INCOME TAX RETURNS

As the IT Returns will be required to be filled by us soon....


you may like to check out this link : 


http://www.incometaxindia.gov.in/

PROMOTION CIVIL SERVICES

1.  20.5 % IG ( = Maj Gen, GP 10000/- ) level posts have been approved from the earlier sanctioned 17% after IPS cadre review. An incr of 3.5%.

2.   Over 100 IPS Officers of 1996 batch promoted as DIG ( =Brig, GP 8900/-)

Source : Whispers

GOC TIGER DIVISION

THE TRIBUNE 

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20100428/j&k.htm#8

Major-Gen TPS Waraich, VSM, is the new GOC of 26 Division (Tiger Division). He took over from Major-Gen K Surendranath, SM, VSM, GOC Tiger Division, who is proceeding on transfer as MGGS, Southern Command.

Major-Gen Surendranath was given a farewell by Gautam Sen, Principal Controller of Defence Account: Northern Command, IDAS officers and senior officers of his PCDA (NC) office here today.

Both Major-Gen Surendranath and the PCDA recalled the all-round close functional cooperation between the Army establishments at Jammu and the Defence Account Department, particularly in the matter of logistics, functional and accounting support.

Over 200 armymen killed in JK, NE in 3 years

 PTI

 http://www.ptinews.com/news/626787_Over-200-armymen-killed-in-JK--NE-in-3-years

Over 200 Indian Army personnel have lost their lives in last three years during the anti- terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir and the north-eastern states, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

"There have been 208 casualties of Army personnel during the last three years in anti-terror operations," Defence Minister A K Antony said in a written reply.

The highest number of casualties were suffered in 2007 when 83 followed by 64 in 2008, he said.

To another query, Antony said contract has been signed with Israel on March 4 this year to procure two Heron UAVs for deploying them for surveillance along the Eastern and Western seaboard of the country.

MEA woman officer posted in Pak arrested for spying

 PTI

http://www.ptinews.com/news/628127_MEA-woman-officer-posted-in-Pak-arrested-for-spying

A Second Secretary-level woman diplomat working in the Indian High Commission in Islamabad has been arrested here for allegedly passing on information to Pakistani intelligence agencies.

Simultaneously, the station head of Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) in Islamabad R K Sharma has also come under the scanner, official sources said.

A promotee officer of Ministry of External Affairs, 53-year-old Madhuri Gupta, was arrested here four days back after she was summoned to Delhi on the pretext of discussions on the current SAARC summit meeting held in Thimpu, Bhutan, the sources said.

The officer, a Second Secretary working in the Mission for nearly three years, is alleged to have been passing on information from the Mission to her contacts in ISI till her movements came under surveillance of Intelligence Bureau sleuths.

Home Secretary G K Pillai said Gupta had been passing information to Pakistani agencies.

BJP MPs table breach of privilege notice against PM

 PTI

http://www.ptinews.com/news/627968_BJP-MPs-table-breach-of-privilege-notice-against-PM

Fifty BJP MPs today tabled a breach of privilege notice in Lok Sabha against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for announcing outside Parliament his decision to reject setting up of a joint parliamentary committee on the issue of alleged phone tapping.

The MPs submitted the petition to Lok Sabha Secretary General P D T Achary.

Their action comes close on the heels of Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj objecting to the Prime Minister's announcement on the issue.

"This is a disrespect to the House. The Prime Minister should give a statement in the House on the issue," she said in Lok Sabha.

She insisted this was a serious matter as phones of even cabinet ministers were allegedly tapped. BJP has also demanded a JPC into the IPL controversy.

Court accepts CBI's closure report against Tytler

 PTI

http://www.ptinews.com/news/628143_Court-accepts-CBI-s-closure-report-against-Tytler

In a reprieve to Jagdish Tytler, a city court today let off the Congress leader in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case after accepting CBI's closure report giving clean chit to him.

"There is no sufficient material to send Tytler to trial," Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Rakesh Pandit said.

It pointed out that the statement of California-based witness Jasbir Singh had "no relevance" and that the statements of another witness Surinder Singh were "self- contradictory".

Accepting the CBI's closure report giving a clean chit to the former Union Minister, the court said that there was no ground to order further investigation in the case.

The CBI had submitted that there was nothing to proceed against 66-year-old Tytler as two witnesses, Jasbir Singh and Surinder Singh, were not reliable and their statements were "false and concocted".

Two JCOs shot dead by jawan

PTI 

http://www.ptinews.com/news/628187_Two-JCOs-shot-dead-by-jawan

In a fresh case of fratricide in Army, a jawan belonging to 12th Maratha Rifles allegedly shot dead two Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) in Manipur's Churachandpur district, officials said here today.

The incident took place yesterday at Khengjong outpost, about 70 km from here, after a quarrel broke out between the JCOs -- identified as Mrinthunguan and Thanattan-- and jawan Ambeti Narayan, they said.

Narayan shot at his colleagues with his service rifle, killing them on the spot, the officials said.

Narayan fled soon after the incident, but was arrested today, they said.

Meanwhile, the Army refused to divulge any details regarding the JCOs and Narayan.

