1. No ‘Khela’ [or khela] in Bihar, CM Nitish Kumar Sails Through Trust Vote – RJD-Congress MLAs Walkout
2. Sandeshkhali horror: 10-member police team to probe sexual assault allegations
3. MEA: PM Modi’s Qatar Visit, ‘deeply appreciates’ Doha’s move to Release 8 Navy Veterans
4. Farmer Protests 2.O: Farmers remain adamant for ‘Delhi Chalo’ march.
5. After France, UPI services to be launched in Sri Lanka and Mauritius on Mon 

What Else

• Army chief Gen Pande visits US, focus on new tech, precision munition and combat vehicles
• More than 1.59 lakh declared as ‘foreigners’ in Assam: Himanta Biswa Sarma
• India, Bangladesh agree to use ‘non-lethal’ weapons to reduce border killings: Hasan Mahmud
• Sonia Gandhi’s Rajya Sabha candidature from Rajasthan likely: Sources
• Centre cancelled 102 Overseas Citizen of India cards between 2014 and May 2023: Report
• Pakistan: Vote counting ends, Imran Khan supporters hold nationwide protests
• Influx of illegal Chinese migrants threatens US territory, island must show ‘strength of the nation’

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No ‘Khela’ [or khela] in Bihar, CM Nitish Kumar Sails Through Trust Vote – RJD-Congress MLAs Walkout

• Bihar CM Nitish Kumar-led govt secured the majority in assembly on Mon, defeating the Oppn, which was hoping for some “Khela” (play) after some JD(U) MLAs skipped their party meeting a day ago.
• The NDA govt won the floor test easily with 129 votes in favor while the RJD staged a walkout from the state assembly.
• Kumar first proved his majority by voice vote but later insisted on manual voting and went on to win the vote of confidence with 129 votes in favor against none
• JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar’s victory in the Bihar assembly floor test saw a huge political commotion, a war of words, and name-calling.
• The RJD leader took potshots at Nitish Kumar for taking oath as CM 3 times in a single term.
• The are a total of 243 seats in the Assembly and the majority mark is 122.
• The NDA has the majority in the Assembly with 128 seats, of which, BJP has 75, JD(U) 45, HAM, 4, and one independent MLA.
• The Oppn has a total of 114 seats with RJD having the highest at 79, Congress at 19, CPI(ML) 12, and 2 each with CPI(M) and CPI. (here)

Sandeshkhali horror: 10-member police team to probe sexual assault allegations

• The West Bengal govt on Mon formed a 10-member team headed by a DIG-rank woman officer to look into the ‘allegations’ of sexual assault of women in Sandeshkhali.
• Women have been protesting for days, [no news was in media] demanding the arrest of TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his aides “gang”, accusing them of sexually harassing and forcefully capturing their land.
• The protests turned violent on Feb 9 as angry villagers set on fire the properties of local TMC leaders. [So far no FIR registered]
• Shajahan, wanted since a mob attacked Enforcement Directorate officers during a raid at his residence in an alleged ration scam, has been absconding for 45 days.
• Guv CV Bose, who on Mon visited the place, said he was “visibly shaken by the situation“.
• Reacting to the protests, CM Mamata Banerjee said those responsible have been put behind bars.
• “We have already sent the state women’s commission team there. … Those who have instigated violence have been arrested,” PTI quoted the CM as saying.
• The TMC has also announced that a delegation led by senior leader Partha Bhowmick would visit Sandeshkhali to assess the situation on Tue afternoon. (here)
• “Allegations” of systemic sexual exploitation and land grabbing against TMC leaders are emerging from Sandeshkhali in West Bengal.
• Shahjahan, a member of the district poll, is the prime culprit, the women “alleged”. (here)

MEA: PM Modi’s Qatar Visit, ‘deeply appreciates’ Doha’s move to Release 8 Navy Veterans

• F Secy VM Kwatra on Mon thanked the Qatari govt and its Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on the release of 8 Indian ex-Navy who were jailed on spying charges.
• Kwatra also announced PM Modi’s visit to Qatar this week after concluding his UAE trip where he will inaugurate the BAPS Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi.
• The Indian nationals, all employees of Al Dahra company and Navy veterans, were taken into custody in an alleged case of espionage.
• After completing his UAE visit, on Feb 14, the PM will travel to Doha, Kwatra said.
• During the visit PM Modi will hold bilateral with the Emir of Qatar and other high-level dignitaries of the country.
• He said one of the principal tasks is to keep working towards the early release of all the Indian prisoners irrespective of which country they are in. (here)

Farmer Protests 2.O: Farmers remain adamant for ‘Delhi Chalo’ march.

