NASA Continue To Work With Russian Counterpart

While Russian forces invade Ukraine and the West responds with unprecedented sanctions, US space agency NASA said they are continuing to work with their Russian counterparts.

“NASA continues working with all our international partners, including the State Space Corporation Roscosmos, for the ongoing safe operations of the International Space Station,” a NASA spokesperson Dan Huot told ANI.

“The new export control measures will continue to allow US-Russia civil space cooperation. No changes are planned to the agency’s support for ongoing in orbit and ground station operations.” Hout added.

This comes after Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Russia’s space agency Roscosmos and a longtime ally of Putin, took to social media and warned that US sanctions could have “dire” consequences for the International Space Station program.

There were some fears after Russia invaded Ukraine that the Russian Space Agency would ditch Vande Hei, an American astronaut who is scheduled to return to Earth in a Russian capsule from the International Space Station on March 30.

Despite the concerns, NASA said Vande Hei will be on the Soyuz rocket later this month. NASA has said that Vande Hei’s plans to touch down in Kazakhstan have not changed. The Russia-Ukraine crisis three weeks ago has caused space programs to cancel launches and to break contracts.

Concerns over Russia’s willingness to help return Vande Hei to Earth came up after President Biden announced a series of economic sanctions on Moscow in response to its invasion of Ukraine. The sanctions would “degrade their aerospace industry, including their space program,” Biden said during a White House news conference.

For the past 24 years, the US and Russia have worked together to construct and maintain the ISS where research has led to some of the most important discoveries of the 21st century.

The ISS has been permanently occupied for more than 20 years with its main operators being the United States and Russia. American astronauts routinely return back to Earth on the Russian Soyuz capsules.

NASA and space agencies in Europe, Japan, and Canada want to keep the ISS running until 2030, but the Russians have not committed beyond 2024. (ANI)

Challenges to Food Security

Jaishankar To Make Statement On Ukraine In RS Today

Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will make a statement on the prevailing situation in Ukraine at 2.30 pm in Rajya Sabha today.

In the second part of the Budget Session in Parliament, Jaishankar will speak on the rescue operation to evacuate Indian students from the war zone in Ukraine and what is India’s stand vis-a-vis the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

The Central government launched ‘Operation Ganga’ on February 24 to bring back stranded Indians from Ukraine.

Four Central ministers Kiren Rijiju, Hardeep Singh Puri, Jyotiraditya Scindia and General (Retd) VK Singh were sent by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Ukraine’s neighbouring countries to coordinate the efforts for the rescue of the stranded Indians.

So far, India has been able to rescue around 22,500 stranded citizens in more than 80 special evacuation flights. Through its ‘Operations Ganga’, India has also been able to rescue several citizens of the neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Nepal.

During the operation, buses and trains brought Indians to the western borders of Ukraine and they were flown to India via locations like Bucharest, Budapest, Suceava, and Warsaw.

The last batch of over 600 students who were evacuated from Sumy was brought back to India via Poland.

In recent months, ‘Operation Ganga’ has been India’s largest evacuation drive to bring back stranded Indians after operation ‘Devi Shakti’ was launched by the Narendra Modi government in Afghanistan last year. (ANI)

2,568 New COVID Cases, 97 Deaths In Last 24 Hrs

India reported 2,568 new COVID-19 cases and 97 deaths in the last 24 hours.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 4,722 recoveries have been reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total tally to 4,24,46,171 in the country. The recovery rate stands at 98.72 per cent. India’s active cases currently stand at 33,917 and are 0.08 per cent of the cumulative caseload.

The daily positivity rate is at 0.37 per cent whereas the weekly positivity rate stands at 0.46 per cent.

In the last 24 hours, 7,01,773 samples were collected.

Meanwhile, 180.40 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far in the country.

More than 182.84 crore (1,82,84,94,230) vaccine doses have been provided to States/UTs so far through the Government of India (free of cost channel) and through the direct state procurement category.

More than 17.30 crore (17,30,61,681) balance and unutilized COVID Vaccine doses are still available with the States/UTs to be administered. (ANI)

As Putin’s War Drags On, China’s Discomfiture Increases

There is a lot of conjecture about the strategic relationship between China and Russia, and the degree of knowledge that Chairman Xi Jinping had before President Vladimir Putin launched his lamentable invasion of Ukraine.

This war is proving to be fraught with risks for China, putting Beijing in an awkward nexus as it tries to juggle support for its ally while pretending to be neutral.

