AMID LAC ROW, INDIA'S MEGA INFRA PUSH IN ARUNACHAL

India is giving a major push to boosting connectivity and use of high-tech surveillance along the nearly 1,350-km LAC in the Arunachal Pradesh sector to ensure quick mobilisation of troops and heavy weaponry to deal with any eventuality in the face of the standoff with China in eastern Ladakh.

As part of the mega plan, around 20 bridges, a number of tunnels, airbases and several key roads are being developed in strategically key areas in Arunachal Pradesh to bolster the overall military preparedness, officials said on Monday.

Major General Zubin A Minwalla, General-Officer-Commanding of the 5 Mountain Division, said the focus has been to further strengthen road infrastructure as well as the use of high-tech surveillance equipment to create more battlefield transparency. "The adversary cannot surprise us now. We are confident of what our goal is and we are not going to be surprised by them," he told a group of reporters while elaborating on steps being taken by the Indian Army to boost military preparedness.

"We are following an approach of confidence in dealing with any possible situation. The Indian Army's focus has been on maintaining the sovereignty of the land," Maj Gen Minwalla said.

BJP SLAMS CONGRESS FOR ‘VILIFICATION’ OF SARDAR PATEL; CONG CALLS IT A LIE

The BJP on Monday accused the Congress of committing a “sin” over reports that a leader at the recent CWC meeting made critical remarks about Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and asked if the party leadership will take action against him.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra cited reports that Tariq Hameed Karra, a Kashmiri leader and a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee, had credited Jawaharlal Nehru for Jammu and Kashmir’s integration with India and had alleged that Patel wanted to keep the Valley out. Karra also linked Patel with Pakistan’s founder M A Jinnah, the BJP spokesperson said citing reports.

Patra asked whether Congress president Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi objected when Karra “vilified” Patel and presented India’s first home minister as a “villain” while praising Nehru.

Congress dismissed the reports with its chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala alleging that “spreading lies and canards” has become a norm for some. He claimed that they are aimed at giving cover fire to the Modi government to “justify lies-driven press conferences” while the BJP dispensation is “never” questioned.

WAITING FOR MORE DATA, CAN’T CUT CORNERS TO LIST COVAXIN, SAYS W.H.O.

The World Health Organisation on Monday asked for further data from India's Bharat Biotech to consider the company's request for an emergency-use listing for its Covid-19 shot, saying the WHO could not "cut corners" in making a decision.

Bharat Biotech, which developed Covaxin with an Indian state research body, started sharing data with the WHO from early July.

The vaccine was given emergency-use authorisation in India in January even before the completion of a late-stage trial, which later found the shot to be 78% efficacious.

Without a WHO nod, the two-dose Covaxin is unlikely to be accepted as a valid vaccine around the world and would complicate travel plans for tens of millions of Indians who have taken it. Covaxin accounts for 11% of the 985.5 million total doses administered in India, and has also been exported.

MOB TORCHES 20 HOMES OF HINDUS, DAMAGES 66 IN BANGLADESH

A mob has damaged 66 houses and set on fire at least 20 homes of Hindus in Bangladesh over an alleged blasphemous social media post amidst protests by the minority community against temple vandalism incidents during the Durga Puja celebrations last week, authorities said on Monday.

The arson attack happened late on Sunday on a village in Rangpur district's Pirgonj upazila, about 255 km from Dhaka, the bdnews24.com reported. Dozens of people have been arrested over the attacks and the spread of communal hatred on social media, the report said.

As many as 52 suspects have been arrested while a manhunt was launched for more suspects under a 'combing operation' in collaboration with other security forces, said a senior police officer.

The arson incident occurred amid rising communal tension over an alleged blasphemy incident at a Durga Puja venue in Cumilla which led to attacks on Hindu temples and clashes between vandals and the police in Cumilla, Chandpur, Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Bandarban, Moulvibazar, Gazipur, Chapainawabganj, Feni and other districts.

