A contract for construction of 50 Ton Bollard Pull Tugs was concluded with M/s Hindustan Shipyard Ltd in 2019 at the cost of Rs. 260.70 Crores. The third tug in the series, “Balraj”, was delivered to Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam, on December 31, 2021. These tugs have been designed and built under the classification rules of the Indian Register for Shipping with a service life of 20 years. They are capable of assisting large naval ships, including Aircraft Carrier and Submarines in berthing, un-berthing, turning and manoeuvring in confined waters and harbour. They also provide firefighting cover/assistance afloat to ships alongside/anchorage and have limited search and rescue operations capability.
ARMY ESTABLISHES QUANTUM LABORATORY AT MHOW
The Indian Army is making steady yet significant strides in the field of emerging technology domains. With support from the National Security Council Secretariat, the Army has recently established the Quantum Lab at Military College of Telecommunication Engineering, Mhow, to spearhead research and training in this key developing field. Gen MM Naravane, the Chief of Army Staff, was briefed on the facility during his recent visit to Mhow. Army has also established an Artificial Intelligence Centre at the same institution with over 140 deployments in forwarding areas and active support of industry and academia.
RAKSHA MANTRI INAUGURATES KALPANA CHAWLA CENTRE FOR RESEARCH IN SPACE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AT CHANDIGARH UNIVERSITY
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated Kalpana Chawla Centre for Research in Space Science and Technology at Chandigarh University on January 3, 2022. He also launched a Scholarship Scheme worth Rs 10 crore for the wards of Defence Personnel of the three Services. In his address, Shri Rajnath Singh described the establishment of the Research Centre as an important step towards strengthening the country’s space sector by stressing that it is only through these efforts that India can become a leader in future technologies. He likened the KCCRSST with ‘pride of India’ Kalpana Chawla, hoping that this research facility would touch new heights of success, similar to the remarkable achievements of the late India-born astronaut who brought universal recognition to her country of origin. n
