DEFENCE

• Defence Budget 2023-24.
• Mission Mode (MM) projects of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) and Commander of Royal Cambodian Army visiting India.
• HAL’s Helicopter Factory at Tumakuru inaugurated by PM.
• Operation Dost.
• NSA Shri Ajit Doval visited Moscow from 07-09 February 2023.
• Maiden landing of LCA Navy and Mig-29K fighter aircraft on board INS Vikrant.
• MoD signs contract worth over Rs 2,585 crore, for Corps of Engineers of Indian Army.
• 11th meeting of India-Mongolia Joint Working Group.
• Prime Minister inaugurates Aero India 2023
• Defence Secretary meets delegations from Saudi Arabia, USA and Oman on the sidelines of Aero India 2023
• Defence Secretary meets UK Delegation.
• Raksha Mantri hosts Defence Ministers’ Conclave.
• Indigenous manufacturing of aero-engines; MoD working on the details
• Raksha Mantri calls for joint efforts to develop India as MRO hub.
• Defence Secretary holds talks with several defence delegations.
• Record 75 per cent of defence capital procurement budget earmarked for domestic industry in FY 2023-24.

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Africa

• “lack of employment- a main driver of violent extremism in Sub-Saharan Africa”: UNDP

Afghanistan

• Taliban killed three IS operatives in a raid in Kabul.
• “Afghanistan remains primary source of terrorist threat for Central and South Asia”: UN report.

East Asia

• South Korean police arrested two foreigners funding terrorist groups using cryptocurrency.
• Singaporean law-enforcement authorities detained an 18 years-old IS supporter for planning terror attacks in the country.

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

• Security forces arrested six JeM terrorists from Kulgam.

Left-Wing Extremism

• A key-Maoist surrendered in Jharkhand.

Islamic Extremism (excluding J&K)

• NIA searched multiple locations in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka in connection with ‘Coimbatore car bomb blast’ and ‘Mangaluru blast’ cases.
• “Popular Front of India wanted to turn Bharat into Islamic State by 2047”: Maharashtra ATS.
• NIA filed charge sheet against a PFI operative in ‘Activities of IS module in India’ case.
• NIA arrested two accused in the ‘Phulwarisharif Patna PFI’ case.

Khalistan-inspired Extremism

• Bharat condemned vandalism in Melbourne, Australia.

Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs) cases

• Assam-based FICN racket busted in West Bengal.
• STF team recovered FICNs worth ₹ 31 lakh from Odisha.

DEFENCE

Defence Budget 2023-24.

The Armed Forces allocation fornon-Salary revenue outlay has been enhanced to Rs 90,000 crore in BE 2023-24, representing a 44% jump. The Union Budget for Financial Year 2023-24 envisages a total outlay of Rs 45,03,097 crore. Of this, Ministry of Defence has been allocated a total Budget of Rs 5,93,537.64 crore, which is 13.18 % of the total budget. This includes an amount of Rs 1,38,205 crore for Defence Pensions. The total Defence Budget represents an enhancement of Rs 68,371.49 crore (13%) over the Budget of 2022-23. The Capital Allocations pertaining to modernisation and infrastructure development of the Defence Services has been increased to Rs 1,62,600 crore representing a rise of Rs 10,230 crore (6.7%) over FY 2022-23.
For more information: Click here to read…

Mission Mode (MM) projects of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The Government has worked out the Mission Mode (MM) projects of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). As on date, DRDO is working on 55 MM Projects for a total sanctioned cost of Rs 73,942.82 crore. These are in the area of Decoys, Nuclear Defence Technologies, Air Independent Propulsion (AIP), Combat Suite, Propulsion System, Air Droppable Container, Torpedo, Fighter Aircraft, Cruise Missile, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, AEW&C Aircraft System, Gas Turbine Engine, Assault Rifle, Warhead, Light Machine Gun, Rocket, Advanced Towed Artillery Gun System (ATAGS), Infantry Combat Vehicle Command, Ordnance Disposal System, Tactical Radios, EW Systems, Radars, Life Support System, Geographical Information System, Surface to Air Missile, Anti-ship Missile, anti-Airfield Weapon, Glide Bomb, Simulator etc.
Reference: Click here to read…

Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) and Commander of Royal Cambodian Army visiting India.

Lieutenant General Hun Manet, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) and Commander of Royal Cambodian Army along with a delegation visited India from 02 to 04 February 2023. This was the maiden visit by any Commander of Royal Cambodian Army and is a milestone in Army to Army relations between both countries. He called on Mr Giridhar Aramane, Defence Secretary and was briefed on Indian indigenous defence equipment manufacturing eco-system by the Department of Defence Production (DDP) and the Army Design Bureau. He later called-on the Hon’ble Vice President of India Shri Jagdeep Dhankar, Hon’ble Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, Hon’ble External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Deputy National Security Advisor Mr Vikram Misri.
For more information: Click here to read…

HAL’s Helicopter Factory at Tumakuru inaugurated by PM.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Helicopter Factory at Tumakuru in Karnataka on February 06, 2023. He took a walk through of the Helicopter Facility & Structure Hangar and unveiled the Light Utility Helicopter (LUH). The factory is India’s largest helicopter manufacturing facility and will initially produce LUHs. The LUH is an indigenously designed and developed three-ton class, single engine multipurpose utility helicopter with unique features of high maneuverability. Initially, this factory will produce around 30 helicopters per year and can be enhanced to 60 and then 90 per year in a phased manner.

The Greenfield Helicopter Factory, spread across 615 acres of land, is planned with a vision to become a one-stop solution for all helicopter requirements of the country. After initially producing LUHs, the factory will be augmented to produce other helicopters such as Light Combat Helicopters (LCHs) and Indian Multirole Helicopters (IMRHs). It will also be used for Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul of LCH, LUH, Civil Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and IMRH in the future. Potential exports of civil LUH will also be catered to from this factory. The HAL plans to produce more than 1,000 helicopters in the range of 3-15 tonnes, with a total business of over Rs four lakh crores over a period of 20 years.
For more information: Click here to read…

Operation Dost

Following the massive earthquake that struck Türkiye and Syria on 6 February 2023, Prime Minister directed that all possible assistance be extended to the affected people. In pursuance of this, Operation Dost was launched to provide necessary support in terms of search and rescue (SAR) efforts as well as medical assistance. This swift response led to the first C-17 IAF aircraft with a specialized SAR team leaving for Türkiye within hours of a request of assistance being received. Since then, India has been able to send more than 250 personnel, specialized equipment and other relief material amounting to more than 135 tons to Türkiye on 5 C-17 IAF aircrafts.

These include three self-sustained teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) numbering more than 150 specially trained personnel, along with dog squads, specialized equipment, vehicles and supplies. Their equipment allows for detection, location, access and extrication of people trapped under collapsed structures. In addition, personnel and equipment have been sent to set up a 30-bed self-sustained field hospital of the Indian Army. This includes a team of 99 specially trained personnel, with essential medicines, advanced equipment, vehicles and ambulances. The hospital will provide for a fully functional Operation Theatre, and facilities such as X-ray, ventilators, etc.
For more information: Click here to read…

NSA Shri Ajit Doval visited Moscow from 07-09 February 2023.

NSA visited Moscow from 07-09 February 2023. He participated at the 5th Multilateral Meeting of Secretaries of Security Councils/National Security Advisers on Afghanistan on 08 February 2023. Apart from the host country, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan were represented at this meeting. Issues discussed included the security and humanitarian challenges facing Afghanistan.

In his remarks, NSA stressed the need to ensure that the territory of Afghanistan does not become a source of radicalization and terrorism, regionally or globally, as well as to intensify intelligence and security cooperation to deal with terror outfits, including those designated under the UNSCR 1267. He also pointed out that the well-being and humanitarian needs of the Afghan people is India’s foremost priority.

NSA also called on the President of the Russian Federation Mr. Vladimir Putin and had wide-ranging discussions on bilateral and regional issues. It was agreed to continue work towards implementing the India-Russia special and privileged strategic partnership.

On 09 February 2023, NSA held a bilateral dialogue with Secretary of the Russian Security Council, and discussed issues, including bilateral relations, regional and international developments. He also met with Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Minister of Trade and Industry and discussed issues pertaining to bilateral defence and economic cooperation.
For more information: Click here to read…

Maiden landing of LCA Navy and Mig-29K fighter aircraft onboard INS Vikrant.

The Carrier has been undertaking extensive Air Operations with Rotary Wing and Fixed Wing aircraft since 13 Dec 22 towards Air Certification and Flight Integration Trials for achieving the ultimate aim of being ‘Combat Ready’. As part of the aviation trials, landing of LCA (Navy) and MiG-29K on board INS Vikrant was carried out on 06 Feb 23 for the first time.
For more information: Click here to read…

MoD signs contract worth over Rs 2,585 crore, for Corps of Engineers of Indian Army.

Ministry of Defence has approved the proposal for indigenous manufacture of 41 sets of Modular Bridges for the Corps of Engineers of the Indian Army. These game-changing bridges have been designed and developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and shall be produced by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) as DRDO-nominated production agency. The contract for the procurement of Modular Bridges was signed with L&T on February 08, 2023 at an estimated cost of over Rs 2,585 crore.
For more information:

11th meeting of India-Mongolia Joint Working Group.

The 11th meeting of India-Mongolia Joint Working Group was held today on 10th February 2023 in New Delhi. Both sides reviewed the progress on various bilateral defence cooperation initiatives and identified means to further enhance the existing areas of cooperation and articulated steps in this direction. During the meeting, both the sides expressed satisfaction at the ongoing defence cooperation between the two countries despite the limitations imposed by Covid-19 pandemic.

India established diplomatic relations with Mongolia in 1955. The Indian Resident Mission in Ulaanbaatar was opened in 1971. This relationship was upgraded to “strategic partnership” in 2015 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Mongolia and declared it as an essential component of ‘Act East Policy’.
For more information: Click here to read…

Prime Minister inaugurates Aero India 2023.

Prime Minister inaugurated the 14th edition of Asia’s largest aero show –– Aero India 2023 – in Bengaluru, Karnataka on February 13, 2023. February 13th to 15th were the business days, while 16th & 17th were public days to allow people to witness the show. The event comprised of a Defence Ministers’ Conclave; a CEOs Round Table; Manthan start-up event; Bandhan ceremony; breath-taking air shows; a large exhibition; India Pavilion and a trade fair of aerospace companies.

Organised at Air Force Station, Yelahanka in a total area of around 35,000 sqm, the event, the biggest-ever till date, witnessed the participation of 98 countries. The Defence Ministers of 32 countries, Air Chiefs of 29 countries and 73 CEOs of global and Indian OEMs were expected to attend the event. Eight hundred and nine (809) defence companies, including MSMEs and start-ups, showcased the advancement in niche technologies and the growth in aerospace and defence sector.
For more information: Click here to read…

Defence Secretary meets delegations from Saudi Arabia, USA and Oman on the sidelines of Aero India 2023.

Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane held bilateral meetings on 12 February 2023 with three defence delegations on the sidelines of Aero India 2023 at Bengaluru. Defence Secretary met Mr. Engr Turki Saad, General Manager Industrial Relations, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and discussed a number of bilateral defence cooperation issues.

A US delegation led by Mr. Jedijiah P. Royal, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs, and accompanied by Ambassador Elizabeth Jones, Charge D’Affairs US Embassy and Maj Gen Julian Cheator, US Air Force, met the Defence Secretary.
A wide range of ongoing and future defence cooperation issues were discussed. US is participating in Aero India with a number of officials, companies and aircrafts.

Later, Defence Secretary met a delegation from Oman led by HE Dr Mohammed Nasser Al Zaabi, Secretary General, Ministry of Defence. The ongoing defence cooperation was reviewed and possible opportunities for increasing the depth and scope of engagements was discussed.
Reference: Click here to read…

Defence Secretary meets UK Delegation.

Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane had a bilateral meeting with UK Minister of State for Defence Procurement Mr Alex Chalk. The meeting was conducted on the side-lines of the Aero India 2023 which was inaugurated by Hon’ble Prime Minister on 13 February 2023. A number of ongoing and future defence cooperation issues were discussed including areas for potential defence industrial cooperation. The UK Minister was accompanied by British High Commissioner to India Mr Alex Ellis.
Reference: Click here to read…

Raksha Mantri hosts Defence Ministers’ Conclave.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh hosted the Defence & Deputy Defence Ministers of 27 countries at the Defence Ministers’ Conclave held on the sidelines of Aero India 2023 in Bengaluru on February 14, 2023. The broad theme of the conclave was ‘Shared Prosperity through Enhanced Engagements in Defence’ (SPEED). It sought to address aspects related to deepening cooperation for capacity building (through investments, R&D, joint ventures, co-development, co-production and provisioning of defence equipment), training, space, AI and maritime security to grow together.

Over 160 delegates from several countries, including Defence & Deputy Defence Ministers from 27 countries, 15 Defence and Service Chiefs and 12 Permanent Secretaries from 80 countries participated in the conclave attesting to India’s tremendous growth and engagement in the defence and security sectors.
For more information: Click here to read…

Indigenous manufacturing of aero-engines; MoD working on the details.

Ministry of Defence is working on the details of indigenous manufacturing of aero-engines to provide a new fillip to the aerospace sector and achieve complete self-reliance. This was stated by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh during his inaugural address at a seminar titled ‘Indigenous Development of ‘Futuristic Aerospace Technologies including Way Forward for Development of Indigenous Aero Engines’, organised by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of 14th Aero India in Bengaluru on February 14, 2023.
For more information: Click here to read…

Raksha Mantri calls for joint efforts to develop India as MRO hub.

