Monthly Archives: August 2018

PTI

New Delhi, January 15

India’s nascent private space sector has presented a wishlist of tax incentives and a production-linked incentive scheme in the upcoming Union Budget to boost local manufacturing and spur research and development.

“In the 2023-24 Union Budget, we would like to request a space-based production linked incentive (PLI) scheme for space tech startups to help boost local manufacturing and encourage capability building within the country,” Awais Ahmed, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Pixxel, a space startup based in Bengaluru, told PTI.

Last year, Pixxel became the first Indian startup to launch its own hyperspectral imaging satellite, “Shakuntala”, onboard SpaceX’s rideshare rocket and followed it up with another similar satellite, “Anand”, using the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) PSLV rocket. It plans to have a constellation of earth observation satellites soon.

“In the Union Budget 2023-24, we request a further Rs 100 crore issuance as viability gap funding (VGF) to set up new infrastructure,” Kranthi Chand, the head of strategy and special projects, DhruvaSpace, told PTI.

DhruvaSpace, a Hyderabad-based startup, also launched two satellites onboard the PSLV rocket in November and has plans to set up a satellite-manufacturing unit for a range of applications.

Chand also wants the government to make a dedicated allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for the Defence Space Agency (DSA) for the procurement of new technology from the industry.

He noted that an acceptance of necessity (AoN) has been accorded by the Ministry of Defence and Services headquarters for several satellite and space technology projects.

According to Indian Space Association (ISpA) Director General Lieutenant General AK Bhatt (Retd), the suggestions were received from the space industry on tax policies and incentives to promote investment, research and development, and employment in the space sector.

The ISpA said a PLI scheme for the speace sector will promote research and development in the country and provide incentives to entities engaged in the sector.

The ISpA also wants the government to provide financial support through loans, grants and tax incentives to the companies and organisations in the space sector.

“Since the new space policy is in its final stages of development, the provision of tax exemption for startups should be continued till the time the incumbent policy is released or implemented,” Bhatt said.

Considering that most space-tech companies in India are startups and access to capital is an issue, it would be beneficial to create parity in terms of the short-term capital gains tax rate and treatment with respect to listed and unlisted entities, and also provide exemption from angel tax, the ISpA said.

Bhatt also wants the government to set up space technology parks and form a group of experts for the use of the space ecosystem.

“We believe this allocation gives the much-needed thrust towards cutting-edge tech development by reducing the revenue risk to recover costs, while providing a financially attractive return for the private sector,” Chand said.

India’s space economy was pegged at USD 9.6 billion in 2020 and was expected to touch USD 12.8 billion by 2025, according to a report released by the ISpA and EY last year.

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 14

Pension and medical facilities to military veterans are a small token of the country’s respect towards the sacrifices and commitment they have made, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh while addressing veterans at a function in Dehradun on Saturday.

He was speaking on the occasion of the seventh Armed Forces Veterans’ Day.

January 14 is celebrated as the Armed Forces Veterans’ Day, as on this day in 1953, first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army Field Marshal KM Cariappa, who led the Indian forces to victory in the 1947 war, retired from service.

Celebrations were held at nine locations, with the Defence Minister presiding over the main function in Dehradun.https://98a793c511d635880af0ced2f2105a49.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html

“Our brave soldiers have made a huge contribution to transforming India’s image across the world to that of a powerful and respectful nation,” he said, assuring the veterans of the government’s support for their welfare.

Singh inaugurated the Shaurya Sthal, a war memorial dedicated to martyred soldiers from Uttarakhand, at Cheer Bagh, Dehradun.

Accompanied by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan, the Defence Minister laid a wreath at the war memorial to pay tributes to the brave soldiers of the state martyred in the service of the nation.

The war memorial consists of seven pillars on which the names of 1,400 martyrs from Uttarakhand have been carved.

In New Delhi, IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar and Army Chief General Manoj Pande attended the function.

Meanwhile, an initiative to promote adventure tourism in border areas of Garhwal Himalayas was launched today as a joint effort of the Indian Army and an organisation of veterans.

