Wednesday, April 22, 2015

VIDEOs :GEN. V K SINGH & OPERATIONS IN YEMEN " OPS RAHAT "





About 1,370 results

    1. Exclusive: Gen VK Singh talks about Yemen success, clarifies on controversial tweets - Duration: 24:57.

      by Zee News 
      • 1 week ago
      • 683 views
      Talking exclusively to Zee Media, Minister of State for External Affairs Gen (retd) VK Singh thanked the channel for painting the ...

    2. Operation Rahat: VK Singh Gets Heroic Welcome upon Return from Yemen - India TV - Duration: 6:31.

      by IndiaTV 
      • 1 week ago
      • 2,632 views
      Minister of State (External Affairs) VK Singh received a warm welcome at IGI Airport. General VK Singh commandeered the rescue ...

    3. PM Narendra Modi praising Gen V K Singh and Sushma Swaraj for Yemen evacuation (Operation Raahat) - Duration: 4:50.

      by QiThink
      • 2 days ago
      • 10,316 views
      PM Narendra Modi explaining BJP MPs about how positive work such as Yemen evacuation can create echo effect among ...
      • New

    4. VK Singh's remark on Media overshadowing his contribution to Yemen evacuations? - Duration: 23:53.

      by Zee News 
      • 1 week ago
      • 3,980 views
      Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh was on Tuesday caught in a fresh controversy over his remarks comparing the ...

    5. General VK Singh in Aap Ki Adalat (Full Episode) - India TV - Duration: 46:13.

      by IndiaTV 
      • 1 week ago
      • 30,150 views
      Union minister and former General V.K. Singh grilled by India TV's Editor-in-Chief Rajat Sharma. VK Singh speaks on the recent ...

    6. VK Singh gets heroic welcome upon return from Yemen - Duration: 6:00.

      by Zee News 
      • 1 week ago
      • 4,659 views
      Minister of State (External Affairs) VK Singh, who had commandeered the rescue operation of Indian nationals in Yemen, received ...
      • HD

    7. DNA: VK Singh talks about 'successful' Yemen rescue operation, clarifies on `presstitute` - Duration: 20:33.

      by Zee News 
      • 1 week ago
      • 1,875 views
      Talking exclusively to Zee Media, Minister of State for External Affairs Gen (retd) VK Singh thanked the channel for painting the ...

    8. Gen VK Singh On India's Rescue Operation 'Rahat' In Yemen - Duration: 3:40.

      by Headlines Today 
      • 1 week ago
      • 1,313 views
      The Indian government has wrapped up its rescue operation 'Rahat' in Yemen. In this video, we speak with the man who oversaw ...
      • HD

    9. DNA: VK Singh's Yemen evacuation tweet sparks row - Duration: 27:46.

      by Zee News 
      • 1 week ago
      • 4,862 views
      Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh was on Tuesday caught in a fresh controversy over his remarks comparing the ...

    10. VK Singh's remark on Media overshadowing his contribution to Yemen evacuations? Part-2 - Duration: 23:59.

      by Zee News 
      • 1 week ago
      • 2,694 views
      Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh was on Tuesday caught in a fresh controversy over his remarks comparing the ...

    11. V K Singh attends Pak National Day reception (24-03-2015) - Duration: 3:11.

      by ABN Telugu 
      • 4 weeks ago
      • 674 views
      Watch ABN Andhrajyothy, the no 1 Telugu news channel, a 24/7 LIVE news channel dedicated to live reports, exclusive interviews ...
      • HD

    12. Popular Yemen Videos - Playlist

      by #Yemen
      1. 16:17Yemen: A Failed State
      2. 13:28Origins of the crisis in Yemen

    13. Over 1700 Malayalis Returns Home From Yemen - Duration: 1:22.

      by Jai Hind TV
      • 1 week ago
      • 20 views
      1903 Indians have been rescued so far as part of the Yemen Rescue Operation, said minister K C Joseph in a press meet on ...
      • HD

