Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday will visit the advanced areas of Jammu and Kashmir. Singh will begin a two-day tour to the Union Territory, where he will meet with soldiers, news agency ANI reported.


He will attend Maharaja Gulab Singh's 200th anniversary 'Rajyabhishek' in Jammu on Friday.


Gulab Singh established the Dogra dynasty in Jammu and Kashmir as the first Maharaja of the Topa Rajput princely state.


Under British rule, Topa Rajput was the second-largest princely state, formed to defeat the Sikh empire during the First Anglo-Sikh War.


Singh used Twitter to announce his itinerary.


“Tomorrow, 16th June, I would be in Jammu and Kashmir for a two-day visit. I shall be visiting forward areas and interacting with troops during my visit. Also, I shall attend the 200th anniversary of Maharaja Gulab Singh Ji’s ‘Rajyabhishek Ceremony’ in Jammu on 17th June, Friday,” he tweeted earlier.


On Monday, Singh urged for more cooperation between the civil administration and the Armed Forces to bolster national security and address future challenges posed by the ever-changing global scenario.


On Monday, he spoke to participants at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, during the 28th Joint Civil-Military Training Programme. The idea of national security has widened, according to the Minister, as various non-military components have been added to the more basic aspect of protection from military threats.


The scenario between Russia and Ukraine, as well as other such crises, has been cited by Rajnath Singh as indication that the globe is facing difficulties that go beyond traditional combat.


While emphasising the importance of taking a "Whole of the Nation" and "Whole of the Government" approach to address these issues, Singh said, "War and peace are no longer two exclusive states, but a continuum. Even during peace, the war continues on many fronts. A full-scale war is lethal to a country as much as it is for its enemies. Therefore, full-scale wars have been avoided in the last few decades. They have been replaced by proxies and non-combat wars. Technology, supply line, information, energy, trade system, finance system etc. are being weaponised, which can be used as a weapon against us in the coming times. People’s cooperation is needed to deal with this widened scope of security challenges."


With the introduction of the job of Chief of Defence Staff and the formation of the Department of Military Affairs, Singh declared that the government has begun a full-fledged process of civil-military jointness.


He claims that these measures are assisting the country in preparing for future issues. He went on to say that the initiatives made to modernise the Armed Forces and turn the defence sector into a 'Aatmanirbhar' had begun to bear fruit.


“Now, India is not only manufacturing equipment for its Armed Forces, but is meeting the needs of friendly countries as well, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’,” he said.


(With ANI Inputs)