SOURCE: AFI

Winston Peters, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of New Zealand, has raised eyebrows by stating that Canada has not provided any evidence to substantiate its allegations in a diplomatic row with India. Peters made these remarks during an interview with The Indian Express, shedding light on a contentious issue that has strained relations between India and Canada.

At the heart of this diplomatic spat lies the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force and one of India’s most-wanted terrorists. Nijjar met his demise in a tragic incident outside a gurdwara in Canada’s British Columbia in June, sparking a flurry of accusations and counterclaims between the two nations.

SOURCE: PIB

Data from the EOS-06 (Oceansat-3) satellite enables the monitoring of the dynamics of the Global Biosphere on Land & Oceans every month. Launched in November 2022, EOS-06 is the third-generation satellite in the Oceansat series, equipped with the Ocean Colour Monitor (OCM-3) and a Scatterometer (SCAT-3) sensor. OCM-3, featuring 13 spectral bands (in the 412-1010 nm spectral range), captures the global vegetation condition/greenness on land by measuring the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and ocean biological productivity over oceanic regions by measuring phytoplankton Chlorophyll concentration.

The SCAT-3 sensor provides high-resolution global ocean surface wind speed and direction information. Data from both these sensors are valuable for studying global land vegetation, ocean biogeochemical dynamics, ocean circulation, and cyclogenesis across the globe. EOS-06 provides the unique advantage of simultaneously providing NDVI, ocean chlorophyll, and winds, depicting the ocean upwelling zones, movement of chlorophyll blooms, and trends in global land vegetation in different months.

SOURCE: ANI

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a ‘productive’ meeting with New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister, Winston Peters, on Tuesday, discussing cooperation in Commonwealth and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reforms.

“Warm and productive meeting with DPM and FM @winstonpeters of New Zealand this evening. Agreed on enhancing our political, trade & economic, security, connectivity, mobility, education and people to people ties,” EAM Jaishankar posted on X.

SOURCE: PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday laid the foundation stone of three semiconductor facilities in India at Rs 1.25 lakh crore, and said the country is eager to play a big role in the semiconductor sector and days are not far when it becomes a global power in this field.

Addressing people after virtually laying the foundation stone of the three semiconductor facilities – two in Gujarat and one in Assam, PM Modi targeted the Congress, accusing the previous governments led by it of failing to convert India’s semiconductor dreams into reality due to the “inability” to understand the country’s potential, priorities and futuristic needs and its “lack of will and efforts”.

SOURCE: IANS

Bhutan Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay will arrive in India on Thursday to expand the enduring ties of friendship and cooperation between the two nations. In his first overseas visit from March 14-18 after assuming office in January, 2024, PM Tobgay will hold bilateral talks with PM Modi and call on President Droupadi Murmu.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and several other Indian dignitaries will also be meeting PM Tobgay who will also be travelling to Mumbai during his visit. “The visit of the Prime Minister of Bhutan will provide an opportunity to the two sides to review the progress in our unique partnership and to discuss ways and means to expand the enduring ties of friendship and cooperation between India and Bhutan,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a release on Wednesday.

SOURCE: IANS

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has made its first arrest from Ballari, Karnataka in connection with the recent Bengaluru cafe blast. The accused has been identified as Mohammed Shabbir. Shabbir’s arrest comes following intensive investigative efforts by the NIA, which took over the case on March 3. The anti-terror agency had been meticulously piecing together evidence since the explosion rocked a popular cafe in Bengaluru on March 1.

Sources said that Shabbir is believed to be an accomplice of the prime suspect, who was captured on security camera footage leaving a bag at the cafe premises just before the blast occurred.

SOURCE: IANS

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has approved a proposal for expansion of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) with the addition of three lakh cadet vacancies to cater to its increasing demand from educational institutions throughout the country. From just 20,000 cadets in 1948, the NCC will now have a sanctioned strength of 20 lakh cadets on its roles making it the largest uniformed youth organisation of the world, Ministry of Defence said in a statement on Wednesday.

With NCC being offered as an elective subject as per the National Education Policy 2020, the expansion will be a step towards meeting the aspirations of the youth towards playing a pivotal role as future leaders of the nation.

SOURCE: AFI

A recently built LCA-Tejas aircraft (SP-24/ LA-5020) tragically crashed near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, on Tuesday during an operational training sortie. Thankfully, the pilot ejected safely, marking the first-ever crash of the Tejas in its 23-year operational history.

