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CURRENT AFFAIRS
24 February 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Disha Ravi gets bail in ‘toolkit’ case.

A Delhi Court on Tuesday granted bail to climate change activist Disha Ravi, arrested for allegedly being involved in sharing on social media a ‘toolkit’ on the ongoing farmers’ protest against three farm laws. The 22-year-old woman was arrested on February 13 and sent to five days police custody on February 14. After the end of the police custody, on February 19, she was sent to three-day judicial custody, which expired on Monday. According to the Delhi police, Ravi is an editor of the Toolkit Google Doc and was a key conspirator in the document’s formulation and dissemination. It alleged that she started a WhatsApp Group to make the toolkit doc in collaboration with a pro-Khalistani organisation, Poetic Justice Foundation, to spread disaffection against the Indian state. Ravi, in her defence before the court, said that she had just edited two lines in the toolkit and that she was in support of the farmers and was influenced by their protests as farmers provide food. The bail order of the court said that in the absence of any evidence to the effect that the applicant/accused agreed or shared a common purpose to cause violence on 26.01.2021 with the founders of PJF (Poetic Justice Foundation), it cannot be presumed by resorting to surmises or conjectures that she also supported the secessionist tendencies or the violence caused on 26.01.2021, simply because she shared a platform with people, who have gathered to oppose the legislation. There is not even an iota of evidence brought to my notice connecting the perpetrators of the violence on 26.01.2021 with the said PJF or the applicant/accused. It further noted that the perusal of the said ‘Toolkit’ reveals that any call for any kind of violence is conspicuously absent. In his considered opinion, citizens are conscience keepers of the government in any democratic nation. They cannot be put behind the bars simply because they choose to disagree with the State policies.

B) Agitating farmer unions object to Delhi Police posters at Tikri protest site. 

Farmer unions today objected to Delhi Police putting up posters that allegedly warned off protesters at the Tikri border site, even as the force claimed these were not new and only informed the protesters that they would not be allowed to enter the national capital. In a statement, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions that is spearheading the ongoing agitation against the three agri laws, said that it is opposed to the police’s move as the protesters were exercising their constitutional right and appealed to the farmers to continue their sit-in peacefully. Thousands of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at three Delhi border points Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur for nearly 90 days, demanding a complete repeal of the three agri laws and a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) for crops. The Delhi Police has placed some posters at the Tikri border protest site where farmers have been warned that they will have to vacate the area. Such posters are irrelevant as farmers have been staging a peaceful protest by exercising their constitutional rights. They will oppose the conspiracy to end the protest with these kinds of threats and warnings, the SKM said in the statement. In the posters, the police have not given any deadline to the protesting farmers to vacate the area. On its part, the Delhi Police said it is a routine process. The posters were pasted at the border area after the protest started. It is a routine exercise. Police have conveyed to them through posters that they are sitting in the jurisdiction of Haryana and they are not allowed to enter the national capital unlawfully, a senior police officer said.

C) Uttarakhand floods disaster: Death certificates may be issued for missing persons. 

The local administration is considering issuing death certificates to the families of those missing after the flash floods in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli on February 7. The death toll has now gone up to 70, while 135 persons still remain untraced. They are exploring the possibility of issuing death certificates to the families of missing persons to facilitate the processing of various claims. It may take about a month. However, searches will continue, said a senior Uttarakhand police officer. The identities of 39 bodies have been established so far. In all, 29 body parts have so far been found at different places. The Joshimath police have registered 205 missing person reports. The police have sent the DNA samples of 110 family members of the missing persons and 86 bodies/body parts to the forensic science laboratory in Dehradun for matching.

D) BJP sweeps municipal polls in Gujarat. 

The BJP has swept the urban local body polls in Gujarat, winning all the six municipal corporations in Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Jamnagar and Bhavnagar for which the results were announced on Tuesday. The ruling party won 69 out of 76 seats in Vadodara, 68 out of 72 in Rajkot, 50 out of 64 in Jamnagar, and 44 out of 52 seats in Bhavnagar in its largest victory in the civic bodies of the state. In Surat, the parties won 93 out of 120 seats while in Ahmedabad, where counting is underway, the saffron party is likely to win at least 160 of the 192 seats in the city. Though the BJP was expected to win all the six municipal corporations, which are under its control for almost two decades, the party’s victory margin of winning more than 80% of the total seats came as a surprise as it completely routed the Opposition Congress in the six main cities of the state. However, the big surprise was spectacular entry of Aam Admi Party (AAP) in its maiden contest in Surat Municipal Corporation, where it has become the main opposition party, winning 27 out of 120 seats while the Congress has drawn a blank for the first time in Surat. Similarly, AIMIM has won seven seats in Ahmedabad in Jamalpur and Maktampura wards, both Congress bastions for years.

E) Tamil Nadu urges Centre to merge all cesses and surcharges. 

Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Tuesday urged the Centre to merge all cesses and surcharges with a basic rate of taxes and ensure that States received their legitimate share of revenue. Presenting the interim budget in the State Assembly, Panneerselvam, who holds the Finance portfolio, observed that though revenue to the Centre on account of various levies on petrol and diesel saw a growth of 48% between April and November 2020, Tamil Nadu had received 39.40% less in the corresponding period as its share of Union excise duties on petrol and diesel. Panneerselvam pointed out that while the levy of surcharge on personal income tax, first introduced in 2013-14 and further expanded and increased since, had become a big revenue earner for the Centre, there was no increase in the share for the State. He said these measures, including reduction in the basic customs duty on gold, silver, alcoholic beverages, crude edible oil, coal, lignite, pears, apples, varieties of pulses and specialised pulses, which had been substituted by agricultural infrastructure development-cess, had further shrunk the divisible pool of taxes.

F) Reliance expects approvals for oil-to-chemicals business spin-off by Q2.

Reliance Industries Ltd expects to get the necessary approvals to hive off its oil-to-chemicals (O2C) business into a separate unit by the second quarter of the next fiscal year, the company said in a presentation to investors on Monday. The company had initiated the process of spinning off the O2C business at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a slump in fuel demand and weighed on the segment’s recent results. Reliance, owned by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, will retain full control of the business post-restructuring, the company said in the presentation. The Mumbai-headquartered conglomerate also announced its aim to work with the O2C business to reduce its carbon footprint and become net carbon zero by 2035.

G) Delhi riots anniversary: Truth hijacked to serve political interests, says Brinda Karat. CPI (M) leader Brinda Karat, speaking on the first anniversary of the Northeast Delhi riots in New Delhi today alleged that there has been a deliberate subversion of justice as truth has been hijacked to serve political interests and to save BJP leaders. She said the BJP’s Kapil Mishra, accused of making inflammatory speeches ahead of the riot, had the temerity to say that if required, he would do it again. This shows how the government in power has given protection to its leaders who gave inflammatory speeches, Karat said. She added that the government wants no dissent at all and according to its dictionary, dissent equals anti-nationalism, and anti-nationalism becomes patriotism if you wear a saffron scarf and carry a BJP flag. The CPI (M) demanded an independent, impartial probe into the Delhi Riots. It said that the role of the police has to be questioned and asked how the capital was allowed to burn for five days under the eye of the Home Minister himself.

H) Terrorism is a crime against humanity, says Jaishankar. 

Terrorism is a crime against humanity, said External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday. Addressing the High Level Segment of the 46th Session of Human Rights Council (HRC), he said India’s commitment to human rights is seen in the way the government has handled the pandemic. Terrorism continues to be one of the gravest threats to humankind. It is a crime against humanity and violates the most fundamental human right, namely the ‘Right to Life’. Terrorism can never be justified, nor its perpetrators ever equated with its victims, said Jaishankar, highlighting India’s experience as an inclusive and pluralistic society and vibrant democracy. The Minister’s comments come days after India reacted angrily to observations by the Special Rapporteurs on Minority Issues and Freedom of Religion or Belief on apparent erosion of human rights in Kashmir and the rest of India. The Ministry had termed the observations as deplorable.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Biden, Trudeau to lay out road map to rebuild ties. 

President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will lay out a road map for rebuilding U.S.-Canada relations on Tuesday during their first bilateral meeting, a senior official said, although the scrapped Keystone pipeline could present a hurdle. Following the turbulence of Donald Trump’s presidency, Mr. Biden would have hoped to use his wellhoned skills of personal connection while meeting face-to-face with the leader of the key ally. However, the meeting will occur virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic. He think the biggest deliverable from the trip, or from the meeting, is going to be essentially  a road map to reinvigorate U. S.-Canada collaboration, a senior U.S. administration official said on Monday. Mr. Biden and Mr. Trudeau will address several mutual priorities, including tackling climate change, revving up the North American economy, the Arctic, and threats to democracy in Myanmar and Venezuela. By being on the same line on several subjects, like climate change or economic revival, we can do more together, Mr. Trudeau’s office said, offering similar broad brush strokes.

B) Afghanistan warring sides return to table. With violence spiking, Afghanistan’s warring sides have returned to the negotiation table, ending more than a month of delays amid hopes that the two sides can agree on a reduction of violence and eventually, an outright ceasefire. Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem tweeted on Monday night that talks had resumed in Qatar, where the insurgent movement maintains a political office. There were no details other than the atmosphere was cordial, a commitment that negotiations should continue and an announcement that the first item of business will be setting the agenda. When talks ended abruptly in January, just days after beginning, both sides submitted their wish lists for agendas. The task now is for the two sides to sift through the respective wish lists, agree on items to negotiate and the order in which they will be tackled. The priority for the Afghan government, Washington and NATO is a serious reduction in violence leading to a ceasefire. The Taliban has said it is negotiable, but until now has resisted any immediate ceasefire. Washington is reviewing the February 2020 peace deal the previous Trump administration signed with the Taliban that calls for the final withdrawal of international forces by May 1. The Taliban has resisted suggestions of even a brief extension, but a consensus is mounting in Washington for a delay in the withdrawal deadline. There is even a suggestion of a smaller intelligence-based force staying behind.

C) Hong Kong to disqualify officials, politicians ‘disloyal’ to China. 

