Newsletter 18 Feb

Top 5 of the news of the Week

1- Six Months After JnK Reorganization, EC Announces Nominee To Delimitation Commission
2- India becomes 5th largest economy, overtakes UK, France: Report
3- President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurates development projects in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu
4- India’s annual coal power output falls for first time in a decade-Reuters
5- Jaishankar meets EU leaders; holds talks on economic, social issues

True Indology @TIinExile

FOOL! All these cities existed LONG BEFORE a single rat eating Mughal invader set his foot in India. Ahmedabad’s real name is Karṇavati. Agra’s real name is Agrevaṇa. Delhi’s real name is Dhillika. Invaders only destroyed original settlements and built theirs on its ruins!

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Atul Khatri

@one_by_two

Ironically all the 3 cities Modiji is showing off Trump to – Ahmedabad, Agra and Delhi – were built by the Mughals

National

India becomes 5th largest economy, overtakes UK, France: Report

A US-based think tank World Population Review in its report said that India is developing into an open-market economy from its previous autarkic policies.
“India’s economy is the 5^th largest in the world with a GDP of $2.94 trillion, overtaking the UK and France in 2019 to take the fifth spot,” it said.
The report further said that in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms, India’s GDP (PPP) is $10.51 trillion, exceeding that of Japan and Germany.
Due to India’s high population, India’s GDP per capita is $2,170 (for comparison, the US is $62,794).
India’s real GDP growth, however, it said is expected to weaken for the third straight year from 7.5 to 5%.
India’s service sector is the fast-growing sector in the world accounting for 60% of the economy and 28 per of employment, the report said, adding that manufacturing and agriculture are two other significant sectors of the economy.

The US-based World Population Review is an independent organization without any political affiliations.

Six Months After JnK Reorganization, EC Announces Nominee To Delimitation Commission

Six months after the reorganization of JnK, the Election Commission of India which announced that the Ministry of Legislative Affairs had requested Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora to nominate a member to the “proposed” Delimitation Commission for JnK.

The EC mentioned that Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra had been selected as the CEC’s nominee. Addressing the media in Nov 2019, Arora stated that the Delimitation Commission had to be formed by the MHA.

Referring to the demarcation of boundaries of Parliamentary or Assembly constituencies, the delimitation process is carried out at regular intervals to ensure that each constituency has approximately an equal number of voters.

It is usually done when a state is divided which is the case with JnK, which was split into the UTs of JnK and Ladakh.
Reportedly, the commission will be headed by a retired Supreme Court judge and comprise one member each from the JnK administration and the EC.
Elections have not been held in the state since the dissolution of the state Assembly on November 21, 2018.
As per the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019, the number of seats in the Legislative Assembly of JnK shall be increased from 107 to 114.

The delimitation of the constituencies will be determined by the EC in accordance with multiple factors.

President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurates development projects in Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu

President Ram Nath Kovind on today laid the foundation stone and inaugurated various developmental projects of the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu at a function organized here.

The President will inaugurate the Jampore Sea Front Road from Moti Daman Jetty to Jampore Beach and an Ayushman Bharat wellness center in Daman.

Speaking on the occasion, President said that this is his first visit to the UT Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu as President and said, “I have been told that former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam had visited Daman in 2003, so it is after 17 years that a president has come to visit Daman. I am all the more happy to have come here.”

On Jan 29^th, Central Govt UTs Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu have clubbed and to one UT.

India's annual coal power output falls for first time in a decade-Reuters

India’s annual electricity generation from coal-fired utilities fell in 2019 for the first time in a decade, government data showed, amid a broader economic slowdown and increased use of renewable energy.
India is the second largest consumer, importer and producer of coal behind China. The world’s third largest greenhouse gas emitter consumed nearly 1 billion tons of the fuel in 2018/19, with utilities accounting for over three-quarters of the total demand.
Electricity generation from coal-fired utilities fell about 2.5% to 965.53 billion units in 2019, an analysis of fuel-wise electricity generation data by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) showed.
PM Narendra Modi wants to increase adoption of green energy sources to fight climate change and increase the share of renewable energy to 40% of installed capacity by 2030, from 23.3% now.
India’s renewable capacity rose 16% to 85.9 GW in 2019, while coal-fired capacity rose 3.9% to 198.5 GW.

Electricity generation from gas-based power plants fell for the first time in five years to 47.98 billion units in 2019, down 4.5% from 50.26 billion units the previous year, CEA data showed.
Generation from non-conventional sources such as biomass and bagasse fell during the year, while nuclear energy generation rose 6.3% to 43.57 billion units.

