ARMY CHANGES WEAPON RULES ALONG LAC AFTER LADAKH CLASH

The armed forces deployed along the 3,500-km de-facto border with China have been given “full freedom” to give a “befitting” response to any Chinese misadventure, government sources said after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation in eastern Ladakh at a meeting with the top military brass on Sunday.

They said the ground commanders of the Army have even been allowed to use firearms in rare cases, in a departure from the decades-old understanding between the two militaries to not resort to gun power in face-offs.

The government has also granted the three services additional financial powers of up to Rs 500 crore per procurement project to buy ammunition and weapons in view of the tense border standoff with China.

At the meeting, the defence minister carried out a comprehensive review of the entire security situation in eastern Ladakh and all other sensitive areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, the sources said.

The meeting was attended by Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, Army Chief Gen MM Naravane, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh and Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria.

India has already mobilised fighter jets and sent thousands of additional troops to forward locations along the border with China after 20 Indian Army personnel were killed in a brutal attack by Chinese military in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley on June 15.

The clash in Galwan Valley, the worst cross-border violence in 45 years, significantly frayed ties between the two countries, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi sending a strong message to China that “India wants peace but if provoked, India is capable of giving a befitting reply”.

The two armies had mutually decided not to resort to use firearms during face-offs in sync with provisions of two agreements on border management. The agreements were signed in 1996 and 2005.

Prior to the clashes, both sides had been asserting that pending the final resolution of the boundary issue, it was necessary to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

Singh’s review of the situation in eastern Ladakh came a day before he embarks on a three-day visit to Russia to attend a grand military parade in Moscow to mark the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Germany in the Second World War.

RUSSIA HOSTS INDIA, CHINA MINISTERS TOMORROW, RAJNATH TO ATTEND PARADE

As Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov hosts the Russia-India-China trilateral foreign ministers’ meeting on June 23 and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh heads to Russia today to attend the Victory Day parade on June 24, Moscow is emerging a key player amid the tension between New Delhi and Beijing.

A phone call between Indian Ambassador to Russia, D Bala Venkatesh Varma, and Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov took place just two days after the border clash between Indian and Chinese troops in which 20 Indian soldiers, including a Colonel-rank officer, were killed.

“The officials discussed regional security, including developments on the Line of Actual Control on the border between India and China in the Himalayas,” a brief statement by the Russian Foreign ministry said.

Early June, before the June 6 Lt Gen-level talks between India and China, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla “updated” Russian Ambassador Nikolay Kudashev on the “recent developments” on the situation along the LAC. This was the only publicly available meeting between the Foreign Secretary and a foreign Ambassador at the height of the border stand-off.

Tuesday’s RIC Foreign ministers meeting, which was put off in March, will be the first opportunity for External Affairs minister S Jaishankar and Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minster Wang Yi to engage in that trilateral format.

According to Russian news agency TASS, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Kremlin is concerned over a clash between the military on the border between China and India but believes that the two countries could resolve this conflict themselves.

NARENDRA MODI IS ACTUALLY SURENDER MODI: RAHUL’S SWIPE AT PM

A day after accusing the prime minister of having “surrendered” Indian territory to Chinese aggression, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took a swipe at him saying “Narendra Modi is actually Surender Modi”.

Gandhi’s dig at the prime minister came in a tweet wherein he tagged an article in a foreign publication with the headline “India’s appeasement policy toward China unravels”.

“Narendra Modi is actually Surender Modi,” he tweeted.

With his excessive personalization of policy and stubborn strategic naivete, Modi has shown himself not as the diplomatically deft strongman he purports to be.

BJP president JP Nadda was prompt with his retort. “Narendra Modi is now Surendra Modi. This has come from your side, even the God is not helping you. It means that Narendra Modi is not just the king of ‘nar’ (men/human beings) but also ‘sur’ (devta/gods). The God is also thinking ‘shubh’ (good/auspicious). You should understand the language of God,” Nadda said.

In another tweet in Hindi, Rahul stated that PM Modi said nobody intruded and nobody has occupied our territory, but the satellite images show clearly that China near Pangong lake has occupied the holy land of Bharat Mata. He used an image with the tweet shown by one of the TV channels.

