Tag: education

CURRENT AFFAIRS
14 March 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Yashwant Sinha joins Trinamool Congress.

Former Union Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha on Saturday joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Senior TMC leaders such as Sudip Banerjee and Derek O’ Brien welcomed Sinha in the party. You will be surprised at today’s development as to why at this age he is joining a party when he had withdrawn himself from party politics. This is because the country is passing through crucial times, Sinha said. The 83- year-old politician said that democracy does not only mean elections every five years. The strength of democracy lies in the strength of institutions and he say it with regret that these institutions, including the judiciary, have been weakened, he said. Before officially joining the party, Sinha spoke to TMC chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for nearly 45 minutes at her Kalighat residence. Sinha quit the BJP in April 2018. The BJP of Atalji (Atal Behari Vajpayee) and the BJP now are poles apart. Atalji believed in consensus, but the BJP today believes in conquering, he said. Showering praises on Banerjee, Sinha said she is a fighter and expressed the hope that TMC will return to power with a thumping majority. A message should go from Bengal that what Modi (Narendra Modi) and Shah (Amit Shah) are doing from Delhi cannot go on, he said, adding that a victory of TMC would strengthen the call for parivartan (change) in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Sinha had also campaigned for the party during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal.

B) DMK manifesto promises law against NEET, 75% jobs for locals, special court to try cases against AIADMK ministers. 

The DMK manifesto for the April 6 Assembly elections, released today, made a slew of promises, including a law to provide 75% jobs in the state to locals, financial assistance of ₹25,000 to one lakh persons going on pilgrimage to major Hindu temples, increase in the maternity leave period and assistance, cut in fuel prices, steps to ban NEET (National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test), and establishing a special court to try corruption charges against Ministers in the AIADMK government. Describing the party’s manifesto as the second hero of the DMK, party president M.K. Stalin said a separate government department would be set up to implement the promises made in the manifesto. DMK President M. K. Stalin releasing the election manifesto at the party headquarters in Chennai on Saturday. The first copy was received by Duraimurugan, general secretary. MP T. R. Baalu looks on DMK President M. K. Stalin releasing the election manifesto at the party headquarters in Chennai on Saturday. The first copy was received by Duraimurugan, general secretary. MP T. R. Baalu looks on. At a time when the rise in the price of petroleum products has become a cause for concern, Stalin announced a ₹100 subsidy per cooking gas cylinder. The price of petrol and diesel will be reduced by ₹5 and ₹4 per litre respectively; the price of Aavin milk will be reduced by ₹3 per litre and there will be no increase in the property tax till the economy revives from the impact of Covid-19, the manifesto said.

C) The manifesto also said the DMK would urge the Centre to make Tirukkural a national book.

Passengers who don’t wear mask properly can be deboarded, put on ‘no-fly’ list: DGCA order to airlines. Passengers refusing to wear a mask properly or follow social distancing norms during a flight despite repeated warnings could be put on a no-fly list for a period of three months to two years or more, according to an order issued by aviation safety regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The DGCA has also said that if a passenger refuses to comply with the instructions before a flight takes off, then he or she should be deboarded. In case, any passenger on board an aircraft refuses to wear mask or violates the COVID-19 protocol for passengers even after repeated warnings during the course of the flight, such passenger may be treated as ‘unruly passenger’ and the procedure in respect of handling such unruly passenger as provided in CAR shall be followed by the concerned airline, said the DGCA circular issued on March 13. The civil aviation requirements on unruly passengers provides for an offender to be put on a no-fly list for varying periods three months for verbal abuse, six months for physical assault and two years or more for life threatening behaviour. The internal committee constituted by an airline to look into the incident will decide in which category the offence falls, a senior official of the DGCA explained. If a passenger is found violating the protocols before boarding a flight, then the DGCA order requires that airport staff hand them over to security personnel after sufficient warnings. The move follows a Delhi High Court order that passengers without a mask be put on a no-fly list after the judge observed the callous attitude of passengers while he was on an Air India flight from Kolkata to Delhi earlier this month.

D) Kunal Kamra a haughty man ‘puffed up with conceit’, petitioner tells Supreme Court. 

Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra is a haughty man puffed up with conceit who wants to justify his scandalous tweets about the Supreme Court as jokes, law student Shrirang Katneshwarkar told the Supreme Court in an affidavit. Mr. Kamra is facing criminal contempt proceedings in the apex court on a plea filed by the student. In his response to the contempt petition, Kamra had said the Supreme Court should trust the public not to form opinions on the basis of a few jokes cracked by him on Twitter. Kamra said taking offence to comedy or satire had become a much-loved indoor sport in a growing culture of intolerance. He had refused to apologise or retract his tweets. Countering in his rejoinder affidavit, Katneshwarkar said, he (Kamra) says the tweets were funny. An ordinary prudent man can gather they are obnoxious. The law student said Kamra has forgotten in his hubris as an alleged/so-called comedian that jokes are meant to cause amusement or laughter. A joke is a story with a punchline, Katneshwarkar noted. He quoted Socrates when the debate is lost, scandal becomes the tool of the loser” — to push his point across.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) U.N. rights panel slams detention of Safoora Zargar. 

Taking note of the detention of Jamia Millia Islamia University student Safoora Zargar, who was pregnant when Delhi police arrested her in April 2020 over the Citizenship law protests and the Delhi riots, the Geneva-based U.N. Human Rights Council’s (HRC’s) Working Group against Arbitrary Detentions (WGAD) has adopted an opinion critical of the government’s workings, and referred the case to three Special Rapporteurs for action. In the opinion, based on a complaint from a source who was not identified by the human rights body, Zargar had suffered a deprivation of liberty contravening universally recognized human rights, in particular the right to freedoms of opinion, expression and peaceful assembly and several articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It also asked the government to ensure a full and independent investigation of the case and take measures against those responsible for the violation of her rights, including Zargar’s allegedly irregular detention despite her pregnancy, where she said she was made to sign blank sheets of paper. Zargar and her lawyers declined to comment on the WGAD report. In the disposition, the WGAD also said it was referring the case to Special Rapporteurs on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; the situation of human rights defenders; and on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, for appropriate action. The WGAD report said it had written to the Indian government on July 22, 2020, with a request for a reply for information in the Zargar case within three months, but the government had not responded nor requested an extension of time.

