Author: Shivali Varshney, Vidhyarthi Darpan

NATIONAL NEWS 

Government accepts Cairn’s offer on retro tax; company to withdraw cases now, refund to follow 

Moving quickly towards ending a retrospective tax dispute with a firm that gave India its largest oilfield, the government has accepted Cairn Energy PLC’s undertakings which would allow for the refund of taxes, sources said.  Meeting the requirements of the new legislation that scraps levy of retrospective taxation, the company had earlier this month given required undertakings indemnifying the Indian government against future claims as well as agreeing to drop any legal proceedings anywhere in the world.  The government has now accepted this and issued Cairn a so-called Form-II, committing to refund the tax collected to enforce the retrospective tax demand, two sources with direct knowledge of the development said.  Following the issuance of Form-II, Cairn will now start withdrawing all cases in international courts. Once this is complete, the company will be issued a ₹7,900 crore refund, they said, adding the withdrawal of cases may take up to three-four weeks. While a Cairn spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comments, a senior finance ministry official confirmed the government accepting the company’s undertakings.  Seeking to repair India’s damaged reputation as an investment destination, the government in August enacted new legislation to drop ₹1.1 lakh crore in outstanding claims against multinationals such as telecom group Vodafone, pharmaceuticals company Sanofi and brewer SABMiller, now owned by AB InBev, and Cairn.  About ₹8,100 crore collected from companies under the scrapped tax provision are to be refunded if the firms agreed to drop outstanding litigation, including claims for interest and penalties. Of this, ₹7,900 crore is due only to Cairn.  Subsequent to this, the government last month notified rules that when adhered to will lead to the Centre withdrawing tax demands raised using the 2012 retrospective tax law and any tax collected in the enforcement of such demand being paid back.  For this, companies were required to indemnify the Indian government against future claims and withdraw any pending legal proceedings. Cairn on November 3 had stated that it has entered into undertakings with the Government of India in order to participate in the scheme introduced by recent Indian legislation, the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill 2021, allowing the refund of taxes previously collected from Cairn in India. Cairn’s undertaking furnished in Form No.1 under the rule 11UE(1) of the amended law have been accepted by the Principal Commissioner for Income Tax, the sources said.  The August legislation cancelled a 2012 policy that gave the tax department power to go back 50 years and slap capital gains levies wherever ownership had changed hands overseas but business assets were in India.  The 2012 legislation was used to levy a cumulative tax of ₹1.10 lakh crore on 17 entities, including U.K. telecom giant Vodafone, but nearly 98% of the ₹8,100 crore recovered in enforcing such a demand was only from Cairn.  India issued Cairn with tax claims six years ago, and in December 2020 the company won an international arbitration against such demands.  

Hyderpora encounter: Return bodies to families, says Gupkar alliance; LG orders magisterial probe 

People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an amalgam of Jammu and Kashmir’s regional parties, on Thursday met in Srinagar over the Hyderpora incident and resolved to help the three families to get the bodies of civilians killed in the encounter.  We did not meet for any political process or to hold elections. All we want is to safeguard the lives of our people. We appeal to the people of Jammu as well that we are together to save the lives, Constitution, and institutions which should guarantee the security of the common man, Gupkar alliance spokesman M.Y. Tarigami stated.  The meeting was held at the residence of Gupkar alliance chairman Dr. Farooq Abdullah.  In case such incidents don’t stop and bodies are not returned, we will knock every door to raise our voice. Members of Parliament will also raise the issues in Parliament, Tarigami, a CPI(M) leader, said.  The Gupkar alliance demanded that those involved should be dealt as per the law and the bodies should be returned.  Those involved, irrespective of their position, are violators and deserve punishment, Tarigami remarked. Dr. Abdullah approached the administration to allow him to meet the families but permission was not granted. Burial [of the bodies] is not being allowed, citing several issues including COVID-19, security reasons, which is against the constitution, he added.  National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah also held a sit-in in solidarity with the families, which were protesting and demanding the bodies.  Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the encounter in Hyderpora, Srinagar, November 15 after three families claimed that the three deceased out of the four killed during the operation were civilians.  The order came hours after the police removed the family members from a protest site in the city. A magisterial inquiry by an officer of ADM [additional district magistrate] rank has been ordered in Hyderpora encounter. The government will take suitable action as soon as the report is submitted in a time-bound manner. The J&K administration reiterates commitment of protecting lives of innocent civilians and it will ensure there is no injustice, a statement issued by Raj Bhawan read.  There has been a growing public outcry over the incident. Earlier, in a midnight action, the family members and protesters who had gathered at the Press Enclave in Srinagar on Wednesday to demand the bodies of the civilians were evicted and the sit-in was disallowed by the police. The family members were seen being dragged and bundled into a police vehicle during the police action that was carried out after snapping electricity in the area.  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said she was disallowed to come out of her residence to join the protest. Their narrative right from the start was based on lies to escape accountability. They don’t want to be held accountable for their actions and that’s why they are muzzling voices that speak up against such injustice and atrocities, she said in a tweet.  She accused the police of arresting party leaders Najmu Saqib and Suhail Bukhari. They too have been arrested. The pattern of using innocent civilians as human shields and then denying their families the right to a decent burial shows that the Government of India has plumbed new depths of inhumanity, she stated.  Sharing a video of the police action at night, National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah said, This is the ‘Naya Kashmir’ of 2021. This is how the J&K police fulfills the Prime Minister’s promise to remove ‘dil ki doori and Dilli se doori’. It’s outrageous that the J&K administration did not allow the families to conduct a peaceful sit-in.  The Hurriyat, headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has called for a shutdown on Friday over the killings. Infant daughter, distraught mother protesting in freezing weather not for punishment to the killers but begging for the bodies for a decent burial is agonising, the Mirwaiz said in a statement.  

