1. Soros created a storm of debate in India for his comment on Indian Democracy
2. US Assistant Secretary Geoffrey R. Pyatt, USISPF leaders discuss India’s clean energy transition
3. Ford Foundation officer connived with Teesta Setalvad’s company for fund grant: CBI
4. China’s share in global economy, technology and influence undeniable: S Jaishankar
5. President Murmu on 2-Day Visit of Arunachal Pradesh For The 37^th Statehood Day

What Else

6. US Senate resolution reaffirms Arunachal as India’s integral part, condemns China over LAC aggression
7. Australian PM Albanese to visit India next month, will travel to Ahmedabad
8. Concern for India as China is to begin new rail line near LAC
9. Indian Navy to deploy ‘Made in India’ fire fighting bots on aircraft carriers
10. 3,500 students participate in India’s first hybrid sounding rocket
11. TMC likely to move motion in Assembly against separate state demand
12. The EC allotted the Name and Symbol to the faction led by Maharashtra CM
13. Women Naxalites Target Road Construction Work In Chhattisgarh’s Kanker, Torch Vehicles
14. Centre cracks down on hoarders of pulses, other farm produce
15. Five-member committee formed to probe Karachi terror attack
16. Pakistan is already bankrupt as per its defense minister Khawaja Asif
17. Munich Conference: Terrorism to move beyond Pakistan if Afghanistan does not rein in militants, says Bilawal
18. Pakistan giving blind eye toward atrocities on minorities: Report
19. China and Japan to hold security talks next week, confirms Japan’s foreign minister
20. China may be on brink of supplying arms to Russia, says Blinken

Soros created a storm of debate in India for his comment on Indian Democracy

• The 92-year-old American businessman had kicked off a row with his comments linking the controversy over Gautam Adani’s business empire and PM Modi.
• Union minister Smriti Irani attacked Soros and urged everyone to ‘denounce the intention’ of Soros, alleging that he ‘brings an onslaught to the economy of India’ for his ‘personal gain’.
• While congress distanced itself from Soros’s comment, party workers defended Soros on social media and mainstream media.
• Foreign Min S Jaishankar on Fri said Soros was an “old, rich opinionated person, sitting in New York” who still thinks that his views determine how the world should work.
• “Essentially, Mr Soros at the Munich conference said that India is a democratic country. But he does not think that the PM of India is a democrat” He said.
• “A few years ago, at the same conference, .. he accused us of planning to strip millions of Muslims of citizenship. That, of course, did not happen,” Jaishankar said (here)
• Social media was flooded with criticism of Soros, mainly focused on his link with Congress, including the participation of Salil Shetty, VP of OSF stood with Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra.

US Assistant Secretary Geoffrey R. Pyatt, USISPF leaders discuss India’s clean energy transition

• US Assistant Secy of State for Energy Geoffrey R. Pyatt on Thu joined the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum leaders in Delhi.
• “It was a pleasure to join USISP energy industry leaders in Delhi to discuss challenges and opportunities for the clean energy transition in India,” Pyatt tweeted on Thu.
• USISPF is an independent non-profit institution dedicated to strengthening the US-India strategic partnership in Washington DC and New Delhi.
• Pyatt is on an official visit to Mumbai, Pune, and New Delhi from Feb 13-17.
• On Wed, Pyatt thanked the COEP’s Bhau Institute in Pune for a tour of their engineering labs supporting start-ups and small businesses.
• According to the US State Department media note, while in Mumbai, Pyatt will meet private sector leaders to foster the deployment of renewable energy sources. (here)
• By driving a hard bargain with Russia in procuring crude oil at the lowest price, India is furthering the policy of G7 nations and Washington is comfortable with New Delhi.
• The comments are seen as the first such clear articulation of the Biden administration’s position on India’s increasing procurement of discounted crude oil from Russia. (here)
• [In 2014, Pyatt was made the US ambassador to Ukraine, Victoria Nuland visited Ukraine, and George Soros talked about dangers to Ukraine’s democracy. Within a few months, the democratically elected govt was dethroned and Zelensky, a comedy actor was appointed.
• Victoria Nuland visited India weeks back. Pyatt is now in India, and Soros is talking about the danger to democracy in India.]

