Farm labourers under the banner of the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union protest in Bathinda on Monday. photo: Pawan Sharma

Bathinda, March 15

Scores of labourers under the banner of the Punjab Khet Mazdoor Union staged a protest at the Dana mandi area here against the three contentious agricultural laws and recent amendments being made to labour laws.

Also, on a call given by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, a separate protest was also organised by different unions, including contractual workers from government departments, farmers and labourers in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Bathinda. Farm labourers, including men and women, held a rally in the local grain market and later carried out a protest march in the city.

Union president Zora Singh Nasrali said, “The government is betraying the country by selling out all natural resources, public and agricultural sectors to corporate houses. The atrocities against the Dalits and caste discrimination have increased manifold and the democratic rights of people have been crushed.” “New land reforms have to be introduced in order to empower landless labourers and Dalits in the country,” he added.

BKU (Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan praised the effort of farm labourers. He appealed to the youth to participate in the rally at the Sunam grain market on March 21 to pay tributes to Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev. — TNS

Protest outside DC office over fuel hike

Photo for representational purpose only

Fatehgarh Sahib, March 15

The Sarpanch Union and the Bhartiya Kisan Mazdoor Union will hold a kisan mahapanchayat — Maha Kisan Mazdoor Ekta Rally — at the new grain market, Sirhind Mandi, on March 24.

He said farmer leaders Balbir Singh Rajewal, Joginder Singh Ugrahan and Gurnam Singh Chaduni had confirmed their participation and Rakesh Tikait’s secretary had also assured his participation.

He said talks with Ruldu Singh Mansa and Jagjit Singh Dalewal were on and their consent was awaited. He added that besides these farm union leaders, singer Babbu Maan and a few other artistes would also participate. He called upon all farm unions, supporters, traders and others to participate in a large number. Meanwhile, leaders of various farm unions today staged a protest outside the DC office against increase in fuel price and handed over a memorandum to him. — TNS

It said the drop in Indian arms imports seemed to have been the result of the country’s complex procurement processes

File photo for representation.

New Delhi, March 15

India’s import of arms decreased by 33 per cent between 2011–15 and 2016–20 and Russia was the most affected supplier, according to a report released on Monday by Stockholm-based defence think-tank SIPRI.

It said the drop in Indian arms imports seemed to have been the result of the country’s complex procurement processes combined with an attempt to reduce its dependence on Russian arms.

In the last few years, India has taken a series of measures to boost domestic defence industry with an aim to reduce dependence on imported military platforms and hardware.

In reply to a question in Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Defence Shripad Naik said approval (Acceptance of Necessity) was given to 112 proposals between 2018-19 and 2020-21 (till December) worth around Rs 1.99 lakh crore under various categories of capital acquisition to promote the domestic defence manufacturing.

The report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said, “Arms imports by India decreased by 33 per cent between 2011–15 and 2016–20. Russia was the most affected supplier, although India’s imports of US arms also fell, by 46 per cent.”      

“The drop in Indian arms imports seems to have been mainly due to its complex procurement processes, combined with an attempt to reduce its dependence on Russian arms. India is planning large-scale arms imports in the coming years from several suppliers,” it said.

The government has been majorly focusing on boosting domestic defence production and set a target of Rs 1.75 lakh crore (USD 25 billion) turnover in defence manufacturing by 2025.

In May, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman rolled out a number of reform measures for the defence sector including making separate budgetary outlay to procure Indian-made military hardware, increasing FDI limit from 49 per cent to 74 per cent under the automatic route and generating a year-wise negative list of weapons which won’t be imported.

The SIPRI report said Russia and China both saw their arms exports falling. Arms exports by Russia, which accounted for 20 per cent of all exports of major arms in 2016–20, dropped by 22 per cent to roughly the same level as in 2006–10.

“The bulk—around 90 per cent—of this decrease was attributable to a 53 per cent fall in its arms exports to India,” it said.

“Russia substantially increased its arms transfers to China, Algeria and Egypt between 2011–15 and 2016–20, but this did not offset the large drop in its arms exports to India,” said Alexandra Kuimova, a researcher with the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme.

The report said exports by China, the world’s fifth largest arms exporter in 2016–20, decreased by 7.8 per cent between 2011–15 and 2016–20. Chinese arms exports accounted for 5.2 per cent of total arms exports in 2016–20. Pakistan, Bangladesh and Algeria were the largest recipients of Chinese arms, it added.

