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Business Standard
a day ago
- Business Standard
Major progress in developing indigenous post-quantum tools: Indian Army
The Indian Army on Friday said it has taken a "significant leap" in harnessing quantum technologies with the development of indigenous post-quantum cryptography applications, a move that aims to bolster its capabilities across domains and to ensure the force remains future ready in "ever-evolving technological landscape". In a post on X, ADG PI - Indian Army also shared some photos along with a caption titled - "Enabling the Battlefield of Tomorrow with Quantum Tech". The Indian Army had declared 2024 as the 'Year of Technology Absorption' and is undertaking various initiatives to induct niche technology and systems into its inventory. "The Indian Army takes a significant leap in harnessing Quantum Technologies with the development of indigenous Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) applications," it posted. These applications have been developed by the Military College of Telecommunication Engineering (MCTE), Mhow, under the aegis of the Corps of Signals and in alignment with the technology research vision of the Chief of the Army Staff, the post read. "Post-Quantum Cryptography based solutions are being progressively integrated across Army networks - strengthening capabilities across domains and ensuring Indian Army remains future ready in ever evolving technological landscape. #Atmanirbharta #YearofTechAbsorption #DecadeofTransformation @DefenceMinIndia @SpokespersonMoD @HQ_IDS_India," it posted.
India Gazette
4 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Indian Army contingent departs for France for joint military exercise 'Shakti'
New Delhi [India], June 17 (ANI): An Indian Army contingent, comprising 90 personnel, departed for France on Tuesday to participate in the 8th edition of the biennial India-France Joint Military Exercise 'Shakti'. According to a release by the Ministry of Defence, the contingent, primarily from the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles along with members from other arms and services, will participate in the exercise, scheduled from June 18 to July 1, at Camp Larzac, La Cavalerie, France. Meanwhile, the French contingent, also consisting of 90 personnel, will be represented by the 13th Foreign Legion Half-Brigade (13th DBLE). The exercise aims to enhance interoperability and strengthen strategic ties between the two nations. As per the release, the exercise will highlight the growing defence cooperation between India and France. Exercise 'Shakti', a biennial training engagement, focuses on joint operations in a sub-conventional environment under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, with training conducted in semi-urban terrain. The exercise will serve as a platform for both armies to rehearse and refine tactical drills, share best practices in Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs), and train on new generation equipment, including contemporary military technologies. It will also foster physical endurance, esprit de corps, mutual respect, and professional camaraderie between the two forces. This edition of 'Shakti' underscores the deepening military-to-military connection and operational coordination between India and France, aligning with their broader strategic partnership. 'Exercise SHAKTI is a biennial training engagement between the Indian and French Armies, aimed at enhancing interoperability, operational coordination, and military to military connect. This edition will focus on joint operations in a sub-conventional environment under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, with training being conducted in semi-urban terrain,' the release stated. 'The exercise will provide a platform for both contingents to rehearse and refine tactical drills, share best practices in Tactics, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs), train on new generation equipment (contemporary military technologies) and strengthen physical endurance. It will also foster esprit de corps, mutual respect and professional camaraderie between the two armies,' it added. The Additional Directorate General of Public Information (ADGPI) of the Army also took to X to make the announcement. 'The Indian Army contingent has departed today for France to participate in the 8th edition of Exercise Shakti, taking place in La Cavalerie, France, from 18 June to 01 July 2025. The Exercise will foster synergy and interoperability in conduct of counter terrorism operations in semi urban terrain,' ADGPI stated in the post. Last year, the 7th edition of the exercise was conducted from May 13-26 in the Umroi region of Meghalaya. (ANI)
Straits Times
7 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Sikkim locals fume as India-Nepal climbers ‘defile' sacred Kangchenjunga, world's third-highest peak
