PM RESPONDS, WITH AN ATTACK ON CONGRESS

“Narendra Modi is a member of every Indian family and the trust of 140 crore Indians is his safety shield, which your lies and accusations cannot breach,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said to the Congress in the Lok Sabha a day after party MP Rahul Gandhi accused the govt of aiding industrialist Gautam Adani’s rise.

Replying to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, the PM said crores of poor and deprived beneficiaries of govt’s schemes would never trust the allegations and lies being peddled by some people.

Attacking the Congress for “compulsive instead of constructive criticism”, the PM referred to the UPA’s tenure from 2004 to 2014 as a “lost decade”. He said the 2020-2030 period would be “India’s decade as the world looks at it with hope and trust and sees its own prosperity in India’s”. Describing the Congress and its leaders (without naming anyone) as “people steeped in pessimism”, the PM said India was brimming with confidence and was “tolerant but never accepted negativity”.

Noting that people consumed by pessimism “can’t tolerate a resurgent India and are sorrowful about the country’s rising global stature with Digital India making waves”, the PM said, “For 22 years you remained victims of the misunderstanding that you could destroy Modi with lies. People’s faith in Modi is not a creation of the media. It’s the result of devoting every moment of life in the service of the people. Your lies and accusations will have to cross the wall of 140 crore Indians to reach Modi. The trust of my people is my safety shield which your accusations and falsehoods cannot breach.”

The PM said the world today was looking at India with trust because of the country’s “political stability, rising credibility and expanding opportunities”, elements which the previous two decades of political instability could not ensure.

The PM attacked the Congress-led UPA for “converting every opportunity into adversity”, be it the 2010 Commonwealth Games which ended in scam, the 2G scam at the height of a global technological revolution and coal scam. “The period from 2004 to 2014 was a period of maximum scams in the history of independent India,” the PM said, triggering a Congress walkout.

Steering clear of repeated interruptions by the Opposition on the Adani issue, the PM asked the Congress, “Why will the 80 crore poor who received free ration throughout Covid trust your lies? Will the 11 crore farmers who receive three annual instalments of PM Kisan Samaan trust your accusations?”

REMARKS ON PM MODI, ADANI EXPUNGED; PRIVILEGE NOTICE AGAINST RAHUL GANDHI

BJP MP from Godda (Jharkhand) Nishikant Dubey on Wednesday gave a notice for breach of privilege against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for his "derogatory and misleading" remarks against the PM, in Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said he would look into the matter. Rahul's allegations against the PM regarding industrialist Gautam Adani were expunged from the Lok Sabha records on Tuesday. As the House assembled, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi urged the Speaker to look into the privilege notice. "Rahul Gandhi's baseless remarks should be expunged and action should be taken against him," he said.

Rahul Gandhi yesterday alleged that it was clear that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was protecting Gautam Adani as he did not order an inquiry into the allegations levelled against the industrialist by the US-based research firm Hindenburg. He said the Prime Minister did not answer the questions posed to him. “I am not satisfied, but it reveals the truth. There was no talk of an inquiry. If he is not a friend, then he should have agreed to an inquiry.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "With the expunging of Rahul Gandhi's remarks on PM linked Adani Maha Mega Scam, deMOcracy was cremated in the Lok Sabha. OM Shanti."

In another tweet, Ramesh said, "18 remarks by Rahul Gandhi in LS expunged: 1.Every question asked of PM- deleted! 2. All references to relationship between Adani & Modi before 2014- deleted! 3.Misuse of agencies & foreign trips- deleted!"

"You can expunge,but you can't exterminate! Jagadguru of Jhoot stands exposed," the Congress general secretary said.

AMIT SHAH TICKS OFF ADHIR RANJAN CHOWDHURY OVER CHINESE TRANSGRESSIONS

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday challenged Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's claims on Chinese transgressions into India and said the Congress leader should make it clear that he was quoting newspaper reports, and not any official documents while making his insinuations.

