'The (Maoist) organisation is in visible decline. Their senior leaders are ageing. Forest life is unforgiving -- older leaders simply cannot cope physically.' 'Earlier, they attracted educated youth from cities. That stream has dried up. Today's recruits largely come from poor village backgrounds and lack ideological depth.'
Once the OS layer is opened to the State, it doesn't close, notes Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd).
Army's Northern Command, popularly known as 'Dhruva Command', on Wednesday celebrated its 44th Raising Day as its chief Lt Gen DS Hooda encouraged the troops to continue maintaining their "exalted standards" through professionalism, dedication and devotion to duty.
During the session, General Dwivedi was asked about the overall challenges for the India Army going forward and learning from the border row in eastern Ladakh.
'Political protection allow groups to recruit, rearm and operate with reduced operational pressure. That increases their bargaining power and their ability to destabilise.'
Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting a strong response from the Indian Army. The incident, which occurred in the Krishna Ghati sector, comes a day after two Indian Army personnel were killed in an IED blast near the LoC. The ceasefire violation is the fourth cross-border incident in five days and the first this year.
Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General M V Suchindra Kumar, other Indian Army officers and soldiers paid homage to the four bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice for the Republic.
The Army further made it clear that the continuation of a break in hostilities, as decided in the DGMOs interaction of May 12, has no expiry date to it.
Top Naxalite commander Madvi Hidma, who had masterminded several attacks over the last two decades, was killed in an encounter in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, a breakthrough Chhattisgarh Police described as the 'last nail in the coffin' of the insurgency.
The Indian Army has demanded a fair and time-bound investigation into the assault of Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath by 12 Punjab Police personnel. The incident occurred on March 13-14 over a parking dispute in Patiala. The Punjab Police has assured justice and set up a special investigation team to probe the matter. The Army and Punjab Police have reiterated their commitment to maintaining the long-standing bonhomie between the two forces.
The 2003 BSF operation that eliminated terrorist Gazi Baba in Jammu and Kashmir, the subject of an upcoming action film, "Ground Zero," crippled the Jaish-e-Mohammed. The mission, which earned the BSF a dozen gallantry awards, is being portrayed in the film releasing on April 25. The operation, described in the BSF's 50th anniversary book, involved a daring raid on a house in Srinagar where Gazi Baba was hiding. The BSF faced heavy gunfire and grenades, with officers sustaining injuries and one constable, Balbir Singh, being killed while protecting his superior officer, Narendra Nath Dhar Dubey. Dubey, who led the operation, received the Kirti Chakra, India's third highest peacetime gallantry award.
Madhya Pradesh Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Inder Singh Parmar has sparked controversy by saying that social reformer Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a 'British agent' who started a 'vicious cycle of religious conversion', prompting the Trinamool Congress to call the remarks an insult to Bengal.
The step has been taken to promote and strengthen common identity and approach in service matters amongst senior leadership beyond the boundaries of regiments, officials said.
Mrs Gandhi's power ebbed and peaked with the times. Mr Modi's has almost been constant, barring the few months of hard dip after the 240 seats of 2024, points out Shekhar Gupta.
Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi Monday said there is still a 'degree' of standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh and both sides need to sit down and firm up a broader understanding on how to calm down the situation.
Army jawan Kapil Panwar, who was brutally assaulted by toll plaza staff in Meerut, expresses his distress over the incident, while authorities take action against the toll operator and arrest suspects.
"Only time will tell us about that but I am quite sure that if a youngster who has, as you said, got brainwashed (into terrorism), joins the services under the scheme and stays with us for four years, I am sure he will be a different person and probably more of an Indian than a radical as you brought out," the air marshal told reporters.
Terror outfits in Jammu and Kashmir are now constructing elaborately-designed underground bunkers deep inside thick forests and elevated ridges instead of taking shelter in local houses, officials said. This tactical shift, fuelled by eroding local support, presents a new challenge to the Army and other security forces.
