General Indian Defence News

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NEW DELHI: Danish citizen Kim Davy cannot be extradited to India to face trial for his alleged involvement in the sensational dropping of arms in Purulia in 1995 with the high court in Denmark on Thursday rejecting a plea by the government there.

The plea by the Danish government to allow 49-year-old Davy, who is also known as Niels Holck, to be extradited in the Purulia case was dismissed on the ground he would risk "torture or other inhuman treatment" in India.

A CBI spokesperson quoting initial reports from Denmark said the "plea has been denied on the grounds of jail conditions and human rights issues which is a subject outside the purview of the investigation agency."

The five-judge bench of Denmark high court upheld the decision of a lower court which had rejected Danish government's move to allow CBI's request for extradition of Davy after getting a number of soverign assurances from India including that no death penalty would be imposed on him and permission to serve imprisonment, if decided by court, in Denmark prisons.

The Danish government had appealed against the order of the lower court before the high court which had reserved its decision.

The CBI spokesperson said the copy of the judgement was awaited.

"There has been no adverse comments comments about the CBI investigations.

"Once the judgement is received, the CBI will request the Ministry of Justice, Denmark government, through diplomatic channels, to appeal against the verdict in the Supreme Court of Denmark," the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, the government has decided to request the Danish government to appeal against the verdict.

New home secretary RK Singh said that India will ask the Danish government to appeal for Kim Davy's extradition.

Purulia arms drop case: Kim Davy not to be extradited - The Times of India

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The recent remarks of the Air Chief are in keeping with the long-stated air force position and misplaced apprehension that they would be swamped if CDS was appointed. Other detractors include the civilian bureaucracy and political leadership who feel threatened by an 'all-powerful figure'. Drawing strength from this divide amongst the services, they are quite happy at the status quo, all to India's peril. These views are, however, out of sync with the larger strategic community whose response to the above query would be an unequivocal 'yes'.

The Kargil Review Committee comprised India's finest strategic thinkers. It was followed up by the task force on defence headed by Arun Singh . Thus when the post of CDS was recommended, it was after considerable debate and discussion amongst the best. Sadly, 10 years have been lost in which the security environment has become vastly complex and demanding.

India has two nuclear-armed neighbours, one of whom is modernising at a ferocious pace that has even the world's major powers worried. Confronting this full spectrum operations capability requires the highest degree of integration which, today, is woefully lacking. This can only come about under a CDS.

Also consider peacetime challenges, i.e., those of asymmetric war, counter-terrorism, cyber war, space-based threats, sea trade, need for raw materials, disaster management, information and perception operations, all these require inter-service and inter-ministerial coordination. Have we forgotten the lessons of Kargil or 26/11? Only a CDS could ensure an integrated approach to meeting these diverse and varied threats, leaving chiefs to look after respective services. The argument that the present system has worked will crumble in the face of any major national calamity. We appear to have closed our eyes to the rapidly changing world and enormity of the multi-dimensional threat.

Future wars will be vastly different and building defence capability requires an integrated approach which, too, can only be ensured by a CDS. In his absence, individual services will continue to push for independent requirements resulting in wastage of scarce resources. The debate has gone on for far too long and is seriously detrimental to national security. We need the CDS, and now!

Yes, a chief of defence staff is crucial for national security - The Economic Times

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After the ministries of defence and telecom agreed, in May 2009, to make 45 MHz of spectrum used for defence purposes available for commercial 2G and 3G mobile services, there has been regular exchange of letters between the two ministries, but no action to release spectrum. The ministry of defence says that its commitment was subject to the department of telecom ( *** )) laying a Rs 10,000 crore optical fibre network for it and, further, waiving any charges for spectrum use for defence purposes.

These conditions have not been met and so Defence is not in a position to release any spectrum now. At a time when the number of subscribers continues to grow at a rapid pace and spectrum availability squeezes telecom companies' ability to offer quality service, this is not an acceptable state of affairs. When two ministries of the government are unable to reach an agreement on a matter that concerns both of them, it should be resolved through an intervention by the Prime Minister . And the matter brooks no delay.

The effort should be to provide every Indian with highspeed data connectivity, for India to realise the productive potential of her 1.2 billion people. Developed countries are making sound progress in this regard; the French now deeming broadband access a fundamental right and the US rolling out a national broadband plan to provide every home with 100 Mbps connectivity (in India, mere 256 kbps still qualifies as broadband). It is also criminal to permit state-owned broadcaster Prasar Bharati to squat on a huge swathe of spectrum that it uses for analogue terrestrial broadcast.