Promotion PBORs

 Government has not restricted promotion opportunities for the Personnel Below Officers Rank (PBOR) in the Armed Forces. The Government has, in fact, improved the career prospects by approving grant of three Assured Career Progression (ACP) to PBOR at 8, 16 and 24 years of service as against three Modified Assured Career Progression Scheme (MACPs) for the Central Government Civilian Employees at 10, 20 and 30 years of regular service. At the time of each financial upgradation under ACP, the PBOR would get an additional increment and next higher Grade Pay in hierarchy.

            Army:  PBORs (including Jawans) are eligible for grant of commissioning into Officer Cadres through various In Service entries i.e. Army Cadet College (ACC) / Special Commissioned Officers (SCO) / Permanent Commission Officers (Special List) [PC(SL)].

            Navy:  Adequate promotion avenues exist through time based, roster based and selective promotion for sailors. Promotion upto the rank of Leading Seaman/equivalent for non-Artificers and upto the rank of Artificer 3^rd class for artificers are time based. Roster based and selective promotions are for higher ranks against the available / anticipated vacancies. Promotion avenues also exist for sailors to be promoted to officer rank through the Commission Worthy Scheme and the Special Duty List Scheme.

            Air Force:  A PBOR during his service career can be promoted upto the rank of Master warrant Officer (MWO) subject to fulfilling eligibility criteria and availability of vacancies.   

            Number of PBORs including Jawans promoted to Senior Officers post in the three services of the Armed Forces during the last three years is as under:

Year	Army*	Air Force	Navy
			Commission Worthy Scheme	Special Duty List Scheme
2007	159	94	54	82
2008	139	64
2009	205	59

            * Excluding Army Medical Corps and Army Dental Corps

            Government proposes to review the promotion policy for PBOR to ensure greater opportunities for PBORs. In the Army, review of the promotion policy for PBOR is under process to ensure better opportunities. A cadre review for the PBOR has been ordered in May 2009. The Navy is also working on a proposal for cadre restructuring of sailors, which would enhance their promotional avenues.

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Arjun Ray in Lok Sabha.

A Soldier

There is discipline in A Soldier
you can see it when he walks,
There is honor in A Soldier
you hear it when he talks.
There is courage in A Soldier
you can see it in his eyes,
There is loyalty in A Soldier
that he will not compromise.
There is something in A Soldier
that makes him stand apart,
There is strength in A Soldier
that beats from his heart.
A Soldier isn't a title any man
can be hired to do,
A Soldier is the soul of that man
buried deep inside of you.
A Soldier's job isn't finished after
an 8 hour day or a 40 hour week,
A Soldier is always A Soldier
even while he sleeps.
A Soldier serves his country first
and his life is left behind,
A Soldier has to sacrifice what
comes first in a civilian's mind.
If you are civilian -
I am saying this to you.....
next time you see A Soldier
remember what they do.
A Soldier is the reason our land
is 'Home of the free',
A Soldier is the one that is brave
protecting you and me.
If you are A Soldier -
I am saying this to you.....
Thank God for EVERY SOLDIER
Thank God for what YOU do!

