29 MAY 2016

Ø  In a first- of- its- kind initiative, the Aam Aadmi Party government will soon open its doors to Right to Information ( RTI) queries online. According to experts, the step would make the Capital the only State in the country to completely allow filing of RTI applications online. At present, only Maharashtra allows for filing of such queries online. These, however, must be related only to affairs of the Chief Minister’s Secretariat. Public Information Officers ( PIOs) across departments, autonomous and local bodies under the government’s jurisdiction are being trained by the Administrative Reforms Department in a phased manner to contend with the technicalities related to the project which will go online “ soon” according to an official privy to details of the initiative.

Ø  The last word may not have been said about an indigenous aero engine although the first effort, the Kaveri engine, didn't make it to powering the LCA light fighter plane. New efforts, tweaks and hopefully a Rs. 2,600-crore grant are being explored to salvage 25 years of work and resources of over Rs. 2,000 crore spent on the Kaveri and use the engine’s derivatives in unmanned strategic projects of the future - probably with a different name. Already its spinoff version has been identified as the engine for ‘Ghatak’, a tentatively named future unmanned combat aircraft on which early studies have been taken up at two aeronautical labs based in Bengaluru. There is potential for derivatives of the Kaveri engine to be used for strategic purposes and other programmes. For anything in future that requires a 50-kilo-Newton engine [& its multiples,] here is a readily available one. Only a few engineering adaptations are required. Asked if a ‘flying’ Indian engine cannot be ruled out in the future, Dr. Tamilmani told The Hindu the development of aero engine technology and product was long identified as a critical need in defence research. It includes the Gas Turbine Research Establishment that has worked on the Kaveri since the mid-1980s; and the Aeronautical Development Establishment that is into drones.

Ø  With his visits to the rest of West Asia and in particular Iran completed, officials in Israel and Palestine territories are expecting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Israel early next year. Senior diplomatic sources in Delhi and Jerusalem confirmed to The Hindu that Mr. Modi is expected here in early 2017, a few months after the visit of Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, who is likely to come to Delhi in September 2016. The visit will make Mr. Modi the first Indian Prime Minister to ever visit Israel, which MEA sources said could come close to the 25th anniversary of establishment of full diplomatic ties on January 29.

Ø  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday tried his hand at beating the traditional Khasi drum as he wound up his two-day visit to Meghalaya. The Prime Minister tried his hand at beating our ‘Ka Bom’ and also interacted with leaders from at least 10 Himas.

Ø  Pakistan seems to have failed to seal the $700 million deal for the purchase of eight F-16 fighter jets from the U.S. following a row between the two countries over their financing, a media report said. The Pakistani government was required to provide the Letter of Acceptance for purchase of the jets by May 24, but Dawn reported that the document was not issued leading to expiry of the offer. Analysts believe Islamabad could consider Russian or Chinese fighters to meet its requirements.