NewzIntel.com

Category: India

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CCI approves the proposed acquisition of shareholding in Dhoot Transmission Private Limited by BC Asia Investments XV Limited and BC Asia Investments XVI Limited

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 17 MAR 2025 8:34PM by PIB Delhi

    The Competition Commission of India has approved the proposed acquisition of shareholding in Dhoot Transmission Private Limited by BC Asia Investments XV Limited and BC Asia Investments XVI Limited.

    The proposed combination envisages acquisition of shareholding in Dhoot Transmission Private Limited (DTPL) by BC Asia Investments XV Limited and BC Asia Investments XVI Limited. Certain inter-connected transaction is also envisaged.

    BC Asia Investments XV Limited and BC Asia Investments XVI Limited are indirectly owned and controlled by funds managed and/or advised by Bain Capital Partners LLC (Bain Capital). Bain Capital is a private equity investment firm that invests, through its family of funds.

    DTPL is engaged in the manufacturing and sale of auto-components in the electrical and electronics category (E & E Category) such as, wiring harnesses, automotive switches, electronic sensors and controllers (Flashers 24V), connectors, terminals, automotive cables, power cords, etc., to Original Equipment Manufacturers. DTPL also supplies wiring harnesses to the medical devices industry and the consumer durables industry.

    Detailed order of the Commission will follow.

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    (Release ID: 2112021) Visitor Counter : 24

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CCI approves acquisition of Uprising Science Private Limited by Hindustan Unilever Limited

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 17 MAR 2025 8:33PM by PIB Delhi

    The Competition Commission of India has approved acquisition of Uprising Science Private Limited by Hindustan Unilever Limited.

    The proposed transaction involves the acquisition by Hindustan Unilever Limited (Acquirer/HUL), of 90.5% shareholding of Uprising Science Private Limited (Target), with eventual acquisition of the remaining 9.5% shareholding of the Target in about two years from the completion date as per the terms set out in the Share Purchase & Subscription Agreement executed by and between HUL and the Target.

    The Acquirer is involved in the business of manufacture and sale of: (a) home care products; (b) beauty & personal care products; (c) food products and refreshments. The Acquirer has over 50+ brands spanning distinct categories and includes Lux, Surf Excel, Fair & Lovely, Lakme, Knorr, Kwality Wall’s, Brooke Bond, BRU among others.

    The Target is engaged in the manufacture and sale of beauty and personal care products such as skin care & body care products, baby care products and hair care products.

    Detailed order of the Commission will follow.

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    (Release ID: 2112019) Visitor Counter : 28

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CCI approves the acquisition of certain additional shareholding in Tata Play Limited (Tata Play) by Tata Sons Private Limited (Tata Sons) from Baytree Investments (Mauritius) Pte Ltd.

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 17 MAR 2025 8:32PM by PIB Delhi

    The Competition Commission of India has approved the acquisition of certain additional shareholding in Tata Play Limited (Tata Play) by Tata Sons Private Limited (Tata Sons) from Baytree Investments (Mauritius) Pte Ltd.

    The Proposed Combination involves the acquisition of 10% shareholding in Tata Play by Tata Sons.

    Tata Sons is an investment holding company, which is registered as a core investment company with the Reserve Bank of India and classified as a “Systemically Important Non-Deposit Taking Core Investment Company”.

    Tata Play, formerly known as Tata Sky, is one of India’s leading content distribution platforms providing Pay TV and Over-the-top (OTT) services. It provides Direct-to-Home (DTH) television, offering broadcaster’s satellite television channels and platform services across genres and languages. Tata Play also provides Tata Play Binge, an OTT platform that brings diverse and popular OTT apps on a single user interface.

    Detailed order of the Commission will follow.

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    (Release ID: 2112017) Visitor Counter : 35

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and WhatsApp Join Forces to Combat Misuse of Telecom resources for Digital Frauds and Scams

    Source: Government of India

    Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and WhatsApp Join Forces to Combat Misuse of Telecom resources for Digital Frauds and Scams

    The partnership aims to enhance digital safety through training workshops and citizen awareness campaigns.

    ‘Scam Se Bacho,’ campaign against online scams and spam

    All user safety materials will be translated into regional languages to maximize accessibility

    Posted On: 17 MAR 2025 8:29PM by PIB Delhi

    Department of Telecommunications (DoT) collaborates with WhatsApp to extend ‘Scam Se Bacho,’ Meta’s safety campaign against online scams and spam. As part of the collaboration, DoT and WhatsApp will work together to educate citizens on identifying & reporting suspected fraud communications in an effort to enhance digital safety and awareness.

    DoT has taken various Initiatives to prevent misuse of telecom resources in cybercrime and financial frauds. A citizen centric Sanchar Saathi initiative in the form of portal (https://sancharsaathi.gov.in) & Mobile App has been developed to empower citizens to report suspect suspected fraud calls/messages, know their mobile connections and Block & Trace lost/ stolen mobile handsets among other facilities. Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) of DOT exchange bidirectional digital intelligence with 550 stakeholders like banks, LEAs, about misuse of telecom resources and subsequent action.

    In a significant step to enhance digital safety and awareness on ground, the initiative will include train-the-trainer workshops for DoT officials, Sanchar Mitras, Telecom Service Providers (TSPs), and field units. WhatsApp will also work with DoT to explore ways to build citizen centric services of Sanchar Saathi initiatives through WhatsApp platform for wider reach of Sanchar Saathi.

    Joel Kaplan, Chief Global Affairs Officer, Meta met the Union Minister of Communication and Development of North East Region, Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia today and discussed the effectiveness of ongoing collaboration of DoT and Meta. WhatsApp is collaborating with Digital Intelligence Unit of DoT and using the information provided by through DIP for proactive action on misuse of telecom resources for cybercrime and financial frauds.

    Commenting on the partnership, the Union Minister of Communication and Development of North East Region, Shri Jyotiraditya Scindia said, “As India advances on its path of digital transformation, ensuring the safety and security of our citizens remains a top priority. Our partnership with Meta strengthens this commitment to protect our people from fraudulent communications and cyber threats. By harnessing WhatsApp’s vast digital reach, we are strengthening efforts to ensure that our digital ecosystem remains secure and resilient for all”

    Joel Kaplan, Chief Global Affairs Officer, Meta, added, “The best way to stop people falling victim to scams and online fraud is to make sure they know what to look out for and what they can do to stay safe. That’s why Meta invests a great deal in technology and resources to try and stay ahead of the scammers and give people the information they need. By working with the Department of Telecommunications, we can combine our technological expertise with the government’s commitment to citizen safety and help give Indians the knowledge they need to stay safe.”

    As part of the partnership, WhatsApp will also develop informative assets in collaboration with DoT to educate users on how to identify and report online scams and spam. These will cover different types of fraud, warning signs, and reporting mechanisms available on the Sanchar Saathi.  All user safety materials will be translated into regional languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Gujarati to maximize accessibility.

    DoT is steadfastly committed to preventing the misuse of telecom resources by implementing advanced solutions and working closely with various stakeholders. Awareness of the citizens will help them keeping safe in the evolving digital ecosystem.

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    Samrat/ Allen

    (Release ID: 2112016) Visitor Counter : 96

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Indian Railways’ financial condition is good, providing more subsidy to passengers: Union Railway Minister

    Source: Government of India

    Indian Railways’ financial condition is good, providing more subsidy to passengers: Union Railway Minister

    The cost of travel per kilometer by train is ₹1.38, but passengers are charged only 73 paise.

    This year, 1,400 locomotives have been produced, which is more than the combined production of America and Europe.

    By March 31, Indian Railways, with 1.6 billion tons of cargo carriage, will be among the world’s top 3 countries.

    Important steps have been taken to prevent incidents like the New Delhi Railway Station accident in the future: Union Railway Minister

    Posted On: 17 MAR 2025 8:28PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting, and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, today, during the discussion on the working of the Ministry of Railways in the Rajya Sabha, highlighted the achievements of Indian Railways and its future plans. He said that Indian Railways is not only providing safe and quality services to passengers at affordable fares but is also making a distinct identity at the global level. He also mentioned that in India, railway fares are lower compared to neighboring countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, whereas in Western countries, they are 10 to 20 times higher than in India.

    Regarding the subsidy being given to rail passengers, the Railway Minister said that currently, the cost of travel per kilometer by train is ₹1.38, but passengers are charged only 73 paise, meaning 47% subsidy is provided. In the financial year 2022-23, passengers were given a subsidy of ₹57,000 crore, which increased to approximately ₹60,000 crore in 2023-24 (provisional figure). Our goal is to provide safe and better services at minimal fares.

    Highlighting the benefits of railway electrification, the Union Minister said that despite the increasing number of passengers and freight transport, energy costs have remained stable. Indian Railways is working on the target of achieving ‘Scope 1 Net Zero’ by 2025 and ‘Scope 2 Net Zero’ by 2030. He informed that the export of locomotives manufactured at the Madhepura factory in Bihar will soon begin. Currently, Indian Railways’ passenger coaches are being exported to Mozambique, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, while locomotives are being sent to Mozambique, Senegal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. Apart from this, bogie underframes are being exported to the United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, France, and Australia, while propulsion parts are being sent to France, Mexico, Germany, Spain, Romania, and Italy.

    This year, 1,400 locomotives have been produced in India, which is more than the combined production of America and Europe. Along with this, 2 lakh new wagons have been added to the fleet. The Minister stated that in the financial year ending March 31, Indian Railways will transport 1.6 billion tons of cargo, making India one of the top three countries in the world, including China and America. This reflects the increasing capacity of the railway and its significant role in the logistics sector.

    Talking about railway safety, Union Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw said that 41,000 LHB coaches have been prepared, and all ICF coaches will be converted into LHB coaches. Long rails, electronic interlocking, fog safety devices, and the ‘Kavach’ system are being implemented rapidly. Thanking Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Shri Vaishnaw stated that earlier, the railway used to receive ₹25,000 crore in support, which has now increased to more than ₹2.5 lakh crore, leading to significant infrastructure improvements. Meanwhile, 50 Namo Bharat trains are being manufactured, offering both AC and non-AC options for short-distance travel.

    Regarding the recent accident at New Delhi Railway Station, the Union Railway Minister informed the House that a high-level committee is investigating this tragic incident. CCTV footage and all data have been secured, and facts are being examined by talking to about 300 people. Important steps have been taken to prevent such incidents in the future.

    The Minister said that our government is committed to the poorest of the poor. That is why the number of general coaches is being increased by 2.5 times compared to AC coaches. According to the current production plan, there is a program for the manufacturing of 17,000 non-AC coaches. Along with this, he stated that the financial condition of Indian Railways is good, and continuous efforts for improvement are ongoing. The railway has successfully overcome the challenges related to the COVID pandemic. The number of passengers is increasing, and freight transport is also rising. Now, railway revenue is about ₹2.78 lakh crore, and expenses are ₹2.75 lakh crore. Indian Railways is covering all major expenses from its own income, which has been made possible due to the better performance of the railway.

