The gallant deeds of war heroes were recalled at a special sainik sammelan held during the 36th raising day celebrations of the 17th Battalion of Jat Regiment somewhere in the Central Sector.

Presiding over the sainik sammelan, Lt Col Anil Sharma, the CO, commended all ranks of the battalion for displaying deeds of valour and professional competence. In recognition of their sacrifices during Kargil conflict, the battalion personnel were decorated with 41 awards including one Maha Vir Chakra, four Vir Chakra and six Sena Medals. In addition, the battalion was awarded a unit citation by COAS.

On the occasion, Lt Col Sharma also distributed trophies for various competitions conducted during the past one year. The overall championship banner for the winning "Sp Company" was received by Capt Anil Wadhwa.

Wreaths were laid by Lt Col Anil Sharma and Sub Rohitash at the battalion’s war memorial in homage to the martyrs who gave the supreme sacrifice.

Later, at the ‘millennium raising day lunch’, hosted by JCOs at their mess, Brig Shyamlal, Commander of an infantry Brigade was the guest of honour.

The Army Education Corps celebrated its 54th raising day in Chandimandir Cantonment. A get-together was organised for the Command Officers on the occasion. The Chief of Staff, Western Command, Lt Gen HRS Mann was the chief guest. The Army Commander, Lt Gen Surjit Singh in his address said that the focus of the corps should be to provide a meaningful education. The education should be relevant and user-friendly which will keep the personnel abreast with the advanced technology of the modern battle-field, he added.

The corps personnel perform duties in all garrisons, headquarters, training centres, unit Sainik Schools, Military Schools and Service Selection Centres. The Human Resource Development Centres (HRDCs) run by AEC personnel function as nodal centres for imparting SSC level education and training in foreign and regional languages, communication skills, ACC cadre classes, certificate education, map reading and music .

Three ex-soldiers belonging to Punjab, who were rendered disabled in various battles, were handed over cheques at the Station Headquarters in Chandimandir.

The cheques were presented by Brig Ram Pratap, Station Commander, Chandimandir. Ex-Capt Devinder Singh of 66 Field Regiment from Ropar received rupees 25,000 while ex-Sep Harwant Singh of 15 Punjab from Gurdaspur got rupees 15,000 and ex-Hav Bawa Singh of 14 Sikh Light from village Bhurr, district Ropar received rupees 34,000 for the purchase of a powered tricycle.

The monetary help was provided out of the TATA Defence Welfare Corpus for the arrangement of rehabilitation and welfare of wounded soldiers by the Adjutant General’s Branch, Army Headquarters.

The Dagger Division in cooperation with the J&K Government organised a medical eye camp at Uri. The eye camp was inaugurated by Maj Gen M C Bhandari, General Officer Commanding, in the presence of the Director, Health Services and other district functionaries. The five-day eye camp held on the premises of the Sub District Hospital, Uri provided the much needed medical facilities to remote villages near the Line of Control.

A total of 100 operations were carried out which included cataract surgeries and fitting of intra-ocular lenses free of cost. The local Field Ambulance had made elaborate arrangements comprising an ad hoc operation theatre, patient’s ward with 30 beds, a hospital kitchen, reception and a consultation area. The patients who underwent surgeries were provided post-operative care before being discharged. This eye camp generated tremendous goodwill among local people as it provided the much needed succour to elderly persons enabling them to overcome serious eye afflictions.

This eye camp was a part of ongoing community development programmes being organised by the Dagger Division.

A science exhibition was organised on the occasion of National Technology Day at Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur. It was inaugurated by the Defence Laboratory Director, Dr Ram Gopal. Many kits developed by the scientists of Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur were displayed for the public.

The Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur is engaged in providing solutions to problems related to water quality management for the benefit of troops in desert and snow-bound areas. Electrodialysis desalination plant, domestic electrodialyser, mineral tablets for Antarctica expedition, water testing field kit, desert desalting kit, emergency survival kit and water sterlisation outfit for snow-bound areas were displayed at the exhibition. There were also exhibits related to camouflage techniques and food preservation techniques.

from Jodhpur

Hav Dam Bahadur Gurung, who had volunteered to serve in Siachen Glacier, was killed on May 17, when a Pakistani artillery shell landed at his post. He had been serving in the icy heights of Siachen since January this year.

The martyr’s body, which was brought to Trivandrum at the Air Force air base, was received with full military honours. After the general salute by 2/8 Gorkha Rifles, wreaths were laid. Later, the body was taken to Pangode Military Centre.

He was cremated at Thycaud electric crematorium with full military honours. Col R Gopal, Commanding Officer of 2/8 Gorkha Rifles, Col O P Yadav, Commanding Officer of Madras Regiment and a large number of soldiers of Pangode Military Centre paid floral tribute to their brave colleague. A gun salute was given by Gorkha Rifles. The ashes were taken to his hometown in Nepal.

Besides being a brave and professional soldier, Hav Dam Bahadur was a boxer of the national and international level. He was a gold medallist at both the National Boxing Championship in 1995-96 and the IV National Games in the light weight category.

Hav Dam Bahadur is survived by his wife, a daughter and a son.

Lt Gen N C Vij, GOC-in-C, Southern Command released a coffee table book titled "Millennium Tribute to National Defence Academy". The Commandant, NDA, officers, cadets and printer of the book were present on the occasion.

The book pictorially represents the ascending glory of NDA since its inception. It attempts to trace the history of NDA and highlights the changes incorporating the concept of ‘then’ and ‘now’. The main emphasis of the book has been on the concept of ‘jointmanship’ that has stood the test of time. The book is a homage to those Indian soldiers, sailors and airmen who dared and rose beyond the call of duty. It is a tribute to those teachers, instructors, trainers and motivators who have shaped ‘boys’ into ‘men’.

"Millennium Tribute to National Defence Academy" has been conceived, envisioned and published by the Commandant, NDA. The editorial team carried out historical research and included all important data and photographs.

The graduation of No 23 Flight Test Course of the Air Force Test Pilots School was held at the Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment (ASTE) in Bangalore. Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal A Y Tipnis who was the chief guest gave away the graduation certificates and trophies to 6 pilots and 3 engineers who underwent 46 weeks of an arduous training.

Flt Lt M Patel received the sword of honour for being the best all-round student test engineer. The Suranjan Das Trophy for the best student test pilot went to Sqn Ldr T P Singh. Chief of the Air Staff Trophy to the best pilot in flight evaluation went to Sqn Ldr Minish Singh and Sqn Ldr D Chakraborty received the Dunlop Trophy for the best student engineer in project and flight evaluation.

While congratulating the graduating test pilots and test engineers, Air Chief Marshal A Y Tipnis said that flight testing was a very demanding and challenging task which called for highest standards of professional competence and maturity.

Gp Capt T K Chatterjee, Officer Commanding of Air Force Test Pilot School read out the course report. Air Cmde A K Nagalia, Commandant of ASTE and several representatives of the aircraft industry, R&D organisations and the defence services were among those who participated in the graduation ceremony.

The training of test pilots and test engineers in the country was started in 1973 at the Air Force Test Pilots School (AFTPS) of the ASTE, Bangalore. It is the only school of its kind in Asia and one of the five in the world. Apart from the Air Force, the school caters to the requirements of the Army and Navy.

A conference of the MES Zonal Chief Engineers of the Western Sector was held at the Western Command headquarters in Chandimandir. Chief Engineers from Chandigarh, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Delhi zones, Air Force Western Air Command and Research and Development Organisation took part in the conference.

Inaugurating the conference, the Chief of Staff, Western Command,
Lt Gen H R S Mann commended the quality of construction and maintenance services provided by the Military Engineer Services (MES). He emphasised the need to adopt latest technological developments in construction of buildings.