B) Sri Lanka announces burqa ban, to shut 1,000 madrasas. 

Sri Lanka will soon ban the burqa (face veil), a Cabinet Minister said on Saturday, as he announced the Rajapaksa administration’s latest policy decision impacting the minority Muslim community. Public Security Minister Sarath Weerasekara said authorities would henceforth use the controversial Prevention of Terrorism (PTA) law that human rights defenders have termed draconian to deal with religious extremism, with wide-ranging powers to detain suspects for up to two years, to ‘deradicalise’ them. At a media conference, Weerasekara said that the burqa is something that directly affects our national security, this [dress] came into Sri Lanka only recently. It is a symbol of their religious extremism. While the Minister said he had signed the documents outlawing the burqa, the move awaits Cabinet approval. Over 1,000 madrasas would be shut, he said. A new Dutch law has come into force banning face-covering clothing including the burqa and niqab worn by conservative Muslim women on public transport, in government buildings and at health and education institutions. Following the IS-inspired Easter terror bombings in Sri Lanka in April 2019, attributed to a local Islamist radical network, the government temporarily banned the face veil using emergency laws. A small section of Sri Lankan Muslim women wears the burqa, and some of them reported harassment in public spaces at that time, when they were barred entry into banks and commercial establishments. The announcement on the burqa ban comes after a year-long controversy over the government’s policy of mandatory cremation of Covid-19 victims, based on unsubstantiated claims that the bodies would contaminate ground water. The government reversed its decision recently, amid persistent calls for burial rights from Muslims, who make up about 10% of the 21-million population, as well as international bodies including the U.N.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
13 March 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Govt staff should not be appointed as Election Commissioners, says Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court on Friday held that independent persons, and not government employees, should be appointed Election Commissioners. A Bench led by Justice Rohinton F. Nariman, in a judgment, said giving government employees additional charge as Election Commissioners was a mockery of the Constitution. The Bench held that people holding public office could not be appointed Election Commissioners and directed States to comply with the constitutional scheme of independent and fair functioning of election commissions. It said the independence of the panels could not be compromised. The court said it was disturbing to see government employees manning election commissions as an add-on job. The judgment came on an appeal against an order of the Bombay High Court, which had set aside the election notification issued by the Goa State Election Commission in the municipalities of Margao, Mapusa, Mormugao, Sanguem and Quepem.

B) Quad is a force for global good, says PM Modi. 

We are united by our democratic values and our commitment to a free open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the first Quad summit on March 12. Our agenda today, covering areas like vaccines, climate change and emerging technologies, makes Quad a force for global good, he said, adding that the Quad will be a pillar of stability in the region. Invoking the Indian philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the Prime Minister said that he see this positive vision as extension of India’s Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam philosophy, which regards the world as one family. In his remarks, U.S. President Joe Biden announced the launch of a partnership to boost vaccine manufacturing. The Quad is going to be a vital arena for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, he said. Biden also described Quad as a new mechanism to enhance cooperation and raise mutual ambition as they address accelerating climate change. We know our commitments. Our region is governed by international law, committed to all the universal values and free from coercion but I am optimistic about our prospect, he said, in an apparent reference to China which is flexing its muscles in the region. The Quad is going to be a vital arena of cooperation in the Indo Pacific and he look forward to working closely with all of you in the coming years, Biden told Quad leaders. Known as the ‘Quadrilateral Security Dialogue,’ representatives for the four member nations have met periodically since its establishment in 2007. The four countries plan to establish a series of working groups that will focus on climate change; critical and emerging technologies, including working to set technology standards and norms; and jointly developing some of the critical technologies of the future, officials said.

C) Trinamool submits memorandum to ECI on Nandigram Mamata incident. 

A six-member delegation of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Friday submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on the alleged attack on party president and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The memorandum quoted various comments made by BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the run-up to the Wednesday incident in Nandigram. Calling it a deep-rooted conspiracy, it alleged that the attack was premeditated. The party demanded an immediate, thorough and unbiased investigation into the incident. To underline their claim that the alleged attack was pre-planned, the party, in the memorandum, listed eight instances. Among them it said that two days before the incident, on March 8, as per the TMC, BJP State president Dilip Ghosh put up a caricature of Banerjee, depicting she would be hit at Nandigram. The removal of the State Director General of Police was also a part of this conspiracy, it claimed. On March 9, a day before the incident, without consulting the State government, it said, the DGP was removed by the ECI. Importantly, the memorandum cited a speech of Modi as evidence.  The memorandum also quoted a conversation between BJP MP Saumitra Khan and Minister of State Babul Supriyo on Twitter to support their theory. On the very day of the incident, the TMC said, the BJP complained against the police personnel responsible for Banerjee’s security. By 6.30 p.m. that day, it claimed, the Superintendent of Police and the local police were suspiciously absent when the attack took place. It also alleged that eye-witnesses were planted. There is a clear nexus between the post by Dilip Ghosh on Facebook, multiple complaints by BJP seeking removal of DGP, the unilateral decision of the ECI to remove the erstwhile DGP, the plan revealed by Saumitra Khan on Twitter, and the BJP’s request to suspend security personnel of Banerjee, the memorandum said. After the meeting with the ECI, Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek O’ Brien, Lok Sabha members Saugata Roy, Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar, Pratima Mandal and Satabdi Roy, and Rajya Sabha member Santanu Sen, speaking to reporters, said the ECI’s credibility was at stake. Dastidar said the public perception in West Bengal was that the ECI was not a neutral body. Roy said, It is not for us to repose faith in the Commission, it is for them to at least appear fair in the eyes of the general public.

D) SC seeks govt’s response on plea against Places of Worship Act.

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the government to respond to a plea challenging a special law enacted in 1991 by the Congress government, which freezes the status of places of worship as it was on August 15, 1947. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde issued notice to the Union Ministries of Home, Law and Culture on a plea filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay against various provisions of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act of 1991. Upadhyay said the arbitrary, irrational and retrospective cut-off date bars Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and Sikhs from approaching courts to re-claim their places of worship which were invaded and encroached upon by fundamentalist barbaric invaders. The Act declared that the character of places of worship-pilgrimage shall be maintained as it was on August 15, 1947 and no suit or proceeding shall lie in court in respect of disputes against encroachment done by fundamentalist barbaric invaders and law breakers and such proceeding shall stand abated, the petition said. The petition said Sections of the Act that dealt with the bar on legal claims were against the principles of secularism. Section 2, 3, 4 not only offend right to pray, practice and propagate religion (Article 25), right to manage maintain administer places of worship-pilgrimage (Article 26), right to conserve culture (Article 29) but are also contrary to State’s duty to protect historic places (Article 49) and preserve religious cultural heritage (Article 51A), the petition said.