    In his concluding remarks in the Rajya Sabha, Shri Vaishnaw assured that the railway would emerge as a more modern, safe, and environmentally friendly transportation system in the future.

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    Dharamendra Tewari/Shatrunjay Kumar

    (Release ID: 2112013) Visitor Counter : 60

    Read this release in: Hindi

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth Organizes 28th Convocation & Shishyopanayaniya Samskara

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth Organizes 28th Convocation & Shishyopanayaniya Samskara

    Integrate Technology and Research to Further Strengthen Ayurveda: Shri Pratap Rao Jadhav

    LifeTime Achievements Award conferred to Prof. Banwari Lal Gaur, Prof. Kulwant Singh, Vaidya Mohan Narayan Tambe, and Dr.Bidhubhusan Nanda

    More than 100 CRAV Gurus and 120 Shishyas from across the country felicitated

    Posted On: 17 MAR 2025 8:06PM by PIB Delhi

    Rashtriya Ayurveda Vidyapeeth (RAV), under the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, hosted its 28th Convocation & Shishyopanayaniya Samskara in New Delhi today. To enhance quality education and globalize Ayurveda, RAV also accredited one international and 6 National institutions for upholding high standards in Ayurveda education and practice. For doing exemplary work in the field of Ayurveda, RAV also conferred LifeTime Achievements Awards to Prof. Banwari Lal Gaur, Jaipur (Rajasthan), Prof. Kulwant Singh (Jammu and Kashmir), Vaidya Mohan Narayan Tambe, Satara (Maharashtra) and Dr. Bidhubhusan Nanda, Dhenkanal (Odisha). 

    Addressing the august gathering, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Ayush, and Union Minister of State for Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Shri Prataprao Jadhav praised RAV’s contributions in recognizing the invaluable work of Ayurvedic practitioners through the Lifetime Achievement Award & Fellow of RAV Award. He emphasized upon “Desh Ka Prakriti Parikshan” achievement, a national initiative aimed at mapping the natural health profiles of the population. He highlighted how Ayurveda’s role in preventive healthcare is becoming more prominent and urged practitioners to integrate technology and research to further strengthen the field.

    Shri Jadhav praised RAV’s contributions in recognizing the invaluable work of Ayurvedic Vaidyas through the Lifetime Achievement Award, acknowledging their lifelong dedication to Ayurveda. He commended RAV’s unique approach in training students through the CRAV course under the Guru-Shishya Parampara, ensuring that authentic Ayurvedic knowledge is passed in its purest form.

    Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, addressed the guests and announced the launch of the Diplomate of National Board Ayurveda (DNB) program, a major milestone in advancing Ayurvedic education. He also emphasized upon the initiative of the Ministry of Ayush to introduce a 7.5-year Gurukul Schooling Program, reinforcing the Guru-Shishya Parampara and providing a more immersive learning experience for students.

    More than 100 CRAV Gurus and 120 Shishyas from across the country were felicitated during the event, marking their dedication to the Guru-Shishya Parampara. Shri Jadhav commended RAV’s efforts in imparting knowledge through the CRAV course, ensuring that students receive authentic and practical Ayurvedic education directly from experienced Gurus.

    A significant highlight of the event was RAV’s accreditation of 1 international and 6 national institutions for upholding high standards in Ayurveda education and practice. This initiative reinforces RAV’s commitment to enhancing quality education and globalizing Ayurveda.

    During the event, Vaidya Rajeev Bhardwaj, Member of Parliament from Kangra (Himachal Pradesh), Vaidya Meeta Kotecha from Jaipur (Rajasthan), Prof Sanjeev Sharma from Jaipur, Prof Arun Kumar Tripathi from Uttarakhand, Dr G Prabhakar Rao from New Delhi, Prof Lakshman Singh from Varanasi, Vaidya Ashutosh Gupta, Vaidya Urmila A Pitkar and Vaidya Nitin M Kamat from Maharashtra, Vaidya Shailja Uppinakuduru from Karnataka, Vaidya Vinod Kumar Vairagi from Madhya Pradesh, Vaidya Tuhin Kanti from West Bengal, Vaidya Tapan Kumar from Gujarat were given Fellow of RAV (FRAV) Award,  and felicitated by Minister of Ayush.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman launches PM Internship Scheme App in presence of MoS, Corporate Affairs Shri Harsh Malhotra

    Source: Government of India (2)

     Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman  launches PM Internship Scheme App  in presence of MoS, Corporate Affairs  Shri Harsh Malhotra

    PM Internship Scheme has the potential to bridge the gap between classroom learning and industry expectations- Finance Minister

    Posted On: 17 MAR 2025 8:18PM by PIB Delhi

    The Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, in the presence of MoS Corporate Affairs,  and MoS Road and Transport  Shri Harsh Malhotra launched  a dedicated mobile app for the Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme on 17th March, at Samanvay Hall No. 5, at Parliament, New Delhi.

    The App has the following features:

    • Intuitive interface with a clean design and effortless navigation
    • Easy registration through Aadhaar face authentication
    • Effortless navigation – Eligible candidates can sift through opportunities by location etc.
    • Personalized dashboard
    • Access to a dedicated support team
    • Real time alerts to keep candidates abreast of new updates

     

    Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman commended the Prime Minister’s vision in introducing a package of five schemes to promote employment, skilling, and opportunities. She emphasized that the PM Internship Scheme has the potential to bridge the gap between classroom learning and industry expectations, thereby enhancing youth employability. She further urged the industry to actively participate in the scheme, highlighting that their involvement would contribute to nation-building while fostering a skilled workforce in the country.

    The Minister of State, Shri Harsh Malhotra observed that the launch of the PMIS App will significantly enhance accessibility to internship opportunities for the youth.

    With the PMIS application, the users can also explore the referral program recently announced by Ministry of Corporate Affair (MCA). The referral program would enable the registered youth to refer other eligible candidates for the scheme and win rewards. The registered youth on the PM Internship portal (web browser) can also participate in this referral program.

    The Prime Minister’s Internship Scheme (PMIS Scheme) announced in the Budget 2024-25, aims to provide internship opportunities to one crore youth in top 500 companies in five years. As an initiation to this Scheme, the Pilot Project targeted at providing 1.25 lakh internship opportunities to the youth was launched on 03.10.2024 for the Financial Year 2024-25. Salient features of the Scheme are:

    • 12-month paid internships in top companies of India.
    • This scheme provides an opportunity to the youth to get training, and gain experience and skills within the real-life environment (at least six months) of the businesses or organizations that help in bridging the gap between academic learning and industry requirements, in turn, assisting enhancement of her/his employability.
    • The scheme targets individuals aged 21 to 24 who are currently not enrolled in any full-time academic program or not in full-time employment, offering them a unique chance to kick-start their careers.
    • Each intern will be supported with monthly financial assistance of ₹5,000, supplemented by one-time financial assistance of ₹6,000.

    In the round I of the pilot project (October – December 2024), over 1.27 lakh opportunities in about 745 districts were posted by around 280 companies across 25 sectors. Over 82,000 offers were made to the candidates.

    The round II of the Pilot Project commenced in January 2025 and about 327 companies have posted more than 1.18 lakh opportunities (both new and edited unfilled opportunities of the previous round) across the country.  Of these, around 37,000 opportunities are for graduates, 23,000 for ITI holders, 18,000 for diploma holders, 15,000 for 12th-grade and 25,000 are available for candidates with 10th qualifications. Opportunities spanning across various sectors such as Automobile, Travel & Hospitality, Banking & Finance etc. and varied job roles, such as sales and marketing, technical roles for ITI passouts, HR internships, and more, have been provided. These opportunities are spread across 735 districts in all states and union territories of the country.

    In Round II of the Pilot Project, initiatives have been undertaken to enhance access to and spread awareness about the PM Internship Scheme. The dashboard of the PMIS Portal has been simplified, made more user-friendly, and greater details of the opportunities and roles offered have been provided. Officials from the MCA, state governments, and industry partners interacted with the youth at more than 80 outreach events held at various educational institutes, such as colleges and Rozgar Melas.

    A framework for assessment of the implementation of the Pilot Project, and to acknowledge and reward the efforts of the State and UTs in the implementation of the PMIS, has been introduced in round II of PMIS.

    The internship application window for round II is open up till 31ST March, 2025. 

    Eligible youth can apply through the new mobile app or through the Portal accessible at https://pminternship.mca.gov.in/.

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    (Release ID: 2112011) Visitor Counter : 16

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: NYPS 2.0 OPENS TO ALL CITIZENS ACROSS THE COUNTRY

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 17 MAR 2025 8:00PM by PIB Delhi

    The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs has unveiled an upgraded version of the National Youth Parliament Scheme (NYPS) web portal, known as NYPS 2.0. Unlike the previous version, which was limited to students of recognized institutions, NYPS 2.0 is open to all citizens across the country regardless of economic status, gender, caste, creed, religion, race, region and place. Participation can be facilitated through the following ways: –

    1. Institution Participation:  All educational institutions can participate in this category by organizing the Youth Parliament sittings as per the guidelines available on the portal. The students from classes VI to XII may be selected for the “Kishore Sabha” sub-category and Under Graduate and Post Graduate level students may be selected for the “Tarun Sabha” sub-category.
    2. Group Participation: A group of citizens can participate in this category by organizing the Youth Parliament sittings as per the guidelines available on the portal.
    3. Individual Participation: An individual citizen can participate in this category by attempting a quiz on the theme of ‘Bharatiya Democracy in Action’.

    The unit of participation on NYPS portal is a registration not an institution and the year wise data regarding the number of registrations for conducting Youth Parliament sitting presently are as below:

    Sl. No

    Year

    Total Registrations
    1.  

    2019-20

    4369
    1.  

    2020-21

    3579
    1.  

    2021-22

    65
    1.  

    2022-23

    2337
    1.  

    2023-24

    1346
    1.  

    2024-25

    7242 (as on date)

                   

    The Ministry receives feedback from students and institutions from time to time regarding their challenges and concerns and necessary actions are taken thereon.     

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. L. Murugan in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.

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    SS/ISA

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: English Translation of Press Statement by Prime Minister during India-New Zealand Joint Press Statement

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 17 MAR 2025 7:26PM by PIB Delhi

    Your Excellency, Prime Minister Luxon,
    Delegates from both the countries,
    Friends from Media,
    Namaskar!
    Kia Ora!

    I warmly welcome Prime Minister Luxon and his delegation to India. Prime Minister Luxon has had a long relationship with India. We all witnessed, how a few days ago, he celebrated the joyous festival of Holi in Auckland! Prime Minister Luxon’s affection towards the people of Indian origin living in New Zealand can also be seen from the fact that a large community delegation has accompanied him to India. It is a matter of great pleasure for us to have a young, energetic and talented leader like him as the Chief Guest of the Raisina Dialogue this year.

    Friends,

    Today we held in-depth discussions on various areas of our bilateral relations. We’ve decided to strengthen and institutionalise our defense and security collaboration. In addition to joint exercises, training, and port visits, a roadmap for bilateral defense industry collaboration will be developed. Our navies are working together in the Combined Task Force-150 for maritime security in the Indian Ocean. And, we are happy that a New Zealand naval ship is making a port call in Mumbai in two days.

