[NEWS OF THE DAY]

Army looks to reduce troops by 2 lakh, deployment in Kashmir could be rejigged

ThePrint- The Army is looking to reduce its strength by nearly two lakh over the next two years which could also see a rejig of the Rashtriya Rifles, the anti-terror units in Jammu and Kashmir, apart from some static units. (Sources)- the Army wanted to bring down its strength from 12.8 lakh strong to around 10.8 lakh. Asked if a timeline had been drawn, rationalization of troop strength was an ongoing process and multiple aspects are being looked into. Due to no recruitment in the last 2 years, the Army is already facing a shortage of about 1.35 lakh personnel. Even though the Agnipath scheme has been rolled out, recruitment for this year is only for around 35k to 40k personnel. On average, around 60k personnel retire every year from the Army. The Agnipath scheme would only fill in a part of the shortfall and this is by design. Once the recruitment process was completed, allotment to various arms like Infantry, Armoured, EME (Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers) would be based on the rationalization procedure. (here)

It’s official — Nitish calls it quits with ‘backs-stabber’ BJP, is back with RJD & Congress

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar resigned on Tue breaking his alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Kumar, earlier in the day, held a meeting with the JD(U) leaders to discuss his next future political moves. He then sought time from Governor Phagu Chauhan. Around 4 pm, Kumar arrived at Raj Bhavan and met Governor Phagu Chauhan and apprised him of his decision to quit as the state chief minister. Earlier, in the JD(U) meeting today, all MLAs and MPs of the party supported chief minister Kumar’s decision and said that they were with him. They also asserted that they will continue to support Kumar in his decision. According to sources, many JD(U) legislators told chief minister Kumar in today’s meeting that the alliance with the BJP had weakened them since 2020. Sources said that RJD party supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav is closely watching the developments but everything was being done by Tejashwi Yadav. (here)

#China’s military research ship, is less than 700 nautical miles from Hambantota Port, while berthing permission might be under discussion after #India objected, the vessel is still operating in the Indian Ocean heading to SriLanka- twitted @detresfa_ (Damien Symon)

[NATIONAL]

Jaishankar to travel to Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay; inaugurate Indian mission in capital Asuncion

With a renewed focus on S America, External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar will travel to 3 key countries in the region—Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay later this month. In Paraguay, EAM will inaugurate India’s new embassy in the capital Asuncion likely on Aug 22. The Indian govt in 2020 approved the opening of three Indian missions, which also included Paraguay, by 2021. This was followed by the minister’s announcement of appointing Yogeshwar Sangwan as the 1^st Indian Ambassador to the country. Earlier, India’s Embassy in Argentina was concurrently accredited to Paraguay even though diplomatic relations were established in 1961. The country has joined the International Solar Alliance and as per official data, around 600 Indians live in Paraguay. The visit to Argentina, which is keen to join BRICS, comes even as both Jaishankar and Argentinian FM Santiago Cafiero met 2 times this year. 1^st in Delhi during the latter’s bilateral visit and then in Bali on the sidelines of the G20 FMs visit. The visit also includes the joint commission meet in Brazil. Notably, Brazil like India is a non-permanent member of the UNSC. Both are also members of the IBSA, BRICS and G4 groupings. G4 countries have been pushing for UNSC reforms to reflect the contemporary world but have received opposition from PRC and its allies like Pakistan. (here) On Aug 28, India’s Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla will be traveling to Mexico with a large delegation.

NHPC gets nod to develop 12,00 MW energy in Nepal

Kathmandu, In a major development, the Sher Bahadur Deuba govt has allowed India’s NHPC to study and develop two hydroelectric projects that will have the combined potential of generating 1,200 MW of energy. A meeting of the Investment Board Nepal chaired by Prime Minister Deuba on Mon decided to allow the NHPC to study and develop the 750 MW West Seti Storage Hydropower Project and 450 MW Seti River-6 Hydropower Project in Sudurpaschim province. The West Seti project is one of the much-hyped projects envisioned for development about 4-decades ago. Both the projects are located in the far west of Nepal. Both are storage-type projects. The new project sites are located at elevations ranging from 550 to 920 m and are spread across 6 districts. The estimated cost of the project, according to the Investment Board, is $2.4 billion. (here)

Govt Curbs Export of Wheat and its Products from Aug 14

To prevent the sharp rise in domestic wheat prices, the govt has restricted exports of maida, semolina, and all variants of wheat flour (atta) from Aug 14. Their exports will be allowed subject to clearance from the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Wheat Exports, according to an official order. Last month, the Centre restricted the export of plain atta amid the global supply disruptions in wheat. In its latest order dated Aug 8, 2022, the DGFT, a commerce ministry arm that deals with export- and import-related matters, said, “During the periods from Aug 8 – 14 the following consignments of Maida Suji will be allowed to be exported i) where loading on the ship has commenced before this notification, ii) in cases where the consignment has been handed over to the Customs before this notification and is registered in their system.” (here)