The relatively new aircraft, having completed its maiden flight in March 2021, raises concerns regarding the cause of the incident. Reports suggest the pilot informed air traffic control (ATC) about engine failure before ejecting, indicating a potential issue with power generation during landing.

SOURCE: AFI

In a remarkable turn of events, fishermen off the coast of Odisha, India, made an unexpected catch – a Shikra Target Drone. This intriguing discovery hints at the clandestine operations of the nation’s defense forces and provides insight into its advanced weaponry testing procedures.

The Shikra Target Drone, manufactured by QinetiQ Target Systems Ltd in collaboration with its Indian partner, Anadrone Systems Private Limited, is a sophisticated piece of technology designed for aerial target practice. Typically utilized to test the effectiveness of both air-to-air and surface-to-air missile systems, this unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) plays a crucial role in evaluating the prowess of India’s defense arsenal.

SOURCE: AFI

Sheena Rani, a woman of Malayali descent hailing from Thiruvananthapuram, played a pivotal role in the triumphant launch of India’s Divyastra AGNI 5 ballistic missile. Serving as the DRDO Mission Director, she orchestrated the mission with precision, bringing immense pride to the nation with the resounding success of Mission Divyastra. Her exemplary leadership was lauded by none other than the Prime Minister himself, who hailed her as ‘Divya Putri’ during the announcement of the missile test’s success.

The Agni 5 missile, a formidable addition to India’s defense arsenal, boasts a striking range of 5,000 km and carries a payload of approximately 10 warheads. Developed utilizing state-of-the-art Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology, this advanced missile is designed to traverse from Earth to space and back again, dispersing into multiple warheads upon re-entry to precisely strike designated targets.

SOURCE: ANI

In the first-ever crash of the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas in Jaisalmer on Tuesday, initial reports suggest that engine failure caused the accident in which the pilot managed to eject safely. The LCA Tejas was part of the 18th Squadron of the Indian Air Force and participated in the tri-services exercise Bharat Shakti in Pokharan before crashing in Jaisalmer city.

Prima Facie, it is emerging that the engine failure caused the crash today but more details would be known only after the detailed inquiry is completed, defence officials told ANI.

SOURCE: ANI

Reaffirming the vision of a ‘free and open’ Indo-Pacific after India tested the Agni-5 missile with MIRV technology, the United States said that it will continue to work as a partner with India and other countries in the region.

The US State Department said that both New Delhi and Washington share the vision for an Indo-Pacific region that is “free, open, secure, and prosperous.” “The United States and India share a vision for an Indo-Pacific region that is free, open, secure, and prosperous. We continue to work as partners with India and with other countries in the region to achieve this vision,” the US State Department said in a statement to ANI.

SOURCE: ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that governments prior to 2014 deliberately kept India dependent on foreign countries for its defence needs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with delegates from more than 30 countries witnessed the war exercise “Bharat Shakti” at the Pokhran field firing range in Jaisalmer district.

Addressing defence personnel and locals, PM Modi said, “The country’s first major scam took place in army procurement. Before 2014 there were discussions on scams in defense deals and pending defence deals. Past governments deliberately kept India dependent on foreign countries for its defence needs.” The war exercise displayed the firepower capability of indigenous weapons and the operational readiness of all three services of the defence forces.

SOURCE: ANI

In a scathing attack on Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday that earlier governments destroyed the ordinance factories and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) but his government revived them and made them profitable. “We gave life to these ordinance factories and converted them into seven big companies.

HAL was brought to the brink of ruin. We transformed HAL into a record profit-making company,” PM Modi said during the Bharat Shakti exercise in Pokhran. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with delegates from more than 30 countries, witnessed the tri-service exercise ‘Bharat Shakti’ in Pokhran, Rajasthan, today.

SOURCE: PTI

China said on Tuesday that it supports the Maldives in safeguarding its sovereignty, as the first batch of Indian military personnel operating a helicopter left the island nation and was replaced by a civilian crew. Indian military personnel stationed in the Maldives manning the operations of a helicopter left the country after handing over the operations of the chopper to an Indian civilian crew, the Maldivian media reported on Monday.

Asked for his comments on the first batch of the Indian military personnel’s withdrawal from the Maldives, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said he was not aware of the specifics.