Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

2015 was yet another year when our <keyword id="403131" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-soldiers">Indian soldiers</keyword> manned the borders of the country on land, in water and in the air; walked in the line of fire irrespective of personal danger and secured us each day not once fearing for their own lives, that of their wives, children or parents. For the courage, selflessness and determination these bravehearts have displayed for years, it’s time again to hail the service of the <keyword id="112134" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Armed-Forces">Indian Armed Forces</keyword>, the third biggest military contingent in the world, one which always swears by the unflinching commitment towards the nation as the country goes to sleep safely every night. 
 
They deserve not only the highest honour, but a life of dignity more than anyone else. However, owing to the high demands of this job and certain stark facts on the ground, they often have to face hardships not only in the battlefield but also in their personal lives. 
 Today, on <keyword id="3208453" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Army-Day-2016">Army Day 2016</keyword>, we look at the pros and cons of serving the country while being a part of the Indian Armed Forces: 
 
1) Teaches a disciplined life 
Soldiers join the armed forces at a very young age. The first few years are always good because they are taught good values and are made to live a disciplined life. 
 
2) Good till you're a bachelor 
As time passes, difficulties start coming in the way. “We used to say if you want to be happy in the Navy, do not get married,” says Vikram Karve, a retired Naval officer. He meant that till the time one is a bachelor, everything from food to accommodation is looked after at the service. However, once married, there is a huge shortage of married accommodation, which often leads to couples having to live separately. 
 
3) Frequent Transfers 
“Owing to the nature of the job, frequently being relocated usually leads to leading an extremely disturbed life, as both family life and children's education are adversely affected,” he adds. 
 
4) Early Retirement Age (30's for soldiers and 50's for officers) 
Early retirement age creates a sense of insecurity since it is not feasible to complete all familial responsibilities and commitments before retirement. 
 
“At 35, children are usually studying and there are several family responsibilities that have to be taken care of. Unless you are technically qualified, there are no employment avenues outside. Suddenly from leading a dignified life, you are down to a state where you have a family to take care of, but no job in hand. For Navy and Air Force personnel, they are still technically qualified and can manage to get jobs, but for the majority including infantry soldiers, it’s a very difficult situation to deal with,” says Karve. 
 
He also points out that there is disparity in retirement age criteria too. “While BSF personnel may retire at 60 years of age, why are Army personnel being asked to retire so early when the duty of both is almost the same?” he raises a valid point. 
 
5. Modest Salary and Career Prospects 
“In 1991, the pay of a defense officer and the ones who joined the industry was almost the same. We got slightly more. Moreover, the pay of civilian officers was lower than that of defence in the 70s. Everything has changed. Industry packages now go up to crores and our pay has gone down compared to the civilian counterparts over the years,” he says. 
 
6. Ultimate sacrifice (Unlimited liability towards the nation) 
The concept of unlimited liability offers no such comfort or escapist approval in operational responsibility. A soldier’s behaviour has to be contrary to human instincts. Importantly, no formally signed covenant at the time of joining service spells out any such specific need to face losing life or limb as part of the job – it comes unwritten, unsaid, and largely remains unknown outside of the soldering fraternity. 
 
7. Shortage of modern equipment 
Even as Karve points out that Navy has long term planned strategies and therefore decent standard of equipment to work with, the case is not so with the Indian Army and the Air Force. 
 
Retd Army officer Vinay Biala agrees with defence experts when they say that the infantry needs new and more lethal weapons than assault rifles, the carbine, light machine gun (LMG), the sniper rifle and the anti-tank guided missile (ATGM). An Infantry officer himself, Biala is one of those who says, “we are happy to work with what we have”. It’s the generosity and commitment of such officers which often go unappreciated by bureaucrats and the government. Unfortunately, many of the weapons currently used by the troops are of 1960s vintage. The frequent Air Force MIG crashes only add credence to the situation the personnel have to deal with on the ground. There is already danger hanging on them by virtue of the nature of the job, and if there mode of defence turns out to be obsolete, how can we expect them to survive attacks, a question several governments have failed to act on. 
 
