News in Short

• The BCCI will not be conducting its premier first-class domestic tournament Ranji Trophy for the first time in 87 years as it has opted for the Vijay Hazare Trophy as per the wishes of majority of the State units.
• The BCCI will also host the U-19 National One Day tournament for the Vinoo Mankad Trophy and the Women’s national 50-over tournament as per a letter sent by BCCI secretary Jay Shah to the State units.
• It is understood that BCCI will probably follow the same groupings and bio-bubble for the Hazare Trophy that will start next month.
• The BCCI during its AGM had decided that players will be compensated in case there is a truncated season and it is expected that the board will devise a mechanism by which the premier domestic cricketers of the country are taken care of financially.

• China has executed a former top banker accused of taking $260 million worth of bribes, as well as other forms of corruption and bigamy.
• Lai Xiaomin is the former chairman of Huarong, one of China’s largest state-controlled asset management firms — was put to death by a court in the northern city of Tianjin.
• The number of executions carried out annually is considered a state secret, but rights group Amnesty International estimates the country executes the most people globally.

• The government has listed a bill that will prohibit “all private cryptocurrencies” in India and provide a framework for creation of an official digital currency to be issued by the Reserve Bank of India.
• The RBI is already exploring the possibility of issuing a digital version of the rupee that could eventually come as the country's central bank digital currency (CBDC) — based on the technological background of cryptocurrencies.
• This is notably not the first time that the government has shown interest in banning cryptocurrencies in the country. In April 2018, the RBI had effectively banned cryptocurrency transactions via banks and e-wallets.
• That move was also backed by the Supreme Court initially, though it later quashed the circular issued by the central bank.

• Trinamool Congress MLA Rajib Banerjee has resigned from the West Bengal Assembly. He resigned as Forest Minister on January 22.
• He is an MLA from Domjur in Howrah district was sounding discontent against the party for the past several months. He joins the list of a dozen MLAs of the Trinamool Congress who had quit the party.
• He is the second most important leader in the party after Suvendu Adhikari, who recently severed his ties with the party.
• Another Trinamool Congress MLA, Vaishali Dalmiya, who has been suspended from the party is also likely to join the BJP.

• Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and Srikakulam MP Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu has written to Speaker Om Birla seeking paternity leave for nine days from the Lok Sabha during the ongoing Budget Session.
• As his wife is in her last trimester, Naidu has expressed his desire to be by her side for a few days after the birth of the baby as well.
• The TDP leader also pointed out that childcare should not solely be the responsibility of the mother and said that he looks forward to being an equal contributor in the care and progress of his child.