1. Lok Sabha Election 2024 phase 7: Voting date, number of seats, candidates, full schedule
2. More cyber fraud cases getting detected in India due to enhanced vigil, says Amit Shah
3. India, France to begin negotiations this week in mega Rs 50,000 crore 26 Rafale M jet deal
4. National Archives of India undertakes 1st Overseas Digitization of diaspora records in Oman
5. India, Libya Discuss Various Aspects To Strengthen Their Bilateral Relations

What Else

• J-K: Fire breaks out at commercial structure in Srinagar
• Video of Jain Monks Being Harassed in Uttarakhand Goes Viral, Man Booked
• Pakistan: Beijing ‘supports’ Bisham attack probe findings
• Pakistan: Nawaz reclaims ‘N’ in PML-N after 6 years, admits Pakistan ‘violated’ 1999 agreement with India
• Pakistan: IMF predicts an increase in Pakistan’s trade deficit
• Philippines protests China’s unilateral South China Sea fishing ban
• Thailand aims to become first Southeast Asian BRICS member
• China Pushes ‘Rejected’ Submarine Down Thailand’s Throat; To Sell Pak’s Hangor-Class Variant To Bangkok

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Lok Sabha Election 2024 phase 7: Voting date, number of seats, candidates, full schedule

• As the political drama unfolds in the heartland of India, Uttar Pradesh gears up for Phase 7 of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.
• This crucial phase promises to be a game-changer, with voters poised to make their voices heard on a range of issues that resonate across the state. Let’s delve into the details of this pivotal electoral contest.
• Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha Election Phase 7 Voting on 1 Jun: Maharajganj, Gorakhpur, Kushi Nagar, Deoria, Bansgaon, Ghosi, Salempur, Ballia, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Robertsganj. (here)
• Punjab Phase 7: Voting date, number of seats, candidates, full schedule: As the democratic juggernaut rolls on in India, Punjab braces itself for Phase 7^th poll.
• With political fervor reaching its peak, voters eagerly await their turn to cast their ballots in what promises to be a pivotal moment in the state’s political landscape.
• This phase encompasses Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Khadoor Sahib, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Anandpur Sahib, Ludhiana, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Firozpur, Bathinda, Sangrur, Patiala parliamentary constituencies in the state. (here)
• Bihar, Orrisa, Chandigarh, HP, JH, and WB are the 8 states that will vote on Sat.
• PM Modi slams Opposition over vote bank politics: ‘Violation of constitution’: PM Modi claimed that the Opposition had been violating the basic spirit of the constitution for vote-bank politics. (here)
• PM Modi says ‘JMM, Congress are looting Jharkhand in every way’: PM Modi on Tue said the JMM and Congress were “looting Jharkhand in every way”.
• He made the remarks while addressing an election rally in the state’s Dumka town.
• The PM also said, “A new govt will be formed after June 4”.
• After Dumka, the PM headed to WB, to attend poll-related events.
• Also on Tue, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav will address joint rallies in UP, while Congress gen Secy Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is on a visit to Himachal Pradesh.
• Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is also scheduled to campaign for AAP in Punjab. (here)
• PM to meditate in Kanniyakumari: A look at the significance of the site: The PM will be visiting the southernmost tip of India, where 3 oceans converge at the Vivekananda Rock, a place of historical and spiritual significance.
• The retreat is expected to last from the evening of May 30^th to June 1st.
• The location is important as it is where Swami Vivekananda meditated and attained a vision for a developed India.
• The program also delves into the significance of this location and its impact on national unity. (here)
• Fawad Chaudhary, a former Pakistan Min who admitted his country’s role in the Pulwama attack on Bharat wants Modi (BJP) to be defeated and INDI alliance to win elections in India for better relations with Pakistan; Gives Good wishes to them.
• Karnataka govt to pay Rs 80 lakh hotel bill of PM Modi’s stay in Mysuru: Minister: Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Mon said the state govt will pay the hospitality bill of PM Modi, who had come to Mysuru in Apr last year to commemorate 50 years of Project Tiger, which runs up to Rs 80 lakh.
• In a statement, the office said it is a tradition of the state govt to host dignitaries like the PM and the President when they come.
• However, due to the Assembly elections in Karnataka in Apr last year, the state govt was not involved in the planning of the program (Project Tiger) since the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) was in force. (here)
• More cyber fraud cases getting detected in India due to enhanced vigil, says Amit Shah
• About 27 lakh complaints of cyber frauds were registered in the country in the last year and an increasing number of such cases are getting detected due to enhanced vigil, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said.
• Shah also said that 99.5% of PSs in the country are now connected with a central govt CCTNS for investigation, data analytics, research, policy-making, and providing services to citizens.
• The minister said earlier there was no system to go after cyber frauds but now a toll-free number is available for the general public to register their complaints. (here)

