1. Farmers’ Delhi-Chalo’ protest on Feb 13: Section 144 imposed at Delhi-UP borders
2. Haldwani Violence: Main accused arrested in Delhi, brought back to Uttarakhand
3. PM Modi dubs his second term in power as ‘gamechanger’ for the country, economy
4. PM Narendra Modi to launch UPI in Sri Lanka, Mauritius via virtual event
5. Qatar Court’s Decision: 8 Former Indian Navy Personnel Released, 7 Return to India

What Else

• 373 govt websites hacked in 5 years, house panel calls for strengthening digital infrastructure
• Israel’s Tower Semiconductor proposes $8 billion chip plant in India: Report
• Train travels through J&K covered in snow; Indian Railways posts captivating footage
• Bihar: JDU exudes confidence in winning trust vote ahead of floor test today
• BJP announces candidates for upcoming Rajya Sabha Biennial Elections
• Ahead of LS polls, voters in Meghalaya receive ‘multiple’ electoral cards
• Pakistan Election: Pakistan: PTI says release of political prisoners, acceptance of its mandate will be ‘healing touch’
• China-Russia relations: Xi and Putin will have ‘several’ meetings, including a visit to China this year, says ambassador

——————-

Farmers’ Delhi-Chalo’ protest on Feb 13: Section 144 imposed at Delhi-UP borders

• Ahead of another agitation by farmers on Feb 13, the Delhi Police on Sun imposed section 144 of the CrPC at the UP borders to avoid any untoward incident
• As per the order, the gathering of the public at all borders between Delhi and UP and nearby areas in the jurisdictional area of the northeast district will be prohibited.
• Punjab-Haryana border sealed ahead of farmers’ Delhi march on Feb 13, mobile internet suspended
• “Prohibit entering of Tractors, Trolleys, Buses, Trucks, commercial vehicles, personal vehicles, on horses etc, carrying protestors in Delhi from UP,” the order stated
• Order that the North East District Police shall make all efforts to prevent protestors from entering Delhi
• Elaborate arrangements are also underway to seal the Punjab-Haryana borders in Ambala, Jind, and Fatehabad districts ahead of the planned ‘Delhi Chalo’ march.
• Reason for farmers protesting: Farmers are demanding a law guaranteeing a minimum support price, one of the conditions they had set when they agreed to withdraw their agitation against the now-repealed farm laws in 2021.
• The demand included the execution of the Swaminathan Commission’s endorsements, pensions for farmers and farm laborers, farm debt waiver, withdrawal of police cases, and “justice” for victims of the Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
• In 2020, a large number of farmers from Punjab and nearby areas of Ambala gathered at the Shambhu border and broke police barriers to march towards Delhi.
• The farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana, and UP, held a year-long protest on Delhi’s border points – Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur – against the 3 now-repealed farm laws.
• Earlier, the Haryana govt invoked Section 144 in Panchkula, prohibiting processions, demonstrations, and the carrying of weapons, said DCP Sumer Singh Pratap. (here)
• Modified tractors to lead farmers’ protest march, intelligence agencies alert police: Tractors modified to remove barricades and boulders will lead farmers’ march
• According to agencies, they have alerted Punjab, UP, Haryana, and Delhi police regarding the mass movement of farmers.
• More than 25,000 farmers and around 5000 tractors will start their movement from various districts of Punjab and Haryana on Mon to reach Delhi on Tue.
• The official added that the capability of machines is being doubled to ferry the maximum number of protesters to the site.
• Earlier, police had placed sand-laden dumpers, huge concrete blocks, and containers on the road to block protesters from reaching Delhi, but farmers reached Delhi.
• In the report, police and paramilitary forces have been informed to prepare themselves to counterattack with swords and sticks.
• On Sat, the Haryana govt announced the suspension of mobile internet, bulk SMS, and all dongle services in several districts till Feb 13. (here)
• [The farmers who can modify their tractor to crossover barricades, deserve pensions, despite a tax-free income, debt waiver, etc.]

