A total of 234 army personnel have died fighting terrorists in the last four years, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.
The Indian Navy has ordered a probe into the bribery allegations against its officers made in a letter from Meera Shankar, the Indian ambassador to US, to the Prime Minister's Office, Defence Minister A K Antony said on Thursday.
The Centre is contemplating raising an Arunachal regiment of the Indian Army, on the lines of the Ladakh Scouts formed in 1963, to protect the northeastern state from Chinese incursions.The proposal, initiated by the Arunachal Pradesh government, has reportedly been approved by both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Defence Minister A K Antony; the latter is now drawing up a proposal to present it before the Union Cabinet.
With an aim to extend their military and technical cooperation till 2020, India and Russia will sign an inter-governmental agreement during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Moscow this December. The 10-year IGC-MTC, which was signed in 1998, began in 2000 and will come to an end in 2010. The protocol signed by Antony and his Russian counterpart Anatoly Serdyukov today was for extension of the IGC-MTC till 2020, an agreement for which would be signed during PM's visit.
Union Defence Minister A K Antony arrived in Moscow on Tuesday for a crucial meeting of a key joint defence commission as the two countries are poised to finalise new co-ventures in strategic weapons, including investment and technical parameters of 5th generation fighters.
No new deal on the modernisation of the Kiev class aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov will be signed during Defence Minister A K Antony's three-day Russia visit beginning Tuesday, the Indian envoy in Moscow said.
With the Centre approving a home ministry offensive against the Maoists, Defence Minister A K Antony on Saturday said the Indian Air Force too was all set to get permission to open fire in self-defence during anti-Naxal operations after laying down safeguards and procedures.
India on Saturday asked Pakistan to be "sincere" in acting against terror groups on its soil in its own interest and "not to satisfy India".
Union Defence Minister A K Antony on Thursday said India was building its defence capabilities just as China did.
Defence Minister A K Antony called upon the private and public sector on Tuesday to join hands to help India achieve self-reliance in defence production, asking them to set up a large, modern manufacturing base in the country.
An important milestone for the naval programme of Bangalore-based Aeronautical Development Agency, the aircraft was brought out of the hanger where it was assembled part-by-part during the rollout.
Party chief Rahul Gandhi formed a nine-member Core Group Committee, a 19-member Manifesto Committee and a committee comprising 19 top party leaders who will look after the publicity during the elections.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and a host of party leaders today paid homage to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YSR Reddy, who died in a chopper crash.
A longstanding demand for voting rights in India by millions of Non Resident Indians may finally see the light of the day with a group of ministers clearing a draft bill on the issue, paving way for its consideration by the Union cabinet.
The US made it clear on Wednesday that India's patience would be "limited" if it faces a Mumbai-type attack again, as it warned that Lashkar-e-Tayiba was working in league with the Al Qaeda to destabilise the region and provoke an Indo-Pak military confrontation.
Union Defence Minister A K Antony on Tuesday reiterated that the terror camps located in Pakistan, which are close to the Indian border, pose a threat to the nation's security. Antony's statement came close on the heels of the statement by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who warned chief ministers from across India on Monday that Pakistan based terror outfits are planning further attacks in India.
Two days after constituting a 10-member Group of Ministers on Telangana, the government reorganised the panel, dropping Minister of Human Resource Development M Pallam Raju and bringing in Defence Minister A K Antony. The number has also been brought down to seven.
The 10-member GoM headed by external affairs minister and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee will include defence minister A K Antony, Home Minister P Chidambaram, agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, communications minister A Raja, railway minister Lalu Prasad, chemical and fertilisers minister Ram Vilas Paswan, law and justice minister H R Bhardwaj, minister of state for external affairs Anand Sharma and planning commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.
Defence Minister AK Antony address to the armed forces personnel in his Independence Day eve.
Downplaying reports of India losing territory to China in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, Defence Minister A K Antony on Wednesday said there was 'no change' in the Line of Actual Control.Antony said the issue was raised at a meeting he had with Jammu and Kashmir government officials and Army officers in Jammu on Tuesday, where the Army Corps Commander for Ladakh had categorically reported that there was not much change in the situation along the LAC.
Army chief Deepak Kapoor will take 'some disciplinary and administrative action' against the four Generals involved in a land scam in Darjeeling, Defence Minister A K Antony said on Wednesday. The ministry had received a report from the Army chief in this regard on Tuesday night and it was 'too early' for him to comment on the action to be taken against the Generals. "The defence ministry received a report from the Army chief," he said.