      1. Results for similar searches

      2. Twitter lauds VK Singh for Yemen evacuation operations - Duration: 16:03.

        by Zee News 
        • 1 week ago
        • 15,282 views
        India's Minister of State External Affairs, General V K Singh was lauded on Twitter for the rescue operation carried out in Yemen.
        More results for exclusive yemen operations were very complex says vk singh

      3. 'Over 3000 Indian nationals rescued from Yemen': VK Singh - Duration: 1:43.

        by ANI News
        • 2 weeks ago
        • 1,478 views
        Djibouti, April 07 (ANI): Minister of State for External Affairs General (retired) VK Singh has said that over 3000 Indian nationals ...
        More results for exclusive yemen operations were very complex says vk singh

      4. General V. K. Singh Rescues 5 Year Old Baby In Yemen Rescue Mission - Duration: 10:50.

        by Headlines Today 
        • 1 week ago
        • 693 views
        Follow us: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/headlinestoday?sub_confirmat... Twitter: https://twitter.com/headlinestoday ...
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      5. VK Singh gets heroic welcome upon return from Yemen for overlooking evacuation operations - Duration: 1:54.

        by IBNLive 
        • 1 week ago
        • 359 views
        Minister of External Affairs General VK Singh on Friday received a heroic welcome on as he returned from war-torn Yemen. He
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      6. Gen VK Singh On Rescuing Stranded Indians From Yemen - Duration: 2:50.

        by Headlines Today 
        • 2 weeks ago
        • 1,129 views
        Listen in to Gen VK Singh talks about Operation Rahat which involves rescuing stranded Indians from strife torn Yemen. He lists ...
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      7. Yemen rescue operation: Centre sending V.K. Singh to Djibouti...(India) - Duration: 1:49.

        by srinivas vision
        • 3 weeks ago
        • 4,324 views
        4000 Indians to leave Yemen in ships, planes Ramping up its evacuation plan for 4000 Indians stranded in Yemen, the ...
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      8. VK Singh Gets Heroic Welcome Upon Return from Yemen after Ending Evacuation Operations - Duration: 3:33.

        by Tv9 Kannada 
        • 1 week ago
        • 325 views
        TV9 News: VK Singh Gets Heroic Welcome Upon Return from Yemen after Ending Evacuation Operations......, ▻ Subscribe to Tv9 ...
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Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Modernising Artillery to Fight Future Wars

SOURCE:
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/modernising-artillery-to-fight-future-wars/70414.html




Modernizing Artillery to Fight Future Wars

                                  By

                  GURMEET  KANWAL

Modernisation of artillery has been neglected for over two decades. This despite the lessons learnt during the Kargil conflict of 1999, in which artillery firepower had undeniably paved the way for victory.

Artillery Matters

  • Approximately 400 pieces of the 155 mm/39-calibre FH-77B Bofors howitzers were acquired over 25 years ago. Though India paid for the designs, the guns were never manufactured locally as commissions were alleged to have been paid and Bofors brought down a government.

  • The artillery is now equipped with obsolescent weapons and equipment like the 105 mm Indian Field Gun (IFG) that needs immediate replacement. The artillery also requires large quantities of precision guided munitions (PGMs) for the destruction of hard targets such as tanks and bunkers and a potent real-time reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition (RSTA) capability

  • Under the army's Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan (FARP) formulated in 1999, the Regiment of Artillery had decided to standardise the calibre of its guns at 155 mm so as to ensure commonality of ammunition.


AFTER a decade of neglect under the two UPA regimes, military modernisation appears to be picking up pace again under the new NDA government. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by interim Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, had approved projects worth Rs 80,000 crore in October 2014. The new Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar, while chairing his maiden meeting of the DAC on November 22, 2014, cleared the long-pending proposal to acquire 814 truck-mounted guns of 155 mm/ 52-calibre for approximately Rs 15,750 crore. However, the approval merely amounted to “acceptance of necessity” (AON) — the first step in the acquisition process.

It will be many years before the first few regiments are equipped with these guns.
Limitations of Manoeuvre

 

Firepower and manoeuvre are generally considered the two complementary sides of the tactics coin.

 During future conventional conflict on the Indian Sub-continent, large-scale manoeuvre will not be possible in the mountains due to the restrictions imposed by the difficult terrain and in the plains against Pakistan due to the need to avoid escalation to nuclear levels.

