Rajnath Singh launches website of Aero India 2021 scheduled for Feb 3-7

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday launched the website of Aero India 2021, which will be held between February 3-7, 2021.
• Aero India exhibition is organized every alternate year. It is one of the major exhibition for aerospace and defence industries with a public air show. It enables industry professional to gain market insights, announce new developments and gain media coverage. Aero India offers a unique platform to international aviation sector to bolster business.
• Aero India 2021 is the 13th edition of Aero India being organised at Bengaluru, Karnataka from 03-07 February 2021.
• Aero India 2021 provides opportunity to demonstrate products to the potential customer and investors. In Aero India 2021 Exhibitors are likely to showcase their products using latest technologies to the potential customers. This is an important international event likely to be attended by thousands of business visitors and lakh general visitors.
• Aero India 2021 was also discussed at India-UK Defence Equipment Sub-group Meeting. India hosted the 12th edition of “Aero India 2019” at Air Force Station, Yelahanka, Bengaluru, (Karnataka) from February 20 to 24, 2019.
• A total of 61 aircraft had participated in the event. Several seminars were conducted by a host of agencies including the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Skill Development Ministry, state governments and industrial associations in addition to the Ministry of Defence.
• The first three days at the show earmarked exclusively for business visitors saw a footfall of approximately two lakh, according to a Defence Ministry release. The air show saw a lot of activity from a business point of view and witnessed several round table meets.
• Aero India is a biennial air show and aviation exhibition that is held in Bengaluru at the Yelahanka Air Force Station. It is organised by the Defence Exhibition Organisation under the Ministry of Defence.

IAF plans to set up Air Defence Radars in Uttarakhand

• The Indian Air Force (IAF) plans to set up Air Defence Radars in three border districts of Uttarakhand including Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Uttarkashi.
• The IAF has also proposed to develop a new advance landing ground in the state for execution of its activities in hill areas of Uttarakhand.
• In a meeting with Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat in Dehradun on Friday, Air Marshal Rajesh Kumar, AOC-in-C, Central Air-Command, held a detailed discussion on the proposals and requirement of land. It was decided that the government and IAF will nominate their respective nodal officers who will work jointly to identify land for the set-ups.
• The Air Marshal also requested Rawat to make available land for extension of airports in Pantnagar, Jolly Grant and Pithoragarh and for a new airport in Chaukhutia. He said that facilities of radar and air strips at appropriate sites in Uttarakhand were essential in view of the current situation.
• The state government informed him that land has been identified in Bhaisoli village of Almora district for setting up Air Defence Radar and process for land availability will be expedited after identification of sites at other places. A senior official told “IAF has given a proposal to set up Air Force Radars in three districts and are looking for a suitable site for that. They want land for advance landing ground which can be used for refuelling as well as uploading and downloading of ammunition. The state government is working in coordination with them to do the needful.”

After Japan-India Pact, France & Australia Keen for ‘Anti-China’ Military Pact with India