Sexual intent of the offender, not skin-to-skin contact, forms assault: SC  

The Supreme Court on Thursday quashed a Bombay High Court decision to acquit a man charged with assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) solely on the grounds that he groped the child over her clothes without ‘skin-to-skin’ contact.  The act of touching a sexual part of the body with sexual intent will not be trivialised and not excluded under Section 7 of the POCSO Act, a Bench of Justices U.U. Lalit, S. Ravindra Bhat and Bela M. Trivedi held.  Section 7 mandates that whoever with sexual intent touches the vagina, penis, anus or breast of the child or makes the child touch the vagina, penis, anus or breast of such person or any other person, or does any other act with sexual intent which involves physical contact without penetration is said to commit sexual assault.  Justice Trivedi, who authored the judgment, observed that the purpose of law is not to allow the offender to sneak out of the mesh of law. The court said limiting the ambit of touch to a narrow and pedantic definition would lead to an absurd interpretation.  Image used for representational purpose only.   The Bench said the most important ingredient in Section 7 was the sexual intent of the offender and not skin-to-skin contact.  The conclusion that ‘sexual intent’ mentioned in the provision should be ex facie skin to skin would defeat the object of the provision. It would, rather than giving effect to the rule, destroy it.  Justice Trivedi, speaking for the Bench, said when legislature had clarified its intent, the court should not introduce ambiguity.  The court should not be overzealous in searching for ambiguity when the words in the section are plain. Someone can wear a surgical glove and exploit a child and get away scot-free… This is an outrageous order, Attorney-General K.K. Venugopal, who moved the top court in the constitutional capacity of his office, had argued during the hearing.  The court, while setting aside the High Court decision, confirmed the guilt of the offender in the case and sentenced him to three years of rigorous imprisonment subject to the period he has already undergone.  Venugopal had argued that the High Court order would set a very dangerous precedent and cripple the intention of the POCSO Act to punish sexual offenders.  He added the High Court order had a deleterious effect when the number of POCSO cases had reached 43,000 in a year.  On January 19, a Single Judge of the Bombay High Court’s Nagpur Bench created a furore by acquitting a man under the POCSO Act and holding that an act against a minor would amount to groping or sexual assault only if there was skin-to-skin contact.  The High Court had concluded that mere touching or pressing of a clothed body of a child did not amount to sexual assault.  The accused was sentenced to the minimum three years’ imprisonment under Section 8 of the POCSO Act. That was set aside by the HC and his sentence was reduced to one year under Section 354 (assault of a women to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code… This is very disturbing, Venugopal had submitted in the top court shortly after he mentioned the case.  The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights had earlier asked the Maharashtra government to urgently appeal the High Court judgment.  Several organisations, including the Youth Bar Association of India, represented by advocate Manju Jetley, had also moved the top court against the High Court judgment.  The petitioners had said they were badly perturbed to note that the January 19 verdict contained several observations about the victim child’s modesty, which were both derogatory and defamatory. The child was even named in the judgment, the petition said.   

Paytm shares make weak debut; tumble over 27% during day trade  Shares of One97 Communications Ltd, Paytm’s parent company, on November 18 made a weak market debut and tumbled over 27% during the day from the issue price of ₹2,150. The stock was listed at ₹1,955, slipping 9% from the issue price on the BSE. It then tumbled 27.25% to ₹1,564 during the day.  On the NSE, it debuted at ₹1,950, registering a decline of 9.30% against the issue price. During the day, the stock plunged 27.34% to ₹1,562. Paytm, the biggest IPO in India so far, debuted the secondary market on a weaker note as compared to our expectations of a flat listing, Santosh Meena, head of research, Swastika Investmart Ltd., said.  The company commanded a market valuation of ₹1,01,484.00 crore in late afternoon trade on the BSE. Ant Group-backed Paytm’s ₹18,300 crore IPO was oversubscribed 1.89 times on the last day of India’s biggest share sale last week. This was greater than miner Coal India’s ₹15,000 crore offer a decade back.  Paytm founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma breaks down while delivering a speech during his company’s IPO listing ceremony at the Bombay Stock Exchange in Mumbai on November 18, 2021.   Paytm, formally called One97 Communications debuts today at exchanges which saw a dull response and got subscribed only 1.89 times from the investors, which is much lower compared to the other recently listed companies, Parth Nyati, founder, Tradingo said.  He added that they feel that due to the brand the company sought high valuation and it might see a correction in the near term.  The initial public offering of Paytm’s parent company One97 Communications Ltd. received bids for 9.14 crore equity shares against the offer size of 4.83 crore shares, according to information available with stock exchanges on November 10.  Paytm had fixed its IPO in a price band of ₹2,080-2,150 per share. Incorporated in 2000, One97 Communications is India’s leading digital ecosystem for consumers and merchants.  It offers a range of services, including payment services and financial services.  Launched by a son of a school teacher from a small town Aligarh nearly a decade ago as a platform for cellular recharging, Paytm grew rapidly after ride-hailing agency Uber listed it as a fast cost possibility.  

Speaker Birla for action plan to increase sittings of legislatures

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday told an All-India Presiding Officers’ Conference in Shimla that there was need to prepare an action plan for increasing the sittings of legislatures. He was addressing the valedictory session of the two-day conference.  We should try to make a definite action plan to increase the number of meetings of the legislatures so that we can provide maximum time and opportunities to the members so that the people’s representatives can discuss the major issues of their state and country extensively, he stated. He called for drastic changes to the functioning of standing committees, including changes to their rules.  Presiding officers should evaluate the work of parliamentary committees once a year and make them more accountable to people. The tradition of zero hour should be started in State legislatures to give members the chance to raise urgent matters pertaining to their constituencies, he noted.  Addressing the issue of increasing disruptions, he observed that the matter would be discussed with leaders of all political parties. The work of creating a single platform for all legislatures would be done by 2022.  Speaking earlier in the session, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said a law was as good or bad as its implementation. Sometimes laws are passed, but the rules are not made for two or three years, he pointed out.  The conference adopted a resolution that there should be no disturbance in the House during the President and Governor’s address and Question Hour. This will be discussed again with all the parties… It has been agreed in this conference that the smooth conduct of the legislatures is the moral responsibility of the presiding officers and all the MPs and MLAs, the resolution said.  

INTERNATIONAL NEWS  

US remains India’s biggest trading partner, India-US trade to surpass $145 billion in 2021: US Consul General

The US remains India’s biggest trading partner with trade increasing from approximately $20 billion in 2001 to $145 billion in 2019, said the US Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin while addressing the United States India Business Council after the opening of the India-US Tech Conclave as part of the Bengaluru Tech Summit. The US-India bilateral relationship continues to be expanding from collaboration on mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 and climate change to space exploration. Both countries have a joint commitment towards a free and open Indo-Pacific region. US Consul General Ravin further said that US Trade representative Katherine Tai will be in New Delhi on November 22, 2021 to hold talks with Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on expanding bilateral trade.

Israel PM Naftali Bennett likely to visit India in 2022

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is likely to visit India in 2022. Both countries are working on the tentative dates, informed Ambassador of Israel to India Naor Gilon. Meanwhile, Indian Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane is currently visiting Israel. PM Modi and Israeli PM Bennett met for the first time on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. They discussed the environment, defence, global, and regional issues. Both countries have also discussed Free Trade Agreement negotiations and will finalize it by June 2022. Former Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu had visited India in January 2018 where he met Indian PM Narendra Modi.

NATIONAL NEWS

U.P. agrees to SC proposal to have ex-judge monitor Lakhimpur Kheri probe 

The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday agreed to the Supreme Court’s suggestion  appoint a retired judge to monitor the investigation into the Lakhimpur Kheri murders and violence. The cases concern a convoy, allegedly belonging to Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra, ploughing into a group of farmers and civilians protesting the controversial agricultural laws and the ensuing violence at Lakhimpur Kheri district. Minister’s son Ashish Mishra is a prime accused in the case concerning the farmers’ deaths. We leave it to Your Lordships… You may appoint whoever you want, senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for U.P., submitted before a three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) N.V. Ramana. The Bench, also comprising Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli, after a briefly conferring among themselves, said it needed a day to zero in on the judge. We are considering former Punjab and Haryana HC Judge Rakesh Kumar Jain or others. We have to consult them, the court said. Salve stated that the government had left it to the wisdom of the court. However, he made a suggestion. He made a point that the court’s choice of a retired judge should not rest on whether he or she was from the State or outside. You mean it can be from any State… the court sought to clarify from him. Salve explained that the focus should be on the person, the judge, whether or not from or outside the State. It should be just that Your Lordships are appointing a person… he offered. The Bench indicated that it may consider either a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge willing to take up the assignment. The court further asked the government to provide it with a list of names of IPS officers of U.P. cadre, but who were not native to the State to be considered for inclusion in the task force. It noted that some of the members of the present task force were of sub-inspector level or drawn from the Lakhimpur Kheri police station itself. Salve interjected that a senior police officer had been recently appointed to the task force. But the court said the task force needed to be upgraded. It asked the government to provide the list by November 16. It posted the case next for November 17. The suggestion from the court to have a retired judge at the helm came after it expressed its waning confidence about the fate of the investigation at the hands of the State police. It observed that such a step may be necessary to infuse fairness and impartiality in the probe. In an earlier hearing, the CJI stated, The investigation is not going the way we expected… We are here to see that a proper investigation takes place. There is a need to appoint a retired High Court judge to monitor it (investigation) without bias. The court had refused to entertain suggestions from lawyers to order the CBI to take over from the police. The CBI is not the solution to everything, it said.  