As the Ministry of Truth’s adage in George Orwell’s classic book Nineteen Eighty-Four went, “War is peace; Freedom is slavery; Ignorance is strength”. This is the kind of absurd contradictions that Beijing tries to get away with, obfuscating the truth. In fact, China cannot even bring itself to label Putin’s gambit as an “invasion” or “war”.

China has tried hard to portray itself as neutral in this conflict, but it is patently obvious that it is not easy walking such a tightrope. Russian talking points are blithely repeated by Chinese officials, one example being the ridiculous notion that the USA has biological warfare laboratories in Ukraine.

Zhang Jun, China’s Ambassador to the United Nations (UN), told the General Assembly, “The situation has evolved to a point which China does not wish to see. It is not in the interest of any party.” This comment went further than any other Chinese official has gone, and sounded positive.

However, the same ambassador also remarked that “intensifying unilateral sanctions” was more “deeply concerning” than the intensifying invasion of an independent country. “War is peace; Freedom is slavery; Ignorance is strength”.

China’s twisted thinking forces it to be creative in its verbal gymnastics as it defends the indefensible. One key principle that China cannot reconcile is the inviolable nature of sovereign territory, which it loves to preach about. Additionally, it decries anyone interfering in the internal affairs of others. Yet Russia has broken both of China’s cardinal rules, and has received no criticism from Beijing. How can Beijing be so hypocritical?

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi thus told Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in a phone call, “The security of one country shouldn’t be achieved at the expense of the security of other countries, and the regional security can’t be achieved by expanding military blocs.”

These are empty words, for Xi refuses to criticize Putin. Not only that, but Beijing has supported Putin’s narrative that Russia is the aggrieved party, that NATO is a guilty party, and that Ukraine has deservingly brought this attack upon itself. At home on the internet, for example, or on the world stage, China has staunchly shielded Russia from criticism.

In February, during the Beijing Winter Olympics, China and Russia signed a strategic agreement for a partnership that has “no limits”. That seems to be holding true, even as one of the parties wantonly invades another nation.

China and Russia do not implicitly trust each other, but their leaders, who have met 38 times since 2013, have built up rapport. They certainly share values such as spurning human rights, seeking imperial expansionism, and desiring to leave a legacy as strongman leaders who oversaw their nation’s rise to the proper place in the world.

The two countries certainly share similar ambitions of sidelining and diminishing the West, particularly the USA. Other than bland calls for negotiations, there is no evidence that Xi has put any pressure on Putin to end the conflict.

Those who are calling upon Xi to help broker a ceasefire are simply naive. China’s principles are no better than Russia’s, and it harbors the same militaristic ambitions against Taiwan as Putin does with Ukraine.

Interestingly, a report in the Financial Times quoted US intelligence officials as saying that Moscow may have approached Beijing to obtain military equipment and supplies for use in Ukraine. It is impossible to corroborate this, but as Putin’s war enters its third week, the Russian military has made far slower progress than expected and has suffered colossal losses.

In terms of armored vehicles, for example, the Russian Army has already lost more than the equivalent of the entire British Army’s entire armored vehicle fleet. If China were to offer such overt support, it would underscore Chinese complicity. It is

difficult to see what benefit that would bring to China, as it would make the Ukraine conflict a proxy war involving China.

Jake Sullivan, the US National Security Advisor, was due to meet China’s Yang Jiechi in Rome on 14 March. Before Sullivan’s departure, he warned China not to “bail out” Russia by circumventing Western sanctions.

For a week partway through the Olympics, the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) top leadership disappeared from public view. Presumably, the seven members of the Politburo Standing Committee (PSC) were discussing the brewing Ukraine crisis and how to play it.

Siding with Putin might have brought reward if Russia had knifed through Ukraine militarily, and NATO and the USA had shown weakness and internal dissension. However, the longer the conflict goes on, the heavier is the price for China, and it becomes harder to plead neutrality.

It is unknown whether there was internal debate among the PSC as to the wisest course of action. Xi’s style of leadership is top down, and he has been dismantling the collective leadership model since grabbing the reins of power. If the PSC were to demand a change of policy regarding Ukraine, this would amount to personal defeat for Xi.

A year ago, Xi declared, “The East is rising, and the West is in decline.” However, he might have been premature in such a conclusion. Indeed, China may have ignored or missed all the danger signs, so serious was Xi in aligning with Russia.

Kurt Campbell, the US senior coordinator for Indo-Pacific Policy at the National Security Council, said, “It’s undeniable that, right now, China is occupying an awkward nexus in which they’re trying to sustain their deep and fundamental relationship with Russia.” Campbell added that China chose not to weigh in to US-led discouragement of any Russian invasion.

