Central University of Jammu organised special lecture on “Indian Naval Modernisation: Progress and Prospects”

JAMMU: The Department of National Security Studies (NSS) at the Central University of Jammu (CUJ) under the patronage of the Hon’ble Vice Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Sanjeev Jain organized a distinguished lecture on the theme “Indian Naval Modernisation: Progress and Prospects” as part of the Global Security Dynamics lecture series. The lecture was delivered by Commander Shiv Mathur, (Retd) of the Indian Navy at the Brigadier Rajinder Singh Auditorium in the University campus. The event was Convened by Dr. R. Sudhakar, Associate Professor and Co-Convened by Dr. M. Venkataraman, Professor and supported by Dr. Neeta Rani, Associate Professor and Head, Department of National Security Studies.

The programme began with a welcome address by Dr. Tilak Raj Sharma, Assistant Professor, Department of NSS, who set a collaborative and engaging tone welcoming the speaker, faculty members, scholars and students for the event. This was followed by Dr. Anuradha Choudhary, Assistant Professor at the Department of NSS, who introduced the guest speaker and delivered thematic remarks highlighting the critical importance of naval modernisation, maritime security, and the Indian Navy in the current complex geopolitical landscape.

On the occasion Commander Shiv Mathur delivered his special lecture drawing upon his three decades of service in the Indian Navy. He began with an overview of India's maritime history, highlighting India's maritime trade routes and strategically important sea lines of communication. Commander Mathur presented a comprehensive comparative analysis of the naval modernisation strategies adopted by the United States, Russia, and India, illustrating how these maritime powers differ in their strategic approaches.

Focusing on India's naval modernisation, Commander Mathur discussed the country's shipbuilding programmes, indigenous defence capabilities, and the acquisition of advanced naval equipment. He also examined the various dimensions of maritime strategy elaborating on India's growing maritime capabilities, including aircraft carriers, missile systems, and submarine fleets. Drawing references from contemporary geopolitical developments, particularly the Russia–Ukraine conflict and tensions between Iran and the United States, he underscored the strategic significance of critical maritime chokepoints such as the Strait of Hormuz for global and regional maritime security.

Addressing the challenges and limitations confronting the Indian Navy, Commander Mathur emphasised the need for an indigenous anti-submarine warfare strategy supported by state-of-the-art technology to strengthen India's self-reliance in defence. The lecture was further enriched by remarks from Prof. M. Venkataraman, Co-convenor of the event, who highlighted the contemporary imperative for naval modernisation. He emphasized on the need to understand the sea-land interdependency in terms of maritime and territorial security, observing that a robust land security is intrinsically linked to strong naval capabilities and timely modernisation.

The session was followed by an engaging interactive discussion, during which students and faculty members had the opportunity to interact directly with the speaker and seek his perspectives on contemporary security challenges and naval modernisation. The programme concluded with a formal vote of thanks by Dr. Ekta Manhas, Assistant Professor at the Department of NSS, who expressed her sincere gratitude to the keynote speaker, the University administration, faculty members, students, and scholars for their participation and support. The event concluded with the national anthem followed by High Tea.