    Friends,

    We have decided to begin discussions for a mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement between the two countries. This shall increase the potential for bilateral trade and investment. Mutual cooperation and investment shall be encouraged in fields such as Dairy, Food Processing, and Pharma. We have given priority to mutual cooperation in the areas of Renewable Energy and Critical Minerals. Joint work shall be done in Forestry and Horticulture. I am confident that the large business delegation accompanying the Prime Minister shall get an opportunity to explore and understand the new possibilities in India.

    Friends,

    Whether it is cricket, hockey, or mountaineering, the two countries share a long-standing bond in sports. We have agreed to strengthen cooperation in sports coaching, player exchange, and areas such as sports science, psychology, and medicine. We have decided to celebrate 100 years of sports relations between our two nations in 2026.

    Friends,

    The Indian community living in New Zealand is making a valuable contribution to the country’s social and economic development. We have agreed to work swiftly on an agreement to simplify the mobility of skilled workers and address issues related to illegal migration. We shall also focus on enhancing UPI connectivity, promoting digital transactions, and boosting tourism. Our ties in the field of education are long-standing, and we invite universities from New Zealand to establish campuses in India.

    Friends,

    We stand united against terrorism. Whether it is the Christchurch terrorist attack of March 15, 2019 or the Mumbai attack of November 26, 2008, terrorism in any form is unacceptable. Strict action must be taken against those responsible for such attacks. We will continue to cooperate in combating terrorism, separatist, and extremist elements. In this regard, we have also shared our concerns about anti-India activities by certain illegal elements in New Zealand. We’re confident that we will continue to receive the full cooperation of the New Zealand Government against such illegal elements.

    Friends,

    We both support a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. We believe in the policy of development, not expansionism. We welcome New Zealand joining the Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative. Following its membership in the International Solar Alliance, we also congratulate New Zealand for joining the CDRI.

    Friends,

    Finally, in the language of Rugby, I would say – both of us are ready to “Front up” for a bright future in our relationship. We are ready to step up together and take responsibility for a bright partnership! And, I am confident that our partnership will prove to be a match-winning partnership for the people of both countries.

    Thank you very much!

    DISCLAIMER – This is the approximate translation of Prime Minister’s remarks. Original remarks were delivered

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The women spies who fooled the Nazis with simple tricks

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Josephine Durant des Aulnois, PhD student in Sociology, University of Oxford

    If spy films have taught us anything, it’s that the people chosen for a career in espionage are special. They are the cream of the crop selected because they exhibit unique skills: high levels of intelligence and certain emotional traits that made them perfect for spying.

    During the second world war, the Special Operations Executive (SOE) was a British agency tasked with training spies to conduct espionage, sabotage and reconnaissance in German-occupied Europe and in east Asia. Active from 1940 to 1946, SOE was a pioneering British secret service. This is because it employed civilians, from all backgrounds, including women, which was unusual at a time where most spies were recruited from the army.

    The women hired by the agency were the only ones allowed to take on a combatant role by the British Army during the second world war. However, many have been unjustly forgotten.

    These women were active throughout Nazi-occupied Europe, but most women worked in France. They were not French, but French speakers who tried to pass for local. On paper, this might seem impossible, since being fluent in a language does not make you a spy.

    SOE recruited prospective agents on the basis of their language skills, and trained most of them in England before sending them into the field. Despite their lack of experience, many SOE women successfully duped German soldiers. Here are some of the simple but effective ways they managed such deception.

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    Emotional control

    First, women spies sometimes fooled people simply by appearing calm. Irish agent Maureen Patricia “Paddy” O’Sullivan had grown-up in Belgium and was renowned for her daring personality. In a post-war interview, she described how she avoided a thorough search while carrying compromising documents. O’Sullivan acted confident and friendly to divert the soldier’s attention from her bag:

    As she laughed and joked with the German, he was distracted from making a closer examination.

    The spies’ cool was frequently praised in post-war commendations. Remaining calm was no mean feat, especially since most SOE recruits had never worked undercover. In France, they could be questioned by Nazis at any time and nervousness made them look suspicious.

    Agent Yvonne Cormeau joined SOE after losing her husband during a bombing at the beginning of the war. In a 1989 interview, she summarised the situation perfectly: “We learned to live with fear.”

    Physical appearance

    SOE spies did alter their appearance in order not to be recognised, but for most, this merely involved picking clothes which matched their cover. Yvonne Cormeau was sent to a farm in southern France, where the pro-Allied owners gave her new clothes and an apron. She was supposed to pass as their assistant and needed to look like one.

    A few agents went a step further and dyed their hair. This was the case of Noor Inayat Khan (code name Madeleine), a Sufi Muslim of royal lineage born to Indian and American parents. Betrayed to the Germans, she was executed at Dachau concentration camp in 1944.

    Noor Inayat Khan.
    Imperial War Museums/Wikimedia, CC BY

    Inayat Khan’s contribution to SOE proved invaluable. For several months in 1943, she was the sole radio operator still active in Paris amid the growing Gestapo presence.

    However, her constant hair dyeing was less effective. To try and escape the notice of the Gestapo, she regularly bleached her hair blonde, but this actually brought her to the attention of the Germans.

    They questioned Alfred and Emilie Balachowsky, her contacts who lived near Paris and led a local resistance network, about the presence of a woman “sometimes blonde and sometimes brunette”. The agent was not arrested on that occasion, but her efforts had backfired.

    Everyday habits

    Locals like the Balachowskys provided crucial support for SOE women, who could be given away by any small gesture. Despite having grown up near Paris, Inayat Khan threatened her cover just by pouring tea.

    Shortly after her arrival, Mrs Balachowsky invited neighbours to a tea party, during which the SOE agent poured the milk first into her cup, leading a neighbour to comment that she behaved like a Brit. Emilie Balachowsky quickly corrected Inayat Khan, who was not the only spy to make errors based on cultural differences.

    Yvonne Cormeau.
    Imperial War Museums/Wikimedia, CC BY

    While at the farm, Yvonne Cormeau was asked to watch the owner’s cows. She was about to bring her knitting kit, until her contact explained that this would give her away: “I was forbidden from knitting, as we Englishwomen knit differently.”

    These anecdotes are a testament to the importance of everyday habits and of the agents’ local contacts. For SOE women, espionage in France was very much about teamwork.

    While Inayat Khan was compromised and executed, for the most part the SOE’s civilian programme for women was a success. The SOE paved the way for other agencies which gradually started to recruit civilians of all genders after the second world war.

    Some of its methods are also used by modern secret services, such as the illegals programme, a Russian initiative which involves sending Russian operatives fluent in English undercover in the US.

    Despite this success, the contribution of women like Patricia O’Sullivan, Yvonne Cormeau and Noor Inayat Khan has remained widely overlooked. They deserve to be remembered along with the period’s male spies.

    Josephine Durant des Aulnois receives funding from the Clarendon Fund, managed by Oxford University.

    – ref. The women spies who fooled the Nazis with simple tricks – https://theconversation.com/the-women-spies-who-fooled-the-nazis-with-simple-tricks-251653

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: The Department Of Education Has Failed — Trump Is Delivering Much Needed Reform

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator MarkWayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma)

    ICYMI: The Department Of Education Has Failed — Trump Is Delivering Much Needed Reform

    Washington, D.C. – ICYMI, The Daily Wire published U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin’s (R-OK) op-ed detailing how the Department of Education has failed America’s children and why he believes President Trump is taking the right approach to improve student outcomes. The Senator notes that our country has one of the highest education expenditures on the planet while national test scores have only fallen since the Department’s inception. “By dismantling the Department of Education, we will return power to where it belongs: states, parents, and teachers,” said Sen. Mullin.

    Read the full story from The Daily Wire HERE and below:

    The Department Of Education Has Failed — Trump Is Delivering Much Needed Reform

    By Senator Markwayne Mullin | March 13, 2025

    For more than four decades, the federal government has controlled American education, and the results speak for themselves: declining test scores, skyrocketing costs, and millions of students left behind. Since its creation in 1979, the Department of Education has burned through more than $1 trillion in taxpayer dollars. What do we have to show for it?

    The latest data from the Nation’s Report Card paints a bleak picture. Mathematics and reading scores for 13-year-olds are at their lowest in decades. Barely a third of elementary school students can read at grade level. Low-performing students are faring even worse. And despite the government throwing more money at the problem — per-pupil spending has surged by more than 245% since the 1970s — outcomes have only gotten worse.

    Meanwhile, the cost of college has exploded by 155% since the Department of Education’s founding. Students are graduating with crushing debt, only to land jobs that don’t even require degrees. We have seen funding fall by 50% for career and technical education while Democrats continue to spend money on woke nonsense. Funding for Indian education has also declined by 27% alongside impact aid for schools serving military families which has dropped by 41%. Instead of fixing these problems, the Biden administration made things worse. Our kids deserve better.

    Under Biden, the Department of Education wasted $1 billion on grants pushing radical ideologies and rewrote Title IX to let men compete in women’s sports. Bureaucrats in Washington are drowning schools in regulations, adding $3.9 billion in costs. Even a simple task like simplifying the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) proved too much for Biden’s team.

    Enough is enough.

    President Trump is delivering the reform America needs. His administration has already canceled $226 million in woke grants which forced divisive agendas like race-based discrimination and gender identity ideology onto states. But that’s just the beginning. By dismantling the Department of Education, we will return power to where it belongs: states, parents, and teachers.

    The Constitution never envisioned a federal role in education — it’s a responsibility reserved for the states. Yet for decades, the Department of Education has smothered schools with regulations, diverted resources to ideological crusades, and undermined teachers, parents, and students. Thanks to President Trump, taxpayers will no longer foot the bill for progressive experiments and obsolete programs.

    This isn’t just about cutting costs — it’s about unleashing potential. Imagine empowering states to achieve educational excellence: going back to basics like math and reading — not divisive ideologies — and adopting patriotic civics lessons that inspire pride in our nation’s history. Governors will be measured by student success, not by how well they comply with Washington’s bureaucratic demands. Education will be brought closer to the students and our system will be transformed.

    The benefits will ripple outward. Teachers, freed from layers of red tape, will be able to do what they do best — teach. Parents will finally have a real say in their children’s education. And America’s schools will no longer be controlled by faceless bureaucrats or teachers’ unions pushing political agendas. The woke stranglehold on public education will be broken.

    Critics will cry that eliminating the Department of Education will hurt students. But the truth is, Washington has failed them for generations. It’s time to try something new. President Trump’s vision trusts states and parents to deliver what Washington never could: an education system that works.

    With President Trump’s leadership, we’re not just reforming education — we’re reclaiming it. The future of our children, and our nation, depends on it.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Relief Still Available to Illinois Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by the Orion Parkview Apartment Fire

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in Illinois of the April 15, 2025, deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by the Orion Parkview Apartment Fire occurring on June 17, 2014. 

