[NEWS OF THE DAY]

India calls for more representation of developing countries at UN Security Council

Highlighting that the challenges the world is confronted with cannot be dealt with through outdated systems and governing structures, India on Mon said that the most urgent need of the hour is to make the UNSC more representative of developing countries to reflect current geopolitical realities. At a UNSC briefing on “Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Promote Common Security Through Dialogue and Cooperation”, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj noted, “The most urgent thing therefore for us to do is to make the Security Council more representative of developing countries, so as to reflect current geopolitical realities.” Making a case in point, she questioned, “How do we explain away the fact that the African continent does not have a permanent representation?” The Indian envoy stressed that “a truly representative UNSC is the most pressing need of the hour,” and cautioned “else, there is a real danger of the UN being superseded by other plurilateral and multilateral groupings.” Speaking at the briefing she highlighted that as a founding member of the UN, India has consistently displayed its commitment to upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. (here) In a message to China at the India called on countries to respect territorial integrity and various pacts that have been signed. Kamboj said that the “underlying principles behind common security” is “premised upon respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all Member States” and “any coercive or unilateral action that seeks to change the status quo by force is an affront to common security.” UN and its key body UNSC are seen as dysfunctional amid rise of other groupings like the G20, BRICS, SCO.

EAM S Jaishankar says India is an emerging power on a Global scale & regional power in Asia

India is an emerging power on a global scale and a regional power in Asia in terms of both size and population, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in Paraguay on Mon as he held “productive” talks with his Paraguayan counterpart Julio Cesar Arriola and discussed new areas of bilateral cooperation. Jaishankar, who is on his first-ever official visit to South America aimed at boosting overall bilateral ties with the region. “We discussed our bilateral relations. We discussed the prospects of growth, trade, development partnership and investments,” Mr Jaishankar said during a joint press statement alongside Arriola. The minister said that beyond economy, there are other areas where the two sides can work together such as culture, civil society, health, education and traditional medicine. “Our shared commitment to international rules-based order, a world which respects international law, which respects agreements, which supports multilateralism,” Mr Jaishankar said, in a veiled reference to China. Interestingly, Paraguay has good diplomatic relation with Taiwan. (here)

India-Russia working on new payment system for defense deals amid more sanctions

ThePrint-Hit by more Western sanctions on Russian banking channels, Moscow and New Delhi are now working out a new payment system for defense equipment already ordered, including leasing of the third nuclear submarine. (Sources)- another area of concern is an appreciation of the Russian ruble vis-à-vis rupee. This means a payment to Russia becomes more expensive for India. In Aug last year, both rupee and the ruble had the same value. But the Russian ruble is today valued at 0.75 against 1 rupee. Asked about the impact of western sanctions on India-Russia defense deals, Russia’s Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation, head Dmitry Shugaev said payments are made following the terms stipulated in the contracts. In this regard, payments in the US$ and Euro in arms export transactions have been reduced to a minimum,” he said. Russia has proposed the use of a SWIFT-like system developed by the Russian central bank. It involves rupee-ruble-denominated payments using Russia’s messaging system, SPFS, as reported by the BS. Under the proposal, rupees will be deposited in a Russian bank and converted into rubles. However, some undecided elements include whether the exchange rate will be fixed or floating. (here)

Rajnath Singh on 3-day Uzbekistan visit from Tue to push ties with Eurasia

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will undertake a 3-day trip to Uzbekistan from Tue for SCO Defence Ministers meet eyeing to expand defense partnership with Eurasia. Later in Sept, he is planning to visit Egypt for a much-awaited bilateral engagement that has received unprecedented attention over the past year. Singh’s Chinese counterpart, besides his Russian counterpart, is also expected to be part of the SCO meet. The meeting held in the run-up to the SCO Summit assumes significance amid current geo-political tensions. He met his Uzbek counterpart Lt Gen Bakhodir Kurbanov. In addition, meetings are also scheduled with Defence Ministers of some other Member countries of SCO. Terrorism and the spread of fundamentalism in the region are likely to be discussed at the SCO DMs meeting. Meanwhile, the proposed trip to Egypt will enable to revive the defense partnership that flourished during the 1960s. There have been a series of engagements between Indian and Egyptian militaries since 2021. Egypt is a key player in the Arab world and its military is one of the strongest and biggest in the region. (here)

[NATIONAL]

India’s Indigenous aircraft carrier ‘Vikrant’ to be Commissioned into Navy on Sept 2: Sources

Marking the beginning of a new era in India’s Naval capabilities, the country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) Vikrant will be commissioned into the Navy as INS Vikrant, on Sept 2^nd, will be formally inducted into the Indian Navy, at an event at the Cochin Shipyard Limited, the state-run shipyard in the Southern state of Kerala, where the vessel was built. PM Modi, Defence Minister and senior officials from the Armed Forces are expected to be present at the event. The commissioning of the Vikrant marks a significant milestone for India, as the country will henceforth be able to defend its 7500-km-long coastline with 2 operational aircraft carriers – INS Vikramaditya (Russian origin) and the Indigenously designed and built Vikrant. However, the Vikrant would require more than a year following its commissioning to be fully operational. Thus far, the ship’s crucial systems and sub-systems have been tested during multiple phases of sea trials. However, in order for the ship to be fully combat-ready, there are several other components such as radars, weapons etc. to be integrated, tested and proven. (here)