General Kenneth Wilsbach, commander of US Pacific Air Forces, also mused about the Xi-Putin summit in early February: “I’d like to know what happened there because, clearly, we’ve seen that Russia did invade. Did Xi lie to the world? Was he propagating the Russian misinformation? Was he duped by the Russians? Or was he just wrong?”

Additionally, CIA Director William Burns commented, “I do think…that they have been surprised and unsettled to some extent by what they’ve seen in Ukraine over the last 12 days, everything from the strength of the Western reaction to the way in which Ukrainians have fiercely resisted.”

An ongoing war will hurt China economically too. Last year, China imported 320 million tons of coal, 512.98 million tons of crude oil, and 121.36 million tons of natural gas. This represented a 19.9% year-on-year jump, cementing China as the world’s largest energy consumer. The cost of oil and transport – essential for China’s factories – will hit home.

While China may buy Russian farm and energy exports, it is still largely complying with Western financial sanctions, since Beijing fears losing access to the dollar-based global trading system.

China’s military has often turned to Ukraine for military technology too. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) obtained its first aircraft carrier from Ukraine, although at the time it had been stripped of equipment. It also obtained plans of the Su-33 aircraft, on which it based its J-15 carrier-borne fighter. Engines for JL-10 trainer jets, tanks and amphibious assault vehicles have come from Ukraine, as did the first 30 turbines for Type 052D destroyers (the turbines are now license-produced in China).

Command systems for Chinese missiles probably also emanated from Ukraine. Furthermore, Ukraine has also been a fertile hunting ground for China to employ various technical experts. So there will be a price for the PLA from this war.

It was never likely that China would use the cover of the Ukraine war to attempt an invasion of Taiwan. Nonetheless, China will be drawing numerous lessons from the Ukraine conflict. Thus, Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu warned on day twelve of the Russian invasion: “I believe that China’s leaders are…watching the situation and trying to draw their own conclusions. The danger is that if they believe that the West’s response to the Russian invasion is weak, and lacks impact, they could take that as a positive sign [for an invasion of Taiwan].”

One lesson is the danger of underestimating the resolve of people defending their homeland. Certainly, Xi failed to predict the strength of feeling among Hong Kongers when he tried to restrict their freedoms. This was a major blunder by Xi, even though Hong Kong people are among the world’s most pragmatic. Taiwan might well put up ferocious resistance as Ukraine has.

Another lesson is how Russian aggression helped forge unexpected unity in Europe and around the world in support of Ukraine. International corporations have pulled entirely out of the Russian market, and would likely do the same in China. Like Russia, many countries at the UN would condemn China for any unprovoked Chinese attack on Taiwan.

Russian actions against Ukraine are pushing Finland and Sweden into seriously considering joining NATO. Likewise, continued Chinese aggression could force other Asian counties even closer into alliances with the USA. If China continues to support Russia, this will further alarm Southeast Asian nations already concerned about Chinese belligerence.

A troubling lesson that Chinese strategists might take is the need for overwhelming firepower at the start of a conflict. Any invasion of Taiwan would not be as restrained as Russia’s was, as the PLA could pursue a far more vigorous and aggressive doctrine.

The CCP insists that Taiwan is part of China, and that its fate is therefore a domestic matter. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the Taiwan issue is entirely China’s internal affair.” He labeled it a “naked double standard” to conflate the Taiwan and Ukraine issues.

Of course, this is how the CCP tries to worm its way out of the fact that it is militarily bullying an independent nation. Wang argued, “We have seen that some people emphasise the principle of sovereignty on the Ukraine issue, but continue to undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity on the Taiwan issue.” He blamed Taiwan for current tensions because it refuses to be part of China. In fact, Taiwan has never in its history been ruled by the CCP.

No matter what happens now in Ukraine, Russia has been incredibly weakened. Its GDP was already just a sixth of China’s, and new sanctions will only magnify the difference. Moscow has been excommunicated from the world stage and, more than ever, Russia will be subservient to China. Beijing even may be able to exact a steeper price in such things as technological and military transfers.

This war could turn Russia into just a larger version of North Korea in terms of its relations with China. Significantly, however, China has never abandoned North Korea, no matter how much Pyongyang has antagonized others. China will presumably support Russia the same way. Xi certainly does not want Putin toppled, so he will continue to support his neighbor as much as he can get away with. Historically, China has been leery of having a militarily strong Russia on its border, but Russia’s strength is seeping away.

