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:-

POSTERITY WILL NOT PARDON YOU! – PG Kamath

Not many know how the Third Pay Commission which submitted its report in Mar 1973 undermined the Indian Armed Forces and cut it to size after the historic victory in 1971 Indo- Pak War. Anyway this is not the time to brood over the miseries inflicted on the Armed Forces in the past by its own government.  Again in the 4^th Pay Commission, the perfidy of the bureaucracy in omitting the rank pay from the basic pay of the Armed Forces is a case in point where injustice was deliberately perpetrated on the Country’s Armed Forces.  This injustice was set right by the court and all arrears were paid to Armed Forces after two decades of court battle. The successive governments, who were in power went all out to support the contention of the bureaucrats, who had taken patently insidious decision.  However the moot point being that no bureaucrats who had conspired to enact this mean and anti-national act of commission was punished.  Rather the honourable court did not even consider, asking the government to bring to books the scheming and vile brood?  In the 5^thPay Commission again there were 48 anomalies and the government addressed eight of them in 10 years and balance of 40 have remained unresolved till the start of the 6^th pay commission.

Again in the 6^th Pay Commission one of the greatest injustice was perpetrated on the armed forces by not allowing ‘Non Functional Upgrade’; though this provision was applicable to all other Central Government Service.  The  Pay Commission also placed a ‘Lt Col’ of the Indian Army in the Third Pay Band literally making him junior than those who were hither-to  junior to him in other Government Organisations.  To further amplify; those who were junior to him in other government organisations were made senior to him.  It was then that the Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee, who goaded the reluctant Chiefs of Army and Air force to accompany him and raised their grievance collectively before PM Manmohan Singh.  Due to their collective stand, the Lt Cols were put in the fourth Pay Band and a grave injustice was remedied.

This act by the Three Service Chiefs, who just did their duty in standing for their subordinates was criticised by Mr Sekhar Gupta in his article in the Indian Express on 4 Oct 2008.  It was obvious that he had pandered to the bureaucrats and he got his reward soon!  He was conferred with ‘Padma Bhusan’ the very next year i.e. within three and half months after the publication of the article.   What a coincidence; and we talk with gusto about the freedom of press?  Again he tried for Padma Vibhushan by alleging coup by Gen VK Singh when he moved two small units for exercise in Jan 2012.  Why should the Chief move the two measly units from two different places for a coup? Don’t worry Sekhar, two or three articles against the Armed Forces properly timed, you would get Bharat Ratna?  It is just a matter of time; as you have shown your class and acted as an ‘errand boy’ of Indian bureaucracy; that you actually are!  Your rant in the ‘Walk the Talk’ and your freedom for being a ‘presstitute’  is well established.  Where will you hide now?

Returning to the 6^th Pay Commission; the three services pointed out 39 anomalies including the ‘Non Grant of NFU’.  A High Powered Committee of Secretaries was formed under the Cabinet Secretary on 18 Jul 2012 and were to give out their recommendations before 8 Aug 2012 so that the PM can announce it from the ramparts of Red fort on the I Day. However the Committee of Secretaries scuttled the very raison d'être of its formation.  They very cleverly left the Armed Forces of their own country, cold, humiliated and seething with anger and resentment. We have to give credit to the Indian Bureaucracy for demoralising their own Armed Forces and making the politicians look like a bunch of naïve doddering old fools; who eat out of the hands due to their ineptness.

The 6^th Pay Commission has undermined the Armed Forces and demoted them below the Organised Group A Services.  Delhi High Court has now given a ruling that the Central Police Organisations should be treated as Group A service.  That singles out  Indian Armed Forces and deprives them the benefit of NFU.  It is sad but true that the demoralisation of the Armed Forces is being caused by its own government; lest you think it is being done by China or Pakistan Governments?