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh has called for joint efforts to develop India as a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) hub. He emphasised the need for MRO services to safeguard our defence equipment and systems, and protect our defence forces. He was speaking at the inaugural session of the seminar on “Sustenance in MRO and Obsolescence Mitigation: Op capability Enhancers in Aerospace Domain” organised by the Indian Air Force at Aero India 2023 on February 14, 2023.

Speaking on the need to give a push to indigenisation, Shri Rajnath Singh mentioned that the requirement for minimum 50% indigenous content in ‘Buy Indian- IDDM’ category currently does not include maintenance. He suggested that the procurement cost as well as maintenance and support should have 50% indigenous content to make the acquisition truly “Buy Indian- IDDM” and give a boost to Aatmanirbharta. He further pointed out the need to consider the cost of defence products over their entire lifespan. “The Life Cycle cost of high value defence equipment, including service and maintenance, should be examined at the time of acquisition for a clear estimate of total expenditure on these products throughout their usable life, and to enable us to get better value for money”, he suggested. He said that this will also enable us to understand the overall financial implications and estimate the level of indigenisation in particular defence equipment.
For more information: Click here to read…

Defence Secretary holds talks with several defence delegations.

Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane met a number of defence delegations on the sidelines of Aero India 2023 at Bengaluru on 14 February 2023. A bilateral meeting was held with UAE delegation led by Mr Matar Salem Ali Marran Aldhaheri, Defence Secretary, Ministry of Defence, UAE. They discussed a number of ongoing defence cooperation issues and expressed satisfaction at the regular military engagements.

Defence Secretary met a Myanmar delegation led by Lt Gen Kan Myint Than, Chief of Defence Industries. The ongoing defence cooperation issues were discussed. A bilateral meeting was held with Brazil. The Brazilian delegation was led by Brig Rui Chagas Mesquita, Head of Secretariat for Defence Production. They discussed a number of defence industrial cooperation issues and the possibilities for further cooperation.

Defence Secretary met a Cambodia delegation led by Gen Yun Min, Secretary of State, Ministry of National Defence. They reviewed the current cooperation between the two countries and discussed ways to enhance the defence cooperation.
A bilateral meeting was organized with Ms Katerina Gramatikova, Deputy Minister of Defence of the Republic of Bulgaria with Defence Secretary. Issues related to defence industrial cooperation were discussed.

A Mauritius delegation led by Mr Kechan Balgobin, Permanent Secretary, Prime Minister’s Office, Government of Mauritius met Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane. They considered the ongoing and future defence cooperation matters and exchanged views on important issues.
For more information: Click here to read…

Record 75 per cent of defence capital procurement budget earmarked for domestic industry in FY 2023-24.

Record 75 per cent (approx. Rs one lakh crore) of the defence capital procurement budget has been earmarked for domestic industry in Financial Year (FY) 2023-24, up from 68 per cent in 2022-23. This was announced by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh during the Bandhan ceremony of 14th Aero India in Bengaluru on February 15, 2023.

The Bandhan ceremony also witnessed the forging of 266 partnerships including 201 MoUs, 53 major announcements, nine product launches and three Transfers of Technology, worth around Rs 80,000 crore.
For more information: Click here to read…

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Africa

“Lack of employment- a main driver of violent extremism in Sub-Saharan Africa”: UNDP.

According to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report— Journey to Extremism in Africa: Pathways to Recruitment and Disengagement, released on 07 February 2023, lack of job opportunities is the leading factor driving people to join violent extremist groups in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“Lack of income, lack of employment and livelihoods, means that desperation is essentially pushing people to take up opportunities, with whoever offers that,” said Achim Steiner, UNDP administrator.

Sub-Saharan Africa has become a new global epicenter of violent extremism with almost half of global terrorism deaths recorded there in 2021. After lack of employment, peer pressure from family members or friends is cited as second most common driver; followed by religious ideology for joining up the terror group.
For more information: Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Taliban killed three IS operatives in a raid in Kabul.

In an overnight operation on 14-15 February 2023, the Taliban’s intelligence wing killed three Islamic State (IS) terrorists and arrested one during a raid in the Karti Naw neighbourhood in Kabul. According to a Taliban-appointed spokesman for Afghanistan’s General Director of Intelligence— Khalil Hamraz, “the raid on a residential building targeted IS terrorists who were involved in recent attacks in Kabul.”
For more information: Click here to read…

“Afghanistan remains primary source of terrorist threat for Central and South Asia”: UN report.

The United Nations (UN)’s 31st report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team (ISIS/ISIL, al-Qa’ida) highlighted that due to the Taliban’s failure to implement a successful security policy, organisations like the Islamic State (IS/ISIL/ISIS), al-Qa’ida, and Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) continue to pose a significant threat to Central and South Asia.

The report also mentioned that IS’s branch in Afghanistan— Islamic State-Khurasan Province (IS-KP) is the primary rival to the Taliban de-facto administration, having strategic focus on Afghanistan and beyond in the historical Khurasan region. IS-KP’s main objective is to unearthed the Taliban’s in-capabilities to provide effective security in the country. By attacking diplomatic missions, IS-KP seeks to undermine the relationship between the Taliban and neighbouring countries.
For more information: Click here to read…

East Asia

South Korean police arrested two foreigners funding terrorist groups using crypto currency.

On 15 February, South Korea’s National Police Agency (NPA) arrested two foreign nationals for funding al-Qa’ida-linked terrorist group— Katibat al-Tawhidwal-Jihad (KTJ), using crypto currency. Police arrested an Uzbek and a Kazakh man who were later sent to the Supreme Prosecutors Office on charges of breaking the anti-terrorism and anti-terrorist funding acts. The United Nations (UN) designated KTJ as a terrorist group in March 2022. According to the police statement, in December 2022, nine foreign nationals were arrested on charges of funding KTJ and were later deported. It was suspected, the Uzbek collected some 10 million won (USD 7,770) by instigating other foreigners based in Yeongam, South Jeolla province, and sending funds to KTJ since August 2022. The Kazak national allegedly sent 01 million won of crypto currency to KTJ.
For more information:Click here to read…

Singaporean law-enforcement authorities detained an 18 years-old IS supporter for planning terror attacks in the country.

Singaporean law-enforcement agency detained an 18 years-old Islamic State (IS) supporter for allegedly planning to carry out terror attacks in the country. As reported, Muhammad Irfan Danyal bin Mohammad Nor, a Singaporean student, was detained under the Internal Security Act. “Muhammad Irfan became radicalised after viewing IS group propaganda online, adding that he wanted to use social media to gather terrorists to conduct attacks in Singapore”, read the statement released by the authorities.
For more information: Click here to read…

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

Security forces arrested six JeM terrorists from Kulgam.

On 03 February 2023, security forces arrested six Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists— i) Shahid Ahmad Padder, ii) Ubaid Ahmad Itoo, iii) Danish Ahmad Dar, iv) Nawaz Ahmad Ganie, v) Abid Mushtaq, and vi)Kifayat Ahmad Lone, from Kulgam district and recovered huge cache of arms and ammunition from their possession. “On the basis of intelligence inputs regarding carrying out of subversive actions in Mirhama and Damhal Hanjipora area of Kulgam district, joint team of Police and 9 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) arrested six JeM terrorists in the operations,” said police.

Security forces recovered a pistol, a pistol magazine, eight pistol rounds, a hand grenade, four UBGL (Under Barrel Grenade Launcher) shell, 30 rounds of AK-47, 446 rounds of M4, eight magazines of M4, one each magazine of AK-47 and INSAS, a wireless set and four walkie-talkies.
For more information: Click here to read…

Left-Wing Extremism

A ‘regional commander’ surrendered in Jharkhand.

On 10 February 2022, a key Maoist— Mithilesh Singh aka Duryodhan Mahto, who carried a bounty of ₹ 15 lakh, surrendered before security forces in Ranchi district, Jharkhand. Mithilesh was a ‘regional commander of the CPI (Maoist) group. He was ‘most-wanted’ in 104 cases in various districts of the State.

“In past three years, more than 1,300 Maoists were arrested, around 50 Maoists surrendered and 31 of them were killed in gunfight with security forces. The base area of the Maoists has shrunk, and they are now restricted to few pockets in the State,” said Inspector-General (IG) of Police (Operations)—Amol V Homkar.
For more information: Click here to read…

Islamic Extremism (excluding J&K)

NIA searched multiple locations in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka in connection with ‘Coimbatore car bomb blast’ and ‘Mangaluru blast’ cases.

On 15 February 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) searched 32 locations in Tamil Nadu and Kerala in connection with the ‘Coimbatore car bomb blast’ case— RC-01/2022/NIA/CHE and eight locations in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka in ‘Mangaluru blast’ case— RC-47/2022/NIA/DLI.

The case— RC-01/2022/NIA/CHE pertains to a bomb blast in a car, laden with explosives in front of Kottai Eswaran temple in Coimbatore district. The accused— Jamesha Mubeen, after swearing allegiance to Islamic State (IS), planned to carry out a suicide attack on 23 October 2022. The case— RC-47/2022/NIA/DLI relates to a ‘pressure cooker bomb’/improvised explosive device (IED) blast that took place in a moving auto-rickshaw in Mangaluru, Karnataka. In two cases, during the search operations large numbers of digital devices and cash amounting to ₹ 4 lakh.
For more information: Click here to read…

“Popular Front of India wanted to turn Bharat into Islamic State by 2047”: Maharashtra ATS.

In its charge sheet filed in a local court on 02 February 2023, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) highlighted that the Popular Front of India (PFI), a banned organisation, aimed to establish the ‘Rule of Islam’ in Bharat by 2047, and also had plans to obtain arms and ammunition with the assistance from foreign countries or their organisations to achieve the objectives. The ATS claimed to have recovered a document called— “India 2047-towards rule of Islam in India”.

As per the charge sheet, PFI wanted to create a split among several communities by projecting Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) as an organisation interested in the welfare of upper-caste Hindus.
For more information: Click here to read…

NIA filed charge sheet against a PFI operative in ‘Activities of IS module in India’ case.

On 11 February 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge sheet against Mohammad Sohail, a PFI operative involved in conspiracy to disturb peace and spread communal hatred and enmity. Mohammad Sohail, along with other PFI members, have conspired to radicalise Muslim youth to commit violent and unlawful activities. Mohammad Sohail was arrested on 10 February 2023 from Jaipur, Rajasthan.
For more information: Click here to read…

NIA arrested two operatives in the ‘Phulwarisharif Patna PFI’ case.

On 04 February 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) searched eight locations and arrested two PFI operatives— i) TanveerRaza, and ii) Mohammad Abid, from Motihari, Bihar, in ‘Phulwarisharif Patna PFI’ case. Both accused were involved in conspiracy to carry out targeted killing in East Champaran district, Bihar. Few days ago, Yakoob, the PFI trainer, had posted derogatory and inflammatory Facebook video post which was aimed at disturbing the peace and harmony. Other users on Facebook trolled this post abusively. Yakoob, Tanveer, and Abid had identified some of the users and conspired to execute the killing of targeted users.
For more information: Click here to read…

Khalistan-inspired Extremism

Bharat condemned vandalism in Melbourne, Australia.

On 02 February 2023, Bharat condemned the recent anti-Bharat incidents of vandalism in various parts of Australia and asked the Australian government to ensure that country’s territory is not used for activities detrimental to “Bharat’s security, integrity, and national interest”.

“We (Bharat) strongly condemn such attacks by extremist elements. We urge the local authorities to investigate and punish the perpetrators. We have been repeatedly taking up with the Australian authorities our concerns about actions by such elements, including the proscribed terrorist organisations. Bharat has expressed a firm rejection of the Khalistan referendum and other politically-motivated activities by extremist elements,” said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)’s spokesman Arindam Bagchi.
For more information: Click here to read…

Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs) cases

Assam-based FICN racket busted in West Bengal.

On 01 February 2023, the Kolkata Special Task Force (STF)’s anti-FICN team busted an Assam-based Fake Indian Currency Note (FICN) racket and arrested two racketeers— i) Abdul Rejjak Khan, and ii) Shahar Ali. During the arrest, STF team recovered a total of 2,000 notes of ₹ 500 from the possession of the duo. STF registered the case under Sections 120B, 489B, and 489C of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
For more information: Click here to read…

STF team recovered FICNs worth ₹ 31 lakh from Odisha.

