Newsletter 11 August

Chinese aggression at the LAC, Pakistan securing additional supplies of experienced Taliban terrorists. Difficult as it is in the current economic context, India has to look at additional resources devoted to defense, covert activities, and internal security.

Rs 42,000 crore stealth submarine, domestically with foreign collaboration, plan for the Indian Navy to finally kick off

India is now finally getting set to issue the formal tender for the long-pending over Rs 42,000 crore project to make six new-generation stealth submarines domestically with foreign collaboration.
ET reported the tender or request for proposal will be issued by next month to defense shipyard Mazagon Docks and L&T for the submarine program called Project-75 India (P-75I).
The Navy, grappling with an ageing and fast-depleting underwater combat arm, hopes to induct the first new submarine seven years after the P-75I contract is finally inked by 2021-22. [1]

Interpol warned cyber criminals are targeting large corporations, governments

Within Asia and South Pacific region, coronavirus-related fraud and phishing attempts have been on the rise.
This region also saw illegal online sale of fake medical supplies, drugs and personal protective equipment.
This become important to consider with angle of posting on site of Defense Ministry post, claimed Chines incursion in Laddakh, which is denied by Min Spokesperson [2]

Centre has given in-principle approval for 2nd NIV Centre in Punjab: CMO

Approximately Rs 400 crore would be required for the center with BSL-3 (Bio-Safety Lab) facility and an additional Rs 150 crore would be needed for the BSL-4 facility excluding the 25 Acre land, which would be provided by the Govt of Punjab. The only other lab is in NIV Pune. [3]

Russia registers coronavirus vaccine, Putin’s daughter inoculates

Russian authorities have said that medical workers, teachers and other risk groups will be the first to be inoculated. Russia on Tue became the first country to officially register a coronavirus vaccine and declare it ready for use, despite international skepticism.

Daughters have equal coparcenary rights in joint Hindu family property: SC

Holding that the daughters cannot be deprived of their right of equality, the Supreme Court Tue ruled that they will have equal coparcenary rights in joint Hindu family property even if the father died before the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act 2005.
The order was passed by a 3-judge SC bench of Justices Arun Mishra, S Nazeer and MR Shah
Coparcener is a term used for a person who assumes a legal right in the parental property by birth only.

India to promote manufacturing of some products to boost market share

In the last few months, the government has announced production-linked incentives for manufacturing of electronics, medical devices and pharmaceutical products while putting restrictions on imports of Chinese products.
The government aims to attract foreign investments in pre-identified areas, promote joint ventures and support local businesses to expand India’s share of global markets, Nitin Gadkari, India’s minister for MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises), told a virtual conference.

Mizoram orders fuel rationing amid shortage due to COVID19 curbs. 3 l of fuel allowed for scooters, 5 l for other two-wheelers, 10 l for LMVs, 20 l for maxicabs, pickup trucks, and mini trucks, and 100 l for city buses and medium trucks.

Neighborhood

In China

China increases military drills as tensions with US heat up

China is stepping up military drills around East Asia as a war of words with the United States heats up over Washington’s military activities and the visit of a US cabinet secretary to Taiwan.
Beijing has stepped up the pace of its war games in recent weeks, after the US sent two aircraft carrier strike groups on rare dual-carrier exercises in the South China Sea twice in the month of July. [4]

All Chinese, including HK citizens, strongly oppose and condemn US sanctions and blatant interference in our internal affairs. The unyielding officials stated they’re not afraid of sanctions. Intimidation won’t work on China, but exposes US bullying and double standards.

China’s nuclear power is not at the same level as that of the US and Russia, and it is not yet the right timing for China to join their nuclear disarmament talks, Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai has said.

Starting from Sept 25, all goods made in Hong Kong intended for export to the US will be labelled “Made in China”

In Pakistan

Army chief briefed on Pakistan’s internal, external security situation: ISPR

Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited the headquarters of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) on Mon’s evening to evaluate internal and external security situation of the country, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) Pak Media.
This comes amid Pakistan’s strained ties with India, which have worsened after Aug 5, 2019, when India revoked occupied Kashmir’s special status.
According to the ISPR, Indian troops have committed 1,877 ceasefire violations this year, so far, in which 15 innocent civilians, including 6 women and 5 children, have been martyred. [5]

Saudi Arabia ends loan and oil supply to Pakistan over its criticism of OIC on Kashmir – Middle East Monitor

As we reported, Pakistan was last week forced to repay a Saudi loan of $1 billion that the kingdom called in after Pakistan insisted it be allowed to lead the OIC’s support for Kashmir, a region largely under Indian occupation and which was annexed by India last year.
The loan was part of a $6.2 bn package announced by Saudi in Nov ‘18, which included a total of $3 bn in loans and an oil credit facility amounting to $3.2 bn. [6]

