Tag: currentaffairs

CURRENT AFFAIRS
02 May 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) 12 patients, including a doctor, die as Delhi’s Batra Hospital runs out of oxygen.

Twelve patients at Delhi’s Batra Hospital, including a senior doctor, died on Saturday and at least two other hospitals reported precipitous drops in their oxygen stocks. With the death of the 12 patients in the south Delhi hospital which announced at 12.30 p.m. that it had run out of oxygen the number of hospital patients who have lost their lives in the deepening crisis in the last eight days has gone up to 57. Batra first reported the deaths of eight, and revised the toll to 12 by evening. They are trying to resuscitate five other critical patients, Dr. S C L Gupta, medical director of Batra hospital, told PTI earlier in the day. Six of the patients who died were admitted to the ICU, he said. Among those who died due to the lack of oxygen were Dr R K Himthani, head of the gastroenterology department who had been admitted to the hospital for the last 15-20 days. He said the government had sent out SOS messages about oxygen shortage on Saturday. The hospital had informed authorities about lack of oxygen in the morning when only 2,500 litres were left. Then, at around 12.30 pm, hospital authorities claimed they had run out of oxygen. The tanker arrived at 1.35 pm. Dr. Bankata had said at 12:15 pm that the oxygen situation was  extremely critical  and the hospital is not being able to  support ventilated patients . Around 1 pm, he said in a video statement,  We have just run out of oxygen. Currently we are surviving on some oxygen cylinders, but that will also run out over the next 10 minutes.  The hospital has a total of 307 Covid-19 patients, the doctor said.

B) Supply 490 MT oxygen to Delhi today or face contempt: HC to Centre.

The Delhi High Court on Saturday warned the Central government of initiating contempt proceedings against its officers for their failure to fulfill the 490 metric tonnes of oxgen allocated for Delhi even for a single day. A bench of Justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Rekha Palli said,  Pertinently, the allocation to Delhi, which was earlier of 480 MT (since April 20, 2021), and now is of 490 MT has not been fulfilled even for a single day. In case, this order is not implemented, the concerned officers of the Central Government viz. Piyush Goyal and Sunita Dawra shall remain present during the hearing on May 3,  the high court ordered. Looking to the situation, we make it clear that we may even consider initiating Contempt Proceedings in case of non-compliance,  the high court cautioned. The High Court gave the direction after taking a serious view of a statement made by Dr. S. Bankata, Executive Director of Batra Hospital that there was a delay in supply of Oxygen due to which oxygen supply was interrupted for about an hour and a half, which has led to loss of 12 lives, including a doctor of the hospital. Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, representing the Delhi government, informed the court at 03:05 p.m. that he has received an SOS message from Bidhuri, who is the officer tasked with the job of ensuring supply to hospitals in Delhi, that Delhi’s reserves are exhausted. Mehra said there was no supply or minimal supply from the plants of Linde and Air Liquide on Saturday. He expressed serious concerns as to how the Capital would tide over the shortage on Saturday, as a lot of hospitals and nursing homes have run out of medical Oxygen, or would do so in the coming few hours. During the hearing, the high court also remarked that Delhi is not an industrial State, and does not have availability of cryogenic tankers of its own which could be requisitioned under the Disaster Management Act like other States have done.

C) 18 dead in fire at Covid-19 hospital in Gujarat.

Sixteen Covid-19 patients and two nurses died in a tragic fire in the ICU ward of Welfare Hospital in Bharuch. This is the second fire incident in which multiple casualties were reported from Gujarat. Earlier this week, five persons had died when a fire broke out in an ICU ward of a private Covid-19 hospital in Surat. There were around 50 other patients at the four- storeyed Welfare Hospital when the fire broke out in the COVID-19 ward at 1 a.m. In the Bharuch hospital, the fire occurred in an ICU ward and quickly spread to the entire floor of a four storey building where more than 50 COVID-19 patients were undergoing the treatment. A total of 18 persons died in the fire including 16 patients and two nurses,  a statement issued by the district police stated. The deceased included eleven female and seven male.

D) More than 700 teachers died of Covid-19 during U.P. panchayat polls: Priyanka Gandhi.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday alleged that over 700 teachers have died of Covid-19 because of their involvement in the conduct of panchayat elections in Uttar Pradesh amid a catastrophic onslaught of the second wave. She said it is  nothing less than a crime against humanity  and charged the State Election Commission (SEC) with  playing along. The party in-charge of U.P. claimed that a pregnant woman was among the victims. The State government’s actions amounted to ‘terrorising’ the people and hiding the truth from them, she said. The polling for the four-phase elections ended on Thursday with a turnout of 75% in the final phase.  These elections have been conducted in almost 60,000 gram sabhas of U.P. without any thought of the catastrophic onslaught of the second wave. Meetings were conducted, campaigning continued, and the spread of Covid-19 in U.P.’s villages is now unstoppable. People are dying in numbers far, far above the deceitful official figures,  Vadra said in a series of tweets. People were dying in their homes across rural U.P., and these deaths are not being counted as pandemic-related because people aren’t being tested, she claimed.

E) Supreme Court refuses to defer counting process of U.P. panchayat elections.

The Supreme Court on Saturday refused to intervene in an appeal to defer the counting process in the Uttar Pradesh panchayat elections on May 2 after the State and Election Commission gave assurances that Covid-19 protocols would be adhered to. Appearing before a Bench of Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and Hrishikesh Roy in a special sitting, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, for the State, said essential measures (protocol) for safety and security of everyone concerned in the counting centres, including the recent notifications on April 29 and April 30 on COVID, would be complied with. Bhati said strict curfew would be imposed in areas notified by the authorities, in particular, in and around the counting centres. The curfew would continue till the declaration of results. That will ensure that only the candidates and their authorised representatives would be able to visit/enter the counting centres and gathering of general public is avoided,  the order noted. The court also recorded that the undertaking given by the State Election Commission that the CCTV recording would be done at the counting centres and preserved.

F) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 1,93,03,178 with the death toll at 2,12,966. Some private hospital chains commenced the Covid-19 immunisation drive for the 18-44 age group at limited centres in the country on May 1, officials said. Apollo Hospitals sources said the drive commenced at its centres in Hyderabad and Kolkata, but not in Delhi. They said that they are waiting for the vaccines to arrive and that the immunisation in Delhi is likely to begin either by Monday or Tuesday. Max Healthcare announced the drive will begin at  select hospitals in the network in the NCR of Delhi . The drive is yet to begin at Fortis Healthcare since it is waiting for the vaccine doses to arrive, sources said, adding it will start later in the day. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced that the lockdown in the Capital would be extended by one more week. This means restrictions will be in place till May 10. This will be the second extension of the lockdown in the city to contain the pandemic and, effectively, mean that restrictions remain in force continuously for three weeks. India on Saturday received the first consignment of Russia’s Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, according to the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC). The CBIC in a tweet said that Hyderabad customs expedited the clearance of the vaccine imported from Russia. The government last month allowed emergency use of imported vaccines to curb the spread of coronavirus infection and waived customs duty on their imports.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) U.S. to restrict travel from India starting May 4. 

In view of the very high numbers of Covid-19 cases and multiple strains of the virus in India, the United States will restrict travel of non-citizens from the country, starting on Tuesday, Eastern U.S. time. President Joe Biden issued a proclamation on Friday afternoon prohibiting the entry of non-citizens (the administration has done away with the term ‘alien’) who have been physically present in India for 14 days prior to their entry or attempted entry into the U.S. There is a long list of exemptions and the order will be reviewed every 30 days. H-1B and L holders and their dependants are not automatically exempt from the restrictions. The entry restrictions do not apply to lawful permanent residents (LPRs or green card holders); non-citizens married to Americans or green card holders; non-citizen parents or legal guardians of minors (under 21) who are U.S. citizens or green card holders; siblings of unmarried citizens or LPRs, provided they are both under 21 and unmarried and other categories of travellers. Those travelling on immigrant visas are also exempt from the restrictions, a State Department spokesperson confirmed. All routine visa appointments at the U.S. Embassy New Delhi and the consulates in Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata are cancelled until May 15 and at the consulate in Mumbai until May 28  due to Covid-19, a State Department spokesperson said.

B) Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan agree to a ceasefire after deadly clashes. 

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan on Saturday claimed another breakthrough in their bid to end the worst clashes at their shared border in memory as several thousand Kyrgyz demonstrators rallied against what they called an invasion attempt by their Central Asian neighbour. Clashes between communities over land and water along the long-contested border are regular occurrences, with border guards often getting involved. However, this week’s violence was by far the most serious during the Central Asian pair’s 30 years of independence. Kyrgyzstan’s Health Ministry said that its death toll from the shooting that began between the two militaries on Thursday had reached 34, with a hundred injured. The two Presidents spoke by telephone Monday in a bid to preserve the ceasefire that was agreed on Thursday but which broke down on both Friday and Saturday. That prefaced a meeting of delegations headed by the countries’ respective national security committee chiefs, in which the pair agreed to create working groups to help enforce the ceasefire, Kyrgyzstan’s national security committee said. Russia said it hoped the countries would strictly follow the commitments made during bilateral talks.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
01 May 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Citing supply issues, several States defer COVID-19 vaccination for people above 18.

The several States including Delhi, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have deferred the third phase of the COVID-19 vaccination drive, which is scheduled to be rolled out for all adults from May 1. Punjab, Gujarat, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to have flagged a shortage of vaccine. Delhi Chief Minister on Friday said all citizens would be vaccinated against COVID-19 in the next three months, but appealed to citizens against queuing up outside vaccination centres in the Capital from Saturday. Our intent is to ensure that all the citizens of Delhi are vaccinated against COVID in the next 3 months. We are yet to receive vaccine shots to be administered and are in touch with the company manufacturing it; we should start receiving it over two to three days, Mr. Kejriwal said during a digital briefing.  Karnataka’s Health and Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar too made a similar appeal. They have placed orders for one crore doses of vaccine and the manufacturers are yet to officially give us confirmation as to when they will be able to deliver. Till we intimate you, please do not visit hospitals although you have enrolled on the CoWIN portal, the Minister said. The State has an estimated 3.5 crore people in this category. Tamil Nadu had placed an order of 1.5 crore doses of vaccine, which is yet to arrive. State Health Secretary Dr J Radhakrishnan told reporters: instead of waiting till tomorrow (and disappoint people), he wish to clarify (now) that we are unsure when and how much out of 1.5 crore doses of vaccine sought by Tamil Nadu, will arrive. The Arunachal Pradesh government has officially deferred the roll-out of the COVID-19 inoculation drive for those in the 18-44 years age group until further orders citing technical issues. The Jammu and Kashmir administration said the new date for vaccination drive will be announced once the supply is established. Similarly, a senior official of Telangana health department said though the state government is in touch with vaccine manufacturers, there is no certainty on when the stocks would be available for the mass vaccination. In Andhra Pradesh too, according to a senior official in the government, inoculation may not start on May 1 in the state as planned due to delay in procurement of vaccine from manufacturers.

B) Clampdown on citizens seeking COVID-19 help on Internet will be treated as contempt of court: SC.

