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CURRENT AFFAIRS
02 March 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Another Dalit minor girl found dead in U.P.; police register case of rape and murder. 

A minor Dalit girl was found dead in a village in Akrabad tehsil of Aligarh on Sunday after she went to collect fodder for cattle in the fields, police said. Locals feel that the 17-year-old was raped and killed. The police have registered a case against unidentified persons for rape and murder. When a police team went to take the body for post-mortem, angry villagers blocked their way by setting fodder on fire. The SHO of the Gangiri police station was injured in pelting of stones by women. The body was later taken to Aligarh for post-mortem. The girl had gone out on Sunday morning. When she didn’t return till afternoon, villagers started searching for her. Her body was found in a wheat field around one km from the village. Locals alleged that her clothes were disturbed and it seemed she was strangulated. Aligarh Senior Superintendent of Police Muniraj P said an FIR had been registered against unidentified persons for rape and murder of the victim. Prima facie, it seems a case of murder. Other details would be clear after the post-mortem report. They have detained some locals for questioning and would soon solve the case. Earlier this month, in U.P.’s Unnao district, two Dalit minor girls were found unconscious and subsequently died, after which police registered a case of murder against unidentified persons.

B) ‘Will you marry her?’ SC asks man accused of raping a girl repeatedly when she was a minor. 

The Supreme Court today asked a State government employee whether he would marry a girl he was accused of raping repeatedly while she was a minor. The man refused, saying he was already married. A Bench led by Chief Justice Sharad A. Bobde subsequently stayed his arrest for four weeks so he could apply for regular bail. During the hearing, the court asked the lawyer for the accused to find out whether his client would be willing to marry the victim or risk the prospect of going to jail. The lawyer returned shortly thereafter to convey to the court that his client had refused to marry the girl. They had initially asked for marriage. Right now, he cannot marry her. He is married, the lawyer reported back to the court what his client said. In another case, the Bench stayed the arrest of a man accused of rape after having falsely promised marriage. The accused had approached the court saying he was framed. He said they were in a live-in relationship and she had accused him of rape when their relationship turned sour. Their sexual intercourse during the period was consensual. The alleged victim said she was promised marriage and was brutally and sexually abused.  When two people are living as husband and wife, however brutal the husband is, can you call sexual intercourse between them ‘rape’? Chief Justice Bobde asked the girl’s lawyer. He replied that his client’s consent was taken by fraud and the accused had threatened the girl. The court finally refused to entertain the plea of the accused to quash the FIR against him, but allowed him liberty to apply for discharge in the trial court, while staying his arrest.

C) Covid-19 vaccine registration only on Co-WIN portal, says Health Ministry. 

India has opened registration and started the second phase of Covid-19 vaccination that aims to cover people above 60 and those above 45 with specified co-morbid conditions. After multiple complaints on the first day from beneficiaries who claimed that they were not able to register for vaccination, the Health Ministry issued a clarification stating, Registration and booking for appointment for COVID vaccination is done through CoWIN portal cowin.gov.in. There is no CoWin App for beneficiary registration. The app on Play Store is for administrators only. From March 1, the slots will be open from 9 a.m. till 3 p.m., and the appointments can be booked any time before 3 p.m., subject to availability, the Ministry added. The vaccine is being offered free at government COVID Vaccination Centres (CVCs), while private centres are offering it at a capped price of ₹250 per dose. The Ministry also said that the Centre is supplying two approved vaccines for use in India — Covishield and Covaxin — and added that beneficiaries will not have a choice on which vaccine will be administered to them. To ramp up the vaccination capacity, around 10,000 private hospitals are empanelled under Ayushman Bharat PMJAY, more than 600 hospitals under the Central Government Health Scheme, and other private hospitals under State governments. Health Insurance Schemes can participate as CVCs. Private health facilities which will serve as government COVID vaccination centres have been directed to follow strict norms of due process, quality and safety, including integration with the national Co-WIN technology platform, said a senior health official. Beneficiaries are also allowed three methods of registration advance self-registration, on-site registration, and facilitated cohort registration.

D) PM Modi takes first jab of COVAXIN. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday morning took the first shot of COVAXIN, the Indian-researched and produced Covid-19 vaccine (produced by Bharat Biotech) at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. Tweeting a picture of himself getting a shot, Prime Minister Modi said: Took my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at AIIMS. Remarkable how our doctors and scientists have worked in quick time to strengthen the global fight against COVID-19. He appeal to all those who are eligible to take the vaccine. Together, let us make India COVID-19 free!

E) Prashant Kishor joins Amarinder Singh govt in Punjab. 

Four years after helping the Congress come to power in Punjab with a big win in the Assembly elections, Prashant Kishor has returned to the state, signing on as principal advisor to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, who tweeted to say the two would work for the betterment of the people of Punjab. Happy to share that Prashant Kishor has joined me as my Principal Advisor. Look forward to working together for the betterment of the people of Punjab!” Singh tweeted Monday. Punjab is scheduled to hold Assembly elections in early 2022.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) Chinese malware may have targeted Indian power systems and seaports: U.S. firm.

Chinese state-sponsored actors may have deployed malware into Indian power grids and seaports as border tensions between India and China began escalating in May last, culminating in a deadly clash along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in mid-June. The alleged cyber intrusion was discovered and revealed by U.S. cyber security and intelligence firm, Recorded Future, according to the New York Times, which broke the story. An October 12 grid failure in Mumbai may have been caused by the Chinese malware, as per the report. The Massachusetts-based firm found that in the lead-up to the clashes, they noticed an increase in malware targeting the government, defence organisations, and the public sector. The Power Ministry confirmed that while attempts to breach systems were made, the power sector had not been impacted. Recorded Future told that there was still some evidence of ongoing intrusion, although a significant amount of it has subsided recently. There is evidence that some of the intrusions remain ongoing; however, a significant proportion of the activity appeared to cease in early to mid-February following notification, a spokesperson for Recorded Future, Caitlin Mattingly, told. While the government has not contacted Recorded Future since the New York Times published its report, according to Mattingly, the company had been in touch with the government prior to the report’s publication. China’s Foreign Ministry strongly hit out at the report, calling it irresponsible, and attacked it for not offering evidence. China firmly opposes and cracks down on all forms of cyber attacks, spokesperson Wang Wenbin said. Speculation and fabrication have no role to play on the issue of cyber attacks, as it is very difficult to trace the origin of a cyber attack, he added.

