Denis Alipov stressed that Moscow had been very consistent in its position and commitment

Russia has significantly increased oil supplies to India and is ready to continue delivering energy resources in whatever volumes the republic requires, Russian Ambassador to India Denis Alipov said.

Responding to a question from WION about oil supplies, the ambassador noted "a substantial increase in supplies." "I would like to stress that we have been very consistent in our position and commitment. We have always maintained that we are prepared to supply oil to India irrespective of geopolitical developments. This is our consistent approach," he added.

"We are prepared to supply as much oil as India needs. We also discuss LPG supplies, so we are prepared to offer it to the extent to which India is prepared," Alipov noted.

Commenting on obstacles facing Russian-Indian energy cooperation – tariffs, secondary sanctions and others, the ambassador said that "these obstacles only reveal the detrimental role the US plays as regards our bilateral relations and Europe."

"We have been a reliable partner, which is a fact, with a consistent approach towards trade with India. The US and Europe, against this backdrop, have shown themselves as utterly unreliable partners," he concluded.

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev convened to explore ways to bolster bilateral agricultural cooperation, with both nations showing willingness to establish a formal memorandum of understanding.

The leaders gathered at Krishi Bhawan to discuss increasing agricultural trade relations, specifically focusing on boosting India's agricultural exports to Russia.

The agriculture ministry, quoted by PTI, reported that Chouhan highlighted India's primary sector objectives, including food security assurance, improvement of farmers' earnings, and promotion of nutritious food accessibility. "The exemplary level of mutual trust and understanding characterises the longstanding partnership between India and Russia," Chouhan stated, referencing Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam to highlight the significance of global collaboration for agricultural welfare and food security.

Patrushev acknowledged the strong bilateral relations across various sectors, including agriculture, and expressed Russia's desire to strengthen agricultural trade connections. He showed keen interest in establishing a formal partnership through a MoU.

The talks concentrated on achieving balanced trade and enhancing technical collaborations. India stressed the need for better market accessibility for its agricultural products in Russia and showed confidence in addressing pending matters.

The nations agreed to strengthen academic collaboration and student scholarship programmes, whilst developing joint ventures in seed traceability systems to advance technological agricultural solutions.

Times of India Business Desk

Left parties staged a demonstration in front of the office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Kolkata, protesting large-scale irregularities in the recently published voter list and demanding the protection of people’s voting rights. Photo: CPI (M)

Over 9 million voters have been removed from the voter roll in West Bengal after a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to its electoral list was conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI), days before the state legislative assembly elections.

The names removed constitute a 12% reduction in the state’s total electorates of over 76.6 million, with a potential to affect results in the majority of the constituencies, allegedly favoring ultra-right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) running the union government in Delhi.

The state legislative elections are scheduled to be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29.

All major opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has been ruling the state since 2011, and the Left Front, a broader coalition of the left and progressive parties, have accused the ECI of indulging in electoral manipulation to help the Hindu-supremacist BJP to win the elections.

Opposition parties and independent experts have claimed that the mass exclusion of the voters is based on a fraudulent, selective process that defies people’s constitutional right to vote.

Most of those who have lost their right to vote belong to the minority Muslim community or the socially deprived and poorer sections of society, conventionally opposed to the BJP’s core political line in the state.

West Bengal, with a population of nearly 100 million, is a crucial state given its location bordering Bangladesh and its large Muslim population (around 27% of the state’s total population).

Because of the lack of support among minorities and socially-deprived communities, now heavily disenfranchised, the BJP has so far failed to win any election in the state, despite emerging as a major political force there in the last decade.

Reacting to the development, Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary M A Baby wrote a letter to India’s Chief Election Commissioner on Thursday, underlining how the SIR in Bengal was an “exclusionary exercise” which has disproportionately impacted the “marginalized communities, particularly Muslims, women and economically vulnerable sections.”

The “large scale denial [of the right to vote], particularly of the marginalized sections, constitutes a serious assault on the precepts of the constitution itself,” Baby said.

Attack on minorities and socially-deprived population 

The SIR measure is claimed to be a periodic revision of voter lists done by the ECI in order to address any discrepancies. However, experts dispute its legality, with a case pending in the country’s top court over the issue.

