For Competition GK News

Dear readers, Good Evening!
Today we begin our newsletter with the human impact of the ceasefire violations between India and Pakistan, two nations that simply have made mockery of the phrase 'Line of Control. In good news for India, even as one of Pakistan's anti-terrorism court has issued an arrest warrant for JeM chief Masood Azhar, news trickled in Mumbai attack mastermind and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operations commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi is being interrogated by Pakistan's counter terrorism authorities in Punjab province.

With the Republic Day nearing soon, NSG 'black cat' commandos and a tableau of the country's largest paramilitary force CRPF have started practising for the parade amidst chilly, foggy Delhi winters. Marching and band contingents of the Delhi Police, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the famed camel-mounted band of the Border Security Force will also be part of the annual parade on January 26 that is going to be limited this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In an example of hard-work and determination, Indian-American Dr Raj Iyer has taken over as the first Chief Information Officer of the US Army, after the Pentagon created the position in July 2020. Incidentally, Iyer, originally a native of Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, grew up in Bengaluru and completed his undergraduate studies at National Institute of Technology Tirchi before moving to the US to pursue higher studies.

In a shaky start to 2021, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to strengthen the country's military defences in a speech at a major ruling party meeting. What makes his ambiguous reference to security scary is the fact that North Korea had previously underscored its need for nuclear weapons and missiles as a deterrent and a pre-emptive strike capability to cope with what it describes as American hostility.

"Most of the time we are shut up in our house. It is a war on us."

Amidst a year ambushed by coronavirus and Chinese aggression, Pakistan may have gone out of the news cycle but it certainly did not hold back on violating the ceasefire agreement. In fact, India claims Pakistan violated the 2003 ceasefire accord more than 5,000 times last year -- the highest since it started. About 20 civilians were killed over the year, and incidents included drones dropping grenades into Indian territory.

Zameer Ahmad was building a community bunker on the Indian side of the Himalayan region's disputed frontier -- officially known as the Line of Control (LoC) -- when a sniper round fired from Pakistani-controlled territory struck the ground nearby.
Ahmad and co-worker Sadakat Hussain took cover behind a wall in the village of Simari. "We finally decided to try to run but we both got hit," the 26-year-old told AFP.

"Most of the time we are shut up in our house. It is a war on us," Amna Bibi, 40, said while washing clothes outside her home.

India draws up list of nations to sell Akash and BrahMos missiles

In its quest to emerge as a major arms exporter and bolster strategic ties with “friendly” countries, India has drawn up a list of nations to whom weapon systems can be sold in the years ahead.

The case for exporting BrahMos missiles, developed jointly with Russia, to the Philippines is already with the Cabinet Committee for Security for final approval, say defence sources.

The second country on the list is Indonesia, while Vietnam, UAE, Saudi Arabia and South Africa have also shown an interest in acquiring the 290-km range BrahMos, which has emerged as the “precision-strike weapon of choice” for Indian armed forces.

There are nine countries, in turn, which have shown interest in the indigenously-developed Akash missile systems, which can intercept hostile aircraft, helicopters, drones and subsonic cruise missiles at a range of 25-km. They are Kenya, Philippines, Indonesia, UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Vietnam and Algeria.

Pakistan tightens its noose around Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar

Following the Pulwama terror attack in February 2019 in India, Pakistan's Punjab province police had launched a crackdown on terrorism financing and in this connection arrested six activists of the JeM in Gujranwala, some 130kms from Lahore.

Following immense international pressure after the Pulwama attack, the Pakistan government had arrested over 100 members of banned militant outfits including the JeM chief's son and brother. The government also took control of the JeM, Mumbai terror attack mastermind Haifiz Saeed's Jamaat-ud-Dawah (uD) and Falahai Insaniat Foundation (FIF) properties including seminaries and mosques across the country.

In a win for India, in May 2019, the United Nations designated Azhar a "global terrorist" after China lifted its hold on a proposal to blacklist the Pakistan-based JeM chief, a decade after New Delhi approached the world body for the first time on the issue.

"300 to 415 terrorists in PoK along the LoC ready to infiltrate into J&K"

In worsening news for Indian security forces, a top police official said that Pakistan is trying to infiltrate terrorists along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir even during the winters when most of the passes and mountainous areas along the border are covered in heavy snow.

"They are also using drones to ferry and drop weapons and explosive material into border areas in Jammu and Kashmir along with narcotics to finance terrorism," an official said.

A group of four JeM terrorists entered Samba via a tunnel and were neutralized after a truck carrying them to Kashmir was intercepted on the highway at Nagrota in Jammu in November 2020, they said.

"Over 20 infiltration routes have been identified and the security grid has been strengthened to prevent the entry of armed terrorists," another official said.

Legal News

1. CLAT 2021 Postponed To June 13 Taking Note Of CBSE Exam Schedule

2. Individual Can't Decide How Law Enforcement Agency Should Act & When To Invoke Powers Under Preventive Detention Law: Telangana HC

3. Conviction In A Non-Compoundable Case Can't Be Set Aside By HC U/S482CrPC On The Ground Of Compromise Except In Rarest Of Rare Cases: Bombay HC (FB)

4.Another Setback To CM Yediyurappa As Karnataka High Court Refuses To Quash Corruption Case Against Him

5. "Attempt To Nullify Supreme Court Judgement":SC Issues Notice On Plea Challenging UP Qualifying Service for Pension and Validation Ordinance of 2020

6. Whether Vehicle Owner Himself Can Receive Compensation Under His Own Insurance Policy If He Was At Fault? Supreme Court To Examine

7. High Court's Power Under Article 226/227 To Interfere With Arbitration Process Needs To Be Exercised In Exceptional Rarity: Supreme Court

8. 'Love Jihad Laws' Are A Grave Assault On Personal Liberty: Jamiat-Ulama-I-Hind Moves SC Seeking Impleadment In Plea Challenging UP & Uttarakhand Laws

9. S. 195 CrPC Doesn't Bar Registration Of FIR For An Offence Under S. 188 IPC By Police: Madhya Pradesh High Court

10. 'Faulty Initial Investigation, Unskilled Prosecution, Lack of Involvement By Trial Judge' : Kerala High Court About Walayar Rape-Death Cases

GK Snapshot   

1. MoE’s Ramesh Pokhriyal & MoWCD’s Smriti Irani Launched Toycathon 2021 and Toycathon Portal

2. Cabinet approves signing of MoC between India and Japan on Partnership in “Specified Skilled Worker”

3. Harsh Vardhan inaugurates CEPI Centralized Network Lab at DBT-THSTI Faridabad; 1st of its kind in India & One of the Seven in the World

4. GoI, West Bengal & World Bank sign USD 105 Million Project to improve Waterways in West Bengal

5. India Expected to grow at 5.4 % in Fiscal Year 2021/22 : World Bank report

6. Former Indian Footballer Abhishek Yadav Appointed as AIFF’s 1st Deputy General Secretary

7. Faustin-Archange Touadéra Elected as President of Central African Republic for 2nd Term

8. Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal Launched 1st-of-its-kind Indian Railways’ Freight Business Development Portal

9. 2020 is 8th Warmest Year in India Since 1901: IMD

10. World Day of War Orphans 2021: January 6