MONDAY CADETIANS STUDENTS

5 MAY 2025 VERSION

INDIA’S FIRST NEWSPAPER SPECIFICALLY MADE FOR DEFENCE ASPIRANTS

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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Amid India-Pak. tension, Air Force chief meets PM
Border along J&K remains tense; Army says it has responded proportionately to
unprovoked small arms fire; in a retaliatory step, Pakistan bans Indian-flagged ships
from entering its ports
As tensions between India and Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack continued to run
high, the Indian Air Force chief, Air Chief Marshal A.P. Singh, met Prime Minister Narendra
Modi at his residence in New Delhi on Sunday. The meeting was held amid growing cross-
border skirmishes along Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting assumes significance in the
wake of an earlier statement made by Mr. Modi that the armed forces had been granted
“complete operational freedom” to decide on the mode, targets, and timing of the Indian
response to the Pahalgam attack, which left 26 civilians dead. The meeting took place within 24 hours of Navy
chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi meeting Mr. Modi and apprising him of the situation in the critical sea lanes of the
Arabian Sea. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General
Anil Chauhan, and the Ser vice chiefs had held meetings with the Prime Minister. India is weighing its options in
responding to the Pahalgam terror attack, which it believes was planned in Pakistan. India has already taken
several diplomatic measures, including suspension of the Indus Water Treaty. Official sources said India was in
the process of controlling and reducing the •ow of water through the Baglihar Dam on the Chenab river and the
Kishanganga Dam on the Jhelum river in Jam mu and Kashmir. However, they could not confirm if such measures
have fructified. The treaty prevents India from storing and con structing large dams on the three rivers flowing in
the Union Territory. Pakistan, in a retaliatory step, banned Indian flagged ships from entering its ports with
immediate effect after New Delhi imposed fresh punitive measures, including a ban on the import of goods and
entry of Pakistani vessels into its ports.

Israel vows response to missile attack by

Houthis
A missile struck inside the perimeter of Israel’s main airport on Sunday, wounding six
persons, halting flights, in an attack claimed by Yemen’s Iran backed Houthi rebels. The
attack on Ben-Gurion International Airport came hours before top Israeli Cabinet
Ministers were to vote on whether to intensify the military operations in the Gaza
Strip. The Army, meanwhile, began calling up thou sands of reserves in anticipation of a
wider operation in Gaza, officials said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
promised a multi-phased response. An Air India flight from New Delhi to Tel Aviv was
diverted to Abu Dhabi. “We have acted against them in the past and we will act in the
future, but I cannot go into detail (...) it will not happen in one bang, but there will be
many bangs,” Mr. Netanyahu said in a video on published on Telegram. Defence Minister Israel Katz vowed
retribution: “Whoever harms us, we will harm them sevenfold.” The Israeli military said “several attempts were made
to intercept” the missile launched from Ye men, a rare Houthi attack that penetrated Israel’s air defences. The
missile hit near the parking lots of Terminal 3, the airport’s largest. The crater was just hundreds of metres from the
tarmac. Air India suspended Tel Aviv flights till Tuesday. The attack came less than an hour before the Boeing 787
aircraft (flight no. AI139) was to land at Tel Aviv, the sources said. Fragments of missiles or interceptors have struck
near the airport before, but this appeared to be the first time a missile struck the airport since the war began. The
police said that air, road and rail traffic were halted following the attack. The traffic resumed after about an hour,
Israel Airports Authority said. Flights resumed later, with the aviation authority saying the airport was now “open
and operational”.
Paramilitaries launch first attack on Port Sudan, the seat of Army-aligned govt.
Sudanese paramilitaries on Sunday struck Port Sudan, the Army said, in the first attack
on the seat of the Army-aligned government in the country’s two year war. The
paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), battling the regular Army since April 2023,
have increased their use of drones since losing territory in March. The Army spokesman
reported no casualties but “limited damage” in the ci ty on the Red Sea coast. CM The
rare attacks on the airports in Port Sudan and Kassala come as the RSF expanded the
scope and frequency of its drone strikes.

