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Tag: Rajnath Singh

  • Armed forces want removal of AFSPA from Jammu and Kashmir: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

    By ANI

    GUWAHATI: Days after the Centre reduced the areas under AFSPA in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the armed forces are in favour of the withdrawal of the Act from Jammu and Kashmir.

    Speaking at the felicitation ceremony of 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War veterans here, Rajnath Singh said it is no small thing that for the last three-four years the work of removing the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) was being done in northeastern states.

    “The three wings of our defence forces want Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) to be removed from Jammu and Kashmir as soon as possible. The circumstances are responsible for the imposition of AFSPA in Jammu and Kashmir, not the Army,” Rajnath Singh said.

    He said that AFSPA was removed from 15 police stations each in Manipur and Nagaland. “That in itself means a lot. This is the result of durable peace and stability in this area,” Rajnath Singh said. He said that AFSPA was recently completely removed from 23 districts of Assam. The minister said that people from all parts of the country had taken part in the 1971 war.

    “We should take inspiration from the 1971 war, there were commanders from different castes, they belonged to different religions and all unitedly protected India. This social harmony of Assam should not be broken at any cost,” he said.

    The minister said that the Narendra Modi government is “working to wipe out terrorism from the country” and the North East Region (NER) is moving fast on the path of development due to synergy between the Centre and the states.

    Speaking about the eastern border, Rajnath Singh said that it is more peaceful and stable compared to the western frontier and noted that Bangladesh was a friendly neighbour. The Centre had last month removed AFPSA from 15 police station areas in seven districts of Nagaland, 15 police station areas in six districts of Manipur and 23 districts entirely and one district partially in Assam.

    The AFSPA Act empowers the governor of the state or administrator of Union territory or Centre to issue an official notification concerning disturbed areas after which the central government has the authority to send in armed forces for civilian aid.

  • Rajnath Singh visits USINDOPACOM HQ, reaffirms commitment to work together for open, inclusive Indo-Pacific

    By PTI

    HONOLULU: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has visited the headquarters of the United States Indo-Pacific Command and held wide-ranging interactions with its leadership to advance India-US defence collaboration across all domains and reaffirmed the commitment to work together for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, amidst China’s aggressive actions in the region.

    USINDOPACOM is a unified combatant command of the United States Armed Forces responsible for the key Indo-Pacific region.

    The USINDOPACOM and Indian military have wide-ranging engagements, including a number of military exercises, training events and exchanges.

    Adm John Aquilino, Commander USINDOPACOM, received Singh with Honour Ceremony on his visit to the Command’s headquarters in Hawaii, the Defence Ministry tweeted on Thursday.

    Singh expressed satisfaction at the significant progress in the India-US defence partnership, it said.

    “Wide-ranging interactions with INDOPACOM leadership were held to advance India-US defense collaboration across all domains,” the ministry said, adding, “The commitment to working together for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific and beyond was reaffirmed.”

    Earlier, Singh visited various training sites of the US Army, Pacific (the Army Service Component Command to INDOPACOM) located around the island of Oahu.

    “The Military to Military relationship between India and the United States has been strengthened in recent years,” Singh tweeted, sharing photographs of his visit.

    Visited various training sites of @USARPAC located around the island of Oahu. The Military to Military relationship between India and the United States has been strengthened in recent years. pic.twitter.com/MYxXmAxtOX
    — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) April 14, 2022
    He also laid a wreath at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii. Singh was in the Hawaiian capital for a brief visit to the USINDOPACOM headquarters. He arrived here from Washington on Wednesday.

    During his brief visit to the Hawaiian capital, the defence minister also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue here.

    Paid tributes to Pujya Bapu at his statue in Honolulu, Hawaii. pic.twitter.com/oyfUy7MnVW
    — Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) April 14, 2022
    India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China’s rising military manoeuvring in the strategically important region.

    China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it.

    Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea.

    Singh along with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Washington to attend the India-US ‘2+2’ Ministerial Dialogue on Monday – the first under the Biden administration.

    The US side was represented by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin at the dialogue.

    Before the 2+2 Dialogue, Singh held a bilateral meeting with Austin and reviewed the entire gamut of Indo-US defence ties and agreed to step up military-to-military relations.

