STATES MUST COOPERATE ON WATER: PM AMID SYL ROW

A day after Punjab and Haryana failed to reach an agreement on the construction of the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it was the responsibility of every state to make water a subject of cooperation and coordination.

Addressing the first state ministers’ conference on water today, Modi urged state governments to ensure people’s participation in water conservation movement along the same lines as the Swachh Bharat campaign.

“Public ownership of a campaign is the true measure of its success. It raises people’s consciousness about the campaign and their appreciation about the scale of the effort and investments,” said the Prime Minister. He said: “When the public is associated with a campaign, they grasp its seriousness better and due to that, they develop a sense of ownership.”

AMIT SHAH’S MESSAGE TO RAHUL GANDHI: NOTE THE DATE

A day after Ram temple votaries in Ayodhya backed Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, targeting the Congress leader, announced that the Ram temple will be ready on January 1, 2024.

This is the first time that a date has been announced publicly for the opening of the temple under construction in Ayodhya.

Addressing a rally in Sabroom in Tripura where Assembly elections are due in March, Shah criticised the Congress and Rahul Gandhi over the temple issue and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for expediting its construction.

“From the time Babur destroyed it and left, from the time the country gained Independence, these Congress people got it embroiled in courts – Sessions Court, High Court, Supreme Court, again Sessions Court. Modiji came. One morning, the Supreme Court order came. Modiji performed the bhoomipujan for Ram Lalla’s temple and the construction work began,” he said.

“Friends, I have come to tell you one thing. In the 2019 elections, I was president of the party (BJP) and Rahul Baba was president of the Congress. Rahul Baba would say everyday ‘mandir wahin banayenge, tithi nahin batayenge (will build a temple there but will not tell you the date).”

“Rahul Baba kaan khol kar sun lo, Sabroom walon aap bhi ticket kara lo (Listen, Rahul Baba, and people of Sabroom, book your tickets): On January 1, 2024, you will find a grand Ram temple ready in Ayodhya,” he said.

COVID: INDIA IN SAFE ZONE SO FAR

India continues to be in the safe zone so far as Covid-19 goes with genome sequencing of recent international arrivals revealing older Omicron strains in circulation.

Experts have already said that India has a high level of hybrid immunity (vaccine immunity plus natural immunity due to vast exposure during the late 2021 Omicron wave) against Omicron sub-variants, including the more transmissible BF.7 which may cause more cases but does not cause severe disease or death.

The Health Ministry has said India’s existing medical and hospital infrastructure is adequate to deal with a case surge should the variant in circulation be Omicron.

So far, 5,228 international flights have been screened involving 9,05,647 passengers. Of the 19,227 samples taken since Dec 24, 124 have returned positive, a positivity rate of just 0.64%.

AMBITIOUS BID TO GET FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES TO SET UP CAMPUSES IN INDIA

A UGC announcement allowing foreign universities to set up campuses in India offers a path of globalisation to the Indian higher education landscape. The NDA government officially announced its commitment to the entry of foreign universities in the National Education Policy document in July 2020. The idea, however, goes back to the ’90s.

The last attempt was by UPA-II in 2010 in the shape of the Foreign Educational Institutions Bill, which failed to pass muster in Parliament and lapsed in 2014 since the BJP, Left and Samajwadi Party opposed it.

One of the main reservations against foreign universities operating in India was that they would raise the cost of education (high tuition fees, faculty poaching from public universities), rendering it out of reach for a large part of the population. It was also not clear if this Bill would enthuse the best universities abroad to set up campuses in India.

The latest UGC draft regulations try to address the latter by promising foreign universities complete autonomy in operating their Indian branch, including academic matters, governance, admission policy, tuition fee, faculty hiring, and remuneration.

More significantly, repatriation of funds to the parent institution abroad, which was prohibited under the UPA-era Bill and had emerged as a major sticking point, has also been allowed.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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PUTIN ANNOUNCES TEMPORARY CEASEFIRE IN UKRAINE, HERE'S WHY

Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian defence minister Sergei Shoigu to introduce a 36-hour ceasefire along the entire line of contact between the warring sides in Ukraine from January 6-7, the Kremlin said on Thursday.

