CURRENT AFFAIRS
06 November 2020
NATIONAL NEWS:
A) UGC issues guidelines for reopening colleges and universities.
Reopening of colleges and universities should start with libraries and laboratories, research scholars, science and technology post-graduates, and final year students, according to the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines issued on Thursday. For all other students, online and distance learning will continue to be the preferred method. Only institutions outside containment zones can be re-opened, and students and staff living in containment zones will not be allowed to attend physical classes, according to the UGC guidelines. The Home Ministry had already given States permission to reopen schools and colleges from October 15, depending on the local situation. Several States have announced plans to reopen high schools, colleges and universities this month. According to the UGC guidelines, for centrally funded institutions, it is up to the head of each institution to take a decision on reopening if they are satisfied with the feasibility of physical classes. All other institutions, whether private or state-funded, must depend on the decision of the respective state governments. Only 50% of the student strength will be allowed on campus at a time, and all facilities will be disinfected regularly. All personnel on campus will be required to wear face masks, and follow hand sanitising practices. However, maintaining six feet distance is only recommended “as far as feasible”, and detection of illness is based on self-monitoring rather than mandatory temperature checks. The installation of Aarogya Setu app is being recommended wherever possible. Institutions are also free to mandate stricter rules. Although the guidelines discourage hostel reopening, it will be permitted so long as there is no sharing of rooms and 14-day quarantines are imposed on students coming from other locations.
B) This is my last election, says Nitish Kumar.
On 5 November, the last day of the poll campaign, JD (U) President and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced that this was going to be his last election and all is well that ends well. “Parso chunav hai aur yeh mera aakhri chunav hai…aur ant bhala to sab bhala (day after tomorrow there is poll and this is my last election…all is well that ends well),” said Kumar while addressing a public meeting at Dhamdaha in Purnia district of northeast Bihar. Kumar, 69, is facing anti-incumbency in the polls as he seeks a fourth consecutive term as Chief Minister. RJD leader and party spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari said that the leader Tejashwi Yadav has been saying for long that on November 10, farewell of Nitish Kumar is guaranteed. Yeh to aise bhi unka last chunav hi tha (it was anyway his last election). The third and last phase of Bihar polls will be held on November 7. Counting will be done on November 10.
C) Delhi could soon become ‘corona capital’, says HC.
Expressing displeasure over the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the Capital, the Delhi High Court on Thursday said the city could soon become the corona capital of the country. A Bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad made the remark while hearing a bunch of petitions relating to non-payment of salaries to doctors, paramedical staff, safai karamcharis, teachers and retired engineers among others, employed with the North Delhi Municipal Corporation. The Bench noted that the Delhi government had made many claims of topping the charts in testing but the number of cases had also soared. The city could soon become ‘corona capital’ of the country, thanks to the number of cases shooting up, the Bench said, adding it was going to take the matter very seriously. The High Court said the unpaid municipal workers and retired staff have faced the real and maximum pinch during the pandemic, and asked the civic bodies to make an attempt to release their pending salaries as the festival of Deepavali is round the corner. During the hearing, the civic bodies raised the issue of non-release of full amount by the government, leading to non-payment of salaries. The Delhi government’s counsel disputed the claim saying the way revenue collection had hit the municipal corporations, it had affected the State too. The court directed the three civic bodies and the Delhi government to file status reports regarding the release of the salaries and pensions and listed the matter for further hearing on December 16.
D) Govt. orders ban on crackers
The Delhi government on 5 November has put a complete ban on the sales, purchase, and use of all firecrackers in Delhi between November 7 and November 30. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also appealed to the residents to celebrate Deepavali by performing Lakshmi Puja at their homes instead of bursting crackers. The ban came on a day when the air quality in the Capital turned severe and Delhiites in many areas burst crackers on the occasion of Karva Chauth on Wednesday. A government official said that the cracker ban included green crackers that had been permitted for use by the Supreme Court. The apex court in 2018 had banned the use of conventional firecrackers in Delhi and had permitted the use of green crackers during a two-hour window on Deepavali between 8 p.m and 10 p.m. Event to be livestreamed Mr. Kejriwal said that he will be performing Lakshmi Puja on Deepavali, along with other Cabinet Ministers, which will be livestreamed by some TV channels and requested everybody to join in. “If we burn crackers, we will be playing with the health of our children and our family,” he said.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
A) Biden closer to the finish line as counting continues.
The U.S. presidential election is still poised on a knife’s edge, with the two candidates going neck and neck in several battleground states. Democratic candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden has scored victories in the crucial states of Michigan and Wisconsin and also narrowed the gap with President Donald Trump in Georgia and Pennsylvania. Meanwhile the Trump campaign, in a last ditch effort, has filed lawsuits in Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania, and has demanded a recounting of votes in Wisconsin. As we indicated in our newsletter yesterday, Pennsylvania, which can potentially count votes till Friday night, seems to be the most likely target. They are going to win Pennsylvania, but they are trying to cheat them out of it because they know it is their only path to victory, Eric Trump, the younger son of the President, told reporters at a news conference in Philadelphia. With Trump insisting without evidence that there were major problems with the voting and the ballot counting, especially with mail-in votes, dozens of his angry supporters converged on vote-counting centers in Detroit, Michigan and Phoenix, Arizona as the returns went against him in the two key States. At the same time, thousands of anti-Trump protesters demanding a complete tally of the ballots in the still-undecided election took to the streets in cities across the U.S.
B) China bars travellers from India, U.K. citing Covid-19 cases.
On 5 November, China has effectively barred travellers from India, the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Philippines by temporarily suspending valid visas, with measures targeting other countries also expected as Beijing moves to tighten international travel restrictions citing a rising number of imported Covid-19 cases. The move has left it unclear whether four repatriation flights announced by India for this month will go ahead on schedule. The announcement to bar travellers was made in separate and near-identical notices issued on Wednesday and Thursday by Chinese missions in India, the U.K., Belgium and the Philippines. With Beijing broadly controlling the local transmission of cases within the country and China returning to normalcy in recent months following stringent measures, authorities are now emphasising that dealing with “imported” cases from international travellers is the top priority.
C) EU cuts growth forecast, says recovery unlikely until 2023.
The European Union’s executive commission on 5 November has lowered its growth forecast for the economic rebound from the coronavirus pandemic next year and said the economy wouldn’t reach pre-virus levels until 2023. The regular autumn forecast foresees the economy of the 19 countries that use the euro growing only 4.2% in 2021, instead of the previous estimate of 6.1%. The downgrade comes as governments record increasing numbers of infections, and sick people in hospitals and deaths, leading to renewed restrictions on businesses and activity. The commission added a warning that the situation with the virus means that its growth forecasts are subject to an extremely high degree of uncertainty. Output in both the euro area and the EU is not expected to recover its pre-pandemic level in 2022, the commission said in a statement accompanying the forecast report.
