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Thiruvananthapuram: Senior <keyword id="22696797" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress-leader-AK-Antony" source="keywords">Congress leader AK Antony</keyword> on Wednesday contributed Rs 50,000 to the Chief Minister Disaster Relief Fund for the victims of the <keyword id="22597176" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Wayanad-landslides" source="keywords">Wayanad landslides</keyword>, which claimed more than 300 lives. "All well-being people of Kerala, and outside the state, I appeal to them to kindly contribute maximum to the <keyword id="19901170" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kerala-Chief-Minister" source="keywords">Kerala Chief Minister</keyword>'s relief fund. In my own humble way, today I am contributing 50,000 rupees to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. This is not the time to quarrel. Let us cooperate now. No controversy; the Centre should come to with a package to help Kerala," Antony told ANI. He further said that the central government should come up with a package to help Kerala. "I appeal to the central government to extend maximum financial and other support to those people who are suffering now," he added. Meanwhile, a special team consisting of six trained Army personnel, four SOGs (Special Operation Groups) of Kerala Police, two Forest Officers and a dog squad left for the Sunrise Valley of Soojippara waterfalls in <keyword id="19945808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="wayanad" source="keywords">Wayanad</keyword> to carry out a search operation. "In continuation of yesterday's. operation, today we are also sending a team. We are including a cadaver dog and its handler. It is a 13-member team. We want to go some more downstream. Yesterday, 4 kilometres were covered. Today, we are trying to cover some more areas. We will maximum try to cover downstream," Taposh Basumatary, Superintendent of police, SOG, told ANI. On Tuesday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the government will ensure world-class rehabilitation in the landslide-hit areas of the Wayanad district, which will serve as an example. Addressing a press conference, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said, "We will ensure world-class rehabilitation. Our goal is to implement a resettlement model that can serve as an example for the nation and the world." The Kerala CM further highlighted that government employees and teachers have come forward to contribute at least 5 per cent of their salary to the disaster relief fund. Highlighting the total funds in the CMDRF, Vijayan stated, "From July 30 until Monday, we have received Rs 53.98 crores in the disaster relief fund." Wayanad's Chooralmala and Mundakkai were hit by massive landslides on July 30, claiming over 300 lives and creating widespread property damage.

Wayanad landslides: Congress leader AK Antony contributes Rs 50,000 to CM Disaster Relief Fund

From Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to Manmohan Singh, these are the stated views of Congress Working Committee members on Sonia Gandhi's resignation

CHENNAI: A section of the confidential Henderson Brooks report that critically reviewed India's defence preparedness and strategies during the 1962 war with China has been released online by Australian journalist Neville Maxwell. 
 While the report may not contain significantly new revelations about the poor state of India's forces during the war, it discusses "how the <keyword id="15350" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Army">Army</keyword> was ordered to challenge the <keyword id="95524" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Chinese-military">Chinese military</keyword> to a conflict it could only lose," according to Maxwell, a retired foreign correspondent who was based in Delhi at the time of the war. 
 The report was authored by <keyword id="160694" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Lieutenant-General">Lieutenant General</keyword> Henderson Brooks and Brigadier P S Bhagat, then commandant of the <keyword id="120637" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Indian-Military-Academy">Indian Military Academy</keyword>, soon after the war. It was commissioned by <keyword id="163250" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Lt-General">Lt General</keyword> J N Chaudhuri who had just taken over as chief of Army staff in 1962. 
 It continues to be considered classified by the <keyword id="44734" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Indian-Government">Indian government</keyword>. 
 As late as April 2010, <keyword id="6366153" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Defence-Minister">defence minister</keyword> AK <keyword id="2953" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Antony">Antony</keyword> told Parliament that the contents of the report are "not only extremely sensitive but are of current operational value." 
 
Maxwell, who wrote a controversial account of the reasons that led to India's defeat in his work, India's China War, says on his website that he has always had access to the report and had waited for it to be declassified. He says he has now decided to put a large part of the report in the public domain because of India's unwillingness to release it. 
 While the <keyword id="278412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Nehru-government">Nehru government</keyword>'s forward policy has been widely analyzed and criticized as being a contributor, Maxwell says on his website that the report holds India's <keyword id="202495" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="first-prime-minister">first prime minister</keyword> personally responsible for the war. "The reasons for the long-term withholding of the report must be political, indeed probably partisan, perhaps even familial," says Maxwell. 
 
The report may provide cannon fodder for the BJP to attack Congress and beef up its campaign for a strong India under the leadership of Narendra Modi. Congress analysts are likely to dismiss the contents since it may not be revelatory, but harp on the progress India has made since then.

