Tag: civilservices

CURRENT AFFAIRS
01 April 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Mamata writes to 14 Opposition parties on Delhi NCT Bill, says BJP wants to establish ‘one-party authoritarian rule’

The BJP wants to establish a one-party authoritarian rule in India, reducing state governments to mere municipalities, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in a letter to heads of 14 opposition parties. She has urged them to come together to counter the BJP after the ongoing assembly polls. She has written to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, DMK President M K Stalin, Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Tackeray, among others. In her three page letter, Banerjee expressed concern about the series of assaults by the BJP and the union government on democracy and Constitutional Federalism in the context of recent passage of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill by the two houses of Parliament. With this law, all policy decisions taken by the elected Delhi government have to be cleared by Lt Governor, who is nominated by the Centre, before implementation. The National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act is a direct attack on the federal structure of the Indian republic as enshrined in the Constitution. It also makes a mockery of the letter and spirit of democracy since it disempowers the people of the national capital,” Banerjee wrote. This legislation, she wrote, also violates the Supreme Court judgement of 2018, which upheld the pre-eminence of Delhi’s elected government in all matters other than police, public order and land.

B) Supreme Court panel on farm laws submits report.

A Supreme Court-appointed panel has submitted its report on the three agricultural reform laws in a closed cover. The report will be revealed during the next hearing of the case. They submitted the report in a sealed envelope to the registrar of the court on March 19. It will be made public on the date of the next hearing of the PIL, said Anil Ghanwat, one of the members of the committee who also heads a farm union and has advocated in favour of the laws. Asked about the stakeholders consulted by the committee and their views on the laws, Ghanwat said that their role is over now. They are not authorised to say anything about it before it is made public. The three laws which were passed by Parliament in September and are being opposed by farmers’ unions are The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act. On January 12, the Supreme Court suspended the implementation of the three laws and appointed a four-member committee of experts to listen to the grievances of the farmers on the farm laws and the views of the government and make recommendations.  After one member, farm union leader Bhupinder Singh Mann, recused himself from the panel, the remaining three members met the stakeholders, including farmers’ groups, farmer producer organisations, officials and industry representatives from various States. However, the farm unions refused to meet the panel.

C) Government defers labour codes implementation.

The four labour codes will not come into effect from April 1 as states are yet to finalise the relevant rules, which means that there will be no change in the ‘take home’ pay of employees and provident fund liability of companies for now. Once the wages code comes into force, there will be significant changes in the way basic pay and the provident fund of employees are calculated. Since the states have not finalised the rules under the four codes, the implementation of these laws are deferred for the time being, a source told PTI. Since labour is a concurrent subject under the Constitution of India, both the Centre and the states would have to notify rules under the codes to bring those into force in their respective jurisdictions. Under the new wages code, allowances are capped at 50%. This means half of the gross pay of an employee would be basic wages. Provident fund contribution is calculated as a percentage of basic wage, which includes basic pay and dearness allowance. The employers have been splitting wages into numerous allowances to keep basic wages low to reduce provident fund and income tax outgo. The new wages code provides for provident fund contribution as a prescribed proportion of 50% of gross pay. In case the new codes had come into effect from April 1, the ‘take home’ pay of employees and provident fund liability of employers would have increased in many cases. Now the employer would get some more time to restructure salaries of their employees as per the new code on wages.

D) World Bank projects India’s growth in 2021-22 at 10.1%.

India’s economy is expected to grow at 10.1% for the year starting April 1, 2021, as the vaccine roll-out drives activity in contact-intensive sectors, as per the World Bank’s South Asia Economic Focus South Asia Vaccinates report. However, given the significant uncertainty around epidemiological and policy factors, real GDP growth could range from 7.5% to 12.5%, stabilising at 6-7% in the medium term, it said. It is not normal to talk about these wide ranges in the forecast, Hans Timmer, Chief Economist for the World Bank’s South Asia region, said on a briefing call with reporters. The reason is that we are really in unprecedented circumstances, he said. GDP had been difficult to forecast due to the size of the hit and also its nature. The normal rules of extrapolation were not usable at the moment, Timmer said. The fiscal year ending March 31 2021, is expected to register the worst economic damage due to the pandemic, the report says (the economy contracted 8.5% in FY20-21 as per the World Bank’s estimate).

 

E) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 1,22,13,561 with the death toll at 1,64,291. India on Wednesday reported 354 deaths in the last 24 hours, the highest since December 17 when 355 Covid-19 fatalities were reported in a single day. This is also the highest single-day spike in casualties this year. According to the Health Ministry, six States account for 82.20% of the new deaths with Maharashtra registering the highest (139) followed by Punjab (64 daily deaths). Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government, which extended the Covid-19 lockdown across the state with existing restrictions and relaxations till April 30, has allowed local authorities to impose fresh restrictions to contain the spread of the pandemic in their respective areas. “Based on their assessment of the situation, local restrictions at district/sub-district and city/ward level, with a view to contain the spread of Covid-19 shall be imposed,” Chief Secretary Rajeev Ranjan said in a G.O. issued in this regard on Wednesday. All the District Collectors are to strictly enforce various measures spelt out by the State government, he said and added, For the enforcement of physical distancing, the District Administrations, as far as possible, use the provisions of Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) of 1973.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Pakistan allows import of cotton, sugar from India.

