SOURCE: PTI

The India-US deal to jointly produce fighter jet engines for the Indian Air Force is revolutionary, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told lawmakers on Wednesday.

The landmark deal was announced last June during the historic Official State Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US. The General Electric signed a memorandum of understanding with Hindustan Aeronautics to make fighter jet engines for the IAF.

SOURCE: IANS

One of the many adventures in the Pakistan-India series of conflicts ‘Operation Koh Paima’, also known as the Kargil operation — that was hailed as a success story by its architect and Pakistani military dictator Late General (retd) Pervez Musharraf — is now being labelled as a “strategic blunder” and a “political disaster” by a majority of experts, including former military officers who were serving during the 1999 operation.

“The plan was a blunder and a massive failure. It not only turned out to be a disaster, it also violated the Lahore Summit agreement between India and Pakistan. Also, because the Pakistan Army denied its involvement, even refused to accept the dead bodies of its own soldiers who were later buried by the Indian Armed forces, turned out to be more embarrassing and attracted more dishonour to the institution,” says Colonel (retd) Ashfaq Hussain.

SOURCE: REUTERS

The Indian government will take a policy decision to mitigate any effect on its trade from the conflict between Iran and Israel after it has fully understood the impact, the country’s trade secretary said on Monday.

“Policy interventions will only come after we understand the issues traders are facing. Based on that exercise, whatever is needed definitely government will address that,” India’s Trade Secretary Sunil Barthwal told reporters.

SOURCE: ANI

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Thursday said the day is not far when India will emerge as one of the major service providers in the world. Addressing the Indian Defspace Symposium 2024 here, General Chauhan said that space is called the final frontier. “India has been the recipient of services in the space sector besides the data related to space situational awareness. I believe that the day is not far when India will become a net provider of services to other nations,” he said. “Space is called as a final frontier.

All other frontiers are difficult to define its edges. Space is also referred to as avoiding the domain of warfare. I believe there is already an established domain of warfare. My belief is premised on the fast-paced development occurring in this particular domain.

SOURCE: ANI

Jammu and Kashmir (J-K) Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha condemned the terror attack in the Bijbehara area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Wednesday, where terrorists shot dead a civilian from Bihar. In a statement, the J-K Raj Bhavan said, “The Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, has condemned the terror attack in Bijbehara, Anantnag, today.

He has conveyed his condolences to the family of the martyred civilian Raja Shah, a resident of Bihar.” “No words are strong enough to condemn the heinous terrorist attack in Bijbehara, Anantnag, targeting Raja Shah, a resident of Bihar. I convey my heartfelt condolences to the family of the innocent civilian martyred in this cowardly attack,” the Lt. Governor said as per the statement. “Entire nation stands in solidarity with the family in this hour of grief.

SOURCE: ANI

A day after an encounter broke out in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker, the area was searched, and huge quantities of arms and ammunition were recovered. Speaking on the anti-Naxal operation in Kanker, BSF DIG VM Bala said, “BSF came here to help police… This was a very good operation. Both our teams, DRG and BSF, have carried out the operation successfully.” He further stated that the injured BSF personnel is out of danger and is undergoing treatment in Raipur.

Meanwhile, former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, who is also a Congress candidate in the Lok Sabha elections, was the first to raise doubts, claiming that there had been several fake encounters during the BJP regime in the state and that even innocent villagers were arrested on the grounds of being Naxals. Baghel said that the police had been threatening villagers as well. He claimed that during his tenure, several Naxals had been killed or had surrendered.

SOURCE: IANS

The Border Security Force (BSF) in Rajasthan’s Anupgarh district located along the India-Pakistan border has shot down a Pakistani drone that was carrying drugs, an official said on Wednesday. Heroin valued at Rs 13 crore was seized after the drone was shot down. The police said that the BSF had received a tip-off that a “drone carrying drugs was entering Indian territory”.

A search operation, after bringing down the drone, was conducted in the area on the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday. The drone and a packet containing heroin were seized.

