1. Centre Readies ‘Viksit Bharat 2047 Plan’, Focus On Growth: Sources
2. PM Modi to visit 12 states in 10 days; Kamala Harris calls for Gaza ceasefire; all latest news
3. Pak-bound ship from China with military-grade items stopped at Mumbai port
4. Brazilian-Spanish couple’s Jharkhand horror: Brazil embassy reaches out, 3 apprehended
5. Lok Sabha Elections 2024: BJP issued 1st list of 195 candidates, but 1 step back

What Else

• Rameshwaram Cafe blast: Five injured in explosion at popular Bengaluru hangout spot
• Shehbaz raises Kashmir, India wants to focus on terrorism
• Taiwan recruiting Indians with ‘similar skin color’ to Taiwanese: Labor minister
• ‘Bullies don’t provide $4.5 Bn Aid’: Jaishankar gives rebuttal to Muizzu’s accusation
• PM-elect Shehbaz Sharif invites opposition for ‘Charter of Reconciliation’
• Boeing to pay $51mn US penalty over arms export violations
• Chinese space, nuclear development is ‘breathtakingly fast,’ DOD officials warn
• China “Invasion Threat” gives sleepless nights to Russia; Moscow held wargames for 6 years – Leaked Docs
• B’desh: Remittance hits eight-month high

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Centre Readies ‘Viksit Bharat 2047 Plan’, Focus On Growth: Sources

• PM Modi on Sun evening presented a Vision India document for 2047, saying planning for a Viksit Bharat (Developed India) by 2047 is a priority area, sources told NDTV.
• At a meeting of the Council of Ministers, he said the document had been prepared after more than 2700 meetings across ministries from Dec 2021 to Jan 2024. (here)
• As per officials, the meeting of the council of ministers will take place at the Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in Chanakyapuri diplomatic enclave in New Delhi.
• Agenda: As the meeting comes ahead of general polls, the PM and the ministers are expected to chalk out a detailed strategy for the elections.
• The ministers may also review the performance of the govt over the past decade.
• PM Modi might also ask for feedback regarding certain initiatives by the central govt in the past term.
• Meanwhile, the Election Commission is expected to announce the poll schedule in the coming days.
• Earlier reports said the schedule will be out only after Mar 13. (here)

PM Modi to visit 12 states in 10 days; Kamala Harris calls for Gaza ceasefire; all latest news

• PM Modi is embarking on a 10-day tour across 12 states and union territories, starting Mar 4, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
• The extensive itinerary includes visits to Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, West Bengal, Bihar, J&K, Assam, Arunachal, UP, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Delhi.
• Modi is slated to participate in 29 programs, strategically engaging with voters to bolster support for the upcoming parliamentary polls.
• This tour serves as a crucial platform for the PM to connect with diverse regions and communities, addressing key issues and shaping public sentiment in the elections (here)
• PM Modi to launch several development projects in Telangana, Tamil Nadu today: PM Modi is set to embark on a 3-day visit to 5 states, namely Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, West Bengal, and Bihar, starting Mon. (here)
• PM Modi to dedicate, lay foundation stone for NTPC’s Power Projects worth more than Rs 30,000 crores: PM Modi will dedicate to the nation and lay the foundation for a series of NTPC projects on Mar 4, signaling a significant leap towards sustainable development and economic growth, the Ministry of Power said in a press release (here)

