Is the honours and awards system fair?

The system of immediate awards was continued in 1965. But a more discerning military leadership ensured that there were no irregularities. Immediate awards were prohibited in 1971 in the pre-war planning. This led to more distant, considered decisions on questions of courage and leadership. The system was validated.

In recent years awards based on political considerations or driven by emotional public demands have made their debut. The unprecedented award of three Ashoka Chakras and five Kirti Chakras for the 2001 Parliament House attack and six Ashoka Chakras and five Kirti Chakras for the 26/11 Mumbai terrorist outrages raises doubts about the system’s objectivity and fairness. It has become common to confuse falling in battle with an act of valour.
The armed forces and foreign service also joined the act with the awarding of medals to two senior officers killed in the 2008 Kabul terrorist attack seemingly without justification. There are other aberrations. A military intelligence officer went to court seeking an award-giving out details of a secret operation carried out by him! The family of an officer martyred in a terrorist attack succeeded in getting a review done of his award setting a precedent.

In conclusion, the system is seemingly robust but personal elements are in increasing play leading to anomalies.

XI Corps Turns Seventy
XI Corps, the defenders of Punjab, turned 70 on March 1. The corps was raised in 1950 with the appropriate formation sign of the spearhead – its role was to take the war into the Pakistani heartland. The crest was changed to the mythological weapon, the Vajra in the mid-1970s.

Initially, XI Corps was tasked to defend the entire border of Punjab and a portion of north-west Rajasthan. Its area of responsibility now stretches from Gurdaspur to Jallalabad in Fazilka district of Punjab. The corps mainly utilises the permanent linear defences in the shape of robust water obstacles dominated by prominent embankments on the home side. In addition, as a pivot formation, it has a limited though effective offensive capability.
The corps finest hour came in 1965 when it launched a three-pronged attack on Pakistan’s core area in pursuance of strategic objectives putting an end to the national culture of passivity. Most of the territory initially captured was held on to. A superb defensive battle was fought at Asal Uttar repulsing the enemy’s counter-offensive and inflicting heavy losses.

In 1971, the corps remained on the defensive while on the watch for the expected enemy offensive aimed at capturing territory in south-west Punjab which never came. The enemy launched a few attacks to straighten out bulges to which Lt Gen Navin Rawlley, commanding XI Corps made only a token response.