1. Post Ramnavmi Violence: Violence, stone pelting reported in Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujrat and Bihar
2. PoK assembly supports Amit Shah’s statement on opening of Sharda Peeth corridor
3. US sanctioned Chinese defence minister expected to travel to Delhi for SCO meet
4. Stalin to lead Oppn leaders’ meeting in hybrid mode
5. Rahul Gandhi to Challenge Conviction in Defamation Case Early This Week

What Else

6. Army Chief General Manoj Pande leaves for Australia to enhance defense ties
7. Saudi State Security and India’s RAW agency to work together on Counterterrorism
8. Jammu and Kashmir’s budget twice the size of Pakistan’s IMF bailout request, documents show
9. India, Malaysia can now trade in Indian rupee
10. Russia’s new foreign policy strategy identifies China, India as main allies
11. Indian Navy monitors Chinese vessel carrying out oil and gas exploration near Bangladesh
12. NATO open to more engagement with India, says US representative Julianne Smith
13. ‘Bad habit…’: Jaishankar on Germany, US’ remarks on Rahul’s disqualification
14. Defense exports, at all-time high of Rs 16,000 crore, include made-in-India ATAGS
15. India mulling to purchase new spyware rivalling Pegasus: Report
16. ‘Derogatory attitudes, role of academia’ — what US state’s resolution condemning ‘Hinduphobia’ says
17. India lands unmanned spaceplane with pin-point accuracy; next destination is space
18. South China Sea: Beijing pushes for code of conduct talks, pledges deeper Malaysia, Asean ties
19. ‘Lower the Rhetoric’ on China, Says Milley
20. Pakistan: Govt hoists flag of distrust against CJP-led bench
21. Pakistan: Khunjerab Pass opened for Pakistan-China trade after three years
22. Martyred soldiers laid to rest with military honors
23. Police used violence against the people during free flour distribution in Faqirabad, Peshawar

Post Ramnavmi Violence: Violence, stone pelting reported in Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujrat and Bihar

• West Bengal: Ruckus and stone pelting erupted during the BJP’s Shobha yatra in Hooghly, on Sun.
• On Thu, a case was registered against Goshamahal legislator at a local police station for allegedly provoking the public to disturb the peaceful atmosphere.
• On Thu, several vehicles were set on fire after two groups clashed in Howrah amid Ram Navami celebrations.
• During the procession, the rioters vandalized public and private properties and set vehicles on fire.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah also spoke to state Governor CV Ananda Bose and took stock of the situation in Howrah where violence broke out.
• West Bengal BJP chief on Fri wrote Shah seeking National Investigation Agency probe into violence in Howrah. (here)
• Bihar CM chairs high-level meeting over Ram Navami violence: CM Nitish Kumar on Sun chaired a high-level meeting over violence in Sasaram and Bihar Sharif.
• One person died in clashes that broke out between two groups on Sat in Nalanda.
• Tension continues to prevail in Sasaram and Bihar Sharif after widespread violence was witnessed on Fri during the Ram Navami Shobha yatra, where 6 people were injured.
• Fresh violence erupted in Sasaram and Bihar Sharif on Sat. (here)
• Schools shut in Rohtas, 1 killed, over 100 held across state: The violence that broke out on Thu continued till Sat night, prompting the police to make 112 arrests.
• Vehicles, houses, and shops were torched and several people were injured in the communal flare-ups reported in both towns.
• All govt and private schools will remain shut till Apr 4 in Bihar’s Rohtas district in the wake of violence that erupted recently in Sasaram town. (here)

