1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves for 2-day visit to Bhutan
2. Election 2024: Congress’ 3rd list of 56 candidates out, Chowdhury to contest in LS elections
3. India begins Operation Indravati to evacuate its nationals stranded in violence-hit Haiti
4. CBI, Europol sign working arrangement to establish cooperative relations
5. ISRO achieves major milestone in reusable launch vehicle tech with landing experiment

What Else

• UAE-based firm & Indian start-up join hands to deliver High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite
• ED arrests Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal; here’s a timeline of events in excise policy case
• Pakistan stresses talks with Kabul through gritted teeth
• Two martyred as suicide bomber rips through convoy in Dera Ismail Khan
• Sri Lanka allows foreign ‘research’ ships to dock on island days after banning China
• China blasts critics of Hong Kong’s new national security law
• North Korea sends delegation to China, Vietnam, Laos, KCNA says
• Beijing says Philippines made ‘illegal landing’ on disputed reef in South China Sea

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi leaves for 2-day visit to Bhutan

• PM Modi on Fri left on a 2-day visit to Bhutan and will return home on Sat.
• He was earlier scheduled to leave on Thu for Bhutan but the visit was postponed due to inclement weather conditions in the Himalayan nation, as reported on Thu.
• PM Modi said in Bhutan he will be attending various programs to cement ties between the two nations. 
• “… I will be attending various programs aimed at further cementing the India-Bhutan partnership. I look forward to talks with Majesty the King of Bhutan, His Majesty the 4^th Druk Gyalpo and PM Tshering Tobgay,” PM Modi wrote on the X.
• Togbay also visited India from Mar 14-18, during his visit, PM Modi said India would step up support for Bhutan’s 13^th 5-year plan, including considering an economic stimulus program and development aid.
• India has provided aid worth ₹5,000 crore for the 12^th plan to Bhutan. (here)

Election 2024: Congress’ 3^rd list of 56 candidates out, Chowdhury to contest in LS elections

• The Congress, the main opposition party published its 3^rd list of 56 candidates for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections on Thu.
• It included prominent names including Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, the MP from West Bengal’s Berhampore since 1999.
• These include 2 seats in Arunachal, 17 in Karnataka, 11 in Gujarat, 5 in Rajasthan, 7 in Maharashtra, 8 in West Bengal, 1 in Puducherry, and 5 in Telangana.
• Notable candidates featured in this list are Radhakrishna from Gulbarga and Praniti Shinde from Solapur.
• Congress has decided to leave the Sikar constituency in Rajasthan for the CPI (M).
• Earlier in the day, CPI(M) national secretary Amra Ram reportedly said that his name has been proposed by his party and the state Congress for the Sikar seat. (here)
• K Annamalai, Tamilisai Soundararajan in BJP’s third list of Lok Sabha candidates: The BJP on Thu released its 3^rd list of candidates scheduled to begin from Apr 19, 2024.
• The party has fielded its Tamil Nadu state unit chief K Annamalai from Coimbatore and former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan from Chennai South seat.
• The party, which plans to contest 20 of the 39 seats in Tamil Nadu, has named 9 candidates for the southern state.
• BJP has stitched an alliance with smaller parties in the state.
• Earlier in the day, BJP finalized its seat-sharing pact in the southern state.
• The party will contest 20 seats, whereas 10 seats have been given to PMK, 3 to TMC, 2 to AMMK, and one each to IJK, NJP, and 2 other regional parties.
• Polling in Tamil Nadu’s 39 Lok Sabha seats will be held in the first phase on Apr 19.
• Notably, the BJP did not win a seat from Tamil Nadu in the 2019 LS elections. (here)
• Indian poll body directs central govt to halt ‘Viksit Bharat’ messages on WhatsApp: The Election Commission of India on Thu asked the central govt to stop sending the “Viksit Bharat” messages over WhatsApp. 
• The message to the Ministry of Electronic and IT comes after the poll body received several complaints regarding the delivery of messages. 
• Concerns were raised over the message despite the announcement of the General Elections 2024 and the Model Code of Conduct entering into force. (here)
• “No level playing field for polls” alleges Kharge, blames BJP for ‘frozen banks accounts’: The Congress party on Thu fielded its big guns Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and former Presidents Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in a news conference as they trained their guns on the ruling BJP over the “freezing” of the party’s bank accounts.
• Addressing a presser Kharge said that it was a “dangerous game” and demanded a “level playing field.”
• “The SC called electoral bonds illegal and unconstitutional. Under that scheme, the present ruling party filled its accounts with thousands and crores of rupees. On the other hand, under a conspiracy, the bank account of the main opposition party has been frozen. So that, in the absence of funds, there is no level-playing field in contesting the elections,” Kharge said on Thu. (here)

