Tag: generalknowledge

NATIONAL NEWS

A) 14 J&K leaders invited to meet with PM in Delhi to discuss future course.

As many as 14 leaders from Jammu and Kashmir, including four former chief ministers of the erstwhile State, have been invited for a meeting that will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 24, officials said on Saturday. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla reached out to these leaders to invite them to the meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence to discuss the future course of action for the Union Territory, the officials said. Among those invited are four former chief ministers — Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah of the National Conference, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti. Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah meet Mehbooba Mufti at her residence on October 14, 2020.  Four former deputy chief ministers of the erstwhile State — Congress leader Tara Chand, People’s Conference leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig, and BJP leaders Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta — too have been invited to the meet. In addition, CPI(M) leader Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) chief Altaf Bukhari, Sajjad Lone of the People’s Conference, J-K Congress head G A Mir, BJP’s Ravidner Raina, and Panthers Party leader Bhim Singh have been invited to the meeting. The meeting the first such exercise since the Centre announced the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and its bifurcation into Union Territories in August 2019 is likely to be attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other central leaders. When contacted, Omar Abdullah said that he had received an invitation and would go along the direction of the party chief. Sources in the National Conference said that over the next few days, the senior Abdullah will be holding consultations with party leaders. The Political Affairs Committee of the PDP would also be meeting on Sunday to take a decision about the talks.

 

B) West Bengal post-poll violence: HC asks NHRC to form panel.

The Calcutta High Court has urged the chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to constitute a committee to examine complaints of political violence in West Bengal. A bench of five judges of the court directed that the committee shall examine all the cases and, may be by visiting the affected areas, submit a comprehensive report to this court about the present situation. It asked the committee to suggest steps to be taken to ensure confidence of the people that they can peacefully live in their houses and also carry on their occupation or business to earn their livelihood. The court order issued on June 18 stated, The persons prima facie responsible for crime and the officers who maintained calculated silence on the issue, be pointed out. In the 12-page order, the bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal, Justices I.P. Mukerji, Harish Tandon, Soumen Sen, and Subrata Talukdar said the State had been denying allegations of political violence from the very beginning but the facts as had been placed on record were different. In our view, this exercise of filing of affidavit and counter-affidavit will continue. It may not lead us anywhere because State, from the very beginning, had been denying everything, but the facts as have been placed on record by the petitioners and also as is evident little bit from the report dated June 3, 2021, filed by the Member Secretary of the West Bengal State Legal Services Authority, are different, the order read. The court observed that against some of the complaints compiled by the West Bengal State Legal Services Authority (WBSLSA), the remarks were that no response had been received from the authority concerned. The State could not be allowed to proceed in the manner it liked.

 

C) SC flags delay in listing of bail application for more than a year before Punjab and Haryana High Court

A shocked Supreme Court found that a bail application had not even been listed for hearing for more than a year before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, that too at a time when judiciary is going the extra distance to hear cases virtually. A Vacation Bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and V. Ramasubramanian noted that denial of hearing is an infringement of right and liberty assured to an accused. The top court said it normally did not intervene with the operations of the High Courts, but in this case, it was constrained to take note of the delay in hearing the bail plea. Even during the pandemic, when all courts are making attempts to hear and decide all matter, non-listing of such an application for bail defeats the administration of justice, the Bench recorded in a recent order. The court was hearing a special leave petition filed in an Enforcement Directorate case. Under the prevailing pandemic, at least half of the judges should sit on alternate days so that hearing is accorded to the person in distress. Non-listing of application for regular bail, irrespective of seriousness or lack thereof, of the offences attributed to the accused, impinges upon the liberty of the person in custody, the Supreme Court observed. The Bench said it hoped the High Court would be able to take up the application for bail at an early date so that the right of the accused of hearing of application for bail is not taken away.

 

D) Kulbhushan Jadhav case: India ‘misrepresenting’ ICJ verdict, says Pakistan.

Pakistan on Saturday accused India of misrepresenting the verdict of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case and asserted that it is ready to fulfill all obligations under the international law. India on Thursday asked Pakistan to address the shortcomings in a Bill brought out to facilitate the reviewing of the case of Jadhav, saying the proposed law does not create a mechanism to reconsider it as mandated by the ICJ. Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Arindam Bagchi in New Delhi said the Review and Reconsideration Bill 2020 does not create a mechanism to facilitate effective review and reconsideration of Jadhav’s case as mandated by the ICJ judgment. He added that municipal courts cannot be the arbiter of whether a state has fulfilled its obligations in international law. Mr. Jadhav, a 51-year-old retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017. A man holds a placard depicting Kulbhushan Jadhav in the neighborhood where he grew up, in Mumbai. The Hague-based ICJ ruled in July 2019 that Pakistan must undertake an effective review and reconsideration of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav and also grant consular access to India without further delay. Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) on Saturday said Islamabad abides by all its international obligations, and this applies to the ICJ judgment in the case of Jadhav. It is regrettable that the Government of India has chosen to misrepresent the ICJ judgment which clearly states in Paragraph 147 that Pakistan is under an obligation to provide, by means of its own choosing, effective review and reconsideration of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav, the FO said. In line with paragraph 146 of the ICJ judgment, Pakistan chose to provide Jadhav the right of review and reconsideration by superior courts of Pakistan through the ICJ (Review and Re-consideration) Ordinance, 2020, it said.

 

E) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 2,98,52,966 with the death toll at 3,85,767. If Covid-appropriate behaviour is not followed and crowding not prevented, the next wave of the viral infection can strike the country in the next six to eight weeks, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria warned on Saturday. Until a sizeable number of the population is vaccinated, Covid-appropriate behaviour needs to be followed aggressively, he said and stressed on the need for stricter surveillance and area-specific lockdowns in case of a significant surge. Guleria reiterated that till now, there is no evidence to suggest that children will be affected more in the next wave of the infection. Earlier, India’s epidemiologists had indicated that a third wave of Covid-19 was inevitable and likely to start from September-October. There needs to be aggressive surveillance strategy in Coved hotspots and lockdowns in case of any significant surge. The moment a significant surge in cases in noted in a particular area and the positivity rate goes beyond 5%, area-specific lockdown and containment measures should be implemented, he said. However, a national-level lockdown cannot be a solution (to rein in the pandemic) keeping economic activity in mind, he added.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) Afghan President’s places top. 

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani replaced two top Ministers charged with managing the country’s faltering security on Saturday, as the Taliban pressed on with their campaign to capture new territory in fierce battles with government forces. The shake-up of the Defence and Interior Ministry portfolios comes as violence surges and peace talks remain deadlocked, with the Taliban claiming to have seized more than 40 districts in recent weeks across the rugged countryside. The presidency announced in a statement that General Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, who fought under the late anti-Taliban commander Ahmad Shah Massoud during a 1990s civil war, has been appointed the new Defence Minister. Gen. Mohammadi has previously held the Defence Bismillah Khan Mohammadi and Interior Ministry portfolios and also served as the chief of army staff after the fall of the Taliban regime following a U.S .- led invasion in 2001. Mr. Ghani also appointed General Abdul Sattar Mirzakwal as Interior Minister, the presidency said. Mr. Mirzakwal has previously held several regional posts. Gen. Mohammadi replaces Asadullah Khalid, who has repeatedly flown out of the country for treatment to wounds suffered after a suicide bomber attacked him in 2012. The latest Cabinet changes, which have to be approved by Parliament, come with violence increasing since early May after the U.S. military began the formal withdrawal of its last remaining troops. U.S. President Joe Biden has set September 11 the 20th anniversary of the attacks in the U.S. that ledto the invasion of Afghanistan – as the deadline to withdraw American soldiers. The insurgents claim to have seized more than 40 districts since early May, forcing military leaders to strategically retreat from a number of rural districts. The Taliban are now present in almost every province and are encircling several major cities – a strategy the militants employed in the mid-1990s when they overran most of Afghanistan until they were ousted by invading U.S .- led forces.

 

B) Hard-line judiciary head Ebrahim Raisi wins Iran presidency.

