Pick of the Week :

The Indian Perspective:

Sino-India Standoff, Situation around LoC, New Air Chief taken the charge, Domestic defense up-gradation, India-Australia Talks, US-India to sign MoU for Satellite safeguard, EAM concluded Mexican Visit, Foreign Secy on 4-day Sri Lankan tripAyushman Bharat Digital Mission, Indian vaccination drive, Reciprocation on Vaccine certification, besides chaos in major Opposition party and farmers issue.

• Sino-Indian Standoff: India hits out at China; rejects fresh allegations against it over eastern Ladakh row
• At LoC: Army captures terrorist from Pakistan in J&K’s Uri sector
• Need a robust and reliable gun, says Army as artillery modernization plan faces hiccups
• CDS General Rawat meets his US counterpart in Washington, both call for continued cooperation
• Need a robust and reliable gun, says Army as artillery modernization plan faces hiccups
• India, US to conclude MoU to safeguard satellites from natural, man-made threats
• Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari takes over as new IAF chief from RKS Bhadauria
• India, US are on the same page on many issues relating to Afghanistan: Jaishankar
• External Affairs Minister meets Mexican counterpart Marcelo Ebrard Casaubón
• India & Australia vow free trade agreement by 2022, interim deal by Christmas
• India, UK in talks for early resolution on Covid travel rules row
• US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman to visit India on Oct 6-7
• Road blockade by farmers troubling commuters: SC

[ NEIGHBORHOOD ]

• Alarm over anti-Pakistan bill moved in US Senate
• External debt surpasses historic high of $122b, Pak Tribune
• Taliban want resumption of flights between India and Afghanistan, write to DGCA
• UNGA: Nepal condemns terrorism in all its forms, calls for complete disarmament
• Countries forming ‘exclusive cliques’ & hyping ‘China threat’ — Beijing slams Quad summit
• China has upgraded its best stealth fighter jet with domestic-made engines
• In ‘rare transit’, the British warship HMS Richmond crosses Taiwan Strait

SINO-INDIAN STANDOFF:

• China has deployed troops in considerable numbers all across Eastern Ladakh; Long-term solution needed to stop LAC incidents: Army chief, from Laddakh,
• India hits out at China; rejects fresh allegations against it over eastern Ladakh row
• China Deployed more PLA shelters, Steps up Night Drills, and brings in more advanced equipment on LAC
• PLA personnel: Sino-Indian border conflicts continue
• India expressed disappointment over China’s reluctance to permit stranded Indians return
• Chinese PLA in Uttarakhand’s Barahoti returns after damaging a bridge
• With big guns, Army keeps combat posture along LAC

China has deployed troops in considerable numbers all across Eastern Ladakh: China has deployed its troop in considerable numbers all across Eastern Ladakh and Northern front right up to our Eastern command, Army chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane said on Mon. There has been an increase in their deployment in the forward areas which remains a matter of concern for India, the Army chief said in an interview with ANI. This comes amid his visit to the forward areas in eastern Ladakh.

Long-term solution needed to stop LAC incidents: Army Chief general Naravane

Incidents of transgressions and faceoffs on the border between India and China will continue to take place till the two sides reach a boundary agreement to ensure lasting peace, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane has said.

• Asserting that the Army is well prepared to meet any misadventure on the border as it has demonstrated in the past, he said during the annual session meeting of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, on Fri, added that a long-term solution is needed to prevent such incidents from taking place.
• The Army Chief has resonated the stand on the armed forces on recent developments on the border with an aggressive China seeking to test the patience of Indian border forces with continuous provocations from Ladakh to the Northeast.

India hits out at China; rejects fresh allegations against it over eastern Ladakh row:

India hit out at China on Thu for once again holding it responsible for the eastern Ladakh standoff, asserting that the “provocative” behavior and “unilateral” attempts by the Chinese military to alter the status quo resulted in a serious disturbance of peace and tranquillity in the region.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said China continues to deploy a large number of troops and armaments in the border areas and it was in response to Chinese actions that the Indian armed forces had to make appropriate counter deployments.

• He said India expects that the Chinese side will work towards an early resolution of the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols.
• India’s reaction came in response to China’s fresh allegation that the “root cause” of the tensions between the two countries was New Delhi following a “forward policy” and “illegally” encroaching Chinese territory.
• Bagchi said India already made its position clear a few days ago and rejected such statements that have “no basis in facts”.
• It is added, “China continues to deploy a large number of troops and armaments in the border areas. It was in response to Chinese actions that our armed forces had to make appropriate counter deployments in these areas to ensure that India’s security interests are fully protected,” Bagchi said.
• He also referred to a meeting between two foreign ministers in Dushanbe earlier this month.

Sino-India Standoff: China shows real intent, more PLA shelters come up on LAC

17 months into the military confrontation in eastern Ladakh, China continues to build more troops shelters along the frontier as part of its ongoing overall consolidation of military positions and upgrade of airbases facing India. However, the situation is by no way seems to go resolve in near future.

Latest surveillance and intelligence reports show the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has constructed new modular container-based accommodations for its soldiers in at least 8 more forward locations (Each has 80 to 84 containers arranged in 7 clusters) along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) opposite eastern Ladakh, range from Wahab Zilga near the Karakoram Pass in the north to Piue, Hot Springs, Chang La, Tashigong, Manza, and Churup, TOI reported citing sources.

• These shelters are in addition to the many more such habitats constructed by the PLA since the military stand-off erupted in April-May last year, clearly demonstrating that China has no intent to de-induct troops from the frontlines for the foreseeable future.
• Both India and China continue to maintain around 50K soldiers each, backed by howitzers, tanks, and surface-to-air missile systems in the “immediate depth areas” along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.
• Amidst the uneasy calm, both armies have been regularly rotating their troops due to the harsh terrain and oxygen deprivation in the high-altitude area, while deploying aircraft and drones to keep tabs on each other.
• China has also developed several new airstrips and helipads all along the 3,488-km LAC, stretching from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh, apart from upgrading its major air bases like Hotan, Kashgar, Gargunsa (Ngari Gunsa), Lhasa-Gonggar, and Shigatse to base additional fighters and bombers, as was reported by TOI earlier.
• The PLA has also deployed two Russian-origin S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries, apart from several other anti-aircraft systems, to tackle any air strikes by India. “
• India, incidentally, is also slated to begin getting deliveries of five S-400 squadrons by this year-end, under the $5.43 billion (Rs 40,000 crore) contract inked with Russia in October 2018.

Condition as of now: On Sept 19, SCMP published, Chinese military steps up night drills and brings in more advanced equipment close to the Indian border

“The People’s Liberation Army is trying to familiarise its troops with new-generation equipment in the Xinjiang military district”

• The Chinese military’s Western Theatre Command has introduced more night drills for units stationed near the Himalayan border,  as it seeks to familiarise its troops with new-generation weapons and equipment.
• Since the start of the autumn, several forces in the Xinjiang military district have been carrying out night battle drills at altitudes of around 5,000 m, according to the military newspaper PLA Daily.
• “We have ‘revised our schedules and demanded soldiers’ meet higher standards for high-altitude training as we need to deal with a harsher battlefield environment amid increasing challenges in the peripheral areas,” Yang Yang, a company commander, told the newspaper.

‘Spend more, spend fast’ — Rajnath’s direction to armed forces ahead of mid-term budget review: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has directed the Army, Navy, and Air Force to speed up expenditure and spend the allotted amount under the Union Budget 2021-22 ahead of a mid-term review by the Ministry of Finance. ThePrint reported citing Sources in the defense and security establishment said Singh has asked the armed forces to ensure that payments scheduled for Oct to defense public sector undertakings are given out as advance in Sept. (for details pls see last weekend)

People’s Liberation Army personnel | Sino-Indian border conflicts continue (HK01): The latest news shows that Liu Lin, the commander of the Southern Xinjiang Military Region, who served as the front-line commander in the Sino-Indian border conflict, has been promoted to the deputy general of the war zone and was awarded the rank of lieutenant general and also expected to have been promoted to the commander of the Xinjiang Military Region.

• According to local media reports in Xinjiang on Sept 19, the Spiritual Work Deployment Meeting for Xinjiang’s Implementation of the 8^th National Counterpart Support Xinjiang Work Conference was held on Sept 18.
• The autonomous region leader Liu Lin attended the meeting and ranked among the two alternate members of the 19^th Central Committee.
• Between Wang Junzheng, Deputy Secretary of the Xinjiang Party Committee and Secretary of the Party Committee of Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and Elken Tuniazi, Member of the Standing Committee of the Xinjiang Party Committee and Vice Chairman of the Autonomous Region Government.
• The screen of “Xinjiang News Network” shows that Liu Lin is dressed in the uniform of a lieutenant general and six rows of one-star qualification badges, showing that he has been promoted to the deputy theater level.

India expressed disappointment over China’s reluctance to permit stranded Indians return

India has told China not to shift goalposts and confuse managing the border affairs and restoring peace at the frontiers with the larger issue of the resolution of the boundary question, which is dealt with by different designated mechanisms, no need of the before border affairs

After the standoff erupted in eastern Ladakh in May last year, India has consistently maintained that peace and tranquillity in the border areas are essential for the overall development of relations between the two countries.

