CURRENT AFFAIRS
14 August 2020
NATIONAL NEWS:
A) Ram temple trust head who shared the stage with PM tests positive for Covid-19.
Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust chief Mahant Nritya Gopal Das (82) tested positive for Covid-19 in Mathura on 12 August. Confirming this, Sarvagya Ram Mishra, District Magistrate, Mathura, said the Mahant complained of fever and breathlessness following which doctors were called, and a rapid antigen test was conducted. The test came out positive. Ram temple trust head Nritya Gopal Das (without face mask), who tested positive for COVID-19, is seen with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath (left) and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat (right) during the Bhoomi puja ceremony for the temple in Ayodhya on August 5, 2020.
B) Varanasi doctors tender mass resignations alleging harassment.
Over 2 dozen doctors in-charge of Covid-19 treatment in Varanasi submitted mass resignations, accusing the administration of harassment after an Additional Chief Medical Officer (ACMO) died due to the disease and the wrong body was handed over to his family for last rites. In an application to the district Chief Medical Officer, the doctors claimed the District Magistrate had threatened to lodge an FIR against them if they failed to fulfill their targets. They claimed the administration was blaming them for Covid-19 deaths in the district.
C) SC allows withdrawal of petition challenging constitutional validity of contempt provision
The Supreme Court on 13 August has allowed veteran journalists N. Ram, Arun Shourie, and advocate Prashant Bhushan to withdraw their writ petition challenging “scandalizing of the court” as a ground for contempt, with the liberty to approach a High Court. A 3 Judge Bench led by Justice Arun Mishra, however, insisted that the writ petitioners could not withdraw the case with an intention to straightaway move the Supreme Court later on. Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, for the petitioners, agreed, saying they would approach the appropriate forum, that is, the High Court concerned. The petition was earlier dropped from the list of cases scheduled for hearing before a Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud on August 10 because it was accompanied by an application to stay contempt cases pending against Bhushan before another Bench (Justice Mishra’s).
D) COVID Watch: Numbers and Developments
The number of coronavirus cases reported from India stood at 24,51,394 with the death toll at 48,071. India on 13 August recorded reported nearly 67,000 new cases in 24 hours, a new record. Pharmaceutical company Zydus Cadila announced the launch of what it said was the cheapest generic version of anti-viral drug redeliver for Covid-19 treatment in India. One 100 gram vial of the medicine will cost ₹2,800. The condition of former President Pranab Mukherjee remains unchanged, said the Army Research and Referral Hospital in Delhi. He is deeply comatose with stable vital parameters and continues to be on ventilator support.
E) NEET can’t be online for those abroad: NTA.
The NEET (National Eligibility cum Entrance Test) for undergraduate medical courses cannot be held online for candidates abroad, the National Testing Agency (NTA) has told the Supreme Court. The specialized body, which conducts examinations for higher educational courses, said the Medical Council of India (MCI) had made it very clear that NEET was only held in the paper-book format for all candidates. It is a policy decision of the NTA. The conduct of these exams was purely within the MCI’s domain. The parents, represented by advocates Haris Beeran and Pallavi Pratap, had asked the court to step in and spare their children from being forced to travel to India to take their exams amid the pandemic.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
A) U.S. Facebook users misinform about the Presidential elections.
Beginning Thursday, U.S.Facebook users who post about voting may start seeing an add-on to their messages — labels directing readers to authoritative information about the upcoming presidential election. In yet another step to counter election-related misinformation on its platform, Facebook began adding similar links to posts about in-person and mail-in balloting by federal politicians, including the U.S. President Donald Trump, in July.
B) Relationship with Trump was like a fantasy film: Kim Jong.
Kim Jong-un said his relationship with Donald Trump was like a " fantasy film", according to the publishers of a new book on the U.S. President that will unveil 25 private letters exchanged between the two leaders. The relationship between the two has been the main factor responsible for recent diplomacy between Washington and Pyongyang. According to the publisher, Simon; Schuster, investigative journalist Bob Woodward managed to obtain, for his book, messages between the two leaders “that have not been public before”.
C) Lebanon Parliament declares a state of emergency in Beirut.
On 13 August, Lebanon’s Parliament approved a state of emergency in the capital, Beirut, in its first session since the tragic explosion last week, granting the military sweeping powers amid rising popular anger and political uncertainty. The blast that killed more than 170 people and injured at least 6,000 others changed the face of the capital and forced the government to resign. Before resigning, the government declared a state of emergency in Beirut that granted the military sweeping powers, including the power to declare curfews, prevent public gatherings
, and censor media.
D) France reinforces naval forces in the Mediterranean.
On 13 August, France said that it was temporarily reinforcing its military presence in the eastern Mediterranean Sea during the ongoing tensions between its neighbors Greece and Turkey over recently-discovered gas reserves. The French military said that two Rafale jets would arrive on Thursday on the island of Crete for a stay of several days, after having taken part in a military exercise in Cyprus earlier in the week. The purpose behind this military presence is to strengthen the autonomous assessment of the situation and to affirm the commitment of France to free movement and to the security of maritime navigation in the Mediterranean and respect for international law as well.
SPORTS NEWS
A) Rescheduling of IPL will affect domestic season preparation.
Rescheduling the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to the COVID-19 pandemic has not only resulted in a truncated domestic season but is also bound to hit a majority of teams hard when it comes to preparing for the season, especially for the shortened limited-over leg. The BCCI is hoping to start the domestic season with the Mushtaq Ali Trophy on November 19, after the IPL final in the United Arab Emirates on November 10. As a result, domestic teams’ preparation will be severely affected ahead of the season. Quite a few State teams are unsure whether their seniors will be able to participate in the inter-State T20 tournament, since they may be asked to be in quarantine after returning from the IPL.