Delhi air pollution: SC asks Centre to hold emergency meeting 

The Supreme Court on Monday said the cat is out of the bag to prove that urban factors such as construction activities, industry, vehicular exhaust and road dust were actually the major causes of pollution in the Capital and not farmers’ stubble burning. A special Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) N.V. Ramana gleaned the fact from the affidavits filed by the Centre and the Delhi Government. The Centre, for one, stated that farm fires in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh contributed only 10% of the pollution. A flock of pigeons seen on a smoggy day in the national capital as the Air Quality Index remains in severe category in New Delhi on November 15, 2021. In the previous hearing, the court had questioned the narrow focus of the Centre and the Delhi Government on farmers. You say 76% of the pollution is caused by industry, dust, vehicles and construction and not due to stubble burning… So the cat is out of the bag… So, you are now trying to target pollution that is insignificant? Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, on the Bench, asked both Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and senior advocate Rahul Mehra, appearing for the Centre and Delhi, respectively. Are you agreeing in principle that farm fires are not the major cause? So all that hue and cry had no scientific or actual basis? Justice Surya Kant queried. Chief Justice Ramana noted that the court had been insisting that stubble burning was not the major cause. Pollution is caused by city-related issues… You first take care of them and then we will come to stubble burning, he observed, nudging the Centre, Delhi and States towards a firm commitment to act against pollution. The court was shocked to realise that Delhi had only 69 mechanised road sweepers to cover the entire streets of the Capital. Mehra was quick to assure commitment at the top. He said the municipal corporations in Delhi were autonomous bodies and suggested the court should ask the Mayors to file specific affidavits. This is like the story told by grandma… Everyone is passing the buck, Chief Justice Ramana scoffed. Justice Kant lashed out at the Delhi Government for coming up with lame excuses. He said if this went on, the court would be constrained to order an audit inquiry into the money the government spent on popularity slogans seen across the Capital. Justice Chandrachud asked, How will you augment the number of machines in the next 24 hours. Justice Kant stated, Municipal corporations say they don’t even have the money to pay their staff. Mehra, after conferring with officials, said MCD can say how many they require, the government will release the funds. We are committed… We will do on a war footling. Tall words… the CJI reacted at one point. The Delhi counsel persisted that the government had been doing everything the Union of India had asked to quell pollution. Mehra said, Everything that needs to be done further, will be done in 24 to 48 hours. Senior advocate Vikas Singh, for the petitioners, said the Centre had made a wrong statement in court today on stubble burning as their high-powered meeting last night has recorded that stubble burning even now is responsible for 35-40% of Delhi air pollution. He said construction needed to be regulated rather than banned. The court scheduled the next hearing for November 17.  

Congress demands ‘white paper’ from BJP, AAP on steps taken to tackle pollution in Delhi 

The Congress demanded a white paper from both the Centre and the Delhi Government on November 15 on the steps taken by them to tackle pollution in the national capital and said they should be held accountable for playing with the health of people. Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill accused both the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of indulging in a blame game and wasting the taxpayers’ money on hollow advertisements. AAP’s Delhi government and BJP’s central government should issue a white paper on what steps they have taken to tackle the black pollution except hollow advertisements and playing blame game politics and wasting the taxpayers’ money, he said. Shergill said the Supreme Court’s observations have exposed the spineless and careless approach of the AAP and the BJP towards tackling pollution. The truth is that Delhiites are paying a heavy price for the BJP’s and the AAP’s politics, and their obsession with self publicity, he noted, soon after the apex court came down heavily on the two governments over the rising air pollution in the national capital. It is high time political accountability was fixed and the people of Delhi should hold both the BJP and the AAP accountable for playing with their health and jeopardising it, the Congress leader said. People have been suffering due to the severe air pollution in the national capital over the last few days with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of over 500.

Three months ahead of Uttar Pradesh elections, PM Modi to open Purvanchal Expressway on November 16 

With three months left for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Tuesday inaugurate the 341-km six-lane Purvanchal Expressway that would connect the State capital to the eastern regions of the State. Since the leading Opposition Samajwadi Party has built a formidable caste alliance against the ruling BJP in the region and claimed credit for the project, the new expressway has come under the political spotlight, much like the Agra-Lucknow Expressway built under Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. Politics over the expressway intensified after the Ghazipur administration denied permission to the SP to hold a roadshow to Azamgarh, citing that no traffic would be allowed on the expressway on November 16 due to Modi’s launch of the highway on the same day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi. File In response, Yadav on Monday at a press conference said his party would shower petals at different places on the highway and mark a ‘symbolic’ launch of the highway the foundation stone of which, he said, was laid during his tenure. The SP also re-scheduled its rath yatra to November 17 and changed the route to Lucknow from Ghazipur. Modi will inaugurate the expressway at Karwal Kheri in Sultanpur where he will also witness an air show by the IAF on the 3.2-km long airstrip constructed on the expressway to enable landing and take-off of fighter planes in cases of emergency. The project was built at a cost of ₹22,497 crores, said the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA). It starts from village Chaudsarai in Lucknow and ends at village Hydaria on National Highway 31, 18 km east of UP-Bihar border. It would pass through Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Ayodhya, Sultanpur, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur districts. Yadav accused the BJP of trying to steal credit for the project. He also said the BJP government had not only removed the word ‘Samajwadi’ from the original name of the project but also ‘compromised’ on the quality to cut costs and launched an incomplete highway, putting commuters at risk. Riders would have to face back pain, he said. In contrast, If you are drinking tea in a car on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, you will not spill it even at the speed of 100 kmph, Yadav said. The UPEIDA in a statement said the SP Government had also opened the Agra-Lucknow Expressway in 2016 when it was incomplete and that the BJP Government had to finish several portions of it after 2017. With the farmers protest raging in western U.P., the stakes are high for the BJP in Purvanchal where it hopes to showcase the expressway as a beacon of development. In November 2016, the then SP Government opened the 302-km Agra-Lucknow Expressway with a spectacular show of simulated take-offs and landings —‘touch-and-go’ manoeuvre — by six fighter planes of the IAF. It was touted as the hallmark of Yadav’s pitch to project his infrastructural works. However, in the 2017 election, in the 10 districts touched by the expressway, the BJP had won 48 seats while the SP could manage only 10. The BSP and the Congress got one each.  

