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Category: India

  • MIL-OSI China: Regular Press Briefing of the Ministry of National Defense on April 9, 2025 2025-04-15 Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, answered recent media queries concerning the military, on the afternoon of April 9, 2025.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense 2

    On the afternoon of April 9, 2025, Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, answered recent media queries concerning the military. (Photo by Zhang Zhicheng)

    (The following English text is for reference. In case of any divergence of interpretation, the Chinese text shall prevail.)

    Zhang Xiaogang: I have three pieces of information to announce on the top.

    Firstly, the Second Military Translation Challenge of the Chinese Armed Forces will be held at the College of International Studies, National University of Defense Technology from April to August. This year’s contest features an innovative competition system, updated language categories, and expanded scope of participants. It aims to support stronger exchanges and cooperation with foreign militaries and the building of a world-class military by enhancing defense language capabilities of the PLA.

    Secondly, the Ministry of National Defense will hold the 3rd International Security Cooperation Seminar for Foreign Military Attachés to China at the International College of Defense Studies of the National Defense University from April 10 to 11. Foreign defense attachés and the representatives of some international organizations will attend. During the event, civilian and military experts will be invited to deliver themed presentations, discussions and exchanges will be conducted on topics including strengthening international military cooperation and addressing regional security challenges, and a visit to model new rural communities will be organized. The seminar is to help foreign military attachés better understand China and the Chinese military, and to further enhance friendship and mutual trust.

    Thirdly, at the invitation of the Pakistan military, the PLA Army will send a unit to Pakistan to participate in the Pakistan Army Team Spirit (PATS)-2025 international military skills competition. The main subjects include nighttime reconnaissance and infiltration, ambush and counter-ambush, combat swimming, etc. It aims to test and improve combat capabilities of participating troops and strengthen exchanges and mutual trust among militaries of all participating countries.

    On the afternoon of April 9, 2025, Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, answered recent media queries concerning the military. (Photo by Zhang Zhicheng)

    Journalist: It’s reported that President Xi Jinping and the Indian President have exchanged congratulatory messages, and agreed to advance a sound and steady growth of bilateral ties. How will the Chinese side grow its military relationship with India?

    Zhang Xiaogang: To celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and India, President Xi Jinping has exchanged congratulatory messages with the Indian President, which set the course of the bilateral relationship. As two ancient civilizations, major developing countries and important members of the Global South, China and India are both in a crucial stage of modernization. Being partners of mutual success serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and the two peoples. The Chinese military stands ready to work with the Indian side to implement the important consensus reached between the two state leaders, strengthen communication and strategic mutual trust, safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas, promote a sound and stable mil-mil relations, and maintain peace in the region and beyond.

    Journalist: According to reports, the China-Cambodia Joint Support and Training Center at Port Ream has been officially inaugurated and put into operation. China and Cambodia militaries launched the “Golden Dragon-2025” joint exercise at the center. Could you tell us more about that?

    Zhang Xiaogang: The construction of the China-Cambodia Joint Support and Training Center at Port Ream embodies the principles of mutual respect and equal consultation between the two countries. It complies with domestic regulations of both countries, the relevant international law, and international practices, and will add new energy and dimensions to China-Cambodia mil-mil relations. The Chinese and Cambodian militaries will further strengthen substantive cooperation in areas such as joint training and exercises, personnel training, and professional exchanges, to continuously enhance their capabilities for maintaining regional peace and stability.

    Journalist: It is reported that during his recent visit to Japan, the US Secretary of Defense said Japan as a “warrior country” was indispensable for tackling “Chinese aggression” and complimented the “valor” of Japanese soldiers in the Battle of Iwo Jima. His remarks have aroused controversies in the US. Do you have any comment?

    Zhang Xiaogang: History shall not be forgotten, and the right and wrong must not be confused. The international community has long had a fair judgment on who launched wars, aggression and expansion, and who fought for peace during the Second World War. This year marks the 80th year of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. Some people in the US are making a political stunt by distorting facts and whitewashing Japan’s militarism. It is a betrayal to soldiers who died in fighting fascists and has aroused public anger back in the US. It will surely be opposed by the international community and disdained by history. We urge relevant countries to stop spreading erroneous narratives, stop turning the Asia-Pacific into a hunting ground for geopolitical rivalry, stop stoking bloc politics and military confrontation, and stop undermining security and well-being of people in the region.

    On the afternoon of April 9, 2025, Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, answered recent media queries concerning the military. (Photo by Zhang Zhicheng)

    Journalist: It is reported that the US Secretary of Defense reiterated US commitment to the US-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty to counter the so-called “China threat” on his visit to the Philippines. During his visit, the Philippines, the US and Japan conducted a joint patrol in the South China Sea. Recently, the US approved selling F-16 fighter jets to the Philippines. Do you have any comment?

    Zhang Xiaogang: On the pretext of honoring bilateral treaties, the US is meddling in the South China Sea issue, undermining China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, and attempting to threaten and coerce China. This approach will simply not work. It needs to be pointed out that the Philippine side has repeatedly made infringements and provocations against China. Outside countries led by the US have made continued efforts to destabilize the South China Sea through playing up tensions and providing weapons. It fully exposed their true intention of making troubles in the region. For the Philippine side, “relying on foreign support to make waves at sea” will backfire and a pawn will only be used and discarded. We urge the Philippine side to give up unrealistic illusions and come back to the right track of dialogue and negotiation at an early date.

    Journalist: According to US media reports, the US Secretary of Defense signed a secret internal guidance memo, which identifies China as the “sole pacing threat,” allegedly prioritizing “denial of the mainland’s seizure of Taiwan” and strengthening US homeland defense. Please comment on that.

    Zhang Xiaogang: We have noted relevant reports. It seems that the US side’s “paranoia toward China” is increasingly severe. Viewing China as a threat is a serious strategic miscalculation that will only lead to disastrous consequences. It must be emphazised that China will and must achieve reunification. It is an unstoppable historical trend that no one or force can hold it back.

    On the afternoon of April 9, 2025, Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, answered recent media queries concerning the military. (Photo by Zhang Zhicheng)

    Journalist: It is reported that Taiwan has received the first F-16V fighter jet ordered from the US, with an additional 65 scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2026. Some analysts suggest that this move is aimed at countering the increasingly modernized air force of the Chinese mainland. Please comment on that.

    Zhang Xiaogang: We have noted relevant reports. This is yet another instance of the double standard of the US where it broke its solemn political commitments, breached the one-China principle and the stipulations of the three China-US joint communiqués, grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs, and undermined peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. I want to underline that the US arms sales to Taiwan cannot change the strength contrast between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait much less impede the historical and inevitable trend of China’s reunification. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities have squandered taxpayers’ money, which should have been used to benefit the people, to fill the bottomless hole of harming and ruining Taiwan. The attempts to solicit US support for “Taiwan independence” and to resist reunification by force will only plunge Taiwan into a dangerous and precarious situation of war and ultimately lead to its own destruction.

    Journalist: According to reports, the G7 Foreign Ministers and the European Union’s High Representative issued a statement on the joint exercises around Taiwan island conducted by the PLA in early April. The statement accused China of making “provocative actions” that escalate tensions across the Strait, opposed any unilateral actions to threaten the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Please comment on that.

    Zhang Xiaogang: Relevant countries and organizations blatantly violate the one-China principle and grossly interfere in China’s domestic affairs. We strongly deplore and resolutely oppose this. The joint drills of the PLA Eastern Theater Command around Taiwan Island deter the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces with overwhelming power and safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity. This is a firm commitment to peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and safety and well-being of our compatriots in Taiwan.

    The Taiwan question is purely an internal affair of China and how to resolve it brooks no foreign interference. The PLA remains in a combat-ready posture to fight against “Taiwan independence” separatist forces and pursue national reunification. We will resolutely thwart any separatist attempt for “Taiwan independence” and external interference.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Anderson Man Found Guilty of Impersonating Homeland Security Officer and Possessing Molotov Cocktails

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    INDIANAPOLIS— A federal jury has found Joshua W. Stearman, 42, of Anderson, Indiana, guilty of unlawfully possessing incendiary bombs, commonly referred to as Molotov cocktails, and falsely impersonating an officer or employee of the United States.

    According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, on December 12, 2023, at approximately 1:47 a.m., a police officer in Ingalls, Indiana, was dispatched to an address that had recently been vandalized multiple times, including with fires set in the driveway and inside the mailbox at that address. Dispatch received a report of a suspicious man walking toward the house carrying something but who ran back to his red Toyota RAV4 when the house’s security lights came on.

    The officer located the RAV4 and pulled it over. As the officer approached, Stearman pressed against the window his ID as well as an unknown government identification that included a government seal at the bottom. Repeatedly, Stearman claimed he was a Homeland Security Officer returning from a “mission.” Stearman was wearing black gloves with black duct tape around his wrists.

    Eventually, Stearman exited the vehicle and was placed in custody. Inside the vehicle, officers found four bottles containing a yellow-brown liquid that gave off an odor of fuel, as well as what appeared to be small pieces of wood or kindling inside of them. All four had a piece of cloth or fabric sticking out from under the cap. Officers also found a lighter in the vehicle.

    During the trial, experts from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) testified about their analysis of the four bottles. An ATF Forensic Chemist testified that she had analyzed the liquid inside the bottles, and each was found to contain gasoline. Then, an ATF Destructive Device Examiner testified how each of the bottles was designed to be used as an incendiary bomb: The wick is ignited by an open flame and the device is thrown against a surface, with the intent that the ignitable liquid and wooden sticks inside will spread fire to a combustible surface against which it was thrown.  Incendiary bombs, commonly known as Molotov cocktails, are a type of destructive device that is generally unlawful to possess under federal law.

    The ATF and Ingalls Police Department investigated this case, with valuable assistance provided by Lapel, Indiana Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security. Chief U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt presided over the trial and will sentence Stearman at a later date.

    Acting U.S. Attorney John E. Childress thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jayson W. McGrath and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nate Walter, who are prosecuting this case.

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Yatahey Man Faces Federal Charges for Sexual Assault

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Yatahey man is facing charges in federal court in connection with a violent sexual assault.

    According to court documents, on March 29, 2025, Jane Doe reported that she has been sexually assaulted the day before by Fernando Brown, 34, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. Following the assault, Jane Doe was transported to Gallup Indian Medical Center for treatment. When questioned by law enforcement, Brown allegedly admitted to continuing sexual activity after Jane Doe repeatedly told him to stop and also disclosed prior instances of physical violence against Doe.

    Brown is charged with aggravated sexual abuse and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted of the current charges, Brown faces up to life in prison.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.

    The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Ramah-Navajo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jordan is prosecuting the case.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: State’s first Work Zone Speed Camera launches April 16 on I-5 near JBLM

    Source: Washington State News 2

    Cameras focus on safety by slowing speeders and protecting workers on Washington highways

    OLYMPIA – Washington transportation leaders are taking a bold step to protect road construction workers and drivers as the first Work Zone Speed Camera begins enforcement Wednesday, April 16, near Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

    The trailer-mounted camera photographs vehicles speeding through active work zones. The Washington State Department of Transportation will rotate the camera between construction, maintenance and emergency projects where speeding is an issue. This safety tool aims to protect workers and the traveling public by encouraging drivers to follow work zone speed limits and reducing the number of speed-related crashes. The first site was selected because of ongoing safety concerns with people speeding through that Interstate 5 work zone.

    Signs will notify drivers when the camera is at a job site and when possible, a radar feedback sign will accompany the camera to remind drivers to slow down. The program will expand with two more cameras this spring and three more by summer.

    “Too many workers have been injured or killed, and statistics show drivers are not slowing down,” said Secretary of Transportation Julie Meredith. “This provides another tool to help ensure workers – and everyone on the roadway – comes home safe at the end of the day.”

    Program and enforcement details

    The cameras will only record infractions when workers are present on a job site. Work can take place day or night, so drivers should assume there are workers in all work zones, particularly if they are in the area where they see a sign notifying them about a camera ahead.

    After the camera detects a speeding vehicle, information will be forwarded to the Washington State Patrol. The photos do not include images of drivers. Troopers will determine if a violation was committed and, if so, issue an infraction. The vehicle’s registered owner will receive the infraction in the mail and can contest it, ask for a reduction or request a payment plan.

    When someone receives a notice of infraction, they will be directed to the program’s website to acknowledge the incident. There is no fine for the first work zone speed camera infraction; the second and every infraction after that is $248. The vehicle’s registered owner must respond to the notice of infraction online or through the mail, even if it carries no financial penalty. The infractions are recorded as non-moving violations and do not affect driving records or insurance. Unpaid fines will be added to vehicle registration renewals.

    The state Office of Administrative Hearings will oversee appeals for infractions. After people appeal, they can submit supporting evidence such as photographs or other documents for the judge to consider. Depending on the reason for the appeal, they will have either a brief adjudicative proceeding, which involves only documents, or a formal adjudicative hearing, where they can also provide testimony over the phone to a judge.

    Legislative, agency and industry partnerships

    The cameras result from partnerships and support by the state Legislature, several state agencies, law enforcement and union and industry groups. Legislation for the cameras took effect July 1, 2023, with an Amendment bill passed the following year.

    The money received from fines will pay for the program’s costs and any extra money will support WSP DUI and safety programs. The program runs through 2030 unless extended by the Legislature.

    Proven safety tool

    Through scanning light detection and ranging, called LiDAR, the camera detects vehicles traveling faster than the posted speed limit and takes images of the vehicle, its license plate and related information (e.g., speed limit, a vehicle’s recorded speed, location, date, time, etc.). Work zone speed camera vendor Elovate works with other states on similar programs, including Maryland and Indiana.

    Since 2020, Washington has averaged 1,345 work zone crashes every year. Meredith said the goal of the safety program is to reduce speeding, not issue tickets.

    “We would be ecstatic if these cameras never resulted in infractions,” she said, “because that would mean drivers instead changed their behavior.”

    This program is separate from the recently launched Highway Speed Camera Program, which is currently underway on I-5 and I-90 in Skagit and Spokane counties.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Forging Futures: How Samsung’s PrePARe Programme is Pioneering a New Era of Research Leadership

    Source: Samsung

     
    In today’s rapidly evolving innovation ecosystem, the ability to translate academic research into real-world impact has become a defining need. Recognising this, Samsung R&D Institute India-Bangalore (SRI-B) launched the Ph.D. Internship Programme for Advanced Industrial Research (PrePARe) in 2022.
     
    The programme is designed to empower India’s brightest Ph.D. scholars with industry exposure, deep tech research opportunities, and mentorship from seasoned experts, enabling them to work on next-generation technologies such as Generative AI, Deep Learning, 6G, MIMO, AI in Wireless, and Computer Vision.
     
