Newsletter 27 June

This Week (June 27^th)

The week has been witnessed of further escalation in the tension on Indo-Sino Border internally while the two countries are trying to show ‘all is well’ superficially. However, tension on Indo-Nepal Border and Indo-Pak Border is rather constant. Despite of COVID-19 crossed 5 lac mark but recovery is faster than cases admitted, so was not in much attention.

Headlines of the Week

Sino-Indian Border: “all seems well” indeed?
MEA about to Start e-Passport at each Constituency
United States has restricted Air India’s Vande Bharat Mission flights for discriminatory restrictive practices
“China cannot be allowed to treat the SCS as its maritime empire”-ASEAN Leaders
Second Militant killed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Tral encounter: Police

Sino-Indian Border: “all seems well” indeed?

Major Developments on This Front

India Warns China That Attempts to Alter Status Quo at LAC Will Have ‘Ripples and Repercussions’
- India on Fri, warned China that trying to alter the status quo on the ground by resorting to force will not just damage the peace that existed on the border areas but can also have “ripples and repercussions” in the broader bilateral relationship, and demanded that Beijing stop its activities in eastern Ladakh.
- The only way to resolve the current military standoff along the LAC in eastern Ladakh was for Beijing to realise that trying to “change the status quo by resorting to force or coercion, is not the right way forward,” India’s ambassador to China Vikram Misri said in an interview to PTI.
China says it has agreed with India to take steps to ease border tensions
- China’s foreign ministry said on Tue that China and India have agreed to take measures to ease tensions along a disputed stretch of their border, where a clash last week left 20 Indian soldiers dead.
- Chinese FM spokesman Zhao Lijian also described recent media reports of 40 Chinese casualties in the conflict as “fake news”.
Foreign Min, S Jaishankar participates in Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral virtual meet on Tue
- Foreign Min, S Jaishankar participates in Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral virtual meet on Tue, said “this meeting reiterates our belief in time-tested principles of international relations; the challenge today is not of concepts & norms but equally of their practice. Leading voices of the world must be exemplars in every way; respecting international law, recognizing legitimate interest of partners, supporting multilateralism and promoting common good is only way to build a durable world order.”
- Today we talked of probable reforms of the United Nations & India is a strong nominee to become a permanent member of UN Security Council & we support India’s candidacy. We believe it can become a full-fledged member of the Security Council: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says: India and China don’t need any help to resolve issues. They’ve everything to resolve it together. New Delhi & Beijing have shown commitment to peaceful resolution after recent border incident. They have good ongoing dialogue.
People familiar with the matter said India was initially reluctant to join the Russia-India-China trilateral foreign ministers’ meeting but agreed to participate in it following a request from Moscow, the host of the conference.
India and China have come a “mutual consensus” to disengage on their disputed eastern Ladakh boundary, an Army source said on Tuesday after daylong talks between Corps Commanders on Monday at Moldo.

NEW DELHI: India on Monday pressed for the withdrawal of Chinese troops.

Modalities for disengagement from all friction areas in Eastern Ladakh were discussed and will be taken forward by both the sides, the source added. The talks were held in a cordial, positive and constructive atmosphere, the #Army source added.
Inside details of military-level talks:
- Indo-China talks were positive & cordial.
- Mutual consensus to disengage
- Modalities for disengagement will be taken forward by both the sides.
India on Mon pressed for the withdrawal of Chinese troops from Indian Territory in the Pangong Tso area of eastern Ladakh, while expressing outrage at the “premediated and pre-planned” brutal violence unleashed against Indian soldiers in Galwan Valley on June 15, during the second round of top-level military talks on Mon.
India strongly reiterated its demand for restoration of status quo as it existed in mid-April, which would involve People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops pulling back from the “Finger 4 to 8” (mountainous spurs separated by an 8-km distance) area on the north bank of Pangong Tso as well as de-inducting its military build-ups in areas facing the Galwan Valley, Gogra-Hotsprings, Depsang and Chushul in eastern Ladakh, said sources.
There was no official word on the outcome of the second round of talks between 14 Corps commander Lt-General Harinder Singh and South Xinjiang Military District chief Major General Liu Lin, who had held a similar dialogue for the first time on June 6.
The meeting on Mon began and continued till 10.30 pm on the Chinese side of the Chushul-Moldo border personnel meeting (BPM) point in eastern Ladakh.
The extended Moldo meeting took place even as General M M Naravane in New Delhi reviewed the “operational ground situation” all along the 3,488-km LAC, which has seen the rival armies engage in major military build-ups, with the heads of the six regional commands and one training command of the over 12-lakh strong Army.
US Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi on Tuesday (June 23) condemned the Chinese government’s aggression along the India-China border and called for de-escalation through diplomacy.
In an official statement, Krishnamoorthi said, “I remain deeply concerned with the Chinese government’s recent dangerous acts of aggression along the Line of Actual Control on the India-China border and the unnecessary loss of life caused.”

