Category Archives: World Opinion

INTERNATIONAL : SPORT / SHOOTING: 3rd ISSF Junior World Championships 2023, Changwon, Korea: Indian Shooters Win 17 Medals Tally, Ranking Overall at No.2 from 44 Countries Participating

As many as 90 Indian shooters are taking part in the junior shooting world championships in Changwon, South Korea. Know how many medals India has won.

The July 16-24 ISSF Junior World Championship 2023 are underway at Changwon Shooting Range, Republic of Korea. The junior shooting world championships, now in its third edition, will see 90 Indian shooters vie for medals in pistol, rifle and shotgun competitions in the under-21 age category. 

India’s contingent of 90 shooters for the 2023 junior world championships is the largest, followed by Korea’s squad of 66. The USA have 43 shooters in the competition.

Over 550 shooters from 44 countries are competing at the ISSF Junior World Championships 2023.

The 16-year-old shooter Darshna Rathore, an ISSF World Cup bronze medallist, is part of the Indian squad. She will compete in the women’s trap event.

India, with 43 medals including 17 golds, had topped the medals tally at the last junior world championships held in Lima, Peru, two years back.

Raiza Dhillon, Vinay Pratap Singh Chandrawat, Bakhtyaruddin Mohamadmuzahid Malek and Naamya Kapoor, who contributed to India’s success in Peru, are also competing at the Changwon meet.

ISSF Junior World Championships 2023: India’s medal winners

ShooterEventMedal
Shubham Bisla10m air pistol menGold
Sainyam10m air pistol womenGold
Abhinav Shaw and Gautami Bhanot10m air rifle mixed teamGold
Abhinav Shaw, Srikanth Dhanush and Parth Rakesh Mane10m air rifle men’s teamGold
Kamaljeet50m pistol menGold
Yashita Shokeen, Veerpal Kaur and Tiyana50m pistol women’s teamGold
Kamaljeet, Ankait Tomar and Sandeep Bishnoi50m pistol men’s teamGold
Shubham Bisla, Amit Sharma and Abhinav Choudhary10m air pistol men’s teamSilver
Uttam Sonam Maskar, Gautami Bhanot and Swati Chowdhury10m air rifle women’s teamSilver
Raiza DhillonWomen’s skeetSilver
Harmehar Singh Lally and Sanjana SoodMixed team skeetSilver
Sameer, Mahesh Anandakumar and Rajkanwar Singh Sandhu25m rapid fire pistol men’s teamSilver
Bakhtyaruddin Malek, Shardul Vihan and Arya Vansh TyagiTrap men teamSilver
Abhinav Chaudhary and Sainyam10m air pistol mixed teamBronze
Sainyam, Urva Chaudhary and Anjali Chaudhary10m air pistol women’s teamBronze
Umamahesh Maddineni10m air rifle menBronze
Unish Holinder, Randeep Singh and Akshay Kumar25m standard pistol men’s teamBronze
Yashita Shokeen, Prarthana Khanna and Tiyana25m standard pistol women’s teamBronze

source: olympics.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SUSTAINABILITY: 07-year-old Indian-origin Girl Moksha Roy Wins UK PM’s ‘Points of Light Award’ becomes World’s Youngest Sustainability Advocate

Moksha Roy, who received the award from Deputy British PM Oliver Dowden last week, has the distinction of being the world’s youngest sustainability advocate.

A seven-year-old Indian-origin schoolgirl, who started volunteering for a United Nations’ sustainability initiative against microplastic pollution when she was just three, has been awarded the British Prime Minister’s Points of Light award.

Moksha Roy, who received the award from Deputy British Prime Minister Oliver Dowden last week, has the distinction of being the world’s youngest sustainability advocate.

Moksha has been recognised for volunteering for several sustainability campaigns, including raising funds to help children in need.

“Moksha has set an excellent example in her work championing UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). She has gone to significant lengths to have these included in the school curriculum and has been in communication with leaders all over the world to encourage them to consider this,” said Dowden.

“Her school no longer uses plastic glitter, confetti or plastic art supplies – this is a testament to her strong beliefs and ability to change those around her to create a better world,” he said.

Moksha has also assisted in educational sessions for deprived schoolchildren in India.