Members of the joint India-Nepal mountaineering expedition that successfully summited Kangchenjunga in May. PHOTO: ADGPI/X - It was in May 1955 that a British mountaineering team successfully climbed Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest mountain at 8,586m, for the first time. But members of this expedition did not step onto the peak of the mountain on the border of Nepal and India. They instead stopped about 1.5m short of the summit, in deference to the wishes of locals in the region, who venerate this Himalayan mountain and did not want the climbers to sully its sacred peak by stepping onto it. More than 70 years later, locals in the small Indian state of Sikkim, which lies in the heart of the Himalayas between Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet, are fuming over a mountaineering team having done just that. A team comprising representatives from the Indian and Nepalese armies scaled Kangchenjunga's peak in two waves on May 19 and 20, as part of the Indian government's Har Shikhar Tiranga (Hindi for 'A Tricolour Atop Every Peak') initiative aimed at hoisting the Indian national flag on the highest point in all 28 Indian states. The expedition, which flagged off on March 26, was organised by the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (Nimas), which functions under India's Ministry of Defence and is based in the north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. As the Indian side of the mountain remains closed to climbers, the team approached it from Nepal. Nevertheless, the ascent to the top of Kangchenjunga has angered locals in Sikkim, particularly members of the Bhutia and Lepcha communities, most of whom are Buddhists and consider the mountain as a guardian deity who has watched over them and their land for generations. 'They have defiled the sanctity of our Kangchenjunga,' said Mr Tseten Tashi Bhutia, the convenor of Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (Siblac) – an organisation that represents the rights and interests of these two communities – and a former minister with a previous state government in Sikkim. The controversy has ignited concerns that the centuries-old religious and cultural traditions of indigenous Buddhist communities in Sikkim, India's second-smallest state with a population of around 632,000, were disregarded to generate patriotic fervour. It also highlighted the power dynamics between the central government, which organised the climb, and the state government, which expressly prohibits any climb atop Kangchenjunga . A view of Kangchenjunga, one of the five highest peaks in the world, taken from Sandakphu, the highest point in India's West Bengal. PHOTO: ST FILE Sikkim has maintained a formal climbing ban atop Kangchenjunga since 2001, one that followed another controversy in 2000 when the state government allowed an Austrian team to attempt the near-vertical trek up the peak in exchange for US$20,000. The team failed to make it to the summit. 'Whatever has happened, has happened. Now damage control has to be done,' Mr Bhutia told The Straits Times, stressing the need for a 'purification ritual' to placate their guardian deity. He also called for an apology from the climbers as well as the central government that organised the climb and the state government that failed to stop it. 'This type of blunder should also not be repeated in the future,' he added. Neither the climbers nor the Indian government has issued any statement following the controversy. ST approached Nimas for a comment but did not receive a response. On June 12, Siblac issued a statement saying that the recent climb had 'deeply hurt the religious and cultural sentiments' of the Bhutias and Lepchas, and formally called for an apology. The Lepchas believe they are descendants of ancestors who were created out of the snow of the holy Kangchenjunga. Locals in the state also celebrate their unique relationship with the mountain during Pang Lhabsol, an annual festival that commemorates the consecration of Kangchenjunga as the guardian deity of Sikkim. Siblac will organise a Buddhist purification ritual on June 15 at the Kabi Lungchok sacred grove in North Sikkim to seek the deity's forgiveness and 'restore the spiritual harmony and sanctity of our land'. It was at this historic forest site that the Blood Brotherhood Treaty was signed between the Lepchas and Bhutias in the 13th century, marking the beginning of Sikkim's unified rule. Kangchenjunga was invoked as a witness to the signing of this key treaty. Locals fear angering their guardian deity could cause natural disasters, something the state has often been afflicted with. On June 1, a landslide hit the site of an army camp in Sikkim following days of heavy rains, killing at least six individuals. Anger following the ascent has been widespread in Sikkim. A video of Sikkimese children pleading with everyone not to climb their revered mountain has been circulating online and even Sikkim's Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, who heads the state government, expressed his concern. He wrote to India's Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah on May 24 describing the recent ascent as 'a violation of both the prevailing legal provisions and the deeply held religious beliefs of the people of Sikkim'. Sikkim has maintained a formal climbing ban atop not just Kangchenjunga but also eight other sacred peaks since 2001. However, ascents are made from time to time from the Nepalese side of Kangchenjunga. But Mr Bhutia said the expedition team, irrespective of their approach path, had violated the sacred peak. 