1. Imran Khan Arrest: Indian Army Closely Monitoring Situation In Pakistan, Along LoC
2. Security forces launch cordon and search operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch
3. China attempts to snoop on ASEAN-India naval drill in South China Sea
4. 16 held for ‘links’ with radical outfit HUT; MP police say it wanted to topple India’s democratic system
5. Karnataka elections: Modi appeals to voters, Congress moves ECI

What Else

6. 6 of 10 NGOs audited violated FCRA provisions: Officials
7. Brigadiers and above to have common uniform from August 1st
8. India’s quality control norms could hit Chinese imports: Report
9. Israel FM cuts short his India visit, will return after meeting PM Modi today
10. Pilgrims to Kailash discouraged by new Chinese rules, especially from India
11. China says PLA Rocket Force joined Shandong carrier group in drills near US base in western Pacific

Imran Khan Arrest: Indian Army Closely Monitoring Situation In Pakistan, Along LoC

• PTI to move SC against Islamabad Court upholding Imran Khan’s arrest, after Islamabad High Court terms his arrest as “legal”: Fawad Chaudhry
• Amid the deteriorating situation in Pakistan after former Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s arrest on Tue, the Indian forces are keeping a close watch on the developments there.
• The Pakistan Army may try to open up a new front along the LoC by blaming Indian forces or other means to relieve the pressure from internal factors.
• Till evening, the Pakistani troops had not cut down any numbers from forward locations with India but the situation may get clearer tomorrow.
• PTI chief Imran Khan’s arrest has triggered several violent protests including at the GHQ Rawalpindi and the residence of the Corps Commander in Lahore, which was once the house of Mohammed Ali Jinnah.
• PTI workers have set ablaze the house of Major General Faisal Naseer who is a close aide of General Asim Munir.
• Imran Khan had often called him Dirty Harry and accused him of murdering journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya.
• Imran Khan arrested in Al-Qadir Trust ‘corruption’ case for embezzling Rs 60bn: interior minister

Security forces launch cordon and search operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch

• Security forces on Wed morning launched a cordon and search operation following the movement of “suspected people” in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch town.
• Some locals noticed suspicious movement of some armed people in Poonch town.
• 2 schools in the town have also been shut.
• Acting on the information, security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Khakha Nawan, Purani Poonch, and Jernally Mohalla of Poonch.
• The operation was going on when the last reports came in from the area. (here)

China attempts to snoop on ASEAN-India naval drill in South China Sea

• Chinese vessels and aircraft tried to snoop on the 1^st-ever Asean-India naval exercise, which ended in the SCS on Mon, but the drills went ahead as planned since they did not come close to the exercising warships.
• Several Chinese maritime “militia” vessels were spotted in the region while warships of India, the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, and Vietnam were conducting the “sea phase” of the inaugural IEME on May 7-8.
• China has been acting aggressively in the contentious South China Sea, where it is locked in territorial disputes with its neighbors.
• During the AIME, the Chinese vessels followed by a research vessel approached the exercise area in the EEZ of Vietnam but did not hinder the drills. (here)

16 held for ‘links’ with radical outfit HUT; MP police say it wanted to topple India’s democratic system

• The MP police’s ATS on Tue arrested 11 persons from 2 cities, while 5 others were nabbed from Hyderabad for their suspected links with the HUT, a radical outfit.
• Police authorities claimed to have busted a module of the fundamentalist organization.
• Of these, 10 were arrested from Bhopal’s Shahjahanabad, Aishbagh, Lalghati, and Pipalani areas, while 1 was nabbed from Chhindwara city.
• Following a tip-off from the ATS, the Telangana police arrested 5 persons from Hyderabad for their alleged links with the outfit.
• The anti-national documents, electronic gear, and radical literature were recovered from the arrested members, whose network is spread in more than 50 countries.
• The outfit has already been banned in 16 countries. (here)

Karnataka elections: Modi appeals to voters, Congress moves ECI

• PM Modi made a fresh appeal to voters on the eve of the Karnataka assembly elections, urging them to “come and vote on May 10” for a “bright future.
• In a memorandum to the poll watchdog, Congress termed the speech a “brazen, deliberate, and calculated violation of the model code of conduct. (here)
• The Election Commission on Tuesday said record seizures worth ₹375 crores were made in the form of liquor, drugs, and freebies in elections.
• This is 4.5 times more than what was recovered in 2018.
• Notable hauls include the seizure of ₹4.04 crore of cash in Bangarapet AC in Kolar District, and a raid of an illegal lab manufacturing Alprazolam in Hyderabad. (here)