COVID-19 DASHBOARD – (Nos. IN INDIA / Nos. WORLDWIDE)

(Indian data from covid19india / and World Data from worldometers.info/coronavirus/ )

Total Cases 4,26,859 (+15,176) / 90,45,457 (+1,29,594)

Total Deaths 13,703 (+426) / 4,70,698 (+3,971)

Total Recovered 2,37,252 (+9,071) / 48,38,320 (+99,714)

Active Cases 1,75,904 (+5,679) / 37,36,439 (+25,909)

Serious / Critical Cases - N.A. / 54,734 (+229)

Top impacted nations so far: (And some of India’s Neighbours)

Country, Total Cases / Total Deaths / Recovered Cases / Active Cases

1 USA 23,56,657 / 1,22,247 / 9,80,355 / 12,54,055

2 Brazil 10,86,990 / 50,659 / 5,79,226 / 4,57,105

3 Russia 5,84,680 / 8,111 / 3,39,711 / 2,36,858

4 India 4,26,910 / 13,703 / 2,37,252 / 1,75,955

5 UK 3,04,331 / 42,632 / N/A / N/A

6 Spain 2,93,352 / 28,323 / N/A / N/A

7 Peru 2,54,936 / 8,045 / 1,41,967 / 1,04,924

8 Chile 2,42,355 / 4,479 / 2,00,569 / 37,307

9 Italy 2,38,499 / 34,634 / 1,82,893 / 20,972

10 Iran 2,04,952 / 9,623 / 1,63,591 / 31,738

11 Germany 1,91,575 / 8,962 / 1,74,900 / 7,713

14 Pakistan 1,76,617 / 3,501 / 67,892 / 1,05,224

17 Bangladesh 1,12,306 / 1,464 / 45,077 / 65,765

104 Sri Lanka 1,950 / 11 / 1,498 / 441

Top 18 impacted Indian States so far: (Total No. of Confirmed case / No. Of Deaths)

State / Confirmed Cases / Active Case / Recovered / Deceased

Maharashtra 1,32,075 / 60,147 / 65,744 / 6,170

Delhi 59,746 / 24,558 / 33,013 / 2,175

Tamil Nadu 59,377 / 25,866 / 32,754 / 757

Gujarat 27,317 / 6,296 / 19,357 / 1,664

Uttar Pradesh 17,731 / 6,186 / 10,995 / 550

Rajasthan 14,930 / 2,984 / 11,597 / 349

West Bengal 13,945 / 5,093 / 8,297 / 555

Madhya Pradesh 11,903 / 2,373 / 9,015 / 515

Haryana 10,635 / 4,918 / 5,557 / 160

Karnataka 9,150 / 3,391 / 5,618 / 137

Andhra Pradesh 8,929 / 4,516 / 4,307 / 106

Telangana 7,802 / 3,861 / 3,731 / 210

Bihar 7,665 / 1,983 / 5,631 / 51

Jammu and Kashmir 5,956 / 2,492 / 3,382 / 82

Assam 5,586 / 2,169 / 3,405 / 9

Odisha 5,160 / 1,421 / 3,720 / 19

Punjab 4,074 / 1,275 / 2,700 / 99

Kerala 3,173 / 1,490 / 1,659 / 22

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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CORONAVIRUS: TRUMP SUGGESTS U.S. SLOW TESTING TO AVOID BAD STATISTICS

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he’s asked his administration to slow down coronavirus testing because robust testing turns up too many cases of COVID-19.

Mr. Trump told supporters at his campaign rally that the U.S. has tested 25 million people, far more than any other country. The bad part, Mr. Trump said, is that widespread testing leads to logging more cases of the virus.

“When you do testing to that extent, you’re going to find more people, you’re going to find more cases,” Mr. Trump said. “So I said to my people, ‘Slow the testing down, please.’ They test and they test.”

The number of newly confirmed cases per day has risen from about 21,400 two weeks ago to 23,200, according to an Associated Press analysis.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro says US President Donald Trump was being “tongue in cheek” when he claimed at a campaign rally in Oklahoma that he asked officials to slow down coronavirus testing.

Navarro said on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday that Trump made the comment in a “light moment.”

In response to Trump’s remarks, Democratic presidential rival Joe Biden criticised Trump for putting politics ahead of the safety and health of Americans.

UK PARK STABBINGS THAT KILLED 3 DECLARED TERRORIST ATTACK

A stabbing rampage in Britain that killed three people as they sat in a park on a summer evening is being considered a terrorist attack, British police said Sunday as a 25-year-old believed to be the lone attacker was in custody.

