Indus treaty annulment part of new security doctrine, says Dr Pandit

India will no longer tolerate terrorist attacks and will respond decisively to incidents like the Pahalgam attack through operations such as Operation Sindoor, said Dr Shantishree Pandit, Vice-Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), during her address in Pune on Thursday. She was speaking as the chief guest at the graduation ceremony of the College of Military Engineering (CME).

Dr Pandit described India's recent decision to annul the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan as a strategic countermeasure to repeated cross-border terrorism. She emphasised that this move marks a shift in national policy, with Operation Sindoor serving as the first step in this new approach. India, she asserted, will no longer be deterred by nuclear threats and will firmly safeguard its sovereignty without allowing interference from foreign nations or organisations.

At the ceremony, 11 M.Tech and 24 B.Tech graduates received their degrees. Lieutenant Colonel Dheeraj Parmar was awarded the gold medal in the M.Tech program, while Lieutenant Priyansh Mishra was the top B.Tech graduate. The event was also attended by CME Commandant A.K. Ramesh and Dean Brigadier Ravi Reddy.

Highlighting India's zero-tolerance policy on terrorism, Dr Pandit praised the exemplary coordination among the Army, Navy, and Air Force during Operation Sindoor. She underscored that the operation was not merely a tactical mission but a demonstration of India’s resolute rejection of terrorism. She also stressed the importance of indigenising defence production under the Make in India initiative.

Reflecting on India’s evolving global stature, Dr Pandit remarked that the country is not just participating in international geopolitics but actively shaping it. She pointed to the transformation in modern warfare, now driven by cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, cyber operations, and space-based capabilities.

“You are now part of this new national doctrine,” Dr Pandit told the graduating cadets, expressing confidence in their preparedness to tackle contemporary and future security challenges. She lauded the College of Military Engineering for its vital role in nation-building and, at the start of her speech, paid tribute to the martyrs of the Pahalgam attack.