Newsletter 25 July (Weekly)

Top of the Week

1. Pegasus row: IT Minister reiterates media report attempted to malign Indian democracy

Several Delhi-based diplomats, staff of international NGOs on Pegasus list
Spyware used to snoop on ministers, opposition, journalists, businessmen: Report
TMC’s Santanu Sen snatches Ashwini Vaishnaw’s statement on Pegasus, tears it

2. ED probes media portal’s funding from businessman ‘linked’ to China regime

3. Income Tax officials conducted searches at multiple premises linked to ‘Dainik Bhaskar group’

4. J&K: Top LeT commander among two terrorists killed in Shopian encounter

J-K: 2 LeT terrorists neutralized in Sopore encounter-Police
LG Sinha inaugurates 44 digital village centers in J-K

5. Defense Ministry issues tender for over Rs 40K crore to build 6 submarines domestically

LoC, cameras, action — how hi-tech equipment is helping the Indian Army guard the border better
Fresh dates for India, China 12^th round of Corps Commander-level talks being worked out: ANI
6 more Rafale fighter jets arrive in India from France
Navy’s reluctance to vacate spectrum may delay 5G auction
UK Strike Force joins Indian and Quad navies to put a stamp on Indo-Pacific

6. Jaishankar speaks to Iranian counterpart on evolving Afghan situation, bilateral issues

7. US secretary of state Antony Blinken is expected to visit India next week

8. US welcomes PM Modi’s continued focus on driving clean energy transformation: Official

9. Indian students being ‘forced’ to download banned Chinese apps:

10. House in Session: Opposition creates ruckus in LS, prevents PM from introducing new ministers

11. PM asks BJP MPs to defeat Cong lies with truth, make people aware about govt work

12. Growth in FY22 to be around 11% as projected in Economic Survey, says CEA

13. “Alarming State Of Affairs”: SC Scolds Kerala Over Bakrid Move

14. Farmers at Jantar Mantar to protest against farm laws; Agri minister says Modi govt farmer-friendly

15. TN witnesses 217% decadal growth in population of community with ‘unknown religion’: MHA

16. China developing new fighter aircraft base near Ladakh

17. Chinese Army enhances activity opposite Barahoti along LAC in Uttarakhand ANI

18. China revises Galwan Valley clash toll to 5, says PLA troops were ‘besieged’

19. Tibet gets first bullet train, links Lhasa to the border with India

20. China senses risk and opportunity in Afghanistan

21. We will use nuclear bombs continuously: China to Japan over interference in Taiwan

22. Look forward to working closely with Modi to strengthen ties with India, says Nepal PM Deuba

23. India’s admission on FATF politicization vindicates Pakistan‘s stance: FO

24. World Bank unearths massive financial fraud in Pakistan

25. US asks Pak to keep working with FATF to ‘swiftly complete’ its 27-point action plan

26. The Dasu hydropower station has suspended on-site construction: Pakistan

27. No evidence that Afghan ambassador’s daughter was kidnapped: Pakistan

28. Afghanistan: Foreign missions issue joint call for Taliban ceasefire

Three rockets land near Afghanistan presidential palace ahead of Eid-al-Adha
Afghan Army chief scheduled to arrive in India for a 3-day visit on 27 July
Pakistan remains committed to facilitating an inclusive political settlement in Afghanistan
Taliban killed 100 civilians in Kandahar: Report
India supports Afghan govt, people’s aspiration of peaceful, democratic future: MEA
Afghan NSA, Sharif’s London meeting kicks off political storm in Pakistan

29. Amid China’s ‘unlawful claims’, the US moves to increase its engagement with ASEAN

30. Russia working closely with post-coup Myanmar on military supplies

31. Death toll in S Africa riots rises to 276, minister says

32. US: White House ‘deeply disappointed’ with China for rejection of fresh COVID-19 probe

33. Russia to upgrade Indian Air Force’s MiG-29 fighters by 2022

34. Dissatisfied opposition elements promoting hate against India for selfish political motives: Maldives FM

Pegasus row: IT Minister reiterates media report attempted to malign Indian democracy

TMC MP Santanu Sen is suspended from Rajya Sabha for this entire session, a day after he snatched papers from IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and tore them in the House. IT minister said “TMC has a culture of violence in Bengal. What message do they want to give to the next generation of Parliamentarians?”
Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thu reiterated that the media report about the use of Pegasus spyware is a carefully-timed attempt to malign the Indian democracy.
Taking to microblogging sites Twitter and Koo, the Minister said, “A sensational story around Pegasus being published just a day before the monsoon session in Parliament cannot be a coincidence.
In the past, similar claims were made regarding the use of Pegasus on WhatsApp. Those reports had no factual basis and were categorically denied by all parties, including in the Supreme Court.”
He said, “This press story on Pegasus, done by a web portal on 18^th July 2021, attempts to malign the Indian Democracy and its well-established institutions.”
The minister has earlier given the same statement in Lok Sabha, on the first day of the Monsoon Session on July 19, a day after the report was published.
However, the Minister didn’t clarify that GoI has this liberty or not? And no Govt can answer it.
‘All my phones are tapped, I get calls from IB officials,’ Rahul Gandhi says on Pegasus row. however, The Citizen Lab, which had completed the forensic examination, made it clear iPhone over 11.5 can’t be hacked by Pegasus.