E) DMK releases list of candidates. 

The DMK on Friday retained most former Ministers and MLAs in its list of 173 candidates for the Assembly election, while fielding party president M. K. Stalin’s son Udhayanidhi Stalin from the Chepauk-Thiruvallikeni constituency in Chennai. In all, 187 candidates will contest on the DMK’s ‘Rising Sun’ symbol. DMK president M.K. Stalin, who released the candidates’ list, said it was a list of victors. He said the DMK alliance was not a political alliance or created just for the purpose of the election: It is an alliance of principle, he said. DMK president M.K. Stalin announces the list of candidates on Friday, for the TN Assembly Election DMK president M.K. Stalin announces the list of candidates on Friday, for the TN Assembly Election. Stalin will contest from the Kolathur constituency. Candidates of MDMK, Kongunadu Makkal Desiya Katchi, Tamilaga Vazhurimai Katchi, Forward Bloc, Makkal Viduthalai Katchi and one candidate of Manithaneya Makkal Katchi will contest with the ‘Rising Sun’ symbol.

F) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments. 

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 1,13,31,416 with the death toll at 1,59,839. Novavax Inc’s coronavirus vaccine was 96% effective in preventing cases caused by the original version of the coronavirus in a late-stage trial conducted in the United Kingdom, the company said on Thursday, moving it a step closer to regulatory approval. There were no cases of severe illness or deaths among those who got the vaccine. The vaccine was also about 86% effective in protecting against the more contagious virus variant first discovered and now prevalent in the U.K. It was about 90% effective overall, combining data from people infected with both versions of the coronavirus. Novavax has a licensing agreement with the Serum Institute of India for commercialisation of its vaccine.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Premadasa slams invite to Myanmar junta’s Minister. 

Sri Lanka’s Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa vehemently condemned the Rajapaksa administration’s invitation to the Myanmar junta’s Foreign Minister, for a virtual meet of regional body BIMSTEC early April. The invitation basically legitimised the military takeover, Mr. Premadasa said, describing the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gunawardena’s move as distasteful and dastardly. In a letter sent earlier this month, Mr. Gunawardena invited the junta-appointed Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin for a ministerial meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation that Sri Lanka now chairs. Amid mounting criticism from hundreds of social media users and pro-democracy activists from Myanmar, Colombo sought to justify its invitation, saying it was extended to all members, and limited to the BIMSTEC meet. The government is yet to decide on its stance on the military power grab in Myanmar, Sri Lankan Foreign Secretary Jayanath Colombage earlier told this. Urging the Foreign Minister to withdraw his invitation, and apologise to the people of Myanmar, Mr. Premadasa told media persons on Thursday that the Foreign Minister had the audacity to invite an illegally appointed Minister, despite Aung San Suu Kyi’s party securing a resounding win in the last elections. Her party, Mr. Premadasa said, came to power by the ballot and not the bullet, adding: But today bullets are being used by the military administration on the people of merely for attempting to restore democracy. Meanwhile, former PM Ranil Wickremesinghe’s United National Party has called on the government to impress upon the Myanmar delegation, scheduled to participate in the meet, to revert to the democratically elected President, State Counsellor and Parliament.

B) WHO says no reason to stop using AstraZeneca vaccine. 

The World Health Organization said on Friday there was no reason to stop using AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine after several countries suspended the rollout over blood clot fears. The WHO, which said its vaccines advisory committee was examining the safety data coming in, stressed that no causal link had been established between the vaccine and clotting. The UN agency also said that after the injection of more than 260 million vaccine doses so far around the world, no deaths had yet been attributed to a COVID-19 jab. Denmark, Norway and Iceland paused the use of the AstraZeneca jab as a precaution after isolated reports of recipients developing blood clots. Italy and Austria have banned the use of shots from separate batches of AstraZeneca, and Thailand and Bulgaria said they would delay the rollout of the shot. A range of health authorities around the world have insisted the jab is safe, including the European Medicines Agency and the WHO. AstraZeneca is an excellent vaccine, as are the other vaccines that are being used, WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told reporters in Geneva. Yes, we should continue using the AstraZeneca vaccine, she added, stressing though that any concerns over safety must be investigated. We must always ensure that we look for any safety signals when we roll out vaccines, and we must review them, she said. But there is no indication to not use it.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
12 March 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) 44% of MLAs who switched parties joined BJP: ADR report. 

An analysis of MLAs who switched parties and recontested elections from 2016 to 2020 has found that the BJP was the biggest gainer, while the Congress accounted for the most MLAs who quit a party to join another, revealed a report released today by democracy watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The ADR report analysed the election affidavits of 443 MLAs and MPs who switched parties and recontested polls in the past five years. Out of the 405 MLAs across the States who quit and switched parties, 42% were from the Congress, the report found, while the BJP came a distant second with 4.4%. On the other hand, the BJP was the party of choice for 44.9% of the recontesting MLAs, followed by the Congress with 9.4%. The report noted that the defection of MLAs was the cause of governments falling in the recent past in Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Goa, Arunachal Pradesh and Karnataka. Out of the 12 Lok Sabha members who switched parties, five were from the BJP. In the Rajya Sabha, out of 17 who quit, seven were from the Congress, the report said. The average assets of the recontesting MLAs and MPs had grown by 39%. The ADR report stated that the most plausible cause of defections was the nexus of money and muscle, absence of laws on the functioning of parties, and the lack of honest leaders, among others.

B) PM’s photo removed from vaccine certificates in poll-bound States. 

The Health Ministry on Tuesday informed the Election Commission (EC) that the necessary filters were added to the Co-WIN software in the four poll-bound states and one union territory, removing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photo from the Covid-19 vaccine certificates given to recipients in Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala. The EC had written to the Ministry on March 5 reiterating its standing instructions on the use of photos of political leaders in government advertisements during elections. The EC had taken up the issue after the Trinamool Congress complained that the Prime Minister’s photo on the certificates while the Model Code of Conduct was in place for the ongoing elections was a violation of the EC’s rules.

C) Mamata hopes to return to ‘her field in next two or three days’

A day after she was hospitalised owing to injuries she sustained in Nandigram, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday released a video from the hospital urging her supporters to exercise restraint. She expressed the hope that she would return to her field in next two or three days and the developments would not affect her political meetings. The Trinamool Congress chairperson said that It is true that she suffered serious injuries. There are injuries in her leg bone and ligament. She also felt pain in the head and chest. She appeal to everyone to maintain restraint. In the next two-three days, she will be able to return to her field. Maybe, she will have to use a wheelchair for the next few days, but she will manage.  Banerjee said she was greeting people when her foot was squeezed by the car door. The Trinamool Congress had to cancel the release of its manifesto and the leadership was not sure what will happen to her scheduled events in districts. Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress alleged in a letter to the Election Commission (EC) that the removal of the State DGP at the behest of BJP had put the Chief Minister under threat. The attack on Banrejee, the party said, was a deep-rooted conspiracy. On Tuesday, the EC had ordered the removal of the West Bengal Director General of Police Virendra following an adverse report from its special observers posted in the poll-bound State.

D) Plea seeks SC intervention for release of over 150 Rohingya refugees ‘detained’ in Jammu. 

An application was filed in the Supreme Court on Thursday seeking urgent intervention to release and protect over 150 Rohingya refugees reportedly ‘detained’ in Jammu. The application was filed by a member of the Rohingya community, Mohammad Salimullah, represented by advocates Prashant Bhushan and Cheryl d’Souza. Salimullah is already a petitioner in the Supreme Court against the deportment of refugees who had fled from religious persecution and violence in their native Myanmar. He said that his application was based on reports in The Hindu and other media outlets that Rohingya members had been detained in a sub-jail in Jammu. This follows the Union Minister Jitendra Singh’s statements two months ago that the Rohingya (identified as Muslim refugees by the government) would not be able to secure citizenship. These refugees have been illegally detained and jailed in the Jammu sub-jail, which has been converted into a holding centre with the IGP (Jammu) Mukesh Singh stating that they face deportation back to Myanmar following verification by their embassy, the application said. It urged the court to release the detained Rohingya refugees immediately and direct the Union Territory government and the Ministry of Home Affairs to expeditiously grant refugee identification cards through the FRRO [Foreigners Regional Registration Office] for the Rohingyas in the informal camps.  The application said the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees should be asked to intervene and determine the protection needs of the Rohingya refugees not just in the Jammu but also in camps across the country and complete the process of granting them refugee cards.

E) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments. 

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 1,13,05,425 with the death toll at 1,59,731. India’s indigenous Covid-19 vaccine, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, has been taken off the clinical trial mode and is now authorised for emergency use at par with Oxford-AstraZeneca’s Covishield, developed by the Serum Institute of India, said V.K. Paul, member (Health) NITI Aayog on Thursday at a Health Ministry press conference. Meanwhile, health authorities in Denmark and Norway said on Thursday they had suspended the use of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine shots after reports of the formation of blood clots in some who have been vaccinated, Reuters reported. The move comes after Austria stopped using a batch of AstraZeneca shots while investigating a death from coagulation disorders and an illness from a pulmonary embolism. Danish health authorities said the country’s decision to suspend the shots for two weeks came after a 60-year old woman in Denmark, who was given an AstraZeneca shot from the same batch that was used in Austria, formed a blood clot and died.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) China’s new Five-Year Plan outlines push for key strategic projects.

China on Thursday formally approved the outline of its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025)approved the outline of its 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), which highlights a number of key strategic projects to be pursued as a priority, including the first dam in Tibet on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo or Brahmaputra, a Sichuan-Tibet railway line near the India border, and a push for self-sufficiency in emerging industries such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). The draft outline of the Five-Year Plan (FYP) and objectives through the year 2035 were passed by the National People’s Congress, the ceremonial legislature, as it closed its six-day annual session. Among the key projects is the building of a hydropower base on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo, which refers to the sections of the river in Tibet just before it enters India in Arunachal Pradesh. While four dams have been approved on the upper and middle reaches, this is the first project in the lower reaches of the river. India has in the past expressed concerns over the four previously announced dams on the upper and middle reaches, the first of which, in Zangmu, was operationalised in 2015.

B) ‘We’re not racist’, Prince William says after Meghan and Harry interview.

Prince William said on Thursday that Britain’s royals were not racist after Meghan, wife of his younger brother Harry, said one unnamed member of the family had asked how dark their son Archie’s skin might be. The revelation emerged during an explosive tell-all interview that Harry, 36, and Meghan, 39, gave to Oprah Winfrey which was aired on Sunday, plunging the British monarchy into its biggest crisis since the 1997 death of Princess Diana, William and Harry’s mother. During a visit to a school in east London, William said he had not talked to Harry since the interview was broadcast just over three days ago. He haven’t spoken to him yet but he will do, Prince William, 38, said. Asked by a reporter if the royal family was racist, Prince William said, they are very much not a racist family. In the two-hour show, Meghan also said the royals had ignored her pleas for help when she felt suicidal, while Harry said his father, heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles, had let him down and that he had felt trapped. On Tuesday, Buckingham Palace issued a statement on behalf of Queen Elizabeth, the princes’ grandmother, in which she said the family was saddened by how challenging the couple had found the last few years. The statement added that the issues of race were concerning and would be treated very seriously, but pointedly stated that some recollections may vary.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
11 March 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Tirath Singh Rawat sworn in as Uttarakhand CM.

Lok Sabha MP from Garhwal, Tirath Singh Rawat was sworn in as Chief Minister of Uttarakhand today. The oath of office was administered to him by Uttarakhand Governor Baby Rani Maurya at the Raj Bhawan. Earlier in the day, Rawat was elected the new Chief Minister of Uttarakhand by the BJP legislative party in Dehradun after the resignation of Trivendra Singh Rawat on March 9. Tirath Singh Rawat, 57, was the Uttarakhand BJP chief in 2013-2015 and was a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council before the creation of Uttarakhand during 1997-2002. He has been MLA in Uttarakhand in 2012-2017, and previously held the post of Education Minister in the State in 2000-2002. A long-time member of the BJP, Tirath Singh Rawat was the dark horse in the race for Chief Ministership where the only thing clear was that the choice would devolve on a person from the Rajput community. Tirath Singh Rawat is considered very close to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and was his close aide during the latter’s vistarak programme of organisational strengthening in 2016-2017 held over a period of 120 days.

