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June 9, 2020

Wg Cmdr Praful Bakshi (retd) Defense and Security Analyst

Dateline Mussoorie: Sixty-Three Cantonments in India, watch out! Landour Cantonment in the hill station of Mussoorie is inches away from becoming the country’s Numero Uno or Number One Cantonment very soon.

A youthful, dynamic Chief Executive Officer and his team of energetic young folks are on a roll. With a long to-do-list, they are leaving no stone unturned to accomplish what most of his predecessors tried to do but left it for him to finish.

After marathon of meetings stretching throughout the day, he made the time to talk to Newspost. Abhishekh Rathore IDES updated us: “Our priority for Landour is widening its roads, provide parking, improve water supply and add to street-lighting. Given these extraordinary circumstances, we are trying to accomplish as many of these tasks as possible.”

For starters, most of the gutters outside the shops leading up the ramp to Mullingar have been repaired. Nine poles that obstructed traffic up the sharp incline were moved to make way for vehicular traffic.

Then there are new LED streetlights to light up the darkness in the entire Cantonment. Plans are underway for beautification of the lookout at the Mullingar Chowk. Chardukan too will be given an aesthetic façade including its own local-haat selling Uttarakhand handicraft and produce. This will generate employment for the young.

There are more plans including: ‘Setting up traffic lights, at every tricky stretch of the road, leading to the top of the hill. Landour Cantonment shall be hiring a few home-guards or P.R.D.s carrying walkie-talkies in peak season to manage the heavy influx of traffic on weekends.”

And if you thought that was it, you have more coming: Talks are underway for two dedicated parking lots. But till that happens, special parking zones have been identified around the Upper Chakkar where up to eighty cars can easily be parked on any given day.

“Though the present pandemic has slowed down the pace at which one would have liked all this to happen, but in the months to come, the idea is to ensure that Landour becomes a smart city by itself,” he says before signing off. If things go right, you could well see Landour residents singing: ‘Happy Days Are Here Again!’

Serving the nation through voluntary military training and service

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June 6, 2020

IMA POP Dec 2019 — Representational Image

New Delhi: To have a capable and strong citizenry to run the country, it would be a welcome move that every citizen must have the attributes and qualities of a soldier who guard the nation. One who is physically fit, motivated with right qualities of leadership and managerial traits knowing not only how to defend but also run his country. This can be achieved in a unified and systematic manner if compulsory military training is imparted to the youth.

Each and every soldier contributes towards building a democratic infrastructure of the state. Unfortunately we have conditioned our minds to think that a uniformed soldier is a complete opposite of what is required to support a democratic machine, without knowing that it is through his sacrifices of liberties and rights that the nation is safe and strengthened.

Besides the above how many in Civil and Corporate Sector realize that all the principles of management practiced by the industrial world have been taken from the armed forces, making its personnel the natural practitioner of these principles.

In the late sixties when National Cadet Corp was compulsory for school and colleges, NCC cadets contributed effectively during the 1962 and 1965 wars. Escorts to military logistic trains, convoys of civil truck carrying military equipment, escorting refugee columns as a support to local police and administration, was carried out by NCC cadets. Why this practice got diluted, makes for interesting study.

Suggestions for National and State Level Organizational Structure:

The core of this should be strengthened and up-graded version of NCC, renamed as NATIONAL MILITARY PREPARATORY CORP or NMPC.

NMPC could be a regular source of supply of abled-youth if he/she wants to pursue the armed forces, or be a first grade citizen trained for nation building. Headed by a Lt. Gen rank Officer from the three services, and be placed under Integrated Defence Staff, the state level NMPC could be headed by a Maj. Gen or Equivalent Rank Officer controlling the district levels areas through NMPC Battalions and Squadrons, with aid and assistance from Army, Air and Naval Bases.

The three services would be allotted extra funds by increasing the annual budget to meet necessary increase in extra logistics etc. The officers could be from the three services along with BSF, ITBP on deputation or ERE.

Before we move on to the syllabus, it should be appreciated that compulsory military training would hold good if the student has a fair understanding of national security, meaning of the term, role of the armed forces, military and national industrial capability, dependence of military development on national industry, handling and management of situations of disaster study development and requirement of modern weapon system.

