CURRENT AFFAIRS
17 January 2021
NATIONAL NEWS:
A) Covaxin recipients asked to sign consent form on ‘clinical trial mode’
India began its Covid-19 vaccination drive on Saturday with two approved vaccinations, Serum Institute of India’s Covishield — developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin. Those receiving Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin have been asked to sign a consent form before being vaccinated as the vaccine has been allowed by the government in clinical trial mode. The screening and consent form adds that compensation for serious adverse events will be paid by the company if it is proven to be causally related to the vaccine. The clinical efficacy of Covaxin is yet to be established and it is still being studied in phase 3 clinical trials. Hence, it is important to appreciate that receiving the vaccine does not mean that other precautions related to Covid-19 need not be followed. The Central Licensing Authority has granted permission for the sale or distribution of Covaxin for restricted use in emergency situations in public interest as an abundant precaution, in clinical trial mode, notes the form. It, however, states that in phase 1 and phase 2 clinical trials, Covaxin has demonstrated the ability to produce antibodies against Covid-19. The declaration says: I further emphasise that any information provided by me prior to taking the vaccine will be archived in the database maintained by the immunisation program of the government and privacy as well as confidentiality of the information provided by you will be maintained. The recipients will be handed over a fact sheet and a form to report adverse effects, in which they have to note down symptoms like fever, pain within seven days. Currently, beneficiaries don’t have a choice of vaccine and several Central government hospitals in Delhi, AIIMS, Safdarjung, Ram Manohar Lohia hospital, Kalawati Saran Children Hospital administered Covaxin to its staff under the first round of vaccination. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while launching the world’s biggest Covid-19 vaccination drive, said the India-made vaccines were safe and asked people not to believe rumours.
B) Three days before Balakot air strikes, Arnab Goswami tells BARC chief ‘something big will happen’
Three days before the Indian Air Force’s Balakot strike, Republic TV Editor Arnab Goswami told his friend and former Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) CEO Partho Dasgupta that something big will happen, indicating that he knew about the confidential military action, transcript of WhatsApp messages between the two reveals. The transcript is part of the supplementary charge sheet filed by the Mumbai Police investigating the TRP-tampering case. On February 26, 2019, the IAF hit a Jaish-e-Mohammad training camp in Pakistan’s Balakot town. The government claimed that this was in response to the February 14 terrorist attack in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir, where 40 CRPF personnel were killed after an explosive-laden car driven by a suicide bomber rammed into their bus. At 10 p.m. on February 23, three days before the Balakot strike, the conversation begins with Goswami boasting about Republic TV bagging then Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s first-ever interview after the Pulwama incident. Goswami during a conversation said to Dasgupta, on another note something big will happen. Dasgupta, in response, said that it’s good for big man in this season and that he will sweep polls then. The 2019 general election was just a few months away. Dasgupta pressed for further clarity, asking Goswami, Strike? Or bigger. And Goswami responded, saying that it would be bigger than a normal strike. Then he went on to add, and also at the same time something major on Kashmir. On Pakistan the government is confident of striking in a way that people will be elated. Exact words used.
C) Ex-CEO of BARC Partho Dasgupta hospitalised; daughter alleges torture.
Partho Das Gupta, former CEO of TV ratings agency BARC, who was arrested in the Television Rating Points (TRP) rigging case, has been admitted to the ICU of a hospital in Mumbai after his sugar level shot up, officials said on Saturday. His daughter took to Twitter to allege that he was tortured in prison, and appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others to save his life. Dasgupta, a diabetic, was rushed to the State-run J.J. Hospital from the Taloja Central Prison in Navi Mumbai around mid-night after his blood sugar levels shot up. He was admitted to the ICU and was on oxygen support. Dasgupta was arrested in the alleged TRP-rigging scam by crime branch of the Mumbai Police on December 24 last year. A Mumbai court had earlier this month rejected his bail plea, stating that he appeared to have played a vital role in the scam to rig TRPs as per the police’s case. The Mumbai Police had earlier told the court that Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami had allegedly bribed Dasgupta with lakhs of rupees to ramp up the news channel’s viewership numbers in a fraudulent manner. On Saturday, Pratyusha Dasgupta, Dasgupta’s daughter, demanded that he be shifted to a reputed private hospital. She tweeted a message titled ‘A helpless daughter’s anguished appeal’, tagging PM Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah, the PMO as well as Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
D) WhatsApp delays policy rollout to May 15.
WhatsApp has decided to delay the rollout of its new policy update to May 15 after massive criticism from users globally, including India, over concerns that data was being shared with its parent company Facebook, PTI reported. The move assumes significance for users in India given that the country is among the biggest markets for WhatsApp with over 400 million users. In a blog post, WhatsApp said it is moving back the date on which people will be asked to review and accept the terms. No one will have their account suspended or deleted on February 8. We’re also going to do a lot more to clear up the misinformation around how privacy and security works on WhatsApp. They will then go to people gradually to review the policy at their own pace before new business options are available on May 15, it said in the blog post. A raging debate ensued after WhatsApp said it will update its terms of service and privacy policy around how it processes user data and partners with Facebook to offer integrations across the social media giant’s products. Concerned about the privacy of their data, many users have thronged to rival messaging platforms such as Signal and Telegram that have seen millions of downloads in the past few days. WhatsApp rival Telegram has added 25 million new users in the last few days and while it did not specify India-specific user numbers, it said 38% of the new users are from Asia, followed by Europe (27%), Latin America (21%) and MENA (the Middle East and North Africa at 8%). Signal, too, is hoping to capitalise on the opportunities in India with its simple and straightforward terms of service and privacy policy.
