[NEWS OF THE DAY]

Prime Minister begins his 2-day Gujarat visit today, inaugurating 36^th National Games
Post PFI ban: Internal security on alert, Twitter withheld official account
Lt Gen Anil Chauhan (Retd) appointed CDS, 9 months after diminishing of Gen Rawat
India to export missiles, rockets, and ammunition to Armenia, worth 2k Cr
EAM S Jaishankar bats for ‘wide range of defense options’ for strategic purchases

What Else

Arunachal Pradesh: Rajnath Singh visits forward areas of Dibang Valley
Pakistan: In a victory for PML-N, IHC overturns Maryam and Capt Safdar’s conviction in Avenfield case
Gunman kills Chinese national in a targeted attack in Pakistan
Two blasts hit the bus in J-K’s Udhampur within 8 hrs
Saudi Arabia introduces Yoga in Universities
Myanmar court jails Suu Kyi, Australian economist for 3 years

What Else domestic media roasting

Rajsthan Crisis: Ashok Gehlot refused to fight Presidential poll, Digivijaya Singh joins the race
Speaker lacks power to take away status of ex-MLA while deciding disqualification plea: SC

Prime Minister begins his 2-day Gujarat visit today, inaugurating 36^th National Games

PM Narendra Modi will arrive in his home state of Gujarat for a 2-day visit on Thu and inaugurate and lay foundation stones for projects worth around ₹29k crores in 4 cities.
He will also attend the opening ceremony of the 36^th National Games on Thu.
In Ahmedabad, he will inaugurate the first phase of a metro rail project.
He will lay the foundation stones and inaugurate projects worth more than ₹3,400 crores in Surat related to water supply, drainage, Diamond Research, etc.
Modi will also inaugurate Khoj Museum at Science Centre for children in Surat.
In Bhavnagar, he will lay the foundation stone for the World’s First CNG Terminal of brownfield port to be developed at a cost of over ₹4,k crore.
Modi will flag off Gandhinagar-Mumbai Vande Bharat Express at Gandhinagar on Fri.

Post PFI ban: Internal security on alert, Twitter withheld official account

Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Maharashtra govt’s ban PFI following the Centre’s orders.
The statement from India’s home ministry on Wed read: “The Popular Front of India and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been proven to be involved in severe offenses, including terrorism and its financing, targeted brutal killings, disrespecting the constitutional set up”.
More than 150 PFI members were detained by the agencies a day before the ban was imposed.
Hours after the ban PFI issued a statement saying it resolves the organization.
The Centre has also banned all the organizations affiliated with PFI for their alleged involvement in terror activities, including, the All India Imams Council, Campus Front of India, Rehab India Foundation, National Conf of Human Rights Org, National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation, and Rehab Foundation.
Kerala HC directed the PFI’s Gen Secy to deposit Rs 5.20Cr towards the damages estimated by the State within 2 weeks.
Opposition parties, except AIMIM, though supported the ban but questioned on timing and intent of govt, while AIMIM termed it ‘draconian’.

Lt Gen Anil Chauhan (Retd) appointed CDS, 9 months after diminishing of Gen Rawat

The govt has appointed former Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Anil Chauhan (retd) as the next Chief of Defence Staff, (Tri-services Chief, 4-star Gen), vacant since Dec.
Gen Chauhan will also act as Secretary, Department of Military Affairs, was presently serving as Military Advisor to the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) after retiring from the Army in May 2021.
Gen Chauhan is from the Gorkha Rifles and has good experience in counter-insurgency operations in J&K a corps in the east (4 Corps, poised against China).
Priority would be the operationalization of the new military theatre command concept that had been formulated by Gen Rawat. (here)

India to export missiles, rockets, and ammunition to Armenia, worth 2k Cr

DefenceIndia has signed an export order, worth Rs 2k crore for missiles, rockets, and ammunition to Armenia amid prolonged conflict with Azerbaijan through G2G mode.
ET (sources)- The 1^st-ever export of the indigenous Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers that are already in service manufactured by private sector companies.
The Indian Army has recently placed orders for 6 additional Pinaka regiments and is testing extended-range rockets as well.
In 2020, India beat competitors from the region to supply 4 Swathi radars to the nation for an estimated Rs 350 crore.
Last year, annual defense exports were close to Rs 13k crore, driven primarily by the private sector. (here)

EAM S Jaishankar bats for ‘wide range of defense options’ for strategic purchases