India, France to begin negotiations this week in mega Rs 50,000 crore 26 Rafale M jet deal

• In a development, contract negotiations between the GoI and France in the over Rs 50k crore deal for 26 Rafale Marine fighter jets are scheduled to begin on May
• The French side would meet with Defence Ministry counterparts to begin official negotiations in the fighter jet deal for the Indian Navy under which aircraft would be operated from both aircraft carriers operated by the force
• The French team will include officials from their defense ministry and industry including original equipment manufacturers Dassault Aviation and Thales.
• The Indian side would include members from the Defence Acquisition Wing and the Indian Navy.
• (Sources)- they would try to complete negotiations with France and sign the agreement by the end of this financial year.
• France had submitted its response to India’s tender for buying 26 Rafale M jets for the Indian Navy’s aircraft carriers – INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya in Dec itself. (here)

National Archives of India undertakes 1^st Overseas Digitization of diaspora records in Oman

• In a collaborative effort, the Indian Embassy in Muscat and the National Archives of India completed a first-of-its-kind project to archive historical documents of the Indian diaspora in Oman.
• Titled “The Oman Collection – Archival Heritage of the Indian Community in Oman,” the project ran from May 19^th to 27^th, 2024.
• It saw enthusiastic participation from 32 prominent Indian families from Gujarat, whose presence in Oman dates back 250 years.
• Over 7k documents in English, Arabic, Gujarati, and Hindi were digitized, with the oldest dating back to 1838 and most from the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.
• These included personal diaries, account books, ledgers, telegrams, trade invoices, passports, citations, letters, correspondences, and photos, offering insights into the Indian community’s lives, cultural practices, social activities, trade, commerce, and contributions to Omani society. (here)

India, Libya Discuss Various Aspects To Strengthen Their Bilateral Relations

• India and Libya discussed various aspects to strengthen their bilateral relations on Tue.
• MoS for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan met with Libyan Deputy Minister for Political Affairs Mohamed Khalil Issa in New Delhi.
• Muraleedharan informed in a social media post that during the meeting the two sides also identified the next steps to further strengthen cooperation (here)
• India doesn’t have a functional embassy in Libya, and the Indian mission in Tripoli deals with the country.

J-K: Fire breaks out at commercial structure in Srinagar

• A huge fire broke out at a commercial structure in J&K’s Srinagar, officials said on Tue
• They said that the fire broke out at a commercial structure in Rajbagh.
• Officials further added that the fire tenders were deployed to the site and started operations to douse the blaze.
• The exact cause of the fire could not be immediately ascertained
• Further details are awaited. (here)

Video of Jain Monks Being Harassed in Uttarakhand Goes Viral, Man Booked

• A video of a man harassing 2 Digambar (directions are their clothes) Jain monks in Uttarakhand has gone viral on social media, following which the police have formed an STF to probe the incident.
• The culprit [YouTuber Suraj Singh] is a resident of the Tehri district.
• He has been booked under sections of the IPC and the IT Act, UK Police Chief said.
• In the video, the monks are seen sitting on a roadside parapet while the man stands in front of them.
• He can be heard pestering them with questions like why they move in public without any clothes.
• The monks try to explain but when he seems unconvinced, they refuse to answer any more questions and leave.
• For Digambar Jain monks, not wearing clothes is central to their faith. (here)

 [Neighborhood]

Pakistan: Beijing ‘supports’ Bisham attack probe findings

• China has backed Pakistan’s probe into the Mar 26 suicide attack on its engineers in Bisham, saying eliminating terrorism is in the “interest of all countries”, Xinhua reported on Mon.
• The Chinese FM spox response came a day after Pakistan pinned the responsibility on the banned TTP, based in Afghanistan, and hostile foreign intelligence agencies.
• While Pakistan demanded Afghanistan to act against terrorists operating out of its soil, the Chinese official’s remarks didn’t specifically name Kabul.
• “China attaches great importance to the important progress made by the Pakistani side on the investigation of the terrorist attack,” Spox said in a press conference on Mon.
• “China supports Pakistan in continuing to get to the full bottom of what happened, and hunting down and bringing to justice all the perpetrators.”
• Spox said the two nations “will continue to work” to strengthen security cooperation and ensure the safety and security of Chinese personnel, projects, and institutions in Pakistan. (here) [While Afghanistan refused Pakistan’s claim of TTP presence, China on the other hand sees terrorism as Good/Bad.]

