11 months. She thanked her mother and mother-in-law and several others for having put their faith in her and being a part of her journey. “I feel that I’m travelling the same journey that he did. I believe he’s always going to be part of my life, even today he’s somewhere around looking at me and I can feel that he’s just holding me and saying you just did it. I Love you Vibhu” she fondly recalled her Late husband Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal. “Everyone please have faith in yourself, there’s absolutely nothing that can stop you from achieving what you have aimed for” is her message for all the women out there. During 2018-2019, Maj Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal’s unit 55 Rashtriya Rifles was deployed in Pulwama district in J&K and engaged in operations against the militants on a regular basis. Following the suicide bombing attack on the CRPF convoy in Pulwama on February 14, 2019, the security forces were maintaining a state of high alert, and subsequently, a massive operation was launched to nab the perpetrators of the attack. On February 17, 2019 the security forces received credible information from the intelligence sources about the presence of terrorists in Pinglan village of Pulwama district. Based on the intelligence inputs 55 RR along with the Special Operation Group of J & K Police launched a search and destroy operation. In a fierce 20-hour long gunfight, a number of hardcore terrorists were eliminated by the Indian security forces, whereas eleven security personnel were injured. Four soldiers including Major Vibhuti Shankar Dhoundiyal succumbed to their injuries. He was was given the gallantry award, "Shaurya Chakra" for his exceptional courage, devotion to duty, and supreme sacrifice.

'Nothing can stop you from achieving', says wife of late Major who joined Indian Army

Gone are the days when battles dragged on for years. Now battles are instant. It's all about striking swiftly and stealthily. And to do this, you need instant decision making and state-of-the-art weaponry.

How does the chain of command work in India? Is there scope for improvement? And what about our weapons? Can they keep up with the rest of the world?

India's defence is split into three services: the Air Force, the Navy and the Army. They have their own headquarters, bases and leadership. It's been this way for decades.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-indias-plan-for-joint-commands-386620">Watch |</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-indias-plan-for-joint-commands-386620/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

But this system has drawbacks. There is a lot of duplication of work and unnecessary bureaucracy.

For example, Indian airspace is defended by all three services. They are tracking threats on separate frequencies with their own radars.

But every army headquarters is located next to an airbase. So two agencies are doing the same work sitting right next to each other. Talk about the wastage of resources and manpower.

If Army, during a combing operation, wants some air support, the in-charge calls up the Air Force.

The Air Force will then churn this request through its ranks. The problem here is clear. The person in charge of the operation does not have complete control over the assets.

This was the story every time India went to war. The Air Force had its own plan. And the Army was doing its own thing.

But modern war machines cannot function like this. And India is realising it. The defence establishment is moving towards what is called "theaterisation". This is how the US and China organise their forces.

In India, there's a talk of five commands - the northern command to deal with China, the western command on the Pakistan side,&nbsp;&nbsp;peninsula command in southern India, a&nbsp;maritime command to patrol the seas and an air defence command to protect the airspace.

So how is this different from the current set-up? The commands are unified establishments. This means the army the navy and the air force will function together under one command. No more shuttling between agencies for orders. All three services will answer to a single commander. In military circles they call this jointness and integration.

India cannot underestimate the&nbsp;mindset problem. The three services are used to autonomy. Both the air force and navy fear the army will dominate joint commands. This could lead to a turf war, a territorial battle for assets, funds and for influence.

The other big challenge is logistics. If you appoint a commander what happens to the chiefs of staff? Do the soldiers still report to them? Or will commanders take over operational control?

Same is the thing with assets. The air force only has 31 squadrons. Can they spread their assets wide enough to support every command? These are some of the big challenges to joint theatres.

The US has a tried and tested system.

But India cannot copy it. India's tri-service chief has ruled this out. Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat says India will develop its own system of joint theatres.

The military is tight-lipped about the plans. But reports say they should be operational by next year. Hopefully, this will solve the bottlenecks in decision making.

An army is only as good as the weapons it has. This is where India has struggled in the past with outdated weapons aircraft and ships. The only way to overhaul this is through defence spending. Now on paper, India is the third largest spender in the world behind the US and China.

A break-up of India's defence budget shows that&nbsp;50 per cent of the funds go to salaries and pensions. So at the start of every month, half the money is already gone. Where does that leave India's modernisation plans? These are figures from this year's budget. The total allocation was 4.78 trillion rupees.

After pensions, salaries and other expenses, 1.35 trillion rupees were left. Just 28 per cent of the total budget.

For a country with two belligerent neighbours, this is simply inadequate.

What are India's options?

One is to keep expanding the defence bill. But as this pandemic has shown, India needs to put more money in public health and infrastructure. So a big defence bill could be highly unpopular.

What about reforming pensions? Maybe extend the retirement age of officers? Every time someone suggests this, there is backlash from veterans. And the situation isn't getting any better. We need active deployments in the east and west. Which means more soldiers more salaries and more pensions. Where will the money come from?

A viable option is to trim the loose ends. Streamline acquisitions, cut down on duplication of work.

Right now, every service has its own wishlist. There is no synergy between them on acquisitions. The goal is to get them all together so that India's defence establishment has one wishlist not three.

