Tuesday 31 December 2019

Reserve right to strike at terror source, says Army chief Naravane in clear warning to Pakistan

SOURCE: HT

Indian Army chief General MM Naravane said on Tuesday India reserves the right to pre-emptively strike at sources of terror threat if Pakistan does not stop state-sponsored terrorism. The newly-appointed army chief said a strategy of “resolute punitive response” has been evolved to tackle cross-border terrorism.

“The Pakistan army’s proxy war design received a setback due to elimination of terrorists and decimation of terror networks (by India),” General Naravane was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

“Multiple options across the spectrum of conflict are on the table to respond to any act of terror sponsored or abetted by Pakistan,” he said, according to Press Trust of India, hours after taking charge as the Chief of Army Staff.

In a strong signal to Pakistan, Gen Naravane said India is prepared to tackle any threat.“Our neighbour is trying to use terrorism as a tool of state policy, as a way of carrying out a proxy war against us while maintaining deniability. However, this state can’t last long, as they say, you can’t fool all the people, all the time,” Gen Narvane said in another interview to ANI.

“As far as the situation on the LoC is concerned, it is what it was in the recent past. There are ceasefire violations, we are aware that there are terrorists on the other side in various launchpads waiting to cross over but we are fully prepared to meet this threat,” he said.

“We have a strong counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist grid which we keep modifying as per the input we receive and we are fully prepared to tackle any eventuality,” added.

Gen Naravane, who succeeded Gen Bipin Rawat, had served as vice-chief of the army before taking charge of the 1.3 million-strong force on Tuesday.

The 60-year-old has served in numerous command and staff appointments in peace, field and highly active counter-insurgency environments in Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast in his 37 years of service.

He has also headed the force’s Eastern Command that takes care of India’s nearly 4,000-km border with China. He also commanded a Rashtriya Rifles battalion in Jammu and Kashmir and an infantry brigade on the eastern front.

Gen Bipin Rawat, who retired on Tuesday as the army chief, is set to take over as the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS).



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Abrogation of Article 370 led to decline of terrorist incidents in Kashmir: New Army chief

SOURCE: PTI

In a stern warning to Pakistan, new Army Chief Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane on Tuesday said India reserves the right to preemptively strike at sources of terror if the neighbouring country does not stop state-sponsored terrorism. In an exclusive interview to PTI hours after taking charge of the 1.3-million-strong force, Gen Naravane also said the Army will enhance combat capabilities along the border with China so that it is fully prepared to deal with any challenge.

“The threat remains from both the northern and western sides. Over the last many years, we have been concentrating on our western borders while our northern border was at a little lower in priority. There was a need to rebalance and reprioritise,” he said. Giving an overall perspective of India’s security challenges, he said the focus is being shifted from the western border to the northern border as part of “re-balancing of priorities”.

On combating cross-border terrorism, Gen Naravane said a strategy of “resolute punitive response” was put in place to deal with Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and asserted that the situation in Kashmir improved significantly after the abrogation of Article 370.

If Pakistan does not stop its policy of state-sponsored terrorism, we reserve the right to preemptively strike at the sources of the terror threat and this intent has adequately been demonstrated in our response during surgical strikes and Balakot operation,” the Army Chief said.

He said an approach of zero tolerance to terror has already been showcased and a “new normal” in India’s response mechanism has emphatically been underlined.

“The situation in the Valley has improved significantly after the abrogation of Article 370. Incidents of violence are coming down. The terrorists-initiated actions have come down. There is no doubt that there is a lot of improvement,” the 28th Chief of Army Staff said.

“However the problem remains. It has not gone away. So we will always be ready whatever measures are required to deal with the challenges,” he said.

Gen Naravane said the Pakistan Army’s “all out efforts” to deflect attention from state-sponsored terrorism has been a total failure and that its proxy war design received a setback due to elimination of terrorists and decimation of terror networks by Indian forces.

Asked how he will deal with Pakistan-backed terrorism, he said, “Multiple options across the spectrum of conflict are on the table to respond to any act of terror sponsored or abetted by Pakistan.”

Gen Naravane said Pakistan tried to draw global attention following India’s decision to reorganise Jammu and Kashmir, but its efforts did not get any traction.

Referring to the rising number of ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC), he said it is being done to keep alive the Kashmir issue.

On security challenges along the 3,500-km border with China, Gen Naravane said: “We will continue to improve capacity building along the northern border so we are prepared when the need arises.”

“After the Wuhan summit, both nations have issued strategic guidance to their respective forces with an aim to maintain peace and tranquillity along the borders, locally resolve differences and not allow them to turn into disputes,” he said.

“The guidance has manifested on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and conduct of troops from both sides has been cordial despite some prevailing differences, differing perceptions of the LAC and some friction in sensitive areas,” he said.

Referring to the appointment of a Chief of Defence Staff, he said it will greatly change the way the defence establishment operates and will bring about significant reforms in the entire military system.

His main focus as Army chief will be to make the force ready to face any threat at any time, the general said.

According to him, the bottomline for reforms in the Army will be to increase efficiency and operational readiness.

“Modernisation is a continuous process. Whatever we are doing, the start point is to increase efficiency and operational readiness,” he said.



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ISRO to attempt second lunar landing in 2020, cost will be lesser than Chandrayaan-2: Centre

ISRO to attempt second lunar landing in 2020, cost will be lesser than Chandrayaan-2: Centre

Published January 1, 2020

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By admin

SOURCE: PTI

India will launch Chandrayaan-3 in 2020, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday, asserting that the mission cost will be less than Chandrayaan-2. Singh, who is the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, said it is wrong to term Chandrayaan-2 as a disappointment since it was India’s maiden attempt to land on the lunar surface and no country could do so in its first attempt.

“Yes, the lander and rover mission will most likely happen in 2020. However, as I have said before, the Chandrayaan-2 mission cannot be called a failure as we have learnt a lot from it. There is no country in the world that has landed on its first attempt. The US took several attempts. But we will not need so many attempts,” Singh said.

He added that the experience gathered from Chandrayaan-2 and available infrastructure will bring down the cost of Chandrayaan-3.

He, however, declined to specify the month of the third lunar mission launch. Chandrayaan-2 mission was India’s first attempt to land on the lunar surface.

The ISRO had planned the landing on the South Pole of the lunar surface. However, the lander Vikram hard-landed. In written response to a question in the Winter session of Parliament, Singh said, “The velocity was reduced from 1683 m/s to 146 m/s. During the second phase of the descent, the reduction in velocity was more than the designed value. Due to this deviation, the initial conditions at the start of the fine braking phase were beyond the designed parameters. As a result, Vikram hard landed within 500 m of the designated landing site.”



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Indo-China border dispute: Is a resolution finally on the cards?

SOURCE: MONEY CONTROL

India and China have locked horns for decades over a land boundary dispute and resolution might just be underway. After national security adviser Ajit Doval’s meet with China’s state councillor Wang Yi in Delhi at the 22nd dialogue of the Special Representatives (SR), both countries decided to maintain peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Keeping that in mind, India has decided to consider the neighbouring country’s “early harvest” proposal to arrive at a consensus over the Sikkim land boundary. However, they will continue to do so only if the middle sector in Uttarakhand is also demarcated. Only then can the phased resolution of the border dispute be kick-started.

Talks on this had begun way back in 2002 with both countries exchanging maps of the middle sector, but a long period of impasse followed marked with occasional skirmishes.

According to a Hindustan Times report, China wished for both New Delhi and Beijing to begin dialogue to “promote early harvest consultations”, but no such proposal had come in from the Indian side.

While the Chinese said the “early harvest” proposal was tabled in August 2019, the Indian leaders still considered demarcating border in Sikkim as a “low-hanging fruit”. However, the latter has now urged Beijing to show equal sincerity in solving the middle sector dispute, especially since the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is overshadowed by the dominance of the Indian Army and Bhutan Army in Chumbi Valley at present.

Explaining the issue, a former Indian Army chief said: “The Sikkim proposal is not so simple. Any agreement on demarcation will be exploited by China to settle the boundary with Bhutan with an eye towards Doklam plateau. If India settles Sikkim, where it dominates both Chumbi Valley and Finger Area up in the north, then China will expand its Chumbi Valley area and increase pressure on West Bengal’s Siliguri corridor.”

If the border dispute in Sikkim sector is settled it will directly affect Doklam, which saw heightened tension following a military stand-off in 2017. This, in turn, will make the India-China-Bhutan junction at Batang La vulnerable, further exposing the Siliguri corridor to PLA.