The latest round of SIR, initiated late last year in various states, has also invited strong objections and popular protests.

The opposition has questioned the hurried manner in which the process was done this time around, with deliberate and unprecedented requirements of documentary proof of citizenship placed for voter registration.

The ECI has also allegedly refused to pay any attention to the socio-economic conditions of the people while listing the documents as required and removing the names who fail to produce them, as most of the voters disenfranchised have been poor, illiterate, or migrants living away from their electoral constituencies.

After the first round of SIR in West Bengal was completed in February, 6.3 million voters were removed. An additional 6 million voters were put under “adjudication” pending final revision. 

In the final list released on April 7, nearly half of these voters, over 2.7 million, were additionally deleted from the electoral list, taking the total number of deletions to over 9 million. 

A large number of the state’s population belongs to minority Muslims and socially deprived sections, such as Matuas and Rajbanshis. Most of these communities are also poor and work as migrant workers. 

Due to their social and economic conditions, it is often very difficult for them to obtain the legal documents on time necessary to establish their citizenship.

Independent analysis of the deletions reveal a clear pattern of targeting voters from Muslim and socially-deprived communities, mostly from districts such as Murshidabad, North 24 Pargana and Malda, with their high concentration of Muslims.

Most of these people who were deleted from the electoral list now have no time to appeal against the deletion and will fail to vote in this month’s elections because the 60 days given for adjudication expired on Thursday. 

Neutrality of the ECI in question

The failures of the ECI to pay attention to the objections raised by the people has caused strong popular resentment and raised doubts over its neutrality.    

There are 294 seats in the state assembly and whichever party wins more than half of the seats will be able to form the government. In the outgoing legislature, the BJP has 77 seats while TMC has over 215 seats. 

It is speculated that the BJP may win a high number of seats in the districts of Murshidabad, North 24 Pargana, and Malda, due to the exclusion of voters from minority and socially-deprived sections, which may help it win the state elections this time.  

The ruling TMC and other parties have raised the issue and had appealed for a stay on the process before the state legislative elections. However, India’s Supreme Court, on April 6, refused to stay the process. 

TMC leader and chief minister Mamata Banerjee has reiterated the accusation that the ECI is manipulating the electoral rolls on the basis of social and sectarian bias to help the BJP win the elections.

The left parties, which ruled the state for over three decades until 2011 and were now looking for revival in these elections, have also maintained that the ECI has carried out a dubious SIR.

CPI (M) state secretary and the leader of the Left Democratic Front (LDF), Mohammed Salim, had expressed deep concern over the fact that the state’s administrative resources have been turned into a weapon [by the BJP] “to selectively victimize religious minorities, the economically disadvantaged, migrant workers and even party activists,” just to win elections.

Read more: 300 million on the streets in a historic national strike in India 

Most other opposition parties have also accused the ruling BJP of using the ECI to manipulate the voter list, targeting their voters.

Indirect implementation of the NRC 

The Left has also accused the ECI of implementing the BJP’s dubious agenda of the National Register of Citizenship (NRC), under the guise of the SIR.

The BJP has always maintained, without any substantial proof, that most Muslims and people from socially-deprived communities are “illegal migrants” from Bangladesh and has demanded the NRC identify and deport them.

Its union government amended India’s citizenship laws in 2019 with similar intent. However, due to months-long nationwide protests at the time it was forced to abandon the idea.    

The opposition parties have claimed that in a country like India, where a large number of the population is still illiterate and lives in rural areas, the implementation of a process such as the NRC can create chaos and public harassment, apart from being discriminatory.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/45413109

Is it Due to the war or because of some other reasons??

More news - https://news.abplive.com/news/india/grenade-blast-outside-chandigarh-bjp-office-reprisal-for-sikh-killings-man-claims-online-1834113

Grenade blast outside Chandigarh BJP office; reprisal for Sikh killings, man claims online

Chandigarh, Apr 1 (PTI): A blast outside the Punjab BJP headquarters here Wednesday sent people panicking, with a social media post claiming that the "grenade attack" was a reprisal for the killing of "Sikh youths." Police suspected the object hurled was a "crude" device. No casualties were reported in the blast.

