News
Karwar in Karnataka to be India’s Maritime Theatre Command HQ
BY S VENKAT NARAYAN
Our Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI, December 17:
The Karwar naval base in coastal in Karnataka in southern India will be the headquarters for the country’s first Maritime Theatre Command (MTC). Set to take concrete shape by next year, its commander-in-chief will have full operational control over the western and eastern naval fleets, maritime strike fighter jets and transport aircraft, two amphibious infantry brigades and coastal patrol vessels.
The MTC will be the first new “geographical” theatre command to be created as part of the biggest-ever military restructuring plan to build an integrated land-air-sea war-fighting machinery for greater combat punch in a more cost-effective manner.
The Times of India has quoted top defence sources as saying that the final MTC plan will be submitted to the government for approval “within the next few days”. It will be headed by a senior three-star naval officer (vice admiral).
“Once approved, the MTC can come up within a year. It will look after the country’s 7,516-km coastline and 1,382 islands as well as the entire Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and beyond. With two sub-theatres for west and east, the MTC will bolster joint operations and application of force in the maritime domain,” said a source.
This becomes crucial in face of China’s ever-expanding naval footprint in the IOR. China already has the world’s largest Navy with 350 warships and submarines, and plans to reach a force-level of 420 by the end of this decade.
Presentations on the MTC and the other proposed integrated “functional” Air Defence Command have already been made to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and the three Service chiefs, Admiral Karambir Singh, General M M Naravane and Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria.
As per the plan prepared by a group led by Navy vice chief Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar, the MTC will subsume the Western Naval Command (Mumbai), Eastern Naval Command (Vizag), the tri-Service Andaman and Nicobar Command (Port Blair) and the Southern Air Command (Thiruvananthapuram).
The Army’s two amphibious assault formations, the 91 Brigade at Thiruvananthapuram and 108 Brigade at Port Blair (each with over 3,000 soldiers), will bring the requisite “expeditionary reaction capability” of land forces to the MTC.
Similarly, the East and West regions of the Coast Guard, with their patrol boats, aircraft and helicopters, will be responsible for coastal security under the MTC.
There will be “service-specific verticals” within the MTC. The Sukhoi-30MKI fighters armed with BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles at Thanjavur, the maritime-strike Jaguar fighters at Jamnagar and other “air assets”, for instance, will be under the C-in-C of the Southern Air Command, who will in turn will report to the C-in-C of the MTC.
“Andaman & Nicobar will no longer have a C-in-C-level post. It will be headed by a fortress commander who will report to C-in-C of the Eastern Naval Command,” said the source.
The theatre commander will report to the joint chiefs of staff committee led by the CDS. Similar will be the case when the theatre commands for the land borders with China and Pakistan come up subsequently.
At present, India has as many as 17 single-service commands (Army 7, IAF 7 and Navy 3), with very little synergy in planning and operations as well as disjointed command-and-control structures.
The only two existing tri-Service commands came up after the 1999 Kargil conflict. The Andaman & Nicobar Command was set up as a “geographical” command in October 2001, while the “functional” Strategic Forces Command to handle the country’s nuclear arsenal came up in January 2003.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
