Current Events :
India-France Equal 6th-Gen Fighter Pact Pitched: Following the total collapse of the Franco-German-Spanish FCAS program, a dedicated India-France 6th-generation fighter project is rapidly materializing. Minister-level talks have already wrapped up, with France offering India an equal partnership model backed by extensive transfer of technology (ToT) and localized manufacturing under the Make in India initiative.
NEW DELHI: The government’s appointment of Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth as the next Chief of the Army Staff has added another chapter to a long tradition of military families whose members have risen to the highest ranks of India’s armed forces.For Lieutenant General Krishna Mohan Seth, the announcement would have been a particularly proud moment. His son, Dhiraj Seth, is set to take over as the Army chief, while his younger son, Rear Admiral Ravnish Seth, serves in the Indian Navy. The family’s military legacy runs deep: both father and son commanded the Bhopal-based 21 Corps, one of the Army’s key strike formations.The Seths are not alone. The history of India’s armed forces is replete with families that have produced senior military leaders across generations, with several fathers and sons even commanding the same formations.The tradition can be traced back to independent India’s first Commander-in-Chief, General (later Field Marshal) Kodandera Madappa Cariappa. His son, Air Marshal Krishnaswamy Cariappa, went on to become one of the Indian Air Force‘s most distinguished officers and eventually commanded the South Western Air Command.Air Marshal Cariappa’s career is remembered for a dramatic episode during the 1965 India-Pakistan war, when his Hunter aircraft was shot down over Pakistan and he was taken prisoner.
Then Pakistani president Ayub Khan reportedly offered to release him as a special gesture to his father. Field Marshal Cariappa famously declined, saying, “The POWs are all my sons. Look after them well.”Another prominent example is General Ved Prakash Malik, who led the Army during the 1999 Kargil conflict. His son, Major General Sachin Malik, is a serving officer in the Indian Army. Both father and son commanded the prestigious 8th Mountain Division.India’s first Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, also followed a path laid down by his father, Lieutenant General Lakshman Singh Rawat. Significantly, both officers commanded the 19 Infantry Division based in Baramulla, a formation that has long played a critical role in operations in Jammu and Kashmir.Bihar Governor Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd. ), one of the Army’s most respected counter-insurgency commanders and a former chief of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, is the son of Major General Syed Mahdi Hasnain.Military legacies are not confined to the Army. Vice Admiral Sanjay Jasjit Singh, who commanded the Western Fleet during Operation Sindoor, is the son of Air Commodore Jasjit Singh, a decorated fighter pilot who received the Vir Chakra for gallantry during the 1971 war and was later awarded the Padma Bhushan.Similarly, Admiral Madhvendra Singh, who served as Chief of the Naval Staff from 2001 to 2004, was the son of Major General K Bhagwati Singh.This aspect of the armed forces reflect a rich legacy, where successive generations have risen to senior leadership roles across the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Several officers have followed similar career paths, often commanding the same formations as their parent. This pattern highlights the enduring culture of service and professional excellence that shapes the higher ranks of the military.About the AuthorTOI News Desk
The TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most.”Read More
The Army has ordered a court of inquiry (COI) to investigate allegations of irregularities in the procurement and distribution of medical supplies by an Armed Forces Medical Supplies Depot located in Jalandhar.
The COI, convened under the aegis of Headquarters 11 Corps, followed written complaints sent to higher authorities by an Army Medical Corps officer.
The officer had alleged that orders worth several crores were placed on various dealers, but in many cases either the supplies were not received on ground, the brands were different, or the prescribed procedure was not followed.
According to the convening order issued by HQ 91 Sub Area, a Brigadier has been appointed at the COI’s presiding officer, with two other Colonels and a pharmacist as members.
The COI’s terms of reference are to investigate and collect evidence regarding the alleged violations of procurement policies and accounting, and variations in prices between the rate contract and emergent procurement rates.
Among the oldest and most highly decorated armoured regiments of the Indian Army, 2nd Lancers has the unique distinction of being the parent unit of three Chiefs of the Army Staff – the highest number for any unit.
The Army Chief designate, Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, scheduled to take over the reins of the Indian Army on June 30, was commissioned into this regiment in December 1986, though he later commanded 1st Horse.
Earlier, Gen Maharaj Rajendrasinhji Jadeja, the first Chief from the Armoured Corps who held office from January 1952 to May 1955, was posted to the regiment when he joined the Indian Army about a year after his commissioning from the Royal Military College, Sandhurst in 1921, where he had been placed on the Unattached List for the Indian Army and seconded to a British Infantry regiment. At that time post-commission attachment of Indian officers with a British unit for about a year was mandatory. As a Lieutenant Colonel, Gen Jadeja commanded 2nd Lancers.