Commenting on this, a China expert said: “If the Chinese get to Jhampheri ridge, then the entire Siliguri corridor becomes extremely vulnerable to the PLA. The lights of Gangtok are visible from Jhampheri ridge.”

Despite all the risks, India has agreed to consider China’s Sikkim proposal, provided they agree to resolves the middle sector dispute simultaneously.

Moreover, as India’s former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal, explained, the early harvest proposal is in violation of a 2005 agreement on resolving boundary issues that clearly laid down that it needs to be a package deal.

He added: “This is the usual Chinese way of walking out of agreements. This early harvest proposal relates only to the Sikkim border. How is India benefiting out of this? On the contrary, China will try to settle the tri-junction in its favour through this proposal which is unacceptable.”



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Centre mulls making process of granting citizenship under CAA online to bypass states

SOURCE: PTI

The Centre is likely to make the entire process of granting citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act online to bypass states, some of which are dead set against the new legislation, officials said on Tuesday.

The Ministry of Home Affairs is mulling the option of doing away with the present procedure of routing applications for citizenship through the district magistrate in view of the strong opposition expressed by several states, including Kerala which on Tuesday passed a resolution in the Assembly demanding scrapping of the controversial Act.

“We are thinking of designating a new authority instead of the district magistrate and make the entire process of application, examination of documents and granting Indian citizenship online,” a Home Ministry official said.

If the process becomes completely online, there will be no intervention from a state government at any level.

Besides, the home ministry officials are of the opinion that the state governments have no power to reject the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act as the legislation was enacted under the Union List of the 7th Schedule of the Constitution.

“The states have no power to deny implementation of a central law which is in the Union List,” the top official from the Home Ministry said.

There are 97 items which are under the Union List that include Defence, External Affairs, Railways, Citizenship and Naturalisation.

According to the amended Citizenship Act, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 and facing religious persecution there will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.

The Act says refugees of the six communities will be given Indian citizenship after residing in India for five years, instead of 11 years earlier.

The act also proposes to give immunity to such refugees facing legal cases after being found as illegal migrants.

The Kerala Assembly had on Tuesday passed a resolution demanding scrapping of the controversial Act, amid raging countrywide protests against the legislation.

The ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and the opposition Congress-led UDF supported the resolution while the BJP’s lone MLA and former Union minister O Rajagopal’s was the only dissenting voice in the one-day special session.

The house adopted the resolution moved by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Vijayan had said that “an anti-constitutional law will have no place” in his state.

A number of chief ministers, including those of West Bengal, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, had already announced that the law is “unconstitutional” and has no place in their respective state.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had said, “In your (BJP) manifesto, instead of development issues, you have put in promise to divide the country. Why will citizenship be on the basis of religion? I will not accept this. We dare you. “You can pass laws in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha forcefully because you have the number. But we will not let you divide the country,” she said.

Describing the Act as a direct assault on India’s secular character, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had said his government would not let the legislation to be implemented in his state.

“We have a majority in the assembly and will block the bill,” Singh said.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel had said the Act was clearly unconstitutional.

“Whatever decision is made at the Congress party forum on the bill, will be applied in Chhattisgarh,” he said.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath had said, “Whatever stand the Congress party has taken on Citizenship Amendment Act, we will follow that. Do we want to be a part of a process that sows seeds of divisiveness?”.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram had also said the bill was a “brazen assault” on the fundamental ideas enshrined in the Constitution and the fate of the law will be decided in the Supreme Court.



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160 terrorists killed and 102 arrested in J&K in 2019, decrease in local youths joining militancy: DGP

SOURCE: ENS

As many as 160 terrorists were killed and 102 arrested in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, while 250 ultras were still active, Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh said on Tuesday, noting that the number of local youths joining militancy has decreased. He said that there is 30 per cent fall in terrorist incidents, less civilian killings and 36 per cent decrease in law and order incidents as compared to last year.

“218 such (local) youths joined militant outfits in 2018 but only 139 joined in 2019,” Singh said at the annual press conference at police headquarters here. Out of these new recruits, only 89 have survived. “The rest have been eliminated as their shelf life is between 24 hours to 2-3 months after joining militancy. There are hardly few old terrorists surviving, which include Jehangir Saroori and Riyaz Nayikoo”, he said.

There have been only 481 law and order incidents this year as compared to 625 last year, he said “250 terrorists have been active in Jammu and Kashmir. There is a decrease in the number of active militants as compared to last year,” Singh said.

There were 80 per cent successful anti-terror operations in which 160 terrorists, including foreigners, have been killed during the year.

“Eleven valiant police personnel from Jammu and Kashmir besides 72 from other security forces have been martyred,” he said.

Singh said 102 terrorists have been arrested and 10 terrorists surrendered during the year.

Also, there was no collateral damage during anti-terror operation as people fully cooperated.

“There was zero law and order problem this year (during anti-terror operations),” he added.

The DGP said that “there has been a high degree of incidents of infiltration attempts from across the border this year and also ceasefire violations.

But security forces have successfully foiled these attempted as 130 infiltrators have entered in 2019 as compared to 143 last year”.

Replying to queries on the restoration of internet, the DGP said it is under consideration.

“I think J-K is moving towards such a situation (on law and order front). Very soon you will hear the positive announcement,” Singh said.

He said that though some people will try to misuse the internet, “in the past, we took care of them and we will take care of such people in the future too”.

Internet services in all government-run hospitals and SMS to all mobile phones will be restored from December 31 midnight in the Kashmir Valley, Jammu and Kashmir official spokesman Rohit Kansal said on Tuesday.

On December 10, some short message service (SMS) was enabled on mobile phones in order to facilitate students, scholarship applicants, traders and others.

It has now been decided to fully restore the service throughout Kashmir from midnight of December 31, Kansal said.

Mobile Internet services were restored in Kargil district of Ladakh on Friday after remaining suspended for 145 days in the wake of the Centre abrogating provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution, officials said.

Internet services were suspended on August 5, the Centre announced the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state into the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

 



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Third unit of Kakrapar atomic reactor to be commissioned in April

Third unit of Kakrapar atomic reactor to be commissioned in April

Published January 1, 2020

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By admin

SOURCE: PTI

The Department of Atomic Energy will commission one nuclear reactor every year from 2020, starting with the third unit of the Kakrapar Atomic Power Station in Gujarat, Union minister Jitendra Singh said. The 700-MW pressurised heavy water reactor is likely to be commissioned by April, Singh, who is a minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office, said in an interaction with reporters in New Delhi.

“We will commission one nuclear reactor every year from 2020. Kakrapar-3 should be commissioned in 2020,” Singh said. A senior Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) official said the fourth unit of the power station would likely to be commissioned by 2021. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) has 22 reactors.

Shrikrishna Gupta, a senior DAE official, said the Tarapur Atomic Power Reactors — units 1 and 2 — completed 50 years of operation this year. The two boiling water reactors — the first in the country — were commissioned in October 1969. He said the Kaiga Power Station unit 1 also created a world record by operating for 941 days.



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PM Narendra Modi broke the news of his appointment as CDS to General Bipin Rawat

PM Narendra Modi broke the news of his appointment as CDS to General Bipin Rawat

Published January 1, 2020

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By admin

SOURCE: TIMES NOW

In what is likely to have made his appointment more memorable, the news of Rawat’s elevation as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was broken to him by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Citing sources, news agency ANI reported that PM broke the news to Rawat during his farewell dinner at former’s residence.

“The Prime Minister broke the news to Gen Rawat during his farewell dinner at the Prime Minister’s residence about his appointment,” a source told ANI. PM Modi had made the announcement of the creation of the post of CDS during his Independence speech earlier this year.

Senior members of the cabinet and officers of the three services attended the farewell dinner by PM Modi on Monday night. Rawat’s appointment as CDS was announced by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) after the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) cleared the same.

“Government has decided to appoint Gen Rawat as the Chief of Defence Staff with effect from December 31 and until further orders and extension in service of Gen Rawat with effect from December 31 and till the period he holds the office of CDS,” the Defence Ministry said on Monday.

Rawat, the first CDS of the country will have his office in South Block and 3, Kamraj Marg in the Lutyens zone near Defence Ministry has been earmarked as his house. the government also created the Department of Military Affairs, which will be headed by Rawat with an aim to bring more synergy within the three services of the armed forces. Further, Rawat’s elevation was followed by General MM Naravane as the Chief of Army Staff. Welcoming the creation of the post of CDS, Naravane said that the appointment will create synergy between the three services.