There is every need to fully fund and accelerate Prasar Bharati's desultory digitalisation programme, so as to release additional spectrum for mobile networks. India has to target achieving a high-speed data network reaching all parts of the country, on which voice is just one functionality. For meaningful inclusion of the poor in the growth process, such data networks are imperative, to provide banking, health and education services. Wireless would be an integral part of it. The PM must ensure availability of the needed spectrum, amidst the squabbles among his ministers.

The dispute between defence and telecom on vacating spectrum must end - The Economic Times

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New Delhi, June 30 (ANI): US Ambassador Timothy J Roemer, while bidding farewell on his last day in office, expressed hope that partnership between India and the United States will only grow and strengthen in the future.

Addressing mediapersons here, Roemer said: "In the last two years, we have seen significant success in the relationship between United States and India.

First of all, we have seen Prime Minister Manmohan Singh being honoured for a state dinner given by the Barack Obama administration. (Secondly) we saw the President of United States coming to India, which was a historic and landmark visit talking about India's global relationship with United States."

"Thirdly, we have greatly expanded and approved our counter terrorism and intelligence sharing. Fourth, we have seen significant progress on defence issues and strategic defence cooperation including the recently a great 2C17 sale. It will give India more muscle and working abilities on their efforts on humanitarian and disaster relief efforts and regional," he added.

Roemer further said people-to-people and business-to-business ties were the basis of Indo-US relations.

Emphasising that both nations share common strategic interest in Asia and Africa, Roemer said: ""We have also seen great and expanding cooperation between United States and India on regional issues. We are working together more on Afghanistan, where we have common strategic interest in the outcome there."

"We are working together on reviving foodstuff for Africa and we are working more closely on issues such as Bangladesh. This reflects the common strategic interest that the two countries have in Asia and as President Obama said India is indispensable partner for the 21st century with United States working for democracy, working for peace and working for global development," he added.

Standing by India's civil nuclear programme, Roemer said: "The United States has said it "strongly and vehemently" supports the NSG clean waiver for India and hoped that the civil nuclear deal between the two countries will continue to move in a positive direction."

"I want to say that the US and the Obama Administration strongly and vehemently support the clean waiver for India. The 123 civil nuclear legislation also underscores our support for India in this debate that is going on and our law also points to the clean waiver for India," he added.

The 46-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the elite nuclear club, last week decided to push for more stringent norms that govern technology transfer for reprocessing technology.

When asked to comment on the issue of pat-down searches on Indian dignitaries at the US airports, Roemer said America was working on these issues to prevent their recurrence in future.

"When Janet Napolitano (US Homeland Security Secretary) was here, she said that we are working to improve how when you have a minister or a very important person (VIP) travelling to the United States... takes place without incidence. We are coordinating more and more on travel itineraries, so that those experiences don't take place in future," he said. (ANI)

Departing Roemer hopes India-US partnership will strengthen

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Meeting offers India opportunities

LONDON, June 30 (UPI) -- A military vehicles conference and exhibition in India is expected to facilitate business between international and local industry and India's military.

Armored Vehicles India 2011, organized by British company Defense IQ, comes amid a major armored vehicle modernization program by India.

Defense IQ said its Armored Vehicles India events have played a crucial role in helping to open up business opportunities in India, especially for international militaries that have found the event important for developing relationships with potential local partners and senior military officials.

Armored Vehicles India is the only event in the country that will specifically discuss future and current requirements and capabilities for India's armored vehicle modernization.

Armored Vehicles India takes place Nov. 16-18 in New Delhi.

So far, two speakers from India's Defense Research & Development Organization have been lined up for the event, Defense IQ said.

Read more: Meeting offers India opportunities - UPI.com

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NEW DELHI: A week after TOI highlighted how National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was constructing foot overbridges (FOBs) with 5.5 metres ground clearance on NH-1, which connects Delhi with Wagah border, the authority said it is planning to increase the height.

TOI had reported how NHAI was building FOBs with ground clearance of only 5.5 metres between Panipat and Jalandhar section of NH-1 whereas the maximum height of armed forces' vehicles carrying weapons is 6 metres.

In an RTI reply dated July 1, NHAI said, "A case is being taken up with the NHAI Hq to increase the vertical height to 6.25 metres at the location of FOBs." These FOBs are planned on the 191-km stretch between Panipat and Jalandhar.

