Tag: Rajnath Singh

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Rajnath Singh to lead BJP’s manifesto committee

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Minister Piyush Goyal will be convenor and co-convenors, respectively….reports Asian Lite News

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday announced the Election Manifesto Committee for the Lok Sabha elections 2024. BJP president JP Nadda announced the 27-member committee which will be headed by defence minister and former BJP chief Rajnath Singh.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Union Minister Piyush Goyal will be convenor and co-convenors, respectively.

Arjun Munda, Bhupender Yadav, Arjun Ram Meghwal, Kiren Rijiju, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Dharmendra Pradhan, and Bhupender Patel are included as members in the committee.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai and Madhya Pradesh CM Mohan Yadav are also included in the list.

Along with them, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Vasundhara Raje, Smriti Irani, Jual Oram, Ravishankar Prasad, Sushil Modi, Keshav Prasad Maurya, Rajeev Chandrashekhar, Vinod Tawde, Radha Mohan Das Agarwal, Manjinder Singh Sirsa, OP Dhankar, Anil Antony and Tariq Mansoor are also there.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday announced the candidates for the by-election to be held in the Gandey Assembly seat of Jharkhand and Bagidora Assembly seat in Rajasthan.

The party has fielded Dilip Kumar Verma from the Gandey Assembly, while Subhash Tamboliya has been given a ticket from the Bagidora Assembly in Rajasthan. The bypoll will be held at Bagidora Assemby in Rajasthan on April 26, while the Gandey Assembly will undergo a bypoll on May 20.

Bypolls on 26 Assembly seats will also be held along with the Lok Sabha polls. Meanwhile, Lok Sabha polls will be held in seven phases beginning April 19. Nearly 96.8 crore people are eligible to cast their votes in the upcoming polls at over 12 lakh polling stations.

The election for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases starting April 19. The counting of votes will take place on June 4. In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) won 282 seats, while the Indian National Congress (INC) managed to get only 44 seats.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) won 303 seats, while the Indian National Congress (INC) managed to get only 52 seats. (ANI)

BJP releases 8th list of 11 candidates

The BJP Saturday named 11 more Lok Sabha candidates, four of whom had jumped ship from other parties — including former BJD leader Bhartruhari Mahtab and former Congress leader Preneet Kaur.

The party’s eighth list of nominees comprised two candidates from West Bengal, three from Odisha and six from Punjab, taking its total number of announced candidates to 411 so far. All four defecting leaders have been fielded from the seats they represent in the outgoing Lok Sabha.

A notable inclusion in the list was that of former IPS officer Debashish Dhar from West Bengal’s Birbhum seat, where he will contest against three-time TMC MP Satabdi Roy. Dhar was suspended as Cooch Behar SP after the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections during which four people were killed in Sitalkuchi area in alleged firing by central forces. On March 20, the IPS officer resigned from service citing “personal reasons”. The other candidate from Bengal is Pranat Tudu, a doctor who will be pitted against TMC’s Kalipada Soren in Jhargram.

The BJP has so far named candidates to 40 out of the 42 seats in West Bengal. The Diamond Harbour seat, which Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee represents, is one of the two seats it is yet to name candidates for.

In Odisha, Mahtab will contest from the prestigious Cuttack constituency, which he has been representing since 1998 as part of the BJD. The son of Odisha’s first chief minister Harekrushna Mahtab, he recently resigned from the regional party expressing displeasure over its functioning. Mahtab will take on BJD’s Santrupt Misra, former HR head of Aditya Birla Group.

In the communally-sensitive Kandhamal, the BJP fielded Sukanta Kumar Panigrahi, who has a strong RSS background. The BJD has been winning the seat since 2009, when it broke off ties with the BJP. Panigrahi will face BJD’s Achyuta Samanta, who won the seat in 2019. The BJP has named Rabindra Narayan Behera, a technocrat, from Jajpur, a seat reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates. He will contest against the current MP, BJD’s Sarmishta Sethi. With these three names, BJP has announced candidates for all 21 seats in Odisha.

In Punjab, the BJP’s inaugural list of six candidates includes three turncoats. Among them is Preneet, who is former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh’s wife. Punjab has 13 Lok Sabha seats. While Ravneet Singh Bittu, who defected from Congress to BJP on March 26, will contest from Ludhiana where he is the current MP, Sushil Kumar Rinku, a former AAP leader who joined BJP on March 27, has been fielded from Jalandhar. Rinku won the Lok Sabha bypolls from the same seat last year.