Secret Report On India-China War In 1962 Made Public

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Viktor Bout is brokering weapons sales to Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, per The Wall Street Journal.</li><li>Bout was released in a prisoner swap for Brittney Griner after a decade in US custody.</li></ul>The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/viktor-bout-convicted-arms-dealer-russian-prison-swap-brittney-griner-2022-8">notorious Russian arms dealer</a>, who was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/merchant-death-viktor-bout-arms-dealer-russia-politics-britney-griner-2023-9">exchanged for US basketball star Brittney Griner</a> two years ago, is trying to sell weapons to the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wsj.com/world/russia/putins-merchant-of-death-is-back-in-the-arms-business-this-time-selling-to-the-houthis-10b7f521">according to The Wall Street Journal.</a><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/viktor-bout-convicted-arms-dealer-russian-prison-swap-brittney-griner-2022-8">Viktor Bout,</a> sometimes dubbed the "Merchant of Death," was arrested in a US sting operation in 2008, having spent decades smuggling Soviet-made weapons from Europe to the Middle East and Africa.He was later convicted on multiple charges, including conspiracy to kill American citizens and officials and delivery of anti-aircraft missiles.After serving a decade in US custody, he was released in 2022 as part of a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-viktor-bout-brittney-griner-during-prisoner-swap-exchange-report-2022-12">high-profile prisoner swap</a> for Griner, who had been detained in Russia after bringing a small amount of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/brittney-griner-had-a-prescription-for-medical-marijuana-lawyers-say-2022-7">cannabis oil</a> into the country.Following his release, Bout appeared to have shifted his focus to politics, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/viktor-bout-joins-far-right-russian-party-could-run-for-parliament-2022-12">joining a pro-Kremlin ultranationalist party</a> and winning a local assembly seat.However, according to the Journal, he is back in the business of brokering arms deals — <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pentagon-fears-russias-viktor-bout-could-restart-old-arms-business-2022-12">a fear that Pentagon officials expressed</a> just days after his release.Citing sources familiar with the matter, including a European security official, the Journal reported that Bout was present at a negotiation in Moscow in August, in which the Houthis sought to negotiate the purchase of $10 million worth of automatic weapons.The sources told the publication that two Houthi representatives had traveled to Moscow under the cover of buying vehicles and pesticides.They told the Journal that they did not know if the deal was being negotiated on behalf of the Kremlin or just with its quiet support.The Kremlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.According to the people familiar with the matter speaking to the Journal, the deliveries, mostly of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/american-sniper-in-ukraine-prefer-soviet-rifles-easier-get-bullets-2024-4">AK-74s</a>, could start as early as October under the cover of food supplies.Houthi rebels have repeatedly attacked commercial shipping in the Red Sea since last year, though some attacks have targeted Israeli and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/houthi-rebels-say-downed-30m-reaper-drone-yemen-eighth-loss-2024-9">US military vessels</a>.The US and Western allies launched counterattacks to thwart these efforts, which have had major economic implications.According to an April Defense Intelligence Agency <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.dia.mil/Portals/110/Images/News/Military_Powers_Publications/YEM_Houthi-Attacks-Pressuring-International-Trade.pdf">report</a>, container shipping through the Red Sea has declined massively, alternative shipping routes are increasing voyage costs, and insurance premiums for Red Sea transits have spiked."Currently, we are seeing premiums as high as 2% on vessel value for a single Red Sea transit amid fluctuating insurer appetite," Louise Nevill, UK CEO, marine, cargo &amp; logistics, with broker Marsh, told <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/red-sea-insurance-costs-soar-houthi-shipping-threats-loom-sources-say-2024-09-19/">Reuters</a> earlier this month. That's compared to a figure 0.7% just weeks earlier.In January, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.state.gov/secretary-antony-j-blinken-remarks-to-the-press-20/">told reporters at a press conference</a> that the Houthis' attacks on international shipping are "a threat to everyone."The Houthis have also launched drones and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/houthi-missile-israel-air-defense-system-iran-2024-9">missiles at Israel</a>, which they say is in support of Palestinians in Gaza.For months, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-may-arm-houthi-rebels-anti-ship-missiles-us-intel-2024-7">US intelligence agencies have warned</a> that Russia might <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iran-helping-houthis-try-secure-russia-ship-missiles-red-sea-2024-9">arm Houthi rebels with anti-ship missiles</a> in retaliation for US support for Ukraine, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/u-s-launches-effort-to-stop-russia-from-arming-houthis-with-antiship-missiles-98131a8a">according to the Journal.</a>"These attacks are having a real effect on the prices that people have to pay for food, for medicine, for energy," Blinken said. "Ships have to get diverted to other places, insurance rates go up, and the basic principle of freedom of navigation is what's at stake."While the weapons deal reportedly orchestrated by Viktor Bout does not involve anti-ship missiles, it would still represent a notable Russian intervention in the ongoing Red Sea crisis.