    The disaster declaration covers the counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, McHenry and Will in Illinois, as well as Lake County in Indiana.   

    Under this declaration, SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives and PNPs impacted by financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.   

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster. 

    “SBA loans help eligible small businesses and private nonprofits cover operating expenses after a disaster, which is crucial for their recovery,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “These loans not only help business owners get back on their feet but also play a key role in sustaining local economies in the aftermath of a disaster.” 

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.25% for PNPs, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition. 

    To apply online visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services. 

    The deadline to return economic injury applications is April 15, 2025. 

    ### 

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration 

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Kabaddi World Cup: City hosts opening of international spectacle

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    WV Active Aldersley staged the opening ceremony and first games of the tournament today (Monday 17 March, 2025).

    The opening ceremony featured live music by students from Wolverhampton Music Service, local dance acts and a parade of athlete from across the world who are taking part.

    The host nation England men’s team then got the live action underway with the first group stage game against Hungary. A number of other men’s and women’s games then took place featuring teams including India, Poland, China and the USA.

    It’s the first time that the Kabaddi World Cup has been hosted outside of Asia and Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Resident Services, said it was a very proud moment for the city of Wolverhampton to host the festivities.

    He said: “The ceremony and opening games were spectacular to witness. It’s a real honour to have the Kabaddi World Cup taking place on our doorstep and we can’t wait to host the semi-finals and finals this weekend.

    “It’s exciting to welcome fans not just from Wolverhampton but from far and wide to our city, as well as the millions tuning in online to watch the action. This is a global celebration of sport and cultures and we’re proud to be the home for it.”

    Wolverhampton is also hosting day two of the tournament tomorrow (Tuesday) before the action takes to the road with games being hosted in Coventry, Birmingham and Walsall. The tournament then returns to Wolverhampton on Saturday for the semi-finals and Sunday for the finals, third place play-off and closing ceremony.

    Councillor Gakhal added: “Events of this scale help support the local economy and help put the city on the map, so I encourage everyone to snap up the final remaining tickets while they can.”

    Tickets are still available for this week and information on how to purchase can be found at Kabaddi World Cup England 2025. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Iterate.ai’s Kevin Homer Named CRN Channel Chief Amid AI PC Partnership Success

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN JOSE, Calif. and DENVER, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Iterate.ai, whose AI platform enables enterprises to build production-ready applications and ready-to-use products for private AI requirements and the AI PC era, today announced that CRN has named Kevin Homer as a 2025 Channel Chief. The recognition comes as Iterate.ai expands its channel-first strategy, bringing secure and local AI processing capabilities to business through recent strategic partnerships with companies including Intel and TD SYNNEX. Iterate.ai’s channel program now has more than 50 partners, with plans to continue expanding rapidly this year.

    Homer has led Iterate.ai’s channel-centric model by establishing partnerships that make Generate—Iterate’s privacy-first AI Assistant—available to over 25,000 resellers. Generate’s ability to process documents more than 1,000 pages locally on AI PCs, among its many other capabilities, positions partners to address growing business demands for secure AI deployment. Unlike cloud-dependent AI assistants, Generate’s proprietary Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) framework ensures sensitive data remains within organizational boundaries while eliminating cloud processing costs.

    “The channel is ideal for what Iterate.ai brings to the market,” said Homer. “Through our recent deals with TD SYNNEX, Intel, and others, we’re empowering partners to drive revenue while delivering AI solutions that protect users’ sensitive data by running entirely on local AI PCs. This has created tremendous services opportunities for our partners as their customers seek more secure ways to leverage AI, while our partner portal and upcoming MDF program provide the resources needed to accelerate their growth.”

    “Kevin’s vision for Iterate.ai in the channel aligns well with our product development and the emergence of AI PCs that demand secure AI deployments,” said Brian Sathianathan, CTO and co-founder of Iterate.ai. “His recognition by CRN validates our strategy of scaling through partners who can deliver complete, secure AI solutions for years to come.”

    Homer brings 25 years of technology sales experience to Iterate.ai, having previously built successful channel programs at LogRhythm and Vericept. His CRN Channel Chief achievement adds to Iterate.ai’s industry recognition; the company has recently been recognized in Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators, named to the KM World AI 100, and had its Interplay-AppCoder LLM awarded the best AI and Machine Learning Model by InfoWorld.

    About Iterate.ai

    Iterate.ai is at the forefront of empowering businesses with state-of-the-art AI solutions, like Generate and its AI low code platform, Interplay. Interplay is cloud-agnostic and can run AI on the edge and in secure private environments. With six patents granted (including “drag-and-drop AI”) and nearly a dozen more pending, Iterate.ai’s platform offers corporate innovators a low-risk, speedy, and systematic way to scale in-house, near-term digital innovation initiatives. With its largest offices in San Jose, CA and Denver, CO, Iterate.ai has a global presence with other offices in North America (Texas, Washington, Arizona), Europe (Stockholm), and Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Singapore).

    Contact

    Kyle Peterson
    kyle@clementpeterson.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e20a4206-0b49-4122-92ed-85343513d9eb

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: India, Japan and UAE defy global deal downturn in early 2025, reveals GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    India, Japan and UAE defy global deal downturn in early 2025, reveals GlobalData

    Posted in Business Fundamentals

    The global deal landscape has slowed during the first two months of 2025, with overall deal volume dropping 9% compared to the same period last year. Europe has seen a sharp contraction, while India, Japan and the UAE have shown resilience despite the broader downturn, reveals GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “This decline is indicative of a challenging environment, influenced by factors such as geopolitical tensions, inflationary pressures and macroeconomic conditions that have dampened deal-making sentiments.”

    An analysis of GlobalData’s Deals Database revealed that all the deal types under the coverage, mergers & acquisitions (M&A), private equity and venture financing, registered decline in volume during January-February 2025 compared to January-February 2024.

    M&A deal volume has seen a year-on-year (YoY) decrease of about 9% during January-February 2025, signaling a cautious approach from businesses that may be reevaluating their growth strategies amid the uncertainty.

    Similarly, the number of private equity deals have contracted by about 3%, suggesting that investors are becoming more selective in their investments, possibly prioritizing quality over quantity in the current market conditions.

    Venture financing deals have also taken a hit, with the YoY decline in volume pegged at about 9%, reflecting a tightening of capital availability for startups and emerging companies, which often rely on such funding to fuel innovation and growth.

    Bose adds: “Even though the intensity varied widely but all the regions experienced subdued deal activity during the review period. Meanwhile, the trend remained a mixed bag among different countries with some showcasing improvement in deal volume while some experiencing decline.”

    Europe has been particularly hard hit, with a staggering YoY decline of around 16%. This downturn is reflective of the ongoing economic challenges faced by the region, including energy crises and inflation, which have created an uncertain investment climate.

    In contrast, North America, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and African region have shown relative resilience, with modest declines of around 4%, 8% and 4%, respectively. Meanwhile South and Central America have experienced a contraction of around 13%.

    The US, while still leading in deal volume, has seen a decline of around 3%. The UK and China, however, have faced more significant challenges, with decline of around 20% each. Notably, India, Japan and the UAE have bucked the trend and showcased improvement in deal activity during the review period.

    Bose concludes: “While global deal activity slows, markets like India, Japan, and the UAE show resilience, driven by stable economies and demand for innovation. Going forward, we may see a more region-specific deal landscape, with investors focusing on growth opportunities in emerging markets while exercising caution in more uncertain economies.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Operation Take Back America Results in the Administrative Arrest of 81 Illegal Aliens, 25 of Whom Were Also Charged with Felony Criminal Offenses

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    Louisville, KY – During the week of March 10 through March 14, 2025, as part of Operation Take Back America, multiple federal law enforcement agencies in Kentucky worked together to repel the invasion of illegal immigration throughout the Commonwealth. The operation, coordinated out of Louisville, resulted in 81 administrative arrests of illegal aliens. Of the 81 illegal aliens arrested, 25 were also charged with immigration-related criminal offenses, including illegal reentry after deportation or removal, illegal possession of firearms, and illegal possession of controlled substances. In the Western District of Kentucky, 53 illegal aliens were administratively arrested, with 18 being criminally charged.  

    The illegal aliens not charged criminally will be held in ICE custody, pending removal proceedings and potential deportation.

    The arrests included illegal aliens from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Cuba, India and Palau. 

    U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations, Nashville, Sam Olson, Field Officer Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Chicago, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Acting Special Agent in Charge A.J. Gibes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and  U.S. Marshal Gary B. Burman of the Western District of Kentucky made the announcement.

    “I commend the work of our federal law enforcement partners, prosecutors, and support personnel who worked tirelessly to make this operation a success,” stated U.S. Attorney Bennett. “The aggressive investigation and prosecution of those who violate immigration laws positively impacts the security of our communities and of the Nation.”  

    The following 18 illegal aliens were charged by indictment or criminal complaint in the Western District of Kentucky: 

    Moises Archaga-Garcia, age 46, a citizen of Honduras, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 10, 2025, Archaga-Garcia was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about July 30, 2003. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison.

    Luis Alberto Torres-Flores, age 35, a citizen of El Salvador, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 10, 2025, Torres-Flores was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about August 29, 2014. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison.

    Lorenzo Perez-Perez, age 33, a citizen of Guatemala, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 10, 2025, Perez-Perez was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about December 7, 2011, and January 21, 2016. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. 

    Aroldo Rodriguez-Navarro, age 40, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 10, 2025, Rodriguez-Navarro was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about August 25, 2009, and June 5, 2014. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. 

    Angel David Zuniga-Baca, age 35, a citizen of Honduras, was charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and reentry after deportation or removal. On or about October 12, 2024, Zuniga-Baca possessed a firearm in Jefferson County, Kentucky, with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. On or about March 10, 2025, Zuniga-Baca was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about November 16, 2009, and April 25, 2014. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison.

    Ewin Cabrera-Cabrera, age 33, a citizen of Honduras, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 11, 2025, Cabrera-Cabrera was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about April 10, 2014, and February 7, 2013. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison.

    Roberto Cruz-Pacheco, age 34, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 11, 2025, Cruz-Pacheco was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about December 31, 2008. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. 

    Darwin Martinez-Figueroa, age 41, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 11, 2025, Martinez-Figueroa was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about May 17, 2014, and April 11, 2018. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison.

    Williams Josue Rodriguez-Calix, age 28, a citizen of Honduras, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 11, 2025, Rodriguez-Calix was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about December 12, 2018. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. 

    Jose Rodriguez, age 39, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 11, 2025, Rodriguez was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about December 1, 2011, and February 28, 2020. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. 

    Zoiber Hernandez-Dominguez, age 50, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. On or about December 16, 2024, Hernandez-Dominguez possessed a firearm in Jefferson County, Kentucky, with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.

    Marcos Juarez-Morente, age 38 a citizen of Guatemala, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 13, 2025, Juarez-Morente was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about January 20, 2006, and May 19, 2006. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison.

