No single news covered much space, while SC hearing on abrogation 370, arrests of 644 terrorists in Assam,

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National

No role for third party in Kashmir issue: MEA on Trump’s fresh offer for help

The ministry’s assertion came in response to US President Donald Trump’s fresh offer to “help” in resolving the issue.

MEA, cleared that the issues have to be resolved bilaterally and the onus was on Pakistan to create an environment for engagement.

Article 370: Order reserved on whether matter to be referred to larger bench

SC heard today various pleas challenging the Abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution.

A 5-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice N V Ramana reserved its orders on whether the batch of pleas challenging the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution should be referred to a larger Bench of the Court.

The bench heard multiple pleas challenging the Presidential Orders of Aug 5 and 6 issued under Article 370 of the Constitution which removed the special status granted to JnK.

PM Modi discusses nine delayed projects worth over Rs 24,000 crores during Pragati interaction

These projects include 3 from the Ministry of Railways, 5 from the Ministry of Road Transport and

Highways and 1 from the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

The PM discussed 11 items of which 9 are delayed projects, a PMO release said. These nine projects, worth over Rs. 24,000 crores, are in Odisha, Telangana, Mah, JH, Bih, KN, AP, Ker and UP and 3 Union ministries.

PM also reviewed progress work about grievances related to insurance schemes – ‘Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana’ (PMJJBY) and ‘Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana'(PMSBY).

The progress under Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) project- a comprehensive and integrated system for effective policing through e-governance, also reviewed

“In the previous 31 PRAGATI interactions, Prime Minister has reviewed a total of 269 projects with a total investment of Rs 12.30 lakh crore. PM has also reviewed the resolution of grievance redressal related to 47 government programs and schemes across 17 diverse sectors,” the PMO release said.

monument.

Court asks Swamy to mention the matter after 3 months and asks Centre to make its stand clear by filing an affidavit.

Ram Sethu is a chain of limestone shoals between coasts of India and Sri Lanka. According to the epic Ramayana, the Ram Sethu bridge was built by the ‘Vanara army’ to rescue Sita, who was kidnapped by Ravana.

AgustaWestland case: Matter to be next head by Delhi’s Rouse Avenue Court will hearing the matter next on 31st Jan, on the plea by ED seeking to dismiss the bail plea of accused Gautam Khaitan. The court will also hear the plea seeking permission by Gautam Khaitan to go abroad.

The AugustaWestland VVIP chopper deal, the Indian helicopter bribery scandal refers to a multimillion-dollar corruption case in India, wherein money was paid to middlemen and Indian officials in 2006 and 2007 to purchase helicopters for high level politicians.

As per the CBI, this amounted to ₹2.5 billion (US$35 million), transferred through bank accounts in the UK and UAE.

Several Indian politicians and military officials were accused of accepting bribes from in it in order to win the ₹36 billion (US$500 million) Indian contract for the supply of 12 AgustaWestland AW101 helicopters.

Ahmed Patel, political secretary to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, is alleged by Italian prosecutors to have received kickbacks from the deal. [Indian Express. 10 Jan 2014]

Security

644 terrorists surrender along with 177 arms in Assam

Guwahati: A total of 644 terrorists of 8 banned insurgent outfits surrendered in Assam along with 177 arms, police said.

The members of the insurgent groups -ULFA (I), NDFB, RNLF, KLO, CPI (Maoist), NSLA, ADF and NLFB, surrendered in presence of Assam CM S Sonowal at a program. [1]

The government has identified 65 terror groups active in the country, out of which a maximum of 34 are in Manipur, the Lok Sabha was informed in 2013.

As per data of GoI, in 2017, Proscribed Terrorist/ Extremist Groups-3; Active Terrorist/Insurgent Groups-6; Inactive Terrorist/Insurgent Groups-37; and In Peace Talks / ceasefire (groups/ congrolamates -14.

Manipur: An improvised explosive device (IED) blast occurred at Nagamapal RIMS road in Imphal West, early morning today.

This comes days after troops of Assam Rifles along with police apprehended two underground cadres of the United Tribal Liberation Army (UTLA) from Manipur’s Imphal.

