MoD/ Armed Forces

1. Defence minister Rajnath Singh will lead a high-level Indian delegation at the SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting to be held at Qingdao on June 26-27. This will be his first visit to China after the June 2020 Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers in eastern Ladakh. “During the meeting, the defence ministers are expected to discuss a number of issues, including regional and international peace and security, counter-terrorism efforts and cooperation among the ministries of defence of SCO member states,” the defence ministry said_HT, AA, Hindu, IE, Stmn.
2. Defence Ministry has inked 13 contracts worth Rs 1,982 crore for fast-track acquisition of air defence missiles, kamikaze drones, counter-drone systems and other equipment to bolster the Army’s operational readiness after Operation Sindoor against Pakistan last month. These contracts were inked specially to augment the Army’s counter-terrorism capabilities under the fifth phase of the Emergency Procurement (EP) mechanism, which drastically cuts down the normal long-winded acquisition process, to ensure deliveries within a year. A much larger EP-6 is also now underway to further boost as well as replenish arms stockpiles of the Army, IAF and Navy, with an overall outer limit of around Rs 40,000 crore from the existing defence budget_TOI, HT.
3. In a major move breaking away from the traditional system, the government has authorized the CDS and Secretary, DMA to issue Joint Instructions and Joint Orders for all three Services. Dubbed as a major step towards modernisation and transformation of the Armed Forces, the authorization orders were passed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. A statement from the Ministry of Defence stated that the move marks a shift from the earlier system wherein Instructions or Orders pertaining to two or more Services were issued by each Service separately_Stmn. HT, IE, AA.
4. Army troops opened fire after noticing suspicious movement in a forward area near the LC in Rajouri district, while security forces conducted searches at more than a dozen places in Poonch, Samba, and Kathua districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. The suspicious movement of three to four people under the cover of thick foliage was detected by alert soldiers in the Chingus area of Kiri sector in Rajouri in the morning. The troops fired over two dozen rounds and simultaneously launched a search operation, and also deployed drones. However, there was no trace of the suspected people_MP.
5. Supreme Court on Tuesday turned down the plea of an Army commando who
   claimed to have participated in Operation Sindoor and sought exemption from surrendering after being convicted and sentenced to ten-year jail term in dowry death of his wife. The court said that it was a case of gruesome killing by strangulation and exemption from surrendering could not be allowed. Though the petitioner tried to convince the court to grant relief and pointed out that he had participated in Operation Sindoor, the bench remained firm. “That doesn’t give you any immunity to commit atrocities at home. This goes to show how physically fit you are and the manner in which you alone could have strangulated your wife,” the Court observed_TOI, Stmn.
6. An army jawan was killed during a training exercise at the Sukhi Sewania range in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh when a dummy bomb dropped from a drone struck his head, police said on Tuesday. The incident took place on Monday when the victim, identified as Hav Vijay Singh from Uttarakhand, was struck by the dummy bomb, which weighed four kilograms and was dropped from a drone at a height of 400 feet_HT.

National Security

7. India’s military forced the enemy to surrender in 22 minutes using weapons made in India during Operation Sindoor, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday, emphasising that the operation against Pakistan projected India’s stringent policy against terrorism to the world. Speaking at an event marking the centenary celebration of the historic meeting between social reformer Sree Narayana Guru and Mahatma Gandhi, the Prime Minister said the recent military operation showcased the strength of Indian-made weapons and the decisiveness of the country’s armed forces_HT, MP, AA, Hindu, Pnr, Stmn.
8. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with his Mauritius counterpart Navinchandra Ramgoolam and reiterated India’s commitment to the development priorities of Mauritius. During a phone call on Tuesday, Mr Modi invited Mr Ramgoolam to visit India and reiterated the principle of MAHASAGAR that he had presented during his visit to Mauritius_Hindu.
9. A Central Zonal Council (CZC), chaired by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, discussed regional law and order, border security, disaster response and environmental protection with chief ministers and senior officials of four States on Tuesday. At the beginning of the meeting, the Union Home Minister moved a resolution to commend the strong willpower of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the valour of the Indian Armed Forces, which was unanimously approved by the CZC_Pnr.
10. Without naming Pakistan, India on Tuesday called on SCO member states to hold accountable the perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of acts of cross border terrorism, and to help bring them to justice. During his intervention at the SCO meeting of top security officials in Beijing, the NSA, Ajit Doval strongly pitched for a unified approach by members against terrorist affiliates and sponsors. He requested heads of delegations for support to several important Indian proposals, including an “algorithm of joint actions” to counter challenges posed by international terrorist organisations, including the Al Qaeda and its partners_TOI.
11. India and Nepal concluded the 16th Meeting of the Bilateral Consultative Group on Security Issues (INBCGSI) in Pune on Tuesday. The two-day meeting featured productive discussions on defence and security cooperation, including equipment supplies, training, joint military exercises, disaster relief operations, and military exchanges. Both delegations also visited public and private defence manufacturing facilities to explore collaborative opportunities_AA.
12. Two flights landed in Delhi on Tuesday from the Iranian city of Mashhad, taking the number of evacuated Indians who have reached India so far to 2,576. Another flight is expected to land just past midnight on Wednesday. Also, 594 Indians who were in Israel have been evacuated by air from both Jordan and Egypt so far_AA, Hindu, IE, Pnr, Stmn.
13. In his second visit to Assam’s Dhubri since communal tensions broke out there earlier this month, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said the government is “exploring the possibility” of setting up a permanent Army base in the India-Bangladesh border district. Communal tensions gripped Dhubri town on June 8 and 9 following the discovery of suspected cattle remains from a temple. On Tuesday, Sarma alleged the involvement of “external forces” and a communal group working to cause unrest in the town_IE, Pnr.
14. The NIA has taken custody of ULFA(I) Brig Rupam Asom alias Kant Borah, thus intensifying its probe, officials said on Tuesday. The senior ULFA(I) commander, apprehended by Tinsukia police earlier this week, was handed over to the NIA after preliminary questioning_Stmn.