Indian Envoy Asks China to ‘Move Back to its Side of LAC’

“India hopes China will realize its responsibility in de-escalation and disengaging by moving back to its side of LAC”

Despite PM Modi’s claims that that there has been no intrusion by Chinese troops into Indian territory, a statement allegedly by Vikram Misri who is India’s envoy to China, now shows otherwise.

Speaking to PTI on 26 June, the Indian envoy asked China to “move back to its side of LAC” in order to support the ongoing efforts to “de-escalate and disengage”.

Confirming reports of Chinese troops obstructing patrolling by the Indian Army along the border, the Indian ambassador also said that, “China should stop creating obstructions and hindrances in normal patrolling of Indian troops”.

After the deadliest clash occurred on June 15^th on the Sino-Indian border since 1967, more than 50 years ago.
Certainly, in the week from June 9-16, China moved some 200 vehicles into the Galwan area.
One important point emerged from various media sources, through the statements of injured soldier that on the day fetal clash, Col Santosh Babu, also noted the troop’s members were present on Chines side, who haven’t seen before. This supports the facts that to win the physical fight (instead of war), Chines placed their martial Art forces, instead of normal army personal.
China appointed Lt Gen Xu Qiling as the new ground forces commander for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Western Theater Command, according to a June 5 announcement.
Previously he had been the Eastern Theater Command ground commander since December 2018. This would thus seem to represent a kind of horizontal promotion for him, although he is seen as a rising PLA star, and he has now served in all five theater commands.

Henry Boyd, research fellow for Defense and Military Analysis at IISS, told ANI the PLA unit in the Galwan Valley area is the 363rd Border Defense Regiment (unit designator 69316). It is headquartered at Kongka Pass near the Indian post at Gogra/Hot Springs. The unit probably has some 500-600 personnel, but additional forces drawn from parent border defense regiment operational reserves would also have been deployed to the area.

Boyd and colleague Meia Nouwens believe it likely that additional combat forces, in the guise of the PLA’s 6^th Mechanized Division, have been deployed as reinforcements.

It is headquartered far away on the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert, but the division represents the Southern Xinjiang Military District’s main operational reserve. They claimed “companies of main battle tanks and batteries of towed artillery had been deployed at existing Chinese positions north and east of Gogra” by the end of May.

Such equipment is consistent with the 6th Mechanized Division’s known assets, as well as with three other divisions in the Xinjiang Military District (4^th Motorized Division, 8th Motorized Division and 11^thMotorized Division). Some reports suggest 12 towed howitzers are present in the Hot Springs area, while some Indian media claim Type 88 tanks are also present. However, most satellite imagery viewed by ANI is of insufficient resolution to identify armored vehicle types.

Perhaps 5,000 additional troops have been diverted to the area in support of regular border regiments. Interestingly, Indian reports suggest that those Chinese troops involved in the brawl on 15 June had replaced the usual border troops. The introduction of fresh troops, who had no affinity or relationship to the Indian side, may have been a deliberate PLA ploy to foster greater aggression.

Yet Levesques reminded ANI of the true purpose. “This is not geared towards a showdown and warfighting. This appears primarily intended for tactical deterrence and coercion below the threshold of actual use.”

