Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State

Dr. Jitendra Singh has assumed the role of Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and
Technology, with these ministries now falling under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister's Office.
Dr. Jitendra Singh, a physician renowned for his expertise in diabetes and endocrinology, has served
as a professor, consultant, clinical practitioner, and author of eight books. Additionally, he has
written newspaper columns and held the position of ex-chairman for both the National Scientific
Committee Diabetes and the Research Society for the Study of Diabetes in India.
Dr. Jitendra Singh earned his MBBS from Stanley Medical College in Chennai and his MD from
Government Medical College in Jammu. He has written multiple books, including the bestseller
"Diabetes Made Easy," and has contributed chapters on diabetes to postgraduate medical textbooks.
For three decades, he has been writing the popular syndicated column "Tales of Travesty." He
currently serves as the Minister of State for the Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public
Grievances and Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy, and Department of Space.
Unlike other parliamentarians, Mr Jitnedra Singh is considered to be one of the most educated and
most capable leaders in Modi’s cabinet ministry. The kind of ministry he holds in the cabinet
actually shows the capability he has. He can often be seen making several statements related to
India-China matters. Wherever he goes to hold a meeting, he often begins his address by
highlighting the capability of India’s space power giving special reference to China. Not just in
matters concerning defence and space, but also the matters related to any kind of bilateral relation,
such as border conflict, Chinese incursion, Chinese spying and infiltration, Chinese illegal
intervention in the Exclusive Economic zones etc. Recently he was talking about China’s
exploitative ambiguity over LAC.
Responding to reports that China has gradually occupied nearly 640 square km of territory along the
Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, and with National Security Advisory Board Member
Shyam Saran confirming that China has also prevented Indian troops from patrolling the LAC, BJP
National Executive Member and J&K Chief Spokesperson, Dr. Jitendra Singh, stated that this
situation is the result of India's failure to recognize China's strategic policy to exploit the ambiguity
over the LAC. This ambiguity has been perpetuated by successive Congress governments in New
Delhi, starting with the first Congress government led by Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Unfortunately, despite frequent recent incursions by China, the current UPA government led by
Congress is not making a determined effort to resolve this ambiguity. Dr. Jitendra Singh explained
that the Line of Actual Control (LAC), also known as the MacCartney-MacDonald Line, is a
notional border between India and the People's Republic of China.
He detailed that the LAC spans 4,057 kilometers and crosses three regions of northern Indian states:
the western sector (Ladakh, Kashmir), the middle sector (Uttarakhand, Himachal), and the eastern
sector (Sikkim, Arunachal). He added that the term "LAC" was first used by Chinese Prime
Minister Zhou Enlai in a letter dated October 24, 1959, addressed to Indian Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru. Singh lamented that neither Nehru nor the successive Congress governments in
New Delhi took serious note of this term, except once after the 1962 China-India war when Nehru,
under opposition pressure, questioned, "What is this 'line of control'? Is this the line they (Chinese)
have created by aggression?”.
Dr. Jitendra Singh criticized the lack of lessons learned after the 1962 conflict, stating that the term
"LAC" was officially recognized through Sino-Indian Agreements in 1993 and 1996. He cited the
1996 Agreement, which specified, "No activities of either side shall overstep the Line of Actual
Control (LAC). Despite these agreements, Dr. Jitendra Singh noted that China continues to exploit
the ambiguity over the LAC. Following a three-week standoff between Indian and Chinese troops
30 km southeast of Daulat Beg Oldi earlier this year, Chinese troops have been regularly intruding
into Indian territory and causing fear among the local population, committing human rights
violations. Basically, he was trying to say that whatever has happened in the past was a mistake of
the congress party. Had India’s leadership been in the hands non-congress party or any leaders
belonging to the BJP, China would have never thought of doing such incursion in the early 1960s.
China took benefit of the benevolence of Indian leadership. The quality of being benevolent is good
for those who are also benevolent behaviour.
