[NEWS OF THE DAY]

Sheikh Hasina India Visit: ‘Bangladesh is our biggest development, trade partner,’ says PM Modi; India-Bangladesh sign 7 MoUs

India and Bangladesh signed 7 Memorandum of understanding (MoUs) on Tue in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina in Delhi. India-Bangladesh delegation-level talks led by PM Modi and Hasina were commenced at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi. Soon after the welcome, the B’desh PM said she feels happy to be in India every time while noting significant ties between New Delhi and Dhaka. PM Modi received Bangladesh PM Hasina as she arrived at Rashtrapati Bhavan. She is set to meet President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar today. Hasina began her 4-day visit to India yesterday. Soon after arriving in New Delhi on Mon, the Bangladesh PM met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and discussed issues of bilateral interest. Hasina’s visit is crucial and will further strengthen the multifaceted relationship between India and Bangladesh. (here)

PM Hasina, expressed hope that the issue of Teesta water sharing with India will be resolved soon.

PM Hasina, during the joint press statement at Hyderabad House, expressed hope that the issue of Teesta water sharing with India will be resolved soon. She highlighted the ties between both countries and called India the most important and closest neighbor of Bangladesh. The Teesta river dispute is an important point of bilateral talks between India and Bangladesh. Both countries signed an agreement in 2011 to share surface waters at the Farakka Barrage near their mutual border. (here) Despite sharing a close and friendly relationship, water management remains a contentious issue between India and Bangladesh, especially the sharing of Teesta river water which has remained stuck for several years. This creates hurdles for B’desh PM, who faces a tough election next year. India Bangladesh to sign 7 MoUs: water sharing from Kushiyara river (Withdrawal of 153 cs water), scientific cooperation, judicial academy, 2 MoUs on Railways, state broadcasters, Space technology. India to provide IT solutions to Bangladesh Railways and train Bangladesh Railway personnel. Announcement on Maitree Thermal Power project made. The power plant is to be built with Indian support in B’desh. It is expected to be the largest power plant in B’desh. India has provided concessional loans worth $9.5 bn for development projects in B’desh, especially connectivity initiatives. These initiatives include improving rail connectivity between Khulna and Dhaka, Chilahati and Rajshahi, and connecting Mongla port with Darshana-Gede for $312 mn, the Parbatipur-Kaunia rail project to facilitate the transportation of fuel is being built at $120 mn, and the supply of road construction equipment and machinery worth $ 41mn to repair and maintain B’desh’s road network.

US diplomat Ely Ratner to visit India to hold 2+2, maritime security dialogue

US Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Ely Ratner will depart for a visit to India this week to attend the 6^th US-India 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue as well as the Maritime Security Dialogue (MSD). To deepen the US’ cooperation with its key Indo-Pacific partners, Ratner will also travel to Vietnam during the visit. Upon arriving in India, Ratner will co-chair the 2+2 Dialogue as well as the MSD alongside Assistant Secy of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu, an official statement of US DoD read. Ratner will be joined by Principal Dy Chief Tech Officer for Mission Capabilities, Research and Engineering; Principal Dy Assistant Secy of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, Acquisition and Sustainment; Rear Admiral Tom Moninger of the Office of Naval Operations; and representatives from the US Indo-Pacific Command. Through these dialogues, the US and India will advance an ambitious set of initiatives across the defense partnership ahead of the 2+2 ministerial next year, including in support of information-sharing, logistics, technology, and high-end navy cooperation. The delegation will meet with senior Indian officials to discuss the US and India can expand cooperation to secure the Indo-Pacific region where human rights are respected. From there, Ratner will travel to Hanoi to lead the US-Vietnam Defense Policy Dialogue as the US takes important steps toward expanding the breadth and depth of the comprehensive partnership with Vietnam. The US also pointedly mentioned that China was constructing “dual-use infrastructure” along the border with India and that it would “continue to stand alongside” India to defend its sovereign interest. (here)

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh holds bilateral talks with his Mongolian counterpart in Ulaanbaatar

