An Indian Army team has successfully scaled Mount Everest and put eight members and seven sherpas atop the summit. This is the first time that an Indian expedition has succeeded in placing such a large number of members on Mount Everest. Defence Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh flagged in the expedition at a function held in Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that the Armed Forces were proud of the achievements of the Army team.

Chief of the Army Staff, Gen S Padmanabhan complimented the team members and said that in the year 2003, which is the golden jubilee year of the first successful Everest expedition, a joint expedition of the Indian and Royal Nepal Army is being planned.

- PIB (DW)

Fortyeight members belonging to different colleges and schools from all over the country underwent pre commission training at Naval base, Kochi. The duration of the training ranged between 11 weeks for senior division and seven weeks for junior division to get qualified as Associate Naval officers (ANOs). Seamanship school was the host for training. During the training period, the candidates also sailed on INS Tir for sea experience. On returning to their respective institutions, the trainees will discharge their duties as ANOs, besides their normal teaching committments as 3rd officers in case of junior division officers and Sub Lieutenants in case of senior division officers.

At the passing-out parade, Mr Nalakath Soopy, Minister for Education, Government of Kerala was the chief guest. In the senior division Dr S Manoj from Kerala, Dr AB Melkani from Uttar Pradesh and Mr Akshaya C Mishra from Orissa stood first, second and third respectively. In the junior division, Mr Mahendra C Patel of Gujarat, Partha Talukdar of West Bengal and Lambodhar Bhatt of Karnataka stood first, second and third respectively.

Air Marshal S S Gupta, AOC-in-Chief, Maintenance Command, IAF, inaugurated the Chief Logistics Officers (CLOs) Conference at HQ MC, Nagpur.

Speaking on the occasion, Air Marshal Gupta stressed the need for tailoring the procedures and systems to ensure the highest level of operational preparedness of the IAF.

The two-day conference was attended by the CLOs of all equipment depots and base repair depots of Maintenance Command, IAF. These depots carry out the procurement, storage, supply chain management, repair and overhaul of the entire range of IAF aircraft and other systems. The delegates discussed ways and means for better management of warehouses and also to reduce inventory carrying costs, increase consumer satisfaction and reduce distribution costs.

Two hundred and fiftynine recruits of the 29th course participated in a passing-out parade held at Guards Regimental Centre (GRC), Kamptee.

The parade was reviewed by Brig Tejinder Singh, Commandant, GRC. Speaking on the occasion, he exhorted the young soldiers to endeavour to live upto the high standards of bravery and courage set by their predecessors.

Later, Brig Tejinder Singh presented the General Cariappa Trophy for over-all best performance to Sher Singh of Tipu Training Company. Mohd Mehbub Alam of Chandragupta Company who was the parade commander of the day was adjudged the best in drill. Mahavir Singh of Chandragupta, Deepak Singh of Pratap, Narendra Singh of Tipu and Jaswinder Singh of Cariappa were adjudged the best in their respective training platoons. Other award winners included TS Rabin, Rabindra Kumar Tiwari, Shashi Shekhar Singh and Banta Sankar Mishra as the best firers in their respective platoons.

The ten Infantry Brigade of 25 Infantry Division has adopted a backward village of Sagra for conversion into a model village. It has undertaken a Rs 60 lakh project in which the basic amenities like water supply and electricity are being provided. Besides, a primary school, community centre, computer and typing institute, library, vocational training centre for men and women, medical and veterinary aid posts have been established. The Army completed the project with the help of civil administration and local population. The project will also benefit six neighbouring villages of the area.

The Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA), HQ 61(I) Sub Area organised a gas safety clinic cum seminar with the help of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL). The seminar was held in the AWWA Shopping Complex, Jaipur.

Speaking on the occasion, Mrs Manisha Chaudhary, President AWWA said that accidental explosions take place while handling the LPG gas for domestic purposes. Precious lives and property are lost due to such explosions. Hence it is essential to educate the consumers, especially wives of Armed Services personnel regarding gas safety, she added.

Mr PC Kotia, Senior Sales Manager, BPCL conducted the seminar. He addressed the audience and covered various aspects of safety while handling the cooking gas. A question and answer session was also held on gas safety. Whoever gave the right answer was given a prize each. Various booklets were issued on safety aspects. Free servicing of gas stoves was also carried out on the occasion.

