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The year 2022 was of path-breaking reforms for Ministry of Defence as giant strides were made with Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh at the helm to transform the military into a youthful, modern and 'Aatmanirbhar' force, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. While the Armed Forces were equipped with state-of-the-art weapons/ equipment/ technologies manufactured by a self-reliant indigenous industry, a major reform was rolled out with the aim to build a youthful and tech-sawy military ready to meet future challenges. Continuous efforts to increase defence exports in order to achieve the collective goal of global peace and prosperity, in line with the 'Make in India, Make for the World' vision, bore fruit as many countries showed keen interest in Indian platforms, resulting in record defence exports. Border area development, Nari Shakti, expansion of National Cadet Corps (NCC) and setting up of new Sainik Schools to instill patriotism among youth moved forward with renewed thrust.
Agnipath- Major Transformative Reform
The AGNIPATH scheme for recruitment of youth in the Armed Forces was launched in June, allowing patriotic youth (Agniveers) to don the sacred uniform and serve the country for a period of four years. The scheme has been designed to enable a youthful profile of the Armed Forces and bring about a transformational shift towards a more tech-sawy military. The response from youth towards the scheme has been encouraging. Over 54 lakh registrations, including by female aspirants, were received by the three Services for recruitment into the Armed Forces (Indian Army 37.09 lakh; Indian Navy 9.55 lakh and Indian Air Force 7.69 lakh). Training centres are geared up to commence training shortly with improved training infrastructure.
INS Vikrant - Red letter day for 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat'
India's first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant was commissioned by the Prime Minister at Cochin Shipyard Limited in
September. The commissioning showcased the country's growing prowess of indigenous manufacturing and a major milestone in the path towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat'. With 76% indigenous content, the 262.5 mlong and 61.6 m wide ship is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment/systems, designed for a crew of around 1,600 officers and sailors.
LCH 'Prachand': The Raksha Mantri presided over the formal induction of Light Combat Helicopter, designed and developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), 'Prachand' into the Indian...