[NEWS OF THE DAY]

Odisha’s Mayurbhanj set for another distinction with Droupadi Murmu declared NDA presidential candidate

After Girish Murmu as Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district is all set to have another distinction with Droupadi Murmu declared NDA presidential candidate for the top constitutional post. She is a former Odisha minister. The voting for presidential elections will be held on July 18. If elected, she will be the first tribal President of India and the country’s second female President. Droupadi Murmu is the first presidential candidate from Odisha of a major political party or alliance. She continues to break barriers and was the first woman governor of Jharkhand. She served as Jharkhand Governor from 2015 to 2021. Coming from a poor tribal family in the village of Mayurbhanj, a backward district in Odisha, She started her political career as Rairangpur NAC vice-chairman. Droupadi Murmu was a member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly from Rairangpur between 2000 and 2004. She again served as MLA in the Odisha assembly from 2004 to 2009. In 2007, the Odisha assembly honored her with the ‘Nilakantha Award’ for best MLA. She served as a junior assistant in Irrigation and Power Department between 1979 and 1983. Murmu is likely to file a nomination on Jun 25 (here) The total number of electors for the election will be 4,809 – 776 MPs and 4,033 MLAs. These include 233 Rajya Sabha members and 543 from Lok Sabha. The string of victories in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, and Manipur have turned the presidential elections a cakewalk for the BJP, a political observer said.

India and Australia share democratic values, have common visions for a free and open Indo-Pacific: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wed said that Australia is a proven and trusted partner of India and both nations share democratic values and common visions for a free and open Indo-Pacific. Singh gave this statement while holding the first bilateral Defence Ministers’ meeting with Australia’s Deputy PM and Minister for Defence Richard Marles. Earlier today, Marles received a Guard of Honour in the presence of Rajnath Singh and laid a wreath at National War Memorial in New Delhi. Marles, who arrived in New Delhi on Mon for a 4-day visit to India, met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tue and discussed the complete range of comprehensive strategic partnerships, including a shared commitment to building a stronger and resilient Indo-Pacific. Marles stated that India is one of Australia’s closest security partners and the government is focused on revitalizing Australia’s historically deep engagement with India across the Indo-Pacific. The CSP, includes trade and investment, defense manufacturing, renewable energy, green hydrogen, education, science and technology, agricultural research, sports, and people-to-people ties. Australia stands ready to work closely with India in support of an open, inclusive, and resilient Indo-Pacific, he added. (here)

India to resist anti-US messaging at BRICS summit with Xi, Putin

The virtual BRICS event, which Beijing is hosting this week, is set to bring together Xi, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro. Indian negotiators will look to ensure any joint statement out of the summit is neutral and prevent attempts by China and Russia to use the summit to score a propaganda victory against the US and its allies, the officials said. Modi’s govt will also seek to delay China’s effort to expand the BRICS grouping by pushing the organization to decide on criteria for adding new members, they said. “BRICS has become a platform for discussing and deliberating on issues of common concern for all developing countries,” India’s ministry of external affairs said in a statement on Tue. The leaders will discuss “intra-BRICS cooperation in areas such as counter-terrorism, trade, health, traditional medicine, environment,” it said. The summit will offer Xi and Putin a vehicle to expand their vision of a global order after the two leaders declared a “no-limits friendship” just weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine. (here)

Maharashtra crisis: 46 MLAs with us, not received any proposal from BJP, says Sena rebel Eknath Shinde

High voltage political drama intensified in Maharashtra as rebel Shiv Sena leader and state cabinet minister Eknath Shinde on Wed claimed that he has the support of 46 MLAs, including 6-7 Independent MLAs. Shinde said that the rebel MLAs are not in talks with the Shiv Sena or CM Uddhav Thackeray. 40 MLAs led by Shinde arrived at a luxury hotel in Guwahati in BJP-ruled Assam this morning. The revolt in the Shiv Sena has given rise to speculations that Shinde along with other MLAs might join the BJP in a bid to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi govt. (here)

• Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray to interact with the public through Facebook Live at 5 pm today.
• Eknath Shinde continues to be the leader of Shiv Sena Legislature Party: Rebel MLAs
• Rebel Sena MLAs send resolution letter to Governor, Deputy Speaker, Assembly Secy
• BJP MLAs, independents to meet Devendra Fadnavis

[NATIONAL]

Indian Army Chief Pande to visit Nepal in August

Chief of Army Staff Manoj Pande will be visiting Nepal in Aug, officials from Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs have confirmed. As per the source, the 29th Army Chief of India will be conferred with the honorary title of Nepali Army by Nepal President Bidhya Devi Bhandari during the visit. In the wake of the preparations being made in Kathmandu about the visit of Indian CoAS, Nepal’s Ambassador to India, Dr. Shankar Prasad Sharma also held talks with the Indian Army Chief earlier on Mon. The Additional Directorate General of Public Information, IHQ of MoD (Army) also tweeted on the same day, highlighting the issues that were discussed at the time of the meeting. Conferring the highest rank to the chiefs of each other’s militaries is a tradition that has been followed by Nepal and India since 1950 after then Indian Army Chief General KM Cariappa visited Nepal. (here)

