http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/pathankot-attack-scene-shown-to-jit/215334.html
Pathankot attack scene shown to JIT
Protests mark restricted visit to air base
Pathankot, March 29
A five-member Pakistan Joint Investigation Team (JIT), accompanied by NIA officials, today visited the Pathankot air base that was for most part visually barricaded as scores of Congress and AAP workers protested outside against their probe into the terror attack.
On January 2, a group of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists had launched a pre-dawn attack on the air base, killing seven security men.
The team that arrived in Amritsar in the morning from Delhi in a special plane was taken to Pathankot by road to avoid giving it an aerial view of the strategic base. The team was ferried in six bullet-proof vehicles for the 118-km journey.
Around 11.30 am, the members were led into the complex through a specially created entrance at the perimeter wall that was breached by the terrorists. White curtains were used as visual barricades to ensure they could not have a glimpse of valuable defence assets.
The team, officials said, was taken to only the “scene of crime”. After spending around 40 minutes at the air base, the visitors were taken in a mini bus to other places relevant to the case. The team was driven to Koliyan village area where Punjab Police SP Salwinder Singh, his friend Rajesh Verma and cook Madan Gopal were abducted. It also visited Gulpur village where the SP and his cook were dumped.
They were then taken to Tajpur village where the SUV in which Rajesh in injured condition was finally found.
The team also visited the spot near Kathlour bridge where Ikagar Singh, a taxi driver, was killed after being kidnapped. The proposed tour to the civil hospital mortuary, where the bodies of the four terrorists have been kept, was called off at the last minute. The team could also not go to the forward post in Bamial as the BSF had reservations given its strategic importance.
NIA wants undertaking
New Delhi: The NIA has asked the JIT to give an undertaking that the evidences gathered in India will be admissible in a Pakistan court. NIA DG Sharad Kumar said: “During the 26/11 trials, we had sent several evidences and dossiers to Pakistan, but they said they were not admissible in their court. So we have asked them to give the undertaking.” TNS
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/india-rejects-as-tutored-pak-video-of-former-navy-man-s-confession/215329.html
India rejects as ‘tutored’ Pak video of former Navy man’s ‘confession’
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 29
India today rejected as tutored a video released by Pakistan purportedly showing its arrested former Navy officer Kulbhushan Yadav “confessing to his involvement in subversive activities in Balochistan”.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said the six-minute video that purportedly showed Yadav’s “confession” was tutored and had been prepared under pressure.
“The video shows this individual making statements that have no basis. That the individual claims to be making these statements out of his own free will not only challenges credulity, but also clearly indicates tutoring," the ministry said.
The ministry said the government "categorically rejects allegations that this individual was involved in subversive activities in Pakistan at our behest". Sources in the government said it was yet another attempt by Pakistan to deflect attention when an investigation was going on into the Pathankot terror attacks. The ministry said the man's presence in Pakistan raised the "possibility of his abduction from Iran."
The ministry said despite several requests, Pakistan had failed to provide consular access to Yadav, who was arrested last week.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jammu-kashmir/army-now-legally-owns-5-lakh-kanals-in-ladakh/215166.html
Army now legally owns _5 lakh kanals in Ladakh
Samaan Lateef
Tribune News Service
Srinagar March 29
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has legally handed over 5 lakh kanals to the Army for setting up its bases, firing ranges and for other defence purposes in Ladakh. The land will include over 40,000 kanals for setting up an artillery firing range at Mandal Thang in Leh district.
“We have given the approval to authorise 5 lakh kanals to the Army in Ladakh for defence purposes, including establishing bases and firing ranges,” said a senior official in the Home Department.
The official said that out of the 5 lakh kanals given to the Army, it was already in possession — both lawfully and unlawfully — of over 4 lakh kanals in Leh and Kargil districts of Ladakh.
The revenue department wanted the Army to either vacate the land acquired unlawfully or provide rent to the government. After the Army refused to vacate the land acquired unlawfully, the “state government gave in and asked it to take its lawful possession for seeking compensation,” the Home Department official said.
In Leh, the Army had unlawfully taken possession of over 90,000 kanals of state land which made the total possession of land under its control to over 2 lakh kanals.
Deputy Secretary, Revenue, Ghulam Rasool, confirmed that the government had initiated the process to legally authorise the land to the Army that is under its unlawful possession.
Army has also received approval from the state government for setting up an artillery firing range at Mandal Thang.
“The Army had been demanding land for setting up an artillery firing range at Mandal Thang and their demand has been accepted,” said District Development Commissioner Leh, Prasnna Ramaswamy G.