Several Delhi-based diplomats, staff of international NGOs on Pegasus list-The Hindu

Diplomats from Iran, Afghanistan, China, Nepal are on the list, reports Le Monde.

While reports of Indian politicians and journalists being targets of surveillance operations carried out with the help of Pegasus spyware took center-stage on Monday, French newspaper Le Monde reported that several Delhi-based diplomats were also on the list of ‘potential targets’ for phone hacking from 2017-2021, along with a phone associated with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan.

About this project: (As per Washington Post)

Priest reported from Ankara, Istanbul, and Washington, Timberg from Washington, and Mekhennet from Berlin. Michael Birnbaum in Budapest, Mary Beth Sheridan in Mexico City, Joanna Slater in New Delhi, Drew Harwell and Julie Tate in Washington, and Miranda Patrucic from the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project in Sarajevo contributed to this report.

Forbidden Stories, a Paris-based journalism nonprofit, and Amnesty International had access to a list of phone numbers concentrated in countries known to surveil their citizens and also known to have been clients of NSO Group. The two nonprofits shared the information with The Washington Post and 15 other news organizations worldwide that have worked collaboratively to conduct further analysis and reporting over several months. Forbidden Stories oversaw the Pegasus Project, and Amnesty International provided forensic analysis but had no editorial input.

More than 80 journalists from Forbidden Stories, The Washington Post, Le Monde, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Die Zeit, the Guardian, Daraj, Direkt36, Le Soir, Knack, Radio France, the Wire, Proceso, Aristegui Noticias, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, Haaretz and PBS Frontline joined the effort.

The list does not identify who put the numbers on it, or why, and it is unknown how many of the phones were targeted or surveilled. But forensic analysis of the 37 smartphones shows that many display a tight correlation between time stamps associated with a number on the list and the initiation of surveillance, in some cases as brief as a few seconds.

Forbidden Stories, a Paris-based journalism nonprofit, and Amnesty International, a human rights group, had access to the list and shared it with the news organizations, which did further research and analysis. Amnesty’s Security Lab did the forensic analyses on the smartphones (at Who’s behest?).

The numbers on the list are unattributed, but reporters were able to identify more than 1,000 people spanning more than 50 countries through research and interviews on four continents: several Arab royal family members, at least 65 business executives, 85 human rights activists, 189 journalists, and more than 600 politicians and government officials — including cabinet ministers, diplomats, and military and security officers. The numbers of several heads of state and prime ministers also appeared on the list.

The media consortium titled the Pegasus Project, analyzed the list through interviews and forensic analysis of the phones, and by comparing details with previously reported information about NSO. Amnesty’s Security Lab examined 67 smartphones where attacks were suspected. Of those, 23 were successfully infected and 14 showed signs of attempted penetration.

NSO describes its customers as 60 intelligence, military, and law enforcement agencies in 40 countries, although it will not confirm the identities of any of them, citing client confidentiality obligations. The consortium found many of the phone numbers in at least 10 country clusters, which were subjected to deeper analysis: Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Hungary, India, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Morocco, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Citizen Lab also has found evidence that all 10 have been clients of NSO, according to Bill Marczak, a senior research fellow.

But (Citizen Lab– an interdisciplinary laboratory based at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto, focusing on research, development, and high-level strategic policy and legal engagement at the intersection of information and communication technologies, human rights, and global security), didn’t name India, among 10 of NSO’s clients.

New Delhi has hostile relations with China and Pakistan at present, and their diplomats are under close watch, but, significantly, the list included several countries that India has very friendly ties with as well.

However, politics is at its peak, without any genuine ground, as some questions went unanswered.

How anyone who claims that one’s phone was hacked, could come to know, as no traces of hacking Pegasus leave in the phone?
Why and on what basis was the name of India Included, as Citizen lab didn’t name India, in its 22-page report?
Also, these 16 news agencies didn’t explain how they could trace the name and numbers of the person from India?

Few Headlines on Mon on “Le Monde” on out of 16 News Agency

Rahul Gandhi, Narendra Modi’s opponent in Pegasus’ sights
“Project Pegasus”: in India, a State within a State ready to do anything to protect the Prime Minister

"List of countries using Pegasus incorrect, some not even clients", "International conspiracy," says NSO Group in an interview to ANI.

