Says India in reform express mode with a clear policy intent

Prime minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday saluted the sacrifice of Guru Gobind Singh’s sons Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh and called for nationwide awareness on the conviction to faith which the children of the tenth Sikh guru displayed.Speaking at the NDA parliamentary party meeting in Parliament today, the Prime Minister referred to the upcoming Vir Bal Diwas on December 26, a day dedicated to the commemoration of the sacrifice of Sahibzadas, and called for it to be observed across India.

Related news: Akal Takht urges Centre to rename ‘Veer Bal Diwas’ as ‘Sahibzade Shahadat Diwas’

PM calls for nationwide observance of Veer Baal Diwas on December 26

The PM also used the NDA platform to reiterate his commitment to reforms and said India was now in the “reform express phase”.

“The country is now in a full-fledged reform express phase, where reforms are unveiling rapidly and with a clear policy intent. The government’s reforms are fully citizen-centric, not just economic or revenue-focused,” said Modi adding that the goal is to remove everyday hurdles from the paths of people so that they can realise their full potential.

The PM urged MPs of the BJP and NDA alliance parties, which felicitated him for the recent Bihar win, to actively share day-to-day problems faced by ordinary people. “Improve your connection with the masses, flag their problems so that the reform express can reach every household and remove their day-to-day hardships,” Modi said at a time when the IndiGo crisis is unfolding and the government has vowed strict action against the airline.

Modi also said he wanted to end the culture of people having to fill bulky 30 to 40 page forms and unnecessary paperwork.

“We need to provide services at the door of citizens and eliminate repeated data submissions,” he noted, recalling how the government trusted citizens by allowing self-certification and ending the practice of forms to be signed by gazetted officers.

“This trust has worked successfully for 10 years and has not been misused or exploited,” Modi said. The PM also paid glowing tributes to the Sahibzadas referring to December 26 which the government declared as Vir Bal Divas in 2022 to honour the memory of Guru Gobind Singh’s sons who were bricked alive by Mughal faujdar of Sirhind Wazir Khan on December 26, 1704.

The sons of the tenth Sikh guru remained unyielding in the face of threats to convert to Islam — a message for all, the PM said.

Delegations welcome steady progress across existing dialogue mechanisms

India and the US on Tuesday discussed a wide range of bilateral priorities, including trade and investment, defence cooperation, energy collaboration — particularly in the civil nuclear domain — as well as technology partnerships, critical minerals and trusted supply chains.

These discussions took place during the Foreign Office Consultations (FOC), co-chaired in New Delhi by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and US Under Secretary of State Allison Hooker.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the consultations offered an opportunity for a comprehensive review of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership. The two sides also exchanged views on regional and global developments of mutual interest, reaffirming their shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Both delegations welcomed the steady progress across existing dialogue mechanisms and agreed to accelerate the implementation of the “Catalysing Opportunities for Military Partnership, Accelerated Commerce and Technology (COMPACT) for the 21st Century” framework, aimed at driving transformative cooperation across key pillars of the relationship.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the US Embassy said the meeting helped advance the vision articulated by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their February summit, translating it into concrete steps to strengthen US security, jobs and competitiveness while supporting India’s long-term strategic objectives

Hooker added that the US sought to deepen collaboration in defence, energy, advanced technology, space and trusted supply chains, emphasising the value of a partnership that boosts American innovation while supporting India’s emergence as a global technology leader.

Liberation of Bangladesh in the 1971 Indo Pak War was achieved in style with over 90,000 Pakistani soldiers surrendering: the largest since World War II. It also resulted in the liberation of East Pakistan and creation of an independent nation of Bangladesh. Officially the Indo Pak War of 1971 was fought from 3 to 16 December 1971.