On 01 February 2023, Odisha’s Special Task Force (STF) and police seized a consignment of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs) worth ₹ 31 lakh during a raid in Bolangir district in Odisha. The joint team seized FICNs from a man standing near the main gate of Titlagarh bus stand.
For more information: Click here to read…

Afghanistan

30 pc decline in imports from Afghanistan via Attari ICP – The Tribune

The decline of 30 per cent in the imports from Afghanistan through the Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Attari can be attributed to clashes between Pakistan forces and Taliban fighters on the international border being shared between Afghanistan and Pakistan besides floods in Afghanistan. The trade through Attari-Wagah route dipped as the import from Afghanistan registered a fall of Rs 1,018 c in 2022 (from January 1 to December 31) in comparison to the previous corresponding period (2021). Click here to read…

Dozens of people killed as cold wave sweeps Afghanistan – Al Jazeera

At least 70 people and tens of thousands of cattle have died due to freezing temperatures across Afghanistan, the country’s Ministry of Disaster Management confirmed with Al Jazeera as Afghans reel from a spell of cold weather amid a humanitarian crisis. The ministry said on Wednesday that 70 people and 70,000 cattle have died in the past week. Click here to read…

Qatar Emphasizes Need for Engagement with Islamic Emirate – Tolo News

Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani emphasized the need for continued engagement with the Islamic Emirate as he addressed a panel discussion on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday. Al Thani criticized a number of the recent actions the current government took but said that engagement with the Islamic Emirate was the only way to bring change in Afghanistan. Click here to read…

Bangladesh

A deepened friendship between the US and Bangladesh – Dhaka Tribune

Bangladesh and the US have shared historical experiences. Both nations share a strong belief in democracy and have endured bloody wars to gain their independence. The democratic process is ongoing. The US have witnessed heinous acts of violence and racism. The American people are openly and honestly discussing these concerns, and they are speaking up forcefully to make changes in society and hold lawmakers responsible. Click here to read…

Bangladesh Sents Back Consignment From Embargoed Russian Ship – Marine Insight

On Tuesday, January 17, Bangladesh sent away a Russian ship carrying supplies for their Rooppur nuclear power plant, an incident which has left Russia dissatisfied. The move was made because of the US embargo on the Ursa Major ship. According to international laws, a country that allows embargoed vessels to dock at ports also faces embargo charges. The ship was slated to dock on Dec 24. However, the US government alerted Bangladesh on Dec 22 about its embargo status, which was relayed to the Russian Ambassador Alexander Mantitsky by Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry’s Maritime Affairs Secretary Khorshed Alam. Click here to read…

‘PM Hasina should get Nobel prize for hosting Rohingyas’ – Dhaka Tribune

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina should get the Nobel prize for her humanitarian and responsible policy in hosting the Rohingyas, the speakers said during a discussion Wednesday. They were addressing the discussion “Rohingya’s: Victims of Genocide and Looking for Answers” organised by the Entrepreneurship Economics Program of the Dhaka School of Economics. The speakers also urged the international community to play a strong role in the repatriation of Rohingyas from Bangladesh. Click here to read…

Sea ‘a graveyard’ as number of Rohingya fleeing Bangladesh by boat soars

The number of Rohingya refugees taking dangerous sea journeys in the hope of reaching Malaysia or Indonesia has surged by 360%, the UN has announced after hundreds of refugees were left stranded at the end of last year. Rohingya in Bangladesh refugee camps have warned that human smugglers have ramped up operations and are constantly searching for people to fill boats from Myanmar and Bangladesh headed for Malaysia, where people believe they can live more freely. Click here to read…

Bhutan

Foreign Secretary in Thimphu days after China-Bhutan border talks – The Tribune

Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra reached Thimphu on Wednesday on a three-day visit. Kwatra will hold talks with his counterpart Pema Choden, besides calling on the country’s top leadership. He will also co-chair the 4th India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks. India is Bhutan’s largest benefactor and had earmarked $282 million for its development during 2022-23. The focus of the visit is expected to be on boosting cooperation in the hydropower sector, defence ties and reviewing the situation in the strategically sensitive Doklam tri-junction. Click here to read…

Maldives

India, Maldives must together ensure regional security: EAM S Jaishankar – The Tribune

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reached the Maldives on Wednesday as part of his two-leg overseas tour and with his counterpart Abdullah Shahid reviewed India’s ambitious development projects in the island that will far surpass earlier Chinese efforts at building infrastructure there. After the ground-breaking ceremony of the Hanimaadhoo International Airport expansion, Jaishankar said it was one of the most anticipated projects. He said at a press conference that another equally ambitious project, the Greater Male Connectivity Project (GMCP), would become an “economic corridor”. Click here to read…

India announces 100 million Maldivian Rufiyaa for community development projects in Maldives – News on Air

Dr. Jaishankar held discussions with Maldivian Foreign Minister Abdulla Shahid on strengthening India-Maldives cooperation and took stock of ongoing development projects financed by India in Maldives. He said the MoUs and agreements are a reaffirmation of a strong developmental partnership between the two countries. He expressed happiness on witnessing an MoU between Maldivian National University and Kochi University of Science & Technology. The minister said India has handed over two sea ambulances to help the MALDIVES NATIONAL DEFENCE FORCE (MNDF). He also said India has completed 23 out of 45 impactful community development projects. Click here to read…

Myanmar

Myanmar Junta Leaked Memo Shows Resistance Growing Beyond Control – Irrawaddy

Leaked minutes from a top-level “counterterrorism” meeting led by Home Affairs Minister Lieutenant-General Soe Htut show the junta is at its wit’s end after failing to drum up public support to crush the shadow National Unity Government (NUG). Click here to read…

Kokang: Caught Between Myanmar and China – Irrawaddy

One of the most unexpected developments in the struggle against Myanmar’s latest military dictatorship is the support for the resistance that has come from the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA). An ethnic armed organization (EAO), the MNDAA is based in Kokang in the far northeastern corner of Shan State in eastern Myanmar. More than 90 per cent of Kokang’s population of approximately 150,000 people are ethnic Chinese of Yunnan descent, and the region’s cultural, personal and even political ties with China have always been strong. Click here to read…

Singapore doesn’t authorise transfer of arms to Myanmar, says Ministry of Foreign Affairs – The Print

Singapore does not authorise transfer of arms or “items with potential military application” to Myanmar, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said, rebutting a report which claimed it functions as a “strategic transit point” for items that “feed” the junta’s weapon production. Click here to read…

Nepal

India stealing a march on China on rail connectivity with Nepal? – Kathmandu Post

As a Chinese technical team started a feasibility study for the proposed Kerung-Kathmandu cross-border railway, India has almost completed a detailed feasibility study for the Raxaul-Kathmandu Railway project, officials at the Department of Railways said. The two projects highlight the geopolitical rivalry between the two neighbouring giants who are competing for influence in Nepal. Click here to read…

Ghimire and Neupane in the House Speaker race – Kathmandu Post

Dev Raj Ghimire of the CPN-UML and Ishwari Neupane of the Nepali Congress have on Wednesday filed nominations for the election of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The election is scheduled for Thursday morning. Neupane’s candidacy was proposed by Congress lawmaker Bishwa Prakash Sharma and was seconded by Prakash Jwala of the CPN (Unified Socialist). The Congress and the Unified Socialist, both of which had voted for Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal during a floor test in Parliament on January 10, had earlier decided to field their own candidate against the ruling alliance’s candidate for Speaker. Click here to read…

Rastriya Swatantra Party goes against its own policy as it picks plum Cabinet posts – KathmanduPost

The party has disregarded its own commitment to cutting the costs of legislatures and the executive, cutting off unnecessary positions, as they bargained for, and heartily accepted the deputy prime minister and state minister in the power sharing. The party’s change in tone and action, soon after emerging as the fourth largest force in the Parliament from its first foray into parliamentary politics, is now widely criticised by political commentators and experts. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka

Rice can’t cushion fall – Island

The prospect of having to face an election always fills an unpopular regime with horror and has a sobering effect on self-important politicians intoxicated with power. The SLPP-UNP government has awakened to the fact that many people are starving, and something needs to be done urgently to help them. It has decided to provide 10 kilos of rice each, free of charge, to two million families per month for a period of two months. Technically, the proposed handout amounts to an election bribe in all but name, for the Cabinet decision thereon came after the Election Commission (EC) had initiated the process of conducting the local government (LG) elections. But only those with a callous disregard for the suffering of the poor will be able to bring themselves to oppose the distribution of free rice irrespective of the government’s ulterior motive. Click here to read…

China opposes Dalai Lama’s planned visit to Sri Lanka – Devdiscourse

China on Tuesday opposed a suggested visit by Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama to Sri Lanka, saying the bankrupt island nation must safeguard the bilateral relationship. A top Chinese embassy official here met the powerful Buddhist prelates in the central town of Kandy to express opposition to the visit for which no dates have been fixed yet, a statement from the embassy said. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka hopes for ‘good news’ from Jaishankar’s two-day visit starting Thursday – Devdiscourse

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s two-day visit here starting Thursday is anticipated with much hope given Sri Lanka’s crucial negotiations with the IMF to secure a USD 2.9 billion bridge loan for a bailout to come out of the economic crisis. His visit comes two days after President Ranil Wickremesinghe Tuesday announced in Parliament a breakthrough in talks with India to restructure Sri Lanka’s debt, saying the discussions have been successful. Click here to read…

Govt. goes ahead with Election Expenses Bill despite Opposition’s objections – Daily News

The government decided yesterday (18) to present the Bill to regulate election expenses, which discloses parties giving money for election campaigns, despite the Opposition’s objections. Although agreement was not expressed by the Opposition during a special meeting held at the Parliament premises with the participation of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, representatives of the ruling party and the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress Leader Rauff Hakeem, Leader of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party Maithripala Sirisena under the leadership of President Ranil Wickremesinghe, it was announced that the Act will be presented. Click here to read…

DEFENCE

• MoD organises interaction with Indian defence industry on reservation for Ex-Agniveers in corporate jobs.
• Indian Coast Guard helicopter squadron commissioned in Chennai.
• Joint Exercise Agni Warrior with Singapore Armed Forces.
• Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS) has proceeded on a three day visit to Malaysia.
• Industries have been supported under the TDF (Technology Development Fund) scheme.
• Space Defence Mission.
• International Fleet Review (IFR) hosted by Bangladesh.
• Defence Industrial Corridors (DICs).
• Dare to Dream Contests.
• Visit of Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff to Sri Lanka.
• 6th Edition of Indo – Kazakhstan joint training exercise “KAZIND-22”.
• 16th Edition of Indo-Nepal joint training Exercise “SURYA KIRAN-XVI”.
• The last batch of Rafales of the IAF landed in India.

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Africa

Somalia

• Security forces killed at least 15 al-Shabaab terrorists in CT operation in Mogadishu.

Afghanistan

• IS-KP claimed responsibility for an attack on the ‘Chinese’ Hotel in Kabul.
• At least 07 people killed in roadside blast in Mazar-e-Sharif.

Pakistan

• “US withdrawl from Afghanistan supported TTP’s activities in Pakistan,” Report of Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on Interior.
• Security forces foiled an infiltration from Afghanistan and killed four IS-KP terrorists.

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

• A grenade explosion occurred outside a police station in Jammu.

Left-Wing Extremism

• Security forces recovered huge cache of arms and explosives from a Maoist hideout in Maharashtra.
• 35 Maoists surrendered in Andhra Pradesh.

Islamic Extremism (excluding J&K)

• Bharat and US agreed on concerted action against terrorist networks, including LeT and JeM.

Khalistan-inspired Extremism

• TarnTaran bomb blasts accused extradited from Austria to Bharat and arrested by the NIA in Delhi.
• NIA arrested absconding terrorist involved in ‘Ludhiana Court’ bomb blast case.

Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs)

• NIA Special Court convicted two FICN traffickers.

DEFENCE

MoD organises interaction with Indian defence industry on reservation for Ex-Agniveers in corporate jobs.

An interaction session was organised by Ministry of Defence on November 30, 2022 with the Indian Defence Industry under the aegis of Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers to seek opportunities for gainful employment of Ex-Agniveers under the Corporate Recruitment Plan of the companies. The session was chaired by Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane. Senior executives from major Indian defence industry houses including L&T, Adani Defence Ltd, Tata Advanced System Ltd, Ashok Leyland and others participated in the discussion. The senior executives of the companies conveyed their unstinted support and commitment in the endeavour and expressed their eagerness to deploy the Ex-Agniveers once the first batch completes its term with the Armed Forces. They assured that suitable provisions shall be made in their recruitment policies for reservations for Agniveers based on the available skill sets. Certain suggestions were also considered regarding bridging the skills learnt by Agniveers with the requirements of the industry.
For more information: Click here to read…

Indian Coast Guard helicopter squadron commissioned in Chennai.

An Indian Coast Guard Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Mk-III squadron, was commissioned at ICG Air Station, Chennai on November 30, 2022. The commissioning of 840 Sqn (CG) will provide a major fillip to the abilities of Indian Coast Guard in the security sensitive waters off Tamil Nadu and Andhra region. A total of 16 ALH Mk-III aircraft have been inducted in the Indian Coast Guard in a phased manner and four of these aircraft are positioned in Chennai.
For more information: Click here to read…

Joint Exercise Agni Warrior with Singapore Armed Forces.

The 12th Edition of Exercise Agni Warrior, a bilateral exercise between the Singapore & Indian Army, which had commenced on 13 November 2022 concluded at Field Firing Ranges, Devlali (Maharashtra) on 30 November 2022. Exercise Agni Warrior, involved showcasing joint firepower planning, execution and use of New Generation Equipment by the Artillery arm of both armies.
For more information: Click here to read…

Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS) has proceeded on a three day visit to Malaysia.

The Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS) has proceeded on a three day visit to Malaysia from 08 to 10 December 2022. During the visit, the Vice Chief will take forward the excellent defence cooperation between India and Malaysia through multiple meetings with senior military and civilian leadership of the country. He will also witness various training activities of the ongoing joint ‘Exercise HARIMAU SHAKTI’ and interact with the troops.
For more information: Click here to read…

Industries have been supported under the TDF (Technology Development Fund) scheme.

A total of 54 industries have been supported under the TDF scheme so far. A total no. of 04 technologies have been successfully developed under TDF Scheme. A total of 340 applications as Expression of Interest (EoI) have been received under TDF Scheme for the awarded projects so far. Total time taken for processing the application till award of the project is 06 months on an average for a normal case. It is a continuous process where payments are linked with the milestones achieved for the specific projects. It takes approximately 45 days for disbursement into the account of the company from the date of submission of bill.
For details of companies funded refer to: Click here to read…

Space Defence Mission.

