Smita Purushottam

Ambassador (Rtd) to Switzerland , Economic Counsellor, Embassy of India, Beijing. Founder SITARA. Pro-Indigenisation, S & T, Green Planet, Astronomy.

[Zorawar Daulet Singh @Z_DauletSingh]

We have lost count of the number of times “maritime security” and “net security provider” has been employed in conversations and communiques with the U.S. and its allies in Europe and Asia. But has anybody bothered to actually define the purpose behind this maritime security cooperation.

For the U.S. and its allies, there were two core objectives: 1) expand what is a common and integrated network of allied and partner states to strengthen control over the global maritime commons to enforce unlawful sanctions against any state that happens to find itself in a conflict or dispute with the US-led network. 2) widen burden-sharing to reorient and integrate Indian naval power into assisting US alliance security commitments towards traditional and new geopolitical flashpoints across regions, including on the periphery of major military powers.

In other words, India was seen as a potential cog in the western network to enforce arbitrary coercion, military pressure and aggression against other states as well as widen the security perimeter around US’s Eurasian great power and regional power rivals. There was never any commitment, explicit or implied, to advance or secure INDIAN maritime interests and geopolitical challenges around the subcontinent. India has no geopolitical rights of its own once it becomes a member of the collective network.

With the blowback and risks of this so-called ‘maritime security cooperation’ becoming more evident by the day, this is another key theme for introspection by India’s strategic community.

[Alex Shams @alexshams_]

"So this time I refused to go. I refused to give legitimacy to a foreign power telling me to leave my home. I stayed in Tehran."

In his words, I heard echoes from Lebanon and Palestine, of the generations who refused to be uprooted by Israel's war machine.

[Soumya Ranjan Biswal 🇺🇳🇮🇳 @SoumyaMarineWL]

ଆସ ଲଗାଇବା ହେନ୍ତାଳ ବଣ💙
Across rivers and remote coastlines, the work continues.

Each sapling planted is a step forward!

Yet the scale of the challenge is vast. Restoring #India's eastern coastline will require far more people to achieve our #MillionMangroves2030Mission.
#Odisha

[Mao Keji | मुखर्जी @kejimao]

At least, everyone now knows how it feels to be in China's position and why China persues an independent tech-indutrial ecosystem.

[Chinmay A. Singh @chinmay]

Indians are blaming Infy/Murthy/Nandan for a lack of home-grown LLM. But that blame is misplaced. Infy/Murthy/Nandan could never start an AI company. They had money and they could have fund something. But that again, is their money and why should they risk it?

The real culprit here is Amitabh Kant and other IAS like him. These are the people, why I left India and started two companies in the US. These are the people, why much of Indian talent left to work for US based companies. And these folks did well.

Let's say the government gives me $10B and ask me to set up an AI lab in India. Am I qualified to do it? YES. Will I do it? HELL NO

And you would ask why? Some would say that I have a cozy life in the US. Some would say, I have deep connection in the US, including family. All of that is correct but does not pin point the reason why I wont start a company in India.

The real reason is Babu. Unlike, many In India who think competing for 1000 seats using some bullshit essay writing contest makes Babu some wizard, I have not come across one, I will hire as an analyst. Under no circumstance, I am gonna report to a babu (Happy report to Dharmendra Pradhan or Smriti Irani though). Also, under no circumstances, I will accept a position where I am unable to fire and put an IAS in jail if they reported to me and indulged in some corruption.

Till this babu problem is fixed, no NRI would come to India. If I were the CIA or CCP, trying to ensure that India does not gain AI independence, I would make every effort to protect Babu fiefdom.

[Zorawar Daulet Singh @Z_DauletSingh]

Many ask what should india do. The first step is stop endorsing the ridiculous discourse that US domestic laws have a divine right to be applied all over the world and can serve as a pretext for maritime piracy, arbitrary use of force, secondary sanctions etc. The second step is create a domestic sovereign legal framework to protect economic actors that can engage in trade and cooperation with any state, should it help advance Indian interests and build influence in different regions of the world. The third step is collaborate with other major powers through established institutions like BRICS to develop non western /non U.S. infrastructure to enable economic and financial cooperation outside the control of the US.

But until recently, India was openly priding itself as a compliant state that adheres to unlawful US sanctions.

[Anand Ranganathan @ARanganathan72]

Spine always grows in the back that is against the wall. America denied us crucial LOX/LH₂ cryogenic engine technology. We developed it indigenously and using it we now send American satellites into space.

India can remain sovereign only if it has a sovereign AI. @narendramodi

[ASHWANI MAHAJAN @ashwani_mahajan]

Inhuman and unfortunate!

[Smita Purushottam @smita1900]

Domestic procurement had been our focus for years. Without it, and capital availability, ALL our companies will relocate abroad.

DLI-backed chip companies call for government procurement support https://t.co/sUy9js8Gxs via @economictimes

[Nidhi Jamwal @JamwalNidhi]

Forest fires are raging and rising across the western Himalayan states. Uttarakhand and J&K are particularly affected.

Heatwaves, lack of winter rainfall, delayed monsoon are some of the reasons fueling these wildfires.

Read ON AIR’s ground report: https://t.co/0aQMyOT2NJ

[Ananth Rupanagudi @Ananth_IRAS]

One of the best cleanliness messages in a forest! 😄😛😂 #forest #cleanliness

[Navroop Singh @TheNavroopSingh]

Indo-US Strategic Partnership is over ! The bi-pattisan consensus is broken. Only those party of gravy train & self interest want this to drag on at cost of national interest !!

[Tenzing Lamsang @TenzingLamsang]

This gets worse.

So not only did the US Navy fire two missiles and kill three Indian sailors they refused to rescue the 24 Indian crew despite saying they are on fire, the vessel is sinking and that they are an all Indian crew.

The Omanis rescued them.

[Smita Purushottam @smita1900]

Interesting that these honest tech-oriented politicans come from the South : https://t.co/rBwZqSnHAu

[Alan Daitch @AlanDaitch]

El país que más invierte en inteligencia artificial del planeta acaba de sancionar una ley nacional para obligar a sus ciudades a abrir bibliotecas y volver a los libros de papel.

China era el candidato perfecto para enterrar el papel: pone más de cien mil millones de dólares al año en inteligencia artificial y es de los que más la incluyen en los currículos educativos. Si algún país iba a declarar que el libro ya no hace falta, que para eso está la máquina, era este.

Sin embargo, hizo exactamente lo contrario: en vez de mandar todo a la pantalla, está promoviendo el libro por ley. Desde el primero de febrero, rige una norma que obliga a cada gobierno local a poner dinero en bibliotecas, abrir espacios de lectura hasta en las zonas rurales y sostener una Semana Nacional de la Lectura. Desde ahora, es obligación del Estado.

¿Por qué un país que ya tiene la mejor tecnología se molesta en legislar la lectura? Porque separaron para qué sirve cada cosa. La inteligencia artificial te sirve para producir, competir, ir rápido: es la herramienta.

El libro te entrena en lo que ninguna máquina te da: atención sostenida y criterio propio. Es la cabeza la que después decide qué hacer con esa herramienta. Como lo resume uno de sus investigadores: solo a través de la lectura se llega a un pensamiento profundo e independiente.

El premier Li Qiang lo decretó dentro del mismo plan quinquenal donde está su apuesta de inteligencia artificial. Las dos cosas son estratégicas y van de la mano.

Mientras tanto, Estados Unidos hace el camino inverso: batió su récord de libros sacados de las escuelas (casi veintitrés mil desde 2021) y sus chicos sacaron las peores notas de lectura en más de veinte años, con cuatro de cada diez de cuarto grado que no llegan ni al nivel básico.

La inteligencia artificial la va a tener todo el mundo. La cabeza para saber qué hacer con ella, no. Usala para pensar CON vos y no POR vos.

[DelhiTreesSOS @DelhiTreesSOS]

Inspite of scorching unbearable heat, non stop Tree felling happening in the Central Ridge (opp Buddha Jayanti Park, Gate 2).
Inspite of police and green helpline complaints, complete forest is being decimated.
Please don’t hesitate to stop by and complain.

[Soumya Ranjan Biswal 🇺🇳🇮🇳 @SoumyaMarineWL]

When history asks what we did for the planet, let the answer be:

"We planted a Million Mangroves."🚣‍♂️

🌱 Mission : Million Mangroves by 2030.

Join us in turning this vision into reality and building a stronger, greener, and more resilient future for our coastlines. #OdishaCoast

[Zorawar Daulet Singh @Z_DauletSingh]

MEA should have used this occasion to categorically separate India from the fraudulent ‘rules based order’ where unilateral U.S./Western sanctions and domestic legislation masquerade as norms for the rest of the world. This attitude of the US being above the law is the central problem of international relations in the present world order and the main impetus for multipolarity.

Instead, India is still attempting to explain the logic of US aggression !

https://t.co/grTqdJ9UNO

[Zorawar Daulet Singh @Z_DauletSingh]

My instinctive theory is these three vessels exited through the Iranian regulated route and even paid the Hormuz fee and therefore felt entitled to enter the free oceans.

US punished these vessels and killed Indians for believing these commercial ships had acquired a right to freedom of navigation. In international law, US has committed repeated acts of terrorism based on its unlawful blockade.

[ThePatrioticBlonde™🇺🇸 @ImBreckWorsham]

According to a new report released today by the Miami New Times, Trump threw and funded underage sex parties at his Palm Beach golf course.

The president was made aware of the pending publication 2 days ago.

Maybe now you understand why we struck Iran last night.