China tries to paint itself as a responsible global leader, but this image is being tarnished daily, as is Beijing’s relations with Europe. If China comes to be seen as part of an axis alongside Russia, this will represent a serious diplomatic and economic setback. China does not want to become more isolated for having thrown its weight behind Moscow, and so its tightrope act continues. (ANI)

Pralhad Joshi Welcomes K’taka HC Decision On Hijab

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Tuesday welcomed the Karnataka High Court’s decision to uphold the Hijab ban in educational institutions and appealed to everyone to maintain peace by accepting the order of the Court.

“I welcome the Court’s decision. I appeal to everyone that the state and country have to go forward, everyone has to maintain peace by accepting the order of the High Court. The basic work of students is to study. So leaving all this aside they should study and be united,” said Joshi.
The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday dismissed various petitions challenging a ban on Hijab in education institutions and said that wearing a Hijab is not an essential religious practice of Islam.

A bench of Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi said that no case is made out for invalidating the Government Order of February 5.

Moreover, it added that the prescription of school uniforms is a reasonable restriction which students could not object to.

The Hijab row had erupted in January this year when the Government PU College in Udupi allegedly barred six girls wearing the hijab from entering. Following this, the girls sat in protest sat outside college over being denied entry.

After this, boys of several colleges in Udupi started attending classes wearing saffron scarves. This protest spread to other parts of the state as well leading to protests and agitations in several places in Karnataka.

As a result, the Karnataka government said that all students must adhere to the uniform and banned both hijab and saffron scarves till an expert committee decided on the issue. On February 5, the pre-University education board released a circular stating that the students could only wear the uniform approved by the school administration and no other religious attire will be allowed in colleges.

The order stated that in case a uniform is not prescribed by management committees, then students should wear dresses that go well with the idea of equality and unity, and do not disturb the social order.

A batch of petitions was filed against the government’s rule in the Karnataka High Court by some girls seeking permission to wear the hijab in educational institutions.

A bench of Karnataka High Court comprising Chief Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, Justice Krishna S Dixit, and Justice JM Khazi heard the petitions challenging the government rule on dress code.

On February 10, the high court issued an interim order stating that said students should not wear any religious attire to classes till the court issued the final order. The hearings related to the Hijab case were concluded on February 25 and the court had reserved its judgement. (ANI)

BAFTA 2022 Pays Tribute To Lata

The 75th edition of British Academy Film Awards, conducted with a starry ceremony at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Sunday, paid tribute to India’s late nightingale Lata Mangeshkar in the ‘In Memoriam’ segment.

Several fans of Mangeshkar flooded the Twitterverse with an appreciation for BAFTA to include the late iconic singer.
“Thank you @BAFTA for including #Latamangeshkar in your In Memoriam section. As anyone who follows the Indian film industries would know, her loss is irreplaceable. RIP,” a fan tweeted.

“@BAFTA pays respect to our legendary singer @mangeshkarlata #LataMangeshkar #BAFTA,” another wrote.

Lata Mangeshkar passed away on February 6, 2021, at the age of 92, due to post COVID-19 complications. She was cremated with full state honours in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, Warner Bros’ ‘Dune’ and Benedict Cumberbatch’s ‘The Power of the Dog’ were some of the awards season favourites that took home Bafta trophies at the in-person ceremony hosted by Rebel Wilson. (ANI)

Fiery Exchange Btw Nitish, Sinha In Bihar Assembly

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Assembly Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha entered into a heated exchange of words in the Legislative Assembly on Monday over the investigation of the Lakhisarai case and accused the Speaker of “openly violating” the constitution by raising questions against his government.

The matter is related to COVID protocols violation during the Saraswati Puja celebrations in Lakhisarai last month in which two persons were arrested by Bihar Police.
Raising objection against the Police action, Assembly Speaker argued that two innocent people were made scapegoats in the case as Bihar Police arrested them and no action has been taken against the organisers of the event.

A counter objection was made by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the persistent uproar in the Assembly on the issue of Lakhisarai.

It is pertinent to mention that BJP leader Vijay Kumar Sinha was raising the matter related to his own constituency, Lakhisarai.

Speaking at the Assembly, Nitish defending the Police action, said, “No one will be spared whoever commits a crime. Our government saves no one and does not implicate anyone.”

Lashing out at the Speaker, he reminded that Legislative Assembly is not the place to discuss the crime report card.

Nitish accused the Speaker of violating the Constitution, “You are openly violating the Constitution. This way the House will not run. There is no point in raising the same issue every day. We will definitely consider the Privilege Committee report. The system is run by the Constitution. The report of any crime goes to the court and not to the House.”

Replying to Nitish, Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha said, “As far as the Constitution is concerned, Chief Minister, you know more than us, I learn from you. Bihar Assembly Speaker said that the Chair should not be discouraged.”

