Recommended By 24 SSB for RVC Entry, Merit List Rank 1

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June 11, 2015

Story Of 21 Para Special Forces 45 Minutes Covert Operation. Army sources said on Tuesday that at least 20 militants were killed in the operations across the border in Myanmar and conceded that retaliatory attacks were a possibility in the coming days. “We would keep up pressure on them,” one senior officer said, indicating the possibility of more such cross-border operations.

And unlike what has been reported in the media, an Army source said: “There was no heli-drop. It was a one-night, ground operation. We couldn’t have carried out a heli-drop because that would have alerted the militants.” The SF troops were moved close to the border in advance by helicopters.

On Monday night, about 20-25 commandos trekked across the porous frontier into Myanmar. For some stretch of the approach to the camps, the commandos crawled to move in undetected.

About 25 commandos of the 21 Para Special Forces (SF) battalion were involved in the 45-minute-long raids on two militant camps across the India-Myanmar border. An SF battalion usually comprises four teams, each of about 100 commandos. These are further divided into groups and then into squads.

According to sources, these highly-trained Special Forces personnel had been operating in Jorhat, Assam, and surrounding areas. “They are trained for such operations, so the turnaround wasn’t very long,” one source said. These operations are part of the ongoing Operation Hifazat in the Nagaland-Manipur-Arunachal Pradesh area, but this top secret cross-border raid had no specific name. Once specific intelligence inputs came on the two camps, showing that they were hou ing several NSCN(K) militants, and of other groups such as PLA (Peoples Liberation Army of Manipur), UNLF (United National Liberation Front) and the MNRF (Manipur Naga Revolutionary Front), the plan for the commando raid moved quickly . “Inputs clearly said that some militants in the camp were involved in the attack on our troops in Chandel last Thursday,” one source said.

At a camp in the Ponyu area, the NSCN(K)’s 3rd brigade is based. And among its cadres were those who participated in operations against the Army. In Aungzeya area was the other camp which housed a mixed group of militants. Both camps had about 25 militants. “There was only a bit of resistance. We almost completely surprised them,” a source said. “The militants didn’t expect India to cross the border. That barrier has been breached.”

More than 24 hours after the Special Forces’ raid on militant camps in Myanmar, there was no credible confirmation about the final toll. Some sources put the total number of dead at about 100. But army sources said their final count was 20.According to army, 11 militants suffered serious injuries while 15 others suffered light injuries Meanwhile, MHA sources said the toll was around 50 at least.

Source: TOI

Everything You Wanted To Know About Parachute Regiment

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June 10, 2015

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The main aim of having a Parachute Unit to any country is for the quick deployment of the soldiers behind enemy lines to attack the enemy from behind & destroy their first line of defence. They are the “CRACK FORCE” & help the main army to get in without much damage. The Indian Paras are the Elite group of soldiers & generally all the Special Forces personals are selected from it. Though it has it’s own SF Units & slowly the rest of them are being converted into SF or better known as “COMMANDOS”.

The three parachute commandos (battalion-size units) perform special forces duties. Airborne, Air Assault or Parachute troops are usually held centralized. The mounts, in all cases, are provided by the Indian Air Force. The parachute and parachute commando units, which are part of the Indian Army’s special forces, are ready reaction troops, although their use “is heavily dependent on the Air Force air transport fleet.

By the start of the new century, the Parachute Regiment had essentially two components. One part was the traditional parachute force, with the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th Parachute. The other were the five Parachute (SF) units. with the 1 Para (SF), 2 Para (SF), 9 Para (SF), 10 Para (SF) and 21st Parachute (Special Forces). The 1 Para (SF) is trained for mountain warfare, the 9 Para (SF) is trained for jungle warfare, the 10 Para (SF) is trained for desert warfare, & so on.

In 2003, the government announced the creation of four new special forces battalions to be trained in cooperation with Israel. The intended role for these units was to stop cross-border infiltration in Kashmir though they were to be trained for cross-border raids as well. One report indicated in 2004, that the 5th Parachute was converting to the special forces role; however, it was actually the 4th that converted. There are no open source indications that the remaining battalions were ever actually formed.