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Number of active terrorists dips from 300 to 250 in Jammu and Kashmir, says DGP Dilbag Singh

Number of active terrorists dips from 300 to 250 in Jammu and Kashmir, says DGP Dilbag Singh

Published January 1, 2020

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By admin

SOURCE: ZEE MEDIA

The number of terrorists, who have been active for a long time in Jammu and Kashmir, has gone down from 300 to around 250, asserted Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh on Tuesday. Addressing a press conference in Jammu, he stated that among the 250 (approx) terrorists currently active in the newly formed Union Territory (UT), 102 are Pakistani terrorists and the rest 150 are local terrorists.

DGP Singh also said that the law and order situation is better than before. Singh also added that infiltration from across the border was reduced significantly in 2019. “As per our record, around 130 people managed to infiltrate this year, compared to last year`s figure of 143. The number of youths joining terrorist organisations has gone down. 218 joined in 2018 and this year it was 139,” Singh said further.

Speaking to Zee News, DGP Singh described 2019 as full of achievements for the state police and 2020 as full of challenges. Talking about challenges of 2020, the DGP said that in the new year, 2020, it would be the priority of the police to normalise the situation and provide relief to the people of Kashmir from terrorists.

The top police official also said that security forces have been able to neutralise 160 terrorists in 80 operations. According to the DGP, there has been a 30 per cent decrease in terror-related incidents in 2019 as compared to the previous year and the civilian casualty has also come down.

Singh added that several sports events were also held and drugs detection centers have also been set up in Kashmir at a cost of Rs 10 crore. He added that around Rs 63 crore have been spent for police welfare and 615 medals have been awarded for meritorious service.

The year of Jammu and Kashmir Police in 2019 has been much better than previous years as the police successfully accomplished many things. Singh also pointed out that there has been an improvement in police infrastructure in the region and said that close to 10,000 youths had undergone training at their training centres.



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Naravane, a China and counterterror expert

Naravane, a China and counterterror expert

Published January 1, 2020

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By admin

SOURCE: HT

The new chief of the Indian Army, General Manoj Mukund Naravane, is considered a China expert and has vast experience in counterterror operations in Jammu and Kashmir and the north-east. Given India’s security challenges in Kashmir and the north-east, and the strategic competition with China, his experience will carry great value in national security decision-making.

The 59-year-old general will serve in the top position for two years and four months. Service chiefs can serve for a maximum term of three years or till they attain the age of 62, whichever is earlier. A big challenge for Naravane will be to ensure the army gets money to power its modernisation programmes. Currently, the three services are battling a funds crunch that could hit critical weapons procurement plans.

Before taking over as chief, Naravane was the army’s vice chief. He had headed the Kolkata-based Eastern Command.

In appointing Naravane as army chief, the government has gone by seniority.

Naravane also takes over as chief at a time when the biggest exercise in independent India’s history to restructure the force is underway.

The restructuring drill, based on four comprehensive studies led by the army’s topmost generals, could change the complexion and direction of the 1.2 million- strong Indian Army.

In his 39-year military career, Naravane has commanded a Rashtriya Rifles battalion, raised an infantry brigade, led a strike corps and headed the Army Training Command. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Naravane was part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka and has also served as India’s defence attache to Myanmar.



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Air Force Chief Formally Inducts Dornier Aircraft Into 41 Otters Sqaudron

Air Force Chief Formally Inducts Dornier Aircraft Into 41 Otters Sqaudron

Published January 1, 2020

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By admin

SOURCE: PTI

Indian Air Force Chief RKS Bhadauria has formally inducted the light utility aircraft Dornier into the No. 41 “Otters” Squadron, a statement issued by the central government said on Tuesday.The aircraft was inducted on Monday during a ceremony at the Palam Air Force Station.The IAF in 2015 had signed a contract to purchase 14 Dornier aircraft, which are flight inspection system planes, for Rs 1,090 crore from state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

“While the first aircraft was delivered on November 19, the second is expected to be delivered in early 2020,” the statement said. The Dornier-228 aircraft is a multi-purpose, fuel-efficient, rugged, lightweight twin-turboprop aircraft with a retractable tricycle landing gear.

“The Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria formally inducted the Flight Inspection System (FIS) Dornier aircraft into No 41 Squadron, the “Otters”, at a ceremony at Air Force Station Palam today,” the statement said.

The Dornier-228 aircraft’s cockpit is designed to accommodate two crew members and is fitted with duplicate controls. The cabin can accommodate 19 passengers in the commuter configuration.

This aircraft has been exported to Seychelles and Mauritius



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Postponement of Modi-Abe meet nixed 5G test-bed trial

SOURCE: HT

One of the unintended, yet significant, consequences of the postponement of the Narendra Modi-Shinzo Abe summit in Guwahati this month because of the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests in Assam was the nixing of an announcement of 5G test-bed trials with special strategic partner Japan.

The summit was scheduled between December 14 and 17 but was called off at Tokyo’s request. While the telecom ministry has opened the 5G trials to all global entities, the Guwahati summit was to showcase the 5G technology with both Prime Ministers using special visual glasses to scan the mighty Brahmaputra river, according to top officials.

The groundwork for the test-bed trials with Japanese collaboration was laid during a visit by Prof K Vijay Raghavan, principal scientific advisor to the government ,and India’s cybersecurity chief Lt Gen (Retd) Rajesh Pant, along with a senior ministry of external affairs official, to Tokyo in September.

Japan will showcase its 5G technology during the July-August 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Although the telecom ministry has looked at the 5G technology purely from a commercial viewpoint by inviting all players, including Chinese giant Huawei,national security planners understand the leverage and long-term impact of this future technology.

“First of all we must ensure very strict integrity pact with India’s global 5G partner with provision of heavy penalties being levied on the main supplier even if its ancillary units open the back door. Secondly, India must use 5G technology to diplomatically and commercially leverage a deal with the supplier country. We should be able to answer the question on what is in it for India,” said a senior official. India has already noted that western countries led by US have barred Huawei because of doubts over long-term data integrity.

With Prime Minister Modi being seized of the matter, it is quite evident that the very-soon-to b-e established Core Information and Communication Technology (Core-ICT) commission will be at the heart of the 5G decision. The new Commission will take India towards the path of 5% share of the global market with a revenue potential of ~700,000 crore in the next 10 years.

There are strong indications within the government that former Telcom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan, a 1982 batch Indian Administrative Service officer, is the front runner to head the commission, which was proposed by the policy think tank Niti Aayog exactly a year ago.

The commission, with full executive and financial powers with a budget of over ~100 crore, will have 15 part-time members including the principal secretary to PM and the cabinet secretary.

Even though the Scandinavian countries have also been at the forefront of the 5G technology, it is evident that national interest will prevail over commercial interest in India’s case.



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Kerala jihadist groups receiving funds from Turkey, Dubai, say intelligence agencies; MHA seeks report

Kerala jihadist groups receiving funds from Turkey, Dubai, say intelligence agencies; MHA seeks report

Published January 1, 2020

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By admin

SOURCE: ZEE MEDIA

Indian intelligence agencies have received information about a few Jihadist groups in Kerala, which have been receiving fundings from Gulf countries like Turkey and Dubai. Officials in intelligence agencies told Zee News that a person, associated with the Jihadist organisation, visited Dubai between September 9-19 where funding of Rs 40 lakh was offered to him.

Not only this, on October 1, members of another jihadist organization met some people from Turkey in Qatar, where funding to their and like-minded jihadist groups was assured. Acting on the reports, the Ministry of Home Affairs has sought a detailed report from the intelligence agencies on funding from jihadi groups of India from the Gulf countries. The ministry has asked the agencies to produce details on the funding amount and names of the countries it received from, in the last few months.

In the last few years several youngsters from Kerala have joined the dreaded international terror group ISIS.

How Pakistan funds terror groups in India:

Several terror groups active in India receive funds from abroad, notably Pakistan. Terror groups active in Jammu and Kashmir have their training camps and fund raising campaigns in Pakistan. These terror groups also recieve active patronage, arms and ammuntion from Pakistani armed forces and its intelligence agency (Inter-Services Intelligence) ISI.

