[ NATIONAL ]

Modi’s BJP set to retain power in India’s most populous state of UP

India’s election authority started counting votes on Thu in five states’ elections that are a crucial test for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) before national elections in 2024, with most of the leads in counting, which is still going on suggesting the BJP will retain power in Uttar Pradesh (271/403), India’s most populous state with over 230 million people, along with Uttrakhand (48/70), Goa (20/40), and Manipur (31/60). In Punjab, Aam Aadmi Party seems to secure the majority (92/117) as of 1700 hrs IST. A significant loos to congress. Results from all 5 states – UP, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur, and Goa – are expected to be available later in the day.

China says hoping for progress at talks with India on Friday

India and China are holding the 15^th round of bilateral military talks on Friday to resolve the ongoing border friction at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh

Military planners weigh the impact of Russia sanctions

India’s concerns are not exaggerated as Russia has been its preferred arms provider for decades. The country was India’s top arms supplier during 2016-20, accounting for 49% of New Delhi’s defense imports, according to a report released by the Sipri.

We Are Hopeful Of Not Only ATAGS to be inducted But Garuda And Light Weapon Also—Baba Kalyani, CMD Bharat Forge

Baba Kalyani, CMD, Bharat Forge is aiming to establish Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd (KSSL) as a leading Indian OEM of the world in Defence and Aerospace. Kalyani Strategic Systems Ltd (KSSL), the defense arm of Bharat Forge is developing an entire range of field Artillery for the Army: Bharat 52/ 45, Garuda 105, and ATAGS with DRDO.

House lawmakers question India’s ties to Russia and its partnership with the US as competition increases with China in Indo-Pacific

Stripes- As the U.S. works to deepen relationships in the Indo-Pacific region, some House lawmakers on Wed questioned India’s readiness to partner with the U.S. against China due to its longstanding ties with Russia.

French Minister for Foreign Trade Frank Riester’s India visit to consolidate Indo-French economic ties

ANI -Two-day India visit of Franck Riester, French Minister for Foreign Trade starting from March 10-11, covering Delhi and Bengaluru will consolidate Indo-French economic ties.

Sarpanch shot dead by terrorists in Srinagar

A sarpanch was shot dead by terrorists in the Khonmoh area on the outskirts of Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar on Wed. A preliminary probe indicates that Sameer Ahmad Bhat, 40, received 2 bullets in the chest after terrorists barged into his house and opened fire at him. The sarpanch was immediately rushed to the hospital where he succumbed to injuries, police said.

2 Militant killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama and one in Srinagar

Two Lashkar-i-Toiba (LeT) terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said. Acting on specific inputs about the presence of terrorists in the Naina Batpora area of the south Kashmir district, security forces launched a cordon and search operation there. The operation is still going on. Search operation underway in the Hazratbal area after one terrorist was neutralized by Srinagar Police. Search for 2 others who fled from the encounter site is underway.

An Army jawan missing for three days was found dead in an orchard in Kashmir Valley’s Budgam district on Thu

The Jammu and Kashmir police have launched an investigation into the disappearance of an army soldier from his home in Budgam district. Sameer Malla, who is posted in Jammu with the J&K Light Infantry, had taken leave and was visiting his family in Lokipora Budgam. According to his family members, Malla stepped out of the house on Mon afternoon and has not returned. A senior army officer said the police are dealing with the issue and looking for his whereabouts. “At around 1:30 pm he left home on foot after lunch. Normally he would use his car for even shorter distances but this time he left on foot,” said Family.

Hate speech on social media has to be taken note of, says SC’s judge Justice L Nageswara Rao

In this era of social media, hate speech is something that has to be taken note of, Supreme Court judge Justice L Nageswara Rao said while addressing a memorial lecture of senior advocate Soli J Sorabjee. Justice Nageswara Rao was addressing at the Soli Sorabjee 1^st Excellence Award and Scholarship and Inaugural Memorial Lecture, on the theme ‘Role of Supreme Court in Augmenting Scope of Fundamental Rights.’

[ NEIGHBORHOOD ]

China boosting nuke stockpile to be on par with US, Russia, says ex-diplomat Jayant Prasad

China is increasing its nuclear weapon stockpile and delivery systems rapidly to get strategically on a par with the US and Russia, veteran diplomat Jayant Prasad said Wed.