The Army has been provided land at Mandal Thang after the government refused to renew the lease of 10 firing ranges in J&K which expired in 2014.
Of its total 66 firing ranges, the Army has been operating at least 12 in J&K, which is the highest in any state. The firing ranges are used for testing small arms and heavy artillery.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/make-in-india-best-suited-to-cater-to-needs-of-indian-army-lt-gen-subrata-saha-deputy-chief-of-army-staff/articleshow/51607490.cms
'Make in India' best suited to cater to needs of Indian Army: Lt Gen Subrata Saha, Deputy Chief of Army Staff
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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/51607490.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
QUEPEM (GOA): Government's 'Make in India' policy is best suited to cater to the needs of the Indian Army, says Lt Gen Subrata Saha, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (P&S). At the Defence Expo 2016, Saha said that the government's new Defence Procurement Policy (DPP) has been designed to suit some very basic needs of the Indian Army.
Speaking extensively about the new DPP at an event organised by FICCI, Saha said, "Partcipation of various MSMEs and private companies makes Indian Army ..
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http://www.livemint.com/Industry/9bLrUF2aBV4cFI6Mhu6C4J/Private-defence-firms-keen-on-Make-in-India.html
Private defence firms keen on Make in India
Imports contribute 75% of India’s defence equipment needs; the domestic private sector’s share is just 5%
Mumbai: Domestic telecom equipment maker Himachal Futuristic Communications Ltd (HFCL) is known for two things: in the late 1990s, it made outrageous bids for telecom licences and later on it had its share of run-ins with the capital markets regulator for its suspected involvement in rigging share prices in a case dating back to 1999-2001.
But that’s the past and it’s makeover time as the company, with revenue of Rs.2,553 crore in 2014-15, has won government licences to design, develop and manufacture aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles.
HFCL is just one of the private firms eyeing defence projects. Between January 2001 and February 2016, the commerce ministry has granted 333 industrial licences to private firms for defence manufacturing, according to data on the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP) website.
They include Micronel Global Engineers Pvt. Ltd, Marine Electrical (I) Pvt. Ltd, Defsys Solutions Pvt. Ltd, Naistoco India Pvt. Ltd, Comint Systems and Solutions Pvt. Ltd, Ananth Technologies Ltd, DCX Cable Assemblies Pvt. Ltd and OIS Advanced Technology Pvt. Ltd.
There are more familiar names too: Tebma Shipyards Ltd, Premier Explosives Ltd, Titagarh Wagons Ltd, Taneja Aerospace and Aviation Ltd, Punj Lloyd Aviation Ltd, Dynamatic Technologies Ltd, Bharati Shipyard Ltd, Ashok Leyland Defence Systems Ltd and AMW Motors Ltd.
And then there are big, established ones such as Bharat Forge Ltd (BFL), Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), Tata group, Larsen and Toubro Ltd (L&T), Godrej Group and the Mahindra Group.
Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group and the Adani Group’s Adani Defence Systems and Technologies Ltd are the latest to enter the race.
So, why is there a rush to be part of the defence sector?
It is partly the result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on defence equipment as part of his Make in India campaign.
This government thrust for defence too has a reason. India is the world’s largest importer of defence equipment and spends around $24 billion a year, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. And this means import substitution and indigenization.
Domestic private firms have a significant opportunity, says Kabir Bogra, associate partner at New Delhi-based law firm Khaitan and Co. “The serious players in the space have been investing for the past decade or more (Tata group, BFL, L&T) and have built a portfolio in electronics, land systems, aerospace products and short-range missiles. Most of these are either in talks or have already concluded framework arrangements with foreign original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), therefore to a large extent, the preparatory work is completed or in progress,” he said.
For instance, BFL has tied up with Israel defence tech firm Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd and Elbit Systems Ltd and UK-based Rolls-Royce Corp. Similarly, Tata group has tied up with US-based firms Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co.
“However, for them to deliver on their potential, the government needs to be commercially sensitive and a few large contracts need to be commissioned. Most notably, NUH (naval utility helicopter) tender needs to be taken on priority along with artillery products to send a clear signal to the domestic industry that things are moving. The ministry of defence needs to commit itself to time frames for concluding these,” Bogra said.
The tender to buy NUH was scrapped in 2014 after years of process or inviting proposals and tenders. But now things are different as the government aims to revive the private sector. According to A.K. Gupta, secretary, department of defence production, ministry of defence, the private sector now has the opportunity to pick up a 25% share of defence production.
“Around 25% of the defence PSU (public sector undertaking) turnover can be off-loaded to the private sector, and the ministry has already de-licensed 60-70% of the production,” he said earlier this month in Mumbai.
