Tag: civilservices

CURRENT AFFAIRS
26 March 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Budget session of Parliament concludes two weeks ahead of schedule. 

Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned sine die on Thursday, nearly two weeks before schedule keeping in mind requests made for curtailment of the second part of the Budget session by MPs belonging to West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Puducherry and Kerala owing to the Assembly polls. The session that started on January 29 (first part) was to run till April 8 in the second part after having recommenced on March 8 after a break. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi, briefing after the end of the session, said that it was curtailed ahead of schedule due to the demands made by various political parties and Assembly elections in four States and one Union Territory. The overhang of the contests of the Assembly polls was seen during the session with frequent references to poll issues in West Bengal during the debates. Earlier in the day, Bhratruhari Mahtab, who was presiding officer in the Lok Sabha, gave a valedictory address in which he revealed that despite disruptions, the session clocked 114% in productivity with 24 sittings, which lasted over 132 hours. Seventeen government bills were introduced and 18 passed, including the finance and appropriations Bills. Around 171 reports were tabled by various parliamentary committees and 84 starred questions were answered orally. The tally for the Rajya Sabha was also impressive with again, 23 sittings, in which the House sat for 104 hours and clocked 90% productivity. The Upper House passed 19 Bills, spending 42% of the functional time on legislative business.

B) Supreme Court asks government to clarify on 55 pending High Court appointments.

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the government to clarify on the status of 55 recommendations made by the Collegium for judicial appointments to various High Courts six months to nearly a year-and-a-half ago. Forty-four of the pending recommendations were made to fill vacancies in the Calcutta, Madhya Pradesh, Gauhati, Rajasthan and Punjab High Courts. These recommendations have been pending with the government for over seven months to a year. The remaining 10 names have been pending with the government despite their reiteration by the Collegium. They include five for the Calcutta High Court pending with the government for one year and seven months. The recommendations of four names made by the Collegium to the Delhi High Court have been pending for seven months. The total sanctioned judicial strength in the 25 High Courts is 1,080. However, the present working strength is 661 with 419 vacancies as on March 1. The Supreme Court has been repeatedly conveying to the government its growing alarm at the judicial vacancies in High Courts. The court asked Mr. Venugopal to enquire with the Union Ministry of Law and Justice and make a statement on April 8 about their status. The Bench handed over to Mr. Venugopal a chart containing the details of the 55 recommendations.

C) Army’s evaluation process discriminates against women seeking permanent commission, says SC. 

The Supreme Court on Thursday held that the Army’s selective evaluation process discriminated against and disproportionately affected women officers seeking permanent commission. A Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud observed that the pattern of evaluation inherently caused economic and psychological harm to short service commission women officers. The judgment, authored by Justice Chandrachud, said what appeared to be harmless on the face hid insidious patriarchy. They must recognise here that the structures of our society have been created by males for males. Superficial face of equality does not stand true to the principles enshrined in the Constitution, the top court said. The court said the case of women officers who had applied for permanent commission should be reconsidered in a month and a decision on them should be given in two months. The Supreme Court had recently expressed annoyance at the roadblocks placed by bureaucrats in the way of women officers seeking permanent commission, promotion and consequential benefits. The court was exasperated with a medical criterion by which women officers with 10 to over 20 years of service and in the age bracket of 35 to 50 had to compete with gentlemen officers aged between 25 and 30 for permanent commission.

D) Supreme Court quashes hate crime proceedings against Shillong Times Editor.

The Supreme Court on Thursday quashed hate crime proceedings initiated against Padma Shri awardee and senior journalist Patricia Mukhim for a Facebook post. A Bench led by Justice L. Nageswara Rao agreed with Ms. Mukhim, Editor of Shillong Times, that her social media post was only an expression of truth in the face of persecution. The decision came in Ms. Mukhim’s appeal against the Meghalaya High Court’s refusal to quash the proceedings against her under Sections 153a (hate), 500 (defamation) and 505(c) (incite a community or caste to commit an offence against another). The offences are non-bailable. Ms. Mukhim, represented by advocates Vrinda Grover, Soutik Banerjee and Prasanna S., said her Facebook post had only alerted the authorities to enforce the law against the perpetrators of a brutal attack against six non-tribal boys in the State. A plain reading of the petitioner’s Facebook post makes it clear that the intent and purpose of this post is to appeal for impartial enforcement of rule of law; equal treatment before the law of all citizens; condemnation of targeted violence against members of a minority group; and end to impunity for violence, Ms. Mukhim had argued.

E) 67 coal mines offered for sale in second tranche of auction. 

The government on Thursday offered 67 coal mines for sale, launching the second tranche of commercial coal mining auction and termed it a step towards ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. This is the highest number of mines on offer in a particular tranche after commencement of the auction regime in 2014. India launched its 2nd tranche of auction for commercial coal mining, offering 67 mines for sale of coal, today. Union Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi launched the auction process in a programme held in New Delhi, Ministry of Coal said in a statement. Out of the total 67 mines offered by the ministry, 23 are under Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act and 44 under Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act. The blocks on offer are a mix of mines with small and large reserves, coking and non-coking mines and fully and partially explored blocks spread across 6 States – Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) In signal to China, U.S. raised India ties during Alaska talks.

The Joe Biden administration highlighted the strength of U.S.-India ties in its March 19 meeting with Chinese officials in Alaska, underlining how it has increasingly come to view India as central to its broader objectives in dealing with China in the Indo-Pacific region. The reference to India, it is learnt, was not favourably received by China’s two offlcials in Alaska top diplomat and Politburo member Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and is being seen as reflecting how U.S. India relations, only two months into the new administration, are developing The speed with which the new Biden administration has pushed closer ties with India has come in sharp contrast to expectations in some quarters, both in New Delhi and Washington, that relations would not be as smooth as they were with the Trump administration.

B) N. Korea launches ‘ballistic missiles’.

