CURRENT AFFAIRS
05 October 2020
NATIONAL NEWS:
A) Centre estimates using 40-50 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine by July 2021.
The Centre estimates to receive and utilize 40-50 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine covering 20-25 crore people by July next year and it is preparing a format for the states to submit by October-end their list of priority population group to receive the vaccine, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said this on 4 October. He said that priority would be given to health workers engaged in Covid-19 management in getting the vaccine. During an interaction with his social media followers on ‘Sunday Samvad’ platform, he said that a high-level expert group is going into all the aspects of vaccines and the health ministry is preparing a format in which states will submit various lists of priority population groups. The Centre is also working on various plans for building capacities in human resources, training, supervision and others on a massive scale by July 2021. All this is under various stages of finalization.
B) LJP decides to go it alone in Bihar.
The Lok Janshakti Party at a meeting of its Parliamentary Board has decided to contest on its own in the upcoming Bihar Assembly poll. The decision, however, does not mar its political ties with the BJP with the party saying it will not contest against any BJP candidate and will support the latter in a post-poll scenario. In an official statement released after the Parliamentary Board meeting which was chaired by party President Chirag Paswan, the party said that at a national level the party has strong ties with the BJP but at the State level, because of ideological differences with the JD(U), it has decided to go it alone. LJP would contest outside the alliance to mop up pro-BJP and anti-Nitish Kumar votes. It planned to take on the JD(U) with the slogan BJP se bair nahi, Nitish teri Khair nahi (No enmity with Modi but won’t spare [Bihar Chief Minister and JD (U) President] Nitish Kumar). The LJP in its official statement also said it will work towards a BJP-LJP government in Bihar. LJP believes that on the lines of the BJP government in the Centre, the Bihar government should also be led by BJP. In the seat sharing formula under discussion among the NDA allies, the LJP was being offered only 25 odd seats. The LJP’s decision is a culmination of many months of a belligerent campaign against Chief Minister Nitish Kumar by party president Chirag Paswan. Mr. Paswan had accused the Bihar CM of taking forward the saat nischay or 7 promises agenda that was originally part of the RJD-JD(U) government in 2015.
C) Stormy GST council meeting expected tomorrow.
Looking ahead to the coming week, the GST Council meeting on 5 October may turn into a stormy affair, with non-BJP ruled states still being in disagreement with the Centre on the compensation issue. The Press Trust of India that opposition-ruled states would object to the Centre’s borrowing options and demand alternative mechanisms for funding GST compensation deficit. The Centre in August gave 2 options to the states to borrow either ₹ 97,000 crore from a special window facilitated by the RBI or ₹ 2.35 lakh crore from market and has also proposed extending the compensation cess levied on luxury, demerit and sin goods beyond 2022 to repay the borrowing. However, the Chief Ministers of 6 non-BJP ruled states — West Bengal, Kerala, Delhi, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu — have written to the Centre opposing the options which require states to borrow to meet the shortfall.
D) Evidence of intent enough for conviction: Supreme Court.
In a potentially far reaching judgement, the Supreme Court has held that the presence of the mental element or the intention to commit a crime, if cogently established, is sufficient for conviction. It is not necessary to be actively involved in the physical act of assault. A Bench led by Justice Rohinton F. Nariman said the common intention (Section 34 of the Indian Penal Code) consists of several persons acting in unison to achieve a common purpose, though their roles may be different. The judgment was authored by Justice Sinha, came on an appeal filed by three persons accused of a double murder in Assam in 2005. They argued that the trial court had acquitted 2 of their co-accused on the benefit of doubt. They sought parity, saying if the duo were acquitted on the same evidence, they too should be released on the same benefit of doubt. They argued there was no common intention to commit the crime. They were not armed. So, each of the five accused person should be judged on his own individual acts during the commission of the crime. The court refused to accept the argument. In his judgment, Justice Sinha observed that the foundation for conviction for common intention is vicarious responsibility. The presence of the mental element or the intention to commit , if jointly established, is sufficient for the conviction, even without the actual participation in the assault. Therefore it is not necessary that before a person is convicted on the ground of common intention, he must be actively involved in the act of assault physically.
E) Many injured in Assam Clash.
Suspected extremists on 4 October ambushed and killed an Assam Rifles jawan in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh. Another jawan was injured seriously in the ambush around 9 a.m. near Herlong village under the Jairampur police station. No group has taken responsibility, but district officials and the security forces suspect 30-35 members of the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent headed by Paresh Baruah and the Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-K) carried out the attack. A water tanker of the 19 Assam Rifles that was travelling to Herlong village to fetch water came under attack, Changlang District Magistrate Devansh Yadav said. They received reports that there was an explosion, but this cannot be confirmed until they receive the autopsy report. In all likelihood, the death was caused by bullet.
F) No proceedings against Digvijay Singh : Venugopal.
Attorney General K.K. Venugopal has declined a plea to give consent to initiate criminal contempt proceedings in the Supreme Court against Member of Parliament and senior Congress party leader, Digvijaya Singh, for his tweets. The plea by advocate Sumant Sudan referred to two tweets by Mr. Singh questioned whether the Supreme Court would declare the alleged sweeping powers of raid and arrest without warrant given by the Uttar Pradesh government to the Special Security Force as unconstitutional or favour it under pressure. Mr. Venugopal said he was replying on the assumption that Mr. Singh actually did make the statements. Having said that in his letter, the top law officer opined the statements were wholly uncalled for.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
A) 7th round of India-China Corps Commander talks scheduled for October 12.
India and China are scheduled to hold the 7th round of Corps Commander talks to work out measures for disengagement and de-escalation along the disputed border in Eastern Ladakh. The talks are scheduled on October 12. Lt. Gen. Harinder Singh, 14 Corps Commander is set to be replaced by Lt. Gen. P.G.K. Menon in mid-October. The talks are likely to be attended by both the Lieutenant Generals from the Indian side, a defence source said. The Indian side will also have a representative from the Ministry of External Affairs. After the 6th round of talks on September 21, both sides for the first time issued a joint statement in which they agreed to stop sending more troops to the frontline.
B) Xi pitches for closer ties with Bangladesh, seeks BRI push.
The President of China, Xi Jinping said that he stands ready with the leaders of Bangladesh so as to better align the strategies of both the countries and to jointly promote the construction of his multibillion dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in order to take the strategic partnership of the 2 countries to new heights. Jingping has made the remarks on 4 October in an exchange of congratulatory messages with his counterpart of Bangladesh, Mohammad Abdul Hamid, on 45th anniversary of the establishment of the bilateral diplomatic relationships. In his message, he hailed the steady and long term friendship by saying that he is ready to work with Mr. Hamid to better align development strategies with Bangladesh, step up cooperation under the framework of the BRI and push forward the China-Bangladesh strategic, partnership to a new level. With over $26 billion Chinese investments and billion dollars funding commitments, Bangladesh is one of the largest recipients of China’s massive infrastructure project. China has also offered zero tariff treatment to 97% of Bangladesh’s exports by ding 5,161 more items to the existing list of 3,095 duty-free products. The BRI seeks to build rail. maritime and road links from Asia to and Africa in a revival of ancient Silk Road trading routes.
