Develop indigenous mine detectors, says Governor

Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan on Friday called upon army engineers to develop indigenous mine detectors that could unearth landmines planted deep inside. The security forces in Jammu and Kashmir had detectors that could only discover landmines on the surface but were still facing problems in detecting the explosives buried deep in the ground, he said. He was delivering a convocation address at the Military College of Electronics and Mechanical Engineering (MCEME) at Trimulgherry here on Friday.

He asked army engineers to develop indigenous technology to avoid dependency on foreign products and said that they were capable of attaining high levels of skill and excellence to achieve the goal in this direction. They could also work towards expanding the range of jammers that could cover only a short distance at present, he said.

Cyber terrorism

Highlighting the importance of upgrading technology, Mr. Narasimhan said that in future the warfare would be more technology-oriented and the role of engineers would be crucial in the near future. The MCEME should also focus more on countering the increasing threat of cyber terrorism, he said. The civilian and armed services should join to sort out issues arising out of the latest challenges in the era of technological advancement, he said.

He explained that changes in the military environment required development of new competencies among officers to conduct successful operations in the emerging strategic environments.

The Governor conferred degrees and presented awards to engineering graduates and other service officers. Twenty-six officers graduated with the 90th degree engineering course and 22 officers graduated with the 17th technical entry scheme course and got degrees. MCEME Commandant Lieutenant General S.M. Mehta was present.