Hence, India's firepower capabilities need to be enhanced by an order of magnitude, especially in terms of                Precision-Guided Munitions (PGMs). 

 This will require substantial upgradation of the firepower capabilities of India's armed forces. Ground-based firepower resources comprising artillery guns, rockets and missiles and aerially-delivered firepower consisting of fighter-bomber aircraft and attack helicopters, both must be qualitatively as well as quantitatively augmented.
 Similarly, sea-to-land attack capabilities must also be enhanced.
Modernisation of the artillery has been neglected for over two decades, despite the lessons learnt during the Kargil conflict of 1999, in which artillery firepower had undeniably paved the way for victory. Approximately 400 pieces of the 155 mm/39-calibre FH-77B Bofors howitzers were acquired over 25 years ago.
Though India paid for the designs, the guns were never manufactured locally as commissions were alleged to have been paid and Bofors brought down a government.
Since then, no new guns or howitzers have been introduced into service. The artillery is now equipped with obsolescent weapons and equipment like the 105 mm Indian Field Gun (IFG) that needs immediate replacement. The artillery also requires large quantities of precision guided munitions (PGMs) for the destruction of hard targets such as tanks and bunkers and a potent real-time reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition (RSTA) capability.
And, in view of their performance in Afghanistan and Iraq, the time has come to add UCAVs armed with PGMs to the artillery's arsenal. Only then will it be possible to achieve future military objectives, including the destruction of the adversary's war machinery.
Large-Scale Overhaul
 
Under the army's Field Artillery Rationalisation Plan (FARP) formulated in 1999, the Regiment of Artillery had decided to standardise the calibre of its guns at 155 mm so as to ensure commonality of ammunition. The artillery plans to acquire a total of 2,820 guns of all types to replace obsolescent guns and to equip the new regiments that will form part of 17 Corps, the Mountain Strike Corps now under raising.

 The modernisation plan had been stymied by the blacklisting of some firms in the fray. One example is that of the project for the acquisition of 180 pieces of 155mm/52-caliber wheeled self-propelled (SP) guns.
The tender was cancelled after the trials were completed. The contenders included Rheinmetal Defence of Germany and Konstrukta of the Slovak Republic. Fresh tenders were issued and the proposals received are being reviewed. The primary contenders now are the Teckwin 'K-9 Thunder' of Samsung, South Korea and the Russian Rosoboronexport's tracked gun, which is an upgraded 155 mm version of the 152 mm MSTA-S SP Gun.

The single largest artillery acquisition will be of 1,580 pieces of towed 155 mm/52-calibre guns over a period of 12 to 15 years. Of these, 400 guns are to be imported and the remaining 1,180 produced in India with transfer of technology (ToT). Over the last eight to 10 years, several request for proposals that were floated for this project were cancelled due to the corrupt practices being followed by some companies. New tenders were floated for 155 mm/52-calibre long-range guns for the plains and trials have been underway since October 2013. Trials are also reported to be in progress for 100 pieces of self-propelled guns for the desert terrain. 180 pieces of 130 mm M46 Russian guns have been upgraded to 155mm/45-caliber with kits supplied by Soltam of Israel. The maximum range of the gun has gone up from 27.5 to 39 km. Another 300 guns are proposed to be upgraded in due course.





Taking TOO Long to Decide

The MoD is also considering the acquisition of 145 pieces of 155 mm/39-calibre M777 howitzers of the US-based MNC BAE Systems for the mountains through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) route from the US in a government-to-government deal. However, the deal is reportedly stuck for want of agreement on the offsets obligations and upward revision in the price intimated to Congress by the US government from $647 million to $885 million.  Also, as India has taken too long to decide, some of the factories involved in the manufacture of various components of the M777 have begun to close down. If this acquisition falls through, the process will have to begin afresh.




