NUMBERS TELL THE STORY

Our national leadership is constantly advocating 'out of the box solutions' to meet a rising tide of national crises. But it has persistently and
obdurately ignored the quotidian and necessary tasks of governance and of maintaining minimum strength and standards in the institutions already 'in the box'. In India today, basic capacities for governance, enterprise and social action have been allowed to decline to such an extent that the most rudimentary tasks of nation-building, indeed, even of administrative maintenance, cannot be executed with a modicum of efficiency.

Ironically, this has happened over decades of a public and media discourse about 'bloated government', 'massive police force', 'gigantic expenditure on the bureaucracy', the need to 'downsize government', and other politically correct slogans based on extraordinary ignorance of fact. A look at the most rudimentary statistics may help pull some heads out of the sand.

After numberless terrorist attacks and years of hammering away at every possible forum with the basic data, India's abysmal police-population ratio appears to have found marginal registration in segments of the leadership, at least at the Centre. The ratio, at 125/1,00,000 in end-2007 (it is expected to have risen significantly thereafter, though nowhere approaching what is necessary) stands against western ratios that range between 200 (Australia: 209) and over 500 (Italy: 556). Western police forces, moreover, have tremendous qualitative advantages in manpower, technology, infrastructure, financial resources and conditions of work, and are rarely required to deal with proxy wars and insurgency.

The police are not the only organisation in crisis. Every government institution in the country has been hollowed out by political incompetence and ignorance. A look at the 'bloated bureaucracy' is instructive. The embedded principle in American democracy is that 'the best government is the least government'. Consequently, the state focuses as exclusively as possible on 'core functions' and minimises engagement in welfare and activities that can be taken over by the private sector. The administrative philosophy in India is the exact opposite, with government's fingers planted firmly in every possible pie.

That is why the ratio of government employees to population in the two countries is the more astonishing: the US federal government has a ratio of 889 employees per 1,00,000; India's Union government has just 295. State and local government employees in the US account for another 6,314 per 100,000; in sharp contrast, Uttar Pradesh has 352; Bihar, 472; Orissa, 1,007; Chhattisgarh, 1,067; Maharashtra, 1,223; Punjab, 1,383; Gujarat, 1,694. Worse, in India, the overwhelming proportion of government employees is in the lower cadres, class III and IV, as against the 'thinking' element of the state in higher echelons. Even in the latter category, qualitative profiles, including modern and administrative skills, training and technological competence, are severely limited.

Then, look at the 'second largest army in the world'. At about 1.4 million, the current strength of the armed forces appears large in absolute terms but is utterly inadequate in terms of India's population, territory and strategic projections as an 'emerging global power'. India's ratio of active duty uniformed troops to population works out to about 1:866. China's ratio is 1:591; UK's 1:295; Pakistan's 1:279; the US's 1:187. Again, the Indian armed forces' technological and resource capabilities compare adversely to those of the modernised western powers, and the army is way overstretched in conventional defence and counter-insurgency deployments. It can only be hoped that the navy chief's dark assessment of capacities relative to China will ring a few alarm bells.

Given the magnitude of delays that mar the judicial process, it is not surprising to find this institution is probably the worst off in terms of human assets. India has about 1.2 judges per 1,00,000 population. The Law Commission, in its 120th report, recommended a much-augmented ratio of 5 judges per 1,00,000 - a more than fourfold increase. But even this projected ratio would compare adversely with most countries that could be categorised as reasonably administered. The US has nearly 11 judges per 1,00,000 population; Sweden: 13; China: 17; and, at the top of the scale, Belgium: 23; Germany: 25; and Slovenia: 39!

The obvious 'solution', theoretically, would be to initiate massive recruitment to fill up these deficits. Government revenues have grown tremendously over the past decades, so that seems feasible. But it is here that the system hits a wall. Forget lack of political will, corruption, bureaucratic delays, interminable selection processes or absence of training capacities. India has an abysmal 9 per cent higher education participation rate, lower than the average for Africa at 10 per cent. An overwhelming majority of 'graduates' come out of third-rate institutions and are in fact unemployable, lacking essential language and reasoning skills. For all our boasting about the 'youth bulge', India simply does not have the manpower profile to fuel a modern nation and it will take decades before suitable profiles can be generated to meet the demands of modern governance, commerce and society.

The writer is executive director, Institute for Conflict Management.

News...

PAK : MANMOHAN'S REMARKS UNCALLED FOR

Karachi, August 17

Pakistan today said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks about terror groups planning fresh attacks on India from Pakistani soil were uncalled for as the two countries were progressing towards better relations. 

"I think (Singh's) statement was uncalled for and it would have been better if he had not made such a statement because Pakistan and India are moving towards better relations, especially after the meetings (between the Indian premier and President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani)," Minister of State for Information Sumsam Ali Bukhari said.

"As Pakistanis, we would not want any problems to occur anywhere. We are ourselves victims of terrorism," Bukhari told reporters in this southern port city in response to a question about Singh's remarks.Pakistan wants to work with the world in tackling terrorism and militancy, he said.

"Whether it is our neighbours or distant countries, we want peace in the whole world. Islam is a religion of peace and gives a message of peace," he added. Earlier in the day, Singh said terror groups in Pakistan wereplanning fresh attacks in India. 

Addressing a conference on internal security in New Delhi, Singh said, "there is credible information of ongoing plans of terrorist groups in Pakistan to carry out fresh attacks." — PTI

KAYANI : OUR FIGHT IS AGAINST TERROR

Army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani has said the current battle being waged by the army is against extremism and terrorism.

“It is not a fight based on religion, ethnicity, sub-nationalism or provincialism”, Kayani said while addressing the 2nd annual ‘Azadi Parade’ at Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul.

The army chief said extremists and terrorists could not be allowed to impose “their narrow and distorted version of Islam through force”. “Let me emphasise that no extremist or terrorist can impose his distorted version of Islam through violent means. We, in Pakistan, are committed to defending our country against all external and internal threats,” he said.

Kayani said terrorists were those who had blinded themselves with self-righteousness and were not amenable to reason and logic.

“When this small minority resorts to coercion ... they turn into terrorists,” he said.

kUTCH COAST : 9 INTRUDERS NABBED

Ahmedabad, August 17
On a day when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke of terror groups in Pakistan plotting fresh attacks in India, the Border Security Force said it foiled an infiltration bid today by arresting nine Pakistani nationals who had alighted from a boat in the coastal Sir Creek area in Kutch district.