The NSO Group, a private Israeli Cybersecurity firm, responded to questions posed to it by ANI after media reports were published on July 18^th by a consortium of news outlets that alleged a targeted, mass digital intrusion operation apparently for surveillance by several nations on its citizens.
The list of nations includes India and as per media reports journalists, members of the govt, opposition, and other eminent Indian citizens were targets of these ‘spyware’ attacks, using the NSO Group’s software, ‘Pegasus’.
Terming the media reports “an international conspiracy”, authoritative sources within the NSO Group spoke to ANI on the recent revelations in the ‘Pegasus Project’, as termed by the media groups reporting on the alleged leaks.

“I cannot refer to any customer, the list of countries that we sell Pegasus to is confidential information. I cannot speak about specific customers but the list of countries in this story is incorrect some are not even our clients. We only sell to Govt and that to law enforcement and intelligence organizations Government. Due diligence is done, we subscribe to all UN guiding principles before and after selling. There are no abuses of any international systems.”

As per the report, Spyware Pegasus used to snoop on ministers, opposition, journalists, businessmen. Spyware Pegasus, which is sold by the NSO Group of Israel, may have been used to conduct surveillance on about 300 Indians, including two serving Cabinet ministers at the Centre, three opposition leaders, a Constitutional authority, government officials, scientists, and about 40 journalists, according to French media nonprofit, Forbidden Stories, funded by Amnesty International.
However, Amnesty International has halted working in India, citing the reason “The watchdog also accused the govt of pursuing a “witch-hunt” against human rights organizations.
The list also included activists, businessmen, and those from the legal fraternity. A number registered in the name of a sitting Supreme Court judge was also on the database, although it was unclear if the judge was still using it for Whatsapp and other messaging services, The Wire, a web portal which was part of the global media project involving 16 other outlets, reported late Sun evening.
The leaked database of around 50,000 phone numbers globally has the names of several Indian journalists. Names of others suspected to have been targeted will be revealed later in the days ahead.

Massive data leak reveals Israeli NSO Group's spyware used to target activists, journalists, and political leaders globally- Amnesty International

NSO Group’s spyware has been used to facilitate human rights violations around the world on a massive scale, according to a major investigation into the leak of 50,000 phone numbers of potential surveillance targets. These include heads of state, activists, and journalists, including Jamal Khashoggi’s family.

“The Pegasus Project lays bare how NSO’s spyware is a weapon of choice for repressive governments seeking to silence journalists, attack activists, and crush dissent, placing countless lives in peril”, Agnès Callamard, Secretary-General of Amnesty International.

Responding to oppositions’ allegation, Union IT minister, Ashwini Vaishnav stated in the Lok Sabha, “Many over-the-top allegations made around this story. The press reports appeared a day before the monsoon session of Parliament. This can’t be a coincidence.”

ED probes media portal’s funding from businessman ‘linked’ to China regime

The Enforcement Directorate’s investigation into a money laundering case against media portal Newsclick and its promoters has turned the spotlight on their financial dealings with Neville Roy Singham, a businessman of Sri Lankan-Cuban descent whom the investigators have identified as the key source of Rs 38 crore that PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt Ltd received between 2018 and 2021 from abroad.

Sources in the agency, who have been mapping the flow of funds to the media outlet, alleged that Singham was associated with the propaganda arm of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
They also claimed that the probe has established that part of the money Newsclisck allegedly received from foreign sources went to activists such as Gautam Navlakha, one of the accused in the Elgar Parishad case.
The anti-money laundering agency recently interrogated Navlakha in jail about his association with Newsclick’s founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha.
Most of the money received by the portal has been shown as proceeds from the “export of services”.
When contacted by TOI, Purkayastha denied the allegations about Singham being a front for CPC and his outlet’s links with the Chinese regime. He said Singham is an American citizen who launched and ran a software company in the US before selling it for around $700-800 million.
“All our funds are from legitimate sources and well-known foundations in the US as per RBI guidelines,” Purkayastha said.
ED sources said their investigations have shown the media portal received funds from Justice and Education Fund Inc, US; GSPAN LLC, US; Tricontinental Ltd Inc, USA — all located at the same address — and Centro Popular Demidas, Brazil.
ED sources said the agency’s searches at the premises of shareholders of PPK Newsclick in Feb this year had thrown up regular exchanges of emails in connection with the CPC, a charge denied by Newsclick editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha.
“If they have anything against us, let them file all these facts in the charge sheet before the court. We are ready to face trial and respond to all those charges,” said the Purkayastha, who recently successfully petitioned the court to restrain ED from taking any coercive action against him.
He expressed his inability to comment on ED’s claim that Singham has been working out of China but said that the businessman might have located himself in that country during the pandemic because he found it safer.
ED sources said the payments to Newsclick were linked to “specific jobs” like sprucing up China’s role in Africa, where it has attracted charges of high-handedness and predatory capitalism, and defending the Communist regime’s crackdown on Jack Ma, the promoter of online commerce giant Alibaba They said the agency is also investigating payments of large sums to journalists for any irregularities.
Besides, Purkayastha has been asked about payment of money to one Bappaditya Sinha, a CPM member who maintains Twitter handles of some party leaders.
When asked, Purkayastha acknowledged Newsclick’s links with Sinha but said Sinha was paid for software services he provided. “There is nothing wrong about it,” he said.
In addition to ED, other agencies are looking into the ‘China angle’ in the case, specifically into alleged surrogate funding by the CPC to build a ‘media narrative’ in India that suits Beijing’s interests.
During his questioning by ED officials, Purkayastha was asked to provide details of services exported by his company, for which it had received about Rs 28.5 crore (from 2018 to 2021).
He has also been asked to explain how funds running into crores had started flowing from abroad into Newsclick within a few months of the launch of the company, sources added.
While trailing financial transactions, the agency came across one payment of Rs 1.55 cr to an electrician and Purkayastha has been asked to provide information on the “Nature of work” the latter executed.
He defended the company’s share valued at more than Rs 11,000 each as a “fair assessment” of the company, the valuation for which was conducted professionally, as is the case with any startup.
Fearing arrest, Purkayastha had approached the Delhi high court seeking anticipatory bail. The court has given him protection from any ‘coercive action’ by the ED till July 29 when the case is listed for hearing.

