1. Lashkar terrorist arrested at Delhi railway station, is retired Army soldier: Cops
2. Uttarakhand tables Uniform Civil Code Bill amid Opposition protest
3. India Energy Week: PM Modi draws focus on alternate fuels
4. India to fence 1643-kilometre Indo-Myanmar border: Home Minister Amit Shah
5. Houthi Attacks: India’s Secret Deal Via Putin To Evade Red Sea Blockade

What Else

• Madhya Pradesh Fire: Death toll rises to 11, around 200 injured; 3 held
• Hyundai explores $3 billion IPO for India unit at up to $30 billion valuation, sources say
• Outnumbered by Pakistan & China, India wants more ‘eyes in the sky’, early-warning AEW&C
• Chinese migrants are the fastest-growing group crossing from Mexico into U.S. at southern border
• Chinese spies hacked Dutch defense network, intelligence agencies say
• China, Russia and Iran to hold navy drills aimed at ‘regional security’, admiral says as Middle East tensions flare
• Pakistan: PTI subjected to ‘worst state operation’, claims Raoof Hasan
• Pakistan: Govt ‘hints’ at shutting down internet over ‘security’ issue
• Pakistan: US voices concern over lack of freedom in electoral process
• Pakistan: Nine grenade attacks rock Balochistan towns

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Lashkar terrorist arrested at Delhi railway station, is retired Army soldier: Cops

• Delhi Police on Sun arrested Riyaz Ahmed, a retired Army soldier and an alleged member of proscribed terror outfit LeT, from the New Delhi Railway Station
• The arrest comes days after J&K Police busted a LeT module operating in Kupwara, uncovering a plot to carry out attacks in the region.
• Ahmed was actively involved in the conspiracy along with 2 others coordinating with handlers across the LoC to receive weapons and ammunition.
• The arrest follows a successful operation by the J&K Police, which led to the busting of the terror module operating from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
• Five terrorist associates were previously detained in Karnah for their involvement in smuggling various arms and ammunition. (here)

Uttarakhand tables Uniform Civil Code Bill amid Opposition protest

• In what he called a “historic moment”, and the Oppn slammed as a “poll gimmick”, CM Pushkar Singh Dhami tabled the State’s UCC Bill in the Assembly on Tue.
• If the Bill is passed, Uttarakhand will become the 1^st State in independent India to enact a uniform law regarding marriage, divorce, succession, and live-in relationships.
• However, the Scheduled Tribes, which constitute 2.9% of the State’s population, have been kept out of the ambit of this Bill.
• Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya said that he failed to understand the logic behind the urgency of Bill, calling it a “poll gimmick”.
• The bill consists of more than 400 sections: The min age for marriage is set at 18 years.
• Registration is required for live-in relationships.
• Failure to submit live-in relationship declarations, or providing false information, could land one in jail for three months, a fine of ₹ 25,000, or both.
• Girls have equal inheritance rights on their parents’ property.
• The bill also mandates marriage registration.
• Failure to register may result in a loss of govt services.
• The procedure to adopt a child will be made easier under UCC.
• Muslim women will be allowed to adopt a child.
• The practice of Halala and Iddat will be banned under the UCC.
• After the wife’s death, the responsibility of her parents lies with the husband.
• The custody of kids can be transferred to grandparents in case of dispute between husband and wife.(here)
• The Bill prohibits bigamy or marriages with more than one: the Bill lists 5 conditions for marriage. It says a marriage may be solemnized or contracted between a man or a woman if neither party has a spouse living at that time (here)

India Energy Week: PM Modi draws focus on alternate fuels

• PM Modi on Tue outlined his govt’s vision for reducing dependence on fossil-based fuels and stressed the achievements made under his admin in the energy domain
• Inaugurating the 2^nd edition of India Energy Week 2024, PM Modi asserted that India’s solar installed capacity has risen by over 20 times over the decade.
• Blending of ethanol has risen from a mere 1.5% to above 12%.
• India has already rolled out 20% blended fuel, though, in a phased manner, in April 2023 and widespread availability is expected in days to come.
• By 2025, a full 20% rollout is expected.
• Talking about India’s energy demand, PM Modi asserted that it will double to about 38 million barrels by 2045.
• Speaking about diversification of energy sources, the percentage of natural gas in the overall energy mix is being raised from 6 to 15%.
• In the next 5 to 6 years, PM Modi said about $ 67 billion investment will be made.
• As part of his government’s waste-to-wealth management program, as many as 5,000 compressed biogas plants are being worked upon, he said. (here)

