SOURCE: PTI

Security forces have been put on alert ahead of the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to address a public rally at the Bakshi Stadium here on Thursday, officials said on Sunday.

The deployment of security personnel has been increased around the renovated Bakshi Stadium with barricades set up for checking the vehicles passing through the venue of PM Modi’s rally, the officials said.

SOURCE: AFI

In a joint operation with the Manipur Police conducted on February 28th, 2024, the Assam Rifles recovered a cache of weapons and ammunition from Walkhu village, located near Tuitam Khongkhai village in Manipur’s Churachandpur district.

This seizure by the Assam Rifles and Manipur Police disrupts the activities of armed groups operating in the region and helps maintain peace and security. The recovered weapons and ammunition could have been used to carry out attacks on security forces or civilians.

SOURCE: PTI

A police constable and a Maoist were killed in an encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district on Sunday, a senior police official said. The gunfight occurred in a forest near Hidur village under Chhotebethiya police station limits, where a joint team of security personnel was out on an anti-Maoist operation, Inspector General of Police (Bastar Range) Sundarraj P said.

The operation was launched based on a specific input about the presence of Maoists in the Hidur forest, he said.

SOURCE: PTI

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a charge sheet against seven accused in connection with the looting of arms and ammunition from the Bishnupur police armoury during the Manipur ethnic violence last year, officials said on Sunday. The CBI recently filed its charge sheet before the court of chief judicial magistrate in Kamrup (Metro) in Assam’s Guwahati.

The accused named in the charge sheet are Laishram Prem Singh, Khumukcham Dhiren alias Thapkpa, Moirangthem Anand Singh, Athokpam Kajit alias Kishorjit, Loukrakpam Michael Mangangcha alias Michael, Konthoujam Romojit Meitei alias Romojit, and Keisham Johnson alias Johnson.

SOURCE: IANS

The decks are clear now for India to take the next steps in acquiring 31 MQ-9B SkyGuardian armed drones with ammunition with the lapse on Friday of the 30-day period for Congressional review of the deal. These armed drones are meant for intelligence gathering, surveillance, reconnaissance and for land, air and sea warfare. India has two of these drones — MQ-9A — company-lease-and-operation basis from the manufacturers, General Atomics.

The entire package of drones with ammunition that India has sought will cost an estimated $3.99 billion.

SOURCE: PTI

Ahead of the formation of a new government in Pakistan, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday ruled out any immediate possibility of revival of regional grouping Saarc in view of Islamabad’s “toolkit” of using terrorism in different ways, including against other members of the bloc.

In an interactive session at a think-tank, Jaishankar, without directly naming Pakistan, said the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) is in trouble as one of its member nations has been relentlessly backing terrorism.

SOURCE: ANI

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, while commending India’s foreign policy, highlighted the crucial need for individuals to be well-informed about global affairs. He emphasized that it is essential for the average person to actively engage with foreign policy matters. “Certainly, all Indians need to take more interest in foreign policy. it is very common all over the world, there is a belief that foreign policy is something complicated, esoteric, that should be left to certain people to deal with…which is not entirely without some justification,” Jaishankar said at an event in Delhi on Saturday.

He said, “…But, to me, a number of events happened that showed why it’s important for the average person to get involved, pay more attention to foreign policy…and some of those events, if you look, were the Covid.” The EAM said that Covid showed that even if a person had no interest in the world, the world had decided to not “leave you alone.” “Covid showed that if you were a person in some remote part of India, with absolutely no interest in the world.

SOURCE: AFI

The Philippines, India, and Japan are actively exploring a trilateral partnership aimed at strengthening maritime security and promoting economic growth in the Indo-Pacific region. This collaboration holds immense potential for the region, offering opportunities for increased trade, travel, and sustainable development.

This initiative aligns with Japan’s vision for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) and serves as a strategic counterbalance to China’s growing influence in the region. The partnership seeks to address shared concerns like enhancing connectivity, fortifying supply chains, and promoting green initiatives to combat climate change.

SOURCE: PTI

China must adhere to border management pacts and there has to be peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) for improvement in Sino-India ties, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar asserted on Saturday amid the lingering military face-off in eastern Ladakh.

In an interactive session at a think-tank, he highlighted how the Modi government has been focusing on boosting the border infrastructure and that there has to be an equilibrium eventually in the relations between India and China.

SOURCE: PTI

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday warned against risks that new technologies like artificial intelligence and deepfakes pose for national security and said attempts of foreign interference through the cyber domain are growing.

In an interactive session at a think-tank, Jaishankar said there is a need to guard against threats emanating from the cyber domain.

SOURCE: PTI

The Indian Navy will commission Naval Detachment Minicoy as INS Jatayu on March 6, a move that seeks to “incrementally augment” security infrastructure at the strategically important Lakshadweep Islands, according to officials.

The commissioning will take place in the presence of Navy Chief Adm R Hari Kumar, they said on Saturday. “The event marks an important milestone in the Navy’s resolve to incrementally augment security infrastructure at the strategically important Lakshadweep Islands,” a senior official said.

SOURCE: ANI

Security agencies at Mumbai’s Nhava Sheva port intercepted a Karachi-bound ship from China suspected of containing a consignment that could be used for Pakistan’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, said a source.

A team from the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) examined the consignment, which is primarily suspected of being used in Pakistan’s nuclear initiatives, particularly in manufacturing critical components for missile development.