KEY COVID NUMBERS

Current Active Cases Countrywide: 1,76,599

New Cases in last 24 hours: 12,332

Recovered in last 24 hours: 19,454

Change in no. of Active cases in last 24 hours: -7,286

No. of deaths in last 24 hours (Total Covid Deaths so far): 164 (4,52,485)

Daily Tests (Sunday): 9,89,493

Daily Positivity Rate (Proportion of Positives among total Tested): 1.3%

Percentage of Population Vaccinated (At Least One Dose / Two Doses): 52.2% / 21.2%

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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US CONCERNED BY USE OF HYPERSONIC WEAPONS AMID DENIAL BY CHINA

A purported hypersonic missile test by China is causing hypertension in Washington with alarm bells ringing about Beijing surging ahead of the US not just in economic clout but also in terms of “stolen” technological prowess.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman denied the report, claiming it was a “routine test” of a new civilian spacecraft. But Beijing’s mouthpiece Global Times gloated about the advance, saying the test means “there is a key new member in China’s nuclear deterrence system”, and this is a “new blow to the US’s mentality of strategic superiority over China.”

Although only a partial success, reports of Chinese advances caused some US lawmakers to go ballistic. “If we stick to our current complacent course... we will lose the New Cold War with Communist China within the decade. The People’s Liberation Army now has an increasingly credible capability to undermine our missile defences and threaten the American homeland with both conventional and nuclear strikes,” Mike Gallagher, a Republican member of the US armed services committee, warned over the weekend. He directed his ire at lax oversight of US technology exports which he said had propelled the China programme.

COLIN POWELL, FORMER US SECRETARY OF STATE, DIES OF COVID-19 COMPLICATIONS

Colin Powell, the first Black US secretary of state and top military officer, died on Monday at the age of 84 due to complications from Covid-19. He was fully vaccinated, his family said in a statement on Facebook.

Powell, who was wounded in Vietnam, served as US national security adviser under President Ronald Reagan from 1987 to 1989. As a four-star Army general, he was chairman of the military’s Joint Chiefs of Staff under President George H.W. Bush during the 1991 Gulf War in which US-led forces expelled Iraqi troops from neighboring Kuwait.

Powell, a moderate Republican and a pragmatist, considered a bid to become the first Black president in 1996 but his wife Alma’s worries about his safety helped him decide otherwise.

In 2008, he broke with his party to endorse Democrat Barack Obama, who became the first Black elected to the White House.

Powell will forever be associated with his controversial presentation on February 5, 2003, to the UN Security Council, making President George W. Bush’s case that Iraqi President Saddam Hussein constituted an imminent danger to the world because of its stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons. Powell admitted later that the presentation was rife with inaccuracies and twisted intelligence provided by others in the Bush administration and represented “a blot” that will “always be a part of my record”.

THE REST

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HUNT FOR MILITANTS STILL ON IN POONCH ENCOUNTER

In the forward areas along the LoC, security forces have been trying to track down a group of militants for a week now, losing nine soldiers in the process. Entering the eighth day Monday, the Poonch operation is the longest in J&K since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

The operation to hunt down the militants has so far met with little success, with the Army deploying illuminating bombs to light up the forested and treacherous terrain, as well as para commandos, drones and a helicopter. Police and the Army have cordoned off the area to ensure the militants don’t escape.

A senior police officer said that given the different directions from which firing is coming, “they appear to be a large group”. Earlier, the estimation was that the group numbered around four-five.

Meanwhile, hundreds of migrant labourers left Kashmir on Monday morning, as two more killings on Sunday took the number of civilian deaths in attacks in the Valley this month to 11. While scores of them were huddled into secure accommodations by the J&K Police immediately after Sunday’s attack, the third on migrant workers in Kashmir in less than 24 hours, this has only increased the fear.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a meeting in Delhi of top police and paramilitary officers from across the country Monday where various security issues were discussed.