India to fence 1643-kilometre Indo-Myanmar border: Home Minister Amit Shah

• Union Home Min Amit Shah on Tue announced that the Modi govt is resolute to constructing a fence along the entire 1643-km-long Indo-Myanmar border.
• The project aims to fortify national security and curb illicit activities in the region
• According to Shah, the project’s objectives are to strengthen national security and reduce illegal activity in the area.
• A significant milestone has already been reached with the successful fencing of a 10-km section in Moreh, Manipur, Amit Shah informed. (here)

Houthi Attacks: India’s Secret Deal Via Putin To Evade Red Sea Blockade

• America and its allies’ increased military action against the Houthis has so far failed to deter the Yemeni group from attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea.
• Amid the escalating tension, Houthis have specifically named Russia and China while saying vessels not linked to Israel, USA, and UK are safe.
• While the tension is driving up oil prices, is India insulated because of its increased purchases from Russia?
• And can Delhi use this equation to protect its ships in the region? (here)
• [However, in this context worth mentioning that Jaishanker’s visit to Tehran, on Jan 14-15, after he spoke with US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken over this crisis.]

Madhya Pradesh Fire: Death toll rises to 11, around 200 injured; 3 held

• More than 11 people lost their lives and around 200 sustained injuries following an explosion at an illegal firecracker factory in the Bairagarh locality of Harda MP on Tue
• The blast also destroyed 60 nearby houses, while more than 3 dozen commuters were affected by the explosion.
• Over 100 houses have been evacuated by the authorities due to continuous explosions at the factory.
• Also, a significant number of 2-wheelers were engulfed in flames due to the explosion.
• Nature of explosion: Multiple blasts occurred, and videos on social media captured the fire with intermittent explosions. (here)
• 3 including factory owner Rajesh Agrawal have been arrested by police and are being questioned.
• State govt constitutes a 3- member committee to find circumstances that led to such incidents and the accountable officials (here)

Hyundai explores $3 billion IPO for India unit at up to $30 billion valuation, sources say

• Hyundai Motor plans to float its Indian subsidiary to raise at least $3 billion (would be the country’s largest IPO), as per 2 sources, as the S Korean company doubles down in the important growth market ahead of Tesla’s widely anticipated debut.
• Hyundai Motor India is in the early stages of planning an IPO and has initiated negotiations with various banks, according to 2 anonymous sources.
• India’s 2^nd-largest manufacturer with a 15% market share, is soliciting funds that may value its Indian operations at up to $30 bn, more than half of its $42 bn market capitalization in Seoul.
• The company’s shares rose 5% on Mon, reaching their highest level in over three years.
• A valuation of up to $30 bn would place Hyundai’s India operation below rivals such as Tata Motors (new tab $41.43 billion) and Maruti Suzuki India (new tab $40.11 bn).
• A spokesman for Hyundai India declined to comment. (here)

Outnumbered by Pakistan & China, India wants more ‘eyes in the sky’, early-warning AEW&C

• India is making significant progress in developing and deploying advanced indigenous airborne early-warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, also known as ‘eyes in the sky’.
• These aircraft will enhance surveillance and detection capabilities along the borders with China and Pakistan, as well as guide friendly fighters during air combat.
• The DRDO and the IAF are actively working on the development of six Mark-1A and six Mark-2 versions of the Netra AEW&C aircraft.
• 3 Netra aircraft have already been inducted since Feb 2017.
• (sources)- the defense ministry will soon consider the acceptance of necessity (AoN) for the six Mark-1A aircraft.
• This will involve equipping Brazilian Embraer jets with active electronically scanned array antenna-based radars, and electronic and signal intelligence systems, at an estimated cost of Rs 9,000 crore. (here)

[Neighborhood]

Chinese migrants are the fastest-growing group crossing from Mexico into U.S. at southern border

• The number of migrants arriving at the southern border is unprecedented.
• Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded 2-and-a-half million instances of detaining or turning away people attempting to cross into the US from Mexico.
• Chinese migrants are the fastest growing group among them
• We saw large groups, including many from the middle class, come through a 4-foot gap at the end of a border fence 60 miles east of San Diego.
• The illegal entryway is a new route for those hoping to live in America.
• Just after sunrise, we saw the first group of migrants make their way from Mexico…through a gap between the 30-foot steel border fence and rocks.
• We saw people from India, Vietnam, and Afghanistan.
• Many of the Chinese migrants who came through will end up asking for political asylum. (here)