Besides being neighbors, India and China are also large and emerging economies and it is not unusual to have differences and problems”, Indian envoy to China Vikram Misri said while addressing the 4^th High-level Track II Dialogue on China-India Relations held on Sept 23 and co-hosted by the School of International Studies of Sichuan University, China Centre for South Asian Studies and Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses in which several former envoys and scholars took part.

• The key question is how to deal with them and ensure that outcomes are informed by reasonableness, maturity, and respect for the maintenance of peace and tranquillity along our frontiers,” Misri said.
• Besides Misri, China’s Ambassador to India Sun Weidong also participated in the meeting.
• Referring to the multi-faceted dialogue held by the two countries Misri said: These contacts have resulted in significant progress on the ground (!).

Chinese PLA in Uttarakhand’s Barahoti returns after damaging a bridge

Over 100 PLA soldiers and 55 horses transgressed over 5 km of Indian territory by crossing the Tun Jun La Pass border at Barahoti in Uttarakhand on Aug 30^th, damaged some infrastructure, including a bridge, before retreating, ET reported citing sources in the establishment. The incident on Aug 30 did not result in a face-off as PLA soldiers returned before they could be confronted.

The transgression, even as disengagement of troops in eastern Ladakh has been progressing, has sounded the alarm bells in the central sector.

While Barahoti has not been a major border flashpoint in recent years – minor transgressions are often reported – the place was the first area, which saw transborder intrusions by the Chinese, in 1954, which later expanded to other areas and culminated in the 1962 war.

While there have been minor PLA transgressions in the sector over the past few years – the last one in July – the scale was much larger, leading to concern in New Delhi given continuing border tensions in eastern Ladakh.

• It is believed that the group stayed in the vicinity for around three hours in a demilitarized zone, the presence of a large number of PLA soldiers led to concern within the security establishment.
• Sources said the transgression was reported by locals following which teams from ITBP and Army sent across a patrol to verify, which has been already vacated, as per ET report.
• The Barahoti ridge lies north of the Nanda Devi National Park and troops trek to it from the last motorable point. The ridge is connected to Joshimath, where the Indian Army and ITBP have camps to counter any major PLA operations.
• The ITBP monitors the nearly 350 km border in Uttarakhand which is part of the Line of Actual Control that divides India and China.
• While ET reported citing a home ministry official that Indian and Chinese perceptions about LAC differ, which leads to frequent incursions in the area, but there was no comment from an ITBP spokesperson.
• Officials acknowledged that the activities of PLA troops have gone up in the region in the past few months. Intelligence agencies have also flagged Chinese activity at the airbase near Barahoti.
• The PLA has also substantially increased its defense across the LAC in the region since the border confrontation in Ladakh last year.

With big guns, Army keeps combat posture along LAC: The Army continues with its strong combat posture along the entire frontier with China, which includes high-volume artillery firepower ranging from the older 105mm field guns, Bofors, and rocket systems to the spanking new M-777 ultra-light howitzers. The M-777 howitzers can be airlifted from one sector to another in forwarding areas by Chinook helicopters, while the swifter mobilization of heavier artillery guns has been made possible by the roads constructed by the Border Roads Organization (BRO) over the last couple of years.

• The first is the 155mm/45-calibre Dhanush howitzers, the electronically upgraded version of the original Bofors guns.
• The Army had earlier placed an order for 114 of these guns for Rs 1,260 crore from the Ordnance Factory Board.
• The second is the 155mm/52 caliber advanced towed artillery gun systems (ATAGS), which the DRDO contends is the best in its class in the world with a 48-km strike range. The Army needs as many as 1,580 such guns.
• Indian Army deploys K9 Vajra, can strike enemy targets at around 50 km in Ladakh, and inducted in 2018, Army Chief says ‘we have added an entire regiment’
• After “constructive discussions” with both OFB and DRDO, the senior officer said he was “optimistic” that “certain parameters not achieved” during trials of ATAGS and the “few teething issues” with Dhanush will both be resolved soon.

India should maintain ‘strategic autonomy’, says Beijing’s top envoy in New Delhi

Beijing’s top envoy in New Delhi, Sun Weidong, emphasized that India should maintain “strategic autonomy” instead of joining any exclusive alliances against its neighbor. This comes in a few days after leaders of the Quad gathered in Washington for their first in-person summit.

• He added that any attempts to “gang up for containing and suppressing China” would “be doomed to fail”, without mentioning the Quad alliance or any of its members.
• Meanwhile, the joint statement of Quad countries stressed the need for an open Indo-Pacific region ‘undaunted by coercion’.
• The joint statement was released after the meeting read “Quad joint statement batted for freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific”.
• Their statement made frequent mention of the leaders’ insistence on rules-based behavior in a region where China has been trying to flex its muscles.
• “Together, we recommit to promoting the free, open, rules-based order, rooted in international law and undaunted by coercion, to bolster security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond,” they said.

Indian Media Published Special Page on the 71^st Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China–(Chinese Foreign Ministry’s website)

On Oct 1^st, 2020, Indian mainstream media The Hindu (used word “advertisement”) and The Business Line (didn’t use word “advertisement”) published the special pages on the 71^st anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The special page contained Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong’s National Day Message, China’s Achievements 2020, and Fighting COVID-19: China in Action.

Important: The comment from China regarding the border issue came last week, which was refuted by MEA on the very next day. Meanwhile, a piece of news came in media on Tue (Sept 28^th) which claimed that some 100 Chinese soldiers crossed the border in the Uttrakhand region, stayed there for 3 hours, broken a bridge, and went back, on Aug 30^th.

On LoC: In J&K: Army captures terrorist from Pakistan in J&K’s Uri sector

One terrorist neutralized, and one LeT terrorist Ali Babar Patra (19-year-old, while as per IT, he is 18 yr old) from Okhara, received training of 3 weeks from Bahawalpur Army camp, Punjab in Pakistan surrendered before security forces during an operation in the Uri sector of J&K, who has also given the number of his mother (from Pak Punjab) to security forces: Major General Virendra Vats, GOC, 19 Infantry Division.

• Another Pakistani guide, Qari Anaz (33) was killed by the forces on Sept 26 when he opened fire at the Army search team. The forces have recovered one AK-47 rifle, two grenades, and one communication set from the captured terror operative.
• Last week, the Army foiled an infiltration bid near the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district, killing three terrorists and recovering a large cache of arms and ammunition.
• the Army was able to establish contact with infiltrators at 3 different locations in the last 2 days. One Pakistan infiltrator is believed to be dead in the encounter so far while the Army is looking for the others.
• Four soldiers have sustained bullet injuries during an exchange of fire between the Army and militants in the Uri sector along the Line of Control (LoC).
• This infiltration attempt was made in the area of Salamabad Nallah. It’s the same area through which we’ve had a history of infiltration in 2016, that’s when a suicide attack at Uri Garrison took place: Maj Gen Vats, on Uri infiltration attempt
• It’s also revealed that this infiltration group was supported from the Pakistan side by 3 porters, who had come to the LoC along with supplies.
• The movement of such a large group of people can’t take place without the active complicity of the Pakistani Army deployed on the other side: Maj Gen Vats
• An operation was carried out over 9-days along LoC in the Uri sector, started on Sept 18, when our patrol along LoC detected infiltration movement. When the encounter took place, 2 infiltrators came across the border, while 4 were on the other side: GOC, 19 Infantry Division, in Uri.

Pakistan Violates Ceasefire In Kupwara; First Since Armistice Agreement in Feb 2021: Seven months after the armies of India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire agreement in all sectors on 25 Feb 2021, the Pakistan Army once again resorted to an unprovoked ceasefire in the Teetwal sector of Kupwara along the LoC. This is seen as an attempt by Pakistan to push terrorists into Indian territory as infiltration attempts are on the rise.

Kashmiri Pandits hold candle march for a high-level probe into the death of cop in Kupwara

• Hundreds of Kashmiri Pandits held a candle march at the Jagti camp in Jammu, demanding a high-level probe into the death of a young policeman in Kupwara.
• Ajay Dhar, a follower in the police department posted in Handwara, died in the early hours of Sept 22 after being shot by a sentry guarding a temple who mistook him for a militant, officials have said.
• Holding a demonstration at the migrant camp on the outskirts of Jammu city, the protesters called on PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah to intervene and facilitate a probe by the CBI or the NIA.

BSF Jammu on Tue, recovered a huge cache of arms, ammunition, narcotics, and fake Indian currency notes with the face value of Rs 2,75,000 from the International Border in the Akhnoor Area yesterday during a search operation.

Terrorists entering India with help from Pakistan Army, said GOC Chinar Corps (India Today)

• Terrorists are infiltrating India in connivance with Pakistan military commanders, according to Lt General DP Pandey, General Officer Commanding of the Chinar Corps.
• Since Sept 23, the Indian Army has neutralized four terrorists in two separate operations. The army has foiled multiple infiltration attempts at the Line of Control in the Uri sector of J&K.