North Korea fired two suspected ballistic missiles into the sea on Thursday in its first substantive provocation to the new U.S. administration of Joe Biden. The nuclear-armed North has a long history of using weapons tests to ramp up tensions, in a carefully calibrated process to try to forward its objectives. Donald Trump’s first year in office was marked by a series of escalating launches, accompanied by a war of words between him and North Korean leader Kim Jongun. Pyongyang had been biding its time since the new administration took office, not even officially acknowledging its existence until last week. But Seoul’s joint chief of staff said the North fired two short-range missiles into the Sea of Japan, known as the East Sea in Korea, from South Hamgyong province. They travelled 450 km and reached a maximum altitude of 60 km, the JCS added, and after an meeting South Korea’s National Security Council expressed deep concern at the launch. North Korea is banned from developing any ballistic missiles under UN Security Council resolutions and is under multiple international sanctions over its weapons programmes. It had been a year since the last such incident, he added, saying, This threatens the peace and security of our country and the region. It is also a violation of the UN. Tokyo said they came down outside the waters of Japan’s exclusive economic zone. Pyongyang has made rapid progress in its capabilities under Mr. Kim, testing missiles capable of reaching the entire continental United States as tensions mounted in 2017.

C) Biden chooses Harris to lead efforts to tackle migration. 

U.S. President Joe Biden has tapped Vice-President Kamala Harris to lead the White House effort to tackle the migration challenge at the U.S. southern border and work with Central American nations to address the root causes of the problem. Mr. Biden made the announcement as he and Ms. Harris met at the White House on Wednesday with Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandra Mayorkas and other immigration advisers to discuss the increase in the number of migrants, including many unaccompanied minors, arriving at the border in recent weeks. When she speaks, she speaks for me, Mr. Biden said, noting that her work as California’s Attorney-General makes her specially equipped to lead the administration’s response. Ms. Harris is tasked with overseeing efforts to deal with issues spurring migration in the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, as well as pressing them to strengthen enforcement on their own borders, officials said. She is also tasked with developing and implementing a long-term strategy that gets at the root causes of migration from those countries. Mr. Biden suggested former President Donald Trump’s decision to cut $450 million funding in 2019 to the region was partly to blame for the situation.

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS
25 March 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) CJI Bobde recommends Justice Ramana as successor. 

Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde has recommended Justice N.V. Ramana, the senior most judge of the Supreme Court, as the next top judge. The CJI’s recommendation to the government was followed by the publication of a short statement on Wednesday informing that a complaint sent by Andhra Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy against Justice Ramana to the CJI on October 6 last year was dismissed under an in-house procedure after due consideration. Reddy had complained that Justice Ramana was influencing the Andhra High Court judiciary to destabilise his government. The complaint was sent shortly after a Bench led by Justice Ramana started hearing and fast-tracking hundreds of criminal cases against Ministers, legislators and politicians pending in trial courts across the country. In an affidavit filed with election nomination papers in 2019, Reddy had declared there were 31 criminal cases pending against him with the CBI, the Directorate of Enforcement, and different police stations in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

B) Justice Ramana is now set to take over as the 48th Chief Justice of India from April 24.

Chief Justice Bobde handed over a copy of his letter of recommendation to Justice Ramana on Wednesday after sending it to the government. The Centre had recently asked Chief Justice Bobde, who is retiring on April 23, to initiate the transition process to the top judicial office. Justice Ramana would be the CJI till August 26, 2022. He was elevated to the Supreme Court on February 17, 2014 when he was the Chief Justice of Delhi High Court.

C) Mutating coronavirus: Health Ministry flags two new ‘variants of concern’

Two new ‘variants of concern’ (VOC) and a new ‘double mutant’ Covid-variant have been found in India, the Health Ministry said on Wednesday. Variants of concern are mutated types of coronavirus associated with either an increase in transmission, a reduction in neutralising antibodies, or severe disease. However, the government said that none of the recent spikes in Maharashtra and Punjab were attributable to the VOC. Genomic sequencing and epidemiological studies are continuing to further analyse the situation, the Ministry statement added. An analysis of samples from Maharashtra has revealed that compared to December 2020, there has been an increase in the fraction of samples with the E484Q and L452R mutations. Such mutations confer immune escape (evade neutralising antibodies) and increased inactivity, it added. Worryingly, the Ministry has also noted that these mutations have been found in about 15-20% of samples and do not match any previously catalogued VOCs. These have been categorised as VOCs but require the same epidemiological and public health response of increased testing, comprehensive tracking of close contacts, prompt isolation of positive cases and contacts as well as treatment as per National Treatment Protocol by the States/UTs, said the Ministry.

D) Lok Sabha passes The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2021. 

Lok Sabha on Wednesday gave its nod to a bill which seeks to strengthen the provisions relating to protection and adoption of children. The amendment bill would address various issues flagged by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights, which had looked into the working of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said while moving it for consideration and passage. She said the proposed law seeks to make the district magistrate a synergising officer for issues related to protection of children. The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2021, which seeks to amend the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015, proposes to increase the role of district magistrates and additional district magistrates on issues concerning child care and adoption, she said. The minister said the panel had found various shortcomings in the implementation of the Act and the object of the proposed changes in the law is to ensure that action is taken without waiting for a child to become a victim.

E) Attorney General denies consent for initiation of contempt proceedings against Rahul Gandhi. 

Attorney General of India K.K. Venugopal has denied consent for the initiation of contempt proceedings against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on the basis of a plea that he had scandalised the judiciary in the course of an interview. Venugopal said Gandhi’s statements were too vague to be said to have lowered the authority of the institution in the eyes of the public. Raising an interesting point, the Attorney General said Gandhi’s statements had referred generally to the judiciary and no specific mentions were made about the Supreme Court or its judges. Venugopal said his prior consent as the Attorney General for initiating contempt was necessary only if the contempt had been made against the Supreme Court. Then the question of my granting consent would not arise, he said. Venugopal was responding to a petition filed by advocate Vineet Jindal, who alleged that Gandhi had scandalised the judiciary by commenting that the ruling party in the Centre has inserted its people into judiciary. 

F) Eight parties condemn police action against Opposition MLAs in Bihar assembly.

