Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday pitched for women empowerment and said there should be more women in the Armed Forces.

&quot;Debate about empowerment should not always be a gender-based argument, whether an individual can perform being a woman or a man. Therefore, the whole narration on Women&#39;s Day is to look at it in this context,&quot; Sitharaman said while addressing a function on &#39;Women in Uniform of Armed Forces Medical Services&#39; (AFMS) here.

She said, &quot;I think there are areas in which men should be posted, not so much to fight them, but for making them understand that well you may not be good in this you may be good at something else. So blanket rejection of male or female can completely be avoided. That&#39;s why I think whenever we talk, it should be citizens&#39; empowerment.&quot;

Lt Gen Bipin Puri delivered the welcome speech at the event and lauded the role of women officers as health care providers and caregivers.

The event was attended by delegates comprising of senior serving and retired lady AFMS officers from across the country.&nbsp;

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday pitched for women empowerment and said there should be more women in the Armed Forces

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday pitched for women empowerment and said there should be more women in the Armed Forces. "Debate about empowerment should not always be a gender-based argument, whether an individual can perform being a woman or a man. Therefore, the whole narration on Women's Day is to look at it in this context," Sitharaman said while addressing a function on 'Women in Uniform of Armed Forces Medical Services' (AFMS) here. She said, "I think there are areas in which men should be posted, not so much to fight them, but for making them understand that well you may not be good in this you may be good at something else. So blanket rejection of male or female can completely be avoided. That's why I think whenever we talk, it should be citizens' empowerment." Lt Gen Bipin Puri delivered the welcome speech at the event and lauded the role of women officers as health care providers and caregivers. The event was attended by delegates comprising of senior serving and retired lady AFMS officers from across the country.

There should be more women in armed forces: Sitharaman

Indian and Chinese troops have &quot;redeployed&quot; themselves away from the face-off site in Doklam, and China has undertaken construction of helipads, sentry posts and trenches for its army personnel there, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman said today.

&quot;Post disengagement from the face-off in 2017, troops of both sides have redeployed themselves away from their respective positions at the face-off site. The strength of both sides have been reduced,&quot; she said replying to a question on the issue in Lok Sabha.

&quot;In order to maintain these troops during the winter, People&#39;s Liberation Army (PLA) has undertaken construction of some infrastructure, including sentry posts, trenches and helipads,&quot; she said.

Last week, MoS for defence Subhash Bhamre had said that the situation along India&#39;s border with China is &quot;sensitive&quot; and it has the potential to escalate.

Sitharaman&#39;s reply today came in response to a question on whether satellite images have revealed that China has constructed seven helipads in Doklam besides deploying tanks and missiles in the area.

On whether India has taken up the matter with China, she said issues relating to the border are regularly taken up with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels and at Border Personnel Meetings, flag meetings and meetings of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs.

Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day-long standoff in Doklam from June 16 last year after the Indian side stopped the building of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese Army. The face-off ended on August 28.

Sources said China has been keeping its troops in north Doklam and significantly ramping up its infrastructure in the disputed area.

In January, Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat had said the time had come for India to shift its focus from borders with Pakistan to the frontier with China, indicating the seriousness of the situation.

To a separate question on a Pentagon report which said China was setting up a military base in Pakistan, Sitharaman said the government keeps a constant watch on developments having a bearing on India&#39;s security and takes measures to safeguard it.

&quot;Government is aware of China&#39;s stated objective of becoming a &#39;maritime power&#39;. As part of this strategy, China is developing ports and other infrastructure facilities in the littoral countries in the Indian Ocean Region, including in the vicinity of India&#39;s maritime boundary,&quot; she said.

She said India and China have, on several occasions, reiterated that as large neighbours following independent foreign policies, the relationship pursued by the two nations with other countries must not become a source of concern for each other.

PLA constructing sentry posts, trenches and helipads in Doklam area to maintain troops during winter, Sitharaman said.

Indian and Chinese troops have "redeployed" themselves away from the face-off site in Doklam, and China has undertaken construction of helipads, sentry posts and trenches for its army personnel there, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman said today. "Post disengagement from the face-off in 2017, troops of both sides have redeployed themselves away from their respective positions at the face-off site. The strength of both sides have been reduced," she said replying to a question on the issue in Lok Sabha. "In order to maintain these troops during the winter, People's Liberation Army (PLA) has undertaken construction of some infrastructure, including sentry posts, trenches and helipads," she said. Last week, MoS for defence Subhash Bhamre had said that the situation along India's border with China is "sensitive" and it has the potential to escalate. Sitharaman's reply today came in response to a question on whether satellite images have revealed that China has constructed seven helipads in Doklam besides deploying tanks and missiles in the area. On whether India has taken up the matter with China, she said issues relating to the border are regularly taken up with the Chinese side through diplomatic channels and at Border Personnel Meetings, flag meetings and meetings of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs. Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day-long standoff in Doklam from June 16 last year after the Indian side stopped the building of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese Army. The face-off ended on August 28. Sources said China has been keeping its troops in north Doklam and significantly ramping up its infrastructure in the disputed area. In January, Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat had said the time had come for India to shift its focus from borders with Pakistan to the frontier with China, indicating the seriousness of the situation. To a separate question on a Pentagon report which said China was setting up a military base in Pakistan, Sitharaman said the government keeps a constant watch on developments having a bearing on India's security and takes measures to safeguard it. "Government is aware of China's stated objective of becoming a 'maritime power'. As part of this strategy, China is developing ports and other infrastructure facilities in the littoral countries in the Indian Ocean Region, including in the vicinity of India's maritime boundary," she said. She said India and China have, on several occasions, reiterated that as large neighbours following independent foreign policies, the relationship pursued by the two nations with other countries must not become a source of concern for each other.

China building helipads, sentry posts, trenches in Doklam area: Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Dismissing allegations of corruption in the contract for 36 Rafale jets, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman today asserted there can be no comparison between the scam-hit Bofors gun deal and the procurement of the fighter aircraft.

&quot;Do not even compare it (Rafale deal) with Bofors. There is no scam here,&quot; Sitharaman told reporters when asked whether Rafale deal will go the Bofors way.

Sitharaman said she would welcome if the Congress raises the issue of procurement of Rafale jets when the budget session of the Parliament reconvenes from Monday.

&quot;I will welcome it (if Congress raises it),&quot; she said.

The Congress has been ramping up attack on the government over the Rafale issue, claiming that the deal negotiated under its rule was much cheaper than the contract signed by the Modi government to procure 36 Rafale fighter jets from France at a cost of Rs 58,000 crore.

Official sources claimed the original deal to procure 126 fighter jet could not go through during the UPA rule despite reaching the final stage due to an intervention by the then defence minister A K Antony as he felt something wrong in the process.

They said the government selected Rafale for procurement of the 36 fighter jets not because of the price arrived at during the UPA tenure but due to the &quot;overarching&quot; assessment of the jet.

There were allegations that payoffs were made in the procurement of the artillery guns from Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors in the late 1980s during the then Congress government. The allegations and its subsequent political ramifications had severely crippled the Indian Army&#39;s procurement of artillery guns.

Alleging corruption, the Congress has been asking the government whether the per aircraft price of Rafale, according to international bids opened on December 12, 2012, comes to $80.95 million (Rs 526.1 crore) as against the

Modi government&#39;s per aircraft negotiated price of&nbsp; $241.66 Million (Rs 1,570.8 crore) as per current exchange rates.

The UPA government floated a tender in 2007 for the purchase of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) for the Air Force and, post negotiations, two of them--Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon -- remained in the reckoning.

However, the deal could not be finalised by the UPA regime.

The Congress had also claimed that Qatar had purchased 12 Rafale fighter jets in November 2017 for $108.33 million per aircraft (Rs 694.80 crore), noting that the per aircraft rate at which the Gulf nation is buying the jet is much lower than the rate at which India will procure them.

The government has refused to give details of the price break up of each rafale aircraft, citing confidentiality provisions of a 2008 Indo-France pact.

In a detailed statement, the defence ministry last month had termed as &quot;unfounded&quot; allegations made by the Congress about the Rafale deal, asserting that the demand to disclose details such as its value was &quot;unrealistic&quot; as doing so might compromise India&#39;s national security.

It had said giving an item-wise cost and other information would reveal details about weapons systems and customisation of the jet.

The ministry had said that in 2012, the then defence minister exercised an unprecedented personal veto on the laid down institutional process then underway for the procurement of the 126 jets.&nbsp;

Sitharaman said she would welcome if the Congress raises the issue of procurement of Rafale jets when the budget session of the Parliament reconvenes from Monday

Dismissing allegations of corruption in the contract for 36 Rafale jets, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman today asserted there can be no comparison between the scam-hit Bofors gun deal and the procurement of the fighter aircraft. "Do not even compare it (Rafale deal) with Bofors. There is no scam here," Sitharaman told reporters when asked whether Rafale deal will go the Bofors way. Sitharaman said she would welcome if the Congress raises the issue of procurement of Rafale jets when the budget session of the Parliament reconvenes from Monday. "I will welcome it (if Congress raises it)," she said. The Congress has been ramping up attack on the government over the Rafale issue, claiming that the deal negotiated under its rule was much cheaper than the contract signed by the Modi government to procure 36 Rafale fighter jets from France at a cost of Rs 58,000 crore. Official sources claimed the original deal to procure 126 fighter jet could not go through during the UPA rule despite reaching the final stage due to an intervention by the then defence minister A K Antony as he felt something wrong in the process. They said the government selected Rafale for procurement of the 36 fighter jets not because of the price arrived at during the UPA tenure but due to the "overarching" assessment of the jet. There were allegations that payoffs were made in the procurement of the artillery guns from Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors in the late 1980s during the then Congress government. The allegations and its subsequent political ramifications had severely crippled the Indian Army's procurement of artillery guns. Alleging corruption, the Congress has been asking the government whether the per aircraft price of Rafale, according to international bids opened on December 12, 2012, comes to $80.95 million (Rs 526.1 crore) as against the Modi government's per aircraft negotiated price of $241.66 Million (Rs 1,570.8 crore) as per current exchange rates. The UPA government floated a tender in 2007 for the purchase of 126 medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) for the Air Force and, post negotiations, two of them--Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon -- remained in the reckoning. However, the deal could not be finalised by the UPA regime. The Congress had also claimed that Qatar had purchased 12 Rafale fighter jets in November 2017 for $108.33 million per aircraft (Rs 694.80 crore), noting that the per aircraft rate at which the Gulf nation is buying the jet is much lower than the rate at which India will procure them. The government has refused to give details of the price break up of each rafale aircraft, citing confidentiality provisions of a 2008 Indo-France pact. In a detailed statement, the defence ministry last month had termed as "unfounded" allegations made by the Congress about the Rafale deal, asserting that the demand to disclose details such as its value was "unrealistic" as doing so might compromise India's national security. It had said giving an item-wise cost and other information would reveal details about weapons systems and customisation of the jet. The ministry had said that in 2012, the then defence minister exercised an unprecedented personal veto on the laid down institutional process then underway for the procurement of the 126 jets.

No question of Rafale deal going the Bofors way: Nirmala Sitharaman

The BJP today alleged that the multi-crore PNB scam involving billionaire jewellery designer Nirav Modi happened during the UPA rule and the Congress was spreading lies to mislead the public.

The BJP, which fielded Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to counter the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/demonetisation-catalyst-for-modis-friends-and-cronies-to-loot-indian-banks-rahul-gandhi-33192" target="_blank">Congress&#39;s charges</a>, claimed that it was under the NDA government that the alleged scams committed during the UPA rule were being unearthed.

The Congress has alleged that the scam took place in 2017 under the Modi government when letters of understanding were signed by Punjab National Bank in favour of the companies of Nirav Modi and his partner and uncle Mehul Choksi.

Sitharaman said Nirav Modi may have been able to run away from the country, but the government is taking action against him, and claimed that it will &quot;surely nab him&quot;.

&quot;The original sin took place during the Congress regime. It multiplied, it took traction under the Congress regime,&quot; she told reporters.

&quot;We are not conspiring to help scamsters flee the country, but the BJP government is catching them instead,&quot; she said.

Accusing the Congress of spreading lies on the issue, the minister said, &quot;As always, the Congress party indulges in such scandalous affairs, misuses positions in government, tweaks system to help themselves and quietly cover up everything that they do.&quot;

Sitharaman said the Narendra Modi government came to power with a clear commitment of unearthing scams and corrupt practices.

Instead of explaining as to why the scam happened during the UPA rule, the Congress instead is making allegations against the BJP.

&quot;I am sorry, the Congress party&#39;s allegations against this government and in misleading people is just not going to happen.

&quot;Concerted repeating of lies for misleading people may be a strategy the Congress likes to adopt. But I am sorry the facts are facing you and it is for them to answer,&quot; she said.

To a question on the offenders fleeing the country during the NDA regime, Sitharaman said, &quot;They have fled but this doesn&#39;t mean we will not catch him. But they are facing the heat. Investigation is happening.&quot;

&quot;They are probably running away but I am not saying that we are sparing them. We will surely nab them. We are the ones to nab them,&quot; she said.

She alleged that the person who was approving the LoUs was quietly allowed to retire and the BJP which is taking action is being accused instead.

&quot;We have taken action. We have sent notices, confiscated their properties and the process is still on, but allegation is on us. Shocking that the Congress party (is doing this) despite being reduced to 44 in Lok Sabha,&quot; she said.

Sitharaman also alleged that it was Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who attended a promotional event hosted by Nirav Modi.

She also claimed that the Nirav Modi-run Fire Star Diamond International has taken on lease a property of Adwait Holdings in which Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi&#39;s wife is a director.

