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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday addressed the inaugural conference on the occasion of '50 Years of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)Speaking to experts and representatives from over 80 countries, Jaishankar discussed the need to modernise the BWC and the critical role of the Global South in shaping its future. He outlined India's record of ensuring non-proliferation of sensitive and dual-use goods & technologies, the vaccine Maitri initiative during the COVID-19 pandemic and the proposal of a National Implementation Framework that covers the identification of high-risk agents, oversight of dual-use research, domestic reporting, incident management, and continuous training.Jaishankar highlighted in his remarks that they strive to modernise the BWC, the Global South must take ownership--preparing wisely for future challenges.In a post on X, he emphasised the need for ensuring that BWC remains the guardrail between innovation and misuse in the life sciences ..
Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL), a joint venture company which manufactures AK-203 assault rifles in Uttar Pradesh's Korwa, will complete the delivery of all 6.01 lakh rifles nearly 22 months ahead of schedule, a senior official said on Thursday. The company, mandated under a Rs 5,200 crore contract to supply 6,01,427 rifles to the armed forces by October 2032, plans to finish deliveries by December 2030, Maj Gen S K Sharma, CEO and Managing Director of IRRPL, told mediapersons during an interaction at the factory. "Around 48,000 rifles have been delivered so far. Another 7,000 will be handed over in the next 2-3 weeks and 15,000 additional by December this year," Sharma said. "From 2026, the factory will produce 12,000 rifles a month, enabling completion of the order much before the deadline," he added. The AK-203, a modernised version of the Kalashnikov series, will become the primary assault rifle for soldiers deployed along the northern and western borders, includin
The airspace over Andaman and Nicobar Islands was closed for three hours from 7 am on Friday for high altitude weapon test by the tri-services command, an official said. A senior Andaman and Nicobar Command official said, "Like today, the airspace over and around Andaman and Nicobar Islands will be closed tomorrow for three hours (7 am to 10 am). We have already issued Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) on May 16 and instructed that no civilian aircraft will be allowed to fly over Andaman on May 23 and May 24." "Airspace over and around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands with maximum corridor length of around 500 km will be restricted between 01:30 and 04:30 Universal Time Coordinated UTC (7 am and 10 am IST) on May 23 and 24," the excerpts of the NOTAM said. In the context of airspace closure, the official said, "We have successfully done a high-altitude weapon test today and tomorrow a similar test will be done. This is a routine practice here in Andaman and Nicobar Islands as we have done ...
Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General M V Suchindra Kumar on Friday said the army has identified 135 areas where it seeks technological and industrial collaboration to fill operational gaps, with 93 research and development projects currently at various stages. He said that the army has set up five joint command and control centres to ensure coordinated ground-level operations. "In Northern Command, we face multiple fronts and terrains starting from the plains of Jammu, moving to hilly areas, and then to high-altitude and super high-altitude areas, such as eastern Ladakh. This region serves as a testing laboratory for equipment," Lt Gen Kumar told reporters. Responding to a question about the trial and induction of new indigenous weapons developed by Indian companies and startups in the Northern Command theatre, the army has given these companies access to these areas to allow them to understand the conditions the forces operate in. "We raise our expectations at all levels, a
The army's dependence on foreign weapons has reduced under the Narendra Modi government and special attention is being paid to indigenous fighter aircraft and manufacturing other equipment, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on Sunday. He was speaking at a programme organised at the 3 EME Centre here to honour ex-servicemen in the presence of Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Tripathi. "The morale of the Army has increased under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. It is being provided with the latest weapons with new technology. The PM has reduced the Army's dependence on foreign weapons and has paid special attention to indigenous fighter aircraft and weapons manufacturing," Yadav said. India not just responds to an attack but also enters into the enemy's territories to hit back, he asserted in an apparent reference to surgical strikes on terror camps across the border. Speaking on the occasion, Admiral Tripathi said Madhya Pradesh has a history of valour and ...