1. PM Modi, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince hold meeting, discussions to focus on bilateral ties
2. EAM Jaishankar highlights growing India-GCC partnership at first ministerial meet
3. Rameshwaram Cafe Blast: Terrorists planned to bomb BJP office on Ram Mandir inauguration day
4. ‘No Chinese structure will be allowed inside India’: Rijiju reacts to Reports of Arunachal Incursion
5. Rahul Gandhi’s swipe at PM, RSS again at US event: 56 inch is history now

What Else

1. 3 [4*] attempts to derail trains, 2 instances of stone pelting in past one week: Railways
2. After Singapore, US ties up with India to boost semiconductor sector
3. Pakistan: PTI leaders Barrister Gohar, Sher Afzal Marwat arrested outside Parliament House
4. Pakistan: CM Gandapur is ‘missing’, claims Barrister Saif
5. Eager to work with Prof Yunus-led interim government: US
6. 39 more DCs likely to be withdrawn within a day or two

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PM Modi, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince hold meeting, discussions to focus on bilateral ties

• PM Modi held a meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at Hyderabad House in Delhi on Mon.
• Ministry of External Affairs stated that the two leaders will hold discussions on the entire spectrum of ties between India and UAE.
• Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and other officials were present in the meeting.
• Sheikh Khaled Nahyan arrived in New Delhi on Sept 8 on his first official visit to India, the MEA said.
• Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, received the Crown Prince upon his arrival.
• He was also accorded a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhawan New Delhi (more)
• INDIA-UAE MOUs/Agreements
• MoU in the field of Barakah Nuclear Power Plant Operations and Maintenance between Emirates Nuclear Energy Company and Nuclear Power Cooperation of India.
• An Agreement for long-term LNG supply between Abu Dhabi National Oil Company and Indian Oil Corporation Limited
• MoU between ADNOC and India Strategic Petroleum Reserve Limited (ISPRL)
• Production Concession Agreement for Abu Dhabi Onshore Block 1 between Urja Bharat and ADNOC
• MoU between Govt of Gujarat and Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company PJSC (ADQ) on food parks development in India

EAM Jaishankar highlights growing India-GCC partnership at first ministerial meet

• At the first India-Gulf Cooperation Council meet in Riyadh on Mon, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasized the growing partnership between the two sides.
• Pointing to the “3Ps – People, Prosperity and Progress” of ties, Jaishankar said: “People-to-people ties are the bedrock of our relationship. Close to nine million Indians work and live amongst you, acting as a living bridge between us.”
• He thanked the GCC countries, which comprise 6 Arab states viz., Saudia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman for taking care of the large Indian diaspora.
• India’s economic linkages with the GCC have increased steadily, especially due to growth in oil imports.
• Pointing that GCC is a “cornerstone of global energy supply”, he called for “deepening” collaboration as that will help in “stabilizing markets, driving innovation and enhancing energy security.”
• India, which is the world’s 5^th largest economy is a major importer of energy. (more)

Rameshwaram Cafe Blast: Terrorists planned to bomb BJP office on Ram Mandir inauguration day

• The 4 accused named in the chargesheet filed by the National Investigation Agency had planned to attack the state BJP in Bengaluru on Jan 22 – the day of the Ram Mandir inauguration in Ayodhya, before undertaking the Rameshwaram Cafe blast.
• The 4 men, Mussavir Hussain Shazib, Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taaha, Maaz Muneer Ahmed, and Muzammil Shareef were charge-sheeted on Mon which revealed it.
• Shazib (who planted the bomb at a cafe) and Taaha were part of the IS module and played an important part in radicalizing the other two accused.
• “Taaha and Shazib were funded by their handler through cryptocurrencies, which Taaha converted to Fiat with the help of various Telegram-based P2P platforms”.
• “The funds were used by the accused to perpetrate various acts of violence in Bengaluru, investigations further revealed,” the chargesheet stated. (more)

