Morning Digest: Delhi-NCR wakes up to strong tremors on Feb 17; third group of U.S. deportees lands in Amritsar, and more

The Hindu Morning Digest gives a select list of stories to start the day. Read the top news today on February 17, 2025

A United States aircraft carrying around 112 undocumented Indian immigrants, deported from the U.S. landed at Punjab’s Amritsar International Airport on Sunday night (February 16, 2025), even as Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann urged the youth of Punjab to learn lessons from the deportation of illegal migrants, appealing to them to shun the idea of going abroad by wrong means.

The Railways has formed a two-member high-level administrative grade committee to investigate the stampede that occurred on Saturday night (February 15, 2025) at New Delhi Railway Station, officials in the Ministry of Railways said on Sunday (February 16, 2025). The committee of Northern Railways’ Principal Chief Commercial Manager Narsingh Deo and Principal Chief Security Commissioner Pankaj Gangwar will investigate the stampede that claimed 18 lives, including four children and a septuagenarian woman.

An earthquake of 4.0 magnitude rocked parts of Delhi-NCR early on Monday (February 17, 2025), the National Center for Seismology said. The tremors rocked several parts of the city and the adjoining National Capital Region. The location of the earthquake was New Delhi, at a depth of five kilometres, it said in a post on X.

A fresh exchange of fire was reported on the Line of Control (LoC) in the Pir Panjal Valley’s Poonch on Sunday. No casualties were reported in the incident. An Army official said a brief exchange of fire took place on the LoC in Poonch district. “Around 11 a.m., Pakistan troops opened fire from small arms on an Indian post across the LoC in Poonch sector. The fire was retaliated appropriately by the Indian Army. No casualties to our side,” an Army official said. 

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with Bangladesh Foreign Affairs Adviser Md. Touhid Hossain in Muscat on Sunday (February 16, 2025), in a meeting aimed at defusing tensions and addressing “challenges” between Delhi and Dhaka over attacks on minorities and the continued stay of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (February 16, 2025) said he is optimistic that the textile sector will achieve the Rs 9 lakh crore annual exports target ahead of the 2030 deadline.

A day before the arrival of the Qatari Emir to India for an important visit, the seven former Indian Navy officials who returned last year after being imprisoned for nearly 18 months in Doha, have called for the repatriation of the last remaining Indian who is stuck in the Gulf sheikhdom.