“I am very happy to receive the Points of Light award. I hope both children and adults get to understand that caring for the planet and its people and making small changes to everyday life should not be just for a few. It is just like brushing our teeth,” said Moksha.

“We brush our teeth to care for them and avoid pain; similarly we can take care of the planet not for anyone else, but just us, to be safe. Each and every one of us can do small things in our own lives, work and community to combat the big challenges such as climate change, pollution, poverty and inequality,” she said.

Her parents, Ragini G Roy and Sourav Roy, said their daughter’s efforts prove that even the youngest in society have a role to play in combatting climate change.

According to Downing Street, the Points of Light awards recognise outstanding people whose service is making a difference in their communities and whose story can inspire others towards innovative solutions to social challenges in their own communities and beyond.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS / SKEET : Harmehar Singh Lally & Sanjana Sood Win Silver in Skeet Mixed Team event at ‘ISSF Junior Worlds Championships’ Changwon,Korea

Harmehar and Sanjana had to endure a gruelling 52-shot shoot-off, which they won 26-24 eventually, enroute to the final, where they lost 38-43 to Italian duo of Andrea Galardini and Sara Bongini.

Indian pair of Harmehar Singh Lally and Sanjana Sood on Wednesday bagged a silver medal in the skeet mixed team event in the International Shooting Sport Federation Junior World Championships in Changwon, Korea.

Harmehar and Sanjana had to endure a gruelling 52-shot shoot-off, which they won 26-24 eventually, enroute to the final, where they lost 38-43 to Italian duo of Andrea Galardini and Sara Bongini.

Harmehar and Sanjana shot a combined 140 out of 150 in qualification, but found themselves tied for second place with American pair of Benjamin Keller and Jessi Griffin. The Italians had topped the 16-team field with a score of 141.

A shoot-off between the Indian and the American pair decided the other finalists to take on Italy.

In the shoot-off, the Indian and the American pairs did not miss a single target for the first 48-shots.

As the Indians nailed their 25th and 26th double, the Americans finally missed to settle for a bronze medal.

In the final, Harmehar and Sanjana faced hiccups from the start, missing five of their first 16 targets against the Italian’s two.

Overall, both Harmehar and Sanjana missed five of their 24 targets each in the final, whereas the Italians missed five overall to coast to victory.

In the men’s 50m Rifle 3 Positions (3P) event, Sartaj Singh Tiwana grabbed the final eighth qualifying spot with a tally of 584, but finished fourth eventually to miss out on a medal.

Sartaj was 0.5 ahead of his Chinese opponent Ye Yishun before the 43rd of the 45-shot final, but an 8.9 to Ye’s 10.2, meant that he fell short by 0.8. Romain Aufrere of France won gold, his second of the championship.

Among other Indians in men’s 3P, Shivam Dabas shot 580 for a 15th place finish, Parikshit Singh Brar fired 579 for the 20th spot, Ramanya Tomer 576 for 27th, Harsh Singla 571 for 41st and Vedant Waghmare shot 571 to finish in 45th overall.

In the women’s 25m pistol as well, Payal Khatri was the only Indian to make it to the final with a score of 578. She too finished fourth with 22-hits as China’s Zuo Qingyi won the gold medal with 34-hits to her name.

Hosts Korea and USA were second and third respectively. Among other Indians Simranpreet Kaur Brar (574) was 15th, Naamya Kapoor (571) 20th, Divyanshi (571) 21st and Meghna Sadula (570) finished 22nd. Tejaswini shot 563 to finish 29th.

China extended the gap with India at the top of the medal standings by picking up two more gold medals on day four of the event.

India have so far won four gold, four silver and three bronze medals in the championship.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

REGIONAL SOUTH-ASIA: INTERNATIONAL: India, Sri Lanka Unveil Economic Partnership for Connectivity, UPI payments

India and Sri Lanka have announced a new economic partnership that includes cooperation in maritime, air, energy, and financial connectivity.

The partnership will also see the use of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system in Sri Lanka.

Additionally, the two countries will work on a power grid interconnection, construction of a petroleum pipeline, and a feasibility study for land connectivity.

India has also called on Sri Lanka to fulfil the aspirations of the Tamil minority and work towards reconciliation and power-sharing.

