The New Indian Express wishes its readers a BHUBANESWAR  WEDNESDAY  JANUARY 01, 2025  `9.00  PAGES 14  JEYPORE EDITION India’s core sector production improves to 4.3% in November. Output of cement, coal, steel, electricity, refinery products, and fertilisers showed positive growth CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOGGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Defence chiefs to get aides from other services M AYA N K S I N G H @ New Delhi TAKING a crucial step in the process to integrate Armed Forces personnel, the personal staff officers of the service chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force will be appointed from other services with effect from January 1, 2025. Till now, the chiefs were getting Aidesde-Camp (ADCs) from their own units. “This change has been adopted by all the three service chiefs, signalling some major changes in 2025. It may appear a small step but it is a big message for transforming the defence forces,” sources said. To begin with, the Army chief will get ADC also from the Air Force, the Air Chief from the Indian Navy, and the Navy chief from the Army . This is part of the several such changes that will roll out over the next year. Sources said the initiative is led by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, who is working on a long-term plan to move the forces towards the Integrated Theatre Commands. Under the human resources reforms being undertaken, the first set of cross-posting of junior officers was executed in mid-2023, with mid-level and senior officers being placed in important billets over several months. A special Joint Division has Aides-de-Camp Aides-de-Camp (ADCs) are the personal staff of defence chiefs, usually in the ranks of Captain/Major or equivalent ranks from other services. The ADCs serve the three service chiefs, force commanders, and corps commanders. Defence personnel posted with governors are also ADCs been created at the Defence Services Staff College to foster a collaborative and inter-service approach to ensure jointness and integration in warfare and focus on inter-service understanding and cooperation. This, sources said, will empower them to function effectively in the era of Theatre Commands. “Due impetus has been given towards developing greater triservices synergy and enhancing jointness and integration under eight key domains—operations & intelligence, operational logistics, capability development, communications & infotech, training, maintenance & support services, human resources, and administration & legal aspects,” sources elaborated. India will be the first democratic country to adopt theaterisation through consensus building among the three services, they added. SORRY CM APOLOGISES FOR LOSS OF LIVES DUE TO ETHNIC STRIFE URGES PEOPLE TO FORGIVE AND FORGET PAST MISTAKES P R A S A N TA M A Z U M D A R @ Guwahati ON the New Year’s eve, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh apologised to the people of the state for the loss of lives during the ethnic violence. “I feel regret and I want to say sorry to the people of the state for what happened since May 3 last year. Many people lost their loved ones. Many people left their homes. So, I really feel regret and would like to apologise to all natives,” Singh said at a press conference. Pointing out that there has been some progress towards peace in the last three-four months, he said he was hopeful about the return of normalcy and peace on the New Year. “Whatever happened has happened. We have to forgive and forget the past mistakes and make a new beginning for a peaceful and prosperous Manipur,” the CM said, adding, “We all recognise 3435 tribes. We should live together in the future.” While over 200 people died in the ethnic violence, 12,247 FIRs were registered and 625 accused arrested. Also, 5,600 arms and 35,000 ammunitions were recovered. “So, there is a good progress in tackling the issue. Centre provided enough security personnel and funds to help the displaced families. Altogether 2,058 families with a population of 7,549 persons have been resettled,” Singh said. Meanwhile, several Kuki women were injured on Tuesday when central ar med police forces (CAPF) allegedly used force to disperse protesters at Saibol village in the Kangpokpi district. The trouble began when the local women allegedly resisted the “forceful occupation of community bunkers” by the central forces. Condemning the assault, the women wing of the Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum claimed that more than 30 women were injured during their “peaceful protest against the violence in SaibolTwichin area of Kangpokpi district”. The organisation demanded that CAPF immediately cease its “intrusive operations” and allow the people to celebrate the New Year in peace. “The government must stop being biased and take concrete steps to prevent such incidents and ensure that those responsible for the violence are held accountable,” the organisation further stated. After the chief minister’s outreach, the Congress wondered why Prime Minister Narendra Modi hasn’t gone there yet. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “Why can’t the Prime Minister go to Manipur and say the same thing there? He has deliberately avoided visiting the state since May 4, 2023, even as he jets around the country and the world.” I feel regret and I want to say sorry to the people of the state for what happened since May 3 last year Biren Singh, Manipur CM Manipur records 77% of violence in N-E last year M U K E S H R A N J A N @ New Delhi STRIFE-TORN Manipur accounted for about 77% of all violent incidents in the Northeast in 202324, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in its annual report. It attributed the spike in violence in Manipur as compared to 2022, to ethnic clashes between the majority Meiteis and the Kuki-Zo community. Of the 243 violent incidents in the Northeast that year, 187 were in Manipur alone. “The counter-insurgency operations in Manipur resulted in killing of 33 insurgents and arrest of 184 insurgents besides recovery of 49 weapons. Further, 80 cadres of insurgent outfits surrendered with 31 arms,” the report read. While the state government is primarily responsible for dealing with violence, the MHA took a series of “immediate and sustained” measures to manage the situation. During his visit to the state between May 29 and June 1, 2023, Union home minister Amit Shah held more than 15 meetings with various stakeholders, it said. After NTCA chide, Zeenat sent back to Similipal S U D A R S A N M A H A R A N A @ Bhubaneswar A day after the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) chided the West Bengal forest department for moving Zeenat to Kolkata’s Alipore Zoo after its capture in Bankura, the process to transport the three-year-old big cat to Odisha resumed on Tuesday Zeenat, in all likeli. hood, will be at Similipal, ushering in the new year. PCCF wildlife Prem Kumar Jha told TNIE that the tigress is in good health and process of its relocation from the neighbouring state has started. “It will reach Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) by midnight and start roaming its new home from the beginning of the new year,” he said. Citing violation of the standard operating procedure in its shifting, the NTCA had asked the WB chief wildlife warden to immediately relocate Zeenat to Odisha. West Bengal CWW Debal Roy told this paper that following completion of paper work, Zeenat is being transported in a specialised vehicle brought from Similipal. “Our officials will escort the team transporting the tigress back to STR. They will also be provided police escort till Odisha-West Bengal border,” Roy informed. CONTINUED ON P5