Addressing reporters in Patna, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar expressed concern that “people who have gone for work are being deliberately targeted in J&K”, and said he had spoken to J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on the matter. He hoped that the administration would take all required measures to protect them. “Every citizen is free to go to any corner of the country for work,” he said.

Every year an estimated three-four lakh migrant workers arrive in the Valley, mostly from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab, working through the year and returning home during the winter.

KERALA TO OPEN IDUKKI DAM, 2 OTHERS TODAY; EVACUATIONS ON

The Kerala government will open the shutters of the Idukki dam on Tuesday as the state’s largest reservoir, which accounts for more than 93 per cent of its live storage capacity, is rapidly filling up after heavy rain. On Monday, the toll from rain-related incidents rose to 38 since October 12, according to the state disaster management authority.

The state government has sounded an alert in downstream areas of the Idukki dam, including suburban areas of Kochi, and begun evacuating families that could be affected by the likely flash floods.

The government is looking to avert a repeat of the devastating flood of 2018 when it delayed a decision to release water from various dams, including the Idukki reservoir — this was cited as one of the reasons for the widespread damage.

STIR HALTS 210 TRAINS, N INDIA HIT HARDEST

Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh bore the brunt of the “Rail Roko” protest on Monday by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, with movement of over 70 trains disrupted at 130 locations in Punjab and Haryana alone.SKM had given a call to disrupt rail traffic from 10am to 4pm, demanding arrest and dismissal of Union minister of state for home Ajay Mishra from the Cabinet over the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.The stir, however, did not have much impact in other states. Railway ministry sources said rail services were hit at nearly 184 locations across states including Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, and hindered the running of nearly 210 trains across seven zones including in the North East and western India.

KARNATAKA CONG'S "ANGOOTHA-CHHAAP" REMARK ON PM SPARKS POLITICAL ROW

A bitter political sparring in Karnataka ahead of two by-polls touched a new low on Monday as the Congress attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi as "angootha-chhaap" or illiterate.

"Congress built schools but Modi never went to study. Congress even set up schemes for adults to learn, Modi didn't learn there too.  People who chose to beg for a living despite beggary being prohibited are today pushing citizens to beggary. Country is suffering because of "#angoothachhaap modi," the Karnataka Congress tweeted in Kannada.

The comment was called out by many as a personal attack on the Prime Minister.

The BJP's Karnataka spokesperson, Malavika Avinash, said "only the Congress could stoop so low" and added that the comment did not even merit a response.

State Congress spokesperson Lavanya Ballal admitted that the tone of the tweet was "unfortunate" and said there would be an inquiry. But she said she saw no reason to retract it or apologise for it.

CBSE ANNOUNCES DATE SHEET FOR FIRST TERM OF CLASSES 10 AND 12 BOARD EXAMS

The first term board exams for class 10 will begin from November 30, while the exams for class 12 is scheduled from December 1, the CBSE announced on Monday.

Bifurcating the academic session, holding two term-end exams and rationalising the syllabus were part of the special assessment scheme for class 10 and 12 CBSE board exams for 2021-22, which were announced in July in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The board had said the exams will be objective and the duration of the tests will be 90 minutes.

MAHARASHTRA EXTENDS TIMINGS FOR SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS

With Covid cases hitting a 17-month low and fatalities dropping, the Maharashtra government on Monday further eased restrictions to allow shops and restaurants to operate longer hours and amusement parks to reopen on October 22. At present, commercial establishments have to down shutters by 10pm. Now timings for restaurants in Mumbai are likely to be extended up to 1am and for shops up to 12 midnight.

The decision was taken in a meeting between chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and the Covid task force. The extended timings for shops, restaurants and bars were announced later by the state administration on Thackeray’s instructions.

With the festive season on, the retail sector has been demanding an extension in timings to boost footfall and cut losses incurred during the lockdown.

Amusement parks have also been allowed to resume activities from October 22, which coincides with reopening of theatres, auditoriums and multiplexes. But the government has specified that its nod is only for rides that are dry and not water rides or water parks; a decision on the latter category will be taken later.