This special subject must be started in class 8^th and carry on until college. A team of service officers, UGC and the Ministry of Education can jointly work out the syllabus. The physical military ground, sea and air training could be the responsibility of the service groups, exposing them to weaponry and technology.

Other than basic military subject, the training syllabus must include military studies, the aspects of internal security, threats, joint-operations along with Indigenization of Defence and other industries. All these subjects could start from basics pitched according to the understanding at their age and stage.

No political leanings:

No cadet of NMPC would be allowed to be part of any political activity.

Camps:

Camps could be conducted at the State level utilizing help from the service formations. But for class XII and college students the camp could be at a common place, something which will require more in depth study.

The defence budget must be suitably upgraded. The Ministry for Education, UGC and State governments must be asked to contribute monetarily, logistically and through manpower.

Induction into the Three Service:

It is most logical to think that once a cadet has completed the training he or she would like to serve the nation as an Officer in any of the three services along with the Coast Guard. Successful cadets after clearing an interview could be granted 3 to 5 years service in the Officers Rank, as was recently suggested by the Chief of the Army staff Gen Narvane.

For other ranks, candidates who could not make it to the selection of the NMPC should be given 5-year service in the ranks (an aspect that can be further fine tuned).

The question of absorption of these personnel into the services after 3 to 5 years will have to be worked out but one thing is certain that this vast reservoir of capable national manpower would not only become the second line of defence, but would also contribute towards nation building, proper governance, law and order, regional security and protection of vital areas, rural development programs, up gradation of environmental health and cleanliness and disaster management.

In the longer run the organisation of Civil Defence/Home guards could become a part of this process to give it added value.

India has a vast reservoir of youth eager to play their part in the upliftment of their Nation. The earlier we tap this opportunity, the better it would be for a promising future.

Poetry Film celebrates the spirit of collective change

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June 5, 2020

https://www.facebook.com/hilldaari/videos/564658877572542/

Nestlé India in collaboration with Stree Mukti Sanghatana and RECITY have released a poetry film, ‘Let’s imagine a healed world’ as part of Project HILLDAARI this World Environment Day.

Recited by Anamika Joshi, a popular spoken word performance artist, urges people to collectively imagine a cleaner environment that helps biodiversity flourish, similar to what we are experience these days during the lockdown. Through its lyrics, the poem motivates people to recalibrate their actions to ignite hope for a newer and a healed world.

Commenting on this unique initiative, Mr. Sanjay Khajuria, Director – Corporate Affairs, Nestlé India said, ’During the pandemic, Nestlé India through its Project Hilldaari and in collaboration with local stakeholders has reached out to waste professionals in the select tourist towns of India and enabled them to face the crisis by providing essentials, creating awareness and equipping them with safety gears. On the occasion of World Environment Day, the HILLDAARI poetry film also encourages collective efforts for a better tomorrow and resonates the need for respecting the environment.’’

Adding to this, popular spoken word performance artist, Ms. Anamika Joshi, said, “Art has the power to change the world and given the current situation, the world is in dire need of a positive change. This poetry film aims to bring hope amidst the current challenging times along with a sense of reflection to pause and think for a better tomorrow. It highlights the power of imagination and empathy in changing the world.’

HILLDAARI is an initiative supported by Nestlé India to develop inclusive, contextualised and resilient models for solid and plastic waste management, in the tourist cities of the country. It is currently being implemented in Mussoorie, Nainital and Dalhousie by Stree Mukti Sanghatana, with Recity Network Private Limited as the technical partner. The initiative is progressively working towards professionalizing 220 waste collectors and informal waste pickers towards segregation of waste at source through a multi-collaborative approach with municipal councils, citizens, contractors, waste workers and influencers.

Watch and comment:

World Environment Day, 2020 just got more greener

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June 5, 2020

Dateline Dehradun: Despite the havoc that COVID-19 has wrecked, several “green” initiatives planned for World Environment Day 2020 are set to leave a positive mark. On World Environment Day, United States-based reforestation non-profit One Tree Planted, in association with social enterprise Sustainable Green Initiative (SGI), will start its planting drive across India. A total of 500,000 fruit trees will be planted in several parts of India this monsoon season.

