After a gap of two decades, India is all set to join the elite club of nations having nuclear-powered submarines with the induction of the Russian-origin Nerpa into the Navy on Wednesday.
Defence minister A.K. Antony will formally commission the Akula II class Nerpa rechristened INS Chakra into the Navy at the Ship Building Complex here, defence ministry officials said here. India has earlier leased and operated Charlie Class Russian nuclear submarine from 1988 for training its personnel on such submarines.
With INS Chakra and the indigenous INS Arihant expected to start operational patrols soon, India will soon have two nuclear submarines guarding its vast maritime boundaries.

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India will contest for who regional head post
age correspondent
NEW DELHI, APRIL 3

After more than four decades, India has decided to contest for the post of regional director, World Health Organisation, Southeast Asia Region Office (Searo). The last time India has had its regional director was in 1948 to 1968. Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, who is currently deputy regional director, WHO, Searo, will be India’s candidate for the post. Union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has approved her nomination and has written to the ministry of external affairs and the health ministers of Southeast Asian countries to extend their support for India’s candidate.
The WHO Southeast Asia Region has 11 member states: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia, Maldives, Burma, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste.

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Panel for community college to start work
Age Correspondent
New Delhi, April 3

With an eye on increasing the Gross Enrolment Ratio and skilled work force in the country, the Union human resource development ministry has constituted a 10-member committee of state education ministers to finalise the concept and framework for establishment of community colleges in the country. Proposed under the newly-created National Vocational Education Qualifications Framework (NVEQF), the colleges are expected to utilise community-based life-long learning paradigms as have been practised in community colleges in many countries. Sources said that the need to establish community colleges was felt in an effort to expand Gross Enrolment Ratio, meet the diverse requirements of school graduates and respond to the requirements of the growing economy.

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Lockheed bags iaf deal to supply laser bombs
New Delhi, April 3: US defence major Lockheed Martin has bagged a deal expected to be worth over `100 crores for supplying laser-guided bombs (LGBs) for the Jaguar fighter aircraft fleet in the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The IAF plans to induct more than 100 bunker-buster LGBs for its Jaguar warplanes to destroy strongly fortified enemy targets.
“We have emerged as the lowest bidders in the deal for supplying LGBs to the IAF. We have offered our Paveway II LGBs for the Jaguars and contract negotiations are on in this direction,” Lockheed Martin India head Roger Rose said here. The IAF had issued a global request for proposal (RFP) for the purpose last year, and Lockheed Martin along with Raytheon and an Israeli missile manufacturer had taken part in the tender. — PTI

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Defence preparedness sensitive issue: nsa
Age Correspondent
with agency inputs
New Delhi, April 3

National security adviser Shivshankar Menon on Tuesday said that it is not appropriate to debate on defence preparedness and acquisition process in the public domain it was a sensitive issue.
Drawing attention to the recent controversies, including that of Army Chief General V.K. Singh and his allegations of being offered a bribe, the NSA said such sensitive issues hurt the morale of the armed forces. These comments were made by the NSA on the sidelines of a seminar on India’s national security challenges and issues in the national capital.