Indigenous efforts to manufacture 155 mm howitzers include that by the Ordnance Factories Board to produce a 45-calibre 155 mm howitzer. This project was initially based on the designs for which Transfer of Technology (ToT) was obtained from Bofors in the 1980s, but has matured into an indigenous design during development. [ in all likelihood these guns will be out by BRAND name "DHANUSH" ]



Technical Trials
 
The DAC approved a proposal from the OFB to manufacture 144 pieces of 155 mm/45-calibre howitzers with the option to acquire another 400 provided the prototypes successfully meet the army's GSQR in user trials. The prototype of the OFB gun is undergoing technical trials. Meanwhile, the DRDO has embarked on its own venture to design and develop a 155 mm howitzer in partnership with a private sector company. The acquisition of 814 truck-mounted guns that has been approved by the Defence Minister recently will be undertaken under the “buy and make in India” category with ToT. While the first 100 guns will be imported, the remaining 714 will be produced in India. The total project cost is estimated to be Rs 15,750 crore.

Several Indian companies are known to be interested in the indigenous design and development of modern artillery systems in conjunction with overseas partners. Bharat Forge (partner Elbit of Israel), Tata Power SED (Denel, South Africa) and L&T (Nexter, France) are likely to bid for this contract when the RfP is issued by the MoD.
Rocket Launchers
 
Progress on the multi-barrel rocket launcher front has been better than that in the acquisition of tube artillery. A contract for the acquisition of two regiments of the 12-tube, 300 mm Smerch multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL) system with 90 km range was signed with Russia's Rosoboronexport in early-2006. The BrahMos supersonic cruise missile (Mach 2.8 to 3.0), with a precision strike capability, very high kill energy and maximum range of 290 km, was inducted into the army in July 2007.
These terrain-hugging missiles are virtually immune to counter measures due to their high speed and very low radar cross section. The indigenously designed and manufactured Pinaka multi-barrel rocket system is likely to enter service in the near future. These three weapon systems together will provide a major boost to the artillery's ability to destroy key targets at long ranges.

 However, a surface-to-surface missile (SSM), with a range of 500-600 km, so that it can be fired from the plains on targets in Tibet, is the missing link in planning for a future war in the mountains.
Counter-Bombardment Capability
 
The counter-bombardment capability of the Army also needs to be upgraded. At least about 40 to 50 weapon-locating radars (WLRs) are required for effective counter-bombardment, especially in the plains, but only 12 AN-TPQ 37 Firefinder WLRs have been acquired from Raytheon, USA, under a 2002 contract worth US$200 million.

Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited is reported to be assembling 28 WLRs.

These radars will be based primarily on indigenous components with very little import content and are likely to be approved for introduction into service after extensive trials that are ongoing. The radar is expected to match the capabilities of the Firefinder system and will have a detection range of about 40 km.

Artillery modernisation must be given a major boost so that the Army's firepower is enhanced quickly to the levels required to ensure victory on future battlefields. In conjunction with aerially delivered firepower, the artillery is the only combat arm that can cause degradation and destruction of the adversary's combat potential and ultimately break his will to fight.
 Any further delay in the implementation of artillery modernisation plans will be extremely detrimental to national security interests. If the new projects that are now in the pipeline are pursued vigorously, artillery modernisation will once again begin to gather steam.

— The writer is former Director, Centre for Land Warfare Studies, New Delhi




















 

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Monday, April 20, 2015

Here is Why India's Armed Forces Urgently Need a Complete Overhaul

SOURCE:http://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/standpoint-here-is-why-india-s-armed-forces-urgently-need-a-complete-overhaul-2039560







Here is Why India's Armed Forces Urgently Need a Complete Overhaul
                                 By
                      Nitin Gokhale

             



    01 December 2014





    As India’s 36th Defence Minister, Manohar Parrikar, more than any other minister in the Narendra Modi Cabinet, has the toughest job ahead of him. The challenges are multiple.
    For one, the three     Armed Forces are desperately short of modern equipment. For nearly a decade, an indecisive AK Antony as India’s longest defence minister, brought the already complex acquisition process to a virtual halt, thanks to his obsession with maintaining a squeaky clean image.

    Antony’s go-slow attitude has left all the three services grappling with severe shortage in critical areas.