Earlier, in an RTI reply to Aseem Takyar, NHAI had admitted that the vertical clearance of FOBs on this stretch was 5.5 metres and this was done as per laid down 'codes'. Takyar had filed an RTI plea with the defence ministry to find the maximum height of defence vehicles carrying artillery equipment. Though the Army did not answer the query saying it could not disclose the information, the IAF said the maximum height of their vehicles carrying weapons systems was 6 metres.

Interestingly, in another RTI reply, NHAI had said that on NH-8, the height of FOBs was 6 metres. "Why can't there be a rule that NHAI has to get no objection certificate (NOC) from the defence forces before building FOBs so that they don't have to be demolished in case of an emergency," asked Takyar.

NHAI to raise height of foot overbridges - The Times of India

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DRDO ties up with IIT Jodhpur for design, development
HYDERABAD, JULY 4:
With low-cost PCs, tablet PCs and laptops being the in thing to not just attract more users, but reach the benefits of the Internet revolution to larger numbers in the country, Indian Defence scientists have also joined the race to develop an affordable laptop.

After the Simputer and several low-cost PCs and laptop versions getting into the market, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) plans to get its own version ready by December.

The Hyderabad-based Defence laboratory – Anurag – has joined hands with the IIT Jodhpur to design and develop a low-cost laptop, said Dr V.K. Saraswat, Chief of the DRDO.

IN-HOUSE EXPERTISE

The ANURAG had earlier developed the 32-bit micro-processor and ANUPAMA the parallel processor-based super computer as well as ANAMICA a medical imaging software and has in-house expertise in design and development of computer systems.

Dr Saraswat told Business Line that the social need for PC and laptops, especially the affordable version for the large number of poor people was high. Therefore, the DRDO felt that with design and development expertise available it was time to come up with a marketable product.

The intention is also to help the Ministry of Human Resources Development which is pushing for providing a computer for a large number of people across the country at affordable prices. Several companies have already developed low-cost PCs.

OWN OPERATING SYSTEM

The ‘One Laptop Per Child India' initiative is also looking at a sub-$100 laptop to provide computer literacy and information access to the poor.

The DRDO was also developing its own operating system in view of the security threat. It proposes to start two new software engineering centres in Bangalore and New Delhi. A consortium of Institutes, which will include the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, Centre for Development of Telematics will work with DRDO to develop the new secure

Business Line : Industry & Economy / Info-tech : Come Dec, Defence scientists will unveil an affordable laptop

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Jodhpur: The Defence Laboratory situated in Jodhpur has come up with equipments to protect the army from any kind of nuclear, organic and chemical attack.

The laboratory at Jodhpur is the only lab in the country to make equipments to deal with such attacks. Speaking to media on Monday Director of the lab Dr Narendra Kumar said the lab was established on May 16, 1959. The further said the lab has contributed mainly to the defence system in India.

The scientists at the lab have invented nuclear recce vehicle that detains nuclear, chemical and organic radiations and protects the people inside the vehicle, Dr Kumar added. He also said the lab has been carrying research work towards finding better facilities for the army men.

Cool clothes for Army Jawans

After years of research, the scientists have invented cool coats and caps for the Jawans. The clothes were tried last week in Rajasthan.

Water purifying equipment

The lab has also invented a water purifying equipment that will purify the worst of water. Water contaminated with nuclear, chemical or organic attacks will also be purified in a matter of few minutes with the water equipment.

Defence lab set to protect Army - www.daily.bhaskar.com

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13:05 GMT, July 13, 2011 A|D|S the UK’s aerospace, defence and security trade organisation has confirmed that it will support UV India this year. A|D|S members will be able to access discounted delegate and exhibitor rates at the event.

UV India, organised by Shephard Group and IDYB Group, has already attracted a substantial speaker programme keynoted by Dr V K Saraswat, Director General Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), Secretary Dept of Defence Research MoD and Scientific Adviser to the Defence Minister.

Alexander Giles, CEO, Shephard Group, said, “We are delighted to welcome A|D|S as a supporter of UV India, this builds further on our collaboration on several key aerospace and defence events in the UK.”

