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Tag: Rajnath Singh

  • Talk fruitful on defence pact: Rajnath Singh after talks with Australian counterpart

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  Defence minister Rajnath Singh and his Australian counterpart Peter Dutton discussed developments in Afghanistan and spoke of building a robust relationship in a ‘fruitful’ discussion on Friday. Talks took place a day ahead of the maiden ‘two-plus-two’ dialogue between the foreign and defence ministers of the countries.

    “India is committed to building a robust partnership with Australia for security and growth of the entire region. I look forward to working with you, Excellency, to take the India-Australia defence partnership to greater heights,” said Rajnath. Both ministers called for a free, open, inclusive and rule-based Indo-Pacific region which is witnessing Chinese military assertiveness. 

    “Australia and India have tremendous stakes in peace, development and free flow of trade, rules-based order and economic growth in the region,” Rajnath said. He added that they discussed bilateral defence ties and expanding military engagements across services, enhancing defence information sharing and  cooperation in emerging defence technology.

    Sources said Rajnath and Dutton discussed Afghanistan.  “Taliban’s rise raises questions on terror activities, human rights, women and minority rights,” a source said.

    Ind-Aus trade deal on cardsNew Delhi: Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said the trade ministers of both countries are working on an agreement. “Talks are underway for an interim trade agreement following which it will be converted to a full-fledged agreement,” Payne said at an event organised by the Observer Research Foundation. She said India is a proudly democratic country and a leading force in the Indo-Pacific region.

    Af situation of direct concern: India at UNNew Delhi: India’s permanent representative to the UN, TS Tirumurti said New Delhi finds the Afghanistan situation very fragile. “As its immediate neighbour, the situation is of direct concern to us. It’s  important the Taliban adheres to its commitment to not allow the use of the Afghan soil for terrorism,” he said.

  • Rise of Taliban raises serious security concerns for India, region: Rajnath at talks with Australian counterpart

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday conveyed to his Australian counterpart Peter Dutton that the rise of Taliban raises serious security concerns for India and the region as the terror groups having bases in Afghanistan could get further support to expand their activities, official sources said.

    In the in-person talks, Singh also said that Afghan territory should not be used to threaten or attack any other country and emphasised that the international community must do everything possible to ensure the implementation of the UN Security Council resolution 2593 on Afghanistan, they said.

    The India delegation flagged concerns over the possible implication of the Taliban’s capture of power for the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir as there are apprehensions about spill-over of terrorist activities from Afghanistan to the union territory, the sources said.

    Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Dutton arrived here on Friday on a three-day visit primarily to take part in the inaugural two-plus-two ministerial dialogue between the two countries.

    In his talks with Dutton, Singh also talked about India’s concerns over violation of human rights and suppression of rights of women, children and minority communities under the Taliban regime, the sources said.

    The Afghan crisis was discussed at length and there was a convergence of views between the two sides on it, the sources said, adding Singh spoke strongly about the need to implement the UNSC resolution adopted on August 30 under India’s presidency of the global body.

    The resolution demanded that Afghan territory should not be used to threaten or attack any country or to shelter and train terrorists and plan or finance terrorist attacks.

    The eastern Ladakh border row between India and China also found brief mention at the talks and the Indian side conveyed that New Delhi is committed to resolving the issue peacefully through talks, the sources said.

    In his statement to the media, Singh described the talks as “very fruitful and wide-ranging” and said bilateral defence cooperation, as well as regional issues, figured during the deliberations.

    He said both sides are keen to work jointly to realise the full potential of the India-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership.

    “This partnership is based on our shared vision of free, open, inclusive and rule-based Indo-Pacific region. Both, Australia and India have tremendous stakes in peace, development and free flow of trade, rules-based order and economic growth in the region,” he said with Dutton by his side.

    “Our discussions today focused on our bilateral defence cooperation and expanding military engagements across services, enhancing defence information sharing, cooperation in emerging defence technologies and mutual logistics support,” Singh said.

    He also mentioned Australia’s participation at the Malabar exercise in the last two editions.

    Singh said both sides agreed that there are opportunities of bilateral collaboration for co-development and co­ production of military equipment and that he invited the Australian industry to take advantage of India’s liberalised foreign direct investment policies in the defence sector.

    “I apprised Minister Dutton about our recent efforts towards ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) and growing innovation ecosystem in India. We discussed opportunities to work together in Defence Science and Technology areas,” Singh said.

    He said India is committed to building a robust partnership with Australia for the security and growth of the entire region.

    “I look forward to working with you to take the India­ Australia defence partnership to greater heights,” Singh said. Defence and military cooperation between India and Australia is on an upswing in the last few years.

