Environment clearance to Navy’s Project Seabird (Karwar naval base)
The new Government of India has given environmental clearance to Indian Navy’s ambitious naval infrastructure project — Seabird in Karwar (Phase-II).
Project Seabird (Karwar naval base)
The Western Fleet of Indian Navy in Mumbai faced security challenges during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 due to congestion in the shipping lanes from commercial shipping traffic, fishing boats and tourists. To address these concerns several options were mulled over after the war.
Alternative locations for a base on the west coast were considered, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur and Thoothukudi. In the early 1980s, then Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Oscar Stanley Dawson proposed a dedicated naval base between the hills of the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea near Karwar in Karnataka state.
Advantages of Karwar (Karnataka) as Naval Base:
- Located south of the naval bases in Mumbai and Goa and north of Kochi and is very close to the world’s busiest shipping route between the Persian Gulf and east Asia and beyond the range of most strike aircraft from neighboring countries.
- It has a natural deep-water harbour and considerable land area for expansion to accommodate larger aircraft carriers.
However, due to a variety of reasons, including the 1991 economic crisis, development of the base was delayed.Following Pokhran-II in 1999, then DefenceMinister George Fernandes approved Project Seabird to move forward with the construction of the new naval base at Karwar. Contracts were awarded to Larsen & Toubro as the lead contractor for the marine works on the harbour, in partnership with Hochtief, Ballast Nadem Dredging of the Netherlands, Radisson of Australia and Nedeco of The Netherland.
Over 5 km of breakwater were built using over 4.4 million cubic meters of rock to protect the harbour. To provide berth to even larger aircraft carriers, the Binaga Bay was dredged and its rock outcrops blasted. Anjadip Island is one of the two islands to which the breakwaters are linked for reinforcement. A second channel will be added to the base to allow warships to enter and exit the port at the same time.
The Karwar base will be one of the largest naval bases of India and will be executed in two phases. It will house various warships including India’s largest warship and aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. INS Kadamba is an Indian Navy base situated near Karwar in Karnataka.
The phase I of the base, known as Project Seabird, was completed in 2005 and the base was commissioned on May 31, 2005.
The phase II of the project began in 2011. At present, INS Kadamba is the third largest Indian naval base, and is expected to become the largest naval base in the eastern hemisphere after completion of expansion Phase IIB.
The new Government of India has given environmental clearance to Indian Navy’s ambitious naval infrastructure project — Seabird in Karwar (Phase-II).
Project Seabird (Karwar naval base)
The Western Fleet of Indian Navy in Mumbai faced security challenges during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971 due to congestion in the shipping lanes from commercial shipping traffic, fishing boats and tourists. To address these concerns several options were mulled over after the war.
Alternative locations for a base on the west coast were considered, including Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur and Thoothukudi. In the early 1980s, then Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Oscar Stanley Dawson proposed a dedicated naval base between the hills of the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea near Karwar in Karnataka state.
Advantages of Karwar (Karnataka) as Naval Base:
- Located south of the naval bases in Mumbai and Goa and north of Kochi and is very close to the world’s busiest shipping route between the Persian Gulf and east Asia and beyond the range of most strike aircraft from neighboring countries.
- It has a natural deep-water harbour and considerable land area for expansion to accommodate larger aircraft carriers.
However, due to a variety of reasons, including the 1991 economic crisis, development of the base was delayed.Following Pokhran-II in 1999, then DefenceMinister George Fernandes approved Project Seabird to move forward with the construction of the new naval base at Karwar. Contracts were awarded to Larsen & Toubro as the lead contractor for the marine works on the harbour, in partnership with Hochtief, Ballast Nadem Dredging of the Netherlands, Radisson of Australia and Nedeco of The Netherland.
Over 5 km of breakwater were built using over 4.4 million cubic meters of rock to protect the harbour. To provide berth to even larger aircraft carriers, the Binaga Bay was dredged and its rock outcrops blasted. Anjadip Island is one of the two islands to which the breakwaters are linked for reinforcement. A second channel will be added to the base to allow warships to enter and exit the port at the same time.
