Today in History (March 25^th,1920)

Usha Mehta, a prominent freedom fighter and activist, was born in Gujarat on March 25, 1920. She played a significant role in the Quit India movement, famously known as the “first radio woman of India” for her work with the underground Congress Radio during the movement.

Summary of Today’s News

Vice President calls meeting on Judicial accountability

Rajya Sabha Chairperson and Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar held a meeting on judicial accountability.

• Attendees:
  • Leader of the House and Union Minister J.P. Nadda
  • Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge
• Context: Meeting was in response to allegations of “sacks” of half-burnt currency notes found at the residence of a Delhi High Court judge.

Decision on Moving Forward:

• Dhankhar stated that they decided to wait for the findings of the in-house inquiry panel appointed by the Chief Justice of India before proceeding.

Closed-Door Consultations:

• The meeting took place in the Chairman’s chamber at 11:30 a.m.
• The discussions were held behind closed doors.

Reference to National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act:

• Dhankhar recalled the political parties’ “unprecedented consensual support” for the NJAC Act, 2014, which was struck down by the Supreme Court in October 2015.
• As a critic of that Supreme Court order, he expressed intentions to call a meeting of floor leaders of all parties to discuss the NJAC issue further.
• Kharge suggested deliberating the issue with floor leaders.

Praise for Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna:

• Mr. Dhankhar praised CJI Sanjiv Khanna for being “impactful and transparent” regarding the cash recovery issue.
• He noted that for the first time since Independence, a CJI had made all available material public in a transparent and accountable manner.
• Statement on Judiciary and Legislature:
  • Mr. Dhankhar emphasized that institutions like the judiciary and legislature serve their purpose best when their in-house mechanisms are effective, fast, and uphold public trust.
• Reference to Rajya Sabha Remarks:
  • The meeting’s reference point was Mr. Dhankhar’s observations in the Rajya Sabha on March 21, during his response to Congress Chief Whip Jairam Ramesh regarding the cash recovery row.
  • Mr. Dhankhar had previously mentioned the mechanism for judicial appointments after the passage of the NJAC Act in 2014.

India Navy announces maiden India-African exercise, IOS Sagar

• The Indian Navy has announced efforts to enhance cooperation with Africa and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) amidst concerns over China’s growing influence, piracy, and threats from Houthi rebels.
• Initiatives include a large-scale multinational exercise titled “Africa India Key Maritime Engagement” (AIKEYME) with 10 African countries.

IOS Sagar Initiative:

• • The Indian Ocean Ship (IOS) Sagar initiative involves the deployment of the offshore patrol vessel INS Sunayna to the Southwest IOR from April 5 to May 8.
  • The ship will have a combined Indian crew and 44 personnel from 9 African countries: Comoros, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, and South Africa.
  • The deployment will focus on joint surveillance of Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of Tanzania, Mozambique, Mauritius, and Seychelles.
  • The ship will make port calls at Dar-es-Salaam, Nacala, Port Louis, Port Victoria, and Male.
  • Vice Admiral Tarun Sobti confirmed that this initiative is aimed at fostering continued cooperation with IOR nations.

Training and Collaboration:

• • Personnel from the participating Friendly Foreign Countries (FFCs) will undergo two weeks of training at various naval professional schools in Kochi, including sea training and involvement in various naval activities like watch keeping.
  • The participants will also take part in the harbour phase activities of Exercise AIKEYME in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.

Strategic Goals and Vision:

• • These initiatives are part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security Across the Regions (MAHASAGAR), announced during his visit to Mauritius.
  • The objectives of the initiatives are to position the Indian Navy as the ‘Preferred Security Partner’ and ‘First Responder’ in the Indian Ocean Region.

Broader Naval Collaboration:

• • Over the past decade, the Indian Navy has been collaborating extensively with littoral states of the Indian Ocean, focusing on joint naval exercises, coordinated patrols, information sharing, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), capacity building, and other diplomatic activities.

AIKEYME Exercise:

• • The AIKEYME exercise is the first India-Africa multilateral maritime drill, co-hosted by the Indian Navy and Tanzania Peoples’ Defence Force (TPDF).
  • It will be conducted at or off the coast of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania.

USA and Russia hold separate truce talks

• S. conducts separate truce negotiations with Russia following discussions with Ukrainian representatives
• Kyiv and Moscow point fingers at each other for hindering progress toward a ceasefire in the ongoing 3-year conflict.
• Talks aim to protect ‘energy infrastructure’ from strikes; Zelenskyy pushes for safeguarding railways and ports as well
• Agenda includes exploring a possible halt to Black Sea attacks to secure commercial shipping routes
• S. negotiators met with Russian delegates in Dubai on Monday, after engaging with the Ukrainian team on Sunday in Riyadh
• Agreement in principle for a limited ceasefire reached Wednesday after Trump’s conversations with both nations’ leaders
• Discrepancies exist between White House’s broader “energy and infrastructure” scope and Kremlin’s narrower “energy infrastructure” interpretation
• Monday’s discussions in Saudi capital expected to address these variances, with Russia’s Grigory Karasin noting a “creative” approach and mutual understanding between U.S. and Russian sides
• Cross-border attacks persist, with Russia reporting a Ukrainian drone strike on an oil pumping station in southern Russia tied to Kazakhstan’s oil exports
• Ukraine’s Special Operations Forces claim destruction of four Russian military helicopters in Belgorod using U.S.-provided HIMARS rocket systems