Newsletter 18 December

Sino-Indian Standoff: Despite Beijing’s verbal commitments of mutual military de-escalation the PLA has no intentions of withdrawal

Ministry of External Affairs said that “Two sides agreed that based on guidance provided by senior leaders and agreements reached between two FMs and Special Representatives, they would continue to work towards ensuring complete disengagement in all friction points along LAC in Western Sector at the earliest.” 20^th meeting of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) was held today.

Two sides reviewed the developments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in India-China border areas since last round of WMCC held on 30 Sept 2020. However, in nutshell nothing much appears from statement.

Diplomats from both sides will hold a virtual meeting under the WMCC on Border Affairs, where they are likely to discuss disengagement of troops, thousands of whom have dug in on either side of the LAC in sub-zero conditions.
India on Thu called for further discussions with China to reach a “mutually acceptable solution” on complete disengagement at all friction points on the LAC against the backdrop of the nearly 8-month border standoff.
Chinese embassy Press note: ‘China and India Hold the 20^th Meeting of WMCC on Border Affairs. The two sides spoke highly of the outcomes of the 8^th round of Senior Commanders Meeting agreed to continue dialogue and consultation via diplomatic and military channels, hold the 9^th round of Senior Commanders Meeting as soon as possible, properly deal with the outstanding issues on the ground, and jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas.’

Ready to help India defend itself, said Israel envoy.

Israel won’t be found wanting in meeting India’s requirements to defend itself against all challenges and hostilities though such cooperation is not directed against any other country, Israeli ambassador Ron Malka has said.
The normalization of ties between Israel and key West Asian states UAE and Bahrain presents new opportunities for trilateral cooperation with India in areas such as trade and technology, he said.

The strategic Ladakh region will get 36 new helipads by April 2021.The new helipads will add more teeth to the armed forces in the region where India has been engaged in a protracted stand-off with China.

China’s new road cuts travel time to Karakoram Pass, raises red flags in Delhi

Chinese infrastructure building activity has also increased in depth areas with a new logistics depot coming up at Golmud, 1,000 km from the LAC that will have an underground petroleum storage facility.
Satellite imagery and communication intercepts along the 3,488 km LAC shows that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is undertaking a significant road and building infrastructure upgrade across Karakoram Pass and Aksai Chin to ramp up military capacities and capability against India.
While the Govt is tight-lipped about the developments, the number of military vehicles and troop hutments have increased along the 597-km Ladakh LAC with a number of fresh dug-outs indicating that PLA is prepared for a long haul with Indian Army.
Indian officials said what was a matter of serious concern was that China has built an alternative 8-10 m wide road for bigger vehicles carrying heavy equipment to Karakoram Pass that would shorten the distance to the strategic gateway into Daulet Beg Oldi sector by 2 hours.
The Chinese infra building activity has also increased in depth areas with a new logistics depot that will have an underground petroleum and oil storage facility coming up at Golmud.
The new depot is nearly 1,000 km from the LAC but is linked to Lhasa via Tibet Railway, which will enhance the capacity and capability of the PLA to deploy in Tibetan border with India for a long time and feed the troops in case of a worst-case scenario.
While there is continuous activity on Sikkim border, the new concern is the building of 2 new underground facilities at Pang Ta air base across Arunachal Pradesh.
The PLA uses underground tunnels inside mountains for housing aircraft rather than blast pens on the air bases. A similar tunnel park has been noticed at Lhasa Gonggar air base with increased no of military aircraft.
The 1962 Xinjiang military command town of Kangxiwar across Karakoram Pass and on the banks of Karakash River is being revived with a direct highway connectivity to Hotan, (320 km from Ladakh LAC) a critical air base of PLA Air Force for dominating the restive Uighurs and a launch pad of fighter operations in case of a worst case scenario in East Ladakh.

China has developed a formidable inventory of cruise missiles, which poses a threat to India’s own military infrastructure. The report lays out the imperative for India: to build up its long-range cruise missile forces. The India’s current capabilities would not allow its military to conduct long-range, offensive precision attacks against Chinese military bases, command centers and air bases, as China is capable of doing against India.

Security issues may arise before India in future: Singh

Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Fri said that with changing times, the nature of threats and wars is also changing, adding that in the future, more security-related issues may arise before India, while attending the Military Literature Festival-2020 virtually.
“In ancient times, there have been scholars like ‘Chanakya’ who have written about warfare, which is still relevant in many respects,” said Defense Minister.