Reason for Increase in Infiltration Attempts: According to Lt Gen DP Pandey, the reason is that peace is prevailing in the mainland at present. This is making Pakistan ‘desperate’ and, hence, attempts to sneak in terrorists and weapons have gone up. There is peace in Kashmir as a result of various initiatives that are making an impact on the ground. “Every citizen wants a life of peace. People of Kashmir have nothing to worry about. Anybody who tries to cross over will be dealt with,” he added.

Meanwhile, State-Run, Pak Radio, which still putting more than 60% of the news from ‘IOJK’, on its website,claimed that in Indian ‘Illegally’ Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K), Indian troops in their fresh act of state terrorism, martyred four more Kashmiri youth in Baramulla district on Tue. The youth were killed during a violent cordon and search operation in the Uri area of the district.

FM briefs Chairmen of British House of Commons about HR situation in IIOJ&K-Pak Radio: The Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi briefed the Chairs of Foreign Affairs and Defense Committees of the House of Commons of the UK about the dire humanitarian and human rights situations in IIOJK. He shared with them a dossier documenting more than 3000 war crimes perpetrated by the Indian occupation forces in IIOJK.

Pakistan home to 12 foreign terrorist organizations: CRS report-US officials have identified Pakistan as a base of operations or target for numerous armed and non-state terrorist groups, some of which have existed since the 1980s, Congressional Research Service (CRS) said in a report. The report said that these groups can be categorized into 5 types – globally oriented, Afghanistan oriented, India & Kashmir oriented, domestically oriented, and Sectarian.

Al Qaeda operated from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Karachi: Report- Al Qaeda has operated primarily from Pakistan’s former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), now incorporated into the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province; and in the megacity of Karachi, as well as in Afghanistan, according to a report by the US, CRS.

US officials have identified Pakistan as a base of operations and/or target for numerous armed, non-state militant groups, some of which have existed since the 1980s, said the report.

Many observers predict a resurgence of regional terrorism and militancy in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan last month, it added. 12/15 groups listed as based in Pakistan are designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO) under US law and most, but not all, are animated by Islamist extremist ideology.

The 3-day visit of the parliamentary delegation to Kashmir soon: A parliamentary delegation would be on a 3-day visit to Kashmir soon and meet “anyone and interact with the common people at the place they like and choose”.

The Greater Kashmir citing sources, reported that the Members of Parliament would honor the people during an award function at SKICC in Srinagar. They said that during their visit they would “honor the excellent people during a mega award event and interact with common people in different districts”.

Need a robust and reliable gun, says Army as artillery modernization plan faces hiccups

Twenty-two years after the Army finalized the Field Artillery Rationalisation Programme (FARP), under which a mix of around 3,000-3,600 howitzers were to be procured by 2025-27, the modernization plan is facing hiccups as two major indigenous programs have failed to fire off fully.

The more important of the two projects is ATAGS, being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) along with private firms Bharat Forge and TATA Power SED.

‘ATAGS failed to meet all parameters’: Explaining the issues dogging the programs, Lt Gen. Chawla said the summer fire trial this year of the ATAGS had failed to achieve certain parameters and would undergo further modification.

• He added that it is “difficult” to give a timeline for possible induction of the ATAGS into the Army.
• The Army is believed to have voiced concerns over the weight of ATAGS, a project which began in 2012, and its inability to meet critical performance parameters.

Dhanush facing production quality issues: While ATAGS is facing trouble in the design and development stage, the Army has flagged the production quality of Dhanush — of which the Army had ordered 114 in 2019.

• The induction of Dhanush started in April 2019. Between then and the beginning of June this year, only 12 of the long-range artillery guns had been delivered. This is far below the 18 guns required to make a full regiment.
• “We as a user are looking forward to it,” Lt Gen. Chawla added, saying the Army and the manufacturer — Gun Carriage Factory (GCF), Jabalpur, a unit of the state-run OFB — will undertake some “confidence firing” soon.
• Under FARP, the Army aims to acquire a mix of around 3,000-3,600 155mm howitzers — with different caliber types, for example, towed, mounted, self-propelled (tracked and wheeled) — by 2025-27.
• This was to be achieved through a mix of direct imports, licensed manufacturing, and indigenous production.
• After years of being in the rut, the artillery program got a push in 2015, with the successful completion of trials (begun around 2012), signing of contracts, and various systems entering the final stages of decision-making.
• The artillery modernization program was then seen as a success story by everyone in the defense establishment. However, it has seemed to be floundering of late.

Only K9 Vajra, M-777 lightweight howitzers plans have fructified: Lt Gen. Chawla said that, of all the plans, the one for K9 Vajra howitzers, manufactured by L&T in collaboration with a South Korean firm, has been completed, and confirmed ThePrint’s report that the Army is looking at possibly ordering for additional tracked guns.

The Army, Lt Gen. Chawla said, is also looking at mounted gun systems. The Army has already issued an RFI (request for information) for the mounted gun, which will give the force better maneuverability than a towed system.

India, US to conclude MoU to safeguard satellites from natural, man-made threats

India and the US have decided to conclude by year-end an MoU on Space Situational Awareness (SSA), creating a framework for sharing data and services to ensure the long-term sustainability of outer space activities in what can protect each other’s satellites from man-made or natural threats.

• The issue of expanding bilateral space cooperation was figured during PM Narendra Modi’s meeting with the American leadership in Washington last week under bilateral space cooperation was discussed when Modi met US vice president Kamala Harris, (Chair, National Space Council of America).
• ET reported that the Network for Space Object Tracking and Analysis (NETRA), a dedicated control center for SSA activities set up by ISRO in Bengaluru last year, is expected to launch a collaboration with the Combined Space Operation Center (CSpOC) at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to protect each other’s satellites from natural and man-made threats.
• The agreement will help NETRA receive from the CSpOC data about space debris and other objects in space and the potential threat they could pose to the safety and security of the new launches as well as the existing satellites and other space assets, sources informed.
• The US Joint Space Operation Command Center (JSpOC) led to the CSpOC—a US-led multinational initiative involving the UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and New Zealand.
• It receives inputs from the Space Surveillance Network and shares data with the nations having Space Situational Awareness agreement with the US.

India and the US have reached an In-principle agreement to establish Indo-US Industrial Security Joint Working Group which will meet regularly to align policies for defense industries to collaborate on critical defense technologies.

CDS General Rawat meets his US Counterpart in Washington, both call for continued cooperation

Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat on Thu (local time) met the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Mark A Milley here and both discussed a range of issues, including ways to ensure regional security.

• The top officials agreed to continued cooperation in training exercises and creating more opportunities to increase interoperability between the two militaries, Office of the US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Public Affairs said in a statement.
• Washington and New Delhi “share a strong military-to-military relationship under the US-India Major Defence Partnership, which supports a free and open Indo-Pacific”. General Rawat is on a visit to the US.
• Earlier on Wed, he visited Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington and also discussed issues of bilateral Defense Cooperation with US Army’s Major General Xavier T Brunson, Commanding General, 1 Corps.

Public-private partnership can bring ‘defense production revolution’: Rajnath 

Defense minister Rajnath Singh on Tue said the govt has created an atmosphere of jointness to ensure the modernization of the armed forces in the rapidly evolving global security scenario. In his address at the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) annual meeting, he added public-private partnership can bring a “Defence Production Revolution” and help achieve the vision of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India)”.

• “The recent contract of 56 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force is one of the examples of a strategic partnership model,” he said.
• Singh added due to these steps, defense exports have crossed the ₹38,000 crore mark in the last 7 years.
• He said over 10,000 Small and Medium Enterprises have joined the defense sector and there has been an increase in research and development, start-ups, innovation, and employment.
• He underlined the importance of indigenization and spoke about the reforms undertaken to integrate the private sector and achieve Atmanirbhar Bharat.

The reforms include:

• Earmarking 64.09% of Capital Acquisition Budget for 2021-22 for domestic capital procurement and 15% of capital procurement budget for direct procurement from the private industry
• setting up of Defence Industrial Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu;
• introduction of Innovation for Defence Excellence
• free Transfer of Technology through Defence Research & Development Organisation and increase in FDI in defense up to 74% through automatic route and up to 100% through govt route.

Centre dissolves Ordnance Factory Board, transfers employees, assets & management to 7 PSUs

As part of the self-reliant India package, the central govt had announced on May 16 last year that it would improve autonomy, accountability, and efficiency in ordnance supplies by the corporatization of the OFB. The defense ministry has dissolved the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) with effect from Oct 1^st and transferred its assets, employees, and management to 7 public sector units (PSUs), according to an official order, dated Sept 28^th.

• The govt of India has decided to transfer, with effect from Oct 1, 2021, the management, control, operations, and maintenance of these 41 production units and identified non-production units to 7 govt companies (wholly owned by the Govt).
• The name of the 7 defense PSUs (also called DPSUs) are Munition India Limited, Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited, Advanced Weapons, and Equipment India Limited, Troop Comforts Limited, Yantra India Limited, India Optel Limited, and Gliders India Limited.
• The OFB is currently a defense ministry entity and supplies critical arms and ammunition to the three armed forces and the paramilitary.