Lt Gen Mann exhorted the Engineers to reduce the time of construction without compromising on the quality of work. Introspection is needed to enhance the maintenance services, he added.

The Chief Engineer, Western Command, Maj Gen Madhav Arren was also present at the conference.

The Western Command Territorial Army Banner was presented to 112 Infantry Battalion (TA) Dogra by
Lt Gen Surjit Singh, GOC-in-Chief, Western Command at the Command HQ in Chandimandir. The Banner was received by Lt Vedavrat Vaidya in the presence of the Unit Commanding Officer, Col Gurbaksh Singh and TA Group Commander, Brig Rakesh Mehta.

The 112 Infantry Battalion (TA) Dogra was raised on August 16, 1942 at Jalandhar and was deployed for various tasks during the World War II. The unit was merged into the regular army after World War II and re-raised on August 22, 1949. It has the privilege of winning the Chief of Army Staff Trophy thrice and Western Command Army Commander’s Banner ten times since raising.

The COAS Trophy and Command TA Banner have been instituted to sustain enthusiasm and promote efficiency among TA units. For the overall performance during the year, the Army Commander’s Banner is awarded to the unit adjudged first in the Command Zone. The 112 Infantry Battalion (TA) Dogra has been awarded the Banner for the year 2000-2001. The 126 Infantry Battalion (TA) JAK Rifles was the runners-up. These two units will now compete for COAS Trophy and the best TA Unit.

Air Marshal T R Janakiraman, Air Officer-incharge (Maintenance) Indian Air Force stressed the need for keeping abreast of technological developments to ensure that aircraft and weapons are always combat-ready and combat-worthy. He was addressing 79 graduating officers of the 56th Aeronautical Engineers Course after reviewing an impressive graduation parade held at Air Force Technical College (AFTC), Jalahalli.

He also awarded trophies and medallions to officers who excelled during the course. Flying Officer Rajdeep Singh received the prestigious Hidayatullah Sword of Honour and the President’s Plaque for being the best all round officer and first in overall merit, respectively.

Earlier, Air Cmde R C Kakar, Commandant of the AFTC received Air Marshal Janakiraman and also presented the course report.

The Indian Navy launched a tree plantation drive at INS Adyar by planting about 500 saplings of ashoka, neem, hibiscus, coconut, mango, etc on the occasion of World Environment Day. Cmde P R Franklin, Naval Officer-in-Charge, Tamil Nadu, officers, sailors and their family members took part in the drive. They also organised a shramdan by cleaning the premises of the station. A lecture on the ill effects of smoking was also organised for officers and sailors. Essay and painting competitions were organised for the children of naval personnel.

The Institute of Engineers (India), Shillong under the Chairmanship of Brig Praveen Kapur, Chief Engineer, Shillong Zone, organised a two-day all-India seminar on "Power for Sustainable Growth’ at Rhino Officers Institute, Shillong. The seminar was inaugurated by the Meghalaya Chief Minister, Mr EK Mawlong. He also released a souvenir.

The first technical session highlighted the issues of power scenario in the North-East. The second technical session covered "Losses in power system and energy management’’. The third and final session was addressed by Maj Gen IJS Bora, GOC, 101 Area, which covered the role of "Information technology in power systems".

Mrs Jayawanti Mehta, Union Minister for Power, in her address congratulated the members for their efforts in creating awareness about the power related problems. Mr MN Mukhin, Minister of Power, Meghalaya was the guest of honour.

A three-week long All India Sainik School Teachers in-service Training Programme was conducted at Sainik School, Kazhakootam. Mr KJ Alphons, Secretary, Higher Education, Kerala inaugurated the programme. Teachers from various parts of the country attended the programme. Commander Paul Abraham, Principal, Sainik School addressed the trainees.

The in-service training was aimed at refreshing and enhancing the professional competence of the participants by providing a conducive platform to improve their knowledge and to develop effective communication skills.

