Cyber security need of the hour: Menon

By M A Athul

NSA Shiv Shankar Menon said that India needs to create a climate in which security is built into our cyber and communications working methods. He was releasing the IDSA report on India's Cyber Security Challenges.

Menon specified that India was not in favor of curbing virtual freedom but reiterated that a line had to be drawn between privacy and collective security. He emphasized on the need to harden critical networks and develop metrics to safeguard the nation’s cyber infrastructure.
The NSA also emphasized on generating indigenous manpower and technology required for cyber security. He spoke about the ICT on warfare and said that the revolution in IT industry has redistributed power to non state actors including terrorists. He also notified on the effects of ICT on warfare and how the weaker states can use cyber war to neutralize or raise the cost and deter the use of its military strength by a stronger state. The NSA concluded that India must be ready to face threats to cyber space and risks arising through cyber space, and also emphasized on the need of public-private partnership to preserve the functionality in cyber space. 
He also added that while NTRO (National Technical Research Organization) is tasked with the protection of cyber space, the institutions like CERT-IN have proved their worth during events like Common Wealth Games in defending our open civil systems.

Later the Director General of IDSA Dr Arvind Gupta said that the report is aimed at raising awareness about the dynamic nature of cyberspace and cyber security challenges that India is facing. He further added that India must foresee and plan for various challenges arising out of the growth of internet and digitalization of governance. He also pointed out that India is vulnerable to cyber crimes and espionages.

Later there was a panel discussion on the subject “Indian Cyber Security- Way forward." Deputy national Security Advisor Ms. Vijay Latha Reddy said that the government is putting together an architecture involving various agencies and departments to deal with cyber security. Also present was the Chief Information Security Officer, Airtel, Felix Mohan who gave an example of a successful public private partnership between CERT–IN and Airtel during the Common Wealth Games where over 8000 cyber attacks in two weeks.

The IDSA had set up a Task Force in 2011 to explore the diverse dimensions of cyber security challenge that India is facing. The Task Force was headed by Shri Nitin Desai, former Member of the NSAB, and comprised Director General, IDSA, Dr Arvind Gupta. The report argues that Government and the private sector give cyber security some priority in their security and risk management plans, and do this jointly. Being a report that is addressed to the security community in the widest sense and intended to stimulate public discussion, it relied on publicly available information. (Edited from an IDSA release)

If you find any errors in the article, email them to: athulmenath55@yahoo.com

(The writer is a first year PG student of Defence and Strategic Studies with Madras University currently on a 2-months’ internship with Tarmak007. His write-ups need not be news-breaks and in-depth in nature; hence should be seen as an ab initio effort by a budding defence journalist. The views expressed by Athul need not be that of Tarmak007.)

Sainik Samachar: Chronicling for over a century

By M A Athul

Sainik Samachar is an in-house magazine of the defense forces. It summarizes news with a military bias. It was first published in 1909 in Urdu from shimla, the summer capital of India. Initially the name was Fauji Akhbar. Sainik Samachar has provided invaluable service to the Indian defense field in the course of last 100 years. Sainik Samachar would be the only armed forces magazine which is being printed in 13 languages. The primary purpose of the magazine is to keep the defense forces updated with the events relating to defense or any other fields which will affect their field of work.

During the First World War the magazine kept Indian army well informed about the developments on all fronts. The magazine was the main source of news for the men of the Indian army fighting in France. The title piece of November 14^th issue was printed in gold ink to commemorate the victory over Germany. Later in 1923 printing was shifted from Shimla to Lahore, bringing the cost of printing down.

The glory days of Fauji Akhbar were yet to come. During the Second World War; the circulation reached its peak, to 300000. The printing was shifted to Cairo, to serve better the men fighting in North Africa. The overseas edition was brought out in Roman- Urdu. And at the mean time the staff swelled from 15 to 60. Fauji Akhbar was renamed to “Jawan” on September 1945. It was later rechristened to Sainik Samachar on April 14^th 1954, after the Independence.

Sainik Samachar has chronicled the evolution of the Indian army from colonial times to the present day. Its report has chronicled the evolution of Indian Army from the colonial times to the present day. Sainik Samachar has a different taste, giving perspective on various issues. Sainik Samachar also has a huge collection of rare photographs. Many great writers has written  in the issues of Sainik Samachar, such as Ruskin Bond, Khuswant Singh among others.