    Through PrePARe, Samsung is creating a unique platform where academic brilliance meets industrial scale. Scholars selected for this six-month internship are given the chance to contribute to high-impact projects that align with Samsung’s vision of building a better future through innovation.
     
    “We continue to strengthen our R&D capabilities with next-gen thinking and fresh ideas. PrePARe connects our seasoned experts with the top Ph.D. scholars to co-create impactful technologies. The programme offers interns an unmatched opportunity to tackle real-world challenges while shaping their careers. I wish them a meaningful and purpose-driven journey with us,” said Mohan Rao Goli, Corporate Vice President and Managing Director, SRI-B.
     
    Research scholars for this programme are selected from top-tier institutions including IISc, IITs (Bombay, Delhi, Kanpur, Madras, Hyderabad, Roorkee, BHU, Kharagpur), and IIITs (Hyderabad, Bangalore). They go through a rigorous selection process based on their research track record, relevance of their thesis, and innovation potential.
     
    More than 80 scholars have joined the programme so far, contributing to patents, publications, and future-ready tech solutions. At SRI-B, they are not treated as interns—they are seen as domain experts. Each is entrusted with meaningful projects that push the boundaries of applied research.
    For Chaitra D Desai, joining SRI-B as a Ph.D. intern was a turning point.
     
    “Beyond theoretical research, I am gaining robust experience working with large-scale datasets, optimizing models for edge devices, helping me inculcate a product-focused approach. Transitioning from academia to industry was an eye-opening experience,” she said.
     
    Chaitra is currently working on innovations in Robotics, AR/VR, and Autonomous Driving. Meanwhile, Bhogavalli Satwika is tackling a different challenge—integrating Radio Frequency (RF) sensing capabilities into the 5G framework to enhance network efficiency.
     
    The exposure to real-world innovation is what sets PrePARe apart. Interns work closely with SRI-B mentors, contribute to ongoing research projects, and present their findings to SRI-B leadership at the end of the programme—receiving critical insights on how their work fits into Samsung’s broader innovation strategy.
     
    Most of them also speak highly of the collaborative, high-performance culture at SRI-B.
     
    “The hands-on experience I get at Samsung will significantly improve my research,” said Sumit Sharma, while Yamini Shankar said, “I’m loving the collaboration and support my team empowers me with.”
     
    In just three years, PrePARe has emerged as a high-impact initiative one that not only nurtures academic talent but also enables them to contribute meaningfully to industry innovation. As these Ph.D. scholars push the boundaries of what is possible, they are not just gaining experience, together with Samsung, they are helping shape the technologies of tomorrow.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: S. 621, a bill to accept the request to revoke the charter of incorporation of the Lower Sioux Indian Community in the State of Minnesota at the request of that Community, and for other purposes

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    S. 621 would accept the request of the Lower Sioux Indian Community, a federally recognized Indian tribe in Minnesota, to revoke the community’s charter of incorporation. Using information from the Department of the Interior, CBO estimates that the administrative costs to implement S. 621 would not be significant; any related spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Margot Berman. The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis.

    Phillip L. Swagel

    Director, Congressional Budget Office

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: G20 Finance Ministers set to meet in US

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The Group of Twenty (G20) Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors are set to convene a two-day meeting on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Spring Meetings, taking place in the United States, later this month.

    The G20 is an international forum of both developing and developed countries, which seeks to find solutions to global economic and financial issues. 

    This meeting is part of the Finance Track under South Africa’s G20 Presidency, which will gather Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors of G20 member countries, invited countries, and international organisations to discuss global economic challenges, financial stability, and policies aimed at fostering economic growth. 

    South Africa’s G20 Presidency commenced on 1 December 2024 and will run until 30 November 2025. It is taking place under the theme: “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability.”

    The Finance Track is co-chaired by Finance Minister, Enoch Godongwana, and South African Reserve Bank Governor, Lesetja Kganyago. 

    G20 members include the world’s major economies, representing 85% of global GDP, 75% of international trade, and two-thirds of the world’s population.

    The G20 comprises 19 countries (including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States), the European Union, and since 2023, the African Union.

    The two-day meeting will take place from 23-24 April 2025, in Washington, D.C.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rines Creek — Media notification: Emergency alert in areas of Colchester and East Hants as RCMPNS continues search for man who may be armed with firearm

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    An emergency alert has been issued for areas of Colchester County, Millbrook, Stewiacke, Indian Brook, and East Hants as RCMPNS continues to search for a man who may be armed with a firearm near Rhines Creek, Nova Scotia.

    The man was last seen running on foot from a motor vehicle crash on Highway 215, near Exit 10. The man is described as being 6 feet tall, 220 pounds, black hair, extensive tattoos, wearing a gold chain. If seen, do not approach, call 9-1-1.

    Instructions for the public: Do not provide a ride to anyone asking for one. Do not pick up hitch hikers. Call 9-1-1 to report emergencies or tips. Updates will be posted to RCMPNS website and social accounts as available.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Beggar thy neighbor, harm thyself: Tariffs like Trump’s come with pitfalls, history shows

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Bedassa Tadesse, Professor of Economics, University of Minnesota Duluth

    Feeling tariff whiplash? You’re not alone. On April 2, 2025, President Donald Trump announced sweeping new tariffs – a 10% levy on nearly all U.S. imports, along with targeted duties aimed at punishing countries he accuses of exploiting American markets. Just a week later, on April 9, his administration abruptly paused much of the plan for 90 days, leaving markets and allies scrambling for clarity.

    The proposed tariffs were pitched as a way to revive U.S. manufacturing, reclaim jobs and counter what Trump considers unfair trade practices. But they immediately rattled the financial markets and raised alarms among economists and America’s global partners. Critics across the political spectrum revived a familiar warning: “beggar-thy-neighbor.”

    History shows that such policies rarely succeed. In today’s interconnected world, they’re more likely to provoke swift, precise and painful retaliation.

    What is the ‘beggar-thy-neighbor’ strategy?

    The phrase comes from economic history and refers to protectionist measures – tariffs, import restrictions or currency manipulation – designed to boost one country’s economy at the expense of its trading partners. Think of it like cleaning your yard by dumping the trash into your neighbor’s property: It looks tidy on your side until they respond.

    This approach starkly contrasts with the principles laid out by Adam Smith. In “The Wealth of Nations,” he argued that trade is not a zero-sum game. Specialization and open markets, he observed, create mutual benefit – a rising tide that lifts all boats. Trump’s tariffs disregard this logic.

    And history backs Smith. In the 1930s, the U.S. adopted a similar strategy to the one Trump is experimenting with through the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, raising duties to protect domestic jobs. The result was a wave of global retaliation that choked international trade and worsened the Great Depression.

    A case in point: Lesotho

    As an example, consider the 50% tariff the United States imposed on imports from Lesotho, a small landlocked African nation. The measure took effect at midnight on April 3 but was reportedly subject to the 90-day pause starting midday April 4.

    The tariff rate was calculated by taking the U.S. trade deficit with Lesotho – US$234.5 million in 2024 – dividing that by the total value of Lesotho’s exports to the U.S., or $237.3 million, and dividing that by two.

    The 50% tariff would have a negligible effect on the U.S. economy – after all, out of the $3.3 trillion the U.S. imported in 2024, only a tiny fraction came from Lesotho. But for Lesotho, a nation that relies heavily on garment exports and preferential U.S. market access, the consequences would be severe. Using the same tariff logic across all partners, big or small, overlooks basic economic realities: differences in scale, trade capacity and vulnerability. It epitomizes beggar-thy-neighbor thinking: offloading domestic frustrations onto weaker economies for short-term political optics.

    Lesotho is just one example. Even countries that import more from the U.S. than they export, such as Australia and the U.K., haven’t been spared. This “scoreboard” mentality – treating trade deficits as losses and surpluses as wins – risks reducing the complexity of global commerce to a tit-for-tat game.

    The return of a familiar — and risky — playbook

    Such thinking has consequences. During Trump’s first term, China retaliated against U.S. tariffs by slashing imports of American soybeans and pork. As a result, those exports plummeted from $14 billion in 2017 to just $3 billion in 2018, hitting politically sensitive states like Iowa hard. The European Union responded to U.S. steel and aluminum tariffs by threatening to target bourbon from Kentucky and motorcycles from Wisconsin – iconic products from the home states of former GOP leaders Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan. Canada and the European Union have shown a willingness to use similar tactics this time around.

    This isn’t new. In 2002, President George W. Bush imposed tariffs of up to 30% on imported steel, prompting the European Union to threaten retaliatory tariffs targeting products such as Florida citrus and Carolina textiles made in key swing states. Facing domestic political pressure and a World Trade Organization ruling against the measure, Bush reversed course within 21 months.

    A decade earlier, the Clinton administration endured a long-running trade dispute with the EU known as the “banana wars,” in which European regulators structured import rules that disadvantaged U.S.-backed Latin American banana exporters in favor of former European colonies.

    During the Obama years, the U.S. increased visa fees that disproportionately impacted India’s technology services sector. India responded by delaying approvals for American drugmakers and large retail investments.

    Not all forms of trade retaliation grab headlines. Many are subtle, slow and bureaucratic – but no less damaging. Customs officials can delay paperwork or may impose arbitrary inspection or labeling requirements. Approval for U.S. pharmaceuticals, tech products or chemicals can be stalled for vague procedural reasons. Public procurement rules can be quietly rewritten to exclude U.S. companies.

    While these tactics rarely draw public attention, their cumulative cost is real: missed delivery deadlines, lost contracts and rising operational costs. Over time, American businesses may shift operations abroad – not because of labor costs or regulation at home, but to escape the slow drip of bureaucratic punishment they experience elsewhere.

    Tariffs in a connected economy

    Supporters of tariffs often argue that they protect domestic industries and create jobs. In theory, they might. But in practice, recent history shows they are more likely to invite retaliation, raise prices and disrupt supply chains.

    Modern manufacturing is deeply interconnected. A product may involve assembling components from a dozen countries, moving back and forth across borders. Tariffs hurt foreign suppliers and American manufacturers, workers and consumers.

    More strategically damaging, they erode U.S. influence. Allies grow weary of unpredictable trade moves, and rivals, including China and Russia, step in to forge deeper partnerships. Countries may reduce their exposure to the U.S. dollar, sell off Treasury bonds, or align with regional blocs like the BRICS group – led by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – not out of ideology, but necessity.

    In short, the U.S. weakens its own strategic hand. The long-term cost isn’t just economic – it’s geopolitical.

    Rather than resorting to beggar-thy-neighbor tactics, the U.S. could secure its future by investing in what truly drives long-term strength: smart workforce development, breakthrough innovation and savvy partnerships with allies. This approach would tackle trade imbalances through skillful diplomacy instead of brute force, while building resilience at home by equipping American workers and companies to thrive – not by scapegoating others.

    History makes a clear case: Ditching the obsession with bilateral trade deficits and focusing instead on value creation pays off. The U.S. can source components from around the world and elevate them through unmatched design, innovation and manufacturing excellence. That’s the heartbeat of real economic might.

    Bedassa Tadesse does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Beggar thy neighbor, harm thyself: Tariffs like Trump’s come with pitfalls, history shows – https://theconversation.com/beggar-thy-neighbor-harm-thyself-tariffs-like-trumps-come-with-pitfalls-history-shows-254141

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Educators find creative work-arounds to new laws that restrict what they can teach

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Riley Drake, Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-Stout

    Some educators are chafing under new laws that limit what and how they can teach. VectorMine/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    An onslaught of executive orders from President Donald Trump aim to restrict how and what educators can teach America’s children.

    Since taking office in January 2025, Trump has attempted to bar teachers from discussing racism and sexism in K-12 schools and order all schools that receive federal funding to recognize only two gender identities – male and female – potentially barring teachers from acknowledging the existence of nonbinary, gender queer and transgender people, including among their students.

    Educators say the orders are having a chilling effect in classrooms, with some teachers censoring themselves by minimizing dialogue about race, gender and other topics. Other educators, however, are finding ways to resist what they see as federal intrusion into the classroom.

    In March 2025, Sarah Inama, a sixth grade history teacher in Meridian, Idaho, refused to remove a classroom poster reading “Everyone is Welcome” when school district officials claimed the message was too controversial.

    “There are only two opinions on this sign. Everyone is welcome here or not everyone is welcome here,” Inama said in a March 2025 interview with Today.com.

    I am a scholar and former elementary school counselor. My research explores how educators act alongside young people and community organizers to challenge laws, policies and ways of controlling society that they see as harmful in schools.

    In my studies, I’ve encountered some educators who have found clever ways to support their students and have difficult conversations without violating executive orders or the law.

    Modeling transformative justice

    The Trump administration’s restrictive federal orders for schools are new, but some U.S. states have been limiting what educators can tell their students for several years. And educators in those places have found quiet, creative ways to push back.

    In 2022 I led a study of how educators in one Midwestern state were teaching social emotional learning – that is, the attitudes, skills and knowledge to develop healthy relationships and manage their emotions.

    The state – research ethics prohibit me from precisely identifying it – had recently passed legislation that prevented teachers from openly discussing the harms of racism, slavery, colonialism and gender violence in the U.S. Critics felt the law not only erased Black and Indigenous history but also banned truth-telling and accountability.

    One second grade teacher I observed in my study felt it was essential that her students learn to tell the truth, even in uncomfortable situations, and take accountability for their actions. She partnered with local community organizers to practice transformative justice in her classroom.

    Transformative justice seeks to address the root causes of people’s harmful behavior rather than merely punishing it. When communities can get to the core of the conditions that caused the harm, this theory holds, they can better address it.

    Rather than craft a lesson plan that might run up against the state’s restrictive new laws, the teacher in my study demonstrated the values of truth-telling and accountability in her approach to everyday conflicts.

    For example, one day after afternoon recess, two students refused to come back inside. The teacher waited patiently, and when eventually they returned to the classroom, she asked them what had been bothering them. The students said they were mad their classmates hadn’t allowed them to play a specific character in a game at recess.

    The teacher invited the rest of the class to discuss the incident. They acknowledged that those students had been excluded. Together, the class brainstormed ways to better include everyone next time. The upset students calmed down and listened actively, then began chiming in with their own ideas about solving the problem constructively.

    When schoolyard games go wrong, teachers can model different ways to resolve conflict.
    Peter Cade/Stone via Getty Images

    Finally, the teacher asked the class to reflect on how she had handled the situation.

    “What would have happened if I had called the principal on the students who wouldn’t come inside?” she asked.

    “They would have gotten in trouble!” the students said.

    “Yes, and would that have solved anything?” the teacher responded.

    “No, it would have made things worse,” one student remarked.

    In her actions and words, this teacher taught her students that punishment isn’t the only or best way to deal with conflict. And she showed them that when people tell the truth and take responsibility for their actions, they have an opportunity to build connections and repair relationships.

