NATIONAL NEWS
India deploys first S-400 air defence system in Punjab sector
Indian Air Force (IAF) is deploying the first squadron of the S-400 air defence missile system in the Punjab sector. The squadron has been deployed to take care of aerial threats from both China and Pakistan. The parts of the Russian missile system had started reaching India earlier this month. India had signed a deal worth around Rs 35,000 crore with Russia for the procurement of the defence system and five squadrons would be provided to India for tackling air threats from up to 400 km.
Rafael Nadal tests positive for COVID-19
Former world number one, Rafael Nadal has tested positive for COVID-19. He tested positive upon his arrival in Spain after participating in the World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi. The 21-time Grand Slam champion himself tweeted confirming the news. He informed that he tested positive in the PCR test conducted when he reached Spain. He said that he had passed controls every two days in Kuwait and Abu Dhabi. The tennis star is scheduled to feature at ATP 250 in Melbourne, which will begin on January 4.
Rajya Sabha passes Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2021 The Rajya Sabha on December 20, 2021 passed the ‘Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2021’ to rectify a drafting “anomaly” created by a 2014 amendment to the parent legislation. The bill was passed by a voice vote. The opposition parties had not taken part in the debate. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the NDPS (Amendment) Bill, 2021 seeks amendment to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.The drafting “anomaly” reportedly crept in when the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act was amended in 2014 to allow better medical access to narcotic drugs and removing state barriers in transporting and licensing of essential narcotic drugs.
Bharat Biotech seeks DGCI approval for clinical trials of its intranasal COVID-19 booster dose Bharat Biotech has submitted an application seeking approval from the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for the phase 3 clinical trial of its intranasal COVID-19 booster dose named ‘BBV154’. An intranasal vaccine as will be easier to administer as a booster dose. The intranasal vaccines have the potential to prevent against transmission.”
Govt appoints Pradeep Rawat as new Indian Ambassador to China
Diplomat Pradeep Kumar Rawat has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to China. Currently, he is the Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Rawat as India’s next envoy in China will take charge amid the worst phase in relations between the two nations. He has spent the majority of his diplomatic career handling Beijing from New Delhi.
Parliament passes Election Laws (Amendment Bill) 2021
Parliament passed the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021 after it was given a go-ahead in the Rajya Sabha. The bill which was passed in the Lok Sabha seeks to make amendments to the Representation of the People Act and also allows electoral registration officers to seek the Aadhaar number of those who want to register as voters to establish their entity.
Annual meeting of World Economic Forum postponed
The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum 2022 will be postponed due to the continued uncertainty over the Omicron outbreak. It was scheduled to take place in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland in January 2022. The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum is now likely to take place during early summer.
Nagaland adopts resolution to repeal AFSPA
Nagaland Assembly unanimously passed a resolution demanding the repeal of AFSPA in the Northeast state. The state government has declared on many occasions clearly that the state must be free from the AFSPA act that gives soldiers sweeping powers to arrest without warrants or even shoot to kill in certain situations.
Govt bans 20 YouTube channels
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has ordered the blocking of 20 YouTube channels as well as 2 websites for spreading anti-India propaganda and fake news content on the internet. The banned channels were used to post the divisive content in a coordinated manner on various significant topics such as the Indian Army, Kashmir, CDS General Bipin Rawat, among others.
PM Modi, Russian President Vladimir Putin hold telephone conversation
Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 20, 2021. Both leaders expressed mutual intent for further development of a special and privileged strategic partnership between Russia and India. Putin thanked PM Modi for the hospitality extended to the Russian delegation during the high-level visit to New Delhi on December 6. The two leaders also discussed practical aspects of the implementation of the agreements signed during the talks.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
India vs South Africa ODI, Test series to be played without spectators
Cricket South Africa (CSA) informed on December 20, 2021 that CSA along with the BCCI have taken a joint decision to protect the players by not allowing spectators in the stands owing to increasing COVID-19 cases around the world and the fourth wave locally. The two cricket boards have decided to not make tickets available for India vs South Africa series. India will be playing three tests and three ODIs. The first test will be boxing day test, which will be played in Centurion starting from December 26.
Moderna says its booster dose is effective against Omicron.
Moderna has said that a booster dose of its Coronavirus vaccine appears to be protective against the Omicron variant in laboratory testing. It also added that the current version of its vaccine will continue to be its first line of defence against Omicron. The company further explained that a two-dose course of its Covid-19 vaccine generated the low neutralizing antibodies against the Omicron variant, however, a 50-microgram booster dose increased the neutralizing antibodies against Omicron. Moderna has also tested the effectiveness of the vaccine in comparison to its prototype boosters that targeted the previous Variant of Concerns. The results were similar.