Defense Ministry clears 11 advance warships for Navy, 6 surveillance planes for IAF

After scrapping orders given to the Pipavav shipyard, the Indian Navy has got the approval now to issue a tender worth over Rs 9,000 crore for acquiring 11 next-generation Offshore Patrol Vessels for its surface fleet.
The Ministry had recently approved the scrapping of a tender for acquiring five Naval Offshore Patrol Vessels from Anil Ambani-owned Pipavav Shipyards after long delays in the delivery schedule.
The numbers have now been added to the Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels project and instead of six, 11 of them would be acquired through a tender process under Make in India, sources said.
“Acquisition proposals approved today include the DRDO designed and developed Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) Systems for the Indian Air Force, Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels for the Indian Navy and modular bridges for the Indian Army,” Defense Ministry said in a release.
It said that in the first meeting of the Defense Acquisition Council under the new regime of Defense Acquisition Procedure 2020, the highest priority was accorded to giving the approval to Buy Indian.
“6 of the 7 proposals, that is, Rs 27,000 crore out of Rs 28,000 crore for which Acceptance of Necessities was granted will be sourced from the Indian industry to give a boost to the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives of the Government,” it said.
In the projects cleared on Thu, the major one was to approve the development of 6 Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEWC) Block-2 aircraft on the Airbus aircraft to be procured from Air India fleet.
India will win future war with indigenously-developed weapons, said Chief of Defense Staff, Gen Bipin Rawat

Joint Naval exercises tool for projection of nation's soft power, says Lt Gen Manoj Pande

Highlighting India’s “resolve and commitment” towards joint Naval exercises, Lt Gen Manoj Pande, Cmdr-in-chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command on Fri said that besides generating goodwill, joint exercises are a tool for projection of a nation’s soft power, while addressing a webinar on ‘Changing Dynamics of Indian Ocean Region‘.

Modi, Hasina highlight need for repatriation of displaced Rohingyas: MEA

India and Bangladesh, during a virtual summit, highlighted the need for safe, early and sustainable repatriation of displaced persons from Rakhine state back to Myanmar, said the Smita Pant, Joint Secy, B’-Myanmar MEA on Thu, while addressing a briefing.
MEA, said it was a very “fruitful summit” that included the inauguration of “significant projects and detailed discussions” in all areas of cooperation.
Both sides agreed and highlighted the need for safe early and sustainable repatriation of displaced persons from Rakhine state back to Myanmar.
We also appreciate and understand the humanitarian burden being faced by B’desh while hosting one million displaced persons,” she added.
Prime Minister Modi appreciated the generosity of Bangladesh in sheltering and providing humanitarian assistance to the 1.1 million forcibly displaced persons from the Rakhine state of Myanmar, according to a joint statement. Hasina, meanwhile, expressed B’desh’s expectation to see India assist in the repatriation of Rohingyas back to Myanmar, it added.

Palaniswami seeks PM Modi's intervention for release of 36 Indian fishermen from Sri Lankan custody

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has sought PM Modi’s intervention for the release of 36 Indian fishermen apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy.
In a letter to the PM on Thu, Palaniswami requested him to direct the MEA to urgently take up the issue with the highest authorities in Sri Lanka.

Ties with Turkey need ‘course correction’: Indian envoy

The Indian ambassador to Turkey, Sanjay Panda called for “course correction” in bilateral relations for “larger goals” of the two G20-member countries.
Addressing a virtual meetup hosted by Cemal Demir, who leads the Istanbul-based think-tank South Asia Strategic Research Center (GASAM), on Wednesday, the Indian envoy said any bilateral relationship has to be “seen in its totality.”
He added, “India-Turkey relations have been hostage to some misconception about history based on a wrong narrative crafted and propagated by vested interests”.

Farmer Protest Row…

Farm laws have not been introduced overnight, says PM Modi addressing Madhya Pradesh farmers

“Take all credit you want for farm reforms, I am folding my hands in front of all political parties,” PM Modi said. ‘Some people have always used the farmers, betrayed them. I urge all my farmers’ brothers to not fall for such people’.

“The new law gives farmers the freedom to sell their produce to APMC mandis as well as companies. This law will benefit them,” said PM Modi

Farmers in UP get Rs 50 lakh notice over protests, sum revised to 50,000

The 6 farmers who were served notices include Bharatiya Kisan Union (Asli) district president Rajpal Singh Yadav and farmer leaders Jaiveer Singh, Brahmachari Yadav, Satendra Yadav, Raudas and Veer Singh.