Launches ‘soul of steel’ initiative

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday launched ‘Soul of Steel’ initiative
• It seeks to promote high-altitude endurance and adventure in Uttarakhand’s Garhwal Himalayas
• The idea behind the adventure challenge, spearheaded by veterans, is to boost tourism as well

PTI

New Delhi: China has objected to a US diplomat commenting on its border dispute with India, saying the Chinese side is “firmly opposed to such acts that a third country points fingers at the bilateral issue between other two countries out of geopolitical consideration”. Donald Lu, US diplomat, has said “we have not seen China take good faith steps to resolve the border issue”. TNS

THE EXPRESS INDIA NEWS

PTI

New Delhi, January 14

Indian armed forces is highly professional and counted among the best in the world which is a result of the indomitable courage of the veterans and their sacrifices, Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande said Saturday.

Addressing a gathering of ex-servicemen on the occasion of the seventh Armed Forces Veterans Day celebrations here, he asserted that inspired by the contributions of veterans, all the three services of the armed forces are “ready to face any challenge” in a formidable manner.

IAF chief Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari and Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar shared the dais with the Army chief during the celebrations held at the Manekshaw Centre here. A large number of veterans drawn from the three wings of the armed forces had also gathered at the venue.

“Today, our armed forces is counted among the best and highly professional forces in the world. This identity (of the forces) is a result of your sacrifices, indomitable courage and hard labour. Inspired by it, all the three services of the armed forces, as a formidable instrument, is ready to face any challenge,” Gen Pande said.

The Navy chief, in his address, said the armed forces of today is a product of the efforts, visionary leadership, aspirations and selfless efforts put in by “each one of our veterans”.

“It is an honour for me to be present here and interact with you all. Today is also an occasion to remember and pay homage to our valiant warriors who dedicated their lives to the nation,” Admiral Kumar said.

He said the Navy would like to assure everybody that it will leave no stone unturned in carrying forward the legacy of the veterans.

Commissioning of India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, stealth destroyer INS Mormugao, and a host of other advanced platforms are just a small step in that direction, the Navy chief said.

“We have also inducted the first batch of Agniveers, which also includes women, and that is a bold, transformative step and which will contribute to making the Navy future-proof,” he added.

The IAF chief also extended greetings to the veterans on the occasion.

“From its humble origins, the IAF has carved out a reputation of being a formidable aerospace in the region today. This has been made possible only through the vision, hard work, and selfless service rendered by our veterans over the years,” he said, adding, the “sterling contributions” made by the veterans have always been a guiding force.

In his address, Air Chief Marshal Chaudhari also said that 156 SPARSH service centres have been made operational across the commands of the IAF.

The System for Pension Administration (Raksha) or SPARSH is a web-based system for processing pension claims and crediting the pension directly into the bank accounts of defence pensioners without any external intermediary.

The IAF has taken up the case for obtaining approvals for policy amendments for grant of liberalised family pensions in flying accident cases between January 1996 and September 2009, under the clause of battle inoculation training exercises, he said, adding, so far pension payment orders have been issued for 67 such cases and the air force is determined to issue PPOs for all other cases very soon.

“We would like to reassure our air veterans that the Indian Air Force is fully committed to your wellbeing. The old adage, serving those who will serve, will always be the cornerstone of our endeavours,” he said.

The Army chief also said it is a matter of pride that the veterans of the armed forces are making valuable contributions in various fields, to the progress of the nation.

Gen Pande also extended his greetings on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Bihu and Uttarayan festivals.

Representatives of various ex-servicemen’s organisations also attended the event.

The Armed Forces Veterans Day is celebrated on January 14. It was on this day in 1953 that the first Indian Commander in Chief of the Indian Army—Field Marshal K M Cariappa, who led Indian forces to victory in the 1947 war—formally retired.

Ever since the first Armed Forces Veterans Day was celebrated, it was decided to commemorate this day every year by hosting interactive events in honour of veterans and their families, according to the defence ministry.

This year, Veterans Day is being celebrated at nine locations—Juhunjhunu, Jalandhar, Panagarh, New Delhi, Dehradun, Chennai, Chandigarh, Bhubaneshwar and Mumbai—by the three Service Headquarters.

Secretary, Ex-Servicemen Welfare Department, Defence Ministry, Vijoy Kumar Singh and other senior officials of the ministry also attended the event.

“The government has announced a long-pending demand regarding One Rank One Pension (OROP) for the armed forces’ veterans, and that had to be revised. But there were certain issues, so there were delays. It has been approved by the government in December and the payment of the arrears and other things will start very soon,” he said on the sidelines of the event.

