[ NATIONAL ]

Kamov choppers, submarine torpedoes among deals the defense ministry will review this week

Ministry is reviewing all procurement under the ‘Buy (Global)’ category, under which equipment is bought directly from foreign manufacturers, amid govt’s ‘Atmanirbhar’ push.

India, Central Asia to hold summit once in two years, establish a secretariat for coordination

The meet, which will happen virtually, will be the first such summit between India and the five Central Asian countries.

India to supply wheat consignments to Afghanistan through Pakistan at the beginning of Feb

The two countries have agreed to join hands at a time when Afghanistan is in desperate need of international aid ever since the Taliban regime took over in Aug this year. The Ministry of External Affairs has said that India will supply wheat consignments to Afghanistan through Pakistan at the beginning of Feb. “We have conveyed to the Indian side the necessary details of arrangements put in place by Pakistan and for about 3 weeks now, we are awaiting further response from India,” Pakistan’s foreign ministry said. Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian has also offered help in the transfer of Indian wheat to Afghanistan. According to the UN estimates, nearly 23 million Afghans are facing an acute food shortage, with as many as 3.2 million children at the risk of malnutrition. The UNDP has warned that 97% of Afghans would slip below the poverty line by June next year if steps are not taken.

China ‘finds’ Arunachal boy, identification process on

The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China has told the Indian Army that a teenager has been found on its side of the Line of Actual Control, but it is yet to be confirmed whether he is the same youth who went missing from the Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh on January 18. “The PLA has confirmed to their counterparts here that they have found a boy, who is from the Indian side,” the defense PRO-based in Tezpur. (For details see last weekend).

Ministry of Electronics & IT, in association with ICEA, releases a 5-year roadmap and Vision Document for the electronics sector, titled “$300 bn Sustainable Electronics Manufacturing & Exports by 2026.” The document was released by Ashwini Vaishnaw, and R Chandrasekhar.

Crypto theft in India leads Delhi Police investigators to Middle East terror trail

ANI -Delhi Police on Mon said it has solved a case of cryptocurrency theft by busting a cyber fraud module operated by Al-Qassam Brigates, the military wing of Hamas, which operated by hacking into crypto-wallets of people and transferring the stolen virtual currency into the digital wallets linked to the terrorist organization.

Ex-Japan PM Shinzo Abe given Netaji Award 2022

Former Japan prime minister Shinzo Abe was conferred with the Netaji Award 2022 by Netaji Research Bureau on Sun. Consul General of Japan in Kolkata Nakamura Yutaka received the honour on behalf of Abe at a function at the Elgin Road residence of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125^th birth anniversary.

Republic Day 2022: ‘Abide with me’ dropped from musical line-up by Modi government

The central government has dropped the hymn ‘Abide with me’ from the musical line-up of Republic Day. ‘Abide with me’, written by Scottish Anglican poet and hymnologist Henry Francis Lyte in 1847, had been part of the Beating Retreat ceremony since 1950. Beating Retreat marks the end of nearly week-long festivities of Republic Day, which used to begin on Jan 24. But this year, the celebrations will begin on Jan 23, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

Hate speech case: Delhi court frames sedition charges against  Sharjeel Imam

A Delhi court has ordered sedition charges to be slapped on Sharjeel Imam in connection with alleged inflammatory speeches delivered by him at Aligarh Muslim University, Uttar Pradesh, and the Jamia area in Delhi. Additional sessions judge passed orders framing the charges against Imam under sections 124A (sedition), 153A, 153B, 505 of IPC, and 13 of UAPA. A former JNU student and one of the key organizers of the Shaheen Bagh protest, Sharjeel Imam, was arrested in 2020 from Bihar’s Jehanabad. A Delhi court had granted him bail in connection with the case of allegedly delivering an inflammatory speech at Jamia Milia Islamia which led to violence outside the university in Dec 2019.