The order said: The govt has decided that all the employees of OFB (Group A, B & C) belonging to the production units and also the identified non-production units shall be transferred en masse to the new DPSUs on terms of foreign service without any deputation allowance (deemed deputation) initially for 2 years from the appointed date (Oct 1).

• Each of the new DPSUs is required to frame rules and regulations related to service conditions of the absorbed employees, the order noted.
• Each of the DPSUs should also seek an option for permanent absorption from the employees on deemed deputation to that respective DPSU, within two years, it stated.
• The service conditions of the absorbed employees would not be inferior to the existing ones.

A committee would be constituted by DDP (Department of Defence Production) for guiding the new DPSUs in this regard so that the absorption package given is attractive, the order mentioned.

Exported Rs 38,000 crore worth defense equipment in 7 years, says Rajnath Singh

India has exported defense equipment worth over ₹38,000 crores to friendly nations in the past 7 years, with the defense manufacturing ecosystem expanding to include at least 10,000 small and medium enterprises, defense minister Rajnath Singh has said while addressing the annual conference of the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers

• Lauding the private sector for playing a stellar role, the minister said Indian companies are capable of manufacturing cutting-edge hardware in a cost-effective manner.
• There has been an increase in startups as well as research and development activities in the recent past, he said. Speaking to a gathering of top manufacturers, the minister said that globally there is a trend for modernization of defense equipment, given increasing security concerns and border disputes.

“India is capable of meeting these needs through a cost-effective and quality approach,” the minister said, (SIDM).

• There has been an uptake in defense exports in the past few years, with Indian private sector manufacturers winning competitive procurement orders around the world.

• Significant exports include simulators, bulletproof material, aerospace structures, small arms components as well as software.
• Assuring the private sector of continued government support, the minister said that a part of the defense budget has been reserved for the Indian private industry and the proportion could also be increased in the coming years.

“We have opened up opportunities to build a Mega Defence Programme, including fighter aircraft, helicopters, tanks, and submarines through a strategic partnership model that will help our private companies become global giants in the years to come,” he said.

Rajnath Singh approves procurement of military hardware & platforms worth Rs 13,165 crore

The defense ministry on Wed approved the procurement of military platforms and hardware worth Rs 13,165 crore that included 25 indigenously-developed ALH Mark-III helicopters for the Indian Army to boost its combat capabilities. The cost of acquiring the advanced light helicopters from the state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has been estimated at Rs 3,850 crore while a batch of rocket ammunition will cost Rs 4,962 crore, the ministry said.

• The approval for procurement of the helicopters for the Army came six days after the ministry firmed up another big-ticket deal under which 118 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) Arjun are being acquired for the force for Rs 7,523 cr.
• The indigenously designed and developed ALH Mark-III is a twin-engine, multi-role, multi-mission new generation helicopter in the 5.5-ton weight category.
• The procurement proposals were approved at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) that was chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
• Out of the total procurements, equipment and platforms worth Rs 11,486 (87%) crore will be sourced from domestic entities, the ministry said.
• The proposals approved by the DAC also included procurement of guided munition. The DAC is the highest decision-making body of the defense ministry on procurement.
• The Indian Army has been pressing for procurement of the ALH to strengthen its lift capabilities.

Other proposals worth Rs 4,353 crore were also approved by the DAC.

• In addition, the DAC also approved a few amendments to the DAP (Defence Acquisition Procedure) 2020 as part of “business process re-engineering to ensure further ease of doing business for the industry as well as measures to enhance procurement efficiency and reducing timelines”, the ministry said.
• The approval of the procurement proposals came 5 days after the min. sealed a nearly Rs 21,000 crore deal with Airbus Defence and Space to procure 56 C-295 transport aircraft to replace the aging Avro-748 planes
• Under the agreement, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in ‘fly-away condition from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain, within four years.
• The subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India under a partnership between the two companies and all the deliveries will be made by 2031.

Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari takes over as new IAF chief from RKS Bhadauria

Ace fighter pilot Air Chief Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari who was in charge of the Ladakh sector during the peak of the crisis with China, took over as the Chief of Air Staff from Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria on Thu. Bhadauria superannuated after 42 years of service and was the architect of two mega fighter aircraft deals including 36 Rafales and 83 Mark1A indigenous Tejas jets.

• Chaudhari, who has served in various important capacities at both field formations and air headquarters, would be taking over the force at a time when the country is still in a standoff position at the borders with China and tensions in the region are high due to the situation in Afghanistan.
• Chaudhari would also be responsible for the operationalization of modern air defense systems like the S-400 from Russia, to be inducted soon and the modernization of the fighter aircraft fleet as more indigenous and foreign-origin fighter aircraft are planned to be inducted shortly.
• Chaudhari, whose son is a Rafale fighter aircraft pilot, also ensured the smooth induction of the Rafales into the Indian Air Force as the Ambala airbase was under him as Western Air Commander.
• After joining the fighter stream of the IAF in Dec 1982, he has a flying experience of more than 3,800 hours on a wide variety of fighter and trainer aircraft, including missions flown during Operation Meghdoot, the Air Force’s support to capture the Siachen glacier in the 1980s, and Operation Safed Sagar, the support provided by the IAF during the Kargil conflict in 1999.
• An alumnus of the National Defence Academy and Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Chaudhari has commanded a frontline fighter squadron and a fighter base during his career.
• He has also held various other positions including the Deputy Commandant, Air Force Academy; Assistant Chief of Air Staff Operations (Air Defence), and Assistant Chief of Air Staff (Personnel Officers). (ANI)

Depleting fighter strength a concern: One of the big challenges that the new IAF chief will have to deal with is the depleting fighter aircraft squadron strength-ThePrint

• At present, the IAF is down to 30 squadrons, against a sanctioned strength of 42.
• While the IAF has ordered 83 LCA (light combat aircraft) Mk-1A, it faces more shortage in the future as four squadrons of the MiG-21 Bison are set to be de-commissioned by 2025, followed by those of the Jaguar aircraft.
• The Mirage 2000 and MiG-29 squadrons will also be phased out over the next two decades.
• According to the IAF’s (2019), even if all existing orders for 36 Rafales, 6 squadrons of Tejas (including Tejas Mark-1A), and 2 more squadrons of Sukhoi Su-30MKI are taken into account, the squadron strength will reduce to 27 by 2032 and a mere 19 by 2042.
• Even if one takes into account the induction of Tejas Mk-2 (still in design phase), 114 new fighters (a decision on this project is yet to be taken), and the indigenous Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (still in design phase), the IAF is unlikely to reach its sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons by 2042.

General Bipin Rawat, Top US Official Discuss Defence Cooperation

India’s Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday met US Army Major General Xavier T Brunson, Commanding General, I Corps, and discussed issues of bilateral defense cooperation. General Bipin Rawat visited Joint Base Lewis-McChord, a military installation in Washington.

“General Bipin Rawat CDS is on a visit to the US. CDS visited Joint Base Lewis-McChord JBLM, Washington and also discussed issues of bilateral defense cooperation with Major General Xavier T. Brunson, Commanding General, I Corps, USArmy,” the Indian Army said in a tweet.

General Rawat had last week met Russian General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov, when he was on a 2-day visit to Russia and discussed issues of bilateral defense cooperation. He attended the conference of the Chiefs of General Staff of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation SCO member states in Russia.

India, US are on the same page on many issues relating to Afghanistan: Jaishankar

• India was not taken into confidence on various aspects of the Doha deal struck between the US and the Taliban last year, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said on Thu.
• At the same time, Jaishankar said India and the US are on the same page on many issues relating to the recent developments in Afghanistan including apprehensions about the possible use of Afghan soil for terrorism.
• Speaking virtually at the annual leadership summit of the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), he said there are some aspects relating to the Afghan crisis where the positions of the two countries are not the same and we were not taken into confidence on various aspects of that.
• The deal was signed between the US and the Taliban in Doha in Feb last year in which the US promised to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan while the Taliban committed to several conditions including ending violence.
• The external affairs minister also noted that any question on according recognition to the Taliban dispensation has to be based on fulfilling the commitments made by the group in the Doha agreement. He has suggested that New Delhi would take its time and study the situation.
• The developments in Afghanistan figured in talks between Modi and Biden in Washington last week.

“… We have been victims of cross-border terrorism ourselves from that region and that has shaped in many ways our view of some of the neighbors of Afghanistan,” he said, in an apparent reference to Pakistan.

• The EAM said it is for the US to decide whether it shares that view, adding that India has concerns over the developments in Afghanistan.
• Jaishankar said the most pertinent questions relating to Afghanistan are whether it will have an inclusive government and whether the rights of women, children, and minorities are going to be ensured.

“When we look at what happened in Afghanistan and the region, I think these are going to have very very significant consequences for all of us. And we are so close to the region. There are a set of concerns and issues that flow from that,” Jaishankar said.

• On the Quad or Quadrilateral coalition, the minister said it has a broad agenda of cooperation including in the Indo-Pacific region. He said Quad should not be seen as “some kind of ganging up” against China.
• Asked about India’s ties with the US, he said they are at an important juncture and that the discussions in Washington opened up many more new possibilities.