The Russian arms dealer who was exchanged for Brittney Griner is trying to sell weapons to the Houthis: report

In the vibrant arena of Indian democracy, the stage is set for the spectacle of the <keyword id="19923279" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-Elections" source="keywords">Lok Sabha elections</keyword> in 2024. From ideological showdowns to historic rivalries, the upcoming polls promise to be a captivating saga of power, passion and pulsating drama. Adding flavour to this fire would be some members of the same family vying for political supremacy, making the Indian political landscape resemble a modern-day game of thrones. Here are some anticipated family clashes set to unfold in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections! <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Battle of the Sisters-in-Law" comment="subhead" text="Battle of the Sisters-in-Law">Battle of the Sisters-in-Law</cmsannotation> In the intense battleground of the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency in Maharashtra’s Pune, two formidable contenders will lock horns: <keyword id="2104553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sunetra-Pawar" source="Orion">Sunetra Pawar</keyword>, spouse of NCP chief Ajit Pawar, and <keyword id="20083020" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="supriya-sule" source="keywords">Supriya Sule</keyword>, daughter of NCP (SP) leader Sharad Pawar. In this Pawar vs Pawar power struggle, Ajit Pawar sought support for his wife Sunetra just earlier this week, urging the voters to stick to the candidate with ‘Pawar’ in her name (referring to Sunetra Pawar). While Baramati’s sympathy and emotive appeal seems to be with Supriya, Ajit Pawar’s electoral skill might just tilt the scales in Sunetra’s favour. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Cousin vs Cousin" comment="subhead" text="Cousin vs Cousin">Cousin vs Cousin</cmsannotation> In Andhra's Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency, a fierce showdown is on the horizon. State Congress chief <keyword id="20035798" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ys-sharmila" source="keywords">YS Sharmila</keyword>, sister of Andhra CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, is set to go head-to-head with her cousin <keyword id="6296385" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="YS-Avinash-Reddy" source="Orion">YS Avinash Reddy</keyword>, the current YSRCP MP. This sibling rivalry has seen it all over the past decade — from Avinash's expulsion of Sharmila from the YSRCP and their disputes over familial assets to Sharmila's assertion linking a former minister's murder to Avinash's quest for a ticket and her refusal to consider Avinash as his father YSR’s true successor. Now, as they engage in their latest political bout, the exchanges threaten to fracture the political legacy left behind by the late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), the former chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Extended Family Feud" comment="subhead" text="Extended Family Feud">Extended Family Feud</cmsannotation> Another gripping family feud is anticipated in the Osmanabad Lok Sabha constituency of the Marathwada region, adding to the already charged political atmosphere in Maharashtra. <keyword id="21277952" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Omprakash-Raje-Nimbalkar" source="Orion">Omprakash Raje Nimbalkar</keyword>, representing the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), will face off against <keyword id="2724753" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Archana-Patil" source="Orion">Archana Patil</keyword> from the Ajit Pawar-led NCP. Notably, both contenders hail from the expansive Pawar clan. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Father vs Son" comment="subhead" text="Father vs Son">Father vs Son</cmsannotation> Shiromani Akali Dal (Amritsar) leader <keyword id="515515" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Simranjit-Singh-Mann" source="Orion">Simranjit Singh Mann</keyword>, currently a sitting MP from Sangrur, has nominated his son <keyword id="21277953" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Emaan-Singh-Mann" source="Orion">Emaan Singh Mann</keyword> for the party ticket. While husband-wife and sibling duos tend to be common during polls, this historic move signals the first time ever that a father-son duo will vie for seats in the Lok Sabha in Punjab during the same election. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Bonus: Brother vs Sister that nearly happened" comment="subhead" text="Bonus: Brother vs Sister that nearly happened">Bonus: Brother vs Sister that nearly happened</cmsannotation> In a tale of political divergence within the family, BJP's B Sriramulu and YSRCP's J Shantha have strategically chosen separate constituencies to avoid a clash in the upcoming elections. While Sriramulu has maintained his stronghold in Karnataka's Bellary, Shantha has shifted her focus to Andhra’s Hindupur. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Bonus: Son vs… Political Party?" comment="subhead" text="Bonus: Son vs… Political Party?">Bonus: Son vs… Political Party?</cmsannotation> In a display of unwavering loyalty to his party over his kin, Congress stalwart AK Antony voiced his firm stance on his son, Anil Antony, running for the Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha seat under the BJP banner in the upcoming elections. Speaking at a press briefing, Antony emphasised his preference for his son's political party to face defeat in the electoral race, instead hoping for the triumph of the rival Congress candidate in the southern Kerala constituency. He also criticised the trend of offspring of Congress leaders aligning themselves with the BJP as "wrong".