A team of the National Investigation Agency visited the site to investigate the explosion, which occurred at around 5 pm, a police officer said.

The BJP's state unit chief Sunil Jakhar dubbed it an "attack" at the party office.

An unverified video surfaced on social media showing a person carrying a helmet in his hand, pulling the pin out of a grenade and throwing it, while another recorded the act.

After it was hurled, both ran, followed by the blast sound.

Their faces were not visible in the 10-second video, the veracity of which was yet to be ascertained.

Meanwhile, in a post on social media, a person named Sukhjinder Singh Babbar claimed the responsibility for the "grenade attack." "We want to tell the Indian system that it can use any means to eliminate Sikh youths of Punjab; they will give a befitting reply to it. Killers of Ranjit Singh in Gurdaspur will also not be spared," the post purportedly read.

Ranjit was one of the three men accused in a murder case involving the killing of two policemen on February 22. He was shot dead in an encounter with the police.

Chandigarh Senior Superintendent of Police Kanwardeep Kaur said, "Prima facie, it appears that a small crude-type device was thrown." She said the occurrence of a blast near the Punjab BJP office was reported at around 5 pm.

"Our crime branch and the operation cell also reached here," she said, adding that a team from the Central Forensic Laboratory was rushed to the site.

Police said they were scanning CCTV footage from nearby spots to identify the bomb throwers.

The party's state media cell head, Vineet Joshi, said the office staff heard the sound and they immediately alerted police.

"There was panic after the blast. A scooter was damaged. The windowpanes of a car were damaged. Splinter marks are visible on the wall," he said.

He said Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma had been staying at the party office for the past four days and left for Delhi at 6 am today.

"How did the blast take place? Only police can provide details," Joshi told reporters.

The Punjab BJP headquarters is located in Sector 37, which also houses Law Bhavan and a petrol pump.

The office often hosts press conferences and is a hub of other party activities.

Reacting to the blast, Jakhar said, "First, there were continuous grenade attacks on police stations in Punjab; then recently, a statue of Babasaheb Dr B R Ambedkar was vandalised in Hoshiarpur; and today, the BJP state-level office in Chandigarh was attacked." The series of incidents indicates attempts to disrupt the communal harmony in the state, he said.

Jakhar slammed the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and accused it of failing to rein in criminal activities in the state.

"As a result, the deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab is now beginning to affect Chandigarh as well," he said in a post on X.

No matter how much separatist forces try, they will not be able to break the communal unity of Punjab, Jakhar added.

The blast left Amarinder Singh, a BJP leader and a former Punjab chief minister, shocked and concerned.

"I urge the concerned authorities to conduct a swift and thorough investigation and ensure strict action against those responsible," he said.

Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa found the news of the blast worrying.

"Thankfully, no one was hurt. This incident raises serious concerns, and it's high time that both Bharatiya Janata Party and Aam Aadmi Party ensured that security is not compromised in Chandigarh and across Punjab. Public safety must remain the top priority," the leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly said.

Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia sought a thorough investigation into the incident.

"It is shocking to hear about the blast outside the @BJP4Punjab office in Chandigarh, raising serious questions over the law and order situation," he said on X. Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur must clarify and confirm the authenticity of this video, he added.

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring condemned the blast and called it a "matter of grave concern." Warring said the incident reflected the complete failure of the security and intelligence apparatus and the Union Home Ministry.

He said that if Chandigarh, the capital of Punjab, which houses two governors and two chief ministers with so much security paraphernalia, is not safe, one can imagine the state of the rest of Punjab.

BJP leader R P Singh found it serious that a senior party functionary had just left the office for Delhi.

"Just 15 days ago, he was cautioned by the SSP of Pathankot to suspend his morning walks due to a specific threat perception. Whether there is any link between that warning and today's blast is a matter for investigation, but the coincidence cannot be ignored," said the party's national spokesperson on X.

Singh said the incident raises serious questions on security, intelligence coordination, and the overall law & order situation in Punjab.

