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Tag: Rajnath Singh

  • Agnipath protests: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh meets top brass of Army, Navy and IAF

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday held a meeting with the top brass of the Army, Navy and the Air Force on the overall situation arising out of the rollout of the ‘Agnipath’ military recruitment scheme as protests against it intensified in several parts of the country.

    The meeting was attended by Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and Vice Chief of Army Staff Gen B S Raju.

    It is learnt that the focus of the meeting was to ensure a quick rollout of the ‘Agnipath’ scheme and ways to pacify the agitators. Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande could not attend the meeting as he is in Hyderabad on an official tour.

    ALSO READ: Kerala too witnesses Agnipath protests at Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode

    The Army, Navy and the Air Force on Friday announced to start the enrolment process under the new model by next week.

    Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari told PTI that the selection process by the Indian Air Force for recruitment under the new scheme will start from June 24 while the Army said it will begin the initial exercise within two days.

    While the Indian Navy said it will start the recruitment process “very soon”, a senior naval commander said the notification for the recruitment would be out within a week.

    ALSO READ: Violent anti-Agnipath protests continue rocking Bihar; agitators torch vehicles in police outpost

    The three services are planning to deploy the first batches of recruits under the new scheme both in operational and non-operational roles by June next year, senior military officials said.

    In an attempt to pacify the protesters, the government on Thursday night increased the upper age limit for recruitment under the ‘Agnipath’ scheme to 23 years from 21 for the year 2022.

    Unveiling the scheme on Tuesday, the government said youths between the ages of 17 and-a-half and 21 years would be inducted for a four-year tenure while 25 per cent of them will be subsequently inducted for regular service.

    ALSO READ: Congress announces solidarity ‘Satyagrah’ at Jantar Mantar

    The youths to be recruited under the new scheme would be called ‘Agniveer’. A major objective of the scheme is to bring down the average age of military personnel and cut ballooning salary and pension bills.

    The announcement of the new scheme came in the backdrop of recruitments into the military remaining stalled over the coronavirus pandemic for over two years.

    The Army annually recruit 50,000 to 60,000 soldiers annually. However, the recruitment could not take place for the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Assembly elections in J&K possibly by year-end, says Defence Minister 

    By PTI

    JAMMU: In the first indication of a timeline for assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir since it was downgraded to a Union Territory, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said there is a possibility of holding the polls “by this year-end”.

    Addressing a function here to celebrate the 200th year of the coronation of Maharaja Gulab Singh, the defence minister said the delimitation exercise has been completed following which the number of seats has gone up to 90 with Kashmir having 47 seats and Jammu 43.

    Rajnath Singh, who is on a two-day visit to the Union Territory, said, “By this year-end, there is a possibility of holding assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.” The indication of a timeline comes two days after the Election Commission initiated the revision of electoral rolls in the union territory and prepare the draft rolls by August 31.

    According to the officials, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and Election Commissioner Anup Chandra Pandey carried out a review and directed the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Electoral Officer to map the redrawn assembly constituencies.

    During the revision exercise, citizens would be given opportunities to enrol, delete and change their particulars in the electoral rolls.

    Last month, the Central government issued a notification saying the orders of the Delimitation Commission which redrew electoral constituencies and provided six additional assembly seats to the Jammu division and one to Kashmir would come into effect from May 20.

    According to the orders of the Delimitation Commission, set up under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act of 2019, the Union Territory will have 90 assembly constituencies — 43 in the Jammu division and 47 in Kashmir — with nine of them being reserved for the Scheduled Tribes. The erstwhile state had 87 seats — 46 in Kashmir, 37 in Jammu and four in Ladakh.

    During its reorganisation, Ladakh was declared a separate union territory without a legislature. The three-member delimitation panel was headed by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai, a retired judge of the Supreme Court.

    Then chief election commissioner Sushil Chandra (now retired) and Jammu and Kashmir Election Commissioner K K Sharma were its two ex-officio members.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a meeting with Jammu and Kashmir leaders on June 24 last year, had said the ongoing delimitation exercise has to happen quickly so that polls can be held to install an elected government that gives strength to its development trajectory.

  • Govt rolls out ‘Agnipath’ scheme, unveils radical changes in military recruitment 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India unveiled a new scheme called “Agnipath” on Tuesday for the recruitment of soldiers in the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, largely on a short-term contractual basis, with an aim to cut the ballooning salary and pensions bill.

    Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced the new scheme at a media briefing, shortly after the Cabinet Committee on Security approved it.

    “The Agnipath recruitment scheme is a transformative initiative that will provide a youthful profile to the armed forces,” Singh said.

    The revolutionary changes in the recruitment process will see the induction of the soldiers initially for a period of four years and some of them would be retained.

    “Under the Agnipath scheme, Indian youngsters will be provided an opportunity to serve in the armed forces as ‘Agniveer’,” the defence minister said.

    Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said the scheme will ensure a wider talent pool for recruitment in the armed forces.  The “Agnipath” scheme, earlier christened as “Tour of Duty”, was launched in the presence of the chiefs of the three services.

    The new scheme was announced after extensive deliberations on it over the last two years. The soldiers to be recruited under the scheme will be called “Agniveer”.

    Currently, the Army recruits young people under the short service commission for an initial tenure of 10 years, which is extendable up to 14 years.

    The scheme is aimed at slashing the salary and pension bills of the three services, which have been increasing rapidly.

    The defence budget of Rs 5,25,166 crore for 2022-23 included Rs 1,19,696 crore for defence pensions. The allocation for revenue expenditure was Rs 2,33,000 crore. The revenue expenditure includes the expenses on payment of salaries and maintenance of establishments.

  • Rajnath meets Vietnamese President and PM in Hanoi

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India and Vietnam continue to work on the basis of “remarkable convergences” and “deep mutual trust” to develop an even stronger cooperative agenda, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday after meeting Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi.

    The defence minister also met Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh with a focus on realising the full potential of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

    “Delighted to call on the President of Vietnam, H.E. Nguyen Xuan Phuc in Hanoi today. India and Vietnam continue to work on the basis of remarkable convergences and deep mutual trust to develop an even stronger cooperative agenda,” he tweeted.

    Singh arrived in Hanoi on Tuesday on a three-day visit to explore ways to further deepen defence ties between the two countries. “I thank Vietnam’s Prime Minister, H.E. Pham Minh Chinh for receiving me in Hanoi. We had warm & rich discussions on realising the full potential of India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Deeply appreciate his positive approach & focus towards deepening bilateral relations,” he tweeted.

    India and Vietnam on Wednesday signed a vision document to further broad-base the “scope and scale” of defence ties by 2030 and sealed a logistics support pact to allow their militaries of the two sides to use each other’s bases for repair and replenishment of supplies.

    The documents were signed after Singh and his Vietnamese counterpart General Phan Van Giang held “fruitful”.

    The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on mutual logistics support is the first such major agreement that Vietnam has signed with any country. The defence ministry said India and Vietnam continue to have the “most trustworthy relations in contemporary times with broader convergence of interests and common concerns”.

    “In these times of increasing cooperative engagements between the defence forces of the two countries, this (logistics pact) is a major step towards simplifying procedures for mutually beneficial logistic support and is the first such major agreement which Vietnam has signed with any country,” the ministry said in a statement.

    The two defence ministers signed the ‘Joint Vision Statement on India-Vietnam Defence Partnership towards 2030’ that provides for expansion of defence and military ties in diverse areas, officials said.

    Vietnam, an important country of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), has territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea region.

    India has oil exploration projects in the Vietnamese waters in the South China Sea. India and Vietnam are boosting their maritime security cooperation in the last few years to protect common interests.

  • Rs 76,000 crore defence boost for domestic industry

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  In a move aimed at lifting the domestic industry, the Ministry of Defence on Monday approved the procurement of military hardware worth Rs 76,390 crore. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, which approved the proposals, also pushed for indigenisation of the aero engines. The Army, Navy and Coast Guard will benefit from these approvals.

    “For the Indian Army, the DAC accorded fresh AoNs (acceptance of necessity) for procurement of rough terrain fork lift trucks, bridge laying tanks, wheeled armoured fighting vehicles with anti-tank guided missiles and weapon locating radars through domestic sources with emphasis on indigenous design and development,” the defence ministry said in a statement. For the Navy, the DAC accorded AoN for procurement of next generation corvettes (NGCs) at an estimated cost of approximately `36,000 crore, the ministry added. 

