DEFENCE ESTATES ORGANISATION EMBODIES TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY NEEDED FOR VIKSIT BHARAT: RAKSHA MANTRI AT DGDE DAY 2025 Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh on December 16, 2025, lauded the Defence Estates Organisation as a shining example of transparency, efficiency, and accountability—qualities essential to realise Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. He was addressing the Defence Estates Day 2025 celebrations held at Raksha Sampada Bhawan, Delhi Cantonment, organised by the Directorate General Defence Estates (DGDE) under the Ministry of Defence. Commending the organisation for evolving with time and remaining a ground-oriented institution, the Raksha Mantri urged DGDE to prepare proactively for future challenges by fostering a sustainable culture of innovation and continuous improvement through a systematic approach. He appreciated initiatives such as digitisation of land records, use of satellite imagery, encroachment removal drives, and the organisation’s contributions to environmental conservation, education, and skill development within cantonments. Highlighting the need for transformative solutions to long-pending issues, Shri Rajnath Singh proposed the introduction of Annual Challenge Statements to invite innovative ideas from experienced officers, young professionals, and domain experts. He also stressed the importance of strengthening litigation handling capacity related to defence land, recommending the adoption of intelligent, data-driven systems to enable real-time monitoring of cases, legal performance, and financial risks—thereby shifting from reactive litigation to preventive land governance. Emphasising citizen-centric urban governance, the Raksha Mantri called upon DGDE to develop a Citizen Satisfaction Index for cantonments based on measurable service outcomes, enhancing transparency and accountability. He underscored that integrity, rule-based governance, and transparency must remain core values guiding every decision to strengthen institutional credibility. On the occasion, Shri Rajnath Singh conferred the Raksha Mantri Awards for Excellence in Public Service 2025, recognising outstanding achievements by Cantonment Boards and Defence Estates Offices in areas including sanitation, digital accomplishments, innovation, land and record management, healthcare improvement, education, and welfare of Divyang children. The Raksha Mantri also dedicated three major citizen-centric initiatives: Extension of Telemedicine services from Delhi Cantonment General Hospital to all 61 Cantonment Boards, providing multi-specialty tele-consultation and medical education with support from AIIMS, New Delhi. Integration of e-Chhawani with the Accrual Based Accounting System (ABAS), enabling real-time, unified financial and citizen service management through APIs developed in collaboration with Bharat Electronics Limited. Integration of the Defence Estates Mapping Portal (DEMAP) with PM GatiShakti, enhancing transparent and efficient defence land management using advanced GIS technology linked with Raksha Bhoomi land records. Additionally, Shri Rajnath Singh released two publications—‘Strategic Roadmap to Developed India @ 2047’ and ‘Water Conservation Initiatives of DGDE’—highlighting the organisation’s long-term vision and sustainability efforts. Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh, Secretary (Defence R&D) and Chairman DRDO Dr Samir V Kamat, Financial Advisor (Defence Services) Shri Raj Kumar Arora, Director General Defence Estates Smt Shobha Gupta, and other senior officials were present. The Defence Estates Day 2025 celebrations held special significance as the Defence Estates Organisation entered its 100th year of service, marking a century of dedicated contribution to defence land management, civic administration of cantonments, and the principles of transparency, accountability, and public welfare.

INDIAN NAVY COMMISSIONS DSC A20, FIRST INDIGENOUS DIVING SUPPORT CRAFT The Indian Navy commissioned DSC A20, the first of five Diving Support Craft (DSC), during a ceremonial event held at Naval Base, Kochi, on December 16, 2025. The vessel has been indigenously designed and built by M/s Titagarh Rail System Limited, Kolkata. The commissioning ceremony was presided over by Vice Admiral Sameer Saxena, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, and hosted by Vice Admiral Sanjay Sadhu, Controller of Warship Production and Acquisition. Senior naval officers, representatives of M/s Titagarh Rail System Limited, and distinguished guests were present on the occasion. The contract for the construction of five Diving Support Craft was signed between the Ministry of Defence and M/s Titagarh Rail System Limited on February 12, 2021. During the design phase, hydrodynamic analysis and model testing of the craft were carried out at the Naval Science and Technological Laboratory (NSTL), Visakhapatnam. DSC A20 has been designed and built in accordance with the classification rules of the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS). Featuring a catamaran hull form and a displacement of approximately 390 tonnes, the craft is equipped with state-of-the-art diving systems. It is capable of undertaking underwater repairs and inspections, harbour clearance operations, and critical diving missions in coastal waters. The commissioning of DSC A20 marks another significant milestone in the Indian Navy’s indigenous shipbuilding programme and reinforces the Government of India’s vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. The successful construction of this specialised platform within the country reflects the growing strength of domestic shipbuilding capabilities, enhanced self-reliance, and reduced dependence on imports.

