NATIONAL NEWS
More States slash petrol, diesel prices after Centre’s excise duty cut
After fuel prices went through the roof, buckling under pressure, the Union Government on the occasion of Diwali, slashed the excise duty on fuel; several States followed suit by lowering Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel to give some respite to consumers. Excise duty on petrol and diesel were slashed by ₹5 and ₹10 per litre on Wednesday. Six BJP-ruled states have announced a cut in VAT rates but a formal notification has so far been issued only in case of four. Puducherry saw an additional ₹7 a litre reduction in both petrol and diesel price because of the cut in value added tax (VAT). Petrol costs ₹103.97 per litre in Delhi against ₹110.04 per litre, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers. Diesel rates accordingly reduced to ₹86.67 per litre from ₹98.42 per litre. In Mumbai, petrol price has been cut by ₹5.87 to ₹109.98 per litre and diesel by ₹12.48 to ₹94.14 per litre. Kolkata saw the price of diesel being reduced by ₹5.82 to ₹104.67 per litre and that of diesel by ₹11.77 to ₹89.79 per litre. Petrol price in Chennai has been reduced by ₹5.26 to ₹101.40 per litre and diesel by ₹11.16 to ₹91.43 per litre. Other states namely, Gujarat, Mizoram and Sikkim governments too have reduced the Value Added Tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel by ₹7 per litre each. The Haryana government too announced a reduction in VAT on the fuels on Thursday, making them cheaper in the BJP-ruled State by ₹12 per litre on Deepavali. Odisha too slashed the prices of petrol, diesel by ₹3 per litre. The Uttar Pradesh government too on Wednesday lowered the VAT on the two fuels making them cheaper by ₹12 per litre in the state. Goa saw an additional ₹5.47 a litre cut in petrol and ₹4.38 on diesel. Despite a cut in excise duty, diesel was selling more than ₹100 per litre in several States.
Assam earmarks land for the evicted but insists on citizenship proof
The Assam government said it has earmarked around 130 hectares for relocating the evicted families of Gorukhuti in Darrang district provided they are valid citizens besides a set of other requirements, the emphasis on documentation has raised concerns about dispossession. According to reports, around 1,200-1,400 houses were razed to the ground on September 20 and September 23 at Dhalpur I, II and III villages in Gorukhuti, leaving over 7,000 people homeless. Village markets, mosques, kabristans, madrassas and maktubs were also bulldozed. The eviction drive had passed off peacefully on the first day but met stiff resistance by local people on the second instance and also left two dead in a police firing on September. Among the dead was a 12-year-old boy who had got his first identity proof, an Aadhaar card, before he was shot dead. Over 20 people were injured, including policemen. The evicted families of Dhalpur village in Gorukuti will not, however, be paid any compensation as they are encroachers, the government said in an affidavit to Gauhati High Court in response to a PIL filed by the Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia.An area of about 1,000 bighas (about 134 hectares) of land in the southern part of No 1 & No 3 Dhalpur village has been earmarked for relocating the evicted persons subject to verification of the status of erosion affected and landless status in their respective original places and districts, citizenship and existing rehabilitation policy of the state, the affidavit by the government said. Sipajhar Revenue Circle Officer Kamaljeet Sarma, representing the Assam government, said in the affidavit that the occupants of the areas were encroachers and they were liable to be evicted at any time as per rules framed under Assam Land and Revenue Regulation, 1886.The matter is related to encroachment and eviction only and is not at all related to acquisition of land. Therefore, the question of resettlement, rehabilitation and compensation etc as per Land Acquisition Act is irrelevant, he added.
Ram Temple in Ayodhya to open for ‘darshan’ from December 2023
The Ram Temple construction in Ayodhya is ongoing and the temple will be open for ‘darshan’ for devotees from December 2023, said Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Gopal on November 3, 2021. Graphite from Bangalore, stones from Jodhpur and Mirzapur, sandstones from Bansi Paharpur have been coming in for the construction of the Ram Temple. Work on the 5-feet (1.5 meters) path of rafting is expected to be completed within 15 days. The General Secretary of Shriram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust informed that the Ram Temple construction work is being done at night as the concreting is being done currently.
India to host 3rd NSA-level meeting on Afghanistan on November 10
India will host the 3rd Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan on November 10, 2021. The dialogue to be held at the National Security Advisor (NSA) level will be chaired by India’s NSA Ajit Doval. All Central Asian countries as well as Russia and Iran have confirmed their participation. This is the first time that all central Asian countries will participate. Invitations to Pakistan and China were also extended however Pakistan informed that it will not attend the dialogue. The high-level NSA meet on Afghanistan to be hosted by India will deliberate on the situation in Afghanistan and address the growing concern of regional countries on the same. The meeting will allow countries to consult and coordinate efforts for promoting peace and security in Afghanistan.
