1. Rajouri attack: Operation underway to neutralize 2 terrorists, says J-K Police
2. 8 coaches of Suryanagari Express train derail; helpline numbers issued
3. Purity of river Ganga our common heritage, must handover to future generations in same condition: PM Modi
4. India, Austria to sign 5 agreements today
5. China tried to destroy Buddhism but…: Dalai Lama’s strong remarks on Beijing

What Else

6. India’s unemployment rate rises to 8.30% in Dec, highest in 16 months: Report
7. Overseas financial assets of Indian residents declined by USD 43.9 bn during Jul-Sep 2022: RBI
8. Toyota’s India unit reports data breach, says customer data may have been exposed
9. Pakistan says it has provided list of nuclear facilities to India under annual practice
10. NSC likely to take ‘key’ decisions today
11. At least 10 dead, 8 injured in blast at Kabul military airport: Interior Ministry
12. Beijing to increase arms supply to Pak to hurt India
13. Nepal: Is the new Pokhara airport on China’s BRI radar?
14. Landmark gas deal with Qatar gives China unprecedented control over energy
15. Blinken discusses US-China ties with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang

Rajouri attack: Operation underway to neutralize 2 terrorists, says J-K Police

• 4 people were killed and 6 others were injured in a terror attack in Rajouri
• Security forces have launched an operation to neutralize 2 terrorists who attacked 3 houses in the Dangri area, J&K Police said on Mon.
• An incident of firing was reported in the Dangri on Sun in which 4 people were killed and 6 injured- at 3 houses separated at a distance of around 50 m -police reported.
• Meanwhile, 2 injured were airlifted to Jammu for further treatment at Government Medical College Hospital.
• Medical chief of Associated Hospital, Rajouri said, “All the injured are being treated. … Multiple bullet injuries were found on the body” Further details are awaited.
• Several organizations have called protests in Jammu on Mon against the terrorist attack in Rajouri. (here)
• Dangri is a Hindu-dominated village located in Rajauri tehsil in the Jammu division.
• Armed terrorists entering homes and firing at point-blank range in a village considered relatively safe because of its demographics is very alarming.
• After Rajouri, another terrorist attack happened in Srinagar. Pak Sponsered terrorists hurled a grenade at civilians, and 1 civilian is critically injured.
• The Jammu and Kashmir police, which claimed on Sat that it had been successful in maintaining stability in the UT last year, said.
• J&K police said 186 militants, including 56 foreigners, were killed in the past year. (here)

8 coaches of Bandra Terminus-Jodhpur Suryanagari Express train derail; helpline numbers issued

• In a tragic incident, eight coaches of the Bandra Terminus-Jodhpur Suryanagari Express train derailed today morning.
• The coaches derailed between the Rajkiawas-Bomadra section of the Jodhpur division at 3.27 am today, (Mon) said Shashi Kiran, CPRO, North Western Railway.
• No casualty has been reported. However, a few people sustained injuries and have been admitted to a hospital.
• As many as 11 coaches were impacted due to the derailment, he said, adding that buses have been arranged for stranded passengers so that they can reach their respective destinations. (here)

Purity of river Ganga our common heritage, must handover to future generations in same condition: PM Modi

• PM Modi chaired the National Ganga Council meeting held on Fri via video conferencing in Kolkata.
• During the meeting, PM Modi also emphasized ways to enhance various forms of herbal farming along the river Ganga.
• Prior to the meeting, PM Modi also laid the foundation stone and dedicated Namami Gange and Drinking Water-Sanitation Projects to the nation via Video Conferencing.
• PM Modi also inaugurated the 7 sewerage infrastructure projects (20 Sewage Treatment Plants and a 612 km network) at a cost of more than Rs 990 crore.
• PM also laid the foundation stone for 5 sewerage infrastructure projects to be developed under the National Mission for Clean Ganga at an estimated cost of Rs 1585 cr. (here)
• PM Modi announced that on Jan 13, 2023, World’s longest river cruise will sail from Kashi to reach Dibrugarh via Bangladesh traveling 2,300 km.
• The cruise will cover around 3200 km of 27 river systems including the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly, Brahmaputra, and West Coast Canal in India in 50 days. (here)

India, Austria to sign 5 agreements today

• India and Austria will sign 5 agreements on Mon and two of them are in the interest of the Indian community staying there, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said.
• Jaishankar said that the second one is on the ‘Working Holiday’ program that will enable Indian students to work for 6 months.
• Earlier, the Indian envoy said, “Tomorrow, there will be delegation-level talks with EAM’s counterpart when 5 important agreements ..are expected to sign.”
• Talking about G20, EAM said that India wanted to use the presidency for benefit of the international community and can be a voice of fairness, and justice.
• He also said that India wanted to emerge as the voice of societies and countries that do not have anybody to speak for them, on matters related to energy and food security.
• Jaishankar is on an official visit to Austria where he held a meeting with Austrian FM Alexander Schallenberg.
• This will be the first EAM-level visit from India to Austria in the last 27 years, and takes place against the backdrop of 75 years of diplomatic relations in 2023.” (here)
• Jaishankar on Sun described the problem with China as an “intense challenge” and the problem of cross-border terrorism from Islamabad is continuing.
• Jaishankar also met with President Rumen Georgiev Radev of Bulgaria in Vienna and discussed strengthening cooperation in the context of Make in India. (here)