Questioning further, Sinha said, “Why is the government not taking serious action on this? You people have made me the speaker of the assembly. The DSP and SHO could not give answer.”

Notably, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs moved a privilege motion notice against the Deputy Superintendent of Police and two other officers in Lakhisarai for violation of the protocol and alleged misconduct with the Speaker.

When the Speaker tried to intervene, the Deputy Superintendent of Police and two other officers allegedly misbehaved with him. In the assembly, Sinha had been asking the government to act against the policemen. BJP leaders have also been pressing for action against the policemen.(ANI)

Sikh Employees Are Allowed To Carry Kirpan At Airport

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has allowed the Sikh employees of the aviation sector to carry Kirpan at the airport.

In a revised order, MoCA removed the clause mentioned in its earlier order which stated that no employees at any domestic or international airport terminal be allowed to carry Kirpan in person.
In its earlier notice, on March 4, the BCAS issued an order banning the Sikh aviation employees to carry Kirpan that was criticized by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC).

BCAS mentioned that the Indian Sikhs can carry Kirpan in domestic flights with the blade length, not more than six inches and the total length of the kirpan is not more than 9 inches, and no Sikhs employees are allowed to carry Kirpan to the airport, working in any terminal, national or international.

“a. Kirpan may be carried by a Sikh pax, on his person, provided the length of the blade doesn’t exceed 15.24 cms and the total length of Kirpan doesn’t exceed 22.86 cms. Allowed while traveling on Indian aircraft within India operating from Domestic Terminals only.”

“b. This exception shall be for Sikh passengers only as stated above. And, no stakeholder or its employee at the airport (including Sikh) and working in any terminal, domestic or international, shall be allowed to carry Kirpan on person.” reads the notice.

Ministry of Civil Aviation(MoCA), on March 12, lifted the ban by removing clause ‘b’.(ANI)

Indians In Canada Get Emotional After Watching ‘The Kashmir Files’

At the screening of “The Kashmir Files”, a film that revolves around the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990, the Indian community in Toronto became emotional after watching the movie and thanked the film-makers.

The film “Kashmir Files” was being screened in Greater Toronto Area’s Richmond York Cinemas on past Saturday and Sunday. The screening was arranged by Hindu Forum Canada and Hindu Kashmiri Diaspora.

Members from the Indian community in Toronto showed a high level of interest and enthusiasm in the film as they lined up outside the cinema for all shows.

They played India’s National Anthem on Cinema’s premises. After watching the movie, the spectators were seen crying and emotional. Indo-Canadians showed their gratitude towards the producer, director and actors. (ANI)

Pfizer To Donate All Proceeds Fom Russia

Pfizer will donate all profits of its Russian subsidiary to provide humanitarian support to the people of Ukraine, said the company in its statement on Monday.

“Today we are announcing that effective immediately, Pfizer will donate all profits of our Russian subsidiary to causes that provide direct humanitarian support to the people of Ukraine. This will be in addition to all other recently announced donations from Pfizer to Ukraine,” the statement by the company read.
Pfizer imposed new restrictions on Russia such as no longer initiating new clinical trials in Russia and stopping the recruitment of new patients in the company’s ongoing clinical trials in the country.

Calling Russia’s war in Ukraine brutal, the company said, “Pfizer stands with the unified global community across the public, private and civil society sectors in opposition to the Russian war in Ukraine and the brutal situation it has created.”

Pfizer will work with FDA and other regulators to transition all ongoing clinical trials to alternative sites outside Russia.

“Consistent with our commitment to putting patients first, we will continue providing needed medicines to the patients already enrolled in clinical trials,” it noted.

Pfizer will further cease all planned investments with local suppliers intended to build manufacturing capacity in Russia.

“Finally, while Pfizer doesn’t own or operate any manufacturing sites in Russia, we will cease all planned investments with local suppliers intended to build manufacturing capacity in the country,” it stated.

The company also said that it will continue to maintain the supply of medicines to Russia however asserted that this does not mean that it will continue doing business as usual in Russia.

The American multinational pharmaceutical company is concerned that a voluntary pause in the flow of our medicines to Russia would be in direct violation of the company’s foundational principle of putting patients first.

“Ending delivery of medicines, including cancer or cardiovascular therapies, would cause significant patient suffering and potential loss of life, particularly among children and elderly people,” the statement read.

“However, maintaining the supply of medicines to Russia does not mean we will continue doing business as usual in Russia,” it asserted.

“These decisions align with our patient-first values and ensure that every dollar of profit derived from Russia will strengthen Ukraine and its people as they continue to valiantly defend their nation and freedom from this unprovoked and unjustified attack,” said the company while condemning Russia. (ANI)