PoK assembly supports Amit Shah’s statement on opening of Sharda Peeth corridor

• The Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir assembly has supported the Indian Home Minister Amit Shah’s proposal for the opening of the Sharda Peeth Corridor.
• On Mar 29, Awami Muslim League led by Sheikh Rashid proposed in the PoK assembly that a corridor should be built for Kashmiri Pandits to visit Mata Sharda’s temple.
• The PoK govt has suggested that Kashmiri Pandits and Hindus living in India should be allowed to visit the historic Sharda Peeth temple situated in PoK.
• The PoK govt has proposed that on the same lines as the Kartarpur Corridor, the Sharda Peeth corridor should be opened as well from India
• The Sharda Committee Kashmir has been pushing since 2004.
• Recently, Sharda Mata Temple was inaugurated near the Line of Control in the Teetwal area of the Kupwara district.
• Shah virtually inaugurated the temple and said that the Govt of India will try the opening Sharda Peeth on the lines of the Kartarpur Corridor. (here)

US sanctioned Chinese defence minister expected to travel to Delhi for SCO meet

• US-sanctioned Chinese defense minister Li Shangfu is expected to travel to Delhi in Apr to attend the SCO Defence ministers’ meeting.
• The meeting will take place from April 27 to 29 and comes under the Indian chairmanship of the mega grouping.
• Li took charge in March and has been sanctioned by Washington under CAATSA law in the past.
• But being under sanctions is unlikely to impact his India visit given New Delhi doesn’t follow unilateral sanctions by any country.
• India has sent invites to all the members of the grouping for the meeting, including Pakistani and Russian Defence Ministers.
• The SCO is a regional inter-governmental organization comprising 8 member states, including China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
• The SCO covers over 60% of the Eurasian landmass, 40% of the world population, and 30% of the global GDP. (here)

Stalin to lead Oppn leaders’ meeting in hybrid mode

• Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin will on Mon inaugurate the 1^st national conference of the All India Federation for Social Justice, an initiative of the DMK.
• The conference will see the participation
• Rajasthan CM (Congress), Jharkhand CM (JMM), Bihar dy CM RJD, former Uttar Pradesh CM SP, former J&K CM (NC), and TMC MP will speak.
• The conference will be conducted in a hybrid mode, in Delhi, and on Zoom.
• Stalin, who launched AIFSJ last Feb, will deliver the presidential address from Chennai.
• The conference also aims to be a platform for these members to create a road map to take forward principles of social justice in India and bring about a common minimum program to be uniformly adopted by all states, the DMK leader said. (here)

[Though, it is a preparation for a strong opposition against Modi, the theme of the conference, which has been initiated since independence, is yet to continue, and if so long? This cant be seen in isolation as last week a New bill aimed to outlaw caste discrimination in California (here) to target Hindus and many more is lined up.]

Rahul Gandhi to Challenge Conviction in Defamation Case Early This Week

• Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will move the Surat Sessions Court early this week, challenging his conviction in the defamation case that led to his disqualification.
• While news outlets are reporting that it could be early as tomorrow, Mon, (today) the senior party leader did not confirm the same.
• The Congress leader, who did not want to be named, said that Gandhi may personally go to Surat for the appeal.
• Gandhi was sentenced to two years imprisonment by the Surjart CJM court, which also gave him 30 days to move a higher court against the order.
• In another defamation case filed against Gandhi in Patna in 2019, a local court directed him on Friday, March 31, to appear before it on Apr 19. (here)

Army Chief General Manoj Pande leaves for Australia to enhance defense ties

• Army Chief, Gen Manoj Pande, on Sun, left for Australia on a 4-day visit to explore ways to boost defense cooperation between the Armed Forces of the 2 countries.
• The Army chief will interact with a host of senior military dignitaries from different services of the Australian Defence Forces.
• He will also call on the Chief of the Defence Force of Australia, the senior most defense officer of the nation.
• Gen Manoj Pande will meet with army and air chiefs and other senior dignitaries wherein he will discuss avenues for enhancing India-Australia defense relations. (here)