Pakistani groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba, which was founded by Hafiz Saeed, Abdullah Azzam and Zafar Iqbal in 1987 after receiving funds from slain terror fountainhead with Osama bin Laden of al-Qaeda, has been repeatedly carrying out strikes in India. Headquartered in Muridke, near Lahore, LeT terrorists have attacked the Indian Parliament on December 13, 2001, carried out the dastardly November 2008 Mumbai attacks (also known as 26/11 attacks) and the February 14, 2019, Pulwama attack on a convoy of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Pakistan has also been trying to reignite Khalistani terror groups in Punjab. Some terror groups active in the Northeast too receive funds from aboard as well as have their training camps in the countries bordering India.



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Internet in Kashmir’s govt-run hospitals to be restored from today

SOURCE: ZEE MEDIA

Almost five months after Article 370 was abrogated in Jammu and Kashmir, the authorities decided to restore the internet as well as mobile SMS services in Kashmir. The internet services will be restored in all the government-run hospitals in the Valley. The services will be restored from December 31 midnight in Kashmir, ANI quoted Jammu and Kashmir Principal Secretary Rohit Kansal as saying today.

“Earlier on December 10, some SMSes were enabled on mobile phones in order to facilitate students, scholarship applicants, traders and others. It has now been decided to fully restore the service throughout Kashmir from the midnight of December 31,” Rohit Kansal said.

Broadband services will also resume in government schools and colleges from Tuesday midnight.

The pre-paid mobile, internet and SMS services have remained suspended in the Kashmir Valley since August 5, when the Centre announced the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate the state into two Union Territories.

In addition, there has also been no relief to dozens of mainstream party leaders, including former J&K Chief Ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti and other former legislators and ministers; although authorities released five National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party leaders from their detention yesterday, i.e. on December 30.

Last week, the authorities had restored the mobile internet services in Kargil district of Ladakh after it remained suspended for almost 145 days after the scrapping of Article 370 in the region. While landline telephones were gradually restored first, postpaid mobile services were resumed later.

The internet blockade caused a lot of inconvenience to the students and businessmen across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The people had been demanding that the services be restored so that their difficulties come to an end.

In the second week of December, the Ministry of Home Affairs withdrew 72 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) from Jammu and Kashmir.



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Eight refugees from Sindh in Pakistan receive Indian Citizenship in Rajasthan

Eight refugees from Sindh in Pakistan receive Indian Citizenship in Rajasthan

Published January 1, 2020

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By admin

SOURCE: TIMES NOW

In a first development after the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act, eight Pakistani citizens who were living in Kota since 2000 were given Indian citizenship on Monday after they received a certificate from the District Collector of Kota. According to sources, they had fled Sindh district of Pakistan after being religiously persecuted.

When asked about the same, the people who have been granted citizenship said that they’re very happy about it. They also said that Sindh is not a place where minorities can stay and that they had no other option but to flee from there and come to India. They expressed relief about the fact that now they can lead lives according to the Indian constitution as an Indian citizen.

One of them said, “We came here because our families are already here. We are very thankful to India for giving us citizenship. I am so happy and I have no words to express it.” Another one said, “We have been living here since 20-25 years. We have never faced any problems here. And all the Sindhis living there want to come to India. We are very happy here. We have not faced any kind of problem here until now.” He further said that they were supported by everyone even before they became citizens of India.

However, this move has been brought after the Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that CAA and NRC would not be implemented in the state. Meanwhile, the local administration called it a routine process of granting citizenship. It is also being said that since most of the Hindu migrants in Pakistan have connections in Rajasthan, there is immense pressure being put on the Chief Minister, by the people waiting to get the Indian citizenship, to consider the implementation of the Act in the state.



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Army better prepared to take on enemies, says CDS General Bipin Rawat

SOURCE: PTI

Outgoing Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat on Tuesday thanked all the Army personnel and their families for extending full support to him in his three-year tenure at the helm of the 1.3 million force. After a farewell Guard of Honour, Gen Rawat also hoped that the Army will rise to greater heights under the new chief Lt Gen M M Naravane.

When asked whether the Army is better prepared now to face the security challenges facing the country he said: “Yes, we are better prepared.” Gen Rawat who interacted with media persons after receiving the Guard of Honour in the forecourt of the South Block also paid respects to the fallen soldiers at the National War Memorial on a chilly winter day.

“I express my gratitude to all soldiers who have stood steadfast under challenging circumstances, performing their duties, keeping the traditions of our armed forces.

“My special compliment to our soldiers on northern, western and eastern borders who are braving tough winter and icy winds, steadfastly in guarding our country,” Gen Rawat said.

Gen Rawat also congratulated Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane who will shortly take charge as the 28th Chief of Army Staff.

“I convey my best to each and every rank and file of the Indian Army. I also congratulate Gen Naravane on being the next Army Chief. He is a very competent and capable officer. Gen Naravane through his competence and professionalism will take Army to greater heights,” Gen Rawat said.

Gen Rawat who has been appointed India’s first Chief of Defence Staff will helm the newly created department of military affairs.

The tri-service agencies, organisations and commands relating to cyber and space will be under the command of the CDS, and he will also function as the Military Adviser to the Nuclear Command Authority.

Asked about his priorities as the CDS, he said, “I totally focussed on my job as a Chief of Army Staff. I will think about my next job after I assume the next office.”

Gen Rawat assumed charge as Chief of Army Staff on December 31, 2016 and retires from the post after a distinguished career.

Before becoming the Army Chief, he handled various operational responsibilities in many areas, including along the LoC with Pakistan, the LAC with China and in the Northeast.



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Government creates new Department of Military Affairs, to be headed by CDS Bipin Rawat

Government creates new Department of Military Affairs, to be headed by CDS Bipin Rawat

Published December 31, 2019

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By admin

SOURCE: PTI

The government has created a Department of Military Affairs, to be headed by newly appointed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Bipin Rawat, according to an official order issued on Tuesday.

The new department will have under it works relating to the three forces — Army, Navy and Air Force — and procurement exclusive to the services, except capital acquisitions, according to prevalent rules and procedures, it said.



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As General Bipin Rawat Takes Over As Defence Staff Chief, A Look At His Uniform

SOURCE: NDTV

A day after General Bipin Rawat was named as the Chief of Defence Staff, the Ministry of Defence today provided a sneak peek of the uniform he is likely to wear as the single point of contact for different branches of the armed forces. The Additional Directorate General of Public Information, Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (Army), tweeted out photographs of the buttons, belt buckle, shoulder rank badges and peaked cap expected to be part of the Chief of Defence Staff’s uniform. It also stated that General Rawat, after taking over the role, will have his office in New Delhi’s South Block.

The insignia of the Chief of Defence Staff draws elements from all the three wings of the armed forces, encompassed by a laurel wreath. Going by the images shared, the insignia will feature on the buttons, belt buckle and peaked cap worn by the top military official.

General Rawat, who passed on the Army chief’s baton to General Manoj Mukund Naravane today, will be anointed as the Chief of Defence Staff in the hours to follow. In his new position, he will be tasked with trimming weapons procurement procedures and integrating operations of the armed forces, besides acting as the principal military advisor to the Union Defence Minister on tri-service matters. He will also head the Department of Military Affairs and be paid a salary equivalent to a service chief.

The general has said that he will “plan his strategy” for the new role after assuming the position. “The position Chief of Army Staff has many responsibilities. Till now, I was concentrating on my obligations as Chief of Army Staff. Now that I have a new designation, I will sit and plan a strategy for future,” he told reporters after paying tribute at the National War Memorial in Delhi, where he also recieved a farewell Guard of Honour.

Maldives and the United States were among the first countries to congratulate General Rawat upon his appointment.

However, not everybody was as enthusiastic about his appointment. “With great regret and fullest of responsibility, may I say that the government has started on a very wrong foot with regard to the CDS. Time alone, unfortunately, will reveal the implications of this decision,” Congress leader Manish Tewari tweeted.

The Chief of Defence Staff will retire at the age of 65.



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B’desh shuts mobile services in areas along Indian border

B’desh shuts mobile services in areas along Indian border

Published December 31, 2019

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By admin

SOURCE: IANS

The Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission has ordered a shutdown of mobile networks along the borders with India citing security reasons, an order estimated to affect around 10 million users, it was reported. The operators suspended networks within one kilometer of the borders with India on Monday after receiving the order, reports bdnews24. The four operators — Grameenphone, Teletalk, Robi, and Banglalink –closed around 2,000 base transceiver stations, an official of an operator told bdnews24.

“This will create problems for around 10 million users in the border areas,” the official said.

In the order, the BTRC said network coverage in the border areas will have to be suspended until further notice “for the sake of the country’s security in the current circumstances”.

