Morning Brief: Exposed! How Sonia Ruled As Proxy PM; New War On Cyber Terror; IS Link To Jerusalem Truck Attack

Good Morning, Swarajya Readers! Here's What You Need To Know Today.

Exposed! How Sonia Gandhi Ruled As Proxy Prime Minister: The government of India has made public 710 files related to the National Advisory Committee (NAC), formed under the leadership of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and former prime minister Manmohan Singh. These files reveal how NAC, far from its charter to provide inputs for policy formulation and support to government, was influencing policy making in disinvestment, coal, power and real estate apart from social sectors.

Mid-Night Truce: Fuel Stations To Accept Card Payments Until 13 January: Petrol-pump owners on Sunday night deferred till 13 January their decision to not accept credit- and debit-card payments for fuel sales, after banks put off the move to levy a charge on every plastic transaction. The roll-back was announced within hours of petrol-pump associations saying they would not accept card payments from Monday. The decision covers a majority of the 56,000 outlets in the country.

Railways Set For Branding Trains And Stations: The Indian Railways has come up with a plan to brand trains and stations to increase revenues without raising passenger fares or freight rates. The proposal is ready and is expected to get the green light of the railway board next week. Under the new policy, a company can buy consolidated media rights for branding the entire train. It can then advertise both inside and outside the bogies.

Banks Told To Obtain PAN Numbers Of Account Holders: The government has asked banks across the country to obtain PAN numbers of all its customers by 28 February, barring those holding savings bank accounts. The move is expected to help the government match transaction details of account holders with the tax return they file. The government has also asked banks to report cash deposits in savings accounts seven months before demonetisation.

Urjit Patel Summoned Over Note Ban Move: Reserve Bank of India governor Urjit Patel has been summoned by a parliamentary panel probing the government's decision to scrap high-value bank notes has asked him to appear before it on 20 January. Patel was asked to provide details on the value of currency that has been returned to the bank, the quantity of "black money" it has received and the amount of new currency released so far.

Government Expected To Reject Budget Delay Demand: The government is expected to reject an opposition demand to delay Union Budget in view of state elections. It will formally communicate to the Election Commission that it will present the budget as proposed on 1 February. Voting in five state elections will begin on 4 February, days after the budget is presented, with ballots being counted on 11 March.

BJP Demands Arrest Of Imam Who Issued Fatwa Against PM Modi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal has lodged a police complaint against an imam for issuing a ‘fatwa’ against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded his arrest. Syed Mohammad Nurur Rahman Barkati, the Shahi Imam of Kolkata’s Tipu Sultan Masjid, on Saturday issued a ‘fatwa’ against Modi, accusing him of ‘bluffing’ people through demonetisation.

New War On Cyber Terrorism: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh hinted at introducing a special training programme for India's central paramilitary forces for combatting cyber terrorism and counter insurgency operations. Singh, who inaugurated the eastern sector headquarter of Central Industrial Security Force in the Jharkhand capital, said it was the need of hour for increasing the 'technological and core competence' of the forces.

IS Link To Jerusalem Truck Attack: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the driver who ploughed a truck into a group of soldiers in Jerusalem, killing four people and injuring at least 10, may have been an Islamic State sympathiser. Israeli police shot and killed the attack suspect, who they identified as 28-year-old Fadi Qunbar.

Trump Accepts Russia’s Role In US Election Hackings: President-elect Donald Trump accepts the US intelligence community’s conclusion that Russia engaged in cyber attacks during the US presidential election and may take action in response, his incoming chief of staff said. Reince Priebus, however, did not clarify whether the president-elect agreed that the hacks were directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

MUST READ OP-EDS

New Poll, Same Script: PM Modi vs The Rest: In just two-and-a-half years a Modi-led BJP has not only become the new pole of Indian politics but is also emerging as the glue for an otherwise fragmented opposition to unite.

The RBI’s Bounty And Its Independence: To safeguard its reputation and independence, the RBI should publicly counter any pressure to make the bonus-transfer and highlight that this can conflict with the goals of monetary policy.

The New Chief Justice May Bridge The Gap Between Judiciary And Executive: Everyone, including Khehar, agrees that reform and transparency in judges’ selection and appointment isn’t a bad thing.

Will Aadhaar Help The Poor Become Cashless? As things stand, poor and vulnerable groups are forced to change their saving and purchasing habits, but are surrounded by confused and distorted guidance on how to handle the transition.

SWARAJYA SPECIAL

In The Name Of Secularism: Why It’s Difficult To Separate Church From Politics In India: Aravindan Neelakandan on how the church wields its influence in electoral politics in India.

We hope you enjoyed reading our morning brief. Have a great day ahead!

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