B) Ambani bomb scare case: Top cop removed from Crime Branch. 

Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh on Wednesday announced the removal of Mumbai police officer Sachin Vaze from the crime intelligence unit until the inquiry into the mysterious death of automobile parts dealer Mansukh Hiran is completed, PTI reported. While making the announcement in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, Deshmukh said the state government will conduct an impartial probe into the death of Hiran. Police officer Sachin Vaze will be removed from his current posting in the crime branch till the investigation is not completed. I am taking this decision in view of the rising demand from the opposition, the minister said. Mansukh Hiran was in possession of the SUV which was found with explosives outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house in south Mumbai on February 25, 2021. Police said the vehicle was stolen from Hiran’s possession on February 18, 2021. The mystery deepened after Hiran’s body was found in a creek last Friday in neighbouring Thane. Leader of opposition in the state assembly Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday demanded action against API Sachin Vaze in connection with the death of Hiran. Fadnavis demanded that the government shift Vaze from his present posting.  Vaze is in some way involved in the death of Mansukh Hiran. He should face legal action and should be suspended at once, leader of Opposition in the legislative Council Pravin Darekar said.

C) Haryana government defeats no confidence motion. 

The no-confidence motion moved by the Congress against the BJP-Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) coalition government in Haryana on Wednesday was defeated by 55 votes to 32. The legislators voted along party lines with two Independents Meham MLA Balraj Kundu and Dadri MLA Sombir Sangwan supporting the vote of no-confidence. In the 90-member assembly, the BJP and JJP have 40 and 10 MLAs respectively, besides the support of five Independents. Lone Haryana Janhit Party MLA Gopal Kanda, representing Sirsa, also voted in favour of the government. The Congress has 30 MLAs. Two Assembly seats of Ellenabad and Kalka had fallen vacant earlier this year. Moving the no-confidence motion against the Manohar Lal Khattar-led government, leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda said the coalition government had completely lost the confidence of the people and its representatives could not even go to their own constituencies and the villages. He accused the government of snapping the power connection of the farmers agitating at the Delhi border and denying them access to toilets. Hooda said both the parties in the government had promised Minimum Support Price to farmers in their manifestos, but forgot about it after coming to power. He also raised the issue of unemployment, deteriorating law and order situation, and increasing cases of drug abuse in the State. Opposing the motion, JJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala said the BJP was his party’s natural ally. 

D) P.C. Chacko quits Congress in Kerala. 

Senior Congress leader P.C. Chacko has quit the party ahead of the Kerala Assembly elections on April 6, blaming factionalism in the party’s State unit and lack of proper leadership at the national level. Speaking to reporters at his Delhi residence, Chacko said that he had been mulling over the decision for a while and sent in his resignation to party president Sonia Gandhi out of frustration. Chacko expressed despair over alleged factionalism in the party’s State unit. In Kerala, there is no Congress party. There are two parties Congress (I) led by Ramesh Chennithala and Congress (A) led by Oommen Chandy, he said. He had flagged this issue many times to the central leadership but to no avail. The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) was a powerless entity while it was these two factions that decided the working of the party. No names came up before the State election committee of the KPCC. Only Chandy and Chennithala decide who will contest from their respective factions. This is disturbing and disappointing. Today in Kerala, one cannot be a Congressman, you can only be faction I or faction A member. So I decided to call it a day after 50 years of being in active politics, he said. The G-23 had contacted him at the time of writing the first letter seeking internal reforms. But he had refused to sign the letter. As of now, he had not thought about his future plans, he stated. He ruled out joining the BJP who, he said, had failed to move the Kerala voters despite spending huge amounts of money.

E) Kerala HC seeks Centre’s response on petition challenging validity of new IT Rules. 

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday sought the Centre’s response on a plea challenging the constitutional validity of the new Information Technology (Guidelines For Intermediaries And Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, PTI reported. Considering the plea filed by digital media outlet ‘LiveLaw’, Justice P V Asha directed the government not to take any coercive action against the petitioner for non-compliance of the provisions under Part III of the new rules, which deal with digital media regulation. The Delhi High Court had issued a notice to the Centre on the same matter Tuesday in response to another petition. According to the petition by Livelaw, the Rules notified on February 25 impose an unconstitutional three-tiered complaints-and-adjudication structure upon publishers, which makes the executive both the complainant and the judge on vital free speech questions involving blocking and take down of online material. As per the petition, the mechanism is both arbitrary and violates the rule of law and separation of powers, especially since there is no provision for the aggrieved publishers to appeal against the decision of the Inter-Departmental Committee consisting only of members of the executive.

F) Mamata Banerjee suffers leg injury while campaigning in Nandigram, alleges conspiracy.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday suffered injuries in her leg while campaigning in Nandigram. Banerjee alleged that when she was greeting people, four to five people surrounded her and pushed her. There were no local police personnel. Even the Superintendent of Police was not there. There is lot of swelling. She was in pain and have to return to Kolkata, Banerjee told journalists. Asked whether there was some conspiracy, Banerjee said, It is a conspiracy. They did it purposefully, she said. According to reports, Banerjee suffered injuries in her left feet. She was returning from a religious event at Ranichak area of Nandigram when the incident occurred. Banerjee has been staying in Nandigram for the past two days. Earlier in the day, she filed nomination papers at Haldia Sub Divisional Office to contest from Nandigram. The Trinamool Congress leadership condemned the development and called it most unfortunate.

G) Parliament proceedings: LS, RS manage to pass one Bill each amidst din. 

For the third day in a row, both Houses of Parliament could barely do any business, with the government refusing to concede the Opposition’s demand of holding a debate on the farmers’ agitation. Each House managed to pass one bill each amidst din. The Lok Sabha passed the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill and the Rajya Sabha cleared the Arbitration and Conciliation (Amendment) Bill, 2021. In the Rajya Sabha, commotion began early on, with the first adjournment coming in just 17 minutes after the session began for the day. Chairman Venkaiah Naidu rejected the notices moved by Congress members Deepender Hooda, Pratap Bajwa and Rajiv Satav, along with DMK’s Tiruchi Siva, and RJD’s Manoj K Jha asking for the suspension of business to discuss the farmers’ agitation.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Sri Lanka invites Myanmar junta’s Minister. 