SOURCE : INTERNET

Common Errors in ACRs

COMMONLY OCCURRING ERRORS  IN INITIATION AND ENDORSEMENT OF CONFIDENTIAL REPORTS 1.      It has been observed that a large number of CRs are received wherein there are errors of trivial/technical nature and the ratee and the endorsing Officers have not followed the specified procedures. Resultantly the CRs have to be processed through the files causing infructuous paper work. This results into either the CRs getting set aside or a portion of it getting technically invalided. This may at times adversely affect the officers in their career progression.  2.      The commonly occurring errors are listed below: -   (a)     Part-I (Personal Data, Service Record and Authentication Data) not filled correctly and also not signed by ratee and IO.   (b)     Requisite enclosures are not found attached to the CRs. The required enclosures to be attached with the CRs are as per DGMS(Army) letter No 15013/ACR/Policy/2003/DGMS-1A dt 16 Dec 2003 and 15013/ACR/Policy/2003/DGMS-1A dt 08 Jan 2004.   (c)     The ratee has not completed mandatory 90 days physical service with IO, 75 days and 90 days service (not physical) with RO and FTO respectively.   (d)     Average of box grading at Para 12, 27 of IO, RO, FTO and STO incorrectly calculated or rounded off. These averages must be calculated upto second decimal point without rounding off.   (e)     Variance found in award of numerical marking between the two copies of CRs in respect of Naval and Air Officers.   (f) Signatures of IO, RO and SRO are missing in Para 29.   (g) Wide variation in assessing the ratee by the reporting Officers with difference of more than 2 points without any justification in pen picture or comments offered in this regard whether over-assessed or under –assessed by the reporting Officers.   (h) After initiation of an ICR the balance of reporting period is not covered by an ACR or NIR as applicable thus leaving a gap in the reporting period.   (j) The   SRO/STO/HTO have endorsed the CR when they were not holding the appointment on the last day of the period covered by the report.   (k) Wrong forms have been used for initiation of CRs and the RO and other superior reporting officers have not rectified the defect and even endorsed and sent to higher authority for endorsement.   (l) CRs are initiated not on due date or when not due. Raising of CR on change of rank (e.g. A Major becoming Lt Col on 22 Apr is due for an ACR on 01 Jan of following year covering the period of 19 months) is governed by Para 39 of SAO 8/S/91.   (m) Sanction of SRO for RO to initiate CRs (Para 52 of SAO 8/S/91) and sanction by DGMS (Army) for officiating incumbents (Para 20 of SAO 8/S/91) are not found enclosed which is a mandatory requirement.   (n) NIRs are received without the details of physical service under the IO and RO respectively. In many cases the ratee and reporting Officers have not signed the NIR.   (o) The endorsement by NSROs have been dispensed with in terms of DGMS(Army) letter No 15025/ACR Policy/00/DGMS-1A dt 16 Mar 2000 for AMC/AMC (NT)/AD Corps Officers. Despite this the NSRO have endorsed the CR.   (p) The CRs are received without any endorsement by any Medical Officer as FTO/STO/HTO (Dental Officer in case of AD Corps Officer). This is a mandatory requirement and at least one of these Officers should have endorsed the CR. If the reporting Officers have retired, the endorsement can be obtained from the retired reporting Officer to make the report technically valid.   (q) The SROs/HTOs have awarded marks in fraction instead of whole number. Also the Senior Advisors have awarded marks in fraction at professional qualities at Para 9 of PCR. The SROs & HTOs can award numerical grading in whole number only.   (r) ICR has been initiated for a period less than 180 days and without fulfilling the conditions of Para 48 of SAO 8/S/91.   (s) The laid down channel of ACR reporting has not been followed. Any channel other than that laid down must have the sanction of the DGMS (Army).   (t) The adverse /advisory remarks have not been communicated to the ratee Officer in terms of Para 77 of SAO 8/S/91. This lapse leads to complaints from the ratee when there is delay in communication of remarks by this Dte Gen /Office of DGAFMS on the final scrutiny of CRs.   (u) The procedure prescribed at Para 11 of SAO 8/S/91 for overwriting/erasing has not been followed. Overwriting should always be scored off first, then re-written afresh while ensuring that the scored off number/remarks is clearly visible. All amendments should be authenticated by making full signatures with date. Pasting of slip or use of whitener is not permitted as it makes the assessment invalid.   (v) Two CRs for the same period have been initiated which is highly irregular and leads to invalidment of last CR received for the same period.   (w) Period covered by the report is not entered in the PCR, which should be corresponding, to the period of ICR/ACR. It has been observed that PCRs are being raised without the corresponding ICRs/ACRs. In many cases, PCRs are received for period for which NIRs have been raised.     (x) Speciality of the ratee Officer is not mentioned in Para 5 (a) of PCR.     (y) Instances have come to notice where it is seen that though CR should have been   initiated due to posting out or retirement of IO, but it has not been done and later NIR  was forwarded. Officers (Ratee) avoided submitting CR Forms in time or purposely delayed to avoid initiation by IO. Higher HQs at the level of Corps/Command have not taken any timely action against ratee Officer or IO for such intentional omission/commission. These instances should be viewed seriously and appropriate action be taken. 3.      It is emphasized that the environment, particularly the ratee and the endorsing Officer, must be made aware of the provisions of SAO 8/S/91 and various policy letters issued from time to time. (O/O DGMS (Army)/DGMS-1A letter No 15013/ACR Policy/2004/DGMS-1A dt 15 Jan 04).

25% INCR IN IPS CADRE STRENGTH

 I WONDER : ALREADY POST UPGRADATION AND STATUS UPGRADATION HAS BEEN DONE IN 6TH CPC AND LATER VIDE VARIUOS GOVT ORDERS.

The Union Home Ministry, in a bid to strengthen policing in the country, with special emphasis on Maoist-infested regions, has increased the cadre strength of IPS officers in 16 States and Union Territories, by about 25 per cent, from the present 1,178 IPS officers to 1465. The states where the cadre strength has been increased include Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and Chhattisgarh.(WHISPERS)

Govt designates Indian Navy responsible for maritime security

MY NEWS

 http://www.mynews.in/News/Govt_designates_Indian_Navy_responsible_for_maritime_security_N46877.html

New Delhi: The Government has designated the Indian Navy as the agency responsible for overall maritime security, including coastal security of the country, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

The Indian Navy, the Coast Guards, State Marine Police and other Central and State agencies work in coordination for the coastal security and to deal with threats of vulnerable targets, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Murli Deora said in a written reply.

He said the measures instituted in this regard include enhanced surface and air surveillance along with coastal exercises by Indian Navy ships and aircraft along the coast and in all offshore development areas, including those on the east coast of India.

India launches first anti-submarine corvette

 IBN LIVE

 http://ibnlive.in.com/news/india-launches-first-antisubmarine-corvette/113602-3.html?from=trending

Kolkata/New Delhi: India on Monday launched its first anti-submarine warfare corvette that will boost Navy's fighting capability when commissioned in 2012.

