6-Mar-2021: PM addresses the valedictory session of the Combined Commanders Conference at Kevadia, Gujarat
Prime minister Shri Narendra Modi today addressed the valedictory session of the Combined Commanders Conference organised by the Ministry of Defence at Kevadia, Gujarat.
Prime Minister was briefed by the Chief of Defence Staff about the discussions during this year's Conference. The Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for the structure and agenda of the Conference. He particularly appreciated the inclusion of Junior Commissioned Officers and Non Commissioned Officers in this year's Conference.
Speaking to the highest civilian and military leadership of the National defence system, Prime Minister conveyed his strong appreciation for the resolute dedication shown by the Indian Armed Forces over the past year, in the context of the COVID pandemic and the challenging situation on the northern border.
Prime Minister stressed the importance of enhancing indigenisation in the national security system, not just in sourcing equipment and weapons but also in the doctrines, procedures and customs practiced in the armed forces.
He emphasized the need to optimise manpower planning in both military and civilian parts of the National security architecture. He also called for a holistic approach, focused on breaking down civil-military silos and on expediting the speed of decision making. He advised the Services to rid themselves of legacy systems and practices that have outlived their utility and relevance.
Taking note of the rapidly changing technological landscape, Prime Minister highlighted the need to develop the Indian military into a 'future force'.
Prime Minister pointed out that the country would be celebrating 75 years of its independence next year, and called upon the armed forces to use the occasion to undertake activities and initiatives that would inspire the youth of the country.
4-Mar-2021: Combined Commanders’ Conference Commences at Kevadia, Gujarat
Combined Commanders’ Conference (CCC); a premier brain-storming event of the Military Commanders from the three Services has commenced at Kevadia in Gujarat on 04 March 2021. The combined apex level military leadership of the country is reviewing the security situation and defence preparedness of the Armed Forces, and deliberating pertinent organisational issues for evolving a joint military vision for the future during the three day conference from 04 to 06 March. Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh will join the military commanders along with the team of Secretary level officers from the Ministry of Defence for deliberations from Day two of the conference. The Valedictory Session on the third and final day will be chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi with the National Security Advisor Shri. Ajit Doval also in attendance.
In a major change from the past, the scope of the conference this year has been expanded to make it a multi-layered, interactive, informal and informed event with the added participation of about 30 Officers and soldiers of various ranks from the three Services. Key events encapsulate series of discussions & deliberations on a range of issues pertinent to the Armed Forces and its role in nation building, with the participation of senior most political and bureaucratic hierarchy in addition to the multi-layered participation of military personnel.
It is interesting to note that the CCC in 2014 was held at Delhi. Since then it has been moved out to different venues across the country. The conference was held on board INS Vikramaditya in 2015 and in 2017 at the Indian Military Academy at Dehradun. The last edition of CCC was held in 2018 over a period of two days at Air Force Station, Jodhpur. There have been several major developments in the Higher Defence Organisation since including appointment of first ever Chief of Defence Staff and setting up of the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), and several important & multifarious issues affecting modernisation & transformation of the Armed Forces are currently under active consideration/ implementation.
3-Feb-2021: India to host Indian Ocean Region Defence Ministers’ Conclave on the sidelines of Aero India 2021
India will host Indian Ocean Region (IOR) Defence Ministers’ Conclave on February 04, 2021 on the margins of Aero India 2021 - Asia’s largest Aero show to be held at Bengaluru from February 3-5, 2021. The broad theme of the conclave will be ‘Enhanced Peace, Security and Cooperation in the Indian Ocean’. The event will commence with welcome address by Defence Secretary and addresses by Defence Ministers of different IOR Countries. Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh will deliver a keynote address at the Conclave
Till January 30, 2021, there is total confirmed physical participation from 18 countries including Defence Ministers of four countries (Maldives, Comoros, Iran and Madagascar), six Ambassadors/High Commissioners representing their countries (Australia, Kenya, Seychelles, Mauritius, Kuwait and Myanmar), Defence Secretary of Sudan and Service Chief of 10 countries. Also, six countries are either participating virtually or sending their recorded messages.
The conclave is an initiative to promote dialogue in an institutional, economic and cooperative environment that can foster the development of peace, stability and prosperity in the Indian Ocean region. The conclave would address aspects related to Defence Industry co-operation amongst participating countries, sharing of resources available in Indian defence shipyards for design & shipbuilding, Indian Ports with friendly countries, Information-sharing towards increased maritime domain awareness, maritime surveillance and co-operation, Humanitarian Assistance & Disaster Relief (HADR), Marine Pollution Response activities, Development of technologies and capabilities for harnessing marine resources, etc.
