Jaipur, Jan 15: Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi on Thursday said the institution is moving forward as a future-ready force and underscored the need for indigenous equipment, calling it a “strategic necessity”.

“The Indian Army is moving forward as a future-ready force, possessing well-trained soldiers, modern equipment, and multi-domain operational capabilities. Technology is being used to make the soldier even more capable,” he told reporters in Jaipur after the Army Day parade.

He said that there has been a clear shift in the Indian Army’s thinking in the last few years.

“We are not just addressing current challenges but also preparing for future wars. New structures are being created in this direction, which are being equipped and trained according to future needs,” he said.

He said that new units like the Bhairav Battalion and Shakti Baan Regiment have been raised.

“This reflects the creation of an agile, responsive, and mission-oriented army, aligned with future challenges,” he said.

He said that today’s parade showcased a beautiful blend of tradition and transformation.

“The Nepal Army Band reflected our strong ties, while the new units demonstrated the army’s emerging strength,” he said.

“The Indian Army is fully prepared at all times for any kind of attack. We are fully prepared for future warfare. We demonstrated this in the parade. Such preparations will continue to increase in the coming days,” he said, adding that the Indian Army will continue to adapt itself with time and will bring about the necessary changes.

He said that with the display of ‘Made in India’ equipment, the parade reflected that the foundation of transformation is self-reliance.

“The Indian Army needs equipment in the future that is designed and developed in India. Indigenisation is not just a goal; today, it has become a strategic necessity,” he said.

General Dwivedi said that special emphasis is being placed on resources that are useful for both military and civilian purposes, contributing to the overall development of the country.

On organising the parade in Jaipur, he said Rajasthan is a land where many heroes have made history and therefore the land was chosen for the Army Day parade.

He said the Russia-Ukraine conflict has underlined that the duration of any war cannot be predicted in advance, and future conflicts could last either a few days or stretch into years.

Technology increases efficiency, but it does not mean that it replaces manpower, Dwivedi said, adding that smaller units are more successful because new units have greater speed and agility.

“The Bhairav Battalion has been created to fill the gap between the Ghatak and Special Forces. New organisations have been established. More changes will also come. The battlefield is changing rapidly, and we need to move quickly to keep up,” he said.

“We cannot predict the future, so it is essential to adapt to changing circumstances. Whether today’s war will last four days or four years will only be known on the battlefield,” he said.

The army chief laid emphasis on research and development in the country.

He said that equipment and supplies should be manufactured and repaired within the country for fighting a long war.

“Research and development are very important. Until India focuses on research and development we will not be able to fight a long war and achieve complete self-reliance,” he said.

“Therefore, research is crucial. Keeping this in mind, the Indian Army, in collaboration with the Defence Research and Development Organisation and academia, is deliberating on how to move forward,” he said.

The army chief also said that credibility is essential in information warfare.

New Delhi, Jan 15: India has turned diversity into the strength of its democracy and shown the world that democratic institutions and processes give stability, speed and scale to its development.

Inaugurating the 28th conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth, Modi also said that Indian democracy is like a large tree supported by deep roots.

“When India gained Independence, many doubted whether democracy could survive amidst the country’s immense diversity. However, this very diversity became the strength of Indian democracy,” he said.

“There was also scepticism that even if democracy did take root, India would struggle to progress. Contrary to these doubts, India has demonstrated that democratic institutions and processes provide stability, scale, and speed to its development,” he said.

The prime minister said India has a long tradition of debate, dialogue and collective decision-making.

“In India, democracy means last mile delivery,” he said.

He also said that India is strongly raising the concerns of the Global South on every global platform.

“During its G20 Presidency as well, India placed the priorities of the Global South at the centre of the global agenda,” he said.

About 60 speakers and presiding officers are attending the event being held at the Samvidhan Sadan in Parliament House complex here from January 14 to 16.

It is deliberating on a wide range of contemporary parliamentary issues, including the role of speakers and presiding officers, in maintaining strong democratic institutions.

The use of artificial intelligence in parliamentary functioning, the impact of social media on Members of Parliament, innovative strategies to enhance public understanding of Parliament and citizen participation beyond voting, among others, are also being discussed at the conference.

New Delhi, Jan 15: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC), 2026 at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan.

Upon his arrival, the Prime Minister was greeted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Harivansh Narayan Singh.

The high-level conference will be chaired by Birla and will feature 61 Speakers and Presiding Officers from 42 Commonwealth countries, along with representatives from four semi-autonomous parliaments, underscoring the event’s global scale and significance.

Delegations from several countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia, will also participate in the high-level gathering.

Other parties include the Deputy Speaker of Namibia, delegations from Trinidad and Tobago, Tonga, Cameroon, and Malaysia, and representatives from the Australian High Commission, led by High Commissioner Philip Green.

According to the release, CSPOC will deliberate on a range of contemporary parliamentary issues to strengthen democratic institutions and modern legislative practices.

Key themes include the evolving role of Speakers and Presiding Officers, technological innovation in parliamentary functioning, and enhancing citizen engagement with democratic processes.

Among the major topics scheduled for discussion are “AI in Parliament: Balancing Innovation, Oversight and Adaptation”, to be led by Malaysia; “Social Media and its Impact on Parliamentarians”, to be presented by Sri Lanka; and “Innovative Strategies to Enhance Public Understanding of Parliament and Citizen Participation Beyond Voting”, with contributions from Nigeria and South Africa.

Other sessions will focus on the security, health and well-being of Members of Parliament and parliamentary staff, as well as a special plenary discussion on the role of Speakers and Presiding Officers in maintaining strong democratic institutions.

Earlier on Wednesday, Birla chaired a Standing Committee meeting ahead of the 28th CSPOC.
CSPOC is being hosted by the Parliament of India from January 14 to 16, and it will be the largest in terms of participation.

The 27th edition of CSPOC was hosted by Uganda in January 2024, and the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Harivansh, and the Leader of IPD at that conference had taken over from Uganda as the host of the 28th edition of CSPOC, to be held in India in 2026.

New Delhi, Jan 15: The Supreme Court is set to hear on Thursday a petition filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleging that its recent simultaneous raid and search operations at the office of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and the residence of its co-founder, Pratik Jain, were obstructed by the West Bengal government and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Sharma and Vipul M. Pancholi will hear the matter later in the day, as per the causelist published on the website of the apex court.

Seeking urgent judicial intervention in the matter, the ED has claimed that its officials faced resistance during the search operations and were prevented from carrying out their duties in accordance with the law.

The Central anti-money laundering agency has also claimed that interference by West Bengal authorities compromised the integrity of its investigation.

Anticipating the ED’s move, the West Bengal government has already filed a caveat before the apex court, requesting that no order be passed without hearing its version.

The move was aimed at ensuring that no interim relief is granted to the Central agency without the state government being heard.

Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday dealt with a petition accusing CM Mamata Banerjee of misusing her constitutional position by allegedly creating hindrances to the official duties of Central agency officials.

There were two other counter-petitions in the matter, one by Pratik Jain himself and the other by Trinamool Congress.

In its counter-petition, the Trinamool has alleged that since I-PAC is acting as the voter-strategy agency of the party, the ED raid was intended to seize several documents related to its poll strategy for the 2026 Assembly polls and share the same with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).