COAS TO REVIEW CURRENT PROMOTION POLICY

TIMES OF INDIA

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/5918224.cms

NEW DELHI: When he took over as Army chief last month, General V K Singh promised to improve the "internal health'' of his 1.13-million force. He has set the ball rolling now. 

Gen Singh is putting his weight behind a comprehensive review of the "quantification-based'' promotion policy for officers, which was ushered in by his predecessor Gen Deepak Kapoor and the now-retired military secretary (MS) Lt-Gen Avadhesh Prakash in January 2009, say sources. 

The steeply-hierarchical armed forces certainly need a "healthy'' promotion policy to ensure that officers with "robust moral fibre'' reach the upper echelons. 

This has become crucial after a flurry of liquor, ration, fuel and meat scandals, with several senior officers in the dock, has rocked the traditional high standards of probity and discipline in armed forces like never before. 

Incidentally, Prakash, who as MS was in charge of all promotions and postings in Army, is himself embroiled in the alleged Sukna land scam case with three other generals. 

Sources say Gen Singh has tasked a committee led by director-general of artillery Lt-Gen K R Rao to suggest changes in the January 2009 promotion policy, which are likely to be discussed in the Army commanders' conference next week. 

This comes in the backdrop of "negative feedback'' from the "environment'' (Army parlance for its formations spread across the country) about the policy. 

Under it, 95% marks are given for "quantified parameters'' like ACRs (annual confidential reports), courses, honours and awards. Only 5% is kept for "value judgement'' by selection board members on criteria like performance, recommendations, potential for employability in higher ranks and, importantly, "degree of difficulty'' in tenures. 

"This policy ignores environmental reality by relying too much on quantification. It virtually eliminates the human angle,'' said a senior officer. 

Added another, "It gives little credit to officers for serving in tough field postings like high-altitude areas or counter-insurgency operations. Earlier, gallantry awards and field service had much more weightage.'' 

The bifurcation of major-generals and lieutenant-generals into "command'' and "staff'' streams, with the former heading operational formations and the latter administrative duties, has also not gone down well in several quarters. 

The counter-view is the policy quantifies as many selection criteria as is feasible for "greater objectivity'' and enables the "most deserving'' officers from a batch are picked for higher ranks. "It keeps human subjectivity down to a minimum,'' said an officer.


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http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Resentment+in+Army+over+promotion+policy-a0206370340

PROMOTION GUIDELINES IAS & IPS

IPS PROMOTION GUIDELINES:

http://www.mha.nic.in/pdfs/ProGuidPAR160410.pdf

IAS PROMOTION GUIDELINES :

http://persmin.nic.in/EmployeesCorner/Acts_Rules/IASPromotionGuideLines.pdf

PC reviews deployment, operational strategy of CRPF

THE TIMES OF INDIA

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/PC-reviews-deployment-operational-strategy-of-CRPF/articleshow/5964130.cms

NEW DELHI: Home minister P Chidambaram on Saturday took stock of the deployment of CRPF personnel across the country, especially in the Naxal-affected states, and reviewed the force's operational strategy.

The meeting came a day after the CRPF transferred three of its officers posted in Chhattisgarh and set up a court of inquiry as a follow-up action on the Rammohan Committee report.

During the over two-hour meeting at the CRPF headquarters here with the force, Chidambaram also had a detailed discussions on the report of the Rammohan Committee which had inquired into the April 6 incident in which 76 CRPF personnel were killed by Naxals in Chhattisgarh. The minister is also understood to have sought information related to latest pattern of Naxal violence and what steps could be taken to deal with the situation, sources said.

On Friday, the home ministry had shunted out its deputy inspector general Nalin Prabhat and two other officers for their alleged lapses in the Dantewada tragedy after considering the report.

Besides Prabhat, a 1993 batch IPS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre, the other two officials who have
been sent out are Commandant A K Bisht and inspector Sanjeev Bangre. While Prabhat will be joining in Chandigarh, a charge he was already holding, Bisht has been moved to a training centre Aradi in Orissa. Bangre has been shifted to Anantnag in Kashmir. A separate court of inquiry to be headed by an officer of the rank of inspector general has been instituted against these officers. R S Sahota will replace Prabhat while Ashok Swami will move in as Commandant of 62 Battalion.

Indian Army Military Police help line launched

ONE INDIA

http://news.oneindia.in/2010/05/20/indianarmy-military-police-help-linelaunched.html

New Delhi, May 20 (ANI): The Indian Army has launched the Military Police help line here.COAS inaugurated the facility on Wednesday during the biannual Army Commanders Conference.

