Digest for 14 July, 2025
External Affairs Minister Jaishankar Visits China to Mend Strained Ties
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is in China for the first time in five years, marking a significant high-level effort to normalize relations strained since the 2020 border clashes. During a meeting with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in Beijing, Jaishankar noted the steady improvement in ties since October and expressed confidence in maintaining the positive trajectory. The visit, which includes an SCO foreign ministers' meeting, comes after the Chinese embassy called the Dalai Lama's succession a "thorn" in bilateral relations.
FAA and Boeing Defend Fuel Switches Amid Air India Crash Investigation
Following a fatal Air India Boeing 787 crash that killed 260 people, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Boeing have asserted that the aircraft's fuel control switch design is not an "unsafe condition." This comes after a preliminary Indian report highlighted that the fuel switches were cut off just after takeoff. Indian pilot associations have raised concerns about a potential bias towards pilot error in the investigation and are demanding a transparent, fact-based inquiry, with some considering legal action for inclusion in the probe.
Indian Railways to Install CCTV Cameras in All 74,000 Coaches
Indian Railways has announced a major passenger safety initiative to install CCTV cameras in all of its approximately 74,000 coaches and 15,000 locomotives nationwide. To protect privacy, cameras will be placed in common areas near doorways. Each coach will have four dome-type cameras, while locomotives will have six. The high-quality cameras are specified to provide clear footage even in low light and at speeds over 100 kmph, with potential for AI-based analysis to enhance security for millions of daily travelers.
Manipur Insurgents Modifying Looted Arms into Sniper Rifles, Officials Say
Security officials in Manipur report a dangerous escalation in the ongoing ethnic conflict, with insurgent groups from both Meitei and Kuki communities modifying looted police weapons into makeshift sniper rifles. By adding specialized telescopes and altering gun butts, they are increasing the range and lethality of standard .303 and assault rifles, enabling long-distance attacks. This development indicates a tactical shift in the conflict. Security forces have recently recovered hundreds of such modified weapons in raids across the state's valley and hill districts.
Supreme Court Upholds Five-Year Ban on Students Islamic Movement of India
The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea challenging a judicial tribunal's order that confirmed the five-year extension of the ban on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta upheld the tribunal's July 2024 decision, which was constituted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The Centre had extended the ban in January 2024. SIMI was first declared an unlawful association in 2001, and the ban has been periodically extended since.