Morning Digest | U.K. government defends BBC over India I-T raids; attempt on to shape an extremist idea of India and PM Modi, says EAM Jaishankar, and more

Members of the media report from outside the office building where Indian tax authorities raided BBC‘s office in New Delhi.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Questioned on I-T survey, U.K. government strongly defends the BBC

The U.K. government was questioned by MPs in the House of Commons on its response to the income tax (IT) raids on BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai last week. Tory MP David Rutley, who is the Parliamentary Undersecretary of State for the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), took questions on the raid and freedom of expression in India.

Ahead of UNGA resolution on Russia, France lobbies New Delhi for vote

France is in talks to convince India to shift its position on the Russian war in Ukraine a year into the conflict, urging the Narendra Modi-led government to vote for a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution due to be tabled this week that will call for a cessation of hostilities, according to diplomatic sources.

Attempt on to shape an extremist idea of India, PM: Jaishankar

The recent spate of criticism of the Modi government in the Western media and civil society, which included a two-part documentary by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on the 2002 Gujarat riots and Narendra Modi’s tenure as Prime Minister, is “politics by other means”, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Tuesday.

Coal India records 31% decline in fatalities in 2022 compared to previous year

Coal India Limited (CIL) recorded 20 fatalities in the year 2022, observing a decline 31% than the previous year. The number of fatalities recorded in the State-owned miner in the year 2021 was 29. According to the CIL, the fatality rate per million tonne (MT) of coal produced was 0.028 in 2022 decreasing sizeably by 40% against 0.047 of 2021.

India, Singapore launch UPI-PayNow linkage

India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Singapore’s PayNow were officially connected on Tuesday, to allow for a “real-time payment linkage”. The virtual launch was led by a phone call between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong.

Confusion prevails over bike taxi services after government’s order

Confusion prevailed on Tuesday over the Delhi government’s notice against the operations of bike taxis in the city, with various aggregator platforms stating that the companies had not received any official communication from the authorities. Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), a body of several digital and app-based companies, on Tuesday requested the government to provide clarity on the matter and engage with all stakeholders before taking a coercive decision.

Uddhav questions Maharashtra Governor’s decision to swear in Shinde as CM when disqualification proceedings were pending

Former Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray said in the Supreme Court that the State’s Governor had sworn in Eknath Shinde as Chief Minister fully knowing that he was facing disqualification proceedings under the anti-defection law.

NIA conducts searches to investigate nexus between gangsters, terrorists

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) searched 76 locations in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Delhi to “dismantle the nexus between terrorists, gangsters, drug smugglers and traffickers based in India and abroad”. The agency said it had registered three separate cases since August 2022 to probe the nexus.

Russia suspends only remaining major nuclear treaty with U.S.

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared Tuesday that Moscow was suspending its participation in the New START treaty — the last remaining nuclear arms control pact with the United States — sharply upping the ante amid tensions with Washington over the fighting in Ukraine.

Ahead of UNGA resolution on Russia, France lobbies New Delhi for vote

France is in talks to convince India to shift its position on the Russian war in Ukraine a year into the conflict, urging the Narendra Modi-led government to vote for a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution due to be tabled this week that will call for a cessation of hostilities, according to diplomatic sources. Thus far, New Delhi has refused to vote for any resolution that is critical of the war, either at the UNGA or at the UN Security Council when India was a member last year.

‘India should invest ₹33,750 cr. to achieve its lithium-ion battery production target’

India needs investments to the tune of ₹33,750 crore to achieve the government PLI target of setting up 50GWh of lithium-ion cell and battery manufacturing plants, according to an independent study released by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW). The country required up to 903GWh of energy storage to decarbonise its mobility and power sectors by 2030, and lithium-ion batteries would meet the majority of this demand, it said.

Wreckage of missing plane confirmed on Philippine volcano

The wreckage of a small plane carrying two Filipino pilots and two Australian passengers was identified Tuesday on one of the Philippines’ most active volcanoes, officials said. An aerial search found no sign of those aboard the Cessna 340, which crashed into a gully on the slope of Mayon volcano in Albay province, where it went missing after taking off Saturday enroute to Manila, aviation officials said.

Japan bids teary farewell to pandas sent to reserve in China

Japanese panda fans bid teary farewells to their idols Xiang Xiang, “super papa” Eimei and his twin daughters who were sent to China on February 21 to swap their home at the zoo for a protected facility in Sichuan province.

WTA Dubai Duty Free championship | Sania Mirza ends career with first round defeat

A fairytale ending was not there but Sania Mirza bows out of international tennis after achieving unprecedented success and setting high benchmark for the next generation. Sania and her American partner Madison Keys lost 4-6 0-6 to the formidable Russian pair of Vernokia Kudermetova and Liudmila Samsonova in exactly one hour at the WTA Dubai event.