    In doing so, my research finds this teacher challenged her state’s policy of silencing certain conversations. Other educators in this study found other ways to challenge the law, including one who invited community organizers into her classroom to support immigrant students in learning about their rights.

    Solidarity with LGBTQ students

    I led another study in 2023 and 2024 following legislation in Iowa and other states banning books and restricting classroom discussion about gender identity and sexual orientation. In it, I documented how one middle school counselor supported student activists who’d been retaliated against after leading a school walkout protesting the state’s anti-LGBTQ bill.

    The student activists had been taunted by their peers during the walkout. Some had Pride flags torn from their hands and stomped on. Money the students had been collecting to donate to an LGBTQ organization was stolen.

    “I wish we didn’t have to be quiet to be safe,” one of the students told the counselor when debriefing after the incident.

    The counselor arranged a meeting with the school principal to share how their peers had hurt them and how disconnected it made them feel from their school. When administrators did only minimal follow-up afterward, the counselor partnered with a community arts organization outside school to create LGBTQ-affirming spaces for students to make art together.

    In my assessment, her actions demonstrated that people can come together to care for one another and showed that LGBTQ young people matter. First as an educator and then as a community member, she delivered a meaningful message to the students through showing rather than telling.

    Sometimes art can deliver a message as clearly as words.
    VeeStudio89/E+ via Getty Images

    Resistance in the classroom

    These are just a few examples of the many creative ways I’ve documented that educators from Iowa, Michigan, Indiana and Florida and other states are trying to offset the impacts of recent restrictions on what teachers can say and what topics curricula can address.

    Educators in the U.S. have long found ways to resist laws they feel are unjust.

    In the 1940s, a Black teacher named Madeline Morgan fought alongside hundreds of other Black women teachers and parents for Chicago Public Schools to include Black history in its curriculum. The curriculum she created later became a model for districts across the U.S. to teach Black history.

    Septima Clark is another Black educator who fought racism through teaching. After she was fired from her teaching position in South Carolina due to her connections with the NAACP, she dedicated her life to teaching, organizing and training civil rights activists in defiance of laws that attempted to keep her out of the classroom.

    Collaborating with others, today’s educators are finding creative ways to ensure that their classrooms demonstrate justice, in actions if not in words.

    Riley Drake does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Educators find creative work-arounds to new laws that restrict what they can teach – https://theconversation.com/educators-find-creative-work-arounds-to-new-laws-that-restrict-what-they-can-teach-254033

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Preventive care may no longer be free in 2026 because of HIV stigma − unless the Trump administration successfully defends the ACA

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kristefer Stojanovski, Assistant Professor of Social, Behavioral and Population Sciences, Tulane University

    Americans may lose free coverage for cancer and blood pressure screenings, HIV prevention medication and other essential services. Halfpoint Images/Moment via Getty Images

    Many Americans were relieved when the Supreme Court left the Affordable Care Act in place following the law’s third major legal challenge in June 2021. This decision permitted widely supported policies to continue, such as ensuring health coverage regardless of preexisting conditions, allowing coverage for dependents up to age 26 on their parents’ plan, and removing annual and lifetime benefit limits.

    But millions are still at risk of losing access to lifesaving medicine and preventive services, following the Supreme Court’s decision to hear another case – Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. v. Braidwood – that has been working its way through lower courts for several years.

    Interestingly, the Trump administration has chosen to build upon the same argument the Biden administration used to defend the law.

    HIV stigma and preventive care

    The case the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear in April 2025 was filed by Braidwood Management, a Christian for-profit corporation owned by Steven Hotze, a Texas physician and Republican activist who has previously filed multiple lawsuits against the Affordable Care Act.

    Braidwood and its co-plaintiffs, a group of conservative Christian employers, objected to providing their 70 employees free access to preexposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, a medicine that prevents HIV infection. Hotze claimed that PrEP “facilitates and encourages homosexual behavior, intravenous drug use and sexual activity outside of marriage between one man and one woman,” without citing scientific evidence to support this. He and his plaintiffs argue that religious beliefs prevent them from providing PrEP under their insurance plans.

    The AIDS epidemic has been claiming lives for decades.

    Since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began in the 1980s, the disease has been politicized and stigmatized. Because it had predominantly affected men who had sex with men, AIDS was initially called gay-related immune deficiency, making people reluctant to be associated with the disease. It was only after a teenage boy from Indiana named Ryan White contracted HIV from a blood transfusion to treat his hemophilia, along with public statements from high-profile celebrities such as Arthur Ashe and Magic Johnson about their HIV status, that social attitudes began to shift with more education about AIDS.

    Yet, the same stigma is still at play in the Braidwood case and other recent policy decisions. In 2023, for example, Tennessee officials declined US$9 million in federal funding for HIV prevention. Those federal funds focused on groups most affected by HIV, including men who have sex with men, heterosexual Black women and people who inject drugs.

    Tennessee has since transitioned to using state dollars for HIV prevention, with a focus on first responders, pregnant women and sex trafficking survivors, groups that aren’t major at-risk populations. Researchers have found that this pivot will be a less efficient use of funds, costing $1 million per life-year saved versus $68,600 when focusing on the most at-risk populations.

    Preventive care and the Affordable Care Act

    The ongoing stigma and politicization of HIV/AIDS may not only hamper the national goal of ending the HIV epidemic but also lead to less or no preventive care for many people.

    Section 2713 of the Affordable Care Act requires insurers to offer full coverage of preventive services endorsed by one of three federal groups: the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices or the Health Resources and Services Administration. For example, the CARES Act, which allocated emergency funding in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, used this provision to ensure COVID-19 vaccines would be free for many Americans.

    For a preventive service to be covered by this provision, it requires an A or B rating from the Preventive Services Task Force, an independent body of experts trained in research methods, statistics and medicine that evaluates the rigor and quality of available scientific evidence, with support from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Vaccinations require a recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while women’s health services require approval from the Health Resources and Services Administration.

    PrEP received an A rating in June 2019, given its near 100% effectiveness. This paved the way for it to be covered at no cost for millions of people.

    PrEP is a key tool to helping the U.S. reach its goal of substantially reducing new HIV infections by 2030.
    AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

    Over 150 million Americans with private health insurance are able to benefit from free preventive care through the Affordable Care Act, with around 60% using at least one free preventive service each year.

    The consequences of losing these benefits would likely be an increase in the number of people getting and dying from preventable diseases. Raising the cost barrier for PrEP, for example, would disproportionately harm younger patients, people of color and those with lower incomes. It will also increase the cost of HIV prevention.

    As public health researchers who study sexual health and health insurance, we believe that prevention and health equity in the U.S. stand to take a big step backward, depending on the outcome of the Braidwood case.

    Future of preventive care lies with Supreme Court

    The most recent ruling in Braidwood – made by a lower court in 2023 – focuses on the appointments clause of the U.S. Constitution, which specifies that certain governmental positions require presidential appointment and Senate confirmation, while other positions have a lower bar.

    District Judge Reed O’Connor ruled that because the Preventive Services Task Force is an independent volunteer panel and not made up of officers of the U.S. government, it does not have appropriate authority to make decisions about what preventive care should be free, unlike the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices or Health Resources and Services Administration. O’Connor also ruled that being forced to cover PrEP violated the religious freedom of the plaintiffs.

    O’Connor invalidated all of the task force’s recommendations since the Affordable Care Act was passed in March 2010, returning the power to insurers and employers to decide which, if any, preventive care would remain free to their patients. A few of the recommendations affected by his ruling besides PrEP include blood pressure, diabetes, lung and skin cancer screenings, along with medications to lower cholesterol and reduce breast cancer risk.

    The Trump administration filed a brief continuing the argument from the Biden administration that because the Preventive Services Task Force is overseen by the secretary of Health and Human Services, there is appropriate oversight of the task force and its decision-making by a Senate-confirmed officer. Oral arguments in the case are scheduled for April 21, 2025.

    The Affordable Care Act has faced many legal challenges over the years.
    AP Photo/Alex Brandon

    Insurance contracts are typically defined by calendar year, so if the Supreme Court rules against the government, people would likely see changes starting in 2026. Importantly, these services will likely still need to be covered by health insurance plans as essential health benefits through a separate provision of the ACA − they just won’t be free anymore.

    There were concerns that the Supreme Court could take the ruling even further, endangering the free coverage of contraception and other preventive care that wasn’t covered by the lower court ruling. The Trump administration’s support for the case may make this less likely by leaning into the authority of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary to support or override recommendations made by the Preventive Services Task Force and the other bodies.

    However, this could also mean the secretary of HHS can more directly control the task force’s recommendations, potentially determining whether PrEP, contraception and other services are available at no cost to patients. Building more political authority into the process − as well as partisan differences in support for LGBTQ+ health − belies the original intent of having nonpartisan medical experts make decisions about preventive care coverage. Legal experts we have spoken to caution that this approach may be more about preserving powers for the executive branch rather than actually protecting preventive care.

    All of this is happening in the context of massive layoffs at HHS. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, which supports the Preventive Services Task Force, was not spared from the recent cuts. It is unclear how all of this will affect the task force’s ability to continue its work, separate from the outcome of Braidwood.

    One way or another, the end to this yearslong case is nearing, with important implications for America’s ability to reach its goals in fighting cancer, diabetes and the HIV epidemic.

    Portions of this article originally appeared in previous articles published on Sept. 7, 2021, Dec. 1, 2021, Sept. 13, 2022, and April 7, 2023.

    Paul Shafer receives research funding from the National Institutes of Health, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and Department of Veterans Affairs. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of these agencies or the United States government.

    Kristefer Stojanovski does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Preventive care may no longer be free in 2026 because of HIV stigma − unless the Trump administration successfully defends the ACA – https://theconversation.com/preventive-care-may-no-longer-be-free-in-2026-because-of-hiv-stigma-unless-the-trump-administration-successfully-defends-the-aca-250011

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: EarthOptics Releases 2025 Predictive Ag Report, Helping Farmers Quantify Yield Risks and Optimize Planning

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MINNEAPOLIS, April 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Farmers across the Midwest have a powerful, updated tool to help with crop planning this season. The third annual Predictive Ag Report, released today by EarthOptics, a leader in soil analysis and crop planning technologies.

    Free to download at EarthOptics.com, the 2025 Predictive Ag Report compiles thousands of data points from physical, chemical, and biological soil analyses to forecast key disease threats, nutrient deficiencies, and biofertility challenges expected in the upcoming corn, soybean, and cotton growing season.

    “Think of the Predictive Ag Report as a modern-day farmer’s almanac, but backed by hard data,” said Cam Norgate, co-founder and chief product officer at EarthOptics. “By using our proprietary database of in-season trials and analytics, we help farmers better understand the yield impact of disease pressure and nutrient interactions. Now they can take early action when deciding what seed varieties and traits to plant, how to protect that seed and its yield potential, and what to feed that plant in the soil for the greatest return on investment.”

    New for 2025

    • Expanded Yield Comparison Charts show how specific pathogens and nutrient levels are correlated with yield loss across thousands of acres.
    • Core Fertility Metrics include data on potassium and boron, highlighting a 50-plus bushel per acre yield difference in cornfields with boron deficiency.
    • Nutrient Insights highlight how underperforming soybean nitrogen fixation and potassium deficiency can cause significant soybean yield drag.
    • Biofertility & Phosphorus Solubilization: Many farmers have fields with phosphorus locked up and unavailable for their crops to use. New data reveals how microbes are breaking it free.
    • Pathogen Focus: Detailed analysis of fusarium, tar spot, rootworm, northern corn leaf blight (NCLB), and emerging threats like brown stem rot in soybeans.

    Key Findings from This Year’s Report

    One of the most surprising findings is the continued prevalence and impact of fusarium (Fusarium verticillioides), a soilborne disease many growers thought was under control. “Our trials show fields with high fusarium risk are losing up to 50 bushels per acre,” said Norgate. “This is especially true in eastern Iowa and southern Nebraska, where heavy corn-on-corn rotations are typical.”

    According to the report, corn rootworm pressure is expected to be heaviest in eastern Iowa, northeastern Illinois, southeastern Michigan, and Minnesota, affecting 52% of the sampled fields. Pressure is higher in southwest Minnesota and lower through Indiana than last year.

    Northern corn leaf blight (Exserohilum turcicum) has been found in 61% of the fields sampled and can devastate corn yields by up to 20 bushels per acre. The report notes the highest risk levels will be in central and west central Minnesota, along with southwest Michigan. With aggressive management, agronomists say farmers may be able to boost yields by 15 to 32 bushels per acre.

    Soybean cyst nematode pressure risk for 2025 appears similar to last year, with elevated pressure in central Illinois and Kansas.

    Case Studies Add Perspective

    The 2025 report includes case studies from farmers and agronomists who’ve seen significant results through targeted management:

    • Tom Stanton – Leigh, Neb. on reducing disease pressure with proactive in-furrow crop protection.
    • Jake Lamplot – Pender, Neb. on managing white mold in soybeans.

    “We not only report on risks,” said Norgate. “We show farmers what targeted management looks like in the field and how those practices can translate to bushels gained for the farmer.”

    Download the Report

    The 2025 Predictive Ag Report is available at no cost at EarthOptics.com. Farmers, agronomists and ag retailers can access regional risk profiles, nutrient and pathogen maps, and additional information to start planning smarter for the upcoming growing season.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How mine water could warm up the UK’s forgotten coal towns

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jingyi Li, Research Associate, Geothermal Energy and Climate Change, University of Manchester

    Historic coal mining in north-east England. Jingyi Li, CC BY-NC-ND

    The Ukraine war sent shockwaves through global energy markets, driving up prices and leaving households across the UK struggling with soaring energy bills. But beneath the ground, in disused coal mines, lies a hidden resource – warm water. This underused geothermal source could be transformed into affordable, low-carbon heating for homes and businesses, especially in regions hardest hit economically by the decline of coal.

    Across the UK, around 25% of the population lives above disused coal mines. This underground warmth could be harnessed by pumping naturally warm water to the surface and using heat pumps to raise its temperature for heating. This could lower energy bills and cut emissions by about the same as removing 44,000 cars from the roads annually, according to our calculations. Despite this promise, mine-water heating remains largely underutilised across the UK, as deployment has lagged far behind, leaving most of the resource untapped.

    Although flagship projects like the one in Gateshead, operational since 2023, demonstrate the feasibility of mine-water heating in the UK, they remain the exception. Deployment has been especially slow even in high-potential areas like south Wales. Meanwhile, the mine-water heating scheme at Seaham Garden Village, near Sunderland, has only recently kicked off construction after a prolonged delay since its initial planning in 2019.