UP farmer leaders asked to furnish personal bonds worth Rs 5 lakh for carrying out protests. Notice put out by the office of SDM Sambhal.

TMC is getting free from betrayers, says Madan Mitra after resignations of three leaders

In the wake of resignations of Trinamool Congress (a state based Party) leaders Suvendu Adhikari, Jitendra Tiwari and Silbhadra Datta, former TMC Minister Madan Mitra said that the party is getting free from betrayers said TMC leader Madan Mitra while speaking to ANI. BJP is not a trustworthy party. They have destroyed everything. Meanwhile, center has provided Z+ security to Adhikari.

Indian Railways issues draft National Rail Plan set to become the template of planning for future

NRP has been developed to plan infrastructural capacity enhancement along with strategies to increase modal share of the Railways & Business
The objective of the Plan is to create capacity ahead of demand by 2030, which in turn would cater to growth in demand right up to 2050
As part of the National Rail Plan, Vision 2024 has been launched for accelerated implementation of certain critical projects by 2024
Future projects for implementation beyond 2024 in both track and signaling have been identified with clear cut timelines for implementation
3 Dedicated Freight Corridors, namely East Coast, E-W & N-S identified along with timelines.
Several new High Speed Rail Corridors have also been identified. Survey on Delhi-Varanasi High Speed Rail already under way

Japan industrial township to come up in Visakhapatnam: MG Reddy Samdani

Industries Minister, Andhra Pradesh MG Reddy has said that a mega Japan Industrial Township (JIT) is coming up at Visakhapatnam.
He said that the township will be spread over nearly 10 lakh sq.ft. in one of the industrial nodes of the Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC), India’s first coastal corridor as part of the East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC).
He said that the Govt had already announced a special fiscal incentive package to Japanese companies setting up manufacturing facilities in Japan Industrial Township, especially for companies shifting bases from China along with their suppliers. ‘Japanese cos already in AP have acted as our ambassadors.’

RIL, bp begin production from Asia's deepest gas project

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) and bp on Fri announced the start of production from the R Cluster, ultra-deep-water gas field in block KG D6 off the east coast.
RIL and bp are developing 3 deep-water gas projects in block KG D6 – R Cluster, Satellites Cluster and MJ – which together are expected to meet approximately 15% of India’s gas demand by 2023.
These projects will utilize the existing hub infrastructure in KG D6 block.
RIL is the operator of KG D6 with a 66.67% participating interest and bp holds a 33.3% participating interest.
The field is expected to reach plateau gas production of about 12.9 mn standard m³/day (mmscmd) in 2021.

NEIGHBORHOOD/ WORLD

Nuclear weapons agency breached amid massive cyber onslaught

Hackers accessed systems at the National Nuclear Security Administration, which maintains the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile.
The Energy Department and National Nuclear Security Administration, which maintains the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, have evidence that hackers accessed their networks as part of an extensive espionage operation that has affected at least half a dozen federal agencies, officials directly familiar with the matter said.
On Thu, DOE and NNSA officials began coordinating notifications about the breach to their congressional oversight bodies after being briefed by Rocky Campione, the chief information officer at DOE.

India Plans to further surgical strikes on Pak.

As in afternoon, Moeed W. Yusuf, Special Assistant to PM on National Security Division and Strategic Policy Planning, said in 5 tweets about India’s Plan, rewetted by Govt of Pak

As foreign Minister, Pakistan SM Qureshi has just informed international media in UAE, we have very specific and reliable intelligence of Indian plans to attempt surgical strikes against Pakistan.
We know that India is deeply unnerved because its acts of aggression against Pakistan through state sponsored terrorism and blatant disinformation based propaganda have been exposed.
India’s desperation has reached absurd levels if they think they can strike a united and proud nation that is a nuclear power. We have informed the world that we know exactly what India wants to do. We also know that some capitals were already aware.
We remind the world that peace is a collective responsibility. The world must prevent India from destabilizing the region in its attempt to divert attention from its domestic troubles.
Let there be no doubt that Pakistan stands for peace but if provoked, our armed forces are fully prepared to thwart any aggression on our homeland and teach our enemy the lesson they deserve.

Covid-19

Sputnik V vaccine over 95% effective: Putin

Sputnik V, the world’s first COVID-19 vaccine, is over 95% effective, said Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thu. Taking to Twitter, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) cited Putin saying that some health specialists have claimed that the vaccine’s protection level reaches up to 96-97%.