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While Telangana was busy with elections, Andhra Pradesh took over half of a dam: Details

OpIndia Staff
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While Telangana was busy with elections, Andhra Pradesh took over half of a dam: Details

In a late-night operation, the Andhra Pradesh government reportedly took over half of the Nagarjunasagar Dam on the Krishna river, and released water to its side. As per reports, Andhra Pradesh now ‘occupies’ half of the dam and has barricaded the occupied half.

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments have been fighting over this dam since Telangana state came into existence in 2014.

The incumbent government under CM K Chandrasekhara Rao has complained to the Krishna River Management Board, the authority responsible for the management and water flow of the dam between the two states.

As per reports, in a dramatic move, about 400 police personnel were sent with a group of irrigation officials in a midnight operation to ‘occupy’ half of the dam. They took control of 18 of the 36 gates of the dam. Upon learning of the move, when some Telangana officials arrived with local cops, they were told that the Andhra police personnel and the irrigation officials were there on orders of the Jagan Mohan Reddy government. The Telangana cops then came back.

Ambati Rambabu, the minister of water resources in the Andhra Pradesh government, has shared a post on X, saying water will be released from the Nagarjunasagar dam to meet the drinking needs of the people of his state.

X post by Andhra water resources minister

Reports have mentioned that AP officials were not allowing vehicles to pass without checking Aadhar cards and state addresses. A similar attempt at ‘occupying’ the dam was also made 3 years ago, but it was thwarted, Telangana officials have informed.

As of now, the Andhra Pradesh government has provided separate power lines for the regulator gates under their control. They are releasing 10,000 cusecs of water. The Telangana CM’s office has informed that the AP cops and officials have even damaged some CCTVs and broke down an automated gate at the dam. Telangana government is saying that Andhra officials must have planned for the operation for several weeks.

As per the Andhra Reorganisation Act, Telangana was given the control and supervision of the Nagarjunasagar Dam, while Andhra Pradesh was given the control ver the Srisailam Project. The Nagarjunasagar Dam and the Srisailam Project are joint storage facilities meeting the power generation, irrigation, and drinking needs of the 2 states.

‘Execute Hamas terrorists including my father, no exceptions’: Son of Hamas terrorist asks Israel to not go easy on Hamas with negotiations. What he said

OpIndia Staff
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‘Execute Hamas terrorists including my father, no exceptions’: Son of Hamas terrorist asks Israel to not go easy on Hamas with negotiations. What he said

Son of a senior Hamas terrorist, Mosab Hassan Yousef has urged Israel to kill his own father along with other Hamas terrorists in its custody. Yousef has called on Israel to set a deadline for Hamas to release the remaining hostages it kidnapped in the 7th October terrorist attack.

Taking to X, the author of “Son of Hamas” wrote, “After the successful release of the most vulnerable group of hostages, Israel must give Hamas a timeframe to release the remaining hostages. If they fail Israel must execute Hamas mass murderers in Israeli prisons. No exception, Sheik Hassan Yousef is included.”

He said that Hamas has been waging psychological warfare, blackmailing everybody, using children, infants and babies, using human shields, committing genocide and still playing the victim card.

“They want to release thousands of mass murderers back to the streets in return for the Israeli hostages. Israel cannot afford this, humanity cannot afford this. Because putting mass murderers back on the streets means the death of many other innocent people,” Yousef said in a 10-minute 32-second-long video message posted on X.

He added that criminals, savages and terrorists must be punished and cannot be rewarded for their violence. “Hence Israel must not compromise,” he said.

Adding that he understands that Israel had to compromise in the past week to release innocent civilians, he said that the remaining hostages, especially soldiers, those who failed to defend themselves and defend civilians when they were captured “should be treated as war prisoners”.

Yousef said that Israel must shift its priority from a hostage rescue mission and take an offensive approach focused on eradication Hamas.

He said, “Now, we have children, and infants back home to safety and this is great progress. But we cannot go on like this. Hamas is going nowhere and if we continue to negotiate with them, they will continue to stretch this negotiation taking us into a rabbit hole that will never end. Their goal is to get away with their crime.”

He said that Israel has thousands of Hamas members in prison and it must use this card. “Israel must use Hamas savages in prison to pressure Hamas leadership everywhere to release hostages. We have mass murderers in prison who have privileges and human rights.”

