India and New Zealand held the second edition of their Defence Strategic Dialogue in Wellington on August 24, with discussions focused on strengthening maritime security, expanding military cooperation and deepening the two countries’ newly elevated Strategic Partnership. The high-level dialogue was co-chaired by Amitabh Prasad, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Defence, and Richard Schmidt, Deputy Secretary in the New Zealand Ministry of Defence. The talks built on the framework established during the India-New Zealand summit-level meeting held last month and focused on implementing the objectives outlined in the India-New Zealand Strategic Partnership Roadmap 2030. Focus on military cooperation: Both…
Author: Digital Desk
Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) should be viewed as a subset of a broader Multi-Domain Awareness (MuDA) framework, according to experts from the Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPSS). In their latest Expert View, Group Captain Vivek Naik, Senior Fellow, CAPSS, and Associate Fellow Radhey Tambi outlined a framework for integrating awareness across the maritime domain and beyond. The experts said MuDA should integrate information from six principal operational domains — land, maritime, air, space, cyber and electromagnetic — while information and cognitive effects act as cross-cutting dimensions connecting and influencing multiple domains. They emphasised that the objective is not merely…
The Indian Air Force (IAF) and Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) strengthened bilateral defence ties through a reciprocal Exchange Visit held during August 16-23. As part of the engagement, a Royal Thai Air Force delegation visited India, while an IAF team travelled to Thailand. The exchange provided an opportunity for personnel from both air forces to enhance professional camaraderie, mutual understanding and operational interaction. The reciprocal engagement also reaffirmed the commitment of India and Thailand to further strengthen defence cooperation and deepen institutional ties between their air forces. Such exchanges form an important component of ongoing military-to-military cooperation between the…
Vice Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Indian Navy’s Western Naval Command, highlighted the need for a credible, technologically advanced and future-ready naval force to address emerging maritime security challenges in the Indian Ocean Region. Addressing participants of the Higher Defence Management Course (HDMC-22) at the College of Defence Management under the Integrated Defence Staff, Vice Admiral Vatsayan delivered a talk on “Operational Imperatives for the Indian Navy.” He underlined the strategic importance of the Indian Ocean and stressed the need to protect India’s maritime interests, safeguard energy security and ensure the security of vital Sea Lines of…
The All India NCC Girls High-Altitude Expedition – Aparajita: Parang La 2026 received a warm traditional welcome from the local community during its halt at Chikhar in Himachal Pradesh. The 28 NCC girl cadets interacted with elders, women and children of the village, providing an opportunity for cultural exchange and strengthening the spirit of national integration. The cadets were welcomed in traditional Himachali style, turning the expedition halt into a celebration of India’s cultural diversity and Nari Shakti. The expedition is part of the NCC’s efforts to promote adventure, leadership, resilience and teamwork among young women while fostering a strong…
External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar called on Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow on Monday, with the two leaders discussing ways to further strengthen India-Russia relations and expand cooperation across key sectors. Indian Ambassador to Russia Vinay Kumar and Joint Secretary (ERS) Mayank Singh were also part of the Indian delegation. The discussions covered bilateral trade, economic cooperation, energy and preparations for upcoming high-level engagements between the two countries. During the meeting, Dr. Jaishankar conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s greetings to President Putin and handed over a personal message from the Prime Minister. He highlighted the…
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval arrived in Beijing on Monday on a two-day visit to China, during which he will participate in the 25th round of Special Representatives talks on the India-China boundary issue. The talks between Mr. Doval and his Chinese counterpart and Foreign Minister Wang Yi are scheduled to be held in Beijing on Tuesday. The two sides are expected to hold detailed discussions on the boundary question as well as bilateral, regional and international issues. Announcing the talks at a media briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Mr. Doval and Mr. Wang would have an…
The 9th National Security Strategies Conference began in New Delhi on Monday, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah chairing the two-day meeting. The conference is being held in a hybrid format, with more than 850 officers from police and security forces across the country participating in the deliberations. The participants are discussing contemporary issues and emerging challenges related to national security. The annual conference provides a platform for coordination among senior intelligence, paramilitary and police leadership on issues including internal security, border management and emerging threats. The initiative follows a directive issued by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the DGP/IGP…
India has called for diversified, adequate, predictable and sustained international financing to accelerate land restoration and strengthen resilience to drought, with Union Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav stressing that tackling land degradation requires investment beyond public budgets. Addressing the Ministerial Dialogue on “Innovative Financial Mechanisms for Healthy Land and Drought Resilience” during the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Mr. Yadav outlined India’s approach to financing land restoration and drought resilience. The Minister said land restoration should be viewed not as a…
Indian Railways has launched a special cleanliness and disinfection drive across its network to ensure the availability of safe and hygienic drinking water for passengers at railway stations. As part of the initiative, Zonal Railways have been directed to undertake comprehensive inspections of drinking-water infrastructure and identify deficiencies requiring immediate corrective action. The drive focuses on strengthening preventive maintenance and water-quality monitoring across the entire supply chain. During the campaign, officials will inspect water sources, treatment and filtration plants, underground and overhead tanks, PVC tanks, water booths, taps and water dispensing points. Drinking-water tanks will be drained, desludged, scrubbed and…