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Third list of defence items banned for import to come out soon: Modi

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Indian Defence Ministry will come up with a third list of defence items banned for import very soon, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday stressing upon self reliant in the sector.

“A total 70 per cent has been allocated for domestic defence industry this budget,” said Prime Minister while addressing a post budget webinar titled ‘Aatmnirbharta in Defence – Call to Action’ on the announcements made in the budget.

The webinar was organised by the Ministry of Defence.

Prime Minister Modi recalled that India’s defence manufacturing was quite strong even during the period of slavery and in the immediate aftermath of independence.

Indian made weapons played a major role during the Second World War. “Though, in the later years, this prowess of ours declined, still it shows that there has been no dearth of capabilities, neither then nor now”, he said.

Underscoring the importance of customisation and uniqueness of the defence system for a surprise element over the adversaries, PM Modi said: “Uniqueness and surprise elements can only happen when the equipment is developed in your own country.”

This year’s budget, the Prime Minister mentioned, has a blueprint for developing a vibrant ecosystem from research, design and development to manufacturing within the country. About 70 per cent of the defence budget has been kept for domestic industry only, he added.

The defence Ministry has, so far, released Positive Indigenisation Lists of more than 200 defence Platforms and Equipment.

After this announcement, the Prime Minister informed that contract worth Rs 54,000 crore have been signed for domestic procurement.

Apart from this, the procurement process of more than Rs 4.5 lakh crore worth of equipment is at various stages. Third list is expected soon, he said.

The Prime Minister lamented the long-drawn process of weapon procurement which often results in a scenario where weapons outdated by the time they are commissioned.

“Solution for this lies is in Aatmnirbhar Bharat and Make in India initiatives”, he emphasised. The Prime Minister lauded the armed forces for taking decisions while keeping the importance of Aatmnirbharta in mind.

The Prime Minister stressed the need to keep the pride and feelings of the jawans in the matters of weapons and equipment. “This is possible only when we are Aatmnirbhar in these areas,” he said.

He noted that cyber security is no longer confined to the digital world but has become a subject of national security. “The more we deploy our formidable IT power in the defence sector, the more confident we will be regarding our security”, he said.

Noting the competition among the defence manufacturers for contracts, the Prime Minister said it often led to money-focus and corruption. A lot of confusion was created with regard to quality and desirability of weapons. Aatmnirbhar Bharat Abhiyan tackles this problem also, he said.

He lauded the ordnance factories for being a shining example of progress with determination. The Prime Minister expressed happiness that seven new defence undertaking that were incorporated last year are rapidly expanding their business and reaching new markets. “We have increased defence exports six times in the last 5-6 years. Today, we are providing Made in India Defence equipment and services to more than 75 countries”, the Prime Minister added.

As a result of the government’s encouragement to ‘Make in India’, the Prime Minister said that more than 350 new industrial licenses have been issued for defence manufacturing in the last seven years. Whereas in the fourteen years from 2001 to 2014, only 200 licenses were issued. The Prime Minister also said that the private sector should also come on a par with DRDO and defence PSUs, hence 25 per cent of defence R&D budget has been kept for Industry, start-ups and academia. Special Purpose Vehicle model has also been arranged in the budget. “This will establish the role of the private industry as a partner beyond just a vendor or supplier”, he said.

Transparent, time-bound, pragmatic and fair systems of trial, testing and certification are essential to the growth of a vibrant defence industry, Modi noted. For this, an independent system can prove useful in solving problems, he added.

Crime

Andhra Pradesh Govt Suspends Three IPS Officers Over Actress Harassment Case

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The Andhra Pradesh government on Sunday suspended three senior IPS officers following an inquiry into the allegations made by a Mumbai-based actress, Kadambari Jethwani. The state government issued orders suspending P. Sitharama Anjaneyulu, then Director General of Police, Intelligence; Kanthi Rana Tata, the then Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada, and Vishal Gunni, then Deputy Commissioner of Police, Vijayawada.

