PM’s mother gets Magazine honour

Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mother Heeraben was conferred the "Nari Jagran Samman - 2016" award by the Nari Jagran magazine here on Sunday. PM Modi’s mother Heeraben was conferred the Nari Jagran Samman- 2016 award. Somabhai Damodar Das Modi, elder brother of Narendra Modi received the award on behalf of his mother Heeraben. Nari Jagran magazine's editor Meena Chaubey and another member Ashok Chaurasia presented the award to Somabhai. Speaking on the occasion Somabhai regretted that his mother could not be present to receive this award, as his 96-year old has difficulty in travelling. He said that this award is dedicated to all the mothers of this country and for the safety of women (Nari Suraksha).

PTI

Winners of Gallantry Awards

Following Offrs Of the INDIAN ARMED FORCES  have been conferred awards on the occasion of Republic Day 2016

HEARTIEST CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM FROM THE SIGNALS PARIVAAR

INDIAN ARMY - COMPLETE LIST:-

 

REPUBLIC DAY JAN-2016 - AWARDS Posted: 30 Jan 2016 12:42 AM PST Following Offrs Of the INDIAN ARMED FORCES  have been conferred awards on the occasion of Republic Day 2016 HEARTIEST CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM FROM THE SIGNALS PARIVAAR INDIAN ARMY - COMPLETE LIST:-

Winners of Gallantry Awards

Following Offrs Of the INDIAN ARMED FORCES  have been conferred awards on the occasion of Republic Day 2016

HEARTIEST CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM FROM THE SIGNALS PARIVAAR

INDIAN ARMY - COMPLETE LIST:-

Col Suhas Jatkar awarded with "Salute the Soldier 2015"

IXth  Salute the Soldier Awards 2015

 

Col Suhas S Jatkar (Retd.), Director Department of Sainik Welfare & MD Maharashtra, Ex-Servicemen Corporation Ltd. (MESCO), receiving “Certificate of Excellence” and Trophy from Mr. Chandu Borde, Cricket Association of India Mumbai on behalf of Trishakti Foundation Pune.

Col Sambhaji Patil (Retd.)  President & Founder of Trishakti Foundation were present at function.

This was organized BY TRISHAKTI foundation on    17 Oct 2015 at Mahasainik hall Ghorpadi Pune  

Ex-servicemen may skip president's function on September 22

To register their annoyance over the shortcomings in 'one rank one pension' scheme, the ex-servicemen are likely to skip a function to be hosted by President Pranab Mukherjee on September 22 to felicitate the 1965 war heroes.

 

Wing Commander Vinod Nebb (retd.), who is protesting at Jantar Mantar with other veterans, told IANS that he has written a regret letter to the President for not attending the High Tea on Tuesday.

"I am with the protesting ex-servicemen at Jantar Mantar. I echo the voice and sentiments of thousands like me. I expect that the other ex-servicemen would also not join the celebration," he said.

Nebb said the one rank one pension's (OROP) offer, as approved by the central government, had so many riders that they changed the actual spirit of the scheme.

 

In the letter, Nebb said: "I would hope it will give you an opportunity to gauge the morale of ex-servicemen like us, as our supreme commander, and at the very least acknowledge the state of our pride and morale that has steadily been crippled by numerous government and its bureaucratic over the last 40 years."

 

"Our prime minister very categorically made the promise of OROP and whilst he had made some change, it still isn't OROP. And, even that change was not granted willingly, we had to fight for it."

"I look towards you as our Supreme Commander and leader of the armed forces to ask why are you silent? Why would you invite me to an event, which to us, veterans, is a symbolic of our blood, sweat and dignity and play to the government's 'show' of respect to us and our achievement?" he asked.

United Ex-Servicemen Front (UFESM) spokesperson Col. Anil Kaul (retd.) on Thursday appealed to former service chiefs not to participate in 1965 war commemoration functions.

The protesting ex-servicemen, however, are planning programmes to honour war veterans among them and war widows of 1965 India-Pakistan war.

 

As the government announced a scheme for providing OROP, the army veterans said the scheme would not provide one rank one pension (OROP) as it has several discrepancies.

The veterans demanded the base year for the OROP should be financial year 2013-14, in place of 2013 announced by the central government. They want date of implementation to be April 2014, instead of July 2014 as announced by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

 

While veterans want rationalisation of pensions every year, the government has provided for review only every five years.

 

Veterans also want the one-man judicial commission to be replaced with a five-member committee with their representation.