Public sector undertakings in defence sector have a cumulative turnover of about Rs.50,000 crore, he said.
Last week, Tata group said it expects defence and aerospace business to increase its revenue by 7.5% to Rs.2,650 crore in the year to 31 March.
Defence and aerospace are important growth drivers identified by Tata group chairman Cyrus Mistry and significant investments will be made in these areas, said Mukund Rajan, member, group executive council, and the brand custodian of Tata Sons Ltd.
Tata group companies engaged in the defence and aerospace sector include Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TAS) and its subsidiaries, Tata Advanced Materials, Tata Motors Ltd, Tata Power Strategic Engineering Division, TAL Manufacturing Solutions, Tata Technologies, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, Tata Steel Ltd, and Tata Elxsi Ltd.
Defence has the potential to contribute 15% to Tata Motors’ revenue from the current 3% if it wins the order to make Future Infantry Combat Vehicles or FICVs, for the Indian Army, said Vernon Noronha, vice-president of defence and government business at Tata Motors.
The contenders for the FICV contract include L&T, Mahindra and Mahindra, Reliance Defence and Engineering Ltd (formerly Pipavav Defence) and Titagarh Wagons Ltd. The order could be worth about Rs.60,000 crore over the next few years, according to defence ministry officials.
Currently, the order book of Tata Advanced Systems (TAS), the aerospace and defence arm of Tata group, stands at Rs.4,500 crore. A majority of it are export orders, said Sukaran Singh, chief executive of TAS.
It expects to get more orders in the domestic market, he said. TAS is working on projects, including missiles, radars, aerospace and unmanned aerial vehicles and counts companies such as Lockheed Martin Corp., Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Boeing Co., Pilatus Aircraft Ltd, Cobham, RUAG and Rolls-Royce as its customers.
In November, TAS formed a joint venture with Boeing to make aerostructures for aircraft, deliveries for which will start from 2018.
Tata Motors, in partnership with the state-run Defence Research and Development Organisation, has also designed and developed India’s first amphibious infantry combat vehicle Kestrel.
Last week, the auto maker tied up with BFL and General Dynamics Land Systems to develop FICVs for the Indian armed forces.
Tata Motors has supplied over 100,000 vehicles to the Indian military and paramilitary forces, so far, and expects its future growth to come from combat vehicles, the group’s executives said.
Tata Power SED, another group company, is planning to invest Rs.700 crore to set up a defence equipment manufacturing plant in Karnataka, Tata executives said on Wednesday. It plans to double investments at this plant over the next two to three years.
To be sure, currently imports contribute almost 75% of the defence equipment needs; public sector and domestic private sector players contribute only 20% and 5%, respectively.
A January report of domestic brokerage ICICI Securities Ltd said it is difficult to track any other industry with similar import-substitution opportunity all through the history of independent India.
“While the growth of the defence sector will follow along its strategic and technological requirements, the domestic defence industry is still in its infancy—which translates into a huge opportunity for investors and Indian enterprises,” ICICI Securities said.
The brokerage firm also foresees hurdles for private enterprises. “Across platforms, indigenization has more or less trailed the intended goals, with imports inevitably making up for the shortfalls. Further, execution of platforms has faced the typical headwinds of higher book-to-bill ratios for defence PSUs. While DPP (defence procurement procedures), 2013, has created excitement along with Make in India projects, it may take significant time to fructify. Over the next five years, we see limited prospects of meaningful indigenization barring radars and missiles,” the report noted.
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/7th-central-pay-commission-armed-forces-pitch-for-better-compensation-common-pay-matrix/
7th Pay Commission: Armed forces pitch for better compensation, common pay matrix
7th Pay Commission: The absence of the military in the Empowered Committee has been a major cause of concern for the defence services.
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At about 10 am on March 11, the three military chiefs were in the meeting room of the cabinet secretariat to attend a crucial briefing. The Pay and Allowances Review Committee (PARC) of the three services, comprising Major General rank officers, had been allotted 45 minutes to brief the Empowered Committee of Secretaries to process the recommendations of the Seventh Central Pay Commission (7th CPC).
The Empowered Committee is chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, PK Sinha and is meant to function as a screening committee to process the recommendations with regard to all relevant factors of the 7th CPC in an expeditious, detailed and holistic fashion. The Empowered Committee consists of 13 secretaries, which includes nine IAS officers, one IPS officer and one from Railway Board. There are, however, no military officers on the committee. “We are 29.7 per cent of all central government employees, as are the Railways. They have a member on the Committee but we don’t. The IPS, with strength of only 4,675 officers, has a member,” a senior military officer told The Indian Express.