“Prisoners like Ibrahim Hamid, Abdullah Akbar Kudi must be sentenced to death and Hamas must have a time frame to return the hostages and if they do not do so, Israel must execute top Hamas leaders in prison. When I say execute top Hamas leader I mean no exception. That includes my own father, the co-founder of Hamas movement. In this war there is no exception,” Yousef said.

Yousef said that he made a mistake till 15 years ago when he saved his father, Sheikh Hassan Yousef’s life many times. “I was going against evolution. He was supposed to die for his actions. I saved his life and here we go, things did not change, things got worse.”

Yousef also opnely called out Qatar alleging that it is a safe haven for Hamas and that it should not be considered a mediator as they facilitate Hamas’s activities by shielding the terrorist group’s leadership on their soil.

He said that Qatar should also be given a deadline of a month to expel all Hamas leadership from its soil and “if Qatar does not obey, Israel is not under any obligation to not carry an attack on Hamas on its soil”.

On 31st October, Mosab Hassan Yousef lauded Indians and praised the Hindu community for rallying against Hamas terrorists.

“Hindus have no problem, Christians and Jews also co-exist. So why does the violence only come from Islamists? I don’t have a problem with the rest of the world. Indians have no problem. Christians, Jews, we all co-exist. It is the need to eradicate Hamas and any other Islamist movement. We have to say it very clearly and loudly. Religious terrorism is not accepted,” he said in an interview with an Indian channel.

Yousef is a descendant of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a co-founder of Hamas. He is known for writing books named ‘Son of Hamas’ and ‘Preach the Word Prophecy Conference’.

For his efforts to assist the Shin Bet in thwarting terror attacks during the Second Intifada in the early 2000s, he was dubbed “Green Prince”, which is also the title of a 2014 documentary based on his autobiography. The 45-year-old Ramallah native vividly recalls Hamas’s inception in 1986.

On 7th October, Palestinian terrorist group Hamas launched a land-air-seak attack on Israel killing at least 1,300 people including some foreign nationals and abduction more than 200 Israelis. Women were raped, children were beheaded, entire families were brutalised, bloodied and eventually killed.

The terrorists recorded the heinous act on body cameras and the videos viral across social media whilst celebrating the attacks. On 21st November, Israel agreed to a temporary ceasefire to the war it has launched on Hamas, in order to enable the release of Israeli hostages.

Assembly elections: Exit polls show close contests with wide ranges, here is what the pollsters are predicting for 5 states

OpIndia Staff
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Assembly elections: Exit polls show close contests with wide ranges, here is what the pollsters are predicting for 5 states

After the conclusion of voting in Telangana, several poll agencies and media houses released exit poll results predicting the outcome of assembly elections in the five states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana. However, there is no uniformity in the predictions with different news outlets giving different results for the states.

As per most of the exit polls, BJP is expected to retain Madhya Pradesh and win Rajasthan with narrow margins, while Congress will retain Chhattisgarh with a surprise victory in Telangana, and MNF is expected to retain power in Mizoram.

One striking point about the exit polls is that most of them are predicting close contests in almost all the states, and there is no clean sweep predicted. Moreover, all exit polls have given a wide range for each party in all the states, making it difficult to make a clear prediction.

Madhya Pradesh

While it was widely predicted before the polls that BJP is facing a tough challenge in Madhya Pradesh, most pollsters are predicting a close win for the Shivraj Singh Chouhan govt. Nonetheless, the two sides appear to be engaged in a very close battle. The contest is anticipated to be a nail-biter and the outcome on the result day may surprise everyone, as some agencies are predicting Congress win and others showing a very close contest.

India Today – Axis, News24 – Today’s Chanakya and Republic Matrize are predicting a clear win for BJP, while ABP-C-Voter is predicting a Congress win. Others are predicting a very close result. As the chief minister with the longest tenure in the state, Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s continued service would be a personal triumph if he manages to secure a victory for his party in the state.

Rajasthan

There is no surprise for Rajasthan as per the exit polls, as all of them are predicting a BJP win, which was widely expected. Congress comes in a distant second with an average of 80 seats while the BJP seems to have a clear sweeping victory in Rajasthan with an average of 107 seats while it only needs 101 seats to form government.