&quot;What is important that the premises has been used by Fire Star Diamond International,&quot; she alleged.

Sitharaman also claimed that a government director of Allahabad Bank, who in 2013 had raised objections to the financial restructuring of Gitanjali Gems, was asked to resign and his dissent was not even recorded.

BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said the Congress&#39;s murky links to Nirav Modi&#39;s company were coming out of the closet.

&quot;Abhishek Manu Singvi&#39;s wife purchased very pricey diamonds and jewelry worth crores and made payments of over Rs 4.8 crore as unaccounted cash. Singhvi has had wide relations with Nirav Modi both as a property lessee for Rs 30 lakh rent per month after 2015 and now show massive purchases of jewelry in 2014,&quot; he alleged in a statement.

Everyday, a new Congress leader&#39;s name gets linked to Nirav Modi, Rao said.

&quot;Firstly, Rahul Gandhi was reported to promote business events of Gitanjali Gem&#39;s owner in New Delhi days before Allahabad Bank approved fraudulently a loan of Rs 1,550 crore despite objections from a government-appointed director in the bank. P Chidambaram sacked the same director for objecting loan sanction to Gitanjali Gems.

&quot;All these developments clearly show that Rahul Gandhi, Chidambaram and Abhishek Manu Singvi have to answer for their dubious actions and association with Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi,&quot; he said.

Central probe agencies CBI and ED yesterday continued their crackdown in the Rs 11,400-crore bank fraud case involving Nirav Modi and family, registering a fresh case against Choksi.

The CBI has alleged that the new FIR pertains to 143 LOUs worth over Rs 4,886 crore fraudulently issued to three companies of Choksi -- Gitanjali Gems, Nakshatra and Gili -- during the period 2017-18, officials said.

The agency had earlier registered a separate case involving Rs 280-crore fraud, which has now been expanded to cover LoUs worth Rs 6,498 crore issued to accused companies of Nirav Modi and Choksi.

An LoU is a letter of comfort issued by one bank to branches of other banks, based on which foreign branches offer credit to buyers. PTI P

The BJP said it was unearthing the scams committed during UPA rule

The BJP today alleged that the multi-crore PNB scam involving billionaire jewellery designer Nirav Modi happened during the UPA rule and the Congress was spreading lies to mislead the public. The BJP, which fielded Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to counter the Congress's charges, claimed that it was under the NDA government that the alleged scams committed during the UPA rule were being unearthed. The Congress has alleged that the scam took place in 2017 under the Modi government when letters of understanding were signed by Punjab National Bank in favour of the companies of Nirav Modi and his partner and uncle Mehul Choksi. Sitharaman said Nirav Modi may have been able to run away from the country, but the government is taking action against him, and claimed that it will "surely nab him". "The original sin took place during the Congress regime. It multiplied, it took traction under the Congress regime," she told reporters. "We are not conspiring to help scamsters flee the country, but the BJP government is catching them instead," she said. Accusing the Congress of spreading lies on the issue, the minister said, "As always, the Congress party indulges in such scandalous affairs, misuses positions in government, tweaks system to help themselves and quietly cover up everything that they do." Sitharaman said the Narendra Modi government came to power with a clear commitment of unearthing scams and corrupt practices. Instead of explaining as to why the scam happened during the UPA rule, the Congress instead is making allegations against the BJP. "I am sorry, the Congress party's allegations against this government and in misleading people is just not going to happen. "Concerted repeating of lies for misleading people may be a strategy the Congress likes to adopt. But I am sorry the facts are facing you and it is for them to answer," she said. To a question on the offenders fleeing the country during the NDA regime, Sitharaman said, "They have fled but this doesn't mean we will not catch him. But they are facing the heat. Investigation is happening." "They are probably running away but I am not saying that we are sparing them. We will surely nab them. We are the ones to nab them," she said. She alleged that the person who was approving the LoUs was quietly allowed to retire and the BJP which is taking action is being accused instead. "We have taken action. We have sent notices, confiscated their properties and the process is still on, but allegation is on us. Shocking that the Congress party (is doing this) despite being reduced to 44 in Lok Sabha," she said. Sitharaman also alleged that it was Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who attended a promotional event hosted by Nirav Modi. She also claimed that the Nirav Modi-run Fire Star Diamond International has taken on lease a property of Adwait Holdings in which Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi's wife is a director. "What is important that the premises has been used by Fire Star Diamond International," she alleged. Sitharaman also claimed that a government director of Allahabad Bank, who in 2013 had raised objections to the financial restructuring of Gitanjali Gems, was asked to resign and his dissent was not even recorded. BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao said the Congress's murky links to Nirav Modi's company were coming out of the closet. "Abhishek Manu Singvi's wife purchased very pricey diamonds and jewelry worth crores and made payments of over Rs 4.8 crore as unaccounted cash. Singhvi has had wide relations with Nirav Modi both as a property lessee for Rs 30 lakh rent per month after 2015 and now show massive purchases of jewelry in 2014," he alleged in a statement. Everyday, a new Congress leader's name gets linked to Nirav Modi, Rao said. "Firstly, Rahul Gandhi was reported to promote business events of Gitanjali Gem's owner in New Delhi days before Allahabad Bank approved fraudulently a loan of Rs 1,550 crore despite objections from a government-appointed director in the bank. P Chidambaram sacked the same director for objecting loan sanction to Gitanjali Gems. "All these developments clearly show that Rahul Gandhi, Chidambaram and Abhishek Manu Singvi have to answer for their dubious actions and association with Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi," he said. Central probe agencies CBI and ED yesterday continued their crackdown in the Rs 11,400-crore bank fraud case involving Nirav Modi and family, registering a fresh case against Choksi. The CBI has alleged that the new FIR pertains to 143 LOUs worth over Rs 4,886 crore fraudulently issued to three companies of Choksi -- Gitanjali Gems, Nakshatra and Gili -- during the period 2017-18, officials said. The agency had earlier registered a separate case involving Rs 280-crore fraud, which has now been expanded to cover LoUs worth Rs 6,498 crore issued to accused companies of Nirav Modi and Choksi. An LoU is a letter of comfort issued by one bank to branches of other banks, based on which foreign branches offer credit to buyers. PTI P

PNB scam: 'Original sin' took place under Congress, says BJP

Construction of civilian houses adjacent to the boundary wall of Army camps is a problem across the country, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-live-defence-minister-nirmala-sitharaman-says-pakistan-will-pay-for-misadventure-32636" target="_blank">Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman</a> said on Monday.&nbsp;

The minister was in Jammu to visit the people injured in Saturday&#39;s terror attack on the Army camp in Sunjuwan.

&quot;Civil constructions are taking place near the boundary walls (of army camps across the country) and it is getting difficult to remove these constructions because these are taking place with permission.

&quot;I am studying the scenario in the entire country and will definitely come out with a solution,&quot; she told reporters here.

Asked about her stand on the state government&#39;s amnesty for stone pelters, Sitharaman said, &quot;I think first-time offenders were given amnesty and I am aware of that&quot;.

On the filing of an FIR against an Army major over the killing of three civilians in Shopian last month, she said the case is &quot;sub-judice&quot; and today the Supreme Court in response to the father of the officer has given a stay of 15 days on the FIR.

&quot;We have to see how it goes and we stand by our proud soldiers. In the call of duty if they have performed something, (it) still has to be contextualised and that is something on which I understand. I am not sure yet, but subject to verification, the defence ministry will respond to the Supreme Court,&quot; she said.

Sitharaman assured full support to the Army and said, &quot;The ministry of defence, me as the defence minister, and the Government of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s leadership will not let anybody down.&quot;

&quot;The Army is working under severe duress and we are conscious about it,&quot; she said.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

'Civil constructions are taking place near the boundary walls (of army camps across the country) and it is getting difficult to remove these constructions because these are taking place with permission' Sitharaman said

Construction of civilian houses adjacent to the boundary wall of Army camps is a problem across the country, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Monday. The minister was in Jammu to visit the people injured in Saturday's terror attack on the Army camp in Sunjuwan. "Civil constructions are taking place near the boundary walls (of army camps across the country) and it is getting difficult to remove these constructions because these are taking place with permission. "I am studying the scenario in the entire country and will definitely come out with a solution," she told reporters here. Asked about her stand on the state government's amnesty for stone pelters, Sitharaman said, "I think first-time offenders were given amnesty and I am aware of that". On the filing of an FIR against an Army major over the killing of three civilians in Shopian last month, she said the case is "sub-judice" and today the Supreme Court in response to the father of the officer has given a stay of 15 days on the FIR. "We have to see how it goes and we stand by our proud soldiers. In the call of duty if they have performed something, (it) still has to be contextualised and that is something on which I understand. I am not sure yet, but subject to verification, the defence ministry will respond to the Supreme Court," she said. Sitharaman assured full support to the Army and said, "The ministry of defence, me as the defence minister, and the Government of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership will not let anybody down." "The Army is working under severe duress and we are conscious about it," she said.

Civilian houses adjacent to Army camps' boundary wall a problem: Sitharaman

India&#39;s Act East policy is really &quot;taking shape&quot; and the presence of 10 ASEAN leaders during the Republic Day celebrations here will definitely showcase that policy, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said today.

She said this in response to a question from the press during her visit to the NCC Republic Day Camp at Delhi Cantonment.

&quot;The prime minister&#39;s intention that the Look East policy should now be the Act East policy is really taking shape.

&quot;And, by the very presence of 10 leaders from ASEAN during the Republic Day celebrations, India definitely is showcasing its Act East policy. And, we are happy that the event is going to happen with all of them present,&quot; she said.

Asked about ceasefire violations, she said, &quot;Let&#39;s focus on the NCC Camp and Republic Day today.&quot;

In an unprecedented event, leaders of all the 10 ASEAN member countries -- Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei -- will be chief guests at the ceremonial parade at Rajpath on January 26.

Earlier, Sitharaman presented the &#39;Raksha Mantri Padak&#39; and commendation cards to cadets at an investiture ceremony held at the camp.

The Raksha Mantri Padak, instituted in 1989, is presented to the most deserving cadet every year for bravery or exceptional service of the highest order. Cadet Priya of the Uttar Pradesh Directorate received the honour today.

The defence minister said the the National Cadet Corps, since its inception has helped in the nation-building process by inculcating among the youth, discipline, confidence, camaraderie and a spirit of adventure.

&quot;I am very impressed by the high standard of the parade displayed by cadets at the camp and other skills during the cultural programme.

&quot;NCC cadets have played their role in times of natural disasters, and in promoting government programmes like Swachh Bharat, and awareness programme for the girl child,&quot; she said in her address.

During her interaction with reporters, she said the government&#39;s vision is to expand the footprint of the Corps in the country.

Currently, 13 lakh cadets are enrolled in the NCC and the government has planned to increase it to 15 lakh in five phases by 2020.

Sitharaman also visited the &#39;Hall of Fame&#39; gallery where she was given a guided tour of the exhibits by the cadets.

In the naval section of the gallery, she also admired a model of &#39;INS Ranvijay&#39; and enquired from NCC officials about the Rajput-class destroyer, which was commissioned on December 21, 1987.

During an inspection of the flag area, she shook hands with a few cadets, who gave a presentation on their respective directorates.

As many as 2,070 cadets, including 703 girls, from 29 states and seven Union territories are participating in this R-Day Camp. It will conclude with the &#39;PM Rally&#39; on January 28.

Nirmala Sitharaman said this in response to a question from the press during her visit to the NCC Republic Day Camp at Delhi Cantonment.

India's Act East policy is really "taking shape" and the presence of 10 ASEAN leaders during the Republic Day celebrations here will definitely showcase that policy, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said today. She said this in response to a question from the press during her visit to the NCC Republic Day Camp at Delhi Cantonment. "The prime minister's intention that the Look East policy should now be the Act East policy is really taking shape. "And, by the very presence of 10 leaders from ASEAN during the Republic Day celebrations, India definitely is showcasing its Act East policy. And, we are happy that the event is going to happen with all of them present," she said. Asked about ceasefire violations, she said, "Let's focus on the NCC Camp and Republic Day today." In an unprecedented event, leaders of all the 10 ASEAN member countries -- Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Brunei -- will be chief guests at the ceremonial parade at Rajpath on January 26. Earlier, Sitharaman presented the 'Raksha Mantri Padak' and commendation cards to cadets at an investiture ceremony held at the camp. The Raksha Mantri Padak, instituted in 1989, is presented to the most deserving cadet every year for bravery or exceptional service of the highest order. Cadet Priya of the Uttar Pradesh Directorate received the honour today. The defence minister said the the National Cadet Corps, since its inception has helped in the nation-building process by inculcating among the youth, discipline, confidence, camaraderie and a spirit of adventure. "I am very impressed by the high standard of the parade displayed by cadets at the camp and other skills during the cultural programme. "NCC cadets have played their role in times of natural disasters, and in promoting government programmes like Swachh Bharat, and awareness programme for the girl child," she said in her address. During her interaction with reporters, she said the government's vision is to expand the footprint of the Corps in the country. Currently, 13 lakh cadets are enrolled in the NCC and the government has planned to increase it to 15 lakh in five phases by 2020. Sitharaman also visited the 'Hall of Fame' gallery where she was given a guided tour of the exhibits by the cadets. In the naval section of the gallery, she also admired a model of 'INS Ranvijay' and enquired from NCC officials about the Rajput-class destroyer, which was commissioned on December 21, 1987. During an inspection of the flag area, she shook hands with a few cadets, who gave a presentation on their respective directorates. As many as 2,070 cadets, including 703 girls, from 29 states and seven Union territories are participating in this R-Day Camp. It will conclude with the 'PM Rally' on January 28.