Pak-bound ship from China with military-grade items stopped at Mumbai port

• A Karachi-bound ship from China was stopped by Indian security forces at Mumbai’s port on the suspicion that it carried a dual-use consignment that could be used for Pak’s nuclear and ballistic missiles program, officials here said on Sat.
• The customs officials, based on an intel input, halted a Malta-flagged merchant ship at the port en route to Karachi on Jan 23 and inspected the consignment.
• Items included a Computer Numerical Control machine, which is controlled by a computer and produces efficient, consistent, and accurate — originally manufactured by an Italian company, which is certified by DRDO.
• The seizure falls under the prevention of possible proliferation by Pakistan and China.
• According to documents, the consigner was mentioned as “Shanghai JXE Global Logistics Co Ltd” and the consignee was “Pakistan Wings Pvt Ltd” of Sialkot. (here)
• Pakistan, China rebuke India’s claims of seizing weapons program material: The two have rebuked the allegations “hurled by India” regarding the seizure.
• “These reports are reflective of Indian media’s habitual misrepresentation of facts.… supplies parts to the automobile industry in Pakistan,” Pak FO replied to a query.
• FO further stressed that the specifications of the equipment indicate its purely commercial use and that the transaction was being conducted through transparent banking channels with all relevant documentation.
• Meanwhile, Chinese FM, according to reports, has also disputed the Indian description of the seized machine and said it was a heat-treating furnace, not an autoclave (here)

Brazilian-Spanish couple’s Jharkhand horror: Brazil embassy reaches out, 3 apprehended

• A Brazilian-Spanish couple, traveling through Asia on a motorcycle, faced a horrifying ordeal in Jharkhand’s Dumka district last week.
• The woman, a vlogger, was gang-raped while her partner was beaten. The authorities are investigating the vicious criminal attack that occurred last Fri night.
• The Brazilian embassy in Delhi issued a statement expressing deep concern over the plight of the couple.
• The embassy revealed that the victims received urgent medical attention and promptly reported the crime to the local authorities.
• In response, the authorities acted swiftly, identifying suspects and apprehending 3 out of the 7 individuals sought in connection with the crime.
• Also, due to the victims’ dual nationality, the Brazilian embassy coordinated with the Spanish embassy in Delhi to ensure comprehensive support for the affected couple.
• The Brazilian embassy reiterated its commitment to providing all necessary assistance and closely monitoring developments in the case. (here)

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: BJP issued 1^st list of 195 candidates, but 1 step back

• The ruling BJP released its 1^st  list of candidates for the upcoming LS Elections on Sat
• PM Modi, Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla will contest again from their respective seats, including 34 Union ministers,
• The first list included UP (51), MP (24), WB (20) Guj (15), Raj (15) Kl (12), TG (9), Delhi (5), UK (3), Arunachal (2) J&K (2) and 4 others.
• It also replaced as many as 33 sitting MPs including ministers, with new faces.
• The list also included 28 women and 47 young leaders.
• Bhojpuri singer and actor Pawan Singh was named as the candidate from the Asansol constituency in West Bengal, but on Sun, Singh said that he won’t be able to contest.
• Former Health Min Harsh Vardhan quits politics, says ‘my clinic awaits my return’, while BJP dropped 3 sitting MPs – Harsh Vardhan, Parvesh Verma, Ramesh Bidhuri, and Meenakshi Lekhi in Delhi, and choosing new faces.
• Also, two young faces –Gautam Gambhir and Jayant Sinha – called for retirement from politics on the day when the list was released (here)
• [This was the unlikely-to-fail list where there was no doubt as to what was to be done. Interestingly, many ‘big’ ministers are not on the 1^st list]

Rameshwaram Cafe blast: Five injured in explosion at popular Bengaluru hangout spot

• 5 [10] people were injured in an explosion at Bengaluru’s popular eatery, The Rameshwaram Cafe, in Whitefield on Fri.
• NIA has taken over the investigation on Mon.
• No casualties have been reported so far, according to news agency PTI.
• The injured have been shifted to a local hospital and are currently receiving treatment
• Visuals of the blast were circulating on social media, showing huge crowds, which had gathered in the area.
• The explosion reportedly caused some damage to the eatery’s premises. (here)
• Karnataka Dy CM DK Shivakumar said on Sat that there seemed to be a link between the blast at Bengaluru’s Cafe and an explosion in Mangaluru in 2022.
• In Mangaluru, an IED kept inside a pressure cooker accidentally went off when it was being taken in an auto rickshaw in Nov 2022.  (here)

