NATIONAL NEWS 

Tri-service inquiry ordered into IAF chopper crash, says Rajnath Singh 

A tri-service inquiry has been ordered by the IAF headed by Air Marshal Manvendra Singh, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Training Command, to investigate the Mi-17V5 helicopter crash that killed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen. Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other military personnel, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in a statement in Parliament on Thursday.  The Flight Data Recorder (FDR) of the crashed helicopter has been recovered from the wreckage, an IAF official said. It will be sent for analysis to find out what happened in the last moments before it went down in the jungle.  Giving out the details of the incident, Singh said Gen. Rawat was on a scheduled visit to the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, to interact with the student officers. The IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter took off from the Sulur Air Base at 11:48 a.m. on Wednesday and was expected to land at Wellington by 12:15 p.m. The Air Traffic Control at the Sulur Air Base lost contact with the helicopter at approximately 12:08 p.m.  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh briefs the Parliament on the Indian Air Force chopper crash in Tamil Nadu, on December 8, in the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session, in New Delhi, on December 9.   Subsequently, a few locals noticed a fire in the forest near Coonoor and rushed to the spot where they saw the wreckage of the military helicopter engulfed in flames, he said. Rescue teams from the local administration in the vicinity reached the site and attempted to recover the survivors from the crash site.  All those recovered from the wreckage were rushed to the Military Hospital, Wellington, and 13 of the 14 persons onboard the ill-fated helicopter have succumbed to their injuries. Group Captain Varun Singh is on life support in the Military Hospital at Wellington and all efforts are being made to save his life, Singh said, ending the statement by paying homage to the deceased persons and expressing condolences to the bereaved families.  

Farm agitation called off as SKM leaders accept Centre’s proposal 

Thousands of protesting farmers camped out on the borders of Delhi for 380 days are set to go home on Saturday, after marking a ‘vijay diwas’ to celebrate the achievement of most of their demands. On Thursday, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), a joint platform of protesting farm unions, announced that it had accepted the Central government’s proposal to resolve pending demands and called off the year-long agitation.  The unions will meet again on January 15 in the capital to monitor and review whether the government has kept its promises to unconditionally withdraw cases filed against protestors, provide compensation for the kin of farmers who died at the protests, and form a committee to ensure that all farmers can avail remunerative rates for their produce. A decision will also be taken at that time on whether to campaign against the BJP in the upcoming UP and Uttarakhand polls — an issue which different farmer factions have diverse views about.  This is a historic victory for Indian farmers after a historic movement both in terms of size as well as unity and peaceful nature of the protest, said All India Kisan Sabha leader Hannan Mollah.  Farmers waiting for the SKM meeting to begin on December 9, 2021 morning  The Centre’s formal proposal, which was signed by Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal despite the fact that farm leaders said most negotiations on the document were held with Home Ministry representatives, was received on Thursday morning. It included the same five points as in Wednesday’s draft, with major concessions on case withdrawal and compensation. On the issue of MSP, it said a promised committee would have a specific mandate to ensure all farmers get MSP and promised that SKM leaders would be among the representatives. After discussing the proposal in an hour-long meeting at the Singhu border protest site, SKM leaders emerged to announce their acceptance.   

Lok Sabha passes bills to extend CBI, ED directors’ tenures up to maximum of 5 years 

Two bills were passed by Lok Sabha on Thursday to extend the tenures of directors of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate up to a maximum of five years from the present two years.  The Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and the Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2021 were passed separately by voice vote after the House rejected various amendments moved by Opposition members on the two bills.  Congress MPs walked out of the House, saying they were not satisfied with the reply of Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh.  These bills seek to replace two ordinances issued last month. The Opposition and the BJP sparred over the government’s move to extend the tenures of the directors of the CBI and the ED up to a maximum of five years, with the Opposition alleging that it would completely undermine the autonomy of these institutions, and the ruling party defending the step as being necessary to fight large scale corruption.   

Shah misled House on Mon incident, says Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary 

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary, leader of the Congress legislative party in the Lok Sabha, said on Thursday that Union Home Minister Amit Shah came out with a misleading statement in the Lok Sabha on Monday saying the victims of the firing in Mon district of Nagaland on December 4 had been shot after they continued to flee after being asked to stop by the armed forces.  Raising the issue at the start of the zero hour, Chowdhary stated that there were now statements by survivors of the incident that they had been directly shot.  Chowdhary noted that Congress president Sonia Gandhi had constituted a delegation comprising Lok Sabha members Gaurav Gogoi and Anto Antony to visit Mon village in Nagaland and share the grief of the locals whose family members were killed in the firing. But they are not being allowed to enter the State. Even after the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, our party leaders were prevented from providing sympathy to the families of the victims, he observed.  Responding to Chowdhary, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal said the issue raised by him pertained to the State government and not the Lok Sabha.  On Monday, the Home Minister expressed regret over the death of 14 civilians in three consecutive episodes of firing by security forces, the first of which was a case of mistaken identity. Narrating the sequence of events, Mr. Shah told the House that the Army had received information on movement of insurgents in Mon and ’21 Para Commando’ unit had laid an ambush.   

