Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said India showed last year that it is capable of taking all steps to meet challenges, be it from coronavirus or at its borders in a obvious reference to ongoing stand-offs at the Line of Actual Control(LAC)in Ladakh.
Addressing a rally of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) here, Modi said India has shown its capabilities on all fronts as he referred to production of Made in India vaccines against the virus.
“Whether it is developing protective shield of the vaccine or destroying with modern missiles intentions of those challenging India, the country is capable on all fronts,” he said.
Modi said in order to strengthen the security network in the border and coastal areas, the participation of NCC is being boosted and the Government has made efforts to see that the role of NCC is further expanded.
“On August 15th last year, it was announced that NCC will be given new responsibilities in around 175 districts in the coastal and border areas. For this around, one lakh NCC cadets are being trained by Army, Navy and Air Force. Of these, one-third are girl cadets,” he said while addressing the Prime Minister’s NCC Rally.
On steps taken to modernize the armed forces, Modi said If India is ‘aatmanirbhar’ in vaccine, it is also trying with equal vigour to modernise its armed forces, Modi said. The prime minister asserted that all steps are being taken to ensure that every wing of India’s armed forces is the best, adding that the country now has excellent “war machines”.
Referring to the mid-air refuelling of Rafale fighter aircraft while they were on way to India, Modi said it was done in the UAE and Saudi Arabia and Greece also helped.
This highlights our growing ties with Gulf countries, he said.
Speaking of his Government’s efforts to boost domestic defence manufacturing, he said, “India will soon be known as a big producer of defence equipment instead of a big market as it is today.”
Lauding the NCC, he said be it the floods or any other calamity, NCC cadets helped the people of this country last year and during the COVID-19 pandemic lakhs of cadets worked with the administration and society across the country.
He said training infrastructure for NCC is being strengthened. As against just one firing simulator earlier, 98 are being established now. Micro flight simulators are also being increased from 5 to 44 and rowing simulators from 11 to 60, Modi said.
Talking of Maoist threat in the country, the Prime Minister said i said it was this blend of sense of duty among the
citizenry and bravery of the security forces that broke the back of naxalism and Maoism which was affecting a large part of our country. “Now menace of Naxalism has been shrunk to a very limited area of the country and affected youths have left the path of violence to join the development mainstream,” he added.
Modi also inspected the Guard of Honour, reviewed the March Past by NCC contingents and witnessed cultural performance during the event.