Sri Lanka has invited Myanmar’s junta’s appointed Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin for a virtual meeting of members of regional body BIMSTEC, which Sri Lanka currently chairs. Pro-democracy activists in Myanmar slammed the move on social media. as Colombo’s outreach comes just over a month after Myanmar’s military seized power in Yangon. Sri Lanka has not commented on the development so far. In a March 2 letter addressed to Mr. Wunna Maung Lwin, Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Dinesh Gutb wardena said a ministerial meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation would be held on April 1. The 17th ministerial meeting will greatly benefit from your Excellency’s valued participation, and he look forward to our close engagement over the of the meeting, the letter said. Meanwhile, nearly 40 Sri tankan activists staged a demonstration outside the Myanmar Embassy in Colombo on Wednesday, in solidarity with Myanmar’s protesting civilians.

B) U.K. variant 64% deadlier than earlier strains: study. 

The coronavirus strain that first emerged in Britain and is now spreading internationally is 64% more deadly than pre-existing strains, according to a study published on Wednesday that confirms earlier advice to the British government. The variant, detected late last year, is one of several to have emerged in recent months from countries with large epidemics, raising the stakes in the race to rein in the pandemic. Findings from one of those studies, led by the University of Exeter, were published in the BMJ on Wednesday. Researchers compared data for nearly 55,000 pairs of participants who tested positive in the community rather than in hospitals between October and January and followed them for 28 days. Participants were matched on a range of factors like age, sex and ethnicity. They found that those infected with the new variant, known as B.1.1.7, were 64% more likely to die, representing an increase in deaths from 2.5 to 4.1 in every 1,000 detected cases. Simon Clarke, Associate Professor at the University of Reading, said the increased lethality added to its faster spread meant that this virus version poses a substantial challenge. It also makes it even more important people get vaccinated when called, he added.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
10 March 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat resigns.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat resigned from his post today. The crisis over his continuance arose after the national leadership of the party dispatched two central observers to the State following repeated complaints on Rawat’s style of functioning within the party and reported popularity in the State. The central observers former Chattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and Rajya Sabha MP Dushyant Gautam underlined serious shortcomings in Rawat’s handling of the party and government. Rawat was then summoned to Delhi on March 8 and given his marching orders. Singh and Gautam will reach Dehradun this evening and a meeting of the BJP legislature party is scheduled for March 10. The frontrunners for the post include State Education Minister Dhan Singh Rawat, MP Ajay Bhatt and Satpal Maharaj. Rawat is being replaced a year before the polls next year, amid concerns that his reported non-performance could cost the party.

 

B) Over 72% rise in number of UAPA cases registered in 2019, most arrests in U.P.

There has been over 72% increase in the number of persons arrested under the anti-terror law UAPA (Unlawful Activities [Prevention] Act) in 2019 compared to 2015, data provided by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in the Lok Sabha shows. As many as 1,948 persons were arrested under the UAPA in 2019, in 1,226 cases registered across the country. Such cases registered in the years 2015-2018 stood at 897, 922, 901 and 1,182, and the number of those arrested was 1,128, 999, 1,554 and 1,421 respectively. In 2019, the highest number of such cases were registered in Manipur (306), while the highest number of arrests under the UAPA were made in Uttar Pradesh (498). Under the UAPA, getting bail is rare and the investigating agency has up to 180 days to file a charge sheet. Earlier, a reply by the government in the Lok Sabha showed that only 2.2 % of the cases registered under the UAPA during 2016-2019 had ended in convictions.

 

C) Delhi HC issues notice on petition against new IT Rules to regulate online news portals. 

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday sought a response from the Centre on a petition challenging the new IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, claiming it seeks to regulate online news portals by imposing government oversight and a vaguely worded ‘Code of Ethics’. A Bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh issued notices to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY) and Ministry Of Information & Broadcasting on the plea filed by Foundation for Independent Journalism, a trust that owns digital news portal The Wire. The petition argued that the new IT Rules issued on February 25, 2021, were palpably illegal in seeking to control and regulate digital news media when the parent statute nowhere provided for such a remit. It said the new IT Rules had profound and serious harms for digital news media and was destructive of their rights. Other petitioners in the case include M.K. Venu, Director and Founding Editor, The Wire, and Dhanya Rajendran, founder & Editor-In-Chief, The News Minute. The plea stated that the IT Rules, 2021, introduced two distinct sets of regulations one, due diligence norms to be followed by ‘intermediaries’ and two, ‘Code of Ethics’ ought to be adhered to by ‘publishers’, along with a three-tier compliance mechanism. While ‘intermediaries’ were recognised and regulated by the IT Act, the plea said that the new IT Rules laid down a separate ‘Code of Ethics’ for the two kinds of publishers publishers of news and current affairs content, and publishers of online curated content.

D) Parliament proceedings: Both Houses stalled again over fuel price hikes. 

For the second consecutive day today, both Houses of Parliament failed to function, with relentless protests from Opposition members after their demand for a debate on the frequent hike in fuel prices was rejected. Rajya Sabha saw two adjournments before the House was adjourned for the day at 2.10 p.m. Tuesday was the first sitting of both Houses of Parliament as per the pre-Covid-19 timings and seating arrangements, with members sitting in their respective chambers instead of being spread out in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha chambers.

E) Covaxin Phase-2 trials show its safe and induces immune response, says Lancet study. 

Covaxin, India’s first indigenous vaccine against Covid-19, is safe and generates immune response without any serious side effects, according to the interim results of the Phase-2 trials published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal. The authors of the study noted that the Phase-2 results did not asses the efficacy of the vaccine codenamed BBV152. Developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, the vaccine has been granted emergency use authorisation in clinical trial mode by the Indian government. The latest study comes a week after Bharat Biotech announced that the vaccine has shown 81% efficacy in the third phase of clinical trials, the results of which are yet to be published. The Phase-2 trial to evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of BBV152 vaccine was conducted in healthy adults and adolescents aged 12-65 years at nine hospitals across nine states in India.

F) GoM report points to draconian attitude of government, says Editors Guild. 