B) Chinese scribe charged under new law for Galwan comments.

A Chinese investigative journalist and blogger on Monday became the first person charged under a new criminal law banning the defaming of martyrs, for his comments questioning the government’s account of the clash with India in Galwan Valley last year. Qiu Ziming (38), an investigative journalist formerly with The Economic Observer, was arrested on February 20 in Nanjing, where he lives, after raising questions a day after China’s announcement declaring honours for five soldiers, including four awarded posthumously, eight months after the June 15, 2020 clash. In messages to his 2.5 million followers on the Chinese Twitter-equivalent, Sina Weibo, Mr. Qiu suggested the fatalities would have been higher because as per the official account, some of the soldiers died coming to the aid oftroops in difficulty, who, in his view, would have suffered losses as well. Mr. Qiu also asked why India had, in contrast, promptly recognised the 20 Indian soldiers who died, which, he suggested, meant that in India’s view they won and paid a lesser price. His account on Weibo was subsequently suspended. On Monday, Mr. Qiu was charged for violating the law on defaming martyrs’ honour and reputation. According to State media, this was the first reported case of anyone being charged under the law, which calls for a fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years. While China had in 2018 passed a law banning people from insulting martyrs, the civil law was added as an amendment to China’s criminal law which took effect on March 1.

C) Trump hints at 2024 run for presidency.

Donald Trump told conservatives Sunday he was considering running for presi dent again in 2024, as he reasserted dominance over the Republican Party and warned of a struggle for America’s very survival. Echoing the grievance politics of his 2016 campaign and the harsh rhetoric of his one-term presidency, the 74-year-old fired up an enthusiastic crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando. In a keynote speech, his first since leaving the White House on January 20 he repeated his false claims that he won the election instead of President Joe Biden, and hammered establishment Republicans who voted against him in the latest impeachment drama. But while he teased his future plans, he left the crowd guessing about whether he will challenge Mr. Biden in a rematch. With your help we will take back the House, we will win the Senate, and then a Republican President will make a triumphant return to the White House and he wonder who that will be? Mr. Trump said to a raucous cheer. Who knows?  he boomed about his potential plans. He may even decide to beat them for a third time, OK? At CPAC, he walked on stage to revel in a lengthy standing ovation by cheering loyalists, the vast majority maskless despite the coronavirus pandemic. Like he did so often during his two campaigns, he painted a pitched battle against as Democrats’ socialist agenda to remake the nation. They are in a struggle for the survival of America as we know it, Mr. Trump said. This is a terrible, terrible, painful struggle. Mr. Trump also put to rest the rumours that he might create a new political party. Mr. Trump as expected took swipes at Mr. Biden, saying the Democrat just concluded a disastrous first month in office.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
01 March 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Maharashtra Minister, linked to Pune girl’s death, resigns from cabinet.

Maharashtra Forest Minister and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Rathod has resigned from the Maharashtra cabinet for his alleged connection with the death of a 23-year-old woman from the nomadic Banjara community in Pune. Mr. Rathod, who has been under fire from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for nearly three weeks following the incident, tendered his resignation to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday. Mr. Thackeray has yet to take a call on whether or not to accept the Minister’s resignation. While stating that the affair was a ploy to defame him, Mr. Rathod said that he would assist in the investigation. Former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is the BJP’s Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Legislative Assembly, however, hit out at the Uddhav Thackeray government for the latter’s handling of the affair. This [resignation] has come too late, the current state of Maharashtra’s law and order situation is deplorable. Despite so much evidence against Mr. Rathod, why has no FIR still been lodged against him? This case has exposed the Thackeray government’s true colours, he alleged.

B) ISRO launches Brazil’s Amazonia-1, 18 other satellites. 

ISRO successfully launched Brazil’s optical earth observation satellite, Amazonia-1 and 18 co-passenger satellites from India [5] and the U.S.A. [13] successfully from the Satish Dhawan Space, SHAR, at Sriharikota, on Sunday. The satellites were carried on board the PSLV-C51, the 53rd flight of India’s workhorse launch vehicle and the first dedicated mission for New Space India Ltd (NSIL), the commercial arm of ISRO. The mission was undertaken under a commercial arrangement with Spaceflight Inc., USA. Indian Space Research Organisation launches the Amazonia-1, Brazil’s optical earth observation satellite, and 18 co-passenger satellites from U.S. and India on board the PSLV-C51 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on February 28, 2021. The PSLV-C51, equipped with two solid strap-on boosters, the third such launch of the PSLV-DL variant, lifted off at 10.24 a.m. from the first launch pad at Sriharikota. Of the 18 satellites, 13 were from the U.S.A , one of them a technology demonstration satellite and the remaining for 2-way satellite communications and data relay. Among the five Indian satellites, one belongs to DRDO. Five satellites belong to India — the Satish Dhawan SAT (SDSAT) built by Space Kidz India is a nano-satellite intended to study the radiation levels, space weather and demonstrate long range communication technologies and the UNITYsat, a combination of three satellites intended for providing radio relay services.

C) Kejriwal describes farm laws as ‘death warrant’ for farmers. 

Describing the contentious farm laws as death warrants for farmers, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal made Aam Admi Party’s political ambition to cross over Yamuna into Uttar Pradesh clear at a kisan panchayat in Meerut on Sunday. Promising to control erring sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh on the lines of power distribution companies in Delhi, Mr Kejriwal asked the gathering to vote for a party with the right intent. He said farmers were in pain for 70 years because they have been cheated by different governments and parties. Now the three farm laws have made it a matter of life and death. All that the farmer has been asking for is the right price of his produce, he said. He said farmers were sitting on the road in the cold because these laws would reduce them to labourers on their own land. It has come down to a do or die kind of situation, he said. He reminded the massive gathering of party workers and farmers that in 2014, BJP asked for votes by promising to implement the Swaminathan Committee Report. However, within three years in power, it submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court that said minimum support price could not be 50% more than the cost of the produce. It amounts to backstabbing the farmers.

D) Army cancels recruitment exam following paper leak. 

The Army has cancelled an examination for pan-India recruitment of general duty personnel after paper was found to have been leaked, officials said on Sunday. They further said at least three persons have been arrested in Pune so far. The Indian Army has zero tolerance towards corrupt practices in the recruitment process for selection of suitable candidates, an official said. Based on a proactive joint operation with local police at Pune, a case of possible leakage of question paper prepared for Common Entrance Examination for Recruitment of Soldiers (General Duty) was reported last night, the official added. While further investigations are underway, it was decided to cancel the examination to ensure continuous transparency in the recruitment process.

