Current Events :
short by Shubhodeep Datta / 03:52 pm on 26 Jun 2016,Sunday
Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry has claimed that India is using “their own” fissile material for military purposes while the country was “taking” nuclear material from other countries for civilian use. Further, he added that India’s NSG membership will increase the ‘strategic imbalance’ in South Asia. India will gain access to nuclear materials’ trade if it becomes an NSG member.
Security personnel inside the Pathankot air base. PTI file photoPathankot, June 22
A day after a parliamentary panel claimed some “terrorists were still hiding” in villages close to the “vulnerable” Pathankot airbase, Punjab Police on Wednesday carried out a massive door-to-door search in at least 28 hamlets near here.“We conducted a search operation in 28 villages starting at 5 am for five hours. We asked people whether they have seen any person or suspect who is not from their village.They said they have not seen anyone,” Pathankot SSP Rakesh Kaushal said.Led by the Pathankot SSP, a total of 300 policemen including 2 SP-rank officers conducted search operation in villages such as Dhira, Tajpur, Akalgarh and Chonga near Pathankot air force base.The search team also comprised highly trained and specially equipped Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) commandoes.The police also inspected security outside the Pathankot air force base and found that everything was safe.“Everything is safe there,” said Kaushal, adding that the air force was also secured by its own Garud commandoes.Search operations were also carried in areas inhabited by ‘Gujjars’, officials said.“We found nothing suspicious,” said the SSP.He, however, said security had been intensified in the border district which had witnessed a terror attack at the airforce base in January. Yesterday in Jammu, Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on Home Affairs P Bhattacharya had said, “After going back from Pathankot, we made our suggestions to the government and said that there can be further attack on Pathankot… We were told by the villagers that some terrorists were still hiding in the villages there.” “Do you know that a few days ago, government asked the CRPF, BSF and the Army to guard the air force station because some terrorists are hiding there…,” said Bhattacharya. Notably, early this month, shoot-at-sight orders were issued at the air force station in Pathankot and security was stepped up following intelligence inputs.Meanwhile, a meeting was held between officials of Army, BSF, Air Force and Punjab police to review security arrangements here, the Pathankot SSP said. — PTI
NEW DELHI: From several thousand enthusiasts participating in mass yoga sessions all through the day at New York’s iconic Times Square, to mass yoga in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, at the European Union parliament, and even atop Sydney Harbour Bridge — the ancient Indian tradition got a fillip across the world on Tuesday in the second edition of International Yoga Day.
MUMBAI Naval Cadets participate in a mass yoga demonstration on INS Viraat on International Yoga Day in Mumbai on Tuesday.
Lakhs of people across India stretched themselves in various postures to mark the day as Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the main event in Chandigarh. He performed asanas and maintained that yoga was not a religious activity. At the United Nations, UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon asked citizens across nations to embrace healthier choices to mark the International Day of Yoga.
Over 15,000 people, including 70 diplomats, took part in the yoga day celebrations at seven venues in the national capital. From performing ‘aasanas’ in sub-zero temperature at Siachen to desert in Rajasthan and warships, the armed forces also marked the day across the country. Over four lakh personnel from the army alone participated in various events.
Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar inaugurated the International Yoga Day celebrations at the European Parliament in Brussels, saying Yoga is aspiring for the highest goal of the world as one family. “I am so glad that today here in the European Parliament, the heart of Europe, where 48 countries sit and do their deliberations and lead their countries, they are taking up this beautiful mission of wellness and bringing happiness to people,” Ravi Shankar said while interacting with parliament members at the prestigious Yehudi Menuhin Hall.Enthusiasm marked Yoga Day delebrations across the country with people turning out in large number at various events organised by the state governments. In Srinagar, NCC girl cadets performed ‘asanas’ while the event in Jammu was marred by rain.
Beijing, June 21
China, which has been opposing India’s NSG membership bid, on Tuesday for the first time said the “door is open” for discussions on the issue but took a swipe at the US for backing India, saying it was one of those who made the rule against the entry of non-NPT countries into NSG.The Chinese Foreign Ministry, however, asked the 48-member NSG to “stay focused” on whether the criteria should be changed on entry of non-NPT countries into the elite group.I have not seen the US statement supporting India. But the US is one of those who made the rule that non-NPT countries should not join the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG),” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing.
Read: Any exemption to India for NSG must apply to Pak: China
“The relevant rule was made on the principle that NPT was the cornerstone of the NSG,” she said.Hua made the remarks in response to a question on the US asking members of the nuclear trading club to support India’s application.
