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Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Watch: Indian Army simulates future warfare using AI and drones near China border
In a major step towards modern warfare, the Indian Army tested artificial intelligence (AI)-based sensors, drones, and high-speed data systems during Exercise DIVYA DRISHTI in East Sikkim this July. As per the official release by Indian Army, the exercise aimed to enhance battlefield awareness, surveillance, and rapid response capabilities in high-altitude areas close to the China border. Modern tech tested in the Himalayas Troops from the Trishakti Corps conducted the exercise using a combination of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), drones, and ground-based systems. These platforms helped simulate real battlefield scenarios where quick coordination and decision-making are crucial. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Technology Data Science MCA Finance Operations Management others Degree PGDM Data Analytics Artificial Intelligence Others Cybersecurity Data Science Product Management Public Policy Management CXO Healthcare Digital Marketing Leadership Design Thinking MBA Project Management healthcare Skills you'll gain: Duration: 12 Weeks MIT xPRO CERT-MIT XPRO Building AI Prod India Starts on undefined Get Details The systems tested during the exercise are designed to improve the Army's ability to detect, assess, and respond to threats in real time. AI-enabled sensors connected with secure communication systems were used to ensure seamless data sharing between field units and command centres. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Tan Thuan Tay: Unsold Furniture Liquidation 2024 (Prices May Surprise You) Unsold Furniture | Search Ads Learn More Undo — prodefgau (@prodefgau) AI improves command decisions As per the Indian Army, a key outcome of the exercise was the successful integration of these systems, which established a clear 'sensor-to-shooter' link. This means that once a threat is detected by a sensor, the data is instantly passed on to the decision-makers, and the response can be launched quickly. Lieutenant General Rakesh Kapoor, Deputy Chief of Army Staff, reviewed the exercise on behalf of Army Headquarters. Live Events You Might Also Like: Fast, furious, and future-ready: Why Indian Army's Rudra Brigade could be a game-changer against China and Pakistan Focus on future technologies 'Exercise DIVYA DRISHTI has been a great success. We tested cutting-edge technologies in realistic field conditions. The lessons will help develop future technologies, doctrines, and tactics across the Indian Army, making us ready for any adversary and any terrain,' said Lt Gen Zubin A Minwalla, General Officer Commanding, Trishakti Corps. The Army sees this exercise as part of a broader effort to modernise its forces under the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (self-reliant India) vision. The technologies tested are also aligned with the Army's 'Decade of Transformation' initiative, which focuses on making the force more agile and technology-driven for the challenges ahead. Operation Sindoor begins with drone-enabled precision strikes In May, India's Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terrorist-linked locations in Pakistan and PoK. The mission included the deployment of loitering drones, also known as suicide or kamikaze drones, for surveillance and strikes alongside missile weapons. SkyStriker drones, in collaboration with Indian and Israeli firms, were used to loiter over target areas and effect precision hits on terrorist infrastructure without excessive collateral damage. Neutralizing incoming threats and drone warfare dynamics Between May 7 and May 10, Pakistan launched over 600 drone attacks against Indian military installations. India's integrated air defence systems, Akash missile batteries, Akashteer control systems, legacy anti-aircraft guns, radar nets and C-UAS tools, neutralised the majority, preventing damage to civilian or military infrastructure You Might Also Like: Facing two fronts, Indian Army drops the old playbook, gets agile with missiles, drones and commandos Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan stated that Pakistan used unarmed drones and loitering munitions on 10 May, but "none of them could actually inflict any damage" on India's infrastructure. Strategic impact and future readiness Operation Sindoor marked a major shift in India's approach to drone warfare. Indian forces combined reconnaissance drones, loitering munitions, high-speed decoy drones, and precision missiles like SCALP and HAMMER to achieve rapid and coordinated effects. Indigenous systems such as SkyStriker, Harop, and Nagastra‑1 were instrumental in target acquisition and engagement. Air defence units integrated these with the IACCS (Integrated Air Command and Control System) for real‑time operational command across services.
