Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday (October 20, 2026) said that the entire “ecosystem of terrorism” must be firmly and collectively “dismantled”, underlining that there can be “no place” for those who finance, support, or shelter terrorists.

Addressing the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, Mr. Singh also said that terrorism has become one of the “most serious threats” to peace and development and it not only causes harm to innocent lives but also disrupts investment and commerce.

He further said that “terrorism radicalises societies and deprives our youth of the opportunities they deserve.”

Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar was also present when Mr. Singh was making these remarks at the gathering.

The Defence Minister is in Tajikistan on a two-day official visit to represent India at the meeting of the Council of Heads of Government (CHG) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

Mr. Singh stressed that there can be “no justification for terrorism; there can be no double standards in dealing with it.”

He further said, “There can be no place for those who provide terrorists with finance, support, or safe havens. The entire ecosystem of terrorism must be firmly and collectively dismantled.”

On October 15 in New Delhi, Mr. Singh had said that any future terrorist act originating from Pakistan will draw an even “stronger response”.

He said that since 2014, the “shelf life” of most terrorists has fallen to less than a year, with security forces neutralising them within a year of their taking up arms against India.

While addressing the SCO members, Mr. Singh also emphasised India’s support for the adoption of the action plan for 2026 to 2030 on the Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation Programme.

“India believes that our economic engagement, along with being inclusive, should be beneficial for each member country. We should work towards building more resilient supply chains, facilitating trade and investment, and using technology for development,” Mr. Singh said.

The Programme for Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the SCO Member States is aimed at the comprehensive development of trade, economic, and investment interaction based on transparent, predictable, and stable conditions for the development of sectoral ties.

Increasing mutual trade volumes and expanding investment cooperation in the interests of improving the well-being of the peoples of the Organisation’s countries.

On February 25, 2026, a meeting of experts from the member states of the SCO was held to discuss the draft Action Plan for 2026-2030 on the implementation of the Program for Multilateral Trade and Economic Cooperation of the SCO Member States.

Mr. Singh further said India has welcomed the decisions taken in Bishkek to make the Universal Centre in Tashkent and the Anti-Drug Centre in Dushanbe permanent bodies of the SCO.

The Foreign Office on Friday (October 16, 2026) condemned Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s remarks that any future terrorist act originating from Pakistan will draw an even “stronger response”.

“Pakistan rejects and condemns the Indian Defence Minister’s provocative remarks…,” Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said.

Speaking at a defence conclave in Delhi, Mr. Singh on Thursday (October 15, 2026) said any future terrorist act originating from Pakistan will draw an even “stronger response”, asserting a decisive shift in India’s response with Operation Sindoor, Balakot airstrikes and surgical strikes.

Terming Mr. Singh’s statements as “reckless”, Mr. Khan said that Pakistan remained fully prepared to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity against any “ill-advised aggression”.

He said Pakistan’s restraint and commitment to peace should not be mistaken for weakness, warning that any aggression would be met with a forceful response.

The spokesperson also said that India’s actions on August 5, 2019, to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir were “illegal and void.”

Talking about Afghanistan, Mr. Khan said Deputy PM Ishaq Dar recently reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to combat terrorism in all its forms and called on Afghan authorities to take “concrete, verifiable and irreversible action against groups operating from Afghan soil” against Pakistan.

He also condemned the latest Houthi attack targeting airports and oil facilities in Saudi Arabia, saying Pakistan was “deeply concerned” over continuing strikes.

“Pakistan underscores that attacks against civilian populations and critical infrastructure are unacceptable and constitute a grave threat to regional peace and security,” he said.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the Indian Navy’s first indigenously built Fleet Support Ship FSS-1 named Surya and laid the keel for the fifth vessel of the series FSS-5 at Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday (October 6, 2026).

The Indian Navy operates four fleet tankers: INS Shakti and INS Jyoti on the eastern coast under the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam and INS Deepak and INS Aditya on the western coast. These tankers refuel and resupply warships at sea so that they do not have to return to port.

The ceremony was attended by Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Krishna Swaminathan, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, HSL Chairman and Managing Director Rear Admiral C. Raghuram, Visakhapatnam MP M. Sribharat and Roads and Buildings Minister B.C. Janardhan Reddy among others.

The stern of Surya, the Navy’s first indigenous Fleet Support Ship, in the dock at Hindustan Shipyard Limited in Visakhapatnam after its launch on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit:
V. Raju

Mr. Singh also inaugurated HSL’s newly modernised Slipway No. 4, which is 235 metres long and 37.5 metres wide, and a 300-tonne Goliath crane. The upgrades expand the shipyard’s covered building dock capacity to 80,000 DWT and allow it to build naval platforms of up to 45,000 DWT, HSL said.

Built for self-reliance

The five Fleet Support Ships are being built under a single contract with 82% indigenous content. HSL has used integrated modular construction to cut build times while meeting naval specifications.