[ NEIGHBORHOOD ]

China sends 39 warplanes toward Taiwan, largest in the new year

China flew 39 warplanes (24 J-16 fighter jets and 10 J-10 jets, among other support aircraft and electronic warfare aircraft) toward Taiwan in its largest such sortie of the new year, continuing a pattern that the island has answered by scrambling its own jets in response on Sun, according to Taiwan’s defense ministry. Taiwan’s air force scrambled its own jets and tracked the People’s Liberation Army planes on its air defense radar systems, the ministry said. Chinese pilots have been flying towards Taiwan on a near-daily basis in the past year and a half, since Taiwan’s govt started publishing the data regularly. The largest sortie was 56 warplanes on a single day last Oct. The activity has generally been in the air space southwest of Taiwan and falls into what Taiwan’s military calls the air defense identification zone, or air space it monitors out of national security considerations.

China ‘not that nice country’, giving money to dictators & killers: German Navy chief in India

German Navy chief Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schonbach has said his country and India will now engage more deeply in defence and security, in order to address the China challenge in the Indo-Pacific, where Beijing is expanding its sphere of influence with the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Schonbach, who is visiting India along with the German warship ‘Bayern’, which made a rare port call in Mumbai Fri, said Germany is sending warships into the Indo-Pacific region because it supports a rules-based international order. Vice Admiral Kay-Achim Schonbach later issued a clarification, saying comments were his ‘personal view’ and not the German defense ministry’s, and expressing them was a ‘mistake’.

To damage India and US, China is funding Nepal politicians

TSG-With the general elections approaching in Nepal, the proxy war played in South Asia had reached its peak in the Himalayan kingdom. Hence, Beijing is leaving no stone unturned to influence the elections in Nepal and install a govt favorable to it. It is to be seen now as to what approach India and the United States are going to adopt to counter the Chinese strategic investments in this turf war in Nepal.

Xi shows skill in carving out a likely third term

ANI – 2022 is very important for China. Next month it hosts the Beijing Winter Olympics, while later is the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 20^th Party Congress. The latter will shape the constitution of China’s communist leadership and the country’s policy priorities for the ensuing five years and beyond.

Shahzad Akbar resigns as PM’s adviser on accountability and interior

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Accountability and Interior Shahzad Akbar announced on Monday that he had resigned from his post, but said that he would remain associated with the PTI. Akbar also played a key role in the Panama Papers leak-related money laundering cases in which former prime minister Nawaz Sharif was convicted. Taking to Twitter, Akbar said that he had tendered his resignation to Prime Minister Imran Khan.

In-house change only option to strengthen democracy: Raja Pervaiz

The former prime minister and Pakistan People’s Party Punjab president Raja Pervaiz Ashraf on Sun said that in-house change of govt is the only option for strengthening democracy and parliament in the country. He expressed these views while talking to the media after a press conference at the PPP’s Model Town Secretariat. Ashraf said the party was seeing “positive signs” in the other opposition parties regarding tabling a no-confidence motion against the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf govt, adding that such a move could be easier in Punjab where the ruling party enjoyed only a thin majority. He said the PPP believed in bringing a change only through democratic ways. He was hopeful that the PPP would win the upcoming local body elections as well as general polls to be held in 2023.

PML-N, PPP take exception to PM Imran’s remarks

Main opposition parties Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party took exception to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s threat that he would become more dangerous if pushed out of power. PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz termed it a ‘hollow threat’ from a defeated person, while PPP secretary general Nayyar Bokhari dubbed it “boastful talk” by a person sitting on a sinking ship. Prime Minister Imran Khan’s televised program in which he answered viewers’ questions by phone on Sun.

Kamov choppers, submarine torpedoes among deals defence ministry will review this week

ThePrint– As the Narendra Modi govt pushes for more indigenous systems in the military, this week the Defence Procurement Board (DPB) of Ministry of Defence will undertake a review of several foreign procurement projects, some of which are almost in their final stages. A review does not mean cancellation, sources clarified.

(Sources)- Over 10 items are up for review by the DPB, including a deal with Russia for Kamov helicopters for the Army and Navy, as well as heavyweight torpedoes for Scorpene submarines.

• The move is part of the ministry’s review of all procurement under the ‘Buy (Global)’ category to push for ‘Atmanirbhar’ products in the critical sector, dominated by foreign purchases.
• Under this category, procurement is made directly from a foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM).
• While defence services were earlier asked to prepare a list of procurement plans from abroad that could be replaced by indigenous items, sources said all projects are under review, including those in final stages..
• The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister had on Jan 14^th decided to scrap a coast guard project for the procurement of 14 helicopters from abroad, besides all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and short-range missiles.