Eight opposition parties issued a joint statement condemning the events of Patna assembly on Tuesday, where Opposition members were brutally beaten up and dragged out of the state assembly by the police following chaotic scenes over the Bihar Special Armed Police Bill, 2021. RJD MP Manoj K Jha tried to raise this issue in the Rajya Sabha but Chairman Venkaiah Naidu did not allow him to speak. Security personnel remove a Grand Alliance legislator during the budget session of the Bihar Assembly in Patna on March 23, 2021. In a joint statement signed by the RJD, Congress, Samajwadi Party, DMK, TRS, TMC and Shiv Sena, the Opposition said that the Bihar Armed Police Bill is an insidious conspiracy to enforce a police raj in Bihar. This law, the parties said, confers unbridled powers upon the Bihar Military police to conduct raids and arrests without warrants. This is an unconstitutional bill that effectively transforms the police force into an armed militia to harass, suppress and crackdown on academics, activists, journalists, the political opposition, and all those who dare to speak truth to power, the joint statement said. The events in the Patna assembly, the joint statement said, also indicated what the BJP wants to do in the rest of the country, employing the sheer tyranny of power.

G) Congress demands probe into audio clip on corruption in West Bengal.

Demanding an inquiry, the Congress on Wednesday played an audio clip at a press conference in which serious allegations of corruption were levelled against BJP leaders in West Bengal. The party said it could not verify the authenticity of the clip that was 1 minute and 28 seconds long. It asked the BJP to investigate the issue. The purported clip relates to a conversation between two persons discussing getting a BJP ticket in Bengal in exchange for money. The clip also talks of misconduct by BJP’s Bengal chief Dilip Ghosh and the party in-charge for Bengal, Kailash Vijayvargiya. The voices on the audio clip, however, were not that of Ghosh or Vijayvargiya. The Congress claimed that it received the clip from an independent journalist and the identities of the persons taking part in the conversation could not be ascertained. At the press conference, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate questioned the silence of top BJP leaders on the audio clip that was circulating on social media platforms. Stating that the matter was in the public domain now, Rajya Sabha member Amee Yagnik asked why the Election Commission had not taken note of the matter so far.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Massive cargo ship turns sideways, blocks Egypt’s Suez Canal. 

A massive cargo ship has turned sideways in Egypt’s Suez Canal, blocking traffic in a crucial East-West waterway for global shipping, according to satellite data accessed Wednesday. Traffic on the narrow waterway dividing continental Africa from the Sinai Peninsula stopped Tuesday after the MV Ever Given, a Panama-flagged container ship with an owner listed in Japan, got stuck. It wasn’t immediately clear what caused the Ever Given to turn sideways in the canal. GAC, a global shipping and logistics company, described the Ever Given as suffering a blackout while transiting in a northerly direction, without elaborating. The Ever Given’s bow was touching the canal’s eastern wall, while its stern looked lodged against its western wall, according to satellite data from MarineTraffic.com. Several tug boats surrounded the ship, likely attempting to push it the right way, the data showed. Cargo ships and oil tankers appeared to be lining up at the southern end of the Suez Canal, waiting to be able to pass through the waterway to the Mediterranean Sea, according to Marine Traffic data. A United Nations database listed the Ever Gren as being owned by Shoei Kisen KK, a ship-leasing firm based in Imabari, Japan. The ship had listed its destination as Rotterdam in the Netherlands prior to getting stuck in the canal. Opened in 1869, the Suez Canal provides a crucial link for oil, natural gas and cargo being shipped from East to West. Around 10 % of the world’s trade flows through the waterway and it remains one of Egypt’s top foreign currency earners.

B) Uncertainty hangs over Israel election outcome. 

Israelis awoke on Wednesday to find that after their fourth general election in less than two years, there was still no clear indication of who would form the next government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party won the most votes, boosting his chances of building a coalition with a majority in the 120 seat Knesset. But a rival Anyone but Netanyahu camp of parties was running neck-and-neck, spelling more uncertainty ahead as the official vote count continued. Mr. Netanyahu, 71, Israel’s longest-serving premier after 12 years in power, had hoped that Tuesday’s election would finally allow him to unite a stable right-wing coalition behind him, after three inconclusive elections since 2019. Analysis by state broadcaster Kan showed that with close to 90% of ballots counted, the combined strength of the declared pro-Netanyahu parties was 52 seats while the rival front commanded 56. This leaves both camps short of the 61 seats required to build a government. The kingmaker, down the road, could be the hard-right Yamina party led by Mr. Netanyahu’s estranged former protege Naftali Bennett, which, by Kan’s projection, won seven seats. Mr. Bennett, a former entrepreneur, has so far not declared which way he will jump.

C) Taliban slam Afghan President’s proposal for new election. 

The Taliban on Wednesday rejected a proposal by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to hold elections later this year, after months of peace talks between the two sides have made little progress. Although he hasn’t made details public, Mr. Ghani will announce the election plan at a stakeholder conference in Turkey next month, according to two government officials. The move is likely an attempt to undercut a U.S. proposal, supported by Russia, for the formation of an interim government involving the Taliban to rule the country once the last U.S. troops withdraw. The government will go to Turkey with a plan for an early election, which is a fair plan for the future of Afghanistan, said an official. The Taliban immediately rejected the proposal. Such processes [elections] have pushed the country to the verge of crisis in the past, said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. They are now talking about a process that has always been scandaIous, he said, adding that any decision on the country’s future must be hammered out in ongoing talks between the two sides. The U.S. is due to withdraw the last of its troops by May 1 under a deal finalised last year, although President Joe Biden said earlier this month the deadline would be tough to meet.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
24 March 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) All those above 45 can get vaccinated for COVID-19 from April 1.

The government has announced that from April 1, people above 45 will be eligible to get COVID-19 vaccines. It has requested them to get registered for the inoculation. Briefing reporters on the decisions taken by the Cabinet after its meeting, Union Minster Prakash Javadekar said that even people without comorbidities who are more than 45 can get vaccinated. Javadekar said the Cabinet also decided that the second dose of the vaccine can be taken between four and eight weeks, on the advice of doctors. It was allowed to be taken between four to six weeks earlier, but scientists have now said that taking the second dose between four and eight weeks gives improved results.

