SOURCE: PTI

Pakistan on Thursday clarified that it has no plan to resume trade relations with India which has been “non-existent” since 2019 after the Indian government abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. The clarification from Pakistan’s Foreign Office comes days after the new Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said in London that Pakistan will seriously consider restoring trade ties with India that have remained suspended since August 2019.

In August 2019, India suspended Article 370 giving special status to the state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into centrally-administered Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. At the weekly briefing in Islamabad, Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch was asked to comment on reports about the possibility of resumption of trade ties with India.

SOURCE: ANI

In a major reform towards ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and to achieve self-reliance in defence, the Department of Defence Production under the Ministry of Defence has issued a notification for the re-organisation of the Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA).

According to an official release from the Ministry of Defence, “The Department of Defence Production under the Ministry of Defence has issued a notification for the re-organisation of the Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA), which is aimed at speeding up quality assurance processes and trials and reducing layers of decision-making.”

SOURCE: ANI

India has renewed electricity export permission to Nepal for three months, as New Delhi’s Himalayan neighbour continues to face power crisis, officials said on Friday. The renewal came two days before the formal expiration of the existing agreement, which was extended for a year in 2023.

The existing permission was set to expire on the 31st of this month. Officials from both Nepal and India were in discussion to renew the agreement, which took three months to form, officials confirmed.

SOURCE: ANI

US Marine CH-53E ‘Super Stallion’ made its maiden landing at Naval Air Station at INS Dega, Visakhapatnam. As part of the ongoing India-US joint exercise ‘Exercise Tiger Triumph’, stated a press release on Friday.

These heavy lift helicopters of the Marine Corps are operating from US Navy ships as part of bilateral tri-service exercise in Kakinada. In consonance with Indian Navy and Air Force helicopters, they have undertaken various transportation and HADR missions.

SOURCE: ANI

India and Ukraine discussed regional and global matters including the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and efforts to achieve a ‘peaceful settlement’, during the visit of Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro to New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

FM Kuleba was on an official visit to India on March 28-29. During his visit, FM Kuleba met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Deputy National Security Adviser, Vikram Misri. The meeting between Jaishankar and Kuleba held on Friday focused on fostering constructive dialogue and strengthening bilateral relations between India and Ukraine, including in areas such as trade and investment, science and technology, defence, agriculture, health, culture, and education, the statement read.

SOURCE: PTI

The Chhattisgarh Police on Friday refuted Maoist allegations of staging a recent encounter in which six Naxals were killed, saying it was a tactic to undermine the credibility of security forces and a diversionary method to hide their own violent acts.

Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P emphasised that Maoists often resort to such claims to divert attention from their own violent acts, highlighting the extremists’ responsibility for numerous civilian deaths.

SOURCE: PTI

The Assam government has extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 in four districts for six months from April 1. The state government’s political department issued a notification, stating that the ‘Disturbed Area’ tag under the AFSPA has been extended in areas covering Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo and Sivasagar districts.

The Assam Police had submitted a report, asserting that there was an improvement in the law and order situation in the state, barring one militant organisation being active in the four districts.

SOURCE: PTI

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday announced a reward of Rs 10 lakh each for sharing information leading to the arrest of two key accused in Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe blast case.

The agency requested the general public for information on Mussavir Hussain Shazib alias Shazeb and Abdul Matheen Ahmed Taahaa alias Abdul Matheen Taha wanted in the case, according to a post on X.

SOURCE: AFI

Astra Microwave Products Ltd. (Astra Microwave) has achieved a significant milestone by securing its largest domestic order to date. The company will be supplying Medium Power Radar (MPR) subsystems to Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) with a total gross order value of ?386 Crore.

The MPR, codenamed “Arudhra,” is a testament to India’s growing prowess in indigenous defense technology. Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the radar will be manufactured by BEL. Having successfully undergone trials conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF), the MPR is poised for deployment.

SOURCE: AFI

Intrigue surrounds the potential designation for India’s future space travelers. A recent presentation image displayed at the European Space Agency (ESA) meeting in Paris, where ISRO chairman S. Somanath was present, hinted at the term “Gaganaut.”

This development comes on the heels of Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiling the names of the four astronauts chosen for the Gaganyaan Mission last month. These astronauts, Prashanth Nair, Angad Prathap, Ajit Krishnan, and Shubhanshu Shukla, are currently undergoing rigorous training for India’s inaugural human spaceflight mission.

SOURCE: AFI

India’s Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant has become a focal point for UFO enthusiasts after a police officer reported witnessing unusual aerial lights hovering above the facility on multiple occasions last summer.

Syed Abdul Kader, an investigator with the Indian Police Service, shared two exclusive videos with DailyMail.com. The videos capture the perplexing lights performing “zigzag” maneuvers over the power plant.

SOURCE: ani

In the wake of vessel re-routings aimed at avoiding the Red Sea, bunker demand across ports in both India and Sri Lanka has witnessed a massive surge, highlighting a growing challenge for the maritime industry.

While India contends with supply shortages, Sri Lankan ports are experiencing a notable increase in activity. According to S&P Global Commodity Insights, the demand spike, estimated to be over 30 per cent in ports across India and Sri Lanka, has been primarily attributed to longer voyages undertaken by ship owners and charters to circumvent the Red Sea region.

SOURCE: reuters

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has urged India to stand by Kyiv, saying the nation’s close ties with Russia are based on a Soviet legacy that is evaporating, the Financial Times reported on Friday.

Kuleba arrived in New Delhi on Thursday to advance Kyiv’s vision of the path to peace in Ukraine and to strengthen ties with India. India has traditionally had close economic and defence ties with Moscow and refrained from criticising Russia over its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, instead increasing purchases of Russian oil to record levels.

SOURCE: ANI

The Indian Navy and US Navy amphibious warships on Friday undertook operations in the Kakinada region of Andhra Pradesh as part of the ongoing India-US joint exercise ‘Tiger Triumph 2024’.

In the exercise, the integral craft onboard the ships were deployed to undertake various operations, according to an official statement.

SOURCE: ANI

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s statement that the Agniveer scheme needs changes and improvement indicates that the scheme thrust on lakhs of patriotic youth has failed, said Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday.

Kharge said on X that the Modi government played with the future of lakhs of youth but is now talking of the scheme’s shortcomings before the elections. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Thursday that his government is “open to change” in the Agniveer recruitment scheme if necessary.