New Delhi, 02 July (H.S.): Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth on Thursday called on Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at Kartavya Bhavan-2 in New Delhi after assuming office as the 31st Chief of the Indian Army. The meeting focused on the Army's operational preparedness and key national security issues. During the meeting, the Defence Minister congratulated General Seth on assuming his new responsibilities.

The courtesy meeting at the Ministry of Defence comes at a time when India is accelerating the modernisation of its armed forces to address the evolving global security environment. Against this backdrop, the interaction between the Defence Minister and the new Army Chief is being viewed as significant in shaping the strategic direction and priorities of the Indian Army in the coming years.

The discussions are understood to have covered key issues, including the Army's current operational preparedness, the security situation along India's borders, military modernisation, promotion of indigenous defence systems, and strategies to address emerging security challenges.

General Dhiraj Seth assumed command of the Indian Army on June 30. Upon taking charge, he unveiled his vision, titled Vijay, on Wednesday. In his first address, he said the Army's foremost objective would be to achieve victory through indigenous capabilities. He emphasised that the force would maintain constant vigilance along India's borders and against emerging threats while sustaining a high level of operational readiness to effectively counter any challenge to national security.

He also outlined his key priorities, which include the wider adoption of advanced technologies across the Army, expansion of artificial intelligence-based capabilities, promotion of the indigenous defence industry, strengthening self-reliance in defence production, and enhancing jointness among the three armed services.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar