News digest: MoD on military equipment, Mercedes' Silver Arrow, and more

MoD clears Rs 460-bn purchase of missiles, guns and naval helicopters

The defence ministry’s apex procurement body, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), accorded approval on Saturday for acquisitions worth about Rs 460 billion. This includes missiles and two types of helicopters for the Navy, and artillery guns for the Army.

The biggest procurement green-lighted today is the Rs 217.38 billion purchase of 111 naval utility helicopters (NUH), which will be built by a competitively chosen Indian private sector company. Read more 

Foreign air carriers cannot get on board international Udan scheme

Foreign airlines will not be able to participate in the international Udan scheme that seeks to connect Guwahati and Vijayawada with neighbouring countries to begin with.

Earlier this week, the civil aviation ministry issued draft rules for international Udan, which is a state government-led initiative to open up overseas air routes.

The Assam and Andhra Pradesh governments, participating in the scheme, are offering subsidy to airlines. They have identified six routes from Guwahati and two from Vijayawada. Unlike domestic regional connectivity flights, there will be no fare cap for overseas Udan flights.

Foreign airlines have been excluded from the scheme. Only those Indian carriers that had the approval to operate international flights as of March can bid for subsidy. This means that AirAsia India and Vistara cannot bid for routes. Read more

Trouble for sugar industry as govt goes back five years to penalise mills

Amid mounting sugarcane dues and low prices, the country’s sugar mills have another reason to worry. The Centre has ordered them to pay for their past failures in meeting levy obligations in a surprise move that has come five years after the system was abolished.

The new directive, issued a few days back, mandates sugar mills that did not fulfil their levy obligations to pay the difference between the prevailing market rate and the levy sugar price of the season. Read more

Kerala floods: Experts raise questions on preventive steps, dam management 

As Kerala gets down to the job of rebuilding the infrastructure devastated by the floods, one crucial question is how, given the state's geographical peculiarities and high population density, to introduce scientific management of the state's 80 dams to prevent such a disaster in future. 

Does the state need an early warning system for its dams? Should it prevent sedimentation of water in the reservoirs? Is a proper manual for operating the reservoirs needed? A protocol for emptying the reservoirs before the monsoon perhaps? What about a drainage and canal master plan for the cities? 

As the post-mortem into the causes of the colossal tragedy kicked off, Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala of the Congress Party blamed the government for the floods, saying it followed unscientific shutter operations in various dams, releasing water without proper alerts. Read more

Inspired by past, eye on future, Mercedes unveils Silver Arrow concept car

In Monterey, California, late on Friday, Mercedes-Benz unveiled its latest concept car, the EQ Silver Arrow. It’s a homage to the brand’s original W 125 race car, which in 1937 set the record for fastest land-speed vehicle on a public road by travelling nearly 270 miles per hour. That record was only broken late last year by the Koenigsegg Agera.

The electric one-seater joins a long list of memorable concepts that Mercedes shows off every year in advance of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance on Sunday. Read more