SOURCE: PTI

An all-women unit of the Border Security Force (BSF) made a maiden gesture and handed over sweets and exchanged greetings with lady BGB personnel of Bangladesh at the front in West Bengal as part of the traditional Independence Day celebrations held along the international border.

The first-ever women border guards exchange took place near the Gede border post of the BSF in the said district even as a “high alert” continues all along this over 4,000 km front following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government less than a week back.

SOURCE: PTI

India is attaining ‘Aatmanirbharta’ (self-reliance) in defence and gradually emerging as a global manufacturing hub of military equipment due to measures taken by the government in the last few years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday.

In his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort, Modi said there was a time when the majority of the defence budget was used to procure military hardware from abroad, but his government focused on indigenous defence production.

SOURCE: PTI

The Indian Embassy in Nepal on Thursday disbursed dues worth Nepali ?55 million to the widows and next of kin of deceased Gorkha soldiers who served in the Indian Armed Forces as it celebrated India’s 78th Independence Day.

The celebrations at the embassy began with the hoisting of the national flag by India’s Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava who at the ceremony, apart from dues, also handed over Nepali ?125.5 million, covering benefits under the Army Group Insurance programme, to the widows and next of kin of 107 deceased members of the Indian Armed Forces.

SOURCE: UNI

The Countdown for tomorrow’s SSLV-D3/EOS-08 mission will begin about six hours before the launch from the Spaceport of Sriharikota. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) sources told UNI on Thursday that it would be about six hour countdown. It is expected to commence at around 0300 hrs early tomorrow morning.

The 175.5 kg Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-08) and SR-0 DEMOSAT passenger satellite will be launched by the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) from the SHAR Rang, Sriharikota on Friday.

SOURCE: PTI

The banned ULFA(I) on Thursday claimed to have planted bombs at 24 places across Assam, prompting the security forces to send teams to look for explosives.

A senior police officer said bomb disposal squads have been rushed to all the places mentioned by ULFA (I) but there is no report of recovery of any bomb or explosive.In an email purportedly from the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) (Independent) to media houses, including PTI, the terror outfit asserted that the bombs did not blast due to “technical failure”.

SOURCE: ANI

Nalin Prabhat, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of 1992 batch of Andhra Pradesh cadre, is set to become the new DGP of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) while the present DGP, R.R. Swain will get a special assignment after his retirement on September 30 this year.

Top sources told the news agency that Nalin Prabhat, an IPS officer of 1992 Andhra Pradesh cadre, currently the Director- General (DG) of the National Security Guard (NSG) will be the new J&K DGP. The current DGP, R.R. Swain, whose dedication to duty, honesty, integrity and single-minded focus on bringing peace and normalcy to beleaguered J&K, is likely to get a special assignment overlooking the Union Territory after he retires from active service on September 30.

SOURCE: IANS

Lauding India’s “widely-recognised track record of success”, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Moscow attaches great importance to the privileged strategic partnership between the two countries. 

In another statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry also hailed the longstanding partnership between the countries, saying that India now enjoys a “well-deserved authority” in the world arena.

SOURCE: IANS

Maldives President Mohamed Muizzu on Thursday hailed the “invaluable partnership” between the two neighbouring countries in his greetings sent to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of India’s 78th Independence Day.

“India continues to be an invaluable partner in the development of the Maldives. The long-standing partnership, based on mutual respect and trust, has evolved into a close and cooperative friendship that has been instrumental in advancing the development and prosperity of the Maldives,” his office said in a statement.

SOURCE: UNI

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday said that Pakistan was hell-bent on reviving terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir but our forces will not allow it to succeed. Addressing the 78th Independence Day gathering at Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar, the Lt Governor said that the neighbouring country is making all efforts to revive terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

“We will never allow neighbouring countries’ terror designs to succeed in Jammu and Kashmir”, he said. “Pakistan which is not in a position to provide two-time bread to their citizens has been a main den of terrorism”, the Lt Governor said.

SOURCE: PTI

Congratulating the people of India on the occasion of their Independence Day, US Secretary of State Tony Blinken said the relationship between the two countries is expanding at a rapid pace.

“On this momentous day (India’s Independence Day), we celebrate the rich and diverse history of the Indian people and the bright future of US-Indian relations,” Blinken said in a statement issued on Wednesday.

SOURCE: IANS

Head of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, currently living in exile in Lithuania, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to use his “immense influence” to secure the release of all political prisoners in the country, including her jailed husband Syarhey Tsikhanouski.

“I believe India could play a crucial role not only in helping to stop Russia’s war against Ukraine but also in helping Belarusians resolve the crisis we are currently facing. India is a powerful nation with significant economic and political influence, not only in Belarus but around the world, Tsikhanouskaya told IANS in an exclusive interview on Wednesday.

SOURCE: PTI

The United States welcomes India’s engagement in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and its efforts to bring peace between the two countries, US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel has said here.

Mr Patel was responding to a question on the likely visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Ukraine later this month. “I will let the (Indian) prime minister’s office speak to any of his own travels. I don’t have anything to offer there,” he said during his daily news conference on Wednesday.

SOURCE: PTI

Colonel Manpreet Singh, who was killed in action while leading from the front in an anti-terror operation in Jammu Kashmir’s Anantnag last September has been posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra, the second-highest peacetime gallantry award.

Three other security forces personnel — Rifleman Ravi Kumar (posthumous), Major Malla Rama Gopal Naidu, Deputy Superintendent of Jammu and Kashmir Police Himayun Muzzammil Bhat (posthumous) — were also awarded Kirti Chakra.

SOURCE: PTI

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been awarded the highest number of police gallantry medals — 52 — on the occasion of the 78th Independence Day.

The Union Home Ministry declared the names of the awardees on Wednesday. Out of the total medals, 25 decorations have been awarded for action during operations in Jammu and Kashmir while 27 are for operations in the anti-Maoist operations in various Left Wing Extremism affected states, a senior CRPF officer said.

SOURCE: PTI

A 16-year-old schoolboy was beaten to death allegedly by maoists in a village in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma district apparently on suspicion he was a police informer, police said on Wednesday. The incident took place on Tuesday night in Puvarti village under Jagargunda police station limits and the victim was identified as Soyyam Shankar, they said.

“As per preliminary information, the victim had come to his native village (from school in another district where he was studying) following the death of a relative. After being alerted about his murder, a police team was dispatched to the spot this morning and the body was sent for post-mortem,” Sukma Superintendent of Police Kiran Chavan said.