Maj Gen Vijay Joshi, DDMS at Headquarters Central Command, Lucknow visited Military Hospital, Allahabad for inspection. He was received by Col MK Sandil, the Commanding Officer of the hospital. He introduced the General with all medical specialists, Medical Officers, Administrative Officers and Nursing Officers of the hospital. Thereafter, Col Sandil briefed the General on the salient aspects of administration and functioning of the hospital. This 340- bed hospital equipped with all modern gadgets and facilities has been offering specialised medical cover to Armed Forces personnel not only in and around Allahabad, but also to military hospitals at Varanasi, Faizabad and Kunraghat (Gorakhpur). It also conducts medical examination of new recruits in the Army and that of candidates selected by SSB, Allahabad for officers’ training.

The General visited medical stores and different departments and wards to express his satisfaction over the medicare being offered by the hospital. He later visited Military Dental Centre where he was received by Lt Col R Sainik, Commanding Officer of the Centre. Various facilities and infrastructure created for dental care at the centre were shown to the General.

Gen Vijay Joshi also visited the HQs Allahabad Sub Area and met Brig NS Rana, Commander, Allahabad Sub Area and discussed with him the issues related to the health of troops and their families at Allahabad.

A badakhana was the highlight of the 55th anniversary celebrations of Headquarters Lucknow Sub Area (LSA) in Cantonment.

Brig Virpal Singh, the Commander LSA, in his address called upon all ranks to continue working with devotion and dedication.

A seminar on "Life Environment and Transportation Techniques" was held on the occasion of World Environment Day at Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur. The seminar was conducted by the Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur, the Institution of Engineers (India) Jodhpur Centre and Regional Remote Sensing Centre, Jodhpur.

The chief guest, Prof Murari Lal Mathur, former Vice Chancellor of Jodhpur University said that the agricultural and industrial products were not increasing as per the population growth. Environmental pollution from vehicles, factories and energy generation projects is increasing day by day. There is a need to insist on the use of public transportation, renewal of energy sources like solar cookers and anti-pollution measures to save the environment, he added.

Mr Govind Ram Rawat, Chief Engineer, Public Health Engineering Department in his speech emphasised the need for rain-water harvesting. He also highlighted the need for recycling waste materials. The chairperson of the seminar, Dr Ram Gopal, Director Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur said that human beings are responsible for the deterioration of environment. Life can progress only in a healthy environment, he added. Dr Jaswant Raj Sharma, Chief Planning Director, Regional Remote Sensing Centre, Jodhpur, discussed the role of satellites in providing environmental data. He advocated the use of satellites for the management of environment. Col SD Sharma presented mementoes to speakers.

A comedy, Ghaz-Foot-Inch was staged for the Army personnel and their families by Kadambri Kala Parishad at the Surya Auditorium in Lucknow Cantonment.

Written by the popular satirist, Mr KP Saxena, the play was directed by Mr Vinod Mishra. A large number of audience who watched the play were kept spell-bound for nearly one-and-half hours.

The play was based on common habits of a family which emerged from the working conditions of its members. Music in the play was scored by Mr Amit Mukherji. Vice President of the Army Wives Welfare Association Central Command (AWWACC), Mrs Sharda Chadha was the chief guest on the occasion.

A seminar on "Efficient Energy Management in Cantonments" was organised at Lucknow Cantonment.

Inaugurating the two-day seminar, Lt Gen RM Chadha, Chief of Staff, Headquarters Central Command said that energy management is very important in the present scenario where the gap between the production and demand is quite large. Better management of energy was therefore of utmost importance, he added. Lt Gen Chadha called upon the industry to help in implementing the efficient energy management system. He expressed the hope that the seminar would improve the energy situation in the country in general and in the cantonments, in particular.

Welcoming the participants, Brig JS Jagga, Chief Engineer, Lucknow Zone, said that seminar was aimed at managing the available sources of energy in cantonments.

In his keynote address, Maj Gen Prakash Suri, Chief Engineer Central Command expressed the confidence that the deliberations in the seminar would bring about considerable improvement in the energy situation in cantonments.