1. INS Mormugao, India’s latest stealth-class warship, commissioned into Navy
2. PM Modi inaugurates, lays foundation of projects worth Rs 6,850 cr in Northeast
3. Jamat-e-Islami properties worth hundreds of crores seized in Kashmir to choke terror funding
4. India to host QUAD Foreign Minister’s meet next year
5. PM Modi’s views on nuclear weapons impacted Russia amid Ukraine war: CIA Chief

What Else

6. Japan rolls out new defense policy with special focus on free and open Indo-Pacific
7. ‘Beautiful Vande Mataram rendition’: PM enjoys band performance.
8. India, Canada ties to get a boost with G20 visits
9. ‘Country of origin label on goods’: Traders’ body to Govt amid India-China clash
10. Pakistan’s Ruling Party Leader Threatens India With “Nuclear War”: Report
11. Pakistan: 4 cops killed in militant attack in police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
12. US concerned by terror group’s threat to Pakistan’s security: Top US General
13. Nepal’s president calls for govt formation within a week
14. Sri Lanka to use Indian rupee for international trade, more countries aim to follow
15. Death toll of oil tanker blast mounts to 19 in Afghanistan, says official

INS Mormugao, India’s latest stealth-class warship, commissioned into Navy

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sun commissioned INS Mormugao, a P15B stealth-guided missile destroyer, into the Indian Navy.
• INS Mormugao is a majestic warship measuring 163m in length, and 17 m in breadth with a displacement of 7400 tonnes a warship to have been constructed in India.
• It is the second of the 4 ‘Visakhapatnam class destroyers, indigenously designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house organization.
• The India-built warship is propelled by 4 Gas Turbines, in a Combined Gas and Gas configuration, capable of achieving speeds over 30 knots.
• The warship with weapons and sensors such as Surface to Surface Missile and Surface Air Missiles, fitted with a Surveillance Radar.
• The ship’s Anti-Submarine Warfare capabilities are provided by the indigenously developed Rocket Launchers, Torpedo Launchers and the ASW helicopters.
• The ship is equipped to fight under Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) warfare conditions. (here)

PM Modi inaugurates, lays foundation of projects worth Rs 6,850 cr in Northeast

• PM Modi on Sun inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of various development projects worth over Rs 4,350 crore in Agartala.
• PM, who arrived in Agartala on Sun, also launched the Grih Pravesh program for beneficiaries under PM Awas Yojana-Urban and PM Awas Yojana-Rural a cost of over Rs 3,400 crore.
• With a focus on improving road connectivity, PM inaugurated the project for the widening of Agartala bypass (Khayerpur-Amtali) NH-08.
• He laid the foundation stones for 32 roads of more than 230 km in length under PMGSY III and the improvement of 112 roads covering a distance of over 540 km.
• PM further inaugurated the State Institute of Hotel Management at Anandnagar and Agartala Govt Dental College. (ANI)
• PM also inaugurated, dedicated, and laid foundation stones for various projects worth Rs 2450 crores in Shillong as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the NE Council.
• Notably, PM Modi inaugurated 21 Hindi libraries in Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura, and Assam.
• PM also laid the foundation stone of 6 road projects across the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, and Tripura.
• The foundation stone of the Integrated Hospitality and Convention Centre at Tura and Shillong Technology Park Phase -II was also laid during the event. (ANI)

‘Beautiful Vande Mataram rendition’: PM enjoys band performance. 

• Dressed in the traditional attire, he was also seen enjoying the performance of a northeastern band – Octave – as they sang ‘Vande Mataram’.
• The video of the performance was shared by several BJP leaders on social media, apart from PM Modi on his YouTube channel. (here)

Jamat-e-Islami properties worth hundreds of crores seized in Kashmir to choke terror funding

