Month: March 2022

With Operation Ganga being carried out on a war-footing basis, Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday interacted with Indian students at Henri Coanda International Airport in Bucharest in Romania.

The Union Minister met everyone with warmth and praised them for their bravery and resilience. He assured each one of them that they will be flying home today.
While speaking to the Indians at the airport today, the minister said that those still stuck at Romanian borders or coming to the borders will no longer be made to travel to Romania’s capital to catch the flight.

He said he will arrange for those students to be sent home directly from there. Students seemed happy to see him and greeted him and shared any problems they had with him.

On February 28, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high level meeting to review the ongoing efforts under Operation Ganga to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine.

The Prime Minister said that the entire government machinery is working round the clock to ensure that all Indian nationals there are safe and secure.

The government also informed that the first consignment of relief supplies to Ukraine to deal with the humanitarian situation on Ukraine’s borders has been despatched.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized Ukraine’s breakaway regions – Donetsk and Luhansk – as independent entities escalating the ongoing tensions between the two countries. Ukraine gained independence in 1991 after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.

Earlier in February, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that special military operations are being launched “to protect” the people in the Donbas region. He also warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to “consequences”.

Leaders from a number of countries including the UK, the US, Canada, and the European Union have condemned Russia’s military operations in Ukraine. (ANI)

Amidst the ongoing Russian military operation in Ukraine, the Consultative Committee of Parliament on External Affairs of India is scheduled to meet on Thursday.

Sources say that External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar is likely to brief the Committee members in the meeting tomorrow.
This news comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting to review the efforts to bring back stranded Indians in Ukraine. The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and senior officials.

India on Tuesday sent the first tranche of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine through Poland, informed Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla. The consignment comprised medicines, medical equipment and other relief material.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized Ukraine’s breakaway regions – Donetsk and Luhansk – as independent entities escalating the ongoing tensions between the two countries. Ukraine gained independence in 1991 after the disintegration of the Soviet Union.

Earlier in February, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that special military operations are being launched “to protect” the people in the Donbas region. He also warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to “consequences”.

Leaders from a number of countries including the UK, the US, Canada, and the European Union have condemned Russia’s military operations in Ukraine. (ANI)

Refugees from Ukraine do not need to go through the asylum procedure, and will receive immediate protection for up to three years in the European Union, German Minister of the Interior, Building and Community Nancy Faeser said on Wednesday.

“We provide help quickly and without bureaucracy. Refugees from Ukraine do not need to go through the asylum procedure. They receive immediate protection in the EU for up to three years,” Faeser tweeted.

The minister went on to say that the refugees are provided with immediate access to health insurance and the labor market.

Last Thursday, Russia launched a special operation to “denazify” Ukraine, responding to calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. The Russian Defense Ministry said that the special operation was targeting Ukrainian military infrastructure only.

More than half a million refugees have left Ukraine already, according to the UNHRC. (ANI/Sputnik)

In a bid to further scale up the evacuation efforts, nine flights will take off on March 4 from neighbouring countries of Ukraine with stranded Indians under ‘Operation Ganga’, the government sources told ANI on Tuesday.

A total of 16 flights have already brought back stranded Indian nationals from Ukraine till today.

Sources told ANI that the government has accelerated the evacuation plan for the Indians stranded in Ukraine. Total flights ferry has been increased to bring more and more Indians. By March 4, a total of 36 flights are scheduled to evacuate the stranded Indians. These flights belong to the fleet of Air India, Air India Express, IndiGo and Spice Jet.

Sources also told ANI that the first flight taking off on March 4 from the Romanian capital Bucharest is IndiGo at 2:30 hours and the landing is scheduled at Delhi Airport at 2:30 am on March 4. IndiGo has a capacity to carry 216 passengers on board. Six flights are from IndiGo, and the rest belong to Air India, Air India Express and Spice Jet.

Sources also stated that approximately 1800 Indians will be evacuated from Ukraine by these nine flights, scheduled to take off from Budapest, Bucharest and Rzeszow.

Air India flight is taking off on March 4 from Bucharest at 5:30 pm and landing is scheduled at Mumbai Via Kuwait at 6 AM on March 4. All other flights will arrive at the Delhi airport.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has also been pressed in the evacuation exercise after Prime Minister chaired the third high-level meeting on the Ukraine-Russia crisis.

Two Indian Air Force aircraft took off for Romania and Hungary from the Hindon airbase to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine today. Indian Air Force aircraft are carrying tents, blankets and other humanitarian aid.

Three more Indian Air Force aircraft are scheduled to take off for Poland, Hungary and Romania today to bring back Indians from Ukraine. One C-17 Globemaster took off at 4 am earlier today for Romania under ‘Operation Ganga’.

External Affair Minister S Jaishankar today in a tweet said that six flights have now departed for India in the last 24 hours, including the first flights from Poland, with 1377 more stranded Indian nationals from Ukraine. (ANI)

As strong sanctions have been imposed on Russia, Hyundai Motor Group, which has the second-largest share in the Russian market, is also expected to be seriously affected. In particular, the Russian market is the fourth-largest market after Korea, the U.S., and Europe for Kia Motors, the loss of Hyundai Motor and Kia is expected to reach 450 billion won.

According to the industry on March 1, Hyundai Motor sold 171,811 units in Russia last year. It has ranked third with a 10.3 per cent market share. Second-ranked Kia sold 205,801 units, accounting for 12.3 per cent in the market. Although the local brand Avtovaz Lada had the largest share (22.3 per cent), both Hyundai and Kia have seen strong sales in Russia.

By group, Hyundai Motor Group ranked second after Renault Group (Lada). Hyundai Motor Group’s market share is 22.6 per cent, and the combined market share of Renault, Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Lada’s share is 33.8 per cent.

Hyundai Motor and Kia’s sales in Russia accounted for 5 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively, of their total global sales last year. In particular, Kia’s sales in Russia were larger than India (7 per cent), China (5 per cent), Asia-Pacific (5 per cent), the Middle East (7 per cent), and Latin America (3 per cent). Russia is Kia’s fourth-largest market after Korea (19 per cent), North America (27 per cent), and Western Europe (19 per cent).

Hyundai Motor Group also has a large number of local subsidiaries in Russia. There are 55 local subsidiaries established by Korean companies in Russia, of which 18 companies were established by Hyundai Motor Group. In particular, Hyundai Motor promoted Oh Ik-kyun, executive director of the Russian headquarters, to vice president for his contribution to expanding sales and profits in the Russian market.

Most Hyundai Motor Group’s vehicles sold in the global market are produced at its Russian plants.

Hyundai Motor Group’s St. Petersburg plant produces 230,000 units a year, and it also acquired a plant with the annual production capacity of 100,000 units from General Motors in 2020. Hyundai Motor’s new plant was expected to be operated from early this year, but nothing has been officially announced yet.

Despite those efforts to expand production in Russia, it is expected to be hard to generate expected profits due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In addition, the sales volume in the Russian auto market initially reached 2.5 million to 2.7 million units between 2013 and 2014, but fell to 1.5 million units in 2020 due to a decrease in the price of raw materials, Russia’s main export item. As raw material prices rose last year, it was expected that demand will recover last year.

Hyundai Motor Group also set of selling 455,000 units in Russia this year, up 5.8 per cent from the previous year.

However, it has also become uncertain due to Russia’s invasion. In addition, annual car sales in Russia are expected to remain at 1.6 million units due to the international economic sanctions against Russia.

The ruble fell to 119 rubles per dollar on the 28th after Western countries excluded major Russian bank’s SWIFT codes. This is a decrease of 28.77 per cent from the previous day, the lowest ever. In order to respond to the sanctions, Russia’s central bank significantly raised the base rate from 9.5 per cent to 20 per cent.

However, it is expected that the purchasing power will continue to decline as the ruble plunges.

The Korea Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (KAMA) previously predicted that automobile sales will decrease by about 10 per cent if the ruble plunged due to the local wars, and decrease by 29 per cent if full-scale war breaks out.

Korean companies, including Hyundai Motor Group, may also suffer from currency losses due to a sharp drop in ruble. Products produced and sold locally may be relatively less impacted, but export items are expected to be seriously affected even if other currencies are used for risk distribution.

The industry predicts that Hyundai Motor and Kia’s losses may reach 450 billion won. Lim Eun-young, manager of Samsung Securities’ EV and Mobility team, said, “Hyundai Motor’s maximum sales decline is expected to be about 200 billion won, 4 per cent compared to last year’s net profit, and Kia’s maximum sales decline will be 250 billion won, 5 per cent of last year’s net profit.

“However, due to the decreased global automobile production, it is possible to transfer export volume to other regions. As US companies such as GM and Ford have withdrawn from Russia, the competition is currently not that strong.” (ANI/Global Economic)

Four people, including the driver of a former member of parliament A.P. Jithender Reddy, have allegedly been abducted from the MP’s flat in South Avenue on Tuesday.

Jitender Raj, PA to Reddy, while speaking to ANI said, “Three guests of AP Jithender Reddy came to stay at his flat at 105 South Avenue. On Tuesday morning I came to know that our driver Tilak Thapa is missing along with the guests.”

“We saw the CCTV footage installed nearby and came to know that some people in two vehicles have taken them from here,” he added.

Reddy took to Twitter and posted, “Shocking incident at my residence in Delhi. My personal driver Shri Thapa and social activist Shri Ravi Munnur were kidnapped last night. I have filed a complaint with the concerned police department. Hoping for quick action and speedy justice. @DelhiPolice”

The CCTV footage of the alleged abduction was also put up by Reddy on his Twitter.

A senior official from Delhi police said, “Four people who were staying at Flat no. 105 South Avenue were taken away by some unknown persons.”

An FIR has been registered under Section 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine a person) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in the South Avenue police station and investigation into the matter is under progress, the officer added. (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday invited ideas from the Information and Technology (IT) and Electronics sector for e-waste management, electric mobility solutions, and circular economy.

Addressing a post-budget webinar on ‘Technology Enabled Development’ in India, PM Modi said that the nation should identify innovative ways to handle e-waste with the help of technology to take forward the ‘Swachh Bharat Mission.

“I urge you all to focus on the circular economy, e-waste management and electric mobility solutions during this webinar. The government of India seeks ideas from the IT and Electronics sector on these aspects,” he said.

Stating that science is universal but technology should be local, the Prime Minister said, “Science and technology is not an isolated sector as it is closely connected with the digital economy and is based on advanced technology, which is now focusing on fast delivery and empowering citizens.”

PM Modi also said that the Union Budget 2022-23 focuses on skilling programmes that will promote continuous skilling avenues, sustainability, and employability.

“Infrastructure advancement is related to technology, even public delivery system is being connected to digital platforms. Technology will play a crucial role in building Aatma Nirbhar Bharat. Telecommunication in general and 5G technology in particular can enable growth and offer job opportunities. Spectrum auctions will also be conducted in 2022 to facilitate the rollout of 5G mobile services within 2022-23,” he said.

PM Modi further laid emphasis on new initiatives for ‘self-reliance’ through technology. “Budget 2022-23 has focused extensively on sunrise sectors like artificial intelligence (AI), Geospatial systems, drones, semiconductors, genomics, space tech, clean tech among others,” he added. (ANI)

India reported 7,554 new COVID-19 cases and 223 deaths in the last 24 hours.

According to the health bulletin, the active caseload stands at 85,680 and the active cases comprise 0.20 per cent of total infections. There were 14,123 recoveries in the last 24 hours increasing total recoveries to 4,23,38,673.

The recovery rate is currently at 98.60 per cent.

The daily positivity rate is 0.96 per cent and the weekly positivity stands at 1.06 per cent.