    Singh and Jaishankar also attended a virtual meeting between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

  • Rajnath Singh, Jaishankar arrive in US to attend 2+2 ministerial

    By PTI

    WASHINGTON: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar have arrived in the US capital to attend the India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue in Washington on Monday – the first under the Biden administration.

    To be held under the shadow of the Ukrainian crisis, the 2+2 ministerial is reflective of the significance the two governments attach to this bilateral relationship, which former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee described as natural allies.

    In fact, President Biden has signalled to elevate the 2+2 ministerial by himself having a virtual meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the White House on Monday.

    The two Indian ministers – Singh and Jaishankar – along with their American counterparts – Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken – are slated to participate in the virtual meeting from the White House.

    The day would begin with Singh being given a red-carpet welcome at the Pentagon by Austin and Blinken meeting Jaishankar at the Foggy Bottom headquarters of the State Department.

    Thereafter, the four ministers would drive to the White House for the Modi-Biden virtual meeting.

    During the virtual meet, Biden and Modi will discuss cooperation on a range of issues, including ending the COVID-19 pandemic, countering the climate crisis, strengthening the global economy, and upholding a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.

    The 2+2 ministerial along with the respective delegations would take place at the State Department in the afternoon.

    A joint press conference has been scheduled at the conclusion of the 2+2. It would be addressed by Singh and Jaishankar along with Austin and Blinken.

  • Will visit INDOPACOM headquarters in Hawai: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on visit to US

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: As he embarks on a six-day visit to the US, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said he will travel to the headquarters of the US Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) in Hawai as part of the trip.

    The INDOPACOM is the oldest and largest combatant command of the US that is responsible for American military activities in the Indo-Pacific, a region that has been witnessing growing Chinese military muscle-flexing.

    Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar are travelling to the US to hold the fourth edition of the ‘2+2’ dialogue with US Defence Secretary Llyod Austin and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on April 11 in Washington.

    The defence minister also said that he was looking forward to “fruitful” interactions during the visit to the US.

    “I would be leaving New Delhi tonight for a visit to the United States from April 10 to April 15. I look forward to attend the Fourth India-US 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue in Washington DC. Also, I shall be visiting INDOPACOM headquarters in Hawai, during this visit,” Singh tweeted.

    Commander of the INDOPACOM Admiral John Aquilino visited India in August last year during which he held wide-ranging talks with the top military brass of the country on enhancing bilateral military cooperation.

    “The visit to the United States will give me an opportunity to hold talks with @SecDef and @SecBlinken alongside @DrSJaishankar on ways to deepen the India-US strategic partnership. Looking forward to fruitful interactions during the visit,” Singh said.

    Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said on Thursday that Jaishankar will visit the US from April 11 to 12.

    The unfolding situation in Ukraine is expected to be discussed in the fourth edition of the dialogue.

    “The dialogue would enable both sides to undertake a comprehensive review of cross-cutting issues in the India-US bilateral agenda related to foreign policy, defence and security with the objective of providing strategic guidance and vision for further consolidating the relationship,” he had said at a media briefing.

    “The 2+2 Dialogue will also provide an opportunity to exchange views about important regional and global developments and how we can work together to address issues of common interest and concern,” he said.

  • PM Modi, top BJP leaders, industrialists to attend Adityanath’s oath ceremony

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, top BJP leaders, leading industrialists and seers will participate in the mega ceremony in which Yogi Adityanath will take oath as Uttar Pradesh chief minister for the second consecutive term.

    The ceremony on Friday will be attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and CMs of BJP-ruled states. Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and 60 other business tycoons have been invited.

    Roads leading to Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, the venue for the event, have been decorated with lights.

    Cut-outs of PM Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Adityanath have been put up along the road. The BJP-led alliance had won 273 of 403 seats in the just-concluded Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. The alliance led by the main opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) bagged 125 seats.

    UP BJP general secretary J P S Rathore told PTI, “Invitations to dignitaries are being sent both by the party and the state government. Chief ministers of all BJP-ruled states have been invited. Invites have also been sent to opposition leaders in the state.”

    Adityanath has personally sent invitations to over 50 seers, including those from Ayodhya, Mathura and Varanasi.

    Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s state-level functionary Dinesh Shankar said, “Prominent seers, along with senior members of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra trust, have been invited for the ceremony.”

    Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav and his ally RLD chief Jayant Chaudhary said they won’t attend the swearing-in ceremony.

    Akhilesh had attended Adityanath’s oath ceremony in 2017 along with his father Mulayam Singh Yadav. The other prominent personalities who will turn up for the event are yoga guru Baba Ramdev, “The Kashmir Files” director Vivek Agnihotri and actor Anupam Kher.

    BJP party workers from different states have also been invited to the mega event. The venue has the capacity to accommodate 50,000 people. The stage for the VIPs has been prepared in the northern end of the stadium. A small area right before the main stage has been allocated to the media.

    While four pitches of the cricket stadium have been barricaded, seating arrangements have been made on the entire ground. The underpasses of Shaheed Path are also being painted. The ceremony is expected to begin from 4 pm onwards.

    Adityanath had kickstarted his election campaign from the stadium in December when he distributed tablets and mobile phones among students in a grand event. The swearing-in ceremony is expected to be the grandest in terms of numbers since 2007.

    In 2017, the oath-taking ceremony was held at Kanshiram Smriti Upvan. The Uttar Pradesh Police has made tight security arrangements.

    Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said, “Close to 8000 personnel of the Uttar Pradesh Police, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) along with specialised units like the Special Task Force (STF) and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) have been deployed.”

    “The access to the venue will be strictly regulated with ATS commandos manning all sensitive spots. Each visitor will be screened before being allowed to enter the venue. Door frame metal detectors and hand held metal detectors are being set up at every entry point,” he said.

    Police have also installed CCTV cameras in and around the venue. The feed from the CCTV cameras will be monitored live at the control room under the supervision of senior officials. Drones will also be kept on standby, said Kumar.

    According to officials, a three-layer security will be put in place at the venue. The Lucknow police commissionerate has also issued a detailed traffic diversion plan for the entire day. It has also launched a helpline for people stuck in the traffic.

  • Defence approves capital acquisition proposals of Rs 8000 crore

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) under the Chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for Capital Acquisition proposals of Armed Forces amounting to Rs 8,357 crore. 

    Ministry of Defence in its statement said, “AoNs accorded by DAC include procurement of Night Sight (Image Intensifier), Light Vehicles GS 4X4, Air Defence Fire Control Radar (Light) and GSAT 7B Satellite.”

    The satellite will be for communication requirements of the Army, said a source. The acquisition of these equipment and systems, the MoD said,  “will enhance operational preparedness of Armed Forces by providing better visibility, enhanced mobility, improved communication and increased capability of detecting enemy aircraft.” 

    As an impetus to ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’, all of these proposals have been approved under ‘Buy (Indian IDDM)’ category with focus on indigenous design & development and manufacturing in India.

    In an initiative to encourage innovation, the DAC also cleared the procurement of 14 items worth Rs 380.43 crore from the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) startups/MSMEs. 

    MoD informed these items will be procured by the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.

    In order to fast-track the procurement from the startups/MSMEs the DAC also approved the new simplified procedure for procurement from iDEX startups/MSMEs. 

    The procurement cycle from the AON to contract signing will be around 22 weeks as per the new procedure, Ministry informed.

    Ministry also decided that all modernisation requirements of defence forces to be indigenously sourced and import to be resorted to only as exception. It is part of the policy initiatives approved by the DAC in the Defence Acquisition Policy 2020

    To accelerate the pace of indigenisation, achieve self-reliance in defence and to facilitate Ease of Doing Business for defence industry, DAC approved other policy initiatives in the DAP-2020 including the bank guarentee

    The initiatives decisions taken, “To reduce financial burden on defence industry, requirement of the Integrity Pact Bank Guarantees is to be dispensed with and Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) to be introduced as bid security and PCIP cover upto contract stage. EMD will be applicable only for proposals of Rs 100 Cr and above and MSMEs & Startups will be exempted from EMD.”

    To assist further, “Vendors whose products are successfully trial evaluated will be provided a certificate to that effect.”