Read: US again asks NSG members to support India’s bidLater, talking to Indian media, Hua said while discussions are going on among the NSG members, the admission of new members is not listed in the current plenary meeting in Seoul.“The door is open. The room is there. We never said we are against who (a country). We did not target any country, India or Pakistan,” Hua said
.Read: Modi to meet Chinese President to win support for NSGChina for its part cares about non-proliferation treaty (NPT) as criteria for admission of the new members into the NSG, she said.“This is the core of the international non-proliferation. If the non-proliferation regime is changed how can we explain the Iranian nuclear treaty,” Hua argued.“We just had a treaty with Iran. We have North Korean issues there…So this concerns the core issue whether NPT and non-proliferation system could be impacted by this,” she said.Reiterating what she said on Monday, Hua said, “According to my understanding, it (entry of new members) is not on the agenda of the NSG meeting in Seoul.”“The door is open for the admission of the non-NPT members. It is never closed. It is open. But the members of the NSG should stay focused on whether the criteria should be changed and whether non-NPT members should be admitted into the NSG,” she said.On US’s backing for India’s NSG bid, Hua said, “We care about rules. The US just sets the rules. This is not an issue between China and India but (about) the pillar for non-proliferation system,” she said.Amid China’s opposition, the US has given a fresh push to India’s NSG membership bid by asking members of the elite club to support India’s entry into the grouping during the ongoing plenary meeting in Seoul. PTI
During his poll campaign in January 2014 Narendra Modi talked of “tax terrorism” and advised tax officials, “You cannot treat every citizen like a thief”. Two and a half years down the line he is still offering almost the same advice to the tax administrators: “People within the country are not dishonest… but somewhere they have some problem” in paying taxes. It is time to go beyond the talking point and do something meaningful. The Prime Minister may be reminded of his own smart saying: “We need action, not Acts”. On black money, Modi has remained silent. It takes courage to admit failure. For black money holders within the country and outside, the government has proposed two amnesty schemes. Tax evaders have been invited to declare their illegal income and assets, pay a small price and turn their black money into white legally with no questions asked. Even though morally offensive to the honest taxpayers, these schemes have not tempted many to come forward and take the bait. And this is what Prime Minister Modi tells the tax administrators: “If you become taxpayer friendly, then taxes will automatically come to you”. The fear of the law and stiffer penalties, and not such homilies, yield the desired results. It is an established fact that the lower the tax rate, the higher the compliance. This government has neither simplified taxes nor lowered them. Even when global oil prices plunged, the benefit was not given to consumers; it actually raised taxes to fill its own coffers. Modi’s big dreams are being funded, not by downsizing government, not by a crackdown on black money, but by raising taxes, which is the easiest doable thing. The competitive pursuit of appeasement politics has raised the burden on the existing taxpayers, whose number is small. Data shows only 1% of the population pays income tax. Only five crore people pay taxes and Modi wants their number to double. Surely, neither hare-brained schemes nor verbal exhortations would do. For that, the tax system needs to be reworked along with a technology push and simple, transparent rules. http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/editorials/simplify-lower-taxes/253137.html
Prime Minister Narendra Modi with British Premier David Cameron. PTI file photo
London, June 17
British Premier David Cameron has assured Prime Minister Narendra Modi of the UK’s “firm support” for India’s NSG membership bid, a boost to the country ahead of the nuclear trading club’s crucial meeting next week.
Cameron confirmed Britain’s backing for India’s membership of the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in a telephone call to Modi yesterday.
A Downing Street spokesperson said, “The Prime Minister spoke to the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about India’s application for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a group of nuclear supplier countries that works together to prevent nuclear proliferation by controlling the export of materials, equipment and technology that can be used to manufacture nuclear weapons.”
“The Prime Minister confirmed that the UK would firmly support India’s application. They agreed that in order for the bid to be successful it would be important for India to continue to strengthen its non-proliferation credentials, including by reinforcing the separation between civil and military nuclear activity,” the spokesperson said.
The two leaders also took stock of UK-India ties in their telephonic conversation.
“They agreed that the UK-India relationship was going from strength to strength, including through the recent visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William and wife Kate),” the spokesperson said.
India’s case for NSG membership is also being strongly pushed by the US, which has written to other members to support India’s bid at the plenary meeting of the group expected to be held in Seoul on June 24.
While majority of the elite group backed India’s membership, China along with New Zealand, Ireland, Turkey, South Africa and Austria were opposed to India’s admission.
China maintains opposition to India’s entry, arguing that it has not signed Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
China wants NSG membership for its close ally Pakistan if NSG extends any exemption for India.
