SOURCE: PTI

US Senator Marco Rubio on Thursday introduced a bill in the Congress which proposes to treat India on par with its allies like as Japan, Israel, Korea and NATO allies regarding technology transfers, support India in its response to growing threats to its territorial integrity and bar Pakistan from receiving security assistance if it is found to have sponsored terrorism against India.

“Communist China continues to aggressively expand its domain in the Indo-Pacific region, all while it seeks to impede the sovereignty and autonomy of our regional partners. It’s crucial for the U.S. to continue its support in countering these malicious tactics. India, along with other nations in the region, is not alone,” Rubio said after he introduced the U.S.-India Defense Cooperation Act in the Senate.

SOURCE: PTI

India on Thursday rejected Washington’s concerns over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to Moscow as it asserted that all countries have the “freedom of choice” in a multipolar world and everyone should be mindful of such realities.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India has a long-standing relationship with Russia which is based on “mutuality” of interests.

SOURCE: IANS

Reacting strongly to Kerala government’s recent order to appoint a senior IAS officer as a ‘Foreign Secretary’, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday made it clear that the Indian Constitution clearly states that ‘Foreign Affairs’ are not ‘Concurrent’, “and definitely not a State subject”.

In an order dated July 15, the Kerala government led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan appointed senior bureaucrat K. Vasuki as Foreign Secretary in matters concerning external cooperation.

SOURCE: IANS

The Power Ministry has estimated that the expansion required in the country’s thermal capacity to meet the growing demand for electricity will entail an expenditure of a minimum of Rs 6.67 lakh crore by 2031-32, Minister of State for Power Shripad Naik informed the Parliament on Thursday.

In order to meet the estimated electricity demand by the year 2031-32, generation planning studies have been carried out by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), he told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

SOURCE: IANS

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that the Kargil War win is neither the victory of any government in power nor of any political group, it is the heritage and the victory of 140 crore people of India.

Addressing the 25th celebrations of the Kargil War victory here, the Prime Minister said that he has come to honour and pay homage to those brave soldiers who made the country proud in 1999 by making the enemy bite the dust in the Kargil heights.

SOURCE: IANS

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday paid homage to the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice in the 1999 Kargil war and said their service and sacrifice will continue to inspire every Indian and the coming generations.

In a post on X, the Union Minister said, “Today, on 25th anniversary of #KargilVijayDiwas, we remember the indomitable spirit and courage of the brave soldiers who fought valiantly in 1999 war. Their unwavering commitment, valour and patriotism ensured that our country remained safe and secure. Their service and sacrifice will continue to inspire every Indian and our coming generations.”

SOURCE: IANS

The family of Yogendra Yadav is proud of the fact that the braveheart hoisted the Tricolour on Tiger Hill despite being hit by 17 bullets at the young age of 19. Captain Yogendra Singh Yadav, Param Vir Chakra (PVC) was born in 1980 in the village of Aurangabad Ahir Masjid 1 in Bulandshahr District.

Yogendra, the son of soldier Karan Singh Yadav, joined the 18 Grenadiers Battalion in 1996. In 1999, just five months after his marriage, he was called to fight Pakistani infiltrators in the Kargil War. As the commander of a seven-member deadly platoon, Yogendra was assigned the task of capturing Tiger Hill on the night of July 3, 1999.

SOURCE: PTI

President Droupadi Murmu on Friday said the Kargil Vijay Diwas is an occasion to pay tributes to the ?courage and extraordinary valour of the country’s armed forces.

Kargil Vijay Diwas is observed on July 26 every year to mark India’s victory over Pakistan in the 1999 war. The Indian Army had launched a fierce counter-assault to push back Pakistani forces that had stealthily occupied important heights in Ladakh.

SOURCE: ANI

As the country celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Kargil Vijay Diwas on Friday, the families of the soldiers remembered the bravery and dedication of their loved ones and paid tribute to the soldiers who lost their lives in the 1999 Kargil War.

Param Vir Chakra awardee Subedar Major (Honorary Capt) Yogendra Singh Yadav (Retd.) said that the people of the nation are proud of the soldiers who laid their lives for the country.

SOURCE: PTI

Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi said Thursday that the detention of an elected MP under the NSA was part of an “undeclared emergency” by the Centre, drawing a sharp response from the BJP who said he was referring to jailed radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh.

During a debate in Lok Sabha, the former Punjab chief minister referred to the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections and said, “This is also an emergency that a Member of Parliament elected by 20 lakh people in Punjab has been detained under the NSA (National Security Act) …He is unable to speak about his constituency here (in Parliament).This is also an emergency.” While Channi did not name anyone, BJP leaders said he was speaking about Amritpal Singh.

SOURCE: PTI

The 2008 Malegaon blast that killed six people and left over 100 injured was carried out with the intention to create communal rift and endanger internal security of the state, the prosecution said while making its final arguments in the case.

The final arguments in the case, in which seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, are facing trial, began on Thursday, almost 16 years after the incident. On September 29, 2008, a bomb explosion at 9:35 pm opposite Shakil Goods Transport Company situated between Anjuman Chowk and Bhiku Chowk in Malegaon killed six persons and injured 101.

SOURCE: PTI

Days after Canadian authorities acted against two men for allegedly making online threats against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, India on Thursday criticised Canada for not taking similar action against pro-Khalistan elements who threatened Indian leaders and diplomats.

In strong comments, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “When a democracy adopts different yardsticks to measure or implement the rule of law and freedom of expression, it only exposes its own double standard.” India has been consistently pressing Canada to take action against anti-India elements operating from its soil.

SOURCE: IANS

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed on Thursday that Bangladesh has officially objected to the recent comments made by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the ongoing civil unrest in the neighbouring country.

“I can confirm that we have received a diplomatic note from the Bangladeshi side, protesting against the comments made by the Chief Minister of West Bengal,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday.

SOURCE: PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Kargil War Memorial on July 26 and pay homage to the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty, his office said on Thursday.

The prime minister will also carry out the first blast of the Shinkun La Tunnel Project virtually. “On the occasion of the 25th Kargil Vijay Diwas on 26th July 2024, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will visit the Kargil War Memorial at around 9:20 AM and pay homage to the bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement.

SOURCE: BLOOMBERG

Reliance Industries Ltd. has secured US approval to resume importing oil from Venezuela despite White House sanctions on the country, according to people familiar with the development. India’s largest privately owned refiner plans to start purchasing Venezuelan crude soon, said the people, who asked not to be named as the information is not public. Reliance accounted for around 90 per cent of India’s crude imports from Venezuela after the sanctions were lifted last year, according to data intelligence firm Kpler. 

Washington temporarily removed restrictions on the South American nation’s gold and oil sectors last year, when President Nicolas Maduro and the opposition signed a deal to guarantee free and fair elections. The sanctions were then reinstated in April after Venezuela failed to honor the agreement, and oil companies have been applying for permits from the US Treasury Department to keep doing business there.