CURRENT AFFAIRS
19 May 2021
NATIONAL NEWS:
A) CPI (M) drops high profile ministers from Cabinet positions.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) State committee on Tuesday dropped high-profile Ministers K.K. Shylaja, Kadakampally Surendran and A.C. Modieen from the next Pinarayi Vijayan Cabinet. Instead, it nominated Shylaja as the party’s whip in the next Assembly. Shylaja’s non-inclusion in the Cabinet comes as a surprise for many. The Health Minister had been touted as the face of Kerala’s struggle against the Nipah virus and later Covid-19. Shylaja won with a decisive majority of 60,000 votes from Mattannur in Kannur. She told a television news channel that the party’s decision was paramount. It was a collective recommendation consistent with the CPI(M) line to rotate governmental responsibilities. Predictably, the CPI (M) nominated Politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan as legislature party leader and consequently Chief Minister-designate. The party has included two women legislators in the new Cabinet. They are former Thrissur Mayor R. Bindu and Veena George. Bindu is the wife of CPI (M) acting State secretary A. Vijayaraghavan. The party has proposed M.B. Rajesh as the Speaker candidate. Democratic Youth Federation of India president and Vijayan’s son-in-law Mohammed Riyaz would get a Cabinet berth. Speaker candidate M.B. Rajesh told newspersons that the party paved the way for a new set of party leaders to gain legislative and administrative experience. The new Cabinet, a mix of youth and experience, also reflected Kerala’s social cross-section, said a party spokesperson. The CPI(M) had signalled a generational shift by withdrawing many high-profile Ministers, including Finance Minister Thomas Isaac, Industries Minister E. P. Jayarajan and Public Works Minister G. Sudhakaran, from the electoral arena of the recently concluded assembly polls. Vijayan has also indicated that it would be his final term as Chief Minister. The central leadership of the CPI(M) has refrained from criticising the decision to drop K.K. Shylaja from the Cabinet, putting the onus instead on the State committee.
B) Live-in relationships morally and socially unacceptable, says Punjab & Haryana HC.
The Punjab and Haryana High Court has said live-in-relationships are morally and socially unacceptable, an observation which runs contrary to the Supreme Court stand recognising them, PTI reported. The High Court made the observation while dismissing a petition filed by a runaway couple seeking protection. In their petition, Gulza Kumari (19) and Gurwinder Singh (22) said they were living together and intended to get married shortly. They apprehended danger to their lives from Kumari’s parents. In his May 11 order, Justice H S Madaan said, As a matter of fact, the petitioners in the garb of filing the present petition are seeking seal of approval on their live-in-relationship, which is morally and socially not acceptable and no protection order in the petition can be passed. The petition stands dismissed accordingly, his order said. According to petitioners’ counsel J S Thakur, Singh and Kumari were living together in Tarn Taran district. The woman’s parents in Ludhiana did not approve of their relationship. The couple could not get married as Kumari’s documents, which have details of her age, were in the possession of her family, Thakur added. The Supreme Court has taken a different view on the issue in the past. A three-judge bench of the apex court held in May 2018 that an adult couple had the right to live together even without marriage. It had made this clear while asserting that a 20-year-old Kerala woman, whose marriage had been annulled, could choose whom she wanted to live with. The top court had held that live-in-relationships were now even recognized by the legislature and they had found a place under the provisions of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.
C) Kejriwal announces free schooling, monthly allowance for children orphaned by Covid-19.
