INDIA WHEAT AID TO KABUL STARTS AT ATTARI TODAY

Four-and-a-half months after India proposed to Pakistan that it wants to send wheat for the people of Afghanistan, the first consignment of about 2,000 metric tonnes of the grain, laden in about 50 trucks, will roll out on Tuesday. They will be taken to Afghanistan overland through Pakistan in Afghan trucks, which will pick up the consignments at Attari in Punjab.

This is a significant diplomatic development where India and Pakistan are coming together to help the people of Afghanistan. India doesn’t recognise the Taliban regime in Kabul.

This is the first tranche of 50,000 tonnes of wheat India has committed to send to Afghanistan since the Taliban took over the country in mid-August. This follows a pact between India and the World Food Programme, signed earlier this month to supply foodgrain to Afghanistan as a humanitarian gesture.

India had sent a proposal to Pakistan on October 7 last year seeking the transit facility to send 50,000 tonnes of wheat and life-saving medicines to Afghanistan via Pakistani soil, and received a response from Islamabad on November 24, 2021.

Officials said the task of moving 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan would require more than 1,200 trucks via Pakistan. The logistics suggest that Indian trucks would require the wheat to be unloaded, and loaded again into Afghan trucks, at the Zero Point on Wagah-Attari border.

In 2020, India assisted Afghanistan with 75,000 metric tonnes of wheat, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said at the UN High-Level Meeting on the Humanitarian situation in Afghanistan in September 2021.

On several occasions, India has expressed willingness to send humanitarian aid to people of Afghanistan, though it has cautioned the international community to think through the consequences of granting recognition to the Taliban regime.

BASELESS, SAYS MEA AFTER UN TWEET ON RANA AYYUB

India has angrily protested to the UN in Geneva alleging judicial harassment of an Indian journalist, Rana Ayyub.

“Allegations of so-called judicial harassment are baseless and unwarranted. India upholds the rule of law, but is equally clear that no one is above the law,” said India’s Permanent Mission in Geneva to a tweet by UN Geneva that quoted some of its Special Representatives (SRs) on the issue.

The UN Geneva had put out a tweet that said, “Relentless misogynistic and sectarian attacks online against journalist Rana Ayyub must be promptly and thoroughly investigated by the Indian authorities and the judicial harassment against her brought to an end at once, stress UN SRs.”

“We expect SRs to be objective and accurately informed. Advancing a misleading narrative only tarnishes UN Geneva’s reputation,” added India’s Permanent Mission in Geneva.

The Enforcement Directorate has reportedly attached Ayyub’s assets worth Rs 1.77 crore for diversion of funds gathered for Covid relief as well as for breaching foreign currency regulations by receiving donations from abroad.

Ayyub is known for publishing a book ‘Gujarat Files’, based on her conversations with civil and police officers in the state on riots and fake encounters.

AKHILESH, KEJRIWAL PICK ON MODI’S CYCLE REMARK

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav called Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s jibe linking his party’s election symbol ‘cycle’ to the bicycles used in the 2008 Ahmedabad bomb blasts an insult to the nation.

“By connecting the farm and the farmer, our cycle lays the foundation of farmers’ prosperity. Our cycle breaks social barriers by taking girls to school. Our cycle is not affected by inflation, and races ahead. “Cycle is the aircraft of ordinary people, pride of rural India… insulting the cycle is the insult of the entire nation,” he tweeted in Hindi on Sunday, counting the utility of bicycle.

Days after a court convicted 49 people for the Ahmedabad serial blasts, Modi had said he had vowed to punish the perpetrators even if they took refuge in ‘paatal’ (hell). He said he had wondered why the terrorists had opted for bicycles to plant bombs in the initial blasts in Ahmedabad.

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Monday termed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks equating ‘bicycle’ with ‘terrorism’ an attack on the poor, and indicated that his party will go with an anti-BJP camp in case of a hung Assembly in Uttar Pradesh.