The 7^th Pay Commission has been most hostile to the Armed Forces to the extent they have given out wrong data to support their flawed recommendations.  One such grave error is page 397 para 10.2.3, where they have said that a soldier retires at 42-48 years of age.  In fact a soldier retires between 36 and 38 years of age.  It is not a mistake but a mischievous blatant misrepresentation so that wrong conclusions drawn by the Commission are substantiated by erroneous data.   The entire Armed Forces of the country was represented by Shri D.K. Rai,  and in the words of Justice Mathur in the Acknowledgements; Page iv of 7^th CPC, “a young officer from Accounts and Finance stream who had a deep insight into the financial matters especially, the defence. His knowledge about defence finance has been of great help to this Commission in determining the pay structure for the defence forces.  He is a young man and hold a long career before him and his insight into the financial intricacies of the pay structure of the defence service will take him to great height. I wish him great success, a bright future awaits him.”  I have no doubt Mr Rai would render great service to China and Pakistan by lowering the morale of Indian Armed Forces in the long career ahead of him.

There is a need for the PM to take a strong exception to such misrepresentation and haul up the Pay Commission and take them to task.  If the Pay Commission was so honourable, how come they deliberately misrepresent?  Obviously! There is much more than what meets the eye?  It is time the PM wields his stick.  If they were prejudiced against the armed forces that prejudice has run in the entire report; aided and abetted by the bureaucrats, who were just waiting to exploit such inclinations of the Commission? In the long list of consultants there was not a single officer from the Armed Forces.   A million and half forces have to put their faith in Mr DK Rai, an accountant; the one with long and bright career ahead of him (in case you have forgotten) to do justice to them?  Don’t you feel a humongous national tragedy has unfolded?

My WhatsApp was agog with a grapevine that the ire of Justice Mathur was that he was not given a Type 7 house from the Defence Pool; that would have obviously denied ‘a serving Lt Gen/Vice Admiral/Air Marshal a house in Lutyens Delhi. I do not believe in it, as Justice Mathur is an honourable man and has always been above board.  However what stands out clearly is that:  Retired Justice Mathur retired justice to the Armed Forces in the 7^th Pay Commission as he failed to see the intent of vested interest around him?

Now, instead of the PM dissolving the Pay Commission, he has set up an ‘Empowered Committee of Secretaries’ under the Cabinet Secretary to study the recommendations of the 7^th Pay Commission.  How can the Armed Forces trust this Committee that has always been inimical to them; more so; after their earlier experience in 2012?  How on earth it would inspire confidence in the Armed Forces? Pray! Prime Minister, you are indeed imaginative; only that you have stretched your imaginations so much that you appear to be living in a world of your own creation.

As a last resort, I am appealing to the three Service Chiefs that in case they need to take a positive pre-emptory action; this is the time.  In case you lose out and await the recommendations of the Committee, the posterity would not pardon you.  All three of you carry the hopes, aspirations and trust of your troops; who would give their lives to your command?    All three of you have been brilliant and displayed your mettle to reach the august positions.  This is the time you need to self-actualize your potential and be worthy of troops you command? Do not let go of this unique opportunity unchallenged?  In case you do, in days to come you will repent with a heavy heart that you have let down your troops and belied their trust.  I wish to assure you that all three of you will fall in your esteem and no one can salvage you from the bottomless pit of self-pity that you would experience.  All I ask you is to meet the PM and apprise him of the demoralisation of the Armed Forces consequent to the recommendations of the 7^th Pay Commission.  Your action would indeed may give another opportunity to Sekhar Gupta to extract a ‘Padma Vibhushan’; so be it!  It should not deter you from acting in on behalf of your troops.  Remember you get your pay to uphold the morale of your troops and get victory to our country.   You cannot let them down for any petty largess the government may throw at you? In case you have already done it and or planning to do it; I am sure you will forgive me.

Dear Defence Minister; this is the time you also need to act your role; lest you will join the brood of the three worst Defence Ministers India has ever had viz;  Krishna Menon, Saint Anthony and probably the third one would be you?  This is the time to act as, I have no doubt that you will not let the moment pass.  Krishna Menon has a road named after him for being instrumental in losing a war for the country.  I only hope Anthony would have his name only on his tombstone and not at any public place.  You! Mr Manohar Parrikar, an intellectual, IIT graduate, known for your unconventional ways; please do justice to the Armed Forces. We are waiting for our Defence Minister to deliver JUSTICE!

