In a novel initiative, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh presided over a meeting of India’s top 21 naval commanders on board aircraft carrier INS Vikrant in Goa. Hitherto, the biannual commanders’ conference for each of the three armed forces – Army, Air Force and the Navy – was traditionally held in New Delhi, but keeping Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s long-term vision in view that “commanders’ conferences should not be restricted to the national capital only, and should also be held in operational areas, it was decided to hold the three-day naval commanders’ conference from March 6 to 8 on board Vikrant.
Defence Minister Singh addressed the first session of the conference on Monday, while Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan and the service chiefs will use the other remaining sessions to interact with officers on a range of issues, including forward movement on integration of the three services in common operational environments, increasing service-linked synergies, future warfare from operations to combat readiness, HRD training and logistics to the Agnipath Scheme and the enrolment of women in the armed forces.
Goa creates history, hosts Commonwealth Law Conference
India’s smallest state, Goa, has created history by playing host to a five-day-long Commonwealth Law Conference for the first time. The event featuring representatives from 56 countries, including India, is being held in Panaji from March 5 to 9. On Monday, India’s Law and Justice Minister Kiren Rijiju attracted attention for his rather startling comment that the Doctrine of Separation of Powers as envisioned in India’s Constitution for the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary is being violated, and cautioned that such transgressions are risky and poses challenges to it.
The comment assumes significance in the context of a perceived stand-off between the Executive and the Judiciary over issues such as delaying the appointment of judges to the higher courts, the executive questioning the judiciary’s independence to select judges’ and the latter’s reluctance to including a government-appointed nominee in the selection committee, and the judiciary assuming a more strident and proactive stance in calling out the government on key issues like appointing members of the Election Commission, questioning whether India is a democracy, insisting on the government clearing all one rank one pension dues for the armed services, etc.
Goa observes Spring Festival of Shigmo
The Spring Festival of Shigmo is underway in the villages of Goa, with folks dancing and singing their way into the forests of Canacona, Sanguem and Quepem talukas of South Goa. Coming ahead of the Festival of Colours Holi and during Lent, the 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and alms given by the Christian community, Shigmo is Goa’s oldest festival. The festival dates back to the time when tribes settled in the forested areas of the coastal region to take up agriculture as their only source of income. Mainly celebrated by males, the spring festival observes rules such as walking without footwear, not using anything made of leather, consuming only vegetarian food and donning only traditional attire and hats decorated with flowers. Participants invoke local deities through folk songs and dances to provide the villages with a good harvest.
Vande Bharat train on Mumbai-Goa route soon
In infrastructural development-related news, a Vande Bharat semi-high speed express train will soon operate between Mumbai and Goa. Union Minister of State for Railways RaoSaheb Danve revealed this to legislators from Maharashtra. The train is expected to operate on the lines of the ones introduced recently on Mumbai-Shirdi and Mumbai-Solapur routes to curtail travel time. The electrification of the Mumbai-Goa railway route has been completed and the new train service will be introduced after inspection.
Goa Police cracks down on prison illegalities
The prison system in Goa is these days in pro-active mode, conducting surprise checks in jails across the coastal state. Over the weekend, a raid was conducted on the Central Jail in Colvale. Police seized eight cell phones, chargers, headphones and speakers, among other contraband items from prisoners. Police said further action will be taken as per the state’s jail manual.