SOURCE: AFI

A 23-year-old Indian man, Hemil Ashvinbhai Mangukiya from Gujarat, was reportedly killed in a Ukrainian drone strike in the Donetsk region, near the border with Russia.

Mangukiya was reportedly employed by the Russian army as a “security helper” since December 2023. According to media reports, his family contacted the Indian consulate in Moscow seeking his repatriation that same month.

SOURCE: AFI

Talks between Canada and India on a potential free trade agreement remain stalled, with no clear timeframe for their resumption. This comes amidst ongoing diplomatic tensions following accusations by Canada against India regarding the Vancouver killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

However, signs suggest a potential thaw in relations. Canadian and Indian officials acknowledge a slight improvement in the bilateral relationship, which had been strained since September 2023. This followed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s public accusation of India’s involvement in Nijjar’s death, which India vehemently denies.

SOURCE: PTI

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday asserted that Kashmir is, was and will continue to remain a part of India, while speaking at an event in Bengaluru.

Delivering the valedictory speech at the ‘Constitution and National Unity Convention-2024’, the Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar raised concerns about the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) ahead of Lok Sabha polls and expressed hope that the Election Commission will ensure that people are given a “true election”.

SOURCE: PTI

BSF personnel on Saturday unearthed several Maoist dumps in a forest in Odisha’s Malkangiri district, police said. Based on reliable information about dumps of explosive materials by ultras, the BSF personnel carried out a search operation in the Silakota Reserve Forest of the district.

“During an intensive search in the area, the BSF troops located multiple Maoist dumps, buried under trees located closely at a distance of 4 metres from each other. The area was located at a distance of around 300 metres inside the jungle from the connecting road between Bapanpalli and Silakota village along the Reserve Forest,” a BSF release said.

SOURCE: AFI

Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd. (GRSE), a leading Indian defense PSU, has begun construction of the Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPVs) at their RBD Unit. The plate cutting ceremony for Yards 3039 and 3040 marks a significant milestone in this project.

Last year, GRSE secured a contract with the Ministry of Defence for the construction of four NGOPVs. The total project cost for these vessels is estimated at around Rs 3,500 crore. The first vessel is scheduled for delivery within 44 months from the contract signing date, with subsequent vessels following at six-month intervals.

SOURCE: ANI

Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhary on Saturday visited the ‘Maharashtra MSME Defence Expo’ in Pune and said that the time has come to move on to newer technologies and with better quality radars and the Air Force will sign a new deal with L&T in a couple of days for the same. “This requirement to maintain air defence coverage over the entire country has always been existing. It is one of the major roles of the Air Force.

We have had vintage equipment, now the high-power radar and the long-range radars have served us very well for many years. Now, the time has come to move on to newer technologies and better-quality of radars.

SOURCE: PTI

The Quad is a statement that others cannot have a “veto” on choices of like-minded nations and the coalition is here to stay, grow and contribute to global prosperity, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday, amid mounting global concerns over China’s rising assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific.

In an address at a think-tank forum, Jaishankar described the coalition of India, the US, Japan and Australia as an “overhead light” that is a “creative, flexible, nimble, responsive and open-minded” enterprise.

SOURCE: IANS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s regime, aided by a brilliant National Security Advisor, has boosted the confidence of national Intelligence agencies about doing their job of protecting the security and integrity of India on a proactive, apolitical and professional note.

Intelligence Bureau (IB), the ‘mother’ organisation that fostered the family of Intelligence entities including SSB, ARC and R&AW, traced its origins in the Central CID established by the British some 135 years ago and the fact that it saw an essential continuity of its functioning after Independence, is an affirmation of its belief that by and large its goal had been to safeguard the country against the doings of its perceived ‘adversaries’ at any point of time.

SOURCE: PTI

India and Japan on Sunday kicked-off a two-week military exercise in Rajasthan’s Mahajan field firing range to foster deeper cooperation in confronting common security challenges. The exercise ‘Dharma Guardian’ between the Indian Army and the Japan Ground Self Defence Force is being conducted under the broad framework of India-Japan strategic cooperation, officials said.

It is an annual exercise and conducted alternatively in India and Japan. The contingent of both sides comprises 40 personnel each.

SOURCE: PTI

The Maldives has been famous in India especially on social media for wrong reasons, former Maldivian Defence Minister Mariya Didi said here on Saturday. The comments come in the backdrop of a recent controversy triggered by social media posts by a minister and other leaders in the Maldives days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Lakshadweep archipelago.

“The Maldives has been famous in India for the wrong reasons, I would say especially on social media. We are not people like that. We love foreigners visiting our country, and we welcome you all to the Maldives,” Didi said at the Firstpost Defence Summit 2024.

SOURCE: ANI

After ISRO’s key cryogenic engine passed certification for missions to transport humans into space, the Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman S Somanathon, on Friday said that it will do similar work for the crew module and other new items that are part of the Gaganyaan program.

With the completion of the final round of ground qualification tests on February 13, ISRO has accomplished a major milestone in the human rating of its CE20 cryogenic engine that powers the cryogenic stage of the human-rated LVM3 launch vehicle for Gaganyaan missions, the space agency had said in a statement earlier.

SOURCE: AFI

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Saturday that Maharashtra is set to overhaul its aerospace and defence manufacturing policy, which was initially formulated in 2017. This update comes as Industries Minister Uday Samant revealed plans for the establishment of four defence manufacturing clusters within the state.

The declarations were made during the MSME Defence Expo held in Pune, where both officials shared insights into Maharashtra’s strategic initiatives in the aerospace and defence sectors.

SOURCE: PIB

In recognition of major contribution to defence sector towards nation building, Government of Maharashtra extended an invitation for participation and capability demonstration of the Indian Air Force during the Maharashtra MSME Defence Exposition at International Exhibition Convention Centre, Moshi, Pune from 24 Feb to 26 Feb 2024.

Participation of large number of MSMEs, private companies, Defence Research and Development Oraganisation (DRDO) laboratories and Defence Public Sector Unit (DPSU) setups in Maharashtra reflected India’s progress towards achieving ‘Atmanirbharta’ in Defence and integration of Armed Forces requirements, R&D and Defence production by public and private players.