Hope of the completion of the last 109 km of Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport (KMMTT) project has been rekindled after IRCON was recently appointed at the Project Management Consultant (PMC). This ambitious project would link India and Myanmar via the Bay of Bengal.

The project was first proposed by the ministry of external affairs (MEA) in 2008 and work began in 2010 – with an initial deadline of 2014. Its been over two decades and a six times cost escalation (Rs 535 crore to Rs 3200 crore), and the project is yet not complete.

The military-led Junta government and its skirmishes with insurgents has oft been cited as the main reasons for delay of the completion of the last leg of this project.

The $484 million project is being constructed by India, under the Grant in Aid Scheme. Once completed it will link Kolkata with Sittwe seaport in Rakhine state in Myanmar primarily over the Bay of Bengal – covering over 500 km. However, there is a stretch of land where a 109 km road needs to be constructed, between Paletwa(Myanmar) and Zorinpui (Mizoram’s border), to complete the project, but despite various bids and efforts there has been no breakthrough.

The Indian judiciary will witness a historic moment in September 2027 when Justice BV Nagarathna takes oath as the 54th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court -- the first woman to ever hold that position. Even if her stint at the helm of affairs will last just over a month, the symbolism would be powerful. Especially because she has already begun to make her presence felt with her rulings less than a quarter into her tenure in the apex court.

Appointed as an SC judge in 2021, the daughter of former Chief Justice of India ES Venkataramiah became the first woman judge to be elevated to the apex court from the Karnataka High Court. She was among the three women judges whose names were cleared by the Supreme Court collegium and who took oath the same day. Her tenure as CJI would only be for a brief period of 36 days but it would definitely end India’s long wait for the first woman CJI.

Indian-origin Manpreet Monica Singh has been sworn in as a Harris county judge, becoming the first female Sikh judge in the US.

Singh was born and raised in Houston and now lives in Bellaire with her husband and two children. She was sworn in as a judge of the Harris County Civil Court at Law No.4 in Texas on Jan 6.

Singh's father immigrated to the US in the early 1970s.

A trial lawyer for 20 years, she has been involved in numerous civil rights organizations at the local, state, and national levels.

Indian-American Judge Ravi Sandill, the state's first South Asian judge, presided over the ceremony, which took place in a packed courtroom.

There are an estimated 500,000 Sikhs in the US, with 20,000 Sikhs living in the Houston area.

The UK will host a meeting of justice ministers in March to discuss ways to support the International Criminal Court's investigation of alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

The ICC based in The Hague is currently carrying out an investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan is set to take part in the March meeting with ministers from around the world. Khan in December urged the international community to get behind and fund the ICC probe

The UK government said the meeting "aims to increase the global financial and practical support being offered to the ICC and coordinate efforts to ensure it has all it needs to carry out investigations and prosecute those responsible."

Paytm Payments Bank Limited (PPBL) has received banking regulator RBI’s approval to appoint Surinder Chawla as its Managing Director and CEO. Previously, Chawla worked with HDFC Bank, RBL Bank, ABN Amro Bank and Standard Chartered Bank.

The appointment comes as part of PPBL’s ongoing efforts to strengthen its leadership team, enhance its technology capabilities and drive financial inclusion in the country. 

The government has received multiple expressions of interest (EoI) for strategic disinvestment of IDBI Bank.

The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) tweeted on  Jan 7  “Multiple Expressions of Interest received for the Strategic Disinvestment of Government and LIC Stake in IDBI Bank. The transaction will now move to the second stage.”

Jan 7  was the last day for sending EoIs.

The government is eyeing a stake sale in the bank, in which the government and LIC together hold 94.71%.  The government is looking to offload 60.72% of the state-owned bank.  The Securities Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has recently approved the reclassification of LIC and the government’s residual shareholding in IDBI Bank as public holding after privatisation. However, the market regulator has set a condition that the voting rights of the government can’t exceed 15% of the voting rights in the bank.

The successful bidder will have to make an open offer for acquiring 5.28% public shareholding. After the stake sale, the government will own 15% shares, while LIC will hold 34%. The bidder will also have to compulsorily lock in at least 40% of the equity capital for five years from the date of acquisition.

In an unfortunate turn of events, KE Kumar, 59, an experienced and well-respected racer died at a hospital following a crash in the second round of the MRF MMSC FMSCI Indian National Car Racing Championship at the Madras International Circuit in Irungattukottai on Jan 8 .

Suryakumar Yadav smashed a blazing century to help India extend their unbeaten streak of Twenty20 series wins at home to 12 with a 91-run thrashing of Sri Lanka on Jan 7.

Brief scores:

India 228-5 in 20 overs (S. Yadav 112 not out, S. Gill 46, R. Tripathi 35; D. Madushanka 2-55)

Sri Lanka 137 all out in 16.4 overs (K. Mendis 23, D. Shanaka 23; A. Singh 3-20, H. Pandya 2-30, Y. Chahal 2-30, U. Malik 2-31)

Result: India won by 91 runs

Series: India won the three-match series 2-1