Saudi State Security and India’s RAW agency to work together on Counterterrorism

• Saudi State Security will be working with India’s RAW to combat terrorist crimes and its financing, as the Kingdom’s Cabinet chaired by King Salman Al-Saud, approved.
• The cabinet made its decision, a day after India’s new ambassador to the Kingdom Dr. Suhel Ajaz Khan presented his credentials to the Saudi Interior Minister.
• According to the Saudi News Agency, many topics of shared interest were discussed during the reception.
• In another significant move, the Cabinet also approved a memorandum granting Saudi Arabia a special status to join SCO. (here)

Jammu and Kashmir’s budget twice the size of Pakistan’s IMF bailout request, documents show

• The budget of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir, announced last month, is twice the size of Pakistan’s bailout request to the IMF, according to documents.
• The budget of J&K stood at $14.5 billion, while Pakistan sought $7 bn from the IMF.
• On Mar 13, in the budget statement, fin min Sitharaman highlighted several key infrastructure projects, including the 8.45 km Qazigund-Banihal tunnel at $38 million, which will reduce the travel time between Srinagar and Jammu from 10 to 5.
• On the other hand, Pakistan’s budget pales in comparison, as Islamabad in its budget announced in Jun last year kept only $2.6 billion for development programs.
• The stark contrast between the budgets of J&K and Pakistan highlights the vast difference in economic growth and development between the two regions. (here)

India, Malaysia can now trade in Indian rupee

• India and Malaysia can now use the Indian rupee to settle trade in addition to other currencies, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Sat.
• The move follows the decision by the Reserve Bank of India in July last year to allow the settlement of international trade in Indian currency.
• The MEA said the RBI’s initiative is aimed at facilitating the growth of trade and supporting the interests of the global trading community in the Indian rupee.
• Vostro accounts are used to make payments in domestic currency. (here)

Russia’s new foreign policy strategy identifies China, India as main allies

• Russia’s new foreign policy strategy (42-page) adopted by President Vladimir Putin on Fri identified China and India as its main allies on the world stage.
• The document singled out ties with China and India, stressing the importance of “the deepening of ties and coordination with friendly sovereign global centers of power.”
• India and Russia maintained a close strategic, military, economic, and diplomatic interaction during the Cold War.
• Both Russia and India refer to this alliance as being unique and privileged.
• The strategic partnership between India and Russia is based on 5 main pillars — politics, defense, civil nuclear energy, counter-terrorism cooperation, and space.
• Russia has been the largest supplier of weapons to India, accounting for nearly 50% of the latter’s arms imports from 2016-2020. (here)

Indian Navy monitors Chinese vessel carrying out oil and gas exploration near Bangladesh

• The Indian Navy is closely monitoring a Chinese survey vessel, Hai Yang Shi You 760, which is conducting an oil and gas survey within B’desh’s EEZ in the Bay of Bengal.
• The Chinese-owned seismic survey vessel entered the Indian Ocean region through the Malacca Strait on the night of Dec 29 2022 and is undertaking oil and gas exploration.
• The exploration will complete in May 2023. (here)

NATO open to more engagement with India, says US representative Julianne Smith

• In the first such public remarks by a senior official of the NATO grouping, the US Permanent envoy to NATO has said that the alliance is “open to more engagement”.
• In a press briefing, the envoy confirmed that “informal exchanges” have taken place between some NATO and Indian officials on the sidelines of the annual Raisina Dialogue in Delhi. (here)

