Author: Shivali Varshney, Vidhyarthi Darpan

CURRENT AFFAIRS
08 August 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Air India plane overshoots runway in Kozhikode. 

An Air India Express flight from Dubai skidded off the runway and broke up into two while landing at the Karipur airport in Kozhikode on the night of 7 August. The flight — IX 1344 was landed at the airport at around 7.40 p.m. No fire was reported at the time of landing.  There were 174 passengers, 10 Infants, 2 Pilots, and 5 cabin crew onboard the aircraft. 

B) Kerala landslide claims 11. 

About 11 people were killed and several feared trapped in a major landslip at the Nayamakkad estate in Pettimudi near Munnar, Idukki district, on 7 August. The State Government has dispatched a 50-member team of the Fire and Rescue Services to the region for stepping up rescue operations. In all, 12 people have been rescued so far. While the State Government has requested the Indian Air Force (IAF) for assistance, inclement weather in Idukki would create difficulties for helicopters to operate in the region at the moment. 

C) After the Beirut explosion, alarm bells in TN over a big stock of ammonium nitrate.

Days after a massive explosion caused by stockpiled ammonium nitrate killed over 100 and left thousands injured in Beirut, alarm bells have started ringing over 740 tonnes of the same explosive chemical stored at a container freight station at Manali near Chennai port. The Beirut explosion had been caused by an estimated 2,750-tonne stockpile of ammonium nitrate stored for over six years in a port warehouse. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) acted swiftly, directing the Commissioner of Customs to immediately clear the stash of ammonium nitrate.

D) COVID Watch: Numbers and Developments

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 20,79,484 with the death toll at 42,515. India on Friday recorded 62,538 new cases. The RBI on 6 August set up an expert committee under veteran banker K V Kamath to suggest financial parameters for the resolution of pandemic-related stressed assets. The committee will submit its recommendations to the RBI, which will notify them along with modifications, if any, in 30 days.

E) NEP lays the foundation of New India. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at an event on 7 August that the National Education Policy (NEP) lays the foundation for the ‘New India’ of the 21st century, by emphasizing the shift away from rote learning and towards a focus on creative and innovative thinking. Addressing a Conclave on Transformational Reforms in Higher Education under the NEP, the Prime Minister said that there had been no major changes in the education system for many years, resulting in the promotion of a “herd mentality” in Indian society. “So far, the focus has been on ‘what to think’. The NEP emphasizes a shift in approach to focus on ‘how to think’ instead. 

SPORTS NEWS 

A) 4 players of the Indian hockey team tested corona positive.  

Captain of India’s national hockey team Manpreet Singh and three other players have tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the national camp in Bengaluru. Besides Manpreet, defender Surender Kumar, Jaskaran Singh and drag-flicker Varun Kumar have also tested positive for the deadly virus.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) The U.S. also bans TikTok.

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed executive orders banning popular Chinese apps such as TikTok and WeChat, terming them a threat to national security and the country’s economy. The ban comes into effect in 45 days in his two separate executive orders signed on August 6. India was the first country to ban Tik Tok and WeChat over national security concerns. India has banned as many as 106 Chinese apps, a move welcomed by both the Trump administration and U.S. lawmakers. 

B) Will close marines’ case only after ‘hefty’ compensation: SC.

The Supreme Court appreciated Italy’s efforts to prosecute its Marines accused of killing two fishermen off the coast of Kerala in 2012 but insisted that it will close their criminal trial in India only after the victims’ families are heard and paid a “hefty” and “adequate” compensation. Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde, heading a three-judge Bench, said while addressing the advocate Suhail Dutt, who was appearing for Italy. They appreciate the steps taken by Italy to prosecute the two Marines. But if they want the case closed here, they have to pay adequate compensation to the families. 

C) Russia claiming to launch the vaccine first in the world. 

