Shashi Tharoor meets top US dy state secretary, gets India ‘strong support in fight on terror'
In a strong reaffirmation of deepening India–US strategic ties, an All-Party Parliamentary delegation led by senior MP Shashi Tharoor met with US deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau on Thursday and discussed a range of bilateral issues, with a focus on counterterrorism.
According to a press release by the Indian Embassy in Washington, the Indian delegation briefed the deputy secretary on the recent Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 innocent lives.
The delegation also provided an overview of India's response through Operation Sindoor, India's precision strikes on terror camps in Pakistan, in which more than 100 terrorists were neutralised.
Also Read | EC vs Rahul Gandhi: Poll body slams 'absurd' Maharashtra polls claim, MP lays down 2 demands
During their discussion, Tharoor emphasised India's unwavering commitment to combating cross-border terrorism in all its forms, the release said.
"All-Party Parliamentary delegation led by Dr Shashi Tharoor called on Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and briefed him on the heinous terrorist attack in Pahalgam, discussed India's subsequent Operation Sindoor, and put forth India's firm resolve to counter cross-border terrorism in all its forms," the release stated.
Beyond discussion on India's efforts for counterterrorism, the meeting underscored the broadening India–US partnership, as both sides held wide-ranging discussions on advancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including technology, trade, energy, and strategic affairs.
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"The Deputy Secretary reaffirmed the United States' strong support of India in the fight against terrorism. The two sides also had a wide-ranging conversation on the importance of strengthening bilateral relationships through advancing cooperation in areas of mutual interest," the release further stated.
It was also mentioned that on Friday, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor interacted with various members of the American press corps.
The all-party delegation led by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor attended the Ambassador's dinner while in the US and also met Senator Chris Van Hollen, who is a member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
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Congress MP Shashi Tharoor is leading the all-party delegation which includes Shambhavi Chaudhary (Lok Janshakti Party), Sarfaraz Ahmed (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha), G M Harish Balayogi (Telugu Desam Party), Shashank Mani Tripathi, Tejaswi Surya, and Bhubaneswar Kalita (all from the BJP), Mallikarjun Devda (Shiv Sena), former Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu, and Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora.
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This also makes projecting timelines and costs very difficult, the article added. 1. Iron Dome is a short-range, ground-to-air, air defence system that includes a radar and Tamir interceptor missiles that track and neutralise any rockets or missiles aimed at Israeli targets. It is used for countering rockets, artillery & mortars (C-RAM) as well as aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles. 2. The genesis of the Iron Dome goes back to the 2006 Israeli-Lebanon war, when the Hezbollah fired thousands of rockets into Israel. The following year, Israel announced that its state-run Rafael Advance Systems would come up with a new air defence system to protect its cities and people. It was developed with Israel Aerospace Industries. 3. Notably, the idea behind Trump's proposed Golden Dome is inspired by Israel's much lauded Iron Dome system. 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ICBMs can be launched from tens of thousands of kilometres away, and travel to space as a part of their flight trajectory. Tracking ICBMs necessitates the use of satellites. And while they can be neutralised using ground-based interceptors, space-based weapons have long been thought to be more effective for this task given that they re-enter Earth's atmosphere at hypersonic speeds. 1. The United Nations' Outer Space Treaty is an international agreement binding member states to only use outer space for peaceful purposes. It spells out the principles governing the activities of states in the exploration and use of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies. 2. The treaty came into force in October, 1967, during the peak of the Cold War, after being ratified by Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. It lays down the following governing principles: 📌 The exploration and use of outer space will be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all countries and will be the province of all mankind. 📌 Outer space will be free for exploration and use by all states. 📌 Outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty. 📌 States will not place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies or station them in outer space in any other manner. 📌 The Moon and other celestial bodies will be used exclusively for peaceful purposes. 📌 Astronauts will be regarded as the envoys of mankind. 📌 States will be responsible for national space activities whether carried out by governmental or non-governmental entities. 📌 States will be liable for damage caused by their space objects. 📌 States shall avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies. 1. The Artemis Accords, launched by NASA and the US Department of State in 2020, have 53 signatories, including India. 2. It implements fundamental commitments from the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and emphasises commitment to the Registration Convention, the Rescue and Return Agreement, and best practices for responsible behaviour, such as the public distribution of scientific data. 3. The accords are a series of non-binding agreements that establish principles to be respected in outer space. With reference to the Outer Space Treaty, consider the following statements: 1. It entered into force during the peak of World War II and provides the basic framework on international space law that remains in place to date. 2. As per one of the Articles of the treaty the activities of non-governmental entities in outer space shall require authorisation and continuing supervision by the appropriate State Party to the Treaty. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 (Sources: What we know about Trump's 'Golden Dome', Trump offers Golden Dome missile shield to Canada 'for free', but 'only if it joins US as 51st state', What is the Outer Space Treaty and why the US and Russia are at odds over it? ) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for May 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Roshni Yadav is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She is an alumna of the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University, where she pursued her graduation and post-graduation in Political Science. She has over five years of work experience in ed-tech and media. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. Her interests lie in national and international affairs, governance, economy, and social issues. You can contact her via email: ... Read More