"Those responsible must be identified and brought to justice at the earliest. There can be zero tolerance for such acts of terror," he added.

cross-posted from: https://lemmygrad.ml/post/11151716

Spoiler

m.thewire.in Not Reform But Regression: Opposition Stages Walkout as Lok Sabha Passes Transgender Bill Sravasti Dasgupta 11 - 14 minutes

The Bill was cleared by voice vote during an opposition walkout over the government's refusal to send it to a parliamentary committee. The LGBTQIA+ community has been opposing the provisions of the Bill and a cross-section of MPs from across the country voiced their opposition in parliament as the bill was suddenly taken up.

New Delhi: Lok Sabha on Tuesday (March 24) passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, by voice vote, after the opposition staged a walkout in protest against the proposed legislation not being sent to a select committee. The Bill was passed after a discussion that lasted only about two and a half hours. While opposition members demanded it be sent to a parliamentary committee, not passed in haste, Union parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju made it clear that the Bill needed to be passed on Tuesday itself.

Rijiju did not provide any explanation for why the legislation, which he called “important”, was being taken up in a hurry, or why it needed to be passed urgently. He also did not explain why he stopped the discussion on the Finance Bill, 2026 midway to take up the Transgender Bill.

The Bill, which was taken up around 4.20 pm, was passed by 6.45 pm by voice vote, in the absence of opposition members. Only 15 Members of Parliament spoke during the discussion, apart from Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar. During the discussion, opposition members called the Bill a “regression” and criticised it for violating dignity, invading privacy and taking away the right to self-determination of gender.

In his about two minute long reply to the discussion, Kumar did not provide any clarification to the concerns raised by the opposition members. He simply said that the Bill's “sole purpose" was to protect individuals who "face severe social exclusion due to their biological condition".

The Bill amends the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 legislated in response to the Supreme Court’s landmark 2014 judgment in National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India (the NALSA judgement). The Bill was being opposed by transgender groups, opposition parties and legal experts, who said it weakened the principle of gender self-determination and narrowed the definition of a transgender in the 2019 Act. The opposition to the Bill included that it erased trans men as well as non-binary persons who fell outside these categories, while criminalising community groups and chosen families of transpersons on the premise of trans identities being coerced. Tearing hurry

While Lok Sabha was discussing the Finance Bill, 2026, at about 4.15 pm Rijiju rose to say that the Transgender Rights Amendment Bill, should be taken up. He said Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman would deliver her reply to the discussion on the finance bill Wednesday. Sitharaman was present in the House and seated next to Rijiju when he made this statement.

Rijiju also said that while opposition members had raised objections to the Bill in the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting, it needed to be passed on Tuesday (March 24) itself.

“At the Business Advisory Committee, opposition members had some disagreements over the Transgender Bill. Our position is clear, that this Bill is not against anyone. When we discuss the Bill, clarity will come. We can take up the Transgender Bill now, as it has to be passed, and tomorrow, after Question Hour, the finance minister will give her reply to the Finance Bill. I would like the sense of the House for its approval on this,” he said.

Opposition members protested and said that the Bill should be sent to a parliamentary committee and not passed in haste.

“We are willing to cooperate. Our only demand was not to bring this Bill in haste and to send it to a select committee or standing committee. We requested this in the BAC too," said Supriya Sule, the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar) Member of Parliament from Baramati, Maharashtra.

Despite objections from members of the Congress party, Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, demanding the Bill be sent to a committee, Rijiju insisted on discussing and passing it immediately. He did not provide any explanation for why the government was unwilling to send the Bill to a committee, despite acknowledging it was the opposition's demand.

Instead, Rijiju said the Bill did not include any major changes, despite the members of the transgender community and activists contending that its provisions amounted to erasure and undid decades of hard-won rights.

Also read: Full Text | The Future of Queer Rights in India and Why the Judiciary Must Play Catalyst

The Bill introduces large-scale changes, including redefining who a transgender person is by doing away self-identification, erases trans men and non-binary people and gives sweeping new powers to medical boards and district magistrates.