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 is not just a battle between political parties, it's also a family feud for these contestants

New Delhi, From appealing people not to vote for them to flaunting the unsuccessful tag, changing name in each election to losing huge sums of money in security deposits -- some tenacious <keyword id="20022603" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="independent" source="keywords">Independent</keyword> candidates have tried these all but losing elections became a habit for them. Tamil Nadu's K Padmarajan, who proudly calls himself the "Election King", might be the only candidate in the election fray who urges people not to vote for him, so he can retain his tag of being "most unsuccessful candidate", a feat also registered in the Limca Book of records. The 65-year-old tyre repair shop owner also finds pride in his entry in the <keyword id="19981515" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="guinness-book-of-world-records" source="keywords">Guinness Book of World Records</keyword> for candidate with most contested elections. He claims to have lost Rs 80 lakh so far in security deposits which gets forfeited every time he loses an election besides expenses for filing nomination amid fanfare. Gearing up for his 239th attempt, Padmarajan has filed his nomination for the 18th <keyword id="19895394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lok-sabha" source="keywords">Lok Sabha</keyword> elections from Thrissur in Kerala and Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu. "I began fighting elections in 1988 from my home town of Mettur, located in Tamil Nadu. I have contested 238 elections so far including against former prime ministers <keyword id="20374221" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="atal-bihar-vajpayee" source="keywords">Atal Bihar Vajpayee</keyword>, P V Narsimha Rao and Manmohan Singh. This will be my 239th attempt. I pick a unique battle every time," he told PTI. Asked about his campaign plans, Padmarajan said, "I ask people not vote for me, I don't want the votes but I want to continue to hold the tag of most unsuccessful candidate. I don't campaign but when I go for filing nomination, I do that in a grand way." From former chief ministers like Jayalalitha, M Karunanidhi, YSR Reddy and AK Antony to filmstars Hema Malini and Vijayakanth -- the list of bigwigs against whom Padmarajan has contested is long. Indore's Parmanand <keyword id="21190647" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tolani" source="keywords">Tolani</keyword> is taking forward his father's legacy who fought elections as independent candidate for three decades. "My father passed away in 1988 and I am taking forward his legacy. I have contested 18 elections so far including eight Lok Sabha and eight Vidhan Sabha. I will be contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha polls too," 65-year-old Tolani told PTI. "My father's wish was that we do not have to stop the trend till someone from the family gets elected. If I am not able to do it in my lifetime, my two daughters will carry forward the baton," said Tolani, who is a property broker. <keyword id="21190648" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vijay-prakash-kodekar" source="keywords">Vijay Prakash Kodekar</keyword> from <keyword id="19897309" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pune" source="keywords">Pune</keyword>, a retired staffer from state electricity board, has a different agenda behind contesting elections as independent candidate -- advocating zero budget poll campaigns. He can be seen pushing a steel cart on wheels in streets of Latur, where he is planning to contest the Lok Sabha polls. A flex board on the cart says "Main bhi Pradhanmantri". "The message why cannot any poor individual be the Prime Minister of the country. Why this exorbitant expenditure by parties on election campaigns? Polls can be fought on zero budget and the money can be utilised for public welfare," said 78-year-old Kodekar, who campaigns wearing a white dhoti. Having contested 24 elections so far, Kodekar uses a different name for different elections. "Some elections I have contested using the name Vijay, some with 'Rashtrapati' and some with the name 'Znyosho' -- as I am a disciple of Osho. I complete the name change formalities and then I contest the polls using the new name," he said. Hyderabad techie Ravinder Uppula, uses different campaign strategies for each Lok Sabha election he fights. In 2014 -- it was anti-corruption march and in 2019 it was a liquid only fast. "I promise during my campaign that if I get elected, I will get a lie detector test done every 100 days so public who votes for me doesn't feel cheated. That is how our politicians should do as well to weed out corruption," he said. Uppula, however, is disappointed with the poll campaign expenses. "It should not be an expensive deal to canvass in this country, an agenda and the right promise should be enough rather than the poll fray leaving the voters with no choice except voting for a smaller thief or a bigger thief," he added. The strange obsession of the independent candidates has also been featured in the book "The Power of The Ballot: Travail and Triumph in the Elections". Sharing the saga of some of the independent candidates' stint at the elections, the book decodes "why do some people contest every time knowing they will lose?" Kaka Joginder Singh, also known as "Dhartipakad", was a textile-shop owner who contested and lost over 300 elections. He died in 1998. In elections, he always contested independently, and always lost his security deposits. He earned the nickname Dhartipakad after several unsuccessful runs for the post of the President of India. The year with the greatest yield for him was during the tenth presidential elections in 1992 in which he earned fourth place in the polling with 1,135 votes, losing to Shankar Dayal Sharma; it was his best performance. He also contested elections from 14 states of India in the 1990s, mostly for state assemblies. Singh died in 1998. Long before <keyword id="19895781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="keywords">Narendra Modi</keyword> chose Varanasi as an election destination, the city had Narendra Nath Dubey "Adig". Often referred to as Kashi's Dhartipakad, he has been fighting every election as an independent candidate since 1984, losing his security deposit each time. He passed away in 2022.