    In June last year, India and Australia elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and signed a landmark deal for reciprocal access to military bases for logistics support during an online summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison.

  • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh holds talks with Australian counterpart Peter Dutton

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday held wide-ranging talks with his Australian counterpart Peter Dutton to boost overall bilateral strategic ties.

    The talks took place a day ahead of the inaugural ‘two-plus-two’ dialogue between foreign and defence ministers of India and Australia.

    Expanding strategic ties will be the focus of the talks between the two defence ministers, said an official shortly before the meeting.

    Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Dutton arrived here on Friday for the two-plus-two dialogue during which both sides are expected to deliberate on further solidifying bilateral defence and strategic ties besides exchanging views on the situation in Afghanistan.

    At the ministerial dialogue, the two sides are also expected to discuss ways to boost cooperation in the Indo-Pacific in the face of China’s growing military assertiveness in the region, diplomatic sources said.

    Both Australia and India are part of Quad or Quadrilateral coalition that resolved to work towards ensuring a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.

    The other two members of the Quad are the US and Japan.

    The sources said expanding bilateral cooperation in areas of maritime security is expected to be another area of focus at the two-plus-two dialogue.

    The dialogue between the foreign and defence ministers was instituted as part of an overall goal to expand strategic cooperation between the two countries.

    India has such a framework for talks with a very few countries including the US and Japan.

    The defence and military cooperation between India and Australia is on an upswing in the last few years.

    In June last year, India and Australia elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and signed a landmark deal for reciprocal access to military bases for logistics support during an online summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison.

    The Australian Navy was part of the recent Malabar naval exercise that also featured navies of India, the US and Japan.

  • ‘Game-changer in air-defence system’: Deadly MRSAM missile system handed over to IAF 

    Express News Service

    BHUBANESWAR: In a significant boost to India’s defence capabilities, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh handed over the first deliverable Firing Unit (FU) of Medium Range Surface to Air Missile (MRSAM) System to Indian Air Force (IAF) at Jaisalmer Air Force Station in Rajasthan on Thursday.

    Developed jointly by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in collaboration with the Indian industry, the MRSAM (IAF) is an advanced network-centric combat Air Defence System.

    Secretary of Department of Defence (Research and Development) and DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy handed over the firing unit to the Defence Minister, who in turn presented it to Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria.

    The DRDO and IAI officials demonstrated the capabilities of the MRSAM system, as part of the On-Site Acceptance Test (OSAT) during the event.

    Terming the MRSAM, one of the best state-of-the-art missiles in the world, the Defence Minister said the weapon will prove to be a game-changer in the air-defence system.

    He reiterated the government’s resolve to strengthen the security infrastructure of the country to deal with any challenges arising out of the rapidly changing global strategic scenario.

    “Modernisation of the armed forces and building a self-reliant defence industry are being accorded top priority. The government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the security and overall development of the country,” Singh said besides stressing the need for a strong military.

    ALSO READ | India wants to create USD 5 billion worth of defence equipment by 2025: DRDO official 

    The Defence Minister described the development of the MRSAM system as a shining example of the close partnership between India and Israel, adding that handing over of the system to IAF has taken the decades-old friendship to greater heights.

    The new test facilities and infrastructure in the development of the missile system, Singh said, will be helpful in producing quality products for both countries in the future. The sub-systems being manufactured for the programme is a great example of synergy between Indian public and private sector companies, he added.

    The MRSAM system provides point and area air defence for ground assets against a wide range of threats including fighter aircraft, UAVs, helicopters, guided and unguided munitions, subsonic and supersonic cruise missiles.

    Powered by an indigenously developed rocket motor and control system for achieving high manoeuvrability during the terminal phase, the missile is capable of engaging multiple targets at ranges up to 70 km in extreme conditions.

    The firing unit comprises missiles, combat management system, mobile launcher system, advanced long-range radar, mobile power system, radar power system, reloader vehicle and field service vehicle.

    Speaking on the occasion, the Chief of Air Staff said the system will bolster the air defence capabilities of the country. The DRDO Chairman complimented the teams involved in the development of the MRSAM system.

    Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), South Western Air Command Air Marshal Sandeep Singh and President and IAI CEO Boaz Levy were present along with other senior civil and military officials.

  • Uncertainty has spread everywhere; current developments in Afghan one such example: Rajnath

    By PTI

    JAISALMER: Uncertainty has spread in everywhere in the world and the current developments in Afghanistan is one such example, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday.

