Tag: exam

CURRENT AFFAIRS
14 April 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Govt fast-tracks approval for more foreign-produced vaccines.

In a major shift in vaccine approval policy, the government has decided to fast track approvals for Covid-19 vaccines that have been developed outside India and have been granted the emergency use authorisation (EUA) by other drug regulatory agencies. The decision was taken based on the recommendation made by the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC) at a meeting held on April 11 to expand the basket of vaccines for domestic use and hasten the pace and coverage. The vaccines that would be eligible for the fast-track approval will include those that have been granted an EUA by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), European Medicines Agency (EMA), UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) of Japan, or those that have been pre-qualified by the WHO for emergency use. This would mean that Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccines would be eligible for fast-track approval. Under the fast-track approval process, the bridging studies will take place in parallel to mass vaccination. So far, clinical trials conducted in India were needed before the Indian regulator could approve the vaccine. But before mass roll-out of the vaccines that are developed and tested abroad can happen, the vaccines will be first given to 100 beneficiaries and these individuals will be assessed for seven days for safety outcomes. The decision will facilitate quicker access to such foreign vaccines by India and would encourage imports, including import of bulk drug material, optimal utilisation of domestic fill and finish capacity etc., which will in turn provide a fillip to vaccine manufacturing capacity and total vaccine availability for domestic [use], said a government release.

B) Mamata stages dharna in Kolkata against EC’s 24-hour ban on campaigning.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday sat on a dharna to protest against the Election Commission of India (EC) barring her from campaigning for 24 hours beginning 8 p.m. on April 12. A few minutes before noon, Banerjee arrived at the venue and sat alone on a wheelchair in front of a table with books on it. She scribbled notes on paper and also painted on canvas. Hundreds of Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporters, including women, arrived at the venue and waited in silence. Within minutes of the EC order on Monday, the Chief Minister announced her decision to protest. To protest against the undemocratic and unconstitutional decision of the Election Commission of India, he will sit on dharna tomorrow at Gandhi Murti, Kolkata from 12 noon, Banerjee said on social media. The Trinamool chairperson was scheduled to address four rallies in the day, two in Nadia and two in North 24 Parganas, which had to be cancelled because of the ban. In a five-page order on Monday, the EC expressed dissatisfaction at Banerjee’s response to the notices it had sent to her on April 7 and April 8, for violation of the provisions of Model Code of Conduct, Section 123(3) and (3A) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, among others. The notice on April 7 was related to her remarks that urged people of the minority community not to allow any split of votes and the one on April 8 concerned remarks directed at Central forces, in which she asked people to surround (gherao) the forces.

C) EC issues notice to West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh.

The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday issued a notice to West Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh for violating provisions of the Model Code of Conduct and the Indian Penal Code by making an inflammatory statement threatening the people of Bengal during a public rally in Barangar, North 24 Parganas. The EC said it had received a complaint from All-India Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien about the speech that was an open threat to Bengal and its people. Referring to the Central forces firing on a mob on polling day on April 10 in Sitalkuchi, in which four people were killed, Ghosh said the incident would be the start. Where did so many naughty boys come from? Those naughty boys were shot at yesterday in Sitalkuchi. These naughty boys will not be there in Bengal. This is just the beginning. Those who thought that the Central forces’ rifles were meant to be just for show have well understood now the power of cartridges. And this will be carried on throughout Bengal, Ghosh was quoted as saying in the EC notice. Speaking of the fifth round of voting in the Bengal elections, Ghosh had said, Those who will take the law in their own hands will be given a befitting answer. He hope that you all will queue up to cast your votes in the morning on 17 April. Central forces will be there in the booths. No one can show you an angry eye. Because we are here. And if someone crosses his limits then you have seen what happened in Sitalkuchi. There will be Sitalkuchi in several places. So be careful. Finding the statement to be in violation of the MCC, the IPC and Representation of the People Act, 1951, the EC said Ghosh’s speech was provocative and can seriously incite the emotions and lead to breakdown of law and order thereby adversely affecting the election process. Issuing notice, the EC asked Ghosh to explain his stand by 10 a.m. on Wednesday. In another notice to BJP West Bengal leader Rahul Sinha, the EC said his speech on Monday saying that the Central forces should have killed eight, not four people, during the Sitalkuchi incident was a violation of the MCC, and it banned him from campaigning for 48 hours.

D) Congress debates ‘outsourcing’ political work after strategist’s chats are leaked.

The leaked contents of a virtual meeting between election strategist Prashant Kishor and senior journalists has triggered a debate within a section of the Congress party on the question of how far a political party could go in engaging with an external agency while fighting elections. The internal debate was also prompted by the party’s experience in Tamil Nadu, where Kishor’s organisation, the Indian Political Action Committee or I-PAC, advised the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which heads an alliance in which the Congress is a junior partner. Congress insiders claim they were witness to a sense of disquiet among senior DMK leaders as core political activities were decided by the external agency. The Congress’ Data Analytics chief, Praveen Chakravarty, who makes sense of the numbers for the party to help devise strategy, questioned the commitment of external agencies in terms of ideology. If a political party outsources its election-fighting to a commercial external vendor, then it leads to the eventual destruction of the very idea of a political party, [which is] building a cadre based on ideology. These vendors’ main objective is profits and they circulate strategic information, data, and knowledge of one party to another, said Chakravarty. A political party outsourcing election management to an external commercial vendor is like the Finance Minister outsourcing the Budget preparation to an external consultant. It is penny wise, pound foolish, he added. The question is important as, recently, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh re-engaged Kishor, who had advised Singh earlier, as his advisor, and offered him the rank of a Cabinet Minister. The debate is also important as it could decide the party’s strategy with regard to Uttar Pradesh elections, scheduled next year, based on the feedback from the current round of elections.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Top Republican senator urges CAATSA waiver to India for the S-400 deal.

A top Republican Senator has urged the Biden administration to give CAATSA waiver to India, saying that any plan to impose sanctions on New Delhi for buying the Russian S-400 missile defence system would undermine its relationship with the U.S. and also affect the QUAD’s ability to counter China. Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act or CAATSA is a tough U.S. law which authorises the administration to impose sanctions on countries that purchase major defence hardware from Russia. Senator Todd Young, a key member of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote in the prestigious Foreign Policy magazine that if the Joe Biden administration imposes sanctions on India, it would not deter New Delhi’s purchase of the S-400 missile system from Russia, but would weaken two strategic fronts at a critical time undermine Washington’s relationship with India and also affect the QUAD’s ability to counter China. Moreover, Russia could take advantage of the sanctions to reclaim its role as India’s military partner of choice. Paradoxically then, sanctioning New Delhi over its Russian-made defence system would actually prove to be a geo-strategic victory for Moscow, Young wrote. Alternatively, he urged the Biden Administration to give CAATSA waiver to India. The waiver is intended at preventing U.S. sanctions on countries like India. In October 2018, India signed a $5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, notwithstanding warnings from the then Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite U.S. sanction.

B) Japan to dump contaminated water from Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea.