Imdt Neighbourhood

15. China can continue to buy Iranian oil, US President Donald Trump said in what appeared to be relief for Tehran from sanctions Washington has previously imposed to punish the trade. China’s position as the main buyer of Iranian oil has served as a crucial lifeline for Tehran as its economy is battered by curbs_Hindu.
16. Chinese President Xi Jinping called on Singapore’s Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to join the fight against “hegemony” and protectionism in trade as they met in Beijing. Mr Wong, in turn, told Mr Xi he believed the Singapore-China ties were “more important than before” in a time of “global turbulence and uncertainty”_Hindu.
17. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday committed to support Iran at all forums and discussed the rapidly evolving situation in West Asia with envoys from Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Pakistan foreign office expressed deep concern and alarm at the serious escalation in the security situation in the region, a government statement said_MP.
18. A Pakistani court on Tuesday rejected former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s petitions seeking post-arrest bail in eight terrorism cases related to the May 9 riots. “The Lahore High Court has rejected all bail petitions filed by the founder of PTI in connection with eight cases related to the May 9, 2023 cases, including Jinnah House/ Lahore Corps Commander House attack and arson incidents,” the court said_Hindu.
19. Bangladesh International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on Tuesday scheduled July 1 for the indictment hearing against ex-PM Sheikh Hasina and two others in cases of “crimes against humanity”. Hasina, Former Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and former inspector general of police Chowdhury Abdullah Al-Mamun are accused of using security forces to abduct, murder and torture activists during the mass uprising last year that led to the fall of her Awami League govt_TOI.

Extended Neighbourhood

20. US President Trump abruptly announced a ceasefire late Monday between Israel and Iran that no one had a clue about – least of all the two adversaries – and had everyone wondering if it would be meaningful and lasting. The two countries were still firing missiles when Trump announced an elaborate ceasefire on his social media platform, claiming “Israel & Iran came to me, almost simultaneously, and said, “PEACE!” I knew the time was NOW. The World, and the Middle East, are the real WINNERS”_TOI.
21. A wave of drones targeted several Iraqi military sites overnight on Tuesday,damaging two bases in what the Iraq described as a “cowardly and treacherous” assault. The attacks, which occurred between 2.15 am and 3.45 am local time, struck the Taji military base, around 12 miles north of Baghdad, and the Imam Ali base in the southeast of Iraq. No casualties were reported, but “significant damage” was caused to the radar systems at both bases, Sabah al-Numan. Security forces intercepted drones aimed at four other military sites operated by the Iraqi govt. There were no immediate claims of responsibility_TOI.
22. Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte praised President Trump for making Europe “pay in a big way,” as allied leaders gathered in the Netherlands Tuesday for a historic summit that could unite them around a new defence spending pledge or widen divisions among the 32 member countries. The US president, while flying aboard Air Force One enroute to The Hague, published a screenshot of a private message from Rutte saying: “Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe and the world. You will achieve something no American president in decades could get done”_TOI.
23. Israeli forces and drones opened fire toward hundreds of Palestinians waiting for aid in separate incidents in southern and central Gaza early Tuesday, killing at least 44, witnesses and hospitals said, as health authorities announced the number of Palestinians killed in the w