Paratrooper Sonam Tshering Tamang was enrolled into The Parachute Regiment on 28 June 2014 and has been operating in OP RAKSHAK ever since. On 04 April 2020, Paratrooper Sonam Tshering Tamang was part of the Special Forces detachment which was helidropped in Keran Sector (Jammu & Kashmir) to intercept and eliminate an infiltrating column of terrorists. After wading through waist deep snow for over five hours, the squad successfully established contact with the terrorists. In the intense close quarter fire fight that ensued, both the squad commander Subedar Sanjiv Kumar and Paratrooper Amit Kumar sustained gunshot wound and the remainder of the squad was out of communication.
Paratrooper Sonam Tshering Tamang after carrying out a quick mental survey of the situation moved ahead tactically to evacuate his squad commander. He successfully evacuated his squad commander under intense fire from the terrorists. Paratrooper Amit Kumar was injured and was pinned down by accurate fire from the terrorists. Sensing grave danger to his buddy, Paratrooper Sonam Tshering Tamang in a daring act crawled towards the boulder and killed one terrorist with accurate rifle fire at close quarters.
Lt Colonel Rawat from the elite Special Forces was team leader of a mission-oriented team, deployed along the LoC in J-K for conduct of counter infiltration and counter terrorist operations. On receiving inputs about infiltration attempts by terrorists, he led his team to a 36 hours search and kill ambush, in a tough terrain and under difficult weather conditions near LoC. He and his team killed four terrorists during the operation.
Lt. Colonel Rawat was awarded the gallantry medal for leading his team into a 36 hour ambush of terrorists attempting to infiltrate. He gave specific positions for two terrorists resulting in their successful elimination. He also guided his team to safety from the retaliatory fire by the enemy and later located the remaining terrorists, eliminating two of them and grievously injuring others.
Indian Air Force ace pilot Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman was conferred the Vir Chakra by President Ram Nath Kovind in an investiture ceremony on Monday. Varthaman was recently promoted to the rank of Group Captain.
Varthaman shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter aircraft after engaging in an aerial dogfight on February 27, 2019, a day after IAF’s Balakot airstrike.
Naib Subedar Narender Singh (now Subedar) was part of the party deployed to prevent infilteration across the Line of Control While being deployed on the Line of Control, own surveillance detachment detected move of heavily armed hostiles intruding across Line of Control with likely aim to carryout violent action upon own posts. Naib Subedar Narender in a daring and calculated tactical move led his Squad through dense undergrowth and a narrow minefield safe lane during a pitch dark night.
He displaying nerve of steel and quick thinking, sited his squad along anticipated ingress routes of the hostiles. He alogwith his buddy Havildar Bhal Singh initiated contact at close quarters. In the ensuing firefight, he shot two hostiles dead at extreme close quarters and wounded another one. His aggressive actions led to foiling of attempt of the hostiles to target own posts. For his most conspicuous gallantry, tactical acumen and outstanding leadership in combat, Nb Sub Narender Singh is awarded “SHAURYA CHAKRA”.
PROUD MOMENT FOR THE ASSAM RIFLES FAMILY: DAUGHTER GETS COMMISIONED AS AN OFFICER IN THE INDIAN ARMY It was a proud moment for the Assam Rifles Family when on 20 Nov, the daughter of Hav KS Negi of 20 Assam Rifles was commissioned as an Officer into the Indian Army.
Lt Ekta Negi was commissioned in the Corps of Army Air Defence. The proud father is seen saluting the newly commissioned officer, his daughter, Lt Ekta Negi.
Here are some pictures of Cadets at Officers Training Academy OTA Chennai that will motivate all the young defence aspirants.The Officers Training Academy is a training establishments of the Indian Army that train officers for the Short Service Commission. The 49-week course at the OTA prepares graduates for all branches of the Army, except for the Army Medical Corps.
178 cadets including 124 men, 29 women 25 foreign nations passed out of the Officers training academy in Chennai on Saturday. “A total of 124 Gentlemen Cadets of the SSC-112 and 29 Women Cadets of the SSC (W)-26 Courses got commissioned. 16 Gentlemen Cadets and nine Women Cadets from Friendly Foreign Countries also completed their training,” read the official release of the Indian Army.
The parade was reviewed by Lieutenant General CP Mohanty, Vice Chief of Army Staff, who also presented the Sword of Honour and OTA Gold Medal to ACA Siddhanth Sharma, Silver Medal to BUO Dimple Singh Bhati and the Bronze Medal to BCA Muneesh Kumar, as per the release. The officers go through eleven months of integrated training which transforms these “men and women into future leaders of the Indian Army.”