Gen Bipin Chandra Joshi, Army Chief from July 1993 to November 1994 when he died in harness, was commissioned into 2nd Lancers in December 1954, though he later commanded 64 Cavalry in the western theatre during the 1971 India-Pakistan war.
In the Armoured Corps, as also in some other arms like the Artillery and Engineers, a ‘regiment’ is the equivalent of an Infantry battalion, commanded by an officer of the rank of Colonel. In the Infantry, the term regiment denotes a group of battalions based on a particular caste, religious or regional composition, such as the Punjab Regiment, Jat Regiment, Garhwal Rifles, Gorkha Riles, Maratha Light Infantry and Assam Regiment. Each such regiment has a number of battalions which are placed under different operational formations.
A few Army Chiefs have belonged to the same combat Arm or Infantry regiment, but instances of more than one Chiefs having affiliation to the same unit are rare. Gen KV Krishna Rao and Gen Krishnaswamy Sundarji, both from the Mahar Regiment, served initially with the regiment’s 2nd Battalion but went on to command the 3rd and 1st Battalion, respectively.
The 16th Light Cavalry, India’s oldest armoured regiment that was raised in 1776, is associated with two Chiefs – Gen Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri and Gen Vishwa Nath Sharma. Gen Chaudhuri had initially joined the 7th Light Cavalry and later commanded the 16th, whereas Gen Sharma was commissioned into the 16th and later commander 66 Armoured Regiment.
The Kumaon Regiment is associated with three Chiefs. Gen General Satyawant Mallannah Shrinagesh and General Kodendera Subayya Thimayya had joined the 4th Battalion of the 19th Hyderabad Regiment in the erstwhile British Indian Army, which after Independence was merged into the Kumaon Regiment and is now its 4th Battalion. Gen Tapishwar Narain Raina initially served with different battalions of the 19th Hyderabad Regiment and later commanded 14 Kumaon.
On the other hand, the Sikh Light Infantry, for example, has produced three Army Chiefs – Gen VP Malik, Gen Bikram Singh and Gen MM Naravane, but they are from different battalions of the regiment.
Now having shot into prominence with the announcement of Gen Upendra Dwivedi’s successor, 2nd Lancers, also known as Gardner’s Horse after William Linnæus Gardner, a British officer who had raised it in 1809 at Farukhabad in Uttar Pradesh, was formed by the amalgamation of two of the oldest regiments of the East India Company’s Bengal Army – the 2nd Royal Lancers and the 4th Cavalry.
After initial policing duties in occupied territories around Agra, the regiment first saw active service in 1815 during the Anglo-Nepalese War, and till the outbreak of the First World War, was engaged in campaigns in Punjab, Bengal, Multan and Egypt.
It deployed to France during the First World War, where it was involved in the Battle of the Somme, Battle of Bazentin, Battle of Flers-Courcelette, the Advance to the Hindenburg Line and the Battle of Cambrai. It was on the Western Front that Lance-Daffadar Gobind Singh from the 27th Light Cavalry, attached to the 2nd Lancers, was awarded the Regiment’s only Victoria Cross for gallantry.
In 1918, the Regiment moved to Egypt, conducting several operations in Palestine, Israel, Jordan, Syria and other areas of West Asia, before finally landing back in India in December 1920. World War-II saw the regiment back in Africa, serving in the Western Desert campaign as part of the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade under the 7th Armoured Division against the Axis attacks, and also deputing troops for the Indian Long Range Squadron formed to patrol the borders between the Soviet Union and Persia and Afghanistan.
On returning to India in January 1943, 2nd Lancers was converted to an armoured car regiment. In October, Lt Col Jadeja became the first Indian officer to take command of the Regiment, and also became the first Indian to command an armoured regiment.
Post-Independence, 2nd Lancers took part in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965 as part of the 1st Armoured Division. The regiment was then equipped with American M-4 Sherman tanks and fought in the Battle of Phillora and the Battle of Chawinda, for which it was awarded the Battle Honour Punjab.
In August 1966, the Regiment was the first unit in the Army to be equipped with the Vijayanta, the first indigenously built tank that had played a crucial role in the 1971 India-Pakistan War. The Regiment currently operates the Soviet-origin T-72 tanks.
2nd Lancers is the only Indian Army regiment that has an affiliation with British Army’s Royal Tank Regiment (RTR), the world’s oldest armoured establishment that was formed in 1916 during the First World War.
According to the RTR website, the affiliation, a fraternal and ceremonial relationship based on shared history and traditions, was formed in 1973. Besides India, armoured or cavalry regiments from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France and Pakistan are similarly affiliated. The current British monarch, King Charles III, is the Colonel-in-Chief of the RTR.