In the last 24 hours, 7,84,059 tests were conducted, taking the total number of tests to over 76.91 crore in the country. (ANI)

Three more Indian Air Force aircraft are scheduled to fly to Poland, Hungary and Romania on Wednesday to ramp up the Centre’s efforts to evacuate Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine, informed IAF officials.

The Indian Air Force aircraft are carrying tents, blankets and other humanitarian aid and are to take off from Hindon airbase shortly.

Notably, one C-17 Globemaster took off at 4 am earlier today for Romania under ‘Operation Ganga’.

This comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting on Tuesday to review the efforts to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine and asked the Indian Air Force to join the evacuation efforts under ‘Operation Ganga’.

The sources said that leveraging the capacities of the Air Force will ensure that more people can be evacuated in a shorter time frame and it will also help to deliver humanitarian aid more efficiently.

After Russia’s forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, the Government of India launched ‘Operation Ganga’ to bring back stranded Indian nationals from the conflict-torn Ukraine. As part of the ‘Operation Ganga’ mission, special flights are being operated to facilitate returns of the stranded Indians free of cost. The first such evacuation flight carrying 219 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine landed in Mumbai on February 26. Several such flights have landed in the country so far.

The 24×7 control centres have been set up to assist in the evacuation of Indian nationals through the border crossing points with Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia. A new route has been opened through Moldova and an MEA team is also now in place there and is operational. The team will assist in the evacuation of Indians through Romania.

A dedicated Twitter Account (@opganga) has been set up to assist Operation Ganga. The Indian Embassy in Kyiv has advised Indian citizens against moving to any of the border checkpoints without prior coordination with government officials at border posts.

In a bid to energize the evacuation efforts, the Government of India appointed four special envoys who will oversee evacuation operations of stranded Indians in Ukraine’s neighbouring countries. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri will oversee evacuation efforts in Hungary, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in Slovakia, Gen (retd) VK Singh in Poland while Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia will be going to Romania and will also go to Moldova.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has held several meetings so far to review the ongoing efforts under Operation Ganga to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine. He has also said that India will help people from neighbouring countries and developing countries who are stranded in Ukraine and may seek assistance.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla informed on Tuesday that all Indian nationals have left Kyiv and nearly 60 per cent of Indians in Ukraine have left the country so far. He said out of an estimated 20,000 Indian citizens in Ukraine, 60 per cent have left the country since the first advisory was issued by the government.”Of the remaining 40 per cent, roughly half remain in the conflict zone in Kharkiv and the other half have either reached the western border of Ukraine or are heading towards the western border. They are generally out of conflict areas,” Shringla said.

Briefing the media about the evacuation of Indians including students from Ukraine in the wake of Russian military operations, Shringla informed that over the next three days, 26 flights have been scheduled to bring out Indian citizens. “Apart from Bucharest and Budapest, airports in Poland and the Slovak Republic will also be used,” he said.

An Indian student, Naveen Shekharappa died in Ukraine’s Kharkiv following shelling in the area on Tuesday. He hailed from the Haveri district in Karnataka. PM Modi has spoken to the father of Naveen Shekharappa to express his condolences.

Russian forces launched military operations in Ukraine on February 24, three days after Moscow recognized Ukraine’s breakaway regions – Donetsk and Luhansk – as independent entities. Several countries including the UK, the US, Canada, and the European Union have condemned Russia’s military operations in Ukraine and imposed sanctions on Moscow. These countries have also promised Ukraine to help with military aid to fight Russia.

The US, Canada and European allies agreed to remove key Russian banks from the interbank messaging system, SWIFT, which means Russian banks won’t be able to communicate securely with banks beyond Russia’s borders. President Putin has also signed a decree on special economic measures against the US and its allies.

Fighting in Ukraine has so far pushed more than 500,000 people across the country’s borders, according to the UN refugee agency.

Speaking at an emergency session of the UN General Assembly on February 28, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, had said that Russia has no plans to occupy Ukraine.

On February 28, negotiations between delegations of Russia and Ukraine were held in the Gomel Region of Belarus and another round of talks is scheduled for March 2. (ANI)