The deadly attack on the Uri garrison on September 18 nine years ago marked the end of India's policy against crossing the Line of Control to target Pakistan-based terrorists. It paved the way for the Balakot Air Strikes in 2019 and Operation Sindoor.
The Indian Army began patrolling at Demchok on Friday, days after Indian and Chinese troops completed disengagement at the two friction points in eastern Ladakh, Army sources said.
Two individuals have been arrested in Kochi, India for allegedly assaulting an Army officer at an NCC cadet camp held at KMM College. The incident occurred last week amidst tensions after over 60 cadets reportedly suffered from suspected food poisoning. The accused, identified as Nishad and Navas, were taken into custody from their residences and their arrest was recorded after NCC officials identified them. They were charged with multiple offenses, including criminal trespass, wrongful restraint, criminal intimidation, and causing hurt by dangerous means.
After both grandfathers, father and uncle, Lieutenant Tanishka Damodaran is the first girl from the family to join the Indian Army. She will join her first posting in Kashmir soon and hopes to follows her family tradition of joining the Paras.
Two Army soldiers were killed and two others injured in a gunfight with terrorists in Kulgam district. The anti-terror operation has entered its ninth day.
Two important Corps Commands at Multan and Bahawalpur, as also the posts of Adjutant General and Quartermaster General at General Headquarters now stand vacant, reveals Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan says the Indian Air Force would have slowed the Chinese offensive considerably during the 1962 War.
'Pakistan's army has got a streak of democracy. It is more democratic than the country.'
The Indian Army has increased its operational footprint in the Jammu region, including the strategic occupation of the upper reaches of the Pir Panjal range, a senior officer said. The army is playing a pivotal role in military-civilian coordination in creating a stable environment in the region, the officer said, adding that the force will continue its efforts to promote peace, security, and development in the area.
Managing the senior generals has proven to be quite a headache for General Asim Munir, even as he and his team of loyal henchmen labour hard to dispel the sense of unhappiness among the public about the army's overbearing presence and interference in matters 'civilian', notes Rana Banerji, who headed the Pakistan desk at RA&W.
One of the most promising pugilists in the country, Sumit seized control from the opening bell as he immediately claimed the centre of the ring and forced Al Hussein on the defensive.
The Supreme Court will also hear similar pleas related to permanent commission from the Indian Navy, followed by the Indian Air Force and Coast Guard.
A Gujarat resident, Majoti Sahil Mohammed Hussein, enlisted in the Russian military to avoid a prison sentence in a drug-related case and subsequently surrendered to Ukrainian forces. His family is appealing to the Indian government for his return.
'If China shows greater concerns for Indian interests, ties could improve. Otherwise, the thaw could be short-lived.'
Lt Gen Dwivedi, who was referring to the clash between the Indian soldiers and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, also said that PLA's aggression in eastern Ladakh was met with "swift mobilisation and appropriate force posturing".
Among the medal winners are a deputy commandant rank officer, two assistant commandants and an inspector.
The eastern Ladakh military standoff between India and China began in May 2020 and a deadly clash at the Galwan Valley in June that year resulted in a severe strain in ties between the two neighbours.
Prabhas never looked more heroic and magnetic than he did in the dual role of Amarendra and Mahendra Baahubali, applauds Mayur Sanap after watching the nearly four hour-long Baahubali: The Epic.
In unprecedented scenes, supporters of former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday stormed the Pakistan Army headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi and the Corps Commander's residence in Lahore after his dramatic arrest in a corruption case.
People familiar with the development said Chief of Army Staff General M M Naravane and the top commanders will review the country's combat readiness in eastern Ladakh where Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a bitter standoff for 17 months.
Five soldiers were killed and five others were injured when an Army vehicle carrying them skidded off the road and rolled down into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district. The accident occurred in the Gharoa area when the vehicle was on its way to Banoi in the district. Rescue teams have recovered five bodies. The vehicle plunged into a gorge, approximately 300-350 feet deep.
As we celebrate the 136th anniversary of Jawaharlal Nehru's birth, let's embark on a journey to places in India, and across the world, that had a connection with India's first prime minister.
