Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh will preside over the Defence Estates Day celebrations at Raksha Sampada Bhawan, Delhi Cantonment, on December 16, 2025.
He will confer the Raksha Mantri Awards for Excellence, recognising achievements in Defence Land Management and Municipal Administration across 61 Cantonment Boards nationwide.
Firstly, the celebrations hold historic importance as the Defence Estates Department enters its 100th year. The legacy began in 1765 when the first cantonment was established in Barrackpore, West Bengal. Afterwards, cantonments such as Danapur (1766), Meerut (1803), Ambala (1843), and Delhi (1915) followed, laying the foundation of defence land administration in India. Finally, the Department was formally established on December 16, 1926, under the Ministry of Defence.
Today, the Department manages the largest landholding of the Government of India under the Ministry of Defence. Moreover, it has embraced modernisation, becoming a pioneer in digital and tech-enabled land management.
The Department successfully implemented the E-Chhawani project, which now delivers 100% municipal services online to nearly 20 lakh Cantonment residents. In addition, its efforts in water conservation and rejuvenation of water bodies earned recognition through the National Water Awards for Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari.
Furthermore, officials digitised legacy land records, modernised the file management system nationwide, and introduced Raksha Bhoomi, a centralised software platform serving as the unified repository of defence land records.
Finally, the Department advanced its land survey capabilities by adopting Differential GPS, GIS-based tools, and high-resolution satellite imagery. It also established a Centre of Excellence on Satellite and Unmanned Remote Vehicle Initiative, which leverages AI/ML and emerging technologies to build next-generation solutions for defence land management.