Haldwani Violence: Main accused arrested in Delhi, brought back to Uttarakhand

• 3 days after violence broke out in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani over the demolition of an illegally built madrassa, the main accused has been arrested.
• At least 6 rioters were killed and 100 injured as violence broke out in Haldwani on Thu after authorities started demolishing the madrassa and a prayer site in Bhanbhoolpura.
• A garden, allegedly owned by Malik, was built around these structures.
• Malik had allegedly encroached upon govt-owned ‘nazool’ land.
• Malik was arrested with his son and 3 others while 19 individuals, identified as suspects.
• More than 5,000 people, including women, are under the police scanner. (here)
• 5 intelligence inputs warned local police & state’s top cops of violence: Days before the violence both local police and senior state police officers received 5 intelligence inputs.
• Possible retaliation by the Hindu community [?] in response to protests by Muslim groups in the wake of the demolition
• chances of strong pushback by residents of Banbhoolpura and “influenced and local” Muslims leading to disruption in law and order, and women and children being used as shields in agitations against the demolition. (here)
• 04 companies of additional paramilitary forces: The state govt has deployed heavy security measures in Haldwani.
• Nearly 1,100 security personnel are already deployed in the town.
• In addition, the state govt has sought 4 companies – containing about 100 personnel each – of the Central Paramilitary Forces from the Home Ministry. (here)
• Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami reiterated on Sun to take strict action against the criminals involved in the violent clashes in Haldwani’s Banbhoolpura area. (here)

PM Modi dubs his second term in power as ‘gamechanger’ for the country, economy

• PM Modi in his 3^rd address to the parliament in less than a week, dubbed his 2^nd term in power as a ‘game-changer’ for the world’s 5^th largest economy which was the world’s 11^th biggest when he was first elected to power in 2014.
• PM said that the past five years of the BJP-led NDA govt were about “reform, perform and transform” in the country.
• Modi, who represents the holy town of Varanasi in the Lok Sabha, said that it is rare that transformation due to these measures could also be experienced in the same period.
• The Indian Prime Minister said that the 17^th Lok Sabha had 97% productivity.
• The budget session of the Indian Parliament began on Jan 31 and was extended by a day till Feb 10.
• This is also the last session of the Indian parliament before the general elections in the spring later this year. (here)

PM Narendra Modi to launch UPI in Sri Lanka, Mauritius via virtual event

• PM Modi is all set to launch the country’s premium UPI services in neighboring Sri Lanka and Mauritius on Mon.
• The ceremony is scheduled to take place at 1 pm IST where the Indian leader will connect virtually with Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth.
• The ceremony will also mark the launch of RuPay card services in Mauritius. (here)

Qatar Court’s Decision: 8 Former Indian Navy Personnel Released, 7 Return to India

• The Ministry of External Affairs confirmed the release of all 8 former Indian Navy personnel from Qatar’s custody, with 7 having already returned to their homeland.
• They were detained by Qatar agencies from Singapore, allegedly spying on behalf of Israel, for Itley-based submarine projects.
• The 1^st court in its verdict gave the death sentence to all 8 farmer Nevy personals, on Oct 26^th who returned after their 18-month jail stay. 
• On Nov 20^th, their Appeal was heard by the Court on Dec 23, and the death sentence was overturned by the court.

373 govt websites hacked in 5 years, house panel calls for strengthening digital infrastructure

• A legislative panel has asked the govt to fortify the cyber security of central and state govt websites after the revelation by the Min of Electronics and IT that 373 websites were hacked from Jan 2018 to Sept 2023.
• As per the reported to and tracked by CERT-In (Indian Comp Emergency Response Team), a sum of 110, 54, 59, 42, 50, and 58 websites were hacked from 2018-2023 YoY
• Reacting to the statement, the house panel tabled a report in the parliament, titled, “Digital Payment and Online Security Measures for Data Protection,” on Feb 8.
• The committee also pointed out that some govt offices were using outdated software on laptops and computers, which made them vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
• Earlier, a report by Microsoft in Oct 2023 revealed that India was amongst the world’s major targets of cyber attacks by nation-state actors.
• India accounts for 13% of cyber-attacks in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, making it one of the top 3 most attacked countries by nation-state actors, the report said. (here)