RAKSHA MANTRI TO PRESIDE OVER DEFENCE ESTATES DAY CELEBRATIONS AS DEPARTMENT MARKS 100 YEARS OF SERVICE Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh will grace the Defence Estates Day celebrations at Raksha Sampada Bhawan, Delhi Cantonment, on December 16, 2025. On the occasion, he will confer the Raksha Mantri Awards for Excellence in Public Service for outstanding achievements in Defence Land Management and Municipal Administration to 61 Cantonment Boards across the country. This year’s celebrations are particularly significant as the Defence Estates Department enters its 100th year, commemorating a rich legacy that dates back to 1765 with the establishment of the first cantonment at Barrackpore in West Bengal. Over the years, prominent cantonments such as Danapur (1766), Meerut (1803), Ambala (1843), and Delhi (1915) were established, laying the foundation of defence land and cantonment administration in India. The Department was formally constituted on December 16, 1926, as the Department of Land and Cantonments under the Ministry of Defence. Today, the Defence Estates Department manages the largest landholding of the Government of India under the Ministry of Defence. While rooted in history, the Department has undergone a remarkable transformation, emerging as a leader in digital and technology-enabled land management. The successful implementation of the e-Chhawani project has enabled 100% online municipal services for nearly 20 lakh residents of cantonments. Its initiatives in water conservation and rejuvenation of water bodies have also been nationally recognised, earning the National Water Award for Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari. The Department has completed the digitisation of legacy land records, ensuring their long-term preservation. The entire file management system has been modernised through the nationwide adoption of a secure, technology-driven platform, facilitating seamless retrieval and safe archival of records. A centralised software platform, Raksha Bhoomi, hosted on secure servers, now serves as the unified repository for all defence land records. In addition, the Department has developed strong expertise in land surveying through the extensive use of Continuously Operating Reference Stations-enabled Differential GPS, GIS-based tools, and high-resolution satellite imagery to enhance accuracy. A Centre of Excellence on Satellite and Unmanned Remote Vehicle Initiatives has also been established, leveraging Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and emerging technologies to develop next-generation solutions for defence land management. The centenary celebrations underscore the Defence Estates Department’s enduring legacy and its continued commitment to innovation, transparency, and efficient public service.