Designate Pakistan as a state sponsor of terror, demands US Congressman

A senior US Congressman has moved the bill in the House of Representatives demanding that Pakistan be designated as a state sponsor of terror, this days after the Financial Action Task Force retained Islamabad on the grey list over inadequate actions on probing and prosecuting terrorists. US Congressman Scott Perry, who is a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, quoted a statement by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken who had accused Pakistan of harboring members of the Taliban, including the terrorists of the Haqqani network. Congressman Scott Perry is a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. A retired brigadier general who flew 200 hours of combat sorties in a Chinook helicopter during his deployment in Iraq, Perry states, “Effective on the date that is 30 days after the date 4 of the enactment of this Act, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan shall be deemed to be a country the govt of which the Secretary of State determines has repeatedly provided support for international terrorism.”

South China Sea: New Philippine leader must honor joint exploration agreement with Beijing or face conflict, says Duterte

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has told his successor that Manila must honor an agreement his administration made with China to jointly explore an area in the disputed South China Sea for oil and gas deposits – or face possible conflict. He said that in light of the presidential election taking place in May, someone “reminded me – I won’t say who from China” that both sides already had an agreement on joint development of Reed Bank, also known as Recto Bank, which falls in a contested area of the South China Sea. An international tribunal ruling on Manila’s unilateral challenge to Beijing’s claims in 2016 said Reed Bank was considered part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf, where Manila has exclusive sovereign rights.

China-Taiwan war would end in ‘miserable victory’ -Taiwan minister

Speaking to reporters before a parliament session on the security implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Chiu said both sides would pay a heavy price in the event of a conflict between China and Taiwan, which Beijing has vowed to reclaim, by force if necessary.

Pak Air Force’s training plane crashes in Mian Channu

A training plane of the Air Force has been crashed in Mian Channu, 24News HD TV channel reported on Wed. According to the report, rescue teams have been rushed to the spot and started work to control the fire. The report said that the plane was crashed on a cold storage building, till filing the report, no casualties were reported. But, the building of the cold storage is damaged. RPO Multan has sought a report from DPO Khanewal about the accident.

NA speaker has right to disqualify MNAs who cross floor: Sheikh Rashid

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Thu said National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser had the right to disqualify Members who “crossed the floor” in the lower house and that “no one could challenge that”. His comments come in the aftermath of the joint opposition submitting a no-trust motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tue along with a formal request to requisition the NA.

China says hoping for progress at talks with India on Fri

The Chinese foreign ministry on Wed said it was hopeful that India and China will make progress during the upcoming 15^th round of bilateral military talks on Fri to resolve the ongoing border friction at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

Confirming the talks, foreign ministry spokesperson, Zhao Lijian said as agreed by the two sides, “China and India will hold 15^th round of military commander level talks on March 11”.

“In the last round of talks, the two sides had candid in-depth exchanges of views on resolving the remaining issues on the western sector of the boundary,” Zhao said at the regular ministry briefing on Wed.

“We hope we can seek proper settlement of the disputes and reach a solution that is acceptable to both sides,” Zhao added.

Indian and Chinese border troops have been locked in a border standoff in eastern Ladakh since May 2020, when a violent clash in Pangong lake followed by the deadly Galwan Valley fighting led to both sides gradually deploying tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry along the border.

“We have made it clear to China that peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential for the development of our relationship. Development of India-China relationship has to be based on ‘three mutuals’ – mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest,” Shringla recommended in his address at the Inaugural Session of the Training Module on India’s Neighbourhood, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration.

Military planners weigh the impact of Russia sanctions

HT- India’s overwhelming dependence on Russian military hardware — from fighter jets to rifles and submarines to shoulder-fired missiles — to keep its military battle-ready has come into sharp focus on the back of the US and its allies slapping tough sanctions on Russia in response to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, people familiar with the development said on Wed.

(Official)-While it is still unclear how the new sanctions could play out and the problems they could create for the armed forces in the short and long term, the possible impact of Russia’s unprecedented economic isolation on India’s military preparedness and the serviceability of weapons and equipment is being minutely examined.

• India’s concerns are not exaggerated as Russia has been its preferred arms provider for decades and supplied 49% of New Delhi defense imports during 2016-20.
• The country was India’s top arms supplier, accounting for 49% of New Delhi’s defense imports, according to a report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri).
• The Sipri report factored in only the recent imports from that country, the Indian arsenal bears an unmistakable Russian stamp.
• Russian-origin equipment used by India includes fighter jets, transport planes, helicopters, warships, submarines, tanks, infantry combat vehicles and multi-rocket systems.

Each of the tri-services has a raft of Russian-origin weapons and platforms.