"We had information some people from across the border were trying to infiltrate into Indian territory. So we conducted a special operation and apprehended nine men," a BSF spokesperson told PTI. "All of them are middle-aged and arrived in a boat that has been seized," he added.

Last year the terrorists who attacked Mumbai, had hijacked an Indian fishing boat from near the marshy Sir Creek area, which is prone to crossborder intrusions, before reaching close to the city in that boat.

“The men who were apprehended today looked like fishermen but, following interrogation, it was found they were not fishermen”, the BSF spokesperson said. Arun Kumar Sinha, IG (Gujarat Frontier), said preliminary investigations showed six of the arrested men were engaged in fishing activities while three were not. — PTI

OMAR SEEKS PARTIAL WITHDRAWAL OF AFSPA

Aug. 17: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday pressed for a partial withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in the state even as he cautioned the Centre against the withdrawal of the CRPF deployed on counter-insurgency operations in sensitive districts, stating that the move will leave a vacuum that could be exploited by insurgents.

Seeking an "immediate replacement" for paramilitary forces in the state, Mr Abdullah said, "The ministry of home affairs has ordered the withdrawal of five CRPF battalions from the state. Four IRP battalions from Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Uttarakhand, which were meant to replace the CRPF battalions, have not reported as yet except for one battalion."

The CRPF was withdrawn from J&K for anti-naxal operations in other parts of the country.

Mr Omar Abdullah appealed to the Centre and political parties to take a "pragmatic view" of lifting AFSPA from districts where terrorist activities are "minimal". He was speaking at the chief ministers’ meeting on internal security, The Centre had recently said it would re-work the act to remove draconian provisions.

"Now that there is a distinct change in the security environment in the state, there is a good case for reviewing the continuation of the AFSPA, particularly in those areas of the state which are at the moment not unduly affected by insurgent or terrorist activities," he said.

GOVT KEEN ON ARMED FORCES ACQUISITIONS

Aug. 17: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) of the ministry of defence met on Monday and is believed to have discussed several acquisitions for the armed forces such as the proposed acquisition of six more submarines for the Indian Navy as well as air defence missiles and guns for the Army. Air defence capabilities have become a priority now, with intelligence inputs in the past seven months suggesting that terrorists may try to stage a surprise aerial attack. Following this, civil aviation and Indian Air Force authorities had earlier formulated a joint strategy to ensure comprehensive air defence security besides beefing up security at airports and monitoring small unused airstrips across the country.

No details on the meeting were given by the MoD but sources said that acquisition of six (second-line) submarines that will be indigenously-produced was discussed at the DAC. India is already manufacturing six French Scorpene submarines at the Mazagaon docks. A request for proposal (RFP) could be issued soon for the six more submarines.

EASTERN NEIGHBOURS THREAT TO ASSAM'S SECURITY

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday said that Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar were posing serious threat to the State’s internal security as the Indian separatists had been using the neighbouring countries as sanctuary and place for hatching anti-India conspiracy.

He was especially perturbed by the growing influences of the fundamentalist and jehadi forces in Bangladesh, which had been working in tandem with ULFA, NDFB and other northeast militant groups holed up there.

“Bangladesh has emerged as a hub of fundamentalist elements facilitating cross-border terrorism,” Gogoi said at the conference of Chief Ministers on internal security held at New Delhi. He lamented that despite assurances, the Government of Bangladesh had not taken any visible action against the Indian terrorist groups as they could move freely in Bangladesh.

“The Government in Bangladesh has not taken action as per our expectation regarding both the extradition of wanted terrorists and destruction of camps on its soil,” he pointed out. “Assam continued to be not only the hunting grounds for fundamentalist elements from Bangladesh, but it also became veritable gateway for groups such as the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI) to the rest of the country to carry out terror attacks.”

He claimed that there was an unholy nexus between ULFA, NDFB and these fundamentalist elements, mentored by a foreign Intelligence agency, which added a new dimension to the internal security scenario of the state. “These groups have reportedly developed operational understanding for launching bigger scale of violence in the state in the coming days,” the Chief Minister said.

Myanmar, too, is a cause for growing concern for the northeastern states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram, as they share a long porous international boundary with the neighbouring Asian country. Almost all the major northeast militant groups use its soil as safe haven and cross-border terror activities, including smuggling of drugs and arms. In fact, he said there had been instances when arms consignments entered the region from Cox Bazar of Bangladesh through Mizoram-Myanmar and Manipur-Myanmar borders.

Gogoi suggested a slew of measures to curb trans-boundary terror activities and smuggling of arms and other contraband such as, fencing of international borders, adequate deployment of border force as well as diplomatic pressures.


 TAMILNADU SEEKS INCREASED PRESENCE OF NAVY AND COAST GUARD


NEW DELHI: Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday urged the Centre to increase the presence of Coast Guard and Navy along the Tamil Nadu coast to safeguard the eastern coastal sector.
He sought the creation of a common database on terrorism and other matters related to internal security at the Centre with facility for access by the States and deputation of police personnel for training in institutions abroad to fill the void in intelligence collection and sharing by exposing them to the best practices.
Mr. Stalin, participating in the Chief Ministers’ conference on internal security here, suggested strict immigration control measures such as photographing and finger printing of all foreigners on arrival and Web-based passport information system be made accessible to the State intelligence wings.
The entire cost of purchase of weaponry and equipment required for anti-terrorism and anti-sabotage operation might be met by the Centre, he said, adding that the process of funding mega city modernisation should be expedited by the Centre.
Mr. Stalin wanted the Centre to meet the manpower cost towards maintaining Quick Reaction Teams (QRT) in districts and cities for internal security management and provide funds for training such manpower.
Tamil Nadu was not in favour of creating a separate intelligence cadre due to problems of career mobility, sectional recruitment and cadre management.
The issue of attrition rate vis-À-vis gaining specialisation was being dealt within the proposal of restructuring of State intelligence by modifying the selection process and providing incentives to stay on.
On terrorist threats, he said the State was considering a proposal to involve the local bodies in access control and surveillance by enacting suitable rules and regulations.
Regarding coastal security, he said an agreed scale of manpower for manning boats and coastal police stations might be worked out by the Centre and the States with funds from the Centre. Advance budgetary provision might be made to meet the cost of fuel and hiring of boats, instead of reimbursement.
Similarly, repairing facilities of the Coast Guard and the Navy could be extended to the State police’s coastal security group.
Mr. Stalin called on AICC president and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi here.