    “These NGCs will be versatile platforms for a variety of roles viz. surveillance missions, escort operations, deterrence, surface action group operations, search & attack and coastal defence,” the defence ministry statement read. 

    AoN is the government stamp that the proposal from the forces is accepted. These NGCs would be constructed based on the new in-house design of the Indian Navy using the latest technology of ship building.

    The projects will be executed under ‘Buy (Indian)’, ‘Buy & Make (Indian)’ and ‘Buy (Indian-IDDM)’ categories. This will provide a substantial boost to the Indian defence industry and cut foreign spending.Engines for aircraft are becoming the focus area for the government. “The DAC accorded AoNs for manufacture of Dornier aircraft and Su-30 MKI aero-engines by Hindustan Aeronautics with focus on enhancing indigenisation particularly in indigenising aero-engine material,” it added. 

    Digital Coast Guard

    DAC has also approved the Digital Coast Guard project under Buy (Indian). The aim is to build a pan-India secure network to digitise surface and aviation operations, logistics, finance and HR processes in Coast Guard.

  • Free and open Indo-Pacific important aspect of India’s maritime security: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday not only termed Indo-Pacific as an important aspect of India’s maritime security but also added that India has a clear interest to create a rule-based, peaceful and stable environment.

    Sharing his views on the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific, Defence Minister termed the region an important aspect of India’s maritime security.

    Rajnath Singh said, “Being a responsible maritime power, we have a clear interest to create a rule-based, peaceful and stable environment.”

    “Such a rule based environment is essential for both regional and global prosperity. In such ar situation, the Indian Coast Guard has a big role to play,” Defence Minister said as he inaugurated the three-day 39th Commanders’ Conference of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) here.

    Both Indo-Pacific and Indian Ocean remain the lifeline for world maritime commerce.

    As per Indian Defence Minister the growing regional and global trade has brought forth new challenges in the Indo-Pacific.

    “Geopolitical tensions and clash of strategic interests have led to traditional security challenges. Terrorism, drug trafficking and piracy are some non-traditional challenges in front of us today. The entire region is being affected by these challenges,” he said.

    On the Indian Ocean Region (IOR), Rajnath Singh said, India’s geographical location is crucial from the strategic and economic point of view.

    “Our long coastline with deep-water ports, a prosperous Exclusive Economic Zone and islands at both ends present a unique position,” he added.

    The IOR accounts for more than two-thirds of the world’s oil shipments. One-third of bulk cargo and more than half of container traffic pass through it.

    “The safety of these sea routes is not only directly connected to our economic interests, but it also establishes India as a Net Security Provider in IOR,” he stated.

    Rajnath stressed the need to maintain maritime preparedness in the constantly-changing global scenario, terming it as a crucial aspect which safeguards the economic and strategic interests of a nation.

    He said, there has been a shift in India’s maritime security needs due to the ever-evolving global situation.

    As per Rajnath, India has emerged as a strong and reliable investment destination due to the Government’s efforts.

    “The country’s true potential can only come to the fore if a safe, secure and rule-based maritime environment is provided to the country’s economy, especially the Blue economy,” added Rajnath

    The ICG Commanders conference is held annually, where all Regional Commanders put forth the roadmap for the future and discuss various policy & strategic issues. The conference aims to carve out a futuristic vision for the service and determine the modalities to overcome challenges efficiently.

    It is the 39th Commanders Conference of the Cosst Guard. Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar, DG ICG VS Pathania and other senior officials of Ministry of Defence and the ICG were present on the occasion. 

  • Navy drills for security, not aggression: Rajnath Singh

    By Express News Service

    KARWAR: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said here on Friday that India’s maritime power enhancement is being done not with an intention of any aggression, but is aimed at peace and security in the region. He was speaking after undertaking a sea sortie on one of India’s indigenously manufactured Kalvari-class conventional submarines INS Khanderi at the Karwar naval base in Karnataka.

    Speaking to the media, the defence minister, who is on a twoday visit here, said he got “firsthand insight into the combat capabilities and offensive strength of the state-of-the-art Kalvari-class submarine”. “India is enhancing its naval power not with any intention of aggression, but to protect its maritime boundaries and ensure peace and prosperity in the region,” he added. Sharing his experience on the sortie, Singh said, “I got to know how the country’s naval power fares under water. It was a unique experience.”