Key deals under review

• Heavyweight torpedoes for the Navy’s Scorpene submarines, which are currently using Russian-made torpedoes that have been given a life extension.
• As per previous plan, the Indian Navy was to procure ‘Black Shark’ torpedoes from Italian firm WASS, (AgustaWestland chopper scam-tainted Italian firm Finmeccanica).
• The plan was that the Navy’s immediate requirement of heavyweight torpedoes would be met by foreign procurement,
• The long-term, larger requirement would be fulfilled through the indigenous manufacturing route.
• (Sources) the torpedoes will most likely be procured from abroad since there is no functional indigenous alternative as of now.
• Kamov helicopters, which is most likely to be shelved in favour of the indigenous product manufactured by state-run HAL.
• This is going to be big in terms of monetary value as the cumulative figure of this deal (including Army and Navy requirements) is over Rs 20,000 crore, sources said.
• As reported earlier, this renewed focus by the defence ministry could have a ripple effect on the Navy’s plan to acquire new utility helicopters through strategic partnership.
• The programme otherwise was to be a collaboration between a foreign player and an Indian private firm.
• Procurement of general-purpose machine guns, expendable aerial and anti-submarine warfare targets, etc.

India, Central Asia to hold summit once in two years, establish a secretariat for coordination

Summit level meet once in two years, the establishment of a secretariat for practical coordination, more ministerial-level engagement will be among the key outcomes of the upcoming India-Central Asia summit that will take place on Jan 27.

The meet, which will happen virtually, will be the first such summit between India and the 5 Central Asian countries–Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan as they set to increase engagement to a higher level.

• India and the Central Asian countries already have a foreign minister-level mechanism that has met two times on an annual basis so far, the last being in Dec 2021.
• The “India-Central Asia Centre“, which is expected to be established in Delhi, which henceforth becomes a permanent fixture as ties are taken to a higher level.
• The suggestion for the establishment of such a secretariat was given by India and will provide an institutional framework for the development of relationships.

Another key outcome will be the establishment of ministerial-level platforms for engagement in 4 key areas–political issues and development cooperation, trade and connectivity, culture and tourism, and, most importantly defense and security.

• At the non-governmental level, increased interaction is being proposed between business chambers, think-tanks.
• A special emphasis will be on enlarging engagement when it comes to the IT sector.
• India has already assisted in the establishment of an IT park in the Uzbek capital Tashkent, the first phase being inaugurated in 2019.
• In Tajikistan, with a grant of $ 0.6 million, an IT Centre (Bedil Centre) was commissioned in 2006 by Indian support, and the ​project trained almost all the first-generation IT experts in govt sector of the country.
• New Delhi has been pitching for an Iran-based India-built Chabahar port to increase connectivity and trade from landlocked central Asia to the wider Indian Ocean region.
• Uzbekistan, a doubly landlocked country, Kazakhstan have been an enthusiastic supporter of the use of ports to increase connectivity.
• The continuous focus has been on the share civilizational connect, which also remains the much-celebrated aspect of the ties.
• As part of defense industrial cooperation, India has offered a Line of Credit of 40 million to Uzbekistan.
• Indian, Uzbek armies had undertaken 10 day-long joint military exercises at Ranikhet, Uttarakhand last year in which 45 soldiers from each side participated.
• The announcement of the summit came last week and comes even as both sides, this year mark the 30th year of establishment of formal diplomatic ties.
• Afghanistan naturally will be one of the main points of discussion, given 3 Central Asian countries– Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan share a direct land border with the country.
• The summit comes as New Delhi has been expanding the depth of its commitments with all central Asian capitals.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited all the central Asian countries in 2015, which was the first of its kind tour by any Indian Prime minister.
• EAM Jaishankar had last year visited two Central Asian countries – Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.

India has in the past announced a $ 1 billion line of credit for priority development projects in fields such as connectivity, energy, IT, healthcare, education, agriculture, etc for the entire region also known as “the stans” since all the countries in the region end with suffix stan, which in Persian means “land of”.

Crypto theft in India leads Delhi Police investigators to Middle East terror trail

ANI -Delhi Police on Mon said it has solved a case of cryptocurrency theft by busting a cyber fraud module operated by Al-Qassam Brigates, the military wing of Hamas, which operated by hacking into crypto-wallets of people and transferring the stolen virtual currency into the digital wallets linked to the terrorist organization.

