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THE GREAT GAME: America realises that Pak military establishment’s potential to harm is far larger than its potential for good

Jyoti Malhotra

AS many as seven delegations comprising over 40 Indian politicians and former diplomats fanned out across 33 countries over the past two weeks to explain India’s actions against Pakistan during Op Sindoor, but it is Pakistan’s army chief — and now Field Marshal — Gen Asim Munir who has been invited to participate in the US army’s 250th anniversary parade in Washington DC on June 14, today.

All the bells and whistles for the first parade since 1991 will be on display — 6,600 soldiers, 28 Abrams tanks, 28 Bradley Fighter Vehicles, 28 Stryker vehicles, four Paladin self-propelled howitzers, eight marching bands, 24 horses, two mules and a dog — besides a few rocket launchers and precision-guided missiles.

It also happens to be Donald Trump’s 79th birthday.

Meanwhile, all seven MP delegations have returned home and met the PM. The BJP’s Ravi Shankar Prasad, who travelled to London, Paris, Rome, Copenhagen, Berlin and the European Union headquarters in Brussels, told reporters on his return that he and his colleagues had explained India’s zero tolerance towards terrorism to their interlocutors in all these European cities.

“We clarified that we are not against the people of Pakistan. The problem is Pakistan’s generals, with whom Pakistan’s people are also fed up,” Prasad said.

Perhaps Prasad hasn’t been reading the press carefully lately. Only the day before in DC, Gen Michael E Kurilla, the powerful commander of the US Central Command, told the US Senate Armed Services Committee that Pakistan is a “phenomenal partner”, especially on the anti-terror front.

“I do not believe it is a binary switch that we can’t have (a relationship) with Pakistan if we have a relationship with India,” Kurilla said.

A few days prior, Kurilla’s boss, Donald Trump, had announced, “Pakistan has very strong leadership. Some people don’t like when I say this, but it is what it is. And they stopped that war. I’m very proud of them. Am I getting credit? No. They don’t give me credit for anything.”

So what happened to the famed “strategic partnership” between India and the US? Moreover, is the much-detested “hyphenation” between India and Pakistan back?

The larger question, of course, is why the most powerful country in the world would still fall for the charms of a nation whose economy is in deep trouble (it has taken 25 loans from the IMF), is a democracy only in name and continues to mastermind terror attacks inside India, the latest being the horror in Pahalgam.

Certainly, something is stirring again in the black lentils. At least since 2008, when India and the US signed their nuclear deal, the Americans have been eager to build a partnership with Delhi — and vice-versa. It was not just about how many Boeings India could buy, although that may have helped. The US recognised the value of a real relationship, beyond a transactional partnership, in which Delhi was seen as a counter-weight to Beijing.

But as Trump up-ends the world with his penchant for transaction, Pakistan has seen a new opening. It doesn’t matter how many snakes you keep in your backyard and whether they can bite you too, as Hillary Clinton so feelingly summed up the Pakistan dilemma back in 2012. Once again, it’s about how you can deliver a snake or two to the Americans so that they return to appreciating the qualities of the snake-charmer.

Here are three reasons why the West seems to be reciprocating Pakistan’s charm offensive:

First, Pakistan’s continuing influence with terrorists makes it a valuable friend. Recently, Pakistan handed over five Islamic State (IS) fighters, including Mohammad Sharifullah ‘Jafar’, who had been involved in the 2021 bomb attack near the Kabul airport in which 13 US soldiers were killed, to the Americans.

Fact is, ‘Jafar’ is not even part of the top IS leadership, even if he may have masterminded this particular Kabul attack. By handing him over, Munir is buying both time and influence — an integral part of Pakistan’s US playbook that has worked well over the decades.

Kurilla’s praise for Pakistan was quickly followed by it being named as the head of two key committees in the UN Security Council — chair of the Taliban sanctions committee and vice-chair of the Counter-Terrorism committee.

The US realises the Pakistan military establishment’s potential to harm is far larger than its potential for good. So why not feed the monster with a few goodies and thereby aim to control it?

Second, Trump’s over-sized ego doesn’t like it when you say No to him. So when he and his aides announced that he had “mediated” the ceasefire between India and Pakistan on May 10, India denied the suggestion. (Trump, in fact, went on to repeat the same thing another 11 times.)

The fact is the Indian Air Force sent a convincing message by striking 11 Pakistani airfields on May 10, which put the fear of god into both the Pakistanis and the Americans and quickly ended the conflict. Why bother denying what Trump wants to say?