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tue held bilateral talks with Mongolian Defence Minister Saikhanbayar Gursed in Ulaanbaatar and discussed ways to further expand bilateral defense cooperation and other regional and global issues of mutual interest. He also inaugurated the Cyber Security Training Centre at National Defence University in Ulaanbaatar. The center built with assistance from the Govt of India is a one-of-its-kind cyber-related international cooperation project which will be instrumental in imparting cyber security training to the Mongolian Armed Forces. Singh also met with the Speaker of Mongolian Parliament, Gombojavyn Zandanshatar, and complimented him on his consistent support to promote and expand the shared heritage of Buddhism. Besides, the Indian minister called upon the Mongolian President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ukhnaagiin Khurelsukh and expressed commitment to deepening the multifaceted Strategic Partnership with Mongolia. Singh embarked on a 5-day visit to Mongolia on Mon (Sept 5-7, 2022) to enhance the strategic partnership and defense cooperation with the East Asian countries. The visit is the 1^st-ever visit by an Indian Defence Minister to Mongolia and will further consolidate the defense cooperation and strategic partnership between the two countries, the official statement from the Ministry read. (here)

Visit of Raksha Mantri and Minister of External Affairs to Japan (Sept 07-10)

Raksha Mantri, (Defense Minister) Rajnath Singh, and External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar will pay an official visit to Japan for the second India-Japan 2+2 Ministerial Meeting from Sept 07-10. During the visit, the Ministers will also hold the Defence Ministerial Meeting and Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue with their counterparts, Defence Minister, Yasukazu Hamada and Foreign Minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi respectively. India -Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership are based on shared values of democracy, freedom, and respect for rule of law. During the visit, the two sides will further explore new initiatives to strengthen the partnership, as per the MEA statement (here)

[NATIONAL]

India’s external debt rises 8.2% to $620.7 bn till Mar 2022: FinMin report

India’s external debt rose by 8.2% year-on-year to US$ 620.7 billion as of Mar 2022, which according to the fin ministry is sustainable. While 53.2% of it was denominated in the US$, Indian rupee-denominated debt, estimated at 31.2%, was the 2^nd largest, as per the status report on India’s external debt released by the ministry. “External debt as a ratio to GDP was 19.9%, while reserves to external debt ratio were 97.8 %,” it said. Foreign currency reserves as a ratio to external debt stood slightly lower at 97.8 % as of end-March 2022 than 100.6% a year ago. The report said the long-term debt estimated at US$ 499.1 bn constituted the largest chunk of 80.4%, while the short-term debt at US$ 121.7 bn accounted for 19.6 % of the total.The short-term trade credit was predominantly in the form of trade credit (96%) financing imports. The sovereign debt at US$ 130.7 bn rose higher by 17.1% over its level a year ago, mainly because of the additional allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDR) by the International Monetary Fund during 2021-22. The non-sovereign debt, on the other hand, grew 6.1% to US$ 490.0 bn over the level as of end-Mar 2021, it said, adding commercial borrowings, NRI deposits and short-term trade credit are the 3 biggest constituents of the non-sovereign debt, accounting for as much as 95.2%. In terms of various debt vulnerability indicators, India’s sustainability was better than the Low-and Middle-Income Countries as a group and vis-a-vis many of them individually, it said. (here)

Ukraine conflict, inflation, tight monetary policy unlikely to derail India’s economic recovery: Moody’s

The impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, higher inflation, and the tough financial conditions on the back of ongoing monetary policy tightening is unlikely to derail India’s current economic recovery from the pandemic in the year 2022 and 2023, global rating agency Moody’s said on Tue. However, India’s principal credit challenges include low per capita income, high general govt debt, low debt affordability, and limited govt effectiveness, [?] it said. The rating agency retained its sovereign rating on India at Baa3 with a stable outlook, the report showed. “The stable outlook reflects our view that the risks from negative feedback between the economy and financial system are receding,” it said. On the contrary, the report said the rating agency considers India’s legislative and executive institutions, civil society, and judiciary to be relatively strong. “…. While ongoing government efforts to reduce corruption, formalize economic activity, and bolster tax collection and administration should further strengthen institutions over the medium term, there are increasing risks to their efficacy.” About India’s monetary policy, it said macroeconomic effectiveness has increased materially over the past decade because of the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) formal and flexible inflation-targeting regime since 2015 and a monetary policy committee since 2016. (here)

