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Rajnath Singh
Artificial Intelligence is bringing rapid progress in medical sciences but it cannot replace human compassion, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Monday, urging budding doctors to work with empathy towards patients and their families. Addressing the 22nd convocation ceremony of King George's Medical University in his Lok Sabha constituency, Lucknow, the minister said new technologies such as artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, gene editing and precision medicine are transforming both the direction and the landscape of healthcare. Therefore, doctors must always continue the process of learning, he said. "Medical science is evolving rapidly today... Today is the era of Artificial Intelligence. No field remains untouched by it, including your own. "Yet, Artificial Intelligence cannot assure a mother that her child will recover (from illness). It cannot hold the hand of an elderly person, and say, 'Do not worry; we will set everything right'. "Technology can be intelligent
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday asserted that India is setting new benchmarks in medical research and developing indigenous solutions to global health challenges through gene therapy and nuclear medicine. India's health system is also emerging as more self-reliant, he said addressing the 22nd convocation ceremony of the King George's Medical University, Lucknow. "Today, India's health system has emerged as more self-reliant, accessible, affordable, modern and people-centric as compared to earlier times. Today, India is developing indigenous solutions to global health challenges through gene therapy, nuclear medicine, and other modern technologies," Singh said. The Lok Sabha MP said the country's scientists have successfully demonstrated an indigenous gene therapy for the treatment of haemophilia, while scientists at an institute in Pune have developed a state-of-the-art nanomedicine for treating breast cancer. The 'Production Linked Incentive' scheme, he said, has given fr
Future wars may be fought with Artificial Intelligence, but they will still be won by national resolve, trained soldiers and robust military power, Defence Minister Rajanth Singh said on Saturday. Speaking at the commissioning ceremony of INA Mahendragiri here, Singh also said Andhra Pradesh has emerged as a new powerhouse of India's defence and aerospace manufacturing. "Future wars may be fought with Artificial Intelligence, but they will still be won by national resolve, trained soldiers and the capable military power. So, I would say that new technologies and conventional platforms are not opposed to each other, but supplement each other, complete each other. Without conventional platforms, new technologies are incomplete in themselves," he said. According to Singh, it is certain that new technologies have certainly reshaped warfare, but they have not diminished the role of conventional warfare means. The strong conventional capability that is still necessary for the fulfilment
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday commissioned Mahendragiri, the sixth Project 17A indigenous stealth frigate, into the Indian Navy's Eastern Fleet here, marking another milestone in India's journey towards defence self-reliance and indigenous warship construction. The commissioning ceremony was held in the presence of senior naval officials and other dignitaries at the naval dockyard in the port city. "INS Mahendragiri can effectively counter threats from the air, enemy vessels on the surface and submarines beneath the sea. As a blue-water warship, it can protect India's maritime interests not only near the coast but also in distant and deep oceans for weeks at a time," said Singh, addressing the commissioning ceremony at Eastern Naval Command (ENC). Congratulating Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL), the Indian Navy, the crew of INS Mahendragiri and the people of the country, Singh said the warship reflects India's growing defence manufacturing capability and commitme
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that after Operation Sindoor, the trust in "made-in-India" defence platforms has received a boost. In his address at an event here, he also reiterated that "today, our defence production has reached over Rs 1.78 lakh crore, and about 8-9 years ago, it stood at approximately Rs 46,000 crore". The Union minister asserted that after Operation Sindoor, "trust in made-in-India defence platforms has got enhanced". Operation Sindoor was India's decisive military action conducted in May 2025 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. Several defence platforms built in India had played a key role in it. Singh said, "Defence exports too have reached a record over Rs 38,000 crore, and in 2013-14, it stood at just Rs 686 crore, and it has grown today 57 times. And, I have not sought the full report, but, currently it should be hovering around Rs 40,000 crore, is my estimate." In his address, he also spoke of India's journey in various sectors i
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said conventional warfare and means are still relevant today as they were in 1947, and noted that a nation that fulfils its own needs can march ahead with confidence. He was speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony for a 10,000-tonne aluminium extrusion press at the state-owned Yantra India Limited (YIL) in Ambajhari, Nagpur. The new facility will help reduce dependence on imports of critical aluminium components. Singh said supply chains can get disrupted when war erupts. "In such a scenario, every nation wants essential items to be manufactured domestically," he said. A nation that fulfils its own needs can march ahead confidently, Singh said. "Conventional warfare and means are still relevant, as they were in 1947," Singh said, adding that they would remain crucial even in 2047. This is why military industrial bases would remain important even in future, he added. Singh noted that India's defence production surged to more than Rs 1,78,
India's annual defence production touched an all-time high of Rs 1.78 lakh crore in the financial year 2025-26, the defence ministry said on Wednesday. The milestone represents a 15.6 per cent growth over the previous fiscal year's output of Rs 1.54 lakh crore and a staggering 110 per cent increase since 2020-21 when the figure was Rs 84,643 crore, it said. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the "remarkable rise" in India's defence production in recent years is the result of the collective efforts of the Department of Defence Production and all other stakeholders. "This upward trajectory is a clear indicator of the country's expanding defence industrial base," he said. "With sustained policy support, several new initiatives, increased private sector participation, and growing export capabilities, the defence production sector is poised for continued acceleration in the years ahead," he said.
