SOURCE: ANI

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri held a telephonic conversation with OPEC Secretary General, Haitham Al-Ghais on Friday and discussed the recent trends and volatility in the global oil markets and their implications for international energy stability.

As one of the world’s fastest-growing economies, India is committed to supporting efforts to achieve balance in global energy markets, said Hardeep Puri during the conversation, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said in a press release.

SOURCE: PTI

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman S Somanath on Friday inaugurated the global headquarters of space sector start-up Digantara, which is gearing to launch the first ever space surveillance satellite, in Bengaluru.

The headquarters, spread across 25,000 sq ft area in Hebbal, comprises a satellite assembly, integration and testing (AIT) facility and a command and control centre for providing comprehensive space domain awareness.

SOURCE: AFI

On April 19th, 1975, India took a historic step towards becoming a major spacefaring nation. Forty-nine years ago today, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched Aryabhata, the country’s very first unmanned satellite, into space.

Named after the revered Indian astronomer and mathematician, Aryabhata, this spacecraft embodied India’s burgeoning space ambitions. Built entirely by ISRO scientists and engineers, the satellite marked a significant milestone in the nation’s scientific and technological journey.

SOURCE: PTI

While the residents of several remote villages in Chhattisgarh’s Bastar Lok Sabha constituency defied the poll boycott call given by Maoists and exercised their franchise on Friday, people from Puvarti village, the native place of a hardcore Naxalite leader, chose to stay away from the electoral process. Puvarti, a Maoist-stronghold in Sukma district bordering Bijapur district, is the home village of dreaded Naxalite leader Hidma, who is believed to be the mastermind of several deadly attacks on security forces in Bastar region.

Polling was held in the Bastar Lok Sabha seat on Friday and a voter turnout of 67.56 per cent was recorded there. “No voters from Puvarti village exercised their voting right during polling on Friday,” Booth Level Officer (BLO) of Puvarti polling booth Java Patel told PTI. Some officials said the villagers did not cast their vote out of fear.

SOURCE: ANI

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday busted a terrorist hideout in the Arnas area.
“Acting on the reliable information regarding the presence of a hideout in the general area of Dalas Barneli, subdivision Arnas, an operation was launched to sanitise the area in the Dalas Barneli area of Arnas,” police said.

As per the officials, during the search and cordon operation, the police team recovered a huge quantity of arms and ammunition from the hideout.

SOURCE: PTI

Punjab resident Baldev Kumar has become the first person from outside Jammu and Kashmir to contest Lok Sabha polls in the Union Territory. The abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 paved the way for outsiders to contest polls in the Union Territory.

Earlier, the Representation of The People Act 1957 barred people who were not permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir to contest polls in the erstwhile state.

SOURCE: PTI

Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari has said the traditional boundaries of the land, sea, air, cyber and space domains are increasingly becoming “blurred”, bringing about a “paradigm shift” in war fighting.

In a recorded video address that was played at the inaugural session of the three-day Indian Defence Space Symposium here on Friday, the IAF chief also said in order to “maintain our strategic autonomy”, capabilities must be developed that would be necessary to “defend our interests in space”.

SOURCE: ANI

The Indian ambassador to Austria, Shambhu Kumaran, joined the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Friday. Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Mariano Grossi, welcomed him and stressed that India is a key partner in all their initiatives.

Grossi further emphasised that India and the IAEA aim to strengthen our collaboration and maximise the potential of IAEA initiatives.

SOURCE: ANI

Top commanders of the Indian armed forces and the DRDO chief on Thursday called for deeper collaboration between the government, industry, startups and end-users like the Indian Army and Navy to bolster the country’s space defence capabilities. 

“I can say that there is enough space for everyone to grow. I wish that all the startups in the space domain graduate to become unicorns and then flourish as global partners in the times to come,” said General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff, Indian Armed Forces, in a virtual address at the Indian DefSpace Symposium 2024 organised by the Indian Space Association (ISpA).

SOURCE: PTI

InterGlobe Enterprises, the parent company of IndiGo, and US-based Archer Aviation will launch an all-electric air taxi service in India in 2026, that will carry passengers from Connaught Place in the national capital to Gurugram in Haryana in just 7 minutes. Archer Aviation will supply 200 electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft that can carry four passengers besides a pilot and operate just like helicopters but with lesser noise and better safety.

The 200 planes, each having 12 rotters, will cost around USD 1 billion.

SOURCE: PTI

In a first, the Delhi Police personnel with weapons will be seen travelling in metro trains during emergency situations to avoid getting stuck in traffic jams and reach the spot sooner, officials said today.
According to officials, the Delhi Police has got the go-ahead on its proposal in a recent meeting with the DMRC (Delhi Metro Rail Coorporation) and CISF (Central Industrial Security Force), which is deployed at the stations for security checks.

As of now, the Delhi Police personnel are not allowed to travel in metro with weapons.

SOURCE: IANS

The Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday said it has seized a China-made drone near the India-Pakistan border in Punjab’s Amritsar district along with a packet of 500 gm of heroin.

Acting on a tip off, the BSF troops carried out an extensive search operation in the suspected area. At about 4.45 p.m. on Friday, the troops successfully recovered one drone along with one packet of suspected heroin of 500 gm, the BSF Punjab Frontier said.

SOURCE: ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated countrymen after India delivered the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines as part of the $375 million deal between the two sides signed in 2022.

Addressing a rally in Domah, PM Modi said, “Now we are also exporting BrahMos missiles. The first batch of this missile is going to the Philippines today. I congratulate all the countrymen on this.” India delivered the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines on Friday, as part of the USD 375 million deal between the two sides signed in 2022.

SOURCE: NIA

In a major step towards destroying the financial infrastructure of Narco-Terror operatives in the country, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has frozen the immovable property of a key operative in a 2021 case relating to a fatal motorcycle borne explosion in Punjab, with links to notorious Pakistan-based Khalistani terrorists Habib Khan alias Doctor and Lakhveer Singh alias Rode.

The property of Surat Singh @ Surti, resident of Village Mahatam Nagar, PS Sadar Fazilka, Punjab, has been frozen under the provisions of the NDPS Act 1985. The said property comprises Khewat numbers 84/78, 93/87, and 95/89, totaling an area of 13 Kanal, 17 Marla, and 05 Sarsai.

SOURCE: IANS

Nalin Prabhat, a 1992 batch IPS officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the Director General of the National Security Guard (NSG).

“Nalin Prabhat, presently working as an Additional Director General in the CRPF, has been appointed as the Director General of the National Security Guard (NSG) in Level-16 of the pay matrix from the date of joining the post and up to August 31, 2028, i.e., date of his superannuation or until further orders, whichever is earlier,” read the official order.