1. In a first, India calls for renegotiation of Indus Waters Treaty, sends notice to Pakistan
2. IAF’s Mirage-2000 pilot dead in crash; two Sukhoi-30 pilots eject safely
3. India upgrading its nuke arsenal with China-focused strategy: American report
4. Khalistani supporters attack Indian during referendum in Melbourne; 2 arrested
5. Security forces recover more than 160 IEDs during anti-Naxal operation in Bihar

What Else

6. NIA attaches Hurriyat Conference’s office in Srinagar
7. ‘G20 – platform to exchange ideas, solutions’: UNGA president meets Amitabh Kant
8. UK to play third umpire on Kashmir during Pakistan Army chief’s visit
9. India, Nato to hold strategic talks; focus on regional security, China
10. 400 days left for Lok Sabha elections, spread word of our good work: PM Modi tells ministers ahead of budget
11. Govt to invite EoIs for Rs 41,000-cr transshipment port project in Great Nicobar Island
12. SEBI may probe short selling to hammer down Indian markets
13. India: Odisha’s health minister shot by cop from close range succumbs to bullet injury
14. Dollar cap did not cost Pakistan $3bn: SBP
15. Government jacks up petrol, diesel prices by Rs35 per litre
16. PTI to take part in by-polls on 33 National Assembly seats
17. Wealthy Chinese desperate to move out of China due to Xi’s push for “common prosperity”: Report
18. As NATO chief visits South Korea and Japan, China will be high on agenda

In a first, India calls for renegotiation of Indus Waters Treaty, sends notice to Pakistan

• India has sent a notice to Pakistan calling for renegotiations of the IWT, by modifying it, in the backdrop of the dispute resolution mechanism in a logjam for 5 years.
• This is for the first time New Delhi has called on Islamabad for the modification of the treaty, signed in 1960 in Karachi.
• Sources said, “India has issued notice to Pakistan for modification of the IWT of Sept 1960..Pakistani intransigence on the IWT forced India to issue a notice”.
• The notice for modification is in line with the Article XII (3) of the treaty.
• In the notice, India has called on Pakistan to enter into intergovernmental negotiations within 90 days to “rectify the material breach” and also “update the treaty to incorporate the lessons learned over the last 62 years”.
• Under the IWT, the waters of 3 Eastern Rivers – Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi are allocated to India for unrestricted use while the waters of 3 Western rivers – Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab go to Pakistan.
• New Delhi has the right to generate hydroelectricity through the run of the river projects on the 3 Western rivers, subject to specific criteria for design. (here)

India upgrading its nuke arsenal with China-focused strategy: American report

• As per a report by the US organization, FAS, India is continuing to its nuke and operationalize its new triad, and strategy to emphasize China, Instead Pakistan
• The triad, are being supplemented or replaced by at least 4 new weapon systems
• India currently operates 8 different nuclear-capable systems: 2 aircraft, 4 land-based ballistic missiles, and 2 sea-based ballistic missiles.
• At least 4 more systems are in development (nearing completion).
• Beijing is now in range of Indian ballistic missiles,” according to the report of FAS.
• According to the report, India is thought to have generated “about 700 kg (±150 kg) of weapon-grade plutonium,” which is enough for 138 to 213 nuclear bombs.
• However, not all of the raw materials have yet been used to create nuclear bombs.
• FAS estimates that India has about 160 nuclear warheads in its arsenal and will require additional to equip the new missiles.
• The similar figures are 165 for Pakistan, 350 for China, 5,428 for the US, and 5,977 for Russia. (here)

Khalistani supporters attack Indian during referendum in Australia’s Melbourne; 2 arrested

• In a major development, Khalistani Radical Separatists clashed with the Indian diaspora during a Khalistan Referendum event in Australia’s Melbourne on Sun.
• The Indian Australians had notified the Police about the planned protest at the Federation Square in Melbourne against the rising pro-Khalistan activities in the country.
• Despite that several pro-Khalistani attacked the Indian diaspora with swords.
• The Khalistan movement is a Sikh separatist seeking to create a homeland for Sikhs by establishing a sovereign state, called Khālistān, in the Punjab region.
• Those voting were asked to answer yes or no to the referendum question, “Should Indian-governed Punjab be an independent country?”
• Khalistani supporters were seen snatching the Indian national flag
• According to a report by Theage.com.au, police have arrested 2 men and issued a penalty notice for riotous behavior. (here)

Security forces recover more than 160 IEDs during anti-Naxal operation in Bihar

• Security forces led by the Central Reserve Police Force seized more than 160 IEDs during an anti-Naxal operation in Bihar, officials said on Jan 28.
• The recovery was made near the Laduiya Pahad area in the Aurangabad district of the State on Fri.
• The patrol team first found 13 pressure IEDs and later recovered 149 such bombs, weighing about a kg each, from a nearby cave in the area, the officials said.
• The anti-Maoist operation was undertaken as part of the task of de-mining Left Wing Extremism affected areas of Bihar, which security forces have said are now largely dominated by their troops. (here)

