Page 20 - Indian Army

Indian Army Day 2025: Know history, theme, significance and celebrations

The goal of Indian Army Day is to encourage all Indians to be patriotic. The day is to honor the valor and sacrifices made by troops who devoted their life to the country

From epics to modern wars: Indian Army to showcase evolution of warfare

Using laser, sound and light and multi-media technology, the Army on Wednesday will showcase in Pune the evolution of warfare from the ancient period to the contemporary era, drawing themes from Indian epics and modern wars. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to attend this event - 'Gaurav Gatha' -- to be held at the Bhagat Pavillion of the Bombay Engineers Group (BEG) and Centre in this historic city of Maharashtra as part of the 77th Army Day celebrations. Ahead of this "grand event", the Union minister is also slated to meet some 'Veer Nari' and veterans over tea on the premises of the BEG and Centre on Wednesday evening, a senior official here said. "The defence minister is also scheduled to unveil an app, virtually lay the foundation stone of an Army Paralympic Node before attending 'Gaurav Gatha' in the evening," he said. During this period of interaction, Singh will also be handed over a 'Kalash' containing 'sacred waters' collected from various forts in Maharashtra

Armed forces veterans are heroes, enduring symbols of patriotism: PM Modi

On Armed Forces Veterans' Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hailed the brave women and men who dedicated their lives to safeguarding the nation and said our veterans are heroes and enduring symbols of patriotism. "On Armed Forces Veterans Day, we express gratitude to the brave women and men who dedicated their lives to safeguarding our nation. Their sacrifices, courage and unwavering commitment to duty are exemplary," Modi said in a post on X. "Our Veterans are heroes and enduring symbols of patriotism. Ours is a Government that has always worked for the welfare of veterans and we will keep doing so in the times to come," he said. Armed Forces Veterans' Day is celebrated on 14th January every year to recognise the service rendered by the First Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Field Marshal KM Cariappa, who retired on this day in 1953. The day was first celebrated in 2016 and it is commemorated every year since by hosting interactive events in the honour of the ...

Deal for 307 'Made in India' ATAGS guns likely by March: Indian Army chief

The indigenously developed 155mm/52 calibre ATAGS howitzer, a state-of-the-art system, was developed by the DRDO in collaboration with Bharat Forge and the TATA Group

6 soldiers hurt in landmine blast in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district

A soldier on patrol duty in Jammu and Kashmir's Nowshera subdivision accidentally triggered a landmine on Tuesday

Still a degree of standoff; broader understanding needed: Army chief on LAC

The situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is sensitive but stable, Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi said on Monday. Addressing a press conference ahead of the Army Day, Gen Dwivedi said there is still a degree of standoff in the region and efforts are needed to restore trust between the Indian and the Chinese militiaries. The Army chief said patrolling and grazing in traditional areas have started in Depsang and Demchok, the two friction points from where the two sides have disengaged in October. Our deployment is balanced and robust and we are capable of handling any situation, he said. We are focusing on boosting border infrastructure and capability development, the Army chief said on the overall LAC situation. On the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, he said it is overall under control and the ceasefire pact with Pakistani side is holding up along the Line of Control. At the same time, the Army chief said infiltration attempts are continuing and the terror infrastructur

Army chief justifies decision to replace 1971 war painting with new artwork

Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Monday justified replacing an iconic painting of Pakistan's surrender in the 1971 war at his office in Raisina Hills with a new artwork titled "Karam Kshetra". The painting on the 1971 war was removed from the Army chief's lounge in December and it was subsequently installed at the Manekshaw convention centre. The shifting of the historic painting had anguished many Army veterans and the decision came under some criticism. "If you see the golden history of India -- it has three chapters. It has the British era, the Mughal era and the era before that. If we wish to connect that and the Army's vision, symbolism becomes important," Gen. Dwivedi said. The new painting, "Karam Kshetra", meaning "Field of Deeds", is a creation of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Jacob of the 28 Madras regiment. It portrays the Army as a guardian of "Dharma" that protects the nation's values and reflects its evolution into a technologically-advanced integrated force, accord

