Navy chief sounds alert over reduction in budgetary allocation

Pune, August 26, 2019 : General BC Joshi Memorial Lecture for the year 2019 was delivered by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh, on the topic of `Indian Ocean Region – Changing Dynamics – Maritime Security Imperatives for India’ at Dhanvantri Auditorium of Armed Forces Medical College (AFMC), Pune today.

During the talk, Admiral Karambir Singh highlighted the issues concerning Maritime Global and Regional Security from India’s point of view. He also highlighted the key pursuits that are an imperative for India from the future perspective. At the end of the lecture, Chief of Naval Staff opined that in the present scenario, we need to correctly identify and define our Maritime security concerns that impact our national interest and aspirations.

Later he told mediapersons that the budget of the Navy has been reduced from 18 percent in 2012-13 to now 13 percent.

The Navy chief also informed that terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), based in Pakistan, is training terrorists for underwater attack and that Indian Navy is prepared to thwart any such attempt.

The lecture has been instituted since 1995 as an annual feature in honour of the legendary General BC Joshi, who was the Chief of the Army Staff from July 1993 to November 1994, in recognition of his contribution to higher education, issues of national integration, environmental protection and perspective of decision-making for national security.

Admiral Karambir Singh was felicitated by Professor (Dr) Nitin R Karmarkar, the Vice Chancellor of the Pune University and welcome address was delivered by Professor (Dr) Vijay Khare, Head of the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies. The talk was attended by Lieutenant General SK Saini, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command and other serving Army, Navy, Air Force Officers, Veterans and Students of Defence and Strategic Studies, Pune University.

The lecture was delivered to a fully packed auditorium with dignatories like Lieutenant General SK Saini, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Yudh Seva Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Command and other serving Army, Navy and Air Force Officers, Veterans, Students of Defence and Strategic Studies, Pune, taking benefit of the enlightening lecture.

Emphasising that the Indian Ocean has always been strategically significant with 90% of international trade by volume along with the largest energy reserves, the chief of naval staff stated that China’s rapid growth, Russia’s military resurgence and concurrent perceived decline of US military advantage, are shaping overall security enviornment.

The Chief of Naval Staff said that human and drug trafficking as well as large scale illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and poaching leading to adverse economic and ecological consequences for the littorals have also raised alarms in several parts of the world and have kept maritime forces constantly engaged. These form some non traditional challenges in the IOR region.

Apart from these challenges, terrorism continues to acquire new dimensions by the day, said Admiral Singh.
Admiral Singh summed up the annual lecture saying that the Indian Navy has emerged as a ‘Combat Ready, Credible and Cohesive Force’ which is keeping pace with the rapid changes in the environment and ready is to stride into harm’s way to protect the maritime interests of our Nation.

The lecture ended with a fruitful discussion and interaction of the Indian Naval Chief with the students, faculty and research scholars of the Defence and Strategic Studies Department.

The Vote of Thanks was presented by Honourable Pro-Vice Chancellor Dr (Prof) NS Umrani.