Good morning, The Big Story The Opposition is unwilling to wait till the second half of the Budget session (which begins on March 8) to raise the crisis triggered by the farm laws. However, the government is cold to the idea of a separate discussion in Parliament. Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu is of the view that the farmers’ issue can be taken up as part of the debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s Address. So expect a stormy Wednesday when the motion of thanks is taken up. Only in the Express Meghalaya Governor Satya Pal Malik has some advice for the Central government on the farmers issue: farmers cannot be insulted, talk to them to resolve the ongoing crisis. Malik, a Jat leader from western Uttar Pradesh, said the situation had been made worse by the UP Police’s attempt to evict the agitating farmers from Ghaziabad earlier this week. The third Test between India and England at the refurbished Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium at Motera near Ahmedabad will see spectators in the stands. The Indian Express has learnt that this could be the first time the BCCI has allowed fans to watch an international game after the Covid outbreak early last year. The first Test will be behind closed doors and there is no clarity on the presence of fans for the second Test. In this edition of the Idea Exchange, Indian batsman Ajinkya Rahane talks about the challenges of playing international cricket during pandemic, says he hasn’t given much thought to suggestions of taking over as permanent Test captain, and commends Rahul Dravid’s “massive” role in nurturing young talent. From the Front Page In her first public appearance after her release from jail, expelled AIADMK leader V K Sasikala sent out a strong political signal to her supporters. Sasikala, who was receiving Covid treatment, left the hospital in the late J Jayalalithaa’s trademark Toyota Prado vehicle with an AIADMK flag on it. Online seminars and virtual events on themes related to India’s security, Northeast states, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh or any other issue concerning the country’s “internal matters” will now require prior clearance from the Ministry of External Affairs. This applies to all government ministries and departments, Public Sector Undertakings, public-funded universities, and organisations controlled and run by the Union and state governments. The country was “saddened” by the “insult” to the national flag by protesters on Republic Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his first Mann ki Baat address of the new year. 
Nationwide Pulse Polio drive underway in Chandigarh. (📸 by Kamleshwar Singh) Must Read As on January 22 this year, insurance companies in the country have received 8.53 lakh claims worth Rs 12,923 crore for Covid treatment. Insurance firms have so far settled 6.77 lakh claims worth Rs 6,595 crore, according to figures compiled by the General Insurance Council.
An Indore woman's search for her mentally unsound brother ended in despair. Three months after her brother walked out of their home, she spotted him in a picture of destitute people dropped outside the city. However, municipal officials who picked her brother were not sure where he was dropped.
ICYMI - The centre announced that movie theatres will be allowed to run at 100 per cent capacity from February 1 in the latest set of SOPs released by Union Minister Prakash Javadekar.
- A World Health Organisation team looking into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic visited a market known to be the food distribution center for the Chinese city of Wuhan during the 76-day lockdown last year.
- An FIR has been lodged against Siddharth Varadarajan, editor of news website The Wire, for posting on Twitter a report to allegedly “mislead people” on the death of a protester in New Delhi during the Republic Day incidents.
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah accused Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's government of working for “bhatija kalyan” (welfare of the nephew) and said a spate of desertions in her party suggested that she will be left alone by the end of the polls.
- A Delhi court remanded freelance journalist Mandeep Punia, who had been picked up at the Singhu protest site on Saturday evening, in 14 days’ judicial custody, his lawyer said.
And Finally... A common sight at any wrestling tournament in India, national or international, senior or junior, is of six-time BJP MP and WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh sitting on a podium with a mic in his hand. He will shout out instructions for referees and wrestlers, stop and start a bout as he deems fit, will form ad-hoc laws that defy the rulebook. And the first day of women’s wrestling national championships near Agra was no different. Delhi confidential: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu has always been known to be a good host, with food at his parties usually being a big hit. When he hosted leaders for the all-party meeting on Sunday, the hot ginger milk that was served turned out to be quite popular. In this podcast episode, we talk about the impact that farm leader Rakesh Tikait’s emotional appeal has had on the ongoing protests, and why this could be dangerous for the BJP. Until tomorrow, Leela Prasad G 
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