The SIPRI said the US remained the largest arms exporter, increasing its global share of arms exports from 32 to 37 per cent between 2011–15 and 2016–20, adding it supplied major arms to 96 states in 2016–20, far more than any other supplier.

“Almost half (47 per cent) of US arms transfers went to the Middle East. Saudi Arabia alone accounted for 24 per cent of total US arms exports. The 15 per cent increase in US arms exports between 2011–15 and 2016–20 further widened the gap between the US and second largest arms exporter Russia,” the report noted.

It said France increased its exports of major arms by 44 per cent and accounted for 8.2 percent of global arms exports in 2016–20. “India, Egypt and Qatar together received 59 per cent of French arms exports,” it said. PTI

She is also involved in Trolly Talkies, which was started at Tikri border to show movies to the protesting farmers

Women from Punjab and Haryana participate in farmers protest against the Centre’s new farm laws, at Tikri border in Delhi. PTI file

New Delhi, March 15

Farmers protesting at various Delhi borders are garnering support from all sections of society. A lot of people have even left their jobs and work to support the cause.

Twentynine-year-old Navkiran Natt is one of those who’ve left her profession and joined her family at the Tikri border to express her solidarity with farmers in the protest against the farm laws.

Natt, along with her family, has been at the Tikri border for the last three months.

Natt, a dentist by profession, has completed a Master’s in Film Studies. Before joining the protest, she was doing internship in one of the projects related to film studies.

She told IANS, “I completed BDS from Panjab University and practised there for three years but the experience was not good so I joined a film studies course.”

“I have been at Tikri border for the last three months. After a lot of brainstorming on how we could support farmers, we began by making wall paintings. Then we started the Shaheed Bhagat Singh library at the three borders,” Natt added.

Natt is also involved in Trolly Talkies, which was started at Tikri border to show movies to the farmers protesting here.

Every evening, a show is being organised for the farmers. She is also part of the editorial team of Trolly Times—a newspaper distributed here. IANS

Group charged with running IS propaganda

In a major crackdown on Kerala ISIS module led by accused Mohammed Ameen, the NIA today carried out searches at 11 locations, including eight locations in Kerala. Photo for representation only

New Delhi, March 15

In a major crackdown on Kerala ISIS module led by accused Mohammed Ameen, the NIA today carried out searches at 11 locations, including eight locations in Kerala spread over the districts of Kannur, Mallapuram, Kollam and Kasargod, two locations in Bengaluru and one location in Delhi in a case pertaining to terrorist activities of a group led by Ameen, a resident of Kerala.

Those arrested include Mushab Anuvar, Rahees Rashid and Mohammed Ameen. A senior NIA official said, “The group has been running various ISIS propaganda channels on different social media platforms such as Telegram, Hoop and Instagram for propagating violent Jihadi ideology of the ISIS and radicalising/recruiting new members.”

The NIA had registered the case against seven known and unknown persons under various sections of the IPC and the UAPA on March 5, 2021, the official said. According to the official, searches were conducted on the premises of accused Mohammed Ameen and his associates, who were members of various groups/channels on encrypted chat platforms.

“Laptops, mobiles, hard disks, pendrives, multiple SIM cards and incriminating documents were seized,” the official said. — TNS

The agency raids 30 locations in 13 cities across the country; recovers several incriminating documents

Photo for representation.

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, March 15

The anti-graft central probe agency CBI on Monday said it has registered a case against five Lieutenant Colonels among 23 others in alleged Army recruitment scam and conducted searches at around 30 locations across the country.

CBI spokesperson RC Joshi said after receiving a complaint from the office of Additional Directorate General, Discipline & Vigilance, the agency has booked 23 people, including 17 Army officials, six private persons and others, on the allegations pertaining to bribery and irregularities in recruitment of officers and other ranks through Service Selection Board (SSB).

The spokesperson said, “Searches were conducted today at 30 places including Base Hospital in Delhi, other Army establishments, civilian areas covering 13 cities, including Kapurthala, Bathinda, Delhi, Kaithal, Palwal, Lucknow, Bareilly, Gorakhpur, Visakhapatnam, Jaipur, Guwahati, Jorhat and Chirang.”

He also said the searches led to recovery of several incriminating documents and the documents so recovered during searches are being scrutinised by the CBI officials.