Mission DefSpace was launched by the Prime Minister during DefExpo in October, 2022 with 75 Defence Space Challenges relevant to the end users. These challenges have been categorised into existing DDP initiatives of iDEX, Make-I and Make-2. Private Industries, including Start-ups, MSMEs and Individual Innovators, are eligible to apply. The challenges, classified into five buckets viz. Launch System, Satellite System, Communication & Payload System, Ground System and Software System, provide a holistic 3600 overview of space.
For more information: Click here to read…

International Fleet Review (IFR) hosted by Bangladesh.

The Indian Navy delegation led by Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command and three warships of the Indian Navy participated in the maiden International Fleet Review (IFR) hosted by Bangladesh at Cox’s Bazar on 07 Dec 22. Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh reviewed the International Fleet comprising ships from Bangladesh Navy and eight ships from six foreign countries. With three ships, the Indian Navy contingent was the largest amongst the participating foreign navies in this IFR. The other five participating ships were from China, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand and USA.
For more information: Click here to read…

Defence Industrial Corridors (DICs).

Government of India has established two Defence Industrial Corridors (DICs) in the country, one in Uttar Pradesh and other in Tamil Nadu. 06 (six) nodes viz. Agra, Aligarh, Chitrakoot, Jhansi, Kanpur and Lucknow have been identified for developing Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC). Similarly, 05 (five) nodes viz. Chennai, Coimbatore, Hosur, Salem, and Tiruchirappalli identified for developing Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor (TNDIC). Government intends to develop defence manufacturing ecosystem having conducive conditions including supply chain for giving push to production and testing & certification to create economies of scale and facilitate development of internationally competitive enterprises in the country.
As per the information received from Government of Uttar Pradesh for UPDIC, 105 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) have been signed with industries etc. worth potential investments of Rs 12,139 crore. Already, Rs 2,422 crore have been invested in UPDIC. Total 1,608 Hectare of land has been acquired for development of UPDIC. Further, as per the information received from Government of Tamil Nadu for TNDIC, arrangements have been made through Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) etc. for potential investment of Rs 11,794 crore by 53 industries. Rs 3,847 crore have already been invested in TNDIC. Total 910 Hectare of lands has been acquired for development of TNDIC.
Reference: Click here to read…

Dare to Dream Contests.

A total of 5,637 applications have been received under three Dare to Dream Contests to promote individual and start-ups for innovation in the area of Defence and Aerospace in last three years. A total of 52 individuals and 34 start-ups have been awarded under three Dare to Dream contests out of 5,637 applications received in last three years. A total of 07 projects have been sanctioned and awarded to start-ups of Dare to Dream contest winners so far.
DRDO has been launching Dare to Dream Contest every year since 2019 to bring together innovators, entrepreneurs, individuals above 18 years and start-ups (recognised by DPIIT and with Indian founders) for innovative ideas in the field of Defence and Aerospace. The selection criteria for evaluation of the entries are completeness of proposal, scientific soundness, design completeness, merit, technological readiness level achieved and innovation. The selected individual/company are getting benefitted as DRDO supports them to realise awarded ideas into Prototype through Technology Development Fund (TDF) scheme.
For more information: Click here to read…

Visit of Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff to Sri Lanka.

Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of Naval the Staff (CNS), will be visiting Sri Lanka from 13 to 16 December 2022. The CNS has been invited as the Chief Guest and Reviewing Officer for the Commissioning Parade at the Naval and Maritime Academy (NMA), Trincomalee, scheduled on 15 December 2022. During the visit, the CNS will undertake interactions with senior political and defence leadership of Sri Lanka. He would also be visiting other defence establishments of the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and review progress of various bilateral defence cooperation activities.
For more information: Click here to read…

6th Edition of Indo – Kazakhstan joint training exercise “KAZIND-22”.

The 6th Edition of Indo – Kazakhstan joint training exercise “KAZIND-22” is scheduled to be conducted at Umroi (Meghalaya) from 15 to 28 December 2022. Joint annual training exercise with the Kazakhstan Army was instituted in 2016 as Exercise Prabal Dostyk, which was later upgraded to a company level exercise and renamed as Ex Kazind in 2018.
For more information: Click here to read…

16th Edition of Indo-Nepal joint training Exercise “SURYA KIRAN-XVI”.

The 16th Edition of Indo-Nepal joint training Exercise “SURYA KIRAN-XVI” between India and Nepal will be conducted at Nepal Army Battle School, Saljhandi (Nepal), from 16 – 29 December 2022. Exercise “SURYA KIRAN” is conducted annually between India and Nepal with the aim to enhance interoperability in jungle warfare & counter terrorism operations in mountainous terrain and HADR under UN mandate.
For more information: Click here to read…

The last batch of Rafales of the IAF landed in India.

The last of the 36 IAF Rafales landed in India after a quick en-route refuelling from a UAE Air Force tanker.
Reference: Click here to read…

Afghanistan

IS-KP claimed responsibility for an attack on the ‘Chinese’ Hotel in Kabul.

On 12 December 2022, the Islamic State-Khurasan Province (IS-KP) carried out an attack at Longan Hotel, popular with Chinese nationals, in Kabul. “The attack took around 02:30 pm local time, with residents in the area staying they heard a powerful explosion followed by gunfire,” Kabul police spokesman— Khalid Zadran. The attack came a day after China’s ambassador met the Afghan (Taliban) Deputy Foreign Minister to discuss security-related matters and sought more attention on the protection of its embassy.

Several bombings have taken place in Afghanistan in recent months, including an attack on the Pakistan embassy earlier this month and a suicide blast near the Russian embassy in September. Both attacks were claimed by the IS-KP.
For more information: Click here to read…

At least 07 people killed in roadside blast in Mazar-e-Sharif.

On 06 December 2022, at least 07 people killed in a roadside blast on a bus in Mazar-e-Sharif. “The bomb was placed in a cart by the roadside. It was detonated as the bus arrived,” said Asif Waziri from the Balkh police department in Mazar-e-Sharif. It was not immediately clear who was behind the attack, which comes amid repeated pledges from the Taliban to bring security to Afghanistan following decades of war.
For more information: Click here to read…

Pakistan

“US withdrawl from Afghanistan supported TTP’s activities in Pakistan,” Report of Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on Interior.

Pakistan’s Counter-Terrorism (CT) authority in Islamabad informed country’s Senate Standing Committee on Interior that the United States’ withdrawl from Afghanistan stengthten Tehrik-e-Tailban Pakistan (TTP) activities. “It was also noted that strong public opposition to returning to Swat is a positive development,” read the briefing of CT authority to the interior committee. In November, TTP formally withdrew its ceasefire agreement with Pakistan, which was declared in June. The withdrawl of ceasefire was followed by series of terror attacks in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Baluchistan.
For more information: Click here to read…

Security forces foiled an infiltration from Afghanistan and killed four IS-KP terrorists.

On 10 December 2022, Pakistan’s security forces foiled an infiltration attempt from Afghanistan and killed four Islamic State-Khurasan Province (IS-KP) terrorists in a remote mountainous North Waziristan district near the Afghanistan border. In early December, IS-KP claimed responsibility for an attack on Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan, an attempt to assassinate the head of the embassy. According to Pakistani officials, Charge d’Affaires— Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani escapted unhurt, but his security guard was shot. In the month of September, an IS-KP suicide bomber carried out an explosion at the entrace to the Russian Embassy in Kabul, in which six people were killed, including two members of the embassy staff.
For more information: Click here to read…

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

A grenade explosion occurred outside a police station in Jammu.

On 06 December 2022, a grenade attack took place outside a police station in Sidhra area of Jammu, Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). No casualty reported in the blast. A lever of the grenade is recovered from the explosion site. Later, police recovered a letter in which Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) offshoot— Jammu Kashmir Ghaznavi Force (JKGF), claimed responsibility for the attack. JKGF was formed post-Pulwama attack in 2019 to evade international scrutiny and carry out deadly attacks. JKGF comprises of terrorist from other groups— Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Hizb ul-Mujahideen (HM), Ansar Ghazwat ul-Hind (AGuH), and al-Badr.
For more information: Click here to read…

Left-Wing Extremism

Security forces recovered huge cache of arms and explosives from a Maoist hideout in

Maharashtra.

On 13 December 2022, security forces comprising of Aurangabad police, Special Task Force (STF), and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) carried out a joint anti-Maoist operation and seized huge cache of arms, high grade explosives from Laduiya Pahar hills, falling under the Madanpur police station limits of Aurangabad districts in south Bihar.

“Security forces recovered 14 firearms, including INSAS, SLR, bolt action rifles and 9mm pistols, 21 cane bombs, pressure IDs 1,763 detonators, 1,000 meters of fuse wire, 21 pressure switches, 36 batteries and other items used in explosions. Most of the weapons were looted from police and paramilitaries in various attacks,” said Superintendent of Police (SP) Kantesh Kumar Mishra.
For more information: Click here to read…

35 Maoists surrendered in Andhra Pradesh.

On 07 December 2022, at least 35 Maoists, including a woman, of Pedabayalu-Korukonda Area Committee surrendered before the district police. The woman Maoist— Killo Indu aka Bharathi (27 years-old) of Jadiguda village in Jamiguda panchayat of Pedabayalu, was involved in four major attacks. Police also recovered six wireless sets and five chargers, a country-made pistol, a 5kg of landmine, 100 meters of electrical wire, an olive green uniform cloth and other materials.
For more information: Click here to read…

Islamic Extremism (excluding J&K)

Bharat and US agreed on concerted action against terrorist networks, including LeT and JeM.

During the 19th Counter-Terrorism Joint Working Group (CTJWG) and the 5th session of the Designations Dialogue, held on 12-13 December in New Delhi, Bharat and the United States (US) agreed on the need for concerted action against terrorist group, including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM). For the CT meeting, Mahaveer Singhvi (Joint Secretary for CT, Ministry of External Affairs), and Timothy Betts (Acting Coordinator for CT, US State Department led their respective inter-agency/inter-departmental delegations.

“Participants also deliberated pressing counter-terrorism challenges, including countering terrorist financing, preventing and countering radicalisation, use of the internet for terrorist purposes, narco-trafficking and its linkages to terrorism and use of new and emerging technologies such as Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Virtual Assets, and the Dark Web for terrorist purposes,” read the statement released by the MEA, Bharat.
For more information: Click here to read…

Khalistan-inspired Extremism

TarnTaran bomb blasts accused extradited from Austria to Bharat and arrested by the NIA in Delhi.

On 08 December 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Bikramjit Singh aka Bikkar Panjwar after his extradition by the counterpart of Linz, Austria in coordination with the INTERPOL. Bikramjit Singh, an accused of TarnTaran bomb blasts, was absconding in NIA case— RC-20/2019/NIA/DLI.

On 22 March 2021, on the strength of the NIA Special Court’s Non-Bailable Warrant (NBW) and subsequent Red Corner Notice (RCN), Bikramjit Singh was detained in Linz, Austria. After the completion of legal proceedings, Linz Regional Court processed the extradition of Bikramjit Singh to Bharat.
For more information: Click here to read…

NIA arrested absconding terrorist involved in ‘Ludhiana Court’ bomb blast case.

On 01 December 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested an absconding terrorist— Harpreet Singh aka Happy Malaysia, from Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in New Delhi, upon his arrival from Malaysia.

The case— RC-01/22/NIA/DLI pertains to the bomb blast that took place in the Ludhiana Court premises. Investigation highlighted that Harpreet coordinated the delivery of the custom-made IEDs which had been sent from Pakistan.
For more information: Click here to read…

Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs)

NIA Special Court convicted two FICN traffickers.

On 30 November 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, convicted two Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICNs)— i) Vinod Nishad aka Vinod Sahni, and ii) Mehfooz Shaikh aka Riyazuddin Shaikh in a FICN case— RC-17/2019/NIA//DLI. Both accused were convicted under Sections 489B, 489C and 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sentenced to the rigorous imprisonment for seven years and fine.
For more information: Click here to read…

DEFENCE

• Shri Giridhar Aramane is the new Defence Secretary of India.
• DRDO conducts flight-test of Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence.
• Naval Commanders’ Conference.
• Joint Military Training-2022 with Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF).
• Visit of Admiral R Hari Kumar, CNS to Japan.
• Visit of External Affairs Minister to the Russian Federation (November 07-08, 2022).
• Army Commanders’ Conference.
• Maritime Partnership Exercise.
• ‘Exercise Garuda-VII’ concludes.
• Testing & evaluation facility for Sonar Systems launched by DRDO.
• Gap between internal & external security narrowing: Raksha Mantri talk at the National Defence College.
• Chief of Army Staff Proceeds on a visit to France.
• Indo – US joint training exercise.

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Africa

Somalia

• 17 al-Shabaab terrorists killed in a US-led strike near Mogadishu.

Afghanistan

• Taliban imposed Sharia law in Afghanistan.

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

• Police arrested three JeM terrorists from Pulwama.
• NIA filed chargesheet against TRF operatives in ‘activities of The Resistance Front’ case.
• J&K Police arrested four LeT terrorists from Pulwama.
• Security forces eliminated four terrorists of HM and LeT in two separate CT operations.

Left-Wing Extremism

• 650 Maoist OGWs surrendered in Odisha.