Third, Pakistan excels in playing the victim, an irony of no small proportion. By marshalling a campaign that paints India in hideous colour (“India is trying to parch 230 million people by halting the Indus waters”), it attempts at winning global sympathy. That’s what the Bilawal Bhutto campaign in Washington & London, post Op Sindoor, was aimed at.

All questions about the Pakistan military establishment’s role in terror attacks are side-stepped with the question, ‘Where’s the proof?’ Ajmal Kasab-type proof from the Mumbai attacks, in which nearly 170 people were killed, is sought to be compared with Pakistan’s own experiences with terrorism.

US sympathy is showing. In 2024, Gen Kurilla said Pakistan suffered over 1,000 terrorist attacks in which 700 security personnel were killed and 2,500 wounded.

Question is, what happens now. Certainly, Gen Munir has impressed the Americans and so his participation in the US Army parade will give him the opportunity to drive home a few asks. There will be the request for zero-tariff Pakistan-US trade; more importantly, there will be the suggestion that the US put pressure on India to unsuspend the Indus Waters Treaty and restart talks.

Be sure that the long and hot summer ahead will be a difficult one. India may hold some of the cards, but it must learn not to hold them so close to its chest. Share your assessment of Pakistan’s perfidy, but don’t gloat about how you’re the bigger and better South Asian nation.

Better to put your head down and re-read your Chanakya or Sun Tzu. Good idea to always keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.

From Kurukshetra to Operation Sindoor — forged in fidelity, honoured in silence

Lt Gen SS Mehta (Retd)

INDIA’s martial tradition was not forged by empire but shaped by enduring rulers and epic resisters alike — those who built states over decades, and those who stood, however briefly, as unyielding sentinels of courage and conscience. From Chandragupta, the strategic unifier; Shivaji, the guerrilla genius; Guru Gobind Singh, the saint-soldier; Tipu Sultan, the rocket pioneer; Lachit Borphukan, Assam’s sentinel; Rani Lakshmibai, the warrior queen; Hari Singh Nalwa, the frontier lion; Rana Sanga, the warrior-king; Maharaja Surajmal, the strategist; Veerapandiya Kattabomman, the defiant; Ashoka, the moral transformer; Akbar, the syncretic statesman; Baji Rao, the thunderbolt strategist; Krishnadevaraya, the southern sentinel; to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, the patriot in uniform.

This is only a sampling — drawn from all corners of our geography, across faiths, languages and centuries. These were not figures of fantasy. They were warriors of character — honour over plunder, justice over subjugation, legacy over loot.

India’s soldier has never been forged by coin or conquest. He is the product of a civilisational legacy — older than empire, deeper than doctrine, immune to mercenary logic. While many post-colonial states inherited imperial militaries, India brought something else to the battlefield: The covenant of unlimited liability in the service of Naam (honour), Namak (duty) and Nishan (flag). This is not a British gift. It is inheritance.

What the empire could not own

The British may have flown the flag. But they never owned the soul. Indian soldiers fought under foreign colours, yes — but not for empire. They fought for paltan, izzat and legacy. The East India Company conscripted skill. But it couldn’t extinguish honour. Even in foreign wars, the Indian soldier followed an inner code, not imperial command. Battle honours were not imperial trophies. They were moral testaments. The flag may have been foreign. But the fidelity was always Indian.

1971: When conscience took command

India didn’t enter East Pakistan for gain. It crossed over to end a genocide. In just 13 days, the Indian Army liberated a nation — and withdrew. No loot. No puppet. No annexation. This was Kurukshetra redux: A just war waged with restraint. It was the world’s most ethical military intervention of the 20th century — an operation led not by strategy alone, but by conscience.

Kargil: A covenant reaffirmed

Kargil (1999) showcased tactical brilliance under political and territorial restraint — fighting uphill against odds, yet never crossing the LoC. Young officers and men climbed icy cliffs knowing they might never return. They didn’t go for medals or media. They went for paltan, for colours, for creed. Where some armies ask, “What’s in it for me?” our valiant young officer was saying “Yeh Dil Maange More”.

Sindoor: Restraint is strength

Recently, when India’s red lines were crossed, the reply came — not in rage, but with calibrated precision. Operation Sindoor reaffirmed India’s posture: The soldier will not be provoked lightly — but neither will he be provoked in vain. The war was won before the war. This is not brute force. It is evolved force. Purpose over provocation.

When hardware misunderstands honour

Budgets, drones, AI — none of these can quantify the force multiplier called tradition. The soldier stakes his life not for bounty but to uphold a legacy. To ensure that the chain of honour is never broken. He seeks esteem. And for that, he is always ready. Unlimited liability is not a line item. It is a moral constant. It doesn’t ask, “What will I get?” It asks, “What must I give?”

