Threat to energy security part of present-day warfare: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh

NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday that present-day warfare transcends borders, with national security encompassing economic, digital, energy, and even food security.

Virtually addressing the Raising Day celebrations and the Diamond Jubilee of Sainik School, Ghorakhal in Uttarakhand, the Defence Minister said that the nature of conflicts has undergone a paradigm shift as a nation can today be weakened through economic, cyber, space and information warfare, which demands every citizen to remain vigilant and prepared at all times.

He underscored the need for a robust military supported by prepared citizens capable of standing shoulder-to-shoulder to protect the nation under any circumstances.

Rajnath Singh said that while the Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is leaving no stone unturned to equip the defence forces with niche weapons and technologies, the citizens, especially the youth, need to develop mental toughness and intellectual clarity through discipline.

Highlighting the need for determination to help the nation tackle any and every situation, he referred to the concept of VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) challenges and exhorted students to develop their own version of VUCA - Vision, Understanding, Courage and Adaptability, to navigate modern challenges.

Highlighting the steps taken by the government towards ensuring that a larger number of youth imbibe the values essential for nation-building, Rajnath Singh stated that recently a decision was taken to establish 100 new Sainik Schools across the country in the Public-Private Partnership model. He added that another initiative includes increasing the number of vacancies within the National Cadet Corps (NCC). “Earlier, the NCC had an intake capacity of 17 lakh cadets; this has now been expanded to 20 lakh,” he said. (IANS)

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