Newsletter 11 Feb

Top 5 of the Day

1- APP landslide victory in Delhi Election
2- 3 Pak terrorists killed in Indian retaliation in J-K’s Mendhar sector
3- US Approves Sale Of Integrated Air Defense Weapon System To India
4- US President Donald Trump To Visit India On Feb 24-25
5- Meeting held at residence of Paswan, regarding SC verdict on SC/ST

Tweet of the Day..

National

Delhi Went to AAP again Delhi Assembly Election 2020: Congress, BJP congratulate AAP for landslide victory

Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP is set to register a massive victory in the Delhi assembly election 2020 with 63 seat.
BJP is out of power from Delhi, since 21 years.
The BJP is a distant second at 7 seats whereas the Congress has drawn a blank in these elections.
Congress loses its deposit on, hold your breath, 67 out of 70 seats in the National Capital.
BJP accepts mandate given by people of Delhi, will play role of constructive opposition, says party president JP Nadda
BJP accepts mandate given by people of Delhi, will play role of constructive opposition, says party president JP Nadda
‘We can call this people’s reward to the work done’, says Arvind Kejriwal, while addressing people.
As per political observers ”the victory of AAP is mainly due to
- Consolidation of Anti BJP vote, breaking of which had been a tool for BJP victory.
- Freebees allocation to majoritarian voters
- And reach of AAP’s workers to root level.
- No face was available against Arvind Kejariwal
  - Jamia protest yesterday: Delhi Police registers a case under IPC sections 186, 188, 353, 332 and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act in New Friends Colony police station.
  - As per unofficial report, some 17 students have injured during clashed of students with police, yesterday night.
  Najma Akhtar, VC of Jamia Millia Islamia and other University officials on Mon visited Al Shifa Hospital Delhi Went to AAP again
  
  Delhi Assembly Election 2020: Congress, BJP congratulate AAP for landslide victory
  - and met the students who were injured during protests earlier in the day.
  Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan in State assembly: The government is clear on its stand. Kerala will go ahead with census process but will not implement NPR. Opposition should refrain from spreading unwanted fear among the public.

New Delhi: National Security Advisor (NSA) of Israel Meir Ben Shabbat called on PM Narendra Modi here on Monday. Earlier, as many as 9 Israeli Defense companies had presented their tech solutions at the Defense Expo pavilion held in Lucknow.

3 Pak terrorists killed in Indian retaliation in J-K's Mendhar sector

The Indian Army has been responding to Pakistan Army’s ceasefire violations in other sectors as well over the past few days.
Army Sources: As per intelligence inputs, three Pakistani terrorists were killed in Indian retaliation across LoC in Mendhar sector in J&K on Feb 9. Army has been effectively responding to Pak Army’s ceasefire violations in Mendhar and other sectors going on for last few days.
Earlier on Sun, Pakistan violated ceasefire in Balakot and Mendhar sectors in Poonch district.

The Parliament budget session resumes on Feb 11

Today is the last day of the budget session.
The controversial talking point on Mon was the SC held that reservation in promotions in public posts could not be claimed as a ‘fundamental right’.
Opposition parties staged a walkout from both Houses.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman speaks in the Upper House.
“55 members have participated in the discussions and spoke about the budget. In my reply, having heard many of the members, I’d like to respond to most of the speakers.”
- “The nominal GDP has increased to ₹2.9 trillion.
- Inflation has been at 4.5%. Central Govt’s liabilities have come down.
- The global sentiment towards India is at a very favorable mood.
- The net FDI flows is 24.4 billion.
- We’ve announced a national infrastructure and we are sure that 1 lakh crore can be taken for spending in infra.
- IIP numbers have registered a growth.
- PMI and PMI services have increased. Forex reserves have been built.
- There’s a positive confidence on the Indian economy and the BSE Sensex increased.
- More than this, repo rate cuts are giving a positive growth.”

International

US President Donald Trump To Visit India On Feb 24-25

As per White House Press Secretary “During a phone call President Trump and PM Modi agreed the trip would further strengthen the India-US strategic partnership.”
Trump will embark on a two-day visit to India from Feb 24 during which he will travel to New Delhi and Ahmedabad.
- At Ahahmdabad, plans are afoot to host a rousing “Kem Cho, Trump!” (Howdy Trump) rally to return the gesture of the Trump administration allowing the Howdy Modi fiesta in Houston- the largest rally ever by a foreign leader on US soil.
- The two leaders are expected to inaugurate the Motera Stadium, one of the world’s largest sports arenas with a capacity of 110,000, although local reports suggest it will be a race against time to complete it by Feb 25.
- President Trump will be accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump and they will visit India on February 24-25, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said.
- India has a role to play not only in its immediate neighborhood, but in making sure that the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific region is part of the international global order, he said.
- The two sides are also expected to ink a trade deal and agreements aimed at Indian purchase of US armaments, including a $2bn NASAMS air defense system and $2.6bn naval helicopter deal.
- India is also ramping up energy purchase from the US that has gone from zero a decade ago to $6bn annually currently, and is expected to touch $10bn in the next couple of years.