NIA conducts raids in central, South Kashmir

The National Investigation Agency on Wed conducted raids in central and south Kashmir. On Jun 20, the premier probe agency conducted raids at 7 locations in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district and arrested 4 overground workers (OGWs) of n Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) terror outfit. The searches were carried out in connection with the case of firing on security forces by terrorists in Chewa Kalan in Pulwama. All the arrested JeM associates are residents of the Pulwama district. The case was in connection to the terrorist activities of JeI in south Kashmir, during which two terrorists were killed by security forces in a gun battle at Chewa Kalan, Pulwama, J&K on Mar 11, 2022. The killed terrorists were later identified as Aquib Mushtaq Bhat of Pulwama and Kamal Bhai of Pakistan. The funds being raised by JeI are also channelized to proscribed terrorist organizations such as Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and others through well-organized networks of JeI cadres. (here)

FM Sitharaman reiterates ‘fullest support’ for Sri Lanka amid economic crisis

Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wed reiterated her “fullest support and cooperation” for Sri Lanka’s recovery from the worst economic crisis in decades at a meeting with Sri Lankan high commissioner Milinda Moragoda. Moragoda met the finance minister on Mon, the latest in a series of meetings on India’s economic cooperation and assistance to Sri Lanka in the context of the current crisis. They had last met on May 27. Sitharaman assured the Sri Lankan envoy of her “fullest support and cooperation to the process of economic recovery in Sri Lanka”, according to a statement issued by the Sri Lankan mission on Wed. Moragoda thanked Sitharaman for the continuation of assistance from India, especially the expeditious arrangement of a new line of credit of $55million granted on 10 June to import 65,000 tonnes of urea needed for the cultivation season in Sri Lanka. (here)

Our judiciary is totally independent, CJI Ramana tells business meeting in Germany

Assuring fast-tracked and equitable justice to business entities of the world, Chief Justice of India N V Ramana on Tue said the Indian judiciary is absolutely independent and dispenses justice by treating all parties equally and equitably irrespective of their country of origin. Delivering the inaugural address at the annual meet of the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce in Dortmund, Germany, CJI Ramana said, “You can trust the Indian judiciary for its absolute independence and its inherent constitutional strength to treat all parties equally and equitably… Indian Constitution enables any person or entity, including a foreign entity, to approach any legal forum in India for redressal of grievances. Indian Courts do not discriminate based on country of origin. All are equal before the Courts of law in India.” (here)

Defense chiefs brief PM Modi about Agnipath rollout

The 3 military chiefs on Tue briefed PM Narendra Modi in the one-to-one meeting about the ongoing rollout of the Agnipath scheme, even as the defense establishment once again stressed it will not hit combat readiness and would not entail any change in the overall recruitment process and the Army’s regimental system. (here)

The US values bilateral ties with India; it is a ‘key strategic partner in Indo-Pacific: WH

India is a “very key” strategic partner of the US in the strategically important Indo-Pacific region and Washington values its bilateral relationship with New Delhi, the White House has said, noting that in the context of Russia every country has to make its decision. “We will let Indian leaders speak to their economic policies,” White House Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told reporters on Tue when asked about the Indian decision to purchase discounted oil from Russia. “What I can just tell you is we value this bilateral relationship with India and we continue to want — obviously, every country has to make their decisions for themselves,” he said. “These are sovereign decisions. But we want as much pressure put internationally on Russia as possible. There need to be costs and consequences for what Mr (Vladimir) Putin is doing,” Kirby said, referring to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in Feb. According to industry data, Russia has overtaken Saudi Arabia to become India’s second-biggest supplier of oil behind Iraq as refiners snap up Russian crude available at a deep discount following the war in Ukraine. Indian refiners bought about 25 million barrels of Russian oil in May or more than 16% of all their oil imports. (here)

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik meets Pope Francis in Vatican City

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik met Pope Francis in Vatican City on Wed. The Chief Minister is leading a high-level delegation to Rome and Dubai. The delegation is scheduled to visit the World Food Programme headquarters in Rome to share Odisha’s “transformational journey” in food security and disaster management. On Tue, the CM paid tribute to freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi at the MG Memorial Statue at the Piazza Gandhi in Rome. Speaking on the occasion, Patnaik said that he is inspired by the ideals and principles of India’s father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi. Patnaik is also scheduled to meet with Odia diaspora from the Middle East in Dubai and discuss with them Odisha’s transformational journey over the last two decades and invite them to partner with the state government, the chief minister’s office said in the statement. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Afghanistan earthquake: at least 950 dead after 6.1 magnitude quake, state media says

The official death toll in the Afghanistan earthquake rose to 950 and 610 others were injured. Casualties are likely to rise further. A 6.1 magnitude earthquake has struck south-east Afghanistan killing at least 255 people, according to the country’s official news agency. The quake struck early on Wed morning local time with its epicenter near the town of Khost south of the capital, Kabul, the US Geological Survey reported. At least 255 people were killed and 155 others injured in the Barmala, Ziruk, Naka, and Gayan districts of Paktika province, Afghanistan’s Bakhtar news agency said. Rescue teams were being helicoptered into the stricken areas. (here) India expresses sympathy and condolences to the victims and their families and all those impacted by the tragic earthquake in Afghanistan. We share the grief of the people of Afghanistan and remain committed to providing assistance and support in this hour of need, said the Ministery of External Affair.

