India has largely been perceived the same in the last decade in terms of corruption, as Pakistan has dropped to number 140 out of 180 countries, according to a newly released 2021 Corruption Perception Index…writes Joyeeta Basu.
News in brief from South Asia
India
Corruption index: India improves by one position: The 2021 Corruption Perception Index has placed India 85th on a list of 180 countries, one position above last year. It stated nothing much has changed to how corrupt India is perceived in the last decade, reports The Times of India.
All-party meet called to discuss Budget Session: The government has called for an all-party meeting on January 31 to discuss issues and legislative business ahead of the Budget Session of the Parliament, reports DNA News.
Rahul Gandhi flags sharp drop in new Twitter followers: Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written to Twitter’s CEO Parag Agrawal alleging a government campaign to suppress his reach on the platform, according to a letter seen by NDTV. He said Twitter has been “unwittingly complicit” in curbing free speech in India.
Amit Shah meets Jat leaders ahead of UP polls: In a bid to woo voters from the Jat community ahead of the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has met Jat leaders, reports IANS.
COVID-19: The daily Covid cases in India saw a marginal increase of 0.1 per cent but the positivity rate remained a concern as it jumped to nearly 20 per cent as the country reported under three lakh cases today, reports NDTV.
Financial news
Sensex dives over 1,000 Points amid weak global cues: The Indian equity benchmarks plunged sharply on Thursday as global markets slipped. Asian shares fell to their lowest in more than 14 months, reports NDTV.
Pakistan
Pakistan Slips Further on Corruption Perceptions Index, India Ranks 85: Pakistan has dropped 16 places to rank 140 out of 180 countries, Transparency International has said in a recently released report, according to News18.
Bangladesh
Fencing India-Bangladesh border a major challenge: BSF IG: Border Security Force Inspector General of South Bengal Frontier Anurag Garg spoke of the challenges faced by the forces at the border. Garg told ANI, “Bengal is a vast area. South Bengal border runs from Sundarban to Malda. Although we have tried to fence the border, but due to lack of land, we are unable to do so.”
Afghanistan
Afghanistan “Hanging By A Thread”: UN: The Taliban must uphold the fundamental human rights of women and children, the United Nations chief said, urging the international community to release frozen Afghan aid to prevent families from selling their babies to buy food, reports NDTV.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka seeks to integrate economy with India, focuses on 8 sectors: Sri Lanka has initiated a country strategy for India with an eye on integrating its ‘fragile’ economy with the Indian economy with a focus on eight sectors to boost fortunes, reports The Economic Times.
On a lighter note…
Fans wish Shehnaaz Kaur Gill a happy birthday: @shehnaazgill, who won millions of hearts with her performance inside ‘Bigg Boss 13’ house, on Thursday turned a year older. She trended for the day on social media as birthday wishes kept pouring in for her.
#HappyBirthdayShehnaazgill #ShehnazGill #birthdaygirl
Mouni Roy And Fiance Suraj Nambiar’s Wedding Festivities Begin: Mouni Roy has shared the first photo with her boyfriend Suraj Nambiar. The two are getting married today in Goa and their pre-wedding festivities began on January 26.
Celebrities share Mumbai Police initiative for women: From Karan Johar, Amitabh Bachchan, Deepika Padukone and Kriti Sanon, a host of Bollywood celebrities took to social media to share a short film released by Mumbai Police to promote awareness about its Nirbhaya Squad. The film was directed by Rohit Shetty, with a voiceover by Amitabh Bachchan.