Aggressiveness, coercive nature of China is a frequent topic of discussion among Quad says Pentagon

China’s aggressiveness and the coercive nature in the resource-rich Indo-Pacific region is a frequent topic of discussion among the Quad nations, the Pentagon has said.

• In Nov 2017, India, Japan, the U.S., and Australia gave shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the Quad to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence, amidst China’s growing military presence in the strategic region.
• “…… It’s not that the Quad exists simply to counter China or their influence,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby told reporters on September 30 at a news conference here.
• “Now, obviously, what China’s doing in the Indo-Pacific region, the aggressiveness, the coercive nature with which they try to press their claims, ..” he said.
• “….. And there’s a lot that goes into that, (QUAD) and not all of it has to do with China,” Mr. Kirby said.
• Recently, on Sept 25, Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his counterparts from Australia and Japan attended the first in-person meeting of Quad leaders hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden.
• India, the U.S., and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open, and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China’s rising military maneuvering in the region.

China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea.

India & Australia vow free trade agreement by 2022, interim deal by Christmas

India and Australia will finalize their free trade agreement — officially called the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and in the pipeline since July 2011 — by the end of 2022.

• Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and his Australian counterpart, Trade Minister Dan Tehan, who is on a 3-day visit, announced at a press conference in Delhi Thu.
• This comes a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison met during the first in-person Quad summit in Washington.

“Once the intention for a full-fledged FTA or a comprehensive economic partnership is declared, announced, and agreed upon formally, then an interim agreement will cover areas of immediate interest,” added Goyal.

• Calling it an “ambitious” project, Tehan said that the agreement will cover goods, services, and investment, and the two sides will begin discussing govt procurement, energy and resources, and logistics and standards.
• The two ministers added that both Canberra and New Delhi will bring offers to the table on areas of specific interest by Oct end.

‘CECA trade potential over $52 billion

• Tehan said the current trade figures, around $26 billion, are likely to double in the following years, in response to the potentiality of CECA.
• Negotiations on CECA were suspended in Sept 2015 as the Modi govt launched an exercise to review all the trade negotiations that began under the previous UPA regime, which revive the last June when both PMs released a joint statement to revive talks on the bilateral trade agreement.
• On Aug 26 this year, the countries agreed to speed up negotiations and pave the way for a comprehensive agreement.
• Asked what sectors could benefit from the trade agreement, Tehan said, “The complementarity between our economies is so great. Australian wool, merino wool, can go into the best textiles in India and those textiles can be exported to the rest of the world.”
• “India has a lot of products which are of particular interest to Australia. Similar to merino wool, you have pashmina shawls from Jammu and Kashmir,” Goyal added.

Union Minister for Education, Dharmendra Pradhan also met with Tehan “Excellent meeting with Australian Minister Dan. We discussed working together to strengthen the strategic partnership between our two countries, especially making education and skill development key pillars of India-Australia bilateral relations.”

EU-Australia trade talks postponed amid submarine deal fallout: Australia’s Minister for Trade Dan Tehan said that talks with the European Union over a trade deal have been postponed, as a row over Canberra’s decision to cancel a USD 40-billion deal with France escalates, reported The Globe and Mail.

‘Australia, India don’t want to constrain China’: PM Morrison says Beijing can be Quad ‘partner’

In an interview on Thu morning, which is posted on the PMO website, Australian PM Scott Morrison said that Australia has long been an energy exporter to India and that’ll continue, both with our traditional resource relationships, which will continue. He added my Special Envoy in pursuing many of the issues with New Delhi

• But, in addition to that, a whole new line will open up now, we believe, in these new energy technologies & new fuel sources.
• Our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is further, is becoming more ambitious, & our trade ministers will be meeting, I understand next week, is the current schedule.
• And that’ll see us, we have both tasked our ministers to be ambitious about where we can get to.
• And I think we’ll be able to get a lot further in a bilateral sense with India and Australia together and the Prime Minister (PM Narendra Modi) and I share that objective.
• And, but, this has always been a challenge. And we understand the challenges in India and the challenges in Australia in ensuring that we can get the right deal.
• We want the right deal for both countries.

So we’ll continue to be patient about it & take the gains where we can take them and see this as a road that we’re on and we will just keep adding and adding and adding I think to the strength of that Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement that we’re seeking.

And this all builds of the India Economic, India Economic Strategy update that will also identify new opportunities.

External Affairs Minister meets Mexican counterpart Marcelo Ebrard Casaubón

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, who is on a 3-days visit to Mexico, at the invitation of his Mexican counterpart, and flew from the USA, held a “comprehensive discussion” with his Mexican counterpart Marcelo Ebrard Casaubón and reviewed cooperation in various fields, including trade, investment, and space, stressing that the two countries must collaborate more closely in international forums.

• Jaishankar, the first EAM to visit Mexico in 41 years, said, “India and Mexico must collaborate more closely in international forums. Glad to note our Mexican partners reciprocating this sentiment.”
• Earlier, Jaishankar was received by Minister of Finance and Public Credit Rogelio Ramírez de la O with whom he discussed Mexico’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Jaishankar reached Mexico at the invitation of his Mexican counterpart Casaubón after concluding his visit to the US for the 76^th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Jaishankar will interact with the leading CEOs and the business community in Mexico, which is currently India’s second-largest trade partner in Latin America and is a member of the UNSC alongside India for the 2021-22 period, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

EAM also met President Andrés Manuel, and tweeted on Mon “Two continents. Two civilizations. Shared concerns. Participated at an event on Returned Heritage in Mexico city. A pleasure to meet President @lopezobrador_ there.”.

India-Mexico Relationship: Both nations are members of the G-20 major economies

The two-way trade in 2018 was $10.155 billion, comprising exports worth $5.231 billion and imports valued at $4.923 billion, according to official data, which declined later. India’s exports comprise mainly vehicles and auto parts, chemicals, aluminum products, electrical machinery and electronic equipment, steel, gems, and ceramic products. India imports crude oil, electrical goods, and machinery from Mexico.

Trade balance (in $K) (as per Mexican official data)

Several Mexican multinational companies operate in India such as Cinépolis, Gruma, Grupo Bimbo, KidZania, and Nemak. Approximately 174 Indian companies invest and operate in Mexico.

Germany says it shares India’s fears and told the Taliban that its soil should not be used for terrorism by anyone including Pakistan-(ANI)

Germany has said that it shares India’s fears that Afghanistan may be used for spreading international terror and it has told the Taliban that its land should not be used even by neighboring country Pakistan.

During his interview with ANI, German envoy to India Walter J Lindner said, “We are holding talks with Taliban, which we do at low level as we did in Doha. One of our conditions is that Taliban or Afghanistan that matter, there should be no more fostering of international terrorism by anyone whatsoever, be it by neighbor countries like Pakistan or by Afghanistan itself and to all the neighboring countries we have the same message.”

He added “we share the fear of India that international terrorism might get a boost through this Taliban victory and this should not be the case that is why it is one of the biggest worries that this should not be the case in future, our condition to talk to Taliban is also no to fostering this terrorism.

Asked, whether Germany will recognize the Taliban government in Afghanistan, Ambassador Walter J. Lindner said, “Well you don’t recognize govt you recognize countries and we are talking to them to get those out of the country who want to and also want to provide humanitarian assistance, so the main reasons why we are talking to them and that’s it for the moment.”

Next government in Germany to be formed by Christmas, said Lindner: German Ambassador to India, Walter J Lindner on Mon said that the next government in Berlin will likely be formed by this Christmas after the left-leaning, Social Democrats party won in the German federal election with over 25% votes.

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman to visit India on Oct 6-7

US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will visit India next month to hold a series of bilateral meetings, civil society events, and the India Ideas Summit said a spokesperson of the US Department of State on Mon. Her visit comes days after Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the U.S. The US Deputy Secretary will travel to Mumbai, India for engagements with business and civil society on Oct 7.

Apart from India, the US official along with Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Bonnie Jenkins will travel to Geneva, Switzerland on Sept 29 to lead a US interagency delegation to a Sept 30 US-Russia bilateral Strategic Stability Dialogue, who have last met on July 28 in Geneva.

The Strategic Stability Dialogue follows from a commitment made by President Joe Biden and Russian President V Putin in their June 2021 Geneva meeting to have a deliberate and robust dialogue that will seek to lay the groundwork for future arms control and risk reduction measures.

• Sherman will also travel to Bern to inaugurate the first US-Swiss Strategic Partnership Dialogue with Swiss State Secretary Livia Leu and will also travel to Tashkent, Uzbekistan where she will meet with senior officials and civil society on Oct 4.
• She will complete her trip by traveling to Islamabad, Pakistan on Oct 7-8 to meet with senior officials. This is the first visit of any high-level diplomate (second top) of the USA to Pakistan, in the Biden presidency.
• Secretary of State, Antony Blinken told U.S. lawmakers weeks ago that Washington would need to re-assess its relationship with Islamabad.
• Last week, Blinken met his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi to discuss Afghanistan — specifically, coordinating the diplomatic engagement and facilitating the departure of those who wanted to leave Afghanistan, the State Department said.
• “The Secretary noted that the U.S. appreciates Pakistan’s support and assistance with both these efforts,” it had said. Earlier this month, CIA head William Burns had also visited Islamabad, from New Delhi during this trip.

