TOWARDS AN INDIA, PAKISTAN THAW

India and Pakistan have agreed to strictly observe all agreements on ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) and other sectors, according to a joint statement on Thursday.

The decision on ceasefire was taken at a meeting between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan.

“In the interest of achieving mutually beneficial and sustainable peace along the borders, the two DGMOs agreed to address each other’s core issues and concerns which have propensity to disturb peace and lead to violence. Both sides agreed for strict observance of all agreements, understandings and ceasefire along the Line of Control and all other sectors with effect from midnight of February 24 and 25,” the joint statement said.

They also reiterated that existing mechanisms of hotline contact and border flag meetings would be utilised to resolve any unforeseen situation or misunderstanding, it added.

India and Pakistan have been holding back-channel talks for the last three months, with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval leading the Indian diplomatic initiative with Pakistan’s civilian-military leadership. Doval had met his counterpart Moeed Yusuf, the Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan on security affairs, in a third country, he had also kept communication channels open with Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa.

On Thursday, Yusuf denied any meeting with Doval, tweeting “no such talks have taken place”, and calling such claims “baseless”. However, sources said that given the weight of the “public opinion” that needs to be “managed”, neither side is expected to come out with details of what led to the current thaw. About the decision to maintain ceasefire on the Line of Control, Yusuf tweeted, “The welcome development on the LoC is a result of discussions through the established channel of DGMOs. Obviously these are by their very nature not in the public eye and done privately and professionally through the direct channel.”

The first signs of a change were visible just hours after the two armies announced adherence to ceasefire agreements along the Line of Control. There was no repetition of New Delhi’s constant stress that “terror and talks don’t go together”. MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava skirted a question on the Financial Action Task Force action against Pakistan, making no mention of Islamabad’s record on terror financing. The FATF has its “own procedures to take decisions”, he said.

GOVT ANNOUNCES NEW GUIDELINES TO CURB MISUSE OF SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

Weeks after a spat with Twitter, the government on Thursday announced the tightening of rules governing social media and streaming companies, requiring them to take down contentious content quicker, appoint grievance redressal officers and assist investigations.

The ‘Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code’, that IT and Communications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said are designed to curb misuse of social media platforms, requires WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and other social media firms, as well as streaming services such as Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Prime Video, to appoint executives to coordinate with law enforcement, disclose the first originator of the mischievous information and remove, within 24 hours, content depicting nudity or morphed pictures of women.

Any contentious content flagged by the government or legal order has to be taken down quickly.

The guidelines require social media intermediaries to appoint a resident grievance officer, who shall register complaints in 24 hours, and file monthly compliance reports. User grievances have to be resolved within 15 days.

Also, social media platforms on being asked by court or government will be required to disclose the first originator of the mischievous information that undermines the sovereignty of India, security of the state, or public order.

The intermediary, however, will not be required to disclose the contents of any message.

Beyond streaming and messaging, the code will also set guidelines for digital publishers of news and current affairs content, requiring them to disclose their ownership and other information.

Freedom-of-speech activists and technology trade groups had previously criticised the draft version of the new rules, which replace a previous code from 2011, saying they would result in increased censorship and reduced user privacy.

The new rules take effect immediately, though significant social-media providers (based on number of users) will get three months before they need to start complying.

PRESIDENT’S RULE IMPOSED IN PUDUCHERRY AFTER FALL OF CONGRESS GOVT

President’s Rule was imposed in Puducherry following a recommendation by the Union Cabinet after a Congress-led government lost power in the Union Territory in a vote of confidence. The notification, signed by President Ram Nath Kovind, said the decision was taken after the president received a report from the administrator of the Union Territory of Puducherry on February 22.

The notification also said the Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory is placed under suspended animation.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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BIDEN SPEAKS WITH SAUDI KING ON EVE OF RELEASE OF A KEY INTELLIGENCE REPORT

President Biden held his first call with King Salman of Saudi Arabia on Thursday, but the official White House description of it made no mention of the imminent release of an American intelligence report that implicates the king’s son, and heir apparent, in the killing of the dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

In the days leading up to the conversation between Mr. Biden and the 85-year-old king, who has been in poor health, White House officials had described the conversation as part of a “recalibration” of the relationship, and as part of an effort to send a message that the United States regarded the son, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, as the wrong choice to lead the country.

As a candidate, Mr. Biden described Saudi Arabia as a “pariah” state and said there was “very little social redeeming value in the present government.” But today, with the expecetd release of the intelligence report, Biden will have to publicly square his critique with whatever decisions his government makes about how to deal with the crown prince once the information about his role in the Khashoggi killing becomes public.

The president will have to decide whether to bar Prince Mohammed from entering the United States or to place sanctions on him for whatever role he played in the operation that killed Mr. Khashoggi.

