Neither the BJP, nor the Congress before it, made any manifesto commitments on defence spending, even though allocations have plummeted from 4 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) in the late 1980s to less than 2 per cent today, points out Ajai Shukla.
In a major haul, a whopping Rs 29 lakh were seized from a Maoist dump in Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon district, the police said on Tuesday.
A BSF spokesman said two Pakistani mortar positions were "located, targeted and destroyed by BSF troopers yesterday night only.
On Sunday, a civilian was killed and two persons were injured in the Pakistani shelling along the IB in Kanachak belt of Jammu district, raising the death toll in the ceasefire violations since Thursday last to 12 and injuries to over 60.
In the last three years, 340 defence personnel have been killed inside and outside the country, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said 27 Indian Army troops have been killed in ceasefire violations across the Line of Control in the last 10 years and 523 such violations have taken place in the past three years.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday visited the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel site for a review of the rescue operations being carried out there to evacuate 40 labourers trapped inside since Sunday morning following its partial collapse.
Bharatiya Janata Party's Sandeshkhali leader Gangadhar Koyal on Friday moved the Calcutta high court, claiming that technology-aided videos mimicking his voice were being circulated in a bid to defame him, and prayed for security be provided to him by central agencies.
A Greyhounds jawan sustained injuries, following which he was airlifted to Warangal and admitted to a hospital.
The vehicles came under attack in the Savni area on the Rajouri-Thanamandi-Surankote road around 3.30 pm.
This is the fourth IED blast triggered by Naxals in Chhattisgarh in the last 15 days.
The travel advisory is perhaps a first of its kind issued by any state government
Following the incident, tension gripped the area and all shops have been shut down, the official said.
Protests against the killing of four people in firing by Border Security Force personnel erupted across Jammu and Kashmir on Friday during which 40 people including 19 security personnel were injured in clashes, stone-pelting and cane-charge.
A total of 151 Sena Medals, eight Yudh Seva Medals too have been announced on the occasion of Republic Day.
Pakistan's Inter-Services Public Relations admitted three casualties among their troops at Rakhchakri in Rawalakot.
Pakistan Rangers violated ceasefire again by targeting Border Outs Posts with small arms and automatic weapons along International Border in Jammu district, prompting Border Security Force troops to retaliate.
Pakistan will handover the paramilitary Border Security Force trooper on Friday afternoon, according to a senior officer.
The talks are following up the outcome of the 19th round of Corps Commander-level talks held between the two sides on August 13-14 at the Chushul Moldo border meeting point.
As the counter-insurgency operation in the forest belt of Jammu and Kashmir's twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri entered the ninth day on Tuesday, public announcements were made in Mendhar asking local residents to stay indoors for their safety, officials said.
This move by the BSF is in protest to the growing incidents of ceasefire violations across the Line of Control and the International Border.
At least three Border Security Force personnel were killed and two injured when Naxals blew up their vehicle in an improvised explosive device blast in Odisha's Koraput district on Tuesday.
"Numerous rounds of talks have taken place with the Chinese counterparts to deescalate the situation without compromising on India's stand of 'complete disengagement and immediate restoration of status quo ante'," the defence ministry said.
The valley is under the iron grip of the armed forces and Pakistan does not have the military power or political support to change the status quo, observes Colonel Anil A Athale (retd), after a recent visit to Kashmir.
Three people were killed and several others, including security personnel, injured in stone-pelting and firing on Thursday when a mob attacked a camp of the Border Security Force in Kashmir's Ramban district over alleged high-handedness by a patrolling party.
The home minister said people must have faith in security forces who are foiling the evil designs of enemies.
The JeM terrorists also carried 'armoured piercing steel core ammunition' which can go through Level 3 protection bulletproof vehicles that police and other security forces use, they said. The ammunition was in large quantity and could have posed a grave threat, top police officials said.
The three districts are among over a dozen in the state that were lashed by incessant rain for close to 48 hours bringing normal business to a grinding halt and disrupting rail and road traffic in most places.
Such a course would require a Constitutional Amendment, requiring a two-thirds majority in both Houses of Parliament. Even assuming that the INDIA combine comes to power at the Centre next year, a two-thirds majority in the Lok Sabha could way off the mark for them, observes N Sathiya Moorthy.
The NIA on Tuesday took over the case of last week's terror strike near an army camp Jammu, officials said, as one of the three arrestees confessed to transporting terrorists from the International Border to Kashmir in the past also, sending alarm bells ringing in the security establishment.
Constable Devender Singh was hit by a stray bullet through the loophole of his picket and could not survive the injury.
A quintessential military commander, Gen Bipin Rawat possessed an uncanny understanding of geopolitical upheavals, calibrated a tri-services military doctrine to make India face myriad security challenges, and is largely credited with bringing down militancy in the Northeast and Jammu and Kashmir.
Senior IPS officers Javeed Ahmed, Rajni Kant Misra, S S Deswal and Shivanand Jha are said to be among the front-runners for the coveted post.
BSF troops guarding over 180 km of IB with Pakistan have strengthened their observation posts and 'listening posts' to keep a close watch against any intrusion by drones.
The entire area has been cordoned off while drones and sniffer dogs are being used to sniff out the terrorists that might be hiding in the area, they said.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday chaired a meeting on internal security, which was attended by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
The attack targeted a Frontier Corps (FC) checkpost on the Mastung road in Quetta, the provincial capital, Deputy Inspector General of Quetta police Azhar Akram said.
According to latest statistics of the Home ministry, the seven forces -- the CRPF, the Border Security Force, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, the Seema Sahastra Bal, the Central Industrial Security Forces, the National Security Guard and the Assam Rifles -- have lost 1,067 men in combat or counter-insurgency operations over a period of three years. But more than thrice -- as many as 3,611 personnel -- have died due to illnesses.
Some experts feel that Israel got so totally engrossed in countering Iran and in efforts to foil the Islamic Republic's nuclear programme that it has neglected its own backyard.
The BSF also said multiple infiltration bids by Pakistan along the International Border have been foiled in recent past.
In a countrywide advisory, the Union home ministry also said the state governments and UT administrations must ensure that the COVID-19 guidelines issued with regard to health and social distancing are strictly followed.
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