Japan will release more than 1 million tonnes of contaminated water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear station into the sea, the government said on Tuesday, a move opposed by neighbours, including South Korea and its own fishing industry. The first release of water will take place in about two years, giving plant operator Tokyo Electric Power time to begin filtering the water to remove harmful isotopes, build infrastructure, and acquire regulatory approval. Japan has argued that the water release is necessary to press ahead with the complex decommissioning of the plant after it was crippled by a 2011 earthquake and tsunami, pointing out that similarly filtered water is routinely released from nuclear plants around the world. Nearly 1.3 million tonnes of contaminated water, or enough to fill about 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools, is stored in huge tanks at the Fukushima Daiichi plant at an annual cost of about 100 billion yen ($912.66 million) and space is running out. On the premise of strict compliance with regulatory standards that have been established, we select oceanic release, the government said in a statement, adding the project would take decades to complete.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
13 April 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Expert panel recommends approving Sputnik V vaccine for emergency use in India.

Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V has been recommended for emergency use authorisation in India following a meeting of the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) on Monday. If approved by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), Sputnik-V would be the third vaccine to be made available in India after Serum Institute of India’s Covishield, developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca, and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin. This vaccine was likely to be cleared for public use within 7-10 days. The recommendation comes amid the recent record surge of fresh COVID-19 cases the highest since the beginning of the pandemic last year. Sputnik V, developed by Russia’s Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, claims to be one of the three vaccines in the world with efficacy of over 90%. The vaccine’s efficacy is confirmed at 91.6% based on the analysis of data on 19,866 volunteers, who received both the first and second doses of the Sputnik V vaccine or placebo at the final control point of 78 confirmed Covid-19 cases, noted the information released on the vaccine’s official website. It adds that the vaccine supplies for the global market will be produced by Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) international partners in India, Brazil, China, South Korea and other countries. While Dr. Reddy’s will market the vaccine in India, RDIF has tied up with other Indian companies Hetero Biopharma, Gland Pharma, Stelis Biopharma and Virchow Biotech to produce 850 million doses of Sputnik V in the country every year. RDIF jointly with partners and manufacturers is ramping up the production of Sputnik V. The cost of one dose of the vaccine for international markets is less than $10 (Sputnik V is a two-dose vaccine). The (freeze-dried form) of the vaccine can be stored at a temperature of +2 to +8 degrees Celsius, which allows for easy distribution worldwide, including hard-to-reach regions, noted the website.

B) Massive crowds at Kumbh as India records world’s highest tally of daily new infections.

Hundreds of thousands of Hindu devotees flocked on Monday to take a holy bath in the Ganges river, even as the nation racked up the world’s highest tally of new daily coronavirus infections, Reuters reported. With 168,912 new cases, India accounts for one in six of all new infections globally. But today, in Haridwar, nearly a million devotees thronged the banks of the Ganges to participate in the Kumbh Mela’. By mid-morning a million people had taken a dip in the river in what has all the signs of a super-spreader event. Monday’s new infections carried India past Brazil for a tally of 13.53 million, data compiled by Reuters shows, ranking it the second-most infected country after the United States, with 31.2 million. While several states have brought back partial restrictions to break the chain of transmission, thousands of people also attended political rallies today, including two events in West Bengal where Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave campaign speeches.

C) Sitalkuchi deaths: Impose ban on Bengal BJP president, Mamata tells EC; poll body bans her instead.

A war of words over the Sitalkuchi firing continued to rage on Monday. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee assured the voters that she would not spare those responsible for the firing and urged the Election Commission to ban State BJP president Dilip Ghosh. The poll body, however, has banned Banerjee from campaigning for 24 hours, citing highly insinuating and provocative remarks laden with serious potential of the breakdown of law and order as reason for the ban order. Ghosh had on Sunday warned of more Siltakuchi-like incidents if the bad boys of Trinamool Congress do not abide by the law. State BJP president is saying Central forces should open fire. Do they have anything in their heads? Those who speak about opening fire should be banned, the Chief Minister said at a public meeting on Monday. TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee also played a recording of Ghosh’s speech at a rally in north Bengal and said several BJP leaders had made statements that the forces should shoot to kill. Five persons had died in two separate incidents of firing at Sitalkuchi on April 10 when polling was underway in the Assembly constituency. At a public meeting during the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi blamed Banerjee for the violence which led to mothers losing their sons in Cooch Behar. The entire thing was planned by Home Minister Amit Shah and the Prime Minister was aware of the situation, Banerjee retorted. Former State BJP president Rahul Sinha, who is contesting polls from Habra in north 24 Parganas, said there was no big issue if eight instead of four people were killed and those killed were terrorists trying to disrupt the polling process.

D) Suo motu PIL on Covid-19 ‘health emergency’ in Gujarat: HC slams State govt.

The Gujarat High Court came down heavily on the State government during the hearing on a suo motu public interest litigation (PIL) petition on the worsening Covid-19 situation and asked it to file a detailed affidavit by April 15 on the measures the authorities were taking to control the pandemic. During an online hearing, the Bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath expressed displeasure with certain policies of the State government regarding the tackling of the pandemic amid an increase in cases and deaths and told Advocate General Kamal Trivedi that corrections were required. They are in the third phase. It is so steep and galloping that the government never envisioned it. If you apply for a test, you will get a report after several days. It takes around seven days to get the RT-PCR report, Chief Justice Vikram Nath remarked. In fact, the Chief Justice himself had initiated the fresh suo motu petition on Sunday evening after terming the Covid-19 situation as a health emergency in the State. He constituted a Bench headed by him and listed the matter for urgent hearing on Monday morning. The Bench held that the situation was grim as per the media reports. The court was particularly concerned about the shortage of Remdesivir injections and long queues of kin of patients outside the hospitals to procure injection vials. The Chief Justice asked the Advocate General to ensure that the data of the injection stock was placed before the court before the next hearing on April 15. The Advocate General, during his submission, briefed the court about the steps taken by the government while suggesting that the media reports were overhyping the situation on the ground. After his lengthy submissions seeking to paint a picture of normalcy in the State, the Bench observed, after hearing them, they are mesmerised and feel that they have unnecessarily taken cognisance, but the situation is quite grim.

E) Rafale deal: SC says it will consider listing writ petition after two weeks.

The Supreme Court on Monday said it will consider listing after two weeks a writ petition filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma seeking registration of an FIR and an investigation under the Officials Secrets Act into a French media report that France’s anti-corruption agency, Agence Francaise Anticorruption (AFA), had found that aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation had paid €1 one million to an Indian company in connection with the 2016 Rafale deal. Sharma mentioned the petition, without explicitly referring to the details, before a Bench led by Chief Justice Sharad A. Bobde. The petition has made Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the first respondent, followed by Sushen Mohan Gupta, Defsys Solutions Private Limited, Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited, the Centre and the CBI in that order. The petition urged the apex court to order the registration of an FIR under various offences including cheating, criminal breach of trust, Sections under the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Official Secrets Act. It urged the court to issue appropriate writ direction for cancelling/quashing agreement of September 23, 2016 for the purchase of 36 Rafale jet fighters from Dassault France for being hit by fraud, corruption and offence under the Official Secrets Act and to recover entire advanced money with penalty and to blacklist Dassault. Sharma said the first four respondents should be prosecuted.