“A high-level meeting of the government took this decision, following which the instructions were issued,” BTRC Chairman Jahurul Haque told bdnews24, declining to give further details.

The instructions were “temporary”, he added.



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Congratulatory messages pour in from all corners for new CDS chief Bipin Rawat

SOURCE: ENS

Monday was a day of confusion. While news of General Bipin Rawat getting appointed as the first CDS got confirmed only late-night, senior lawmakers floated congratulatory messages in the afternoon only to delete it later.

Cabinet Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat, Punjab CM Capt. Amarinder Singh used their verified handles on micro-blogging site Twitter to convey their congratulations and good wishes. But all of them except Capt. Amarinder had a change of heart by evening.

The deletion of the message showed them all jumping the gun even before the news was officially disseminated.

Paswan, the Union minister for consumer affairs, food and public distribution posted his message at 3:36 pm, saying, “Heartiest congratulations and good wishes to General Bipin Rawat for becoming the first Chief of Defence Staff of country. I believe that the three services as a joint power will be committed to the security of the country under your able leadership”.

Another BJP leader, Trivendra Singh Rawat tweeted, “Heartiest Congratulations to Army Chief General Bipin Rawat for getting nominated as the first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). It is a matter of proud for entire Uttarakhand.”

General Bipin Rawat hails from Uttarakhand too. But, within hours these leaders had a rethink and their tweets were deleted. Even the US Ambassador to India Kenneth I Jester sent his congratulations through his Twitter handle but he removed it within a few minutes.

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet takes decision on such important appointments and accordingly the decision is declassified.

A key mandate of the CDS will be to facilitate restructuring of military commands for optimal utilisation of resources by bringing about jointness in operations, including through establishment of joint/theatre commands.

Bringing about jointness in logistics, transport, training, support services, communications, repairs and maintenance of the three services will also be a major mandate.

General Rawat’s military career

Gen. Rawat assumed charge as Chief of Army Staff on December 31, 2016.

An alumnus of St Edward School, Shimla, and the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, he was commissioned into the 11th Gorkha Rifles in December 1978.

Gen Rawat is a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, the Higher Command and National Defence College courses and, has attended the Command and General Staff Course at Fort Leavenworth, the US.

 



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Four militants arrested in Manipur

Four militants arrested in Manipur

Published December 31, 2019

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By admin

SOURCE: PTI

Four cadres of proscribed militant outfit — Kanglei Yawol Kanba Lup (KYKL) — was on Tuesday arrested in Manipur’s Thoubal district, police said. All four of them — identified as Amujao Meitei, Sadokpam Nongpoknganba, Khagenbam Athoi and Mayanglangbam Khoiraba — are active members of the banned organisation, Thoubal Superintendent of Police (SP) Soibam Ibomcha said.

“During preliminary questioning, the cadres revealed that they were trained for 45 days at a centre in Myanmar,” the SP said, adding that more details would be available after further investigation.

Official sources said the Manipur-based outfit has set up camps in the hilly terrains of the neighbouring country to avoid police glare.”With great regret and fullest of responsibility may I say that the government has started on a very wrong foot with regard to CDS. Time alone unfortunately will reveal the implications of this decision,” he said on Twitter.



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Manish Tewari questions appointment of Gen Bipin Rawat as Chief of Defence Staff

Manish Tewari questions appointment of Gen Bipin Rawat as Chief of Defence Staff

Published December 31, 2019

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By admin

SOURCE: PTI

The Congress on Tuesday raised several questions over the appointment of Gen Bipin Rawat as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), saying the government has started on a “wrong foot” on the issue. The party also asked whether the country was headed on a portentous path. Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari said the government has started on a wrong foot on the appointment and only time will unfortunately reveal the implications.

He also asked why the appointment of a CDS is fraught with difficulties and ambiguities. “What implications does nomenclature Principal Military Advisor to Defense Minister have in relation to the three service chiefs in terms of Military advise tendered to the government?Will the advise of the CDS override the advise of the respective Service Chiefs,” he asked.

Tewari wondered if the CDS as Permanent Chairperson of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee outrank the three service Chiefs.

“Would the three Chiefs report to Defense Minister through Defense Secretary or through CDS now,” he asked.

“What will be the position of CDS qua Defense Secretary? Would the Defense Secretary in terms of Rule 11 of Transaction of Business Rules continue to be the administrative head of the Defense Ministry? What is the remit/mandate of the proposed Department of Military Affairs? “Would the CDS overide the Service Chiefs with regard tri-Service agencies and organisations.

What are the implications of the appointment of a CDS on Civil Military Relations- the equilibrium of which has been India’s singular Success since 1947? Are we down a portentous path,” he questioned.



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Military is tightening its grip in Pakistan

SOURCE : THE HINDU

Many Pakistanis believed that cricketing icon-turned-politician Imran Khan would lead his country to new heights, much as he had led Pakistan to an unexpected win in the 1992 Cricket World Cup. Alas, to their disappointment, all that Imran Khan has succeeded in doing is leading his country to economic stagnation and greater political uncertainty.

Whatever pretensions and illusions Pakistan had of being a successful parliamentary democracy are now receding. Within two years of becoming Prime Minister, Imran’s bungling has led to a virtual military takeover of not just the country’s politics, but also its economy, and what little remained of its judiciary independence.

Well-known Sweden-based Pakistani academic Ishtiaq Ahmed described Pakistan as a “Garrison State,” in a book he authored about his country of birth nearly a decade ago. Ahmed declared that since 1958, “the Pakistan army continued to grow in power and influence and progressively became the most powerful institution. Moreover, it became an institution with de facto veto powers at its disposal, to overrule other actors within society, including elected governments. Simultaneously, it began to acquire foreign patrons and donors willing to arm it as part of the Cold War competition (the US), regional balance of power concerns (China) and ideological contestants for leadership over the Muslim world (Saudi Arabia, to contain Iranian influence)”.

Ahmed avers that over time, “Pakistan succumbed to extremism and terrorism within and was accused of being involved in similar activities within the South Asian region and beyond. Such developments have been ruinous to Pakistan’s economic and democratic development”.

Military politics

Nothing frightens Pakistani politicians more than prospects of a military coup, as this almost inevitably leads political leaders to arrest and eventual exile. Nawaz Sharif has faced this treatment twice, as have Benazir Bhutto and Asif Zardari. Even politicians who built their own political base nationally have been vulnerable to threats from the army, forcing them to leave the country — Imran Khan never had a national political following.

Former ISI Chief Lieutenant General Hamid Gul was one of the Founding Fathers of his Tehriq-e-Insaf party, which has long been regarded as the “B Team” of the army. The army is known to have backed large-scale demonstrations by the Tehriq-e-Insaf. The army has also played a key role in shaping political alliances to destabilise governments that become assertive. It is no secret that Imran Khan’s assumption of office as Prime Minister was engineered by the army.

The army in Pakistan plays a domineering role in the conduct of foreign and security policies, particularly on relations with India, the US, China, Russia and important Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran. Nawaz Sharif faced huge pressure from his army chief Raheel Sharif to not attend the inaugural ceremony of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister.

The ISI, functioning under the army chief, has an exclusive role in covert operations and — allegedly — backing terrorist groups in India and Afghanistan. But this role was substantially enhanced when Qamar Javed Bajwa was hand-picked by Sharif to assume office as army chief. Bajwa himself faced pressures from his colleagues, evidently encouraged by his predecessor, who quietly had him labelled as an apostate “Qadiani” when he was being considered for the top job.

Expanding reach

Not satisfied with their background role, General Bajwa and his ISI chief Faiz Hameed accompanied Imran Khan when he met US President Donald Trump in Washington. This was the first time that the army bosses were present in a White House meeting. Even before this meeting, Bajwa put his personal stamp on relations with China and Iran.

But, it is really in Kartarpur that Bajwa publicly put his stamp on his role in shaping relations with India, ostentatiously fraternising with Punjab minister, the loquacious Navjot Singh Sidhu, together with well-known Pakistani advocates of “Khalistan,” who were present. The ISI desire to create a Hindu-Sikh divide, using the services of Sikh communities in the UK and Canada, is evident.

Going beyond his role in internal politics and foreign policy, Bajwa has used an ever-obliging Imran Khan to enter the realm of economic policymaking, by getting himself appointed to the newly established ‘National Development Council’, Pakistan’s apex economic policymaking body. He thereby clearly signalled the army’s dissatisfaction with economic policymaking, to civilians. Pakistani businessmen and financial ministries have another extra-constitutional body, the country’s army, to which they are now answerable.