Hong Kong announced plans on Tuesday to ramp up the ideological vetting of politicians and officials, with anyone seen to be disloyal to China or a national security threat barred from office. The draft law will be sent next month to the city’s legislature, a body now devoid of opposition after a number of figures were disqualified because their political views were deemed a security threat. Officials have detailed a negative list of offences that could see their colleagues removed from office, including acts that endanger national security, advocating for independence or refusing to accept China’s sovereignty over Hong Kong. The city’s Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang confirmed that criticism of the Chinese Communist Party could also be a disqualifying factor. You can’t say you’re patriotic but don’t love the Chi. nese Communist Party’s leadership, or don’t respect it, he told reporters after the new law was announced on Tuesday. This does not make sense. Doing harm to the country’s fundamental system, its socialist system, or doing harm to the socialist system led by the Chinese Communist Party, shouldn’t be allowed. Amid foreign concerns, no let up in protests against Myanmar junta. 

D) G7 countries condemn crackdown on peaceful protesters. 

Protesters against the military’s seizure of power in Myanmar were back on the streets ofcities and towns on Tuesday, a day after a general strike shuttered shops and brought huge numbers out to demonstrate. In Mandalay, the country’s second-biggest city, a funeral was held for 37 year old Thet Naing Win, one of the two protesters shot dead by security forces on Saturday. Numbers were down from Monday’s massive crowds, but groups of demonstrators in Yangon, the country’s biggest city, assembled again at various venues on Tuesday for peaceful protests. Protesters trained their ire on a new target on Tuesday, gathering outside the Indonesian Embassy in response to a news report that Jakarta was proposing to its regional neighbours that they offer qualified support for the junta’s plan for a new election next year. The demonstrators demand that the results of last year’s election, won in a landslide by Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party, be honoured. Indonesian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Teuku Faizasyah denied the report, saying it is not Indonesia’s position at all to support a new election in Myanmar. There is continuing international concern over Myanmar, with Foreign Ministers from the Group of Seven nations on Tuesday issuing their second Statement since the coup. Anyone responding to peaceful protests with violence must be held to account, they said. The group also condemned restrictions on freedom of expression, including arrests and the blocking of internet access, and called for the release of Suu Kyi and her colleagues. The U.S. and several Western governments have called for the junta to refrain from violence, release detainees and restore Suu Kyi’s government. On Monday, the U.S. said it was imposing sanctions against more junta members because of the killing of peaceful protesters by security forces.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
23 February 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Puducherry chief minister resigns after losing trust vote. 

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Monday submitted his resignation to Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan after it became apparent that he had lost the confidence of the House. A Motion of Confidence moved by Narayanasamy in the Assembly was not put to vote. However, Speaker V.P. Sivakolandhu announced that it stood defeated after the Chief Minister, questioning the right of the three nominated members to vote, led a walkout of the ruling Congress-DMK legislators. Opposition MLAs numbering 14 from the All India N. R. Congress (7), AIADMK (4) and BJP (3 nominated) were in the House when the Speaker gave his ruling. Resignations by half-a-dozen legislators five from the Congress, including two ministers, and one from the DMK in recent weeks and the disqualification of a Congress legislator last year had reduced the government to a minority. The House strength had come down to 26 from 33 due to which the opposition outnumbered the ruling alliance Congress (9 including Speaker), DMK (2) and Independent (1). Soon after the House assembled at 10 am on the directions of the Lt Governor to the government to prove its majority, Narayanasamy moved a Motion of Confidence and spoke for about an hour on the hurdles they faced from the Centre and from former Lt Governor Kiran Bedi over the years. As soon as he finished his speech, Government whip R.K.R. Anantharaman sought a clarification from the Speaker on voting rights of three nominated legislators belonging to BJP. When the Opposition started arguing with the ruling party members, Narayanasamy and ruling party members staged a walk out. Narayanasamy then left for Raj Nivas to hand over his resignation to the Lt Governor. Addressing reporters after tendering his resignation, Narayanasamy said they staged a walk out as the Speaker did not clarify on their demand on the voting rights of three nominated legislators. The Chief Minister said the Speaker did not agree to our view that only members elected by the people have the voting rights.

B) IMA ‘shocked’ over Patanjali’s claim on Coronil; demands explanation from Harsh Vardhan. 

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) on Monday expressed shock and dismay at what it described as a blatant lie of WHO certification for Patanjali’s Coronil tablet, which the company claims can be used to fight Covid-19. It has also demanded an explanation from Health Minister Harsh Vardhan about his presence at the event where Coronil was launched last week. The Association’s two-page note comes after World Health Organisation clarified that it has not reviewed or certified the effectiveness of any traditional medicine for the treatment of Covid-19. On Friday last, Ramdev launched the product in the presence of Vardhan and Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises. The IMA said it was shocked to note the blatant lie of certification for a secret medicine launched in the presence of the Health Minister, who is a doctor as well. The country needs an explanation from him, it said in a statement. This claim is a blatant deceiving of the people of the country. The Association will write to National Medical Commission for seeking suo motu explanation for his blatant disrespect to the code of conduct. The IMA asked the Health Minister: How appropriate and rational is it to release such false projections in front of the whole country? Being a Health Minister of the country, how justified is it to release such falsely fabricated unscientific product? How ethical is it to promote the product in unethical, wrong and false ways to the whole country? Being a modern medicine doctor, how ethical is it to promote the unscientific product. It said if Coronil was effective, why was the government spending ₹35,000 crore for vaccination? The AYUSH Ministry had earlier said Coronil can be sold only as an immunity-booster and not as a cure.