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INDIA’S FIRST NEWSPAPER SPECIFICALLY MADE FOR DEFENCE ASPIRANTS

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INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Iran Foreign Minister to visit Pakistan, India this
week
In India, Araghchi will hold talks with Jaishankar, chair Joint Commission Meeting,
and discuss key issues such as trade payments, banking arrangements amid U.S.
sanctions, and Chabahar port
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will arrive in Islamabad on Monday, ahead of a
visit to New Delhi later this week, the Iranian Foreign Minis try announced in Tehran on
Sunday. The visit by Mr. Araghchi to India had been planned several weeks ago. Now,
coupled with the visit to Pakistan, it takes on an added mission, after he offered to
mediate between the two “brotherly neigh bours of Iran”. Mr. Araghchi will travel back to Tehran after his talks in
Islamabad on May 5and then travel to Delhi on May 7-8, so as to avoid “hyphenating” the two vi sits, sources said.
Both India and Pakistan have closed their airspaces to aircraft owned or operated by the other side, although the
measures do not technically affect aircraft operated by a third country. In Islamabad, the Pakis tan Ministry of
Foreign Affairs said the visit reflects “the deep-rooted and strong relationship bet ween Pakistan and the brotherly
nation of Iran”, but did not refer to talks on the tensions with India after the Pahalgam terror attack. During his visit,
Mr. Araghchi will meet Pakis tan’s Foreign Minister Ish aq Dar and call on Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the MoFA statement said. Third-party mediation On April 25, Mr. Araghchi had said in a
post on X that Tehran stood “ready to use its good offices in Islamabad and New Delhi to forge greater
understanding at this difficult time”, and quoted a 13th-century Persian poem, calling for empathy in a time of “pain”.
Mr. Araghchi has spoken on the telephone to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Mr. Dar in the past week,
while Iranian Presi dent Masoud Pezeshkian called Prime Minister Narendra Modi to condemn the Pahalgam terror
attack and express condolences, as well as spoke to Mr. Sharif about India-Pakistan tensions. The External Affairs
Ministry has, thus far, not res ponded to calls for mediation or de-escalation of tensions, saying only that India
appreciates the messages of solidarity and condemnation of the terror attack that it has received.

Japan and China trade barbs over airspace

violation
The flare-up comes as both had warmer ties trying to mitigate damages from the
U.S. tariff war
Japan and China have accused each other of violating the airspace around the Japanese-
controlled East China Sea islands, which Beijing also claims. The latest territorial flap
came as both appeared to have warmer ties while seeking to mitigate damages from the U.S. tariff war. Japan’s
Foreign Ministry said in a statement it lodged a “very severe protest” with Beijing after a Chinese helicopter took off
from one of China’s four coast guard boats, which had entered Japan’s territorial waters around the Senkaku islands.
The helicopter violated Japanese airspace for about 15 minutes on Saturday, the ministry said. Khartoum. In the
eastern border town of Kassala, some 500 km south of Port Sudan, near Eritrea, wit nesses said three drones The
•are-up comes as both had warmer ties trying to mitigate damages from the U.S. tariff war China also protested to
Tokyo over a Japanese civilian aircraft violating its air space around the islands, saying it was “strongly dis satisfied”
about Japan’s “severe violation of China’s sovereignty,” according to a statement by the Chinese embassy in Japan
late on Saturday. China routinely sends coast guard vessels and aircraft into waters and air space surrounding the is
lands, which China calls the Diaoyu, to harass Japanese vessels in the area, forcing Japan to quickly mobilise its jets.

Trump apprehensive about upholding U.S. Constitution

U.S. President Donald Trump said in a television interview airing on Sunday that he
does not know whether he must uphold the U.S. Constitution. He also said he is not se
riously considering run ning for a third White House term, after musing publicly over
an idea clear ly barred by the nation’s founding legal document. “I don’t know,” Mr.
Trump responded when the host of NBC News Meet the Press with Kristen Welk er
asked directly whether he believes he needs to uphold the supreme law of the land.
Asked specifically whether American citizens and non-citizens alike de serve the due
process of Two minds: The U.S. President did not give a clear answer when asked if
U.S. citizens deserved the due process of law. GETTY IMAGES if no deal had been
reached by then. law, as the U.S. Constitution states, Mr. Trump said: “I’m not a lawyer.

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NATIONAL AFFAIRS
95% of the stakeholders opposed Waqf amendments
during JPC meetings: DMK
T.N. ruling party raises doubts over impartiality of JPC; Supreme Court to consider
question of interim stay of Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 today
The DMK on Sunday raised doubts over the impartiality of the Joint Parliamentary
Committee (JPC) proceedings on Waqf amendments, hinting that communal interests
might have had the upper hand during deliberations on the Bill. “During deliberations,
approximately 95% of the stakeholders who appeared before the committee
expressed strong opposition to the Bill. The remaining 5% supported the Bill while
representing communal interests or under communal banners, raising concerns over
impartiality of the process,” a rejoinder affidavit filed in the Supreme Court by the DMK, represented by DMK MPs
staging a protest over Waqf (Amendment) Bill during the Budget Session of Parliament on April 3. FILE PHOTO senior
advocate P. Wilson and advocates Richardson Wilson, Apoorv Malhotra, Lokesh Krishna and Anuradha Arputham,
stated. The DMK said that merely because the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, had been enacted, it wasn’t exempted
from constitutional review — especially if it would manifest injustice and deprive persons of their fundamental rights
on the basis of religious identify. A Special Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna is scheduled to
consider the question of interim stay of the Act on Monday. The DMK said that the Act would permanently alter legal
rights and status of properties and cause irreversible consequences.