Both apprehended underground cadres have been handed over to the police for further investigation, Eastern Command said on Monday.

A BSF jawan, Samarpal from WB, said to be an expert in handling explosives, was arrested in connection with the delivery of a parcel bomb at his camp in Samba district (JnK) early this month, official sources said on Wed.

A parcel containing an improvised explosive device (IED) was delivered to the 173^rd battalion HQ of the Border Security Force (BSF) in Samba on Jan 5, the police had said.

It was addressed to the second-in-command Gurvinder Singh, who got suspicious about it and informed the bomb disposal squad, they had said.

Odisha: Naxals burn down vehicles used in road construction; thrash workers

Odisha: Maoists thrashed workers and set on fire 2 JCB machines, a roller, and a mixture machine deployed for road construction work in Niyamgiri, Rayagada district Orissa, on Tue night.

Maoists (CPI-M) also issued posters threatening authorities to immediately stop road construction in the area.

Left-Wing Extremist attacks involving People’s Militia from 2004 to 2018, a sum of 737 people have been killed, while 349 got injured in a total 400 incidences.

PS Harsha, Mangaluru’s CP told media that our Investigation team arrested Aditya Rao in Bengaluru in connection with planting of an explosive device at Mangaluru Airport on 20 Jan.

We produced the accused before Bengaluru first JMFC court and court issued transit warrant.

He added we’ve brought him to Mangaluru from Bengaluru, now the accused is in our custody, our investigation team will interrogate him.

Indian Navy signs MoU for offshore data with Geological Survey of India (GSI) for sharing of Seabed Sediments Data, products and expertise for Naval Application in Meteorology and Oceanography, yesterday.

GSI’s Marine and Coastal survey Division based at Mangaluru has mapped most of India’s 2.1 Mn km² Exclusive Economic Zone and has a vast repository of offshore data.

This data collected using GSI’s state-of-the-art oceanic research vessels Samudra Manthan, Samudra Kaustubh, Samudra Shaudhikama and Samudra Ratnakar, will now be used by Indian Navy’s rapidly growing blue water fleet for reliable and accurate oceanographic modeling to support their expansive maritime operations in the Indian Ocean region.

International

Davos summit: US a developing nation too, WTO has been unfair for years, says Trump

US President Trump at WTO, as you know, I’ve had a dispute running with them for quite a while, because our country hasn’t been treated fairly. China is viewed as a developing nation. India is viewed as a developing nation. We’re not viewed as a developing nation.

US President Donald Trump: As far as I am concerned, we are a developing nation too. But they (China & India) got tremendous advantages by the fact that they were considered ‘developing’ & we were not. And they shouldn’t be. But if they are, we are.

Pakistan ''spews venom'', takes to hate speech like fish takes to water: India at UN

Pakistan consistently rakes up the Kashmir issue at various UN platforms in a bid to internationalize it but has repeatedly failed to get any support.

India’s Dy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador K Nagaraj Naidu, speaking at a session of the General Assembly on ”Report of the Secretary-General on the Work of the Organization” on Wed, said Pakistan “indulges in confabulations and obfuscates the international community from the truth” instead of putting an end to the “bellicose and vitriolic diatribe” and taking steps to restore normal ties.This was official response from India after failure of Pakistan effort to put Kashmir issue even after support of China, last week.

Pak PM mum over Uighurs issue as China is 'good friend'

Despite the global outcry over China’s treatments of its minorities, Pakistan PM Imran Khan has chosen to remain tight-lipped on deplorable conditions of Uighur Muslims in China, saying Beijing is a “good friend” and has helped Islamabad in “most difficult situations”.

In an exclusive interview with German-based DW on Jan 16, Imran Khan spoke at length about the issue of Kashmir but he said Chinese are “sensitive” and that’s why Islamabad avoids discussing the Uighur issue with them.

China has been condemned internationally for cracking down on the minorities living in their countries. China has been accused of oppressing the Uighurs by sending them to mass detention camps, interfering in their religious activities and sending the community to undergo some form of forceful re-education or indoctrination. However, Pakistan has stayed mum over this issue.