At the present day Sainik Samachar is being published in 13 languages. The English language magazine debuted in 1923. 'News in Pictures' on the second cover became a regular feature.  In 1940 the magazine began to be published in English and was renamed Jang-Ki-Khabren.The magazine began to be published in, Hindi, Roman Urdu, Punjabi, Tamil Telugu and Marathi. In 1944 Gorkhali edition started as Gorkha Samachar from Shimla. The Tamil edition started from Shimla in 1945.

During the partition of India the publishing stopped since there was a massive immigration of the staff. In 1948 the printing was shifted to Delhi and restarted the round year publication. The Malayalam edition was started from Delhi in 1964 and the Bengali edition was started in 1971. In 1969, the magazine celebrated its diamond jubilee.

In 1997 Sainik Samachar started being published in color and becomes a biweekly magazine. From this year the price changed to Rs 5  with an annual subscription of Rs 100. During its centenary in 2009, the Defence Minister congratulated the magazine and said it has been doing a yeoman service to the armed services. A coffee table edition “Soldiering on” was published. It has chronicled the reports of the magazine for more than a century. The book includes archival photographs of important events of history such as declaration of Delhi as capital, the First World War, the early stages of formation of all the wings of Armed Forces and its major institutions, the Second World War, the partition and India’s independence. At present Sainik Samachar Editor in chief is Dhirendra Ojha and the magazine is published from Delhi.

The magazine has evolved from a simple Urdu magazine into a multi Lingual magazine. For more than 100 years, it has witnessed and reported the evolution of our defense forces from the colonial era to the modern times, and continues to be the primary magazine of the defense establishment.   

If you find any errors in the article, email them to: athulmenath55@yahoo.com

(The writer is a first year PG student of Defence and Strategic Studies with Madras University currently on a 2-months’ internship with Tarmak007. His write-ups need not be news-breaks and in-depth in nature; hence should be seen as an ab initio effort by a budding defence journalist. The views expressed by Athul need not be that of Tarmak007.)

Arjan Singh exhorts to strive for excellence

By M A Athul

On the occasion of 34^th Flight Test Course, Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh  exhorted  young officers to the strive for excellence and to  contribute to developments in aviation. He was presenting graduation certificated to 9 Test Pilots and 6 Test Engineers of the 34^th Flight Test Course in Aircraft System Testing Establishment (ASTE) in Bangalore. He pointed out that India was on the verge of achieving indigenization in the aviation field.

On arrival at the ASTE was accorded with a guard of honor. He was conducted around the Establishment by Air vice Marshal Raghunath Nambiar, Commandant ASTE. The Marshal also interacted with ASTE personnel and visited the Flight Test Memorial, where he paid homage to those who had made the supreme sacrifice while performing Flight Testing duties.

Suranjan Das Trophy for the best all-round student Test Pilot was awarded to Squadron Leader K U Rao , while Chief of Air Staff Trophy” for the best student Test Pilot in Flight Evaluation was awarded to Squadron Leader D Gupta. The “Hanumanth Singhji” Sword for the best all-round student Flight Test Engineer was awarded to Wing Commander Gulshan Kumar and the “Dunlop Trophy” for the best student in Flight Evaluation was awarded to Wing Commander Karthikeyan. (Edited from press release)

athulmenath55@yahoo.com

(The writer is a first year PG student of Defence and Strategic Studies with Madras University currently on a 2-months’ internship with Tarmak007. His write-ups need not be news-breaks and in-depth in nature; hence should be seen as an ab initio effort by a budding defence journalist. The views expressed by Athul need not be that of Tarmak007.)

Farewell at sea

                                      By M A Athul

Vice Admiral KN Sushil, who is the flag officer C in C of the of South Naval Command reviewed the operational preparedness. This was his last review, since he is retiring on 31^st May, after 40 years of glorious service.

He had joined the navy as a submariner and was one of the pioneers who inducted Shishumar Class submarines .He was also the first Inspector General Nuclear Safety of Indian Navy and had laid the ground work for induction of nuclear submarines.

Eight ships participated in the maneuvers off Kochi coast. INS Tir was the Flag Ship of the Commander-in-Chief. Vice Admiral Sushil in his final address exhorted the men to always remain sharp and to keep the Naval Ensign flying high. (Edited from a Navy release)

athulmenath55@yahoo.com

(The writer is a first year PG student of Defence and Strategic Studies with Madras University currently on a 2-months’ internship with Tarmak007. His write-ups need not be news-breaks and in-depth in nature; hence should be seen as an ab initio effort by a budding defence journalist. The views expressed by Athul need not be that of Tarmak007.)