Those Lieutenant Colonels against whom the case has been registered and their names mentioned in the CBI FIR include MVSNA Bhagwan, Surender Singh, Sukhdev Arora, Vinay and Navjot Singh Kanwar. The other Army personnel, who have been named in the FIR, are Major Bhavesh Kumar, Major Amit Fagna, Naib Subedar Kuldeep Singh, Havildar Pawan Kumar, Havildar Rajesh Kumar, Havildar Harpal Singh, Naik Parwinder Jeet Singh, Sepoy Rohit Kanwar, Cadet Hemant Dagar and Cadet Inderjeet.

The CBI in its FIR has also named relatives of the Army officers as private persons and they included Pragati Singh, Devyanim wife of Major Bhavesh Kumar, Surender Singh, the father of Bhavesh Kumar, Usha Kumawat, the mother of Bhavesh Kumar, and Bhupender Bajaj, the brother-in-law of Lieutenant Colonel Surender Singh.

Since India is now going to sit at the high table to decide the future of Afghanistan it must seriously consider what real strategic interests it has in Afghanistan. (Photo: AP)

Manish Tewari is a lawyer and a former Union minister. The views expressed are personal. Twitter handle @manishtewari

Consider the following vignettes. A child born in the December of 1979 in Afghanistan would be today 41 years old. Across four decades that middle-aged person now has only known strife, violence and bloodshed as the only normal. It was on the 24th of December of that year, Soviet Tanks had rolled across the Amu Daraya to commence a brutal nine-year occupation of that antediluvian acreage situated on the crossroads of time.

It was the year 2016. For 15 long years Afghanistan had now been free of the malevolent influence of the Taliban. At a Track-2 event, I ran into a former chief of the Afghan National Army early one morning. I asked him, how is the situation in Afghanistan currently? He said we have democratic government, a free and a vibrant press — print, TV, radio and digital — encompassing over 1,800 media outlets, girls and women in schools and colleges. Any Afghan can even tell the President that he is in the wrong. It was a learning to see that a former military man was calculating the achievements of the past decade-and-a-half in intangibles rather than gain or loss of territory qua the Taliban.

Cut to 2021 and Joe Biden is the third consecutive President wanting to end America’s longest war. Two decades ago, the Americans had gone into Afghanistan after 9/11 hunting for Osama bin Laden and the Al Qaeda after the Taliban leader Mullah Omar refused to turn them over to the US. While Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar were both dead, the Taliban and even the Al Qaeda are both alive and kicking.

In fact, the United States, after holding leading elements of the Taliban leadership in primitively medieval incarceration in Guantanamo Bay for over 15 years or more, in a complete volte-face on February 29, 2020, cut a deal with the “same eminences” in Doha. One of the essential elements of the deal being total withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan by 1st of May 2021

In a recent letter to President Ashraf Ghani, the new US Secretary of State Antony Blinken virtually read out the riot act to the Afghan government to fall in line with the latest US approach to the Afghan quagmire. The letter has been made public by the Afghan news outlet Tolo News. Neither has it been denied by the US or the Afghan government, respectively.

The missive sketches out the following modes for an across-the-board settlement to the Afghan imbroglio pegged on the desirability of an enduring ceasefire by the Taliban. It, therefore, envisages ministerial-level parleys under the auspices of the United Nations between Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran and India and the United States of America to deliberate upon a unified approach to supporting peace in Afghanistan, a senior-level meeting between the Taliban and the Afghan government hosted by Turkey to take place shortly to finalise a peace agreement  between the two.

It mentions a revised plan to operationalise a ninety-day reduction in violence programme predicated upon thwarting a spring offensive by the Taliban. The dispatch further calls upon President Ghani to consider US proposals for a roadmap targeted at a new and inclusive Afghan government.

The letter closes with a rather portentous caveat stating: “We are considering the full withdrawal of our forces by May 1st, as we consider other options. Even with the continuation of financial assistance from the United States to your forces after an American military withdrawal, I am concerned the security situation will worsen and that the Taliban could make rapid territorial gains

Since India is now going to sit at the high table to decide the future of Afghanistan it must seriously consider what “real” strategic interests it has in Afghanistan.

Writing a decade earlier on the same question veteran journalist Shekhar Gupta opined, “It will still be a country of great strategic importance. But for whom, is the question. It will be of no strategic importance to us. None of our supplies or trade comes to Afghanistan. None of our bad guys hide there. No Afghan has ever been involved in a terror attack on India. In fact, almost never has a terror attack on us been even planned in the more precise Af-Pak region. They have all been planned and executed between Muzaffarabad, Muridke, Karachi and Multan. Almost never has an Afghan, Pakhtun, Baluch, Tajik, any ethnicity, been involved in a terror attack in India.

