Defence Minister A K Antony said on Wednesday that Pakistan had 42 terror camps within its territory and that the neighbouring country was not taking effective steps to dismantle the terror outfits.
The defence minister remained equally vague on the standing committee asking for immediate withdrawal of army from the internal security duties to let these be handled by the central para military forces. The committee had also sought a fixed time schedule for gradual withdrawal of the army from the counter-insurgency duties in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast.
Army Chief General V K Singh will have a meeting with Defence Minister A K Antony to discuss procurement projects for the army, their first official meeting days after his letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the poor state of defence preparedness got leaked.
Expressing concern over allegations by a woman army officer of physical and mental torture by her seniors, Defence Minister A K Antony on Wednesday ordered an inquiry into the incident.The minister intervened after the army described the allegations of Captain Poonam Kaur of the Kalka-based Army Service Corps battalion as 'baseless'.But nevertheless, army authorities instituted an inquiry as stipulated under the Army Act.
Stung by the Adarsh Housing Society scam in Mumbai, Defence Minister A K Antony on Tuesday recommended a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation to fix responsibility of the armed forces and defence estates officers in the episode. He also asked the CBI to look into the circumstances under which a No Objection Certificate was issued to the housing society to construct the 31-storey building on a piece of land, which was in the 'de facto' possession of the army.
The government is aware of the Chinese activities along the borders and has taken necessary steps to secure the desired national security objectives, the defence ministry told the Lok Sabha.
After the UPA tried unsuccessfully since 2010 to raise the 26 per cent cap on foreign direct investment (FDI) in defence production, a move that indigenous defence companies and former Defence Minister AK Antony resisted staunchly, the new government has initiated a fresh attempt along the same lines.
Against the backdrop of efforts to increase indigenisation to avoid defence scams, Defence Minister A K Antony on Tuesday asked the Indian Air Force to reduce its dependence on imports and work towards achieving self reliance in military weapon systems.
Ahead of a crucial meeting of the Centre on Kashmir, state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister A K Antony to seek their support on the partial withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from the state. Sources said Omar had met Mukherjee late on Wednesday night at the latter's residence for about half-an-hour, during which the chief minister presented his case for withdrawal of the AFSPA.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Saturday refused to comment either on the Supreme Court ruling on Army Chief Gen V K Singh's age row or his meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the issue.
Amid the Sino-India spat over Arunachal Pradesh and Chinese investments in Pakistan occupied Kashmir, New Delhi on Thursday said it has adequate' infrastructure and military capability along its border with China, even as it sought a diplomatic dialogue to resolve the border dispute. "By and large, the border with China is peaceful, except for occasional problems. They are strengthening the infrastructure and capabilities on their side of the border," he said.
Union Minister Shashi Tharoor met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister A K Antony on Wednesday night as the controversy surrounding him in the IPL snowballed with the opposition demanding his sacking.
Government is awaiting a report from its embassy and team in Italy to get a final picture on whether Defence Minister A K Antony has been listed as a witness in the VVIP chopper scam trial by a court there.
Terming the recent leak of Army Chief General VK Singh's March 12 letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as "anti-national," Defence Minister A K Antony on Thursday said he and the defence ministry would take the strongest possible action against those responsible for the leak under Indian law.
The government does not plan to launch any fresh probe into the Bofors gun deal and Ottavio Quattrocchi stands "discharged" as he could not be extradited even after 20 years of registration of the case, Defence Minister A K Antony said.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Tuesday promised to take strong action if anybody was found guilty in the alleged Kochi wife swapping case in which the wife of a navy officer has filed an FIR against her husband and his superiors.
A memorandum of understanding between the defence and telecom ministries for vacation of spectrum was signed two years ago.
Vigil along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir has been stepped up following last month's ambush by Pakistani army on Indian troops in which two jawans were killed, government told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Tuesday said that cross-border terrorism continues unabated and Pakistan has not done much to stop it. He was speaking to media personnel in Bengaluru where the first Naval prototype of the Light Combat Aircraft was rolled out today.Antony stated that while the situation in Kashmir was improving, terror camps continued to operate from across the border. But he added that bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan was imperative.