Common Military help line telephone number 155200 can now be accessed across the nation to provide assistance to military personnel.

The number that is available at Military Police Control Rooms has been instituted to provide immediate assistance and be instrumental in solving and mitigating crisis being faced by military personnel.

In addition, it will provide an excellent facility for the civil police and the public to contact the Army Military Police to provide first hand information of any situation where military persons are involved or has potential to affect the military persons.

The telephone number has been allotted in coordination with department of telecommunication and can be accessed locally and from outside the locality by prefixing the STD code of that station.

The facility has been activated presently at some of the metro cities and state capitals, and is likely to be extended across the nation soon. (ANI)

Army man, uncle held for spying by ATS in Gujarat

PTI

http://www.ptinews.com/news/661905_Army-man--uncle-held-for-spying-by-ATS-in-Gujarat

I WONDER : ITS MES MAN NOT ARMY MAN !!!!

Ahmedabad, May 20 (PTI) An army man and his relative have been arrested in Kutch district by the Gujarat anti terrorist squad (ATS) on charges of spying and passing on Indian Army's confidential documents to Pakistan-based intelligence agencies, ATS officials said today.

Ibrahim Sama, recruited through the Military Engineering Service (MES), and his maternal uncle Osmaan Sama were arrested yesterday from Bhuj in Kutch, which has borders with Pakistan, on charges of spying and criminal conspiracy to disturb internal security, they said.

Confidential and sensitive documents of the Indian Army and some phone numbers of their Pakistani contacts, were recovered during searches conducted in the duo's houses, the officials said.

Both were produced before a local court in Bhuj, which sent them to nine-day police custody for further interrogation, they added.

Chinese firms in India say situation is not 'too bad'

 INDIA TODAY

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/96807/India/Chinese+firms+in+India+say+situation+is+not+%27too+bad%27.html

Environment minister Jairam Ramesh's outburst in Beijing notwithstanding, many Chinese companies operating in India do not feel the situation is too bad.

Dragon on leash

Click here to Enlarge

With the exception of telecom equipment manufacturers such as Huawei, the ministry of home affairs has still not granted a hearing to the Chinese telecom equipment manufacturing companies waiting to clarify their stand. The Chinese ambassador is expected to meet the home secretary to seek a level playing field for these companies.
A Huawei official said the company had approached the ministry last week to seek an appointment but is still awaiting a response.
He said Chinese companies such as Huawei and ZTE have now gained a 15 per cent share in the Indian telecom market as their equipment is priced 30 to 40 per cent cheaper than their Western rivals Ericsson, Alcatel- Lucent and Nokia Siemens Networks.
Huawei sales have been growing rapidly in India and touched $ 1 billion in the last fiscal which is a 35 per cent jump over the 2008- 09, he added.
However, with the home ministry turning cautious due to security considerations, the Chinese companies are worried about losing their foothold in India.
The scare created by Chinese hackers targeting computer systems in India's security establishments has only added to the security concerns.
According to senior government officials, while Chinese companies are welcome to participate in Indian infrastructure projects, security issues in select areas cannot be ignored.
Chinese companies have a major presence in power, with Chinese firms bagging orders for setting up a third of the 60,000 MW of power capacity to be added in the 11th Five- Year Plan ( 2007- 12).
Leading Chinese companies such as Dongfang Electric and Shanghai Electric have been the major beneficiaries and have been allowed to compete openly with India's BHEL. The oil exploration and production sector is another field in which Chinese companies have been allowed to take up contracts.
But some restrictions have been placed in the eastern offshore region as the Indian Navy feels vital data pertaining to the sea could be misused by hostile submarines to creep into Indian waters. The Navy has a point as the Chinese have developed a strong military presence in Myanmar and this cannot be overlooked from the geo- political standpoint.
Restrictions have also been placed on Chinese companies operating in areas such as the North- East as Beijing claims these to be disputed areas. Officials claimed that there is no blanket ban.
According to Ravi Perti, GM marketing and communication, mobile division, Haier: "Generally, the Indian market is suspicious of Chinese products as they are considered of poor quality. And it is true to some extent. However as our quality is good, there is no issue. So far, we have established ourselves well and not faced any specific problem." However, Irfan Alam, council member, India China Economic and Cultural Council, feels Chinese companies do face some problems. " One of the biggest problems is visa. The visa process is not smooth for the Chinese companies". "On the policy level things should be smoother. People do not know when some Chinese product will be banned, so there is always an air of uncertainty about doing business," Alam said.
The same problem is faced by the Indian companies in China. So both governments should ease their policies if they want healthy economic ties, he said.
"Chinese companies certainly feel some bias. How can we be a threat to India as 80 percent of our workforce is Indian. This is like singling out Chinese company. If they are so particular about security why single out China?," a ZTE official said.