    Esteban Perez-Cristostomo, age 45, a citizen of Guatemala, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 13, 2025, Perez-Cristostomo was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about January 21, 2010. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. 

    Ramiro Galeana-Arzate, age 28, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 14, 2025, Galeana-Arzate was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about December 4, 2020. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 2 years in prison. 

    Humberto Avila-Duran, age 54, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and reentry after deportation or removal. On or about March 14, 2025, Avila-Duran possessed a firearm in Jefferson County, Kentucky, with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. On the same day, Avila-Duran was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about January 21, 2011, March 3, 2011, March 8, 2011, August 14, 2012, May 9, 2014, May 13, 2014, and November 13, 2020. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison. 

    Humberto Avila-Murillo, age 28, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. On or about March 14, 2025, Avila-Murillo possessed a firearm in Jefferson County, Kentucky, with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. 

    Edi Diaz-Lopez, age 30, a citizen of Mexico, was charged possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. On or about January 3, 2025, Diaz-Lopez possessed a firearm and methamphetamine with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.

    Alvaro Mandujano-Rodriguez, age 32, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and reentry after deportation or removal. On or about October 7, 2023, Mandujano-Rodriguez was an alien found in the United States after having been denied admission, excluded, deported, and removed from the United States on or about November 29, 2025. On the same date, Mandujano-Rodriguez possessed two firearms in Jefferson County, Kentucky, with knowledge that he was an alien illegally and unlawfully in the United States. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of 17 years in prison.

    A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    The operation was coordinated by HSI Nashville and ICE/ERO Chicago. The cases are being investigated by the HSI, ICE/ERO, FBI, ATF, DEA, and USMS.

    These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    An indictment or 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: Key advantages of investing in Bajaj Finserv Consumption Fund

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PUNE, India, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — India’s evolving consumption landscape offers opportunity to investors, thanks to a growing middle class and shifting consumer habits. The Bajaj Finserv Consumption Fund stands as a gateway for those looking to capitalize on this surge. By strategically investing in key sectors poised for growth, this fund targets long-term potential gains driven by rising domestic consumption.

    India’s consumption wave

    The consumption boom in India is powered by a union of socio-economic changes. As more people enter the middle class with increased purchasing power, the demand for a diverse range of goods and services is expected to grow. This transformation is shaped by several trends:

    Rising affluence: India is seeing a shift toward more affluent consumers, who are now prioritizing quality over quantity in their purchasing decisions. The demand for luxury and premium products is rapidly increasing, with people seeking value-added goods that improve their lifestyles.

    Health and wellness: A growing focus on well-being has led to a rise in demand for health-centric products. Consumers are now more conscious about what they consume, choosing items that align with a health-conscious lifestyle, such as organic food, fitness-related products, and immunity-boosting supplements.

    Convenience: Convenience-driven purchasing has skyrocketed, with online shopping, food delivery, and quick-service solutions gaining traction. Today’s consumers want easy and fast access to products, shifting the retail sector toward e-commerce and other digital platforms.

    Broadening consumption horizons: India’s rural markets are registering growing demand and provide an opportunity for driving the consumption sector.

    How the Bajaj Finserv Consumption Fund taps into these trends

    The Bajaj Finserv Consumption Fund seeks to leverage these trends by investing in companies directly benefiting from India’s growing consumption sector. Here’s how it aligns with the evolving market:

    Investing in high-growth sectors: The fund targets businesses that are positioned to capitalize on the changing consumer behaviour. By investing in emerging sectors, it taps into the rapid growth driven by rising disposable incomes and evolving consumer preferences.

    Focused approach: Staying true to its theme, the fund focuses on sectors and companies directly impacted by increased consumption. This detailed and defined strategy ensures that every investment decision aligns with the broader goal of capturing growth in the consumption space.

    Diverse market exposure: Unlike traditional funds that focus solely on large cap stocks, the Bajaj Finserv Consumption Fund adopts a more flexible approach. It invests across the market cap spectrum, balancing the stability of established firms with the growth potential of mid and small cap companies.

    Future-oriented investment philosophy: The fund focuses on long-term growth by identifying emerging trends and high-potential companies. This proactive approach ensures that the fund remains ahead of the curve and positions itself to benefit from the next wave of consumption-driven growth.

    Who should consider this fund?

    The Bajaj Finserv Consumption Fund may be well-suited for a wide range of investors. Whether you are looking for high-growth potential or diversification in your existing portfolio, this fund offers several advantages:

    Lumpsum investors: For those looking to make a one-time investment, the fund presents a unique opportunity to tap into India’s expanding consumption market.

    Risk-tolerant investors: If you are open to higher risks in pursuit of returns, this fund aligns well with your objectives. The consumption sector has the potential for both high growth and volatility, making it suitable for those with a higher risk tolerance.

    Tactical portfolio diversification: If you want to add depth and variety to your equity portfolio, this fund can be a way to diversify into a specific sector that shows tremendous growth potential. It complements broader investment strategies and enhances overall portfolio performance.

    Long-term investors: The fund is a suitable option for those with a five-year or more investment horizon. By focusing on long-term growth, the fund allows investors to ride out market fluctuations while benefiting from the overall rise in consumption.

    Enhancing your investment strategy

    To optimize the potential of your investment, consider using tools like a monthly SIP calculator. This tool allows you to systematically invest small amounts over time, leveraging the power of compounding and making it easier to achieve your investment goals in the long run.

    The Bajaj Finserv Consumption Fund offers opportunity to invest in India’s dynamic consumption sector. With its focused investment strategy and forward-looking approach, it may benefit from the projected growth in domestic consumer demand. Whether you are a seasoned investor or just getting started, this fund provides the tools and strategy necessary to tap into the evolving consumption trends and build wealth for the future.

    Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully.

    This document should not be treated as endorsement of the views/opinions or as investment advice. This document should not be construed as a research report or a recommendation to buy or sell any security. This document is for information purpose only and should not be construed as a promise on minimum returns or safeguard of capital. This document alone is not sufficient and should not be used for the development or implementation of an investment strategy. The recipient should note and understand that the information provided above may not contain all the material aspects relevant for making an investment decision. Investors are advised to consult their own investment advisor before making any investment decision in light of their risk appetite, investment goals and horizon. This information is subject to change without any prior notice.

    Bajaj Finserv Consumption Fund is an open ended equity scheme following consumption theme.

    Contact Info:

    Phone no.: 1800-3093900

    Name: Gaurav Parmar

    Email: gaurav.parmar@bajajamc.com

    Organization: Bajaj Finserv Asset Management

    Disclaimer: This press release is provided by the Bajaj Finserv Asset Management. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice. Investing involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release.

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    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b95feccc-47af-4ee5-bb65-42b2ef1a7e0b

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: PIMCO Announces 2025 Managing Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PIMCO, a global leader in active fixed income with deep expertise across public and private markets, is pleased to share the promotion of the officers of the firm to Managing Director.

    “Our goal is to have a Managing Director group as a collective that represents broad skillsets and expertise across our business globally, and leaders who embody PIMCO’s core values and our commitment to integrity and excellence – the key elements of our culture”, said PIMCO Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Roman and PIMCO Group Chief Investment Officer Daniel Ivascyn.

    The following officers have been promoted to Managing Director with these objectives in mind: 

    Ben Ensminger-Law
    Mr. Ensminger-Law is a managing director and portfolio manager in the New York office. Prior to joining PIMCO in 2018, he was an analyst at Claren Road and previously worked at Citigroup in the U.S. and Asia. He began his career at MMC and has 24 years of investment experience. He holds an MBA from the University of Virginia and a bachelor’s degree from Brown University.

    Esteban Burbano
    Mr. Burbano is a managing director and fixed income strategist in the New York office. He joined PIMCO in 2009. Prior to joining PIMCO, Mr. Burbano was at Goldman Sachs and Bank of America. He has 21 years of investment experience and holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he also received undergraduate degrees in economics and engineering.

    Kirill Zavodov
    Mr. Zavodov is a managing director and portfolio manager in the London office. Prior to joining PIMCO in 2020, he was a managing director in the merchant banking division of Goldman Sachs. He began his career at The Blackstone Group. He has 14 years of investment experience and holds a Ph.D. in financial economics from the University of Cambridge.

    Rachit Jain
    Mr. Jain is a managing director and portfolio manager in the London office. Prior to joining PIMCO in 2009, he was an assistant director in the principal trading group at Royal Bank of Scotland/ABN Amro. He has 17 years of investment experience and holds master’s and undergraduate degrees in mathematics and computing from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Delhi, India.

    Sam Watkins
    Mr. Watkins is a managing director and head of PIMCO’s business in Australia and New Zealand. Prior to joining PIMCO in 2022, he worked at Goldman Sachs. Previously, he worked at Deutsche Bank, Credit Suisse, and Macquarie Bank in Australia. He has 24 years of investment and financial services experience and holds an undergraduate degree in agricultural economics from the University of Sydney.

    DISCLOSURES

    About PIMCO 

    PIMCO is a global leader in active fixed income with deep expertise across public and private markets. We invest our clients’ capital across a range of fixed income and credit opportunities, drawing upon our decades of experience navigating complex debt markets. Our flexible capital base and deep relationships with issuers have helped us become one of the world’s largest providers of traditional and nontraditional solutions for companies that need financing and investors who seek strong risk-adjusted returns.

    Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements contained in this news release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including the performance of financial markets, the investment performance of PIMCO’s sponsored investment products and separately managed accounts, general economic conditions, future acquisitions, competitive conditions and government regulations, including changes in tax laws. Readers should carefully consider such factors. Further, such forward-looking statements speak only on the date at which such statements are made. PIMCO undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements.

    Contact:
    Michael Reid
    Global Head of Corporate Communications
    Ph. 212-597-1301
    Email: michael.reid@pimco.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Rapid7 Announces Global Capability Center in India

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BOSTON, March 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rapid7, Inc., Inc. (NASDAQ: RPD), a leader in extended risk and threat detection, today announced plans for expansion in India, including the opening of a new Global Capability Center (GCC) in Pune to serve as an innovation hub and Security Operations Center (SOC). In addition, the company announced a series of in-region events to engage with government, education, and talent stakeholders on Rapid7’s commitment to enable customers to simplify security, take control of their attack surface, and confidently navigate a dynamic threat landscape.

    The GCC will open in April 2025 with a focus on expanding Rapid7’s ability to provide seamless, 24×7 security operations coverage to their growing global customers worldwide. Hiring for the new office will prioritize building a team that drives product and service innovation in cyber operations, in addition to building the cybersecurity talent pipeline in the local market and fostering AI collaborations with corporations and academic institutions.

    “Expanding into India is a critical step in accelerating Rapid7’s investments in security operations leadership and customer-centric innovation,” said Corey Thomas, chairman and CEO of Rapid7. “Innovation thrives when multi-dimensional teams come together to solve complex challenges, and this new hub strengthens our ability to deliver the most adaptive, predictive, and responsive cybersecurity solutions to customers worldwide. Establishing a Security Operations Center in Pune also enhances our ability to scale threat detection and response globally while connecting the exceptional technical talent in the region to impactful career opportunities. We are excited to grow a world-class team in India that will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of cybersecurity.”

