New Delhi, May 8: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said the death of a tourist in an incident of stone-pelting in Kashmir was not conducive to attracting tourists to Jammu and Kashmir.
“We need to be firm with terrorists and ensure safe movement of tourists, said Sitharaman while addressing a press conference after inaugurating the Naval Commanders’ conference here. The state wanted to promote tourism, the minister said.
Speaking about maritime strength, she said, “India will be a force to reckon with in the Indo-Pacific. All of Navy’s demands for the year 2017-2018 have been met.”
At the conference, the Navy will review its new mission-based deployments philosophy aimed at ensuring peace and stability in the region. The new deployment philosophy, in furtherance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of security and growth for all in the region (SAGAR), aims at sustained, peaceful and yet responsive presence of Indian naval ships in critical areas and choke points.
The Navy’s focus over the past year has been on combat efficiency and material readiness, and upkeep of its large fleet of 131 ships and submarines.
Naval commanders would deliberate upon steps to improve the teeth-to-tail ratio and explore niche fields such as artificial intelligence and big data analytics. Harnessing cutting-edge technology, specifically those ‘Made-in-India’, to improve organisational effectiveness and efficiency would be another key focus area of the commanders.
Indian Navy has been the flag-bearer of the indigenisation and ‘Make in India’ initiative. As many as 27 ships and submarines are currently under construction in Indian shipyards, including the first indigenous aircraft carrier ‘Vikrant’.
Sourced from The Tribune