Responsibility: The other half of the creed

But this is not a one-way covenant. The soldier, too, must honour the uniform. When he trades silence for safety, truth for favour, or duty for careerism — he does more than fail. He fractures the ethos. A soldier’s greatness lies not just in warfighting, but in resisting erosion — of courage, conscience and clarity. The battle doesn’t end at the border. It continues in decisions, files and truth-telling. That too is soldiering — a calling.

To the noise in the street

After every war, the noise begins: “The tank is dead. Manned aircraft are obsolete. Drones rule. Aircraft carriers are obsolescent. Artillery is passé. Cyber is everything.” But the truth endures: The soldier is alive. Platforms evolve. Machines fail. Algorithms misfire. But the soldier remains — the only weapon system that thinks, adapts, leads and dies for a cause greater than himself. Everything else is destructible. Only the soldier is irreplaceable.

The Kohima message

“When you go home, tell them of us and say: For your tomorrow, we gave our today.” This message is not of the dead. It is to the living. Carry it forward. And remember: The soul of a nation is not stored in files, but borne by those who walk into fire when others look away.

In a thriving democracy, the soldier’s true power lies in restraint. His silence is not submission — it is strength. To remain apolitical is not indifference; it is discipline. The Indian soldier does not salute ideology. He salutes the Constitution. And in doing so, he reminds the nation that democracies are defended best not by partisanship, but by principle. And in every conflict that India has been forced into, it has not merely prevailed in battle — democracy has worsted military rule, the Indian soldier’s humanism has trumped Pakistani barbarism. From 1971 to Kargil to Op Sindoor, the Indian soldier has demonstrated that power, when anchored in people’s support, is matchless.

And now, in Britain’s own words

It is only now, decades later, that the British themselves acknowledge that their finest military campaign in the Second World War was not in Europe or North Africa — but in Burma. In a 2013 public poll conducted by the UK’s National Army Museum, the battles of Imphal and Kohima were voted Britain’s greatest, ahead of D-Day and Waterloo. At Imphal and Kohima — amid mud, malaria and starvation — India’s soldiers held the line and turned the tide. Today, the very battles once omitted from empire’s triumphal ledger are being reread as epics of endurance, discipline and sacrifice — not by empire, but by those who gave empire its last moral stand.

The soldier’s legacy

Endured through millennia. Forged in fidelity. Sealed by unlimited liability. Strengthened by unity in diversity. Driven by Naam, Namak, Nishan. And when the moment comes —no fanfare. No echo. Just duty, done. To serve the flag he reveres, the service that shaped him, the unit that is his home, and the soldier beside him — with life, when it calls. His oath is to the Republic — always, and every time.

Lt Gen SS Mehta (Retd) is ex-Western Army Commander and Founder Trustee, Pune International Centre.

The role and activities of the SIS and the M-15 in Britain can broadly be compared to the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB), respectively

When Britain appointed Blaise Metreweli as the first woman chief of the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) on June 15, it cast a spotlight on how a posting to India six decades ago shaped the intelligence career of a British diplomat’s wife, who went on to become the first woman to head the Security Service — the SIS’s sister agency tasked with internal security.

While Blaise Metreweli will take over as the SIS Chief, the first woman Director General (DG) of the Security Service, also known as M-15, was Stella Rimington, who served from 1992 to 1996.

In 1965, Stella’s husband, John Rimington, was posted as the First Secretary (Economic) at the British High Commission in India. She had married him in 1963 and moved to London, where she worked at the India Office Library — a substantial collection of documents relating to the administration of India from 1600 to 1947.

According to excerpts from her autobiography, in 1967, after two years in India, she was asked to assist one of the First Secretaries at the High Commission with his office work. When she began work, she discovered that he was the M-15 representative in India.

After obtaining her security clearance, Stella worked with the M-I5 for nearly two years, until she and her husband returned to London in 1969, when she decided to apply for a permanent position at M-I5. During her career from 1969-1996, Stella worked in all the main fields of the Service’s responsibilities — counter-subversion, counter-espionage and counter-terrorism — and became successively the Director of all three.

Metreweli is the fourth woman to head a major British intelligence agency. The 47-year old career intelligence officer, known within the intelligence community as “Q”, had joined the SIS in 1999 and spent most of her professional time in operational roles in the Middle East and Europe.

She is currently the head of technology at the 116-year-old SIS, popularly referred to as M-16, a name that originated during World War II. The head of the agency is officially designated as ‘Chief of the SIS’.