F) CBI asks former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh to join probe.

The CBI has asked former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh to join the preliminary enquiry on Wednesday in connection with the corruption allegations, said an agency official on Monday. The statement of Assistant Commissioner of Police Sanjay Patil of the Mumbai police was again recorded on Monday, the official said. On Sunday, the agency had examined two personal assistants of Deshmukh, as their names had come up during the probe. The CBI has already recorded the statements of former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, suspended assistant police inspector Sachin Vaze, and a DCP of the Mumbai police, following the Bombay High Court’s directive to conduct the preliminary enquiry.

G) SC dismisses plea to scrap 26 verses from Quran, says it is ‘absolutely frivolous’

The Supreme Court on Monday threw out a writ petition filed by former chief of Uttar Pradesh Shia Central Waqf Board Waseem Rizwi to scrap 26 verses from the Quran, saying they promoted terror. A Bench led by Justice Rohinton Nariman declared the writ petition as absolutely frivolous. The court imposed ₹50,000 as costs on Rizwi. He has to pay the amount to the legal aid services authorities. Do you really want to argue the petition, Justice Nariman asked the lawyer. The latter sought two minutes to present his case. He went on to argue how these verses were used to instill the sparks of Islamic terrorism in children held in captivity in madrasas.

H) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 1,35,97,831 with the death toll at 1,71,972. With Covid-19 cases on the rise across the country, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has barred airlines from serving in-flight meals for flights shorter than two hours. The order, which comes into effect from April 15, also requires airlines to ensure that passengers seated on adjacent seats are served food in a staggered manner. The passengers would be informed of the above practices for strict compliance before the start of the catering services by way of passenger announcements, the order stated. The Delhi government on Monday declared 14 private hospitals in the city as full COVID-19 hospitals and directed them not to admit any non-COVID patients till further orders. Nineteen private hospitals have been directed to reserve at least 80% of their ICU beds for coronavirus-related treatment. Eighty-two private hospitals have been asked to set aside at least 60% of their ICU beds for Covid-19patients, according to the order issued by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) ‘Britain opens official probe into ex-PM’s lobbying efforts’

Britain has launched an official independent probe into former Prime Minister David Cameron’s efforts to lobby Ministers on behalf of financer Lex Greensill, The Sun newspaper and the BBC reported. The probe is likely to be independent and carried out on behalf of the Cabinet Office, the BBC said. While Mr. Cameron was British Prime Minister from 2010 to 2016, the Australian banker Greensill was brought in to work with the government to improve efficiency. After leaving office, Mr. Cameron in turn became an adviser to Greensill’s now-insolvent finance firm. The Financial Times and Sunday Times newspapers have reported that Mr. Cameron contacted Ministers directly to lobby on behalf of Greensill Capital, including sending texts to Finance Minister Rishi Sunak and arranging a private drink between Greensill and Health Secretary Matt Hancock. In his first comments on the row on Sunday. Mr. Cameron said that in his representations to government he was breaking no codes of conduct and no government rules.

B) Iran blames Israel for nuclear plant outage, pledges revenge.

Iran blamed Israel on Monday for a sabotage attack on its underground Natanz nuclear facility that damaged its centrifuges and vowed it would take revenge. Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack. It rarely does for operations carried out by its secret military units or its Mossad intelligence agency. However, Israeli media widely reported that the country had orchestrated a devastating cyber attack that caused a blackout at the nuclear facility. While the extent of the damage at Natanz remains unclear, a former Iranian official said the assault set off a fire while a spokesman mentioned a possible minor explosion. The attack also further strains relations the U.S. which under president Joe Biden is now negotiating in Vienna to re-enter the nuclear accord, and Israel. whose prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to Stop the deal at all costs. His policy as Prime Minister of Israel clear. He will never allow Iran to obtain the nuclear capability to carry out its genocidal goal of eliminating Israel, Mr. Netanyahu said.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
12 April 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Amid lockdown talk, migrant movement spikes on Mumbai-Agra road in Indore.

A severe spike in COVID-19 cases in Mumbai and persistent talk of a complete lockdown there to tackle it has made the National Highway No. 3 skirting past Madhya Pradesh’s commercial hub Indore a prime route for wary migrants returning home to States like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, according to the Press Trust of India. The number of motorcycles, black-and-yellow mini trucks and auto rickshaws, teeming with migrants, have been on the rise over the past few days on a bypass road connected to this route, popularly known as Mumbai-Agra road, eye-witnesses said on April 11. The virus outbreak has once again got very severe in Mumbai. There might be a lockdown and it may, like last year, render us jobless. So we have decided to return home, said Ramsharan Singh (40), making his way back to Ballia in Uttar Pradesh in an autorickshaw. Similar is the case with Mohammad Shadab, going back to his hometown in Bihar’s Bhojpur district. In 2020, the route witnessed bumper-to-bumper traffic as people trying to escape a crippling coronavirus-induced lockdown in Mumbai and adjoining areas made their way home to eastern and northern States in some of the most helpless and trying travel conditions. Mumbai on April 10 reported 9,330 fresh cases and 28 deaths, taking the count of infections to 5,10,512 and the toll to 11,944. Mumbai division, comprising the metropolis and adjoining districts, reported 18,241 new cases and 89 deaths during the day, raising the tally to 10,64,221 and the fatality count to 21,028.

B) Centre prohibits export of Remdesivir in view of spike in cases.

The Centre has prohibited the exports of injection Remdesivir and Remdesivir Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) in an order issued on Sunday stating that there has been a sudden spike in demand for injection Remdesivir used in treatment of COVID patients. India is witnessing a recent surge in COVID cases and there is a potential of further increase in demand for injection Remdesivir in the coming days, said the Centre in a statement. Seven Indian companies are producing injection Remdesivir under voluntary licensing agreement with M/s. Gilead Sciences, USA. They have an installed capacity of about 38.80 lakh units per month. In view of increased demand for Remdesivir due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, the Centre on April 11, 2021 said the export of the antiviral injection and its Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) has been banned till the situation improves. The release issued by the Health Ministry noted that to ensure easy access to the injection all domestic manufactures of Remdesivir have been advised to display on their website, details of their stockists/distributors to facilitate access to the drug. Drugs inspectors and other officers have been directed to verify stocks and check their malpractices and also take other effective actions to curb hoarding and black marketing. The State Health Secretaries will review this with the Drug Inspectors of the respective States/UTs, added the release. It added that the Department of Pharmaceuticals has been in contact with the domestic manufacturers to ramp up the production of Remdesivir. As per the National Clinical Management Protocol for COVID-19 of the Central Government Remdesivir is listed as an Investigational Therapy (i.e. where informed and shared decision making is essential).

C) In survey, India Inc says it prefers strict safety measures to partial lockdowns.