Khairi Saadallah, a 25-year-old Libyan refugee held over the stabbings in a Reading park, was reportedly on the radar of MI5 since the middle of last year.

Boris Johnson hinted at a fresh crackdown on terror suspects when he said the government was ready to act on any lessons that emerge from the tragedy.

“Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon, Senior National Coordinator for the Counter Terrorism Policing network, has on Sunday morning declared the incident a terrorist incident, and Counter Terrorism Policing South East will be taking over the investigation,” a Thames Valley Police statement said.

THE REST

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YOGA HAS EMERGED AS FORCE FOR UNITY, DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE: PM MODI

Yoga has emerged as a force for unity and it does not discriminate as it goes beyond race, colour, gender, faith and nations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.

In his message on the sixth International Day of Yoga, he said due to the coronavirus pandemic, the world is feeling the need for Yoga more than ever. “If our immunity is strong, it is of great help in defeating this disease. For boosting immunity, there are several techniques in Yoga, various ‘asanas' are there,” he said.

“Yoga enhances our quest for a healthier planet. It has emerged as a force for unity and deepens the bonds of humanity. It does not discriminate. It goes beyond race, colour, gender, faith and nations. Anybody can embrace Yoga,” the prime minister said.

“If we can fine-tune our chords of health and hope, the day is not far away when the world will witness the success of a healthy and happy humanity. Yoga can definitely help us make this happen,” he said in his message telecast Sunday morning.

OPPN MPs DEMAND PAR PANEL MEETING, BRIEFING ON GALWAN INCIDENT

A meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the external affairs should be called at the earliest and briefed by the Foreign Secretary, Defence Secretary and other top officials on the violent faceoff with China in which 20 Indian soldiers died, several panel members from the Opposition parties said on Sunday.

However, panel members from the ruling party termed the demand an act of politics and said it wouldn’t be feasible to call the meeting when the country was grappling with COVID-19 crisis.

The committee is chaired by former Union Minister and BJP MP PP Chaudhary.

The RSP MP, NK Premchandran, a member of the panel, said a meeting had to be called on the standoff between India and China. “A meeting has to be called at the earliest as it is an issue of national importance. Foreign secretary and defense secretary should be invited to brief the panel on the violence faceoff,” Premchandran told PTI.

Former Home Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said all top officials who could throw light on the incident should be called to brief the members.

But BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi said political leaders from across parties should stand united with the government in a time of crisis. She also said there was politics behind this demand at such a moment. “To fight the Chinese wall, political leaders should stand united with the government as a firewall and avoid propaganda and politics,” Lekhi said.

REPORT EVERY COVID DEATH TO US, REALIGN CONTAINMENT ZONES: CENTRE TO DELHI GOVT

In a significant rejig of Covid containment measures in the national capital, the Centre has asked the Delhi government to delineate all containment zones afresh, enumerate all households even outside containment zones, conduct a serological survey among 20,000 Delhiites, and associate every district with a big hospital.

In a meeting held at North Block on Sunday with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and L-G Anil Baijal, among others, Home Minister Amit Shah also instructed the Delhi government to send a detailed report to the Centre on every Covid death in the city.

“The Home Minister instructed that the Delhi government must assess every Covid death as to when the patient reached the hospital and from where. If the deceased was earlier in home isolation, whether he/she was brought to the hospital in time must be a key enquiry. Every death must be reported to the Centre,” an MHA statement said.

It added that the Home Minister has instructed that all positive cases must first go to Covid centres and only those who have proper arrangements and do not suffer any co-morbidities be allowed to stay in home isolation. He also asked for details on the number of people in home isolation in the city, and for the Delhi government to take technical help in realigning containment zones.

WELL-ORCHESTRATED PLAN TO STOP LORD JAGANNATH’S RATH YATRA: SHANKARACHARYA

The Shankaracharya of Puri, Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, on Sunday alleged that there was a well-orchestrated plan to stall Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra this year amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. In a video message, the Puri seer said: “On June 20, the Supreme Court could have accepted the review petitions seeking modification of its June 18 stay order. There are precedents of the Apex Court taking up important cases even during vacations.”

The apex court had on June 18 said that in the interest of public health and safety of citizens, this year’s Rath Yatra, which was scheduled for June 23, at Puri in Odisha cannot be allowed and “Lord Jagannath won’t forgive us if we allow” it.

