PM Modi inaugurates 16th armed forces' conference at Eastern Command HQ in Kolkata

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the three-day Combined Commanders' Conference (CCC) at the Eastern Command headquarters of the Indian Army at Vijay Durg, the erstwhile Fort William, in Kolkata.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also attended the crucial meet, the first such conference after Operation Sindoor.

Operation Sindoor was conceived as a punitive and targeted campaign to dismantle the terror infrastructure across the Line of Control and deeper inside Pakistan, showcasing a calibrated, tri-services response embodying precision, professionalism and purpose, a defence official said.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and all three chiefs of the Indian armed forces were also among the participants in the conference.

The CCC, a biennial event, is the apex brainstorming forum of the armed forces, bringing together the nation's top civil and military leadership to exchange views and discuss strategic, institutional and operational priorities, with interactive sessions involving officers of various ranks.

This year’s meet, the 16th edition, will focus on reforms, transformation, change, and operational preparedness of the armed forces. The theme is 'Year of Reforms – Transforming for the Future.' "The focus of the conference reflects the armed forces’ commitment to institutional reforms, deeper integration and technological modernisation, while sustaining a high level of multi-domain operational readiness," the defence official added.

This is Modi’s fourth visit to Bengal in the past five months and the second within a month.

The PM arrived in Kolkata on Sunday evening from Assam and will leave the city in the afternoon for Purnea in Bihar.

He reached Vijay Durg around 9.30 am from the Raj Bhavan, where he spent the previous night.

The last CCC was held in Bhopal in 2023.