BUDGET SESSION PART I: DIFFERENT TIMINGS FOR TWO HOUSES IN VIEW OF COVID

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will meet at separate times of a day for five hours each to ensure Covid distancing norms during the Budget Session beginning January 31.

Lok Sabha will meet at 11 am on February 1 for the presentation of the Union Budget and it will meet from 4 pm to 9 pm from February 2 to February 11, when the first part of the session concludes.

While the exact timings of Rajya Sabha are yet to be formally notified, it could meet from 9 am to 2 pm.

On January 31, the President would address both Houses of Parliament.

The second part of the session will be from March 14 to April 8. But the timings of sittings are not yet clear for the Part II of the session.

INDIA, CHINA PLAN RIVAL SUMMITS WITH CENTRAL ASIA THIS WEEK

Sino-Indian rivalry over Central Asia has heated up with Beijing announcing a virtual summit with the five Presidents of Central Asia today. This is just two days before PM Narendra Modi will hold the first-ever such interaction with the five Central Asian Presidents.

China made a surprise announcement on Monday that its President Xi Jinping will chair a virtual summit with Presidents of the five Central Asian Presidents to mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

This will be China’s first major diplomatic action with Central Asia this year and the first heads-of-state meeting between China and the five Central Asia countries. “The summit is of great significance for all sides to take stock of the achievements and experience of China-Central Asia relations, and seek coordination and make plans for future bilateral cooperation,” said the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs while making the announcement on Monday.

It is extremely unusual to announce such a summit just 24 hours before it is due to begin.

The India-Central Asia summit had been fixed much in advance. In fact, the five Central Asian Presidents were to arrive here in-person to participate as joint Chief Guests for the Republic Day celebrations. But the spike of Omicron cases forced the cancellation of their visit and it was agreed to hold the summit virtually on January 27.

With China giving hot competition in Central Asia, India is attempting to ensure that its first-ever summit with the five Presidents from the region on January 27 does not become a one-off affair.

India has proposed that such a summit be held every two years and is also willing to bankroll a secretariat based here to push the various cooperation proposals forward.

NAGALAND, ASSAM READY FOR OUT-OF-COURT SETTLEMENT OF BORDER DISPUTE: NEIPHIU RIO

The governments of Nagaland and Assam are ready for an out-of-court settlement of the long-pending inter-state boundary dispute between the two northeastern neighbours, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said on Monday.

Rio said that Nagaland and Assam delegations are likely to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah in February to discuss and formulate how to go about the settlement.

The Nagaland State Act of 1962 had defined the state’s borders as per a 1925 notification when Naga Hills and Tuensang Area (NHTA) were integrated into a new administrative unit and made an autonomous area. Nagaland, however, did not accept the boundary delineation and demanded that the new state should comprise the Naga Hills and all Naga-dominated areas in the then North Cachar and Nagaon districts of Assam, which were part of Naga territory, created by the British according to an 1866 notification.

Since Nagaland did not accept its notified borders, tensions between Assam and Nagaland soon flared up resulting in the first border clashes in 1965 and this was followed by major clashes between the two states along the border in 1968, 1979, 1985, 2007 and 2014.

The Assam government had filed a case in the Supreme Court in 1988 for identification of the boundary and resolving the border dispute which is still pending.

SHAHEEN BAGH VERDICT: SC REFUSES PLEA FOR CLARIFICATION, SAYS ‘THE JUDGMENT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF’

The Supreme Court on Monday turned down a petition urging it to clarify its Shaheen Bagh verdict, saying no clarification was needed as the judgment spoke for itself.

“The issue is over, why is it listed? What’s the clarification sought I don’t understand. There’s no clarification required. The whole issue is over. Sorry. No clarification of a judgment. The judgment speaks for itself. Dismissed,” a Bench led by Justice SK Kaul said rejecting the plea filed by Syed Bahadur Abbas Naqvi – an intervenor in the case.

Maintaining that “democracy and dissent go hand in hand”, the Supreme Court had on October 20 ruled that roads and public spaces can’t be blocked indefinitely and demonstrations expressing dissent have to be in designated places alone.

Deciding petitions seeking removal of protesters against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) from Shaheen Bagh in Delhi, a three-judge Bench headed by Justice SK Kaul had said, “We have…no hesitation in concluding that such kind of occupation of public ways, whether at the site in question or anywhere else for protests is not acceptable and the administration ought to take action to keep the areas clear of encroachments or obstructions.”

On February 13 last year, the Supreme Court had dismissed a petition seeking review of its Shaheen Bagh verdict. “The right to protest cannot be anytime and everywhere. There may be some spontaneous protests but in case of prolonged dissent or protest, there cannot be continued occupation of public places affecting the rights of others,” it had said.

COVID DASHBOARD – INDIA

As of 0800 IST /Jan 25

from mohfw.gov.in ,

New Cases on Monday 2,55,874

Active Cases 22,36,842 (12,493)

Total Deaths (Deaths Yesterday) 4,90,462 (456)

Total Vaccination: 162.92 Crores (+62,29,956)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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COLD WAR HEATS UP OVER UKRAINE

Washington’s Cold War with Moscow that was thought to have ended 30plus years ago has heated up dramatically. The US and its Nato allies are rushing armaments to Ukraine and other countries bordering Russia and considering deploying from 5,000 troops initially to 50,000 eventually in the region.

The US and UK also ordered families of their diplomats to leave Kyiv, citing the “threat of Russian military action”, in moves Ukraine itself said was “premature”, even as Moscow massed 1,00,000 troops on its borders. “The security conditions, particularly along Ukraine’s borders, in Russia-occupied Crimea, and in Russia-controlled eastern Ukraine, are unpredictable and can deteriorate with little notice,” the US state department said in its advisory, asking US citizens to consider departing now.

Following up on President Biden’s pledge, more US arms began arriving in Kyiv. “The second bird in Kyiv! More than 80 tonnes of weapons to strengthen Ukraine’s defence capabilities from our friends in the USA! And this is not the end,” Ukraine’s defence minister Oleksii Reznikov tweeted.

Nato too said on Monday its members are putting forces on standby and sending additional ships and fighter jets to eastern Europe.

UAE AND US INTERCEPT HOUTHI MISSILE TARGETING ABU DHABI

The UAE and the US military intercepted two ballistic missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels over the skies of Abu Dhabi early on Monday, authorities said, the second attack in a week that targeted the Emirati capital. The missile fire further escalates tensions across the Persian Gulf, which previously had seen a series of assaults near — but never indisputably on — Emirati soil. American troops at Al-Dhafra Air Base in the capital took shelter in bunkers during the attack and fired back with their own Patriot missiles.

Videos on social media showed the sky over Abu Dhabi light up before dawn on Monday, with what appeared to be interceptor missiles racing into the clouds to target the incoming fire. Two explosions later thundered through the city. The state-run WAM news agency said that missile fragments fell harmlessly over Abu Dhabi. The Emirates is “ready to deal with any threats. . . ,” WAM quoted the UAE defence ministry as saying. A US military official acknowledged the assistance of American Patriot missiles. The missile fire disrupted traffic into Abu Dhabi International Airport, home to the long-haul carrier Etihad, for about an hour after the attack. Houthi military spokesman Yehia Sarei claimed the attack.

THE REST

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BJP TO CONTEST 65 SEATS IN PUNJAB, AMARINDER 37

The BJP in Punjab will contest on 65 assembly seats, the Punjab Lok Congress on 37 seats and the Shiromani Akali Dal-Sanyukt on 15 seats, BJP chief J P Nadda said on Monday as he announced the seat-sharing agreement between his party and its allies for the February 20 state polls.

Nadda announced the seat-sharing agreement at a press conference here at the BJP headquarters in the presence of Punjab Lok Congress supremo Amarinder Singh and Shiromani Akali Dal-Sanyukt Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa.

Speaking at the same conference, Amrinder Singh said for the sake of national security and welfare of the state, all three parties have come together.

Expressing concern about the threat to the "hard earned" peace of Punjab, Singh said a large number of weapons for carrying out nefarious activities are coming into Punjab. "During the course of my last four-and-half-years as Punjab chief minister, at least 1,000 rifles, 500 pistols, RDX, lakhs of rounds of ammunition were caught at the borders. The weapons were also dropped using drones... They were meant for carrying out some nefarious activity," Singh said.

Amarinder Singh also alleged that during his tenure as chief minister, he received a message from Pakistan asking him to reinstate Navjot Singh Sidhu in the Punjab cabinet. This was after he had removed Sidhu from the state cabinet, accusing him of being "incapable".