Surya is 223.6 metres long and 31.5 metres wide with a draught of 9.3 metres. It displaces about 43,500 tonnes and has a top speed of 20 knots. It carries 20,000 tonnes of low-sulphur high-speed diesel, 2,500 tonnes of aviation turbine fuel, 1,000 tonnes of fresh water and 250 tonnes of feed water, and up to eight 20-foot containers (32.6 cubic metres each) for ammunition, spare parts and provisions. Onboard workshops can carry out first-line maintenance and emergency repairs for the ship and the vessels it supports.

The ships are built for 60-day missions and for “out of area” operations across the Indian Ocean Region and beyond. They have self-defence systems against missiles, torpedoes and mines, a helicopter deck certified for medium role helicopter operations up to Sea State 5 and a combined diesel and diesel (CODAD) propulsion system with a single shaft and controllable pitch propellers.

A FSS carries fuel, lubricants, stores, food and personnel to warships and submarines operating far from their home ports and transfers them at sea: alongside, from the stern or by helicopter. It can supply several ships at once so that a carrier battle group or surface action group can stay deployed without returning to harbour.

HSL’s eight decades

Established in 1941 as Scindia Shipyard and incorporated as Hindustan Shipyard Limited in 1952, HSL describes itself as India’s first greenfield shipyard. In eight decades it has built 203 ships, completed 2,045 ship repairs and refitted six submarines.

The shipyard has a 142-acre main yard, a 25-acre factory extension and a 457-metre outfitting jetty with a 10-metre depth. Its steel stockyard holds 30,000 tonnes and its hull and prefabrication shops have CNC plasma and oxyacetylene cutting machines, rolling and bending machinery, automatic and semi-automatic welding systems and 300-tonne block handling capacity. The modernisation is meant to equip the yard to build and repair large naval vessels and submarines, HSL said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived in Sri Lanka on Tuesday (September 8, 2026) for a three-day visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and expanding cooperation in defence and regional maritime security.

“Looking forward to a productive engagement with the leadership of Sri Lanka during the visit,” Mr. Singh said ahead of his visit to the island nation.

He will also be interacting with the Indian diaspora.

“Besides our longstanding partnership as well as deep historical and civilisational ties, Sri Lanka is one of our most important partners under the Neighbourhood First and MAHASAGAR initiatives,” he added.

Mr. Singh was received at the Bandaranaike International Airport by Sri Lanka’s Deputy Minister of Defence Major General (Retd) Aruna Jayasekara and Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santosh Jha, the Ministry of Defence said.

He received a warm and traditional welcome from the Sri Lankan side, reflecting the close and enduring ties between India and Sri Lanka, it added.

According to the ministry, Mr. Singh is leading a high-level delegation comprising senior officials from the ministries of Defence and External Affairs.

This is the first visit by an Indian Defence Minister to Sri Lanka in 38 years.

Coinciding with his visit, the Indian Navy’s INS Udaygiri, an advanced indigenous stealth guided-missile frigate, arrived at the Colombo port on Tuesday (September 8).

The frigate was received in accordance with naval traditions, the Sri Lanka Navy said.

Sri Lanka Navy personnel will also visit the frigate for capability familiarisation, knowledge sharing and onboard training, it said.

The crew of INS Udaygiri will participate in goodwill events with the Sri Lanka Navy and visit tourist and cultural sites.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who toured Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh’s Drass on Saturday (July 25, 2026), said the intentions of the enemies have not changed, and the proxy war remains a security challenge in the region.

Without naming Pakistan, Mr. Singh, while speaking at Shaurya Bhoj in Drass, said, “As we celebrate the Kargil War victory, we have to remind ourselves of the challenges. The intention of our enemy remains the same. Proxy war is still used as a tactic. Our Army is ready to foil these nefarious designs,” said Mr. Singh.  

The Defence Minister arrived in Srinagar on Saturday (July 25, 2026) morning on a two-day tour of the region. He was received by J&K Lieutenant-Governor Manoj Sinha. Officials said they discussed the current security situation in J&K, especially in the wake of the Anantnag attack that left one policeman dead three days ago.

Later, Mr. Singh visited the war memorial at Ladakh’s Drass on the eve of the 27th Kargil Vijay Diwas. He paid tributes to the soldiers who laid down their lives in the line of duty in the 1999 Kargil War against Pakistan, as he attended the ‘Shaurya Sandhya’.

“It’s these sacrifices that make people of India feel safe. When oxygen levels dropped in 1999, the guns of our soldiers did not fall silent till the Tricolour was unfurled as a mark of victory. We are proud of the valiant soldiers and their degree of courage,” said Mr. Singh. 

He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had ensured that the morale of soldiers remains high. “We are investing in modernisation of equipment and training. We are hopeful to see the Indian Army among the leading forces in the world,” he said..  