B) 81% of samples in Punjab turn out to be positive for U.K. variant

With 81% of the latest batch of 401 COVID-19 samples sent by the State for genome sequencing testing positive for the U.K. variant, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday appealed to the people to get themselves vaccinated, even as he urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to widen the vaccination ambit since this mutant had been found to be infecting young people more. Expressing concern over the emerging situation, the Chief Minister stressed the need for the Central government to urgently open up vaccination for a bigger section of the populace. The process needed to be expedited, he said, pointing to the fact that experts had found the existing Covishield vaccine to be equally effective against the U.K. variant. It was essential to vaccinate more people to break the chain of transmission, he added. Capt. Singh also urged people to strictly adhere to all Covid-19 safety protocols, including wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. The appeal came after the State’s Covid expert committee head, K.K. Talwar, apprised him of the developments on the new variant in the State, which has been witnessing a surge in the number of Covid-19 positive cases during the last few weeks. Singh said Dr. Talwar had informed him that though the UK variant B.1.1.7 was more infectious, it was not more virulent. The B.1.1.7 variant is spreading rapidly in many parts of the world, representing 98% of the new cases in U.K. and 90% in Spain. Authorities in the U.K. have suggested it was up to 70% more transmissible than the original virus.

C) Turmoil in Bihar Assembly over Bill that empowers police to arrest anyone without warrant. Vehement opposition to a Bill introduced in the Bihar assembly by the Nitish Kumar government on Tuesday led to unprecedented turmoil in the House, with police being called in to physically evict legislators who had laid siege to the Speaker’s chamber. Members of the opposition Grand Alliance, comprising the RJD, the Congress and the Left, were agitated over the Bihar Special Armed Police Bill, 2021. The RJD legislators moved a motion against the Bill, raising slogans against it. The Bill, which was introduced last week, seeks to rename the Bihar Military Police and empowers it to arrest people without a warrant. Leader of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav, who courted arrest while participating in a procession taken out against the ‘black law’, had given an inkling of what was in store at an early morning press conference. Today is the birth anniversary of Ram Manohar Lohia who famously said that if the streets go empty, the legislature goes rogue, said Yadav, who also tweeted an Urdu couplet in the memory of revolutionaries Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru who were executed on this date in the year 1931. When the Bill came up for debate, agitated Opposition members trooped into the well, where marshals tried to prevent them from clashing with those in the treasury benches. Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha adjourned the House till 4.30 p.m. but ended up being held hostage inside his chamber as Grand Alliance members surrounded it from all sides, shouting slogans.

D) Loan moratorium case: SC asks lenders to refund penal interest on EMIs. 

The Supreme Court has directed banks and financial institutions to refund compound interest/penal interest collected on EMIs during the period of moratorium granted during the Covid-19 lockdown, from March 1 to August 31 last year. It is directed that there shall not be any charge of interest on interest/compound interest/penal interest for the period during the moratorium, a Bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, R. Subhash Reddy and M.R. Shah ordered in a 148-page judgment. The court said the amount accumulated as compound/penal interest or interest on interest during the six-month moratorium on term loan EMIs should be given as credit/adjusted in the next instalment of the loan account. Justice Shah, who authored the judgment, reasoned that additional interest in the form of compound or penal interest is usually collected from loan defaulters. When the payment of installments had already been deferred during the moratorium, what was the need to burden borrowers, who were already reeling under the financial loss of a pandemic and lockdown, the court asked. The judgment also spelt relief for banks and lenders, with the court lifting its nearly six-month bar on them from declaring accounts of borrowers as non-performing assets (NPAs). In October last year, the apex court had stopped banks and lenders from declaring accounts of borrowers as NPAs. The court refused to entertain complaints from petitioners that the government did not do enough to ease the burden of financial strain during the pandemic.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) AstraZeneca may have used outdated info in vaccine trial: U.S.

Results from a U.S. trial of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine may have used outdated information, U.S. federal health officials said in a statement early on March 23. The Data and Safety Monitoring Board said in a statement that it was concerned that AstraZeneca may have provided an incomplete view of the efficacy data. AstraZeneca had reported on Monday that its Covid-19 vaccine provided strong protection among adults of all ages in a long-anticipated U.S. study, a finding that could help rebuild public confidence in the shot around the world and move it a step closer to clearance in the U.S. The company aims to file an application with the Food and Drug Administration in the coming weeks. The government’s outside advisers will publicly debate the evidence before the agency makes a decision.

B) India abstains from vote on Sri Lanka resolution at UNHRC. 

India on Tuesday abstained from a crucial vote on Sri Lanka’s rights record at the UN Human Rights Council. The resolution on ‘Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka’ was, however, adopted after 22 member states of the 47-member Council voted in its favour. The government of Sri Lanka and the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), the main grouping representing war-affected Tamils of the island’s north and east, had sought opposite outcomes on the passage of the resolution. They had both been hopeful of getting India’s support to their respective calls. In a pre-vote statement, the Indian delegation said India’s approach to the question of human rights in Sri Lanka was guided by the two fundamental considerations of support to the Tamils of Sri Lanka for equality, justice, dignity and peace, and ensuring the unity, stability and territorial integrity of Sri Lanka. They have always believed that these two goals are mutually supportive and Sri Lanka’s progress is best assured by simultaneously addressing both objectives, India said, reiterating its earlier position. India said it supports the call by the international community for the government of Sri Lanka to fulfill its commitments on the devolution of political authority, including through the early holding of elections for Provincial Councils and to ensure that all Provincial Councils are able to operate effectively, in accordance with the 13th amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
23 March 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Centre asks States to increase interval between Covishield doses. 

The Centre on Monday wrote to States/Union Territories to increase the interval between two doses of Covishield to 4-8 weeks (from 4-6 weeks), stating that there is evidence of increased protection if the second dose of Covishield is administered between 6-8 weeks after the first dose. In a press release, the Health Ministry said that in view of the emerging scientific evidence, the interval between two doses of a specific Covid-19 vaccine i.e. Covishield, has been revised by the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) and subsequently by National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC) in its 20th meeting. During this meeting, the recommendation has been revised to provide second dose of Covishield at 4-8 weeks’ interval after the first dose, instead of earlier practiced interval of 4-6 weeks. This decision of revised time interval between two doses is applicable only to Covishield and not to Covaxin Vaccine, the Ministry said. The letter written by the Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan to the Chief Secretaries of States/UTs noted that the Ministry has accepted the recommendations of NTAGI and NEGVAC and has thereafter advised the States and UTs to ensure the administration of second dose of Covishield to beneficiaries within this stipulated time interval of 4-8 weeks after first dose.

B) Lok Sabha passes Bill that empowers L-G of Delhi at expense of elected government.