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- New Indian Express
Indian Army tests AI, surveillance tech in high-altitude ‘Divya Drishti' exercise in Sikkim
GUWAHATI: Charting the path for future warfare, the Indian Army conducted a high-altitude technology demonstration exercise named 'Divya Drishti' in east Sikkim in July 2025, testing cutting-edge systems for battlefield awareness, surveillance, and rapid decision-making. 'On the modern battlefield, the ability to see more, understand quickly, and act fast decides success,' said a statement from the Ministry of Defence, underlining the objectives of the exercise. Troops from the Trishakti Corps deployed a combination of ground-based platforms, UAVs, and drones in realistic operational scenarios to evaluate next-generation capabilities. A major highlight was the integration of Artificial Intelligence-enabled sensors with secure communication networks, ensuring real-time data sharing between frontline units and command centres. This enhanced sensor-to-shooter connectivity enabling faster and more effective responses. Lieutenant General Rakesh Kapoor, Deputy Chief of Army Staff, reviewed the exercise and its outcomes on behalf of Army Headquarters. 'Exercise Divya Drishti has been a great success,' said Lt Gen Zubin A Minwalla, General Officer Commanding, Trishakti Corps. 'We tested future-ready technologies under realistic conditions. The insights gained will shape the Indian Army's future doctrines and tactics, strengthening our ability to operate across all terrains and against any adversary.' The exercise reflects the Army's commitment to technological transformation and self-reliance, aligning with the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision and the Army's Decade of Transformation roadmap, the statement added.
Time of India
10-06-2025
- Time of India
Chardham Yatra – A spiritual journey turning into an environmental crisis
Dr Rakesh Kapoor, a former special secretary to the government of Himachal Pradesh, is a geologist and an expert in integrated waste management The Chardham Yatra, one of India's most sacred pilgrimages encompassing Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath in Uttarakhand, has long been a spiritual magnet attracting millions of devotees yearly. However, what once was a solemn religious journey is now increasingly viewed as an environmental and tourism management crisis. While the pilgrimage plays a significant role in the region's economy, its unchecked expansion is beginning to 'kill' real tourism and pose serious threats to the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. Environmental Degradation The registration (both offline and online) reveals the number of pilgrims: 3 lakhs in 2020, 5 lakhs in 2021, 45 lakhs (205 days) in 2023, and 48 lakhs (153 days) in 2024. According to the same sources, the number of vehicles, which was 3.27 lakhs in 2022, almost doubled to 5.20 lakhs in 2024. This is not the only means of transport — there are 4,300 registered operators, more than 8,000 mules, and around 2,400 Dandi and Kandi carriers en route. All these are adversely affecting road infrastructure and aggravating waste disposal, which is already in disarray. The massive influx of pilgrims, especially during the peak months of May to July, leads to overcrowding, deforestation, and waste mismanagement. Lack of proper toilets and open defecation along riverbanks, nullahs, and forest areas is polluting tributaries of the sacred Ganga, causing health and environmental issues. Narrow mountain roads are widened to accommodate vehicles, often by blasting hillsides and cutting the toe of slopes, making the terrain more vulnerable to landslides and soil erosion. According to environmental experts, the Chardham highway project has led to the felling of thousands of trees and disturbed natural water channels, accelerating glacier melt. All major glaciers — Gangotri, Gaumukh, Satopanth, Alkapuri, Khatsalgang, Dunagiri, and Bandarpoonch — are receding at a faster-than-expected rate, bearing the brunt of lopsided development and destabilising the region's geography. A study by ICMOD and WIHG has confirmed this. Moreover, the smaller towns en route to the Chardham Yatra — including Barkot, Hanuman Chatti, Janki Chatti, Peepalkoti, Joshimath, Devprayag, Karnprayag, and Rishikesh — all have civic amenities barely enough for the local population, if not inadequate, and certainly unable to meet the demands of lakhs of pilgrims thronging every summer. The hotels, dharamshalas, and eateries often lack proper waste disposal systems, circumventing the CTPA rules and regulations, building bylaws, and urban planning norms. The result is evident: piles of plastic, human waste, and non-biodegradable trash lining riverbanks and trekking routes. This pollution seeps into the Ganga and Yamuna rivers, threatening biodiversity and the water security of millions downstream. Impact on real tourism While pilgrimage tourism grows exponentially, it overshadows the region's potential for sustainable and experiential tourism. Uttarakhand is home to pristine valleys, rich biodiversity, cultural villages, and adventure trails. These attractions — which promote slower, environmentally responsible tourism — are often ignored or even degraded due to the focus on catering to the mass pilgrimage market. Real tourism, which values nature, local culture, and sustainability, is losing ground to overcrowded, chaotic yatra rushes. Tourists seeking peace, adventure, or cultural immersion are increasingly deterred by the over-commercialisation, traffic congestion, and environmental