Partially reversing a two-year old decision to suspend all trade with India, Pakistan announced on Monday that it would allow the import of cotton and sugar from across the border. The decision follows the Line of Control (LoC) ceasefire announced by India and Pakistan in February, and a number of moves seen as part of a larger dialogue process to de-freeze ties. Addressing the media at the end of a Cabinet meeting that cleared the two proposals from Pakistan’s Commerce Ministry, Pakistan’s newly appointed Finance Minister Hammad Azhar said, however, that the decision was driven by rising prices and Pakistani industry’s need for the specific products. The decision to cancel trade was taken by the Imran Khan government on August 9, 2019, days after the government amended Article 370 and reorganised Jammu and Kashmir. India’s Ministry of External Affairs did not respond to the development, nor did it respond to questions on whether it was considering any complimentary steps. While India had not banned trade with Pakistan, it suspended cross-LoC trade and withdrew Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to Pakistan in the wake of the amended Article 370 and reorganised Jammu and Kashmir. Experts said that the move by Pakistan, which follows the granting of sports-related visas by India after a gap of three years, scheduling a much-delayed meeting of the Indus Water Commissioners in Delhi in March, peace at the LoC after more than 5,000 ceasefire violations last year, as well as the exchange of salutary messages between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and PM Khan, has raised hopes for further measures.

B) Brazil military chiefs quit after Bolsonaro fires Defence Minister. 

The leaders of all three branches of Brazil’s armed forces jointly resigned on Tuesday following President Jair Bolsonaro’s replacement of the Defence Minister, causing widespread apprehension of a military shakeup to serve the President’s political interests. The Defence Ministry reported the resignations apparently unprecedented since at least the end of military rule 36 years ago. Replacements were not named. But analysts exe pressed fears the President, increasingly under pressure, was moving to assert greater control over the military. Since 1985, they haven’t had news of such clear intervention of the President with regard to the armed forces, said Carlos Melo, a political science professor at Insper University in Sao Paulo. Mr. Bolsonaro, a conservative former Army captain who has often praised Brazil’s former military dictatorship, has relied heavily on current and former soldiers to staff key Cabinet positions since taking office in January 2019, but Mr. Melo said the military itself has so far refrained from politics. The announcement came after the heads of the Army, Navy and Air force met with the new Defence Minister, General Walter Souza Braga Netto, on Tuesday morning. Gen. Braga Netto’s first statement on the new job showed he is aligned with Mr. Bolsonaro’s views for the armed forces. The incoming Defence Minister, unlike his predecessor Fernando Azevedoe Silva, celebrated the 1964-1985 military dictatorship that killed and tortured thousands of Brazilians. The 1964 movement is part of Brazil’s historic trajectory. And as such the events of that March 31st must be understood and celebrated. Mr. Bolsonaro on Monday carried out a shake-up of top Cabinet positions that was initially seen as a response to demands for a course correction over his handling of the pandemic that has caused over deaths.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
31 March 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) COVID-19 surge has gone from ‘bad to worse’, says Health Ministry.

The COVID-19 situation in India has gone from bad to worse over the last few weeks, the Union Health Ministry said today. Trends show the virus is still very active and breaches our defences just when we think we can control it, VK Paul, the Chairman of National Expert Committee on Vaccine Administration said at the ministry briefing. Paul, however, denied that the mutated strains have a role to play in this surge. States, he said, are being told to enforce Covid-appropriate behaviour, including the use of masks. Use the law, use fine as an option, people need to wear a mask, he said. Delhi, taken as one district, is among the top ten Covid-19 high-burden districts. Eight such districts are from Maharashtra, he added. They have taken pride that fatality has been low. But the death rate is now at four times — at 271 from 73. The virus needs to be eliminated, Paul said. They want to emphasize that without contact tracing, quarantining, and isolation, they cannot contain the virus. There are 10 districts across the country that have the most number of active cases — Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur, Thane, Nashik, Aurangabad, Bengaluru Urban, Nanded, Delhi and Ahmednagar, health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, adding, they have been in constant touch with officials to ensure higher rate of testing. The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 1,21,22,703 with the death toll at 1,63,684.

B) After backlash, Manipur retracts letter on Myanmar refugees.

The Manipur government has withdrawn the letter issued last week directing officials to not set up any camps for Myanmar nationals crossing the border into India and to politely turn away those seeking refuge. It appears that the contents of the letter have been misconstrued and interpreted differently. The State government has been taking all humanitarian steps, including taking them to Imphal, to treat the injured Myanmarese nationals. The State government continues to provide all aid, said H. Gyan Prakash, Special Secretary (Home) in Manipur government in the letter dated March 29. In order to avoid this misunderstanding he is directed to convey the decision of the government that it has decided to withdraw the letter dated 26.03.2021 mentioned above, Prakash added. Meanwhile, even though the Union Home Ministry asserted that the refugees should be identified and deported, the Mizoram government is planning to provide employment to refugees under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). The neighbouring state Mizoram, which shares a 510-km border with Myanmar, has been at odds with the Centre on the treatment of Myanmar nationals seeking refuge in India. Initially, the Mizoram government had issued guidelines directing officials to provide shelter to those crossing over following the coup on February1. The guidelines were withdrawn following directions from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

C) President Kovind undergoes successful bypass surgery.

President Ram Nath Kovind has undergone a successful bypass surgery at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the national capital on Tuesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said. He congratulate the team of doctors for the successful operation. Spoke to Director AIIMS to enquire about Rashtrapatiji’s health. Praying for his well-being and speedy recovery, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Twitter. Last Friday, Kovind visited the Army’s Research and Referral (R&R) Hospital following chest discomfort where he underwent routine check-up and was kept under observation. On Saturday, Kovind was shifted to AIIMS where after investigations, doctors advised him to undergo a bypass procedure, the Rashtrapati Bhavan had stated earlier.

D) Motor vehicle tax rebate proposed for scrapping old vehicles.

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has brought out a draft notification proposing concessions in motor vehicle tax for those who take their old vehicle for scrapping. The notification dated March 29 invites objections and suggestions to the proposal for a period of 30 days. The draft proposes up to 25% concession in motor vehicle tax for non-transport vehicles and up to 15% in case of transport vehicles upon submitting a Certificate of vehicle scrapping. The concession will be valid for a period of 15 years for non-transport vehicles and for 8 years for transport vehicles. The concession is among the several incentives planned by the Centre, including waiver of registration fees on purchase of new vehicles, to encourage scrapping of old vehicles.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) IS attack survivors stranded around Mozambique town.