Addressing an election rally in support of AAP candidates in the state capital, Kejriwal said, “Yesterday, I heard the Prime Minister came (to Uttar Pradesh) and said that all those who rode cycles in the country were terrorists. This is a ‘chot’ (attack) on all the poor who ride bicycles. “The Prime Minister is calling all the poor ‘terrorists’. All those who ride cycles—when you press the button to vote, tell them whether those riding bicycles or the BJP men, are terrorists,” he said.

ON MARITAL RAPE CASE, HC REFUSES TO GIVE GOVT MORE TIME

The Delhi high court on Monday wrapped up proceedings on a batch of PILs on the issue. With the Centre refusing to take a stand until it consulted other stakeholders, including all states and National Commission for Women, the HC reserved its judgment. “We are closing it then,” a bench of justices Rajiv Shakdher and C Hari Shankar said, bringing to an end the proceedings that witnessed marathon hearings for almost 20 days, usually on a dayto-day basis.

Justice Shakdher said the court can’t be expected to wait indefinitely for the Centre to formulate a stand. He indicated the court may go by the arguments made by the Union government in an affidavit filed in the earlier rounds of litigation on the same petitions.

“You have to bite the bullet,” he said, adding it was not possible to adjourn an ongoing matter as there is no terminal date by when the Centre’s consultations will be over. The court said all other parties on the matter, except the Centre, have finished their arguments.

COVID DASHBOARD – INDIA

As of 0800 IST / Feb 22

from mohfw.gov.in ,

New Cases on Monday 13,405

Active Cases 1,81,075 (-21,056)

Total Deaths (Deaths Yesterday) 5,12,344 (194)

Total Vaccination: 175.83 Crores (+35,50,868)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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PUTIN ORDERS FORCES TO UKRAINE’S BREAKAWAY REGIONS

President Vladimir V. Putin has ordered Russia’s defense ministry to deploy troops in two Russia-backed separatist territories in Ukraine, escalating a conflict that Western officials warn could explode into one of the biggest armed clashes in Europe since World War II.

In an emotional and aggrieved address to the Russian people on Monday, Mr. Putin hinted at the possibility of a wider military campaign and laid claim to all of Ukraine as a country “created by Russia.” Russian state television then showed Mr. Putin signing decrees recognizing the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics and directing the Russian Defense Ministry to deploy troops in those regions to carry out “peacekeeping functions.”

It was not immediately certain whether the Russian troops would remain only on the territory controlled by the separatist republics, or whether they would seek to capture the rest of the two Ukrainian enclaves whose territory they claim.

And so it was unclear if a long-feared Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine had begun. The separatists might have invited Russian forces in, but neither Ukraine nor the rest of the world views the so-called republics as anything but Ukrainian territory.

The threat was clear to the government of President Volodymyr Zelensky, which denies that it is responsible for the escalating shelling on the front line between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists in recent days. Russian state television has broadcast extensive reports claiming, without evidence, that Ukraine is preparing an offensive against the separatist territories.

Mr. Zelensky, in a televised statement, urged Ukraine’s allies to take action immediately and called for the Ukrainian people to remain calm.

The White House said President Biden would impose sanctions against people doing business in the separatist regions, and that it would “soon announce additional measures related to today’s blatant violation of Russia’s international commitments.”

THE REST

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‘BID TO MAKE HIJAB MUST FOR ALL MUSLIM WOMEN’

The Karnataka government on Monday informed the high court that by praying for an order that the hijab is essential to Islam, the petitioners who have challenged its order on uniforms in government PU colleges are seeking to get a declaration that it would be binding on every Muslim woman.

Citing Constituent Assembly debates and Supreme Court judgments to elaborate how the “doctrine of essentiality” has evolved, the state government asserted that the hijab is not an essential practice of Islam.

“The GO (government order) is innocuous and is consciously innocuous. The controversy would not have arisen had the petitioners requested permission for the headscarf as adress. They say, ‘Permit us as it is a religious symbol’,” he said. The question is whether it is part of a religious practice, and once this controversy is settled the right of the student to enter their institution will also get settled, he added. According to him, there are eight petitions before the court. The averments and ground taken are that as wearing a headscarf is a cultural and religious practice, they choose to follow Islam and they believe it is an essential religious practice.