F-18 TRIALS START


BANGALORE: Boeing's F-18 has come in ahead of Lockheed Martin's F-16 for the IAF's test trials in the city. The F-18's flights began at HAL
Airport on Monday, with both Indian and American pilots trying their hand.

IAF is conducting trials for 126 fighter aircraft it plans to buy next year. The F-18 has come with flight test engineers to coordinate with their Indian counterparts. Pilots from the Aircraft Systems Testing Establishment have been trained to conduct flights.

The tests involve sorties for a particular duration and are undertaken twice __ in the morning and at noon. It will look at the behaviour of the aircraft in normal weather conditions of Bangalore, thrust, engine power and flexibility of manouvres.

The F-18 is the Super Hornet version, favourite of the US Navy. F/A-18E is a one-seater, while F/A-18F is a two-seater. Manufactured by Boeing IDS, the Super Hornets are designed to fly both air-to-air missions (combat) and air-to-ground (attack) missions.



INFILTRATION WARNING FROM KASHMIR

Srinagar, Aug. 17: Top intelligence officials in Jammu and Kashmir today said a large number of militants were waiting to sneak in across the border even as warnings of a “disturbing” surge echoed far away from the troubled Valley.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told chief ministers at a meeting in the national capital that the levels of infiltration that had “come down very substantially” had seen a “surge this year”.

“The infiltrators are more battle-hardened, better equipped and in possession of sophisticated” communication systems, he said at the chief ministers’ conference on internal security in Delhi.

In Kashmir, top intelligence sources said hundreds of militants had gathered at 42 training camps across the Line of Control and were waiting to cross over.

“We fear escalation of violence during Ramazan, which is just days away,” said an official.

The United Jihad Council (UJC), an umbrella body of 13 militant outfits based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, has already ruled out a unilateral cease-fire in Jammu and Kashmir during the Muslim holy month.

“If the Government of India takes a positive step in this direction, the UJC will sit and think over it,” UJC chairman and Hizb-ul Mujahideen supreme commander Syed Salahuddin told a local news agency on Saturday.

The infiltration alerts, from Delhi and Kashmir, have come at a time the LoC has seen a spurt in militant activity. Sources said there had been at least 13 infiltration bids in the Kashmir valley alone that left dozens of militants and several jawans dead.

The Border Security Force on Saturday foiled a major attempt when a group of militants tried to cross a river flowing close to the international border in Jammu’s Samba sector.

Defence spokesman Lt Colonel J.S. Brar said the security forces had strengthened the counter-infiltration mechanism on the LoC that had suffered damage during the winter because of snowfall.

“That is why most of the militants are being gunned down near the LoC and they do not succeed in crossing into the hinterland,” he said.

But sources said many militants had already entered the Valley.

“Around 195 militants have managed to infiltrate into the Valley in the past seven months against the 84 in the corresponding period last year. Some of them have been killed or arrested but most are active,” an official said.

He said 370 militants were active in Kashmir and that more than 40 per cent of them were foreigners. “This is in addition to 70 unlisted militants (unidentified but accounted for),” he added.

Although militant violence has come down substantially over the years, officials said a year of unrest that began with the Amarnath land row had helped the rebels, who were now back in a position to carry out attacks with ease.

“Our counter-insurgency grid has been disturbed as our focus has been to quell street protests. In the process, the militants have regrouped and consolidated their position,” an official said.

 COPS FIGHT WINDMILLS, NAXALS HOLD RALLY

Midnapore, Aug. 17: The People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities today foxed security forces, defied prohibitory orders and held a rally 3km from a village where the cops had turned out in large numbers to foil its gathering.

While the police were busy dismantling the dais at Gohomidanga and bringing down microphones, about a thousand people led by Chhatradhar Mahato assembled at Mongladanga.

About 400 jawans drawn from central and state forces moved into Gohomidanga this morning and took control of an 8km stretch of the metalled road connecting the area with Lalgarh town by noon. The power supply to the dais built for the rally was snapped.

Aware that the police would try to prevent its much-publicised meeting, the Maoist-backed committee had thought up a fallback.

After the outfit cocked a snook at them, the police tried to crow over their success in foiling the meeting at Gohomidanga.

In Calcutta, inspector-general (law and order) Surajit Kar Purkayastha said: “They had wanted to hold a meeting in front of the police outpost at Gohomidanga. We prevented them from doing so. They only managed to hold an impromptu secret meeting some distance away.”

The “secret” meeting, however, took place in the presence of about 1,000 men and women carrying sticks, axes, bows and arrows and other traditional tribal weapons and an army of media personnel. The committee rigged up loudspeakers run on battery and Mahato and several others spoke at length.

While Mahato was addressing the meeting, another thousand committee supporters kept the police “engaged” by advancing on Gohomidanga.

The police chased them with batons for up to half a kilometre, burst tear-gas shells and fired twice in the air till they were satisfied that Gohomidanga was secured.

According to senior committee leaders, their strategy was to give the police the impression that they were bent on holding the rally at Gohomidanga.

This afternoon, when the police were waging a quixotic fight to foil the meeting, Mahato ensured that a few processions headed towards the planned site and wrongfooted the police.

“It was a replication of the Maoist strategy of dodging the police and carrying on with their activities even after the security forces had completed their area domination in Lalgarh,” a committee leader said.

Mahato, who is wanted by the police, said the administration would not be able to prevent the committee from holding public meetings despite clamping Section 144 across Lalgarh.

His suggestion was that the popular anger against the security forces camping in schools would work in the committee’s favour. “The forces are torturing the villagers, and innocent people are being arrested and beaten up. Classes have stopped in schools. So no one can forcibly stop our movement,” he said.

Although the IG claimed “success”, several senior officers conceded that the fact that Mahato held a televised public meeting with loudspeakers a few kilometres from an area of heavy police deployment highlighted yet again the forces’ abysmal intelligence network.

“Just as the police are not getting any intimation on Maoist movement in Lalgarh, they were completely in the dark about Mahato’s meeting,” an officer said.

