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Rafale procurement necessary to reinforce India’s combat aircraft strength: Ex-IAF Chief

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Kolkata, Jan 16 (IANS) Pointing out that the combat aircraft strength of Indian Air Force has gone down in recent years due to obsolescence, former IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal (Retd) Arup Raha on Wednesday said the political parties in the country should sort out the ongoing disputes over the Rafale fighter jet deal so that the procurement process is not delayed any further.

“We know that the combat aircraft strength of the Indian Air Force is coming down because of obsolescence. We are retiring some of the old aircrafts like the MIG-21 and MI-22. So we need sufficient number of replacements. Rafale is one component of our capability,” Raha said on the sidelines of a seminar on cyber security organized by BCCI and CENERS-K here.

“The processes need to get simplified. If there is so much of orchestration regarding any deal, we need to sort that out. We need to cut down the time and sort out the problems separately. The procurement process should not be delayed or stopped,” he said.

Noting that air warfare will become significantly important in the coming days, Raha said sufficient replacement of old combat aircraft is necessary as they are an important component of the country’s combative capacity.

“In future days, air warfare is going to be very important. A nation can have a large standing army, but if it does not have aerospace power, it may not win the conflicts. So increasing the aerospace power is very important and one of the major components of that is the combat air craft,” Raha said.

“All politicians serve the people of the nation. I hope all the political parties understand that. Otherwise the orchestration will carry on every time there is deal. It is not good for the country,” he said.

When asked whether India is lagging behind neighbouring countries like China and Pakistan in terms of revamping its defence infrastructure, he said the country should focus on capacity building in every aspect to secure all fronts.

“Every nation has to carry out its threat assessment. India has fought several conflicts and wars in the last 40-50 years since independence. So you have to prepare yourself and build capacity to tackle these eventualities. It is not related to any particular country or adversary. It is about capacity building so that if the situation becomes adverse, it can be applied to anybody,” the former air chief said.

He also noted that even though the threats of cyber warfare is on the rise, India cannot afford to divest in other sectors and invest only to combat cyber terrorism as threats on the other fronts are equally relevant.

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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