COVID-19 Update

With 53,601 new cases, India’s Covid-19 tally climbed to 22,68,675. In the last 24 hrs, 871 additional deaths have been reported and the total number of fatalities has risen to 45,257.
Indian Academic Crisis? Impact of COVID-19 outbreak may see millions of students slipping out of school systems.
PM Modi says West Bengal, Bihar, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana need more testing and if a person found positive, test the whole area within 72 hrs.
Bhutan Orders First Nationwide Lockdown As Coronavirus Cases Hit 113. The lockdown was ordered after a Bhutanese woman, who returned from Kuwait and was discharged from quarantine after testing negative, tested positive at a clinic on Mon.
For the first time in the country, COVID19 fatality rate has fallen below 2% and is currently at 1.99%: Health Ministry
India has crossed the milestone of conducting more than 2.5 Crore COVID19 sample tests across India. There are more than 6.98 lakh tests being done on a daily basis.
“India is working on 3 vaccines for #COVID19 at present Health Min

The force currently has only 2 new Scorpene and 13 old (all commissioned well over 20 years ago) diesel-electric conventional submarines, apart from 2 nuclear-powered submarines.
1. The 4 more of the French-origin Scorpenes will be delivered by 2022 under the ongoing over Rs 23,000 crore Project-75 at MDL.
2. But China, which is expanding its naval presence in the Indian Ocean region, already has 50 diesel-electric and 10 nuclear submarines.
3. Pakistan, which has 5 submarines, in turn will begin inducting 8 new Chinese Yuan-class submarines, with air-independent propulsion (AIP) for great underwater endurance, from next year onwards.
4. India’s P-75I for 6 new submarines, with both land-attack cruise missiles and AIP, was first granted “acceptance of necessity (AoN)” way back in Nov 2007 but is yet to be finalized.
5. None of the major 6-7, “Make in India” defense projects, collectively worth over Rs 3.5 lakh crore, in fact, have actually taken off in the last 6-7 years.
6. The MoD says P-75I, which can be finalized by Dec 2021 at the earliest, will bring in key technologies to ensure the next submarine-building project (P-76) is completely indigenous in design and technology.
7. Under the approved plans, the Navy should get 18 conventional submarines as well as 6 nuclear-powered attack submarines (called SSNs) and 4 nuclear-powered submarines with long-range nuclear-tipped missiles (SSBNs) for effective deterrence against China and Pakistan.
Some findings highlighted by the INTERPOL assessment of the cybercrime landscape in relation to the COVID-19:
1. Threat actors have revised their usual online scams and phishing schemes.
2. Cybercriminals are increasingly using disruptive malware against critical infrastructure and healthcare institutions, due to the potential for high impact and financial benefit.
3. The deployment of data harvesting malware such as Remote Access Trojan, info stealers, spyware and banking Trojans by cybercriminals is on the rise.
4. Taking advantage of the increased demand for medical supplies and information on COVID-19, there has been a significant increase of cybercriminals registering domain names containing keywords, such as “coronavirus” or “COVID”.
5. These fraudulent websites underpin a wide variety of malicious activities including C2 servers, malware deployment and phishing.
6. Unverified information, inadequately understood threats, and conspiracy theories have contributed to anxiety in communities and in some cases facilitated the execution of cyberattacks. Nearly 30% of countries which responded to the global cybercrime survey confirmed the circulation of false information related to COVID-19.
The NIV Centre will help develop rapid and affordable quality diagnostic assays for viral diseases, besides introducing teaching courses for M.Sc. Medical Virology and DM, Virology.
1. Singh had written to PM Narendra Modi on Apr 10 requesting him to direct the Union Min of Health to set up the proposed center, which would focus on addressing regional, national and global needs in virology, diagnostic, research and therapeutic evaluations to cope with the Covid-19 pandemic.
CNN reported “the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) may consider live-fire exercises near the US island of Guam.”
1. The visit of US Health and Human Services Secy Alex Azar to the self-governed island of Taiwan this week has added fuel to the smoldering tensions.
2. Azar is the highest-ranking US official to visit the island — which Beijing regards as Chinese territory -in decades.
3. Azar’s presence in Taipei is “a serious breach” of US commitments on Taiwan, Chinese FM spokesperson Zhao Lijian said Mon. See yesterdays’ letter.
4. Yesterday it has also been added few fighter jets entered in Taiwan’s air space.
In June, PM Imran Khan along with his key ministers, had also visited the ISI headquarters where he was briefed on the national security.
1. “A comprehensive briefing was given to the prime minister encompassing complex regional and domestic challenges with special focus on Pakistan’s efforts for restoration of peace and stability,” the statement issued after the meeting had stated.
2. While Indian side always blamed Pak side for CFVs. As many as 2,027 ceasefire violations by Pakistanhave taken place along the Line of Control (LoC) in JnK till June 10^th, this year.
Background
1. Relations between the two countries then started to break down, however, when Riyadh turned down Islamabad’s request to convene a special meeting of the OIC’s Council of Foreign Ministers.
2. Pakistan continued to demand the OIC use its role to help Kashmir, with FM Shah Mahmood Qureshi stating in an interview with the Pakistani news channel ARY last week that “I am once again respectfully telling OIC that a meeting of the Council of FMs is our expectation.”
3. He went further by warning that Pakistan would be forced to take it into its own hands, saying that “If you cannot convene it, then I’ll be compelled to ask PM Khan to call a meeting of the Islamic countries that are ready to stand with us on the issue of Kashmir and support the oppressed Kashmiris.”