Newsletter 21 January

Sino-Indian Standoff:

India to kick off major drills in Andaman Sea to sharpen military synergy

The Indian military will carry out complex drills, codenamed Kavach (shield), off the Andaman and Nicobar Islands next week to fine-tune joint war-fighting capabilities and sharpen operational synergy between the three services, with the high-tempo exercise involving fighter jets, transport aircraft, helicopters, warships, infantry combat vehicles and elements of special forces, the def ministry announced on Thu.
The exercise being conducted at a time when India and China are locked in a border standoff in the Eastern Ladakh theatre
The military drills will be coordinated by the Port Blair-based Andaman and Nicobar Command—India’s only tri-services command.
According to the Defense Ministry – “The exercise will involve synergized application of maritime surveillance assets, coordinated air and maritime strikes, air defense, submarine and landing operations.”
From carrying out naval drills with like-minded countries to reaching out to states in the IOR, India’s focus remains on checking China’s rising ambitions in the region and sending out a strong message that Beijing’s power play in South China Sea cannot be replicated in the Indian Ocean.
The waters in which the exercise is being conducted hold strategic value for India as China is trying to open multiple routes to the Indian Ocean to overcome the Malacca Dilemma (China’s strategic weakness).
A significant volume (more than 80%) of China’s oil imports passes through the strait connecting the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea.

Australia, Canada, India, the US and Japan are conducting a multilateral anti-submarine exercise, “Sea Dragon 2021.”

Self-reliance in defense is a strategic necessity: Army Chief

Army Chief General MM Naravane on Thu emphasized the need for India to become self-reliant in the field of defense underlining that India is lagging behind in terms of defense modernization compared to its adversaries. It is imperative for us to invest in building long term indigenous capabilities for application across the entire spectrum of conflict.

UAE Air Force to help 3 Rafale fighters reach India, 7 more in April-HT

The UAE Air Force’s Airbus multi-role transport tanker will twice refuel the 3 Indian fighter jets on their non-stop 8-hour flight from Bordeaux-Merignac base in France to join the Golden Arrows Squadron in Ambala.
India and the UAE are expected to take bilateral ties to the next level with the 2 countries, along with France, discussing conducting trilateral military exercises
At a meeting of the consultative committee of the External Affairs Ministry on Jan 16, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar told the Congress MPs that it was due to the intense efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that India’s relationship with Gulf countries had gone way beyond diaspora and energy as in the past.
The state of the relationship will be on display later this month when the United Arab Emirates Air Force will handle the mid-air refueling of India’s 3 Rafale fighter jets flying into the Indian Air Force station at Ambala from France.
When 5 Rafale fighters flew non-stop to India from France on July 29, 2020, the aircraft was refueled four times by a French MRTT.
The UAE Air Force will also provide mid-air refueling to the next batch of 7 Rafale fighters coming to India in the second half of April.
The UAE Air Force’s gesture is the first-of-its-kind and reflects how the 2 countries are rapidly cementing their security ties.
The next level would be trilateral military exercises involving France, UAE and India.
Officials said National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, one of the key architects of relations with UAE and Saudi Arabia, and Diplomatic Advisor to the French President, Emmanuel Bonne, had discussed the trilateral military exercises during the strategic dialogue held during Bonne’s India visit on Jan 6.
As of now, four French Air Force’s Rafale fighters along with an Airbus MRTT are exercising with the Indian Air Force in the skies over Pokhran.
The French fighters will later participate in annual exercises with the Australian Air Force. India is also considering Airbus MRTT as one of the options to boost IAF’s power projection and endurance in Asia.