Cautioning that partial lockdown measures could impact the movement of labour and goods and lead to a decline of up to 50% in production, India Inc believes stringent implementation of safety norms is a better option than partial lockdowns, according to a survey by the CII. The survey on the impact of partial lockdowns on industry, conducted among 710 CEOs and senior industry leaders from manufacturing and services sectors, comes at a time when several States are imposing restrictions such as night curfew and full lockdowns amid a surge in COVID-19 cases. Three out of four respondents feel that the implementation of night curfew or a partial lockdown will impact movement of labourers and workers to factories and workplaces, respectively. Out of these respondents, a further majority (52%) foresee a fall in production/sales ranging between 10%-50%, on a monthly basis, due to the restricted movement of labour, the CII said. About 31% of the industry leaders said they would accommodate their labour force in the factory in case of movement restrictions due to night curfew. T.V. Narendran, president-designate, CII, said, stringent enforcement measures to promote strict adherence to health and safety protocols are essential and any measures to restrict social gatherings should not be extended to regular functioning of industry and commerce. He also pitched for extending the vaccination programme to all people above 18 years of age. Protecting livelihoods along with lives is essential and industry is keen to work with the government on universal coverage [18 years and above] of vaccination programme and in implementing strict health and safety protocols.

D) Bengal BJP president warns of more Sitalkuchi-like shootings.

West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Dilip Ghosh on Sunday courted controversy by warning that there will be Sitalkuchi cases in various places if anyone took the law into their own hands. Where have so many naughty boys come from? The kind of naughty boys who got shot in Sitalkuchi in Cooch Behar won’t remain in Bengal. This is just the beginning. Those who take the law into their own hands will be dealt with in a befitting manner. If they want to fight, then they have seen what happened at Sitalkuchi. There will be Sitalkuchi cases in various places. So be careful, the State BJP president said while addressing a public meeting at Baranagar in North 24 Parganas. Mr. Ghosh, who is no stranger to making outrageous comments, said that those who thought that the guns carried by the Central forces were just for show were now realising the strength of the guns. The remarks drew condemnation from different political parties, including the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Left parties. Five persons were killed in two separate incidents of firing at Sitalkuchi at Cooch Behar during the fourth phase of polling on April 10. Four persons died when Central forces opened fire at booth number 126 at Jor Patki village in the Sitalkuchi Assembly segment.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Jordanian prince makes first appearance since house arrest.

Jordan’s Prince Hamzah on Sunday made his first public appearance since he was placed under house arrest last week, attending a ceremony with King Abdullah II in what appeared to be an attempted show of unity on a major Jordanian holiday. But it remained unclear whether the king and his popular half brother had put aside the differences that escalated last week into the most serious public rift in the ruling family in decades. Prince Hamzah joined members of the Jordanian royal family marking the centenary of the establishment of the Emirate of Transjordan, a British protectorate that preceded the kingdom. The royal palace released a photo and video with Abdullah, Hamzah, Crown Prince Hussein and other dignitaries at the grave of King Talal in Amman, Jordan’s capital. It was the first time that Prince Hamzah was seen in public since he was placed under a form of house arrest on April 3 following accusations that he was involved in a malicious plot to destabilize the kingdom. In statements leaked to the media, Prince Hamzah denied the accusations and accused the country’s government of corruption and incompetence. King Abdullah subsequently said authorities had thwarted an attempt at sedition involving his half brother and some 18 suspects, while saying he was angry and in shock. King Abdullah also suggested there was continued control over Prince Hamzah’s movements, saying the prince was with his family at his palace, under my care.

B) China considers mixing vaccine to boost efficacy.

China is considering the mixing of different COVID-19 vaccines to improve the relatively low efficacy of its existing options, a top health expert has told a conference. Authorities have to consider ways to solve the issue that efficacy rates of existing vaccines are not high, Chinese media outlet The Paper reported, citing Gao Fu, the head of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. His comments mark the first time a top Chinese expert has publicly alluded to the relatively low efficacy of the country’s vaccines, as China forges ahead in its mass vaccination campaign and exports its jabs around the world. China has administered around 161 million doses since vaccinations began last year, and aims to fully inoculate 40% of its 1.4 billion population by June. But many have been slow to sign up for jabs, with life largely back to normal within China’s borders and domestic outbreaks under control. Mr. Gao has previously stressed the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is vaccination, and said in a recent state media interview that China aims to vaccinate 70% to 80% of its population between the end of this year and mid-2022. At the conference, Mr. Gao added that an option to overcome the efficacy problem is to alternate the use of vaccine doses that tap different technologies, referring to mRNA vaccines. Sinopharm’s vaccines have efficacy rates of 79.34% and 72.51% respectively, while the overall efficacy for CanSino’s stands at 65.28% after 28 days.

C) Two conservatives declare bids in race to succeed Merkel.

The head of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its smaller Bavarian sister party both declared themselves willing to run for Chancellor on Sunday, with the bloc poised to decide who will represent it in the race to succeed the veteran leader in September elections. CDU chief Armin Laschet and Markus Soeder, the head of the smaller Bavarian CSU party, told reporters they were open to being the centre-right alliance’s candidate for Chancellor during a crunch meeting of conservative MPs in Berlin. They have established that they are both suitable and both willing, Mr. Soeder said. Mr. Laschet, 60, a long-time Merkel ally, took over as CDU leader in January, and would normally be first choice to lead the parties into the elections on September 26, when Ms. Merkel will retire from politics after 16 years as Chancellor. But the sister parties’ backing is tumbling over their recent handling of the coronavirus crisis, and some have called for Mr. Laschet to step aside in favour of the charismatic Mr. Soeder, 54. Mr. Laschet said on Sunday that he and Mr. Soeder had agreed that they would both stand, stressing: Their goal is to provide as much unity as possible between the CDU and CSU. Mr. Soeder had spent months avoiding showing any clear interest in the top job while doing little to dispel talk that he wants the chancellorship for himself. While Mr. Laschet remains more likely to win over party bigwigs, Mr. Soeder has also already drawn the support of several CDU lawmakers, as conservative MPs face falling poll ratings with growing nervousness.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
11 April 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) West Bengal Assembly Elections | Four killed in firing by security personnel, one more shot dead by miscreants.