FATF KEEPS PAK ON TERRORISM FINANCING ‘GREY LIST’

Indicating status quo of being on FATF’s ‘grey list’, the global body against money laundering and terror financing on Thursday said Pakistan will continue to remain on increased monitoring list as there are “serious deficiencies” in checking terror financing and the country lacks an effective system to deal with it.

After its meeting, Marcus Pleyer, president of Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF), said the deadline given to Pakistan has already expired and asked Islamabad to address their concerns “as quickly as possible”.

"To date, Pakistan has made progress across all action plan items and has now largely addressed 24 of the 27 action items. There is serious deficiency on the part of Pakistan in checking terror financing and the country is yet to demonstrate taking action against the UN designated terrorists and their associates," he said.

He said Pakistan courts must give effective, decisive and proportionate punishment to those involved in terrorism, a statement which comes close on the heels of Pakistan Supreme Court acquittal of terrorist Omar Saeed Sheikh, the main accused in the 2002 murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl.

He said that Pakistan must complete three unfulfilled tasks and once it is completed, the FATF will verify and take a decision on its present status in the next plenary to be held in June.

THE REST

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CITIZENs, DEMAND FOCUS IN NEXT VACCINATION PHASE

Those who get their Covid-19 shots in the next phase of vaccination will be able to choose between registering online and walking into a designated inoculation centre, the head of the committee directing the exercise said on Thursday.

Self-registration for beneficiaries above the age of 60, and those who are older than 45 and have associated comorbidities, will begin on March 1, says R S Sharma, CEO of the National Health Authority and chairperson of the empowered committee for the administration of COVID-19 vaccine.

The next phase of vaccination, aimed at protecting 27 crore Indians from the novel coronavirus infection, will be based on a “citizen-centric model”, Sharma said.

Beneficiaries with associated comorbidities will have to produce a medical prescription on the day of the vaccination. “If you are 60 years and above no questions will be asked. Less than 45 years, will not have the option to register. For those between 45-60 years, a question will be asked if the beneficiary is comorbid or not; the eligible beneficiary will have to say yes. You will have to take [along] a prescription at the time of vaccination, the photo will be captured and uploaded to the system,” Sharma said.

The Co-Win app – the government’s digital platform to manage the vaccination exercise – will give those who register the option of getting vaccinated at a government facility or at one of the 12,000 private healthcare facilities empanelled under PMJAY and CGHS, Sharma said.

“Besides the online system, we will also have a walk-in [system]. This has been left to the states. They will decide which is a walk-in vaccination site. They can decide the proportion between the online and the walk-in centres. States will have the flexibility to do an appointment or [vaccinate] by walk-in.” Beneficiaries can register themselves for vaccination on any of several platforms. “It will be a citizen-centric model, which means people will choose the time and place of vaccination. This will be facilitated through the online booking process. This will be inclusive: the beneficiary can book through the Aarogya Setu app, IVRS, the common service centre, and through the website of the Co-Win app. You can also call a helpline number (for self-registration),” Sharma said.

NEED TO PAY MORE TO NEWSPAPERS FOR USING CONTENT: INS TO GOOGLE

The Indian Newspaper Society wrote to Google on Thursday asking it to compensate Indian newspapers comprehensively for the use of their content, and to share details of its advertising revenues.

In a letter to Google India country manager Sanjay Gupta, INS president L Admiloolam said that Google should increase publisher share of advertising revenue to 85%. The first such demand raised of Google in the country, the letter coincided with the Australian Parliament passing a law requiring Google and Facebook to pay media companies for content.

Asked what percentage of Google advertising revenues goes to the publisher in the current system, a member of the INS digital sub-committee that is talking to Google said, “That is exactly the point, that the system is opaque, there is little information to go on. As publishers, we just get a cheque at the end of the month. We don’t know what percentage, we don’t know the methodology, we don’t know the reason we get ‘x’ amount. Basically it’s our content, and we should be getting a much bigger share.”

The letter pointed out that world over publishers have been raising the issue of fair payment for content and proper sharing of advertising revenue. “It is also noted that Google has recently agreed to better compensate and pay publishers in France, the European Union and notably Australia.”

The INS also raised the issue of more prominence being given to editorial content from “Registered News Publishers”, so as to tackle fake news, and said Google often picks up content from sites that are not credible.

DRAFT EIA TRANSLATION: DON’T TAKE COMBATIVE STAND, DELHI HC TELLS CENTRE

Observing that the Centre should not oppose “so combatively” the order directing it to translate the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) 2020 notification into the 22 languages mentioned in the Eight Schedule of the Constitution, the Delhi High Court on Thursday said the Union government for “some reason” was resisting “very hard” the consultation with those who do not speak Hindi and English.

“There is that impression that for some reason the Union is resisting very hard that there should be this consultation with those who do not speak Hindi and English…,” said the court.