C) Varavara Rao gets medical bail for 6 months. 

The Bombay High Court granted medical bail to Varavara Rao, 82, in the Bhima Koregaon violence case and said, with all humility and human considerations, we are of the opinion that this is a fit case for allowing the relief. A Division Bench of Justices S.S. Shinde and Manish Pitale said that they feel that with the condition of the undertrial (Rao), it would be inappropriate to send him back. The undertrial is to be released on bail for a period of six months and directs that he has to stay within the jurisdiction of the special National Investigation Agency (NIA) Court, the court stated. Senior counsel Anand Grover had previously urged the court to release Rao on medical bail so that he can be fit for trial. Among other ailments, Rao suffers from a neurological condition and will be fit for trial if he is with his family, Grover had contended.

D) One day police custody for Disha Ravi. 

A Delhi court on Monday sent 22-year-old climate activist Disha Ravi, arrested in connection with allegedly being involved in sharing on social media a toolkit related to the farmers’ protest, to one day police custody. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pankaj Sharma allowed custodial interrogation of Ravi after police said she was required to be confronted with co-accused. Ravi was produced before the court on expiry of her three-day judicial custody. The court on Friday had sent her to judicial custody after police had said her custodial interrogation was not required for the time being. The agency had said that it would seek her further custodial interrogation once co-accused Nikita Jacob and Shantanu Muluk joined the interrogation on February 22. Ravi was arrested by Delhi police on February 13 from Bengaluru.

E) RIL-Future deal: NCLT can continue proceedings, but cannot pass final order, says SC. 

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) proceedings in connection with the proposed ₹24,713-crore deal between Future Group and Reliance Industries to go on, but directed the Tribunal to refrain from passing any final order of sanction of the scheme. E-commerce major Amazon, which opposes the multi-crore deal, had recently moved the NCLT against Future Group’s plea to hold a meeting of its shareholders or creditors to approve the deal with Reliance. On Monday, an apex court Bench led by Justice Rohinton Nariman also issued notice on a petition filed by Amazon, to stay the operation of a Delhi High Court order of February 8, which revoked an earlier direction to Future Group to maintain ‘status quo’ on the sale of its retail assets to Reliance Industries. They are not saying anything on merits now. They have read the files thoroughly and they know exactly what is happening, Justice Nariman told the lawyers. When senior advocate Ranjit Kumar asked whether the apex court’s intervention and notice in the case would mean the Division Bench of the Delhi High Court could not proceed further, Justice Nariman replied obviously, show them the order. In its order, the Bench, while issuing notice to Future Retail and other parties arraigned by Amazon as respondents, said they would get two weeks to file their counter while Amazon was given a week to file its rejoinder thereafter. The case would next come up for hearing after three weeks. In the meantime, the NCLT proceedings will be allowed to go on but will not culminate in any final order of sanction of scheme, the apex court directed. In its petition challenging the February 8 order of the High Court, Amazon, represented by senior advocate Gopal Subramanium, had said the order was ex-facie arbitrary and illegal. It was passed by a Division Bench of the High Court on an appeal filed by Future Retail Limited (FRL).

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Boeing’s recommendation to ground 777s not to impact India: Civil Aviation Ministry source. 

Boeing’s recommendation to ground over 120 of its 777 series of planes with engines similar to the one that failed on a United Airlines plane in Denver, United States, would not impact India as the 777s operating in the country did not have Pratt and Whitney PW4000 engines, a Civil Aviation Ministry source said on Monday. After the Denver incident, Boeing recommended grounding of the planes pending inspections. Soon after the take-off, one engine of the plane carrying 231 passengers and 10-member crew from Denver to Honolulu had failed. However, no one was injured during the emergency landing. While United Airlines decided to temporarily ground 24 Boeing 777s, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration issued a directive for immediate inspection of the planes with the same type of engine. In Japan also, two airline operators have been ordered to suspend operating the 777s using Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines, reports said.

B) China expresses support for India hosting BRICS summit in 2021. 

China on February 22 expressed its support for India hosting this year’s BRICS summit and said it will work with New Delhi to strengthen cooperation among the five-member grouping of emerging economies. India has assumed the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) chairmanship for 2021 and is set to hold this year’s summit. On February 19, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar launched India’s BRICS 2021 website at the BRICS Secretariat in Sushma Swaraj Bhawan in New Delhi. Asked about India assuming the BRICS chairmanship this year, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin Beijing backed New Delhi in hosting the summit. He did not, however, specify whether Chinese President Xi Jinping would attend the summit expected to be held later this year.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
22 February 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Two more MLAs quit in Puducherry ahead of floor test. 