"It is true that in the BAC, Congress, TMC, NCP (SP) had given a combined request. We said then also this is not a major amendment. There has already been a detailed discussion. The amendment has been discussed in the standing committee for a year. The government is not against anyone; we only want to remove any shortcomings. During the discussion, you can raise all your concerns. We have noted your opposition but this is a very important Bill and should not be delayed, and passed today itself,” said Rijiju.

Moving the Bill, Kumar said that to ensure "transgender persons can avail themselves of the benefits of this Act, it was necessary to provide a precise definition for them". He said that the Bill would provide for the establishment of a medical board, while district magistrates would issue identity cards to transgender persons. Regression, violates dignity, privacy

During the debate, opposition members criticised the Bill for being a “regression”, and said it was not based on consultation and demanded it be sent to a select committee.

Congress MP Jothimani representing Karur, Tamil Nadu, said the Bill was not a "reform but a regression" and showed the "callous attitude" of the Narendra Modi government.

"They are saying this Bill is important, how is this coming to parliament without consultation?" she said. "This Bill is not a reform; it is a regression. It takes away what the constitution and the Supreme Court of India have already guaranteed," she said.

Jothimani said the NALSA judgement recognised gender identity was a matter of self-determination, whereas this Bill, by involving the approval of medical boards and district magistrates, was fundamentally altering the relationship between the citizen and the state.

"The Bill deletes the right to self-determination, it tells citizens you are not who you say you are until the state approves you. Identity is not a certificate, dignity is not subject to verification,” she said,

Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MP T. Sumathy, elected from Chennai South constitutency, said she opposed the Bill as it represented a "moral regression" by replacing self-determination with certification and narrowed the definition to a "biological or socio cultural checklist".

"The Bill pretends to protect while actually narrowing identity, expanding surveillance and reintroducing state control over the most personal truth a human being can hold – who they are," she said.

Sumathy said the amendment Bill showed that the state did not trust transgender persons, and believed that identity must be certified and that autonomy was negotiable. She said that while the legislative policy was brought to protect those who face severe discrimination, “who decides what counts as biological? Who decides what is "severe"? Is there a biological checklist? Do transmen and non-binary people suffer less? Since when did the government acquire the power to rank identities? When did dignity become selective?" she asked.

Samajwadi Party MP Anand Bhadauria representing Dhaurahra in Uttar Pradesh pointed to the protests being held across the country against the Bill and said that if the government had sought to bring welfare and protect the transgender persons, then "why are they opposing it on the streets?"

LGBTQIA+ community members protest against the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Amendment Bill, 2026, in Kolkata, Sunday, March 22, 2026. Photo: PTI.

Bhadauria, opposing the Bill, said that the BJP wanted to make people stand in queues – from demonetisation to their identity. "Now, you want to make transgender people stand in line for their identity,” he said.

Opposition members also raised objections to the Bill requiring hospitals that perform gender-affirming surgery to report details of their patients to state authorities and the creation of criminal offences in cases of trans identities are coerced.

Sule said that the reporting of invasive medical procedures was "intrusive". "The government should withdraw it. This is exactly why we wanted the Bill to go to a select committee, because it is completely against the privacy and personal lives of every citizen. Why are you criminalising help provided by NGOs? There is so much ambiguity in this. Are we making this an inclusive Bill or excluding them?" NDA gives support

The Bharatiya Janata Party's allies, including the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) extended their support for the Bill. However, TDP MP Byreddy Shabari, representing Nandyal, ended her speech in support of the Bill saying that the government should listen to the many concerns being raised by the community.

Shabari, however, supported gender affirmation at birth and said birth certificates are used until death and said, "Why can't a transgender have an identification?"

Also read: ‘Queering the Law’: A Policy Brief Seeks Equality Beyond 'Supriyo'

"Fake cases have been increasing, where people are posing as transgender. When the opposition was in power, did they do justice? They were left to rot on the road," she said.

JD(U) MP Alok Kumar Suman (Gopalganj, Bihar), supporting the legislation, said the 2019 Act was historic, but had some shortcomings due to which welfare benefits like SMILE were not reaching the intended beneficiaries in the LGBTQIA+ communities.