Thousands of Palma residents remained stranded on Tuesday, hiding around the besieged northern Mozambique town and scrambling to escape the area overrun by violent jihadist militants last week, sources said. Insurgents affiliated with the Islamic State group (IS) launched a raid on the coastal town last Wednesday, ransacking buildings and murdering and beheading civilians. Dozens have been killed in what witnesses describe as a coordinated attack, just 10 km from a multibillion dollar gas project led by France’s Total. Shaken survivors have since streamed into the neighbouring town of Mueda and regional capital Pernba. But sources told AFP thousands were still wandering around Palma, desperate to find refuge. Total ferries 1,400 Some trudged days through surrounding forest, walking west towards Mueda and north to reach the Tanzanian border. Hundreds more travelled to the Afungi peninsula, the site of the gas exploration project, where they gathered outside Total’s fortified complex, UN work. ers said. Total ferried around 1,400 people, including both gas and government workers, to Pemba on Sunday, but has since been accused of turning its back on desperate residents.

B) Global leaders push for new pandemic treaty. 

World leaders pushed Tuesday for a new international treaty to prepare for the next global pandemic and avoid the unseemly scramble for vaccines hampering the COVID-19 response. Leaders from 25 countries, the European Union and the World Health Organization (WHO) sought to get the ground rules down in writing to streamline and speed up the reaction to future global outbreaks. The treaty would aim to ensure that information, virus pathogens, technology to tackle the pandemic and products such as vaccines are shared swiftly and equitably among nations. The time to act is now. The world cannot afford to wait until the pandemic is over to start planning for the next one, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference. Without an internationally-coordinated pandemic response plan, they remain vulnerable, he warned. The call came in a joint article published in international newspapers on Tuesday, penned by leaders from five continents.

C) Myanmar crackdown death toll crosses 500.

The death toll in the Myanmar military’s crackdown on protesters has passed 500, as armed rebel groups on Tuesday threatened the junta with retaliation if the bloodshed does not stop. World powers have ramped up their condemnation of the military’s campaign against the anti-coup movement that is demanding the restoration of the elected government and the release of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Washington suspended a trade pact with Myanmar and UN chief Antonio Guterres called for a united global front to pressure the junta after more than 100 protesters were killed in a bloody weekend. Adding to that pressure campaign, a trio of ethnic rebel groups on Tuesday condemned the crackdown and threatened to fight alongside protesters unless the military reined in its violence. Daily rallies across Myanmar by unarmed demonstrators have been met with tear gas, rubber bullets and live rounds. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said it had confirmed a total of 510 civilian deaths but warned the true toll was probably significantly higher. On Tuesday, protesters in Yangon emptied rubbish bags in the streets as part of the latest action, while in the town of Muse in Shan state a 35-year-old protester was shot dead. There was also another fatality at Myitkyina, Kachin State, rescue workers confirmed.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
30 March 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Eight states account for over 84% of India’s fresh Covid-19 cases.

Eight States, including Maharashtra, Karnataka and Punjab have reported a high number of daily Covid-19 cases and account for 84.5% of the 68,020 fresh cases recorded in the country in a day, the Union Health Ministry said. Maharashtra has reported the highest daily rise of 40,414 Covid-19 cases, followed by 3,082 in Karnataka, 2,870 in Punjab, 2,276 in Madhya Pradesh, 2,270 in Gujarat, 2,216 in Kerala, 2,194 in Tamil Nadu and 2,153 in Chhattisgarh, the Ministry said. Five States — Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh cumulatively account for 80.17% of the total active cases in the country, it added. Ten States — Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Haryana and Rajasthan — are displaying an upward trajectory in the daily new cases, the Ministry said, adding that the total vaccination coverage in India has crossed 6 crore. India’s total active caseload has reached 5,21,808 and constitutes 4.33% of the total infections. A net rise of 35,498 cases has been recorded in the total active caseload in a day, the Ministry said. The total number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 1,20,40,001 with the death toll at 1,63,263.

B) Mehbooba Mufti denied passport after ‘adverse’ CID report.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has been denied a passport after an adverse report by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the J&K police. The Passport Officer, Srinagar, on Monday submitted to the High Court that the Additional Director General of Police (DGP) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), J&K, has categorised the application of Mufti as not recommended for passport case. As per norms, clear Police Verification Report (PVR) is mandatory (for issuance of a passport). The PVR received from the ADGP, CID, do not favour issuance of passport and (was) returned as ‘not recommended for passport case’. In view of the CID report, your case was found to attract refusal under the provision Section 6(2) (c) of the Passport Act, 1967, the Passport Officer’s submission reads. Mufti had applied for a fresh passport on December 11, 2020. She has now been asked to appeal before the Joint Secretary (PSP) and the Chief Passport Officer, Ministry of External Affairs, Patiala House, New Delhi, within 30 days in case of any grievance against the decision. Reacting to the decision, Mufti, in a tweet, said that the Passport Office refused to issue his passport based on CID’s report citing it as ‘detrimental to the security of India’. This is the level of normalcy achieved in Kashmir since August 2019 that an ex-Chief Minister holding a passport is a threat to the sovereignty of a mighty nation.

C) Less than 6% of houses sanctioned under Central scheme reach completion.

