Page 9 - Rajnath Singh

India suspends Indus pact, scraps Pak visas over Valley terror attack

Shuts Attari border, downgrades diplomatic ties; all-party meet on Thursday

Aero-engine development priority area of government: Defence Minister

Defence Minister Rajanth Singh on Wednesday said aero-engine development is a "priority area" of the government in view of the IAF's needs and the effort is to make this engine indigenously on a "co-development and co-production" model with full intellectual property rights. Addressing an event at the Air Force auditorium in Subroto Park here, he said "shifting geo-strategic equations" have a direct interest in India's national security as was never before. What kind of challenges these geo-strategic uncertainties pose for national security and how "we are prepared to handle them" is of paramount importance for India, Singh said. His remarks came on the occasion of a lecture hosted by the Air Force Association in memory of the Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh, whose birth anniversary was on April 15. "He was a visionary military leader who, even today, inspires the youth. If the IAF is one of the world's strongest air forces today, it is because of the vision and ethos o

India won't spare conspirators behind Pahalgam terror attack: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh vows action beyond perpetrators of the Pahalgam terror attack; high-level meetings intensify counter-terrorism efforts amid heightened security in Jammu and Kashmir

Pahalgam terror attack: Rajnath Singh reviews security situation in J-K

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir in the aftermath of the terror attack in Pahalgam that left 26 people dead. Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, three service chiefs, defence secretary and Army's Director General of Military Operations were present in the meeting, sources said. It is learnt that Singh directed the armed forces to enhance their combat readiness and increase intensity of anti-terror operations. Terrorists struck at a prime tourist location in Pahalgam in south Kashmir on Tuesday, killing at least 26 people, mostly tourists, and injuring several others, according to officials. The deceased included two foreigners -- from the UAE and Nepal -- and two locals, they said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi cut short his trip to Saudi Arabia to return on Wednesday morning, while Home Minister Amit Shah rushed to Srinagar on Tuesday evening to spearhead the security measures. The prime minister has vowed that

Rana Pratap, Shivaji Maharaj real national heroes, not Aurangzeb: Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said Maharana Pratap and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj are national heroes and not Mughal ruler Aurangzeb. Speaking at a function after unveiling a life-size statue of the Mewar ruler at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra, Singh said Maharana Pratap was an epitome of courage and patriotism. "Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj drew inspiration from Maharana Pratap, especially for guerilla warfare tactics," Singh said. Post-Independence historians with Left leanings did not give due credit to both Rana Pratap and Shivaji Maharaj but eulogised Aurangzeb, the senior BJP leader claimed. "Those who feel that Aurangzeb was a hero should have read Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru who wrote that the Mughal emperor was a cruel, fundamentalist ruler," he said. Maharana Pratap sacrificed his life to uphold his self-respect and challenged the dominance of Mughal Emperor Akbar, Singh further said. Apart from his exemplary bravery, Maharana Pratap united all section

Govt committed to making India self-reliant in defence sector: Rajnath

Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said the government is committed to make the country self-reliant in the defence sector and has already taken several steps in this direction. Addressing industry representatives here, Singh said defence exports have risen from Rs 600 crore in 2014 to Rs 24,000 crore. "Our target is to achieve (exports of) Rs 50,000 crore by 2029-30," he said. The BJP-led government has taken several major steps to achieve self-reliance and declared items that will be indigenously manufactured and not imported, he noted. The defence production is at Rs 1.60 lakh crore at present and the aim is to increase it to Rs 3 lakh crore, the minister said. He sees good potential in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar as a production hub, Singh said, adding, "You have a mature industrial ecosystem here. Come to me with concrete proposals.

Building future-ready defence ecosystem 'necessity', says Rajnath Singh

He further said that the Armed Forces must operate jointly and remain future-ready in today's ever-evolving multi-domain environment

In grey-zone era, cyber attacks serve politico-military aims: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said that in the era of "grey zone" and hybrid warfare, cyber attacks and disinformation campaign are tools to achieve politico-military aims. The ongoing conflicts and contemporary trends highlight the fact that traditional notions of warfare are being rewritten, he said in his address at the convocation ceremony of Defence Service Staff College (DSSC) here. "The ongoing conflicts and contemporary trends highlight the fact that the traditional notions of warfare are being rewritten. Emerging technologies are impacting the character of war with unmanned systems, and advent of AI forecasting, an era of Autonomous Warfare. The Warfare today has gone beyond the traditional battlefields of land, sea and air," he said. The Armed forces will increasingly need to operate jointly in a multi-domain environment where cyber, space and information warfare will be as potent as conventional operations. "We are in the age of Grey Zone and Hybrid warfare

Russia invites PM Modi for Victory Day Parade; Rajnath Singh may attend

Russia's Tass news agency quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko as saying that Modi has been invited to attend the celebrations

Dubai Crown Prince's India visit paves way for stronger bilateral ties: PM

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also held a separate meeting with the visiting dignitary and later said India is eager to work closely with the Gulf nation

Indian Navy ensures no nation suppresses another in Indian Ocean: Rajnath

The Indian Navy ensures that "no nation suppresses another" in the Indian Ocean Region on the basis of overwhelming economy and military power, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday. The remarks, made while addressing an event at the strategic Karwar naval base in Karnataka, comes in the backdrop of China's increased military muscle-flexing in the region. Singh flagged off Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) SAGAR -- carrying crew members from India and nine other countries -- that set sail on a nearly month-long deployment in the south-west Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Singh termed the launch of IOS SAGAR a reflection of India's commitment to peace, prosperity and collective security in the maritime domain. He commended the Indian Navy for emerging as the first responder during incidents such as hijacking of ships and acts of piracy in the region. The Indian Navy ensures the security of not just Indian ships but also foreign ones, Singh asserted and underlined free navigation, ...