Five people were killed in two separate incidents of firing during elections at Sitalkuchi Assembly constituency in north Bengal on Saturday, sending shockwaves across the State where voting for four more phases is yet to be held. Four persons were killed when central forces opened fire at polling booth number 126 at Amtali Madhyamik Siksha Kendra under Jor Patki gram panchayat at Sitalkuchi Assembly segment. The death triggered huge political reactions and elections at the polling booth were suspended. Superintendent of Police, Cooch Behar Debasish Dhar said that about 300 to 350 people, including women, attacked guards with crude weapons at the polling station after a rumour spread that security personnel have beaten up a person who had allegedly fallen ill. The incident evoked strong reactions from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has claimed that all those killed were party workers. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee blamed Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the incident and the manner in which polls are held are a shame on democracy. Describing it as a planned attack she said in a press conference, Home Minister Amit Shah is completely responsible for the incident and he himself is the conspirator. He don’t blame central forces because they work under Home Minister’s order. They will demand his resignation, she said in a press conference this evening. Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Banerjee of inciting people against central forces. In another incident under the same Assembly constituency, an 18-year-old was killed when miscreants opened fire on him when he was returning from polling booth number 285 at Pathantuli under Bolenhati gram panchayat. Two persons have been detained in connection with the incident, the CEO said. Sitalkuchi, an assembly segment bordering Bangladesh in Cooch Behar district, was on the boil over the past few days and the convoy of BJP president Dilip Ghosh was attacked in the district. The ECI had deployed a maximum of 188 companies of central forces in Cooch Behar district. The Commission had deployed 793 companies of central forces across the state for the fourth round of polling. The State had recorded about 76.16 % polling till 5 p.m. in the 44 Assembly seats in the State that went to polls today.

B) Firing in Cooch Behar incident was in self-defence, says report by security forces.

According to a report prepared by the Border Security Force (BSF), coordinator of all central forces in Cooch Behar’s Sitalkuchi Assembly constituency where two incidents of violence were reported today, members of the police and the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) fired more than 15 rounds in self defence in a span of two hours. The BSF report said that at around 9.35 a.m., a quick reaction team (QRT) of the CISF was attacked by a mob of 50-60 persons while it was patrolling the areas near booth number 126. Inspector Sunil Kumar of CISF was attacked when he was taking a round of the area along with the local police after getting complaints that voters were being stopped from reaching the polling booth, the report said. In the melee, one child fell down and miscreants started damaging the vehicle of the QRT and attacked the QRT personnel. QRT reacted in self-defence and fired six rounds in the air to disperse the mob. Deepak Kumar, deputy commandant of CISF reached the spot and pacified the mob. He then left, the report said. After an hour, a mob of around 150 people started manhandling the polling staff on duty at booth number 186. The report said the mob assaulted a Home Guard and an Asha worker. It said the CISF booth commander tried to pacify the miscreants but the mob entered the polling booth and assaulted the other polling staff. Few miscreants tried to snatch the weapons of CISF personnel deployed there. As a result, CISF personnel fired two rounds in the air but the mob didn’t pay any heed to the warning. In the meantime, QRT of CISF and police also reached at the spot. The mob further started advancing aggressively towards CISF personnel. Therefore, sensing imminent danger to their life, they fired 7 more rounds towards the advancing mob, the report said. While the above incident was going on, more police party also arrived at booth. It is reported that in self-defence they have also fired few rounds. As a result few miscreants were injured and immediately the mob dispersed. The polling was halted. More police personnel have reached the spot. It is reported that 5 to 6 miscreants have sustained fatal injuries and further they succumbed to injuries, the report said.

C) Sonia holds virtual meet with Congress CMs; charges Modi govt. with ‘mismanagement’ of Covid-19 crisis.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in a virtual meeting with Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled States on Saturday, charged the Narendra Modi government with mismanaging the Covid-19 situation by allowing exports of vaccines, resulting in a vaccine shortage in the country. The Modi government has mismanaged the situation exported vaccine and allowed a shortage to be created in India. Mass gatherings for elections and religious events have accelerated COVID for which all of us are responsible to some extent. We need to accept this responsibility and keep the interest of the nation above our own, Gandhi told her party colleagues in her introductory remarks. As the principal Opposition party, it’s our responsibility to raise issues and push the government to move away from PR tactics and act in the interest of the people, she added. The Congress chief said cooperation with the States showed respect to federalism and it was equally important for States to be constructive and cooperate with the Centre in its efforts to fight the pandemic. The Congress chief also took stock of the on-going farmers’ protests against the new farm laws, and of approval not being given by the President of India for State laws that negated the Central farm laws. Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel were among those who participated in the meeting. Senior Congress Minister in the Maharashtra government Balashaeb Thorat, and Rameshwar Oraon of the Jharkhand government also participated in the meet. Chief Ministers of Congress-ruled States expressed concern over vaccine shortage, with Baghel stating that Chhattisgarh had stock that would last only three days. Punjab’s Captain Amarinder Singh said that while the State had stocks to last five days at current levels of vaccination, if it scaled up the vaccination target to 2 lakh shots a day, Punjab, too, would have vaccine stock for only three days. Singh also claimed that the anger against the Centre over the farm laws had impacted the State’s Covid-19 vaccination drive.

D) India, China agree to maintain stability on ground, avoid any new incidents in eastern Ladakh.

India and China have agreed at their 11th round of military talks to jointly maintain stability on the ground, and avoid any new incidents in eastern Ladakh. A day after the talks, the Indian Army on Saturday said the two sides agreed on the need to resolve the outstanding issues in an expeditious manner in accordance with the existing agreements and protocols. The two sides had a detailed exchange of views for the resolution of the remaining issues related to disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh, it said. The two sides agreed on the need to resolve the outstanding issues in an expeditious manner in accordance with the existing agreements and protocols, the Army said in a statement. In this context, the Army said it was also highlighted that completion of disengagement in other areas would pave the way for the two sides to consider de-escalation of forces and ensure full restoration of peace and tranquillity and enable progress in bilateral relations. The 11th round of Corps Commander-level talks took place at the Chushul border point on the Indian side of the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

E) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 1,33,28,422 with the death toll at 1,70,403. Madhya Pradesh, among the 10 States that account for 84% of the new daily cases in the latest surge of Covid-19, is also facing a shortage of medical oxygen as well as the crucial drug remdesivir, used to treat infected patients and reduce time in hospital. The State has been placed under a 60-hour lockdown from 6 p.m. on Friday till 6 a.m. on Monday. Reports of shortage of oxygen and drugs have come in not only from Bhopal but also Indore, the State’s commercial capital, where a large number of attendants of corona patients staged a protest at the Dawa Bazar. Jabalpur also witnessed similar protests over lack of supplies for patients. Addressing a virtual meeting of the Cabinet on the pandemic, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the oxygen supply in the State had been tripled in the past three days to 180 metric tonnes. He added that one lakh Remdesivir injections will be made available in the State every month.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) U.S. Congress advances slavery reparation proposals.

U.S. lawmakers next Wednesday will consider a Bill to study paying reparations to descendants of enslaved people, which could open the door for a potential vote on an issue that has gained momentum in recent years. On April 14, the House Judiciary Committee will hold the first-ever markup the process by which committees debate and amend legislation on a Bill that creates a commission to study and develop reparation proposals for Black people. Friday’s announcement comes during the murder trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who is accused of killing Black man George Floyd, whose death triggered nationwide protests highlighting the country’s racial injustice. The Bill was first introduced more than 30 years ago but never advanced. It addresses the period of slavery and discrimination in the U.S. from 1619 to the present day, and will propose remedies including financial reparations. The historic markup of HR 40 is intended to continue a national conversation about how to confront the brutal mistreatment of African Americans during chattel slavery, Jim Crow segregation, and the enduring structural racism that remains endemic to our society, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler said. Americans still face racial disparities in access to education, health care, housing, employment and other social provisions, he added. President Joe Biden has repeatedly addressed the need to end systemic racism, and the White House has expressed support for the Commission.