‘Bad habit…’: Jaishankar on Germany, US’ remarks on Rahul’s disqualification

• EAM S Jaishankar on Sun said that the West has had a “bad habit” for a long time, of commenting on others, and it thinks it has a “God-given right” to speak about the internal matters of other countries.
• The Minister was responding to a question on Germany and US’ remarks on the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as a Member of Parliament.
• “They will have to learn only by experience that if you keep doing this, other people will also start commenting and they will not like it when it happens,” he said.
• He said, “The second part of the truth — in our arguments, you are inviting the people to comment on you”. (here)
• Jaishankar on Sun said this is not an India that will accept its National Flag pulled down.
• “.. there is a very small minority but behind the minority, there are many interests. Some interests are of neighbors, all of you know which one…” Jaishankar said.
• “……if they do not provide security, there will be reactions from India. The day when India would take this lightly, I would say, is behind us. This is not an India that will accept its National Flag pulled down,” Jaishankar said.
• The comments came when he was asked a question about the recent pro-Khalistani protests in different parts of the world and India’s response to it. (here)
• S Jaishankar is set to travel to Guyana and the Dominican Republic later this month.
• The key focus of India-Guyana ties has been on energy, with India importing crude oil from the country. (here)

Defense exports, at all-time high of Rs 16,000 crore, include made-in-India ATAGS

• India’s defense exports, which have reached an all-time high of Rs 15,920 crore in the financial year 2022-23, ATAGS, the defense ministry has announced.
• Almost Rs 3,000 crore more than the previous financial year.
• Calling it a remarkable achievement for the country, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in a tweet said, “Our defense exports will continue to grow exponentially.”
• While it was reported that the exports this fiscal will be at an all-time high, the sale of ATAGS, which is yet to be inducted into the Indian Army, is a revelation.
• While the ministry remained mum on which country bought the 155mm ATAGS gun system though sources indicated that it could be Armenia.
• The govt had 2020 set an ambitious target of Rs 35,000 crore ($5 billion) in export in aerospace, and defense goods and services for the next five years.
• This was part of the Rs 1.75 lakh crore ($25 billion) turnover in defense manufacturing that the govt is aiming to achieve by 2025. (here)

India mulling to purchase new spyware rivalling Pegasus: Report

• The Indian govt is looking to purchase a new spyware system that is “less exposed” than the controversial Pegasus, the FT has reported quoting unnamed govt officials.
• According to the report, the Modi govt has earmarked $120 million as it prepares for an auction to finalize the deal.
• More than two dozen companies are expected to partake in the bidding process.
• The GoI never officially acknowledged having Pegasus, following reports that it was used to snoop on Indian journalists, politicians, and human rights activists.
• The FT report mentions that Indian officials have already set their sights on several Pegasus competitors, like Predator, Quadream, etc. (here)

‘Derogatory attitudes, role of academia’ — what US state’s resolution condemning ‘Hinduphobia’ says

• The US state of Georgia Sat became the first to pass a resolution condemning “Hinduphobia” and “anti-Hindu bigotry” in the country.
• The legislative measure referred to “a set of antagonistic, destructive, and derogatory attitudes and behaviors towards Sanatana and Hindus that may manifest as fear, prejudice or hatred”.
• The resolution comes a year after India called upon the UN to address the danger of “religious phobias” and acknowledge anti-Hindu, anti-Sikh, and anti-Buddhist threats.
• “Hindu contributions…have enriched the cultural fabric, widely adopted in American society and enriched the lives of millions”, it added. (here)

India lands unmanned spaceplane with pin-point accuracy; next destination is space

• At 7:40 am on Sun, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) performed a feat the runway landing of an unmanned, fully autonomous, indigenous space plane.
• Known as ‘RLV-TD’, the space place was dropped mid-air from an altitude of 4.5 km, by an IAF ‘Chinook’ tandem-rotor helicopter, from where the space plane glided down, performed autonomous navigation, guidance, and control calculations, and landed precisely at high speed of 350kmph.
• “Today’s step is taking us closer to reusable rocket/landing craft for very specific mission goals,” ISRO said.  (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

South China Sea: Beijing pushes for code of conduct talks, pledges deeper Malaysia, Asean ties

