PM Modi to visit HAL in Bengaluru tomorrow as firm eyes big orders
PM Modi’s visit comes at a time when HAL has found itself in the spotlight after Indian Air Force announced plans to buy more fighter jets, light combat helicopters (LCH), and to upgrade its Sukhoi-30s
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) in Bengaluru on Saturday
and is expected to review the functioning of the state-run plane maker and visit some of its
manufacturing facilities, officials aware of the matter said on the eve of the high-profile visit.
The PM is likely to visit the production facility for the light combat aircraft (LCA) too, said
the officials, asking not to be named.
Modi’s visit comes at a time when HAL has found itself in
the spotlight after the Indian Air Force announced plans to buy more fighter jets, and light combat
helicopters (LCH) and to upgrade its Sukhoi-30s. These potential contracts are worth billions of
dollars.
HAL is also set to begin work on jointly designing and developing helicopter engines with French firm
Safran and is negotiating a deal for the joint production of fighter jet engines in the country with US
firm GE Aerospace.
HAL is preparing to activate new production lines in Nashik for the LCA Mk-1A and Hindustan Turbo
Trainer-40 (HTT-40) planes to meet IAF’s growing requirements for fighter jets and basic trainers, as
previously reported by HT.
Read More
Drilling at Uttarkashi tunnel halted again, auger machine brought out
Uttarakhand tunnel rescue work stopped on Friday night once again owing to a technical glitch.
The rescuers in Uttarakhand's Silkaya tunnel again encountered a roadblock and the drilling had to be
stopped on Friday evening owing to some technical glitch. The auger machine was brought out to examine
the latest technical snag as the experts assured that the drilling work would soon begin. The countdown
was dragging on as the wait for the 41 construction workers has only been getting longer since Thursday.
On Friday too, the workers could not be extracted even though the operation was at the very last stage.
Since Thursday night, the rescuers have been busy fixing the auger machine as it hit a metallic object.
It was fixed on Friday but there was another technical glitch.
The auger machine is drilling
through debris to insert pipes through which the trapped men will be rescued. Inside the debris, there
are metal obstacles stopping the machine. The rescuers, on Thursday night, used gas cutters to remove a
similar roadblock. Another obstacle came when it was found that one of the pipes got bent. The auger
machine was brought out. Owing to all this pressure, the platform in which the auger machine was set
developed a crack. Quick dry cement was used to mend the platform.
Read More
In no other state, police officers involved in NDPS cases: SC tells Punjab govt
Posting the matter for November 28 to enable the officer– dismissed additional inspector general (AIG) Raj Jit Singh Hundal – to file a response to the Punjab government’s allegation that he was not cooperating with the probe.
The Supreme Court on Friday observed that Punjab is the only state where it has come across the
involvement of police officers in drug-related offences while considering a petition filed by a sacked
senior police officer seeking anticipatory bail in a case under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic
Substances (NDPS) Act.
There is no other state where police officers are involved in NDPS cases. In no other state do we find
this,” said a bench of justices BR Gavai and PK Mishra as the bench posted the matter for November 28 to
enable the officer– dismissed additional inspector general (AIG) Raj Jit Singh Hundal – to file a
response to the Punjab government’s allegation that he was not cooperating with the probe.
While the Court had on October 6 granted anticipatory bail to Hundal in one of the three cases
registered against him, the Punjab government filed an affidavit claiming that two other cases, one
under the NDPS and another for disproportionate assets under the Prevention of Corruption Act, are also
pending against the dismissed officer.
Read More
Rajouri encounter: Indian Army dog Domino, his handler awarded for tracking terrorists
Domino and his handler were given the Northern Army Commendation Card by Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi.
Indian Army dog named ‘Domino’ and his handler Lance Naik Lucky Kumar on Friday were awarded for their
role in tracking down a Pakistani terrorist in the recent Rajouri encounter in which five soldiers were
martyred. According to the Indian Army officials, the dog helped the troops reach the hideout of
terrorists by sniffing their blood trail in the Kalakote area, even after he had been injured in a
gunfight.
Domino and his handler were given the Northern Army Commendation Card by Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi.
Read More
Pakistan-based terrorists emboldened after Hamas incursion on Israel
Over the past 15 years, India has developed a certain amount of counterterrorism response.
Ahead of the 15th year anniversary of 26/11 terror attacks in India's financial capital Mumbai, launched
by Pakistan-based terrorists, there are concerns about whether a similar attack could be carried again.
The concerns come in the backdrop of Hamas’ attacks on Israel on October 7, which claimed the lives of
at least 1,400 Israeli civilians.
26/11 can definitely happen in India after what has happened in Israel on October 7. The terrorist
groups which have state support like Iran in the case of Hamas-Israel war or Pakistan in 26/11 terror
attacks, can wreak havoc, create mhem and do a bloody campaign against the innocent civilians all over
the world.
Read More