Bhima Koregaon case: Sudha Bharadwaj released from Byculla jail 

Human rights lawyer and trade unionist Sudha Bharadwaj was released on Thursday from Byculla jail after spending over three years there in connection with the Bhima Koregaon caste violence case of 2018.  The other co-accused Shoma Sen and Jyoti Jagtap are still in jail. Bharadwaj, 61, was arrested on August 28, 2018 from her residence in Faridabad where she lives with her daughter Maaysha, 24.  After repeatedly denying Bharadwaj default bail, medical bail and bail on merits, the Bombay High Court granted her bail on December 1.  The court held, On the touchstone of the guarantee of personal liberty under Article 21 (Right to Life) of the Constitution, in our view, to deprive Ms. Bharadwaj of the indefeasible right of bail would be taking a too technical and formalistic view of the matter. In our view, all the requisite conditions to release Ms. Bharadwaj on default bail stood fully satisfied.  Soon after this order, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) probing the case filed an appeal challenging the order of granting her bail. One of the grounds was that she has been charged with the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The Supreme Court, however, dismissed the plea and paved way for Bharadwaj’s release.  On December 8, the special NIA court laid the conditions for her bail and directed her to furnish a cash bond of ₹50,000 with one or two sureties.  In jail, she suffered from pre-existing medical conditions of diabetes, high blood pressure, hypertension and a history of pulmonary tuberculosis. She has also had an extremely painful swelling in her joints and a frozen shoulder that restricted her movement.   

WHO warns fears of omicron could spark new vaccine hoarding 

The World Health Organisation expressed concerns Thursday that rich countries spooked by the emergence of the omicron variant could step up the hoarding of COVID-19 vaccines and strain global supplies again, complicating efforts to stamp out the pandemic.  The UN health agency, after a meeting of its expert panel on vaccination, reiterated its advice to governments against the widespread use of boosters in their populations so that well-stocked countries instead can send doses to low-income countries that have largely lacked access to them.  What is going to shut down disease is for everybody who is especially at risk of disease to become vaccinated, said Dr. Kate O’Brien, head of WHO’s department of immunization, vaccines and biologicals.  We seem to be taking our eye off that ball in countries. Months of short supplies of COVID-19 vaccines have begun to ease over the last two months or so, and doses are finally getting to needier countries — such as through donations and the UN-backed COVAX programme — and WHO wants that to continue.  It has long decried vaccine inequity by which most doses have gone to people in rich countries, whose leaders locked down big stockpiles as a precautionary measure. Dr. O’Brien urged a rational, global perspective about what’s actually going to shut down this pandemic. We have the tools at hand, we have the choices we can make, and the next days and weeks are really going to determine what direction the world decides it’s going to go in, on omicron, she said. 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

RSF report says China is world’s biggest captor of journalists

According to the report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), China is the world’s biggest captor of journalists. Currently, 127 journalists have been detained. However, China has justified the arrests of citizens and journalists, and reporters by accusing them of provoking trouble. RSF report titled ‘The Great Leap Backwards of Journalism in China’ has revealed China’s violations against its own international commitment to freedom of expression and opinion. The report also demonstrates how Beijing has viewed journalism not as a tool of providing information to the public but as an instrument of state propaganda. Reporters Without Borders has ranked China 177th out of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index 2021 which is just two places above North Korea

US, India, Israel, UAE Quad meeting might happen in early 2022

The Ambassador of Israel to India, Naor Gilon informed that the Quad meeting between India-US-Israel-UAE can happen in early 2022 in Dubai. The Sherpas from the four nations identified for the meet will identify the fields of cooperation in infrastructure.

Observer Status granted to International Solar Alliance by UNGA

The United Nations General Assembly has granted an Observer Status to the International Solar Alliance. The news was shared by the Ambassador of India to UN TS Tirumurti. In a tweet, Tirumuti mentioned that ISA has become an example of positive global climate change action through partnerships.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat, wife, 11 others die in IAF helicopter crash near Coonoor 

Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 others were killed in a helicopter crash near Coonoor on December 8, the Indian Air Force said.  The copter carrying Gen. Rawat and his entourage crashed in apparently foggy conditions, killing the 13 people on board, the IAF and other officials said. One person survived the crash and is being treated at a hospital.  With deep regret, it has now been ascertained that Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat and 11 other persons on board have died in the unfortunate accident, the IAF said in a tweet.  Gen. Rawat was on a visit to Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington to address the faculty and student officers of the staff course when the fatal mishap happened.  Gen. Bipin Singh Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat in New Delhi. File   Group Captain Varun Singh SC, Directing Staff at DSSC and the sole survivor, was undergoing treatment for injuries at the Military Hospital, Wellington, IAF added.  The Prime Minister-led Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) was briefed about the crash and top Cabinet brass expressed condolences on the death of Gen. Rawat. Besides Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the meeting was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, official sources said.  The IAF confirmed that the crash happened at around 2 p.m., saying the Mi-17V5 helicopter with Gen. Rawat on board met with an accident near Coonoor. It has already ordered an inquiry to ascertain the cause of the accident.  President Ramnath Kovind, Mr. Modi, Mr. Singh and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi condoled the death of Gen. Rawat.  Gen. Rawat had served as the Chief of the Indian Army from December 17, 2016 to December 31, 2019. He was appointed as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff on December 31, 2019.  

Bhima Koregaon case: Sudha Bharadwaj to be released on cash bond  

The special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Wednesday said human rights lawyer and trade unionist Sudha Bharadwaj would be released from Byculla jail on a cash bond of ₹50,000 with one or more sureties in the Bhima Koregaon case.  Special judge D.E. Kothalikar permitted Bharadwaj, who was present in the court, to submit temporary cash security valid for three months. On December 1, the Bombay High Court granted her bail and directed the special NIA court to decide her bail conditions on Wednesday.  The central agency moved in appeal against the bail before the Supreme Court which dismissed the appeal on Tuesday.  Citing bail conditions, the NIA court on Wednesday directed Bharadwaj to not leave Mumbai without the court’s permission and inform the agency and the court about her place of residence, her contact number and those of her relatives.  The conditions included giving the addresses of at least three blood relatives. The NIA court said if there was any change of residential address, the NIA would conduct physical or virtual verification to confirm it.  She was also directed to attend proceedings of the trial, and not make any statement regarding the proceedings to anyone from the media. Advocate Yug Chaudhry, appearing for Bharadwaj, told the court that she was a practising lawyer in Chhattisgarh and needed to get back to work for a living and hence should be allowed to travel between Mumbai, Chhattisgarh and Delhi. The court said she could practise in Nagpur.   