Pakistan: Nawaz reclaims ‘N’ in PML-N after 6 years

• Former PM Nawaz Sharif was elected as the PML-N president unopposed on Tue after 6 years, quite expected after he was acquitted last year in all the graft cases
• Earlier, while sharing a video of preparations for the party’s general council meeting, the PML-N had said: “Lion is returning to take his rightful place at the top.”
• The PML-N supremo returned to the party’s helm after he lost the party president’s office due to a Supreme Court decision in the Panama Papers case.
• Addressing the general council meeting, Nawaz told the charged crowd that it had to rejoice not because he reassumed the presidency but because “Saqib Nisar’s decision has been thrown into the dustbin.”
• He alleged that many forces had tried to create discord in his relationship with his brother and PML-N supporters but PM Shehbaz Sharif continued to stay loyal.
• The prime minister excoriated the PTI founder for allegedly criticizing the army.
• Only a few months before this decision, he had been disqualified for life by the apex court in the Panama Papers-related corruption cases. (here)
• Nawaz Sharif admits Pakistan ‘violated’ 1999 agreement with India inked by him and Vajpayee: Former PM Nawaz Sharif stated on Tue that Islamabad had “violated” a 1999 agreement with India inked by him and former Indian PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, in an apparent allusion to Gen Pervez Musharraf’s Kargil intrusion.
• “On May 28, 1998, Pakistan carried out five nuclear tests. After that Vajpayee Saheb came here and made an agreement with us. But we violated that agreement…it was our fault,” Sharif stated at a PML-N general council. (here)

Pakistan: IMF predicts an increase in Pakistan’s trade deficit

• The IMF has predicted an increase in Pakistan’s trade deficit.
• According to details, the IMF has forecasted that in the next fiscal year, Pakistan’s trade deficit is expected to increase, with estimates of growth in both exports and imports.
• The IMF has stated that in the new fiscal year, Pakistan’s trade deficit is likely to increase by $4.165 billion.
• Pakistan’s imports are estimated to increase by $5.517 billion, while exports are expected to rise by $1.352 billion.
• According to the IMF, Pakistan’s trade deficit could increase to $27.923 billion.
• The forecast for the new fiscal year predicts the volume of imports to be $60.48 billion, while Pakistan’s exports are estimated to be $32.56 billion in the next fiscal year.
• In the current fiscal year, Pakistan’s trade deficit is expected to be $23.76 billion, with imports estimated at $54.96 billion.
• By the end of the current fiscal year, exports are expected to reach $31.2 billion.
• The statement confirms that Islamabad has formally requested a new loan program from the IMF. (here)

Philippines protests China’s unilateral South China Sea fishing ban

• The Philippines has protested China’s imposition of a unilateral four-month-long fishing ban in the South China Sea, its foreign ministry said on Mon.
• The annual imposition of a fishing ban raises tensions in the SCS, the FM said, calling on Beijing to “cease and desist” from “illegal actions” that violate the Philippines’ sovereignty and sovereign rights.
• China imposes an annual fishing ban on South China Sea waters and the Philippines routinely opposes it. This year’s ban is expected to last until September.
• The Philippines’ Foreign Affairs Dept has protested the ban through a diplomatic note, saying the fishing moratorium covers waters within its maritime zones.
• China’s embassy in Manila did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
• China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce.
• Its territorial claims overlap with waters claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. (here)

Thailand aims to become first Southeast Asian BRICS member

• Thailand will apply as soon as this month to join the BRICS bloc of emerging nations, the government said on Tue, aiming to team up with other Global South countries to boost its presence on the global stage.
• The BRICS group is centered on Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
• CCP mouthpiece, GT posted on X, Thailand will apply to join the BRICS. The cabinet has approved a letter of intent for Thailand to join the BRICS, a Thai govt spox was cited by media reports as saying on Tue.
• Joining the BRICS countries will enhance Thailand’s international status and increase Thailand’s opportunities on the international stage, the spox said. (here)

China Pushes ‘Rejected’ Submarine Down Thailand’s Throat; To Sell Pak’s Hangor-Class Variant To Bangkok

• Thailand’s plans to acquire Chinese attack submarines ran aground in 2023 after Germany refused to grant an export license for its engine to power the submarines. 
• Bangkok, however, has now decided to proceed ahead with the procurement sans the German engines.
• The Royal Thai Navy first announced the intention to acquire three attack submarines in 2015. The vessel chosen was to be a variant of China’s Yuan-class attack submarines.
• The 2,550-ton, 77.7-meter-long S26T design features a Stirling-type AIP system.
• The submarine, powered by the German MTU 396 diesel engine coupled with the AIP systems, was expected to provide an endurance of 65 days.
• A budget-constrained Thailand also inked a G2G contract for just one submarine worth $390 million in May 2017.
• Steel on the first submarine was cut on Sept 4, 2018, and the construction was to be completed by 2024.
• Germany refused to export the MTU 396 engine intended to power the submarine, citing compliance with the EU embargo on arms exports to China that has been in place since the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. (here)