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Long-pending deals for AK-203 assault rifles and Ka-226T light utility helicopters figure in discussions

•Russia has agreed to quickly address some urgent defence requirements sought by India and this was discussed during the recent trip of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, defence and diplomatic sources said. The long-pending deals for AK-203 assault rifles and Ka-226T light utility helicopters were also discussed in a review of the entire gamut of defence cooperation.

•India will present its requirements soon and Russia has assured to address them within a few months, the sources said without elaborating. Mr. Singh was on a four-day visit to Moscow from June 21 for the 75th anniversary of the Victory Day Parade during which he held talks with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov. The request comes in the backdrop of the tensions with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the large-scale mobilisation undertaken by the armed forces in response to the massive Chinese build up.

S-400 deliveries to start at end of 2021

•In a statement after the talks in Moscow, Mr. Singh said Russia had assured that ongoing contracts would be maintained and “in a number of cases will be taken forward in a shorter time”. However, on the S-400 deal, the sources said the deliveries would start end of 2021 as scheduled and it is difficult to accelerate the deal any further. “No further acceleration is technically possible,” a diplomatic source said while the Indian sources said the deliveries would be completed as per the contractual terms.

•There is some progress on the AK-203 assault rifle deal which has been held up over pricing, another diplomatic source said. The deal for over 7.5 lakh rifles of which one lakh would be imported and 6.71 lakh rifles manufactured by a joint venture (JV) Indo-Russian Rifles Private Limited (IRRPL) at Korwa in Uttar Pradesh.

•However, the deal for 200 Ka-226T utility helicopters remains stuck over the level of indigenisation. To reach the indiginisation percentage as specified by the tender, Russia and India are evaluating the possibility of using Indian aviation materials in the production in India which will give the programme a new indigenisation angle and also an impetus to the domestic aero industry.

Transfer to India of a number of crucial technologies

•“Another significant feature of the project is going to be the transfer to India of a number of crucial helicopter engineering technologies, including the unique coaxial scheme technologies,” two sources said adding India will have the choice to integrate domestic avionic and weapons.

•Of the 200 helicopters, 60 will be imported directly and the remaining will be manufactured by a JV between the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Russian helicopters (RH). Several MoUs have already been signed with domestic companies by RH for localising assemblies such as fuselage, blades, radio station and landing gear among others.

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1. Who said this statement; "A flag is not only a symbol of our independence but also the freedoms of all people."

(a) Jawaharlal Nehru

(b) Mahatma Gandhi

(c) Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel

(d) Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar

Answer a

Explanation: Jawaharlal Nehru

2. Who designed the present National Flag of India?

(a) Sachindra Prasad Bose

(b) Sukumar Mitra

(c) Pingali Venkaiya

(d) Sarojini Naidu

Answer c

Explanation: Pingali Venkayya

3. When "Chakra" between the National Flag had replaced Charkha(spinning wheeel)?

(a) 1932

(b) 1935

(c) 1942

(d) 1947

Answer d

Explanation: 1947

4. Which statement is not true about India's National Flag?

(a) The ratio of the length and width of the flag is 2: 3

(b) There is a 'Charkha' in the middle of the white strip, which is a symbol of progress and mobility

(c) The "Charkha" between the flag is taken from the Ashok Chakra

(d) The diameter of "Charkha" is approximately three-fourth of the width of the white strip of the flag

Answer a

Explanation: The ratio of the length and width of the flag is 3: 2.

5. Which of the following work comes under the category of crime?

(a) Wearing the flag down the knee

(b) Using the National Flag made of plastic

(c) Use of National Flag for business, business or profession

(d) All of the above

Answer d

Explanation: All the above

6. Which colour remains at the top while hoisting the National Flag?

(a) Green

(b) White

(c) Saffron

(d) Red

Answer c

Explanation: Saffron

7. What is the mean of white colour used in the National Flag?

(a) Sacrifice

(b) Truth and Purity of thoughts

(c) Prosperity of life

(d) None of the above

Answer b

Explanation: Truth and Purity of thoughts

8. Where can the National Flag be hoisted?

(a) At Rashtrapati Bhavan

(b) At Parliament House

(c) At the houses of common people

(d) All of the above

Answer d

Explanation: From January 26, 2002, the National Flag code has been changed. Now Indians have been given the freedom to hoist the National Flag at any time proudly anywhere.

9. Under which article did the Supreme Court declared the right to hoist the National Flag as the Fundamental Right?

(a) Article 19 (i)

(b) Article 14

(c) Article 18

(d) Article 21

Answer a

Explanation: In 2002, the Supreme Court had declared the right to hoist the National Flag under Article 19 (i) (a) of the Constitution as the Fundamental Right.

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Beijing nod for $500 million loan as pandemic hits tourism revenue

•The Sri Lankan government is likely to once again turn to China for help with debt repayment, as it did in 2014, even as its request to India for a postponement of its debt repayment has been hanging fire for the last four months. After a conversation between Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Rajapaksa on May 13, Beijing has already approved an additional $500 million loan from its development bank to help counter the impact of the pandemic.

•Even prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa had asked India for a debt deferment during a visit to Delhi in February, as he had confirmed in an interview to The Hindu . In April, the Central Bank of Sri Lanka sought a $400 million currency swap with the RBI under the SAARC facility and again in May, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa sought a “special” $1.1 billion currency swap facility from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had called him to discuss the responses to the pandemic and bilateral cooperation.

•The situation could get more difficult for Colombo, as Japan’s International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has put on hold funding for a proposed light rail transit system, local media reported, because of concerns over the island nation’s rising debt. Sri Lanka’s total foreign debt is approximately $55 billion, which accounts for nearly 80% of its GDP, according to last year’s official figures. Of that, China and the Asian Development bank each hold about 14%, Japan accounts for 12%, the World Bank holds 11%, while India holds about 2%.

•When asked about talks on the moratorium, Chinese Embassy officials in Colombo confirmed that the two countries are working together on the financial cooperation “via different channels and mechanisms”.

•“More practical progress will be drawn in coming weeks,” spokesperson at the Chinese Embassy Luo Chong told The Hindu .

Regional distress

•Other countries in the region are also now seeking debt repayments. On Friday, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke to President Rajapaksa about joining a ‘Global Initiative on Debt Relief” to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic, a press release from the Pakistani High Commission in Colombo said.

•In the Maldives, President Solih’s government is talking to all its bilateral partners and international agencies. “ We would also be seeking help from India, one of our closest friends,” Presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Hood told The Hindu .

•According to government sources, Maldives has very “small loans” from India, which prefers a more project-driven, development aid programme. In comparison the Maldives owes China a sum of nearly $1.5 billion, including $600 million from government-to-government, which could necessitate a shift from the Solih government’s earlier tough stand on what it called the Chinese “debt trap” due to the Belt and Road Initiative projects. Reports suggest that China has now agreed to a partial repayment, to reduce the dues this year from $100 million to $75 million, a development New Delhi will watch closely.

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