Nirmala Sitharaman, the first full-time woman Defence Minister is on a two-day trip to Jammu and Kashmir. This is her first trip to the valley since she assumed office. Before this, during the time of emergency in 1975, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had taken the Defence Ministry under her control and one other incident when the Ministry was under a Women was in 1982.
Nirmala was appointed as the Defence Minister by Prime Minister Narendra Modi a few days back when the Modi Cabinet underwent a reshuffle. She will begin her two-day trip from today. During her visit, she will be reviewing the mobility of the soldier and the security alertness at the borders.
According to the sources, the Defence Minister will also be visiting the forward posts on the line of control (LoC) in the Valley, the line of actual control (LAC) between India and China in the Ladakh region and the Siachen Glacier. Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat will also be joining Nirmala during her visit.
Top army commanders will accompany the Defence Minister and together they will review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. They will also focus on the anti-militancy operations.