1. G20: China’s FM Qin to attend G20 meeting in India; Japan’s FM will skip
2. 21st century India empowering its citizens through technology, says PM Modi
3. Awantipora encounter: One more terrorist killed, incriminating materials recovered
4. Jaishankar, Czech FM Lipavsky, and Danish FM Rasmussen discuss opportunities in business, defense
5. India made significant efforts to detect, disrupt, degrade operations of terrorist organizations: US report

What Else

6. India’s Q3 2022-23 GDP grew at 4.4 pc
7. Arrested Delhi ministers Manish Sisodia, Satyender Jain quit state cabinet
8. Air India order done, Rolls-Royce keen to partner with India for AMCA engine
9. ISRO successfully test fires cryogenic engine that will help Chandryaan-3 begin journey to Moon
10. Russia’s Lukoil looks to sell stake in Ghana’s Pecan field
11. Nepal: ‘Uninvited foreign guests’ brought political instability: Paudyal
12. Nepal, India skip contentious issues at Kathmandu talks
13. Pakistan: Govt unhappy as IMF ‘shifts goalposts’
14. Pakistan: Election suo motu: Supreme Court to announce verdict today
15. Pakistan: Levies man killed in Kohlu landmine blast; 2 soldiers, 1 child killed in Waziristan
16. Protests were seen across Azad JK on Tehreek-e- Labbaik Pakistan’s call against inflation.
17. Breaking with EU, Hungary’s leader backs China’s peace proposal for Ukraine war
18. China no longer primary investment destination for US firms: AmCham survey

G20: China’s FM Qin to attend G20 meeting in India; Japan’s FM will skip

• China on Tue confirmed that its Foreign Minister Qin Gang will be participating in the G20 FM’s meeting in India.
• During a press briefing, China’s Foreign Ministry said, “The G20 should focus on prominent challenges in the global economy.”
• The G20 FM’s Meeting (FMM) is scheduled to take place in physical format from Mar 1-2, 2023 in New Delhi under India’s presidency.
• PM to address the FMM and he will talk about India’s growing influence globally.
• The March 1-2 meeting of the G20 foreign ministers will be held days after a meeting of finance chiefs of the bloc in Bengaluru.
• The New Delhi meeting will be attended by Russian FM Sergey Lavrov, US Secy of State Antony Blinken, and UK Foreign Secy James Cleverly.
• In all, representatives of 40 countries, including non-G20 members invited by India, and multilateral organizations will attend. (here)
• Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi will skip a meeting this week due to a scheduling conflict with a Diet session, a ruling party source said Mon.
• Hayashi must attend a parliamentary session later this week for a fiscal 2023 budget, a senior member of the ruling LDP said, as is customary for all ministers to participate.
• An Indian official said Hayashi’s absence is “unbelievable” as Delhi sees collaboration between the G-7 and the G-20 as vital for addressing the Ukraine crisis. (here)
• Instead, Deputy Foreign Minister Kenji Yamada will represent Japan at G20.

21^st century India empowering its citizens through technology, says PM Modi

• PM Modi on Tue addressed a post-Budget webinar on the subject ‘Ease of Living using Technology’, the 5^th of the series of 12 webinars being organized by the govt.
• Addressing the webinar, the PM said India of the 21^st century is constantly empowering its citizens with the use of technology.
• He underlined that every Budget in the past few years stressed the ease of living for people with the help of technology.
• The objective is to seek ideas and suggestions for the effective implementation of the initiatives announced in the Union Budget 2023.
• The PM cited the examples of One Nation One Ration Card and JAM (Jan Dhan-Aadhar-Mobile) trinity, Arogya Setu and CoWin App, etc (here)

Awantipora encounter: One more terrorist killed, incriminating materials recovered

• J&K Police on Thu said that a terrorist was killed in Pulwama’s Awantipora area and recovered incriminating materials including arms and ammunition from him.
• The Police informed that it is the 2^nd terrorist neutralization in 24 hours after Aqib Mushtaq Bhat, who killed Kashmiri Pandit Sanjay Sharma on Sun.
• As per the Police, the terrorist Aqib Mushtaq Bhat worked for The Resistance Front.
• He was earlier associated with Pakistan-based Hizbul Mujahideen terror outfit. (here)

Jaishankar, Czech FM Lipavsky, and Danish FM Rasmussen discuss opportunities in business, defense