deterioration of these once-pristine areas. Infrastructure vs Ecology The Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojna (Char Dham Road Project), aimed at improving connectivity to the pilgrimage sites, has been under scrutiny for bypassing environmental safeguards. Experts argue that the ecological cost of such development far outweighs the benefits, especially when alternative eco-sensitive approaches could have been employed. Additionally, the growing number of helicopter services to Kedarnath — once a challenging trek — has drastically altered the pilgrimage experience and added noise and air pollution to an already stressed environment, biodiversity, fragile geo-demographic profile, and geographic setting, caused by vibrations resulting in slippages and tremor-related structural failures, as evident by large-scale landslides. If we just go by government-provided numbers from nine sites, 250 daily sorties of helicopters take 1,500 pilgrims to these shrines. A call for balance The challenge is not to end the Chardham Yatra, but to rethink it. The pilgrimage should be aligned with principles of environmental stewardship and sustainable tourism. Controlled visitor numbers, better waste management, eco-friendly infrastructure, and promotion of offbeat, responsible tourism can help restore balance. Similar sentiments were recently expressed in an online discussion, held under the aegis of Doon-based SDC Foundation, involving priests and other stakeholders of Chardham Yatra, which concluded that the yatra, if left unchecked, risks turning the spiritual Himalayas into a zone of irreversible ecological damage and shallow mass tourism. Protecting the environment must become a spiritual responsibility, not a bureaucratic afterthought. Only then can real tourism — one that celebrates nature, culture, and sustainability — thrive. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Time of India
05-06-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Joshimath lessons ignored: Rs 6,200cr Doon–Mussoorie elevated road may trigger another ecological disaster
Dr Rakesh Kapoor, a former special secretary to the government of Himachal Pradesh, is a geologist and an expert in integrated waste management The environmental casualties in Uttarakhand are now perhaps part of life. We haven't learnt lessons from the 2013 Kedarnath tragedy—Rishiganga, Joshimath, and Silkyara are happening repetitively. Cloudbursts and landslides have become common features. From hills to plains, the story is the same: unplanned growth, projects being conceived and implemented without envisioning the fear of environmental catastrophes. The proposal to widen VIP Road from Dila Ram Chowk to Raj Bhawan, taking a toll of 3,000 trees, and the proposed road from Rishikesh to Dehradun have been partially stalled only after thousands of citizens and environmentalists gathered to protest. The fire has still not been extinguished, but a new controversial chapter of an elevated road from Dehradun to Mussoorie—to cut travel time for tourists entering the hill state from Delhi-NCR and Western UP—has been opened. Even after a casual gaze at the proposal, it is clear that it has been mooted only with the aim of minting money through contracts. Because even today, the agency is not clear about who will finance and execute the proposal. It has raised more questions than it has answered on vital issues concerning environmental degradation, rehabilitation, and the real benefit of the project. Firstly, what is the real need for an elevated 26 km road corridor passing through part of Dehradun city? Is it just to save time for tourists from Delhi-NCR reaching Mussoorie and to attract more tourists to the Queen of Hills, especially on weekends? How much time are they going to save? At what cost is it going to be? Secondly, the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) and government either do not know or do not want to disclose the position of the land bank, ie the status of land—whether it is encroached upon by dwellers, government, forest, or private land—on which the project is to be implemented. If for a 26 km elevated road, 2,614 identified families are to be displaced, it comes out to be 100 families per km, or 1 family per 10 metres. Without assessing the implication of the plan cost—besides environmental cost assessment and its inclusion into the project cost—how is it going to be implemented? The government sources have confirmed that no proposal for providing land-for-land compensation to property owners instead of acquired land has been prepared at the state government level so far. The reported dichotomic brief of the MDDA VC in a section of the press is creating more confusion, as it envisages that the displaced 2,614 identified families shall have two options—either land-for-land or monetary compensation. When no plan has been finalised, neither the land bank nor site for allotment of land to rehabilitate displaced families has been demarcated, nor is there a Section 4 notification on land acquisition prescribed under the Act, despite it being mandatory—how will the displaced families exercise the option? Now comes a very vital point. The town of Mussoorie, during normal weekends, sees the entry of 4,000 to 5,000 vehicles, especially during the summer months, ie end of March to June, which causes traffic jams for hours together and chaotic situations often. Once the elevated road comes up, another 4,000 to 5,000 vehicles are going to be added to this lot. The town, as per reports, has parking capacity of only 2,000 four-wheelers and 1,500–2,000 two-wheelers altogether. The