The Supreme Court on Friday warned State governments and police against clamping down on the spread of information or calls for help through social media from citizens affected by COVID-19. The observation was made during a suo moto hearing in which the court had taken cognizance on issues related to oxygen supply, drug supply, and vaccine policy in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, said there should not be any clampdown on information. A Special Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud, L. Nageswara Rao and S. Ravindra Bhat said any move by any State to punish citizens who take to the social media to seek help for oxygen cylinders, COVID-19 drugs, beds, hospitalisation, etc, amid a rampaging second wave would attract contempt of court action. Justice Chandrachud said free flow of information in the 1970 famine enabled the government to tackle problem effectively as compared to clampdown during the 1918 pandemic. Justice Rao reminded the States that this was a time of great crisis. The Bench said empathy and action should be the rule of the day. At one point, Justice Chandrachud questioned how the Centre intended to ensure registration for vaccines for illiterate people considering the fact that the COWIN app registration was mandatory. The Bench also asked how the Centre expected a sense of equity from the vaccine manufacturers. Justice Bhat pointed out that manufacturers were charging ₹150 from the Centre while vaccines to the States were priced at ₹300.

C) Facebook to roll out vaccine finder tool on a mobile app in India. 

Facebook on Friday said it is partnering with the Indian government to roll out a vaccine finder tool on its mobile app in India, which will help people identify places nearby to get inoculated. The social media giant had, earlier this week, announced a $10 million grant for emergency response efforts for COVID-19 situation in the country. Partnering with the Government of India, Facebook will begin rolling out its Vaccine Finder tool on the Facebook mobile app in India available in 17 languages to help people identify places nearby to get the vaccine, Facebook said in a post on the platform. In this tool, vaccine centre locations and their hours of operation have been provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country has crossed 15.22 crore. Also, more than 2.45 crore people have registered themselves on the Co-WIN digital platform ahead of Phase-3 of the COVID-19 vaccination for those above 18 years that is set to start from May 1. Facebook said its tool will also show walk-in options (for 46 years and above) and a link to register on the Co-Win website and schedule vaccination appointment.

D) COVID cases may peak next week, according to a government advisor. 

India’s coronavirus cases may peak between May 3-5, according to a mathematical model of a team of scientists advising the government, a few days earlier than a previous estimate as the virus has spread faster than expected. Their belief is that by next week, the daily new cases nationwide would have peaked, M. Vidyasagar, head of a government-appointed group of scientists modelling the trajectory of infections, told Reuters. The group previously told senior government officials in a presentation on April 2 that cases would peak between May 5-10, said Mr. Vidyasagar. They said (at that presentation) that it was not a matter of putting up some structures that would come up in July or August, because by then the wave will have ended, he said. Try to figure out how we’re going to fight the fight for the next four to six weeks, that was the message. Don’t waste a lot of time putting up long-term solutions because your problem is right now. The real number of infections is believed to be 50 times more, said Mr. Vidyasagar, as many people who contract the disease show no symptoms.

E) Modi tells Ministers to address local issues, gather feedback.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday asked Ministers to reach out to people in their respective regions to help them and gather feedback regarding the ongoing second wave of COVID-19 in the country. The Council of Ministers met via video conferencing to discuss the second wave, terming the current crisis a once in a century crisis, a government statement said. PM Narendra Modi said that all arms of the government are working unitedly and rapidly to deal with the situation. He also urged the Ministers to stay in touch with people of their respective regions, help them and keep getting their feedback. He stressed upon the need to ensure that issues at the local level are promptly identified and addressed, the statement read. The Ministers reviewed the efforts made by the Central and state governments over the past 14 months, it said. The Council of Ministers also stressed the importance of COVID appropriate behaviour– wearing a mask, keeping physical distance of 6 feet and washing hands frequently. The Council reiterated that the participation of society is a key aspect to accomplish the gigantic task ahead and expressed confidence that the country will rise to the occasion and defeat the virus, the government said.

F) West Bengal government announces partial shutdown.

The West Bengal government has announced a partial shutdown amid the massive surge in coronavirus cases. The state on Thursday logged its highest ever count of 17,403 fresh cases. Shopping complexes, beauty parlours, cinema halls, sports facilities and spas will remain shut, markets will be allowed to function for only five hours every day – 7-10 am and 3-5 pm. Restaurants, bars, gyms and swimming pools will remain shut, the state government said, adding home deliveries and other online services will be permitted. Counting for the eight-phased Assembly elections will take place on May 2. The state government has said all anti-Covid rules will have to be followed at the counting centres.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan seek to ease cross-border tensions.

A ceasefire on the border between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan largely held on Friday following a day of intense fighting between the two ex-Soviet Central Asian neighbours that killed 39 people and wounded more than 175. More than 7,000 Kyrgyz residents have been evacuated from the area engulfed by the fighting as troops from the two countries exchanged gunfire around a water supply facility near the village of KokTash, located in western Kyrgyzstan on the border with Tajikistan. Both nations have claimed the area around the water supply facility in KokTash, a dispute dating back decades to when they were both part of the Soviet Union. Kyrgyz officials reported firing on the border early on Friday but later said the truce was being observed. Kyrgyzstan’s Deputy Health Minister, Jalalidin Rakhmatullayev, told the Interfax news agency that 31 people died and 154 others were injured in the clashes, which marked the worst outbreak of hostilities between the two countries since they gained independence in the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union. Local officials in Tajikistan’s city of Isfara reported eight dead and over 30 wounded.  A large part of the TajikKyrgyz border remains unmarked, fuelling fierce disputes over water, land and pastures. The latest conflict erupted on Wednesday when Tajik officials attempted to mount surveillance cameras to monitor the water supply facility amid the tensions over water distribution, and Kyrgyz residents opposed the move. Both sides began hurling stones at each other and troops quickly entered the fray.

A) 45 dead in Israel pilgrimage stampede. 