Delhi Chief Minster Arvind Kejriwal on May 18 announced that if a child had lost both parents (one or both due to Covid-19), education will be provided free of cost to them and additionally Rs. 2,500 will be given to them every month till they are 25 years of age. Due to Corona and the lockdown many homes are facing financial difficulties. We have been thinking about a plan on how to help people overcome this difficulty. We have come up with four steps to provide relief during this tough time, he said. We have come up with several steps to provide relief during this tough time, assured Mr. Kejriwal said in a digital address. Screengrab from twitter.com/@ArvindKejriwal. We will give all ration card holders 5kg ration free from Delhi government + 5kg free ration from the Central government. For those without ration cards, Delhi government will give rations if people demand. If someone says they are poor, we will give ration without asking for income proof, he said. For those who have lost lives due to Corona, we will give Rs.50,000 ex-gratia to every family. If the deceased was the earning member of the family, we will give Rs.2,500 pension every month along with the ex-gratia of Rs.50,000. If a child has lost both parents [one or both due to coronavirus], education will be provided free of cost and we will give Rs.2,500 every month till they attain 25 years of age, he said.
D) Journalist in Manipur booked after saying cow urine and cow dung cannot cure Covid-19.
The police in Imphal have booked journalist Kishorchandra Wangkhem and political activist Erendro Leichombam under the National Security Act of 1980 over their Facebook posts allegedly deriding the death of State BJP president S. Tikendra Singh. The duo was arrested on May 13 after the BJP leader succumbed to Covid-19. Referring to his death, both had commented that cow urine and dung were not cures for infection by the virus. Their arrest was based on a complaint filed by Manipur BJP general secretary P. Premananda Meetei and vice-president Usham Deban Singh. An order issued by Imphal West District Magistrate Th. Kirankumar on Monday said Wangkhem be detained under Section 3(2) of National Security Act, 1980, until further orders as and when he is released on bail. The journalist and Leichombam were subsequently booked under NSA, Imphal West’s Superintendent of Police L. Meghachandra Singh said. On Monday, the district’s Chief Judicial Magistrate granted bail to the duo on the execution of a personal recognisance bond of Rs. 50,000 each with a surety bond of a like amount on condition that they will not repeat a similar offence in the future and be available for interrogation by the investigating officer as and when required. Both Wangkhem, 41, and Leichombam, 40, had been arrested twice earlier on charges of sedition and for criticising the government. The latter is the founder of the People’s Resurgence and Justice Alliance, a political party whose candidate in the 2017 Manipur elections included rights activist Irom Sharmila.
E) Prepare a Covid-19 strategy for children now, Rahul Gandhi cautions govt.
Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday urged the Narendra Modi government to prepare a Covid-19 protocol for children as they needed to be protected now. In the time to come, children will need protection from Corona. Paediatric services and vaccine-treatment protocols should already be in place. India’s future needs for the present Modi ‘system’ to be shaken out of sleep, Gandhi said on twitter. Even though the overall number of Covid-19 cases have stabilised, with the number of cases coming down in the past few days, experts are warning of a new third wave that can affect children. The Congress leader, who had warned of a Covid-19 tsunami as early as February last year, had also been warning of a third wave because of the slow pace and consistently declining numbers of vaccination due to vaccine shortage. GOI’s disastrous vaccine strategy will ensure a devastating third wave. It can’t be repeated enough — India needs a proper vaccine strategy! Gandhi had said last Saturday.
F) SC seeks response from West Bengal govt on plea seeking CBI/SIT probe into post-poll killings.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought a response from the West Bengal government on a petition seeking a CBI or SIT (Special Investigation Team) probe into the murder of two BJP activists in the violence after the victory of Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) in the Assembly elections. A Vacation Bench of Justices Vineet Saran and B.R. Gavai issued the notice to the government on the joint petition filed by Biswajit Sarkar and Swarnalata Adhikari. Biswajit is the brother of Abhijit Sarkar, one of the two victims. Swarnalata is the widow of Haran Adhikari. They were represented by senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani. The Bench scheduled the next hearing on the issue for May 25. Jethmalani argued that there was total inaction and even subversion of the investigation on the part of the State administration and the police. The murders happened on the same day the Assembly election results were declared. The police stood by idly… The investigation into the crimes needs to be transferred to the CBI or a SIT and requires court monitoring, he submitted.
G) Justice Gavai recuses himself from hearing Param Bir Singh case.
Supreme Court judge Justice B.R. Gavai, one of the two judges on the Vacation Bench scheduled to hear a plea by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh challenging the internal enquiries instituted against him, recused himself from hearing the case on Tuesday. Singh has moved the Supreme Court alleging that the departmental enquiries against him was part of a conspiracy to frame him for levelling allegations of corruption against Anil Deshmukh, who resigned as Maharashtra Home Minister. He urged the apex court to shift the enquiries to another State. My brother [pointing to Justice Gavai] cannot hear the case, Justice Vineet Saran, the lead judge on the Bench, informed senior advocate Puneet Bali, who appeared for Singh. Justice Gavai also made it clear that he would withdraw from hearing the petition. In that case, we are recording in our order to list the case before another Bench, Justice Saran said.
H) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.
The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 2,53,96,581 with the death toll at 2,80,753. Less than 2% of India’s total population has been affected by Covid-19 so far and 98% of the population is still susceptible or vulnerable to the infection, the government said on Tuesday. Despite the high number of cases reported so far, we have been able to contain the spread to under 2% of the population, said Health Ministry Joint Secretary Lav Agarwal. The government said a continued decline has been noted in active cases in the last 15 days. From 17.13% of the total caseload reported on May 3, it has come down to 13.3%, it added. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Tuesday extended the deadline for schools to submit Class X exam results to June 30, citing the Covid-19 pandemic. On May 1, the CBSE had notified a policy for tabulation of Class X results based on internal assessment by schools, with the deadline for submission of marks as June 5. The CBSE had said in the notification that it would declare the results by June 20. On Tuesday, however, the Board extended the deadline for schools to submit the marks to June 30, keeping in view the situation of the pandemic, lockdown in States and safety of teachers and other staff members of affiliated schools.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
A) Sri Lanka’s China-backed tax haven clears final hurdle.
A Chinese-funded tax-free enclave billed as Sri Lanka’s answer to Dubai and Singapore cleared the final legal hurdle on Tuesday as the Supreme Court in Colombo ruled it could go ahead with only minor tweaks. The largest single foreign investment in Sri Lanka is one of several massive Asian infrastructure projects funded by China as Beijing increases its regional footprint. Sri Lanka’s top court rejected 19 petitions challenging the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill and approved the $1.4 billion project subject to minor amendments which the government immediately said it accepted. Project officials have said they hope the brand new Port City, an area of reclaimed land, will attract billions of dollars for trade, banking and offshore services similar to what is available in Dutni and Singapore, two of its potential competitors. Named the Colombo Port City because of its proximity to Colombo’s main harbour, the sea reclamation carried out with considerable Chinese labour completed in 2019 has doubled the size of Colombo’s financial district by adding 269 hectares. Under the proposed legislation expected to be passed by Parliament, the Port City will be administered by a commission with unprecedented powers to fast track investment approvals. Il transactions within the Port City will be denominated in foreign currency and all salaries earned by any worker will be tax-exempt.
B) Bangladesh arrests scribe under Official Secrets Act.
A journalist in Bangladesh reporting on official corruption was arrested on charges of violating a colonial-era Official Secrets Act which carries a possible death penalty, authorities said on Tuesday. Rozina Islam, a senior reporter for the leading Prothom Alo newspaper, allegedIy used her mobile phone without permission to photograph documents related to government negotiations to buy coronavirus vaccines while she waited in the room of an official involved in the process, according to case documents seen by The Associated Press. Ms. Islam is known for reporting on corruption involving the Ministry of Health and others. Several of her recent stories have drawn attention to the millions of dollars spent procuring health equipment to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. She was held for more than five hours late on Monday in the room of a personal assistant of the secretary of the Ministry of Health, said her sister, Sabina Parvin. Her family said she was physically and mentally harassed while being held. Sensitive documents Ms. Islam was then handed over to police and faces charges under the Penal Code and Official Secrets Act for alleged theft and photographing of sensitive state documents, said Harun-or-Rashid, an Additional Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police. The charges carry a possible death penalty, the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists said in a statement.