    ---------------------------------------------------------

    GO SLOW is an UNDER STATEMENT  appropriate word should have been
    ""DO  MINISTER    NOTHING"" 
    both  PAKISTAN & CHINA are having a gleeful last laugh . With a person like ANTONY around there is no need for both PAKIs & CHINKs to do any thing to bring INDIA down to its knees, which AKS had almost done it lone handed -Vasundhra

    ------------------------------------------------
    Secondly, mistrust between the civilian bureaucracy and top military leadership has never been more pronounced as it was during Antony’s tenure as defence minister. The mutual suspicion has held back vital reforms in higher defence management of the country.

    [ OFCOURSE IT GOES BEYOND DOUBT THAT BABUs BEHAVED AS A ""FIFTH COLUMN""   ABETTED BY UPA  REMOTE  CONTROLs. Bureaucracy  by the nature of  service provides continuity to the  long time NATIONAL POLICIES and INTERESTS &  in democracy acts as a bridge to the national  interests  with different  governments  with their own political philosophies. IT REQUIRES NO GENIUS TO FIND OUT THAT INDIAN BABUs have utterly failed in its responsibilities to act as the fourth pillar of INDIAN NATION & have willingly or unwillingly have dragged the nation on to the self destructive path by unwittingly acting as "FIFTH COLUMNISTS" & abetted the slow degradation of National Security Apparatus both Internal & External  - Vasundhra  ]
     
    Third, changing socio-economic conditions have impacted the military as never before, resulting in a spate of suicides, fratricide and increasing instances of rebellion in the ranks, a worrying trend no doubt.


A look at major deficiencies across the three services is frightening.
 
For instance, the Army’s light helicopters are more than 40 years old; it has not bought new artillery guns since 1987
(although the Parrikar-led Defence Acquisition Council has ordered purchase of fresh guns last week, their induction is still two years away).

The Indian Navy is short of conventional submarines since its fleet of diesel-powered submarines is down to a single digit.   [ DONT BE SHOCKED to be absolutely to the point it is 2 pt 5 ( 2.5 ) submarines at sea at any given time -Vasundhra )
Submarines in production in Indian shipyards are at least four years behind schedule. And they are going to be without vital defence against enemy missiles for a while.
 
The Indian Air Force is down to 33 squadrons of fighter jets against the required strength of 45 squadrons. Its eight-year-old plan to purchase 126 new combat jets is yet to come to fruition, although a contract negotiating committee is currently in the final stages of negotiations with French manufacturers Dassault Aviation and hoping to ink a mammoth 20 billion dollar deal soon. Even then, the first lot of 18 aircrafts will enter service only in 2017, and only if the contract is signed before the end of 2014.
 [ THE TRUTH IS THAT KEEPING THE AGEING & ANTIQUE FACTOR OF THE INDIAN AIR FORCE THE EFFECTIVE STRENGTH MAY NOT BE EVEN 25 SQUADRONs & IN NEXT TWO YEARS ONWARD IT WILL KEEP ON FALLING ALMOST  TO TWO SQUADRONS PER YEAR IF NEW EQUIPPENT DOES'NT START POURING IN - Vasundhra ]

Big bang purchases apart, the government needs to urgently turn its attention towards some basic issues. The infantry--that hard working, non-complaining arm of the Army--needs new and more lethal weapons. So the assault rifle, the carbine, light machine gun (LMG), the sniper rifle and even the anti-tank guided missile (ATGM), essentials in an infantry battalion, need to be replaced over the next five years. Many of these weapons currently used by the troops, are of 1960s vintage.
Purchasing major platforms and weapons is only part of the future plan. Maintaining them is a major task.
 
That 32 Indian Air Force planes and helicopters have crashed between April 2011 and November 19, 2014 and the Navy has suffered 24 major and minor accidents since January 1, 2011, killing 20 persons.
 ALL THIS points to a much deeper rot which needs urgent correction.


The situation will  not change until the   civil-military ( read  BABU - MILITARY ) relationship in the country is overhauled. The post-1947 history is replete with episodes that suggest a constant state of tension between the ‘generalist’ bureaucracy and the ‘specialist’ military leaders, with the political executive watching and sometimes encouraging the bureaucracy to keep the military under control.