The absence of the military in the Empowered Committee has been a major cause of concern for the defence services. The emotions of those in uniform have been running high since the time 7th CPC submitted its recommendations to the government in November last year. Military officials monitoring various social media platforms told The Indian Express that they have been “shocked at the vehement anger and outrage” among military personnel “not only against the civilian bureaucracy but also senior military officials” over the recommendations of the 7th CPC.
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The issue has been discussed at the highest levels in the services where fears of things going wrong, in case corrective steps are not taken to address the anomalies by the Empowered Committee, have been expressed by the military hierarchy. These fears were the reason for the three military chiefs to take the unusual step of being present for the briefing of the Empowered Committee. Even earlier, immediately after the 7th CPC submitted its report, the three chiefs had jointly written to the defence minister about their concerns over its recommendations.
According to those present at the March 11 meeting, the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha spoke before the presentation by stating that the issues about to be raised are important as there is discontent among the rank and file. Requesting the committee to look favourably at the issues, he highlighted the fact that the status of the armed forces has been downgraded in the 7th CPC, and for the military, status and honour is the most important aspect of their service to the country.
The 25-minute PowerPoint presentation by PARC raised four demands before the Empowered Committee. The first demand was for grant of a Common Pay Matrix for the military and the civilian employees. The Defence Pay Matrix of the 7th CPC has only 24 pay levels while there are 40 pay levels for the civilians. This means that all military officers will stagnate at the pay reached after 31 years of service, which will, in turn mean that their pensions will be Rs 20,000 less than their civilian counterparts.
Senior civilian government officials say that due to higher number of ranks in the military compared to the civilian bureaucracy, it is not feasible to have a Common Pay Matrix. They say that the defence services were thus offered the option of a separate pay commission, which was rejected by them. “Our attempt is to get fully integrated into the system, at par with the civilians. Going for a separate pay commission defeats that purpose. We instead want to have a member on the pay commission,” explained a military official.
The second demand of the military pertained to Reciprocity of Allowances. A large number of allowances are applicable to civilian employees but not to the uniformed personnel. In April 2009, the government issued a letter stating that all compensatory field and other allowances applicable to the armed forces will also be applicable to the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). But the allowances of CAPF have not been extended to the armed forces.
In its presentation, PARC furnished the example of a CAPF DIG in Leh would be earning an allowance of Rs 57,500 while a Brigadier will get only Rs 17,000. Similarly, a military jawan deployed for disaster management like flood or earthquake relief shall get no allowance while a National Disaster Response Force will gets Rs 6,000 every time he is deployed, and a CAPF jawan will earn Rs 17,000.
“The comparison with CAPF is not fair. Some of their allowances look high because of the concept of detachment and special duty allowances. The military now wants the option, at every place, to choose between either the CAPF allowance or the military allowance, whichever is higher. This is prima facie not fair,” countered a senior civilian bureaucrat. The military’s third demand is for restoration of weightage in pensions, which has been removed by the 7th C. The weightage in terms of years of service, because of early retirement of military officials, was removed by the 6th CPC but it was restored for JCOs and jawans in 2009 by a committee headed by the then finance minister, Pranab Mukherjee. It was further enhanced by two years by the government in August 2012.
The military also wants the disability pension to be applicable on a percentage basis as it is to civilians. This was the case so far, but the 7th CPC has recommended a slab-based system for the military. It means that while an Additional Secretary would get Rs 60,000 as disability pension, a Lt General will earn only Rs 27,000.
The fourth demand of the military is about other allowances such as the technical allowance. The memories of a mutiny in the Indian Air Force in 1996, due to vast difference in the allowances of pilots and others, are fresh in the minds of the military hierarchy. With the removal of Tier-2 of technical allowance recommended by the 7th CPC, a pilot will get Rs 25,000 as allowance while his technical counterpart will get only Rs 3,000 per month. This, the military fears, is bound to raise discontent.
The presentation by PARC earned a word of praise from the Cabinet Secretary who promised to go into the details. But the military is concerned as the pending six ‘core anomalies’ from the 6th CPC have not been resolved so far. A committee of secretaries formed in 2012 to resolve those anomalies, recommended that they be resolved by an expert body, the 7th CPC. But those anomalies in status and parities were not addressed by the 7th CPC.
The 2012 committee of secretaries was formed by the government after then defence minister, AK Antony wrote in June 2012 to the then Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, warning that “There is growing discontentment among the Defence service personnel and Ex-servicemen across all ranks, due to various anomalies in the fixation of pay and pensions. My apprehension is that unless we take some corrective action, issue may take a bad turn.”
