Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Highlights Strong India-US Partnership During US Visit
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, on an official visit to the US from August 23 to 26, praised the growing ties between India and the US. Speaking to the Indian community in Washington, he said, “India and the US are natural allies, we have old ties. Even destiny wants India-US relations to be strong.”
Singh highlighted India’s economic progress over the last decade, noting that 25 crore people have been lifted out of poverty and that India is on track to become the world’s third-largest economy by 2027. He stated, “Earlier, the Indian economy was among the ‘Fragile 5’, today it is among ‘Stimulus 5’.”
He also praised India’s handling of the Covid pandemic, saying, “During the Covid pandemic, our Prime Minister combated the crisis with such strength…we didn’t allow any adverse impact of the pandemic to hit our economy.”
Singh mentioned the government’s efforts to improve the business environment, including removing 40,000 compliances and increasing the number of start-ups to over 1,20,000. He added, “We are the world’s second-largest mobile phone exporter. We are number one in digital transactions.”
During his visit, Singh will meet with US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and US Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs Jake Sullivan. The visit aims to further deepen the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
Doubts Revealed
Defence Minister -: The Defence Minister is a person in the government who is responsible for the country’s military and defense matters. In India, this person is Rajnath Singh.
Rajnath Singh -: Rajnath Singh is an important leader in India. He is the Defence Minister, which means he looks after the country’s army, navy, and air force.
US -: The US stands for the United States of America, which is a big country in North America. It is one of the most powerful countries in the world.
Partnership -: A partnership is when two or more people or groups work together. In this case, it means India and the US are working together on important things like defense and economy.
Economic progress -: Economic progress means that a country is getting richer and better at making and selling things. It means more jobs and better living conditions for people.
25 crore -: 25 crore is a way to say 250 million. It is a large number used to show how many people in India have been helped out of poverty.
Covid pandemic -: The Covid pandemic is a time when a new virus called Covid-19 made many people around the world sick. It started in 2019 and caused a lot of problems everywhere.
Digital transactions -: Digital transactions are ways to pay for things using computers or mobile phones instead of cash. It is like using Paytm or Google Pay to buy something.
Mobile phone exports -: Mobile phone exports mean that India makes mobile phones and sells them to other countries. It helps India earn money and create jobs.
Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership -: This is a big way of saying that India and the US are working closely together on many important things like defense, economy, and technology to help both countries.