Assam Rifles officer injured in firing by militants in Arunachal Pradesh

An Assam Rifles officer was injured on Tue in an incident of firing by suspected militants on troops of the paramilitary force from across the India-Myanmar border in Arunachal Pradesh, a defense spokesperson said. The incident took place near Pangsau Pass from across the Indo-Myanmar border as the insurgents fired on a patrolling team of Assam Rifles, he said. The Assam Rifles troops were undertaking enhanced patrolling activities given heightened vigil for Independence Day, he said. “A junior commissioned officer sustained an injury in his hand,” the spokesman added. Members of NSCN-KYA are suspected to have been involved in the firing. (here) A firing incident between suspected militants & Assam Rifles personnel took place today (Tue) in Dan Pangsha area along Indo–Myanmar border. So far there is no report of any casualty in the incident, said Hiazu Meru, Deputy Commissioner, Noklak district

Invite 25-50 achievers to governor’s ‘At Home’ event on Independence Day: MHA

The Centre has told states to invite 25-50 achievers including students who topped exams, frontline health workers, and exceptional educators to the ‘At Home’ function hosted by governors and lieutenant governors on Independence Day. In a communication to states and union territories on events being organized on Independence Day, the Union ministry of home affairs (MHA) asked the states to ensure the guest list of the ‘At Home’ represents a diverse set of invitees apart from the usual protocol-based guests. “The majority of the gathering could be under the category of special invitees different categories. A system whereby the invitee list is generated afresh every year should be instituted so that the opportunity is given to a broad set of people. It could be considered that a person gets an invite just once,” the home ministry communication said. (here)

18 New Ministers Take Oath in Maharashtra, 9 Each From BJP & Shiv Sena

Over a month after Eknath Shinde took oath as chief minister following a rebellion in the Shiv Sena and the subsequent fall of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government, the long-awaited expansion of the Maharashtra Cabinet took place on Tue. 18 MLAs, nine each from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shinde faction, took oath in the presence of Governor B S Koshyari at the Raj Bhavan in Mumbai. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Taiwan says it will seek help to stop Beijing’s military expansion

Taiwan would seek international help to stop Beijing from intimidating Taipei and expanding its military in the region and beyond, the island’s foreign minister said on Tue. Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said the real motive behind the People’s Liberation Army’s exercises was much broader than military drills against the island. “Although China seems to be targeting Taiwan now, its activities around the world have shown that its motivation is far beyond Taiwan,” he said in a news conference in Taipei. The PLA kicked off 4 days of large-scale live-fire drills on Thu, soon after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island in an unannounced trip last week. Wu said that by using Pelosi’s visit as an excuse to stage war games, Beijing was “determined to link the East and South China seas through the Taiwan Strait so the entire area becomes its internal waters”. (here) Taiwan begins live-fire military exercise to combat potential Chinese invasion-Taiwan’s Eighth Army Corps spokesman Lou Woei-jye said the military exercise began in the southern county of Pingtung shortly after 0040 GMT with the firing of target flares and artillery.

Colombo allows Pakistani frigate Taimur to the dock, Dhaka says no

Sri Lanka has allowed permission to the Chinese built-Pakistani guided missile frigate PNS Taimur to make a port call at Colombo while on its way to join the Pakistan Navy in Karachi. Build by Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai, the warship is on its maiden voyage to Pakistan while exercising en route with Cambodian and Malaysian navies. The ship is expected to be at Colombo port from Aug 12-15, 2022. While Sri Lanka permitted the Pakistani guided missile frigate to make a port call at Colombo, it is understood that the ship was denied permission to make a port call at Chattogram port by the Sheikh Hasina govt from Aug 7-10 after making a port call at Lumut port in Malaysia. (sources) India’s close ally Bangladesh denied permission to PNS Taimur as Aug is a month of mourning for Sheikh Hasina. Dhaka is close to New Delhi with the Bangladesh PM clear that her father and family were done to death at the behest of Pakistan. (here)

Chinese oil giant Sinopec likely to enter Lankan fuel market amid Beijing’s debt-trap

As Sri Lanka continues to remain in the Chinese debt trap, the biggest petrochemical company in China, Sinopec, is likely to start retail operations in the Lankan fuel market, local media said citing sources. Sinopec is likely to enter the Sri Lankan market for importing, distributing, and selling petroleum products, reported Daily Mirror. This comes as Sri Lankan Cabinet Ministers in Jun approved a proposal to allow more companies from oil-producing nations to import oil and start retail operations in Sri Lanka. It is pertinent to note that the economic crisis which is the worst in Sri Lanka’s history has prompted an acute shortage of essential items like fuel. Long queues at fuel stations in Sri Lanka are the new normal and prices fluctuate subject to availability. This recent decision to let the Chinese enter Sri Lanka’s fuel retail operations is prompted by a severe foreign exchange shortage. At present, 90% of Sri Lanka’s fuel supply is through the State-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, and the remaining 10% by Lanka Indian Oil Corporation (IOC). Sinopec is already present at the Port of Hambantota where it operates an oil depot. (here)