Income Tax officials conducted searches at multiple premises linked to ‘Dainik Bhaskar group’

A search is being carried out in the Bhaskar group offices under the Income Tax Act over allegations of huge tax evasion, govt sources said on Thu. They said 32 premises, consisting of residential and business premises.
Sources in the I-T department, while confirming about the raids, said search operations are under way at Bhopal and Indore in Madhya Pradesh, Jaipur in Rajasthan and Ahmedabad in Gujarat, Delhi and a few locations in Maharashtra.
The sources said the group is involved in various sectors, major being media, power, textiles and real estate, with a group turnover of more than Rs 6000 crore per annum.
They said that the group has more than 100 companies including holding and subsidiary companies. The flagship company is DB Corp Ltd, which publishes the news daily Dainik Bhaskar.
Government sources said there are allegations of huge tax evasion by the group “by claiming bogus expenses and purchases using shell entities”.
The sources said the group has allegedly floated several paper companies for this purpose, with their employees as shareholders and directors.
They said the money “siphoned off in this manner” is routed back into various personal and business investments, in the form of “share premium and foreign investments through Mauritius-based entities.
The main persons of the group are the three brothers – Sudhir Agarwal, Pawan Agarwal and Girish Agarwal. The coal-based power generation business is carried in the name of DB Power Limited. The sources said family members’ names also figured in the Panama leaks case.

Defense Ministry issues tender for over Rs 40,000 crore to build 6 submarines domestically

The Defence Ministry on Tue issued the formal tender to domestically build 6 conventional submarines for the Navy at a cost of over Rs 40,000 crore, over a month after the mega acquisition project was cleared. It will be the first project to be implemented under the strategic partnership (SP) model that allows domestic firms to collaborate with foreign players to produce high-end military platforms in India.

The Request For Proposal (RPF) was issued to the Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) and Larsen & Toubro (L&T), the two Indian companies shortlisted following a long-drawn process, as per MoD.
- Both L&T and MDL will have to collaborate with one of the five already short-listed foreign shipyards — Daewoo Shipbuilding (South Korea), ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (Germany), Navantia (Spain) and Naval Group (France), and JSC ROE (Russia).
- The foreign OEMs (original equipment maker) will be the technology partner in the SP model and will enable SP for the construction of submarines, achieving high levels of indigenization, and transfer of technology (ToT)- MoD.
- The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) last month approved the issuance of the request for proposal (RFP) for the acquisition program named Project-75(I).
- The ministry said the OEMs would enable the setting up of dedicated manufacturing lines for the submarines in India by providing ToT for submarine design and other technologies and make India the global hub for submarine design and production.
- To achieve these objectives, the RFP has key features like mandatory level of indigenous manufacture of platforms, ToT for design, manufacture, and maintenance of submarines, and a few critical equipment and systems.
- Under the strategic partnership model, domestic defense manufacturers are allowed to join hands with leading foreign defense majors to produce high-end military platforms to reduce import dependence.
- The Indian Navy planned to acquire additional 24 new submarines, including 6 nuclear attack submarines besides, 15 conventional submarines and 2 nuclear submarines, it has, to bolster its underwater fighting capability under a 30-year program that will end in 2030.
- The Navy has been focusing on significantly bolstering its overall capabilities given China’s growing efforts to increase its military presence in the Indian Ocean Region, considered the backyard of the Indian Navy is critical to the country’s strategic interests.
According to global naval analysts, the Chinese navy currently has over 50 submarines and about 350 ships. The total number of ships and submarines is projected to go past 500 in the next 8-10 years. The Indian Navy is also in the process of procuring 57 carrier-borne fighter jets, 111 Naval Utility Helicopters (NUH), and 123 multi-role helicopters under the strategic partnership model.