Asserting that new recruits to the armed forces must be mentally prepared for the evolving nature of modern conflict, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said major powers no longer hold an edge on the battlefield as even smaller nations can inflict significant damage using specialised tactics. Addressing the Combined Graduation Parade at the Indian Air Force Academy near here, Singh also said emerging technologies have altered the very definition of warfare. "Earlier, it seemed that the big powers had a decisive edge in the battlefield. But now, comparatively, even small powers can cause heavy losses with their small but dangerous weapons and new tactics. My purpose in telling you all this is that you should be mentally ready for any form of warfare," the Defence Minister said. Congratulating the female pilots commissioned by the Indian Air Force, he said their induction makes the IAF even more powerful, balanced and robust, which demonstrates the strength of the inclusive
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved the establishment of a 250 mega watt solar power project in Uttar Pradesh's Sitapur on an approximately 850 acres of vacant defence land. The defence ministry on Tuesday described the project as a "major step" towards promoting renewable energy while ensuring optimum utilisation of vacant defence land. This is the first-of-its-kind project undertaken by the defence ministry involving the development of a large-scale solar power generation facility with integrated Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) support on defence land, it said. The ministry said the initiative reflects the government's commitment towards clean energy, sustainability and reduction of dependence on conventional energy sources. "Besides strengthening long-term energy security for the defence forces, the project is expected to substantially reduce expenditure incurred on procurement of conventional grid power for defence establishments, resulting in significant savings t
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that at a time when many countries are facing economic uncertainty, India continues to stand out as the "world's fastest-growing major economy". In a post on X, Rajnath Singh said, "India's economy grew by 7.7 per cent in FY 2025-26, with growth accelerating to 7.8 per cent in the fourth quarter, underscoring its resilience and underlying strength built over the last 12 years through the mantra of Reform, Perform and Transform ." He said, "At a time when many countries are facing economic uncertainty, India continues to stand out as the world's fastest-growing major economy." Singh also said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has combined economic growth with stability, confidence, sustainability and credibility. "His unwavering commitment to nation-building, focus on innovation, infrastructure, and entrepreneurship, and ability to steer the country through unprecedented global challenges have transformed
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that the Indian Navy forced "the entire Pakistan Navy to remain confined to its ports during Operation Sindoor". Addressing the inauguration ceremony of the 'Nausena Shaurya Vatika', an open-air naval museum here, Singh said, "The Navy played a significant role in maintaining pressure on Pakistan during Operation Sindoor. "Our Navy was deployed in the Arabian Sea with full preparedness and strength, maintaining constant pressure on the adversary. As a result, Pakistan's entire Navy remained confined to its ports." Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, 2025, to avenge the Pahalgam terror attack, with Indian forces conducting precision strikes on multiple terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir. The military conflict was halted after both sides reached an understanding on the evening of May 10. Talking about the opening of the Nausena Shaurya Vatika, which has been designed to showcase the legacy, operational
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said no power can stop India, once considered an importer of weapons, from being the biggest exporter in 25-30 years. After inaugurating an ammunition manufacturing unit at Shirdi, Singh said the target is to take the private sector role in defence production to 50 per cent. "The private sector is not just a supplier of nuts and bolts in defence, but also a producer of state-of-the-art weapons systems," he added. Singh said that when the government's vision and the private sector's innovation align, then the country reaches new heights. "All have to work together to make India the hub of munitions and automation," he added.