Planting fruit trees in homesteads and farmland of marginal farmers in five villages of Tehri district in Saklana range in Uttarakhand; fifteen villages of Palwal, Haryana; ten villages in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh; three villages GPs in Puri district of Odisha; one village in the Khopoli region in Maharashtra, and five locations across Delhi-NCR.

Cyclone Amphan, which ripped through West Bengal, left devastation in its wake. It also uprooted scores of mighty trees all over Kolkata. Sustainable Green Initiative has pledged to replant 1,000 of the 5,000 big trees that fell. Eight feet tall saplings of trees such as Neem, Arjun, Karanj, Bakul will be planted in the presence of senior officials from the Kolkata Municipality and prominent members of the civil society.

Sustainable Green Initiative will also kick-off its mangrove and fruit trees planting campaign for 15,000 fruit trees and 200,000 mangroves in the Balli islands of the Sundarbans, under the watchful eye of the Tiger Man of India – Anil Mistry.

In the coming two years, these trees will sequester 2500 tonnes of carbon, and will provide fruits and fodder leaves to the villagers. Depending on the geography, the tree saplings will include Guava, Lemon, Pomegranate, Gooseberry, Jackfruit and Mango.

“These are tough times but we need to keep working towards a better, cleaner, safer future,” said Matt Hill, Founder, One Tree Planted, adding how there was a direct connection between our physical and mental health, and greenery.

Raj Mohan, Founder, Sustainable Green Initiative, said, “We will help maintain these trees for a period of one year to ensure maximum survival rate and encourage the villagers to adopt organic fertilisers and pesticides for the same.”

Sankhya Art Foundation: Bringing art closer to home

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June 1, 2020

https://www.facebook.com/sankhyaartfoundation/videos/677850969679109/?sfnsn=scwspmo&extid=MlGm52Ufb58vxczM&d=n&vh=e

Dateline Dehradun: Sankhya Art Foundation in association with Varanasi Theatre Group and Soham Himalayan Museum, Mussoorie organized its debut ‘live-digital solo play,’ entitled, ‘Corona aur Kal Dosh.’

The under twenty-minute performance was an adaptation of a play ‘Corona aur Kal Dosh‘ penned by Nilay Upadhyay aka Ganga Yatri, a renowned writer, poet, philosopher and thinker. Talented theatre artist Mukesh Tiwari played the protagonist in the play based on the relevance of the five elements in our lives.

Going ‘Live’ from Saddat in Gazipur, where Actor Mukesh Tiwari is during lockdown, he tells us, “I am enacting the role of the chief spokesperson of Mother Nature where I warn humanity that I i.e. Nature has started a fight against them.”

Garnering over fifteen hundred views in their first-online gig, the message is pertinent to the present pandemic that we all are facing. It highlights how earth and lives on it have been cursed due to basic elements being polluted, by us humans.

Organically created with basic aesthetics and simple props such as fire torches, the solo-artist plays with voice modulation and body language. The audiences appreciated the set-up some even comparing it to Bharat Ek Khoj.

‘Sankhya Art Foundation’ is the brainchild of two young men, Arun Dabral and Hari Darshan, both committed towards the encouragement and preservation of classical traditional Indian art. This was their first online event supported by Sameer Shukla and Sumit Srivastava.

Arun says, “Our foremost aim is to establish a “Gurukul” in Tehri Garhwal run with indigenous ethics and values. This venture will work with the aim of educating, promoting and preserving our ancestral art- legacy.”

The finale on the 5^th-6^th June will bring to the forefront artists from all genres scattered throughout the globe tied together by the works of Poet Kabir, and promises to wow its growing fans.

Watch out for this space:

IIT Roorkee announces completion plan of Spring Semester 2019-20

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May 31, 2020

Dateline Roorkee: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee has announced it’s semester completion plan. For smooth and timely completion of the 2019-20 Spring Semester, the institute has reworked the plan which is now available at http://acad.iitr.ac.in/notification/SCP_2019-20.pdf.

The new plan is a one-time special provision given the unprecedented circumstances due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will override several existing clauses.

According to the plan, the performance of the students in Spring Semester 2019- 2020 would not be counted for academic performance-based termination of programs, slow pace programs, and towards any other such clauses.

