DEFENCE PENSION
Indian Army confirms payment of Rs 98.39 lakh to Agniveer Ajay Kumar's family after Rahul Gandhi's claim
The Indian Army affirmed its commitment to honoring soldiers' sacrifices amid controversy over compensation for Agniveer Ajay Kumar's family. The Army clarified that they received Rs 98.39 lakhs and are due another Rs 67 lakhs pending police verification, totaling around Rs 1.65 crore under the Agniveer Scheme. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi accused Defence Minister Rajnath Singh of misleading Parliament about the compensation, triggering a dispute. Singh defended the Agniveer Scheme, denying discrepancies and emphasizing its purpose to support personnel not eligible for standard military benefits.
Stay invested, and buy more; there will be more legs to this rally: Varun Saboo
There can be a little bit of time correction, and then earnings growth will catch up. Varun Saboo of Anand Rathi Share is still positive on a defence theme or railways theme, etc, which was going around all the time. He does not see any change in the narrative which was there.
Agniveers 'use & throw': Rahul tears into Govt for no pension to martyrs; Rajnath rebukes charge
Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, on Monday launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance at the Centre, claiming that Agniveers were being treated as “use and throw.” Rahul Gandhi asserted that the Agn...
Reforms in armed forces should be continuous to maintain supremacy during wars: President Murmu
President Droupadi Murmu highlighted the government's efforts to boost domestic defence production. She claimed that nearly 70 per cent of defence procurement was sourced from Indian manufacturers in the last year, and reforms resulting in India manufacturing over Rs one lakh crore of defence equipment. She emphasised upon modernisation of the armed forces, the importance of continuous reforms for military supremacy, and India's increasing defence exports, including the BrahMos missile deal with the Philippines.
Rajnath Singh retains Defence Minister portfolio with major reforms on the horizon, here are some key issues that are expected to be addressed
Rajnath Singh will continue as India's Defense Minister, focusing on self-reliance in defense and boosting women's roles in the armed forces. Amidst tensions with China, India is increasing defense imports from the US. The Agnipath recruitment scheme, criticized for job security, is under review. Theater command unification aims to enhance joint operations, with progress made. Indigenous military production is a priority to reduce reliance on imports. Singh faces the immediate task of appointing a new Army Chief, influencing future military reforms.
Modi 3.0 in action: NDA's 100-day dash unveiled with key ministry moves
With the National Democratic Alliance assuming power, all Union ministries are set to launch their 100-day plans. ET provides a snapshot of the key government initiatives and actions planned for the next three months.
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MoD inks MoUs with 4 banks to onboard them as SPARSH service centres across 1,128 branches
The Defence Accounts Department (DAD) of the Ministry of Defence has signed MoUs with Bank of India, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, and Utkarsh Small Finance Bank to onboard 1,128 branches as SPARSH service centres. SPARSH (System for Pension Administration (RAKSHA)) is a web-based system for direct pension processing. These centres will assist pensioners in remote areas with services like profile updates, grievance registration, and digital identification. SPARSH services are now accessible at over 26,000 branches of 15 banks, enhancing pension management efficiency and transparency.
Pakistan to unveil Rs 18 trillion budget on June 12: Minister
The Pakistan government is likely to present the budget with the outlay of around Rs 18 trillion for the financial year 2024-25 on June 12, a minister said on Wednesday. The government will table the budget in the National Assembly after approval from the Cabinet, The Express Tribune newspaper reported, quoting the Minister of State for Finance Ali Pervaiz Malik.
Modi slams INDIA bloc, accuses it of making Army as ' weapon of politics'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused the INDIA bloc of politicizing the Army during his last poll rally. He criticized the opposition, particularly the Congress and INDI alliance, for weakening the armed forces.
EC egregiously wrong in directing Congress not to 'politicise' Agnipath scheme: Chidambaram
Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram criticises Election Commission's directive on politicising the Agnipath scheme, asserting Opposition's right to criticise government policies.
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Latest General Provident Fund rules: Will interest amount be paid if the GPF contribution exceeds Rs 5 lakh? Govt clarifies
General Provident Fund rules: All government employees can open a GPF account and pay a portion of their salaries to the GPF. When they retire, employees receive the entire money accrued in their GPF account over their service tenure.
LTC rules for central government employees released: Who is eligible, who is not? Find out here
The Leave Travel Concession (LTC) initiative offers government employees a discounted travel option to go to any destination in India or to their home town during a a block of four years. . Are all central government employees eligible for LTC? What are the terms and conditions of LTC? All you need to know.
UK defence ministry targeted in cyberattack: govt
Britain's Ministry of Defence has faced a significant cyberattack targeting a third-party payroll system, according to government officials. While the attack's origin has not been officially confirmed, former minister Tobias Ellwood suggested it had the hallmarks of a Chinese cyberattack. The breach reportedly exposed the personal information, including names, bank details, and addresses, of current and former armed forces members. The Ministry of Defence swiftly took the affected database offline, and Defence Secretary Grant Shapps is expected to provide more information to Parliament.