    Rajnath: Navy to induct 41 warships, subs soon

    “After this, my confidence in the Navy has further increased,” the defence minister added.Highlighting the country’s Make-in-India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives, the minister said the Indian Navy will be inducting 41 warships and submarines in the coming days, of which 39 will be made under the Make-in-India initiative. “The INS Khanderi — the submarine in which I undertook the sea sortie — is developed in India. I have an emotional bond with it as I was present when it was commissioned in September 2019,” he added.

    A statement from the Defence ministry said during the four-hour sortie, “the full spectrum of capabilities of underwater operations of the stealth submarine was demonstrated” to Singh, and he witnessed a “wide range of operational drills with the submarine demonstrating the advanced sensor suite, combat system and weapon capability which provides it a distinct advantage in the subsurface domain”. He also got a glimpse of the submarine’s capability to effectively counter anti-submarine operations by an adversary. He was accompanied by Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar along with other senior Navy and ministry officials.

    The operational sortie was accompanied by the deployment of ships of the Western Fleet, an anti-submarine mission sortie by a P-8I MPA and Sea King helicopter, a fly-past by MiG 29-K fighters and a search and rescue capability demonstration, the statement said. With this, Singh has now “witnessed first-hand the three-dimensional combat capability of the Indian Navy, after having embarked on the INS Vikramaditya in September 2019 and conducted a sortie on the P8I long-range maritime reconnaissance anti-submarine warfare aircraft earlier this month,” the statement added.

    The INS Khanderi, part of the P-75 project, under which six conventional submarines are being made in India, was commissioned on September 28, 2019. The Navy has commissioned four of these Kalvari-(Scorpene) class submarines, and two more are likely to be inducted by end next year. Before setting out on the sea sortie, the minister participated in a yoga session at the naval base. He also interacted with the crew of INS Khanderi.

  • Covid pandemic, Ukraine war behind price rise: Rajnath

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said the coronavirus pandemic and Russia-Ukraine war have caused price rise and the government has taken several steps to tackle the challenge.

    Even developed countries like the USA and China are not untouched by inflation, he said according to a press release. 

    “Inflation has increased in the country due to coronavirus and the Ukraine crisis,” he said addressing a programme organised by the Lucknow Intellectual Foundation Addressing a Financial Markets Workshop organised by the Indian Institute of Chartered Accountants, Rajnath Singh said the economy has been affected due to COVID-19, prices have increased slightly and steps have been taken to deal with the challenges.

    The Reserve Bank has also taken steps to reduce inflation, whose results will be out soon, he said. “Many agency surveys are showing that India is the fastest growing economy. Our government has signed a major free trade agreement with Australia,” he said.

    According to the press release, Rajnath also claimed that efforts made by the BJP government to check the coronavirus crisis have been appreciated by the World Health Organization.

    Ever since the Modi government was formed in 2014, India’s credibility on the world stage has increased and now the whole world listens carefully to what India says, he said, adding that all this has happened because of the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Singh said India is currently the sixth largest economy in the world and the vision is to be named among the top three economies in the world in coming 10 years.

    Singh, who took part in a number of programmes, discussed development projects in Lucknow and said six flyovers have been built here and five new ones have been approved. He said officials have been asked to complete the work at the earliest.

    Many prominent leaders, including former UP deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma, were present on this occasion. Padma Shri recipient litterateur Vidya Bindu Singh requested Rajnath to rename Lucknow as Laxman Puri.

  • Rajnath approves revised ‘scales of accommodation’ for armed forces; JCOs to get car garages

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday approved revised “scales of accommodation” for defence services with an aim to ensure better standards of living and workspaces for the armed forces personnel.

    The defence ministry said the implementation of scales of accommodation – 2022 would facilitate improvement in facilities and infrastructure for the stay of the armed forces personnel.

    Officials said the new norms would provide for the creation of sustainable living and workspaces as the buildings will require to feature energy efficiency mechanisms, improved structural design, multi-level parking and water conservation systems among others.

    Under the new Scales of Accommodation (SoA), the majority of junior commissioned officers (JCOs), as well as other ranks (OR), are set to have car garages.

    As per existing norms, only officers are allowed to have car garages. “The implementation of Scales of Accommodation — 2022, would be tremendous improvement inbuilt facilities/ infrastructure and specifications commensurate to contemporary requirements,” the defence ministry said.