• The Air Force operates Sukhoi-30s, MiG-29s and MiG-21s, Il-76 and An-32 transport planes, Il-78 mid-air refuellers, Mi-35 attack helicopters, and Mi-17 utility choppers.
• The navy’s sole aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya and the MiG-29K fighter jets it operates are from Russia, and so are its Kilo-class submarines, Rajput-class destroyers, and Talwar-class frigates.
• The army operates Russian-origin T-90 and T-72 tanks, BMP-II infantry combat vehicles, Smerch and Grad multi-rocket systems, and several surface-to-air missile systems.

India has been procuring US military hardware in growing numbers, including Apache and Chinook helicopters and P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft,

However, about 60% of the inventory of the three services continues to be of Russian origin.

(Official)-“We are not talking about a few weapons and systems. Russian-origin military hardware forms the bulk of our arsenal. We must ensure it is fully serviceable at all times to deal with any eventuality.”.

• As military planners figure out the likely consequences of the sanctions against Russia.
• India has kicked off the induction of S-400 air defense systems and is also set to begin joint production of more than 600,000 AK-203 assault rifles at a facility in Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi district.
• The recent global developments have highlighted the need for achieving self-reliance in the defense sector.
• As reported, Army chief Gen MM Naravane on Tue said the biggest lesson from the Ukraine crisis was that India has to be ready to fight future wars with indigenous weapons.

A country that imports its major armament systems cannot indigenize them through sporadic policy changes and a media blitz, said Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur (retd), former additional director general of the Centre for Air Power Studies.

• How exactly the sanctions against Russia will affect India is still a grey area, said former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Fali Major (retd).
• From raising foreign direct investment (FDI) in defense to creating a separate budget for buying locally-made military hardware and notifying 2 lists of weapons/equipment that cannot be imported, the govt has taken several measures to boost self-reliance in the defense sector over the last 2-3 years.
• In the union budget (on Feb 1), India earmarked ₹84,598 crores, 68% of the military’s capital acquisition budget for 2022-23, for purchasing locally-produced weapons and systems.
• Besides setting aside 25% of the defense R&D budget for private industry, startups, and academia to encourage them to pursue the design and development of military platforms.

House lawmakers question India’s ties to Russia and its partnership with the US as competition increases with China in Indo-Pacific

Stripes- As the U.S. works to deepen relationships in the Indo-Pacific region, some House lawmakers on Wed questioned India’s readiness to partner with the U.S. against China due to its longstanding ties with Russia.

India’s decision to abstain from last week’s vote at the U.N. worried some lawmakers who said the U.S. will need to foster strong cooperation with India and other countries in the region to counter a rapidly modernizing Chinese military.

• “Shockingly, such a great country has abstained on the issue of the mass murder in Ukraine,” said Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C.
• Reuters- “It just seems so unnatural.” Britain’s foreign minister Liz Truss to its economic and security dependence on Russia, which has long supplied India with the majority of its weapons.
• A Pentagon official testifying before the House Armed Services Committee on Tue assured lawmakers that India is diversifying its arms purchases away from Russia and is “moving in the right direction.”
• “From the U.S. perspective, India is absolutely an essential partner,” said Ely Ratner, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs.
• India’s “complicated history and relationship” with Russia poses challenges, he said, but “they are manageable.”
• Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., urged U.S. commanders and the Defense Department to make clear to India that the U.S. would be a better ally than Russia against Chinese aggression.
• When skirmishes broke out in 2020 at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the U.S. provided intelligence and other support to India, according to Ratner.
• “As an Indian-American, I’m perplexed why India is unwilling to condemn Putin’s unprovoked aggression into Ukraine,” Khanna said.
• “We need to press India not to be as dependent on Russian defense and to be willing to condemn Putin’s aggression in Ukraine, just like we would condemn Chinese aggression beyond the LAC.”

As the world’s largest democracy, India is one of the most important strategic relationships for the U.S. in its quest to meet China’s rising power and counter North Korea’s missile development, Ratner said.

• The U.S. began fostering maritime ties with India after the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 and later formed an informal Indo-Pacific security group Quad.
• Two U.S. commanders testified on Wed about the value of the group along with other partnerships that are bolstering U.S. security interests in the region.
• The historical military alliance between the U.S. and S Korea remains a “lynchpin of regional stability” but there is concern that South Korea’s significant economic association with China.
• To strengthen ties with India and S Korea, the U.S. is providing space, cybersecurity, and intelligence assistance to India and helping S Korea’s military with additional training, a commander said.
• The U.S. is also looking to enhance its relationships with the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam, said Aquilino, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command.
• Much of the evolving U.S. partnerships are concentrated on improving cybersecurity and establishing secure lines of communication, Ratner said.

