00:00Shri Kiran Rajuji Ji, Honorable Minister for Parliament Affairs and Ministry of Minority Affairs,
00:07a vibrant youth leader and icon for all of us.
00:11Jal Dushyan Singh, DG Clause, veteran officers, Jal Rajeshwar, Jal Dua, Jal Manhas and others,
00:18officers of the Indian Armed Forces, Parabilitary Forces, CAPFs,
00:23members of entrepreneurial community, budding scholars of academia,
00:28colleagues of think tanks, friends from the media, bright students from university, colleges, educational institutes,
00:35pleasantly happy to see even Army Public School, including those who have joined us online,
00:40approximately 9,000, and of course, ladies and gentlemen.
00:47It's with immense pride and a deep sense of purpose that I welcome Honorable Minister to Veer Yuva,
00:54that is Young Leaders Forum of the Indian Army's Annual Flagship International Seminar,
00:59Chandakya Defense Dialogue 2025.
01:03As you are aware, that for the first time ever, we have the Youth Leaders Forum
01:07being held as a pre-win, especially for the youth of the country,
01:12which sets the tune for the larger theme of
01:14Reform to Transform, Sureshakt, Surakshit, or Viksit Bharat.
01:20It's indeed a rare privilege to stand before this August gathering
01:23of India's bravest and brightest minds
01:25present here and connected virtually across the country
01:29who will help build the nation and inspire generations
01:32for a journey towards Viksit Bharat.
01:36Whenever I think of youth and national security,
01:39a remarkable individual comes to my mind immediately.
01:42Some of you may have heard about him.
01:44During the World War II,
01:46when the world leaders were busy
01:47devising ways to checkmate the Germans,
01:50and generals like me were engaged in conducting kinetic operations,
01:53a quiet genius cracked the uncrackable enigma code,
01:57piercing the veil of Nazi security
01:59and turning the tide of war.
02:02His mind became the weapon that saved millions.
02:05I'll give out the name also.
02:09He was Alan Turing,
02:11nearly 27 years old,
02:12a young man.
02:14India's history too has
02:15so many heroes
02:17which are testimony to the courage
02:19and conviction of its young sons and daughters.
02:22Rani Lakshmi bai,
02:23Bhagat Singh,
02:24Chand Shikhar Azad,
02:25Khudi Ram Bose,
02:26Last Knight Albert Tikka,
02:29Captain Vikram Batra,
02:31Major Sandeep Unikrishnan.
02:32Timeless examples proving that
02:35age never limits contribution.
02:38In the recent Ops Indoor,
02:40many amongst you would have been actively involved,
02:42some as young military officers,
02:44some as NCC cadets,
02:45some in civil defense,
02:47some in drone labs,
02:48while some as social media warriors.
02:50With over 65% of India's population below the age of 35
02:54and almost 50% under 25,
02:56we are a nation of youth,
02:58a country of boundless energy,
03:01ideas,
03:01creativity and courage.
03:04Our skilled human resource
03:05is one of our greatest instruments of power.
03:08Honorable Prime Minister,
03:09during the Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue
03:10earlier this year,
03:12said,
03:13India's youth are the harbingers of a Viksit Bharat,
03:17brimming with innovation,
03:18passion and a deep commitment
03:20to the nation's progress.
03:22The overall potential for contribution of the youth
03:24is thus well acknowledged.
03:26So let me now speak about national security
03:29and how the youth ought to be enmeshed.
03:33Chanakya's teachings remind us
03:35that the rising powers inevitably provoke
03:38counter-wailing coalitions.
03:41National security involves preparing
03:43for strategic balancing,
03:45deterrence and resilience
03:46against these counter-reactions.
03:49Herein, our opportunities are immense.
03:51The demographic dividend of the world's youngest population,
03:54transforming technologies
03:56and a strategic geography.
03:59Yet so are the challenges.
04:02Firstly, we have traditional rivalries
04:03and collusive threats
04:04leading to more than a half,
04:06that is,
04:07more than two and a half front challenges.
04:10Secondly,
04:11terrorism,
04:12proxy war
04:13and internal threats
04:14still persist.
04:16Thirdly,
04:17and more importantly,
04:18disinformation campaigns
04:20seek to fracture our social fabric
04:22from within.
04:23Therefore,
04:24warfare is becoming increasingly
04:25non-kinetic
04:27and non-contact.
04:29It flows through fiber cables,
04:31flickers on screens,
04:32circulates in wallets
04:33and ripples across our classrooms.
04:36Obviously,
04:37the response demands
04:38just not arm strength,
04:40but intellectual,
04:41technological
04:42and moral preparedness.
04:43In this era of multi-domain challenges,
04:48national security
04:48and nation building
04:49are inseparable,
04:51requiring a whole-of-nation approach,
04:53harnessing the combined resolve
04:54of governance,
04:56industry,
04:56academia
04:57and civil society.