B) Saudi Arabia executes 3 soldiers for ‘high treason’

Saudi Arabia on Saturday executed three soldiers for high treason, the Defence Ministry said, in a rare public announcement that accused them of colluding with an unspecified enemy. The executions come as a Saudi-led military campaign intensifies in neighbouring Yemen and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, consolidates his grip on power. The soldiers were convicted of the crime of high treason in cooperation with the enemy in a way that threatens the kingdom, the Ministry said. The statement named the three soldiers Mohammed bin Ahmed, Shaher bin Issa and Hamoud bin Ibrahim without identifying which enemy they were accused of aiding. Saudi Arabia, a Sunni powerhouse, views Shiite Iran as its main regional foe and identifies Yemen’s Tehranaligned Houthi rebels as a major security threat to the oil-rich kingdom. The statement makes a rare announcement of military executions in the kingdom, which is known to be highly secretive about its armed forces. The fact that the names of the decedents were publicized means the Saudis must consider their alleged misconduct to be exceptionally egregious and thus worthy of exemplary punishment, David Des Roches, from the Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies in Washington, said.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
10 April 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Supreme Court refuses to entertain PIL on religious conversions.

The Supreme Court on Friday said people are free to choose their own religion, even as it lashed out at a very, very harmful kind of public interest petition claiming there is mass religious conversion happening by hook or crook across the country. Instead, a Bench led by Justice Rohinton F. Nariman said people have a right under the Constitution to profess, practise and propagate religion. Why should a person above 18 years not choose his religion? What kind of a writ petition is this? We will impose heavy costs on you. Withdraw it or argue and risk the consequences, Justice Nariman asked petitioner-advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. Justice Nariman reminded Upadhyay of the fundamental right under Article 25 of the Constitution to freely profess, practise and propagate religion, subject to public order, morality and health. Why do you think there is the word ‘propagate’? Justice Nariman asked the petitioner. Religious conversion is being done through a carrot-and-stick approach, Upadhyay had claimed in his petition. Justice Nariman said every person is the final judge of their own choice of religion or who their life partner should be. Courts cannot sit in judgment of a person’s choice of religion or life partner. He reminded Upadhyay of the Constitution Bench judgment which upheld inviolability of the right to privacy, equating it with the rights to life, of dignity and liberty. Upadhyay’s petition was dismissed as withdrawn. His plea to approach the Law Commission or the High Court with the plea was expressly not allowed by the Bench.

B) Stop vaccine export, fast track approval of other vaccines, Rahul tells PM Modi in a letter.

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s conference with Chief Ministers, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking why Covid-19 vaccines were being exported at a time when India is facing vaccine shortage and requesting him to stop all vaccine exports to better meet local demand. Noting that centralisation and individualised propaganda are counter-productive, Gandhi also sought more say for State governments in vaccine procurement and distribution and fast track approval of other vaccines in addition to Covaxin and Covishield. The letter ended with seven specific suggestions, which included providing vaccine suppliers with the necessary resources to increase manufacturing capacity, immediate moratorium on vaccine export, fast track approval of other vaccines as per norms and guidelines, opening up vaccination to anyone who needs it, doubling the Central allocation for vaccine procurement from the current ₹35,000 crore, and providing direct income support to vulnerable sections in the second wave.

C) Rahul lobbying for pharma firms, says Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of lobbying for pharma companies after the latter’s letter to Prime Minister Modi on vaccine shortages, seeking fast track approvals for other vaccine candidates. Gandhi’s letter followed a rather acrimonious exchange of words between the Centre and the Maharashtra government on vaccine shortages and vaccination rates. Prasad’s response to the Congress leader’s letter came in a series of tweets. After failing as a part-time politician, has Rahul Gandhi switched to full time lobbying? First he lobbied for fighter plane companies by trying to derail India’s acquisition programme. Now he is lobbying for pharma companies by asking for arbitrary approvals for foreign vaccines, he tweeted adding that fighting a pandemic wasn’t a one trick game. Fighting a pandemic is not a one trick game. Apart from vaccination, there needs to be adequate focus on testing, tracing & treating. Rahul Gandhi’s problem is that he doesn’t understand all this and his ignorance is compounded by his arrogance, the Minister added. Referring to charges of vaccine shortages, Prasad said Congress-ruled States had a problem with basic commitment towards health care. He should write letters to his party’s governments to stop their vasooli (extortion) ventures & concentrate on administering the lakhs of vaccines they are sitting upon, he said. He also termed Gandhi as attention-seeking and asked why he hadn’t taken the vaccination himself, or whether it was an oversight or he doesn’t want it or has he already taken one in many of his undisclosed trips to foreign locations but doesn’t want to disclose?

D) Gehlot writes to Modi seeking at least 30 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccine for Rajasthan.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the stock of coronavirus vaccines in the state will get over in the next two days and urged him to immediately provide at least 30 lakh doses. In a letter to the PM after a video conference with him on Thursday, Gehlot said the state has administered 86,89,770 doses till 7 April. The present stock of vaccine in Rajasthan will finish in the next two days. Therefore, it is requested that at least another 30 lakh doses of vaccine be provided to us immediately so that the momentum that we have built up can be maintained and maximum eligible beneficiaries can be vaccinated at the earliest, he said. 

E) Assembly elections 2021: Voter turnout lower in 90% of seats compared to 2016.

Compared to the 2016 Assembly election, turnout decreased in 90% of the 530 seats in the four States where voting for the 2021 State polls took place on April 6. Nearly 86% of the seats in Tamil Nadu, 95% in Kerala, 90% in Assam, and all the seats in Puducherry recorded lower turnout than in 2016. Despite the fall in numbers, 80%-plus voter turnout was recorded in more than 60% of the seats in Assam and Puducherry. In Tamil Nadu and Kerala, on the other hand, only 17% and 6% of the seats recorded turnouts more than 80%. In Tamil Nadu, in 6% of the seats, mostly in urban areas, the turnout was less than 60%.

F) Vaccines aimed at curbing severe Covid-19, say experts.

Covid-19 vaccines are not infection-preventing but disease-modifier vaccines, said Samiran Panda, member of the government’s National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration for Covid-19 (NEGVAC). Dr. Panda was speaking to The Hindu on apprehensions about using a vaccine that isn’t 100% effective in disease prevention. He said both the vaccines now available in India will prevent the asymptomatic stage from moving into symptomatic stage and the symptomatic stage from developing severe disease where one requires intensive care. People aged above 45 years wait to register their name for vaccination at a primary health centre in Kodambakkam, in Chennai on April 9, 2021. The vaccines also help in reducing the number of deaths significantly, he noted. Scientifically, it is proven that the efficacy of both the vaccines available in India is more than 70-80%. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that any vaccine with a 50% efficacy will be useful in a pandemic time. So, people should not be hesitant about taking the vaccine, said Director General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Shekhar Mande.