BSF, Pak Rangers hold flag meeting hours after ceasefire violation

Flag Leval meeting held between BSF and Pakistani rangers, both sides agree to maximum restrains on Tuesday’s afternoon. On a day Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina is on a visit to India, Pakistani rangers fired upon a Border Security Force (BSF) patrolling party in Jammu and Kashmir’s Arnia sector on Tue morning and BSF gave a “befitting” response to the “unprovoked firing,” officials said. “No loss (of lives) or injury (reported) to the BSF troops,” BSF said. India and Pakistan agreed on Feb 24, 2021, to strictly observe all agreements and understandings related to cross-border firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in J&K among other sectors. HT citing an anonymous official, reported that other incidents of firing by Pakistani troops have also taken place in the last one and a half years but Tue’s incident was “a major one”. Before 2021 agreement, there were 5,133 incidents of ceasefire violations in 2020, 3,479 in 2019, and 2,140 in 2018. However, these incidents came down to around 700 last year. The data for 2022 is not available yet. The Indian government has maintained that the onus is on Pakistan to create a conducive atmosphere by taking credible, verifiable, and irreversible action to not allow any territory under its control to be used for cross-border terrorism against India in any manner. (here)

2 terrorists killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Anantnag

At least 2 terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Poshkreeri area of Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir on Tue. The security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in the area after receiving specific information about the presence of terrorists there. Both slain terrorists were affiliated with proscribed terror Hizbul Mujahideen. The 2 were involved in the killing of one Territorial Army personnel in April last year and 2 civilians in May last year in Jablipora, said police. Last week, 3 terrorists affiliated with the proscribed terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were gunned down in an encounter in the Nagbal area of J&K’s Shopian district. (here)

Chinese drone, Naxal literature, and more recovered during a search operation in Bihar’s Aurangabad district – Details

A Chinese-made drone was recovered during a search operation in Bihar’s Aurangabad district. According to the police they had received a tip-off about an impending Naxal attack against security forces in the jungle area under the Madanpur police station. High-grade communication devices and Naxal literature were also recovered. “We recovered one drone of foreign origin, around 15 Motorola sets…and a lot of Naxal literary material,” said Aurangabad Police Chief. The police said that further investigations are now underway and that an FIR had been registered against 11 named and around 10-15 unnamed individuals under various sections of the UAPA. The search operation – which saw local police forces join hands with the CRPF battalion stationed in the area – was undertaken as a preventive measure of sorts after the police received the tip-off. According to reports, multiple raids were conducted in several locations in Madanpur by a Bihar Police team and personnel from the CRPF’s 205 Cobra battalion. Police officials however have expressed concern over the discovery of a drone – the first time such a gadget has been recovered from Maoists. (here)

In Assam, now residents demolish madrasa after imam’s arrest for terror

Residents of Darogar Alga village in Assam’s Goalpara district on Tue demolished a private madrasa that was used by an imam arrested by the police for alleged links to the Bangladesh-based terror outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), police said. This is the first instance of the public pulling down a madrasa in Assam in recent weeks. So far, the authorities have demolished 3 private madrasas in Barpeta, Morigaon, and Bongaigaon districts after arrests of its functionaries on terror charges over the last month. “Residents of Darogar Alga in Pakhiura Char destroyed the madrasa and a residence next to it on Tue morning as resentment against jihadi activities. The madrasa was used by Jalaluddin Sheikh, an imam of a local mosque who was arrested by police last month,” said Police Chief Goalpara. One of the 2 imams arrested on Aug 20 by the police in Goalpara about 150 km east of Guwahati on charges that they were linked to terror cells busted in Barpeta and Morigaon districts earlier. Authorities had then alleged that the two were linked to ABT and Al Qaida in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), gave and received logistical support to other terrorists, and recruited people for what was described as “new jihadi sleeper cells in Goalpara”. (here)

Indo-Pacific region will benefit from India-Australia collaboration, says Jaishankar

External Affairs minister S Jaishankar on Tue said Australia has been an early and vigorous supporter of India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and the Indo-pacific region will benefit from the strong bilateral relationship between the two countries which allows them to contribute effectively at a regional and global level. Jaishankar’s remarks came while he was virtually addressing the 5^th edition of the Australia-India Leadership Dialogue 2022, along with the Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, where the EAM touched upon various topics related to Australia-India friendship. He said that the leadership dialogue is taking place as India-Australia relations have shifted gears and moved into a higher orbit. “… the ambitions for our ties were expressed initially by the India Economic Strategy Report 2035 released by the Australian side and the CII Australia Economic Strategy issued by India. A trade of $20 bn+ and investments at the $25 bn level stand to rapidly expand by the Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement that was concluded in Apr 2022,” he said. Jaishankar said that Australia has been an early and vigorous supporter of India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI). “Indo-Pacific region will benefit from the collaboration between the two countries and experience growth and prosperity,” Jaishankar said. “The Quad, on its part has emerged as a key platform for ensuring progress, prosperity, stability, and security. And trilaterally, along with Japan, we are working on promoting supply chain resilience,” he added. (here)

Amit Kumar appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Korea

Amit Kumar (1995 batch IFS) has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Korea, the Ministry of External Affairs informed. He is presently the Consul General of India in Chicago. Sanjay Kumar Verma was appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Canada: Sanjay Kumar Verma (IFS: 1988), presently Ambassador of India to Japan, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Canada, as per the Ministry of External Affairs statement.

India strongly condemns the terrorist attack on the Russian Embassy in Kabul yesterday. We convey our sincere condolences to the families of the victims and pray for the early recovery of the injured: MEA

Drug authority clears use of India’s first nasal Covid-19 vaccine made by Bharat Biotech

The government on Tue cleared for use of Bharat Biotech’s nasal vaccine – the country’s first – to boost its continuing fight against Covid-19. The vaccine will be used by adults in emergency cases. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya tweeted: “Bharat Biotech’s ChAd36-SARS-CoV-S Covid-19 (Chimpanzee Adenovirus Vectored) recombinant nasal vaccine approved… for primary immunization against Covid-19 in 18+ age group for restricted use in an emergency”. (here)

PM Modi announces 14.5k PM-SHRI schools across the country

Celebrating Teacher’s Day with the 45 winners of the National Teachers Award 2022, PM Narendra Modi on Mon announced that 14,500 schools across the country will be developed as Pradhan Mantri Schools For Rising India (PM-SHRI). These centrally-sponsored schools will showcase all components of the National Education Policy 2020. (here)

Jamtara, Mewat gangs run schools to churn out confident cyber crooks

The legendary pros of all cons – Jamtara and Mewat gangs – are now mentoring the next generation of cyber crooks to keep their legacy alive. According to sources in agencies of Gujarat police, veteran gang members have been training aspiring fraudsters in sim cloning, financial frauds, artificial intelligence, and sextortion techniques to name a few. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Death toll from Sichuan earthquake rises to 65, with 12 missing and hundreds trapped in the national park

Damaged roads, aftershocks, rain, and the threat of landslides are hindering rescue efforts in China’s southwestern Sichuan province after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit yesterday, leaving 65 dead, nearly 250 people injured, and at least 12 missings. Hotel workers at a national park tourist site and staff at a sub-branch of the Chinese Academy of Sciences where an observatory collapsed were among those killed in the disaster. The tremor, which hit at 12.52 pm, had its epicenter near a tourist center in Luding county, about 260 km from the provincial capital of Chengdu. By 7 am on Tue, the death toll included 37 people from Garze Tibetan autonomous prefecture and 28 people from Shimian county, Yaan. Some 12 people from Garze prefecture remained missing. More than 6,500 rescuers and doctors were sent to the scene, state broadcaster CCTV reported, and four helicopters and two drones were sent to Luding and Shimian counties, two of the hardest-hit areas. (here)