India using vaccine diplomacy in South Asia to push back against China

Free shipments of AstraZeneca’s vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, the world’s biggest producer of vaccines, have begun arriving in the Maldives, Bhutan, Bangladesh & Nepal.
India will give millions of doses of Covid-19 vaccine to South Asian countries in the next few weeks, Govt sources said on Thu, drawing praise from its neighbors and pushing back against China’s dominating presence in the region.
Myanmar and the Seychelles are next in line to get free consignments as India uses its strength as one of the world’s biggest makers of generic drugs to build friendships.
“The GoI has shown goodwill by providing the vaccine in grant. This is at the people’s level, it is the public who are suffering the most from Covid-19,” said Nepal’s Min for Health and Population Hridayesh Tripathi.
The gesture comes at a time that India’s ties with Nepal have been strained by a territorial dispute and Indian concern over China’s expanding political and economic influence in the Himalayan nation sandwiched between the Asian giants.
China, which had promised Nepal help to deal with the pandemic, is awaiting ‘Nepali clearance for its Sinopharm shots’.
Bangladesh was supposed to get 110,000 doses of vaccine free from Chinese firm Sinovac Biotech, but Bangladesh refused to contribute towards the development cost of the vaccine leading to deadlock.
Bangladesh has instead turned to India for urgent supplies and on Thu was due to receive 2 million shots of the AstraZeneca vaccine as a gift from India.

The incident of fire at the SII took place at Manjri Plant

Fire under control.
It will not affect the production of vaccine:
Fire continues to rage at the 4^th and 5^th floors of SEZ3 building inside Terminal Gate 1 of SII, in Pune.
All employees and workers evacuated safely.
Fire started at BCG manufacturing section of institute.
Fire in such important institute is questionable, enquiry is must- KK Agrawal, Ex-President, IMA

Conflict has become more complex with involvement of regional players: TS Tirumurti

“As we begin our new Council term 8 yrs later, it’s disheartening to note that ongoing crisis in Syria still has no end in sight & political process is yet to take off. Conflict has become more complex with involvement of regional players”: TS Tirumurti, Permanent Representative of India to UN
Terrorism emanating from Syria has spread far, even reaching parts of Africa. Foreign fighters involved in the Syrian conflict have also moved to other places as mercenaries, he stated.
We hope that the conflict in Syria will end and the reconstruction of Syria will begin. Towards this objective India is ready to play a constructive and meaningful role in the Council, he added.

PM Modi, CMs likely to get vaccine in phase 2 of inoculation drive

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Chief Ministers are likely to get vaccinated against Covid-19 in the 2^nd round of the inoculation campaign.

Supreme Court rejects Aadhaar review plea in 4:1 verdict

A 5-judge bench of the SC by majority of 4:1 has dismissed a petition seeking re-examination of its 2018 verdict by which the “Aadhaar Act was declared valid and constitutional”.
The review petitions were considered by a bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar, Ashok Bhushan, S Abdul Nazeer, B R Gavai and D Y Chandrachud.
While former 4 Justices were in favor of dismissal of the review petition, Justice Chandrachud disagreed with his brother judges and said the review petition should be kept pending until the issue of the validity of certification of Aadhaar Bill as a Money Bill had been settled by a larger Constitution bench.
Interestingly, it was Justice Chandrachud who had given a dissent verdict in 2018 by declaring the Aadhaar Act as unconstitutional when the other four judges of the Constitution bench had upheld the law.
Justice Chandrachud, in his 12-page verdict, pointed out that the majority opinion in the Aadhaar case in relation to the question whether the Aadhaar Act was a money bill has been doubted by a coordinate bench and the matter had been referred to a larger bench.

Amid Tandav Row, Supreme Court Issues Notice To Mirzapur Makers & Amazon On Complaint PIL

Trouble has mounted for Amazon Prime Video’s ‘Mirzapur’ as the SC issued notice to the makers of the web series over ‘poor’ portrayal of the district.
The case was filed based on a complaint by Arvind Chaturvedi on Jan 18, for allegedly hurting religious, social, and regional sentiments and damaging social harmony. It also alleges that the series hurts religious beliefs by focusing on abusive and illicit relationships.

Farmers Protest

Govt denied permission to hold tractor rally on Delhi's outer ring road, says farmer leader ANI

Darshan Pal, Krantikari Kisan Union on Thu said that Central Govt. denied the proposed tractor rally on Republic day due to the security concerns. However, the famer leader said that they will hold R-Day tractor parade only on Outer Ring Road while Delhi Police denied the permission.

