[NEWS OF THE DAY]

1. PM Modi inaugurates DefExpo 2022 in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar
2. China puts hold on proposal by India, US at UN to list LeT terrorist Shahid Mahmood as global terrorist
3. French President Macron to visit India next year, nuclear power on agenda
4. UN chief Guterres chides India on human rights record
5. IWT | World Bank appoints neutral expert, chairman of Court of Arbitration
6. Kharge pips Tharoor in one-sided win, secures more votes than Sonia Gandhi in 2000

What Else

7. 5.9 magnitude quake jolts Nepal
8. Taiwan easing visa rules amid ‘intensifying’ talent war with mainland China, HK
9. Rupee plunges by 61 paise to dip below the 83 mark for the first time; closes at a record low of 83.01 (provisional) against US$
10. Telangana: Hindu women asked to remove ‘mangalsutra’ for entry into exam center, Muslims allowed with ‘burqa’
11. German foreign minister urges caution in China relationship
12. Pakistan seeks billions of dollars in new loans after floods: report
13. Pakistan wants to buy fuel from Russia. It has to be given at ‘India rate’

PM Modi inaugurates DefExpo 2022 in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar

• PM Narendra Modi on Wed inaugurated the 12^th edition ‘DefExpo 2022’ in Gandhinagar, to give impetus to the defense sector, India’s “biggest ever” defense exhibition.
• At the India Pavilion, PM unveiled HTT-40 – the indigenous trainer aircraft designed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
• According to the PM’s Office, the aircraft has state of art contemporary systems and has been designed with pilot-friendly features. (here)
• PM embarks on a 2-day visit to his home state Gujarat on Tue where he will lay the foundation stone of projects worth around Rs 15,670 crore.
• During the visit, PM will cover Gandhinagar, Junagadh, Rajkot, Kevadia, and Vyara, a statement from PM’s Office (PMO) said.
• India is working on underwater swarm drones and unmanned fighter jets that will fly with regular jets flown by pilots.
• The underwater drones are being tested, while the unmanned jets are expected to take their first flight in 2025.
• Adding to military ability: Underwater swarm drones (USD) and Unmanned fighter jets (UFJ)
• USD: Will be equipped with advanced image processing and AI capabilities to deliver a payload of a minimum of 7 kg in the seabed at a minimum of 60 m depth.
• UFJ: 3-4 unmanned jets will fly with a manned fighter jet. (here)
• Adani Group Tue announced that it is set to acquire Air Works, one of India’s biggest and highly diversified aircraft Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul companies, as part of its growing defense portfolio, for the worth of 400 Cr. (here)
• PM laid the foundation stone for Indian Air Force (IAF)’s new airbase at Deesa in Banaskantha, Gujarat, and described it as an effective center of India’s security.
• The Deesa air base will be the firewall between enemy aircraft taking off from Mirpur Khas, Hyderabad, Shahbaz F-16 airbase in Jacobabad in Pakistan
• Gujarat’s more than a trillion$ industrial complex in and around Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, and Vadodara is a target to economically hit India in the worst case. (here)

China puts hold on proposal by India, US at UN to list LeT terrorist Shahid Mahmood as global terrorist

• China has put a hold for the 4^th time in the last few months on a proposal by India and the US at the UN to list Pak-based Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Shahid Mahmood as a global terrorist.
• China placed a hold on the proposal to designate Mahmood as a global terrorist under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UNSC.
• The US Treasury Deptt designated Mahmood a global terrorist in Dec 2016. (here)
• Previously, China holds a listing of Pak-based terrorists: in Sept put a hold on Sajid Mir, 26/11 mastermind; in Aug Abdul Rauf, involved in the hijacking of IC 814; in Jun, and Abdul Rehman Makki, Deputy head of Lashkar E Taiba.