The parachute units of the Indian Army are among the oldest airborne units in the world. The 1st unit was authorized on 15 May 1941, & by October 1941 the 50th (Independent) Parachute Brigade had been formed; comprising 152nd Parachute Battalion (Indian), 151st Parachute Battalion (British) & 153rd Parachute Battalion (Gurkha).

The name “RED DEVILS” was given to them by the soldiers of the German African Corps fighting against them in Africa. The name “RED” came from the “MAROON BERET” that the paratroopers used to wear which is now a trademark for all the paratroopers around the world.

In 1944, it was decided to form a division (44th Indian Parachute Division) & at the same time the formation of the Indian Parachute Regiment as a separate entity was authorized. The partition of India in 1947 led to the split of the para units between India & Pakistan. 50th (I) Parachute Brigade was quickly involved in operations in Kashmir 1947-49. Subsequently, the 51st (Independent) Parachute Brigade was formed in 1961 but was converted in 1976 to an Infantry Brigade.

In 1952, these specially trained Parachute Units from The 1 Punjab (1 Para), 3 Maratha (2 Para) & 1 Kumaon (3 Para) Regiments were transferred to the newly raised Parachute Regiment. Subsequently, to this five Parachute & two Parachute (Commando) Battalions were raised. However, 8 Para was converted in 1976 to 16 Mahar & later to 12 Mech. Inf.

During the 1965 Indo-Pak War a special independent force of commandos was raised on 01 July 1966, the 9 Para was formed to take on the task, creating the smaller commando force in the process. A year later part of the 9 Para was split to form 10 Para, each with 3 companies. In 1969, both units added the suffix “COMMANDOS” to their titles, becoming 9 & 10 Para (Commandos). Now the suffix has been changed to “SF”(Special Forces), but commando is still written on their uniform’s arms. On 01 February 1996, 21 MLI joined the Regiment designated as the 21 Para (SF).

The Paratroopers saw their first action in 1945 when a Bn. group was dropped at Elephant Point for the battle of Rangoon. The Parachute Regiment under took its first post-independence airborne op. when 2 Para Bn. group was dropped near Tangail in Bangladesh on 11 December 1971 and was also the first of the Indian Army to enter Dhaka. The 9 & 10 Para Commandos proved their mettle in 1971 by conducting lightening raids in Mandhol (across Munawar Twai) & in Chachro (Sind) respectively. The Para Regiment took an active part in the liberation of Goa in 1961 and in Op. Pawan (Sri Lanka) with nearly 80% of the Regiment deployed in the island in 1987-89. The 3 and 6 Para conducted air landed operations in aid of the Govt. of Maldives. The Para Bn. have in addition to their participation in other campaigns, formed part of UN Operations in Gaza & Korea.

Today, the Para Regiment is perhaps the only Regiment to have taken part in every theatre & every op. in & outside the country. As a recognition of its distinguished service, the Regiment was presented its new colors by the President on 06 October 1967.

All Indian paratroopers are volunteers; some enter the regiments direct from civil life while others transfer in from Regular Army units. There is a probationary period of 45 days when men undergo various physical & mental tests, during which many are rejected. Those who pass are sent to the PTS (Paratroopers Training School) at Agra, U.P. where 5 jumps, including 1 at night, entitle the trainee to wear the wings & the maroon beret. Para (SF) undergo more specialized training to suit them for their role. Now the paras are also excepting women, not in the Battalions, but the parachute-trained units of supporting services e.g., engineers, signals, medical corps, etc.