She and her parents allegedly faced harassment at the hands of police officers at the instance of a leader of YSR Congress, which was then the ruling party in Andhra Pradesh. The suspensions were issued under Rule 3 (1) of the All India Services (Discipline & Appeal) Rules, 1969. Sitharama Anjaneyulu has been suspended on allegations of misuse of power and grave misconduct.

He had allegedly instructed the other two officials to arrest the actress, even before a formal crime had been registered. There are allegations that Kanthi Rana Tata arrested the actress based on oral instructions from his superior on January 31, 2024, before the registration of the FIR on February 2.

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Crime

UP: Man Beats Wife To Death In Amroha For Not Meeting Dowry Demands Of TVS Apache Bike & ₹3 Lakh Cash

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Amroha: In a tragic incident from Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha, a young woman named Meena was brutally beaten to death by her husband, Sundar, for not fulfilling his dowry demands. Sundar, a resident of Baikheda village, had been married to Meena for two years and had persistently demanded a TVS Apache bike and Rs 3 lakh as dowry. Despite repeated harassment over the dowry, Meena was unable to meet his demands, a situation she had confided to her father.

Meena had been staying at her father’s home in Soharka since the festival of Rakshabandhan, possibly seeking refuge from the abuse. Sundar continued visiting her daily, often having meals with her family, creating an appearance of normalcy.

Sundar Brought Meena Back Home, Later Killed Her

On Sunday night, he came to bring her back to his house. Once there, Sundar confronted her again about the dowry and, in a violent fit of rage, attacked her with sticks. Unable to force her compliance, he strangled her to death before fleeing the scene.

It was the local residents who first alerted the authorities to the murder. Upon hearing the devastating news, Meena’s family rushed to the police station, demanding immediate action against Sundar. Her father, Vijay Khadak Banshi, later lodged a formal complaint accusing Sundar, along with his mother, sister and four others, of involvement in the crime.

Case Filed, Manhunt Launched To Nab Accused

The police have registered a case based on the family’s complaint and are actively searching for Sundar, who remains at large. Meanwhile, Meena’s body has been sent for a post-mortem examination to aid in the ongoing investigation.

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National News

Karnataka BJP MLA Munirathna Booked For Alleged Harassment, Bribery & Casteist Abuse

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Bengaluru, September 14: Two FIRs have been registered against BJP MLA Munirathna for alleged harassment, threats and casteist abuse, police said on Saturday. The cases against the Rajarajeshwarinagar MLA were filed at Vyalikaval police station here on Friday, they said.

In the first FIR filed by BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) contractor, Cheluvaraju, he accused the MLA of demanding Rs 30 lakh as a bribe and threatening to terminate his contract if he did not pay the amount.

In his complaint, he alleged that initially, Munirathna had demanded Rs 20 lakh in 2021 from him over a solid waste disposal contract. However, despite making that payment for getting 10 auto trippers for a waste management contract, he was not sanctioned those vehicles by the civic body.

According to the FIR, Cheluvaraju was being repatedly harassed by the MLA who allegedly verbally abused him and also physically assaulted him. In the complaint, he further alleged that the MLA did not allow him to execute his work and had even slapped him in September 2023.

Along with the MLA, three others, including government officials, were also named in the FIR for allegedly threatening, abusing and harassing the contractor. He also alleged that because of the repeated harassment, he even thought of ending his life, it said. Cheluvaraju has also released an audio recording of a phone conversation between him and the accused MLA.

According to police, the second FIR has been filed against the MLA on the complaint of a BBMP corporator who alleged that the MLA hurled casteist abuse, insulted his caste and family. The MLA allegedly asked Chaluvaraju not to associate himself with the corporator because of his caste.

The FIR was registered under SC and the ST (prevention of atrocities) Act and other sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, police added.

A senior police officer said, “Based on the complaints received, we registered two separate cases against the MLA who has been accused of threats, harassment, bribery and casteist abuse. The matter is being investigated.”

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