• The State Investigation Agency of J&K on Sat seized properties worth hundreds of crores belonging to the banned JeI terror outfit from Baramulla, Bandipora, Ganderbal, and Kupwara.
• The SIA informed that to suffocate the availability of funds for separatist activities and tear down the ecosystem of anti-national elements hostile to India’s sovereignty.
• Notice in flex banners posted outside these seized properties read that the properties of JeI notified under various sections are under SIA investigation.
• In total, 3 pieces of land in Baramulla, a piece of land and an office running 20 business establishments from Kupwara, 5 properties in Ganderbal, and land from Bandipora have been seized.
• SIA has identified 188 JeI properties in the UT of J&K that have either been notified or are in the process of being informed of further legal action. (here)

India to host QUAD Foreign Minister’s meet next year

• India is going to host the QUAD FM’s meeting next year and Japan’s FM is looking forward to visiting India on the occasion, the Japanese envoy to India said on Sun.
• Talking about the Japan-India ties and about Japan’s new National Defence Strategy to promote training and exercises as well as defense technology cooperation with India, the envoy said that the 2 countries enjoy a special strategic partnership and we will try to expand our cooperation in all fields, security being an important area.
• “India this month has taken over the Presidency of G20 and come Jan, Japan will take over the presidency of G7,” he said. (here)

Japan rolls out new defense policy with special focus on free and open Indo-Pacific

• Japan is finding itself amid the most severe and complex security environment since the end of WWII with mounting threats from China and North Korea.
• Japan has responded with what they call a “major shift” in defense policy.
• The new strategy does away with decades of precedent to acquire counter-strike capabilities, with a special focus on a free and open Indo-Pacific (FOIP).
• Japan will build a multilayered network among its allies and like-minded countries, expand it, and strengthen deterrence.
• Thus, while utilizing frameworks such as the Japan-US-ROK, and Japan-US-Australia, Japan will enhance security cooperation with Australia, India, the ROK, EU, ASEAN, Canada, NATO, and others, read the National Security Strategy of Japan.
• China has set clear goals to achieve “the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” the full completion of “building China into a great modern socialist country” (here)

PM Modi’s views on nuclear weapons impacted Russia amid Ukraine war: CIA Chief

• PM Modi’s views on the use of nuclear weapons had an impact on the Russians and could well have averted a global disaster in the Ukraine war, CIA’s chief said.
• “I think it’s also been very useful that Xi Jinping and PM Modi have also raised ….. I think that’s also having an impact on the Russians,” said chief Bill Burns.
• Burns’s remarks come as Russian President Putin on Dec 3 admitted that the conflict is “going to take a while.”
• In his address at the meeting of Russia’s Human Rights Council at the Kremlin, Putin said that Russia will fight by “all available means” at its disposal, as per CNN. (here)

India, Canada ties to get a boost with G20 visits

• The bilateral relationship between India and Canada could get a major boost next year.
• As many as 8 cabinet ministers and PM Justin Trudeau are expected to visit to participate in G20 events.
• The 1^st significant visitor will be Canada’s FM Mélanie Joly, who is expected in India in Mar 2023 and is likely to have a bilateral meeting with counterpart S Jaishankar.
• The two ministers spoke last week and a senior Canadian official said, “The call was positive and ministers look forward to seeing each other early in 2023.”
• Joly may also participate in the Raisina Dialogue, organized by the Observe Research Foundation, with support from the Ministry of External Affairs.
• Another cabinet minister who may be at that multilateral conference will be Canada’s minister of national defense, Anita Anand.
• The two countries are willing to look beyond that issue, to establish closer ties, particularly focused on formalizing an Early Progress Trade Agreement. (here)

‘Country of origin label on goods’: Traders’ body to Govt amid India-China clash

• Amid a border dispute with China, the Chamber of Trade and Industry has written to the Trade Minister for a change in the import of goods and e-commerce policy.
• The CTI demanded mandatory mention of ‘Country of Origin’ on every item after the traders in Delhi opened a front against Chinese products.
• The national capital saw protests to boycott Chinese goods in the Connaught Place area.
• CTI Chairman pointed out that even when people don’t want to buy Chinese products, they still end up buying them as the ‘country of origin’ is not mentioned on them.
• Further, Chairman said that China earns money from Indian markets and is misusing the same against India only.
• “In the first 9 months, the bilateral trade between the two has crossed $103.63 billion, while the domestic trade deficit has increased more than $ 75.69 bn, and import from China stood at $89.66 billion,” he added. (here)

