PS TTA MUTANT PP tics Agni- V ICBM is a great force multiplier, but it is an SSBN submarine that will add potency to India's Nuclear Triado BEUMERGROUP BAGGAGE HANDLING MADE DIFFERENT ‘OUR SYSTEMS INCLUDE: > Baggage make-up = automated > BS management If ~intutve processes reduce baggage storage ‘web-based software fr easy > Checkin conventional and bag space, provide hands-free ground "system operation and navigaton cop scutons to sve oor space handing or ful ack, trace anc betwoon BG Software Sute an integrate an ates spec baggage reconctation (BRS) and ‘madlls, fast overview of KPIs and errs rinse staf injuries rom manual BRS plus advanced emulaton > Secu integrated screening iting testing tools solos, such asthe GisBag > Baggage losting and unloacing > Operaions and maintenance ~ tote system teatro fulitom vacea- syste for automat, som comprehensive tsred ining billy to ensure the akport complies automatic and manual handing Programmes suppor arpot opera win alinteratonal equations reduce costs, improve handing tons vith a sence evel agreement > “Fanspotaton and sortation - high efficiencies and prove a safer ‘based on key performance seed systoms miinise baguage sotking envrenment or he found inccators ‘ranster delays or snoterconmecton handling teams times and optimised passenger flow > aggage rec — well-designed, > Mut purpose storage - talored smooth and quiet carousel eystome lew eeacin caeeaas make anival spaces move attractive handing eperatons, incising peak ERO EINES volume management and reduction experince ‘of arraft loading and ground tines AIRPORTEDITORIAL W K SRINIVASAN MEGA AMBITIONS nia is going to become one of the top five ship-building nations in the coming decade, Our Mantra is ‘Make in India ~ Make for the world. The government is working to bring together all stakeholders in the sector through maritime clusters. “We are moving towards a future where the Blue Economy will be the medium to create 3 Green Planet,” Prime Minister Narendra Medi said while inaugurating the Global Maritime India ‘Summit 2023 On October 17, 2023. On the occasion, the Prime Minister launched maritime projects worth €23,000 crore and Unveiled a long-term vision dacument for India's blue economy. He spoke about the Next Generation Mega Port, International Container Trans-shipment port, island development, inland waterways, and a Trulti-modal hub that will dat the country’s long coastline as part of this vision called Maritime Amritkal 2047, As part of his speech, the PM reflected on defence production and the government's focus on the shipbuilding and repair sector. He mentioned the indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant is proof of India’s capacity to successfully carry out mega projects to fruition. In November, the Ministry of Shipping held 2 high-level review meeting to set the roadmap for this vision and look al the progress of the flagship Sagarmala programme as well as Maritime Amritkal 2067. On the table were 162 projects with an investment outlay of a humongous %1 trillion. Part of the vision is the decision to develop six mega ports by 2047. These Mega Ports will have a capacity exceeding 500 Million Tonnes Per Annum. (TPA), Officials said that this is a continuum of the country’s desire to nol just possesses 2 high- quality blue water navy that can offer passage and protection through the sea lanes, but also an efficient transit point to officad goods. One of the mega ports under development is the Cochin Vizhinjam seaport where an international ‘wwegeopoites.in deep-sea facility is being constructed al a cost of 27,700 crore. The Adani Group is the private partner in the development of this part-- one of the largest inthe world, once commissioned However as the Observer Research Foundation {ORF] noted in a paper, “The emergence of ‘mega-ships and mega-ports necessitates that governments respond to several traditional and non-traditional maritime security threats ‘and vulnerabilities, Securing maritime supply chains against disruption presents an enormous challenge. The increased size of ships increases the safety, security and rescue concerns at ports proportionally 2 mega-ships generate larger ‘and mare concentrated flows of containers in docks, stores and the hinterland, Mega-ships also inerease the concentration of risk in the transit ‘choke points that can have severe global food and energy security implications. While more cargo fon ships implies less number of ships, the supply chain becomes (ess resilient due to the large volume of goods on decreasing number of vessels, Of course, it would require a more formidable and nimble navy policing the sea lanes, Thal is a given. More immediately, most of the heavy equipment being used in Cochin is being sourced from China— a total of 17 cranes is one example. Itis illustrative fof the distance that India still has to traverse to become a heavyweight. The fact is there is some China element in most things we do—the engines for the drones come from China, the cranes are from there and the chips for the semiconductor industry continue to flow from China, Its ehanging, bout stilla workin progress. srini@newsline.in March 20246 mel COVER STORY 12 While Agni-V, the nuclear capable intercontinental range ballistic missile (ICBM), has undergone ten successful test flights since 2012, there has been very little movement on the much-awaited Agni-Vi missile project. It is critical to Fastrack this program PERSPECTIVE ‘The Indian Navyis building anaval airbase inthe Lakshadweep ‘The tremendous development on the Tibetan sie ofthe Sino-Indian Islands just 507 kllometes om the Maldives, tis teafimation of border, particularly the string of model villages, and aso the incred- the country’s determination to secure the Indian Ocean region {Ble infrastructure development needs to be closely watched with suitable measures taken to improve the Indian sie ofthe LAC Touted atone time as apeaceful exploration, increasingly space is Willthe government’ decision to fence the country’s border becoming a batleground for supremacy. Countries across the world with Myanmar Help or create more complications onthe ground, are racing o become a par ofthis mad seramble. reactions in the northeast are mixed. March 2024 | www.geopoltics.inCONTENTS Farm ee le 8 PCY ‘ecoroumes 1. Pace of Pacaton hw Dei 2 perodenyotAwseaten | Hert 4 Prec tame KSemesan Were amen ot ine? Yen (Mragexstatre ot peal uray fo) ess Poe, Mayr Var Pas es Dans se 4 Pater ae Sasa ite WreberGiznot ine? Yes FAKE ARMY DRESS (44) “er opps suttte Nat Areal ‘Almost 500 metres of fake camoutlage cos te cau ote screxesu mayen, | Shing was confiscated from an Plage Odisha shopkeeper These andother ceaarsnee rave levelopments in this month’ IS digest WreberGenotinie? Yes Afrager sate ot Agpleale cay eos eae 46 Pack, yr Vi Prue Den 110091 EovrORW-cHIEE ngs am, Ais of 1. natal IC'SRINIVASAN indilswtoontw 2 K Siasan toron nemspape ade partes 4 Pack ay Vie fr shreolirs tong Pras, ent PRAKASH NANPA VOL XIV, ISSUE X, March 2024 ior anon pe ce of anacins cron, ‘rot capt THIRTHANKAR GHOSH ——_execuTWe cHAIRMAN 1. Sesan nm ace te partes gn a tr seo enron M.MURALIDHARAN {ote best of my loupe ant beet ZUBIN KER! MODY inecro ae: tt Mah 2024 sa. RAJIV SINGH Sinan corr enon Paste ‘AMARTYA SINHA Punting onecr0R RAKESH CERA searon consesronnevt AMALA KINITTO Loa anwso VASU SHARMA fo1Ta0RIAL coonomAroR ROGAN ROME M Desiener, PERISCOPE 7_ MOLT KANSAL, DRDO has successfully tsted a very short NAGENDER DUBEY Far acsng aa lesen ase : . star peorocaanaen sont 0878 olen are VOR Its eros HEMANT RAWAT Fr editorial inputs: gepoiiesBnewsinen {feather in the cap of India's Premier defence sussenipnon atonal an Moreting Oe Newzere Media Prt Li eo \VINAMARTA SINGH Rot or Pratap Markt, ungpur 8, Near orszniurion Portes on Deh T BHUSHAN KUMAR Allnformation in GEOPOLITICS is derived from sources we consider reliable. I is passed on to our readers without any responsibility on our part. Opinions/views exprassed by third parties in abstract or in interviews are not necessarily shared by Us. Material appearing in the magazine cannot be reproduced in whole or in partls] without prior permission. The publisher assumes no responsibility for material lost or damaged in transit. The publisher reserves the right to refuse, withdraw or otherwise deal with all advertisements without explanation. All advertisements must comply with the Indian Advertisements Code. The publisher will not be liable for any loss caused by any delay in publication, error or falure of advertisement to appear, Owned and published by K Srinivasan, 4C Pocket-IV, Mayur Vihar, Phase-I, Dethi-#1 and printed by him at Archna Printers D-127, Okbla Indl ‘Area Ph-1, New Delhi -110020, Readers are welcome to send their feedback at ‘geopolitics@newsline.in ‘wowegeopoitics.in | March 2024 5Dont be The government of India shoule fave known that Maldives cannot be reformed. Thatis the nature of politics in that country—buill ona hate Ingia cocktail of lie, deceit and half-truths. what Indi needs to do is to build 2 Aiplomatic network that can navigate the Indian Ocean Fegion while completely Ignoring ‘Maldives Just 25 ‘wis have done with Pakistan Vikas, Dehradun Looking for the perfect budget Amit Cowsbish “is absolutely right when he says: "Ic will be in the fitness of things if this leads to. the realisation among the civilian and military bureaucracies that better defence planning Is required to optimise the scarce resources for augmenting the military capabilities. It calls for the formulation of financially viable defence plans -an idea which has received less attention for more than two decades than it deserved.” But the point is that there is so much of unexpected developments along the lo border that India has both with Pakistan, China and other countries along in the East that the best of planning is sometimes not enough. But one must give credit to the Wings India 2024 Is a pity that India does not have a combined, civil and military air show. If only there was better sense; one only ‘bas to look at the show in Dubai ‘which proceeded the Indian show in Hyderabad and then look also attheair showin Singapore which ‘was alter Wings India to realise how insipid our own show was, For a country which will soon be the third largest economy in the ‘world, the show is nothing but a placform to make us the laughing Stockofthe would. I¢stime that he ministry of eivil emission in the Ministry of Defence gets together ‘with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, toplan one comprehensive show. Nivedita, Vishakhaparnam NDA government for doing their best Peter, Meerut aU? CHARTING THE FUTURE OF AVIATION IN INDIA AND BEYOND" What a tragedy The Gaza tragedy is one of the great tragedies of the 21st century: What is even. ‘more tragic that wrongis being completely perpetuated and protected by those who shoud know better. History will judge both America and the Western Block very harshly for the blind eye that ‘they have turned to what ishappening inthe region. And the blowback by all accounts willbe bitter. Sudhanshu, Lucknow March 2024 | www.geopoltics.inOur readership is, to simply | put it, Fortune 500; = DIPLOMATS POLICY MAKERS. CAPTAINS OF INDUSTRY E T OFFICIALS Name. Address, Ph. No. e-mail Payment Cash [7] Cheque []Cheque/DDN, Drawn on. Date Signature Reena at aces 2 Peat oa Py Sere 20% 36 ee Eo Cheque / DD should be drawn in favour of NEWSEYE MEDIA PVT.LTD. Send your subscription co Newseye Media Pvt Ld, R Contact us on: cigculation@@newslinedn ‘You PAY Rs, 1020/ Rs, 1920/ ei Pend eae cert ae "Floor, Pratap Market, Jungpura B, Near Post Office, New Delhi -110014—<¢ip PERISCOPE DRDO SUCCESSFULLY FLIGHT TESTS VSHORADS RDO conducted two. successful fight tests of the Very Short-Range Air Defence System (VSHORADS) missile on Feb 2ath and 29th from a grown: based portable launcher aff the coast of Odisha from Integrated Test Range. Chandipar “These teats were carried out against highspeed ‘unmanned aerial targets tinder different intereeplian scenarios During all the test flights, the targets were intercepted and destroyed by the, missiles: meeting the. mission objectives IYSHORADS is a Man Portable Ait Defence System (MANPAD) designed anddevelopedindigenouslybyResearch Centre Imarat (RCI) in collaboration with other DRDO laboratories and Indian Industry Partners. VSHORADAS missile incorporates many novel technologies including miniaturized Reaction Control System (RCS) and integrated avionice which have been successfully proven during the tests ‘The missile is propelled by a dual- thrust solid motor and is meant for neutralizing low-altitude aerial threats at shortranges. The design of the miss including the launcher has been highly ‘optimized to ensure easy portability ‘The flight testwas witnessedby officials of the Indian Army, senior Scientists from various DRDO laboratories and Industry Partners. Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, congratulated DRDO, Indian Anny and Industry involved in the successful development tials and stated this new missile equipped with moder technologies will give further technological boost to the Armed Forces, Secretary DD R&D and Chairman DRDO, Dr. Samir V Kamat, congratulated the entire team involved in the design and development of the missile, March 2024 | www.geopoitcs.inscan here Download your Digital Copy India’a best known aivation monthly from Newsline Publication Pvt. Ltd R-5, 2nd Floor, Delhi 110014Cruising Heights PANORAMA A MAGNIFICENT ‘TUNNEL’ AT SELA! UC CCU CMU lt ULC UUM COUT Pe REO MEW CMC ee ied a ett tact] by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), this road will transform the region EUR eed Mle UCT ate oR RUT CL) Seer eric Rca) Tawang in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, the Rs 825 COE MR reo all-weather road across Sela Pass Fert e ret) to Tawang. The tunnel has been Cee Oe RRR PSU MPA ace aL aThe execution of this m er 90 lakh man: Around 71,000 metic tonnes of cement, 5,000 metric tonnes of steel and 800 metric tonnes of explosives struction. PNW rc From the military and strategic point Cree Eo em Pee oR in Assam, The lines of communication Om CRC ELIE) Cen Secu LS ewany 7 ‘an Agi CBM pariiaig at {e213 Rept Day Parte The successor to Agni-V Mark-2 (Agni-Vl) is expected to have a range between 9,000 km and 12,000 km with a 3-tonne nuclear payload, and a strike range between 14,000 km and 16,000 km with a lighter 1.5-tonne package, writes AMARTYA SINHA. March 2024 | www.geopottcs.in‘worn geopoites.in March 2024 COVER STORY dias Agni-V IcBM \otercontinental-range Ballistic missle) has undergone ten successful tials since its maiden fight in April 2012. On March 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated the successful completion of Mission Divyastra, the country’s maiden flight test of the Agni-V ICBM using Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology, which was developed in-house. MIRV will make sure thatasingle missileis capable of deploying several warheads in’ various places During the earlier test on December 15, 2022, the replacement of maraging steel (very high tensile steel) with lightweight composite materials made the Agni-V missile 20 per cent lighter than its previous avatars. The launch had also proved a striking capability beyond 7000 Jn. However an effective Indian credible nuclear deterrence against China remains ‘unfulilled due to Agni-V'slimited payload carrying capacity of 1.5 tonnes. India’ Integrated guided missile development programme needs to go the extra mile in ‘many aspects. ‘Meanwhile, ag DRDO released images of the launch, many defence experts have concluded that the AgnicV ICBM tested fon March 11 was atworstage solid-fuelled rocket with an ogive-shaped nose cone. The new shape of the payload fairing proves that India has finally mastered the art of installing MIRV warheads in a missle. However, the diameter of the missile is sUll lmited to 2 meties. Some are speculating that the new ICBM tested fon March 11 can be called an Agni-V Mark-2, and it may be the stepping stone towards a 10,000 km-plus ranged Agni VIICBM in future, MIRV capability also proves that the country has achieved ‘temendous expertise in the domain of ‘miniaturisation of nuclear watheads, Tis also learnt that Indian scientists and engineers are now working on DRDO Veda’ (Vehicle for Defence Application) a satellite launch vehicle (S1V). All three tvings of the Indian armed forces will be able to launch military satellites into low earth orbit at very short notice by using DRDO Veda which will significantly decrease their dependence on ISRO and boost their objectives of self-reliance. DRDO Veda will also implement the method of horizontal stacking of stages and payloads for assembling the launch vehicle before launch, which will be completely different from the vertical stacking method used in ISRO's SSLV rocket, The vehicle wil be highly agile and. 13Soviet OTR-21 Tocha mil capable of fring a rucler warhead up o 185 en ‘mobile and can be launched from a multi- axle TEL (Transporter Erector-Launchen) vehicle, This gives India another option ‘of developing an underground silo-based ICBM in future which will be completely different from the Agni-series of missiles. Interestingly, the Indian government has also started preparations to carry out the test of the K5 SLBM (Submarine- Launched Ballistic Missle) which can bbe dubbed as the underwater version of Agni-\. Ie is capable of lobbing a 2-tonne ‘nuclear wathead up to a distance of 6000 km. Te consists of three separate stages ‘and uses solid rocket propellant. The K-S will be equipped with countermeasures to avoid radar detection and will be the fastest missile in its class, This new missile ccan be tested over the coming weeks. The legacy of Agni-V While the Agni-V, the nuclear-capable {intercontinental range ballisde missile (CBM), has undergone ten successful test fights since 2012, there has been very ite ‘movement on the much-awaited Agni-VI missile project. Ater Agni-V's maiden trial ‘on April 19,2012, former DRDO Chairman, Dr Vijay Kumar Saraswat had very clearly stated that India had no intention to cap March 2024 | www.geopottcs.in the Agni missile programme and that there would be mote missiles in the Agni series as a follow-up of Agni-V in the ‘coming years. The Agni-V has an effective range of almost 5500 km with a 1.5-tonne nuclear warhead, A basic law of physics ig that due to gravity and momentum, there is an inverse relationship between, the weight of a warhead and the range of a mistile. If the same rocket boosters fof Agni-V (better with a slow-buming propellant) for the heavy load are used for a lighter load amounting to a 500 kg warhead, the range of the missile can be enhanced up to 10,000 km. So, by thistheory, the Agni-V is already’ 10,000 km- clase ICBM albeit with a less powerful ‘wathead, And this is one of the prime gaps in India’s nuclear deterrence which ‘the Agni-VI is supposed to plug, Agni-VI is expected to have a range between 9,000 Jk and 12,000 kan with a 3-tonne nuclear payload, and a range between 14,000 km and 16,000 km with a lighter 1.5-tonne package. The guidance system of Agni-VI ‘ill include an inertial navigation system with a Ring laser gyroscope, optionally augmented by IRNSS (indian Regional [Navigation Satellite System) along with terminal guidance with possible radar scene correlation (this is a kind of terrain, ‘contour mapping which will improve the accuracy of missile ‘The strong case for Agni-Vt In 2011, IAP former Pradeep Vasant Nak. who was also the head of the Chiefs of Staff Committee had vehemently argued in favour of broadening India's nuclear striking capabilities beyond the immediate neighbourhood. The higher range of Agni Vill bring at least four of the capitals of major world powers within Indias strike envelope. A 12,000 kan-plus range will ‘wowegeopoitics.in | March 2024 COVER STORY +——— {nerease India’s flexibility which is very important for an effective deterrence and will also enable the country to hit Chine ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), aircraft carriers and warships attempting tw hide as far out as the Southern Indian yeean and Central Pacific Ocean, This is assuming that India develops more accurate ICBM guidance systems (on the lines of China DF21D anti-ship ballistic missile) against warships, arcralt carriers and submarines. India must plan that the Agni-VI should have a_ minimum. range of 9000 km (more than China's T.