The Union Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the revision of pension of “armed forces pensioners/family pensioners under OROP with effect from July 1, 2019”, the Defence Ministry had said in a statement on December 23.

Pension of the past pensioners would be re-fixed based on an average of minimum and maximum pension of defence forces retirees of the calendar year 2018 in the same rank with the same length of service, it had said.

In his address at the event on Saturday, Vijoy Kumar Singh said for resettlement, the government has a “long-term plan” and that veterans have an opportunity, in areas where there is a lack of workforce.

Efforts are on to get SPARSH data and do geospatial mapping in areas where projects like dedicated corridors, and laying of power lines are being undertaken, he said.

The celebrations also witnessed the release of “Samman” magazine, a yearly journal published by Directorate of Indian Army Veterans covering informative articles and various topics of interest to the veteran community. The Indian Air Force also released the “Vayu Semvedna” magazine on the occasion.

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 13

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said the armed forces had opportunities for the youth of all castes and religions.

“Muslim girl Sania Mirza will become India’s first female Muslim fighter pilot after the completion of her course. There was a time when women were hardly represented in the defence forces but, today, women are deployed on warships and in extreme areas such as Siachen,” said the minister while addressing a convocation ceremony of a university in Lucknow.

He hailed the success of women in every field, including the defence forces, and said the government believed in providing more and more opportunities to women on a par with men. Army Chief General Manoj Pande had yesterday announced that women would be allowed in the Regiment of Artillery.

Envoy tries to dial down harsh observations hours later

Tribune News Service

Sandeep Dikshit

New Delhi, January 13

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev called India’s supply of weapons to adversary Armenia as an “unfriendly move”, adding: “If we are facing a serious threat, we will deal with that threat immediately, regardless of where that threat arises, within our territory or outside our borders. It is our legitimate right to do so.”

A few hours later, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to India Ashraf Shikhaliyev sought to dial down the harsh observations by congratulating India on the G20 Presidency and pointing out that Azerbaijan Energy Minister Parviz Shahbazov was participating in the Global South Summit’s session on energy security.

In an attempt to take the heat off bilateral ties, the Ambassador pointed out that India’s G20 theme of “One Earth, One Family, One Future” showed the role of the developing world in shaping global agenda.

Ilham, who along with father Haider Aliyev, has ruled oil-rich Azerbaijan for 30 years, said: “We see and know which countries are preparing to give weapons to Armenia. Unfortunately, India is now among them. We consider this an unfriendly move. Because these weapons have only one target, Azerbaijan.”

India has made little attempt to hide the sale of military grade radars to Armenia when the first war with Azerbaijan took place in 2020. The media had reported that a defence delegation from Armenia visited India to meet with their counterparts while noting that the indigenous weapon-locating radars were a success in Armenia as well.

In September, “India Narrative” reported that India was prepared to export missiles, rockets and ammunition to Armenia and that the two nations had signed contracts for the supply of arms and ammunition. The main arms suppliers to Azerbaijan in its upper hand over Armenia have been Turkey and Pakistan.

Besides Ranjit his fellow bus drivers from several other countries also featured in his video

There was no loss of life or damage to property

PTI

Srinagar, January 14

An avalanche hit a village in Gurez sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Saturday, but there was no loss of life or damage to property, officials said. An avalanche warning has been issued for 12 districts including Bandipora after moderate to heavy snowfall a day before, they said.

The avalanche hit Jurniyal village of Gurez this afternoon but there was no damage, the officials said.

The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) on Saturday issued a ‘high danger’ avalanche warning for Kupwara district of north Kashmir and a ‘medium danger’ warning for Bandipora, Baramulla, Doda, Ganderbal, Kishtwar, Poonch, Ramban and Reasi districts.

“Avalanche with high danger level is likely to occur above 2,000 metres of Kupwara district in the next 24 hours. Avalanche with medium danger level is likely to occur above 2,000 metres over Bandipora, Baramulla, Doda, Ganderbal, Kishtwar, Poonch, Ramban and Reasi districts in the next 24 hours,” SDMA officials said.

They said avalanche with a low danger level is likely to occur above 2,000 metres over Anantnag, Kulgam, and Rajouri districts in the next 24 hours.  People have been advised to take precautions and avoid venturing into avalanche-prone areas.

Two labourers from Kishtwar died on Thursday when an avalanche hit the work site of a construction company in Ganderbal district’s Sonamarg.