Metreweli, though, is not the first female head of a major British intelligence agency. After Stella, the M-I5 had another woman head, Eliza Manningham-Buller, who served as Director General from 2002 to 2007.

In May 2023, Anne Louise Keast-Butler took over as the first female Director of Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), a 105-year-old agency that deals with signals intelligence. She was earlier working with the M-15.

The role and activities of the SIS and the M-15 in Britain can broadly be compared to the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB), respectively — India’s agencies dealing with overseas and domestic operations. The National Technical Research Organisation is India’s equivalent of GCHQ.

While women operatives have been part of the intelligence community since times immemorial, very few have risen to the top echelons and it is only in the recent past that a few career officers have headed spy agencies. This apart, there are instances of women experts being appointed to critical positions dealing with intelligence matters in their country’s national security apparatus.

At America’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Gina Cheri Walker Haspel became the first female to occupy the Director’s chair, a position she held from May 2018 to January 2021. A career intelligence officer, with numerous foreign assignments, she had earlier served as deputy director of the National Clandestine Service for Foreign Intelligence and Covert Action, and chief of staff for the director of the National Clandestine Service.

Prior to this, Meroë Park who served as Executive Director of the CIA from 2013 to 2017, held the position of Acting Director of the CIA for three days in January 2017, pending Senate confirmation of Mike Pompeo.

During the 1990s, women officers began reaching the number three rung at CIA and in 2002, Jami Miscik was appointed as the deputy director of intelligence, and in-charge of then President George W Bush’s daily briefing. Several key directorates and departments at CIA are now headed by women.

In Mossad, as Israel’s Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations is known by its acronym in Hebrew, women form an important element of its hierarchy and operations, even though the agency has never had a woman director.

It was in August 2022 that for the first time that a woman was appointed to the senior position of director of intelligence in Mossad, roughly equivalent to the rank of Major General. Another woman was also serving in a key spot as the head of Mossad’s Iran desk at that time. Then identified only by their first initials in Hebrew, “Aleph” and “Kuf,” they were the first women in Mossad history to take up these positions.

Aleph’s deputy, referred to by the Hebrew initial “Hay,” was also a female leading to Mossad’s intelligence branch being managed by two women, something described by the agency as “unprecedented”. The branch is the formation of the strategic intelligence picture at the national level and manages hundreds of employees in the domain of intelligence collection analysis and research.

In France, the Directorate General of Internal Security (Direction Générale de la Sécurité Intérieure), a special intelligence service under the Ministry of Interior, is presently headed by a woman career police officer, Céline Berthon, since December 2023. She has served as Head of the National Police Active Services, Central Director of Public Security and Deputy Director General of the National Police.

Both Russia and China are known to deploy a large number of female field operatives for information collection through various means, both domestically as well as overseas. While there would be a large number of women personnel in lower and middle rungs in the intelligence agencies in these countries, little is known about women serving in the upper echelons. The same also holds true for Pakistan.

In addition to senior executives in intelligence agencies, there are top positions in the government like the National Security Advisor or the Director of National Intelligence, which supervise and coordinate the functioning of all intelligence and security agencies. These may or may not be tenanted by career intelligence officers and such appointments can also be political.

The current US Director of National Intelligence (DNI), overseeing the plethora of US agencies, is Tulsi Gabbard, a middle rung army officer turned politician. She is the third woman to occupy this chair, the first being acting DNI Lora Shiao from January 20-21, 2021 and then from January 25-February 12. The first full time woman DNI was Avril Danica Haines from January 2021-January, 2025. A lawyer, she had earlier served as Deputy National Security Advisor and Deputy Director of the CIA.

Earlier, Condoleezza Rice had become the first female US National Security Advisor from 2001-2005. There have been women NSA’s in other countries such as Monica Juma of Kenya.

The top court notes such acts of a few bring disrepute to Indian passport

The Supreme Court on Monday denied anticipatory bail to an accused for allegedly duping a man after promising to send him to the US through the “donkey” route saying such people bring disrepute to Indian passport.

A bench of Justices Ujjal Bhuyyan and Manmohan said, “Because of people like you, Indian passport is devalued.”The top court further noted such acts of a few brought disrepute to Indian passport.

“Donkey route” or “donkey journey” refers to an illegal method of migration, usually used to enter countries like the United States or the United Kingdom.

The process involves utilising human smugglers and navigating through various countries, often facing harsh and dangerous conditions, to bypass legal immigration processes.

