Telangana sees 63.9% voter turnout

Telangana witnesses relatively peaceful polling on Thursday marked by low voter turnout compared with previous elections . The voter turnout stood at 63.94% .

Hyderabad registered only 40% turnout as against 50% in 2018 elections.

Polling was held for 119 seats . Bharat Rashtra Samiti ( BRS ) K . Chadreshwkahr Rao has been CM for two terms . The main rivallry  is between BRS and Congress . The seat share in last assembly elections was BRS ( 88 ) , Congress ( 19 ) and BJP ( 1) .

Hit job is not our policy ,says India on US charges

Ministry of External Affairs ( MEA ) has refuted charges on Indian govt that it was involved in plotting to kill Sikh Extremist Gurupatwant Singh Pannun .

MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that US accusation is ‘ a matter of concern ‘ .

Govt of India position on US accusation

●     A high level enquiry will take place on inputs shared by the US in alleged plots to kill Khalistani separatist .

●     MEA spokesperson said that link to Indian govt officials is a matter for concern

●     MEA clarified that ordering a concert assassination not govt policy

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Turdeau SA d the US indictment should make India take Canada’s allegations “ seriously “ .  MEA responded that the space given by Canada to “ anti India extremist “ remains at the heart of issue “

US department of Justice has alleged that India had given money and dropped charges against Nikhil Gupta , involved in illegal drugs and weapons trade and wanted i. India  to arrange the assassination of Pannun . Nikhil Gupta has been arrested by New York Police .

GDP surges 7.6% in Q2 goes past RBI forecast

The GDP rise in 2 nd quarter ( july – september ) of financial year 2023 – 24  has been found to be 7.6% . The information was published by National Statistical Office .

RBI had projected 6.5% growth in Q2 . The first quarter ( April – June ) growth was 7.8 %.

Construction industry was among the iswctir havi g highest growth of 9.3%.

Sevice sector such as trade , hotel and transport grew by 9.2% .

Farm sector growth was just 1.2%.

Poor, youth , women farmers biggest castes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that poverty hit people , the youth , the women , and farmers were the biggest castes for him , and only the development of these “ castes “  would lead progress of the country .

The remark came when opposition is demanding nation wide caste census .

Mr Modi was interacting with the beneficiaries of government schemes under Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra .

Viksit Bahrat Sankalp Yatra – The role of the Yatra is to facilitate awareness is to tye awareness and facilitate the distribution of delivery of welfare schemes .

It is a part of the Hamara Sankalp Viksit Bharat Campaign focussing on reaching vulnerable people , disseminating information .

Several govt schemes such as  PM Ayushman Yojna , PM Awas Yojna , PM Garib Kalayan Ann Yojna , PM Vishwakarma Yojna are part of it .

₹2.23 lakh crore to buy 97 Tejas jets , 156 Prachand helicopters

To increase capacity of Armed Forces , Defense Acquisition Council has given approval of projects estimating  ₹2.23 lakh crore .

It includes procurement of 97 Tejas Light Combat Aircraft ( LCA ) and 156 Prachand helicopters .

The defense minister said that 98% of total procurement will be sourced from domestic industries to achieve the goal of ArmaNirbharta .

It includes upgradaton of Su 30  fighte fleets .

It has approved Accordance of Necessity ( AoN ) for procurement of two types of anti tank minitions namely Area Denial Munition ( ADM ) , type 2 and Type 3 .

For the Navy

Proposal to buy Medium Range Anti Submarine Missile ( MRASHM ) .

MRShM – It is light weigh surface to surface missile  to be used in  Indian Naval Warships .

LCA Tejas and Prachand

Center agrees to examine the demands for Laddakh Safeguards

The Union Home Ministry has agreed to examine the demand of civil society groups in Laddakh to provide “ constitutional safeguard “ for the Union territory .

Civil society groups had been demanding inclusion of Laddakh in sixth Schedule of Constitution and granting Laddakh status of Tribal territory .

Constitutional Safeguard – Means that the culture of a minority community will be safeguarded from discrimination and disadvantages .

Sixth Schedule of Constitution –  It describes establishment of Autonoimus district Council in Meghalaya , Tripura ,Mizoram and Assam .

These ADCs aims to safeguard and maintain tribal culture .

Three anti submarine warfare ships for Indian Navy launched

The first three of a series of eight anti submarine warfare being built by Cochin Shipyard Limited was launched in the presence of  Navy Chief .

The ships to be named INS Mahe , INS Malvan and INS Mangrol upon commissioning were launched . These ships will replace Abhay class Anti Submarine Warfare ( ASW ) Corvettes . These Corvettes will also be helpful in search and rescue operation. Navy has ordered 8 such Corvettes to Cochin Shipyard Limited in 2019 .

Navy gets ready for its biggest exercise amid Indian Ocean engagement

The Indian Navy is looking forward to host the next edition of ‘ exercise Milan ‘ in February 2024 along Vishakhapatnam coast .

It is being. expected that Navy of 50 countries will participate in this .

Exercise Milan –. Is a Biennial exercise  . Last time in 2022 , about 40 countries participated in this .

Loss and Damage fund approved on day one of COP 28 summit

On the first day of 28 th Conference of Parties ( CoP ) here in member countries agreed to make operational a Loss and Damage ( L&D) fund that is meant to compensate countries already dealing with climate change .

The fund will be based at World Bank but will be managed by a different secretariat .the fund has received a commitment worth nearly 250 million dollar from countries .Though billions of dollar is still needed to meet its purpose .

UAE  – the host has committed 100 million dollar , Germany 100 million dollar , th US 17 millions n dollar , the UK 50 .6 million dollar the Japan 10 million dollar .The European Union also has committed 145 million dollar .

L&D fund was first announced at CoP 27 in Sharm AL Sheikh , Egypt last year .

At COP 28 , Bihar govt to showcase afforestation. Initiatives to combat climate change

Bihar Officials will showcase  a range of environment initiatives af CoP 28 in Dubai .

These Initiatives include Hariyali Mission  ( Green Mission ) , Jal Jeevan Mission  , Agriculture Roadmap and Green Budget among others.

The salient feature of afforestation schemes to be showcased include focus on Indigenous plants , the active involvement of JEEVIKA ( a state run self help group of women ) in plantation and Nursery raising , large scale agroforestry on farmers land  and the integration of afforestation activities with soil moisture conservation measures to facilitate forest regeneration .

India set to launch its X ray Polarimeter Satellite : ISRO

The Indian space Research Organisation has announced the the plan to launch its first X ray Polarimeter Satellite ( XPoSat ) to investigate the polarization of intense X ray sources .

The XPoSat will be put at 650 km in earth orbit and will carry two scientific payloads , with these two payloads , the mission is capable of simultaneous studies of temporal , spectral and polarization features of X ray .

It will have two components POLIX ( Polarimeter Instrument  In X Ray ) and XSPECT ( X ray spectroscopy and timing ) .

Xposat

World

Gaza truce extended by one day as hostage talks continue

Israel and Hamas to the last minute agreed on the last minute on Thursday to extend their ceasefire in Gaza by another day .

But the further extension of truce seems difficult as Hamas is expected to demand greater concessions .

Israel is under extreme international pressure to extend ceasefire . Israel is also under pressure from families of hostages that were abducted by Hamas.

Israel has told that currently about 125 hostages are still with Hamas . Israel has also told that it will resume bombing and airstrikes as soon as the hostage issue is resolved. and that Israel’s aim is complete annihilation of Hamas .

China calls for immediate ‘ sustained humanitarian truce ‘ in Israel Hamas war

China on Thursday called for a “ sustained humanitarian truce “ in the Israel Hamas conflict in a position paper’ released by its Foreign Ministry .

The document said :

“ The parties to the conflict should immediately realize a durable and sustained humanitarian truce “

It called for a “ comprehensive ceasefire and end of fighting “

China last week had welcomed truce between Hamas and Israel .

Henry Kissinger , secretary of state under president’s Nixon and Ford dies at 100.

Firemer Secretary of state Henry Kissinger of US Henry Kissinger died at the age of 100 .

Mr Kissinger was president during  President Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford . He was Secretary of state between 1973 – 1977 . He was instrumental to establish a relationship with China and also instrumental  in US Withdrawal from Vietnam War .He lafer was awarded Noble Peace Prize .

2023 set to be hottest year ever : United Nations

This year is set to be the hottest ever recorded , the UN said on Thursday , demanding urgent and action to rein in global warming and stem thevhavoc following its wake .

“ It is deafening cacophony of broken records , “ said World Metrological Organisation chief Petteri Talaas “ Greenhouse gas level is recorded high . Global temperature re record high . Sea level rise is record high . ANTARCTIC ice is record low “

EU defense spending to reach a record 270 billion euro in 2023

EU defense spending will reach a record 270 billion dollar in 2023 . The bloc’s chief Charles Michel said .

Cambodian PM Hun Manet says won’t build dam on Mekong river

The reason for not building Dam over Mekong river given by Cambodian PM is that the river is very significant for environment and ecology of the river .

Mekong river

Editorial

A lot at stake

Indian reputation as a principled power is at stake after the indictment

The editorial is about accussation by US department of Justice that India tried to plot to kill Gurupatwant Singh Pannun in US .

US has accused that Nikhil Gupta , a arms and drugs smuggler had been given money and his charges was dropped in Gujrat so that he could kill Pannun . Nikhil Gupta has been arrested by US .

In response India has made a high powered committee to investigate , MEA has told that such acts is not in India’s policy .

The current situation will definitely strain India’s relationship with ‘ Five Eyes’  countries  .

India should ask US why it is not extraditing Pannun who is involved in separaties activities in India .

All these has changed world’s irrespective about India which was cited as a very Principles country .

Changing Tide

The Tatmadaw has been stretched thin in the civil war of Mayanmar

The editorial is about India and Myanmar relations under recent development in Mayanmar . Recently ethnic groups has attacked Tatmadaw ( Junta ) army at several places of Shan State bordering China . It has also controlled many military post and lots of bordering territories . Another ethnic group in Chin state has conflicted with Junta army bordering India . In one of the incidents many Junta army fled to Indian side as their posts were destroyed . India shifted them back to Myanmar . India’s position has been to favour Junta govt at the same time demanding for establishment of Democracy . This position mainly seems to counter China . The editorial says that there needs to be change in India’s position on Myanmar , means India should not co-operate until estabkshment of democracy .