1. Macron lands in Jaipur today; roadshow, Amber Fort visit with PM Modi scheduled
2. Indian Navy to monitor Chinese ship in Indian Ocean
3. China-made live warhead found on Andaman beach raises security concerns
4. Defence ministry signs ₹1,070-cr deal for 14 coast guard fast patrol vessels
5. Indian Navy carries out precision hit of land target with improved range of Brahmos

What Else

• Commission Requests Information on Alleged Interference by India
• No collision possible among INDI Alliance in WB and Punjab; Bihar Grand Alliance divided over Bharat Ratna
• Bangladeshi sepoy ‘disguised as cattle smuggler’ shot dead by BSF in West Bengal
• Pakistan: General Election 2024 Clash of Titans: Here’s a list of fiercest election battles expected on Feb 8
• Pakistan: IMF’s review mission expected to visit Pakistan after Feb 8 polls
• China’s top lawmaker vows to share governance notes with Djibouti, deepen belt and road ties

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Macron lands in Jaipur today; roadshow, Amber Fort visit with PM Modi scheduled

• PM Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron will hold a roadshow in the Walled City and visit famous Jaipur monuments, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal, Amber Fort, and Albert Hall, on Jan 25, according to an official itinerary of their program.
• Macron is the chief guest at the 75^th Republic Day celebration on Jan 26.
• A day earlier, Macron and Modi will be in the Pink City for a 6-hour visit that will not only promote Jaipur and Rajasthan as a major tourist destination for visitors from across the world but also showcase the spread of the digital economy in India.
• Elephants, Camels, Color as French Prez Macron lands in Jaipur today (Thu)
• Welcomed by EAM Jaishankar,Amber Fort- Meet with French students
• Visit to Jantar Mantar Hawa Mahal- use of UPI
• 1 Km long Shobha Yatra with PM Modi
• Formal meeting with PM Modi (here)

Indian Navy to monitor Chinese ship in Indian Ocean

• The Indian Navy will monitor the Chinese surveillance ship Xiang Yang Hong 3 in the IOR to ensure that it does not carry out any exploration in the Maldivian EEZ.
• On Tue, the Mohamed Muizzu govt announced that the said ship was coming to Male for an operational turnaround, a common jargon for picking up food and oil supplies.
• In its statement, Male said, “The vessel would not be conducting any research while in the Maldivian waters.”
• (sources)- the Chinese surveillance ship is currently in the southwest IOR and is expected to dock at Male seaport on Feb 5.
• India had already expressed its reservations over the surveillance activity of the said XYH3 to Sri Lanka and Maldives last year.
• The Modi govt renewed its concerns to Male after the Mohamed Muizzu-led govt was sworn in on Nov 17.
• It is based on Indian concerns that Sri Lanka on Dec 22 announced that it will not allow any surveillance ship in its EEZ for the entire 2024.
• What remains to be seen is whether the XYH3 will be strict to the rule of the Maldivian govt or carry out surveillance despite the Tue order. (here)
• [How will it be possible to detect, if Male won’t have an objection, which is in all likelihood will not, as Govt is Pro-China.]
• Maldives’ two main opposition parties express concern about its government’s ‘anti-India stance’: Calling India as the “most long-standing ally,” the 2 main opposition parties in Maldives on Wed expressed concern about the govt’s “anti-India stance.”
• The open support by the 2 parties — the MD and the Democrats — came a day after the Male said a Chinese ship, equipped to carry research and surveys, will be docking at a Maldivian port. (here)

China-made live warhead found on Andaman beach raises security concerns

• On Jan 4, a live Rocket live-propelled grenade warhead was discovered nearly 3 km inland on the shores of Middle Andaman Island.
• [news did not come in media except yesterday that too not in mainstream media]
• But its discovery on the Dhani Nallah beach has raised security concerns.
• The presence of the warhead came to light when Jyoti Prakash, a Forest Department worker, discovered the object while cleaning the beach.
• Soon the A&N Command was informed about it after which by evening a team of ANC reached the spot and disposed of the warhead.
• Experts believe that this particular RPG warhead might have been misfired by some Chinese ship or from Coco Island, which somehow washed ashore. (here)

Defence ministry signs ₹1,070-cr deal for 14 coast guard fast patrol vessels

• The defense ministry on Wed signed a ₹1,070-crore contract with Mumbai-based MSL to boost the capabilities of the Indian Coast Guard with 14 fast patrol vessels (FPVs).
• “the FPVs will be equipped with multipurpose drones, wirelessly controlled remote water rescue craft, and AI capability,” the defense ministry said in a statement.
• The new vessels will be indigenously designed, developed, and manufactured by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDL), and delivered to the Coast Guard in 5 years.
• The vessels will play a critical role in enhancing fisheries protection and monitoring, control and surveillance, anti-smuggling, search, and rescue missions, and assistance to ships, the statement said. (here)

Indian Navy carries out precision hit of land target with improved range of Brahmos

• The Indian Navy and the BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL) on Wed carried out a successful engagement of a land target at enhanced range with an advanced supersonic cruise missile.
• Navy successfully test-fired BrahMos missile in Bay in Bengal
• Earlier in last year Nov, the Indian Navy said successfully test-fired a BrahMos missile from its warship in the Bay of Bengal.
• The missile achieved all mission objectives, the Indian Navy said in a statement.
• In a post on X, the Navy also shared a picture of the test firing.
• BrahMos Supersonic cruise missile: According to a top official of BAPL, the India-Russian joint venture produces supersonic cruise missiles that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms with a speed of 2.8 Mach.
• India also exports BrahMos missiles to a few countries like the Philippines and others. Notably, the Indian Navy tested their Extended range capacity. (here)