    “Rapid7 is known for its high-performing teams that challenge boundaries and embrace rapid technological change, from generative AI and machine learning to cutting-edge security solutions,” said Swami Nathan, Rapid7 country manager, India. “I’m excited to lead this transformational journey in Pune, where every team member will have the opportunity to grow, drive meaningful impact for our customers, and help shape a more secure digital future.”

    Rapid7 is at the forefront of global conversations on cyber and AI security policy and development of those business ecosystems and, following that tradition, Sabeen Malik, Rapid7’s vice president of global government affairs and public policy, will attend and participate on a panel at the Raisina Dialogue entitled “Concert of Oceans: Towards A Digital Indo-Pacific,” alongside Amit Shukla, Joint Secretary, Cyber Diplomacy Division, Ministry of External Affairs, India.

    In May, Rapid7 will host three in-region Security Day events in Mumbai (May 8), Delhi (May 13), and Bangalore (May 15). These events will bring together leaders from top corporations, academic institutions, and government to explore the evolving cyber threat landscape, share insights from their cybersecurity journeys, and discover the latest advancements in Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM), Cyber Asset Attack Surface Management (CAASM), Attack Surface Management (ASM), and Managed Extended Detection and Response (MXDR). These events are open to Rapid7 customers, potential clients, and partners.

    To learn more about Security Days visit https://www.rapid7.com/lp/2025-global-security-days/.

    To learn more about joining the Rapid7 team in India visit https://careers.rapid7.com/rapid7-pune.

    About Rapid7
    Rapid7, Inc. (NASDAQ: RPD) is on a mission to create a safer digital world by making cybersecurity simpler and more accessible. We empower security professionals to manage a modern attack surface through our best-in-class technology, leading-edge research, and broad, strategic expertise. Rapid7’s comprehensive security solutions help more than 11,000 global customers unite cloud risk management with threat detection and response to reduce attack surfaces and eliminate threats with speed and precision. For more information, visit our website, check out our blog, or follow us on LinkedIn or X.

    Rapid7 Media Relations
    Alice Randall
    Director, Global Corporate Communications
    press@rapid7.com
    (857) 216-7804

    Rapid7 Investor Contact
    Elizabeth Chwalk
    Vice President, Investor Relations
    investors@rapid7.com
    (617) 865-4277

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Global crises have hit education hard: 24 years of research offers a way forward for southern Africa

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Emmanuel Ojo, Associate Professor, University of the Witwatersrand

    Global crises have shaped our world over the past two decades, affecting education systems everywhere. Higher education researcher Emmanuel Ojo has studied the impact of these disruptions on educational opportunities, particularly in southern Africa.

    He looked at 5,511 peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2024 to explore what the research suggests about making education systems more resilient. Here, he answers some questions about his review.

    What are the global crises that have undermined education?

    In my review I drew up a table documenting how multiple crises have disrupted education systems worldwide.

    The cycle began with the 2000-2002 dot-com bubble collapse, which reduced education funding and slowed technological integration. This was followed by the 2001 terrorist attacks, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak (2002-2004), Iraq War (2003-2011), Indian Ocean tsunami (2004), and Hurricane Katrina (2005). The Israeli-Palestinian conflict since 2000, global food crisis (2007-2008), financial crisis (2007-2008), and European debt crisis (2010-2012) continued this pattern of disruption.

    More recently, the Ebola epidemic, COVID-19 pandemic, and Russia-Ukraine war have destabilised education systems. Meanwhile, the ongoing climate crisis creates challenges, particularly in southern Africa where environmental vulnerability is high.

    Who suffers most, and in what ways?

    Education has consistently been among the hardest-hit sectors globally. According to Unesco, the COVID pandemic alone affected more than 1.6 billion students worldwide.

    But the impact is not distributed equally.

    My research shows crises have put vulnerable populations at a further disadvantage through school closures, funding diversions, infrastructure destruction and student displacement. Quality and access decline most sharply for marginalised communities. Costs rise and mobility is restricted. Food insecurity during crises reduces attendance among the poorest students.

    In southern Africa, the Covid-19 disruption highlighted existing divides. Privileged students continued learning online. Those in rural and informal settlements were completely cut off from education.

    Climate change compounds these inequalities. Unicef highlights that climate disasters have a disproportionate impact on schooling for millions in low-income countries, where adaptive infrastructure is limited.

    What’s at stake for southern Africa is the region’s development potential and social cohesion. The widening of educational divides threatens to create a generation with unequal opportunities and capabilities.

    What makes southern African education systems fragile?

    My review focused on the 16 countries of the Southern African Development Community, revealing what makes them vulnerable to crisis impacts.

    Southern Africa’s geographic exposure to climate disasters combines with pre-existing economic inequalities. The region’s digital divide became starkly visible during the Covid-19 pandemic. Some students were excluded from learning by limited connectivity and unreliable electricity.

    The region’s systems also rely on external funding. The Trump administration’s sudden foreign aid freeze was a shock to South Africa’s higher education sector. It has affected public health initiatives and university research programmes.

    Research representation itself is unequal. Within the region, South African researchers dominate and other nations make only limited contributions. This creates blind spots in understanding context-specific challenges and solutions.

    Each successive crisis deepens educational divides, making recovery increasingly difficult and costly. Weaker education systems make the region less able to respond to other development challenges, too.

    How can southern Africa build education systems to withstand crises?

    One striking finding from my review was the surge in educational research after the Covid-19 pandemic began – from 229 studies in 2019 to nearly double that in 2020, with continued rapid growth thereafter. This indicates growing recognition that education systems must be redesigned to withstand future disruptions, not merely recover from current ones.

    Research points to a number of ways to do this:

    • Strategic investment in educational infrastructure, particularly digital technologies, to ensure learning continuity.

    • Equipping educators with skills to adapt teaching methods during emergencies.

    • Innovative, context-appropriate teaching approaches that empower communities.

    • Integration of indigenous knowledge systems into curricula, enhancing relevance, adaptability and community ownership.

    • Interdisciplinary and cross-national research collaborations.

    • Protection of education budgets, recognising education’s role in crisis recovery and long-term stability.

    • Community engagement in education, ensuring interventions are culturally appropriate and widely accepted.

    In my view, African philanthropists have a duty to provide the independent financial base that education systems need to withstand external funding fluctuations.

    What’s the cost of doing nothing?

    The economic and social costs of failing to build resilient education systems are profound and long-lasting. Each educational disruption creates negative effects that extend far beyond the crisis period.

    When students miss critical learning periods, it reduces their chances in life. The World Bank estimates that learning losses from the Covid-19 pandemic alone could result in up to US$17 trillion in lost lifetime earnings for affected students globally.

    Social costs are equally severe. Educational disruptions increase dropout rates, child marriage, early pregnancy, and youth unemployment. These outcomes create broader societal challenges that require costly interventions across multiple sectors.

    Spending on educational resilience avoids those costs.

    The question isn’t whether southern African nations can afford to invest in educational resilience, but whether they can afford not to.

    The choices made today will determine whether education systems merely survive crises or make society better. Evidence-based policies and regional cooperation are essential for building education systems that can fulfil Southern Africa’s human potential.

    – Global crises have hit education hard: 24 years of research offers a way forward for southern Africa
    – https://theconversation.com/global-crises-have-hit-education-hard-24-years-of-research-offers-a-way-forward-for-southern-africa-251833

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Global crises have hit education hard: 24 years of research offers a way forward for southern Africa

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Emmanuel Ojo, Associate Professor, University of the Witwatersrand

    Global crises have shaped our world over the past two decades, affecting education systems everywhere. Higher education researcher Emmanuel Ojo has studied the impact of these disruptions on educational opportunities, particularly in southern Africa.

    He looked at 5,511 peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2024 to explore what the research suggests about making education systems more resilient. Here, he answers some questions about his review.

    What are the global crises that have undermined education?

    In my review I drew up a table documenting how multiple crises have disrupted education systems worldwide.

    The cycle began with the 2000-2002 dot-com bubble collapse, which reduced education funding and slowed technological integration. This was followed by the 2001 terrorist attacks, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak (2002-2004), Iraq War (2003-2011), Indian Ocean tsunami (2004), and Hurricane Katrina (2005). The Israeli-Palestinian conflict since 2000, global food crisis (2007-2008), financial crisis (2007-2008), and European debt crisis (2010-2012) continued this pattern of disruption.

    More recently, the Ebola epidemic, COVID-19 pandemic, and Russia-Ukraine war have destabilised education systems. Meanwhile, the ongoing climate crisis creates challenges, particularly in southern Africa where environmental vulnerability is high.

    Who suffers most, and in what ways?

    Education has consistently been among the hardest-hit sectors globally. According to Unesco, the COVID pandemic alone affected more than 1.6 billion students worldwide.

    But the impact is not distributed equally.

    My research shows crises have put vulnerable populations at a further disadvantage through school closures, funding diversions, infrastructure destruction and student displacement. Quality and access decline most sharply for marginalised communities. Costs rise and mobility is restricted. Food insecurity during crises reduces attendance among the poorest students.

    In southern Africa, the Covid-19 disruption highlighted existing divides. Privileged students continued learning online. Those in rural and informal settlements were completely cut off from education.

    Climate change compounds these inequalities. Unicef highlights that climate disasters have a disproportionate impact on schooling for millions in low-income countries, where adaptive infrastructure is limited.

    What’s at stake for southern Africa is the region’s development potential and social cohesion. The widening of educational divides threatens to create a generation with unequal opportunities and capabilities.

    What makes southern African education systems fragile?

    My review focused on the 16 countries of the Southern African Development Community, revealing what makes them vulnerable to crisis impacts.

    Southern Africa’s geographic exposure to climate disasters combines with pre-existing economic inequalities. The region’s digital divide became starkly visible during the Covid-19 pandemic. Some students were excluded from learning by limited connectivity and unreliable electricity.

    The region’s systems also rely on external funding. The Trump administration’s sudden foreign aid freeze was a shock to South Africa’s higher education sector. It has affected public health initiatives and university research programmes.

    Research representation itself is unequal. Within the region, South African researchers dominate and other nations make only limited contributions. This creates blind spots in understanding context-specific challenges and solutions.

    Each successive crisis deepens educational divides, making recovery increasingly difficult and costly. Weaker education systems make the region less able to respond to other development challenges, too.

    How can southern Africa build education systems to withstand crises?

    One striking finding from my review was the surge in educational research after the Covid-19 pandemic began – from 229 studies in 2019 to nearly double that in 2020, with continued rapid growth thereafter. This indicates growing recognition that education systems must be redesigned to withstand future disruptions, not merely recover from current ones.

    Research points to a number of ways to do this:

    • Strategic investment in educational infrastructure, particularly digital technologies, to ensure learning continuity.

    • Equipping educators with skills to adapt teaching methods during emergencies.

    • Innovative, context-appropriate teaching approaches that empower communities.