Chinese spies hacked Dutch defense network, intelligence agencies say

• Chinese state-backed cyberspies gained access to a Dutch military network last year, Dutch intelligence said on Tue, calling it part of a trend of Chinese political espionage against the Netherlands and its allies.
• It is the first time the Netherlands has publicly attributed cyber espionage to China, as national security tensions grow between the two countries.
• The agencies, known by their Dutch acronyms MIVD and AIVD, said the hackers had placed malicious software, or malware, that cloaked its own activity inside an armed forces network used by 50 people for unclassified research.
• legal Chinese police centers in the Netherlands were ordered to shut down immediately
• China’s embassy to the Netherlands did not immediately respond to the claim.
• In a separate report, also last April, the MIVD said China was illegally attempting to acquire Dutch space technology. (here)

China, Russia and Iran to hold navy drills aimed at ‘regional security’, admiral says as Middle East tensions flare

• China will hold joint naval drills with Iran and Russia in the coming weeks, as Iranian-backed Houthi militias and US forces mount strikes and counter-strikes in the ME.
• Iranian and Russian media quoted the commander of Iran’s navy, as saying that the drills would be held before the end of March and were aimed at “regional security”.
• According to Iran’s Tasnim news agency – which called the drills a “war game” – Irani said several other countries had been invited to take part in the exercise.
• The reports did not state where the drills were set to be staged, but the navies of the three countries conducted trilateral exercises in the Gulf of Oman in Mar of last year.
• This year’s drills come as tensions simmer in the ME, with a US-led coalition launching a 3^rd round of strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen on Sat.
• The strikes were in response to earlier attacks by the Houthi rebel group on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
• The Pentagon said some 36 targets in 13 locations in Yemen were struck in the latest round of strikes aimed at disrupting the abilities of the Iran-backed group. (here)

Pakistan: PTI subjected to ‘worst state operation’, claims Raoof Hasan

• PTI central info secy Raoof Hasan has alleged that a “reign of terror” had been unleashed on the party for the past 22 months under the ‘London Plan’ to dismantle PTI and remove its founding chairman Imran Khan from the political scene.
• However, he claimed that the people, through the power of their vote on Feb 8, would take revenge for every injustice being meted out to them.
• Addressing a press conference Hasan said PTI, its leaders, and workers were subjected to the worst state terrorism and barbarism after the “regime change conspiracy” of Apr 9, 2022 to clear the path for other parties.
• “All political parties could be seen holding public gatherings across the country but PTI even did not allow holding corner meetings,” Iqbal recalled, urging people especially youth and women to come out in large numbers to vote. (here)

Pakistan: Govt ‘hints’ at shutting down internet over ‘security’ issue

• Caretaker Interior Min Gohar Ejaz on Tue hinted at the possible suspension of the internet service in case of security issues in any area on election day (Feb 8)
• Amnesty International called for uninterrupted internet access across the country during the polling process.
• The minister said the govt would consider suspending the internet service on Feb 8 only if it receives a request from a district or province given the security situation.
• Mr Ejaz claimed that the caretaker govt had so far not made any decision to suspend the internet service on polling day and that any such action would only be taken on a request from a province or a district concerned.
• Amnesty calls for uninterrupted online access during polls; SHC restrains govt from internet blackout
• Caretaker Balochistan Info Min Jan Achakzai announced that the internet service would remain temporarily restricted in the sensitive polling booths in the province on election day. (here)

Pakistan: US voices concern over lack of freedom in electoral process

• The US State Department has voiced apprehension over observed challenges to freedom during Pakistan’s current electoral process.
• Deputy Spox Vedant Patel, in a news briefing on Mon, affirmed, “We want to see that process take place in a way that facilitates broad participation with respect for freedom of expression, assembly, and association.”
• Patel also expressed concerns about “incidents of violence and restrictions on media freedom, freedom of expression, including internet freedom, and peaceful assembly and association”.
• “We are concerned by some of the infringements that we have seen in that space,” he added.
• Highlighting the significance of citizens’ rights, Mr Patel underscored, “Pakistanis deserve to exercise their fundamental right to choose their future leaders”
• As the electoral process unfolds, the US State Department remains vigilant, emphasizing the importance of a democratic and inclusive process that respects fundamental freedoms. (here)

Pakistan: Nine grenade attacks rock Balochistan towns

• At least 9 grenade attacks, targeting election offices of candidates and polling stations, were carried out in various areas of Makran division and the provincial capital, on Tue.
• According to police, individuals riding motorcycles threw hand grenades at a govt school in Killi Ahmedzai, located on the outskirts of Quetta, late in the evening.
• The grenade exploded in the courtyard of the school, designated as a polling station, damaging windows.
• Law enforcement agencies also thwarted an attack at a govt school in Pasni, where an explosive device was discovered near the Bagh Bazaar Govt School.
• It was later defused by the bomb disposal squad.
• In the Hoshab area of Kech district, an office of the National Database and Registration Authority office was attacked with a grenade, causing damage to windows but no injuries were reported. (here)