• Delhi Police have started investigations, based on a case, in which the complainant reported that some unknown persons had fraudulently transferred cryptocurrency, totaling a value of worth about Rs 30 lakh.
• During the investigation, the cryptocurrency trail led to startling facts, that the virtual currencies ended up in the digital wallets of Al-Qassam Brigates, to the wallets which have already been seized by Israel’s National Bureau for Counter Financing.
• The cryptocurrencies were routed through various private wallets and finally landed into suspects’ digital wallets, being used/operated in Gaza, Egypt, and the military wings of Hamas, which has been blacklisted as a terror organization by the US and EU.

• One such wallet has already been seized/frozen by National Bureau for Counter Terror Financing, Israel.
• One of the seized wallets belongs to one person identified as Mohammad Naseer Ibrahim Abdulla.
• Delhi Police -it has been revealed that the bitcoins and other cryptocurrencies were fraudulently transferred from the digital wallet of the complainant.
• The probe by Delhi Police is part of a larger investigation launched by Rakesh Ashtana and led by a special team helmed by DCP KPS Malhotra.
• Hamas is known to raise funds through the use of cryptocurrencies to avoid being tracked.
• Further probe in the matter is underway and Delhi Police said it is looking into other complaints of crypto wallet thefts. (ANI)

[ NEIGHBORHOOD ]

To damage India and US, China is funding Nepal politicians

TSG-With the general elections approaching in Nepal, the proxy war played in South Asia had reached its peak in the Himalayan kingdom, China has increased its funding to anti-India and anti-US political parties there so that it can install a proxy in Kathmandu to sabotage the major projects of both countries and fulfill its strategic objectives.

(Sources)- What was alarming for the agencies is the proportion and magnitude of investment done by Beijing.

To counter India’s influence is one point but the other motive of Beijing is to sabotage the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) project of the US, to give a loud message that they don’t allow the world’s leading power to interfere in its immediate neighborhood.

Also, the Indian security agencies are worried about a few km away from the Indo-Nepal border, many Chinese nationals are running different kinds of factories, and money is transferred to political parties and candidates at the local level through these factories.

• Chinese propaganda in the run-up to the elections had another socio-political dimension.
• They have started a ‘one village-one person’ campaign.
• Unlike many countries, the village units are powerful and influence the decision-making in Nepal.

The MCC project is the result of an agreement signed between the US and Nepal in Sept 2017 under which Kathmandu will receive grant assistance worth more than US $550 million for the development of energy and infrastructure projects.

• But even after more than 4 years, the agreement had not been ratified by the Nepalese parliament.
• As per the clause of the agreement, it can only start if the recipient country gets it ratified by its parliament.
• Since the last 4 years, Beijing has been successful in dividing the political parties over this issue.
• China also thinks that the major portion of the grants would be spent on the construction of the infrastructure and power projects in the southern portion and the surplus power might be supplied to India.
• Hence, Beijing is leaving no stone unturned to influence the elections in Nepal and install a government favorable to it.
• It is to be seen now as to what approach India and the US are going to adopt to counter the Chinese strategic investments in this turf war in Nepal.

Xi shows skill in carving out a likely third term

ANI – 2022 is very important for China. Next month it hosts the Beijing Winter Olympics, while later is the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) 20^th Party Congress, which will shape the constitution of China’s communist leadership and the country’s policy priorities for the ensuing five years and beyond.

A congress is thus a seminal event for the CCP and its leader Xi Jinping. Most speculation agrees that Xi will stay in power for a third 5-year term, and he will certainly be seeking stability in the period leading up to that congress.

In a webinar entitled “Towards Xi’s Third Term: China’s 20th Party Congress and Beyond“, the Washington -based Brookings Institute.

Cheng Li, Director of the John L. Thornton China Center, noted, “Beijing has been playing hardball. Xi believes China now has more leverage in the current global economic landscape… For the CCP leadership, this reinforces its position on Xinjiang and Hong Kong- they’re not negotiable – and it will continue the pressure campaign against Taiwan independence.” (1)

1. https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/xi-shows-skill-in-carving-out-a-likely-third-term20220124150234/