Biden has however not yet spoken with Pakistan PM Imran Khan since the beginning of his presidency.

U.S.-India relations | Senate leader Chuck Schumer calls for increased cooperation on the economic and technological front-The Hindu

U.S. Senate Majority (Democrat) Leader, Chuck Schumer called for deeper cooperation between the U.S. and India on the economic and defense fronts while speaking at a virtual forum organized by the U.S. India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), an advocacy organization, also noted the record number of Indian Americans running for office in New York City, his home State.

• To strengthen economic ties, the U.S. Congress “must find opportunities to invest” in industries critical to both countries (semiconductors, biotech, etc.) but also emerging fields like 5G, cybersecurity, and AI, Schumer said.
• Without naming China or any other country, he said: “rivals around the world” who did not always value democracy, were investing in such technology.
• “We need to beat them to the punch,” he said, adding that the U.S. and India also had to work on their common defense.
• “At a time when the forces of authoritarianism are making inroads across the world, it’s vital that India and the US…two large, prosperous, growing democracies, keep working together to stand up and proudly defend the right of all people to freedom and equality.”
• Schumer said he was going to work with Congress to promote the countries’ mutual defense including by working with ASEAN and Quad members.
• He also said he was going to support immigration from India and policies that support a “rational and steady stream of legal immigration,” as well as student visas.
• During remarks on the diaspora in New York, Schumer talked about their political engagement, their contribution, and the challenges they face. Discrimination against Indian Americans and Asian Americans still exists, he said.
• Nonetheless, a record number of Indian Americans were running for local office in New York, he said, adding that it was a hopeful sign of a more inclusive future in New York City.
• “But today, New York still has not elected an Indian American to federal office, so this year’s record number of candidates is a reminder of how much work we have to do,” he said.

Schumer also said he would like to organize a Congressional delegation to India as soon as possible.

India committed to non-discriminatory, complete elimination of nuclear weapons, says Shringla

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Tue said that “India is committed to the universal goal of non-discriminatory and verifiable nuclear disarmament leading to the complete elimination of nuclear weapons”, on The International Day for Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons while speaking at the 76^th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Shringla said, “India is committed to the universal goal of non-discriminatory and verifiable nuclear disarmament leading to the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. Consistent with the highest priority accorded to nuclear disarmament by the Final Document of the First Special Session of the UNGA on Disarmament (SSOD-1).”

• “India believes that the goal of nuclear disarmament can be achieved through a step by step process underwritten by a universal commitment and an agreed multilateral framework, that is global and non-discriminatory,” added the Foreign Secretary.
• He further reiterated India’s commitment to the total elimination of nuclear weapons.
• He also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has indicated India’s openness to new ideas as manifest in an ancient text Rig Veda, “which says that let noble thoughts come to us from all sites“.

“India will engage with all member states towards realizing a nuclear-weapon-free world,” he added. (ANI)

India, UK in talks for early resolution on Covid travel rules row

New Delhi, in a tit-for-tat move, has mandated a 10-day mandatory quarantine at home or in the destination address for UK nationals arriving in the country from Oct, 04. This is irrespective of vaccination status. New Delhi’s decision is seen as a political-strategic decision and comes in the backdrop of UK’s travel guidelines announced last month which were seen discriminatory.

“We are continuing to engage with the Government of India on technical cooperation to expand UK recognition of vaccine certification to people vaccinated by a relevant public health body in India,” the British High Commission spokesperson said.

• The new rules for UK nationals also include a pre-departure COVID-19 RT-PRC test within 72 hours before travel, another RT-PCR test on arrival at the airport, and the last one on day eight after arrival.
• The UK rules were the same with the biggest issue being London not recognizing India’s Covid vaccine certificates, irking New Delhi. Interestingly, India’s new rules for the UK also come into effect on October 04.
• The British High Commission spokesperson pointed that, “over 62,500 student visas have been issued in the year ending June 2021, which is an increase of almost 30% as compared to the previous year. We want to make the process of traveling as easy as possible.”
• However, UK’s travel’s rules have already made a political dent in the New Delhi-London ties, which have been growing at a satisfactory pace with both PM Modi and UK PM Boris Johnson engaging many times.

President of the 76^th session of the UN General Assembly Abdulla Shahid has said he had received the two doses of the Covishield vaccine manufactured in India, as have a “large portion” of other countries around the world. The Covishield vaccine, which has been developed by British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, is manufactured in India by Pune-based Serum Institute of India.

Centre working towards transforming, strengthening health sector: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thu said that the Central government is working towards transforming the health sector of the country and is increasing its strength, self-reliance in the sector.

• He informed that the Centre wants to ensure that every district in the country has at least one medical college or an institution that provides post-graduate medical education.
• Speaking at an event, after laying the foundation stone of 4 medical colleges in Banswara, Sirohi, Hanumangarh, and Dausa districts of Rajasthan.

PM Modi said, “This pandemic has taught a lot in the health sector across the world. Every country is engaged in dealing with this crisis in its way. India has resolved to increase its strength, self-reliance during this time. The beginning of work on four medical colleges in Rajasthan and CIPET-Jaipur is a key step in this regard.”

• PM recalled that improving the health sector in Gujarat came as a challenge to him when he became the Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2001.
• Listing the changes brought by his government in medical education, PM Modi stated that when the NDA-led government came to power in Centre in 2014, there were 82K UG and PG seats in the medical college but the number stands at over 1.4 lakh now.

PM Modi on Thu also inaugurated the Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering and Technology (CIPET) in Rajasthan’s Jaipur district through video conferencing. Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla were also present on the occasion.

India’s external debt at $571.3 billion at June-end, up to $1.6 billion from March: RBI

Valuation gain due to the appreciation of the US dollar vis-a-vis the Indian rupee was at $1.7 billion. “Excluding the valuation effect, external debt would have increased by $3.3 billion instead of $1.6 billion at end-June 2021 over end-March 2021,” the central bank said.

• As per the data, commercial borrowings remained the largest component of external debt, with a share of 37.4%, followed by non-resident deposits (24.8%) and short-term trade credit (17.4%).
• As of June 30, long-term debt (with an original maturity of above one year) stood at $468.8 billion, recording an increase of $0.2 billion over its level at Mar-end, the central bank said.
• The share of short-term debt in total external debt rose marginally to 17.9% as of June 30 from 17.7% at end-Mar.
• However, the ratio of short-term debt (original maturity) to foreign exchange reserves declined to 16.8% from 17.5% at the end-March 2021.
• The RBI further said the US dollar-denominated debt remained the largest component of India’s external debt, with a share of 52.4% at end-June, followed by the rupee (33.2%), yen (5.8%), SDR (4.4%), and the euro (3.4%).
• The instrument-wise classification shows that loans were the largest component of external debt, with a share of 34.7%, followed by currency and deposits, trade credit and advances, and debt securities.
• Further, the borrower-wise classification shows that the outstanding debt of the govt decreased while the non-govt sector’s debt increased at the end-June 2021.
• The RBI also said debt service (principal repayments+interest payments) almost halved to 4.1% of current receipts at end-June 2021, compared to 8.2% at end-Mar 2021, reflecting lower repayment and higher current receipts.
• In a separate statement, RBI said net claims of non-residents in India declined to $327 billion in June 2021, against $24.3 billion during the April-June quarter of 2021-22.

Forex law violation: ED seizes Rs 131 cr funds of Chinese-owned NBFC

The Enforcement Directorate on Thu said it has seized over Rs 131-crore funds of a Chinese national-owned NBFC for alleged violation of foreign exchange law, which came under the radar during a separate money-laundering probe against many NBFCs and FinTech companies, which are linked to instant personal loans providing mobile apps.

• The non-banking financial company (NBFC) is PC Financial Services Pvt Ltd and it was in the business of providing instant personal microloans through its mobile application ‘Cashbean’ for suspicious foreign outward remittances.
• These loans were being dished out with a “high rate of interest and recovered using personal data of the customer illegally and threatening and abusing them through call centers”.

“PCFS is a wholly-owned subsidiary (WOS) of Oplay Digital Services, SA de CV, Mexico, which is, in turn, a WOS of Tenspot Pesa Limited, Hong Kong which is owned by the Cayman Islands-based Opera Limited and Wisdom Connection Holding Inc, which are ultimately beneficially owned by Chinese National Zhou Yahui,” the ED stated.

Road blockade by farmers troubling commuters: SC

The Supreme Court on Thu cited its ruling that barred protesters from blocking public roads and said farmers’ grievances could be addressed either by Parliament or judiciary but they cannot be seen to cause harassment to commuters through sit-in dharnas on highways, hindering traffic to and from Delhi to neighboring states.