    Our new research shows that despite growing interest, projects across the UK continue to be stalled by funding gaps, regulatory hurdles and a shortage of skilled workers. Without immediate action, these former coal-mining communities are at risk of falling further behind as the country moves towards cleaner energy for net zero, widening the gap between wealthier and disadvantaged regions.

    The solution is simple but not easy: sufficient and accessible funding schemes especially for those undeserved communities, streamlined regulations and support from fossil fuel companies, whose engineering expertise can be applied to mine water heating. Technology could transform a forgotten coal legacy into a sustainable future for communities in need.

    Coal production history v today’s mining village.
    Jingyi Li, CC BY-NC-ND

    The UK has a vast network of abandoned coal mines, especially in north-east England, which once produced 14% of the nation’s coal. However, around a quarter of the population in this region lives below the poverty line today.

    Many households in the north east experience fuel poverty at rates higher than the national average, with energy bills that are often higher than in most other parts of England. Mine-water heating could help address this burden, but to make a meaningful difference, both the number and scale of schemes must be increased nationwide.

    Gateshead mine water heat scheme.
    Jingyi Li, CC BY-NC-ND

    However, current government funding schemes, like the heat networks delivery unit, only cover about 33% of capital costs according to our interviewee, leaving local authorities and developers to find the rest. This competitive model disadvantages poorer areas that need the most support. Without solid financial backing, many projects will never get off the ground.

    The Coal Authority has played a key role in piloting early mine water schemes, but industry feedback points to a need for faster, more transparent deployment pathways. Developers face regulatory uncertainty in accessing mine-water heat from the Coal Authority, citing delays and procedural complexity as barriers to investment.

    Ambiguities in the regulatory framework for accessing this form of geothermal heat create delays and add to the financial burden for developers. The expertise required, such as drilling and pipework, is common in the UK’s longstanding oil and gas industry, but our research found that the current small-to-medium scale and uncertain future of mine water heating sector make it difficult to attract these skilled workers.

    Learning from the past

    Often the simplest and most reliable designs are the most effective. William Reid Clanny, a 19th-century inventor, made mine-safety lamps more sophisticated but ultimately delicate and impractical – his design required manual air pumping, used fragile glass that broke easily underground, and was too heavy for regular use. The same principle applies to mine-water heating. Straightforward, direct policies can cut through red tape to get projects up and running without unnecessary bureaucratic complications.

    Simple safety lamps like these were used by UK miners.
    Image Seeker/Shutterstock

    For mine-water heating to work on a larger scale, funding must be easier to access, especially for regions hardest hit by the decline of coal. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero could allocate funds specifically for these areas, giving them a fair chance to develop projects without having to compete with wealthier regions.

    New rules should clearly set a timeline for gaining the permission to access and exploit the underground heat. This would give developers confidence and attract investment. The US and New Zealand show how clear rules can boost interest in renewables.

    To overcome the skills shortage, the Indian government introduced a corporate social responsibility law whereby companies are required to invest a portion of their profits into local projects. Applying this approach in the UK could encourage fossil fuel companies to fund training and support local green initiatives. It could also provide opportunities for laid-off workers unable to find similar high-paying jobs abroad and training for local workers in former mining communities.

    Mine water isn’t just a low-carbon heating source, it’s a chance to deliver justice to communities long left behind. But achieving this will require decisive action from policymakers. Unlocking this hidden resource can help power the UK’s green transition.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Cathy Hollis receives funding from the Natural Environment Research Council. She is affiliated with and President of the International Association of Sedimentology, a not-for-profit, non-political scientific society.

    Alejandro Gallego Schmid and Jingyi Li do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. How mine water could warm up the UK’s forgotten coal towns – https://theconversation.com/how-mine-water-could-warm-up-the-uks-forgotten-coal-towns-241834

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Birth of India: ‘biggest experiment’ with democracy was a huge gamble. Happily the people have made it work – here’s how

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tripurdaman Singh, British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London

    The birth of Indian democracy is the stuff of legend. It was a moment of such staggering idealism and exuberance, a leap of faith so audacious, that the famous jurist and scholar Kenneth Wheare termed it “the biggest liberal experiment in democratic government” that the world had seen.

    At its centre lay the country’s new constitution. That document, with its fabled chapter of fundamental rights, transformed in one stroke what had been the world’s largest colony into the world’s largest democracy.

    Think about the origins of this constitution. It promised freedom to a fifth of humanity. It embodied the enfranchisement of the world’s largest electorate and the conversion of colonial subjects into rights-bearing citizens.

    This very exuberance has often been used to direct attention to its functional shortcomings. But today, 75 years on with Narendra Modi at the helm and the country classified in 2024 as an “electoral autocracy” by the V-Vdem (Varieties of Democracy) institute, it has also become a powerful tool to highlight Indian democracy’s contemporary problems.

    India’s notoriously fractured opposition was able to assemble a coalition to take on Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2024 general election. It did so by appealing to the liberal vision underpinning the constitution. But have things really changed so much since the constitution’s adoption in 1950?



    Read more:
    Moments of hope: how Indians keep pushing back against the hollowing out of democracy

    Democracy in decline? The risk and rise of authoritarianism

    Democracy is under pressure around the world in 2025. But is this part of a larger historical cycle or does it signal a deeper, more fundamental shift? Join us for a free event in central London on May 8 to discuss these important questions. Come for a panel discussion and stay for food, drinks and conversation.
    Get tickets here

    Unlike its American counterpart, India’s constitution is not animated by the impulse to limit political power and secure public freedom. It is dominated by the idea of enabling political power for the aim of social and economic reform.

    It aimed to create a state explicitly committed to achieving what India founders believed to be social, economic and political justice. As the country’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru put it, they were freeing India “through a new constitution to feed the starving people and clothe the naked masses”.

    This is partly explained by the circumstances of independent India’s birth. This was marked by violence, the upheaval of partition and a fear of balkanisation if the country became fragmented by religious, ethnic and linguistic minorities.

    Added to this were the pressures of establishing political sovereignty. And this upheaval crashed against an uneducated and destitute population with no experience of democracy and deep-seated social divisions.

    But the larger truth is that, for independent India’s leaders, civil liberties were always eclipsed by what they saw as the more important concerns of destitution and social discrimination. They felt the urgency to secure the new state through which these concerns were to be addressed.

    This required substantial restrictions of civic freedoms and the licensing of coercive state power. From the outset, the constitution enshrined centralisation and executive supremacy.

    It retained the “bureaucratic authoritarianism” of its British colonial predecessor, by placing authority in the hands of appointed bureaucrats rather than elected officials.

    It also gave the centre power over the states, enabling it to create and dismember provinces at will, and it gave the executive power over the legislature. The government can dictate when parliament is summoned or prorogued and can rule by executive decree in its absence.

    It also gave the state power over the citizen. Almost every fundamental right guaranteed in part III of the constitution is qualified on nebulous grounds such as public order, the security of the state or social harmony.

    Soaring rhetoric about freedom masked the reality that the constitution concentrated power to an unprecedented degree and enabled a vast armoury of coercive laws. As Somnath Lahiri, member of the constituent assembly for Bengal and the leader of the Communist Party of India remarked sarcastically in a debate in April 1947, the provisions for fundamental rights seemed to have “been framed from the point of view of a police constable”.

    The Preventive Detention Act, the first piece of legislation passed in the new democratic republic in February 1950, allowed the government to preemptively jail anyone without a trial and without recourse to judicial review.

    It’s ample testament to the fact that the constitution was never intended as a bulwark in the service of liberal individualism – whatever the framers might have said at the time.

    Diluting liberalism

    Since the constitution’s adoption there have been more than 106 amendments and additions. These have further diluted the constitution’s liberal intentions and eroded even the limited system of checks and balances.

    The tenth schedule – or “anti-defection law” – added in 1985 is one egregious example. It forces individual legislators to vote according to party diktats on pain of disqualification.

    This has cemented the grip of party bosses on legislative parties, disempowered individual legislators and degraded parliamentary oversight. Since the threat of backbench rebellions has become negligible, majoritarianism has become entrenched.

    Concentration of power and its use by the executive are, by design, baked into India’s constitutional order and institutional structure, which has always been inhospitable terrain for any rights and freedoms beyond voting and elections. Anti-democratic tendencies operate through constitutional means, hindering the establishment of the principles of legality and legislative primacy.

    Given this situation, it is hardly surprising that almost all governments in India have used the powers they have been granted for these very purposes.

    Nehru’s rule saw a first amendment which drastically curtailed freedom of speech. It also introduced a special schedule in the constitution to protect unconstitutional legislation from judicial review, and draconian legislation such as the laws to enable preventive detention.

    Nehru’s daughter Indira Gandhi suspended the constitution for 21 months from 1975 to 1977 in a state of emergency, when her leadership came under threat. Her government forcibly sterilised thousands as part of a botched population control programme. Yet everything was duly legal and constitutional.

    Modi’s growing authoritarianism, his attacks on opposition media and those who oppose him in the judiciary, then, are less a departure from the norm than a confirmation of it. The real story lies elsewhere.

    It is not the constitution or the legislature that is the most important issue here. It has actually been the disinclination of India’s voters to deliver parliamentary majorities too often that has constituted the major check on executive power.

    For 25 years between 1989 and 2014, voters delivered split mandates and coalition governments, which diluted and dispersed political power. Unsurprisingly, this caused the country’s democracy indices to rise. These actually peaked in the 2000s when the ruling coalitions comprised upwards of a dozen parties. But the underlying problems remained the same.

    When the voters, contrary to all expectations, elected yet another coalition to office in 2024, they understood what the country’s liberal intelligentsia has consistently failed to grasp. It is not the celebrated constitution, but the Indian voters themselves that have, over the years, doggedly held authoritarianism at bay. Only time will tell how long they will continue to do this.

    Tripurdaman Singh receives funding from the British Academy and from Fonds National Suisse. He is currently affiliated to the Geneva Graduate Institute, where I am an Ambizione Fellow at the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy.

    – ref. Birth of India: ‘biggest experiment’ with democracy was a huge gamble. Happily the people have made it work – here’s how – https://theconversation.com/birth-of-india-biggest-experiment-with-democracy-was-a-huge-gamble-happily-the-people-have-made-it-work-heres-how-252564

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Does Russia have military interest in Indonesia? Here’s what we know – and why Australia would be concerned

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Sussex, Associate Professor (Adj), Griffith Asia Institute; and Fellow, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University

    A news report that Russia has sought to base long-range aircraft in Indonesia caught Australia’s political leaders by surprise during an already hectic election campaign.

    The military publication Janes reported on Tuesday that Russia had requested permission for its aircraft to be based at the Manuhua Air Force Base in Indonesia’s easternmost province of Papua.

    The base is just 1,300 kilometres away from Darwin.

    Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles issued a statement denying the report, saying his Indonesian counterpart assured him there would be no Russian planes based in Indonesia. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was seeking “further clarification” with Jakarta about the Janes report.

    Janes is a respected outlet when it comes to defence news, so it’s likely the Russians did float the idea, even if it might have been done at lower levels.

    Why would Russia be cosying up to Indonesia?

    Since Prabowo Subianto came to power as Indonesia’s new president last October, Moscow and Jakarta have sought to deepen their military ties. In fact, the two countries conducted their first-ever joint naval exercises a month after Prabowo took office.

    But this isn’t a totally new strategy by Moscow, which has tried on numerous occasions to pivot to Asia to give itself more economic heft and leverage in the region.

    The Kremlin is also cognisant that Europe won’t be a friend for the foreseeable future. As such, it’s even more pressing for Russia to establish itself as a player in the Indo-Pacific region – and with that comes a miltary and security presence.

    About ten years ago, for instance, the Russian regime secured an agreement with Vietnam to allow its air force to refuel their aircraft at a former US base in the country. Russia also had interest in reestablishing a submarine base in Vietnam and has sold submarines to the country.

    In addition, Moscow has sought to sell defence technology and fighter jets to Indonesia for some time, seeing it as a potentially lucrative market for Russian arms. Beyond defence, the bilateral relationship has also focused on energy and education.

    These attempts to deepen Moscow-Jakarta ties form part of a targeted Russian campaign to boost its relationships with a number of Southeast Asian nations.

    What about the timing?

    If the Janes report is accurate, the timing of the purported approach from Russia would be interesting. The report said it came after a meeting between Sergei Shoigu (recently demoted from Russia’s defence minister to an inferior role as secretary of the Russian Security Council) and Indonesia’s defence minister in February of this year.

    At the time, the United States was distracted by the first chaotic weeks of US President Donald Trump’s second term in office.

    So, if Russia did make such a request, it would be highly opportunistic, especially given Jakarta has been keen to deepen ties with Moscow.

    It is also noteworthy that Indonesia recently joined the BRICS, the group of rapidly emerging economies that also includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and Russia, among others.



    Read more:
    Indonesia’s BRICS agenda: 2 reasons Prabowo’s foreign policy contrasts with Jokowi’s

    How concerned should Australia be?

    Even though both Canberra and Jakarta dismissed the report, there was good reason for Australia to be concerned.

    Russia’s long-range aviation assets, notably the venerable Tu-95, which is used for reconnaissance as well as strategic bombing, can easily travel over 10,000 kilometres.

    From a base in Indonesia, this would give the Russian air force the ability to conduct ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaisance) missions during Australian military exercises, gather data on military installations in the Northern Territory (which also host US Marines), and even conduct surveillance on US military activities in Guam.

    Equally, given the closeness of ties between Beijing and Moscow, any Russian intelligence that was gathered could be shared with China.

    The reported Russian military interest in Indonesia will also have irritated Australian foreign policy makers, especially since Canberra has invested significant diplomatic capital in boosting Australia-Indonesia ties.

    Fortunately, the closeness of the relationship, which includes recently upgraded defence ties, will also have allowed for some plain speaking from Australian interlocutors.

    They will doubtless have pointed out that agreeing to any such Kremlin request would cast significant doubt on Indonesian claims about non-alignment. It would also be viewed unfavourably by other regional actors, who have no interest in seeing an enhanced Russian military presence in the region.

    The assurance from Jakarta that no Russian planes would be based in Indonesia is therefore a positive development.

    But ultimately the reported Russian request is another example of the messy and fragmented world we now live in.

    It highlights the reality that Australia will sometimes have to do business with partners who have friends we don’t like. Under those conditions, being firm on issues that threaten our national interests – like the prospective basing of military assets by a hostile power close to our shores – becomes all the more important.

    Matthew Sussex has received funding from the Australian Research Council, the Atlantic Council, the Fulbright Foundation, the Carnegie Foundation, the Lowy Institute and various Australian government departments and agencies.