Apple’s new iPhone 14 to show India closing tech gap with China

Apple Inc plans to begin manufacturing the iPhone 14 in India about two months after the product’s initial release out of China, narrowing the gap between the two countries but not closing it completely as some had anticipated. The company has been working with suppliers to ramp up manufacturing in India and shorten the lag in production of the new iPhone from the typical six to nine months for previous launches, according to people familiar with the matter. Apple, which long made most of its iPhones in China, is seeking alternatives as Xi Jinping’s administration clashes with the US government and imposes lockdowns across the country that have disrupted economic activity. Foxconn Technology Group, the primary manufacturer of iPhones, studied the process of shipping components from China and assembling the iPhone 14 device at its plant outside the southern Indian city of Chennai, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the efforts are confidential. That included looking at ways to maintain Apple’s high standards for confidentiality. (here)

In the 1989 abduction case, the Tada court issues a bailable warrant against Mehbooba Mufti’s sister Rubaiya Sayeed

The Tada court today issued a bailable warrant against Rubaiya Sayeed for not being present before the court on the hearing date. Rubaiya Sayeed, the sister of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Muft and daughter of former J&K CM, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, was abducted by Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front militants on Dec 8, 1989. Yasin Malik, who is serving life imprisonment in Tihar Jail in a terror funding case, is an accused in this case along with others. On Jul 15, Rubaiya appeared before a Central Bureau of Investigation court for the first time to record her statement in the 1989 kidnapping case. For today’s hearing, Yasin Malik, one of the accused in the ‘1989’ case asked the court to allow him to appear physically. The court said that Yasin will be provided with legal aid, but all accused are appearing through video conferencing as per the High Court order, so physical appearance is not possible for any accused. (here)

Bodies of 2 infiltrators seen during a reconnaissance of the attempted infiltration site at LoC in Rajouri

The bodies of two infiltrators were observed during a reconnaissance of the site of the attempted infiltration at the Line of Control (LoC) in the Rajouri district of Jammu. An Indian Army quadcopter on Tue morning, initiated the exploration of the site where on Mon night, they thwarted an attempt of infiltration at the LoC border in the Naushera Sector of Rajouri, J&K. During the exploration, the bodies of 2 infiltrators were observed. The area is being scanned further. According to a Defence spokesperson, the Indian Army successfully stopped an attempt of infiltration at the LoC in the Naushera Sector of Rajouri, J&K. (here)

Cache of assault weapons recovered along India-Pakistan border in Punjab

The Border Security Force (BSF) has recovered a cache of assault weapons, suspected to have been smuggled from across the border, during a patrol along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab on Tue. 3 AK series rifles along with 6 magazines, 2 M3 sub-machine guns with 4 magazines and 2 pistols along with two magazines were unearthed by the personnel of the border force from the Ferozepur sector in the early hours, officials said. The weapons are suspected to have been smuggled in from Pakistan, they said. (here)

BJP MLA Raja Singh Arrested for Alleged Derogatory Remarks Against Prophet

The Hyderabad Police on Tue arrested Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA T. Raja Singh for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammed, repeating the now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma’s similar comments which had sparked a global outcry earlier this year. His arrest came after several Muslim organisations staged protests across various police stations in the city on Mon late night demanding his arrest while accusing him of insulting the Prophet and hurting religious sentiments. The controversial remarks under scanner came about in a 10-minute video message put out by Singh on YouTube late on Mon night meant to launch a tirade against stand-up comedian Munawar Faruqui and his comedy shows. Singh had, in fact, been taken into preventive custody Aug 20, when he attempted to disrupt Faruqui’s show in the city, which later went off peacefully. BJP suspended him and issued so cause notice. In his defence, Singh on Tue said, “I do not understand on what basis the police registered the FIR because I did not take the name of any particular community. My video was aimed at Faruqui and I stand by my words.” (here)

15 Chinese nationals detained for staying in UP’s Gautam Buddha Nagar district without valid visa: Report

In Uttar Pradesh’s Gautam Buddha Nagar district, the police have detained 15 Chinese nationals who were staying without valid visas in the Uttar Pradesh district. Issuing a statement, the police said on Mon, “As part of the verification campaign, 15 Chinese nationals (including a woman) staying illegally in Gautam Buddha Nagar were detained by the Local Intelligence Unit with the support of local police.” The Chinese national, who was illegally staying in Greater Noida, is currently under investigation for suspected hawala links by the Special Task Force (STF). Since June, 45 people hailing from China have been reportedly detained or arrested for illegal stay in the UP district and several of them have been deported also, officials said. On Aug 2^nd, the Union minister told the Lok Sabha that 117 Chinese nationals were deported between 2019 to 2021 for violation of visas. (here)

China relaxes visa ban on Indian students after over two years

China has decided to issue visas for Indian students after keeping them away for more than two years due to the country’s tough COVID-19 restrictions. According to official data, around 23,000 Indian students will be returning to China for the first time since the pandemic started to resume their studies. The govt has already submitted a list of students who wanted to immediately return to China and according to a PTI report, they are likely to get preference once the visa process restarts. Apart from student visas, business visas will also be provided to Indians along with their families. The process will also include students who will be visiting China for the first time due to studies. While the visa process will start soon, India and China are currently engaged in talks regarding the resumption of direct flights. In the last 2 years, air travel was completely stopped and in July, a chartered flight carrying families of Indian businessmen landed in China.