Jaishankar meets EU leaders; holds talks on economic, social issues

The External Affairs Minister is in Brussels ahead of PM Modi’s planned visit for the India-EU summit next month
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met top leaders of the European Union and held wide-ranging talks on issues, including economic cooperation, climate change and capacity building, that would “benefit both India and EU”.
Jaishankar, who was in Germany during the weekend for the Munich Security Conference, arrived here on Monday to prepare the ground for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s planned visit for the India-EU summit here next month.
The Foreign Minister met EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen and the two leaders discussed experiences in capacity building and development partnerships.
Jaishankar also met EU Commissioner for Trade Phil Hogan and “exchanged views on the prospects for India-EU economic cooperation.”
Jaishankar held a very “engaging” conversation with Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal Frans Timmermans and the two leaders discussed experiences on sustainability, climate change, environment and innovation.
Jaishankar’s visit comes weeks after the European Parliament postponed until March a vote on a joint motion, combining five different resolutions tabled by its members against India’s Citizenship Amendment Act, which was debated at its plenary session in Brussels.
Background-
- India and the European Union committed once again to restarting talks on a free trade agreement, but did not spell out a roadmap on how to break the 6-year old logjam in talks.
- European officials also remained sceptical about how quickly the talks could be restarted, given a number of issues, including India’s decision to cancel Bilateral Investment Treaties with 58 countries, including 22 EU countries in 2016, and the Brexit process.
- “[India and the EU] underlined the necessity of having a Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA) and agreed to continue working towards it,” said a statement released on Saturday after a meeting of the India-EU Strategic Partnership Review, led by MEA secretary Vijay Thakur Singh and European External Action Service Deputy Secretary General EU Christian Leffler.

Chinese Envoy to India: China and India have been keeping close communication on the epidemic. Recently PM Modi sent a letter of condolence to President Xi Jinping, expressing his recognition of the tremendous effort made by Chinese govt to deal with the outbreak.

He also said this in context of Corona virus that the Indian side assured the readiness to stand by China and provide the assistance that India can, to face this challenge.

He further added, it also reminds me of what I experienced during the outbreak of SARS in 2003. At that time, I had the honor to receive a delegation from India led by the then FM George Fernandes who visited Shanghai during the epidemic.

International

BBC: A leaked document appears to reveal the "strongest evidence yet" of China's crackdown on Muslim Uighurs

The report contains minute details about individuals in the region of Xinjiang, including when they pray, how they dress and who they contact.
“Beijing is actively persecuting and punishing normal practices of traditional religious beliefs”, according to one of the world’s leading experts, Dr Adrian Zenz
China says Xinjiang has policies that “respect and ensure people’s freedom of religious belief”
It insists its “vocational training program in Xinjiang” is “for the purposes of combating terrorism and religious extremism”
But the painstaking records appear to directly contradict China’s claim that those rounded up are extremists or terrorists
There are 311 key individuals listed for different reasons.
Memettohti, a 34-year-old man, appears to have been interned for applying for a passport, despite being described as posing “no practical risk”
Experts say this is proof that even the intention to travel is now seen as a sign of radicalization in Xinjiang

António Guterres, Secretary-General of UN tweeted from official handle, “As we mark 40 years of Pakistan’s solidarity with Afghan refugees, it was a pleasure to meet Refugees Goodwill Ambassador, Mahira Khan, and I thank her and all Pakistanis for their extraordinary support.”
He also visits Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur. As per Pak Radio, he praised the effort of Pak in direction of Peace.

Debbie row

Debbie Abrahams was issued an e-Business Visa on 7^th Oct 2019, valid till 5 Oct 2020 to attend business meetings.
Her e-Business Visa was revoked on 14 Feb 2020 on account of her indulging in activities which went against India’s national interest.

[see Yesterday’s Newsletter]

Abrahams was among a group of MPs who issued formal letters following the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 in August last year.
This news covered huge space in Indian media. However, on a telephonic interview she accepted that she was ‘unaware’ about cancellation of visa.
Al most Indian media, except few, who criticized Govt move, designated as an ‘intentional attempt’ to tarnish image of India.
The sources added that Abrahams was not in possession of a valid visa at the time of her travel to India and she was accordingly requested to return.
“There is no provision of ‘visa on arrival’ for UK nationals at the airport,” they added.
Political chaos is also arisen today, but with Congress itself. While AM Shanghvi praised Govt Move, but Shashi Tharoor contradicted it.

