CAA THROUGH, NRC HANGING AND NOW NPR FROM APRIL Amid nationwide protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens, the Union Cabinet Tuesday approved a proposal for conducting Census of India 2021 at a cost of Rs 8,754 crore and updation of the National Population Register (NPR) at a cost of Rs 3,941 crore. Briefing the press, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said "no proof, no documents, no biometric" will be required for the NPR and sought to delink it from the proposed NRC. "Iska dur dur tak NRC se kuchh bhi sambandh nahin hai." While the Census will cover the entire nation, the NPR exercise will be conducted in all states except Assam where the NRC exercise was conducted recently. The NPR updation and house listing and housing Census will be conducted from April to September, 2020. Population enumeration will be carried out from February 9 to February 28, 2021. NPR is a register of all residents in India. The enumerator comes to the household and records self-declaration. This time, a new query is parents' place and date of birth. This, coupled with the ongoing protests and distrust around CAA-NRC, have raised questions over the intent. The NPR is a register of usual residents of the country and includes both Indian and foreign citizens. It is mandatory for every usual resident of India to register in the NPR. The first NPR, prepared in 2010 under provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955 and Citizenship Rules, 2003, was subsequently updated in 2015. According to the proposal moved by the Union Home Ministry, demographic details of every individual will be required for every usual resident on 21 points including date and place of birth of parents, last place of residence, permanent account number (PAN), Aadhaar (on voluntarily basis), voter ID card number, driving licence number and mobile number. It is not clear whether all have been approved by the Cabinet. For the 2010 NPR, data was collected on 15 points and did not include date and place of birth of parents and last place of residence. "NPR was started during the UPA government in 2010 and at that time the cards (of NPR) were distributed by the then Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, and updation of the same was done in 2015. As this is done at an interval of 10 years, it will take place in 2020," he said. OPPN DISTRUST OVER NPR Union Home Minister Amit Shah Tuesday drew a distinction between the NPR and NRC saying both were governed by different laws and NPR data would never be used for the NRC exercise. In an interview to ANI he said: "NPR is the database on which policy is made. NRC is a process in which people are asked to prove their citizenship. There is no connection between the two processes, nor can they be used in each other's survey. NPR data can never be used for NRC. Even the laws are different.I assure all the people, specially from the minorities, that NPR is not going to be used for NRC. It's a rumour." Facts show otherwise. That NRC shall be carried out on the basis of NPR is enshrined in the Citizenship Rules of 2003 under the Citizenship Act 1955. Indeed, NPR is part and parcel of the rules framed for NRC. Not just this. In its first term, the Narendra Modi government told Parliament at least nine times that NRC will be conducted on the basis of NPR data even calling the former a "logical conclusion" of the latter. The Cabinet decision on NPR yesterday came less than 48 hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said there had been no discussions on NRC since he came to power in 2014. While two-state Governments, Trinamool Congress-ruled West Bengal and Left-ruled Kerala, have already issued orders stopping the NPR exercise in their respective states, the main opposition Congress, which is in power in four states and the union territory of Puducherry, appeared undecided and divided and was hence silent. Many in the Opposition said that the NPR, in itself, was little more than a counting exercise but given the deep distrust and tension around the new citizenship law and the NRC and the new query in NPR on parents' birth, it could a key stepping stone towards the NRC. "It is surprising that the Prime Minister on Sunday said that they are not going ahead with NRC. And today, the Cabinet has allotted Rs 8,500 crore for NPR. What is NPR? The Home Ministry's latest annual report says NPR is the first step towards the creation of the National Register of Indian Citizens (NRIC)," former Minister of State for Home Ajay Maken said. Referring to Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks Tuesday evening in an interview to ANI that NPR data cannot be used for NRC, Maken said: "It is a big lie, it is a bigger lie than what Modi had said on Sunday. They are doing NRC in the garb of NPR.The Congress never brought NPR to the extent of linking it with NRC." But the Congress officially did not react. The idea of NPR actually dates back to the UPA regime and it was put in motion in 2009 by then Home Minister P Chidambaram. At least two members of the Congress Working Committee saw nothing wrong in the NPR exercise while another senior leader said the party's state governments should not carry out the exercise since they have taken a position against the NRC. VOICES IN US AGAINST KASHMIR, CITIZENSHIP ACT After Elizabeth Warren, another US Presidential hopeful has expressed concern over steps being taken by the Indian government that could "threaten its long-standing democratic traditions". Meanwhile, Pramila Jayapal, the first Indian-American woman elected to the House of Representatives, has penned an op-ed on the events that culminated in Foreign Minister S Jaishankar cancelling a meeting with the House Foreign Relations Committee last week because of her inclusion in the delegation. Pete Buttigieg, an Afghan veteran and mayor