Latest news with #BipinRawat
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Business Standard
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
Time to transform to military theatre commands: Former Indian Army General
General M M Naravane (retired) emphasises the importance of military theatres in India. M M Naravane Listen to This Article The post of a Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was formally created in December 2019, with the appointment of General Bipin Rawat as the first CDS. The necessity of a CDS had been first mooted as a recommendation of the Kargil Review Committee led by K Subrahmanyam after the 1999 Kargil War to address the issue of the lack of jointness among the three Services. Subsequently, in 2001, a Group of Ministers report reiterated the need for a CDS to ensure better coordination and integration among the armed forces. However, this major reform was kept in abeyance by successive governments
India.com
21-06-2025
- Business
- India.com
India to prepare for 3.5 front war as Pakistan, China, Bangladesh hold secret meeting in Kunming... what are they planning?
India to prepare for 3.5 front war as Pakistan, China, Bangladesh hold secret meeting in Kunming... what are they planning? In the rapidly changing geopolitics, India's security concerns are now taking a new form. Now is not the time when there was a threat on the borders only from Pakistan and China. The '2.5 front war' that General Bipin Rawat talked about a decade ago, now seems to be changing into a '3.5 front war'. The reason for this is the first trilateral meeting of Pakistan, China and Bangladesh in Kunming city of China recently. This meeting between officials of China, Pakistan and Bangladesh on June 19 was for the first time, but its message was big. China's Deputy Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, Bangladesh's Acting Foreign Secretary Ruhul Alam Siddiqui and Pakistan's Additional Foreign Secretary Imran Ahmed Siddiqui attended the meeting. Pakistan's Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch participated through video link. The meeting was called 'Development Friendly Trilateral Dialogue', but its diplomatic meaning goes far beyond this. The statement issued after the meeting talked about 'people centric development in the South Asian region'. But given Bangladesh's executive leadership and its recent closeness with China, for India it seems more like a strategic alignment than diplomacy. Why is India's concern about Bangladesh increasing? In March 2025, Chief Advisor of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, Prof. Mohammad Yunus, during his visit to China, described Bangladesh as a political and economic partner of China. He had said that China should make way through Bangladesh to reach the market of Northeast India. This was the statement after which India banned Bangladesh's textile products on 17 May. Bangladesh was considered a strategic friend of India as long as Sheikh Hasina was the Prime Minister. However, after Hasina's coup, the interim government led by Mohammad Yunus has increased its closeness with Pakistan and China. What is the danger of a 3.5 front war? General Bipin Rawat, while talking about '2.5 front war', had said that India will have to face the challenge of terrorism and internal security along with China and Pakistan. But now this equation seems to be changing after seeing the role of Bangladesh. Rakhine Corridor: Another emerging tension zone The Rohingya crisis was discussed in the recent talks between Bangladesh and America. Along with this, Bangladesh's National Security Advisor Dr. Khalilur Rahman has advocated a 'humanitarian corridor' to Myanmar's Rakhine province. This area is very sensitive from a strategic point of view for India, China and Bangladesh. America is also now showing interest in this area. India must be prepared India will have to understand the new realities by leaving behind its strategic perspective. It will have to take the issues related to Bangladesh more seriously on both diplomatic and defence fronts. Along with this, it will be necessary to strengthen connectivity, economic blockade and border monitoring in Northeast India. '3.5 Front War' is no longer a fantasy, but an emerging reality. And India will have to be prepared for it.
News18
18-06-2025
- Climate
- News18
Why Chopper Services In Pilgrim Spots Must Be Stopped
Last Updated: The number of people who take helicopters are a fraction of those who go by road and hence limiting such chopper services to emergency evacuations must be considered On Sunday, seven people, including a two-year-old, died when a chopper operated by a private aviation company carrying Char Dham pilgrims from Kedarnath crashed near Gaurikund in Rudraprayag district on its way to Guptkashi. Initial indications are that it also happened due to poor visibility caused by bad weather. There are predictable—and possibly even true—suspicions about maintenance issues and cutting corners when it comes to passenger safety. On May 8, six people including the pilot were killed when their helicopter crashed into a hillside in Uttarkashi when flying from Dehradun to Harsil. Ten days later, an air ambulance helicopter made an emergency landing in Kedarnath when its tail rotor malfunctioned but no one got hurt. On June 7, a chopper carrying 5 people from Rudraprayag to Kedarnath in Uttarakhand had a technical snag during take-off but managed to land safely on a highway. It is not surprising that the Uttarakhand Chief Minister has halted all helicopter services in the state for two days. However, what he said raises fresh concerns. He asked the state's Chief Secretary to form an expert panel to prepare a standard operating procedure mandating thorough technical checks of helicopters and taking updated weather information before every flight. This implies that these basic safety procedures are not generally conducted. That suspicion is borne out by information emerging that the ill-fated flight happened before the time slot allotted to that chopper service, indicating that the owners were probably running extra services off the register. As there are over 300 scheduled flights around that area during peak Char Dham yatra season, the temptation