PM campaign on a cart, most unsuccessful record: Independents who never call it quits

New Delhi, Apr 18 () Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said he had not been confined to one place for a long time except during the Emergency, and described life during the ongoing coronavirus lockdown as a novel experience where he is trying to make the most of it by conditioning his mind to handle the uncertainty with equanimity. In a Facebook post, Naidu said he is trying to use the time in a constructive manner and enhancing his perception by reading good books and sharing thoughts and ideas with near and dear ones. "All this is made possible by making small and significant changes to my daily routine. No doubt my mobility is restricted, but my mind is brimming with new thoughts and ideas," he said. He said he has not done anything special except for "reorienting my mind". "I have never been used to this kind of confinement, except during the Emergency. This is a novel experience to me and I am striving to make the most of it by conditioning my mind to handle the uncertainty with equanimity," he wrote. Every dark cloud has a silver lining and these testing times too have its advantages, he said. "The first and foremost is the fact that I am able to spend significant time with my wife Ushamma, which was not the case since our marriage in 1970," he said. His wife, Naidu said, in particular is savouring every moment of their togetherness. "Since our marriage, I did not spend even a week at a stretch at our home," the former union minister wrote. After he is through with his official work, Naidu, who is also the Chairman of Rajya Sabha, uses time to speak with family members living in Nellore, Tamil Nadu and Hyderabad. He said the lockdown has given him to speak with veteran leaders, including former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and HD Deve Gowda, and LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, AK Antony, Ahmed Patel and Motilal Vora. "Such regular interactions, which otherwise are not possible, give great happiness to us," he said. Naidu also shared details of how he spends his day -- waking up at 5 AM and retiring by 9 PM. "Let us walk together on this difficult path with restraint and greater determination. Let's fight this pandemic head-on. Only a controlled and compassionate mind can achieve anything," he said. Naidu said he wrote the post on request of his friends. NAB SMNSMN