Preneet, a former Congress MP from Patiala who switched to the BJP in March, has been fielded from Patiala again.

Hans Raj Hans, a Sufi singer-turned-politician, and retired diplomat Taranjeet Singh Sandhu will contest from Faridkot and Amritsar, respectively. Hans Raj Hans is pitted against Karamjit Anmol, a singer and actor close to Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann. The party also decided to field Dinesh Singh ‘Babbu’, a seasoned MLA, from Gurdaspur in place of actor Sunny Deol.



ALSO READ: Indian economy in distress, BJP unaware: Chidambaram

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Modi Govt Set to Strengthen Hold, Rajnath Assures Overseas BJP in UK

The minister held an exclusive meeting with the Overseas Friends of BJP UK (OFBJPUK) this week

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, in a meeting with the Overseas Friends of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) UK (OFBJPUK), emphasised with confidence that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government will secure more seats than in the last elections.

The minister held an exclusive meeting with the Overseas Friends of BJP UK (OFBJPUK) at the Taj Hotel London on Wednesday.

While addressing the team, he expressed delight in witnessing their enthusiasm and highlighted that the collective aim is to make a significant impact in the upcoming 2024 elections, surpassing expectations.

“The Defence Minister conveyed confidence that the Modi Government will secure more seats than in the last election,” the Overseas Friends of BJP UK said in a statement.

During the meeting, Rajnath Singh emphasized the pivotal role of defence in any nation and graciously dedicated his valuable time to engage with the dedicated “karyakartas” of the group.

He provided assurances that our borders and states are secured under the vigilant care of our defence forces.

Moreover, he urged the diaspora members to uphold their credibility when outside India, emphasizing that their credibility is India’s credibility.

Further, he highlighted China’s article published in Global Times, praising India and acknowledging its potential as a future superpower.

“He touched upon global recognition, noting China’s mouthpiece news portal Global Times praising India and acknowledging its potential as a future superpower,” according to the statement.

The meeting was a testament to the strong collaboration between the Defence Minister and the Overseas Friends of BJP UK, further highlighting the shared commitment towards a secure and prosperous India.

Sharing a post on X, the Overseas Friends of BJP UK on Thursday said that the group held engaging and encouraging discussions with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

“@OFBJPUK4UP OFBJPUK (UP Chapter) was honoured to welcome Defence Minister Shri @rajnathsingh

Ji at Taj Hotel London. Engaging and encouraging discussions with the Hon’ble minister,” the post stated.

Earlier on Thursday, Rajnath Singh held a meeting with British Foreign Secretary David Cameron on boosting ties between the two nations.

The two leaders appreciated the new momentum and direction of the India-UK partnership, symbolised by intense engagements at various levels.

Singh outlined his goal of integrating defence industries of India and the UK, including through supply chain integration to build resilience. He stressed the importance of bilateral start-up level interaction, and identification and discussion of joint projects that India and the UK could implement together.

Singh, who is currently on a visit to UK, interacted with the Indian community at India House in London. More than 160 prominent persons of Indian origin attended the interaction. A number of Indian military ex-servicemen, including a few family members of second world war veterans were also present.

Earlier, Singh and his UK counterpart Grant Shapps attended the India-UK Defence Industry CEOs Roundtable at Trinity House in London. (ANI)

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India, Malaysia look to strengthen defence ties

Pic credits Twitter@rajnathsingh

Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will travel to Malaysia on an official visit from July 10-11 with a focus on further consolidating bilateral defence cooperation and Enhanced Strategic Partnership.

During his visit, Defence Minister of India Rajnath Singh will hold bilateral talks with his Malaysian counterpart Dato’ Seri Mohamad Hasan, the Ministry of Defence said in a press release. The two leaders will review defence cooperation between India and Malaysia and explore new initiatives to further strengthen the engagements. Rajnath Singh and Dato’ Seri Mohamad Hasan will exchange views on regional and global issues of shared interest. Singh will also call on Malaysia’s Prime Minister YB Dato’ Seri Anwar bin Ibrahim.

The Ministry of Defence statement said, “India and Malaysia have a common interest in peace and prosperity of the entire region. The two democracies have a robust and multifaceted relationship which has expanded into several strategic areas, including defence and security.”

Both countries are committed to working under the vision of the enhanced strategic partnership established during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Malaysia in 2015, the Defence Ministry statement said.