India successfully tests third-generation Nag Mk-2 anti-tank missile

India has successfully carried out field evaluation trials of indigenously-developed third-generation anti-tank guided missile Nag Mk-2. The defence ministry said the trials were conducted recently at a firing range in Rajasthan's Pokhran in the presence of senior Army officers. "Field evaluation trials of indigenously-developed Nag Mk 2, the third-generation anti-tank fire-and-forget guided missile, were successfully conducted recently at Pokhran field range in the presence of senior officers of the Indian Army," it said. "During the three field trials, the missile systems destroyed precisely all the targets -- maximum and minimum range, thus validating its firing range," it said. The Nag missile carrier version-2 was also field-evaluated. "With this, the entire weapon system is now ready for induction into the Indian Army," the ministry said in a statement. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Indian Army and

No troop cuts at LAC this winter, summer review likely, says Army chief

The LAC in Ladakh remains 'sensitive but stable', says Army Chief Dwivedi, ruling out winter troop cuts while emphasising summer reviews contingent on trust and talks

Surya Kiran: Indo-Nepal joint military exercise focuses on urban warfare

It focuses on counterterrorism and operations in challenging terrains, the exercise features rigorous training in jungle survival, urban warfare, heliborne operations, and ambush tactics

Dream big, strive to become changemakers: Army chief urges NCC cadets

Recalling his days as an NCC cadet, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Thursday urged the youth to dream big and strive to become the "changemakers, innovators and leaders" of tomorrow. Addressing a gathering of cadets and officers during his visit to the ongoing National Cadet Corps (NCC) Republic Day Camp at Delhi Cantonment, Gen Dwivedi also wished his best to an NCC expedition team that will attempt to scale Mount Everest later this year. "Being part of NCC is a way of life. The formative years as a cadet will forge a unique identity for each one of you, and shall form the edifice of your achievements later in life," the army chief said. It is also encouraging to know that in 2024, 100 boy cadets and 10 girl cadets joined the army's pre-commissioning training academies through NCC's entry schemes, while more than 8,800 NCC cadets joined the force as Agniveers, Gen Dwivedi said. The army chief was welcomed by the NCC cadets upon his arrival at the camp. Later, he also interac

Army, SDRF, and other agencies continue rescue ops in Assam's Umrangso

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister discussed the rescue operation with Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy and sought assistance

Indo-Pak war veteran Havaldar Baldev Singh passes away in Rajouri at 93

Veteran soldier Havaldar (retd) Baldev Singh, who fought four wars against Pakistan, passed away at his residence in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, a defence spokesman said on Tuesday. He was 93. The revered war hero passed away due to natural causes in his hometown Naushera on Monday, the spokesman said, adding that his last rites will be performed with full military honours at his village later on Tuesday. Born on September 27, 1931, at Naunihal village, Singh was just 16 when he volunteered to join the Bal Sena Force under the leadership of Brigadier Usman, Commander of the 50 Para Brigade, during the battle of Naushera and Jhangar in 1947-48. The Bal Sena, a group of local boys aged 12 to 16, served as despatch runners for the Indian Army in the critical moments of these battles. In recognition of their bravery, the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru honoured the Bal Sainiks, presenting them with gramophones, watches, and the opportunity to join the Army. Singh enlist

Army, navy engaged in rescuing 9 labourers trapped in Assam coal mine

Army personnel have been engaged to rescue the nine labourers trapped inside a coal mine in Assam's Dima Hasao district, officials said on Tuesday. A relief task force with specialists such as divers and sappers, equipped with essential tools, reached the site in Umrangso to rescue the miners, a defence spokesperson said. 'Engineers task force with equipment, divers and medical teams from the Indian army and the Assam Rifles have joined the rescue efforts', he said. All efforts are underway in close coordination with the civil administration to rescue the trapped people, another official said. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma thanked the army for extending their help in the rescue operations. 'Much gratitude for this quick response. We are deploying all possible efforts to ensure the safe return of our miners', the chief minister posted on 'X'. NDRF and SDRF personnel are also at the site to rescue the miners trapped inside the coal mine. Two water pumping machines were also p

2 soldiers killed, 3 hurt as Army vehicle falls into gorge in J&K

Two Army personnel were killed and three injured when their vehicle fell into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district, officials said on Saturday. An Army vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a gorge near SK Payen in the north Kashmir district, they said. The officials added that two soldiers lost their lives while three were rushed to the district hospital in an injured state. The hospital's medical superintendent Dr Masrat Iqbal told reporters that two soldiers were "brought dead". "The three injured (soldiers) were resuscitated and then referred to Srinagar," he added.