OVER 31.69 LAKH DEFENCE PENSIONERS ONBOARDED ON SPARSH, INDIA''S LARGEST DIGITAL PENSION PLATFORM Reinforcing the commitment to ensure "Right Pension to the Right Pensioner at the Right Time”, the System for Pension Administration – Raksha (SPARSH) has emerged as India’s first end-to-end digital pension platform. A flagship Digital India initiative, SPARSH is administered by the Defence Accounts Department (DAD) through PCDA (Pensions), Prayagraj. As of November 2025, SPARSH has successfully onboarded 31.69 lakh defence pensioners across India and Nepal. The platform has replaced the earlier fragmented pension disbursement mechanism involving over 45,000 agencies with a unified, transparent, and accountable digital system. Key Achievements of SPARSH include: Resolution of Legacy Discrepant Cases: Of the 6.43 lakh discrepant cases migrated from previous systems, 6.07 lakh cases (94.3%) have been normalised without impacting pensioners’ entitlements. Focused Outreach for Elderly and Non-Tech Savvy Pensioners: A total of 284 SPARSH Outreach Programmes and 194 Raksha Pension Samadhan Ayojans have been conducted nationwide. During the current financial year, over 8,000 grievances were resolved on the spot through these initiatives. Improved Transparency and Faster Grievance Redressal: Pensioners can now access complete pension details online and submit correction requests with ease. The average grievance redressal time has reduced significantly from 56 days in April 2025 to 17 days in November 2025. According to the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, DAD achieved a 73% satisfaction score, ranking 5th among all Ministries and Departments. DLC 4.0 Campaign Performance: During the nationwide Digital Life Certificate (DLC) 4.0 campaign conducted from 1–30 November 2025, DAD mobilised 202 offices, 4.63 lakh Common Service Centres, 15 partner banks, and 27 Nodal Officers. By 30 November 2025, 20.94 lakh DLCs were generated for defence pensioners—the highest among all departments. Pension Disbursements: In FY 2024–25, a defence pension budget of Rs.1,57,681 crore was disbursed in real time through SPARSH. The implementation of OROP-III in July 2024 enabled the swift disbursement of Rs.1,224.76 crore to 20.17 lakh beneficiaries within just 15 days. SPARSH today stands as the largest unified pension system in the country and the only fully integrated digital pension solution for defence personnel, reflecting the Government’s unwavering commitment to dignity, care, and timely support for veterans and their families.

DCNS VISITS MALDIVES FOR CLOSING CEREMONY OF EXERCISE EKATHA 2025 Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti, Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS) of the Indian Navy, is on an official visit to the Maldives from 15 to 17 December 2025 to attend the closing ceremony of the bilateral maritime exercise Ekatha 2025. Initiated in 2017, Exercise Ekatha is an annual bilateral engagement between the Indian Navy and the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF). The 8th edition of the exercise featured extensive professional interactions aimed at enhancing interoperability and operational synergy between the two forces. Key activities included technical and combat diving, boarding operations, firing drills, demolition and explosive handling, asymmetric warfare tactics, and specialised heliborne operations. Upon arrival in Malé, Vice Admiral Sobti met Major General Ibrahim Hilmy, Chief of Defence Force, MNDF. Discussions focused on regional maritime security challenges, expanding training cooperation, strengthening joint efforts to counter drug trafficking, and reviewing the progress of ongoing defence projects. Both sides also deliberated on enhancing maritime information-sharing mechanisms. As part of the visit, the DCNS handed over a consignment of operational spares for MNDF Coast Guard Ship Huravee to the MNDF Chief of Defence Force during a function held onboard INS Sharda at Malé on 15 December 2025. The maiden visit of the DCNS to the Maldives reaffirms the Indian Navy’s enduring commitment to regional partners and highlights the strong defence and maritime cooperation between India and the Maldives. The engagement aligns with India’s vision of ‘Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth for All in the Region (MAHASAGAR)’ and its Neighbourhood First policy.

CNS CONCLUDES OFFICIAL VISIT TO BRAZIL, STRENGTHENS MARITIME COOPERATION Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) of the Indian Navy, concluded his official visit to Brazil from 09–12 December 2025, aimed at enhancing bilateral maritime cooperation between the two nations. During the visit, the CNS held high-level discussions with senior Brazilian leadership, including the Defence Minister, the Chief of the Joint Staff of the Brazilian Armed Forces, and the Commander of the Brazilian Navy. Talks focused on expanding bilateral naval cooperation and collaboration in the defence industry. A significant outcome of the visit was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Indian Navy, the Brazilian Navy, and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) for the exchange of information on the maintenance of Scorpene-class submarines and other naval platforms. Admiral Tripathi also visited key Brazilian Navy establishments, including the Itaguaí Naval Complex and the amphibious helicopter carrier NAM Atlântico (A140). Additionally, he attended the Passing Out Parade of 140 midshipmen at the Brazilian Naval Academy in Rio de Janeiro. The visit reaffirmed the shared commitment of India and Brazil to deepen maritime cooperation, enhance defence collaboration, and promote training and capacity-building initiatives in support of common security objectives.