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• India, France Adopt Action Plan for Jaitapur Nuclear Project

India and France on December 15, 2018 adopted an action plan to speed up decision-making on the Jaitapur nuclear power project in coastal Maharashtra, work on which is yet to begin despite the initial agreement signed eight years ago. Civil nuclear cooperation, defence ties and the fight against terror figured in discussions between external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj and her visiting French counterpart Jean- Yves Le Drian. Swaraj said the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL) and Electricite de France (EDF) had made a lot of progress on the ‘industrial way forward’ agreement of 2018. “The Jaitapur project will also contribute to ‘Make in India’

• India, Russia May Get to Share Military Facilities

Big step : Similar agreement have been signed with the US and Singapore.

The decision to sign the agreement was taken at India- Russia Inter-Governmental commission meeting.

India, Russia defence ministers in New Delhi assisted by the officials of the two countries also agreed on the manufacturing of other weaponary which India needs.

India and Moscow will sign a logistic agreement soon that will allow their military forces to share each other’s facilities. As India’s footprint in the region increases, logistic supply agreements will allow warships and aircraft to refuel and refurbish improving the endurance of the Navy and Air Force. India has similar agreements with the United States and Singapore.

• 18th India-Russia Inter-Governmental Commission 

On December 13, 2018 at the 18th India-Russia Inter- Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC) held in New Delhi where defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman met her Russian counterpart General Sergey Shoigu of the Russian Federation. The meeting of the defence ministers followed a meeting between National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and his Russian counterpart Nikolai Patrushev, a key advisor to President Vladimir Putin.

• ISRO Launches Satellite for Indian Air Force

Rounding off the year 2018 in style, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on December 19, 2018 successfully launched a military communication satellite GSAT-7A primarily for use by the Indian Air Force. The launch was carried out from the second launch pad at Sriharikota.                               The 2,250 kg GSAT-7A is the heaviest communication satellite to be lifted by a GSLVF-11 rocket. This is the 35th communication satellite built by ISRO.

The advanced communication satellite would facilitate exclusive frequency flight communication for the IAF. It could boost the airforce’s network centric warfare capabilities and enhance its global operations. The launch of the dedicated IAF satellite comes at a time when the defence ministry has cleared a plan to set up a special ‘Defence Space Agency’ an integrated tri-services unit that will use all space assets for the benefit of the armed forces.

The satellite’s life span is projected as eight years.

• India’s Strategic Neighbourhood First Policy : India Announces  4,500 crore Aid to Bhutan

Key Highlights

Money for 12th Five-Year Plan of the Neighbour.

The Bhutanese PM visited India in the last week of December 2018.

Both sides agreed to deepen cooperation in several areas including space.

                 India on December 28, 2018 announced that it will contribute 4,500 crore to Bhutan’s 12th Five-Year Plan following delegation level talks headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bhutanese counterpart Lotay Tshering in New Delhi as the two sides also reviewed the progress of various hydro-power projects in the Himalayan kingdom. “I have assured the Prime Minister that India will continue to play the role of a trusted friend and partner in Bhutan’s development,” Modi said in a joint address to the media with Tshering following the meeting.

“India will make a contribution of ` 4,500 crore for Bhutan’s 12th Five-Year Plan,” he said.

• Andhra, Telangana to Have Separate High Courts from January 1, 2019.

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will have separate high courts from January 1, 2019 with the Centre issuing orders for bifurcation of the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad.

The orders, signed by President Ram Nath Kovind and issued by the Union Law ministry on December 26, 2018, said that Andhra Pradesh will have its own High Court from January 1, 2019 at its capital Amravati and the High Court at Hyderabad shall become the High Court for Telangana.

The order also allocated judges to the two High Courts. The order said 16 judges shall cease to be the judges of the High Court at Hyderabad and shall become the judges of Andhra Pradesh High Court from January 1, 2019.