Ridiculing the claim by Pakistan navy chief Admiral Noman Bashir that there was no evidence to show that Mumbai attackers had taken the sea route, India on Saturday said its investigation has conclusively proved that they came from the neighbouring country through the maritime route. Commenting on his counterpart's claim, Navy Chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta, also said that the 'full and complete' probe by the investigating agencies have proved that the attackers came via sea.
United States Defence Secretary Robert Gates is expected to undertake a visit to India later in January, during which the two sides will discuss ways to push their defence cooperation, and take stock of the situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Dates for the visit are being worked out, defence ministry sources said on Monday.Gates will hold talks with Defence Minister A K Antony and meet top officials of the armed forces.
The air element has a great psychological effect on the adversary as it can raise the morale of our forces while lowering that of the adversary, says Colonel (Dr) Anil Athale (retd).
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi will head a six-member United Progressive Alliance -Samajwadi Party Coordination Committee. The committee has Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister A K Antony as its members.The constitution of the Committee indicates that the SP, like the Left, would support the government from outside. The development also suggests that they would exert influence like that of the Left.
Commerce ministry had recently brought out a discussion paper that called for allowing 100 per cent FDI in the defence sector.
Accusing the government of engaging in a 'game of quiet diplomacy' with certain groups in Jammu and Kashmir, a Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament on Monday claimed it was playing into their hands by withdrawing 30,000 troops from the state. BJP leader S S Ahluwalia said during Zero Hour in Rajya Sabha that a 'game of quiet diplomacy is being played with certain groups'. Without naming the separatists, the BJP leader said, "There are secret meetings held with them."
Civil servants, armed forces and paramilitary personnel will get to rejoice this Independence Day with the government all set to approve the Sixth Pay Commission report in its Cabinet meeting on Thursday.
A worried army chief, General Deepak Kapoor, has protested to Defence Minister A K Antony about the derailing of vital defence purchases by allegations of corruption. On June 10, General Kapoor complained about the cancellation of army trials on the Pegasus ultra-light howitzer, after the manufacturer, Singapore Technologies Kinetics (STK), was suspended on suspicion of links with a discredited Ministry of Defence official.
"Approximately 85,000 MT of ammunition pertaining to Army is lying in open plinth or temporary accommodation," Defence Minister A K Antony said in the Rajya Sabha.
Congress lawmakers from Telangana met senior party leader and Defence Minister A K Antony on Tuesday demanding disciplinary action against Y S Jaganmohan Reddy for joining a Telugu Desam Party protest in Lok Sabha against the decision to carve out a separate state from Andhra Pradesh.
Army headquarters sources told PTI that General Kapoor, who was in the Pokhran test range in Rajasthan yesterday to witness the BrahMos missile test, took the opportunity to go on an unscheduled visit to the forward areas in Bikaner and Bhatinda regions of the two border states.
Amid reports that Pakistan may seek extradition of Malegaon blast accused Lieuteant Colonel Shrikant Purohit in the Samjhauta Express blast case, India on Tuesday virtually rejected the demand, saying Islamabad had no locus standi in the investigations involving the Army officer."The case (Malegaon blast) is under examination by the Anti-Terror Squad (of Maharashtra Police). It is our internal matter. We are investigating it. How can Pakistan be concerned with that,"he said.
The Kiev-class warship, for which India signed a contract with Russia in 2004 for $974 million, was originally scheduled for delivery in 2008.
"Since home minister has called a meeting of the chief ministers on internal security on Januray 6, I hope to take over before that so that I could represent J&K as the chief minister. But we have few formalities. The governor's rule has to be revoked before that," Omar Abdullah said.
Defence Minister A K Antony, on Thursday, carried out an in-depth review of coastal security mechanism put in place post-26/11 and ordered Navy and Coast Guard to quickly integrate all maritime agencies into the security grid to plug "gaps" in the apparatus.
A high-level assessment of the security scenario in the light of Indo-Pak tensions was undertaken at a marathon meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Defence Ministry in New Delhi on Saturday night.
India on Monday voiced its worries over the underground nuclear test carried out by North Korea, terming it a 'development of serious concern'. He was asked how India viewed the announcement by North Korea that it has 'successfully' conducted one more underground nuclear test on May 25 as part of the measures to bolster its nuclear deterrent for self-defence.
Union Defence Minister A K Antony on Wednesday rejected his cabinet colleague and Union Railway minister Mamata Banerjee's demand for deployment of army in Maoist-affected areas of West Bengal, saying use of armed forces for internal security was the 'last resort.'