SOURCE: AFI

Further solidifying the strong defense ties between India and Seychelles, the Seychelles Coast Guard vessel, PS Zoroaster, has arrived at the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE) in Kolkata for a short refit.

This development comes after the vessel’s participation in the recent exercise MILAN-24 held in Visakhapatnam last month. Notably, India gifted the PS Zoroaster to Seychelles in 2021, highlighting the ongoing maritime cooperation between the two nations.

SOURCE: PTI

In the arid terrain of Rajasthan’s Pokhran, the stage has been set for the mega ‘Bharat Shakti’ exercise which will demonstrate on Tuesday the prowess of indigenously manufactured defence equipment of the three services.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will witness the integrated tri-service firepower and manoeuvre exercise that will be held for about 50 minutes. The country’s top military brass will also be present on the occasion.

SOURCE: ANI

India has strongly condemned the countries that use their veto powers to block evidence-based terrorist listings at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and said the practice is uncalled for and smacks of doublespeak to the council’s commitment in tackling the challenge of terrorism.

“Let us turn to the subsidiary bodies inhabiting a subterranean world with their own custom-made working methods and obscure practices which do not find any legal basis in the charter or any of the council’s resolutions. For instance, while we do get to know of the decisions of these committees on listing, the decisions on rejecting listing requests are not made public,” India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj, said at a session of the United Nations Security Council.

SOURCE: PIB

IIT Madras is collaborating with Vellon Space, an Indian space start-up, to advance extra-terrestrial manufacturing research and development. This collaboration marks a significant milestone in orbital ‘Microgravity Research.’ Vellon Space will receive a Technology Development Fund from IIT Madras to demonstrate its miniature space laboratory called ‘AsteriX Lab’, in orbit.

The IIT Madras research centre called ‘Extra-Terrestrial Manufacturing’ (ExTeM-IITM) is the pilot customer for this in-orbit demonstration mission of Vellon Space. The AsteriX Lab, during its demonstration, will undergo space qualification to conduct biological experiments, particularly in long-duration cell culture under Lower Earth Microgravity. This demonstration in space is expected to take place by 2025.

SOURCE: PTI

“This is like real Ram Rajya for us,” said a Hindu migrant from Pakistan residing here as celebrations broke out after the Centre implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, four years after the contentious law was passed by Parliament.

In the settlements of Hindu migrants from Pakistan, the residents lit lamps and burst firecrackers on Monday night soon after the rules to fast-track citizenship for undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014, were unveiled.

SOURCE: PTI

Those seeking Indian nationality under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 will become eligible to apply after spending at least 12 months in the country preceding the date of the application, according to the rules notified on Monday.

Also, the applicant will be eligible to get Indian citizenship if he has spent not less than six years in the country out of eight years immediately preceding those 12 months, the rules said. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 paves the way for granting Indian nationality to undocumented non-Muslim migrants — Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians — from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.

SOURCE: PTI

The National Investigation Agency or NIA on Monday carried out searches in four states and a Union Territory as part of its probe into the terrorist-gangster nexus case, sources told Press Trust of India.

Extensive searches were carried out by the NIA at 30 locations in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and the Union Territory of Chandigarh in the terrorist-gangster nexus case, the source told news agency PTI.

SOURCE: AFI

India’s recent announcement of the successful test of its Agni-V Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) equipped with Multiple Re-entry Vehicle (MRIV) technology has stirred significant interest and speculation among defense analysts and observers worldwide. The unveiling of the first official images of the Agni-V MRIV has sparked discussions, particularly regarding its distinctive conical nose, which sets it apart from its predecessors.

The Agni-V MRIV test marks a notable departure from the previous iterations of the Agni series, particularly in terms of its design and technological capabilities. The prominent feature of the conical nose on the Agni-V MRIV raises questions about the evolution of India’s ballistic missile program and hints at the possibility of a more advanced and sophisticated weapon system than initially perceived.

SOURCE: AFI

In recent years, the global arms trade landscape has witnessed a significant shift, particularly concerning Russian arms exports. The statistics reveal a stark reality: Russian arms exports fell by 53 percent between the periods of 2014–18 and 2019–23. This rapid decline has raised concerns and sparked discussions among analysts and policymakers worldwide.

The decline in Russian arms exports over the past five years has been pronounced, with notable implications for both Russia’s defense industry and its geopolitical influence. In 2019, Russia exported major arms to 31 states; however, by 2023, this number dwindled to only 12 states. Such a substantial reduction in the number of recipient states underscores the challenges facing Russia’s arms export market.

SOURCE: ANI

The Agni-5 missiles with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-Entry Vehicle ( MIRV) technology would be able to hit at least three different targets spread over a large area. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) developed technology that would make the missile system difficult to intercept as the payloads or warheads would be moving towards their intended targets along with the mother vehicles and multiple decoys with them, defence sources told ANI.

The number of warheads in the missile system can also be increased based on the requirements, they said. The Defence Ministry said today that it has demonstrated the capability to conduct the first successful flight test of an indigenously developed Agni-5 missile with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-Entry Vehicle ( MIRV) technology.

SOURCE: ANI

Former spokesperson of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Ravi Gupta, on Monday hailed the first flight test of the Agni-5 missile and called it a ‘moment of pride’ that India launched ‘Mission Divyastra’. He further said that the system, which has indigenous sensors and avionics, is proof of ‘India’s technological ability’. “It is a moment of pride that India has launched Mission Divyastra today.

This will ensure that a single missile can deploy multiple warheads and with this test, India has joined the select group of countries,” he said. “The system that has indigenous sensors and avionics is proof of India’s technological ability.

SOURCE: ANI

After the Agni-5 MIRV missile, developed by defence research centre DRDO for over a decade, took its first flight on Monday, former Vice Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Shirish Baban Deo (Retd) said that the launch is very ‘significant’ as the country joins the elite list of nations with test of Agni-V MIRV technology.

Speaking to ANI, he further said that the launch of the missile sends a clear message that the country is now prepared for everything. “… We are in a few handful countries who have this technology like the USA, France, Russia and maybe the UK. From this perspective, the launch is very significant. But the most significant message that we want to send is that we are prepared for everything,” Air Marshal Shirish Baban Deo (Retd.) said.

SOURCE: PTI

Pakistani Hindu refugees residing in Delhi expressed hope and happiness on the implementation of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act on Monday, saying they are elated that “we will be called Indian citizens finally”.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha election, the Centre announced the implementation of the contentious CAA 2019 for granting citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.

SOURCE: PTI

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Monday and updated him on the recent developments in the fighting in the Gaza Strip. The two leaders “also discussed the effort to release the hostages and the issue of humanitarian assistance”, the official handle of the Prime Minister of Israel posted on X.

Prime Minister Netanyahu met with “Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and updated him on recent developments in the fighting in the Gaza Strip”, it said, sharing a photograph of the meeting.

SOURCE: ANI

The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), a US-based advocacy group, welcomed the formal notification of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in India and said that the decision is a ‘big win’ for the persecuted religious minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.

“A big win for HumanRights for the persecuted religious #minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. India finally notifies the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which was passed by the Indian Parliament in 2019!,” the CoHNA said in a post on X.