Islamic State’s South Asia branch poses security threat to nations neighboring Afghanistan: UN report

The dreaded Islamic State’s South Asia branch remains active, ambitious and threatening, and has established contacts with other terror groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and has the potential to exacerbate the security threat to countries neighboring Afghanistan, a UN report has warned.
The 10^th report of the Secy-Gen on the threat posed by ISIL (Da’esh) to international peace and security and the range of UN efforts in support of Member States in countering the threat said that the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan (ISIL-K) came under severe military pressure from the security forces of Afghanistan and Taliban fighters towards the end of 2019, leading to its virtual expulsion from what had been its Afghan headquarters in Nangarhar Province.
The report said that even though the Afghan authorities took custody of more than 1,400 people, including ISIL-K fighters and their dependents, the terror group remains a threat to regional security.
“It has established informal contact with other terrorist groups, including Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Islam, which regularly mount attacks on border posts of Pakistan.
The approach of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan has the potential to exacerbate the security threat to countries neighboring Afghanistan,” the report said. The report added that most of the ISIL-K fighters taken into custody by the Afghan authorities were Afghan nationals but also included foreigners from Azerbaijan, Canada, France, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan.

US Approves Sale Of Integrated Air Defense Weapon System To India

The Trump Administration has notified to the US Congress of its determination to sell India the Integrated Air Defense Weapon System (IADWS), for an estimated cost of USD 1.867 billion, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said Mon.

The request was for five AN/MPQ-64Fl Sentinel radar systems; one hundred eighteen AMRAAM AIM-120C-7/C-8 missiles; three AMRAAM Guidance Sections; four AMRAAM Control Sections; and one hundred thirty-four Stinger FIM-92L missiles.

Also included are 32 M4A1 rifles; 40,32) M855 5.56 mm cartridges; Fire Distribution Centers (FDC); Handheld Remote Terminals; Electrical Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) Sensor Systems; AMRAAM Non-Developmental Item-Airborne Instrumentation Units (NDIAIU); Multi-spectral Targeting System-Model A (MTS-A); and Canister Launchers (CN); High Mobility Launchers (HML).

Baloch freedom struggle, disharmony among Muslims reason for crackdown on Pashtuns, says Pak nuclear scientist

A top Pakistani scientist has blamed disharmony in his country and freedom movement in Balochistan as the reason for the controversial arrest of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) chief Manzoor Pashteen.

What is more interesting is, the nuclear physicist made the comments in Karachi during a literary fest, “Adab Festival.” Hoodbhoy is the same Pakistani scientist, who in 2017, had said that his country was becoming a ‘fascist religious state.’

China virus death toll passes 1,000, reports AFP news agency quoting government

North Korea illegally exported millions of tons of commodities like coal last year to enhance its ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons programs, according to a confidential UN report.

Political

Reservation will not go till caste system exists, says Ram Vilas Paswan

Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, who claimed himself as leader of SC, said that “reservation will be there till the caste system exists in the country”.
Recently, in a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court said that reservation in promotions for government jobs is not a fundamental right. The top court also said the states cannot be directed to provide promotions to the members of the SC/ST community.
“We welcome one of the SC verdicts which upheld SC/ST (Prevention of atrocities) Amendment Act, 2018.
When the Act was envisioned in 1989, there were provisions to punish those who violated the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
There were deliberations on the improvement of the Act and suggestions were given to the Prime Minister about it.
The government passed an amendment to the Act in 2018 and the verdict on the matter by the SC has endorsed the amendment,” said Paswan.
A meeting of all Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe MPs was held at the residence of LJP leader and Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, over Supreme Court’s decision on reservation.

States

Karnataka

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Mon allocated portfolios to the 10 newly inducted ministers in his cabinet, Feb 6.

Ramesh Jarkiholi – Major and Medium Irrigation from Water Resources Deptt,
Dr K Sudhakar medical education from health and family welfare Deptt
BC Patil has been given Forest Deptt.
ST Somashekhar – co-operation department;
Anand Singh – food civil supplies and consumer affairs Deptt
Shivram Hebbar- Labor Deptt.
KC Narayana Gowda – Horticulture Deptt and Municipal Administration.
K Gopalaiah has been allocated Small Scale Industries and Sugar from Commerce and Industries Department
Shrimant Patil – Textiles Dept.
Basavaraj Bommai – Home Department

JnK: Mobile internet 2G services snapped in Kashmir valley today as a precautionary measure in wake of death anniversary of Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front founder Maqbool Bhat, restored later.

UP: Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has arrested Yadav Singh, former engineer of Noida Authority in connection with Noida corruption case.

He is allegedly having charge of Huge money and properties. It has also came in media, he has connection with various state parties.