Less than 6% of the houses sanctioned under the Centre’s flagship rural housing scheme in 2020-21 have reached completion so far this year, with Covid-19 stalling progress, the Rural Development Ministry told a Parliamentary Standing Committee last month. However, some States such as Odisha and Jharkhand used the scheme to provide employment opportunities for migrant workers who returned to their villages during the crisis. With a little over a year to go to achieve its goal of Housing for All, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) has completed only 55% of its construction target, although money has been sanctioned for almost 85% of beneficiaries. Of the 2.28 crore houses to be built for the rural poor under the Yojana, less than 1.27 crore had been completed by January 28, 2021, according to the Committee’s report presented to the Lok Sabha earlier this month. Another 61 lakh are under construction. The PMAY-G was launched in April 2016. It aims to provide the end of March 2022 a pucca house with basic amenities to all rural families who are homeless or living in kutcha or dilapidated house. According to data provided by the Ministry in 2019, it takes an average of 114 days to construct a house under the scheme. However, the advent of the pandemic caused long delays at every stage. Implementation was affected at the ground level due to unavailability of construction materials, labour, delay in inspection of stages of house construction etc., the Ministry told the Committee. Although the nationwide lockdown in March 2020 brought work to a complete standstill, the Ministry issued an advisory to all States to start house construction activities from April 20, 2020, while adhering to safety protocols such as mask-wearing and distancing.

D) SC directs police stations to send reports to accident claim tribunals within 48 hours.

The Supreme Court has directed police stations to send accident information reports to Motor Accident Claims Tribunals and insurers within 48 hours of the road mishap. The jurisdictional police station shall report the accident under Section 158(6) of the Motor Vehicle Act (Section 159 post 2019 amendment) to the tribunal and insurer within the first 48 hours either over email or a dedicated website, the Supreme Court directed. This is part of a set of eight directions issued by the court to prevent delays in disbursement of compensations to victims. These directions should be uniformly practised by the police, motor accident claims tribunals, and insurers across the country. A Bench of Justices S.K. Kaul and R. Subhash Reddy ordered the Centre to launch a national online platform, which could be operated and accessed across the country for submission of accident reports, claims and responses to claims, etc. This would end the distress felt by victims when accidents happened in places other than their native State. Tamil Nadu and NCT of Delhi have already progressed from having email accounts for submission of accident reports by the police to the tribunal and the insurer, to operating an online platform/website for submission of accident reports, the Bench noted. However, it said every State having its own online system would hamper efficient adjudication of claims. Therefore, Central government shall develop an online platform accessible to the tribunals, police authorities and insurers throughout India, the court directed.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Boston Dynamics introduces ‘Stretch’, new warehouse worker robot.

U.S. robotics company Boston Dynamics on Monday unveiled a new robot called Stretch, designed to perform one very specific warehouse job: moving boxes. Stretch is the first robot for one task that the company has built, based on requests received from companies around the world, said Michael Perry, vice president of business development for Boston Dynamics. Stretch has a small mobile base that allows it to move around tight spaces in existing warehouses without having to reconfigure them for automation. It is equipped with an arm and a smart-gripper with advanced sensing and computer vision cameras that can identify and handle a large variety of boxed and shrink wrapped cases. They are looking at picking up boxes around 50 pounds (23 kilograms), and our maximum rate of picking up and moving boxes can reach up to 800 cases per hour. So, it’s a fast moving, highly versatile robot, Perry said. The Waltham, Massachusetts-based company is known for YouTube videos of its dog-like ‘Spot’ and humanoid ‘Atlas’ robots. Hyundai Motor Group recently agreed to buy a controlling stake in Boston Dynamics from SoftBank Group Corp in a deal that values the robot maker at $1.1 billion.

B) Abroad fans will not get full refunds of Tokyo Olympics tickets from brokers. 

Many fans living outside Japan who bought tickets for the Tokyo Olympics from brokers — known as Authorised Ticket Resellers (ATRs) — will not get full refunds. And they may have a long wait to get any refunds at all. The question of refunds came into play a week ago when local organisers and the Japanese government decided to bar most fans from abroad because of the pandemic. There are dozens of ATRs. They are typically appointed by national Olympic committees and are allowed to charge a 20% handling fee on tickets. For $2,000 worth of tickets, for instance, the reseller can charge $2,400. CoSport, the ATR for the United States and other territories and countries, said in a letter over the weekend to ticket holders that it would not refund the handling fee. It said it would refund the face value of the ticket and the shipping fees.

C) Traffic in Suez Canal channel resumes after stranded ship is refloated.

In a photo released by Suez Canal Authority, the Ever Given, a Panama-flagged cargo ship is pulled by one of the tugboats on March 29, 2021. The stranded container ship blocking the Suez Canal for almost a week was re-floated on Monday and is currently being secured, Inchcape Shipping Services said, raising expectations the vital waterway will soon be reopened. The ship was successfully re-floated at 4.30 a.m. local time and was being secured at the moment, Inchcape, a global provider of marine services, said on Twitter. The rescue teams, according to media reports, were aided by the moon and the tides in prising the ship free. About 15% of world shipping traffic transits the Suez Canal, which is an important source of foreign currency revenue for Egypt. The stoppage is costing the canal $14-$15 million a day. More than 350 vessels, including container ships and oil tankers, were caught in the ‘traffic jam’ as they waited to transit the canal.

D) Global banks warn of significant losses from hedge fund default.

Swiss bank Credit Suisse said Monday it may have suffered a highly significant loss from a default by a U.S.-based hedge fund on margin calls that it and other banks made last week, while Japan’s Nomura said it could face a loss of $2 billion due to an event with a U.S. client. A margin call is triggered when investors borrow using their stock portfolio as collateral and have to make up the balance required by banks when the share prices fall and the collateral is worth less. Credit Suisse didn’t identify the significant hedge fund or the other banks affected, or give other details of what happened. News reports identified the hedge fund as New York-based Archegos Capital Management. Following the failure of the fund to meet these margin commitments, Credit Suisse and a number of other banks are in the process of exiting these positions, the company said. The Financial Times reported that Archegos had large exposures to ViacomCBS and several Chinese technology stocks and was hit hard after shares of the U.S. media group fell last week.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
29 March 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) CoWIN upgraded to accept 1 crore registrations a day.