Rees Ward, CEO of A|D|S, said, “India is a crucial and growing market for UK companies, especially those seeking industrial partnerships with their Indian counterparts. We are delighted to be working with Shephard Group on another of their events and our New Delhi office will be fully involved in proceedings.”

defence.professionals | defpro.com

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Bangalore,Jul13 (PTI) A two-day seminar-cum-exhibition on �Smart Micro Electro Mechanical Systems� began here today. It is being jointly organised by the Defence Research & Development Organisation along with Aeronautical Development Agency, National Aeronautical Laboratory and Indian Institute of Science. Participants from all over India are presenting their designs and about 30 products at various stages of development will be displayed at the exhibition, Dr Prahlada, Chief Controller (Aero Programmes),DRDO, told reporters here. With a concept of �Mind to Market�, DRDO had funded a �National Program on Micro and Smart Structures (NPMASS) at a cost of about Rs 200 crore in 2009. It was aimed at development of smart micro electro mechanical systems such as sensors, actuators and devices which would find application in Aerospace, Automotives and Bio-medical areas. The systems developed through this would be used in various Aeronautical and Automotive Programmes being pursued in the country, he said, adding 75 per cent of the output from this programme would be used for civilian applications.

2-day Expo on smart micro electro mechanical systems begins, IBN Live News

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Social media gave Mumbai a lifeline as blasts clogged phones
Concerned Indians come together for Mumbai via Twitter, Facebook and Google Docs

Social media gave Mumbai a lifeline as blasts clogged phones - Emirates 24/7

How a Google doc joined the battle to save lives during the Mumbai blasts | Technology | guardian.co.uk

By Vicky Kapur

Published Thursday, July 14, 2011


A policeman walks past a television journalist reporting from the site of an explosion near the Dadar area of Mumbai. (REUTERS)

With three serial bombs rocking India’s commercial capital Mumbai yesterday, denizens of the city and those concerned across the globe came together to provide practical and emotional support through social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, and logistical and tactical support through Google Docs spreadsheets.

The telephone infrastructure of the city reportedly crumbled under the increased load of phone calls by anxious family members trying to reach out to those that were out of their homes at the time of the blasts, as well as those outside the city trying to reach their friends and relatives in Mumbai after the news of the blasts spread throughout India and across the world.

Twitter and Facebook updates were filled with users posting not only information for helplines but also offering help. Hashtags for #needhelp and #Here2Help were created almost immediately for those injured and in need of help, and for looking for a ride back home as public transport got choked. Online users residing close to the sites of the blast used the online media to offer shelter to other users that were still commuting.

Beyond Twitter and Facebook updates, a Google spreadsheet was created by a Twitter user in Delhi. The spreadsheet contains information of Mumbai and non-Mumbai residents offering help as well as asking for help with their contact information and the nature of help that can be offered or is needed.

The spreadsheet is spilt into five different categories: # here2help, #needhelp, blood group, missing, and injured. According to a report on Mashable, phone numbers are listed for official help locations, such as blood banks and the police control room. People who have contributed to the Doc have offered help such as food and shelter. Some Mumbai residents have offered blood and generous donations.

There are currently 250 entries, most of which are users offering help. A map of live tweets can also be found on Google Maps. This doesn’t seem to be updated in real time, however, it can be used to find users in the areas of the blasts.

With Indians comprising about half of the UAE’s population, it is no surprise that #Mumbaiblasts is still the top Twitter trend in the UAE today.

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Press Information Bureau English Releases

The Defence Minister Shri AK Antony has directed the Directorate General Defence Estates (DGDE) to immediately conduct a reality check on ground to determine the status of defence land all over the country. Announcing this at a function here last evening, where he released a compact disc containing data base on defence land records, Shri Antony said the proposed land audit will go a long way in tightening our land management control system. The Institution of a Land Audit was one of the suggestions made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence.

The land audit will cover a wide spectrum of issues including updation of land records; survey, demarcation and protection of defence lands by way of erection of boundary pillars and telling the records with actual ground situation; efficient usage of defence lands; encroachment on defence lands, the extent and reasons thereof, effectiveness of encroachment and removal actions. The audit will also verify the usage of defence lands on a lease to institutions. In the first phase, DGDE will carry out land audit in the Southern Command from the current financial year.

Shri Antony asked Defence Estate officials to be vigilant against encroachments on defence lands and foil any attempts by unscrupulous elements to fraudulently claim some pieces of defence land as theirs. “While ensuring that defence lands are protected from unauthorized occupation or illegal claims, it is also your responsibility to ensure that no public land is occupied in an unauthorized manner without following due procedures”, he told the officers.