The economic partnership reflects India’s long-term commitment to Sri Lanka and will accelerate cooperation in various sectors.

India and Sri Lanka on Friday unveiled a new economic partnership for maritime, air, energy and financial connectivity, including the use of India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) system, even as New Delhi pressed Colombo on a political solution to fulfil the aspirations of the Tamil minority.

The India-Sri Lanka Economic Partnership Vision, issued after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ranil Wickremesinghe, includes a power grid inter-connection for electricity trade, construction of a petroleum pipeline, a feasibility study for land connectivity, and resumption of talks on an Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement to replace an existing trade deal.

Following an agreement between India’s NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and Lanka Pay, UPI is set to be accepted in Sri Lanka after completion of certain processes in the next two to three months.

As a follow-up to the 2022 deal on the Trincomalee oil tank farms, the two sides signed an agreement to develop the facility as a regional hub of industry and energy.

Participating in a media interaction with Wickremesinghe, Modi said Sri Lanka has a key place in India’s “Neighbourhood First” policy and SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) vision.

Referring to the unprecedented economic crisis that hit Sri Lanka over the past year, he noted that India stood shoulder to shoulder with the island nation in its hour of crisis.

“We believe the security interests and development of India and Sri Lanka are intertwined and therefore, it is essential that we work together keeping in mind each other’s safety and sensitivities,” Modi said, speaking in Hindi. The remarks were seen as an apparent reference to bilateral ties being hit last year by Sri Lanka’s decision to allow a visit to Hambantota port by a Chinese surveillance vessel.

“A stable, secure and prosperous Sri Lanka is not only in India’s interest, but in the interest of the entire Indian Ocean region,” he added.

Wickremesinghe expressed “profound appreciation” for India’s support during the economic downturn. India extended economic support worth almost $4 billion to help Sri Lanka tide over the crisis.

Besides strengthening connectivity in different spheres, the new economic partnership reflects India’s long-term commitment to Sri Lanka and will accelerate cooperation in tourism, power, trade and education, Modi said.

Modi expressed the hope that Sri Lanka’s government will fulfil the aspirations of the island nation’s Tamil minority and “drive the process of rebuilding for equality, justice and peace”. He called on Sri Lanka to fulfil its commitment to implement the 13th constitutional amendment, conduct elections to provincial councils and ensure a “life of respect and dignity” for the Tamils.

To mark 200 years of the arrival of Tamils in Sri Lanka, Modi said projects worth ₹75 crore will be implemented for the Indian-origin community. India will also contribute to development programmes in Sri Lanka’s northern and eastern regions that have a sizeable Tamil population.

Wickremesignhe said he shared with Modi a proposal he presented to Sri Lanka’s Tamil leadership this week for furthering reconciliation and power-sharing.

“I have invited all party leaders in Parliament to work towards consensus and national unity on these measures. Thereafter, the government will place relevant legislation before Parliament,” he said, adding Modi “expressed solidarity and goodwill” for these steps.

However, Sri Lanka’s Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has rejected the proposal as it envisages devolution with the “exception of police powers”. Tamil leaders have pointed out that provincial councils have been virtually defunct for five years.

Asked about these matters at a media briefing, foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra said India continues to back a political solution that addresses the aspirations of the Tamils for equality, justice and self-respect within the framework of a united Sri Lanka. Modi raised these aspirations and emphasised that meaningful devolution of powers is essential for reconciliation, he added.

As part of maritime connectivity under the new economic partnership, the two sides will resume passenger ferry services between Nagapattinam in India and Kankesanthurai in Sri Lanka and work for resumption of similar services between Rameshwaram and Talaimannar. They will cooperate to develop ports and logistics at Colombo, Trincomalee and Kankesanthurai.

Following the resumption of flights between Jaffna and Chennai, the two sides will expand flights to Colombo and explore connectivity between Chennai and Trincomalee, Batticaloa and other destinations in Sri Lanka.

In the field of energy connectivity, the proposed high-capacity power grid interconnection will enable bidirectional electricity trade between Sri Lanka and other regional countries. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation on renewable energy will facilitate development of offshore wind and solar in Sri Lanka.

The two sides will work towards the Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) to enhance bilateral trade and investments in new areas. The two countries held 11 rounds of talks on ETCA till negotiations stalled in 2019. The ETCA is meant to replace a free trade agreement signed in 1998.