With ASEAN leaders at Republic Day, India is showcasing its Act East policy: Defence Minister

Congress President Rahul Gandhi alleged a &quot;scam&quot; Tuesday in the Rafael deal, after Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman refused to disclose details of the deal on Monday.&nbsp;

&quot;For the first time, the defence minister is saying that we will not share details of money spent on buying the aircraft...I spoke during the Gujarat polls that there is a scam (in the Rafale deal). Modi ji has personally got the deal done,&quot; PTI quoted Gandhi as telling reporters outside Parliament.&nbsp;

&quot;Modi ji had personally gone to Paris. Personally the deal was changed. The entire India knows it. And the defence minister is saying she will not inform India, the Indian martyrs and their relatives about the money spent on buying those aircraft. What does this mean? This only means there is some scam,&quot; Gandhi added.&nbsp;

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The Defence Minister says that we will not reveal the amount paid for buying <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rafael?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rafael</a> aircrafts. What does this mean? This only means there is a scam. Modi ji personally went to Paris, he changed the deal. The whole country knows it: Congress President Rahul Gandhi <a href="https://t.co/C81lszYE9g">pic.twitter.com/C81lszYE9g</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/960838110404849665?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Sitharaman had told Parliament on Monday that the government cannot disclose details of the fighter jet deal because of a secrecy pact between the governments of India and France.&nbsp;

Her response was to a written question in Rajya Sabha by Samajwadi Party member Naresh Agrawal, who had asked whether the government did not want to disclose in public domain the agreement between India and France for purchasing the aircraft.&nbsp;

Leaders of the Congress and Samajwadi party had sought disclosure of the amount being paid in the present deal.

The Congress has alleged that the price paid for the jets by the NDA government is higher than that finalised by the UPA in the previous deal.

Sitharaman was also asked whether there was any involvement of a private sector company in the deal, to which she clarified that neither any public sector nor private sector company was included in the agreement.

Sitharaman further added that the deal has been finalised at an amount lower than the earlier deal.

&nbsp;

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'The defence minister is saying she will not inform India... What does this mean? This only means there is some scam,' said Rahul

Congress President Rahul Gandhi alleged a "scam" Tuesday in the Rafael deal, after Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman refused to disclose details of the deal on Monday. "For the first time, the defence minister is saying that we will not share details of money spent on buying the aircraft...I spoke during the Gujarat polls that there is a scam (in the Rafale deal). Modi ji has personally got the deal done," PTI quoted Gandhi as telling reporters outside Parliament. "Modi ji had personally gone to Paris. Personally the deal was changed. The entire India knows it. And the defence minister is saying she will not inform India, the Indian martyrs and their relatives about the money spent on buying those aircraft. What does this mean? This only means there is some scam," Gandhi added. The Defence Minister says that we will not reveal the amount paid for buying #Rafael aircrafts. What does this mean? This only means there is a scam. Modi ji personally went to Paris, he changed the deal. The whole country knows it: Congress President Rahul Gandhi pic.twitter.com/C81lszYE9g — ANI (@ANI) February 6, 2018 × Sitharaman had told Parliament on Monday that the government cannot disclose details of the fighter jet deal because of a secrecy pact between the governments of India and France. Her response was to a written question in Rajya Sabha by Samajwadi Party member Naresh Agrawal, who had asked whether the government did not want to disclose in public domain the agreement between India and France for purchasing the aircraft. Leaders of the Congress and Samajwadi party had sought disclosure of the amount being paid in the present deal. The Congress has alleged that the price paid for the jets by the NDA government is higher than that finalised by the UPA in the previous deal. Sitharaman was also asked whether there was any involvement of a private sector company in the deal, to which she clarified that neither any public sector nor private sector company was included in the agreement. Sitharaman further added that the deal has been finalised at an amount lower than the earlier deal.

Rahul alleges 'scam' in Rafale deal

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited forward posts along the Sino-India border in the Ladakh region of Jammu Kashmir on Saturday.&nbsp;

The purpose of his visit was to interact with the jawans deployed at Daulat Beg Oldie and Chushul along the Sino-India border in Eastern Ladakh.&nbsp;

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Today visited some eastern Ladakh posts - DBO and Chushul sectors. <a href="https://t.co/uz4YrHvEXM">pic.twitter.com/uz4YrHvEXM</a>
&mdash; Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) <a href="https://twitter.com/nsitharaman/status/959816190737637377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The defence minister had earlier arrived at Thoise, a base-camp of the Indian Army along the India-China border, where she was briefed on the operational preparedness by the officers of the Army.

&quot;The Raksha Mantri arrived at Thoise today and was briefed on the operational preparedness of the forward areas,&quot; a defence spokesperson said.

This was the first ever visit of the defence minister to the DBO sector and to one of the highest posts in Eastern Ladakh.

&quot;She was flown in an Army Aviation ALH helicopter. Lt Gen D Anbu, Army Commander Northern Command and Corps Commander of the Ladakh Corps, accompanied her during the visit,&quot; the spokesperson said.&nbsp;

She further complimented the troops for their high motivation, action and dedication despite the harsh climate and terrain.

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Altitude, adverse weather conditions notwithstanding, our brave warriors keep their motivation high. <a href="https://twitter.com/DefenceMinIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DefenceMinIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/adgpi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@adgpi</a> <a href="https://t.co/Db1c0Ewb2w">pic.twitter.com/Db1c0Ewb2w</a>
&mdash; Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) <a href="https://twitter.com/nsitharaman/status/959820902753021953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The purpose of his visit was to interact with the jawans deployed at Daulat Beg Oldie and Chushul along the Sino-India border in Eastern Ladakh

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited forward posts along the Sino-India border in the Ladakh region of Jammu Kashmir on Saturday. The purpose of his visit was to interact with the jawans deployed at Daulat Beg Oldie and Chushul along the Sino-India border in Eastern Ladakh. Today visited some eastern Ladakh posts - DBO and Chushul sectors. pic.twitter.com/uz4YrHvEXM — Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) February 3, 2018 × The defence minister had earlier arrived at Thoise, a base-camp of the Indian Army along the India-China border, where she was briefed on the operational preparedness by the officers of the Army. "The Raksha Mantri arrived at Thoise today and was briefed on the operational preparedness of the forward areas," a defence spokesperson said. This was the first ever visit of the defence minister to the DBO sector and to one of the highest posts in Eastern Ladakh. "She was flown in an Army Aviation ALH helicopter. Lt Gen D Anbu, Army Commander Northern Command and Corps Commander of the Ladakh Corps, accompanied her during the visit," the spokesperson said. She further complimented the troops for their high motivation, action and dedication despite the harsh climate and terrain. Altitude, adverse weather conditions notwithstanding, our brave warriors keep their motivation high. @DefenceMinIndia @adgpi pic.twitter.com/Db1c0Ewb2w — Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) February 3, 2018 ×

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman visits eastern Ladakh posts

The Indian Air Force will<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/what-is-a-lifetime-adventure-for-you-is-a-daily-routine-for-us-defence-of-andaman-and-nicobar-islands-exercise-danx-564"> participate in Exercise Pitch Black </a>in Australia, the Australian defence minister&nbsp;Pyne has said.

The exercise which is dubbed the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/indra-2017-495"> largest Air Force training exercise </a>in the southern hemisphere is hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

In 2016, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and the US had participated in the air exercise.

The exercise which takes places every two years was started in 1981 for various RAAF units.&nbsp;

In 1990, Australia and Singapore took part in the exercise together and it was later expanded to include other countries.

&nbsp;United Arab Emirates, &nbsp;Canada, Germany and the Netherlands have taken part in the operation earlier.

The aim of the exercise is to practice offensive counter air (OCA) and defensive counter air (DCA) combat in a simulated environment which usually takes place at the Australian Air Force base at Glenbrook in New South Wales.

The Indian Air Force had earlier participated in the first joint tri-services military exercise with Russia in the eastern military district of Russia last year in October.

The Indian contingent containing 350 officers from the army, 80 from the Air Force including two IL 76 aircraft and one frigate and corvette took part in the military drill.

The exercise was meant to improve the &quot;interoperability&quot; between the two forces, vital in joint military and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

The exercise which is dubbed the largest Air Force training exercise in the southern hemisphere is hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force

The Indian Air Force will participate in Exercise Pitch Black in Australia, the Australian defence minister Pyne has said. The exercise which is dubbed the largest Air Force training exercise in the southern hemisphere is hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). In 2016, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand and the US had participated in the air exercise. The exercise which takes places every two years was started in 1981 for various RAAF units. In 1990, Australia and Singapore took part in the exercise together and it was later expanded to include other countries. United Arab Emirates, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands have taken part in the operation earlier. The aim of the exercise is to practice offensive counter air (OCA) and defensive counter air (DCA) combat in a simulated environment which usually takes place at the Australian Air Force base at Glenbrook in New South Wales. The Indian Air Force had earlier participated in the first joint tri-services military exercise with Russia in the eastern military district of Russia last year in October. The Indian contingent containing 350 officers from the army, 80 from the Air Force including two IL 76 aircraft and one frigate and corvette took part in the military drill. The exercise was meant to improve the "interoperability" between the two forces, vital in joint military and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations.

After Russia, Indian Air Force to take part in exercise 'Pitch Black' in Australia

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today took off in the IAF&#39;s frontline combat jet Sukhoi 30 MKI from the Jodhpur air base.&nbsp;

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The country&#39;s first woman defence minister sat in the rear seat behind the pilot and was wearing the pilot&#39;s G-suit.&nbsp;

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Smt <a href="https://twitter.com/nsitharaman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nsitharaman</a> takes off on the Su-30 MKI <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RakshaMantrifliesSukhoi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RakshaMantrifliesSukhoi</a> <a href="https://t.co/xC51hjeCSa">pic.twitter.com/xC51hjeCSa</a>
&mdash; Raksha Mantri (@DefenceMinIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/DefenceMinIndia/status/953539108202262528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The sortie is likely to last for 30 minutes, defence sources said.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Jodhpur: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gives a thumbs-up as she takes off for a sortie in the Sukhoi-30 MKI. <a href="https://t.co/aWGr9LtYw3">pic.twitter.com/aWGr9LtYw3</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/953547798569304065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

&quot;She is reviewing the operational preparedness and combat capabilities,&quot; the sources said.&nbsp;

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Jodhpur: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the cockpit of the Sukhoi-30 MKI, before taking off for a sortie. <a href="https://t.co/M3k72B56Jv">pic.twitter.com/M3k72B56Jv</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/953541245497876480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The Sukhoi 30 MKI is a twin-engine fighter aircraft with a two-seat cockpit. &nbsp;&nbsp;

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Smt <a href="https://twitter.com/nsitharaman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nsitharaman</a> in the cockpit of the Sukhoi-30 MKI, familiarising herself with the fighter aircraft, before taking off for a sortie <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RakshaMantrifliesSukhoi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RakshaMantrifliesSukhoi</a> <a href="https://t.co/uKtIbzOv7J">pic.twitter.com/uKtIbzOv7J</a>
&mdash; Raksha Mantri (@DefenceMinIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/DefenceMinIndia/status/953536439223857152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Sukoi-30 MKI is a nuclear-capable aircraft which can penetrate deep into enemy territory.

Dressed in the pilot's G-suit, the country's first woman Defence Minister sat in the rear seat behind the pilot

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today took off in the IAF's frontline combat jet Sukhoi 30 MKI from the Jodhpur air base. × The country's first woman defence minister sat in the rear seat behind the pilot and was wearing the pilot's G-suit. Smt @nsitharaman takes off on the Su-30 MKI #RakshaMantrifliesSukhoi pic.twitter.com/xC51hjeCSa — Raksha Mantri (@DefenceMinIndia) January 17, 2018 × The sortie is likely to last for 30 minutes, defence sources said. #WATCH Jodhpur: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman gives a thumbs-up as she takes off for a sortie in the Sukhoi-30 MKI. pic.twitter.com/aWGr9LtYw3 — ANI (@ANI) January 17, 2018 × "She is reviewing the operational preparedness and combat capabilities," the sources said. Jodhpur: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the cockpit of the Sukhoi-30 MKI, before taking off for a sortie. pic.twitter.com/M3k72B56Jv — ANI (@ANI) January 17, 2018 × The Sukhoi 30 MKI is a twin-engine fighter aircraft with a two-seat cockpit. Smt @nsitharaman in the cockpit of the Sukhoi-30 MKI, familiarising herself with the fighter aircraft, before taking off for a sortie #RakshaMantrifliesSukhoi pic.twitter.com/uKtIbzOv7J — Raksha Mantri (@DefenceMinIndia) January 17, 2018 × Sukoi-30 MKI is a nuclear-capable aircraft which can penetrate deep into enemy territory.

Watch: Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman flies Sukhoi 30MKI fighter jet

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman will fly a sortie in a Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Jodhpur today.&nbsp;

The Indian Air Force said Sitharaman will visit the Jodhpur airbase during which she will fly the aircraft.&nbsp;

The Sukhoi 30 MKI is a twin-engine fighter aircraft with two-seat cockpit. &nbsp;

Sitharaman will visit the Jodhpur airbase during which she will fly the aircraft

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman will fly a sortie in a Sukhoi 30 MKI fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Jodhpur today. The Indian Air Force said Sitharaman will visit the Jodhpur airbase during which she will fly the aircraft. The Sukhoi 30 MKI is a twin-engine fighter aircraft with two-seat cockpit.

