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Indian Navy conducts Gorkha Rifles Battalion. Exercise that states that USCIS may grant
Exercise Naseem-Al- Ekuverin will enhance interoperability the extensions beyond the 6 year
between the two forces for Counter limit.”
Bahr with Oman Navy
terrorist operations in semi-urban India, UK ink pacts on
The Indian Navy deployed a
environment. illegal migrants’ return
submarine and the P8I long-range Second India-Afghan air
maritime aircraft for the first time India and the UK have signed two
for a bilateral naval exercise with cargo route launched agreements on return of Indians,
the Omani navy. The 11th edition The second India-Afghanistan air cargo who are living in Britain as illegal
of the exercise, ‘Naseem Al Bahr’ route linking Kabul to Mumbai was migrants, and sharing criminal
or ‘Sea Breeze’, was held on 17 launched on 27 December 2017, with records and intelligence. The
December 2017 off the coast of officials saying that it is expected to development comes close on
Oman. The exercise is a biennial boost the export of fresh fruits and heels of India seeking UK’s help in
feature since 1993. medicinal plants from Afghanistan. early extradition of liquor tycoon
The Indian Navy also deployed The second route follows the success Vijay Mallya from Britain to face
two naval ships — INS Trikand and of the Kabul-New Delhi air corridor that the law at home in connection with
INS Teg — for the exercise. was inaugurated by Afghan President cases of fraud and money
The Indian Navy ships and four Ashraf Ghani in mid-June. laundering amounting to around Rs
Royal Navy of Oman ships - Al 10,640 tons of fresh produce, fresh 9,000 crores. The new deals reflect
Rasikh, Khassab, Al Mubashir and and dried fruits, medicinal plants and increased co-operation between
Al Bushra - sailed for the sea phase handicrafts worth more than $20 the two countries, which already
of the exercise, in which an Indian million had been exported to India enjoy a close relationship,
Navy submarine and the versatile since the launch of the first corridor. according to a British government
P8I long-range maritime aircraft The second corridor was inaugurated release issued on January 11,
participated for the first time. by Afghan and Indian officials at the 2018. The MoU on criminal
India-Maldives joint Hamid Karzai international airport in records exchange will lead to
Kabul. British and Indian law enforcement
military exercise ends US says no change in bodies sharing criminal records
A two week long joint military information, fingerprints and
exercise aimed at counter terrorism H-1B extension policy intelligence.
engagements concluded in In a relief for Indian techies, US Indo-US joint military
Belgaum in Karnataka on authorities on 8 January 2018 said that
December 28, 2017. Codenamed the Trump administration is not exercise ‘Vajra Prahar’
‘Ekuverin’, which means ‘friends’ in considering any proposal that would to be held in Seattle
Maldivian language, the joint force H-1B visa holders to leave the In line with the increasing military
exercise saw the Indian Army and country. The announcement by the US cooperation between India and the
the Maldives National Defence Citizenship and Immigration US, yet another edition of the joint
Forces (MNDF) share operating Services (USCIS) came days after military exercise ‘Vajra Prahar’ will
procedures dealing with counter- reports emerged that the Trump be held at Joint Base Lewis-
insurgency and counter-terrorist administration was considering McChord (JBLM) in Seattle, in
engagements in a semi-urban tightening H-1B visa rules that could which a 45-member Special
setting. lead to deportation of 7,50,000 Forces team from Indian Army’s
The two-week-long exercise Indians. The reports had said it was Southern Command will train
saw the two contingents sharpen mulling ending extensions for H-1B alongside US soldiers in the third
their tactical and technical skills. holders. week of January 2018.
The MNDF was represented by a The USCIS “is not considering a ‘Vajra Prahar’ is a Indo-US
team comprising of two officers regulatory change that would force H- Special Forces joint training
and 43 Other Ranks, while the 1B visa holders to leave the United exercise conducted alternately in
Indian Army was represented by States by changing interpretation of India and the US. Though the
three officers, three Junior section certain language in Section 104 exercise began in 2010, there was
Commissioned Officers and 39 C of the American Competitiveness in a gap of three years between 2012
Other Ranks, belonging to the the 21st Century Act (AC21) statute and 2015.

46 Competition Wizard March 2018