SOURCE: PTI

The BJP will get 370 seats and the NDA more than 400 in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and form the government for a third consecutive term under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said here on Saturday.

Mr Shah asserted that there is no suspense over the outcome of the Lok Sabha polls and even the Congress and other opposition parties have realised that they will again have to sit in the opposition benches.

SOURCE: PTI

Noting that the Army inventory management has a key role in the country’s defence preparedness, a parliamentary panel has recommended the government to dispose of the large volume of “non-moving” items, streamline the procurement process, and initiate “strict action” against those causing procurement delays.

In a report tabled in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said that with the Indian Army managing a humongous inventory of approximately 4.5 lakh items, it is imperative that the lacunae ailing the inventory management be urgently plugged and the process streamlined.

SOURCE: PTI

The execution of Indo-Pacific Strategy has made the United States and the key region more secure and more prosperous, and expanded the bilateral partnership with India in unprecedented ways, the White House said Friday.

Addressing the media on the second anniversary of the launch of the landmark foreign policy strategy of the Biden administration, Adrienne Watson, a spokesperson for the National Security Council of the White House, said “the United States has never been in a stronger position in the Indo-Pacific”.

SOURCE: IANS

Punjab Member of Parliament Vikramjit Singh Sahney on Saturday urged the Central government to prioritise the deployment of anti-drone technology to safeguard the youth from falling victim to drug addiction.

He also highlighted the connections among drug suppliers from Pakistan, recruitment of the youth in border areas of Punjab and drug mafias operating from the jails in India. Sahney said infiltration of drugs via drones across the India-Pakistan border is a serious matter of concern.

SOURCE: PTI

West Bengal Police on Saturday informed that its Special Task Force arrested an active member of the banned outfit Kamtapur Liberation Organization (KLO) on Friday night. The arrested person has been identified as Tapas Roy (27) and is known to be an extremely close confidant of KLO supremo Jeevan Singh.

State police sources said on Saturday that this is not the first time that Roy has been held by the police. “He was earlier arrested by Nagaland Police and the latter handed him over to Assam Police. In Assam he was in judicial custody for quite some time,” a state police official said.

SOURCE: IANS

In a historic judgement, the J&K and Ladakh High Court has ordered an “end to the discrimination” against Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) refugees of 1947 settled outside Jammu and Kashmir.

Justice Rahul Bharti in his judgement called the discrimination against PoJK refugees “discretion engineered discrimination on the part of successive governments of the then State of Jammu and Kashmir.”

SOURCE: IANS

Special teams of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is conducting raids at multiple locations in Coimbatore, Madurai and Tiruchi from Saturday morning in connection with the Coimbatore car blast case.

The Coimbatore car bomb blast took place near Sangameswar temple, Ukkadam, on the eve of Deepavali on October 22, 2023, in which a suicide bomber, Jameesha Mubeen (27), was killed. Jameesha Mubin is reportedly inspired by ISIS and many of his friends who had allegedly conspired with Mubeen were also arrested.

SOURCE: AFI WITH IDRW.ORG

India’s space sector has taken a giant leap forward with the innovative vision of GalaxEye, a space-tech startup founded by IIT Madras alumni. Not only did they win the prestigious iDEX DefSpace challenge, but they also unveiled a revolutionary technology: the world’s first multi-sensor satellite for Earth observation, aptly named “Drishti.”

Drishti, meaning “vision” in Sanskrit, is more than just a name. It embodies the mission of this groundbreaking satellite. Unlike traditional satellites, Drishti fuses the power of two distinct sensors:

SOURCE: AFI WITH IDRW.ORG

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has taken a bold step towards environmental responsibility by becoming the first in the country to develop and use indigenously produced biojet fuel, aptly named “Swadeshi Biojet.” This significant achievement aligns with the government’s “GoGreen” vision and paves the way for a more sustainable future in aviation.