Mixed response to Bharat Bandh by farmers; traffic situation in Delhi, nearby areas return to normal; BKU leader Rakesh Tikait says the strike was ‘successful’

• The Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) called a 10-hour-long Bharat Bandh to mark the first anniversary of the Centre’s three controversial farm laws getting a Presidential nod.
• Since morning, traffic snarls were reported at the Delhi-Gurugram and Delhi-Uttar Pradesh borders. Furthermore, several trains were canceled in Delhi, Ambala, and Firozpur divisions.
• Following the start of the Bharat Bandh, many non-BJP leaders, including Congress leader Rahul Gandhi extended their support to the farmers.
• However, chaos was reported in Chennai’s Anna Salai after protesters were detained by police.

Left workers vandalize the Broadband office of a news channel in Kozhikode as part of the Hartal that was called today; nearly 15 CITU members barge inside the office, damaging the electronic gadgets, and attacked the staff.

The SKM earlier said that all govt and private offices, educational and other institutions, shops, industries, and commercial establishments will be closed across the nation during the strike, which is scheduled to end at 4 pm today. There will, however, be no restrictions on essential and emergency services, the farmers’ outfit said.

Farmers should leave the path of agitation, opt for dialogue: Narendra Singh Tomar: A day before the proposed Bharat Bandh of the farmers’ unions, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Sun said farmers should leave the path of agitation and opt for dialogue.

• Speaking at a program at Agriculture College in Gwalior, Tomar said, “The govt is ready to consider the objections raised by them.”
• The union minister emphasized that farmers’ protests should not become a political issue.

Farmers have been protesting at different sites since Nov 26^th last year against the 3 enacted farm laws: Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

Farmer leaders and the Centre have held 12 rounds of talks but the impasse remains. The main reason is ‘Farmer leaders’ want the protest must be continued, else they should be open for dialogue offered by Govt or may put their issues before the committee constituted by Supreme Court. Their only demand is to repeal all the 3 laws, which is highly unlikely that Modi Govt will do it. This is also the main reason of protest, as it can go at any length.

Delhi Riots 2020 Pre-Meditated Conspiracy, Did Not Take Place in Spur of the Moment: HC

The Delhi high court on Mon refused to grant bail to an accused in a case concerning the northeast Delhi riots of 2020. The high court said that there was a pre-planned and pre-meditated conspiracy to disturb law and order in the city and the events did not take place in the spur of the moment.

Justice Subramonium Prasad, while dealing with a bail application moved by one Mohd Ibrahim in the case concerning the alleged murder of Delhi Police head constable Ratan Lal, observed that there was a systematic disconnection and destruction of the CCTV cameras in areas near the place of the incident and innumerable rioters ruthlessly descended with sticks, dandas, bats, etc. upon a hopelessly outnumbered cohort of police officials.

• This riot which had claimed 57 lives from both communities, has been painted as a Hindu Mob-created massacre of a minority community, by various International and left inclined national media, without any substantial investigation. Even, ever open Wikipedia has posted the same kind of single-sided posts and closed it for any further edition.
• Dismissing the bail application of Ibrahim, the court stated that the available video footage showing the petitioner with the sword was quite egregious and sufficient to keep him in custody.
• A perusal of the material on record has revealed to the court that the petitioner has been identified on multiple CCTV footages, carrying a sword and instigating the crowd.
• The judge while acknowledging the importance of personal liberty in a democratic polity, clarified that individual liberty cannot be misused in a manner that threatens the very fabric of civilized society by attempting to destabilize it and cause hurt to other people.
• Even though the petitioner cannot be seen at the scene of the crime, he was a part of the mob for the sole reason that the petitioner had consciously traveled 1.6 km away from his neighborhood with a sword which could only be used to incite violence and inflict damage, the court said.
• The petitioner, Ibrahim, was arrested in Dec 2020 and has been in judicial custody since then. He sought bail on the ground that he never participated in any protest or the riots at any point in time and the place on a record by the prosecution did not place him anywhere close to the scene of the crime.
• The court, in a separate order, granted bail to one Saleem Khan, saying that in the absence of any material to show that he was a part of the unlawful assembly at the crime scene.

Punjab withdraws security given to 20 close associates of ex-CM Amarinder

On the controversy about the new AG APS Deol being former DGP Sumedh Saini’s lawyer, Channi said that the govt will set up a special team to fight all important cases, “A team of a special prosecutor and 10 lawyers is being set up. This team will work under the special prosecutor. The team will handle all important cases of the state govt.”

• Sidhu on Wed took to Twitter to state that he will not compromise on his principles, even if it meant sacrificing any posts.
• Meanwhile, the former CM of Punjab commented after Sidhu’s resignation on Mon, “Congress High Common must accept it without any further delay”. He recalled his previous statement that Sidhu is ‘unstable’ and the party will regrate on its decision.
• On Wed, in a Press Conference at residence, a Senior leader, Kapil Sibal: “In our party, there is no president so we don’t know, who is taking these decisions. We know and yet we don’t know”.
• He took dig at Congress leadership: ‘G-23 leaders are not the ones leaving party’. Sibal also mentioned that such turmoil in the ‘border state’, especially after warning across the border, is unfortunate for national security.
• Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad has written a letter to Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi, asking her to convene an urgent meeting of Congress Working Committee (CWC): ANI

Punjab Police issued an order on Wed withdrawing the security deployed to 20 close associates of former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh.

[ NEIGHBORHOOD ]

In ‘rare transit’, the British warship HMS Richmond crosses Taiwan Strait

Taiwan Strait is in news again. After a US warship conducted a ‘routine’ transit through the strait recently, a British warship HMS Richmond traveled through the same area on Mon. The development is a rare voyage by a non-US military vessel as the US has been regularly performing “freedom of navigation” voyages in the strait. This waterway separates Taiwan and mainland China.

• In the last some months, tensions have been continuously rising between China and Taiwan, and the regular transits by the warships of other countries have been only enraging Beijing further.
• In a tweet, HMS Richmond, a frigate deployed with Britain’s aircraft carrier strike group, said, “After a busy period working with partners and allies in the East China Sea, we are now en route through the Taiwan Strait to visit Vietnam and the Vietnam People’s Navy.”
• Confirming reports, Taiwan’s defense minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said that a foreign vessel sailed through the waterway but did not state which country it was from.
• China claims Taiwan as a breakaway province, which it has said will be unified with the mainland by force if necessary.
• Chinese jets have been repeatedly entering Taiwan’s airspace in recent months with over 380 incursions reported into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone (ADIZ) earlier.

China has upgraded its best stealth fighter jet with domestic-made engines

China has finally shown off its most advanced fighter aircraft with domestic-made engines – a significant milestone as Beijing pushes the capabilities of its J-20 stealth jets in a bid to rival the United States’ F-22. China has finally shown off its most advanced fighter aircraft with domestic-made engines – a significant milestone as Beijing pushes the capabilities of its J-20 stealth jets in a bid to rival the United States’ F-22.

• The pair of twin-engine J-20s that put on a show for crowds at Airshow China in the southern city of Zhuhai on Tue were equipped with the WS-10 engine.
• The WS-10 was developed by the People’s Liberation Army Air Force to replace Russian engines that were in early versions of the J-20.

In June, the state-run Global Times tabloid said a unit of the J-20s equipped with the domestically developed engines had been activated in the country’s northeast region, with China Central Television showing images of the planes flying in an event commemorating the 100^th anniversary of the Communist Party. But Tue marked the first time the homemade jets were revealed to the Chinese public and foreign onlookers. China first flew the twin-engine J-20 in 2011, and it was introduced to the public during a flyby at the Zhuhai airshow in Nov 2016. It was declared combat-ready in 2018.

Countries forming ‘exclusive cliques’ & hyping ‘China threat’ — Beijing slams Quad summit

China on Mon slammed the Quad grouping, saying a handful of countries are forming “exclusive cliques” and hyping” the ‘China threat’ theory, and the move is doomed to fail.

• The Quad leaders at their first-in-person summit in Washington on Sept 25 pledged to ensure a “free and open” Indo-Pacific, which is also “inclusive and resilient”, as they noted that the strategically vital region, witnessing China’s growing military maneuvering, is a bedrock of their shared security and prosperity. (PS: weekend letter)
• Asked for her reaction at a media briefing here, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said, “We are following the in-person Quad summit held by the US, Japan, India, and Australia.”

“China is firmly opposed to this (QUAD),” she said. She also pointed out that what most countries in the world recognize and accept is the international system with the UN at its core, the international order based on international law, and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, rather than the so-called “order” unilaterally defined by one or few countries.

• China always believes that any multilateral mechanism should conform to the trend of the times for peace and development, help enhance mutual trust and cooperation among countries, and should not target or undermine the interests of any third party, she said.
• The Quad leaders said in a joint statement together, we recommit to promoting the free, open, rules-based order, rooted in international law and undaunted by coercion, to bolster security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
• China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea.

Hua also attacked the “Summit for Democracy” planned by the Biden administration: According to the US State Department, on Dec 9-10 this year, Biden will host the first of two ‘Summits for Democracy’, “which will bring together leaders from govt, civil society, and the private sector to set forth an affirmative agenda for democratic renewal and to tackle the greatest threats faced by democracies today through collective action.”

• By putting together this so-called “Summit for Democracy”, the US is, in essence, drawing an ideological line for bloc politics. This will only lead to division and ‘confrontation’, which will find no support as it runs against the trend of the times, she said.
• A crucial criterion of democracy should be whether the people’s expectations, needs, and aspirations are met and whether they enjoy tangible benefits. Whether it is good or not should not be judged by what we say, but what we do, she said.

UNGA: Nepal condemns terrorism in all its forms, calls for complete disarmament 

Nepal Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka on Mon condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and called for general and complete disarmament of all weapons of mass destruction in a time-bound and verifiable manner. He was speaking at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

• In his first speech at the UNGA, Khadka highlighted the importance of promotion and protection of human rights and urged all parties involved to ensure peace, security, and stability so that the Afghan people can live in dignity and enjoy their fundamental rights and freedom. “Nepal’s worldview is shaped by our adherence to the principle of ‘amity with all and enmity with none’,” Khadka stated.
• Speaking on the challenges posed by COVID-19, the Foreign Minister, said, “The crisis has brought the world to a grinding halt, devastated the global economy, pushed an additional 150 million people into extreme poverty, and threatened to reverse hard-earned development gains.”
• Khadka joined world leaders in expressing condolences to the people across the world, who have lost their loved ones due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Calling for vaccines to be declared as public goods for the benefit of people’s lives, he, said,
• He appreciated the efforts made by the international community including the UN system to address the challenges posed by COVID-19 and underscores to ensure fair and equitable access to vaccines for everyone.
• He also said that as both an LDC (Least Developed Country) and LLDC (Landlocked Developing Country), Nepal’s structural challenges are unique.
• Khadka in his speech on the final day of UNGA, underlined Nepal’s 63 years of constant contribution to the UN peace operations “to promote peace, security, and stability.”

“As one of the largest troop-contributing countries, Nepal believes that such countries deserve more senior-level positions both at the UNHQ and in the field,” FM added. The Minister called for joint action to turn the crisis into opportunity, despair into hope, and risk into resilience, he said.

Taliban want resumption of flights between India and Afghanistan, write to DGCA –(IT)

In the first such official communication between the Taliban regime in Afghanistan and India, the outfit has written to the government for resumption of flights between the two countries, India Today claimed possession of the letter (dated Sept 7). (On a lighter note, It didn’t disclose the copy of later or the letter itself as claimed).

The letter, addressed to Director General of Civil Aviation Arun Kumar, has been written by Alhaj Hameedullah Akhunzada, acting minister, Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority.

After extending his compliments to the DGCA, Akhunzada writes, “As you are well informed recently, the Kabul Airport was damaged and dysfunctional by American troops before their withdrawal. By technical assistance of our Qatar Brother, the airport became operational once again and a NOTAM) in this regard was issued on Sept 6, 2021.”

• The minister then requested the resumption of flights between India and Afghanistan.
• “The Civil Aviation of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan avails its highest assurance,” Akhunzada further said.
• India does not officially recognize the Taliban regime in Afghanistan even though a meeting did take place in Doha on Aug 31.
• The Indian Ambassador to Qatar, Deepak Mittal, met Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the head of the Taliban’s political office in Doha, upon the latter’s request.
• The Taliban took over Afghanistan after the withdrawal of US troops on Aug 30, while India operated the last Air Force flight out of Kabul on Aug 21^st, took off evacuees to Dushanbe and then to Delhi via an Air India flight

Speaking to the media on Sept 9 on the subject of the resumption of commercial flights between India and Afghanistan, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said, “Yes, we are taking a longer route currently, as are most international airlines. When things get better, we will be back on the same track,” while officials told India Today TV that they were assessing the security situation on the ground.

US bars flight from landing with Americans from Kabul: Report: The Department of Homeland Security on Tue denied U.S. landing rights for a charter plane carrying more than 100 Americans and U.S. green card holders evacuated from Afghanistan, organizers of the flight said.

• “They will not allow a charter on an international flight into a U.S. port of entry,” Bryan Stern, a founder of non-profit group Project Dynamo, said of the department’s Customs and Border Protection agency.
• Taliban warns the United States of consequences if US drones continue to violate Afghan airspace.

External debt surpasses historic high of $122b, Pak Tribune

$22.37b for 124 projects borrowed from international financial institutions, NA body told

• Pakistan’s external debt and liabilities have surpassed the historic high of $122 billion recorded by the end of last fiscal year (FY21), the National Standing Committee on Economic Affairs was told on Tue.
• The panel met under the chairmanship of Mir Khan Muhammad Jamali.
• Briefing the panel on the country’s foreign debt and repercussions of currency devaluation, Additional Secretary for Economic Affairs Zulfiqar Haider said that external debt and liabilities (EDL) stood at $96 billion as of June 30, 2018, and jumped to $26 billion under the three years of the incumbent government.
• He said Pakistan was bound by a deadline to repay $3.785 billion to Paris Club.
• However, the Paris Club had recently relaxed the deadline and announced to extend it keeping in view the ongoing pandemic’s impact on economies.
• The committee was told that more than $22.37 billion was borrowed from international financial institutions for 124 projects.
• It was said that during the Covid-19 crisis, the Economic Affairs Division had arranged a $4.1 billion loan and purchased vaccines worth $653 million.
• However, the secretary contended that the statistics regarding the loans were “sensitive” and therefore merited an in-camera session for an extensive rundown. Jamali called for an in-camera session on the matter.

Alarm over anti-Pakistan bill moved in US Senate

Raising the issue of the anti-Pakistan bill that aims to penalize and sanction different countries, Pakistan Peoples Party parliamentary leader in Senate and chairperson of the Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs Senator, Sherry Rehman said Pakistan was faced with a moment of serious peril after the hasty pullout of US forces from Afghanistan.

Referring to the Afghanistan Counterterrorism, Oversight, and Accountability bill moved by 22 Republican senators, Senator Rehman regretted the US left Afghanistan under a deal that it had directly made with the Taliban yet it was pressing Pakistan to take responsibility for whatever was happening in Afghanistan.

• “What is happening to Pakistan is worse than what has happened before,” she remarked.
• Mentioning that the bill directly targeted Pakistan, she said it was not the US administration’s policy bill but it was important as it could gather critical mass.
• “It also points to a rise in toxic sentiments about Pakistan on the Hill, which many of us have worked very hard to reverse,” she observed.
• Noting that a smart policy was about anticipating challenges and tackling them with unity and rational response, she said that at least a beginning should be made to address the threats.
• Section 202 of the bill directly mentions Pakistan and calls for an “assessment of support by state and non-state actors, including the government of Pakistan, for the Taliban between 2001 and 2020.”

“They are clearly saying that the government of Pakistan has supported the Taliban but it’s disappointing to see that no one has put it to the parliament for shaping collective responses nor dispelled disinformation that is damaging and painful,” she added.

She regretted that national unity, which should be the first step in foreign policy was missing and said the PTI government was ignoring the constitution and the parliament and was busy in their war narrative.

She said, “We are friends of Afghanistan, not spokesmen for any particular group. We should not make decisions that hurt the country. The PM mentions sacrifice. Yes, that is correct, but why make fun of that sacrifice by saying we will give amnesty to outfits like TTP that have martyred not just our twice elected PM Benazir Bhutto but also the children of Army Public School and many of our brave soldiers.”

She said a serious, deliberative, and informed approach was required from the government and there was a need to discuss the state of Pakistan’s foreign policy.

Afghan State Collapse Rooted in Doha Deal: US Officials:

Senior Pentagon officials said Wed the collapse of the Afghan government and its security forces in August could be traced to a 2020 U.S. agreement with the Taliban that promised a complete U.S. troop withdrawal.

Gen. Frank McKenzie, the head of Central Command, told the House Armed Services Committee that once the U.S. troop presence was pushed below 2,500 as part of President Joe Biden’s decision in April to complete a total withdrawal by Sept, the unraveling of the U.S.-backed Afghan govt accelerated.

“The signing of the Doha agreement had a pernicious effect on the government of Afghanistan and on its military – psychologically more than anything else, but we set a date-certain for when we were going to leave and when they could expect all assistance to end,” McKenzie said.

• McKenzie said he also had believed “for quite a while” that if the US reduced the number of its military advisers in Afghanistan below 2,500, the Kabul government inevitably would collapse “and that the military would follow.”
• He said in addition to the morale-depleting effects of the Doha agreement, the troop reduction ordered by Biden in April was” the other nail in the coffin” for the 20-year war effort because it blinded the U.S. military to conditions inside the Afghan army, “because our advisers were no longer down there with those units.”
• Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, testifying alongside McKenzie, said he agreed with McKenzie’s analysis. He added that the Doha agreement also committed the US to end airstrikes against the Taliban, “so the Taliban got stronger, they increased their offensive operations against the Afghan security forces, and the Afghans were losing a lot of people every week.”
• Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had said a day earlier in a similar hearing in the Senate that the war in Afghanistan was a “strategic failure,” and he repeated that on Wed.

This week’s House and Senate hearings marked the start of what is likely to be an extended congressional review of the U.S. failures in Afghanistan, after years of limited congressional oversight of the war and the hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars it consumed.