Iran’s hard-line judiciary chief won the country’s presidential election in a landslide victory on June 19, propelling the Supreme Leader’s protege into Tehran’s highest civilian position in a vote that appeared to see the lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic’s history. Initial results showed Ebrahim Raisi won 17.8 million votes in the contest, dwarfing those of the race’s sole moderate candidate. However, Raisi dominated the election only after a panel under the watch of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei disqualified his strongest competition. His candidacy, and the sense the election served more as a coronation for him, sparked widespread apathy among eligible voters in the Islamic Republic, which has held up turnout as a sign of support for the theocracy since its 1979 Islamic Revolution. Some, including former hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, called for a boycott. In initial results, former Revolutionary Guard commander Mohsen Rezaei won 3.3 million votes and moderate Abdolnasser Hemmati got 2.4 million, said Jamal Orf, the head of Iran’s Interior Ministry election headquarters. The race’s fourth candidate, Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, had around 1 million votes, Orf said. Hemmati offered his congratulations on Instagram to Raisi early June 19. I hope your administration provides causes for pride for the Islamic Republic of Iran, improves the economy and life with comfort and welfare for the great nation of Iran, he wrote. The quick concession, while not unusual in Iran’s previous elections, signalled what semi-official news agencies inside Iran had been hinting at for hours: That the carefully controlled vote had been a blowout win for Raisi amid the boycott calls. Raisi is the first serving Iranian president sanctioned by the U.S. government even before entering office over his involvement in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988, as well as his time as the head of Iran’s internationally criticised judiciary — one of the world’s top executioners. His election will put hard-liners firmly in control across the government as negotiations in Vienna continue to try to save a tattered deal meant to limit Iran’s nuclear programme at a time when Tehran is enriching uranium at its highest levels ever, though it still remains short of weapons-grade levels. Tensions remain high with both the U.S. and Israel, which is believed to have carried out a series of attacks targeting Iranian nuclear sites as well as assassinating the scientist who created its military atomic program decades earlier.

NATIONAL NEWS

A) Third-wave could hit India by October: 

The third wave of coronavirus infections is likely to hit India by October, and although it will be better controlled than the latest outbreak, the pandemic will remain a public health threat for at least another year, according to a Reuters poll of medical experts.  The June 3-17 snap survey of 40 healthcare specialists, doctors, scientists, virologists, epidemiologists and professors from around the world showed that a significant pickup in vaccinations will likely provide some cover to a fresh outbreak.  Of those who ventured a prediction, over 85% of respondents, or 21 of 24, said the next wave will hit by October, including three who forecast it as early as August, and 12 in September. The remaining three said between November and February. Paediatric ICU ward (NICU) prepared at the 1,200-bed Civil Hospital in view of the third wave of COVID-19 in Ahmedabad.   But over 70% of experts, or 24 of 34, said any new outbreak would be better controlled compared with the current one, which has been far more devastating  with shortage of vaccines, medicines, oxygen and hospital beds than the smaller first surge in infections last year.  It will be more controlled, as cases will be much less because more vaccinations would have been rolled out and there would be some degree of natural immunity from the second-wave, said Dr. Randeep Guleria, director at All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).  So far, India has only fully vaccinated about 5% of its estimated 950 million eligible population, leaving many millions vulnerable to infections and deaths. While a majority of healthcare experts predicted the vaccination drive would pick up significantly this year, they cautioned against an early removal of restrictions, as some States have done. When asked if children and those under 18 years would be most at risk in a potential third wave, nearly two-thirds of experts, or 26 of 40, said yes. The reason being they are a completely virgin population in terms of vaccination because currently there is no vaccine available for them, said Dr. Pradeep Banandur, head of epidemiology department at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS). Experts warn the situation could become severe. 

 

B) Supreme Court declines to stay bail given to student activists in Delhi riots case.

The Supreme Court on Friday did not intervene in the Delhi High Court decision of granting bail to student activists Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal and Asif Iqbal Tanha, but said the High Court’s order of June 15 would neither be treated as a precedent in any proceedings nor be relied on by parties. It is clarified that the release of the respondents [student activists] on bail is not being interfered with at this stage. The impugned judgment shall not be treated as a precedent and may not be relied upon by any of the parties in any of the proceedings, a Bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and V. Ramasubramanian recorded.  The three students were granted bail by the High Court after a year’s incarceration in Tihar Jail. They were accused of offences under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the North-East Delhi riots, which broke out after the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) turned violent last year. The High Court had accused the police of blurring the line between terrorist act under the UAPA and the students’ right to protest against a law. The issue is important. It has pan-India ramifications. There are many questions involved here… We want to decide it for the good of the entire country, Justice Gupta observed orally, issuing formal notice to the three students on the appeal. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued for the state that 53 people died and 700 were injured in the riots. The right to protest does not mean the right to kill and hurl bombs, he submitted. If the protests were held on the perceived belief that the CAA was against a particular community, then the lady who assassinated a former Prime Minister also did it on the belief that injustice was done to a particular community, he stated. Pushing for a stay of the High Court judgment, he said the three students may remain out but the High Court judgment may be used by others booked under the UAPA to get bail. A hearing on the limited question of bail for the three students was used by the High Court to discuss an entire law. Justice Gupta said, We understand the way the Act has been interpreted [by the High Courtre] requires to be examined. The court posted the government appeal for detailed hearing on the week commencing July 19.

 

C) ‘Rule of land’ is supreme, Twitter told by standing committee on IT.

Amid a tussle between the Union government and Twitter over the new IT rules, members of a parliamentary panel on Friday strongly objected to Twitter India officials’ observations that they abide by their policy and categorically told them that the law of the land is supreme. According to sources, members of the Parliamentary Panel on Information Technology also asked Twitter why it should not be fined as it has been found violating the rules of the country. Earlier this month, the Centre had issued a notice to Twitter, giving it one last chance to immediately comply with the new IT rules and warned that failure to adhere to the norms will lead to the platform losing exemption from liability under the IT Act. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Technology, chaired by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, had last week summoned Twitter over issues related to misuse of the platform and protection of citizens’ rights. Twitter India’s public policy manager Shagufta Kamran and legal counsel Ayushi Kapoor deposed before the panel on Friday. Members of the panel asked some tough and searching questions to Twitter India officials but the answers lacked clarity and were ambiguous, sources said. They strongly objected to the observation of Twitter India officials that its policy is on par with the law of the land and categorically told them, rule of the land is supreme, not your policy, sources said. Twitter representatives remained non-committal about the timeline by when they will be able to comply fully with the rules. We have also asked for a written reply to a set of questions, one of the members said. The BJP MPs also questioned Twitter on their fact-checking policy, pointing out that BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra was promptly given the manipulated media tag, while such alacrity was not shown in the Ghaziabad case. The BJP members accused Twitter of showing bias against the saffron party, alleging that their fact checkers are more inclined to blame BJP instead of fighting fake news. Sources said that Twitter informed the panel that the fact-checking is done by a third party and not by Twitter itself. 

 

D) Supreme Court declines to put off PG final year medical exams.

The Supreme Court on Friday declined to pass a sweeping order to postpone the final exams of the postgraduate medical courses in universities across the country. A Bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and M.R. Shah was hearing pleas by PG medical students, who said preparing for the exams amid Covid-19 duty was difficult. They sought more time to study for the exams. The court said it could not possibly be asked to pass a general order to postpone exams for which dates had not been announced yet. The Bench said the National Medical Commission would keep in mind the Covid-19 situation and doctors working round the clock during the pandemic. The court also noted that the universities had not been made parties to the case. How do we pass a general order when hundreds of universities are involved? the court asked. Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for the students, said his clients would be made to choose between their Covid-19 duty and taking time off to study for their exams. He submitted this was something doctors should not be compelled to do during these dire times for public health. He said the court should intervene on behalf of the doctors to ensure that they are given reasonable time to prepare for the exams. On June 11, the court refused a plea by these students to waive the exams. The Bench said the court had, however, intervened on behalf of the students wherever possible. On June 11, the court, in a separate case, ordered the postponement of the AIIMS’ Post Graduate Entrance Test-INICET exams, scheduled for June 16, by a month after taking into consideration fatigue within the medical community after battling a particularly devastating second wave of the pandemic. In that case, a group of doctors had similarly moved the Supreme Court challenging an AIIMS notification that announced the exam in June in utter disregard of an assurance from the Prime Minister’s Office to postpone PG exams by four months. 

