CURRENT AFFAIRS
27 January 2021
NATIONAL NEWS:
A) Farmers’ protests take a violent turn on Republic Day.
Tens of thousands of farmers atop tractors broke barriers, clashed with police, and entered the city from various points to reach the Red Fort on Republic Day. One young man was seen hoisting a yellow triangular flag at the Red Fort’s flagpole – the centrepiece of the country’s Independence Day celebrations. The flag was the ‘Nishan Sahib’, a symbol of Sikh religion seen at all Gurdwara complexes. One farmer, Navdeep Singh Hundal, 26, died amid the clashes in central Delhi. While the police claimed that he died when his tractor overturned, some farmers alleged that he was killed in police firing and have begun a sit-in protest. Farmer union leaders, who have been spearheading the two-month protest at the national capital’s border points to demand a repeal of the farm laws, disowned the protesters who deviated from the route approved by the police. Earlier in the day, a clash broke out between police and protesting farmers after the latter reached ITO and tried to push towards Lutyen’s Delhi, and the police responded with a lathi charge and use of tear gas shells against them. The farmers, who began their march from different border points much before the time allotted to them for their tractor rally, reached ITO in Central Delhi despite the police denying them permission for it. The Delhi Police had given permission for a tractor parade on selected routes only, and with the proviso that the rally takes place after the official Republic Day parade on Rajpath concluded. However, chaos ensued as the farmers decided to head towards central Delhi in the morning itself. Notwithstanding the violence and chaos in the capital on Republic Day, the Centre is inclined to continue talks with the agitating farmer leaders, a top government source told.
B) India’s heritage, military might on display at Rajpath.
India celebrated its 72nd Republic Day on Tuesday across the country, albeit in a muted manner, due to the pandemic. Delhi Police advised people to watch the live telecast of Republic Day parade at home due to Covid-19 protocols. Invitees attending the parade at Rajpath had to comply with the Covid-19 advisory that included temperature check, use of sanitiser, mask, and social distancing. The Camel Contingent of Border Security Force take part at Republic Parade. The Camel Contingent of Border Security Force take part at Republic Parade. This time, there was no chief guest at the Republic Day parade. Additionally, the route of the marching contingent ended at the India Gate C-Hexagon instead of at the Red Fort. The parade culminated in a single Rafale aircraft flying at a speed of 900km/hr. This year also marked the first time that the newly inducted Rafale fighter aircraft featured in India’s Republic Day fly past as it carried out the ‘Brahmastra’ formation by itself, and participated in the ‘Eklavya’ formation with four other fighter jets.
C) Padma awards for 2021 announced; late Col. Santosh Babu bestowed Maha Vir Chakra.
Late singer and music composer S.P. Balasubramaniam, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and Islamic scholar Maulana Wahiduddin Khan have been conferred India’s second highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan. In the annual national honours list, singer K.S Chithra, former Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan, and Nripendra Misra, former principal secretary to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are among the 10 recipients of the Padma Bhushan. The Padma Bhushan will be conferred posthumously to former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, former Gujarat chief minister Keshubhai Patel, and Shia cleric Kalbe Sadiq. Colonel B Santhosh Babu, Commanding Officer of 16 Bihar Regiment, who was in Galwan as part of Operation Snow Leopard, and lost his life along with 19 others in the violent clash with China’s People Liberation Army (PLA) in June last year, has been posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), the country’s second highest war time gallantry award. Five other personnel deployed in Galwan have been awarded the Vir Chakra four of them posthumously. The Vir Chakra is the third highest war time gallantry award. Babu’s father said he was not 100% satisfied with the Maha Vir Chakra posthumously awarded to his son. More than 900 police and central armed police force (CAPF) personnel received medals, including 207 gallantry medals, on the eve of Republic Day. Assistant Sub Inspector Mohan Lal of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), who was killed in the suicide attack in Pulwama on February 14, 2019, was awarded the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG) posthumously. None of the 21 Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel who faced Chinese aggression and thwarted incursions in various sectors in Eastern Ladakh last year in April-May received any medal this year. ITBP had recommended gallantry medals for the 21 personnel in August last year.
D) Supreme Court dismisses plea seeking transfer of petitions against U.P. anti-conversion law.
