1. LeT Commander Abu Dujana Killed
Government forces killed a top commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba in Kashmir on Tuesday, triggering street protests that left one person dead, prompting the authorities to shut down mobile internet and schools.
Police said Abu Dujana’s killing was a “huge achievement” for the government that has hardened its stand against militants after a recent spurt in violent street protests and attacks on security forces.
Late Monday night, police were tipped off about an “A++ target” meeting a woman in a village in south Kashmir. Around 4am, security forces raided a house where Dujana was said to be meeting his wife.
An hours-long gunfight followed, and after Dujana refused to surrender soldiers blew up the house. Dujana’s body was charred “nearly beyond recognition”.
Source: Hindustan Times
2. Panagariya Resigns as NITI Aayog Vice Chairman
Arvind Panagariya has stepped down as Vice Chairman of the government think tank NITI Aayog. The Columbia University professor will return to the US to rejoin academia.
The noted economist, who was appointed to the post by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2015, has written to Modi requesting to be relieved by the end of the month as he has not been granted an extension of leave from Columbia University.
Panagariya, 64, told reporters that he had expressed his desire to rejoin academia to the Prime Minister about two months back. He is a Professor of Indian Political Economy at Columbia University.
Source: The Hindu
3. Nitish Kumar Says Narendra Modi 'Faces No Challenger' in 2019
Four days after he returned to the NDA fold at the head of a new government in Bihar with the BJP, JD(U) leader and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi faces “no challenger” in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He said he had “always been in favour of Opposition unity” but “the Opposition has no idea, only a reactive agenda”.
In his first media interaction after returning as Chief Minister, Kumar said he was sure of the decision he had taken. “I would always say I lead a small party and cannot have big national aspirations.”
Serving the people of state, he said, was also national work because he was being discussed at the national level due to his work in Bihar.
Source: The Indian Express
4. Amit Shah Addresses MPs, Says Absence “Unacceptable”
BJP chief Amit Shah has pulled up ministers and party MPs whose absence from the Rajya Sabha allowed the Opposition to push through amendments to a crucial bill and embarrass the government.
Shah, who chaired the BJP's weekly meeting in the absence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi – who is in Assam to review the flood situation – has decided to seek a written explanation mentioning reasons for the absence, sources said.
Addressing the session, Shah said the absence of the MPs from the House was “unacceptable” and reminded them that as long as they were members, it was their responsibility to remain present and discharge their duties, the sources said.
Source: The Telegraph
5. Panel to Suggest Steps to Protect Personal Data: Govt to SC
The government was planning a law to protect data and had set up a committee that would come out with suggestions to ensure that personal information was protected, the Supreme Court was told on Tuesday.
Retired Supreme Court judge BN Srikrishna-led 10-member panel had been tasked with drafting the law on data protection, additional solicitor general Tushar Mehta said in the court during a hearing on the constitutional status of the right to privacy.
“The committee will identify key data protection issues in India and recommend measures of addressing them,” the law officer said.
Privacy is central to the legal challenges facing Aadhaar, the 12-digit biometric unique identity number, which has raised data breach and privacy concerns. Critics also say it helps government spy on people.
Source: Hindustan Times
6. Only a United AIADMK Can Be an Ally, Says BJP
The BJP is keenly watching the developments within the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), and its two factions, but says that any possibility of the party joining the NDA coalition at the Centre was contingent on a merger of the two factions.
Senior party leaders dealing with Tamil Nadu told The Hindu that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah were clear that a merger of the two factions was a condition for any understanding at the national level.
The BJP has neither an organisational spread nor a charismatic leader at the helm of affairs in Tamil Nadu. A weakened AIADMK may present a political vacuum but we have a long way to go before we can cash in on that.Senior BJP Leader
Source: The Hindu
7.Jharkhand Govt Clears Bill to Ban Conversions
The Jharkhand cabinet approved on Tuesday the draft of a bill that will ban religious conversion by force or allurement. The Jharkhand Religious Independence Bill, 2017, was approved at a meeting of the cabinet chaired by chief minister Raghubar Das.
“Anyone found violating the provisions of the bill will be liable for three years’ imprisonment or Rs 50,000 fine or both (sic),” cabinet coordination secretary Surendra Singh Meena told reporters.
The bill provides for tougher action on forced conversions of minor girls and women from the scheduled tribes. “In this case, the perpetrator would face jail term of up to four years and penalty of Rs 1 lakh or both,” Meena said.
Source: Times of India
8. RBI Will Take Time to Count Scrapped Notes
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Tuesday said the RBI is in the process of counting scrapped currency notes and will come out with the final figures once the fake notes were weeded out.
Answering oft-repeated questions over the issue, he said in the Lok Sabha that the Reserve Bank had received the last tranche of scrapped currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 only in July and the central bank would take time in counting the billions of notes.
On November 8 last year, the government had scrapped high denomination currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 which amounted to around 86 percent of the currency in circulation.
Source: Times of India
9. PM Modi Calls for Regional Cooperation to Tackle Floods in North East
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a Rs 2,000 crore interim relief package for Assam and four other flood-affected Northeastern states.
He called for regional cooperation involving neighbouring countries to find a lasting solution to the annual scourge. He also separately announced release of Rs 250 crore to Assam as central share of the state disaster relief fund.
The prime minister laid stress on finding a lasting solution to the perennial flood problem of Assam. For this, he called for cooperation not only among all the Northeastern states and Bhutan, but also with China if the need aroseKeshab Mahanta, Assam Water Resources Minister
The recent floods and rain-induced landslides claimed over 100 human lives in the region.
Source: The Indian Express
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