The bench said the accused not only duped the person but also made him travel to several countries bordering the US in inhuman conditions to ensure that he enters the US illegally.

The bench termed the allegations as “very serious” and refused to entertain the anticipatory bail plea of Om Prakash, who hails from Haryana.

The plea was filed against the Punjab and Haryana High Court order denying him the relief.

Prakash, the FIR alleged, was an accomplice to the main accused, who was working as an agent and had assured the complainant that he would send him to the US through valid means on a payment of Rs 43 lakh.

The main accused sent the complainant to Dubai in September 2024, and from there to different countries, then to the forests of Panama, and then to Mexico.

On February 1, 2025, the “agents” of the main accused made him cross the US border. The complainant was arrested by the US police, jailed and deported to India on February 16, 2025.

The high court denied him anticipatory bail, saying the complainant’s father had deposed that the petitioner had duped him of Rs 22 lakh.

PM says his visit was a ‘golden opportunity’ to write a new chapter in India-Cyprus ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said he and Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides “expressed concern” over the conflicts going on in West Asia and Europe, and they both consider that “this is not an era of war”.

Modi said this in his remarks at a joint press conference with Christodoulides after holding wide-ranging talks with him here.

“We both expressed concern over the conflicts going on in West Asia and Europe. Their negative impact is not just limited to those regions. We both consider that this is not an era of war. Resolution through dialogue and restoration of stability is the call of humanity,” Modi said.

The Prime Minister said his visit was a “golden opportunity” to write a new chapter in India-Cyprus ties.

Honoured, says Sri Lankan Army Chief as he returns to Military Academy in Dehradun three decades later

Op Sindoor demonstrated IAF’s ability to deliver precise strikes, says IAF Chief AP Singh

200 flight cadets commissioned

ADG STRAT COMN PRINT EDITION UPDATE: 15 JUN 2025

War heroes feted

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Top Army commander reviews security situation in Doda, Rajouri

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Army’s Tololing expedition to honour Kargil war heroes on 26th anniversary

Youth from remote Jammu village commissioned as flying officer in IAF

BSF jawan kills senior after heated argument at camp in West Bengal   

Ex-Army man kills brother’s pet dog over family dispute

Sewa, the ethos of selfless service

I want no salary or…’: Army shares heartfelt letters from civilians on Operation Sindoor

Israel targets Iran’s Defence Ministry headquarters as Tehran unleashes deadly missile strike

Pilot killed in Uttarakhand chopper crash served in Army for over 15 years

Rafale maker junks Pak claim of downing 3 jets

Helicopter crashes near Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand, all 7 on board killed

Government likely to clear new 3 air defence missile regiments for army

The Defence Ministry is expected to clear a proposal to buy three new regiments of the Quick Reaction Surface to Air Missile (QRSAM) systems for the Indian Army.

Chandigarh Police harassing Col Bath Family more than the 4 Inspectors culprits of Punjab Police

Once an IMA cadet, Rodrigo reviews passing out parade

Vijay Mohan Tribune News Service

Once a cadet at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun, the Commander of the Sri Lankan Army, Lieutenant General BKGM Lasantha Rodrigo on Saturday reviewed the passing out parade of the latest batch of newly commissioned officers, who are set to step out from the Indian Army’s ‘cradle of leadership’.

A total of 451 gentleman cadets of the 156 regular course, 45 technical entry scheme and 139 technical graduate course, forming the Spring Term-2025, passed out from the IMA on Saturday. This was the 156th passing out parade since its inception in 1932.

The newly commissioned officers included 32 from nine friendly foreign countries, with two of these from Sri Lanka. Another senior Sri Lankan Army officer, Brigadier RMSP Rathnayake, whose son was among the newly commissioned officers, also attended the event.

So far, 296 Sri Lankan Army Officers have trained at the IMA. At any given time, about 700 Sri Lankan personnel across all ranks are training in various Indian military institutions.

Calling it an emotional homecoming, Lt Gen Rodrigo said he was deeply honoured to be at the passing out parade. He was commissioned from the IMA in December 1990 as part of the 87th course.

He is on an official visit to India from June 11 to June 14. The visit is aimed at enhancing bilateral military cooperation and explore new avenues for collaboration, particularly in the areas of training and capability enhancement between the two countries.

Besides meeting top Indian military and civilian dignitaries, including the three Service Chiefs, his itinerary includes visits to important military establishments.

