JUST in time for Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the US, the cabinet approved the much earlier declared yet long-pending Indian acquisition of 22 Apache AH- 64E attack helicopters and 15 Chinook CH-47F heavy lift copters, both made by Boeing, with an option for 11 more Apaches and 7 more Chinooks, at a total cost of $3.1 billion (Rs 1900 crores).

THE communal violence incidents in the last week of September had created a sense of insecurity among people of Ranchi and other districts. On the festive occasion, incidents where meat was allegedly thrown outside places of worship in different places of Ranchi and some districts took place. These incidents are a part of planned conspiracy. They are not done by some mischievous groups but they are part of efforts for creating communal polarisation by organised communal forces.

MORE than hundred mass organisations met in a joint convention at Rani Rashmoni Road and announced the programme of the movement on peoples’ issues.

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) met in New Delhi on September 26 & 27, 2015. It has issued the following statement on September 27, 2015. PLENUM ON ORGANISATIONThe Polit Bureau discussed the broad outlines of the contents of the Report and the Resolution for the Organisational Plenum to be held from December 27-31, 2015 at Kolkata.The replies to the detailed questionnaire by the Party Centre to the state committees have been received and the documents for the plenum will be prepared incorporating these as well.

THE Malabar joint naval exercises, to be conducted between October 14 and 21, illustrates the tightening India-US military collaboration. The Malabar exercises began in 1992 as joint naval exercises between the Indian and US navies. Subsequently, joint exercises were extended to the air forces and armies of the two countries. It got expanded and institutionalised with the Indo-US defence framework agreement that was signed in June 2005.