Stepping up defence cooperation, India and the US are poised to unveil a roadmap for industries in the sector to partner closely in co-production, co-development and maintaining supply change during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US beginning June 21.
Noting that land scams such as Sukna and Adarsh Society have projected armed forces in a "bad" light, Defence Minister A K Antony said on Wednesday that policies would be framed to bar local military authorities from directly issuing 'no objection certificates' to private realtors.
The payments to AgustaWestland for supplying 12 AW-101 choppers have been stopped but so far no decision has been take to blacklist the firm, Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
Defence Minister AK antony said infiltration attempts will be stepped up in the run up to the crucial elections to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Saturday said that efforts were on to resolve the disputed Sir Creek issue with Pakistan.
Improved working conditions leads to fall in number of suicides in the armed forces.
During a crucial meeting on Monday held to discuss the Army's annual acquisition plan, Antony asked the Army chief to streamline procedures within the Army HQ so that proposals for new acquisitions could be processed faster
During a crucial meeting on Monday held to discuss the Army's annual acquisition plan, Antony asked the Army chief to streamline procedures within the Army HQ so that proposals for new acquisitions could be processed faster
Seeking to turn the tables on the Opposition, Defence Minister A K Antony on Monday said that the present government has not purchased a single new Tatra truck and the current deliveries were being made as per the contract signed in 2003.
India has strengthened its military power since the 1962 China-Indian war and is now fully capable of defending itself, Defence Minister A K Antony said on Thursday. "Infrastructure in the northeast is not up to our satisfaction but it has improved a lot as compared to the past. India of 2012 is not India of that period. We are now capable of defending every inch of our country," he told reporters on the sidelines of a conference of the Indian Navy.
With Army Chief Gen V K Singh dragging the government to Supreme Court over his age issue, Defence Minister A K Antony on Tuesday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to discuss the matter.
Rubbishing reports that China has occupied Indian territory in Ladakh, Defence Minister A K Antony on Friday asserted that there is no question of ceding any part of the country and all steps are being taken to safeguard national security.
However, the minister said the government was making serious efforts to end the menace and this was illustrated by the implementation of the Right to Information Act which will "make the walls of secrecy crumble and help in eradicating corruption".
Maharashtra Congress leaders on Tuesday met at Defence Minister AK Antony's residence to discuss seat-sharing formula for the October's assembly elections. Maharashtra's Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, former chief minister Narayan Rane, Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Mumbai Congress chief Kripa Shankar Singh attended the meeting.
Against the backdrop of the death of the Delhi gang-rape victim, the Union defence ministry and the three armed forces have decided against holding new year parties.
The Army has been hit by yet another incident of face-off between jawans and officers in a unit in Jammu and Kashmir, prompting an upset Defence Minister A K Antony to seek a detailed report from the force even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh downplayed the matter.
Attacking the government over defence preparedness and shortage of equipment, the Bharatiya Janata Party specifically targetted Defence Minister A K Antony in Rajya Sabha saying his "no work, no mistake and clean image" was a dangerous policy.
Noting that a spirit of cooperation and competition prevailed between India and China, Defence Minister A K Antony on Saturday said negotiations to resolve the disputes between the two will take their own time and he does not expect any "miracles".
Notwithstanding Pakistan's denials, Defence Minister A K Antony on Wednesday said there is 'clear evidence; of involvement of its troops behind the killing of two Indian soldiers whose bodies were also mutilated, an action described as 'inhuman'.
In a major development in the Congress, the party has formed an informal committee comprising General Secretary Rahul Gandhi, spokesperson Janardan Dwivedi, political secretary to Sonia Gandhi Ahmed Patel and Defence Minister AK Antony to look into the party's affairs, as the Congress president will be away since she is undergoing treatment in the United States.
Terming as a "watershed" event the killing of Osama bin Laden by the United States in Pakistan, Defence minister A K Antony on Friday said it will have a "ripple effect" in the India's "strategic neighbourhood" and asked the Armed Forces to be prepared for any eventuality.
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