The Indian side agreed to facilitate investments for the divestment of Sri Lankan state-owned enterprises and in manufacturing and economic zones in various sectors. The two sides further agreed to leverage India’s digital public infrastructure in line with Sri Lanka’s needs for effective delivery of citizen-centric services.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ASIA REGION: Indian Boys’ Teams finish with Bronze Medal in TT at the 27th Asian Youth 2023

The two teams failed to cross the semifinal hurdles and ended up with the bronze medals from the outing, a qualification event for the World Youth Championships in Slovenia in December.

India’s U-15 and U-19 boys’ squads defeated Singapore and Hong Kong in the quarterfinals before settling for bronze medals at the 27th Asian Youth 2023 here.

The two teams failed to cross the semifinal hurdles and ended up with the bronze medals from the outing, a qualification event for the World Youth Championships in Slovenia in December.

The U-15 girls lost in the quarterfinals 0-3 to Japan, but the U-19 girls managed to take a game off Japan before bowing out 1-3.

In the Under-15 category, PB Abhinand beat Le Ellsworth of Singapore 11-9, 11-5, 11-7 to set the ball in motion.

Priyanuj Bhattacharyya dropped a game against Xing Yao before overpowering to win 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 12-10, and the two Indians struggled against the pair of Irle Eles and Zhou Jinghe but won 11-8, 11-5, 7-11, 6-11, 11-7. In the semi-final on Wednesday, they went down 0-3 to China.

As for the U-19 boys, the Indians had a tough time against Hong Kong, with their quarterfinal going down to the last rubber in which Jash Modi turned the tables against Yiu Kwan to win 6-11, 10-12, 11-8, 11-8, 11-2.

Modi, who lost his opening tie to Chan Baldwin Ho Wah 8-11, 5-11, 5-11, lost the first two games to Yiu before pulling up his socks to outwit him and put India in the semi-final.

Earlier, Ankur Bhattacharjee beat Yiu 11-8, 11-8. 11-7 before Divyansh Srivastava defeated Li Hon Man 11-6, 11-8, 8-11, 12-10 to seal the fate of Hong Kong players.

Like their juniors, the U-16 boys met championship favourites China in the semi-final and lost 0-3.

In position matches, the Under-19 girls finished seventh after beating Iran 3-0.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: HISTORY: New Book Launched: ‘Indians: Histories of a Civilization’. Root of the matter.

Launched by Ramachandra Guha, this book offers a peek into the Indian subcontinent’s history over the last 12,000 years.

Indian culture today is so varied, it needs to be called cultures. The roots go back to ancient times and it has developed through many races and people. Hence, among its ingredients, it is impossible to say surely, what is native and what is alien, what is borrowed out of love and what has been imposed by force.

If we view Indian culture thus, we realise there is no place for showmen,” said renowned author and historian Ramachandra Guha, quoting polymath and Jnanpith awardee Kota Shivaram Karanth.

Speaking of the book Indians: Histories of a Civilization, during its launch at the Bangalore International Centre in Domlur on July 18, Guha felt the spirit of Karanth’s perspective “hangs over the book”.

A brainchild of author and literary critic, GN Devy, Indians: Histories of a Civilization is a comprehensive volume that collates the many histories of the Indian subcontinent over the past 12,000 years. Jointly edited by Devy, journalist Tony Joseph and archaeologist & adjunct professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Ravi Korisettar, the book is a culmination of inputs by over 90 historians globally. 

“What was worrying in recent years is that a few autonomous institutions such as the Indian Council of Historical Research and a committee constituted by the Ministry of Culture, GOI had initiated steps to ‘rewrite’ Indian history…History expects a conversation about a society’s past while keeping a safe distance from fantasy and wishful nostalgia. The main objective should be to provide justice to society at large. With these objectives in mind, we embarked on this project,” said Prof. Korisettar, about the book’s ideation. 

According to Guha, the book’s generational, disciplinary and international range is unprecedented, at least in the sphere of Indian publishing. “What is truly impressive about this work is the range of themes and contributors. It explores wide-sweeping disciplinary themes, from biology, ecology, language, culture, and sociology. The contributors are of different generations and from different parts of the world, but all are acknowledged specialists in their respective fields,” he added.

