1. PM Modi in Australia: India to open consulate in Brisbane, Harris Park declared as ‘little India’
2. India working on small modular reactors: Jitendra Singh
3. Delhi HC reserves order on PIL against RBI allowing exchange of Rs 2,000 notes without ID
4. Russia Pushes India for Help to Avert Global Financial Isolation
5. US Congressmen write to Speaker urging to invite PM Modi for delivering joint address to Congress

What Else

6. Navy’s guided missile destroyer INS Mormugao carries out engagement of sea-skimming supersonic target
7. ‘Good chance to defeat BJP’ — Mamata stands behind Kejriwal in fight against Modi govt ordinance
8. Imran Khan’s close aide quits party and active politics after arrest
9. Pakistan appoints new Afghan envoy amid complex challenge
10. Bangladesh struggles to pay for fuel imports as dollar crisis worsens: Report

PM Modi in Australia: India to open consulate in Brisbane, Harris Park declared as ‘little India’

• India will soon open its consulate in Brisbane, PM Modi announced Tue while addressing a gathering of Indian community members at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena.
• “An absolute delight connecting with Indian diaspora at a community program,” PM Modi said at the event, also attended by his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese.
• PM Modi arrived in Sydney on Mon for a 2-day official visit, and he is expected to hold bilateral discussions with the Australian govt over trade, diplomatic and cultural ties.
• Harris Park declared as ‘Little India’
• Earlier, Australian Prime Minister Albanese officially declared Sydney’s Harris Park as ‘Little India’ as he welcomed the Indian leader at the community event.
• Indian diaspora in Australia: 619,164 (2.8%) Australians reported having Indian ethnicity in the 2016 census, of those, 592,000 were born in India. (here)
• Albanese said that the “million-strong community” has contributed a lot to Australia and announced that the new centre for ties between two will be based in Parramatta. (here)
• PM Modi, in his key address to the Indian diaspora highlighted “Mutual Trust and Mutual Respect” are the foundation of the close historical ties between two. (here)
• PM Modi is “The Boss”, PM Albanese said on Tue at a grand community event in Sydney for the Indian diaspora. (here)
• Modi as “the Boss” takes center stage with Style, Modi rocks Sydney; Top headlines this morning in Australian newspapers
• PM Modi had a productive meeting with Leader of Opposition Peter Dutton in Sydney.

India working on small modular reactors: Jitendra Singh

• India is working on new technologies such as the small modular reactors that can be factory-built and help make clean energy transition, S&T Minister Jitendra Singh said.
• Singh also said the govt had opened up the nuclear power sector for joint ventures with public sector undertakings but not for the private sector.
• SMR, with up to 300 MW capacity are flexible in design and require a smaller footprint.
• Being mobile and agile technology, SMR can be factory-built unlike the conventional nuclear reactors that are built onsite.
• A recent NITI Aayog report said, as many SMR designs were under various stages of development and bringing in public as well as private capital.
• The minister said for the first time, the Modi govt had approved a proposal to build 10 nuclear reactors under “fleet mode”. (here)

Delhi HC reserves order on PIL against RBI allowing exchange of Rs 2,000 notes without ID

• The Delhi HC on Tue reserved the order on a PIL challenging RBI and SBI notifications, which permits the exchange of Rs 2,000 banknotes without identity proof.
• The plea called the decision arbitrary and irrational and offends Article 14 of the Constitution of India, hence, inoperative.
• The plea had been moved by BJP leader AK Upadhyay, seeking direction to the RBI and SBI to ensure that banknotes are deposited in respective bank accounts only.
• The plea further stated that as per RBI total value of Rs 2,000 banknotes in circulation has declined from Rs 6.73 lakh crore to 3.62 lakh crore, of which 3.11 lakh crore has been reached either in individual’s locker otherwise has been hoarded.
• The population of India is 142 crore, the total number of families is 30 crore and 130 crores Indians have Aadhar Card, so 3-4 cards per family.
• The total number of accounts is 225 crore and out of that 48 crore are Jana Dhan accounts of BPL families. (here)

Russia Pushes India for Help to Avert Global Financial Isolation

• The Kremlin is pressuring govts including India behind the scenes, threatening to upend defense and energy deals unless they help block moves against Russia.
• “Documents seen by Bloomberg” and accounts by officials in NATO countries familiar with the situation “offer a rare insight” into how Russia is targeting commercial partners ahead of a June meeting.
• Blacklisting by the FATF would put Putin’s govt in the same company as North Korea, Iran and Myanmar, the only countries with that designation, and plunge his economy even deeper into isolation over the war.
• Many countries in the so-called Global South including India have stayed mostly neutral over Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
• Bloomberg is unable to verify whether India responded to the warnings. The Russian and Indian govts didn’t respond to requests to comment. (here)