All of this is easier said than done. The bureaucrats are sure to oppose a unified command. They hate being sidelined. Also, we need to be ready for squabbles between generals, admirals and air marshals.

But these worries shouldn't concern India much because unification of command is like a rebirth for the military. Every big power has gone through it and and they are better off with the new system.

Gone are the days when battles dragged on for years. Now battles are instant. It's all about striking swiftly and stealthily. And to do this, you need instant decision making and state-of-the-art weaponry.

Gone are the days when battles dragged on for years. Now battles are instant. It's all about striking swiftly and stealthily. And to do this, you need instant decision making and state-of-the-art weaponry. How does the chain of command work in India? Is there scope for improvement? And what about our weapons? Can they keep up with the rest of the world? India's defence is split into three services: the Air Force, the Navy and the Army. They have their own headquarters, bases and leadership. It's been this way for decades. Watch | But this system has drawbacks. There is a lot of duplication of work and unnecessary bureaucracy. For example, Indian airspace is defended by all three services. They are tracking threats on separate frequencies with their own radars. But every army headquarters is located next to an airbase. So two agencies are doing the same work sitting right next to each other. Talk about the wastage of resources and manpower. If Army, during a combing operation, wants some air support, the in-charge calls up the Air Force. The Air Force will then churn this request through its ranks. The problem here is clear. The person in charge of the operation does not have complete control over the assets. This was the story every time India went to war. The Air Force had its own plan. And the Army was doing its own thing. But modern war machines cannot function like this. And India is realising it. The defence establishment is moving towards what is called "theaterisation". This is how the US and China organise their forces. In India, there's a talk of five commands - the northern command to deal with China, the western command on the Pakistan side, peninsula command in southern India, a maritime command to patrol the seas and an air defence command to protect the airspace. So how is this different from the current set-up? The commands are unified establishments. This means the army the navy and the air force will function together under one command. No more shuttling between agencies for orders. All three services will answer to a single commander. In military circles they call this jointness and integration. India cannot underestimate the mindset problem. The three services are used to autonomy. Both the air force and navy fear the army will dominate joint commands. This could lead to a turf war, a territorial battle for assets, funds and for influence. The other big challenge is logistics. If you appoint a commander what happens to the chiefs of staff? Do the soldiers still report to them? Or will commanders take over operational control? Same is the thing with assets. The air force only has 31 squadrons. Can they spread their assets wide enough to support every command? These are some of the big challenges to joint theatres. The US has a tried and tested system. But India cannot copy it. India's tri-service chief has ruled this out. Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat says India will develop its own system of joint theatres. The military is tight-lipped about the plans. But reports say they should be operational by next year. Hopefully, this will solve the bottlenecks in decision making. An army is only as good as the weapons it has. This is where India has struggled in the past with outdated weapons aircraft and ships. The only way to overhaul this is through defence spending. Now on paper, India is the third largest spender in the world behind the US and China. A break-up of India's defence budget shows that 50 per cent of the funds go to salaries and pensions. So at the start of every month, half the money is already gone. Where does that leave India's modernisation plans? These are figures from this year's budget. The total allocation was 4.78 trillion rupees. After pensions, salaries and other expenses, 1.35 trillion rupees were left. Just 28 per cent of the total budget. For a country with two belligerent neighbours, this is simply inadequate. What are India's options? One is to keep expanding the defence bill. But as this pandemic has shown, India needs to put more money in public health and infrastructure. So a big defence bill could be highly unpopular. What about reforming pensions? Maybe extend the retirement age of officers? Every time someone suggests this, there is backlash from veterans. And the situation isn't getting any better. We need active deployments in the east and west. Which means more soldiers more salaries and more pensions. Where will the money come from? A viable option is to trim the loose ends. Streamline acquisitions, cut down on duplication of work. Right now, every service has its own wishlist. There is no synergy between them on acquisitions. The goal is to get them all together so that India's defence establishment has one wishlist not three. All of this is easier said than done. The bureaucrats are sure to oppose a unified command. They hate being sidelined. Also, we need to be ready for squabbles between generals, admirals and air marshals. But these worries shouldn't concern India much because unification of command is like a rebirth for the military. Every big power has gone through it and and they are better off with the new system.

India's defence forces aim at 'theaterisation' of command

Amid the rising Coronavirus cases in the Indian Union Territory Jammu & Kashmir and rising demand for oxygen and hospitals, the Indian army left no stone unturned to assist the local administration. WION brings you a report.

Indian army sets up 2 COVID-19 hospitals, restarts defunct oxygen plant in J&K

Amid the increasing numbers of covid positive cases across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Hospitals across the valley have a huge demand for oxygen supply. And now the Indian army has come to the rescue of the state administration in fulfilling this ever-growing demand.

A defunct oxygen plant in Srinagar's Rangreth area has been restarted with the help of the Indian army. The oxygen plant has a capacity of filling 700 cylinders every day. This will take the pressure the state administration was facing in the last few weeks.

''This oxygen plant was defunct for the last 4 years, this used to refill around 700 cylinders in a day. Due to covid, we thought it's important to restart it. Chinar corp was approached by the civil administration and we brought the spare parts with the help of the air force from Mumbai. We got our engineers to work on this project and finished this project in a record time of 4 days. This facility has been thrown open today and will be refilling 700 cylinders a day.'' said Niladiri Roy, Lt Col, Indian Army.

