1. Army chopper crashes in Arunachal during operational sortie; 2 pilots killed
2. Govt sets stage for integrated military commands, introduces bill for inter-services organizations
3. Japan PM to announce new plan to promote Indo-Pacific strategy; Looking forward to rich conversation: MEA
4. Honorary Consulate in Brisbane ‘halted for little while’, issue taken up with Australian authorities: MEA
5. Border Roads Organisation reopens strategic Zojila pass

What Else

6. France-led naval exercise La Perouse enhanced cooperation between partner navies in Indo-Pacific
7. DAC approves proposals worth Rs 70,500 crore for the Armed Forces & ICG under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category
8. NGOs in India got Rs 89,000 cr in foreign funding over 5 years
9. Exports fell 8.8% in February, but trade deficit also shrank over 7%
10. RBI has allowed banks from 18 countries to trade in rupee: government in Rajya Sabha
11. SC reserves verdict on pleas related to Maharashtra political tussle
12. Xi tightens grip as China announces major plan to revamp governance
13. China attacks Japan on disputed island, history, says Tokyo-Seoul should not form blocs
14. Pakistan: ‘No compromise’ on Nuke program, says Pak’s Finance Minister amid cash crunch
15. Toshakhana case: Islamabad court rejects Imran Khan’s plea seeking suspension of arrest warrant
16. Gilgit-Baltistan Police IG Muhammad Saeed has been transferred and
17. Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Sira-ju- Haq launched the “Tehreek-e-Huquq-e- Qabail”

Army chopper crashes in Arunachal during operational sortie; 2 pilots killed

• A Cheetah helicopter of the Indian Army, with 2 pilots on board, flying an operational sortie near Bomdila in Arunachal crashed near the Mandala hills area of the state on Thu.
• The chopper, which was flying an operational sortie near Bomdila, lost contact with Air Traffic Control around 9.15 am.
• The chopper carrying a lieutenant and a major had taken off from Sange village in the district at 9 am and was headed for Missamari in Assam’s Sonitpur district.
• The police, Special Investigation Cell, explained that villagers had found the crashed chopper ablaze in Dirang, and informed district officials.
• The area has no mobile connectivity and the weather is extremely foggy with visibility as low as five meters.
• Previously, thirteen 13 Indian Air Force personnel died after an AN-32 aircraft crashed on Jun 3, 2019, after taking off from Assam’s Jorhat. (here)

Govt sets stage for integrated military commands, introduces bill for inter-services organizations

• Setting the stage for the creation of integrated theatre commands in the country, a bill to empower the govt to constitute inter-services organizations and provide disciplinary and administrative powers to their commanders was introduced in Parliament on Wed.
• The Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control, and Discipline) Bill, 2023, was introduced by junior defense minister Ajay Bhatt amid the din in Lok Sabha.
• The bill comes ahead of the impending move to establish integrated or joint commands, where all the manpower and assets of the Indian tri-services will be under the operational control of a 3 [4]-star general.
• With Gen Anil Chauhan taking over as the next CDS in Sept 2022, they are once again on top of the agenda.
• The legislation will ensure the requisite command and control of the existing inter-services organizations as well as the proposed integrated theatre commands. (here)

Japan PM to announce new plan to promote Indo-Pacific strategy; Looking forward to rich conversation: MEA

• PM Fumio Kishida will announce a new plan to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, a Japan-led initiative to China’s growing regional assertiveness, a senior govt official said Wed.
• The plan is set to be unveiled during Kishida’s 3-day visit to India from Sun, with Japan trying to push the blueprint, advocated by the late PM Shinzo Abe.
• Kishida has been eager to boost security cooperation with like-minded while expressing willingness to expand official development aid to emerging countries in the region.
• Kishida is considering delivering the new idea in his speech on Mon, FM said, adding the premier is also likely to explain to his Indian counterpart about the plan.
• The latest message would come as Japan has recently been keen to deepen relations with India, a key nation of the “Global South,” (Asia, Africa, and Latin America).
• This would include the provision of nonmilitary equipment and infrastructure support for nations in the Asia-Pacific region that have been facing threats from Beijing. (here)

Honorary Consulate in Brisbane ‘halted for little while’, issue taken up with Australian authorities: MEA