Shri Antony asked the officials to pursue vigorously title disputes in courts with all sincerity. “As land is a precious and rare commodity, title disputes in courts must be vigorously pursued to the correct and logical conclusion”.

Shri Antony also informed the gathering that MoD had taken a decision to guard strategically located installations such as defence lands, camping grounds and old airfields by nearby military units. In cases where this may not be possible, sufficient resources would be placed with the Defence Estates Department to look after them.

The Defence Minister announced that MoD has approved two projects. The first project seeks to introduce modern surveying technology in defence estates and to complete the work of survey in all defence lands in a phased manner. The second project is for computerization to scan, index and microfilming all defence land title related records. This project would make all documents pertaining to land title easily retrievable and facilitate their preservation.

He said the ministry has approved the establishment of an archival unit and resource centre at Raksha Sampda Bhawan. He assured that funds will not be allowed to become a constraint but the accountability of proper utilization of these funds will be the onerous collective responsibility of all officers concerned.

The function was attended among others by the Minster of State for Defence Dr MM Pallam Raju, Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Shekhar Aggarwal, DG NIC Shri BK Gairola and the Director General Defence Estates Shri Ashok Kumar Harnal.

It may be recalled that the first Raksha Bhoomi Software version 1.0 was jointly developed by the DGDE & NIC and launched by Shri MM Pallam Raju in November 2006. This software has undergone constant upgradations since its initial launch and with its latest version 3.3, the entire 17 lac acres of defence land records have been successfully digitized. The standalone Raksha Bhoomi software provides complete statutory details on each separate piece of defence land inside and outside the Cantonments. This will enable the three Services and other Organs of the Ministry of Defence to access land related data on real time basis which will result in effective land management and perspective planning.

Directorate General Defence Estates (DGDE), in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre (NIC), have completed the digitization of records of all lands recorded in the General Lands Registers (for lands located within the notified Cantonments) and Military Lands Registers (for lands located outside the notified Cantonments). In the process, all defence owned lands, spread across the length and breadth of the country, have been computerized.

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S Korean firm raises questions over bidding for basic trainers | idrw.org



A South Korean aerospace company has raised questions over the bidding process for procuring 75 basic trainer aircraft for the Indian Air Force in which it lost.”Representations were made by one of the companies and they are being examined by the Director General Acquisition,” Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar said here.
Kumar, in his last day in office as Defence Secretary, was asked about the reports suggesting that the deal was facing problems.
After extensive trials, Swiss firm Pilatus has emerged as the lowest bidder in the tender and the contract negotiations are being held with it.
In its representation, the Korean Aerospace Industries has raised questions over the commercial bids submitted by the Swiss firm for the tender.
The Ministry officials, however, said if any discrepancy is found in the procurement procedure, appropriate action would be taken.
Besides Pilatus, US firm Hawker-Beechcraft and Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) from South Korea had pitched for the deal.
The basic trainers will help fulfill IAF”s requirement of a low speed aircraft, as the fleet of its HPT-32 basic trainers were grounded in 2009 following an air crash which raised concerns over its safety features.Currently, the cadets are trained on Kiran trainer aircraft, which are actually meant for second stage of flight training.

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The US has kept India informed about its talks with Taliban rebels in Afghanistan and measures to stabilize the war-torn nation will figure in the second India-US strategic talks scheduled for Tuesday, a US diplomat in New Delhi said.

US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who will arrive in India late Monday, will co-chair the dialogue—which has “broadened dramatically” in the past two years—with India’s external affairs minister S.M. Krishna the next day, chargé d’ affaires at the US embassy Peter Burleigh told reporters. There was no change in Clinton’s schedule despite bomb blasts in Mumbai on Wednesday, he said.

“It will be a very important issue during the talks when secretary Clinton is here... We have been keeping the government of India informed about the substance of the very preliminary discussions” with the Taliban, Burleigh said.

“It’s an Afghan-led process. We are doing this in cooperation with the government of Afghanistan (and) President (Hamid) Karzai. It’s a slow process but it is something that the US is continuing to explore whether it is possible to reach some kind of understanding with at least some elements of the Taliban leadership,” Burleigh said.

India, which sees Afghanistan as part of its extended neighbourhood, was till recently strongly opposed to the idea of talks and reconciliation with the Sunni Pashtun Taliban, who have close links with Pakistan. But with Afghanistan and the US pursuing dialogue with the Taliban, the Indian government in May indicated it had acquiesced to the idea.