Shehbaz raises Kashmir, India wants to focus on terrorism

• Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif lost no time in raking up the Kashmir issue after being elected PM for the 2^nd time, as he called for a resolution in the NA for the freedom of the Kashmiri people, clubbing them with the Palestinians.
• While a congratulatory message from PM Modi to Shehbaz isn’t ruled out, India’s message to Islamabad remains that it should focus on creating an environment free of terror in the region, instead of meddling in India’s internal affairs.
• “Let’s all come together…and the National Assembly should pass a resolution for the freedom of Kashmiris and Palestinians,” said Shehbaz in his maiden address, even as he pledged to improve ties with neighbors.
• Shehbaz’s remark may suggest Pakistan is unlikely to climb down from its maximalist position that India rolled back the Aug 2019, despite the message of peace from his elder brother Nawaz, who is expected to hold the reins of the Shehbaz govt.
• Shehbaz also didn’t bring up his party PML-N’s official position, as mentioned in its election manifesto, that normalization is possible only if India restores Article 370.
• In any case, India’s policy of zero tolerance for terrorism, which has meant no substantive bilateral engagement with Pakistan since 2015-2016, has served it well.
• Modi and Nawaz are known to have built a close rapport over the years but FM S Jaishankar left nobody in doubt about what the govt has on its mind when he ruled out on Sat revival of SAARC anytime soon because Pakistan backed cross-border terrorism.
• According to diplomatic sources, there’s a realization in Pakistan too that any forward movement is possible only after the imminent Indian elections. (here)

Taiwan recruiting Indians with ‘similar skin color’ to Taiwanese: Labor minister

• Labor Minister Hsu Ming-chun said that Taiwan plans on recruiting migrant workers from NE India because “their skin color and eating habits” are similar to Taiwanese, their Christian beliefs, and their skills in manufacturing, construction, and agriculture.
• Hsu fielded questions about an MoU signed between Taiwan and India on labor cooperation on Feb. 26.
• Hsu said that the program could start in 6 months to a year because the MoU serves as a framework, and there is a need to convene working-level meetings.
• Hsu said that online rumors swirling before the election that Taiwan would bring in over 1 Lac workers from India were false and that the MoU had not even been signed.
• Hsu said that Taiwan has struggled for many years to find an alternative source of migrant workers to avoid depending on a few nations for labor. (here)

‘Bullies don’t provide $4.5 Bn Aid’: Jaishankar gives rebuttal to Muizzu’s accusation

• External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar gave a rebuttal when addressing the allegations that “India was being a bully in the sub-continent”.
• While dismissing the allegations the diplomat noted that so-called “big bullies” don’t provide $4.5 billion to neighbors who are in distress.
• The proclamation from Jaishankar came at a book launch event which was held in the national capital on Sun.
• He also pointed out how India supplies vaccines to other countries when the world was struggling with the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.
• Amid the ongoing diplomatic row with India, Muizzu said that Maldives is a small country, but that is not a “license” for anybody to “bully” us.
• “Though we have small islands in this ocean, we have a vast exclusive economic zone of 9,00,000 km².
• Jaishankar also pointed out how India worked on ensuring greater connectivity with its neighboring countries to improve trade and other flows. (here)

 [Neighborhood]

PM-elect Shehbaz Sharif invites opposition for ‘Charter of Reconciliation’