As the plant was shut for the last 4 years, it had multiple problems in all subsystems like the Heavy Duty Air Compressor, the Chiller and even the Columnar Air Separator, which are vital parts of the plant. The army's engineers worked day and night to restore the plant.

''We were told to repair this plant in the least possible time. We got the material with the help of the air force. We are happy that we would be able to save the lives of people who require this oxygen. We are extremely proud that we worked day and night on the project to restore it. If we can save the life of anyone in the pandemic, it would be a lot to us.'' said Ravi Singh, Engineering Staff, Indian Army.

Indian Army has earlier set up a 200 bed Covid hospital in Srinagar's Rangreth area. One more hospital was established in the Uri Sector near the Line of Control.&nbsp;

Amid the increasing numbers of covid positive cases across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Hospitals across the valley have a huge demand for oxygen supply.

Amid the increasing numbers of covid positive cases across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Hospitals across the valley have a huge demand for oxygen supply. And now the Indian army has come to the rescue of the state administration in fulfilling this ever-growing demand. A defunct oxygen plant in Srinagar's Rangreth area has been restarted with the help of the Indian army. The oxygen plant has a capacity of filling 700 cylinders every day. This will take the pressure the state administration was facing in the last few weeks. ''This oxygen plant was defunct for the last 4 years, this used to refill around 700 cylinders in a day. Due to covid, we thought it's important to restart it. Chinar corp was approached by the civil administration and we brought the spare parts with the help of the air force from Mumbai. We got our engineers to work on this project and finished this project in a record time of 4 days. This facility has been thrown open today and will be refilling 700 cylinders a day.'' said Niladiri Roy, Lt Col, Indian Army. As the plant was shut for the last 4 years, it had multiple problems in all subsystems like the Heavy Duty Air Compressor, the Chiller and even the Columnar Air Separator, which are vital parts of the plant. The army's engineers worked day and night to restore the plant. ''We were told to repair this plant in the least possible time. We got the material with the help of the air force. We are happy that we would be able to save the lives of people who require this oxygen. We are extremely proud that we worked day and night on the project to restore it. If we can save the life of anyone in the pandemic, it would be a lot to us.'' said Ravi Singh, Engineering Staff, Indian Army. Indian Army has earlier set up a 200 bed Covid hospital in Srinagar's Rangreth area. One more hospital was established in the Uri Sector near the Line of Control.

COVID-19: Indian Army restores defunct oxygen plant in Srinagar

The Indian Army has established a 20-bed COVID-19 hospital in the remotest area of the Uri sector in North Kashmir. The hospital has been specially made for the people living near the Line of Control (LoC).&nbsp;

With the ever-increasing numbers of Covid positive patients across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the government hospitals are overloaded with patients. And to take away the pressure from government-run hospitals, the army has come up with this hospital.

The hospital will have twenty beds all equipped with an oxygen facility. There are 5 ICU beds while two ventilators have also been put in place.&nbsp;

"It's a twenty bedded hospital with all beds having an oxygen facility, we have two ventilators and 5 ICU beds. We are in continuous touch with BMO at Uri. We will be getting patients that will be referred by the civil hospitals." said Captain Sachu Jacob, Indian Army, Uri Sector.&nbsp;

The facilities at this hospital will be thrown open to patients who are referred from the civil hospitals in the Uri sector. If the Uri hospital gets excess patients, they will be referred to this army hospital. Doctors and Paramedics from the army will be monitoring all the patients admitted to this hospital.&nbsp;

"Whenever the civil hospital gets overloaded, they can refer the patients from the civil hospitals to this facility," said Captain Sachu Jacob, Indian Army, Uri Sector.&nbsp;

The Indian army had earlier established a 200-bed Covid hospital in Srinagar's Rangreth area as well.

The Indian Army has established a 20-bed COVID-19 hospital in the remotest area of the Uri sector in North Kashmir. The hospital has been specially made for the people living near the Line of Control (LoC).

The Indian Army has established a 20-bed COVID-19 hospital in the remotest area of the Uri sector in North Kashmir. The hospital has been specially made for the people living near the Line of Control (LoC). With the ever-increasing numbers of Covid positive patients across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the government hospitals are overloaded with patients. And to take away the pressure from government-run hospitals, the army has come up with this hospital. The hospital will have twenty beds all equipped with an oxygen facility. There are 5 ICU beds while two ventilators have also been put in place. "It's a twenty bedded hospital with all beds having an oxygen facility, we have two ventilators and 5 ICU beds. We are in continuous touch with BMO at Uri. We will be getting patients that will be referred by the civil hospitals." said Captain Sachu Jacob, Indian Army, Uri Sector. The facilities at this hospital will be thrown open to patients who are referred from the civil hospitals in the Uri sector. If the Uri hospital gets excess patients, they will be referred to this army hospital. Doctors and Paramedics from the army will be monitoring all the patients admitted to this hospital. "Whenever the civil hospital gets overloaded, they can refer the patients from the civil hospitals to this facility," said Captain Sachu Jacob, Indian Army, Uri Sector. The Indian army had earlier established a 200-bed Covid hospital in Srinagar's Rangreth area as well.