Maoist leader Bikash tonight threatened “more extensive” attacks on the police and CPM leaders


 NITISH DEMANDS INDO-NEPAL BORDER ROADS

PATNA: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday demanded that border roads be constructed along 726 km porus Bihar-Nepal
border.

Speaking at the conference of chief ministers on internal security called by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Monday, Nitish cautioned about the political turmoil and other recent activities in Nepal and the problems of illegal infiltration, smuggling of narcotics, fake currency, human trafficking, criminal and other related activities.

The CM underlined need for a security audit along the borders with Nepal. He said that on the line of Indo-Bangladesh and Indo-Pak borders, Indo-Nepal border should also be managed properly. "Since, it becomes an international issue, the Central government should address it seriously," he said.

"This border should also be properly fenced and an all-weather border road should also be constructed. Instead of Shashtra Seema Bal (SSB), it should be handed over to the BSF," Nitish said.

He further said that there is a strong case for increasing the number of border outposts, strengthening and fortifying them, integrated check posts at the border and for joint survey of the international boundary by teams from both countries.

The CM said that the ratio between police personnel and the state's population is quite below the national average. He said that the vacancies have to be filled, some important posts have to be created, number of police stations has to be increased and police personnel are to be trained and equipped with arms. He also sought financial support for this.

Nitish said that Bihar is in the process of recruiting 13,000 police personnel this year. According to him, the state has already recruited 7,500 ex-Army personnel to fight extremism, which had been appreciated by former defence minister Pranab Mukherjee who instructed other states to follow Bihar.

He also demanded setting up of a National Security Guard (NSG) unit at Patna. He said the Central government has initiated similar units in Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai, but has forgotten about a distant place like Patna where it will be difficult for NSG soldiers to reach in time.

With regards to Naxalite situation in Bihar, Nitish said that it is largely under control at the moment and the extremist elements are being dealt with on regular basis both by technical and human intelligence led operations. He also mentioned that a surrender and rehabilitation policy is in place in Bihar and the government has undertaken various operational strategies, including `Apki Sarkar, Apke Dwar', to tackle the menace of extremism. This innovative scheme is being implemented in 63 panchayats of seven extremist-affected districts, he added.

Important Gossips....

1. Former Army Deputy Chief Gen Satish Nambiar and Vice Admiral A K Singh have reportedly blamed the IAS for delay in the creation of the post of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). Staff.

2. 10 DIG level IPS posts have now gone to the Para-Military forces in the Government of India.


Source : Whispers in Corridors

The youth and the Uniform

A FEW weeks back, the Indian army along with the rest of the nation paid homage to the brave martyrs of the Kargil War. The occasion was the tenth anniversary of Indian victory over Pakistani military insurgence. A report by one of the television channels had relatives of a few martyrs who pledged to send their children to the army and protect the motherland. While these words sound exceedingly appropriate with the bagpipe notes in the background and successfully touch the chords of the average armchair patriot, the reality seems to be a little different.

Defense services, say the army has always carried the connotations of bravery, greatness, glory and a high level of patriotism. The Indian film industry has left no stone unturned to establish the same. Be it JP Dutta’s Border, or Farhan Akhtar’s Lakshya, (both very different in treatment and approach) made heroes out of army men. However, in spite of all the hero worship and the words of glory, the youth doesn’t quite look at the Army (the fourth largest in the world) as a viable career option.

In the year 2008, the Indian army faced a dire shortage of officers. While the Indian Military Academy enlisted only 86 trainee officers, there was room for 250 in total. So, where is the appeal gone missing? Where is the fanfare and patriotism? Does that imply that the youth is not patriotic, or that it doesn’t take the army as the only (or may be any) option to express its patriotic feelings? Like every other government run sector, the army too has had to lose possible recruits to private firms.

But are money and material possessions the only incentives for young India to turn away from Defense? Another bit of statistics would reveal that 62 out of 148 graduates who passed a separate military entrance test opted out preferring jobs in the private sector. What is still more worrying is that nearly 3,000 mid-level commanders sought early retirement. Thus, the exit process has been two way. However, according to the army Chief, the quality of the ones freshly applying is below expectation. While the army is not ready to compromise on quality, one might ask where the true soldier has vanished?

Let us look at it from the point of view of an everyday college graduate. In the times of MBAs and MNCs, where within four semesters the pay package offered is unbelievable and the perks attached only make life more comfortable, a solitary army life, difficult training period and comparatively insignificant salary in most cases do not stand a chance in a personal choice. While one has to wait for at least ten years to be promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, private sector promises quicker hikes, which are performance based. In fact, most of the officers who opt out of the army enlist in one of the business schools. The facts are indeed alarming.

What is poignant here is that pay packages just form a part of the whole problem. In the recent years, army has attracted a lot of attention for all the wrong reasons. Corruption, lack of transparency, stringent hierarchy, imbalance in lifestyle compared to a civilian life, suicide, harassment (both sexual and otherwise) show the darker side of an otherwise impeccable trade. Living alone, away from friends and family in some of the most hostile of Indian terrains has a mental strain. Top it up with a high handed senior and you got a fratricide or a suicide. In 2006, the then Chief of Army staff General JJ Singh stated that on an average the army reports a hundred suicide a year.

The year 2009 has seen a total of 41 suicides/fratricides in the army till date. In spite of many stress relieving measures taken by the government, the death toll in on the rise. Recently, Defense Minister AK Anthony owned up to eleven case of sexual harassment in the army in the last five years. These figures are the ones reported and are just a scratch on the surface. Woman officers are a relatively new inclusion in the Indian army. The year 2006 saw two woman officers taking their lives. Lt Sushmita Chakraborty and Maj Sobha Rani shot themselves for reasons unknown.

In the times when globalisation is on a final rung of evolution and varied professions claim majority of the young population, such incidents not only question the credibility of a defense life but also take away the glamour. However, there are many a brave hearts that still look up to the institution with respect and join it to be a part of the legacy. For them the salary and the perks do not stand up to the thrill and the pride of being a soldier does. It is for that handful that the poet wrote:

“Theirs not to reason why
Theirs but to do and die”

(The Charge of the Light Brigade, Alfred Tennyson)

Source : MeriNews

Latest News

India PM warns of fresh attacks

Indian PM Manmohan Singh says his government has "credible information" that Pakistan-based militants are plotting fresh attacks in India.

Mr Singh urged the country's security forces to stay on high alert to avert any such attacks.
India has announced a number of plans to boost its security after last November's deadly attacks in Mumbai.
More than 170 people died in various attacks across Mumbai on 26 November, including nine gunmen.
Mr Singh told a meeting on internal security in the capital, Delhi, that the government had information of fresh attacks being planned.

"There is credible information of ongoing plans of terrorist groups in Pakistan to carry out fresh attacks," he told a meeting of state chief ministers.

"After Mumbai attacks, we have put in place additional measures. There is a need for continued utmost vigilance," Mr Singh said.

The prime minister said all states need to share intelligence information "to avert any terror attack".
Mr Singh said cross-border terrorism remained a "most pervasive threat".

The federal and state governments have planned several security measures following the Mumbai attacks.
Mumbai and Hyderabad have already been allocated their first dedicated elite security force headquarters.
More such security task force hubs are proposed in Jodhpur and Guwahati, to ensure that the whole country is covered.



For Police : States not doing enough...

NEW DELHI: Home minister P Chidambaram on Monday expressed regret that the state governments had not done enough to stregthenthe police force and to improve intelligence-sharing, which he said were key to fight the security challenges India faces.

"We had circulated a questionnaire to the state governments requesting them to indicate the present status under a number of heads and on a number of issues. I regret to point out that the response from the states is far from satisfactory," Chidambaram said in his address to the internal security
conference attended by chief ministers here.

The home minister said the police reforms "have not received the attention they deserve" despite Supreme Court directions in that regard.


"I regret to point out that many state governments have not yet constituted the Police Establishment Board. Nor have they fully complied with the other directions," Chidambaram said.

The situation of vacant posts in police is "quite alarming", he added.

The home minister said that the setting up of the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) and (state-level)-MACs had made intelligence-sharing better but "there is scope for more improvement".

The MAC, tasked to collect intelligence in real time and optimise intelligence flow between different agencies, was made operational in January this year after the terror attacks in November.

He added that the state governments needed to raise and deploy their own Special Intervention Units (SIUs) and Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) in as many cities as possible even as four National Security Guard (NSG) hubs have been set up in the country.

The central government had suggested that the states raise a State Industrial Security Force on the lines of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and "I would request the state governments to respond to the suggestion", the minister said.

Stressing that the government was focussing on coastal security and border management, Chidamabaram regretted that the construction of coastal police stations, outposts and check posts as well as border outposts (BoPs) was going on at a "slow pace".

CISF Medal Issue..

More NEWS

CISF to give relief to parents of martyrs as well

To avoid possible legal wrangles between wives of deceased jawans and their in-laws over compensation money, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has for the first time awarded compensation to the parents of jawans who died fighting Maoists in Navratna PSU Nalco's bauxite mines in Koraput district in April this year.

On April 12, over 400 Maoists armed with sophisticated weapons launched simultaneous attacks on the CISF's fire station barrack, mines barrack, its main gate control room and the explosive magazine of Nalco at the Panchpatmali bauxite hilltop in Damanjodi area of Koraput district.

Though outnumbered, the CISF jawans stationed there fought bravely for more than eight hours foiling the rebels' plan of looting industrial explosives from the warehouse.

During the fight, CISF lost 10 of its jawans -- sub-inspector Subas Chandra Pradhan, constable Barun Paramanik, constable Bidhan Maji, constable Solanki Kirtan Kumar, constable Potupureddi Appanna, constable Lalit Kumar, head constable Bhagirath Singh, head constable A. Sarmah, constable Sarbjeet Singh and constable V K Singh.

News...

LeT militant killed in Pulwama


A militant was killed in a gunbattle with a joint team of J-K Police and Army in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district. The slain militant, a resident of Tral, was associated with Pakistan-based militant outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).

J-K Police said the joint team launched an operation at Aarmullah village of Pulwama after specific inputs about the presence of militants there. As the security forces tried to cordon off the area, the militant opened fire from a house and the joint team retaliated. The fierce battle between the holed-up militant and the joint team of police and Army lasted more than two hours and ended with the death of the militant. Police sources said two soldiers were also injured in the encounter.

The police have identified the slain militant as Jan Mohammad Ahnagar alias Hamza, a resident of Buchoo village in Tral. They said he was associated with the LeT.



'Ready for militant struggle for T-cause'
HYDERABAD: TRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday raised the pitch for separate Telangana to a new high by asserting that the party would not
hesitate to opt for militant struggle to achieve its goal.

Addressing in the inaugural session of the training program of the newly-appointed constituency in-charges, Chandrashekar Rao said that the party will concentrate on building the Telangana movement. "The elections are political process and there will be victory and defeats but the movements never die. If needed, the party will not hesitate to go in for the militant struggle," said KCR.

Denying that the separate Telangana movement was dying, KCR said "very few people who have fallen in the trap of Congress agree with this view."

Stating that the defeat of TRS in the recent elections was because of lack of workers at the grassroot level, KCR advised the constituency in-charges to regularly meet the people in the villages and to be in touch with them. He said that the party leaders should spend at least six days and nights in a month in the villages, to know the problems faced by the people. The party will start "Pallebata" and "Pallenidra" program for the purpose, he added.

He asked the party leaders to mobilise the student and working class people to the movement.

KCR claimed that he has changed his life style and added that from now on he will come to the party office at 11 am and will be taking lunch in the office and will be meeting with the district party leaders at 2 pm. He said that the any party leader can approach him directly.

KCR said that the party will take up the issue of water for Telangana district. He said that severe injustice was done to Mahabubnagar district in releasing water. The district should get 54 TMC of water from Beema, Jurala and Rajolibanda projects but only 10 TMC is released causing injustice. He said that the government should lift water from Srisailam and should supply it to the SRSP seeing the drought condition. He said that the party will take up agitations for providing water to the Telangana districts from the Godavari river.

