Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Anil Chauhan, during his visit to INS Chilka, was briefed on the pivotal role played by INS Chilka in shaping future sea warriors of the Indian Navy. An overview and analysis of training activities and batches trained to date at Chilka were provided. In his address, the implementation of the ‘Agnipath Scheme’ as a major reform to maintain a youthful profile in service to even nation-building through youth was highlighted by the CDS. He urged the Agniveers to focus on training and addressed various queries from them.
CDS took a tour of the training infrastructure to gain insight and complimented the facility for training and shaping the next generation of sea warriors. Click here to read… [2]
The keel laying of the second Cadet Training Ship was held at M/s L&T Shipyard, Kattupalli on 03 June. The contract for the indigenous design and construction of three Cadet Training Ships was signed on Mar 07, 2023 and these ships will be utilised for training officer cadets at sea after their basic training ashore, and will extend training facilities to cadets from friendly foreign countries as well. This milestone aligns with the Indian Navy’s pursuit of indigenous shipbuilding and the GoI’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Click here to read… [3]
The Defence Accounts Department (DAD), Ministry of Defence (MoD) has signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Bank of India, Canara Bank, Central Bank of India, and Utkarsh Small Finance Bank to onboard them as SPARSH [System for Pension Administration (Raksha)] Service Centres nationwide. These centres will offer last-mile connectivity to pensioners, especially in remote areas, and act as an interface for SPARSH to carry out different tasks. Access to these centres will be provided free of cost.
With these MoUs, SPARSH, an initiative of the MoD, is now available at branches of 15 banks across the country. It focuses on enhancing efficiency, responsiveness, and transparency. Click here to read… [4]
A Two-day ‘Varshik Niti Samvad Shivir’ of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) was held in New Delhi on June 04-05 and was attended by NCC Directorate representatives nationwide. The event focussed on reviewing the progress of NCC’s expansion plan to meet youth aspirations and foster responsible citizenship to achieve “Viksit Bharat.”
The substantial efforts made in the last year to enhance the training, infrastructure, and logistics functions of the NCC, were highlighted. The emphasis laid on the need for institutionalized training to be the reason for being for all to meaningfully contribute towards nation-building, social awareness, and community development programs. Click here to read… [5]
The 6th edition of Staff Talks between the Indian Navy (IN) and Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) was conducted from 04 – 05 Jun. The delegation of RNO was led by Cmde Jasim Mohammed Ali Al Balushi and Cmde Manmeet Singh Khurana led the IN delegation.
There were deliberations on common maritime security challenges, and issues pertaining to operational collaboration, information sharing, and so on. Oman, as one of India's closest partners in the Gulf region plays a key role in consolidating gains in naval cooperation and deepening the existing partnership between both Navies. Click here to read… [6]
India-US Command and Control Compatibility Board (CCCB) 2024 Meeting in New Delhi featured a 29-member US delegation led by Mr. Paul Nicholson and a 38-member Indian delegation led by Brigadier Rahul Anand. Held twice a year, the CCCB serves as the Technical Expert Group, and this marked the seventh meeting since the COMCASA agreement was signed in September 2018 aimed to improve bilateral Defence partnership.
The four-day interaction featured Subject Matter Experts and several rounds of extensive discussions, resulting in mutually agreeable solutions for the current communications interoperability. This successful outcome underscores the strengthening relationship between the militaries of India and the US. Click here to read… [7]
The eighth edition of the JIMEX was held at Yokosuka and included the Indian Navy's indigenous Stealth Frigate INS Shivalik. The exercise comprises a harbour phase for professional, sports, and social interactions, followed by a sea phase to enhance warfighting skills and interoperability across surface, sub-surface, and air operations.
The JMSDF was represented by the Guided Missile Destroyer JS Yugiri. JIMEX 24 provides an opportunity to learn practices and facilitate operational interactions between IN and JMSDF to foster cooperation and reaffirm their shared commitment towards maritime security in the Indo–Pacific. Click here to read… [8]
The Transport and Helicopter fleets of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in addition to their duties, have undertaken a number of tasks towards nation-building and have been at the forefront in aiding civil power. During the General Elections 2024, substantial flying efforts took place by the IAF.