    – ref. Does Russia have military interest in Indonesia? Here’s what we know – and why Australia would be concerned – https://theconversation.com/does-russia-have-military-interest-in-indonesia-heres-what-we-know-and-why-australia-would-be-concerned-254601

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan to attend 15th BRICS Agriculture Ministers Meeting at Brasilia, Brazil

    Source: Government of India

    Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan to attend 15th BRICS Agriculture Ministers Meeting at Brasilia, Brazil

    Shir Chouhan to hold bilateral meetings with Brazil Minister of Agriculture & Livestock Mr Carlos Henrique Baqueta Fávaro, Minister of Agrarian Development and Family Farming Mr Luiz Paulo Teixeira,

    Theme of 15th BRICS Agricultural Ministerial Meeting is “Promoting Inclusive and Sustainable Agriculture through Cooperation, Innovation, and Equitable Trade among BRICS Countries”

    Posted On: 15 APR 2025 10:54AM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, is leading the Indian delegation to the 15th BRICS Agriculture Ministers’ Meeting (AMM), scheduled to be held on 17th April, 2025 in Brasilia, Brazil. The theme of 15th BRICS AMM is “Promoting Inclusive and Sustainable Agriculture through Cooperation, Innovation, and Equitable Trade among BRICS Countries”. Agriculture Ministers and senior officials from BRICS member countries, including Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran are expected to attend the Meeting.

    During the visit, Shri Chouhan will hold bilateral meetings with key Brazilian counterparts, including Mr. Carlos Henrique Baqueta Fávaro, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, and Mr. Luiz Paulo Teixeira, Minister of Agrarian Development and Family Farming (MDA). These meetings will focus on enhancing collaboration between India and Brazil in various areas of agriculture, agri-technology, rural development, and food security.

    The Minister will interact with leaders of major Brazilian agribusiness companies and representatives of the Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries in São Paulo, exploring avenues for partnership and investment in the agriculture value chain. As part of his visit, the Minister will also participate in a tree plantation drive at the Embassy of India in Brasilia, under the noble initiative “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam”, aimed at raising environmental consciousness and honouring motherhood. In addition, the Minister will interact with the vibrant Indian diaspora in São Paulo, acknowledging their role as cultural ambassadors and contributors to bilateral ties. This visit reaffirms India’s commitment to deepen cooperation with BRICS nations and to advance South-South cooperation in agricultural innovation, resilience, and sustainability.

    ***

    PSF/KSR/AR

    (Release ID: 2121725) Visitor Counter : 83

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Health Minister Shri JP Nadda presides over 5th Convocation Ceremony of AIIMS Rishikesh

    Source: Government of India

    Union Health Minister Shri JP Nadda presides over 5th Convocation Ceremony of AIIMS Rishikesh

    Convocation ceremony is a special occasion which marks recognition for the achievements made by students: Shri JP Nadda

    “The government is focused on providing healthcare which is not only curative but also preventive, palliative and rehabilitative”

    “1.75 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are operational across the country. In the last 10 years, medical colleges have seen an increase of 101%. There has been a 130% increase in MBBS seats while PG seats have seen an increase of 138% in the last 10 years”

    Inaugurates several healthcare facilities including Integrated Medicine in the Ayush Department, a PET scan machine in the Nuclear Medicine Department, PACS facility in the Radiology Department and a Centre for Advanced Pediatrics in Pediatric Care

    AIIMS Rishikesh is providing advanced medical treatment like robotic surgery, neuro surgery and radiation therapy to patients: Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami

    434 Students Awarded Degrees during the convocation

    Posted On: 15 APR 2025 2:29PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Shri Jagat Prakash Nadda presided over the fifth convocation ceremony of AIIMS Rishikesh, today. He was joined by Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, Chief Minister, Uttarakhand; Shri Dhan Singh Rawat, Health and Education Minister, Uttarakhand; Members of Lok Sabha, Shri Ajay Bhatt, Shri Ajay Tamta and Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat; and Smt. Ritu Khanduri Bhushan, Speaker of Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly.

    Addressing the gathering, Shri JP Nadda stated that “convocation ceremony is a special occasion which marks recognition for the achievements made by students.” He said providing affordable and quality healthcare to every poor person in the country is a priority of the central government.

    Shri JP Nadda highlighted the achievements of AIIMS institutes across the country in medical education and services. He stated that “till the advent of this century, India only had on AIIMS in the country. Today, there are 22 AIIMS operating in the country.” He stated that AIIMS Rishikesh has carved a unique identity among healthcare institutes due to its superior services.

    He reiterated the central government’s commitment to providing world-class healthcare for the citizenry. “The government is focused on providing healthcare which is not only curative but also preventive, palliative and rehabilitative”, he stated.

    Highlighting the achievements of the Union Government in the health sector, Shri Nadda stated, “today, 1.75 lakh Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are operational across the country providing a range of services pertaining to healthcare and wellness. In the last 10 years, there has been a 101% increase in medical colleges, totaling 780 across the country. There has been a 130% increase in MBBS seats while PG seats have seen an increase of 138% in the last 10 years”. “Similarly, to cater to the paramedics, 157 nursing colleges are also being established, to be co-located with the medical colleges”, he further stated.

    The Union Health Minister appreciated AIIM Rishikesh for effectively utilizing the helicopter and drone services by rescuing 309 critical patients using the services. He also congratulated AIIMS Rishikesh for being one of the best institutes in the country for using digital services like telemedicine (eSanjeevani) to serve the remote and underserved areas of the state.

    Shri Nadda concluded his address by encouraging students to approach their work with compassion, integrity, and dedication. Emphasizing that the government spends between Rs. 30-35 lakh for every MBBS student, he urged the new doctors to shoulder more responsibilities as they embark on their professional careers.

    During the event, Shri Nadda inaugurated several healthcare facilities to enhance the institute’s medical services, including Integrated Medicine in the Ayush Department, a PET scan machine in the Nuclear Medicine Department, PACS facility in the Radiology Department, and a Centre for Advanced Pediatrics in Pediatric Care.

    During the ceremony, Shri Nadda awarded gold medals and degrees to 10 medical students from MBBS, DM, MSc Nursing, BSc Nursing, and BSc Allied Health Sciences programs. A total of 434 students received degrees during the convocation including 98 MBBS students, 95 BSc (Hons) Nursing students, 54 BSc Allied Health Sciences students, 109 MD/MS/MDS students, 17 MSc Nursing students, 1 MSc Medical Allied student, 12 Master of Public Health students, 40 DM/MCh students, and 8 PhD students.

    Speaking on the occasion, Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami said that India’s healthcare sector has seen a significant uplift in the last decade with the launch of initiatives like Ayushman Bharat and establishment of new AIIMS and medical colleges.

    He stated that AIIMS Rishikesh is providing quality and affordable healthcare services and facilities to people from across the state. He stated that the institute is providing advanced medical treatment like robotic surgery, neuro surgery and radiation therapy to patients. He also highlighted the inauguration of Heli-ambulance services in AIIMS Rishikesh.

    Shri Dhami also highlighted that today more than 5,000 Gram Panchayats in Uttarakhand are TB free. He stated the government is working to set up a medical college in every district of the state and expand the network of Jan Aushadi Kendras in the state.

    The event was also attended by AIIMS Rishikesh President, Prof. Samiran Nandy; Executive Director, Prof. Meenu Singh; Dean Academics, Prof. Jaya Chaturvedi; Medical Superintendent, Prof. B. Satya Shri; Deputy Director (Administration), Col. Rajiv Sen Roy; Dean Examinations, Prof. Prashant Patil; Financial Advisor, Lt. Col. S. Siddharth; Organizing Committee Chairperson, Prof. Latika Mohan; heads of various departments, faculty members, officers, and medical and nursing students.

    *****

    MV

    HFW/ HFM AIIMS Rishikesh Convocation/15 April 2025/1

    (Release ID: 2121816) Visitor Counter : 22

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Volume and Price Statistics of External Merchandise Trade in February 2025

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Volume and Price Statistics of External Merchandise Trade in February 2025 
         Due to the difference in timing of the Chinese New Year holidays, it is more appropriate to analyse the trade figures for January and February taken together in making year-on-year comparison.
     
         Comparing the first two months of 2025 with the same period in 2024, the volume of Hong Kong’s total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 4.6% and 3.6% respectively.
     
         In February 2025, the volume of Hong Kong’s total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 13.8% and 9.9% respectively over February 2024.
     
         Comparing the three-month period ending February 2025 with the preceding three months on a seasonally adjusted basis, the volume of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 6.5% and 1.8% respectively.
     
         Changes in volume of external merchandise trade are derived from changes in external merchandise trade value with the effect of price changes discounted.
     
         As regards price changes in the first two months of 2025 over the same period in 2024, the prices of total exports of goods and imports of goods both increased by 1.8%.
     
         Comparing February 2025 with February 2024, the prices of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 1.5% and 1.6% respectively.
     
         Price changes in external merchandise trade are reflected by changes in unit value indices of external merchandise trade, which are compiled based on average unit values or, for certain commodities, specific price data.
     
         The terms of trade index is derived from the ratio of price index of total exports of goods to that of imports of goods.  Compared with the same periods in 2024, the index decreased by 0.2% in February 2025 and 0.1% in the first two months of 2025.
     
         Changes in the unit value and volume of total exports of goods by main destination are shown in Table 1.
     
         Comparing February 2025 with February 2024, increases were recorded for the total export volume to Vietnam (112.0%), Taiwan (63.4%) and the mainland of China (the Mainland) (28.7%). On the other hand, the total export volume to the USA (-19.6%) and India (-27.2%) decreased.
     
         Over the same period of comparison, the total export prices to Taiwan (5.7%), the USA (1.5%), Vietnam (1.0%) and the Mainland (0.8%) increased. On the other hand, the total export prices to India decreased by 2.5%.
     
         Changes in the unit value and volume of imports of goods by main supplier are shown in Table 2.
     
         Comparing February 2025 with February 2024, increases were recorded for the import volume from Taiwan (38.1%), the Mainland (19.3%) and Singapore (1.3%). On the other hand, the import volume from Japan (-3.5%) and Korea (-37.3%) decreased.
     
         Over the same period of comparison, the import prices from Korea (9.6%), Singapore (2.6%), Taiwan (2.2%) and Japan (0.2%) increased. On the other hand, the import prices from the Mainland decreased by 0.3%.
     
    Further information
     
         Details of the above statistics are published in the February 2025 issue of “Hong Kong Merchandise Trade Index Numbers”. Users can browse and download the report at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1020006&scode=230 
         Enquiries on merchandise trade indices may be directed to the Trade Analysis Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4918).
    Issued at HKT 16:30

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Maharashtra Governor meets Prime Minister

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 15 APR 2025 1:55PM by PIB Delhi

    The Governor of Maharashtra, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan met the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi in New Delhi today.

    The Prime Minister’s Office handle posted on X:

    “Governor of Maharashtra, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan met PM @narendramodi.

    @CPRGuv”

     

     

    ***

    MJPS/SR

    (Release ID: 2121798) Visitor Counter : 55

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: IAS OFFICERS OF THE 2023 BATCH CALL ON THE PRESIDENT

    Source: Government of India

    IAS OFFICERS OF THE 2023 BATCH CALL ON THE PRESIDENT

    THE DEVELOPMENT AND PUBLIC WELFARE WORK DONE BY YOU AT THE LOCAL AND STATE LEVEL WOULD HELP IN ACHIEVING THE NATIONAL GOALS: PRESIDENT MURMU TO IAS OFFICERS

    Posted On: 15 APR 2025 1:49PM by PIB Delhi

    A group of IAS officers from the 2023 batch, currently serving as Assistant Secretaries in various Union Ministries and Departments, called on the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre today (April 15, 2025). 

    Addressing the IAS officers, the President said that they had become IAS officers through extraordinary determination and hard work. This has brought about a transformative change in their personal lives. Now with even more determination and dedication, they have the opportunity to bring about transformative changes in the lives of countless people. Their area of service and authority are so vast that they can make the lives of many fellow citizens better in their first posting itself. She advised them to make special efforts for the upliftment of the underprivileged. She also advised them to visit the places of posting during their career journey after some time and see the far-reaching results of their work.

     The President said that officers should keep in mind the rights and duties of civil servants. The duties of a public servant are their responsibilities and their rights are the means to fulfill those duties. 

    The President told officers that their real career story would be created by their work, not by increasing the number of followers on social media. Their real social net worth would be determined by their good work. 

    The President said that every public servant should work with honesty of purpose. We all face the challenges of environmental pollution and climate change. Pollution of immorality and erosion in values are also very serious challenges. There should be no need to say anything else about being devoted and honest. The people who move ahead following life values of honesty, truth, and simplicity are happier. Honesty is the most desirable policy in public service. It is expected from the public servant that they would present examples of integrity and sensitivity in every sphere of life. 

    The President said that in the digital era, people’s aspirations are rising. They are becoming aware of the accountability of administrators. She advised officers to develop closeness with their fellow citizens and increase their participation in local efforts. She also advised them to resolve public interest issues raised by people’s representatives. She said that the development and public welfare work done by them at the local and state level would help in achieving national goals.

    Please click here to see the President’s Speech – 

     

    ***

    MJPS/SR

    (Release ID: 2121796) Visitor Counter : 92

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Automotive Industry: Powering India’s Participation in Global Value Chains (GVCs)

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 15 APR 2025 3:13PM by PIB Delhi

     

    Key Takeaways

     

    • India contributes 7.1% to global GDP through its automotive sector and ranks 4th in global vehicle production.
    • Despite a strong manufacturing base, India holds only 3% share in global traded auto components, highlighting a vast scope for expansion.
    • The Vision 2030 roadmap aims to scale production to $145bn, exports to $60bn, and generate 2–2.5 million jobs.
    • Government schemes like FAME, PM E-Drive, and PLI have mobilized ₹66,000+ crore to support EVs and localization.
    • With targeted reforms and GVC integration, India can raise its global component trade share from 3% to 8% by 2030.

     

     

    On 11th April 2024, NITI Aayog released a report titled ‘Automotive Industry: Powering India’s Participation in Global Value Chains’, launched by Vice Chairman Shri Suman Bery, senior members, and the CEO of NITI Aayog. The report outlines India’s Global Value Chain (GVC) potential in the automotive sector and highlights strategic pathways for global leadership.

    India’s automotive industry is a cornerstone of the nation’s manufacturing and economic growth, contributing 7.1% to India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 49% to manufacturing GDP. As the fourth-largest automobile producer globally, India possesses the scale and strategic depth to emerge as a global leader in the automotive value chain. The sector spans a vast ecosystem, from vehicle assembly and auto component manufacturing to deep interlinkages with critical industries such as steel, electronics, rubber, IT, and logistics. In recent years, India has seen exponential growth in vehicle production, with over 28 million units manufactured in 2023–24 alone. The industry’s contribution goes beyond industrial output, and it supports millions of direct and indirect jobs, spurs innovation, and is central to India’s green mobility transition, industrial ambitions, and trade strategy.