It’s always been the Punjabis. Ask anybody in the Indian army who has served in Kashmir and he will tell you that the intruders he fought were exactly of the same ethnic stock as the bulk of the Pakistani army he may have to fight in a real war: the Punjabi Muslims. Leave Afghanistan to the Pakistanis. If the Pakistani army thinks it can fix, subdue and control Afghanistan, after the British, Soviets and Americans have failed to do precisely this at the peak of each one’s superpowerdom, why not let the Pakistanis try their hand at it? If they pour another ten divisions and half of the ISI into that hapless country now, isn’t it that much of a relief for us on our western borders?”

This assessment is as relevant today as it was a decade ago. Hard questions with regard to our “real interests” in Afghanistan were never asked then and are not being asked even now. Would a foothold in Afghanistan help us in the event of a two-front war with China and Pakistan? Highly unlikely till the time we are not willing to put boots on the ground in Afghanistan. Is it desirable to put boots on the ground even if the Afghans were to request Indian military presence after the Americans leave? Highly undesirable. The last time India had seriously considered such a request was in early 2003 to deploy US forces in Iraq. Prime Minister Vajpayee had rightly refused to do so. Does a presence in Afghanistan open up new vistas for India in Central Asia? Not really, after Iran dropped India from the Chabahar to Zahedan just before it inked a USD 400 billion 25-year strategic partnership with China.

While it is heady to be invited to the high table, as the saying goes, there is no free lunch in life. India needs to be careful.…Tags: afghanistan, india, strategic interest in afghanistan, us military withdraw from afghanistan, pakistan, china, india-afghanistan relations

The probe by the Army was initiated based on inputs by its military intelligence wing and other complaints

File photo for representation.

New Delhi, March 14

The Army has handed over to the CBI a probe into alleged irregularities in a test held in Punjab for selection of officers, official sources said on Sunday.

The Army was conducting internal investigation into the alleged malpractices in the test in one of the centres in Punjab, they said.

The Service Selection Board test was being conducted by Service Selection Centres in Punjab sometime back, the sources said.

The probe by the Army was initiated based on inputs by its military intelligence wing and other complaints.

“The probe has been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation as multiple agencies, including several civilian ones, are involved in the entire process,” said a source.

The Army had launched a probe into the alleged malpractices after receiving complaints about them.

“The Army does not tolerate any irregularities or corruption. So, a CBI probe has been ordered into the case,” the source said. —PTI

Recalling the exploits of Capt Devinder Singh Ahlawat and Lt Col Narinder Singh Sandhu of 10 Dogra, and Brig K Gowrishankar, Commander of 86 Infantry Brigade

Lt Col Dilbag Singh Dabas (retd)

The community hall in Beri village in present-day Jhajjar district of Haryana has an old black marble stone on which are engraved in golden letters the names of the bravehearts from the villages around who laid down their lives in the service of the nation during World War I and II. A close look at the long list reveals that Gochhi village has the maximum number of names. It also has the maximum number of families with a military background, some even going back to five generations.

Captain Devinder Singh Ahlawat was a third generation soldier; his grandfather fought in World War I and his father was part of live action in World War II and also during India’s wars in 1947-48, and 1962. Devinder, son of Lieutenant Colonel Subha Chand Ahlawat, was born on July 4, 1947 at Gochhi village in Rohtak district of then undivided Punjab.

After a year in Government College, Rohtak, he joined the National Defence Academy and was commissioned into 10th Battalion of The Dogra Infantry Regiment on December 15, 1967. The battalion was raised by Lt Col Kapur Singh Ahlawat on June 1, 1966.

Dogras have throughout outperformed themselves in all the wars fought since World War I, but a battalion earning two Maha Vir Chakras within just about five years of its raising speaks volumes of the training, commitment and dedication of its men and officers. 10 Dogra is proudly referred to as ‘Terrific Tenth’.

While raising 10 Dogra, Lt Col Ahlawat, also incidentally from Gochhi, never imagined that his own bhatija (nephew) would join it and make his battalion proud.

The India-Pakistan border in Punjab generally follows the Ravi river between Gurdaspur and Attari and Sutlej between Ferozepur and Fazilka. There are three bridges over these two rivers at Dera Baba Nanak (DBN), Hussainiwala and Sulemanke. Of these, the bridges at DBN and Sulemanke were under Pakistani control. The areas east of these two bridges gave the Pakistan army readymade bridgeheads where from it could launch its strike formations across the border into Indian territory.