Unofficially an intense battle was fought in Garibpur on 21 November; it marked the beginning of the end of Pakistan in East Pakistan. A Brief Commentary on the War in the Eastern Theatre by Lt Gen TS Shergil, PVSM, PhD, Chairman Military Literature Festival Society, Punjab. Operation Searchlight by Pakistan in East Pakistan was a cleansing of intellectuals that, set off animal instincts among the soldiers and those that supported Pakistan. This behaviour saw a backlash among the population and the Pakistan Army had to close into their defences and move out only with road opening parties; a ‘fortress mentality’ set in that opened a large area open to anti Pakistan irregulars; the ‘Mukti Bahini’ were not so deep into East Pakistan. Indian Army 2 Corps, 33 Corps and 4 Corps were slow to recognize the large gaps that existed between these ‘forts.’ 2 Corps and 33 Corps had been allotted the entire Inland Water Transport (IWT) resources of Eastern Command as IWT could not reach 4 Corps because the mountain ranges of Meghalaya and NC Hills obviated such a transfer and thus, 4 Corps was allotted MI 4 helicopters for a lift capacity of approximately two companies to cross major water obstacles. All Corps and 101 Communication Zone-that had no serious water obstacle on its thrust line- started operations in a conventional manner attacking hard defences and suffered serious casualties and reverses. It is only after establishing contacts with locals that realisation dawned that, the flanks were open.

A chance reconnaissance flight over River Meghna convinced Lt Gen Sagat Singh to use his air lift to bypass a large fortress on the river. After suffering losses against hard defences, Maj Gen Nakra commanding 101 Communication Zone, employing local guides, by passed those defences and moved on towards Dacca. The rest is history. Both 2 Corps and 33 Corps never used the IWT resources allotted to them however, 4 Corps used the heli lift resource to change history. Note: In counterinsurgency, wherever road opening parties are used it indicates that, the psychological war is failing or has failed, and troops are no longer in essential contact with the masses.

The United States turned a blind eye towards nearly 300,000 Bengalis killed by the Pakistan army in East Pakistan in the months preceding the India-Pakistan war in Dec 1971. This was because the US was using Pakistan as a conduit for a historic rapprochement with Communist China, a country it had no diplomatic ties with. Gary J. Bass author of ‘The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger and a forgotten genocide’ The Orbat India’s Eastern Command set the Pakistani communication centres as its objectives. •

The Northwestern Sector; 33 Corps comprising 20 Mountain Division and 71 Mountain Brigade. Their operations entailed cutting the Hilli- Gaibanda line and to capture Bogra and Rangpur. • The Southwestern Sector; 2 Corps comprising 4 Infantry Division, 9 Infantry Division, 50 Para Brigade less a battalion, and an Armoured Regiment of PT-76 tanks with a squadron of T-55 tanks. They were to head towards Madhumati River, capture Jessore, Jhendia, thereafter secure Hardinge Bridge, Goalundo Ghat, Faridpur ferries and Khulna. •

The Central Sector; 101 Communication Zone comprising 95 Mountain Brigade and F1 sector. They were to capture Jamalpur, Mymensingh and subsequently Tangail. A para drop by a battalion group was to take place at Tangail near Dacca. • The Eastern Sector; 4 Corps comprising 8 Mountain Division, 23 Mountain Division and 57 Mountain Division. Their operations envisaged advance to the Meghna River, capture Maulvi Bazar, Sylhet, Mynamati, Lalmai Hills (South) – Laksham and Chandpur

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and Defence Minister of Russia Mr Andrei Belousov today laid a wreath & paid homage to the fallen heroes at the National War Memorial in New Delhi ahead of the 22nd meeting of India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military & Military Technical Cooperation at Manekshaw Centre

The 8th edition of Exercise Garuda, a bilateral Indo–French air exercise between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the French Air and Space Force (FASF), concluded at Air Base 118, Mont-de-Marsan, France, on 27 November 2025. The IAF contingent returned to India on 02 December 2025 after the successful culmination of the exercise.

During the exercise, the IAF participated with Su-30MKI fighters, supported by IL-78 air-to-air refuelling aircraft and C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft and both air forces conducted a range of complex air operations in a realistic operational environment. The training involved joint mission planning, coordinated execution of strike and escort missions and familiarisation with each other’s operational procedures, thereby enhancing interoperability. The IAF maintenance crew ensured high serviceability throughout, enabling smooth conduct of all planned missions. Senior officials from both nations interacted with the participants during the closing ceremony, commending the professionalism, discipline, and commitment displayed by both participating forces.

Exercise Garuda 25 was one of the largest international air training engagements undertaken by the IAF this year. The exercise reaffirmed the strong strategic partnership between India and France and provided valuable operational insights to the participating forces. The lessons learnt will further enhance the IAF’s war-fighting capabilities and strengthen jointmanship with friendly foreign air forces.

