SOURCE: PTI

Thousands of women, primarily Meira Paibis (women torch bearers), took to the streets across the five districts of Imphal valley in Manipur on Thursday afternoon in protest against frequent gun attacks by armed men at villages near the hills close to the valleys.

Organised by the civil body People’s Alliance for Peace and Progress Manipur, women at Singjamei, Kakwa, and Heingang in Imphal West district raised slogans to protect ”the territorial and administrative integrity” of Manipur, denouncing the gun attacks by the armed men targeting villagers.

SOURCE: PTI

Security forces have recovered eight improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted by Naxalites near a newly-set up camp in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, police said on Thursday.

The camp of security forces was established on February 13 in Gundem village under Tarrem police station limits and the explosives were recovered the next day (Wednesday) when security personnel were carrying a de-mining exercise in an adjoining forest to trace IEDs, a senior official said.

SOURCE: ANI

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj chaired the 62nd Session of the Commission for Social Development held from February 5-14 to discuss and enhance international cooperation on social development matters, an official statement said on

The session was held under the priority theme of “Fostering Social Development and Social Justice through Social Policies to Accelerate Progress on the Implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to Achieve the Overarching Goal of Poverty Eradication.”

SOURCE: AFI

India’s quest for self-reliance in defense takes another step forward with the planned test-firing of a 500km range Submarine Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM) next month. Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the missile represents a significant milestone in India’s indigenous weapons development program.

This SLCM system holds immense strategic importance for the Indian Navy’s future submarines built under Project 75 India. It boasts two variants: the Land Attack Cruise Missile (LACM) and the Anti-Ship Cruise Missile (ASCM), offering versatility in targeting both land and sea-based threats.

SOURCE: AFI

India is making strategic moves to tighten its grip on the Indian Ocean by establishing new naval and air bases in the Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands. This expansion strengthens India’s ability to secure vital sea lanes of communication and project power in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands hold a critical geographical position, straddling the nine-degree channel, a key passage for billions of dollars’ worth of trade between Southeast and North Asia. The Minicoy Islands, just 524 kilometers from the Maldives, present a unique strategic advantage.

SOURCE: PTI

Indian Army chief Gen Manoj Pande has held high-level professional discussions with his American counterpart Gen Randy George and other senior military officials on matters of bilateral importance and ways to enhance mutual commitment towards global peace and security.

Pande, who is on a four-day official visit to the US beginning February 13, is the first Indian Army chief to visit the country in several years. “The discussions were aimed at aspects of bilateral importance and further enhancing mutual commitment towards global peace and security,” according to an official post on X by the Additional Directorate General of Public Information of the Indian Army.

SOURCE: AFI

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is taking a proactive step to protect the Srinagar-Leh highway, a vital artery in Kashmir, with a remotely operated avalanche warning and monitoring system at Zoji La, a high mountain pass known for its treacherous conditions.

This innovative system will rely on a network of infrasonic sensors, capable of detecting sound waves and stress vibrations beyond human hearing range. These sensors, strategically placed along the Sonamarg-Zojila-Tangdhar axis, will act as vigilant sentinels, constantly monitoring for signs of avalanche activity.

SOURCE: IANS

As China continues to bless the Pakistani deep state’s designs on Kashmir, a former top diplomat has made a pitch for India becoming more active across the Karakoram region and reclaiming the ancient economic and cultural ties that bound it with Kashmir.

There was a time when Kashmir, a bustling centre of scholarship and trade, thrived as a gateway to Central Asia, particularly to the now cordoned-off Xinjiang province, China’s infamous ethnic cleansing laboratory.

SOURCE: ISRO

The Indian X-ray Polarimeter (POLIX), onboard India’s X-ray polarimetry mission XPoSat, has commenced its scientific observations. A pulse profile of the Crab pulsar is generated from the observations carried out by POLIX during January 15-18, 2024. The Crab pulsar, a pulsating star, resides near the center of the Crab Nebula and spins about its axis approximately 30 times per second.

The plot illustrates the time window of X-rays scattered by the Beryllium scatterer inside POLIX, originally emitted from the Crab pulsar. This plot represents the first of its kind in this energy range. The data in lower and greater than this energy range are available from different missions. The X-axis indicates the time for two pulses, about 67 ms in total.

SOURCE: IANS

Nearly 34 investment projects worth Rs 3,585.85 crore are ready to be included in the upcoming groundbreaking ceremony (GBC) in Uttar Pradesh. The Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC) is attracting major investments and demonstrating commitment to make India ‘Atmanirbhar’ (self-reliant) in the defence and aerospace sector.

So far, the sector has attracted 114 investment intents with a proposed investment of Rs 24,510.60 crore and potential employment generation of 41,667. These projects are spread across Aligarh, Jhansi, Kanpur and Lucknow nodes of the defence industrial corridor and would generate over 8,530 employment opportunities.

SOURCE: Narendra Modi Website

Since becoming Prime Minister in 2014, Shri Narendra Modi has worked towards permanently resolving the chronic problems plaguing the nation. Left-Wing extremism was one such big liability. Referred as India’s biggest internal security challenge, the Maoist insurgency, which started in the 1960s and destroyed several generations, has now lost its appeal altogether.

It happened due to a multi-pronged strategy of the Modi government involving security- measures, development interventions, and ensuring the rights and entitlements of local communities. Maoists, often called Naxalites, had managed to draw support from disgruntled citizens, especially tribals, who believed they had been exploited and not benefited from the fruits of economic growth. Incidents of Maoist violence and deaths have dropped drastically in the last decade, pointing to waning rebel influence.

SOURCE: PTI

US aerospace major Boeing on Thursday announced the appointment of Nikhil Joshi as managing director of Boeing Defence India (BDI), saying it is aimed at strengthening the company’s operations and accelerated growth strategy in the country.

Based in New Delhi, Joshi will lead current and future programmes for BDI to enhance the mission readiness and modernisation of India’s defence forces, the company said.

SOURCE: IANS

Indian websites and applications witnessed over 5.14 billion cyber attacks last year, especially targeting the healthcare sector, a new report revealed on Thursday. With a 10 times increase in attacks, software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies in India emerged as key targets for cybercriminals due to the high-value customer data they store, according to the report by Indusface, a TCGF II (Tata Capital) funded application security company.

The retail and e-commerce industries were mostly targets of carding attacks.

SOURCE: PTI

The Maldives has deported 186 foreigners, including 43 Indians, after accusing them of committing crimes like visa violations and drug offences, according to a media report. The highest number of people deported was from Bangladesh. At least 83 Bangladeshis were deported followed by 43 Indians, 25 Sri Lankans and 8 Nepalis. The date of their deportation is not yet known, Male-based news outlet Adhadhu reported.

The deportations come as efforts are under way in the Maldives to shut down businesses operated illegally.

SOURCE: ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday received a ceremonial welcome and met with the Amir of Qatar in Doha on the second day of his official visit to Qatar. Additionally, PM Modi also held a bilateral meeting with the Amir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The meeting was also attended by the External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval.