-Edited by Pratyusha Mukherjee Indian football legend I Arumainayagam, a member of India’s historic gold medal-winning team at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta, was conferred the Arjuna Award (Lifetime) 2025 by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on Tuesday. The award recognises Arumainayagam’s distinguished playing career and his continued contribution to Indian sport after his retirement from competitive football. The Arjuna Award (Lifetime) honours sportspersons who have made significant contributions to their respective disciplines during and after their active careers. A gifted and speedy winger, Arumainayagam represented India during one of the most successful eras in the country’s…
Author: Digital Desk
In a major push to strengthen indigenous defence manufacturing and reduce reliance on imports, the Department of Defence Production (DDP), Ministry of Defence, has notified the sixth Positive Indigenisation List (PIL) comprising 405 strategically important defence items, with an estimated business potential of ₹3,070 crore. The latest list covers a wide spectrum of defence equipment, including Line Replaceable Units (LRUs), sub-systems, sub-assemblies, spares, components and raw materials. Of the 405 items, 16 have been identified by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), while 389 relate to Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs). The sixth PIL encompasses critical equipment associated with several frontline…
The Medical Training Centre (MTC), Indian Air Force (IAF), conducted the 8th Allied and Healthcare Seminar on “Modernization of Primary Healthcare in Defence Forces to Meet the Modern War Scenario” on 17–18 August 2026. The two-day seminar focused on enhancing the preparedness and operational capabilities of Medical Assistants and allied healthcare professionals to effectively respond to emerging challenges in the modern battlefield. The event provided a platform for professional development, knowledge exchange and deliberations on strengthening frontline medical support across the Defence Forces. The seminar was inaugurated on 17 August 2026 by Air Vice Marshal SGS Datta, Principal Medical Officer,…
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged off the National Cadet Corps’ (NCC) All India Girls High-Altitude Long Trek ‘Aparajita–Parang La 2026’ at an event in New Delhi on August 18, marking the commencement of a challenging 30-day expedition across one of India’s most demanding high-altitude trekking routes. The expedition will see 28 NCC Girl Cadets, with an average age of 19 years, undertake an approximately 250-km trek across the Himalayas, traversing the Parang La Pass at an altitude of 5,578 metres (18,300 feet). The route connects Himachal Pradesh’s Spiti Valley with the Changthang region of Ladakh and features high-altitude deserts, glaciers,…
In a landmark achievement for Indian mountaineering and adventure sports, the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering & Winter Sports (JIM & WS), Pahalgam, has successfully completed a historic mountaineering expedition to Mt Delta-41 (5,921 metres), also known as Mt Barmal, in the Tangol region of Kargil, Ladakh. The expedition achieved an unprecedented feat with Col Hem Chandra Singh, Principal of JIM & WS, and mountaineer Manish Makholia carrying out the first-ever paragliding descent from the summit of Mt Delta-41 directly to the Road Head Camp at Tangol, located at an altitude of around 3,600 metres. The 13-member expedition team was led…
India and Armenia are moving to deepen their defence partnership, with a renewed focus on expanding bilateral military cooperation and identifying new avenues for strategic engagement. Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh met Armenia’s Minister of Defence Mr. Suren Papikyan in Yerevan on August 17, 2026, in a high-level engagement aimed at strengthening the defence relationship between the two countries. The discussions explored new avenues to further expand bilateral defence cooperation, reflecting the growing strategic significance both nations attach to their partnership. The two sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to taking India–Armenia defence ties to a higher level and building…
The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) to lease two MQ-9B Sea Guardian High-Altitude Long-Endurance (HALE) Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) for the Indian Navy. The 30-month lease agreement, valued at approximately ₹1,943 crore, was signed on Monday at Kartavya Bhawan-2 in New Delhi in the presence of Additional Secretary and Director General (Acquisition), Department of Defence, Shri A. Anbarasu. The MQ-9B Sea Guardian systems are equipped with advanced sensors, sophisticated payloads and state-of-the-art surveillance capabilities. Their induction on lease is expected to significantly strengthen the Indian Navy’s Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA)…
Indian Navy’s sail training ship INS Sudarshini concluded its port call at Ponta Delgada in the Azores on August 16 as part of Lokayan 2026, further strengthening maritime cooperation and professional ties between India and Portugal. During the port visit, the crew of INS Sudarshini participated in a series of professional and cultural engagements with the Portuguese Navy. A formal deck reception was hosted aboard the Portuguese Navy’s sail training vessel NRP Sagres, followed by a reciprocal evening reception onboard INS Sudarshini for local military leadership, diplomats and members of the Indian diaspora. The ship also marked India’s 80th Independence…
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh interacted with Officer Trainees of the 2025 Batch of the Indian Defence Estates Service (IDES) at New Delhi on August 17, during their ongoing training at the National Institute of Defence Estates Management (NIDEM). During the interaction, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh highlighted the important role played by the Defence Estates Department in the management of defence land and the municipal administration of Cantonment Boards across the country. Emphasising the responsibilities of public servants, the Defence Minister urged the young officers to remain responsive to the evolving aspirations and expectations of citizens. He stressed the importance of…
The Territorial Army (TA) is set to organise a two-day public outreach seminar, ‘Know Your Territorial Army’, at Dhono Dhanyo Auditorium in New Alipore, Kolkata, on August 27–28, with a focus on strengthening engagement between the citizen-soldier force and India’s youth, academia, industry and technology ecosystem. The initiative is aimed at highlighting the evolving role of the Territorial Army in nation-building while providing a platform for interaction between serving personnel and representatives from industry, educational institutions, startups, civil society and environmental organisations. The Territorial Army, which follows the distinctive citizen-soldier model, enables individuals to contribute to national service while continuing…