The US, which has some 100,000 troops in Afghanistan, has been trying to stabilize Afghanistan with the help of some 48,000 troops from other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato).

But with the war in Afghanistan on the verge of completing a decade, mounting troop casualties and plummeting domestic support, most countries in the US-led coalition have been looking for a way out. Talks with the resurgent Taliban are an important element of their strategy as they prepare to hand over security to Afghans and exit by 2014.

According to Burleigh, the India-US dialogue will cover an exchange of views on East Asia, South-East Asia, Africa and Latin America and include issues like health and higher education, besides counter-terrorism. India’s relations with Pakistan and US ties with Pakistan—strained after American troops killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden at a hideout in a military garrison town near Islamabad on 2 May—will also figure in the talks, the US diplomat said.

Tensions between the US and Pakistan have been running high, especially after Washington announced a cut in its military aid to Pakistan after Islamabad ordered US military advisers to leave the country following the raid on bin Laden’s hideout.

Once described as “estranged democracies”, India and the US have seen ties improve rapidly in the past decade with three US presidents—Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama—visiting since 2000. The US is one of India’s top trade partners behind China and the United Arab Emirates. On the defence front, India and the US conduct the most military exercises between them compared with any other country, according to officials of both nations. Burleigh said ties between the two were strong when asked if India’s decision to overlook US companies and shortlist two European firms instead for a $10 billion contract for 126 fighter aircraft would hamper ties. “We have made a substantial national commitment to the relationship with India... this is not just a temporary improvement in relations.”

During the Krishna-Clinton talks, the US will raise the issue of American companies getting contracts to set up nuclear power plants in India, Burleigh said. India and the US signed a landmark agreement to start civil nuclear cooperation in 2008, but progress on setting up plants in India has been stymied by India passing a stringent civil nuclear liability law that holds companies constructing the plants liable for any accidents, among other things.

New Delhi has been upset by the US pushing through the Nuclear Suppliers Group, which controls global nuclear commerce, new criteria that will make it difficult for India to access technologies to enrich and reprocess spent nuclear fuel from the international market, and could thus jeopardise the India-US pact.

Burleigh tried to soothe concerns saying the US was “completely committed to the implementation of our previous agreements.” During her 19-20 July visit, Clinton is also scheduled to stop in Chennai—the first US secretary of state to visit the south Indian metropolis that is home to a Ford Motor’s plant. Clinton will leave on 20 July for Indonesia.

India-US talks: Afghan situation key issue - Home - livemint.com

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The army has initiated action against its 65 officers, including three Lt. Colonels, indicted for selling their arms and ammunitions in the grey market with the help of a cartel of arms dealers in the border districts of Rajasthan. This follows a court of inquiry, which found as many as


75 officers ‘blameworthy’ in the gunrunning scandal. Ten of them have retired, the Ministry of Defence said in an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court.
The court is hearing a PIL filed in 2007 by Arvind Kumar Sharma seeking a CBI probe into the matter. Sharma said no action had been taken against senior army and IAS officers allegedly involved in the scandal.

Hindustan Times had reported on September 5, 2007, that army officers — serving as well as retired — had been selling their Non-Service Pattern (NSP) weapons (bought at a subsidised price for personal use) in the grey market in violation of laws. It was suspected that the weapons might have fallen into the hands of criminals in Rajasthan and Punjab.

According to the affidavit, four officers - Lt Col. VS Rathore (a Sena Medal recipient), Lt Col. SS Rathore, Lt. Col.

BS Shekhawat and Col. Neeraj Rana “were actively involved in sale/purchase/disposal of NSP weapons and other fire arms to arms dealers in utter violation of the Arms Act, 1959.”

Forty-five officers and one junior commissioned officer sold their NSP weapons without taking sanction of competent authority in violation of Special Army Order and the Arms Act, 1959, it said.

Twenty-five officers posted at the Indian Military Training Team, Bhutan, were found to have imported ammunition in excess of their authorization and also sold their weapons on return to India.

While eight of the officers have since retrieved their weapons and deposited them with the authorities.

Defence Ministry said violations by the army personnel were not adequately dealt with and accordingly, the defence secretary had on February 22, 2011, asked the Army Headquarters to review the entire matter in a time-bound manner.

Gunrunning scandal: Army indicts 65 officers - Hindustan Times