E) Ghulam Nabi Azad praises PM Modi for being ‘frank about his past’

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday said he likes leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi who are proud of their roots and noted that Mr Modi speaks frankly about his past as a tea-seller. Addressing a function by Gujjar Desh Charitable Trust here, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said a person should not try to hide his background from the world. He himself, had come from a village and he is proud of being a villager. He admire a lot of things about leaders like their Prime Minister who also says that he was from a village. He used to sell tea. He might have political differences with Modi but he is also frank about his past of being a chaiwala (tea-seller), Mr Azad said. The remarks come a day after Mr Azad and other ‘G-23’ dissident leaders, who have been pressing for a leadership change and organisational overhaul in the Congress, gathered on one stage here and said the party is weakening.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) 18 anti-coup protesters killed in Myanmar military crackdown: U.N. rights office. 

Myanmar police fired on protesters on Sunday in the bloodiest day of weeks of demonstrations against a military coup and at least seven people were killed and several wounded, political and medical sources and media said. The U.N. Human Rights Office says it has received credible information that a crackdown Sunday on anti-coup protesters in Myanmar has left at least 18 people dead and over 30 wounded. Deaths reportedly occurred as a result of live ammunition fired into crowds in Yangon, Dawei, Mandalay, Myeik, Bago and Pokokku, it said in a statement, referring to several cities in Myanmar. Tear gas was also reportedly used in various locations as well as flash-bang and stun grenades. Myanmar has been in chaos since the army seized power and detained elected government leader Aung San Suu Kyi and much of her party leadership on Feb. 1, alleging fraud in a November election her party won in a landslide. Myanmar is like a battlefield, the Buddhist-majority nation’s first Catholic cardinal, Charles Maung Bo, said on Twitter. Police were out in force early and opened fire in different parts of the biggest city of Yangon after stun grenades, tear gas and shots in the air failed to break up crowds. Soldiers also reinforced police. Several wounded people were hauled away by fellow protesters, leaving bloody smears on pavements, media images showed.

B) Trump set to take spotlight with post-presidency speech. 

Donald Trump returns to the political spotlight on Sunday, determined to regain control of a Republican party that is out Of power and pondering whether the flawed former President can win again in 2024. The 74-year-old will address the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando in a highly-anticipated speech during which he is expected to tease attendees about his political future including the possibility of another presidential run. A hero’s welcome He is sure to be greeted like a returning hero by a loyalist crowd as he calls for party unity and perhaps rips some of his critics on the final day of the nation’s largest conservative gathering. They are not starting new parties, and they will not be dividing their power and their strength, Mr. Trump will say, according to Fox News. Instead, they will be united and strong like never before. U.S. political parties usually face a reckoning after a string of losses such as those the Republican Party saw under Mr. Trump in 2020: losing the White House, ceding the Senate and failing to take back the House of Representatives. The party is also marked with Mr. Trump’s repeated lies about his election loss to Joe Biden, his impeachment for inciting an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, and the extraordinary faultline his actions have caused between establishment Republicans and pro-Trump populists. But, instead of jettisoning its failed leader and charting a new path to relevance, much of the Republican party still sees Mr. Trump as retaining a vicelike grip on its future. It is a perception he has encouraged, setting himself up as a Republican kingmaker. On Friday, he endorsed an ex-aide against an Ohio Congressman who voted to impeach him.

C) Houthi missile attack thwarted, says Riyadh.

Loud explosions shook Riyadh on Saturday as a Saudi-led military coalition said it thwarted a missile attack launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, which sent debris raining down on civilian homes. Iran-backed Houthi fighters have intensified operations against the kingdom as air strikes by the Saudi-led military coalition pound rebel positions in the north of Yemen, in a bid to stop their offensive to seize the government’s last northern stronghold of Marib. Saudi Arabia said on Saturday it thwarted a Houthi missile that targeted Riyadh. The operation was carried out with a ballistic missile and 15 drones targeting sensitive areas in the enemy’s capital of Riyadh, said Houthi spokesman Yahya al-Saree, according to the rebels’ Al-Masirah TV channel. Fragments of the missile scattered over several Riyadh neighbourhoods, damaging at least one home but no casualties were reported, Saudi’s state-run Al-Ekhbariya television said. AFP correspondents in the Saudi capital reported hearing multiple loud explosions. The night sky lit up with a bright flash following the interception of a missile, state television footage showed. Separately, the coalition said it intercepted six Houthi drones targeting the kingdom, including the southern cities of Khamis Mushait and Jizan. The assaults came as Saudi Arabia hosted a Formula E championship on the outskirts of Riyadh, which state media said was attended by de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Houthis have escalated cross-border attacks on the kingdom even after the U.S. delisted the rebels as terrorists and stepped up efforts to de-escalate the six-year conflict. The designation, imposed by former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, had been widely criticised by aid agencies, which warned it would hamper their efforts to alleviate a humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
28 February 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Rift out in open as Congress dissenters pitch for Ghulam Nabi Azad at Jammu meeting. 

Congress party’s internal differences spilled out in the open today, with the dissenting group, popularly known as G-23, holding a rally in Jammu ostensibly to felicitate Ghulam Nabi Azad on his retirement from the Rajya Sabha but effectively challenging the party’s central leadership in a show of strength. The G-23 leaders said they wanted a strong Congress rooted in Gandhi’s principles and see an experienced leader in Ghulam Nabi Azad. People say ‘G23’, I say Gandhi 23. With the belief, resolve and thinking of Mahatma Gandhi, this nation’s law and Constitution was formed. Congress is standing strongly to take these forward. ‘G23’ want Congress to be strong, Congress leader Raj Babbar said during the party’s ‘Shanti Sammelan’ in Jammu. Other senior Congress leaders Anand Sharma, former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, Kapil Sibal, and Vivek Tankha, apart from Azad, also spoke on the occasion. The truth is that we see Congress party getting weak. That is why we have gathered here. We had gathered together earlier too and we have to strengthen the party together, Sibal said. In August last year this group, led by Azad, had written to party President Sonia Gandhi urging her to ensure full time and visible leadership. Gandhi returned to helm as an interim chief, after her son Rahul Gandhi’s abrupt resignation. It is the first time that the letter writers have come out in the open, dropping all pretence. The Congress leadership has remained mum about renominating Azad and the G-23 members find themselves sidelined in the scheme of things within the party. Azad, speaking at the rally, said that he may have retired from Rajya Sabha but he has not retired from politics.

