Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Threats in the Gulf of Aden, Red Sea and in waters adjacent to the East African countries might increase and the Indian Navy is striving to boost its presence and keep the sea routes safe, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Friday (January 17, 2024).

“India’s economic prosperity is linked to maritime security. It is, therefore, necessary to protect our territorial waters, ensure freedom of navigation, and keep sea routes, which are our maritime highways, safe,” Mr. Singh said. “In recent years, major naval powers have reduced their presence in the Indian Ocean Region, while the Indian Navy has increased it. There is a possibility of increase in 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,” the Minister said while addressing an event organised to commemorate 2024 as the ‘Year of Naval Civilians’. Naval civilians constitute a third of the Navy’s workforce.

Mr. Singh stressed that the military is surging forward with a big mandate and complex structure, and the civilian workforce, “soldiers without uniforms”, play a pivotal role as they work behind the scenes to provide significant strength to the troops. “In the broader perspective of national service, every responsible civilian is a soldier without uniform and every soldier is a civilian in uniform,” he said.

In his address, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi acknowledged the critical role naval civilians play in supporting the Navy’s operations by providing technical assistance, administrative management and logistics support. Their role is essential to the Navy’s combat readiness and operational success, he said.

The event began with a special photo and painting exhibition that displayed the artistic talents and achievements of naval civilians. The artworks depicted scenes of life at workplace and various contributions of civilians in the operational support of the Navy.

“The exhibition highlighted not only the technical roles played by naval civilians but also their creative expressions which capture the essence of their contributions in the Navy’s mission,” a Defence Ministry statement said.

In recognition of service and contributions, Mr. Singh presented nine meritorious awards and 16 cash awards to naval civilians who have demonstrated outstanding dedication and professionalism while on duty.

The Defence Minister said cyber security was vital to maritime security and ignoring it can be detrimental. India’s offensive and defensive responses need to be further strengthened in view of turmoil in the rules-based international order, he added.