Opposition boycotts Rajya Sabha; blames Piyush Goyal for impasse  

The Opposition leaders from the Rajya Sabha boycotted the proceedings for the day to sit in solidarity with their 12 colleagues who have been staging a protest at the Gandhi statue in Parliament against their suspension for the last eight days now. The leaders, speaking to The Hindu, blamed Leader of the House, Piyush Goyal, accusing him of inflexibility and leaving little room for compromise.  Opposition parties’ MPs participate in a protest near Mahatma Gandhi’s statue demanding revocation of the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs, during the Winter Session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021.   At the protest site, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said tendering an apology remains out of question. He said though Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu asked him and Goyal to sit together and solve the issue on Wednesday, there has been no outreach from the Government.  It is only in the House that they speak about reaching out. Outside the House they blame, criticise and humiliate us. They have no moral right to hold the Opposition responsible for this impasse, Kharge said.  Congress Rajya Sabha chief whip Jairam Ramesh said he visited the homes of the Opposition leaders, met Goyal, Chairman Naidu and Deputy Chairman Harivansh to explore options to resolve the deadlock. In the last three days, I have moved heaven and earth to find a way out. Chairman Naidu’s position in all fairness is not unreasonable. He has appealed to both sides to come together and talk. But I must say Goyal has taken fundamentalist position, leaving little room for a compromise, Ramesh said.  Senior RJD leader Manoj K Jha was equally critical of Goyal’s role. He said, The Leader of the House should have the capacity and the willingness to transcend barriers. Instead of transcending barriers we see that new ones are created. I would go to the extent of saying that we are missing the presence of Arun Jaitely.  CPI(M) leader Elamaram Kareem said the Government had deliberately suspended the 12 MPs to ease the passage of key Bills. Mr. Goyal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi humiliate and ridicule us inside the House. In such a situation, how can there be any headway out of this, he said.  He said the question of whether the Opposition is giving a free walk over to the Government is misplaced. Everyone must remember that we are in this situation because of the Government’s insistence on passing the General Insurance Bill despite protests and our call seeking a vote in the last session, he said.  NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar and Samajwadi leader Akhilesh Yadav also participated in the protest. Along with the slogans, the lawmakers sang songs as they sat through the day on the grass in the shadow of the Gandhi statue. TMC MP Dola Sen and AAP MP Sanjay Singh were the lead singers.  Many others also joined in. Various leaders have been taking turns to bring in food for their protesting colleagues. On Wednesday, the responsibility fell on NCP leader Supriya Sule. Sule, along with her party leaders Vandana Chavan and Fauzia Khan, was seen serving food at the protest site.   

Nagaland killings: Naga People’s Front MP says Amit Shah erred on facts  

Naga People’s Front MP from Manipur Lorho S. Pfoze demanded that the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in force in many northeastern States be repealed, while also raising questions over the sequence of events shared by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his statement in Parliament on the events of December 4 in Nagaland that left 14 civilians dead.  While Dr. Pfoze raised in the Lok Sabha the issue of what happened in Nagaland on December 4 evening, he could not complete his submission to the Chair under matters of Urgent Public Importance. While referring to the cruel and brutal murder of 14 civilians in Nagaland, and the suffering of the States of the northeast under the AFSPA, his time was up. Speaking to The Hindu outside of Parliament however, Dr. Pfoze said that he wanted to put on record that some facts put forward by Shah on the sequence of events leading to the killings did not survive close scrutiny.  I basically wanted to say that the Home Minister’s statement in Parliament that it was a case of mistaken identity and that the armed forces had asked the truck carrying the civilians to stop and only fired when the truck didn’t stop is wrong. We now have videos of eyewitness accounts of a survivor who says that the truck was not asked to stop and firing happened, he said.  This event and many others in the northeastern States have brought down what is a glorious legacy of Indian democracy all because of the AFSPA being in force in these States. The time has now come that this law be repealed, he said. 

Samyukt Kisan Morcha, met at the Singhu border to consider the government’s amended proposal. 

The leadership of the farmers’ body, Samyukt Kisan Morcha, met at the Singhu border on Wednesday to consider the government’s amended proposal in response to their pending demands regarding an MSP law, and withdrawal of cases against protestors. We have reached a consensus among ourselves to accept the proposal. No final decision yet on calling off the agitation, another meeting to be held tomorrow once we have received the official communication from the government, said farmers leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni.   Virat Kohli was on Wednesday removed as India’s ODI captain, with the national selection committee making Rohit Sharma the sole white-ball leader of the team till the 2023 50-over World Cup. In another significant development, Ajinkya Rahane was removed from Test vice-captaincy, a position which was also given to Rohit. The BCCI also announced the 18-member squad for the three Test series against South Africa, which doesn’t include all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, spinner Axar Patel, and opener Shubman Gill due to various injuries.  

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Canada joins US allies to boycott Beijing Winter Olympics.

Canadian Prime Minister Justine Trudeau informed on December 8, 2021 that the nation will also join the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom in their diplomatic boycott of 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics over human rights concerns at Xinjiang Province. The nations will still be sending their teams to the Olympic Games but will not be sending their officials. Trudeau said that they are extremely concerned by the repeated human rights violations by the Chinese government and added that they should not be surprised that we will not be sending any diplomatic representation. Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly called on other countries also to take more similar action. China warned that the nations would inevitably regret launching the joint diplomatic boycott of the multi-sports event next winter. The nation said that using the Olympic platform for political manipulation is unpopular and self-isolating.

