Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday called upon the armed forces to stay ready to deal with the new and emerging threats, while emphasising that all steps are being taken to equip the forces with necessary weapons and technologies. Modi reviewed the security situation and operational readiness of the forces during the valedictory session of the Combined Commanders’ Conference in Bhopal.
“Earlier today in Bhopal, took part in the Combined Commanders’ Conference. We had extensive discussions on ways to augment India’s security apparatus,” Modi tweeted later.
According to a defence ministry statement, the prime minister was briefed by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan about the various discussions conducted during this year's conference. Modi lauded the three Services for their role in nation building and providing humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to friendly countries.
On Friday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh interacted with the top military brass and reviewed the defence preparedness. He also lauded the armed forces for their valuable contribution in protecting national interests and providing support to the government in realising its vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.
During the final day of the session, various topics including aspects of digitisation, cyber security, challenges of social media, Aatmanirbharta, absorption of Agniveers and jointness were discussed, the defence ministry said.
“In a significant development from the past, the scope of the conference was expanded this year, wherein, a few multi-layered and interactive sessions were conducted with participation of soldiers from every command of the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, including the Tri-Services Andaman and Nicobar Command,” it said.
The three-day conference with the theme ‘Ready, Resurgent, Relevant’ began on March 30. “This year’s conference was special, wherein, inputs from the field units were sought on contemporary issues like changes in TTP and way forward for greater integration among the three Services. These inputs were deliberated in detail by the Military Commanders. The conference also provided an opportunity for the Commanders to review the modernisation of the Armed Forces and the ongoing & concluded military operations, while also discussing ways to improve the country's defence capabilities,” the ministry said.
