Singer Sidhu Moose Wala Murder: Suspect, Hiding Among Pilgrims, Detained

 A suspect in the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala has been detained in Uttarakhand, police sources have said today. The suspect had been hiding among pilgrims who are part of the Hemkund Sahib yatra in the mountains when a joint Punjab and Uttarakhand police team detained him, they said, adding the suspect is being taken to Punjab now.

The suspect detained from Dehradun today is a member of Lawrence Bishnoi gang, who has claimed responsibility for the singer's killing, sources have said.

Five more suspects have been detained from Uttarakhand. All of them are being taken to Punjab.

Sidhu Moose Wala was shot dead while he was driving his SUV in Punjab's Mansa yesterday.

The singer, who had also contested the Punjab elections earlier this year on a Congress ticket, was shot 30 times with an automatic assault rifle, the police said.

Punjab Police chief VK Bhawra has said the killing seemed to be the result of an inter-gang rivalry. "This incident seems to be a case of an inter gang rivalry," he told reporters, adding the name of the singer's manager, Shagunpreet, had figured in the murder of a youth Akali leader, Vicky Middukhera, last year. Shagunpreet had then fled to Australia.

Sidhu Moose Wala's murder appears to be in retaliation to Middukhera's killing, the police chief said.

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Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold4 to feature less prominent foldable screen crease

South Korean giant Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold3 foldable smartphone which was unveiled last August is expected to get a successor this year dubbed Galaxy Z Fold4.

According to GSM Arena, some info for the smartphone has already leaked and it suggests that its foldable screen will have a less prominent crease. A tipster has said that the Galaxy Fold4's screen looks smoother than Fold3's. 

It will be interesting to see what improvements Samsung has made to the hinge design for reducing the hinge gap when the main screen is folded. 

As per GSM Arena, last year's Galaxy Z Fold3 had a visible crease that was noticeable to touch, but was not an issue when one was engaged with screen.

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Elon Musk, Pune Software Developer And Their Twitter Banter

 Tesla CEO Elon Musk is highly active on Twitter these days, also it seems that he is fond of replying regularly to a Pune-based Indian Software developer, Pranay Pathole, who is working for Tata Consultancy Services.

On Monday, in a tweet Mr Musk said that he is not running Mr Pathole's Twitter account. Mr Pathole tweeted, "Many people think that @elonmusk runs my Twitter account. And it's TRUE. He's a super busy guy, building rockets, making life multiplanetary, building futuristic electric vehicles, digging tunnels. And somehow he finds time to run multiple Twitter account. YES ".

In response to the tweet, Mr Musk replied, "Haha I don't even have a burner Twitter account! I do have a cheesy secret Instagram account, so I can click on links that friends send me."

Mr Pathole has more than 1.6 lakh followers on Twitter. Mr Musk and Mr Pathole are friends on Twitter.

Mr Musk is often spotted replying to Mr Pathole's tweets.

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5 Pics: Huge Delhi Storm = Flooded Roads, Traffic Jams

 Several parts of Delhi witnessed heavy rain with thunderstorm early this morning, which affected flight operations at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport, and caused power blackouts as well.

The airport authorities have requested the passengers to contact the airline concerned for updated flight information.

"Due to bad weather, flight operations at Delhi airport are affected. Passengers are requested to get in touch with the airline concerned for updated flight information," Delhi Airport tweeted.

Parts of the city were affected by waterlogging and several trees were uprooted as well due to the strong winds and heavy downpour. The India Meteorological Department has predicted the rain and thunderstorm to continue in Delhi NCR for the next two hours.

"Today, just from 5:40 am till 7 am, the temperature fell by 11 degrees Celsius, from 29 degrees Celsius to 18 degrees Celsius," the India Meteorological Department said.

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GMR Aviation Academy bags ‘Best Aviation Skills and Training Agency’ award at Wings India 2022

Minister of Civil Aviation, Jyotiraditya Scindia bestowed the award of ‘Best Aviation Skills and Training Agency’ to GMR Aviation Academy at a function at Wings India 2022. The event was organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in Hyderabad.

“GMRAA is a leader in the Aviation-based courses in the country and region, and our vision is to be a world-class training organisation. We are imparting world-class training to students, and developing them into global aviation professionals who can support various stakeholders of the industry. GMRAA networks with the best-in-class aviation academies and professional bodies around the world to learn from collective wisdom and meet expectations of customers and stakeholders. This award is a testimony to our contributions to the industry and the nation,” said Ashwani Lohani, CEO, GMR Services Business.

