Ex-VC objects to RSS event at Gujarat Vidyapith
Ahmedabad, Dec 19: Gandhian scholar and a former Vice Chancellor of Gujarat Vidyapith, Sudarshan Iyenger, has objected to an upcoming event of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at Gujarat Vidyapith here.
While Iyengar claimed that the right-wing organisation chose the venue to show its dominance, the RSS said the subjects to be discussed at the event were aligned with Mahatma Gandhi's ideology.
The varsity, on the other hand, said it rents out a part of its premises for events, and it has nothing to do with events organised by outside organisations.
Gujarat Vidyapith, located in Ahmedabad city, was set up by Mahatma Gandhi in 1920 and has the status of deemed university.
On December 22, the Gujarat RSS has organised `Sajjan Shakti Sangam' where prominent citizens from different walks of life will gather at Gujarat Vidyapith to deliberate on social harmony, environmental conservation and use of locally made products, among other topics.
Iyenger said having an RSS event at Gujarat Vidyapith was "not proper".
"It is a known fact that the ideology of RSS is totally opposite to the Gandhian philosophy. There are many places where the RSS could have organised this event. Yet, just to prove that Gujarat Vidyapith is now under their dominance, they are organising this event in this institute founded by Gandhi ji," he told PTI when contacted for a comment on the row.
Iyenger was vice chancellor of the Vidyapith from 2005 to 2014. He also served as a trustee of the institution from 2000 to 2022.
No RSS event was held on the varsity premises during his tenure as trustee and VC, he further said.
"Is it that the RSS will now start following Gandhi ji's ideology by organising its event at the Vidyapith? It does not seem so. It is evident they want to prove their dominance by way of this event," said Iyenger.
In a statement, the university said the premises are rented out to outsiders for social and academic activities.
"The university is not associated with the events organised on its premises by outsiders," it added.
State RSS spokesperson Vijay Thakar said it was an unnecessary controversy.
"On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of RSS, we are organising such events in every district. We had organised such events at many places and the Vidyapith is like any other venue. In the past, we had organised an event at a cafe run by Navajivan Trust, which was also founded by Gandhi ji," he noted.
"The subjects on which deliberations will take place at the event are in line with Mahatma Gandhi's ideology, such as social harmony and encouraging the use of domestic or Swadeshi products. So how is this event against Gandhi ji's values?" he added.
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Rajnath to top commanders: Outmaneuver adversaries with strategic surprise
Jaipur/New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday directed the top military commanders of the three services to integrate an "element of surprise" into modern warfare to outmaneuver India's adversaries and bolster strategic posture.
In his address at the joint commanders conference in Jaipur, Singh also described the Operation Sindoor as a testament to the "swift, precise, and joint response" of the Indian armed forces to safeguard national interests and called upon the military to remain ready to deal with any security challenges.
In their two-day deliberations, the commanders carried out a comprehensive review of the combat preparedness of the military in the wake of the evolving regional security situation.
Operation Sindoor was a demonstration of India's growing capabilities and a symbol of the nation's collective resolve and new military ethos, Singh said, a day after the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor.
He also unveiled a 'Joint Doctrine for Integrated Communication Architecture' that is aimed at strengthening doctrinal clarity, interoperability and integrated communications across the armed forces in future multidomain operations.
The joint commanders' conference, themed 'Military Capability in New Domains', brought together the top leadership of the defence ministry and the three services to deliberate on emerging security challenges and future readiness.
Comprehensive deliberations were held on future warfare, multidomain operations, technological transformation and joint capability development.
The conference witnessed extensive discussions on cognitive warfare, cyber resilience against evolving quantum and AI-enabled threats, military capability development in emerging domains, indigenous innovation and AI-enabled warfighting concepts.
It was attended by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, Chief of the Army Staff Gen Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh and Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh among others.
In his remarks, Singh asked the commanders to remain "future-ready" by learning from the operation as well as the current global security landscape.
He underscored the need to strengthen capabilities in artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, data analytics and secure communication networks to stay prepared in the rapidly evolving geopolitical security scenario. He emphasised that future conflicts will increasingly be shaped by hybrid threats, information dominance and operations conducted simultaneously across cyber, space, electromagnetic and cognitive domains, according to an official readout.
Highlighting the transformative impact of emerging technologies, Singh stressed on the importance of ensuring integrated national preparedness across all spectrums of conflict, it said.
Singh's remarks at the conference came a day after the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor.
The defence minister appreciated the progress achieved in enhancing jointness, integration and technological adoption across the three services, the readout noted.
Singh said that jointness constitutes a pivotal dimension within the transformative changes sweeping across the global defence sector.
"Future wars will not be won solely through weaponry, but through innovative thinking and enhanced synergy," he said.
The defence minister exhorted the commanders to cultivate the "element of surprise" to remain unpredictable to the nation's adversaries and secure a strategic edge in any given situation.
He, however, urged them to remain vigilant of the element of surprise of the enemy and always stay two steps ahead.
Singh also reiterated the Narendra Modi government's commitment to enhancing the capabilities of the defence forces through state-of-the-art weapons and platforms. He added that special focus is being laid on research in niche domains.
During the conference, he released a documentary film on Operation Sindoor.
The film reaffirms the nation's and defence forces' commitment to operational preparedness and decisive national response capabilities.
Demonstrations of advanced systems and platforms developed for intelligence fusion, operational planning and information management were also showcased during the conference reflecting growing integration of cutting-edge technologies into joint operational structures, according to the defence ministry.
The discussions will contribute significantly towards shaping India's future military transformation and integrated operational preparedness, it said.
