A FARMER KILLED, 12 COPS HURT AS STIR TURNS VIOLENT; DELHI MARCH PUT ON HOLD

Farmers leaders on Wednesday put the 'Delhi Chalo' march on hold for two days after a protester was killed and about 12 police personnel injured in clashes at Khanauri, one of the two protest sites on the Punjab-Haryana border. Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said that they will decide the next course of action on Friday evening.

Punjab farmers at Khanauri and Shambhu had resumed their agitation early in the morning after a two-day lull following the fourth round of talks on Sunday night with a panel of three Union ministers in an attempt to break the deadlock.

Police fired tear gas shells at the two border points multiple times to disperse groups of protesters when they attempted to move towards the layers of barricades stalling their march to the national capital.

Thousands of farmers remain camped at Khanauri and Shambhu with their tractor-trolleys and trucks agitating for their demands.

The deceased, Subhkaran Singh (21), had an injury to his head.

The farmers claimed that Haryana Police personnel fired rubber bullets, besides tear gas shells.

Heavy earthmoving equipment, including excavators, and modified tractors were seen at the protest sites, and police had cautioned that these might be used to break barricades and cause harm to security personnel.

Many protesting farmers were seen wearing masks and glasses to protect themselves from tear gas. Drones were used by police to keep an eye on the activities of the farmers on the other side of the barricades and drop tear gas shells.

Agriculture Minister Arjun Munda still exuded confidence that a solution to the demands of the farmers can be found through negotiations. "Farmers are across the country. While making a policy, it is important to keep in mind the interest of the farmers of the entire country. Keeping this in mind, we will work towards resolving their concerns in the coming days," he said.

Several farmer organisations condoled the death of the farmer.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said history will certainly demand an account of farmers' killings from the BJP.

In a post on X earlier, the Haryana Police asked owners of excavators to withdraw their machines from the protest sites. If they do not do so, action will be taken, it said. "For owners and operators of poclains, JCBs: Please do not provide your equipment to the protestors and withdraw them from the protest site if already done, as they may be used to cause harm to security forces. It is a non-bailable offence and you may be held criminally liable," police said in a post on X.

AT MEET WITH CHINA, INDIA INSISTS ON TOTAL PULLOUT AT LAC TO RESTORE PEACE

Military commanders of India and China have met yet again for what is the 21st round of talks to diffuse tensions, festering since April 2020, along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh.

The Ministry of External Affairs posted a statement on its website which details, “Discussions took place on the previous rounds, seeking complete disengagement in the remaining areas along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh, as an essential basis for restoration of peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas”.

The India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting was held at Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on February 19. The MEA noted, “The two sides shared their perspective in the talks that were held in a friendly and cordial atmosphere”. The two sides agreed to maintain communication on the way ahead through relevant military and diplomatic mechanisms. They also committed to maintaining peace on the ground in the border areas in the interim, the statement said.

The last round of talks was held on October 9-10, 2023. India and China are looking at ending the ongoing impasse along the LAC in eastern Ladakh, where the two militaries have been locked in a stand-off since April 2020.

India has suggested to China that a graded three-step process is needed to ease the standoff. The first is disengagement of troops within close proximity of each other in grey zones along the LAC and getting back to positions as on April 2020.

The next two steps — de-escalation and de-induction —would entail pulling back troops and equipment to the pre-April 2020 levels. Till that is agreed upon and complied, it cannot be assumed to be business as usual and Indian troops intend to remain at the LAC.

INDIA IS NOW A GLOBAL CONSENSUS BUILDER: GREEK PM

The Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday said India is now often regarded as a consensus builder and a voice of reason in an increasingly polarised world, when it comes to shaping global debates and addressing greater challenges.

“Today, India is a great power on the world stage and an important ally in pursuit of peace and security - a rising force at the heart of G20 and a leading player in the fight against climate change,” said Mitsotakis, the chief guest at the Raisina Dialogue, in the presence of PM Narendra Modi, 20 Foreign Ministers, academicians and several strategic policy experts, mostly from Europe.

The Greek PM endorsed the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and felt while the war in Gaza was destabilising, it had not ‘undermined the profound and powerful logic behind the IMEC’. He called upon the stakeholders, including India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and the US, to tirelessly work towards its implementation.

“We are your natural doorstep to Europe and beyond. The IMEC is a peace project which can bring peace and prosperity,” said Mitsotakis, about the corridor that has been criticised as a means to side-line the Palestinian issue.

Mitsotakis differed with India’s perception about the Ukraine conflict, which he said was more than a ‘local war on European soil’ and was instead a ‘brutal challenge’ to international stability and the rules-based order that ‘India has supported and has every interest in maintaining it’.’

INDIA: US WAS BIG HELP DURING LAC STAND-OFF, FUTURE SUPPORT MUST TOO

In what could be the first official acknowledgement on the nature of the India-US collaboration to tackle China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) during the ongoing military stand-off, Indian Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane yesterday said “intelligence sharing and situational awareness” were key areas, adding that India hoped the US would “support” it in future too.