The tenth Parachute Battalion (Commando) celebrated its 33rd raising day somewhere in Western Sector in mid-2000. Both serving and retired officers, junior commissioned officers, other ranks and their families had a memorable get-together and varieties of programmes during the celebrations. The battalion was raised at the Para Regimental Centre at Gwalior on June 1, 1967 under its first Commanding Officer, Lt Col NS Uthaya and designated as 10th battalion of the Para Regiment. On February 8, 1969 the battalion was reorganised and redesignated as 10 Para Commando, thus, getting the unique honour of being the second commando battalion of the Indian Army. In November 1994, the unit was re-designated as 10 Para (Special Force). The unit comprised classes drawn mainly from Rajasthan. It was manned and equipped for mobile commando operations in the deserts. Over the years, the unit, by virtue of its task and orientation has acquired skills of an exceptional standard for operating in deserts. The battalion has been able to make an enviable niche for itself in the rich history of the Indian Army. Its performance in operations Cactus Lily, Pawan, Rhino, Rakshak and Meghdoot has been repeatedly acknowledged and praised in the highest quarters in the Indian Army.

All You Should Know About One Rank One Pension

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June 10, 2015

All You Should Know About One Rank One Pension. Indian Army, one of the elite force in the world which had made a lot of tasks in order to maintain national pride and to keep the nation on a secure path. Army had seen many scams and cases like Bofors scam Jeep scam just after independence and many more. But most recently Army is in the news because of the right that a pensioner deserves. Indian Army currently has about 11 lakh serving soldiers and about 25 lakh ex-servicemen who devoted their entire life to serve the nation. Now it is the responsibility of the country to take care of them. For that, a scheme named as One Rank One Pension is being planned to execute to retain equality amongst same rank pensioners regardless of their pension date.

What is One Rank One Pension?

OROP is a scheme which is in news since the era of Mrs. Indra Gandhi. Pay commission which sits after every 10 years gives recommendations on how the salary and allowances to be increased in order to cope up with the current inflation rate. Every soldier whether an officer or a jawan, when retired, gets pension according to the last salary he withdraws from his account. A soldier who retires before implementation of pay commission gets less pension as compared to the one who got retired from Army just after the implementation of the recommendation of pay commissions. What all the retired soldiers want is that the salary of every ex-serviceman of the same rank must get the same pension. OROP is expected to benefit about 6 lakh widows and families of several brave soldiers who sacrificed their life for the country.

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Previous Steps Taken:

In theory, UPA Government had accepted the scheme many a times but didn’t implement.
UPA government had allotted 500 crores for the implementation of this scheme in their budget and NDA government allotted 1000 crore in their budget which was presented by Mr. Arun Jaitley. But this fund seems to be not sufficient and Minister of State for External Affairs, General V K Singh asked the finance minister to sanction more fund to fulfill the scheme. The scheme will initially require 8000 crores and several crores further.

Current Status of OROP:

Modi was expected to make some declaration on the first rally in Mathura that was scheduled on the completion of one year of the NDA in power. Retired Army personals were expecting some announcements regarding this issue which can give some relief to them. But nothing was mentioned in the rally. Now after the failure of talks between the government and retired Army personals, they have decided to go on hunger strike as the government has failed to implement the one rank one pension scheme. The hunger strike is expected to be started from 15 June, this year.

Mr. Rahul Gandhi is doing his job to counter the actions of NDA government and is meeting with ex-servicemen in order to help them in getting their rights.

Conclusion:

Indian Army had done an incomparable job on borders and had always stood ahead in securing the nation in every terrain and all seasons. One rank one pension is a right of all ex-servicemen who needs care from the government. They must be given their right that they deserve.

Manipur Ambush: Battle Between Indian Army and NSCN

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June 10, 2015

Manipur Ambush: Battle Between Indian Army and NSCN. Manipur is one of the seven sisters situated in the north-east of India. It shares its border in east and south with Myanmar. After few decades of independence, many militant groups like ULFA, PREPAK etc. emerged demanding freedom of Manipur from India and making Manipur an independent state. The escalating violence rate in the area compelled the state government to appeal from central government to overcome the problem. Finally in 1980, Armed Forces Special Power Act was implemented in Manipur to retain law and order in the state. Irom Sharmila, who is also known as Iron Lady of Manipur is still on hunger strike and is protesting against the implementation of AFSPA. Many protests had taken place in the state against the implementation of AFSPA. Apart from many NGOs, few rebellion groups are also active to oppose AFSPA and demand a sovereign state. NSCN, enlarged as Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland is one of them.