Islamic Extremism (excluding J&K)

• NIA filed chargesheet in ‘seizure of arms & ammunication recovery from Tamil Nadu’ case.
• NIA filed chargesheet against 05 terrorists, including 02 wanted in ‘D-Company’ case.
• NIA searched multiple locations in Tamil Nadu in ‘Coimbatore bomb blast’ case.

DEFENCE

Shri Giridhar Aramane is the new Defence Secretary of India.

Shri Giridhar Aramane, a 1988-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Andhra Pradesh cadre, assumed the office of Defence Secretary on November 01, 2022. In his 32 years of experience in IAS, Shri Aramane has held various important portfolios in the Central Government as well as Andhra Pradesh government. Prior to his current assignment, Shri Aramane was Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.
Shri Aramane did B Tech in Civil Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad and M Tech from IIT, Madras. He is MA (Economics) from Kakatiya University, Warangal.
For more information: Click here to read…

DRDO conducts flight-test of Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence.

Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a successful maiden flight-test of Phase-II Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) interceptor AD-1 missile with large kill altitude bracket on November 02, 2022. The flight-test was carried out with participation of all BMD weapon system elements located at different geographical locations. The AD-1 is a long-range interceptor missile designed for both low exo-atmospheric and endo-atmospheric interception of long-range ballistic missiles as well as aircraft. It is propelled by a two-stage solid motor and equipped with indigenously-developed advanced control system, navigation and guidance algorithm to precisely guide the vehicle to the target.
For more information: Click here to read…

Naval Commanders’ Conference.

The bi-annual Naval Commanders’ Conference concluded on 03 Nov 22. The Raksha Mantri interacted with the Senior leadership of the Indian Navy during the Naval Commanders’ Conference on 02 Nov 22. He witnessed a Tech Demonstration along the sidelines of the Conference. He appreciated the Navy for the efforts invested towards indigenisation and innovation in the recent years, while urging the Naval Commanders to maintain focus on futuristic capability development for effectively overcoming emerging challenges in the Maritime Domain.
For more information: Click here to read…

Joint Military Training-2022 with Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF).

On 03 November 2022, the 11th edition of the annual Joint Military Training (JMT) between the Indian Air Force (lAF) and the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) commenced at Air Force Station, Kalaikunda. The two Air Forces have resumed this training after a gap of two years. The training could not be carried out in the intervening two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This edition of JMT would be conducted over a period of six weeks. The bilateral phase of the exercise will be conducted from 09 to 18 November 2022 and will see the two Air Forces engage in advanced air combat simulations. The RSAF is participating in JMT-2022 with F-16 aircraft, while the IAF would field the Su-30 MKI, Jaguar, MiG-29 and LCA Tejas aircraft. The exercise underscores the strong and longstanding relationship between India and Singapore in the domain of defence cooperation.
For more information: Click here to read…

Visit of Admiral R Hari Kumar, CNS to Japan.

Admiral R Hari Kumar, Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) is on an official visit to Japan from 05 to 09 Nov 22, where he will witness the International Fleet Review (IFR) conducted by the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) at Yokosuka on 06 Nov 22 to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of its formation. During the visit, as one of the Observer Navies in the Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS), the CNS will attend the 18th WPNS on 07-08 November 22 at Yokohama, being hosted by Japan, as the current Chair of WPNS.

In addition to representing India and the Indian Navy during the IFR and WPNS, he will also be in attendance for the inauguration of the 2022 edition of Exercise MALABAR, being held at Yokosuka with the participation of Australia, Japan and the USA. Initiated in 1992, this year marks the 30th anniversary year of Exercise MALABAR.
For more information: Click here to read…

Visit of External Affairs Minister to the Russian Federation (November 07-08, 2022).

External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar will pay an official visit to the Russian Federation from November 7-8, 2022. During the visit, EAM will meet his counterpart, Mr. Sergey Lavrov, the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation. Discussions are expected to cover the entire range of bilateral issues as well as exchange of views on various regional and international developments. EAM will also meet Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Minister of Trade and Industry, H.E. Mr. Denis Manturov, his counterpart for the India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC). Issues pertaining to bilateral economic cooperation in various domains will be discussed.The visit will be in continuation of the regular high-level dialogue between the two sides. EAM had last visited Russia in July 2021 followed by visit of the Russian Foreign Minister to New Delhi in April 2022.
For more information: Click here to read…

Army Commanders’ Conference.

Army Commanders’ Conference (ACC) is an apex-level biannual event which is an institutional platform for conceptual level deliberations, culminating in making important policy decisions for the Indian Army. The second ACC for the year 2022 is scheduled from 07 to 11 November 2022 at New Delhi. Among other activities planned during the conference talks by eminent subject experts on “Contemporary India – China relations” as well as “Technological Challenges for National Security” is included.
For more information: Click here to read…

Maritime Partnership Exercise.

A Maritime Partnership Exercise involving Royal Australian Navy(RAN) ships HMAS Adelaide and HMAS Anzac and Indian Navy Ships Jalashwa and Kavaratti along with their embarked helicopters was held in the Bay of Bengal from 02 to 03 Nov 2022. The exercises included tactical manoeuvres, helicopter landings and amphibious operations, which signified the high degree of interoperability between IN and RAN.
For more information: Click here to read…

Testing & evaluation facility for Sonar Systems launched by DRDO.

DRDO launched Hull Module of Submersible Platform for Acoustic Characterization & Evaluation (SPACE) facility at Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory (NPOL) Kochi recently. It is a state-of-the-art testing and evaluation facility for sonar systems developed for use by the Indian navy onboard various platforms, including ships, submarines and helicopters. The SPACE facility is based on the concept design and requirements projected by NPOL and has been constructed by M/s L&T Shipbuilding, Chennai. This will be mainly utilized for evaluating Sonar systems, allowing for quick deployment and easy recovery of scientific packages such as sensors and transducers.

The SPACE is one-of-a-kind facility in the world. The uniqueness of this facility lies in the specially designed submersible platform, which can be lowered up to depths of 100 meters using a series of synchronously operated winches. The design and construction of the platform meet all the statutory needs of Indian Register of Shipping and the vessel classifying authority and strictly adhere to the inspection and registration criteria as per Kerala Inland Vessel Rules.
Reference: Click here to read…

Gap between internal & external security narrowing: Raksha Mantri talk at the National Defence College.

Raksha Mantri has called for concerted efforts of the international community to counter “grave” emerging security threats such as cyber-attacks and information warfare. He was addressing the officers of the Indian Armed Forces, Civil Services as well as from friendly foreign countries during the 60th National Defence College (NDC) course convocation ceremony in New Delhi on November 10, 2022

Shri Rajnath Singh threw light on the narrowing gap between internal and external security and said that new dimensions of threats are being added with changing times, that are difficult to classify. He asserted that terrorism, which generally falls into internal security, is now classified in the category of external security, as training, funding and arms support of such organisations is being carried out from outside the country.

Describing the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to cyber-attacks as a big concern, the Raksha Mantri said, sectors such as energy, transport, public sector services, telecommunications, critical manufacturing industries and interconnected financial systems are prone to such threats. He was of the view that information war has the potential to threaten the political stability of a country. He pointed out that the organised use of social media and other online content generation platforms is engineering the opinion and perspective of the masses.

“The deployment of information war was most evident in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Throughout the conflict, social media has served as a battleground for both sides to spread competing narratives about the war and portray the conflict on their own terms. The propaganda campaigns as a means of strategy to shape narratives are by no means new during warfare, but its reach has increased by leaps and bounds due to the shift toward social media as the primary distribution channel,” said Shri Rajnath Singh.
For more information: Click here to read…

‘Exercise Garuda-VII’ concludes.

The seventh edition of the bilateral air exercise between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the French Air and Space Force (FASF), ‘Exercise Garuda-VII’ concluded at Air Force Station, Jodhpur on 12 November 2022. The FASF participated in the exercise with Rafale fighter aircraft and A-330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft, while the IAF contingent comprised Su-30 MKI, Rafale, LCA ‘Tejas’ and Jaguar fighter aircraft. This fighter element was complemented by the IAF’s Flight Refuelling Aircraft, AWACS and AEW&C, as well as Mi-17 helicopters and the newly inducted LCH ‘Prachanda’.

Exercise Garuda-VII provided the two Air Forces with the opportunity for professional interaction and sharing of operational knowledge and experience.
For more information: Click here to read…

Chief of Army Staff Proceeds on a visit to France.

General Manoj Pande, the Chief of the Army Staff has proceeded on a visit to France from 14 to 17 November 2022. During the four day visit, he will be meeting his counterparts and senior military leadership of France with an aim to enhance defence cooperation between both the nations. He is scheduled to call on the Chief of the Defence Staff, Chief of the Army Staff, and Commander Commandement des Forces Terrestres (CFT) / Command of the Land Combat Forces, where he will discuss avenues for enhancing India-France defence relations.
For more information: Click here to read…

Indo – US joint training exercise.

The 18th edition of Indo – US joint training exercise “YUDH ABHYAS 22” is scheduled to be conducted in Uttarakhand this month. Exercise Yudh Abhyas is conducted annually between India and USA with the aim of exchanging best practices, Tactics, Techniques and Procedures between the Armies of the two nations. The previous edition of the exercise was conducted at Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson, Alaska (USA) in October 2021.

US Army soldiers of 2nd Brigade of the 11th Airborne Division and Indian Army soldiers from the ASSAM Regiment will be participating in the exercise. The training schedule focuses on employment of an integrated battle group under Chapter VII of the UN Mandate. The schedule will include all operations related to peace keeping & peace enforcement. The troops from both nations will work together to achieve common objectives. The joint exercise will also focus on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations. Troops from both nations will practice launching of swift & coordinated relief efforts in the wake of any natural calamity. The exercise will involve exchanges and practices on a wide spectrum of combat skills including combat engineering, employment of UAS/Counter UAS techniques and information operations
For more information: Click here to read…

INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

Africa

Somalia

17 al-Shabaab terrorists killed in the US-Somalia joint strike near Mogadishu.

On 11 November 2022, Somali National Army forces, in assistance from the US military, carried out strike approximately 285 kms northeast of Mogadishu and eliminated 17 al-Shabaab terrorists. “Al-Shabaab is the largest terror affiliate of al-Qa’ida and has proven its will and capabilities to attack Somali, East African, and American civilians,” read a statement released by the US Africa Command. The US has been providing support to the Somali government since May 2022 when US President Joe Biden approved a Pentagon request to re-deploy US troops in the area to counter al-Shabaab terror group.
For more information: Click here to read…

Afghanistan

Taliban imposed Sharia law in Afghanistan.

On 15 November 2022, Taliban ordered judges in Afghanistan to fully impose Sharia Law, including potential public executions, amputations, and flogging. “Afghanistan’s Supreme Leader Alaiqadar Amirul Momineen made the obligatory command after meeting with judges to investigate the cases of thieves, kidnappers, and seditionists. The cases that have met all the Sharia conditions of limitation and retribution, judges are obliged to issue the limitation and retribution, because this is the order of the Sharia….and it is obligatory to act,” tweeted Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid.
For more information: Click here to read…

DOMESTIC TERRORISM

Jammu and Kashmir

Police arrested three JeM terrorists from Jammu.

On 09 November 2022, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) police arrested three Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists— i) Mohammad Yaseen, ii) Farhan Farooq, and iii) Farooq Ahmed, from Narwal area in Jammu. During the interrogation, Yaseen informed that the trio had come to Jammu to pick weapons at the behest of Shahbaaz, a Pakistan-based JeM handler. Police recovered three AK-56 rifles, a pistol, nine magazines, 191 rounds of ammunition and six grenades from their possessions.
For more information: Click here to read…

NIA filed chargesheet against TRF operatives in ‘activities of The Resistance Front’ case.

On 09 November 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a supplementary chargesheet against Muzamil Mushtaq Bhat, a ‘The Resistance Front’ (TRG) terrorist in the ‘activities of The Resistance Front’ case. The chargesheet was filed u/s 120B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Section 25 (1AA) of the Arms Act, Section 4 of the Explosive Substances Act (ESA), and Sections 17, 18, 18B, 20, 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P)A].

The preliminary investigation of the case— RC-32/2021/NIA/DLI, highlighted that Muzamil Bhat was associated with the handlers/operatives of TRF based in Pakistan and had radicalised vulnerable youth to join TRG in Kashmir. He, along with another Pakistan-based handler/operative of TRF, actively participated in support of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and received funds from LeT.
For more information: Click here to read…

J&K Police arrested four LeT terrorists from Pulwama.

On 11 November 2022, Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) police arrested four Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists— i) Karamat ul-lah Reshi, ii) Suhail Bashir Ganai, iii) Adil Ghani Lon, and iv) Irshad Ahmed Kumar, from Pulwama. These terrorists were conspiring to plant Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to attack security forces.

The preliminary investigations revealed that these terrorists were in contact with LeT commander— Babar aka Samama, and conspired to plant IEDs in Tral area.
For more information: Click here to read…

Security forces eliminated four terrorists of HM and LeT in two separate CT operations.

On 01 November 2022, security forces killed four terrorists of Hizb ul-Mujahideen (HM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in two separate counter-terrorism (CT) operations in Awantipora, in Pulwama and Bijbehara in Anantnag districts.