    The global automotive component market was valued at $2 trillion in 2022, with $700 billion traded across borders. Despite India’s strong manufacturing base, its share in the globally traded auto component market remains at just 3% (~$20 billion), highlighting a vast scope for expansion. India’s trade ratio in auto components is near-neutral (~0.99), with exports and imports nearly balancing each other. This also underlines the domestic sector’s limited penetration in high-value, high-precision segments such as engine and engine components, along with drive transmission and steering systems, where India holds just 2–4% of the global trade share. Bridging this gap requires structural reforms, strategic investments, and a coordinated industrial policy approach. With the right enabling conditions, India can triple exports to $60 billion, generate a $25 billion trade surplus, and create over 2-2.5 million direct jobs by 2030, propelling it toward becoming a globally competitive, innovation-driven manufacturing hub.

    Strategic Importance of the Automotive Sector

     

    • Contributes 7.1% to India’s GDP and 49% to manufacturing GDP.
    • Employs millions and supports critical linkages across steel, electronics, and IT sectors.
    • India’s current share in globally traded auto components is approximately 3% or 20 billion.

                                            India’s Vision for Automotive Industry

     

    This vision aligns with India’s aspirations to become a global manufacturing hub under the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.

    Global Trends Shaping the Sector

     

    1. Rise of Electric Vehicles (EVs):

    • EVs are reshaping manufacturing priorities, with China producing over 8 million EVs in 2023.
    • The EU and the US are accelerating EV adoption through regulatory mandates and subsidies.
    • EVs are increasing the demand for batteries, semiconductors, and advanced materials.

     

    2. Digital and Advanced Manufacturing:

    • Integration of AI, robotics, digital twins, Internet of Things (IoT), and 3D printing is driving efficiency.
    • Many global automakers are investing heavily in creating smart factories, where AI, IoT, and robotics are integrated into every aspect of the production process. Countries like Germany and South Korea are leading in smart factory adoption.

     

    3. Sustainability and Circular Economy:

    • Automakers are moving toward carbon neutrality, material recycling, and energy efficiency.
    • Examples: BMW’s EV battery recycling and Volkswagen’s renewable energy sourcing.

     

    4. Sectoral Interdependence:

    • Auto industry is a major consumer of steel, electronics, rubber, glass, textiles, and IT services.
    • Increasing reliance on semiconductors and AI-driven software for innovative mobility solutions.

    Major Government Interventions

     

    1. Make in India: Launched in 2014, the Make in India initiative has provided a significant boost to the country’s manufacturing sector, particularly in automobiles. This policy promotes domestic manufacturing, reduces reliance on imports, and encourages foreign direct investment.

    2.Atmanirbhar Bharat: The Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative aims to foster self-sufficiency in manufacturing and reduce the country’s dependence on foreign components. In the automotive sector, this has resulted in increased domestic production of critical components such as engines, transmissions, and EV batteries. The government has also extended support to start-ups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the automotive space, helping them integrate into global supply chains.

    3.FAME India Scheme (Phases I & II): The Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME) scheme has been pivotal in promoting clean mobility in India. Phase II, with an outlay of ₹11,500 crore, focuses on demand incentives for electric two-wheelers, three-wheelers, buses, and the development of public charging infrastructure. It also aims to promote technology platforms for EVs and create a robust domestic EV ecosystem.

    4. PM E-Drive Scheme (2024–26): Launched to accelerate EV adoption and reduce urban pollution, this scheme has a budget of ₹10,900 crore and targets large-scale procurement of electric vehicles:

    • 24.79 lakh electric two-wheelers
    • 3.2 lakh electric three-wheelers
    • Procurement of 14,028 electric buses by State Transport Undertakings (STUs)/public transport agencies
    • ₹2,000 crore earmarked for national-level charging infrastructure expansion.

     

    5. Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Auto and ACC Batteries: With a total allocation of ₹44,038 crore (PLI scheme- INR 25,938 crore, PLI scheme for ACC Battery Storage- INR 18,100 crores), this flagship initiative aims to boost the domestic manufacturing of advanced automotive technologies, including EVs, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and advanced battery storage solutions. It provides financial incentives to OEMs and component manufacturers for investing in cutting-edge technologies, achieving economies of scale, and integrating into global supply chains. The scheme also prioritises domestic value addition, export readiness, and job creation through technology-driven innovation.

     

     

    Key Challenges Hindering the Global Value Chain’s Integration

     

    • 10% cost disadvantage for India versus China due to:
      • Higher raw material and machinery costs
      • 100% depreciation rate vs 50% in China (~3.4% cost burden)
      • High logistics, financing, and energy costs

     

    • Underperformance in high-precision segments:
      • India’s global share: Only 2–4% in engine and engine components, along with drive transmission and steering systems
    • Inadequate R&D ecosystem and limited IP ownership

    Proposed Interventions for GVC Integration

     

    Fiscal Measures:

    1. Operational Expenditure (Opex) Support: To scale up manufacturing capabilities, with a focus on capital expenditure (Capex) for tooling, dies, and infrastructure.
    2. Skill Development: Initiatives to build a talent pipeline critical for sustaining growth.
    3. R&D, Government facilitated IP transfer and Branding: Providing incentives for research, development, international branding to improve product differentiation and empowering MSMEs through IP transfers.
    4. Cluster Development: Fostering collaboration between firms through common facilities such as R&D and testing centers to strengthen the supply chain.

     

    Non-Fiscal Reforms:

    1. Industry 4.0 Adoption: Encouraging the integration of digital technologies and enhanced manufacturing standards to improve efficiency.
    2. International Collaboration: Promoting joint ventures (JVs), foreign collaborations, and free trade agreements (FTAs) to expand global market access.
    3. Ease of Doing Business: Simplifying regulatory processes, worker hour flexibility, supplier discovery & development and improving business conditions for automotive firms.

     

    Conclusion

     

    India’s automotive sector stands at a decisive inflection point, where focused reforms, policy clarity, and industry alignment can elevate it into the league of global leaders in automotive manufacturing. With the world shifting rapidly towards clean, smart, and connected mobility, India must accelerate its integration into global value chains by building competitiveness in high-precision components, fostering innovation, and deepening its export footprint. Over the next five years, the effective execution of planned interventions—ranging from skilling and infrastructure to R&D and global partnerships- will determine whether India becomes a hub for high-value auto components or remains a low-cost player in traditional segments. With the right mix of ambition and action, India can become a globally recognised supplier of next-generation mobility solutions.

     

    References

    · REPORT – Automotive Industry: Powering India’s participation in Global Value Chains –https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-04/Automotive-Industry-Powering-India-participation-in-GVC_Non-Confidential.pdf

    · https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2120977

    Automotive Industry: Powering India’s Participation in Global Value Chains (GVCs)

    ****

    Santosh Kumar/ Sarla Meena / Vatsla Srivastava

    (Release ID: 2121826) Visitor Counter : 122

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Index Numbers of Wholesale Price in India for the Month of March, 2025 (Base Year: 2011-12)

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 15 APR 2025 12:00PM by PIB Delhi

    The annual rate of inflation based on all India Wholesale Price Index (WPI) number is 2.05% (provisional) for the month of March, 2025 (over March, 2024). Positive rate of inflation in March, 2025 is primarily due to increase in prices of manufacture of food products, other manufacturing, food articles, electricity and manufacture of textiles etc. The index numbers and inflation rate for the last three months of all commodities and WPI components are given below:

    Index Numbers and Annual Rate of Inflation (Y-o-Y in %) *

    All Commodities/Major Groups

    Weight (%)

    January-25 (F)

    February-25 (P)

    March-25 (P)

    Index

    Inflation

    Index

    Inflation

    Index

    Inflation

    All Commodities

    100.00

    155.0

    2.51

    154.8

    2.38

    154.5

    2.05

    I. Primary Articles

    22.62

    189.7

    4.58

    186.6

    2.81

    184.6

    0.76

    II. Fuel & Power

    13.15

    152.0

    -1.87

    153.8

    -0.71

    152.4

    0.20

    III. Manufactured Products

    64.23

    143.4

    2.65

    143.8

    2.86

    144.4

    3.07

    Food Index

    24.38

    191.5

    7.52

    189.0

    5.94

    188.8

    4.66

    Note: F: Final, P: Provisional, *Annual rate of WPI inflation calculated over the corresponding month of previous year

    The month over month change in WPI for the month of March, 2025 stood at (-) 0.19% as compared to February, 2025. The monthly change in WPI for last six-month is summarized below:

    Month Over Month (M-o-M in %) change in WPI Index#

    All Commodities/Major Groups

    Weight

    Oct-24

    Nov-24

    Dec-24

    Jan-25 (F)

    Feb-25 (P)

    Mar-25 (P)

    All Commodities

    100.00

    1.29

    -0.19

    -0.45

    -0.45

    -0.13

    -0.19

    I. Primary Articles

    22.62

    2.61

    -1.35

    -2.07

    -2.12

    -1.63

    -1.07

    II. Fuel & Power

    13.15

    1.09

    0.74

    1.27

    0.13

    1.18

    -0.91

    III. Manufactured Products

    64.23

    0.70

    0.14

    -0.07

    0.28

    0.28

    0.42

    Food Index

    24.38

    3.22

    -0.99

    -2.10

    -2.30

    -1.31

    -0.11

    Note: F: Final, P: Provisional, #Monthly rate of change, based on month over month (M-o-M) WPI calculated over the preceding month

     

    Month-over-Month Change in Major Groups of WPI:

    1. Primary Articles (Weight 22.62%): – The index for this major group decreased by 1.07% to 184.6 (provisional) in March, 2025 from 186.6 (provisional) for the month of February, 2025. Price of crude petroleum & natural gas (-2.42%), non-food articles (-2.40%) and food articles (-0.72%) decreased in March, 2025 as compared to February, 2025. The price of minerals (0.31%) increased in March, 2025 as compared to February, 2025.
    2. Fuel & Power (Weight 13.15%): – The index for this major group decreased by 0.91% to 152.4 (provisional) in March, 2025 from 153.8 (provisional) for the month of February, 2025. Price of electricity (-2.31%) and mineral oils (-0.70%) decreased in March, 2025 as compared to February, 2025. The price of coal remained same as in the previous month.
    3. Manufactured Products (Weight 64.23%): – The index for this major group increased by 0.42% to 144.4 (Provisional) in March, 2025 from 143.8 (Provisional) for the month of February, 2025. Out of the 22 NIC two-digit groups for manufactured products, 16 groups witnessed an increase in prices, 5 groups witnessed a decrease in prices and 1 group witnessed no change in prices. Some of the important groups that showed month-over-month increase in prices were manufacture of basic metals; food products; other transport equipment; other manufacturing and machinery and equipment etc. Some of the groups that witnessed a decrease in prices were manufacture of textiles; chemicals and chemical products; computer, electronic and optical products; printing and reproduction of recorded media and furniture etc in March, 2025 as compared to February, 2025.

    WPI Food Index (Weight 24.38%): The Food Index consisting of ‘food articles’ from primary articles group and ‘food product’ from manufactured products group decreased from 189.0 in February, 2025 to 188.8 in March, 2025. The annual rate of inflation based on WPI Food Index decreased from 5.94% in February, 2025 to 4.66% in March, 2025.

    Final Index for the month of January, 2025 (Base Year: 2011-12=100): For the month of January, 2025, the final Wholesale Price Index and inflation rate for ‘All Commodities’ (Base: 2011-12=100) stood at 155.0 and 2.51% respectively. The details of all India Wholesale Price Indices and Rates of Inflation for different commodity groups based on updated figures are at Annex I. The Annual rate of Inflation (Y-o-Y) based on WPI for different commodity groups in the last six months is at Annex II. WPI for different commodity groups in the last six months is at Annex III.

    Response Rate: The WPI for March, 2025 has been compiled at a weighted response rate of 82.7 per cent, while the final figure for January, 2025 is based on the weighted response rate of 95.4 per cent. The provisional figures of WPI will undergo revision as per the revision policy of WPI. This press release, item indices, and inflation numbers are available at our home page http://eaindustry.nic.in.

    Next date of Press Release: WPI for the month of April, 2025 would be released on 14/05/2025.

    Note: DPIIT releases index number of wholesale price in India on monthly basis on 14th of every month (or next working day, if 14th falls on holiday) with a time lag of two weeks of the reference month, and the index number is compiled with data received from institutional sources and selected manufacturing units across the country. This press release contains WPI (Base Year 2011-12=100) for the month of March, 2025 (Provisional), January, 2025 (Final) and other months/years. Provisional figures of WPI are finalised after 10 weeks (from the month of reference), and frozen thereafter.