of an Indiana town, said he's concerned about the ongoing political detentions and communication blackouts because "India is an important friend and partner of the US". Buttigieg is the second Democratic Presidential candidate after Elizabeth Warren to voice concern over the restrictions and communication blockade in Kashmir. Warren, third in race for Democratic nomination, also joined the Jayapal controversy by saying that Jaishankar's backing out of a meeting with a US Congressional group because it included a critic of India's Kashmir policy was "deeply troubling". The minister's cancellation of the meeting, communicated to Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Eliot L Engel, Jayapal says, came as a "surprise" and a "huge missed opportunity". The apparent reason was a bipartisan resolution she introduced this month with Rep. Steve Watkins, a Republican, asking New Delhi to uphold basic human rights in Kashmir. In an interaction with the Indian media in Washington, Jaishankar in response to a question had said, "I am aware of that (Congressional) resolution. I don't think it's a fair understanding of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, or a fair characterisation of what the Government of India is doing. And I have no interest in meeting (Jayapal)." "Rep. Engel rightly refused to accede to the demand. It is wholly inappropriate for any foreign government to try to dictate which members of Congress participate in meetings on Capitol Hill. It's also a sign of weakness for any great democracy to refuse to allow those who have some criticisms to participate in a meeting - a giant missed opportunity for two countries that value dialogue and dissent," Jayapal said. 

PUTIN ACCUSES POLAND OF COLLUDING WITH HITLER President Vladimir Putin upped the ante in a war of words with Europe on Tuesday, accusing Poland of colluding with Hitler and of anti-Semitism. Tensions are running high between Moscow and Warsaw, with NATO and EU member Poland fearing what it has described as Russian military adventurism and imperialist tendencies. Speaking to military top brass and using bad language at one point, Putin said Poland was in cahoots with Hitler during World War II. "Essentially they colluded with Hitler. This is clear from documents, archival documents," Putin said in an emotional end-of-year speech at the defence ministry. Resorting to bad language, Putin said a war-time Polish ambassador allegedly promised to put up a statue of Hitler in Warsaw for his pledges to send Jews to Africa. "A bastard, an anti-Semitic pig, you cannot put it any other way," Putin said, referring to what he said were the diaries of the Polish ambassador in Germany. "He expressed full solidarity with Hitler in his anti-Semitic views," the Russian leader said. He slammed what he called attempts to erase the memory of Soviet victory in countries in Moscow's former sphere of influence. U.S. READY TO DEAL WITH ANY NORTH KOREAN 'CHRISTMAS GIFT', SAYS TRUMP President Donald Trump on Tuesday brushed off North Korea's warning of a "Christmas gift", saying that the United States would "deal with it very successfully," amid concerns that Pyongyang might be preparing a missile test. "We'll find out what the surprise is and we'll deal with it very successfully," Mr. Trump told reporters at his Mar-a-Lago resort. "We'll see what happens." "Maybe it's a nice present," he quipped. "Maybe it's a present where he sends me a beautiful vase as opposed to a missile test." North Korea warned Washington earlier this month of a possible Christmas gift after its leader Kim Jong-un gave the U.S. until the end of the year to propose new concessions in talks over his country's nuclear arsenal and reducing tensions between the two long-time adversaries. GOVT CLEARS 4-STAR CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF AS MILITARY ADVISOR The Union Cabinet Tuesday approved creation of the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as principal military advisor to the government. In line with the landmark announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Independence Day speech, this fulfils a long-standing recommendation for higher military reform, recommended by various expert committees and group of ministers, more so after the 1999 Kargil War. The CDS will not exercise any military command, including over the three services chiefs, so as to be able to provide impartial advice to the political leadership. The CDS will be a four-star General, at par in military rank, salary and perquisites with the three services chiefs, and will head the newly created Department of Military Affairs in the Ministry of Defence and function as its Secretary. Making the announcement, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said, "CDS will have all powers of a Secretary-level officer. The files need not go through the Defence Secretary and the CDS will be empowered to send to it directly to the Defence Minister." Apart from being the head of the Department of Military Affairs, the CDS will also be the Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. He will act as the Principal Military Adviser to the Defence Minister on all tri-services matters. In a clear delineation of roles, the three services chiefs will continue to advise the Minister on matters exclusively concerning their respective services. GOVT EASES OUT TROOPS DEPLOYMENT IN KASHMIR WITH 'IMMEDIATE EFFECT' More than four months after the abrogation of Article 370, which revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, the Centre has finally started easing out the deployment of thousands of troops in the Valley. The ministry of home affairs on Monday ordered the withdrawal of 72 companies or approximately 7000 personnel of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) with "immediate effect" and deploy them