• China has pushed for talks on a protocol to manage territorial disputes in the SCS while pledging to strengthen ties with Malaysia.
• Malaysia is one of the rival Southeast Asian claimants in the resource-rich waterway.
• It came as Chinese Premier Li Qiang met Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim in Beijing, where he highlighted the need for regional cooperation.
• Five bilateral MoUs were signed during Anwar’s visit to Beijing, involving trade and economic relations, food security, and agriculture.
• An investment commitment of US$38 billion focusing on green technology and the digital economy was also reached between companies from the two countries.
• Li also said that the countries involved in SCS territorial disputes should push forward talks on the code of conduct to “ensure peace and stability” of the waterway.
• Beijing claims almost the whole of the busy waterway under what it calls its historical “nine-dash line”. (here)

‘Lower the Rhetoric’ on China, Says Milley

• The Joint Chiefs chairman warned against the rise of “overheated” rhetoric of a looming U.S. war with China, and he said he doubts China’s chances of “conquering” Taiwan.
• But, he added, the US should continue to quicken arms shipments to the self-governing nation and its military capabilities, just in case.
• Following this year’s Chinese balloon scare, the China heat is on. In the last two weeks, members of Congress in hearings aimed a list of concerns about China.
• Milley has taken to telling lawmakers that war with China—and Russia—is “not imminent or inevitable.” It’s part of an effort to lower the heat, he said.
• Fears of a China-Russia alliance are also premature, Milley indicated. (here)

Pakistan: Govt hoists flag of distrust against CJP-led bench

• The constitutional crisis in Pakistan deepened on Sat as the ruling coalition in the Centre, led by PML-N, hinted that it would not accept the decision of the SC in the case regarding provincial polls
• Also alluded to the possibility of moving a reference against CJP Umar Ata Bandial and two other members of the bench.
• At a crucial huddle with allies from the PDM and PPP, the federal coalition expressed “complete no-confidence” in the bench
• The meeting declared that there would be “no talks” with PTI chief Imran Khan on a date for elections and pledged to take the fight to any level.

• PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari, who is in Dubai for medical treatment, participated in the meeting via video link. (here)
• Two SC judges raise questions over ‘unbridled’ powers of CJP: In an unusual development in the top court, 2 judges of the SC raised questions over the powers of the CJP.
• Two SC judges say it is important “to revisit the power of ‘one-man show’ enjoyed by CJP.
• “When one person has too much power, there is a risk that institution may become autocratic,” they add.
• “Court has been ushered into a political thicket by suo motu proceedings,” they believe.

Pakistan: Khunjerab Pass opened for Pakistan-China trade after three years

• The Khunjerab Pass, a major trade route between Pakistan and China, has been reopened after a closure of almost 3 years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
• The pass connects Gilgit-Baltistan with China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and was closed in 2020 following the outbreak of Covid-19.
• Chinese authorities have shared a letter with Pakistani officials on the Chinese side have been instructed to take all necessary measures to contain Covid-19 before the arrival of goods from Pakistan.
• Similarly, Pakistani border authorities have also been instructed to take all measures regarding Covid-19, to ensure the containment of the disease. (here)

Martyred soldiers laid to rest with military honours

• The Namaz-e-Janaza of 4 soldiers was offered in Kehrar Buzdar (Taunsa), Kot Addu, Manjhipur, and Dab Gorweel, respectively, on Sun.
• According to the military media wing, all 4 soldiers embraced martyrdom in an attack by a group of terrorists on the Iranian side during a routine border patrol.
• The armed forces of Pakistan stand resolute to eliminate the menace of terrorism at all costs, the ISPR stated. (here)

Police used violence against the people during free flour distribution in Faqirabad, Peshawar

• The video of the police violence has become viral.
• The video shows that extreme violence was used by the police against the people who had come to receive free flour.
• The angry men and women protested against this violence and blocked Sabzi Mandi Road. Getting free flour has become a torment for the people.
• People are standing in long queues for hours but fail to get the free flour.
• It is alleged that the flour is distributed among the chosen ones after closing the doors of the distribution center and the deserving people return to their homes empty-handed. (Aeen Daily)