GMR Aviation Academy (GMRAA), the education and training arm of GMR Airports Ltd, was established in 2009 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad. GMRAA is accredited by national and international bodies and has collaborated with various government bodies and regulators for Aviation-related Training and Education Programmes. It has emerged as a global gateway for aviation learning in India.

The academy has been conferred with ICAO’s ‘Regional Training Centre of Excellence’ stature and the ‘Global Training Hub’ by the ACI. It is also an Authorized Training Centre and Accredited Training School of International Air Transport Association (IATA).

The academy, with two full-fledged centres in Delhi and Hyderabad, conducts training programmes accredited by Airport Council International (ACI), International Air Transport Association (IATA), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) with focus on the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and African regions.

GMRAA imparts quality education through highly skilled faculty members possessing experience in Airports, Airlines, Fire & Rescue, Cargo, Safety and Security, Corporate Aviation, etc. The high-quality programmes conducted by the academy are unique as they are reinforced with On-the-Job Training (OJT) at the world’s best airports in Delhi or Hyderabad. The academy has its highly skilled faculty members and subject matter experts in their respective disciplines to conduct the programmes.

Post-training GMRAA facilitates placement assistance, with most of the alumni placed with major Airports (Indian and abroad), Airlines, Aviation Management Companies and Hospitality Companies, including Air India SATS, Celebi, Indigo, SpiceJet, Air Vistara, Sky Chef, Go Air, TruJet, DB Schenker, 7 Hills, GHIAL, DIAL, GMR Cargo, Qatar Airforce, DNATA etc.

With a focus on next generation training, GMR Aviation Academy along with its partner Information Sharing & Analysis Centre (ISAC) has launched short programmes in Cyber Security in Aviation. The programmes are set to transform workforce as Cyber-shields against Cyber-attacks in the current post-pandemic era where Cyber-invasions are on the rise.

The academy along with GMR Aero Technic (the MRO arm of GMR Airports Limited) is set to commission and operate the GMR School of Aviation, which has on offer a 4 year licensing program on 147 Aircraft Maintenance with in-house On-Job-Training at the MRO Campus. 

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Chinese passenger jet may have been deliberately brought down: Report

Investigators probing the crash of a China Eastern Airlines jet are examining whether it was due to intentional action taken on the flight deck, with no evidence so far of a technical malfunction, two people briefed on the matter said.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier Tuesday that flight data from one the Boeing 737-800's black boxes indicated that someone in the cockpit intentionally crashed the plane, citing people familiar with U.S. officials' preliminary assessment.

Boeing Co, the maker of the jet, and the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) declined to comment and referred questions to Chinese regulators.

The Boeing 737-800, en route from Kunming to Guangzhou, crashed on March 21 in the mountains of Guangxi, after a sudden plunge from cruising altitude, killing all 123 passengers and nine crew members aboard.

It was mainland China's deadliest aviation disaster in 28 years.

The pilots did not respond to repeated calls from air traffic controllers and nearby planes during the rapid descent, authorities have said. One source told Reuters investigators were looking at whether the crash was a "voluntary" act.

Screenshots of the Wall Street Journal story appeared to be censored both on China's Twitter-like platform Weibo and messaging app Wechat on Wednesday morning. The hashtag topics "China Eastern" and "China Eastern black boxes" are banned on Weibo, which cited a breach of relevant laws, and users are unable to share the story in group chats on Wechat.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China said on April 11 in response to rumours on the internet of a deliberate crash that the speculation had "gravely misled the public" and "interfered with the accident investigation work."

China Eastern did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal said the airline had said in a statement that no evidence had emerged that could determine whether or not there were any problems with the accident aircraft. The Chinese Embassy declined to comment.

The 737-800 is a widely flown predecessor to Boeing's 737 MAX but does not have the systems that have been linked to fatal 737-MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 that led to a lengthy grounding of the MAX.

China Eastern grounded its entire fleet of 737-800 planes after the crash, but resumed flights in mid-April in a move widely seen at the time as ruling out any immediate new safety concern over Boeing's previous and still most widely used model.

In a summary of an unpublished preliminary crash report last month, Chinese regulators did not point to any technical recommendations on the 737-800, which has been in service since 1997 with a strong safety record, according to experts.

NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said in a May 10 Reuters interview that board investigators and Boeing had traveled to China to assist the Chinese investigation. She noted that the investigation to date had not found any safety issues that would require any urgent actions.

Homendy said if the board has any safety concerns it will "issue urgent safety recommendations."

The NTSB assisted Chinese investigators with the review of black boxes at its U.S. lab in Washington.

Shares of Boeing closed up 6.5%.

A final report into the causes could take two years or more to compile, Chinese officials have said. Analysts say most crashes are caused by a cocktail of human and technical factors.

Deliberate crashes are exceptionally rare. Experts noted the latest hypothesis left open whether the action stemmed from one pilot acting alone or the result of a struggle or intrusion but sources stressed nothing has been confirmed.

In March 2015, a Germanwings co-pilot deliberately flew an Airbus A320 into a French mountainside, killing all 150 on board.

French investigators found the 27-year-old was suffering from a suspected "psychotic depressive episode," concealed from his employer. They later called for better mental health guidelines and stronger peer support groups for pilots.

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Against the grain: Farmers may still be able to export some wheat

The May 13, 2022, order of the ministry of commerce to completely ban wheat exports came as a surprise to most observers, even though indications were available that the Centre was already discouraging exports by restricting the rail movement to ports from wheat-surplus states; however, senior functionaries were still giving statements that exports would continue. This assured the trade and farmers that a complete ban is not to be expected in the next 2-3 months. It seems to have persuaded many traders to enter into contracts with exporters for supplying wheat, but with the sudden ban, some of them may have to book losses.

However, trade should not lose faith yet. India has been meeting part of its neighbours’ food security requirements, especially Bangladesh, by exporting wheat and rice in large quantities. We think these exports will continue this year too. In fact, India is also likely to come to the help of Sri Lanka in partially meeting its food requirements. Exports to some African and Asian countries on a diplomatic basis are also predicted. Once allowed, it is not yet known if the government will allow the exports via its state trading enterprises as in the past, or allow private traders to export to honour the commitments. As per media reports, it seems that about 4.5 million metric tons (mmt) of wheat has already been contracted for export in FY23, out of which about a third has already been exported in April 2022. We think that through its recent move, the Centre will be able to restrict total wheat exports which, as per our assessment, are still likely to reach about 10 mmt this year.

A day after the export ban was notified, wholesale prices of wheat in all major markets, barring Punjab, Rajasthan, and UP, fell. On May 14, 2022, the highest one-day fall was observed in Madhya Pradesh mandis, where wheat prices fell by about Rs 94/quintal (from Rs 2,133 on May 13 to Rs 2,039/quintal on May 14). Even prices in Haryana fell by about Rs 53/quintal. Interestingly, prices in Rajasthan rose by Rs 31/quintal.

Despite this moderation in prices, we assess that wheat inflation is likely to continue this year mainly on account of, among other things, a smaller domestic crop and lower global supplies of wheat. Compared to about 109.6 mmt last year and an expectation of about 111.3 mmt this year, the crop may well be lower than 100 mmt. FCI’s wheat stocks on April 1, 2022, were about 18.9 mmt. India requires about 106.5 mmt (99 mmt of wheat consumption and 7.5 mmt for meeting buffer stock norms) annually. With tight domestic supplies, prices would inevitably stay high this year. As per April 2022 CPI data, wheat inflation was about 9.6%. Globally, inter alia, two phenomena are shrinking wheat supplies—the Ukraine crisis, which has shrunk about 28% of global exports, and the prediction of lower wheat crops in the coming months. Globally, wheat crop is likely to come to the market from the US in June, the EU, Russia and Ukraine in July, Canada in August and Australia in late-October.

Due to high temperatures and dry conditions, wheat crops in the EU, and spring wheat sowing in the US are understood to have suffered. Argentina’s crop has already suffered due to dry weather. There could be some respite if Russia’s bumper wheat crop enters the market by July. However, expectations of deficit supplies are already built into the global wheat markets. Going forward, in addition to the wheat markets, the Centre will do well in focusing on the upcoming kharif season. Even though the IMD has predicted a normal monsoon, threats of a skewed geographic spread, and possibility of long dry spells appear real.

Plus, any serious shortfall in availability of fertilisers may adversely impact the kharif crops of cotton, rice, soybean, and tur. The Centre should revisit and update contingency plans and prepare to make best possible use of the monsoon. Lakhs of water tanks have been dug in villages across India. They need to be desilted and prepared to conserve rainwater. In addition, the Centre has to aggressively encourage adoption of drought-tolerant varieties of crops in at least the drought-prone areas.

On the sidelines, a lesson for states like Punjab and Haryana is noteworthy. In the accompanying graphic, we see that wheat farmers in all other states, barring Punjab (and Haryana, to some extent), benefitted from the rising price rally (till May 14, 2022). It appears that higher transaction costs in Punjab (about 8.5%) prevented private trade from buying in the state, keeping the prices only marginally higher than the MSP but lowest among other states. The state may learn lessons from Madhya Pradesh, and possibly moderate transaction costs, to help their farmers gain from building price dynamics.

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3 Names For Post Of Aviation University Vc Sent To Prez

 After sitting over the recommendations for a full-time and regular vice-chancellor of Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University (RGNAU) in Amethi for almost 11 months, three shortlisted names have finally been sent to the President for the decision. 

The names were shortlisted by the search-cum-selection panel.

The only university envisaged in the aviation milieu had been functioning with an acting vice-chancellor. Amber Dubey, also joint secretary in the Union ministry of civil aviation, had served in the capacity for almost two-and-a-half years. 

Sources said the process of appointment of a VC was expedited as Dubey’s term as joint secretary was coming to an end on September 18. With this, he would also lose his position of acting VC. 

The draft report (a copy of which is with TOI) of the panel, dated June 15, 2021, had shortlisted three names based on an assessment of the candidates’ profiles and interviews. A total of 24 applications were received. After review, 14 applicants were invited for interviews that was held on June 14. 

The names recommended by the panel included vice-president at GMR Aviation Academy M Harikishnan, general manager for aircraft maintenance engineering at Pawan Hans Ltd Mahendra Singh Boora and managing director of Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Aviance Indranil Gupta. Gupta held no position at the time of applying though. 

The committee was headed by former secretary, Union ministry of civil aviation MM Nambiar and had four members: former chief managing director of CSIR- National Aerospace Laboratories AR Upadhyay, director of IIM Bangalore Prof Rishikesha T Krishnan, CMD of SpiceJet Ajay Singh and MD of Air Asia India Sunil Bhaskaran.

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GMR Hyderabad Airport launches help desk to aid migrants

The GMR Hyderabad International Airport (GHIAL), in partnership with Telangana Overseas Manpower Company Limited (TOMCOM) on Wednesday launched a 24*7 migrant help desk dedicated to vulnerable migrants traveling abroad.

The help desk will especially cater to Kuwait and Qatar on a trial basis.

The desk will help and guide vulnerable migrants like domestic workers, housemaids, and laborers about safe, legal migration, and the paperwork needed for emigration clearance.

Speaking about the initiative CEO-GHIAL Pradeep Panicker said, “In the last few years we have seen a gradual rise of outbound migrant workforce traveling from Hyderabad to the Middle East. Quite often, most of these migrant workers are ignorant of the procedures and documentation needed for emigration clearance and other purposes.”

He added that the presence of a dedicated migrant help desk will help guide the passengers in emigration clearance.

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Adani Power, Tata Elxsi, JSPL among stocks added to MSCI index

Global Index provider MSCI has announced the list of additions and deletions for May 2022 Rejig. The global index provider MSCI (Morgan Stanley Capital International) rebalances its indices semi-annually and quarterly.

Adani Power, AU Small Finance Bank, Jindal Steel and Power (JSPL), Tata Elxsi are the stocks that have been added to the MSCI India index whereas HDFC Asset Management (AMC) has been deleted. The changes in constituents for the indexes will take place as of the close of May 31, 2022.

To be eligible for inclusion in a MSCI index, a leading provider of research-based indexes and analytics, a security’s Foreign Inclusion Factor (FIF) must reach a certain threshold. The FIF of a security is defined as the proportion of shares outstanding that is available for purchase in the public equity markets by international investors.

A report by Edelweiss Alternative & Quantitative Research had suggested that Jindal Steel & Power, Adani Power and Tata Elxsi could get included in the MSCI India index. The list is broadly in-line with its expectations with one surprise (AU Bank).

On the other hand, 50 smallcap stocks have been added to MSCI India Domestic Small Cap Index whereas 10 securities have been deleted from the index.

The additions include Apollo Tricoat Tubes, Aptus Value HSG Finance, Bharat Dynamics, CE Info Systems, Easy Trip Planners, Equitas Small Finance, ESAB India, GHCL, Go Fashions India, Godawari Power and Ispat, Greaves Cotton, Greenpanel Industries, among others.

Adani Power Ltd, Bajaj Consumer Care, Cholamandalam Investment, Future Retail, GMR Power & Urban Infra Ltd, IOL Chemicals and Pharma, Jindal Steel & Power, NCL India, Solara Active Pharma, Spandana Sphoorty Fin, have been removed from the smallcap India index.

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Gyanvapi masjid: SC declines to pass order on plea seeking stay on inspection

The Supreme Court Friday declined to pass any order on an appeal seeking urgent stay of the inspection of the Kashi Vishwanath temple-Gyanvapi mosque complex and said it will decide on listing it for hearing after going through the files.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India N V Ramana said it cannot pass any order without looking at the files. “I have no idea about this case. Let me look at the papers. We will list it…,” the CJI said as Senior Advocate Huzefa Ahmadi, appearing for the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, brought up the matter during the mentioning hours – when urgent matters are brought to the attention of the court.

Ahmadi said “this is the mosque for time immemorial” and that the trial court order is “clearly interdicted by the Places of Worship Act. 1991. Now today to direct the Commissioner to conduct the survey…”.

Ahmadi then sought a status quo order to which the CJI said, “Without knowing anything, how can I?…Let me see the file….”

The senior counsel responded, “But the penny might drop in the meanwhile…because the survey is being conducted right now”.

But the CJI told him, “Counsel, I don’t know anything. How can I pass any order? Sorry.” He added that he will go through the files and decide if and when it should be listed. “Suddenly you are mentioning.”

On April 8, while hearing the petitioners, the Varanasi court had appointed Advocate Commissioner Ajay Kumar Mishra to carry out an inspection of the Maa Shringar Gauri Sthal at the disputed site — and directed him to “prepare videography of the action” and submit a report.

On April 21, the Allahabad High Court dismissed a petition filed by the mosque committee challenging the local court’s order. On April 26, the Varanasi court again ordered videography of the disputed site. Though the inspection began, it was halted after the mosque committee filed an application in the court, alleging bias.

On Thursday, the Varanasi court ordered resumption of the video survey — even if it meant getting “locks opened/ broken”. The inspection report should be submitted on May 17, it said.

While passing an order on an application filed by the mosque committee, which had accused Mishra of being “biased”, the court appointed two additional commissioners — lawyers Vishal Singh and Ajay Pratap Singh — to assist him.

Civil Judge (Senior Division) Ravi Kumar Diwakar said top district officials “have the responsibility” to complete the inspection by the court-appointed commission, and directed the director general of police and chief secretary to supervise “related action”.

It ordered for an FIR to be registered “if anyone creates any hindrance”. “Under no condition should the commission’s work be stopped even if any of the petitioners cooperate or not,” said the court.

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Google’s affordable Pixel 6a is officially coming to India later this year

 Pixel fans in India rejoice! The newly announced Pixel 6a is officially coming here, marking the return of Google’s Pixel line to the Indian smartphone market after nearly a two-year hiatus.

There have been rumors in the past weeks that Google might bring the Pixel 6a to India, and that has indeed turned out to be the case. While Google’s official announcement didn’t make any mention of the international availability of the Pixel 6a, the company Tweeted out last night that the phone will be coming to India later this year.

There’s no word on pricing yet. But it’s safe to assume the device will be reasonably priced — anything in the ballpark of ₹30,000-40,000 will be considered competitive. Google is also not giving us a proper launch date yet, just a vague “later this year” timeframe. Here’s hoping Google won’t make us wait until Diwali to get our hands on its new mid-ranger.

The Pixel 4a had a good run in India, with Google unable to restock enough units to meet the growing demand. We expect the new Pixel 6a to do even better — though it will all depend on how Google prices the phone.

The Pixel 6a offers a solid hardware package at a bargain price, including a premium design, Google’s in-house Tensor SoC, dual 12MP cameras with new photo editing features, a 4,306mAh battery, and an in-display fingerprint scanner. The phone will be available for pre-order in the US starting July 21, with sales kicking from July 28 onwards. It comes in three colors: Chalk, Charcoal, and Sage.

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Ex-Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa, family flee to naval base, protests erupt: Report

 A protest began in front of Sri Lanka’s Trincomalee Naval Base on Tuesday after reports emerged that former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and some of his family members were there after leaving the official residence in Colombo, a media report said.

Violence erupted in Sri Lanka on Monday after supporters of then prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa attacked peaceful anti-government protesters demanding his ouster over the country’s worst economic crisis that led to acute shortages of staple food, fuel and power.

Over 200 people have also been injured in the violence in Colombo and other cities.

Mahinda Rajapaksa, 76, resigned as prime minister on Monday amid unprecedented economic turmoil, hours after his supporters attacked anti-government protesters, prompting authorities to impose a nationwide curfew and deploy Army troops in the capital.

A protest has begun in front of the Trincomalee Naval Base after reports Mahinda Rajapaksa and some of his family members are there after leaving Temple Trees, the official residence of prime minister, the Daily Mirror newspaper reported.

Trincomalee is a port city on the northeast coast of Sri Lanka.

On Monday, the violence saw arson attacks on the homes of several politicians, including the ancestral home of the Rajapaksas in Hambantota.

Video footage showed the entire house of Mahinda Rajapaksa and his younger brother and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Medamulana in Hambantota city was burning.

Mahinda Rajapaksa’s House in Kurunegala was also set on fire by protesters while a mob also destroyed D A Rajapaksa Memorial – constructed in the memory of the father of Mahinda and Gotabaya – in Medamulana, Hambantota.

There have been protests over soaring prices and power cuts since last month.’ Sri Lanka is facing its worst economic crisis since gaining independence from Britain in 1948.

The crisis is caused in part by a lack of foreign currency, which has meant that the country cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices.

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Aviation min grants rights to GMR to operate Hyderabad airport for 30 yrs

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has granted rights to the GMR Group to operate the Hyderabad international airport for 30 more years, according to a statement issued on Wednesday.

Till date, the GMR Group had the rights to operate the Hyderabad airport till March 22, 2038. The airport was inaugurated on March 23, 2008.

The GMR Group's statement said the extension granted by the MoCA is in terms of the concession agreement that was signed between the MoCA and the GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) on December 20, 2004.

GHIAL, a step-down subsidiary of GMR Infrastructure Limited (GIL), has received a letter of confirmation from the MoCA extending the term of the concession agreement for operating the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad for a further period of 30 years - from March 23, 2038 up to March 22, 2068, it said.

"The initial capacity of the airport was 12 million passengers per annum (MPPA), which went up to 21 MPPA in 2019 (pre-Covid)," it said.

The airport, at present, is undergoing major expansion, post which the capacity will get enhanced to 34 MPPA. The airport has 150,000 tons of cargo handling capacity per annum, the statement said.

The airport master plan has the flexibility to increase the ultimate capacity to over 100 MPPA in phases, it said.

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PM Modi bonds with President Macron over Indo-Pacific

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a 90 minute one-on-one meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday evening at Elysée Palace, focusing on the consequences and solutions to the war in Ukraine rather than the respective positions of the two countries with the two leaders discussing ways to counter the deteriorating environment in the Indo-Pacific.

While PM Modi was having an open exchange of thoughts ranging from strategy to philosophy with a trusted ally, his External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar had a separate discussion with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, met separately with French Defence Minister Florence Parly. They then joined Modi and Macron for delegation level talks.

It is understood that Modi shared his thoughts about the global consequence of the Ukraine war and its impact on food security of poorer nations. He made it clear that it is not the position on war that matters but the ability to push for solutions to the impending global crisis with Russia refusing to call an end to the war. Both PM Modi and President Macron have spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to end violence and sue for peace.

PM Modi let it be known to President Macron that India was ready to provide food and grain to poorer countries bilaterally to address the gap in global markets on account of the war, but that it needs permission from the WTO. The two leaders agreed on the threat posed by the impending food crisis and that the World Food Programme and the UN would need support to feed the poor of the world.

The two leaders acknowledged the environment in the Indo-Pacific with President Macron asking PM Modi what should be done bilaterally to counter belligerence and expansionist tendencies in the region. Both leaders are on the same page on the Indo-Pacific with navies of both countries exercising frequently. The common threat, of course, is China.