Singapore removed from India’s ‘at-risk’ nations list.

India has removed Singapore from its list of at-risk nations. The countries that are currently in the list include South Africa, Botswana, Ghana, Mauritius, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Israel, the United Kingdom and China. The development comes after the detection of a new Omicron variant in 57 countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) expects the number to grow further. As a precaution, India had added several countries to the list of ‘at risk’ nations, from where travellers would need to follow additional measures upon their arrival in India including post-arrival testing for infection. The new Omicron variant was first reported from South Africa on November 25.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Supreme Court refuses to interfere with Bombay HC order granting Sudha Bharadwaj bail 

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to interfere with a Bombay High Court order granting default bail to advocate Sudha Bharadwaj in the Bhima Koregaon case, paving the way for her release from jail after a span of two years.  A Bench of Justices U.U. Lalit, S. Ravindra Bhat and Bela M. Trivedi declined the arguments made by the NIA that the High Court on December 1 erred in concluding that the Pune Sessions Court, which took cognisance of its charge-sheet and extended the period of her detention under Section 43D(2) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), had no jurisdiction in the case. The Sessions Court was not notified as a Special Court under the NIA Act, the High Court had noted.  The default bail order of Bharadwaj comes into effect from December 8. She has to appear before the Special Court on Wednesday for a hearing on the conditions of her bail. “We find no reason to interfere,” Justice Lalit said in the order.  During the hearing, Justice Lalit said the moot question was whether the court that extended the detention was competent or not.  “Within 90 days, you have to complete the investigation, unless you can show reasons not to have completed,” Justice Lalit said.  The High Court had, in its order, upheld Bhardwaj’s indefeasible right to personal liberty.  It had said the guarantee of personal liberty under Article 21 (right to life) of the Constitution cannot be thwarted on technical grounds that her plea for default bail was premature. That would be a “too technical and formalistic view of the matter”.  The High Court had, however, denied bail to Rona Wilson, Varavara Rao, Sudhir Dhawale, Surendra Gadling, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira in the case. They are lodged in Taloja Central Jail.  Bharadwaj was taken into custody by the Pune police in August 2018. The charge-sheet was filed in February 2019.   

Nagaland calls off major ongoing festival amid shutdown in Mon 

Nagaland’s Mon district observed a shut down on Tuesday to protest against the killing of 14 civilians by the security forces while the State Government called off a major ongoing festival as a mark of respect to the deceased.  The Government also decided to write to the Centre to immediately repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, from the State. The Act, deemed draconian, is said to give the armed forces the licence to kill.  Government spokesperson and Planning Minister Neiba Kronu said the Cabinet, at an emergency meeting in Kohima on Tuesday, discussed the botched ambush by an elite force in Mon’s Oting village on December 4.  Placards and black flags are put up at the venue of Hornbill festival in solidarity with the civilians, killed in an anti-insurgency operation, in Kisama, Nagaland, Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021.   “The Cabinet decided that the special investigation team headed by an IGP should complete its probe into the Mon incident and submit its report within a month. It also decided to write to the Government of India for repealing the AFSPA immediately from the State,” he told journalists.  He said the Cabinet had decided to cancel the ongoing Hornbill Festival in view of the mourning announced for the deceased and to express solidarity with the bereaved families.  The 10-day annual marque festival that attracts tourists from all over began on December 1, marking the day Nagaland attained statehood in 1963. The Tourism Department has been asked to wind up the festival — barring the entrepreneurial activities — with a short, solemn closing ceremony.  Kronu said two persons injured in the Mon incident were still in a critical condition in a hospital in Dibrugarh and six others are under treatment in Dimapur while 22 persons have been discharged.  “Further, we have decided to support the demands that the Konyak Union has put forward to the President of India,” he said. The Konyak Union, apex body of the dominant Naga tribe in Mon, had imposed the district bandh on Tuesday to protest against the “massacre” and its violent aftermath besides the scrapping of the AFSPA.  The union also declared seven-day mourning across the district from Wednesday and asked the armed forces to abstain from patrolling in the Konyak region during this period. 

Samyukt Kisan Morcha discusses Home Ministry letter accepting most of the farmers’ demands 

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has received a letter from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, which accepts most of their pending demands. The Centre’s offer was discussed during the SKM leadership’s meeting at the Singhu border on Tuesday.  A few sticking points remain, and the SKM’s five-member committee has been asked to iron out these details with the Government by Wednesday afternoon. The SKM will meet again at 2:00 p.m., at which time a final decision on whether to withdraw the agitation will be announced.  Several leaders sounded confident that the agitation will end at that time, as their major demands have been accepted. However, others objected to the Centre’s condition that cases against protesting farmers will be withdrawn only after the agitation is called off.  There is also a lack of clarity on the mandate of the Government’s proposed committee on MSP, and whether it will be empowered to discuss a legal guarantee. The letter specifically mentions that SKM leaders will be part of the committee, but there are fears that others opposing MSP may also be included, sources said.  The Centre’s failure to dismiss Minister of State for Home Amit Mishra Teni is also another bone of contention. The in-principal assurance that States will provide compensation to the kin of protesting farmers who died during the agitation was welcomed as a positive move.   