"Medical boards are being opposed, but in any sector are benefits given without scrutiny? For instance SC, ST, OBC [community members] have certificates as proof, divyangan have medical certificates under which they are given welfare benefits. Why is the medical board being opposed in this case?" he said.

"There are many countries which require certification. India has created a system under which benefits will be given and accountability will also be sought. This legislation gives confidence to transgender persons that they are equal citizens of this country." Minister’s reply

In his reply, Kumar said the sole purpose of the amendments was to "protect those individuals who face severe social exclusion due to their biological condition".

He said that the Bill also sought to protect children from being kidnapped and subjected to hormone therapy or coercion to change their gender so that they could be made to beg for alms.

"Following this amendment, upon the recommendation of the medical board, the District Magistrate will issue an identity certificate as a transgender person," he said.

He did not provide any specific response to concerns raised by opposition members on the Bill taking away the right to self-determination, dignity and invasion of privacy, or why the medical board was being brought in, or new criminal offences were being included. His reply lasted for barely two minutes before the Bill was put to vote.

Opposition members, who were demanding that the Nill be sent to a committee during his reply, then staged a walkout and the Bill was passed by a voice vote.

This article went live on March twenty-fifth, two thousand twenty six, at fifty-nine minutes past twelve at night.

The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.

Read article if you want your blood to boil, bill revokes the constitutional right to self determination of gender, erases queer people, requires state approval and surveillance for transition and criminalises those who help queers as brainwashers among other things.

Filled with lies, queer and transphobia and doublespeak about protecting the disabled from evil fake trans people.

Bill has passed but one can keep an eye on the Supreme Court, this is unconstitutional by its own previous interpretation of the constitution.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/35827714

What India’s new Paris Agreement pledge means for climate action

cross-posted from: https://lemy.lol/post/63045760

Last week a bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha to amend the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 [the 2019 Act]. From a bare reading of the Statement of Objects and Reasons of the Amendment Bill it appears that there are two primary reasons for introducing the amendment. Firstly, to tighten the definition of “transgender persons” under the Act. And secondly, to scrap the scheme of penalising offences against transgender persons under the 2019 Act, and introduce in its place offences that were documented during the implementation of the 2019 Act.

https://www.livelaw.in/articles/transgender-bill-transgender-rights-fight-527560

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/51936405

Inspired by a post I saw on reddit Have read about Whisper and have seen some models on it.
Anybody have experience in using it on windows or android?

In Android, I know that Sayboard and FUTO(source available, but has restrictions on repackaging or something like that) allow import of models trained for languages

But have not found any files that work for Malayalam. Does anyone know any that can be used for Malayalam?

Heya! We are hosting a Conference for Debian in Kanpur if any of you are from Kanpur or nearby cities, its organise by Debian volunteers, but its an open space for FOSS Activists, Users, or people who support the cause, its going to be a fun space, please join us!

New Delhi, India — Dressed in a blue Navy uniform and sleek sunglasses, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in late October, addressed a gathering of the country’s sea warriors.

He listed out the strategic significance of the Indian Ocean — the massive volumes of trade and oil that pass through it. “The Indian Navy is the guardian of the Indian Ocean,” he then said, to loud, proud chants of “Long Live Mother India” from his audience.

Less than five months later, India has been shown up as a “guardian”, unable to protect its own guest.

An Iranian warship destroyed in a US torpedo strike on Wednesday was "defenceless" and participating in an international naval exercise as a guest of the Indian navy, according to reports.

Former Indian Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal said “the Iranian ship will not be where it was if we had not invited it to talk [sic] part in our Milan exercise”. Sibal added that because it was taking part in an exercise “it was defenceless”.

Indian politician Supriya Shrinate said on social media: "These Iranian navy men parading at an event in India, were our guests. Invited by us.

"US submarine targeted their ship and killed them while they were returning home." Shrinate also criticised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his failure to make a statement on the attack.

India has blocked the X account of a Middle East Eye journalist who has been reporting on India-Israel ties.

Azad Essa, a US-based, South African journalist and senior reporter with MEE, was informed on 20 February by email that the Indian government has moved to ban his account in the country.