The greatest number of seats is awarded to the BJP by Matrize which forecasted the party to win between 115 and 130 seats and the Congress party is only expected to win between 65 and 75 seats. Notably, this might not surprise many because the state has a history of switching the ruling party every five years. India Today-Axis the exception with predicting slightly more seats for Congress in a hung assembly. All other polls are predicting a comfortable win for BJP.

Telangana

The Bhartiya Rashtriya Samiti, which is currently in power in Telangana, is expected to be overthrown by the Congress causing a significant upset for the party’s president and incumbent chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao. Apart from Polstart, all other agencies are predicting a Congress win.

If the exit polls are to be believed K. Chandrashekar Rao won’t be receiving any good news as his BRS is expected to win only around 45 seats while the state needs 60 seats to establish government. However, with over 60 seats predicted for the party in the assembly poll, Congress could get the opportunity to rejoice. Asaduddin Owaisi’s The All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) is predicted to perform similarly to previous elections with just around five seats. Importantly, BJP is projected to make inroads in the southern state with around 6 seats.

It is notable that India Today-Axis didn’t publish Telangana numbers today, saying they will publish the predictions tomorrow after a detailed analysis.

Chhattisgarh

Most exit polls are predicting that Congress will retain Chhattishgarh, showing a pro-incumbency verdict. Congress is projected to win around 50 seats and secure another term for current chief minister Bhupesh Baghel while BJP could come second with around 40 seats in Chhattisgarh. Notably, Chhattisgarh is the only state where all exit polls are giving more seats to Congress, although the margin is very close.

Mizoram

According to the figures, the Zoram People’s Movement and the Mizo National Front are in a close battle in Mizoram and the Congress and BJP are performing poorly. However, there is a split verdict for the state, with some agencies predicting a return of the MNF govt, while others giving more seats to ZPM. However overall, ZPM is expected to win the elections, going by exit poll results. It is notable that while MBF is an NDA ally at the centre, there on alliance of the party with BJP in Mizoram.

BJP doesn’t have a strong presence in Mizoram which has negatively impacted its electoral success there while the Congress is likewise failing to produce any noteworthy results despite having a firm party base in the northeastern state. However, given the close results the exit polls have predicted, no party may be able to win a clear majority, and BJP and Congress can become king-maker even with only a few seats in the 40-member house.

Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are going to be direct contact between Congress and BJP while the fight in Telangana is between the two along with BRS which is a major contender there. The main competition in Mizoram is largely between MNF and ZPM. Now, all political parties are eagerly awaiting the announcement of the election results on 3 December.

The outcome of these elections would have a significant influence on the 2024 Lok Sabha election where Prime Minister Narendra Modi hopes to win a third term for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Congress and its I.N.D.I. Alliance would battle it out for control of the next central government.

Approval to procure 97 more LCA Tejas Mk 1A jets is a landmark event, it is a potent aircraft capable of replacing MiG series fighters: IAF chief

ANI
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Approval to procure 97 more LCA Tejas Mk 1A jets is a landmark event, it is a potent aircraft capable of replacing MiG series fighters: IAF chief

Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari on Thursday said the nod given by the Defence Ministry to procure 97 more LCA mark 1A fighter jets marks a ‘landmark event’ and demonstrates the force’s commitment towards ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.

Speaking to ANI, Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari said, “It is indeed a landmark event that the approval has been given for procurement of 97 additional LCA mark 1A. You are aware that we had signed a contract for 83 LCA mark 1As, the deliveries for which are to start shortly in the next few months. We already had 40 LCAs of the original IOC and FOC version.”

Stating that LCA mark 1As is an ideal fit to replace the depleting strength in the Air Force, the Air Chief Marshal said, “So with this, in the long run, the strength of the Indian Air Force will grow to 220 LCA mark 1As, which will equip almost ten squadrons of the Air Force. With the winding down of the MiG 21 and the MiG 27 and 23 fleets in the past, this is an ideal fit to replace the depleting strength.”

“It’s a very capable and potent aircraft and it gives our trust in the Indian defence industry capabilities. It shows that we firmly are committed towards Atmanirbhar Bharat and ensuring that a large number of our items on our inventory are made in India,” he added.

Earlier, on Thursday, the Defence Ministry cleared the proposal for the acquisition of 97 LCA mark 1A fighter jets for the Indian Air Force at a cost of around Rs 65,000 crores.