IAF rejects RTI application on questionable grounds

 THE HINDU

http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article433542.ece

Four years after the Right to Information (RTI) Act was enacted to ensure easy access to information for citizens, officials are still rejecting applications on questionable grounds, which may make them liable for punishment.

The Indian Air Force headquarters rejected an RTI application saying that fee attached in the form of Indian postal order was drawn in favour of “Accounts Officer, Indian Air Force” and not “Air Force Public Fund Account, Air Headquarter, New Delhi” as per their internal rules.

The sub-section “RTI-regulation of Fee and Cost Rules, 2005” under the RTI Act section of Indian Air Force’s official web site clearly states that fee can be drawn in favour of Accounts Officer of the Public Authority, which in this case was the IAF.

When the concerned Central Public Information Officer, Wing Commander T. Sajan, was contacted, he said, “The information on the web site may be wrong. We don’t have any such head to accept the fee.”

The Department of Personnel and Training, nodal agency for the implementation of the Act, had in a circular dated December 5, 2008 to all ministries and departments of Government of India made it clear that RTI applications with fee drawn in favour of “Accounts Officer” should not be rejected.

“Refusal to accept an application on the ground that the demand draft/banker’s cheque/IPO submitted by the applicant has been drawn in the name of the Accounts Officer may amount to refusal to accept the application. It may result into imposition of penalty by the Central Information Commission on the concerned CPIO under section 20 of the Act,” it read.

When contacted, Chief Information Commissioner Wajahat Habibullah said this was a clear case of violation of RTI Act and an immediate complaint should be filed with the CIC.

The Sports Ministry had last year rejected two applications seeking details of expenditure incurred on the preparation of Commonwealth Games.

“Your both applications along with postal orders are returned herewith as the information asked for is not readily existing and is not held by the public authority (Sports Ministry),” Pramod Agrawal, Director, International Sports Department of the Ministry, had said in his reply.

The cases are also seen by experts as an indication of poor training given to officials handling RTI requests.

Frequent change of postings too make it difficult to keep a tab on the regular updates which keep coming from Information Commissions and Department of Personnel and Training.

“Most of the officials have been trained but it is a difficult task. Frequent transfers also add to problem,” Mr. Habibullah said.

Globemaster will be flown to India for trials in June

 THE HINDU

http://beta.thehindu.com/news/article433082.ece

The Indian Air Force's quest to acquire a tactical heavy lift transport aircraft from the United States will get under way with user trials scheduled for next month in India.

In the last week of April, the U.S. Department of Defense notified Congress of a letter of request from the Indian government for acquiring 10 of Boeing Globemaster III.

Briefing a group of correspondents at its facility here, company representatives said the aircraft, to be taken on lease from the U.S. Air Force, would be flown to India by June 21.

“Unlike many other countries that have brought these aircraft, the Government of India insists on trials, and we will be there in June,” Tommy Dunehew, vice-president, Business Development, Boeing, told The Hindu.

The trials would be one part of a possible $5.8-billion deal, negotiations for which will begin only after Congress approves the sale. The product Boeing offers is the latest Block 18 aircraft, and much will depend on the configuration the IAF will want.

It is for India to decide whether it wants to join the worldwide virtual fleet Boeing has set up with other countries — Australia, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, the UAE and the European Union consortium of 12 nations — that have bought these planes.

The IAF plans to base these tactical aircraft at Agra. They can carry 73,616 kg of payload and can be operated by a crew of just three (two in the cockpit and one loadmaster).

Delivery will begin 24 months after the contract is signed. At present, Boeing is producing one plane every three-and-a-half weeks, or up to 15 a year. Its current order book, including some 30-odd pieces for the U.S. Air Force, will run on till 2011. However, should India order these planes, the schedules will be negotiated, Mr. Dunehew said.

It is being deployed for disaster relief operations in various parts of the world. The U.S. Air Force has transported a brigade of men, tonnes of equipment and 400 vehicles over five nights, flying 17 shifts, he said, explaining the ability of the workhorse.

The plane can carry 188 passengers, has reverse thrust engines for short turnaround and equipped with missile warning system with flares to disengage the incoming missiles.