(The author is a retired officer of Indian Army)

On this day, 31 Jan Lt Gen Raj Kadyan

Without knowledge of the past we shall lose the future.

On this day, 31 Jan....

1747 - The first clinic specializing in the treatment of venereal diseases was opened at London Dock Hospital.

1839 - Henry Fox Talbot read a paper before the Royal Society, London, to describe his photographic process using solar light, with an exposure time of about 20 minutes.

1893 - The trademark "Coca-Cola" was first registered in the United States Patent Office. (The name refers to two of its original ingredients: kola nuts, a source of caffeine, and coca leaves. The current formula of Coca-Cola remains a trade secret, although a variety of reported recipes and experimental recreations have been published).

1893 - Thomas A. Edison was issued a patent for the "Art of Generating Electricity", which described a cell made with positive and negative electrodes in a heated chamber containing dry chemicals which is exhausted to the point that gases generated in the reaction become good conductors of electricity.

1945 - Private Eddie Slovik became the only U.S. soldier since the U.S. Civil War to be executed for desertion.

1958 - The United States entered the space age by launching the first successful orbiting satellite, Explorer-I, four months after the Soviet launch of Sputnik on 4 Oct 1957.

1961 - The U.S. launched a 4-year-old male chimpanzee named Ham on a Mercury-Redstone 2 rocket into suborbital flight to test the capabilities of the Mercury capsule. During his 16.5 minute suborbital flight, Ham experienced about 7 minutes of weightlessness, reached an altitude of 108 miles and a speed of 13,000 mph. He was wired to medical sensors to monitor his vital signs. During flight, Ham performed some simple tasks such as pulling levers when a light came on for a reward of banana pellets. Ham was recovered safely 1,425 miles downrange. This was a test flight before risking the lives of human beings. Now, after Ham's successful flight, NASA was ready to launch the first Mercury astronaut, Alan Shepard, into sub-orbital flight three months later.

1960 - Milkha Singh at Lahore sets record for 200m in 20.7s.

1963 - Peacock declared as National Bird of India.

1983 - The wearing of seat belts in cars became compulsory in Britain.

1985 - Under the 52nd Constitutional Amendment, Anti-Defector Bill was passed unanimously in Lok Sabha. This avoided the Representatives of People to switch over political parties.

1985 - The final Jeep rolled off the assembly line at the AMC plant in Ohio. (Willys MB Jeeps went into production in 1941 specifically for the military, arguably making them the oldest four-wheel drive mass-production vehicles now known as SUVs).

1997 - INS Vikrant, Indian Navy's first aircraft carrier, de-commissioned.

Born....

1975 - Preity Zinta, film actress.

RIP....

1994 - Milind Desai, 12, the youngest editor in Gujarati journalism.

You may have known....

India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India's wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake.

Good morning. Have a nice day.
Raj Kadyan

On this day, 30 Jan Lt Gen Raj Kadyan

When angry words arise, a closed mouth is soothing.

On this day, 30 Jan....

1790 - At the mouth of the river Tyne in England, the ship Adventure had ran ashore in a violent storm in 1789. Though in sight of help, the crew of eight all perished. Spectators offered local boatmen rewards to save the crew, but none would venture out to face certain death.  This led to building of the first lifeboat named 'Original', which was tested on this day in 1790.  The 'Original' was 30ft long, twelve oars, self-righting, and had seven hundredweight of cork for buoyancy. She went out to wrecks for forty years, saving hundreds of lives. 

1844 - Richard Theodore Greener became the first African American to graduate from Harvard University.

1847 - The town of Yerba Buena was renamed San Francisco.

1894 - Charles B. King of Detroit, Michigan, received a patent for the pneumatic hammer. Pneumatic tools had been developed and manufactured as early as 1883.  Inside the hammer, a piston in a cylinder was driven by air pressure to hit a striker and tool.

1911 - The first airplane rescue at sea was made by the destroyer "Terry." Pilot James McCurdy was forced to land in the ocean about 10 miles from Havana, Cuba.