    • Integration of indigenous knowledge systems into curricula, enhancing relevance, adaptability and community ownership.

    • Interdisciplinary and cross-national research collaborations.

    • Protection of education budgets, recognising education’s role in crisis recovery and long-term stability.

    • Community engagement in education, ensuring interventions are culturally appropriate and widely accepted.

    In my view, African philanthropists have a duty to provide the independent financial base that education systems need to withstand external funding fluctuations.

    What’s the cost of doing nothing?

    The economic and social costs of failing to build resilient education systems are profound and long-lasting. Each educational disruption creates negative effects that extend far beyond the crisis period.

    When students miss critical learning periods, it reduces their chances in life. The World Bank estimates that learning losses from the Covid-19 pandemic alone could result in up to US$17 trillion in lost lifetime earnings for affected students globally.

    Social costs are equally severe. Educational disruptions increase dropout rates, child marriage, early pregnancy, and youth unemployment. These outcomes create broader societal challenges that require costly interventions across multiple sectors.

    Spending on educational resilience avoids those costs.

    The question isn’t whether southern African nations can afford to invest in educational resilience, but whether they can afford not to.

    The choices made today will determine whether education systems merely survive crises or make society better. Evidence-based policies and regional cooperation are essential for building education systems that can fulfil Southern Africa’s human potential.

    Emmanuel Ojo receives funding from National Research Foundation (NRF).

    – ref. Global crises have hit education hard: 24 years of research offers a way forward for southern Africa – https://theconversation.com/global-crises-have-hit-education-hard-24-years-of-research-offers-a-way-forward-for-southern-africa-251833

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Remembering China’s Empress Dowager Ling, a Buddhist who paved the way for future female rulers

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Stephanie Balkwill, Associate Professor of Asian Languages and Cultures, University of California, Los Angeles

    In sixth-century China, a woman known to history as Empress Dowager Ling ruled over an empire called the Northern Wei. Historians do not know her birth name or in what year she was born, but they do know that she served as empress dowager between 515 and 528. As the spouse of a ruling emperor prior to his death, she retained the title of empress dowager in her widowhood.

    She ruled on behalf of her young son, the heir to the throne; however, her regency was interrupted by a coup d’etat from 520 to 525. Although the empress dowager was expected to rule only as a regent, historical records indicate that she administered court in her own name. These same records also reveal that she adopted a personal pronoun – “zhen 朕,” otherwise known as the Chinese “royal we” – that was reserved for the exclusive use of the emperor.

    In my recent book, “The Women Who Ruled China,” I offer an overview of these historical sources and records that document her life, including a translation of her biography retained in the official chronicle of the Northern Wei. Using these sources, I argue that even though the Empress Dowager’s rule was problematic and short – resulting in her assassination – she laid the foundation for other, more successful female rulers across medieval East Asia.

    Capitalizing on different cultural traditions

    In the late fifth century, the capital city of the Northern Wei was moved from its northern location in modern-day Datong, China, to its southern location in Luoyang, a city at the very heart of Han Chinese culture and history; however, the people who ruled the empire were not ethnically Han Chinese.

    Known as the Taghbach, this group migrated south from the Mongolian steppe and ruled a multiethnic and multicultural empire from Luoyang, the world’s largest city and the former capital of the Eastern Han dynasty. The Northern Wei empire adopted laws, institutions and policies from both Taghbach and Han Chinese traditions.

    This cultural hybridity enabled the empress dowager to rule directly: On one hand, the Chinese court system rooted in the Han dynasty had long included the position of empress dowager, even though none of the women who held it had ruled directly. On the other, Taghbach culture had no formal position of empress dowager prior to its adoption of court ranks in the Northern Wei, but it did have a long tradition of women in public life. These women served in the military and advised on political matters.

    Multiple sources of evidence indicate that Taghbach women had a high degree of personal autonomy and political power, with no source suggesting otherwise.

    A well-known story about Taghbach woman appears in the legend of Mulan, who is said to have dressed as a man so that she could serve in the military in place of her father. The Mulan legend is widely recounted in Chinese literature and inspired a fictional character in two Walt Disney movies based on the Chinese fable.

    As a historian of gender in this period, I believe that the Mulan legend does not accurately depict Taghbach women. Instead, it is a Chinese story that emphasizes a form of gender transgression that makes sense only within Chinese and Confucian culture. Unlike Chinese culture, Taghbach culture had long known women warriors who could ride horses and shoot arrows without concealing their gender.

    Empress Dowager Ling was not a warrior, but she embraced martial symbols of her own power that were available to women in Taghbach culture but not in Chinese culture. For example, she was an accomplished archer and famously drove her own horse cart, which was just as splendid and imposing as was the emperor’s cart.

    In the Confucian culture of Han China, such actions were considered highly inappropriate for women, but Empress Dowager Ling carried them out while holding the Chinese title of empress dowager. Her rule, like her empire, was culturally hybrid. That blend of cultural traditions enabled her to take power in a way that neither Chinese nor Taghbach women had done before.

    A Buddhist ruler

    By the time of the reign of the Northern Wei empire, both Taghbah and Chinese cultures had become deeply familiar with Buddhism, a religion that they had inherited from India in a long process of cultural exchange along the Silk Road. The empire had integrated methods of Buddhist statecraft into its own forms of governance.

    Simply put, what this meant was that the ruler of the empire legitimized his reign through Buddhism, portraying himself either as a Buddha or as a patron of Buddhists – their texts and institutions. This was a type of governance that was widely practiced in premodern East Asia.

    The bodhisattva Maitreya, considered to be the Buddha of the future.
    Rogers Fund, 1982/The Metropolitan Museum, New York

    Even though Buddhist statecraft was widespread in the empress dowager’s time, she was the first woman to directly legitimate her independent rule through Buddhism. As a patron of Buddhism, she commissioned majestic Buddhist architecture. Perhaps seen by her populace as a Buddhist figure herself, she symbolized her co-rule with her son by using a Buddhist visual motif of two Buddhas sitting side by side, a representation that came to be known as the rule by “Two Sages,” meaning tandem rulers depicted in the guise of buddhas. The source for the image was the popular Buddhist text, the “Lotus Sūtra.”

    She also attempted to put her own granddaughter on the throne after the death of her son. As I argue in my book, she did so by capitalizing on the idea that first her son, and then her granddaughter, were thought of as the bodhisattva Maitreya, a being of infinite compassion who is believed to be the future Buddha.

    The empress dowager’s legacy

    Empress Dowager Ling was largely unsuccessful in her bid for power. Her rule was short and contested. She was murdered, and her empire was toppled within 13 years of her rule. For five of those years, she was not in power because of a coup d’etat.

    However, about 150 years after the assassination of the empress dowager, another woman would rise to rule China independently, this time taking the title of “emperor.” That woman is known as Empress Wu, or Emperor Wu Zhao, and she is undoubtedly the most famous woman in all of Chinese history. Numerous historical sources attest to her life, work and rule.

    What those sources tell us, however, is that she ruled using the very same strategies as Empress Dowager Ling. Investing her own family heritage in distant links to the Taghbach, she also positioned herself as a “Two Sage” ruler alongside the emperor in precisely the same way that Empress Dowager Ling did. She was also able to successfully establish herself as the bodhisattva Maitreya by using Buddhist texts known to Empress Dowager Ling and her court.

    She patronized the very same Buddhist structures as did Empress Dowager Ling, including the Buddhist caves at Longmen, just outside of Luoyang. However, she accomplished what Empress Dowager Ling could not – holding onto power successfully. I argue her success was possible because Empress Dowager Ling had paved the way.

    Stephanie Balkwill 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. Remembering China’s Empress Dowager Ling, a Buddhist who paved the way for future female rulers – https://theconversation.com/remembering-chinas-empress-dowager-ling-a-buddhist-who-paved-the-way-for-future-female-rulers-251132

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New Collection Release: Pre-1901 Legal Documents of New Spain/Mexico

    Source: US Global Legal Monitor

    This month, the Law Library of Congress released Pre-1901 Legal Documents of New Spain/Mexico, a digital collection featuring approximately 300 items documenting the legal history of colonial Spanish America. The items date from the 16th to the 19th centuries and cover modern-day Mexico as well as the historical jurisdiction of New Spain, including territories that have since become part of the United States. Most items are from the 18th and 19th centuries.

    Examples of titles of interest to students of U.S. history may include Ordinances, by Major-General Andrew Jackson, governor of the provinces of the Floridas… or Ynstrucciones y reglamentos de Yndias, which is a bound collection of documents relating to the Spanish colonies and features early colonial documents from California and Puerto Rico, among others. Yet another title contains a copy of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848), which led to the creation of several present-day western U.S. states and recognized the Rio Grande as the southern boundary between the United States and Mexico.

    Older items of historical legal significance include the Cedulario de Puga, a compilation of royal provisions, degrees, instructions, and other legal texts published in Mexico in the 16th century by one of the earliest printers in Mexico, Pedro Ocharte. Another rare item, the Speculum Coniugiorum, is one of the earliest legal texts published in the Americas. It served as a handbook on marriage under the laws of the Catholic Church and provided detailed explanations of the matrimonial customs of the Aztec and Tarascan Indians of Mexico.

    The Law Library encourages researchers, legal historians, and anyone interested in the colonial history of the Americas to explore this exciting new digital collection.

    Subscribe to In Custodia Legis – it’s free! – to receive interesting posts drawn from the Law Library of Congress’s vast collections and our staff’s expertise in U.S., foreign, and international law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Asian Clearing Union (ACU) Mechanism – Indo-Maldives trade

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    RBI/2024-2025/125
    A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 22

    March 17, 2025

    To

    All Category-I Authorised Dealer Banks

    Madam/ Sir

    Asian Clearing Union (ACU) Mechanism – Indo-Maldives trade

    Attention of Authorised Dealer Category – I (AD Category-I) banks is invited to Subclause (a)(ii) of Clause (I) of Sub regulation 2 of Regulations 3 of Foreign Exchange Management (Manner of Receipt and Payment) Regulations, 2023 in terms of which trade transactions between ACU member countries are to be routed through the ACU mechanism or as per the directions issued by the Reserve Bank of India.

    2. In the wake of signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between RBI and Maldives Monetary Authority in November 2024 for establishing a framework to promote the use of local currencies i.e., Indian Rupee (INR) and Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR) for bilateral transactions, it has been decided that India’s bilateral trade transactions with Maldives may also be settled in INR and/or MVR in addition to the ACU mechanism, as hitherto.

    3. The above instructions shall come into force with immediate effect. AD Category-I banks may bring the contents of this circular to the notice of their constituents concerned.

    4. The directions contained in this circular have been issued under sections 10(4) and 11(1) of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999 (42 of 1999) and are without prejudice to permissions / approvals, if any, required under any other law.