A day after four soldiers were injured in an accidental grenade blast near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Nowshera sector of Rajouri district, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Nagrota-based White Knight Corps, Lt Gen PK Mishra, visited the area to review the operational preparedness of troops.
In a statement, the White Knight Corps said the Corps Commander, accompanied by the GOC of the Ace of Spades Division, visited forward areas in the Nowshera sector to assess the prevailing security situation and evaluate the combat effectiveness of troops deployed along the LoC.
“During the visit, he was briefed on force posture, surveillance measures and ongoing initiatives aimed at strengthening operational capabilities in the sector. Interacting with troops at forward locations, the Corps Commander lauded their steadfast commitment, high morale and unwavering vigilance in safeguarding the nation’s frontiers,” the statement said.
The visit comes amid intelligence inputs suggesting that terrorists from across the border may attempt to infiltrate through the International Border and the LoC in various districts of Jammu and Kashmir. Rajouri and Poonch, owing to their challenging terrain, remain areas of heightened concern for security agencies.
According to intelligence reports, terror outfits have established multiple launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir to facilitate infiltration through mountainous routes. While several terror camps and launch pads near the LoC were destroyed during Operation Sindoor last year, officials said many have since been re-established and are again being used to support infiltration attempts.
Meanwhile, search operations in the Gambhir Mughlan forest area of Manjakote in Rajouri entered their 26th day on Wednesday. Security forces continue extensive searches for a group of terrorists believed to be hiding in the forest. Senior Army commanders are closely monitoring the operation amid credible inputs indicating the militants remain in the area.
Sources said the J&K Police are also questioning over ground workers in the region to ascertain whether any hideouts exist inside the forest where the terrorists could be taking shelter.
Senior US officials on Wednesday read the memorandum of understanding with Iran to journalists after days of secrecy over what is in the document.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to read the deal before a formal signing ceremony set for Friday. Iranian state TV later released the text that largely tracked what the US put out.
Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country has been mediating between the sides, later said the leaders of the US and Iran had signed the deal and it “shall enter into force with immediate effect”.
Here is what is in the deal
The final deal will confirm the permanent termination of the war on all fronts including in Lebanon and other provisions of this paragraph.
The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran undertake to respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to refrain from interfering in each other’s internal affairs.
The United States of America further undertakes to remove its forces from the proximity of the Islamic Republic of Iran within 30 days after the final deal.
The traffic of commercial vessels will immediately start and, considering the needs for removing the technical and military obstacles and demining by the Islamic Republic of Iran, will be instated within 30 days.
The Islamic Republic of Iran will conduct dialogue with the Sultanate of Oman to define the future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz in discussion with other Persian Gulf littoral states in line with the applicable international law and the sovereign rights of coastal states of the Strait of Hormuz.
The mechanism for the implementation of this plan will be finalised as part of a final deal within 60 days.
All required licences, waivers and permissions needed for the relevant financial transactions will be granted by the United States of America.
The Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America acknowledge the critical importance of the sanctions termination issue above mentioned and express their intentions to immediately address these issues in the negotiations in order to achieve mutual agreement on them.
The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran have agreed to resolve the disposition of stockpile enriched material pursuant to a mechanism that will be mutually agreed upon in accordance with the schedule mentioned in Paragraph 7 with the minimum methodology to be downblending on site under the supervision of the IAEA.
The two parties also agreed to discuss the issue of enrichment and other mutually agreed matters related to the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear needs, based on a satisfactory framework being agreed upon in the final deal.
The final deal will confirm the provisions of this paragraph. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran acknowledge the critical importance of the nuclear issues above mentioned and express their intention to immediately address these issues in the negotiations in order to achieve mutual agreement on them.
The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran will mutually agree on the procedures related to the release of these funds during the negotiations.
Such funds, whether retained in the original account or transferred shall be made fully usable for payment to any ultimate beneficiary designated by the Central Bank of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The United States of America undertakes to issue all necessary licences and authorisations accordingly.
US, Iran sign initial deal to end war; ease sanctions, open strait as nuclear talks continue
President Donald Trump signed an agreement with Iran on Wednesday that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and waives US-backed sanctions on the country, immediately allowing Iran to sell its oil freely in a major concession from Washington, according to details released by both countries.
The initial deal to end the war takes “immediate effect” after leaders from both countries signed it, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who helped mediate the agreement, said in a post on X.
The agreement calls for a permanent end to hostilities and starts a 60-day negotiating clock to reach a final deal on the future of Iran’s nuclear programme, though Trump left the door open to resume attacks.
It appears to offer Iran several benefits up front while extracting little in return.
The deal has been shrouded in secrecy and confusion for days.
US officials refused to disclose the terms even after saying Trump and Vice President JD Vance digitally signed it over the weekend.