According to officials, the corvette, Yard 3017, was launched by Mamatha M, wife of Minister of State of Defence M M Pallam Raju, at the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) in Kolkata.

"Four ships of this class are under construction at GRSE, Kolkata. The first ship is expected to be commissioned by mid-2012 and will be closely followed by the other three ships with the last expected to be commissioned by early 2015," a naval official said.

The corvette, a small fast-moving ship, was ordered in 2003 and the production is delayed by two years.

The official said the 3,100-tonnage ship would be fitted with the latest indigenously developed sonars to detect submarines.

"The torpedo tubes, and scutter (torpedo decoys) launchers contribute to its anti-submarine punch. In addition, the ship will also be equipped with vertically launched Point Defence Missile System (PDMS) and Close In Weapon Systems (CIWS) such as AK 30's and Super Rapid Gun Mount (SRGM)," the official added.

"The ship is also equipped with decoy system Kavach, which is designed to counter the threat of various anti-ship missiles," he said.

At present the Indian Navy does not have any anti-submarine corvettes. It had some Russian corvettes, which were decommissioned long ago.

For anti-submarine operations, navy uses bigger ships like frigates and destroyers.

Sino-Indian war records 'top secret', says govt

 PTI

http://www.ptinews.com/news/616820_Sino-Indian-war-records--top-secret---says-govt

New Delhi, Apr 19 (PTI) The government today refused to make public an Army study on the 1962 war debacle with China, saying the internal report was "top secret" and "extremely sensitive".

Defence Minister A K Antony told the Lok Sabha that the Henderson Brooks Report had "current operational value".

Asked by Congress member Manish Tewari if the report would be made public, the minister replied in the negative.

"Henderson Brooks Report is a TOP SECRET document, based on an internal study by the Indian Army, contents of which are not only extremely sensitive, but are of current operational value," Antony said in a written reply.

However, on the 1947 Indo-Pak war, the Defence Minister said the official historical record had been compiled and it was in the public domain since 1987.

ELEPHANT WAKING UP

INDIAN DECADE

http://the-diplomat.com/indian-decade/2010/04/20/elephant-waking-up/

While the Chinese dragon has been hissing in recent months through its aggressive incursions into Indian territory and its warning to the Indian leadership over issues like Arunachal Pradesh and the Dalai Lama, the Indian elephant is now showing signs of gradually shrugging off its complacence. New Delhi has many China-centric strategic projects in the pipeline, but I’ll focus on just one of the many long-term measures it is taking with China in mind.

The Government of India has sanctioned raising two mountain divisions (one division has roughly 10,000 troops) to be deployed along the India-China border. More significantly, New Delhi has for the first time lifted its 37-year-old freeze on fresh recruitment for the China-specific mountain division. The proposed two mountain divisions will be in addition to the two presently deployed two divisions of the Indian Army. These two new divisions are much needed for better patrolling of the 4,057-kilometre Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China, and they would help the Indian Army plug gaping operational gaps. As there is no properly demarcated border between the two Asian giants, the LAC is the effective border between India and China. The LAC traverses three parts of Indian states: the west (Ladakh, Kashmir), the centre (Uttarakhand, Himachal) and east (Sikkim, Arunachal).

In another move, the Indian government has also decided to fast track the process of procuring specialized weaponry needed for mountain warfare. The Indian Army’s plans are to procure at least 200 Howitzer guns, which can be carried on horseback or in choppers (depending on local operational requirements) for lending teeth to the remotest posts in these rugged mountains.

Nightmare 2012: Chinese Special Forces cut off Siliguri corridor

SIFY NEWS

I  WONDER : EXCELLENT !!!  MUST READ THEM ALL....

India has the potential to be to Asia what America is to the world - a symbol of hope, liberty and freedom.

Closed societies like China or Pakistan do not fit the bill. Due to authoritarian regimes in Beijing and Islamabad, in times to come they will remain preoccupied with growing internal societal turmoil.

Therefore, they will naturally tend to threaten democratic India, militarily and with the help of their irregular forces to divert attention from the brewing internal storm. Also because on one hand, the Indian democracy negates their authoritarian philosophy, and on the other, the Union is perceived as a soft target to be conquered or ruptured.

But technology driven 21st century cannot be China’s century in Asia as is being touted by its proxy Pakistan or the Chinese themselves. Simply because these are very brittle, regressive and perpetually paranoid societies. Societies that cannot sustain such enlarged influence and get into an over reach. While the People’s Liberation Army, the largest in the world, consists of 3.5 million soldiers to project power, Beijing employs whopping 21 million to police internal dissent.

Military threat from such dictatorial regimes to free societies like India will increase as the western democracies retreat from Asia. There already exists a severe trust deficit between China and the small countries in the region.

India is the perhaps the only country in Asia that can boast of the potential to occupy the strategic high ground gradually being vacated by the retreating western forces, provided it develops offensive orientation at the political level.

Unlike China, its soft power increasingly impacts on Asia. The young demographic profile will continue to propel Indian economy to greater heights at least till end of 2050. China’s ageing profile shows trends that it will, first grow old then rich, unlike Japan, which grew rich then old. India if governed fairly well, will grow rich and then old like Japan.