  • Pushkar Singh Dhami or a new face? All eyes on BJP legislature party meeting to decide next Uttarakhand CM

    By PTI

    DEHRADUN: BJP MLA from Kaladhungi, Banshidhar Bhagat was on Monday sworn in as the protem speaker of Uttarakhand Assembly.

    The oath of office was administered by Governor Lt Gen (retd) Gurmit Singh at a function at Raj Bhawan which was attended by caretaker chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Secretary S S Sandhu, Principal Secretary Anand Vardhan and secretary to the governor, Ranjit Kumar Sinha.

    Soon after being sworn in, Bhagat rushed to the Vidhan Bhawan here to administer the oath to the newly-elected MLAs.

    Bhagat is one of the senior-most BJP leaders from the state who was state party president till March 2021 when he became a minister in Dhami’s cabinet.

    All eyes are set on the BJP’s legislature party meeting here on Monday to decide the next chief minister of Uttarakhand where the party stormed back to power for an unprecedented second successive term.

    The meeting to be attended by BJP’s central observers for Uttarakhand — Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi — is scheduled to start at the state party office here on Balbir Road at 5 pm.

    The meeting will end the 10-day long suspense over who will wear the crown in Uttarakhand where the BJP contested the elections in the name of a young chief minister in Pushkar Singh Dhami.

    Though Dhami lost his own seat of Khatima, he is the frontrunner for the top post among about half-a-dozen names doing the rounds.

    Other probable names for the top job include those of Chaubattakhal MLA Satpal Maharaj, Shrinagar MLA Dhan Singh Rawat former Union minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and Union Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt.

    The party’s newly-elected MLAs will also gather at the BJP office here for the meeting to elect their leader.

  • Defence Minister Rajnath Singh opens R&D facility for stealth jet in Bengaluru

    By Express News Service

    BENGALURU: A seven-storeyed, 1.3 lakh sqft Flight Control System (FCS) complex for research and development of the public sector HAL’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) has been built in just 45 days. 

    The construction started on February 1. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday inaugurated the facility, housed at the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), alongside Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai.

    The facility was built using hybrid technology, with a combination of conventional, pre-engineered and pre-cast methods. The construction of the complex itself breaks the record for the completion of a permanent seven-storeyed building using hybrid construction technology.

    Facility will develop avionics for AMCA

    Speaking at the inauguration, the Defence Minister commended the efforts of both the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Larsen & Toubro Ltd (L&T). “I’m pleased with the development of the facility. My hope is that we can bring down the time required to construct such facilities to 25 days and even 10 days.

    Hybrid technology is an important milestone for the construction sector and I hope that in the coming days, India will become one of the leading countries in the field of construction technology,” he noted. Further, he said, “Our traditional construction industry is generally considered to be labour-intensive, high risk and low on productivity.

    But, the way DRDO has constructed the FCS complex using hybrid technology, our infrastructure projects will be completed at low cost and in a time-bound manner in the time to come.” The facility will be at the forefront of the research and development for HAL’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), a proposed Indian stealth multirole fighter jet.

    It will help with developing avionics and FCS for the fighter aircraft. Singh said, “The provision for simulator training at the complex is one of its most important aspects. The simulators provide an opportunity to learn by making mistakes without the possibility of any kinds of losses.”

  • Everybody should welcome Karnataka HC’s judgement on hijab: Rajnath

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said the Karnataka High Court’s judgement backing a ban on wearing of hijabs in educational institutions should be welcomed by everybody.

    In an address at an event, Singh said no country or society can develop if it does not respect women.

    “I can say very confidently that there cannot be development of a society or a country if there is no respect for women. India’s approach towards women has traditionally been positive and progressive,” he said.

    “Today you have seen that the Karnataka High Court has given a judgement. I think everybody should welcome it,” he said.

    Singh was speaking at the event organised by the FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO). The defence minister said the dress code of schools and colleges must be followed by everyone of every religion.

    Referring to the judgement, he said the court held that India’s daughters may be from any religion or region, but no restriction on them is acceptable.

    “If there is a ‘dress code’ of a school and college, then anyone from irrespective of religion and faith should follow the dress code. And the court has given its judgement corresponding to this,” Singh said.

    The defence minister also said that the government has taken a number of steps to strengthen the role of women in the armed forces. “The armed forces will see a larger participation of women in the coming years due to the recent steps taken by the government,” he said.