 

E) Buzz over Centre’s possible meeting with J&K parties.

J&K is witnessing a heightened political activity as the Centre mulls inviting all the political parties from the Union Territory (UT) to New Delhi in the last week of June to start a political engagement, which is likely to pave the way for the restoration of statehood. Several constituents of the Gupkar alliance, an amalgam of five political parties fighting for pre-August 5, 2019 position of J&K, met in Srinagar on Friday to discuss the future course, sources said. As J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and the top police officials met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Friday, sources said the Centre is likely to invite J&K parties on June 24 or after that. J&K was split into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh 22 months ago. We have no information about any initiative. We have not got any formal invitation yet. Let them make it public. We have never blocked the way forward, the Gupkar alliance spokesman M.Y. Tarigami told. Tarigami said J&K needs initiatives because the confidence is completely shattered here. I urge the democratic Government of India that enough is enough. Let there be initiatives to restore confidence in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, he said. The Gupkar alliance spokesman said the onus of proving sincerity lies with those who hampered the normalisation and with the leadership of the country. We have a set agenda that we agreed upon on August 4, 2019. We are for a special constitutional position of J&K and against bifurcation of J&K. We are committed to it. However, this does not mean we will not talk. We will see that legitimate rights of people of J&K are restored, he added. Sources said both the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), key constituents of the Gupkar alliance, are weighing their options in case a political process is announced by the Centre. The PDP is likely to hold a meeting of its leaders to take stock of the situation and decide whether to attend it or not.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) Turkey to secure Kabul airport.

President Joe Biden and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan agreed in a meeting this week that Turkey would take a lead role in securing Kabul airport as the United States withdraws troops from Afghanistan, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Thursday. However, the two leaders were not able to resolve the long-standing issue of Turkey’s purchase of Russian S-400 defence systems, Mr. Sullivan said, a bitter dispute that strained ties between the NATO allies. Mr. Sullivan told reporters that Mr. Biden and Mr. Erdogan, in their meeting on Monday at the NATO summit, discussed the Afghanistan issue. Mr. Erdogan sought certain forms of U.S. support to secure the airport and Mr. Biden committed to providing that support, Mr. Sullivan said. The clear commitment from the leaders established that Turkey would play a lead role in securing Hamid Karzai International Airport and we are now working through how to execute to get to that, Mr. Sullivan said, giving the first details from the U.S. side of the meeting. Contentious issues Turkey and the U.S. have been at odds over a host of issues, including Ankara’s purchase of Russian defence equipment, policy differences in Syria and the Eastern Mediterranean and expectations for a breakthrough in first face-to-face meeting between Mr. Erdogan and Mr. Biden were slim. The two leaders sounded upbeat after their meeting although they did not announce what concrete progressthey made. One potential area of cooperation has been Afghanistan, where Ankara has offered to guard and operate Kabul airport after U.S. and NATO forces withdraw in coming weeks. The security of the airport is crucial for the operation of diplomatic missions out of the Afghanistan as Western forces pull out. Last week, a Taliban spokesman said Turkey should withdraw its troops from Afghanistan under the 2020 deal for the pullout of U.S. forces, but Mr. Sullivan said the Taliban comments did not deter the detailed and effective security plan the U.S. was putting together.

 

B) U.S. to spend $3.2 bn to develop treatments for COVID-19.

The United States has announced that it will spend $3.2 billion on developing antiviral treatments for COVID-19 and prepare for other pandemic threats – viruses that have the potential to cause pandemics. Vaccines will continue to remain the centerpiece of our arsenal against COVID-19, Anthony Fauci, medical adviser to the U.S. President, said on Thursday, when he described the programme, called the Antiviral Program for Pandemics. However, antivirals can and are an important complement to existing vaccines, especially for individuals with certain conditions that might put them at a greater risk, he said. And it also adds a line of defence against other unexpected emerging things, like variants of concern that we are currently dealing with,  he added. Regarding viruses with pandemic potential, Dr. Fauci put up a slide listing some of them: coronaviruses (e.g ., SARS , MERS), filoviruses (e.g. Ebola), togaviruses (e.g ., chikungunya), paramyxoviruses (e.g ., Nipah) and picornaviruses (e.g ., enterovirus D68). The programme seeks to accelerate the testing and authorisation of promising medicines and also support the discovery of new molecules by industry and academia, he said.

 

C) Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Roche are among those testing antiviral.

The U.S. will be allocating 55 million vaccine doses to other countries in the coming days, the country’s coronavirus response coordinator Jeffrey Zients said at Thursday’s briefing. These 55 million doses are from a stockpile of 80 million doses that the U.S. has committed to other countries. This includes 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine that has not yet been approved for use in America. The U.S. has already allocated 25 million of these doses bilaterally and via international vaccine distribution alliance COVAX. It is unclear how many doses India will receive totally, but indications are it will not be more than a few million. Some countries such as Canada and Mexico have received such doses. There’ll be an increasing number of shipments each and every week as we ramp up these efforts. The process to export the 80 million takes partnership in coordination with the receiving governments. But that’s well underway now, Mr. Zients said.

 

D) VVIP chopper deal: Special Court rejects Christian Michel’s bail pleas.

A special court on Friday dismissed the bail applications of British national Christian Michel, a key accused in the ₹3,700-crore VVIP chopper deal scam, in connection with the cases being pursued by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate. He is currently lodged in Tihar Jail. During the last hearing on June 10, the court had reserved its order on the bail pleas after the two agencies filed their replies. Michel was extradited from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in December 2018 and since then he has been in judicial custody. Both the agencies have recorded his statements. It is alleged that he had been hired by the helicopter suppliers as a middleman for routing the funds to be used to bribe Indian public servants to bag the deal. The Dubai Police had arrested Michel in February 2017 on the basis of an Interpol Red Notice issued against him. The Indian authorities sent the extradition request to the UAE authorities on March 19, 2017. After hearing both sides, the court there had allowed his extradition to India.

NATIONAL NEWS 

A) Delhi Police moves SC against HC bail to 3 student activists in north-east Delhi riots case.

The Delhi Police on Wednesday appealed to the Supreme Court against the grant of bail to student activists Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal and Asif Iqbal Tanha, who were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the Delhi riots that broke out last year after protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) turned violent. The overnight move to approach the top court came after the Delhi High Court made particularly sharp observations in its order, accusing the government of blurring the line between rightful dissent and terrorism. The police had arrested JNU students and Pinjra Tod members Narwal and Kalita last year. Tanha, a Jamia Milia student, was also taken into custody about the same time in May 2020. The trial court had denied them bail, following which they moved the High Court successfully. Narwal was recently given parole to perform the last rites of her father, who had died of Covid-19. It appears that in its anxiety to suppress dissent and in the morbid fear that matters may get out of hand, the State has blurred the line between the constitutionally guaranteed ‘right to protest’ and ‘terrorist activity’, a Bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Anup J. Bhambhani of the High Court said in a scathing order, releasing the three students on bail. Meanwhile, earlier in the day, the prisons department said that they had not received the release orders for Kalita, Narwal and Tanha as of 10 a.m. on Wednesday even though they had been granted bail on Tuesday.

 

B) U.P. Police book Twitter, journalists for circulating video, alleges that they tried to provoke communal unrest.

The Uttar Pradesh Police have booked microblogging platform Twitter, a news portal, and six persons in connection with the circulation of a video in which an elderly Muslim man narrates his ordeal after he was allegedly attacked by some people in Ghaziabad, PTI reported. The FIR, which was lodged at the Loni Border police station in Ghaziabad around 11.30 pm on Tuesday on the basis of a complaint lodged by a local policeman, alleges that the video was shared with an intention to provoke communal unrest. In the video clip, which surfaced on social media on June 14, the elderly Muslim man, Abdul Shamad Saifi, alleges he was thrashed by some young men and asked to chant Jai Shri Ram’. However, the Ghaziabad police, who have arrested six persons, including Muslims, have ruled out a communal angle. They said the accused were unhappy about the ‘tabeez’ (amulet) he had sold to them. The arrested youth have been identified as Kalloo and Adil. Apart from them, Polly, Arif, Mushahid, and Parvesh Gurjar were also involved in the incident, Senior Superintendent of Police Amit Pathak said on Tuesday. Later on Tuesday, the police lodged an FIR against Twitter Inc, Twitter Communications India, news website The Wire, journalists Mohammad Zubair and Rana Ayyub, Congress politicians Salman Nizami, Masqoor Usmani, Dr. Sama Mohammad and writer Saba Naqvi for sharing the clip. These people did not verify the truth of the matter and shared it online with a communal angle with an intention to disrupt public peace and create a divide between religious groups, the FIR states. Besides this, Twitter Inc and Twitter Communications India also did not take any measures to remove their tweets, it adds. The FIR has been lodged under Indian Penal Code sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153A (promoting enmity between groups on ground of religion, class etc), 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious belief), 120B (criminal conspiracy), among others.

 

C) Twitter failed to comply with IT rules, deliberately chose path of non-compliance: Prasad.

IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on June 16 said Twitter failed to comply with intermediary guidelines and has deliberately chosen the path of non-compliance despite being granted multiple opportunities. Lashing out at the microblogging platform over non-compliance, Prasad said that it is astounding that Twitter, which portrays itself as the flag-bearer of free speech, chooses the path of deliberate defiance when it comes to the Intermediary Guidelines. There are numerous queries arising as to whether Twitter is entitled to safe harbour provision. However, the simple fact of the matter is that Twitter has failed to comply with the Intermediary Guidelines that came into effect from the May 26, Prasad said in a series of posts on homegrown microblogging platform Koo. Ironically, the Minister also tweeted on the issue. Further, what is perplexing is that Twitter fails to address the grievances of users by refusing to set up a process as mandated by the law of the land. Additionally, it chooses a policy of flagging manipulated media, only when it suits its likes and dislikes, he said. The Minister said that what happened in Uttar Pradesh was illustrative of Twitter’s arbitrariness in fighting fake news. While Twitter has been over-enthusiastic about its fact-checking mechanism, its failure to act in multiple cases like U.P. is perplexing as well as points towards its inconsistency in fighting misinformation, he said. Prasad said that Indian companies, be it pharma or IT or others that go to do business in the U.S. or in other countries overseas, voluntarily follow the local laws. Then why are platforms like Twitter showing reluctance in following Indian laws designed to give voice to the victims of abuse and misuse, the Minister questioned.

 

D) Chirag Paswan says Paras betrayed him when he was bedridden; Paras hints at election for new LJP president.

MP Chirag Paswan addresses a press conference at his residence in New Delhi, Wednesday, June 16, 2021. Chirag Paswan on Wednesday accused his uncle Pashupati Nath Paras of betraying him, and the JD(U) of aiding the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) rebels, in crafting the split in the party. Addressing his first press conference since the coup in the party, he, however, carefully sidestepped questions on the BJP’s role but did obliquely express his disappointment that they did not come to his rescue. Paswan said efforts were on to break the LJP even when his father was alive. When asked whether he blames the JD(U), he said, This is an internal matter of my party. How can I blame anyone if my own party members betray me? But yes, I cannot deny the role JD(U) played. They have always believed in divisive politics and in engineering defections. Discontent in the party had been brewing since November 2019, when its founder and Chirag Paswan’s father, Ram Vilas Paswan, decided to anoint the son to the post of national president. The internal differences peaked soon after his appointment. Chirag Paswan replaced Paras, who for long had held the post of Bihar State unit chief, with his younger cousin, Prince Raj. The decision to campaign against the JD(U) and contest the polls alone while remaining in the NDA during the 2020 elections was the last straw. Throughout the poll campaign, Paswan asserted that he remained in the NDA and loyal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He went on to compare his devotion to Modi as that of Hanuman to Lord Ram. When asked at the Wednesday press conference why he did not seek help from his ‘Ram’ (Mr. Modi), he said, If Hanuman has to seek help from Ram, then what is the point of Hanuman or Ram. Minutes after Chirag’s press conference, rebel party leader and his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras reached Patna along with senior party leader Suraj Bhan Singh. Both leaders went into the LJP office amidst heavy police deployment. Tomorrow, there is election for party president, quipped Paras as mediapersons jostled for words from him.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) Covishield dosage gap increase decision taken on scientific evidence: NTAGI chief.

The increase in gap between two doses of Covishield is based on scientific evidence, said chairman of COVID-19 Working Group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) N.K. Arora. In a release issued by the Union Health Ministry on his interview on DD News Dr. Arora explained that the decision to increase the gap between two Covishield doses from 4-6 weeks to 12-16 weeks lay in the fundamental scientific reason regarding the behaviour of adenovector vaccines. In the last week of April, 2021, data released by Public Health England, the United Kingdom’s executive agency of the Department of Health, showed that vaccine efficacy varied between 65% – 88% when the interval is 12 weeks. This was the basis on which they overcame their epidemic outbreak due to the Alpha variant, he noted. This issue was discussed and with no dissenting notes, the recommendation was that the vaccine interval had to be 12 – 16 weeks. The earlier decision of four weeks was based upon the bridging trial data available then. Dr. Arora pointed to how emerging evidence and reports regarding the efficacy of partial vs full immunisation were being considered by the NTAGI. Two to three days after we took the decision to increase the dosage interval, there were reports from the U.K. that a single dose of AstraZeneca vaccine gives only 33% protection and two doses give about 60% protection; discussion has been going on since mid-May whether India should revert to four or eight weeks, he observed. It was decided to establish a tracking platform to assess the impact of the vaccination programme. When the NTAGI took this decision, we also decided that India will establish a vaccine tracking platform – to assess not only the impact of the vaccination programme, but also the type of vaccine and interval between doses, and what happens when someone is fully / partially immunised. This is very important in India, since around 17 – 18 crore people have received only one dose, while around 4 crore people have received two doses, he stated.

 

B) Putin, Biden end first round of talks after almost two hours.

U.S President Joe Biden, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose for media during their meeting at the ‘Villa la Grange’ in Geneva, Switzerland on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. The first round of talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden have finished after almost two hours, the TASS news agency cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Wednesday. Biden and Putin first met accompanied by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and a pair of translators. Two additional sessions are planned on Wednesday afternoon. with the leaders to be joined by additional aides and translators. On the U.S. side, the larger meetings are set to include Blinken, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland, U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan, and National Security Council Russia experts Eric Green and Stergos Kaloudis. The Russian delegation is to include Lavrov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, Lavrov’s deputy Sergei Ryabkov, the chief of the General Staff of the Russian military Gen. Valery Gerasimov, Russian ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov, as well as Kremlin envoys on Ukraine and Syria and Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Overall, the summit is projected to last four to five hours before each leader holds a press conference.

NATIONAL NEWS 

A) State’s blurring of distinction between dissent and ‘terrorism’ puts democracy in peril, says High Court in Delhi riots case.

