Nation Paid Tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, including President, PM and other eminent personalities

Top 5 of the Day

1- Budget Session started from today
2- India’s share in global commercial services exports up at 3.5 pc
3- The WHO has declared the Wuhan coronavirus an international emergency.
4- In Jamia Firing case yesterday, juvenile sent to protective custody.
5- A Delhi court has directed the CBI and ED to file a fresh status report in the Aircel-Maxis case

Tweet of the Day..

People’s Daily, China

National

Budget Session started Today

Ruckus in Parliament as President Ram Nath Kovind backs CAA, condemns violence in name of protests.

Addressing the joint session of Parliament ahead of the Budget Session, the President said, “I am happy that the dream of the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi has been fulfilled through the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act by both the Houses of Parliament.”

The abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution through two-thirds majority by both the Houses of Parliament is not only historic but it has also paved the way for equal development of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

Opposition leaders including Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi protest in front of Gandhi statue in Parliament premises, against CAA, NRC and NPR.

Gaurav Gogoi, Congress MP: In protest against attack on the constitution, we will sit and listen to the President’s address with black bands around our arms.

Left leader, Sitaram Yechuri, “Modi govt continues to lie by invoking Gandhi’s ideas, now in the President’s address, on the divisive CAA. Their lies stand exposed. Gandhi spoke the exact opposite in the cited statement. Gandhiji was killed because he stood for a secular and inclusive India.”

India's share in global commercial services exports up at 3.5 pc

The services sector accounts for about 55 per cent of the economy and gross value added (GVA) growth, according to the Economic Survey 2019-20 tabled in Parliament on Friday by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The sector accounts for two-thirds of total foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into India and about 38 per cent of India’s exports.

Services exports have outperformed goods exports in the recent years, due to which India’s share in world’s commercial services exports has risen steadily over the past decade to reach 3.5 per cent in 2018, twice the share in world’s merchandise exports at 1.7 per cent.

India’s government forecasts economic growth will pick up to 6.0% to 6.5% in the fiscal year beginning April 1, but warned it may have to miss its deficit target to revive growth.

Indian economy has hit the bottom; it will see uptick from here: Chief Economic Adviser K V Subramanian

State Bank of India registers a net profit of Rs 5583 Cr in December quarter, an increase of 41.18%.

SC refuses to hear the petition filed by a journalist, seeking a direction to West Bengal Governor, Jagdeep Dhankar, to remove West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee for “demanding UN-monitored referendum on Citizenship Amendment Act”.While refusing to interfere with the petition of the journalist, Varaaki, a bench of the Apex Court, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde, observed, “We are not denying it is not important. Go to the High Court”.

MEA: Ajay Bisaria (IFS:1987), High Commissioner of India to Pakistan, has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Canada. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.

Ajay Bisaria is a career diplomat, who joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1987. He is currently the High Commissioner of India to Pakistan. Prior to joining the diplomatic service, Bisaria worked briefly with the American Express Bank and Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), in Delhi.

The WHO has declared the Wuhan coronavirus an international emergency.

Delhi Police Sources: Accused (in Jamia firing) doesn’t regret his act, so far he has denied being affiliated to any organization. He got radicalized after watching videos on social media. He wanted to take revenge of the death of Chandan Gupta (killed during Kasganj violence in 2018). Crime Branch to produce the Jamia area firing accused before Juvenile Justice Board and he has been sent to 14-day protective custody by a local Court. Police has requested for a bone ossification test to determine his exact age.

Opposition links shooter Gopal to NDA and levels shocking state-sponsored charge, but gives ‘clean chit’ to Neeraj Prajapati’s killers.

‘Who paid Jamia shooter?’ asks Rahul Gandhi, questioned the Govt a head of Budget session.

In Jamia Firing case Yesterday

Opposition links shooter Gopal to NDA and levels shocking state-sponsored charge, but gives ‘clean chit’ to Neeraj Prajapati’s killers.

‘Who paid Jamia shooter?’ asks Rahul Gandhi, questioned the Govt a head of Budget session.

Police have arrested three members of the Popular Front of India (PFI) on charges of instigating violence during protests against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Lucknow on December 19, 2019.

A Delhi court has directed the CBI and ED to file a fresh status report in the Aircel-Maxis case

A Delhi court has directed the CBI and ED to file a fresh status report in the Aircel-Maxis case against former Union Minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti, which was adjourned sine die. Hearing in this matter to be held today.

In 2006, Maxis had taken over Aircel by acquiring a 74% stake. The Aircel-Maxis deal had come under the scanner in 2011 when Aircel owner C Sivasankaran lodged a complaint with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alleging he had been pressured to sell his stake to Maxis. Sivasankaran also alleged that former Union minister Dayanidhi and his industrialist brother Kalanithi received kickbacks in the form of Maxis group’s investments (through the Astro network) in Sun TV Network, which is owned by the Maran family.

BJP leader and advocate Subramanian Swamy had alleged that a company controlled by Karti Chidambaram, the son of former finance minister P Chidambaram, had in 2006 received a 5 per cent stake in Aircel in return for getting Maxis to pay Rs 40 billion for 74 per cent shares of Aircel.

According to Swamy, Chidambaram withheld Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance of the deal until his son received the five-per cent share in Sivasankaran’s company.

International

Meanwhile Federal Minister for Science & Technology Government of Pakistan, Ch Fawad Hussain asked the “People of India must defeat ‘Modimadness’,Under pressure to lose another State Elections (Delhi on Feb 8^th), he resorts to ridiculous claims and threats endangering Region, Mr Modi has lost balance after

internal and external reaction to Kashmir, Citizenship laws and failing economy.”

This is immediately responded by the Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and said no need to interfere in our internal matter.

Special Task Force Border Range seized around 200 kg heroin and arrested 4 people in Amritsar. Vavinder Mahajan, DSP, STF says, “The operation was underway since many days. Four people including a woman have been arrested”.

Political

Ahead of Delhi Election

BJP Chief JP Nadda: Kejriwal ji, you swore on your children by pretending to be honest and Vinay Bansal your relative, was arrested in PWD scam. Ration and drug scam, auto permit scam, scam in building school rooms happened but no action was taken by you, infact the corrupt were saved.

you came to power by promising to end corruption, you may not remember the Delhi Jal Board scam, CNG and electric bus scam, Ladli scheme scam, Marshall recruitment scam, but the public remembers everything.

BJP Unveils Manifesto ‘Sankalp Patra, ‘With Air & Water Pollution on Priority List. The party’s campaign for elections has centered on national issues such as the Citizenship Amendment Act, the violence over it, and the abrogation of Article 370. manifesto promises good quality flour for poor at Rs 2 per kg, clean drinking water for every household

States

UP

Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary Home Awanish Kumar Awasthi on children kept as hostage at a house in Farrukhabad: The person who was holding the 23 children as hostage has been killed in an operation and all children have been safely evacuated.

An Indian man who arranged a fake birthday party for his one-year-old daughter, then held more than 20 children hostage, has been shot dead by police.

Local media identified the man as Subhash Batham – saying he was accused of murder but out on bail.