While Indians: Histories of a Civilization explores a wide range of themes through its diverse contributors, Prof Korisettar says the chapters of the book are merely a synopsis and hopes to expand on each theme in the future. “We plan to obtain full-length articles, spanning 50-60 pages each and publish them into a series of 30-40 expanded volumes. Our aim is to work consistently over the next decade, closely adhering to the scientific method and with judicious use of recent data and finding, so that we may produce the magnum opus,” he added. 

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL & SOUTH EAST ASIA REGION: India Recorded all-time High of 93% DPT3 Immunisation Coverage in 2022: WHO

WHO South-East Asia Region tops in vaccination recoveries following pandemic, thanks to India and Indonesia, says official.

The coverage rate for DPT3, the third dose of diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus vaccines, in India rose to an all-time of 93% in 2022, surpassing the previous pre-pandemic best of 91% recorded in 2019, and also marking a sharp increase from the 85% recorded in 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

The WHO and UNICEF estimates for national immunisation coverage for 2022, released on July 18, showed that in the WHO South-East Asia Region, the coverage rate for DPT3 recovered to the pre-pandemic level of 91%, a sharp increase from the 82% recorded in 2021.  The region also witnessed a six per cent improvement in the coverage of the measles vaccine, rising to 92% in 2022 from 86% in 2021.

In this region, the number of zero-dose children (those that have not received even the first dose of DPT vaccine) halved to 2.3 million in 2022 from 4.6 million in 2021.

Similarly, the number of partially vaccinated children (those that have received at least one dose of DPT vaccine but did not complete the primary series of three doses) reduced to 6,50,000 in 2022 from 1.3 million in 2021.

As per the report, the region had the best immunisation recoveries among all the WHO regions. This can be majorly attributed to the efforts being made by India and Indonesia, Dr. Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, WHO South-East Asia, said.

She said every child deserved to be protected against life-threatening diseases with routine immunisation, adding that the momentum built with impressive efforts and immunisation service, recoveries must continue to benefit every child for a healthy and productive life.

Indonesia reported a DPT3 coverage of 85% in 2022, the same as in 2019, but rising sharply from the 67% recorded in 2021. Bhutan recorded 98% and Maldives 99%, surpassing their pre-pandemic immunisation rates.

Bangladesh with 98% and Thailand 97% demonstrated consistency in routine immunisation coverage throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond, the WHO report said.

Sri Lanka with 98% coverage, Nepal with 90% and Timor-Leste with 86% were closer to the pre-pandemic coverage of 99%, 93% and 90%, respectively.

Myanmar with 71% DPT3 coverage in 2022, was far from the pre-pandemic 90% coverage in 2019, the report noted.

Due to border restrictions enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic in North Korea, national vaccine stock-outs were reported in 2021 and 2022, leading to no vaccination at all for several antigens. However, with the country receiving vaccines early this year, the coverage is expected to increase, the WHO said.

“While we draw lessons from the pandemic to strengthen capacities to respond to future health emergencies, we must learn from countries which maintained their immunisation rates even while responding to a pandemic,” Dr. Singh said. 

The South-East Asia regional office noted that while overall immunisation coverage levels were looking good, and the progress encouraging, there remained variabilities in the coverage at subnational levels in countries, especially in those with large populations. 

The inequities in immunisation coverage leading to accumulation of pockets of unvaccinated children posed the risk of outbreaks of measles, diphtheria, and other vaccine-preventable diseases, the WHO said, adding that these gaps should be closed.

Countries and partners agencies must continue to and scale up efforts to identify the unvaccinated children, strengthen capacities of the health workforce, better understand, and engage with vulnerable populations and roll out tailored strategies to reach each child with the lifesaving routine immunization vaccines, Dr. Singh said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

NATION: INDIA’S GEOGRAPHY: U.S. Senate Committee passes Resolution recognising Arunachal Pradesh as Integral part of India

The resolution pushes back against Chinese claims that large portions of Arunachal Pradesh are PRC territory.

Less than a month after the historic visit of Prime Minister Mr.Narendra Modi to the U.S., a Congressional Senatorial Committee has passed a resolution recognising Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of India.

