NEW DELHI, April 21:  “Aatmanirbhar Bharat is not merely a procurement programme; it is an invitation to co-create, co-develop, and co-innovate,” Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told German Parliamentarians in Berlin on Tuesday, as he made a strong pitch for enhanced collaborations between the defence industrial ecosystems of India and Germany.

Addressing the German Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence and Security on Day-1 of his three-day visit to the European nation, the defence minister  asserted that the world today is faced with new security threats, and the technological transformation has made the situation highly complex and intricately connected.

“A new approach with the willingness to adapt to the changing environment is the need of the hour,” he said.

Singh  asserted that India is witnessing an unprecedented transformation in the defence sector, and increased partnerships with the German industry can yield significant mutual gains. “We recognise the established strengths of Germany’s leading industrial enterprises, while also admiring the vigour and dynamism of the renowned German Mittelstand (small & medium-sized companies) in advanced and emerging technologies. In India too, our start-ups and enterprising private companies are rapidly enhancing and complementing the capabilities of our larger and established defence enterprises. This is an area where India and Germany naturally complement each other, and our partnership can deepen further,” said Singh.

To deal with modern-day global challenges, the union minister underscored the need for coordinated responses and trusted strategic partnerships . “Prime Minister Narendra Modi and German Chancellor Mr Friedrich Merz have placed strong emphasis on advancing this strategic partnership. We also see a clear convergence of views at the European union level, reflected in the growing momentum to engage with India, including through the India-EU Defence and Strategic Partnership,” he said.

He reiterated that India and Germany are not only strategic partners, but also consequential voices in shaping the global discourse of the present times. “We are established democracies bound by shared values, and dynamic economies driven by resilience, innovation, and a determined industrial spirit. As lawmakers and esteemed members of the Committee, your guidance, voice, and support can further strengthen and enrich the future course of our defence and strategic cooperation. When the chronicles of this era are penned, the India-Germany partnership will stand as a paragon of diplomacy, crafted not in response to crisis, but through the steady resolve of two mature democracies choosing to walk this path together,” he stated.

The minister  pointed out that the current geopolitical instability can no longer be viewed as regional matters. “Their consequences are global in scope,” he said, describing them as not localised disturbances, but serious developments with far-reaching implications for energy security, food security, and global economic stability, apart from the immense humanitarian cost they entail. He said “For a developing country like India, which relies on the West Asian region for a significant share of its energy requirements, disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz are not distant events, they are stark realities with direct implications for our security and economic stability”.

Singh highlighted that in view of these  challenges and their direct implications, India adopted a proactive and coordinated strategy. He told the Parliamentarians that a Group of Ministers on West Asia is continuously assessing the evolving situation and recommending timely measures to minimise its impact. “Bringing together key ministries, our deliberations focused on safeguarding energy supplies, maintaining the availability of essential commodities, containing inflationary pressures, and protecting citizens as well as industry from external disruptions. This reflects India’s capacity to respond to global crises with calmness, foresight, and effective institutional coordination,” he said.

(UNI)

JAIPUR, Apr 21: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday demanded a public apology from Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge for allegedly calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a “terrorist”.

In talks with the media at the Sanganer International Airport here this afternoon, Dhami said ”Use of derogatory words like terrorist for Prime Minister Narendra Modi-ji is disrespectful and disregardful of the largest democracy in the world. This (utterance) has hurt the sentiments of 140 crore Indians”, the visiting CM retorted.

Describing Kharge as a leader whose stances and ideology is eclipsed by arrogance and dynastic and appeasement centric politics, Dhami said, the Congress leader in his remarks “Violated and disregarded the decorum and tenets of the constitution and the democratic convention”.

He also criticised the Congress and its INDI allies for defeating the Women’s Reservation related 131st Constitution Amendment Bill and quipped, ”Our Nari Shakti will take revenge and teach these parties a befitting lesson”.

He exuded confidence about the BJP’s win in the West Bengal assembly elections.”I have participated in a campaign in West Bengal and my belief is that the polls this time would produce a  ‘double engine government’ there.

“People of Bengal have made up their minds for effecting change of government. It is time to bid adieu to Didi (Mamata Banerjee),” Dhami said.

Dhami reached Jaipur this afternoon on a spiritual journey for paying obeisance at the Khatu Baba Shyam shrine in Sikar district. From the airport the Chief Minister drove for the Khatu Shyam Baba dham.

(UNI)

CHANDIGARH, Apr 21 : A comprehensive plan is being prepared by the government to develop Kurukshetra as the sacred land of the Gita and make it a major tourist attraction for visitors from across the country and the world.

A master plan has been drafted for major projects from Pipli to Jyotisar and it will soon be presented for approval before Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Amit Kumar Agrawal, Commissioner and Secretary of the Tourism Department and Member Secretary of the Kurukshetra Development Board (KDB), said during a meeting held here that according to the directions of the chief minister, a plan has been prepared to develop Kurukshetra as a religious city and the land of the Gita in such a way that it attracts tourists from across the globe.

Under this initiative, plans have been made to develop the Mahabharata Anubhav Kendra and other important sites of Kurukshetra.

Mahabharata Anubhav Kendra is an immersive experiential centre in Kurukshetra where installations depict significant episodes from the Mahabharata, highlighting its enduring cultural and spiritual significance.

Agrawal said that the remaining construction work of the G-Block of the Mahabharata Anubhav Kendra will be completed based on the themes of “Glorious India” and “Saraswati-Sindhu civilisation”.

The main entrance of the centre will be enhanced with grand mural designs. The centre will represent a journey into the soul of India, and officials have been given special directions for its development.

Instructions have also been issued to establish a souvenir shop, food court and photo shop within the centre. Keeping in view the summer season, directions have been given to extend the visiting hours so that more people can visit.

In the meeting, officials from the Kurukshetra Development Board, Kurukshetra district administration and the Tourism Department were also present.

Agrawal said directions have also been given to undertake special publicity campaigns across the state to raise awareness about all tourist sites in Kurukshetra, especially the Mahabharata Anubhav Kendra, so that more people visit these destinations.

He also emphasised organising regular public participation activities in Kurukshetra. Further, detailed directions have been issued for the beautification of all chowks, roads and spaces under the newly constructed elevated railway track in Kurukshetra, he said.

Kurukshetra Deputy Commissioner Vishram Kumar Meena joined the meeting online, while KDB Chief Executive Officer Pankaj Setia, Honorary Secretary Upender Singhal, Additional Director of Tourism Department Mamta Sharma and other officials were present in person. (PTI)