Indian Army

Nearly 93,000 Pakistani troops surrendered and were held as Prisoners of War by India after the 13-day War. Though a large number of them, including officers, were involved in the genocide that took place in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), not a single soldier was punished after the surrendered troops were returned to West Pakistan. That marks the difference between the armed forces of the two countries.

Military brat Abhilasha hails from Haryana and has been awarded the Coveted Wings along with 36 Army Pilots by Director General & Colonel Commandant Army Aviation during a valedictory ceremony held at the Combat Army Aviation Training School in Nashik. Captain Barak was commissioned into the Indian Army Air Defence Corps in September 2018.

Admitting that the hostile terrains and inclement weather are major challenges in this border front, Kalita said that infrastructure building is being carried out, roads are constructed and old advanced landing grounds are revived in the Indian territory in Arunachal Pradesh. He said that India is also constantly upgrading its infrastructure and capabilities to deal with any situation which may arise along the border.

He arrived at Leh on Thursday on his maiden visit to Ladakh region after assuming charge as Army chief. General Pande was briefed on the security situation along the borders with special focus on Eastern Ladakh. The high-level of operational readiness being maintained by the forces while maintaining a high tempo of capability development was highlighted.

Pande said, "There is a new trend in Kashmir. Pakistan is using locals through proxy 'tanzim' to create fear and get visibility through media to show the indigenous face of terrorism." The Army chief said the current spate of killing of non-locals, political workers and minorities is an attempt to create sensation and show that insurgency in Kashmir is indigenous.

During an interaction with media persons, General Pande said, "Our guidance to them (troops deployed at LAC) is to be firm and resolute and prevent any attempt to alter the status quo."

Gen Pande had serving as the Vice Chief before being appointed as Army Chief. He became the first officer from the Corps of Engineers to helm the force. Born on May 6, 1962, Gen Pande was commissioned on December 24, 1982 in the Corps of Engineers (The Bombay Sappers) of the Indian Army. During his long and distinguished service spanning over 39 years, he has served in a variety of Command, Staff and Instructional appointments.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who held a meeting with General Naravane earlier in the day, said: "Had a wonderful meeting with the Army Chief, General MM Naravane, who is going to retire today after serving the nation for 42 years. His contributions as a military leader has strengthened India's defence capabilities and preparedness. I wish him success in his future endeavours."

An alumnus of Sainik School Bijapur and National Defence Academy, he was commissioned in the Jat Regiment on December 15, 1984. He commanded a battalion during Operation Parakram in the Western Theatre and in Jammu and Kashmir. He also holds the distinction of commanding the Uri brigade along the Line of Control, a Counter Insurgency Force and the Chinar Corps in the Kashmir Valley.

Giving details, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, said that the surviving rate of terrorists is drastically decreasing due to enhanced human and technical intelligence and focused operations. In the current year, 62 terrorists have been neutralised in different encounters so far, of which 32 were killed within just three months of joining terror ranks.