According to defence officials, a proposal for buying 156 LCH Prachand choppers has also been approved by the Defence Acquisition Council while an upgrade plan for 84 Su-30MKI fighters has also been cleared. The proposals are worth Rs 1.6 lakh crore and, all, are indigenous projects.

On the acquisition of LCH Prachand choppers, Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari said, “The requirement for having a very agile combat helicopter was felt immediately after the Kargil conflict and this indigenous development of the LCH or the Prachand has given a tremendous boost to our capability in war fighting in this domain of helicopter combat operations.”

“We had procured 10 of them initially, for the Indian Air Force, the light combat helicopters, and they have proven their worth. They are indeed very agile, they are capable of carrying out multiple tasks even at high altitudes and these will definitely enhance the capability of the armed forces and the Air Force in particular,” he added.

IAF chief added that after the acquisition of 156 LCH, it is most likely that the Air Force will stop importing attack helicopters.

“This huge tranche of 156 LCH should suffice to meet our own requirements of both the Army and the Air Force,” he said.

Calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent sortie in Tejas Aircraft a ‘landmark event’, the Air Force chief said that this gives confidence to the Indian domestic manufacturing ecosystem as it has received endorsement from the highest office of the country.

“The output of the effort of so many people in the industry, in the defence industry, has really borne fruit and we are now capable of even exporting this aircraft to other countries. You’ve seen the follow on order which will come from the Air Force for 97 additional LCA. All this is a huge step towards Atmanirbharta. It was a tremendous message not only to the Indian Air Force, and Indian Armed Forces but also to the Indian defence industry,” he said.

Love Jihad in Bihar: Armaan Ali lured minor Hindu girl, forcefully converted to Islam, assaulted the victim after marriage before leaving her

OpIndia Staff
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Love Jihad in Bihar: Armaan Ali lured minor Hindu girl, forcefully converted to Islam, assaulted the victim after marriage before leaving her

A case of love jihad has come to light from the Isuapur police station area of Chhapra in Bihar’s Saran district where a Hindu and Muslim family live side by side in a village. They shared friendly relations, however, 25-year-old man Armaan Ali from the Muslim family trapped 16-year-old Aarti Kumari from the Hindu household into a love affair after which he took her to Mumbai in 2021.

Furthermore, he lied about her age to get married in court and then compelled her to become a Muslim and named her Tamanna. Notably, he left her when she turned eighteen. The victim also charged that the couple had a baby boy who lost his life from a poisoning injection a few days after his birth and blamed her spouse for his death. She stated that the child was perfectly healthy, but black spots started appearing on his body after he was given the injection following which the infant passed away.

Police station in-charge Mihir Kumar informed that a First Information Report has been registered and an investigation is underway. The girl is currently staying with her parents in their home. She mentioned that the relationship between her and the accused was very good for a few days, but later his behaviour changed and he started assaulting her as well as pressurised her to work as a labourer.

He continued to force her into labour even when he fell sick and snatched the thirty thousand rupees she had accumulated. She added that the culprit had travelled from Mumbai with her in order to visit his grandfather’s home in Siliguri, however, he tricked her into going to Isuapur where he checked her into Bhakura Bhithi Hotel before he went missing.

She then realised that she had now reached close to her parents’ residence and relocated to live with her family. She arrived at the police station along with her mother and father to submit a complaint against the perpetrator. Her father noted that he is at a loss for how to handle his daughter. He is unable to decide whether he should keep her with them or send her to Armaan Ali’s family.

Taking journalists along is not PM’s job: How PM Modi rejected ‘tradition’ and refused to take media persons in official plane during his foreign trips

OpIndia Staff
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Taking journalists along is not PM’s job: How PM Modi rejected ‘tradition’ and refused to take media persons in official plane during his foreign trips

Former Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Nripendra Misra, in an ANI podcast, revealed how PM Narendra Modi broke the ‘tradition’ of taking media persons along on foreign trips.

While appearing as a guest on “ANI Podcast With Smita Prakash” on Wednesday (November 29), Misra said, “The first time he (PM Modi) was visiting abroad, like all previous prime ministers, I carried the names of the press guys who will go with him so he looked at it and then didn’t comment anything. After about 2-3 hours, I asked him we are getting late didn’t you clear it. So he (PM Modi) asked if he didn’t take any press person along, what will happen.”