Yet the explosion of violence has serious implications for Sino-Indian relations and the border in general. Levesques highlighted three implications.

“First One is that the border and its management regime, which both countries have built patiently and vowed to abide by, really cannot be air-gapped from the cooperative elements of the relationship between the world’s two largest emerging markets. So if something goes seriously wrong on at the border, it’s very difficult to make sure it doesn’t contaminate the rest of the relationship. It’s not a new lesson, but I think it’s been brought to the fore with a lot of force this time.

Indeed, the border management regime is “at risk of being made out of date, because it is rests on the idea that single incidents can be addressed through talks because their cause is a local problem well short of bloodshed, only related to 23 so-called ‘areas of differing perceptions’ on the LAC, which can be over 25 km deep”.

“Second, it’s harder to insulate the border developments and attribution of Chinese behavior on that border from the wider territorial contests taking place elsewhere in Asia and also involving China.” Indeed, some analysts see similarities to what China is doing in the South China Sea.

Levesques “it was assumed the border had its own dynamic, grammar and rules of engagement, and those were largely immune to the wider change in Asia. People now arguing this are in a small minority in India, and an even smaller one other than in China.”

The third implication: “Both sides’ political control of border tensions is now lessened because the reading of any incidents there is no longer just set in that narrow, bilateral, theater-specific context. Instead, it is being read in the context of a very wide Indo-Pacific geostrategic chessboard stretching from California to East Africa. This may bring opportunities for diplomatic trade-offs but it is going to make standoffs, including the one we’re currently still witnessing, more difficult to read as geographically discrete events and to solve as such. And it will be more difficult to read intent in any of those on either side, because suddenly it’s tempting to read this solely through a crude Indo-Pacific prism: one in which India is a global geopolitical swing state and on-shore Asian balancer which China would have risked irking into siding structurally with the US and many of its partners. The correct future reading of border events will likely be somewhere in the middle, but likely not exclusively on either end of that spectrum only.” It is known that 20 Indian soldiers died, but it is difficult to assess the number of deaths on the Chinese side. Beijing steadfastly refuses to delineate casualty numbers, although they definitely did occur. Hu Xijin, the hawkish editor of the Global Times, wrote patronizingly, “Based on what I know, Chinese side also suffered casualties in the Galwan Valley physical clash … Chinese side didn’t release number of PLA casualties in clash with Indian soldiers. My understanding is the Chinese side doesn’t want people of the two countries to compare the casualty’s number so to avoid stoking public mood. This is goodwill from Beijing.”

Yet Beijing didn’t disclosed the number total causality from either side.

“An outbreak of lethal violence of unprecedented magnitude since 1967, but it’s been without shots fired.”
He noted, “The evidence emerging, including on the Indian side, suggests that a degree of preparation by the Chinese played a catalyst role in the tragic events.” –Antoine Levesques,
“Its troops may have prepared the buildup of a coercive position, but with the ongoing contest of narratives between Beijing and New Delhi, it’s either too early or may just be impossible for both public accounts to coincide on the detailed chain of events that led to the bloodshed and questions of causality, let alone responsibility,” Levesques
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, has stayed relatively quiet about the June border skirmish. Indian PM Modi has said that the country is “capable of giving an appropriate response,” if instigated.
Xi takes China back 40 years with India scuffle

Willingness to engage in combat signals break from peaceful rise (Nikkei Montage/AP/Reuters)

Xi’s regime has sought a short, quick victory to overawe India and shore up its own standing at home and abroad. Three major troop clashes (and several smaller ones) have occurred at border points, each triggered by a PLA attack. Here’s my assessment of the outcome of each clash.- Brahma Chellaney
To save face, Xi’s regime refuses to reveal the casualty figures. It fears the numbers could embolden China’s other foes. But it faces criticism on Chinese social media, where India’s honoring of its martyrs has been contrasted with China’s refusal to even recognize it’s fallen.- Chellaney
Thanks to Modi’s refusal to call China out on its aggression and encroachments, official Indian statements on the border situation are replete with euphemisms. For example, MEA euphemistically refers to Chinese intrusions by repeatedly citing “obstruction of Indian patrolling.”- Chellaney