The two leaders, with only interpreters in the room, also spoke of Afghanistan, Pakistan, terrorism, and the global security environment.

While the two leaders had an expansive discussion, PM Modi and President Macron’s key aides interacted with each other. It was quite evident from the meeting between Doval and Parly that France was more than ready to participate in the ‘Make in India’ project by jointly manufacturing critical and emerging defence technologies in India and then exporting to third countries without any export licence regime.

HT learns that Modi was satisfied with his short but significant visit to France with all issues to be followed up by President Macron’s visit to India later this year and in the soon to be held strategic dialogue with a NSA level task force handling the defence cooperation between the two very close allies.

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India wants Russia to sell its oil at less than $70 per barrel: Report

India is trying to convince Russia to offer deeper discounts on crude oil - Delhi is looking to pay less than $70 per barrel - to offset risks in dealing with the OPEC+ producer in light of increasingly harsh financial sanctions against Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine. Sources told Bloomberg discounts are being sought to compensate for hurdles like securing financing for purchases. Bloomberg said the Indian government did not immediately comment.

At the time of writing, global benchmark Brent is trading near $108 a barrel, down from a high of nearly $130 a barrel in the war's initial days.

Indian refiners - state and private - have bought over 40 million barrels of discounted Russia crude since Vladimir Putin launched his 'special military op' against Ukraine February 24, Bloomberg said. Last month too Russia offered India discounts on a fixed one-time purchase of 15 million barrels.

Total purchases are significant in volume - 20 per cent more than Russia-India flows in 2021, according to Bloomberg calculations from trade ministry data. 

The purchases have also invited pointed remarks from the West, including the United States and the European Union, but those were countered by the government pointing out the EU too had bought more from Russia and that India welcomed competitive offers to meet domestic demand.

“When oil prices go up, I think it is natural for countries to go out and look for good deals…" he said last month in a meeting with the UK foreign secretary.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday told the European parliament of a proposal to fully phase out dependency on Russian oil, crude and refined.

India - estimated to be the third largest primary fuel consumer in the world with around five million barrels daily- imports about 85 per cent of its oil needs but, historically, contribution of Russian crude is marginal.

It was less than three per cent in 2021, according to estimates by S&P Global Commodity Insights. In fact, in March government officials told Reuters imports from the US would rise by 11 per cent this year.

Purchases in the current global context - which has seen many of Russia's normal buyers turn away because of sanctions that complicate shipping and payment. The EU is prepping another wave that is expected to target Russian oil, as well as banks in Russia and Belarus, and individuals.

Complications were evident last week when it emerged India's Oil and Natural Gas Corp, ONGC, is struggling to ship 700,000 barrels of crude from Russia's Far East because of insurance and reputational difficulties.

Flow of Russian oil to India isn't sanctioned but tightening restrictions in areas like marine insurance and shipping, as well as measures against financial institutions mean maritime trade with Russia is becoming difficult.

There is also growing pressure on prime minister Narendra Modi to scale back India's relationship with Russia but that is problematic on several levels, not the least of which are access to heavily discounted crude and the fact that Moscow is a key defence partner.

For its part Moscow is keen to keep supplies flowing to India since Delhi represents a valuable (and steady) source of revenue for Putin as he looks to fund his military efforts in Ukraine.

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"I Thought We Were Fired," Tweet Said. CEO Parag Agrawal Replied

After Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk's hostile takeover of Twitter in a $44 billion cash deal, the internet is abuzz with speculations on what's in store for the recently appointed CEO Parag Agrawal. However, Mr Agrawal seems to be confident in his future at the company. At least that's what he seems to be trying to project through replies to Tweets on the issue. 

On Twitter user Suhail's empathetic post regarding the Indian-origin CEO's earlier plans for the social media giant, Mr Agrawal indicated there was no cause for worry and "what matters most is the service and the people improving it".

"I feel for the current ceo of Twitter (@paraga) - he had all these plans and now lives with the same uncertainty of his whole team," Mr Suhail tweeted.

The Twitter CEO responded with thanks and seemed to dismiss the concern. 

"Thank you but don't feel for me. What matters most is the service and the people improving it," he said. 

Mr Agrawal had last night laid out his vision for the company before he took over the top job and expressed pride in his colleagues who continue to work "with focus and urgency despite the noise".