Israel’s Tower Semiconductor proposes $8 billion chip plant in India: Report

• Israel’s Tower Semiconductor has submitted a proposal to build an $8 billion chip-making facility in India, TIE reported on Sun.
• Tower, seeking govt incentives for its plan, is looking to manufacture 65 nanometre and 40 nanometre chips in the country.
• Semiconductor manufacturing is PM Modi’s key business agenda, for which his govt rolled out a $10 billion scheme in Dec 2021.
• Dy Min for IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar has in Oct 2023 met with Tower Semiconductor CEO Russell C Ellwanger.
• The meeting was also attended by Naor Gilon, Israel’s Ambassador to India.
• It was ranked 7^th in global foundry revenue with $356 m as per TrendForce Q1-Q3 data, and its annual revenue is likely to be well over $1 billion.
• Micron in India: US chipmaker Micron Technology in June last year announced an investment of $825 million to set up a new assembly and test facility in Gujarat. (here)

Train travels through J&K covered in snow; Indian Railways posts captivating footage

• Indian Railways has posted a stunning video of the area that shows both the snow-covered landscape and a train passing through it.
• J&K is well-known for its gorgeous vistas and verdant valleys, covered in pure snow in the winter.
• The footage opens with a charming view of a train stopping in the middle of a snowy setting, emphasizing the remarkable sight of the train covered with snow. (here)
• The Baramulla-Banihal railway is set to extend its connectivity to Jammu via Katra anytime in the year 2024 as the work in all the sections is progressing vigorously.
• Railway said that railway stations Khari, Sumber, Sangaldan, and Sawlakot fall in the Ramban district while Dauga, Bakkal, and Reasi fall in the Reasi district to Katra.
• The whole stretch is 111 km and work is ongoing at all locations. (here)

Bihar: JDU exudes confidence in winning trust vote ahead of floor test today

• Nitish Kumar-led JDU exuded confidence that the party’s president will win the trust vote during the crucial floor test scheduled on Mon, 2 weeks after he ditched its alliance with the RJD and formed a govt with the BJP.
• The trust vote will follow after Nitish took the oath as the CM of Bihar for the record 9^th time.
• A heavy security cordon was thrown around the residence of the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, in Patna on Sun.
• Amid huddles and shifting of MLAs to secure locations in the state or beyond ahead of the crucial trust vote, the RJD alleged that the police personnel “wanted to enter (Tejashwi’s) residence on any pretext and orchestrate untoward incidents against MLAs”.
• “Nitish Kumar has sent thousands of police and surrounded Tejashwi ji’s residence from all sides. They want to enter the residence on any pretext and do untoward incidents with the MLAs,” read a post on the official X handle of RJD.
• The party added that it will not ‘bow down’ in the ongoing ‘ideological struggle’.
• The JD(U) has 45 MLAs in the House of 243 while its partners, the BJP and the HAM-S, have 79 and 4 sitting legislators respectively.
• While 115 of the Mahagathbandhan. (here)

BJP announces candidates for upcoming Rajya Sabha Biennial Elections

• BJP on Sun announced candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha Biennial Elections to be held in various states.
• The BJP has fielded Dharmsheela Gupta and Bhim Singh from Bihar and Raja Devendra Pratap Singh from Chhattisgarh.
• Subhash Barala will be from Haryana, Narayana Krishanasa Bhandage from Karnataka, Mahendra Bhatt from Uttarakhand, and Samik Bhattacharya from W Bengal.
• RPN Singh, Sudhanshu Trivedi, Chaudhary Tejveer Singh, Sadhna Singh, Amarpal Maurya, Sangita Balwant, and Navin Jain will fight from UP.
• Meanwhile, a total of 58 Rajya Sabha members–including 8 Central Ministers, former PM Manmohan Singh, and BJP national President JP Nadda–will retire by the 1^st week of May this year.
• Mansukh Mandaviya, Bhupender Yadav, Parshottam Rupala, Dharmendra Pradhan, V Murleedharan, Narayan Rane, Rajeev Chandrashekhar, and Ashwini Vaishnaw are the 8 ministers who will retire by Apr 2-3, along with 47 other MPs.
• Among those retiring are 28 from the BJP, 11 from Congress, 4 from TMC, 4 from BRS, 2 each from BJD, RJD, and JD (U), and 1 each from YSRCP, SS, NCP, TDP, and SDF. (here)