• Noting that its Honorary Consulate in Brisbane was “halted for a little while”, India on Thu said it had taken up the matter with authorities of two countries in touch.
• During a media briefing about the Consulate being forced to close on Wed due to safety concerns after Khalistan supporters organized an unauthorized gathering, MEA said.
• “I understand a small number of protestors were there and there was some disruption, but it’s not closed, the Honorary Consulate continues to function,” MEA added.
• The Indian Consulate in Brisbane was forced to close on Wednesday by Khalistan supporters, reported The Australia Today.
• “Slogans were raised against Hindus calling them supremacists with Khalistan Zindabad,” it said. (here)
• Former pro-Khalistan leader and founder of Dal Khalsa Jaswant Singh Thakedar said the Khalistan referendum campaign being organized in a few western countries is a doing of ‘Pakistan’s ISI’ and it has nothing to do with Sikhs in India.
• He added that ‘some Sikhs are working as tools’ for the Pakistan govt.
• He also said that PM Modi worked on ‘major demands’ by the Sikh community.
• The UK-based Sikh leader was referring to a referendum campaign by the US-based secessionist group called Sikhs for Justice, headed by Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, in 2020 seeking consensus among Sikhs in a bid to secede Punjab from India. (here)

Border Roads Organisation reopens strategic Zojila pass

• The Border Roads Organisation on Thu reopened the strategic Zojila Pass that acts as a gateway between the UTs of Ladakh and J&K.
• The pass, located at an altitude of 11,650 feet in the greater Himalayan range, was closed for traffic on Jan 7.
• Various mountain passes in high-altitude regions are closed every year due to heavy snowfall.
• It said the pass was kept open for traffic just after only 68 days this year as compared to 73 days last year.
• Since the first week of Feb, the snow clearance operations were undertaken from both sides of the pass located in J&K and Ladakh respectively. (here)

France-led naval exercise La Perouse enhanced cooperation between partner navies in Indo-Pacific

• France-led multilateral exercise, La Perouse, enhanced cooperation between partner navies in the Indo-Pacific, according to an official release.
• The exercise which was conducted on Mar 13 and 14, brought together 7 nations involved in security in the Indo-Pacific: India, Australia, Canada, the US, France, Japan, and the UK.
• 8 ships and 7 aircraft came together in the Bay of Bengal to conduct a series of high-level training exercises to strengthen interoperability between the partner navies.
• France was represented by the Jeanne d’Arc Group, the official release said.
• Navy ships FNS Dixmude and La Fayette, INS Sahyadri, INS Jyoti, USS Charleston, HMS Tamar, HMAS Perth, and JS Suzutsuki gathered on the morning of Mar 13, to start the first maneuvers together, it said.
• They kicked off with replenishment at sea between the INS Jyoti and the HMAS Perth, followed by a gunnery exercise on floating targets in formation. (here)

DAC approves proposals worth Rs 70,500 crore for the Armed Forces & ICG under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category

• The Defence Acquisition Council on Mar 16, has accorded Acceptance of the Necessity for capital acquisition amounting to over Rs 70,500 crore ($8.5bn) under Buy Indian-IDDM (Indigenously Designed, Developed, and Manufactured).
• BrahMos missiles, Shakti EW systems & Utility Helicopters-Maritime, valued at Rs 56,000 crore, cleared for Indian Navy.
• Long Range Stand-Off Weapon (LRSOW) for the IAF gets the nod; To be integrated on SU-30 MKI aircraft
• 155mm/52 Caliber ATAGS, along with High Mobility & Gun Towing Vehicles, to be procured for Indian Army
• Indian Coast Guard to get Advance Light Helicopters MK-III from HAL
• Over Rs 2.71 lakh crore worth of procurement cleared in FY 2022-23; 99% to be sourced from Indian industries (here)