(Image credits: indiadefence.com)

#ArmyDay: The pros and cons of being in the Indian Armed Forces

Prime Minister <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Narendra+Modi+">Narendra Modi</a> on Saturday visited the strategic <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=pathankot">Pathankot Air Force base</a> for a first-hand assessment of the situation in the aftermath of the terror attack last Saturday. 
 
Security forces had yesterday declared the sprawling Air Force station fully sanitised after a massive combing operation spanning over three days. 
 
"The combing operation at the Air Force station is over," a senior IAF official said, adding the entire area has been sanitised. 
 
 Six terrorists, believed to owe allegiance to Pakistan-based <keyword id="119193" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jaish-e-Mohammed">Jaish-e-Mohammed</keyword> were gunned down by the security forces after a four-day gun battle. Seven security personnel also lost their lives. 
 The operation to ensure that no terrorist was hiding was carried out jointly by Army, NSG and IAF's <keyword id="1545467" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Garud-Commandos">Garud commandos</keyword>. 
 
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had also visited the base on January five. 
 
Pakistan Prime Minister <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Nawaz+Sharif+">Nawaz Sharif</a> had called up Modi and promised action against the perpetrators of the brazen attack. 
 
During his visit, the Prime Minister is also likely to undertake an aerial survey of the Indo-Pak border areas, official sources said. 
 
Elaborate security arrangements are in place in Pathankot for Modi's visit and media has been stationed near the entrance of the air base. 
 
 
During his visit to the strategic facility on January 5, Parrikar had admitted to "some gaps" that led to the attack. The perpetrators were believed to have infiltrated the Indian territory from a spot near Bamiyal village in Pathankot located close to the international border. 
 
(Image credits: PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Pathankot air base

Even as the Pathankot faceoff between Indian Army and Pakistan terrorists may have come to an end, a pall of gloom has descended on the aggrieved families of the 7 <keyword id="6355451" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Martyrs">martyrs</keyword> who died while holding their ground and showing unparalled bravery for nearly three days against terrorists at the airbase in Punjab. 
 
As India mourns the loss of such precious lives, we remember the bravehearts and their last moments of courage that has left a whole nation inspired. 
 
Martyr Lieutenant Colonel Niranjan Kumar 
 
Lt Col Niranjan E Kumar was a native of Elambulassery near Mannarkkad in Palakkad. He was a member of the bomb disposal squad of the NSG. Officials said that he was killed as an improvised explosive device went off accidentally during combing operations which also injured five NSG personnel. A resident of Kerala, Niranjan is survived by wife Radhika and their two-year-old daughter. 
 
Subedar Major Fateh Singh 
 
51-year-old Subedar Major Fateh Singh was on duty at the Pathankot base as part of the Defence Security Corps, a unit staffed by veterans no longer in active service. He had clinched a gold in the Big Bore Rifle Three Position event and a silver in the Big Rifle Prone Position event of the first Commonwealth Shooting Championship held here in 1995. He retired as a Subedar Major from the Dogra regiment in 2009 and joined the Defence Service Corps. On the fateful night, he wore his uniform and ran out of the house at the base to fight the terrorists. In a departure from tradition, his Madhu was among those who carried her father's coffin to his funeral pyre. 
 
 
Garud Commando Gursevak Singh 
 
Garud Commando Gursevak Singh, a resident of village Garnala in Ambala who was killed in the Pathankot terror attack. Singh was posted in Adampur and was rushed to the Pathankot Air Base Friday night to counter the terrorists. He had applied for a long leave, from January 13 to February 6, so that he could celebrate his wife’s birthday at home on February 5. Gursewak had joined Garud Commando Force, special forces unit of the Air Force six years ago, soon after completing his BA, following in the footsteps of his elder brother, Hardeep Singh, who is also in the Indian Army, posted in Dharamshala. He was cremated today with full military honours at his village near Ambala in Punjab. The commando was shot early as the Pathankot gun battle began, but he continued to fight till he died. The commando had joined the Garuds six years ago after graduation. He got married only 45 days ago. 
 
