[NATIONAL]

200 terrorists ready to be launched into J&K from across the border: Northern army commander

Northern army commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi on Fri said that infiltration is drastically down, yet currently, there are 200 terrorists staged across the border ready to be launched into Jammu and Kashmir. The ceasefire along the Indo-Pak border is working ‘well’ since Feb 2021 agreement, he asserted. He said that the number of trained terrorists in J&K is dwindling with each passing as 21 foreign terrorists have been eliminated this year so far in absence of local shelter and support. He said that the counter infiltration grid is very fool-proof. He maintained that terror infrastructure, however, seems to be intact across the border. He blamed the Pakistan army for sustaining the terror infrastructure. He said that infiltration not only takes place via mountainous areas and forests but also through International Border via Jammu and also Punjab and Nepal. The Army commander said that there are 40 to 50 local terrorists currently operating in the hinterland besides foreign terrorists, whose number cannot be determined. Dwivedi said local terrorists who were neutralized were very poorly trained and armed with just pistols. Expressing concern over radicalization, he said that teenagers are being recruited increasingly and it is a matter of concern for all. Dwivedi said that over 15,000 students in 48 goodwill schools are being taught how to build up a better future for themselves in their own country. (here)

CAA will be implemented once Covid is over: Amit Shah in Bengal

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) will be implemented once the pandemic subsides, Union home minister Amit Shah said at a rally in New Jalpaiguri on Thu. Shah is on his first visit to West Bengal exactly a year after BJP’s drubbing in the state assembly elections. Dragging the refugee-infiltration issue back into the political discourse ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Shah accused the State Govt of allowing infiltration while the Modi govt at the Centre was committed to granting recognition to the refugees. The home minister accused the state government of trying to divide the Gorkhas, Rajbanshis, and Adivasis in north Bengal by allowing infiltration to change the region’s demography. Shah also raised the issues of infiltration and smuggling while addressing a meeting of BSF personnel at Haridaspur, North 24 Parganas. Bengal is among the states that have strongly opposed the Centre’s move to extend the BSF’s jurisdiction from 15km to 50km inside the border. (here)

SC refers Delhi-Centre dispute over controlling services to the 5-judge Constitution bench

ANI – The Supreme Court on Fri referred the issue regarding the control over administrative services in the national capital to a 5-judge Constitution bench for adjudication. A bench of Chief Justice of India, and 2 others said that it appears that the 5-judge bench had decided all issues of dispute between the Centre and Delhi govt, except the ‘services’ while referring the issue to the Constitution bench. It is listed for hearing on May 11 before the bench hearing on who should control the ‘services’. The Central govt in its application sought a referral to a Constitution bench for a holistic interpretation of Article 239AA. Solicitor General appeared for the Centre while senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi represented the Delhi govt. The Delhi govt had filed petitions in the apex court on control over services and challenging the constitutional validity of the amended GNCTD Act, 2021 and the Transaction of Business Rules, which allegedly give more powers to the Lt Governor respectively, saying they are “prima facie correlated”. (here)

India aims to boost coal output by up to 100 million tonnes, reopen closed mines

India is looking to boost its coal output by 75-100 million tonnes in the next 2-3 years by restarting closed mines, the country’s coal secretary A K Jain said on Fri. State-run Coal India is the world’s largest coal miner and produces 80% of India’s coal. India, the world’s second-largest producer, importer, and consumer of coal, produced 777.2 million tonnes of the fuel during the year ended Mar 2022 and burnt over a billion tonnes. State-run Coal India, the world’s largest coal miner, which produces 80% of India’s coal, plans to increase annual output to 1 billion tonnes by 2024, from 622.6 million tonnes currently.

Railway Protection Force (RPF) signs MoU with Association for Voluntary Action (AVA) for a trafficking free nation

To work together with a common goal of making the nation trafficking free, DG/RPF had initiated detailed deliberations with the CEO of Kailash Satyarthi Children’s Foundation (KSCF) in presence of Shri Kailash Satyarthi on 8^th April 2022. The deliberations were taken forward with the signing of the MoU today wherein both RPF and AVA pledged to work together to share information, build the capacity of RPF personnel and railway employees to work against Human Trafficking, increase sensitization and create awareness and also help each other in identification and detection of cases of Human Trafficking. Joint action by both stakeholders under the framework of MoU will enhance the scale, reach, and effectiveness of “Operation AAHT” (Action against Human Trafficking) launched by RPF across the nation.

