Kuwait on Sunday awarded its highest distinction, ‘The Order of Mubarak Al-Kabeer’, to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in recognition of his efforts to enhance the bilateral relations between India and Kuwait. The honour was presented by Kuwait’s Amir, Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al Sabah, at the Bayan Palace.

In a statement on X, Modi expressed, “I am honoured to be conferred the Mubarak Al-Kabeer Order by His Highness the Amir of Kuwait. I dedicate this honour to the people of India and to the strong friendship between India and Kuwait.”

The ‘Order of Mubarak Al-Kabeer’ is a prestigious knighthood order in Kuwait. Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal characterized the award as “a testament to the long-standing India-Kuwait friendship,” adding that Modi dedicated the honour to the ties between the two nations, the Indian community in Kuwait, and to the 1.4 billion people of India.

This award marks the 20th international honour conferred upon Prime Minister Modi by a foreign country, according to officials. The order is traditionally bestowed upon Heads of State, foreign sovereigns, and members of foreign royal families as a symbol of friendship. Previous recipients include notable leaders such as Bill Clinton, Prince Charles, and George Bush.

Modi’s visit to Kuwait, which began on Saturday, is notable as the first by an Indian Prime Minister to the Gulf nation in 43 years. Upon his arrival, he was welcomed with a ceremonial reception and a Guard of Honour at the Bayan Palace.

Additionally, Prime Minister Modi has previously received accolades from other Gulf nations, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain. In November, he received top awards from Guyana and Dominica for his contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic and for strengthening bilateral relations with those Caribbean countries.

Furthermore, Nigeria honored him with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger for his statesmanship and significant contributions to fostering bilateral ties, making him the second foreign dignitary to receive that distinction.

A total of 416 individuals were arrested during the third phase of the crackdown on child marriage in Assam, as stated by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday.

This phase of the operation commenced on the night of December 21-22. The police have filed 335 cases, and those arrested are set to be presented in court on Sunday.

“Assam continues its fight against child marriage. In Phase 3 operations launched on the night of Dec 21-22, 416 arrests were made and 335 cases registered. The arrested individuals will be produced in court today. We will continue to take bold steps to end this social evil,” the chief minister stated on X.

The state government previously initiated a campaign against child marriage in two phases in February and October 2023. During the first phase in February, 3,483 arrests were made along with 4,515 cases registered, while the second phase in October saw 915 arrests and 710 cases filed.

In October, Sarma announced that his government is committed to eradicating child marriage in Assam by 2026. This declaration coincided with the disbursement of the first installment under the Mukha Mantri Nijut Moina scheme, which provides girls with fixed monthly payments to support their pursuit of higher education, contingent upon their remaining unmarried until they complete their degrees.

The scheme, with a total projected budget of Rs 1,500 crore, aims to benefit 10 lakh female students by transferring financial support to their accounts. The first installment, designated for 1.6 lakh identified students, was issued in alignment with the Navratri festival, with payments scheduled to be credited on the 11th of each month starting from November.

Chief Minister Sarma outlined clear guidelines for beneficiaries, stating that they must regularly attend classes, achieve satisfactory academic performance, and adhere to discipline. Importantly, the scheme excludes the daughters of Ministers, Members of Parliament, and Members of the Legislative Assembly, and it mandates that beneficiaries must not marry before completing their graduation.

He further noted that the government’s initiative against child marriage has contributed to notable improvements in maternal and infant mortality rates in the state. The Nijut Moina scheme seeks to bolster efforts against child marriage by alleviating the financial strain on the families of girls aspiring for higher education.

Under this scheme, the monthly stipend varies based on educational level, with girls in Class XII receiving Rs 1,000, those in their first year of graduation receiving Rs 1,250, and postgraduate students receiving RS 2,500, all for a duration of ten months. However, there are no restrictions on marriage for girls enrolled in postgraduate programs.

A recent ruling by a U.S. court has deemed Israel’s NSO Group accountable for its Pegasus spyware, inciting strong criticism from Congress leader Randeep Surjewala. Surjewala emphasised that the court’s decision bolsters allegations that 300 WhatsApp numbers in India were compromised.

In this case, a U.S. judge favored Meta Platforms’ WhatsApp, concluding that NSO Group had exploited a vulnerability in the messaging service to deploy spyware for unauthorized surveillance.

Surjewala took to social media platform X to assert, “The Pegasus Spyware case verdict proves how 300 WhatsApp numbers of Indians were targeted in the illegal spyware racket.”

He raised several questions directed at the Indian government, including inquiries about the identities of the 300 targeted individuals, specifically asking, “Who are the two Union Ministers? Who are the three Opposition leaders? Who is the Constitutional Authority? Who are the journalists? Who are the business persons?” He probed further, questioning, “What information was retrieved by the BJP government and agencies? How was it used – misused and to what consequence? Will appropriate criminal cases be now lodged against political executives/officers in the present government and the company owning NSO?”

Surjewala also posed whether the Supreme Court would take into account the U.S. court’s judgment in the Meta v. NSO case. He queried if the Supreme Court would make public the report from the Committee of Technical Experts on Pegasus Spyware, submitted in 2021-22, and whether it would investigate further given the ruling affirming that 1,400 WhatsApp numbers, including 300 from India, were targeted.

He suggested that Meta should be responsible for releasing the names of the 300 individuals, citing their significant subscriber base in India and a corresponding ‘duty of care & disclosure’ to its clients.

U.S. District Judge Phyllis Hamilton in Oakland ruled in favor of WhatsApp’s motion, finding NSO Group liable for hacking and breach of contract. The case will now advance solely to determine the damages owed. Will Cathcart, Head of WhatsApp, described the ruling as a “victory for privacy,” highlighting that they invested five years in their case because they believe spyware companies cannot evade accountability for their wrongful actions.

WhatsApp originally filed the lawsuit against NSO in 2019, seeking both an injunction and damages for unauthorized access to its servers to install Pegasus spyware on victims’ devices six months prior to the lawsuit. The lawsuit asserted that 1,400 individuals, including dissidents, journalists, and human rights advocates, were monitored due to the breach. NSO maintained that Pegasus was utilized by law enforcement and intelligence agencies for crime prevention and national security, specifically targeting terrorists, paedophiles, and criminals.

NSO had previously appealed a 2020 ruling that denied it “conduct-based immunity,” a legal provision designed to protect foreign officials acting in their official capacity. In 2021, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the initial ruling, determining that NSO’s involvement in licensing and providing technical support for Pegasus did not grant it immunity under the U.S. Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. The U.S. Supreme Court subsequently declined to hear NSO’s appeal, allowing the lawsuit to proceed.