In first operation, the joint team of Indian Army and police cordoned off the area for search operation in Semthan area in Bijbehara. In a gun-fight, Shakir Ahmad, a HM terrorist was killed. In second operation, security forces eliminated 03 terrorists, including a foreign terrorist in Khandipora area of Awantipora in Pulwama.
For more information: Click here to read…

Left-Wing Extremism

650 Maoist OGWs surrendered in Odisha.

On 05 November 2022, at least 650 Maoist Over-Ground Workers (OGWs)/supporters— residents of villages along the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border— surrendered before the police. According to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIGP) of South-Western range— Rajesh Pandit, Maoist supporters [OGWs] who have surrendered come from remote villages in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. They used to help the CPI (Maoists)’s cadres carry out attacks on security forces and civilians, among other violent activities. These sympathisers/OGWs set fire to Maoist literature, effigies, and cadre uniforms while shouting slogans like “Maobadi Murdabad, Ama Sarkar Jindabad.”
For more information: Click here to read…

Islamic Extremism (excluding J&K)

NIA filed chargesheet in ‘seizure of arms & ammunication recovery from Tamil Nadu’ case.

On 11 November 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a chargesheet against three accused— i) Naveen, ii) Sanjay Prakash J, and iii) A Kabilar, in the arms, ammunition and explosive recovery case. The case— RC-33/22/NIA/DLI pertains to the recovery of two country-made pistols, ammunition, gun powder, etcetera, from 02 accused during vehicle checking, followed by their arrest. The duo confessed to be inspired by the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) and created a group— “World Tamil Justice Court (WTJC)”— similar to LTTE with the aim to wage an armed struggle against the government.

The accused conspired to attack people who engaged in quarries, crushers, and TASMAC ouruor shops by using illegal firearms, lethal weapons, and explosive substances.
For more information: Click here to read…

NIA filed chargesheet against 05 terrorists, including 02 wanted in ‘D-Company’ case.

On 05 November 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed chargesheet against 03 arrested— i) Arif abu Bakar Shaikh, ii) Shabbir abu Bakar Shaikh, and iii) Mohammad Salim Qureshi and 02 wanted terrorists— i) Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, and ii) Shakeel Shaikh, who are running a ‘global terror network’ and a trans-national Organised Crime Syndicate (OSC)— D-Company.

Investigations have revealed that the D-Company operatives conspired to further the network’s criminal activities by engaging in a variety of illegal activities. In furtherance of the aforementioned conspiracy, these operatives raised, collected, and extorted large sums of money by threatening and putting people in fear of death or serious harm, for the benefit of the D-Company / an individual terrorist in the instant case, and with the intent to threaten India’s security and instil fear in the minds of the general public.
For more information: Click here to read…

NIA searched multiple locations in Tamil Nadu in ‘Coimbatore bomb blast’ case.

On 10 November 2022, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) searched 43 locations in 08 districts, including Chennai, Coimbatore, Thiruvallur, Thiruppur, Nilgiris, Chengalpatu, Kanchipuram, and Nagapattinam of Tamil Nadu, and 01 location in Palakkad district in Kerala. The search operation was in connection with the Coimbatore bomb blast case— RC-01/2022/NIA/CHE.

The case pertains to an explosion in a Vehicle-borne Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) in front of Kottai Eswaran Temple of Coimbatore district on 23 October 2022. According to the preliminary investigations, an Islamic State (IS) operative— Jamesha Mubeen, after taking bayath/oath to IS, was conspiring to carryout suicide attacks against specific section of the community. So far, six accused have been arrested in the same case.
For more information: Click here to read…

National

Telecom equipment manufacturers respond enthusiastically to the design-led incentive programme

Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi had outlined his vision of making India a self-reliant or Atmanirbhar nation. In line with the vision, in 2021, the Govt. of India launched the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme to encourage telecom equipment manufacturing in the country. So far,31 companies are beneficiaries of the scheme for manufacturing various telecom equipment. In June 2022, the design-led PLI scheme was also introduced to advance the entire value chain in telecom manufacturing. All the existing incentives in the said scheme will be increased by 01 per cent. India is primed to become a telecom and networking equipment design and production centre.^[1]

Ministry of Communication hosted ITU’s Regional Standardisation Forum for Asia and Oceania region in New Delhi, India

On 08 August 2022, the Ministry of Communication hosted the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)’s Regional Standardisation Forum (RSF) for Asia and Oceania region in New Delhi, India. The Forum focused on “Regulatory and Policy aspects of Telecommunications/ICT” and was followed by the four-day meeting of ITU-T Study Group 3 Regional Group Asia and Oceania (ITU-T SG3RG-AO) from 09th-12th August 2022. Minister of State for Communication Devusinh Chauhan inaugurated the RSF.

The Forum serves as a platform for the constructive exchange of ideas on issues related to standardisation, such as India’s experience in various technological fields, such as Sustainable Digital Transformation (SDT), the function of ITU standards, utilising technology for financial and digital inclusion in emerging markets, the evolution of the data value chain, and digital health. The RSF was addressed by 15 eminent speakers from academia, international Organisations, the ICT sector and the Government of India (GoI). Over 250 delegates from 20 countries participated in the RSF. The key takeaways from the deliberations in the RSF will be presented atthe ITU-T Regional Group of Asia and Oceania meeting for further work on standardisation in the emerging areas.^[2]

CERT-In hosted the Cyber Security exercise “Synergy” as part of the International Counter-Ransomware Initiative-Resilience Working Group

On 31 August 2022, the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In), in collaboration with the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) of Singapore, designed and conducted the Cyber Security exercise “Synergy” for 13 countries as a part of the International Counter-Ransomware Initiative-Resilience Working Group (ICRI-RWG), led by India under the leadership of National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS).

The exercise theme was “Building Network Resiliency to Counter Ransomware Attacks”. The exercise scenario was inspired by real-life cyber incidents in which a low-impact domestic ransomware issue developedinto a global cyber security disaster. The CERT-In sponsored the exercise “Synergy” on its exercise simulation platform. Each State sent a National Crisis Management Team (NCMT) comprised of several government entities such as National CERTs/CSIRTs, Law-Enforcement Agencies (LEAs), Ministry of Communication & IT, and security agencies.^[3]

Reliance Jio will launch ‘World’s most extensive’ 5G services during the Deepawali festival

At Reliance Industries Limited (RIL)’s 45th Annual General Meeting (AGM), the company’s Chairman Mukesh Ambani announced that Jio would commence the world’s most extensive 5G services to its subscribers in metro cities in the next two months. “Jio 5G will be the world’s largest and most advanced 5G network. Jio will deploy the latest version of 5G, called standalone 5G, which has zero dependencies on the 4G network. Jio further announced that they are committed to making India a data-powered economy even ahead of the US and China,” Jio has emerged as the biggest investor by committing US$19 Billion on 5G Communication services including US$11 Billion on Airwaves.

Threat actors exploiting “Zimbra” Collaboration Suite Vulnerability

According to the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In),threat actors actively exploit an authentication bypass Remote Code Execution (RCE) vulnerability in Zimbra Collaboration Suite. The exposure enables the attacker to access the target network and launch additional attacks. The RCE vulnerability exists in the Zimbra collaboration suite due to improper uploading of files by the mboximport function. An authenticated attacker with admin rights could exploit this vulnerability by executing a specially crafted request to upload arbitrary files. Successful exploitation of the vulnerability could allow the attacker to traverse directories on the target system.^[4]

CERT-In issued the “India Ransomware Report for H1-2022.”

On 02 August 2022, the Indian Computer Emergency Team (CERT-In) released a report titled “Indian Ransomware Report for H1-2022,” which covered the most recent tactics and approaches and sector-specific trends detected in the first half of 2022 in the Indian Cyber Space.^[5] The report also addressed ransomware-specific incident response, remediation, and mitigation techniques in light of the current threat scenario. The information is available at https://cert-in.org.in/PDF/RANSOMWARE_Report.pdf

International

An organisation in Eastern Europe became a victim of the most significant DDoS attack— 659 million Packets/Second

At the end of July and beginning of August 2022, an organisation became a victim of the biggest DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack with traffic of 659 million Packets per second (Mpps). Akamai Technologies announced that on 21 July 2022, they detected and mitigated the most significant DDoS attack launched against a European customer on the Prolexic platform. The attack was massive, with globally distributed attack traffic at 853.7 Gbps (Gigabits per second) and 659.6 Mpps over 14 hours.

The victim based in Eastern Europe was targeted 75 times in the past 30 days with horizontal attacks consisting of UDP, UDP fragmentation, ICMP flood, RESET flood, SYN flood, TCP anomaly, TCP fragment, PSH ACK flood, FIN push flood, and PUSH flood, among others. In September 2021, Yandex— a Russian Internet company, was hit by the Meris botnet, which launched DDOS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacked with more than 21 million random packets. The use of DDoS attacks as a form of hacktivism has become increasingly popular in Eastern Europe due to incidents involving DDoS taking on a political tint.^[6]

Chinese govt supported hackers deceptively carried out a year-long cyber espionage campaign against Australia

In a sophisticated year-long cyber espionage campaign, Chinese government-aligned hackers posed as media outlet employees and targeted Australian government agencies, news outlets, and manufacturing companies via the implantation of malicious software on targeted computers. In a phishing scam, these hackers claimed to be employees of Australian news publications, including The Australian and the Herald Sun.

In the cyber espionage campaign, the hackers targeted an array of defence contractors, manufacturers, universities, government agencies and legal firms across the Asia-Pacific. According to a report prepared by PwC and Proofpoint— a US cyber security firm, a prolific China-based entity known as TA423 or ‘Red Ladon’ executed the cyber espionage operation. The group— TA423 has been operating since 2013. “China was using cyber-attacks to gain a long-term economic and military advantage over other nations,” said cyber security expert— Sherrod DeGrippo. The Chinese embassy in Canberra, Australia, Countering the claims, stated that “China always firmly opposes cyber-attacks and cyber theft in all forms. All such accusations are groundless.”^[7]

Hackers increasingly exploited DeFi bugs to steal cryptocurrency: FBI

In a statement released, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warned investors about the cyber-criminals’ increasingly involvement in exploiting security vulnerabilities in Decentralised Finance (DeFi) platforms to steal cryptocurrency. The FBI encouraged investors to contact the FBI via the Internet Crime Complaint Centre (IC3) or the local FBI field office in case of any such theft. According to an estimate, around USD 1.3 billion in cryptocurrency was stolen between January and March 2022, stealing almost 97 per cent of it from DeFi platforms.

Attackers have utilised various ways to hack and steal cryptocurrency from DeFi platforms, including launching flash loans that trigger attacks in the platforms’ smart contracts and leveraging signature verification issues in its token bridge to withdraw all assets. The FBI has also observed hackers manipulating cryptocurrency price pairs by abusing a series of flaws, including the DeFi platforms’ use of a single price Oracle and then conducting leveraged trades to avoid slippage checks.^[8]

Singapore witnessed a rise in cybercrime, phishing and ransomware threats in 2021

According to a report released by Singapore’s Cyber Security Agency (CSA), on 29 August 2022, firms and individuals faced a rise in cybercrime, phishing, and ransomware threats in 2021. In 2020, around 89 ransomware incidents were recorded; in 2021, the numbers jumped by 54 per cent, and 137 incidents were reported. Phishing cases also rose by 17 per cent in 2021, where about 55,000 unique Singapore-hosted phishing URLs with a “.sg” domain were observed; in 2020, around 47,000 such URLs were identified. “This was possibly driven by malicious actors’ exploitation of public interest in WhatsApp’s updated privacy policy announcement on users’ phone numbers being shared with Facebook,” informed the CSA. ^[9]

Endnotes :

^[1] “Design led Incentive scheme gets enthusiastic response from Telecom Equipment manufacturers”, Ministry of Communications, 26 August 2022, available from: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1854731
^[2] “ITU’s Regional Standardisation Forum (RSF) for Asia and Oceania region to be inaugurated tomorrow by Shri Devusinh Chauhan”, Ministry of Communications, 07 August 2022, available from: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1849356
^[3] “CERT-In hosts Cyber Security Exercise ‘Synergy’ for 13 countries as part of International Counter Ransomware Initiative-Resilience Working Group”, Ministry of Electronics & IT, 31 August 2022, available from:https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1855771
^[4] “Threat Actors exploiting Zimbra Collaboration Suite Vulnerability”, Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, 18 August 2022, accessed on 03 September 2022, available from: https://cert-in.org.in/
^[5] “Indian Ransomware Report for H1-2022 by CERT-In”, Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, 02 August 2022, accessed on 03 September 2022, available from: https://cert-in.org.in/
^[6]Sparling, Craig. “Largest European DDoS Attack on Record”, Akamai Technologies, 27 July 2022, accessed on 03 August 2022, available from: https://www.akamai.com/blog/security/largest-european-ddos-attack-ever
^[7]Knott, Matthew. “Chinese hackers pose as Australian News Corp sites in cyber espionage scam”, The Sunday Morning Herald, 30 August 2022, accessed on 02 September 2022, available from: https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/chinese-hackers-pose-as-australian-news-corp-sites-in-cyber-espionage-scam-20220830-p5bduz.html
^[8]Gatlan, Sergiu. “FBI: Hackers increasingly exploit DeFi bugs to steal cryptocurrency”, Bleeping Computer, 29 August 2022, accessed on 03 September 2022, available from: https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/fbi-hackers-increasingly-exploit-defi-bugs-to-steal-cryptocurrency/
^[9]Ganesan, Natasha. “Singapore faced more cybercrime, phishing, and ransomware threats in 2021”, Channel News Asia, 29 August 2022, accessed on 03 September 2022, available from: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/cybercrime-ransomware-phishing-cybersecurity-2021-2906386

