Meanwhile, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) issued high sea waves, up to 4.7 metres high, warning across several coastal districts.
The coastal areas of Kerala and Tamil Nadu are expected to experience the "kallakkadal phenomenon" on January 15 night, causing rough waves and a possible sea surge. The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) has issued an alert, advising coastal residents to move to safer locations and avoid venturing into the sea.
'It concerns the sea and the security of the nation. What has happened is a big tragedy.'
A siren giving a warning about tsunami erroneously started playing from the Early Warning Dissemination System at Porvorim near Panaji, triggering panic among the local residents, an official said on Thursday.
As fire continued to rage on and explosions rocked the Singapore-flagged ship off the Kerala coast on Tuesday, authorities issued an oil spill advisory while a Chinese engineer rescued from the burning vessel suffered critical injuries.
Houses in low lying areas of Kerala were flooded in the heavy rains, while the accompanying strong winds uprooted trees, damaged homes and caused power disruptions, throwing normal way of life into disarray across the state.
India, along with 23 other countries, is participating in a major Indian Ocean-wide mock tsunami drill on September 9 and 10 that is aimed at testing the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System.
ISRO chairman S Somanath said the success gave the space agency "greater confidence," as the GSLV will be next deployed in the NISAR mission, a collaborative effort with the US' NASA.
The system is likely to be inaugurated by Earth Sciences Minister Kapil Sibal on October 15.
An amount of Rs 12 crore has been earmarked for the project.
The TEWS was envisioned as a national importance e-governance project by the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences after the 2004 tsunami disaster.
The government on Friday said there is no threat to the Indian coast in the wake of the huge tsunami that devastated parts of Japan following a massive quake that revived memories of the giant tidal waves that struck parts of the country in 2004.
The Tsunami Warning Centre at Hyderabad has issued a warning for three places in Andaman and Nicobar islands. Kishore Swarna Angel, a scientist at the TWC at the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Service in Hyderabad, said that the impact of the earthquake was still being analysed. "We have issued a tsunami warning for three places," he said.
Gujarat will host the next round of G20 meetings from March 27 to April 4, during which three conclaves will be held in the state on a range of issues, where delegates from different countries will converge for participation, an official said.
vThe longest duration cyclone over the north Indian Ocean had developed over the Bay of Bengal and weakened over the Arabian Sea between November 8-23, 1977 with a life period of 14 days and six hours.
The National Security Strategy document should flag all major issues concerning security strategy and provide guidelines to concerned departments to work out suitable action plans. Since the global and regional geopolitical canvas is dynamic, the NSS document should be deliberated at length before formulation and should be reviewed periodically, recommends Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
Here is an explainer on the functioning of the seven-year-old body.
From a few rain gauges in 1875 to rivalling the world's best weather agencies, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has weathered its way to becoming a global leader in forecasting.
NavIC consists of a constellation of seven satellites and a network of ground stations and is touted to be more accurate than GPS.
'Had Haji Pir and/or Skardu been taken, the message would have gone out not just to General Asim Munir and his cohort in the Pakistan army but to the Pakistani people that every terrorist incident in India would lead to substantial loss of territory in PoK.'
The minister said that the available data and model studies do not indicate inundation in a major part of southern Mumbai occurring at least once a year during 2040-50, as published in an international study report.
The Indian crew onboard a crippled container vessel that collided against a key bridge in Baltimore last week is healthy , according to a nonprofit organisation that has been in touch with the personnel.
Fifteen ships belonging to both the Coast Guard and the Indian Navy are a part of the search mission, in addition to the advanced Boeing Poseidon P81 surveillance aircraft.
India's national security strategy needs to be revised periodically since the global and regional geopolitical situation is dynamic, points out Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
The status of the current submarine force level is alarming and we need to address the threat perceptions expeditiously. Critical decisions pertaining to national security cannot be delayed any further due to the rapidly changing maritime threat perceptions and growing strategic importance of the Indian Ocean region, asserts Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
The world needs to wake up to this new dimension of war at sea and be prepared to face the 'unknown enemy' who have the advantage of attacking at their choice of location and time, cautions Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
'People should realise that what we are fighting for today is actually for tomorrow, for future generations.'
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who undertook an aerial survey of rain ravaged areas of Idukki and Wayanad, said Kerala was in the midst of an unprecedented flood havoc and the calamity has caused "immeasurable misery and devastation."
It is important to approach the belief of people in ancient India's achievements with a sense of proportion, balance and empathy, argues B S Raghavan, the distinguished civil servant.
Colombo seems to be veering to the middle path between China and the US on global matters, but in regional matters of strategic security, it is increasingly identifying with India, points out N Sathiya Moorthy.
A list of all the foreign visits taken up by PM Narendra Modi this year and their outcomes.
The 58-year-old businessman, who is also the son-in-law of former Karnataka Chief Minister SM Krishna, has been missing since Monday evening from Mangaluru.
The tearing hurry to form theatre commands has to be replaced by a balanced and deliberate approach. We need to accept that this process will take time if executed correctly and in the best interests of the Indian armed forces, argues Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
The official India Meteorological Department (IMD) and the private Skymet Weather Services have made widely divergent monsoon forecasts.
We do not know, because there has been no discussion, no transparency and most likely no real thinking on this matter at our end, observes Aakar Patel.
Asserting that "maritime muscle flexing" by some countries and other factors have made the Indo-Pacific region "more contested and more volatile," naval chief Admiral Sunil Lanba on Tuesday said that the Indian Navy has its task cut out as it has been a major security provider in the region.
Mere shuffling of resources or cosmetic changes to prove a point would be counterproductive in the long run, observes Commodore Venugoptal Menon (retd).
'Only when China treats India as an equal can we consider them real friends.'
Jaishankar said that the resolution on Kashmir introduced by Jayapal in the House is not a fair characterisation of the situation in J-K. And also said that he has no interest in meeting the Congresswoman.