Much of the media spotlight has been on vaccine development efforts in the U.S. and Europe, with China thought to be the dark horse in the race. Now Russia has stepped in, claiming that it is about to become the first country to approve a Covid-19 vaccine. The Associated Press is reporting that mass vaccinations have been planned as early as October, using shots that are yet to complete clinical trials, raising safety concerns. The vaccine has reportedly been developed jointly by the Gamaleya Research Institute and the Russian Defence Ministry and is set to be approved on August 12. Moscow is also looking at a Sputnik-like propaganda victory, recalling the Soviet Union’s launch of the world’s first satellite in 1957.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
07 August 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Post of J&K Lieutenant-Governor passes from bureaucrat to politician

On 5 August, following the resignation of G.C. Murmu, the first Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) of the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir will be BJP politician Manoj Sinha. Murmu, whose resignation came exactly one year after the UT was created, is expected to be appointed as the new Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG). Murmu, in recent weeks, had been caught in some controversies that suggested disagreements with the Centre. Notably, his comments suggesting that 4G internet should be restored in the Valley ran into trouble with security agencies, which had recommended against it. In another instance of disagreement, the Election Commission of India (EC) had pulled him up for saying elections in the UT would follow the delimitation exercise, on the grounds that this was for the EC to decide.

B) RBI keeps interest rates unchanged, foresees contraction in real GDP.

The RBI has decided to keep the benchmark repo rate, already at its lowest since 2000, unchanged at 4%, and the reverse repo rate at 3.35%. The decisions were announced after the 24th bi-monthly meeting of the RBI’s six-member Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), headed by Governor Shaktikanta Das. The RBI had last cut the rates on May 22 to boost demand in an economy suffering under the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. As regards outlook for the rest of the year, Governor Shaktikanta Das said India’s GDP would contract in the first half of FY21 as well as the full financial year.

C) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of coronavirus cases reported from India stood at 20,21,264 with the death toll at 41,609. India on 6 August has recorded 56,282 new cases and the day also saw a record rise in the death toll, with 904 deaths reported. Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry on Thursday said India’s coronavirus recovery rate has now risen to 67.62%, while the death rate has fallen to 2.07%. The Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII), one of the world’s largest vaccine manufacturers, has taken a bet on another prospective coronavirus vaccine candidate as it looks to take the lead in any prospective global vaccine rollout. 

D) Swapna claimed connections with CMO, bureaucrats: NIA. 

Swapna Suresh, the second accused in the diplomatic gold-smuggling case, has claimed that she had personal acquaintance with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in her official capacity as the representative of UAE Consular General, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) informed the Special Court. The accused had also given statements that she had high connections with top bureaucrats and the office of the Chief Minister.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) MoD takes down a report on Chinese incursion. 

The Ministry of Defense (MoD) has removed from its website a document that had admitted to Chinese incursions on Indian territory in Eastern Ladakh. The removed four-page MoD document, under the sub-heading of Chinese Aggression, had stated that the Chinese side transgressed in the areas of Kugrang Nala, Gogra, and the north bank of Pangong Tso lake on May 17-18, 2020. The Congress said that the report was removed after Rahul Gandhi tweeted about it on the morning of August 6 by citing its content to ask why the Prime Minister is lying about the border situation. After the documents were removed, Gandhi again slammed the PM on Twitter by saying that forget standing up to China, India’s PM lacks the courage even to name them. Denying that China is in our territory and removing the documents from websites won’t change the facts.

B) Won’t move back any further at Pangong Tso, India tells China.

India has reportedly told China that it will not move back any further in the region along Pangong Lake, as military commanders of the two sides continue discussions on disengagement in Eastern Ladakh. In the last meeting, China had demanded that India vacate a critical post to break the deadlock in the disengagement negotiations. It wanted India to remove a critical post called the Dhan Singh Thapa post located on Finger 3, one of the spurs along the Lake, as a pre-condition for Chinese forces to move further back towards the direction of Finger 8, where India believes the Line of Actual Control (LAC) lies. But India has refused to do so, on the grounds that the post on Finger 3 is within Indian territory.

C) Following Twitter, Facebook also acts against Trump’s post.

Facebook Inc. has taken down a post by U.S. President Donald Trump. The company said the post violated its rules against sharing misinformation about the coronavirus. The post contained a video clip from an interview Trump had recorded with Fox & Friends (a morning news show hosted by Fox News Channel) earlier in the day, where he claimed that children are “almost immune” to Covid-19. A tweet containing the video, posted by the Trump campaign’s @TeamTrump account and shared by the president was also later hidden by Twitter Inc. for breaking its Covid-19 misinformation rules. 

D) India rejects China’s UNSC move on Kashmir.