SOURCE: PTI

Silence hangs over the hillocks adjoining Hidur and Kalpar villages in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district where 29 Maoists were gunned down by security forces in an encounter. Hours after the biggest encounter ever in the state ended, bullet marks could be seen on the trees at the site on Wednesday. Bloodstains were also visible on the ground which is covered by a thick carpet of fallen bamboo leaves.

In the nearby villages, local tribals, most of them women, could be seen outside, but they were reluctant to speak about what they saw or heard during the encounter on Tuesday.

SOURCE: AFI

India’s space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has announced a series of test flights leading up to its first-ever human space mission, Gaganyaan, according to ISRO Chief S Somanath.

Somanath stated that “two more uncrewed missions will happen next year” followed by the “manned mission, if everything goes well, by the end of next year.” “The airdrop test will happen on April 24. Then two more uncrewed missions will happen next year and then the manned mission, if everything goes well, by the end of next year,” Somanath said.

SOURCE: PTI

A state-of-the-art premier testing and evaluation hub for sonar systems meant for the Indian Navy was inaugurated by DRDO chairman Samir V Kamat on Wednesday, officials said. Submersible Platform for Acoustic Characterisation and Evaluation (SPACE) was inaugurated at Underwater Acoustic Research Facility, Kulamavu, in Idukki, Kerala, the defence ministry said in a statement.

Set up by the Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory of the DRDO, SPACE has been designed as “a premier testing and evaluation hub for sonar systems destined for Indian Navy, onboard various platforms including ships, submarines and helicopters,” it said.

SOURCE: ANI

The US has offered support for reforms to United Nations institutions, including the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a press briefing on Wednesday.

When asked about Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s statement regarding India’s lack of a permanent seat at the UNSC, Vedant Patel said, “The President has spoken about this before in his remarks to the UN General Assembly, and the Secretary has alluded to this as well. We certainly support reforms to the UN institution, including the Security Council, to make it reflective of the 21st-century world that we live in. I don’t have any specifics to offer on what those steps are, but certainly, we recognise that there is a need for reform, but I will leave it at that for now.”

SOURCE: PTI

The government has notified amendments to the foreign direct investment policy in the space sector to attract offshore investors in satellite manufacturing and satellite launch vehicles segments.

Amendment made in the FDI policy for space sector through a gazette notification dated April 16, 2024, prescribes liberalized entry route and provides clarity for FDI in satellites, launch vehicles and associated systems or subsystems, creation of spaceports for launching and receiving Spacecraft and manufacturing of space-related components and systems.

SOURCE: PTI

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said that India’s boundaries with its neighbours, including China and Pakistan, were “completely secure”. 

The senior BJP leader Singh made the statement in an apparent reference to the Congress allegations that China has occupied around 2,000 square kilometres of Indian territory, taken over 26 out of 65 patrolling points in Ladakh and built complete villages 50-60 km deep inside Arunachal Pradesh. 

SOURCE: ANI

The Indian ambassador to Ukraine, Harsh Jain, paid a visit to Ivano-Frankivsk on Tuesday and met with governor Svitlana Onyshchuk as well as members of the Indian diaspora in the city. The Indian envoy also visited Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University, met with the university’s Rector, Roman Yatsyshyn and interacted with the Indian students.

The Indian embassy in Ukraine took to X, stating, “Amb. Harsh Jain visited Ivano-Frankivsk on April 16. He met Governor Svitlana Onyshchuk, Rector of Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University Roman Yatsyshyn, interacted with the Indian students and met with the members of Indian diaspora in the city. @MEAIndia @IndianDiplomacy.”

SOURCE: ANI

A civilian, hailing from Bihar, was shot dead by the terrorists in the Bijbehara area of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Wednesday evening. According to Kashmir Police, the civilian, hailing from Bihar, identified as Raja Shah, was fired upon by the terrorists in Bijbehara. Taking to social media handle X, Kashmir Zone Police posted, “Terrorists fired upon and critically injured one person identified as Raju Shah, a resident of Bihar, at Jablipora Bijbehera, Anantnag.

” He has been evacuated to the hospital for treatment, and the area was cordoned off soon after the incident, said police. The police further informed, that the injured person, who was shot at by terrorists, succumbed to his injuries at the hospital. “The injured person, who was shot at by terrorists, succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.