China drills improved island’s combat abilities says Taiwan president

The combat skills of Taiwan’s military are now “more mature” and it is better able to fight thanks to having to repeatedly scramble to see off Chinese forces during their recent drills, President Tsai Ing-wen said on Tue. China staged war games in the immediate aftermath of the US House Speaker’s visit to Taipei last month, angered by what it saw as a strong show of US support for the island Beijing claims as its territory. Chinese military activities close to Taiwan have continued since then. Speaking to air force personnel at the Hualien air base on Taiwan’s east coast, Tsai said the situation around the Taiwan Strait remained tense and the threat had not gone away. “In the face of challenges, our national military has calmly responded to the enemy’s intents at the intrusion and have tenaciously defended (the island’s) security,” she said, according to a transcript of the remarks released by the presidential office. The Hualien base has hangers cut out of the side of a mountain and is home to Lockheed Martin Corp F-16s. (here)

Pakistan supports China’s efforts for peace and socio-economic development in Xinjiang: FO

Pakistan on Tue said it supports China’s efforts for socio-economic development, harmony, and peace, and stability in Xinjiang, days after the UN released a report detailing a string of alleged rights violations against Uighurs and other minorities in the region. The UN on Sept 1 released a major report into the alleged serious human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region, saying torture allegations were credible and citing possible crimes against humanity, but stopping short of calling it genocide. The long-awaited report brought the UN seal to many of the allegations long brought by activist groups, Western nations, and the Uighur community in exile. It said the world must now pay “urgent attention” to the human rights situation in Xinjiang. However, reacting to the report, the Foreign Office issued a statement today, saying: “Pakistan believes in the principles of the UN Charter including respect for political independence, sovereignty, and non-interference in internal affairs of states.” (here)

Anyone intending to hurt the bond between armed forces and nation no friend of Pakistan: PM Shehbaz

In a message commemorating Defence Day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tue said that anyone intending to “hurt the bond” between the country’s armed forces and the people was “not a friend of Pakistan” as he called for national unity to face the challenges posed by historic floods. PM Shehbaz’s message made a veiled reference to a speech Imran Khan delivered recently about the appointment of the future army chief, which triggered fierce criticism from the coalition govt as well as a tersely worded statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). His defense day message called for national unity as a panacea for dealing with unprecedented flooding, which has inundated large swathes of the country, displaced millions, and killed more than a thousand. “As Pakistan grapples with historic floods and other challenges, we need to summon the spirit of 1965. National unity is our greatest strength,” he went on to say. (here)

Gushing floodwaters burst through Main Nara Valley Drain near Dadu district

A breach occurred naturally in Main Nara Valley Drain (MNVD), commonly known as Right Bank Outfall Drain-I, at RD-10 upstream Manchhar Lake on Tue that is expected to lower the water level in the country’s largest lake, officials said. Water and Power Development Authority Chief Engineer (water) in Sukkur confirmed the development, explaining that an “afflux” had been created as Manchhar had not been receiving water from MNVD for the last couple of days. Manchhar lake has been witnessing a surge in its water level in recent days as floodwaters from the north and hill torrents from Balochistan flow southwards to converge in Sindh, leaving behind a trail of deaths and destruction. As of 6 am today, the water level in Manchhar was recorded at a 123.25-ft reduced level, Mangan said. The reduced level of 124ft is described as dangerous. (here)

According to ISPR, 5 soldiers, were martyred and 4 terrorists also killed

According to ISPR, 5 soldiers, including a captain, were martyred during the operation in the Aam area of Boya district of North Waziristan, and 4 terrorists were also killed. Arms and ammunition have also been recovered from the possession of the dead terrorists. The slain terrorists were involved in terrorist acts against the security forces and the killing of innocent civilians. (Jasarat, Jang, Ummat, Daily Jinnah, Daily Express, Nawaiwaqt)