• External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Czech Republic Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky on Tue discussed opportunities in business, defense, space, and education
• The two also noted the advancing India-EU collaboration and convergence on the reliability of supply chains and digital trust and transparency.
• “Agreed to continue our strong cooperation in multilateral forums. Exchanged views on developments in Europe and the Indo-Pacific, as well as global issues,” the EAM tweeted.
• Jan Lipavsky on Sun arrived in India for a 3-day official visit which is supposed to provide further momentum to India- Czech Republic bilateral relations. (here)
• A day after condemning China for action on India’s Northern borders, Czech FM meets the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan govt in exile representative.
• Jaishankar on Tue held a meeting with his Danish FM Lars Lokke Rasmussen, discussing the strengthing of bilateral partnership.
• The minister is part of the Denmark delegation led by the country’s royal couple, who arrived on a state visit to India on Feb 26, the MEA said in the press release.
• Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik Andre Henrik Christian and Crown Princess Mary Elizabeth arrived in India on Sun.
• On Mon, Jaishankar called on Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik Andre Henrik Christian and Crown Princess Mary Elizabeth.
• On Mon, the royal couple also met Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar. According to MEA, the Danish royal couple will depart from Chennai on Mar 2. (here)
• Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov arrives in India for G20 FM’s Meeting
• Russian Foreign Ministry on Tue said that the country’s FM Sergey Lavrov and India’s Jaishankar will touch on several regional topics, including “developments in Ukraine”.
• To further advance cooperation in key areas including trade, investment, transport and logistics cooperation, the use of national currencies in mutual settlements, and promising projects in the energy sector.
• “The ministers will exchange views on topical international matters, including interaction under India’s SCO chairmanship and G20 presidency, coordination of approaches in the UN, BRICS, and RIC. (here)

India made significant efforts to detect, disrupt, degrade operations of terrorist organizations: US report

• The Indian govt has made significant efforts to detect, disrupt, and degrade the operations of terrorist organizations, says US Bureau of Counterterrorism’s ‘Country Reports on Terrorism 2021: India’.
• As per the report, in 2021, terrorism affected the J&K UT, the northeastern states, and parts of central India.
• Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen, ISIS, al-Qa’ida, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, and Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh, are active in India.
• They shifted towards attacks on civilians and greater reliance on IEDs, including an explosive attack using drones on an air force base.
• In 2021, 153 terrorist attacks were reported in India’s J&K, causing 274 deaths, which included 45 security personnel, 36 civilians, and 193 terrorists. (here)
• Pakistan has made meager progress in its pledge to dismantle all terrorist organizations without delay or discrimination.
• The country experienced significant terrorist activity in 2021. The number of attacks and casualties was higher than in 2020, the same report claims
• Major terrorist groups that focused on conducting attacks in Pakistan included Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), and ISIS-K, the US Bureau of Counterterrorism’s report said. (here)

India’s Q3 2022-23 GDP grew at 4.4 pc

• The Indian economy grew 4.4% in Q3 (Oct-Dec 2022) against Q2-6.3% and is expected to grow by 7% in the 2022-23 financial ending in March, says official data on Tue.
• In the financial year 2021-2022, India’s economy grew at 8.7%.
• While moderation in GDP growth in Q3 FY23 was expected, the continued contraction in the manufacturing sector comes as a negative surprise, said an economist.
• While exports have continued to weaken, with imports also slowing down, the net exports have been less of a drag in Q3 compared to the previous quarter. (here)

Arrested Delhi ministers Manish Sisodia, Satyender Jain quit state cabinet

• Delhi ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyender Jain – both in custody for alleged corruption – resigned from the Delhi cabinet on Tue.
• Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal accepted their resignations.
• The CBI arrested Sisodia on Sun evening — after 9 hours of interrogation – for the alleged financial irregularities in the now-scrapped liquor policy of 2021-22.
• Sisodia also holds the capital’s finance portfolio.
• The Enforcement Directorate arrested Jain on May 30, 2022, in a money-laundering case, based on a CBI FIR lodged in 2017 under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
• Sisodia was in charge of 18 portfolios, including that of Jain’s health department.
• It is understood that Kejriwal will soon go for a cabinet reshuffle and bring in new ministers. There are now 5 ministers in the Delhi cabinet, including the chief minister.
• The ministers’ resignations came hours after the Supreme Court refused to entertain Sisodia’s plea, challenging his arrest by the CBI in the excise policy case.
• The top court asked him to go to the Delhi High Court instead. (here)