B) Onus of creating ‘enabling environment’ rests with India, says Imran Khan.  

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday welcomed the ceasefire agreement with India but said the onus of creating an enabling environment for further progress in bilateral relations rests with New Delhi. In his first comments since the militaries of India and Pakistan jointly announced on Thursday that they have agreed to strictly observe all agreements on the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) and other sectors, Khan said Pakistan remains ready to move forward to resolve all outstanding issues with India through dialogue. He welcome restoration of the ceasefire along the LOC. The onus of creating an enabling environment for further progress rests with India. India must take necessary steps to meet the long-standing demand & right of the Kashmiri people to self determination according to UNSC resolutions, Khan tweeted. They have always stood for peace & remain ready to move forward to resolve all outstanding issues through dialogue, Khan said in a series of tweets. India and Pakistan issued a joint statement on Thursday to strictly observe all agreements on ceasefire along the LoC and other sectors after hotline discussions by their Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMO). The decision by the two countries came into effect from the midnight of February 24/25.

C) AG refuses consent for contempt proceedings against ex-CJI Ranjan Gogoi. 

Attorney General K.K. Venugopal has refused to give consent to an activist to initiate criminal contempt proceedings against former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi for his comments about the Supreme Court. Activist Saket Gokhale said Justice Gogoi’s remarks, during a widely publicised interview given during the India Today conclave in February, had scandalised the court and lowered its dignity in the eyes of the public. It was reported that Justice Gogoi, now a Rajya Sabha MP, had used terms like ramshackle judiciary and so on. Venugopal, in a letter to Gokhale, agreed that Justice Gogoi’s statements were indeed very strong but it was said for the good of the institution and would not in any manner scandalise the court or lower its authority in the eyes of the public. The statements apparently reflect his deep frustration with the ills that undoubtedly beset the justice delivery system, Venugopal explained to Gokhale. The consent of the Attorney General is necessary to initiate contempt proceedings in the Supreme Court. He accordingly decline consent to initiate proceedings for criminal contempt under Section 15 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971. Venugopal concluded in his letter dated February 26.

D) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments. 

The number of coronavirus cases reported from India stood at 1,10,94,731 with the death toll at 1,58,403. With Maharashtra, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Bengal, Telangana and Jammu and Kashmir reporting a high active Covid-19 caseload and an increasing trend in new cases in the last week, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba today reviewed the situation with the Chief Secretaries. The States have been advised not to lower their guard, to enforce pandemic-appropriate behaviour, and deal firmly with violations. They are also required to follow effective surveillance and tracking strategies in respect of potential super spreading events. The Health Ministry said Maharashtra, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat have also shown a surge in new cases in the last 24 hours, taking the active caseload to 1,59,590. Maharashtra continues to report the highest daily new cases at 8,333, followed by Kerala with 3,671 while Punjab reported 622 new cases, it said. India reported 16,488 new cases in the 24 hours ending 8 a.m. on Saturday. Private hospitals functioning as COVID-19 vaccination centres can charge up to ₹250 per person per dose, the Union Health Ministry announced on Saturday along with a list of 20 medical conditions that will enable those between 45 and 59 years to avail the vaccine.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) Saudi Arabia rejects U.S. intelligence report on Khashoggi’s killing. 

Saudi Arabia said it rejected completely the negative, false and unacceptable assessment of the U.S. intelligence report released on Friday that found Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had approved the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler approved an operation to capture or kill the Washington Post columnist in 2018, the U.S. report said, as the United States sanctioned some of those involved but not the crown prince himself. The government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia completely rejects the assessment in the report pertaining to the Kingdom’s leadership, and notes that the report contained inaccurate information and conclusions, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement carried by state news agency SPA. The crime was committed by a group of individuals that have transgressed all pertinent regulations and the kingdom’s leadership took the necessary steps to ensure that such a tragedy never takes place again, the foreign ministry statement added. A Saudi Arabian court jailed eight people last year for between seven and 20 years over the murder of Khashoggi after his family forgave his killers and enabled death sentences to be set aside. Khashoggi, a critic of the crown prince, was last seen at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2, 2018, where he had gone to obtain documents for his impending wedding. His body was dismembered and removed from the building and his remains have not been found. The murder caused a global uproar and tarnished the reformist image of Prince Mohammed, and strained the relationship between the U.S. and its closest Arab ally.

B) U.S. airstrike in eastern Syria a warning to Iran, says Biden. 

President Joe Biden said on Friday that a U.S. airstrike against an Iranian-backed militia in eastern Syria, the first since he took office, should be seen by Iran as a warning. Asked what the message was from the air strike, Mr. Biden said that he can’t act with impunity. Be careful, he added, speaking in Houston during a tour of relief efforts after a huge winter storm in Texas. Syria and Iran on Friday condemned the attack, with Damascus calling it a bad sign from the new Biden administration and Tehran saying it would further destabilise the region. John Kirby said two F-15E Strike Eagles dropped seven precision-guided munitions on Thursday on facilities in eastern Syria used by the militias believed to be behind a spate of rocket attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Mr. Biden was sending an unambiguous message. He’s going to act to protect Americans and when threats are posed, he has the right to take an action at the time and in the manner of his choosing, Ms. Psaki said. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the administration wanted to make it very, very clear notably to Iran that they cannot act with impunity against our people, our partners, our interests. Syria condemned the strike as cowardly American aggression. The Iranian Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the U.S. attack as a clear violation of international law, saying it would intensify military conflicts and further destabilise the region.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
27 February 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) EC announces Assembly election schedule; Bengal polls to be held in eight phases. 

The Election Commission (EC) on Friday announced elections to the Assemblies of Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry and West Bengal, where polling would be held in eight phases. Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said the votes in all five elections would be counted on May 2. Polling in Assam would be held in three phases, with voting on March 27, April 1 and April 6. Elections in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry would be held in a single phase, with voting on April 6. West Bengal would see elections in eight phases, up from seven phases in the last elections, Arora said. He said advance teams of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel had been sent to all poll-bound states and UT. In addition, he said the EC had issued a circular on February 8 for the formation of committees comprising the state’s chief electoral officer, state police nodal officer and state CAPF coordinator for coming up with the security plan and monitoring the deployment of forces. He said two special police observers had been appointed for West Bengal and two special expenditure observers for Tamil Nadu, given the concerns in the two states.