India begins Operation Indravati to evacuate its nationals stranded in violence-hit Haiti

• The Indian govt has initiated Operation Indravati to evacuate its citizens from the violence-hit nation of Haiti External Affairs Minister. S. Jaishankar said on social media that 12 Indian citizens had been evacuated from the Caribbean nation on Thu.
• He also reassured his compatriots that in the event of an emergency or unfavorable circumstance, the govt would look after its citizens residing abroad.
• Earlier, the US started to fly out its citizens from Haiti by helicopter as reports of fresh fighting emerged in the gang-dominated capital of the Caribbean country.
• Reports of fierce gunfire in some of the wealthiest enclaves of Port-au-Prince.
• Hunger crisis in Haiti: The UN food agency- nearly 4 million people in Haiti are facing food insecurity and hunger due to a wide range of factors, primarily gang violence.
• A total of 360,000 people have been displaced in the country, and the number of people affected by hunger is likely to further increase to 1 million in the coming days. (here)

CBI, Europol sign working arrangement to establish cooperative relations

• The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thu signed a Working Arrangement with Europol, the law enforcement authority of the EU countries, to combat crime and enhance cooperation between the two agencies.
• The Working Arrangement was signed virtually by Europol ED Catherine De Bolle and CBI Director Praveen Sood.
• This arrangement promotes direct cooperation between both organizations to build on their respective mandates, and strategies and to explore the potential for synergies.
• During the signing ceremony, both sides expressed their appreciation for the collaborative spirit demonstrated by both parties.
• This working arrangement not only brings together CBI and Europol but also enables wide cooperation between 27 European countries, along with all law enforcement agencies in India. (here)

ISRO achieves major milestone in reusable launch vehicle tech with landing experiment

• ISRO on Fri said it has achieved a major milestone in the area of reusable launch vehicle technology through the RLV LEX-02 landing experiment.
• This is the second of the series conducted at Aeronautical Test Range, Chitradurga, in Karnataka at 7.10 am.
• After the RLV-LEX-01 mission was accomplished last year, RLV-LEX-02 demonstrated the autonomous landing capability of a reusable launch vehicle (RLV) from off-nominal initial conditions at release from a helicopter, the Bengaluru-HQ (here)

UAE-based firm & Indian start-up join hands to deliver High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite

• UAE-based Mira Aerospace and Indian start-up VEDA Aeronautics have come together to offer High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite solutions designed for the Indian market, both in the military and the civilian space.
• (Sources)- the project is being handheld by the Indian military and the HAPS has successfully carried out flights over the Pokhran Test Range at 12 km above the ground.
• Conducted in Mar last year, the test marked the only flight of a HAPS in the Indian stratosphere, said sources.
• The IAF is looking at acquiring a HAPS solution capable of carrying a min 35 kg payload and sustaining operations at an altitude of 18km above sea level for a min of 30-45 days.
• Running purely on solar power and flying above the clouds at 16-20 km autonomously for months at a stretch, a HAPS platform will fill a capability gap between satellites and HALE UAVs. (here)

ED arrests Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal; here’s a timeline of events in excise policy case

• Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the excise policy case on Thu
• The move came hours after the Delhi HC refused interim protection from coercive action to Kejriwal stating that at this stage the court wasn’t inclined to grant relief.
• ‘Will run govt from jail’: Earlier, Atishi had said that AAP’s national convenor would run the govt from prison and that he would remain the CM of Delhi.
• Kejriwal skipped the ED summons for the 9^th time in the excise policy case.
• Hours later the Delhi HC denied him interim relief in the excise policy case following which he was arrested. (here)
• The matter regarding the arrest of Kejriwal will likely be heard by 2 courts on Fri
• Officials will produce the AAP leader in the PMLA court as they seek his custody for further interrogation.
• Meanwhile, the matter is likely to be taken up by the SC as the CM’s legal team approached the apex court Thu night. (here)
• Opposition decries Kejriwal’s arrest by ED ahead of general elections: The arrest has triggered a barrage of reactions from all corners of the political spectrum. (here)

[neighborhood]

Pakistan stresses talks with Kabul through gritted teeth

• The FO on Thu reiterated Pakistan’s desire to address the issue of terrorism with Afghanistan through dialogue and cooperation.
• Meanwhile, in an interview on Thu, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif told the Voice of America that Islamabad does not want an armed conflict with its neighboring country.
• Speaking at the weekly briefing, FO Spox said, “Pakistan has repeatedly said that we prioritize dialogue and cooperation in finding solutions to issues of mutual concern … to fight the threat that we face that is of terrorism that emanates from these groups which are currently based in Afghanistan.”
• Spox was responding to Pakistan’s air strikes against Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group targets inside Afghanistan on Mon after militants based there attacked an FC camp on Mar 16. (here)