Power cuts, concrete jungles make intense heat

spells unbearable for the marginalised in Delhi
“Everything gets more difficult during summer. Our throats dry up, we feel tired and faint,
but this is our job and we don’t have any other option,” says 50-year-old Jasoda, a
construction worker, covering her head with her saree’s pallu. Delhi’s heat action plan,
drafted by the National Dis aster Management Authority and unveiled by the BJP
government in April, identifies the Prem Bari bridge, where Ms. Jasoda works, as one of the
10 hotspots where vulnerable groups are exposed to scorching heat. The plan identifies
the most vulnerable groups as children, women, the elderly, construction workers, people
from economically weaker sections, people with disabilities, and those suffering
from chronic illnesses. Ms. Jasoda, who moved from Uttar Pradesh’s Jhansi nearly three decades ago, said she has
seen summers worsening every year. “The contractor arranges water for us, but there are no fans at the construction
site, and we have to work under the sun for over nine hours daily between 9 a.m. and 6 6.30 p.m.,” she said. Raju Pal, 47,
who lives in Jahangirpuri and works in an insurance company in north-west Delhi’s Pitampura, blames unchecked
urbanisation for the harsh environment. “There are no trees or parks in the area, that is why it becomes hotter than
other parts of the city,” he said, adding that commuting to his work is the hardest part of his day. The action plan
points out that urban areas like Jahangirpuri, with impervious surfaces such as asphalt, concrete, less vegetation and
constant emissions from vehicles and industries, trap more heat than rural areas comprising ample green cover.

India is looking for partners, not preachers:

External Affairs Minister
India is looking for “partners” and not “preachers”, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar
said on Sunday, in a veiled message to Eu rope in the context of the conflict in Ukraine
as he explained the nuances of New Delhi’s “Russia real ism” and why the relationship
between the two sides was an “important •t”. In an interactive session, Mr. Jaishankar,
delving into broader geopolitical upheavals, said Europe had “entered a certain zone of a
reality check” and must display some sensitivity and mutuality of interest for deeper
ties with India. India has always advocated for “Russia realism” and there was an “important fit” and “complementarity”
between India and Russia as a resource provider and consumer, the Minister said, in remarks that came amid
persistent efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to strike a ceasefire deal between Moscow and
Kyiv. Over the course of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, New Delhi has remained engaged with Moscow and enhanced its
procurement of Russian crude oil, which triggered criticism from the West. India, however, maintained that its ties
with Russia are driven by national interest. The Minister also criticised earlier attempts by the West to find a solution to
the Russia-Ukraine conflict without involving Russia, saying it “challenged the basics of realism”. “Just like I am an
advocate of Russia realism, I am also an advocate of America realism,” he said at the Arctic Circle India Forum.

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EDITOR OF THE DAY

Shaping the port of the future
The Vizhinjam port is of immense significance to India’s global maritime trade. Amongst all existing Indian ports, Vizhinjam is the closest to international shipping
routes. Many global shipping stakeholders have already appreciated the role the port is going to play in transshipment

The town of Vizhinjam in Kerala has played a crucial role in the history of global maritime trade. Inscriptions from the Pandya-Chola era (1129 AD)
records Vizhinjam as Rajendra Chola Pattinam, a port of Kerala. Historians claim that Balita, a port with considerable commercial importance which
finds mention in the first century AD historical travelogue The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, is Vizhinjam’s old name. However, this historical
significance faded away after colonisers of India prioritised ports in other places like Cochin and Madras. In the 1940s, the princely state of
Travancore commissioned a study to explore Vizhinjam’s potential to set up a world-class port. And now, after almost eight decades of delays and
uncertainties, India’s first deep water and container transshipment port at Vizhinjam has been officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi. The port, located in Thiruvananthapuram district, started limited-scale operations from July last year and began commercial operations in
December. The first phase of this public private partnership (PPP) project cost ₹8,867 crore and was developed by the State Government of Kerala
(₹5,595 crore), with the support of concessionaire Adani Ports (₹2,454 crore) and the Union Government (which provided a Viability Gap Funding
(VGF) of ₹817.8 crore with repayment conditions).