NGOs in India got Rs 89,000 cr in foreign funding over 5 years

• Between 2017–18 and 2021–22, NGOs all around the nation received foreign contributions totaling Rs 88,882 crore.
• At this time, there was a crackdown on NGOs that were allegedly breaking the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act’s rules, and the Act itself was strengthened.
• In response to 2 separate questions in the RS on Wed, the home ministry revealed that despite the cancellation of 1,827 NGOs’ registration under the FCRA between 2018-22
• Foreign funding of NGOs nationwide has steadily increased to Rs 22,085 crore in 2021–22 from Rs 17,059 crore in 2020–21 and Rs 16,306 crore in 2019–20.
• The Junior Minister Home informed the RS in Dec 2022 that 6,677 NGOs had their FCRA licenses revoked between 2017 and 2021.
• Also, the FCRA registration certificates for 16,383 NGOs and organizations were still valid as of Mar 10^th. (here)

Exports fell 8.8% in February, but trade deficit also shrank over 7%

• Tentative global demand pulled India’s goods exports down 8.8% in Feb to $33.9 bn, while imports fell 8.2% from a year ago to $51.31 bn, according to Commerce Ministry.
• This is the 3^rd time in 5 months that merchandise exports have contracted, following an 11.6% drop in Oct 2022 and a 3% fall in Dec 2022.
• Outbound shipments’ value dropped for as many as 16 of India’s top 30 export items in Feb, with 14 of them recording close to or higher than double-digit declines.
• This included a 9.7% dip in engineering exports, which have been a bulwark of India’s exports in recent years.
• The merchandise trade deficit during Feb 2023 fell 7% to $17.43 bn, slightly higher than Jan’s $16.56 billion deficit, which in turn was the lowest in at least 18 months.
• The first two months of 2023 have now clocked a sharply lower average deficit than seen through all of 2022 when the monthly deficit hit a record $29.23 bn in Sept.
• Oil exports fell sharply by 28.8%, while imports went below the $52 bn-mark
• Although gold imports dropped almost 45% from Feb 2022 levels to $2.63 billion, this constituted a 277% month-on-month jump from Jan’s imports. (here)

RBI has allowed banks from 18 countries to trade in rupee: government in Rajya Sabha

• Banks from 18 countries have been permitted by the Reserve Bank of India to open Special Vostro Rupee Accounts (SVRAs) for settling payments in Indian rupees, the govt told the Rajya Sabha.
• In response to a question, Junior Fin Min said SVRAs could be set up by banks of partner countries by approaching Authorised Dealer banks in India that may get permission from the RBI after the due procedure. (here)
• The 18 countries include Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Botswana, Fiji, Germany, Guyana, Israel, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, New Zealand, Oman, Russia, Seychelles, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and UK.

SC reserves verdict on pleas related to Maharashtra political tussle

• The Supreme Court on Thu reserved the verdict on a batch of petitions filed by rival factions Uddhav Thackeray and CM Eknath Shinde to the Maharashtra political crisis.
• Five-judge Constitution bench of the Chief Justice reserved the order after all the parties concluded their arguments.
• During the hearing, CJI DY Chandrachud noted that the Uddhav Thackeray govt chose not to face a trust vote.
• Justice Shah asked how can the court reinstate the CM who did not even face the floor test.
• The lawyer appearing for Uddhav camp said that the illegal act of the Governor is a prior pending sub judice challenge before the trust vote.
• CM Shinde’s camp had earlier apprised the Court about the Shiv Sena party’s pre-poll alliance with BJP and reiterated their claim on the right of the party. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Xi tightens grip as China announces major plan to revamp governance

• China on Thu revealed a major plan to revamp state institutions, tightening the President Xi Jinping-led CCP grip over organizations responsible for governance, days after he secured an unprecedented third term as president.
• The new plan also streamlines the CCP’s hold over the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau.
• Several new central committees are being set up to increase the CPC’s direct supervision of sectors like finance and technology, etc.
• In short, the CPC is set to deepen its grip and influence on every aspect of governance, essentially further blurring the already-thin divide between the Party and the govt. (here)

China attacks Japan on disputed island, history, says Tokyo-Seoul should not form blocs

• China on Thu launched a dual diplomatic attack on Japan
• Countering Tokyo’s territorial claims in the East China Sea as a violation of Chinese sovereignty
• And calling Japanese militarisation “very dangerous”, which deserves “high vigilance” from the international community.
• The twin responses from the Chinese foreign and defense ministries came in the backdrop of the latest round of tension between the two over disputed islands
• While China calls the islands Diaoyu, Japan calls them Senkaku, in the East China Sea.
• This came when S Korean President Yoon met his Japanese counterpart Kishida in Tokyo after 12 years to put up a joint front against N Korea, with a sharp focus on China. (here)

