Tag: CLAT

NATIONAL NEWS 

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

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

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

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

Opposition boycotts Rajya Sabha; blames Piyush Goyal for impasse  

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

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

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

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

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

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Canada joins US allies to boycott Beijing Winter Olympics.

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

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

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

NATIONAL NEWS 

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

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

Nagaland calls off major ongoing festival amid shutdown in Mon 

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

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

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

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

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

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

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

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

 

Olaf Scholz to be sworn in as new Germany Chancellor

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

NATIONAL NEWS 

Centre expresses regret over Nagaland firing incident: 

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

Rajya Sabha: Protests over suspension of MPs to intensify 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

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

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

Tougher restrictions in Italy for unvaccinated people amid Omicron concern

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

NATIONAL NEWS 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sindhu wins silver in BWF World Tour Finals  

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

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Russian President Vladimir Putin to arrive in India today

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

Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi jailed for four years

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

Winner of FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2021

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

New Exoplanet detected

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

India-Russia sign defence deal

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

 

NATIONAL NEWS

Farmers agree to meet the govt with demands 

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

Four persons infected with Omicron in the country 

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

India will have nine nuclear reactors by 2024

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

 

Earth Station of Doordarshan Kendra inaugurated in Gorakhpur

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

Ratan Tata to get Assam’s highest civilian award

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

Pradip Shah appointed as Chairman of National Asset Reconstruction Company

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

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

International Day of Banks: 04 December

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

World Cooperative Monitor report 2021: IFFCO ranks first

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

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

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

NATIONAL NEWS 

Govt seeks Parliament nod for ₹62,000 crore infusion in Air India Assets Holding Company 

The Government on Friday sought Parliament’s nod to infuse over ₹62,000 crore into the company that holds residual assets and liabilities of Air India after its privatisation, as part of over ₹3.73 lakh crore additional spending planned in the current financial year.  The extra spending would include ₹58,430 crore by way of additional fertiliser subsidy, ₹53,123 crore towards payment of pending export incentives, and ₹22,039 crore to rural development ministry for transfer to National Rural Employment Guarantee Fund.  Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary tabled the second batch of supplementary demands for grants tabled in Lok Sabha, envisaging a net cash outgo of over ₹2.99 lakh crore, and ₹74,517 crore extra expenditure would be matched by savings by different ministries.  As per the document, ₹62,057 crore would be given to the Civil Aviation Ministry for equity infusion in Air India Assets Holding Company (AIAHL) for re-payment of past government guaranteed borrowing and past dues/liabilities of Air India.  Besides, an additional ₹2,628 crore would be given towards loans and advances to Air India for recoupment of advance from Contingency Fund of India. The additional fertiliser subsidy include ₹43,430 crore on account of payment towards indigenous and imported Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) Subsidy and ₹15,000 crore towards urea subsidy scheme.  Besides, the Department of Food and Public Distribution would be given an additional ₹49,805 crore for meeting expenditure towards various schemes of food storage and warehousing.  The 2021-22 Budget had projected government’s total expenditure at ₹34.83 lakh crore. But this is expected to overshoot considering the two batches of supplementary demands for grants presented by the government so far. The government had in August received Parliament nod for net additional spending ₹23,675 crore in the first batch of supplementary demands for grants.   

No proposal for banning any group named ‘NSO Group’: Chandrasekhar 

 The government on Friday said there was no proposal to ban any group named ‘NSO Group’ and that it does not have any information on whether the US has blacklisted the group for providing Pegasus spyware.  Minister of State for Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrasekhar was responding to a written question in Rajya Sabha on the banning of NSO Group. On whether the U.S. has blacklisted NSO Group and Candiru for providing Pegasus spyware that was allegedly used to maliciously target journalists, embassy workers and activists, he said, “No such information is available in this ministry”.  To a question on whether the ministry has also banned the NSO Group in India, Chandrasekhar said, “There is no proposal for banning any group named ‘NSO Group.’”  Earlier this year, a row erupted over Israeli spyware Pegasus allegedly being used for targeted surveillance in India. In October, the Supreme Court set up a three-member independent expert panel to probe the alleged use of the spyware for targeted surveillance in India.  The apex court had also observed that the state cannot get a “free pass” every time the spectre of national security is raised and that its mere invocation cannot render the judiciary a “’mute spectator”.   