Naveen warns Naxals on I-Day

;Statesman News Service
BHUBANESWAR, 16 AUG: Issuing a stern warning to the Left-wing extremists, chief minister Mr Naveen Patnaik said that Maoists are anti-national and they do not adhere to any policies or ideologies.
Taking salute at the Independence Day parade here yesterday, Mr Patnaik said that the state government would take stern steps against the Maoists.
He went on to note that his government had started recruiting tribal youths as special police officers to tackle the Naxal problem.
Highlighting achievements of his government, Mr Patnaik said that uplift of tribals was the prime focus of his government and in order to educate tribal girls, 1,000 girls hostels with facilities to accommodate one lakh girl students would be constructed during the current fiscal.
He underscored the rapid strides taken by the state in the industrial, agriculture and other allied sectors. “In 50 years we produced only two million ton steel in the state but over the last 10 years we have added another 10 million ton,” he said.
Agriculture is the mainstay of our economy and the agriculture policy has encouraged farmers, he claimed while adding that irrigation potential had been increased considerably over the last five years.
By 2012 all villages would be electrified, he said. With regard to women upliftment, he said that Mission Shakti had enabled over 84 lakh women members to join the SHG movement.
For the youths of the state, he said the Self Employment Mission had been established to enhance employability and provide self-employment opportunities.
The target of establishing one ITI in each block of the state would also help boys to get trained, he said.

PM to chair meet of CMs on internal security today
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 16
The chief ministers’ conference on internal security, scheduled for tomorrow, will assess the level of preparedness to counter terrorism and other security threats and is expected to be a stormy affair. The meet, which will be chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, will also review the steps taken to bolster the capability of security forces to meet internal security challenges as also the preparedness for rebuffing any terrorist attacks.
The conference will focus on operational preparedness of the ‘quick response’ teams, strengthening the states’ special branches and intelligence wings, steps to tackle the counterfeit currency menace, draw up guidelines for security at places with large footfalls, police reforms and better police-community interaction besides issues concerning border management. Coastal security including operationalisation of new interceptor boats will also be taken up.
At a separate session issues related to left-wing extremism will be discussed by CMs of seven Naxal-affected states - Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Bihar and West Bengal, who will interact with the home minister. The contours of the new force that is to be set up for areas hit by the Naxal insurgency are likely to emerge.
The daylong meet will also take stock of implementation of the decisions taken at the last chief ministers’ conference held on January 6.



Surgical Strikes against Naxals soon


New Delhi, August 16
The government is in the final stages of preparation for the launch of its "surgical" offensive against the Naxals, for which specialised training will be imparted to BSF and ITBP personnel soon.
"Specialised training for BSF and ITBP personnel will begin soon. The focus would be on surgical operations and better intelligence," sources in the home ministry said.
"The already trained men will have to undergo further training which includes topography familiarisation, besides, more gruelling on guerrilla warfare and courses on improvised explosive devices, which cause maximum casualty to the forces in Naxal areas," they said.
So far, the CRPF is the only main Central force along with the police forces from the affected states fighting against the menace. While the BSF had dealt with Naxals long ago, it would be for the first time that ITBP personnel would be facing the Left-wing extremists.
The home ministry sources said five battalions (5,000 personnel) of the BSF and four battalions of the ITBP have been shortlisted for the new offensive against the Naxals, which they believe will be a long-drawn fight against Left-wing extremism.
However, the sources did not indicate the time for the launch of the offensive.
The government has earmarked an additional 24 battalions of the Central paramilitary forces which includes some from the CRPF.
The additional CRPF battalions, the sources said, would be made available by tactical withdrawal of its personnel from areas other than those which are Naxal infested.
The Centre's offensive against the Naxals would not just be purely militarily but would also involve its civil arms to work for the welfare of the people, the sources said.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in his address to the nation on the 63ed Independence Day, had said the Centre will "redouble its efforts to deal with Naxalite activities." "We will also do more to ensure better coordination among states," he added.
Slamming Maoist violence, Singh said, "Those who think that they can seize power by recourse to the gun do not understand the strength of our democracy."
On August 17, the Prime Minister will chair a meeting of chief ministers organised by the Union Home Ministry on internal security where Naxalism would be one of the primary issues.
Later, a meeting is also scheduled between Home minister P Chidambaram and chief ministers of the seven most Naxal-infested states -- Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and Maharashtra -- to discuss the new strategy. PTI
Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrashekhar had in June visited Jharkhand along with about 12 secretaries of various central ministries and held a series of meetings besides visiting a number of affected areas.
Sources said as per the plan, there would be coordinated offensives against the Naxals which would be led by the newly set up elite force CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action). — PTI

Flu symptoms slow Aishwarya

Mumbai, Aug. 16: Actor Aishwarya Rai is down with a “chest infection” and “flu like symptoms”, leaving her father-in-law Amitabh Bachchan worried.
The 35-year-old actress who was shooting with husband Abhishek Bachchan in Ooty for the upcoming Mani Ratnam film Ravana is down with the illness, Bachchan who is in Singapore tending to politician Amar Singh wrote in his blog.
“Aishwarya has taken ill and is down with chest infection and flu-like symptoms. Had a high fever on Saturday but is settling down,” wrote Bachchan.
“It’s worrying to be so far away from children and not be there to look after them. Yes, they are mature and married and responsible, but children will always remain children,” Bachchan added.
The 66-year-old veteran also complained that he has been suffering from a “strained back.”

CJI: Judges will heed assets law

New Delhi
Aug. 16: With the question of pending judicial cases coming up in a major way at the conference of chief ministers and chief justices of high courts here Sunday, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, asked the chief justices to fill up the huge vacancies of judges in the country’s High Courts.

He also announced that the government had decided, on the advice of the Chief Justice of India, to establish 71 more fast-track CBI special courts across the country. Dr Singh said these courts “should conduct their business differently and faster than normal courts. Only with these shall we be able to tackle the pendency in cases.”

“The existing vacancies in High Courts is still high and needs to be filled up... I appeal to the chief justices of high courts to initiate proposals for quickly filling up these posts,” he said and pointed out that vacancies in subordinate court level comprised 20 to 25 per cent of the subordinate judicial posts. “Almost 3,000 posts of judges are vacant because of the delay in recruitment. All the posts at the subordinate level need to be filled up without any further loss of time,” he said.

Speaking to reporters after the day-long conference, Chief Justice of India K.G. Balakrishnan made it clear that if Parliament were to pass a law on the declaration of judges’ assets, the judiciary would “implicitly” accept Parliament’s will and abide by such a law.