Ford Foundation officer connived with Teesta Setalvad’s company for fund grant: CBI

• The program officer of Ford Foundation connived with the director of Sabrang Pvt Limited (SCPPL) for granting around $2.9 lakh foreign donations in violation of the FCRA, a CBI charge sheet says.
• The document, which was filed by the central agency last month against social activist Teesta Setalvad, her husband Javed Anand, and SCPPL run by them, for alleged violation of FCRA, was given to the accused on Friday.
• According to the charge sheet, Sushma Raman, program officer of Ford Foundation, received the first proposal from Sabrang for receipt of a grant in 2004.
• Investigations revealed that Raman was aware that Sabrang was not eligible to receive funds since it was not following the provisions of FCRA.
• It also said that Sabrang was a private limited company engaged in publications, which are not entrusted to receive foreign contributions under any circumstances. (here)

China’s share in global economy, technology and influence undeniable: S Jaishankar

• FM S Jaishankar on Sat spoke about multiple issues — including the global economy, and challenges facing the nations— as he referred to India’s G20 presidency at the Raisina Dialogue 2023.
• In his address, Jaishankar also spoke about the rebalancing of global power centers over decades.
• He asserted: “The US has been a premier power…..The share of China in the global economy, in global technology and global influence…these are undeniable factors.”
• His comments on China are significant as the ties between New Delhi and Beijing remain strained over 2 years after clashes erupted along the LAC in 2020. (here)

President Murmu On Two-Day Visit Of Arunachal Pradesh For The 37^th Statehood Day

• President Droupadi Murmu will visit Arunachal Pradesh from Feb 20 to 21, the Rashtrapati Bhavan said in a statement on Sun.
• The president will grace the 37^th statehood day celebrations of Arunachal Pradesh and attend a civic reception to be hosted in her honor by the state govt at Itanagar on Mon.
• On Feb 21, President Murmu will address the special session of the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly in Itaganar, it added. (here)

US Senate resolution reaffirms Arunachal as India’s integral part, condemns China over LAC aggression

• 3 Senators on Thu introduced a resolution that reaffirmed that Arunachal is an ‘integral part of India’, extended support to India’s ‘sovereignty and territorial integrity’, and ‘condemned’ China for the ‘use of military force to change the status quo.
• They hailed the Indian govt for the measures it has taken to ‘defend itself’ against the ‘aggression and security threats’ from China.
• Oregon’s Senator Jeff Markley along with Bill Haggerty introduced the resolution which was co-sponsored by John Cornyn in a rare gesture of unequivocal India.
• It also supports India’s defense modernization, lauds India’s ‘development efforts’, pledges to intensify ‘US assistance’, and supports the US-India bilateral partnership.
• This resolution makes clear that the US views the Indian state of Arunachal as part of the Republic of India–not the PRC–and commits the US to deepen support” (here)
• Chuck Schumer to lead Senate delegation to India next week, China top of agenda: Leading the most high-powered US Congressional delegation to visit India, Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer will arrive in New Delhi early next week with a message that the “democratic international order” must stand together to confront the rise of the Chinese Communist Party (here).

Australian PM Albanese to visit India next month, will travel to Ahmedabad

• Australian PM Anthony Albanese will embark on an India visit next month (Mar 8).
• He will meet PM Modi in New Delhi and hold important bilateral talks.
• During the visit, he will also travel to Ahmedabad and witness India vs Australia Test match at the Narendra Modi Stadium.
• This will be Albanese’s first visit to India in the current capacity after taking charge in May 2022.
• On Sat, the Albanese held a meeting with External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar.
• “I am looking forward to being in India in just a few weeks’ time for the bilateral visit. And I thank PM Modi for the invitation,” said Albanese, confirming the visit. 
• During the visit, EAM Jaishankar met both the Australian PM and FM.
• The bilateral relationship has undergone an evolution in recent years, developing along a positive track, into a strategic partnership. (here)

Concern for India as China is to begin new rail line near LAC

• A new concern for India is raised as China has planned to construct a new rail line that will operate near the Line of Actual Control and through the disputed Aksai Chin.
• According to a new railway plan revealed by the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) govt, the rail line will operate near the LAC and through the disputed Aksai Chin region.
• Chinese activity near the LAC is a matter of concern for both India and Tibet.
• On Jan 12, Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande said that there has been a ‘slight increase’ in the number of Chinese troops at the LAC.
• Aksai Chin (38,000² km area) was illegally occupied during the 1950s and consolidated its military grip over the area during the 1962 India-China war.
• The area remained a point of contention between the two countries.
• Tibet’s ‘medium to long-term railway plan’ will help expand the TAR rail network to 4,000 km by 2025 from the current 1,400km, the railway technology reported. (here)
• Tibet however claims itself to be independent of China.
• Recently, on Feb 13, the 13^th Dalai Lama proclaimed that his country had been independent for over 100 years. (here)