Two more MLAs of the Congress-DMK alliance in Puducherry resigned on Sunday, delivering yet another jolt to Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, a day before he is scheduled to face a floor test in the assembly to prove his majority. The resignation by Congress MLA K Lakshminarayanan and DMK legislator Venkatesan further reduced the strength of the ruling alliance to 11, while the opposition has 14 MLAs in the 33-member assembly, which has seven vacancies. Mr. Lakshminarayanan and Mr. Venkatesan submitted their resignation letters separately to Assembly Speaker V P Sivakolundhu at his residence in Puducherry, the both said. Speaking to reporters, Lakshminarayanan said that this government led by Narayanasamy has lost majority. He said he has also resigned from the party membership. Later, Venkatesan told the media that he had quit the post of MLA only and continued to be in the DMK. He was not able to meet the needs of the people in his constituency since there was no allocation of funds under the MLA Local Area Development fund, he said. Four Congress MLAs–including ex-ministers A Namassivayam (now in BJP) and Malladi Krishna Rao had quit, while another party legislator was earlier disqualified. Mr. Narayanasamy’s confidante A John Kumar had resigned this week. Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, handed over additional charge of Puducherry, had on Thursday directed Narayanasamy to prove majority by ordering a floor test on February 22.

B) Sonia Gandhi likens high fuel prices to extortion. 

Congress president Sonia Gandhi in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused his government of profiteering from people’s miseries by called the excessively levying excise duty on petroleum products and called it nothing short of extortion to cover up economic mismanagement. In her three page letter, Ms. Gandhi mentioned that hardships faced by the middle class increased with the price of petrol crossing ₹100 per litre in several parts of India and the surging diesel prices have only added to the problems of the farmers. She asked the government to focus on solutions instead of looking for excuses as India deserves better. The Congress chief said that while India was witnessing erosion of jobs, wages and household incomes, problems for the middle class and marginal income groups have compounded by run away inflation and an unprecedented rise in price of almost all household items and essential commodities. Sadly, in these distressing times, the Government has chosen to profiteer off people’s misery and suffering, Ms. Gandhi wrote, adding that Governments are elected to ease the burden of our people and at the very least, not work directly contrary to their interests.

C) U.P. Police register FIR against 8 Twitter handles. 

The Unnao police on Sunday lodged an FIR under the charges of provoking rioting against eight Twitter users for spreading fake stories about the alleged poisoning of three Dalit girls in Asoha on February 17, which left two dead and one in hospital in critical condition. The police said the Twitter handles had spread false information that the girls had been raped, which was not found in the post-mortem report, and that the last rites of the two girls were done without the consent of their families, which also was denied by the police. An FIR was registered under Section 153 of the IPC and Section 66 of the Information Technology Act against @NilimDutta, @themojostory, @janjagranlive, @SurajKrBaudh, @VijayAmbedkarUP, @Abhaykumarazad97, @Rahuldiwkr and @BhimSenaChief. Unnao SP Anand Kulkarni said further action would be taken in the case and the FIR under the same Sections against Congress leader Udit Raj for a tweet, after the police take legal opinion. He said the tweets could have affected the law and order in the village.

D) Covid watch: Numbers and Developments. 

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stands at 1,10,05,310 with the death toll at 1,57,796. The Centre has written to States  Kerala, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and J&K which are witnessing a daily surge in the number of daily Covid-19 cases directing an increase in proportion of RT-PCR tests while ensuring that those testing negative with Rapid Antigen be retested by RT-PCR. Centre has also asked states to look into strict, comprehensive surveillance and stringent containment to curb the spread of the virus. In its release issued on February 21 the Health Ministry said that more than 74% of the active COVID-19 cases of the country are in Kerala and Maharashtra and that a spike in cases has been seen in some States. India has been witnessing a rise in the active caseload over the past few days and its total active caseload is pegged at 1,45,634 currently, said the Ministry. It added that in the last four weeks in Kerala the average weekly cases have fluctuated between a high of 42,000 to a low of 34,800 and the weekly positivity here has ranged from 13.9% to 8.9%. In Maharashtra, in the last four weeks, the weekly cases have shown a rising trend and have increased from 18,200 to 21,300 and the areas of concern are the Mumbai Suburban areas where the weekly cases have risen by 19%. Data released by the Ministry said that Punjab too is rapidly assuming a critical dimension with COVID-19 infection registering a positivity rate from 1.4% to 1.6 % in the last four weeks.

E) WHO says no traditional medicine cleared for Covid-19 treatment. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has in a tweet clarified that it has not certified any traditional medicine for the treatment of COVID-19. The statement comes after recent claims by Patanjali Ayurved on the certification of its product, Coronil, by the global health body. WHO has not reviewed or certified the effectiveness of any traditional medicine for the treatment COVID-19, the global health body said earlier this week. Coronil has received the Certificate of Pharmaceutical Product (CoPP) from the Ayush section of Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation as per the WHO certification scheme, a statement issued by Patanjali had said. The Ministry of Ayush had recommended additional therapies, including the Coronil tablet, as a supporting measure (immune booster) in Covid-19. Patanjali Ayurved had introduced Ayurveda-based Coronil on June 23, 2020.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) China detains three bloggers for ‘insulting’ PLA men who died in Galwan. 

