The attack on an Indian Army patrol in January, in which one soldier was beheaded, was carried out by Special Services Group of Pakistan Army, Defence Minister A K Antony told the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Antony told the Lok Sabha that in the recent past it has come to the notice of India that Pakistani elements planted mines on November 24-26, 2012 in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Thursday described the maiden test flight of the Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile Agni 5 as an "immaculate success" and a "major milestone". "The nation stands tall today. We have joined the elite club of nations (to possess the ICBM capability)," Antony told Defence Research and Development Organisation chief Dr V K Saraswat on the phone after the test flight of the missile was declared successful today.
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.
Negotiations over the border row with China are in the final stages, Defence Minister A K Antony said in New Delhi on Monday.
"Within a few months we are going to change the defence procurement procedure again," Defence Minister A K Antony told the Lok Sabha during Question Hour.
India has conveyed its concern to China over the presence of Chinese personnel in Pakistan- occupied Kashmir (PoK) and asserted that it was consistently strengthening its capabilities in the eastern sector to meet any challenge.
Demanding an impartial inquiry into the controversy surrounding Army, Team Anna on Tuesday alleged that the probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation and Intelligence Bureau will not bring out the truth as the bodies are "under the control of government".
Cautioning that modernisation of the force cannot be done in "fits and starts", government on Tuesday said it will provide all assistance to the Indian Air Force to meet its growth plans and decrease its dependence on foreign companies for major aircraft and equipment.
Targeting Defence Minister A K Antony for "inaction" in the Tatra truck deal even after he was alerted about it through a letter in May 2008, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday wondered if the minister was "under pressure" at that time and sought an explanation from the prime minister. "What prompted Antony to become inactive on this issue? Whose pressure was it? At whose behest were these sudden changes in procurement criteria made? The govt owes an explanation," BJP said.
The more things change, the more they remain the same! That certainly appears to be the dictum by which the Congress party and its leadership lives and works.
India is considering a proposal to induct another nuclear submarine built in Russia and has plans of indigenously building two more Arihant Class underwater vessels to guard its maritime boundaries, Defence Minister A K Antony said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday said the Tatra scam was the second biggest after the Bofors scam and demanded immediate resignation of Defence Minister A K Antony for allegedly patronising corruption. "This (Tatra) is the second biggest scam after the Bofors scam and it has exposed the fact that the weapons of our soldiers are not up to standard," BJP national spokesperson Prakash Javdekar told a press conference.
The meeting between central trade union leaders and senior ministers failed in New Delhi on Monday night with the unions refusing to accept the government's appeal to postpone their two-day call for strike from Wednesday.
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.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Thursday said that expenditure on defence is bound to increase as the armed forces need to have access to the latest technologies and equipment to counter any threat. "With the projected growth of the Indian economy expected at a trajectory of 8-10 per cent for the next two decades, expenditure on defence in absolute terms is bound to increase," Antony said.
Trade unions in various sectors including transport, banking, construction and public sector undertakings will participate in a two-day nation strike on February 20-21 to protest the Centre's inability to tackle issues of inflation, unemployment and labour law violations. The protesting unions will also hold protest rallies at Azad Maidan and in Bandra. Union members have also threatened to hold a public rally till Parliament to press for their demands.
Army chief General V K Singh's letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the state of affairs in the service on Wednesday rocked the Rajya Sabha with opposition members forcing two adjournments during the Question Hour.
Army chief General V K Singh's letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the state of affairs in the service on Wednesday rocked the Rajya Sabha with opposition members forcing two adjournments during the Question Hour.
The government on Monday denied media reports that the army had unauthorisedly deployed phone tapping equipment in the capital and said that such stories are being spread by some retired officials.
The National Investigation Agency has prepared a template for interrogation of suspects of terror funding, which has been circulated to the concerned authorities in all states and Union territories.
The government on Monday said it has conveyed its concerns to China about its activities in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir.
The Indian Air Force has been asked to speed up its inquiry into an incident in Chhattisgarh where its security guards had allegedly abandoned an injured policeman and an armed chopper, Defence Ministry A K Antony said on Wednesday1.
India and Pakistan have agreed to continue the dialogue in Siachen for early resolution of outstanding issues there, and have reaffirmed the resolve to make serious, sustained and result oriented efforts to seek an amicable solution, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Saturday said that efforts were on to resolve the disputed Sir Creek issue with Pakistan.
Three days after denying that Defence Minister A K Antony's office was bugged, army on Monday admitted that "some abnormality" was noticed which it claimed later turned out to be malfunctioning of an instrument.
The government accords top priority to secure the international border in Arunachal Pradesh that has borders with China, Bhutan and Myanmar.
The main focus during the two-day Chintan Shivir to be held in Jaipur over the weekend would be on the political discussion and how the party plans to strategise to win back the mandate it received in 2004 and 2009, reports Renu Mittal.
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.
Close on the heels of clinching the Indian Air Force contract for supply of mid-air refuellers, European consortium Airbus will now bid for the Rs 12,000-crore global tender to be floated by India for procuring 56 medium-lift transport aircraft to replace its vintage Avro planes.
The defence minister will also be on board the country's latest indigenous stealth frigate INS Shivalik and witness the live firing of lethal missiles including the supersonic BrahMos cruise missile, Defence Ministry officials said in New Delhi on Monday.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Saturday arrived in Srinagar on a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir during which he will review the security situation in the Valley and also interact with troops deployed in forward locations.
Amid protests over killing of a youth in firing in Bandipora district of Kashmir, the Army on Thursday said the recovery of weapons alongside the deceased indicated that he was a militant and ruled out any inquiry in the matter.
Defence Minister A K Antony on Saturday said all members of the Union cabinet are equal, comments that come in the midst of a stand off between the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress on issues including the Number 2 slot to Sharad Pawar.
The Delhi government on Thhursday announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh each to the next of kin of five National Cadet Corps from the city who drowned in the Periyar River in Kerala. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit condoled the death of the students.
In an unprecedented move, Defence Minister A K Antony has granted one-time special sanction to the Indian Air Force to grant commission to a flying cadet from Manipur paralysed below the waist due to injuries in an air crash.
Indication to this effect came as Antony was allocated the seat next to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at cabinet meeting in New Delhi on Thursday.
Breaking his silence on the age controversy surrounding Army chief Gen V K Singh, Defence Minister A K Antony on Friday said he was "sorry and sad" over it and left it to the Supreme Court to decide the matter.
Spy drones from Pakistan and China are regularly straying into the Indian airspace complained the Indian military.
India is pursuing with Pakistan the case of Captain Saurabh Kalia, who was tortured and killed by Pakistani troops after being captured in the Kargil sector in May 1999, Defence Minister A K Antony said on Sunday. "We are handling it in an appropriate manner. We will pursue it and now we are pursuing it with Pakistan," he told reporters after laying a wreath at the Amar Jawan Jyoti to commemorate the 41st anniversary of India's victory in the 1971 war with Pakistan.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances