1. Army's 'Punitive Strikes' Across LoC Hit Pakistani Bunkers
India has cranked up military pressure along the 778-km Line of Control with "punitive fire assaults" against Pakistan army posts and terror launch pads, which have become fiercer after the beheading of two Indian soldiers in the Krishna Ghati sector on 1 May.
A short video clip of one such assault with weapons being used in "direct firing mode" at Nowshera sector on 9 May, which ostensibly shows some forward observation posts of the Pakistan army being blown up across the LoC, was released by the Army's additional director-general of public information, Major General AK Narula.
The Army said on Tuesday that targeted fire assaults, with light field guns, anti-tank guided missiles, heavy mortars, rocket launchers and "infantry tanks", are being conducted to "proactively dominate" the LoC and "destroy locations aiding infiltration of terrorists" as part of the overall counter-terrorism strategy.
(Source: The Times of India)
Also Read: Why War With Pakistan Is Not an Option
2. Fresh Violence Erupts in Saharanpur as Mayawati Visits Neighbouring Village
One Dalit was killed and several injured as fresh caste violence erupted for the third time in the Chandrapura village of Saharanpur even as Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati visited the adjoining village of Shabbirpur, which witnessed caste clashes between Thakurs and Dalits in the first week of May.
In Shabbirpur, one member of the Thakur community had allegedly died of asphyxiation and over 60 Dalit houses were burnt to ashes allegedly by Thakurs, in clashes which started with Dalits objecting to loud music from a Thakur-led procession in the Shabbirpur village of Saharanpur on 5 May.
Thousands of Dalits had gathered in the Shabbirpur village to get a glimpse of the BSP leader and listen to her.
(Source: The Hindu)
3. Major in Kashmir Human Shield Row Says He Did It to Save Locals
An army major facing criticism for using a Kashmiri man used as a human shield defended the act on Tuesday, saying it saved the lives of 12 people from a mob allegedly armed with stones and petrol bombs.
The first public comments by major Leetul Gogoi since the incident on 9 April came a day after he was awarded by the army chief for “sustained efforts” in counter-insurgency operations.
Gogoi was accused of rights abuse for tying the Kashmiri man to the bonnet of an army jeep and parading him through villages on the day by-polls were held for the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. CRPF IGP Says Fake Encounter in Assam by Army, Police, His Forces
An Inspector General of Police, serving with the CRPF in the North East, has raised several questions regarding an encounter carried out in a joint operation by the Army, Assam police, CRPF and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in Chirang district of Assam in the early hours of 30 March this year.
In his report sent to CRPF headquarters in Delhi, Gujarat cadre IPS officer Rajnish Rai, currently posted in Shillong with CRPF as IG, North East Sector, has alleged that the encounter – neat Simlaguri village under Amguri police station – that led to the death of two suspected members of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songbijit), or NDFB(S) faction, was staged.
And that the two men were picked up from a house in D-Kalling village and killed in cold blood in Simlaguri.
(Source: Indian Express)
5. Su-30 Aircraft With Two IAF Personnel on Board Goes Missing Near China Border
A Sukhoi-30 aircraft with two officers of the Indian Air Force (IAF) on board went missing close to the China border within a few minutes of take-off from the IAF’s base in Tezpur on Tuesday morning. A search launched almost immediately has not yielded any result till late afternoon.
Tezpur-based Defence PRO Lt Col Shombit Ghosh said the aircraft, which was on a routine training mission, lost radio and radar contact with the IAF base at about 60 km north of Tezpur, which is well within the Kameng region of Arunachal Pradesh that shares international boundary with China.
The aircraft had taken off from Tezpur IAF base around 10:30 am.
(Source: Indian Express)
6. Aadhaar Gaffe: In Rajasthan Village, Almost All Residents Born on 1 January
Close on the heels of a vendor being caught in Bhilwara, Rajasthan for attempting to obtain an Aadhaar card in the name of slain al-Qaida terrorist Osama bin Laden, a stranger case relating to the UIDAI initiative has come to light from a village in Jaisalmer district.
According to Aadhaar records, over 250 people from a village in Pokhran, Pabupadia, were registered as having been born on 1 January, raising allegations of carelessness and 'cheating' by e-Mitra centres, set up by the Rajasthan government to ensure the common man access to government schemes in their localities, which collect the data.
The case comes amid efforts by the Centre to bring all the citizens on board the Aadhaar bandwagon.
(Source: The Times of India)
7. 21 Killed as Bus With 29 Pilgrims Falls Into Uttarakhand River
At least 21 pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh were killed when their bus fell into Bhagirathi river near Nalupani on Tuesday evening while returning from Gangotri shrine in the Himalayas.
The mishap occurred at around 6 pm as the bus fell 300 metres down the road into the river, Uttarkashi District Magistrate Ashish Shrivastava said.
Twenty bodies have so far been recovered from the spot and one of the seven injured died at the hospital, he said.
Read the full story on The Quint.
8. HC Directs CBSE to Continue With Its Grace Marks Policy
The Delhi high court on Tuesday directed the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to implement its moderation policy, which allows the provision of grace marks to students for difficult questions, for the time being.
In April, many students awaiting the Class 10 and 12 exam results were taken aback by a decision by the board to scrap its moderation policy with immediate effect. They feared a dip in percentage if no grace marks were awarded for difficult questions.
The academic prospects of 11 lakh Class 12 students and nine lakh Class 10 students hinged on this development.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
9. Air India to Get New VVIP Long-Haul Aircraft Next Year
India is likely get its new long-haul VVIP aircraft for use of the President, Vice-President and Prime Minister by the second half of 2018 – the final year of Narendra Modi's first term as PM.
Air India is to get a brand new Boeing 777-300 extended range (ER) each month next January, February and March.
The government has decided that two of these three planes will be used as the next VVIP planes, replacing the over 25-year-old jumbo jets India's top dignitaries currently fly for long journeys.
Since the two planes will be retrofitted by Boeing with the most modern security and communication systems – on a par with US President's Air Force One – they may be ready only late next year.
(Source: The Times of India)
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