HAL likely to deliver two Tejas Mark-1A jets next month: Defence secretary
New Delhi (PTI): Two Tejas Mark-1A fighter jets are likely to be delivered next month by the state-run aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL), Defence Secretary R K Singh has said.
Singh said that the government is likely to ink a fresh contract with HAL for procuring an additional batch of 97 Tejas jets after the delivery of the two aircraft.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) had flagged concerns over delays in the delivery of the Tejas Mark 1A jets under a previous contract.
"Hopefully, the first two of those will be delivered with weapons integration by the end of September," Singh said at the NDTV Defence Summit.
The defence secretary said about 38 Tejas jets are already in service and another 80-odd are being manufactured.
In February 2021, the defence ministry sealed a Rs 48,000 crore deal with HAL for the procurement of 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets for the IAF.
The delivery of the jets is facing delays primarily due to the US defence major GE Aerospace missing several deadlines for the supply of its aero engines to power the jets.
Last week, the government approved an additional batch of 97 Tejas fighters at a cost of around Rs 67,000 crore.
"I have made it clear to HAL that we will sign this contract only after HAL delivers two Tejas featuring a complete package," Singh said on the additional procurement.
He said HAL "will have an order book for four to five years".
"Hopefully, they (HAL) will be able to perfect this platform, integrate the radar and Indian weapons, so that it becomes a workhorse for us along with the Sukhoi," Singh said.
"There will still be a gap and for that gap we will have to look at some other options," he said, hinting at the procurement of more platforms for the IAF.
The single-engine Mk-1A will be a replacement for the IAF's MiG-21 fighters.
The IAF is looking at inducting the warplanes as the number of its fighter squadrons has gone down to 31 from the officially sanctioned strength of 42.
Tejas is a single-engine multi-role fighter aircraft capable of operating in high-threat air environments.
It has been designed to undertake the air defence, maritime reconnaissance and strike roles.
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23-year-old woman found dead at Delhi home; suicide suspected
New Delhi (PTI): A 23-year-old woman was found dead in her house in Delhi's Prem Nagar area, with police suspecting it to be a case of suicide, an official said on Tuesday.
The deceased, identified as Anjali Singh, was found motionless in her room on Monday by her sister and her neighbour.
Police said her father, Vinod Kumar Singh (51), told them that he and his wife were away at work at the time of the incident, while their son and the other daughter were also not at home at the time of the incident.
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According to the family, the room in which Anjali was found was locked from the inside. The door was later forcibly opened by a neighbour and her sister with the help of a crowbar.
Her body was found lying on the bed inside the room, police said.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that Anjali had allegedly hanged herself using a piece of cloth tied to the ceiling fan.
It is suspected that the noose eventually might have loosened or torn off, resulting in her being found lying on the bed.
Family members informed the police that Anjali was a final-year student of a librarian science course from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). About a week ago, her final-year examination results were declared, and she had failed, following which she had been under depression, they said.
The family has not raised any allegation of foul play, police said, adding that no suicide note or external injury marks were found on the body during the initial inspection.
Inquest proceedings have been initiated in the matter as per the law. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination to ascertain the exact cause of death, and further investigation is underway, police added.
