Army faces massive ammo shortage, reserves only for 20 days of intense fighting: CAG report

May 9, 2015

New Delhi, May 9: In its report critical of India’s defence sector, the comptroller and auditor general (CAG) on Friday warned that the Tejas light combat aircraft (LCA) Mark-I could prove to be the air force’s Achilles’ heel in battle.

ArmyA second CAG report on ammunition management pointed that the army faced a massive ammunition shortage with reserves that would barely last 20 days of intense fighting. The army needs to build up its war wastage reserves for 40 days on intense fighting.

“Stocking of ammunition even at ‘minimum acceptable risk level’ was not ensured, as availability of ammunition as on March 2013 was below this level in respect of 125 out of a total of 170 types of ammunition,” the report pointed out.

Also, in 50% of the total types of ammunition, the holding was “critical” — insufficient for even 10 days of fighting.

The locally-produced fighter, Tejas, given initial operational clearance two years ago, is riddled with 53 “significant shortfalls” that could compromise its survivability in combat, said a CAG report tabled in Parliament.

The 63-page report on the LCA — a project for which Rs 13,390 crore has been sanctioned so far — indicated that LCA Mk-I pilots would be like sitting ducks in battle, vulnerable to fire from 7.62 mm machine guns, specially at the front-end of the aircraft.

There are glaring deficiencies in the warplane’s electronic warfare capabilities that could dim its chances of survival in a hostile environment.

Cautioning against the fighter’s “reduced operational capabilities,” the CAG report stated self-protection jammers could not be fitted on LCA Mk-I due to space constraints and glitches in radar warning receiver had still not been sorted out.

“The IAF would be constrained to use 40 LCA Mk-I aircraft with limited operational capabilities,” the report said. The under-development LCA Mk-II is expected to be packed with several major improvements over its predecessor.

The CAG said delay in the manufacture and supply of the LCA — a project sanctioned in 1983 to replace ageing MiG-21s — had set the IAF back by Rs 20,037 crore as it was forced to opt for temporary measures such as upgrading its existing fighter planes to counter the problem of rapid force depletion.

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News Network
March 9,2020

New Delhi, Mar 9: The Delhi Police Special Cell on Monday arrested a PFI member Danish from UP''s Moradabad for allegedly spreading fake propaganda during anti- CAA protests.

"Danish was the head of the Counter Intelligence Wing of PFI and has been actively participating in the anti-CAA protest across the city," sources in the Delhi Police Special Cell said.

Sources further claimed that his arrest has given clues regarding the Information war by the Popular Front of India (PFI).

The FIR related to the protest was filed by the Crime Branch but since the larger conspiracy regarding the Delhi riots is being probed by the Cell, the matter has been transferred to them.

Delhi Police Special Cell had on Sunday arrested a Kashmiri couple from Okhla for alleged links with Islamic State (IS) Khorasan module.

The couple have been identified as Jahanjeb Sami (husband) and Hinda Bashir Beg (wife). The police have seized some objectionable material from them and were interrogating them.

When asked about the couple, the sources said, "Officers of CERT-In are analysing the Eight Mobile phones and Laptop of the couple to question them further."

The couple being an active member of ISJ&K was operating from the Valley but later shifted their base to Delhi post internet clampdown.

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Agencies
January 11,2020

New Delhi, Jan 11: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Friday said that he has never seen innocents like the Indian people, who believe the claims made by the government on the implementation of its programmes. The former Union Minister, addressing a literary event, said, "I have never seen innocents like the Indian people. If something appears on print (and named two newspapers also), we believe it. We believe anything."

Claims like all villages having been electrified in the country and toilets built for 99 per cent of families in India were being believed, he said.

Similar was the case of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, (Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana or PM-JAY is a flagship health care scheme of the Centre), he alleged.

Stating that his Delhi-based driver's father had to get a surgery done under the scheme, he said, however, it could not be performed.

"I asked him (car driver) if he had the Ayushman card and he showed a card and I told him to take it (to hospital). In hospital after hospital, they said they were not aware of anything like that (Ayushman scheme). But we believe that the Ayushman scheme has come to the whole of India," he said.

Further, he said "we believe that for any disease, treatment will be done (indicating the Ayushman scheme) without shelling out money. We are being innocents."

Many news items and data were contrary to the truth, he added.

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News Network
April 20,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 20:  Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday said that the government would revoke the order, which allowed the opening of barbershops and restaurants in the State.

The development comes after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) objected to the move.
When asked about the letter issued by the MHA terming certain decisions as to the dilution of guidelines, Chief Minister Vijayan said: "There is no confrontation between the State government and the Centre."

"Kerala is following all directions issued by the Centre. Barbershops will not be opened and restaurants will only provide online delivery," he told the reporters, adding that public transport would not be allowed.

"There was a decision to open barbershops but many experts have pointed out against the decision. So the Kerala government is withdrawing the decision," he said.

Earlier, Chief Secretary Tom Jose said that if needed, then the State government will make necessary modifications to the lockdown guidelines in the wake of a communication received from the Central government.

The MHA had objected to the decision of Kerala government to allow services like barbershops, local workshops, restaurants, etc., and had urged the State government to revise its lockdown guidelines.

The Government of India had said that violation to lockdown measures reported posed a serious health hazard to the public and risk the spread of COVID-19.

Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla wrote to all Chief Secretaries and a separate letter had been sent to the Kerala Chief Secretary asking them not to dilute lockdown guidelines in any manner.

In his letter to the Kerala Chief Secretary, Bhalla had stated that the consolidated revised guidelines on the measures to be taken by the Ministries/Departments of the Government of India has been circulated on April 15 for containment of COVID-19.

Kerala Minister Kadakampally Surendran had said that relaxations have been given abiding by the direction issued by the Central government. He had added that the Centre may have asked for an explanation due to some misunderstanding.

India is under a nation-wide lockdown that came into force on March 25 to contain the spread of coronavirus, which has claimed 559 lives in the country. Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the extension of lockdown till May 3.

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