Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports, Batote, Jammu and Kashmir, a premier national institute of adventure sports added another feather to its cap being awarded the prestigious Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshamitra Award by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.

The award carries a cash of Rs One lakh, a scroll and a memento, which was received by the Institute’s Principal, Gp Capt SS Puri at a glittering ceremony held at Bangalore.

Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering, popularly known as JIM, was established by the Ministry of Defence and the Govt of J & K to train Defence personnel and civilian youth in adventure sports like mountaineering, skiing, rock-climbing, parasailing and paragliding.

In spite of acute resource crunch, the Institute started regular environment awareness campaigns for the rural youth. The programmes became very popular in the forms of debates, symposia, workshops, nature treks, quiz and painting competitions. The Institute added flora and fauna and ethnobotany to the syllabus in mountaineering and adventure training courses. As a result, it was invited by the education institutes, even outside the state, for organising environment awareness camps.

The Institute also recieved a support from WWF-India and in appreciation of its efforts for massive afforestation and awareness camps. Last year alone, it organised more than twenty environment awareness camps, in which more than 8,000 participants were trained.

Construction of India’s first 500 MW prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) is to commence shortly. This type of reactor is an important link in India’s three-stage nuclear power programme. Nuclear reactors based on pressurised heavy-water reactor technology (PHWR) utilise natural uranium, in which case only 0.6 per cent of it gets used in energy production. In the case of Fast Breeder Reactors, the natural uranium utilisation increases to over 75 per cent. Thus use of uranium in FBR in effect enhances country’s nuclear energy resource. When the available thorium resources are also taken into account, India’s nuclear resource increases to "1000 billion tons coal equivalent" making it much larger than the combined coal, oil and gas reserves.

Adoption of FBR technology will not only provide long-term energy security and diversity but also ensure that the vagaries of the world fuel supply market does not affect India. With this in mind, India has decided to go for FBRs having already gained valuable experience from the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) at Kalpakkam, in operation since 1985.

The prototype FBR has a construction period of 7 years and after its completion, the Department of Atomic Energy proposes to build four more FBRs of 500 MW each by the year 2020. It also proposes to undertake designing and development of 1000 MW FBRs.

-PIB (DW)

Army Marksmanship Unit trained shooters of Infantry School, Mhow dominated the medal tally at the 12th All India GV Mavalankar Shooting Championship held at Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

The Army shooters won a record 17 gold, 23 silver and 16 bronze at this prestigious championship. Besides winning these medals, the Army shooters broke seven meet records that prove their mettle both at national and international levels. The shooters of Infantry School, won nine medals at the Manchester Commonwealth Games.

input : Maj Arun Datta

A fishing boat with a six-member crew, which was adrift owing to rough weather conditions for four days, was rescued by the Coast Guard ship Kamladevi.

The fishing boat named ‘MFV Noor-Ul-Behr’ set on sail from Malpe Port near Udipi. On receiving information from Deputy Conservator (Malpe Port) that the boat had not returned to the port, the Coast Guard District Headquarters-03 at Mangalore launched a rescue operation by sailing Coast Guard ships Kamladevi and Annie Beasant.

Taking into consideration the drift and wind conditions prevailing off Karnataka Coast, CGS Kamladevi ship was assigned the task of searching the missing boat off Cannanore Coast. After many hours of search, CGS Kamladevi located the missing boat alongwith its six crew members off Kasargod in Kerala state, about 90 km from Mangalore.

The crew members were found in a semi-conscious state owing to exasperation and hunger. They were provided with immediate medical aid and food. The boat was towed to New Mangalore Port. The boat and its crew were later handed over to the owner. The fishing boat had sailed adrift without having any safety or communication set onboard.

-Cmdt AS Chauhan

The responsibility of maintaining the aircraft fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) lies on the shoulders of technical officers and technicians. Till 1982, there was no formal training for the maintenance of aircraft and the individuals posted to the squadron used to learn the systems by virtue of on-job training. To improve the quality of technical training by creating infrastructure and putting stress on practical training, Technical Type Training Schools (Tettra) were set up. Today, there are 17 such schools for different types of aircraft located at different stations.

The Kiran/HPT-32 Tettra School came into existence on April 18, 1988 at Air Force Academy, Dundigal which is 40 kms away from Hyderabad. The aim of the school is to impart training on Kiran and HPT-32 aircraft to engineers, technicians and aircrew who may be employed for maintenance and operation of these aircraft. Through classroom lectures and practical training, this school produces certified engineers/fitters competent to independently undertake first and second line servicing functions and activities.

HPT-32 and Kiran aircraft are basic piston and jet engine aircraft respectively. The aircraft are designed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The Kiran MK-II is a basic armament trainer, having built-in guns and provision for the fitment of rockets and bombs. Surya Kiran aerobatic team of IAF also use this aircraft.

Kiran/HPT-32 Tettra School is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to impart training to the Air Force personnel. The practical on-job training is conducted at hangar where mock-ups and working models of systems are installed, in addition to available aircraft.

-K Asaiah

The fourth International Aerospace Exposition-Aero India 2003 will be held at Bangalore from February 5 to 9 next year. This exposition is sponsored by the Government of India and is being organised by the Department of Defence Production & Supplies, Ministry of Defence in cooperation with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Indian Air Force, Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Department of Space.

The aerospace exposition has been specifically designed to profile the entire spectrum of aeronautical industry and will have on display military and civil aircraft, weapon systems, instrument landing systems, airport equipment, communication systems as well as equipment relevant for the space industry. Besides the exhibition, there will be a daily flying display featuring some of the most advanced and sophisticated aircraft.

One of the major components of the show will be the international seminar on 'Aerospace Technologies : Development and Strategies' which will focus on problems in all areas of military and civil aviation in today's world. Ministry of Defence has decided to invite about 45 delegations to Aero India-2003 from abroad. The delegations from the Asia Pacific Region, the Middle-East, the USA and Europe will form a major feature of the event. The exhibitors will have an opportunity to meet senior members of the Government of India, Government of Karnataka, officers of the Armed Forces and eminent scientists from aeronautic industry.