G) Civilian was released in exchange for CRPF commando: official.

A civilian was released in exchange for the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) commando Rakeshwar Singh Minhas, who was abducted by the Maoists after an encounter on April 3 at Tarrem in Chhattisgarh’s Sukma, a senior government official said. The civilian, identified as Kunjam Sukka, was released hours before the commando was handed over on Thursday to social activists and a group of journalists who had gone to the Sukma-Bijapur border to secure his release, the official said. However, when asked, Bastar Range Inspector General of Police Sundarraj P. told The Hindu that no civilian was arrested or taken into custody after the encounter. Sundarraj added, Many villagers were asked to help the security forces in retrieving the bodies and put the injured in choppers. They came on their own and stayed at the Tarrem camp. It is possible that one of the villagers returned on his own. Another official, however, said a person was apprehended after the encounter but no charges were pressed against him. On many occasions it happens that after an encounter the Maoists desert their positions and are detained by the security forces. In this case no formal charge was invoked, the official said. D.M Awasthi, Chattisgarh Director General of Police could not be reached for comment. Ganesh Mishra, a Bijapur-based journalist who left with a group of facilitators on April 8 to secure the commando’s release said that no civilian accompanied them. The Maoist leader who released the commando told me that he was being freed without any condition, said Mishra. In 2012, five Maoists were released by the Odisha government to facilitate the release of an abducted MLA, Jhina Hikaka.

H) Deposit compensation for Indian fishermen killed by Italian marines, SC tells Centre.

The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Centre to deposit in its account the compensation given by Italy for the kin of two Indian fishermen killed by Italian Marines off the Kerala coast in February 2012. A bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde and Justices AS Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian said the top court will disburse the compensation to the fishermen’s kin. It said that one week after the compensation is deposited in its account, the top court will hear the Centre’s plea for closure of case against the Italian Marines. During the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said the victims’ kin have consented for compensation of ₹10 crore above the ex-gratia amount already paid in the case. Mehta added that the Kerala government has told the foreign secretary that it had consulted the victims’ families and they have consented in writing that they have agreed to the compensation.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Britain’s Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, passes away.

Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth and a leading figure in the British royal family for almost seven decades, has died aged 99, Buckingham Palace said on Friday. The Duke of Edinburgh, as he was officially known, had been by his wife’s side throughout her 69-year reign, the longest in British history, during which time he earned a reputation for a tough, no-nonsense attitude and a propensity for occasional gaffes. It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, the palace said in a statement. His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. Further announcements will be made in due course. The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss. A Greek prince, he married Elizabeth in 1947. He played a key role in modernising the monarchy in the post-World War Two period, and behind the walls of Buckingham Palace, he was a key figure the Queen could turn to and trust.

B) U.S. Navy conducts exercise in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone without prior consent.

In a rare and unusual public statement, the U.S. Navy announced that it had violated India’s maritime policy by conducting an exercise in India’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The U.S. Navy said its warship carried out Freedom of Navigation Operation (FONOP) in Indian EEZ. USS John Paul Jones asserted navigational rights and freedoms approximately 130 nautical miles west of the LakshadweepIslands, inside India’s exclusive economic zone, without requesting India’s prior consent, consistent with international law, the U.S. Navy’s 7th fleet said in a statement dated April 7. India requires prior consent for military exercises or maneuvers in its exclusive economic zone or continental shelf, a claim inconsistent with international law. This FONOP upheld the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea recognised in international law by challenging India’s excessive maritime claims, the statement said. The US Department of Defence releases FONOP reports every fiscal which show that the U.S. has been regularly conducting FONOPs in Indian EEZ, challenging what it calls are excessive maritime claims. From 2007 onwards till 2017, the U.S. carried out multiple FONOPs every year challenging excessive Indian maritime claims. No FONOP was carried out in 2018 and 2020 and one FONOP in 2019, according to the annual reports. There has been no comment on the incident from the government so far. A South Block official, on condition of anonymity, said it was only for military manoeuvres in our EEZ that we need nations to seek our permission and not if they are simply transiting. And the term ‘military manoeuvres’ is not defined anywhere.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
09 April 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Survey the Gyanvapi Mosque near Kashi Vishwanath Temple: Varanasi court tells ASI

A local court in Varanasi on Thursday directed the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to conduct a survey of the Gyanvapi Mosque compound adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple to find out whether it was a superimposition, alteration or addition or there is structural overlapping of any kind, with or over, any other religious structure. The court also directed the Director General of the ASI to constitute a five-member committee of experts, two out of whom should preferably belong to the minority community. The committee would trace as to whether any Hindu temple ever existed before the mosque in question was built or superimposed or added upon at the disputed site, said senior civil judge fast track court Ashutosh Tiwari in his order. The court said the committee would be entitled to enter every portion of the religious structure situated at the disputed site but shall first resort to only Ground Penetrating Radar or Geo-Radiology System or both to satisfy itself whether any excavation or extraction work is needed at any portion of the religious structure. The order came on a petition demanding the restoration of the land on which the mosque stands to the Hindus, on the grounds that Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb had pulled down parts of the old Kashi Vishwanath Temple to build the mosque.

B) SC refuses to grant relief in petition challenging detention of Rohingya refugees in Jammu and their deportation to Myanmar. 

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to order the release of the Rohingya detained in Jammu, and also refused to protect them from being forcibly deported back to their country of origin. It, however, ruled that the deportation would have to be as per proper procedure. A Bench led by Chief Justice Sharad A. Bobde said it was not possible to agree with the plea of Mohammad Salimullah, a member of the Rohingya community represented by advocates Prashant Bhushan and Cheryl d’Souza, 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 for the Rohingyas in the informal camps. However, the CJI, who pronounced the order, made it clear to the authorities that the Rohingyas in Jammu shall not be deported until the procedure is followed. The direction is in response to a request by Salimullah to direct the Centre to refrain from implementing any orders on deporting the refugees detained in the sub-jail in Jammu. In the previous hearing, before the court reserved the case for orders, the court had maintained a non-committal tone when its judicial conscience was tapped by Bhushan about the atrocities the Rohingyas may face on deportation back to Myanmar. The Centre, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, had said the Rohingya who had fled persecution in Myanmar to India were deported back only after the government of that country confirmed their nationality. They are illegal immigrants. We are in touch with Myanmar. Once Myanmar confirms their nationality, they are deported, Mehta had said, explaining the deportation procedure. In India, no legislation has been passed that specifically refers to refugees. Hence, the Rohingya refugees are often clubbed with the class of illegal immigrants deported by the government under the Foreigners Act 1946 and the Foreigners Order 1948. This is coupled with discrimination against the Rohingya, who are largely Muslim refugees. Legally, however, a refugee is a special category of immigrant and cannot be clubbed with an illegal immigrant.

C) SC dismisses pleas of Maharashtra and Anil Deshmukh against CBI probe. 

