SOURCE: PTI

China is reportedly pressing ahead with the construction of border villages in the disputed territory with Bhutan, despite the ongoing border talks between the two countries. At least three villages have been built in the mountainous region separating the two countries, with some doubling in size, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Sunday. The rapid expansion began as a poverty alleviation scheme but serves a dual national security role, the report quoted the ruling Chinese Communist Party officials as saying.

According to the report, in a remote village in the Himalayas, inside a border zone that has long been disputed by China and Bhutan, 18 new Chinese residents were waiting to enter their newly built homes. Each carried a freshly framed portrait of Chinese President Xi Jinping – large enough to leave only their heads and lower legs exposed – while behind them a bright red banner welcomed them in Chinese and Tibetan script.

SOURCE: PTI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir and was abrogated in 2019, was the biggest hurdle in the development of the erstwhile state. Modi also said that after the abrogation of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir, which is now a Union Territory, has witnessed balanced development across regions and in all sectors.

Addressing a rally after launching multiple projects worth over Rs 32,000 crore for Jammu and Kashmir and projects worth Rs 13,500 crore for other parts of the country, he also said the government has reached people’s doorstep in Jammu and Kashmir the first time. “This is Modi’s guarantee and this will continue,” he said.

SOURCE: PTI

Sonam Wangchuk, a key campaigner for constitutional safeguards for Ladakh, on Tuesday said the proposed “fast unto death” protest will be reviewed next week, depending on the outcome of talks with the Centre over their various demands, including statehood to the Union Territory.

“We will call a very big public gathering in Leh city on February 26 to either thank the government for accepting the demands of the people of Ladakh or go for a fast unto death in case the talks fail,” Mr Wangchuk, who was set to begin a hunger strike till death from Tuesday in support of the demands, told PTI.

SOURCE: AFI

In a major bust, the Berhampur Police and Military Intelligence Unit in Odisha have seized a staggering 488 meters of counterfeit army combat uniforms from a garment shop. This joint operation highlights a serious security concern and exposes a black market operation attempting to exploit the new army uniform design.

Acting on a tip-off from the Military Intelligence Unit in Gopalpur, police raided the shop and confiscated the fake uniforms, which mimicked the new digital pattern design launched by the army in January 2022. This new design is currently replacing the old uniform, and unauthorized sale poses a significant security risk.

SOURCE: AFI

Get ready for another giant leap for India’s space program! The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is setting its sights on the Red Planet with an ambitious Mars Lander Mission, slated for launch sometime between 2028 and 2030. This exciting mission, led by Dr. Nandini Harinath, promises to be a technological marvel, featuring both a lander and a helicopter – a first for any Mars exploration.

This latest announcement follows the success of India’s Mangalyaan mission, which placed the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) into orbit in 2014. MOM has been diligently studying the Martian surface and atmosphere for over eight years, exceeding its planned lifespan and gathering valuable data. Now, ISRO is ready to take the next step by landing a spacecraft directly on the Martian surface.

SOURCE: PTI

Indian Navy will become “aatmanirbhar” (self-reliant) by 2047, Admiral R Hari Kumar said on Monday and also appealed to industry for help in achieving this goal. He said self-reliance meant manufacturing every ship, submarine, aircraft, and weapon system in India. “The Indian navy is committed to achieving aatma-nirbharta and we have promised the national leadership that we will become completely aatma-nirbhar by 2047, and for that, we will require the help of industry,” said the chief of naval staff.

He was speaking after inaugurating a manufacturing plant of Nibe Defence and Aerospace, an MSME working on various defence projects, in Chakan. Minister of State for Defence, Ajay Bhatt, was also present.

SOURCE: PIB

The much-anticipated INDUS-X Summit is scheduled to be held on February 20-21, 2024 in New Delhi, marking a significant milestone in the collaborative efforts between India and the United States in defence innovation. Organised by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) under the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence, and Department of Defence (DoD), United States, in conjunction with the U.S.-India Business Council and Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM), the summit aims to be a pivotal event driving strategic technology partnerships and defence industrial cooperation between India and the USA.

Since its launch in June 2023 during the State Visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to the US, the India-U.S. Defence Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) has been at the forefront of expanding bilateral ties in defence innovation. Now, with the INDUS-X Summit, stakeholders from both nations will converge in New Delhi to explore and capitalise on emerging opportunities.

SOURCE: PTI

India on Monday kick-started a nine-day mega naval exercise in Visakhapatnam with the participation of around 50 navies that came amid the fractious geopolitical environment including growing global concerns over the deteriorating security situation in the Red Sea.

Navies from the US, Japan, Australia, France, Bangladesh, South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia, among others, are participating in the 12th edition of the ‘Milan’ exercise that aims to bolster maritime cooperation among like-minded nations.

SOURCE: REUTERS

Three tankers with Russian Sokol oil that had been stranded at sea due to payment problems and Western sanctions have started to move towards China and India, data from Kpler and LSEG showed on Monday.

The backlog of Sokol tankers has become the biggest disruptions to Russia’s oil trade since the West imposed sanctions on Moscow over its military actions in Ukraine. More than 10 million barrels of Sokol have been floating in seaborne storage over the past three months due to payment difficulties and Western sanctions on shipping firms and vessels carrying the crude.

SOURCE: PTI

Tata Group companies Air India and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) plan to invest Rs 2,300 crore in Karnataka for various projects providing employment to about 1,650 people, it was announced on Monday.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Large and Medium Industries Minister M B Patil were among those present at an MoU signing ceremony in this regard here. Air India is planning to set up a Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility and “create” Bengaluru as the aviation hub in South India, an official statement said.

SOURCE: AFI

The Indian Army is poised for a strategic shift in the northern sector, as its Headquarters Uttar Bharat (HQ UB) area undergoes a major transformation. As reported by The Indian Express, the area will be converted into a full-fledged operational corps, marking a significant shift from its current focus on peacetime duties to actively securing the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Currently headquartered in Bareilly, HQ UB functions as a static formation, overseeing peacetime establishments and training facilities in Uttarakhand and western Uttar Pradesh. Additionally, it manages the crucial LAC sector spanning Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, known as the central theatre.

SOURCE: AFI

Five years after its groundbreaking, the Sela tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh is poised for inauguration, marking a significant milestone in India’s border infrastructure development. This world’s longest twin-lane tunnel above 13,000 feet promises to revolutionize military logistics in the strategically crucial Tawang sector, where Indian troops stand guard near the contested border with China.

Lieutenant General Harpal Singh (retd), who oversaw critical phases of the project as the head of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), hails the tunnel as a “monumental enhancement” for the Indian army. “It will offer a fortified, expeditious, and dependable conduit for troop mobilization, equipment conveyance, and vital supplies distribution,” he emphasizes.