Sidhu asks Punjab government to make public fiscal situation every month 

Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday alleged that the State was reeling under acute debt and asked the government to make public the fiscal situation every month. Pointing out that his focus was beyond the 2022 Assembly elections, he asserted that Punjab was the most indebted State in the country and party workers were looking towards a solution. Today Punjab is the most indebted State in India. Debt accounts for 50% of State GDP. Half of our expenditure is funded by expensive debt. Let’s not derail from real issues to which every Punjabi & party worker demands solution, because there’s #PunjabBeyond2022, he tweeted. Financial Accountability and Transparency are pillars of Punjab Model. Accountability demands revealing sources of funds at every scheme announcement, whether from income or from more debt. Transparency demands making public state’s fiscal health every month, he stated. Borrowing was not the way to go forward for Punjab. Taxes should not go to settle debt but go back to people in the form of development. Borrowing is not the way forward! Taxes should not go to settle debt but go back to the people in the form of development. Solution oriented model is to stop theft of State’s resources, fill up public exchequer and create a Welfare State through income generation, he added.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

6th edition of Indo-France joint military exercise ‘Ex-Shakti 2021’ begins on November 16

The 6th edition of Indo-France joint military exercise ‘Ex-Shakti 2021’ began on November 16 at the French port town of Frejus. The 12-day long bilateral exercise will conclude on November 26, 2021. The Ex-Shakti 2021 will be focusing on Counter-Terrorism operations in semi-urban terrain under UN Mandate with an aim at enhancing inter-operability and military cooperation between both armies. The Indian Army is being represented by a platoon strength of a Gorkha Rifles Infantry Battalion whereas the French Army is being represented by troops of the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade. The last edition of Ex-Shakti was conducted from October 31 to November 13, 2019 at Foreign Training Node in Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan during which Counter-Terrorism operations in semi-desert terrain were conducted. India and France armies carry out three biennial training exercises namely Exercise SHAKTI with the Indian Army, Exercise VARUNA with the Indian Navy, and Exercise GARUDA with Indian Air Force. 

Bangladesh writer Hasan Azizul Haque dies away at 82

Renowned literary figure and short-story writer of Bangladesh Hasan Azizul Haque passed away on November 15, 2021. Born in 1939, Haque was 82-years-old. Hasan Azizul Haque was one of the most prominent literary figures of Bangladesh. He was conferred with the Ekushey Padak in 1999 and Bangladesh’s top civilian honour Independence award in 2019. He has also been awarded the Bangla Academy award, Ananda Sahitya Puraskar, and Adamjee Sahitya Puraskar in 2018 in Kolkata for his novel ‘Agunpakhi’. Haque was known for his short stories in Bangla namely ‘Jibon Ghoshe Agun’, ‘Atmoja O Ekti Karabi Gaach’, ‘Gotrahin’ and ‘Naamhin’.

 

NATIONAL NEWS 

CBI, ED directors can now have tenures of up to five years;

 Centre issues two ordinances The tenures of Directors of the CBI and the ED can now be up to a maximum of five years from the present two years, according to two ordinances brought in by the government on Sunday.  The Directors of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate enjoy a fixed tenure of two years from the date of their appointment in the wake of the directives of the Supreme Court in the famous Vineet Narain case.  The Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Ordinance comes barely three days ahead of the retirement of incumbent Enforcement Directorate chief S.K. Mishra, a 1984-batch IRS officer.  The government had given him an extension of one year in 2020 after the completion of his two years fixed term. The matter was heard by the Supreme Court this year which did not quash the extension but told the government not to give any further extension to Mishra beyond November 17.  However, with the promulgation of the ordinance it remains to be seen whether Mishra would continue as the ED chief or not, officials said. The ordinance promulgated by President Ram Nath Kovind that comes into effect at once states: Provided that the period for which the Director of Enforcement holds the office on his initial appointment may, in public interest, on the recommendation of the Committee under clause(a) and for the reasons to be recorded in writing, be extended up to one year at a time: Provided further that no such extension shall be granted after the completion of a period of five years in total including the period mentioned in the initial appointment, it states.  The ED Director is appointed by the Central Government on the recommendation of a committee chaired by the Central Vigilance Commissioner and members comprising of Vigilance Commissioners, Home Secretary, Secretary DOPT and Revenue Secretary.  The government has also brought in Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021 which is also effective at once.  The ordinance inserts the provision in DSPE Act that Provided that the period for which the Director holds the office on his initial appointment may, in public interest, on the recommendation of the Committee under sub-section (1) of section 4A and for the reasons to be recorded in writing, be extended up to one year at a time: Provided further that no such extension shall be granted after the completion of a period of five years in total including the period mentioned in the initial appointment, it states.  The Director CBI is selected on the basis of the recommendation of a committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the Chief of Justice of India and the Leader of Opposition.  The fixed term of two years was aimed at ensuring the chiefs of CBI and ED work free from government interference without worrying about any adverse action for the probes carried out by divide. 

The divide between haves and have-nots is still a reality: CJI Ramana  

The stark divide between haves and have-nots is still a reality and law must work to alleviate poverty, Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana said on Sunday.  Despite our being a part of a welfare state, benefits are not trickling down to the intended beneficiaries at the desired levels. People’s aspiration about leading a dignified life are often met with challenges. One of them, primarily, being poverty, the CJI said.  Chief Justice Ramana quoted Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on the impact of poverty and a fragmented society in a country’s growth: There could be no real freedom without economic freedom and that to call a starving man free, is but to mock him.  He was speaking at a pan-Indian legal awareness and outreach campaign programme which coincided with the birth anniversary of Pandit Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister.  Chief Justice Ramana reminded that the fundamental mission of our Independence struggle was to find life and dignity for all.  The top judge reminisced how the Independence movement fought and won against the colonial attitude that poverty is a misfortune for which the law cannot take any responsibility at all.  The struggles and aspirations of our people shaped our Constitution, the document which promised us an egalitarian future, the CJI said.  The CJI said an independent and robust district judiciary was the foremost sign of a healthy judiciary. A woman in distress, a child in care of need, an illegal detainee approaches the trial court first.  The mind of the Indian judiciary can be known to millions largely through the actions of the trial court and the district judiciary. For an overwhelming majority of litigants, what is real and existing is only the district judiciary. Without robust justice delivery system at the grassroot level, we cannot imagine a healthy judiciary, Chief Justice Ramana said.  The CJI reinforced the need to practice a justice delivery system which reached out to those in need and rendered them help without delay. The CJI said such people care little for well-dressed, erudite lawyers or colossal court buildings.  All they want is to be relieved of their pain quickly, without exhausting all their resources, Chief Justice Ramana said.   