A day after China prompted the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to discuss the Kashmir issue in a closed-door meeting, India “firmly” rejected the Chinese initiative and reiterated that Kashmir was a domestic issue. The Chinese move came on the first anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370. China had initiated a similar move on August 16 last year when it revived “the India-Pakistan Question” at the UNSC. The issue had not been taken up at the Council since the India-Pakistan war of 1971.

SPORTS NEWS 

A) Vivo no longer IPL 2020 title sponsor.

The BCCI on 6 August, confirmed that their title sponsorship deal with Chinese mobile phone company Vivo has been suspended for the upcoming edition of the IPL. In a one-line statement, the BCCI confirmed the news but did not provide details. The BCCI will now initiate the process to find a new title sponsor, with the season-opener just six weeks away.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
06 August 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) PM Modi lays foundation stone for Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today laid the foundation stone for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, 28 years after the demolition of the Babri Masjid that once stood at the same spot. The building of the Ram temple marks the culmination of a campaign that dominated and polarised, the domestic political landscape for decades. Today, however, it was met by a near-unanimous show of support from political parties across the spectrum. PM Modi was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, among others. The Prime Minister unveiled a plaque and released a commemorative postal stamp to mark the occasion. In a lengthy and emotional speech, he said a long wait has finally ended and the Ram temple will be the harbinger of a prosperous India.

B) Tight security in J&K on the anniversary of Article 370 abrogation.

5 August also marks the one-year anniversary of the Modi government’s decision to abrogate Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370. Tight security was maintained across the Kashmir Valley on 5 August in order to foil protest marches by the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The president of NC party, who is also a Member of Parliament is heading a meeting of all regional parties so that they can apparently move to carry forward the Gupkar Declaration which was signed on August 4, 2019, by the regional parties. However, security has been beefed up on Gupkar Road, and barricades have been set up.

C) Tweets amounted to ‘criticism’ and not ‘contempt’, Bhushan tells SC. 

Noted civil rights lawyer Prashant Bhushan on 5 August conveyed to the Supreme Court that his tweets in June of a photograph showing Chief Justice Sharad A. Bobde astride a bike and the court’s role in the past six years amounted to ‘criticism’ and not contempt. He said that this is criticism. Why don’t they take it objectively? senior advocate Dushyant Dave, for Bhushan, asked a three-judge Bench led by Justice Arun Mishra. Noting that hundreds of people had tweeted the photograph of Chief Justice Bobde on the motorbike, Dave asked, There are many amusing tweets by others. Is the court going to call them all in?

D) Covid watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of coronavirus cases reported from India stood at 19,51,813 with the death toll at 40,643. India on Wednesday recorded 52,509 new cases. The Health Ministry said that India registered a record 51,706 coronavirus recoveries today and that the country’s recovery rate stood at 67.19%. India’s death rate, it added, is now 2.09%. 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Beirut blast claims more than 100, two-week emergency declared

A massive blast occurred in port warehouses near central Beirut on Tuesday, killing 100 people, and injuring nearly 4,000. The blast sent shockwaves that shattered windows, smashed masonry, and shook the ground across the Lebanese capital. The blast has been linked to the storage of massive quantities of highly explosive material in the warehouses.  While Lebanon’s volatile capital is no stranger to violent explosions, the city, already reeling from an economic crisis and a surge in coronavirus infections, has never seen one of this magnitude. The government has declared an emergency of 2 weeks. It has also approved $13 million to deal with the crisis.

B) China calls change in J&K status ‘illegal’.

Speaking of Article 370, China on 5 August repeated its opposition to the move by saying that any unilateral change to the status quo in Jammu and Kashmir is illegal and invalid. The statement was given by the Foreign Ministry of China on 5 August in response to a question on the anniversary, reiterated Beijing’s opposition to the move, which it had similarly expressed in several statements last year. Last year, Beijing had particularly voiced its opposition to the creation of a union territory in Ladakh, which included within its boundaries the Aksai Chin region, now occupied by China, although India had pointed out to China that the change had not altered India’s external boundaries or its territorial claims in any way.