Ancient Afghan Buddhist city threatened by Chinese copper mine

An ancient Buddhist city carved out of immense peaks near Kabul is in danger of disappearing forever, swallowed up by a Chinese consortium exploiting one of the world’s largest copper deposits. Located at the confluence of Hellenistic and Indian cultures, Mes Aynak — believed to be between 1,000 and 2,000 years old — was once a vast city organized around the extraction and trade of copper. Archaeologists have uncovered Buddhist monasteries, stupas, fortresses, administrative buildings, and dwellings, while hundreds of statues, frescoes, ceramics, coins, and manuscripts have also been unearthed. Despite looting at the beginning of the century, Mes Aynak is “one of the most beautiful archaeological sites” in the world, says Bastien Varoutsikos, an archaeologist for the French company Iconem, which is working to digitize the city and its heritage. But the need for the Taliban — who returned to power in August last year — to find new revenue streams after international aid was frozen has made mining the project a priority and could put an end to further archaeological work. (here)

China-US relations: Joe Biden’s Asia-Pacific trade framework to be handled with ‘caution’, Beijing advisers say

China should take an objective and cautious attitude towards US President Joe Biden’s Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), top-ranking former Chinese officials have said. The IPEF, which is not a traditional free-trade agreement but seeks to establish rules covering areas from data protection to carbon emissions, was launched in Tokyo last month. The US has said 13 Asia-Pacific nations, accounting for 40% of the world’s gross domestic product, had joined – though crucially not China. What is IPEF, the new US-led economic framework for the Asia-Pacific? Many members of the trade agreement – including Australia, Brunei, Japan, New Zealand, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam – are signatories to the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which includes China, and are “important partners”, said Long Yongtu, China’s former vice-commerce minister at the event on Sun. (here) [Intrestingly, the BRICS submit is scheduled for tomorrow]

Beijing sends 29 warplanes into Taiwan’s air defense zone in one of the largest fly-bys of 2022

Beijing sent 29 warplanes into Taiwan’s air defense zone on Tue, the 3^rd-largest fly-by this year and the latest in mainland China’s effort to unnerve the self-ruled island. The sorties comprising 17 fighter jets, 6 bombers, and other supporting aircraft entered the island’s air defense identification zone from the southwest, prompting Taiwan’s air force to shadow jets and aim missiles to disperse them, according to the island’s defense ministry. A People’s Liberation Army Y-20 aerial refueling plane was spotted among the 29 warplanes entering the zone, a flight chart issued by the island’s ministry showed. While a Y-8 ELINT surveillance, a Y-9 early warning aircraft, and 6 H-6 bombers flew near Taiwan’s air force bases on the island’s east coast before heading toward the western Pacific Ocean, 17 fighter jets – including Jian-16, Jian-11, and Su-30 – flew near Pratas Island, or Dongsha, according to the chart. The rest included a Y-8 anti-submarine and a KJ-500 airborne early warning and control plane, according to the ministry. 3 PLA warships had been reported sailing near Japan on an unusual route. 2 guided-missile destroyers and a supply ship sailed southwest through an area to the southeast of Chiba prefecture on Mon before heading toward the Pacific Ocean, as reported by the Kyodo News. (here)

US ban on imports from China’s Xinjiang region takes effect

Under the rules, firms have to prove imports from the region are not produced using forced labor. US officials have said members of the minority Uyghur community in the region, who are predominantly Muslim, have been detained and made to work. China has repeatedly rejected accusations that it is holding Uyghurs in internment camps in Xinjiang. Several imports from the resource-rich region, including cotton and tomatoes, have already been banned from the US. The restrictions will be extended to all imports under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), which took effect on Tue. (here)

China’s manufacturing hub raises highest flood alert, threatening more supply chain woes

China’s manufacturing hub of Guangdong raised its flood warning to the highest level due to the worst rains in decades, spurring more evacuations and threatening further supply chain disruptions in an economy reeling from lockdowns related to Covid-19. Guangdong province raised its flood control emergency response to the highest level late on Tue (Jun 21), ordering areas at risk to take necessary steps to promptly halt schools, businesses, and traffic to minimize the impact of the torrential downpours and ensure the safety of lives and property, according to a notice from the local emergency management department. Shaoguan, a major industrial production center in the north of Guangdong that borders Hunan and Jiangxi provinces, told most companies to halt output and suspended public transport after a “severe flood disaster” in the past few days. China Railway Guangzhou Group halted train services for lines passing through Shaoguan. China’s economy is now estimated to expand just 4.3% this year, well below the government’s target of around 5.5%. (here)