Our Correspondent
Itanagar: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Thursday stressed on the need to rope in universities to introduce research projects on national security and challenges in the State.
Khandu’s observation came during a meeting with representatives of Forum for Awareness of National Security (FANS), a national level voluntary organization, at his office here.
FANS president Lt Gen (retd) Dr Raj Nandan Singh accompanied by General Secretary (Org) Golok Bihari Rai and forum’s Arunachal Chapter Coordinator VN Pandey called on Khandu and briefed him on various activities of the organization, an official communique informed.
While appreciating the suggestion made by the forum, Khandu said that if research projects on national security and challenges could be introduced, it would create awareness amongst university students who will be shaping the future schools of thought.
He assured to take up the suggestion of the forum with the authorities of Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) here.
While Lt Gen Singh spent major part of his service with the Assam Regiment in the Northeast, particularly in Arunachal Pradesh, Pandey is a retired Superintendent Engineer of the State Water Resources Department. Giving details of FANS and its activities, Singh informed that the organization works to create awareness amongst the masses on significance of national security vis a vis national integrity and emergence of India as a global power.
Besides national security, the forum also creates awareness on environment, climate change, water conservation and eradication of social evils.
Spreading its wings to Arunachal Pradesh, the forum is currently conducting symposiums titled “Vyakhyan on National Security & its challenges and Himalaya-Hind Mahadagar Rashtra Samuh”.
One such symposium was conducted on October 16 at Dera Natung Government College here, and the other is scheduled for October 18 at Jawaharlal Nehru College at Pasighat in East Siang district.
Lt Gen Singh, with his past experience in the State, congratulated Khandu for the rapid progress that the state has made in all fields during the last few years.
He remembered former Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, as a dedicated and visionary leader, who literally laid the foundations for development of Arunachal Pradesh.
Lt Gen Singh specifically hailed the initiative of the former chief minister to raise the Arunachal Scouts wing of the Indian Army and informed that he closely coordinated with Dorjee Khandu in clearing the decks for establishment of Arunachal Scouts during his posting in the State.