Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday described the four main qualities of an Indian soldier during an Army Day event in Lucknow city of Uttar Pradesh state.
Singh stressed that patriotism, loyalty, humanity, and courage formed the foundation of the South Asian sovereign state's military personnel.
"A soldier who protects the motherland, with the spirit of 'Whether I live or not, my country must remain safe', is an exemplary patriot. It is this patriotism that gives courage to the soldier," the minister noted.
"The contribution of our soldiers in UN peacekeeping operations and relief & rescue during disasters, as well as the respect with which they treated 90,000 Pakistani troops during the 1971 war is proof that they possess humanity," Singh said.
"In our own neighbourhood, we can witness the disconnect between the military and their constitutional values. But, the Indian military's devotion towards the constitutional values is incomparable and recognised by all," he added.
Also, Singh affirmed that the Narendra Modi-led government was committed to the modernisation of the nation's armed forces, including equipping them with state-of-the-art weaponry.
"The country is now witnessing how our military is continuously being equipped with modern weapons/technologies powered by drones and artificial intelligence, as well as the growing role of women in the Armed Forces," Singh emphasised.