16 SEPTEMBER 2015: India develops deplomatic relations with N Korea

Ø  In a quiet but extremely significant diplomatic move, India signalled upgraded ties with North Korea, by sending Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju to participate in an event marking the North Korean national Independence Day in New Delhi. India’s bilateral ties with North Korea have been frosty for several decades mainly due to the latter’s close strategic ties with Pakistan. But last April, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un made a tentative beginning by sending his Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong to Delhi. Mr. Rijiju, nominated by the Ministry of External Affairs to represent the Indian government in the official event, said the bilateral ties were “going to change.” Mr. Rijiju posted a few photographs and a brief note on the event on his Facebook page.

Ø  Dismissing arguments over the lack of mobile towers and spectrum leading to a spate of call drops in the past few months, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Chairman R.S. Sharma said the “remedy” for the problem lies solely with the service providers. Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Sharma said telecom operators have “commitments towards customers and they cannot short change them… There are no compelling reasons [for increase in call drops]. We see no reason why quality of service should deteriorate.” He pointed out that these problems may be due to capacity constraints.

Ø  In a clear signal of India’s importance, both as a major buyer and potential collaborator in the defence sector, the Pentagon has established its first-ever country special cell to speed up defence ties between India and the United States. The India Rapid Reaction Cell (IRRC), operational for a few months now, is part of the efforts to pursue all aspects of the India-U.S. Defence Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI).

Ø  A British author of Indian descent is one of six novelists shortlisted for the prestigious Man Booker Prize, 2015. The Year of the Runaways is Sunjeev Sahota’s second novel, and centres around the lives of three Indian men — one a Dalit — and a woman, all migrants from India.