Defense minister Nirmala Sitharaman to fly Sukhoi fighter aircraft

The Defence Acquisition Council cleared Tuesday the procurement of 72,400 assault rifles and 93,895 carbines worth Rs 3,547 crore.

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Defence Acquisition Council clears procurement of 72,400 assault rifles and 93,895 carbines for Rs 3547 crores in order to meet immediate requirement of the troops deployed along the borders. <a href="https://t.co/Hp9UitDAOF">pic.twitter.com/Hp9UitDAOF</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/953235406387953664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The procurement was cleared at a meeting chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

The weapons will be used by troops deployed along the borders.

Army Chief Bipin Rawat has in the past asked for modernisation of the armed forces since future wars, he said, would be fought in difficult circumstances.

He further assured that there would be full utilisation of technology if the government assist armed forces.

According to reports, the army has been planning to equip around a lakh soldiers with assault rifles this year.

The rifles will be replacing more than two-decade-old weapons that have outlived its usefulness.

The proposal was cleared at a Defence Acquisition Council meeting chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

The Defence Acquisition Council cleared Tuesday the procurement of 72,400 assault rifles and 93,895 carbines worth Rs 3,547 crore. Defence Acquisition Council clears procurement of 72,400 assault rifles and 93,895 carbines for Rs 3547 crores in order to meet immediate requirement of the troops deployed along the borders. pic.twitter.com/Hp9UitDAOF — ANI (@ANI) January 16, 2018 × The procurement was cleared at a meeting chaired by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The weapons will be used by troops deployed along the borders. Army Chief Bipin Rawat has in the past asked for modernisation of the armed forces since future wars, he said, would be fought in difficult circumstances. He further assured that there would be full utilisation of technology if the government assist armed forces. According to reports, the army has been planning to equip around a lakh soldiers with assault rifles this year. The rifles will be replacing more than two-decade-old weapons that have outlived its usefulness.

Government clears Rs 3,547 crore purchase of assault rifles, carbines for troops along border

The defence forces and other agencies involved in the rescue operation after Cyclone Ockhi battered southern India saved 845 lives, but 661 fishermen were still missing, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.

In a written response to a question, Sitharaman said the Navy, the Air Force and the Coast Guard saved the lives of 821 people until December 20. Another 24 lives were saved by other agencies, including merchant navy vessels.

Of the total 845 people rescued, 453 were from Tamil Nadu, 362 from Kerala, and 30 from the Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands.

The majority of those untraceable are from Tamil Nadu (400) and Kerala (261), the worst-hit States.

Of the total 845 people rescued, 453 were from Tamil Nadu, 362 from Kerala, and 30 from the Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands.

The defence forces and other agencies involved in the rescue operation after Cyclone Ockhi battered southern India saved 845 lives, but 661 fishermen were still missing, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. In a written response to a question, Sitharaman said the Navy, the Air Force and the Coast Guard saved the lives of 821 people until December 20. Another 24 lives were saved by other agencies, including merchant navy vessels. Of the total 845 people rescued, 453 were from Tamil Nadu, 362 from Kerala, and 30 from the Lakshadweep and Minicoy islands. The majority of those untraceable are from Tamil Nadu (400) and Kerala (261), the worst-hit States.

661 fishermen still missing after 'Ockhi' onslaught: Nirmala Sitharaman

BJP is all set to form its government in both the states as they won with a full majority in both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

Minister of health and family welfare, JP Nadda said that finance minister Arun Jaitley and party secretary Saroj Pandey will go to Gujarat to discuss the leadership in the state.

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman and rural development minister Narendra Tomar will be going to Himachal Pradesh to discuss&nbsp;the leadership in Himachal Pradesh.

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FM Arun Jaitley and General Secy of the party Saroj Pandey will go as observers to Gujarat &amp; discuss about the leadership in the state. Similarly Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Narendra Tomar will go to Himachal Pradesh to discuss about the leadership there: JP Nadda <a href="https://t.co/nSWF2znl5m">pic.twitter.com/nSWF2znl5m</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/942759669239390208?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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However, Prem Kumar Dhumal BJP&#39;s chief minister candidate lost in its constituency Sujanpur in Himachal Pradesh, which means BJP would have to choose another leader for the post.

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Personal loss is not of much importance.The gain that victory has brought to state BJP is important. Thankful to people of the state for voting for BJP. In politics, sometimes one wins, sometimes one loses. I was not expecting to lose, I will do an analysis: PK Dhumal <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Himachal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Himachal</a> <a href="https://t.co/7UrumoxVhp">pic.twitter.com/7UrumoxVhp</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/942715521652244481?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Dhumal&nbsp;lost against Congress&#39; Rajinder Rana in Sujanpur, after he changed his traditional constituency of Hamirpur.&nbsp;

Congress leader and six-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh won from Arki.

In Gujarat, incumbent chief minister Vijay Rupani won from Rajkot.

Currently, BJP has won 41 seats with a lead in 3 seats, while Congress has won 19 seats with lead in 2 seats.

Currently, BJP has won 41 seats with a lead in 3 seats, while Congress has won 19 seats with lead in 2 seats

BJP is all set to form its government in both the states as they won with a full majority in both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Minister of health and family welfare, JP Nadda said that finance minister Arun Jaitley and party secretary Saroj Pandey will go to Gujarat to discuss the leadership in the state. Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman and rural development minister Narendra Tomar will be going to Himachal Pradesh to discuss the leadership in Himachal Pradesh. FM Arun Jaitley and General Secy of the party Saroj Pandey will go as observers to Gujarat & discuss about the leadership in the state. Similarly Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Narendra Tomar will go to Himachal Pradesh to discuss about the leadership there: JP Nadda pic.twitter.com/nSWF2znl5m — ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2017 × However, Prem Kumar Dhumal BJP's chief minister candidate lost in its constituency Sujanpur in Himachal Pradesh, which means BJP would have to choose another leader for the post. Personal loss is not of much importance.The gain that victory has brought to state BJP is important. Thankful to people of the state for voting for BJP. In politics, sometimes one wins, sometimes one loses. I was not expecting to lose, I will do an analysis: PK Dhumal #Himachal pic.twitter.com/7UrumoxVhp — ANI (@ANI) December 18, 2017 × Dhumal lost against Congress' Rajinder Rana in Sujanpur, after he changed his traditional constituency of Hamirpur. Congress leader and six-time chief minister Virbhadra Singh won from Arki. In Gujarat, incumbent chief minister Vijay Rupani won from Rajkot. Currently, BJP has won 41 seats with a lead in 3 seats, while Congress has won 19 seats with lead in 2 seats.

Nirmala Sitharaman and Narendra Tomar will go to Himachal to discuss leadership: JP Nadda

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/week-after-north-korea-missile-test-us-south-korea-kick-off-largest-air-exercise-25783">Week after North Korea missile test, US &amp; South Korea kick off largest air exercise</a>

South Korea and the United States launched their largest-ever joint aerial drills on Monday, officials said, a week after North Korea said it had tested its most advanced missile as part of a weapons program that has raised global tensions

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-hospital-that-declared-newborn-dead-terminates-two-doctors-25775">Delhi hospital that declared newborn dead terminates two doctors</a>

The Delhi hospital that incorrectly declared a newborn baby dead has said that it is terminating the services of two doctors involved in the incident.

The decision was taken Sunday night after a meeting of Max Healthcare authorities.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-close-to-decision-on-whether-to-recognise-jerusalem-as-israel-capital-jared-kushner-25782">Trump close to decision on whether to recognise Jerusalem as Israel capital: Jared Kushner</a>

US President Donald Trump is close to a decision on whether to recognize Jerusalem as Israel&#39;s capital, his son-in-law and Middle East peace envoy Jared Kushner said Sunday.

Palestinian leaders are lobbying desperately against such a move, fearing it could provoke such fury in the Arab world it could sink peace hopes for a generation.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cyclone-ockhi-357-fishermen-rescued-so-far-25779">Cyclone </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cyclone-ockhi-357-fishermen-rescued-so-far-25779">Ockhi</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cyclone-ockhi-357-fishermen-rescued-so-far-25779">: 357 fishermen rescued so far, says defence minister</a>

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Sunday that, so far, 357 fishermen who had been stranded at sea due to Cyclone Ockhi&nbsp;had been rescued.

Sitharaman had reached Kanyakumari on Sunday to take stock of the situation.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/soccer-late-silva-goal-extends-citys-winning-run-to-13-games-25784">EPL: Late Silva goal extends City&#39;s winning run to 13 games</a>

David Silva scored a late goal as runaway leaders Manchester City won their 13th successive Premier League game and restored their eight-point lead with a 2-1 victory against West Ham United on Sunday.

Week after North Korea missile test, US & South Korea kick off largest air exercise South Korea and the United States launched their largest-ever joint aerial drills on Monday, officials said, a week after North Korea said it had tested its most advanced missile as part of a weapons program that has raised global tensions Delhi hospital that declared newborn dead terminates two doctors The Delhi hospital that incorrectly declared a newborn baby dead has said that it is terminating the services of two doctors involved in the incident. The decision was taken Sunday night after a meeting of Max Healthcare authorities. Trump close to decision on whether to recognise Jerusalem as Israel capital: Jared Kushner US President Donald Trump is close to a decision on whether to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, his son-in-law and Middle East peace envoy Jared Kushner said Sunday. Palestinian leaders are lobbying desperately against such a move, fearing it could provoke such fury in the Arab world it could sink peace hopes for a generation. Cyclone Ockhi: 357 fishermen rescued so far, says defence minister Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Sunday that, so far, 357 fishermen who had been stranded at sea due to Cyclone Ockhi had been rescued. Sitharaman had reached Kanyakumari on Sunday to take stock of the situation. EPL: Late Silva goal extends City's winning run to 13 games David Silva scored a late goal as runaway leaders Manchester City won their 13th successive Premier League game and restored their eight-point lead with a 2-1 victory against West Ham United on Sunday.

WION morning news brief, November 4, 2017

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Sunday that, so far, 357 fishermen who had been stranded at sea due to Cyclone Ockhi&nbsp;had been rescued.

Sitharaman had reached Kanyakumari on Sunday to take stock of the situation.

Ockhi has ravaged the coasts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and the Lakshadweep Islands.&nbsp;

It had also been expected to hit the coast of Gujarat.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ockhicyclone-may-now-hit-gujarat-coast-25758">Also read: Cyclone Ockhi may now hit Gujarat coast</a>

&quot;Indian Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force are still engaged in rescue operations to save the lives of fishermen affected by Cyclone Ockhi,&quot; ANI reported Sitharaman as saying.&nbsp;

&quot;Information has also been passed to an international safety network and foreign ships to help rescue our fishermen. Meanwhile, 68 boats have reached Maharashtra coast out of which two boats were from Tamil Nadu and others from Kerala,&quot; she added.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/30-died-due-to-cyclone-ockhi-report-25771">30 die&nbsp;due to Cyclone Ockhi </a>

Sitharaman added that the search area was being widened since a number of coastal villages were reporting that fishermen who had ventured out to sea as much as 15 days ago had not yet returned.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cyclone-ockhi-likely-to-weaken-indian-meteorological-department-25709">Cyclone Ockhi likely to weaken, says Indian Meteorological Department</a>

&nbsp;

Nirmala SItharaman had reached Kanyakumari on Sunday to take stock of the situation

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Sunday that, so far, 357 fishermen who had been stranded at sea due to Cyclone Ockhi had been rescued. Sitharaman had reached Kanyakumari on Sunday to take stock of the situation. Ockhi has ravaged the coasts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and the Lakshadweep Islands. It had also been expected to hit the coast of Gujarat. Also read: Cyclone Ockhi may now hit Gujarat coast "Indian Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force are still engaged in rescue operations to save the lives of fishermen affected by Cyclone Ockhi," ANI reported Sitharaman as saying. "Information has also been passed to an international safety network and foreign ships to help rescue our fishermen. Meanwhile, 68 boats have reached Maharashtra coast out of which two boats were from Tamil Nadu and others from Kerala," she added. Also read: 30 die due to Cyclone Ockhi Sitharaman added that the search area was being widened since a number of coastal villages were reporting that fishermen who had ventured out to sea as much as 15 days ago had not yet returned. Also read: Cyclone Ockhi likely to weaken, says Indian Meteorological Department

Cyclone Ockhi: 357 fishermen rescued so far, says defence minister

The cyclone Ockhi&nbsp;is likely to lose its intensity gradually from Sunday, said the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

&quot;The very severe cyclonic storm &#39;Ockhi&#39; over Lakshadweep area and adjoining Southeast Arabian Sea further moved northwestwards with a speed of 15 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centred at 2330 hrs IST of December 2, 2017 over the southeast Arabian Sea near Latitude 11.1&ordm; N and Longitude 69.7&ordm; E, about 330 km west of Amini Divi. The system is very likely to weaken gradually from today the December 3, 2017, morning,&quot; said IMD.

Moderate rain is also expected at a few places in Tamil Nadu &amp; Pondicherry during next 24 hours. Fishermen are asked not to venture into deep sea of north Tamil Nadu &amp; South Andhra coast till December 25th: S Balachandran, India Meteorological Department

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Moderate rain is expected at a few places in Tamil Nadu &amp; Pondicherry during next 24 hours. Fishermen are asked not to venture into deep sea of north Tamil Nadu &amp; South Andhra coast till December 25th: S Balachandran, MET department <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CycloneOckhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CycloneOckhi</a> <a href="https://t.co/n06CR1giuC">pic.twitter.com/n06CR1giuC</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/937222597896372224?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The storm has so far claimed 18 lives&nbsp;and has affected&nbsp;Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Lakshwadeep and neighbouring Sri Lanka.