About 400 ladies including wives of service officers, junior commissioned officers and jawans and more than 150 children attended the seminar.

Lt Gen RK Mehta, Commandant, Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering (MCEME) inaugurated the new office complex of the Simulator Development Division at Military College of EME. Brig KS Saini, Director, Simulator Development Division welcomed the guests. The new office complex was built at a cost of Rs 121.59 lakh. It has a water harvesting facility in which complete rain water is absorbed.

The Simulator Development Division (SDD) was established as a nodal agency in 1991 at MCEME, Secunderabad to accelerate the pace of developing and inducting state-of-the-art simulators in the Army. It is a unique organisation which has been created to meet vital and urgent needs of indigenous simulators for the Indian Army. Though the organisation is tiny in size it has been able to make an impact within the Army and outside. In a short span of time, with active support and valuable inputs from users of all Arms and Services, SDD has been able to make impressive progress. Simulators developed by SDD have already been introduced in service and are being productionised at Army Base Workshops/PSUs.

The complex is situated adjacent to Military College of EME in Robert Lines, Trimulgherry and is specifically designed and equipped for state-of-the-art development work. The new facility will pave the way for development of world class indigenous training simulators for the Indian Army.

Altogether 203 young recruits were attested as soldiers at an impressive attestation parade held at the parade square of the 58 Gorkha Training Centre, Shillong. Maj Gen IJS Bora, GOC 101 Area reviewed the parade and took the general salute. Of the total recruits attested, 109 belonged to the 5 Gorkha Rifles (Frontier Force) while the remaining 94 belonged to 8 Gorkha Rifles.

Maj Gen Bora gave away the prizes for the best recruits to Santosh Gurung and Shiv Prasad Gurung of 5 GR(FF) and 8 GR respectively, while the prizes for the best in drill went to Bikash Tamang, best in PT to Man Bahadur Thapa, best in firing to Shiv Prasad Gurung and best in sports to Santosh Gurung. Prizes for the best instructors in weapon training were awarded to Nk Purna Bahadur Rana, Nk Jaggu Ram Ale and Nk Khim Bahadur Thapa.

Lt Gen AK Puri,Director General Border Roads organisation (BRO) visited various projects in the North East. On his visit to project Setuk, one of the 13 projects of the organisation headquartered in Shillong, the DG interacted with the media at a press conference.

Explaining the mission of the organisation in provisioning support to the Armed Forces, he gave out the details of various works and border road constructions including the Indo Bangladesh border fencing in Tripura. It may be mentioned that project Setuk is engaged in construction of 430 kms of IBB roads and 900 kms of IBB fencing in the state of Tripura alone with a project outlay of Rs 20 crore this year.

Reiterating the strong association of the organisation with the North Eastern Council (NEC), Lt Gen Puri informed that nearly 3400 kms of road construction in the North-East has been entrusted by NEC of which 2800 kms of road formation and road surfacing was completed.

The Fortythree Rashtriya Rifles (Raj Rif), the youngest battalion of the Rajputana Rifles has been raised under the command of Col Vivek Sehgal on August 1, last at Ichhamati Lines, Delhi Cantonment. The inaugural ceremony commenced with a Mandir programme followed by mounting of Quarter Guard and hoisting of the regimental flag.

Brig Khajan Singh Dalal, Commandant, Rajputana Rifles Regimental Centre hoisted the regimental flag. Officers, JCOs and ORs of RR Directorate, HQ Delhi Area, Raj Rif Regimental Centre, 7 Raj Rif and 43 Rashtriya Rifles attended the raising day functions.

The 43 Rashtriya Rifles will comprise 60 per cent personnel from the Rajputana Rifles, 30 per cent from the Regiment of Artillery and the balance from task oriented troops to provide back up on logistic support from various services. The raising which formally commenced on August 1, will be completed by February next year.

Air Marshal VK Bhatia, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Air Command flagged off the IAF Sadbhavna Motorcycle Expedition from India Gate to Chushul-Leh. The expedition organised by the Western Air Command aimed to express solidarity with the people and troops living in inhospitable conditions of the remote northern borders of the country.

Schoolchildren from Air Force schools were present on the occasion to wish participants, send greetings and messages of‘Sadbhavna’ to the troops and the people living in these forward areas.