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, on Thu, batted for a ‘wide range of defense options’ for strategic purchases in a press conference on his visit to the US.
He added that the India-US relationship impacts the rest of the world.
On a question of whether the US is aiding India to diversify in terms of arms purchases away from Russia, Jaishankar said that India has a wide range of ‘defense options’.
Jaishankar said that India continues to strive for a relationship built on mutual sensitivity and mutual respect with China.
On the visa issue, he said it is an issue that it’s mainly for the US to act upon. (here)
US wants UNSC to be made more inclusive and increase permanent members: Blinken
Jaishankar meets US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines and held discussions to boost further India-US strategic partnership.
Earlier, Jaishankar met WH National Security Advisor and discussed a myriad of issues including the Ukraine war and a free and open Indo-Pacific amid Chinese assertiveness.
Meanwhile, calls are growing in Washington to enlist China and India, 2 major powers with close ties to Moscow, to amp up the pressure on Putin by signaling that even a limited nuclear strike would sever what few global lifelines Russia has left. (here)

Two blasts hit the bus in J-K’s Udhampur within 8 hrs

A second blast, just 8 hours after 1^st blast, hit a bus in Jammu and Kashmir’s Udhampur occurred at 10:45 pm in a bus at Domail chowk.
Earlier, two people were injured after a blast occurred in an empty bus parked at a petrol pump in Udhampur on Wed night.
The incident occurred around 10:30 pm near a petrol pump at Domail Chowk in the Udhampur district (here) details are awaited.

Rajsthan Crisis: Ashok Gehlot refused to fight Presidential poll, Digivijaya Singh joins race

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Thu joined the race for the post of Congress President.
The former CM of MP met with Rahul Gandhi in Kerala at the party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra and arrived in the national capital late last evening.
Till now, only Shashi Tharoor has declared his candidature for the post.
The filing of nominations for the top Congress post will take place till Sept 30 and the election will take place on Oct 17.

The CM of Raj Ashok Gehlot met Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thu in an attempt to resolve the crisis triggered in Rajasthan after lawmakers close to him opposed his rival Sachin Pilot’s elevation to the state’s top job.
The lawmakers sought their say in choosing Gehlot’s successor if he gets elected as the party chief.
Gehlot was earlier the favorite for the president post and was set to file his nomination for Oct 17 poll, the last date to file a nomination is Sept 30^th. (here)

Arunachal Pradesh: Rajnath Singh visits forward areas of Dibang Valley for on-ground assessment of defense preparedness

The Defence Minister is on a 3-day visit to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh during which he is scheduled to visit the frontline locations.
During the visit, the Minister reviewed the operational readiness of the formation in the easternmost part.
He was briefed on infrastructure development along the Line of Actual Control as well as capability development and operational preparedness. (here)

SC says all women, married or unmarried, entitled to safe and legal abortion

Supreme Court on Thu, in a landmark judgment, held that all women are entitled to safe and legal abortion. A bench said that the meaning of the rape must include rape” marital rape for the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act. (here)
SC says a married woman’s forceful pregnancy can be considered “marital rape” under abortion law

Speaker lacks power to take away status of ex-MLA while deciding disqualification plea: SC

The Supreme Court ruled on Wed that the Speaker of a legislative assembly does not have the power to take away the status of a former MLA while deciding a disqualification plea against a lawmaker under the 10^th schedule of the Constitution. A bench headed by Chief Justice restored the status of former MLAs to the four disqualified lawmakers, and consequently, they will be entitled to. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Gunman kills Chinese national in a targeted attack in Pakistan

The shooter posed as a patient at the Hu Dental Clinic in Karachi, wounding owners Richard and Margaret Hu, and killing an employee, Ronald Raymond Chou
Police investigating a motive, but believe the gunman is from the restive region of Balochistan, where Chinese nationals and interests are often targeted
Chinese nationals and interests have regularly been targeted by separatist militants in the neighboring southwestern province of Balochistan, where Beijing is involved in lucrative mining and energy projects. (here)

Myanmar court jails Suu Kyi, Australian economist for 3 years

TOI (source)- A court in military-ruled Myanmar on Thu sentenced deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her former economic adviser, Australian Sean Turnell, to 3 years in prison.
Both had been charged with violating an official secrets act, which carries a max sentence of 14 years, and had pleaded not guilty.
Suu Kyi, Turnell, and several members of her economic team are among thousands arrested since the junta overthrew an elected govt in a coup early last Feb.
This includes politicians, lawmakers, bureaucrats, students, and journalists. (here)

Saudi Arabia introduces Yoga in Universities

A virtual lecture on Yoga was organized for all Saudi university representatives across the kingdom to spread awareness and motivate its practice as a lifestyle for all segments of society.
The event came within the framework of an integrated system of programs and initiatives of the Saudi Committee for Yoga, under the title “Yoga for University Students of Both Genders”.(here)

In a victory for PML-N, IHC overturns Maryam and Capt Safdar’s conviction in Avenfield case

A few weeks before the elections in 2018, an Islamabad court had convicted the Sharif family in the Avenfield apartment reference.
Hearing of Maryam, Safdar’s appeals in Avenfield case resumes
Maryam files a new application with ‘relevant facts’ in IHC for annulment of Avenfield verdict
Maryam calls for an independent inquiry of ex-IHC judge Shaukat Aziz’s statement in SC

Thundering Thursdays