Kerala and Tamil Nadu have declared compensation to the families of those who died in the storm.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had also decided to ask the Centre to declare the Ockhi cyclone as a &#39;national calamity&#39;.

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Kerala govt has decided to ask the Union government to declare <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/OckhiCyclone?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#OckhiCyclone</a> a national calamity. The Chief Secretary has been entrusted to prepare the memorandum in this regard: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan <a href="https://t.co/pyCrT3dkva">pic.twitter.com/pyCrT3dkva</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/937006103254130688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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On Saturday, several stranded fishermen were rescued during the massive search operations carried out by INS ships.

Along with air effort, six warships and two coast guard ships were deployed for the rescue operation, confirmed Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.&nbsp;

Sitharaman further added that, 97 are yet to be rescued, 71 from Tamil Nadu have been rescued till now. The Coast Guard is at it, with all its strength to rescue the rest. Hoping for good news soon.

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Claims of thousand fishermen stranded is false. Correct figures- 97 are yet to be rescued, 71 from TN have been rescued till now. The Coast Guard is at it, with all its strength to rescue the rest. Hoping for good news soon: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CycloneOckhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CycloneOckhi</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/936977995469791232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The cyclone, which originated from Kanyakumari, made its way to Lakshadweep islands on Saturday morning causing massive destruction and claiming 14 lives.

It has intensified into &quot;severe cyclonic storm&quot;&nbsp;with wind reaching up to the speed of 60 to 70 km.

The deadly storm had also killed seven people in neighbouring Sri Lanka and affected the lives of nearly 20,000 people.

The storm has so far claimed 18 lives and has affected?Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Lakshwadeep and neighbouring Sri Lanka.

The cyclone Ockhi is likely to lose its intensity gradually from Sunday, said the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). "The very severe cyclonic storm 'Ockhi' over Lakshadweep area and adjoining Southeast Arabian Sea further moved northwestwards with a speed of 15 kmph during past 6 hours and lay centred at 2330 hrs IST of December 2, 2017 over the southeast Arabian Sea near Latitude 11.1º N and Longitude 69.7º E, about 330 km west of Amini Divi. The system is very likely to weaken gradually from today the December 3, 2017, morning," said IMD. Moderate rain is also expected at a few places in Tamil Nadu & Pondicherry during next 24 hours. Fishermen are asked not to venture into deep sea of north Tamil Nadu & South Andhra coast till December 25th: S Balachandran, India Meteorological Department Moderate rain is expected at a few places in Tamil Nadu & Pondicherry during next 24 hours. Fishermen are asked not to venture into deep sea of north Tamil Nadu & South Andhra coast till December 25th: S Balachandran, MET department #CycloneOckhi pic.twitter.com/n06CR1giuC — ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2017 × The storm has so far claimed 18 lives and has affected Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Lakshwadeep and neighbouring Sri Lanka. Kerala and Tamil Nadu have declared compensation to the families of those who died in the storm. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had also decided to ask the Centre to declare the Ockhi cyclone as a 'national calamity'. Kerala govt has decided to ask the Union government to declare #OckhiCyclone a national calamity. The Chief Secretary has been entrusted to prepare the memorandum in this regard: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan pic.twitter.com/pyCrT3dkva — ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2017 × On Saturday, several stranded fishermen were rescued during the massive search operations carried out by INS ships. Along with air effort, six warships and two coast guard ships were deployed for the rescue operation, confirmed Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. Sitharaman further added that, 97 are yet to be rescued, 71 from Tamil Nadu have been rescued till now. The Coast Guard is at it, with all its strength to rescue the rest. Hoping for good news soon. Claims of thousand fishermen stranded is false. Correct figures- 97 are yet to be rescued, 71 from TN have been rescued till now. The Coast Guard is at it, with all its strength to rescue the rest. Hoping for good news soon: Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman #CycloneOckhi — ANI (@ANI) December 2, 2017 × The cyclone, which originated from Kanyakumari, made its way to Lakshadweep islands on Saturday morning causing massive destruction and claiming 14 lives. It has intensified into "severe cyclonic storm" with wind reaching up to the speed of 60 to 70 km. The deadly storm had also killed seven people in neighbouring Sri Lanka and affected the lives of nearly 20,000 people.

Cyclone Ockhi likely to weaken: Indian Meteorological Department

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday&nbsp;hit back at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the multi-crore Rafale deal, claiming it was &quot;shameful&quot; that her boss was &quot;silencing&quot; her.

Mr Gandhi&#39;s retort comes a day after Ms Sitharaman alleged that it was shameful on part of the Congress to raise objections on the fighter aircraft deal.

He also asked her whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken permission from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) before announcing the purchase of the Rafale fighter aircraft in Paris.

The Congress had raised several questions on the deal, accusing the government of compromising national interest and security while promoting &quot;crony capitalism&quot; and causing a loss to the public exchequer.

&quot;Dear RM, what&#39;s shameful is your boss silencing you. Please tell us: 1. Final price of each Rafale jet? 2. Did PM take CCS permission before announcing purchase in Paris? 3. Why PM bypassed experienced HAL and gave the deal to AA rated businessman with no defence experience?&quot; Mr Gandhi tweeted.

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Dear RM, what&rsquo;s shameful is your boss silencing you. Please tell us : 
1. Final price of each Rafale jet? 
2. Did PM take CCS permission before announcing purchase in Paris? 
3. Why PM bypassed experienced HAL &amp; gave the deal to AA rated businessman with no defence experience?
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/931829739873898496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The Congress and the BJP have exchanged barbs over the multi-crore Rafale fighter aircraft deal.

While the Congress was alleging that a scam was brewing in the deal, the BJP claimed that the renegotiated deal was transparent and better than the deal negotiated by the previous UPA government.

India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France in September last year for the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs. 58,000 crore, nearly one-and-half years after the Prime Minister announced the proposal during a visit to Paris.

The delivery of the jets is scheduled to begin from September 2019.

Mr Gandhi's retort comes a day after Ms Sitharaman alleged that it was shameful on part of the Congress to raise objections on the fighter aircraft deal

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit back at Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman over the multi-crore Rafale deal, claiming it was "shameful" that her boss was "silencing" her. Mr Gandhi's retort comes a day after Ms Sitharaman alleged that it was shameful on part of the Congress to raise objections on the fighter aircraft deal. He also asked her whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi had taken permission from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) before announcing the purchase of the Rafale fighter aircraft in Paris. The Congress had raised several questions on the deal, accusing the government of compromising national interest and security while promoting "crony capitalism" and causing a loss to the public exchequer. "Dear RM, what's shameful is your boss silencing you. Please tell us: 1. Final price of each Rafale jet? 2. Did PM take CCS permission before announcing purchase in Paris? 3. Why PM bypassed experienced HAL and gave the deal to AA rated businessman with no defence experience?" Mr Gandhi tweeted. Dear RM, what’s shameful is your boss silencing you. Please tell us : 1. Final price of each Rafale jet? 2. Did PM take CCS permission before announcing purchase in Paris? 3. Why PM bypassed experienced HAL & gave the deal to AA rated businessman with no defence experience? — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 18, 2017 × The Congress and the BJP have exchanged barbs over the multi-crore Rafale fighter aircraft deal. While the Congress was alleging that a scam was brewing in the deal, the BJP claimed that the renegotiated deal was transparent and better than the deal negotiated by the previous UPA government. India had inked an inter-governmental agreement with France in September last year for the procurement of 36 Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs. 58,000 crore, nearly one-and-half years after the Prime Minister announced the proposal during a visit to Paris. The delivery of the jets is scheduled to begin from September 2019.

Your boss silencing you is 'shameful': Rahul Gandhi to Nirmala Sitharaman

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Friday that the allegations against the Rafale deal were &quot;shameful&quot; and a &quot;disservice&quot; to the country&#39;s armed forces.&nbsp;

Sitharaman&#39;s remarks came a day after Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of changing the &quot;entire deal&quot; for the benefit of one businessman. &nbsp;

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Can you explain &quot;Reliance&quot; on someone with nil experience in aerospace for Rafale deal?
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/930995047436185600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Self &quot;Reliance&quot; is obviously a critical aspect of &quot;Make in India.&quot;
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/930995317801082882?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 16, 2017</a></blockquote>
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India is buying 36 Rafale fighter jets from France.&nbsp;

The Congress has alleged the deal is overpriced, and that there is a scam brewing.&nbsp;

And that the deal was changed to benefit Anil Ambani&#39;s Reliance Defence Limited.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken to the French government about the jets during his April 2015 visit to Paris.&nbsp;

The final agreement for the jets was signed in 2016.&nbsp;

The Congress has alleged that the planes are being bought at three times the price the former UPA government had negotiated with France.&nbsp;

The 36 Rafale jets are going to cost India Rs 58,000 crore.

The Congress says the UPA government had negotiated a $10.2 billion deal for the acquisition of 126 Rafale jets while the NDA government renegotiated the deal down to $8.7 billion -- but for just 36 fighters.

Sitharaman retorted Friday that the Congress had sat on the deal for 10 years -- at the cost of national security.&nbsp;

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Smt <a href="https://twitter.com/nsitharaman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nsitharaman</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Rafale?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Rafale</a> : &quot; The present govt addressed the vacuum in our national security structure created by the indecisiveness of 10 yr long UPA regime by immediately procuring 36 aircraft in a fly-away condition&quot; (1)
&mdash; Raksha Mantri (@DefenceMinIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/DefenceMinIndia/status/931494883226824706?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;This (delay) potentially compromised national security interests,&quot; the minister was quoted as saying.

Sitharaman added Friday that the deal was signed after five rounds of discussions between the Indian and French sides, and approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security.&nbsp;

&quot;These allegations are shameful...The deal was finalised following a transparent procedure,&quot; PTI reported Sitharaman as telling reporters.

Indian Air Force Chief BS Dhano had on Thursday also weighed in on the controversy, saying he did not understand what it was about.&nbsp;

&quot;This is a cheaper deal,&quot; he had said.&nbsp;

The Congress has alleged the deal -- India is buying 36 Rafale fighter jets from France -- is overpriced, and that there is a scam brewing

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Friday that the allegations against the Rafale deal were "shameful" and a "disservice" to the country's armed forces. Sitharaman's remarks came a day after Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of changing the "entire deal" for the benefit of one businessman. Can you explain "Reliance" on someone with nil experience in aerospace for Rafale deal? — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 16, 2017 × Self "Reliance" is obviously a critical aspect of "Make in India." — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) November 16, 2017 × India is buying 36 Rafale fighter jets from France. The Congress has alleged the deal is overpriced, and that there is a scam brewing. And that the deal was changed to benefit Anil Ambani's Reliance Defence Limited. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken to the French government about the jets during his April 2015 visit to Paris. The final agreement for the jets was signed in 2016. The Congress has alleged that the planes are being bought at three times the price the former UPA government had negotiated with France. The 36 Rafale jets are going to cost India Rs 58,000 crore. The Congress says the UPA government had negotiated a $10.2 billion deal for the acquisition of 126 Rafale jets while the NDA government renegotiated the deal down to $8.7 billion -- but for just 36 fighters. Sitharaman retorted Friday that the Congress had sat on the deal for 10 years -- at the cost of national security. Smt @nsitharaman on #Rafale : " The present govt addressed the vacuum in our national security structure created by the indecisiveness of 10 yr long UPA regime by immediately procuring 36 aircraft in a fly-away condition" (1) — Raksha Mantri (@DefenceMinIndia) November 17, 2017 × "This (delay) potentially compromised national security interests," the minister was quoted as saying. Sitharaman added Friday that the deal was signed after five rounds of discussions between the Indian and French sides, and approval by the Cabinet Committee on Security. "These allegations are shameful...The deal was finalised following a transparent procedure," PTI reported Sitharaman as telling reporters. Indian Air Force Chief BS Dhano had on Thursday also weighed in on the controversy, saying he did not understand what it was about. "This is a cheaper deal," he had said.

Allegations against Rafale deal 'shameful', 'disservice' to armed forces: Nirmala Sitharaman

Rebuffing China&#39;s objection to her visit to Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday and Sunday, defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the northeastern state is an Indian territory and India is not concerned about someone else&#39;s opinion.

China had objected to Sitharaman&#39;s first visit to the border state, saying her tour of the &quot;disputed area&quot; was not conducive to peace in the region.

India had rejected Beijing&#39;s objection and asserted that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country.

&quot;What is the problem? There is no problem. It is our territory, we will go there,&quot; she said in a reply to a query on China&#39;s reaction on her visit to Arunachal Pradesh.

&quot;We are not concerned with someone else&#39;s opinion on this,&quot; Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.

Sitharaman visited army posts in remote Anjaw district of the state bordering China to take stock of defence preparedness. She also visited the Nathu La area on the India-China border in Sikkim last month and greeted the People&#39;s Liberation Army soldiers across the border.&nbsp;

Her &quot;friendly gesture&quot; had earned appreciation from the Chinese media.

Rebuffing China's objection to her visit to Arunachal Pradesh, defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the northeastern state is an Indian territory and country is not concerned about someone else's opinion on it

Rebuffing China's objection to her visit to Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday and Sunday, defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the northeastern state is an Indian territory and India is not concerned about someone else's opinion. China had objected to Sitharaman's first visit to the border state, saying her tour of the "disputed area" was not conducive to peace in the region. India had rejected Beijing's objection and asserted that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of the country. "What is the problem? There is no problem. It is our territory, we will go there," she said in a reply to a query on China's reaction on her visit to Arunachal Pradesh. "We are not concerned with someone else's opinion on this," Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said. Sitharaman visited army posts in remote Anjaw district of the state bordering China to take stock of defence preparedness. She also visited the Nathu La area on the India-China border in Sikkim last month and greeted the People's Liberation Army soldiers across the border. Her "friendly gesture" had earned appreciation from the Chinese media.