Whereas the state department has staked out a neutral India-China stance, Pompeo has been speaking up on CCP’s expansionism. He refers to PLA’s confrontations “in India,” not “with India.” A slip of the tongue or he’s acknowledging the deadly clashes occurred on Indian Territory?- Chellaney

MEA about to Start e-Passport at each Constituency

I would like to felicitate all our passport issuing authorities in India and abroad on Passport Sewa Diwas and I’m sure, you all appreciate we’re meeting under unique circumstances. I acknowledge how well all of you have responded to changing public requirements amid COVID: EAM S Jaishankar
We intend to open Post Office Passport Seva Kendras in every Lok Sabha constituency where no PSK exist today. We’ve so far been able to provide for 488 Lok Sabha constituencies. This process which we were going forward with very ambitiously, stopped momentarily due to COVID19, he added.
He also said “We’re working with Indian Security Press Nashik and National Informatics Centre for chip-enabled e-passport. Introduction of e-passport will strengthen security of our travel documents. Procurement process for this production is underway and I would emphasize the need to hasten that.

United States has restricted Air India’s Vande Bharat Mission flights for discriminatory restrictive practices

New Delhi: The US Department of Transportation has barred Air India from operating chartered flights between India and the US from 22 July without its prior approval, in an apparent retaliation for the Indian government not allowing American carriers to operate between the two countries.
“We are taking this action because the Government of India (GoI) has impaired the operating rights of US carriers and has engaged in discriminatory and restrictive practices with respect to US carrier services to and from India,” stated a US Department of Transportation (DOT) order issued on Monday.
It said the Indian government has imposed restrictions that prevent US air carriers from making full use of charter rights. “Specifically, the GoI has prevented US carriers from conducting India-US passenger charter operations involving direct sales to individual passengers or through other distribution systems. For its part, the United States has not placed any limitations on US-India charter operations, and Air India has been and remains free to conduct the full complement of passenger charter services provided for in the agreement,” the DOT said.
Scheduled international passenger flights have been suspended in India since 25 March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Air India started international chartered flights under Vande Bharat Mission from 6 May to help people stranded abroad return home amid the pandemic. It has been operating chartered flights on Indo-US routes since 18 May where tickets on both the legs are sold.
While tickets on the India-US leg are sold through Air India’s website to the public, the seats on the US-India leg have to be purchased after contacting the Indian Embassy in the US.
The US Department of Transport said it appears that Air India may be using its passenger repatriation charters as a way of circumventing the Government of India-imposed prohibition of all scheduled international services.
“On 26 May, 2020, Delta Air Lines, Inc. (“Delta”), via letter, requested permission from the Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) to perform repatriation charter services similar to those provided by Air India. To date, Delta has not received approval to perform the requested repatriation charters,” the DOT said.

"China cannot be allowed to treat the SCS as its maritime empire"

After the 36^th ASEAN summit on Fri, a joint statement was issued by the members of the bloc expressing concerns over the current situation in the South China Sea.
The US has welcomed the statement by members of the ASEAN countries that South China Sea disputes should be resolved in line with the international law, US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said on Sat (local time).
“The US welcomes ASEAN Leaders’ insistence that South China Sea disputes be resolved in line with international law, including UNCLOS (United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea).
China cannot be allowed to treat the SCS as its maritime empire. We will have more to say on this topic soon,” Pompeo tweeted.
After the 36th ASEAN summit on Fri, a joint statement was issued by the members of the bloc expressing concerns over the current situation in the South China Sea.

The ASEAN leaders stressed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, safety and freedom of navigation and over-flight above the South China Sea, as well as upholding international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, in the South China Sea, working actively towards the full and effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in its entirety, and the early conclusion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), consistent with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS.

They also laid emphasis on the “importance of non-militarization and self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability, and avoid actions that may further complicate the situation.”
“Pursue the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, while enhancing mutual trust and confidence,” the statement said.
Several islands and territories in the South China Sea are claimed by Beijing, but other countries including Indonesia, the Philippines and Brunei also have their territorial claim in the hotly contested region.
Earlier, Pompeo tweeted on June 2 that the US has sent a letter to the UN Secretary-General to protest China’s “unlawful South China Sea maritime claims”.

