Lucknow

On Thursday, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh addressed the senior leadership of the Indian Armed Forces at the Joint Commanders’ Conference (JCC) in Lucknow. He praised their essential role in protecting national interests and supporting the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, or self-reliant India.

The JCC 2024, held at the Central Command headquarters in Lucknow on September 4-5, focused on the theme ‘Sashakt aur Surakshit Bharat: Transforming the Armed Forces.’ The conference, which began on Wednesday, brought together top officials including Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, and Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Choudhari.

General Chauhan reviewed the current security landscape and the armed forces’ readiness, emphasizing the need for improved integration and joint operations. He highlighted ongoing measures to enhance cross-service cooperation and develop a ‘Joint Culture’ for effective military operations.

The conference also addressed the need for modern command and control infrastructure and operational preparedness to meet future challenges. General Chauhan stressed the importance of modernization for maintaining strategic autonomy and improving national defense capabilities through increased synergy among the three services.