“I said sir it will lead to bad relations with the press. He (PM Modi) said why this press…these so-called monarchs of the press…they will send their own representatives. They don’t have to bother for funds and to take them in the plane is not necessary, then I said no sir this has been the convention etc, he said nothing doing, please note down nobody will go. No press representative will go with me. That’s all…so that was his decision. It was final,” Misra continued.

It is worth recalling that back in 2014, Prime Minister Modi’s decision to take only a few journalists, that too those belonging to state-affiliated media like Doordarshan and some news agencies, during his maiden visit to Bhutan as prime minister, was at the centre of discussion and not-so-surprising criticism from the media elites used to the VIP treatment meted out to them by the previous UPA government.

The modest media entourage taken by PM Modi on his first few foreign visits including those to Bhutan and then to Brazil for the BRICS summit made it clear that the PM was not interested in continuing the tradition of carrying some 30-odd journalists from national and regional media outlets, as well as TV channels, accompanying the PM on official foreign trips.

Before PM Modi ended the ‘tradition’ of flying journalists on official foreign trips in the government’s Air India plane, the roster of media personnel accompanying the PM on his foreign tours was compiled mostly by the PMO with assistance from the Ministry of External Affairs. The media entourage boarded the same plane as the Prime Minister. The government did not charge them for their flights, and Air India provided complimentary tickets to the accompanying journalists.

The media persons had to pay for their own accommodation at the hotels selected by the external affairs ministry. However, the previous governments, regardless of political party, ensured free food and drinks for the accompanying journalists. Moreover, these travels also offered the journalists with opportunity to get access to top officials, including bureaucrats and intelligence officials.

According to a Firstpost report, PM Modi, while talking about the policy change, told a senior journalist that the tradition of taking media contingent along on foreign trips is “flawed” as big media houses would be sending the journalists repeatedly. According to a report, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in his numerous foreign visits as prime minister, took several journalists along repeatedly. Some of the journalists accompanied PM Singh over 20 times. In addition, selecting 30 journalists would obviously disappoint others not selected. He also reportedly said that the new age journalists have access to information regardless of their location, thus it is not imperative for them to accompany the prime minister for their coverage.

Notably, not just the media contingent, PM Modi also does not take along any guests along on official foreign trips. In August this year, Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswan inquired about the number of guests taken by the Prime Minister abroad along with him for foreign visits or events, country-wise detail, since 1st January 2023, and the criteria involved in their selection as well as the expenditure. In addition, the MP also asked if any journalists accompanied PM Modi on his foreign trips this year.

In response, Minister of State for Ministry of External Affairs V Muraleedharan informed that PM Modi did not take along any guests during his foreign visits and thus no question of criteria of selection and subsequent expenditure arises.

MEA says case of indictment filed by US Justice Dept against Indian national for bid to assassinate terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun a “matter of concern”

OpIndia Staff
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MEA says case of indictment filed by US Justice Dept against Indian national for bid to assassinate terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun a “matter of concern”

The Ministry of External Affairs has responded to the indictment filed by the US Justice Department against an Indian national for his alleged involvement in a foiled plot to assassinate US-based Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York.

The MEA said that it is a “matter of concern” and is contrary to government policy.

“We cannot share any further information on such security matters. As regards the case against an individual that has been filed in a US court allegedly linking him to an Indian official, this is a matter of concern. We have said and let me reiterate that this is contrary to government policy. The nexus between organised crime, trafficking and gun running and extremists at an international level is a serious issue for law enforcement agencies and organisations to consider and it is precisely for that reason that a high-level committee has been constituted and we will obviously be guided by its results” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

The MEA spokesperson said that the US side shared some inputs related to nexus between organised crimes, gun runners, terrorists and extremists and India takes these inputs “very seriously.”

“During the course of discussions with US on bilateral security cooperation, the US side shared some inputs pertaining to nexus between organised crimes, gun runners, terrorists and extremists. We take such inputs very seriously and high-level inquiry committee has been constituted to look into all the relevant aspects of the matter, and necessary follow-up action will be taken based on the findings of the inquiry committee. You would have seen this in our statements that we have issued” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

The US Justice Department has claimed that an Indian government employee (named CC-1), who was not identified in the indictment filed in a federal court in Manhattan, recruited an Indian national named Nikhil Gupta to hire a hitman to carry out the assassination, which was foiled by US authorities.

