21 June,2025 06:53 PM IST | Jammu | mid-day online correspondent
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. File Pic.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was briefed by top Army officials on Saturday regarding the prevailing security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, with a particular focus on border areas, anti-terrorist operations, and the upcoming Amarnath Yatra.
According to news agency PTI, Chief of the Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, and other senior officers, including commanding officers of all units, attended the meeting at the Udhampur-based Northern Command headquarters.
Defence Minister Singh had arrived at the Udhampur headquarters of the Northern Command on a two-day visit on Friday. On Saturday morning, he led the International Day of Yoga celebrations for the Armed Forces, performing various asanas and breathing exercises with 2,500 soldiers.
After the yoga session, the senior Army brass provided the Defence Minister with an update on the current security situation in the Union Territory, officials confirmed, as reported by PTI. The briefing primarily focused on security in the border areas and the hinterland, particularly anti-terrorist operations in forested regions. It also covered the detailed security arrangements made for the annual 38-day Amarnath Yatra, scheduled to commence in the South Kashmir Himalayas on July 3.
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The Army is an integral part of the multi-tier security arrangements put in place for the smooth conduct of the Yatra. This includes extensive combing operations in the forests surrounding the two main tracks - the traditional 48-kilometre Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-kilometre shorter but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal district - as well as along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, PTI reported.
Meanwhile, people across the country were performing yoga asanas on International Yoga Day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated on Saturday that the entire world is currently experiencing various tensions, with many regions facing unrest and instability, and that yoga offers a path to peace and fosters unity.
Addressing participants at the 11th International Yoga Day event, PM Modi remarked that the day signifies the beginning of this ancient practice for humanity, where inner peace can become a global policy.
"Unfortunately, today the whole world is going through some kind of tension. In many regions, unrest and instability are increasing. In such a situation, yoga gives us the direction of peace. Yoga is the pause button that humanity needs to breathe, to balance, to become whole again," he said.
"My request to the world - let this Yoga Day mark the beginning of Yoga for Humanity 2.0, where inner peace becomes global policy," the Prime Minister urged. He further commented that the core essence of yoga is "to unite", and it is truly heartening to observe how yoga has successfully brought the world together.
Emphasising that yoga is for everyone, regardless of boundaries, background, age, or ability, PM Modi stated that this year's International Yoga Day theme - "Yoga for One Earth, One Health" - reflects a profound truth: the health of every entity on Earth is interconnected. Expressing pride in seeing differently-abled individuals reading yogic texts in Braille, PM Modi also noted that scientists are practising yoga even in space.
(With inputs from PTI)
