PUNE DIALOGUE On NATIONAL SECURITY (PDNS) 2021

WHY IN THE NEWS?

6^th Pune Dialogue on National Security (PDNS) 2021 was inaugurated on October 28, 2021, by the Pune International Centre (PIC).

About:

• It is a two-day virtual conference, in which National Security Advisor Ajit Doval delivered the inaugural address.
• The conference will also witness a keynote address by Dr Soumya Swaminathan who happens to be the Chief Scientist of the World Health Organisation.

The theme of the conference

Pune Dialogue on National Security 2021 was organised under the theme- ‘National Security Preparedness in the Age of Disasters and Pandemics’.

Agenda of the meeting

• During the meeting, participants will discuss the impact of disasters and pandemics on the national security of India. They will also suggest strategies to deal with disasters.
• Conference will be addressed by Gen N C Vij (retd), NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority and former Chief of the Army Staff.
• They will hold discussions on disaster risk reduction as part of national security as well as on role of science & technology and imperatives.

About PDNS

PDNS is held by PIC in collaboration with the Policy Perspectives Foundation (PPF) of New Delhi, Centre for Advanced Strategic Studies (CASS) and The Tribune Trust of Chandigarh.

Highlights of NSA’s address

National Security Advisor (NSA), Ajit Doval, highlighted that “deliberate weaponization of dangerous pathogens” is a matter of serious concern. He also called for the need of building comprehensive national capabilities as well as bio-defence, bio-security & bio-safety. He also expressed the concerns over climate change issue.