Reacting to Adhir who asked the govt why it was not discussing LAC issue in Parliament while recalling that late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had allowed a debate on the issue in Parliament, Shah said, "That debate was allowed when thousands of acres of Indian land was lost. Today there is no shortcoming of strategy. When there is no gap, what is there to fill?"

Shah said, “I have no problems with anyone saying anything as long as they attribute their remarks to newspapers. Parliament record should be authentic for the country and the world to see. So let the attributions be clear.”

INDIA TO ALWAYS STAND BY AFGHANS, SAYS AJIT DOVAL AT MOSCOW MEETING

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval on Wednesday said India would never abandon the Afghan people in their time of need.

“India is and will remain an important stakeholder in Afghanistan. We have always stood by people of Afghanistan and will always support collective efforts to help Afghan people build a prosperous and vibrant nation once again,” said Doval while participating in the 5th Multilateral Meeting of Secretaries of Security Councils/ National Security Advisers on Afghanistan in Moscow on Wednesday.

He also stressed the point that no country should be allowed to use Afghan territory to export terrorism and radicalisation. Natural resources of Afghanistan should be utilised first for welfare of people of Afghanistan.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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CHINESE 'SURVEILLANCE' BALLOONS TARGETED INDIA TOO, SAYS REPORT

China has operated a fleet of spy balloons targeting several countries, including India and Japan, a media report has said, days after the US military shot down a Chinese “surveillance” craft floating over sensitive installations in the country.

US officials have briefed its friends and allies, including India, on the finds of the Chinese surveillance balloon that was shot down by a fighter jet off the coast of South Carolina in the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday.

On Monday, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman briefed officials from about 40 embassies in Washington D.C. about it.

“The surveillance balloon effort, which has operated for several years partly out of Hainan province off China’s south coast, has collected information on military assets in countries and areas of emerging strategic interest to China, including Japan, India, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines,” The Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

DEATH TOLL SURPASSES 12,000 AS QUAKE RELIEF IN TURKEY, SYRIA ENTERS 3RD DAY

The number of fatalities from Monday's devastating earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria has surpassed 12,000, as chances have become smaller to find more survivors in cold weather before the golden 72 hours are over.

Rescuers and volunteers are working round the clock to locate the trapped under rubble as the survival rate without food or water drops drastically after the 72nd hour, which is rapidly approaching.

The search and rescue teams from more than 65 countries have arrived in the Turkish earthquake zones to offer assistance in quake-relief efforts, according to an official statement.

As criticism mounted online over his govt’s inadequate response to the crisis, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited one of the hardest-hit spots, quake epicentre Kahramanmaras, and acknowledged problems in the response. "Of course, there are shortcomings. The conditions are clear to see. It's not possible to be ready for a disaster like this," he said.

WILL ACT TO PROTECT US IF CHINA THREATENS OUR SOVEREIGNTY: BIDEN

US President Joe Biden said in his State of the Union address on Tuesday that he would cooperate with great power rival China, but vowed “to protect our country”, a reference to a Chinese spy balloon that travelled across America last week.

“I’m committed to work with China where we can advance American interests and benefit the world,” Biden said. “But make no mistake about it: if China threatens our sovereignty, we will act to protect our country. And we did."

“I will make no apologies that we are investing to make America strong. Investing in American innovation, in industries that will define the future, that China intends to be dominating,” he said.

Asked on Wednesday about Biden’s remarks, China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said: “The Chinese side has always believed that China-US relations are not a zero-sum game in which you lose and I win, and you rise andI fall”. “China does not shy away from or fear competition, but we oppose using competition to define the entire China-US relationship,” Mao said.

THE REST

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RBI HIKES LENDING RATE BY 25 BPS; HOME, AUTO LOANS SET TO RISE

The RBI has increased the repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.5 per cent and forecast slower economic growth of 6.4 per cent during the next fiscal as compared to the estimation of 7 per cent during the current financial year.

Repo rate is the interest rate at which the central bank lends to banks. The move to raise the rate will make loans, including housing and auto, and corporate credit expensive.

The Union Budget pegs the actual growth rate for 2023-24 at a marginally higher 6.5 per cent, while the Economic Survey estimates the real growth rate to be between 6 and 6.8 per cent.

Faced with finding a balance between raising interest rates to check inflation and not affecting industry’s growth, RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das justified the hike on the basis of RBI’s internal surveys which said manufacturing, services and infrastructure sector firms were optimistic of the business outlook. “Emerging market economies are facing sharp trade-offs between supporting economic activity and controlling inflation while preserving policy credibility,” said Das in this respect. The repo rate at 6.5% still trails the pre-pandemic level and core inflation (manufacturing) remains sticky, he added.

DISABILITY ACTIVISTS FLAG MANMOHAN’S SHIFT TO RAJYA SABHA LAST ROW FOR WHEELCHAIR

With former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s designated seat in Rajya Sabha being shifted from the front row to the last row this session to allow wheelchair movement, disability rights activists are calling for greater political representation of persons with disabilities (PwDs) and creative solutions to make public buildings more accessible.

Singh’s office reportedly asked the party to change his seat as it was difficult for him to walk to the front row. The party then arranged for him to be seated in the back row, near the aisle.

While it may be age-related mobility issues in the case of the former Prime Minister, disability rights activists have maintained that accessible and inclusive designs are not for PwDs alone. Anyone can experience temporary disability due to injury or illness, and public spaces should cater to that as well, they said.

KHARGE'S LOUIS VUITTON SCARF IN PARLIAMENT DRAWS COMMENTS

After Mahua Moitra's Louis Vuitton bag which was the eye of a storm in Parliament last year, now Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's Louis Vuitton scarf which he wore on Wednesday is on the radar. Before PM Modi's speech, Parliament witnessed uproar with Kharge's demand of a JPC (joint parliamentary committee) probe into the Adani scam to which BJP's Piyush Goyal said a JPC probe can't take place in individual cases. "Kharge ji is wearing a Louis Vuitton scarf today. Should we set up a joint committee to look into this as well? Where did he get the scarf, who gave it to him and how much did it cost?" Goyal said. While this led to an acrimonious exchange, the debate over Kharge's scarf caught up on social media as well.

Comparisons were drawn between Kharge's scarf and PM Modi's plastic recycled jacket that he wore on Wednesday. BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said when PM Modi sends a green message of sustainable growth and environment, Kharge wore an expensive Louis Vuitton scarf worth ₹56,332. "Taste apna apna, message apna apna...not making any judgment," the BJP leader tweeted.

IN ASSAM, 78 WOMEN AMONG THOSE HELD OVER CHILD MARRIAGE

At least 78 women have also been arrested as part of the Assam govt’s crackdown against child marriage, in which more than 2,500 people have been arrested across the state so far.

A break-up of data on arrests shows that a total of 2,442 people had been arrested till then, of which 78 of the arrested are women.

According to Assam Inspector General (Law & Order) Prasanta Kumar Bhuyan, the women arrested are those who have been identified as people who “facilitated” child marriages.

According to the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006, any person in charge of the child “who does any act to promote the marriage or permits it to be solemnised, or negligently fails to prevent it from being solemnised, including attending or participating in a child marriage” shall be punishable with rigorous punishment with the caveat that “no woman shall be punishable with imprisonment”.

However, according to Delhi-based advocate Lakshya Dheer, this does not limit the power of police to make arrests.

CELEBRATE 'COW HUG DAY' ON FEB 14: ANIMAL WELFARE BOARD

The Animal Welfare Board of India has issued a notice appealing to people to celebrate "Cow Hug Day" on February 14 to spread "positive energy" and encourage "collective happiness", officials said on Wednesday.

"All cow lovers may celebrate February 14 as Cow Hug Day keeping in mind the importance of mother cow and make life happy and full of positive energy," read the notice issued by the board under the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

The notice further said hugging cows will bring "emotional richness" and increase "individual and collective happiness".

MOST IIT-BOMBAY GRADUATES OPTING FOR JOBS NOT LINKED TO THEIR FIELD: STUDY

Between 2014 and 2018, over 60% of IIT-Bombay graduates took up jobs in sectors not related to their branches of study, a trend seen across all disciplines except Computer Science and  Engineering (CSE) and Electrical Engineering (EE), according to a study by a group of researchers from the Centre for Policy Studies, IIT-Bombay.

However, contrary to popular perception, higher salaries “may not be the dominant factor” affecting the choices, according to the study published in the Current Science journal. Citing “other factors”, the study points to “cultural issues”, causing students to focus more on “extracurricular activities” instead of academics, leading to many being “underprepared for core jobs requiring domain knowledge”. It also cites “pressure of getting placement at the earliest” as one of the reasons.

“This trend also raises the important question: why are we spending so much on engineering training that is ‘misallocated’ subsequently,” states the paper authored by Namit Agrawal, Sailakshmi Sreenath, Shishir K Jha and Anurag Mehra of the Centre for Policy Studies, IIT-Bombay.

The findings of the five-year study are based on placement data of 2,109 students. And the factors behind their choices were identified on the basis of responses from 269 of these 2,109 students.

MOST ADANI GROUP SHARES REBOUND

The shares of most of the Adani Group companies ended higher on Wednesday, with flagship Adani Enterprises rallying nearly 20 per cent to cross the Rs 2,000-mark. It was an improvement but nowhere near the valuation of over Rs 3,300 before the release of the Hindenburg report.

Adani Ports rose a healthy 8.33 per cent, Adani Transmission, Adani Wilmar and Adani Power by 5 per cent each. NDTV rose 4.98 per cent, Ambuja Cements 0.16 per cent whereas ACC was down 1.02 per cent. Adani Total Gas, however, dipped by 5 per cent and Adani Green was down 5 per cent. Seven of the group companies ended in the positive territory while three settled in the red.

INDIA EYE WTC FINAL; AUSTRALIA SEEK REVENGE

Rohit Sharma, a bonafide white-ball legend, will face his biggest test as India's red-ball captain against a determined Australian side which would be hungry for revenge when the much-awaited four-Test Border-Gavaskar series starts in Nagpur today.

The back-to-back series defeats in their own den (2018-19 and 2020-21) have hurt Pat Cummins and his players and they certainly have revenge on its mind, even though it will be easier said than done on a pitch that promises appreciable turn from first day itself.

The quality of India versus Australia Test matches since the epic 2001 series has, at times, been better than the Ashes. The journey of this batch of Australian cricketers won't be complete if they don't emulate the exploits of the Matthew Haydens, Justin Langers, Glenn McGraths or the Adam Gilchrists of 2004.

Steve Smith put it aptly, saying a series win in India will be bigger than the Ashes.

For Rohit, who has unfortunately missed all the Test matches or series against bigger teams either due to injuries (hamstring vs South Africa and split webbing vs Bangladesh in 2022) or illness (Covid-19 vs England in the one-off game), would like to emulate his predecessor Kohli in leading the team to another World Test Championship final.

For that to happen, India will need a clear two-match victory margin and Rohit's biggest weapon of execution will be his quartet of spinners, out of which three are supposed to play. Not to forget, his batters need to rise up to Nathan Lyon's challenge. The hosts haven't been up to scratch when they play slow bowlers on rank turners.

INDICATORS

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GBP 0.82 /US$, Euro 0.93 /US$, Jap.Yen 131.14 /US$, Aus$ 1.43 /US$, Sing 1.32 /US$, Bang Taka 105.26 /US$, Can$ 1.34 /US$, Mal Ring 4.29 /US$,

Pak Re 273.65 /US$, Phil Peso 54.81 /US$, Russian Rouble 72.00 /US$, NZ$ 1.58 /US$, Thai Baht 33.46 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 36.48 /US$)

Bitcoin - USD 22,953

Dollar Index 103.32 Brent Crude 85.02 BDI 601

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,875 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 5,755 / 5,275, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 74,000

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion. - The Dalai Lama

OFF TRACK

A five year old is sitting sadly after being scolded by his mom.

Dad: What happened son?

Kid: Dad, I can’t adjust with your wife anymore! I want my own.