05:00This generation,
05:01our Zen Z,
05:03which in the morning
05:03it was a big revelation
05:04that it is the largest
05:06in the world.
05:08Though Indian Army
05:09is second largest,
05:10so Generation Z
05:11has beaten the Indian Army also.
05:12It stands at the center
05:15of this new battle space.
05:17Digitally fluent,
05:18socially aware
05:19and globally connected.
05:21They are India's
05:22greatest strength
05:23if guided by discipline
05:25and direction.
05:26That is the melange of
05:27passion with purpose.
05:30It's this very understanding
05:31of security
05:31as a collective enterprise
05:33that the Indian Army
05:34has embarked
05:35on a decade of transformation
05:36focused on jointness
05:37with everybody
05:38including the youth
05:39present today
05:41or connected to us.
05:42restructuring
05:43and modernizing
05:44old structures
05:45while constantly evolving
05:47our human resources.
05:49The Troikov Industry Academy
05:50and the Armed Forces
05:51forms the backbone
05:53of this transformation.
05:55The youth have a role
05:55in each facet
05:56of this trade
05:57in labs,
05:59industries,
06:00startups,
06:01think tanks
06:01and battle jets.
06:02Apart from the traditional
06:04cruddles of leadership
06:05that's Senec School,
06:06Military School,
06:07NCC,
06:09which we are well known to,
06:12the Army has now reached out
06:13to the youth
06:14through our 16 technology clusters,
06:17Indian Army sales in IITs
06:18and also commenced in 2025
06:20a paid Army internship program.
06:23This is because we realize
06:26that the comprehensive
06:26national power
06:27is not only built
06:29on the security circles
06:31but also in the classrooms,
06:33communities
06:33and consciences.
06:35We, the men and women
06:36in uniform,
06:37rely on you
06:38in all fields
06:39including the field
06:39of technology.
06:41So today,
06:42I would like to give a call
06:43to action to our youth
06:44and we'll leave
06:45a few thoughts with you
06:46gained from my own experience.
06:49Firstly,
06:50your duty,
06:51calling is what you define.
06:53What can I alone do?
06:55So you have to start
06:56today and yourself.
06:59Remember,
06:59every great change
07:00in India
07:01began with
07:02one determined citizen.
07:04Remember,
07:04Padma Bhushan Anna Hazare,
07:06a one-man social reformer,
07:08incidentally,
07:09an ex-soldier too.
07:11Secondly,
07:12inventions,
07:13innovations
07:13spring out of adversity.
07:15Don't get too comfortable.
07:17Don't look for
07:17too many resources.
07:19Remember,
07:20Apple is said
07:20to have been born
07:21out of a garage
07:22and Facebook
07:23from a dormitory room.
07:26Thirdly,
07:27national security
07:28is not just about
07:29soldiers at the borders.
07:31It's also about
07:31citizens and youths
07:32who refuse to be
07:33indifferent.
07:35Tashi Namgyal,
07:36an alert shepherd
07:37who passed away
07:38in December 24,
07:39was the first
07:40to detect the intruders
07:41in Kagil
07:41which led to
07:42successful conduct
07:43of Operation Vijay
07:44by the Indian Army.
07:47Fourthly,
07:48excellence demands
07:49sweat.
07:50Every challenge
07:51has to be taken
07:52as an opportunity.
07:54When your mind
07:54asks you,
07:55why me?
07:56Reply to it,
07:57why not me?
07:58Armanyu
07:59entering the
07:59Chakraviru
08:00Mahabharata,
08:01Bhagat Singh,
08:01Mahatma Gandhi,
08:02Dr. Kalam,
08:03Metro Man,
08:04Sridharan,
08:05all embodied
08:05this spirit.
08:07As Netaji Subhashan
08:08both said,
08:09the youth of a nation
08:10are the trustees
08:11of tomorrow.
08:12Youth are the vital
08:13bridge between
08:14the nation's vision
08:14and its vigilance,
08:16their energy,
08:17innovation,
08:18and integrity
08:19form the first
08:20line of defense
08:21in safeguarding
08:22national security.
08:23So I urge
08:25every young
08:25Indian to join
08:26the national
08:27security mission
08:27with or without
08:29the uniform
08:29build technology,
08:31shape policy,
08:32and spread awareness.
08:34I wish you
08:35the very best
08:36for engaging
08:36discussions
08:37lies ahead.
08:38Be positive,
08:39be outcome
08:40oriented,
08:40define problem
08:41statements,
08:42and develop
08:43solutions.
08:44We will be
08:44very happy
08:45to receive
08:45and assimilate
08:46the positive
08:47ideas of youth
08:48today.
08:50Daniel.
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