The ten member expedition team led by Sqn Ldr RK Das will traverse a distance of approximately 1700 kms through the Kullu Valley, Rohtang Pass and Ladakh region of J&K. The expedition will scale mountain passes with heights ranging from 12,000 ft to 18,000 ft and will follow a route very near to the Line of Actual Control bordering China.

A mini Defence pension adalat was held in the office of the Principal Controller Defence Accounts (Pensions), Allahabad. About 45 pensioners attended the adalat. Their grievances were heard and settled on the spot.

The office of the Principal Controller Defence Accounts(Pensions), Allahabad organises mini Defence pension adalat every quarter to settle the grievances of the pensioners.

Mrs Lakshmi Hari Prasad, President Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA)Desert Corps and Lt Gen Hari Prasad, Desert Corps Commander inaugurated Vanmahotsav and an ecological drive programme by planting a number of saplings at different places in Jodhpur Cantonment. This was followed by tree plantation by officers, JCOs and their families.

In a specially organised function, Mrs Hari Prasad said that it was very encouraging to see ladies coming forward to plant saplings in the station. A massive drive was also launched to educate troops and their families to desist using polybags and other non-biodegradable products. She asked every one, especially the families of soldiers to use semi buried hatch covered garbage bins placed all over the station for garbage disposal.

Speaking on the occasion, Lt Gen Hari Prasad said that Jodhpur Military Station undertook a massive ecological drive during the current rainy season in which a total of 60,000 saplings of bougain villa, silver oak, bottle brush, gulmohar, neem, ornamental and other shady plants were planted in the station .

Brig RR Bali said that the Vanmahotsav and ecological
drive would give a new look to the Military Station. The Army, with its usual aplomb would ensure a cleaner and greener environment. Many varieties of plants were planted during the drive.

The National Cadet Corps (NCC) Camp was held under the aegis of 1 (A) Air Squadron at Hyderabad. At the camp, the cadets were trained in 0.22 range firing, aeromodelling, skeet shooting in addition to drill with and without arms. Acclimatisation visits to Air Force Stations Hakimpet and Begumpet and Air Force Academy, Dindigal were arranged. The cadets were shown Avro, Kiran Iskara, Chetak aircraft.

As part of community development programme, a blood donation camp was organised in which 104 cadets donated blood. Tree plantation was organised at Nadirgul airfield in which 250 saplings were planted in and around the hanger. An adult education programme was organised at Balamrai Basthi in Begumpet. Out of 750 cadets, 98 cadets of Hyderabad group were given training exclusively in drill, national integration awareness programme (NIAP) and other cultural activities.

A camp fire programme was also organised. Wing Commander CK Vyas, Camp Commandant was the chief guest. The chief guest spoke on the hard life of military personnel.

Mrs Anu Vyas gave away the prizes to the winners of various competitions held during the camp.

As part of the month long Van- mahotsav celebrations a drawing and an elocution competition was organised under the aegis of Army Wives’ Welfare Association Central Command (AWWACC) in Lucknow Cantonment.

Ankita Dube and Sadhna Jha, from Army School, bagged first prize in elocution in Hindi section and English section respectively. Second position in both the sections were annexed by Sujata Naik and Abhijeet Singh respectively. Prizes to the winners were distributed by Mrs Sharda Chadha, Vice President of Army Wives’ Welfare Assocation Central Command (AWWACC).

Rect GD Bhishadev Koch was adjudged "Mr AMC" at the conclusion of annual Inter-Battalion Best Physique Competition of Army Medical Corps Centre, Lucknow.

Scoring a maximum of 37 points, 2 Technical Training Battalion came first and annexed the overall championship trophy. Two points behind, 1 Military Training Battalion emerged runners-up followed by 2 Military Training Battalion which got 29 points.

At the conclusion of the championship, Maj Gen AK Misuriya, officiating Commandant of AMC Centre and School distributed prizes among the winners. The championship trophy on behalf of the victors was received by Col AK Chanda.

Maj Gen DP Singh, the General Officer Commanding of the Red Eagle Division inaugurated the new computer lab of the Red Eagle Garrison Primary School at the old Cantonment of Allahabad. Mrs Saroj Singh, President Red Eagle AWWA, Brig MS Ruhil, the Deputy GOC of Red Eagle Division and other senior officers were present on the occasion.

The school was opened as Sainik Nursery and KG School in 1978 as a creche. The primary aim of the school was to coach the children of Defence personnel who were unable to secure admission in other schools.