New Delhi, March 21 (IANS) Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Saturday that present-day warfare transcends borders, with national security encompassing economic, digital, energy, and even food security. Virtually addressing the Raising Day celebrations and the Diamond Jubilee of Sainik School, Ghorakhal in Uttarakhand, the Defence Minister said that the nature of conflicts has undergone a paradigm shift as a nation can today be weakened through economic, cyber, space and information warfare, which demands every citizen to remain vigilant and prepared at all times.He underscored the need for a robust military supported by prepared citizens capable of standing shoulder-to-shoulder to protect the nation under any circumstances.

Rajnath Singh said that while the Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is leaving no stone unturned to equip the defence forces with niche weapons and technologies, the citizens, especially the youth, need to develop mental toughness and intellectual clarity through discipline.Highlighting the need for determination to help the nation tackle any and every situation, he referred to the concept of VUCA (Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous) challenges and exhorted students to develop their own version of VUCA - Vision, Understanding, Courage and Adaptability, to navigate modern challenges.Highlighting the steps taken by the government towards ensuring that a larger number of youth imbibe the values ​​essential for nation-building, Rajnath Singh stated that recently a decision was taken to establish 100 new Sainik Schools across the country in the Public-Private Partnership model.

He added that another initiative includes increasing the number of vacancies within the National Cadet Corps (NCC). “Earlier, the NCC had an intake capacity of 17 lakh cadets; this has now been expanded to 20 lakh,” he said.The Defence Minister described the decision of admission of girls into Sainik Schools as historic and revolutionary, which is bolstering the country’s 'Nari Shakti'.These girls will, in the times to come, become the torchbearers of 'Nari Shakti' and scale new heights across various sectors, he said.Extending his greetings to students, faculty, alumni and their families at Sainik School, Ghorakhal, completing 60 years of dedicated service to the nation, Rajnath Singh expressed confidence that the students will continue to uphold the highest standards of discipline and dedication, bringing pride to their families, institution and the nation.“Over the decades, the school has sent more than 800 students to the National Defence Academy and over 2,000 candidates to the Armed Forces through various entry schemes such as Combined Defence Services Examination and Air Force Common Admission Test,” he said.

/IANS