The Delhi High Court, while granting bail to Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal and Asif Iqbal Tanha on Tuesday, gave the Delhi Police a dressing-down for casually invoking provisions of anti-terror laws against the three students who had protested against the enactment of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).  Jawaharlal Nehru University students Kalita and Narwal, along with Jamia Millia Islamia student Tanha, were arrested in connection with the northeast Delhi riots last year. We are constrained to say, that it appears that in its anxiety to suppress dissent and in the morbid fear that matters may get out of hand, the State has blurred the line between the constitutionally guaranteed ‘right to protest’ and ‘terrorist activity’, a Bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani said. If such blurring gains traction, democracy would be in peril, it said. The High Court ruled that no offence under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) is made out against any of the three students. The phrase ‘terrorist act’ cannot be permitted to be applied in a cavalier manner to criminal acts or omissions that fall squarely within the definition of conventional offences as defined inter alia under the IPC [Indian Penal Code], the court said. Having given our anxious consideration to this aspect of ‘likelihood’ of threat and terror, we are of the view that the foundations of our nation stand on surer footing than to be likely shaken by a protest, however vicious, organised by a tribe of college students or other persons, operating as a coordination committee from the confines of a University situated in the heart of Delhi, the High Court observed. Noting that protests against governmental and parliamentary actions were legitimate, the Bench said though such protests were expected to be peaceful and non-violent, it was not uncommon for protesters to push the limits permissible in law. 

 

B) First death confirmed due to anaphylaxis following Covid-19 vaccination.

A government panel studying Covid-19 vaccine side effects has confirmed the first death, due to anaphylaxis, following Covid-19 vaccination here on Tuesday. According to a report submitted by the national Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) Committee, a 68-year-old man died due to anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction) after being vaccinated on March 8. The death is reported as vaccine product related reaction in the report. The causality assessment of 31 reported adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) cases was carried out by the panel. N.K. Arora, advisor, National AEFI committee told The Hindu, It is the first death linked to Covid-19 vaccination due to anaphylaxis. But compared to the overall numbers, only a small number had a severe reaction. Those getting their vaccination need to wait for 30 minutes at the inoculation centre after vaccination as most of the anaphylactic reactions occur during this period and prompt treatment prevents deaths. Reacting to the report NITI Aayog, member, (Health), V.K. Paul said, This incident should not create fear in the minds of people and there should be no apprehension about the safety of the vaccines approved for Indian population. Whenever decisions about public health are taken we discuss the benefits and risks involved and in this case the risk involved is miniscule as opposed to the gains.

 

C) Two doses of Covishield provide 92% protection against hospitalisation for those infected by delta variant.

A real-world study undertaken by Public Health England in 14,019 people infected with the delta variant (B.1.617.2) in England found that vaccination with two doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines offered high protection against hospitalisation. Of the 14,019 people infected with the delta variant, only 166 required hospitalisation. The study was undertaken between April 12 and June 4. In the case of AstraZeneca, whose vaccine is marketed in India under the name Covishield, effectiveness against hospitalisation after full vaccination was 92%, while it was 96% in the case of Pfizer. The results have been posted as a preprint. Preprints are yet to be peer-reviewed. Public Health England had earlier found that despite modest reductions n effectiveness, vaccines remained potent against the delta variant. It found that in the case of the delta variant, full vaccination offered good protection against symptomatic disease. Vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic disease was 67% in the case of AstraZeneca and 88% with Pfizer. Effectiveness against hospitalisation was high even with one dose of AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccine. In the case of delta variant, one dose of AstraZeneca vaccine offered 71% protection against hospitalisation, while two doses offered 92% protection. In the case of Pfizer vaccine, the protection against hospitalisation was 94% after one dose and 96% after two doses.

 

D) SC gives 2 weeks to IUML to respond to MHA affidavit on citizenship.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) two weeks to respond to an affidavit by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) that its May 28 order, delegating power to the Collectors of 13 districts in five States to grant citizenship to non-Muslims from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, has no relation whatsoever with the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) of 2019. Appearing before a Vacation Bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and V. Ramasubramanian, senior advocate Kapil Sibal and advocate Haris Beeran, for the IUML, sought time to file their rejoinder to the government’s reply to their petition challenging the legality of the May order. Petitions, including that filed by the PFI (Popular Front of India) and a private individual, have drawn parallels between the CAA and the May 28 notification, which facilitates non-Muslims from the three countries residing in 13 districts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Punjab to apply for citizenship. The IUML said the May 28 order was a deliberate ploy to implement the CAA’s malafide designs. In its response, the MHA said the May order merely delegates the power of [granting citizenship by registration and naturalisation] to the local authorities in particular cases. The Central Government used its authority under Section 16 of the Citizenship Act. It is merely a process of decentralisation of decision-making aimed at speedy disposal of the citizenship applications of such foreigners. It has no relation whatsoever to the CAA, the MHA affidavit said. 

 

E) Local leaders condemn arrest of Kashmir trader for remarks at a meeting.

The police booked Sajad Ahmad Sofi, 50, a local trader from Ganderbal’s Safapora area, under Section 153-A (promoting enmity) for his remarks made in front of Deputy Commissioner Krittika Jyotsna, an IAS officer. Jyotsna, an officer from Uttar Pradesh, was posted on deputation to J&K on February 8, 2021 along with her husband Rahul Pandey, also of the IAS, who works in the L-G’s office. The police took suo motu cognisance of the remarks wherein Sofi said he had expectations from Khan because he was a Kashmiri. I can grab you (Mr. Khan) by the collar to seek answers. What expectations, however, can I have from the officers who are outsiders, Sofi allegedly said, during the ‘public darbar’ aimed at addressing public grievances instantly. Sofi’s family alleged that he was jailed again despite being granted a bail on June 12 and booked under Sections 107 and 105 of the IPC. Seeking his preventive detention, the police told the court that Sofi indulged in loose talk and hurt the senior non-local bureaucrat. There was reasonable apprehension that he will create a law and order situation, a senior police officer said. CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami on Tuesday termed the arrest as unwarranted, uncalled for and brazen violation of the fundamental rights of people. He (Sofi) was a part of a delegation to demand a degree college in Safapora. If such incidents happen during the reach-out programme of the L-G administration, it can create a sense of fear. Such an attitude of the officer is highly authoritarian and detrimental. It only damages and dents the credibility of the institution the officer represents, Tarigami said. He said the police decision not to release him despite the interim bail was a brazen misuse of power and authority. Peoples Conference (JKPC) spokesman Adnan Ashraf Mir said such an action reflected the state of affairs in J&K. The action is a direct assault on democratic principles and goes on to relay the hopeless and scary picture. Slapping him with severe charges is a step towards demolishing the democratic institutions and stifling voices, he said.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Trump pressed Justice Dept. to probe poll fraud claims’

During the last weeks of his presidency, Donald Trump and his allies pressured the Department of Justice (DoJ) to investigate unsubstantiated claims of widespread 2020 election fraud, despite his former Attorney-General declaring there was no evidence of it, newly released emails show. The emails, released Tuesday by the House Oversight Committee, reveal in new detail how Mr. Trump, his White House chief of staff and other allies pressured members of the U.S. government to challenge the 2020 election over false claims, even though officials at Homeland Security and Justice, as well as Republican election leaders across the country, said there had been no pervasive fraud. Former Attorney General William Barr, a long-time Trump loyalist, was among those who said there was no evidence of such fraud. The emails also show the extent to which Trump worked to enlist then-acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen in his campaign’s failing legal efforts to challenge the election result, including suggesting filing a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court. The ones sent to Mr. Rosen include debunked conspiracy theories and false information about voter fraud. Mr. Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, asked about investigating allegations of voter fraud caused by satellites from Italy. Mr. Meadows tried to have Mr. Rosen investigate the conspiracy theories and pushed the acting Attorney General to meet with an ally of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani who was pitching unfounded election conspiracies.

 

B) Taiwan reports ‘largest’ incursion by Chinese forces. 

As many as 28 Chinese air force aircraft, including fighters and nuclear-capable bombers, entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday, the island’s government said. It is the largest reported incursion to date. While there was no immediate comment from Beijing, the news comes after the Group of Seven leaders issued a joint statement on Sunday scolding China and underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The incursion involved J-16 and J-11 fighters, as well as H-6 bombers. Taiwan has complained over the last few months of repeated missions by China’s air force near the self-ruled island, concentrated in the southwestern part of its air defence zone near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands. The latest Chinese mission involved 14 J-16 and six J-11 fighters, as well as four H-6 bombers, which can carry nuclear weapons, and anti-submarine, electronic warfare and early warning aircraft, said Taiwan’s Defence Ministry. It was the largest daily incursion since the Ministry began regularly reporting Chinese Air Force activities in Taiwan’s ADIZ last year. The Ministry said Taiwanese combat aircraft were dispatched to intercept the Chinese aircraft and missile systems were also deployed to monitor them.