The Lok Sabha today passed a Bill that seeks to make it clear that the government in Delhi means the Lieutenant Governor. The Bill was passed amidst strong Opposition from the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which described the legislation as unconstitutional. Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2021 has become necessary as there has been ambiguity in certain issues related to the functioning of the Delhi government and several cases were also filed in courts. Please do not say that it is a political Bill. It is being brought to end ambiguity in certain issues as Delhi is a Union Territory. It will end certain confusion or technicality and enhance the efficiency of the administration, he said. According to the Bill, the government in Delhi means the Lieutenant Governor. The Bill also makes it mandatory for the Delhi government to take the opinion of the L-G before any executive action. Delhi’s ruling AAP government has opposed the Bill. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had even urged the central government to take back the Bill and said the AAP dispensation was ready to fall at the Modi government’s feet for its withdrawal.

C) Lok Sabha clears Bill to allow upto 74% FDI in insurance sector.

The Lok Sabha today passed The Insurance (Amendment) Bill, 2021 which seeks to raise the limit for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in insurance companies from 49% to 74%. The Bill had earlier been cleared by the Rajya Sabha and now requires Presidential assent to become law. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who piloted the Bill in both Houses, said the move was aimed at solving some of the long term capital availability issues in the insurance sector which was a capital-intensive industry. She added that stakeholders had been consulted by the insurance regulator, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), before a decision was taken to go ahead with the move. In her response to the debate on the Bill in the House, Sitharaman said that apprehensions over the gradual taking over of public sector insurance companies was ill-founded, as the banking and insurance industry has been designated as a strategic sector, and the 74% cap is just a limit posed on the FDI. Responding to Congress MP Manish Tewari’s apprehensions that the public sector undertakings were going to be disinvested and that it was akin to selling the family silver, the Minister said it was not, and the previous UPA government had also pushed for raising the FDI limit. Nobody is taking the money outside India. The Bill has safeguards that some of the profit has to be invested within the country, she said.

C) Bhima Koregaon case: NIA court rejects bail plea of 83-year-old Fr. Stan Swamy.

The special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court today rejected the bail plea filed by Jesuit priest Stan Swamy in the Bhima-Koregaon violence case. Judge D.E. Kothalikar held that Fr. Swamy was found in possession of objectionable material and there was sufficient evidence to connect him to the activities of the banned organisation. While rejecting his bail, the court relied upon letters allegedly written by co-accused Shoma Sen and Rona Wilson. Fr. Swamy, 83, an activist, has been working with tribals since decades and is currently lodged at Taloja Central Jail after being arrested from Ranchi on October 9, 2020. He has Parkinson’s disease and has lost the ability to hear from both his ears and suffers from intense pain from lumbar spondylosis. Special public prosecutor Prakash Shetty had previously pointed out that during the investigation it was established that Fr. Swamy was a staunch supporter of the activities of organisations such as Vistapan Virodhi Jan Vikas Andolan and People’s Union for Civil Liberties which are allegedly working as fronts of CPI (Maoists). Advocate Sharif Shaikh, appearing for Fr. Swamy, had previously argued that the prosecution had not brought anything on record to suggest that Fr. Swamy was involved in any kind of terrorist activity. Therefore, Section 16 (punishment for terrorist act), 20 (punishment for being member of terrorist gang or organisation), 39 (offence relating to support given to a terrorist organisation) of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act were not applicable to him.

D) Transferred after exposé of Home Minister: Ex-Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh.

Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh today informed the Supreme Court that his transfer order arrived immediately after he complained to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and other senior leaders about the corrupt malpractices of State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. Singh alleged that Deshmukh held meetings with officers of lower rank like Sachin Vaze, now in custody in connection with the Mukesh Ambani residence bomb scare case, and Sanjay Patil, an ACP with the Social Service Branch, at his residence in February. This was done bypassing their seniors. The Home Minister had instructed the duo to accumulate ₹100 crore every month. For achieving this target, the Home Minister had told Vaze that there are about 1,750 bars, restaurants and other establishments in Mumbai and if a sum of ₹two-three lakh each was collected from each of them, a monthly collection of ₹40-50 crore was achievable, the petition by Singh said. The former top cop said the Minister, besides using police officers for his malicious intent of extorting money, interfered with investigations, ordering them to be conducted in a particular manner. He also indulged in corrupt practices in official postings and transfers of officers. Singh said he had conveyed his apprehensions to senior leaders and the Chief Minister. Immediately thereafter, on March 17, he (Singh) was transferred from the post of the Mumbai Police Commissioner to the Home Guard Department in an arbitrary and illegal manner without the completing of the minimum fixed tenure of two years, the petition said. The 1988 IPS batch officer said his allegations against Deshmukh, which also form the content of an explosive letter, required an unbiased, uninfluenced, impartial and fair investigation by the CBI. Singh said the court has to act quickly before the evidence against Deshmukh is destroyed.

E) Governor must send factual report to President: Maharashtra BJP. 

In a related development, the Maharashtra unit of the BJP today said the party will meet Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Wednesday to request him to send a factual report to the President regarding the developments following the letter by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh accusing Home Minister Anil Deshmukh of demanding ₹100 crore per month. Allegations levelled against Anil Deshmukh are extremely serious in nature. These need to be probed by a Supreme Court or High Court judge or by the CBI. The Governor should seek a detailed report from the Chief Minister and send it to the President after verifying it, said senior leader Sudhir Mungantiwar. Meanwhile, the Congress, which is part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government (with the Shiv Sena and the NCP), accused the BJP of trying to destabilise the coalition government. Addressing a press conference, Maharashtra Congress spokesman Sachin Sawant said it was not for the first time in India that a serving officer has leveled allegations against those in power. Questioning Singh’s claims, Sawant said, Deshmukh was in hospital after he tested positive for the novel coronavirus in February. I had had online interactions with Deshmukh on two occasions when he was indisposed. If Singh’s allegations are believed to be true then why did he wait till March and till he was transferred, to raise them. Sawant said Singh could be under pressure from the Central agencies since his close aide Sachin Vaze is in the custody of the NIA. Mr. Singh’s allegations raise several questions. All this is scripted. How did leaders of the BJP give sound bytes to news channels minutes after Singh’s letter became public? he asked.

F) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 11,652,756 with the death toll at 1,61,410. Pharma major AstraZeneca has said that advanced trial data from a U.S. study on its Covid-19 vaccine showed that it was 79% effective. Although AstraZeneca’s vaccine has been authorised in more than 50 countries, it has not yet been given the green light in the U.S. The U.S. study comprised 30,000 volunteers, 20,000 of whom were given the vaccine while the rest got dummy shots. The results were announced on March 22. In a statement, AstraZeneca said its Covid-19 vaccine had a 79% efficacy rate at preventing symptomatic Covid-19 and was 100% effective in stopping severe disease and hospitalisation. Investigators said the vaccine was effective across all ages, including older people which previous studies in other countries had failed to establish. The early findings from the U.S. study are just one set of information AstraZeneca must submit to the Food and Drug Administration. An FDA advisory committee will publicly debate the evidence behind the shots before the agency decides whether to allow emergency use of the vaccine.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) U.K. to unveil global focus in defence modernisation plans. 

The U.K. government will on Monday unveil much-anticipated military modernisation plans, vowing to bolster its defence of British interests across multiple domains and in all corners of the globe. The long-awaited proposals, detailed in a report entitled defence in a Competitive Age, focus heavily on boosting the country’s Navy and global footprint, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said. New commando force It promises more ships, sub marines and sailors and the transformation of the Royal Marines into a new unit called the Future Commando Force. The force will be deployed on an enduring basis to secure shipping lanes and uphold freedom of navigation, the MOD said. However, reports said the size of the Army would be reduced by around 10,000 to about 70,000 soldiers, the latest in a series of reductions in the last decade. The cut comes as the military shifts towards investment in robots, drones, and cyber warfare, the reports added. Despite that, the Army will create a new special operations Ranger Regiment, which would be able to operate discreetly in highrisk environments and be rapidly deployable across the world, the MOD said.

B) Riyadh presents ceasefire plan to Yemen’s Houthis.

Saudi Arabia presented a new peace initiative on Monday to end the war in Yemen, which would include a nationwide ceasefire under UN supervision and the reopening of air and sea links, the kingdom’s Foreign Minister said. The initiative includes the reopening of Sana’a airport, and would allow fuel and food imports through Hodeidah port, both of which are controlled by Riyadh’s enemies, the Iran-aligned Houthi movement. Political negotiations between the Saudi-backed government and the Houthis would be restarted, said Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. The initiative will take effect as soon as the Houthis agree to it, Prince Faisal said, calling on the group and the government to accept the offer. The Houthis have demanded the lifting of an air and sea blockade, which has contributed to the world’s worst humanitarian crisis in Yemen, as their main precondition before any deal. The Saudi-led coalition has said the port and airport must be restricted to prevent weapons from reaching the Houthis, who control the capital and most populous areas. The announcement did not specify which routes would be permitted for aircraft flying to Sana’a, or whether food or fuel imports through Hodeidah port would be subject to additional pre-authorisations.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
22 March 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Mumbai Police ex-chief Julio Ribeiro can probe allegations against Maharashtra Home Minister, says Sharad Pawar. 

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Sunday said the charges against senior NCP leader and Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, made by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, are ‘serious’ and any decision regarding him will be taken by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Pawar, however, questioned the timing of the allegations levelled by Singh. On Saturday, in an email letter to Chief Minister Thackeray, Singh had alleged that the Home Minister had asked police officers, including the suspended officer, Sachin Vaze, to collect ₹100 crore every month from bars and hotels in the city. Pointing out that the allegations were made after Singh was removed as police chief over the ‘lapses’ in the probe into the security threat outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence, Antilia, Pawar suggested an in-depth probe by former Mumbai top cop, Julio Ribeiro, whose credibility is beyond questioning. He also claimed that Sachin Vaze, who remained suspended for over 16 years for his role in a custodial death case, was reinstated by Singh last year and neither the Chief Minister nor the State Home Minister was responsible for it. The NCP chief told reporters at his official residence in Delhi that Param Bir Singh did meet him but it was only when his transfer orders were about to be issued by the Maharashtra government. The episode has led to tensions in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government as the Shiv Sena leadership is reported to be against Deshkmukh’s continuance as a minister. Pawar is learnt to have convened a meeting of party leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and State NCP chief Jayant Patil to discuss the issue. The NCP supremo also said the party must hear out Deshmukh, who has categorically denied all the allegations, before taking a final decision. There were allegations that he had directed the police to collect ₹100 crore. There is no information on actual transaction of money. No Information on any money being transferred to the Home Minister, he pointed out. The central leadership of the Congress party, the third partner in the MVA alliance, decided to adopt a ‘wait and watch approach’. Party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said the All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) Maharashtra in-charge, H.K, Patil, will speak on the issue soon.

B) West Bengal Assembly Elections | BJP manifesto promises CAA implementation. 

The BJP on Sunday promised implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), reservation of 33% for women in government jobs, and allocation of ₹18,000 pending to 75 lakh farmers under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi in its manifesto for the West Bengal Assembly polls. Releasing the party’s manifesto titled ‘Sonar Bangla Sonkolpo Potro 2021’, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the manifesto is a vision of realising the party’s slogan of ‘Sonar Bangla (Golden Bengal)’. Along with 33% reservation for women in government jobs, the BJP promised free education for girls from kindergarden to post-graduation, free rides for women in public transport, and conditional cash transfer to school-going girls in Class VI,IX, XI and XII. The Trinamool Congress has a conditional cash transfer scheme for school-going girls called Kanyashree Scheme, which has received international acclaim. Shah promised the implementation of CAA in the first Cabinet meeting of the BJP government in West Bengal. The BJP had promised implementation of CAA in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, and the Bill was passed in the Parliament the same year. During the run-up to the election campaign, the BJP leadership, including Shah, have maintained that the rules for the CAA were being framed and the Act will be implemented after the vaccination for Covid-19 is completed. The refugees who have come to the State as early as 70 years ago are still awaiting their rights. We will implement CAA in the first Cabinet of the BJP government. Under the CM Refugee Welfare scheme ₹10,000 will be given to each of the refugee families for the next five years, Shah said. CAA is an emotive issue for Matuas, Hindu refugees who migrated from Bangladesh. Matuas can influence electoral results in 40 out of the 294 seats in West Bengal.

C) Allahabad High Court to consider transfer of Hathras gang-rape and murder case. 