“The petitioners have placed no material whatsoever to substantiate their claim for declaration for wearing of a hijab as a fundamental right, as an essential religious practice under Article 25. This constitutional court has been called upon to declare this as an essential religious practice,” he claimed.

“Every activity of religion cannot be considered an essential practice. The last test is the binding nature of the religion. If it is optional, it cannot be binding. It must be compelling, that if you disobey you cease to be part of the religion,” the AG said. Quoting an SC judgment, Navadgi argued that food and dress cannot be essential practices of religion. The AG referred to the Shiroor Mutt case and three other judgements as also debates in the Constituent Assembly involving KM Munshi and Dr BR Ambedkar.

LALU PRASAD YADAV SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS IN JAIL IN FIFTH FODDER SCAM CASE

RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav was on Monday sentenced to five years in prison and slapped a fine of Rs 60 lakh by a special CBI court in Ranchi in connection with the fifth fodder scam case involving embezzlement of over Rs 139 crore by Doranda treasury.

The court in the Jharkhand capital pronounced the sentence against the ailing 73-year-old former chief minister of Bihar and 39 others after virtually hearing arguments on the quantum of punishment in the case.

“40 accused to undergo three to 5 five years rigorous imprisonment with a total fine of Rs. 11.93 crore (approx.) Fine imposed on convicts ranges from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 crore," a CBI spokesperson said, adding that the highest amount of Rs 2 crore penalty was imposed on supplier Tripurari Mohan Prasad.

After his conviction in the case on Feb 15, Prasad was lodged in the Birsa Munda Central Jail and then shifted to state-run RIMS hospital in Ranchi, where doctors said on Monday that his condition is "serious but stable". The ebullient leader suffers from multiple ailments.

The RJD supremo had earlier been sentenced to 14 years in prison and slapped with a fine of Rs 60 lakh in four other cases related to Dumka, Deoghar and Chaibasa treasuries and was in jail since December 2017. Prasad served most of his sentence period at the RIMS. He was taken to All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi in January last year after his health condition deteriorated and later got bail in April.

VIOLENCE AFTER BAJRANG DAL ACTIVIST KILLED IN KARNATAKA

Three persons have been arrested in the Sunday night killing of a 28 year-old Bajrang Dal activist in Shivamogga, as BJP leaders decried the murder and demanded a National Investigation Agency probe into the matter alleging the role of some Islamic outfits.

The funeral procession of the deceased Harsha witnessed violence including stone-pelting and arson, with a photojournalist among others sustaining injuries.

Harsha, a resident of Seegehatti, was attacked by a group of unknown persons at Bharati Colony on Sunday night, following which he was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to injuries.

FAMILIES OF KILLED FARMERS MOVE SUPREME COURT AGAINST BAIL TO ASHISH MISHRA

Family members of farmers killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence on Monday moved the Supreme Court challenging an order of the Allahabad High Court granting bail to prime accused and Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni’s son Ashish Mishra.

The family members of the deceased farmers said the grant of bail was contrary to settled law as the High Court granted bail without considering “the heinous nature of the crime; the character of the overwhelming evidence against the accused in the chargesheet; position and status of the accused with reference to the victim and witnesses; the likelihood of the accused fleeing from justice and repeating the offence; and the possibility of his tampering with the witnesses and obstructing the course of justice”.

BIOLOGICAL E. COVID SHOT CORBEVAX GETS INDIA EMERGENCY APPROVAL FOR 12-18 AGE GROUP

Indian vaccine maker Biological E. Ltd said on Monday its Covid-19 vaccine received an emergency use approval in the country for use in children aged 12 to 18.

The company's shot, called Corbevax, is the third vaccine approved for use in children aged 12 and above in India, joining Zydus Cadila's DNA shot ZyCoV-D and homegrown player Bharat Biotech's Covaxin.

India has so far only started vaccinating children aged 15 and above. According to government figures, more than 76 million children between 15 and 17 have been inoculated mainly using Covaxin.

AUSTRALIA OPENS BORDERS FOR FULLY-VACCINATED INDIAN TRAVELLERS

Tourism Australia on Monday said the country has opened its borders for all categories of fully-vaccinated Indian travellers for quarantine-free travel.

In 2019, Australia welcomed almost 4,00,000 visitors from India and they contributed over AUD 1.8 billion.

“We are excited to be welcoming back international visitors who make up a critical part of our visitor economy. We know Australia remains an incredibly desirable destination, especially for visitors from India and we can’t wait to once again share all of the unforgettable tourism experiences we have to offer here in Australia,” Tourism Australia Managing Director Phillipa Harrison said.

16 YEAR OLD R PRAGGNANANDHAA BEATS WORLD NO 1 MAGNUS CARLSEN

As world champion Magnus Carlsen sat bemused, palms on his face, after realising that he was going to lose the eighth round of the Airthings Masters online rapid chess tournament, a wave of shock spread across the face of his would-be slayer R Praggnanandhaa.

It was his “I can’t believe it” moment, the moment that was always a part of his wildest dream. Norwegian World No 1 Carlsen, the undisputed emperor of chess, a bonafide GOAT, the marketing face of the game, was always his idol. “Beating him once is my biggest dream,” a young R Praggnanandhaa had said soon after becoming the second youngest Grandmaster in the world four years ago. “He (Carlsen) has a solution for even the most complicated problem,” he had explained.

But this time, there was no solution and Praggnanandhaa’s dream was finally realised. That he’s just the third Indian, after Viswanathan Anand and P Harikrishna, to accomplish the rare feat of beating Carlsen underlines his incredible potential. That he toppled him in 39 moves and with black pieces, a perceived handicap in the game, brightens the dazzle of his victory.

Aggressive from the start, he pushed Carlsen onto the back foot but missed a glorious chance to kill the game in the middle stage. But he regained his wits and bounced back, piling relentless pressure on Carlsen, who cracked and blundered.

Perhaps, more importantly, India has discovered a potential successor to Anand as well as a poster boy for the imminent chess boom in the country — the Indian Chess League is set to unroll from June with a prize money of at least Rs 2 crore.

SAHA TO STAY MUM ON SCRIBE’S IDENTITY IF BOARD WANTS NAME

Wriddhiman Saha will not reveal the name of the journalist to the BCCI, as and when the cricket board communicates with him over his tweet that has become arguably Indian cricket’s biggest talking point at the moment. One of the messages from the unnamed journalist had said: “You did not call. Never again will I interview you. I don’t take insults kindly. And I will remember this.”

Saha received an outpouring of support from the cricketing fraternity after this, from Ravi Shastri to Virender Sehwag.

“I haven’t received any communication from the BCCI yet. If they ask me to reveal the name (of the journalist), I would tell them it was never my intention to harm somebody’s career, to pull a person down. That’s why I didn’t reveal the name in my tweet. That’s not the teaching of my parents. The main purpose of my tweet was to expose the fact that there’s someone in the media who does such things, disrespecting a player’s wish,” Saha told reporters yesterday.

He added: “It wasn’t fair, which I wanted to tell through my tweets. He who has done it knows it very well. I posted those tweets because I didn’t want the players to face such things. I wanted to convey the message that what has been done was wrong and no one else should do it again.”

INDICATORS

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for. - Allan K. Chalmers

OFF TRACK

A young executive was leaving the office at 6 p.m. when he found the CEO standing in front of paper shredder with a piece of paper in his hand.

"Listen," said the CEO, "this is a very sensitive and important document, and my secretary has left. Can you make this thing work?"

"Certainly," said the young executive. He turned the machine on, inserted the paper, and pressed the start button.

"Excellent, very excellent!" said the CEO as his paper disappeared inside the machine. "I just need one copy."