Indian Navy to deploy ‘Made in India’ fire fighting bots on aircraft carriers

• The Indian Navy is soon going to deploy indigenous firefighting bots on its largest warships including the aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya.
• Speaking with ANI, Navy Vice Chief Vice Admiral SN Ghormade discussed the initiatives taken in the maritime force under the ‘Make in India’ project
• Admiral Ghormade said, “I was confident that the Navy would be able to fulfill a promise made to the Prime Minister on indigenous projects.”
• He said the Navy was also working on inducting game-changing technologies like the blue-green laser which can help the force detect underwater vessels and objects. (here)

3,500 students participate in India’s first hybrid sounding rocket

• India’s first hybrid sounding rocket by private players was successfully launched from Pattipulam village in the Chengalpattu district of Tamil Nadu on Sun.
• Around 3,500 students from government schools across the country became part of a team that designed and constructed a student satellite launch vehicle (rocket) and 150 PICO satellite research experiment cubes that contained different payloads. (here)

TMC likely to move motion in Assembly against separate state demand

• The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal is likely to bring a motion against the demands for separate statehood for north Bengal at the ongoing budget session.
• Earlier on Fri, the ruling party brought a motion seeking to recognize the Sari and Sarna religions of the tribals in the legislative assembly, which passed it.
• A notice has already been given to move the motion under Rule 185 on Feb 20.
• West Bengal CM and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee has maintained that she would not allow a separate state to be carved out.
• “The BJP goes around saying it will divide Bengal. I am ready to give my blood but I would not allow this,” she said at a political rally in north Bengal last year.
• “The BJP is against the division of West Bengal. The TMC is rattled by corruption and scams,” said Samik Bhattacharya, BJP spokesperson. (here)

The EC allotted the Name and Symbol to the faction led by Maharashtra CM

• The Election Commission allotted them to the faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Fri.

• Shiv Sena (Uddhav) MP Sanjay Raut on Sun claimed a “deal of Rs 2000 crore” has taken place so far to “purchase” the Shiv Sena party name and its ‘bow and arrow’ symbol.
• However, MLA Sada Sarvankar from the Shinde camp dismissed the claim and asked, “Is Sanjay Raut a cashier?”
• Ruling on a dispute that began in June last year, the EC decided Fri that the Sena faction led by Shinde was the real Shiv Sena as opposed to the group led by former CM Uddhav Thackeray.
• In June 2022, Shinde, along with 40 rebel MLAs, quit Shiv Sena. (here)

Women Naxalites Target Road Construction Work In Chhattisgarh’s Kanker, Torch Vehicles

• Women Naxalites set ablaze two machines and a vehicle employed for road construction work in Chhattisgarh’s Kanker district, police said on Sun.
• No one was injured in the incident, and police reached the spot and kicked off the search for the culprits.
• Naxals set on fire road construction vehicles
• As per initial inputs, Women Naxalites in uniform barged into the construction site of PM Gram Sadak Yojana, threatened the workers there, and also took away their mobile phones. (here)

Centre cracks down on hoarders of pulses, other farm produce

• The central govt has begun cracking down on hoarders of pulses and other farm produce based on “reliable” market intelligence following rising consumer inflation, which hit a 3-month high in Jan at 6.52%.
• Consumer affairs secretary Rohit Singh Singh had told a top lentil industry body that traders should do good business and earn reasonable profits.
• The govt’s price-monitoring cell is using better pricing-prediction methods in predicting quantitative data.
• Inflation in food and beverages was at 6.19% in Jan, compared with a 4.58% rise in Dec.
• Food inflation has panned out differently, rising month-on-month compared to typical cooling during winters. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Five-member committee formed to probe Karachi terror attack

• SindhPolice Chief, constituted a 5-member committee on Sat to probe the attack on the Karachi Police Office on Fri evening.
• The committee has been tasked with identifying the handlers and facilitators.
• DIG South has claimed that the terrorists were targeting the Karachi Additional IG, noting that they had known which floor his office was on.
• According to the Karachi police, the terrorists had been planning the attack for a month and had visited the police office before.
• Khattab confirmed that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan was involved in the KPO attack.
• A suicide bomber had detonated himself on the stairs adjacent to the elevator in front of the police chief’s office, causing severe damage to the office on the 4^th floor.
• 3 terrorists were killed and 4 people, including 2 policemen and a Sindh Rangers sub-inspector.
• 2 of the terrorists have been identified and both of them held the status of an internally displaced person (IDP). (here)
• An American think tank has said that the TTP is becoming a great danger during the rule of the Taliban.
• According to the report, the criticism of the policies of Pakistan by Kabul is a sure indication that the Taliban will continue their support of the TTP.
• While TTP has become more powerful financially and politically.
• The Afghan Taliban supports the TTP and provides safe havens to it in Afghanistan. Many Taliban are also joining TTP. (Islam Daily)