Protest outside Pak High Commission in London over forced conversion of Hindu girl

Pakistani human rights activists and members of Indian community living in UK, continue to protest outside Pakistan High Commission in London seeking justice for Mehak Kumari, a minor Hindu girl who was reportedly forcibly converted to Islam and married to Muslim man in Sindh.[ANI]
- Mehak was abducted by a middle-aged man, Ali Raza, from the Jacobabad district of Sindh province on Jan 15. The girl said she was forced to accept Islam, causing a widespread furor among the Islamic fanatics.
- On Sun too, the protest was organized outside the commission.
- The protests were organized by the Indian diaspora in the UK in collaboration with Lalkar Social Forum.
- Among the demonstrators included International Friends of Sindh organizer Mir Saleem, who travelled from Germany to participate in the protest.
- Some Pakistani clerics want the minor girl dead after she retracted from her previous statement in the court, where she said that she had accepted Islam of her own free will.

Pakistan has conducted successful flight test of Air Launched Cruise Missile Ra'ad-II.

According to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Ra’ad-II, with a range of 600 kilometers, significantly enhances air delivered strategic standoff capability on land and at sea.
The weapon system is equipped with state of the art guidance and navigation systems ensuring engagement of targets with high precision.

Political

Discloser of Ambition by PK

Today, the awaited Press Conference of Indian Political strategist, Prashant Kishor, came out, which was scheduled on Feb 13, after his expulsion from JD(U), due to difference with Party chief Nitish Kumar.
He announced that “I will start a campaign Bihar ka Bat to add 10K dedicated workers, by he will be travelling across Bihar for 100 days”.
In very soft words, he attacked on NItish, which theme was “Nitish ji like my father…. He did a lot for Bihar but not as much as it should be.”
It is on same line length as Aam Aadmi Party’s announced yesterday.
“I invite all those who want to see a new Bihar that will not rank below all other states on development
- I want to see Bihar climb up the state rankings from the current 22 to 10.
- I want to make Bihar one of the top 10 states. This campaign will be launched on March 20,” announced PK.
- While targeting his ally-turned-foe Nitish Kumar, PK said the JDU chief has done a lot of developmental work for Bihar, yet, the state is still one of the poorest and the young population still has to migrate out of the state to look for livelihood.
- “We need to see if this gathbandhan is helping Bihar. Even after so much bowing down, is it helping Bihar,” PK asked, hitting out at the JDU-BJP alliance.
- “For 15 years, Bihar saw much development under Nitish. But is this new friendship helping in any way?
- Nitish Kumar is siding with people who believe in the Godse ideology. Gandhi and Godse can’t go together,” PK said.
- PK further said that Bihar was the poorest state in 2005 and continues to be so and there is no one to question Nitish Kumar’s governance model.
- “You keep talking about how much the state had progressed since the Lalu regime, but it has been 15 years that you are ruling the state. How much has Bihar progressed compared to Maharashtra or Karnataka,” asked PK while targeting Nitish Kumar.
- This was immediately countered by JDU leader Ajay Alok on PK. “Someone talks like this when they are mentally unstable. On one hand, he says that Nitish Kumar is like my father, on the other hand, he digs out the flaws of the same person which are not true”.
[Recall my yesterday Newsletter]

LeT planned to project 26/11 attack as 'Hindu terror': Rakesh Maria

Former Mumbai police commissioner Rakesh Maria has claimed that the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) had planned to project the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack as a case of “Hindu terror” and Pakistani terrorist Mohammed Ajmal Kasab to die as Bengaluru’s Samir Chaudhari.
In his memoir ‘Let Me Say It Now’ released on Mon, Maria mentioned about the investigation helmed by him in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, which was planned by LeT and Pakistan hand was also unearthed.
According to excerpts from the book, (Pakistan’s) ISI and LeT were striving to eliminate Kasab in the jail as he was the key evidence linking them with the attack and Dawood Ibrahim’s gang was tasked with eliminating him.
While describing LeT’s plan to project the 26/11 attack as “Hindu Terror”, Maria wrote, “If everything went according to plan, Kasab would have died as Chaudhari and the media would have blamed ‘Hindu terrorists’ for the attack.”

Congress MP Manish Tewari, There are some fundamental issues, ideological in nature, which have been bedeviling Congress for a while. It’s Congress which presided over the socialist dogma from 1947 to 1991.

