Yogendra Singh Yadav survived 15 bullets while capturing Tiger Hill in the Kargil War and was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, India's highest award for gallantry. On the eve of Independence Day, the 32-year-old soldier relives that night when he and his fellow commandos won one of India's most historic military victories.
Nirmal Jit Singh Sekhon is the only Indian Air Force warrior to be decorated with the Param Vir Chakra. 'My admiration for his gallant action remains undiminished,' says M P Anil Kumar. 'It was not his day, yet he made it his own.'
Visiting the Rezang La Memorial, one has a feeling of super-humans defending the Indian territory against the Chinese onslaught, says Claude Arpi on the 60th anniversary of the heroic battle of the 1962 War.
It's time to awaken the patriot in you!
In a major decision, the government on Wednesday hiked the monetary allowance to gallantry award winners of the Armed Forces by over 100 per cent. The recipients of the Param Vir Chakra, the nation's highest gallantry award for bravery, will now receive Rs 3,000 per month as against Rs 1,500 at present. Similarly, the winners of the Ashok Chakra, the nation's highest peace time gallantry award, will now receive an allowance of Rs 2,800 per month.
Thapa led the Param Vir Chakra winners' contingent at the Republic Day parade each year.
Naik Subedar Bana Singh, who won the Param Vir Chakra for his bravery in preventing a Siachen post from falling into Pakistan Army's hands in 1987, was on Wednesday awarded the inaugural Sivaji-FACT award for courage. Singh, who was feted by spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in the presence of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, was also given Rs 1 lakh with the award.
Joginder Tuteja looks at upcoming movies featuring stars in uniform.
A thrilling vertical manoeuvre by Su30 fighter jets and performance by motorcycle-borne soldiers among a host of other activities today cast a spell over thousands of people who attended the carnival 'Indradhanush' at the Rajpath in New Delhi to commemorate the golden jubilee of the 1965 Indo-Pak War.
He was awarded the distinguished Flying Cross in 1944. This honour is equivalent to today's Param Vir Chakra. The Arjan Singh Trust for needy air force personnel was set up out of the proceeds of his farm house in Delhi being sold. He was a charismatic leader of men and lived up to the fine traditions of soldiering, says Group Captain Murli Menon (retd).
The Republic Day parade, which will begin at around 1030 am, will be a unique mix of the country's military prowess and cultural diversity, depicting the country's growing indigenous capabilities, Nari Shakti and emergence of a 'New India'.
Of late, war films -- particularly those that tell stories of the 1971 War and Kargil -- have been produced.
'Those who say that conventional war is a thing of the past or that war is not an option, or that diplomacy alone can prevent war -- are wrong and we see that in Ukraine.'
'A man dies and it's over for him. But we're right here, it isn't over for us,' she says cryptically. She talks about the "poverty" in which she had to raise her sons and daughter, the responsibility of today's youth to its country and how war widows should cope with their loss.
This is the meatiest role of Sidharth Malhotra's career and the man sure enough gives it his all. There's charm, swagger, warmth, empathy, verve, authority -- a lively portrait of a lion, a legend, applauds Sukanya Verma.
Varun will play Param Vir Chakra winner Second Lieutenant Arun Khetarpal in Ekkis.
'Having taken much time off, and come back and worked again, and then gone back... I'm really blessed to have the kind of work that I'm still doing.'
'The failure to remember the martyrs on a grand scale is a national problem. As a nation-State, India time and again fails to honour its true heroes: The men in uniform.'
'My task includes providing strategic operational communication to further-most troops located in the vicinity of Line of Actual Control.'
At present, Wg Cdr Varthaman is serving at an IAF base in Rajasthan.
'Anglo-Indians have played a significant role at the forefront, meeting every challenge to the security of the motherland.' A fascinating excerpt from Barry O'Brien's The Anglo-Indians: A Portrait of a Community.
'News is rife that Pakistan will attack the next day. They have no idea that this is where they will take on the might of 1 Armoured Division of Pakistan in a three-day bloody battle that will be remembered in military history as the Battle of Asal Uttar.' Rachna Bisht Rawat salutes the brave men turned the tide of the '65 war.
Is a martyred soldier just a statistic? Our nation, a great civilisation, a great culture has to learn to respect and feel oneness with its soldiers, says Tarun Vijay.
'...they were shocked to learn that just 352 Indian soldiers had made 3 brigadiers, 2 colonels, 170 officers, 290 JCOs and 8,000 troops surrender to the Indian Army.'
The decision to renovate the memorial was taken by Rajnath Singh when he visited Leh in June 2021. Renovation commenced in mid-July and the complex was ready within three months for inauguration on the 59th anniversary of the battle.
'He destroyed many of our tanks, and finally, it was just the two of us left facing each other with our tanks just 200 m apart.' A tale of valour excerpted from Rachna Bisht Rawat's 1971: Charge Of The Gorkhas And Other Stories.
Here's a recap of events that occurred in India in the past 24 hours.
This was Parrikar's first visit after the Indian Army conducted surgical strikes on terrorist camps across the Line of Control
President Droupadi Murmu will lead the nation in celebrating the Republic Day, and Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will be the chief guest at the ceremonial event.
'My wife, family members as well as members of the workers will be trustees.' 'The trust will take all decisions -- no family member can individually take any decision.'
'Rezang La was a unique battle.' 'It was not a large scale battle like the Battle of Kohima which involved a large number of troops.' 'Here there was just a company that fought it out till the last man.'
For the second successive year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated Diwali with troops on Wednesday, saying the world looks at India with respect because of their valour and "character", in comments that come against the backdrop of protests by several veterans over OROP.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar adds that the matter will be resolved within two months.
All equipment from the Army which were part of the Republic Day celebrations are made-in-India, Chief of Staff Delhi Area Maj Gen Bhavnish Kumar had earlier said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said that decision on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) should have been taken during 1971 war between India and the neighbouring country.
'For me, he's the brother and friend I lost so early.' 'It is like a part of me has been amputated.'
Col Babu was awarded the gallantry medal for resisting the Chinese Army attack while establishing an observation post in the face of the enemy in the Galwan valley in the Ladakh sector during Operation Snow Leopard.
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