India Will Continue to Strive Towards Achieving Minimum Deterrence

, The Defence Minister Shri A K Antony has said that the Government will take all steps to provide 'minimum deterrence capability to the armed forces commensurate with the size and geo-strategic position of India in the world.' 
 
Addressing the Meeting of the Consultative Committee attached to his Ministry here today, Shri Antony said that modernisation of the armed forces is on course and in the next few years all the arms of our Forces will get the equipment and platforms required to achieve this minimum deterrence. He said, as a peace-loving nation, India does not favour any arms race. 
 
However, appropriate action is being taken and allocation of resources is being made after assessment of the environment at regular intervals to ensure that our armed forces are well prepared to face any challenge. Replying to a question from a Member of Parliament Shri Antony said our preparedness is not any specific country-centric. 
 
Cutting across party lines, Members of Parliament were unanimous in agreeing with Shri Antony's observation that the armed forces deserve a better deal from the 6th Pay Commission for their unflinching commitment and contribution to the safety and security of the nation. Shri Antony also said that the nation needs to take a second look at the service condition of the armed forces personnel in the changing times when traditional joint family structures are crumbling and market forces are determining the pay package of a wide spectrum of work force. 
 
Speaking on today's topic for discussion – Passive Air Defence, Shri Antony said that the Indian Air Force is making all efforts to meet the requirements of detection capabilities and potent weapon systems by maintaining, upgrading, overhauling existing systems and inducting new state-of-the-art equipment to replace old systems. He said the planning of Air Defence being a dynamic and an ever-changing process, review of assets vis-