ArrayMumbai/New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday attacked China’s expansionist policy in Indo-Pacific region without taking its name, saying some “irresponsible nations” for their partisan interests give inappropriate interpretations to international laws.

Speaking during formal induction of Indigenously developed Ship Visakhapatnam into Indian Navy in Mumbai, Singh said, “Some irresponsible nations, for the sake of their narrow partisan interests, keep on giving new and inappropriate interpretations to these international laws from hegemonic tendencies.”

“The arbitrary interpretations create obstacles in the path of a rule-based maritime order. We envision a rule-based Indo-Pacific, with freedom of navigation, free trade and universal values, in which the interests of all the participating countries are protected,” he said.

Singh reiterated that India, as a responsible maritime stakeholder, is a supporter of consensus-based principles and a peaceful, open, rule-based and stable maritime order.

“In the ‘United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea’ (UNCLOS) of 1982, territorial waters of nations, exclusive economic zones and the principle of ‘Good order at sea’ have been propounded.

The defence minister emphasised on the need to keep the Indo-Pacific region open, safe and secure, terming it as the primary objective of the Indian Navy.

He asserted that India’s interests are directly linked with the Indian Ocean and the region is crucial for the world economy.

“Challenges such as piracy, terrorism, illegal smuggling of arms and narcotics, human trafficking, illegal fishing and damage to the environment are equally responsible for affecting the maritime domain. Therefore, the role of the Indian Navy becomes very important in the entire Indo-Pacific region,” he added.

Singh presided over formal induction of the naval ship, first of the four Visakhapatnam class destroyers, indigenously designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house organisation Directorate of Naval Design and constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai.

Named after the historic city of Andhra Pradesh on the east coast, Visakhapatnam, the ‘City of Destiny’, the ship has a total complement of about 315 personnel.

During his address, Singh termed INS Visakhapatnam as a symbol of the growing maritime prowess of the country and a major milestone in achieving Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’.

He added that the ship is a reminder of ancient and medieval India’s maritime power, shipbuilding skills and glorious history.

Singh exuded confidence that the state-of-the-art ship, equipped with latest systems and weapons, will strengthen the maritime security and protect the interests of the nation.

He defined the ship as one of the most technologically advanced guided missile destroyers in the world which will cater to the present and future requirements of the Armed Forces and the nation as a whole.

He appreciated the self-reliance efforts of the Indian Navy, terming navy’s order of 39 of the 41 ships and submarines from Indian shipyards as a testament to their commitment towards achieving ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.

He described the development of Indigenous Aircraft Carrier ‘INS Vikrant’ as an important milestone in their path to achieve ‘Atmanirbharta’.

“The carrier will increase our reach from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. Its commissioning will be a golden moment in the history of the Indian Defence. It will be the best occasion to celebrate the 75th anniversary of India’s independence and the 50th anniversary of India’s victory in 1971 war,” he said.

Singh praised the Indian Navy’s consistent efforts to participate in various outreach programmes of the industries and increase indigenised items under ‘Float’, ‘Move’ and ‘Fight’ categories. Stressing on the need to maintain the momentum, he expressed confidence that “the steps taken by the government will continue to provide boost to the self-reliance efforts and we will soon build ships not just for India, but for the entire world”.

He assured of government’s continuous support to achieve this vision.

Saying that global security reasons, border disputes and maritime dominance have forced countries to move towards strengthening their military power, Rajnath Singh exhorted the public and private sector to take advantage of government’s policies, work together and make India an indigenous shipbuilding hub. (IANS)

By: Bhat Imran

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir School Education Department has terminated the services of four teachers for their unauthorized absence.

The Director of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) in four separate orders said that the employees were found absent unauthorizedly and their services were removed.

According to one of the DSEK orders, a teacher (Name Withheld) remained unauthorizedly absent from her legitimate duties with immediate effect from September-25-2015.