India has asserted that being a signatory to the NPT was not essential for joining the NSG as there has been a precedent in this regard, citing the case of France.
The NSG looks after critical issues relating to nuclear sector and its members are allowed to trade in and export nuclear technology. Membership of the grouping will help India significantly expand its atomic energy sector.
India has been reaching out to NSG member countries seeking support for its entry. The NSG works under the principle of consensus and even one country’s vote against India will scuttle its bid. — PTI
Washington, June 17
The US has urged members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to support India’s membership into the elite grouping.“The United States calls on NSG participating governments to support India’s application when it comes up at the NSG plenary, which I think is next week,” State Department Spokesman John Kirby told reporters at his daily news conference on Thursday.“I’m not going to get ahead of how that’s going to go or hypothesise and speculate about where it’s going to go, but we’ve made clear that we support the application,” Kirby said in response to a question.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook and Twitter @thetribunechd)During the US visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week, US President Barack Obama welcomed India’s application to the 48-member grouping.The US has been pushing for India’s NSG membership.Earlier, ahead of a meeting here US Secretary of State John Kerry had written a letter to the NSG member countries which are not supportive of India’s bid, saying they should “agree not to block consensus on Indian admission”.A joint statement issued after talks between Modi and Obama said the US called on NSG participating governments to support India’s application when it comes up at the NSG Plenary later this month.India, though not a member, enjoys the benefits of membership under a 2008 exemption to NSG rules for its atomic cooperation deal with the US.The NSG looks after critical issues relating to nuclear sector and its members are allowed to trade in and export nuclear technology. The NSG works under the principle of unanimity and even one country’s vote against India will scuttle its bid.The US support has come a day after China’s official media expressed concern about India’s entry, saying it will “shake” the strategic balance in South Asia and make India a “legitimate” nuclear power. PTI
Bangkok, June 15
India and Thailand are set to firm up cooperation to combat terrorism, and boost maritime security, defence ties and trade during Thai Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha’s maiden visit to India, officials said on Wednesday.
The Thai premier will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his three-day visit beginning on Thursday.
The two countries will issue a joint statement later, expressing their expectations to increase maritime security, double trade in five years, push the India-Myanmar-Thai road project, cooperate in civil aviation, fight cybercrime and promote people-to-people cooperation, said Maj-General Werachon Sukondhapatipak, a deputy Thai government spokesman.
Werachon said talks with India would focus on issues such as trade, support for Thai agricultural products and cooperation on education and tourism.
He said Gen Prayuth has said to put all items high on agenda. A high-level delegation will discuss boosting cultural exchanges between the two nations.
India and Thailand will also look for joint projects in solar energy, space applications and space technology sectors.
“Thailand is an extremely important partner and the two sides attach a lot of importance to this visit,” India’s Ambassador to Thailand Bhagwant Bishnoi said.
Bishnoi said that India’s ‘Act East’ and Thailand’s ‘Look West’ policies complemented each other and that India was looking forward to signing several agreements, MoUs on narcotics, cultural exchange with Thailand during the visit.
A Thailand-India Free Trade Agreement will be discussed.
“We are looking forward to a substantial joint statement which would talk of other agreements in the pipeline,” Bishnoi said, and added that Thailand is also keen on India’s ‘Make in India’ programme.
He said India appreciated the fact that Thailand was “very sensitive” to India’s security concerns and ensured that Thai territory was not used by forces inimical to India.
Prayut will be accompanied by Thai foreign minister, Agriculture Minister, Industries minister, IT minister and Deputy Minister of Commerce.
The total trade between the two countries stands at USD 8.5 billion. In 2015, Thai exports to India were USD 5.30 billion while Thai imports from India were USD 2.63 billion.
At least 1.1 million Indian tourists visited Thailand last year. — PTI
Tokyo, June 15
A Chinese navy spy ship on Wednesday entered Japan’s territorial waters for the first time in over a decade while tailing two Indian naval ships during trilateral Malabar naval exercise attended by the US, India and Japan.
Japanese P-3C patrol aircraft spotted the Dongdiao-class intelligence vessel sailing in territorial waters to the west of Kuchinoerabu Island at around 3.30 am (1830 GMT Tuesday), Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroshige Seko told reporters.
The ship travelled on a southeasterly bearing and left Japan’s territorial waters south of the prefecture’s Yakushima Island around 5 am, Kyodo news agency quoted Seko as saying.