Gadchiroli encounter: Top Maoist leader Milind Teltumbde among 26 rebels killed, confirm Maharashtra police  

Maharashtra Police authorities on November 14 confirmed that top fugitive Maoist Milind Baburao Teltumbde was among the 26 members of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) who were killed in the November 13 encounter in the State’s Gadchiroli district.  Milind Teltumbde, known by his aliases ‘Jeeva’ and ‘Deepak’, was the central committee member of the CPI (Maoist) and in-charge of the newly formed Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh confluence (MMC) zone of the outlaws. Hailing from Rajur village in Yavatmal district’s Wani taluk, he carried a bounty of ₹50 lakh on his head and is said to have been instrumental in the growth of the outlawed movement in Gadchiroli, Gondia and Rajnandgaon districts in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.  Six among the outlaws were women, who were killed along with other senior members of the CPI (Maoist) in the gun battle between teams of C-60 commandos and the outlaws that began early on Saturday in the Mardintola forest area of eastern Maharashtra (near the Chhattisgarh border) and lasted several hours.  Ankit Goyal (second from right), SP of Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district, and other officials on November 14, 2021 address a press conference on the encounter with 26 naxals the previous day at Gyarapatti-Kotgul forest near Dhanora in the district.    As per the primary identification, Teltumbde was one of the 26 Maoists killed in Saturday’s encounter. Three security personnel have also been injured in the crossfire. They have been airlifted by helicopter to Nagpur and admitted for treatment at a local hospital, said Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police Ankit Goyal.  While the identity of 10 of the slain rebels has yet to be ascertained, the 16 who have been identified include Lokesh alias Mangu Podiyam (also known as Mangu Madkam) and Mahesh alias Shivaji Gota – both Divisional Committee Members (DVCMs).  Mahesh Gota, who carried a bounty of ₹16 lakh on his head, was commander of the Kasansur ‘dalam’ (squad) while Lokesh, who was commander of company 4, carried a reward of ₹20 lakh.  Those killed also included Milind Teltumbde’s bodyguards, identified as Tilak Jade — an area committee member (ACM) also known by his aliases ‘Bhagatshingh’ and ‘Pradeep’ — and Manso Boga (known by her alias ‘Vimla’) who were said to be Milind Teltumbde’s bodyguards.  Milind Teltumbde had also been named as an accused in the 2018 Elgaar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case, in which his elder brother Anand Teltumbde, a noted academic and writer, is currently lodged in Mumbai’s Taloja jail and is awaiting trial.  The National Investigation Agency’s charge sheet in the Elgaar Parishad case which it filed last year in October alleged that Milind Teltumbde had been apparently inspired by his elder brother to join the Maoist ranks.  The charge sheet had noted that Milind Teltumbde had been tasked with expanding the Maoist movement in urban areas with the help of his elder brother Anand Teltumbde on the international level and had allegedly taken guidance from him.   

Army Chief General MM Naravane on his first 5-day visit to Israel

The Chief of the Army Staff General MM Naravane has begun his 5-day visit to Israel. This will be Naravane’s first visit to Israel. During the visit, Naravane will meet Israel’s senior military and civilian leadership to discuss opportunities for enhancing Indo-Israel defence relations. Naravane will meet the Service Chief and visit the Headquarters of the Ground Forces element of the Israeli Defence Forces. Naravane will be further enhancing the excellent bilateral defence corporation between India and Israel through several meetings with senior officials of the security establishment.

President Ram Nath Kovind promulgates two ordinances extending tenure of CBI and ED Directors for upto 5 years

President Ram Nath Kovind on November 14, 2021, promulgated two Ordinances to extend the tenure of Directors of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) upto 5 years. The two ordinances are the Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 and the Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Ordinance 2021. As per the ordinances, the Chiefs of both agencies CBI and ED will be eligible for extensions every year for upto 3 years after they complete the 2-year term. The ordinances however stated that no such extension will be given after the completion of a period of 5 years in total including the period mentioned in the initial appointment. The current tenure of the Chiefs of CBI and ED is 2-years.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Glasgow climate summit commits nations to strengthen emission reductions  

The 26th United Nations Conference of Parties (COP) in Glasgow concluded late on Saturday, local time, with a resolution by countries to revisit and strengthen their existing emission targets by 2022.  The Glasgow Climate Pact, combined with increased ambition and action from countries, means that 1.5°C remains in sight, but it will only be delivered with concerted and immediate global efforts, said a statement from the United Nations Secretariat.  The Paris Agreement, a treaty signed in 2015, exhorts countries to strive to curtail emissions that would prevent temperatures from rising over 1.5°C by 2100. This would require significant adaptation to renewable energy, cutting global emissions by as much as 45% by 2030 and effectively zero emissions by mid-century.  A major target when negotiations began on November 1 was to tie up loose ends from 2015 Paris Agreement. The Paris Rulebook, that specifies guidelines for how the Paris Agreement is delivered, was also completed today after six years of discussions. This will allow for the full delivery of the landmark accord, after agreement on a transparency process which will hold countries to account as they deliver on their targets. This includes Article 6, which establishes a robust framework for countries to exchange carbon credits through the UNFCCC, the statement noted.  India was among the countries that had insisted on clarity on Article 6 because a bulk of the carbon credits accumulated by its several companies — private and public sector enterprises — over a decade were infructuous and India had pushed for them to be made valid again. Carbon credits allow companies in developed countries to indirectly pay for clean energy transitions in developing countries by accumulating credits. However, criticism mounted that that was not actually leading to measurable reductions in overall polluting emissions and the 1997 Kyoto Protocol that validated carbon credit trading had expired in 2020.  A key thrust of COP 26, led by the United States and the United Kingdom, which held the presidency this time, was to have countries such as India and China agree to a year, preferably mid-century, by which their emissions would be near zero. This would also imply phasing out coal. However India, in a last minute intervention and supported by China, opposed such wording in the text of the agreement. As a compromise, it now reads that coal will not be phased out but phased down.  The U.K. Presidency noted that as recently as 2019, only 30% of the world was covered by net zero targets and this had now moved close to 90%. Over the same period, 154 Parties (of the nearly 200) had submitted new national targets, representing 80% of global emissions. 

 

Russia starts delivery of S-400 missile systems to India, says Russian official  

Russia has started the delivery of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems to India, according to a senior Russian official. Russia’s Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) Dmitry Shugaev told Sputnik news that the deliveries are going as planned.  The supplies of the S-400 air defence system to India have started and are proceeding on schedule, he said. In October 2018, India had signed a $5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, despite a warning from the Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite U.S. sanctions.  File photo of Russian S-400 air defense missile systems.   India made the first tranche of payment of around $800 million to Russia for the missile systems in 2019. The S-400 is known as Russia’s most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system.  Following U.S. sanctions on Turkey over the procurement of S-400 missile systems, there have been apprehensions that Washington may impose similar punitive measures on India.  

NATIONAL NEWS 

Gun battle in Gadchiroli

In what the Maharashtra Home Minister termed historic, at least 26 Maoists were killed in Gadchiroli district in the early hours of Saturday. The encounter between the C-60 commandoes and the Maoists reportedly took place at the Mardintola forest near Korchi. Three officers were injured during the operation and admitted to hospital. The identity of the Maoists is yet to be ascertained though there are unconfirmed reports that Milind Teltumbde, a member of the Maoists’ central committee, was among the dead. This incident is yet another victory for the state against the Maoists, who were once called India’s biggest internal security threat. The influence of the Maoists has been waning over the years, though the militants continue to hold sway in some parts. In September this year, the Home Ministry stated that the geographical influence of the Maoists had dropped to just 41 districts in the country from 96 in 2010. Only 25 of these districts now account for 85% of Left-Wing Extremism. The Maoist movement, which had strong ideological moorings, became more brutal over the years forcing the state to deal with the problem with an iron hand. The strategy of containing the Maoists as well as improving welfare measures in the poorest districts to reduce dissatisfaction has been effective in some parts, but not in others. The Maoists continue to hold sway in South Bastar in Chhattisgarh, the Andhra-Odisha border and some districts in Jharkhand. Home Minister Amit Shah said in September that security was being increased, especially in Maharashtra, Odisha and Chhattisgarh. But as this editorial from September pointed out, a purely security-driven approach fraught with human rights violations has only added to the alienation among the poor.