Second Militant killed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Tral encounter: Police: Police

A joint team of state police, Indian Army’s 42 Rashtriya Rifles and Central Police Reserve Force (CRPF) had launched a cordon and search operation on specific information about the presence of terrorists in Chewa Ullar area of Tral, JnK.
Security forces on Fri gunned down two terrorists during a gunfight, which was raging since Thurs evening in JnK’s Pulwama district, officials said.
HT Sources, however, said three terrorists have been killed in the encounter, which had erupted in Chewa Ullar area of Tral in south Kashmir on Thur’s evening.
Officials said the first terrorist was killed early on Fri morning and that the operation is now over.
Two AK-47 assault rifles have been recovered from the site of the encounter, a spokesperson of the Indian Army said.
In a separate incident, a personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and a five-year boy were injured in an attack along the national highway in Bijbhera of south Kashmir.
Security forces have stepped up the offensive in the Kashmir Valley and killed more than 100 terrorists in operations since the beginning of this year.
Several of these encounters have taken place in south Kashmir, which is considered the hotbed of militancy in the region.

International

Beijing says it will respond if Washington keeps targeting Chinese media

China said on Tuesday that it will have to respond if Washington does not stop targeting Chinese media organizations operating in the United States.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian made the remarks after the United States said it will start treating four major Chinese media outlets as foreign embassies, alleging they are mouthpieces for Beijing.
United States officially designates four more Chinese State owned Media outlets including GLOBAL TIMES for being substantially owned or effectively controlled by Govt of People’s Republic of China. China Central Television, China News Service & People’s Daily also on it.
In order to ensure greater transparency of Chinese Communist Party-run operations in the United States, I directed the designation of four additional PRC propaganda outlets as foreign missions: US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.

Pakistan urges OIC to pressure India on Kashmir-Global Times

Pakistan on Monday urged the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to pressure India over the long-smoldering dispute on India-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
“Eight million Kashmiris continued to face lockdown, military siege, communications blockade and unprecedented restrictions” for more than 10 months, following India’s “illegal and unilateral steps” since August 5 last year, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said.
The foreign minister was referring to India’s scrapping of the decades-long special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August.
“Indian occupation forces were operating brutally with complete impunity to suppress the legitimate struggle of the Kashmiris for their inalienable right to self-determination,” said Qureshi when attending an emergency meeting of the OIC’s Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir via a video conference.
There are repeated instances of extrajudicial killings in fake “encounters,” “cordon-and-search” operations, indiscriminate use of pellet guns and “collective punishment,” Qureshi said.
He also deplored the fact that under the garb of the COVID-19 crisis, India was imposing an even more stringent lockdown in the occupied territory.
A Ministerial Communiqué by the Contact Group was adopted, highlighting the OIC’s commitment to the Kashmir cause.
It demands that India rescind its unilateral and illegal actions, and allow the Kashmiri people to freely exercise their right to self-determination through a UN-supervised plebiscite.
Kashmir, a Muslim-majority Himalayan region, is held by India and Pakistan in parts and claimed by both in full.
Some Kashmiri groups in Jammu and Kashmir have been fighting Indian rule for independence, or for unification with neighboring Pakistan.

Nepali Congress passes resolution in parliament urging the government to reclaim land illegally encroached by China

China has encroached Nepali land by shifting border posts towards Nepal and diverting rivers that act as natural borders
The resolution stated that Nepal and China share a 1414.88-kilometre-long border, as mentioned in the geographical and political map of Nepal marked in the national emblem.
There were 98 pillars across the border out of which few pillars are missing while some had been moved towards Nepal.
In various districts including Dolakha, Humla, Sankhuwasabha, Rasuwa, Sindhupalchowk and Gorkha, China has encroached 64 hectares of land that belong to Nepal.
The resolution stated, “The boundary pillar numbers 35, 37 and 38 located in the border of Gorkha and pillar number 62 located in Nampa Bhanjyang of Solukhmbu are missing.
As China has shifted pillar number 35 of Gorkha towards Nepal, Rui village lying in the northern part of Gorkha has been encroached by China and 72 households now been under Tibet Autonomous Region of China.
Similarly, 18 households located at Jiujiu of Darchula districts have been encroached by China.” The resolution urged the government to use diplomatic means to take back the land and inform the house about the real situation.