COVID-19: Indian Army establishes Covid hospital near Line of Control in Uri

Sipping a coffee mug at the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector of North Kashmir would have sounded impossible till last year. But after the ceasefire between India and Pakistan in Feb 2021, the situation has improved a lot.&nbsp;

A coffee shop has been established at the Kaman Aman Setu, the last forward post of India Army. This coffee shop will be hosting people from across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and also people from across the country.&nbsp;

“We have opened the coffee shop for everyone visiting the Kaman Post for motivational purposes for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, after having a selfie at the bridge, people can come and have snacks here and they can take home several souvenirs to take along with them. A sixty feet national flag flutters at the LoC",&nbsp;said Vishal Dev, Major Indian Army.&nbsp;

People living next to the Line of Control are relieved after the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan. The ceasefire violations have completely stopped and people who had to run for the shelter every second day due to shelling are finally living a normal life. They are thankful that both the countries have reached an agreement. The locals said that through&nbsp;this coffee shop, the gap between army and locals will be bridged too.&nbsp;

“After the division of the two countries, people who were related, friends became distant. When both the countries worked on improving the relations. All the distance was completely finished when these steps were taken. A coffee shop has been opened and it’s to grow the relationships between people and army. The way army has won hearts of people here is worth appreciating",&nbsp;said Qazi Ahmad, Local Resident .

With peace finally returning to the bordering areas, people are expecting that the trade between the two countries would begin soon and people from both the sides may be allowed to&nbsp;visit each other.&nbsp;

Sipping a coffee mug at the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector of North Kashmir would have sounded impossible till last year. But after the ceasefire between India and Pakistan in Feb 2021, the situation has improved a lot.

Sipping a coffee mug at the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector of North Kashmir would have sounded impossible till last year. But after the ceasefire between India and Pakistan in Feb 2021, the situation has improved a lot. A coffee shop has been established at the Kaman Aman Setu, the last forward post of India Army. This coffee shop will be hosting people from across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and also people from across the country. “We have opened the coffee shop for everyone visiting the Kaman Post for motivational purposes for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, after having a selfie at the bridge, people can come and have snacks here and they can take home several souvenirs to take along with them. A sixty feet national flag flutters at the LoC", said Vishal Dev, Major Indian Army. People living next to the Line of Control are relieved after the ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan. The ceasefire violations have completely stopped and people who had to run for the shelter every second day due to shelling are finally living a normal life. They are thankful that both the countries have reached an agreement. The locals said that through this coffee shop, the gap between army and locals will be bridged too. “After the division of the two countries, people who were related, friends became distant. When both the countries worked on improving the relations. All the distance was completely finished when these steps were taken. A coffee shop has been opened and it’s to grow the relationships between people and army. The way army has won hearts of people here is worth appreciating", said Qazi Ahmad, Local Resident . With peace finally returning to the bordering areas, people are expecting that the trade between the two countries would begin soon and people from both the sides may be allowed to visit each other.

Indian Army-run cafe begins operations along LoC Uri forward post

Indian Army has set-up a 20-bedded High Dependency Unit (HDU) hospital in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla. The hospital will be run in collaboration with civil administration of Baramulla district.&nbsp;

"To help the people in Kashmir valley, a 20 bedded hospital has been established in the Baramulla district. The people in Kashmir will get good medical facilities here," Dr Paul M Varghese, Colonel Medical team told ANI.

Varghese said that there are five beds for the severe COVID cases and the remaining 15 are assigned for mild to moderate COVID infection.

"The hospitals have oxygen concentrator facility for patients with severe and moderate infection," Municipal Councilor of Baramulla Abid Salaam said.

The administrator of COVID-19 in Baramulla district Zeeshan Khan said that the Indian Army has converted a school into a COVID hospital. Indian Army has also launched several health awareness programs in the Baramulla district to create awareness on COVID-19.&nbsp;

As per official data, there are 46,535 active cases of COVID-19 in Jammu and Kashmir.

(With inputs from agencies)

Indian Army has set-up a 20-bedded High Dependency Unit (HDU) hospital in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla. The hospital will be run in collaboration with civil administration of Baramulla district.

Indian Army has set-up a 20-bedded High Dependency Unit (HDU) hospital in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla. The hospital will be run in collaboration with civil administration of Baramulla district. "To help the people in Kashmir valley, a 20 bedded hospital has been established in the Baramulla district. The people in Kashmir will get good medical facilities here," Dr Paul M Varghese, Colonel Medical team told ANI. Varghese said that there are five beds for the severe COVID cases and the remaining 15 are assigned for mild to moderate COVID infection. "The hospitals have oxygen concentrator facility for patients with severe and moderate infection," Municipal Councilor of Baramulla Abid Salaam said. The administrator of COVID-19 in Baramulla district Zeeshan Khan said that the Indian Army has converted a school into a COVID hospital. Indian Army has also launched several health awareness programs in the Baramulla district to create awareness on COVID-19. As per official data, there are 46,535 active cases of COVID-19 in Jammu and Kashmir. (With inputs from agencies)

Jammu and Kashmir: Indian Army sets up 20-bed Covid hospital in Baramulla

The first batch of 83 women military soldiers from the Corps of Military Police Centre and School was inducted into the Indian Army at the Dronacharya Parade Ground in Bengaluru on Saturday.