C) Macron to visit Beirut as France pushes reconstruction

The President of France, Mr. Emmanuel Macron will travel to Lebanon on 6 August. He is the first world leader to visit Beirut after the blast that took place on 5 August and wreaked destruction across the capital, since France seeks to push reconstruction. He will go to Beirut so as to give the people they’re a message of fraternity and solidarity from the French. He will also discuss the situation with the political authorities. Both countries will be hoping that the visit goes smoothly. France has already sent three planes to Beirut which were loaded with rescuers, medical equipment, and a mobile clinic.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
05 August 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Leave BJP hospitality first, Congress tells rebel MLAs

On August 4,Congress national spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that the party could hold talks with rebel MLAs of the Sachin Pilot camp if they leave the hospitality of the Khattar government in Haryana and they come back to their home as well. When he was asked that whether doors are open for the dissidents, Surjewala said the legislators should first hold a dialogue with the party on the pre-condition that have to give up the security provided to them by the Haryana police in Manesar as well as the hospitality and friendship of the BJP too. Only then the dialogue can take place. 

B) Lord Ram belongs to everyone, says Priyanka ahead of Ayodhya ceremony.

Breaking the silence of Congress party on the ground-breaking ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya scheduled for 5 August, Congress general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on 4 August said that the occasion should symbolise national unity, fraternity and cultural harmony. She said that the character of Lord Ram is the thread that connects everyone in the Indian sub-continent, from North to South, East to West. After holding a recitation of Hanuman Chalisa at his Bhopal residence on 4 August,Kamal Nath announced that the Congress would send 11 silver bricks to Ayodhya for the temple on behalf of the people of Madhya Pradesh and he give the credit for former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for opening the lock of the earlier temple at the disputed site in 1985.

C) Vivo likely to pull out as IPL sponsor

Chinese mobile phone company Vivo is likely to pull out as the IPL’s title sponsor for this year. It is in talks with the BCCI for an “amicable separation” amid rising Sino-India diplomatic tensions. The IPL will be held in the UAE from September 19 to November 10, 2020. The discussions are going on between BCCI office-bearers and the representatives of the company. There is a possibility that Vivo will not be a sponsor for 1 year. 

D) SC reserves orders in decade-old Prashant Bhushan contempt case. 

On 4 August, the Supreme Court has reserved for orders a decade-old contempt case against noted civil rights lawyer Prashant Bhushan, whose office said that he refused to apologize but he has agreed to issue a statement that his remarks about judicial “corruption” in an interview to Tehelka magazine in 2009 were not meant to hurt judges’ families or tarnish the judiciary. A two-page judicial order published later said that the court was yet to receive the explanation/apology which is to be submitted by Bhushan and Tarun Tejpal, the then editor-in-chief of Tehelka. 

E) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 19,01,856 with the death toll at 39,811. India on Tuesday recorded 52,050 new cases. It is interesting to note that at a time when India reported the highest one-day count of Covid-19 positive cases in the world, the Health Ministry in a presentation to the Parliamentary Committee on Health has claimed that the extended lockdown helped save nearly 78,000 lives. It also claimed that India imposed lockdown on the 55th day from the first case, while a majority of the countries waited till stage three with cases ranging from 4,000-12,000.

F) Heavy rainfall in Mumbai leading to flood is recorded. 

Mumbai has recorded its heaviest rainfall since 2005, leading to flooding all over the city and travel chaos. The BMC urged residents to stay indoors. The BMC also said that the people of Mumbai are requested not to step out unless it is extremely necessary. The India Meteorological Department issued a red alert with a forecast of “extremely heavy” rainfall in Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Raigad and Ratnagiri districts in Maharashtra over the next 48 hours.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) Trump signs order against hiring of H1B visa holders for federal contracts.

On 3 August, the President of US Mr. Donald Trump has signed an executive order which prevents the federal agencies from hiring foreign workers mainly those on H-1B visa – for federal contracts. The decision came over 1 month after the Trump administration suspended the H-1B visas, along with other types of foreign work visas, until the end of 2020 to protect American workers in a crucial year. The new restrictions took effect from June 24.

B) Eid ceasefire opens window for Indian hostages return. 

The ceasefire of Eid  between Taliban and the Afghan forces that has also included prisoner exchanges, has given a ray of hope that all 3 Indian hostages who were kidnapped back in 2018 will return their home soon. The negotiations for the release of two hostages have been completed, while Afghan officials are hopeful of resolving issues for the release of the third as well. A Loya Jirga (a grand tribal council) called by President Ashraf Ghani on August 7 in order to advise him on the fate of about 400 Taliban convicted of heinous crimes could also prove crucial in securing the release. The 3 hostages were employees of KEC International that was developing a power project in Northern Baglan province in Afghanistan. 