6 of 10 NGOs audited violated FCRA provisions: Officials

• Six of every 10 NGOs audited by the home ministry between Jun 2019 and Apr 2022, had committed 1 or more of the 12 compoundable offenses under the FCRA.
• A compoundable offense can be settled, usually with a fine.
• The number of NGOs that had committed non-compoundable offenses is not known.
• The ministry inspected or audited 335 NGOs and found that in 201 instances, there were compoundable offenses of the law that entitles to get foreign contributions.
• The action, officials say, is in line with the govt’s policy that all organizations receiving foreign funds must ensure compliance, transparency, and accountability.
• Data reveals that between Jun 2019 and April 2022, MHA granted 570 new FCRA licenses, 3,766 renewals, 80 prior permissions, and 4,384 foreign hospitality.
• At the same time, requests in the fresh license (2,821), renewal (738), prior permission (291), and hospitality (241) categories were rejected by it. (here)

Brigadiers and above to have common uniform from August 1^st

• After introducing a new combat dress for all soldiers last year, the army has now decided to adopt a common uniform for officers of the rank of brigadier and above.
• With the new regulation in place from Aug 1, the senior officers will no longer wear accouterments specific to their respective arms and services.
• These officers include major generals, Lt gen, and the army chief.
• From headgear to shoulder rank badges and gorget patches (collar tabs) to belts and shoes, the uniform of the senior officers will be standardized and common.
• The decision to switch to the common uniform was taken in Apr during the Army Commanders’ Conference, chaired by army chief General Manoj Pande
• The senior officers will no longer wear the ubiquitous lanyard around the shoulder.
• The common uniform will not reveal the regimental or service affiliation of the senior officers, said the first official. (here)

India’s quality control norms could hit Chinese imports: Report

• The imports of Chinese goods could dwindle in India as the govt continues to introduce a raft of Quality Control Orders, which could pose problems for the Indian industry.
• With several hurdles in the process, the import delays could pose difficulties for myriad industries which are dependent on China for products.
• From pharmaceutical ingredients to auto parts to machinery, China has been one of the biggest importers to India.
• Notably, the total imports from China increased to $98.51 billion during the financial year that ended in Mar, compared to $94.57 billion during the same time last year.
• India was not looking to boot out China, albeit it was stepping in for quality checks as the Chinese officials were yet to resume the practice after the pandemic.
• Indian govt upping the ante- To curb the import of sub-standard goods, especially from China, and boost the domestic industry, India has seen a surge in QCOs. (here)

Israel FM cuts short his India visit, will return after meeting PM Modi today

• Israel’s FM Eli Cohen arrived in New Delhi on Tue morning but just within a few hours, he announced to cut the trip because of the security situation in his country.
• The trip was supposed to be for 3 days, which included visits to Agra and Mumbai.
• He further added that he will return to Israel after he meets with PM Modi, which took place on Tue.
• India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Israeli counterpart held bilateral talks and reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen the India-Israel relationship.
• 3 MoUs signed between India and Israel in the presence of India’s Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and the Israeli foreign minister.
• Cohen said, “A short while ago I landed in India for a very important strategic and political visit. I am receiving constant updates from Israel“. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Pilgrims to Kailash discouraged by new Chinese rules, especially from India

• Beijing has reopened several points on the Nepal-China border after 3 years but also slapped so many restrictions making travel difficult.
• Elation among pilgrims wishing to go on the holy Kailash Manasarovar tour has turned to despair because the stringent rules seem to be meant to keep visitors away.
• “When we saw the long list of rules, it was filled with hassles for both Indians and Nepalis,” said Basu Adhikari, MD of Touch Kailash Travel and Treks.
• Nepali operators say the complex regulations are designed to control the entry of foreign pilgrims, particularly Indians, one of the most sacred journeys for devotees.
• Three prominent travel and tour operators have submitted a memorandum to the Chinese Chen Song urging him to help simplify the movement of pilgrims.
• “The charges fixed by China for Indians are higher than those for tourists from third countries,” says the memorandum.
• Kailash Yatra is one of the most lucrative tour packages for Nepali tour operators. (here)

China says PLA Rocket Force joined Shandong carrier group in drills near US base in western Pacific

• State media disclosure of the PLA Rocket Force joining the Shandong carrier group for drills near the US naval base of Guam is a show of force by the Chinese military.
• This came as Chinese state CCTV reported that the Shandong flotilla had wrapped up a nearly 30-day exercise in the western Pacific region that included unprecedented systematic joint operations with the rocket force and other fighting wings.
• The exercise, which took place about 400 nautical miles northwest of Guam last month, involved the Shandong aircraft carrier, a Type 055 destroyer, 2 Type 052D destroyers, 2 Type 054A frigates, and a Type 901 replenishment ship.
• While it is not uncommon for the Chinese navy to carry out drills near Guam, disclosing that the rocket force took part indicated a deterrence strategy by the Chinese.
• They said it highlighted the PLA’s enhanced capacity for precision hits on moving surface targets or naval bases beyond the so-called first island chain of defense. (here)