The court made the observation during the hearing of Centre’s review petition against the court’s June 2020 order. The Centre has argued that it does not have constitutional or statutory obligation to publish the draft EIA notification in any language apart from Hindi and English. Trying to do so would cause massive procedural and administrative difficulties, the government has said, while arguing that the court order would create a precedent and lead to future demands of translation of all statutory regulations in different languages.

PNB SCAM CASE: UK JUDGE ORDERS NIRAV MODI TO BE EXTRADITED TO INDIA

In a comprehensive extradition win for the Indian authorities, a UK judge has ruled on Thursday that fugitive diamantaire Nirav Modi not only has a case to answer in the Indian courts but that there is no evidence to suggest he would not receive a fair trial in India.

Nirav Modi, wanted in India on charges of fraud and money laundering in the estimated $2-billion PNB scam case, lost his legal battle against extradition on all grounds as District Judge Samuel Goozee also concluded that there are no human rights concerns that his medical needs would not be addressed as per several Indian government assurances.

The judge accepted that while Nirav’s mental health had deteriorated due to the lengthy incarceration in a London prison, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, his risk of suicide does not meet the high threshold to satisfy him that his mental state is such that it would be “unjust or oppressive” to extradite him.

Under the UK Extradition Act 2003, the judge will now send his findings to the Secretary of State for Home Affairs, Priti Patel. It is the UK Cabinet minister who is authorised to order an extradition under the India-UK Extradition Treaty and has two months within which to make that decision.

Whatever the ministerial decision, the losing side — Nirav Modi — has up to 14 days within which to approach the High Court and seek leave to appeal after the Home Secretary has made her decision known.

CENTRE OPPOSES SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IN DELHI HC

Seeking dismissal of petitions praying for recognition of same-sex marriages under existing laws, the Centre Thursday told the Delhi High Court that a marriage in India necessarily depends upon “age-old customs, rituals, practices, cultural ethos and societal values”, and that in reading down the provision of Section 377 of the IPC covering homosexuality, the Supreme Court had only decriminalised “a particular human behaviour” but “neither intended to, nor did in fact, legitimise the human conduct in question”.

In response to three petitions seeking legalisation of same-sex marriages, the government said there exists a “legitimate State interest” in limiting the recognition of marriage to persons of opposite sex. The considerations of “societal morality” are relevant in considering the validity of a law and it is for the Legislature to enforce such societal morality and public acceptance based upon Indian ethos, a reply by the Ministry of Law and Justice says.

SECURITY SCARE FOR AMBANI, GELATIN STICKS FOUND IN CAR NEAR HOME

Around 20 gelatin sticks were found in a vehicle parked outside Antilla, the south Mumbai home of Reliance Industries head Mukesh Ambani, on Thursday evening, leading to a security scare and a massive mobilisation by the Mumbai Police to trace the culprits.

Gelatin sticks are generally used for blasting purposes in quarries, but have been used for terror attacks in the past. However, they need a detonator to be set off, and none was found in the Scorpio.

INDIA WINS MOTERA TEST WELL WITHIN TWO DAYS

Left-arm spinner Axar Patel created an illusion of turn with 11 straighter deliveries that put India on the brink of the World Test Championship final with a 10-wicket demolition of England inside two days in the day-night third Test here on Thursday.

In only his second Test, Patel (15-0-32-5), with a match-haul of 11/70, relentlessly hit the good length area and hoodwinked England batsmen, who played for turn only to find that there was none on offer from him.

The result was their lowest total against India – 81 all out in 30.4 overs leaving the hosts with a target of 49 which they achieved with minimum fuss taking a 2-1 lead in the four-match series.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (15-3-48-4) proved to be an ideal foil for Patel, becoming the fourth Indian bowler and second fastest in the world to complete a commendable milestone of 400 Test wickets.

This was after England skipper Joe Root's fabulous career-best spell of 6.2-3-8-5 resulted in India's dramatic collapse in the first innings, from 114/3 to 145 all out.

With this loss, England have been knocked out of contention from the WTC final.

The equation is simpler now – India will make it to the final if they win the last Test, or if it is drawn. But if England win the last test (starting March 4, in Motera itself), then Austyralia makes it to the final against New Zealand.

Scores: England 112 & 81; India 145 & 49/0

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out." -- Vaclav Havel

OFF TRACK

A few one-liners

I say no to alcohol, it just doesn't listen.

It's not hard to meet expenses, they are everywhere.

A printer consists of 3 main parts: the case, the jammed paper tray and the blinking red light.

The guy who invented the first wheel was an idiot. The guy who invented the other three, he was the genius.

Whenever I find the key to success, someone changes the lock.

I love deadlines. Especially the whooshing sound they make as they pass by.