-2 submarine-launched ballistic missile) 5Which will make the ICBM programme worthy ofits stature Agni-VI as a big force multiplier AAgni-VI is supposed to be a solid-fuelled ‘multistage ICBM capable of carrying up to ten nlielear/ thermonuclear warheads in MIRV (Multiple Independent Re- entry Vehicle) and MaRV (Manoeuvrable Muldple Independent Re-entry Vehicle) ‘configurations. The rocket may also have the capability to carry light decoys and chatfs (radar countermeasures) to beat the most formidable ant-ballstic missle systems (ballistic missile defence units) and to confuse hostile air defences, As India has reportedly developed a deadly arsenal of double-staged thermonuclear fusion devices and single-stage boosted- fission bombs, each MIRV. warhead may have explosive yields of up to 250 Jelotons, thus capable of wiping out entire metropolitan areas and vaporising tens ‘of millons of people into thin air with a single strike, Having a gross weight of up to 70 tonnes, Agni-VI is supposed to be a four-stage rocket made up of composite materials which will also enable the Indian military to launch military satellites into low earth orbit (LEO) during contingencies, thus also validating its FORS (Fractional Orbital Bombardment System) capability. Renowned strategic experts like Bharat Karnad, Brahma CChellaney and Rakesh Krishnan Simba have repeatedly argued in the past that India must develop a global. striking capability with a credible ICBM force in the near future, Doing it smartly A full-range test of Agni-VI (beyond 9000 kan) will probably raise eyebrows in Western media circles. The best way to execute the test isto declare the missile official range up to $000 km (tacitly stating the China factor) but carry out the flight ‘with a 3-tonne superheavy warhead. This will validate the new missiles capability ‘without creating a diplomatic row with the West. Moreover, such a test will aso Yield a significant politcal advantage for ‘he B)P-led central government as the scientific achievement can be narrated by the Prime Minister to the domestic electorate as a major historic milestone (on the lines of the ASAT test cartied out In March 2019) March 2024 | www.geopottics.in“The Tha Dsartin the tt of Palas Following Vajpayee's footsteps ‘As soon as Agni-VI is tested and validated, Prime Minister Narendra Modi may also declare a permanent voluntary moratorium on the development of Tonger-ranged missiles and” officially capping the ICBM programme at ‘9000 km, Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had declared a similar permanent voluntary moratorium on ‘nuclear tests after the Pokhran-2 series of explosions in May 1898, and this had aided in his rise asa global statesman, ‘The union government needs to complete and demonstrate the Agni-VI and DRDO Veda projects at the earliest, as without a credible ICBM force, India will always be looked upon as nothing more than a subcontinental. bully. a ‘nation that aspites to play hardball with the giants but ends up relegated (o the ‘minor league. The ball ienowin the ruling. dispensation’ court, Time for some nuke tests After the ground shook under the hot wer te nuclear st, te Pokvan Test ange i cated desert sands of Pokihran on May 11, 1998, India officially declared herself a ‘ull- fledged nuclear weapons power’ with three simultaneous nuclear blasts. Two more detonations followed on May 13, 1998, thus ending the series of planned tests. Soon after the series of explosions ‘was over, eyebrows were raised in Western scientific and media ccles regarding the Diast yield of one of the underground detonations, The thermonuclear ‘weapon prototype which was reportedly detonated at an explosive yield of around 45 Kilotons, soon found itself in the middle of the controversy. The device reportedly had a design yield of up to 200, Jalotons and was dubbed as a fizzle by some Western experts. But the country’s scientific establishment later conducted fan official press conference in which eminent seientists- Dr AP) Abdul Kalam fand Dr Rajagopalachari Chidambaram clarified that" the thermonuclear ‘weapon performed on expected lines and that the blast yield of the Shakti-1 thermonuclear device was deliberately ‘wowegeopoitics.in | March 2024 COVER STORY kept low taking into consideration the terrain and topography of the area and the (est sites proximity to Khetolai village. BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre) officially clarified that Shakti-1 was @ highly compact thermonuclear device which used a sophisticated fusion. boosted-fission trigger as the primary stage and a Tuitium eylinder as the secondary stage. ‘To put all controversies to rest, BARC also executed a radiochemical analysis ff soil and rock samples extracted from the thermonuclear blast site. The post: shot radioactivity measurement report on, the samples says- "The signatures of the fusion reaction are activation products due to 14 MeV neutrons, such as 54Mn, 22Na, S8Co, 468c, as marked in the gamma-ray spectrum. The estimation of 14 MeV neutron yield from the measured radioactivity of these products requires the knowledge of the amount of the target elements present atthe site of the event and the reaction cross. sections The two major radionuclides which could 17COVER STORY! be assayed in most of the samples were 54Mn and 46S¢. Although the fission neutron spectrum has @ high energy tal, the total number of neutrons produced by fusion fraction being much larger, the majority of the high energy neutrons can be attributed to fusion neutrons. ‘The possible sources of error in the measurement of fission yield are assay of radioactivity (5-7 per cent); nuclear data such as half-life, gamma-ray branching 18 intensityandfissionyields(8percend);and the integration error which arises mainly ddue to the error in Re (15 per cent. Inthe assessment of fusion yield, the sources of errors are uncertainty in the elemental ‘composition ofthe surrounding rock and ite effect on the neutron spectrum used in the Monte Carlo simulations of the activity: The propagation of these errors Teads to an overall error in the measured yield which is around 20 percent. Thus, March 2024 | www.geopoltics.in itis concluded that the total yield of the thermonuclear device is 50 + 10KT” While the report confirms that 14 MeV neutrons were found as a result ofthe initialisation of the fusion reaction from the secondary stage ofthe bomb, the total explosive yield has been disputed by senior scientists like Dr K Santhanam and Dr PK Tyenger ‘who have argued that the total yield of the thermonticlear blast didn' exceed 20 Kilotons. This once again puts into doubt the union government’ claim of having a deployable thermonuclear deterrence in ‘operational configuration. The story of Indias Hydrogen Bomb programme (thermonuclear bombs) ates back to the late 1980s when scientists found an easy way to extract, Tritium gas (an isotope of Hydrogen) from heavy water. Unlike nations like the United States and Russia which used Lightwater as amoderator in their nuclear reactors, the Indian nuclear program was primarily based on heavy water. Itis quite evident that the heavy water contained high doses of radioactive Tritium which exposed reactor workers to potential health hazards, So, an initial attempt was made extract the Tridum component trough water distillation. But soon, the process was abandoned as the Tridum Collected through the process was in liquid form and proved to be extremely risky to handle and store. So, scientists found an alternative way to extract the Tritium hrough a chemical exchange process followed by eryogenie distillation, The Tru exuacied duough this innovation was stored in gaceous form and was 90 percent radioactive which rendered it highly useful for fabrication of thermonuclear weapons. ‘Thus, what was dubbed primarily as an effort by scientists towards making the nuclear reactors safer by eliminating Tritium from heavy water, proved to be a boon for manufacturing Hydrogen bombs. A pilot detritiation plant was also established in the Kalpakkam hhuclear research reactor. As the new process for extracting Tritium proved to be quite economical in comparison to the traditional process, stockpiling of Tritium became an easy task As the Indian way of extracting “rium from. heavy water proved to be much cheaper than the age-old accelerator process used by the Americans, the country gol the highly enriched Hydrogen isotope at negligible additional costs Moreover, more electricity production. by Indian nuclear reactors also ensured that large quantities of Tritium were extracted andISRO launches INSAT-3DS satellite The launch of the OSLV-FIW/INSAT-3DS mission was accomplished on February 17 31 around 5:30 PM IST from SOSC-SHIAR, Sriharikota, In its 16th mission, the GSLV deployed the INSAT-205 meteorological satelite into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (STO). Subsequent orbit-raising manoeuvres were executed to ensure that the satellite was. positioned in a Geostationary Orbit, ‘The GSLV rocket A Geosynchroncus Satellite Launch Vehicle [SSLV]is three-stage 51.7 metre- (ong launch vehicle having a liftoff mass fof almost 420 tonnes. The first stage (6511 comprises a solid propellant (5139) motor having 139-tonne propellant and four earth-storable propellant stages (LEO) strapons which carry 40 tonnes of Liguid propellant in each. The second stage (6521's also an earth-storable propellant stage loaded with 40-tonne. propellant The third stage (653) is an indigenous cryogenic stage with a 15-tonne propellant Loading of liquid oxygen (LOX) ang tiquid hydrogen ILH2]. During the atmospheric regime, the satellite is protected by Ogive payload fairing. GSLV can be used to launch a variety of spacecraft capable of performing communications, navigation, fearth resource surveys, and any other proprietary mission The satellite INSAT-3DS spacecraft is a follow- fon mission” of a third-generation meteorological satellite from Geostationary Orbit. GSLV-FI4/INSAT-3DS mission is fully funded by the Minstry of Earth Sciences (MoESI. It is designed for enhanced meteorological observations and monitoring of land and ocean surfaces. for weather forecasting and disaster warning. The satellite will augment the meteorsiogical services along with the presently operational INSAT-3D and INSAT-3DR satellites, Indian Industries have significantly contributed to. the making of the spacecraft Various departments of the Ministry ‘of Earth Sciences (MoES} such as the India Meteorology Department (IMD). National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS] and various other agencies and institutes will be using the INSAT-3DS satelite data to provide improved weather forecasts and meteorological services. Primary objectives ofthe mission + To monitor the earth's surface, carry out oceanic observations and. its environment in. various Spectral channels of meteorological importance. + To provide the vertical profile of various meteoroiogicat parameters of the atmosphere, + Toprovide the data collection and data dissemination capabilities trom the Data Collection Platforms (OCs) + To provide satelit-aided search and NISAR is to be launched soon After the successful launch of INSAT- 305, ISRO is now planning to launch its ‘wwwegeopoitics.in | March 2024 COVER STORY INSAT-305 Satlte sa follow-on mission of Third eneraton Meteorlgia Sate am Geostationary Ob next _mission- the NISAR.(NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) satellite by the end of March this year. NISAR is a joint project between NASA and ISRO to o-develop and launch a dual-frequency synthelic aperture radar on an earth observation satelite, The spacecraft will be the first radar imaging satelite to use dual frequencies. rwill be uses for remote sensing, to observe and understand natural processes on Earth. For example, is left-facing instruments will study the Antarctic eryasphere. With a total cost estimated at $1.5 billion, NISAR is tkely to be the worls's most expensive ear! imaging satellite. The spacecraft wil be launched onboard ISRO's GSLV rocket powered by the indigenously developed E-1.5 cryogenic engine. 19IRV warteads for mounting onboaré an CSM stored for the countrys thermonuclear bomb program. The country which was fonce a gross importer of heavy water became 2 net exporter of the same compound by the late mid-1980s. Ic is estimated that India had assembled the prototype thermonuclear device bby 1998 in preparation for a test under the then-nion government led. by erstwhile Prime Minister Narasimha Rao. But as American reconnaissance satellites hovered over the Pokbran firing range and the images of the test preparations circulated in the Western media, the Indian government had to cancel the test under American pressure. The Shakti-l thermonuclear device was finally fabricated in test ‘configurations and eventually exploded in 1998, While it is a well-known fact that no nuclear power has been able to successfully testa double-staged thermonuclear weapon in the very first attempt, the Indian test and the ensuing speculations about the blast yields raise doubt over the deployabllity of the capability in operational warhead configuration atop. Agni series of ‘meditim-range, intermediate-range and intercontinental-range allisticmissiles, While questions have been repeatedly raised on India’s capability to possess and field a credible thermonuclear deterrence, the country has reportedly deployed a small thermonuclear arsenal through ballistic missiles after the completion of the Pokhran-2 series of Renowned nuclear scientist Dr Anil Kakodkar while interacting with March 2024 | www.geopottcs.in The Summit supercomputer developed by USA journalist Karan Thapar during a media interview after the 1998 tests, confirmed that India has already fielded multiple hydrogen bombs in operational configuration. But the million-dollar question about India’s capability to potentially achieve massive thermonuclear yields during nuclear strikes without actually testing those devices in full design yields during field trials still carries an air of ambiguity While renowned strategic experts like Bharat Karnad have repeatedly stated publicly that India should resumethermonuclear testing to master the double-staged fusion. design (Teller- Ulam design), others like R Prasannan argue that India has already developed advanced supercomputer simulations and that bigger bombs with higher Yields can be confidently developed and. deployed based on the data gathered {rom provious tests. Strategic expertslike Sanjay Badri Maharaj also argue that the question of whether India has deployed 2 credible thermonuclear deterrence is somehow irrelevant as the Shakti-1 device exploded on May 11, 1998, had a boosted-fission device as the first stage. Aboosted-fission device is equivalent to compact hydrogen bomb and will serve the purpose of credible thermonuclear deterrence in the modem-day strategic level battlefield when deployed onboard long-range ballistic missiles. ‘Ae India’s deterrence requirements evolve, it is quite evident that the country must develop an effective and significantly large arsenal of thermonuclear weapons. The thermonuclear devices with adjustable and variable yields will make good wavw.geopolticsn | March 2024 use of India’s limited stockpile of fissile materials and will effectively act as @ force multiplier, With increasing precision in the design and development of lighter and compact payloads, the thermonuclear warheads" canbe easily deployed onboard Agni-V and the upcoming Agni-VI Intercontinental range Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) in the form of MIRVs (Multiple “Independent Re-entry Vehicles) and MaRVs (Manoeuvrable Multiple Independent Re-entry Vehicles) which will massively boost India’s long-range striking capabilities deep inside enemy's heavily populated urban centres. it is high time for India to develop genuine ICBMs with a 10,000+ km. Tange. The Agni-\I project should be immediately approved for development. Geopolitical pressures faced by acountry are always the results ofa nation's will and its strategie vision, ‘The incumbent union government must show the spine to stand up © such pressures without which India can, never aspite to become a great power’, says Bharat Kamad, Research Professor at the Cente for Policy Research and 4 popular national security expert. A large ICBM force consisting of Agni-V and Agni-VI missiles will ensure a very strong security shield for the country fon the strategic level battlefield and will severely deter big powers from attempting the Balkanisation of, India during future conflicts. Such capabilities will also give tuemendous diplomatic leverage to India at global high tables, Lastly, some mysterious activities have been recently observed at China's Lop Nur nuclear testing site. These activities are indicating preparations for a possible Chinese nuclear test in the near future, Russia has alzeady stated ils intent towards resumption of nniclear testing by withdrawing from the CTBT (Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty) If big powers like Russia, China and the USA restart nuclear testing, India should not be left behind. The indian government must make hard decisions Towards strengthening the country’s nuclear deterrence by withdrawing the unilateral voluntary moratorium on nuclear test explosions and carrying ‘out further live nuclear weapon tests in the supreme national interest. This will further boost Indias know-how towards the design and development fof advanced nuclear devices and more complex thermonuclear warheads.pee Se) Vega ye ty India*fhas slashed its procurement_of ‘defence equipment from Russia oe eek meetin tine ogee Tema Te Ber ae ieee Om mrs EU CSCIC ality PTS UC Ren “ — According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India's arms imports from Russia have plummeted from 76 per cent in the 2009-13 period to just 36 per cent in 2019-28, indicating a substantial change in defence procurement strategy. increase in purchases are ‘rom France and the United Sete ee Ree acres Paar per cent of all exports in 2019-23. } France has seen a notable 47 per cent OS SCL just ahead of Russia. Conversely, en eo Peter each chun e recs Cenics er States. France, in particular, has emerged as a major supplier, securing significant deals for combat aircraft. Ce aad10 % Russia continues to woo India offering such as the mo: advanced Kamoy helicopters and Sukhoi and MiG fighter jets, with the added filip of joint manufacturing in India. Russia has publicly urged India to step up defence ties, but the country's focus is on "Make in India” Ingia will spend nearly $100 billion on defence orders over the next decade India remains the world’ largest arms importer, followed by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Ukraine. India is ‘the number one customer Russia supplied 65 per a for France, Russia, a cent of India’s weapons israel, showcasing its purchases of more than ~ reliance on diverse sources $60 billion during the last for defence needs. two decades, according to the SIPRI, but the Ukraine war hastened the impetus to diversify the country’ weapons base. Ce aa eerINDIA’S NEW NAVAL AIR- BASE IN MINICOY ISLANDS India lost its foothold in Maldives, the smallest country in Asia, to Chinese Ames M SRR M IM UR Ie UM Ole ce Rae UM EUR ClO is building a naval air base in the Lakshadweep Islands group. The Indian Isles, ee RRL WS SUS CSU) March 2024 | www.geopoltics.inOUTLOOK COMMISSIONING OF & INS JATAYUhe ramping up of facilities on ‘the island will mean that soon, the Indian frontline fighter jets will roar in the Western part of the Indian Ocean, ‘The induction of the base will be in the first week of March 2024, the timeline of which is congruent with the withdrawal of Indian woops from the island nation. The new dispensation in the island country has severed its traditional close military and diplomatic ties with India and has leaned squarely towards China, ‘This was seen as China's coup d'état in Indias strategic space. Maldives’ strategic importance doesnt stem from its size but from its location, Its islands fare dispersed atop a 960-kilomeue submarine ridge that runs north to south, ‘and forms a sort of wall in the middle of the Indian Ocean, In the TOR, there are two safe passageways for ships to travel through, and they are situated atthe southern and northern ends of this island group, The maritime wade flow between the Strait fof Malacca in Southeast Asia and the Gulls of Aden and Hormuz in Weet Asia depends on both of these sea lanes of communication (SLOCs). The Maldives essentially act as “a toll gate,” even ‘though the Indian Ocean is regarded as. the main route for intemational ade and energy flow. India sprung into action and is set to commission a new base in the Lakshadweep islands next week. This base, named INS Jatayu, will play a crucial role in enhancing the Navy presence in the region, INS Jatayu will be based on Minicoy Island, one of the pieturesque Lakshadweep islands “Minicoy Island lies near the §-degree channel, one of the busiest shipping routes, about 130 kilometres from the northernmost island of the Maldives. Prime Minister Narendra” Modi visited this island in January 2023, which was followed by a social media war between the (wo countries, resulting in 2 diplomatic feud. The new government in Maldives asked India to Withdraw its Woops and even weleomed 2 Chinese research vessel that was refused permission to dock by Sei Lanka ani. The Indian public responded by boycotting the country for any kind of courism. ‘The base aims to bolster security in the Indian Ocean Region by contributing {omaritime surveillance and defence. ‘Bcindian Navy Commodore Anil Jal Singh told the EuzAsian Times: “Makes sense for India to develop this capability Iti be an aviation facility. Ie will not only enhance India’s MDA (Maritime Domain Awareness), which will also benefit the entire TOR but also enable better monitoring of developments in cour maritime neighbourhood Initial, INS Tatayu willbe commissioned with a small component of oflicers and men. However it is planned to be expanded to allow fighter Aircraft like Rafales to operate from here The commissioning ceremony of INS Jatayu will not be a quiet affair March 2024 | www.geopottics.inIndia is making sure that the powers In the region take note oft as both ofits aircraft carriers will be present during the ceremony, projecting the full might of the Indian Navy. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, onboard INS Vikramaditya, and INS Vikrant cartier task forces, along with about 15 warships, will travel to Minicoy Island with top naval officials to inaugurate the INS Jatayu naval base on March 45, The Indian Navy intends to hold the first phase of the Combined Commanders Ci Indian aircraft flotillas travelling from Goa to Karwar {to Minicoy Islands to Kochi. The second phase of the Commanders conference Will be held on March 6-7. INS Jatayu - The Sentinel Of Indian Navy INS Jatayu will be the counterpart of INS Baaz, the frontline naval base in the Andaman Islands. Like INS Baar, it will be capable of handling all classes of fighter jets and aircraft Peet he a Sarin Sate et et “ite ° tn ie wi a a m8 eas During the commissioning ceremony, a squadron of MH GOR ‘Romeo’ Naval helicopters is likely to be raised. These helicopters will ‘enhance surveillance, search and rescue ‘operations, and anti-submarine warfare capabilities Plans are underway to construct 3 new airfield at Minicoy. This airfield will accommodate vatious milicary aircraft ‘wowegeopoitics.in | March 2024 eed rete ote types and even commercial airliners, potentially boosting tourism in the Island chain, Additionally, there are plans to extend the existing airfield on the nearby island of Agatti India is ramping up ite capabilities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Where its ti-service command islocated ‘The Indian fighter jets regularly operate from the islands, projecting India to be a dominant force in the region, ‘As the foray of the Chinese Navy in the Indian Ocean marks an increased frequency, India has been responding by bulwarking its defences in the island ‘Also, India has been carrying out anti-piracy operations like a true-blue water navy: The threat of Houthi rebels is, ‘making it imperative for the Indian Navy to safeguard its strategie and economic interests in the region, China has also been looking to set up its own military facilities in the Indian Ocean Region, But as Sri Lanka can vouch, nothing from China comes without strings attached.OUTLOOK —<é Se VITAL Ate POMEGRANATE SEEDS 28 March 2024 | www. geopoitos.in‘OUTLOOK +——— BUR OTM (aM em ECS ome MUSTO UMC CU Ua CAE Ted SULT TL IN ELSE ORE USSOR UM Ce CMe SIUC TA) oLCC a SO closely watched in Delhi, with suitable measures taken to improve the Indian side of the Line PAULO ORE Les HU aU ¥ ‘wowegeopoitcs.in | March 2024> ———* 6 ANALYSIS 4) fil Phot: Pre Mrs Narendra Mal and Presiter of he Pople’ Repub of Cin, Xing a the dlegaton eve talks, n Maalaparan, Tai Nad on ‘etober 12, 2018, b February 18, 2024 South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that three villages had been built in the mountainous region separating Bhutan and Tibet (China). ‘The next day the Indian press woke up toa situation which had started in 2017 ‘Communist Party officials, the Hong Kong-based newspaper noted: “The rapid expansion began as a poverty alleviation scheme, bat serves a dual national security role” It mentioned that a first batch of people ~ 38 households from Shigatse, ‘Tibets second-largest city ~ moved to the newly expanded Tamalung village: “The village is one of three built by China inside the disputed zone. Local {governments in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) led a rapid expansion of border villages last year, with Tamalung ‘Quoting Chinese doubling in size inthe later half of 2023, .. Local media reports said 30 the village expansion war designed to accommodate 235 households, in addition to the 200 people who were living there in just 70 homes at the end of 2022." Tamalung is one of the areas of Northem Bhutan claimed by China; i¢ hhas now been included in the Lhobrag (or Lhozhag for the Chinese) county of TAR’ Lhoka Cicy/Prefecture China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the border construction “will, not influence [Chinas] border talks with Bhutan, ...The two sides are on track t push for further border talks, Beijing will not admit it, but by ‘occupying the area, ithas already setled’ the dispute for good; itis doubtful that China will ever vacate it A few years ago, Being acted similarly in the South China Sea. Ivalso did it in the 1950s in the Aksai CChin of Ladakh the tactic is simple, put the other party(ies) in the dispute infront of a March 2024 | www.geopottcs.in fait accompli and then state that you are ready to discuss Foreign Policy Article Already in May 2021, Prof Robert Barnett of Columbia University conducted a detailed study of these new villages in Northern Bhutan for the Foreign Policy ‘magazine. He noted: "A previously unnoticed network of roads, buildings, and military outposts has been constructed deep in a sacred valley in Bhutan.” ‘Barnett commented on the Chinese tactics that “This new construction Is part of a major drive by Chinese President Xi Jinping since 2017 to fortify he Tibetan bordevlands, a dramatic escalation in China’slong-running efforts fo outmaneuver India and its neighbors along their Himalayan frontiers. In this case, China doesn't need the land it is settling in Bhutan; it aims to force the Bhutanese government to cede territory‘ANALYSIS. that China wants elsewhere in Bhutan to give Beijing a military advantage in its struggle with New Delhi, Gyalaphug Is now oneofthree new villages (wwoalzeady occupied, one under construction), 66 miles of new roads, a small hydropower station...and) five military or police outposts ...and a military base” ‘The Tibetologist further analyzed "This involves a strategy that is more provocative than anything China has done on its land borders in the past, The settlement of an entire area within another country goes far beyond the forward patrolling and occasional roai building that led co war with India in 1962, military clashes in 1967 and 1987, Due to the distance, India can‘t ‘italy intervene in Northern Bhutan, thereby leaving China with a free hand. ‘The Genesis of the Border Villages: The Sixth Tibet Work Forum, held in Bejing on August 24 and 25, 2015 was in many ways a curing paint for the plateau, Tibet Work Forums are large gatherings called every 5 or 10 years to discuss the CCP’ Tibet policies. They ate attended by the members of the powerful Politburo” & Standing Committee, members of the Centtal Committe, senior PLA generals, United Front Work Department officials, regional leaders, ‘The meeting was presided over by President Xi Tinping. Addressing the wavw.geopolticsn | March 2024 Forum, Xi spoke of the promotion of the economic and social development of ‘Tet; he noted that Tibet "has entered a critical stage toward fulfilling the country’s goal of building a moderately prosperous society comprehensively ‘Moderately prosperous society’ became the leitmotiv of the Central and Tibet regional governments during the following years; especially after the Chinese President asserted: ‘Development, which alms to improve living conditions for various ethnic groups and beef up social cohesion Should be advanced prudently and steadily” ‘The dual objective of improving the ‘local conditions’ and ‘beefing up social cohesion’ are the hallmarks of the Presidents Tibet policy. The ideological foundation stone for the border villages was thus laid. Govern the Borders Already in 2011, X's plans for Tibet were clear, the then vice-president stated “Govern the nation by governing the 31peace abodes on van 9, 2020, borders; govern the borders by first stabilizing Tibet; ensure social harmony and stability in Tibet and strengthen the development of border regions. Tt should be noted that it was a clear admission that poverty still existed among the local population in Tibet, 60 years after its so-called “Liberation” During the following yeats, the authorities in Tibet implemented the emperor’ theory: an important way (0 ‘govern the borders was the development of strategic “Xiaokang’ (or ‘moderately well-off) model villages. Tewas also aturningpoint because for the first time ‘dual-use’of infrastructure was institutionalized, The Dual Uso of Infrastructure To understand the importance of the Infrastructure on the plateau, one has (© Took at the civil-military integration oF ddual-use of infrastructure, It means that any road, airport, helipad, or railway line will have dual-use, civilian and military. From a strategic point of view, this completely tilted the balance in favour fof China, with India having an extremely slow infrastructure development in border areas (this has changed during the last few years. Already in 2015, Xinhua had mentioned that the joint civil-military development of airports would ‘strengthen aviation safety and combat March 2024 | www.geopottcs.in Phot: Len. Rani Sigh vised PLAs WTC; Imtaacted wih Lt. Gen. Rong Guin, COS WTC And Gen Zhao Zong Cer WTC; discusses Issues futterng support capabilities” ‘A joint statement from the People Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) and General Administration of Civil Aviation (CAAC) explained that the integration would ‘inchide joint maintenance of airport support. facilities, joint flight safety support and joint airport ‘management. Since then, the dual-use rule has been implemented on every project on the plateau; the model villages follow the same rules, Kiting how many Birds in building a village? By ordering the construction of these ‘model villages on the border with Indi,Xiw as killing several birds in one go. Poverty. alleviation: the Chinese strongman was cackling (atleast on paper) the stll widespread poverty in the countryside and on the Indian borders Protecting the borders: with the ddual-use legislation, the new villages fan be used by the PLA whenever requited Celebrating 70 years of the ‘Iberation” in 2021: Beijing celebrated the 70th anniversary of the entry ofits oops into Tibet Creating Happiness for All: at least during photo ops, people looked happy as they shifted to their new hoses, Developing _‘dual’_—_border infrastructure: the new villages could not be created in isolation and new infrastructure needed to be built eading to these villages Changing the demography of the borders: this is an important point, which was missed in India Ie involved the relocation of the ‘Tibetan population and the settling of Han Chinese in these villages. Recruiting Tibetans in the PLA: this could be done at least on the local level, by recruiting guides, porters, firemen, ete Creating ‘envy’ among the Indian border population: it probably took some time (o be realized by the Indian government, but the recently implemented Vibrant Village Program (VP) is a good response to this. For Bhutan, it meant the settlement’ ‘wowegeopoitcs.in | March 2024 Fl Pot: Raksta Mart Rajat Singh net Sate Counellor and Minster of National Defence of China General i