'Taking into account the appeal of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I instruct the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation to introduce from 12:00 January 6, 2023 until 24:00 January 7, 2023, a ceasefire along the entire line of contact between the parties in Ukraine,' the statement read.

Putin also called on Kyiv to declare a ceasefire so that a large number of Orthodox citizens living in areas of hostilities could attend church services on Orthodox Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, according to the statement.

This comes a few hours after Patriarch Kirill, the leader of the Russian Orthodox Church called for a temporary ceasefire, CNN reported.

Mykhailo Podolyak, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's key aide said Russia must leave 'occupied territories' in Ukraine before any 'temporary truce'.

'First. Ukraine doesn't attack foreign territory and doesn't kill civilians. As RF [Russian Federation] does. Ukraine destroys only members of the occupation army on its territory,' said Podolyak, an adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine.

'Second. RF must leave the occupied territories -- only then will it have a 'temporary truce'. Keep hypocrisy to yourself,' Podolyak said on Twitter.

President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday, according to a Kremlin statement posted on its webiste. In his call with Erdogan, Putin said Moscow is open to 'serious dialogue', but Kyiv must accept the 'new territorial realities'.

IRAN, FRANCE SPAR OVER KHAMENEI TOONS PUBLISHED IN CHARLIE HEBDO

Iran on Thursday shut down a decades-old French research institute in response to cartoons published by the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo that mocked the country’s ruling clerics.

Iran’s foreign ministry called the closure of the French Institute for Research in Iran a “first step” in response to the cartoons, which the magazine had billed as a show of support for anti-government demonstrations that have convulsed Iran for nearly four months. The ministry said it would “seriously pursue the case and take the required measures” to hold France accountable. On Wednesday, Iran summoned the French ambassador to complain about the cartoons.

Charlie Hebdo’s latest issue features the winners of a recent cartoon contest in which entrants were asked to draw the most offensive caricatures of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

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"CAN'T UPROOT 50,000 OVERNIGHT": SUPREME COURT HALTS HALDWANI EVICTION

Thousands of people who faced the prospect of being left homeless in the middle of the harsh North Indian winter won a major reprieve from the Supreme Court on Thursday as it paused an eviction drive on railway land in Uttarakhand's Haldwani.

"There cannot be uprooting of 50,000 people overnight... It's a human issue, some workable solution needs to be found," the Supreme Court said, as it stopped an Uttarakhand High Court order that had cleared the eviction of the people who live in some 4,000 homes after a case that went on for years. The land in question is said to belong to Railways.

The court also stopped any construction in the area and sought responses from the railways and the Uttarakhand government. It said the case will be heard again next month.

The order comes as a major relief for residents who have been holding candle marches, sit-ins and prayers to stop the eviction.

The area covers a 2-km strip of land near the Haldwani railway station - Gafoor Basti, Dholak Basti and Indira Nagar, in Banbhulpura area.

Besides houses - nearly half of the families claim to have a land lease - the area even has four government schools, 11 private schools, a bank, two overhead water tanks, 10 mosques, and four temples, besides shops, built over decades.

JAINS VS TRIBALS AS TOURISM HALTED AT SHRINE SITE

The stage was set for a potential standoff between Jains and tribal bodies of Jharkhand after the Centre on Thursday stayed all tourism activities at Parasnath Hill, which houses the world-famous Sammad Shikharji Jain shrine.

The Union Environment Ministry, in an office memorandum, asked the state government to take steps immediately to protect the sanctity of the shrine and halt tourism activities, as sought by the Jain community across the country. But several tribal bodies, led by the Santhal tribe, claimed that Parasnath Hill was actually “Marang Buru (a hill deity revered by the tribals)’ and staked claim to the hill. The tribals warned of an agitation if their demand to “free the area” was not met.

Jains across the country had started an agitation, demanding the scrapping of a 2019 Jharkhand Government notification designating Parasnath Hills as a tourist place. The Jains feared that this could lead to arrival of tourists who might consume non-vegetarian food and liquor at the holy site, thereby hurting their religious sentiments.

CONSTRUCTION BANNED IN 'SINKING' JOSHIMATH, FAMILIES EVACUATED

Amid protests by a group of residents in Joshimath (Uttarakhand), the Chamoli administration on Thursday put a ban on all construction activities in and around the 'sinking' town even as nearly 50 families staying in houses at risk have been evacuated so far.

The protestors’ demands include immediate rehabilitation of residents, stopping construction of an NTPC tunnel and a bypass road between Helang and Marwadi for Badrinath and fixing responsibility of this disaster on the NTPC's Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project.

The district administration subsequently put a ban on the construction of Helang bypass by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), work of the Tapovan-Vishnugad hydel project and other construction work undertaken by the municipality with immediate effect till further orders.

GOA’S NEW AIRPORT GETS GOING

The first passenger flight arrived at the Manohar International Airport in Goa from Hyderabad on Thursday, marking the commencement of operations at the new facility in the coastal state.

The new airport located at Mopa in North Goa district. It’s about 50 km north of the existing Dabolim airport, operated as a civil enclave in the Indian Navy’s air station INS Hansa.

Goa has two airports from today onwards,” the Chief Minister told reporters.

CONGRESS LEADER’S COMMENTS ON U.P. CM’S SAFFRON CLOTHES DRAWS FLAK

Senior Maharashtra Congress leader and former MP, Hussain Dalwai, has made a  statement against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister over his 'saffron outfit', saying that the latter should wear modern clothes. "Don't talk about religion every day, do not wear saffron clothes, and become a little modern. Embrace modern ideas," Dalwai said

Coming down heavily on UP CM who is on two days visit to Mumbai to draw domestic investors ahead of the Global Investors Summit to be held in Lucknow next month, the Congress leader said that Yogi should develop new industries in his own state instead of taking industries from Maharashtra."

Maharashtra has provided good facilities for industry. So instead of taking industries from Maharashtra, you should develop new industries in the State. Create an environment to allow them to thrive," Mr. Dalwai said while talking to the reporters on Wednesday. He further said that UP CM should embrace some modernity as the industry is a symbol of modernity.

Hitting back at Congress leader, BJP’s leader Ram Kadam said, “Is Congress leader’s statement not an insult to the saints who wear saffron? What has happened to the Congress party and its leaders? Why do they have an objection to the saffron colour? Saffron is not just a colour of the Hindu flag or the dress of Hindu saints, it represents sacrifice, dedication, knowledge, purity and spirituality.”

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) also let its displeasure show over Dalwai's comments. “We do not agree with what Hussain Dalwai commented about UP CM’s outfit. Bhagwa (Saffron) is not just a colour, but a symbol of India’s culture and tradition. It is the mark of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s Hindavi Swarajya. It is like our soul,” Uddhav faction leader Anand Dubey said.

PAROLE PERIOD TO BE EXCLUDED FROM SENTENCE: SC

The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the period of parole granted to a prisoner is to be excluded from the sentence while considering his premature release.

Upholding a Bombay High Court order, a Bench of Justices MR Shah and CT Ravikumar said if the period was included in the sentence, then a prisoner who may be influential may get parole a number of times.

“We are of the firm view that for the purpose of considering actual imprisonment, the period of parole is to be excluded. We are in complete agreement with the view taken by the HC holding so,” the Bench said.

COPS SEEK LOOKOUT CIRCULAR FOR MAN WHO URINATED ON WOMAN IN FLIGHT

The Delhi Police Thursday said it has written to the immigration authorities to issue a lookout circular against the man who had allegedly urinated on a woman co-passenger aboard an Air India flight from New York to Delhi on November 26 last year.

Senior officers said the accused has been identified as Shankar Mishra, vice-president of a financial services company.

The development comes on a day the DGCA issued showcause notices to the airline and pilots and cabin crew of flight AI-102 for not following procedures. The regulator, which termed the conduct of A-I in handling a passenger to be “unprofessional” has given the airline and crew two weeks to reply.

On Wednesday, the police had registered an FIR based on the complaint by A-I and the woman. Police said the airline contacted them on December 28 but with an “incomplete” complaint; the accused has now been booked for alleged molestation, obscenity and outraging the modesty of a woman.

Air India, in a late evening statement, confirmed the incident and said the crew identified and isolated the offender and reported the incident to authorities. In its statement, A-I said that “as the victim and the accused reached an understanding”, CISF allowed the accused to leave after he tendered a written apology. “In deference to the victim’s wishes, Air India did not lodge a police report,” it stated.

Bothy the victim and the accused were travelling Business Class.

NO NEED FOR CUSTOMERS TO VISIT BANK BRANCHES FOR RE-KYC, SAYS RBI

The RBI has clarified that self-declaration by customers through non-face to face channels will be sufficient for completing the re-know your customer process, if there is no change in the information. Furthermore, addresses can also be updated through such channels, without the need to visit a bank branch.

The banks have been advised to provide facility of such self-declaration to the individual customers through various non-face-to-face channels such as registered email-id, registered mobile number, ATMs, digital channels (such as online banking / internet banking, mobile application), letter, etc., without need for a visit to bank branch, a press release from the RBI said.

If there is only a change in address, customers can furnish updated address through any of these channels after which, the bank would undertake verification of the declared address within two months.

AXAR'S BLITZ IN VAIN AS SRI LANKA BEAT INDIA IN 2ND T20i

Suryakumar Yadav and Axar Patel struck blistering fifties in a stunning 91-run stand, albeit in a losing cause, as Sri Lanka tightened the screws in the nick of time to beat India by 16 runs in the second T20I and level the three-match series 1-1, in Pune, on Thursday.

Skipper Dasun Shanaka scored an unbeaten 56 off 22 balls at the tail-end and wicketkeeper Kusal Mendis hit a 31-ball 52 to power Sri Lanka to an imposing 206 for 6.

India had a nightmarish start to their chase, slumping to 57 for 5 before Axar (65 off 31) and Surya (51 off 36) raised hopes of an improbable victory with a scintillating sixth-wicket stand.

The task became tough once Suryakumar departed in the 16th over, but Axar and Shivam Mavi (26 off 15) shared quick 41 runs stand to bring down the equation to 21 off the last over.

However, Axar's dismissal off the third ball of the final over was the last straw in India’s fightback.

Earlier, electing to bowl, it was a disastrous performance by India's bowlers as the Lankan batters went hammer and tongs from the start. Barring Axar (2/24 from his four overs), all the other Indian bowlers went for runs.

Even though speedster Umar Malik (3/48) picked three wickets, he too was taken to the cleaners, while last match hero Shivam Mavi (0/53) looked a pale shadow of himself. Arshdeep Singh bowled 5 no-balls in his 2 overs and conceded 37 runs.

INDICATORS

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Bitcoin - USD 16,847

Dollar Index 104.83 Brent Crude 79.21 BDI 1,176

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,839 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 5,596 / 5,130, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 74,000

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction. - Blaise Pascal

OFF TRACK

Winters are fierce in northern Scotland, so the owner of the estate felt he was doing a good deed when he bought a pair of earmuffs for his foreman.

One cold, blustery day, he noticed that the foreman wasn't wearing them. In fact, he couldn't recall a time he'd ever seen the man wear the earmuffs.

Walking up to his foreman, he asked, "Didn't you like the earmuffs I gave you?"

"Oh, they were a thing of beauty and kept my ears nice and toasty warm!"

"Then why aren't you wearing them?"

"Well, I did wear them that first cold day, but then someone offered me a drink and I didn't hear him!"