NATIONAL NEWS 

A) Choksi legal team releases videos and photographs to prove he was kidnapped from Antigua.

A U.K.-based law firm looking after the case of fugitive diamond trader Mehul Choksi on Monday released images and videos purportedly showing individuals, including Indian-origin men, involved in an elaborate operation to take Choksi from Antigua to Dominica on May 23. Justice Abroad, the law firm, has claimed that Choksi was kidnapped with the help of a female acquaintance and men who gagged and tied him to a wheel chair and used at least one unmarked boat to transport him from Antigua to Dominica. Michael Polak of Justice Abroad has said the intention behind the entire episode was to whisk away Choksi to India by shortening the legal process. The evidence in this case shows that Choksi was kidnapped from Antigua, where he had outstanding cases before the Courts, and unlawfully renditioned to Dominica. We believe that the aim was for him to be whisked away to India bypassing the proper legal processes in Antigua and Dominica, said Polak in a statement. In documents and photographs seen by The Hindu, the legal team fighting the case in Dominica shows a few men who appeared to be of Indian origin on the deck of a boat that was allegedly used to transport Choksi from Antigua. Two videos shared by the legal team show an unnamed boat allegedly carrying Choksi moving faster than the permissible limit of 8 kmph. The boat was not carrying a flag at the time of its movement from Antigua’s Jolly Harbour North Finger to a rendezvous with another boat that eventually took the fugitive diamond trader to Dominica. The legal team of Choksi claims that he came to the beach front villa in Antigua of his recent acquaintance Barbara Jarabik on the evening of May 23 and was soon overpowered by a group of men who rushed out and beat him. He was gagged and tied to a wheel chair at knife point and placed on the unmarked boat. This boat next placed him on Calliope of Arne, a private yacht, which took him to Dominica. One of the photographs of Calliope of Arne shows passengers with South Asian features. Choksi’s team maintains that the kidnappers carried out a reconnaissance mission in early April and travelled from London to Antigua and Dominica. They claim that the team involved in the kidnapping travelled between London and Dominica and consisted of four individuals. The argument is aimed at countering the case in a Dominican court where Choksi is being tried for entering the island illegally. The legal team shows that Choksi was kidnapped and gagged and then handed to the authorities in Dominica who denied the due process of law to him for days. Choksi’s team has been claiming that he belongs to Antigua as he acquired citizenship of that island in 2018. India, however, has maintained that he remains a fugitive who should be brought back to face justice for defrauding banks.

 

B) Big scam by Ram temple trust, SC must take cognizance, says Congress on Ayodhya land deal. 

The Congress on Monday alleged corruption in the purchase of land in Ayodhya by the Ram temple trust and demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the charge. The party also alleged that it was a big scam committed using funds collected from devotees and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should answer whether those behind it had his protection, PTI reported. Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged at a press conference that the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust had purchased 12,080 square metres of land at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh at an inflated price of ₹18.5 crore. The land was purchased by the temple’s trust at ₹18.5 crore on March 18, and according to land deeds, only a few minutes earlier on the same day Kusum Phatak had sold it for ₹2 crore to Ravi Tiwari and Sultan Ansari from whom the trust bought the land, he claimed. Citing the land deeds, Surejwala claimed that trust members Anil Mishra, who is a BJP leader, and Hrishikesh Upadhyay, a former mayor of Ayodhya, are signatories to the ₹18.5 crore land deal. The land was in the name of Pathak and was sold to Tiwari and Ansari, who in turn sold it to the trust, the Congress spokesperson claimed. Surjewala said the trust formed for the construction of the temple for Lord Ram, who is considered a symbol of faith by crores of people, was set up on February 5 last year on the directions of the Supreme Court. He said the facts that have come to light point to a big scam in funds collected from devotees and this amounts to committing a big sin and wrongdoing. But Prime Minister Modi, who formed the trust on the directions of the Supreme Court, is totally silent, Surjewala said. Will the prime minister answer if those sinners, who have traded the faith of Lord Ram’s devotees, have his protection, he said. How could BJP leaders commit such a big malpractice in the name of Lord Ram whose words, values and ethical conduct are sworn as ideals. How much more land has been purchased in such a manner at throwaway rates out of funds received for the temple’s construction, Surjewala asked. He said that with such a scam and facts coming to light, the Congress demands that the prime minister answer to the nation. The chief justice and the Supreme Court must take cognisance of the matter and order a court-monitored probe into the charges, Surjewala said.

 

C) LJP implodes with five of the six MPs elbowing out Chirag Paswan. 

Less than a year after the death of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) founder Ram Vilas Paswan, his party is on the verge of a split, with five of its six Lok Sabha members replacing party president Chirag Paswan with his uncle, Pashupati Nath Paras, as the leader of the Parliamentary Party. The revolt coincides with a widely expected Cabinet reshuffle. For months, Paswan had pinned hopes of filling the vacancy that arose on the death of his father. The rebellion clearly shows that Paras too nurses the same hope. Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Chirag Paswan arrives to meet party leader Pashupati Kumar Paras at his house, in New Delhi on June 14, 2021. Paras has been supported by Paswan’s cousin Prince Raj (Samastipur), Mehboob Ali Kaiser (Khagaria), Veena Devi (Vaishali) and Chandan Singh (Nawada). All five MPs met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday evening, submitting a memorandum electing Paras as their Parliamentary Party leader. Paswan came to know of the revolt late on Sunday night. On Monday morning, he rushed to meet his uncle. He was stopped at the gate for nearly 25 minutes and when he finally managed to enter his uncle’s residence, he was told that Paras was not at home. The rebel MPs had an hour-long meeting with JD(U) leader Lallan Singh at party MP Veena Singh’s residence. Speaking to reporters on Monday morning, Paras said he had no complaints against his nephew and that he was only trying to rescue the party. He also, in the same breath, praised Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, calling him ‘vikas purush’, indicating that the party will not follow the line set by his nephew, though he made it clear that the MPs would not join the JD (U). Paras had served as a minister in Kumar’s Cabinet. What is particularly damaging for Paswan is that the rebel MPs include his cousin Raj, who is said to be very close to him and whom he had anointed as the Bihar unit chief, replacing Paras. Raj is the son of Ram Vilas Paswan’s younger brother Ramchandra Paswan, who died in 2019. Ram Vilas Paswan never recovered from the shock of his brother’s death and in some way that accelerated the deterioration of his own health, leading to his death a year later. The Sunday evening events are the culmination of a nearly seven-month long discontent in the party against Paswan for his particularly twisted political stand. He launched a campaign targeting the JD(U) and Kumar without severing ties with the NDA. He continued to sing paeans about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The LJP won one Assembly seat, managed to garner nearly 6% vote share and cost the JD(U) nearly 35-40 seats.

 

D) Surging fuel prices push wholesale inflation up to nearly 13%

India’s wholesale price inflation shot up to a record 12.94% in May, up from 10.5% in April, driven largely by a sharp spike in fuel and power inflation, which rose to 37.6%, and the low base effect from May 2020. Fuel and power inflation nearly quadrupled to 37.6% from the 9.75% recorded in March this year, and is significantly higher than the 20.94% mark attained in April. Manufactured products’ inflation rose to 10.83% from 9% in April. While the wholesale food prices inflation climbed marginally from 7.58% in April to 8.11% in May, on a sequential basis, the food price index cooled off from April significantly.  Inflation in wholesale prices for the month of March was also revised upwards from 7.39% to 7.89%, by the Economic Adviser’s office in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.  Meanwhile, Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday said the reason for the high inflation in the country is the daily rise in petrol and diesel prices. WPI Inflation is 12.94 percent. CPI Inflation is 6.3 percent. Do you want to know why? Fuel and Power inflation is 37.61 per cent. Thanks to PM Modi raising petrol and diesel prices every day, Chidambaram said on Twitter.