Pakistan is already bankrupt as per its defense minister Khawaja Asif

• Pakistan def min Khawaja Asif has confessed that the country has already defaulted and is bankrupt.
• At an event in Sialkot, the minister blamed everyone — including the establishment,
• PM Shehbaz Sharif and Fin Min Ishaq Dar have been trying to get an urgent lifeline of at least $1.1 billion from a $6.5 billion bailout deal signed with the IMF in 2019.
• The deal has missed its deadline and is hinged on Pakistan working on some of the preconditions set by the IMF.
• The defense minister said the solution to Pakistan’s problems “lies within the country” and that the IMF does not have the solution.
• The IMF funding is crucial for the $350-bn economy, which is facing a balance-of-payments crisis with foreign exchange dipping. [was he conditioning his citizens?]
• After several weeks of fall, in the week ending Feb 10, the foreign exchange reserves with the SBP went up slightly but that’s just enough to cover about 10-15 days. (here)
• US seeks economic revival plan from PTI: Nevertheless, it’s public posturing against the US, the PTI is making behind-the-scene efforts to repair ties with Washington
• The former ruling party has not only abandoned its anti-US narrative but has also discussed its plans to pull the country out of the economic abyss with the US.
• IMF MD, Kristalina Georgieva demands Pakistan end subsidies for UPPER CLASS, and increase MORE TAX collection from high earners Pakistan does not require debt restructuring, but rather strong measures to ensure stability

Munich Conference: Terrorism to move beyond Pakistan if Afghanistan does not rein in militants, says Bilawal

• Pakistan FM Bilawal Bhutto on Sat said that it would not take much time for terrorism to visit other places beyond Pakistan if the interim Afghan govt did not validate the “will and capacity” to take on militant groups operating from its territory.
• He further said the global community wanted the Afghan interim govt to live up to its obligations and commitments in tackling potential threats from terrorism.
• Addressing the Munich Conference, he said the important issue regarding Afghan in the region was the “security and terrorist threat emanating out” of the country.
• Bilawal urged the international community to act “pro-actively” rather than reactively after the nightmare scenario. (here)

Pakistan giving blind eye toward atrocities on minorities: Report

• A month back, Pakistan raised objections against the Bill that was meant to protect the rights of minorities in Pakistan.
• The Ministry of Religious Affairs raised several objections to the Bill that was drafted by the Federal Ministry of Human Rights.
• The Bill was presented back in Oct 2021, during the Parliamentary Committee’s meeting, whose agenda was to protect minorities from forced conversions.
• Chairperson Senator Liaqat Khan Tarakai dismissed the draft of The Prohibition of Forced Conversions Act 2021 (the Bill) without even giving it a hearing. (here)

China and Japan to hold security talks next week, confirms Japan’s foreign minister

• Japan and China will hold security talks next week, Japanese FM Yoshimasa Hayashi said after meeting his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the MSC on Sat.
• The agreement to hold the security talks, the 1^st to be held in 4 years, came after Hayashi and China’s top diplomat Wang Yi spoke ahead of the conference.
• “It is important for us to have frank discussions precisely because there are several pressing matters in our relationship”, Hayashi told reporters,
• He added a territorial spat in the ECS and increasing Chinese and Russian military presence around Japanese waters are some of the issues that need to be discussed.
• The disputed ECS islets claimed by both have long been a sticking point in bilateral relations.
• China calls the islands Diaoyu, while Japan calls them Senkaku Islands.
• The talk will hold talks on Tue and Wed, as per Japan’s foreign ministry. (here)

China may be on brink of supplying arms to Russia, says Blinken

• The US has said it believes China may be about to provide lethal aid to help Russia in the war in Ukraine, prompting a direct warning from the secy of state, Antony Blinken, to China’s top diplomat.
• Blinken made the warning to the Chinese state councilor Wang Yi on Sat evening at a meeting on the sidelines of the Munich security conference.
• China’s trade with Russia is increasing and it has been buying Russian oil, but probably below the US$60/barrel price cap imposed by the EU and G7 group of states.
• Blinken told US networks that the US had information China was considering whether to give Russia assistance, possibly including guns and weapons.
• Kamala Harris, the US vice president, in her speech to the security conference, warned China against providing lethal equipment to the country. (here)
• The US and China’s relations were damaged by America’s “unthinkable and hysterical” response and the “excessive use of force” over the Chinese balloon, Wang. (here)