Two martyred as suicide bomber rips through convoy in Dera Ismail Khan

• 2 soldiers were killed after a suicide bomber struck a military convoy on Tank Road, in the jurisdiction of the Hathala police station, DI Khan, on Thu.
• Police said the attack also injured at least 22 personnel.
• According to police, the convoy was on its way to Tank from DI Khan when a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into the convoy, resulting in the martyrdom of 2 soldiers on the spot and injuries to almost two dozen others.
• Following the attack, heavy contingents of police and security forces reached the site and cordoned off the area.
• The medical teams of Rescue 1122 rushed the dead bodies and injured to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) in Dera Ismail Khan.
• Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the Pakistan Army, had not issued an official statement about the suicide attack until the filing of this report. (here)

Sri Lanka is letting foreign ‘research’ ships to dock in island days after banning China

• After banning Chinese ships from docking in Sri Lankan ports for a year, Colombo says that it will allow foreign offshore ‘research ships’ for replenishment.
• “The ban on foreign ships is for research purposes, not on replenishment,” the Economy Next portal quoted Niluka Kadurugamuwa, Sri Lanka’s FM Spox, as saying.
• He said that recently a German research ship harbored in the country for replenishment following Sri Lanka’s authorisation.
• The move drew criticism from China who highlighted Colombo’s hypocrisy after the country turned down Beijing’s request to dock a research vessel.
• Sri Lanka is in the process of introducing an SOP for handling foreign research vessels.
• In Jan, Sri Lanka announced that the country would bar Chinese vessels from entering its waters for one year.
• The move came after PM Modi asked President Ranil Wickremesinghe to respect India’s security concerns during their meeting in July 2023. (here)

China blasts critics of Hong Kong’s new national security law

• China has retaliated against foreign critics of Hong Kong’s national security law, accusing many nations of “slandering and smearing,” according to Al Jazeera.
• The legislators in Hong Kong enacted the law, Article 23 on Tue, drawing harsh criticism for what they saw as its potential impact on the city under Chinese authority.
• China responded, calling out the EU and the UK in precise for being “hypocritical.
• According to Al Jazeera, Article 23, which comes on the heels of a China-imposed national security law passed in 2020, punishes a range of offenses, including treason, sabotage, sedition, the theft of state secrets, external interference, and espionage.
• The terms vary from a few years to a lifetime in prison.
• China responded to the new rules, which were intended to close “gaps” in Beijing’s legislation, as soon as possible, according to HK leader John Lee.
• “China expresses strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to certain countries and institutions slandering and smearing Hong Kong’s national security regulations,” the Chinese FM spox, said on Wed. (here)

North Korea sends delegation to China, Vietnam, Laos, KCNA says

• N Korea has sent a delegation to China, Vietnam, and Laos, state media KCNA said on Fri, as the isolated country expands its diplomatic engagement post-COVID lockdowns
• The group from North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party of Korea, led by Kim Song Nam, alternate member of the Political Bureau and director of the International Department of the party’s Central Committee, arrived in Beijing on Thu, KCNA said.
• The N Korean senior official has met with the 4^th-ranked leader in CCP, Wang Huning, as well as the head of the party’s ILD, Liu Jianchao, according to Chinese state media.
• Wang said China was willing to work with N Korea to promote friendship, deepen unity and collaboration, strengthen strategic communication, and jointly create a peaceful and stable external environment, Chinese state radio said late Thu. (here)

Beijing says Philippines made ‘illegal landing’ on disputed reef in South China Sea

• The Chinese coastguard has “handled an incident” involving dozens of Philippine nationals who landed on a disputed reef in the South China Sea on Thu, Beijing said.
• China’s coastguard in a statement on its SM accounts that 34 people had “ignored warnings from the Chinese side and illegally landed” on Tiexian Reef, part of the northern Spratly Islands.
• The statement did not say whether the Filipinos were military personnel or civilians. It also did not say if they had been detained or expelled by the Chinese coastguards.
• He said China has an “indisputable” sovereign right to the Spratlys, including the reef, and firmly opposed the landing attempt that “violates China’s territorial sovereignty and undermines peace and stability in the South China Sea”.
• The reef is located in a strategically important spot of the northern Spratlys.
• It is less than 5.6km west of the Philippine-occupied Thitu Island, where the municipality of the Kalayaan serves as Manila’s administrative center for the disputed territory. (here)