Trump signed a physical copy on Wednesday while dining with French President Emmanuel Macron at Versailles, the palace where many historic agreements have been signed over the centuries, ending wars or territorial disputes.
The White House had planned a signing ceremony on Friday in Switzerland, but its fate is now uncertain, with conflicting information from the US, Iran and Pakistan.
“It’s signed,” Trump said as he left the dinner at Versailles, which followed his trip to the Group of Seven summit in France.
In a video posted online by a White House aide, Trump was seen seated at a table next to Macron signing a paper copy of the agreement. Trump then handed the document and pen to Secretary of State Marco Rubio as people in the room applauded.
“This was not easy,” Trump said right before he signed it, according to a video posted to social media by Macron.
In Tehran, a stone-faced President Masoud Pezeshkian signed the deal on behalf of Iran, according to the state-run IRNA news agency, which posted images of him holding up the deal with his signature and Trump’s.
Text of the agreement still has not been formally released. US officials dictated draft language to journalists after days of secrecy, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Iranian state TV later released text that largely tracked what the US put out.
Much of the agreement would restore the status quo before the war, including ending hostilities, restarting talks between the US and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear programme, and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial passage for the world’s oil and natural gas whose closure created a historic energy crisis.
The agreement opens the strait without tolls for two months, but does not preclude fees in the future, according to the drafts from both countries.
In return, the US will move to waive, but not eliminate, some wide-ranging sanctions against Iran.
The deal also affirms a commitment to Lebanon’s territorial integrity in the face of Israel’s invasion against the Hezbollah militant group.
That is one of the most delicate parts of the agreement because Israel has maintained it will continue to defend itself and to occupy vast swaths of Lebanon.
Iran has said Israel must withdraw under the deal, a condition Israel has already rejected.
The US and Israel went to war on February 28 in part to prevent Iran from ever getting a nuclear weapon.
India’s domestic defence production has surged to an all-time high of Rs 1.78 lakh crore in 2025-26, showing impressive increase in domestic manufacturing of military equipment. However, the country still remains the world’s second-largest arms importer.
This is a four-times jump from 2013-14 when the BJP-led NDA came to power in May 2014, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Indigenous defence production was Rs 43,746 crore in 2013-14.
In April, the ministry had announced figures of export of defence equipment, items and systems saying it had touched an all-time high of Rs 38,424 crore in the Financial Year (FY) 2025-26.
On Wednesday, in a post on X, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh credited the leadership of Prime Minister Modi for taking India’s defence production to newer heights, and lauded the collective efforts of the Department of Defence Production and public and private sectors for achieving the landmark.
The Ministry of Defence said the growth reflects the growing momentum of the Government’s push for self-reliance in defence.
The Ministry of Defence said the figure of Rs 1.78 lakh crore of domestic manufacturing represents a 15.6% growth over the previous fiscal year’s output of Rs 1.54 lakh crore and a staggering 110% increase since FY 2020-21 when the figure was Rs 84,643 crore.
Defence Public Sector Undertakings and other PSUs accounted for approximately 76% of total production, while the private sector contributed 24%, which is a rise from 22% in FY 2024-25.
The share of the private sector is at its all-time high of around Rs 42,000 crore in FY 2025-26, reflecting its expanding role in the defence ecosystem.
Despite the massive growth India continues to import selected niche technologies like aero engines, long range missiles like the S400, specialised helicopters and marine engines. Sweden-based think-tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) which tracks arms sales globally, in its annual report in March this year said India was the world’s second biggest arms importer and accounted for 8.3% of global arms sales for a five-year block 2021-2025.
The SIPRI report titled ‘Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2025’ had a positive note that India’s dependence on imported arms had reduced. The report compared a previous five-year block of the years 2016-2020 with the latest assessment for the years 2021-2025 and said: “Indian arms imports fell by 4.0 per cent between 2016–20 and 2021–25.”
The decrease can be partly attributed to India’s growing ability to design and produce its own weapons. It also highlighted that India’s planned orders—including 140 combat aircraft from France and 6 submarines from Germany—indicate its continued and probably increasing reliance on foreign suppliers.
‘Make in India’ in defence equipment manufacturing is no more an elusive mirage, the fighter jet Tejas, nuclear submarine INS Arihant and missiles like Akash, BrahMos besides artillery guns and tanks are made here.
A Sikh caretaker couple was shot dead in a gurdwara in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Wednesday, police said.
The incident occurred in Babu Mohallah locality of Mardan, about 60 km northwest of Peshawar.
According to Mardan District Police Officer Masood Ahmed, assailants opened fire in the gurdwara, resulting in the death of Jagannath and his wife Asma Wanti.
Police said efforts were under way to ascertain the motive behind the attack and nab those involved.