“The visit underscores the ongoing commitment by both Sri Lanka and India to deepen their robust defence cooperation, which has been built over decades of shared history, mutual trust and regional partnership. It also served as an important step towards strengthening the camaraderie and personal bonds between the two armies, capacity building, military training exchanges and coordinated response to regional challenges,” read an official statement by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Lt Gen Rodrigo had joined the Sri Lankan Army as an officer cadet in January 1989 as part of the under Regular Intake. After successfully completing officer cadet training in the Sri Lankan Military Academy and the Indian Military Academy, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant.

A gunner, he later attended the Artillery Young Officers Course in India and has commanded Sri Lanka’s 18 Field Regiment Artillery. He is also an alumnus of the National Defence University of the United States and has also undergone a short training course in Pakistan.

Addressing the cadets at the IMA, he said, “I am deeply honoured and moved to the point of tears to stand before you as the first IMA alumnus to return as the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army and review this parade. Looking at your faces, I see my younger self. This place doesn’t just train officers; it forges bonds that last a lifetime.”

He reminded them that they would not only wear a rank, but embrace a new way of life with three unshakable responsibilities which they must uphold – first to the nation, second to the soldiers and third to the families of the bravehearts. He also said that the foreign officer cadets are the brand ambassadors of the values, imbibed by the IMA, that transcend borders.

Lt Gen Rodrigo presented the Sword of Honour to Academy Cadet Adjutant Anni Nehra for being adjudged as the overall best cadet.

Academy Under-Officer Ronit Ranjan Nayak bagged the gold medal for standing first in the order of merit, Nehra received the silver merit, while the bronze medal went to Battalion Under-Officer Anurag Verma.

Sergeant Akash Bhadouriya won the silver medal for standing first in the order of merit among technical graduates, while Nishan Balami from Nepal won the award for standing first amongst foreign cadets.

Highlights changing nature of warfare

During ‘Operation Sindoor’, the Indian Air Force (IAF) demonstrated its capability to deliver precise and decisive blows to the enemy, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh said on Saturday.

He was addressing the Combined Graduation Parade (CGP) at the Air Force Academy (AFA), Dundigal, Hyderabad, on Saturday. A total of 254 flight cadets graduated on Saturday.

The Air Chief Marshal said the IAF had been and would always remain the first responder. “In the future, two things are certain: fast-evolving character of warfare and the increased relevance of the aerospace power,” he added.

“The IAF must remain ready and prepared. The battlefield is going to become more and more complex and you will need to continuously train and retrain to succeed in future,” said the IAF chief.

He further highlighted that the Indian Air Force was evolving into an aerospace force. Many of you cadets would lead the nation’s foray into space, he said.

Operation Sindoor has showcased exceptional coordination, synergy and integration within the armed forces. You must keep furthering the spirit of jointness as you grow in service, the IAF Chief said.

At the passing-out ceremony, nine officers from the Navy, seven officers from the Indian Coast Guard and one trainee from Vietnam, were also awarded ‘Wings’ on successful completion of flying training.

The event also included thrilling displays by the Akash Ganga team, the Air Warrior Drill Team and synchronised aerobatics by the Suryakiran aerobatic team. The graduation parade was interspersed with well-coordinated and synchronized fly-pasts by trainer aircraft that included the Pilatus PC-7 MklI, Hawk, Kiran Mk-1 and Chetak.

Flying Officer Rohan Krishnamurti from the Flying branch was awarded the President’s Plaque and the Chief of the Air Staff Sword of Honour for standing first in the overall order of merit in the Pilots’ course. Flying Officer Nishtha Vaid was awarded the President’s Plaque for being first in the overall order of merit in the ground duty branches.

The parade culminated with the newly commissioned officers marching out in two columns to the resonant notes of martial marching tunes.