    “Today, women are not only working in the Army in every wing, but now we are also giving permanent commission to them. Today, admission is being given to boys as well as girls in every Sainik School. The doors of NDA (National Defence Academy) have also been opened for women,” he said.

    Singh said that about 200,000 women took the entrance exam last year for entry into the NDA with great enthusiasm. “The percentage of women in the Indian Army will increase significantly in the coming times,” said Singh.

    The defence minister also highlighted a number of schemes rolled out by the government in the last few years on skill development, employment generation and entrepreneurship. He said these schemes have paved the way for the holistic development of women and given them the confidence to forge a new identity.

    Singh made special mention of 23-year-old Vinita Singh who left a salary package of Rs one crore and launched her own startup, which has now become a Rs 300 crore company.

    He said this inspiring story has been made possible due to the policy brought out by the government to promote startups in the country. “In 2014, only 500 startups were working in the country. By 2022, this count has crossed 60,000,” he added.

    Singh reiterated the government’s commitment to promoting women entrepreneurship in India, saying that according to a study, if obstacles in the way of women are removed, at least 1.5 crore new businesses can be started, creating about 6.4 crore additional jobs, according to a defence ministry statement.

    He added that this ecosystem of women entrepreneurship will inspire more women and new businesses will emerge. At the event, rich tributes were paid to Bharat Ratna Late Lata Mangeshkar. Singh remembered the Nightingale of India, saying that she will always be alive in the heart of every Indian.

    FLO president Ujjwala Singhania and other members of the organisation were also present.

  • India ‘only country’ that never usurped an inch of another country’s land: Rajnath Singh at DU 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India is the ‘only country’ in the world that has never attacked or usurped an inch of any other country’s land, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said during Delhi University’s 98th convocation ceremony on Saturday. India’s power is meant for the welfare of the world and not to scare anyone, he said in his address as the chief guest of the ceremony, during which 1,73,443 students were awarded digital degrees.

    “Our dream is to make India Jagat Guru. We want to make the country powerful, rich knowledgeable and have values. India is the only country that has never attacked or occupied one inch of land of any other country,” he said.

    Now, even the world believes that India was once a world leader in several areas, including knowledge and science, but there are many so-called progressives who ‘malign and question’ the cultural excellence of the country, Singh said.

    “In this Amrit Kaal of Independence, as the country celebrates 75 years of freedom, we must recall the great tradition of equality, harmony and knowledge, and endeavour to overcome this poison that was filled in us under a conspiracy,” the minister said. He cited names of ancient sages, scientists and scholars to convey that India was the leader in the field of science, but many were unaware of this due to centuries of slavery.

    “The concept of zero was given by India, Sridharacharya gave quadratic equation, Bodhayana came up with the Pythagoras theorem 300 years before Pythagoras did so, surgery was performed in this country before Jesus Christ, Aryabhata explained the shape of the Earth and that it rotated on its axis before Copernicus,” he said.

    Talking about the spiritual power of the country, Singh said even people such as Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg visited Neem Karoli Baba at Kainchi Dham near Nainital for peace in their times of trouble. He called upon the youth to take a pledge to refrain from engaging in any activity that is against the interests of the country.

    Citing the names of convicted terrorists Afzal Guru, Yaqub Memon and the attackers of the twin towers in the US, Singh said it was a misconception that poverty and lack of education were reasons behind terrorism.

    ‘Sanskaras and open-mindedness’ decide a person’s future, he stated. During the event, Singh also conferred 197 medals on students. A record number of 802 doctoral degrees were awarded.

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    “I would like to congratulate the students and their families. Now, you will enter a world where the whole world will be your university. There will be a lot of changes in your life. There will be more responsibilities on you.I believe there is always an applied aspect of every education. Now, you will have to work in the world in applied mode with an acquired skill set,” he said.

    Delhi University will release digital degrees with blockchain security through Samarth eGov, an initiative that aims at equipping Indian central universities and other higher education institutions with information systems for process automation and e-governance.

    The university completes 100 years on May 1 this year, according to its Vice-Chancellor Yogesh Singh, who presided over the event. Last year, Delhi University became the first institution in the country to award digital degrees to 1,78,719 students.