Authorities in China have said they have detained three people for insulting Chinese soldiers who died in the Galwan Valley clash last year, a day after Beijing officially confirmed the deaths. Among the arrested was Qiu Ziming (38), an investigative journalist formerly with The Economic Observer. Mr. Qiu was arrested on Saturday in Nanjing, where he lives, after questioning China’s official account of the Galwan clash. On Friday, the Chinese military announced honours for five People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers, including four who died and one regimental commander who was injured, in the clash on June 15, 2020, which marked the worst violence on the India-China border since 1967. Twenty Indian soldiers lost their lives in the clash. In messages to his 2.5 million followers on Weibo, the Twitter-equivalent used in China, he suggested the fatalities would have been higher than four because as per the official account, some of the soldiers died coming to the aid of troops in difficulty, who, in his view, would have suffered losses as well. He also questioned why the announcement took eight months, while India had, in contrast, promptly recognised the 20 Indian soldiers who died. India’s prompt announcement, he wrote, suggested that in India’s view they won and paid a lesser price.  Police in Nanjing posted a message on Saturday saying he was arrested for releasing false information and smearing the four heroes who died and one who was wounded when dealing with the Indian military’s illegal trespassing. Mr. Qiu’s social media account was subsequently suspended. His arrest was among the most discussed topics online, receiving 730 million views as of Sunday evening.

B) Djokovic wins 9th Australian open title, third in a row. 

Novak Djokovic racked up yet another Australian Open title, making it nine championship wins from nine finals. The Serbian continues to gain ground on Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in the Grand Slam standings, now up to 18 overall, two away from the men’s record shared by his two rivals. Djokovic wore Medvedev down with a combination of superb serving and his usual relentless returning and baseline supremacy, grabbing 11 of 13 games in one stretch for a third trophy in a row at Melbourne Park. Some statistics from the Associated Press – The 33-year-old from Serbia improved to 18-0 combined in semifinals and finals on the hard courts of the Australian Open. Serbia’s Novak Djokovic parades with the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup after defeating Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in the men’s singles final at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne on February 21, 2021. Looking at the bigger picture, Djokovic has won six of the last 10 major tournaments and is assured of remaining at No. 1 in the rankings at least through March 8. That will give him 311 weeks in the top spot, breaking a mark held by Federer. The No. 4-ranked Medvedev was appearing in his second Grand Slam final he was the runner-up to Nadal at the 2019 U.S. Open but is still left trying collect his first such championship. Djokovic ended the 25-year-old Russian’s 20-match winning streak. Medvedev also had won his previous 12 matches against Top 10 opponents.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
21 February 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) ‘If highlighting farmers’ protest globally is sedition, I’m better in jail,’ Disha Ravi tells court. 

There is no evidence to show that the toolkit on farmers’ protest is responsible for the violence on January 26, activist Disha Ravi’s counsel told a Delhi court, which reserved for February 26 its order on her bail plea. If highlighting farmers’ protest globally is sedition, he is better in jail, Ravi said through her counsel today. Ravi’s counsel was submitting arguments after the Delhi Police opposed her bail plea, alleging she was preparing the toolkit with those advocating Khalistan and was part of a global conspiracy to defame India and create unrest in the country in the garb of farmers’ protest. This was not just a toolkit. The real plan was to defame India and create unrest here, the police said before Additional Sessions Judge Dharmender Rana. However, Ravi’s lawyer rejected the allegations. There is no evidence to link him with Sikhs For Justice, a banned organisation. And even if he (Ravi) meet someone, there is no symbol on him that he is a secessionist, the defence counsel said. The Delhi police gave permission for the farmers’ march, which they’re claiming that he (Ravi) asked people to join, so how did he become seditious, the lawyer said in court. Meanwhile, Swedish teen climate activist Greta Thunberg has extended her support to Ravi. Freedom of speech and the right to peaceful protest and assembly are non-negotiable human rights. These must be a fundamental part of any democracy, Thunberg tweeted on Friday, using the hashtag #StandWithDishaRavi. Her first public expression of support comes almost a week after Ravi’s arrest.

B) Unnao survivor taken off ventilator.

The teenager from an Unnao village, who was among three girls found unconscious in a field on Wednesday, was taken off ventilator support on Saturday, a statement from the Kanpur hospital treating her said. The girl was off ventilator and has spontaneous respiration three days after she was admitted to the hospital at 11 p.m. on Wednesday, a medical bulletin issued by Regency Hospital PRO Paramjeet Arora said. The girl was being treated in the pediatric intensive care unit and was under constant monitoring, the bulletin said. The three minor girls, all from the same Dalit family in a village in Asoha block, who had gone to fetch fodder, were found unconscious by family members on Wednesday evening. Two of the girls later died, allegedly due to poisoning. The Uttar Pradesh police on Friday arrested a youth, Vinay, and detained a juvenile from the neighbouring village for allegedly giving the girls water laced with insecticide. Meanwhile, the Unnao Police on Saturday registered an FIR against Congress leader Udit Raj over a tweet by him claiming that the victims’ family had alleged the girls were raped and that the last rites were performed without their consent. The FIR was filed under Section 153 of the Indian Penal Code (provocation to riot) and Section 66 of the Information Technology Act.