"The message said the Pakistan PM has asked to take Sidhu into cabinet," he said during the press conference.

BJP SLAMS AKHILESH FOR PAKISTAN COMMENTS

The BJP on Monday slammed Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav for his reported comments that China is India’s real enemy while Pakistan is a “political enemy” which is targeted by the ruling party for “vote politics”.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said this shows Yadav’s mindset and he should tender an apology to the country for the comments which show his “love” for Pakistan. What the SP president has said is very unfortunate and disappointing, he said.

Speaking to reporters in Lucknow, Patra said Yadav had also brought MA Jinnah, Pakistan’s founder, into the Uttar Pradesh Assembly poll campaign as well, and claimed that while the BJP under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is campaigning on development issues, the SP is depending on Jinnah and Pakistan.

An interview in the Economic Times quoted Yadav to have said that India’s real enemy is China while Pakistan is a political enemy which the BJP attacks for its “vote politics”. He also hit out at the ruling party for China’s alleged encroachment on Indian land.

Taking a swipe at him for the SP asking the Election Commission to ban opinion polls, most of which have shown the BJP ahead of the rival party, Patra said Yadav will find fault with EVMs after March 10, when votes will be counted.

MAYAWATI MOCKS PRIYANKA GANDHI VADRA’S CM FACE U-TURN

BSP chief Mayawati yesterday took a jibe at Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for making a U-turn on her self-projection as her party’s CM face in Uttar Pradesh.

People of UP see the Congress as a “vote katua party”, Mayawati tweeted. She urged the voters to ignore the Congress. Mayawati’s jibe is being seen as “payback in kind” for Priyanka’s recent insinuations against her for allegedly maintaining a low profile vis-a-vis UP poll. Gandhi had said it was possible that the BJP government was exerting pressure on Mayawati.

This is the first time that the two senior women politicians have exchanged barbs and innuendos.

SCHOOLS REOPEN IN MAHARASHTRA AMID FLATTENING COVID CURVE

Schools resumed physical sessions for classes 1 to 12 in Maharashtra on Monday and the state government expressed hope that students would enjoy being back to their classrooms in a safe atmosphere.

Last week, the Maharashtra government allowed the offline classes to resume from January 24 after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray approved a proposal to this effect that was sent to him by the school education department.

Schools across the state were closed in the first week of January due to a spike in the coronavirus cases and in the wake of the emergence of the highly infectious Omicron variant. However, a number of parents, activists in the field as well as teachers had strongly opposed the move to shut the schools, saying it would adversely affect the students.

US: DC, 3 STATES SUE GOOGLE SAYING IT INVADES USERS' PRIVACY

The District of Columbia and three or US states are suing Google for allegedly deceiving consumers and invading their privacy by making it nearly impossible for them to stop their location from being tracked.

In the lawsuit filed Monday in a Washington court, D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine alleges Google has systematically deceived consumers about how their locations are tracked and used. He also says the internet search giant has misled users into believing they can control the information the company collects about them.

In reality, consumers who use Google products cannot prevent Google from collecting, storing and profiting from their location, the lawsuit says. Google has "an unprecedented ability to monitor consumers' daily lives. Google makes it impossible for users to opt out of having their sensitive and valuable location data tracked, the suit alleges.

The attorneys general of Texas, Indiana and Washington state are filing similar lawsuits in their state courts, according to Racine's office.

Google is disputing the claims.

SENSEX CRASHES 1,546 PTS, NIFTY ENDS BELOW 17,150 AMID US FED UNCERTAINTY

It was a sea of red for Dalal Street on Monday with benchmark indices falling the most since April last year in intra-day deals. Panic selling due to the uncertainty around the quantum of a rate hike by the US Fed spooked the markets. Besides, geo-political tensions between Russia and Ukraine, rising dollar index, and surging oil prices and bond yield added to the woes.

The frontline S&P BSE Sensex crashed nearly 2,000 points intra-day, hitting a low of 56,984. It, however, staged a mild recovery in the fag-end and ended 1,546 points, or 2.6 per cent, lower at 57,491.5.

Shares across the world fell on Monday as the prospect of a Russian attack on Ukraine quashed demand for riskier assets, bolstering the dollar, buoying oil and bruising bitcoin.

INDIA'S SMRITI MANDHANA IS ICC WOMEN'S CRICKETER OF THE YEAR!