As per a statement, an attestation parade was held as a low-key event while observing all COVID protocols.

The Commandant of the CMP Centre and School, while reviewing the parade, complimented the newly attested soldiers for their impeccable drill and congratulated them on their successful completion of the intense 61 weeks of training.

The training included aspects related to Basic Military training, Provost training to include all forms of policing duties and management of prisoners of war, ceremonial duties and skill development to include driving and maintenance of all vehicles and signal communications.

The Commandant also expressed his confidence that the training imparted to them and the standards achieved would hold them in good stead and help them prove to be a force multiplier at their new units, located across varied terrain and operational conditions in the country.&nbsp;

The first batch of 83 women military soldiers from the Corps of Military Police Centre and School was inducted into the Indian Army at the Dronacharya Parade Ground in Bengaluru on Saturday.

The first batch of 83 women military soldiers from the Corps of Military Police Centre and School was inducted into the Indian Army at the Dronacharya Parade Ground in Bengaluru on Saturday. As per a statement, an attestation parade was held as a low-key event while observing all COVID protocols. The Commandant of the CMP Centre and School, while reviewing the parade, complimented the newly attested soldiers for their impeccable drill and congratulated them on their successful completion of the intense 61 weeks of training. The training included aspects related to Basic Military training, Provost training to include all forms of policing duties and management of prisoners of war, ceremonial duties and skill development to include driving and maintenance of all vehicles and signal communications. The Commandant also expressed his confidence that the training imparted to them and the standards achieved would hold them in good stead and help them prove to be a force multiplier at their new units, located across varied terrain and operational conditions in the country.

First batch of 83 women soldiers inducted into Indian Army

Amid reports of shortage of oxygen in the hospitals during the second wave of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19</a> across the country, four cryogenic oxygen containers are being transported from Singapore to India via Air Force transport plane."We stand with India in its fight against Covid-19.

"Through a bilateral and multi-agency effort, an @IAF_MCC transport plane picked up 4 cryogenic oxygen containers at Changi Airport in Singapore this morning," the Singapore embassy in India tweeted.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="Pakistan PM expresses solidarity with India over COVID-19 crisis ">Pakistan PM expresses solidarity with India over COVID-19 crisis</a>

On Friday, the Defence Ministry informed that 23 mobile oxygen generation plants are being airlifted from Germany. These will be deployed in Armed Forces Medical Sciences (AFMS) hospitals catering to COVID patients. These oxygen-generating plants are expected within a week, the ministry said.

Amid the record rise in COVID-19 cases, leaders from around the world have expressed their support to India. Earlier today, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison expressed their solidarity with the people of India.

India on Saturday recorded 3,46,786 new <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/coronavirus">COVID-19 </a>cases, the highest single-day spike since the pandemic broke out last year. According to the official data issued by the government, the country recorded 2,624 new deaths due to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.

So far, 1,66,10,481 COVID-19 cases have been reported in India while 1,89,544 people have succumbed to the viral infection. Currently, there are 25,52,940 active cases of COVID-19 in the country.

Amid reports of shortage of oxygen in the hospitals during the second wave of COVID-19 across the country, four cryogenic oxygen containers are being transported from Singapore to India via Air Force transport plane.

Amid reports of shortage of oxygen in the hospitals during the second wave of COVID-19 across the country, four cryogenic oxygen containers are being transported from Singapore to India via Air Force transport plane."We stand with India in its fight against Covid-19. "Through a bilateral and multi-agency effort, an @IAF_MCC transport plane picked up 4 cryogenic oxygen containers at Changi Airport in Singapore this morning," the Singapore embassy in India tweeted. Also read | Pakistan PM expresses solidarity with India over COVID-19 crisis On Friday, the Defence Ministry informed that 23 mobile oxygen generation plants are being airlifted from Germany. These will be deployed in Armed Forces Medical Sciences (AFMS) hospitals catering to COVID patients. These oxygen-generating plants are expected within a week, the ministry said. Amid the record rise in COVID-19 cases, leaders from around the world have expressed their support to India. Earlier today, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison expressed their solidarity with the people of India. India on Saturday recorded 3,46,786 new COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day spike since the pandemic broke out last year. According to the official data issued by the government, the country recorded 2,624 new deaths due to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. So far, 1,66,10,481 COVID-19 cases have been reported in India while 1,89,544 people have succumbed to the viral infection. Currently, there are 25,52,940 active cases of COVID-19 in the country.

COVID-19: Indian Air Force transports four cryogenic oxygen containers from Singapore

Top&nbsp;officials have said 90-95 per cent&nbsp;of the Indian Army has been vaccinated with the first dose of vaccines.&nbsp;Field formation has&nbsp;been&nbsp;given priority during the entire campaign. Approximately 50 to 55 per cent&nbsp;of the forces have been vaccinated with the second&nbsp;dose.&nbsp;Field formation was given priority during the vaccination drive.