Shangl n New Deon Api 27,2023. The two Distr na frank dlscussions about the dvlopments inh Inda-Shira borer teas as wells lateral reo. of a disputed border with China. ‘The scheme was therefore a win-win solution, How it started or Yume, Xi's Model Village Soon after the conclusion of the 19th Congress in November 2017, President Xi finping wrote a letter to two young Tibetan herders who had introduced their village, Yume, north of the Upper Subansini district of Arunachal Pradesh, tohim, Xinhua then reported that XL ouraged the herding family in Lhuntse County, neat the Himalayas in southwest Chinas Tibet Autonomous Region, to set down roots in the border area, safeguard the Chinese territory and develop their hometown, Xi acknowledged “the family’s efforts to safeguard the territory and thanked them for the loyalty and contributions they have made in the border area Without the peace in the territory, there will be no peaceful lives for the millions of families ‘The two Tibetan girls, Choekar and Yangzom had told Xi about their “experiences in safeguarding the borderANALYSIS Pe The aa ee re) ron ert iinereer reece focused a anor eras elect village: ei Penieeniey horticulture ee Pee ete including renewable energy, elev rn village in ‘area and the development of their township over the years Tt appears that many Tibetans from the nearby villages decided to move theit homes to Yume and Choekar’s newly- found celebrity helped her village to grow exponentially ..and also the border tobe better protected? But against whom, if not India? ‘Today, Han tourists have already started pouring in. “With villagers building ew guest facilities the border village becoming wealthier ..che border has become mote stable’, it conforms with Xi’ plan to have ‘a moderately well-off villages’ looking after the border with India, Choekar was elevated to important political postions, first by becoming one ff the 1,964 members of the National People’s Congress For a long time, Yume was said to be the smallest village in Tibet, a decade ago, the hamlet was supposed to have 2 inhabitants. In January 2018, it had 32 Less than two years later, the population had grown to 192 inhabitants, ‘Yume, located about 200 kilometres from Lhuntse, the county seat (which has now an airport) is a *happy” village, ‘though local villagers are not in the majority anymore as there is @ definitive plan to repopulate the borders with India by changing the demography and creating new model "townships" ‘This should be a serious worry fr Del Changing the demography of the Indian border Since it was adopted by President 34 Dag ultural heritage, skill development & entrepreneurship and eet Aeon eo ee from the first hal renee identified gap: ems pore Sree tena mae aay cea eee Xi Jinping, Yume has become the ‘Model Township for the 600 or so other moderately well-off villages, with atleast 200 close to the Indian border, Practically, it means. that China hhas a new population of ‘migrants’ on the Indian border, selected for their good behaviour. Along with the local population, these ‘migrants’ are a blend fof relocated ‘Tibetans (mainly {rom [Nagehu City) and Han Chinese, Tsona County, North of Tawang (On October 19, 2018, China Tibet News reported that since the beginning of the year, Tsona County, north of Arunachal Pradeshis Tawang District, has been vigorously promoting the construction of border Xigokang villages. Already in 2018, Tsona County had invested 519 million yuan (US$ 74 million) in the construction projects of nine border villages, benefiting 1,961 people from 617 households. More March 2024 | www.geopottcs.in eee? eerie ean: a Sree is eee eee f the programme is to create suffcien eee een ee rae ipo i Seay aratras Paeee Bronce Perenencencenen taste Education, agriculture, sport mera ee rr) ements oer Border Area he northern border in Camo, Ustarkashi and Rudraprayag been covered under ‘4 than 40% of the project has then been completed, and an investment of 2.2 billion yuan (USS 314 million) was spent Tn May 2018, the China Tibet News website mentioned Marmang an ‘ecological civilization village’ situated {in Lepo Valley of Tsona County. Lepo is a few kilometres away from Khenzimane, the last Indian post on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) ‘The website says:“ The construction of Marmang ecological ~ civilization demonstration village began in March of 2014 and was completed in December. In January 2015, the village was inaugurated and a Year later, Marmang was awarded ‘Chinas beautiful leisure village by the Ministry of Agriculture’ ‘On November 25, 2019, China Tibet [News published an article titled Enjoying Prosperous Life, saying that “In 2018, a total of 35,943 people visited Lepo Valley scenic spot, the tourism revenue reached 25.64 million yuan, realizing yeat-on- yeat growths of 41.6 per cent and 60.5 per ent respectively. In July 2018, the Lepo Valley scenic spot was awarded with the title of ‘China Natural Oxygen Bar’’ This gives an. idea of what happening north of the LAC. ‘Muitiethnic Families in Metok Written Medog by the Chinese, Metok means Flower in the Tibetan language; tll 2013, it was the last county in China without road, Itis located in Nyingehi City (Prefecture) on the lower reaches fof the Yerlung Tsangpo River, which becomes the Siang as it crosses the Indian border and later the Brabmaputra in Assam.“The construction of roads to Medog was a tough task because of the complicated geological conditions and disastrous weather. With several attempts thwarted in the last decades, a 117-kilometre highway connecting. ‘Medog with neighbouring Bomi County finally opened on Oct. 31, 2013,” said an article in the Chinese media, In 2018, nearly 230,000 outsiders visited what used to be considered the last paradise on earth: [it] created more ‘than 160 million yuan in tourism income. ‘Nearly 9,000 acres of organic tea gardens ditectly provided income to nearly one- ‘thitd of the total population. ‘When China decides to build a series of mega hydropower plants in the Great Bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo! Brahmaputra, more villages will be mushrooms near the Indian border. Im February 2021, Xinhua mentioned that there were "more than 560 ‘multiethnic families in Metok: “People of different ethnic groups help each other in farming and animal husbandry, and children of different ethnic groups study in the same classroom. People here celebrate the New Years Day, the Lunar New Year, the Tibetan New Year, the ‘Dashiang' folk culture festival of the ‘Monpa ethnic group and other ethnic Festivals ‘The news agency highlighted the cease of Zhang Chunbuan and his family celebrating together the Chinese Lunar "New Year: "Eight years ago, Zhang Chunbuan, young. man from Shanxi Province, came to Metok. At that time, the taffic in the county located at the southern foot of the Himalayas was inconvenient. Zhang bad to walk three oF our hours from some townships to the county seat to buy daily necessities Zhang eventually married Tashi Yudron, a Monpa girl they have now a daughter. Xinhua says: “Nowadays, Mecok has schools, shops and restatuants, A beautiful park has been Dullt in the centze of the county seat IC has become a tourist attraction in ‘Tibet and an agricultural products base featuring tea, Tibetan medicine and characteristic agriculture." Beijing has probably calculated that if thousands of Tibetan girs get married to Chinese migrants” for example those coming to work for the mega infrastructure development projects on the border), a page ofthe history of Tibet will be turned forever, with no chance for the Land of Snows to become Tibet again in the futue. United lke Seeds of a Pomegranate On Jume 8, 2021, President Xi Tinping ‘wwegeopoitcs.in | March 2024 ‘ANALYSIS. Visited Habel Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province. Meeting a group of Tibetan villagers relocated in one of the Xiaogang villages (looking ‘more like ghettos), the General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party told the Tibetan villagers: “The Chinese nation was closely united like the seeds of a pomegranate, We ate all members of the community of the Chinese nation. ‘The Tibetans had no choice but to clap while waving red flags and smiling ‘This was not the frst time that Xi used this expression to talk about ‘ethnic unity’ in China, a country which is supposed to have 36 different minorities. The wemendous development on the Tibetan side of the Sino-Indian border, particularly the string of ‘model villages, and also the incredible infrastructure development needs to be closely watched in Delhi and measures taken {o improve the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control. The Vibrant Village Program is che firs and most important one. The author 4 one of the foremost analysts of China and Tibet. He is a Distinguished Fellow, Centre of Excellence for Himalayan Studies, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence (Dethi) A French national, he's based in India 35FUTURE OF SPACE MILITARIZATION GIRISH LINGANNA explains how the peaceful ‘Space Race’ has now been turned into Man's ‘War-Fighting Domain’ ilitarization of space, characterized by the deployment and development of” weaponry and military technology ‘atmosphere, nls a significant hhumanitys interaction with the cosm Originating inthe mid-20th Century, during the early days of space exploration, such nations as the United States and the Soviet Union recognized the military potential of space and utilized it ‘asa platform to showcase ballistic missile technology and ol military applications. While sp exploration initially emphasi peaceful endeavours, such communication, navigation a scientific research, the str importance of space-based asst has spurred the development military capabilities desi ‘outer space operations, During the Cold War, the Soviet Union and the United stat the two dominant superpowe ed significant portions of their GDP towards military tilestones spurred the space race, with the USSR launching the first atfcial satellite, Spucnik 1, in 1957 ‘Throughout the 1960s, both nations routinely deployed satellies, particularly for reconnaissance Purposes, ‘capturing detailed images of each ‘others military installations, Thi CRDror Sum OUTLOOK EiUS. Space Force Guardians assigned to U.S. Spae Forces Euope and ica stand Ina deta frmaton at Ramston A Base, Geary, Dec 8, 2028. ee —_-—Cw March 2024 | www.geopottcs.inheightened resolution and accuracy raised concerns on both sides of the Cold War divide, leading co the development of anti-satellite weapons aimed at blinding for destroying enemy satellites. Various technologies, including. directed-energy weapons, kamikaze-siyle satelites and fotbital nuclear explosives, were explored ‘with varying degrees of success, ‘Spy satellites played a crucial role in monitoring compliance with ams ccontual treaties, commonly referred to as “national echnical means of verficadon’, by observing the dismantling of military ‘As rocket technology advanced, the development of ballistic missles facilitated the delivery of nuclear ‘weapons over vast distances, The creation fof intercontinental. ballistic missles (CBMs) allowed for striking targets anywhere on Earth within minutes, as these missiles typically followed —. 