"In the interest of transparency, we are writing to inform you that X has received a blocking order from the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting citing Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, regarding your X account: @azadessa," the letter said.

"Indian law obligates X to withhold access to this content in India; however, the content remains available elsewhere." The email, which had no name attached and came from "X Support", said Essa should contest the ban via court relief in India.

(https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/e067854e-fb11-476e-bdd5-d2dccd64b6f9.png) Today, I was reading the OSM weekly archive. I looked at this article on how using to create similar looking posters. These are the few that I have created using OpenStreetMap! Being a local Open Street Map Contributor, It feels great that people create so wonderful tools using OSM.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/39807313

Recently at World Trade Center Mumbai roundtable officials from the Ministry of MSME, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), Niti Aayog and the Cabinet Secretariat attended the meeting, and it was emphasized on how things can be made better for MSMEs.

MSMEs currently suffer the most from overlapping rules and regulations imposed on them by both Centre and State.

MSMEs currently contribut around 15% in India's GDP and the goverenment's ambition is to increase share of manufacturing in GDP to 25% and this aim cannot be acheived without uplifting MSMEs.

The above mentioned officials when confronted about this highlighted that goverenment recently scraped nearly 200 Quality Control Orders (QCOs) for raw materials, credit interventions, new export promotion missions and simplification of outdated laws. But the question is, is this enough.

Let me tell you my perspective on this. I really feel goverenment should promote component manufacturing among MSMEs through MSME targeted subsidies. Why I think this is a good Idea, because MSMEs particularly are not that big to create the final product and even if they manage to, they don't have enough capital to mass produce it, rather than whole product, they can manufacture it's components. Assembling of this component should be the primary focus of big companies who of course, have ability to derieve profit from them despite high cost.

Also, component manufacturing only requires Raw Material and Transportation Cost. What I think should be done is some sectors should be identified which require medium capital and in which we are highly import dependent, the goverenment should provide MSMEs raw material at subsidized rate and if possible should provide subsidies for transportation of raw material. Also once the produce is excessive and indigenous needs are fulfilled. With time as Indigenous production increases, goverenment should shift to Target Based Incentives (TBI) in which subsdies should only be given when production is up to par. This model should be followed for atleast 8-10 years or more to acheive atleast 60% indigenisation of component manufacturing and once components are here, main product manufacturing will not be that tough.

This is my opinion. I actually have made a whole framework for manufacturing enhancement and even talked to some people about it. If you all want, I can tell you more about it. What do you think about enhancing MSME contribution part.

Feel free to tell me your opinions and if you do not agree with my POV then also feel free to share your opinion.

Please Join our Community 'BharatReforms' for similar content. We are a new community and really need your support to grow.

Jai Hind

Jai Bharat

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.blahaj.zone/post/35150814

https://www.livemint.com/news/india/if-you-don-t-want-jyotiraditya-scindia-says-sanchar-saathi-app-is-optional-amid-strong-opposition-protests-11764659707854.html

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/39718212

Karnataka based startup, Neuralix recently unveiled it's completely indigenous and first of it's kind in nation, Defence Artificial Intelligence.

It was inaugarated at Manekshaw Cemtre by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

Neuralix AI is a deep technology company which developed this AI under the Ministry of Defence's IDEX ADITY 2.0 initiative. The program clearly demonstrates sincerity of Goverenment of India (GOI) for indigenisation and modernisation of Military.

This AI is specifically for Indian Army. Its applications are broad-ranging, including command support, document intelligence analysis, speech interface deployment, translation engines, operational analytics, and enhanced data integration. This AI is said to severely improve Decision making, Situational Awareness and Strategic Advantage of Indian Army.

I feel it is a very good move and I support such private companies that promote innovation.

I would like to add that now Ministry of Defence should also focus on introducing similar AI for Navy and Airforce as well according to their needs and later on should also integrate all of them into a joint Intelligence system, which will severly improve efficiency and cooperation during Joint military Exercises.

What do you think about this, let me know in the comments.

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/39670775

The Indian Navy has received the delievery of fourth Nilgiri Class stealth missile frigate called Taragiri. This Frigate is capable of carrying Brahmos Supersonic Cruise missile for ship to ship and ship to ground role.