India’s CoWIN portal, for COVID-19 vaccine registration, has been ramped up to accept on one crore registrations and record vaccination of 50 lakh persons per day, R.S. Sharma, Chairman, Empowered Group on COVID vaccination told The Hindu on Sunday. Mr Sharma explained that the system has been geared up to accommodate the registration rush and vaccination load anticipated from April 1 when vaccination will be offered for anyone 45 years and above. The system shows a registration of over 6 crore beneficiaries as on Sunday. The system has been geared up to accommodate the registration rush and vaccination load anticipated from April 1 when vaccination will be offered for anyone 45 years and above. Seven States — Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are reporting high numbers of daily Covid cases. These States account for 81.46% of the daily new cases registered in the last 24 hours, a statement issued by the Health Ministry on Sunday said. It added that Maharashtra has reported the highest daily new cases at 35,726, followed by Chhattisgarh with 3,162 while Karnataka reported 2,886 new cases.

B) Prepare for lockdown if rules aren’t being followed, says Maharashtra CM. 

Amid a massive surge of cases in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday asked officials to prepare a plan to impose a lockdown, saying people were not following safety rules. The decision was taken at a meeting attended by Mr. Thackeray, Health Minister Rajesh Tope, Chief Secretary Sitaram Kunte, doctors of the COVID-19 task force and other officials, according to an official statement said. Officials and members of the task force expressed concerns over the rising number of cases, while the Chief Minister said the state may also face a healthcare crisis and see a shortage of infrastructure for treating COVID-19 patients.

C) BJP will win 26 of 30 seats in Bengal, 37 of 47 seats in Assam in Phase 1 polling: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah claimed on March 28 that the BJP would win more than 26 seats in the first phase of Assembly elections in West Bengal. He said women from West Bengal have voted for the party in large numbers. Polling for 30 Assembly seats n West Bengal took place on March 27. Mr. Shah also claimed that BJP will win more than 37 out of 47 Assembly seats in Assam that went to the polls on March 27. He said West Bengal has been afflicted with appeasement politics and unfettered illegal migration. The funds for development work was usurped by political parties, the kind of mismanagement during COVID-19 and Amphan was seen. After 27-year communist rule, it was felt that some transformation will come, however nothing changed under Didi [West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee]. Bengal can develop, without appeasement a government can run, all can get religious freedom, he said. When asked about the high-voltage contest at Nandigram between Ms. Banerjee and BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari, Mr. Shah said, Nothing special about Nandigram, it is just a seat for us, but if Nandigram does it then transformation will come. The maa maati maanush (TMC slogan) promises have been proved hollow, he said.

D) Mamata to attend 7 public meetings, 2 roadshows in 3 days as battle for Nandigram heats up

In the high-stakes battle of Nandigram Assembly constituency that goes to the poll on April 1, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will camp for three days beginning from Sunday addressing seven public meetings and two roadshows. She is facing her erstwhile protege and now rebel Suvendu Adhikari who joined BJP on the eve of the election, leaving her usual constituency of Bhabanipur. The contest is also for the ownership of the Nandigram agitation against land acquisition by the then Left Front government in 2008-09. Mr. Adhikari was the local Trinamool Congress face of the movement. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will attend seven public meetings and two road shows in 3 days. Her three-day halt in Nandigram constituency will begin with a visit to the Reyapura Shib Mandir Dol Mela at 4.00 p.m. on Sunday followed by a public meeting. Monday and Tuesday are heavy days for her with three public rallies and one roadshow each day. The idea is to cover the length and breadth of the Assembly constituency. The BJP is also pulling all stops. Home Minister Amit Shah will be addressing a public meeting here on Tuesday, the last day of campaigning.

E) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments. 

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 1,19,83,965 with the death toll at 1,63,085. Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended his prescription for honouring the frontline health workers during the initial days of the lockdown with measures such as banging steel utensils, clapping and lighting a lamp, saying that these went a long way in keeping the spirits up in the battle against COVID-19 pandemic. Speaking during the 75th edition of ‘Mann ki Baat’ that started in October 2014, Mr. Modi said that these expressions of respecting the ‘Corona warriors’ kept them going. You cannot imagine how much it had touched the hearts of Corona warriors and that is the very reason they resolutely held on the whole year, without tiring, without halting. Steadfastly, they endured to save the life of each and every citizen of the country, he said.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) India-U.S. begin two day naval exercise. 

India and the U.S. on March 28 kicked off a two-day naval exercise in the eastern Indian Ocean region, reflecting the growing congruence in their defence and military partnership. The Indian Navy deployed its warship Shivalik and long-range maritime patrol aircraft P8I in the ‘PASSEX’ exercise while the U.S. Navy was represented by the USS Theodore Rosevelt carrier strike group, officials said. A carrier battle group or carrier strike group is a mega naval fleet comprising an aircraft carrier, accompanied by a large number of destroyers, frigates and other ships. Indian Air Force (IAF) fighters were also included in the naval exercise affording the IAF an opportunity to practice Air Interception/Air Defence with the U.S. Navy, close to Indian coast on March 28, 2021.  In a first, enhancing jointmanship, Indian Air Force fighters were also included in the exercise affording the IAF an opportunity to practice air interception and air defence with the U.S. Navy, a spokesperson of the Indian Navy said. The exercise came over a week after U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin flew into India as part of his three-nation first overseas tour that signalled the Joe Biden administration’s strong commitment to its relations with its close allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region. The officials said the exercise began on March 28 and will conclude on March 29. The spokesperson said the exercise is aimed at consolidating the synergy and interoperability achieved during the Malabar exercise that took place in November last.