VP Naidu writes post on life in lockdown and how to make best of it

<ul><li> The <keyword id="106653" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Congress-Working-Committee">Congress Working Committee</keyword> (CWC) ended without a decision who should be the party's next president.</li><li><keyword id="689" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sonia-Gandhi">Sonia Gandhi</keyword> will continue as the party's interim president, at least until next week, when the CWC is scheduled to meet again.</li><li>The All India Congress Committee (AICC) plans to initiate the process of selecting a new leader as soon as possible.</li><li>Some want <keyword id="5268" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rahul-Gandhi">Rahul Gandhi</keyword> to return to the helm, while others want a non-Gandhi contender at the head of the table.</li></ul>Sonia Gandhi will remain Congress' interim president as confusion reigned at the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting earlier today. The head of the Gandhi family offered to resign as party president, but Manmohan Singh rejected this, and Rahul Gandhi questioned the timing of the request for a change in leadership. Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, Kamal Nath, is also pushed for Sonia Gandhi to remain Congress chief akin to Singh. Ahmed Patel, on the other hand, wants Rahul Gandhi to take the reigns instead. <div type="image" title="gandhi manmohan singh" msid="77717663" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Sonia Gandhi&amp;#39;s position as party leader questioned at Congress Working Committee meeting&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> In a letter, signed by at least 300 Congress leaders including CWC member Ghulam Nabi Azad, Sonia Gandhi was asked to step down as interim Congress president to make way from someone outside of the Gandhi family. However, sources now tell PTI that the CWC is urging Sonia Gandhi to stay on after today's meeting. <div type="twitter" handle="PTI_News" handlename="Press Trust of India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/826806758513446913/2__zaKJN_normal.jpg" favoritecount="94" retweetcount="8" status="Congress Working Committee urges Sonia Gandhi to continue as interim party chief and to bring changes to strengthen organisation: Sources" createdat="1598274254000" id="1297882408054697984"></div> The letter by Azad and others was been met with resistance from certain quarters. Some want Rahul Gandhi to return to the helm while others don’t want Sonia Gandhi to vacate the position in the first place. Even though the CWC grappled with the issue for nearly seven hours today, they were unable to reach a consensus. Another CWC is set to happen next week, it can been early as Monday or sometime later. It is likely to be sooner rather later according PTI with the All India Congress Committee (AICC) looking to initiate the process of choosing the next Congress president. <div type="twitter" handle="PTI_News" handlename="Press Trust of India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/826806758513446913/2__zaKJN_normal.jpg" favoritecount="119" retweetcount="14" status="Congress Working Committee decides to convene AICC session at earliest possible time to start process of selecting new party chief: Sources" createdat="1598274394000" id="1297882995144060931"></div> Sonia Gandhi wants to step down Sonia Gandhi, in response to the letter urging for reforms, said that she is willing to step down. In wanting to leave, she also called for Congress to initiate the process of selecting a new party chief. <div type="image" title="gandhi manmohan singh2" msid="77717745" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Rahul Gandhi (L), Manmohan Singh (C) and Sonia Gandhi (R)&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> However, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked Sonia Gandhi to continue, and senior Congress leader AK Antony questioned the letter seeking leadership change. Her son and former president of the party, Rahul Gandhi, criticised the letter and questioned its timing. “We are colluding with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP),” he said according to PTI. A remark that he claims he never made. <div type="twitter" handle="KapilSibal" handlename="Kapil Sibal" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/572311513214382080/cexJW2ot_normal.jpeg" favoritecount="12923" retweetcount="2085" status="Was informed by Rahul Gandhi personally that he never said what was attributed to him . I therefore withdraw my tweet ." createdat="1598257072000" id="1297810344664895489"></div> Even though Rahul Gandhi has repeated said that he has no interest in returning to the head of the table, Congress leader Ahmed Patel demanded that he take over as Congress chief. Several Congress workers gathered outside the party's headquarters in Delhi were also spotted holding placards in support of the Gandhi party. One read "Gandhi pariwar ke alawa koi adhyaksh bana, toh party toot hi jayegi" (if anybody outside the Gandhi family becomes chief, the party will break). The meeting ended in a stalemate with party members unable to reach a consensus on whether they want Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi or a non-Gandhi at the helm. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/india/news/from-priyanka-gandhi-vadra-to-manmohan-singh-these-are-the-stated-views-of-congress-working-committee-members-on-sonia-gandhis-resignation/slidelist/77713740.cms">From Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to Manmohan Singh, these are the stated views of Congress Working Committee members on Sonia Gandhi's resignation</a>

Sonia Gandhi to remain Congress' interim president for another week until CWC picks its next leader

Within a year of coming into power, the <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> government made a number of noteworthy choices that reflect the clearer vision and much more planned strategy than the prior regime. Not just imparting power to the ministries, the NDA has also changed the government's allocation and transaction of business rules almost 13 times after gaining power. Amongst the changes done by the Centre, which caught attention of a majority of people, include: scrapping of four cabinet committees — on WTO, prices, <keyword id="6355252" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="UIDAI">UIDAI</keyword> and management of natural calamities and <keyword id="6000" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Home-Minister">Home Minister</keyword> <keyword id="6355121" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajnath-Singh">Rajnath Singh</keyword> was given the charge of the accommodation and Parliamentary Affairs Committees. Few may be aware that Modi imposed a new rule for all government housing decisions taken by the <keyword id="180278" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cabinet-committee">Cabinet Committee</keyword> on accommodation chaired by Singh. By contrast, Modi's predecessor <keyword id="6359397" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Manmohan-Singh">Manmohan Singh</keyword> had allowed his <keyword id="6366153" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Defence-Minister">defence minister</keyword> AK Antony to call shots on allotment of official bungalows and quarters, as he was the head of his cabinet's accommodation panel. The changes aren’t limited to this. Currently, the <keyword id="149609" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Civil-Aviation">Ministry of Civil Aviation</keyword> does not regulates production of aircrafts; the <keyword id="148325" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Border-Roads-Organisation">Border Roads Organisation</keyword> no longer comes under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways as it is now a part of the <keyword id="6369097" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Defence">Ministry of Defence</keyword> that has been allowed to purchase land up to Rs 250 crore for its projects. 

	What endowed the ministries with more power and authority is the decision that these government organizations need not approach the Cabinet for expenditure below Rs 1,000 crore and can take the call themselves.
 Terming the alterations a mark of faster growth, ex-cabinet secretary KM Chandrasekhar said, "Coming from a chief minister's office where he was in complete control for 15 years to adjust to the <keyword id="6377129" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Government-Of-India">Government of India</keyword> environment takes time. These changes in business rules represent Modi's learning curve and reflect that he now realises he has to give more authority to ministers as only then, New Delhi will start moving.” 
	(Image: The Economic Times)

What more to come up from Modi’s strategy lug?