    “Whether it is South China Sea, Indian Ocean region, Indo-Pacific region or Central Asia, we can see uncertainty everywhere. The current developments in Afghanistan is one such example,” he said at an event here where medium range surface-to-air missile MRSAM was inducted into the Indian Air Force (IAF).

    The global scenario is changing very quickly and in an unexpected way, he stated.

    ​ALSO READ | Indian Air Force’s first Emergency Landing Field on National Highway inaugurated in Rajasthan

    “Amid this changing global scenario, the equations between the nations are also changing quickly as per their interests,” Singh said.

    He also said that the changing geopolitics is affecting trade, economy, as well as the current security scenario.

    “In such a situation, the strength of our security and our self-reliance is not an achievement, but a necessity,” he noted.

    ALSO READ | Rajnath Singh approves increase in financial powers of armed forces for revenue procurement

    The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in mid-August, ousting the previous elected leadership which was backed by the West.

    An interim Cabinet was formed comprising high-profile members of the insurgent group.

    In his speech, Singh also said that from being tagged as number one defence importer in the world, India today is supplying defence systems and sub-systems to foreign countries and it is something worth to be proud of.

    “We are taking all such measures that will help our defence sector to stand on its legs,” he said.

    ALSO WATCH:

  • Indian Air Force’s first Emergency Landing Field on National Highway inaugurated in Rajasthan

    Express News Service

    BARMER: Adding to the military infrastructure for air operations, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Thursday inaugurated the first stretch of a National Highway to be developed as an Emergency Landing Field (ELF) for the Indian Air Force.

    The ELF is on NH-925 at the Gandhav Bhakasar section, south of Barmer in Rajasthan, and will be used for aircraft operations during emergencies on the Western borders with Pakistan.

    A Hercules C-130J plane of the IAF, carrying the two ministers and Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat, conducted a mock emergency landing on the field.

    Multiple landing and touchdown sorties were conducted starting with a Sukhoi-30MKI fighter.

    AN-32 military transport aircraft and Mi-17v5 helicopter of the IAF also landed at the ELF, showing its complete operational readiness to act as an auxiliary military airbase.

    In his speech, the Defence Minister said that a total of 20 emergency landing strips are being developed across the country right now.

    “Many helipads are also being created with the help of the Union Roads Ministry. This is an important step to strengthen our security infrastructure,” Rajnath added.

    The ELF is a 3 km section of the Satta-Gandhav stretch of NH-925A and is part of the newly developed Bakhasar and Gandhav section. It has a total length of 196.97 km and has been constructed at the cost of Rs 765.52 crore under Bharatmala Pariyojana.

    “This project will improve connectivity between villages of Barmer and Jalore districts located on the international border. The stretch being located in the western border area will facilitate the vigilance of the Indian Army as well,” said the minister.

    This emergency landing strip will be helpful not only during a war but also during times of natural calamities, Rajnath Singh said, adding that a natural calamity is no less than any war.

    Apart from this ELF, three helipads (100 x 30 metres each) have been constructed in Kundanpura, Singhania and Bakhasar villages as part of this project according to the requirements of the Air Force/Army, which will be the basis for strengthening the military and security network on the Western borders.

    In normal circumstances, the ELF will be used like any other national highway and during operations of the ELF for the IAF, the service road will be used for smooth flow of traffic.

    Also, there are plans for constructing 20 such ELFs across the country, mostly along the borders.

    This ELF was constructed in a time span of 19 months. The work was commenced in July 2019 and completed in January 2021.

    The road work was carried out by GHV India Pvt Ltd under the supervision of the IAF and NHAI. It will be able to facilitate landing of all types of aircraft of the Indian Air Force.

    Similar mock drills by fighter jets and transport planes were done thrice earlier in 2015, 2016 and 2017 on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway to show that such highways can be used for air operations.

    The Lucknow-Agra Expressway is not a national highway as it comes under the Uttar Pradesh government.

  • Rajnath Singh approves increase in financial powers of armed forces for revenue procurement

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday approved the expansion of financial powers to the armed forces for revenue procurement to cut delays in making purchases for operational preparedness and quickly meet requirements of the field formations.

    The defence ministry said the delegated financial powers of vice chiefs of the services have been increased by 10 percent subject to an overall ceiling of Rs 500 crore.

    It said the primary focus of the enhanced delegation of financial powers is to empower field commanders and other officials to procure equipment and “war-like stores” in a speedy manner for urgent operational necessities and meeting essential sustenance requirements.

    A new schedule on the hiring of aircraft and associated equipment has been introduced for the Indian Air Force which includes the hiring of air-to-air refuellers.

    Singh described the decision on expanding the financial powers as “another big step towards defence reforms”.