B) Mamata asks whether poll dates were announced as per suggestions of Modi and Shah. 

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today questioned the rationale behind the EC’s decision to hold the 2021 Assembly polls in the State in eight phases. West Bengal has 294 seats. Why will elections be held here in eight phases? This is for the benefit of whom? There should be some rationale behind the decision, Banerjee said hours after the EC announced dates for Assembly polls in the State. This is the first time that the elections in West Bengal are held in eight phases. The earlier occasion when West Bengal went to polls with the highest number of phases was during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections when polls were conducted in seven phases. The Chief Minister, who is also chairperson of Trinamool Congress, said that these dates are as per the requirement of the BJP. She raised strong objections to elections being held in South 24 Parganas district in different phases. In South 24 Parganas, since we are strong, elections are held in three phases. Is it at the instructions of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, she asked. Raising questions on the appointment of police observers, Banerjee said that one of them was deployed in the State in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The Trinamool Congress chief said that the EC should see West Bengal as their own State and not through the eyes of the BJP. She said that even in the 23-day election game, she will defeat the BJP as she is from the grassroots. Welcoming the eight-phase polls, the BJP, however, said that it was a matter of shame that West Bengal had to have elections in so many phases and it was because of the history of political violence. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee seems to be mistaking Election Commission of India with the State Election Commission, which has been working at the whims and fancies of the State government and we have seen the results in local polls, State BJP spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya said.

C) Labour rights activist Nodeep Kaur granted bail. 

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Friday granted bail to labour rights activist Nodeep Kaur in a case of attempt to murder and rioting, among others. The court has granted bail to Nodeep Kaur. While granting bail, the court observed that Section 307 [attempt to murder] is debatable at this stage of the case, Kaur’s counsel Arshdeep Singh Cheema told. Once the order is signed, she can walk out from jail, he said. Kaur, who was arrested by the Haryana police in January and is currently in Karnal Jail, said in her bail plea that she was beaten up, tortured and made to sign on blank papers at a police station. The police have denied the allegations. Her application for bail added that she was being falsely implicated and targeted as she had successfully generated massive support in the Kundli industrial area in favour of the ongoing farmers’ movement against the Centre’s new farm laws, which has earned the wrath of the administration.

D) Five Congress MLAs suspended in Himachal. 

Himachal Pradesh Governor Bandaru Dattatraya was allegedly manhandled by some Congress members in the Assembly complex on Friday, following which five MLAs were suspended for the remainder of the Budget Session. Speaker Vipin Parmar said the Congress MLAs, including Leader of the Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri, were suspended on a motion moved by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Bhardwaj. The Opposition members tried to stop the governor in front of the speaker’s chamber when he was going towards his cavalcade, accompanied by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and Parmar, after addressing the Assembly on the opening day of the Budget Session. The speaker said the Congress members’ action was against rules..No Congress MLA was present in the House at the time of suspension of the five MLAs. The Assembly, which was adjourned till 12 noon on Monday earlier in the day, was reconvened at 1 pm on Friday to consider the motion moved by Bhardwaj. While moving the motion in the House, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bhardwaj said Chief Minister Thakur had termed the manhandling an attack on the governor. It reflected the frustration of Congress MLAs after the party’s defeat in the recent panchayat elections, Bhardwaj added.

F) SC bats for steps to speed up relief for accident victims. 

The Supreme Court is exploring the creation of a nationwide online mechanism to help road accident victims and their families get compensation within a short time of the mishap. A Bench led by Justice S.K. Kaul is considering various avenues to speed up the compensation process, including the setting up of a national grid to seamlessly disburse compensation across States to the online submission of police records and accident claim documents in Motor Accidents Claims Tribunals. The court’s intervention came on a writ petition filed by one of India’s largest insurance firms, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company, highlighting the plight of victims who have been waiting for years for their money. Bajaj, drawing on its pan-India experience in the insurance sector, said in many parts of the country the police take months to even file an accident report for submission before the claims tribunal. The report is the first step towards fixing compensation under the Motor Vehicles Act. The delay is often due to chronic shortage of manpower in the police force, unwieldy geography or pure lethargy. The Act requires contemporaneous collection and verification of information about an accident. Delay would destroy crucial and important evidence. Further, it could also influence witnesses away from the truth. The company argued that delay also adds to the trauma of the accident and affects the victim’s right to equality and access to justice.

G) Indian economy enters positive territory, records 0.4% growth in Oct-Dec. 

After contracting for two quarters in a row, the Indian economy entered the positive territory with a growth of 0.4% in the October-December quarter, mainly due to good performance by farm, services and construction sectors, as per official data, PTI reported. Trade and hotel industry registered a contraction of 7.7% during the third quarter this fiscal, as the sectors continued to suffer on account of coronavirus pandemic. According to the data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), the farm sector recorded a growth of 3.9%, and the manufacturing sector output grew by 1.6% in the quarter under review. The construction sector advanced by 6.2%, while electricity, gas, water supply and other utility services clocked a 7.3% growth. The NSO said, GDP at Constant (2011-12) Prices in Q3 of 2020-21 is estimated at ₹36.22 lakh crore, as against ₹ 36.08 lakh crore in Q3 of 2019-20, showing a growth of 0.4%. The GDP had expanded by 3.3% per cent in the corresponding period of 2019-20.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) India, China Foreign Ministers to establish hotline. 

The foreign ministers of India and China have agreed to establish a new hotline to ensure timely communication in the wake of last year’s border crisis, but differed sharply on the way forward to restore relations in a 75-minute phone call on Thursday. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar told his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi that bilateral relations have been impacted severely over last year and that while the Boundary Question may take time to resolve, the disturbance of peace and tranquility, including by violence, will inevitably have a damaging impact on the relationship. Underlining how both sides have viewed differently the impact of the border crisis on the broader relationship, Wang said that there has been some wavering and back-pedalling in India’s China policy, because of which practical cooperation between the two countries has been affected. Decades of experiences have shown repeatedly that heightening differences does not help solve problems, and that it only erodes the basis of mutual trust, he said, adding that booths sides should avoid the wrong path of mutual misgivings and suspicion, still less the path of retrogression and should handle the boundary question properly to prevent the bilateral relationship from sinking into a negative cycle.