It was necessary to eliminate the Pakistani enclaves at DBN and Sulemanke to prevent Pakistan from using them as launch pads for any offensive. 10 Dogra and 71 Armoured Regiment were tasked to capture the east-end of DBN bridge near the enclave, which was heavily fortified by the enemy with concrete pillboxes and bunkers.

In the first phase, ‘Alpha’ and ‘Bravo’ companies of 10 Dogra were to capture the depth bundh, bundh junction and river bundh. In the next phase, ‘Delta’ company commanded by Major Inder Singh and ‘Charlie’ company by Devinder Ahlawat, now a Captain, were tasked to capture the link bundh, rail bundh and road bundh.

The companies made steady progress in decimating the Pakistanis and clearing the bundhs allotted to them. Devinder’s company was to follow ‘Bravo’ and clear the most formidable link bundh in the second phase. And the intrepid Ahlawat led his company from the front and cleared the supposedly impregnable bundh which cost him his life, but for the ultimate cause and in the best traditions of the Indian Army. The grateful nation recognised the conspicuous bravery of Captain Devinder Singh Ahlawat and awarded him the Maha Vir Chakra, posthumously. The battle account reads:

“During the 1971 India-Pakistan war, 10 Dogra was tasked to capture Dera Baba Nanak bridgehead on the night of December 5/6. As per the battalion attack plan, ‘C’ company led by Captain Devinder Singh Ahlawat was to capture east-end of the bridge on which the enemy defences were based on a series of concrete embankments with anti-tank guns and heavy automatic weapons. The company, led by Captain Ahlawat, came under heavy machine gun fire from a concrete pillbox. With complete disregard to his life, Captain Ahlawat charged onto the pillbox, grabbed the burning hot machine gun barrel with his right hand and threw a grenade into the pillbox with his left, killing the firing crew, thus making it possible to continue the momentum of the attack and capture of the objective soon thereafter. In this action, Captain Ahlawat lost his life and his body was found with six bullet wounds on his chest, and his hand still clutching the machine-gun barrel.”

Captain Devinder Singh Ahlawat met his date with fate unmarried but not unsung — the black marble sacred stone in Beri Community Hall has his name, too, engraved in golden letters. In his honour, the Army Welfare Housing Complex in Sector 56 in Gurugram, is also named after this braveheart.

From the battle for Dera Baba Nanak emerged two more Maha Virs: Lieutenant Colonel Narinder Singh Sandhu, Commanding Officer of 10 Dogra, and Brigadier K Gowrishankar, Commander of 86 Infantry Brigade.

Having taken over 10 Dogra just a few months before the war, Lt Col Sandhu, an alumnus of Khalsa College, Amritsar, for his dynamic leadership and bold execution of the attack plan, was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra. The battle account reads:

“On December 5, 1971, 86 Infantry Brigade Group was ordered to eliminate the Pakistan bridgehead across river Ravi, north of Dera Baba Nanak. The area consisted of a series of embankments defended by an elaborate system of concrete defence works housing machine guns, anti-tank weapons and other small arms. 10 Dogra battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Narinder Singh Sandhu, was allotted the task of capturing the east-end of the bridgehead, which was the hub of the enemy defences in the area. Lieutenant Colonel Sandhu led his battalion most skillfully when the men fought from bunker to bunker to capture the objective. In the bitter fighting, he was seriously wounded in his leg; however, with complete disregard to his own safety, he continued to lead his men with cool courage and determination. His exemplary conduct and inspiring leadership so enthused his men that the vital objective was captured with minimum casualties to the battalion.”

The conspicuous courage and outstanding leadership of Brigadier Krishnaswamy Gowrishankar, Commander of 86 Infantry Brigade, originally from Corps of Signals, too, did not go unnoticed. For his boldness and originality in planning and execution of the offensive, he was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra.

CPPCC lauds Xi Jinping for ‘achievements’ despite unprecedented difficulties

Full support: The carefully choreographed sessions sent out the clear message that China’s leadership is determined to achieve its expansive ambitions. Feuters

Jayadeva Ranade

President, Centre for China Analysis and Strategy

The annual plenary sessions of China’s top political advisory body, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and its version of a parliament, the National People’s Congress (NPC), opened in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on March 3 and 4, respectively. The carefully choreographed sessions sent out the clear message that China’s communist leadership is determined to achieve its expansive ambitions. The emphasis on international connectivity projects, national defence and domestic security reinforce this.