Maharashtra signed an MoU with RMI for technical support in EV Policy

Maharashtra government has signed an MoU with the United States-based Non-Profit Organisation, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), to provide technical support for Maharashtra’s Electric Vehicle (EV) policy. The MoU was signed at Glasgow, United Kingdom, at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP26). Maharashtra state EV policy aims to have a 10 per cent share of EV vehicles of total registrations in India by 2025.

BharatPe launched World’s 1st Merchant Shareholding Programme

BharatPe launched the World’s 1st Merchant Shareholding Program (MSP) for its merchant partners. It is a $100 million worth program, under which the company offers its merchant customers an opportunity to buy BharatPe’s equity shares and become a partner. The company plans a public listing by 2024 and targets a public listing value of $1 billion.

TVS Motor became 1st Indian 2-wheeler maker to join UN Global Compact

TVS Motor Company, the flagship company of TVS Group, has joined the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the world’s largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative. TVS Motor has become the 1st Indian two-wheeler and three-wheeler manufacturer to join the UNGC. TVS Motor will also engage in collaborative projects which will advance the development goals of the UN, particularly the Sustainable development goals (SDG).

44th Wangala festival begins in Meghalaya

Meghalaya state observed the 44th edition of ‘Wangala’, the festival of 100 Drums Festival begins. It is a post-harvest festival of the Garos tribe which is being held every year to honour ‘Saljong’, the Sun God of Garos, which also marks the end of the harvest season. Celebrated since 1976, it’s the most important festival of the Garo tribe and attracts a lot of tourists. During the Wangala, tribals offer sacrifices to please their deity Saljong, the Sun God.

Dr Ajay Kumar releases a book titled ‘FORCE IN STATECRAFT’

India’s Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar has released a book titled ‘FORCE IN STATECRAFT’ in New Delhi. The book is a compilation of essays on topics such as counter-insurgency operations, conflict in the North East, airpower, nuclear posture etc. contributed by all stalwarts of the Armed Forces, who have vast operational experience and understanding of several important cornerstones of forces and its application.

Bhopal’s Habibganj Railway Station renamed as Rani Kamlapati Station

The Habibganj railway station in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh has been renamed after 18th-century Gond Queen of Bhopal, Rani Kamlapati. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the revamped Rani Kamlapati railway station on November 15, during his visit to Bhopal. The railway station has been redeveloped with modern airport-like amenities at a cost of Rs 450 crore under Public Private Partnership mode in three years. Rani Kamlapati was the last Hindu queen of Bhopal and pride of the Gond community.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

6th India-France bilateral Army exercise EX SHAKTI 2021 begins

The Navies of India and France will carry out the 6th edition of the biennial training exercise EX SHAKTI 2021 from November 15 to 26, 2021 in Frejus, France. The Indian Army will be represented by the Gorkha Rifles Infantry Battalion and France Army will be represented by troops of the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade.

World Diabetes Day observed on 14 November

World Diabetes Day is observed on 14th November every year. The campaign aims to raise awareness around the crucial role that nurses play in supporting people living with diabetes. The Theme for World Diabetes Day 2021-23: Access to Diabetes Care.

Australia wins their maiden T20 World Cup title

Australia won their maiden T20 World Cup title as they defeated New Zealand in the final by 8 wickets. A target of 173 in a global final is never easy but Marsh with his power and reach made it look like a walk in the park in the company of David Warner (53 off 38 balls), who also turned the wheels of fortune for himself and his team during a victory, achieved in 18.5 overs. Mitchell Marsh was named as the player of the match.

SPORTS NEWS 

Rahul Dravid named as brand ambassador of kids footwear brand Plaeto

Children’s footwear brand Plaeto has announced the appointment of celebrated Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid as its brand ambassador and mentor. Plaeto is India’s first D2C foot-health focused footwear brand designed specifically for Indian children. Plaeto was founded in March 2020 by Ravi Kallayil, Sara Kilgore and Pavan Kareti.

Children’s Day observed on 14th November

On 14th November, Children’s Day is celebrated every year to mark the birth anniversary of India’s first Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. Children’s Day is popularly known as ‘Baal Diwas’ in India. The day aims at increasing the awareness of the rights, care and education of children. On this day, many educational and motivational programs are organised across the country, by and for children.

VVS Laxman to take charge as Head of National Cricket Academy

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly on November 14, 2021, confirmed that former India batsman VVS Laxman will take charge as the Head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA). Laxman is expected to take up the role by December 2021. The announcement comes after the post got vacant after the former Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid became Team India’s Head Coach on November 3, 2021.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Centre agrees to grant permanent commission to 11 women Army officers.

The Central government on Friday agreed to grant permanent commission (PC) to 11 women Army officers who meet the eligibility criteria, after the Supreme Court threatened to initiate contempt proceedings. The Centre, which was initially reluctant, conveyed its acquiescence to a Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud to grant PC to the officers within 10 days. Short Service Commission (SSC) women officers, who have not approached the court but nonetheless meet the various eligibility criteria, would be granted PC in three weeks, the government informed the court. In October, the court similarly intervened with the government in favour of granting PC to 39 other SSC women officers. We appreciate the fair stand of the Army authority in putting at rest all outstanding issues pertaining to women SSC officers, the court recorded at the end. The Bench, also comprising Justice A.S. Bopanna, was hearing a contempt petition filed by the 11 officers, who alleged they were denied PC despite crossing the eligibility threshold. However, the court said that by way of abundant caution, it is clarified that those officers who have disciplinary and vigilance clearance will be eligible to grant of PC, subject to their meeting of other conditions.

 

PM to inaugurate Kashi temple corridor on December 13 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Corridor project on December 13 in Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, alongside families of those who had been displaced due to the project. The project inauguration comes with just a few months to spare for Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls and has significance in terms of cultural politics for the State. According to senior sources in the BJP, at least 400 families were asked to vacate the area, many of the encroachments around the historic temple cleared to make way for the project that encapsulates the vision of the Holkar queen of Indore, Ahalya Bai Holkar, who created a series of temples and vistas leading up to the Ganga ghat. The project connects the temple with the ghats of the Ganga, with a paved walkway around 320 metres long and 20 metres wide. It will also have facilities for a museum, library, a facilitation centre for pilgrims, and a Mumuksha Bhawan (salvation house). According to Shashi Kumar, head of U.P. BJP’s social media cell, the function would see the presence of the main ‘archakas’ of the 12 ‘Jyotirlingas’ (of which Kashi is one), with water from all major rivers of the country being brought in for the ‘abhishek’ of main deity Baba Vishwanath (Lord Shiva). The project is an important one for Modi and was pegged at ₹600 crore (approximately) after it was launched in March 2018. An estimated ₹300 crore was spent on purchasing land and buildings around the temple complex, and for resettlement compensation alone. 

