New Delhi [India], January 18 : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has praised the critical role that civilian workers play in strengthening the Navy's infrastructure, innovation, and operational success.
He said this while addressing an event, organised to commemorate the 'Year of Naval Civilians'. The event was organised by the Indian Navy at Dr DS Kothari Auditorium, DRDO Bhawan here.
Singh pointed out that many key positions were held by civilians in the Navy, including in Command Headquarters, Dockyards, Material Organizations, and Naval Armament.
He said, "In many important organizations of the Navy, such as Command Headquarters, Dockyards, Material Organisations, Naval Armament Depots, Training Establishments... it is our civilians who lay the foundation of the strong infrastructure of the Navy."
Singh highlighted that while the Navy's technological advancements, such as ultra-modern vessels and aircraft carriers, are visible to the public, much of the groundwork for these innovations is carried out by civilian engineers and workers.
"We see ultra-modern vessels in the sea, aircraft carriers. All these things are visible, we can see them in front of us. But what we cannot see is the hard work of our countless engineers and workers. These people always work behind the scenes, but these are the people who have always given strength to our Armed forces," he said.
The Defence Minister emphasized the growing complexity of the Indian Navy's operations and acknowledged the support provided by civilian personnel.
"Today, our forces are moving ahead with a big mandate and a complex structure. In this, our civilian colleagues provide administrative and technical support to our forces. If the Indian Navy is moving so far ahead in the field of innovation today, then everyone is doing the work of research and development for it together," Singh said.
Defence Minister Singh also said that India's economic prosperity is linked to its maritime security.
"It is necessary to protect our territorial waters, ensure freedom of navigation, and keep our sea routes, which are our maritime highways, safe," he said.
He added that in recent years American and other European naval powers had reduced their presence in the IOR region while the Indian Navy had increased it, but despite this, there is a possibility of increased threats in the Gulf of Aden, Red Sea and the sea areas adjacent to East African countries. In view of this, the Indian Navy is working towards increasing its presence further.
"Cyber Security has now also become a very important part of Maritime Security. Given the speed at which cyber-attacks are increasing, ignoring them can prove fatal. I believe that there is a need to run a special awareness campaign about cyber security in the armed forces," he added.