to squeeze in a few more beyond official hours is high. And if the area has no ATC or radar systems, weather changes can prove deadly. Last October, the Chief Election Commissioner and three other officials and the pilot had a close shave when their helicopter had to make an emergency landing near Munsiyari in Uttarakhand en route to the Milam Glacier because of a sudden weather deterioration. Exactly two years before that, in 2022, another chopper belonging to the same company whose helicopter crashed on Sunday also came down two km from Kedarnath killing six passengers and the pilot. So, can rigorous checks really ensure safety? When India's first Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and 13 others died in a crash in the Nilgiri Hills 2021, they were aboard a MI-17 Indian Air Force helicopter, not one operated by a private company. And yet, even with two very experienced IAF pilots at the helm, their helicopter hit a tree and flew into the hillside just minutes from its destination, the Defence Services Staff College at Wellington. A tri-service court of inquiry examined the evidence of the flight data recorder and concluded that it was a Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT), that means the pilot was in full control but crashed the chopper because of faulty 'situational awareness" the aircraft strikes the terrain. The helicopter was apparently flying at a lower than expected altitude when it entered a rolling cloud bank that reduced visibility to the extent that it hit the hillside while engulfed in it. Back in 2009, a state government helicopter carrying the then Andhra Pradesh CM Rajshekhar Reddy and four others took off from Hyderabad but flew into bad weather and tried to fly around it. The pilots decided to turn left after crossing the Krishna River but then had a problem with the oil pressure as it flew over the dense Nallamala Forest area. They were trying to search the manual for a remedy when the chopper crashed into a hillside while banking left. In May 2011, Dorjee Khandu, then CM of Arunachal Pradesh and four others including two pilots died when their single engine chopper crashed at 13,000 ft near Sela Pass in the West Kameng district while flying from Tawang to Itanagar. Ten days before that, A Mi-17 helicopter also crashed in the Tawang area killing 17 people but the pilot and five others survived with serious burns. Whether Uttarakhand or Nilgiris, Eastern Ghats or eastern Himalayas, hilly terrain is not the best place for extensive helicopter activity as weather changes very quickly there and winds can be very unpredictable at any time of the year. Unfortunately, there have been plenty of helicopter crashes in non-mountainous areas too, notably one that killed India's then Lok Sabha Speaker GMC Balayogi in 2002 in Kaikalur in Andhra Pradesh—due to bad weather. It may be argued that politicians and officials often need to get from one place to another quickly and helicopters offer the best option if roads are not good and there are no railheads or airports nearby. But the same constraint cannot be applicable to pilgrims and tourists who comprise the bulk of people using this precarious mode of transport today. There must be rationalisation of usage in the name of safety even if accessibility is a tourism mantra now. The crux of the dilemma is the conflation of pilgrimage with tourism—manifest in the oxymoronic phrase 'spiritual tourism"—because both involve travel. But the purposes of both are utterly different. Spiritual by definition cannot be materialistic; it is about purifying the soul and attaining enlightenment. Tourism is primarily to gratify the five senses—and there is nothing wrong with that. But the attitude to accessing either (or both) cannot be the same. The age-old practice of pilgrimage was not regarded as a fun family outing but a serious personal spiritual journey, even if often conducted in groups. These journeys were not meant to be 'done" as quickly and as comfortably as possible with all modern amenities so that they could be ticked off a bucket list like a holiday hotspot. In fact, temples like Guruvayoor and Sabarimala still prescribe mental and physical preparations including austerities for pilgrims. Just because Char Dham and many other pilgrimage destinations are in beautiful locales does not mean they should be treated like tourism spots that seek to make their customers happy with conveniences from free airport transfers to heated pools. Pilgrimages are a sacred journey, where exertion to arrive at the presence of the Almighty is expected of devotees of many faiths, like undertaking Hajj to Mecca or walking to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Unlike many faiths, there is no extra merit in going on a pilgrimage for Hindus; it is a personal choice. But it is not meant to be an easy choice, to be fitted into a holiday itinerary and cushioned with whatever comforts money can buy for the journey. Devotion rather than wallets are the prerequisite and the authorities need to lay down rules of conduct, if the sacredness of pilgrimages are to be maintained as well as the safety of both people and the holy locations. The states in which popular high-altitude pilgrimage spots are located particularly need to take some tough decisions as the numbers will continue to rise, putting pressure on infrastructure in an ecologically fragile and climatically unpredictable area. The number of people who take helicopters are a fraction of those who go by road—in vehicles and then on foot (or hooves!)—and hence limiting such chopper services to emergency evacuations must be considered. top videos View all Before the advent of helicopters, did devotees not make it to remote pilgrimage spots? Ensuring private helicopters are not taking dangerous liberties with the rules is next to impossible, given our Indian propensity to cut corners. However, good roads, adequate rest and recuperation facilities, efficient hospitals, and provision for wheelchairs should enable thousands of pilgrims to make it to these places—and provide many more jobs for locals too. The author is a freelance writer. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18's views. tags : Char Dham Yatra helicopter crash kedarnath Rudraprayag Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: June 17, 2025, 15:53 IST News opinion Opinion | Why Chopper Services In Pilgrim Spots Must Be Stopped