    Annex-I

    All India Wholesale Price Indices and Rates of Inflation (Base Year: 2011-12=100) for March, 2025

    Commodities/Major Groups/Groups/Sub-Groups/Items

    Weight

    Index

    March-25*

    Latest month over Month (MoM)

    Inflation (YoY)

    Rate of Inflation (YoY)

    Feb-Mar 2024

    Feb-Mar

    2025*

    2023-24 (Apr-Mar)

    2024-25* (Apr-Mar)

    Mar-24

    Mar-25*

    ALL COMMODITIES

    100.00

    154.5

    0.13

    -0.19

    -0.73

    2.25

    0.26

    2.05

    I. PRIMARY ARTICLES

    22.62

    184.6

    0.94

    -1.07

    3.54

    5.13

    4.57

    0.76

    A. Food Articles

    15.26

    194.4

    1.06

    -0.72

    6.61

    7.30

    7.05

    1.57

    Cereals

    2.82

    211.2

    0.35

    -0.85

    7.17

    7.88

    9.04

    5.49

    Paddy

    1.43

    203.6

    1.24

    0.00

    9.31

    8.42

    11.74

    3.88

    Wheat

    1.03

    217.1

    -0.20

    -1.68

    4.53

    7.64

    7.48

    7.96

    Pulses

    0.64

    205.1

    0.33

    -1.63

    14.38

    10.70

    17.18

    -2.98

    Vegetables

    1.87

    177.5

    5.55

    -5.74

    9.00

    16.64

    20.09

    -15.88

    Potato

    0.28

    199.7

    26.30

    -7.67

    -17.06

    65.71

    58.43

    -6.77

    Onion

    0.16

    273.7

    5.31

    -9.91

    40.36

    42.59

    56.48

    26.65

    Fruits

    1.60

    218.5

    4.33

    4.25

    -1.07

    12.03

    -3.05

    20.78

    Milk

    4.44

    186.8

    0.38

    0.21

    7.46

    3.02

    5.08

    1.41

    Eggs, Meat & Fish

    2.40

    170.1

    -0.06

    -0.82

    0.88

    0.71

    -1.75

    0.71

    B. Non-Food Articles

    4.12

    162.8

    0.57

    -2.40

    -5.64

    -0.42

    -4.25

    1.75

    Oil Seeds

    1.12

    179.3

    0.00

    0.22

    -9.81

    -1.94

    -7.17

    0.34

    C. Minerals

    0.83

    227.9

    -1.51

    0.31

    6.95

    4.49

    -0.36

    2.84

    D. Crude Petroleum & Natural gas

    2.41

    145.1

    1.35

    -2.42

    -3.04

    -1.54

    4.87

    -7.64

    Crude Petroleum

    1.95

    120.8

    0.96

    -2.89

    -7.79

    -2.55

    10.26

    -11.50

    II. FUEL & POWER

    13.15

    152.4

    -1.81

    -0.91

    -4.70

    -1.30

    -2.75

    0.20

    LPG

    0.64

    123.7

    1.23

    0.57

    -10.79

    2.77

    -10.19

    0.24

    Petrol

    1.60

    151.8

    -0.82

    -0.46

    -3.27

    -3.73

    -0.94

    -3.86

    HSD

    3.10

    165.4

    -1.05

    -0.72

    -10.21

    -3.40

    -3.51

    -2.88

    III. MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS

    64.23

    144.4

    0.21

    0.42

    -1.69

    1.71

    -0.85

    3.07

    Mf/o Food Products

    9.12

    179.4

    1.25

    0.90

    -2.92

    7.12

    0.81

    10.67

    Vegetable & Animal Oils and Fats

    2.64

    190.8

    3.26

    1.22

    -20.30

    16.14

    -7.73

    30.95

    Mf/o Beverages

    0.91

    134.6

    0.15

    0.07

    2.02

    1.91

    1.69

    1.58

    Mf/o Tobacco Products

    0.51

    180.2

    0.63

    0.11

    4.98

    2.39

    4.20

    2.21

    Mf/o Textiles

    4.88

    136.6

    -0.07

    -0.29

    -5.65

    1.25

    -1.83

    1.71

    Mf/o Wearing Apparel

    0.81

    154.5

    -0.13

    0.13

    1.45

    1.72

    1.00

    1.98

    Mf/o Leather and Related Products

    0.54

    126.2

    0.00

    0.32

    1.58

    0.93

    1.14

    2.02

    Mf/o Wood and of Products of Wood and Cork

    0.77

    150.0

    -0.27

    0.81

    2.38

    1.75

    4.27

    0.60

    Mf/o Paper and Paper Products

    1.11

    141.3

    0.07

    0.36

    -7.71

    -0.77

    -6.12

    2.39

    Mf/o Chemicals and Chemical Products

    6.47

    136.9

    0.15

    -0.15

    -5.88

    -0.29

    -4.64

    0.96

    Mf/o Pharmaceuticals, Medicinal Chemical and Botanical Products

    1.99

    145.2

    -0.35

    0.14

    1.43

    1.03

    1.20

    1.26

    Mf/o Rubber and Plastics Products

    2.30

    129.7

    0.39

    0.00

    -1.68

    1.19

    -0.08

    1.17

    Mf/o other Non-Metallic Mineral Products

    3.20

    132.7

    -0.52

    0.08

    0.71

    -2.42

    -1.11

    -0.30

    Cement, Lime and Plaster

    1.64

    131.6

    -1.40

    0.30

    0.07

    -5.10

    -2.61

    -2.01

    Mf/o Basic Metals

    9.65

    139.1

    0.14

    1.09

    -5.20

    -0.98

    -5.13

    0.29

    Mild Steel – Semi Finished Steel

    1.27

    118.2

    0.26

    0.77

    -5.59

    -1.68

    -7.14

    1.03

    Mf/o Fabricated Metal Products, Except Machinery and Equipment

    3.15

    136.4

    -1.02

    0.15

    -0.29

    -1.86

    -2.16

    0.15

    Note: * = Provisional. Mf/o = Manufacture of

    Annex-II

    WPI Inflation (Base Year: 2011-12=100) for last 6 months

    Commodities/Major Groups/Groups/Sub-Groups/Items

    Weight

    WPI based inflation (YoY) figures for last 6 months

    Oct-24

    Nov-24

    Dec-24

    Jan-25

    Feb-25*

    Mar-25*

    ALL COMMODITIES

    100.00

    2.75

    2.16

    2.57

    2.51

    2.38

    2.05

    I. PRIMARY ARTICLES

    22.62

    8.26

    5.49

    6.02

    4.58

    2.81

    0.76

    A. Food Articles

    15.26

    13.49

    8.48

    8.53

    5.83

    3.38

    1.57

    Cereals

    2.82

    7.80

    7.71

    6.77

    7.33

    6.77

    5.49

    Paddy

    1.43

    7.47

    7.58

    6.93

    6.22

    5.17

    3.88

    Wheat

    1.03

    8.04

    8.20

    7.48

    9.75

    9.58

    7.96

    Pulses

    0.64

    9.27

    5.97

    5.02

    5.13

    -1.04

    -2.98

    Vegetables

    1.87

    62.86

    29.34

    28.57

    8.11

    -5.80

    -15.88

    Potato

    0.28

    79.11

    82.64

    92.36

    72.57

    27.54

    -6.77

    Onion

    0.16

    39.25

    1.08

    16.98

    28.33

    48.05

    26.65

    Fruits

    1.60

    13.60

    5.59

    11.16

    15.30

    20.88

    20.78

    Milk

    4.44

    3.00

    2.04

    2.15

    2.58

    1.58

    1.41

    Eggs, Meat & Fish

    2.40

    -0.52

    3.16

    5.43

    3.56

    1.48

    0.71

    B. Non-Food Articles

    4.12

    -1.34

    -0.61

    2.40

    3.01

    4.84

    1.75

    Oil Seeds

    1.12

    1.98

    0.32

    -1.35

    0.16

    0.11

    0.34

    C. Minerals

    0.83

    4.51

    6.30

    5.70

    1.56

    0.98

    2.84

    D. Crude Petroleum & Natural gas

    2.41

    -11.80

    -7.74

    -6.77

    -0.53

    -4.06

    -7.64

    Crude Petroleum

    1.95

    -12.49

    -7.20

    -6.86

    -0.76

    -7.99

    -11.50

    II. FUEL & POWER

    13.15

    -4.31

    -4.03

    -2.57

    -1.87

    -0.71

    0.20

    LPG

    0.64

    2.57

    1.81

    2.47

    2.23

    0.90

    0.24

    Petrol

    1.60

    -7.35

    -6.83

    -5.09

    -3.64

    -4.21

    -3.86

    HSD

    3.10

    -6.23

    -5.68

    -4.30

    -3.61

    -3.20

    -2.88

    III. MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS

    64.23

    1.78

    2.07

    2.14

    2.65

    2.86

    3.07

    Mf/o Food Products

    9.12

    9.39

    9.57

    9.75

    10.73

    11.06

    10.67

    Vegetable & Animal Oils and Fats

    2.64

    26.03

    28.83

    31.82

    33.74

    33.59

    30.95

    Mf/o Beverages

    0.91

    2.13

    2.28

    1.89

    1.51

    1.66

    1.58

    Mf/o Tobacco Products

    0.51

    1.09

    1.14

    4.40

    4.02

    2.74

    2.21

    Mf/o Textiles

    4.88

    0.89

    1.42

    2.32

    2.24

    1.93

    1.71

    Mf/o Wearing Apparel

    0.81

    1.25

    1.52

    1.65

    2.19

    1.71

    1.98

    Mf/o Leather and Related Products

    0.54

    1.37

    1.45

    1.53

    3.24

    1.70

    2.02

    Mf/o Wood and of Products of Wood and Cork

    0.77

    1.09

    0.54

    0.47

    1.01

    -0.47

    0.60

    Mf/o Paper and Paper Products

    1.11

    0.94

    0.07

    -0.07

    0.58

    2.10

    2.39

    Mf/o Chemicals and Chemical Products

    6.47

    -0.22

    0.29

    0.59

    1.03

    1.26

    0.96

    Mf/o Pharmaceuticals, Medicinal Chemical and Botanical Products

    1.99

    0.42

    1.19

    0.49

    1.40

    0.76

    1.26

    Mf/o Rubber and Plastics Products

    2.30

    1.89

    1.42

    1.18

    1.65

    1.57

    1.17

    Mf/o other Non-Metallic Mineral Products

    3.20

    -3.83

    -2.38

    -2.73

    -1.64

    -0.90

    -0.30

    Cement, Lime and Plaster

    1.64

    -7.20

    -5.38

    -6.26

    -5.10

    -3.67

    -2.01

    Mf/o Basic Metals

    9.65

    -2.04

    -1.14

    -1.50

    -1.15

    -0.65

    0.29

    Mild Steel – Semi Finished Steel

    1.27

    -1.67

    -0.68

    -0.85

    0.09

    0.51

    1.03

    Mf/o Fabricated Metal Products, Except Machinery and Equipment

    3.15

    -2.81

    -2.87

    -1.45

    -1.81

    -1.02

    0.15

    Note: * = Provisional. Mf/o = Manufacture of

     

    Annex-III

    Wholesale Price Indices (Base Year: 2011-12=100) for last 6 months

    Commodities/Major Groups/Groups/Sub-Groups/Items

    Weight

    WPI Numbers for last 6 months

    Oct-24

    Nov-24

    Dec-24

    Jan-25

    Feb-25*

    Mar-25*

    ALL COMMODITIES

    100.00

    156.7

    156.4

    155.7

    155.0

    154.8

    154.5

    I. PRIMARY ARTICLES

    22.62

    200.6

    197.9

    193.8

    189.7

    186.6

    184.6

    A. Food Articles

    15.26

    217.9

    213.7

    207.5

    199.8

    195.8

    194.4

    Cereals

    2.82

    208.6

    211.0

    211.4

    212.3

    213.0

    211.2

    Paddy

    1.43

    204.4

    205.9

    205.3

    203.1

    203.6

    203.6

    Wheat

    1.03

    209.6

    213.8

    215.5

    219.6

    220.8

    217.1

    Pulses

    0.64

    234.5

    230.8

    224.0

    217.1

    208.5

    205.1

    Vegetables

    1.87

    360.9

    334.6

    288.5

    222.6

    188.3

    177.5

    Potato

    0.28

    375.6

    384.1

    365.1

    292.5

    216.3

    199.7

    Onion

    0.16

    478.2

    495.8

    414.7

    316.6

    303.8

    273.7

    Fruits

    1.60

    210.5

    198.4

    193.3

    196.7

    209.6

    218.5

    Milk

    4.44

    185.6

    185.2

    185.6

    187.0

    186.4

    186.8

    Eggs, Meat & Fish

    2.40

    171.0

    173.1

    174.7

    174.7

    171.5

    170.1

    B. Non-Food Articles

    4.12

    161.9

    162.8

    166.2

    167.5

    166.8

    162.8

    Oil Seeds

    1.12

    185.4

    185.6

    182.8

    183.4

    178.9

    179.3

    C. Minerals

    0.83

    229.6

    229.4

    230.1

    227.2

    227.2

    227.9

    D. Crude Petroleum & Natural gas

    2.41

    147.3

    146.7

    141.9

    150.9

    148.7

    145.1

    Crude Petroleum

    1.95

    126.1

    125.0

    119.5

    130.0

    124.4

    120.8

    II. FUEL & POWER

    13.15

    148.8

    149.9

    151.8

    152.0

    153.8

    152.4

    LPG

    0.64

    119.8

    123.6

    124.6

    123.7

    123.0

    123.7

    Petrol

    1.60

    149.9

    148.7

    149.2

    150.8

    152.5

    151.8

    HSD

    3.10

    164.2

    164.4

    164.6

    165.6

    166.6

    165.4

    III. MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS

    64.23

    142.9

    143.1

    143.0

    143.4

    143.8

    144.4

    Mf/o Food Products

    9.12

    175.9

    177.5

    176.8

    177.5

    177.8

    179.4

    Vegetable & Animal Oils and Fats

    2.64

    178.2

    183.2

    185.6

    187.5

    188.5

    190.8

    Mf/o Beverages

    0.91

    134.5

    134.7

    134.5

    134.4

    134.5

    134.6

    Mf/o Tobacco Products

    0.51

    176.0

    177.0

    180.3

    181.2

    180.0

    180.2

    Mf/o Textiles

    4.88

    135.9

    136.1

    136.8

    137.0

    137.0

    136.6

    Mf/o Wearing Apparel

    0.81

    153.9

    153.7

    154.4

    154.2

    154.3

    154.5

    Mf/o Leather and Related Products

    0.54

    125.7

    125.8

    126.0

    127.5

    125.8

    126.2

    Mf/o Wood and of Products of Wood and Cork

    0.77

    148.7

    148.5

    148.3

    149.6

    148.8

    150.0

    Mf/o Paper and Paper Products

    1.11

    139.8

    138.5

    138.3

    139.5

    140.8

    141.3

    Mf/o Chemicals and Chemical Products

    6.47

    136.3

    136.4

    136.5

    136.8

    137.1

    136.9

    Mf/o Pharmaceuticals, Medicinal Chemical and Botanical Products

    1.99

    143.5

    144.1

    144.0

    145.0

    145.0

    145.2

    Mf/o Rubber and Plastics Products

    2.30

    129.6

    128.6

    129.0

    129.3

    129.7

    129.7

    Mf/o other Non-Metallic Mineral Products

    3.20

    130.4

    131.4

    131.7

    132.2

    132.6

    132.7

    Cement, Lime and Plaster

    1.64

    128.8

    130.1

    130.2

    130.2

    131.2

    131.6

    Mf/o Basic Metals

    9.65

    139.3

    138.6

    137.5

    137.2

    137.6

    139.1

    Mild Steel – Semi Finished Steel

    1.27

    118.0

    117.5

    116.8

    117.3

    117.3

    118.2

    Mf/o Fabricated Metal Products, Except Machinery and Equipment

    3.15

    135.0

    135.3

    135.9

    135.3

    136.2

    136.4

    Note: * = Provisional. Mf/o = Manufacture of

    ***

    Abhishek Dayal

    (Release ID: 2121751) Visitor Counter : 188

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Government accords high priority for Muslims’ Haj pilgrimage

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 15 APR 2025 10:54AM by PIB Delhi

    The Government of India accords high priority for Indian Muslims to undertake the annual Haj pilgrimage.

    As a result of its efforts, the country allocation for India which was 136,020 in 2014 has gradually increased to 175,025 in 2025. These quotas are finalized by the Saudi authorities closer to the time of the pilgrimage.

    The Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) through the Haj Committee of India manages arrangements for the bulk of the quota allotted to India, which is 122,518 in the current year. All the necessary arrangements including flight schedules, transportation, Mina camps, accommodation, and additional services have been taken up and completed as per the Saudi requirements, within the given timelines. 