C) One more city renamed: Hoshangabad to become ‘Narmadapuram’

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced that Hoshangabad city in the state would be renamed as Narmadapuram and a proposal to that effect would be sent to the Centre, PTI reported. While addressing a gathering on the banks of Narmada, Chouhan asked whether the government should change the name of Hoshangabad, to which the people present there replied in the affirmative. What should be the new name? Chouhan asked, and the people replied, Narmadapuram! The chief minister then said that they are now sending a proposal to the Centre to change the name of Hoshangabad as Narmadapuram. BJP workers, led by protem Assembly Speaker Rameshwar Sharma, expressed happiness over Chouhan’s announcement and burst firecrackers. This is a historic moment. Narmada is the lifeline of Madhya Pradesh. Hoshangabad was so far named after an attacker Hoshang Shah, but will be known after the lifeline Maa Narmada, which is a matter of happiness, he said. However, state Congress spokesman Bhupendra Gupta termed the announcement as the ruling BJP’s ploy to divert the attention of people from important issues like inflation and rising prices of fuel. BJP only changed the names related to the Mughals, but not of those linked to the British rulers. Why the name of Minto Hall (old Vidhan Sabha building) has not been changed? This is just to divert the attention. Instead, it should focus on development and give relief to people, he said.

D) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments. 

The number of coronavirus cases reported from India stood at 1,09,81,164 with the death toll at 1,57,625. There has been an upsurge in daily new Covid-19 cases in Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, according to the Union Health Ministry. In the past week, Maharashtra exhibited a spike in the number of daily new cases. In the last 24 hours, 6,112 daily new cases have been reported in the State. Chhattisgarh reported 259 cases, Punjab 383 and Madhya Pradesh 297, said the Ministry. It asserted that people should keep in mind the importance of adherence to Covid-19 appropriate behaviour. This is essential for breaking the chain of transmission of the virus and containment of spread of the disease, it stated. Eighteen States/UTs have not reported any Covid-19 deaths in the last 24 hours and these include Telangana, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Tripura, Assam, Chandigarh, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Meghalaya, Ladakh (UT), Mizoram, Sikkim, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) India, China begin 10th round of talks on next phase of disengagement.

India and China began the tenth round of Corps Commander talks on Saturday to work out an agreement on the next phase of disengagement. The talks began at Moldo on the Chinese side at 10 a.m., a defence official said. On Friday, the two sides completed disengagement and also restoration of the ground on the north and south banks of Pangong Tso, as per the agreement reached in the ninth round of talks. This undated handout photograph released by the Indian Army on February 16, 2021 shows People Liberation Army soldiers during military disengagement along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. The other major friction points are Gogra, Hot Springs and Depsang Plains. The focus of this round of talks is expected to be on Gogra and Hot Springs, where partial disengagement was already done in June-July last year. For disengagement at Pangong Tso lake, both sides had worked out a step-by-step agreement. A second official said a similar agreement would be worked out for the subsequent rounds of disengagement and then de-escalation.

B) Google fires another leader of Ethical AI team. 

Alphabet Inc’s Google fired staff scientist Margaret Mitchell on Friday, they both said, a move that fanned company divisions on academic freedom and diversity that were on display since its December dismissal of AI ethics researcher Timnit Gebru, Reuters reported. Google said in a statement Mitchell violated the company’s code of conduct and security policies by moving electronic files outside the company. Mitchell, who announced her firing on Twitter, tweeting, he is fired. Well known transparency activist and whistleblower Chelsea E. Manning reacted to the firing by commenting, he guess this means there’s no such thing as ethical AI under capitalism. Google’s ethics in artificial intelligence work has been under scrutiny since the firing of Gebru, a scientist who gained prominence for exposing bias in facial analysis systems. The dismissal had prompted thousands of Google workers to protest. She and Mitchell had called for greater diversity and inclusion among Google’s research staff and expressed concern that the company was starting to censor papers critical of its products. Gebru had said Google fired her after she questioned an order not to publish a study saying AI that mimics language could hurt marginalised populations. Mitchell, a co-author of the paper, had publicly criticised the company for firing Gebru and undermining the credibility of her work. The pair for about two years had co-led the ethical AI team, started by Mitchell. Google AI research director Zoubin Ghahramani and a company lawyer informed Mitchell’s team of her firing on Friday in a meeting called at short notice, according to a person familiar with the matter. The person said little explanation was given for the dismissal.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
20 February 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Toolkit case: Disha Ravi sent to judicial custody for 3 days. 

A Delhi court Friday sent climate activist Disha Ravi, arrested for allegedly sharing a social media ‘toolkit’ related to the farmers’ protest, to three-day judicial custody. Her bail hearing is due tomorrow. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Akash Jain sent Ravi, 22, to jail after Delhi Police produced her before the court on expiry of her five-day custodial interrogation. Police said that her custodial interrogation was not required for the time being and the agency may seek her further interrogation once her co-accused Shantanu Mukul and Nikita Jacob join the interrogation. Police said Ravi was evasive during her previous interrogation and tried to shift blame on the co-accused. Mukul and Jacob have been asked to appear before the investigating agency on February 22, the agency told the court. The defence lawyer opposed the police plea and urged the court to release Ravi. He further said that there was an apprehension of tampering of the evidence by police as the case diary is not properly made and in volume form. There is no ground to keep her in any custody, police custody or judicial custody. Ravi ought to be released right now. The court was also informed that the accused has moved a bail application which will come up for hearing on Saturday. Last Sunday, the court had sent Ravi to five-day police custody after it said her custodial interrogation was required to probe an alleged larger conspiracy against the government of India and to ascertain her alleged role relating to the Khalistan movement. Meanwhile, The Delhi High Court Women Lawyers Forum has made a representation before the Supreme Court, urging it to revisit the Constitutional validity of Section 124A (Sedition) of the IPC, in the light of the alleged illegal arrest and detention of climate activist Disha Ravi in connection with the Greta Thunberg ‘toolkit’ case, Livelaw reported.

