PM wants private role in defence

ON BOARD INS VIRAAT: Manmohan Singh has emphasised the need for private business to participate in India’s defence production. Speaking after witnessing naval exercises off the Goa coast, the Prime Minister said, “Private-sector involvement in defence production will lead to greater competition and better production.”

Singh, accompanied by the chief of naval staff, Admiral Arun Prakash, and other top naval officers, saw war manoeuvres involving surface-to-surface missiles.

Admitting that current production speeds are slow, Admiral Prakash said, “We have requested the PM for private participation. This will help us to meet our expectations for ships and submarines.”

Later, at the convocation of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, the PM emphasised a balance between equity and excellence in colleges. “We must strike a balance between doing good and doing well in each of our institutions of education.”