SOURCE: ANI

Days after the successful launch of its meteorological satellite INSAT-3DS, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said on Thursday that all four planned Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) firings of the mission are completed. It further stated that the spacecraft is now in the geosynchronous orbit.

“INSAT-3DS update: All four planned Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) firings are completed. The spacecraft is now in the geosynchronous orbit,” ISRO posted on ‘X,’ formerly Twitter. It is expected to reach the In-Orbit Testing (IOT) location by February 28, the post added.

SOURCE: AIR

The Maritime Technical Exposition MTEX-24 stands as a special attraction in the MILAN 2024 taking place in Visakhapatnam. MTEX-24 showcases the latest advancements in naval technology.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated MTEX-24, a three-day defence exposition as part of MILAN 2024 yesterday. MTEX-24 highlights India’s push towards self-reliance in the defence sector. It showcases the latest advancements in naval technology like shipbuilding, communication systems, cybersecurity, and sustainable energy solutions developed by the Indian industry.

SOURCE: IANS

After successfully developing stepper motor for Chandrayaan-3 moon mission, students at the Sona College of Technology here have now powered Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) latest weather satellite with precision equipment.

The college’s SonaSPEED (Sona Special Power Electronics & Electric Drives) division once again displayed its sound research capabilities with a key equipment during the launch stage of ISRO’s meteorological satellite INSAT-3DS.

SOURCE: ANI

The popular social media platform ‘X’ owned by Elon Musk, has issued a statement saying that it has blocked some accounts and posts on its platform after the executive orders issued by the Indian government.

“The Indian government has issued executive orders requiring X to act on specific accounts and posts, subject to potential penalties including significant fines and imprisonment. In compliance with the orders, we will withhold these accounts and posts in India alone; however, we disagree with these actions and maintain that freedom of expression should extend to these posts,” the Global Government Affairs of ‘X’ posted.

SOURCE: ANI

Mohammad Sufiyan, from Hyderabad, is one of the many youths who were allegedly duped by some agents and drafted into fighting for Russia in the ongoing conflict against Ukraine. Sufiyan’s family has urged the central government as well as the Ministry of External Affairs to safely evacuate the youths trapped in Russia and also take strict action against the agents. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Asaduddin Owaisi has also pointed out the issue and urged the Centre to talk with the Russian government and bring back the youths.

“The Narendra Modi government should hold talks with the Russian government and bring back the 12 youths trapped in the Russia-Ukraine war,” AIMIM posted on X. Imran, the brother of Sufiyan, told ANI about all the events that happened. “My brother was taken by Baba Blocks Company, which has offices in Dubai, Delhi, and Mumbai.

SOURCE: PTI

More than 50 detonators in two boxes were found abandoned on a platform at Kalyan railway station in Thane district on Wednesday, a Government Railway Police (GRP) official said. The official said the boxes were spotted by the GRP lying unattended on the platform No. 1 of the usually crowded station on the Central Railway (CR) route following which a dog squad and Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) personnel were immediately called to the spot.

The BDDS team took the boxes into custody and on opening found as many as 54 detonators (a device containing small amount of explosive) inside them, he said.

SOURCE: IDRW.ORG

The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and the Indian Air Force (IAF) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to integrate cutting-edge weapons and sensors into the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). This collaboration aims to significantly enhance the operational capabilities of the Tejas, bolstering India’s air defense prowess.

The MoU was signed by Shri Prabhulla Chandran VK, Technology Director (Avionics and Weapon Systems) of ADA, and Air Vice Marshal KN Santosh VSM, Commandant of the IAF’s Software Development Institute (SDI). This partnership marks a significant step forward in indigenous defense technology development and self-reliance.

SOURCE: AFI

Two teenagers have been arrested and charged in connection with a shooting incident targeting Simranjeet Singh, an associate of the late pro-Khalistan figure Hardeep Singh Nijjar. This development comes amidst ongoing tensions between India and Canada following Nijjar’s killing in June 2023.

Nijjar’s death sparked controversy after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau suggested potential Indian involvement in the assassination. Pro-Khalistan groups further alleged Indian involvement in the February 1st shooting at Singh’s residence, who had previously organized a protest outside the Indian consulate in Vancouver.