What Actually NSCN is:

The objective of the NSCN was to establish a Sovereign State by unifying all the Naga-inhabited areas in the North East of India and Northern Burma which the organization and the people of the area proposed as Nagalim. NSCN is active in North East India mostly in Nagaland and Manipur.it is believed that they are getting arms and ammunition from China and Pakistan However this group failed to impress people of Nagaland and lost the race in general elections of India 2014.

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Why Recently in News:

Militancy in Manipur was recently seen where some 46 army personals returning to their headquarter in Dimapur were attacked by NSCN-K (Nationalist Socialist Council of Nagaland). Some 50 militants were assumed to be the attackers and attacked 46 soldiers in four convoys in a well-planned manner, killing 18 soldiers and injuring 11 others. The soldiers were recovered in an inhuman condition. The US-made rocket launchers were used by them.

On May 3, a similar attack took place in Nagaland when eight Assam Rifles jawans were killed in a joint operation by NSCN (K), ULFA (I), NDFB-S and Kamatapur Liberation Organization.

These attacks were stringed with the cancelation of the ceasefire with New Delhi by NSCN-K. And last month Assam rifles personals apprehended Khekaho Rochill, the financial secretary of NSCN (K), from Zunheboto in Nagaland.

The earlier ceasefire signed 14 years ago in 2001 between NSCN and New Delhi was termed as invalid. A ceasefire of one year has been validated by the central government with NSCN-K.

A massive combing operation have been started by security personals in Manipur against these rebellions. But sources said that they were expected to have crossed the border and went to Myanmar.

Army’s top officials have urged Myanmar army to start an operation from their side. This will help the army to catch them from both sides of the border. According to the recently released reports by Indian intelligence, China is quoted to be the mastermind behind this incident.

Conclusion

AFSPA and demand of a separate independent country were seemed to be the major reason behind the conflict between the militants and Indian forces in Manipur. But some external factors also plays a crucial role in provoking and supporting silently in the background, resulting these incidents.” Enemy’s enemy is a friend” best suits here where India is the target from all sides. India is doing its best to curb the problem.

Informative Guide to Armed Force Special Power Act [AFSPA]

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June 10, 2015

Informative Guide to Armed Force Special Power Act

AFSPA Armed Force Special Power Act, the name arising in the news headlines since last few days. AFSPA is enlarged as Armed Force Special Power Act, an act which was basically imposed by the British government so as to suppress Quit India Movement. Initially, the British government implemented this act to curb the revolution erupted due to the partition of Indian. For that, they formed four ordinances i.e. the Bengal Disturbed Areas Ordinance; the Assam Disturbed Areas Ordinance; the East Bengal Disturbed Areas Ordinance and the united provinces Disturbed Areas Ordinance which was implemented by the central government. Later, with the changing wave of freedom and emergence of rebellions within the country, the President of Independent India imposed the AFSPA onto some selective states. Let’s dig out more internal information about this Act., the name arising in the news headlines since last few days. AFSPA is enlarged as Armed Force Special Power Act, an act which was basically imposed by the British government so as to suppress Quit India Movement. Initially, the British government implemented this act to curb the revolution erupted due to the partition of Indian. For that, they formed four ordinances i.e. the Bengal Disturbed Areas Ordinance; the Assam Disturbed Areas Ordinance; the East Bengal Disturbed Areas Ordinance and the united provinces Disturbed Areas Ordinance which was implemented by the central government. Later, with the changing wave of freedom and emergence of rebellions within the country, the President of Independent India imposed the AFSPA onto some selective states. Let’s dig out more internal information about this Act.

Why AFSPA was Imposed:

It was in 1951 when the Naga’s rebellion stand out with a demand to make a free sovereign naga nation. The situation worsened when they start boycotting the general election of 1952, later the government schools and shops, etc. To overcome this situation, Assam riffles were given the charges. But as the time passed by, the Naga rebellion made their own government called as “The Federal Government of Nagaland” in 1956. At that time, by the then President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad permitted imposing of Armed Forces (Assam and Manipur) Special Powers Ordinance 1958 which was later renamed as Armed Force Special power Act. The same case was in the state of Jammu & Kashmir. The government enacted Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990 to curb the problem of increasing insurgency. According to AFSPA, the Governors of the States and the Administrators of the Union Territories are given the powers to declare the state as disturbed anyhow.

