Newsletter 27 October

Sino-Indian Standoff:

India-US Concluded third 2+2 Dialogue, just in 2 years Today

India and US can cooperate on defeating the pandemic that originated from Wuhan and confront the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to the security and freedom in the region, said US Secretary Pompeo in Press Conference on Tue.

India, US inked pact for geospatial intelligence, will help in missile-targeting & navigation

India is now set to get access to advanced satellite imagery, topographical and aeronautical digital data in real time from the US for further enhancing the accuracy of its missiles and armed drones as well as long-range navigation of military aircraft.
The signing of the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement for Geospatial Cooperation (BECA), during the “2+2” dialogue on Tue, just days ahead of a contested US election, reflects the Indian Govt’s close cooperation with the Trump administration as well as its confidence that the pact will enjoy bi-partisan support in America.
Singh on Tue stressed that the BECA would open new avenues in information sharing at the India-US. While US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said that both the countries are meeting the “challenges of the day” and principles of a “free and open India-Pacific“.
The two are also signed the Maritime Information Sharing Technical Arrangement (MISTA) to enhance cooperation between their navies.
Ahead of the India-US 2+2 ministerial dialogue, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval had a meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, at South Block, ANI reported.

On Mon, the two US secretaries, US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo and US Defense Secretary Mark Esper is on a two-day visit to India, held separate talks with Indian counterparts – S Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh.

Call on PM Narendra Modi by US Secretaries of State and Defense Secy M Pompeo & M Esper. Guidance from the highest levels of Indian & American leadership has been instrumental in further strengthening and deepening the multifaceted ties between the two countries: MEA tweeted

Jaishankar, Pompeo hold meeting ahead of 2+2 talks, agreed global strategic partnership critical for India-US security

Jaishankar and Pompeo, had a meeting on Mon wherein they agreed that US-India Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership is “critical to the security and prosperity” of both the countries, the Indo-Pacific region and the world.
Discussion included a wide range of issues addressing responding to regional security issues, to collaborating on vaccine development and economic prosperity, according to the US State Department.
During the meeting with Jaishankar, Secretary Pompeo welcomed India’s upcoming term on the UN Security Council and the opportunity for the US and India to work closely together on issues of mutual and global concern.
Earlier in the day, both the top US administration officials visited the National War Memorial and paid tributes to India’s fallen heroes.

India urges concerned parties in Middle East to stop support to terrorist groups like ISIL

Underlining that political instability, long-festering conflicts, sectarian divides, issue of refugees and terrorism continue to plague the Middle East, TS Tirumurti, India’s permanent representative at the UN, on Mon called on concerned parties in the region to completely stop support to terrorist forces like the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and others.

Tirumurti, on New Delhi’s stand “interlinked and mutually reinforcing challenges“.

India has invested much in the peace and stability of the region by deploying its personnel as part of UN peacekeeping forces, through humanitarian assistance, development cooperation and capacity building, and will continue its contribution towards peace-building in the Middle East, Tirumurti said.

India urges Israel and Palestine to resume direct negotiations at the earliest and asked the international community to take concrete steps towards resuming and facilitating these negotiations quickly.

Hizb chief Sallahuddin, IM's Bhatkal brothers designated 'terrorists' under UAPA

Chief of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen Syed Sallahudin and founders of Indian Mujahideen outfit Bhatkal brothers are among the 18 people who have been designated as “terrorists” under the anti-terror law, an official spokesperson said on Tue.
The hijackers of an Indian Airlines plane in 1999 – Abdul Rauf Asghar, Ibrahim Athar and Yusuf Azhar — have also been named in the list, prepared under provisions of the amended Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Among those named in the list of terrorists were Sajid Mir, Pakistan based top Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT) commander who was one of the main planners of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack; Yusuf Muzammil, an LeT commander and accused in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack; Abdur Rehman Makki, brother-in-law of Lashker chief Hafiz Saeed, who heads political affairs and has served in the outfit’s foreign relations department.
Decision on a day when US Secretaries State & Defense are in New Delhi.

Now, any Indian citizen can buy land in Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh-MHA

The ministry of home affairs on Tue notified new laws for the UTs of JnK and Ladakh, which come into force with immediate effect.
The Centre has repealed or substituted 26 laws of the erstwhile state.
The Centre has omitted the phrase “permanent resident of the state” from Section 17 of the JnK Development Act that deals with disposal of the land in the union territory.
However, the amendments did not allow transfer of agricultural land to non-agriculturists.
Reacting to the MHA notification, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said that JnK is now up for sale.

"Important Day for Atmanirbhar Bharat": PM Modi on SVANidhi Scheme

This scheme was launched on June 1 and started receiving applications via online portals, PM Modi said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with SVANidhi beneficiaries from Uttar Pradesh via video conferencing on Tue and said that the street vendors are now becoming ”Atmanirbhar” by the help of this scheme.
It’s an important day for ”Atmanirbhar Bharat”. Centre worked in the direction of helping the poor by launching ”Garib Kalyan Yojana” worth ₹ 1 lakh 70,000 crores, he added.
“An economic package of ₹ 20 lakh crores was also introduced while giving priority to the welfare of poor people,” said PM Modi.

PM inaugurated National Conference of CBI on vigilance awareness through video conferencing

Will set up statutory body to curb farm fires: Centre to SC

Solicitor general Tushar Mehta told a bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde, Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, “The legislative step will create a permanent body with adequate powers. In the past, certain ad hoc steps were taken. Now, a statutory body will be created. We will come out with a draft legislation in four days.”
Researchers look for tech solutions as daily fire count crosses 1,000 mark in Punjab and Haryana, revealed the data by Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), an independent policy research institution, on Thu.
This mass burning of agriculture residue leads to emission of particulate matter (PM-10 and PM-2.5) and greenhouse gases (GHG), which contribute to the poor air quality in Punjab, Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).

The problem: The air quality in N India, particularly along the Indo-Gangetic plains, stoops to dangerously low levels between Oct and Nov every year. This is also the time when farmers in the region set fire to their agricultural waste after harvesting their paddy fields.

NEIGHBORHOOD/ WORLD

US Proceeds With Arms Sale Worth $2.37 Billion To Taiwan Despite China Imposing sanctions

On Mon, the US government announced the plans for arms sale of Boeing’s Harpoon missile systems worth $2.37 billion to Taiwan.

Reacting on deal, Chinese Foreign Ministry said “US arms sales to Taiwan island violate the three China-US Joint Communiques; China urges the US stop and withdraw all its arms sales to the island, and will take legitimate and necessary measures to safeguard its sovereignty and security interests.

Bomb at seminary in Pakistan kills 7 children, wounds 70

A powerful bomb blast ripped through an Islamic seminary on the outskirts of the northwest Pakistani city of Peshawar on Tue morning, police and a hospital spokesman said. There was a general threat alert in the Peshawar district, said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police chief Sanaullah Abbasi, who also confirmed the death toll.

COVID-19

AstraZeneca, Oxford Univ. buoyed by vaccine response

British pharma giant AstraZeneca said on Mon trials of its coronavirus vaccine pioneered with Oxford University had shown “encouraging” responses among elderly, as well as younger participants. The potential vaccine, one of 10 around the world in the most advanced phase III of trials, showed “strong immune responses” in all adult groups during the previous stage.
3 vaccine candidates in different stages of clinical testing- Covaxin has got approval for phase III trials, Cadila also progressing with phase-II trials & Serum is completing phase 2b trial and has an ongoing trial in Brazil, South Africa & US: Balram Bhargava, DG, ICMR
Long-term exposure to air pollution may be linked to 15% of Covid-19 deaths globally.