C) China asks India to avoid politicising normal cooperation

On August 4, China has called upon India to avoid politicizing normal cooperation by reviewing the ongoing cooperation for language training between Indian universities and Chinese government-run programs. The Ministry of Education (Ministry of Human Resource Development) has also put several institutes that offer Chinese language training under the scanner by following the decision to drop Mandarin from the list of suggested languages under the National Education Policy (NEP). Part of this review extends to the Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms jointly established by China’s Confucius Institute and seven Indian universities and colleges.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
02 August 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Gehlot says he has no problem welcoming back Pilot.

On 1 August, by reversing his earlier stand, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said that if the Congress high command forgives the rebels, which include former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot, then he will also welcome them back in the fold. Gehlot on earlier occasions had used harsh words for Pilot, calling him “nikamma” or useless, at a time when the Congress leadership was working hard to mend bridges with the rebel camp.

B) Congress internal rift out in open as 3 former ministers defend UPA-2.
Following Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Satav’s recent comments at a virtual party meeting, 3 former Union ministers, Manish Tewari, Shashi Tharoor, and Milind Deora, defend former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and the UPA-II government. During a recent meeting of the party’s Rajya Sabha members with President Sonia Gandhi, when former Union Minister Kapil Sibal remarked that the party needed to introspect, Satav had retorted that introspection should begin from the UPA-2 period, focussing on how the Congress fell to 44 Lok Sabha seats in
2014.

C) Prashant Bhushan and 2 others move the apex Court against Contempt of Court Act.
Senior journalists N. Ram, A Shourie and advocate Prashant Bhushan have moved the Apex Court against a law that allows criminal contempt proceedings to be initiated on the ground that a publication may tend to or even scandalize or lower the authority of a court of law. They said that the contempt of Court law was unconstitutional, Their petition focusses on the legality of Section 2(c)(i) of the Contempt of Court Act. This section deals with criminal contempt of Court by publishing any matter which tries to bring down the reputation of a Court.

D) COVID Watch: Numbers and Developments.
The number of coronavirus cases reported from India stood at 17,33,580 with the death toll at 36,982. Since the things are getting better, the Centre has decided to allow the export of indigenously made ventilators to India. The decision was taken because of the continuous decline of fatality among Covid-19 patients. The debate about whether to reopen schools was going on, meanwhile, a new study has found that children who are younger than five years have much higher levels of the novel coronavirus genetic material in their nose as compared to older children and adults.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) ICMR gave fast-tracks approvals for Israeli research on test kits.
The government has approved the Israel conduct COVID-19 research on patients who were admitted to 4 hospitals of Delhi. This also includes the transfer of saliva samples and data of patients to Israel. The Defense Research and Development Organization of India (DRDO) is collaborating with the Directorate of Defense Research and Development of Israel (DRDD) in order to conduct the trials on Indian patients which includes various tests such as: audio test, breath test, thermal testing and a polyamine test to isolate proteins related to COVID-19. The trial obtained expedited approval by the Health Ministry’s Screening Committee (HSMC). The head of HSMC is Dr. Balram Bhargava who was appointed on July 28.

B) Arab world’s first nuclear plant achieves criticality UAE announces the launch of Barakah.
The oil-rich United Arab Emirates on 1 August announced the start-up of its Barakah nuclear power plant, scoring another first for the Arab world. The announcement coincides with the Muslim holiday of Id. This is a historic milestone for the country with a vision set to deliver a new form of clean energy for the nation. The UAE Premier and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, tweeted that the work at Barakah had started and they are successful in loading the nuclear fuel packages and carrying out comprehensive tests and successfully completing the operation.

C) Trump says he will ban TikTok from the U.S.
On 31 July President Donald Trump said that he will bar fast-growing social media app TikTok from the U.S. because American authorities have raised concerns relating to the service that could be a tool for Chinese intelligence. U.S. officials and lawmakers in the past few days have raised concerns about the popular video platform being used by Beijing for some alternative purposes. But the company has denied that they are having any links to the Chinese government.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
01 August 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) The output of eight core industries contract by 15%

The much-awaited “green shoots” continue to elude the Indian economy, with the output of 8 core industries shrinking for the 4th consecutive month. The output of 8 core infrastructure industries has shrunk by 15% in June due to a fall in the production of coal, crude oil, natural gas, steel, cement, and electricity. The 8 core sectors had expanded by 1.2% in June 2019. This data has been released by the Commerce and Industry Ministry on 31 July. Except for fertilizer, the rest 7 sectors had recorded negative growth in May 2020. During April-June 2020-21, the sector’s output dipped by 24.6%, as compared to positive growth of 3.4% in the same period the previous year. These eight industries account for 40.27% of the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).