Time of India
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Ahmedabad air crash: Flashback to India's famous personalities who lost their lives to air tragedies
An Air India plane crashed in Ahmedabad. Amit Shah assured support to Gujarat. The incident brings back memories of past air tragedies. General Bipin Rawat, Homi Bhabha, and actress Soundarya lost their lives in air crashes. Former Chief Ministers YS Rajasekhara Reddy and Dorjee Khandu also died in similar incidents. Take a look at famous Indians who lost their lives to air crash. (Image used for representative purpose only). Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads CDS General Bipin Rawat (2021) Homi Bhabha (1966) KS Sowmya aka Soundarya (2004) Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads YS Rajasekhara Reddy (2009) Dorjee Khandu (2011) OP Jindal and Surender Singh (2005) Madhavrao Scindia (2001) Sanjay Gandhi (1980) GMC Balayogi (2002) Surendra Mohan Kumaramangalam (1973) Lt Gen Daulat Singh, Lt Gen Bikram Singh, AVM EW Pinto (1963) An Air India plane bound for London crashed during takeoff at Ahmedabad airport, leaving the nation shocked. As authorities probe the cause and manage the aftermath, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has spoken with Gujarat's Chief Minister, Home Minister, and the Police Commissioner following the plane crash incident. He has assured full support and assistance from the Central government in managing the this, it's hard not to recall similar air tragedies that have claimed the lives of some of India's most prominent figures — from political heavyweights and war heroes to cultural icons. Here's a look at those heartbreaking first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, tragically died in a helicopter crash on December 8, 2021. The incident occurred near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu while he was en route from Sulur to Wellington with his wife and 11 pioneering nuclear physicist Homi Jehangir Bhabha died in a tragic crash aboard Air India Flight 101 on January 24, 1966. The plane crashed into Mont Blanc in the Swiss Alps due to miscommunication with Geneva air traffic South Indian actress Soundarya, whose real name was KS Sowmya, lost her life in an air crash on April 17, 2004. The Sooryavansham actress was flying from Bengaluru to Karimnagar with her brother. The crash devastated fans across the Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, and Malayalam film known as YSR, the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh died on September 2, 2009, when his Bell 430 helicopter crashed in the dense Nallamala forest due to bad Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu was flying in a Pawan Hans helicopter on April 30, 2011, when it lost contact with ground control. After a five-day search, the wreckage was found in and Haryana Power Minister OP Jindal, along with Agriculture Minister Surender Singh, died in a helicopter crash in March 2005. Their King Cobra chopper was en route from Delhi to Chandigarh when it crashed in Uttar Pradesh's Railways Minister Madhavrao Scindia died on September 30, 2001, in a plane crash en route to a political rally in Kanpur. The 10-seater private aircraft crashed due to poor weather conditions near Manipuri, Uttar Pradesh.A key figure in the Congress party and son of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi died in a tragic crash on June 23, 1980. Attempting aerial stunts in a Delhi Flying Club aircraft near Safdarjung Airport, the aircraft lost control and the 12th Speaker of the Lok Sabha, GMC Balayogi was one of the most respected leaders in Parliament. His life was cut short on March 3, 2002, when the Bell 206 helicopter carrying him crashed in Andhra Pradesh's Krishna May 31, 1973, former Lok Sabha MP Surendra Mohan Kumaramangalam died in the crash of Indian Airlines Flight 440 in Delhi. He was identified only by a Parker pen and a hearing Poonch air crash on November 23, 1963, took the lives of six senior Indian armed forces officers, including Lieutenant General Daulat Singh, Lt Gen Bikram Singh, and Air Vice Marshal EW Pinto. The helicopter crash occurred during an inspection flight.
India Today
30-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Yashasvi Solanki first woman Navy officer to become President's Aide-de-Camp
Lieutenant Commander Yashasvi Solanki of the Indian Navy has been appointed as Aide-de-Camp (ADC) to the President of India. This is the first time a woman officer from the Indian Navy has been posted as an ADC to the Supreme Commander of the Armed role of an ADC involves facilitating coordination and communication between the President and various arms of the establishment, ensuring seamless staff work and official President is typically assigned five ADCs - three from the Army, one each from the Navy and the Air Force. In addition, the President may choose officers from any of the armed forces at their discretion to serve in this role. Lieutenant Commander Yashasvi Solanki's appointment follows the increasing integration of women into key military roles, including as ADCs to Army Commanders, Service Chiefs and Governors in recent years. Her selection reflects the growing trust and recognition of women officers in the Indian armed forces' highest ceremonial and administrative in December 2024, it was announced that the personal staff officers for the service chiefs of all defence forces - the Army, the Navy, and the Air Force - would be appointed from their sister services starting January 1, 2025. The move marked a significant step towards achieving uniformity within the was seen as a major step towards the 'theaterisation' of the defence forces - a process that began with the appointment of the first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, in all service chiefs received their personal staff officers, known as Aide-de-Camp, not only from their own services but also from units with which they had a personal or professional connection. This marks the first time ADCs have been appointed for service chiefs from other services.