Debate among defence experts over Rahul Gandhi's promise to scrap 'Agniveer' scheme
Defence experts debate Rahul Gandhi's proposal to eliminate the Agnipath scheme. Rahul pledges to abolish the unpopular scheme if the INDIA bloc wins, emphasizing the need for a unified martyr rank for soldiers. Defence expert Major General GD Bakshi (R) told ANI, "I have some reservations personally about this scheme. My suggestion is that instead of throwing the baby out with the bathwater, this scheme be appropriately tweaked after trials."
Dearness relief (DR) hiked by 4% to 50% for central govt pensioners: Who are eligible, when will they get it? Govt answers
Central govt pensioners, family pensioners: The Department of Pension & Pensioners’ Welfare (DoPPW) released an Office Memorandum mentioning which pensioners and family pensioners will be eligible for the recent dearness relief (DR) hike and how the payment of DR will be calculated. It will instructed the pension disbursing banks to arrange payments of dearness relief to pensioners or family pensioners without waiting for any further instruction from other authorities. Read here
Chief of the Naval Staff embarks on three-day visit to the Eastern Naval Command
Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff, visited the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) in Visakhapatnam from March 21-23. During his visit, he engaged in various activities, including reviewing naval operations at sea and interacting with officers and sailors. He also inaugurated a new accommodation block for Defence Security Corps personnel and awarded unit citations to INS Sumitra for anti-piracy operations. The visit included meetings with Defence Civilian personnel, AGMs of NGIF/INBA and the Navy Foundation, and discussions with veterans to address their concerns.
India Playbook 2024 – the India defence equity market story
Indian defence sector stocks excel globally, benefiting from geopolitical risk, domestic manufacturers' rise, and strong order books. The sector shows resilience amidst global market fluctuations and government's increased defense expenditure, positioning for sustainable growth. India's aerospace industry has many legs of growth and Hindustan Aeronautics is the key player in the space.
Defence Budget 2024: Sitharaman hikes defence expenditure by 4% as India seeks to fortify borders
In her Interim Budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has raised expenditure on defence to Rs 6.25 lakh crore from Rs 5.94 lakh crore in her previous budget. The budget for FY24 allocates Rs 5.94 lakh crore to the Defence Ministry, accounting for 13.2% of the total government expenditure. The capital outlay for modernisation and infrastructure development is increased to Rs 1.63 lakh crore.
Could have treated 90,000 Pak soldiers in any way, but we gave respect: Rajnath
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh praised the Indian Army for treating the surrendered 90,000 Pakistan Prisoners of War (POWs) with respect during the 1971 war. The Indian Army adopted a humanitarian attitude and sent the POWs back to Pakistan with full respect. Singh highlighted that this treatment is a golden chapter of humanity.
These pensioners can submit their annual life certificate by January 31, 2023
The annual identification for defence pensioners due in the month of November 2023 have been extended. They need to submit life certificate to ensure continuation of pension.
Sparsh Pensioners: How defence pensioners can submit Digital Life Certificate (Jeevan Pramaan) online?
Jeevan Pramaan Patra: Defence pensioners must perform annual identification which can be done using Aadhaar, or providing life certificates issued by designated authorities to have the entitled pension credited to their bank account.
BMS demands Guaranteed Pension under National Pension System
“A high level delegation of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh led by Ravindra Himte, all-India general secretary of Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS), submitted a memorandum to the finance minister demanding guaranteed pension under NPS like Old Pension Scheme (OPS),” BMS said in a statement issued after the meeting.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh issues instruction to release third instalment of OROP arrears by Diwali
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has directed the release of the third instalment of arrears under the 'One Rank On Pension' (OROP) scheme to defence pensioners before Diwali. The government approved the revision of pensions for armed forces personnel under the 'OROP' scheme, with retrospective effect from July 1, 2019.
New rules for disability pension aimed at protecting interests of genuine personnel, enhance efficiency of 3 services: CDS
The new rules titled 'Entitlement Rules (ER) for Casualty Pension and Disability Compensation Awards to Armed Forces Personnel, 2023' were brought out based on the recommendations of a study involving the three services, Armed Forces Medical Services and the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare.
New disability pension rules: Congress mobilises defence veterans
The Congress party plans to mobilize defense veterans to protest against the Indian government's newly notified disability pension rules. The party's Ex-Servicemen Department is in contact with various ex-servicemen's organizations to take legal action against the rules, possibly by moving the Supreme Court.
Mallikarjun Kharge slams BJP over new disability pension rules
"BJP's Fake Nationalism is yet again visible in the new disability pension rules for our brave Armed Forces! Around 40% of Army officers retire with disability pension, and the present policy change shall flout multiple past judgements, rules and acceptable global norms. The All India Ex-Servicemen Welfare Association has strongly protested this new policy by the Modi Government, which places soldiers at a disadvantage when compared to civilian employees", Kharge posted on 'X' on Saturday.
BJP's 'fake nationalism' visible yet again: Mallikarjun Kharge on new disability pension rules for armed forces
According to media reports, the All India Ex-Servicemen Welfare Association has strongly protested against the new policy on disability and death benefits of defence personnel and their widows. The policy was made public on Wednesday by the Ministry of Defence.
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