Mr. Singh said the Indian armed forces were fully prepared to face every challenge posed by the country’s adversaries. “India’s military remains vigilant, battle-ready, and capable of protecting the nation’s sovereignty,” he said.

He said no one dares cast an evil eye on India as long as the patriotism and determination of the country’s soldiers remain unshaken, adding that their sacrifices ensure every Indian can pursue dreams without fear.

Ten families of Kargil War bravehearts were felicitated on the occasion. Commemorative events were held at ‘Yudh Sansmaran’ at Lamochen View Point, where the Kargil War veterans and families of fallen soldiers remembered the sacrifices made during Operation Vijay. A documentary and special presentations highlighting the valour of 40 war heroes were screened during the event.

Mr. Singh will be the chief guest at the national homage ceremony on July 26. He is expected to lay a wreath at the war memorial, interact with Veer Naris and Veer Maas, inaugurate a virtual walkthrough portal, and flag off the Shaurya Vijay Yatra motorcycle rally.

The Union government on Saturday (June 27, 2026) rejected the “misleading social media claims” that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had stated that no Indian soldier was killed during Operation Sindoor, asserting that his remarks in Parliament had been selectively quoted and stripped of their context.

On July 28, 2025, while speaking before the Lok Sabha, Rajnath Singh clearly stated that no Indian soldiers were harmed during Operation Sindoor.

While speaking for 55 minutes during the 16-hour-long discussion, he said, “If you want to raise a question, then ask whether any of our brave soldiers were harmed in this operation. The answer is, no, none of our soldiers were harmed.”

“When the objectives are high then our attention should not be on irrelevant issues. Because by focusing on irrelevant issues at times, our attention gets diverted from important issues related to national security and morale of soldiers,” Mr. Singh said.

On multiple occasions, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi and Mr. Singh have both affirmed that the Operation Sindoor is ongoing. The pause is viewed not as permanent peace, but as a temporary cessation of hostilities while India keeps its forces on high alert.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) clarified in a statement that certain social media posts had misrepresented the Defence Minister’s address in Parliament, by isolating a portion of his speech to falsely suggest that he denied any Indian military casualties during the cross-border operation.

According to the clarification, Mr. Singh’s remarks were specifically intended to counter a widely circulated false narrative at the time claiming that Indian Air Force pilots had been killed during Operation Sindoor. The government said this misinformation was being actively amplified in sections of the media and on social media to undermine the operation’s success and weaken public morale.

“It was in direct reference to this specific and mischievous narrative that the Defence Minister made the statement in question,” the MoD said, adding that his remarks were a targeted response to false claims and not a denial of casualties suffered by the armed forces.

The statement emphasised that the Defence Minister’s address in Parliament highlighted the success of Operation Sindoor, during which Indian forces carried out precision strikes against terror infrastructure and military targets across the border. It said the operation resulted in the elimination of more than 100 terrorists and Pakistani soldiers, while inflicting significant damage on Pakistani air bases and military infrastructure along the Line of Control.

Reiterating the government’s commitment to honouring the armed forces, the statement said the nation holds the highest respect for personnel who laid down their lives in the line of duty. It noted that the names of those killed during Operation Sindoor have been inscribed on the National War Memorial in recognition of their supreme sacrifice.

The government also said it has extended educational, healthcare and other welfare benefits to the families and dependents of the fallen personnel, reaffirming that their sacrifice would always be honoured with dignity and gratitude.

A day after the government officially disclosed the names of the military personnel who lost their lives during Operation Sindoor, the Congress on Saturday alleged that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had misled Parliament by claiming that no Indian soldier was killed during the operation.

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned on Thursday (April 2, 2026) that his country’s response to any attack would be “swift, calibrated, and decisive”.

Mr. Asif took to X to respond to remarks by his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh, who earlier said that any “misadventure” from India’s neighbour in the prevailing situation would invite an “unprecedented and decisive” action.

Speaking at an event in poll-bound Kerala, Mr. Singh on Thursday (April 2) said that following the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, India had destroyed the terrorist hideouts and infrastructure in Pakistan. He contended that during Operation Sindoor, Indian forces brought Pakistan to its knees within 22 minutes.

“Repeated rhetoric reflects not strength, but visible strategic anxiety as the anniversary of the Pahalgam” attack approaches, Mr. Asif said.

Mr. Asif further said: “Such threat-mongering is not new; it is part of a predictable pattern – externalising internal fragility, and attempting to provoke escalation under the garb of unsubstantiated allegations for vested political interests.”

Recalling the four-day conflict in May, the Pakistani Minister said that history was a stark reminder that miscalculation has consequences.

“The next time our response will be even more forceful and decisive. Let there be no ambiguity: Pakistan remains committed to peace and regional stability, but its resolve to defend sovereignty is absolute, its preparedness complete, and its response will be swift, calibrated, and decisive,” he said.

The Pahalgam attack that took place on April 22 last year resulted in a brief conflict between the two countries.