ADG STRAT COMN PRINT EDITION UPDATE: 15 JUN 2025

MoD/ Armed Forces

1. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to visit China later this month for SCO defence ministers’ meet, which comes amid efforts by New Delhi and Beijing to rebuild and stabilise bilateral ties, though de-escalation between the rival armies is yet to take place along the LAC. Singh is likely to have a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun on the sidelines of the SCO meet on June 24-25, in what will be his first visit as defence minister to China_TOI.
2. Haryana Cabinet Minister Anil Vij has requested Defence Minister Rajnath Singh to transfer a defence land to Haryana Government for the expansion of the Civil Hospital in Ambala Cantonment. To decongest the existing buildings of the civil hospital in Ambala Cantonment and for its expansion, the Health Department requires the 20-acre defence land adjacent to the hospital. During his Delhi visit, the Haryana minister met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and raised the demands related to Ambala Cantonment constituency_Trib.
3. The Indian Army welcomed 419 new officers on Saturday as the IMA held its ceremonial passing out parade at the historic campus in Dehradun. In an emotionally charged moment, Lt Gen BKGM Lasantha Rodrigo, Commander of the Sri Lanka Army and an IMA alumnus himself, reviewed the parade. Addressing the cadets, Lt Gen Rodrigo said, “I am deeply moved to the point of tears to stand before you today. Looking at your faces, I see my younger self. I stood exactly where you stand now – 36 years ago”_AA.
4. On Saturday, the army destroyed a terrorist hideout in Rajouri and recovered an IED along with other ammunition. According to information, the army launched a search operation in the Bhungai area of Thanamandi based on credible intelligence. During the operation, a terrorist hideout was discovered. From there, the army recovered 48 Pika rounds, five pistol rounds, one AK-47 round, 400 grams of IED and one tear gas shell_AU.
5. Indian Air Force Chief, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh, on Saturday said ‘Operation Sindoor’, launched after the Pahalgam terror attack, stands as a shining testament to the unparalleled prowess of his force. “We have demonstrated our ability to deliver precise and decisive blows to the enemy. As the future of the Air Force, you must understand that the IAF has always been — and will continue to be — the first responder in times of national crisis,” he said, addressing the Combined Graduation Parade held at the Air Force Academy_Stmn, AA.
6. The launch of the much-delayed Axiom 4 (Ax-4) mission carrying Indian Air Force Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station will take place on June 19, Union Minister for science and technology Jitendra Singh said on Saturday. “Launch date of the Axiom-4 mission carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station is, as of now, rescheduled for June 19, 2025,” Singh said on X. “Also, Space X team has confirmed that all the issues, that led to earlier postponement of the launch, have been duly addressed”_HT.
7. Former Indian Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha on Saturday urged the West Bengal government and its neighbours to plan a defence corridor with the Centre in the eastern region of the country which he claimed has the “potential” but has been “ignored.” Air Chief Marshal Raha said, “A point has come up for the defence production corridor. Two such corridors have been approved by the Central government in the potential areas. It is like the rich becoming richer. They totally ignored eastern and north eastern India where there is so much potential”_AA.
8. The AFT has questioned an MoD justification for denying disability pension to a former Indian Air Force officer with hypertension and diabetes by dismissing it as a mere “life- style disease.” The tribunal described the reasoning as “cryptic and unconvincing.” “The disease of hypertension and diabetes of the applicant is held as aggravated by Air Force service. The applicant is entitled to get disability at the rate of 50% for life from date of retirement,” AFT’s Lucknow bench held in its recent order on Wing Commander Anik K Nair (Retd)_TOI.
9. Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier, maker of Rafale fighter jet, has said that Pakistan claims of shooting down three Indian Air Force’s Rafale jets during Operation Sindoor are false. “The Indians haven’t communicated, so we don’t know exactly what happened. What we already know is that what the Pakistanis are saying (three Rafales destroyed) is inaccurate,” he told a French publication_AA.