The resolution was introduced by Senators Mr. Jeff Merkley, Mr. Bill Hagerty, Mr. Tim Kaine and Mr. Chris Van Hollen on Thursday, July 13.

The resolution reaffirms that the United States recognises the McMahon Line as the international boundary between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. It pushes back against Chinese claims that large portions of Arunachal Pradesh are PRC territory, which is a part of the PRC’s increasingly aggressive and expansionist policies, a media statement said.

The resolution will now go to the Senate floor for a full vote.

“America’s values supporting freedom and a rules-based order must be at the centre of all of our actions and relationships around the world – especially as the PRC government pushes an alternative vision,” said Senator Mr. Merkley, who serves as the Co-Chair of the Congressional Executive Commission on China.

“Committee passage of this resolution affirms that the United States views the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh as part of the Republic of India – not the People’s Republic of China – and commits the U.S. to deepen support and assistance to the region, alongside like-minded international partners,” he said.

Mr. Hagerty said at a time when China continues to pose grave and gathering threats to the free and open Indo-Pacific, it’s critical for the United States to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with its strategic partners in the region – especially India and other Quad countries – and push back against the Chinese Communist Party’s broader strategy of territorial aggrandisement that it has pursued in the South and East China Seas, in the Himalayas, and in the southern Pacific.

“As tensions between India and China escalate over their shared border, the United States must stand strong in our defense of democracy by supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific,” said Senator Mr. Cornyn.

“This resolution would reaffirm that the U.S. recognises the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh as part of the Republic of India, and I urge my colleagues to pass it without delay,” he added.

China refers to Arunachal Pradesh as Zangnan. Beijing claims Arunachal Pradesh as South Tibet, a claim firmly rejected by the External Affairs Ministry which has asserted that the state is an  “inseparable part of India”.

Beijing routinely protests visits of top Indian leaders and officials to Arunachal Pradesh to reaffirm its claim.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: SPORTS / WRESTLING: Sangeeta Phogat Wins Bronze Medal At Hungary Ranking Series Wrestling Tournament

Sangeeta Phogat lost her semifinal but won the bronze play-off 6-2 against young Hungarian Viktoria Borsos, the U-20 World Championship silver medallist.

Sangeeta Phogat, one of the six wrestlers who protested against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh at Jantar Mantar, on Saturday won a bronze medal in the non-Olympic 59kg category that featured six grapplers at the Hungary Ranking Series tournament. Sangeeta began with a crushing defeat by fall but bounced back with a win in her second bout. She lost her semifinal but won the bronze play-off 6-2 against young Hungarian Viktoria Borsos, the U-20 World Championship silver medallist. Sangeeta, who won the National Championship in the 62kg last year, began with a defeat by fall against American Jennifer Page Rogers.

The contest lasted just 80 seconds with the American pulling away with a right leg attack that led to a take-down and multiple rolls. Eventually, the American got herself in a position to pin Sangeeta.

In her next bout against America’s Brenda Olivia Reyna, the Indian managed to shake off rust and was quick with her movement. She went into the break with a 4-2 lead and kept consolidating to finally win the bout by technical superiority.

One win and one defeat in six-wrestler draw put her in the semifinal against Poland’s Magdalena Urszula Glodek.

Sangeeta initiated double-leg attacks but lacked power to convert those moves into points. Still she led twice, first 2-0 and then 4-2m but Glodek’s counter-attacking moves were good enough to race to a close 6-4 win.

In the bronze play-off against local favourite Borsos, Sangeeta took the lead with a take-down move. The Hungarian fought back to make it 2-2 but Sangeeta soon launched a fast and furious attack.

Borsos put up a good defence but Sangeeta breached it for a 4-2 lead.

In the second period, Sangeeta did not lose a single point and added two to her kitty to take the bronze medal.

source/content: sports.ndtv.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: INDIA IN FRANCE: Indian Military Contingent Marches in Paris to Sare Jahan Se Accha, July 14th

Indian military contingents with connections to France dating back over a century to both World Wars, marched in the Bastille Day parade, while IAF Rafale jets took part in the flypast.

The strains of Sare Jahan Se Accha rang through the Champs-Élysées on July 14, as a 242-member Indian military contingent marching in France’s Bastille Day parade saluted chief guest Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron. Welcoming Mr. Modi, Mr. Macron said that India was “a giant in world history, with a decisive role to play in the future, a strategic partner, a friend.”