Oppo said it will respond to tax evasion allegations from India: Global Times

July 15, 2022

Chinese smartphone maker Oppo told the Global Times on Thursday that it was reviewing a response to a notice from India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) which alleges that the Chinese company has evaded customs duty worth 43.9 billion rupees ($551 million). Click here to read…

Hong Kong court jails young men who tried fleeing to Taiwan by boat: Reuters

July 15, 2022

Seven Hong Kong men who tried to flee Hong Kong by speedboat to escape protest related charges were on Friday sentenced to between seven and 10 months imprisonment for acts to “pervert the course of justice”. The complicated legal and diplomatic saga began in August 2020 when 12 pro-democracy protesters were caught by the Chinese coastguard on a speedboat bound for Taiwan, then jailed in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. Click here to read…

Young people continue to face unemployment issues: China Daily

July 15, 2022

The urban-surveyed unemployment in China continued to fall over the last two months, while authorities continue working hard to help young people overcome difficulties and land jobs. Click here to read…

Chinese vice premier stresses development of rural industries: Xinhuanet

July 15, 2022

Chinese Vice Premier Hu Chunhua on Friday called for efforts to develop the country’s rural industries into a solid foundation for rural vitalization and agricultural modernization. Hu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during a teleconference in Beijing. Click here to read…

China, Singapore vow to deepen cooperation: Xinhuanet

July 15, 2022

Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met with Heng Swee Keat, first assistant secretary-general of Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party and deputy prime minister of Singapore, here on Friday. Click here to read…

Xi Jinping’s inspection tour of Xinjiang: Xinhuanet

July 16, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, recently inspected the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwestern China and visited officials and the general public of different ethnic groups. Click here to read…

Ride-hailing platform Didi faces 4.27 million yuan penalty for illegal activities: Global Times

July 16, 2022

China’s ride-hailing platform Didi Chuxing has got on the headlines after its subsidiary Didi Pay, mainly in providing payment means of Didi Chuxing’s ride-hailing businesses, recently received a warning from the Operation Office (Beijing) of the People’s Bank of China (PBC), and fined for 4.27 million yuan ($632,000) in what could be the highest fine since late 2019. Click here to read…

Maritime rescue forces deployed at Nansha Islands: China Daily

July 16, 2022

The second division of the South China Sea air rescue team under the Ministry of Transport and the Nansha maritime rescue center have been deployed to the Nansha Islands to support local maritime emergency and rescue missions, as well as supervise maritime traffic safety and ship pollution in the region, Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday. Click here to read…

China renews yellow alert for heat waves in multiple regions: China Daily

July 17, 2022

China’s national observatory on Sunday continued to issue a yellow alert for high temperatures as intense heat waves linger in many regions of the country. During daylight hours on Sunday, parts of Xinjiang, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, Beijing, Hubei and other areas are expected to experience temperatures of over 35 C, the National Meteorological Center said. Click here to read…

Patriotic Education Center launched in Hong Kong as youth education tops agenda of SAR govt: Global Times

July 17, 2022

The Patriotic Education Center established by the Hong Kong Federation of Education Workers – the largest teachers union in the city – was officially launched on Saturday with the aim of promoting patriotic and national security education. Industry representatives said pushing forward the patriotic education tops the agenda of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government with more measures expected to be rolled outClick here to read…

Multiple real estate projects resume construction in China after homebuyers refuse to pay their mortgages for unfinished housing: Global Times

July 17, 2022

Multiple real estate projects in China have resumed construction, after some disgruntled homebuyers denied to pay their mortgages for unfinished or stalled housing projects as cash-strapped property developers run out of cash, domestic news outlet Financial News reported on Saturday. Click here to read…

China expedites local government debt issuance to bolster capital of smaller banks: Reuters

July 17, 2022

China’s banking regulator has worked with the finance ministry and central bank to accelerate the issuance of special local government bonds to help supplement the capital of small and medium-sized banks, China Banking and Insurance News reported. Click here to read…

China’s Xi shows no sign of change in Xinjiang policy: Taipei Times

July 17, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping, on a visit this week to the Xinjiang region, where his government is widely accused of oppressing predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities, showed no signs of backing off policies that have come under harsh criticism from the US and many European countries. Click here to read…

China’s Communist Party finds it easier to win hearts and minds at home than overseas: South China Morning Post

July 17, 2022

Ahead of this year’s 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, we take a look at how the country is responding to three potential traps highlighted by President Xi Jinping in the past decade. In the first of a three-part series, we examine the Tacitus Trap and how the party can shore up its domestic legitimacy amid a host of challenges. Click here to read…

Sri Lanka turmoil highlights risk for Chinese firms investing overseas: South China Morning Post

July 17, 2022

The turmoil in Sri Lanka is the latest warning to Chinese investors about political risk in emerging markets, analysts have warned. Chinese companies operating overseas need to prepare crisis management plans in case of social unrest and political turmoil in these developing countries, according to Chris Torrens, a partner at the consultancy Control Risks. Click here to read…

Chinese mainland reports 117 new local confirmed COVID-19 cases: Xinhuanet

July 18, 2022

The Chinese mainland Sunday reported 117 locally-transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 59 in Guangxi and 28 in Gansu, the National Health Commission said Monday. Click here to read…

China accelerates building of computing infrastructure: China Daily

July 18, 2022

China has accelerated the building of computing infrastructure amid the country’s push for developing its digital economy. By the end of 2021, super-large and large data centers in use exceeded 450 across the nation, while intelligent computing centers surpassed 20, data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology showed. Click here to read…

Artificial heart gets green light to go on market: China Daily

July 18, 2022

When the popular TV series Dr. Tang, featuring a made-in-China artificial heart, ended in mid-July, an artificial heart with the combination of domestic rocket and medical technologies was coincidentally approved by national medical product authorities and went on the market. The implantable left ventricular assist device, named HeartCon or “rocket heart” and independently developed and produced by Rocor Medical Technology Co, was approved by the National Medical Products Administration to enter the market on Wednesday. Click here to read…

China and India hold commander-level talks, marking a positive trend in relations despite remaining differences: Global Times

July 18, 2022

China and India on Sunday held the 16th commander-level talks, the third this year, which marked an overall positive atmosphere between the two neighbors, although it will take some time for the two countries to figure out a solution both sides can accept, observers pointed out. Click here to read…

Chinese banking and insurance regulator makes fresh pledge to deal with rural bank, default mortgage risks: Global Times

July 18, 2022

China’s banking and insurance regulator vowed on Sunday to handle the risks associated with five rural banks in Henan and Anhui provinces in accordance with laws and regulations, as well as to ensure financial services for the delivery of home projects. Click here to read…

More policy support to vitalize economy expected: People’s Daily

July 18, 2022

Despite improvements in June, stronger stimulus likely in such areas as consumption, experts say. China will likely strengthen macroeconomic policy support while improving anti-COVID-19 measures to further vitalize economic activity, according to government officials and economists. Click here to read…

Xi encourages grain farmers to contribute to national food security: Xinhuanet

June 28, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping has underscored the exemplary role of large-scale grain growers in encouraging more farmers to contribute to the country’s food security. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks Monday in a letter replying to Xu Congxiang, a veteran grain farmer in Taihe County, east China’s Anhui Province. Click here to read…

China’s top legislator holds talks with lower house speaker of Kazakhstan’s parliament: Xinhuanet

June 28, 2022

China’s top legislator Li Zhanshu on Tuesday held video talks with Erlan Koshanov, the speaker of the Mazhilis, or lower house, of Kazakhstan’s parliament. Li, chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said that under the strategic guidance and direct push of the two heads of state, China-Kazakhstan relations have continuously achieved leap-forward development and a new height in the two countries’ permanent comprehensive strategic partnership has been reached. Click here to read…

Profits of Chinese SOEs down in first five months amid pandemic: Xinhuanet

June 28, 2022

China’s state-owned enterprises (SOEs) reported increased revenue but decreased profits in the first five months of this year, due to a high comparison base last year and the impacts of the pandemic, official data showed Tuesday. Click here to read…

China’s private enterprises quadruple in last 10 years: Xinhuanet

June 28, 2022

The number of Chinese private enterprises quadrupled in the past decade amid efforts to optimize the business environment, the country’s top economic planner said Tuesday. China’s private enterprises increased from 10.85 million in 2012 to 44.57 million last year, Su Wei, deputy secretary general of the National Development and Reform Commission, told a press conference. Click here to read…

China unveils major sci-tech issues of 2022: Xinhuanet

June 28, 2022

The China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) has released the major issues in science, engineering and technology, as well as industrial technology, for 2022.A total of 30 issues, including the early diagnosis of asymptomatic Alzheimer’s disease, the formation and evolution of black holes in the universe, the application of remote sensing to effectively assess the Earth’s health and the industrialization of memory-computation integrated chips, were highlighted during the closing ceremony of the CAST’s annual conference on Monday in Changsha, central China’s Hunan Province. Click here to read…

Robot takes over for humans on power lines: China Daily

June 28, 2022

A robot completed its first work with electricity on overhead power lines in the Qingshan district of Wuhan, Hubei province, on Friday. It is the first time a domestically developed robot has been used to complete electrical work on a 10 kilovolt overhead line in the province. Click here to read…

Academic institutes should be bridges rather than platforms for anti-China lies: Global Times

June 28, 2022

When asked for comments on a China Center newly established within the Hudson Institute, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Tuesday that academic institutes should serve as bridges between different countries creating understanding and cooperation rather than distributing lies. Click here to read…

WeChat mini program offers general public virtual tours of Great Wall completely online: People’s Daily

June 28, 2022

A WeChat mini program that offers a window online for the general public to visit the Great Wall virtually was recently launched in China. The mini program was developed after a recent Great Wall protection and maintenance project was completed. During the project, several sections of the Great Wall were restored with the support of a total funding outlay of nearly 50 million yuan ($7.48 million). A documentary and a cartoon book popularizing knowledge about the Great Wall were also launched after the conclusion of the restoration project. Click here to read…

Digital yuan helps stimulate consumption, supports recovery of SMEs across China: People’s Daily

June 28, 2022

Multiple Chinese cities have recently issued “red packets” of digital yuan, or e-CNY, to stimulate consumption, with more e-CNY applications to be introduced in the future. On May 30, Shenzhen city in south China’s Guangdong Province started distributing e-CNY red packets worth 30 million yuan (about $4.50 million) on Meituan, a Chinese e-commerce platform, to revive consumption and aid businesses. Click here to read…

Chinese breakthrough lets human brains beam radio waves: South China Morning Post

June 28, 2022

Chinese researchers say they have made it possible for humans to beam radio waves with their brains in a breakthrough that could have uses ranging from health monitoring to mind-controlled military radar. In an air force laboratory experiment, researchers showed that brainwaves could control and interact with electromagnetic waves remotely. Click here to read…

Xi Jinping points to public opinion campaign as example of ‘whole-process democracy’: South China Morning Post

June 28, 2022

An online public opinion campaign for the Communist Party’s upcoming national congress has set the stage for the conclave, according to Chinese President Xi Jinping. State news agency Xinhua quoted Xi as saying the campaign was “not just an effective means for party members and the public to put forward their opinions about the country’s development and national rejuvenation but also a vivid demonstration of our whole-process democracy”.
Xinhua said the month-long campaign, which ended in mid-May, gathered 8.54 million opinions from the public for the congress, which is expected to usher in a younger party leadership and a third term for Xi as the organisation’s general secretary. Click here to read…

G-7 renews push to sanction Russia, to tackle China’s market abuse: Kyodo

June 29, 2022

Leaders from the Group of Seven nations made a renewed push Tuesday to continue punishing Russia over its war against Ukraine by agreeing to explore a price cap on Russian oil amid surging energy costs, while pledging $4.5 billion to combat a growing food crisis. Click here to read…

PetroChina may sell Australian, Canadian assets to stem losses: Reuters

June 29, 2022

PetroChina may sell out from natural gas projects in Australia and oil sands in Canada to stem losses and divert funds to more lucrative sites in the Middle East, Africa and central Asia, two people with knowledge of the matter said. Click here to read…

U.S. accuses five firms in China of supporting Russia’s military: Reuters

June 29, 2022

U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration added five companies in China to a trade blacklist on Tuesday for allegedly supporting Russia’s military and defense industrial base, flexing its muscle to enforce sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. Click here to read…

China’s State Council appoints, removes officials: People’s Daily

June 29, 2022

The State Council announced the appointment and removal of officials Tuesday. Sun Guangyu was appointed as vice minister of emergency management. Zhen Zhanmin will no longer serve as vice president of the National Academy of Governance (NAG) and was appointed vice president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Yu Bin was appointed as deputy director of the Development Research Center of the State Council. Click here to read…

New phase of innovation begins between China and Singapore: China Daily

June 29, 2022

The China-Singapore Smart Park was officially opened on Sunday in Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong province, a new move between the two countries to promote innovative cooperation. As an important part of the China-Singapore Guangzhou Knowledge City, a landmark Sino-Singaporean government project, the CSSP will focus on the fields of digital economy, green development, biomedicine and smart city construction. Click here to read…

Chinese grows in influence over decade: China Daily

June 29, 2022

Learning of nation’s language a major contributor to international exchanges. China has promoted the high-quality development of global Chinese language learning in the past decade, assisting foreigners in learning standard Chinese and enhancing international communication, officials and experts said. Click here to read…

Account verifications to limit spread of misinformation online: China Daily

June 29, 2022

Internet service providers as well as social media and sharing platforms are to be required to verify accounts that claim to be involved in certain specialist fields, such as the economy, education, health and justice, in order to protect the public from scams and the propagation of misleading information. Click here to read…

Efforts urged to stabilize employment: China Daily

June 29, 2022

Ensuring people’s well-being key to sustained economic development. Premier Li Keqiang has urged efforts to stabilize employment amid the new downward pressure facing the nation’s economy, saying that policies and measures to stabilize economic growth should focus on ensuring the vitality of market players to enable them to stabilize employment. Click here to read…

Full text of Xi Jinping’s congratulatory letter to National Event on Environment Day 2022: Xinhuanet

June 6, 2022

The following is the full text of Xi Jinping’s congratulatory letter to the National Event on the Environment Day 2022.