to their respective posts. They included troops from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB). Earlier, around 20 companies were withdrawn from Kashmir and deployed in Assam in the second week of December. JHARKHAND: HEMANT SOREN TO TAKE OATH ON DECEMBER 29 After securing a win in the Jharkhand Assembly elections, JMM working president Hemant Soren Tuesday met Governor Droupadi Murmu to stake claim to form government in the state. Soren will take oath on December 29 at 1 pm, JMM general secretary Suprio Bhattacharya said. Yesterday, he was formally elected as the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) legislature party leader. Soren, accompanied by leaders of his party, and of the Congress and RJD - which comprised the Opposition alliance in the Assembly polls - called on the Governor at Raj Bhavan to stake claim to form the government. The JMM-Congress-RJD combine had bagged 47 seats in the state's 81-member Assembly. GOVERNOR-GOVT STANDOFF CONTINUES IN W BENGAL West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was on Tuesday prevented from attending the annual convocation at Jadavpur University (JU) by a group of protesters from the TMC-backed non-teaching staff association who blocked his convoy, waving black flags and shouting slogans against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). Dhankhar, who is the Chancellor of state universities, was confined to his vehicle for nearly two hours. He called up Vice-Chancellor Suranjan Das, who expressed helplessness. The Governor then addressed the assembled mediapersons and said the convocation should be suspended. However, the convocation was held even as Dhankhar returned to Raj Bhavan. "We were also gheraoed. The decision to hold the convocation was taken by the administrative body, not me," V-C Das later told reporters. Denouncing the incident as a "total collapse of rule of law", Dhankhar blamed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for the protests over the new citizenship law. He later called a meeting of all Vice-Chancellors on January 13, and said he would also seek a discussion with Banerjee on the issue. RAHUL, PRIYANKA BARRED FROM ENTERING MEERUT, SENT BACK The Uttar Pradesh Police today curbed the entry of top Congress leaders into Meerut where they were headed to meet the families of people who died during the Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests last week. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his sister and AICC general secretary for UP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were on their way to Meerut when they were stopped by cops near Partapur police station. The police cited sensitive local situation to prevent the entry of Congress leaders in the area and told them to return when things are normal. Rahul told reporters that the police did not show any written orders on the prevention of entry. "We were told to return. No written orders were shown to us," Rahul said when the vehicle he and Priyanka were using was stopped before Meerut. Congress leaders were enroute Meerut where five persons were reportedly killed in the violence. She is again expected to try and meet the families of the deceased tomorrow. DETENTION CENTRES ONLY FOR FOREIGNERS: UDDHAV The Maharashtra Government has decided to continue work on the detention centre coming up at Navi Mumbai even as Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray sought to assuage fears of the Muslim community in the state. At a meeting of community leaders, Uddhav said Indian nationals would not be housed in these detention camps which were meant for foreigners caught in drug cases. "There is nothing for Indians to be afraid of. Only foreign nationals sent to prison for various crimes will be kept in these detention centres till the process for deporting them is completed," he told a delegation. 'PAY RS 14 LAKH FOR DAMAGE TO PROPERTY' Days after 16 people were killed in Uttar Pradesh where protests over the citizenship law led to a police crackdown and a warning from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath that "revenge will be taken", the Rampur district administration became the first in the state to initiate the process for recovery of damage to government property including police motorcycles, barrier, dandas. In identical notices issued Tuesday to 28 people, including an embroidery worker and a hawker of spices who are already in custody, the administration, while holding them responsible for acts of violence and damage to government property, has sought explanation on why recoveries should not be made for damage worth Rs 14.86 lakh. Notice lists cost of police barricades, sticks, vehicles. The district administration said the notices were issued following a state government order based on a direction from the Allahabad High Court. The notices were issued on the basis of information provided by local police. Police have video clips and photographs, including from media houses and local residents. Police have also collected footage of CCTVs near the incident site. INDIA IN MIDST OF SIGNIFICANT SLOWDOWN: IMF India is now in the midst of a significant slowdown, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said, urging the government to take urgent policy actions to address the current prolonged downturn. In its report released on Monday, the IMF Directors noted India's rapid economic expansion in recent years has lifted millions of people out of poverty. However, in the first half of 2019, a combination of factors led to subdued growth. "The issue currently is the growth slowdown. We still believe it is mostly cyclical, not structural... because of the financial sector issues, we think the recovery will be not as quickly as we thought earlier," Ranil Salgado, Mission Chief for India in the IMF Asia and Pacific Department said.