What makes this ship notable is that the first ship of this class took 93 months but the timeperiod for manufacturing this ship was compressed to 81 months.

This whole destroyer is designed and manufactured totally in Bharat with around 75% indigenous content. The ship symbolises Bharat's growing Atmanirbharta (Self Reliance) in ship building.

It is a state of the Art Frigate, armed with BrahMos Supersonic Cruise missile, MFSTAR radar, MRSAM Air Defence system, a 76mm Rapid Gun Mount, several close in weapon systems and Rockets and Torpedos for Anti-Submarine Warfare.

The Project 17A Frigates represet a leap from earlier Shivalik Class. It was Designed by Warship Design Bureau (WDB) and the Warship Overseeing Team in Mumbai.

Fun Fact- INS Taragiri revives the legacy of erstwhile INS Taragiri, A Leander Class Frigate which was operated by Indian Navy from 1980-2013.

This Ship is not just a Frigate, but a symbol of growing Indian Maritime and Ship Building Independence.

According to me, now India should also focus on increasing the quantity of orders, sure it will require Capital, but we cannot alone bet on Quality. Indian Navy should now focus on increasing number of ships under each project through Additional Orders, and in meanwhile the Ship Dock Produces it, the Navy can start the work of designing the succeeding project ship, and once all the additional ships are delievered by that time or close to it, it will be safe to say that the designing work will also be complete, they can then directly order those ships, making a chain of continous orders, increasing efficiency and Systemic Habituation for Production.

What do you thik about my Idea, feel free to let me know in the comment section.

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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/39626090

Bharat's Companies like L&T and many other defense firms are accelerating for Mission Sudarshan Chakra, which plans on integrating defensive and counter-offensive measures to protect Cities and Critical Assets.

The Project includes integrating air defense and offensive measures to counter threats from drones, missiles and cross border attacks.

The Project aims to create a multi-layered, comprehensive National Shield by 2035.

It will combine Sensor Grids from Space, air and ground platforms providing protection even against Ballistic Missiles.

It will employ AI, Directed Energy Weapons and drones, making a comprehensive Indian Version of Israel's Defense System.

Let me clarify to my Viewers, it is not a new missile or defense system in itself, it is something that will integrate Various existing and upcoming systems like S-400, Akashteer system, and upcoming Project Kusha Defense system.

It will also integrate Indian Air Defence Command and Control System (IACCS) which will provide it an offensive capability.

A Committee has been formed under DRDO and Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit which will submit a report on this.

I feel this is a very big and positive initiative to integrate all defense existing and upcoming defense systems under one umbrella, it will significantly reduce the possibility of casualties during war like situations also keeping Cities and Population Safe without creating confusion among different systems themselves.

What do you think about this, feel free to post and comment on things you deem important.

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If you want to know more about this news:- https://www.indiandefensenews.in/2025/11/l-defence-firms-accelerate-counter.html

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Jai Bharat

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/39588796

While Inuagarating the Skyroot's Infinity Campus in Hyderabad, PM Modi while highlighting growth in Space sector also revealed that the goverenment is planning on privatising Nuclear Sector of India.

He emphasized that the space sector in India has seen significant reforms in past 6-7 years resulting in entry of private players and ultimate innovations and achievements. He similarly also said that the Goverenment is also planning to do similar reforms in Nuclear Sector by privatizing it and enhancing India's Energy Security and independence.

He alsoe emphasized that by this change India will see significant innovation in Modular and Advanced reactors.

I feel it is a brilliant move by the Goverenment, and I really appreciate this intiative but also there are somethings that need to ensured if private players are to be invited in this sector which have been almost completely alien to them until now.

A National Nuclear Code of Conduct should be established regarding how nuclear technology is handled and to restrict it's transfer to unwanted entities, it is very important to ensure true energy security according to me.

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If you want to know more about this news:- https://www.newsonair.gov.in/pm-modi-pushes-for-private-sector-entry-in-indias-nuclear-sector/#%3A%7E%3Atext=Prime+Minister+emphasized+that+a%2Cattractive+destination+for+global+investors.

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Jai Bharat