Ahead of LS polls, voters in Meghalaya receive ‘multiple’ electoral cards

• Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, voters in Meghalaya have begun receiving their electoral photo identity cards as part of the electoral process, people aware of the matter said on Fri.
• However, several have received multiple voter ID cards.
• While some have got two, there are instances when either a fresh voter or an enrolled one making a correction or alteration has got their cards more than 3 times, said people.
• Significantly, amongst such multiple cards being issued to a single voter, some have different electoral numbers.
• According to the people, the electoral cards are currently being issued throughout the state, commencing on National Voters Day, held on 25^th Jan 2024. (here)

 [Neighborhood]

Pakistan Election: Pakistan: PTI says release of political prisoners, acceptance of its mandate will be ‘healing touch’

• PTI Chairman Gohar Khan stated that the release of political prisoners and acceptance of its mandate to rule were the only “healing touch” that the establishment could offer post-election.
• This came after Army Chief Asim Munir stated that the nation needs “stable hands and a healing touch to move on from the politics of anarchy and polarization“.
• Meanwhile, Barrister Gohar said: “Healing touch would mean that you [army] got to make sure that there are no political prisoners anymore in Pakistan, as per Dawn.
• The call for the release of political detainees and acknowledgment of electoral mandates echoes the PTI’s commitment to democratic principles and the rule of law in Pakistan.
• Along with that, Gen Asim Munir, emphasized the need for stable governance and unity in the wake of ongoing election proceedings, as reported by Dawn. (here)
• MQM-P denies discussions on forming next govt: The MQM Convener, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui has said that discussions during a meeting with the PML-N leaders did not involve any talks regarding the formation of the next govt.
• Election Results: PTI-backed independent candidates lead with 95 seats in NA: Independent candidates allied to the PTI party have secured a commanding lead with 95 seats in the National Assembly from 257 out of 265 constituencies.
• Details revealed that results from 7 constituencies are yet to be confirmed, while the outcome of 1 NA constituency remains withheld.
• The current scenario indicates that no single party is positioned to form a govt independently based on the unofficial and unconfirmed results.
• Currently, PML-N occupies the 2^nd position with 78 seats, and the PPP follows closely in 3^rd place with 54 seats.
• The withholding of the result for NA-64 stems from a challenge posed by Qaisara Ilahi, a candidate supported by PTI.
• Moving beyond the major parties, MQM-Pakistan has secured 17 seats, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal 3, and both IPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid have clinched 2 seats
• Furthermore, the PML-Zia, MWM, and BNP have each secured 1 seat. (here)
• PTI to join hands with ‘another’ to get reserved seats
• PML-N, PPP make ‘first formal contact’ to form govt
• Protests across the country against alleged ‘election rigging’ escalate (here)

China-Russia relations: Xi and Putin will have ‘several’ meetings, including a visit to China this year, says ambassador

• Russian President Vladimir Putin is expected to visit China this year, according to China’s envoy to Moscow, as the two countries forge a stronger front against the West.
• In an interview with Sputnik on Sat, Ambassador Zhang Hanhui said the two sides were preparing for “several meetings” between Chinese President Xi and Putin this year.
• “Putin’s visit to China [this year] will definitely be a success,” he said. “China looks forward to his arrival.”
• This will be Putin’s 19^th visit to China since he became the president in 2000.
• Putin said earlier that he would host the 2024 BRICS Summit of Emerging Economies in Kazan in Oct. (here)