 

E) Uttar Pradesh scribe who expressed threat to life by ‘liquor mafia’ dies in ‘road accident’ 

A journalist in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district, who had written to police fearing threat to his life by the ‘liquor mafia’, died in an alleged road accident a day later on June 13 night, police said. Shulabh Srivastava, 42, worked as the district correspondent of news channel ABP News. While stating that prima facie, he died in a road accident, the police noted they were probing all other angles.  A murder case was lodged against unknown persons on a complaint of his wife. She suspects he was killed by the liquor mafia and the suspects tried to project it like an accident. On June 13 night, around 10-11 p.m., Srivastava was returning to Pratapgarh from Lalganj after a news coverage when he was found injured near a brick kiln at the Katra crossing after falling from his motorcycle, said Additional Superintendent of Police (East) Surendra P. Dwivedi. He was taken to a hospital but was declared brought dead. Prima facie, it was found that he was travelling alone and the death happened after he collided with a pole and tubewell on the side of the road. The police, however, were probing all other angles deeply. In an application submitted to ADG Prayagraj, allegedly through Whatsapp, Srivastava on June 12 expressed a threat to his life by the liquor mafia who, he said, were unhappy with his coverage of recent unearthing of illegal liquor factories and police raids of these sites in the district. He sought security and a probe into his matter. Last two days, whenever I went out of my house for some work, I felt I was being followed. Based on sources and public discussion, I feel that some liquor mafia who are unhappy over my news can cause harm to me and my family, he wrote. Pratapgarh SP Akash Tomar on Monday inspected the site of the incident and instructed the officials concerned to probe all angles.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Novavax claims 90% efficacy for its Covid-19 vaccine.

Vaccine maker Novavax said Monday its shot was highly effective against Covid-19 and also protected against variants in a large, late-stage study in the U.S. and Mexico. The vaccine was about 90% effective overall and preliminary data showed it was safe, the company said. While demand for Covid-19 shots in the U.S. has dropped dramatically, the need for more vaccines around the world remains critical. The Novavax vaccine, which is easy to store and transport, is expected to play an important role in boosting vaccine supplies in the developing world. That help is still months away, however. The company says it plans to seek authorisation for the shots in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere by the end of September and be able to produce up to 100 million doses a month by then. The Novavax vaccine can be stored in standard refrigerators, making it easier to distribute.

 

B) At NATO meet, Biden vows to defend Europe.

U.S. PresidentJoe Biden told fellow NATO leaders on Monday the defence of Europe, Turkey and Canada was a sacred obligation for the United States, a marked shift from his predecessor Donald Trump’s threats to withdraw from the military alliance. Arriving in Brussels from the weekend’s G7 summit in England, Mr. Biden again sought to rally Western allies to support a U.S. strategy to contain China’s military rise as well as showing unity in the face of Russian aggression. Article Five is a sacred obligation, Mr. Biden said, referring to the transatlantic alliance’s collective defence pledge. I want all Europe to know that the U.S. is there, he said after arriving in his black presidential limousine. NAII is critically important to us, said Mr. Biden, who is seeking to mend ties after Mr. Trump’s denigration ofthe nuclear-armed alliance over the past four years and what Mr. ‘frump said were its delinquent members. Allies are expected to brand China a security risk to the Western alliance for the first time, a day after the Group of Seven rich nations issued a statement on human rights in China and Taiwan that Beijing said slandered its reputation. Mr. Biden said both Russia and China were not acting in a way that is consistent with what we had hoped, referring to Western efforts since the mid-1990s to bring both countries into the fold of liberal democracies.

SPORTS NEWS

A) Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath admits using a computer in his win against Viswanathan Anand.

Viswanathan Anand’s simultaneous online chess games against celebrities on Sunday night raised more than ₹10 lakh. Less than 24 hours later, the event, conducted by chess.com for Covid-19 relief, began to be talked about for all the wrong reasons: one of the players, it turned out, had resorted to unfair practices during his game against the five-time world champion. Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of stockbroker firm Zerodha, had sprung a surprise. He was the only one among the nine celebrities to defeat Anand. Actor Aamir Khan, cricketer Yuzvendra Chahal and singer Arijit Singh had all lost. Kamath is now facing allegations of cheating – that is, using the aid of a computer during his game against Anand. Chess.com has closed his account for violating the fair play policy. He has admitted this much on Twitter:  I had help from the people analyzing the game, computers and the graciousness of Anand sir himself to treat the game as a learning experience. This was for fun and charity. In hindsight, it was quite silly as I didn’t realise all the confusion that can get caused due to this. Apologies. Anand was understandably upset by the whole episode. He tweeted: Yesterday was a celebrity simul for people to raise money. It was a fun experience upholding the ethics of the game. I just played the position on the board and expected the same from everyone. The interesting fact is that Anand would not have lost that game if he had not chosen to concede. Kamath had only a few seconds left on the clock, but Anand resigned, rather than waiting for his opponent to lose on time. Aruna Anand, his wife and manager, said what happened was unethical and against the spirit of the game and the cause. Mr. Kamath had spoken to Anand over phone this morning, Aruna told The Hindu. Anand said to him: ‘Whatever you do, you please do in your personal capacity, and don’t involve my name’. Then Anand also texted that he cannot deny what an algorithm finds out. She said Anand’s name should not have been dragged into Kamath’s tweet and be used as an excuse. I think Mr. Kamath now needs to set the moral compass right, she said.

NATIONAL NEWS 

A) India a natural ally of G7, Modi tells grouping.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said India is a natural ally for the G7 countries in defending the shared values from a host of threats stemming from authoritarianism, terrorism and violent extremism, disinformation and economic coercion. In a virtual address at a session on ‘open societies and open economies’ at the G7 summit, the Prime Minister highlighted India’s civilisational commitment to democracy, freedom of thought and liberty, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The leaders of the world’s advanced economies held a summit in Cornwall in the U.K. from June 11-13. It is for the first time the leaders of the grouping met in person since the coronavirus pandemic began. PM Modi also highlighted the revolutionary impact of digital technologies on social inclusion and empowerment in India through application such as Aadhaar, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and JAM (Jan Dhan-Aadhaar- Mobile) trinity. In his remarks, the Prime Minister underscored the vulnerabilities inherent in open societies and called on tech companies and social media platforms to ensure a safe cyber environment for their users, additional secretary (economic relations) in the MEA P Harish said at a press conference. The Prime Minister’s views were appreciated by other leaders in the gathering, he said. Harish said the G7 leaders underlined their commitment to a free, open and a rules-based Indo-Pacific and resolved to collaborate with partners in the region. India’s participation at the G7 sessions reflected understanding within the bloc that resolution to the biggest global crisis of our time is not possible without India’s involvement and support, he said, in a reference to the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the G-7 nations have pledged over 1 billion coronavirus vaccine doses for poorer nations. Speaking at the end of the summit, Johnson said the doses would come both directly and through the international COVAX program. The commitment falls far short of the 11 billion doses the head of the World Health Organization said is needed to vaccinate at least 70% of the world’s population by mid-2022 and truly end the pandemic. The Group of Seven (G7) comprises the U.K., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. As chair of G7, the U.K. invited India, Australia, South Korea, South Africa to the summit as guest countries.

 

B) Left parties seek rollback of fuel prices, announce 15-day protest.