India highlights food, energy security challenges emanating from the Ukraine war at UNSC

ANI – Highlighting the food and energy security challenges emerging as a result of the ongoing war in Ukraine, India at UNSC on Thu (local time) highlighted the “disproportionate impact on the Global South and developing countries” of the ongoing disruptions. Speaking at the UNSC briefing on Ukraine, India’s permanent representative to the UN, TS Tirumurti, said, “The conflict is having a destabilizing effect with broader regional and global implications.” “Oil prices are skyrocketing and there is a shortage of food grains and fertilizers. This has had a disproportionate impact on the Global South and developing countries,” Tirumurti said. Tirumurti reiterated India’s consistent calls for “complete cessation of hostilities and for pursuing the path of dialogue and diplomacy as the only way out.” These measures should never be politicized,” Tirumurti emphasized. “Let me conclude by reaffirming that the contemporary global order has been built on the UN Charter, international law, and respect for sovereignty and the territorial integrity of states,” Tirumurti said. (here)

Jammu and Kashmir: Three terrorists killed in Anantnag encounter, operation underway

Three terrorists have been killed in an encounter that broke out between terrorists and the security forces in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Fri, police said. Acting on the specific input about the presence of terrorists at the Srichand Top forest area in the Pahalgam area of Anantnag, security forces launched a cordon and search operation there, according to a police officer. The police officer stated that the search operation turned into an encounter after the hiding terrorists fired upon the security forces, who retaliated. A joint operation of the Army and the police is underway to neutralize the remaining terrorists.

Six Indians were apprehended on a sinking boat in an attempt to enter the US

Six Indians, all ranging from ages 19 to 21 years old, have been charged with Improper Entry by Alien in violation of US law. The 7^th subject, a United States citizen, was charged with Alien Smuggling, which is a felony and carries a penalty of a fine and up to 10 years in prison for each violation.

Indian opposition seeks higher compensation for COVID deaths after damning WHO report, article with gallery

Reuters-India’s main opposition Congress party on Fri demanded a hefty rise in compensation for the families of those who died of COVID-19 after the WHO estimated the country’s toll was nearly 10 times the reported figure. Modi’s govt has rejected the WHO estimate released on Thu that 4.7 million people died in India as a result of the pandemic until last year when hospitals ran out of oxygen and beds due to a record wave driven by the Delta variant. [Notably, the WHO is the same organization, which allowed the spread of Covid by not suggesting the travel ban till Jan 30, 2020, then it could have reached multiple countries] (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

QUAD to push back on belligerence in Indo-Pacific in Tokyo

Expectations have been raised over QUAD’s pushback to belligerence in the Indo-Pacific at the May 24 Tokyo summit meeting with the US affirming that Senkaku Islands, disputed by China, calls under the ambit of the Japan-US security treaty and signaling that America would come to Tokyo’s military aid in the event of an attack from Beijing. In the meeting between US Defence Secretary and Japanese counterpart last Wed, the two countries have decided to align their security strategies and cement cooperation to deter any change of status quo in the Indo-Pacific by use of force. The American affirmation over the Islands will bring relief to Tokyo as Washington since the time of Bill Clinton has been on and off over whether the Islands are covered under the Japan-US defense treaty. The US affirmation of the Islands under the defense treaty with Japan indicates that the QUAD Tokyo summit will push back on belligerence in Indo Pacific. (here) However, SCMP reported that The US plans to counter China ‘at risk because of allies’ reluctance to host missile systems’. Washington’s strategy to counter China is at serious risk of failure because of the reluctance of its allies in the Indo-Pacific to permanently host missile systems, an analysis by a US think tank has concluded. The report by the Rand Corporation said that domestic political considerations and their economic ties to China meant it was unlikely that any of the 5 US allies in the region – Australia, Japan, the Philippines, S Korea, and Thailand – would be willing to host ground-based intermediate-range missiles. The missiles have a range of up to 5,000 km and – following the US withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in 2019 – could develop more of the missiles and deploy them in the region to counter China. The best option may be to help Japan develop its anti-ship missiles, the analysis concludes (here). Pentagon says Ukraine will not distract from Taiwan’s arms commitments. The US remains committed to supporting Taiwan’s defense, despite delays in arms supplies attributed to the war in Ukraine. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Washington’s focus would not be taken off the Indo-Pacific, with more defense spending budgeted for the region.

Nepal, US sign USD 659 million development assistance agreement

ANI – Just a few weeks after the Nepali parliament ratified the USD 500 million Millenium Challenge Corporation grant from the US, the two countries on Thu signed another agreement bringing USD 659 million to the Himalayan nation in assistance, in a move that is expected to irk China. The grant for the next 5-year period will support Nepal’s goal of graduating to a middle-income country, Kathmandu Post reported, adding that Nepal plans to graduate from the Least Developed Country category by Dec 2026. As per the agreement, the development assistance will be provided through the US Agency for International Development which will develop projects under this assistance agreement in collaboration with line Ministries and implement them following the govt rules and regulations, the report said. Partnering with the Nepal govt, civil society, and the private sector, US assistance will advance Nepal’s sustainable development through strengthened democratic governance, enterprise-driven economic growth, and increased resilience for communities most at-risk to natural disasters and climate change, Nepal’s Fin Ministry said. (here)

Could the US military dominate space via Starlink’s satellite network?