The Karwar base will be one of the largest naval bases of India and will be executed in two phases. It will house various warships including India’s largest warship and aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya. INS Kadamba is an Indian Navy base situated near Karwar in Karnataka.
The phase I of the base, known as Project Seabird, was completed in 2005 and the base was commissioned on May 31, 2005.
The phase II of the project began in 2011. At present, INS Kadamba is the third largest Indian naval base, and is expected to become the largest naval base in the eastern hemisphere after completion of expansion Phase IIB.
NABARD slashes refinance rates to promote investment in agriculture
In a bid to encourage investments in agriculture, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has cut the rate of interest by 20 basis points (bps) on their long term refinance facility to banks.
As per NABARD:
- Rates of refinance will now be 9.50% for 5 years and above and 9.70% for 3-5 years period.
- Banks availing more than Rs.500 crore in a single drawl will further be incentivized by 10 bps.
- Efficient agricultural technologies which enhance production & productivity will be provided a further incentive of 50 basis points, a step taken to fight food inflation by addressing the supply side constraint.
- The 50 basis points rebate will also be available for supporting single purpose under area development schemes, primarily to benefit small and marginal farmers.
- This step will help the Cooperative Banks, RRBs and Commercial Banks in stemming the declining trend of investment credit and will help in capital generation in agriculture.
In a bid to encourage investments in agriculture, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has cut the rate of interest by 20 basis points (bps) on their long term refinance facility to banks.
As per NABARD:
- Rates of refinance will now be 9.50% for 5 years and above and 9.70% for 3-5 years period.
- Banks availing more than Rs.500 crore in a single drawl will further be incentivized by 10 bps.
- Efficient agricultural technologies which enhance production & productivity will be provided a further incentive of 50 basis points, a step taken to fight food inflation by addressing the supply side constraint.
- The 50 basis points rebate will also be available for supporting single purpose under area development schemes, primarily to benefit small and marginal farmers.
- This step will help the Cooperative Banks, RRBs and Commercial Banks in stemming the declining trend of investment credit and will help in capital generation in agriculture.
India test-fires BrahMos from indigenous warship INS Kolkata successfully
The 290 km-range BrahMos supersonic anti-ship cruise missile was successfully test- fired from country’s largest indigenous warship INS Kolkata off the coast of Karwar in Karnataka. The combat ship is yet to be formally inducted into the Indian Navy. The missile was test-fired from INS Kolkata, which is a new ship under Project 15-Alpha series, off the coast of Karwar and all the parameters were met during the test.
INS Kolkata:
The ship built by Mazagon Dockyards Limited is the first of its class of warships in the country and is going through extensive trials before its planned induction into the Navy in July2014. The warship can fire 16 BrahMos missiles in one go when it enters operational service.
Current status of BrahMos
The BrahMos weapon systems has already been deployed on several Indian Navy’s warships including the Russian-origin Talwar Class vessels. The missile is expected to be deployed on all future destroyers and frigates of the Navy and it is also being developed to suit submarines.
The Army and the Air Force have also inducted the missile and it is being readied for firing from a Su-30MKI combat aircraft.
Land version of this weapon system will also be inducted into the Air Force. The Army has positioned it in both the eastern and the western fronts along the borders with both China and Pakistan.
BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture of India and Russia, has developed several variants of the missile for different forms of warfare and is currently developing a much-faster hypersonic version of the missile.
The 290 km-range BrahMos supersonic anti-ship cruise missile was successfully test- fired from country’s largest indigenous warship INS Kolkata off the coast of Karwar in Karnataka. The combat ship is yet to be formally inducted into the Indian Navy. The missile was test-fired from INS Kolkata, which is a new ship under Project 15-Alpha series, off the coast of Karwar and all the parameters were met during the test.
INS Kolkata:
The ship built by Mazagon Dockyards Limited is the first of its class of warships in the country and is going through extensive trials before its planned induction into the Navy in July2014. The warship can fire 16 BrahMos missiles in one go when it enters operational service.