1948 - Indian political and spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Vinayak Godse. Prior to his death, there had been five unsuccessful attempts to kill Gandhi, the first occurring in 1934.  

1950 - Development of the hydrogen fusion bomb (H-bomb) was ordered by U.S. President Truman. The codename of "Super" for the project reflected the far greater power of this thermonuclear device over the earlier fission bombs used to end WW II.

1957 - An external artificial pacemaker with internal heart electrode was first used. To maintain a patient's heartbeat rhythm an electrode was sewn to the wall of the heart and connected through the chest to an external desk-top pulse generator. However, such bulky equipment was not a good long-term solution since infection often occurred along the electrode wires, and the device required no interruption in the house electricity. Research was undertaken for use of a small portable external pacemaker for patients with heart block.  This ultimately led to the development of the billion-dollar pacemaker industry.

1958 - Yves Saint Laurent, at age 22, held his first major fashion show in Paris.

1958 - The first two-way, moving sidewalk, 1,425 feet long, was put in service at Love Field Air Terminal in Dallas, Texas. It was also known  as a passenger conveyor.

1994 - Peter Leko became the world's youngest-ever grand master in chess. (Born in Sep 1979, a two-time World Championship Candidate, he challenged Vladimir Kramnik in the Classical World Chess Championship 2004 and drew the match 7–7, with Kramnik retaining the title).

1996 - Mob ransacks Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet in Bangalore.

1998 - A new glue, Dermabond, able to replace painful stitches, won the unanimous vote of a medical advisory panel for the Food and Drug Administration, US.    As claimed the Dermabond could seal off certain wounds quickly, without the need for painful shots, With the use of Dermabond, a wound can be kept closed, sterile and flexible while it is healing. A doctor simply presses the cut's edges together and paints the glue across the top. Proper medical application takes skill and practice, so the glue isn't meant for home use. 

2002 - Japan's last coal mine was closed. The closures were due to high production costs and cheap imports. 

RIP....

1528 - Rana Sanga of Mewar, who had built up an extensive and powerful kingdom over the central and western regions of Northern India.

Titbits....

1798 - The first brawl in the U.S. House of Representatives took place. Congressmen Matthew Lyon and Roger Griswold fought on the House floor.

You may have known....

Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The Father of Medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.