Border areas, remote villages in Ladakh digitally connected: Army

Sustained efforts by the Army, in collaboration with telecom service providers, in the past five months has brought border areas and remote villages in Ladakh, including remote locations of Kargil and Siachen, on the digital connectivity map. In a post on X on Thursday, the Indian Army also shared a video of this journey and glimpses of the change it has brought to the lives of local people in the region. In its post captioned 'Indian Army for India's First Villages: Bringing Connectivity & Hope to Remote Areas', the Army said the border areas and remote villages in Ladakh were "devoid of 4G mobile connectivity" until June 2024. "This was depriving the local communities from being connected to the digital revolution in the nation. The Indian Army in collaboration with Bharti Airtel set out to ensure connectivity in these First Villages of India," it said. The Army further said the Leh-based Fire and Fury Corps "proactively engaged all the telecom service providers" and assisted ...

J&K Police arrests 4 associates of JeM terrorist outfit from Pulwama

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday arrested four associates of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist outfit from Awantipora area of Pulwama district. "Police in Awantipora along with security forces have arrested four terrorist associates of proscribed terror outfit JeM in Tral area," a police spokesperson said. He said the arrested terrorist associates have been identified as Mudasir Ahmad Naik, Umar Nazir Sheikh, Inayat Firdoos and Salman Nazir Lone. The spokesperson said incriminating materials have been recovered from their possession. The arrested individuals were involved in providing logistics support and transportation of arms and ammunition to the active terrorists of proscribed terror outfit JeM in Tral and Awantipora areas, the spokesperson said.

2025 to be year of reforms, aim is to boost modernisation: Defence ministry

The Defence Ministry on Wednesday declared 2025 as the year of reforms and that the aim will be to facilitate establishment of integrated theatre commands to bolster jointness among the three services. The reform measures would be rolled out to transform the armed forces into a technologically-advanced combat-ready force capable of multi-domain integrated operations, it said. The ministry said the focus in 2025 will be on new domains such as cyber and space, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, hypersonic and robotics. "'Year of Reforms' will be a momentous step in the modernisation journey of the armed forces," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said. "It will lay the foundation for unprecedented advancements in the country's defence preparedness, thus preparing to ensure the security and sovereignty of the nation amidst the challenges of the 21st century," he said. The decision on observing 2025 as the year of reforms was taken at a high-level meetin

Indian Army's assertive approach along LAC; focus on combat might in 2024

In a year bookended by intractable conflicts and geopolitical fragmentation, India focused on ramping up military prowess by broadly firming up defence procurement worth Rs 4.22 lakh crore even as Indian and Chinese militaries completed pulling back their troops from border face-off points in eastern Ladakh. The disengagement of frontline forces at the last two friction points of Demchok and Depsang along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) following an understanding reached on October 21 marked a major thaw over four years after deadly clashes between the two nations' troops in the Galwan Valley severely strained the bilateral ties. At the same time, the Indian military guarding the nearly 3,500 km LAC maintained an assertive approach, and bolstered its overall surveillance mechanism to closely track activities by People's Liberation Army (PLA) on the Chinese side of the de-facto frontier. The year also saw India expanding its strategic heft in the key maritime domain with the Indian

Army officer assaulted at Kochi NCC camp over 'food poisoning', 2 arrested

The accused duo entered the college premises on the night of December 23, threatened, and attacked Lieutenant Colonel Karneyil Singh, the administrative officer of the 21 Kerala NCC Battalion