National Security

10. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a visit to Cyprus, Canada and Croatia on Sunday, with the focus on his planned meeting with his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney on the margins of the G7 Summit that is expected to reset bilateral relations after the diplomatic row over the killing of a pro-Khalistan separatist. Modi will begin the three-nation tour by travelling to Cyprus during June 15-16, only the third visit by an Indian premier and the first in 23 years_HT, FE, MP, AA, Pnr, Stmn.
11. India on Saturday disassociated itself from a statement by the SCO condemning Israel’s military strikes on Iran, saying it was not involved in discussions on the statement. The external affairs ministry said in a statement that India had articulated its position on developments between Israel and Iran on Friday, when New Delhi called for dialogue and diplomacy to be used to work towards de-escalation. India believes it is essential for the international community to “undertake endeavours in that direction,” the statement said. Meanwhile, EAM S Jaishankar also separately spoke to his counterparts in Israel and Iran on the escalating crisis, he posted on X_HT, AA.
12. Amid a backdrop of persistent geopolitical tensions between India and China, a different kind of bridge was being built in Kolkata last weekend – one of language, culture, and youth engagement. The eastern Indian city played host to the finals of the 24th edition of the global “Chinese Bridge” language competition on Sunday 8 June, where students from across the country showcased their proficiency in Mandarin and deepened cross-cultural understanding. The event was marked by a rare visit from Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong. “The cultural and historical ties between India and China go back centuries. There is no reason why our nations should not enjoy better relations,” Ambassador Xu said at the event. “Governments must work, but so must students and young people from both countries. They are the key to a brighter future” he added_Stmn.
13. Weeks after nearly 50 tourist destinations in Jammu and Kashmir were closed due to security reasons in view of the April 22 Pahalgam attack, they will now be reopened in a phased manner starting June 17, J&K LG, Manoj Sinha said on Saturday. He added that 16 destinations will reopen in the first phase, with eight places in Kashmir including parks near Pahalgam market_HT, AA, IE, Pnr.
14. In counter-insurgency operations in the outskirts of five valley districts of Manipur, joint teams of Army, Assam Rifles, Manipur Police and CAPFs seized 328 firearms and over 10,600 rounds of ammunition, officials aware of the matter said, adding that this is the largest single recovery. A senior police officer said “This is the largest single recovery of weapons since the
    outbreak of violence on May 3, 2023, when around 6,000 fire- arms were looted from police armouries. As of last week, approximately 5,270 weapons and 60,000 rounds of ammunition had been recovered, and with this latest seizure, the total
    has now crossed 5,500″_HT, AA, IE, Pnr.
15. Amidst the ongoing intensified anti Naxal operations, a CRPF officer was killed on Saturday following an IED blast triggered by Naxalites in the dense forests located along the Jharkhand-Odisha border. According to official sources, the incident took place during a coordinated combing operation jointly carried out by CRPF, Odisha Police’s Special Operations Group and Jharkhand Police_Pnr.
16. The Centre on Saturday announced the setting up of a high-level committee headed by the Home Secretary to suggest “comprehensive guidelines” to respond to aviation accidents against the backdrop of Thursday’s Air India flight AI-171 crash in Ahmedabad. The order issued by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation says the committee will “focus on formulating SOPs for preventing and handling such occurrences in the future” and publish its report within three months_Hindu.

Imdt Neighbourhood

17. Hundreds of Myanmar families were being uprooted from their homes on Saturday, a community organiser said, piling their belongings onto evacuation convoys to escape fighting between the military and anti-coup guerrillas. Myanmar has been consumed by a many-sided civil war since the military snatched power in a 2021 coup, leaving more than 3.5 million people displaced according to United Nations figures. Heavy combat has been raging since Monday around the village of Saung Nang Khae in the eastern state of Shan, according to locals and evacuation organisers_AA.
18. A meeting between Bangladesh Chief Adviser Mumammad Yunus with BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman has irked two major allies of the interim government, the student-led NCP and Jamaat-e-Islami. Yunus returned to Bangladesh on Saturday, ending his four-day London tour, which featured the meeting with Rahman, the acting chief of former prime minister Khaleda Zia’s BNP. After the meeting with Rahman, BNP leader Amir Kharsu Mahmud Chowdhury and Yunus’ security adviser Khalilur Rahman held a joint briefing and hinted that elections could be held in February next year_IE.

Extended Neighbourhood

19. Cities large and small were preparing for major demonstrations on Saturday across the US against President Donald Trump, as officials urge calm, National Guard troops mobilise and Trump attends a military parade in Washington to mark the Army’s 250th anniversary. A flagship “No Kings” march and rally are planned in Philadelphia, but no events are scheduled to take place in Washington, where the military parade will take place on Trump’s birthday. The demonstrations are gaining additional fuel from protests flaring up around the country over federal immigration enforcement raids and Trump ordering National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles where protesters blocked a freeway and set cars on fire_MP, AA, Pnr.
20. Israeli firing and airstrikes killed at least 45 Palestinians across the Gaza Strip, many of them near an aid distribution site operated by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation on Saturday, local health authorities said. Scores of Palestinians have been killed in near daily mass shootings trying to reach the food_HT, AA, IE, Pnr, Stmn.
21. Israel attacked a major onshore refinery of Iran’s giant South Pars gas field in the Persian Gulf on Saturday, causing a powerful explosion and fire as both sides engaged in rapidly escalating conflict with barrages of ballistic missiles, kamikaze drones and bomber aircraft attacks. Israel threatened to strike “every target of the ayatollah regime” in Iran, whose president warned of a severe response if the Israeli attacks continue_HT.
22. Iran’s Foreign Minister Bes Araghchi said on Saturday that nuclear talks with the United Sates were “unjustifiable” after the Israeli strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites. The US and Iran were scheduled to be in Oman on Sunday for their sixth round of indirect talks over Iran’s nuclear programme. The comments by Mr Araghchi came during a call with Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s top diplomat. The Israeli air strikes were the “result of the direct support by Washington,” Mr Araghchi said. The US has said it is not part of the strikes. Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi later said the planned talks “will not take place now”_Hindu.