State-owned CCTV telecast images of an assured and self-confident Chinese President Xi Jinping walking into the Great Hall of the People on the opening day. The other six members of the Politburo Standing Committee (PBSC) walked more than the usual two to three respectful steps behind him.

CPPCC vice-chairman Zhang Qingli announced the opening of the session. The CPPCC oversees formulation and implementation of policies for non-Chinese Communist Party (CCP) entities, ethnic and religious minorities. Him making the announcement conveyed that there would be no change in China’s tough policies towards ethnic and religious minorities. Zhang Qingli, former Tibet Party Secretary, came to international notice in March 2008 when he said: ‘The Dalai is a wolf in monk’s robes, a devil with a human face but the heart of a beast!’

On the sidelines of the NPC on March 5, Xi Jinping instructed NPC delegates from the restive Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to popularise the use of Mandarin in schools and resolve ethnic tensions. Xinhua quoted him as telling delegates that ‘Cultural identity is the deepest form of identity. It is also the root and soul of ethnic unity and harmony.’ He told them to use ‘solid and meticulous efforts’ to achieve ethnic unity and ensure that standard Chinese and state-compiled textbooks are unwaveringly adopted. He said all young people in Inner Mongolia should understand the CCP’s policies and revolutionary heritage.

As many as 2,953 deputies to the NPC and more than 2,106 members of the CPPCC listened to the government work report presented by Premier Li Keqiang. Like last year, this report contained 13 references to Xi Jinping and bore his imprimatur. It gave unequivocal credit for last year’s achievements despite unprecedented difficulties ‘to the strong leadership of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, to the sound guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and to the concerted efforts of the Party, the armed forces….’ The draft was earlier approved at a politburo meeting chaired by Xi Jinping on February 26.

Reflecting stress on the economy, Li Keqiang set this year’s GDP growth rate target at 6 per cent, lower than expected by many Chinese economists who anticipated he might either forgo the numerical target or set an ambitious 8 per cent growth rate. Stating that the central government will tighten its belt, he said the government would cut the fiscal deficit target to 3.2 per cent of China’s projected GDP this year. He announced plans to create 11 million new jobs, up from the 2020 target of 9 million and said by 2025, China would cut carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 18 per cent from 2020 levels. He noted the ‘solid progress’ in the Belt and Road Initiative, stressed maintenance of social harmony and stability and said science and technology would be strengthened to provide strategic support for development.

The ministry of finance’s report revealed either cuts, or no increases, in the budgets of most ministries. In 2020, there was a 50 per cent across-the-board cut in the budgets of ministries except those of national defence and public security. This year, too, national defence received 1.35 trillion yuan

($209 billion), a hike of 6.8 per cent. A large portion is intended for defence R&D and training of the PLA. Public security was allocated 185.092 billion yuan from the central budget, or a 0.7 per cent increase identical to that for last year. Expenditure on public security has increased each year for the past over five years. The push for major projects promoting coordinated regional development and other major projects such as the development of new infrastructure and urbanisation initiatives was encouraged with the earmarking of 610 billion yuan, or 10 billion yuan more than that for last year.

Reiterating the central government’s decision to tighten its belt to channel more funds to provincial governments, the finance ministry listed the breakdown of spending as follows: 147.025 billion yuan on general public services, down 14.1 per cent; 50.414 billion yuan on foreign affairs, a drop of 1.9 per cent; 166.344 billion yuan on education, the same as the year before — but including local outlays national spending will increase by 5.2 per cent; 322.71 billion yuan on science and technology, roughly equivalent to the previous year; 122.473 billion yuan on stockpiling grain, edible oils, and other materials, basically the same as in 2020; and 599.824 billion yuan on debt interest payments, up 8.3 per cent.

Especially significant for India is China’s focus on developing strategically important international connectivity in the region. While the CPEC, BCIM and Trans-Himalayan Corridor were mentioned in the National Transportation Network for 2035 issued last month, coinciding with the NPC session the chairman of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) Qi Zhala on March 4, inaugurated construction of the 1,800-km railway directly connecting Lhasa to Chengdu. Costing $49.4 billion and scheduled for completion by 2030, the project was described by Xi Jinping as of ‘great significance to maintaining national unity, promoting ethnic unity and consolidating stability in border areas.’