[ when was MILITARY ever out of control, by saying so it is a direct INSULT to the INDIAN ARMRD FORCES & is construed to be provocative ]


The political executive, starting with India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, has generally excluded the military leadership from the decision-making process at the highest levels. In 1999, the Kargil Review Committee (KRC) under renowned strategic thinker and writer K Subrahmanyam had, among other vital issues, focussed on reorganisation of the higher defence management.
 
 [ BABUs WILL NEVER  ALLOW UNDER ANY CICUMSTANCES EVEN OVER THEIR DEAD BODIES  FOR A "" FIVE STAR 'CDS'  TO COME UP. RATHER THERE ARE ENOUGH  INDICATORS  "" FOR A FIVE STAR LIKE  'DEFENCE SECRETARY'  TO BOSS OVER FOUR STAR 'CDS' ALONG WITH THE EXISTING FOUR STAR SERVICES CHIEFs . THE AIM IS TO CONVERT THE TOP OF MILITARY LELEADERSHIP OF ARMED FORCES INTO COLLECTIVE CONSORTIUM AT LOGGERHEAD  under the subjugation  of  Bureaucracy  IN THE avtar OF  SUPER DEFENCE SECRETARY WITH EXTRA-CONSTITUTIONAL POWERS BUT WITH  NO RESPONSIBILITY AND ANSWERABILITY - Vasundhra   ]

The KRC recommendations were followed by the formation of a Group of Ministers (GoM) which set up four task forces on intelligence reforms, internal security, border management, and higher defence management to undertake in-depth analysis of various facets of the management of national security. After year-long deliberations, the GoM, among other comments observed:

 “There is a marked difference in the perception and crisis of confidence among civil and military officials within the MoD and Service HQ regarding their respective roles and functions. There was also lack of synchronisation among and between the three departments in the MoD, including the relevant elements of Defence Finance. The concept of ‘attached offices’ as applicable to Service HQ; problems of inter-se relativities; multiple, duplicated, and complex procedures governing the exercise of administrative and financial powers, and the concept of ‘advice’ to the Minister; all these had contributed to these problems.”



 Parrikar will have to crack the whip to get the bureaucrats to work on the advice of the military and not allow them to be unilateral in their approach.

Reorganisation of higher defence management apart, the Indian armed forces are grappling with a crisis of identity. The Army for instance remains rooted in an outdated, British-inherited system that is struggling to cope with the combination of challenges posed by the demands of modern warfare and a society that is undergoing a great churn. This has posed a great challenge to the famous officer–men relationship in the Indian armed forces.

 In the past decade, the armed forces have had to face a new problem: increasing incidents of indiscipline, suicides and fratricide.

Are these incidents happening because the traditional bond between officers and men, the bedrock on which the military functions, is fraying at the edges?

Some studies have been initiated to get to the root of the problem after it was noticed that more than 90 soldiers were committing suicide every year since 2003, going up to an alarming 150 in 2008. Adding to the worry are the growing cases of indiscipline and intolerance. In 2012 alone, there were at least three cases of a showdown between men and officers. At least 50–60 soldiers of an artillery unit clashed with a group of officers after a young officer allegedly beat up a jawan, leading to near mutiny among the soldiers. There were a couple of other instances where tension between jawans and officers boiled over, both the incidents happening in two different armoured regiments, one following a suicide by a soldier.


This set the alarm bells ringing in the Amy Headquarters.
There are external factors too. The fact is, the society no longer respects the soldier and his work in protecting the nation. A local politician, a thanedar, etc., seem to command more clout in the society today. This has often led to loss of self-esteem among ordinary soldiers. That Australian cricketer Philip Hughes who died in an unfortunate accident on the cricket field garnered more news space than three Indian soldiers who were martyred in Jammu the same day while battling terrorists, says something about our priorities. The soldier needs constant support from the society he protects.


As Defence Minister, Manohar Parikkar certainly has a gigantic task ahead. He needs to get the armed forces ready for future battles by inducting cutting-edge technology and at the same time restore the primacy of soldiering in a society that no longer values its military. Will he be able to rise to the occasion?