Protests: Centre, farmers seek adjournment of hearing on ‘blocking highways’ in Supreme Court 

Citing “changed circumstances”, the Centre and the farmers’ side came together in the Supreme Court on Tuesday to postpone the hearing of a plea to remove farmers “blocking” the highways to the National Capital.  “On the lighter side, it is good to see Solicitor General Tushar Mehta [for the Centre] and advocate Prashant Bhushan [for farmers] on the same side,” Justice S.K. Kaul said granting the adjournment.  Though both sides did not elaborate, the “changed circumstances” may be the repeal of the three controversial farm laws by Parliament. The court deferred the hearing to January.  The hearing on Wednesday was in stark contrast to earlier ones which had seen verbal clashes between the opposing sides. In the previous hearing, the farmers’ side had blamed the State for deliberately blocking the roads to turn public sentiments against them. They had urged for permission to enter Ram Lila Maidan and Jantar Mantar in the heart of the Capital to continue their protests against the laws.  Mehta had reminded the court about the Red Fort violence in January which had left several hundreds injured and others killed. The court had reiterated its position that the right to protest should not hamper the right to movement of the public. The farmers had argued that the right to protest was a fundamental right and the roads were blocked by the police.   

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

CEO fires over 900 employees during a webinar in U.S. 

An Indian-origin CEO of a U.S.-based homeownership company, Vishal Garg, abruptly fired more than 900 employees, about 9% of its workforce over a webinar, citing market efficiency, performance and productivity as the reasons behind the move.  “If you’re on this call, you are part of the unlucky group that is being laid off,” he said on the call. “Your employment here is terminated effective immediately,” Garg said.  The CEO informed more than 900 employees on call that they were being terminated just before the holidays.  He then said employees could expect an email from the Human Resource department, detailing benefits and severance. “Having to conduct layoffs is gut-wrenching, especially this time of year,” CFO Kevin Ryan said in a statement.  “However, a fortress balance sheet and a reduced and focused workforce together set us up to play offense going into a radically evolving homeownership market,” he said.  Meanwhile, Fortune reported that Garg accused the employees of “stealing” from their colleagues and customers by being unproductive and only working two hours a day.  “This is the second time in my career I’m doing this and I do not want to do this. The last time I did it, I cried,” Garg said on the call. Among those fired were the diversity, equity and inclusion recruiting team.  

 

Olaf Scholz to be sworn in as new Germany Chancellor

Social Democrat Olaf Scholz will take oath as the new Chancellor of Germany on December 8, 2021, marking an end to the 16-year rule of Angela Merkel, who had been the first female chancellor of Germany. India has deep relations with Germany and it is expected to continue as per the newly elected tripartite coalition led by Olaf Scholz. German Ambassador to India Walter J Lindner informed that Olaf Scholz has notably visited once before in 2012 when he was the Mayor Hamburg.  He had visited New Delhi and Mumbai during his trip. Olaf Scholz was confirmed to be the next German chancellor after the leaders of three parties sealed a coalition deal. The pact paves way for a three-way coalition government comprising the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and liberal Free Democrats (FDP). The SPD, Greens and FDP coalition pact brings to an end nearly five weeks of formal negotiations. The 3-way coalition is known as the traffic-light coalition, due to their respective colors of red, green and yellow. The parties worked behind the closed doors to reach to an agreement.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Centre expresses regret over Nagaland firing incident: 

Amit Shah Expressing regret over the Nagaland firing incident, Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that a probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) will be completed within a month and asserted that all agencies must ensure such happenings do not recur while taking action against insurgents.  In his statement in Lok Sabha, Shah offered condolences to the families of those killed in the incident on December 4. Security forces opened fire on civilians killing 14 and injuring 11 more in Nagaland’s Mon district in three consecutive episodes, the first of which was a case of mistaken identity, police said on Sunday. One soldier also died in the rioting which followed. Shah said that in self defence and to disperse the crowd, the troops had to open fire in which seven civilians were killed.  He said that on Sunday evening, an agitated crowd targeted Assam Rifles company operating base and forces had to open fire in which one civilian was killed. It has been decided all agencies must ensure such incidents do not happen in the future during action against insurgents, the minister said. Expressing dissatisfaction with the statement, opposition parties including the Congress, DMK, SP, BSP and the NCP walked out of the House.  Earlier in the day, Lok Sabha members condemned the Nagaland incident and demanded an impartial probe. Members also called for the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).   

Rajya Sabha: Protests over suspension of MPs to intensify 

Opposition parties have decided to intensify protests inside the Rajya Sabha on the suspension of 12 House members, overruling a view that House disruption should be calibrated to allow them to have their say but to stop the government from having its way. Opposition leaders have decided that the protests in the Upper House should not spill over to the Lower House.  It has been a week since the 12 MPs have been on a sit-in at the Gandhi statue in Parliament during its working hours. The government wants an individual apology on the floor of the House from them for their misconduct during the monsoon session but they are not willing to relent.  The first adjournment on Monday came within 10 minutes after the House sat down for the day in the morning. At 12:00, when the House reconvened, it worked for 18 minutes amidst cacophonous protests from the Opposition. Later in the day, the House saw two more adjournments before winding up for the day at 4:00 p.m. The Opposition did not participate in a debate on price rise that was listed for the day.  The Opposition parties had two rounds of meetings before the session and another one during the lunch break. 

India signs military deals with Russia, raises ‘unprovoked aggression’ from China 

India had faced ‘unprovoked aggression’ on its northern borders for more than a year, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday during the first-ever India-Russia ‘2+2’ dialogue here. Both sides renewed the military-technical cooperation agreement for another 10 years till 2031, and also signed the deal for the manufacture of Ak-203 assault rifles, a defence official said.  The deal for 6.1 lakh Ak-203 assault rifles is estimated at over ₹5,000 crore and will be manufactured by a Joint Venture, Indo-Russian Rifles Private Ltd. (IRRPL) at Korwa, Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. The IRRPL was set up jointly between the erstwhile OFB [now Advanced Weapons and Equipment India Limited and Munitions India Limited] of India and Rosoboronexport and concern Kalashnikov of Russia.  The deal has been stuck over the high cost of each rifle and the high incidental costs of the Ordnance factory. As part of efforts to bring down costs, Russia dropped the royalty to be charged in the deal, officials confirmed. With the $5.43 bn S-400 as well as other big-ticket deals, defence trade between India and Russia has crossed $15 bn since 2018.   