Speaking at an event, he referred to the India-US relations saying: “One thing which aided us (during the LAC stand-off) was the intelligence, the situational awareness which the US equipment and the US govt helped us with; so that is the single-most important area”.

“We are standing there — along the LAC — against a bully in a very determined fashion,” Aramane said, adding that “we expect that our friend, the US, will be there with us in case we need support, it is a must for us”. “Apart from that, a strong resolve that we support each other in the face of a common threat is going to be of critical importance to us,” he said.

Aramane was speaking at the second edition of the INDUS-X summit hin New Delhi. Aramane was asked by his fellow panellist, “Sometimes it takes a crisis for barriers to break down. We saw that happen in a few areas during the recent crisis between India and China. What should India ask for from the US (in future)?” The Defence Secretary replied, “Yes, that is the realm of possibility and we continue to discuss the challenge we face from our northern neighbours. The possibility that we may face a similar situation that we faced in 2020 is keeping us active all the time.” The Defence Secretary participated in a session where he was joined by US “IndoPacom” Commander Admiral John C Aquilino and president, USIBC, Atul Keshap.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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ASSANGE WENT BEYOND JOURNALISM, PUT LIVES AT RISK, US TELLS UK HC

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange should face espionage charges in the US because he put innocent lives at risk and went beyond journalism in his bid to solicit, steal and indiscriminately publish classified US govt documents, lawyers for the American govt argued Wednesday.

The lawyers spoke before Britain’s high court in response to a last-ditch bid by Assange’s defence to stop his extradition from the UK to the US.

Assange’s lawyers are asking the HC to grant him a new appeal — his last legal roll of the dice in the long-running legal saga that has kept him in a British high-security prison for the past five years.

The 52-year-old Australian has been indicted on 17 charges of espionage and one charge of computer misuse over his website’s publication of a huge trove of classified US documents almost 15 years ago. American prosecutors allege Assange encouraged and helped US army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning steal diplomatic cables and military files that WikiLeaks later published, putting lives at risk.

VIVEK RAMASWAMY IN TRUMP'S 'LIST OF GOOD PEOPLE' FOR V-P POST

Indian-American biotech entrepreneur-turned-politician Vivek Ramaswamy is amongst the names that former US President and Republican frontrunner Donald Trump is considering as his running mate for Vice-President in the 2024 presidential polls.

During a Fox News town hall event on Tuesday, the host asked Trump about six possible choices for his vice-presidential shortlist when he rattled off the names of South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard, Vivek Ramaswamy, Florida Representative Byron Donalds, and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, a report in Politico.com said.

Trump, 77, did not name Haley, the other Indian-American politician, who is still in the race.

Following his poor showing in Iowa caucuses in mid-January, Ramaswamy, 38, had not just backed out as a Republican presidential candidate but also backed its winner, Trump.

THE REST

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SENIOR SUPREME COURT ADVOCATE FALI S NARIMAN PASSES AWAY AT 95

Eminent jurist and senior Supreme Court advocate Fali S Nariman passed away on Wednesday morning at the age of 95.

He was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1991 and Padma Vibhushan in 2007.

Throughout his career, Nariman had been associated with several landmark cases. Nariman resigned from the post of additional solicitor general in June 1975 in protest against Indira Gandhi’s decision to impose Emergency and suspend fundamental rights of citizens.

This what Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said yesterday: "Not only the legal fraternity but the nation has lost a towering figure of intellect and wisdom. The country has lost an epitome of what righteousness stood for. A doyen, paragon and a legend in his own lifetime has left us leaving the jurisprudence enriched by his immense contribution. I have always learnt something new by merely appearing even against him."

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi termed Fali Nariman's death "end of an era"

President Droupadi Murmu mourned the passing of the “titan among legal luminaries”; Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar called it an “unbridgeable loss,” and his legacy and contribution a “guiding light to the nation.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “among the most outstanding legal minds and intellectuals” who “devoted his life to making justice accessible to common citizens.” Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud called him “great giant of an intellectual.”

BOOST TO INDI-ALLIANCE, SP-CONGRESS PACT SEALED

In a major boost to the INDIA alliance, the Congress and Samajwadi Party on Wednesday finalised the seat-sharing arrangement in the politically significant state of Uttar Pradesh for the forthcoming General Election, with Akhilesh Yadav offering 17 seats, including Amethi, Raebareli and Varanasi, to the Congress.

Priyanka Vadra spoke with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav over phone on Wednesday to break the seat-sharing deadlock.

The Congress is likely to offer the SP one seat, possibly Khajuraho, out of the total 29 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh.

The seat-sharing announcement was made at a press conference in Lucknow. Samajwadi Party general secretary Rajendra Chaudhary and his Congress counterpart Avinash Pandey, while addressing the press conference, said the alliance was a message for the country.

Earlier in the day, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav had indicated in Lucknow that all was well within the INDIA group. “All is well that ends well. Yes, there will be an alliance and there is no conflict. Everything will be clear soon,” Akhilesh was quoted as saying.

His party had earlier said he would join Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra only if its seat-sharing proposal was accepted.

IT'S LIKE GOD WAS SPEAKING THROUGH CJI: KEJRIWAL ON CHANDIGARH ORDER

Hailing the Supreme Court's verdict on the Chandigarh mayoral poll, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said it seemed that Lord Krishna was present in the court and speaking through the Chief Justice.

"It was a different atmosphere in the Supreme Court yesterday (Tuesday), it felt like Lord Shri Krishna was right there, speaking through the medium of the Chief Justice of India," the chief minister said in Delhi assembly.

Kejriwal said god decided to intervene and put an end to the prevailing adharm (unrighteousness)" of the BJP.

Hitting back, the BJP said Kejriwal's occasional references to Lord Ram and Wednesday's mention of Lord Krishna indicates his fear of jail in connection with the excise policy case.

"It is extremely surprising to witness Arvind Kejriwal mentioning verses from the Bhagavad Gita today. I hope that the chief minister will also read those verses of Bhagavad Gita where Lord Krishna explains that humans have to face the consequences of their actions," the BJP's Delhi unit chief Virendra Sachdeva said.

ROW AFTER RAHUL ASKS TV REPORTER IF OWNER OF CHANNEL IS DALIT

Controversy erupted on Wednesday over Congress workers allegedly roughing up an ‘India News’ journalist at Raebareli on Tuesday and the manner in which Rahul Gandhi quizzed him. The TV channel released a video where Rahul is seen asking the TV journalist, Shiv Prasad Yadav, his name, and also that of the owner of the channel.

Rahul is then heard telling Congress workers on the mic not to assault him (journalist) and asking him the name of the owner of his TV channel. “Kya wo OBC hai? Nahin. Kya wo Dalit hai? Nahin (Is he OBC? No. Is he Dalit? No),” Rahul had said.

The incident reportedly happened when the journalist was asking Congress workers not to remove his mic and he asked Rahul why he was not being allowed to cover the event properly.

UP BJP MLA Shalabh Mani Tripathi posted the India News video on X and said, “Shiv Yadav’s only fault was that he was acting like a field journalist, and not like a Congress stooge.”

The Congress dismissed the incident and said Rahul was only flagging the low representation of reserved categories in various sectors. Congress spokesperson P L Punia said: “Nothing like this happened but Rahulji asks in many meetings how many people from reserved categories are there in the media. He also asks about industry, top posts in govt.”

TO BYPASS RED SEA, A PROPOSED NEW TRADE ROUTE TO ISRAEL, FROM INDIA

As Houthis continue to attack Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea, Israeli transport minister Miri Regev recently announced an alternative route for trade, involving the Mundra port in Gujarat.

Under this, goods move from Mundra to ports in the UAE, such as Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port, by sea, and then via land through Saudi Arabia and Jordan to Israel. A major part of the land transport will be carried out on trucks. According to reports in Israeli and Arab media, these trucks will be operated by two shipping companies, Israel’s Trucknet and the UAE’s PureTrans.

Crucially, a similar route might be used in the India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) too. The ambitious project aims to link India to Europe via the Middle East, but its final shape is yet to be decided and the Gaza war has thrown a spanner in its progress.

The land route will significantly cut travel time and costs for Israel, and will generate revenue for Saudi Arabia and Jordan in terms of transport fee and duties. But the route depends on Israel maintaining friendly ties with the two countries, in a rapidly fluctuating situation in the Middle East.

CBSE TO CONDUCT TEST RUN OF OPEN-BOOK EXAMINATIONS THIS YEAR

The CBSE is considering Open Book Examinations (OBE) for students of Classes 9 to 12 in line with the recommendations of the new National Curriculum Framework released last year, The Indian Express has learned.

According to sources, the Board has proposed a pilot run of open-book tests in a few schools for English, Mathematics and Science for Classes 9 and 10 and English, Mathematics and Biology for Classes 11 and 12 later this year to evaluate time taken by students to complete such tests and stakeholders’ response.

In an open-book exam, students are allowed to carry their notes, textbooks, or other study material and refer to them during the examination.

The pilot is proposed to be conducted in November-December this year and based on the experience, the Board will decide whether this form of assessment should be adopted across all its schools for Classes 9 to 12. The pilot will be focused on assessing higher-order thinking skills, application, analysis, critical and creative thinking, and problem solving abilities.

AMEEN SAYANI, ICONIC RADIO PRESENTER AND VOICE OF GEETMALA, DIES AT 91

Ameen Sayani, the iconic radio presenter who hosted the popular show Binaca Geetmala, died in Mumbai on Tuesday after suffering a heart attack; he was 91.

Ameen was known for his show Binaca Geetmala – which was broadcast since 1952 – mainly over Radio Ceylon and later over Vividh Bharati (AIR) – for a total of over 42 years. His introduction ‘Namaskar bhaiyon aur behno, main aapka dost Ameen Sayani bol raha hoon on Radio Ceylon still evokes strong nostalgia.

Sayani was also a part of various movies throughout the years, such as Bhoot Bungla, Teen Devian, Boxer, and Qatl. He appeared in all of these movies in the role of an announcer in some events.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough. - Rabindranath Tagore

OFF TRACK

Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all ‘four essential food groups’:

Alcohol, Caffeine, Sugar, Fat.