The Editors Guild of India (EGI) on Tuesday said the recent revelations about a Group of Ministers (GoM) report on the government’s media strategy was an example of its increasingly draconian attitude towards any criticism. The EGI said in a statement it was shocked at the manner in which the GoM prepared its report with an embedded toolkit to control the narrative about the government in the media. It said the GoM, whose members include five Cabinet Ministers and four Ministers of State, was set up in mid-2020, without provocation and at a time when press freedom and democracy indices were on a decline. The report, which was prepared at the end of 2020 and has recently emerged in media, further illustrates the government’s increasingly draconian attitude against any critique and inquiry by the press. The suggestions from the GoM report hint at increased surveillance and targeting of writers and journalists who depart from the government’s narrative, the Guild said. Among the more disturbing suggestions was one by a Minister to develop a strategy to neutralise the people who are writing against the government without facts and set false narratives/spread fake news, it said, citing the report. The EGI said such a suggestion revealed an intention to muzzle any criticism of the government, in the absence of clarity on what constitutes fake news. The preparation of the GoM report and its debilitating import on media freedom and journalists is a major concern for EGI, which demands that the government, which is supposed to safeguard constitutional values of freedom of expression, should make it clear that it is committed to the plurality of views in the media, the statement said.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) No foreign spectators at Tokyo Olympics due to Covid-19 concerns.  

Japan has decided to stage this summer’s Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics without overseas spectators due to concern among the Japanese public about Covid-19, Kyodo news agency said on Tuesday, citing officials with knowledge of the matter. Kyodo said the government had concluded that welcoming fans from abroad would not be possible given public concern about the coronavirus and the detection of more contagious variants in many countries. The opening ceremony will also be held without spectators, Kyodo said. The organising committee has decided it is essential to hold the ceremony in the northeastern prefecture of Fukushima behind closed doors, only permitting participants and invitees to take part in the event, to avoid large crowds forming amid the pandemic, Kyodo said, quoting the officials. The Games are set for July 23 to August 8. Most Japanese people do not want international visitors to attend the Games amid fears that a large influx of visitors could spark a resurgence of infections, a Yomiuri newspaper poll showed. The survey showed 77% of respondents were against allowing foreign fans to attend, versus 18% in favour.

B) PM Modi inaugurates ‘Maitri Setu’ between India and Bangladesh. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday virtually inaugurated the India-Bangladesh Friendship Bridge (Maitri Setu) over the Feni river at Sabroom in south Tripura. He also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for eight other infrastructure projects together worth ₹ 3,518 crore. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in a video message, said that the inauguration of the 1.9-km- long ‘Maitri Setu’ would herald a new chapter in relations between the two neighbours. The bridge, which was first mooted a decade ago, would immensely benefit Northeast India in trade matters as the same would connect the Chittagong sea port just 100 km from Agartala. Modi, in his speech congratulated the BJP-led coalition government in Tripura for completing three years in office on Tuesday. You have created history three years ago by ending the rule of a repressive regime of corruption and commission, he said, indirectly hitting out at the erstwhile CPI(M)-led Left front government.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
09 March 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Supreme Court may revisit 50% ceiling on reservations. 

The Supreme Court on Monday may have opened up the possibility of reconsidering the ceiling imposed on total reservation, a move that may impact the challenge to the legality of a Tamil Nadu reservation law which allows 69% quota in State government jobs and educational institutions. A three-judge Bench led by Justice Ashok Bhushan had, on March 3, deferred hearing a challenge to the law, opting to wait for a Constitution Bench to decide the validity of the Maratha quota law first. However, on Monday, the Constitution Bench, which is also led by Justice Bhushan, decided to expand its ambit and re-examine whether reservation limit could cross the 50% ceiling limit as done by certain States like Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. The court, in short, decided to examine whether its Indira Sawhney case judgment of 1992, which fixed the ceiling limit of 50% for reservation in government jobs and educational admissions, requires a re-look by a larger Bench. The Constitution Bench has issued notice to the States, providing them with an opportunity to clarify their position on the 50% reservation mark. Though the court has kept the question of legality of the Tamil Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Reservation of seats in Educational Institutions and of appointments or posts in the Services under the State) Act of 1993 on the backburner on March 3, the issue is likely to arise for discussion before the Constitution Bench in the coming days. The deferment of the Tamil Nadu case on March 3 had drawn the spotlight away from the State’s reservation law with the State gearing up for Assembly elections. On March 3, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, for the Tamil Nadu government, had even submitted that the Assembly polls were due and the case should be taken up after the elections. Mr. Rohatgi and senior advocate Shekhar Naphade along with advocate Yogesh Kanna, for Tamil Nadu, had said the increase in reservation percentage in the State was based on quantifiable data. They had repeatedly argued that the case in Tamil Nadu was different from other States and the 1993 law was protected under the Ninth Schedule from judicial review. The Tamil Nadu quota law of 1993 was challenged in the apex court by a student, C.V. Gayathri, through her father, S. Vaitheeswaran. Ms. Gayathri had submitted that the Tamil Nadu Reservation Act, 1993 provides 69% reservation in admissions and in public services, which is arbitrary, unreasonable and excessive.

B) MPs from poll bound states seek curtailed budget session. 

Lok Sabha members hailing from the poll-bound West Bengal, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry have requested an early curtailment of the second part of the Budget session that began on Monday morning. Sources said nearly 145 MPs have written to Speaker Om Birla for the same. On Monday, during the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Lok Sabha, floor leaders of various parties advanced the same view. While Trinamool Congress (TMC) and DMK leaders were not present at the meet, the issue was discussed. Mr. Birla met with some leaders one on one to get a sense of the situation and the sources said he would arrive at a decision only after ascertaining the sense of the House on the matter. While the Shiv Sena said they would go with whatever the government decides on the issue, the YSRCP was one of the few parties that felt the days lost if the session is curtailed should be made up. The Trinamool Congress, in letters addressed to both Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu and Mr. Birla, pointed to the 2011 and 2008 precedents, when the session was similarly curtailed . In the letter to Mr. Naidu, TMC national spokesperson and Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek O’Brien said due to the polls, MPs of his party would not be able to attend the Parliament session. He cited the example of the 222nd session, which commenced on February 21, 2011, and was scheduled to conclude on April 21, 2011. However, due to Assembly elections in Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, the House was adjourned sine die on March 25, 2011. The government has started reaching out to the Opposition parties seeking to close the session early. A section of Congress leaders supports the demand, including Adhhir Ranjan Chadhhary, but the rest of the party feel that it will send a wrong message. In other parliamentary proceedings, the Rajya Sabha on Monday was adjourned for the day after Opposition MPs began shouting slogans against the fuel prices in the country. The Lok Sabha also saw multiple adjournments due to protests from the Opposition. The Lower House will resume at 11 am on Tuesday.