B) U.S. strikes on Iran-backed militias in Syria kill at least 22. 

The U.S. military has struck Iran-backed militias in eastern Syria, killing at least 22 fighters, according to a war monitor. In its first military action against Iran-linked groups since Joe Biden became President five weeks ago, the Pentagon said it had carried out air strikes on Thursday at a Syria-Iraq border control point used by Iranbacked groups, destroying multiple facilities, in retaliation for a spate of rocket attacks targeting its troops in Iraq. At President Biden’s direction, the U.S. raids targeted”infrastructure utilised by Iranian-backed militant groups in eastern Syria, spokesman John Kirby said in a statement. These strikes were authorised in response to recent attacks against American and coalition personnel in Iraq, and to ongoing threats to those personnel, he said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 22 fighters were killed when the strike hit three trucks loaded with munitions near Albu Kamal. Militia border posts were also destroyed, the war monitor said. It said all the dead were from Iraq’s state-sponsored Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary force, a group that includes many small militias with ties to Iran. Syria condemned the strike as cowardly American aggression.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
26 February 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Govt announces new social media rules.

With the stated intention of preventing misuse of social media, the Union government on Thursday announced new rules that make it mandatory for platforms such as WhatsApp to aid the government in identifying the originator of certain messages containing unlawful information, while also requiring social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter to remove such content within 36 hours of being notified. As per the Information Technology (Guidelines for intermediaries and digital media ethics code) Rules, 2021, social media platforms will also be required to provide information, including related to verification of identity, to lawfully authorised agencies within 72 hours. At a press conference, Electronics and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that social media is welcome to do business in India, they have done exceedingly well, they have done good business, they have empowered ordinary Indians. The government welcomes criticism and right to dissent. It is important that social media users running into crores should be given a platform for raising their grievance to raise complaints about abuse of social media. He noted that WhatsApp had about 53 crore users in India, YouTube about 48 crore users, Facebook about 41 crore users and about 1.75 crore people used Twitter. The rules, a draft of which was released in 2018, comes close on the heels of a tussle between the government and Twitter over removal of certain content related to the ongoing farmers’ protests. The government has also been at loggerheads with WhatsApp for over two years on the issue of tracing the originator of the messages. The Facebook-owned firm has in the past declined to comply with the government’s request to trace the origin of a fake message, stating that the move will undermine the private nature of the platform. The rules released on Thursday stated that intermediaries providing services primarily in the nature of messaging would enable the identification of the first originator of the information on its computer resource as may be required by an court order or an order passed under Section 69 of the IT Act by the Competent Authority.

B) Allahabad HC denies anticipatory bail to head of Amazon Prime Video in ‘Tandav’ case.

The Allahabad High Court today denied pre-arrest bail to commercial head of Amazon Prime Video, Aparna Purohit, in the ongoing investigation against the web series ‘Tandav’, Livelaw reported. According to the LiveLaw report, the Bench of Justice Sidharth justified its ruling by claiming that Western filmmakers have refrained from ridiculing Jesus Christ or the Prophet Muhammad but Hindi filmmakers have repeatedly taken liberties with Hindu gods and goddesses. The Court further noted that such people make the revered figures of the religion of majority community source of earning money in most brazen manner taking benefit of the liberal and tolerant tradition of the country.

C) Nirav Modi can be extradited, rules UK court. 

Wanted diamond merchant Nirav Modi on Thursday lost his fight against being extradited to India as a UK judge ruled that he can be sent back to face charges of fraud and money-laundering in the estimated $2-billion Punjab National Bank scam case. The 49-year-old appeared via video link from Wandsworth Prison in south-west London as District Judge Samuel Goozee handed down his judgment at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London. The magistrates’ court ruling will then be sent back to UK Home Secretary Priti Patel for a sign-off, with the possibility of appeals in the High Court on either side. Modi was arrested on an extradition warrant on March 19, 2019, and has appeared via videolink from Wandsworth Prison for a series of court hearings in the extradition case. His multiple attempts at seeking bail have been repeatedly turned down, both at the Magistrates’ and High Court level, as he was deemed a flight risk. He is the subject of two sets of criminal proceedings, with the CBI case relating to a large-scale fraud upon PNB through the fraudulent obtaining of letters of undertaking (LoUs) or loan agreements, and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) case relating to the laundering of the proceeds of that fraud. He also faces two additional charges of causing the disappearance of evidence and intimidating witnesses or criminal intimidation to cause death, which were added on to the CBI case.

D) Google urged to compensate Indian newspapers for content. 

The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) has urged Google India to compensate print media publishers for use of news as it is proprietary content generated by them. In a letter to Google India’s Country Manager Sanjay Gupta on Wednesday, INS president L. Adimoolam raised various proposals with Google. Pointing to the discussions between INS’s digital committee and the Google team during the past six months, he said it helped in clarifying the strategic and collaborative possibilities between news publishers and Google. Highlighting some of the concerns, he said the print media industry invested heavily on journalism, which is the core of news operations. Indian publishers have been providing quality journalism with credible news that Google’s web crawlers shared with its readers. While print publishers deployed several journalists on the field to ensure credible news was covered, the publisher-generated content that appears on Google is not compensated. Google should pay publishers for the use of news that is generated by print media publishers, said Adimoolam. In a letter to Google India’s Country Manager Sanjay Gupta on Wednesday, INS president L. Adimoolam raised various proposals with Google.In a letter to Google India’s Country Manager Sanjay Gupta on Wednesday, INS president L. Adimoolam raised various proposals with Google. Google must also consider increasing the publisher’s share of advertising revenue to 85% and ensure more transparency in its revenue report. In the digital space, publishers are left with only a small share as Google takes a giant share of advertising spends, he said.