 

Another issue is fixation of pension as per the highest pension for the rank, against the government's announcement of it being average of highest and lowest pensions, with protection to those with higher pension.

 

IANS  |  New Delhi  September 18, 2015 Last Updated at 23:20 IST

[Business Standard]

Param Vir chakra : Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon, Indian Air Force Officer

Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon was born in the village of Isewal Dakha in Ludhiana District of Punjab. Sekhon hailed from an army background as his father Tarlochan Singh Sekhon was a flight lieutenant. He was commissioned as a Flying Officer in the Indian Air Force in 1967.

Pakistan Air Force, during the war of 1971, had decided on the strategy to neutralize Amritsar, Pathankot and Srinagar airfields as they were crucial to their plans at the time. No. 26 squadron, based at Peshawar, was assigned with the task to carry strikes on Srinagar Airfield. 

© IAF

Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon was on readiness duty with “The Flying Bullets” of IAF, flying the Folland Gnat fighter aircraft based at Srinagar. When his airfield was attacked by PAF’s Force F-86 Sabre jets, Sekhon rolled for take-off as the No. 2 behind his leader Flt. Lt. Ghumman in a two-Gnat formation. 

The daily attacks by Sabres had caused damage to the runway but the repair gangs always ensured that the runway was never out of permanent service. So, when the Sabres of Pakistani commander Changazi, Dotani, Andrabi and Mir attacked the airfield carrying 500 lbs bombs each, Sekhon lost no time in singling out the first Sabre Pair, which was forming its original position after the bombing run. Nirmaljit’s leader Lt. Ghuman lost contact with the wingman, and therefore, Sekhon was left with six Pakistani Sabres on his tail gunning for his aircraft.

© IAF

But Nirmaljit never lost sight of those two Sabres and quickly settled his aim on one of them. “I am getting behind one but the other is getting an edge on me,” is how Sekhon had described the situation to his controllers. But as soon as he made contact with the Sabre in front of him, he could feel the air getting thicker on his own tail. While he was busy neutralizing the Pakistani aircraft in front of him another Sabre had come up on his tail.

Nirmaljit, in order to evade the Sabre behind him, started going in circles and it seemed for a while that Nirmaljit had succeeded as the Pakistani commander Andrabi’s voice crackled on the radio, “Three is Winchester” meaning he had exhausted his ammo. Sekhon had successfully hit one Sabre and set another one ablaze which was seen heading towards Rajauri sector covered in smoke.

© IAF

During the dogfight, Sekhon’s fighter sustained heavy damages and he failed to eject out of the Gnat as the flight control system had failed. Sekhon went down with the aircraft but his legacy was established on that day in the mountains. Coming out on top of six Pakistani Sabres had odds of 1:6, and Sekhon did it in style making the enemy run for cover.

Nirmaljit Singh Sekhon was awarded India’s highest wartime medal for gallantry, the Param Vir Chakra for his exploits in the field, and thereby, he became the only officer from the Indian Air Force to be decorated with the prestigious award.

 By Anshul Gandhi

Armed Forces Awards

President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday conferred one Kirti Chakra and 11 Shaurya Chakra awards on armed forces personnel, three of them posthumously, for gallantry.

     The awards were given for displaying conspicuous gallantry, indomitable courage and extreme devotion to duty at a solemn ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan New Delhi.

The President also conferred 14 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, three Uttam Yudh Seva Medals and 26 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals on senior officers of the armed forces for distinguished service of an exceptional order.

     The awards were given at a Defence Investiture Ceremony, attended by Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar among others. The Kirti Chakra was given to Captain Jaidev of Parachute Regiment, posted at 3rd Battalion Rashtriya Rifles, for displaying dauntless courage and extraordinary valour under heavy fire in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on June 19 last year while tackling three terrorists.

Jaidev, despite injuries in the leg, chest and face, killed two wanted terrorist commanders and refused to be evacuated till the operation was completed.

Subedar Prakash Chand was given Shaurya Chakra (Posthumous) for his brave act in tackling an infiltration bid at the LoC on October 28, 2013.

Lieutenant Commander Manoranjan Kumar was given the award posthumous for saving the life of 94 crew members on board submarine INS Sindhuratna on February 26 last year.

Major Abhijai of Corps of Engineers was awarded Shaurya Chakra posthumously for diverting a malfunctioning aircraft he was flying from civilian and military area in Uttar Pradesh on October 1, 2014 and sacrificing his life in the process.

PTI