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- The 12th edition of the India-Kyrgyzstan Joint Special Forces Exercise, Khanjar-XII, is scheduled to take place in Kyrgyzstan.
- About KHANJAR-XII:
- Khanjar-XII marks the 12th edition of the annual India-Kyrgyzstan Joint Special Forces Exercise.
- The exercise was first held in December 2011 in Nahan, India.
- It is an annual event that alternates between India and Kyrgyzstan.
- The Indian contingent is represented by the Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), while Kyrgyzstan is represented by the Kyrgyz Scorpion Brigade.
- The main objective of the exercise is to enhance cooperation in counterterrorism operations and special forces tactics, with a focus on mountainous and high-altitude terrain.
- Training activities will cover advanced sniping, close-quarters combat, building interventions, and mountain warfare techniques.
- Beyond the military training, the exercise will also promote cultural exchange, including the celebration of Nowruz, the Kyrgyz New Year festival.
- India ranked as the second-largest arms importer between 2020 and 2024, although the trade figures saw a decline of 9.3% compared to the 2015-19 period, according to recent data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- About Global Arms Trade:
- Ukraine emerged as the largest importer of major arms globally between 2020 and 2024, experiencing an almost 100-fold increase in imports compared to 2015-2019 figures.
- Ukraine accounted for 8.8% of global arms imports during this period.
- Four countries from Asia and Oceania—India, Pakistan, Japan, and Australia—ranked among the top 10 arms importers globally in 2020-2024.
- India was the second-largest importer, although it saw a 9.3% drop in trade from 2015-2019 to 2020-2024.
- Russia supplied the largest share (36%) of India's arms imports, a decrease from 55% in 2015-19 and 72% in 2010-14.
- India was the leading destination for arms exports from both Russia and France.
- The United States expanded its global arms export share to 43%, while Russia’s share decreased by 64%, accounting for just 7.8% of global exports, falling behind France (9.6%), which became the second-largest exporter in 2020-24.
- India received the largest portion (28%) of France's arms exports—almost double the amount received by all European countries combined (15%).
- Russia supplied major arms to 33 countries between 2020-24, with two-thirds of those exports going to India (38%), China (17%), and Kazakhstan (11%).
- European arms imports surged by 155% between 2015-19 and 2020-24, as the continent bolstered its military capabilities.
- China dropped out of the top 10 arms importers list for the first time since 1990-94, signaling its growing domestic production capabilities.
- Pakistan’s arms imports increased by 61% from 2015-19 to 2020-24, with China becoming even more dominant as a supplier, accounting for 81% of Pakistan's imports in 2020-24, up from 74% in 2015-19.
- The overall global volume of arms transfers remained steady compared to 2015-19 and 2010-14 levels, though it was 18% higher than in 2005-2009, as rising imports in Europe and the Americas balanced out declines in other regions.
- The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is considering a significant overhaul of short-selling regulations, which could allow short-selling on all stocks, excluding those in the trade-to-trade (T2T) segment.
- About Trade-to-Trade (T2T) Segment:
- T2T stocks, or Trade-to-Trade stocks, are equities that must be delivered for trading to occur (T+2 settlement).
- This means such stocks cannot be traded on an intraday basis or under Buy Today, Sell Tomorrow (BTST) transactions.
- If you purchase T2T stocks today, you can only sell them after the settlement is complete.
- Any attempt to sell these stocks on the same day or before they are credited to the Demat account will result in your order being rejected.
- Exchanges classify stocks under the T2T segment based on various factors such as price-earnings ratios, price fluctuations, and market capitalization.
- Highly volatile stocks or those with irregular price movements are closely monitored by the exchanges in collaboration with the market regulator, SEBI.
- Stocks are moved to the T2T segment to protect regular investors from high volatility and curb unwarranted speculation on such stocks.
- On a biweekly basis, exchanges review and reclassify stocks to the T2T segment based on quarterly evaluations.
- Stocks that are not available for trading in the Futures & Options (F&O) segment are also considered for transfer to the T2T sector.
- How to identify stocks in the T2T segment:
- National Stock Exchange (NSE): T2T stocks are identified by the addition of the suffix "BE" to the stock name. For example, "ADANIPOWER" becomes "ADANIPOWER BE" when moved to the T2T segment and reverts to "ADANIPOWER" once normal trading resumes.
- Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE): The letter "T" is added to the stock name, such as "ADANIPOWER" becoming "ADANIPOWER T" in the T2T segment.