Four Pakistani army soldiers killed, 7 injured in a convoy attack in North Waziristan

Four Pakistani army soldiers were killed in a suicide blast at a military convoy in the Mir Ali area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s North Waziristan district, the military’s media affairs wing said on Tue. Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), issued a statement saying that the intelligence agencies have commenced investigations to find out details about the suicide bomber who carried out the attack and his handlers and facilitators. Clashes between security forces and suspected terrorists in the North Waziristan tribal district have become quite frequent in recent months. In recent months, several such cases of bomb attacks have been reported in Pakistan. On Jul 4, at least 10 security personnel were injured when a suicide bomber attacked a convoy of security forces in the area. On May 30, a suicide bomber riding a motorcycle attacked another convoy of security forces in the Razmak area, injuring 2 soldiers and 2 children. On Apr, 7 Army soldiers were killed in a convoy attack near the Pak-Afghan border area. Earlier, a total of 105 army personnel lost lives in such terrorist attacks within the first 3 months of this year, recording 97 soldiers and army officers. (here)

Probe team on an online drive now a JIT with intel officials for Chopper crash in Balochistan

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) team — formed to trace and arrest those running a negative social media campaign on the tragic army helicopter crash in Balochistan — has been reconstituted and converted into a joint investigation team (JIT) with representation from the premier intelligence bodies, besides the four FIA officials announced on Sun. According to a notification issued by the Interior Ministry on Mon, the 6-member JIT includes Lt Col Saad from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) Dy Director. The 4 FIA members on the team were Additional Director General (Cybercrime Wing), Director (Cyber-crime, North), Islamabad Additional Director (Cybercrime), and Assistant Director. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) director general on Fri condemned the “highly unacceptable and regretful social media campaign” after the unfortunate incident. (here)

Army of PR officers set to visit China for buying bogies

At a time when Pakistan Railways (PR) continues to face a deficit of more than Rs45 billion, 93 officers and employees of the department will visit China in different groups from August 9 to inspect 230 bogies worth $149 million being imported from the friendly neighboring country. The officials, who also include those retiring next year, will be given a daily travel allowance of $100 per day. Chief Mechanical Engineer Carriages Abdul Haseeb said the officers visiting China would provide consultancy in the design of the passenger bogies. He added that special attention would be given to aspects of travel comfort for the passengers in the design of the bogies. Haseeb further said the training would also be given to staff for the maintenance of the Chinese bogies. The engineer said technology from China would also be transferred to Pakistan. (here)

The electricity authority wants to develop the New Butwal-Gorakhpur transmission line

Nepal Electricity Authority wants to develop the Nepal section of the 400kV New Butwal-Gorakhpur Cross Border Transmission Line which is supposed to be constructed under the compact program of the Millennium Challenge Corporation. The state-owned power utility body recently wrote to the Millennium Challenge Account Nepal (MCA-Nepal), a special purpose vehicle formed to implement the projects under the MCC Compact, asking the latter to drop the 18km-long section of the project from its plan and let the NEA undertake the construction of the section. “We sent a letter about 7-10 days ago asking MCA-Nepal to allow the NEA to construct the 18-km section of the project,” said chief of the transmission directorate of the NEA. “The main reason behind our request to the MCC is we want to complete the construction of the 18-km stretch simultaneously with the Indian side, possibly within the next two years.” According to the NEA, the total installed capacity of power projects currently operating totals 2,190MW. In an article in the Post in May, Prabal Adhikari, power trade director at the NEA wrote: “The installed generation capacity to be added to Nepal’s system is estimated to be 851.5MW for the fiscal year 2021-22 and 705.4MW for fiscal 2022-23, 706.8MW for fiscal 2023-24, 551.1MW for fiscal 2024-25, 787.2MW for fiscal 2025-26, and 976.7MW for fiscal 2026-27.” (here)

Khadka flying to China amid US ‘displeasure’ and Taiwan tensions

Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka is leaving for Qingdao, China on Tue night, just as Beijing and Washington continue to spar over Taiwan following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the self-ruled island last week. Leading an 11-member delegation, Khadka will directly land in Qingdao, a coastal city, at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, who is also the state councilor. The Chinese side has arranged a chartered flight for Khadka and his delegation from Kathmandu to Qingdao and Qingdao to Kathmandu, sources said. Foreign ministry officials say the visit was planned long ago and is aimed at building confidence with a focus on the implementation of past agreements. Broadly, the Americans have expressed their displeasure over Khadka’s visit to China, according to officials. (here)