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Why AFSPA is Opposed:

Well, the act was enacted by the government in order to overcome the situation of insecurity caused by the interior violating elements. But rather than encouraging the act of government, the local residents always oppose this act. In the state which are declared as “disturbed states” by the government, the armed force officer enjoys some powers. Under section 4 of AFSPA, an army officer can open fire on any person even it leads to his/her death. The action is taken for any violating group or any group hiding weapons with them. Another power allows them to arrest any person without permission and run a search operation to rescue the hostages or recover any illegal weapons storage. Because of these unlawful powers allotted to arm officer, this Act is highly opposed by the concerned localities.

Negative effects of AFSPA

Irom sharmila, a resident of Manipur, known as Iron Lady of Manipur, is still on hunger strike to protest against AFSPA in the state. AFSPA has faced criticisms from the common people of effected states. Several cases of harassment and its misuse has been recorded from the residents. In J&K, AFSPA is a kind of bay between military and civilians and that seems to be a sufficient cause of conflict between both of them. Army is still in favor of the continuation of this Act and gives rock strong reasons of proper implementation of law and order in the area. While civilians find it nothing more than a law to suppress their freedom. Shoot at the sight of Special Forces in north eastern states had made a fear among people and gained lots of criticism from residents. The incident of the year 2000 in which more than 12 people including children were shot in a bus top of Manipur by the military/paramilitary forces is one of many examples. Another incident includes killing of two school boys of class 10 and 7 by Army in a joint operation with paramilitary as they suspected them as terrorists”.

Current status of AFSPA:

Because of such unlikely statements in this act, many Human Rights organization have also criticized this. Recently, the state government of Tripura has declared to removal of AFSPA from Tripura after 18 years of its existence. But this is only a single state out of many affecting states in the list.

AFSPA will always be called as draconian law until and unless it is executed with right intentions and right utilization of given powers.

Arjun Tank: Are They Worth Serving or Not

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June 10, 2015

Arjun Tank: Are They Worth Serving or Not. India has many warheads and these days it is gathering strength and muscle to defend itself from external threats and continue a peaceful environment. India is on the path to become self-dependent in order to produce defense equipment and machines in India. It is a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative “MAKE IN INDIA”. Last year FDI in defense was raised from 26% to 49% to lure investment in defense sector. But, India is now emphasizing more on indigenous production. Arjun, indigenously produced main battle tank is a third generation tank. The indigenous Arjun tank project began in 1974, and was originally aimed to replace Russian T-54 tanks, which have been retired, and more than 1,600 Russian T-72 tanks still in operation. It was designed and produced by DRDO and Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE). Arjun Mark-I had failed to impress the Army. But the new breed, Arjun Mark-II, which was made in cooperation with Israel, seems to leave a good impact on Indian Army. Moreover, Arjun II is expected to replace aging T-55 and T-72M which now seems to be hard to maintain.

Why in News:

Many tanks were sent back to DRDO as a significant proportion of its fleet as it has become inoperable in recent months and are non-serviceable due to continued maintenance problems. UPA government has induced 124 tanks in Indian Army in 2009. But recently Indian Army is facing problems with it. According to the sources, 60% parts of the tank are imported and systems have to be sent abroad for even minor problems. Army had identified 96 problems in the tank out of which 18 were categorized as major problems. “Deficient Fire Control System”, “Inaccuracy of its Guns”, “Low Speeds in Tactical Areas” and persistent “inability to operate in temperatures over 50 degrees Celsius “are some of the cons of this tank. Arjun II also got some disadvantages regarding it heavy weight, which limits its mobilization. Because of it, Arjun II cannot be lifted by IL-76. It can only be lifted by C17 Globemaster III.