Showing benevolence to the Chinese was the biggest mistake of the Congress party and that
mistake has slowly or steadily become poisonous to all Indians. Chinese have a history of
backstabbing, and this did not happen because they were powerful, it happened because just
because Indian leaders had benevolence.
As we know China dominates global production of rare earth metals, contributing over 70% of the
total. In 2022, its mines produced 0.21 metric tons of these metals. Additionally, China holds the
largest reserves, amounting to 44 million metric tons. Keeping these things and strategic imbalance
in mind, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh stated that India does not depend on China for sourcing
rare earth minerals. Dr. Jitendra Singh mentioned that India produces approximately 4,000 metric
tons of Monazite annually, the primary source of rare earth minerals. He also emphasized that India
has sufficient capacity and capabilities for mining, processing, extraction, refining, and producing
high-purity rare earth oxides. IREL has the capability to process around 10,000 metric tons of rare
earth-bearing minerals.
However, production is currently restricted due to delays in obtaining mining leases, environmental
clearances, CRZ clearances from MoEF & CC, consent to operate, as well as restrictions related to
forests and unregulated settlements. He further went on to say that there are approximately 13.07
million tonnes of in-situ monazite resources found in coastal beach placer sands across Kerala,
Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Gujarat. Additionally, these resources are
also present in inland placers in parts of Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Tamil Nadu, containing
around 55-60% total rare earth elements oxide. By highlighting above-mentioned data, Mr Minister
was just trying to highlight the chinese monopoly over REE saying that we are not dependent on
Chinese REE, we are quite dependent on our own natural resources.
As India takes China’s BRI very seriously because it is violative of our national sovereignty, Mr
Jitendra Singh has also recently made and statement while addressing the students of national
security study. Dr. Jitendra Singh cautioned that the recent incursions by the People’s Liberation
Army (PLA) along the northern border should not be underestimated. He emphasized that while
earlier Chinese intrusions aimed at gaining strategic advantage, the current ones are driven largely
by economic interests. He underscored that these actions are part of a broader Chinese strategy with
significant implications. Dr. Jitendra Singh further elaborated that Ladakh has a 646-kilometre
border with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). He expressed concern that if China
manages to encroach into Indian territory, it would gain direct and convenient access to
neighbouring countries such as Tajikistan and Afghanistan.
He remarked that China, as a rapidly expanding economy, is actively searching for readily
accessible gas resources to meet its energy demands, prompting exploration of potential routes
through Ladakh. He also highlighted China's subtle efforts to reinvigorate age-old trade routes
through India to advance its economic interests in the 21st century. Discussing China's aggressive
tactics aimed at challenging India's defense infrastructure, Dr. Jitendra Singh cited a recent incident
where PLA troops threatened an Indian contractor and labourers, resulting in their evacuation from
a site of an Irrigation Project in Nyoma block under the Border Area Development Programme
(BADP). He also made a statement that the post-Galway Valley clash has proved that we are not in
the early 1960s. We are now quite capable of handling such bullying activities of China. Just
because we believe or we are the promoter of peace and harmony, we try our best to avoid getting
involved in any such disturbing activities. But, Modi’s India has made the Indian soldier more
courageous as compared to the past and we are quite capable of handling or defending any kind of
aggression coming towards us, directly pointing towards Chinese bullying in the northern border
area.
Mr. Singh also emphasized recent intelligence reports indicating Beijing's efforts to revive the
historic "Silk Route" or traditional trade routes across Central and South Asia. He criticized the
previous UPA government for overlooking these developments, warning that such actions could
lead to encroachment into the northern regions of former Jammu & Kashmir, including Gilgit
Baltistan, currently under illegal occupation by China and Pakistan. Referring to intelligence
sources, he mentioned China's deployment of over ten thousand troops to facilitate infrastructure
development in Gilgit Baltistan, which is de facto controlled by China after Pakistan leased it under
the guise of promoting economic growth. But, today, India (and India’s Western alliance) under the
leadership of Modi is ready to encounter any kind of aggression threatening India’s sovereignty, be
it land, sky or water.