Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visits Indira Point, country’s southernmost tip, during his visit to Andaman & Nicobar Islands on January 6, 2023.

On the final day of his two-day visit to Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Indira Point, the southernmost tip of the country, on January 6, 2023. He was accompanied by Commander-in-Chief Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN) Lt General Ajai Singh. Rajnath Singh took stock of the defence preparedness and encouraged the troops to continue protecting the national interests in the region.

Indira Point is along the Great Channel, popularly referred to as the ‘Six Degree Channel’, which is a major shipping lane for international traffic. A strong presence of the Armed Forces equips India to better discharge its responsibility of being a net security provider in the region.

En-route, the Defence Minister halted at the Car Nicobar Island and Campbell Bay where he was apprised about the ground conditions. He also interacted with the joint services troops of Andaman and Nicobar Command there, lauding them for serving the country with unmatched bravery and commitment.

The Defence Minister was familiarised with the terrain of Southern Group of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. He also paid a visit to INS Baaz and interacted with troops.

On January 5, 2023, the Defence Minister visited the Headquarters of Andaman & Nicobar Command in Port Blair where he reviewed the operational preparedness of the Command and infrastructure development at operational areas.

This is the first visit of the Defence Minister to Indira Point since January 2019. Apart from the Strategic Signalling in view of proximity of these far-flung islands to the Indo-Pacific, the visit of Defence Minister to A&N Command motivated the troops deployed in these distant and remote islands. It is pertinent to mention that A&N Command is a 21-year-old successful Integrated Theatre Command which is now being planned at the national level.