With Omicron, third wave projected to hit India by Feb. but may be milder than second, says IIT scientist 

With Omicron, the new variant of SARS-CoV2, the third wave of coronavirus could hit the peak by February with cases likely to be reaching up to 1-1.5 lakh a day in the country, but it will be milder than the second wave, Manindra Agarwal, IIT scientist involved in the mathematical projection of trajectory of COVID-19, said.  He said in the new forecast, the new Omicron variant has been factored in. With the new variant, our current forecast is that the country could see the third wave by February but it will be milder than the second wave. So far we have seen that the severity of Omicron is not like the one seen in the Delta variant, Agarwal told PTI.  Photo used for representation purpose only. File   He, however, said a close eye is being kept on cases in South Africa where many cases of this variant have been recorded. Agarwal added that as of now South Africa has not seen a rise in hospitalisation.  He said a fresh set of data on the virus and hospitalisations would help in getting a more solid picture.  It looks like although the new variant has shown high transmissibility, its severity is not like the one seen in the Delta variant, Agarwal said.   

Ex-Waqf Board chief in U.P. Wasim Rizvi converts to Hinduism 

The controversial former chairman of the Shia Waqf Board Wasim Rizvi on Monday converted to Sanatan Dharm at a religious ceremony performed at the Dasna temple of Ghaziabad.  The rituals were conducted by the priest of the temple, Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati, who is also the Mahamandleshwar of the influential Juna Akhada. After the ceremony, Rizvi was renamed as Jitendra Narayan Singh Tyagi.  Tyagi said it was his choice what religion to follow.The former Waqf official was in the news for filing a petition in the Supreme Court demanding the removal of 26 verses from the Koran, which he alleged taught violence.  While Muslim clerics flayed the move, the top court threw out his petition and imposed a penalty of ₹50,000 on him, describing his petition as absolutely frivolous.  Later, he wrote a controversial book on the Prophet Muhammad that also faced the ire of clerics. Since then, Tyagi has claimed that his life was under threat.  Narsinghanand Saraswati, who is known for his hate speech against Islam, said Tyagi had approached him in November for embracing Santana Dharm and had said he wanted his body to be cremated after death.   

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Myanmar court sentences ousted leader Suu Kyi to 4 years in prison 

A special court in Myanmar’s capital sentenced the country’s ousted leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, to four years in prison on Monday after finding her guilty of incitement and violating coronavirus restrictions, a legal official said.  The sentencing was the first in a series of cases in which the 76-year-old Nobel laureate is being prosecuted since the army seized power on Feb. 1, preventing her National League for Democracy party from starting a second five-year term in office.  The incitement case involved statements posted on her party’s Facebook page after she and other party leaders had already been detained by the military, while the coronavirus charge involved a campaign appearance ahead of elections in November last year which her party overwhelmingly won.  The army, whose allied party lost many seats in the election, claimed massive voting fraud, but independent election observers did not detect any major irregularities. The court’s ruling was conveyed by a legal official who insisted on anonymity for fear of being punished by the authorities. Suu Kyi’s trials are closed to the media and spectators, and her lawyers, who had been the sole source of information on the proceedings, were served with gag orders in October forbidding them from releasing information.  

Tougher restrictions in Italy for unvaccinated people amid Omicron concern

The Government of Italy has introduced tougher restrictions for unvaccinated individuals amid the concern over the Omicron Covid variant and the potential spike in new infections. Many public activities in Italy will be off-limits to anyone without a Covid Super Green Pass which is proof of vaccination and recovery from the virus within the last six months. The new measures in Italy will also help in strengthening the existing covid green passes which can be easily obtained after a COVID negative test. Italy has been grappling with a spike in new COVID-19 infections which are rising gradually since mid-October 2021. In the last few weeks, various countries in Europe have placed stricter measures on unvaccinated people due to the increasing number of infections.

NATIONAL NEWS 

13 Nagaland civilians among 14 killed in alleged armed forces ‘ambush’ 

Thirteen civilians were among 14 people killed in an armed forces’ operation against extremists gone wrong in Nagaland’s Mon district on Saturday evening. The Army’s 3 Corps headquartered on the outskirts of the State’s Dimapur town issued a statement on Sunday, owning responsibility for the killing of the civilians and assuring appropriate action. The Nagaland Government has ordered a high-level probe into the incident by a Special Investigation Team (SIT).  Based on credible intelligence of likely movement of insurgents, a specific operation was planned to be conducted in the area of Tiru, Mon district, Nagaland. The incident and its aftermath are deeply regretted, the statement said.  The cause of the unfortunate loss of lives is being investigated at the highest level and appropriate action will be taken as per the course of law, it said, adding that a few soldiers were severely injured and one soldier succumbed to his injuries.  According to members of the Konyak Union, representing the dominant Konyak community in the district, some labourers were returning home to Oting village in a pick-up van from a coal mine in Tiru area 15 km away.  The armed forces ambushed their vehicle and killed six on the spot. Seven locals died later. At least 11 others are battling injuries while two are missing, a union member said. Reacting to the incident, the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) announced the withdrawal of six tribes it represents from the annual Hornbill Festival ongoing at Kisama near State capital Kohima.  