B) Philippines deploys aircraft as China ships spark tensions. 

The Philippines on Sunday said it has started deploying its Air Force to carry out daily patrols over a flotilla of Chinese vessels that has sparked fresh tensions in the South China Sea. The latest dispute, Manila said, was triggered by what it described as a swarm of more than 200 Chinese fishing vessels that have refused to withdraw from waters off the Whitsun Reef, near the disputed Spratly Islands, in an area located within Manila’s Exclusive Economic Zone. China, which claims ale most the entire South China Sea, has said the ships were sheltering there because of weather conditions, a claim that Manila, which has lodged a protest with China over what it called an incursion, has rejected. Philippines Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the Air Force has now begun daily patrols over the fishing vessels, Agence France-Press reported from Manila on Sunday. The Navy and Coast Guard have also been deployed in the vicinity of the Chinese ships, sparking a stand-off near the reef. The stand-off follows a similar incident in 2019 triggered by Chinese fishing vessels near another disputed island in the Spratlys. As it did then. Manila has called on Beijing to acknowledge the 2016 arbitration case which recognised many of its claims. President Rodrigo Duterte mentioned the ruling in a meeting with the Chinese envoy in Manila this week, his spokesperson said. Beijing has rejected the arbitration, emphasising its sovereignty over the South China Sea.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
28 March 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) West Bengal, Assam witness over 70% turnout in first phase.

The Election Commission on Saturday said the first phase of polling in the West Bengal and Assam Assembly elections went off peacefully, with 79.79% and 72.14% turnout respectively as of 5 p.m. Voting was carried out at 21,825 polling stations in a total of 77 Assembly constituencies in the two states. About 74 electors were eligible to vote for the polls in 30 constituencies of West Bengal and 81 lakh in 47 constituencies of Assam. The EC said in a statement that the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) used for the phase one polls malfunctioned less than previous polls. Non-functioning rate during the poll is lesser than experienced in last few polls. (sic), the EC said. The EC added that live monitoring and webcasting was carried out for over 50% of the polling stations, including critical and vulnerable polling booths. The EC said COVID-19 safety protocols like sanitising all polling stations a day before voting, thermal scanning, hand sanitisers and face masks were available at the locations.

B) Modi meets Hasina; India, Bangladesh sign five MoUs. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina today and discussed the progress achieved in areas like connectivity, energy, trade, health and developmental cooperation following which the two countries signed five MoUs covering a number of areas of bilateral cooperation. Modi, who is visiting Bangladesh on his first trip to a foreign country since the outbreak of the coronavirus, held one-on-one talks with Hasina, which was followed by a delegation-level meeting that continued for over an hour. Relationship going from strength to strength! Prime Minister @narendramodi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina discussed the progress achieved in areas of health, trade, connectivity, energy, developmental cooperation and many more, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted after the talks. The two sides signed five Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) covering areas such as connectivity, commerce, information technology and sports. In a humanitarian gesture, Modi handed over a representational key of 109 ambulances to his counterpart Hasina. He also handed over a representational box to her as a symbol of India’s gift of 1.2 million Covid-19 vaccine doses to Bangladesh.

C) NIA official tortured my nephew in custody, says ex-police officer. 

A 31-year-old man was allegedly tortured by an officer of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Jammu on Friday, his family has claimed. The federal anti-terror probe agency ordered an inquiry today. Yugraj Singh, who works for a food delivery app, was called by the NIA for questioning in a narco-terror case on Friday. It is alleged that Singh was beaten in NIA’s custody and was later admitted in a government hospital in Jammu. Sewak Singh, maternal uncle of the victim and a retired police officer, claimed that his nephew was abused by the NIA officials for wearing a kirpan (sword). The family released a video of Singh from the hospital which showed severe injuries on his back, legs and hands. His father is paralysed for the past four years. He is the one who takes care of his parents. We do not know why he was called for questioning. If he was involved in any crime, why was he released after being tortured? he said. Singh alleged that they had submitted a complaint but the police were not registering an FIR. They are saying the officer has been suspended and transferred to Nagaland. We want that a case be registered against him, Singh said.

D) Using social media to troll judges is a concern, says Law Minister. 

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday flagged the government’s concern over social media campaigns conducted against individual judges for their judicial opinions and judgments. The Minister, who is also in charge of the Information Technology, Electronics and Communications portfolios, criticised some people who file PILs in court, campaign on social media for a particular judgment, and later troll judges when the verdict does not meet their expectations. He termed it campaign justice. Judiciary should be free to work in accordance with the rule of law, Prasad said. Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde said judges had become quite used to the PIL route being used for filing frivolous petitions. The administration of justice is often tried to be made difficult by some vested interests. But that is something we as judges have got used to, CJI Bobde said. They were speaking in Goa at the inaugural function of the new building of the Bombay High Court. Some people file PILs, then they start a campaign on social media ‘that only this type of judgment is possible in this case’. And, if the judgment does not come in accord with what they perceive to be their right, then they start not only criticising the judges but also trolling judges. 

E) President Kovind to undergo bypass procedure on March 30. 

President Ram Nath Kovind was on Saturday shifted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi for a planned bypass procedure which is expected to be performed on Tuesday, a statement issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan said. The President’s health condition is stable and he is under the care of experts, it said. Kovind, 75, had undergone a health check-up at the Army Hospital (R&R) in New Delhi following chest discomfort on Friday morning. The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, has been shifted to the AIIMS, Delhi, in the afternoon today (March 27, 2021). Post investigations, doctors have advised him to undergo a planned bypass procedure which is expected to be performed on the morning of March 30, Tuesday. The President’s health is stable and he is under the care of the experts at the AIIMS, the statement said. Earlier in the day, the Army Hospital said Kovind was shifted to the AIIMS for further treatment.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Myanmar forces kill dozens in deadliest day since coup.