Lt Jyoti passed out from OTA, Chennai today, fulfilling her husband Naik Deepak’s (1 Mahar) dying wish. Lt Jyoti mother of Reyansh(5) and Lavanya (8), got commissioned into the Indian Army after receiving tremendous motivation and being persistently encouraged by her husband’s parent unit (1 MAHAR). Brig Cheema (ex CO 1 MAHAR) mentored her throughout her course of preparation.
An independent woman who does not fear to tread on a path most would dread. Lt Jyoti proved that a wife of a Martyr is called a Veer Nari because she has the courage to deal with and overcome any challenge or tragedy. Her extraordinary success also displays the bonding , patronage and continuous guidance provided by her husband’s battalion and regiment.
These cadets had undergone training for the past 11 months at the OTA. The Indian cadets include 124 men and 29 women (total 153). The foreign cadets include 16 men and nine women.
Indian Army has published the NCC 50th Special Entry merit list for men and women, the course was scheduled at OTA Chennai in Oct 2021 but it got delayed due to the COVID19 pandemic. NCC 50th Male has a total of 50 vacancies and a total of 42 candidates are recommended and made in the final merit list. NCC 50th Women has a total of 05 vacancies and a total of 46 female candidates are recommended and made it in the final merit list including 01 wards of battle casualty.
NCC 50 Men Toppers
AIR-1 Ankit
AIR-2 Pradhyot Chandra Pandey
AIR-3 Abhilash C
AIR-4 Manu Kadian
AIR-5 Ajit Kumar Mohanty
NCC 50 Women Toppers
AIR-1 Shivani Sharma
AIR-2 Shivani Kochar
AIR-3 Aishwarya A G
AIR-4 M Pavithra
AIR-5 Manisha Shetty
Candidates who have not submitted copies of all semester marksheets and Degree/ Provisional degree certificate and other requisite documents, are required to submit the same immediately by Fax (No 011-20862671) or send self attested scanned copy on ‘Feedback/Query’ option on our website www.joinindidanarmy.nic.in. Joining Letters (JLs) will be issued as per MERIT subject to Vacancy, Medical fitness, requisite Educational qualification and meeting all eligibility criteria as per course notification.
Greeting future officers, we all aim for the olive green but don’t know much about the various medals serving personnel wear on the uniform. Today we will discuss one such medal the ‘Uchh Tungta Medal’ also known as the ‘High Altitude Medal’.
History
The medal was instituted in 1986 to reward service at extremely high altitudes on India’s Himalayan border where blizzards may rage for weeks at a time and temperatures may fall below -50 centigrade.
The medal’s official name is ‘Uchh Tungta Medal’.
Conditions of Eligibility
The conditions of eligibility for the award shall be as follows:-
(a) Personnel who have been detailed for duties connected with the defence of the borders and who have completed an aggregate service of 180 days during the first spell of tenure on the active strength of a unit/formation in the areas where high altitude allowance is admissible commencing from 1st April 1984.
(b) Aircrew personnel and personnel of ejection crew of Air maintenance units who carried out a minimum of 10 sorties or 40 hours of flying on transport support roles from 1st April 1984.
(c) All personnel who died or sustained wounds leading to premature evacuation irrespective of time limit to stay. This will take effect from the date of issue.
Eligible categories
The categories of personnel eligible for the award shall be:-
(a) Commissioned Officers, Juniors Commissioned Officers, Other Ranks, and Non-Combatants (enrolled) of the Regular Army embodied Auxiliary and Reserve Forces or any other lawfully constituted Armed Forces.
(b) Nursing Officers and other members of Nursing Services in the Armed Forces.
Design of the Medal and Ribbon
Medal: The medal shall be circular in shape, made of cupro-nickel, 35 millimeters in diameter, and fitted to a plain horizontal bar. the face with the Ashokan Lions(State Emblem of India) above the national motto ‘सत्यमेव जयते’ (Satyameva Jayate = Truth Alone Prevails) in Hindi characters, circumscribed ‘Ucchh Tunga Medal’ in Hindi and ‘UCCHH TUNGA MEDAL’; the reverse with a representation of the Himalayan Mountains.
Ribbon: The medal shall be worn suspended from the left breast by a silk ribbon which shall be 32 mm in width of Azura Blue color background with white diagonal reverse V Shape stripes of 2 millimeters in width with a distance of 5 millimeters between the two stripes.
Note
Cabinet Minister of Defence Shri Rajnath Singh officiating as chief guest of the 55th Raising Day(Oct 24) celebrations of ITBP announced High Altitude Medals will now also be awarded to personnel of ITBP, BSF, and SSB who serve at posts located above 9,000 feet.