Major boost to Make in India as DRDO successfully tests home-grown Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile

In a major boost to Atmanirbhar Bharat and strengthening the capabilities of the Indian Army, the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), on Wed, successfully flight tested indigenously developed low weight, fire and forget Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM).

The missile was launched from a man-portable launcher integrated with a thermal site and the target was mimicking a tank. The missile hit the target in direct attack mode and destroyed it with precision. The test has validated the minimum range successfully, the DRDO said.

Akash NG SAM tested off Odisha: In yet another significant feat, the new generation Akash Missile (Akash-NG) surface to air missile was successfully flight tested by DRDO from Integrated Test Range (ITR) off the coast of Odisha today. The series of missile tests that have taken place over the past few months will provide the much-needed firepower to the Indian armed forces while dealing with adversaries. The developments are in line with the Centre’s flagship Aatmanirbhar Bharat program which aims at providing a boost to indigenous manufacturing in the defense sector.

TVS, DRDO in talks to manufacture ‘Make-in-India’ AWACS

The Defence Corridor in Tamil Nadu could be instrumental in placing India on the global map with a landmark manufacturing deal that is taking shape.
A consortium of industries, spearheaded by TVS and Sons, is preparing to set up a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) that will enable the manufacture of an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS).
When this fructifies, India will join the group of elite nations, and emerge as the fifth country in the world that can produce indigenous AWACS.
It is learned from multiple sources including the Aerospace Industries Development Association of TN, which discussions are on with Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO) to develop a vendor ecosystem for this investment-heavy proposal. “
Talks are still at a preliminary stage but the idea is to create a ‘Made-in-India’ SPV, to strengthen the defense sector,” confirmed an official.

India has successfully test-fired indigenously developed New Generation Akash Missile (Akash-NG), a Surface to Air Missile defense system at 1145 hrs from Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha in Balasore on Friday.

This is the second test firing of the 30 km strike-range air defense missile systems in the last two days.
The test was carried out against a high-speed unmanned aerial target which was successfully intercepted by the missile.

UK Strike Force joins Indian and Quad navies to put a stamp on Indo-Pacific

The Queen Elizabeth carrier strike group will bring the focus on Quad and the Indo-Pacific when the naval force exercises with the Indian Navy’s Rajput class guided-missile destroyer, an attack submarine and anti-submarine warfare aircraft in the Bay of Bengal while en route to the contested South China Sea.
A fleet of 12 warships, more than 30 aircraft, two submarines, and over 4,500 personnel from Indian and Royal Navy will exercise from July 22-23 under the annual Exercise Konkan rubric.
The Elizabeth is on a maiden deployment with state-of-the-art F-35B fighters on board and is accompanied by top-of-the-line destroyers from the US and Netherlands.
The CSG after exercising with the Indian Navy will head towards the Indo-Pacific and exercise with Japanese, South Korean, New Zealand, and Australian Navies.
The CSG deployment is part of Britain’s Indo-Pacific tilt post-Brexit and dovetails into Quad coalition of democracies efforts to stand up to the Chinese Navy’s growing ambitions and aggression in the Indo-Pacific.
As a part of this effort, Britain has decided to permanently station two of its patrol boats in the Indo-Pacific in an order to ensure freedom of navigation and rule of law in the sea.
The CSG will be exercising with Japanese maritime forces and will make a port call to Yokosuka, the homeport of USS Ronald Reagan, the only forwardly deployed supercarrier of the US. Japanese urgency to ramp up its military capabilities and deepen military cooperation with Quad and other allies comes at a time when China has emerged as the country’s top security threat.
Only last week, Chinese propaganda machines threatened to nuke Japan if it interferes in Taiwan or the East China Sea by saying that Beijing will revisit its no first use option. Japan has a running land dispute with China over Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
After touring the Indo-Pacific, the Elizabeth CSG will conduct tri-services exercises with the Indian military off the coast of Goa in the Arabian Sea on Oct 21-23 in Karwar harbor and high seas, on Oct 24-27 with complex amphibious landing maneuvers and joint operations in all three spectrums.
CSG will make a port call at Karwar and Mumbai ports with top officials of the Indian military going on-board the aircraft carrier for operational meetings.

