1. India Got its 2nd Chief of Defense Staff
The government of India (GoI) has appointed Lt General Anil Chauhan (Retired) as India’s 2nd CDS. The post of CDS had been laying vacant after the unfortunate death of the first CDS, General Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash. In a career spanning nearly 40 years, Lt Gen Anil Chauhan had held several command, staff, and instrumental appointments and had extensive experience in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu & Kashmir and northeast India.
2. GOI declared PFI & its affiliates as an unlawful association
Ministry of Home Affairs banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) for a period of 5 years. Besides the PFI, its affiliates-Rehab India Foundation, All India Imams Council, National Confederation of Human Rights Organization, National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation, and Rehab Foundation, Kerala have also been declared as unlawful associations under unlawful activities (prevention) Act -1976.8
3. Race for the post of congress president-Who is next in the race?
After Shashi Tharoor, Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, Digvijay Singh Digvijaya Singh enters Congress president race. The election for the All India Congress Committee (AICC) is expected to be held on October 17. Rahul Gandhi has remained firm in his decision not to contest for the post of Congress president.
4. India proposes 15% retaliatory duties on 22 items imported from UK
India has proposed additional customs duties of 15 percent on the import of 22 products from the United Kingdom as retaliation to Britain’s decision to impose restrictions on steel products. Some of these items are whiskey, cheese, animal feed, liquified propane, some essential oils, beauty preparations, cosmetics, and diesel engine parts. An increase in import duty in the UK on Indian steel will increase the cost of Indian steel. Such a move by the UK could be disastrous for the Indian steel industry, as it will reduce the competitiveness of Indian steel.
5. US responds to Indian foreign minister Jaishankar’s critical remarks on the US-Pak F16 deal
Mr. S. Jaishankar on Sunday had lashed out at the US for providing a $450 million package to Pakistan for technical and logistics services for follow-on support of F-16 fighter jet fleets. He said, “Everybody knows where and against whom F-16 fighter jets are used. You’re not fooling anybody by saying these things.” Responding to Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar’s criticism against the US providing a multimillion-dollar security package to Pakistan, the Biden administration said, Washington doesn’t view its ties with New Delhi and Islamabad “in relation to one another”. Now the million-dollar question is why Washington sees the India-America relationship in relation to India-Russia or India-Iran.