 

Battle of ideologies is most important in today’s India: Rahul Gandhi 

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that the battle of ideologies has become one of the most important ones in today’s India, while accepting that the ideology of his party had been overshadowed by the hate-filled orientation of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). It is important to understand why we find ourselves in the situation where we find ourselves. Today, whether we like it or not, we have to accept that the divisive ideology of the RSS and the BJP has overshadowed the loving, affectionate and nationalistic ideology of the Congress. Our ideology is alive and vibrant but it is overshadowed, Gandhi said. He was speaking at the inaugural session of a four-day national orientation camp for organisation training at Sewagram Ashram in Wardha district of Maharashtra. The moment we crystallise ours’ [ideology], we will envelope them [the BJP-RSS]. Just like Lord Shiva used to consume poison, Congress ideology will make the BJP’s ideology, [of] hate disappear, he said. Commenting on the training, Gandhi said that spreading the Congress’ ideology was only one part of it. Our ideology spreads only when fear and pain within an individual is overcome. We must focus on strengthening our workers to make them fearless and pain-less. We are countering the ideology which thrives on fear and pain. We stand with smile, love and respect to others crossing the boundaries of caste, religion and region, against those who offer nothing but hate, anger and abuse, he said. 

 

Covaxin safe, shows 77.8% efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19: Lancet study 

Two doses of Covaxin, India’s indigenous COVID-19 vaccine, offer 77.8% protection against symptomatic disease and present no serious safety concerns, according to an interim analysis of its phase 3 trial published in The Lancet on Friday. Covaxin, an inactivated whole virus vaccine developed by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, recently received emergency use approval from the World Health Organization (WHO) for people aged 18 and above. The phase-3 trial findings indicate that Covaxin induces a robust antibody response with no severe vaccine-related adverse events or deaths reported among the trial participants, the authors of the study said. The phase 3 trial findings indicate that Covaxin induces a robust antibody response with no severe vaccine-related adverse events or deaths reported among the trial participants. File image. The majority of the adverse events, including headache, fatigue, fever, and pain at the injection site, were mild and occurred within seven days of vaccination, they explained. The vaccine is administered in a two-dose regimen, 28 days apart, and can be stored and transported between 2-8 degrees Celsius. The trial took place from November 16 to May 17 this year, with participants aged 18 and older randomly assigned to receive two doses of the vaccine or a placebo. The researchers recorded 24 positive cases among 8,471 people in the vaccine group and 106 positive cases among 8,502 people in the placebo group, suggesting an overall vaccine efficacy of 77.8 per cent, the authors said.  

 

HC expresses displeasure against targeting of Manika Batra by TTFI 

The Delhi High Court Friday expressed strong displeasure that star table tennis player Manika Batra was being allegedly targeted by the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) for dragging the sports body to the court by raising her grievances. Justice Rekha Palli said the player cannot be targeted and if she was being targeted, then it was a serious problem. The high court was hearing a petition by Batra seeking quashing of rules mandating compulsory attendance at the National Coaching Camp for selection in international events. It directed the TTFI to place before it the communications with the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) regarding Batra, who made a complaint against the national sports body. The court’s order came after Batra, the country’s top-ranked women’s table tennis player, claimed that she was being targeted by the national federation for raising her grievances in the court and now the international federation was also treating her like an accused. The averment was vehemently denied by the counsel for TTFI. The high court had on September 23 stayed the TTFI’s rule mandating compulsory attendance at the National Coaching Camp for selection in international events and had asked the Centre to conduct an inquiry into Batra’s complaint against the sports body. On Friday, the court was informed by the Centre’s counsel Apoorv Kurup that the enquiry report was ready and the judge asked them to file it in a sealed cover before it. In the petition, the Commonwealth Games gold medallist and Khel Ratna awardee has alleged that the federation was carrying out its selection processes in a non-transparent manner, targeting certain individuals such as herself. She has asserted that the national coach, in a clear conflict of interest, was running a private table tennis academy simultaneously and on one occasion, pressurised the petitioner to throw away a match only with a view to help one of his trainees at his private academy to qualify for the Olympics, 2020. The plea stated that Table Tennis is an individual sport, which requires specialised training with support staff and thus the rule against personal coaching is arbitrary, irrational, absurd, and has no nexus with achieving excellence in an individualised sport.  

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

India’s Bimal Patel elected to UN’s International Law Commission

Professor Bimal Patel from India has been elected to the International Law Commission for a 5-year-term starting January 1, 2023, by topping the Asia-Pacific group for the election at the United Nations on November 12, 2021. Patel is a Vice-Chancellor at Rashtriya Raksha University and a Member of the National Security Advisory Board of India. Patel topped the Asia-Pacific group with 163 votes in the UN General Assembly out of 192 members present and voting. TheThe Asia-Pacific group saw 11 very strong candidates contesting for 8 seats. The 11 candidates by nationality included candidates from India, Japan, China, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, Cyprus, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Mongolia, and Lebanon. India topped the Asia-Pacific group with 163 votes on the account of Bimal Patel, followed by 162 votes for Thailand, 154 votes for Japan, 145 votes for Vietnam, 142 votes for China, 140 votes for South Korea, 139 votes for Cyprus, and 123 votes for Mongolia. 

 

UN Climate conference to continue till afternoon of November 13

The President of the ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference in Scotland, Alok Sharma has said that he expected the negotiations for a deal will continue into the afternoon of November 13, 2021. The President of the COP26 said that he envisages the formal plenary meetings in the afternoon to adopt the decisions and close it on Saturday. The two-week COP26 was originally scheduled to end on November 12, 2021.

 

US President to virtually meet Chinese President on Nov 15

The President of the United States Joe Biden will virtually meet the President of China Xi Jinping on November 15, 2021. The leaders will discuss the ways to responsibly manage the competition between US and China. Biden will make clear of US’s intention and be clear about its concerns with China.

 

Johnson & Johnson to separate company’s Consumer Health Business

Johnson & Johnson has decided to separate the consumer health business of the company and to create a new public traded company. The separation will create two global leaders that will be better positioned for delivering improved health outcomes for the patients and consumers through innovations.

NATIONAL NEWS 

UAPA: Supreme Court agrees to fix date to hear plea to quash FIRs by Tripura police

The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to fix a date and hear a petition filed by several persons to quash the FIRs registered against them under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) for social media posts alleging communal violence in Tripura. Tripura Police have booked 102 social media users, including journalists and activists, under the UAPA and accused them of criminal conspiracy and forgery. The police have sent notices to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to freeze their accounts and sought information on them. The State police had registered a case under UAPA against Supreme Court lawyers who were part of a fact-finding team which released a report on the alleged instances of communal violence in Tripura. These lawyers were part of the fact-finding team which investigated these incidents in Tripura. Social media users who posted messages like ‘Tripura is burning’ have also been charged under UAPA, advocate Prashant Bhushan addressed a three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana during the mentioning of the case for urgent hearing. Chief Justice Ramana suggested the petitioners could approach the High Court first. Bhushan replied that the petition had also challenged the constitutionality of certain provisions in the UAPA. The Editors Guild of India had recently condemned the Tripura Police’s invocation of the draconian UAPA in the case.

