NCC has been at the forefront for the past few years in generating awareness on AIDS. The two AIDS-infected children, Benson and Bensy of Kollam district in Kerala were inhumanly ostracised and removed from a number of schools due to the stigma attached to the disease.

Col RRK Nair, Group Commander NCC along with NCC cadets visited the children. The cadets interacted with Benson and Bensy. The cadets tried to convince the people who gathered there that AIDS–affected people need social acceptance as the disease is not transmitted by ordinary social contact. As a small gesture, the cadets presented the aids-affected family a cheque of ten thousand rupees. Col Nair stressed the importance of treating the AIDS– affected people with dignity. He told the mediapersons that the children would be enrolled as cadets when they come of age, if otherwise found fit.

Sixteen Punjab (Patiala) has been deployed for counter-insurgency operations in Darrang district of Assam since October 4, 1999. The challenge of combating insurgency in its area of responsibility was accepted by the battalion with determination. So far, it has eliminated 69 and apprehended 295 hardcore militants. In addition, the unit took the surrender of 30 militants. The unit has been successful in transforming the once hard-bed of militancy into an area of peace and normalcy.

The unit's performance can be gauged from the fact that it has earned 41 gallantry awards during its tenure in operation Rhino. The awards include One Bar to Sena Medal, nine Sena Medals, one Vishisht Seva Medal, four mentioned in despatches, 19 COAS Commendentation Cards and seven GOC-in-C Commendation Cards.

The unit’s constant interaction with the local public alienated the militants and their supporters and aroused a patriotic feeling amongst the mass and emboldened them to publicly protest against militancy. The unit has also contributed towards the conduct of Assembly and Panchayat elections. Its rapport with civil administration, clean human rights record and successful accomplishment of operation Samaritan projects not only won the hearts and minds of the local residents but also raised the image of the Army in the eyes of the general masses.

Overall, the performance of the unit has been commendable. This was duly recognised by the Army Chief by awarding the prestigious COAS Unit Citation on January 15, last. The unit’s Commanding Officer, Col VD Chowgule and Sub Maj Karnail Singh received the citation from Gen NC Vij, Chief of the Army Staff.

input : Capt PP Pandey

A Trans-India Ballooning Expedition under the aegis of Army Adventure Wing was conducted from Ahmedabad to Kolkata covering Dahod, Indore, Dewas, Bhopal, Jabalpur, Ambikapur, Ranchi and Jamshedpur enroute. The expedition team comprised four officers, two JCOs and seven ORs from Corps of EME which runs the Army Ballooning Nodal Centre at 3 EME Centre, Bhopal.

The expedition has been the first of its kind in India, when hot air balloons actually flew from one place to another, making use of the westerly winds.

In the last leg of the expedition, from Jamshedpur to Kolkata, a distance of 310 kms was covered in 8 hours and 15 minutes. The balloon was piloted by Maj Kumar Bhaskar of 3 EME Centre and Capt Dwij Kishore of 7033 EME Batallion. This duo set a new record with travelling a distance of 310 kms. They broke the previous record of 253 kms set by Mr Vishwa Bandhu Gupta, founder President of Ballooning Club of India.

Mrs Rita Vij, President Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) has said that widow rehabilitation has been the prime concern of AWWA for which all possible efforts are being taken.

While addressing a special conference of AWWA held in New Delhi, Mrs Vij informed that out of 414 houses built by Delhi Development Authority in Dwarka, Delhi, 316 houses of the Vijayee Veer Awas Yojana have been allotted to the next of kin of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives in various operations. She added that 43 gas connections and petrol pumps were released by the Ministry of Petroleum in the last three years.

The three-day conference that was attended by the heads of Command AWWA discussed various welfare measures for families of troops.

The Madras Sappers coffee-table book, "An Enduring Legacy" was released at a function at the MEG and Centre in Bangalore by Lt Gen GS Sihota, GOC-in-C Headquarters Southern Command.

The book published by the Madras Sappers is a fine tribute to rich history of this elite corps. It gives a pictorial account of several events. The authors have delved deep into regimental histories and personal records for highlighting different facets of this more than 200 year-old regiment.

The fighting-fit pugilists from the Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) not only regained their supremacy but finished with a blaze of glory capturing six gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals in the 49th senior national boxing Championship held in New Delhi. All of them, except one, were trained at the Army Sports Institute (ASI), Pune.

The Services boxers performed with exceptional abilities and firepower to score 63 points to claim the overall team championship while dethroning the Indian Railways which scored 51 points. Haryana, the bastion of the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF), took the third slot with 21 points to its credit.