French President Macron to visit India next year, nuclear power on agenda

• French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to visit India in “early 2023”.
• India’s Science Min committed on Tue to resolve “technical, financial and civil nuclear liability issues” surrounding the proposed nuclear power projects in Maharashtra, to be built with French assistance.
• French Minister of State for Development confirmed Macron’s visit, according to a statement from the Ministry of Science and Technology on Tue.
• French MoS, who attended a meeting of the International Solar Alliance, of which she is co-president here, also met India’s, Science Min.
• This is likely to be Macron’s 1^st official visit to India since his re-election this year.
• The 6 proposed reactors of 1,650 MW would become the largest, nuclear power generating site with a total capacity of 9900 MW as part of an umbrella nuclear deal signed with France in Sept 2008. (here)

UN chief Guterres chides India on human rights record

• UN chief Antonio Guterres chided India during a visit on Wed over its human rights record, which ‘critics’ say has regressed under Hindu nationalist PM.
• Since Modi came to power in 2014 in the Hindu-majority nation of 1.4 bn people, campaigners say persecution and hate speech have accelerated against religious minorities, especially India’s 200 mn-strong Muslim minority. [other minorities have no complaint nor UN has any tension for them]
• This is particularly the case in Indian-administered Kashmir, activists say. [where Muslims are in majority] (here)
• “…India has a responsibility to shape global human rights, act and promote rights of all individuals including minority community“, UNSG said.
• UNSG paid tributes to the victims of the 26/11 terror attacks at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai
• He said that terror is an absolute “evil” and no reason, pretext or grievance can justify the act of terrorism.
• UNSG also delivered a public address at IIT Mumbai on the subject – “India @75: UN-India Partnership: Strengthening South-South Cooperation,“
• UNSG praised the Indian assistance at peak of the pandemic, and financial support to Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

Indus Waters Treaty | World Bank appoints neutral expert, chairman of Court of Arbitration

• Michel Lino has been appointed as the Neutral Expert and Sean Murphy has been as Chairman of the Court of Arbitration concerning the Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric power plants
• The WB has appointed given disagreements and differences between India and Pakistan over the 1960 Indus Water Treaty.
• There was no immediate reaction from India to the appointments.
• India and Pakistan signed the treaty in 1960 after 9 years of negotiations, with the Washington-based WB being a signatory.
• India and Pakistan disagree over whether the technical design features of Kishenganga and Ratle hydroelectric power plants contravene the Treaty.
• Pakistan asked the WB to facilitate the establishment of a Court of Arbitration to consider its concerns, while India asked for the appointment of a Neutral Expert. (here)

Kharge pips Tharoor in one-sided win, secures more votes than Sonia Gandhi in 2000

• Mallikarjun Kharge has been elected the new chief of the party after securing an overwhelming 7897 votes while Shashi Tharoor could only garner around 1072 votes, out of a total of 9000 delegates vote.
• Some 416 votes were rejected.
• In 2000, when similar polls were conducted for Congress president, Sonia Gandhi had mustered 7,448 votes while her opponent Jitendra Prasada managed a mere 94 votes.
• When asked what would be his party role following the results, Rahul Gandhi said it would be up to the new party chief to decide. (here)
• “Ask Kharge ji…”, Rahul Gandhi announces new party chief ahead of results
• Team Shashi Tharoor alleges irregularities in Congress President election, writes to party’s poll body

Telangana: Hindu women asked to remove ‘mangalsutra’ for entry into exam center, Muslims allowed with ‘burqa’

• The incident occurred at a Junior and Degree College in Adilabad during Group-1 preliminary examination conducted by the State Public Service Commission on Oct 16.
• At a time when the Top Court gave a split verdict on the hijab row in Karnataka’s educational institutions and referred the matter to the CJ for constituting a larger bench
• Thus, the verdict of the State High Court shall be final, which banned Hijab in the educational institute. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

5.9 magnitude quake jolts Nepal

• The epicenter is near the Nepal-China border in Sindhupalchowk.
• The earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale occurred at 3:07 pm with its epicenter near the Nepal-China border in Sindhupalchowk district, according to a senior seismologist.
• According to Sindhupalchowk and Dolakha reporters of the Post, no information of damage has been received so far. (here)

Taiwan easing visa rules amid ‘intensifying’ talent war with mainland China, Hong Kong