‘No Chinese structure will be allowed inside India’: Rijiju reacts to Reports of Arunachal Incursion

• Union minister Kiren Rijiju said temporary marking will not lead to encroachment of Indian territory while reacting to reports of incursion by Chinese troops in Arunachal.
• He said the Indian govt, the Ministry of Defence, and the External Affairs Ministry remain engaged in talks with China and no permanent Chinese structure will be allowed inside India.
• Rijiju also said that ‘overlapping of patrolling’ by Indian and Chinese forces in un-demarcated areas occurs.
• He explained that there are some areas in Arunachal where the total area is un-demarcated and both Indian and Chinese forces keep crossing into each other’s controlled area due to this, as well as due to the terrain being rough overall.
• The minister said that the govt remains steadfast that any foreign country, be it China or anyone else, will not be able to take over Indian lands. (more)
• [He was responding to yesterday’s media reports which claimed that Chinese structures have been erected in Indian territory.]

Rahul Gandhi’s swipe at PM, RSS again at US event: 56 inch is history now

• Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who is currently on a 3-day visit to the US, has again attacked PM Modi, the BJP, and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
• He said the sense of fear that prevailed among people before the 2024 polls has now disappeared, while the “idea of Mr. Modi, 56-inch chest, direct connection with god, that’s all gone, it’s history now”.
• Addressing the Indian diaspora community in Herndon, Virginia, on Mon, Gandhi said that “something has definitely changed” in India following the general elections, adding that the atmosphere of fear vanished.
• Taking a dig at PM Modi, he said, “You can see this, I get to see this in Parliament. I see the Prime Minister right up front and I can tell you that the idea of Mr Modi, 56-inch chest, direct connection with god, that’s all gone, it’s history now.” (more)

3 [4*] attempts to derail trains, 2 instances of stone pelting in past one week: Railways

• 3[4] attempts to derail trains and 2 instances of pelting of stones in the past week point to the criminal intent of miscreants, railway ministry officials said highlighting how this “wave” of incidents has become a major cause of concern.
• The collision of a train on Sun evening with a cooking cylinder kept on the tracks in Kanpur did not result in any major mishap as the loco pilot applied emergency brakes.
• The police discovered petrol and matches at the scene, indicating criminal intention.
• Recently, Pakistan-based terrorist Farhatullah Ghori released a video on Telegram exhorting his followers to orchestrate large-scale train derailments and urged them to “target the supply chain to cripple their infrastructure”.
• Since June last year, there have been at least 17 instances when either locomotive pilots or railway staff have detected pieces of wood between crossing rails, stones on rail lines, signal tampering, and gas cylinders placed on tracks that are potential hazards.
• on Sept 5, a potentially catastrophic accident was avoided in Solapur; on Aug 23, the Sabarmati-Jodhpur Vande Bharat hit a stone placed on the track; 3 days before that incident, a goods train collided with a motorcycle rim. (more)

[* 4^th one near Ajmer, on wee hours of Tue where cement block was found on tract]

After Singapore, US ties up with India to boost semiconductor sector

• Less than half a month before PM Modi is expected to travel to the US, Washington on Mon announced a “new partnership” with India that will assess its semiconductor ecosystem and supply chain opportunities.
• That will serve as the “basis for potential future joint initiatives” to strengthen and grow this critical sector, the US said.
• This comes days after India signed a semiconductor ecosystem partnership with Singapore during Modi’s visit last week.
• Modi is expected to travel to the US from Sept 21-24 to attend the Quad Leaders’ Summit, the Summit of the Future, and a diaspora event.
• “The US Department of State will partner with the India Semiconductor Mission, …., to explore opportunities to grow and diversify the global semiconductor ecosystem,” the US State Department said in a statement on Mon.
• In Feb, the Cabinet approved semiconductor-related projects adding up to investments of about Rs 1.26 lakh crore.
• That same month, the government announced a partnership between the Tata Group and Taiwan’s Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC) to set up a semiconductor fabrication plant in Gujarat.
• The Cabinet has, so far, approved five semiconductor units, including four assembly units, under the incentive scheme. (more)