    The balance of the quota was allotted, as is customary, to Private Tour Operators. Due to changes in Saudi guidelines, more than 800 Private Tour Operators were consolidated into 26 legal entities termed Combined Haj Group Operators (CHGOs), by MoMA this year. Addressing legal challenges, the Haj quota was allocated by MoMA to these 26 CHGOs well in advance. However, despite reminders, they failed to comply with the necessary timelines set by the Saudi authorities and failed to finalise the mandatory contracts, including for Mina camps, accommodation and transport of pilgrims, as required under the Saudi regulations.

    Government of India has been continuously engaging on this matter with the concerned Saudi authorities, including at the Ministerial level.

    The Saudi Haj Ministry highlighted its concerns for the safety of the pilgrims, particularly in Mina, where Haj rituals have to be completed under extreme summer heat conditions in a limited space. It also underlined that due to delays, the available space in Mina became occupied. The Saudi authorities have further conveyed that they were not extending the timelines for any country this year.

    Due to the Government’s intervention, the Saudi Haj Ministry has agreed to re-open the Haj Portal (Nusuk Portal) to all CHGOs to complete their work in respect of 10,000 pilgrims based on the current space availability in Mina.

    Directions have been issued by MoMA to CHGOs to do so urgently. India would naturally appreciate any gesture by Saudi authorities to accommodate more pilgrims.

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    SS/ISA

    (Release ID: 2121726) Visitor Counter : 64

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Olympic medalist and noted athlete, Karnam Malleswari meets Prime Minister

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 15 APR 2025 9:37AM by PIB Delhi

    Olympic medalist and noted athlete, Karnam Malleswari met the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in Yamunanagar yesterday. He commended her effort to mentor young athletes.

    Shri Modi wrote in a post on X:

    “Met Olympic medalist and noted athlete, Karnam Malleswari in Yamunanagar yesterday. India is proud of her success as a sportswoman. Equally commendable is her effort to mentor young athletes.”

     

     

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    MJPS/SR

    (Release ID: 2121717) Visitor Counter : 144

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth calls on Tanzanian Vice-President Mr Philip Isdor Mpango and Minister of Defence & National Service Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax in Dar es Salaam

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 14 APR 2025 11:00PM by PIB Delhi

    Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth called on Vice-President of Tanzania Mr Philip Isdor Mpango and Minister of Defence & National Service Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax in Dar es Salaam on April 14, 2025. During his meeting with the Tanzanian Vice-President, Raksha Rajya Mantri updated him on the Africa-India Key Maritime Engagement cooperation from Indian defence industries to exercise (AIKEYME) and Defence Expo inaugurated on April 13, 2025. He offered to fulfil the defence requirements of Tanzania People’s Defence Force. India-Tanzania development partnership, cultural connections and cooperation in health and education were also discussed. 

    During the meeting between Tanzanian Minister of Defence & National Service and Raksha Rajya Mantri, the ongoing defence cooperation was reviewed and new ways were explored to further bolster the ties. Training of Tanzania officers in military training institutes of India, defence industry collaboration, cooperation in counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations, and cyber security were some of the key areas of cooperation deliberated upon during the meeting. 

    Raksha Rajya Mantri ended his day with an Indian Community event where he highlighted the progress India has made in various spheres in recent years. He dwelt upon the contribution of the Indian diaspora in growth and prosperity of not only India but Tanzania too. He visited Sanatan Dharma and Swaminarayan Mandir prior to the interaction with the Indian community. He also participated in the Ambedakar Jayanti celebrations organised in the High Commission of India in Tanzania.

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    SR/Savvy

    (Release ID: 2121709) Visitor Counter : 87

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PM extends warm wishes on occasion of Poila Boishakh

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 15 APR 2025 8:38AM by PIB Delhi

    The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today extended warm wishes on occasion of Poila Boishakh.

    In a post on X, he wrote:

    “Greetings on Poila Boishakh!”

     

     

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    MJPS/SR

    (Release ID: 2121707) Visitor Counter : 123

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development Smt. Savitri Thakur to visit Meghalaya

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 14 APR 2025 7:08PM by PIB Shillong

    Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Government of India, Smt. Savitri Thakur, will be on a three-day official visit to Meghalaya from April 15 to 17, 2025.

    During her visit, the Minister will hold a review meeting with the Department of Social Welfare, Government of Meghalaya, focusing on Central Government-sponsored schemes and programmes under the Ministry of Women and Child Development. She will also meet the Governor of Meghalaya for a courtesy call and conduct a detailed district-level review in East Khasi Hills as per the guidelines of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER).

    On April 16, the Minister will visit key institutions and welfare centers in Shillong, including the One Stop Center at Ganesh Das Hospital, Shakti Sadan at Mawroh, and a Child Care Institution in Mawkasiang. She will then visit the Community Health Center, Anganwadi Centre at Mawsmai, and inspection of development projects under MGNREGA and PMAY(G) and also visit the Aqua Park cum Visitor Information Centre at Khliehshnong and inspect PMGSY roads in the area.

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    (Release ID: 2121631) Visitor Counter : 84

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Announces 31st Human Exploration Rover Challenge Winners

    Source: NASA

    NASA has announced the winning student teams in the 2025 Human Exploration Rover Challenge. This year’s competition challenged teams to design, build, and test a lunar rover powered by either human pilots or remote control. In the human-powered division, Parish Episcopal School in Dallas, Texas, earned first place in the high school division, and the Campbell University in Buies Creek, North Carolina, captured the college and university title. In the remote-control division, Bright Foundation in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, earned first place in the middle and high school division, and the Instituto Tecnologico de Santa Domingo in the Dominican Republic, captured the college and university title.
    The annual engineering competition – one of NASA’s longest standing student challenges – wrapped up on April 11 and April 12, at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, near NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. The complete list of 2025 award winners is provided below:

    First Place: Parish Episcopal School, Dallas, Texas
    Second Place: Ecambia High School, Pensacola, Florida
    Third Place: Centro Boliviano Americano – Santa Cruz, Bolivia

    First Place: Campbell University, Buies Creek, North Carolina
    Second Place: Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
    Third Place: University of Alabama in Huntsville

    First Place: Bright Foundation, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
    Second Place: Assumption College, Brangrak, Bangkok, Thailand
    Third Place: Erie High School, Erie, Colorado

    First Place: Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
    Second Place: Campbell University, Buies Creek, North Carolina
    Third Place: Tecnologico de Monterey – Campus Cuernvaca, Xochitepec, Morelos, Mexico

     Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

    Human-Powered

    High School Division: International Hope School of Bangladesh, Uttara, Dhaka, Bangladesh
    College/University Division: Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama

    Remote-Control

    Middle School/High School Division: Bright Foundation, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
    College/University Division: Southwest Oklahoma State University, Weatherford, Oklahoma

    Remote-Control

    Middle School/High School Division: Assumption College, Bangrak, Bangkok, Thailand
    College/University Division: Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

    Human-Powered

    High School Division: Parish Episcopal School, Dallas, Texas
    College/University Division: Campbell University, Buies Creek, North Carolina

    Remote-Control

    Middle School/High School Division: Bright Foundation, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada
    College/University Division: Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

    Campbell University, Buies Creek, North Carolina

    Human-Powered

    High School Division: Parish Episcopal School, Dallas, Texas
    College/University Division: University of Alabama in Huntsville

    Universidad de Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico (Human-Powered Division)

    Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (Human-Powered Division)

    Human-Powered

    High School Division: Albertville Innovation School, Albertville, Alabama
    College/University Division: Instituto Tecnologico de Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

    Remote-Control

    Middle School/High School Division: Instituto Salesiano Don Bosco, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
    College/University Division: Tecnologico de Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico

    Human-Powered

    High School Division: International Hope School of Bagladesh, Uttara, Dhaka, Bangladesh
    College/University Division: Universidad Catolica Boliviana “San Pablo” La Paz, Bolivia

    Remote-Control

    Middle School/High School Division: ATLAS SkillTech University, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
    College/University Division: Instituto Salesiano Don Bosco, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

    Human-Powered

    High School Division: Space Education Institute, Leipzig, Germany
    College/University Division: Purdue University Northwest, Hammond, Indiana

    Remote-Control

    Middle School/High School Division: Erie High School, Erie, Colorado
    College/University Division: Campbell University, Buies Creek, North Carolina

    Human-Powered

    High School Division: Academy of Arts, Career, and Technology, Reno, Nevada
    College/University Division: Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

    Fabion Diaz Palacious from Universidad Catolica Boliviana “San Pablo” La Paz, Bolivia

    Deira International School, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

    More than 500 students with 75 teams from around the world participated in the  31st year of the competition. Participating teams represented 35 colleges and universities, 38 high schools, and two middle schools from 20 states, Puerto Rico, and 16 other nations. Teams were awarded points based on navigating a half-mile obstacle course, conducting mission-specific task challenges, and completing multiple safety and design reviews with NASA engineers. 
    NASA expanded the 2025 challenge to include a remote-control division, Remote-Operated Vehicular Research, and invited middle school students to participate. 
    “This student design challenge encourages the next generation of scientists and engineers to engage in the design process by providing innovative concepts and unique perspectives,” said Vemitra Alexander, who leads the challenge for NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement at Marshall. “This challenge also continues NASA’s legacy of providing valuable experiences to students who may be responsible for planning future space missions, including crewed missions to other worlds.”
    The rover challenge is one of NASA’s eight Artemis Student Challenges reflecting the goals of the Artemis campaign, which will land Americans on the Moon while establishing a long-term presence for science and exploration, preparing for future human missions to Mars. NASA uses such challenges to encourage students to pursue degrees and careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. 
    The competition is managed by NASA’s Southeast Regional Office of STEM Engagement at Marshall. Since its inception in 1994, more than 15,000 students have participated – with many former students now working at NASA, or within the aerospace industry.    
    To learn more about the Human Exploration Rover Challenge, please visit: 
    https://www.nasa.gov/roverchallenge/home/index.html

    Taylor GoodwinMarshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.256.544.0034taylor.goodwin@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Moscow-India Tourism Industry Congress to be held in Russian capital

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    From July 10 to 13, the capital will host the large-scale tourism congress OTOAI Convention for the first time. It is organized by the Association of Outbound Tourism Operators of India with the support of the Moscow Government. The forum will bring together hundreds of specialists from relevant departments and employees of leading Moscow and Indian companies.

    “Business negotiations and expert presentations are planned. Foreign participants will be presented with opportunities for recreation in Moscow, and will be shown popular routes and sights on sightseeing tours,” she reported.

    Natalia Sergunina, Deputy Mayor of Moscow.

    She recalled that India is among the top three countries in terms of the number of travelers from distant countries coming to Moscow. In 2024, the city was visited by 1.4 times more citizens of this country than in 2023.

    “The congress will be a significant event for India-Russia relations in the tourism sector. Moscow has an ideal combination of historical heritage and modernity. This is what Indian travellers are looking for today. Our partnership with the Moscow Tourism Committee will enable Indian visitors to go beyond traditional tourist destinations. Through the conference, we plan to create a platform for growth in mutual tourist flows, which will benefit tour operators from both countries and help position Moscow as a leading outbound tourism destination in India,” said Himanshu Patil, President of the Indian Association of Outbound Travel Operators.

    Developing partnerships

    In January, the capital’s delegation took part in a major industry exhibition, Outbound Travel Mart, in India. Moscow representatives held over 1,200 negotiations. Among the main events was the signing of an agreement on joint work to increase tourist flow between Moscow and Mumbai. In addition, a cooperation agreement was signed with one of the leading travel companies. Now, Indian colleagues will come to the Russian capital to discuss new projects.

    Last year, Moscow hosted the international forum Meet Global MICE Congress: BRICS Edition. It brought together approximately 1.3 thousand business tourism industry specialists from the BRICS countries. The event included about two thousand meetings with potential partners.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/152607073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Bollywood star Aamir Khan hails comedy’s global appeal at Macao festival

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Aamir Khan, one of India’s most successful Bollywood actors, told China.org.cn that comedy serves as a powerful tool for healing and uplifting people, as he received the prestigious Mr. Humor Award at the second Macao International Comedy Festival on Saturday.

    Aamir Khan speaks to a China.org.cn reporter during the second Macao International Comedy Festival in Macao, April 12, 2025. [Photo/China.org.cn]

    “I always feel that in order to go global, you have to be local,” he said. “The more local you are, I think, the more global you become. Because it’s very interesting for people from different parts of the world to experience a different culture, to experience a different life. The world has become smaller.”

    When asked how local humor translates to global audiences across different cultures, Khan said it happens naturally.

    “I think that human beings are very similar — it doesn’t matter which language we speak, which part of the world we are from,” he noted.

    “We have the same dreams and aspirations. We have the same emotions. We have the same concerns and fears as well. I think comedy is a genre which travels really well across the world,” Khan added. “In a film, perhaps foreign audiences don’t understand one or two things, but by and large, I think humor translates really well across languages, across cultures.”

    Khan, known for his roles in “3 Idiots” (2009), “PK” (2014) and “Dangal” (2016), traveled to China’s Macao Special Administrative Region to attend the festival. He received the Mr. Humor Award during Saturday night’s gala, an honor recognizing those who have made significant contributions to comedy.

    “Comedy is such a wonderful genre that connects with all of us,” he said, praising the festival’s diverse programming that included stage plays, stand-up performances and cinema.

    Khan said he was excited to attend the event, calling it an ideal chance to interact with Chinese comedians and actors.

    Aamir Khan receives the prestigious Mr. Humor Award from last year’s recipient, Takeshi Kitano, during a gala ceremony at the MGM Cotai Ballroom in Macao as part of the second Macao International Comedy Festival, April 12, 2025. [Photo/China.org.cn]

    “I have always been a big fan of Jackie Chan, who’s done a lot of comedy,” Khan said. “He’s someone I’ve been watching for decades. He is superb in action, but what I really love about Jackie is his sense of timing in comedy.” The Bollywood star also mentioned that his recent favorite Chinese comedy is “Successor,” starring Shen Teng and Ma Li.

    Khan said he sees the comedy festival as a chance for future India-China collaborations.

    “For me, as an actor, it would be an honor and a great pleasure to work with the great Chinese comedians,” he said. “China is a country which has amazing, creative artists, and it would be really a wonderful experience to work with them.”

    The actor expressed deep respect for comedy as a genre and comedians, saying they bring smiles to people’s faces — something he considers one of the greatest contributions to society.

    Khan shared a personal experience to illustrate comedy’s impact. “About three or four years ago, I was under a lot of stress, and I was in a lot of emotional upheaval in my life. And I have to say that it is comedy which really helped me at that time,” he said.

    “If you can laugh, then you forget your troubles. There is a phrase called ‘laughter is the best medicine.’ It makes you okay when you laugh, you feel good. And I really believe in that,” Khan added.

    MIL OSI China News –