The Defence Ministers’ Conclave will be followed by two seminars. The first seminar will be conducted by Indian Navy and Naval Maritime Foundation on February 04, 2021 and the second seminar will be organised by Indian Coast Guard/Bharat Shakti/Invest India/Indian Defence Shipyards and Industry on February 05, 2021.
The conclave and the two follow up seminars will be instrumental in realising IOR into a region of ‘Peace, Progress and Prosperity’ and enhancing the co-operation and coordination among countries of the region for sustainable development and mutual coexistence.
India is geographically central to the Indian Ocean and has a vast coastline of 7,500 kms. India’s vision for Security and Growth for All (SAGAR), as articulated by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, cannot be realised without close cooperation and engagements amongst countries in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). Navigating through the pandemic year of 2020, India is taking the lead in organizing an international platform for the world Aerospace and Defence (A&D) leaders to exchange ideas and forge partnerships towards synergizing the efforts in the A&D sector.
20-Jan-2021: Joint Statement by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Defence of the Republic of Singapore
The 5th Defence Ministers' Dialogue (DMD) between India and Singapore was successfully held on 20 January 2021 through a video conference and continues the substantial increase in bilateral cooperation and defence partnership over the years. Defence and security engagements between India and Singapore have broadened significantly in scale and scope across all three Services of the Armed Forces as well as in the areas of defence technology and industry. Both countries have also found common ground on multilateral fora and engagements.
At this 5th DMD, both Ministers were pleased to witness the signing of the Implementing Agreement on Submarine Rescue Support and Cooperation between the two Navies. The Ministers also conveyed their full support towards the early conclusion of agreements to facilitate conduct of live firings and to establish reciprocal arrangements for the cross-attendance of military courses.
The Ministers further welcomed initiatives to expand bilateral defence cooperation including the implementing agreement on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) cooperation in August 2020 for the two Armed Forces to have closer operational collaboration in response to disasters and capacity-building activities of mutual interest. The cyber agencies of both armed forces have also stepped up engagements.
During the dialogue, both Ministers exchanged views on the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on the defence and security engagements, including the best practices adopted by their Armed Forces. Shri Rajnath Singh conveyed gratitude for the role of the Singapore Armed Forces, in supporting foreign workers, many of whom were Indian Nationals, at the peak of pandemic. Dr Ng also complimented India’s successes in bringing down the overall numbers despite challenges of scale in terms of geography and population.
Both Ministers noted the commitment of their senior officials in sustaining the momentum of annual dialogues during the ongoing pandemic through virtual meetings. This has kept bilateral defence cooperation on a positive trajectory and laid the foundations for further cooperation in 2021.
The Ministers were pleased that the Indian Navy and Republic of Singapore Navy successfully conducted the 27th edition of Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX) and also participated in the second edition of the Singapore-India-Thailand Maritime Exercise (SITMEX); both held in November 2020.These exercises enhance interoperability amongst the navies and underscore the shared responsibility of the countries to work together to keep sea lines of communications open.
Shri Rajnath Singh reaffirmed ASEAN centrality in the regional security architecture and pledged India’s support to all endeavours of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus. Dr Ng expressed support for India’s upcoming co-chairmanship of the ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group on HADR.
Both Ministers were committed to further enhance bilateral defence ties between India and Singapore and supported multilateral initiatives to promote lasting peace and stability in the region.
20-Jan-2021: 5th India-Singapore Defence Ministers Dialogue between Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and Minister of Defence, Singapore Dr Ng Eng Hen
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh co-chaired the 5th India-Singapore Defence Ministers Dialogue along with Dr. Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Defence, Republic of Singapore on 20 January 2021. During their virtual interaction, both Ministers expressed satisfaction at the progress of ongoing defence cooperation engagements between the two countries despite limitations imposed by ongoing COVID 19 pandemic.
During the virtual interaction, Raksha Mantri conveyed his compliments on effectiveness of pandemic mitigation measures implemented in Singapore and the contribution of Singapore Armed Forces in restricting the spread of COVID-19. He also highlighted the role of our Armed Forces in combating COVID-19 and various missions undertaken to assist in repatriation of Indians stranded overseas. Dr. Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Defence, Singapore, reciprocated the compliments and exchanged views on the role of Armed Forces in the whole of Government’s approach towards control of the pandemic.
Both Ministers also expressed satisfaction at the growing defence ties between the two countries. Both sides reviewed the progress of various bilateral defence cooperation initiatives being pursued over the last year and expressed commitment to further elevate the scale of engagements between the Armed Forces as well as in areas of defence technology and industry. During the dialogue both Ministers discussed new areas of potential cooperation and articulated their vision in this direction. The Ministers witnessed the Signing of the Implementing Agreement on Submarine Rescue Support and Cooperation signed between the Indian Navy and Republic of Singapore Navy.