On the holding of the National Event on the Environment Day 2022, I would like to extend my warm congratulations! Natural environment is the basis of human survival and development, and to preserve a sound ecological environment is the shared aspiration of the peoples of all countries. Since the Party’s 18th National Congress in 2012, we have made ecological conservation an initiative vital for sustaining the Chinese nation’s developmentClick here to read…

China reiterates concern over AUKUS-related nuclear material transfer: Xinhuanet

June 6, 2022

China on Monday reiterated concerns over the nuclear weapon material transfer involved in AUKUS, saying the issue should be addressed under the international non-proliferation regime. Click here to read…

Shenzhen to build 20 advanced manufacturing industrial parks: Xinhuanet
June 6, 2022

The southern Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen plans to build 20 advanced manufacturing industrial parks for strategic emerging sectors and industries of the future. The 20 industrial parks will cover a total area of 300 square kilometers in the districts of Bao’an, Guangming, Longhua, Longgang, Pingshan, and Shenshan, the municipal government announced on Monday. Click here to read…

China EximBank issues bonds to support production resumption in Shanghai: Xinhuanet

June 6, 2022

The Export-Import Bank of China (China EximBank), a state-owned policy bank, has issued financial bonds worth 5 billion yuan (about 749.7 million U.S. dollars) to facilitate the resumption of production and work in Shanghai. Click here to read…

Seven arrested for testing misconduct: China Daily

June 6, 2022

The people’s procuratorate of Beijing’s Fangshan district decided to approve the arrest of seven people related to a testing lab on suspicion of obstructing prevention and control of infectious diseases on Monday afternoon, according to an announcement from the government’s official WeChat account. Click here to read…

Tattoo parlors barred from serving minors: China Daily

June 6, 2022

The guideline — released by a high-level task force established to coordinate efforts related to the protection of minors under the State Council, China’s Cabinet — aims to promote the management of tattoo work to protect minors’ legal rights, according to the website of the Ministry of Civil Affairs. Click here to read…

China remains global leader in 5G patent declarations: China Daily

June 6, 2022

China’s standard essential patent declarations for 5G account for about 40 percent of the global total, ranking first in the world according to a report issued by a national intellectual property research center. Click here to read…

Wang Yi to attend FMs’ meeting with Central Asian nations, jointly tackle security challenge: Global Times

June 6, 2022

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi is scheduled to attend the third “China+Central Asia” (C+C5) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Kazakhstan and pay an official visit to the country from June 6 to 9. Click here to read…

Nation to open sci-tech sector wider to world while continuing pursuit of indigenous innovation, says minister: Global Times

June 6, 2022

China will open up its science and technology sector wider to the outside world while continuing the pursuit of indigenous innovation, Minister of Science and Technology Wang Zhigang said on Monday. China’s sharing of its sci-tech advances contributes immensely to addressing global issues spanning energy, the environment and coronavirus containment, experts said, while calling for corresponding opening-up moves by other economies. Click here to read…

China pilots low carbon bonds to help companies become greener: Reuters

June 6, 2022

China is rolling out so-called low carbon transition bonds to help companies become greener, the country’s interbank bond market regulator said on Monday, as Beijing strives toward carbon neutrality. Click here to read…

Chinese tech ADRs rise as end of Didi probe raises hope of easing crackdowns: Reuters

June 6, 2022

U.S.-listed Chinese technology stocks rose on Monday after a report that regulators in China are concluding a probe into ride-hailing giant Didi Global raised expectations of easing crackdowns on the country’s internet sector. Click here to read…

China able to take on Taiwan, allies by 2027, says MND: Taipei Times

June 6, 2022

The Chinese military would be capable of fighting against Taiwan and allied forces by 2027, a Ministry of National Defense (MND) report said yesterday. China has set a goal of modernizing its warfare capabilities by that year, which is to mark the 100th anniversary of its army’s founding, and it might by then be able to act more aggressively toward Taiwan, said the report, which the ministry submitted to the Legislative Yuan for review.Click here to read…

Chinese jet threatens Australian surveillance plane over South China Sea: Kyodo

June 6, 2022

A Chinese fighter jet dangerously intercepted an Australian maritime surveillance plane over the South China Sea, endangering the aircraft and its crew, according to the Australian Defense Department. The department said Sunday the Chinese J-16 aircraft intercepted an Australian P-8 Poseidon on May 26 while it was conducting routine maritime surveillance in international airspace over the highly disputed body of water. Click here to read…

China’s unemployment woes see Yunnan offer big cash subsidies to entice college graduates: South China Morning Post

June 7, 2022

Keen on attracting college graduates for essential jobs in rural villages, one Chinese province is looking to sweeten the pot by splashing out on cash handouts. The move by authorities in Yunnan province, announced on Sunday, comes as the nation’s youth unemployment rate and the number of fresh college graduates have both reached record highs, further straining China’s already battered economy. The central government has also ordered local cadres to take the lead in boosting economic growth and employment, as China is struggling to keep the unemployment rate under the government’s target of “within 5.5 per cent” this year. Click here to read…

China brings forward plans for space solar power plant: South China Morning Post

June 7, 2022

China plans to launch an ambitious space solar power plant programme in 2028, two years ahead of the original schedule, according to scientists involved in the project. A satellite will be launched that year to test wireless power transmission technology from space to the ground from an altitude of 400km (250 miles), according to the updated plan in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Chinese Space Science and Technology on Thursday. In the paper, the researchers said the satellite would convert solar energy to microwaves or lasers and direct the energy beams to various targets, including fixed locations on Earth and moving satellites. Click here to read…

Chinese scientists say ‘Midas’ touch helps to fine-tune CRISPR gene editing: South China Morning Post

June 7, 2022

Chinese scientists say they have discovered a new method that can significantly improve the efficiency of genome-editing tools. The method, called Improving Editing Activity by Synergistic Engineering, or Midas, “robustly and significantly increased” the human gene-editing efficiency of three tools they used, the researchers said. Moreover, based on Midas, the researchers found new genome editing tools that had higher efficiency and “very low” off-target effects. Click here to read…

China’s top political advisor holds virtual meeting with Singaporean parliament speaker: People’s Daily

June 7, 2022

China’s top political advisor Wang Yang and Tan Chuan-Jin, speaker of the parliament of Singapore, on Monday held a virtual meeting to discuss bilateral ties. Wang, chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, said that the China-Singapore ties feature geographical proximity, shared benefits, close cultural links and people-to-people affinity. Click here to read…

Canadian warplanes’ actions ‘provocative’: China Daily

June 7, 2022

China firmly opposes close reconnaissance and provocative actions by Canada’s warplanes, which threaten China’s national security, a spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense said on Monday. Click here to read…

Former head of local education department under investigation for smearing Chinese traditional festival, historical figure: Global Times

June 7, 2022

The Education Department of Southwest China’s Yunnan Province is investigating its former head, Luo Chongmin, for his controversial remarks about the Dragon Boat Festival, one of the most important Chinese traditional festivals. Yunnan’s Education Department said in an announcement on Monday that it has set up a working group to investigate Luo Chongmin and will release the findings to the public in a timely manner. Click here to read…

More sci-tech innovation a national goal: China Daily

June 7, 2022

China will enhance efforts to make more original breakthroughs in core technologies, train quality talent, conduct institutional reforms, expand international cooperation and contribute more to tackling global challenges, officials said on Monday. Click here to read…

BRICS countries vow to deepen financial cooperation: Xinhuanet

June 7, 2022

The Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of BRICS countries issued a joint statement at a virtual meeting on Monday, reaching consensus on deepening financial cooperation and strengthening coordination on macroeconomic policy. Click here to read…

Chinese mainland reports 39 new local confirmed COVID-19 cases: Xinhuanet

June 7, 2022

The Chinese mainland Monday reported 39 locally-transmitted confirmed COVID-19 cases, including 20 in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, according to the National Health Commission’s report Tuesday. Click here to read…

Book of Xi’s discourses on rural work published: China Military

June 7, 2022

A compilation of discourses of Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on work concerning agriculture, rural areas and farmers has been published by the Central Party Literature Press. Click here to read…

Xi urges related parties to adhere to political settlement of Ukraine issue: Xinhuanet

February 16, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday stressed that related parties should stick to the general direction of political settlement of the Ukraine issue. The Chinese president also emphasized that related parties should make full use of multilateral platforms including the Normandy format, and seek a comprehensive settlement of the Ukraine issue through dialogue and consultation. Click here to read…

Xi says China ready to work with France on China-EU investment deal: Xinhuanet

February 16, 2022

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday afternoon said China stands ready to work with France to advance the ratification of the China-EU investment agreement and its entry into force. He also called for joint efforts to make a success of the China-EU leaders’ meeting, and the new round of high-level dialogues on strategic, economic and trade, green, digital and people-to-people affairs, so as to bring tangible benefits to the people on both sides. Click here to read…

China to build green air logistics network by 2025: Xinhuanet

February 16, 2022

China plans to build a preliminary “safe, smart, efficient and green” air logistics system by 2025, according to a special plan on the development of aviation logistics. Air logistics costs will notably reduce by then; and air logistics services for high-end manufacturing, postal-express delivery, and cross-border e-commerce will continuously improve, says the plan issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. Click here to read…

Zhengzhou official punished over floods given new health post: China Daily

February 16, 2022

Hou Hong, the ousted former mayor of Henan provincial capital Zhengzhou, has been appointed deputy director of the province’s health commission, according to local authorities. Click here to read…

China facilitates development of AG600 large amphibious aircraft: China Military

February 16, 2022

China is facilitating the development of the homegrown AG600 large amphibious aircraft, a key member of the country’s “large aircraft family,” according to the developer Wednesday.
In 2022, the AG600 project has set a target to see three new aircraft enter the final assembly phase and three aircraft to take maiden flights, said the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the country’s leading plane-maker. Click here to read…

China offers fighters, training aircrafts, choppers and drones at the Singapore Airshow: Global Times

February 17, 2022

China displayed a wide variety of military aircrafts, including the JF-17 fighter, the L-15 advanced trainer, the Z-10 armed chopper and the Wing Loong drone, at the ongoing Singapore Airshow. Observers said on Wednesday that Chinese warplanes could be an attractive choice for countries in the region. Click here to read…

Chinese ride-hailing service providers summoned by market regulator in Henan: Global Times

February 17, 2022

Five major domestic ride-hailing service providers, including Didi Chuxing, were summoned by market regulators of Central China’s Henan Province on Wednesday over multiple business activities that are disrupting market order and fair competition. Click here to read…

China’s inflation slows, leaving room for policy easing: Reuters

February 16, 2022

China’s factory-gate inflation eased to its slowest pace in six months and consumer price growth also softened in January amid weakening property sector demand, new coronavirus curbs and government efforts to rein in surging materials costs. Click here to read…

USTR says new trade tools needed to fight China state-led trade: Reuters

February 16, 2022

The United States needs to pursue new strategies and update its domestic trade tools to deal with China’s “state-led, non-market policies and practices”, the U.S. Trade Representative’s office said on Wednesday in a new assessment report. Click here to read…

Xi Jinping urges China to arm itself with stronger laws and better lawyers for ‘international struggle’: South China Morning Post

February 16, 2022

President Xi Jinping has urged China to speed up legislation related to foreign matters, with a priority on “urgent” areas including sanctions and interference. “We must use legal means to conduct international struggle,” Xi said in an article published on Tuesday in Qiushi, the Communist Party’s main theoretical journal. Click here to read…

Chinese graduates’ petitions ask central government to probe case of trafficked woman found in chains: South China Morning Post

February 17, 2022

Alumni of top universities in China have publicly called on the government to thoroughly investigate the case of a woman found in a hut chained by her neck and later revealed to have been trafficked.A hundred alumni of the prestigious Peking University in Beijing have signed an online petition urging the Communist Party and the State Council, the country’s cabinet, to look into the case of the woman, who was seen in the hut in Xuzhou, eastern China, in a video that went viral last month. Click here to read…

World Bank accused of ‘funding campaign of repression’ in Xinjiang: South China Morning Post

February 16, 2022

The World Bank has been accused of “funding a campaign of repression” of Uygurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang in a new report that reveals the Washington institute’s exposure to the Chinese region.The report by the Atlantic Council, a prominent Washington-based think tank, found “significant evidence” that several clients of the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a World Bank subsidiary, were “active participants” in a campaign in which China has been accused of the widespread use of forced labour, forced displacement of people from their land, cultural erasure and environmental destruction in Xinjiang. Click here to read…

Chinese scientists say a cheap, lightweight foam could improve hypersonic weapons: South China Morning Post

February 17, 2022

Chinese scientists say they may have found a coating material to improve the performance of future hypersonic weapons: carbon foam. The team at the China Aerodynamics Research and Development Centre said their testing – carried out in a wind tunnel – suggested the material could reduce the impact of shock waves by more than 20 per centClick here to read…