All this is happening with the economy still in the doldrums. While the economy has been bailed out in 2019 by augmented financial aid from China, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, economic growth is down to 3.3 per cent — a fall of 40 per cent from the growth rate the previous year. This has been accompanied by similar rise in the fiscal deficit, with inflation soaring by the highest amount in the past five years. All this is happening amidst severe belt-tightening on welfare measures, necessitated by IMF demands.

Diplomatic ties

Pakistan is finding that despite embarking on a diplomatic overkill, it has failed to get the international community to back it in any significant measure on its territorial ambitions on Jammu and Kashmir, despite some sustained Chinese backing in the UN Security Council and other forums. Imran Khan seems to have gone on an ill-advised and counterproductive diplomatic overkill on Jammu and Kashmir, even amongst fellow Islamic countries.

Ignoring the vicious rivalries between major Islamic powers with Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Egypt on one side and Turkey, Iran, Qatar and Malaysia — led by the ageing Mahathir — on the other, Imran chose to join the hair-brained scheme by Mahathir to set up a new Islamic grouping to address problems of the Islamic world.

The Saudis, quite evidently with American backing, read out the riot act to Imran who, at the last minute, backed out of the Summit meeting earning the wrath of other participants. Despite Pakistan’s much touted “Islamic Bomb”, Imran learnt that it is money that matters in the real world.

India has played its cards well by its moves to promote energy security and cooperation with its western oil rich neighbours across the Indian Ocean. But, India’s own standing will depend substantially on its ability to maintain communal harmony and accelerate economic growth.

The writer is a former High Commissioner to Pakistan



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Monday 30 December 2019

Demise of Last MiG-27 Unit Stalls IAF 42-Squadron Plan

SOURCE : DHNS

The retirement of the last squadron of MiG-27s from Indian Air Force (IAF) has further reduced the overall strength of the service, with no immediate fix in sight. On Friday, the last 43 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-27MLs (“Flogger Js”) in the IAF’s arsenal, the remnants of 165 machines license-produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) were mothballed. Their removal from the IAF’s order of battle further reduces the number of combat aircraft in the IAF’s arsenal, leaving a significantly capability deficit in comparison to aircraft fielded by India’s immediate rivals, China and Pakistan.

Tellingly, however, the retirement of these venerable, Soviet-era, single-engined, swing-wing fighter-bombers, marks a doctrinal shift away from delineating combat aircraft by role. India is following the global trend of equipping air units with machines which can fulfill a variety of roles. Acquisition of multi-role aircraft has been a Chinese goal, which has disdained fighter-bombers.

Over the last decade, Beijing has 473 such fourth-generation fighter aircraft, in comparison to India which has 290 (on-hand). Meantime, India is still saddled with 132 fighter-bombers, all of them obsolete MiG-21s. Pakistan, meantime, has 212 fighter-bombers, many of them obsolete More importantly, the number-plating of the air force’s last MiG-27 unit, No 29 “Scorpions” Squadron, which until Friday was active at Jodhpur Air Force Station, reduces the number of combat-capable squadrons in the IAF from 34 to 33, which is significantly less than the 42 squadrons envisaged by the service. This is the number of combat units which IAF doctrine postulates as being necessary to fight a two-front war against China and Pakistan.

This squadron strength is set to further drop to 27 over the next two years as the IAF prepares to retire its MiG-21 squadrons, even as India’s MMRCA 2.0 acquisition programme encounters delays and even as the IAF only adds a further 30 Sukhoi Su-30MKIs and 36 Dassault Rafales to its arsenal.

The current requirement by the Indian Air Force as far as MMRCA 2.0 goes is 114 fighters, 96 of which are to be built in India. There is an additional requirement for 57 fighters for the Indian Navy. However, talks regarding procurement are still in their preliminary phase.

In the meantime, the air force continues to soldier on with its stalwarts, including the equally aging Jaguar strike fighter. Attrition to accidents and crashes are set to further reduce service strength. As an indication, over the last five years alone, the IAF lost 26 fighter aircraft (or the equivalent of a whole squadron) to non-combat mishaps.

Meantime, the MiG-27’s retirement from air forces around the world has been steady. With its passing from the IAF, the type remains operational only in Kazakhstan and Sri Lanka. While the aircraft has been lauded for its role during the Kargil war, packing as it did, a formidable 30 mm cannon and its ability to haul 4,000 kgs of munitions, it was rapidly showing its age. Some 13 machines were lost in crashes since 2001, according to IAF data.



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India’s Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Achieves Milestone with Record Firing in A Minute – Video

India’s Advanced Towed Artillery Gun Achieves Milestone with Record Firing in A Minute – Video

Published December 31, 2019

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By admin

SOURCE: SPUTNIK

Over the last 18 months, the Indian Army has inducted American M-777 and South Korean K9 Vajra artillery units as well as its domestically-made Dhanush howitzer. The army has plans to modernise its entire artillery system in the next seven years. India’s domestically produced advanced towed artillery gun system (ATAGS) has achieved yet another breakthrough, successfully firing five rounds in 62 seconds.

The 155 mm x 52 calibre ATAGS achieved the milestone during evaluation trials at a firing range in the Pokharan region of India’s Rajasthan state. It offered the key parameters for the howitzer to pass the evaluation trials. The howitzer is being developed by the private firm Tata SED with support from the state-funded Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the country’s premier military R&D organisation.

In manned firing, the system surpassed 20 rounds in 12 minutes without reporting any stoppage. The system has a range of over 40 km with advanced features in terms of high mobility, and quick deployability.
The ATAGS towed artillery gun system project is fully made in India, and was presented by the DRDO as part of the Indian Army’s artillery modernisation programme.

The Armament system of the ATAGS includes its barrel, breech mechanism, muzzle brake and recoil mechanism, allowing it to fire 155 mm calibre at a longer range, and with accuracy and precision; additionally, it provides greater firepower.

The army had procured Swedish Bofors in the 1990s — a deal which later triggered enormous controversy involving political big-wigs accused of receiving kickbacks from the supplier. The purchase of howitzers was put on hold until earlier this year, when the Indian Army received its first tranche of the American ultralight Howitzer M-777s.

The delay of almost 30 years has been a major stumbling block for the Indian Army’s field artillery rationalisation plan (FARP). According to the plan, the army needs over 1,500 155 mm 52 calibre towed Howitzers and an 814 mounted gun system of the same calibre.



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Post-Article 370 nullification, J&K HC opens its jobs for candidates from all over India

SOURCE : PTI

Opening the state employment in the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh for candidates from across the country after nullification of Article 370, the Jammu and Kashmir High Court has invited applications from eligible candidates from all over India to fill 33 vacancies with it.The 33 vacant posts of non-gazetted officials include those of senior scale stenographer, junior scale stenographer, steno typist, compositor, electrician and driver.

The advertisement to fill the vacancies was issued by the J&K High Court’s Registrar General Sanjay Dhar on December 26 with the last date for submission of applications being January 31, 2020. Following nullification of the Article 370 on August 5, there had been demands from various quarters, especially in the Jammu region and Union Territory of Ladakh, carved out of the erstwhile state of J&K after its bifurcation into two UTs, for a domicile certificate or some legal restrictions on the purchase of land by outsiders as well as their appointments in government jobs.

“The application forms shall be received by the concerned principal district judges of the UTs of J&K and Ladakh within whose jurisdiction the applicant resides against the proper receipts duly stamped.

“The applicants who do not belong to the UTs of J&K and Ladakh shall submit their application to the Registrar General, J&K High Court, Jammu,” the advertisement read.

It said the principal district judges of Kashmir province, Bhaderwah, Kishtwar and Ladakh would make necessary arrangements for the receipt of application forms even during the ensuing winter vacation.

“All principal district judges of J&K and Ladakh shall submit the application forms along with the list of candidates to the office of the Registrar General, J&K High Court, Jammu by or before February 7, 2020,” the advertisement said.

It said the selection would be made as per J&K Reservation Rules 2005.

“The candidates who are having age as on January 1, 2019 not below 18 years and not above 40 years in case of open merit, 43 years in case of SC/ST/RBA/ALC/OSCs, 42 years in case of physically challenged, 48 years in case of ex-servicemen and 40 years in case of candidates in government service or contractual employees are eligible for participation in the selection process,” the notice read.