Protests over BJP MP’s Bill to amend Preamble  

A Bill to amend the Preamble to the Constitution to replace the word “socialist” with “equitable”, among other changes, being introduced by BJP MP K.J. Alphons led to protests by Opposition MPs on Friday.   The Preamble plaque at the Vidhana Soudha.    Alphons moved the motion to introduce the Constitution (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in the Upper House to which Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha objected.  “Amendment to the Preamble is an attack on the very edifice of the Constitution,” Prof. Jha said, adding that the Bill had not got the President’s prior consent.  Deputy Chairman Harivansh, however, said the Bill did not require President’s consent to be introduced and that the House would decide on the matter. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V. Muraleedharan suggested that a ruling be given at a later date, leading Harivansh to say the decision had been “reserved”.  Alphons’ Bill, which was among the many private member’s Bills listed for introduction on Friday afternoon, sought to change the words in the Preamble “EQUALITY of status and of opportunity” to “EQUALITY of status and of opportunity to be born, to be fed, to be educated, to get a job and to be treated with dignity”. The Bill also proposed adding “access to information technology” and “happiness” as objectives.  Among the other private member’s Bills introduced in the House were the Women’s (Reservation in Workplace) Bill, 2021 by DMK MP Tiruchi Siva, K.T.S. Tulsi’s Bill to amend the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution, setting a three-month limit on deciding matters of disqualification of members under the anti-defection law, and the Population Control Bill, 2021 by BJP MP Harnath Singh Yadav.   

Bills seeking to extend tenures of ED, CBI chiefs introduced in Lok Sabha  

The government introduced two Bills in the Lok Sabha on Friday that seek to extend the tenures of the directors of the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) up to a maximum of five years, amid protests from Opposition members, who said that the Bills were against the Supreme Court observations on the matter, and were being brought in to harass Opposition leaders from such agencies.  Minister of State for Personnel and Training Dr. Jitendra Singh introduced The Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and the Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2021 to replace ordinances that had been brought in the recess period.  Congress’s Shashi Tharoor raised objections to the two Bills, stating that it completely disregarded the Supreme Court’s observations that were clear in the view that extensions of tenure to superannuated officials should only be done in rare cases. The government’s move was mala fide.  Trinamool Congress member Saugata Roy opposed the move, contending that both the ED and CBI were used by the government to harass Opposition leaders. Congress members K. Suresh, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and RSP member N.K. Premachandran also opposed the introduction of the Bills. They said piecemeal extensions would lead to officers’ loyalty to the government.  Dr. Jitendra Singh, however, said the Bills were being brought in, as earlier laws only fixed a minimum limit on the tenures of the Directors of the CBI and the ED. “The earlier laws never put any limit on the tenures, we are limiting it to five years,” he noted.  The ordinances were necessitated as Parliament remained disrupted. Should the government stop working if the House didn’t work, he asked.  The CBI and ED chiefs enjoy a fixed tenure of two years from the date of their appointment in the wake of the directives of the Supreme Court in the famous Vineet Narain case. The ED Director is appointed by the government on the recommendation of a committee chaired by the Central Vigilance Commissioner and members comprising Vigilance Commissioners, the Home Secretary, Secretary DoPT and the Revenue Secretary. The CBI Director is selected on the basis of the recommendation of a committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the Chief of Justice of India and the Leader of Opposition.   

Implement panel’s anti-pollution measures, SC tells Centre, Delhi Govt.  

