What is PM Modi’s ‘Sudarshan Chakra Mission’ announced on I-Day?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his Independence Day 2025 address from the Red Fort, announced the launch of the Sudarshan Chakra Mission, a state-of-the-art defence system designed to protect India’s strategic, civilian, and religious sites from enemy attacks. Inspired by Lord Shri Krishna’s legendary weapon, the mission aims to rival Israel’s Iron Dome by integrating advanced surveillance, interception, and counter-attack capabilities across air, land, and sea. Modi emphasised that all research, development, and manufacturing will be done domestically, targeting completion by 2035 to strengthen India’s self-reliance in defence manufacturing. He praised the armed forces for the success of Operation Sindoor, which dealt a severe blow to Pakistan in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people, and warned that terrorists and their supporters will be treated alike, rejecting Pakistan’s nuclear blackmail and asserting a new normal in combating cross-border terrorism.