Earlier this June, Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan met with Malaysia’s Human Resources Minister V Sivakumar and they agreed to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on opening all sectors to Indian workers in Malaysia.

Taking to Twitter, Muraleedharan stated, “Glad to meet Hon’ble Minister of Human Resources Malaysia H.E. @Sivatronoh in Kuala Lumpur Thanked the Minister & Malaysian government for opening all sectors to Indian workers at par with other foreign workers in Malaysia. Both agreed to expedite signing an MoU in this regard.”

He also met a Member of the Malaysian House of Representatives M Kula Segaran. Following the meeting, Muraleedharan tweeted, “Pleased to meet YB @mkula, National Vice Chairman of Democratic Action Party and other senior members in Kuala Lumpur. Discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations and people-to-people connect.”

During his visit to Malaysia, Muraleedharan also interacted with the Indian diaspora in Kuala Lumpur.” Delighted to interact with the vibrant Indian diaspora in Malaysia during the Pravasi Bharatiya Utsav, hosted by @hcikl. Commended the significant contributions of Indian diaspora to all walks of life in Malaysia & in nurturing India-Malaysia ties,” he tweeted.

MoS V Muraleedharan also attended cultural performances organised as part of an event titled ‘Pravasi Bharatiya Utsav’. During his visit, he met members of the Malaysian Armed Forces Sikh Veteran Association (MAFSVA) in Kuala Lumpur and appreciated their valour and courage.

Muraleedharan tweeted, “Pleased to have met with committee members of Malaysian Armed Forces Sikh Veterans Association (MAFSVA) in Kuala Lumpur. Appreciate their valour and courage.”

During his visit, he also met and interacted with the office bearers of Netaji Welfare Foundation and Netaji Service Centre. The MoS commended their efforts in preserving the legacy of Netaji Subash Chandra Bose in Malaysia. (ANI)

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Military hardware on focus as Rajnath gears up for Nigeria visit

In what would be the first-ever visit of an Indian Defence Minister to the West African nation, Singh will be in Abuja to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President-elect of the country, reports Ateet Sharma

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will spend three days in Nigeria starting Sunday as India continues to deepen its outreach to the African continent.

In what would be the first-ever visit of an Indian Defence Minister to the West African nation, Singh will be in Abuja to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President-elect of the country.

He will also meet top leaders of the country, including the outgoing Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, a day before the swearing-in ceremony scheduled for Monday at Abuja’s Eagle Square.

Hailed as an “important landmark” in building strong bonds of friendship, the visit spotlights New Delhi’s commitment to regional unity under the Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR) initiative envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Quite significantly, it is also expected to herald a new era of defence and security cooperation between the two nations as the top leadership of important Defence Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) will be accompanying Singh.

“They will hold meetings with the representatives from the Nigerian industry and the Armed Forces to identify the equipment and platforms, through which the Indian defence industry can support the country’s requirements,” the Defence Ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

Nigeria has been grappling with a serious challenge from Islamic terror outfits, including ISIS-West Africa (ISIS-WA) and Boko Haram (BH), especially in its northeast region, for a long time now.

Furthering the narrative of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’, India has offered to fulfil the defence requirements of not just Nigeria but also several African countries which continue to battle conflict, terrorism and violent extremism.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with the troops who participated in the para dropping and other military exercises at Stankna near Leh.

In March, while addressing the ‘India-Africa Army Chiefs’ Conclave’ organised on the sidelines of the second Africa-India Joint Exercise ‘AfiIndex’ in Pune, Singh had assured that India will remain at the forefront of providing training to the Armed Forces of African nations and equipping them with the necessary skills to face the security challenges of the 21st century.

“The Indian defence industry can work with you to fulfil your defence requirements. With the aim to empower our African friends to indigenously meet their defence requirements, we are also committed to sharing our expertise and knowledge in defence manufacturing, research and development,” he said at the event which was attended by army chiefs and representatives of 31 African nations.

India has been contributing significantly to the capacity building of the Nigerian Armed Forces right since its formative years and the Modi government is ready to take this strategic partnership further in years to come through cooperation and co-production in the defence sector.

At the same time, various Indian companies such as state-run defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL), Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), Solar Industries, Kanpur-based M Kumar Udyog (MKU), Mahindra Defence, L&T, Bharat Forge, Ashok Leyland, have been keen on expanding India’s defence footprint in Africa.

Both India and Nigeria have also been working on exploring newer research activities and application possibilities in the field of remote sensing of the earth, satellite communication, satellite navigation, space science and exploration of outer space after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) of Nigeria in 2020.