E)Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 1,10,52,858 with the death toll at 1,85,496. People with comorbidities will need a doctor certificate to avail Covid-19 jab during the second phase of the vaccination drive, a task force member told The Hindu. The second phase of vaccination is set to begin from March 1 for people above 60 years of age and also those above 45 years of age with comorbidities. The vaccines will be available at both government and private hospital vaccination sites. According to N.K. Arora, Head of the Operations Research Group of the Covid-19 Task Force, the cost of vaccine and delivery (vaccine administration) at private hospitals will be announced in a day or two. Vaccines will be provided for free at government vaccination sites. Those older than 45 years and with comorbidities will need a certificate from a registered medical doctor. But those older than 60 years will not need any certificate, Dr. Arora told. Comorbidities will include hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, kidney and lung diseases, cancers and those on immuno-suppressants. A full list will be provided soon. Self-registration on CoWIN will be needed for those with comorbidities above the age of 45 years, Arora said. This will help in knowing how many have been vaccinated and also helps in informing the recipients when the second dose is scheduled. According to him, for those above 60 years, self-registration will be permitted so that anyone wishing to get vaccinated is not missed. It is not clear if the names of those above 60 years will be uploaded by the government based on the electoral list. On registration on CoWIN, the applicant will be informed of the government and private hospital sites closest to his/her place of residence. The applicant can choose whether to go to a government vaccination site or a private hospital, Dr. Arora said, adding, CoWIN will be open for self-registration from March 1 onwards.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) India, Pakistan agree to stop firing along LoC. 

India and Pakistan said on Thursday they have agreed to strict observance of all agreements, understandings and cease firing along the Line of Control (LoC) and all other sectors with effect from midnight of February 24-25. This was agreed between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO) of both countries during discussions over the established hotline, the joint statement said. In the interest of achieving mutually beneficial and sustainable peace along the borders, the two DGsMO agreed to address each other’s core issues and concerns which have propensity to disturb peace and lead to violence, the joint statement said. Stating that the two sides reviewed the situation along the LoC and all other sectors in a free, frank and cordial atmosphere, the statement added that both sides reiterated that existing mechanisms of hotline contact and border flag meetings will be utilised to resolve any unforeseen situation or misunderstanding. With a sharp increase in firing across the LoC and other areas by both sides in the last few years, this understanding re-commits both countries to the ceasefire agreement of 2003. As per existing mechanism, there is a weekly discussion by officials from the Military Operations directorate every Tuesday but the DGsMO speak when one side requests a conversation. As per information given by the Government in the Parliament, there were 5,133 instances of Cease-Fire Violations (CFV) along the LOC last year which resulted in 46 fatal casualties.There were 299 Cease-Fire Violations till January 28 this year and one fatal casualty has been reported till February 1.

B) Xi hails ‘complete victory’ in China’s fight to end poverty. 

China on Thursday held a high-profile celebration to mark what its President Xi Jinping described as a complete victory in eliminating absolute poverty. Mr. Xi said over the past eight years under his term, 98.99 million poor in rural areas had been lifted out of poverty while all the 832 designated impoverished counties and 128,000 impoverished villages had been removed from the government’s list. He described the lifting of close to 100 million people out of poverty in eight years as a miracle that would go down in history, offering a China example to developing countries, although he said no other country could do so in such a short time. China’s elimination of absolute poverty is defined according to the government’s poverty line of $2.30 in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) per person a day, which is higher than the international poverty line of $1.90 PPP. According to the World Bank, China has lifted more than 850 million out of poverty since its reforms began in 1978, unleashing years of double-digit GDP growth. The World Bank defines the poverty line for lower middle income countries at $3.20 PPP and for upper middle income countries, such as China, at $5.50 PPP. According to the World Bank, 373 million people in China are living below the upper-middle-income poverty line of $5.50. Mr. Xi convened a highprofile gathering at the Great Hall of the People to mark the occasion, which has been seen as aimed at burnishing his legacy. Thursday’s event mainly emphasised the last eight years in China’s poverty fight, coinciding with Mr. Xi coming to power in 2012, rather than the four-decade legacy of his predecessors Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao, which received little mention. Sustained push The official Xinhua news agency said in a commentary, In 2020, after eight years of efforts, all of China’s nearly 100 million impoverished rural residents living below the current poverty line had shaken off poverty. Over the last eight years, unabated attention and a sustained push from Chinese President Xi Jinping have ensured continued momentum. Under his leadership, efforts against poverty have been woven into every fabric of Chinese life, in which reducing poverty is a consensus and constant call to action.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
25 February 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) COVID-19 vaccination for senior citizens from March 1. 

People above 60 and those over 45 with comorbidities will be given COVID-19 vaccination from March 1, the Union government announced on Wednesday. After a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said that 10 crore people would be vaccinated in this category and the vaccine would be given free of cost across 10,000 government centres and at more than 20,000 private centres. Those who want to get vaccinated from private hospitals will have to pay and the amount they would need to pay will be decided by the Health Ministry within 3-4 days as they are in discussion with manufacturers and hospitals, he said. The Centre would buy doses and send them to all the States for the government medical facilities. For those who had completed 28 days after the receipt of the first dose, the second dose started on February 13. Vaccination of the frontline workers started on February 2.

B) Union Cabinet recommends President’s rule in Puducherry. 

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved a proposal to impose President’s Rule in Puducherry. The assembly will be dissolved with the permission of the President, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar said during a media conference. Model Code of Conduct will start in a few days and there will be elections, he added. Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy, who led the Congress government, resigned on February 22 ahead of the confidence vote after his ministry was reduced to a minority following a spate of resignations of his party MLAs and a DMK legislator in recent days. The term of the current assembly is expiring in two months and no Opposition party was willing to stake claim. The President formally accepted Narayanasamy’s resignation, along with those of his Council of Ministers, on February 23.

C) Sardar Patel stadium in Motera renamed after Narendra Modi. 

 The world’s largest cricket stadium, at Motera in Ahmedabad, was renamed as Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday. It was inaugurated on Wednesday by the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and others. The inauguration was done hours before the start of the day-night third Test between India and England, the first international match at the new venue. The stadium is part of the sprawling Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave, which will have the world’s largest cricket stadium, a natatorium (indoor swimming pool), facilities for athletics and track and field sports, a field Hockey and tennis stadium, indoor sports halls and arenas, velodrome/skating area, and outdoor fields. The facilites are spread over 200 acres on the Sabarmati river bank in north-eastern Ahmedabad. The refurbished stadium at Motera in Ahmedabad, set up by the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA), is the dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The old stadium with 49,000 seating capacity was known as Sardar Patel Cricket Stadium, Motera. The new stadium has a seating capacity of 1,10,000.

D) Truth reveals itself, tweets Rahul Gandhi, after stadium name change. 