NIA attaches Hurriyat Conference’s office in Srinagar

• The National Investigating Agency on Sun attached the separatist HC’s office in the Rajbagh area here on the orders of a Delhi court in a terror funding case, officials said.
• A team from the federal agency arrived at the Hurriyat office and pasted an attachment notice on the building’s outer wall, they said.
• The Hurriyat Conference is an amalgam of 26 separatist outfits and was formed in 1993.
• The office has remained closed since Aug 2019 following a crackdown on separatist groups by the govt.
• The HC-led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said the attachment of the amalgam’s office will not detach people from their desire for a peaceful solution to the Kashmir issue. (here)

‘G20 – platform to exchange ideas, solutions’: UNGA president meets Amitabh Kant

• UNGA President Csaba Korosi met G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, saying that G20 provides an important platform to exchange ideas and solutions.
• Kant tweeted that they held a fascinating discussion on the geopolitical scenario, multilateralism, and global supply chains at the working dinner, which was hosted by Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri.
• On Sun, Korosi arrived in India for a 3-day visit.
• Ministry of External Affairs in a tweet on Sun said that Korosi’s visit is an occasion to exchange views on global challenges that the UN is currently seized with. (here)

UK to play third umpire on Kashmir during Pakistan Army chief’s visit

• Pakistan Army Chief Gen Asim Munir at the invitation of the Sunak govt is scheduled to address the 5^th joint UK-Pak stabilization conference at Wilton Park from Feb 5-8.
• Wilton Park is an executive agency of the UK FO providing a platform for strategic discussions.
• Co-hosted by UK Army Chief Gen PNYM Sanders, the conference is themed “Regional Stability in South Asia: the return of geopolitics and other challenges.”
• The conference will focus on the Ukraine war’s impact on EU, UK, and its consideration for Pakistan, which has provided weapons and ammunition to Ukraine secretly using RAF aircraft.
• The other topics of discussion are the role of information operations, cyber-attack in warfare, evolving south Asian regional stability, security challenges, and the Kashmir dispute. (here)

India, Nato to hold strategic talks; focus on regional security, China

• New Delhi is set to host a rare strategic dialogue with NATO focused on regional security issues in development with potentially global ramifications, expected to be held in early Mar.
• Senior officials from NATO, including from its policy planning division, and officials from India’s ministries of defense and external affairs are expected to participate.
• The dialogue will likely focus on a range of themes, including the possibility of a stronger partnership between India and Nato focused on geopolitical challenges in the Indo-Pacific.
• Media reports had earlier indicated that India and Nato held a political dialogue in 2019 aimed at expanding cooperation.
• The same reports, never denied, indicated that the discussion had centered around China, the evolving situation in Afghanistan, and terrorism.
• But Nato’s prioritization of Russia as a key threat and its relative ambivalence about the challenges posed by China limited common ground between the two sides at the time.
• This latest round of talks occurs in a dramatically changed strategic landscape. (here)

400 days left for Lok Sabha elections, spread word of our good work: PM Modi tells ministers ahead of budget

• With only 3 days to go of what is probably the last Union Budget of his term, PM Modi instructed his ministers to actively post on SM about the good work his administration has done since coming to power in 2014, with a focus on the poor and middle class.
• Modi made this statement on Sun during the council of ministers meeting, where various presentations in this area were made.
• This comes a few days after the PM instructed BJP officials to engage people “from all strata of society” throughout the next 400 days leading up to the next general election.
• Cabinet Secy gave a thorough presentation on the govt’s overall efforts in the social, economic, educational, and health sectors.
• According to sources, he discussed how IITs and IIMs had been established across the nation for the benefit of students in remote areas. (here)

Govt to invite EoIs for Rs 41,000-cr transshipment port project in Great Nicobar Island

• The Ministry of Ports will invite expressions of interest from interested players for a Rs 41,000 crore international transshipment port project at Great Nicobar Island.
• The ministry in a release on Fri said that the project is expected to be complete with an investment of Rs 41,K crore ($5 billion), including investment from both govt and PPP.
• The proposed port in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands will have the ultimate capacity to handle 16 m containers/year and in the 1^st phase will handle above 4 mn containers.
• Other projects planned around the transshipment port include an airport, township, and power plant, it added.
• The project is located on the international trade route, with existing transshipment terminals like Singapore, Klang, and Colombo in proximity. (here)

SEBI may probe short selling to hammer down Indian markets

• Markets regulator, SEBI is likely to probe short selling in the Indian stock markets in the last few days.
• Sources said Indian markets have been under an onslaught in the last few trading sessions and a probe will ascertain the role of short sellers in bringing the market down.
• Short selling — the sale of a security that the seller does not own — is one of the long-standing market practices, which has often been the subject of considerable debate and divergent views in most of the securities markets across the world.
• The critics of short selling on the other hand are convinced that short selling, directly or indirectly, poses potential risks and can easily destabilize the market.
• Adani Group has said in a statement that the accounting (or fraud-type assertions) “investigation” by Hindenburg is devoid of facts. (here)