• The farmers from the Indian state of Punjab are now determined to march to Delhi and hold protests after the 5-hour meeting with the cabinet ministers remained unsettled.
• Demands: farmer loan waiver, execution of Swaminathan Commission recommendations, and enactment of a law for guaranteeing an MSP for all crops.
• [So what is the problem with the demand: Govt formulated the 3 Laws, to increase the price of the products, but had to repeal them because of their protest, so if Govt accepted the demands which included pensions of 10k/ month, it cause huge load over revenues. Notably, Govt is not providing pensions to its employees since 2024.]
• Both sides agreed to repeal the Electricity Act 2020; withdraw cases filed against farmers’ protests in 2020 and compensation to farmers who were killed in Kheri, UP
• After the meeting came to an end, Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee’s Sarwan Singh Pandher announced that the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march was on. (here)
• Govt Wants to delay protest by forming committee, says union leader Sarwan Singh Pandher
• Heavy traffic snarl witnessed at Delhi-Noida Chilla border ahead of farmers’ ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on Tue.
• Tractor trollies are lined up at Fatehgarh Sahib as farmers prepare for their march.
• The farmers have announced to start the march at 10 am.
• They plan to head to Delhi from the Ambala-Shambhu, Khanauri-Jind, and the Dabwali borders. (here)
• The farmers in 2020 were protesting against the 3 laws which were finally repealed in 2021.
• Same as the last time, these demands are not meant to be met.
• They are meant to cause a confrontation.
• They did not expect Modi to take back farm laws and avoid the bloodbath, which the backers of these protests wanted to happen.
• This time around, people have become skeptical of these ‘annadatas’ and their antics.
• Last time they made the farmer’s protest into GoI versus Sikhs and ignited a fire in Punjab.

After France, UPI services to be launched in Sri Lanka and Mauritius on Mon 

• The Unified Payment Interface (UPI) services will be launched in Sri Lanka and Mauritius today, announced the Ministry of External Affairs on Sunday.
• RuPay card services will also be introduced in Mauritius.
• PM Modi, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe, and Mauritius PM Pravind Jugnauth attended the launch of UPI services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius virtually.
• The launch of UPI services in Sri Lanka and Mauritius will enable the availability of digital payments for Indian nationals traveling to the two countries as well as for tourists from there arriving in India.
• The launch will benefit a wide cross-section of people through a faster and more seamless digital transaction experience and enhance digital connectivity between countries (here) [reported on Mon]

Army chief Gen Pande visits US, focus on new tech, precision munition and combat vehicles

• Army chief Gen Manoj Pande, who has left on a 3-day visit to the US starting on Wed, will focus on key modernization issues, including co-development and co-production with the American defense industry, particularly on armored infantry vehicles and long-range precision artillery munitions.
• Gen. Pande will engage in high-level discussions with Gen Randy George, the US Chief of Staff of the Army (CSA), and other senior military leaders.
• The visit entails a comprehensive tour of the Pentagon.
• “These engagements symbolize the respect and mutual commitment towards global peace and security shared between the two countries,” the Army stated.
• It added that ideas would be exchanged on crucial topics such as the transformation in the Indian Army, global threat perception, transformation to Army by 2030-40, human resource challenges, future force development and modernization, and co-production and co-development initiatives. (here)

More than 1.59 lakh declared as ‘foreigners’ in Assam: Himanta Biswa Sarma

• Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has shared that more than 1.59 lakh people have been declared as ‘foreigners’ in the state so far.
• He said that another 96,000 have been marked as ‘Doubtful’ (D) voters.
• Sarma was responding to a question by opposition AIUDF legislator Aminul Islam in the assembly.
• In his response, the CM said 100 foreign tribunals, which deal with the citizenship issue of D-voters in the state, are currently functional.
• He said that 1,59,353 people have been declared as foreigners by these tribunals till December 31, 2023.
• The Assam CM further informed that the FTs have disposed of 3,37,186 cases till the end of last year and 96,149 cases are pending before various FTs. (here)

India, Bangladesh agree to use ‘non-lethal’ weapons to reduce border killings: Hasan Mahmud

• Bangladesh and India have agreed to use non-lethal weapons to reduce the number of border killings, said Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Mon
• Speaking at a press briefing, Mahmud said that during his recent visit to New Delhi, the two nations “have discussed the border killings. We agreed to the use of non-lethal weapons to reduce border killings.”
• “You know that the Teesta deal does not depend on the Centre, but the state.
• The issue will be looked at after the national elections in April-May,” he said.
• The Bangladeshi Foreign Minister visited New Delhi from February 7-9.
• During it, he had his first bilateral meeting with his Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar, NSA Ajit Doval, and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal.
• He also called on Indian President Droupadi Murmu. (here)