Good morning. Have a nice day.
Raj Kadyan

What is Zika Virus - Col Ranbir Lamba

What is Zika Virus? All you Wanted to Know – Zika virus is transmitted to people through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. This is the same mosquito that transmits dengue and chikungunya.
index (Copy)The Zika virus is “is now spreading explosively” in the Americas, the head of the World Health Organization said Thursday, with another official estimating between 3 million to 4 million infections in the region over a 12-month period.
“The level of concern is high, as is the level of uncertainty,” Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO’s director-general, told her organization’s executive board members. “We need to get some answers quickly.”
The lack of any immunity to Zika and the fact that mosquitoes spreading the virus can be found most “everywhere” — explains the speed of its transmission, said Dr. Sylvain Aldighieri, an official with the WHO and Pan American Health Organization.
Some 80% of those infected with the Zika virus don’t even feel sick, and most who do have relatively mild symptoms such as a fever, rash, joint pain or pink eye. But there are major worries about the dangers pregnant women and their babies face.
Chan said that, where the virus has arrived, there’s been a corresponding “steep increase in the birth of babies with abnormally small heads and in cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome.” Having small heads can cause severe developmental issues and sometimes death. Guillain-Barre is a rare autoimmune disorder that can lead to life-threatening paralysis.
Health authorities began to suspect a connection between Zika and neurological ailments, especially in fetuses and newborns. Brazil alone has reported more than 4,000 cases of microcephaly — a neurological disorder resulting in the births of babies with small heads — in infants born to women infected with Zika while pregnant.
“We expect more countries to be affected,” she said.
U.S.-based researchers Daniel Lucey and Lawrence Gostin urged the WHO leader to “mobilize international resources to curb the rapid spread of Zika worldwide, including aggressive mosquito control, active surveillance, accelerated vaccine research and travel advisories for pregnant women.”
“It is far better,” said the Georgetown University public health expert, “to be overprepared than to wait until a Zika epidemic spins out of control.”
What is Zika virus infection?
Zika virus infection is caused by the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito, usually causing mild fever, rash, conjunctivitis, and muscle pain.
The virus was isolated for the first time in 1947 in the Zika forest in Uganda. Since then, it has remained mainly in Africa, with small and sporadic outbreaks in Asia. In 2007, a major epidemic was reported on the island of Yap (Micronesia), where nearly 75% of the population was infected.
In May 2015, the public health authorities of Brazil confirmed the transmission of Zika virus in the northeast of the country. Since October 2015, many other countries have reported the presence of the virus.
What are the symptoms?
The most common symptoms of Zika virus infection are mild fever and exanthema (skin rash), usually accompanied by conjunctivitis, muscle or joint pain, and general malaise that begins 2-7 days after the bite of an infected mosquito.
One out of four infected people develops symptoms of the disease. Among those who do, the disease is usually mild and can last 2-7 days. Symptoms are similar to those of dengue or chikungunya, which are transmitted by the same type of mosquito. Neurological and autoimmune complications are infrequent, but have been described in the outbreaks in Polynesia and, more recently, in Brazil. As the virus spreads in the Americas, giving us more experience with its symptoms and complications, it will be possible to characterize the disease better.
How is Zika virus transmitted?
Zika virus is transmitted to people through the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. This is the same mosquito that transmits dengue and chikungunya.
What treatment is there?
There is no vaccine for Zika. Treatment consists of relieving pain, fever, and any other symptom that inconveniences the patient. To prevent dehydration, it is recommended to control the fever, rest, and drink plenty of water. There is no vaccine or specific drug for this virus.
Can it cause death?
It is a new virus that up until now has had a very limited geographical and demographic distribution, and there is no evidence that it can cause death. However, sporadic cases have been reported of more serious manifestations and complications in patients with preexisting diseases or conditions, causing death.
Who is at risk of Zika infection?
Anyone not previously exposed to the virus and who lives in an area where the mosquito is present, and where imported or local cases have been reported, may be infected. Since the Aedes mosquito is found throughout the world, it is likely that outbreaks will occur in other countries that have not yet reported any cases.
What is the difference between Zika, dengue, and chikungunya?
All these diseases present similar symptoms, but certain symptoms suggest one disease or another:
Dengue usually presents with higher fever and more severe muscle pain. There can be complications when the fever breaks: attention should be paid to warning signs such as bleeding.
Chikungunya presents with higher fever and more intense joint pain, affecting the hands, feet, knees, and back. It can disable people, bending them over so that they cannot walk or perform simple actions such as opening a water bottle.
Zika does not have clearly characteristic features, but most patients have skin rashes and some have conjunctivitis (inflammation of the conjunctiva of the eye).
What causes rapid transmission of Zika virus?
There are two factors for rapid transmission – 1) Since this is a new virus to the world, the entire population is susceptible, lacking defenses to Zika virus 2) The Aedes mosquito is widespread in the world, given the climatic conditions, temperature, and humidity in tropical countries.
Is it advisable to travel to countries where Zika virus is circulating?
PAHO/WHO does not recommend any travel or international trade restrictions related to Zika virus outbreaks. Travelers are advised to take the suggested precautions to prevent mosquito bites.
What measures should be taken to prevent Zika virus infection?
Prevention involves reducing mosquito populations and avoiding bites, which occur mainly during the day. Eliminating and controlling Aedes aegypti mosquito breeding sites reduces the chances that Zika, chikungunya, and dengue will be transmitted. An integrated response is required, involving action in several areas, including health, education, and the environment.
To eliminate and control the mosquito, it is recommended to:
Avoid allowing standing water in outdoor containers (flower pots, bottles, and containers that collect water) so that they do not become mosquito breeding sites.
Cover domestic water tanks so that mosquitoes cannot get in.
Avoid accumulating garbage: Put it in closed plastic bags and keep it in closed containers.
Unblock drains that could accumulate standing water.
Use screens and mosquito nets in windows and doors to reduce contact between mosquitoes and people.