Infiltration from across the Pakistan border into the country has drastically declined in the last one year, Defence Minister, Manohar Parikkar said on Friday.
“Though infiltration from across the Pakistan border has not totally stopped, it has come down drastically, particularly during the last one year,” he said at the Defence Staff Services College in Nilgiris district. To a question on training Sri Lankan defence personnel in the country, Parrikar said they were trained at various parts of India, but not in Tamil Nadu. This was due to the opposition by various parties over the issue of Tamils in Sri Lanka, he said.
Stating that the government was focusing on modernisation of defence sector, he said there were good benefits in ‘Make in India’ policy, by which 70 per cent of the requirement of the Defence was purchased locally.
On enrolling women in army, Parikkar said though the women were showing keen interest in joining army, particularly combat army, there were some problems, including basic amenities like toilets.