India, Bhutan to set up 7 additional entry and exit points for trade
Through the process of Letters of Exchange, India and Bhutan announced 7 additional entry and exit points of trade between both countries during the Commerce Secretary Level meeting in New Delhi on November 4, 2021, to deliberate on trade and transit issues. During the meeting, India and Bhutan deliberated extensive discussions on the current trade and transit issues including plans for strengthening bilateral trade relations and issues of mutual interest, increasing trade connectivity between both countries. Secretary, Department of Commerce BVR Subrahmanyam led the Indian delegation, and the Secretary, Ministry of Economic Affairs Dasho Karma Tshering led the Bhutanese delegation at the Commerce Secretary Level meeting.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Britain says yes to Merck’s coronavirus antiviral pill
Britain has granted a conditional authorization to the first pill shown to successfully treat COVID-19 — Merck’s coronavirus antiviral, becoming the first country to approve the treatment, although it was not immediately clear how quickly the pill would be available, agencies have reported. Today is a historic day for our country, as the UK is now the first country in the world to approve an antiviral that can be taken at home for COVID-19, said Britain’s health secretary, Sajid Javid. We are working at pace across the government and with the NHS to set out plans to deploy molnupiravir to patients through a national study as soon as possible, he said in a statement, referring to the U.K.’s National Health Service. Doctors said the treatment would be particularly significant for people who do not respond well to vaccination. The pill was licensed for adults 18 and older who have tested positive for COVID-19 and have at least one risk factor for developing severe disease. The drug, known as molnupiravir, is intended to be taken twice a day for five days by people at home with mild to moderate COVID-19. An antiviral pill that reduces symptoms and speeds recovery could prove ground-breaking, easing caseloads on hospitals and helping to curb outbreaks in poorer countries with fragile health systems. It would also bolster the two-pronged approach to the pandemic: treatment, by way of medication, and prevention, primarily through vaccinations. Molnupiravir is also pending review at regulators in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced last month it would convene a panel of independent experts to scrutinize the pill’s safety and effectiveness in late November. Initial supplies will be limited. Merck has said it can produce 10 million treatment courses through the end of the year, but much of that supply has already been purchased by governments worldwide.
Countries pledge to phase out dependence on fossil fuels
Several major coal-using nations have pledged for the first time to phase out their use of the heavily-polluting fossil fuel or to speed up existing plans to do so, while others announced commitments to end investment in new coal-fired power plants, agencies have reported. U.K. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said on Wednesday that the commitments made on the sidelines of the U.N. climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, meant the end of coal is in sight. But critics noted the several major economies still have not set a date for ending their dependence on the fuel that is a major source of planet-warming emissions. The British government said pledges of new or earlier deadlines for ending coal use came from countries including Poland, Ukraine, Vietnam and Chile. India is also committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2070. Existing targets for curbing global warming require countries to stop burning coal, but many major economies including the United States, China, India and Japan have set no formal dates for ending its use. Still, experts said the announcement and others made so far at the October 31-November 12 summit showed the growing momentum to ditch coal.
New York congresswoman Maloney introduces Diwali Day Act in the US Congress
The New York congresswoman Carolyn B Maloney on November 3, 2021, introduced the Deepavali Day Act in the House of Representatives to make Diwali a national holiday in the US. Maloney was joined by Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Congressman Gregory Meeks Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. If the Deepavali Day Act gets approved, all federal institutions in the US will observe the Diwali holidays and honour the cultural heritage of millions of Indian Americans in the US. Congresswoman Maloney has earlier successfully advocated urging the US Postal Services to approve and issue a commemorative stamp to honour Diwali. The stamp got issued for circulation in 2016.
Indian Navy delivers 100 tonnes of nano nitrogen liquid fertilizers to Sri Lanka
Two Indian Air Force planes carrying 100 tonnes of Nano Nitrogen Liquid Fertilizers successfully landed in Colombo, Sri Lanka on November 4, 2021. Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka in a tweet said that the delivery was conducted in response to a call by the Sri Lankan government for urgent support in airlifting nano fertilizers. In May 2021, Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced to stop importing chemical fertilizers. Since then, Sri Lanka is experiencing an acute crisis of fertilizers after the ban. Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa announced the decision to import nano nitrogen liquid fertilizer to which India has offered to supply nano fertilizer to Sri Lanka.
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