Indian Navy's Motor Car Rally | 17 Mar 2025

Why in News? 

On 3rd March 2025, Naval Officer-in-Charge (West Bengal) flagged off the Indian Navy's Motor Car Rally Expedition on the East Coast from INS Netaji, Kolkata.  

  • The rally will cover the route from Kolkata to Chennai, proceed to Kanyakumari, and return to Chennai on 21 March 2025. 

 

Key Points 

  • Objectives of the Rally: 
    • Enhance maritime awareness among the public. 
    • Engage with youth and civil society to inspire participation in naval careers. 
    • Promote the Agnipath Scheme and other career opportunities in the Indian Navy. 
    • Advocate for women's empowerment under the Naari Shakti initiative. 
    • Interact with Naval Veterans and Veer Naaris, updating them on government and naval welfare policies. 
  • Participation and Coverage: 
    • A total of 56 Indian Naval personnel, including Officers, Sailors, and their family members, are participating. 
    • The expedition will traverse approximately 3,800 km through West Bengal, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, engaging with local communities. 
  • Historical and Corporate Support: 
    • The event is supported by M/s Hyundai Ltd. 
    • The rally will explore India’s rich maritime heritage, visiting historical naval sites and locations along ancient maritime trade routes. 

 Agnipath Scheme 

  • The term "Agniveer" translates to "Fire-Warriors" and is a new military rank. 
  • It is a scheme of recruiting army personnel below officer ranks such as soldiers, airmen, and sailors who are not commissioned officers to the Indian Armed Forces. 
  • They are recruited for a period of 4 years, after which, up to 25% of these recruits (called Agniveers), can join the services on a permanent commission (another 15 years), subject to merit and organisational requirements. 
  • At present, all sailors, airmen, and soldiers, except the technical cadre of the medical branch, are recruited to the services under this scheme.