On the occasion of 7th Armed Forces Veterans’ Day, the Defence Minister launched the ‘Soul of Steel’ Alpine Challenge in in Dehradun on January 14, 2023.
About Soul of Steel
- The ‘Soul of Steel’ Alpine Challenge is an initiative to promote tourism in border areas.
- He launched a website for volunteers to sign up for various adventure activities under this joint initiative of the Indian Army and CLAW Global, a veterans’ organization.
- ‘Road to the End’, a 460-km long car rally was also flagged off by Shri Rajnath Singh as part of a joint expedition by Indian Army and CLAW.
- The rally will reach its destination in the Garhwal Himalayas near Niti Village in Chamoli district in the next three days.
- Reiterating the Government’s commitment to ensure the welfare of the ex-servicemen, the Defence Minister shed light on the launch of a Defence Pension Grievance Redressal portal for speedy resolution of complaints of the ex-servicemen.
- He also mentioned the ‘Maa Bharati ke Sapoot’ website, launched in October last year, stating that people can contribute to the Armed Forces Battle Casualties Welfare Fund through the portal.
About Armed Forces Veterans’ Day
- The Armed Forces Veterans’ Day is celebrated on 14th January every year, as on this day in 1953, the First Indian Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army Field Marshal KM Cariappa, who led the Indian forces to victory in the 1947 war, formally retired from the Service.
- The day is dedicated to the esteemed veterans of the country.
- The Veterans’ Day is being commemorated since 2017 to reaffirm the camaraderie between the retired, the serving and the nation and remember & honour the heroes who made the supreme sacrifice and selflessly served the nation.
