23 JULY 2015: US sell $1billion military hardware to Pak

Ø  India has “conveyed concerns” to the U.S. over its approval of military sales including attack helicopters and Hellfire missiles worth nearly a billion dollars to Pakistan, the government said on Wednesday. In a written reply to a question in Parliament, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said India had “noted” the State Department’s decision to go ahead with the defence sales, which were announced in April this year. The sales included 15 AH-1Z attack helicopters, 1,000 Hellfire missiles, engines, targeting and positioning systems and other equipment worth $952 million.

Ø  Months after its clampdown on the U.S.-based Ford Foundation, the Centre has unblocked foreign funds totalling $150,000 to be released to the foreign donor’s bank accounts. The Union Home Ministry put the foundation under the “prior permission” category in April in the interest of “national security”. In what is being seen as a softening of stand against the powerful international non-governmental organisation, the Ministry gave it the go-ahead to release funds as the organisation made a plea to the government after exhausting its options even to pay salaries. Since the foundation is not registered as an NGO in India, it was asked to register itself under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999, if it intended to receive foreign funds in its accounts. The NGO was put on the government’s watch list after the Gujarat government, in its report to the Union Home Ministry in March, said it funded “anti-India” activities of Teesta Setalvad’s two NGOs — Citizens for Justice and Peace and Sabrang Trust.

Ø  Nuclear power generation in India which is currently at 5,780 MW from 21 operational reactors is expected to increase to 10,080 MW on progressive completion of projects under commissioning/ construction by 2019, the government informed Parliament. The government in July last had announced tripling of the then existing capacity of 4,780 MW in the next ten years (by 2024). A capacity of 1,000 MW has already been added with the start of commercial operation of Unit-1 at Kudankulam in December 2014. In addition, one Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor of 500 MW capacity at Kalpakkam is in advanced stage of commissioning while approvals have been accorded for several other projects. To facilitate import of reactors from foreign countries, an Indian Nuclear Insurance Pool (INIP) of Rs. 1500 crore was launched on June 12, 2015 by General Insurance Corporation of India to provide insurance cover to the liability as prescribed under Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act 2010. This information was given by Minister of State for Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh in the Lok Sabha.