    The ministry said the enhanced delegation of financial powers to functionaries in service headquarters and lower formations would result in quicker decision-making at all levels and ensure better planning and operational preparedness.

    “Another big step towards defence reforms has been to strengthen security infrastructure. Financial powers have been devolved to field formations with focus on operational preparedness; promote ease of doing business and jointness among Services,” Singh tweeted.

    The last such enhancement at all levels for the defence services was done in 2016.

    “A general enhancement of up to two times has been approved for the competent financial authorities (CFAs). In certain schedules, this enhancement at field formations is in the range of up to 5-10 times on account of operational requirements,” the ministry said in a statement.

    “Delegated financial powers of vice chiefs of the services have been increased by 10 percent, subject to an overall ceiling of Rs 500 crore,” it said.

    The ministry said the financial powers of Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs Of Staff Committee (CISC) as CFA has been enhanced substantially and aligned with that of the vice chiefs of the services.

    “New CFAs have been added namely Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Master General Sustenance, ADG (Procurement)/DG Air Operations/DG Naval Operations, etc in service headquarters and in the field formations on account of reorganisation/restructuring/functional requirements,” the ministry said.

    It said new financial powers have been introduced for Navy and the Indian Air Force for their field commanders in line with the existing “Army schedule on ‘Army Commanders Special Financial Powers’”.

    “A new schedule on the hiring of aircraft and associated equipment has been introduced for Indian Air Force which includes the hiring of Air to Air re-fuellers,” the ministry said.

    For the Indian Navy, powers for replenishment of disaster management equipment and materials have been delegated to the command level for immediate response to natural disasters and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations.

    The ministry said an enabling provision of emergency financial powers to the field formations below command level for the defence services has now been incorporated in the emergency powers schedule that till present was available to vice chiefs and C-in-Cs (Commanding-in-Chief)/equivalent.

  • Modi chairs high-level meeting on Taliban threat; MHA says no Afghan will be asked to leave India

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: To assess the changing situation in Afghanistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday chaired a meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Home Minister Amit Shah and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, at his residence.

    The meeting was held in the context of two developments — the Taliban claiming victory over the last pocket of resistance in Panjshir valley and ISI chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed meeting Taliban’s de-facto leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar on Monday.

    The visit of ISI chief was the first high-level visit of any Pakistani official to Afghanistan since the Taliban took over Kabul on August 15.

    Sources said the meeting deliberated on India’s position towards the Taliban and also on how to contain the presence of anti-India terror groups in Afghanistan.

    Sources told this newspaper that Indian agencies are closely monitoring developments in Kabul, especially with the Taliban dithering over the issue of government formation.

    A senior government functionary said New Delhi’s immediate focus is to ensure that Afghan soil is not used for terror activities against India and evacuations.

    Earlier last week, Pakistani media had reported that a delegation of senior officials led by Lt Gen Hameed was in Kabul at the invitation of the Taliban, but the insurgent group said Islamabad had proposed his visit.

    On Sunday, Taliban said that he was in Afghanistan “to improve bilateral relations between Kabul and Islamabad”.

    As the situation in Afghanistan continues to be uncertain, the Union Home Ministry has said that no Afghan national living in India will be asked to leave the country without its approval, according to officials.

    The MHA’s decision came about a fortnight after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan and many Afghans arriving in India fearing retribution from that country’s new rulers.

    No Afghan national will be asked to leave India by the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) without prior approval of the home ministry and such cases will be referred to the MHA by the FRRO, a home ministry official said.

    This came after a woman member of Afghan parliament, Rangina Kargar, was deported from Delhi’s IGI Airport to Istanbul despite valid papers.

    The government had later apologised to Kargar.

    The government has already extended visas of all categories granted to citizens of all countries, including Afghanistan, living in India on “gratis basis” till September 30.

    Many Afghan nationals who came to India before the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan have been staying in India for more than six months now and, in many cases, since the first lockdown was announced in March 2020.

    The MHA has decided to extend till September 30 the existing facility of deemed extension of regular visa or e-visa or stay stipulation period, without levy of any overstated penalty, granted to foreign nationals stranded in India due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Such foreign nationals may not be required to submit any application to FRRO concerned for extension of their visas.

    Before leaving the country, they may apply for exit permission which would be granted by the FRRO on gratis basis without levy of any overstay penalty.

    If an extension of visa is required beyond September 30, the foreign national concerned may apply for an extension on the online e-FRRO platform on a payment basis which would be considered by the FRRO subject to eligibility as per the provisions of the visa manual.

    According to the visa rules, Afghan nationals should get themselves and their family members registered within 14 days of their arrival with the local police, except those exempted from it.

