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Air Force Day: Wing Cdr Abhinandan leads Mig21 Bison formation with heroes of Balakot airstrike

On Air Force Day, Indian Air Force’s 87th birth anniversary, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman led a formation of the MiG-21 Bison, with heroes of Balakot airstrike.

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Air Force Day Show

The 87th birth anniversary of the Indian Air Force (IAF) today – Tuesday, Oct 8 – will see induction of its newest multirole fighter jet Rafale at a handover ceremony in Merignac in France, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who is in France, taking delivery of the first Rafale made by French firm Dassault Aviation.

Back here in India, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria attended a grand flypast by the IAF’s transport planes, helicopters and fighter jets at Hindon Air Force Station in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad, near Delhi. Army Chief General Bipin Rawat attended the event in Hindon.

The IAF posted a promo video on Twitter and Facebook, with a brief depiction of Balakot airstrike and the air combat the following day.

Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman led a formation of the MiG-21 Bison, with heroes of Balakot airstrike, flying in an ‘Avengers’ formation. Wing Commander Varthaman was awarded the Vir Chakra for shooting down a Pakistani F-16 in February. His aircraft also was downed by enemy fire.

Invoking the Balakot airstrike, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria said it was the duty of the air warriors to remain combat-worthy and alert at all times amid the “present security environment in the neighbourhood.”

Addressing IAF personnel and their families on the 87th birth anniversary of the Air Force, he said, “All Air Warriors should serve with great integrity at all times.”

Also Read: IAF chief Bhadauria recalls Balakot, says major shift in govt’s way of handling terror attacks

“The IAF achieved a whole lot in the last year and showed its capabilities to carry out special operations. We carried out the Balakot airstrike successfully this year. We aim to further raise our operational preparedness. Apart from combat skills, the IAF has been at the forefront of providing humanitarian aid and in search and rescue operations,” the Air Chief Marshal said.

Two squadrons of the IAF – 51 Squadron and 9 Squadron – which played a role in the air strike in Pakistan’s Balakot in February, were decorated with citations.

“Forty indigenous projects have already been incorporated by the IAF and another 122 projects are under development. The advanced fifth generation aircraft to be made indigenously in India has already been launched,” the Air Chief Marshal said.

The IAF also posted a clip of the whole show on Air Force Day (air show starts after 1:34:30)

The air show by the IAF started with flag-bearing sky divers of the Akash Ganga team dropping out of an AN-32 aircraft in their colourful canopies.

Next came the Chinook heavy-lift twin-rotor transport helicopter and the Apache attack helicopters, being showcased for the first time. Both these helicopters were acquired from the US and inducted into the IAF in the last few months.

The flypast included a spectacular manoeuvre by the Russian-origin multirole fighter jet Sukhoi-30MKI. The Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas also made several manoeuvres in the air as the crowd below cheered for it.

A flypast of vintage planes including the Dakota that had served the IAF for over 40 years was also carried out over Hindon. The Dakota DC-3 aircraft of the 1940s was used till 1988. It was one of the most versatile transport aircraft of its time.

The Indian Air Force was set up on October 8, 1932, with an initial strength of only six Royal Air Force-trained officers and 19 Havai Sepoys (air soldiers). The aircraft inventory comprised four Westland Wapiti IIA army co-operation biplanes, according to the information on IAF website.

Rajnath Singh will meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris today as he takes delivery of the first of the 36 Rafale aircraft that India bought from France. He will perform a ‘Shastra Puja’ on Dussehra today. While the formal handover ceremony takes place today, the first batch of four Rafale jets will fly to their home base in India by May 2020.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave his wishes in a tweet this morning: “Today, on Air Force Day, a proud nation expresses gratitude to our air warriors and their families. The Indian Air Force continues to serve India with utmost dedication and excellence.”

India News

Parliament winter session: Government lists 15 bills, including Waqf bill

The session will kick off on November 25 and conclude on December 20.

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The government has listed five new ones and one to amend the contentious Waqf law out of 15 bills for the winter session of Parliament. The session will kick off on November 25 and conclude on December 20.

The government has introduced five new bills, including the Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024, which aims to promote coasting trade and increase the participation of Indian-flagged vessels owned and operated by Indian citizens for both national security and commercial purposes.

Another significant legislation that will be introduced by the government is the Indian Ports Bill, 2024. This bill is designed to implement measures for the conservation of ports, enhance security, and manage pollution, ensuring compliance with India’s international obligations and statutory requirements.