Current status of BrahMos
The BrahMos weapon systems has already been deployed on several Indian Navy’s warships including the Russian-origin Talwar Class vessels. The missile is expected to be deployed on all future destroyers and frigates of the Navy and it is also being developed to suit submarines.
The Army and the Air Force have also inducted the missile and it is being readied for firing from a Su-30MKI combat aircraft.
Land version of this weapon system will also be inducted into the Air Force. The Army has positioned it in both the eastern and the western fronts along the borders with both China and Pakistan.
BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture of India and Russia, has developed several variants of the missile for different forms of warfare and is currently developing a much-faster hypersonic version of the missile.
Bharat Ratna JRD Tata award conferred upon Somasundaram
Member of Air Navigation Services of Airports Authority of India (AAI),Somasundaram, has been conferred upon the esteemed Bharat Ratna JRD Tata Award 2013 instituted by Aeronautical Society of India (ASI). He has made significant contributions not only in improving ANS infrastructure in the country for enhancing safety, efficiency and capacity of the airspace but also towards smooth ATM and global coordination.
The ASI has been presenting annual national awards in recognition and appreciation of distinguished contribution and outstanding achievements made in the field of aeronautics and airspace sciences. The ASI gives Bharat Ratna JRD Tata Award to an individual who has made outstanding contributions in the field of civil aviation.
Member of Air Navigation Services of Airports Authority of India (AAI),Somasundaram, has been conferred upon the esteemed Bharat Ratna JRD Tata Award 2013 instituted by Aeronautical Society of India (ASI). He has made significant contributions not only in improving ANS infrastructure in the country for enhancing safety, efficiency and capacity of the airspace but also towards smooth ATM and global coordination.
The ASI has been presenting annual national awards in recognition and appreciation of distinguished contribution and outstanding achievements made in the field of aeronautics and airspace sciences. The ASI gives Bharat Ratna JRD Tata Award to an individual who has made outstanding contributions in the field of civil aviation.
Madhusudhana Chary elected first Speaker of Telangana Assembly
TRS MLA Sirikonda Madhusudhana Chary (58), who represents Bhupalapally in Warangal district, has been elected unopposed as the first Speaker of theTelangana Legislative Assembly. Chary is a close aid of K Chandrasekhar Rao even before the latter founded the TRS in 2001.
TRS MLA Sirikonda Madhusudhana Chary (58), who represents Bhupalapally in Warangal district, has been elected unopposed as the first Speaker of theTelangana Legislative Assembly. Chary is a close aid of K Chandrasekhar Rao even before the latter founded the TRS in 2001.
PM launches book ‘Getting India Back on Track: An Action Agenda For Reform’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a book titled ‘Getting India Back on Track: An Action Agenda For Reform’ edited by Bibek Debroy, Ashley J. Tellis and Reece Trevor. The book’s foreword has been written by Ratan N Tata and it comprises insightful essays by noted academicians and public policy experts.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a book titled ‘Getting India Back on Track: An Action Agenda For Reform’ edited by Bibek Debroy, Ashley J. Tellis and Reece Trevor. The book’s foreword has been written by Ratan N Tata and it comprises insightful essays by noted academicians and public policy experts.
Ranjit Kumar appointed as Solicitor General
The new government led by PM Narendra Modi has appointed senior Supreme Court advocate Ranjit Kumar as the Solicitor General of India. Kumar, who is considered an expert in Constitutional laws, has earlier defended Gujarat in a number of cases.
A few days back, Mukul Rohatgi was appointed as the Attorney General of India, who thus became the top law officer of the country. The Solicitor General is subordinate to the Attorney General for India.
With this, the new government has made its first appointments of law officers who would be representing it in courts.As a convention, law officers resign with the change of government.
Reuven (Ruby) Rivlin elected Israel’s new President
Reuven (Ruby) Rivlin, Knesset member of Likud Party, has been elected 10thPresident of Israel, following a vote by members of the parliament. Rivlin who has been former speaker of parliament won the ceremonial post in a runoff against Meir Sheetrit. He will replace outgoing president Shimon Peres. * The Knesset is the unicameral national legislature of Israel.
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