India: Odisha’s health minister shot by cop from close range succumbs to bullet injury

• Odisha’s Health minister Naba Kishore Das died of a bullet injury.
• The minister of India’s southeastern Odisha state was shot at by a policeman from point-blank range in Brajarajnagar town on Sun afternoon.
• Naba Kishore Das, a 60-year-old politician from the Biju Janata Dal party and said to be a confidante of the CM Patnaik, was getting out of his car to attend a meeting when a cop Gopal Das fired at him.
• According to reports, Das suffered injuries on the left side of his chest, while another policeman, who was standing guard, was also injured. (here)

[NEIGHBORHOOD]

Dollar cap did not cost Pakistan $3bn: SBP

• The Central Bank SBP on Sun clarified that the dollar cap — imposed to stabilize the rupee against the greenback — did not result in a whopping loss of $3 bn to the national exchequer.
• To end the dollar crunch in the market, meet the IMF’s conditions, and eliminate black currency, the govt removed the cap last week — a move that sent the rupee down in the dumps in the last two sessions.
• The local currency’s performance was poor as it plunged from 230.15 to 262.60 against the dollar in the interbank market following two days (Thu-Fri) of devaluation.
• Cumulatively, the value of the rupee against the greenback decreased by Rs32 or 14%.
• Financial pundits had claimed that the dollar cap had cost the national kitty losses between $1-$3 billion as people preferred illegitimate channels to transfer money home, which provided a better rate compared to the official channels. (here)

Government jacks up petrol, diesel prices by Rs35 per litre

• Following the devaluation of the rupee, Fin Min Ishaq Dar Sun announced that the price of petrol and diesel will go up by Rs35/l from today — effective 11 am.
• In a televised address, Dar also announced that the prices of kerosene oil and light diesel oil have been increased by Rs18/l.
• The increase comes after the rupee hit a historic low against the dollar following the removal of the unofficial cap on the greenback.
• Following the devaluation of the local currency, there was widespread speculation that the government may increase the prices by over Rs80.
• Amid such rumors, people started rushing to petrol stations with the Oil & Gas Regulatory Authority advising people to stop spreading misleading. (here)

PTI to take part in by-polls on 33 National Assembly seats

• The PTI announced on Sun that it would take part in the by-elections on 33 National Assembly, adding that chairman Imran Khan would contest for all the seats up for grabs.
• In a presser in Lahore, PTI leader Qureshi said: “There was a long discussion and debate, and the party decided that it would participate in the by-polls for the 33 seats.”
• He further said that Imran would be the party’s sole candidate on all 33 NA seats and politicians earlier elected on those seats would submit paperwork as “covering candidates”.
• “So we have decided to take part in the polls,” he said.
• The Election Commiss­ion of Pakistan (ECP) on Fri issued the schedule for polls on 33 NA seats, setting Mar 16 as the polling date.
• The seats had fallen vacant after NA Speaker accepted 35 more resignations of PTI lawmakers on Jan 17. (here)
• Fawad seeks medical tests to prove ‘custodial torture’: Before his departure to Lahore for forensic tests, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry on Sun complained of “custodial torture”.
• The former minister applied to Kohsar police station’s magistrate.
• The PTI mouthpiece, who was arrested on Wed under sedition charges for allegedly threatening members of the Election Commission during a media talk (here)

Wealthy Chinese desperate to move out of China due to Xi’s push for “common prosperity”: Report

• President Xi Jinping’s crackdown on big tech industries, real estate, and education, and his push for “common prosperity” over the past 2 years have terrified China’s wealthier.
• A massive surge has been reported in Chinese seeking to immigrate to North American countries and wealthy Chinese are desperate to move at the earliest.
• About 10,800 wealthy Chinese immigrated overseas in 2022, the most since 2019 and 2^nd only to Russia. (here)

As NATO chief visits South Korea and Japan, China will be high on agenda

• Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg’s trip to S Korea and Japan next week is expected to lay the groundwork for their Indo-Pacific security to guard against a “systemic challenge” from China.
• Stoltenberg will meet South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol during the 4-day trip that begins in Seoul on Sun, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing a presidential official.
• He will also meet Japanese PM Fumio Kishida in Tokyo.
• As well as Yoon, Stoltenberg is expected to meet South Korean FM Park Jin and other senior officials while in Seoul.
• The Yonhap report said US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin would also visit South Korea next week.
• The trip comes after the unprecedented attendance of the S Korean and Japanese leaders at a Nato summit in Madrid in Jun when the military alliance labeled China as a “systemic challenge to Euro-Atlantic security” in a key strategy document. (here)