The Left parties have announced a 15-day protest from June 16 to 30, demanding a rollback of fuel price hike and controlling the prices of essential commodities. A joint statement signed by general secretaries of the five Left parties Sitaram Yechury of the CPI (M), D. Raja of the CPI, Debabrata Biswas of the All India Forward Bloc, Manoj Bhattacharya of the Revolutionary Socialist Party, and Dipankar Bhattacharya of the CPI (ML) pointed out that the prices of petroleum products had gone up 21 times since the results of the recent Assembly elections were announced on May 2. This is leading to a cascading inflationary spiral with the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) rising to a 11-year high. The prices of food articles have risen by nearly 5% in April. Primary commodities saw a rise of 10.16% and manufactured products have risen by 9.01%. By the time these commodities reach the retail markets, the consumers are charged much more, the parties said. Earlier, the Congress too had held a day-long protest at petrol pumps across the nation against the fuel hike. The Left parties said that the economy was going into deep recession. Clearly, unscrupulous black-marketing and hoarding is taking place under state patronage. Modi government must strictly crackdown on such black-marketing, especially of essential drugs, vital for people’s survival, they said. The announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent address to the nation of extending till Deepavali the PM Garib Kalayan Anna Yojana of 5 kgs of food grains was completely inadequate, the parties said. Instead, 10 kg food grains per month to all individuals, including a food kit with pulses, edible oil, sugar, spices, tea etc., must be distributed free. Modi government must immediately give direct cash transfers of ₹7,500 per month for six months to all families not in the income tax paying bracket, the joint statement said.

 

C) India’s investment in research unsatisfactory: UNESCO report.

While India has made ‘solid progress’ towards the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets concerning industry, infrastructure and innovation, the country’s investment in research remains unsatisfactory, the UNESCO Science Report has observed. The gross domestic expenditure on research (GERD) has been stagnant at 0.7% of the GDP for years although, in absolute terms, research expenditure has increased, the chapter on India authored by Sunil Mani, director, Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Thiruvananthapuram, noted. India has one of the lowest GERD/GDP ratios among the BRICS nations, according to the report which is published every five years. India’s research intensity has been declining since 2014. The Science and Technology Policy of 2003 fixed the threshold of devoting 2% of GDP to research and development (R&D) by 2007. This target date was set back to 2018 in the new Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (2013) then again to 2022 by the Economic Advisory Council of the Prime Minister. In 2020, the task force drafting the country’s new Science and Technology Policy recommended pushing back the target date to a more realistic 2030, it noted. Dr. Mani said that in 1990, the density of scientists/engineers engaged in R&D in the country per 10,000 of the labour force stood at ten. It rose to just 11 in 2018, when it stood at 50 in China, 130 in Japan and 180 in South Korea, he said. R&D in the government sector has been in steady decline since 2015, whereas the share of private business enterprises in it has shot up to 42%. While in theory this is a positive trend, the R&D is focused primarily in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, automotive, and information technology. Even in these industries, it is concentrated in a small number of firms, the report said. It further noted that investment in R&D by foreign multinationals is on the rise, accounting for as much as 16% of private-sector investment in R&D in 2019. On the bright side is the encouraging increase in scientific publications by Indian researchers on cutting-edge technologies. Total publications have risen from 80,458 in 2011 to 1.61 lakh in 2019. Indian researchers are publishing between 1.5 and 1.8 times the global average on smart-grid technologies, photovoltaics, biofuels and biomass and wind turbine technologies, complementing the government’s push to expand green energy sources, the report noted. But then again, patenting by domestic corporations, research institutes, universities and individuals remains low in India. The report noted that the majority of the software-related patents were being bagged by MNCs operating from Indian soil, while pharma patents were obtained mostly by domestic firms. The UNESCO Science Report underscores the need for ‘policy bridges’ for fostering a more effective interaction between foreign and local research firms.

 

D) U.S.-bound Indian students need Covid-19 negative report taken 72 hours prior to departure: American diplomat.

The U.S. mission in India is actively working to accommodate as many student visa applicants as possible in July and August, and facilitating their legitimate travel remained a top priority for it, a senior American diplomat said on June 13. Don Heflin, the Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs at the U.S. embassy, also said that the U.S.-bound students will not require any proof of Covid-19 vaccination to enter the country. They will need a negative report of their Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to their departure. There has been growing anxiety among a sizeable number of Indian students aspiring to fly to the U.S. for higher studies in view of certain restrictions in getting visa appointments due to the coronavirus pandemic. The embassy will start giving visa interview slots for Indian students from June 14. We recognise the stress and anxiety this has caused to students and their families, and we are actively working to accommodate as many student visa applicants as possible in July and August. Facilitating legitimate student travel to the United States remains a top priority for the U.S. Mission to India, Heflin told PTI in an interview. The official was asked about the rising uncertainty among the Indian students wanting to travel to the U.S., which had imposed fresh travel restrictions in May. Students returning to academic programmes that resume on or after August 1 may travel to the United States up to 30 days before the programme resumes. There is no National Interest Exception required in this situation, he said. We recommend continuing students discuss their specific resumption plans with their respective universities to develop a travel timeline, Heflin said. The National Interest Exceptions (NIE) allow travel to the U.S. for persons whose entry is considered of national interest. We intend to start an intensive two months of interviewing student visa applicants on July 1. We will plan to open as many appointments as we can safely accommodate, based on local pandemic conditions across India, Heflin said. Student visa applicants do not need an expedited appointment to schedule their visa interview. On June 14, we will open July and August appointments for students, he added.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) ‘Can extradite cyber criminals to U.S. only on reciprocal basis’

President Vladimir Putin has said Russia would be ready to hand over cyber criminals to the United States if Washington did the same for Moscow and the two powers reached an agreement to that effect. Mr. Putin made the comments in an interview aired in excerpts on state television on Sunday ahead of a June 16 summit with U.S. President Joe Biden in Geneva. Ties between the powers are badly strained over an array of issues. The Russian leader said he expected the Geneva meeting to help establish bilateral dialogue and revive personal contacts, adding that important issues for the two men included strategic stability, Libya and Syria, and the environment. Mr. Putin also praised Mr. Biden for having shown professionalism when the United States and Russia agreed this year to extend the New START nuclear arms control treaty. The White House has said Mr. Biden will bring up ransomware attacks emanating from Russia at the meeting. That issue is in the spotlight after a cyber attack disrupted the North American and Australian operations of meatpacker JBS USA. A Russia-linked hacking group was behind that tack, a U.S. source familiar with the matter said last week. Asked if Russia would be prepared to find and prosecute cyber criminals, Mr. Putin said Russia’s behaviour here would depend on formal agreements being reached by Moscow and Washington. Both sides would have to commit to the same obligations, he said. If we agree to extradite criminals, then of course Russia will do that, we will do that, but only if the other side, in this case the United States, agrees to the same and will extradite the criminals in question to the Russian Federation, he said. The question of cyber security is one of the most important at the moment because turning all kinds of systems off can lead to really difficult consequences, he said.

 

B) Israel coalition set to end Netanyahu era.

Israel is set to swear in a new government on Sunday that will send Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into the opposition after a record 12 years in office and a political crisis that sparked four elections in two years. Naftali Bennett, the head of a small ultranationalist party, will take over as Prime Minister. But if he wants to keep the job, he will have to maintain an unwieldy coalition of parties from the political right, left and centre. The eight parties, including a small Arab faction that is making history by sitting in the ruling coalition, are united in their opposition to Mr. Netanyahu and new elections but agree on little else. They are likely to pursue a modest agenda that seeks to reduce tensions with the Palestinians and maintain good relations with the U.S. without launching any major initiatives. Mr. Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, remains the head of the largest party in Parliament and is expected to vigorously oppose the new government. If just one faction bolts, it could lose its majority and would be at risk of collapse, giving him an opening to return to power. The country’s deep divisions were on vivid display as Mr. Bennett addressed parliament ahead of the vote. He was repeatedly interrupted and loudly heckled by supporters of Mr. Netanyahu, several of whom were escorted out of the chamber. Mr. Bennett’s speech mostly dwelled on domestic issues, but he expressed opposition to U.S. efforts to revive Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers. Israel will not allow Iran to arm itself with nuclear weapons, Mr. Bennett said, vowing to maintain Mr. Netanyahu’s confrontational policy. Israel will not be a party to the agreement and will continue to preserve full freedom of action. Mr. Bennett nevertheless thanked President Joe Biden and the U.S. for its decades of support for Israel.