LoC, cameras, action — how hi-tech equipment is helping the Indian Army guard the border better

Over the past few years, India’s frontline soldiers have witnessed a slow but massive technology transformation, not just in terms of weapons, lighter bulletproof jackets, ballistic helmets but also in getting situational awareness of their area of operations, both on LoC and LAC.
The average infantry soldier is better equipped, something which was earlier unique to the Special Forces.
As reported by ThePrint from the ground, “witnessed new systems that have been deployed, which makes the soldier more aware of his surroundings, besides getting new protective and firing gears”.
The biggest reason behind this technological upgrade is the emergency financial powers that have been delegated to Army Headquarters for procurement of equipment besides the already existing Army Commanders’ Special Financial Powers (ACSFP).
The emergency procurement powers were given to the Services immediately after the 2016 surgical strikes and also after the Balakot strikes and during the ongoing standoff with China along the LAC.
Amid all the 7 Commands, the Northern Command gets the biggest chunk, both in terms of emergency procurement and also the ACSFP.
What will pave the way for further faster procurement of Command specific items is the decision of the Narendra Modi government in March this year to delegate financial powers under capital procurement to Command heads of the Army, the Air Force, and the Navy to make expenses to the tune of Rs 100 crore at their discretion.

Better equipped soldiers: One of the biggest changes that the frontline infantry soldier has seen is in the area of firepower.

The soldiers have now got more lethal firepower in the form of the SiG 716 rifle that was bought from the US under the emergency procurement clause.
“The rifle has a better range, accuracy, and lethality than the AK-47s. It is way better than the INSAS,”- ThePrint.
Another big change has been the bulletproof jackets. The soldier now wears a much lighter jacket, weighing about 3.3 kg, which makes mobility easier.
Since the terrain in which the soldiers operating are slippery and mountainous, they have also been given protective pads which will bear the impact of any fall and also help in crawling when needed.
These particular items were in limited numbers earlier, but now most of the soldiers have them. The troops now also have ballistic helmets which give their heads all-around protection, unlike in the earlier ones.
The Northern Command has also gone in for procurement, though in limited numbers, of the US-made Exfil ballistic helmets, regarded as the finest in the world.
These helmets were first procured by the Special Forces of the Army, but are now available for selected groups of regular infantry soldiers.
These helmets can also be fixed with a night vision camera and the idea is to have all soldiers who are out for operations along the LoC have individual secured communication sets.

Investment in cameras and drones

The Army has not just focused on equipping the soldiers with arms and a lighter load, but also on giving better situational awareness.
“All these are geared to help him fight the enemy in a much better way,” a second source said.
The biggest addition has been the use of tactical drones. These drones are of different make and can easily be operated by a soldier to carry out surveillance of the area around him.
These cameras have night vision as well as infra-red capabilities and are meant to spot infiltrators.
Some of the more specialized, indigenously-built cameras, installed at various Army posts along the LoC, have the capability of longer zooms and can pick up movements happening in Pakistani positions.
Asked if Pakistan has such cameras, a source said, “Pakistanis also have cameras, but in limited supply. What works to our advantage is that our products are indigenous and have high range and clarity”.
Such is the capability of the integrated cameras being used that somebody sitting at the Army headquarters in Delhi can watch the live feed from the LoC.

J-K: 2 LeT terrorists neutralized in Sopore encounter-Police

Two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists were eliminated in an encounter at Warpora village in Sopore, Baramulla on Fri so far. Police have seized incriminating materials including arms and ammunition, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said.
He said that one of them identified as Fayaz War was involved in several attacks and killings of civilians and security personnel. He was the last perpetrator of violence in north Kashmir, added IGP Kashmir.
According to police, a top terrorist commander along with an associate was trapped in a house in Warpora village where the police and security forces were engaged in the encounter.
The operation was launched on Thu evening on specific police input at Warpora in Sopore and is underway, police said. (ANI)

J-K: Hexacopter shot down 6 km inside Indian border, 5 kg explosives recovered

NIA arrests two terrorists of Lashkar-e- Mustafa ( LeM) in LeM Conspiracy Case: The two accused persons Md Arman Ali (20) and Md Ehsanullah from Saran district, Bihar, in connection to a conspiracy hatched by LeM, an offshoot of JeM to carry out terrorist activities in J&K. NIA claimed that investigation has revealed that both the accused were co-conspirators and were involved in the transportation of 2 separate consignments of illegal arms/ammunition from Bihar to Mohali and Ambala.

INTERNATIONAL

Tibet gets first bullet train, links Lhasa to the border with India-The Hindu

This will be the second railway line connecting Tibet to the hinterland, following the already open Qinghai-Tibet rail. China on Fri started operating the first bullet train line in Tibet, linking Lhasa to Nyingchi near the border with Arunachal Pradesh.