Pakistan’s Ruling Party Leader Threatens India With “Nuclear War”: Report

• PPP’s leader Shazia Marri has threatened a nuclear war with India, a day after India strongly condemned the Pak FM for his “uncivilized outburst” against PM Modi.
• “India should not forget that Pakistan has an atom bomb. Our nuclear status is not meant to remain silent. We will not back down if the need arises,” Marri told reporters.
• India on Fri blasted Bhutto over his offensive personal attack on PM Modi, calling it a “new low even for Pakistan”. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Pakistan: 4 cops killed in militant attack in police station in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

• At least 4 policemen were killed and many were injured in an attack on a police station in northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan on Sun.
• The incident took place at around 12.30 a.m. when several heavily-armed militants stormed into the police station and opened fire at the cops, the police sources.
• The police are on high alert across the province after the recent spike in attacks in areas including Peshawar, southern districts, and the Mardan region.
• The terrorist attacks have risen across the province in the last few months, as at least 118 terrorist incidents were reported in KP from mid-Aug to Nov. (here)

US concerned by terror group’s threat to Pakistan’s security: Top US General

• A top US military commander has said the US is concerned by the threat posed by the TTP to Pakistan security amid the surge in violence in the country.
• Commander of US Central Command, Gen Kurilla made these remarks in response to a question about the possibility of the US extending support to Pakistan.
• This comment comes on the backdrop of the CENTCOM’s visit to Pakistan this month where he met with senior military leaders, and observe conditions and operations along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border vicinity of the Khyber Pass. (here)

Nepal’s president calls for govt formation within a week

• Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari has asked the political parties to prove majority within a week after last month’s national election.
• Bhandari asked the newly-elected members of the House of Representatives to stake a claim for the post of PM with the support of two or more parties by Dec 25
• “As no single party commands a clear majority in the House, as per Article 76 (1) of the Constitution, 2015, the President, as per Article 76 (2), 2015, calls on House members to show a majority to be appointed as the Prime Minister,” read the statement.
• This call comes after Nepal’s Election Commission submitted the final results of the federal elections to the President on Thu.
• On Dec 14, EC published the final result of the parliamentary elections held on Nov 20 this year.
• The UML saved 34 seats, NC 32, Maoist Center 14, Rashtriya Swatantra Party 13, Rashtriya Prajatantra Party 7, Janata Samajwadi Party, and Janamat Party 5 each under the PR system. (here)

Sri Lanka to use Indian rupee for international trade, more countries aim to follow

• Days after the Central Bank of Sri Lanka said that it was awaiting the RBI’s approval to designate Rupee as a foreign currency in Sri Lanka.
• The reports have emerged saying banks from India’s neighboring island nation have opened special rupee trading accounts, called Vostro accounts. 
• Sri Lanka had requested the RBI to facilitate and promote trade and tourism in the SAARC region. 
• It means that Sri Lankan citizens can now hold $10,000 (Rs 8,26,823) in physical form.
• This also means that Sri Lankans and Indians can use Indian rupees instead of $ for international transactions with each other.
• The Indian govt since July this year has been looking to bring countries that are short of dollars, into its rupee settlement mechanism. (here)

Death toll of oil tanker blast mounts to 19 in Afghanistan, says official

• The death toll from an oil tanker blast in a tunnel in Afghanistan’s eastern Parwan province reached 19, an official said on Sun.
• Earlier, a spokesman for the Public Work Ministry, Mawlawi Hamidullah Misbah counted 12 dead and 37 injured from the blast, Xinhua news agency reported.
• The official also noted that the fire had been extinguished and the tunnel had also been reopened for traffic.
• However, locals at the site believed that the number of casualties could be higher than reported.
• Salang Tunnel, 3,400 m above sea level connecting Afghanistan’s capital Kabul to the northern eight provinces, is an essential passway and lifeline in Afghanistan. (here)