Seven, including 3 who came from Nigeria, test positive for Omicron in Pune  

Seven persons from Pune district have tested positive for Omicron variant of coronavirus, a health official said on Sunday.  They include a woman who came from Nigeria along with her two daughters to meet her brother in adjoining Pimpri Chinchwad area, the official said. Her brother and his two daughters have also tested positive for the variant, he added.  Another case is of a man from Pune who returned from Finland in the last week of last month, the official said. The total number of confirmed Omicron cases in Maharashtra has gone up to eight, he said.  A 33-year-old man from Maharashtra’s Thane district had tested positive for the Omicron variant of coronavirus. The man, a marine engineer, is currently undergoing treatment at a COVID-19 care centre in Kalyan town, located about 50 km from the State capital Mumbai. The resident of Dombivli town had arrived in Delhi from South Africa on November 23 and had then taken a flight to Mumbai.  Earlier in the day, Delhi reported its first Omicron case. Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said a patient admitted to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash (LNJP) Hospital, who had returned from Tanzania, had tested positive for the new variant.  

No Opposition alliance sans Congress possible at national level, says Bhupesh Baghel  

Days after Mamata Banerjee’s no UPA jibe, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday attacked the TMC chief, saying she must clarify whether she wants to make TMC the main Opposition party by fighting those in power or by taking on fellow Opposition parties.  He also said no Opposition alliance is possible at the national level without the Congress, which has to be the main pillar of the bloc taking on the BJP.  In an interview with PTI, Baghel said a decision on who would be the face of the Opposition that would take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the 2024 general election would be taken collectively by the constituents of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) that is headed by Sonia Gandhi.  His remarks come days after West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee took swipes at the Congress leadership and said there is no UPA, after meeting NCP supremo Sharad Pawar in Mumbai.  The TMC and the Congress have been growing distant of late, with the Mamata Banerjee-led party poaching the latter’s leaders in several states in the recent past.  The two parties have further distanced themselves, with the TMC not attending the opposition meetings convened by the Congress over opposition unity in Parliament.  Baghel, who is the Congress’ senior observer for Uttar Pradesh polls, also said UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is on his way out as everyone is angry with him and he has no achievements.  

Sindhu wins silver in BWF World Tour Finals  

Indian badminton ace P V Sindhu settled for a silver medal at the BWF World Tour Finals after going down meekly against Korean teen sensation An Seyoung in the summit clash in Bali on Sunday.  First place winner An Seyoung of South Korea and second place Pusarla V. Sindhu of India celebrate with their trophies during the victory ceremony after their women’s singles badminton final match at the BWF World Tour Finals in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia on December 5, 2021.    Sindhu, the reigning world champion and two-time Olympic medallist, could neither match the pace nor breach the defence of the world number six Korean, losing 16-21 12-21 in the 40-minute lop-sided clash.  It was Sindhu’s third successive loss, all in straight games, to the Korean in as many meetings. With this victory, An Seyoung became the first ever South Korean woman to win the season-ending title.  It was also her third straight title in Bali, following wins at the Indonesia Masters and Indonesia Open in the last two weeks.  Making her third final appearance in the year-end tournament, world number seven Sindhu looked a pale shadow of the player who had claimed the title in 2018 to become the only Indian to achieve the feat.  Up against the 19-year-old Korean, Sindhu once again looked short of ideas. She couldn’t mount her attacking game or make use of the full court. An Seyoung looked more polished at the nets and rode on the quality of strokes. She produced some sensational full stretch diving saves with her swift movement to blunt Sindhu’s game plan.  Sindhu will next look to defend her title at the World Championships in Huelva, Spain starting December 12.  

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Russian President Vladimir Putin to arrive in India today

 Russian President Vladimir Putin visited India on December 6, 2021 to participate in the 21st India – Russia Annual summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. President Putin was accompanied by a high-level delegation. He held warm and friendly bilateral talks with PM Modi on the sidelines of the summit. During their talks, the two leaders expressed satisfaction at the sustained progress in the ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’ between both countries despite the challenges posed by the Covid pandemic. The two leaders further welcomed holding of the first 2+2 dialogue between foreign and defence ministers of India and Russia in New Delhi and the meeting of the Inter-Governmental Commission on Military & Military-Technical Cooperation in New Delhi on 6 December 2021. The Russian President said during his meeting with PM Modi, “We perceive India as a great power, a friendly nation, and a time-tested friend. The relations between our nations are growing and I am looking into the future.” PM Modi also affirmed, “In the last few decades, the world witnessed many fundamental changes and different kinds of geopolitical equations emerged but the friendship of India and Russia remained constant

Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi jailed for four years

Myanmar’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to jail for four years by the country’s military junta. She has been sentenced for incitement against the military and for breaching the COVID-19 rules. Myanmar went into political turmoil since the military took control of a democratically elected government in the country on February 1, 2021.

Winner of FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2021

In the final of FIH Men’s junior hockey world cup 2021, Argentina defeated six-time winners Germany 4-2 at the Kalinga Stadium in Odisha. This is Argentina’s second Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup title. It has become the only third team after Germany (six wins) and India (2001, 2016) to win multiple Junior Hockey WC titles.

New Exoplanet detected

One of the smallest planets has been detected by Astronomers. It is outside our solar system and a year there is just 8 hours long. The newly discovered exoplanet is reportedly smaller and denser than Earth. As per the researchers, its surface temperature may reach 1,500 degrees Centigrade– hot enough to melt rock and metal.

India-Russia sign defence deal

A procurement deal of over 6 lakh AK-203 rifles has been signed between India and Russia. The deal between both the countries was signed following the bilateral meeting between the Defence Ministers of both nations. The meeting between the defence ministers took place ahead of the summit between Russian President and PM Modi.