India's swashbuckling opener Smriti Mandhana was on Monday named the ICC Women's Cricketer of the Year for the second time for her stellar run of form across all formats in 2021.

Mandhana pipped fellow nominees Tammy Beaumont of England, Lizelle Lee of South Africa and Gaby Lewis of Ireland for the to the top award -- the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, the ICC said in a statement.

The southpaw had won the award in 2018 as well when she was also named the women's ODI Cricketer of the Year, making her only the second women's player to win the highest individual distinction in the overall category.

WAS BLACKMAILED INTO FIXING DEAL BY INDIAN BUSINESSMAN: BRENDAN TAYLOR

Former Zimbabwe cricket team captain Brendan Taylor has revealed that an Indian businessman gave him $15,000 in 2019 as a ‘deposit’ to spot-fix matches after blackmailing him into the deal.

In a statement on social media, Taylor said he met the businessman, whom he did not name, in India in October 2019 after being approached to discuss “sponsorships and the potential launch of a T20 competition” in Zimbabwe.

“I was handed the $15,000 but was told this was now a ‘deposit’ for spot-fixing and that an additional $20,000 would be paid once the ‘job’ was complete,” he said. He said he didn’t approach the ICC because he was being blackmailed by the businessman and his associates, who had made a video of him using cocaine.

“We had drinks and during the course of the evening, they openly offered me cocaine, which they themselves engaged in, and I foolishly took the bait,” Taylor said, adding that the next morning he was threatened that the video would be released unless he indulged in spot-fixing.

Taylor said he approached the ICC four months after the incident. “I approached the ICC on my own terms and I hoped that if I explained my predicament, my genuine fear for our safety and well-being, they would understand the delay. Unfortunately, they did not...”

ON SERIES WHITE-WASH, DRAVID CITES ABSENCE OF PANDYA, JADEJA

After India got whitewashed 3-0 by South Africa in the ODI series, head coach Rahul Dravid admitted the team didn’t have the right balance due to the unavailability of all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja.

“I think if you are a little bit honest, some of the guys who help us balance the squad out and give us those all-round options at Nos. 6, 7 and 8 are probably not here and available for selection,” Dravid said, in an obvious reference to Pandya and Jadeja, who are dealing with injuries.

“Hopefully, when they come back, it will give us lot more depth, it allows us then to probably play in a slightly different style,” Dravid said.

However, he did say the team should have chased down totals of 296 in the first match and 287 in the third.

Dravid’s assessment of KL Rahul’s captaincy was pretty generous as he pointed out that Rahul is at the start of his role as captain.

AUSTRALIAN OPEN: SINGLES DOWN TO LAST 8s

Men’s Singles

G. Monfils 17 vs M. Berrettini 7

D. Shapovalov 14 vs R. Nadal 6

J. Sinner 11 vs S. Tsitsipas 4

F. Auger-Aliassime 9 vs D. Medvedev 2

Women's Singles

A. Barty 1 vs J. Pegula 21

B. Krejcikova 4 vs M. Keys

D. Collins 27 vs A. Cornet

I. Swiatek 7 vs K. Kanepi

INDICATORS

Sensex 57,491 (-1546), Nifty 17,149 (-468), Trading Value NSE (Rs.crores) 74,190

Nasdaq 13,855 (+86) Dow 34,364 (+99), S&P 4,410 (+12)

US$-Rs. 74.48 GBP-Rs. 100.60, Euro-Rs. 84.31, UAE Dhm-Rs.20.27, Can$-Rs. 59.04, Aus$- Rs. 53.20

GBP 0.74 /US$, Euro 0.88 /US$, Jap.Yen 113.81 /US$, Aus$ 1.39 /US$, Sing 1.34 /US$, Bang Taka 84.37 /US$, Can$ 1.26 /US$, Mal Ring 4.18 /US$,

Pak Re 175.77 /US$, Phil Peso 51.30 /US$, Russian Rouble 78.22 /US$, NZ$ 1.49 /US$, Thai Baht 32.99 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 28.14 /US$

Bitcoin - USD 36,221

Dollar Index 95.97 Brent Crude 87.00 BDI 1,391

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,840 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 4,965 / 4,765, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 69,000

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Besides learning to see, there is another art to be learned - not to see what is not. - Maria Mitchell

OFF TRACK

"What the world needs is more geniuses with humility, there are so few of us left."