India’s multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious society is the melting pot in Asia that benefits from rich diversity and open society. However, it is not as fortunate to be situated geographically in a safe haven like America, which is surrounded by nations with similar values.

READ THE COMPLETE WRITEUP HERE:

http://sify.com/news/Nightmare-2012-Chinese-Special-Forces-take-Siliguri-news-kerrLlchfeb.html 

OTHER IMPORTANT LINKS :

http://sify.com/news/why-pak-china-will-win-news-columns-kccrKIdjcgf.html 
http://www.indiandefencereview.com/2009/11/the-big-picture.html 
http://www.indiandefencereview.com/2008/06/threat-from-china.html 

Antony asks forces to counter cyber attacks

 REDIFF NEWS

 

http://news.rediff.com/report/2010/apr/16/antony-asks-forces-to-repel-cyber-attacks.htm

 

In the wake of reports of Chinese hackers stealing vital data from Indian defence and diplomatic computer networks, Defence Minister A K Antony said on Friday asked the armed forces to coordinate closely with other cyber security agencies to prepare a crisis management action plan against cyber terrorism. The minister noted that cyber-space had emerged as an important medium for information sharing, but at the same time the existing technology was susceptible to misuse by anti-social and anti-national elements."Of late, extraordinary and unprecedented cyber crimes have taken place across the globe, exposing gap holes in cyber security systems," Antony told the armed forces Unified Commanders' Conference in New Delhi
"Although the defence services at all levels have taken steps to counter cyber threat through stringent implementation of cyber security policy, there is still a requirement to ensure that all loopholes are suitably plugged. A few recent cases are reminders of our own vulnerabilities," he said.
Close interaction with national agencies like Computer and Emergency Response Team, NTRO, Home and IT ministries to prepare a crisis management action plan for countering cyber attacks and cyber terrorism is essential, he said inaugurating the conference. Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju, Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman and IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal P V Naik, Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma, Army Chief General V K Singh, Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar and Chief of Integrated Staff Committee Air Marshal S C Mukul were also present on the occasion.
Expressing happiness over the progress made to improve jointness among armed forces in various spheres, Antony said increasing involvement of Integrated Defence Service headquarters in defence issues, the functioning of Andaman and Nicobar Command and the progress of Strategic Forces Command were a few examples of the success of the inter-operability concept.
He said the future of optimal military power lay in joint operations. "Towards this end, the first-ever Long Term Integrated Perspective Plan for 2012–27 is nearing completion under the aegis of IDS headquarters. Once finalised, it would be yet another milestone in our progress towards jointness," he said.

SBI launches defence salary package for Indian Air Force

BUSINESS STANDARD

 

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/sbi-launches-defence-salary-package-for-indian-air-force/91487/on

The State Bank of India (SBI) today launched a defence salary package for the Indian Air Force with an array of concessional services such as zero balance accounts, interest rate concessions on loans, preferential allotment of lockers and free mobile banking.

"I recommit that SBI would serve the very best we can," SBI chairman O P Bhatt said at the launch of the product here.

The package includes free drafts and free cheque books and provides for free funds transfers to any of the State Bank Group's network of almost 16,000 branches or any other bank in India, besides free ATM cards and other features.

SBI further said that it plans to add 5,000 ATMs to its existing count of 20,000, which will benefit more than one lakh Air Force personnel, as the bank intends to establish a large number of ATMs to serve Air Force formations.

The package enables Air Force personnel to open zero balance accounts with an unique lifetime account number, valid even after retirement, and offers free mobile banking services, preferential allotment of lockers and interest rate concessions on home, car and personal loans, among others.

"The bank's network of business correspondents appointed in unbanked rural areas will also be available for the basic banking requirement of the Air Force personnel and their families," SBI said.

Speaking on the occasion, Air Chief Marshal P V Naik said, "I hope SBI would meet the expectations of defence personnel," adding that he would urge the SBI chairman to translate it into a reality at the earliest.

A similar package was announced for Army and Navy personnel earlier.

Safeguard yourself from credit card frauds

In recent times, there have been a spate of news items revealing a credit card fraud. In one such item, two youngsters were caught duping credit card holders by offering them new credit cards with higher credit limits by trading in their old credit cards. The youngsters then used the old cards to make their purchases, mostly electronics. This is how they laid the plot. 

They would call up credit card holders representing themselves as employees of the credit card company. They would inform these clueless customers about a new scheme about new credit cards with greater purchase limits in exchange of old ones. Then they would also inform customers that the company's representative would soon visit them with the new card, which would be activated as soon as they filled in a form! 

This news only reinstates the importance of being a vigilant customer and using credit cards with utmost prudence. Here are a few things one can do:

1. If you lose your credit card, it is necessary to inform your credit card company immediately. This will enable the card issuer to freeze the card with immediate effect and prevent any purchases on the card. The important thing for you is that your liability is limited once you inform the credit card issuer. 

2. Destroy your old card completely before you begin using your new card. This is important even if your old card has expired or you are upgrading your card.