 





 
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OROP :DELAY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ONE RANK ONE PENSION (OROP)







                                                           

      Dated: 20 April 2015


DELAY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ONE RANK ONE PENSION (OROP)


Dear Sh Rajeev Chandrashekhar 


  You have been leading the fight for Defence Personnel both serving and ex-servicemen (ESM) inside and outside of Parliament and with every Government. ESM have appreciated your gesture of not accepting increased pay and perks of MP since last two years and your resolve that you will not accept the pay raise and perks till Government grants OROP for ex-servicemen.



 IESM on behalf of ESM family thanks you for your unstinted support. OROP, one of the crucial demands of ESM, is close to approval. OROP has the approval of two Parliaments, all political parties and has been approved twice in the budget. Yet OROP notification has not been issued since last one year. The reason for this undue delay in issuing the notification is a common knowledge that Bureaucracy is not happy to give OROP to Armed Forces and veterans.

The work on draft GL and the tables will start only after the approval of OROP by the Government.  Raksha Mantri has extended full support to OROP and is personally monitoring the progress of the file. 



 This undue delay in issuance of notification is not good for morale of Ex-servicemen. They have started getting doubts on the Government’s resolve to give OROP. Government has missed three deadlines given to veterans for issuance of GL. Parliament session is about to start and Government will get busy in running the session and notification for OROP will get relegated to yet another date. IESM requests you and your friends to raise pertinent questions which will nail the Government to fixed dead line and Government is not permitted to give stereotype reply on OROP. Some of the questions which come to our mind are

1. Government has been giving stereotype reply since last three Parliament sessions that OROP is under consideration and will be given as and when it is formalized. Please give firm date for issuance of notification. Ambiguity on such an important demand of Armed Forces is having adverse impact on their morale. 


2.  As per principle of OROP a senior rank officer/JCO/OR will not be paid pension less than his junior.  Will this aspect be the adhered to and OROP notification will include suitable safe guard for this?


3. Honorable courts have given many decisions in favor of Defence Personnel. Some of them have been complied with and only litigants have been given the benefits of court decision. Will GL include all decisions given by courts in favor of Defence Personnel whether litigants or not. This will ensure equal justice for all affected ESM and will also save Court’s time and Government’s time. It may be noted that non litigants if not included in GL will definitely move the courts and will get decision in their favor from AFT/High court /Supreme Court.  



4. There are only very few Major rank officers who are drawing pension. Most of them are very senior and 75 and above. This group of officers needs sympathetic consideration as they had all put in service of more 20 years. This group needs to be given Lt Col basic pension with Major’s grade pay, since after 2004 officers with 13 years service one eligible for the rank of Lt Col .  Most of them are pre – 96 retired. Government had denied giving them Lt Col pension. One Major Thomas pre 96 retiree has won the case and has been awarded Lt Col Pension. Lt Col pension with Major’s grade pay needs to be given to all Majors pre 96 or post 96 retiree. This will again save Government time on litigations by Majors.  


5. Status of National War Memorial. When will the work start on it and when will nation pay homage to fallen soldier at the National Memorial?



6. Status of Ex-Servicemen Commission. Government to confirm that it will be headed and manned by Ex-servicemen and will have statutory powers to order Government departments for delay in actions.   



 Sh Rajeev ji, ESM are getting restive because of this undue delay and shifting of goal post on one pretext or other. IESM is worried that some of the local organizations may get disturbed and may deviate from the non-violent path of IESM and may resort to Rasta Roko or Rail Roko agitations. It will not be good for country and ESM. May I therefore request you to kindly meet PM/RM and confirm the latest position and issue a statement to sooth the nerves of the agitated ESM.


 I am sure we will see some of the questions being raised in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the suggested lines in the coming session.  


 I will be grateful to get a reply giving plan of action and your advice for future course of action. 


 With regards,

     Maj Gen Satbir Singh, SM (Retd)    
 
Chairman IESM     

Mob: +919312404269, 0124-4110570   
 Email : satbirsm@gmail.com























 
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