“The teacher was provided enough opportunities to resume her duties, which she failed to do so; and the issue was placed before the designated committee in its meeting held on 07/06/2021,” it reads.

It also states that after examining the case, the committee decided to initiate a process for termination of her service being unauthorizedly absent from her legitimate duties and has completed more than 05 years continuous absence.

“Pursuant to the decision passed by the Designated Committee, a final show cause notice was served to the absconding teacher in September-2021 wherein she was asked to explain as to why action was warranted,” it reads.

According to the government order, the teacher replied to the said notice in a weeks’ time and on its examination, it was found unsatisfactory and unsubstantiated.

“Therefore, pursuant to the decision of the committee, the teacher is hereby removed from the service of the state in terms of Article 113 and Article 128 of J&K Civil Services Rules,” reads the government order.

Similarly, three other teachers were also removed from the services for remaining absent unauthorizedly. (KNO)

New Delhi: The sale of marijuana on the Amazon e-commerce portal is not a new and first offence of Amazon, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) said in a statement.

Earlier in 2019, the chemicals for making the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) which were used in the Pulwama terror attack resulting in the death of 40 CRPF soldiers, were also purchased via the e-commerce portal, it added.

The NIA during the investigation of Pulwama case revealed this fact in its report in March 2020, the news also widely appeared in the media in March 2020. Besides other material, ammonium nitrate, which is a contraband item in India, was also purchased through the portal.

CAIT National President B.C. Bhartia and Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said that as per reports available in public domain during initial interrogation by the NIA, the person arrested disclosed that he used his Amazon online shopping account to procure chemicals for making IEDs, batteries and other accessories The explosives used in the attack were determined through forensic probe to be ammonium nitrate, nitro-glycerin etc.

CAIT said since facilitation of sale of contraband item Ammonium Nitrate was used against our soldiers, a case of treason should be registered against Amazon and its officials. It is the result of the lukewarm attitude of the policy makers and officials that is allowing e-commerce portals to do whatever they like, CAIT statement said.

It is also most surprising how this sensational matter was made dead and no further actions were taken for sale of contraband items.

Bhartia and Khandelwal said that ammonium nitrate was declared a banned item in 2011 for which a notification was issued listing the dangerous grades of ammonium nitrate under the Explosives Act, 1884, and banning its open sale, purchase and manufacture in India. Ammonium nitrate was found to be the main explosive in the bombs used to trigger the explosions at busy and crowded areas. Before Mumbai, ammonium nitrate was used in the blasts at Varanasi and Malegaon in 2006 and in the serial blasts in Delhi in 2008.

The CAIT from 2016 is demanding a codified law and rules for e-commerce but unfortunately no step has been taken so far which speaks to the sorry state of affairs. What worse can be than the procurement of chemicals used for making bombs and targeting our great soldiers. This case must be re-opened and responsible persons who were managing Amazon portal should be prosecuted as per the law, CAIT said.

Ammonium nitrate is a crystal-like white solid which is made in large industrial quantities. Its biggest use is as a source of nitrogen for fertiliser, but it is also used to create explosives for mining.if a fire reaches it, the chemical reaction will be much more intense.When ammonium nitrate explodes, it can release toxic gases including nitrogen oxides and ammonia gas which could be dangerous to the people living around.

Bhartia and Khandelwal urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for their immediate direct intervention in the matter. It has also urged Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal to immediately release e-commerce rules, e-commerce policy and new press note replacing Press Note no 2 of the FDI policy.

The CAIT has urged the Union Government to conduct an intensive and thorough probe into business model of big e-commerce players to ensure that no sale of prohibited items or anti- nation activities are conducted on e-commerce portals and liability should be fixed on marketplace to do strict KYC of the seller and using artificial intelligence and machine learning technology allow sale of goods or providing services only which are lawful. (IANS)

By: Raja Syed Rather

Ganderbal: Two girl students of Central University of Kashmir (CUK), hailing from Poonch district of Jammu division, were on Sunday found unconscious at their rented room in Saloora area of Ganderbal district.