B) COVID Watch: Numbers and Developments

The number of coronavirus cases reported from India stood at 16,89,388 with the death toll at 36,469. India on 31 July reported a record of 55,078 new coronavirus cases. On 31 July, the Apex Court has directed the Centre to ensure that the salaries of doctors and frontline healthcare workers who are involved in dealing with the coronavirus pandemic will be paid on time. The Centre informed that four states – Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, and Tripura are yet to follow its orders on timely payment of salaries. Meanwhile, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation extended the suspension of international flights in the country till August 31.

C) Spurious liquor claims 21 in Punjab, high-level probe ordered. 

Approximately 21 people have died in several districts of Punjab after consuming toxic liquor. Chief Minister of Punjab, Mr. Amarinder Singh has ordered a high-level probe into this tragedy. The CM had ordered a magisterial inquiry into suspected spurious liquor deaths in Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran. The Commissioner of Jalandhar Division will conduct the inquiry and coordinate with concerned people and other officers. The persons who are guilty will not be spared. 

D) Mehbooba Mufti’s detention extended, Sajad Lone, released.

The government of Jammu and Kashmir has released the chief of Peoples Conference (PC),  Sajad Lone after 360 days, but at the same time, it extended the detention of the president of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti by more 3 months. Both Mufti and Lone had been in detention since  August 5, 2019. This is done by following the revocation of J&K’s special status. The regional parties in Jammu and Kashmir have claimed that over 24 mainstream leaders continue to remain under house arrest, even after completing detention periods in different sub-jails in Kashmir since August 5, 2019.

E) UGC sticks to its guns on college exams by September-end. 

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has orally made a submission in the Supreme Court that the students should not stop their preparation for the final year exams which are decided to be conducted by the end of September this year. UGC has filed an affidavit on July 31 by saying that the exams were scheduled by the end of September 2020 so as to give sufficient time to make arrangements amid the pandemic. UGC in the same affidavit has also informed the court that the information sought from 818 universities shows that 603 universities had conducted their final year exams or will conduct the exams during August-September 2020.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Hong Kong postpones election by a year, citing Covid-19.

The leader of Hong Kong, Carrie Lam on 31 July announced that the elections which will go to happen on September 6, are postponed for 1 year. She said that this decision was taken because of the increasing cases of Covid-19. The opposition party was hoping to win with a historic majority in the Legislative Council, in which only half of the seats are directly elected and the other half were mostly filled by pro-Beijing appointees. The postponing of the vote by Lam comes when 12 pro-democracy candidates were disqualified from running in the poll, because of their perceived troublemaker intentions and their opposition to new security law.

B) Forced decoupling will hurt India and China: Chinese envoy. 

As India reassesses its trade relations with China and considers a range of moves to reduce dependencies, China has called for equal treatment for its firms and described that forced decoupling between both the countries is harmful for both of them. India has rolled out moves to more tightly regulate Chinese investment and to dilute the presence of Chinese companies in certain sectors. The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy was amended in April to protect firms from takeovers, while following the June 15 clash in Galway Valley, moves have been introduced to reduce Chinese presence in road projects, power equipment sales and in public procurement, besides banning at least 59 widely-used Chinese apps, including TikTok.

C) Vietnam reports the first COVID-19 death.

Vietnam has recorded its first death from COVID-19 on 31 July after winning plaudits worldwide for one of the most successful national responses to the pandemic. The country has a population of 96 million had gone 100 days without infection. The Health Ministry on 31 July has reported 82 new infections. On 30 July, Hanoi started mass COVID-19 testing. By noon on 31 July, 21,732 people had been tested in the capital, the Hanoi Centre for Disease Control said. Around 21,000 were tested negative. Hanoi on 30 July also banned large gatherings and urged tens of thousands of domestic travelers to report to authorities. It also shut bars and nightclubs, extending those closures to street food stalls and karaoke lounges from midnight on 31 July.