Four years down the line, the military hierarchy now fears that the former defence minister’s words may turn out to be prophetic.
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http://www.firstpost.com/business/defence-procurement-procedure-2016-an-ambitious-roadmap-for-indias-industrial-defence-base-2700992.html?utm_source=FP_CAT_LATEST_NEWS
Defence Procurement Procedure 2016: An ambitious roadmap for India's industrial defence base
The Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP), unveiled on Monday, has laid out the process for acquisition of equipment for the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force. An attempt has been to make the system more transparent and cut out delays But the centerpiece of the new policy is to boost home grown defence industry and give a fillip to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 'Make in India' initiative.
At the heart of the DPP is a new category for indigenously designed, developed and manufactured equipment. Simply put, it allows India’s fledging private sector a much bigger role in production of military hardware. Equipment manufactured in this homegrown category will get preference or to put it in officialese, will be the "preferred category" to supply the defence forces.
But the DPP remains a work-in-progress with defence minister Manohar Parrikar saying that a review will be undertaken after six months.
File image of Manohar Parrikar. PTI
File image of Manohar Parrikar. PTI
“I do not say the document is foolproof. Let us take a review after six months. Nothing is perfect, but we are taking it to perfection,” he said. Also, a key element in the DPP, the part dealing with the 'strategic partnership' has not yet been finalised. This is because opinion remains divided within the government on this sensitive issue.
The new policy gives India’s private sector both the support and freedom to design, develop and manufacture defence components with the help of foreign partners of its choosing. This can be done by a joint venture with a foreign collaborator without having to get the signature of a joint secretary sitting in the defence ministry. For years the armament industry had been the exclusive preserve of public sector utilities (PSU). The state-run giants have been pampered and crores have been sunk into locally-made equipment that has taken decades to develop. Since Independence, India has sought to be self-reliant in manufacturing defence equipment.
But the effort was to have state-run units take on the responsibility.
Naresh Chandra, former Indian ambassador to Washington, believes that successive governments have protected the defence PSUs."Money was sunk into these industries with no hope of returns. There are huge vested interests,'' said Chandra.
The new policy will help the private sector to set the base for the development of India’s defence industrial complex, which has so long been under the strangehold of the defence ministry babus. Importantly this will also create jobs for India’s teeming workforce. Not that the situation will change immediately, these are at best baby steps towards building a self reliant defence manufacturing base for the future. The new DPP would help India reduce its dependency on foreign countries and source defence equipment within the country.
If the government's ambitious plans for indigenous manufacturing take off properly, India can save as much as $50 billion from its likely spend of over $260 billion on defence equipment in the next 12 years, says an Ernst and Young report. This is a distinct advantage. India’s private sector has welcomed the new policy. "By introducing and according the highest priority to 'Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured procurement', DPP 2016 will definitely spur more design development activities within the country and contribute towards much higher indigenous content and will finally create a vibrant domestic defence industrial base,’’ Chandrajit Banerjee, director-general, Confederation of Indian Industry.
The private sector is already in the field, but in a small way. FDI in defence was raised from 26 percent to 49 percent soon after the Modi government came to power. The latest announcement will give them the much needed impetus to go ahead without looking over their shoulders. Significant players like the Tatas, L&T, Reliance, Punj Loyd, Fokker Elmo and India Forge, Mahindra and Mahindra, are already in the field. Lars Olof Lindgren of SAAB, the Swedish aerospace and defence corporation, believes India has the potential to do well in the high-tech sector.
L&T had already tied up with a South Korean company to manufacture ammunition for K9-self propelled rifles. The joint venture private companies are also hoping to make assault rifles. Tata is in the field with collaboration for the C-130 Hercules aircraft with Lockheed Martin and C-17 aircraft with Boeing. More such joint ventures are expected to gather momentum.
Among the three services, the Indian Navy has been the best in sourcing equipment from the country. In fact, it has done well. The Navy had a design bureau in its ranks since the 1950s. This is why the Navy is able to build the platform for its warships and patrol boats. In fact, India sold its first offshore patrol vessel (the Barracuda) to Mauritus for a cool $58.5 million in December 2014.
The sale was commissioned when Modi visited the island state.
India is also building a nuclear-powered submarine (the Arihant) with Russian help. It has already had its sea trial and was supposed to be part of the International Fleet Review, but did not make it. Most of the warships and patrol boats used by the Navy are homegrown, though of course, the engine and much of the equipment is imported. But that is common all across the world. So if the Navy can do it, so can the Army and Air Force.
But that will take time. However, India is on its way to building a