Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday hailed the Territorial Army’s contribution to national security and public outreach in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the volunteer force has played an important role in strengthening border security, supporting internal stability and expanding the government’s “Har Ghar Tiranga” campaign in J&K.

Addressing a meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee attached to the Ministry of Defence in New Delhi, Singh said the Territorial Army continues to exemplify the concept of the “citizen-soldier”, with volunteers balancing civilian professions while remaining trained and ready to serve alongside the armed forces whenever required.

The minister said the force has evolved into a crucial component of India’s security architecture by providing trained manpower that can be mobilised rapidly during emergencies while also contributing to nation-building initiatives beyond its conventional military role.

“The Territorial Army not only strengthens the country’s defence preparedness but also serves as an important bridge between the armed forces and civil society,” Singh told the committee, noting that personnel return to their civilian occupations after completing their military assignments, carrying with them first-hand experience that inspires greater public participation in national service.

Highlighting its role in J&K, Singh said Territorial Army personnel have actively supported the government’s outreach efforts under the “Har Ghar Tiranga” campaign, helping extend the nationwide initiative across the Union Territory while continuing to discharge operational responsibilities related to border management and internal security.

The minister described the force as a valuable reserve for the regular armed forces, capable of augmenting military operations during periods of heightened security requirements, natural disasters and other national emergencies.

Senior defence officials briefed members of the parliamentary committee on the Territorial Army’s operational mandate, organisational structure and recent achievements, while Members of Parliament offered suggestions aimed at strengthening the force and enhancing its effectiveness.

Singh said the Territorial Army has also emerged as an important contributor to India’s broader development agenda through its involvement in environmental conservation, disaster relief and community welfare programmes.

According to the Defence Minister, the force currently comprises around 44,400 personnel organised into 59 units and has participated in numerous humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations across the country, including rescue missions during floods in Assam and Kerala and cyclone response operations in Odisha.

He also highlighted the work of the Territorial Army’s Ecological Task Forces, saying they have planted nearly 100 million saplings across the country while maintaining an estimated 80 to 85 percent survival rate, making a significant contribution to afforestation, ecological restoration and climate change mitigation.

Describing the Territorial Army as a force that combines patriotism with public service, Singh said its unique structure allows ordinary citizens to contribute directly to national security without giving up their civilian careers, thereby reinforcing the connection between society and the armed forces.

The meeting was attended by Minister of State (MoS) Defence Sanjay Seth, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Army Staff General Dhiraj Seth, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar, Secretary (Defence Finance) Vishvajit Sahay and other senior officials of the Ministry of Defence.

New Delhi, Aug 6: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is mapping landslide-prone areas using satellite imagery and developing village-level landslide alerts aimed at improving preparedness in vulnerable regions, the Centre told the Parliament on Thursday.

Among the flagship initiatives is the Satellite Integrated Landslide Assessment and Alert System (SILAAS), under which ISRO is mapping landslide-prone areas using satellite imagery and developing village-level landslide alerts aimed at improving preparedness in vulnerable regions, Minister of State for Space Jitendra Singh said in a written reply in the RajyaSabha.

The agency has already completed a comprehensive landslide inventory covering all districts of Jammu and Kashmir following the 2023 monsoon season.

The Centre also highlighted efforts to strengthen flood-risk assessment in the Himalayan region.

Under the National Hydrology Project, ISRO has prepared an inventory of glacial lakes in Jammu and Kashmir and generated Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) hazard and risk maps for Mundiksar Lake in the Indus basin, where concerns over climate-induced glacial instability have grown in recent years.

Satellite-based monitoring has also been extended to watershed development programmes across all districts of J&K under the Integrated Watershed Management Programme and the Watershed Development Component of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sanchayee Yojana.

According to the government, geospatial technologies are being used to monitor implementation, evaluate outcomes and improve planning for water conservation and land management projects.

In urban areas, ISRO has mapped water bodies in Srinagar, Jammu, and Anantnag under the Urban Waterbody Information System (UWaIS) project, while the Geo-MGNREGA Phase II programme is supporting planning and monitoring of rural employment works through satellite-based mapping.

The government said several environment-focused projects are also underway.

These include a National Wetland Inventory prepared with the University of Jammu, a Desertification and Land Degradation project undertaken with the University of Kashmir, and a Long Term Ecological Research Stations programme covering the North-West Himalaya to study climate change and ecosystem responses.

In addition, the Space Based Information Support for Decentralised Planning (SISDP-U) project has generated detailed thematic datasets on land use, settlements, infrastructure, and drainage for every district in J&K using high-resolution satellite imagery.

ISRO has also completed annual land-use and land-cover assessments while continuing longer-term mapping exercises designed to assist planners and policymakers.

The Centre also disclosed financial allocations for several ongoing projects in J&K.

These include funding for land-use mapping, landslide assessment, watershed monitoring, wetland inventory and environmental conservation initiatives being implemented through the Directorate of Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing, the University of Jammu, and the University of Kashmir.

According to the government, much of the sanctioned funding has already been released and fully utilised.

Beyond mapping and monitoring, ISRO is conducting experimental landslide forecasting under the SILAAS programme and regularly organises training programmes for disaster management agencies, including participants from J&K, through the National Database for Emergency Management initiative.

The government said efforts are also underway to strengthen research and public services through space technology.

The government has significantly expanded the use of satellite-based technologies across Jammu and Kashmir over the past five years, with applications now extending from disaster management and environmental monitoring to agriculture, urban planning and digital connectivity,

The Department of Space (DoS) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have rolled out a series of geospatial and satellite-enabled programmes across J&K as part of a broader strategy to strengthen disaster resilience, improve natural resource management and enhance governance through space technology.

The government said 12 operational communication satellites are currently providing coverage over J&K, with satellite capacity being made available to service providers to improve telecommunications and broadband connectivity, particularly in remote and mountainous areas where conventional infrastructure remains difficult to establish.

ISRO has established the SatishDhawan Centre for Space Science at the Central University of Jammu, while satellite platforms are supporting tele-education under the PM e-Vidyaprogramme and telemedicine services across J&K.

Last year, the launch of the High Throughput Satellite GSAT-N2 further enhanced broadband capacity, including coverage in the J&K.

New Delhi, Aug 06: Commerce and Industry Ministry has refuted claims in media that India is importing and intends to import large quantities of ethanol from the United States for fuel blending, as baseless and factually incorrect.

In a statement, the Ministry said that ethanol used for fuel blending under the Ethanol Blended with Petrol Programme is sourced entirely from domestic producers as per the domestic policy framework. It stressed that there is no import of ethanol for fuel blending from the US.

The Ministry further stated that no concessions or commitments relating to the import of ethanol for fuel blending from the US have been made in the India-US Trade discussions. It said any suggestion of a policy change to permit large-scale imports of fuel ethanol from the US is misleading. India’s fuel blending programme and ethanol procurement continues to be governed solely by India’s domestic policy requirements.

New Delhi, Aug 06: Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a telephone call from Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu today.

The two leaders reviewed sustained progress in India-Israel Special Strategic Partnership and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the bilateral cooperation across various sectors for the mutual benefit of the two countries.

PM Netanyahu and PM Modi exchanged views on the recent developments in West Asia.

The two leaders agreed to remain in touch.