Morning Brief: Rs 20,000 Crore Arms Deals Signed; Triple Talaq Ban Soon; Pakistan Referendum Call
Good Morning, Swarajya Readers! Here's What You Need To Know Today.
Rs 20,000 Crore Arms Deals Signed: India has sealed a number of emergency deals for ammunition and spares worth around Rs 20,000 crore to ensure its fighters and tanks, infantry and warships, are all ready to go to battle at short notice. Defence Ministry sources said the aim was to guarantee the armed forces can undertake at least 10 days of "intense fighting" without worrying about ammunition, spares and other reserves.
Major Step To Ban Triple Talaq On Cards: Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that the centre is likely to take “a major step” to ban triple talaq after the ongoing assembly polls. Insisting that the issue is not related to religion but involves respect and dignity of women, he said the government “respects faith but worship and social evil cannot co-exist”. He dared Samajwadi Party, Congress and BSP to make their stand clear on the contentious issue.
The Rise And Rise Of Sasikala: Sasikala Natarajan was on Sunday elected as the leader of All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) legislative party in Tamil Nadu. This comes after O Panneerselvam tendered his resignation from the post of the Chief Minister, paving the way for her to take on the mantle. According to government sources, she will be sworn in as chief minister tomorrow (7 February).
Big Penalty For Large Cash Transactions: Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said a steep penalty awaits those accepting cash in excess of Rs 3 lakh to settle any transaction beginning 1 April. "Supposing you do a transaction of Rs 4 lakh in cash, then the penalty would be Rs 4 lakh. If you do a transaction of Rs 50 lakh, penalty would be Rs 50 lakh," he said, adding that the penalty will be levied on the receiver.
Government To Pump More Lower-Denomination Notes: After the government shelved plans to reintroduce Rs 1,000 notes, more of Rs 100 and Rs 500 banknotes are set to be pumped into the economy. “The focus will be on lower-denomination notes, though people are now no more reluctant to accept Rs 2,000 notes. Right now there is no plan to introduce Rs 1,000 notes,” economic affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das said and underscored that pro-active measures should be taken to reduce the demand for cash.
New-Look JUD Stages Massive Rallies For Kashmir: Just days after Pakistan put the mastermind of Mumbai terror attack and chief of Jamat-ud-Dawa (JUD), Hafiz Saeed, under house arrest, the group announced the launch of its charity organisation Tehrik-e-Azadi Jammu Kashmir. Marking 5 February as Kashmir Solidarity Day, the outfit announced rallies, conferences and marches across the country. In Lahore, it staged a massive gathering where thousands of supporters turned up.
Time For Pakistan To Conduct Referendum, Says Rajnath Singh: The time has come for Pakistan to conduct a referendum to determine whether its citizens wished to merge with India or not, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday. His comments came on a day when Pakistan observed the annual Kashmiri Solidarity Day in support of Kashmiris caught in protests across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Trump Under Fire For Saying He Respects Putin: US President Donald Trump drew criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike on Sunday, after he defended a softer stance on Russia, playing down political assassinations and Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. When pressed in relation to Putin’s alleged links to the extrajudicial killing of journalists and dissidents, Trump said, “There are a lot of killers. We have a lot of killers.”
MUST READ OP-EDS
Economic Priorities In A Protectionist World: India needs to focus more on itself and use the opportunity to restructure and reform even as the world regards India as a (relative) beacon of hope.
Health Budget: Reality Check: The new allocations reflect the fact that policymakers are preparing for the changing health status of the population that accompanies the economic progress of the country.
Over The Barrel: Prepare For An Oil Change: India hasn’t yet joined the global move towards clean energy. But for how long can it hold out?
The Politics Of Forgotten States: Uttarakhand and Manipur are indispensable parts of India. Being on the border, they are also our natural guardians. Ignoring them can prove to be a perilous proposition.
The End Of Trump’s Market Honeymoon: If Trump takes his protectionism too far, he will undoubtedly spark trade wars. The market rally is already running out of steam, and Trump’s honeymoon with investors might be coming to an end.
SWARAJYA SPECIAL
The Perversion Of Feminism: The Real Problems Of Women Are Off The Agenda: The feminist movement has been hijacked by vested interests, leading to a travesty of the legitimate struggle for women’s empowerment that it once was.
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