A massive stampede at a densely packed Jewish pilgrimage site killed at least 45 people in Israel on Friday, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised an investigation into one of the nation’s worst disasters. The nighttime carnage struck after pilgrims thronged to Meron at the site of the reputed tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, a second century Talmudic sage, where mainly ultra-Orthodox Jews, or haredim, mark the Lag Baomer holiday. The Health Ministry put the death toll at 45. The Magen David Adom rescue agency said an estimated 150 had been injured. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was helicoptered in to the scene in Israel’s far north, said the Mount Meron disaster was one of the worst to befall the country since its foundation seven decades ago. What happened here is heartbreaking. There were people crushed to death, including children, he said in a tweet. He promised a thorough, serious and in-depth investigation in order to ensure that such a disaster does not This year’s pilgrimage drew tens of thousands of people who were seen packed together joyfully singing, dancing and lighting bonfires before the deadly In a cruel irony, the Baomer holiday celebrates the end of a plague that killed thousands of Talmudic students at the time of Rabbi Bar Yochai.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
30 April 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Exit polls project tight race in West Bengal, predict DMK-led alliance to win in Tamil Nadu.

Exit polls on Thursday forecast a tight contest between the incumbent Trinamool Congress and the BJP in the high-profile West Bengal assembly polls, while the ruling Left combine was projected to retain power in Kerala and so was the case for the saffron party in Assam. Exit polls also projected DMK-led opposition alliance as a winner in Tamil Nadu, while the Congress-led alliance was seen losing the neighbouring Puducherry by some pollsters. As the first exit polls began getting telecast soon after the eight-phase elections ended in West Bengal, the ruling TMC was seen in a tight contest with the BJP in assembly polls for the politically important state, while projections for the neighbouring Assam gave a clear edge to the BJP-led alliance over the Congress-led opposition. In West Bengal, the Republic-CNX polls gave the BJP a slight edge by projecting 138-148 seats for the party in the 294-seat assembly and 128-138 seats to the TMC. However, Times Now-C Voter predicted a clear majority for the TMC by projecting 162 seats for the party and 115 for the BJP. In Assam, India Today-Axis My India predicted 75-85 seats for the BJP in the 126-member assembly and 40-50 to the Congress-led opposition. Today’s Chanakya predicted 70 seats for the saffron alliance and 56 for the Congress-led opposition. In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the ruling Left combine and the DMK-led opposition alliance respectively were projected ahead of their respective rivals. Jan Ki Baat exit polls, however, predicted a strong majority for the BJP in West Bengal, giving it 162-185 seats, against 104-121 to the ruling TMC.

B) Delhi and Madras High Courts pull up Centre on pandemic management.

The Madras High Court on Thursday wondered what the Centre had been doing for the last 14 months, instead of jostling now, when the second wave of Covid-19 is at its peak. The court said there cannot be ad-hocism in dealing with a pandemic and that the Centre should have acted in a planned and informed manner with expert advice. Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee made the observations when Additional Solicitor General R. Sankaranarayanan listed out the measures being taken by the Centre now to control the pandemic and said that the second wave was unexpected. The submissions were made during the hearing of a suo motu public interest litigation petition. The Delhi High Court also posed some tough questions to the Centre, asking it to explain why Delhi has been allotted less oxygen that it needed whereas other states such as Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh have been given more than what they had asked for. Senior advocate Rahul Mehra, representing the Delhi government, had claimed that while Delhi’s requirement was 700 MT per day, it was allocated 480 and 490 MT (metric tones) , and the Centre has not increased it. The court was informed that Maharashtra, which had demanded 1,500 MT, was allocated 1,661 MT, and Madhya Pradesh, which had asked for 445 MT, had been allocated 543 MT. A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said that the Centre has to either show some justification for this or make amends. It gave the Centre a day to respond.

C) Facebook blocks hashtag calling for PM Modi to resign, unblocks it after outcry.

Social media giant Facebook on Wednesday temporarily blocked posts with a hashtag calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the government’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. The blocking comes a couple of days after the Indian government had asked social media platforms to take down around 100 posts which it alleged were done to create panic about the Covid-19 situation in India by using unrelated, communally sensitive posts and misinformation. Following this, microblogging website Twitter had removed over 50 posts from its platform. A majority of these tweets were critical of the Centre’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. As per The Guardian, Facebook’s temporary block led to hiding of about 12,000 posts highlighting the plight of patients and families dealing with the pandemic amid shortage of beds and medicines. They temporarily blocked this hashtag by mistake, not because the Indian government asked us to, and have since restored it, a Facebook spokesperson said in an e-mailed statement. A lot of users on Twitter and other platforms had drawn attention to the blocking of the hashtag before Facebook moved to restore the blocked posts.

D) Centre, States failed to prepare for predictable second wave, says International Commission of Jurists.

The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) on Thursday called on the Centre and the State governments to comply with court orders regarding oxygen supply, hospital beds and medicines for Covid-19, adding that the governments had failed to prepare for the second wave of the pandemic. The Indian government must urgently remedy failures that have aggravated the impact of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and led to people in the country suffering record-high rates of infection and death, the ICJ said in a statement. It urged the Centre and the State governments to follow judicial orders regarding medical care and vaccines. ICJ secretary-general Sam Zarifi said that the Indian federal and State governments failed to prepare for the predictable second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, aggravating the horrific impact of the pandemic and the avoidable tragedy of between 1,500 to over 3,000 deaths daily. The ICJ noted that India had reported over 2,00,000 cases every day since April 15 and 3,60,960 cases on April 27, the highest in the world. Many hospitals have reportedly turned away patients due to lack of space, and some hospitals have asked those they admit to sign forms accepting the risk in case of death caused by exhaustion of oxygen supply. The government’s failures have driven people to seek recourse in the courts, the ICJ said.

E) Bharat Biotech reduces Covaxin price for States.