With Nigeria holding the largest natural gas reserves on the continent, New Delhi has been seeking higher crude oil imports from Abuja keeping in consideration the significant expansion in India’s refining capacity.

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India reminds world of need to root out terror

In a veiled reference to China, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that India is concerned about “complicating actions and incidents that have eroded trust and confidence, and undermined peace and stability” in the region…reports Asian Lite News

Just two days before the 14th anniversary of the dastardly 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, India reminded the world on Wednesday that transnational and cross-border terrorism remains the gravest threat requiring “urgent and resolute intervention” by the international community. 

“Indifference can no longer be a response, as terrorism has found victims globally,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told the 9th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM)-Plus in Siem Reap, Cambodia, on Wednesday.

The first ADMM-Plus conducted in-person after two years of virtual meetings was attended by the 10 ASEAN Defence Ministers and their counterparts from the eight Plus countries, namely India, Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States.

Citing last month’s ‘Delhi Declaration’ following the meeting of the United Nations Security Council Committee on Counter-terrorism, the Defence Minister stated that India has taken “serious note” of the developments as it counters the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes – to propagate ideologies, transfer money and recruit supporters.

“Terrorist groups have created interlinkages across continents backed by new-age technologies to transfer money and recruit supporters. The transformation of cyber-crimes into organised cyber-attacks point to the increasing use of new technologies, by both, State and non-State actors,” Singh told the gathering.

He hoped that with participation from 18 countries constituting half of the world’s population together, ADMM Plus can position itself not just as a forum for regional security but a driver for world peace.

The meeting, reminded Indian Defence Minister, is taking place at a time when the world is seeing increasing strife amplified by disruptive politics thus making a peaceful Indo-Pacific, with ASEAN at its centre, more vital than ever for the security and prosperity of the world.

In his address, Singh reiterated that India calls for a free, open and inclusive order in the Indo-Pacific, based upon respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations, peaceful resolution of disputes through dialogue and adherence to international rules and laws.

In a veiled reference to China, Singh said that India is concerned about “complicating actions and incidents that have eroded trust and confidence, and undermined peace and stability” in the region.

New Delhi, he said, stands for the freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce, peaceful settlement of maritime disputes and adherence to international law, particularly, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982.

“We hope that the ongoing negotiations on the Code of Conduct on the South China Sea will be fully consistent with international law, in particular, UNCLOS, and should not prejudice the legitimate rights and interests of nations that are not party to these discussions,” he added.

India also reaffirmed that it remains committed to nurturing practical, forward-looking and result-oriented cooperation with ADMM Plus countries for enhancing the maritime security in the region and the safety of the global commons.

Singh spotlighted that while terrorism continues to remain a big threat, other security concerns that have emerged in the aftermath of the global Covid-19 pandemic cannot be ignored.

“The ongoing geo-political developments have brought the world’s attention to the challenges of energy and food security. As a responsible member of the international community, India has worked with its partners, in extending humanitarian aid and food grains on large scale. If there was ever a time to look at the collective solutions borne from the path of dialogue and diplomacy, it is now,” he stressed to the Defence Ministers from Southeast Asia (ASEAN) and the dialogue partner States.

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Quin holds talks with India’s defence minister

The talks between Quin and Singh took place days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson agreed on a new and expanded India-UK defence partnership…reports Asian Lite News

British Minister of Defence Procurement Jeremy Quin held talks with India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday focusing on bilateral cooperation in areas such as aviation and shipbuilding.

“Had a wonderful meeting with the UK Minister of Defence Procurement, Mr. Jeremy Quin. We discussed the opportunities available in areas pertaining to aviation, ship building and other defence industrial programmes for both the countries,” Singh tweeted.

The talks between Quin and Singh took place days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Boris Johnson agreed on a new and expanded India-UK defence partnership.

During his visit to India last week, Johnson announced that the UK is creating an Open General Export Licence (OGEL) for India to “reduce bureaucracy and slashing delivery times” for defence procurement and that London will help New Delhi in the co-development of military hardware including indigenous production of fighter jets.

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Rajnath writes to Mamata, Stalin over tableau controversy

Rajnath Singh. (File Photo: IANS)

In his letter to both the leaders, Rajnath Singh stated that of the 29 proposals from states and union territories, 12 were accepted, reports Asian Lite News

Putting an end to politics of tableau ahead of the Republic day parade, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday wrote to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Tamil Nadu counterpart M.K. Stalin explaining the reasons for rejection of their states’ tableaux.