As Myanmar’s military celebrated the annual Armed Forces Day holiday with a parade Saturday in the country’s capital, soldiers and police elsewhere reportedly killed dozens of people as they suppressed protests in the deadliest bloodletting since last month’s coup. A count issued by an independent researcher in Yangon who has been compiling near-real time death tolls put the total as darkness fell at 93, spread over more than two dozen cities and towns. The online news site Myanmar Now reported the death toll had reached 91. This screengrab from a UGC video provided to AFPTV from an anonymous source and taken on March 27, 2021 shows protesters watching as smoke rises from a burning makeshift barricade during a demonstration against the military coup in Yangon’s Thaketa township. Both numbers are higher than all estimates for the previous high on March 14, which ranged in counts from 74 to 90. Figures collected by the researcher, who asked not to be named for his security, have generally tallied with the counts issued at the end of each day by the Assistance Association of Political Prisoners, which documents deaths and arrests and is widely seen as a definitive source. Up through Friday, the Association of Political Prisoners had verified 328 people killed in the post-coup crackdown. Junta chief Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing did not directly refer to the protest movement when he gave his nationally televised Armed Forces Day speech before thousands of soldiers in Naypyitaw. He referred only to terrorism which can be harmful to state tranquility and social security, and called it unacceptable.

B) John Kerry to visit India in April ahead of Biden’s climate summit.

U.S. President Joe Biden will host a virtual ‘Leaders Summit on Climate’ on April 22 and 23 with 40 world leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and U.S. Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry will visit India in early April in the run-up to this meeting, sources told. Other guests at the climate summit will include President Xi Jinping of China and President Vladimir Putin of Russia, both of whom have a challenging relationship with Biden. With America’s re-entry into the Paris Agreement on climate, the summit seeks to put Biden’s stamp on the fight against climate change, after the U.S. largely took itself out of the international dialogue on climate action when Trump, climate change sceptic, withdrew the U.S. from the Paris Agreement. The U.S. summit will highlight the urgent need to address climate change and the economic benefit of doing so, the White House said in a statement on Friday. It is also a prelude to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) which will be held in Glasgow in November, the White House said. The former Secretary of State had also said that he intends to work very, very closely with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others in India on climate change.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
27 March 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Supreme Court refuses to stay sale of electoral bonds ahead of key Assembly polls. 

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to stay the sale of electoral bonds before Assembly elections in crucial States like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. The judgment by a Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde said the scheme began in 2018 and continued in 2019 and 2020 without any impediments. Chief Justice Bobde, who read out the judgment, said the court found no reason to stall the sale of electoral bonds now. The judgment came on an urgent application moved by the NGO, Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), represented by advocate Prashant Bhushan, to stay the sale scheduled between April 1 and 10. The NGO, also represented by advocate Neha Rathi, voiced serious apprehensions that sale of electoral bonds before Assembly elections would further increase illegal and illicit funding of political parties through shell companies. Attorney General K.K. Venugopal had said the sale was announced after getting permission from the Election Commission of India (ECI). The ECI registered its support for the electoral bonds scheme during the last hearing in the case earlier this week.

B) Supreme Court rules in favour of Tata Sons, sets aside NCLAT judgment restoring Cyrus Mistry as chairman.

The Supreme Court on Friday ruled completely in favour of multi-billion dollar salt-to-software conglomerate, Tata Sons Private Limited, by setting aside a National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) decision to re-instate minority shareholder Shapoorji Pallonji group’s scion, Cyrus Mistry, as its chairman. A three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde rejected arguments that the ouster of Mistry as chairman by the Tata Sons Board was oppressive. Chief Justice Bobde, who read out the judgment, said every question of law raised in the dispute falls in favour of the Tatas. The court dismissed the appeals filed by the Shapoorji Pallonji group. The Bench said the question of a fair compensation for Shapoorji Pallonji group cannot be adjudicated in the Supreme Court in this case. The apex court, by ruling in favour of the Tatas, seemed to have acknowledged their argument that NCLAT judgment effectively amounted to vesting the control of the company with minority (Shapoorji Pallonji group). Minority with 18% holding has been effectively given power to rule over all the Tata Companies, senior advocate Harish Salve for Tata Sons had submitted during the extensive hearings. The NCLAT decision had served a blow to corporate democracy and rights of the board of directors, Tata Sons had argued in its appeal. Tata Sons said the Tribunal crossed its jurisdiction by terming the appointment of current incumbent N. Chandrasekaran as illegal while restoring Mistry as chairman.

C) Modi praises 1971 martyrs, meets minority leaders in Dhaka. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 at Dhaka’s National Martyrs Memorial and said the sacrifice of the participants in the historic war will remain a lasting legacy in South Asia. Modi reached the memorial soon after landing at Dhaka’s Shahjalal International Airport where he was received by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her council of ministers. The Indian leader also planted an ‘Arjun’ sapling at the memorial grounds which contain the unmarked graves of the martyrs. Beginning his interactions, Prime Minister Modi met with the leaders of the ruling alliance in Dhaka and interacted with a delegation of the Muktijoddhas or former guerrillas who fought in the war of 1971. He also met with the leaders of the religious minorities of Bangladesh. Earlier, Modi arrived in Dhaka on a two-day visit to Bangladesh during which he will attend the celebrations of the golden jubilee of the country’s independence, the birth centenary of ‘Bangabandhu’ Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and hold talks with his counterpart Sheikh Hasina.

D) Centre extends validity of driving licenses, vehicle documents till June 30.