Covaxin-maker Bharat Biotech on Thursday said it will supply the vaccine to State governments at ₹400 per dose. A reduction of ₹200 from the ₹600 it had set last week for State government supplies, the announcement comes a day after Serum Institute of India said it is lowering the price of Covishield for States to ₹300 per dose, from the earlier announced ₹400. Bharat Biotech said that recognising the enormous challenges to the public health care system, we have made Covaxin available to State governments at a price of ₹400 per dose. Stating it is deeply concerned with the critical pandemic circumstances that India is facing, the company said it wished to be transparent in our approach to pricing. The price, a statement said, was determined by internally funded product development, several operationally intensive BSL-3 manufacturing facilities, and clinical trials.

F) Umpires pull out of IPL amid Covid-19 concerns.

India’s top umpire Nitin Menon and his Australian counterpart Paul Reiffel have pulled out of the IPL due to personal reasons. It is learnt that Menon, a resident of Indore, left the IPL bio-bubble after his wife and mother tested positive for Covid-19. Menon is the only Indian in the ICC elite panel of umpires and was recently praised for his work during India’s home series against England. Yes, Nitin has left as his immediate family members have Covid-19 and he is currently not in a mental state to conduct games, a BCCI official told PTI. In Reiffel’s case, the Australian government imposing a travel ban from India in the wake of the rising Covid-19 cases led to his quick departure. Menon is the second Indian to pull out after Indian off spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who withdrew from the tournament. Three Australians, Andrew Tye, Kane Richardson, and Adam Zampa, have have left home due to the unprecedented health crisis in India. However the BCCI is going ahead with the tournament and interim CEO Hemang Amin has assured all players and support staff that they remain safe in the bio-bubble.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) The U.S. advises citizens to leave India as soon as possible as Covid-19 cases surge.

The United States has issued a Level 4 Travel Health Notice and asked its citizens to leave India as soon as it is safe to do so in view of the escalating Covid-19 pandemic and limited access to medical care. The highest level of advisory came in the backdrop of the announcement of oxygen-related support and medical assistance from the Joe Biden administration to India. New cases and deaths from COVID-19 have risen sharply throughout India to record levels. COVID-19 testing infrastructure is reportedly constrained in many locations. Hospitals are reporting shortages of supplies, oxygen, and beds for both COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 related patients, announced a ‘Health Alert’ from the U.S. State Department. The advisory said access to medical care had become severely limited in India due to the surge in COVID-19 cases and urged U.S. citizens to opt for direct flights between India and the U.S. that were currently operating daily. The Level 4 Travel Advisory has urged U.S citizens not to travel to India because of the pandemic.

B) China launches a key module for its permanent space station. 

China on Thursday launched the main module of its first permanent space station that will host astronauts for the long term, in the latest success for a programme that has realised a number of its growing ambitions in recent years. The Tianhe, or the Heavenly Harmony module, blasted into space atop a Long March 5B rocket from the Wenchang Launch Center on the southern island province of Hainan. The launch kicks off the first of 11 missions necessary to complete, supply and crew the station by the end of next year. China’s space programme also recently brought back the first new lunar samples in more than 40 years and it also expects to land a probe and rover on the surface of Mars later next month. Minutes after the launch, the fairing opened to expose the Tianhe atop the core stage of the rocket, with the characters for China Manned Space emblazoned on its exterior. Soon after, it separated from the rocket, which will orbit for about a week before falling to Earth, and minutes after that, opened its solar arrays to provide a steady energy source. A message of congratulations from state leader and head of the ruling Communist Party Xi Jinping was also read to staff at the Wenchang Launch Center.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
29 April 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Glitches on CoWIN platform as COVID-19 vaccination registration begins for 18+.

As the registration of all citizens above 18 years of age for vaccination against COVID-19 started on the CoWIN portal at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, many people took to social media to complain about the technical problems they faced. The third phase of the inoculation drive, which would also include those between 18 and 45 years, is scheduled to begin from May 1. Some of them complained that the portal was not responding while others complained that it had crashed. At 4.35 p.m., a tweet from the verified Twitter handle of the Aarogya Setu mobile application said the CoWIN portal is working and that there was a minor glitch at 4 p.m., which was fixed. Cowin portal is working. There was a minor glitch at 4 pm that was fixed. 18 plus can register, it said. After registration, taking an appointment to get a Covid-19 vaccine jab would be mandatory for those aged between 18 and 44 years as walk-ins will not be allowed initially, officials had said. Appointments will be based on slots made available by states and private vaccination centres. Those above 45 years of age can still avail the facility of on-site registration to get vaccinated, they had said. An increased demand is expected once the vaccination is opened for all. For the purpose of crowd control, registering on the CoWIN portal and making an appointment to get a vaccine will be mandatory for those aged between 18 and 45 years. Walks-in will not be allowed in the beginning so that there is no chaos, an official had said. The inoculation process and the documents to be provided to get the jab remain the same. Media reports, citing government sources, said that the site, post-glitches, was getting 27 lakh hits a minute.

B) Shift journalist Kappan to a hospital in Delhi, SC tells U.P. govt.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Uttar Pradesh government to shift journalist Siddique Kappan to a hospital in Delhi, like the Ram Manohar Lohia or the AIIMS. A Bench of Chief Justice N.V. Ramana, Justices Surya Kant and A.S. Bopanna directed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for the State, to shift Mr. Kappan to a Delhi hospital for proper medical treatment. The order came despite serious objections raised by Mehta on behalf of the State. Mehta said Kappan was found COVID-negative in an RT-PCR test and he cannot be singled out among other inmates for treatment in a hospital in Delhi. He said he could be kept in a hospital in Mathura. He said there were hundreds of other inmates with or without co-morbidities. But the Bench pointed out that the plea concerned the health of a man. The Bench said the State has an obligation to protect the health of an individual. It said it was not going into anything except that Kappan received medical treatment in a hospital outside U.P. Once he is sound of health, the court said, he would be brought back to Mathura jail, from where he could take appropriate measures for relief in accordance with the law, the Bench noted.  The Kerala Union of Working Journalists (KUWJ) alleged that Kappan has been chained to a cot in the hospital he was admitted to, after falling in the bathroom and later testing positive for Covid-19.