China tried to destroy Buddhism but…: Dalai Lama’s strong remarks on Beijing

• China is attempting to target and destroy Buddhism but it won’t succeed, the Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama said during the 3^rd day teaching program at Bodh Gaya.
• Accusing China of considering Buddhism as poisonous and of carrying out a systematic campaign to destroy the religion and weed it out from China by destroying its institutions, Dalai Lama asserted that China has failed in doing so.
• “Buddhism was harmed by the Chinese government. Buddhism could not be destroyed by China. Even today, many people believe in Buddhism in China,” he added.
• Dalai Lama also said that the Chinese government destroyed many Buddhist Viharas, but the number of followers of Buddhism has not decreased in China.
• Dalai Lama also asked to practice Bodhicitta for the benefit of self or others. (here)
• A group of high-ranking Sri Lankan Buddhist Monks, who were on a pilgrimage is now seeking His Holiness’s visit to Lanka, which is reeling under a severe economic crisis.
• They met the Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in Bodh Gaya on Dec 27 and were overwhelmed by witnessing a large gathering at the holy city. (here)

India’s unemployment rate rises to 8.30% in Dec, highest in 16 months: Report

• The urban unemployment rate rose to 10.09% in Dec from 8.96% in the previous month, while the rural unemployment rate slipped to 7.44% from 7.55
• The CMIE said the rise in the unemployment rate was “not as bad as it may seem,” as it came on top of a healthy increase in the labor participation rate, which shot up to 40.48% in Dec, the highest in 12 months.
• “Most importantly, the employment rate has increased in December to 37.1%, which again is the highest since January 2022,” CMIE told Reuters. (here)

Overseas financial assets of Indian residents declined by USD 43.9 bn during Jul-Sep 2022: RBI

• Overseas financial assets of Indian residents declined by $43.9 billion during July-Sept 2022 due to a reduction in reserves assets, even as trade credit, currency and deposits, and overseas direct investment recorded an increase, RBI on Fri.
• The reduction in non-residents’ financial assets in India was relatively lower at $9.6 bn.
• According to the report, net claims of non-residents in India increased by $34.3 bn during the 2^nd quarter (Q2) of 2022-23 and stood at $389.6 billion in Sept 2022.
• The reserve assets remained the dominant component at 62.9% share in India’s international financial assets. (here)

Toyota’s India unit reports data breach, says customer data may have been exposed

• Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) reported a data breach in its system on Sun and said that the personal information of some of its customers might have been exposed.
• The TKM said it was “notified by one of its service providers of an incident that might have exposed personal information” of some customers on the internet.
• The breach in India comes after Toyota Motor Corp said in Oct last year that it found 296000 pieces of customer info from its T-Connect service might have been leaked.
• It said that as many as 296019 email ids and phone no of those using T-Connect — a telematics service that connects vehicles via a network, were potentially leaked. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Pakistan says it has provided list of nuclear facilities to India under annual practice

• Pakistan said it had handed a list of nuclear installations and facilities in the country to the Indian mission in Islamabad on Sun under a decades-old agreement between the two.
• The neighbors have fought 3 wars and have had several military skirmishes in recent years.
• Last year an Indian missile launched accidentally landed in Pakistan, setting off alarms across the world.
• Under an agreement signed between the two in 1988, lists are exchanged annually on the Jan 1^st, and India had simultaneously do the same, which practically started in 1992
• India’s External Affairs Ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request.
• With the help of China, Pakistan has recently increased its use of nuclear energy to meet the rising electricity demand. (here)

NSC likely to take ‘key’ decisions today

• In light of the spike in terror incidents in parts of the country, a second round of the National Security Committee meeting will be convened on Mon to take “key decisions” concerning security and the economy. (here)
• Business centers and shops in Gwadar and several other places in Balochistan remained closed in protest against ‘illegal fishing’ – especially by Chinese trawlers – and ‘unnecessary check posts’ by the Pakistan security forces.
• Security was tightened in and around Gwadar.
• Police personnel was deployed to maintain law and order in the city.
• According to Pakistan’s newspaper, the Balochistan govt has imposed section 144 to curb the display of weapons and pillion riding in Gwadar to maintain law and order.
• In Gwadar, the state govt has cracked down hard on the protesters.
• Around 100 people have been arrested. (here)
• Pakistan’s Army Chief, Gen Syed Asim Munir has stressed the need for a national consensus to steer the country out of the current economic and security challenges.
• The army chief appreciated Pakistan Naval Academy for imparting quality education not only to Pakistani cadets but also to cadets from friendly countries. (here)
• International law allows Pakistan to target terrorist’s safe havens inside Afghanistan, said Rana Sanaullah, Pakistan’s Interior Minister in a TV interview on Sun.
• Responding to this Afgan warned that such assertions will harm the bilateral relationship: “We are prepared to defend the country’s territorial integrity and independence, and we have a better experience than anyone.”
• Police constable martyred in attack on police checkpost in KP’s Lakki Marwat: official
• A “key terrorist” was killed and a police constable martyred in the early hours of Sun when gunmen attacked a police checkpost in the Shahbaz Khel area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Lakki Marwat District, a local police official said. (here)

At least 10 dead, 8 injured in blast at Kabul military airport: Interior Ministry

• A massive explosion was reported near a military airport in Afghanistan’s Kabul, reported Reuters quoting local media reports and the interior ministry of the country.
• According to local media sources, Sun morning’s blast near the airport in Kabul resulted in multiple casualties.
• According to locals, ambulances have arrived at the location, according to Afghanistan Sahar TV. (here)

Beijing to increase arms supply to Pak to hurt India

• The transfer of military equipment to Islamabad by Beijing is going to increase in the coming months as Indian troops are engaged in a standoff with the PLA for 30 months.
• Agencies tracking the developments said that the chances of India being forced to engage in an all-out two-front war were unlikely.
• China’s long-term objective is to weaken India financially by directly challenging it at the Eastern border on one hand and arming Pakistan on the other.
• As per agencies, Beijing and Islamabad are coordinating closely to operate submarines in the IOR in the coming months as a part of Beijing’s “submarine diplomacy”.
• By 2027, Pakistan is likely to have at least 8 Chinese-built Type 039A submarines, out of which 2 are likely to be handed over to Pakistan by 2023. (here)

Nepal: Is the new Pokhara airport on China’s BRI radar?

• When Kathmandu says no project under Beijing’s BRI has been signed and both are working to finalize the project under the BRI, the Chinese Embassy surprised on Sat.
• Just a day ahead of the inauguration of Pokhara International Airport by PM Dahal, the Embassy tweeted that “This is the flagship project of the China-Nepal BRI cooperation.”
• The airport inauguration ceremony is scheduled at 11 am on Sun.
• The Chinese Embassy also congratulated Kathmandu and its people on the connectivity milestone.
• After Nepal and China signed the framework agreement on BRI in 2017, Nepal initially selected 35 projects to be undertaken Xi’s flagship connectivity project.
• Later, upon Beijing’s request, the total number of projects was whittled down to 9 excluding Pokhara airport.
• The govt signed a $215.96 million soft loan agreement with China in March 2016 for the construction of the new airport in Lake City. (here)
• Even as China revives the Trans-Himalayan Railway Project with Nepal, India has alerted its diplomatic, security, and strategic experts to keep a close watch.
• A high-level meeting to take stock of the Chinese govt’s move to start the project aimed at establishing a railway link to Nepal took place at South Block recently.
• Sources said that China is also likely to seek permission for extending the railway from Kathmandu to Pokhara and Lumbini, which are near the Indian border.
• Diplomats here believe that China is trying to give a fillip to the project of a rail link between Chinese and Nepalese regions after getting a green signal from the new PM, who is understood to be a pro-Beijing leader. (here)

Landmark gas deal with Qatar gives China unprecedented control over energy

• As Europe is struggling to reduce its dependence on Russian gas, seeking to secure gas from the Middle East, China in last Nov sealed the largest ever LNG deal with Qatar at the staggering amount of US$ 60 billion.
• This accord is generally seen as a significant coup for China, which managed to beat other EU to secure LNG and reduce the energy shortages because of the war in Ukraine.
• QatarEnergy has signed an agreement to supply China’s Sinopec LNG for 27 years- the longest agreement ever signed- and a very big agreement as regards gas volume.
• Qatar will send 4 million tonnes of LNG every year from its new North Field East project. (here)

Blinken discusses US-China ties with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang

• US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, in a phone call with China’s FM Qin Gang, discussed the Washington-Beijing ties and to keep the lines of communication open.
• Blinken said, that he discuss this morning with incoming PRC FM Qin Gang as he departs Washington for his new role.
• “We discussed the US-PRC relationship and maintaining open lines of communication.”
• On Fri, China appointed Qin Gang, who was the ambassador to the US, as the country’s new foreign minister.
• Qin, 56, will replace Wang Yi, who is now a Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and State Councilor, the report added.
• On Thu, the Chinese envoy warned Washington that it could face “military conflict” with Beijing over the future status of Taiwan. (here)