An official aware of the developments said, "no let-up was done when the country was easing up, the mandatory quarantine period was being followed".

According to data shared by the defence ministry&nbsp;in the Indian Parliament in the month of March, 33,003 positive cases were detected in the Army, 8,159 in the Air Force, and 3,604 cases reported in the Navy. The Army reported the death of 81 personnel, the Air Force reported 36 deaths and the Navy reported two&nbsp;deaths due to COVID-19.

Meanwhile, as cases surged in the country amid the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, senior-most Army officers in every state have been asked to interact with civil counterparts to deal with the situation.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh earlier today chaired a meeting through video conference to review the COVID-19 situation. The meet was attended by all the Service Chiefs, CDS, all Secretaries, DRDO Chairman and DG AFMS.&nbsp;

The Defence Research and Development Organisation has developed COVID-19 facilities in Delhi with 250 beds, which will be increased to 500. The organisation has been working on a&nbsp;war footing to set up a 450-bed hospital in Lucknow, a 750-bed hospital in Varanasi and 900-bed hospital in Ahmedabad.&nbsp;

India began its vaccination drive in January and in the first phase frontline workers were prioritised.

Top officials have said 90-95 per cent of the Indian Army has been vaccinated with the first dose of vaccines. Field formation has been given priority during the entire campaign.

Top officials have said 90-95 per cent of the Indian Army has been vaccinated with the first dose of vaccines. Field formation has been given priority during the entire campaign. Approximately 50 to 55 per cent of the forces have been vaccinated with the second dose. Field formation was given priority during the vaccination drive. An official aware of the developments said, "no let-up was done when the country was easing up, the mandatory quarantine period was being followed". According to data shared by the defence ministry in the Indian Parliament in the month of March, 33,003 positive cases were detected in the Army, 8,159 in the Air Force, and 3,604 cases reported in the Navy. The Army reported the death of 81 personnel, the Air Force reported 36 deaths and the Navy reported two deaths due to COVID-19. Meanwhile, as cases surged in the country amid the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, senior-most Army officers in every state have been asked to interact with civil counterparts to deal with the situation. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh earlier today chaired a meeting through video conference to review the COVID-19 situation. The meet was attended by all the Service Chiefs, CDS, all Secretaries, DRDO Chairman and DG AFMS. The Defence Research and Development Organisation has developed COVID-19 facilities in Delhi with 250 beds, which will be increased to 500. The organisation has been working on a war footing to set up a 450-bed hospital in Lucknow, a 750-bed hospital in Varanasi and 900-bed hospital in Ahmedabad. India began its vaccination drive in January and in the first phase frontline workers were prioritised.

Vaccination drive: 90-95% Indian Army inoculated with first dose, say officials

Indian Army chief Gen MM Naravane on Sunday urged the United Nations to enhance the budget for its peacekeeping missions and emphasised the need to provide appropriate logistics and improved technological support for the blue helmet missions in view of the emerging challenges. &nbsp;

Gen Naravane, who is here on a five-day official tour, delivered a keynote address on ‘Changing Nature of Global Conflicts: Role of UN Peacekeepers' during the "Army Chiefs Conclave" hosted by his Bangladeshi counterpart General Aziz Ahmed, the Indian Army's Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADG PI) tweeted.&nbsp;

Gen Naravane laid emphasis on enhanced budget for UN peacekeeping activities, Bangladesh defence ministry's Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) directorate quoted him as saying at the conclave. &nbsp;

Bangladesh Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen was the chief guest at the event.&nbsp;

The Indian Army chief also called for providing appropriate logistics and improved technological support for the UN blue helmet missions, pointing out their emerging challenges. He said the UN peacekeeping missions should run on a participatory basis.&nbsp;

The Bangladesh Army hosted the conclave coinciding with the celebrations of the birth centenary of the country's ‘Father of the Nation' Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of its 1971 independence.&nbsp;

Force commander of UN multidimensional integrated stabilisation mission in Mali Lieutenant General Dennis Gyllensporree, force commander of UN multidimensional integrated stabilisation mission in the Central African region Lieutenant General Sidki Daniel Traore and Bhutan army's deputy chief of operation Brigadier General Darji Rinchen, among others attended the conclave.&nbsp;

Senior diplomats, security strategists and police officers also attended the seminar.&nbsp;

During the event, the Indian Army chief interacted with the senior officers of the participating nations and military observers from the other nations.&nbsp;

Momen told the conclave that the nature of peacekeeping operations in recent periods transformed both in terms of scale and scope for what "peacekeeping missions today are more than truce supervising operation".&nbsp;

The changing situation further expanded the missions' responsibility taking into account "other dimensions of peace, such as establishing rule of law, protection of human rights, protection of women and children, support to political process, managing elections, reintegration and socio-economic development," he said.&nbsp;

The conclave was held as part of a multilateral UN-mandated counter-terrorism exercise, Shantir Ogroshena (Frontrunners of Peace) that commenced on April 4. An Indian Army contingent of 30 personnel are participating along with the Royal Bhutan Army, Sri Lankan Army and Bangladesh Army in the exercise that will conclude on Monday.&nbsp;