The Supreme Court on Thursday delivered a blow to the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition government in Maharashtra and former State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh by refusing their pleas to quash a CBI probe into allegations of corruption levelled against Deshmukh by transferred Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh. A Bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Hemant Gupta upheld the Bombay High Court order for a CBI probe, saying the dramatis personae Deshmukh and Singh involved and the seriousness of the allegations require investigation by an independent agency. It is a matter of public confidence, Justice Kaul observed. Both the Maharashtra government and Deshmukh had appealed to the Supreme Court against the Bombay HC order for a preliminary enquiry by CBI into the contents of Singh’s allegations against Deshmukh. Allegations are extremely serious and things have got curiouser and curiouser. You see, both were heading their respective institutions when things went wrong between them. One was a Home Minister and the other one is of the senior-most police officers. This is not an everyday issue. These are two persons who closely worked with each other until they fell apart. So, an independent agency should enquire. The High Court is right, Justice Kaul told Maharashtra counsel, senior advocate A.M. Singhvi. Singhvi argued that Deshmukh had resigned within hours of the HC order. The basis of the HC order for a CBI probe was no longer there. But he was the Home Minister when the HC passed the order. It was after that, he resigned. He was clinging to his office, Justice Gupta reacted. Why should a suspect be heard before registration of an FIR? Justice Gupta responded. Sibal replied that the allegations in the letter were hearsay and not admissible as evidence. The letter says Waze told somebody, who told Bhujbal, who told someone who told me. He (Singh) had no personal knowledge about the allegations he made in the letter. How can a CBI enquiry be ordered on the basis of baseless allegations? Sibal asked. Sibal said Singh was collecting evidence on March 16, knowing that he would be transferred out soon. Mr. Sibal, that is why the court has ordered a preliminary enquiry, to find out whether there is evidence at all. This is a serious matter concerning a Home Minister and a senior police officer, Justice Kaul replied.

D) Rename night curfew as ‘Corona curfew’, says Modi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a virtual meeting with the Chief Ministers of various States and Union Territories on Thursday on the developing Covid-19 situation in the country. He suggested that April 11 to 14 can be observed as ‘Tika (vaccination) Utsav’ for Covid-19 vaccination. They must concentrate on micro-containment zones. In places where night curfew has been imposed, he would urge to use the word ‘Corona Curfew’ to continue alertness about coronavirus. It will be better to start curfew timing from 9pm or 10pm till 5am or 6am, Modi said. Noting that people and administration both seem to have become casual, he called on everyone to get back to combating the coronavirus on a war footing.

E) Delhi High Court issues notice to Centre, EC on plea for compulsory masking during poll campaigns.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday issued notice to the Centre and the Election Commission (EC) on a plea seeking action against leaders, campaigners and candidates not following the mandatory use of face masks during the ongoing Assembly elections in various States and Union Territories. A Bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Jasmeet Singh gave the order on an application filed by Vikram Singh, chairman of the think tank Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC) and former Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh. The Bench has posted the case for further hearing on April 30. The Assembly elections in Kerala, Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry are scheduled to be held in various phases between March 27 and April 29. Advocate Virag Gupta, appearing for Singh, stated that despite various orders and guidelines, election campaigning was going on in full swing, without any regard to Covid-19 regulations. Reportedly, before the end of the first phase of campaigning in Assam and West Bengal, over 40 road shows and rallies had been organised by major political parties. At the same time, 59,117 fresh cases of Covid-19 were recorded in India on 25.03.2021, which is the highest in the last 159 days, the application said. It said the biggest casualty during the pandemic was the rule of law itself, as strict action was being taken against commoners, but hardly any action against politicians. Incidentally, this plea comes a day after the Delhi High Court ruled that wearing a mask is compulsory even if a person is driving alone in a private vehicle.

F) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 1,30,42,847 with the death toll at 1,68,941. The Tamil Nadu government will reintroduce multiple restrictions from April 10 to tackle the steady increase in cases across the State, according to a Government Order issued on Thursday. The restrictions have been brought back as campaigning for the State Assembly elections and the voting has been completed in the State. The State recorded 27,743 active cases as on April 7, the government said. The major restrictions include a ban on international flights (except those allowed by the Ministry of Home Affairs), temple festivals and religious events, on small traders at Koyambedu wholesale market, and on small retail traders in all the districts. There will be no relaxations in containment zones and they will be under total lockdown.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) New Zealand bans travellers from India.

New Zealand on Thursday suspended entry for all travellers from India, including its own citizens, for about two weeks following a high number of positive coronavirus cases arriving from the South Asian country. The move comes after New Zealand recorded 23 new cases of Covid-19 among fresh arrivals, of which 17 were from India. They are temporarily suspending entry into New Zealand for travellers from India, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said in a news conference in Auckland. India is battling a deadly second wave of Covid-19 with daily infections this week passing the peak of the first wave seen last September. The suspension will start from 1600 local time on April 11 and will be in place until April 28. During this time the government will look at risk management measures to resume travel. He want to emphasise that while arrivals of COVID from India has prompted this measure, we are looking at how we manage high risk points of departure generally. This is not a country-specific risk assessment, Ardern said. New Zealand has virtually eliminated the virus within its borders, and has not reported any community transmission locally for about 40 days.

B) U.S. commits to withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq.

The U.S. on Wednesday committed to move remaining forces from Iraq, although the two sides did not set a timeline in what would be the second withdrawal since the 2003 invasion. The first “strategic dialogue with Iraq under U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration comes as Iranian linked Shiite paramilitary groups fire rockets nearly daily at bases with foreign troops in hopes of forcing a U.S. exit. The two nations agreed in a videoconference led by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein that Iraqi forces were ready to take on more responsibility. The parties confirmed that the mission of U.S. and coalition forces has now transitioned to one focused on training and advisory tasks, thereby allowing for the redeployment of any remaining combat forces from Iraq, with the timing to be established in upcoming technical talks, a joint statement said. Iraq’s national security advisor, Qassem al-Araji, promised efforts to protect foreign forces and confirmed that the United States would move ahead with a pull-out. The American side promised to withdraw an important number of its troops from Iraq, he said.

C) U.K. to set up E43 million fund for migrants from Hong Kong.

The British government said on Thursday it is setting up a E43 million ($59 million) fund to help migrants from Hong Kong settle in the country as they escape increasing political repression in the former colony. The offer extends to holders of British National (Overseas) passports who have been offered special visas, opening a path to work, residency and eventual citizenship to up to 5 million of Hong Kong’s 7.4 million people. The integration programme will provide funding to help arrivals in accessing housing, education and jobs. Around 10% of the funds will go towards establishing 12 virtual welcome hubs across Great Britain and Northern Ireland to coordinate support and give practical advice and assistance, the British Consulate-General said. China has sharply criticised what it labels British abuse of the passports, saying it will no longer recognise them as travel documents or as a form of identification. But most residents also carry Hong Kong or other passports, so it’s not clear what effect that would have. The move delivers on the U.K.’s historic and moral commitment to the people of Hong Kong who chose to retain their ties to the U.K. by taking up BN(O) status in 1997, the Consulate-General said in a statement, referring to the year Hong Kong was handed over to China.