Arunachal visit: Sitharaman says 'It's our territory'

The Indian defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said that the meeting of imprisoned Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav with his wife will boost his morale.&nbsp;

Jadhav is imprisoned in Pakistan jail over alleged involvement in spying activities for India&#39;s intelligence agency RAW.&nbsp;

&quot;We are trying our best to bring Kulbhushan Jadhav back to India&quot;, news agency ANI quoted Sitharaman as saying.

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We are trying our best that he be released &amp; brought to India. So if his wife is meeting him before that, it will help him stay strong: Nirmala Sitharaman, Defence Minister on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KulbhushanJadhav?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KulbhushanJadhav</a> allowed to meet his wife <a href="https://t.co/jQO3HBcq1C">pic.twitter.com/jQO3HBcq1C</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/929232829568843777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

On Wednesday the Pakistani government decided to arrange a meeting with his wife, purely on humanitarian grounds.

India has always maintained that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.&nbsp;

On April 10, 2017, Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) in Pakistan. &nbsp;However,&nbsp;International Court&nbsp;of Justice on May 18, 2017 stayed the&nbsp;death sentence after India appealed against it.&nbsp;

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said the meeting of imprisoned Indian nation Kulbhushan Jadhav with his wife will boost his morale

The Indian defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said that the meeting of imprisoned Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav with his wife will boost his morale. Jadhav is imprisoned in Pakistan jail over alleged involvement in spying activities for India's intelligence agency RAW. "We are trying our best to bring Kulbhushan Jadhav back to India", news agency ANI quoted Sitharaman as saying. We are trying our best that he be released & brought to India. So if his wife is meeting him before that, it will help him stay strong: Nirmala Sitharaman, Defence Minister on #KulbhushanJadhav allowed to meet his wife pic.twitter.com/jQO3HBcq1C — ANI (@ANI) November 11, 2017 × On Wednesday the Pakistani government decided to arrange a meeting with his wife, purely on humanitarian grounds. India has always maintained that Jadhav was kidnapped from Iran where he had business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy. On April 10, 2017, Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Field General Court Martial (FGCM) in Pakistan. However, International Court of Justice on May 18, 2017 stayed the death sentence after India appealed against it.

We are trying our best to bring back Kulbhushan Jadhav: Nirmala Sitharaman

The Army will help build a new foot overbridge at the Elphinstone Road station by January 31, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said as Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Piyush Goyal visited the station, where a deadly stampede took place last month.

Fadnavis said that the Army will also help in building foot overbridges at two other stations here.

Sitharaman said it was probably the &quot;first time that the Army will come in to build in what could otherwise be called civil work&quot;.

Twenty-three people were killed in a stampede on the crowded foot overbridge (FOB) at the Elphinstone Road station here last month.

Speaking to reporters at the venue, Fadnavis said, &quot;We are taking the Army&#39;s help in building a new FOB at the Elphinstone Road station and at two other suburban train stations in Mumbai.

&quot;I have been informed that the work on these bridges will be completed by January 31,&quot; he said.

Sitharaman said, &quot;This is probably the first time we have asked the Army to come in to build what could otherwise be called a civil work, but Elphinstone tragedy was so big.&quot;

&quot;A call was taken to cooperate seeing the urgency of the matter as the Army has its role at the borders. The Army has come and seen, inspected and assessed where the bridge is going to be built, they will be there at every stage of the work,&quot; she said.

After the stampede on September 29, railway officials posted police personnel to manage the crowd on busy platforms, evicted hawkers from suburban train stations and started speeding up infrastructure projects on suburban network.

Goyal had earlier this month announced a slew of measures for the safety of commuters with a focus on foot overbridges (FOBs) in the country.

He had said the FOBs would now be &quot;mandatory&quot; at all stations. Previously, only the first FOB at a railway station was considered essential and the subsequent a passenger amenity.

Sitharaman said it was probably the "first time that the Army will come in to build in what could otherwise be called civil work".

The Army will help build a new foot overbridge at the Elphinstone Road station by January 31, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said as Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Piyush Goyal visited the station, where a deadly stampede took place last month. Fadnavis said that the Army will also help in building foot overbridges at two other stations here. Sitharaman said it was probably the "first time that the Army will come in to build in what could otherwise be called civil work". Twenty-three people were killed in a stampede on the crowded foot overbridge (FOB) at the Elphinstone Road station here last month. Speaking to reporters at the venue, Fadnavis said, "We are taking the Army's help in building a new FOB at the Elphinstone Road station and at two other suburban train stations in Mumbai. "I have been informed that the work on these bridges will be completed by January 31," he said. Sitharaman said, "This is probably the first time we have asked the Army to come in to build what could otherwise be called a civil work, but Elphinstone tragedy was so big." "A call was taken to cooperate seeing the urgency of the matter as the Army has its role at the borders. The Army has come and seen, inspected and assessed where the bridge is going to be built, they will be there at every stage of the work," she said. After the stampede on September 29, railway officials posted police personnel to manage the crowd on busy platforms, evicted hawkers from suburban train stations and started speeding up infrastructure projects on suburban network. Goyal had earlier this month announced a slew of measures for the safety of commuters with a focus on foot overbridges (FOBs) in the country. He had said the FOBs would now be "mandatory" at all stations. Previously, only the first FOB at a railway station was considered essential and the subsequent a passenger amenity.

Army to help build foot overbridge at Elphinstone station

India and France today decided to expand their military cooperation in the strategically key Indo-Pacific region besides resolving to further ramp up the overall defence and security ties.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her French counterpart Florence Parly held extensive talks covering a range of issues, including the regional security situation, joint development of defence platforms and expansion of military-to-military ties.

In their delegation-level talks, the two sides also agreed to expand counter-terror cooperation and felt that a lot more can be done in the maritime sphere, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, where China was trying to expand its footprint, official sources said.

Interestingly, the Trump Administration has also been favouring deeper Indo-US collaboration on security in the Indo-Pacific region.

Parly described her interaction with Sitharaman as &quot;excellent&quot;.

The sources said the French side explored the possibility of a follow-on order of additional Rafale fighter jets by India.

India had signed a Rs 58,000 crore deal with France for the supply of 36 Rafale jets last year and the IAF was pitching for procuring another fleet of 36 Rafale jets.

In a statement, the defence ministry said the ministers reviewed ongoing initiatives to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation as a key pillar of the strategic partnership between the two countries.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-india-russia-tri-services-military-exercise-underway-near-vladivostok-23014" target="_blank">Also watch -- Exercise Indra:&nbsp;India-Russia tri-services military exercise underway near Vladivostok</a>

&quot;Recognising the growing significance of maritime security in the Indo-Pacific and the need for greater maritime domain awareness, India and France will further expand information sharing arrangements,&quot; it said.

It is Parly&#39;s first visit to India as defence minister and her trip is expected to lay the ground for French President Emmanuel Macron&#39;s upcoming trip to India.

&quot;A range of measures to expand military to military ties, including enhancing the scope of their joint exercises, in particular, the Varuna naval exercise scheduled in early 2018, were agreed upon,&quot; the defence ministry said.

It said both countries will also actively explore additional measures to facilitate operational level interactions between their respective armed forces.

In their talks, the two ministers also comprehensively reviewed developments in defence equipment and industry cooperation between the two countries.

France is a major partner for India in developing various key military platforms including the Scorpene submarines.

&quot;They agreed to strongly support projects for defence manufacturing under the Make in India initiative as well as promote defence technology and research and development cooperation,&quot; said the ministry.

After talks with Sitharaman Parly travelled to Nagpur and attended the foundation laying ceremony of an aerospace park being set up under a joint venture by French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation and Anil Ambani-promoted Reliance Aerospace Ltd.

Parley, during her two-day visit, will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and meet National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Florence Parly was accorded a tri-services guard of honour at South Block, which houses the Indian defence ministry

India and France today decided to expand their military cooperation in the strategically key Indo-Pacific region besides resolving to further ramp up the overall defence and security ties. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her French counterpart Florence Parly held extensive talks covering a range of issues, including the regional security situation, joint development of defence platforms and expansion of military-to-military ties. In their delegation-level talks, the two sides also agreed to expand counter-terror cooperation and felt that a lot more can be done in the maritime sphere, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, where China was trying to expand its footprint, official sources said. Interestingly, the Trump Administration has also been favouring deeper Indo-US collaboration on security in the Indo-Pacific region. Parly described her interaction with Sitharaman as "excellent". The sources said the French side explored the possibility of a follow-on order of additional Rafale fighter jets by India. India had signed a Rs 58,000 crore deal with France for the supply of 36 Rafale jets last year and the IAF was pitching for procuring another fleet of 36 Rafale jets. In a statement, the defence ministry said the ministers reviewed ongoing initiatives to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation as a key pillar of the strategic partnership between the two countries. Also watch -- Exercise Indra: India-Russia tri-services military exercise underway near Vladivostok "Recognising the growing significance of maritime security in the Indo-Pacific and the need for greater maritime domain awareness, India and France will further expand information sharing arrangements," it said. It is Parly's first visit to India as defence minister and her trip is expected to lay the ground for French President Emmanuel Macron's upcoming trip to India. "A range of measures to expand military to military ties, including enhancing the scope of their joint exercises, in particular, the Varuna naval exercise scheduled in early 2018, were agreed upon," the defence ministry said. It said both countries will also actively explore additional measures to facilitate operational level interactions between their respective armed forces. In their talks, the two ministers also comprehensively reviewed developments in defence equipment and industry cooperation between the two countries. France is a major partner for India in developing various key military platforms including the Scorpene submarines. "They agreed to strongly support projects for defence manufacturing under the Make in India initiative as well as promote defence technology and research and development cooperation," said the ministry. After talks with Sitharaman Parly travelled to Nagpur and attended the foundation laying ceremony of an aerospace park being set up under a joint venture by French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation and Anil Ambani-promoted Reliance Aerospace Ltd. Parley, during her two-day visit, will call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and meet National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

Delhi: French defence minister holds talks with Nirmala Sitharaman

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today held talks with her counterparts from Vietnam, Russia, Australia, Singapore and Myanmar on the sidelines of the 4th ASEAN Defence Ministers&#39; meeting held in the Philippines.

Sitharaman, who is on her first foreign visit since taking over as India&#39;s first woman defence minister last month, met Vietnam&#39;s defence minister Gen Ngo Xuan Lich, her Myanmar counterpart Lt General Sein Win and Australia&#39;s defence minister Marise Payne.

&quot;A real pleasure meeting India&#39;s Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today. Great discussion &amp; looking forward to working together #ASEAN2017,&quot; Payne tweeted after her meeting with Sitharaman.

The Minister also held talks with Russia&#39;s defence minister General Sergei Shoygu. Russia is one of the key defence partners of India.

Sitharaman also met with Singapore&#39;s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and held talks to deepen the bilateral ties in the defence sector.

&quot;#Firstmeeting with Indian DM @nsitharaman over #breakfast at Clark. It was a #meetingofminds &amp; #commitment to deepen #bilateral #defenceties,&quot; Ng tweeted.

US Defence Secretary James Mattis also attended the two- day event held in Clark, a northern Philippine city, during which North Korea&#39;s nuclear ambitions were one of the top agendas.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a grouping of ten Southeast Asian states of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. ADMM-Plus includes ASEAN&#39;s eight security partners - Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the US.&nbsp;

Sitharaman is on her first foreign visit since taking over as India's first woman defence minister last month

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today held talks with her counterparts from Vietnam, Russia, Australia, Singapore and Myanmar on the sidelines of the 4th ASEAN Defence Ministers' meeting held in the Philippines. Sitharaman, who is on her first foreign visit since taking over as India's first woman defence minister last month, met Vietnam's defence minister Gen Ngo Xuan Lich, her Myanmar counterpart Lt General Sein Win and Australia's defence minister Marise Payne. "A real pleasure meeting India's Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today. Great discussion & looking forward to working together #ASEAN2017," Payne tweeted after her meeting with Sitharaman. The Minister also held talks with Russia's defence minister General Sergei Shoygu. Russia is one of the key defence partners of India. Sitharaman also met with Singapore's Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen and held talks to deepen the bilateral ties in the defence sector. "#Firstmeeting with Indian DM @nsitharaman over #breakfast at Clark. It was a #meetingofminds & #commitment to deepen #bilateral #defenceties," Ng tweeted. US Defence Secretary James Mattis also attended the two- day event held in Clark, a northern Philippine city, during which North Korea's nuclear ambitions were one of the top agendas. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a grouping of ten Southeast Asian states of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. ADMM-Plus includes ASEAN's eight security partners - Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the US.

Watch: Defence minister Sitharaman holds talks with ASEAN counterparts in Philippines

NEW DELHI: Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman celebrated&nbsp;Diwali with the Air Force personnel at the&nbsp;air base in Car Nicobar under Andaman &amp; Nicobar Command on Thursday.

During her visit, the minister reviewed the operational role of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) and interacted with the troops and their families.&nbsp;

The minister also paid homage to the Air Force personnel and their families who lost lives during 2004 Tsunami in Car Nicobar island. Car Nicobar airbase was washed away with air warriors and their families when the catastrophe struck. Only a few survived.

The minister also met an elderly Tsunami survivor at Chukchuka village in Car Nicobar on the occasion. 
&nbsp;

During her meeting, the minister reviewed the operational role of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) and interacted with the troops and their families.