C) SII cuts Covishield price for states to ₹300 per dose.

With a number of States expressing their inability to commence the third phase of vaccination from May 1 owing to vaccine scarcity, the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) on Wednesday announced that it was reducing the price of its Covishield vaccine to the States from ₹400 to ₹300 per dose as a philanthropic gesture. As a philanthropic gesture on behalf of SII, I hereby reduce the price to the states from ₹400 to ₹300 per dose, effective immediately; this will save thousands of crores of state funds going forward. This will enable more vaccinations and save countless lives, said SII CEO Adar Poonawalla on Twitter. SII had earlier given its per dose pricing of its ‘Covishield’ vaccine as ₹150 for the Central government, ₹400 for State governments and ₹600 for private hospitals while Bharat Biotech (which rolls out ‘Covaxin’) had quoted ₹150 for the Centre, ₹600 for State governments, and ₹1200 for private hospitals. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Health Minister Rajesh Tope today said that despite the Centre announcing the third phase to begin from May 1, it would not be possible to begin the vaccinations on that date as the only two indigenous producers SII and Bharat Biotech could not supply the requisite amounts of doses for the smooth conduct of the inoculation drive.

D) India declines UN’s offer of assistance, says it has ‘robust system’

India has declined assistance offered by the United Nations of its integrated supply chain for Covid-19-related material, saying the country has a robust system to deal with the required logistics, a spokesperson for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said. One of the things we did is we offered the assistance of our integrated supply chain if it was required. We’ve been told at this point that it’s not needed because India has a reasonably robust system to deal with this. But our offer stands, and we’re willing to help in whatever way we can, Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the UN Chief, said in response to a question by PTI. On whether any shipments of essential materials from UN agencies are expected to reach India amid the crisis, Haq said, None have been sought so far, but like he said, they do have people, including our people who deal with operational and logistical issues who are willing to help, if we’re needed, and we’re in touch with our counterparts in India to see whether that will be useful.

E) Home Ministry notifies GNCT Act that effectively makes L-G the ‘government’ of Delhi.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Wednesday issued a gazette notification stating that the provisions of the Government of National Capital Territory (GNCT) of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2021, would be deemed to have come into effect from April 27. This comes a day after the Delhi High Court cautioned the Delhi government to put its house in order over the issue of inadequate oxygen supply in the city, adding that the Centre would be asked to take over if the Delhi government couldn’t manage the situation created by the pandemic at hand. The Act, which gives the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) of Delhi more teeth and substantially waters down the powers of both the elected government and the Legislative Assembly, will clarify the expression Government and address ambiguities in legislative provisions to promote harmonious relations between the legislature and the executive. Coming as the development does in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Act is expected to trigger another round of confrontation between the L-G and the Delhi government under the AAP.

F) EC mandates rules for Assembly polls’ counting day.

The Election Commission of India (EC) on Wednesday made it mandatory for all candidates and their agents to have either negative Covid-19 test results or both doses of a vaccine before entering the counting halls on May 2, when votes in the five ongoing Assembly polls are tabulated. The EC issued instructions for counting of votes in the West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry elections at a time the country is going through an unprecedented surge of Covid-19. On Tuesday, the EC had banned all victory processions on May 2, and restricted the number of people accompanying winning candidates to collect their certificate of election from the Returning Officer to two. In view of the second wave of the pandemic and in order to ensure a completely Covid-safe arrangements during counting, the Commission has been regularly consulting the Chief Secretaries and the Chief Electoral Officers of all five poll going States/ UT and has taken their views and safety measures/ protocol to be followed during the pandemic, an EC statement said. The EC ordered the District Election Officers (DEO) to be the Nodal Officers for counting centres in order to make sure Covid-19-related rules are followed. No candidates/agents will be allowed inside the counting hall without undergoing RT-PCR/RAT test or without having two doses of vaccination against Covid-19 and will have to produce negative RT-PCR report or RAT report or vaccination reports within 48 hours of start of counting, the EC instructions read. It added that the DEO should make arrangements for the tests before counting day.

G) Trinamool candidate’s widow files case of culpable homicide against West Bengal Deputy Election Commissioner.

In a first, the widow of Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate Kajal Sinha, who recently died of Covid-19, has filed a case of culpable homicide against Sudip Jain, Deputy Election Commissioner In-Charge of West Bengal, accusing the Election Commission of India (EC) of deliberate and intentional omission leading to her husband’s death. Sinha was the TMC candidate from the Khardaha Assembly constituency, which went to polls in the 6th phase of the ongoing West Bengal Assembly election on April 22. He died three days after voting for his seat was held on April 25. Other than Sinha, three other candidates died during the prolonged election campaign in the State. Two candidates were from the Jangipur constituency the Revolutionary Socialist Party’s Pradip Nandi and Congress’ Rezaul Haque. Samir Ghosh, independent candidate from Baisnabnagar Assembly constituency, also succumbed to Covid-19. In her complaint, Nandita Sinha said that the EC had shown complete unpreparedness, negligence, lack of accountability and utmost disregard towards the lives of the common people.  West Bengal alone, she said, has 95,000 Covid-19 cases and the EC had decided to carry out elections over eight phases spanning over 33 days despite the already precarious situation in the rest of the country. It has malignantly chosen to continue with eight phases of polls despite having reason to believe that the infection would spread at an alarming rate causing widespread death across West Bengal and the nation, she said. She also accused the EC of intentionally not taking any steps to ensure Covid-19 protocols were followed at public rallies.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) India, Australia, Japan push for supply chain resilience. 

The Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) formally launched on Tuesday by the Trade Ministers of India, Japan and Australia brought a wary response from China, which has described the effort as ‘unrealistic’. Piyush Goyal, Minister for Commerce and Industry, launched the SCRI along with Dan Tehan, Australia’s Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, and Hiroshi Kajiyama, Japan’s Minister for Economy, Trade and lndustry. The three sides agreed the pandemic revealed supply chain vulnerabilities globally and in the region and noted the importance of risk management and continuity plans in order to avoid supply chain disruptions. Some of the joint measures they are considering include supporting the enhanced utilisation of digital technology and trade and investment diversification, which is seen as being aimed at reducing their reliance on China. The SCRI aims to create a virtuous cycle of enhancing supply chain resilience with a view to eventually attaining strong, sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth in the region, a statement said. China’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday described the move as ‘unrealistic’. The formation and development of global industrial and supply chains are determined by market forces and companies choices, spokesperson Zhao Lijian said. Artificial industrial ‘transfer’ is an unrealistic approach that goes against the economic laws and can neither solve domestic problems nor do anything good to the stability of the global industrial and supply chains, or to the stable recovery of the world economy.

B) EU lawmakers give nod to the post-Brexit trade agreement.

European Union leaders, their British counterparts, and European businesses expressed hope on Wednesday that the final ratification of the post-Brexit trade deal will open a new, positive era of cooperation despite the many divisive topics remaining between the former partners. Lawmakers at the European Parliament voted 660-5 with 32 abstentions to endorse the free trade agreement. Voting took place on Tuesday but results were not announced until Wednesday morning. After EU lawmakers ratified the agreement ensuring that free trade continues between the two sides without tariffs and quotas, U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the vote marked the final step in a long journey, providing stability to our new relationship with the EU as vital partners, close allies and sovereign equals. Relations between the EU and the U.K. have been strained since a Brexit transition period ended on January 1. The two sides have argued so far this year over issues ranging from violations of the so-called Northern Ireland protocol, COVID-19 vaccine supplies to the full diplomatic recognition of the EU in Britain.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
28 April 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Election Commission bans victory processions on or after counting day.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on April 27 banned victory processions after the declaration of Assam, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, West Bengal and Kerala Assembly election results on May 2, due to the surge in Covid-19 cases. The decision comes a day after the ECI faced flak from the Madras High Court over violations of Covid-19 protocols during campaigning for the five Assembly elections. The court blamed the ECI for the second wave of the pandemic in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. In view of the surge in Covid-19 cases throughout the country, the Commission has decided to make more stringent provision to be followed during the process of counting, in addition to the existing broad guidelines dated 21st August, 2020, the ECI said in a letter to the Chief Electoral Officers of all States. It said no victory processions would be allowed after the counting of votes and only a maximum of two people would be allowed to accompany the winning candidate or their authorised representative to receive the certificate of election from the Returning Officer. The ECI had issued guidelines for elections during the pandemic in August last year and then reiterated them during the latest Assembly elections.

B) SC says it can’t remain a ‘mute spectator’, but won’t transfer COVID-related cases from HCs.

The Supreme Court cannot remain a mute spectator in the face of a national calamity. However, the apex court will not interfere in the work done by various High Courts across the country to monitor and manage life-saving Covid-19 management amid a second wave of the pandemic, a Special Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud made it clear on Tuesday. The Bench, also comprising Justices L. Nageswara Rao and S. Ravindra Bhat, sat for almost the whole day, grilling the Centre, States and authorities on the various aspects of COVID-management in a suo moto hearing. During a national crisis, the SC cannot be a mute spectator. The role of the Supreme Court is complimentary in nature. The court will examine issues which travel beyond the boundaries of States and have national repercussions, the Bench said, assuaging apprehensions that the apex court would derail the ongoing work of the HCs. Over 11 State High Courts are hearing Covid-19-related cases and passing orders on a daily basis. High Courts are best suited to make an assessment of ground realities in each States and find flexible solutions for problems faced by citizens. No need to interfere in the work of the HCs, the Bench observed. The Bench questioned the Centre about its vaccine pricing policy. It asked why different manufacturers were pricing their vaccines differently. Justice Bhat asked whether the Centre should not invoke a statutory regime and introduce uniform rates. The Bench asked how vaccines sold in private hospitals turn out more expensive. What is the rationale or basis for different manufacturers coming out with different prices? What is the Centre doing about it? Control the prices and bring them under a statutory regime under the Drugs Control Act or the Patents Act, the Bench addressed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for the Centre. Justice Bhat pointed out to the law officer, this is a pandemic and a national crisis. If this is not the time to issue such powers (to control prices), then when is it? The court directed the government to file an affidavit by April 30.

C) SC allows Vedanta to produce oxygen at the Sterlite plant in Tamil Nadu.

Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed Vedanta to operate its oxygen production unit at its Sterlite Copper premises in Thoothukudi as an extraordinary measure to tide over the national shortage of oxygen amid the second wave of Covid-19. The court that the Tamil Nadu government had met stakeholders extensively both at the executive and political levels and decided to let Vedanta operate the plant, which would be able to produce up to 200 MT of liquid oxygen within 10 days. With this, the State overcame its initial objections to the reopening of the Vedanta premises, which were closed in 2018 due to environmental problems. They are inclined to allow Vedanta’s prayer to operate the oxygen plant as a standalone unit. The order is passed only in view of the national need for oxygen. The order will not create any equity in favour of Vedanta, Justice Chandrachud noted. The Bench asked the Tamil Nadu government to form a committee to monitor Vedanta, which will include the District Collector, Tuticorin; SP Tuticorin; District Environmental Engineer; Sub Collector Tuticorin; and two government officials with knowledge of the affairs. Vedanta will not be allowed to enter and operate the copper smelting plant under the garb of this order. It is in the nature of an oversight panel. The committee will work in tandem with local community members and address their concerns. The order will hold ground till July 31.