NIA summons 40 persons to be examined as ‘witnesses’ in fresh case against Sikhs for Justice.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has summoned around 40 persons to be examined as ‘witnesses’ in a fresh case registered against the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), a foreign-based group that advocates secessionist and pro-Khalistani activities in India. A senior government official said the summons was served to ascertain details relating to the investigation. The notices sent on January 15 include those sent to a farm leader, a TV journalist, a cable TV operator, tourist bus owner, an actor, a sweet shop owner and other businessmen, who have been asked to appear at the NIA’s Delhi headquarters from January 18-21. The Hindu spoke to some of the persons summoned by the NIA. Jasveer Singh Muktsar, a journalist with the U.K.-based TV channel KTV, who has been covering the protests at Delhi border said that he have been asked to appear before the NIA on January 18. He shall be going there with his legal team. He do not know why he have been summoned. He is a journalist covering the protest. Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu, who campaigned for BJP’s Sunny Deol in the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency during the 2019 general elections, has been summoned to appear on Sunday. Ranjit Singh of the Damdami Taksal, Amritsar, said he and his friends have organised several langars (food stalls) at Tikri and Singhu border and also distributed books and other items there.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
A) Sri Lanka’s Tamil parties seek international mechanism to probe ‘war crimes’
Sri Lanka’s main Tamil political parties have sought an international probe, including at the International Criminal Court (ICC), into allegations of human rights abuses during the civil war, deeming there is no scope for a domestic process that can genuinely deal with accountability. In a joint letter dated January 15, 2021 and addressed to members of the UN Human Rights Council, they observed that leaders across the political spectrum in Sri Lanka including from both the major political parties have categorically and without exception stated that they will protect the Sri Lankan armed forces from prosecutions. It is now time for Member States to acknowledge that there is no scope for a domestic process that can genuinely deal with accountability in Sri Lanka. Significantly, different Tamil political parties that were until now fiercely critical of each other’s strategies political or regarding accountability appear to have reached a consensus ahead of the 46th session of the Council (February 22 to March 19).
B) Five Hong Kong activists who fled the city seek asylum in U.S.
Five Hong Kong democracy protesters who reportedly fled to Taiwan have arrived in the United States intending to seek asylum, an activist group said on Saturday. Their escape follows the mass arrest of democracy figures in Hong Kong under a new national security law that is part of a mounting crackdown by China on the financial hub. The Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC), a U.S. based group, said it had welcomed a group of young activists to America this week and their journey had been arduous and perilous. The activists, all under the age of 30, took part in the ongoing pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, faced protest-related arrests and charges, and fled the city by boat last July, Samuel Chu, founder of HKDC, told AFP. Through a statement issued by the HKDC, the five activists now in exile said their hearts have been filled with anxiety and all kinds of emotions from the moment they left Hong Kong. After massive democracy protests across Hong Kong in 2019 in which more than 11,000 people were arrested, Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law late last June to silence dissent. In August, another group of 12 Hong Kong activists made an attempt to flee by speedboat to Taiwan but were arrested by Chinese coastguards. Last month, a Chinese court jailed 10 of these 12 fugitives for up to three years for organising and participating in an illegal border crossing.
C) Museveni wins 6th term, amid allegations of rigged election.
Uganda’s Electoral Commission said on Saturday that President Yoweri Museveni won a sixth five-year term, extending his rule to four decades, while top opposition challenger Bobi Wine dismissed cooked-up, fraudulent results and officials struggled to explain how polling results were compiled amid an Internet blackout. In a generational clash watched across the African continent with a booming young population and a host of ageing leaders, the 38year-old singer-turned-lawmaker Mr. Wine posed arguably Mr. Museveni’s greatest challenge yet. The self-described ghetto president had strong support in urban centers where frustration with unemployment and corruption is high. He has claimed victory. In a phone interview from his home. which he said was surrounded by soldiers, Mr. Wine urged the international community to please call Gen. Museveni to order by withholding aid. imposing sanctions and using Magnit sky legislation to hold alleged human rights users accountable. Mr. Wine repeated that all legal options are being considered, including challenging the results in court and calling for peaceful protests. The Electoral Commission said Mr. Museveni received 58% of ballots and Mr. Wine 34%, and voter turnout was 52%, in a process that the top U.S. diplomat to Africa called fundamentally flawed. The vote followed the East African country’s worst pre-election violence since the 76-year-old Mr. Museveni took office in 1986.
D) Pelosi tasks General with security review.
U.S. House Speaker Nancy pelexsi said on Friday that re tired General Russel Honore, who coordinated the Hurricane Katrina response will oversee an immediate security review at the U.S. Capitol following last week’s deadly riot by a pro- Trump mob. She also said there was strong interest in Congress for a 9/11 style investigation of the unprecedented attack on the Capitol that has been described as an insurrection. and which led to the swift second impeachment Wednesday of President Donald Trump. But Ms. Pelosi declined to reveal when she will send the article of impeachment for incitement of insurrection over to the Senate. a process that would trigger a trial of the President. Five people died in the violent unrest generated by Mr. Trump’s supporters. whom he urged to march on Congress and fight like hell to save the country and Stop president-elect Joe Biden from taking office on January. She described Gen. Honore as a respected leader with experience dealing with crises, including the military relief response along the Gulf Coast when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005. The 80 year-old speaker said that while the entire Congress remained passionate in its reaction to the deadly Capitol violence. If in fact it is found that members of Congress were accomplices to this insurrection, it they aided and abetted the crime. Ms. Pelosi said that there may have to be actions taken beyond the Congress in terms of prosecution.