• Taiwan is making moves to relax visa and residency rules for foreign professionals as the industry-reliant island races to ensure a flow of talent before its population falls.
• 4 govt agencies that vet applications for the Taiwan Employment Gold Card are discussing admitting professionals from new fields and making it easier for arrivals to stay longer.
• The changes, which could follow internal discussions expected in the 1^st quarter of next yr, would further Taiwan’s goal of finding 400,000 mostly foreign white-collar workers by 2030.
• Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu stepped up the fight for overseas talent in Wed’s policy address, including extending employment visas to 3 years (here)

German foreign minister urges caution in China relationship

• Germany must avoid repeating with China the mistakes that it made in its relationship with Russia over recent years, the German foreign minister, Annalena Baerbock said Tue.
• Baerbock said Germany must face up to a “competition of systems” between countries that believe in international law and cooperation and authoritarian regimes.
• “We must, first of all, learn from the mistakes of our Russia policy of recent decades,” she said at a foreign policy forum in Berlin.
• “I say very clearly that one-sided economic dependence exposes us to political blackmail.”
• German companies have invested heavily in China in recent years, and China is one of Germany’s biggest trading partners. (here)

Pakistan seeks billions of dollars in new loans after floods: report

• Pakistan will ask international lenders for billions of dollars in loans after devastating floods exacerbated the country’s economic crisis, the FT reported on Wed.
• “We are not asking for any kind of measure [such as] a rescheduling or a moratorium,” PM Shehbaz Sharif told the Financial Times. “We are asking for additional funds.”
• The country needs “huge sums of money” for “mega undertakings” such as rebuilding roads, bridges and other infrastructure damaged or washed away.
• The prime minister did not specify the amount Pakistan is seeking, but repeated an estimate of $30 billion of flood losses, the report said. (here)
• Deputy Amir Jamaat-e-Islami Liaquat Baloch has said that trillions of rupees have been collected from the federal and provincial govt and other govt institutions for the flood victims, but even today the victims are deprived, the govt has no plan to rehabilitate 3.5 crore people. (Jasarat)

‘Pay Rs8m or prepare to die’: KP minister gets extortion letter from TTP

• The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban has allegedly sent a letter to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sci and Tech Min Atif Khan, demanding he pay Rs 8 mn within 3 days or prepare to get killed, it emerged on Wed.
• The letter, which appears to be from the TTP division in the area, a copy of which is available with Dawn, is addressed to the minister who hails from Mardan.
• “…. We know you very closely and have all your data and records because you are on TTP Mardan’s wanted list and your turn has come,” the letter reads.
• The minister said he had shared the letter with all security agencies and now the onus for taking action was on them. (here)

Ministers appeal for ‘Truth and Reconciliation Commission’ to address Balochistan’s issues

• Two Federal ministers on Tue seeked the formation of a “Truth and Reconciliation Commission” for the resolution of Balochistan’s issues, in National Assembly after the issue of missing persons was raised.
• Do not push us to a point of no return, warns Akhtar Mengal.
• Balochistan’s issues must be resolved, says Khawaja Asif.
• We should hear the bitter truth about Balochistan’s problems, says Sherry Rehman
• Mohsin Dawar also supported the establishment of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, saying it is imperative to take the country in the right direction. (here)

Pakistan wants to buy fuel from Russia. It has to be given at ‘India rate’

• Pakistan finance minister Ishaq Dar who is on an official visit to the US said the country is ready to buy fuel from Russia if the same rate that India is paying applies.
• The West would have no problem with Pakistan importing discounted fuel, he said, adding that the country is reeling under the devastating impact of the floods.
• The day Russia attacked Ukraine, former Pakistan PM Imran Khan was in Moscow and the timing of his visit was not accepted well by the US.
• Later, Imran Khan blamed the US as he was thrown out of power and time and again praised India for negotiating fuel prices with Russia – ignoring the pressure from other countries
• Pakistan is the 35^th largest importer of crude petroleum in the world and 2020-21, it imported $1.92B worth of crude oil. (here)

A Saudi Team visited Pakistan to investigate the murder of a Saudi diplomat

• A 6-member team from Saudi Arabia has visited Pakistan to investigate the murder of a Saudi diplomat in Pakistan.
• (sources) Foreign Ministry -Pakistan provided the Saudi team with information regarding the murder of the diplomat.
• Sources said that 3 people were involved in the murder of the Saudi diplomat. (Ummat)