DRDO, Indian Navy successfully flight-test VL-SRSAM surface-to-air Missile off Odisha coast

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Navy successfully flight tested the Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of Odisha on Tue. The flight test was carried out from an Indian Naval Ship against a high-speed unmanned aerial target for the demonstration of a vertical launch capability. The missiles, equipped with indigenous Radio Frequency (RF) seeker, intercepted the target with high accuracy. The VL-SRSAM system has been indigenously designed and developed by the DRDO. During the test launch, the flight path and vehicle performance parameters were monitored using flight data, captured by various range instruments such as Radar, Electro-optical tracking system (EOTS) and Telemetry systems deployed by ITR, Chandipur. The launch was monitored by senior scientists from various DRDO labs involved in the design and development of the system such as Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad and R&D Engineers, Pune. (ANI)

Vikram Doraiswami, presently Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the UK After two years as Deputy Chief of Protocol, Doraiswami was seconded to the Prime Minister’s Office in 2002

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Exclusive: Ukraine sanctions on Russia virtually ground Pak’s JF-17 fighter program

There is documentary evidence that the Pakistan Air Force relied only on F-16s to target unspecified targets in the Nowshera-Rajouri-Poonch sector across the LoC with JF-17 fighters not involved in the action at all. The Pakistani strike was intercepted by Indian fighters with Wing Commander  shooting down a much superior F-16 before crashing his vintage MiG-21 Bison in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). While the US F-16 fired air-to-air missiles at Indian fighters, the much-touted Sino-Pak developed JF-17 was just for show and did not see the air battle and remained hidden behind the American fighters. The JF-17 program today is in the doldrums due to a lack of spare parts for the Russian-made Klimov RD 93 aircraft engine. Stung by multiple failures of JF-17 aircraft, primarily due to the serviceability of RD-93 engines, Pakistan had directly approached Russia for procuring the RD-93 engines, bypassing China. In the aftermath of multiple negotiations by Islamabad with Moscow, Russian engine company Kilmov has now indicated its willingness to supply engines and its associated repair systems and maintenance facilities to JF-17 aircraft. Russia is moving close to China in the evolving geo­ political matrix which is sought to be exploited by Pakistan. (here)

Sri Lanka among 10 countries with highest food price inflation: World Bank

Sri Lanka is ranked 5^th among the 10 countries with the highest food price inflation in the world, according to the latest World Bank assessment. In its Food Security update, the WB said trade policy actions on food and fertilizers have surged since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. Countries actively used trade policy to respond to domestic needs when faced with potential food shortages at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of July, Sri Lanka is experiencing significant shortages in the domestic food supply. In Sri Lanka, agricultural production has decreased by 40-50% because of fertilizer shortages, and there is a lack of foreign exchange to purchase food imports. Exporters, concerned that export restrictions will be introduced (as has been done for wheat), are moving quickly to open letters of credit and have signed contracts to export 1 million tonnes of rice from June through Sept 2022. Moreover, food price inflation reached 80% in Sri Lanka. (here)

Taiwan has seen off mainland China before and its resolve to defend remains, Tsai Ing-wen says

Taiwan saw off mainland China’s military 6 decades ago when its forces bombarded offshore Taiwanese islands and that resolve to defend the homeland continues to this day, President Tsai Ing-wen told a visiting group of US academics on Tue. Tensions between Taiwan and Beijing have spiked over the past month following the visit to Taipei by the US House Speaker. The People’s Liberation Army staged war games near Taiwan to express anger at what it saw as stepped-up US support for the island that Beijing views as sovereign Chinese territory. Meeting the delegation from Stanford University’s Hoover Institution at her office, Tsai referenced mainland China’s month of attacks on the Taiwan-controlled islands of Quemoy and Matsu that sit just off the mainland coast, which started in Aug 1958. (here) Tsai Ing-wen tells a new US delegation to Taiwan the chip supply chain is vital to security: Taiwan is willing to work with like-minded partners to ensure continued semiconductor supply chains in the democratic world, President has told another delegation of American officials visiting the island. “Economic security is an important pillar of national and regional security. Taiwan is willing and able to strengthen cooperation with democratic partners in building sustainable supply chains for democracy chips,” Tsai said in a meeting with Indiana State Governor Eric Holcomb and his delegation at her office in Taipei on Mon. (here)