'They have blown the law (preventing any ascent on Kangchenjunga) to smithereens,' he said. Anger following the ascent has been widespread in Sikkim. PHOTO: ADGPI/X In his letter, Mr Tamang also urged the Indian government to convince Nepal to ensure that no further expeditions are permitted on Kangchenjunga. The demand for such a climbing restriction is not unique. China, for instance, prevents any climbing activity on Mount Kailash in Tibet, given its deep religious significance for followers of not just Buddhism, but also Hinduism, Jainism and Bon, an indigenous religion practised in Tibet. Even Nepal, which has otherwise embraced mountain tourism enthusiastically, bans climbing on Machhapuchhare, an iconic 6,993m mountain whose name translates to 'fishtail' and which is revered by local Gurung people. Mr Jiwan Rai, a political commentator based in Sikkim's capital Gangtok, said it is important to view Kangchenjunga similarly through a 'time-honoured Sikkimese lens', one that does not consider the mountain as a 'trophy for adventurers' but a symbol of cultural heritage and 'the pinnacle of religious identity' for a significant section of the state's people. 'This centuries-old indigenous world view now stands desecrated for the sake of some thrill to be felt by army personnel. Isn't that a massive cultural cost?' Mr Rai told ST. Furthermore, the recent ascent of Kangchenjunga is being seen as an affront to not just Sikkimese cultural and religious values, but also their political rights. Mr Rai added that the Sikkim state government had failed to uphold its rights by not preventing the Indian government-led climb despite its official ban on any ascent atop Kangchenjunga. 'This lapse reveals the current government's inability to withstand pressure from the centre. The only way to disprove this perception is by firmly demanding recompense for the violation of law and redress for the cultural sacrilege,' he said. The state is currently governed by the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), a regional party that Chief Minister Tamang leads as its president. The SKM is part of the National Democratic Alliance government at the centre, led by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Siblac had opposed the ascent publicly as early as April, with a letter sent to the state's Governor O.P. Mathur, requesting him to call off the expedition. The governor of an Indian state is appointed by the Indian president on the advice of the prime minister and serves as its constitutional head, taking decisions based on the advice of the chief minister and council of ministers. Said Mr Rai: 'A widespread perception is emerging that India is steering towards a uniform national identity, and a state with its distinct personality like Sikkim comes in the way. If Sikkim does not make its voice heard now, it risks losing its unique identity to India's broader and increasingly homogenised national narrative.' Debarshi Dasgupta is The Straits Times' India correspondent covering the country and other parts of South Asia. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
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Business Standard
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
India-France joint military exercise to be held from June 18 to July 1
A joint exercise between the militaries of India and France is scheduled to be held from June 18 to July 1, aiming to enhance the joint military capability of both sides to undertake multi-domain operations, the Indian Army said on Thursday. Exercise Shakti 2025 will be held at La Cavalerie in France. "The 8th edition of Exercise #Shakti, a joint military exercise between #India and #France is scheduled from 18 June to 01 July 2025 at #LaCavalerie, #France," the Indian Army said in a post on X. Exercise #Shakti 2025 The 8th edition of Exercise #Shakti, a joint military exercise between #India and #France is scheduled from 18 June to 01 July 2025 at #LaCavalerie, #France. The aim of the exercise is to enhance joint military capability of both sides to undertake Multi… — ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) June 12, 2025 "The aim of the exercise is to enhance joint military capability of both sides to undertake Multi Domain Operations in a Sub Conventional scenario," it said. The joint exercise will facilitate developing interoperability, bonhomie and camaraderie between armies of both the nations, the officials said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Hindu
12-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
India-France joint military Exercise Shakti 2025 to be held from June 18 in La Cavalerie
A joint exercise between the militaries of India and France is scheduled to be held from June 18 to July 1, aiming to enhance the joint military capability of both sides to undertake multi-domain operations, the Indian Army said on Thursday (June 12, 2025). Exercise #Shakti 2025 The 8th edition of Exercise #Shakti, a joint military exercise between #India and #France is scheduled from 18 June to 01 July 2025 at #LaCavalerie, #France. The aim of the exercise is to enhance joint military capability of both sides to undertake Multi… — ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) June 12, 2025 Exercise Shakti 2025 will be held at La Cavalerie in France. "The 8th edition of Exercise #Shakti, a joint military exercise between #India and #France is scheduled from 18 June to 01 July 2025 at #LaCavalerie, #France," the Indian Army said in a post on X. "The aim of the exercise is to enhance joint military capability of both sides to undertake Multi Domain Operations in a Sub Conventional scenario," it said. The joint exercise will facilitate developing interoperability, bonhomie and camaraderie between armies of both the nations, the officials said.