An official said that two girl students of CUK were found unconscious at their rented room in residential house at Saloora Ganderbal.

He said that both were shifted to District Hospital Ganderbal where doctors declared one among them as dead, who was identified as Shabnaz while another identified as Ziyaan was shifted to SKIMS Srinagar.

Station House Officer (SHO) concerned, Gulzar Ahmad confirmed the incident and said that condition of second girl is stable.

Officials said that the incident is likely to have happened because of suffocation; however, further investigation in this regard has been taken up. (KNO)

Moradabad: Senior BJP leader and Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Sunday clarifying the demand by Muslim clerics to withdraw CAA Law, said CAA is a law to give citizenship and not to take it away.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi decision to withdraw the 3 agricultural laws, now there is a demand of withdrawing Article 370 and the CAA law.

The Union Minister said in a press conference here on Sunday said those who are demanding should know that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is a law to give citizenship, not take it away.

Naqvi said this election in Uttar Pradesh is to establish a system of development and security to the people to free them from riots and criminals.

“In Uttar Pradesh elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party will win more than 300 seats and will form the government again and take forward the resolve of good governance and inclusive development,” he claimed.

He said the people doing dynasty politics have too started accepting that people have started rejecting them.” These people are trying to conspire to remove this development oriented BJP government but their efforts will not materalise,” he claimed. (UNI)

New Delhi: Border Security Force locations along the Line of Control (LoC) will be getting a steel makeover as the paramilitary force embarks on a major project to fortify defences and enhance living facilities for troops along this sensitive high-altitude frontier with Pakistan.

These deployments are called forward defence locations (FDLs), and the border force guards, either jointly with the Army or independently, over 430 kilometres of the total 772-km-long LoC that falls in Jammu and Kashmir.

The FDLs are located in extreme forward snow-bound or dense jungle areas of the LoC and are part of India’s anti-infiltration grid to thwart militant activities being conducted from across this un-demarcated frontier.

Behind the FDLs on the Indian side are multiple rings of the Army’s counter-infiltration deployments.

Troops at these icy locations, having altitudes in the range of 8,000-16,000 feet, at present live in CGI (corrugated galvanised iron) sheet-made hutments along with their rations and weapons, exposing them to the vagaries of sub-zero temperatures.

Official sources in the security establishment said that the BSF will convert about 115 of its FDLs to large steel (alloy of iron and carbon) compartments with an overall layout of around Rs 35 crore.

The decision was taken after BSF Director General (DG) Pankaj Kumar Singh recently visited the FDLs in Kashmir and reviewed their operational preparedness.

The BSF head interacted with his troops and later directed officials of the Kashmir frontier to prepare an action plan for converting those FDLs to steel so that work can be initiated quickly.

The DG, they said, later also met senior officials of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy in Delhi to get solar power projects sanctioned for these FDLs which have been approved in-principle.

All activities at these locations, including cooking and daily ablutions by BSF troops, are carried out using power sourced from kerosene and diesel, they said.

“The new steel dwelling units will be procured after a tender process. Steel has been thought as the replacement to the present infrastructure as it has better strength and fracture resistance in sub-zero temperatures. A bathroom, toilet, kitchen and living unit will be prepared from steel and installed at about 115 FDLs each,” a senior officer said.

He said more locations would be covered after the first phase is implemented successfully.

Another officer said while the Union Home Ministry has approved the decision, the solar power panels that will be installed by the New and Renewable Energy Ministry will help reduce carbon footprint and pollution in these ecologically fragile high-altitude regions.

Moreover, an officer deployed in the Kashmir anti-infiltration grid said BSF troops will get better facilities than what they have at present.

“No doubt it is very hard to survive and protect the borders in these FDL areas as weather is a strong enemy and there is no absolute solution that can ease all the troubles. We are trying to provide our men in uniform what is best available for them in these extreme hard area deployments,” the officer said.

