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Journalism of Courage
Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor has fallen to a common affliction that affects artillery officers and has been declared partially deaf after he suffered damage to his ears during a firepower demonstration in the US last year. The officer,who suffers moderately severe to severe mixed hearing loss in his left ear,has been placed in a lower medical category of H2 following a medical examination.
The Army says the lowering of medical category has no bearing on his role as the Chief of Army Staff and as per rules,he would have been made it to the top position even if he had been put in the H2 status in the past.
An Army spokesperson said the placement in H2 medical category could be revoked if his hearing improved. The spokesperson said officers in the category are entitled to a disability pension. The Army Chief is due to retire in March.
General Kapoor,who has a medical history and has undergone surgery on his left ear in 1972 and the right ear in 1982,suffered acute deafness in the left ear after he attended an exercise in the US in July last year. His medical report at the Armys Research and Referral hospital,which was conducted in November,says he was exposed to loud noise in the form of small weapons firing and gun firing during a counter terrorism demo by US soldiers.
Kapoor arrives in Nepal amidst Maoist protest
KATHMANDU: At a time when Nepal Maoists have mounted a nationwide protest against the Indian establishment in general and the Army Chief in particular,Gen Deepak Kapoor arrived on a four-day visit to the country on Tuesday.
As the General landed at the Tribhuvan International Airport here,Maoists activists shouted anti-India slogans,leading to the arrest of 14 of them.
They were protesting Kapoors recent remarks against the integration of rebel combatants in the Nepal Army. They also organised a protest march outside the Indian embassy.
On Monday,the Maoists had boycotted the House seeking a response from the government on Kapoors comments.
