HIGHLIGHTS

FOREIGN FGN43 CHINA-XI-DISRUPTIVE TECH Chinese President Xi calls for boosting disruptive innovation amid increasing US curbs Beijing China on Thursday slammed as baseless allegations Washingtons claim of dismantling a Chinese network of hackers, a day after President Xi Jinping called for stepped-up efforts to boost disruptive innovation amid increasing technology curbs from the US and the EU.

Following are the top stories at 9.30 pm: NATION DEL206 2NDLD BUDGET **** Pre-election Budget: 11 pc increase in infra spend, measures for agri sector; shuns populism New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday announced a Rs 11.11 lakh crore spending on infrastructure and vowed to continue reforms as she resisted resorting to populist measures in Modi government's last Budget before general elections, instead choosing to stay on the path of cutting deficit while bolstering measures for focus groups.**** CAL63 LDALL JHARKHAND **** JMM's Champai Soren meets J'khand Guv; says 'confusion' in state, initiate govt formation process Ranchi: JMM leader Champai Soren on Thursday met Jharkhand Governor C P Radhakrishnan and urged him to accept his claim to form the government at the earliest as there was ''confusion'' in the state, which was without a chief minister since the resignation of Hemant Soren, deepening the political crisis. **** DEL211 LDALL GYANVAPI **** Puja held Gyanvapi cellar, mosque management approaches higher courts Varanasi/Lucknow: Prayers were performed in a cellar of Varanasi's Gyanvapi Masjid on Wednesday night following a district court ruling, hours before the mosque committee approached the Supreme Court and the Allahabad High Court seeking a stay on that order. **** DEL203 US-INDIA-DRONE-NOTIFICATION **** Biden administration notifies US Congress on proposed supply of 31 MQ-9B drones to India New Delhi: The Biden administration on Thursday notified the US Congress on its proposed supply of 31 MQ-9B Predator long endurance drones to India, officials said.**** DEL209 MEA-MALDIVES **** No comment: India on internal political situation in Maldives New Delhi:India on Thursday refused to comment on the internal political situation in the Maldives.**** DEL107 BUD-LD PM **** Budget guarantee of strengthening foundation of developed India: PM Modi New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the interim Budget presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman offers the ''guarantee'' of strengthening the foundation of a developed India and carries the ''confidence of continuity''.**** DEL175 BUD-LD WHITE PAPER **** Govt likely to present next week White Paper on mismanagement of eco prior to 2014 New Delhi: The government is likely to present a White Paper on the mismanagement of the economy prior to 2014 with an aim to draw lessons.**** CAL62 BH-ASSEMBLY-TRUST VOTE **** Bihar: Nitish Kumar led NDA govt to seek trust vote on Feb 12 Patna (Bihar): The newly formed NDA government in Bihar, headed by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, will seek the trust vote on February 12, the inaugural day of the budget session, according to a revised notification issued on the matter on Thursday.**** DEL204 BUD-THAROOR-2NDLD INTERVIEW **** Sounded like Modi govt's final budget, 'failing grade' on improving lives of common people: Shashi Tharoor New Delhi: ''Picture abhi baki hai,'' senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor asserted on Thursday as he rejected the BJP's claims that the 2024 poll results are a foregone conclusion, and said the interim Union budget sounded like the Modi government's final.**** BOM22 CG-NAXAL-BLAST **** CRPF Assistant Sub-Inspector injured in Naxal blast in Dantewada district Raipur: An Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was injured in a blast triggered by Naxalites in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district on Thursday, police said.**** MDS12 KL-VANDIPERIYAR-RAPE-SUSPENSION **** Vandiperiyar rape, murder case: Kerala govt suspends investigating officer Thiruvananthapuram: Hours after the Congress-led UDF slammed the state government in the assembly for its alleged ''carelessness'' and ''indifference'' in the Vandiperiyar rape-cum-murder case, the Left administration suspended the police officer who investigated the matter.**** LEGAL LGD24 SC-SOREN-PETITION **** Arrest illegal, part of well-orchestrated conspiracy: Hemant Soren tells SC New Delhi: JMM leader Hemant Soren, who had to step down as Jharkhand chief minister in the face of his imminent arrest, on Thursday accused the Enforcement Directorate of arresting him as part of a ''well-orchestrated conspiracy'' by the Centre ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due months from now.**** LGD25 SC-CHANDIGARH-MAYORAL POLL **** Chandigarh mayoral polls: AAP councillor moves SC against denial of interim relief in HC New Delhi: A councillor of the AAP has moved the Supreme Court challenging a Punjab and Haryana High Court order that has refused to grant any interim relief to the party seeking fresh mayoral polls in Chandigarh.**** LGD34 SC-AMU-LD MINORITY STATUS **** SC reserves verdict on AMU's minority status, says 1981 amendment to 1920 law did half-hearted job New Delhi: Grappling with the intractable issue of Aligarh Muslim University's minority status, the Supreme Court said on Thursday the 1981 amendment to the AMU Act, which effectively accorded it a minority status, only did a ''half-hearted job'' and not restore to the institution the position it had prior to 1951.**** LGD35 UP-COURT-CHINMAYANAND **** Former Union minister Chinmayanand acquitted in 2011 rape case: Lawyer Shahjahanpur (UP): Former Union Minister of State for Home Swami Chinmayanand was on Thursday acquitted by a district court here in a 2011 rape case filed against him by a disciple, his lawyer said. **** FOREIGN FGN43 CHINA-XI-DISRUPTIVE TECH **** Chinese President Xi calls for boosting “disruptive innovation” amid increasing US curbs Beijing: China on Thursday slammed as “baseless allegations” Washington’s claim of dismantling a Chinese network of hackers, a day after President Xi Jinping called for stepped-up efforts to boost “disruptive innovation” amid increasing technology curbs from the US and the EU.****