The IAF’s Biojet fuel project began with a clear objective: to reduce the service’s dependence on fossil fuels and minimize its carbon footprint. Through tireless efforts and collaboration with research institutions like DRDO and CSIR-IIP, the IAF successfully developed a biojet fuel blend compatible with existing aircraft engines. Notably, this Swadeshi Biojet fuel is derived from sustainable sources like used cooking oil, tree-borne oils, and short-gestation oilseeds, demonstrating a commitment to responsible resource utilization.

SOURCE: PTI

India will host a nine-day mega naval exercise in Visakhapatnam beginning February 19 that is expected to see participation of over 50 navies against the backdrop of fractious geopolitical environment including increasing security concerns in the Red Sea. Navies from the US, Japan, Australia, France, Bangladesh, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia are set to be among the participating nations in the ‘Milan’ exercise to be conducted off Visakhapatnam from February 19 to 27, officials said.

Milan is a biennial multinational naval exercise which started in 1995 with the participation of Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand in consonance with India’s ‘Look East’ policy. The exercise flourished under the aegis of Andaman and Nicobar Command till its 10th edition. With the growing stature of the exercise and the requirement of a larger staging and hosting base, Visakhapatnam, was chosen as the preferred venue for the exercise.

SOURCE: PTI

In an indirect goodwill message to India, Pakistan’s former premier Nawaz Sharif on Friday said that his government would try to improve relations with the neighbouring countries. Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) technically emerged the single largest party in the National Assembly despite the fact that the number of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf supported independent candidates was higher than any political party.

“We would improve ties with the world and with our neighbours and try to solve all issues with them (neighbours),” the 74-year-old former three-time premier said.

SOURCE: PTI

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) worth Rs 5077 crore has been reported by companies operating in the defence sector, the defence ministry said in Lok Sabha on Friday. The data was provided by Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt while replying to a question. The defence industry sector was opened up in May 2001 for private sector participation, he said.

“The FDI limit in the defence sector was enhanced in 2020 up to 74 per cent through the automatic route for companies seeking new defence industrial licence and up to 100 per cent by the government route wherever it is likely to result in access to modern technology,” Bhatt said.

SOURCE: PTI

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday called for shoring up engagement among countries of Indian Ocean region to confront challenges like safeguarding sovereignty, dealing with cases of disregard to maritime laws and flouting of long-standing pacts, in remarks seen as an oblique reference to China’s military assertiveness including along the Line of Actual Control.

In an address at the seventh Indian Ocean Conference in Perth, he also flagged concerns over unsustainable debt, opaque lending practices, unviable projects and “injudicious” choices, in thinly veiled comments that came amid concerns over many countries falling into the Chinese ‘debt trap’.

SOURCE: ANI

The Iranian ambassador to India, Iraj Elahi, on Friday said the cooperation and collaboration between the two countries in the development of the Chabahar port and the International North-South Transport Corridor is a testament to the growing bilateral ties. Speaking to ANI at the Iranian embassy in the national capital on Friday, the envoy said, “Economic relations between Iran and India are developing across sectors.

The cooperation between the two countries in the development of Chabahar port, as the golden gateway connecting nations along the Indian Ocean to Central Asia and the Caucasus, and the cooperation in the International North-South Transport Corridor are important examples of the growing cooperation and bilateral ties.” The Chabahar port in Iran is seen as a key component of India’s connectivity initiatives, holding immense significance as it provides a viable and shorter route for trade between India, Iran, Afghanistan, and Central Asia.

SOURCE: ANI

Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN, will be on an official visit to India from February 11 to 15, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release. This will be the first official visit by Kao to India since assuming charge in January 2023. During the visit, Secretary-General of ASEAN is scheduled to have meetings with the External Affairs Minister and other dignitaries in Delhi.

He will deliver the Sapru House Lecture organised by the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) on the theme “The ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in the Evolving Regional Architecture,” MEA also said. At the invitation of the Government of India, Secretary-General of ASEAN will visit the Mahabodhi Temple Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site, in Gaya. He is scheduled to deliver an address on “The Future of ASEAN: ASEAN’s Relevance and Resilience in the Evolving Strategic Environment” at the Nalanda University in Rajgir.