Politics of tableau heated up after the Centre rejected the proposals of Kerala, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu tableaux in the Republic Day parade. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Sunday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his intervention after the Centre rejected her state’s Republic Day tableaux on Subhas Chandra Bose.

In his letter to both the leaders, Rajnath Singh stated that of the 29 proposals from states and union territories, 12 were accepted.

Tableaux Delhi state and others State take part in Republic Day full dress parade rehearsal, at Rajpath in New Delhi, India on Saturday, January 23, 2021. (Source: IANS)

Singh said: “I would like to bring to your kind attention that there exists a well established system for selection of tableaux for participation in the Republic Day Parade, as per which Ministry of Defence invites proposals for tableaux from all States/UTs and Central Ministries/Departments.”

The minister said that tableaux proposals received from various States/UTs and Central Ministries/Departments are evaluated in a series of meetings of the Expert Committee comprising eminent persons in the field of art, culture, painting, sculpture, music, architecture, choreography etc.

“The Expert Committee examines the proposals on the basis of theme, concept, design and its visual impact before making its recommendations. As per the time slot allotted for tableaux in overall duration of the parade, short listing of tableaux is done by the Expert Committee.”

He told Banerjee that West Bengal tableaux were part of 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2021 parades.

Nandi, Naga, Ganesha, Lepakshi to feature in AP’s tableaux (Source: IANS)

He also said that the government has celebrated 2018 Republic Day in honour of Subhas Chandra Bose and this year also the Republic Day celebrations will begin from January 23 marking his 125th birth anniversary.

To Stalin, Singh explained, “The tableaux from the State Government of Tamil Nadu was considered in the first three rounds of meetings. After the third round of meeting, the tableaux could not make it to the final list of 12 selected for participation in the RDP-2022.”

Singh told Stalin that Tamil Nadu had representation in 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021 Republic Day parades.

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New India will give befitting reply to adversaries: Rajnath

The defence minister was at Shaheed Samman Yatra in honour of 232 war martyrs of Pithoragarh. The yatra will head from Pithoragarh to Dehradun from where 232 brave hearts gave their lives…reports Asian Lite News.

The ‘new and powerful India’ will give befitting reply to adversaries and will retaliate against any efforts made by them to destabilise peace in the nation, said Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday.

While addressing Shaheed Samman Yatra in Pithoragarh, Singh said that Pakistan makes all efforts to destabilise peace in India but India has sent a clear message to them that we will hit back.



Without naming China, Singh said that there is another neighbour who does not seem to understand things. Hailing Kumaon battalion, he said that he was told 114 jawans, who were martyred, killed over 1,200 Chinese soldiers.

“I went to Rezang La where I was told about the miracle done by 124 jawans of Kumaon battalion. It can never be forgotten. I was told that 114 jawans were martyred, but they killed over 1,200 Chinese soldiers,” Singh said. The defence minister went to Rezang La on November 18.

The defence minister was at Shaheed Samman Yatra in honour of 232 war martyrs of Pithoragarh. The yatra will head from Pithoragarh to Dehradun from where 232 brave hearts gave their lives.

Singh asserted that India wants good ties with its neighbours and has never attacked any country. “India never occupied a foreign territory. Having good ties with neighbours has been India’s culture but some people don’t understand this,” Singh said.

Talking about Pakistan, the minister said that India has given a clear message on the western border that if it crosses its limits, it will just not retaliate on the borders but can even cross over into its territory and do surgical and airstrikes.

ALSO READ-Rajnath Stresses on Need of Continuous Modernisation of Military

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India determined to protect its maritime interests: Rajnath Singh

He emphasised on the need for an efficient, cooperative and collaborative harnessing of the region’s maritime potential for sustaining a steady path to prosperity, said the Ministry of Defence…reports Asian Lite News.

India is fully determined to protect its maritime interests, while it supports the maintenance of rule-based maritime systems, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Wednesday.

“India is committed to respecting the rights of all nations as laid down in the UN Convention on the Law of Seas (UNCLOS), 1982. We are fully determined to protect the legitimate rights and interests of our country in relation to our territorial waters and Exclusive Economic Zone, while supporting the maintenance of rule-based maritime systems, as mandated under UNCLOS, 1982,” he said.