3. Keep your card in a safe place and do not allow other people to handle it. 

4. Be prudent about signing up for new offers. Double-check the genuineness of the scheme. A simple way to verify genuineness of any scheme is to call up the credit card company and inquiring with them.

5. Change your PIN at regular intervals. Do not use obvious PIN like birth dates.

6. Inform your credit card company immediately if you do not receive your monthly credit statement. It could be a case of identity theft where the fraudster has changed your billing address. 

7. Use chip based credit cards. These cards offer better security than credit cards with black magnetic stripes. This is because in a chip based card, all information is stored in the small chip in encrypted format and it also uses a PIN. This makes changing or copying this data extremely difficult. 

8. So, the chance of data being misused while swiping the card is very remote. It is the highest level of security that credit card companies can offer at present. Citibank and Kotak Mahindra issue chip based cards to select high range customers. Axis bank's VISA Platinum card is also chip-based. HDFC Bank also has begun issuing these cards.

9. Be careful while shopping online. This is because you are required to give the CVV number for making purchases over the Internet. For this, be sure you shop only from secure websites. Ensure that the website is certified by VeriSign. Look for a yellow lock on the bottom right hand corner of the screen.

10. If you have a large credit limit on your card and use it frequently for several purchases including online and telephone purchases, it is a good idea to get your card insured. You cannot prevent credit card fraud but at least minimize its impact on your financial stability! You can protect yourself from fraudulent charges on your card up to 12 hours before reporting the loss to the credit card issuer.

http://in.finance.yahoo.com/personal-finance/loans_basics/75/safeguard-yourself-from-credit-card-frauds/

Shortage of 2000 CPMF Officers..

As per a popular website there is a shortage of around 2000 CPMF offrs. I feel defence Offrs with good track record who are unable to make it to next grade due to organisational structure of armed forces should be allowed to join to meet this shortage. It will be a happy situation for all.

Awards.....

PIB 

http://www.pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=60187

President, Smt Pratibha Devisingh Patil conferred two Kirti Chakras and twenty five Shaurya Chakras to Armed Forces Personnel for displaying conspicuous gallantry, indomitable courage and extreme devotion to duty at a solemn ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi today.

            The President also conferred fifteen Param Vishisht Seva Medals, two Uttam Yudh Seva Medals, one Bar to Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and twenty six Ati Vishisht Seva Medals to senior officers of the Armed Forces for distinguished service of an exceptional order. The following is the list of awardees:-

GALLANTRY AWARDS

KIRTI CHAKRA

1.      IC-59630 Maj Amit Oscar Fernandes  

2.      IC-61390 Maj Suresh Suri (Posthumous)

SHAURYA CHAKRA

1.    GS-173875N Operator Excavating Machinery Grade – II Satish Kumar

2.    26696 Sqn Ldr Harkirat Singh

3.    IC-64795 Maj Ankur Garg

4.    IC-62248 Maj Saurabh Dutt Kholia

5.    15330627 Lance Naik Sujith Babu V (Posthumous)

6.    IC-57104 Maj Dinesh Singh Parmar

7.    IC-63089 Maj Subramaniam Anand

8.    25871 Sqn Ldr Tarun Kumar Chaudhry

9.    776951 Sgt Mustafa Ali (Posthumous)

10.  GS-171792-K Operator Excavating Machinery Pritam Chand (Posthumous)

11.  GS-173772-P Driver Mechanical Transport Grade – II Piar Chand (Posthumous)

12.  9107449 Rifleman Mohd Abdul Amieen Bhat (Posthumous)

13.  IC-70145 Lt Satbir Singh (Posthumous)

14.  13625790 Naik Manoj Singh (Posthumous)

15.  2795178 Sepoy Hanmant Mahadeo Yevale

16.  13622147 Hav Vipan Thakur (Posthumous)

17.  SS-39651 Maj Ajay Singh

18.  JC-74651 Naib Subedar Ganesh Nath

19.  IC-61038 Maj Harmeet Singh Samra

20.  G/114735 Hav Thangjalet (Posthumous)

21.  IC-59470 Maj Manoj Aruparayil Pothen

22.  4478544 Lance Naik Davinder Singh

23.  IC-63580 Capt Mudassar Iqbal

24.  IC-69343 Capt Anoop Pandey

25.  120351-A POWTR CD III Chandra Sekhar (Posthumous)

DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARDS

PARAM VISHISHT SEVA MEDAL

1.      IC-24198 Lt Gen Chanroth Kunnumal Suchindra Sabu

2.      01248-K Vice Admiral Sanjeev Bhasin

3.      12939 Air Marshal Venkatraman Ramamurthy Iyer

4.      13472 Air Marshal Pramod Vasant Athawale

5.      MR-03364 Lt Gen Naresh Kumar Parmar

6.      IC-24219 Lt Gen Ajay Kumar Singh Chandele

7.      IC-25053 Lt Gen Dalip Bhardwaj

8.      IC-25064 Lt Gen Shreedharan Shyam Kumar

9.      IC-25126 Lt Gen Rajinder Singh Sujlana

10.  IC-24706 Lt Gen Kammula Ramachandra Rao

11.  IC-25213 Lt Gen Mukesh Sabharwal

12.  IC-25469 Lt Gen Karan Singh Yadava

13.  IC-23689 Lt Gen (Retd) Narinder Singh Brar

14.  IC-29915 Lt Gen (Retd) Vinod Chopra

15.  12833 Air Marshal (Retd) Keshava Murthy Rama Sundara

UTTAM YUDH SEVA MEDAL

1.      IC-25538 Lt Gen Rabindran Krishna Swamy

2.      IC-25816 Lt Gen Bikram Singh

BAR TO ATI VISHISHT SEVA MEDAL

3.      IC-25457 Lt Gen Vijay Kumar Ahluwalia

ATI VISHISHT SEVA MEDAL

1.      IC-24654 Lt Gen Tejinder Singh

2.      IC-27146 Lt Gen Uma Shankar Prasad Sinha

3.      IC-25141 Lt Gen Deepak Raj

4.      IC-25442 Lt Gen Swatantarta Nand Handa

5.      IC-25056 Lt Gen Inderjit Singh

6.      IC-25815 Lt Gen Gurdeep Singh

7.      IC-27325 Lt Gen Rajesh Kochhar

8.      V-00330 Lt Gen Jai Krishan Srivastava

9.      02373-T Vice Admiral Paras Nath

10.  01701-R Vice Admiral Pradip Kumar Chatterjee

11.  01773-D Vice Admiral Anurag Gopalan Thapliyal

12.  13606 Air Marshal Simhakutty Varthaman

13.  IC-25280 Maj Gen Ashok Vasudeo Taskar

14.  IC-30052 Maj Gen Brijinder Singh Daulta

15.  IC-30076 Maj Gen Sathish Chandra Nair

16.  IC-30137 Maj Gen Sukhraj Pal Kochhar

17.  IC-30389 Maj Gen Sanjiv Chachra

18.  IC-30571 Maj Gen Rajeev Datt

19.  IC-33450 Maj Gen Darshan Lal Chowdhary

20.  IC-30687 Maj Gen Sanjiv Langer

21.  01660-Y Rear Adm Chander Shekhar Patham

22.  13508 Air Vice Marshal Dinesh Mukundan

23.  14446 Air Vice Marshal Anil Kumar Behl

24.  15327 Air Vice Marshal Ajit Shankarrao Bhonsle

25.  13487 Air Vice Marshal Salem Sunder Ram Gunashekar

26.  15220 Air Cmde Kulwant Singh Gill

Prime Minister Shri Manmohan Singh, Defence Minsiter Shri AK Antony, Minister of State for Defence Shri MM Pallam Raju, Marshal of the Air Force Arjun Singh, three Service Chiefs and several other senior civil and military officials were present on the occasion.

I FEEL THIS.... ON RECRUITMENT OF EX-SERVICEMEN

There is a proposal to recruit ex-servicemen for the training of CPMF on contractual basis. In my personal opinion the govt should instead permit lateral movement of army men into CPMF with full service benefits. I feel the govt should permit lateral movement into CPMF this will save thousand of crore rupees which they are spending on training of CPMF and will also provide much needed stability to soldiers. 

Don't send in the Army but learn from them

INDIA TODAY 

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/91859/India/Opinion:+Don

I WONDER : ARMY SHOULD COMMENT OR OFFER HELP ONLY WHEN THEY ARE ASKED. FREE ADVISES ARE NOT REQUIRED. I STILL REMEMBER AN OLD STORY WHERE A BIRD TRIES TO ADVISE A MONKEY ON BUILDING A NEST/HOME TO STAY IN IT DURING RAINS. MONKEY TRIES AND FAILS, SO HE DESTROYS THE NEST OF THE BIRD TOO. ARMED FORCES HAVE TAKEN ENOUGH BEATINGS IN TERMS OF CASUALTIES, OROP ISSUES, 6TH CPC ISSUES. THE STRONG COMMENTS WRITTEN BY MANY KNOWN PERSONALITIES AGAINST THE ARMED FORCES AND THEIR REQUIREMENT ARE STILL FRESH IN MANY MINDS.

The doyen of modern military thinkers, Carl von Clausewitz said that war was the extension of politics by other means. The Maoists understand this dictum well since their icon, Mao Zedong, said equally famously that power grows out of the barrel of a gun.

Unfortunately, the Indian state has yet to comprehend the link between politics and the military.

Because they claim to speak for the poor and wave red flags, most Indian politicians are unable to understand the mortal threat Maoists pose to the nation.

We need to quickly grasp, that, at this juncture at least, the only way we can meet the political challenge of the Maoists is through military means.

Why is it that in Kashmir, counter- insurgency operations in the urban and semiurban areas are left to the police forces, including the CRPF, and the task of handling the larger groups of militants in the forested heights of the Pir Panjal and the Rajwar area is taken on by the Army? The answer is simple. In terms of training and their working the police are most effective where the militants have to be ferreted out of the populace with the use of ground intelligence. Whereas the Army alone is equipped and oriented to handle larger groups of insurgents who are wellversed in guerilla tactics.