three new parking lots to add 2,000 to the present capacity are still hanging in the fire—either due to financial crunch or facing litigation since 2019. Now comes the most vital part of the project. The very foundation of the so-called Rs 6,200 crore project is belied by simple arithmetic. No denying the fact that even today, the Volvo buses plying between Delhi and Dehradun take just 270 to 275 minutes, despite the Dehradun–Delhi expressway not being fully operational. If you add another 60 minutes to reach Mussoorie via the bypass, anybody can reach it in 5 hours and 30 minutes even today. Even after the 26 km elevated road, traffic jams are bound to happen in the absence of parking spaces for the additional 4,000 to 5,000 vehicles entering Mussoorie. If tourists have to spend 2–3 hours in traffic jams, what's the point of arriving 30 minutes earlier? The Dehradun–Mussoorie ropeway project—aimed at finding a solution to the problem of traffic jams with just Rs 300 crore investment (which is in an advanced stage of execution as per the government's own claim)—shall not only save time, reduce environmental pollution, and add adventure to the journey for tourists, but also serve as an additional attraction. It seems more credible. The claim of making tourists reach Mussoorie in 4.5 hours from Delhi is belied by the project's design itself. As the elevated road Bindal–Rispna corridor shall land at a point near Max Hospital. Don't spread this misinformation about Delhi to Mussoorie in 2.5 hours. It will still take you about 7-odd hours with all these expressways and elevated corridors, assuming normal traffic flows. Let's take this example: you stay in GK or Model Town in Delhi and are coming to Uttarakhand: 60 minutes from your home to Akshardham, Delhi. 150 minutes from Akshardham to Asarodi, Dehradun (as claimed by the government). 30 minutes from Asarodi to the entry point of the new elevated corridors (assumed). 30 minutes on 26 km elevated corridors (once they are ready). 60 minutes from Max Hospital or Nagal in Dehradun to Mussoorie (Max & Nagal are points in Dehradun where the elevated corridor ends). You will also likely take a minimum of two breaks during this long journey. Add another 60 minutes for your breaks. The grand total is coming close to 6.5 to 7 hours. Today, without all these expressways and corridors, you are still reaching in about 7 to 8 hours. If there is just one hour of time saving, is it worth it to cut thousands of trees, create these mammoth monsters of cement, kill our rivers forever, ruin the skyline of Dehradun, and displace so many people? Why this fuss? The project is going to be an environmental and ecological disaster—besides being pound-foolish, penny-wise. We are going to add another Joshimath to the list. In Rs 6,200 crore, another hill town nearby could be developed for tourism purposes—if only that is the consideration. But it's beyond that—what we actually want and what we really need. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
India Gazette
29-05-2025
- General
- India Gazette
Indian Army pays tribute on 77th United Nations Peacekeepers Day
New Delhi [India], May 29 (ANI): The Indian Army paid a heartfelt tribute on the 77th United Nations Peacekeepers Day, with a solemn wreath-laying ceremony held at the National War Memorial on Thursday, honouring the valiant soldiers who sacrificed their lives in UN peacekeeping missions worldwide. Lieutenant General Rakesh Kapoor, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Information Systems and Coordination), led the ceremony, laying a wreath to commemorate the 179 Indian soldiers who lost their lives in the line of duty while serving in 49 UN peacekeeping missions. Senior military officers and personnel from UN contingents attended the event, reflecting India's steadfast commitment to global peace and security as one of the largest troop-contributing nations, with over 200,000 Indian soldiers having participated in these 49 missions. The ceremony underscored the courage, dedication, and professionalism of Indian peacekeepers, who have played a pivotal role in upholding the United Nations' ideals in conflict zones across the globe. UN Peacekeepers Day, observed annually on May 29, marks the day when the first UN Peacekeeping Mission, 'UN Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO)', began operations in Palestine in 1948. The day serves as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by peacekeepers and India's enduring legacy in fostering international peace and stability. The UN was founded in 1945 with the primary goal of maintaining international peace and security. Since its inception, UN peacekeeping has become a valuable tool to help countries navigate the challenging path from conflict to peace. India has been a key contributor to global peace and security, with over 290,000 peacekeepers serving in more than 50 UN missions. Currently, over 5,000 Indian peacekeepers are deployed in nine active missions, working in challenging conditions to promote international peace. The UN Peacekeepers, known as Blue Helmets, get their name from the light blue of the United Nations flag. In 1947, the UN decided on this colour because blue symbolises peace, while red is often linked to war. This light blue shade has since become a symbol of the UN. In 2023, India received the UN's highest peacekeeping honour, the Dag Hammarskjold Medal, posthumously awarded to Indian peacekeepers Shishupal Singh and Sanwala Ram Vishnoi and civilian UN worker Shaber Taher Ali for their sacrifice in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (ANI)