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Morning Digest | Tripura goes to the polls today; merchandise exports fall for 2nd month in a row, and more

Women poll officials head toward their respective polling stations for the Tripura Assembly elections, in Agartala, on Feb. 15, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Tripura voters hold the winning card as State goes to the polls today

A triangular contest—between the BJP, the Left Front-Congress combine and new entrant Tipra Motha—is on the cards in a majority of the 60 Assembly seats in Tripura, which goes to the polls on February 16. Of these 60 seats, 20 straddling a tribal council are reserved for the State’s 19 Scheduled Tribes, while 10 are reserved for the Scheduled Castes. 

Freedom of speech within Parliament is of utmost importance: Rahul Gandhi

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, according to sources, has filed a detailed reply to the notice sent to him by the Lok Sabha Secretariat in connection with a privilege motion moved against him by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey.

I-T action on BBC has ruined India’s image, alleges Congress

Mounting a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi government over the income-tax (I-T) department’s survey on BBC offices in India, the Congress on Wednesday asked what image the Prime Minister wishes to convey to the world, especially when India is hosting the G-20 summit later this year.

Labour Ministry asks EPFO to speed up work on higher pension

As the deadline set by the Supreme Court for submitting joint options of employees and employers to claim higher Provident Fund pension is ending on March 4, the Union Labour Ministry has sent a letter to the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) asking it to expedite the process so that those who want to claim a higher pension based on higher salary can avail the option. The Ministry has asked the EPFO to spell out the procedures for submitting joint options for those who retired after September 1, 2014, and subscribers of the Employees’ Pension Scheme (EPS) who are currently working.

Uttarakhand Cabinet approves compensation policy for the disaster affected people of Joshimath

The Uttarakhand Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposed policy for compensation on the permanent displacement of land and buildings of disaster affected people in land subsidence hit Joshimath town.

Indigenous carrier INS Vikrant will be fully operational by year-end: Navy Chief

The country’s first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, which is currently undergoing aviation trials, will be fully operational by year-end. All-out efforts are on to make it fully operational by the end of 2023, Navy Chief Admiral R. Hari Kumar said on Wednesday. The indigenous Light Combat Aircraft (LCA-Navy) and Mig-29K carried out their maiden landings on the carrier earlier this month.

Governor should not enter the political arena of alliance-making: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Wednesday said Governors are not supposed to venture into the political arena of alliance-making among parties. A Constitution Bench led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud made the oral remark when Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Maharashtra Governor, dwelt on how the Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena had left the “principled” pre-poll alliance between the BJP and the Shiv Sena to join the “opportunistic” post-poll alliance of the Maha Vikas Aghadi with the Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress.

Dalit student death | Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle demands IIT-Bombay Director’s resignation

The Ambedkar Periyar Phule Study Circle (APPSC), a student body on the Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay campus, on Wednesday demanded the resignation of the institute’s Director Subhasis Chaudhuri after the death of 18-year-old Dalit student Darshan Solanki. After the parents of Solanki, who allegedly died by suicide, spoke to television reporters about caste discrimination faced by him at IIT-B, the APPSC criticized Mr. Chaudhuri for “failing to create safe spaces for Dalit, Bahujan and Adivasi students despite being aware of what they faced”. 

Ladakh Statehood demand | Protest calendar ready, says former BJP MP

Hundreds of Ladakh residents gathered in Delhi on Wednesday to demand Statehood and constitutional safeguards for the Union Territory. The representatives from both Kargil and Leh asserted that when Sikkim with a population of only 2.5 lakh could be granted Statehood, the same could be done for Ladakh which has a population of around 3 lakh (as per 2011 Census). 

Merchandise exports fall for second month in a row; trade deficit eases to a year-low

India’s merchandise exports fell for the second month in a row this January, with the value of shipments slipping 6.6% to $32.91 billion, but the trade deficit eased to the lowest in a year at just $17.75 billion, thanks to a concurrent dip in imports. 

China must take a haircut on its loans to poor countries, says India’s G20 Sherpa

China must agree to take a haircut on its loans to poor countries and assist their economic recovery, India’s G20 Sherpa has said, in a rare, direct reference to Chinese debt of developing nations.

China says U.S. balloons flew over Xinjiang, Tibet, warns of countermeasures

China said on Wednesday that U.S. high altitude balloons flew over its Xinjiang and Tibet regions, and that it will take measures against U.S. entities that undermine Chinese sovereignty as a diplomatic dispute festered.

World Bank says President Malpass to step down on June 30

World Bank President David Malpass will step down on June 1 after more than four years at the helm of the multilateral development bank, the bank said on Wednesday. Mr. Malpass was appointed by then-President Donald Trump.

Women’s T20 World Cup | Deepti, Richa shine as India beat West Indies by 6 wickets

Deepti Sharma shone with the ball before Richa Ghosh led India to a six-wicket win over West Indies in their Women’s T20 World Cup Group 2 match here on February 15. Deepti spun a web around the West Indies batters to restrict them to 118 for six after being asked to bowl.

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