It was for the first time that a Chinese spy ship was detected in Japanese water since a submarine was spotted in 2004. The latest intrusion came less than a week after another Chinese naval vessel sailed near islands at the centre of a Tokyo-Beijing sovereignty dispute in the East China Sea.
“The Chinese military vessel moved in after an Indian ship sailed into Japan’s territorial waters as it participated in a Japan-US-India joint exercise,” Defence Minister Gen Nakatani told reporters.
A senior Foreign Ministry official lodged a protest with the Chinese Embassy here over its military activities in view of latest intrusion.
“We are concerned about the Chinese military’s recent activities,” Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters.
Japanese officials said they are analysing China’s possible motives behind the two actions.
“The government will continue to exert every effort in warning and surveillance activities in the waters and airspace surrounding the country,” Seko said.
As to the spy vessel’s case on Wednesday, the Defense Ministry said it entered the waters while tracking two Indian naval ships that were participating in ongoing Malabar naval drills.
In Beijing, Chinese officials defended the naval vessel’s entry into the waters saying the passage was in line with the principle of freedom of navigation and international rules.
Under international law, ships of all countries, including military ones, are entitled to the right of “innocent passage” through territorial waters as long as it would not undermine others’ security.
“There is no need to provide notification or to get authorisation in advance,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in Beijing.
“So if Japan insists on hyping up this issue in the media, we have to question its motives.” PT
Beijing, June 12
China said on Sunday that more talks were needed to build a consensus on which countries can join the main group controlling access to sensitive nuclear technology, after a push by the US to include India.
China is seen as leading opposition to the US move to include India in the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), but other countries, including New Zealand, Turkey, South Africa and Austria also oppose Indian membership, according to diplomats.
The NSG aims to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons by restricting the sale of items that can be used to make those arms.
India already enjoys most of the benefits of membership under a 2008 exemption to NSG rules granted to support its nuclear cooperation deal with Washington, even though India has developed atomic weapons and never signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the main global arms control pact.
“Large differences” remain over the issue of non-NPT countries joining the NSG, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said in an online statement.
“With regard to what to do on the issue of non-NPT signatories joining (the NSG), China consistently supports having ample discussion on this to seek consensus and agreement and come to a unanimous decision,” Hong said.
“The NPT is the political and legal basis for the entire international non-proliferation system,” Hong said, adding that China would support the group in further talks to come to a consensus at an early date.
Opponents argue that granting India membership would further undermine efforts to prevent proliferation. It would also infuriate India’s rival Pakistan, which responded to India’s membership bid with one of its own and has the backing of its close ally China.
Pakistan joining would be unacceptable to many, given its track record. The scientist that headed its nuclear weapons programme ran an illicit network for years that sold nuclear secrets to countries including North Korea and Iran.
A decision on Indian membership is not expected before an NSG plenary meeting in Seoul on June 20, but diplomats have said Washington has been pressuring hold-outs.
Most of the hold-outs oppose the idea of admitting a non-NPT state such as India and argue that if it is to be admitted, it should be under criteria that apply equally to all states rather than under a “tailor-made” solution for a US ally. — Reuters
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s latest meeting with US President Barack Obama was no different from their previous six engagements. Both sides have been smitten equally by the desire for a closer strategic embrace but find themselves having to move cautiously because of their existing commitments to other countries and their different belief systems. It was in line with this approach that the US declared India a major defence partner which, on paper, will lead to fewer formalities in transferring closely guarded defence technologies. Both countries also wrapped up a military cooperation agreement, besides making progress in facilitating the setting up of US nuclear plants in India.The two sides also broke fresh ground in bilateral security and defence cooperation by expanding technology cooperation to cover more systems, announcing further steps to deepen collaboration against terrorist threats and deciding to share terrorist screening information. On the global stage, the US expectedly supported India’s membership to the UNSC and other global organisations but in order to keep China in good humour, both sides consciously downplayed future plans for a joint endeavour in the South China Sea. Amidst the emphasis on security issues, the US has inserted itself as an early bird in the India drive to ramp up the share of renewable power in the total energy mix with a slew of agreements.While trade, defence, clean energy and security got their due, India could not wangle more work visas nor could it stop Washington from deducting social security payments from temporary workers. However, high net-worth Indians may not have to face a Shah Rukh Khan moment when they enter the US in the near future after both sides signed an MoU on an expedited traveller initiative. There were two other military agreements on the menu but were not signed because that would spell the end of India’s military trade with Russia. The US also desisted from using strong words against Pakistan, while India walked away with the satisfaction of having named its tormentor in the joint statement. In the end, existing compulsions put the brakes on a convergence that could have been faster.