6 OUTLOOK 4 Soles carving survey istumerts tramp over steep mourn to a designated area during a reer ud trning excise. Tey ar assigned to aunt withthe PLA Static Suppor Fore, navigation, missile warning and weather ‘monitoring in various conflict zones, Including the Balkans, South-West Asia and Afghanistan. These space systems are considered essential providers of tactical {information to US warlighters, In 2002, as part of the military's ongoing transformation, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced the merger of USSPACECOM with USSTRATCOM, in line with the directive tolimit Unified Combatant Commands to ton, This merger was necessary with the establishment of the new United States Northern Command. ‘On December 10, 2019, the United States Space Force was created as an independent space force, distinct from the other branches of the malicary. With approximately #600 military personnel and 77 spacecraf, the Space Force stands as the world’s sole independent space- focused military branch. hina (Over the past decade, China has emerged as a formidable economic and military 40 presenting a challenge to the dominance ofthe US andWesterm powers President Xi Tinping has articulated a Vision of China becoming a space power, emphasizing the exploration of space and the development of a robust space industry as longstanding aspirations Despite China’ assertions of peaceful intentions in space, Beijing acknowledges its significance as 2 new domain for ‘modern military conflicts and recognizes lts importance in shaping the future of warfare. China perceives space dominance tas essential for achieving victory in contemporary conflicts, particulary as it believes that the US and Western pawers have gained significant advantages from space-based capabilities over the past hee decades. Consequently, military confliets in space are anticipated (0 revolve around the quest for space dominance, underscoring the strategic Importance of space in military planning, 1m 2015, the Peoples Liberation Army @IA) established the Strategic Support Force (SSF) to address modem threats, March 2024 | www.geopottcs.in ‘operating in near space, outer space and. eyberspace. Comprising the Network Systems Department and the Space Systems Department, the SSF is tasked ‘with electronic warfare, cyber operations, space launches and surveillance missions This underscores Chinas recognition of space and cyberspace as critical arenas for expanding its military power Chin possesses advanced space technologies and capabilities, including kinetic and non-kinetic weapons, such as downlink jammers and ground-based lasers. Its demonstration of a. direct: ascent anti-satellite weapon in 2007, which targeted and destroyed a Chinese ‘weather satellite in low-Earth orbit (LEO), highlights its ASAT capabilites. China is also cesting space-to-space and space-to. Earth weapons as its space technologies evolve. Recent manoeuvres, such as the co: orbital manoeuvre observed with the Shinjian-21 satellite in January 2022, further demonstrate China's sophisticated capabilities. While this manoeuvre was legitimate, it raises concems aboutpotential counter-space applications, as it could disrupt other satelites’ orbits potentially rendering them inactive. China possesses significant space capabilities and the” technological prowess to develop advanced weapons fapable of targeting space objects and operating effectivelyin space, Russia ‘The Russian space programme holds significant prestige as 2 global leader in space exploration, acing back to the Cold War era when the Tormer Soviet Union achieved several milestones, including launching the firs satellite and sending the first human into Earth orbit, ‘More recently, Russia’ status as a space pioneer was reaffirmed through its crucial role in supporting the Intemational Space Station (188) with its launch vehicles from. 2011 (02020, Despite openly endorsing space arms control agreements to. prevent weaponization of space, Russia has declared space as a domain for military operations and continues to test and deploy space weapons. In 2015, the Aerospace Forces branch of the Russian ‘Armed Forces, which includes the Space Forces, wat established to safeguard Russian access to space. Russia is acively| developing counter-space capabilities timed at countering stich adversaries as the US. Aligned with China’ perspective, Russia’ acknowledges the pivotal role of space in US military dominance, intensifying the imperative to develop counter-space weaponry. Notably, Russia hhas conducted an anti-satellite missle test in recent years, drawing criticism for generating hazardous space debris, Additionally, Russia has tested airborne and space-based anti-satellite weapons over the past decade. ‘The development of the Peresvet mobile ground-based laser weapon system further underscores Russias efforts to combat satellites in orbit. Russia also possesses formidable electronic ‘warfare capabilites, inchiding jammers and communications satellites, as demonstrated by the active deployment of electronic warfare systems oneutralize ‘hostile drones in Syria in 2020, Russia regards space as a critical strategic asset and a eource of power, driving the continued development of counter-space strategies to maintain its competitive edge in space-related rilitary operations India India has been gradually advancing its capabilities in. space exploration and technology and with this progress comes discussions about the militarization fof space. While India hae historically maintained a peaceful stance regarding its space programme, focusing on scientific research, communication, navigation and Earth observation, there have been developments suggesting a ‘wwegeopoitcs.in | March 2024 OUTLOOK (0n27 March 2019, nia tasted an ant-staite weapon (ASAT) dung an operation code ramed Misson Shak growing interest in space for national security purposes. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, Indias approach to space hhas undergone a noticeable shift, marked by the direct ascent anti-satellite (ASAT) testconductedinMarch2019, codenamed Mission Shakti This test was framed as a response to Chinas ASAT test in 2007, which generated significant space debris Following Mission Shakti, Indias Defence 41— 4 ~~ OUTLOOK Indian Military Application Satellites Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) indicated its work on ditected- energy weapons, electromagnetic pulse (EMP) technology, and co-orbital ‘weapons for ASAT capebilites Tn tandem with these developments, the Defence Space Agency (DSA) and Defence Space Research Organisation (DSRO} were established in’ 2019 to integratemilicaryspaceassets, particularly focusing on Indias intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities. Furthermore, the launch of Mission Defence Space during DefExpo, 2022, aimed to bolster defence technology ‘and space diplomacy, encouraging innovation by the private sector, Indias Space Policy, 2023, while not explicitly mentioning military applications, emphasizes the ‘augmentation of space capabilities for national socio-economic development and security. The policy also advocates {or greater private sector involvement across the space economy's value chain, ineluding in satellite-based remote sensing and space situational awareness capabilites. Given the dual-use nature of these technologies, developments in 42 India’s space sector have implications for both civilian and military domains The involvement ofthe private sector Jn the space domain has spurzed growth in defence manufacturing, creating new opportunities for commercial interests that were previously inaccessible. India’s aim to achieve self-reliance inspace aligns with the overall economic strategy of the Narendra Modi-led government. For instance, @ prominent communications company is engaged in satelite system integration projects for the Indian Navy, ‘Army and Air Force, alongside offering satellite broadband services (o support defence communication. As India prepares for. space-based spectrum Allocation, satellite communication could enhance the operational capabilities of the armed forces. Similarly, the Adani Group, a leading Dusiness conglomerate, has expanded ts. presence into the aerospace and defence sectors, focusing on eabin and interior refurbishment, avionics upgrades, ‘maintenance training and manufacturing unmanned aerial systems (UAVs) and ‘comer drone systems. ‘A prominent startup, Galaxy, March 2024 | www.geopottcs.in is planning to equip its future satellite systems with synthetic aperture radars ARS) to be utlized on aerial drones. Additionally, a company based in Hyderabad is engaged in aerospace gear manufacturing to support the growth of the aerospace and defence industry. Space Miltarization: Looking Ahead The future of space militarization holds significant implications for global security and strategic dynamics, As advancements Im echnology continue to accelerate and nations increasingly rely on space- based assets for military purposes, the militarization of space is expected to evolve in complex and multifaceted ways From. the development of advanced ‘weapons systems. to the expansion of sunveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, the future landscape of space multarizaton will likely be shaped by a combination of technological innovation, geopolitical competition and international Cooperation, Since the launch of the first anificial_ satelite, Sputnik 1, in 1957, rival superpowers have been actively developing ways to extend their militaryae influence in Earths orbit. Satellites have become integral for military operations, providing vital communication, navigation and reconnaissance capabilities. However, this reliance on satellites has also spurred the development of anti-satellite weapons (ASATS) by such nations as the Soviet Union, the US, Russia, China and India, Initially, ASAT. programmes focused fon modified, or purpose-built, missiles, But more unconventional proposals, such as laser systems and kinetic interceptors, hhave also been explored. While the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 prohibits the placement of nuclear weapons and mlltary bases in space, as well ac