 

India demands $1 trillion as ‘climate finance’ 

 India has demanded a trillion dollars over the next decade from developed countries to adapt to, and mitigate, the challenges arising from global warming, and has kept this as a condition for delivering on climate commitments made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a senior official who is part of ongoing climate agreement negotiations in Glasgow told The Hindu. India’s five-fold plan, as Modi spelt out on November 2, is as follows — India’s non-fossil energy capacity would reach 500 GW by 2030; it will meet 50% of its electricity requirements with renewable energy by 2030; reduce its total projected carbon emissions by a billion tonnes by 2030; it will reduce the carbon intensity of its economy to less than 45% and achieve net zero by 2070.   Net zero is when a country’s carbon emissions are offset by taking out equivalent carbon from the atmosphere, so that emissions in balance are zero. However, achieving net zero by a specific date means specifying a year, also called a peaking year, following which emissions will begin to fall. Nationally Determined Contributions are voluntary targets that countries set for themselves, which describe the quantum and kind of emission cuts they will undertake over a fixed period to contribute to preventing runaway global warming. India’s last NDC was submitted following the Paris Agreement of 2015. Before COP26 began on November 1, countries were expected to provide updated NDCs. India, however, did not furnish one. He added that developing countries, as a group, had demanded $1 trillion annually. Gupta did not, however, clarify the members of this group, or if India had formally communicated these demands, or if they had emerged as part of the negotiations. Delivering on climate finance is among the stickiest points of contention between developed and developing countries because developed countries, as a group, have failed to provide $100 billion annually by 2020, as promised from a decade ago. With the conference scheduled to draw to an end on Friday, nearly 200 countries are yet to finalise a final text of an agreement.

 

Jairam Ramesh moves privilege motion against Culture Minister Kishan Reddy 

Congress chief whip in the Rajya Sabha Jairam Ramesh on Thursday moved a privilege motion against Culture Minister G. Kishan Reddy over the appointment of former MP Tarun Vijay as the chairperson of the National Monuments Authority, a post for which, Ramesh said, Vijay was not qualified. In a letter to Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu ahead of the winter session of Parliament from November 29, Ramesh cited a section of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Act, 2010 that says the chairperson of the NMA should have proven experience and expertise in the field of archaeology, country and town planning, architecture, heritage, conservation architecture or law…. The Congress leader wrote that for the first time, the government had appointed a chairperson whose educational and professional background does not meet the requirements of law passed by Parliament in March 2010. That the appointee is a former MP is irrelevant and makes no difference whatsoever. I would like to move a privilege motion against the Union Minister of Culture in this regard for wilfully disregarding the provisions of law passed by Parliament. He has, in fact, made a mockery of this law, Ramesh wrote. Vijay had been a member of the Rajya Sabha from 2010 to 2016 and his profile on the House website says he is a journalist and writer by profession, having served as the chief editor of the RSS magazine Panchjanya for about two decades. He holds a B.A. degree from Osmania University, Hyderabad, the profile says. When reached for response, Vijay declined to comment, saying he was busy and that the matter pertained to the Minister. Reddy took over the Culture portfolio from Prahlad Singh Patel after the Cabinet expansion in July last.

 

Delhi HC seeks Centre’s stand on plea to label all products as vegetarian or non-vegetarian 

The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the Centre’s stand on a plea for labelling all items used by the public, including home appliances and apparel, as vegetarian or non-vegetarian on the basis of their ingredients and items used in manufacturing process. A bench headed by Justice Vipin Sanghi observed that everyone has the right to know and follow their belief and asked the Central Government to seriously examine the plea by Ram Gaua Raksha Dal — a trust working towards the welfare of cows — which claims that there are certain non-vegetarian products that are unknowingly used or consumed by those professing vegetarianism due to absence of proper disclosures. There can be no denying the fact that every person has the right to know which springs from right to free speech. The issue raised by the petitioner has a bearing on a person’s right to life in as much as the person is entitled to profess and follow his beliefs, said the bench, also comprising Justice Jasmeet Singh. It said a copy of the order be given to the concerned secretaries of Ministries of Health and Consumer Affairs for their consideration and directed that a response be filed in three weeks. The petitioner, represented by lawyer Rajat Aneja, has highlighted in the petition that there are several items and commodities which are used in everyday lives without those professing vegetarianism realising that they are either derived from animals or processed using animal-based products. Aneja told the court that bone char or natural carbon is used for polishing or refining white sugar, which is not fit for the consumption of people professing vegetarianism. Bone china products and even crayons have ingredients of animal origin, he added. The petition has asserted that the information regarding the usage of any non-vegetarian component ought to be disclosed and be considered as a factor to declare that product as non-vegetarian.

 

Won’t have airlines in India to board if fare limits not increased: Aviation Minister 

There won’t be any airline in India to board if limits on domestic airfares are not increased as oil prices have jumped from $22 each barrel to $85 in the last eight months, Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Thursday. At the ‘Times Now Summit 2021’, he said aviation turbine fuel (ATF) is about 40% of an airline’s cost structure in the country. Domestic air travel became costlier on August 12 this year when the Aviation Ministry raised the lower and upper caps on domestic fares by 9.83% to 12.82%. The Ministry had increased the lower limit for flights under 40-minute duration from ₹2,600 to ₹2,900 — an increase of 11.53%. The upper cap for flights under 40-minute duration was increased by 12.82% to ₹8,800. The reason for the Aviation Ministry raising the fare bands is that airlines must be given some cushion when there is a 400% jump in the prices of raw materials. If you are not able to give a 12.5% hike on the revenue side then you and I won’t have an airline to board, he added. India had imposed lower and upper limits on airfares based on flight duration when services resumed on May 25, 2020, after a two-month Covid lockdown. The lower caps were imposed to help the airlines that have been struggling financially due to coronavirus-related travel restrictions. The upper caps were imposed so that passengers are not charged huge amounts when the demand for seats is high. The caps mentioned by the government in its order does not include the passenger security fee, user development fee for the airports and the GST. These charges are added on top when a ticket is booked.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Taliban welcomes NSA meeting by India on Afghanistan

Taliban on November 11, 2021, welcomed the Delhi regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan. The Taliban group claimed that they have already fulfilled all the demands mentioned for the India conference on Afghanistan. The Taliban group said it welcomes the India meeting. We are trying to make solid steps in governance, and countries should not be worried about Afghanistan soil being used against anyone, said the Taliban Group in media reports. The National Security Adviser (NSAs) of the National Security Councils of eight countries including India participated in the Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan. India’s NSA Ajit Doval chaired the meeting.

 

UN Security Council calls for immediate end to violence in Myanmar

The UN Security Council in a statement dated November 10, 2021, called for an immediate end of violence across Myanmar following the reports of clashes between the armed forces and militant groups. The UNSC while expressing concern over the violence noted that the ‘recent developments pose particular serious challenges for the voluntary, safe, dignified, and sustainable return of Rohingya refugees and internally displaced persons’. The Council highlighted the need for improving the health and humanitarian situation in Myanmar. The UN Relief Chief Martin Griffiths said that the humanitarian situation in Myanmar is deteriorating. The USD 385 million humanitarian support for Myanmar is less than half funded as of yet.