Military observers from the US, UK, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Singapore are also attending the exercise. The aim of the exercise is to strengthen the procedures and enhance interoperability amongst neighbourhood countries to ensure robust peacekeeping operations in the region. The armies of all the participating nations shared their valuable experiences and refined their drills and procedures in peacekeeping operations.&nbsp;

The visit of Gen Naravane, who is here at the invitation of his Bangladeshi counterpart Gen Aziz Ahmed, comes less than two weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to the neighbouring country and met the top leadership here to strengthen the strategic ties.&nbsp;

The year 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh, the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan and the birth centenary of 'Bangabandhu' Mujibur Rahman. &nbsp;

Indian Army chief Gen MM Naravane on Sunday urged the United Nations to enhance the budget for its peacekeeping missions and emphasised the need to provide appropriate logistics and improved technological support for the blue helmet missions in view of the emerging challenges.

Indian Army chief Gen MM Naravane on Sunday urged the United Nations to enhance the budget for its peacekeeping missions and emphasised the need to provide appropriate logistics and improved technological support for the blue helmet missions in view of the emerging challenges. Gen Naravane, who is here on a five-day official tour, delivered a keynote address on ‘Changing Nature of Global Conflicts: Role of UN Peacekeepers' during the "Army Chiefs Conclave" hosted by his Bangladeshi counterpart General Aziz Ahmed, the Indian Army's Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADG PI) tweeted. Gen Naravane laid emphasis on enhanced budget for UN peacekeeping activities, Bangladesh defence ministry's Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) directorate quoted him as saying at the conclave. Bangladesh Foreign Minister A K Abdul Momen was the chief guest at the event. The Indian Army chief also called for providing appropriate logistics and improved technological support for the UN blue helmet missions, pointing out their emerging challenges. He said the UN peacekeeping missions should run on a participatory basis. The Bangladesh Army hosted the conclave coinciding with the celebrations of the birth centenary of the country's ‘Father of the Nation' Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of its 1971 independence. Force commander of UN multidimensional integrated stabilisation mission in Mali Lieutenant General Dennis Gyllensporree, force commander of UN multidimensional integrated stabilisation mission in the Central African region Lieutenant General Sidki Daniel Traore and Bhutan army's deputy chief of operation Brigadier General Darji Rinchen, among others attended the conclave. Senior diplomats, security strategists and police officers also attended the seminar. During the event, the Indian Army chief interacted with the senior officers of the participating nations and military observers from the other nations. Momen told the conclave that the nature of peacekeeping operations in recent periods transformed both in terms of scale and scope for what "peacekeeping missions today are more than truce supervising operation". The changing situation further expanded the missions' responsibility taking into account "other dimensions of peace, such as establishing rule of law, protection of human rights, protection of women and children, support to political process, managing elections, reintegration and socio-economic development," he said. The conclave was held as part of a multilateral UN-mandated counter-terrorism exercise, Shantir Ogroshena (Frontrunners of Peace) that commenced on April 4. An Indian Army contingent of 30 personnel are participating along with the Royal Bhutan Army, Sri Lankan Army and Bangladesh Army in the exercise that will conclude on Monday. Military observers from the US, UK, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Singapore are also attending the exercise. The aim of the exercise is to strengthen the procedures and enhance interoperability amongst neighbourhood countries to ensure robust peacekeeping operations in the region. The armies of all the participating nations shared their valuable experiences and refined their drills and procedures in peacekeeping operations. The visit of Gen Naravane, who is here at the invitation of his Bangladeshi counterpart Gen Aziz Ahmed, comes less than two weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to the neighbouring country and met the top leadership here to strengthen the strategic ties. The year 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh, the liberation of Bangladesh from Pakistan and the birth centenary of 'Bangabandhu' Mujibur Rahman.

Indian Army chief Gen Naravane calls for enhancing budget for UN peacekeepers 

Indian armed forces have completely wiped out the dangerous terrorist group Ansar Gazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH) in two different operations in the Shopian and Pulwama districts of South Kashmir in the last 24 hours.

The encounter at Shopian started on Thursday evening and ended on Friday with the killing of five terrorists. Two terrorists, including the Chief of AGuH Imtiyaz Shah, were killed in a second operation at Tral in Pulwama district on Friday.

Police sources said both the operations at Shopian and Tral in South Kashmir are over now.

A large number of arms and ammunition, including seven AK rifles and two pistols, have been recovered from the slain terrorists.

"Both the ongoing operations at Shopian and Tral are over. Five terrorists in first and two in the second operation neutralised. Both the terrorist groups are from the same outfit.

"Seven AK and two pistols recovered.

"With these two encounters and elimination of seven terrorists, the terrorist group AGH (Ansar Gazwat-ul-Hind) fully wiped out once again," Dilbag Singh, Director General of Police, J&amp;K said

(With inputs from agencies).

Indian armed forces have completely wiped out the dangerous terrorist group Ansar Gazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH) in two different operations in the Shopian and Pulwama districts of South Kashmir in the last 24 hours.

