ASCENDING THE PAY SUMMIT : COLs & BRIGs By Lt Gen KK Aggarwal, AVSM, SM, VSM (Veteran)
PROLOGUE ( By Surjit) Kapil Aggarwal has sent in a well-researched paper on how the current pay matrix for defence officers was crafted during the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission. It answers many queries which some of us had. However, before going through the document, it would be useful to recollect the pay matrix as it was about forty …
YEH DOSTI…HAM NAHIN TODENGE!
A Jubilee Studded with Diamonds 10th December 1962 was a historic day for the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. It was the date on which the President’s Colours were presented to the Academy and the illustrious personality who presided over the ceremony was Dr S Radhakrishnan who needs no introduction. The 30th regular course passed out during the parade and …
A NAVAL AVIATOR’S TRIBUTE TO ASTE
Admiral Arun Prakash grew up in the Kashmir Valley, where his father rose to be a District Commissioner of Leh. His two elder brothers served in the army. The eldest was a Gunner and retired as a Maj Gen. The middle brother served in Int Corps and retired as a Brig. The Admiral had a long and distinguished career both …
STARTING THE INDIAN AIR FORCE TEST PILOTS SCHOOL
Maj Gen Surjit Singh says : Thomas and I met as young teenagers back in 1958. We were coursemates and in the same squadron. Thomas stood first in the UPSC entrance process. He maintained this throughout the 6 terms and won the Silver Medal. He also won the Air Force Trophy, the Yachting Trophy and many book prizes. He …
Dhyan Chand: The ‘Kohinoor’ of Indian Sportsmen
Foreword, by Lt Gen Kapil Aggarwal (Veteran) Ramener une médaille de hockey (Bring Back a Medal in Hockey) Anointed as the “Wizard of Hockey” by Fuehrer, Adolf Hitler in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Dhyan Chand will forever inspire generations of hockey players and lovers. When India routed the host team and favourites, Germany, by a margin of 8-1 in the …
28th OCTOBER 1914 – WHEN THE INDIA CORPS ALMOST CHANGED THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD!
Foreword Ninety-six years ago, on 18 July 1925, Adolf Hitler published his infamous book, entitled “Mein Kamph” which led to the creation of a formidable German military force. It proved to be the corner-stone of the edifice of a new nation which took on the combined might of allied forces. This 700 page tome contains an account of Private Hitler’s …
A ‘Field Punishment’ Under the Watchful Eye of the Kanchenjunga
Foreword by the editor Brig Krishnan Nair Harikumar is a well-known name in the Corps of EME. I had the good fortune of serving with him in Sikkim during 1981-82, when he was a Major. Had he recorded his age appropriately, he would have surely retired as a general officer. This is a story of how he began his …
A SILENT THUNDER IN ‘HUNTER’ SQUADRON, NDA
A SILENT THUNDER IN ‘HUNTER’ SQUADRON, NDA By 2997 A Bit of History At the end of World War II, Field Marshal Claude Auchinleck, then Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, led a committee around the world and submitted a report to the Government of India in December 1946. The committee recommended the establishment of a Joint Services Military Academy, …
IN THE SHADOW OF SPITUK GOMPA
IN THE SHADOW OF SPITUK GOMPA By Kapil Aggarwal Introduction This is a brief personal-life story narrated by Kapil Aggarwal. It makes interesting reading, because all of us can identify ourselves with the incident. The author is haunted by its memory even today, when twenty-five years have elapsed since then. He has invited the readers’ comments. So, if you have …
A TALE OF TWO CEREMONIAL PARADES
Introduction Our honourable veteran, Maj Gen Amar Jodha Ripu Daman Singh Bawa Bhalla, VSM, holds the unsurpassed record of having served in the Indian Army with the longest name. There were times, when he had to fill forms which did not have sufficient space to contain his complete name, but he did nothing to shorten or abbreviate the tag given …