It was involved in airlifting electronic voting machines and deploying Election Commission of India (ECI) personnel on election duties. IAF played a pivotal role in extending the reach of ECI into remote corners of the country and areas of security concern. In a time-bound task, the IAF played a vital role in five of the seven phases of the General Election 2024, flying over 1000 hours in over 1750 sorties. Click here to read… [9]
On 13th June, Shri Rajnath Singh assumed charge as the Raksha Mantri for the second consecutive term. He outlined his vision to carry forward the priority areas with a renewed thrust to establish a more secure, self-reliant, and prosperous nation. Rajnath Singh aims to boost defense exports and equip the Armed Forces with state-of-the-art weapons.
Immediately on assuming charge, he chaired a review meeting focused on the welfare of veterans and instructed the officers to re-dedicate themselves to fulfilling 100 days Action Plan agenda. To enhance defence preparedness and continue thrust on Aatmanirbharta in Defence, regular review meetings will be conducted to fast-track the progress of the flagship schemes and MoD initiatives. Click here to read… [10]
Ingenious Research Solutions Pvt Ltd., founded by Dr. Shivani Verma after winning a contest by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), has developed an AI tool ‘Divya Drishti’ that integrates face recognition with immutable physiological parameters such as gait and skeleton. This, as a solution, is a significant advancement in biometric authentication technology.
Divya Drishti enhances the accuracy of identification, minimising the risk of false positives or identity fraud, and has versatile applications across diverse sectors. It has been developed under Artificial Intelligence & Robotics (CAIR).
Dr. Samir V. Kamat, Secretary of Defence R&D and DRDO Chairman, congratulated the startup and DRDO team for developing the AI and highlighted it as a successful effort in promoting defense and aerospace startups to achieve 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'. Click here to read… [11]
The de-facto leader of al-Qaida— Sayf al-Adl, called upon jihadists across the world to gather in Afghanistan and create a safe haven there. “The loyal people of Ummah interested in change must go to Afghanistan, learn from its conditions, and benefit from the Taliban’s experience,” said Adl in a pamphlet. Click here to read… [12]
The Parramatta Children’s Court on 14 June, charged a 16-year-old boy for committing a terrorist act by stabbing a bishop in Sydney’s Assyrian Orthodox Church on 15 April. The boy was arrested at the scene. The charge of committing a terrorist act carries a possible life sentence, while additional charges carry maximum sentence of 25 years each. The boy had also been charged with wounding with intent to murder Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm a priest, Rev. Isaac Royel. Neither cleric sustained life-threatening injuries. Click here to read… [13]
“The attack on a bus of pilgrims in Reasi in which nine people were killed and 33 were injured was a part of a nefarious design to spread turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K),” said Lieutenant-Governor of UT of J&K— Manoj Sinha. On 09 June, at approximately 6:10 p.m., a bus transporting pilgrim from Delhi, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh was ambushed while traveling from the Shiv Khori cave shrine to Katra in the Reasi district. The attack occurred in Teryath village of Poni region in Reasi. The officials claimed that after terrorists fired shots at the bus, the driver lost control and went down into the ravine. The Hurriyat Conference was among the political organisations that condemned the incident and described it as "deeply disturbing." Click here to read… [14]
On 14 June 2024, the NIA searched multiple locations in Chhattisgarh in connection with CPI(Maoist)-led IED attack on a poll party convoy during 2023 Assembly Elections. NIA conducted extensive searches at the premises of six suspects in the Naxal-infested area of village Badegobra, Gariyband district. During the searches, the NIA seized several mobile phones and ₹ 2,98,000 in cash from the premises of suspects believed to be working as Over-Ground Workers (OGWs)/supporters of the Mainpur-Nuapada division of the CPI(Maoist). Click here to read… [15]
On 13 June 2024, the NIA charge sheeted seven Islamic State (IS) terrorists involved in “IS Bellary module” case. All seven terrorists have been charged with recruitment and radicalisation of vulnerable youth to operate sleeper cells. They conspire to prepare 50 sleeper cells in each district of Bharat by 2025. The operatives were also involved in fabrication of explosives for furtherance of the terror group’s goal to establish Caliphate in Bharat by waging jihad against government of Bharat. Click here to read… [16]
On 03 June, the NIA charge sheeted 17 IS terrorists for a conspiracy involving recruitment and radicalisation of youth and fabrication of IED explosives in Delhi-Padgha IS terror module case. The total number of accused charge-sheeted in the case rose to 20. NIA had originally charge-sheeted three persons in March 2023 and filed its supplementary chargesheet before the Special Court at Patiala House in New Delhi against 17 others, of whom 15 are from Maharashtra and one each belongs to Uttarakhand and Haryana.