C) Supreme Court has highest respect for womanhood, says CJI. 

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad A. Bobde on Monday said the Supreme Court, as an institution, had the highest respect for womanhood and recent media reports quoting him as asking an alleged rapist to marry his victim was completely misquoted. The CJI made the position clear on International Women’s Day while hearing a plea made by a 14-year-old rape victim seeking the termination of pregnancy. On March 1, during a virtual hearing, several media outlets reported the CJI asking a rape accused’s lawyer to find out whether his client would be willing to marry the victim or risk the prospect of going to jail. The lawyer came back later in the day and said his client had declined as he was already married. On Monday, the CJI said certain people were out to tarnish the image of the judiciary and a counter mechanism needed to be set up. The Bench said the reputation of the judiciary rested in the hands of the Bar. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the comments of the CJI on March 1, was indeed twisted out of context. A flurry of outrage followed the reported comments of the CJI. According to the prosecution side, the accused had repeatedly raped the girl since she was in high school. Monday saw the CJI clarify that his oral remarks, on March 1 again, during the hearing of another case concerning a man accused of falsely promising marriage to a woman was also misinterpreted.

D) Major sent to police custody in Army exam paper leak. 

A 47-year-old Army officer arrested in connection with a recruitment exam paper leak in Pune was on Monday remanded to police custody till March 15. The Pune police told the court of Additional Sessions Judge S.R. Navandar that Major T. Murugan, who was arrested from Tamil Nadu, had forwarded the question paper to other accused. Public Prosecutor Premkumar Agrawal told court that Murugan had forwarded the leaked question paper to other accused through Whatsapp, and the police needed to know from where he got this exam paper. Mr. Agrawal said the accused had deleted mobile phone chats, which had to be retrieved, and a probe was needed to unearth financial transactions and further links. Defence counsel A.D. Lonandkar opposed the plea and told court that the accused’s phone had already been seized and, therefore, there was no need for police custody. Remanding Murugan to police custody till March 15, Judge Navandar said the accused is the key person in the paper leak conspiracy. Due to unlawful activities, the entire process of recruitment was stopped and the exam postponed. Considering the seriousness of the crime, there is a need for thorough investigation and for that sufficient police custody is required, the judge observed. Police have invoked relevant sections of IPC as well as the Prevention of Corruption Act. So far, six persons have been arrested, including three Army personnel, for the leak that took place on February 28.

E) Women farmers take spotlight in ongoing protests.

Thousands of women farmers held protest marches and delivered speeches at the Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur protest sites at Delhi’s borders on International Women’s Day. Noting that women contribute significantly to the country’s farming sector, the organisers have laid out elaborate plans to let women farmers manage the stage, arrange food and security and share tales of their struggles on the occasion. The stage is being managed by women, the speakers are all women and the issues that are being discussed are of both farming and women farmers more specifically, farmer leader Kavitha Kuruganti told the Press Trust of India. The discourse of the debate is focusing on women farmers. The debate is also on the contribution of women in this movement, said Ms. Kuruganti, who is also a member of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha. She added that the participation of women has increased significantly with the arrival of thousands of women.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Toll from military camp blasts in E. Guinea rises to 30: report.

The death toll from accidental explosions at a military camp in Equatorial Guinea rose to 30 on Monday, media reports said, after 10 more bodies were found in the ruined site. Six hundred people were injured in the blasts, which also flattened homes near the camp on the outskirts of the economic hub of Bata, State television TVGE said, adding that it expected the toll to rise. It showed images akin to a war zone, in which rescue workers and civilians struggled to remove bodies from smoking ruins. Three children aged three and four were brought out alive and taken to hospital. A string of four huge explosions occurred in mid-afternoon on Sunday, hitting the Nkoa Ntoma camp, which houses special forces and gendarmes and their families, as well as homes nearby. President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, who has ruled the small central African state for 42 years, has blamed the accident on stubble-burning by local farmers and on negligent supervision of the camp’s munitions depot. Anyone living in a radius of two to four km of the explosions has been unable to return home. Bata is home to of E. Guinea’s 1.4 million people, most of whom live in poverty despite the country’s oil and gas wealth. 

B) After historic visit, Pope leaves Iraq for Rome.

Pope Francis on Monday wrapped up his historic whirlwind tour of Iraq that sought to bring hope to the country’s marginalised Christian minority with a message of coexistence, forgiveness and peace. The pontiff and his travelling delegation were seen off with a farewell ceremony at the Baghdad airport. At every turn of his trip, Pope Francis urged Iraqis to embrace diversity from Najaf in the south, where he held a historic meeting with powerful Shia cleric Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, to Nineveh to the north, where he met with Christian victims of the Islamic State group’s terror and heard their testimonies of survival. In Iraq’s south, the Pope convened a meeting of Iraqi religious leaders in the deserts near a symbol of the country’s ancient past the 6,000-year-old ziggurat in the Plains of Ur, also thought to be the birthplace of Abraham, the patriarch revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims. The gathering brought religious representatives across the country rarely seen together, from Muslims, Christians, Yazidis and Mandaeans.

SPORTS NEWS 

A) World Test Championship final in Southampton, Ganguly confirms. 

India will play their inaugural World Test Championship final against New Zealand at Southampton’s Ageas Bowl Stadium from June 18-22, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly confirmed on Monday. Initially, the final was supposed to be held at the Lord’s but Southampton, with a five-star facility inside the stadium, will make it easier for both the ICC and the England and Wales Cricket Board to create a bio-bubble for the two teams. Yes, the final will be held at Ageas Bowl, Ganguly replied to a query from PTI. India qualified for the marquee clash after beating England 3-1 in a just-concluded Test series. The BCCI president, who has been on a medical break after undergoing a bypass surgery, is expected to travel to UK to watch the final match. Southampton, with its slowish track, puts India on even keel with New Zealand as spinners will come into the game at the venue. He will go for the World Test Championship and hopefully we can get past New Zealand in the final. New Zealand will be there before us and they will play a couple of Test matches (against England), Ganguly told ‘India Today’ channel.