China offers its Beidou Navigation System free of cost to neighbours
In a strategic move, China is ready to offer its neighbouring nations use of its indigenously developed Beidou Satellite Navigation System (BDS) free of charge. The offer has generated interest from a number of nations including Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Thailand.
As per the Chinese government, the country wants to expand the use of the BDS, which already has 16 satellites operating for the Asia-Pacific and is being promoted as an alternative to the US’ Global Positioning System (GPS). China intends to offer BDS to nations in the Asia-Pacific region, and particularly in South and Southeast Asia, where the satellites can provide the highest accuracy.
Countries interested in Beidou Navigation System:
China has already reached agreement with Pakistan and Thailand on use of the Beidou network. It is in talks with Sri Lanka, for which it has already launched a satellite, and Bangladesh, over cooperation on satellite use. In early2014, Thailand will become the first country to set up a satellite station based on Beidou, with both nations signing a $ 319 million deal.
What is Beidou Satellite Navigation System (BDS)?
Beidou Satellite Navigation System (BDS) is a Chinese satellite navigation system. It consists of two separate satellite constellations:
Beidou-1: A limited test system that has been operating since 2000
Beidou-2 : A full-scale global navigation system which is also known as COMPASS and is currently under construction as of January 2013 . Beidou-2 will have 35 satellites in its network.
Objective of Beidou Satellite Navigation System (BDS):
Initially, when the BDS was launched in 2011, it was serving only the government and military. However, over the past year the navigation system is being widely used for civilian purposes domestically. In China, around 80% of passenger buses and trucks use the BDS. Now China intends to expand its satellite navigation services to Asia-Pacific and to South and South-East Asia regions.
US President signs budget bill into law to prevent government shutdown
US President Barack Obama has inked a two-party federal budget bill, preventing the risk of a government shutdown for two years in the country.
The legislation was passed by both the Senate and the House of Representatives after a prolonged stand-off between the Democrats and the Republicans. The bill had been drafted by a cross-party budget panel set up after October’s 16-day government shutdown.
The Defence Bill, among others, provides $527 billion in base defence spending and $80 billion for the war in Afghanistan, in addition to a crackdown on assault* in military and relaxes restrictions on transferring detainees from the federal prison at Guantanamo Bay.
Why did the US government shutdown happen?
The US Congress failed to pass the government budget due to disagreement between the Republicans, who have majority in the lower house – the House of Representatives – and the Democrats, who control the upper house, the Senate.
Since President Barack Obama’s election, the parties have never come to a resolution on a US budget that extends further than a few months. They’ve just negotiated around the margins and come up with short-term fixes.
Now, the Republicans are using budget deadlines to gain political leverage over contentious policies.
This time the issue was Mr. Obama’s healthcare reform programme- the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) which continues to be very controversial for a range of reasons. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives though approved budgets but eliminated funding of this programme or wanted it delayed by one year. The Senate rejected these demands. It led to a deadlock situation and no budget bill could be agreed by both houses, resulting into the shut down.
Arvind Kejriwal takes oath as Chief Minister of Delhi
The top-most leader of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Arvind Kejriwal, sworn-in as the new Chief Minister of Delhi. He was administered the oath by the Lieutenant Governor of the capital Najeeb Jung.
Along with Kejriwal, six others: Manish Sisodia, Girish Soni, Rakhi Birla, Satyendra Jain, Saurabh Bharadwaj and Somnath Bharti, took oath as ministers. The AAP has come to power after winning 28 seats out of 70 in the recently held assembly polls in Delhi. Although it didn’t have the majority, the Congress party extended its unconditional support to AAP for forming government. Now, Kejriwal government has the task to deliver on the promises they have made which include cutting down electricity tarriff and improve water supply to all parts of the national capital.
The new government has to prove majority in the assembly on January 2, 2014.
Arvind Kejriwal:
Born: August 16, 1968 in Siwani in Haryana
Education: Graduated in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Kharagpur
Worked for the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) as a Joint Commissioner in the Income Tax Department.
Instrumental in drafting a proposed Jan Lokpal Bill and his efforts to bring and implement the Right to Information (RTI) Act at grassroots level.
2012: Launched Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which ousted the Shiela Dixit’s regime of Congress after winning 2013 Assembly polls.
In the assembly elections he defeated his rival Shiela Dixit by a huge margin of 25, 864 votes.
Became the second youngest Chief Minister of Delhi. Chaudhry Brahm Prakash was the youngest Chief Minsiter at 34 when he took over in 1952.
India, US sign $1billion contract for six “Super Hercules” aircrafts
India and the US have signed another mega defence deal worth $1.01 billion in which the US will supply six additional C-130J “Super Hercules” aircraft. The “letter of offer and acceptance” for the six new four-engine C-130Js, which will be delivered within 3 years, was inked under the US government’s “Foreign Military Sales” (FMS) programme.
The Indian Air Force already has six C-130Js tactical airlift aircraft, which are based at the Hindon airbase on the outskirts of Delhi. The upcoming six new C-130Js will be stationed at Panagarh in West Bengal.
India’s first Mountain Strike Force: XVII Corps
India’s new mountain strike corps which has been named XVII Corps will also have its headquarters in Panagarh. The XVII Corps with a total of over 80,000 soldiers, is being brought up by the Army in a project worth around Rs 90,000 crore. This new corps will fill operational voids along the 4,057-km Line of Actual Control (LAC) as well as add to the Indian Army’s ground offensive capabilities against China for the first time.
Factbox: C-130J ‘Super Hercules’
Manufactured by the United States.
World’s most advanced and tactical aircraft.
Primarily designed to support India’s special operations requirement.
Equipped with an Infrared Detection Set (IDS), the aircraft can perform precision low-level flying, airdrops and landing in blackout conditions.
Self-protection systems and other features are included to ensure aircraft survivability in hostile air defense environments. The aircraft also is equipped with air-to-air receiver refueling capability for extended range operations.
Ideally suited to India’s mission environment, which often involves operating out of austere, high-elevation airstrips in hot conditions.
Powered by four Rolls Royce AE2100 engines and Dowty six bladed props which provide the aircraft with tremendous power.
The aircraft has already demonstrated its responsiveness during the recent Uttarakhand flood disaster and 2012 Sikkim earthquake where it played a major role in relief operations.
The rugged aircraft demonstrated its agility when IAF landed it at the world’s highest airstrip in Daulat Beg Oldi, in J&K, the place where Indian and Chinese troops had a stand-off recently. The aircraft showed that it can even land at a small forward airbase on a semi-prepared runway.