A day after the June 18 order was passed, some applications were filed in the top court seeking recall and modification of its order. A single judge Bench of Justice S Ravindra Bhat is scheduled to hear on Monday these applications.

HETERO, CIPLA TO SUPPLY GENERIC REMDESIVIR TO HOSPITALS THIS WEEK

Hetero Labs and Cipla will start supplying generic remdesivir this week, primarily to hospitals in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, after receiving an emergency marketing approval from the Drug Controller General of India on Saturday to supply the experimental Covid-19 drug to hospitals.

Hyderabad-based Hetero, which has branded the drug as Covifor, said it was looking to price it in the range of ₹5,000-6,000 per vial. Cipla, which will sell the drug under Cipremi brand, is aiming for a similar price range, company executives said. It also plans to train physicians on the use and administration of the drug.

The recommended course for a Covid-19 patient under oxygen support is five vials. The approved therapy is for moderate to severe patients.

DIESEL PRICE HITS RECORD HIGH AFTER RATES HIKED FOR 15TH DAY IN A ROW

Diesel price on Sunday hit a fresh record high after rates were hiked by 60 paise per litre while petrol price was up 35 paise, taking the cumulative increase in rates in 15 days to Rs 8.88 a litre and Rs 7.97 respectively.

Petrol price in Delhi was hiked to Rs 79.23 per litre from Rs 78.88, while diesel rates were increased to Rs 78.27 a litre from Rs 77.67.

The 15th daily increase in rates since oil companies restarted revising prices on June 7 in line with costs after ending an 82-day hiatus in rate revision, has taken diesel prices to fresh highs. Petrol price too is at a two-year high.

INDIA INC ON WAR FOOTING TO CUT COSTS, CONSERVE CASH

India Inc is on a war footing to cut costs and save cash to counter the dip in revenues and profits caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Aditya Birla Group flagship Grasim Industries, for example, has put all capacity expansion plans on hold, with the exception of routine maintenance capex. Prior to the pandemic, the company was implementing a Rs 7,800-crore capex programme in its viscose staple fibre and chemical divisions. Of this, it has already spent Rs 2,800 crore and placed the rest of the project on hold.

Grasim’s cement subsidiary UltraTech Cement has also decided to cut its capex by half.

Steelmaker JSW Steel has decided to cut capex spend to Rs 9,000 crore, against the earlier guidance of Rs 16,340 crore.

Electrical appliance maker Havells India is largely looking at rationalising its overheads and operational costs. “We have become cost-conscious and there would be some savings through cuts in executive travel, dealer conferences, and rationalisation of advertising and marketing expenses,” said Anil Rai Gupta, chairman and managing director, Havells India.

Tata Motors plans to save nearly Rs 14,500 crore in FY21 through a mix of cost-cutting and lower capex at its British subsidiary Jaguar Land Rover.

Two-wheeler maker Eicher Motors will shut nearly a dozen regional offices as part of cost-saving exercise. In the first round, Royal Enfield’s offices in Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Hyderabad, and Ranchi will shut.

LEGENDARY INDIAN LEFT-ARM SPINNER RAJINDER GOEL PASSES AWAY

One of India's finest left-arm spinners, Rajinder Goel died aged 77 on Sunday after battling long-term illness. He never played for India but was regarded as a fine left-arm spinner who played during the era of Bishan Singh Bedi. Rajinder Goel holds the record for most wickets taken in Ranji Trophy as he scalped 637, 107 more than S Venkataraghavan who is second on the list. Goel made his debut in the 1957-58 season and went on to play domestic cricket until the age of 44.

Sunil Gavaskar has listed 31 idols in his book of the same name published in 1983. Goel figures in the elite group.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don’t know when to quit. - George E. Allen

OFF TRACK

The wife was busy frying eggs, when her husband walked into the kitchen and immediately started yelling.

"Careful...CAREFUL! Put in some more butter! Turn them! TURN THEM NOW! WE NEED MORE BUTTER! THEY ARE GOING TO STICK! CAREFUL! CAREFUL!!! TURN THEM! HURRY UP!!! ARE YOU CRAZY!!! USE MORE SALT!!! THE SALT!!!!"

The wife was very upset, "What is wrong with you? Why are you yelling like this? Do you think I don't know how to fry an egg?"

The husband calmly replied, "I wanted to show you what it feels like for me when I am driving with you sitting next to me."