The international community should be on high alert for the US Armed Forces’ potential domination of outer space via SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet system, the official newspaper of the Chinese military said on Thu. “The Starlink project has decided to increase the planned 12,000 satellites to 42,000, underscoring that it is widely distributed, flexible, and could be reconfigured quickly,” a PLA Daily commentary said. “The ambition to militarise Starlink and its barbaric expansion deserve high alert from the international community.” Starlink could allow the US military to gain ‘situational awareness while keeping adversaries in the dark’ (here)

China says sanctions make world economy worse amid pressure to condemn Russia

ANI – Amid mounting pressure on China, especially from the US to condemn the Russian actions in Ukraine, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said that “sanctions only make the world economy worse“. Zhao made the remarks during a press briefing when asked to comment on the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently downgrading it’s 2022 global economic growth forecast to 3.6%, Xinhua reported. “Facts have already proved that sanctions cannot bring peace but only make the world economy worse,” Zhao said, adding, “the US, as the world’s largest economy, should do more that is conducive to the recovery of the global economy and the stability of the global supply chain.” (here)

China facing increasing pressure to condemn Russia at the BRICS summit

ANI – Even as Xi Jinping tries to improve China’s global image to boost his chances of grabbing a third term in power, the commitments that his country has made in this regard over the last few months have the potential to worsen the Asian country’s ‘friendly’ relations with Russia. President Xi will have to face Indian PM Modi at the BRICS Summit in June. The Chinese are saved from the embarrassment of having to host the Indian head of govt in Beijing even as New Delhi accuses them of illegally holding on to Indian territory as the Indian PM will be attending the meeting virtually. Still, when the BRICS nations discuss the Russia-Ukraine conflict, all eyes will be on China as the Ladakh incursion is similar to the Russia-Ukraine situation in the sense that both amount to blatant disrespect for the sovereignty of the countries they intrude into. The BRICS nations would also want to hear from Russia – a member of the organization – on when the conflict might end, the report further said, adding, that New Delhi has already reminded Moscow of the ‘New Delhi Declaration of BRICS. Paragraph 22 of the New Delhi Declaration adopted on Sept 9 last year reaffirmed the commitment of the BRICS nations “to the principles of non-interference in the internal affairs of States and reiterate that all conflicts must be resolved by peaceful means and through political and diplomatic efforts in line with international law.” (here)

‘ISIS trying to regroup in Afghanistan’

ANI – Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen Mark Milley on Tue said that the Islamic State (ISIS) and other terrorist groups are trying to regroup in Afghanistan, highlighting that although the groups are far from the US mainland, they still present a threat. The US General made the remarks during a Senate hearing in the presence of the Secretary of Defence. The Taliban regime in Afghanistan, however, denied that ISIS, whose Afghanistan branch is called Islamic State-Khorasan (ISIS-K), has been having an expanding presence in the country. Earlier, the US Central Command chief had said in Mar that ISIS-K continues to grow unabated in Afghanistan with the reigning Taliban regime finding it difficult to counter the threat. In the past few weeks, a series of deadly blasts, many of them claimed by the ISIS-K and targetting minorities have hit Afghanistan, with the latest major blast targeted at a mosque last Friday in Kabul killing at least 30 people and injuring many others (here)

Hindu majority areas get more seats in held Kashmir

Dawn- A new list of redrawn political constituencies was issued for Indian occupied Jammu & Kashmir on Thu, giving greater representation to the Muslim-majority region’s Hindu areas and paving the way for fresh elections, Reuters reported. The occupied region originally comprised the mainly Muslim Kashmir Valley, the Hindu-dominated Jammu region, and the remote Buddhist enclave of Ladakh. The govt said a delimitation commission had finalized 90 assembly constituencies for held Kashmir, excluding Ladakh, with 43 seats for Jammu and 47 for Kashmir. Earlier, Jammu had 37 seats and the Kashmir valley 46. In a statement issued on Thu, the Pak FO said that it had handed over a demarche to the Indian Charge d’Affaires, conveying the Govt of Pakistan’s categorical rejection of the report of the so-called ‘Delimitation Commission’, which was aimed at disenfranchising and disempowering the Muslim majority population of IIOJK. (here)