The China State Railway Group said the 435-km line, on which construction began in 2014, has a designed speed of 160 km/hr and would connect the capital city of the Tibet ‘Autonomous Region’ to the border city of Nyingchi with a travel time of three and a half hours.
Over 90% of the track is 3000 m above sea level, state media quoted the railway group as saying, and the line is the first electrified high-speed rail (HSR) line, as China refers to bullet trains, in Tibet. China has the world’s longest HSR network.
The Lhasa-Nyingchi rail is one among several major infrastructure projects recently completed in Tibet’s southern and southeastern counties near the Arunachal border.
Last month, China completed the construction of a strategically significant highway through the Grand Canyon of the Yarlung Zangbo river, as the Brahmaputra is called in Tibet.
This is the “second significant passageway” to Medog county that borders Arunachal, the official Xinhua news agency reported, directly connecting the Pad township in Nyingchi to Baibung in Medog county.

The Lhasa-Nyingchi rail is one section of the Sichuan-Tibet railway line connecting the two provincial capitals, another strategic project deemed important enough for President Xi Jinping to officially launch it and described

by the Chinese leader as “a major step in safeguarding national unity and a significant move in promoting the economic and social development of the western region.”

The first section of the new line, from Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan, to Yaan, was finished in December 2018, while work on the 1,011 km Yaan-Nyingchi line will compete for the entire railway line by 2030.
Zhu Weiqun, a senior Party official formerly in charge of Tibet policy, was quoted as saying by state media the railway will help “transport advanced equipment and technologies from the rest of China to Tibet and bring local products out”. “If a scenario of a crisis happens at the border,” he said, “the railway can act as a ‘fast track’ for the delivery of strategic materials.“

As part of his increasingly hardline Tibet policy, Xi makes an unannounced Tibet visit. He started near the heavily militarized border with India by visiting Nyangtri (Chinese: Nyingchi), located next to the site of China’s planned super-dam on the Brahmaputra. Xi then went to Lhasa.- Brahma Chellaney, an Indian expert.

Chinese Army enhances activity opposite Barahoti along LAC in Uttarakhand ANI

Engaged in a military standoff with India in Ladakh since last year, the Chinese Army has increased its activities along the Barahoti area in Uttarakhand along the Line of Actual Control there as a platoon of the People’s Liberation Army was seen operating recently.
“Recently a platoon (around 35 troops) of the PLA were seen operating around the Barahoti area in Uttarakhand and surveyed the area around there, after a significant gap,” ANI reported citing the source.
The Chinese troops were constantly monitored in the area during their stay there,” they said. The Chinese activity at an airbase near the Barahoti area has also gone up and a large number of drones have been deployed by them there, they said.
The Indian side has also made adequate arrangements in the area. India has positioned additional troops in the central sector and many rear formations have gone ahead there-ANI.
The security establishment feels that the Chinese may attempt some activity in this area but the Indian operational preparedness is high all along with the central sector.
Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Central Army chief Lt Gen Y Dimri have also visited the central sector boundary with China in recent times to review the situation and operational preparedness there.
The Indian Air Force has also activated a few airbases there including the Chinyalisaund advanced landing ground where the An-32s have been making frequent landings.
The Chinook heavy-lift helicopters are also operational in that area and can carry out inter-valley troop transfers, whenever required. (ANI)

China developing new fighter aircraft base near Ladakh

Seeking to overcome limitations in its fighter aircraft operations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India, China is developing an airbase for fighter aircraft operations close to the Eastern Ladakh area in Shakche town in the Xinjiang province, ANI reported citing Govt sources.
The base is coming up between the existing airbases of Kashgar and Hogan which have been carrying out fighter operations along the Indian borders for a long time.
Shakche town already has an airbase and that is being upgraded for fighter aircraft operations and would be ready for fighter aircraft operations in near future and the work has been expedited on it.
The gap between the existing air bases in China close to the LAC for fighter aircraft operations was around 400 km but this would be bridged with the operationalization of the Shakche airfield.
The Indian agencies are also keeping a close watch on an airfield near the Uttarakhand border in Barahoti with China where the Chinese have brought in a large number of unmanned aerial vehicles which are continuously flying in that region.
Recently, the Chinese Air Force held an exercise in the new inning of the summer near the Indian territories and the sorties were undertaken by them mainly from the Hogan, Kashgar, and Gar Gunsa airfields.
The drills were watched closely by the Indian side and the Indian side was at a high state of readiness during that period.
The Chinese Air Force has traditionally been weak in this part of the LAC with India which has several airfields in the relatively short distance airfields along the LAC and has an adage over the Chinese Air Force in terms of strike capability.
The Chinese side has strengthened its air defense further in the area with the deployment of their S-400 air defense systems imported from Russia even as India has deployed a large number of systems to take care of the Chinese fighter aircraft fleet, in case it is required ever.

India supports Afghan govt, people's aspiration of peaceful, democratic future: MEA

India supports the Afghan govt and people in realizing their aspiration for a peaceful, democratic and prosperous future, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thu.
Addressing a weekly briefing, MEA said India and Afghanistan bilateral relations are guided by a strategic agreement that was signed in Oct 2011.
When asked whether there has been any plan to help the Afghan military amid the Taliban offensive, Bagchi said: “the relations are guided by a strategic agreement that was signed in Oct 2011.”