vaguely defined “military manoeuvres’, there are ho restrictions on conventional weapons. ‘The establishment of the US Space Force in 2019 underscores the growing Importance of space as a military domain, expanding beyond taditional satelite and, anti-satellite capabilites ‘As space technologies advance and new concepts emerge, becomes essential to reassess potential military applications beyond the conventional satellite/anti- satellite paradigm. ‘While anti-satellite weapons (ASATS) have been a known aspect of military asenals, there exists the potential for space-based weapons (0 target objects fon Earth or intercept missles travelling through space and the upper atmosphe Por instance, in 1974, the Soviet Union clandestinely tested 2 23-mm cannon from its Salyut 3 military space station into deep space, masquerading the programme a5 clullian, The US has explored the idea ‘of dropping projectiles, such as cungsten rods, ftom LEO onto targets below utilizing Kinetic energy inscead of explosives, These projectiles could accurately target such hhardened structures as bunkere and bridges, posing significant challenges for defence. ‘Similar concepts have been proposed for space-based missile defence, such as Ronald Reagans Strategic Defense Initiative or the "Star Wars’ programme from the 1980s, which envisioned space- Dasedlasers to disable hostle spy atelites. With escalating tensions in space in recent years, there is a growing concern that ‘weapons may be deployed against each ‘other in space, tel ‘Such incidents as the monitoring of the Russian spacecraft, Cosmos 2542, wavw.geopolticsn | March 2024 OUTLOOK Which shadowed an American spy satellite atclose distances, highlight the increasing militarization of space. Additonally reports from 2017 suggest that the US observed a Russian satelite deploying a smaller object and launching a projectile France also initiated a space weapons programme in July 2019, focusing on eveloping defences such’as lasers and swans of nano-satellites to counter potential threats in orbit. The future of space militarization presents complex challenges and opportunities, driven by. technological fadvancements, geopolitical competition and evolving security dynamics. As nations continue to develop, and deploy, space: based assets and weapons systems, the need for international cooperation. and. responsible stewardship of outer space becomes increasingly imperative to ensure slobal security and stabibty (Girish Linganna isa Defence, Aerospace & Political Analyst based in Bengaluru He is also the Director of ADD Engineering Components, India Pot. Lid, a subsidiary of ADD Engineering Gmbtl Germany). 43ericrs »> ®& No STAND-IN DGPS HOME MINISTRY TOM TOM'S Tea cas ene ee DRUG SEIZURE RECORD re Se ee ee ee ere yea Fea ery errant ee Ie artor cartes pare Frere epee erence De ee ge ae eee ae eee ee Sree aE toon SS {ltcumatancesUPSC (Union Puble Service Comission) = fildelines say stator must send ali of ligbleaficers, pP%Uron Home Mini marcos seiedincrened by Sith atless thee senior mostofficers tothe Commission tryhighlighted the Modi snort 10 pe con and the $xmonths before theredirement ofthe incumbent DGP. government efforts in Cases registered against those ‘The dfeence of opinion between the states and the Combating the drugmenace, dealing nit incressed by 182 apex cout orderiiesin the UPSC sending the names ofthe ‘Theselaed drugs ding pet cent. three senlormost officers rom th state police servicefor their tenute were ry tines According to the data the government to choose fom. State overnmentolicalz _morethan the previous released bythe Home Min- ‘onlend that thebes officer oleadthepoliceinthe slate government Union iome istry, during the period 2008 taynotnecesarllybefrom hetop tree andthat the chist MinisterAmit Shah shared to 201, the numberof cases minister should have someleewayin thematterwichis posteandvideos showeasing, registered was 1257 n num not avilable becaure ofthe Supreme Cour jugement thegovermentesuccessin® —betwhich shot up by3 times desfingwith drugs through during20142028 1037 While Andhra Pradesh Telangana, UPand Punjab have _amteste seizures, and tackling ‘The areas increased by 4 hadwichtemporaryDGPsforaimostormorethanayear, the nafca-trade Utes from 1363 inthe 2006- three other states, Uttarakhand, Odsha and West Bengal Tighlighting the cnties 13 period to 8745 in the 20. Shi ie Union tory of uk have ecenly appointed elrtain combating he drug 23 period. The quantity of cing DGPe" Uttar Pradesh has had four ating DGPs menace in he counry,the seed druge doubled during inthe past 20 monthe The Utar Pradesh government on Union Home Ministry stated the Modi regime 35 lakh January 31 appointed Director General (aw and Order) thatthe seized droge during. igs fom 137 lakh kg seed Prashant Kumar asits acting DGE He replaced Vijay Kuma, the Modi government were’ during 2006-13 The value of ‘ho, too, was ah acting DGR Prashant Kumars hin the thirty ines ss compared to sized drugs jumped 30 tines Seniority ist of PS offers avalablefor AGP postion in thepreviows government. during the Modi govern- thestate fiom 2018-2083 nent oR 2 008 crore fom TnoneTwiter post the Re 6a core achieved in the Maid, "The Mod! govern- period 2006-13 ments ruthless approach to. Easley, in Bebruary, the 2 Wardenarco-radehas borne Indian Navyinajoint opera ‘Hectve results The upshot ton withNCB, apprehended Ofthit approach ithe drastic a suspicious boat carrying a = visein the number ofarrestsmmoat3.300 kg afcontraband ne tndseinuresOnaccount” offthecoastof Gujarat ‘The ofthe multipronged efforts Seiauremakes ithe largest Ministry of Home Affairs J ese eee ea Goveninent et india ment toreinin thellegel times, sald the indian Navy Grugiede,the quantiyof in asatement 44 March 2024 ) www.geopoltes.inHome Minister Amit Shah claimed thatthe Central Government has resolved a large number of problems in the northeastern states and ‘made the region violence and insurgency-free in thei last NDA tenure. He said that over 10,000 militants from various outfits have shunned the path ofviolence and surrendered before the government “ SS the Home Minister sald theall-round development —_the United Liberation Front of that various accords were and welfare ofthe region. Asom (ULPA), Bodo, National signed with many miliant The accords were signed with Liberation Front of Tripura ptfits in the northeast to various militant outlits and (NLFT), Dimasa, Karb, Adi restore peace and accelerate MANIPUR CET 10 MINE-PROTECTED QRF VEHICLES With Manipur witnessing several months-long ethnic strife, the Home Ministry has sanctioned ten mine-protected Quick Reac- tion Fighting (QRF) vehicles to the state. These mine-protected ORF vehicles would greatly help in protecting the security forces ‘while performing their duties at vulnerable spots, the official said, adding that the state government continues to take up initiatives {or strengthening security measures and the protection of lives and properties ‘An official said that of the ten QRF vehicles, seven have already arrived in the state and three more are on the way. The Ministry of Home Alfairs provided the QRF vehicles to equip the security forces in enforcing law and order in a very effective manner in the state. Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, who alsa holds the Home portfolio appreciated the largess and said it will go along ‘way in maintaining law and order in the state ‘other organisations including FAKE ARMY UNIFORMS SEIZED IN ODISHA The Bethampur Police and Miltary Intelligence Unit in Odisha have seized over close to 500 meters of counterfeit army combat uniforms from a garment shop in the area. The seizure is a reflection ofthe huge black market forthe new army uniform design and how “unscrupulous elements want to make a fast buck. ‘The input ofthe fake uniform came from the military Intel ligence unit-Based on the tp, the local police raided the outlet and selzed the fake uniforms In fact, the new uniforms are stil to replace the old ones pan-India. Is still a workin progress, bucthe seizure highlights the enormous security implications of such fake goods being sold in the market Acting on a tip-off rom the Military Intel ligence Unit in Gopalpur, police raided the shop and confiscated the fake uniforms, which mimicked the new digital patter design launched by the army in January 2022. This new design is currently replacing the old uniform, and unauthorized sale poses a significant security risk Officials believe these could be used for impersonation, inflzation, or other illegal accviues, jeopardizing national security. Is to avoid such a situation that the army has secured Intellectual Property Rights (PR) for the design. What the IPL does s provide exclusive rights to the army to use the design and pursue those i- Tegally using it ‘The investigation is ongoing. with the shop owner revealing they ‘procured the uniforms from Kolkata, who in turn acquired them {rom Ludhiana. This tail leads investigators towards the manuac- ‘uring source and the individuals involved in chisillegal operation, ‘worn geopoites.in basi, and Reang tribals, ‘The Bridsh government thas taken significant action against anti-India Khalistan supporters, according to Dainik Jagran. The formation of special task force aimed at dismantling the Khalistani funding networkhasled to the seizure of over 300, bank aceounts belonging to Khalistan supporters, resulting in the confisea- tion of approximately Rs 100 crore, ‘The seizure of bank ‘accounts and the wacking. fof suspicious transactions across Canada, America, Australia, and New Zealand demonstrate the ‘global reach and intercon- hectedness of extremist networks. By disrupting the flow of funds intended to fuel separatist move~ ‘ments, the UK government hhas dealt significant blow to the infrastructure supporting anti-India ac tivities, One ofthe notable seizures includes Rs 20 ‘crore found in the account ‘of the Sikhs for Justice (SPD, a pro-Khalistan ‘organization known for its advocacy ofa separate Sikh state. SFY deposi for ‘referendum in support ‘of Khalistan in Scotland “underscores the organiza tions persistent efforts to promote its agenda on the slobal stage, March 2024 PAE TAA SED PS LINE VILLAGE BUA Der beer tent Symes eer cote cent ete eas Perret raging sae tas Niort erent ereeriii) averted eee eee P peor eer ees Peery es abutting the northern aren pastries vr Perce scroy ieee rer eee res Ren Tene cere te Cees ec TT Pst poses Pace terete Coeerernt ey Pome aey Pert erie eats Crores Coreen eres prereset Reser Ceasers cermin ent rere rennet rere Pane ese oa et) personae) omer pect grat Perera eeecererts eer aera poser aaa CeCe ‘modelling the concept of rear eeey Perea enn er eereren arene aT ees eee rs eo Pesce eo ny ro