Gupta is currently in custody and has been charged with murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Czech authorities had arrested and detained Gupta on June 30, pursuant to the bilateral extradition treaty between the United States and the Czech Republic.

 The US Justice Department claimed that Gupta, is an associate of CC-1, and has described his involvement in international narcotics and weapons trafficking in his communications with CC-1. The indictment claims CC -1 directed the assassination plot from India.

The US Justice Department claimed that in or about May 2023, CC-1 recruited Gupta to orchestrate the assassination of the activist in the United States. At CC-1’s direction, Gupta contacted an individual whom he believed to be a criminal associate, but who was in fact a confidential source working with the DEA. The source it is alleged introduced Gupta to a purported hitman, who was a DEA undercover officer.

The purported hitman was offered USD 100,000 to murder the Separatist leader, the Justice Department claims. The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Meanwhile responding to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s opportunistic dive into the matter, the Ministry of External Affairs said that Canada has consistently given space to anti-India extremists.

During a special press briefing on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UAE, the MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi, while responding to a query, said that India expects the Canadian government to live up to its obligations under the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations.

He said that India has seen interference from Canadian diplomats in India’s internal affairs and called it “unacceptable.”

“In so far as Canada is concerned, we have said that they have consistently given space to anti-India extremists and that is actually the heart of the issue. Our diplomatic representatives in Canada have borne the brunt of this. So, we expect the Government of Canada to live up to its obligations under the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations. We have also seen interference by Canadian diplomats in our internal affairs and that is unacceptable” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said.

On Wednesday (29th November), Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had called on the Indian government to cooperate with Canada in the investigation of the killing of India-designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, CBC News reported.

Trudeau was quoted by CBC as saying that the news coming out of the US underscores the need for India to take the issue seriously.

Speaking to reporters, Trudeau said, “The news coming out of the United States further underscores what we’ve been talking about from the very beginning: which is India needs to take this seriously.” He said, “The Indian government needs to work with us to ensure that we’re getting to the bottom of this. This is not something that anyone can take lightly.”

Trudeau’s statement came after the United States Justice Department filed an indictment

The US Justice Department filed the indictment against the Indian national about two months after Trudeau made allegations about India’s involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Colombia’s Surrey in June. India had outrightly rejected the allegation, terming it “absurd and politically motivated.”

(With inputs from ANI)

Indian GDP grew by 7.6% during the July-September quarter, remains the fastest-growing major economy

ANI
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Indian GDP grew by 7.6% during the July-September quarter, remains the fastest-growing major economy

The Indian economy grew 7.6 per cent during the July-September quarter of the current financial year 2023-24, remaining the fastest-growing major economy.

India’s GDP growth for the April-June quarter grew 7.8 per cent.

Real GDP or GDP at Constant (2011-12) Prices in Q2 2023-24 is estimated to attain a level of Rs 41.74 lakh crore, as against Rs 38.78 lakh crore in Q2 2022-23, showing a growth of 7.6 percent as compared to 6.2 percent in Q2 2022-23, data from Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation showed on Thursday.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had maintained real GDP growth for 2023-24 at 6.5 per cent with Q2 at 6.5 per cent; Q3 at 6.0 per cent; and Q4 at 5.7 per cent.

The only thing about which the central bank showed utmost concern at its last monetary policy meeting was the rising inflation and its attached potential risk to the growth outlook.

Recently, industry body FICCI in a survey found that the Indian economy is projected to grow by 6.3 per cent in 2023-24 with a minimum and maximum growth estimate of 6 per cent and 6.6 per cent respectively.

The FICCI’s Economic Outlook Survey was conducted in the month of September 2023 and drew responses from leading economists representing industry, banking and financial services sectors.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) had in October raised India’s GDP growth forecast for India for the financial year 2023-24 to 6.3 per cent, its second upward revision since the April report.

IMF attributed stronger-than-expected consumption during April-June for the upward projection in the growth estimate.

The IMF growth forecast was raised from 5.9 per cent in April, 6.1 per cent in July, to 6.3 per cent now, taking it closer to the 6.5 per cent predicted by the Indian authorities.

