3 JUNE 2014: India & France begins Garuda air exercise

Ø  In another first, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet all department Secretaries on at his residence without involving the Ministers concerned. An official source said the PMO’s directive indicated it would function like a Chief Minister’s Office, which often deals directly with department Secretaries. This would also mean restrictions on the power of Ministers. Mr. Modi has already marked as a priority, more room for bureaucrats to function, with predictability of tenure and autonomy to innovate — something that he has always pointed out as the reason for Gujarat’s efficiency. In the second Cabinet meeting, Mr. Modi had told his Ministers that he would be dealing with the secretaries directly.

Ø  The fifth Indo-French bilateral air exercise — Garuda-V — began at the Jodhpur Air Base. It is aimed at enhancing operational cooperation and validating capabilities. The exercise will involve the assets of IAF’s main operational formations, including the Gandhinagar-based South Western Air Command and the Allahabad-based Central Air Command. Frontline fighter aircraft of the IAF, including the SU 30, Mig-27 (UPG), MIG- 21 Bison, and force multipliers such as the AWACS and Flight Refueller Aircraft IL 78 are participating while the French have fielded their frontline Rafale Fighter aircraft along with the KC 135 Refueller.