Air India order done, Rolls-Royce keen to partner with India for AMCA engine

• Top British engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce has said it wants to co-develop fighter aircraft engines with India that will power indigenous aircraft (5^th-generation AMCA)
• Executive VP Rolls Royce, said that the Intellectual Property Rights for the new engine will remain with India.
• Rolls-Royce, which powers some of the Indian Air Force aircraft, like the Jaguars, Hawks and the C-130Js, has this month got an order from Air India for 68 Trent XWB-97 engines, in addition to an option for 20 more.
• All variants of the Airbus’s A350 aircraft are powered by Rolls Royce XWB engines, of which 300 parts are already made in India.
• Air India has also ordered 12 Trent XWB-84 engines, the sole engine option for the Airbus A350-900.
• The UK has been keen to increase its defense cooperation with India and the biggest project for them is jet engine technology — an art that India is yet to master.
• As of today, around 750 Rolls Royce engines of 10 different types are powering Indian military aircraft. (here)

ISRO successfully test fires cryogenic engine that will help Chandryaan-3 begin journey to Moon

• The Indian space agency, ISRO, has announced the successful test firing of the ‘CE-20’ cryogenic engine that will be used for the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
• The ‘CE-20’ is an indigenous cryogenic engine developed by ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Systems, which powers the top-most and 3^rd stage of India’s heaviest rocket LVM3.
• LPS that are meant for the flight are test fired and then cleaned and assembled onto a rocket, unlike solid-fuelled engines where only a single burn is possible.
• A cryogenic engine is powered by super-cooled gases, which are in liquid form.
• The engine’s combustion chamber burns liquid hydrogen (- 253^oC) and liquid oxygen (-183 ^oC) an efficient combination of fuels as it provides more thrust/kg of fuel.
• In the initial portion of the flight, the first-stage ‘S200’ and 2^nd-stage ‘L110’ of the LVM3 rocket will take the Chandryaan-3 spacecraft off the ground and into space.
• Thereafter, the CE-20 will be responsible for further accelerating the module in space and ejecting it into an ‘Earth parking orbit’. (here)

Russia’s Lukoil looks to sell stake in Ghana’s Pecan field

• Russia’s Lukoil is in talks with Indian companies to sell its stake in the Pecan oilfield Ghana, which could help to break an impasse in submitting development plans.
• Talks between Lukoil officials and Indian companies, including ONGC Videsh, the foreign investment arm of Oil and Natural Gas Corp, were held this month on the sidelines of the India Energy Week conference.
• The Russian firm is talking directly to potential buyers as investment bankers are not getting involved due to Western sanctions on Russia.
• Norway’s Aker Energy, controlled by Aker ASA, owns 50% of the deepwater block off Ghana where the Pecan field is located, while Lukoil holds 38%, GNP has 10%, and Fueltrade has 2%. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Nepal: ‘Uninvited foreign guests’ brought political instability: Paudyal

• Bimala Rai Paudyal, who quit as foreign minister on Mon, has accused foreign dignitaries of destabilizing the country’s political environment.
• While stating at the National Assembly ahead of putting in her papers to PM Dahal, Paudyal said that the diplomatic code of conduct was also breached by party leaders.
• Paudyal served for 42 days in office as foreign minister and as per the decision of her party, the CPN-UML, she quit her position effective from Monday.
• The UML was the major alliance partner of the Dahal-led govt, but after PM Dahal decided to support the Nepali Congress candidate in the upcoming presidential election, the relations between the two soured.
• There were high-level visits from the US and India in the recent past.
• Victoria Nuland, the US under secy of state; Samantha Power, USAID; and Afreen Akhter, the US dy asstt. secy had visited Kathmandu.
• Later, India’s Foreign Secy VM Kwatra also came to Kathmandu and held at least a dozen political meetings apart from meeting his counterpart, Bharat Raj Paudyal.
• Kathmandu is seeing a new political course after several back-to-back high-level visits from India and the US. (here)

Nepal, India skip contentious issues at Kathmandu talks

• Nepal and India held a foreign secretary-level meeting on Mon where they discussed a range of issues of mutual interest.
• But they avoided broaching contentious issues related to boundary and border and resolution of the standoff over the Agnipath scheme on recruitment of Nepalis.
• The meeting took place as soon as Kwatra arrived in Kathmandu on Mon morning at the invitation of his counterpart Bharat Raj Paudyal.
• After completing the foreign office consultations, Kwatra called on President Bidya Devi Bhandari, PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal, FM Bimala Rai Paudyal, President of Nepali Congress Sher Bahadur Deuba, and CPN-UML Chairman KP Oli.
• Before wrapping up his Nepal visit, he will meet more political leaders on Tue.
• Sources told the Post that Kwatra discussed the possibility of PM Dahal visiting India.
• Given the intense political discussions over Nepal’s upcoming presidential elections, Kwatra did not extend a formal invitation to Dahal.
• “We did not enter into contentious issues in these meetings,” Paudyal told. (here)