The accused, charge-sheeted under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P)A], Arms Act and Explosive Substances Act, have been engaged in a IS conspiracy involving recruitment, training and propagation of terror group’s ideology among youth, along with fabrication of IEDs and fund-raising for the terror group. Click here to read… [17]
On 06 June, the NIA arrested a Kuki National Front-Military Council (KNF-MC) militant— Thongminthang Haokip, from Imphal airport in connection to a case pertains to transnational conspiracy by insurgents and terrorists to exacerbate the Manipur violence and spread terror in the North-East States. According to the NIA investigations, the conspiracy had been hatched by Kuki and Zomi insurgents backed by terrorist organisations based in the north-eastern states and in neighbouring Myanmar with the aim to exploit the current ethnic unrest in the region and wage war against the government of Bharat through violent attacks. Click here to read… [18]
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Italy for the G7 Summit, the pro-Khalistan group vandalised the status of Mahatma Gandhi, in Italy. The perpetrators also made graffiti on the base of the statue and wrote a reference to slain terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Click here to read… [19]
Radical Sikhs carried posters of slain terrorist— Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and raised pro-Khalistan slogans in the premises of Sri Harmandir Sahib also known as the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, to mark 40th anniversary of the Operation Bluestar. Supporters of Shiromani Akali Dal-Amritsar (SAD-A) led by party president— Simranjit Singh Mann were among those who carried the posters and raised slogans. Appealing to the Sikhs to be united against the anti-Sikh forces, the Akal Takht Jathedar— Giani Raghubir Singh mentioned how Sikhs fought for their rights and against atrocities by the rulers of the Mughal era and Operation Bluestar in the Golden Temple complex. Click here to read… [20]
[24]
Links:
[1] https://www.vifindia.org/defensenationalsecurityterrorism/2024/june/24
[2] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2022546
[3] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2022624
[4] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2022860
[5] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2022818
[6] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2023162
[7] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2023502
[8] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2024261
[9] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2024602
[10] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2025004
[11] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2025293
[12] https://www.nysun.com/article/al-qaeda-calls-on-fighters-to-return-to-afghanistan-to-create-a-terrorist-safe-haven-once-again
[13] https://apnews.com/article/sydney-church-stabbing-bishop-terrorism-fa6d22a83f212eef5afaa86a0e952d72
[14] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/foreign-militants-active-in-jammu-region-suspected-to-be-involved-in-reasi-attack/articleshow/110883308.cms
[15] https://nia.gov.in/writereaddata/Portal/PressReleaseNew/1741_1_Pr.pdf
[16] https://nia.gov.in/writereaddata/Portal/PressReleaseNew/1740_1_Pr.pdf
[17] https://nia.gov.in/writereaddata/Portal/PressReleaseNew/1726_1_Pr.pdf
[18] https://nia.gov.in/writereaddata/Portal/PressReleaseNew/1731_1_Pr.pdf
[19] https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/mahatma-gandhis-statue-in-italy-vandalised-by-pro-khalistan-groups-ahead-of-pm-modis-visit-12746996.html
[20] https://indianewengland.com/pro-khalistan-slogans-in-golden-temple-mark-operation-bluestar-anniversary/
[21] http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?title=VIF News Digest : National Security- Defence Studies & Terrorism, (1-15 June 2024)&desc=&images=&u=https://www.vifindia.org/defensenationalsecurityterrorism/2024/june/24
[22] http://twitter.com/share?text=VIF News Digest : National Security- Defence Studies & Terrorism, (1-15 June 2024)&url=https://www.vifindia.org/defensenationalsecurityterrorism/2024/june/24&via=Azure Power
[23] whatsapp://send?text=https://www.vifindia.org/defensenationalsecurityterrorism/2024/june/24
[24] https://www.vifindia.org/author/Anurag-Bisen