Both the marching contingent and the band have historical connections to France, being some of the oldest units of the Indian Army. They fought in both World Wars, with many members laying down their lives in battlefields here and being decorated for their sacrifices.

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“This July 14, soldiers and Rafale aircraft from India are marching and flying alongside our troops. We honour the memory of those who fought with the French in the First World War. We shall never forget,” Mr. Macron said on Twitter.

Bastille Day, which is France’s national day, marks the anniversary of the storming of the infamous Bastille prison in 1789 during the French Revolution. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was the first Indian chief guest at a Bastille Day parade in 2009. Mr. Modi became the second Indian PM to play this role, as India and France mark 25 years of their strategic partnership this year.

IAF Rafales in flypast

The parade began with a flypast by French aircraft, showing the colours of the French national flag, followed by a formation of three Rafale fighter jets of the Indian Air Force and a French Air Force Rafale. The marching contingents began as the flypast ended.

The Indian Army contingent, comprising 68 marching personnel from the Punjab Regiment and 38 band members from the Rajputana Rifles, was led by Captain Aman Jagtap. Their brisk march in unison, hands swinging high, drew applause and appreciation from many onlookers as well as several members of the French military.

World War memories

Indian troops saw participation across theatres in both World Wars. Over 1.3 million Indian soldiers participated in World War I; almost 74,000 of these fought in the trenches and never returned, while another 67,000 were wounded. In World War II, a staggering 2.5 million Indian soldiers fought in locales from Asia to Africa and Europe, including the battlefields of France.

Troops of the Punjab Regiment took part in both World Wars, as well as in post-independence operations. In World War I, they were awarded 18 Battle and Theatre Honours. “The gallant soldiers fought in Mesopotamia, Gallipoli, Palestine, Egypt, China, Hongkong, Damascus and France,” the Army said, in a statement. “In France, they took part in an offensive near Neuve Chapelle in September 1915 earning the Battle Honours ‘Loos’ and ‘France and Flanders’. In World War II, they earned 16 Battle Honours and 14 Theatre Honours.”

The Rajputana Rifles is the seniormost rifle regiment of the Indian Army and took part in some of the bloodiest battles of both the World Wars. The band of the Regiment was raised in 1920 at Nasirabad, Rajasthan. “During the World War II, the battalions of the Regiment fought in every theatre where the Indian Army was involved. They are the recipient of six Victoria Cross prior to independence,” the Army said.

Navy destroyer in France

The Naval contingent comprised four officers and 64 sailors, and was led by Cdr. Vrat Baghel, a specialist in gunnery and missile warfare who earlier sailed on the French ship BCR Var during bilateral exercise Varuna. His three deputies were Lt. Cdr. Disha Amrith, who led the Indian Navy contingent at the Republic Day Parade 2023, Lt. Cdr. Rajat Tripathi, and Lt. Cdr. Jittin Lalitha Dharmaraj.

In addition to the contingent, the Indian Navy was also represented by INS Chennai, an indigenously designed and constructed guided missile destroyer, which is on deployment to France from July 12 to 16. The ship’s crew represented India at the Bastille Day celebrations at Brest, a port city in northwestern France, the Navy said.

IAF’s French connection

The IAF flying contingent in Paris comprised four Rafale fighter jets, two C-17 Globemasters, and 72 IAF personnel. The IAF observed that many Indians — including Welinkar, Shivdev Singh, H.C. Dewan and Jumbo Majumdar — fought over the skies of France during the two World Wars. Some, like Jumbo Majumdar, were also decorated for their gallant actions over the Falaise Gap during the terminal phase of World War II, the IAF noted.

In addition, the IAF has a long history of operating French aircraft, starting with the Ouragan, followed by fighter aircraft like the Breguet Alize, Mystere IVA, SEPECAT Jaguar, and Mirage 2000, with the Rafale jets being the latest in this illustrious line. Helicopters Alouette-III and Lama continue to fly with the three services, acting as a lifeline in remote high altitude areas. The IAF’s marching contingent was commanded by Squadron Leader Sindhu Reddy, a helicopter pilot who has extensively flown the Alouette-III.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)