Pakistan: ‘No compromise’ on Nuke program, says Pak’s Finance Minister amid cash crunch

• Amid the financial crunch, Fin Min Ishaq Dar asserted that they won’t “compromise” on the nuclear and missile programs.
• Speaking at the Senate on Thu, Dar said, “Let me assure you that […] nobody is going to compromise anything on the nuclear or the missile program of Pakistan — no way.”
• In the Senate, PPP Senator Raza Rabbani raised the question of the reasons behind the delay in the agreement with the IMF, which would offer a critical lifeline to Pakistan
• The PPP leader lamented that the Senate had “neither before nor today been taken into confidence on what are the conditionalities of the IMF”.
• Terming the delay “absolutely out of the ordinary — extraordinary”, Rabbani said that the question arises if the delay is being made because of some sort of pressure to be exerted on Pakistan’s nuclear [program]. (here)
• Dar snubbed the demand for abandoning long-range nuclear missiles and said that nobody has any right to tell Pakistan what range of missiles it can have, also pointing out the “uncustomary” attitude of the IMF. (here)
• FM Bilawal Bhutto has said his country is facing “a perfect storm” of troubles — an economic crisis, the consequences of catastrophic flooding, and terrorism “that is once again rearing its ugly head” as a result of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. (here)

Toshakhana case: Islamabad court rejects Imran Khan’s plea seeking suspension of arrest warrant

• An Islamabad court Thu rejected PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s plea seeking the suspension of non-bailable arrest warrants issued in the Toshakhana case.
• District and Sessions Judge announced the verdict reserved earlier redirecting the authorities concerned to arrest Khan and present him before the court on March 18.
• He mentioned that the decision has been taken after reviewing every aspect of the law, hoping that the petitioners will enjoy reading the detailed verdict.
• Imran Khan’s indictment in the reference, which was scheduled for Feb 28, was differed multiple times before, due to his continuous absence from the hearing.
• Later, the court issued a non-bailable arrest warrant for the PTI chairman.
• The party approached the Islamabad High Court on Tue requesting it to suspend Khan’s non-bailable warrants in the Toshakhana case, but the HC directed Khan’s counsel to move the trial court as the order for his arrest was “in line with the law”. (here)

Gilgit-Baltistan Police IG Muhammad Saeed has been transferred and

• Gilgit-Baltistan Police IG Muhammad Saeed has been transferred and Dar Ali Khattak has been appointed as the new IG after a notification was issued from the Establishment
• IG Saeed was transferred as punishment for sending 50 Gilgit-Baltistan Police Personnel to Lahore for security at Zaman Park and protecting Imran Khan from arrest.
• The Gilgit-Baltistan Police Personnel resisted and stopped Punjab Police from arresting Imran Khan and hence IG Police was transferred. (Baad-e-Shimal, Daily K2)
• GB Assembly Opposition Leader Amjad Khan of PPP demanded that a treason case should be invoked against CM Khalid Khurshid for inducing the GB Police to rebel (Baad-e-Shimal, Daily K2)
• CM Khurshid has rejected the transfer of IG Police Muhammad Saeed and indicated to approach the judiciary on the issue.
• He argued that news about GB Police combating the Punjab Police is false and claimed that the police are only for the security of GB Ministers present in Lahore. (Daily K2)

Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Sira-ju- Haq launched the “Tehreek-e-Huquq-e-Qabail”

• Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Sira-ju-Haq launched the “Tehreek-e-Huquq-e-Qabail, (Movement for the Rights of Tribal).
• A 5-day caravan will pass through Orzai, North and South Waziristan, and end in Khyber on March 19.
• A large number of people participated in the meetings held at Khar and Mian Mandi, the Bajaur, and Mohmand.
• The caravan was welcomed with cheering slogans on its arrival in different areas and the meeting places of the Amir Jamaat.
• Shah Faisal Afridi, chairman of the Tribal Rights Movement, and tribal leaders Sardar Khan, Malik Saeed, and former MNA Haroon-ul-Rashid are also.
• Sirajul Haq demanded the government that the commitments made at the time of the merger with the tribal people should be implemented immediately. (Jasarat)