The institute has introduced a system to convert a pass letter grade to a Satisfactory (S) grade without grade point, if a student requests for the same. The weightage ranges of various evaluation components have been revised. Further, students also have the option to appear in a re-exam to improve their grades.

Online evaluation modes have been introduced for MTech and PhD Thesis and BTech Projects. Students who wish to do more work in their thesis are allowed to get their evaluations deferred.

Similarly, for MTech (I year) and PhD Course work seminar, the students who are not prepared and require more time may request for deferred evaluation, which will be conducted within the first 4 weeks of the next semester.

During the lockdown period, IIT Roorkee continued the semester using online teaching methods. The completion of the semester will be carried out by grading the students while taking into account their performance up to midterm examination and the assessment carried out during online teaching.

Changing Traditions: IMA, Passing Out Parade

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May 31, 2020

Dateline Dehradun: The global pandemic is playing spoilsport as the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun gears up for its 146th Regular Course Spring Term, Passing out Parade on the 13^th of June 2020. For this is the first time that parents and guardians will not witness their loved ones march against the spectacular backdrop of the Chetwode building of this stellar institution.

As some four hundred Gentlemen Cadets (other than Foreign Cadets from friendly countries) will take that historic last step or antim pagh into the uniformed fraternity and go forward in charting a path of glory. Notably absent shall be their family and guardians, who used to take pictures of their wards and capture this singular moment forever. This time around, they shall be missed.

In a Press Release the IMA says: “In view of prevailing COVID-19 instructions, the parents and dear ones of the Gentlemen cadets shall not be able to participate in Passing Out Parade events as is the tradition.”

The virulent virus has changed things. Since its very inception, the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun has always put its best foot forward in keeping alive its glorious tradition of turning boys into men with proud parents and guardians witnessing the Pass Out Parade. But this is all set to change now.

But IMA hopes that the print and visual media will do their task by stepping in to fill the yawning gap, adding: “It is therefore extremely important that these events are extensively covered in real time for the nation to witness continues professionalism and commitment of the Indian Army despite prevailing crisis. It will also allow parents, kith and kid of the Gentlemen Cadets to get a true feel of the pride and emotional high in witnessing their heroes don ranks of the Indian Army.”

Munsyari gets its own ‘Bird Tourism based Growth Center’

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May 28, 2020

Satyr Tragopan: Courtesy: Brijesh Dharmshaktu, Munsyari

Dateline Pithoragarh: Two months into lockdown, with least human interference, ‘Nature’ seems to be revealing many a secret. On the 25th of May, Brijesh Dharmshaktu, Chairman Munsyari, EDC took a picture of the elusive Satyr Tragopan – a bird that is usually seen at much higher altitudes.

Considered a sign of good luck, just a day later, the State Government has approved a ‘Bird Tourism based Growth Center’ that will come up soon in Munsyari, Pithoragarh.

The idea behind the Center, “to establish a one-stop Facility Center of the State Government to create trained professional guides in the field of bird tourism and allied nature based activities,” said DFO Pithoragarh Vinay Bhargav. Adding to this, Brijesh Dharmshaktu, Chairman Munsyari, EDC tells us: “As Munsyari emerges as one of our favourite destinations, especially for high altitude Himalaya Bird watching, tourists have often felt that there is a need for recognized guides with them to assist in nature based recreational and allied activities.”

Some 550 kms from the State Capital of Dehradun, Munsyari in Kumaon region, has rich flora and fauna including Spotted Laughing Thrush, Fire Tailed Sunbird, Alpine Chough, Hill Partridge, Bearded Vulture, Koklass and the snow partridge if one were to name a few. Seven pre-identified local birding trails, from five hundred meters to five kilometers long will be revived for bird watching under this scheme.

Another unique USP of the area is the fact that within a four-kilometer radius of the proposed center, bird watchers will be able to spot all the ten species of pheasants abounding in these environs.

Armed with binoculars, spotting scopes, cameras, field guides and tool kits, local youth after getting their vocational training and capacity building programs, that will take tourists down trails explaining to them their rich green cover and its avian treasures in the next few months.

With the present pandemic resulting in mass reverse migration, schemes like these have the potential of giving alternative employment to those who need it the most. What could be better if they found work while staying in the comfort and security of their own homes.

Research for identifying antivirals to tackle COVID-19:IIT Roorkee

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May 28, 2020