More women joining security forces since Modi government took up reins: Defence Minister

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said women's participation has increased in all security forces, including the police and paramilitary since the Modi government came to power in 2014.

The Defence Minister was speaking at the inauguration of a three-day event 'Rashtra Raksha Samarpan Parv' which will see Prime Minister Narendra Modi launching several new initiatives of the ministry on November 19 marking the birth anniversary of freedom fighter Rani Lakshmi Bai.

"When I was Home Minister, I had issued an advisory to all the states that 33 per cent representation should be given to women in security forces. The situation has changed now. In all police and paramilitary forces, participation of women has increased," Singh said in a series of tweets in Hindi on his official handle.

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"After independence, women did not get a chance to participate very actively in the work of national defence. Now, the doors are opening for women in the Army. We have increased participation of women in all three wings of the Army," he added.

"The prestigious National Defence Academy in Pune has also been opened for women. You will all be surprised to know that around two lakh girls from all over the country have appeared for admission in NDA," the Defence Minister said adding that the Army has decided that eligible women officers who will qualify in merit will be given a permanent commission in the service.

About the three-day event, he said that it gave everyone a sense of pride and connected us with the struggles to achieve the country's independence.

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Recalling Rani Lakshmi Bai's courage, Singh said the erstwhile queen of Jhansi will always be remembered for her patriotism, valour, and sacrifice.

"The contribution of Maharani Lakshmi Bai in India's first freedom struggle is incomparable. When the princely states were kneeling one after the other in front of the British, she had said that 'I will not give my Jhansi'," he said.

She laid down her life but did not give up her pride and fought for the honour, Singh said.

"For Maharani Laxmi Bai, being a woman never became a hindrance in the battlefield," he said adding that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose had constituted Azad Hind Fauj in 1942 with a regiment named in her honour.

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He said the country was facing various "conventional and non-conventional" challenges in space and cyberspace. "Earlier, there were border threats. Then, we saw terrorism growing and now there are threats in cyberspace and space also," the Defence Minister said.

The Defence Minister said Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has got Rs 50,000 crore worth of orders from the armed forces. "There was a time when 65-70 per cent of defence equipment were imported. The picture has changed now. Only 35 per cent defence items are imported and 65 per cent are being manufactured in India," he said.

Shedding light on other visible results, the Defence Minister said defence exports from India have crossed the Rs 38,000-crore mark in the last seven years.

He elaborated on the structural and organisational reforms in the defence sector, including the corporatisation of the Ordnance Factory Board, setting up defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, increasing Foreign Direct Investment and the draft Defence Production and Export Promotion Policy 2020.

Singh expressed confidence that these steps will not only increase the country’s strength but also provide a roadmap for Indian defence manufacturing in the future.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also addressed the event and highlighted the work done by his government for the Bundelkhand region.

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