Responding to an affidavit filed by the elder brother of the Hathras gang-rape and murder victim to stay the trial proceedings in view of the real and grave risk of a miscarriage of justice after he and his counsel were allegedly threatened in the courtroom of the Special Judge (SC/ST), Hathras, on March 5, the Allahabad High Court has asked the District Judge, Hathras, and the Inspector General Central Reserve Police Force to look into the allegations and submit a report within 15 days. After that, the two-judge Bench of Justices Rajan Roy and Jaspreet Singh said on Friday that it would consider whether trial in question before the Special Judge (SC/ST), Hathras is required to be stayed and is to be transferred elsewhere in the exercise of powers under Section 407 of CrPc. Policemen cremated the body of a 19-year-old Dalit gang rape victim in the early hours of September 30, 2020 in U.P.’s Hathras district. The affidavit submitted by the victim’s brother on March 18 said that on March 5, when he, accompanied by his wife, and counsel Seema Kushawaha, went to the Special Court of B.D. Bharti to record prosecution evidence, an advocate named Tarun Hari Sharma stormed into the courtroom and charged towards him and his counsel, shouting and issuing threats. Sharma seemed to be under the influence of alcohol and he said that Kushwaha could not represent the victim’s family. The affidavit further said a large mob, including lawyers, gathered inside the courtroom in order to threaten and intimidate the complainant and his counsel. On account of fear for their life and security, the affidavit said, the prosecution witness could not depose properly. When the proceedings resumed, the affidavit stated, another advocate, Hari Sharma, who is said to be the father of Tarun Hari Sharma, entered the courtroom and issued threats. After this, the affidavit said, the Presiding Judge was forced to stop the proceedings, ask police personnel present in the court to provide security cover within court premises, and direct the Station House Officer (SHO), Kotwali to provide safe and secure passage to Kushwaha.

D) Two PDP leaders resign from party.

Two PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) leaders including Khursheed Alam, who was named in the party’s political affairs committee last week, resigned from the party on Sunday. Alam, a former trade union leader who joined PDP after retiring from government service, said he has resigned from the party as it lacked any vision. Asked about his future course of action, he said he will make an announcement about it in due course. Alam, who rose through the ranks in the Consumer Affairs Department, was a surprise induction in the PDP as it tried to strengthen its base in Srinagar City. Another PDP leader Yasir Reshi, who had rebelled against party president Mehbooba Mufti two years ago, said he has also sent his resignation formally. Reshi, who hails from Bandipora district in north Kashmir, said he will consult his workers and well-wishers before deciding on his future course.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) India, Pakistan, China to participate in SCO joint anti-terrorism exercise this year. 

India, Pakistan, China and other members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) will hold a joint anti-terrorism exercise this year, the eight-member bloc said. The decision to hold the joint exercise, ‘Pabbi-Antiterror-2021’, was announced during the 36th meeting of the Council of the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on March 18. At the meeting, representatives of the SCO member states also approved the draft program of cooperation for 2022-2024 to counter terrorism, separatism and extremism. Decisions have been made to improve cooperation between the competent authorities of the SCO member states in identifying and suppressing channels that finance terrorist activities, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency reported, quoting a RATS statement. Delegations of the competent authorities of India, Kazakhstan, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and the RATS Executive Committee attended the meeting, Xinhua reported. RATS, headquartered in Tashkent, is a permanent organ of the SCO which serves to promote cooperation of member states against terrorism, separatism and extremism. The SCO is an economic and security bloc in which India and Pakistan were admitted as full members in 2017. Its founding members included China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The next meeting of the Council of the RATS SCO is scheduled to be held in September in Uzbekistan.

B) Myanmar border shut amid strains over refugee crisis. 

Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga held a virtual meeting on Sunday with Foreign Minister of Myanmar Zin Mar Aung amid the ongoing military crackdown following the February coup, even as India sealed all entry points along the border with the southeast Asian neighbour and is closely monitoring them to prevent any Myanmar national from entering the country. Had a fruitful meeting [online] this morning with Zin Mar Aung, Hon’ble Foreign Minister, Myanmar. Our thoughts and prayers are with Myanmar in these trying times, Mr. Zoramthanga said on Twitter. He had earlier written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging intervention so that political refugees from Myanmar are given asylum and food and shelter in the country. The tussle between the Centre and the State on the issue has created a tough time for New Delhi and security agencies in handling the situation on the ground, multiple officials said. In the letter dated March 18, Mr. Zoramthanga said the people residing on both sides have close linkages. India cannot turn a blind eye to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in front of us in our own backyard, the Chief Minister said. The letter comes after a series of exchanges between the State and the Central governments over the handling of the refugees. Stating that the whole of Myanmar is in turmoil and innocent hapless citizens are being persecuted by the military regime, who are supposed to be their guardians and protectors, Mr. Zoramthanga said the Myanmar area bordering Mizoram is inhibited by Chin communities, who are ethnically our brethren with whom we have been having close contacts throughout all these years even before India became independent. Following the February 1 coup when the Myanmar military overthrew the democratically elected government, around 300 Myanmarese nationals, including many policemen, have crossed into India and sought refuge.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
21 March 2021

INTERNATIONAL NEWS:

A) U.S., India resolve to intensify defence cooperation.

India on Saturday resolved to intensify defence cooperation with the U.S. Central Command in Florida and with the U.S. Commands in the Indo-Pacific region and Africa. The announcement in this regard was made by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who held talks with U.S. Secretary of Defence General (Retd.) Lloyd James Austin III who described the partnership as a central pillar of the American policy for the Indo-Pacific. They reviewed the wide gamut of bilateral and multilateral exercises and agreed to pursue enhanced cooperation with the US Indo-Pacific Command, Central Command and Africa Command. Acknowledging that we have in place the foundational agreements, LEMOA, COMCASA and BECA, we discussed steps to be taken to realise their full potential for mutual benefit, said Mr. Singh at a joint meeting with the media at the Vigyan Bhavan. He said the bilateral discussion covered military-to-military engagement across services, information sharing, cooperation in emerging sectors of defence, and mutual logistics support. Mr. Austin’s visit is crucial as it comes in the midst of expectations that the U.S. is likely to deliver a message over India’s plans to acquire the Russian S-400 missile defence system in the coming months. The move could attract U.S. sanctions under a law named CAATSA (Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act). In a clear hint to Beijing’s growing military activities in the South China Sea region, Mr. Austin said the India-U.S. defence partnership will ‘grow’ in the coming years.