Ahead of budget session, Opposition to decide on attending all-party meet called by PM Modi-ANI

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MP Prem Singh Chandumajra said that the parties which have extended their support to farmers’ agitation will decide if they want to attend it or boycott the meet called PM Modi on Jan 30, over the ongoing protest against farm laws “We can meet on Jan 28 or Jan 29 or an hour before the meet (all-party meeting).
The meeting is likely to take place virtually.
The SAD MP also met BJP-ally Janata Dal (United) to seek its support on the demand of repealing farm laws. Chandumajra informed that SAD leaders have reached out to the Opposition as well as to allies of BJP to take up the issue of “destruction of the federal structure by not allowing the States to spend from various heads in the budget”.

In a major concession to farmers’ unions opposing the new agri laws, the Centre on Wed said it was ready to suspend implementation of the legislations for up to one and a half years if the farm representatives agreed to form a committee to discuss all issues and objections threadbare and arrive at a solution.

JnK Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha chaired the Unified Command meeting at Jammu of all security forces and agencies in the Union Territory to review security situation and operational preparedness of the forces.

5 lakh or so Rohingyas and outsiders’ names are in voter list, EC should take note & weed them out. The balance of voters has been tampered with as a result. TMC should not be under belief that all Muslims will vote for them: Dilip Ghosh, President of West Bengal unit of BJP

PM Modi on Sat will launch a special program of the Assam Govt to distribute land ‘patta’ or land allotment certificates to over one lakh landless indigenous people: Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal

NEIGHBORHOOD/ WORLD

China sanctions Pompeo, 27 Trump officials as Biden took oath

Chinese Foreign Ministry’s move seemed to signal Beijing’s anger against Pompeo who on his final day in office said that China had committed genocide against Uighur Muslims.
China sanctioned outgoing top officials under former President Donald Trump, accusing them of “hatred” against the Chinese and carrying out “crazy” moves to harm its interests.
Other sanctioned former Trump officials include Trade Chief Peter Navarro, National Security Advisers Robert O’Brien and John Bolton, Health Secretary Alex Azar, UN ambassador Kelly Craft and former top Trump aide Steve Bannon.
Biden administration calls China sanctions on Trump officials ‘unproductive’

Pak Envoy, China’s Vice Minister discuss further strengthening of bilateral exchanges

Ambassador of Pakistan to China, Moin Ul Haq held a meeting with China’s Vice Minister for Asian Affairs, Luo Zhaohui in Beijing today and discussed further strengthening of bilateral exchanges and cooperation in the year 2021.
Both sides reviewed with satisfaction the steady growth in bilateral relations in 2020 despite difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was also agreed to strengthen communication on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and COVID-19 vaccines to fast-track post-pandemic economic recovery.
He said he held a detailed conversation with the Chinese Foreign Minister in which he “discussed Pakistan’s requirements”, after Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed him to increase interaction with Beijing “considering the sensitivity of the situation”
Dawn reported that China will provided 0.5 million vaccine doses.

Biden halts US withdrawal from WHO ANI

Hours after being sworn in, President Joe Biden on Wed (local time) informed United Nations Director-General Antonio Guterres about the US’ decision to re-join the World Health Organization. US will ‘fulfil its financial obligations’ to WHO: Dr Anthony Fauci said. US thanks WHO for leading global COVID19 response, he added.

Biden reforms on Day 1 set to cheer Indian diaspora

President Joe Biden is sending a bill to Congress on day one to restore humanity and American values to our immigration system. The bill provides hardworking people who enrich our communities every day and who have lived here for years, in some cases for decades, an opportunity to earn citizenship,” — these are the first few sentences of a release rolled out by the Biden-Harris transition team.

Pakistan successfully tests Shaheen 3 ballistic missile

Rawalpindi Pakistan has successfully tested the ballistic missile ‘Shaheen 3’ which can hit a target up to 2,750 km.
ISPR released a video on Twitter saying that Pakistan had launched a ballistic missile flight- Shaheen 3 successfully hitting a target.
The purpose of the experiment was to test various designs and technical parameters of the weapons system.
However, the Baloch Republican Party Media Cell reported that Pakistani rmy tests missiles on civilians in Dera Bugti, destroys several houses, injures several.