 [Neighborhood]

Pakistan: PTI leaders Barrister Gohar, Sher Afzal Marwat arrested outside Parliament House

• Islamabad police arrested PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan and Member of National Assembly Sher Afzal Marwat outside Parliament following an NA session on Mon
• A heavy police presence had gathered outside the Parliament House in anticipation.
• As PTI leaders exited the building, police took positions and swiftly moved to detain Marwat.
• A scuffle reportedly broke out between Marwat’s supporters and the police during Marwat’s arrest.
• However, police managed to surround and apprehend the MNA, seizing his vehicle before leaving the scene.
• While Sher Afzal Marwat was forcefully taken into custody, another PTI leader, Aamir Dogar, exited the Parliament House without any hindrance.
• Sources indicate that Sher Afzal Marwat was arrested due to legal violations committed during last night’s rally.
• The violations include disrupting the agreed route, breaching commitments, attacking Islamabad police, exceeding permitted timings, and delivering anti-state speeches.
• Sources within PTI have claimed that Advocate Shoaib Shaheen has also been arrested.
• Supreme Court Bar Association also criticized the Peaceful Protest and Public Order Act 2024, labeling it unconstitutional and a violation of fundamental rights.
• “Let there be no mistake,” SCBAP stated, “We will not tolerate any infringement on the fundamental rights of our members or the legal community at large.” (more)

Pakistan: CM Gandapur is ‘missing’, claims Barrister Saif

• KP Info Adviser Barrister Saif on Mon said that CM Ali Amin Gandapur was in Islamabad and said that there is no information about his whereabouts.
• Barrister Saif claimed that Ali Amin Gandapur had been missing for the past several hrs and all attempts to contact him have failed as his phone numbers were switched off.
• He said that we talked to CM on the phone at 2:30 pm and during that conversation, CM informed him that he was going to Islamabad to attend a meeting.
• After that, no contact was established with the Chief Minister and his staff as their phone numbers were switched off.
• Barrister Saif rejected govt’s claims about the PTI workers’ clashes with police, adding that workers held their nerves and did not lose their calm to avoid fake cases, which he said, the govt was trying to lodge.
• Ali Amin Gandapur’s disappearance follows the arrest of PTI leaders (more)

Eager to work with Prof Yunus-led interim government: US

• The United States has trashed the speculation on US involvement in the recent student-led anti-government protests in Bangladesh.
• “We continue to be ready and eager to work with the interim govt that’s led by Dr Muhammad Yunus as it charts its democratic future for the people of Bangladesh,”
• Deputy Principal Spox told reporters at a regular briefing in Washington Mon
• He said they are continuing to monitor the developments in Bangladesh closely.
• Drawing his attention, one of the reporters said there have been claims about Chinese influence in Bangladeshi recent student protests.
• [Reporters in such PCs are well prepared. BTW, why does China love the Pro-US govt in its neighborhood?]
• In reply, Patel said he was just not going to speculate.
• The reporter said some Indian media have suggested US involvement in the anti-govt protest in B’desh while India has historically been a close ally of the ousted govt.
• Spox said he had not seen those reports. “But what I can unequivocally say is that they are not true. That’s probably why I’ve not seen them,” (here)

39 more DCs likely to be withdrawn within a day or two

• New ones may be appointed a day after withdrawal; 25 districts get new DCs
• The interim govt is likely to withdraw 39 more dy commissioners within a day or two.
• It will appoint new DCs to the districts a day after the withdrawal, said sources of the Cabinet Division and the public administration ministry.

The decision has been made to expedite the field-level administration activities that became slow after the fall of Awami League govt on Aug 5, they said. (more)