Wrong-headedThis simple truth of the Indian experience in counter- insurgency is staring at us in the face, yet, the mandarins of New Delhi are unable to see it. The media, too, has been knocking on wrong doors. Neither KPS Gill nor Prakash Singh have really dealt with insurgencies involving thousands of armed men who are organised like an army and operate freely in a large geographical area. Such experience only resides with the Indian Army- or in a specialised unit like the Assam Rifles.

Ambushes are a devastating military tactic that the Indian Army understands well.

Besides the element of surprise, the ambusher has the luxury of being able to site his own deployments and carefully prepare what is called the " kill zone". The army has a long institutional memory that encapsulates the experience of Burma in World War II, the Naga uprising of the 1950s and the Sri Lanka campaign of 1987- 90. Perhaps no one could beat the Nagas in laying deadly ambushes. But in no one incident did the Army lose 76 men.

The maximum I have been able to research is some 14 who were killed on April 1, 1957. So ambush and counterambush are basic small- unit tactics taught to all army personnel.

Caught in an ambush, even highly skilled forces find the going tough; for the CRPF

company in Dantewada, the chance of escape was nil. Neither through training, nor doctrine and equipment, is the CRPF, or the BSF, oriented towards such combat.

That is the reason why Maoist ambushes of police teams in Maharashtra, Orissa and West Bengal have been so devastating and one- sided.

As it is, there are chilling parallels in the Green Hunt strategy of sending in small groups of paramilitary to hold the ground to enable development activity, with the 1961 decision to send Indian forces in penny packets across the Sino- Indian border in what was optimistically called the " forward policy." The Chinese military response to this fat- headed effort led to a disastrous military defeat for India.

The Green Hunt's disaster is only now becoming manifest.

Sending in ill- trained paramilitary forces where others fear to tread, too, is not a new development either. In April 1971, after General Sam Manekshaw turned down Indira Gandhi's suggestion that the Army act in East Pakistan immediately,immediately, the government decided to entrust the task to the BSF. According to Lt Gen J. F. R. Jacob, the BSF commander K. F. Rustomji boasted that his forces would lead a victory parade in Dhaka in a short matter of three weeks. The BSF and their Mukti Bahini allies were so badly plastered by the Pakistan Army, that in May 1971 the government promptly handed over the security responsibility of the entire border to the Army.

Support
Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has no doubt spoken in shock and anger when he termed the Maoists as barbaric and decried their cowardice in fighting from the jungle. The facts, however, suggest that a better trained and motivated force used a legitimate military tactic to wipe out an entire CRPF company.

The only way to respond to this challenge is to meet it in kind. Unfortunately, there is no indication that either the government or the Home Ministry are even aware of the nature of the threat, leave alone any idea as to how to confront it.

The Home Secretary's bleating about " pressure bombs" reveals his ignorance of the fact that pressure mines are the basic weapons of insurgents and not undefeatable atomic weapons.

The same holds true for his quick rejection of the use of air power. To not do so is to deny yourself an advantage. The government has been rightly reluctant to use helicopter gunships ever since the Chavakacheri incident in Sri Lanka where scores of civilians died in a strike that ignited a fuel bunker. They were right, too, in not using them in the crowded landscape of Kashmir where the excellent road network enables the forces to reach any spot within the hour or less.

The jungles of Chattisgarh are different and air support could be the only means of assisting beleaguered columns, especially those under ambush. If appropriate rules of engagement are framed to avoid strikes in villages- whether or not Maoists were suspected to be there- there is no reason why gunships cannot operate there.

LeadersThe problems of a police- led counter insurgency campaign are fundamental.

Normally CRPF and BSF battalions, which are in themselves one thousand or so strong, are deployed in company-sized formations of some 100-120 men. These may be spread out in an unconnected fashion. The company commanders and battalion commanders are cadre officers, whereas most of the senior officers belong to the Indian Police Service who are most likely not to have served with the battalions at an operational level.

The army, on the other hand does not deploy anything less than a battalion which can be anywhere from 800- 1000 men. While these are divided into companies, the command and control is exercised at the battalion level by a commanding officer who deploys his companies in a mutually supporting role.

Army officers learn combat craft along with their men. Their first posting is with the jawans in mountain pickets, and their experience is gathered in long- range patrols and operations in Kashmir or the North- east. The vital bonding that takes place between an officer and a soldier in the army at a lower level serves in good stead when confronted with an emergency like an ambush. Given their rural and semi- educated background, Indian jawans require good training and leadership to be effective, whether in the Army or police. But while the Army caters for this, the police units do not.

This is not an argument for sending in the army to take on the Maoists, yet.

There are several other options before the government. It could set up a new Assam Rifles like force which is officered by Army personnel, matches the Army in its training, but is run by the Home Ministry.

The other is to sharply upgrade the quality of the existing CRPF units through better training and provision of better officers. In the meantime, perhaps, the Home Minister should persuade his Home Secretary to confine himself to running the day-to-day affairs of the ministry, and get himself a new security aide-an experienced Army officer-to advise him on the military aspects of tackling the Maoists.