Due to MNCs like Google and Apple giving a cold response to India's security concerns, they might soon need a license for <keyword id="3354536" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="satellite-mapping-in-India">satellite mapping in India</keyword>, says a proposed legislation. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/PoK-and-Arunachal-as-disputed-territories/articleshow/52129850.cms">As reported last week</a>, a draft of <keyword id="3354538" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Geospatial-Information-Regulation-Bill">Geospatial Information Regulation Bill</keyword> was released last week, saying that anyone mapping India by a satellite or aerial platform will be needing a licence from a government "security vetting authority". 
 This move is being criticised as "return of the <keyword id="736863" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="licence-raj">Licence Raj</keyword>" and "digital nationalism". However, Kiren Rijiju, MoS for Home, has reacted to the criticism saying, "India as a responsible power must have established guidelines. We won't create hurdles for business and technological development, but national security considerations must not be compromised either." 
 
Non-compliance to the above regulation could land you in jail for seven years, while inviting a fine of up to Rs 100 crore. 
 
One person who seems to have particularly campaigned for such law is BJP MP Tarun Vijay, who has asked "patriotic Indians" to use the country's own <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/ISRO-is-hoping-its-big-offering-would-gain-popularity-in-the-market/articleshow/48187137.cms">'Bhuvan'</a> software application for maps. 
 
"Why do we need Google? We should stop becoming Google's instruments," he told ET. "The patriotic government of Narendra Modi has taken a right step in a big relief to the security establishment. UPA did not take any action despite my pleas to the then Defence Minister AK Antony. I congratulate the Modi government for showing spine in face of arrogance of these IT giants," he said, adding: Google has been "behaving as if it were above Indian law". 
 
Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/This-city-is-the-third-toughest-city-to-navigate-in-the-world-and-it-is-in-India/articleshow/50219001.cms">This city is the third toughest city to navigate in the world and it is in India</a> 
 
A top government official aware of the matter told ET that maps of India's sensitive installations were available on Google Maps, which significantly increases the security risk of those sites. "<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/26/11-Mumbai-attacks-mastermind-Hafiz-Saeed-lauds-Pathankot-attacks-warns-India-of-more/articleshow/50852967.cms">Pathankot air base</a>, which was recently attacked, can be seen on Google Maps. Terrorists plot strikes on sensitive targets studying Google Maps," he said. 
 
If the legislation is passed, companies like <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Google-to-set-up-a-new-campus-in-India-Sundar-Pichai/articleshow/50203683.cms">Google</a>, Microsoft and Apple, would be severely and directly hit as they have millions of Indians using their maps. Moreover, several firms like Ola, Uber and Zomato depend on these maps to provide their services, and they too won’t be spared from the results. 
 
Mishi Choudhary, legal director at Software Freedom Law Centre, told ET that since almost all online businesses today depend on geo-location for their services, all of them will be forced to seek a licence under the proposed law, which is a threat to digital India. 
 
"This kind of digital nationalism is a way to create a government-controlled monopoly on all geographical information about the country, conveniently transforming Digital India to Licence India, digitally this time," she said. 
 
However, a senior government official has added that companies should not have a problem to come under regulations on security considerations, given that the bill is seeking public comments and if they don’t like it, they can lodge their apprehensions. "We are not banning anyone from mapping India - only that the mapping has to be in line with Indian security considerations regarding sensitive installations and correct boundaries being depicted like not showing PoK and Arunachal Pradesh as out of India," this official said. 
 
Meanwhile, a group of techies have created a website called savethemap.in, aiming to educate people about the matter and send out their responses. 
 
<a href="https://papertreiger.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/india-pakistan.jpg">Image source</a>

Google and Apple might soon need a license for satellite mapping in India

Rahul Gandhi’s return to the prominence yesterday has triggered innumerable curious questions related to Rahul’s past few days and <keyword id="1575" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Congress">Congress</keyword>’ future. It seems Sonia Gandhi was waiting for this day and has signalled a comeback plan. 
 
As per a news report by The Economic Times, Congress game plan involves focussing the party as one that will fight for farmers and paint BJP as a ruling party that shows little concern about India's largest occupational group. The <keyword id="87979" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Land-Bill">land Bill</keyword> agitation rally announced earlier and to be held at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan this Sunday, April 19, will be turned into a launch pad for "a big event to boost cadre morale and recapture the space of the principal opposition party", a top Congress leader told the ET. 
 