• Pakistan’s newly elected PM Shehbaz Sharif on Sun invited the opposition to the ‘Charter of Recondcialtion’ to steer Pakistan out of crises.
• “Work ahead is difficult’ but not impossible,” Shehbaz Sharif — surrounded by party lawmakers — said in his victory speech in NA.
• The premier-elect thanked PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif for nominating him for the coveted post and expressed gratitude to his allies PPP and the MQM-P and others.
• He lamented the “judicial murder” of PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and paid homage to his daughter and ex-PM Benazir Bhutto for paying the ultimate price for democracy.
• Without taking any names, Shehbaz took a jibe at the PTI for hounding the opposition when it was in power, going against the country’s interests while resorting to leveling serious allegations against the armed forces.
• Addressing the economic crunch faced by the country, he highlighted that out of the Rs 12,300 bn generated by the country, Rs 7,300 bn is given to the provinces and the govt faces a whopping Rs7k billion deficit due to services charges worth up to Rs 8k bn.
• “Where will the money come for development, health, and education sectors? From where will the armed forces’ government employees’ salaries be paid?” (here)
• Shehbaz Sharif elected prime minister after securing 201 votes
• PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif has been elected the 24^th PM of Pakistan after clinching 201 votes, National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq announced.
• Omer Ayub Khan, the PTI’s candidate for the premier, secured 92 votes.
• Following the announcement of his victory, Shehbaz hugged elder brother Nawaz.

Boeing to pay $51mn US penalty over arms export violations

• Boeing is paying $51mn to settle a US admin charge over unauthorised exports, to countries including China, of technical data related to a range of US military weaponry including fighter jets and missile systems.
• The deal with the US aerospace manufacturer will resolve nearly 200 violations of the Arms Export Control Act, the US State Department said on Thu.
• The company and govt reached the agreement prompted by Boeing’s disclosures between 2017-22 that some of its international employees and contractors had been violating the law.
• The US found the exports to China from 2013-17 “caused harm to US national security”.
• Exports to Russia in the last decade, while it was subject to restrictive measures on defense exports, “created the potential for harm to US national security”. (here)

Chinese space, nuclear development is ‘breathtakingly fast,’ DOD officials warn

• China’s progress in space tech—and its nuclear triad—are proceeding with incredible speed, while Russia remains an unpredictable and dangerous threat, top officials from U.S. Strategic Command and Space Command told lawmakers Thu.
• What “China and Russia are doing, particularly building with their counter space weapons, they’re moving breathtakingly fast,” Gen. Stephen Whiting, the head of U.S. Space Command.
• U.S. forces rely heavily on space assets. China and Russia know that, and it’s becoming a growing vulnerability, Whiting said.
• Whiting didn’t talk specifically about the Russian nuclear anti-satellite weapon that’s been much in the news, but he did—indirectly—address the notion that Russia would have no strategic reason to use such a weapon (here)

China “Invasion Threat” gives sleepless nights to Russia; Moscow held wargames for 6 years – Leaked Docs

• The documents are about the war games conducted by Russia from 2008 to 2014.
• These exercises considered how China is fomenting unrest in Russia by paying protestors and attacking its sparsely populated areas in the far east of the country.
• Russian military leaked docs to the FT quote wargames written by the Russian officers.
• The conflict simulations talked about the population in the eastern cities of Russia rising in violent protests and clashing with police.
• In the meantime, smugglers brought in arms across the borders to carry out attacks on police stations and military barracks.
• And as tensions reach their tipping point, China increases its defense production and shores up its deployment along the border while accusing Russia of “genocide.”
• These wargames were ongoing even as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese Xi Jinping were professing their commitment to a “no limits” partnership.
• Kremiline has cast criticisms on the accuracy of the documents, and the Chinese ministry has re-iterated previously articulated thoughts about “eternal friendship.”
• With India, too, China has used the same tactic by assigning Chinese names to 66 cities that it claims in India. (here)

B’desh: Remittance hits eight-month high

• Migrant workers sent home $2.16 billion in February, posting a 39 percent year-on-year jump, according to Bangladesh Bank (BB) data.
• February’s figure was the highest in 8 months since July last year.
• The country recorded $2.19 bn of remittance inflow in June last year, BB data showed.
• A record number of Bangladeshi migrants — 13.05 lakh, went abroad for jobs in 2023, up from 11.35 lakh of the previous year.
• This year’s Feb had 29 days due to the leap year, which was another reason for the rise in the remittance inflow. (here)