PU organises Special Lecture by Vice Admiral Raman Puri on occasion of Maharana Pratap Jayanti

Chandigarh, June 2, 2022: The Department of Defence and National Security Studies and the Department of Law, Panjab University in association with the NGO Youth4Nation organized a special lecture on 2nd June 2022 by Vice Admiral Raman Puri on the theme “Multi-dimensional National Security” to celebrate Maharana Pratap Jayanti.

Dr. Jaskaran Singh Waraich, Chairperson of the Defence and National Security Studies Department, welcomed the guests present for the event and also highlighted the significance of the theme. Dr. Jaskaran also shared that Rajput ruler Maharana Pratap, was one of the bravest rulers of India, who ruled Mewar in Rajasthan for 35 years. While other Rajput rulers accepted Akbar’s supremacy, he was one of the few rulers in Indian history who stood firm against the mighty Mughal Empire. He inspired generations of India to fight against foreign invaders.

Distinguished speaker, Vice Admiral Raman Puri, Fellow with the Vivekananda International Institute and former member of the National Security Advisory Board, Government of India elucidated the importance of Comprehensive National Power in National Security. He emphasized the importance of economics, culture, information, energy etc. in the modern security paradigm. He said nations today only focus on National interest and make issue-based alliances. To strengthen its Comprehensive National Power, a nation must have strong leaders. He also stressed that “Please ensure the right leadership if you choose the wrong people then it is your loss”. While talking about Citizens he said that every citizen has a role to play in nation-building, no matter what you are doing in the country. He emphasized on startup programs and pointed out that this is the only way for the development of the country.

In the end, he emphasized the importance of culture in national security and said that the British were also aware of the high cultural and moral values of Indians, so they insisted on destroying the cultural heritage of Indians and thought of dividing Indian society on religious lines. He said that the best way to secure any country is to preserve its culture, economy, resources, citizens, and, most importantly, its youth.

In his concluding address Sh. Balaji Venketeshwar, an expert in Cyber Defence, enlightened the audience on information and cyber warfare citing examples from Russia-Ukraine war .He highlighted the growing significance of cyber domain in the National Security of the country, especially in the Indian context. He also cautioned the young students to be aware of the growing cyber vulnerabilities of the society. Moreover, he insisted to generate cyber awareness amongst the youth of the country while also striving to create young cyber warriors ultimately contributing towards cyber security of the nation.

The lecture was attended by the faculty, research scholars and students of the University. Dr. Babita Pathania, from the Department of Law delivered Vote of Thanks in the event.