Rajnath Singh inaugurates various infra projects at Karwar naval base

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is scheduled to flag off Indian Ocean Ship SAGAR from the strategically located Karwar naval base in Karnataka on Saturday under a mission that seeks to reinforce India's commitment to regional maritime security and international cooperation. During his visit to the base in the afternoon, he will also inaugurate some newly developed infrastructure at the key naval site, officials said. The Navy is expanding the crucial naval base as part Project 'Seabird'. "Raksha Mantri Shri @rajnathsingh will flag off #INSSunayna as the Indian Ocean Ship SAGAR with 44 personnel from 9 navies embarked onboard, from #Karwar today," the Office of Raksha Mantri posted on X on Saturday. It also shared a video in the post depicting the training phases, held both on land and at sea under this mission. "IOS SAGAR will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the Indian Ocean Region, reaffirming India's commitment to build stronger ties with its maritime neighbours and .

India's defence exports surge to record Rs 23,622 crore in 2024-25: Rajnath

India's defence exports have surged to a record high of Rs 23,622 crore (approx. USD 2.76 billion) in 2024-25 registering a 12.04 per cent growth over the previous fiscal, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday. Singh also said that the country is poised to achieve the target of Rs 50,000 crore in defence exports by 2029. India's defence exports in 2023-24 were Rs 21,083 crore. "India's defence exports have surged to a record high of Rs 23,622 crore in the FY 2024-25," the defence minister said on 'X'. "An impressive growth of Rs 2,539 crore or 12.04% has been registered in the just-concluded FY over the defence exports figures of FY 2023-24, which were Rs 21,083 crore," he added. Singh also congratulated all the stakeholders on this "significant achievement". "Under PM Shri @narendramodi's leadership India is marching towards achieving the target of increasing defence exports to Rs 50,000 crore by 2029," Singh said. The Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) have sh

Efforts to break country in name of language should stop: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday took a swipe at the DMK over the language issue and stressed that the BJP is committed to protecting Hindi and all other Indian languages. He said there is no competition but a spirit of cooperation between Hindi and other Indian vernaculars, asserting that efforts to break the country in the name of language should stop. Addressing a programme organised by the BJP's 'Mahila Morcha' to pay a theatrical tribute to Tamil queen Velu Nachiyar, he said some people were creating controversy over Tamil and Hindi and lauded the effort to spread awareness about her in north India. Singh said Hindi and other Indian languages strengthen each other. Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK, a part of the opposition INDIA bloc, has been accusing the BJP-led Centre of imposing Hindi on the Dravidian state, and the war of words between the two parties is set to intensify as the state heads to assembly polls in the first half of the next year. Some people consider Mughal

DAC clears proposals of Rs 54,000 cr to strengthen defence capabilities

To strengthen aerial surveillance, the DAC has approved the procurement of Airborne Early Warning & Control aircraft systems for the Indian Air Force's battlefield awareness

PM Modi welcomes 'trailblazer, icon' Sunita Williams on return to Earth

Astronauts Sunita 'Suni' Williams and Barry 'Butch' Willmore have finally returned to Earth after their nine-month-long journey at the International Space Station

Rajnath Singh holds talks with Netherlands' counterpart Ruben Brekelmans

Brekelmans is on a visit to India to attend the Raisina Dialogue, which is underway in New Delhi from March 17

Rajnath meets Tulsi Gabbard, urges action against Khalistani movement

This discussion comes after US prosecutors charged an Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, for allegedly being involved in a plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in November last year

Rajnath Singh, Tulsi Gabbard, discuss defence, info sharing to boost ties

The Asia leg of Gabbard's trip will culminate in an address on March 18 at the Raisina Dialogue, a multinational gathering of security officials in Delhi, to which Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited

India's security apparatus must stay adaptive to emerging threats: Rajnath

India's security apparatus must remain adaptive to emerging threats such as cyber and hybrid warfare as well as "space-based espionage", Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Tuesday. He said internal security is not just about managing conventional threats like terrorism, separatist movements, and left-wing extremism but it is also about preparing for unconventional threats that can destabilise the nation's economic and strategic interests. "The adversaries of today do not always come with traditional weapons; cyber-attacks, misinformation campaigns, and space-based espionage are emerging as new-age threats that require advanced solutions," he said. The defence minister was speaking at a conference on 'Advanced Technologies for Internal Security and Disaster Relief Operations' organised jointly by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). In his address, Singh highlighted the growing complexities in global security and the ..