D) Thoothukudi residents oppose the plan to resume operations at a sealed Sterlite plant.

A cross-section of Thoothukudi has decided to oppose any move to allow Vedanta’s sealed Sterlite Copper plant to resume operations even to produce oxygen for medical needs. The copper smelter unit at SIPCOT Industrial Complex has remained idle after it was closed in May 2018 following the death of 13 anti-Sterlite protesters who were killed in a police firing. Sterlite Copper chief executive officer Pankaj Kumar had submitted an appeal to the State government seeking permission to operate its oxygen plant alone at the copper smelter complex to supply 1,050 tonnes of oxygen per day to hospitals. The company also moved the Supreme Court with its offer. On April 22, the Central government supported the company, while Tamil Nadu opposed it. The State government had asked the Thoothukudi administration to conduct a public hearing on the issue and send its report on April 23 to enable it to submit an affidavit before the Supreme Court. The district administration had invited select people both in favour of and against the move to resume operations for oxygen production for the public hearing at the Collectorate. As people protested against restricting the number of invitees, eventually about 50 were allowed to attend the public hearing chaired by Collector K. Senthil Raj. Journalists were asked to leave within minutes of the commencement of the hearing that ended within 30 minutes. The Collector did not brief journalists as he rushed to prepare his report to be sent to the State government.

E) Govt lashes out at the Australian newspaper for showing Modi in poor light.

Facing a barrage of criticism from a number of international newspapers for its handling of the coronavirus crisis, the government hit out at The Australian newspaper for reproducing an article that portrayed Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a poor light, accusing him of leading India into a viral apocalypse. In a letter addressed to the Editor of the Australian newspaper Christian Dore, the Indian High Commission in Canberra said that the article sought to undermine the Modi government for its approach to the pandemic, which the government said had been universally acclaimed. It is astonishing to see that your respected publication has chosen to reproduce a baseless malicious and slanderous article without bothering to check the facts of the case with any authorities in the Government of India, said the rejoinder, signed by India’s Deputy High Commissioner, who claimed that last year’s lockdown, the ongoing vaccination drive, an up-gradation in diagnostics and treatment facilities, as well as India’s “Vaccine Maitri” initiative, where it exported 66 million vaccines to 80 countries (now 95 countries), were counters to the article’s assertions. It is unclear why the government chose to respond to the article in Canberra, given that it had been reproduced from the original article in The Sunday Times, in the U.K. previously, and is one of the several scathing columns written internationally about the government’s response. On Monday, The Sydney Morning Herald also published a piece, written by the former High Commissioner to India and board member of the Australia India institute John McCarthy that said that Modi’s government has not distinguished itself, by allowing the Kumbh Mela and going ahead with massive rallies as the coronavirus pandemic spread.

F) No request for Covid-19 facilities at a five-star hotel, says Delhi High Court.

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday said it has not made any request for creating Covid-19 facilities for its judges, staff and their families in a five-star hotel. Taking suo motu cognisance of news reports which said that 100 rooms at Ashoka Hotel in the national capital have been converted into a COVID health facility for judges of Delhi High Court on its request, a bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli said, No communication has been made to anyone in this regard. They have not made any such request for taking over facilities of a five-star hotel, the bench said and directed the Delhi government to take corrective steps immediately. In an order issued by the sub-divisional magistrate of Chanakyapuri on April 25, it was stated that the COVID facility at Ashoka Hotel will be associated with Primus Hospital. The order also said that the facility was being set up at the request of the Delhi High Court. Terming the order as wrong, the bench said the image is projected as a result of it was that the Delhi High Court judges have taken it for their benefit or that the Delhi government has done it to appease the court. The High Court also did not agree with senior advocate Rahul Mehra’s claim that the media played mischief, saying the media is not wrong. It said that the media only pointed out what was wrong in the order and it was the SDM’s order which was wrong.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) The U.S. will share vaccines from AstraZeneca once the vaccine clear federal safety reviews. 

The U.S. will begin sharing its entire pipeline of vaccines from AstraZeneca once the vaccine clear federal safety reviews, the White House said, with as many as 60 million doses expected to be available for export in the coming months. The move greatly expands on the Biden administration’s action last month to share about 4 million doses of the vaccine with Mexico and Canada. The AstraZeneca vaccine is widely in use around the world but not yet authorised by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The move comes as the White House is increasingly assured about the supply of the three vaccines being administered in the U.S., particularly following the restart of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot over the weekend. Given the strong portfolio of vaccines that the U.S. already has and that have been authorised by the FDA, and given that the AstraZeneca vaccine is not authorised for use in the U.S., we do not need to use the AstraZeneca vaccine here during the next several months, said White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients. Therefore the U.S. is looking at options to share the AstraZeneca doses with other countries as they become available.

B) Iran, U.S. warships engage in a tense encounter.

American and Iranian warships had a tense encounter in the Gulf earlier this month, the first such incident in about a year amid wider turmoil in the region over Tehran’s tattered nuclear deal, the U.S. Navy said on Tuesday. Footage released by the Navy showed a ship commanded by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard cut in front of the USCGC Monomoy, causing the Coast Guard vessel to come to an abrupt stop with its engine smoking on April 2. The Guard also did the same with another Coast Guard vessel, the USCGC Wrangell, said Commodore Rebecca Rebarich, a spokeswoman for the Navy’s 5th Fleet. Such close passes risk the ships colliding at sea. Iran did not immediately acknowledge the incident. The interaction marked the first unsafe and unprofessional incident involving the Iranians since April 15, 2020, she said. However, Iran had largely stopped such incidents in 2018 and nearly in the entirety of 2019, she said. In 2017, the Navy recorded 14 instances of what it describes as unsafe interactions with Iranians.