On appointment of judges. he said, “Though we have accepted the Shetty Committee recommendations on the All-India Judicial Services, so far no decision has been taken.” The Union law minister, Mr M. Veerappa Moily, said the Gram Nyalayayas would be operationalised as 90 per cent of the states want to implement it at the panchayat level.

Time for action, not words

Arun Nehru

The political honeymoon is over for the UPA Government. The poor monsoon and its effect on the economy will take some time to be fully understood. The Government’s skill in managing this crisis is crucial. We will no doubt have a fair amount of doom and gloom situation as everyone with a negative bias towards the Government will tend to exaggerate the crisis. According to current indications, our GDP growth rate may drop from 6.5 per cent to six per cent, while agriculture output may go down by five per cent and trigger shortages that could be artificially aggravated. In such a scenario price rise is inevitable. On the supply side, marginal farmers will be worst hit. Increased Government expenditure in the drought-ravaged areas is inevitable and this will certainly be a strain on our resources.

The Government should take a positive approach to deal with the situation. We have had two super harvests before this and the Government, at least in theory, has a large stockpile of food grains. Therefore, we should have no shortages of either rice or wheat, while shortages in edible oil and any other food product can be mitigated through imports. It is unfortunate that when a crisis is upon us, then we start thinking of possible solutions. But good governance demands that we be prepared for such crises beforehand. The Government and we as responsible citizens can start acting in a meaningful manner by harvesting water, storing and recycling wherever possible and by initiating cost effective measures such as avoiding wastage of water and electricity in industry and our homes.

There is always the possibility of the monsoon picking up in late August and September but media reports indicate that the predictions on the El Nino effect from the US Climate Center are not very good. I wonder why we cannot have an accurate forward projection on this from our Met Department. The media reporting has been very patchy and this is primarily because the data it is given is rather vague.

We are generally good in dealing with crisis situations as we have faced many before. But there is a difference between dealing with a situation with an action plan already in hand and reacting in panic. We have dealt with droughts before. It is time we develop a proper response system to them.

On the other hand, the Government must take ruthless measures against black-marketers and hoarders and use every law in the book to punish them. We can already see an upward trend in the prices of essential commodities as the demand and supply ratio is being negatively affected by news of a weak monsoon. The Government will have to display a great deal of deft in releasing buffer stocks of wheat and rice to prevent their prices from increasing. The Union Minister for Food and Agriculture, Mr Sharad Pawar, will have much to do. Hopefully, cricket is not going to be a priority for him in 2009. Politics for the next couple of months will take a backseat and we must wish the Governments both at the Centre and in the States well as they tackle the drought situation.

The H1N1 or swine flu epidemic has been creating news in recent weeks. I think the Government has done well in controlling the initial situation. But things can get worse in the coming months. There is little need to panic and in all probability there will be enough medicines available both in Government and private hospitals to deal with the spreading flu. However, we have to be on our guard and monitor the situation on a daily basis. The media, both print and electronic, have repeatedly highlighted the precautions that people should take against the flu, which is good. A certain degree of panic is being created by the unfortunate deaths from H1N1 in Pune and Mumbai, and a clear picture is necessary to prevent identical action being taken in other cities to tackle the flu. Shutting down schools and colleges is something no country affected by swine flu has done.

Meanwhile, the Shopian rape and murder case in Jammu & Kashmir has been transferred to the CBI, as has the fake encounter case in Dehradun where over a dozen policemen were allegedly involved in the killing. Hopefully, in both cases the culprits will be convicted at the earliest and given the maximum possible sentence. The Manipur encounter incident too deserves our immediate attention. It is good to see a great deal of accountability surfacing in these cases of human right violations. Insurgency is never easy to tackle and employing the paramilitary forces to insurgency-hit areas leads to a great deal of physical and mental fatigue for the jawans stationed there. This can lead to excesses taking place. The images from the Manipur encounter that we have seen on television do little credit to the Chief Minister of the State and there definitely has to be a greater sense of urgency in dealing with the situation.

71 CRPF personnel honoured on Independence Day

PNS | New Delhi

As many as 71 CRPF personnel were awarded with Medals on Independence Day eve on Friday, including one Inspector General and 21 Deputy Inspectors General.

Seventeen personnel were recognised for their valour and have been awarded with Police Medal for Gallantry, including head constable/criver Kunjumohan C who got this award posthumously for his courageous performance in a fatal ambush in Manipur.

Assistant Commandant SN Singh and four constables Ajay Kumar, Santosh Kumar, Gulab Singh and Balram were also decorated with Police Medal for Gallantry for their gallant shown in an encounter with Maoists at Ambatari village of Hazaribagh district in Jharkhand.

While five officers were awarded with Police Medal for Distinguished Service, including Inspector General Rajesh Pratap Singh, 49 other personnel of the paramilitary were enlisted for Police Medal for Meritorious Service.

Head constable/driver Kunjumohan C who was awarded posthumously had shown exemplary courage and drove the vehicle he was driving to a safe place even after being hit by bullet.

The fatal incident was reported earlier this year between milestone 21 and 22 on National Highway-53 near Khonglong village of Senapati district in Manipur.

While negotiating a ‘S’ turn between milestone 21 ad 22, one of the bullets hit Kunjumohan but in spite of the grievous injury on his abdomen and profuse bleeding, he managed to keep his cool and drive the vehicle from ambush site to a safe place on the hillside.