Soon after the renaming of the Motera stadium after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted, Beautiful how the truth reveals itself. Narendra Modi stadium – Adani end – Reliance end – With Jay Shah presiding. #HumDoHamareDo. With the two main stands in the stadium named after Reliance and Adani, Gandhi’s tweet was referring to the two ‘ends’ from where bowlers would run up to the wicket and bowl: the ‘Reliance End’ and the ‘Adani End’. Jay Shah, the President of BCCI, is the son of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Gandhi had earlier said in Parliament that the Modi regime was a government of ‘Hum Do, Hamare Do’. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said in a tweet, Maybe they just realised the stadium was named for a Home Minister who had banned their parent organisation! When he was home minister, Sardar Patel, after whom the stadium was originally named, had banned the RSS, the BJP’s parent organisation. 

E) Uttar Pradesh Assembly passes Bill on religious conversion. 

Amid protests by the Opposition, the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Wednesday passed by voice vote a Bill aimed at curbing religious conversions by fraudulent or any other undue means, including through marriage. The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2021 seeks to replace the ordinance promulgated in November last year that provides for imprisonment up to 10 years and a maximum fine of ₹50,000 for violators. The Bill was passed in the House even as Aradhana Misra, the Congress Legislative Party leader and Lalji Verma, the leader of BSP in the Assembly, protested. Under the Bill, a marriage will be declared null and void if the conversion is solely for that purpose, and those wishing to change their religion after marriage need to apply to the District Magistrate. The Bill mainly envisages that no person shall convert, either directly or indirectly, from one religion to another by use or practice of misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage nor shall any person abet, convince or conspire such conversion. The onus to prove that the conversion has not been done forcibly will lie on the person accused of the act and the convert, it said.

F) Supreme Court rejects another chance for UPSC aspirants. 

The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected giving another chance to Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) aspirants whose last attempt to crack the civil services exam was dampened by Covid-19 pandemic restrictions in October last year. They have dismissed the writ petition, Justice Ajay Rastogi, one of the judges on the Bench led by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar, announced soon after the court assembled for a virtual session. Justice Rastogi, however, appreciated the efforts made by advocate Anushree Prashit Kapadia, the aspirants’ lawyer. Ms. Kapadia, argued well. He was very clear on the facts, Justice Rastogi told her. The government had objected to giving the candidates another chance, saying a relaxation in age or the number of attempts would trigger a never-ending cycle of requests for similar relief, with every candidate asking for an extra chance. The law officer argued that hardships during the pandemic were uniformly felt by all. The case hearings had seen a roller-coaster ride with the government initially refusing leeway but later, on the gentle prodding of the court, proposing to give another chance to last-attempters provided they had not crossed the age barrier yet. On February 5, the government side said it was agreeable to give an ex-gratia, one-time, restricted relaxation to UPSC candidates who had appeared in the Civil Services Exam-2020 as their last permissible attempt. However, the case took another turn when the aspirants sought a relaxation in age too, prompting the government to revert to its initial stand.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Nepal PM Oli in no mood to resign, prepared to face Parliament: official.

Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli will not resign immediately and will implement the Supreme Court’s verdict against him by facing Parliament that is due to convene within two weeks, an official representing the embattled Premier said on February 24. In a landmark ruling, a five-member Constitutional Bench led by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher on February 23 annulled the Oli government’s unconstitutional decision to dissolve the 275-member Lower House of Parliament. The court also ordered the government to summon the House session within the next 13 days. Nepal plunged into a political crisis on December 20 after President Bidya Devi Bhandari dissolved the House and announced fresh elections on April 30 and May 10 at the recommendation of Prime Minister Oli, amidst a tussle for power within the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP). Oli’s Press Advisor Surya Thapa said the Prime Minister, who turned 69 this week, intends to implement the verdict of the apex court after facing Parliament that is due to convene within two weeks. The Supreme Court’s verdict is controversial. However, it should be accepted and implemented. Its effects will be seen in the future as the decision has not provided any solution to the political problems, Thapa said. He claimed that the apex court’s verdict will further fuel instability and pave way for power-play. The Prime Minister will face the House of Representatives to implement the verdict but will not tender his resignation as of now, Thapa was quoted as saying by The Himalayan Times.

B) ‘Japan-U.S. treaty a product of Cold War’

China on Wednesday called the Japan-U.S. mutual security pact a product of the Cold War following U.S. criticism of the presence of Chinese coast guard vessels in Japanese-claimed territorial waters over the weekend. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin also reasserted China’s claim to a string of tiny, uninhabited islands in the East China Sea controlled by Japan. The verbal exchange followed reports that two Chinese coast guard ships on Sunday twice entered Japanese territorial waters surrounding the islands, known by Japan as Senkaku and by China as Diaoyu. Chief Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby on Tuesday said China had continued to flout international rules and the U.S. would work with its allies to address such challenges. Wang did not directly address the criticism but said the islands were China’s inherent territory. The U.S.Japan security treaty is a product of the Cold War, which should not harm a third party’s interest or endanger regional peace and stability, Wang said at a daily briefing.

C) Imran announces $50 mn defence credit line for Lanka. 

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan announced a $50 million defence credit line facility for Sri Lanka, even as the two countries stressed the need for stronger partnership in security combating terrorism, organised crime and drug and narcotic trafficking, and intelligence-sharing. Both sides expressed satisfaction at the existing bilateral cooperation in the field of defence and noted that the elevation of staff-level talks to Defence Dialogue has further provided an op. portunity to expand security sector relations, a joint communique issued by the two sides said on Wednesday, as PM Khan wrapped up his two-day visit to Colombo, accompanied by a highlevel governmental and business delegation. Mr. Khan’s visit to Sri Lanka is the first to be undertaken by a head of government, after the pandemic hit the world. It was the first visit by the Pakistani Prime Minister since the formation of the new governments in both the countries and marked Mr. Khan’s return since his cricketing tours to Sri Lanka in 1975 and 1986. Mr. Khan met with representatives of Sri Lanka’s sports fraternity, at an event where Sri Lanka’s Minister of Sports and Youth Namal Rajapaksa announced the commissioning of the ‘Imran Khan High Performance Sports Centre’ in Colombo. Earlier on Wednesday, Mr. Khan held talks with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The leaders engaged in a lengthy discussion on improving bilateral relations, a statement from President Rajapaksa’s office said. They exchanged views on partnering in sectors including agriculture, trade, and tourism.