Indian armed forces have completely wiped out the dangerous terrorist group Ansar Gazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH) in two different operations in the Shopian and Pulwama districts of South Kashmir in the last 24 hours. The encounter at Shopian started on Thursday evening and ended on Friday with the killing of five terrorists. Two terrorists, including the Chief of AGuH Imtiyaz Shah, were killed in a second operation at Tral in Pulwama district on Friday. Police sources said both the operations at Shopian and Tral in South Kashmir are over now. A large number of arms and ammunition, including seven AK rifles and two pistols, have been recovered from the slain terrorists. "Both the ongoing operations at Shopian and Tral are over. Five terrorists in first and two in the second operation neutralised. Both the terrorist groups are from the same outfit. "Seven AK and two pistols recovered. "With these two encounters and elimination of seven terrorists, the terrorist group AGH (Ansar Gazwat-ul-Hind) fully wiped out once again," Dilbag Singh, Director General of Police, J&K said (With inputs from agencies).

Seven terrorists killed by security forces, AGuH terror outfit wiped out in J&K 

Jammu and Kashmir agreed to be part of India shortly after Indian independence. But some parts of the territory are under illegal occupation of Pakistan and China. In this video opinion, Major General (Retd.) SB Asthana of the Indian Army expresses his views on how India can proceed to ensure that illegal occupation of land by Pakistan comes to an end. (Disclaimer: The views expressed in the video may not necessarily represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views)

Video Opinion: How India can get back territory illegally occupied by Pakistan

China has officially admitted that its 4 soldiers from PLA had died during the Galwan clash with the Indian Army in June 2020. This is the first time that China has unveiled casualties and details of its soldiers who died while dealing with Indian troops.

China acknowledges casualties in Galwan clash

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) officials on Friday said that four 'Helina' anti-tank missiles were launched from Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv helicopter at Pokhran ranges in Rajasthan.

The helicopter launched Nag (Helina) anti-tank guided missile is ready for induction into the armed forces with the infra-red missile striking 100 per cent success at test-firing trials.

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Helina Trial Video <a href="https://t.co/06kHn21XNE">pic.twitter.com/06kHn21XNE</a>
— DRDO (@DRDO_India) <a href="https://twitter.com/DRDO_India/status/1362682696158306305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
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It is a third-generation, lock-on before launch (LOBL) fire and forgets anti-tank guided missile with both TOP attack and Direct attack capability. The missile has a maximum range capability of 7+ km. Eight Helina missiles can be integrated on to ALH-WSI (Rudra), four on either side. A twin-launcher capable of carrying two ‘Helina’ missiles is designed and there are four such launchers in full configuration, two on either side of the helicopter armament boom.

"Joint User Trials for Helina (Army Version) and Dhruvastra (Air Force Version) Missile Systems designed and developed by DRDO were carried out from Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) platform in desert ranges," DRDO tweeted.

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Joint User Trials for Helina (Army Version) and Dhruvastra (Air Force Version) Missile Systems designed and developed by DRDO were carried out from Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) platform in desert ranges. <a href="https://t.co/3o8q34Y223">pic.twitter.com/3o8q34Y223</a>
— DRDO (@DRDO_India) <a href="https://twitter.com/DRDO_India/status/1362675400929800193?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, the Army and Air Force for the achievements.

"Five missions were carried out for evaluating the missile capabilities in minimum and maximum range," the ministry of defence said in a release.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) officials on Friday said that four 'Helina' anti-tank missiles were launched from Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv helicopter at Pokhran ranges in Rajasthan.

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) officials on Friday said that four 'Helina' anti-tank missiles were launched from Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv helicopter at Pokhran ranges in Rajasthan. The helicopter launched Nag (Helina) anti-tank guided missile is ready for induction into the armed forces with the infra-red missile striking 100 per cent success at test-firing trials. Helina Trial Video pic.twitter.com/06kHn21XNE — DRDO (@DRDO_India) February 19, 2021 × It is a third-generation, lock-on before launch (LOBL) fire and forgets anti-tank guided missile with both TOP attack and Direct attack capability. The missile has a maximum range capability of 7+ km. Eight Helina missiles can be integrated on to ALH-WSI (Rudra), four on either side. A twin-launcher capable of carrying two ‘Helina’ missiles is designed and there are four such launchers in full configuration, two on either side of the helicopter armament boom. "Joint User Trials for Helina (Army Version) and Dhruvastra (Air Force Version) Missile Systems designed and developed by DRDO were carried out from Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) platform in desert ranges," DRDO tweeted. Joint User Trials for Helina (Army Version) and Dhruvastra (Air Force Version) Missile Systems designed and developed by DRDO were carried out from Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) platform in desert ranges. pic.twitter.com/3o8q34Y223 — DRDO (@DRDO_India) February 19, 2021 × Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, the Army and Air Force for the achievements. "Five missions were carried out for evaluating the missile capabilities in minimum and maximum range," the ministry of defence said in a release. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: India's homegrown anti-tank missile Helina launched successfully, ready for induction

WION correspondent Sidharth.M.P spoke to V. Balamurugan, Director, CVRDE on specs and unique capabilities of Arjun Mk1A tank. This 68-ton tank was handed over by prime minister Modi to the Indian army during his visit to Chennai.

Meet Arjun Mark1A, India's 68-ton Main battle tank

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