SOURCE: ANI

US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma has assured that the United States would take action against India-designated terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun if he or his associates crossed the line. In an interview to ANI on Tuesday, the US official said that there is a requirement to operate within the law. “I’m not going to get into specific cases, but I just kind of go back to what I said about, you know, we have to operate within the law, and we do. And when people cross that line, they will be held accountable,” the US Deputy Secretary for Management and Resources said.

On being asked about the difficulty of Indians to fathom as to why America doesn’t crack down on Khalistani separatists, Verma said that the US government would not tolerate any kind of harassment specially that targeted against diplomats. “When people say things and we each have different rules when it comes to free speech.

SOURCE: REUTERS

The India government approved an amendment to allow 100% foreign direct investment (FDI) in the space sector in a moved aimed to ease business in the country, according to a government notification on Wednesday.

The FDI policy reform will promote growth of investment, income and employment, the government said in a statement.

SOURCE: PTI

Over one-third of India’s export of oil products to the G7-led coalition countries was derived from Russian crude, a European think-tank said, highlighting how the partners shunned buying Russian crude and imposed price caps but a loose policy on refined product allowed third countries to use Russian oil and legally export products to them.

While there are no restriction or sanctions on buying/using Russian crude oil and exporting fuels such as diesel derived from it, the Group of Seven (G7) rich nations, the European Union and Australia – called the price cap coalition countries – first set a crude price cap of $60 per barrel starting December 5, 2022 and later on products like diesel to keep market supplied while limiting Moscow’s revenue.

SOURCE: AFI

ATR, the turboprop aircraft manufacturer jointly owned by Airbus and Leonardo, is eyeing India as its potential crown jewel market. The company predicts India becoming its largest market within the next five years, driven by a robust demand for 50-150 planes.

This optimism stems from several factors. Currently, India boasts the fastest-growing fleet of ATR aircraft globally, with the youngest average age compared to other regions. “It would be blind not to see the importance of India for us and aviation at large,” remarked ATR CEO Stefano Clercin, highlighting the company’s commitment to the Indian market.

SOURCE: ANI

United States Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, Richard R Verma lauded the extraordinary nature of the defence partnership between the US and India, asserting that it stands apart from “any other country in the world”. In an interview with ANI, Verma expressed his admiration for the robust and inspiring joint defence exercises conducted by the two nations, noting their sophistication at every level. “The US and India are major defence partners, a status we don’t have with any other country in the world.

We are building this incredibly kind of robust defence relationship. When I go and see the defence exercises that our two militaries do together, it’s very heartening. It’s very inspiring. It’s very sophisticated at every level,” he said. India has the largest number of military exercises with USA, which are growing in scale and complexity.

SOURCE: PIB

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has called upon the international community to collectively aspire for peace in this age of democratic and rules-based world order, where individual countries proactively collaborate for shared peace & prosperity. He was addressing the formal opening ceremony of the 12th edition of the multi-nation Exercise MILAN in Visakhapatnam on February 21, 2024. Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar and a distinguished gathering of Ministers, Ambassadors, Chiefs of Navies and representatives of Maritime Forces from over 50 friendly countries were present on the occasion.

Sharing his insights on the concept of ‘peace’, the Raksha Mantri asserted that the absence of wars and conflicts is the most irreducible minimum element of peace. He spoke of “negative peace” which, he said, often stems from dominance or hegemony, where one power imposes its will upon others. He said such peace, not backed by fairness and justice, is what physicists and economists call “unstable equilibrium”.

SOURCE: ANI

The Ministry of Defence and the US Department of Defence participated in the second India-US Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) Summit in the national capital and discussed enhancing military interoperability to support the vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific. During the summit on Wednesday, the speakers explored opportunities to co-produce advanced military capabilities and create resilient defence supply chains.

“Panel participants expanded on several themes inspired by the original INDUS-X collaboration agenda: deepening defence industrial partnerships, increasing collaborative research and testing facility access, mobilizing private capital to support critical defence technologies, and commercializing dual-use technologies.