Despite of all these Mr Khan chosen to mum only because, he understands the current need and mighty of China, while picking Kashmir issue help him to address his constituency as well.

As per Radio Pakistan, Pakistan today conducted a successful training launch of surface to surface ballistic missile Ghaznavi, capable of delivering multiple types of warheads up to a range of 290 KM.

As per Reuters, China, today, put on lockdown two cities- Wuhan and Huanggang that are at the epicentre of a new coronavirus outbreak that has killed 17 people and infected nearly 600.

MEA, India said on Coronavirus Outbreak, “As far as protecting oneself while living in China is concerned, our Missions have made an effort for this there. But if you come to India you will have to go through the screening process”.

Sikh leader forced to flee Pakistan following threats

Pakistani Sikh politician Radesh Singh Tony was forced to flee Pakistan after he received threats and was tortured by some unidentified people last month.

On Wed, Tony himself has also released a video statement from an unverified Twitter account and where he could be seen appealing to the Sikh community to help him and his family and take them out to “some safe place”.

As per the Dawn report, the PK-75 candidate was a “prominent member of the local Sikh community and

the president of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Pakistan Minorities Alliance.”

However, it’s not new for Islamabad is discriminating against its religious minorities, which is manifested in various forms of targeted violence, mass murders, extrajudicial killings, abduction, rapes, forced conversion to Islam, etc., making the Pakistani Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Ahmadiyyas, and Shias, one of the most persecuted minorities in the region.

Political

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar on JDU leader Pawan Verma’s letter to him on CAA and NRC: If anyone has any issues then the person can discuss it within party or at party meetings, but such kind of public statements are surprising. He can go and join any party he likes, my best wishes

Delhi: Jana Sena Party (JSP) Chief Pawan Kalyan meets BJP President Jagat Prakash Nadda at his residence. BJP and JSP have entered into an alliance in Andhra Pradesh.

In south it will be fruitful to BJP in spreading their reach.

Suresh Halwankar, Chief Election Officer of Maharashtra BJP: We have decided that the election for new party state president will be held in Mumbai on 15-16 February. I think the party workers want dada Chandrakant Patil (current BJP Maharashtra chief) to continue in his role.

Government of Haryana: On the advice of CM ML Khattar, some new portfolios have been allocated to the CM and to 2 Ministers. The portfolios of the Criminal Investigation Department, & departments of Personnel & Training, and of Raj Bhawan Affairs have been allocated to the CM.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar echoes the INC’s ‘Muslim appeasement’ and says ‘minorities decide whom to defeat’, in NCP minority cell meeting, during Mah elections, muslims didn’t vote for BJP.

They vote for parties which can defeat BJP. During elections, the minorities decide whom to defeat. In the state, the change of guard which we are seeing is due to that.

States

Govt of Haryana: The Home Min Anil Vij will cease to hold the portfolio of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), and the Transport Min MC Sharma will cease to hold the portfolio of Art and Cultural Affairs.

Differences between CM and HM was growing, since December regarding Holding power over CID.

JnK: Union Ministers in State to Trust Building,

MoS for HRD, Sanjay Dhotre said that the Govt, under present leadership of Modi had sanctioned a development package of Rs. 80,000 crore for JnK in 2015. And those projects which have been lying dormant for last several decades are also being revived in a speedy manner.

RS Prasad in Srinagar said “I encourage the idea of all-women post-office to be opened across the country. I want that the first all-women post-office in a Union Territory should open in Srinagar.

He added “all ministers of the center, including senior ones, are here monitoring everything & encouraging people. Children here are thirsty for development, digital age, sports”

Aurangabad: FIR registered against three people including former cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin for allegedly duping a travel agent, Mohammad Shadab, of more than Rs 20 lakh. Investigation underway. #Maharashtra

Kerala: Police arrested Prabesh, a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker on charges of hurling bombs at a police picket near RSS office in Kannur, on January 21. He was arrested from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu.

Guj BJP MLA Savli, Ketan Inamdar has tendered his resignation from his post, alleging that he is being neglected by party Ministers and top officials.

Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren has ordered an SIT investigation in Chaibasa incident. The order came after he held a high-level meeting with Director General of Police (DGP), and other top officers.