AFTER TANISHQ, IT’S FABINDIA’S TURN

Ethnic wear retailer Fabindia’s new collection launched before Diwali, christened ‘Jashn-e-Riwaaz’ ran into a social media storm on Monday with several users urging consumers to boycott the brand.

People protesting against the campaign called it “de-Hinduising Deepawali”. With the #BoycottFabIndia hashtag trending on Twitter, the IPO-bound company was forced to take down some of its tweets promoting the collection.

A Fabindia spokesperson said the collection titled ‘Jashn-e-Riwaaz’ is not its Diwali collection. “Our Diwali collection, called “Jhilmil si Diwali” is yet to be launched,” she said. “Our current capsule of products under the name Jashn-e-Riwaaz is a celebration of Indian traditions. The phrase means that, literally.”

Earleir, Tata’s jewellery brand Tanishq drew the ire of a section of social media when it launched an ad that promoted inter-faith marriage.

APPLE DOUBLES DOWN ON CHIP STRATEGY WITH NEW PREMIUM-PRICED MACBOOKS

Apple Inc on Monday announced two new MacBook Pro models that run on more powerful in-house chips, furthering its break from previous supplier Intel Corp and showing its strategy for setting its machines apart from the rest of the PC industry.

The new 14-inch and 16-inch models start at $1,999 and range up to $6,099 in their most expensive variations. Using two new chips called the M1 Pro and M1 Max, Apple claims they will far outperform rival machines based on Intel and AMD, especially when the new laptops are used with only battery power.

With the moves announced in an online event on Monday, Apple is courting a group of users that include professional photographers, film makers and audio producers looking for a powerful tool - a prestige segment that rivals such as Microsoft Corp have in recent years tried to peel away from with its lineup of Surface hardware.

Apple also announced a $5-a-month version of its streaming music service that will allow access to its full music catalog on Apple devices by using its Siri voice assistant. Apple's full service remains $10 a month.

Apple also introduced a third generation of its AirPods wireless ear buds. Apple said the new AirPods will cost $179 and start shipping next week.

INDIA DOWN ENGLAND IN T20 WORLD CUP WARM UP GAME

Ishan Kishan and KL Rahul hit quickfire half-centuries as India outclassed England by seven wickets in the warm-up match of the T20 World Cup at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai on Monday.

Chasing 189, India got off to an excellent start as openers KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan put on 59 runs inside the first six overs.

Rahul continued with his form and he brought up his half-century in the ninth over of the innings. However, Rahul (51) lost his wicket to Mark Wood immediately after reaching the landmark and this brought an end to the 82-run opening stand.

Rahul's wicket did not slow the run-rate down for India as Kishan kept on going on his merry way and he brought up his fifty off just 36 balls in the 12th over of the innings. However in the 13th over, Liam Livingstone got the better of Virat Kohli (11), ending the 43-run second-wicket stand.

Kishan eventually retired hurt after smashing his way to 70 from 46 balls, giving the other batsmen a chance to get some practice out in the middle. Suryakumar Yadav failed to make most of the opportunity as he perished for just eight.

Rishabh Pant played the role of the finisher, slamming 29 not out from 14 balls, while Hardik Pandya was unbeaten on 12 as India won by seven wickets with six balls to spare.

Earlier, Jonny Bairstow and Liam Livingstone played knocks of 49 and 30 respectively as England posted a total of 188/5.

INDICATORS

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Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,774 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 4,807 / 4,707, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 67,500

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

What recommends commerce to me is its enterprise and bravery. It does not clasp its hands and pray to Jupiter. - Henry David Thoreau

OFF TRACK

"If you're going to work here," said the boss to the new employee, "One thing you must learn is that we are very keen on cleanliness in this firm." "Did you wipe your feet on the mat as you came in?"

"Oh, yes, sir," responded the young man.

"Oh! And another thing - we are very keen on is truthfulness. There is no mat." said the boss.