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Bangladesh wants ‘written’ assurance from India that it won’t send immigrants after CAA

SOURCE : THE PRINT

Bangladesh has sought a written assurance from the Narendra Modi government that it won’t send immigrants across the border after the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), multiple sources told ThePrint. The move came even as Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina continues to face criticism for being “soft” on New Delhi over the issue of National Register of Citizens (NRC), the sources said.

The Bangladesh government had made a similar demand when Hasina was on a private visit to India in October months after the NRC exercise was carried out in Assam, diplomatic sources told ThePrint.

At the time, India had given a verbal assurance to Bangladesh that those rendered “foreigners” under the NRC in Assam will not be sent to Bangladesh. However, it had refused to give a written assurance, stating that the exercise was carried out as per directions of the Supreme Court, said the sources.

However, after the passage of CAA in Parliament this month, fresh concerns have cropped up within the political leadership in Bangladesh that India may now “push” Muslim immigrants deemed illegal under the Act across the border, the sources said.

Now the Indian government does not have compulsions of the court, so a written assurance will not be difficult, added the sources. However, they added, India does not seem to have given any kind of assurance to Dhaka yet that such a sovereign guarantee will be given.

The passage of CAA, which provides for citizenship to six non-Muslim communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, provoked massive protests across India amid fears that the proposed NRC in conjunction with CAA could result in targeting of Muslims. The government has said there have been “no discussions” on NRC.

‘Internal affair’

The matter was also discussed Sunday when Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) chief Shafeenul Islam visited India with a delegation to hold DG-level border talks.

Addressing a press conference concluding his visit, Islam said NRC is an “internal affair of the government” but refused to comment when asked about the Citizenship Amendment Act.

Meanwhile, in Bangladesh, the Sheikh Hasina government is having a tough time pacifying opposing voices questioning her “inability” to hammer out an “assurance” from India despite having a good rapport with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

For Hasina, the situation has gone from bad to worse after India reportedly detained around 60 illegal Bangladeshi immigrants from Bengaluru and took them to Kolkata to deport them back to Dhaka in November.

Earlier this month, a senior Bangladeshi diplomat was even attacked in Guwahati during protests against the CAA.

A visit to India by Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Minister A.K. Abdul Momen and Home Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Khan was also cancelled as tensions peaked in India over the CAA.



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Questions for 2020: India land a craft safely on moon? ISRO should manage peacefully

Questions for 2020: India land a craft safely on moon? ISRO should manage peacefully

Published December 31, 2019

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By admin

SOURCE : ET

In 1979, SLV-3, India’s first rocket plunged into the sea on its maiden launch. The rocket was an attempt to free the country from riding piggyback its satellites on European or US rocket missions. The next year, the SLV-3 hurled a 40-kg Rohini satellite into space to create history. Since then, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has learnt from its failures each time there is a setback with a successful follow-on mission.

Forty years on, India’s next generation rocket is the preferred vehicle for launching small satellites for countries across the world. Isro scientists lost communication in September with the Vikram lander of the Chandrayaan-2 mission some 400 m above the lunar surface. So what’s next? Isro has already planned to send a lander and a rover to the Moon in 2020.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission will not have an orbiter. Scientists at the Isro units will conduct a simulation of the entire lunar landing sequence of the spacecraft. They will also make sure that the brake thrust — the weak link that caused the Vikram lander to crash earlier this year — is designed effectively. It is a process that India’s space agency has established: identify the cause of a failure, learn, test and demonstrate it again successfully. Landing a spacecraft on the moon will just be another big step for Isro, as it embarks on using the Earth’s satellite as a future base for inter-planetary explorations.



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Lt Gen Naravane to take over as 28th Army Chief today

Lt Gen Naravane to take over as 28th Army Chief today

Published December 31, 2019

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By admin

SOURCE : ANI

Lieutenant General Manoj Mukund Naravane will take over as the 28th Army chief on Tuesday, succeeding General Bipin Rawat whose three-year tenure as chief will end tomorrow. Lieutenant General Naravane is presently the Vice Chief of Army Staff and would be the 28th Army Chief in the post-independence era. With Naravane’s appointment, all the three services Chiefs including Air Force Chief RKS Bhadauria, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh would be from the 56th course of the National Defence Academy. Naravane would be taking over as the Chief of Army Staff on December 31.

His appointment comes at a time when India and Pakistan are having tensions due to provocations by Islamabad through terror activities. A Sikh Light Infantry officer, Naravane was the Chief of the Eastern Command in Kolkata prior to moving to Delhi and was the brain behind the recently conducted major exercises along the eastern border.

Commissioned into 7th Sikh Light Infantry in June 1980, Lt Gen Naravane has vast experience in Counter-Insurgency Operations in Kashmir and Northeast India. He commanded a Rashtriya Rifles battalion in Jammu and Kashmir and was the Inspector General of Assam Rifles as a Major General. He was also the Delhi Area, General Officer Commanding, a couple of years before moving out for other command appointments. Lieutenant General Naravane is married to Veena Naravane, who is a teacher and they have two daughters.

 

 



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2019 saw major inductions including Chinook and Apache choppers, infantry weapons, submarine

SOURCE: ANI

The past year was game-changer for Indian military in many ways as it saw some big inductions such as of Chinook and Apache choppers, testing of anti-satellite weapon, commissioning of stealth submarine and the modernisation of infantry.

India also received Rafale jet. The three forces – Army, Navy and Air Force – acquired weapons and systems as part of their modernisation efforts. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh commissioned indigenously-built second of Kalvari Class diesel-electric attack submarine INS Khanderi into the Indian Navy. It is a lethal addition to Navy’s conventional submarine arsenal and is designed for silent and stealth sub-surface operations.

The submarine follows INS Kalvari, the first of the Scorpene-class submarines.

With a length of 67.5 meters and height of 12.3 meters, Khanderi embodies cutting-edge technologies and is equipped with an array of torpedoes, missiles, and sensors that enable her to detect, identify and destroy enemy targets.

Defence Minister also launched warship INS Nilgiri, which is the first of Navy’s seven new stealth frigates.

As for Air Force, the first of the 36 French-built Rafale fighter jet was handed over to India in October this year. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh received the jet at the handing over ceremony in Bordeaux, France.

The Inter-Government Agreement (IGA) for 36 Rafale aircraft was signed between Indian and French governments in 2016.

The weapons-package includes deadly air-to-air Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Meteor missile and long-range SCALP precision-guided air-to-ground weapon.

Rafale has several IAF-specific enhancements including capability for high- altitude engine start for undertaking high altitude operations.

The Air Force also inducted eight AH-64E Apache Guardian Attack choppers in September.

Eight helicopters had been inducted into the Air Force in the first batch out of 22 procured from the US. In September 2015, IAF had signed a contract with the US government and Boeing for the Apache helicopters.

The helicopters have been customized to suit the force’s future requirements and would have significant capability in mountainous terrain with the capability to carry out precision attacks at standoff ranges and operate in hostile airspace with threats from the ground.

The chopper can transmit and receive battlefield pictures to and from the weapon systems through data networking. The helicopters will provide a significant edge in any future joint operations in support of land forces.

The Apaches are equipped with hellfire missiles and rockets, with one helicopter having the capacity to carry eight such missiles. It also has a canon gun with a firing capacity of 1200 rounds at a time along with which two missile pods carrying 19 missiles each. The attack helicopter can also be used for reconnaissance.

The IAF also inducted Chinook choppers in its inventory in March.

The force also started receiving the ‘building blaster’ version of Spice-2000 bombs – of Balakot air strike fame – at Gwalior airbase.

The bombs were delivered at Gwalior as it is the home base of the Indian Air Force’s Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft fleet and they are the only fleet that can fire the Israeli bombs.

The Indian Air Force signed an over Rs 250 crore contract with Israel with Mark 84 warheads and bombs which can destroy buildings completely.

Another big development for the Air Force came in the form of the successful firing of the air version of the BrahMos supersonic missile in May from its frontline Sukhoi-30 MKI aircraft. This was the second live launch of the weapon.

The missile with a range of close to 300 km and a speed of 2.8 Mach gives IAF the capability to strike from large stand-off ranges on any target at sea or on land with pinpoint accuracy by day or night and in all-weather conditions.

In Early December, ANI had reported that the Indian Army has started inducting its newly acquired American Sig Sauer rifles.

The Indian Army also started getting supplies of ammunition for its sniper rifles as more than 21 lakh rounds had been ordered from vendors.

Top Army sources had said that the first lot of 10,000 SiG 716 assault rifles had arrived and were sent to Northern Command, which looks after the counter-terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

India has signed an over Rs 700 crore contract to equip the Indian Army with 72,400 new assault rifles.

India in March this year also successfully tested an anti-satellite missile by shooting down a satellite that was on a low-earth orbit giving it a capability that only a few other nations possess.

In February this year, DRDO also successfully flight-tested the second indigenously developed ‘Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR)’ propulsion based missile system from ITR, Chandipur, Odisha.



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The year India reset rules of engagement with Pakistan

SOURCE: LIVE MINT

The year 2019 will go down as a pivotal year when India effected dramatic changes in its Kashmir policy and, by extension, to its strategy to deal with Pakistan and the international community.

One of the first events to hit the headlines in 2019 was a terrorist attack in Kashmir’s Pulwama region in February, which changed the contours of the India-Pakistan relationship. A suicide bomber, belonging to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed, detonated a car bomb as an Indian paramilitary convoy was on the move in Pulwama on 14 February. The explosion killed 40 personnel, drawing unequivocal international condemnation. Clearly, the sympathy was with India with no denunciation forthcoming, when on 26 February, New Delhi ordered the aerial bombing of a terrorist training camp in Balakot, Pakistan.

It was the first time since the 1971 India-Pakistan war that New Delhi ordered its fighter jets to cross the border into Pakistan. Military historians have also noted that the use of the airforce in sub-conventional warfare between two nuclear-armed countries was rare—if any parallel at all. A day later, a much smaller number of fighter aircraft from the Indian Air Force repulsed the Pakistan Air Force’s efforts to target military installations in Kashmir.

“The use of air power by India to take out a terrorist training camp will have had a deep impact on the psyche of the Pakistani military establishment,” said a person familiar with the developments in New Delhi. “It sends out the message that India has the capability and will to deploy its Air Force for counter terrorism operations,” he added, requesting anonymity. It also signals the unveiling of a new strategy to counter terrorism emanating from Pakistan, that raises the cost for Islamabad manifold, he said.

“What India has done is to significantly raise the costs for any misadventure by Pakistan. The message is that any terrorist attack in India will have a cost for Pakistan and, hence, it had rewritten the rules of engagement. Second, it has broken the cycle followed in the past—a peace dialogue process whose momentum is broken by a terrorist attack and then resumed only to be stalled by another terrorist attack. It is not business as usual,” said a second person, also requesting anonymity.

According to Harsh Pant, professor of international relations, King’s College, London, India has indicated that it was willing to call Pakistan’s nuclear bluff. “The days of India absorbing the costs of terrorism are now over. India is now willing to escalate the costs for Pakistan perpetrating terrorist attacks in India. And the onus is now on Pakistan to de-escalate,” he said, adding that the message is for Islamabad, as well as the international community, which has traditionally pushed New Delhi to initiate talks with Pakistan to defuse tensions.

Incidentally, the Balakot strike was not the first instance of India signalling its willingness to up the costs for Pakistan. In 2016, India ordered its elite army commandos across the de-facto Line of Control in Kashmir to take out terrorist launch pads after 18 Indian soldiers were killed in a terrorist attack on an Indian Army garrison in Uri.

“Kashmir has been the space where Pakistan has found a way of imposing a cost on India,” said Pant, adding that the Balakot airstrike and the surgical strikes post-Uri showed that the present government in New Delhi was willing to reset the terms of meeting this threat.

It is perhaps with this in mind that New Delhi in August revoked Article 370 of its Constitution, a temporary provision that bestowed special status on Kashmir. New Delhi also divided Kashmir into two Union territories—integrating it more closely with the rest of India. The aim, India said, was to ensure development of the region so that the youth were not lured into joining terrorist groups.

What the move also did was to effectively change the contours of any future talks with Pakistan over Kashmir. It took Indian-administered Kashmir off the talks’ table between New Delhi and Islamabad, and focused attention on the part controlled by Pakistan for any resolution of the Kashmir dispute. Pakistan, caught unawares by the move, was livid. It unleashed a diplomatic offensive aiming to put India in the dock for what it termed as human right violations in Kashmir—restricting the movement of people, putting embargos on communications and detaining Kashmiri politicians. India’s cautious roll-back of the restrictions, aiming to quell protests, has prompted some sections in the international community to express concerns. New Delhi, on its part, has steadfastly maintained that not a single civilian life has been lost since 5-6 August and that the embargos will be lifted gradually.

For the future, New Delhi will have to allow the emergence of a new political leadership in Kashmir. India will also need to gear up to ensure minimal violence should protests break out with the gradual phasing out of restrictions in Kashmir. “As long as violence is contained, the international community will not be able to say anything” to any allegation of human rights violations by Pakistan, said a third person aware of the matter, requesting anonymity.

Diplomatically, foreign minister S. Jaishankar has sent out a clear message that it was Pakistan’s sponsorship of cross-border terrorism that is the issue to focus on. He has also stressed that the “right to life is the most basic human right”, highlighting the future course Indian diplomacy will take to counter Pakistan’s charges that India’s restrictions in Kashmir were violative of human rights.



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SAIL-BSP completes supply of naval grade plates for Navy’s special vessels

SAIL-BSP completes supply of naval grade plates for Navy’s special vessels

Published December 31, 2019

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By admin

SOURCE : Business Standard

At a time when the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) had been put under the scanner for failing to meet its targets, its flagship entity Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) had fulfilled an order for supplying naval grade plates for the manufacture of special vessels for the Indian Navy.

Hindustan Shipyard Limited (HSL) had placed an order with SAIL for special-grade steel certified by the Indian Registrar of Shipping (IRS) to manufacture Diving Support Vessels (DSV) for the Indian Navy. The central public sector undertaking under Ministry of Defence manufactures various types of ships and other vessels for the Indian Navy.

In the recent orders placed by the Indian Navy for development of ships with indigenous grades under the Make-in-India programme, it had recommended that steel plates should be certified by the National certifying body, the Indian Register of Shipping (IRS). BSP had been certified to manufacture and supply IRS grade plates of Normal Strength (A, B & D) with plate thickness from 8 mm (millimetre) to 45 mm in March, 2019.

“After getting certified, BSP’s plate mill has despatched around 1,938 tonnes of IRS grade-B plates out of the ordered quantity of 1,995 Tonnes by HSL between April and December 2019,” a SAIL spokesperson said. The IRS grade plates rolled out in the plant’s plate mill would be used for manufacturing of Diving Support Vessels used for search, rescue and repair of undersea submarines, and other structures.

The spokesperson said the requirement of plates was substantial considering the orders placed by Indian Navy on HSL. The company would be getting more orders for the special grade, he added.

BSP had been exporting ship-building grade plates and producing warship grade plates DMR 249 A for Indian Navy, which had certification from Lloyds Register Asia (LRA), American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) and DetNorskeVeritas (DNV). The DMR 249 A grade plates that BSP continues to produce have been used to manufacture hull of Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier INS Vikrant and several other warships.



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MiG-35 Fighter Jet to Receive New Cockpit

MiG-35 Fighter Jet to Receive New Cockpit

Published December 31, 2019

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By admin

SOURCE: SPUTNIK

The export version of the MiG-35 differs from the regular model of the aircraft by the altered geometry of its airframe and an updated system of airborne radar equipment. The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) will create an export version of the MiG-35 fighter with a new cockpit, UAC Director General Yuri Slyusar said in an interview.

“We are talking about creating an export version of the craft in the guise of a new cab. The MiG-35 is interesting to a number of our foreign partners. We are negotiating”, said Slyusar. According to UAC’s director, the company is already negotiating with foreign partners on the issue.
The MiG-35 is equipped with new engines that have increased thrust, has the ability to refuel in flight and fulfill the role of a tanker. In addition, the single and double versions of the aircraft are completely unified according to the design of the airframe, the complex of on-board equipment and the functions performed. The fighter can carry a wide range of weapons: short-range, medium and long-range guided air-to-air missiles; air-to-surface missiles designed to destroy ground targets; adjustable bombs; unguided missiles; bombs and one-time bomb containers with a calibre from 100 to 500 kgs.

This fighter is capable of solving a wide range of tasks, including striking with precision-guided weapons at ground and surface targets without entering the air defence zone, day or night, and in any weather conditions. It can conduct aerial reconnaissance using optoelectronic and radio equipment as well as intercept modern means airborne weapons.

The export version of the MiG-35 differs from the regular model by the altered geometry of its airframe and an updated system of airborne radar equipment. The package includes a radar with an active phased array (AFAR), capable of capturing and tracking up to 30 air targets at a time.



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