B) U.S. Defence Secretary brings up human rights concerns. 

The U.S. Defence Secretary also addressed the issue of human rights in India during his meetings with Cabinet Ministers here on Saturday. An informed source said the issue also came up during his conversation with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar which also covered a broad range of topics like the situation in Afghanistan and the West Asian tension. The Defense Secretary said as the two largest democracies in the world, human rights and values are important to us and they will lead with these values, said the source. Earlier, addressing a select group of American and Indian media outlets, Mr. Austin said he raised the violation of human rights of the Muslims in Assam with the Indian side. He did have a conversation with other members of the Cabinet on this issue, Mr. Austin was quoted saying by the NDTV. He however clarified that he did not have an opportunity to talk to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on reports of human rights violations targeting minority communities. They have to remember that India is their partner, a partner whose partnership they value. And he think partners need to be able to have those kinds of discussions. And certainly they feel comfortable doing that. And you can have those discussions in a very meaningful way and make progress, he said in a report that appeared on NDTV online.

C) China says it has agreed to work with U.S. on climate change, other issues.

China on Saturday said that it had agreed with the U.S. to take up climate change and a handful of other issues, signaling a possible modicum of progress at recently concluded talks that were otherwise marked by acrimonious public exchanges over the issues that divide the world’s two largest economies. The official Xinhua News Agency said in a dispatch from Anchorage, Alaska, where the two-day meeting wrapped up on Friday, that China and the U.S. had decided to set up a working group on climate change and hold talks to facilitate activities of diplomatic and consular missions and on issues related to each other’s journalists. The two countries feuded over journalist visas and consulates during the Trump administration, and climate change is seen as one area where they may be able to cooperate. Senior Biden administration officials held their first face-to-face meeting with their Chinese counterparts in Alaska since taking office earlier this year. The Xinhua report did not provide any details on the climate change working group, other than to say both countries were committed to enhancing communication and cooperation in the field.

D) Imran Khan tests positive for coronavirus. 

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday tested positive for the COVID-19 and is self-isolating at home, his top aide on health Dr. Faisal Sultan said, two days after he got the first shot of vaccination. Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan receiving a dose of the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine against the Covid-19 coronavirus, at the Prime Minister’s House in Islamabad on March 18. Mr. Khan, 67, was vaccinated on Thursday as part of the nationwide anti-coronavirus vaccination campaign which is underway in its first phase.

NATIONAL NEWS 

A) Assam Elections | Modi brings up ‘toolkit’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday accused the Congress of openly supporting forces that are out to finish the identity of Assam tea and destroy the tea industry. Addressing an election rally in this Upper Assam town, a day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi interacted with tea garden workers here, Mr. Modi alleged that the party is playing with the pride and glory of the oldest industry of the State. He said a toolkit recently sought to defame Assam tea, famous across the world, and Yoga, the legacy of our ancient saints, as part of a conspiracy. A conspiracy was hatched against Assam tea. You must have heard about a toolkit. It sought to destroy the tea gardens of Assam. No Indian will allow that, he said. The Prime Minister was apparently referring to Swedish environmentalist Greta Thunberg’s controversial toolkit, which she tweeted and then deleted, outlining ways in which people can participate in the farmers protest. Congress is supporting such forces. And while doing so it has the temerity to come here and seek votes of the tea garden workers. They have fallen so low. Who can understand the problems of tea workers better than a ‘chaiwala’, Mr. Modi said referring to his humble background when as a small boy he used to sell tea at a railway station and on trains in his native Gujarat.

B) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.

India reported 40,953 new coronavirus infections in the 24 hours ending 8 a.m. on March 20, the highest single-day rise in 111 days, taking the country’s cumulative COVID-19 tally to 1,15,55,284. The country also reported 188 deaths during this time taking the total death toll to 1,59,558, with 2,88,394 active cases currently, the Health Ministry said on March 20. As per data released by the Ministry, currently Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh continue to report a spike in new cases.

C) Police bust govt. job fraud nexus. 

Delhi police on Saturday claimed to have busted a gang that allegedly helped candidates for government jobs cheat in their examinations, and arrested four persons in connection with the crime. The accused posed as police officers and committed the crime in connivance with a private exam centre, they added. The gang has duped victims of around {20 lakhs till now. DCP (West) Urvija Goel said the accused Vaishali (26), alleged mastermind, Rohit (23), Love Kumar (26) and Himanshu (23) are all from Haryana. The police said they received information that illegal practices were taking place at 0m and Chander Associates Examination Centre in Naraina Industrial Area in the ongoing examination for the post of Forest Guard. Next, the police conducted a raid at the centre on March 4. When the phone was examined, evidence was recovered and the rest three persons were arrested from Delhi and Haryana, said an officer. The police said Vaishali along with her partner Anil Sharma who is absconding and other accomplices used to run the nexus in various States of north India and particularly in the rural areas to target unemployed youth. The accused asked the employees of the centre to provide phones to their candidates. The gang also used to send a dummy candidate, who would send the question paper to the kingpin. Next, Vaishali would use experts to solve the paper and send answers to their candidates sitting inside the centre with mobile phones, Ms. Goel explained.

D) Railway Ministry, others told to finalise parameters for locomotive engines.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Environment Ministry, Railway Ministry and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to finalise and approve parameters for locomotive engines. Taking note of a report filed by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF & CC), a Bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said that since the issue has been pending for over three years, we direct that the same be finalised at the earliest. In its report dated February 4, the Environment Ministry had said the draft standard was submitted by the CPCB on June 2, 2020. It also said following meetings, the proposal would be worked out in consultation with the Railways with clarity on the implementing agency, monitoring protocol and reporting mechanism on compliance. It is prayed that in order to delineate the appropriate provision for effective compliance of the NGT’s order six months is required, which includes four months for wide circulation of draft notification for inviting comments and two months for incorporation of comments, finalisation of notification and obtaining approval from the Ministry of Law and Justice, the report read. The directions came when the green panel was hearing a plea moved by petitioner SK. Goyal seeking execution of a 2017 order of the NGT where it was directed that guidelines containing locomotive standards be put up on the CPCB website and expeditious efforts made by all stakeholders, including the MoEF & CC.