For 2024-25, IMF pegged India’s GDP growth at 6.3 per cent, though unchanged from its earlier two projections.

Meanwhile, the combined Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) increased by 12.1 per cent (provisional) in October 2023 as compared to the Index of October 2022.

The production of all eight core industries (Cement, Coal, Crude Oil, Electricity, Fertilizers, Natural Gas, Refinery Products and Steel) recorded positive growth in October 2023 over the corresponding month of last year, according to an official release from the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry. 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

97 more LCA Tejas jets, 156 Light Combat Helicopters, upgrade of 84 Sukhois and more: Defence Acquisition Council approves procurements worth ₹2.23 lakh crore

OpIndia Staff
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97 more LCA Tejas jets, 156 Light Combat Helicopters, upgrade of 84 Sukhois and more: Defence Acquisition Council approves procurements worth ₹2.23 lakh crore

In major defence procurement decisions, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) today (30 November) approved the procurement of several defence acquisitions, including Tejas Light Combat Aircraft 1A and Light Combat Helicopter from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The DAC under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Sing, accorded approval in respect of Acceptance of Necessity (AoNs) for various Capital Acquisition Proposals amounting to ₹2.23 lakh crore.

98% of the total procurement worth ₹2.20 lakh crore will be from domestic sources. This will give a substantial boost to the Indian Defence Industry towards the aim of achieving the goal of ‘Aatmanirbharta’, said a statement by the ministry.

The DAC accorded AoNs for procurement of Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) for Indian Air Force (IAF) & Indian Army and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk 1A for IAF from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category.

97 LCA Mk 1A will be procured for ₹65,000 crore, while 156 LCH Prachand choppers will be purchased. DAC also approved the upgradation of 84 Su-30 MKI Aircraft indigenously by HAL. These three projects will cost ₹1.6 lakh crore. It is notable that an order worth ₹ 36,468 crore for delivery of 83 LCA Mk 1A aircraft was already placed with HAL earlier and delivery is scheduled to begin by February 2024.

After all the ordered jets are delivered by HAL, LCA Tejas will be the largest fleet of fighter aircraft to be operated by the Indian Air Force in the coming years.

The defence ministry said that while procurement of these equipment will provide enormous strength to the IAF, acquisition from domestic defence industries will take the indigenous capability to a new height. It will also reduce dependability on foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) substantially.

Other then the aircrafts, the DAC accorded the AoN for procurement of two types of Anti-tank Munitions namely, Area Denial Munition (ADM) Type – 2 and Type-3, which are capable of neutralising Tanks and Armoured personnel carriers and enemy personnel.

To replace the Indian Field Gun (IFG), which has completed its service life, AoN for procurement of state-of-the-art Towed Gun System (TGS) has been granted which will become a mainstay of Artillery forces of Indian Army. The AoN was also accorded for 155 mm Nubless projectile for use in 155 mm Artillery guns which will enhance lethality and safety of the projectiles. All these equipment of the Indian Army will be procured under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category.

The AoN for procurement and integration of Automatic Target Tracker (ATT) and Digital Basaltic Computer (DBC) for T-90 Tanks under Buy (India) category have also been accorded which will help in maintaining combative edge of T-90 tanks over adversary platforms.

The AoN for procurement of Medium Range Anti-Ship Missiles (MRAShM) for surface platform of Indian Navy under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category has also been accorded. The MRAShM is envisaged as a lightweight Surface-to-Surface Missile which will be a primary offensive weapon onboard Indian Naval Ships.

Apart from the procurement approvals, the DAC also accorded approval for a major amendment in the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020. It has been decided that henceforth, in all categories of procurement cases, minimum 50% of indigenous content shall be in the form of material, components & software that are manufactured in India.

For the purpose of calculation of Indigenous content, cost of Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC)/Comprehensive Maintenance Contract (CMC)/After Sale Service shall be excluded.

Also, the DAC has taken decision to further encourage start-ups/MSMEs participation in the defence ecosystem. For all procurement cases with AoN cost upto Rs 300 crore, registered MSMEs and recognised start-ups will be considered for issue of Request for Proposal (RFP) without any stipulation of financial parameters, which can further be relaxed with approval of Defence Procurement Board (DPB) for AoN cost upto Rs 500 crore on case-to-case basis.

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