The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the Uttar Pradesh government’s plea to transfer to the court all petitions filed in the Allahabad High Court challenging the new law that criminalises inter-faith marriages, Live Law reported. A bench headed by Chief Justice of India S.A. Bobde took exception to the request, and asserted that no constitutional court should be taken lightly. If the Allahabad High Court is going to decide the cases, why should we interfere? the top court asked. People are making light of High Courts these days. The High Court is a constitutional court.
E) Ayodhya mosque construction starts.
The formal construction of the Dhannipur Mosque Project was launched on Republic Day with the unfurling of the tricolour, singing of the National Anthem, and the planting of saplings of various trees, including tamarind, mango, neem and guava at the five-acre plot in Dhannipur village here. The plot was allotted by the Uttar Pradesh government on the directions of the Supreme Court in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title suit. The soil testing procedure for the structure has also been initiated. The members of the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation (IICF), which is overseeing the construction, assembled at the place at 8:30 am. After a brief Republic Day ceremony, conducted in the presence of police personnel, IICF chief trustee Zufar Faruqi planted the first sapling, a tamarind tree, to mark the symbolic and low-key start of the project in the one-third area of the plot that will be developed as a green patch. IICF chief trustee Zufar Faruqi planted a sapling, followed by other members to mark the symbolic and low-key start of the Dhannipur Mosque Project. IICF chief trustee Zufar Faruqi planted a sapling, followed by other members to mark the symbolic and low-key start of the Dhannipur Mosque Project. The project would comprise three parts: a mosque based on a modern design and a solar panel roof; a multi-specialty 200-bed hospital and community kitchen; and an Indo Islamic Cultural Research Centre, consisting of a library, underground museum and publication house. The project is estimated to cost around ₹100-110 crore, which would be collected through charity but without any door to door fund-raising, Hussain said. Incidentally, the organisers did not invite any of the former litigants or persons associated with the Babri Masjid case to the event.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
A) Biden reimposes ban on travellers from Europe, adds South Africa to restricted list.
Reversing his predecessor Donald Trump’s policy, U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday reimposed a ban on travellers from Europe and Brazil. The White House also barred travelers from South Africa from entering the U.S. due to the emergence of a new variant of coronavirus in that country. The President is taking these steps on the advice of his COVID-19 and medical team, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily press briefing. President Biden has decided to maintain the restrictions previously in place for the European Schengen area, the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and Brazil, Psaki said. The U.S. government has said that it will require airline passengers entering the country to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test before boarding their flights. With the pandemic worsening and more contagious variants spreading, this isn’t the time to lift restrictions on international travel, Psaki said. And in light of the contagious variant B1351, South Africa has been added to the restricted list, she said. Additionally, beginning January 26, international travellers to the United States must provide proof of a negative test within three days of travel to airlines prior to departure, she added. This applies regardless of citizenship, she asserted.
B) Dutch police detain over 180 in third night of curfew.
Dutch police detained more than 180 people in a third night of unrest in cities across the Netherlands, where roaming groups of rioters set fires, threw rocks and looted stores in violence triggered by a night curfew aimed at curbing the coronavirus. The first curfew since the Second World War followed a warning by the National Institute for Health (RIVM) over a new wave of infections due to the British variant of the virus, and was imposed on Saturday despite weeks of declines in new infections. They have had riots in the past, but it’s rare to have this for several nights across the entire country, said National Police spokeswoman Suzanne van de Graaf. It’s not only in known problem areas, but much more widespread. Riot police with shields and batons were called out in more than 10 cities, many of which had issued emergency ordnance to provide officers with greater powers to conduct searches. Police scuffled with rioters in several cities late into the night, chasing them down narrow streets with vans or on foot as helicopters hovered overhead. In the capital Amsterdam, groups of youths threw fireworks, broke store windows and attacked a police truck, but were broken up by massive police presence. Ten police were injured in Rotterdam, where 60 rioters were detained overnight after widespread looting and destruction in the city centre, a police spokeswoman said. Supermarkets in the port city were emptied, while rubbish bins and vehicles were set ablaze. Two photographers were hurt after being targeted by rockthrowing gangs, police said. The Dutch government said it will not back down on its curfew. They don’t capitulate to people who smash shop windows. That is not the case, Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra was quoted as saying by Dutch news agency ANP.