Commission Requests Information on Alleged Interference by India

• Canada’s foreign interference commission, which was set up to probe China’s alleged involvement in influencing Canadian federal elections, wants to investigate alleged Indian interference too.
• The commissioner of the inquiry, which was initiated last Sept, has asked the Canadian govt to provide documents related to alleged interference by India.
• The development comes at a time when diplomatic ties between India and Canada are under severe strain because of allegations that India masterminded the killing of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia last year.
• The row ignited by Canada’s claims, which were not backed by any evidence as the Indian govt has maintained, saw India expelling 41 Canadian diplomats, saying they were interfering in India’s internal affairs.
• Canada created the commission to respond to concerns over foreign interference in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections.
• The Commission will complete an interim report due by May 3, 2024, and deliver its final report by Dec 31, 2024,” it said Wed.
• The panel is also probing the alleged involvement of Russia and Iran. The polls saw Liberals led by Justin Trudeau getting re-elected.
• Leader of New Democratic Party, Jagmeet Singh wanted the inquiry to also look into India’s role in influencing the outcomes of those polls. (here) (here)

No collision possible among INDI Alliance in WB and Punjab; Bihar Grand Alliance divided over Bharat Ratna

• Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee declared that the TMC would fight alone in Bengal.
• “I gave many proposals but they rejected them from the beginning. From then, we have decided to fight the elections in Bengal alone,” She said.
• CM also claimed she had not been informed of Rahul Gandhi’s Nyay Yatra passing through Bengal, contrary to claims by the Congress that they had invited INDIA bloc parties to join the Yatra. (here)
• Meanwhile, Punjab Cm Bhagwant Mann also said that his party will also fight all 13 seats in the state, though he is not the party chief.
• Bihar Grand Alliance divided over Bharat Ratna to Thakur: Congress party has renewed the call for a nationwide caste census amid controversy over Bharat Ratna conferred posthumously on socialist icon Karpoori Thakur.
• Bhagidari Nyay and caste census: Ramesh stated that Bhagidari Nyay, one of the pillars of Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, requires a nationwide caste census as a foundational step.
• The ruling BJP at the Centre, along with Bihar’s alliance partners like JD(U) and RJD, engaged in a race to claim credit for the award.
• Bihar Deputy CM and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav expressed gratitude to the central govt, stressed Thakur’s lifelong commitment to the welfare of weaker and marginalised.
• Nitish Kumar’s acknowledgment: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar thanked PM Modi for conferring Bharat Ratna on his political mentor, Karpoori Thakur. (here)

Bangladeshi sepoy ‘disguised as cattle smuggler’ shot dead by BSF in West Bengal

• A Border Guard B’desh sepoy was killed by a BSF soldier along the India-Bangladesh international border in WB on Mon during an attempt to foil a cattle smuggling bid.
• The BGB sepoy was not in uniform and allegedly ‘disguised as a cattle smuggler’, according to a PTI report.
• The incident transpired when a group of Bangladeshi cattle smugglers attempted to cross over to India by breaching the newly installed barbed wire fence.
• The Indian soldier noticed the group of unidentified individuals, engaging in suspicious activities and approached them.
• Additionally, BSF apprised the Ministry of External Affairs and Bangladesh High Commission in Kolkata of the incident. (here)

 [Neighborhood]

Pakistan: General Election 2024 Clash of Titans: Here’s a list of fiercest election battles expected on Feb 8

• Nawaz Sharif and Dr Yasmin Rashid will face off in NA 130 while Hamza Shehbaz will face PTI’s Aliya Hamza in NA 118 in two of the fearest electoral battles in Lahore
• Javed Hashmi claims police raid house ahead of PTI’s convention in Multan
• PML-N to remove president from parliament
• Nawaz ‘relying on something other than people’ to become PM: Bilawal (here)
• PPP Chairman and former FM Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif is attempting to become the country’s PM for the 4^th time via a backdoor.

Pakistan: IMF’s review mission expected to visit Pakistan after Feb 8 polls

• A review mission of the IMF is likely to be dispatched to conduct talks with Islamabad after Pakistan’s much anticipated general elections, scheduled to be held on Feb 8.
• The review mission is set to visit Pakistan for talks regarding the $3 billion Standby Arrangement (SBA) program, The News reported.
• According to a confirmation received by The News from top official sources, the “Fund has not yet confirmed the exact schedule for conducting the second review, so the upcoming review talks are expected to be held after the general elections”.
• The IMF also hinted that the date of the 2^nd review was revised at the time of the signing of the SBA agreement in July 2023.
• The second review for the end of Dec 2023 was planned for Mar 1, 2024.
• Now the Pakistani side proposed the review schedule for Mar 15, 2024, indicating that the review completion date was changed with the possibility that talks for a second review might be held after the Feb 8, 2024 elections. (here)

China’s top lawmaker vows to share governance notes with Djibouti, deepen belt and road ties

• China is willing to exchange notes with Djibouti on state governance and deepen cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, the country’s top legislator has said.
• Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, China’s top legislative body, made the comments as he met Djiboutian counterpart Dileita Mohamed Dileita in Beijing on Tue to mark 45 years of diplomatic ties.
• Djibouti, a tiny Horn of Africa nation facing the oil-rich Arabian peninsula, is strategically significant because of its maritime location.
• It sits at the intersection of the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea – the gateway to the Suez Canal through which 10% of the world’s oil exports and 20% of all commercial goods.
• It is also one of more than 50 African countries to have signed up for Beijing’s trillion-dollar BRI program and is an important node in the plan’s maritime section seeking to connect China to the rest of Asia, Africa, and Europe. (here)