US Congressmen write to Speaker urging to invite PM Modi for delivering joint address to Congress

• US Congressmen Ro Khanna and Michael Waltz on Tue wrote a letter in their capcity to US House of Rep Speaker Kevin McCarthy, urging him to invite PM Modi to deliver a joint address to Congress during his first state visit to the United States.
• PM Modi will visit the US on June 22 following an invitation from President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden.
• The White House on Tue said the visit of PM Modi to the US will be an opportunity to reaffirm the deep, close partnership between US and India.
• The WH said the visit will also fortify shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and shared resolve to evaluate strategic technology partnerships, including in defense, clean energy, and space. (here)

Navy’s guided missile destroyer INS Mormugao carries out engagement of sea-skimming supersonic target

• The Indian Navy successfully conducted an engagement with a sea-skimming supersonic target using its most recent indigenous guided missile destroyer Mormugao.
• India’s maritime force said that this maiden effort depicts the Navy’s future-proof warfare readiness and commitment towards Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
• Mormugao, which is named after Goa on the west coast, coincidentally launched its first sea attack on Dec 19, 2021.
• The Navy said that the ship measures 163x17m with a displacement of 7,400 tonnes.
• India performs a maiden test of sea-based ballistic missile interceptor
• India joins the elite club: India has been working to improve its ability to intercept enemy ballistic missiles both inside and outside of the atmosphere of the earth. (here)

‘Good chance to defeat BJP’ — Mamata stands behind Kejriwal in fight against Modi govt ordinance

• West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee came out in support of her Delhi CM Kejriwal in the row over the Centre’s recent ordinance.
• As Parliament has to ratify the ordinance within 6 months, Ms. Banerjee said that the vote in the RS on a Bill will be a “semi-final before the 2024 elections”.
• The meeting of the two CMs was the first since Mamata and Kejriwal came face-to-face briefly in April 2022 in New Delhi. (here) [All the parties, which resolved to support will also not have numbers in RS]

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Imran Khan’s close aide quits party and active politics after arrest

• The aftermath of the May 9 arson incident has led to an increasing number of PTI leaders parting ways with the party, with the total now reaching 24.
• The “most prominent figure” to exit the party so far is former federal minister Shireen Mazari, a senior leader within PTI.
• Mazari, who had been detained for over a week despite court orders for her release, said her departure from both the party and politics altogether, citing family reasons.
• Mazari has been a vocal critic of Pakistan’s military and the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
• Former Punjab information minister Fayazul Hassan Chohan, Makhdoom Iftikharul Hassan Gillani, a former MPA from Bahawalpur, and Mian Jaleel Ahmed Sharaqpuri from Sheikupura have also formally announced their departure from the party. (here)
• PTI Vice Chairman SM Qureshi was rearrested Tue, minutes after being released from Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.
• Musarrat Jamshed Cheema was also rearrested immediately after her release. (here)
• In Pakistan Deep state trying to break the will of Imran Khan’s supporters and leaders. Shireen Mazari quits, SM Qureshi jailed again.
• Deep State accused of threatening leaders, their wives, and children will be abducted, stripped naked & videos made viral, claimed a PTI leader over social media.

Pakistan appoints new Afghan envoy amid complex challenge

• Former ambassador Asif Ali Durrani on Tue was appointed as special representative of Pakistan on Afghanistan two-and-a-half months after his predecessor stepped down.
• Durrani served as dy chief of Pakistan’s mission in Kabul from 2005-09 besides Iran.
• This comes at a time when Pakistan is facing a complex challenge in Afghanistan.
• The most immediate one is to sort out the lingering sanctuaries of TTP
• Pakistan, unlike in the past, is no longer seeking any peace talks with the TTP
• The Taliban offered Pakistan to disarm TTP and relocate its fighters from border regions but with a caveat that Islamabad will have to bear the cost of that plan. (here)

Bangladesh struggles to pay for fuel imports as dollar crisis worsens: Report

• B’desh is struggling to pay for imported fuel because of a dollar shortage, with the state owned company owing over $300 mn as it faces an “alarming decrease in fuel reserves”.
• All business of fuel is controlled by Bangladesh Petroleum Corp, which has asked the govt to permit domestic commercial banks to settle dues with India in rupees.
• The nation’s dollar reserves have shrunk more than a 3^rd since Russia’s invasion to stand at a 7-year low of about $30.2 billion by May 17.
• Heavily reliant on energy imports, Dhaka is grappling with power cuts resulting from a fuel shortage that have hurt its exports-oriented garments industry.
• The supply may be disrupted the country with an alarming decrease in fuel reserves. (here)