Pioneer in short
India attends Trump’s Gaza Board
India attended the inaugural meeting of US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace on Gaza on Thursday as an observer. The meeting was held at the Donald J Trump Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, with India represented by Charge d'affaires Namgya Khampa. India has not joined the Board, which Trump set up to support the redevelopment of the Gaza Strip. The US has pledged $10 billion to the initiative, which includes 27 member nations such as Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The Board aims to coordinate funding, development, and humanitarian projects in Gaza while fostering broader regional stability. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the global leaders invited to join the Board, announced as part of the second phase of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. India had not been present at the January 22 Davos ceremony where Trump unveiled the initiative. The Board of Peace is seen as a potential rival to the UN. Trump has suggested it "might" replace the UN, citing the organisation's failure to meet its full potential in fostering global peace.
LWE districts down to 7: Union Govt
A fresh review of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) has reduced the number of Naxal-affected districts in India to seven from eight, aligning with the Union government’s target to end the menace by March 2026. The Ministry of Home Affairs issued the updated categorisation to all affected states, effective February 9. The review analysed 38 districts across nine states: Jharkhand, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, and West Bengal. Under the new classification, the seven LWE-affected districts are Bijapur, Narayanpur, Sukma, Kanker, and Dantewada in Chhattisgarh; West Singhbhum in Jharkhand; and Kandhamal in Odisha.