 
"The drift in the Congress disappeared with Rahul Gandhi's disappearance. Hope it doesn't reappear now that he is back," a former Union minister said. Rahul will be briefed on the Congress plan on Friday by Digvijaya Singh, another Congress leader told the financial daily. 
 Sonia has also sent down the message that some Congress heavyweights, who have traditionally been faction fighters, must bury all differences and work together. One party leader said <keyword id="49103" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Ashok-Gehlot">Ashok Gehlot</keyword> has been asked to work with Sachin Pilot in Rajasthan. Similarly, in Madhya Pradesh, Digvijaya Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kamal Nath have been asked to cooperate. As have been BS Hooda and Ashok Tanwar in Haryana. 
 
Congress chiefs of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh have been asked to bring in crowds. The chief ministers of all the nine Congress-ruled states would also be present as would be Congress leaders. 
 
A group of senior leaders led by AK Antony and Digvijaya Singh, Mukul Wasnik, BS Hooda and Ashok Gehlot have been given key responsibilities. "A quota has been allotted to each state. The idea is to get as many of our people from different parts so that the message is evenly spread," the leader quoted earlier told the ET. 
 The party also felt that merely focussing on the land Bill would limit its appeal to only land-owning farmers. But revival of farmer suicide, especially in battleground states of Uttar Pradesh and <keyword id="30033" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Bihar">Bihar</keyword>, and crop losses are resulting in growing resentment in rural India. 
 
(Image: Reuters) 
 
Congress hopes it could be a beneficiary of this resentment. The party would focus on those affected worst -- sugarcane, cotton, paddy, wheat, and potato farmers. "The idea is to show that BJP's government is inherently antifarmer," a top leader involved in the planning said. The party hopes the "anti-farmer" tag will stick to BJP and would take off from its protests on the land Bill.

The Return of Rahul: Congress suddenly reminded of its opposition status

NEW DELHI: The world’s second-largest standing <keyword id="15350" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Army">Army</keyword> is fast running out of ammunition. Tanks and air defence units, artillery batteries and infantry soldiers are all facing the crunch. The Army is, obviously, tight-lipped on the ammunition shortage. But a simple calculation reveals that at present, it may not have enough ammunition reserves to sustain a full-fledged war for even 20 days. 
 The norm is that war wastage reserves (WWR) should be adequate for 40 days of intense fighting, with 21 days earmarked for ammunition with shorter shelf-life. But according to a recent statement by Army chief General <keyword id="130318" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bikram-Singh">Bikram Singh</keyword>, if there is proper budgetary support for the new ammunition roadmap, the Army should have 50 per cent WWR and three years of training ammunition by 2015. 
 
In other words, the Army is at not even 50 per cent WWR right now, which means it does not have adequate reserves to fight a war for even 20 days. It is expected to reach 100 per cent WWR only by 2019. 
 With the huge shortages adversely impacting both operational readiness and training, the 1.18-million strong <keyword id="6354416" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Indian-Army">Indian Army</keyword> is desperate that the new government which takes charge in May actively supports its new ammunition roadmap of around Rs 19,250 crore, both in terms of fund allocations and timelines. 
 
 
 This becomes all the more crucial since the Army has kick-started the raising of the new XVII <keyword id="184463" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Mountain-Strike-Corps">Mountain Strike Corps</keyword>, which will come into full force with over 90,000 soldiers over the next seven years, to add some much-needed teeth to its deterrence posture against China. This alone will see the raising of 32 new infantry battalions, apart from armoured, artillery and air defence units. 
 
The Army already has 13 corps, which includes the three "strike" ones headquartered at Mathura (I Corps), Ambala (II Corps) and Bhopal (XXI Corps). They add up to 382 infantry battalions, 281 artillery, 63 armoured, 44 mechanized and 56 air defence regiments, apart from other support arms like signals, engineers, ordnance and the like. 
 
Plans didn't take off 
 
On one hand, almost none of its critical modernization projects for new howitzers, helicopters, anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs) or air defence guns have materialized till now. On the other, operational hollowness or "critical" deficiencies in ammunition and fuses for existing weapon systems have built up over the last decade. 
 
"There is a glaring mismatch between operational and training requirements vis-a-vis budget allocations, imports and the inadequate production capacity of our 39 ordnance factories," said a senior officer. 
 
The Army holds ammunition, which is costly and also has shelf-life, at three levels. The "first line" of operational and training ammunition is held at the battalion level in the shape of "on weapon and unit reserves", while the "second line" is with higher formations like brigades and divisions. 
 
Finally, there is the WWR, held in a dispersed manner. 
 With <keyword id="6366153" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Defence-Minister">defence minister</keyword> AK Antony sanctioning the roadmap, the next government will have to take it forward.

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