    The SoA defines the authorisation for the construction of facilities for operational, functional, training, administrative, living and recreation facilities for the defence services, according to the ministry.

    It said the new provisions would provide for having required amenities in all public buildings for persons with disabilities, adding “gender commonality” in all specifications has been ensured. “This will ensure contemporary specifications in future projects and better standards of living for the personnel of the armed forces,” the ministry said in a statement.

    It said the “scales of accommodation” aimed at optimisation of defence land usage by using multi-storeyed construction and austerity measures by combining common facilities.

    “These would ensure better working and living conditions for the defence personnel including defence civilians. Amenities in all public buildings for persons with disabilities have been introduced and gender commonality in all specifications has been ensured,” the ministry said.

    It said these scales are applicable for all three defence services and the Indian Coast Guard. The previous SoA was approved by the government in Oct 2009.

    “With the induction of new units, technological facilities and equipment profile, requirements of operational readiness, increased threat perception, the concept of sustainable development including contemporary industry standards and enhanced aspirations of users for improved living standards, there was an inescapable necessity for revision of the SoA 2009,” the ministry said.

  • Self-reliance essential, conflict in Ukraine told us even commercial contracts prone to be affected: Rajnath Singh

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: It is essential to achieve self-reliance in defence not only because it safeguards the sovereignty of the country said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday but it is also necessary as lessons from the conflicts like Ukraine tell us that not just the defence-related supplies but also the commercial contracts of the national interest are also prone to be affected.

    Sharing his views on the need to achieve ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence, the defence minister described self-reliance as essential for not only building the domestic capacity, but also for safeguarding the sovereignty of the country. 

    “Our past experiences have taught us that India cannot depend on imports for its security and security. Recent conflicts, especially the situation in Ukraine, have told us that not just defence supplies, but commercial contracts are also prone to be affected when it comes to national interests,” said the Defence Minister.

    The Defence Minister was delivering the keynote address for the 37thAir Chief Marshal PC Lal Memorial Lecture here. It was organised by the Air Force Association.

    Adding further the defence minister said that the nature of future wars can be assessed through a closer look at the situation in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan and the recent Ukrainian conflict.

    “Although these trends are suggestive, we can gain a deeper understanding by correlating them with our local threats,” he said.

    Highlighting the importance of technology in wars, Rajnath Singh said, the use of technology has seen an unprecedented increase in recent times. He, however, stated that expensive platforms/weapon systems do not alone ensure victory; it is their employment which gives an edge in wars.

    “Be it precision guided munition, unmanned aerial vehicles or manpack anti-tank weapons, their deployment in any future war will be as critical as it had been in the past. Technology is a force multiplier, but without innovative deployment, state-of-the-art equipment will be a mere display,” he added.

    Rajnath Singh called for technology evolution, gaining expertise and human resource management to defend the country against space-guided attacks and protect the space assets.

    “Change is the law of nature. It is eternal. This law is applicable to war as well. As students of military affairs and geopolitics, it is our duty to keep anticipating the nature of future wars. Steps are being taken by our adversaries toward military use of space. This is likely to have an adverse effect on our interests. We, therefore, need to identify and be fully prepared for the evolving security challenges,” he said.

    The Defence Minister also paid tributes to Air Chief Marshal PC Lal who was the Vice Chief of the Air Staff during the 1965 war and had served as the 7thChief of the Air Staff during the 1971 war.

    Rajnath Singh asserted that through the process of integration structures can be built for bringing together the forces and greater synergy can be established between them through joint vision, training, planning and execution of operations.

    “The ongoing process of integration of the Armed Forces is aimed at not only increasing the combined capability, but also efficiency. There have been deliberations in the Armed Forces regarding the envisaged changes. This consultative process will continue till the implementation of the reforms. We have to keep in mind that its long-term success will depend on the vision of the planners just as much as it depends on those who implement it. I have full faith that in future more unity will be established not just ideologically, but also in action,” he said.

    On the occasion, the Minister also released a book titled ‘INDO-PAK WAR 1971- Reminiscences of Air Warriors’. The book comprises 50 articles penned by the veterans who have shared their experiences in detail. The book has been edited by Air Marshal Jagjeet Singh and Group Captain Shailendra Mohan.

    Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari; President of the Air Force Association Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria (Retd) and senior officers of the IAF, both serving and retired were also present.