Chandrayaan-2 mission design complete PTI | Bangalore India has completed the design of Chandrayaan-2, its next mission to the moon — this time in collaboration with Russia — that would have a lander and rover which can collect samples of the lunar soil and analyse them and send back the data. “Right now, the design has been completed. We had a joint review with Russian scientists here,” Chairman of ISRO, G Madhavan Nair said. According to the Bangalore-headquartered space agency, the Chandrayaan-2 mission would have an orbital flight vehicle constituting an Orbital Craft (OC) and a Lunar Craft (LC) that would carry a soft landing system up to Lunar Transfer Trajectory. The target location for the lander-rover would be identified using data from instruments of Chandrayaan-1, India’s own and first unmanned mission to the Moon launched on October 22 last year. While ISRO will be developing the orbiter, it will be Russia’s job to make the lander and rover. Additional scientific payloads would be acquired from international scientific community. “Next (now that design has been completed) we will go towards prototype building, which will be taken up next year,” Nair, also secretary in the Department of Space, said. Nair said ISRO has learnt plenty of lessons from Chandrayaan-1 mission, particularly on the thermal and redundancy management fronts and would seek to improve systems in Chandrayaan-2, slated towards the end of 2012. New headache for cops: Women ultras Bhubaneswar: Women Maoists in Andhra Pradesh are training their Orissa counterparts to make them "potent weapons" against police, say officers involved in anti-Maoist operations on the Orissa-Andhra border. With support from Andhra cadres, the number of women extremists in Orissa is swelling and this could become a headache for CRPF, Andhra Police as well as Orissa Police in the coming days. The development came to light when police gunned down three women Maoists in the dense forest of Rayagada district in Orissa last week. All three were in uniform and carrying sophisticated weapons. They, with male comrades, provided a lot of resistance to special commandos. "The three women Maoists who were gunned down were from Andhra," south-western DIG Sanjeeb Panda said, adding that in tribal society, women played a dominant role and they were doing the same in the Maoist rebellion as well. Admitting the influence of Andhra women Maoists on those in Orissa, inspector general of police (operations) Sanjeev Marik said Andhra women cadres were teaching Orissa women Maoists different tricks. "New women recruits are used tactfully. Most of these innocent women are operated on for family planning without their knowledge. They can marry, but not without prior permission of the central committee of Maoists and with riders. Those who defy are punished," he said, adding, "Such is their influence in the area that they have asked villagers in Malkangiri district to send their daughters for Maoist activities." Another police officer said, "Women Maoists are almost as skilled and dangerous as their male counterparts. In fact, they are more trustworthy and seldom desert the organisation." As per a strategy, women cadres have been spilt into two groups - one gathers intelligence and cooks foods, while the other carries out attacks on state machinery. Those who gather intelligence are disguised as beggars or wood collectors and roam the streets with their children. They conduct reconnaissance and help zero in on targets for attacks. "In the Nayagraha and Korapur armoury loots, women Maoists played a major role," a senior police office said, adding that it was difficult to identify tribal women Maoists. "Their innocent faces betray you." Maoists have a system for recruiting girl spies. They identify families where parents are unable to provide a square meal to children and pick up a girl with a revolutionary mind. Women fighters are mostly from families who sympathise with Maoists. Banned outfits bhai-bhai is the new Maoist mantra Kolkata: Following in the footsteps of national parties who have been tying up with regional outfits to get the numbers in parliament, Maoists, who have been largely pushed underground after the central ban, are forming alliances with other banned outfits to extend base beyond strongholds. The process has begun in West Bengal, where CPI(Maoist) has announced tie-ups with Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami (HuJi) and Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO). HuJi will help the red brigade expand base in districts bordering Bangladesh, such as Nadia, Murshidabad, South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas, which are strengths of the Islamic rebels. Similarly, KLO will help CPI(Maoist) in north Bengal. While the understanding with HuJi is informal and reciprocal, the one with KLO is official, with the Maoists floating a new party, Communist Organisation for North Bengal (Conb), with it. The proclaimed overground CPI(Maoist) spokesman Ratan Roy said the governing body of Conb will have 11 members who will work to spread the organisation in north Bengal. "Conb's prime task will be to unite farmers and tribals against acquisition of farmland and forest land for industry," he said. The Maoists' association with HuJi, on the other hand, will be an underground affair. Its main purpose is to ensure smooth supply and exchange of arms and explosives, development of secret shelters in Indo-Bangladesh bordering districts and setting up local units beyond strongholds Bankura, Puruliya and West Midnapore. The CPI(Maoist) secretary for West Bengal, Kanchan, confirmed to DNA from his underground location that such alliance attempts will continue in future too. "We have started it in West Bengal. Slowly, the process will begin in other states as well," he said, adding that since the so-called democratic parties had united to combat Maoists, alliances were the need of the hour for the ultras. Police sources, however, said the association between Maoists and HuJi was not new. A senior state police officer said HuJi had been for long procuring the deadly explosive Neogel-90 from Maoists in exchange for sophisticated arms received from underground outfits in Bangladesh and Pakistan. IG (Intelligence) G Dutt said overground or underground, police will not allow any such joint activity in Bengal. "Maoists are banned throughout India. We will not allow them to undertake any activity in Bengal." IAF Plan to Complete Flight trials within a Year K.V. Prasad Stability, control, range and endurance are some of the factors that will be considered For the first time, the IAF will work out the cost of ownership of each aircraft NEW DELHI: The Indian Air Force plans to conclude within a year the flight evaluation and performance trials of all six competitors vying to bag its order for 126 Medium Multi Range Combat Aircraft (MMRCA). It will then present its assessment of each aircraft to the government. The IAF has drawn up an elaborate schedule to test the efficacy of the aircraft on three counts: operational, systems and armaments, IAF officers familiar with the process said here. The MMRCA is expected to serve the country for the next three decades with periodic upgrades. The process took off with Boeing flying in F/A-18 Super Hornets, along with a team of 50 personnel for the trials in Bangalore. The aircraft will also be tested at Leh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jaisalmer and Rajasthan. The firing and weapons testing will be done at the manufacturer’s home country. The other competitors are Anglo-Swedish Gripen, Lockheed Martin’s F-16 Super Viper, Eurofighter Typhoon, Russian United Aircraft Corporation’s MiG 35 and French Dassault Aviation’s Rafale. The officers said the technical proposal, which formed part of the process, specified how each vendor would have to meet the Service Qualitative Requirements (SQR) mentioned in the Request for Proposal issued last year before the IAF started technical evaluation. Stability, control, safety issues, range and endurance are some of the factors that will be considered during the flight and performance evaluation. The exercise also involves testing the systems on board such as radar, navigation equipment, self-defence suites and electronic warfare devices. Armaments will be tested in the final phase. For the first time, the IAF will work out the cost of ownership of each aircraft. This means evaluating factors such as the life of the engine, the cost of overhaul/replacement of engine and the cost to maintain these aircraft by establishing ground support. “It is a multi-faceted evaluation that includes flight-test pilots, flight-test engineers and operational pilots and engineers. We do not compare one aircraft with another, but evaluate against its ability to meet our requirements and arrive at a through and methodical conclusion. There are no extra points for anyone crossing the minimum [SQR] requirements,” the officials said.