The Indian Army has commissioned the first-of-its-kind underground fuel, oil and lubricant (FOL) storage facilities in the Kargil Sector, marking a major advancement towards strengthening logistics infrastructure in high-altitude areas.

Titled Project Sena Sarthi, it consists of newly constructed storage tanks that will double the fuel-holding capacity, ensuring sustained operational preparedness for troops deployed in one of the most challenging terrains and climatic conditions in the country. It has been executed in collaboration with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited.

Storage and logistics for FOL products at high-altitude areas like Ladakh and the north-east, where vehicles and fuel-powered equipment like generators are deployed at heights up to 20,000 feet, poses significant challenges for the Indian Army because of extreme temperatures, inclement weather and hostile terrain.

Sub-zero temperatures not only affect the physical and chemical properties and combustibility of FOL products, but also require special storage and handling facilities. Bulk of the Army’s fuel requirements are transported by road. Since areas like Kargil and Ladakh remain cut-off from the rest of the country during winters, adequate stocking has to be done for this period.

The problems have been mitigated to some extent by the use of diesel and lubricants specially developed by DRDO for high altitude, use of additives and blends in FOL and building insulated or heated underground storage facilities, but these add to the costs and maintenance efforts.

Transportation and storage of FOL in forward areas is done in 200-liter barrels made of mild steel. According to the Compendium of Problem Definition Statements released by the Army earlier this year, the existing barrels, though robust, are prone to rusting, heavy and cumbersome to handle. In addition, they take up a large storage space even when empty.

“The greatest challenge is storage of main grade fuels in high altitude areas and mountainous terrain where existing barrels cannot be transported through heli-lift. There is a need to develop a customised alternate solution for Indian Army in form of new generation fuel barrels to enable ease of transportation, handling and portability of fuel in pack storage, especially in remote locations and high altitude areas,” the document states.

Pointing out that countries like the US and UK are using fuel drums specially designed for ease of portability and heli-lifting as under slung load, the Army has projected a requirement to the industry for robust, lightweight, portable and foldable or collapsible fuel drums which occupy less space when empty, withstand drops from higher levels and withstand extreme temperature from minus 45 degrees Celsius to 50 degrees Celsius.

100 indigenous apps, UAV jammers to anchor forces’ digital overhaul

The Army has embraced artificial intelligence as part of its wider transformation to become a future-ready, data-driven force underpinned by automation and digitisation. The initiative, termed ‘boots to bytes’, draws from the long-held dictum of having soldiers on the frontline, or ‘boots on the ground’, and juxtaposes this with the new need for ‘terabytes’ of data to empower the soldier.

The transformation is built on three pillars — digitisation, automation and AI. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on November 28 released the plan, formally titled ‘Digitisation-3’.

The plan documents 100 applications organised under two themes. One of these, called ‘Digital Sena’, highlights 40 cutting-edge digitisation and automation initiatives aimed at enhancing efficiency, transparency and logistics.

Among the key technologies being integrated is a UAV tethered to the ground, equipped with an electronic system capable of jamming enemy drones. Other major developments include an indigenous geographic information system (GIS) that leverages spatial data and advanced analytics to improve decision-making, planning and operational effectiveness. By integrating various data sources, it provides commanders with a common operating picture of the battlefield, terrain and logistics.

To become an AI-ready force, the Army is developing 60 AI-driven solutions, such as an indigenous ‘small language model’, and will deploy software using AI-as-a-Service. These tools underline how AI is transforming operations, surveillance, decision support and autonomous systems for faster cognition and superior battlefield decision-making.

A flagship project named ‘Ekam’ has also been designed to deliver indigenous, secure, military-specific AI solutions tailored to operational doctrines and classified datasets. These include state-of-the-art AI services such as document analysis, a military correspondence generator and translation tools. Phase II of ‘Ekam’ focuses on building the first indigenous large language model (LLM) for the Indian Army.

As part of its future technologies drive, the Army has also developed a ‘climatology’ application created through scientific collaboration. The system integrates more than 20 years of geospatial data drawn from over 35 parameters to deliver precise landslide and avalanche predictions.

n a significant academic-defence collaboration, the Remount Veterinary Corps (RVC) Centre and College, Army, Meerut Cantonment, had recently invited Randhir Singh, scientist at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana, to deliver an expert lecture on “Early Prediction of Military Working Dog Success: Integrating Wearables, Behaviour and Biomarkers”.

