Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 1
Senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh took charge as the Defence Minister in South Block here today.
A statement of the Ministry said the minister “was given a brief presentation on the functioning of the MoD and all four departments – namely Departments of Defence, Defence Production and Ex-serviceman Welfare and Research and Development Organisation”.
The minister instructed the officers to prepare detailed presentations on all divisions and set time-bound targets to achieve the desired outcome, the statement added.
Before taking charge, Rajnath Singh paid tributes at the National War Memorial. He tweeted “These fallen heroes represent the character of India who has a long history of courage, sacrifice and patriotism. I salute them for keeping India safe.”
He is the fifth Defence Minister since the NDA government came to power in 2014.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the highest decision making body of the Ministry on procurements, is tentatively scheduled to meet in June. It will have several big ticket deals lined up for approval.
His immediate challenge would be to get additional funds and the long-term challenge is to give momentum to the ambitious “Make in India” pitch in defence manufacturing, which has made little progress in the past five years while also ensuring that defence modernisation makes progress.
Singh held a meeting with Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa and newly appointed Navy chief Karambir Singh at the headquarters of the Defence Ministry at Raisina Hills during which he was apprised about the security scenario, officials said.
His challenges
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s most crucial challenge will be to speed up the long-delayed modernisation of the three services
- His another challenge will be to ensure peace and tranquility along the frontier with China while developing required military infrastructure to deal with any possible Chinese hostility
- Containing infiltration of terrorists into J&K from Pakistan will be another key focus area. PTI
from The Tribune http://bit.ly/2wtWS6i
via Today’s News Headlines
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