The Army has cleared 118 Mark-II tanks. Arjun Mark-II satisfies almost all requirements of Indian Army and has 60% indigenous parts. It also has improvements as compared to the Mark-I. Mark-II is capable of firing an anti-tank missile from its main gun. Thermal imaging system (help in night vision), better protection of crew, advance air defense and most important, Mark-I’s German engine was replaced with the indigenous engine. Its Improved gun barrel has an Equivalent Firing Charge (strength of the barrel to sustain firing) of 500 rounds against T-72’s 250 rounds which make it above Mark-I in all aspects.

Tanks are the backbone of armored regiments of Indian Army. On one hand, Army is still using aging tanks and, on the other hand, the newly developed tanks were having problems. This can put lives of several soldiers in danger. And is a threat to the national security. Buying new technology is a good thing. It’s better to repair the existing ones then to buy new.

Assam’s First Female IPS Officer Is A Badass Warrior

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June 10, 2015

Assam’s First Female IPS Officer Is A Badass Warrior. Who doesn’t love a cushy government job and a well-settled social life? Sanjyukta Parashar, Assam’s very first female IPS officer, could have had all that considering her 85th rank (All India) in the UPSC exams and her exceptional academic merits. But she chose a route that even the toughest dread to take – she decided to lead the fight against the Bodo militants of Assam.

Born and bred in Assam, Sanjukta Parashar is an IPS officer from the 2006 batch, and is Assam’s only woman to join the Indian Police Services. After completing her schooling in her home state, Sanjukta earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from IP College, Delhi University. Post that, she did her master’s in International Relations from JNU, New Delhi. Her academic merits don’t end here. Sanjukta then moved to Indonesia and earned an M.Phil followed by a Phd in US foreign policy!

But her life as we know now started after she was inducted as an IPS officer and chose Assam-Meghalaya region as her cadre. Now an SP of Assam Jorhat District, Parashar’s first deployment was in 2008 as Assistant Commandant of Makum with the responsibility to control ethnic clashes between Bodo-militants and illegal Bangladeshi migrants. Bodo militancy has infested Assam since the 1960s and has only become worse with time, thanks to political warfare and the harsh terrain of the region.

Sanjukta regularly leads CRPF jawans in treacherous reserve forests of the terror-infested region, and has been immensely successful in full-blown bullet-for-bullet crackdowns. She is best known for leading her battalion head-on armed with a loaded AK-47. After taking down 16 militants, arresting over 64 and impounding tons of arms and ammunition in only a few months, Sanjukta has become one of the most feared police officers among Bodo-militants.

Source: mensxp.com

10 Points Brief: Indian Surgical Strike In Myanmar

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June 10, 2015

10 Points Brief: Indian Surgical Strike In Myanmar. In a rare show of cross border counter-terror operations, the Indian Army sent its paratroopers to avenge the ambush of Manipur. The best part is – all or boys are back safe. We try and summarise today’s mission in ten points.

10 Points Brief: Indian Surgical Strike In Myanmar

NSCN-K terrorists who did Manipur ambush killing 18 Indian soldiers on 6th June, crossed the border back into Myanmar and hid in 2 camps there.
Indian army intelligence traced the terrorist’s organisations in a massive hunt that followed the ambush.
The army found out that more attacks were planned from Myanmar camps.
Drones were sent deep in Myanmar territory to locate those camps.
One camp was located east of Nagaland and another east of Manipur, approximately 150 KM south. Both well inside Myanmar.
Once the drones located the camps, Indian army top leadership sought operational clearance from PMO India (involved border crossing). The PMO was quick in providing the clearance.
Planes carrying Indian Special Forces silently crossed into Myanmar after informing the government on India.
It was not a joint operation with Myanmar army, intelligence or government. All special commandos were dropped strategically.
Indian Special Forces eliminated at least 20 NSCN-K terrorists in the two camps inside Myanmar. Best of all, there was zero casualty for India which is a splendid news in a hostile foreign territory.
The army announced the success of this hot pursuit inside Myanmar only after every single Indian Special Forces commando reached home safely.

U.S. Army Special Forces Green Berets – High Altitude Jump

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June 9, 2015