Defence minister Manohar Parikkar said that infiltration from Pakistan border has drastically declined in the past one year. He however admits that the infiltration has not completely stopped. He was speaking to the reporters at the Defence Staff Service College at Wellington.

On the controversial issue of providing training to the members of the Sri Lankan army in India, he clarified that they were trained at various parts of the country, but not in Tamil Nadu. The minister said the army veterans’ action of returning their medals was an insult to the nation. “They could have submitted their grievances to the Committee that was constituted for this purpose,” he said.

The minister announced that as part of the ‘Make in India’ policy, 70 percent of the requirement of the defence sector will be purchased locally. He said that buying from local manufacturers will help keep the technical know-how a secret.

About women enrollment in the army, he said that there were practical issues in sending women to the combat zone. “Women were already working in the Navy, especially the submarines,” he said.

On procuring locally grown tea for the defence sector, he said that a decision will be made after evaluating the quality and suitability of its taste and strength.

Due to bad weather, Parikkar had chosen to travel by road Sulur airport, near Coimbatore, instead of the helicopter.