An important landmark This port is of immense significance to India’s global maritime trade. Currently, around 75% of India’s transshipment
cargo is handled at ports like Colombo, Singapore and Klang. The need to have a transshipment hub in India is being felt both economically and
geopolitically. Amongst all existing Indian ports, Vizhinjam is the closest to international shipping routes, strategically located just 10 nautical miles
from the global maritime trading route. Many global shipping stakeholders have already appreciated the role of Vizhinjam on the transshipment
map, and as a result, the port has already handled 6 lakh TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) berthing more than 280 ships, much higher than the
projection of one lakh TEUs for 12 months within launch of operations, including 1.08 lakh TEUs from 51 vessels in March this year. Many large ships
prefer ports with 18+ metre draft depth and Vizhinjam with a 20-metre natural draft can easily accommodate Ultra Large Container Vessels. The
Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), one of the largest shipping companies globally, has included the port in two of their shipping services —
the jade service (connecting Europe and Asia) and the dragon service (connecting Asia and the Mediterranean) after initial trial runs. This inclusion
would direct more ships towards Vizhinjam.

Need for a global push While it is definitely a great start, there is a need to capitalise and surge ahead to reap maximum economic benefits. This
triple engine (State, Union and concessionaire) project has the potential to make it big amongst the global players. The Kerala government is
aggressively pushing this prestige project to stakeholders across the globe. It has showcased the port at the World Economic Forum 2025, the
Invest Kerala Global Summit 2025 and through a dedicated Vizhinjam Conclave 2025. The cover page of Kerala’s State budget also featured an
image of the Vizhinjam Port highlighting the significance of this project for the State’s economic future. The State has signed an agreement with
Adani Ports to fast-track the remaining phases, and it is set to be completed by 2028 instead of 2045. In March 2025, the Union Government
granted the environmental clearance for the second and third phases. The ₹20,000 crore investment for the remaining phases will upgrade the
port’s handling capacity to 4.87 million TEUs from the existing one million TEUs and extend the length of the container berth from 1,200 metres to
2,000 metres.

Challenges and opportunities However, there persist some challenges which need to be addressed urgently. Firstly, a push to develop the
associated infrastructure in a fast-paced model. For instance, the arrival of 40 ships in February, resulted in delays which should be avoided in the
long run. Industry stakeholders like the Container Shipping Lines Association (CSLA) have flagged the absence of an Integrated Check Post (ICP).
The application for the check post is currently pending with the Union Home Ministry; the check post is crucial for generating revenue beyond
transshipment through cargo operations and crew change facilities. A much-awaited Customs Office at the port was opened last month. The
Kerala Steamer Agents Association had flagged the challenges owing to a delay in ICP approval in addition to the absence of a permanent Port
Health Office, an important stakeholder for cargo operations. The start of import-export operations at Vizhinjam could significantly help boost the
local economy. The Kerala government had announced a Vizhinjam Development Zone with a focus on developing an industrial corridor covering
the nearby regions. An IAS officer from the State could be allocated exclusively for overlooking the projects associated with the Vizhinjam
Economic Growth corridor. In this year’s budget, the Kerala government announced a dedicated space for other States to establish their official
business centres near the port. The pace of completion of multiple projects including the National Highway 66 which connects to the port, the
railway line connecting Balaramapuram to the port and the 63 km Thiruvananthapuram Outer Ring Road (ORR), would decide the fate of the future
of the port. There should also be efforts to promote allied businesses including ship building, ship repair, crew change facilities, logistics,
warehousing and bunkering facilities. There is significant momentum for building a shipyard and ship repair centre in Poovar (10 kms from the
Vizhinjam port). Adani Ports has announced that Vizhinjam Port will also be a global bunkering hub, supplying clean and green fuel like hydrogen
and ammonia. The Kerala government’s energy agency ANERT is exploring energy projects including wave power and green hydrogen projects
near the port.

Special economic zone Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra recently advocated for a Shenzhen equivalent city in India. Shenzhen used to
be a quiet fishing village, like Vizhinjam, in the 1970s and became China’s first Special Economic Zone in 1980. The Port of Shenzhen, established in
1980 has emerged as a top player in global maritime trade and contributed significantly in the transition of the city as the Silicon Valley of China.
There is great potential for the deep sea port in Thiruvananthapuram to trigger a similar economic boom in the region, depending exclusively on
how various actors including governments, the concessionaire, businesses, and local communities perceive these changes and rise to the
occasion. The Kerala government should ideally fast-track the Vizhinjam Special Investment Region (SIR) Bill to create an economic zone,
ensuring fair compensation and rehabilitation to the landowners and dwellers in cases of land pooling/acquisition.

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