The Supreme Court on Friday approved the measure taken by the Centre’s Air Quality Commission to create an ‘Enforcement Task Force’ and flying squads to prevent and penalise polluters in Delhi NCR.  Appearing before a Bench led by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for the Centre, said the task force was formed on December 2.  Mehta, reading out from an affidavit filed by the commission in court, informed the court that 17 flying squads were formed on Thursday and would be increased to 40 in the next 24 hours.  The flying squads have already conducted 25 surprise checks since December 2.  These squads would directly report to the task force.  The court directed the Centre and the Delhi Government to implement the anti-pollution measures introduced by the commission.  The affidavit said industrial operations in NCR where gas was not available and not running on PNG or clean fuel would be allowed to operate for eight hours during weekdays and remain closed in weekends.  Senior advocate Vikas Singh, for petitioner, suggested harnessing solar or electrical energy to power the plants. When Uttar Pradesh objected to the eight-hour work day, saying the sugarcane farmers would be hit at the peak of the ongoing crushing season, the court asked the State to approach the commission.  The court posted the case to December 10. “We will keep this matter pending,” Chief Justice Ramana said. The court, in a hearing on Thursday, had questioned the very purpose of having the Air Quality Commission with the pollution levels continuing to go up. It had given the Centre a 24-hour deadline to act.   

Cyclone Jawad: Heavy rains expected in A.P., Odisha, West Bengal, Assam and Meghalaya from December 3 to 6  

Mohapatra, Director General of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), at a press conference on Friday said that a storm in the Bay of Bengal has intensified into a cyclonic storm, Jawad, this afternoon.  “The current wind speed is about 60-70 kmph and it’s now 420 km south east of Vishakapatnam, and 650 km south east of Paradip, Odisha,” said Mohapatra.  The maximum impact is expected on North Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. Maximum predicted wind speed is 90 kmph by evening of December 4.  Heavy rains are expected in AP, Odisha, West Bengal, Assam and Meghalaya from December 3 to 6. By noon of December 5, it will touch Puri coast and keep moving along the coast towards West Bengal.  Squally winds hitting 40-50 kmph will be felt from December 3. It will temporarily be a ‘severe cyclone’. By December 5, wind speeds are expected to touch a max of 90 kmph in some districts of Odisha. Fishing operations must be completely suspended.  Mohapatra said,  “This cyclone is expected to be much less intense than recent ones such as Titli, and nowhere near extreme ones such as Failin, Fani, Hudhud.”  Not all cyclones form an ‘eye’. Only severe and extreme ones do. Currently no eye has formed for Jawad, said IMD.  The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has earmarked 64 teams to tackle ‘Jawad’, which is expected to affect the states of Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, a senior officer said.  NDRF Director General (DG) Atul Karwal told reporters during a briefing here that while 46 teams have been deployed or pre-positioned in the vulnerable states, 18 teams have been kept in reserve.  

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

18 countries to celebrate ‘Maitri Diwas’ to commemorate India-Bangladesh friendship

‘Maitri Diwas’ will be marking the day that India recognized Bangladesh 10 days before its Liberation in 1971. Maitri Diwas will be celebrated in 18 countries all over the world. India was also one of the first countries in establishing bilateral diplomatic relations with the newly independent Bangladesh in 1971.

Russian President Vladimir Putin to visit India on December 6; to attend 21st India-Russia Annual Summit

The President of Russia Vladimir Putin will visit India on December 6, 2021. He will be in the country to attend the 21st India-Russia Annual Summit as well as the series of meetings that will take place between the two nations. The Summit will take place in the afternoon of December 6.

ADB approves $500-million loan to improve quality of school education

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $500 million loan to the Government of India to help improve the quality of the country’s school education and mitigate the impact of the Covid-19) pandemic on students’ learning. The loan supports the Integrated Scheme for School Education (Samagra Shiksha) and the new Exemplar School Initiative of the Ministry of Education (MOE) to improve education quality by focussing on inclusive and equitable learning outcomes.

Federal Bank launches an exclusive feature-rich scheme for women

Private sector lender, Federal Bank has launched a feature-rich savings bank product for women. The savings scheme is called Mahila Mitra Plus and provides a curated set of features, designed to make financial planning and investments easy for women.