In 1991, Congress oversaw liberalization and globalization of economy.

He further added, while economy moved from socialism to more social equity based model, we couldn’t make that

transformation politically. There is need to revisit what liberalization means for India politically and need to reorient our political language keeping in view that reality.

He said the novel Corona Virus is ‘Bio Weapon of China”

INX media case: A Delhi court has reserved its order on the bail pleas of FIPB unit bureaucrats accused along with P Chidambaram and his son, Karthi.

Both Chidambarams are out on bail in the case.

[see newsletter of Nov 19]

Former finance minister P Chidambaram “misused his official position” in granting approval to a FDI proposal of INX Media and INX News Pvt Ltd in lieu of “illegal gratification” in India and through offshore payments, the CBI claimed in its charge sheet filed against him and 13 others in the INX Media corruption case. The charge sheet in which 74-year-old Chidambaram, his son Karti and 12 others including bureaucrats were accused of causing loss to the exchequer by committing offences under the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act was filed in a court on a day the Supreme Court reserved its verdict on the Congress veteran’s plea against the Delhi High Court order denying him bail in the corruption case.

States

UP budget lays emphasis on metro networks, airports, e-ways

On Tue, UP Govt laid emphasis on developing metro networks, airports and expressways, besides fixing a target to build four lakh houses for weaker sections by March 2021.

Main points of Budget

Constructing 4 lakh houses for weaker sections has been fixed by March 2021.
Metro rail service is available in Lucknow, Ghaziabad and Noida.
- An arrangement of Rs 358 crore is proposed for Kanpur Metro Rail Project and
- Rs 286 crore proposed for Agra Metro Rail Project.
- Besides, there are proposals for Metro Rail projects in Gorakhpur and other cities and an arrangement of Rs 200 crore is proposed for the purpose.
Work of Regional Rapid Transit System from Delhi to Meerut is in progress. An arrangement of Rs 900 crore made for it.
Rs 50 crore proposed for setting up Rashtriya Prerna Sthal in Lucknow
a provision of Rs 2,000 crore has been made for about 637 km long ‘Ganga Expressway’ from Meerut to Prayagraj, (the longest expressway of the country)
Rs 2,000 crore for ‘Noida International Greenfield Airport’ at Jewar in Gautambuddh Nagar (Noida).The budget has also earmarked Rs 500 crore for Ayodhya Airport and Rs 92.5 crore for airports under the Regional Connectivity Scheme.

Delhi, CJM court sent Sharjeel Imam on 14 days judicious custody.

Police filed charge sheet in 15Dec’19 Jamia-New Friends violence case on Feb13.

Sharjeel Imam’s name mention in charge sheet as a chief instigator. Probe reveals, empty bullet cartridges found

during violence belonging to a 3.2 mm pistol. No students charge sheeted.

Delhi Police Special Cell arrested two persons after illicit arms trafficking syndicate operating in UP, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh was busted. 22 sophisticated .32 bore pistols and 10 live cartridges seized.

JnK police has invoked the harsh UAPA against those using social media through VPN or proxy servers.

The police decision to file an FIR against those using VPN servers came a day after a video of ailing Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani was uploaded on social media, according to the Indian Express.

“Taking serious note of misuse of social media, the Cyber Police Station, Kashmir Zone, Srinagar has registered a Case FIR against various social media users who defied the Govt orders and misused social media platforms,” police said in a statement.

“There have been continuous reports of misuse of social media sites by miscreants to propagate the secessionist ideology and to promote unlawful activities, Social media has remained a favorite tool which largely provides anonymity to the user and also gives wide reach,” the statement continues.

The Wire had reported earlier that a large number of Kashmiris have been using VPN servers to slip past the internet restrictions, which many have called unfair.

Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray said that CAA and NRC both are different and NPR is different. No one has to worry if CAA gets implemented. NRC is not there and will not be implemented in the state.

If NRC is implemented then it will affect not only Hindus or Muslims but also Adivasis. Centre has not discussed NRC as of now. NPR is a census, and I don’t find that anyone will be affected as it happens every ten years.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar said that he will manage Thackeray on CAA.

He claimed that previous Fadnavis-led govt in Maharashtra had misused police machinery in Elgar Parishad case (Bhima Kore Gaon case).

Gujarat: Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation has served eviction notice to slum-dwellers living in Motera area. They have been given 7 days’ notice to vacate the area, amid US President Donald J Trump is scheduled to visit Ahmedabad on 24^th Feb during his 2-day state visit to India.