India, France ink intergovernmental pact sealing Rs 64,000 cr deal to procure 26 Rafale jets
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New Delhi (PTI): India and France on Monday inked an intergovernmental agreement to procure 26 naval variants of Rafale fighter jets at a cost of around Rs 64,000 crore for the Indian Navy.
The pact provides for setting up of a production facility for Rafale fuselage as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities for aircraft engines, sensors and weapons in India, according to the defence ministry.
The agreement will also facilitate the transfer of technology for the integration of indigenous weapons in India, it said without elaborating.
The ministry said the delivery of the aircraft would be completed by 2030, with the crew undergoing training in France and India.
India is procuring the jets for deployment on board aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.
Manufactured by French defence major Dassault Aviation, the Rafale-Marine is a carrier-borne combat-ready aircraft with proven operational capabilities in the maritime environment.
The sealing of the mega deal came three weeks after the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleared the procurement.
Under the terms of reference, the delivery of the jets will have to start around five years after the signing of the contract.
In July 2023, the defence ministry accorded the initial approval for the mega acquisition following a series of deliberations and evaluation tests of the platform.
Under the deal, the Indian Navy will also get associated ancillary equipment including weapon systems and spares from Dassault Aviation.
The defence ministry said that the Rafale-Marine has commonality with the Rafale being operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF).
"Its procurement will substantially enhance joint operational capability, besides optimising training and logistics for the aircraft for both Indian Navy and IAF," it said in a statement.
"The induction would lead to the addition of a potent force multiplier to the Indian Navy's aircraft carriers, substantially boosting the nation's air power at sea," it said
The intergovernmental pact has been signed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and France's Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu.
The signed copies of the agreement, aircraft package supply protocol and weapons package supply protocol were exchanged by Indian and French officials, the defence ministry said.
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FIR against 40 social media accounts for spreading anti-national, misleading content; 25 arrested
Lucknow, May 13 (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Police on Tuesday said it has registered FIR against 40 social media accounts and arrested 25 people for spreading anti-national content and misleading posts related to Operation Sindoor.
Acting on the directions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Director General of Police Prashant Kumar instructed officials to identify individuals disseminating false or provocative information online and take strict legal action against them.
A special team under the close supervision of Additional Director General (Law & Order) Amitabh Yash has been conducting round-the-clock monitoring of various social media platforms from the police headquarters' social media centre, it said.
"So far, 40 accounts have been identified and FIRs have been registered against them in respective districts. A total of 25 individuals have been arrested," the statement said.
Efforts are also underway to block all 40 accounts through the cyber crime headquarters, it added.
DGP Kumar appealed to the public not to share any unverified information that could spread panic, mislead citizens, or tarnish the image of the Indian Army.
He urged people to verify any news, images, or videos through the official Uttar Pradesh Police fact-check handle on X.
The police asserted that posting or sharing misleading, false, or anti-national content on social media is a punishable offence, and surveillance of all platforms is being carried out 24x7.
