The Directors General of Military Operations of India and Pakistan will meet each other when they feel the need for it, Defence Minister AK Antony said in New Delhi on Monday.
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.
The government on Monday said it has denied a recent assertion made by US Pacific Command Chief Admiral Robert Willard regarding the presence of United States special forces in India.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Monday said it would be difficult to improve ties with Pakistan unless it made "serious" and "sincere" efforts to dismantle terror camps operating from its soil.
The government on Tuesday said the attack and killing of five Indian soldiers was carried out by "terrorists along with persons dressed in Pakistan Army uniform" and India will take all necessary steps to uphold the sanctity of the Line of Control.
'Manjummel Boys is way beyond my control now.'
Sending a strong message to "wrongdoers" in the armed forces, Defence Minister A K Antony on Monday warned of "strictest possibile action" against those indulging in acts of corruption.
Liverpool's slim Premier League title hopes faded further on Saturday when Michail Antonio's late header earned West Ham United a deserved point with a 2-2 draw.
Blinken and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin were in Delhi for the fifth edition of the '2+2' dialogue.
The India-US strategic partnership is characterised by mutual trust and both sides are increasingly in agreement on key issues, such as countering China's aggression, promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific and addressing regional security challenges, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday.
Amidst the anti-corruption campaign by civil rights activists, Defence Minister A K Antony, on Wednesday said politicians, bureaucrats and others holding key positions are not ready for the "transition to transparency" and contended that this was creating problems.
Defence Minister A K Antony said on Monday that the "unfortunate controversy" over Army Chief General V K Singh's age had come to an end with the Supreme Court judgement and asked his colleagues to close the chapter.
Dismissing as "rumours" reports about shortage of tank ammunition, Defence Minister A K Antony on Tuesday said there will always be "shortcomings", but the country was in a much stronger position as compared to the past. "These are all rumours. I can assure you that the country is fully prepared. India is in a much stronger position as compared to the past. There will always be some shortcomings and that is also in the process," he said.
While party leaders have welcomed Sonia Gandhi's decision to ask A K Antony to get feedback from the cadres, they are sceptical the exercise might end up like the committees set up in the past. Rediff.com contributor Anita Katyal reports
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".
Army chief General Bikram Singh on Thursday briefed Defence Minister A K Antony on the Chinese incursion issue in Ladakh and the present situation there. After reviewing the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and the Ladakh area with military commanders in the Northern Command, General Singh briefed the defence minister on the incursion issue on Thursday, army officials said.
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.
India on Friday voiced concern over the 'danger and threat' of Pakistan's nuclear arsenal falling into the hands of terrorists and said it is closely monitoring the situation in the neighbourhood.
The indigenisation programme of the Ministry of Defence has been an illusion, wrapped in a fallacy, cloaked in deception, writes Ajai Shukla
The indigenisation programme of the Ministry of Defence has been an illusion, wrapped in a fallacy, cloaked in deception, writes Ajai Shukla
There is no change in India's Pakistan policy after general elections in the neighbouring country, Defence Minister A K Antony said on Saturday. "There was no change in our policy towards Pakistan," he told mediapersons at the Hindustan Aeronautics complex in Nashik.
The navy's sole aircraft carrier INS Viraat can continue its service for another three years, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.
We have been fine-tuning and improving the Defence procurement Procedure based on periodical reviews," he said while inaugurating the 5th International Land and Naval Systems Exhibition in New Delhi. "The current procurement procedure is also under review to make it more transparent and user-friendly," Antony said.
Defence Minister A K Antony will head a seven-member high-level group constituted by Congress chief Sonia to give suggestions to revive the party against the backdrop of series of debacles including in Karnataka and Gujarat Assembly elections.
Defence Minister A K Antony emphasised the upcoming five-nation naval wargames, which will include the US, were not aimed at any third country, but to help Indian forces enhance their fighting capabilities.
The Indian Army is short of over 11,387 officers, Union Defence Minister A K Antony told the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Ruling out the possibility of deploying the army in anti-Naxal operations, Defence Minister A K Antony on Monday said the real answer lies in strengthening local and central police forces.
Congress circles have started speculating about who could possibly be Rahul Gandhi's prime ministerial choice in the remote possibility that the UPA gets the numbers to form a government for the third time in 2014. The three names which are being mentioned in this connection are Manmohan Singh, P Chidambaram and A K Antony. Sunita Moga reports.
Not willing to give up on the age issue, General V K Singh has filed a statutory complaint with the defence minister seeking a reexamination, in a first by an army chief.
Meanwhile, one of the constituents of the Kerala government has said it is not averse to a leadership change.
For a man revered for his probity, Defence Minister A K Antony was caught napping when bribes were paid over the AgustaWestland VVIP chopper deal. With the UPA government staring at another scam, nothing it seems will change, writes Sheela Bhatt.
Defence Minister AK Antony leaves New Delhi on Thursday on a 4-day official visit to the People's Republic of China.
"Indian armed forces' exercise and interaction with foreign forces are for upgrade of skills and providing them a chance to get acquainted with hi-tech weapons," Defence Minister A K Antony said on the sidelines of the Naval Commanders conference in New Delhi.
Under fire over allegations of kickbacks in the Rs 3,600 crore VVIP chopper deal, government on Wednesday asserted that nobody found guilty will be spared and if wrongdoings were found by the Central Bureau of Investigation, the contract can be scrapped.
The defence minister told the Rajya Sabha that at the moment, "We cannot say conclusively about the exact cause of the incident. Our armed forces work on a war footing on these aspects and they are also anxious over this issue."
Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council will be taken only after a discussion with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi.
Defence Ministry A K Antony has asked AgustaWestland to explain within one week its linkages with software companies allegedly used as a cover for paying kickbacks in the VVIP chopper deal.
Antony on the security scenario in the immediate neighbourhood and beyond.
His remarks came after the US said on Thursday that it supports Canada's efforts to investigate allegations of India's involvement in the killing of Nijjar, observing that no country can get any "special exemption" for such kind of activities.
The India-US joint statement after the 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue called for the immediate release of all remaining hostages.