Violence in Afghanistan displaces over 36,000 families in four months

Amid the recent increase in the Taliban offensive, more than 36,000 families have been internally displaced in Afghanistan over the past four months. Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation on Thu expressed concern over a potential spike in the number of displaced people if war continues.
Earlier this week, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) had said that more than 49,500 weapon-wounded patients have received treatment and care at 416 ICRC-supported health facilities across the country.
The developments in Afghanistan have countries in the region on alert. On Thursday, Tajikistan held its largest-ever military exercise that involved its entire army. On the same day, Russia deployed military machinery at its base near the Afghan border
Taliban: To reach a peace deal, the Afghan president must go: The Taliban say they don’t want to monopolize power, but they insist there won’t be peace in Afghanistan until there is a new negotiated government in Kabul and President Ashraf Ghani is removed.

Afghan Army chief scheduled to arrive in India for a three-day visit on 27th July

Afghan Army Chief Gen Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai is expected to pay a three-day crucial visit to India from July 27 to explore boosting bilateral military ties in the face of the Taliban making sweeping offensive across Afghanistan following the withdrawal of foreign forces, people familiar with the development said on Tue. He is scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with the top Indian military brass including his counterpart Gen MM Naravane and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, they said.

India plans ‘direct communication’ with Taliban as the world prepares for life after US pullout

India is planning to activate direct channels of communication with the Taliban as the possibility of the Islamist group soon taking the center stage in mainstream politics in Kabul is appearing to be an eventuality now, ThePrint has reported. The move comes as countries such as the US and the UK have already begun to recognize the legitimacy of the Taliban.

Pakistani fighters, Taliban instructed to target India-built assets in Afghanistan (ANI)

With the Taliban being joined by Pakistanis in Afghanistan in large numbers, their fighters have been instructed by the Inter-Services Intelligence to target the Indian-built assets in the war-torn country, over the last many years.
The Indian government has invested over USD 3 billion in the Afghanistan reconstruction effort in the last two decades and the 218-km road between Delaram and Zaranj Salma dam; and the Afghan Parliament building which was inaugurated in 2015, is the biggest symbols of the Indian contribution to the Afghan people.
As per estimates and inputs, more than 10,000 Pakistanis have entered the war zone in Afghanistan to openly support the Taliban’s offensive against the Ashraf Ghani-led Afghanistan government.
As per inputs, the Pakistani and the Taliban fighters there have been sent in with specific instructions to target the Indian built assets and remove any signs of Indian goodwill work there, government sources monitoring Afghanistan told ANI here.
India had made an immense contribution towards the education sector in Afghanistan and had played a big role in training their teachers and support staff.
The Pakistan-backed Islamic terrorist groups including the Haqqani network have been highly active for years against India there.
The Indian side is also in a fix on the issue of whether they would be allowed to retain its presence in Kabul as so far no assurance or indication has been given by the ultra-radical Islamist group which has been seen as opposed to India.
Indian agencies are also closely monitoring the situation at the Kabul airport which is not going to be under American guard for very long now.
Many airfields under Americans including the Bagram airbase which have been vacated due to the ongoing power tussle with the Taliban. The Indian workers involved in civil works have also been asked to move out.
Indian public sector company WAPCOS had some officials there for dam projects. India had recently also announced works worth around USD 350 million including the Shahtoot dam for providing drinking water to the city of Kabul.

Look forward to working closely with Modi to strengthen ties with India, says Nepal PM Deuba

Nepal’s new Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that he looks forward to working closely with his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to strengthen the relations between the two neighboring countries as well as the people-to-people contacts.
PM Modi immediately congratulated Deuba after he won a vote of confidence in the reinstated House of Representatives on Sun night.
Deuba, the 75-year-old President of the Nepali Congress won a trust vote in the reinstated lower House of Representatives and comfortably won it, averting a general election in the Himalayan nation amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Deuba, who was appointed as the prime minister as per Article 76(5) of the Constitution on July 12 following the Supreme Court’s intervention, secured 165 votes in the 275-member House on Sunday.
A total of 136 votes were required for Deuba to win Parliament’s confidence. He had to seek a trust vote within one month after being appointed as prime minister. However, in a surprise move, he sought a vote of confidence on the first day of the reinstatement of the House.
Deuba’s failure to win the trust vote in the House would have led to the dissolution of the House and snap polls within six months in Nepal, which is facing an unprecedented health crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sunday’s outcome of the trust vote paves the way for PM Deuba to remain in office for the next one and a half years until a fresh parliamentary election is held, the Nepalese media reported.
Previously, Deuba has served as the prime minister on four occasions; first from 1995 to 1997, then from 2001 to 2002, again from 2004 to 2005, and from 2017 to 2018.