Marking a landmark achievement in India’s indigenous defence manufacturing journey, VEM Technologies handed over the first centre fuselage assembly for the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas Mk1A to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The handover ceremony, held at VEM’s Hyderabad facility, was attended by top defence officials including Secretary (Defence Production) Sanjeev Kumar and HAL CMD Dr. D. K. Sunil.

This is the first time a major sub-assembly of the Tejas fighter jet has been manufactured by a private Indian defence company, reflecting the increasing role of the private sector in India’s defence ecosystem. The centre fuselage—crafted using a semi-monocoque structure with both metallic and carbon fibre composite materials—comprises 1,595 components, each of which underwent rigorous quality checks by HAL during production.

The LCA Tejas Mk1A is an advanced iteration of India’s indigenous fighter, featuring upgrades such as an AESA radar, superior avionics, and enhanced combat performance. The aircraft is pivotal to the Indian Air Force’s modernization strategy, and the integration of private firms like VEM Technologies is seen as a crucial step in reducing dependence on foreign suppliers, especially amid global supply chain uncertainties.

VEM Technologies employs over 900 professionals and is involved in research, design, and integration of advanced aerospace and defence systems. Besides the Tejas program, the company is actively contributing to India’s next-generation fighter initiative—the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA)—with prototypes expected by 2026–2027.

This milestone aligns with India’s long-term goal to significantly increase the indigenous content in its defence platforms. While the Tejas Mk1A currently has 62% indigenous components, the upcoming Tejas Mk2 aims to push this figure to 70%.

Nonetheless, challenges remain. The Tejas fleet continues to rely on the US-made General Electric F404 engine, with the indigenous Kaveri engine project, led by GTRE since 1986, still awaiting full operational success. Despite this, the government’s recent policy initiatives aim to achieve 80% indigenization in future aircraft programs.

The successful handover of the centre fuselage assembly signals a growing synergy between India’s public and private sectors in aerospace and defence, marking a step closer to the nation’s vision of strategic self-reliance.

China has refused to comment on the performance of its weapons used by Pakistan during the recent military confrontation with India, including the advanced PL-15E air-to-air missile, remnants of which were recovered by Indian forces. The missile was reportedly part of Pakistan’s attempted counterattacks during India’s Operation Sindoor conducted from May 7 to 10, following a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 that killed 26 civilians.

During a media briefing on Thursday, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesperson Sr Col Zhang Xiaogang was asked about the effectiveness of the PL-15E missile, a Chinese export weapon frequently showcased at defence expos. He responded by saying, “The missile you mentioned is an export equipment and has been shown at defence exhibitions at home and abroad many times,” declining to offer any assessment of its performance during the conflict.

Col Zhang instead reiterated China’s call for calm and restraint, saying, “India and Pakistan are neighbours that cannot be moved away. We hope both sides remain calm and restrained and avoid actions that could escalate tensions.” He added that China supports regional peace and stands ready to play a constructive role in securing a lasting ceasefire between the two countries.

The question on the missile’s performance emerged after Indian forces recovered parts of the Chinese-made PL-15E missile that failed to detonate during Pakistan’s retaliatory strikes. The incident has cast doubts on the effectiveness of Chinese weaponry and highlighted concerns about the reliability of the military hardware being supplied to Pakistan.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China accounted for 81% of Pakistan’s total arms imports between 2020 and 2024. These supplies have included fighter jets, submarines, naval vessels, and a wide array of missile systems. China and Pakistan also co-develop the JF-17 fighter jet, a cornerstone of Pakistan’s air force.

While the Chinese government has remained diplomatically cautious, state-run media in China have given notable attention to the India-Pakistan conflict, underscoring Beijing’s deep military engagement with Islamabad. However, the recent developments may raise further questions about the battlefield credibility of Chinese defence exports.

As per The Tribune:

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted interim bail to Ishan Shanker Roy — an accused in an accident case that claimed the life of a Chandigarh policeman — to enable him to appear for the Air Force Selection Board (AFSB) exams.

Roy had filed the petition for regular bail in the case registered on May 12 at Sector 3 police station. In his application placed before Justice Manisha Batra’s Bench, Roy was seeking interim bail from May 30 to June 14, 2025, to attend the AFSB exams scheduled from June 2, 2025, in Mysuru, Karnataka. Senior advocate R.S. Rai with counsel Gautam Dutt and Parvez Chaudhary, submitted that Roy had cleared the Air Force Common Admission Test and had received the call-up letter.

The counsel further argued that Roy had previously been granted interim bail to appear in the UPSC preliminary examination and had duly surrendered on May 27 after the exam. Roy, aged 24, had undertaken that if he failed to clear any of the AFSB tests on a particular day, he would surrender before the jail the very next day.

Granting the prayer, the Court observed: “Taking into consideration the fact that the career chances of the applicant are not marred and in the interest of justice, the present application is allowed.” Justice Batra directed that Roy be released on interim bail from May 31 till June 8 upon furnishing personal and surety bonds to the satisfaction of the trial court or duty magistrate concerned.

The order was subject to a specific undertaking from either of Roy’s parents, ensuring that he would surrender on the very next day if he failed to clear any test.

Over a year after a 16-year-old student of Army Public School in Delhi died by suicide, the Delhi Police has filed a charge sheet against the school’s former principal and class coordinator, accusing them of abetment to suicide. The charge sheet was recently submitted to the Patiala House Court following a complaint lodged by the student’s father, a serving army havildar.

The tragic incident occurred on February 19, 2024, at the family’s home in Shankar Vihar, southwest Delhi. The boy had returned home from school with his mother around noon, and was later found hanging in his room. His father alleged that the student was denied his Class 10 board exam admit card just two days before the exams, plunging him into deep distress.