 
Havildar Kulwant Singh 
 
49-year-old Kulwant from Gurdaspur district of Punjab joined the army at the age of 19. In 2004, he retired from the army. In 2006, he joined Defence Security Corps. He is survived by his mother, wife and two sons. 
 
Havildar Sanjeevan Singh Rana: 
 
Sanjeevan Singh Rana (51) from Himachal Pradesh suffered five bullet injuries and martyred on the first day of the attack. He was the only earner of his family and survived by wife and three children. In 2009, he retired from Dogra Regiment. His father, Rattan Rana also served in army. 
 
Sepoy Jagdish Chanda 
 
He was working in the kitchen as a cook when the terrorists attacked. He chased the terrorists apparently bare-handed and managed to kill one of the terrorists there itself with his own rifle. He later fell to the bullets of the remaining terrorists. 
 
Mohit Chand 
Not much has been written about him, and we are waiting for update from authorities.

Pathankot terror attack: Remembering the 7 bravehearts who laid their lives to save the nation's pride

India and Pakistan agreed to defer foreign-secretary levels talks on Pathankot air base attack, which killed seven Indian security personnel. 
 
Meanwhile, India said it will support Pakistan to investigate the probe as Islamabad plans to send a special team to Pathankot for investigation. 
 
“We have noted that the Pakistan government is considering sending a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the Pathankot terror attack. We look forward to the visit of the SIT. Our investigative agencies will extend all cooperation to bring the perpetrators of the attack to justice,” said external affairs ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup, adding Pakistan’s crackdown on Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist group was a positive first step. 
 
Talks will be rescheduled between the two neighbours. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

India to help Pakistan probe Pathankot attack, foreign-secretary level talks deferred

On one hand when India is pushing Pakistan on Pathankot air base attacks, 26/11 <keyword id="3232645" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mumbai-attacks-mastermind">Mumbai attacks mastermind</keyword> <keyword id="44106" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hafiz-Saeed">Hafiz Saeed</keyword> lauded the attacks and warned India of more terror attacks. 
 
The JuD chief accused Indian troops of committing "genocide" on Kashmiris and added "don't they have a right to carry out Pathankot-style attacks for their defence?" 
 
"You have only seen one attack on Pathankot. Matters could easily escalate," said Saeed while addressing a rally in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. 
 
Saeed lauded Kashmiri militant leader Syed Salahuddin, who heads the United Jihad Council (UJC) that had claimed responsibility for Pathankot attacks. 
 Saeed made an appearance on a talk show on Channel 24 on January 27. He glorified his organisation's "public welfare" works and talked about how India and the US were "pressuring" the Pakistani government to take action against organisations like the JuD and Jaish-e-Mohammad, which is believed to be behind the <keyword id="3191890" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pathankot-attack">Pathankot attack</keyword>. 
 
Referring to the Pathankot terror attack, Saeed had dismissed the suggestion that the government was "patronising" some "non-state actors and banned organisations". 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

You Searched For "Pathankot terror attacks" and got 6 results

#ArmyDay: The pros and cons of being in the Indian Armed Forces

Anushree Singh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Pathankot air base

BI India Bureau

Pathankot terror attack: Remembering the 7 bravehearts who laid their lives to save the nation's pride

Anushree Singh

India to help Pakistan probe Pathankot attack, foreign-secretary level talks deferred

BI India Bureau

26/11 Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeed lauds Pathankot attacks, warns India of more

BI India Bureau

Full transcript of PM Narendra Modi's TV interview

BI India Bureau

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides