The opposition will seek to corner the BJP-led NDA on a range of issues including Rafale, problem of farmers and unemployment during the Budget session of Parliament beginning Thursday with the government expected to push its legislative agenda that includes the triple talaq bill and citizenship (amendment) bill.

The Congress has issued a whip to its members ahead of the session, which will be the last before the Lok Sabha elections slated for April-May. It will conclude on Feb 13.

The government will present interim budget on February 1 and it is expected to be a full budget and not a vote-on-account. 

The session will begin with address by President Ram Nath Kovind to the joint sitting of the two Houses.

Apart from the vote of thanks to the President's address, the government's legislative agenda includes replacing three ordinances with bills. 

These include the triple talaq Bill, companies (amendment) Bill and Medical Council (Amendment) Bill. 

The government is keen to get the triple talaq Bill passed. It is also keen to get the citizenship (amendment) bill passed though almost all BJP allies in the north east are opposed to it. 

Speaking to reporters after an all-party meeting convened by Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said the government "should not bring full Budget in the name of interim budget and confine itself to only vote-on-account."

Russian chess grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik, regarded as one of the strongest players in the world, announced on Tuesday he was retiring from professional competition.

Kramnik, 43, made waves in 2000 when he defeated defending champion Garry Kasparov at the World Championship. Currently ranked seventh by the World Chess Federation, he became the undisputed world champion in 2006.

“I already decided to finish my professional chess career a couple of months ago and now, after having played my last tournament, I would like to announce it publicly,” he said on the website of the Tata Steel Chess tournament that ended in the Netherlands on Sunday.

He said he was quitting to focus on chess education projects.

Russian chess grandmaster Vladimir Kramnik, regarded as one of the strongest players in the world, announced on Tuesday he was retiring from professional competition.

Kramnik, 43, made waves in 2000 when he defeated defending champion Garry Kasparov at the World Championship. Currently ranked seventh by the World Chess Federation, he became the undisputed world champion in 2006.

“I already decided to finish my professional chess career a couple of months ago and now, after having played my last tournament, I would like to announce it publicly,” he said on the website of the Tata Steel Chess tournament that ended in the Netherlands on Sunday.

He said he was quitting to focus on chess education projects.

2018 European Championships silver medallist Mimi Hristova helped Punjab Royals take an unassailable 5-3 lead over UP Dangal and enter the final of the Pro Wrestling League (PWL) Season 4 here on Tuesday. Before Mimi, Bajrang Punia, Dato Marsagishvili, Nitin Rathi and Anita won their respective bouts to hand Punjab Royals an unassailable 5-3 lead with one bout to go in the tie.

Mimi was trailing 0-2 with less than a minute to go for the final whistle, but she came back strongly to edge past Sarita 5-2 and clinch the tie in Punjab’s favour. Jitender spoilt a little bit of Punjab’s fun by defeating Amit Dhanker 5-0 in the men’s 74kg category in the inconsequential last bout of the evening.

Earlier, Olympic bronze medallist Dato Marsagishvili put Punjab Royals ahead winning the men’s 86kg category bout 4-2 against last year’s European U-23 silver medallist Irakli Misituri of Up D angal in a closely fought bout.

Renowned Hindi writer Chitra Mudgal, Dogri writer Inderjeet Kesar, Kannada writer KG Nagarajappa and Kashmiri story writer Mushtaq Ahmad Mushtaq were among 24 writers, who were honoured today with the Sahitya Akademi Award 2018. President of the Sahitya Akademi Chandrasekhar Kambar presented these awards at a function in New Delhi. The awards were given for 24 different languages.   The award was given to Chitra Mudgal for her book 'post box no 203 Nalla Sopara', which was based on the life of a transgender. Inderjeet Kesar got the award for his Dogri novel- Bhagirath based on challenges faced by human beings. K. G Nagarajappa bagged the award for Anushreni- Yajamanike which is a collection of Kannada essays. Mushtaq  Ahmad Mushtaq received the award for his collection of  18 Kashmiri short stories - Aakh.  An Indian Information Service officer Mushtaq Ahmad is presently posted as Head of the Regional News Unit at Radio Kashmir Srinagar. 

President Xi Jinping's high profile anti-graft campaign has not made much of an imapact as China's ranking on perceived corruption has fallen to 87, below India's 78, according to the annual index by global watchdog Transparency International.

Xi, who took over power towards the end of 2012 and is currently in his second five-year term as president, has made fighting corruption in the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) and the military a major objective of his rule.

Over 1.3 million officials at various levels including former security czar, Zhou Yongkong, and over 50 top generals of the People''s Liberation Army (PLA), including two vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission (CMC) - the overall high command of the Chinese military - have been sacked and punished.

The campaign was also carried out amid allegations that Xi effectively used it to consolidate his power base within the party and the military.

China slipped by 10 ranks to 87th place in Transparency International''s 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday.

India rose by three points to 78. Vietnam too figured high at 117 while Singapore moved up three spots to third place, behind first-placed Denmark and New Zealand, with the top spot signifying the least corrupt nation.

The Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday said it will inject Rs 37,500 crore into the system through purchase of government securities in February to increase liquidity.

The RBI said it has been monitoring the evolving liquidity conditions and durable liquidity requirements of the system.

"Accordingly, it has been decided to conduct purchase of government securities under Open Market Operations (OMOs) for an aggregate amount of Rs 375 billion in the month of February 2019 through three auctions of Rs 125 billion each during the 2nd, 3rd and 4th week," the RBI said in a release.

There will be no auction during the first week due to the scheduled MPC meeting, it added.

The apex bank said it will inform about the auction dates in the due course.

The OMO for the month is indicative and the RBI retains the flexibility to change it, depending on the evolving liquidity and market conditions, it said further. 

The Indian women's Hockey team put up a spirited display to stun World Cup bronze medallists Spain 5-2 in the third international hockey match of the four match series in Murcia on Tuesday.

By virtue of this win, India  managed to level the series 1-1 in the second game, after having lost the tour opening match 2-3.
India will play its fourth and final match against Spain tomorrow.

Uttar Pradesh state cabinet today approved construction of a four-lane Ganga Expressway connecting Prayagraj to Western Utter Pradesh which would cost about 36,000 crore rupees.

Briefing media persons about Cabinet decisions at Prayagraj, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said this expressway will provide better connectivity to Prayagraj. He said Ganga Expressway will be 600 kilometres long and can be expanded to six-lane in future. Chief Minister said after completion it would be longest in the world.

The state cabinet also gave approval to several other infrastructure and pilgrimage augmenting projects and schemes. The Chief Minister said along with Bundelkhand Defence Manufacturing Corridor, a new 291 kilometres long Bundelkhand Expressway will also be constructed at a cost of 8864 crore rupees.

Mr. Adityanath also said Gorakhpur link of Poorvanchal Expressway would be expanded to Azamgarh and Ambedkar Nagar Districts.

For the promotion of spiritual tourism, the government also gave its nod to augment develop and beautify Rishi Bhardwaj, Valmiki, Rishi Shringi, Mata Shanta and Nishadraj located at Prayagraj.

The nation pays homage to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi on his 71st death anniversary today.
The day is also observed as Martyrs' Day. He was assassinated on this day in 1948.

President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra have paid tributes to Father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi on his death anniversary today.

In a tweet, Mr Kovind said, on Martyrs’ Day the nation gratefully remembers Mahatma Gandhi and the countless freedom fighters who sacrificed their all for our Independence.

In a tweet on Tuesday, Prime Minister said that on Bapu’s Punya Tithi, he will be in Dandi, Gujarat, the place from where Mahatma Gandhi challenged the might of colonialism.

He said, in Dandi, the National Salt Satyagraha Memorial will be dedicated to the nation and this is a tribute to Satyagrahis led by Gandhi Ji, who worked for India’s freedom.

The leaders from different political parties will pay tributes to Bapu at Rajghat in New Delhi. A Sarva-Dharma Prarthana will be held at Gandhi Samadhi, Rajghat this morning.