Pakistan: Govt unhappy as IMF ‘shifts goalposts’

• The govt has been trying to unlock critical funding from the IMF, but background discussions with officials reveal the administration finds it increasingly difficult to convince the IMF to release a loan installment.
• IMF has changed interpretations of at least 4 prior actions ahead of reaching a staff-level agreement (SLA) on the direly needed economic bailout.
• Authorities say lender ‘changed its mind’ on at least 4 prior actions
• Officials hint at ‘1998-like situation’, say foreign capitals working for Pakistan’s ‘meltdown’
• Despite its pro-poor mantra, sources claim IMF pushing measures that may hit low-income groups
• Sources say the authorities are extremely annoyed at the latest situation, describing it as ‘maltreatment’.
• Despite this disappointment, however, the authorities the conclusion of the SLA next week and the materialization of financing support from friendly nations — some of which took more time than anticipated because of signals from the Fund. (here)

Pakistan: Election suo motu: Supreme Court to announce verdict today

• The SC Tue reserved the verdict in the suo motu notice taken over the election date of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, with the decision set to be announced Wed at around 11:30 am.
• President being threatened with Article 6, lawyer says.
• Political parties fail to reach a consensus over polls date.
• Ruling alliance withdraws plea seeking full court bench.
• President to withdraw advice regarding KP polls date. (here)

Pakistan: Levies man killed in Kohlu landmine blast; 2 soldiers, 1 child killed in Waziristan

• The country once again came under the grip of terrorism, 5 officers were martyred and 3 injured in North Waziristan, Kohlu, and Chaman, while 2 terrorists were also killed.
• 4 miners were killed and 3 injured by firing in Harnai.
• On the other hand, unknown persons opened fire at the Levies checkpoint in Sahabat Khan village in Chaman, adjacent to the Afghan border, in which 1 official was killed.
• The assailants escaped. A child was killed and 2 others were injured due to a bomb blast in the village of Duja Ghondai in the tribal district of South Waziristan.
• According to initial reports, the bomb was planted near the road.
• Last night in Dera Ismail Khan, terrorists attacked Roori police check post of Kalachi police station with heavy weapons 2 police officers were injured, and the terrorists were repulsed by the effective retaliatory fire of the police. (Jasarat)

Protests were seen across Azad JK on Tehreek-e- Labbaik Pakistan call against inflation.

• Protests were seen across Azad Jammu Kashmir on Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan’s call against inflation. (Siasat)
• Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) has given a call for observing a countrywide shutter down strike on Feb 27 against the skyrocketing inflation.
• TLP chief Saad Rizvi said in a statement that a nationwide shutter down strike will be observed across the country on Mon.
• Rizvi claimed that the nation will support the TLP’s strike call from all corners of the country including Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).
• He added that TLP is raising its voice for the rights of the Pakistanis. (here)

Breaking with EU, Hungary’s leader backs China’s peace proposal for Ukraine war

• Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has broken up with the EU to throw his support behind China’s position paper for peace in the Ukraine war.
• In a speech to the national parliament on Mon, Orban warned that “the whole of Europe is slipping into the war, step by step”.
• “We need a ceasefire and the start of peace talks; Hungary calls for peace in all international forums”; I see that most states support peace and Hungary cannot isolate itself from most of the world. (here)

China no longer primary investment destination for US firms: AmCham survey

• China is losing its appeal for foreign investors, as a leading business survey showed US companies are less willing to invest in China amid growing concerns over its policy.
• The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in China said in its survey on Wed that China is no longer considered by US companies as the primary destination.
• “For the first time in the Business Climate Survey’s 25-year history, China is no longer seen as a top-3 market for the majority of member companies,” the chamber said.
• Some 45% of the 319 firms that responded ranked China as their top-3 investment priority in their near-term investment plan, marking a shift from 60% last year.
• The proportion listing China as “one among many destinations” rose to 38% from 29 in the previous survey.
• Meanwhile, 45% said China’s investment environment is deteriorating, rising sharply from 14% in the previous survey to the highest level in the last five years. (here)