 

NATIONAL NEWS

Farmers agree to meet the govt with demands 

Five days  after the Government repealed the contentious farm laws, agitating farmers who had decided to continue with their year-long struggle under the banner of  Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) (SKM), on Saturday, formed a five-member panel for dialogue with the Government to push for their pending demands including legal guarantee on Minimum Support Price (MSP) , compensation to kin of farmers who died during the movement against the agriculture laws and withdrawal of cases against the protesters, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said in New Delhi. The SKM has also demanded that Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishra step down.   Farmer leaders Balbir Singh Rajewal, Ashowerehawle, Shiv Kumar Kakka, Gurnam Singh Chaduni and Yudhvir Singh were named the members of the committee after a meeting was held here by the SKM.   Tikait said that the next meeting of the Morcha will take place on December 7 at 11 AM to decide the future course of the movement. SKM leaders, after the meeting, said they will not move from the Singhu Border here until cases filed against farmers are withdrawn and demanded an assurance in writing.  They said that the committee will decide on who will hold talks in various states from the farmers’ side.  Farmer leader and SKM member Ashok Dhawle said that the issues of compensation to be given for martyred farmers and the journalist who was mowed down by a vehicle belonging to the son of the MOS (Home), “false cases” lodged against farmers and Lakhimpur Kheri incident were discussed in the meeting. 

Four persons infected with Omicron in the country 

On the heels of a third person in the country in Gujarat confirmed with the infection of the Omicron variant of coronavirus, came the news of a fourth person who had come from Cape Town to Mumbai via Dubai, who has been confirmed carrying the same variant. The 72-year-old man from Jamnagar recently travelled to Zimbabwe. Officials confirmed to The Hindu that he had “mild symptoms” but his vaccination status couldn’t be confirmed. So far, two persons in Karnataka, one a South African national and another, an Indian doctor with no recent international travel history, have been confirmed this week with the Omicron variant. The State government is also investigating some of their primary and secondary contacts and though some have turned up positive, it isn’t confirmed if they too carry Omicron. The emergence of Omicron in the country is unsurprising as global travel to many countries has eased in recent months including in and out of India, though with the advent of Omicron, India has again imposed the restrictions, with strict screenings mandated for those travelling in from “at-risk” countries.  The Union Health Ministry on Saturday directed Mizoram, Odisha, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir and Kerala to heighten surveillance in “light of the emergence of Omicron.” 

India will have nine nuclear reactors by 2024

The nation will have nine nuclear reactors by 2024 and a new nuclear project, the first in northern India, will come up 150 kms away from Delhi in Gorakhpur of Haryana, the government informed the Rajya Sabha. By 2024, India will have nine nuclear reactors plus 12 new additional ones which were approved during the Covid times with a capacity of 9000 MW.

 

Earth Station of Doordarshan Kendra inaugurated in Gorakhpur

Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Singh Thakur and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated Earth Station of Doordarshan Kendra at Gorakhpur. Three FM stations of All India Radio were also inaugurated virtually on the occasion. This will be the second earth station of Doordarshan in Uttar Pradesh and it is being built at a cost of Rs.7 crore.

Ratan Tata to get Assam’s highest civilian award

On the occasion of Assam Divas, the state government of Assam has decided to accolade renowned industrialist Ratan Tata with the ‘Asom Bhaibav’ award, the highest civilian state award for his contribution to cancer care in the state. The awards that precede it are Asom Saurav, followed by Asom Gaurav. With healthcare as one of its top priorities, the Assam government is showing its appreciation towards Tata’s push to cancer care in the region.

Pradip Shah appointed as Chairman of National Asset Reconstruction Company

Pradip Shah, the founder of IndAsia Fund Advisors, has been appointed chairman of the National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL). Shah, an MBA from Harvard and chartered accountant, is credited for establishing India’s first and largest housing finance company, HDFC, and rating firm Crisil.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

International Day of Banks: 04 December

International Day of Banks is celebrated on December 4 to recognise the importance of multilateral and international development banks in financing sustainable developments. observes the day in recognition of the vital role of banking systems in Member State in contributing to the improvement of the standard of living.

World Cooperative Monitor report 2021: IFFCO ranks first

The Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) has been ranked ‘number one Cooperative’ among the top 300 cooperatives in the world. The ranking is based on the ratio of turnover over the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita. It signifies that IFFCO is contributing significantly to the GDP and economic growth of the nation. The 2021 edition of the 10th Annual World Cooperative Monitor (WCM) report, withholding its position from the 2020 edition.

Ajaz Patel’s 10-wicket haul makes him the player in the world to achieve the feat 

New Zealand’s Ajaz Patel became the third player to take all 10 wickets in an innings on the second day of the second Test against India at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.  The other two international players are England’s Jim Laker and India’s Anil Kumble. Jim Laker achieved this feat against Australia in 1956. Jim Laker took 19 wickets in that Test match.  New Zealand’s Ajaz Patel celebrates during the second day of the second Test against India in Mumbai. He became the third international player to take all the 10 wickets in an innings.   In 1999, Anil Kumble took all the 10 wickets against Pakistan in New Delhi. Ajaz rattled the home team in the first session with wickets in successive balls to be on a hat-trick before overnight batsman Mayank Agarwal scored 150 to help India to a challenging total.  Ajaz sent back Agarwal, who started the day on 120 with India on 221-4, to break a 67-run stand involving Axar Patel, who made 52. The wily spinner soon got Axar lbw and wrapped up the Indian innings to be surrounded by jubilant Kiwi players.  Resuming the day at 221 for four, India scored 64 runs in the morning session with the loss of two wickets. They added another 40 runs for four wickets after lunch to end their first innings at 325.  India lost Wrridhiman Saha (27) and Ravichandran Ashwin off successive balls early in the morning session before Mayank Agarwal (150) and Axar Patel (52) took the score past 300-run mark.