1. Setback to Anti-Terror Agenda
The Hindu reports that while the sluggish progress of the 26/11 Mumbai attack probe was listed for the NSA talks, India was planning to hand over a list of 54 fugitives to Pakistan, during the talks between the National Security Advisors of the two nations, which was cancelled amid high drama on Saturday.
Quoting copiously the interrogation details of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative David Coleman Headley, who helped plot the Mumbai attacks of 2008, India made a watertight case to corner Pakistan regarding its apathetic approach to the trial.
2. In Bihar, Sharad Yadav Spells Out Strategy to Sidestep Communal Violence
JD(U) president Sharad Yadav blamed the BJP for the rise of communal incidents in Bihar and wants the state government to prepare a special strategy to deal with it. The Indian Express reports.
3. Pak Goes All Out to Remove Links With Udhampur Terrorist Naved
Hindustan Times reports that Pakistan has pulled out all the stops to erase evidence that Mohammed Naved Yakub is one of its own, following the captured Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant’s confession that he is from Faisalabad, in Pakistan.
4. Nano Medicine Breakthrough a Giant Leap for India
The Times of India reports that the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali has put India in the select club of countries that manufacture raw material for generating nano-crystal based medicines.
5. Minimum Wages Act: With Eye on Basic Wage Rate, Centre Plans Amendments
The Indian Express reports that the government is seeking to significantly boost incomes of the country’s lowest paid workers by substantially raising the minimum wages payable to them, mandating payments through formal banking channels and ensuring they get social security benefits like provident fund and medical insurance.
6. Jaitley Opens Bank With Strong Rural Bandhan
After a 14-year-long journey as a microfinance company, Bandhan was born as a full-fledged bank on Sunday with an aggressive thrust on catering to rural areas. The Bandhan Bank began operations as a full-fledged bank with 501 branches and 1.43 crore accounts across the country, becoming the newest member of the estimated $2 trillion Indian banking industry. The Pioneer reports.
7. India and the Hidden Hand
The Indian Express discusses that the breakdown of the NSA-level talks between India and Pakistan underlines the fact that Delhi needs to find a different language to speak to Pakistan’s generals. And it’s a task that won’t be easy.
Last week’s implosion of national security advisor-level talks has demonstrated that there is indeed a hidden hand that guides India-Pakistan engagement — the hand of the generals.
8. The Korean Conundrum
The Hindu highlights that the Korean Peninsula is no stranger to tensions. But the ultimatum given by North Korea to the South, to either stop its propaganda broadcasts across the demilitarised zone (DMZ) or face war, has raised them to their highest level in many years.
9. Don’t Defend Rape: Mulayam Attracts Court Summons for Blaming Victims of Gang Rape
In light of Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav’s recent comments about a woman who was raped by four men, The Times of India discusses that it is this sweeping generalisation that only reinforces the ‘blame the victim’ mentality that suffuses law enforcement in India and ensures that grievous crimes like rape and gang rape are often swept under the carpet.
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