According to the charge sheet, the school authorities had demanded ₹10,000 as a fine for damaging school property. The boy had reportedly broken a classroom desk and uploaded a video of the incident on Instagram three days before his death. The same day, the school summoned his mother and allegedly misbehaved with her. The student was informed that his admit card might be withheld unless his father met the principal the following day.

Witness statements cited in the charge sheet—including those of fellow students, teachers, and his tuition teacher—corroborated that the student was extremely anxious about not receiving his admit card. His tuition teacher noted, “He had improved a lot in studies… he was only sad about his admit card. I convinced him it couldn’t be held back, but he was very tense.”

A classmate also confirmed that the student had feared being barred from writing the exam, which he believed would destroy his academic year.

The police have charged the former principal and coordinator under IPC sections 306 (abetment to suicide) and 34 (common intention). The two have not been arrested yet, as the court has not taken cognisance of the charge sheet. A hearing is expected on July 17.

In their statements to police, both accused denied any wrongdoing. They claimed that the student was only issued a disciplinary note and that the admit card was to be handed over after a meeting with the father. The principal stated that, according to CBSE guidelines, an admit card cannot be withheld.

The school has declined to comment, citing the ongoing police investigation. The accused coordinator also refused to speak on the matter, calling it sub judice. Efforts to reach the former principal were unsuccessful.

The case sparked protests last year, with family members and supporters demanding accountability from the school authorities. An internal army inquiry was also initiated alongside the police investigation.

Director General of BrahMos Aerospace and DRDO, Dr. Jaiteerth E. Joshi, has stressed the critical need for a tri-sector collaboration between academia, defence research, and industry to develop engineering talent capable of meeting the demands of next-generation warfare. Speaking at the 25th Convocation Ceremony of the Indian Naval Academy (INA) in Kannur on May 30, Dr. Joshi emphasized that hands-on training and advanced education are essential for preparing naval engineers to perform independently in high-tech combat environments.

Highlighting the Navy’s unique operational conditions, Dr. Joshi said that naval engineers must be trained to handle technical responsibilities such as rectification, testing, and maintenance without shore-based support. He outlined an initiative to develop advanced training modules in partnership with DRDO’s Centres of Excellence at IITs, NITs, and institutions like the Defence Institute of Armament Technology, with close coordination from the INA.

Dr. Joshi lauded the INA’s academic collaboration with Jawaharlal Nehru University and called for further engagement with academic societies like the Indian Society for Non-Destructive Testing and the Institute of Electronics. These partnerships, he said, can facilitate tailored internships and domain-specific training, such as placing mechanical engineering cadets in missile and armament clusters and electronics graduates in electronic warfare units.

He described this vision as a structured model of collaboration: initial research (Technology Readiness Levels 1–3) led by academia, applied research (TRL 4–6) co-developed with industry, and advanced production (TRL 7–9) handled by private manufacturers. This model, he said, ensures accelerated innovation and readiness for deployment.

The DRDO, he noted, is actively investing in start-ups and encouraging student participation in defence projects as early as their third or fourth year of engineering. Many students are already undergoing training at DRDO labs, where they gain critical exposure to domain-specific technologies and work alongside defence personnel.

Dr. Joshi also acknowledged the unique insights brought in by service officers who join DRDO through secondment, post-retirement roles, or lateral entry. Their battlefield experience and understanding of frontline needs help refine the development of defence systems to be more practical and service-ready.

He expressed optimism about the reversal of India’s brain drain, attributing it to the nation’s rapid progress in aerospace, defence, nuclear, and automotive sectors. The combination of global economic uncertainty and India’s rising opportunities under the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission is encouraging talent to remain in the country.

India’s growing number of start-ups and unicorns and its trajectory toward becoming the world’s third-largest economy are signs of a changing industrial landscape, Dr. Joshi added.

Pakistan’s top military officer, General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, has raised concerns about the possibility of a nuclear conflict with India, warning that “strategic miscalculation” in a crisis scenario can never be ruled out. His comments come just weeks after a major military standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbours during Operation Sindoor.

In an interview with Reuters, General Mirza, who serves as the chairman of Pakistan’s joint chiefs of staff, said there was no move towards nuclear weapons during the recent conflict but admitted the potential for future escalation. “Nothing happened this time,” Mirza said. “But you can’t rule out any strategic miscalculation at any time, because when the crisis is on, the responses are different.”

His remarks follow several statements by Pakistani leaders hinting at nuclear options in response to Indian military actions. Earlier this month, Pakistan’s defence minister Khawaja Asif had also warned of a possible nuclear confrontation amid heightened tensions.

India, however, has firmly dismissed these nuclear threats. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stated unequivocally that India will not be cowed by nuclear blackmail, while defence minister Rajnath Singh reiterated that India’s security decisions are guided by strategic priorities, not fear.

External affairs minister S. Jaishankar, speaking to Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, stressed that India and Pakistan are still “very, very far away” from any real nuclear confrontation, even after recent clashes.

The comments from General Mirza also suggest a shift in Pakistan’s military posture, with the general noting that future escalations may not be confined to Jammu & Kashmir and could spread across the region.

The latest crisis, sparked by the Pahalgam terror attack, saw India launch Operation Sindoor—a series of precision strikes on nine terror infrastructure sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The operation resulted in a four-day conflict before a ceasefire was reached.

While Pakistani leaders continue to evoke the spectre of nuclear war to draw international concern, India maintains a firm stance that it will act decisively against terrorism without being deterred by such threats.