Singh provided an insightful and futuristic overview of emerging evaluation tools for military working dogs. His talk covered behavioural scoring systems, activity-monitoring sensors, hormonal stress markers, cytokine profiling and predictive disease analytics powered by machine learning. The presentation, which highlighted the potential of early-life assessment, received exceptional engagement and appreciation from RVC officers.

Emphasizing proactive health screening, Singh discussed the importance of early detection of pancreatitis, renal diseases, hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis. He underscored how scientific monitoring could extend working lifespans, improve training efficiency and enhance the mission readiness of canine soldiers.

He delivered a detailed lecture on dialysis indications, designing an effective workflow, and real-time decision-making in critical care.

So far, the BrahMos missile system remains the most notable joint venture between the long-standing partners

India, Russia reorient defence ties towards co-development, co-production

So far, the BrahMos missile system remains the most notable joint venture between the long-standing partners

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, Updated At : 02:16 AM Dec 06, 2025 IST

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PM Narendra Modi with Russian President Vladimir Putin . PTI

Six-decade-old India-Russia military ties were today “re-oriented” to make co-development and co-production of advanced technology the new benchmark for promoting ‘Make in India’.

A joint statement, released after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded their annual summit here, said “responding to India’s quest for self-reliance, the partnership is reorienting to joint research and development, co-development and co-production of advanced defence technology and systems”.

The shift towards “co-development” and “co-production” marks a paradigm change for several future platforms such as next-generation fighter jets, aero-engines, marine engines, radars and missiles that the Indian armed forces may require. Russia currently holds advanced technologies, including the S-400 air defence system and the fifth-generation Sukhoi-57 fighter jet.

So far, the BrahMos missile system remains the most notable joint venture between the long-standing partners. However, the missile was originally designed and developed in the erstwhile Soviet Union as the Yakhont before being adopted as BrahMos and further upgraded.

About a decade ago, India walked out of a joint project to co-design and co-develop a fifth-generation fighter aircraft. Two years ago, Russia launched a joint venture to produce AK-203 rifles in India, though the rifle itself was designed and developed in Russia.

Other platforms such as the Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets, T-90 tanks and MiG-21s are produced under licence in India, but their design and critical metallurgy remain with Moscow.

At the Modi-Putin talks, the two countries also expanded military cooperation and agreed to address the long-standing issue of sourcing spare parts for Russian-origin equipment. The two sides will now undertake joint manufacturing of spares in India.

“Both sides agreed to encourage joint manufacturing in India of spare parts, components, aggregates and other products for maintenance of Russian-origin arms and defence equipment,” the joint statement said.

This will fall under the Make in India programme through transfer of technology and the setting up of joint ventures to meet the requirements of the Indian armed forces, with the possibility of exports to mutually friendly third countries, it added.

Modi and Putin also welcomed the outcomes of the 22nd session of the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Military and Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-M&MTC).

India and Russia have strengthened their longstanding partnership with the signing of a comprehensive agreement covering cooperation in healthcare, medical education, space, science and environmental sectors.

Emphasising the importance of joint research in science, technology and innovation, the two sides called for deeper collaboration under the “Roadmap for Science, Technology & Innovation Cooperation”.

“They agreed to facilitate collaboration between government and private sectors to harness opportunities for startups and SMEs (small and medium enterprises) in both countries to address societal challenges through innovative technologies, including joint R&D and co-development of technologies. They confirmed their interest in further developing cooperation in digital technologies, including those related to information protection, security of critical infrastructure and law enforcement. Both sides agreed to design and implement soft support programmes for startups to enable knowledge exchange, capacity-building and greater engagement of innovators and entrepreneurs,” a joint statement released after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded their annual leaders’ summit here said.

Recognising the extensive experience of collaboration between India and Russia in science and higher education, both sides expressed interest in deepening partnerships between educational and research institutions, including academic mobility, joint educational programmes, research projects and specialised international exhibitions, conferences and seminars.

The countries welcomed the expanded partnership between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Russia’s Roscosmos in the peaceful use of outer space, including human spaceflight programmes, satellite navigation and planetary exploration.