There is a shortage of 11,153, 1,403 and 1,368 officers in the army, navy and air force respectively, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday. This deficiency has been continuing from a long time in varying degree and there is no shortage of personnel below officers ranks in the armed forces, Defence Minister A K Antony said in a written reply.
'Munir hopes to solidify his hold on power.'
>The Indian Army still uses old British-era names and recruits soldiers based on caste or region, which hurts national unity, argues Colonel K Thammayya Udupa (retd).
The high point of the 19 Shastri months was the 22-day war that he fought against great odds and won in principle, even if military historians often call it a stalemate. Pakistan saw a great opportunity to conquer Kashmir and lost. It was the last time they had the relative strength militarily and diplomatically to take Kashmir. Shastri's resolve buried that dream forever, points out Shekhar Gupta.
Every Indian must visit the National War Memorial in Delhi where every soldier who made the supreme sacrifice for the Motherland is remembered in gold letters.
When the country has been at war, the Opposition has buried its differences with the government, points out Aditi Phadnis.
The defence ministry on Thursday denied reports of any difference with armed forces and said the government is working in harmony with the three services.
The Indian Armed Forces will express their gratitude to all "corona warriors" by conducting fly-pasts, showering petals on hospitals treating COVID-19 patients and illuminating naval vessels, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat said on Friday.
'Today's battle-space is highly complex and multi-dimensional with unpredictable security scenarios and high operational tempo. In the battle-space, operational response and demand will be an integrated synergistic approach to all operations'
The move came against the backdrop of Turkiye backing Pakistan and its condemnation of India's strikes on terror camps in the neighbouring country and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir under Operation Sindoor.
The CCS approved the proposal to buy 156 LCH 'Prachand' worth over Rs 62,500 crore from HAL, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said.
The Committee of Administrators (CoA), running the BCCI, had decided to cancel the glitzy opening ceremony in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack last month in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
The defence minister said that the expenditure has been highest in 2017-18. In the same manner, it was second highest in 2016-17 and third highest in 2015-16. The fourth highest defence expenditure since 2004-05 was in 2014-15.
The worst-hit in the Pakistani shelling was Poonch district which accounted for all the civilian deaths, the officials said, adding 28 persons were also injured and the condition of some of them was stated to be critical.
Blackout measures have been imposed in many districts including Hoshiarpur, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Pathankot, Patiala, Moga, Kapurthala, and Muktsar districts.
In 2024, Russia made only modest territorial gains, controlling about 18% of Ukraine, while suffering massive casualties and equipment losses.
The value of contracts awarded by the MoD in 2024-2025 is the highest ever and double the previous record set in 2023-2024.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday imposed a cost of Rs 50,000 on the Centre for filing an appeal against an order of the Armed Forces Tribunal, which granted a liberalised pension to the widow of a soldier who died during a counter-terrorism patrol in Jammu and Kashmir.
After a meeting in the Parliament Library, the leaders of these parties issued a joint statement, expressing concern over the prevailing security situation in the country.
The death of a young pilot and three fighter jet crashes prompt the question -- should there be more simulation training?
Rutuja Warhade secured the first spot among girls and third in all India ranking. She will join the National Defence Academy in June and hopes to become an army pilot.
rediffGURU Dr Nagarajan JSK helps students make the right career choices, particularly in the fields of medicine and pharmacy.
'The non-implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission, almost a year after it was implemented for civilians, is gradually beginning to hurt morale in the armed forces,' says Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retd).
At 4 am, troops roared their war cry! In the long running tradition of the armed forces, soldiers seek the blessings of the Goddess before setting out on their mission -- in war or peace. The Republic Day parade is one such mission.
The situation in these violence-hit places remained tense on Saturday morning, but no untoward incident was reported, officials said.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday presented Union Budget 2025-26, envisaging an expenditure of Rs 50,65,345 crore, an increase of 7.4 per cent over the current fiscal.
The Calcutta High Court has ordered the formation of a three-member committee to identify and rehabilitate people displaced by violence during protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Act in Murshidabad district. The court also extended the deployment of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) in the area. The committee will consist of officials from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC), and the State Legal Services Authority (SLSA). It will be responsible for identifying displaced persons, assessing damage to properties, collecting FIR data, facilitating FIR filing, and overseeing the well-being of displaced individuals. The state government has been instructed to provide necessary infrastructure to the committee and report on its progress by May 15. The court also directed the state to formulate a rehabilitation scheme for displaced persons, including the construction of damaged houses and shops, compensation for lost livelihoods, and protection for families of those who died in the violence.
The Squad seeks to counter China's power assertions in the South China Sea region.
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, or AFSPA, as it is commonly known, has of late been a subject of intense discussion and debate. AFSPA has been in force in the North-East and Jammu and Kashmir, and the 'draconian' law has been the reason of wide protests.
Ladakhi shepherd Tashi Namgyal, who alerted the Indian Army about the presence of Pakistani intruders in Kargil, passed away in Ladakh on Saturday, December 21, 2024.
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan has highlighted the emergence of space as a new domain of warfare and emphasized the need for developing a "space culture" to prepare for future conflicts. He called for dedicated space warfare schools and research institutions to generate ideas, develop doctrines and strategies, and create new capabilities for space warfare. Chauhan believes that space will be crucial for future warfare, impacting all traditional domains of land, sea, and air. The CDS's remarks were made at the Indian DefSpace Symposium, where he also highlighted the importance of space research and its role in shaping the future of warfare.
'The lesson Beijing would have learned is that there is, cost-benefit wise, no better option than to keep the Pakistan military supplied with its most advanced armaments, certain that in hostilities with India these would be used for maximum effect.'
India has already mobilised fighter jets and sent thousands of additional army troops to forward locations along the border with China after 20 Indian Army personnel were killed in a brutal attack by Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh's Galwan Valley on June 15.
The CoA had decided against having any glittering opening ceremony for the cash-rich event and instead contribute the entire budget for the welfare of armed forces.
'He is intrigued by the intractability of Kashmir issue. With his interest in dealmaking and peacebrokering, he sees it as an exciting challenge to tackle.'
'We will never recognise any part of territories occupied by the Russians.'
A fresh cycle of violence erupted in Manipur last Monday after 11 suspected militants, who allegedly attacked a police station and adjoining CRPF camp with sophisticated weapons in Manipur's Jiribam district, were killed in an exchange of fire.
Glimpses from a counter-terrorism exercise conducted by the Pakistan navy's special forces in Karachi, November 21, 2024.
'The COVID-19 pandemic must push the military into a long-term reconsideration of its primary challenges.' 'There must be greater emphasis on humanitarian aid and disaster relief including the management of contagious illnesses and impending crises caused by climate change,' notes Ajai Shukla.