Considering the grim pandemic situation that continues now and the need to prevent the spread of Covid-19 across country, the Road Transport Ministry has again advised enforcement authorities to treat as valid all the vehicle related documents – like fitness, permit, registration and driving license whose validity has expired since February 1, 2020 or would expire by June 30, 2021. Enforcement authorities are advised to treat such documents valid till June 30, 2021. This will help out citizens in availing transport related services, while maintaining social distancing, stated a Road Ministry advisory. Earlier, in the backdrop of Covid-19 in 2020, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways had issued advisories on March 30, June 9, August 24, and December 27. It was advised that the validity of Fitness, Permit (all types), License, Registration or any other concerned document(s) might be treated to be valid till March 31, 2021. It had issued such advisory as citizens were facing long queues in front of transport offices. Now, the Road Ministry has said that all the above referred documents may be treated to be valid till June 30, 2021. This covers all documents whose validity has expired since February 1, 2020 or would expire by June 30, 2021. It may be the last advisory in this regard, it added.

E) Partial response to Bharat Bandh; police disrupt farm union’s press conference in Ahmedabad. 

Farmers protesting the three contentious agricultural laws disrupted road and rail transport, and closed down shops in much of Punjab and Haryana in response to the Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s (SKM) call for a Bharat bandh on Friday. Parts of Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan also saw shutdowns, while there was a scattered impact in other States. SKM leaders were detained by police in Ahmedabad and Bengaluru, and some local farmer leaders were placed under precautionary house arrest in Uttar Pradesh. In Ahmedabad, police entered a press conference being addressed by the BKU-Tikait group’s general secretary Yudhvir Singh and detained him along with eight other farmer leaders. This is wrong. This is a dictatorship. It is not a crime to speak to the press. It is a right in a democracy, he told journalists, even as the police pulled leaders out of their chairs and led them to police vans. In Bengaluru, farmer leaders attempted to hold a mock funeral procession for the three farm laws, but were detained by city police at multiple locations. In which democracy does the police not allow citizens to hold a peaceful protest? We have even withdrawn the bandh, but not allowing us to hold a demonstration is undemocratic, rued farmer leader Kodohalli Chandrashekhar, detained at a protest in front of Town Hall.

F) Elections not on a level playing field, says N. Ram. 

Elections are not on a level playing field owing to distortion of democracy by money power, said The Hindu Publishing Group Director N. Ram. Speaking at the panel discussion of political party representatives on elections and the launch of a publication on Assembly election 2021 ‘Ippodhu’, Ram said media had the duty of discussing such issues. A huge proportion of electoral bonds has gone to the BJP, he said. Pointing to the conduct of the Supreme Court on the question of constitutional validity of electoral bond scheme ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, Ram said the issue has to be discussed.  Quoting from Ambedkar’s speech in the Constituent Assembly, he said the leader had warned against internal threat to democracy by bhakti or hero worship.

G) Ramesh Jarkiholi CD scandal: Woman files complaint through lawyer. 

Hours after releasing a video, the woman in the CD scandal involving BJP MLA and former Minister in the Karnataka government Ramesh Jarkiholi submitted a complaint through a lawyer to the Commissioner of Police, Kamal Pant, seeking action against the leader. Taking cognisance, Pant asked lawyer K.N. Jagadish Kumar to approach Cubbon Park police station to file a complaint. In the complaint, the woman accused Jarkiholi of sexually assaulting, cheating, and threatening her after promising a government job. The woman said that the MLA had assaulted her twice and even forced her to share private pictures and talk to him. She further stated in the complaint that he made the video to defame her, thinking that she may file a complaint.

H) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments. 

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 1,18,63,815 with the death toll at 1,62,495. There is no direct causal relation established between deaths and Covid-19 vaccination, with adverse events reported being well within the anticipated numbers, said the expert group investigating the adverse events following immunisation (AEFI). The national committee looking at AEFI examined 412 cases of severe adverse events, including 79 deaths (recorded until March 13) and found that deaths happened in cases where the person had underlying conditions, including heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, N.K. Arora, member, National Task Force on COVID-19 told.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Beijing sanctions Britons over Xinjiang. 

China slapped sanctions on several British politicians and organisations on Friday after the U.K. joined the European Union and others in sanctioning Chinese officials accused of human rights abuses in the Xinjiang region. The U.K. responded by accusing China of violating human rights on an industrial scale. China sanctioned four British institutions and nine individuals, including prominent lawmakers who have criticised the treatment of the Uighur Muslim minority in Xinjiang. It said they would be barred from visiting Chinese territory and banned from having financial transactions with Chinese citizens and institutions. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said the censure imposed by the EU, the U.S., Britain and Canada was based on lies and disinformation, flagrantly breaches international law and basic norms governing international relations, grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs, and severely undermines China-U.K. relations. China does not stir up trouble, but China is not afraid when others do, Yang Xiaoguang, China’s charged affaires in London, said at a news conference. China is not the first to shoot, neither will we be passive and submissive to threats from the outside, he said. Today’s world is not the world of 120 years ago. The Chinese people will not be bullied.

B) Egypt races to dislodge giant vessel blocking Suez Canal.

Tugboats and a specialised suction dredger worked on Friday to dislodge a giant container ship that has been stuck sideways in Egypt’s Suez Canal for the past three days, blocking a crucial waterway for global shipping. The Ever Given, a Panama-flagged ship that carries cargo between Asia and Europe, ran aground in the narrow canal that runs between Africa and the Sinai Peninsula. It got stuck in a single lane stretch of the canal, about 6 km north of the southern entrance, near the city of Suez. The ship, owned by the Japanese firm Shoei Kisen KK, has blocked traffic in the canal. Around of world trade flows through the canal. The closure also could affect oil and gas shipments to Europe from the West Asia. At least 237 ships were waiting for the Ever Given to be cleared. A team from Boskalis, a Dutch firm specialised in salvaging, started working with the canal authority on Thursday. The rescue efforts have focused on dredging to remove sand and mud from around the port side of the vessel’s bow.