Good Morning, dear reader! Here’s your morning news brief for today.

Over 3,000 Encounters, 78 Killed In First 16 Months Under Yogi Adityanath

The Uttar Pradesh police recorded at least 3,026 encounters in the first 16 months of the Yogi Adityanath government, The Indian Express has reported. According to the daily’s report, 78 criminals were killed in these encounters, 7,043 were arrested and 11,981 criminals had their bail cancelled in courts.

On an average, six encounters took place every day and 14 criminals were arrested. At least four criminals were killed every month on average. This data has been provided in a letter sent to all districts magistrates ahead of the Republic Day. This letter lists the achievements of the state government. Last year, the Uttar Pradesh government had said that cases of dacoity have come down in the state by 5.7 per cent, murder by 7.35 per cent, road holdups by 100 per cent, abduction by 13.21 per cent, atrocities against Dalits by 16.41 per cent and arson by 29.73 per cent. (Also Read: Multiple Arrests And Encounters Later, Kairana Is Moving Towards Normalcy)

ISRO Launches DRDO-Built Military Imaging Satellite And More

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched the world’s lightest satellite weighing less than a wooden chair at 1.26 kg. The satellite, which has been made by Indian students, was launched atop the agency’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle along with a 740-kg satellite called Microsat-R that will be used to take high-resolution pictures of the Earth for defence research. Microsat-R has been built by the Defence Research and Development Organisation.

Kalamsat-V2, on the other hand, has been built by a group of 20-something at Space Kidz India. While the satellite was built in six days, the group worked on the technology for over six years. ISRO did not charge the group a single rupee for the launch. With this launch, India has also become the first country in the world to use the fourth stage of a space rocket for micro-gravity experiments.

Trouble Brews In Bihar Grand Alliance Over Seats

The Congress-Rashtriya Janata Dal (RLD) grand alliance in Bihar, which also has smaller outfits like the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party, appears to be in trouble as there is no clarity over seat sharing in the state, Mint has reported. Parties part of the alliance are set to meet in the first week of February to discuss seat sharing arrangement for Bihar.

The Congress is demanding at least 12 seats and the RLD is claiming around 20 to 22. This leaves little for smaller players like RLSP in the alliance. Other parties are not keen on giving the Congress 12 seats as it had won only two of the 12 in contested in 2014.

Train 18 Likely To Be Launched In A Week

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to launch Train 18 in a week as it has been given provisional clearance by the Electrical Inspector to the Government for three months. Train 18 has officially become the fastest train in India after getting an approval from the Chief Commissioner of Railways Safety (CCRS) to run at a speed of 160 km per hour, the Times of India had reported in December. According to the daily, the CCRS has given it an approval with certain conditions. One of these conditions is providing a “sturdy fencing” all along the track to avoid any mishap.

In its note, the CCRS has said that the railways will need to provide fencing at vulnerable points if the train operates at 130 km per hour and all along the track if it is run at the top speed of 160 km per hour. It has imposed 21 other conditions which the Indian Railways must fulfil to run the train at the top speed.

PM-Led Panel Makes No Decision On New CBI Chief, To Meet Again

The three-member panel led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which had met today to at his official residence to select a new chief for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), will meet again as it did not reach a conclusion, the Times of India has reported. The daily’s report says that a list of eligible officers along with their dossiers was given to the members. Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi and Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge are the other two members of the panel.

Selection of a new chief has been necessitated by the ouster of Alok Verma by the Modi-led panel. Indian Police Service officers of 1983, 1984 and 1985 batch, including DG BSF Rajni Kant Mishra, NIA chief Y C Modi, CISF DG Rajesh Ranjan and DGP Uttar Pradesh O P Singh, are being considered for the post. After Verma’s ouster by the high-power selection panel, M Nageswara Rao was appointed as the CBI’s interim director. He had reversed all transfer orders issued by Verma.

From Swarajya

Is The Indian Education Sector Prepared For 10 Per Cent EWS Quota? The government must ensure that the rise in the number of educational institutions along with a rise in student strength because of the different kinds of quotas must not be a deterrent to providing quality higher education.

Eight Themes That Will Impact The 2019 Electoral Outcome, And Six That Won’t: Here are eight issues that will work with the voters in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, and six issues that won’t impact the voters.

This eNAM In Andhra’s Nellore Is Yet To Go Digital: Officials say that it could take another two years before eNAM becomes fully functional in Andhra Pradesh. Till then, online trading and digital governance have to wait.

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