SOURCE: IANS

India has denounced Pakistan as “a global epicentre of terrorism” and called it an irony that Islamabad claims to be at the forefront of fighting terror. “Pakistan is a global epicentre of terrorism, harbouring more than 20 UN-listed terrorist entities and providing state support to cross-border terrorism,” India’s Permanent Representative Parvathaneni Harish said on Tuesday at the Security Council.

“Hence it is a supreme irony when Pakistan pats itself on the back as being at the forefront of the fight against terrorism,” he said.

SOURCE: PTI

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Thursday said India will need at least 20,000 pilots in the coming years to meet the rising air-travel demand in the country — one of the world’s fastest growing aviation market.

Addressing a gathering at the UDAAN Bhawan here following the launch of Electronic Personnel License (EPL) for pilots, the Minister said aviation has always been the backbone of connectivity, economic growth, and technological advancements.

SOURCE: ANI

Following the killing of four Naxals in an encounter with Hawk force and police in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district on Wednesday, Superintendent of Police (SP) Nagendra Singh said that the campaign to eliminate Naxals from the state would be continued further. The encounter took place between the forces and Naxals near Raunda Forest Camp, Supkhar Forest Range under Garhi police station limits in the district.

The force also recovered three weapons INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) rifle, Self-Loading Rifle (SLR) rifle and 303 rifle and other daily use items from the spot. Balaghat SP Nagendra Singh told ANI, “Our Jawans killed four women Naxals following an encounter near Raunda Forest Camp, Supkhar Forest Range of Kanha National Park on Wednesday.

SOURCE: IANS

The Sri Lankan Navy has arrested 10 fishermen, hailing from Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu, for allegedly trespassing into its territorial waters.

Three mechanised fishing boats were also seized during the late night operation on Wednesday. Tamil Nadu coastal police officials confirmed that the fishermen were apprehended for allegedly crossing the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).Following the arrests, the families of the detained fishermen, along with local fishing communities, have urged both the Central and State governments to take immediate action to secure their release.

SOURCE: ANI

India Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi has said that since 2014, India has been “assertive” in its communication with Pakistan on the Line of Control (LOC), and they have understood that “we mean business.”

Speaking in an exclusive interview with ANI, the Army Chief suggested that India is now aggressive enough to respond if Pakistan provokes us. “Now what has happened from 2014, if you see, that both sides have generally understood that we mean business. And India has said very clearly that we will be assertive in our communication. And if required, we can be aggressive also. So, what you have just spoken about, it was a kind of an indication that look, if you force us, then we will be aggressive enough to communicate our intent,” he said.

SOURCE: PTI

Former ISRO chairman S Somanath on Wednesday highlighted the cost-effectiveness of India’s space programmes and noted that for the same satellite and share of work, the country will incur five-time less expenditure compared to the USA for an upcoming mission.

He was referring to the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission. The joint National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)-Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) project will map the entire globe and provide data for understanding changes in Earth’s ecosystems, ice mass, vegetation biomass, sea level rise, ground water and natural hazards.

SOURCE: ANI

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Upendra Dwivedi on Wednesday said that the country’s indigenous production capabilities are increasing, including in the field of drones, and the desire is to have 100 pc of equipment production in India eventually, even if it takes a few years.

“See, India follows Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the world is one family… This and atmanirbharta (self-reliance) both have to combine. Finally, our desire is to have 100 pc equipment production in India. But it doesn’t mean it has to happen today. It can happen after three years, five years, ten years,” Gen Dwivedi told ANI in an exclusive interview.

SOURCE: ANI

India Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi stated that he was concerned about the presence of Pakistan Army and ISI officials in Bangladesh areas close to India’s Chicken’s Neck area

Speaking to ANI in an exclusive interview, General Dwivedi said that they must make sure that those anti-India elements must not be able to use that soil to send terrorists to India.

SOURCE: ANI

Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Wednesday said he has empowered the Corps Commanders deployed in formations along the China border to resolve issues at their level and avoid violence.

“What I have done is to empower all the Corps Commanders along the Line of Actual Control to make sure that wherever issues can be resolved at their level where there is a misinterpretation of understanding and which can escalate to violence, that should be something controlled,” Gen Dwivedi said in ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash.

SOURCE: ANI

Expressing his reservations over engaging the defence forces in a political slugfest, Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi has said the army should not be involved in politics.

“I think the political answer has been given by Raksha Mantri ji (Rajnath Singh) in the form of a tweet and the Defence Ministry has given a description which has been given out. But things which I learned – it is important that I must make an endeavour that the army should not be involved in politics,” General Dwivedi told ANI in an exclusive interview.

SOURCE: PTI

Four Naxalites, including three women cadres, were killed on Wednesday in an encounter with the police in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district, an official said.

The anti-Naxal Hawk Force of the state police and local police teams took part in the operation in a forested area, said additional superintendent of police Vijay Dabar. Weapons were also recovered from the encounter site, police said.Balaghat shares borders with Gondia district of Maharashtra and Rajnandgaon, Khairagarh and Kawardha districts of Chhattisgarh with both adjoining states facing Left-wing extremism in certain pockets.

SOURCE: PTI

Indian and Egyptian troops are undergoing rigorous combat conditioning and tactical training under the ongoing joint special forces exercise Cyclone-III at Mahajan Field Firing Range in Rajasthan’s Bikaner, officials said on Wednesday.

The military drill is aimed at strengthening joint operational capabilities, defence spokesperson Col Amitabh Sharma said in a release. The third edition of 14-day exercise, which started on February 10, includes joint training on close quarter battle (CQB) drills, survival techniques, demolition training and combat medical skills, among others, he said.

SOURCE: ANI

India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, reaffirmed on Tuesday that Jammu and Kashmir is and will always remain an integral part of India and strongly condemned Pakistan’s misinformation campaigns.

He also emphasised the democratic choice made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the legislative assembly elections after Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar raised the Kashmir issue at the UNSC.

SOURCE: PTI

Pakistan’s parliament on Tuesday passed a resolution urging New Delhi to hold a plebiscite in Kashmir, invoking again a demand rejected long back by India. Minister for Kashmir Affairs Amir Muqam moved the resolution reaffirming Pakistan’s “unwavering moral, political and diplomatic support” for the Kashmiri people’s “right to self-determination”, according to Radio Pakistan.

The scarred India-Pakistan bilateral ties nosedived after India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution on August 5, 2019, revoking the special status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating it into two Union Territories.

SOURCE: PIB

The 13th meeting of Malaysia-India Defence Cooperation Committee (MIDCOM) took place in Kuala Lumpur on February 19, 2025. The meeting was co-chaired by Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh and Secretary General of Ministry of Defence, Malaysia Mr Lokman Hakim Bin Ali. Both sides expressed happiness at the growing bilateral defence cooperation with regular engagements between the two Armed Forces in recent years.

The two sides held wide-ranging discussions on effective & practical initiatives to further expand bilateral defence engagements and regional & global issues. Both chairs identified steps to further enhance cooperation in emerging areas such as cyber security and AI. They identified ways to deepen existing collaboration, particularly in the defence industry, maritime security, and multilateral engagements. They agreed to form a joint focus group to address non-traditional maritime security threats.