After face-off with India, China now cornered by Japan

On June 25^th, Japan defense minister, Taro Kono warns of China military intentions in Asia. He said “preemptive strike capacity is option after Aegis Ashore canceled”.

Though the Senkakus, which China calls the Diaoyus, have been administered by Japan since 1972, their legal status remained somewhat disputed until now
Before the bill was passed by the city council, Beijing had warned Tokyo against any change in the status quo of the island chain
Japan began the legal process of complete integration of an island chain that Beijing has for long set its eyes on.
The Ishigaki city council in Okinawa prefecture approved a bill that strengthened Japan’s control over the uninhabited island group called Senkakus, 1,931 km southwest of Tokyo.
In a statement issued by China’s Foreign Ministry, the islands are its “inherent territories”.
Beijing urged Japan to “abide by the spirit of the four-principle consensus, avoid creating new incidents on the Diaoyu Islands issue, and take practical actions to maintain the stability of the East China Sea situation“.
However, the city council in Japan said that the bill was necessary to “improve the efficiency of administrative procedures”.
Since April, Chinese ships had been spotted by the Japanese coast guard, in the waters close to the Senakakus. The number of Chinese ships have only increased in the last few weeks with four of them sailing in the area even on the day when the bill was passed by the city council.
Japan’s cabinet secretary last week reiterated that the Senkakus are under Tokyo’s control and “unquestionably” their territory historically and under international law. “It is extremely serious that these activities continue.”We will respond to the Chinese side firmly and calmly,” he had warned.

Pakistan is safe haven for terror groups: US State Dept

In June 2018, the FATF placed Pakistan on its “gray list” and issued an Action Plan directing Pakistan to take specific steps by September 2019 to address strategic deficiencies.

Pakistan continued to serve as a safe haven for certain regionally focused terrorist groups and allowed groups targeting Afghanistan, including the Afghan Taliban and affiliated Haqqani network, as well as groups targeting India, including LeT and its affiliated front organizations, and JeM, to operate from its territory, according to US State Department 2019 Country report on terrorism released on Wed.
Pakistan took modest steps in 2019 to counter terror financing and to restrain some India-focused militant groups following the Feb attack on a security convoy in the JnK claimed by Pakistan-based JeM, the report pointed out.
“Thus far, however, Islamabad has yet to take decisive actions against Indian- and Afghanistan-focused militants who would undermine their operational capability,” the report alleged.
Pakistan’s progress on the most difficult aspects of its 2015 National Action Plan to counter terrorism remains unfulfilled – specifically its pledge to dismantle all terrorist organizations without delay and discrimination.
The report further alleged. “While Pakistani authorities indicted LeT co-founder Hafiz Saeed and 12 of his associates on Dec 11, they have made no effort to use domestic authorities to prosecute other terrorist leaders such as JeM founder Masood Azhar and Sajid Mir, the mastermind of LeT’s 2008 Mumbai attacks, both of whom are widely believed to reside in Pakistan under the protection of the state, despite government denials,” according to the report.

Miscellaneous

Govt has decided pilgrims from India will not be sent to Saudi Arabia for Haj 2020: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
Delhi High Court grants bail to Jamia Coordination Committee member Safoora Zargar, in a case related #DelhiViolence that broke out in February this year.
ED raids at six locations in Delhi-NCR in PMLA probe against suspended AAP councilor Tahir Hussain in riots case: Officials

Taliban killed 291 Afghan security personnel in past week-Pak Radio

20 US senators write to US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about serious threats faced by religious minorities in Afghanistan. Terror attacks by ISIS threaten survival of Afghanistan’s Sikh and Hindu communities. Emergency refugee protection sought.

This justify the effort of New Delhi to enact on CAA?