    Yours faithfully,

    (N. Senthil Kumar)
    Chief General Manager

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: RBI imposes monetary penalty on Janata Sahakari Bank Ltd., Gondia, Maharashtra

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    The Reserve Bank of India (RBl) has, by an order dated March 13, 2025, imposed a monetary penalty of ₹1.50 lakh (Rupees One Lakh Fifty Thousand only) on Janata Sahakari Bank Ltd., Gondia, Maharashtra (the bank) for contravention of the provisions of Section 26A read with Section 56 of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (BR Act). This penalty has been imposed in exercise of powers conferred on RBI under the provisions of Section 47A(1)(c) read with Sections 46(4)(i) and 56 of the BR Act.

    The statutory inspection of the bank was conducted by the RBI with reference to its financial position as on March 31, 2024. Based on supervisory findings of contravention of the statutory provisions and related correspondence in that regard, a notice was issued to the bank advising it to show cause as to why penalty should not be imposed on it for its failure to comply with the said provisions. After considering the bank’s reply to the notice, oral submissions made during the personal hearing and examination of additional submissions made by it, RBI found, inter alia, that the following charge against the bank was sustained, warranting imposition of monetary penalty:

    The bank had failed to transfer eligible unclaimed amounts to the Depositor Education and Awareness Fund within the prescribed time.

    This action is based on deficiencies in statutory compliance and is not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction or agreement entered into by the bank with its customers. Further, imposition of this monetary penalty is without prejudice to any other action that may be initiated by RBI against the bank.

    (Puneet Pancholy)  
    Chief General Manager

    Press Release: 2024-2025/2397

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) Sweeps IJGlobal and Global Capital Awards with Hat Trick of Major Wins

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    LONDON, United Kingdom, March 17, 2025/APO Group/ —

    Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) (www.AfricaFC.org), the continent’s leading infrastructure solutions provider, has been honoured with three prestigious accolades, further underscoring its impact in shaping Africa’s financial landscape. At the IJGlobal Awards 2024 held recently in London, AFC was named Guarantor of the Year, Africa, and also received the Market Innovation Award, Africa. The following evening, AFC was recognised with the African Deal of the Year at the Global Capital Syndicated Loan Awards in London. The trio of awards showcase AFC’s pioneering role in infrastructure financing, risk mitigation, and innovative financial solutions that drive sustainable economic growth across Africa.

    AFC’s triple win highlights its lead role in arranging a record €2 billion syndicated facility for the Bank of Industry (BOI), the largest capital raise in the history of African development finance institutions. AFC served as Global Coordinator, Lead Co-Arranger, Underwriter, Bookrunner, and Guarantor in the successful syndication.

    Leveraging its structuring and credit enhancement, AFC assembled a consortium of international financial institutions for the facility, including Standard Chartered Bank, African Export-Import Bank, First Abu Dhabi Bank PJSC, FirstRand Bank Limited (through its Rand Merchant Bank division – London Branch), Mashreqbank PSC, SMBC Bank International PLC, Absa Bank (Mauritius) Limited, Absa Bank Limited, and the Export-Import Bank of India (London Branch).

    AFC has consistently led the way in unlocking international capital markets for African institutions. In 2023, AFC supported the Egyptian Government as Re-Guarantor on a JPY75 billion Samurai Bond Issue, exemplifying AFC’s role as a key enabler of global financing for African sovereigns. This transaction won AFC the Innovation of the Year Award (MENA) at the IJGlobal Awards 2023.

    Earning Guarantor of the Year, the Market Innovation Award, and African Deal of the Year reaffirms AFC’s expertise in attracting global capital to African markets and its commitment to structuring innovative financing solutions that bridge the continent’s infrastructure gap. AFC’s investment strategies continue to drive economic resilience and industrialization across the continent.

    “We are honored to receive these prestigious awards, which reflect AFC’s ongoing mission to unlock Africa’s infrastructure potential through financial innovation,” commented Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO of Africa Finance Corporation. “These recognitions further validate our credentials as a trusted partner in mobilizing capital to drive sustainable development across the continent. We extend our gratitude to our partners and stakeholders whose collaboration has been instrumental in achieving these milestones.”

    Banji Fehintola, Executive Director and Head of Financial Services at AFC, said: “These recognitions from IJGlobal and Global Capital are a testament to AFC’s leadership in structuring innovative financial solutions that de-risk investments and attract international capital to Africa. The success of the €2 billion syndicated facility for BOI demonstrates our ability to mobilize global funding at scale, supporting economic development and industrialization across the continent.”

    The IJGlobal Awards celebrate outstanding achievements in global greenfield and refinancing deals across various sectors that shape the infrastructure and energy landscape, while the Global Capital Syndicated Loan Awards honor the most significant and innovative syndicated loan transactions worldwide.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister condoles demise of Shri Ramakanta Rath

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 16 MAR 2025 2:53PM by PIB Delhi

    The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has condoled demise of eminent poet and scholar, Shri Ramakanta Rath and said that Shri Ramakanta Rath Ji’s works, especially poetry, are widely popular among all sections of society.

    The Prime Minister’s Office posted on X;

    “Shri Ramakanta Rath Ji distinguished himself as an effective administrator and scholar. His works, especially poetry, are widely popular among all sections of society. Pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and admirers in this hour of grief. Om Shanti: PM @narendramodi”

     

     

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    MJPS/ST

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister applauds Reserve Bank of India for Winning Digital Transformation Award 2025

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 16 MAR 2025 1:59PM by PIB Delhi

    The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi applauded Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for Winning Digital Transformation Award 2025. RBI has been honored with the Digital Transformation Award 2025 by Central Banking, London, UK, recognizing its innovative digital initiatives—Pravaah and Sarthi—developed by its in-house developer team.

    Commending the achievement, the Prime Minister wrote on X;

    “A commendable accomplishment, reflecting an emphasis towards innovation and efficiency in governance.

    Digital innovation continues to strengthen India’s financial ecosystem, thus empowering countless lives.”

     

     

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    MJPS/ST

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Accelerating Modi govt’s march to build a drug-free Bharat, a massive consignment of Methamphetamine tablets worth ₹88 crore seized, and 4 members of international drug cartel arrested in Imphal and Guwahati zones of NCB

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Accelerating Modi govt’s march to build a drug-free Bharat, a massive consignment of Methamphetamine tablets worth ₹88 crore seized, and 4 members of international drug cartel arrested in Imphal and Guwahati zones of NCB

    No mercy for drug cartels, search for drugs continues in continuous operations

    Drug haul is a testament to the stellar performance of the bottom-to-top and top-to-bottom approach to investigation

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah congratulates team NCB

    Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and guidance of Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, NCB is combating the drug smuggling network with a ruthless approach across the country

    Posted On: 16 MAR 2025 12:02PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, has said that there will be no mercy for drug cartels. Congratulating the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) for seizure of  a massive consignment of methamphetamine tablets worth ₹88 crore and arresting 4 members of the international drug cartel, Union Home Minister said in an X post that drug haul is a testament to the stellar performance of the bottom-to-top and top-to-bottom approach to investigation.

    In his post Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said, “No mercy for drug cartels. Accelerating the Modi govt’s march to build a drug-free Bharat, a massive consignment of methamphetamine tablets worth ₹88 crore is seized, and 4 members of the international drug cartel are arrested in Imphal and Guwahati zones. The drug haul is a testament to the stellar performance of the bottom-to-top and top-to-bottom approach to investigation. Our hunt for drugs continues. Heartfelt congratulations to team NCB.”

    Details of operations

    In the 1stoperation, on 13.03.2025, based upon information, the Officers of NCB Imphal Zone intercepted a truck near Lilong area and after thorough reconnaissance of the vehicle, recovered 102.39 kg of Methamphetamine tablets from tool box/cabin in the rear section of the truck. 02 occupants of the truck were also apprehended. Without delay, the team immediately conducted a follow-up operation and apprehended the suspected receiver of the contraband from Lilong area. A four wheeler, used for drug trafficking was also recovered from him which was used for drug trafficking. All three were arrested later. The suspected source of the contraband is Moreh. Further investigation is underway to nab others involved in the case.

    In another operation, on the same day, based on information, Officers of NCB Guwahati Zone intercepted a SUV in the Assam –Mizoram border near Silchar and on thorough inspection of the same, recovered 7.48 Kgs of Methamphetamine Tablets concealed inside the spare tire of the vehicle and also apprehended the occupant of the vehicle, who was later arrested. The source of the contraband was Moreh, Manipur and suspected destination was Karimganj. Further investigation to nab others involved in the case is going on.  

    In another development. NCB is also taking over the investigation of a case from Mizoram State Excise Department wherein about 46 kgs of crystal Meth at Brigade Bawngkawn Aizawl on March 6 was seized. In this case 04 persons involved in the drug syndicate have been arrested. Investigation of the case is being taken over by NCB to probe the international and inter-state linkages of the drug trafficking network.

    The North Eastern Region has emerged as one of the most vulnerable areas of India from the point of view of drug trafficking owing to its geographic location. Identifying this vulnerability, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had augmented the strength of NCB in the year 2023 to further strengthen the war against drugs in the region. NCB, through its five Zonal Units and a Regional Headquarter in North East, has been continuously working against the drug traffickers operating in the region, particularly against those involved in trafficking of synthetic drugs such as Methamphetamine tablets, popularly known as YABA that has posed a threat to not only the young population of the region, but also to the security of the nation as a whole. 

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 14th meeting of ADMM-Plus Experts Working Group on Counter-Terrorism to be held in New Delhi

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 16 MAR 2025 10:31AM by PIB Delhi

    The 14thmeeting of ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) Experts Working Group (EWG) on Counter-Terrorism will be held in New Delhi from March 19 to 20, 2025. India and Malaysia will co-chair the ibid meeting. Delegations from 10 ASEAN members (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand) and eight dialogue partners (Australia, New Zealand, RoK, Japan, China, USA and Russia) along with Timor Leste and ASEAN Secretariat will be participating in the meeting.

    India will co-chair the EWG on Counter-Terrorism for the first time. On March 19, 2025, Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh will deliver the keynote address during the opening ceremony.

    This will be the first meeting for activities planned for EWG on Counter-Terrorism for the ongoing cycle from 2024-2027. Discussions will focus on evolving a robust and comprehensive strategy designed to tackle the evolving threat of terrorism and extremism. The meeting aims to share the on-ground experience of the Defence Forces of ASEAN and its dialogue partners. It will lay the foundation for the activities/exercises/seminars/workshop planned for the cycle 2024-2027.

    The ADMM-Plus serves as a platform for practical cooperation amongst the participating countries’ defence establishments. It currently focuses on seven areas of practical cooperation – Counter-Terrorism, Maritime Security, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Management, Peacekeeping Operations, Military Medicine, Humanitarian Mine Action and Cyber Security. EWGs have been established to facilitate cooperation in these areas.

    The EWGs are each co-chaired by one ASEAN member state and one dialogue partner following a three-year cycle. The task of the co-chairs is to lay down the objectives, policy guidelines and directions for the EWG for the three-year cycle at the commencement of the chairmanship, conduct of regular EWG meetings (minimum two in a year) and an exercise of any form (Table-Top/Field Training/Staff/Communication etc.) for all member nations in the third year to test the progress made in practical cooperation during the three-year cycle.

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