Singh was delivering the keynote address at the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) 2021, being held virtually from October 27-29.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s description of the Indo-Pacific as a natural region, where destinies of entities are interlinked, Singh said, the seas are a vital communication link to facilitate transport of goods, exchange of ideas, catalysing innovations and contributing to bringing the world closer.

“Although the Indo-Pacific is characterised by diversity, marked by a multiplicity of cultures, ethnicities, economic models, governance systems and varied aspirations, the oceans remain a common binding link,” he pointed out.

He emphasised on the need for an efficient, cooperative and collaborative harnessing of the region’s maritime potential for sustaining a steady path to prosperity, said the Ministry of Defence.

According to the Defence Minister, while the seas offer abundant opportunities for sustenance and growth of the mankind, they pose challenges such as terrorism, piracy, drug trafficking and climate change.

He called for a cooperative response to these challenges which, he said, has considerable trans-national implications. “There is a need to find convergence of interests and commonality of purpose on maritime issues,” he said.

Sharing his views on the broad theme of IPRD 2021, ‘Evolution in Maritime Strategy during the 21st Century: Imperatives, Challenges and Way Ahead’, Singh said, it dwells upon the region’s past, gauges the present and then arrives at tenets that will form the foundation of maritime strategies for the future.

First conducted in 2018, the IPRD is the apex international annual conference of the Indian Navy and is the principal manifestation of the Navy’s engagement at the strategic-level. The National Maritime Foundation is the Navy’s knowledge partner and chief organiser of each edition of this annual event. The aim of each successive edition is to review both opportunities and challenges that arise within the Indo-Pacific.

Under the broad theme, the IPRD 2021 will focus on eight specific sub-themes. These are:

* Evolving Maritime Strategies within the Indo-Pacific: Convergences, Divergences, Expectations and Apprehensions.

* Adaptive Strategies to Address the Impact of Climate Change upon Maritime Security.

* Port-led Regional Maritime Connectivity and Development Strategies.

* Cooperative Maritime Domain Awareness Strategies.

* Impact of the Increasing Recourse to Lawfare upon a Rules-based Indo-Pacific Maritime Order.

* Strategies to Promote Regional Public-Private Maritime Partnerships.

* Energy-Insecurity and Mitigating Strategies.

* Strategies to Address the Manned-Unmanned Conundrum at Sea.

Panel-discussions on these sub-themes would be spread over eight sessions on three successive days, thereby providing ample scope for varied perspectives to be considered. The aim is to encourage a free flow of ideas and views.

Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh, former Chief of the Naval Staff and Chairman, National Maritime Foundation Admiral Sunil Lanba (Retd), domain experts and policy makers of different countries were present virtually during the inaugural session.

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India needs strong navy for national development, says Rajnath

He urged Indian Navy to maintain the momentum achieved thus far and assured that the steps taken by the government will give it more strength to increase the lethal strike capability…reports Asian Lite News.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday stressed on the need to have a strong Navy due to the country’s increasing dependence on the seas for national development, and for proactive engagement with the world.

Speaking on the last day of the four-day (October 18-21) Naval Commanders’ Conference, he praised Indian Navy to have lived up to expectations of the nation by establishing a visible, credible and responsive presence in the Indian Ocean Region.

He also complimented Indian Navy for providing medical aid to South West Indian Ocean Region countries, as part of Mission SAGAR which is in lines with PM Narendra Modi’s clarion call for Security And Growth for All in the Region; undertaking various HADR Operations in the wake of natural calamities; and providing succour to civil populace during the second wave of COVID-19.

The Defence Minister highlighted that Indian Navy has spent more than two-thirds of the Modernisation Budget in the last five years towards indigenous procurement and out of 41 ships and submarines ordered by the Navy, 39 are from Indian shipyards, which is a testament to the Navy’s commitment to ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.

He urged Indian Navy to maintain the momentum achieved thus far and assured that the steps taken by the government will give it more strength to increase the lethal strike capability.

Rajnath Singh emphasized that P75(I) project would be one of the largest ‘Make in India’ projects and complemented Indian Navy on the successful maiden Sea Trials of the indigenously designed and built Aircraft Carrier ‘Vikrant’ by overcoming challenges, including COVID related imponderables.

The Defence Minister also highlighted training as an effective tool in bolstering naval diplomacy and commended the Indian Navy in providing training to foreign personnel in India for more than four decades.

Further, in keeping with the evolving technological transformation world over in unmanned systems, an Integrated Unmanned Roadmap for Indian Navy was also promulgated by the Defence Minister during the conference. (India News Network)

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