NEW DELHI: Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman celebrated Diwali with the Air Force personnel at the air base in Car Nicobar under Andaman & Nicobar Command on Thursday. During her visit, the minister reviewed the operational role of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) and interacted with the troops and their families. The minister also paid homage to the Air Force personnel and their families who lost lives during 2004 Tsunami in Car Nicobar island. Car Nicobar airbase was washed away with air warriors and their families when the catastrophe struck. Only a few survived. The minister also met an elderly Tsunami survivor at Chukchuka village in Car Nicobar on the occasion.

Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman celebrates Diwali at Andaman & Nicobar air base

Marshal of the Indian Air Force&nbsp;Arjan Singh will be accorded a state funeral on Monday at Brar Square in New Delhi.&nbsp;

The Indian Flag will be flown at half-mast on all buildings.&nbsp;

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Last rites of Marshal of the Air Force <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ArjanSingh?src=hash">#ArjanSingh</a> will be performed at Barar Square, Delhi. A state funeral will be accorded to him.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/909286048819167232">September 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Delhi: Last rites of Marshal of Air Force <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ArjanSingh?src=hash">#ArjanSingh</a> to be performed tmrw. National flag to fly half-mast on all buildings where flown.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/909285636019937280">September 17, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/marshal-of-the-indian-air-force-arjan-singh-dies-at-98-20285" target="_blank">Arjan Singh died of a cardiac arrest</a> on Saturday at the age of 98.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays tribute to Marshal of Indian Air Force Arjan Singh at his residence.

Yesterday, PM Modi and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited the Marshal at the Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi where he was hospitalised after suffering from a cardiac arrest.

Arjan Singh played a major role in the 1965 war between India and Pakistan and was awarded Padma Vibhushan the same year.&nbsp;

He was the only officer of the Indian Air Force to be promoted to a five-star rank.&nbsp;

Last year an Air Force base at Panagarh in West Bengal was also named after him.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Marshal of Indian Air Force, Arjan Singh, will be accorded state funeral on Monday at Brar Square in New Delhi

Marshal of the Indian Air Force Arjan Singh will be accorded a state funeral on Monday at Brar Square in New Delhi. The Indian Flag will be flown at half-mast on all buildings. Last rites of Marshal of the Air Force #ArjanSingh will be performed at Barar Square, Delhi. A state funeral will be accorded to him. — ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2017 × Delhi: Last rites of Marshal of Air Force #ArjanSingh to be performed tmrw. National flag to fly half-mast on all buildings where flown. — ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2017 × Arjan Singh died of a cardiac arrest on Saturday at the age of 98. Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays tribute to Marshal of Indian Air Force Arjan Singh at his residence. Yesterday, PM Modi and defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited the Marshal at the Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi where he was hospitalised after suffering from a cardiac arrest. Arjan Singh played a major role in the 1965 war between India and Pakistan and was awarded Padma Vibhushan the same year. He was the only officer of the Indian Air Force to be promoted to a five-star rank. Last year an Air Force base at Panagarh in West Bengal was also named after him.

State funeral for Marshal of Indian Air Force Arjan Singh tomorrow, flag to fly at half-mast

Third reshuffle of the Union Cabinet, being termed the last one before the General Elections of 2019, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday promoted sincere and hardworking ministers, inducted new faces with potential and talent to work and silently dumped all those who proved to be the non performing and could not come up to the level of the Prime Minister&#39;s expectation.

The cabinet reshuffle has been guided by the &quot;4P&quot; principle: &quot;passion, proficiency, professional and political acumen&quot;, aimed at delivering on Modi&#39;s vision of &quot;New India&quot; by 2022, the 75th anniversary of India&#39;s independence-an idea he had first flagged in March in an address to party workers at the BJP&#39;s headquarters in Delhi.

Here is the overall round up of what happened in Sunday&#39;s reshuffle.

Three Top Changes

The &#39;Three Top Changes&#39; made by Prime Minister Modi during this reshuffle of Union Council of Ministers were:

One - elevating Nirmala Sitharaman to Cabinet rank and giving her the key Portfolio of Defence Ministry.

Two - Suresh Prabhu shifted from Railways to Commerce and Industry Ministry.

Three - Piyush Goyal was given the Cabinet rank with Railways as his portfolio.

Nine New Ministers

In continuance of his track record of identifying his fellow team members on the merit of their past Performance and future Potential, the new ministers have been selected by the Prime Minister with a clear mandate to deliver on his vision of a New India. A vision which is built on the foundations of Development and Good Governance, and with a focus on the Garib, Shoshit, Peedit and Vanchit segments of our society.

These nine new ministers are:

Shiv Pratap Shukla

Shukla is a Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh. He is a Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development. A Law Graduate with an LLB from Gorakhpur University, Shiv Pratap Shukla started off early in politics as a student leader in the 1970s.

Ashwini Kumar Choubey

Choubey is a Lok Sabha MP from Buxar, Bihar. He is member of the Parliamentary Committee on Estimates and Standing Committee on Energy.He is also a Member of Central Silk Board.

Having faced the disastrous Kedarnath floods with his family in 2013, Ashwini Kumar Choubey has authored a book KedarnathTrasadi on the tragedy. A BSc (Hons) in Zoology, he has a special interest in Yoga.

Virendra Kumar

Kumar is a Lok Sabha MP from Tikamgah, Madhya Pradesh. He has had a distinguished career in Public Service as a 6 term Lok Sabha MP. Highly qualified academically, VirendraKumar is armed with an MA in Economics and a PhD in Child Labour.

Anantkumar Hegde

Hegde is a Lok Sabha MP from Uttara Kannada, Karnataka. He is a Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on ExternalAffairs and Human Resource Development.

With a deep focus on rural India, Hegde is the Founder President ofKadamba, an NGO working in the field of rural development, rural health, SHGs, rural marketing and other rural welfare programmes.

Raj Kumar Singh

Singh is a Lok Sabha MP from Arrah, Bihar. He is a Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committees on Health and Family Welfare, Personnel, Pensions and Public Grievances and Law &amp; Justice. Raj Kumar Singh is a former IAS officer of the 1975 batch, Bihar cadre. He rose up the ranks to become the Home Secretary of India.

Hardeep Puri

Puri is a decorated former IFS officer of the 1974 batch, known forhis experience and expertise in foreign policy and national security. He is the President and Chairman of Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) think tank, and was the Vice President of International Peace Institute, New York.

As Head of the Indian Delegation to the UN Security Council, Puri had served as Chairman of the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the UN as well as President of the United Nations Security Council.

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

Shekhawat is a Lok Sabha MP from Jodhpur, Rajasthan. He is a Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance and Chairperson of the Fellowship Committee.

As a technology-savvy, progressive farmer; Shekhawat is a role model for the rural community. He has an MPhil &amp; MA in Philosophy from Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur.

Satya Pal Singh

Singh is a Lok Sabha MP from Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. He is a Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs and Chairperson of the Joint Committee on Offices of Profit. He is a distinguished former IPS officer of the 1980 batch, Maharashtra cadre, and has been recognized with medals like the Antrik Suraksha Sewa Padak a Special Service Medal. Born in Basauli village in Baghpat, Satya Pal Singh has a MSc and MPhil in Chemistry, MBA in Strategic Management from Australia, MA in Public.

Alphons Kannanthanam

Kannanthanam is a distinguished former IAS officer of the 1979 batch, Kerala cadre. He is also a practicing advocate. He became famous as Delhi&#39;s Demolition Man when he was Commissioner of the Delhi Development Authority, having cleared DDA areas of encroachment removing around 15,000 illegal buildings. This got him listed in Time Magazine&#39;s list of 100 Young Global Leaders in 1994. Kannanthanam retired from the IAS, to get elected as an Independent Member of Legislative Assembly for Kanjirappally in Kerala from 2006 to 2011.

The Six Dropped Ministers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also dropped six ministers from his council of ministers in Sunday&#39;s reshuffle.

Those dropped are Kalraj Mishra, Bandaru Dattatreya, Faggan Singh Kulaste, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Sanjiv Balyan and Mahendra Nath Pandey.

Kalraj Mishra- Mishra was Cabinet minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

Bandaru Dattatreya- Dattatreya was Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Labour and Employment.

Faggan Singh Kulaste- Kulaste was Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare.

Rajiv Pratap Rudy- Rudy was Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

Sanjiv Balyan- Balyan was Minister of State for Water Resources, River Development &amp; Ganga Rejuvenation.

Mahendra Nath Pandey- Pandey was a junior minister for Human Resource Development.

Apart from Pandey, who has been appointed Bharatiya Janata Party&#39;s Uttar Pradesh unit&#39;s president, it is believed that others were dropped due to non-satisfactory performance. However, Mishra, claimed he himself offered to resign as he crossed age of 75 years.

New Cabinet of Prime Minister Modi

After Sunday&#39;s reshuffle, here is the list of new Cabinet of Prime Minister Modi:

Cabinet Ministers

Narendra Modi- Prime Minister and also in-charge of: Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy; Department of Space; and all important policy issues; and all other portfolios not allocated to any Minister.

Raj Nath Singh- Minister of Home Affairs.

Sushma Swaraj- Minister of External Affairs.

Arun Jaitley- Minister of Finance; and Minister of Corporate Affairs.

Nitin Jairam Gadkari- Minister of Road Transport and Highways; Minister of Shipping; and Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

Suresh Prabhu- Minister of Commerce and Industry.

D.V. Sadananda Gowda- Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

Uma Bharati- Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation.

Ramvilas Paswan- Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.

Maneka Sanjay Gandhi- Minister of Women and Child Development.

Ananthkumar- Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers; and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs.

Ravi Shankar Prasad- Minister of Law and Justice; and Minister of Electronics and Information Technology.

Jagat Prakash Nadda- Minister of Health and Family Welfare.

Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati- Minister of Civil Aviation.

Anant Geete- Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.

Harsimrat Kaur Badal- Minister of Food Processing Industries.

Narendra Singh Tomar- Minister of Rural Development; Minister of Panchayati Raj; and Minister of Mines.

Chaudhary Birender Singh- Minister of Steel.

Jual Oram- Minister of Tribal Affairs.

Radha Mohan Singh- Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Thaawar Chand Gehlot- Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Smriti Zubin Irani- Minister of Textiles; and Minister of Information and Broadcasting.

Dr. Harsh Vardhan- Minister of Science and Technology; Minister of Earth Sciences; and Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Prakash Javadekar- Minister of Human Resource Development.

Dharmendra Pradhan- Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas; and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

Piyush Goyal- Minister of Railways; and Minister of Coal.

Nirmala Sitharaman- Minister of Defence.

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi- Minister of Minority Affairs.

Ministers of State (Independent Charge)

Rao Inderjit Singh- Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Planning; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.

Santosh Kumar Gangwar- Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Shripad Yesso Naik- Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH).

Dr. Jitendra Singh- Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region; Minister of State in the Prime Minister&#39;s Office; Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Minister of State in the Department of Atomic Energy; and Minister of State in the Department of Space.

Dr. Mahesh Sharma- Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Culture; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Giriraj Singh- Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

Manoj Sinha- Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Communications; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways.

Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore- Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Raj Kumar Singh- Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Power; and Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

Hardeep Singh Puri- Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Alphons Kannanthanam- Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Tourism; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.

Ministers of State

Vijay Goel- Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

Radhakrishnan P.- Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Shipping.

S.S. Ahluwalia- Minister of State in the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.

Ramesh Chandappa Jigajinagi- Minister of State in the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.

Ramdas Athawale- Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Vishnu Deo Sai- Minister of State in the Ministry of Steel.

Ram Kripal Yadav- Minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development.

Hansraj Gangaram Ahir- Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary- Minister of State in the Ministry of Mines; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Coal.

Rajen Gohain- Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways.

General (Retd.) V. K. Singh- Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs.

Parshottam Rupala- Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

Krishan Pal- Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor- Minister of State in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Shiv Pratap Shukla- Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance.

Ashwini Kumar Choubey- Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

Sudarshan Bhagat- Minister of State in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

Upendra Kushwaha- Minister of State in the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Kiren Rijiju- Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Dr. Virendra Kumar- Minister of State in the Ministry of Women and Child Development; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

Anantkumar Hegde- Minister of State in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.

M. J. Akbar- Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs.

Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti- Minister of State in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries.

Y. S. Chowdary- Minister of State in the Ministry of Science and Technology; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Earth Sciences.

Jayant Sinha- Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation.

Babul Supriyo- Minister of State in the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.

Vijay Sampla- Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

Arjun Ram Meghwal- Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

Ajay Tamta- Minister of State in the Ministry of Textiles.

Krishna Raj- Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Mansukh L. Mandaviya- Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways; Minister of State in the Ministry of Shipping; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.

Anupriya Patel- Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

C.R. Chaudhary- Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

P.P. Chaudhary- Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

Dr. Subhash Ramrao Bhamre- Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence.

Gajendra Singh Shekhawat- Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.

Dr. Satya Pal Singh- Minister of State in the Ministry of Human Resource Development; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.&nbsp;

Four ministers were elevated to Cabinet rank in Sunday's reshuffle, and nine new people were inducted into the council of ministers

Third reshuffle of the Union Cabinet, being termed the last one before the General Elections of 2019, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday promoted sincere and hardworking ministers, inducted new faces with potential and talent to work and silently dumped all those who proved to be the non performing and could not come up to the level of the Prime Minister's expectation. The cabinet reshuffle has been guided by the "4P" principle: "passion, proficiency, professional and political acumen", aimed at delivering on Modi's vision of "New India" by 2022, the 75th anniversary of India's independence-an idea he had first flagged in March in an address to party workers at the BJP's headquarters in Delhi. Here is the overall round up of what happened in Sunday's reshuffle. Three Top Changes The 'Three Top Changes' made by Prime Minister Modi during this reshuffle of Union Council of Ministers were: One - elevating Nirmala Sitharaman to Cabinet rank and giving her the key Portfolio of Defence Ministry. Two - Suresh Prabhu shifted from Railways to Commerce and Industry Ministry. Three - Piyush Goyal was given the Cabinet rank with Railways as his portfolio. Nine New Ministers In continuance of his track record of identifying his fellow team members on the merit of their past Performance and future Potential, the new ministers have been selected by the Prime Minister with a clear mandate to deliver on his vision of a New India. A vision which is built on the foundations of Development and Good Governance, and with a focus on the Garib, Shoshit, Peedit and Vanchit segments of our society. These nine new ministers are: Shiv Pratap Shukla Shukla is a Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh. He is a Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development. A Law Graduate with an LLB from Gorakhpur University, Shiv Pratap Shukla started off early in politics as a student leader in the 1970s. Ashwini Kumar Choubey Choubey is a Lok Sabha MP from Buxar, Bihar. He is member of the Parliamentary Committee on Estimates and Standing Committee on Energy.He is also a Member of Central Silk Board. Having faced the disastrous Kedarnath floods with his family in 2013, Ashwini Kumar Choubey has authored a book KedarnathTrasadi on the tragedy. A BSc (Hons) in Zoology, he has a special interest in Yoga. Virendra Kumar Kumar is a Lok Sabha MP from Tikamgah, Madhya Pradesh. He has had a distinguished career in Public Service as a 6 term Lok Sabha MP. Highly qualified academically, VirendraKumar is armed with an MA in Economics and a PhD in Child Labour. Anantkumar Hegde Hegde is a Lok Sabha MP from Uttara Kannada, Karnataka. He is a Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on ExternalAffairs and Human Resource Development. With a deep focus on rural India, Hegde is the Founder President ofKadamba, an NGO working in the field of rural development, rural health, SHGs, rural marketing and other rural welfare programmes. Raj Kumar Singh Singh is a Lok Sabha MP from Arrah, Bihar. He is a Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committees on Health and Family Welfare, Personnel, Pensions and Public Grievances and Law & Justice. Raj Kumar Singh is a former IAS officer of the 1975 batch, Bihar cadre. He rose up the ranks to become the Home Secretary of India. Hardeep Puri Puri is a decorated former IFS officer of the 1974 batch, known forhis experience and expertise in foreign policy and national security. He is the President and Chairman of Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) think tank, and was the Vice President of International Peace Institute, New York. As Head of the Indian Delegation to the UN Security Council, Puri had served as Chairman of the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the UN as well as President of the United Nations Security Council. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Shekhawat is a Lok Sabha MP from Jodhpur, Rajasthan. He is a Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance and Chairperson of the Fellowship Committee. As a technology-savvy, progressive farmer; Shekhawat is a role model for the rural community. He has an MPhil & MA in Philosophy from Jai Narain Vyas University, Jodhpur. Satya Pal Singh Singh is a Lok Sabha MP from Baghpat, Uttar Pradesh. He is a Member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs and Chairperson of the Joint Committee on Offices of Profit. He is a distinguished former IPS officer of the 1980 batch, Maharashtra cadre, and has been recognized with medals like the Antrik Suraksha Sewa Padak a Special Service Medal. Born in Basauli village in Baghpat, Satya Pal Singh has a MSc and MPhil in Chemistry, MBA in Strategic Management from Australia, MA in Public. Alphons Kannanthanam Kannanthanam is a distinguished former IAS officer of the 1979 batch, Kerala cadre. He is also a practicing advocate. He became famous as Delhi's Demolition Man when he was Commissioner of the Delhi Development Authority, having cleared DDA areas of encroachment removing around 15,000 illegal buildings. This got him listed in Time Magazine's list of 100 Young Global Leaders in 1994. Kannanthanam retired from the IAS, to get elected as an Independent Member of Legislative Assembly for Kanjirappally in Kerala from 2006 to 2011. The Six Dropped Ministers Prime Minister Narendra Modi also dropped six ministers from his council of ministers in Sunday's reshuffle. Those dropped are Kalraj Mishra, Bandaru Dattatreya, Faggan Singh Kulaste, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Sanjiv Balyan and Mahendra Nath Pandey. Kalraj Mishra- Mishra was Cabinet minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. Bandaru Dattatreya- Dattatreya was Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Labour and Employment. Faggan Singh Kulaste- Kulaste was Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare. Rajiv Pratap Rudy- Rudy was Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Sanjiv Balyan- Balyan was Minister of State for Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation. Mahendra Nath Pandey- Pandey was a junior minister for Human Resource Development. Apart from Pandey, who has been appointed Bharatiya Janata Party's Uttar Pradesh unit's president, it is believed that others were dropped due to non-satisfactory performance. However, Mishra, claimed he himself offered to resign as he crossed age of 75 years. New Cabinet of Prime Minister Modi After Sunday's reshuffle, here is the list of new Cabinet of Prime Minister Modi: Cabinet Ministers Narendra Modi- Prime Minister and also in-charge of: Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Department of Atomic Energy; Department of Space; and all important policy issues; and all other portfolios not allocated to any Minister. Raj Nath Singh- Minister of Home Affairs. Sushma Swaraj- Minister of External Affairs. Arun Jaitley- Minister of Finance; and Minister of Corporate Affairs. Nitin Jairam Gadkari- Minister of Road Transport and Highways; Minister of Shipping; and Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. Suresh Prabhu- Minister of Commerce and Industry. D.V. Sadananda Gowda- Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation. Uma Bharati- Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation. Ramvilas Paswan- Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi- Minister of Women and Child Development. Ananthkumar- Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers; and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. Ravi Shankar Prasad- Minister of Law and Justice; and Minister of Electronics and Information Technology. Jagat Prakash Nadda- Minister of Health and Family Welfare. Ashok Gajapathi Raju Pusapati- Minister of Civil Aviation. Anant Geete- Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises. Harsimrat Kaur Badal- Minister of Food Processing Industries. Narendra Singh Tomar- Minister of Rural Development; Minister of Panchayati Raj; and Minister of Mines. Chaudhary Birender Singh- Minister of Steel. Jual Oram- Minister of Tribal Affairs. Radha Mohan Singh- Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Thaawar Chand Gehlot- Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment. Smriti Zubin Irani- Minister of Textiles; and Minister of Information and Broadcasting. Dr. Harsh Vardhan- Minister of Science and Technology; Minister of Earth Sciences; and Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Prakash Javadekar- Minister of Human Resource Development. Dharmendra Pradhan- Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas; and Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Piyush Goyal- Minister of Railways; and Minister of Coal. Nirmala Sitharaman- Minister of Defence. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi- Minister of Minority Affairs. Ministers of State (Independent Charge) Rao Inderjit Singh- Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Planning; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. Santosh Kumar Gangwar- Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Labour and Employment. Shripad Yesso Naik- Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH). Dr. Jitendra Singh- Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region; Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office; Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions; Minister of State in the Department of Atomic Energy; and Minister of State in the Department of Space. Dr. Mahesh Sharma- Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Culture; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Giriraj Singh- Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. Manoj Sinha- Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Communications; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways. Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore- Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Raj Kumar Singh- Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Power; and Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. Hardeep Singh Puri- Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. Alphons Kannanthanam- Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Tourism; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Ministers of State Vijay Goel- Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. Radhakrishnan P.- Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Shipping. S.S. Ahluwalia- Minister of State in the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. Ramesh Chandappa Jigajinagi- Minister of State in the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. Ramdas Athawale- Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Vishnu Deo Sai- Minister of State in the Ministry of Steel. Ram Kripal Yadav- Minister of State in the Ministry of Rural Development. Hansraj Gangaram Ahir- Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs. Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary- Minister of State in the Ministry of Mines; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Coal. Rajen Gohain- Minister of State in the Ministry of Railways. General (Retd.) V. K. Singh- Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs. Parshottam Rupala- Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Krishan Pal- Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor- Minister of State in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Shiv Pratap Shukla- Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance. Ashwini Kumar Choubey- Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Sudarshan Bhagat- Minister of State in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. Upendra Kushwaha- Minister of State in the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Kiren Rijiju- Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs. Dr. Virendra Kumar- Minister of State in the Ministry of Women and Child Development; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Minority Affairs. Anantkumar Hegde- Minister of State in the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. M. J. Akbar- Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti- Minister of State in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. Y. S. Chowdary- Minister of State in the Ministry of Science and Technology; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Earth Sciences. Jayant Sinha- Minister of State in the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Babul Supriyo- Minister of State in the Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises. Vijay Sampla- Minister of State in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Arjun Ram Meghwal- Minister of State in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. Ajay Tamta- Minister of State in the Ministry of Textiles. Krishna Raj- Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Mansukh L. Mandaviya- Minister of State in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways; Minister of State in the Ministry of Shipping; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. Anupriya Patel- Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. C.R. Chaudhary- Minister of State in the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. P.P. Chaudhary- Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and Justice; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Dr. Subhash Ramrao Bhamre- Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat- Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Dr. Satya Pal Singh- Minister of State in the Ministry of Human Resource Development; and Minister of State in the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

Everything you need to know about reshuffle no. 3 of Narendra Modi's Cabinet

Nirmala Sitharaman, who was elevated to Cabinet rank today, will be the country&#39;s new defence minister.

Piyush Goyal, who was also promoted to Cabinet minister, has been allocated the railway portfolio.

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Have to prove &amp; perform to satisfy the goals which are expected of me. In all probability, it(taking charge) will be on Sept 6: N Sitharaman <a href="https://t.co/17EjjA1UQz">pic.twitter.com/17EjjA1UQz</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/904300256745078784">September 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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It is very big responsibility. To me, very overwhelming day, just can&#39;t express my feelings: newly appointed Defence Min Nirmala Sitharaman <a href="https://t.co/JnlvEMdQqD">pic.twitter.com/JnlvEMdQqD</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/904297679320080384">September 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;It is a very big responsibility,&quot; said Sitharaman. &quot;Very overwhelming day. Just can&#39;t express my feeling,&quot; said Sitharaman.&nbsp;

She will be the country&#39;s second woman defence minister -- Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had also acted as defence minister on two occasions.&nbsp;

Finance minister Arun Jaitley had been holding additional charge of defence after Manohar Parrikar moved to his home state Goa as&nbsp;chief minister.

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It is a case where a minister performs well and earns a higher responsibility for herself (Nirmala Sitharaman): Union Min Arun Jaitley <a href="https://t.co/QQRn5Dxe6I">pic.twitter.com/QQRn5Dxe6I</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/904278649829859328">September 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Prime Minister has set the bar very high. It&#39;s clear that he is very closely monitoring performance of each ministry &amp;individual: A Jaitley
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/904284587693547520">September 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Very excellent, well thought out decision. Nirmala is very analytical, deep thinking, hard working &amp; very knowledgeable: Manohar Parrikar <a href="https://t.co/pFJD6cXN64">pic.twitter.com/pFJD6cXN64</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/904307488178110464">September 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Goyal will replace Suresh Prabhu who had offered to resign in the wake of a string of train accidents.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi however had asked him&nbsp;to &quot;wait&quot;.

Prabhu meanwhile will take over as the new commerce minister.&nbsp;

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Thanks to all 13 Lacs+ rail family for their support,love,goodwill.I will always cherish these memories with me.Wishing u all a great life
&mdash; Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) <a href="https://twitter.com/sureshpprabhu/status/904222950366306305">September 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The reallocation of portfolios comes after four ministers were elevated to Cabinet rank and nine new ministers were inducted into the council of ministers

Nirmala Sitharaman, who was elevated to Cabinet rank today, will be the country's new defence minister. Piyush Goyal, who was also promoted to Cabinet minister, has been allocated the railway portfolio. Have to prove & perform to satisfy the goals which are expected of me. In all probability, it(taking charge) will be on Sept 6: N Sitharaman pic.twitter.com/17EjjA1UQz — ANI (@ANI) September 3, 2017 × It is very big responsibility. To me, very overwhelming day, just can't express my feelings: newly appointed Defence Min Nirmala Sitharaman pic.twitter.com/JnlvEMdQqD — ANI (@ANI) September 3, 2017 × "It is a very big responsibility," said Sitharaman. "Very overwhelming day. Just can't express my feeling," said Sitharaman. She will be the country's second woman defence minister -- Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had also acted as defence minister on two occasions. Finance minister Arun Jaitley had been holding additional charge of defence after Manohar Parrikar moved to his home state Goa as chief minister. It is a case where a minister performs well and earns a higher responsibility for herself (Nirmala Sitharaman): Union Min Arun Jaitley pic.twitter.com/QQRn5Dxe6I — ANI (@ANI) September 3, 2017 × Prime Minister has set the bar very high. It's clear that he is very closely monitoring performance of each ministry &individual: A Jaitley — ANI (@ANI) September 3, 2017 × Very excellent, well thought out decision. Nirmala is very analytical, deep thinking, hard working & very knowledgeable: Manohar Parrikar pic.twitter.com/pFJD6cXN64 — ANI (@ANI) September 3, 2017 × Goyal will replace Suresh Prabhu who had offered to resign in the wake of a string of train accidents. Prime Minister Narendra Modi however had asked him to "wait". Prabhu meanwhile will take over as the new commerce minister. Thanks to all 13 Lacs+ rail family for their support,love,goodwill.I will always cherish these memories with me.Wishing u all a great life — Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) September 3, 2017 ×

Nirmala Sitharaman is new defence minister, Piyush Goyal gets railways

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