In Afghanistan, Taliban have killed at least 291 Afghan security personnel over the past week.
Spokesman of the Afghan National Security Council, in a Tweet, said that the Taliban carried out 422 attacks in 32 provinces during the past week, killing 291 security force personnel and wounding 550 others.
He said this shows that Taliban’s commitment to reduce violence is meaningless, and their actions are inconsistent with their rhetoric on peace.
Meanwhile, Taliban Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has rejected the latest government figures.
He said the enemy aims to hurt the peace process and intra-Afghan talks by releasing such false reports.

Officer of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission Fatima (24) killed along with her driver in an IED blast by terrorists in Kabul, Afghanistan. This is what the Taliban and ISIS K is doing in Afghanistan with support from Pakistan- Indian Reports said.

Nation Amid COVID-19

Ayush Ministry lens on Baba Ramdev’s COVID-19 cure

Centre asks Patanjali to stop advertising the drug, seeks details on formulation.
Hours after yoga guru Baba Ramdev unveiled an Ayurvedic medicine — ‘Coronil and Swasari’, on Tue, claiming that clinical trials on COVID-19 affected patients had shown favourable results, the Central government asked Patanjali Ayurved Limited to stop advertising the drug and sought details on its claimed “successful trial and cure”.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Ayush on the claims made by Haridwar (Uttrakhand)-based Patanjali Ayurved in treating COVID-19, the Ministry noted that it had taken cognizance of the news being recently flashed on its drug by the company.
Facts of the claim related to the drug and details of the stated scientific study are not known to the Ministry, the statement said.
HC directs ICMR to verify claim on effectiveness of drug in COVID-19 treatment

Patanjali Ayurved has been asked to provide, at the earliest, details of the name and composition of the medicines being claimed as successful in COVID-19 treatment; site(s)/ hospital(s) where the research study was conducted; the protocol, sample size, Institutional Ethics Committee clearance, Clinical Trials Registry-India (CTRI) registration, and results data of the study, and to stop advertising/publicizing such claims till the issue had been duly examined.
The Ministry has also requested the concerned State Licensing Authority of the Uttarakhand government to provide copies of the license and product approval details of Ayurvedic medicines being claimed as useful in the treatment of COVID -19.

Regulated by Act

“Also, the concerned Ayurvedic drug manufacturing company has been informed that such advertisements of drugs including Ayurvedic medicines are regulated under the provisions of the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 and Rules thereunder and the directives issued by the Central Government in the wake of COVID outbreak. The Ministry had also issued a Gazette Notification on April 21, 2020 stating the requirements and the manner in which research studies on COVID-19 with Ayush interventions/medicines should be undertaken,’’ the Ministry said.

‘100 patients’

Meanwhile, scientists associated with the trial said they had not yet published the results. Dr. Abhishekh Sharma, Assistant Professor of Medicine, National Institute of Medical Sciences, and among those who supervised the trial, said that 100 patients, who had tested positive for the virus, were recruited for the trial. Of them, 50 were given the medicine and five dropped out midway. The remaining 50 were administered a placebo.
- “69% of the 45, when tested on the third day, were found clear of the virus and half of those on the placebo recovered,” said Dr. Sharma. That works out to 31 of those on the treatment tested negative, and 25 of those on placebo tested negative.
- No other details on the profiles of the COVID-19 positive persons — the degree of sickness in those who enrolled for the trial, their age, whether they were on other medication prior to enrolment — were immediately available.

Clinical trial registry

A check on the clinical trial registry, where all trials must be registered, showed that a wide spectrum of patients were solicited. They were “asymptomatic, mildly symptomatic, moderately symptomatic and those aged 15-80”. The original aim of the study was to check the status of patients at day 3, day 7 and day 14, and whether they had improved immunological parameters due to the medicine. The medicine regime involved are the Tablet Swasari Ras (500 mg), Tablet Pure Ashwagandha Extract (500 mg), Tablet Pure Giloy Extract (500 mg), Tablet Pure Tulsi Extract (500 mg) and Anu Taila (nasal drop), according to information on the clinical trial website.