As FDLs cannot have permanent dwelling infrastructure, temporary structures are created to deploy troops, lay ambushes and mount weapons in these areas.

A number of BSF FDLs are named in the memory of troops who were killed in action in this area, while some are identified with the names of Hollywood actresses.

Apart from the LoC, the BSF is entrusted to guard about 2,289 kilometres of the India-Pakistan International Border that runs from Jammu to Punjab, Rajasthan and up to Gujarat on the country’s western flank. (Agencies)

By: Nadeem Nadu

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir reported 165 fresh covid-19 cases while there was no death due to the virus in the last 24 hours, officials said on Sunday.

Among the fresh cases, 23 were reported from Jammu Division and 142 from Kashmir, taking the overall tally to 335368.

There was no death due to the virus during the last 24 hours, they said.

So far 4461 persons—2182 in Jammu and 2279 in Kashmir—have died due to the pathogen, they said.

Giving district wise details of the fresh cases, the officials told GNS that Srinagar reported 45 cases, Baramulla 35, Budgam 12, Pulwama 3, Kupwara 13, Anantnag 7, Bandipora 8, Ganderbal 18, Kulgam 1, Shopian 0, Jammu 14, Udhampur 0, Rajouri 1, Doda 2, Kathua 0, Samba 0, Kishtwar 0, Poonch 1, Ramban 0 and Reasi 5.

A number of these cases were confirmed at CD hospital’s diagnostic labouratory and include female (35) (NA) from Lasjan Sgr, male (30) (NA) from Sgr, male (50) (NA) from Kralgund, female (50) from Awantipora, female (55) (NA) from Lalbazar, female (60) (NA) from Kupwara, female (45) (NA) from Chattabal Sgr, female (48) (NA) from Chattabal, male (60) (NA) from Sagipora Zaloora, female (36) (NA) from Handwara, male (34) (NA) from Wangam saipora, male (10) (NA) from Sgr, female (40) (NA) from Sgr, male (47) (NA) from Sgr, female (36) (NA) from Kanitar Sgr, female (34) (NA) from Chandpora harwan, male (30) (NA) from Pampore, male (80) (NA) from Fazalabad poonch, female (65) (NA) from Khanmoh Sgr, male (37) (NA) from Bemina Sgr, female (13) (NA) from Peerbagh Sgr and female (50) (NA) from Ali kadalkadal.

Moreover, 160 Covid-19 patients recovered during the time, 21 from Jammu Division and 139 from Kashmir, they said.

So far 329206 patients have recovered, leaving active case tally at 1701—254 in Jammu and 1447 in Kashmir.

They said there was no new confirmed case of mucormycosis (black fungus) reported today. So far 49 black fungus cases have been confirmed in J&K, the officials said.

The government also informed that 39887 doses of covid-19 vaccine were administered during the time in J&K. (GNS)

Srinagar: Continuing its efforts to eradicate the menace of drugs from the society, Police have arrested a drug peddler in Sopore and recovered psychotropic substance from his possession.

“Officers at a checkpoint established at Hathlangoo Crossing intercepted a person identified as Hilal Ahmed Malla son of Muhammad Maqbool Malla resident of Malmapanpora Zaingeer,” a police spokesman said in a statement. “During search, officers were able to recover 10 bottles of codeine phosphate (Welcyrex) from his possession. He has been arrested and shifted to Police Station where he remains in custody,” he said, adding, “Accordingly, a case vide FIR No. 282/2021 under relevant sections of law has been registered in Police Station Sopore and further investigation has been initiated.”

Community members are requested to come forward with any information regarding drug peddlers in their neighbourhood. Persons found indulging in drug peddling will be dealt as per law. Our consistent actions against drug peddlers should reassure the community members that we are making efforts to keep our society free from the scourge of drug menace.