CURRENT AFFAIRS
21 March 2021
INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
A) U.S., India resolve to intensify defence cooperation.
India on Saturday resolved to intensify defence cooperation with the U.S. Central Command in Florida and with the U.S. Commands in the Indo-Pacific region and Africa. The announcement in this regard was made by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who held talks with U.S. Secretary of Defence General (Retd.) Lloyd James Austin III who described the partnership as a central pillar of the American policy for the Indo-Pacific. They reviewed the wide gamut of bilateral and multilateral exercises and agreed to pursue enhanced cooperation with the US Indo-Pacific Command, Central Command and Africa Command. Acknowledging that we have in place the foundational agreements, LEMOA, COMCASA and BECA, we discussed steps to be taken to realise their full potential for mutual benefit, said Mr. Singh at a joint meeting with the media at the Vigyan Bhavan. He said the bilateral discussion covered military-to-military engagement across services, information sharing, cooperation in emerging sectors of defence, and mutual logistics support. Mr. Austin’s visit is crucial as it comes in the midst of expectations that the U.S. is likely to deliver a message over India’s plans to acquire the Russian S-400 missile defence system in the coming months. The move could attract U.S. sanctions under a law named CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act). In a clear hint to Beijing’s growing military activities in the South China Sea region, Mr. Austin said the India-U.S. defence partnership will ‘grow’ in the coming years.
B) U.S. Defence Secretary brings up human rights concerns.
The U.S. Defence Secretary also addressed the issue of human rights in India during his meetings with Cabinet Ministers here on Saturday. An informed source said the issue also came up during his conversation with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar which also covered a broad range of topics like the situation in Afghanistan and the West Asian tension. The Defense Secretary said as the two largest democracies in the world, human rights and values are important to us and they will lead with these values, said the source. Earlier, addressing a select group of American and Indian media outlets, Mr. Austin said he raised the violation of human rights of the Muslims in Assam with the Indian side. He did have a conversation with other members of the Cabinet on this issue, Mr. Austin was quoted saying by the NDTV. He however clarified that he did not have an opportunity to talk to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on reports of human rights violations targeting minority communities. They have to remember that India is their partner, a partner whose partnership they value. And he think partners need to be able to have those kinds of discussions. And certainly they feel comfortable doing that. And you can have those discussions in a very meaningful way and make progress, he said in a report that appeared on NDTV online.
C) China says it has agreed to work with U.S. on climate change, other issues.
China on Saturday said that it had agreed with the U.S. to take up climate change and a handful of other issues, signaling a possible modicum of progress at recently concluded talks that were otherwise marked by acrimonious public exchanges over the issues that divide the world’s two largest economies. The official Xinhua News Agency said in a dispatch from Anchorage, Alaska, where the two-day meeting wrapped up on Friday, that China and the U.S. had decided to set up a working group on climate change and hold talks to facilitate activities of diplomatic and consular missions and on issues related to each other’s journalists. The two countries feuded over journalist visas and consulates during the Trump administration, and climate change is seen as one area where they may be able to cooperate. Senior Biden administration officials held their first face-to-face meeting with their Chinese counterparts in Alaska since taking office earlier this year. The Xinhua report did not provide any details on the climate change working group, other than to say both countries were committed to enhancing communication and cooperation in the field.
D) Imran Khan tests positive for coronavirus.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday tested positive for the COVID-19 and is self-isolating at home, his top aide on health Dr. Faisal Sultan said, two days after he got the first shot of vaccination. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan receiving a dose of the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine against the Covid-19 coronavirus, at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad on March 18. Mr. Khan, 67, was vaccinated on Thursday as part of the nationwide anti-coronavirus vaccination campaign which is underway in its first phase.
NATIONAL NEWS
A) Assam Elections | Modi brings up ‘toolkit’
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Congress of openly supporting forces that are out to finish the identity of Assam tea and destroy the tea industry. Addressing an election rally in this Upper Assam town, a day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi interacted with tea garden workers here, Mr. Modi alleged that the party is playing with the pride and glory of the oldest industry of the State. He said a toolkit recently sought to defame Assam tea, famous across the world, and Yoga, the legacy of our ancient saints, as part of a conspiracy. A conspiracy was hatched against Assam tea. You must have heard about a toolkit. It sought to destroy the tea gardens of Assam. No Indian will allow that, he said. The Prime Minister was apparently referring to Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg’s controversial toolkit, which she tweeted and then deleted, outlining ways in which people can participate in the farmers protest. Congress is supporting such forces. And while doing so it has the temerity to come here and seek votes of the tea garden workers. They have fallen so low. Who can understand the problems of tea workers better than a ‘chaiwala’, Mr. Modi said referring to his humble background when as a small boy he used to sell tea at a railway station and on trains in his native Gujarat.
B) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.
India reported 40,953 new coronavirus infections in the 24 hours ending 8 a.m. on March 20, the highest single-day rise in 111 days, taking the country’s cumulative COVID-19 tally to 1,15,55,284. The country also reported 188 deaths during this time taking the total death toll to 1,59,558, with 2,88,394 active cases currently, the Health Ministry said on March 20. As per data released by the Ministry, currently Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh continue to report a spike in new cases.
C) Police bust govt. job fraud nexus.
Delhi police on Saturday claimed to have busted a gang that allegedly helped candidates for government jobs cheat in their examinations, and arrested four persons in connection with the crime. The accused posed as police officers and committed the crime in connivance with a private exam centre, they added. The gang has duped victims of around {20 lakhs till now. DCP (West) Urvija Goel said the accused Vaishali (26), alleged mastermind, Rohit (23), Love Kumar (26) and Himanshu (23) are all from Haryana. The police said they received information that illegal practices were taking place at 0m and Chander Associates Examination Centre in Naraina Industrial Area in the ongoing examination for the post of Forest Guard. Next, the police conducted a raid at the centre on March 4. When the phone was examined, evidence was recovered and the rest three persons were arrested from Delhi and Haryana, said an officer. The police said Vaishali along with her partner Anil Sharma who is absconding and other accomplices used to run the nexus in various States of north India and particularly in the rural areas to target unemployed youth. The accused asked the employees of the centre to provide phones to their candidates. The gang also used to send a dummy candidate, who would send the question paper to the kingpin. Next, Vaishali would use experts to solve the paper and send answers to their candidates sitting inside the centre with mobile phones, Ms. Goel explained.
D) Railway Ministry, others told to finalise parameters for locomotive engines.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Environment Ministry, Railway Ministry and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to finalise and approve parameters for locomotive engines. Taking note of a report filed by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF & CC), a Bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said that since the issue has been pending for over three years, we direct that the same be finalised at the earliest. In its report dated February 4, the Environment Ministry had said the draft standard was submitted by the CPCB on June 2, 2020. It also said following meetings, the proposal would be worked out in consultation with the Railways with clarity on the implementing agency, monitoring protocol and reporting mechanism on compliance. It is prayed that in order to delineate the appropriate provision for effective compliance of the NGT’s order six months is required, which includes four months for wide circulation of draft notification for inviting comments and two months for incorporation of comments, finalisation of notification and obtaining approval from the Ministry of Law and Justice, the report read. The directions came when the green panel was hearing a plea moved by petitioner SK. Goyal seeking execution of a 2017 order of the NGT where it was directed that guidelines containing locomotive standards be put up on the CPCB website and expeditious efforts made by all stakeholders, including the MoEF & CC.