Additionally, the government plans to introduce the Merchant Shipping Bill, 2024, which aims to meet India’s obligations under maritime treaties and support the development of Indian shipping while ensuring the efficient operation of the Indian mercantile marine in a way that serves national interests.

Pending legislation includes the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which is awaiting consideration and passage after the joint committee of both Houses submits its report to the Lok Sabha. The committee is expected to report by the end of the first week of the winter session.

Currently, there are eight bills, including the Waqf (Amendment) Bill and the Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill, pending in the Lok Sabha, while two additional bills are in the Rajya Sabha.

Furthermore, the government has also listed the Punjab Courts (Amendment) Bill for introduction, consideration, and passage, which seeks to increase the pecuniary appellate jurisdiction of Delhi district courts from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.

The Merchant Shipping Bill, along with the Coastal Shipping Bill and the Indian Ports Bill, is slated for introduction and eventual passage.

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International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant against Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu over war crimes

The court accused Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant of crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution, inhumane acts, and the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare.

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International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant against Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu over war crimes

The International Criminal Court (ICC) today issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The court accused Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant of crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution, inhumane acts, and the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare. The leaders allegedly restricted essential supplies such as food, water, and medical aid to civilians in Gaza, resulting in severe humanitarian crises and deaths, including among children.

Last year in October, Israel had launched attacks on Gaza in retaliation for the surprise attack by Hamas. The Israel-Hamas war has led to the death of thousands of civilians, while lakhs have been displaced. The major infrastructures in Gaza, including hospitals and schools, were also destroyed as Israel vowed to wipe out Hamas.

The International Criminal Court stated that it found reasonable grounds to believe the accused intentionally targeted civilians and limited medical supplies, forcing unsafe medical procedures, which caused immense suffering. This ruling was based on the findings from at least October 8, 2023 until at least May 20, 2024.

The court remarked that it has assessed that there are reasonable grounds to believe that PM Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant bear criminal responsibility as civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population of Gaza.

Furthermore, it also noted that the lack of food, water, electricity and fuel, and medical supplies created conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the civilian population in Gaza, leading to death of civilians, including children due to malnutrition and dehydration.

Additionally, the International Criminal Court dismissed two challenges by Israel against its jurisdiction in the situation in the State of Palestine.

Notably, Israel had contested the ICC’s jurisdiction, claiming it could not be exercised without Israel’s consent. Nonetheless, the Chamber ruled that the Court has jurisdiction based on Palestine’s territorial scope, including Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. It further noted that Israel’s objections were premature, as jurisdictional challenges under the Rome Statute can only be made after an arrest warrant is issued.

Reportedly, Israel had also requested a fresh notification regarding the investigation, started in 2021. Denying the request, the court stated that Israel had earlier declined to request a deferral, making additional notifications unnecessary.

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Yogi Adityanath accords tax-free status to Sabarmati Report film in Uttar Pradesh

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have also praised this film.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday accorded a tax-free status to ‘The Sabarmati Report’ film, based on the train burning incident at Godhra in Gujarat in 2002, in the state.

The announcement was made after Chief Minister Adityanath attended the screening of Vikrant Massey and Raashii Khanna-starrer ‘The Sabarmati Report’ in Lucknow with the film’s cast.  

Speaking to reporters, actor Vikrant Massey thanked the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister for making ‘The Sabarmati Report’ film tax-free in the state. “I want to thank Yogi Adityanath ji. This is an important film and I appeal to everyone to go and watch this film,” he said.

Chief Minister Adityanath along with many of his cabinet colleagues watched the film ‘The Sabarmati Report’ under a special screening at a cinema hall in the capital, said a spokesperson of the state government.

Several people associated with the film unit were also present on the occasion. Later the chief minister announced to make this film tax-free in UP.

The BJP-ruled states have been praising the makers of The Sabarmati Report, claiming the team has tried to bring out this truth in front of the people of the country through the film.

The saffron party is appealing to people to watch this film and try to get closer to the truth of Godhra.

Uttar Pradesh becomes the sixth BJP-ruled state after Haryana, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat to declare lead actors Vikrant Massey and Raashii Khanna’s film tax-free.

Adityanath said along with identifying the faces of those who are conspiring against the country for political gains, there is also a need to expose them. The film team has discharged its responsibilities to expose the truth, he said, adding an attempt has been made to bring the real truth in front of the country in a big way through the film.

The Sabarmati Report is said to be based on the incident of setting fire to a train full of ‘karsevaks’ in Godhra on February 27, 2002, killing 90 devotees. After this incident, communal riots broke out in Gujarat. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have also praised this film.

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