• After India and Japan inked a key military logistic pact, another similar agreement with France and Australia appears to be in the pipeline. Such intercontinental military pacts have one common purpose – to challenge the rising threat of China.
• Although neither of the treaties explicitly mentions a particular country, the leaders have spoken about the growing challenges in the Asia Pacific and the growing assertiveness of China.
• After years of negotiations between India and Japan, they have finally inked a landmark agreement that will allow the two countries to use each other’s maritime bases and facilities for repair and replenishment of supplies besides facilitating scaling up of overall cooperation.
• In the backdrop of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) increasing aggression in Ladakh and Japan’s Senkaku Islands, the acquisition and cross-servicing pact was signed by Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar and Japanese Ambassador Suzuki Satoshi, an Indian defence ministry spokesperson said.
• Japan has constantly lent its support to India and has criticized “any unilateral” move by China to change the status quo in Ladakh.
• “It is expected that the agreement will facilitate the smooth and prompt provision of supplies and services between the Self-Defense Forces of Japan and the Indian Armed Forces,” a statement by Japanese foreign ministry stated.
• It is important to note that similar agreements have been signed with the Quad nations, Australia and the US. After Japan, a France-Australia-India accord might join the list too.
• French President Emmanuel Macron has earlier spoken about building a strategic alliance against Chinese assertiveness between Canberra, Paris and New Delhi.
• “We’re not naive: if we want to be seen and respected by China as an equal partner, we must organize ourselves,” Macron said in a speech at an Australian naval base. This new Paris-Delhi-Canberra axis is absolutely key for the region and our joint objectives in the Indian-Pacific region,” he said, according to a 2018 report.
• This Paris-Delhi-Canberra received a jumpstart on Wednesday when the top foreign ministry officials of the three countries discussed this pact which was first proposed by Macron two years ago.
• The officials spoke about enhancing maritime security cooperation” including maritime domain awareness, mutual logistics support and capacity building of other friendly countries in the Indo-Pacific region, people familiar with the matter said.
• According to the report, Chinese aggressive actions in eastern Ladakh and the militarization of the South China Sea have impelled these efforts. India, Australia and Indonesia are also set to hold virtual meetings of their foreign and defence ministers to bolster regional cooperation and maritime security in the Indo-Pacific in the coming weeks.
• Derek Grossman of RAND corporation, US-based global policy think tank, wrote in a paper titled ‘The Quad is poised to become openly Anti-China soon’ that even the most ardent supporters of maintaining balanced China ties are hardening their positions, which makes it increasingly likely New Delhi will turn to the Quad to counter China.
• “For the first time in the Quad’s history, the stars are aligning for a harder line on China, and the implications going forward could be significant.”

Corporatisation of Ordnance Factory Board: Government constitutes Empowered Group of Ministers headed by Raksha Mantri; Terms of Reference also issued

• Consequent to the decision of the Government to convert Ordnance Factory Board (OFB), a subordinate office of Ministry of Defence (MoD) into one or more than one 100 per cent Government owned corporate entities, the Government has constituted an Empowered Group of Ministers (EGoM), under the Chairmanship of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh, to oversee and guide the entire process, including transition support and redeployment plan of employees while safeguarding their wages and retirement benefits. Other ministers in the EGoM are Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister for Law & justice Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister of State for Labour & Employment Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar and Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievance & Pension Dr Jitendra Singh.
• The Terms of Reference (ToR) of the EGoM inter alia include:
• Decision on conversion of OFB into a single Defence Public Sector Undertaking (DPSU) or as multiple DPSUs;
• Matters related to various categories of employees including protection of their salary and pension of existing employees;
• Financial support that may be provided to the entity/entities to make them economically viable and self-reliant;
• Grandfathering of orders already being executed by OFB or for which facilities created in OFB;
• Treatment for land assets of OFB.
• The composition of EGoM along with ToRs have been communicated to the OFB and various Federations, Unions and Associations at Board/ Factory/Unit level and they have been requested to place all their suggestions, issues and concerns relating to corporatisation of OFB before the EGoM.
• The Department has also selected M/s KPMG Advisory Services Pvt. Ltd. (Lead Consortium Member) with M/s Khaitan& Co. Ltd. as another Consortium Member, as the Consultancy Agency for providing strategic and implementation management consulting services to assist the Department of Defence Production in the process of corporatisation of the OFB.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the website of Aero India 2021 on
2. 8 September 2020
3. 9 September 2020
4. 10 September 2020
5. 11 September 2020

ANSWER: D

• Aero India 2021 will be held between
• December 3-7, 2021
• March 3-7, 2021
• February 3-7, 2021
• July 3-7, 2021

ANSWER: C

• Aero India exhibition is organized
• Every year
• Every alternate year
• Once in 5 years
• Once in 6 months

ANSWER: B

• Aero India 2021 is a biennial air show and aviation exhibition which will be held in
• Ambala Air Force Station
• Yelahanka Air Force Station
• Palam Air Force Station
• Gandhinagar Air Force Station

ANSWER: B

• Aero India 2021 is organised by the _____ under the Ministry of Defence.
• Defence Exhibition Organisation
• Defence Procurement Organisation
• Defence Research and Development Organisation
• Defence Promotion Agency

ANSWER: A

• After Japan-India Pact, which two countries are keen for ‘Anti-China’ Military Pact with India?
• France & Australia
• UK & Australia
• France & UK
• USA & Australia

ANSWER: A