China’s penetration of networks in the region is “quite severe,” he said.

Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., cautioned Pentagon officials on Wed that Chinese investments in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, drones, and other technology could soon outmatch the capabilities of the U.S. military. “This is the fight of the future,” he said.

• The commanders on Wed acknowledged the Pentagon “absolutely needs to move faster” on innovation and advanced technology.
• Aquilino said he wants to see better-integrated radar imaging systems for ballistic missile defense and asked lawmakers to support a defense on Guam for hypersonic weapons and other threats.
• “The area in the Indo-Pacific is expansive, half the globe and lot of its water. To be able to posture forces in places that matter, we have focused on Guam as a strategic hub.”
• The Defense Department is also focusing on providing defense capabilities to Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing claims as its own, Ratner said.
• Lawmakers drew comparisons between China’s ambitions to retake Taiwan and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a fellow former Soviet republic.
• “We can easily see the China-Taiwan situation in the same way we now see the Russia-Ukraine situation,” said Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., chairman of the committee.

“We need to constantly remind China that that is not the way global powers are supposed to behave … Having a robust U.S. presence in the region lets China know that that is not an acceptable or doable option.”

French Minister for Foreign Trade Frank Riester’s India visit to consolidate Indo-French economic ties

ANI -Two-day India visit of Franck Riester, French Minister for Foreign Trade starting from March 10-11, covering Delhi and Bengaluru will consolidate Indo-French economic ties.

• “Given France and India’s common goal to boost their strategic autonomy, this visit seeks to enhance Indo-French cooperation in key industrial sectors,” read Riester’s press statement.
• He will also hold talks on France and India’s efforts to reform the world trade system post-pandemic.
• Riester will also reaffirm France’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific, and further the positive French and European economic agenda for prosperity in the region.

In Delhi, Minister Riester will meet Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, and will review trade and investment, ways of promotion greater ease of doing business between the 2 countries, and coordination in multilateral fora on economic issues, added the release.

• Riester will meet Indian investors, “France 2030” investment plan in key industrial sectors, post-Brexit relocation opportunities,
• To showcase France as a perfect gateway to expansive European markets.

• Minister Riester will also hold discussions with the representatives of French companies and the French network in India that assists French companies in their Indian projects.
• The minister will preside over the ceremony of the IFCCI Business Awards 2022, as well as the Grand Prix VIE South Asia 2022.
• During his trip, the minister will also visit French business success stories in India in tech and smart solutions.

[ NEIGHBORHOOD ]

China boosting nuke stockpile to be on par with US, Russia, says ex-diplomat Jayant Prasad

China is increasing its nuclear weapon stockpile and delivery systems rapidly with the goal to get strategically on a par with the US and Russia, veteran diplomat Jayant Prasad said Wed.

Prasad, who has served as a member of the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters as well as India’s envoy to to many nations, was speaking at a virtual event hosted by the Institute of Chinese Studies.

• Prasad expressed concern over the possibility of China sharing nuclear material and technologies with Pakistan.
• Also, Beijing is building facilities on the Makran coast in Pakistan and the country’s naval bases, while also having a base in Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa. 
• China has the third largest nuclear weapons stockpile after the US and Russia.
• It officially operates about 20 silos for the DF-5 missile, an intercontinental ballistic missile, but the discovery of a 2^nd missile field last July indicated it was making space for 230 new silos.
• Last Nov, a US Defense Department report said China has plans to have at least 1,000 warheads by 2030, exceeding the pace and size the department projected in 2020.

‘India needs to effectively use Andaman & Nicobar’-On the issue of submarine warfare, Prasad said there are regional anti-submarine warfare assets in place, including those of India, that track Chinese nuclear submarines.

He added that, as counter-measures, India must first improve nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) and ISR systems — the early warning intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capacity.

Hans Kristensen, Director of the Nuclear Information Project at US-based think tank Federation of American Scientists, was another speaker at the event.

‘Strategy moving towards launch on warning’- China became the first nation to propose and pledge a no-first use (NFU) policy when it first gained nuclear capabilities in 1964, and other countries such as India follow this policy too.

However, experts at the virtual event said China’s rapid drive to expand its nuclear arsenal shows a pivot towards a ‘launch on warning’ strategy — launching a retaliatory nuclear-weapon strike against an opponent as soon as an incoming enemy missile is detected.

Asked what’s driving this perceived change in China’s nuclear strategy, Kristensen said “It’s a deep sense of vulnerability… and the other reason is clearly linked to President Xi’s declared ambition to make China a world-class military power.”