Sonia Gandhi’s Rajya Sabha candidature from Rajasthan likely: Sources

• Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi may run for the Rajya Sabha elections from Rajasthan, according to sources.
• Presently, she serves as a Lok Sabha MP representing Rae Bareli.
• RS MP Akhilesh Singh could be nominated as the Congress candidate from Bihar.
• Other leaders likely to be fielded by the Congress for Rajya Sabha polls include Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Ajay Maken, sources said. (here)

Centre cancelled 102 Overseas Citizen of India cards between 2014 and May 2023: Report

• The central govt has canceled at least 102 Overseas Citizen of India cards between 2014 and May 2023, Article 14 reported on Mon citing a Right to Information response.
• OCI is an immigration status that allows Indian-origin persons to live and work in India indefinitely.
• If someone loses their OCI status, they have to leave the country and apply for a visa to return.
• Over 45 lakh people hold OCI cards.
• The Centre cited section 7D of the Citizenship Act, 1955 as a reason for the cancellation
• Section 7D of the law says that OCI cards can be canceled if they are obtained by fraud, or if the cardholder showed disaffection to the Constitution, assisted an enemy during war, faced imprisonment or it was necessary to do so in the interests of sovereignty, integrity and security of India.
• The Centre stated that 2,84,574 OCI cards were canceled till May 2023.
• An appeal to the response showed that 2,59,554 OCI cards were canceled so they could be reissued, while other cards were canceled for being lost, damaged, deceased, and wrong printing. (here)

 [Neighborhood]

Pakistan: Vote counting ends, Imran Khan supporters hold nationwide protests

• As the counting of votes concludes in Pakistan, independents, mostly backed by jailed former PM Imran Khan’s PTI party, are leading in 101 of the 264 seats
• Amid protests by PTI and other parties over the alleged rigging during the elections, the Election Commission has ordered re-polling in some of the polling stations.
• The re-polling is scheduled for Feb 15.
• Pakistan, a country of 241 million people, voted on Feb 8 in a general election, as the nation struggles with an economic crisis and terrorism in a deeply polarised political environment.
• The Election Commission has announced the results of 264 out of 265 contested seats.
• According to the ECP, independent candidates backed by PTI sprung a surprise, winning over 100 seats, well ahead of Sharif’s PML-N, which took 72 seats.
• The Pakistan Peoples Party, headed by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son of assassinated Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, won 54 seats, mostly in its stronghold Sindh.
• Other smaller parties won a combined 27 seats and they could play a part in the event of a coalition govt being formed.
• Results were still yet to be declared in some of the seats in the 266-member National Assembly (lower house of Parliament), more than 48 hours since polling ended.
• Counting has been marred by technical glitches, snapping of internet services, and sporadic terrorist attacks.
• PML-N supremo and former PM Nawaz Sharif also claimed victory and said his party was the “single-largest party”.
• However, he admitted he did not have the numbers and invited allies.
• His bitter rival Khan, too, claimed victory and said he was keen on forming a govt.
• For Imran Khan and his PTI, the results were significant as the party was barred from contesting the elections under the electoral symbol of ‘bat’ by the ECP. (here)

Influx of illegal Chinese migrants threatens US territory, island must show ‘strength of the nation’

• Rep. James Moylan warned that the territory is being “infiltrated” by an influx of illegal Chinese migrants, and said he is seeking aid from the Biden administration to combat the matter and protect the island – something that is critical for the US deterrence efforts against the CCP.
• Moylan said that, for years, Guam has been “infiltrated by droves of illegal Chinese migrants embarking on our shores.”
• The majority of the “illegal Chinese aliens coming are often from the Northern Mariana Islands,” he said.
• Moylan warned that the Chinese are working to “steal into the environment.”
• USS Connecticut Sub Nuclear China: In this Dec 15, 2016, photo, provided by the U.S. Navy, the Seawolf-class fast-attack submarine USS Connecticut departs Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for sea trials following a maintenance availability.
• Moylan requested that ICE investigate the matter and take “action,” specifically related to drug trafficking to the territory. Moylan cited the recent discovery of 60 pounds of cocaine found on a Guam beach.
• Moylan warned of Chinese missiles like the DF-26 IRBM, which has an estimated range of 1,000 to 3,000 km. (here)