    Several Afghan nationals, feeling threatened or facing the fear of persecution at the hands of the Taliban, have expressed their desire to stay in India.

    After the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, the MHA had announced the introduction of a new category of visa called e-Emergency X-Misc visa for Afghan nationals.

    The ministry has also announced that all Afghan nationals henceforth must travel to India only on e-Visa in view of the prevailing situation in Afghanistan.

    India has already shut down its missions in Afghanistan and the visas are processed in New Delhi now.

    (With PTI Inputs)

  • IAF plane with Rajnath, Gadkari to conduct mock emergency landing on highway in Rajasthan’s Barmer

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: A plane of the Indian Air Force (IAF), carrying Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, will conduct a mock emergency landing on a national highway in Rajasthan’s Barmer this week, sources said on Monday.

    The two ministers will be inaugurating the 3.5 km-long strip on the national highway in Barmer this week as it is ready to handle emergency landings of the IAF’s fighter jets and other aircraft, sources mentioned.

    It is India’s first national highway to be used for emergency landing of IAF aircraft, they added.

    In October 2017, fighter jets and transport planes of the IAF had conducted mock landings on the Lucknow-Agra Expressway to show that such highways can be used by the IAF planes for landing in case of an emergency.

    The Lucknow-Agra Expressway comes under the Uttar Pradesh government.

    According to the sources, officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) worked in coordination with IAF officials to develop the airstrip on the national highway in Barmer.

    They said at least 12 national highways across the country — apart from the aforementioned one in Barmer — are being readied so that they can be used as airstrips by the IAF planes in an emergency situation.

    The parts of the 12 national highways that will be used as airstrips are being identified and prepared, sources added.

  • No major terror attack in India since Modi became PM, says Rajnath; calls it major achievement

    By PTI

    KEVADIA: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said not a single major terror attack has taken place in the country ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office in 2014, and asserted that terrorists were scared of the BJP government at the Centre.

    Addressing the Gujarat BJP leaders on the second day of the party’s three-day state executive meeting at Kevadia in Narmada district, Singh also slammed the Congress saying the party was not sensitive enough towards the Army jawans as it kept the issue of One Rank-One Pension (OROP) unresolved for 40 years.

    “No matter what it takes, we will not let terrorists succeed. Forget about Jammu and Kashmir, no major terrorist attack took place in any part of the country after the arrival of Modiji. This is our major achievement. It seems that terrorists are now scared of the BJP government. This is not a small thing,” he said.

    “Terrorists now realise that they are not secure even in their safe havens. What we did (surgical strike in PoK) after the Uri attack gave a clear message to the world that we can kill terrorists on this side as well as by crossing the border if need arises,” Singh added.

    If the previous Congress governments were sensitive towards Army jawans, the issue of OROP, which the jawans had been demanding for 40 years, would have been resolved.

    But the Congress did not accept the demand, the minister said.

    “But, Modiji implemented it immediately. This shows the difference between a Congress government and a BJP government,” he said.

    Singh attacked the Congress and its leaders saying that they only used Mahatma Gandhi’s name, but failed to follow in his footsteps.

    Referring to Ram temple at Ayodhya, he said such issues are not mere slogans, but BJP’s commitment, for which, the party had sacrificed three of its state governments after the Babri mosque structure was demolished.

    “We always fulfil what we promise. These are not mere election slogans. It’s our cultural commitment. Now, no force can stop the construction of a grand Ram temple. We had sacrificed three of our state governments after the structure (mosque) was razed. Though the Centre had dismissed three of our governments, we never diluted our commitment and movement,” Singh added.

    After his address, the Ministry of Defence and the Gujarat Government signed an MoU for the upcoming Defence Expo-2022.

    It was signed in the presence of Singh and Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.

    Rupani announced that the Defence Expo-2022 will be held for four days between March 10 and 13 in Gandhinagar next year.

    While the seminars will be held at Mahatma Mandir, the helipad exhibition centre will serve as the exhibition site for the expo, a media statement said.

    A meeting of Gujarat BJP’s state executive began at Kevadia on Wednesday with the party’s state unit chief C R Paatil presiding over it.

    Key leaders who are attending the meet include Singh, Rupani, Deputy CM Nitin Patel and in-charge of Gujarat BJP Bhupender Yadav, among others, a party release said, adding that others who have joined the meeting include all the MLAs, MPs, members of executive committee, party’s state office-bearers and presidents of district and city units.

    This is for the first time the Gujarat BJP has organised a “paperless state executive” meeting, wherein invitees are given tablets with all the required information and links related to the event, the release added.