Investment in armed forces shouldn't be seen as burden on economy: Army chief Gen Naravane
Gandhinagar, Apr 13: The expenditure on the armed forces is an investment on which one gets full returns and it should not be seen as a burden on the economy, Chief of Army Staff General M M Naravane said on Wednesday.
A nation can survive the shocks that wipe out the share market and leaves thousands of investors bankrupt only when the armed forces of that country are strong, he said addressing a gathering after releasing a book, titled 'Fifty Years of 1971 War: Accounts from Veterans,' at the Rashtriya Raksha University.
The book is compiled by the university and contains a message by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The book is an outcome of a series of webinars organised at the university and deals with various aspects of the 1971 war.
General Naravane's comments have come at a time when Russia and Ukraine are engaged in a war and there is eastern Ladakh border standoff between the India and China.
"Whenever we talk about the armed forces, and whenever we talk about investments and expenditures made for the armed forces, we should see this as an investment -- an investment on which you get full returns, and it should not be seen as a burden on the economy," the Army chief said.
He said one has seen how the economy suffers whenever there is a crisis.
"The moment there is a war anywhere, whenever there is instability in a region, straightway you can see the impact on the shares, on the stock market," he said.
Surviving such kinds of shock can only happen if the armed forces of the country are strong, he said.
While the armed forces play a major part in the security of a nation, other organs of the state play an equally important role, he noted.
"All of us are equal players and stakeholders in the safety and security of the nation," he said.
General Naravane also advised students of the university to do whatever they feel passionate about, and not because their parents asked them or out of peer pressure.
He said the Army has also opened up more avenues for women.
"We have made it more and more easy, and more avenues have been opened up for women to join the armed forces in more and more streams," he said, adding that even the Army Aviation wing has been opened up for women, and two of them will be graduating sometime in July.
"As time goes, more avenues will be available to women in the armed forces," he said.
General Naravane also talked about cooperation between the Indian Army and the Rashtriya Raksha University.
He visited the university's School of Information Technology where he was briefed about works done on cyber security, artificial intelligence and digital forensics, and how they can contribute to the national security.
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Paper leak mafia thriving under BJP's double-engine governments: Bhagwant Mann
Shimla (PTI): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday slammed the Centre over the alleged NEET paper leak and said that such incidents are surfacing in regions governed by the BJP's 'double-engine' and 'triple-engine' governments.
He said the leak and cancellation of the National Eligibility cum Entrance test (NEET) 2026 examination is a major failure on the part of the Union government.
"This is not the first time that a paper leak has happened. Such incidents have surfaced in 2017, 2021, 2024, and now even in 2026 and every time, a CBI inquiry is initiated, arrests are made, yet after a short while, the accused are released on bail," he said.
Mann, who arrived at the Dharamshala Cricket Stadium to boost the morale of the Punjab Kings team ahead of their upcoming IPL match, told the media that lakhs of students toil day and night, harbouring dreams of transforming their families' fortunes, but when exams are cancelled due to paper leaks, these students are left heartbroken.
The NEET 2026 paper held on May 3 was cancelled on May 12 after reports of a paper leak in Rajasthan.
He said that the paper leak mafia is predominantly surfacing in regions governed by the BJP's 'double-engine' and 'triple-engine' governments. "Paper leaked, dreams shattered, the country's administrative system is unable to conduct even a single examination properly", he added.
Taking a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mann said that while Modi imposes various restrictions on the public, he himself continues to embark on foreign tours.
He asserted that the public deserves to know the country's true economic situation.
"The prime minister must disclose the current status of the country's oil reserves, the extent of our gold reserves, and fundamentally why restrictions are being imposed on every single commodity", he said.
No other nation has imposed such restrictions and the ongoing war is being used as a pretext, even though the country's economy is already in a precarious state, Mann added.
Regarding the ongoing campaign against drugs in Punjab, Mann said that the state government is continuously taking action against drug traffickers and asserted that a large number of traffickers are being sent to jail and that Punjab will soon move towards becoming drug-free.
Speaking about the upcoming IPL match between Punjab Kings and Mumbai Indians to be held in Dharamshala, Mann said that he also holds the portfolio of Punjab's sports minister and has arrived in Dharamshala to cheer the team.
