World must come together to eradicate terror: Manohar Parrikar

NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar today said India wants the world to come together to eradicate terrorism.

Asked about the phone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump last night where the two leaders vowed to stand "shoulder-to-shoulder" in the fight against terror and strengthen defence and economic ties, Parrikar said terrorism is one issue which the Indian government has taken up with many countries.

"We want the world to come together on terror so terror can be eliminated," he said speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an NCC event here.

He also said that both US and India have already started walking on the path of closer defence ties and it will continue under the Trump administration.

Asked about the lack of authentic medals for the military personnel, Parrikar said the issue is being sorted out and work in the mints is being sped up.

He also awarded the Raksha Mantri Padak to Company Under Officer Priyanka Mishra of Rajasthan Directorate.

Raksha Mantri Commendation Cards have been awarded to Cadet Kushagra Misra (Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh Directorate), Senior Under Officer Rajlaxmi Baral (Odisha Directorate) and Girls Cadets Instructor (GCI) III E Gomathi (Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andaman & Nicobar Directorate).

The Raksha Mantri Padak was also awarded to 10 girl cadets and one GCI.

The cadets and GCI who received the Raksha Mantri Padak are Cadet Rigzen Dolker and Cadet Baljeet Kaur (Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh & Chandigarh Directorate), Cadet Tashi Laskit, Cadet Stanzin Laskit and Cadet Tsering Angmo (Jammu & Kashmir Directorate), Cadet Pooja Mehra (Uttarakhand Directorate), Cadet Lalrintluangi (North Eastern Region Directorate), Cadet Sulaxchana and Cadet Trishal Gurung (West Bengal & Sikkim Directorate).

Raksha Mantri Padak was also given to Cadet Kumari Nutan (Rajasthan Directorate) & Girl Cadet Instructor III Dolyne Kharbhih (North Eastern Region Directorate), who successfully summited Mount Everest in May last year and created world record for maximum number of women from a single team and single country.

Raksha Mantri Commendation Card was also awarded to Girl Cadet Instructor II Saroj Boriwal of Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh Directorate who was part of the support team for Everest.