"I took this job to change Twitter for the better, course correct where we need to, and strengthen the service. Proud of our people who continue to do the work with focus and urgency despite the noise," he tweeted. 

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A parody account with the name "not Parag Agrawal" responded with "I thought we were fired". The Twitter CEO then clarified that his team and he were still there.

"nope! we're still here," he said.

Shortly after Mr Musk's successful bid to buy Twitter, the former CEO of the microblogging site Jack Dorsey had dropped a series of tweets, suggesting that he supports the move. He said Elon Musk was the "singular solution" that he trusted to "take it back from Wall Street and the ad model". 

He said Mr Musk's goal of creating a platform that is "maximally trusted and broadly inclusive" is the right one and is shared by Parag Agrawal, which is why he chose him as his replacement.

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Coming soon: A more polite & sensitive Delhi Police, after trainers get trained by IndiGo crew

 Delhi Police personnel are not exactly famed for charming and graceful behaviour, but that could change in the near future, with IndiGo cabin crew and ground staff being roped in to impart soft-skills training to cops.

The syllabus includes perception management, body language skills, coping with unrealistic demands, cultural sensitivity, managing emotions, and anti-discrimination training. The hope is that this training from flight attendants will improve police behaviour and sensitivity, and eventually change unfavourable perceptions about the force.

The first batch of training at the IndiGo airlines’ Ifly training centre took place last November, and saw 12 inspectors-cum-trainers of the Delhi Police putting on their student hats. These inspectors will now impart what they have learned about body language, emotions, and sensitivity to around 5,000 constables.

Sources in the Delhi Police told ThePrint that soft-skills training is already an integral component of police training, but this initiative under the tutelage of cabin crew will specifically help build skills to bridge the gap between the police and the public.

“The training by IndiGo air hostesses was done keeping in mind the most important components of soft-skills training — body language, sensitivity, and communication,” Sundari Nanda, special commissioner (human resource division) in the Delhi Police, told ThePrint.

The training is not just for cops to maintain a pleasant and patient visage, but also about equipping the police to better handle sensitive crimes, like sexual assault cases, and bring order in instances of public anger and mob violence, Nanda added.

While Delhi Police personnel have undergone training at Ifly before, previous initiatives were more limited in scope.

More ‘receptive, polite, solution-oriented’ cops

According to a senior police officer, who did not wish to be identified, IndiGo staff have already trained 12 “officers from the security unit, traffic unit, district police, and licencing” in a six-day programme from 10 to 16 November last year.

“Two more batches will be sent for training with the airline staff soon,” the officer said.

Nanda said the training was geared to help the police engage more effectively with Delhi’s diverse population.

“Perception continues to be a major problem for the police force and enhancing their soft skills’ training will help change that. Delhi, as a capital city, has people from different socio-cultural backgrounds and hence it is extremely important for the police personnel to undergo this training to deal better with the masses,” Nanda said.

“Soft-skills’ training helps the personnel to learn, unlearn and grow in terms of being sensitive towards the grieving public and solve issues, keeping law and order intact,” she added.

Nanda also gave instances of how these skills would apply to critical situations.

“This training will enable police to be more sensitive towards citizens’ issues… For instance, they will be sensitised on how to make a sexual assault or domestic violence complainant feel more comfortable, or how to address and calm situations during mob violence or in general addressing public grievances,” Nanda said. “Basically, [training on how to be] receptive, polite and be able to provide a solution simultaneously.”

A push for more sensitivity

The Ministry of Home Affairs has emphasised the need for soft-skills training, Nanda told ThePrint. This seems to be borne out by a number of initiatives in recent years.

Last October, for example, the Delhi Police Academy held a four-day programme in collaboration with the International Hotel Association, GMR Aviation Academy and IndiGo, where 380 sub-inspectors of the force underwent soft skills training.

In January 2019, too, a batch of 17 police personnel underwent training at the Ifly training centre in Gurugram, with a focus on “six Ss”, namely swagat, sampark, sahanubhuti, samman, sabhyata, and samay (welcoming, communication, empathy, respect, decorum, and timeliness).

The Delhi Police are also planning to train 500 trainers in collaboration with the government’s Capacity Building Commission. These trainers, in turn, will then provide soft-skills training to 35,000 police personnel.

“Traffic police, the local police at the police stations, those attending emergency calls in the PCR (police control rooms) will undergo this training,” said the unnamed senior officer quoted earlier.

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