B) Union Culture Ministry tweets tribute to Hindutva ideologue M.S. Golwalkar. 

The Union Ministry of Culture, through its official Twitter handle today paid tribute to Hindutva ideologue and one time head of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) M.S. Golwalkar on his birth anniversary. Remembering a great thinker, scholar, and remarkable leader #MSGolwalkar on his birth anniversary. His thoughts will remain a source of inspiration & continue to guide generations, said the tweet. Reacting to the tribute, former Culture Secretary and former Prasar Bharati CEO Jawahar Sircar tweeted, As former Culture Secretary, he hang his head in shame to see RSS chief Golwalkar being falsely praised by @MinOfCultureGoI. Golwalkar & RSS opposed Gandhi’s Freedom Struggle. In his ‘Bunch of Thoughts’, Golwalkar opposed India’s tricolour too. Sardar Patel jailed him, banned RSS. In a recent column on Golwalkar, historian Ramachandra Guha had described him as a reactionary bigot, whose ideas and prejudices have no place in a modern, liberal democracy.

C) Bengal court summons Amit Shah in defamation case. 

A designated MP/MLA court in West Bengal issued summons to Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday to appear either personally or through a lawyer before it on February 22 in connection with a defamation case lodged against him by Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee. The special judge of MP/MLA court at Bidhannagar directed that Shah’s attendance either personally or through a lawyer is necessary to answer to a charge of defamation under section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). In a press note, Abhishek Banerjee’s lawyer Sanjay Basu claimed that Shah had made certain defamatory statements against the Trinamool MP on August 11, 2018 at a rally of the BJP at Mayo Road in Kolkata.

D) BJP youth leader arrested with cocaine in Kolkata. 

BJP’s youth-wing leader Pamela Goswami was arrested with cocaine from south Kolkata’s upscale New Alipore area on Friday, PTI reported. Goswami, the state secretary of Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), along with a friend identified as Prabir Kumar Dey, was in her car when both of them were nabbed, police said. Around 100 gm of cocaine was allegedly found in her handbag, and other parts of the car, police said. Acting on a tip-off, sleuths of the New Alipore police station made the arrests when she was parking the car, an officer said. She was involved in drug trafficking for quite some time. Today, they got information that she, along with her supplier Prabir was reaching the spot to hand over the drugs to the purchasers, the officer said. The BJP said that it suspects the police’s role in the drugs recovery but if Goswami was wrong, the law should take its course. They had earlier seen that the state police had named several BJP activists in arms cases. He do not have much information about this incident, so he will not be able to say more. Pamela is a young girl. If she has done anything wrong, the law will take its course, BJP MP Locket Chatterjee said.

E) Dr. Reddy’s initiates Emergency Use Authorisation process for Sputnik V. Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd. on Friday announced that it had initiated the process with the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) for Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) of human adenoviral vector-based platform vaccine candidate Sputnik V. As part of the review process, Dr. Reddy’s will present the safety profile of the phase-two study, and interim data of the phase-three study, which is expected to be complete by 21st February 2021, noted a release issued by the company. G V Prasad, Co-chairman and Managing Director of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, said that the efficacy of Sputnik V was reported to be 91.6 % by The Lancet, which is an impressive development in the fight against COVID-19. The initiation of the EUA process will be a critical step forward for us in ensuring speedy access to the Sputnik V vaccine in India. Sputnik V was the world’s first registered vaccine against Covid-19 based on the human adenoviral vector platform.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) Uber drivers entitled to worker rights, U.K.’s top court rules. 

A group of Uber drivers are entitled to worker rights such as the minimum wage, Britain’s Supreme Court ruled on Friday in a blow to the ride-hailing service that has ramifications for millions of others in the gig economy. In a case led by two former Uber drivers, a London employment tribunal had ruled in 2016 that they were due entitlements that also included paid holidays and rest breaks. Uber drivers are currently treated as self-employed, meaning that by law they are only afforded minimal protections. The Supreme Court unanimously dismisses Uber’s appeal, judge George Leggatt said on Friday. The legislation is intended to give certain protections to vulnerable individuals who have little or no say over their pay and working conditions. A total of 25 drivers were part of the case and Uber said the verdict did not apply to all of its current 60,000 drivers in Britain, including 45,000 in London, one of its most important global markets. Uber shares fell 3.4% in pre-market trading following the court announcement. The gig economy, where people tend to work for one or more companies on a job-by-job basis, has faced criticism from trade unions who say it is exploitative, while businesses say many of those working in it enjoy the flexibility. Uber has faced opposition from unions and challenges to its business model in several countries as it disrupts the taxi market. In November, however, it saw off a challenge in its home market of California where voters backed a ballot proposal that cemented app-based food delivery and ride-hail drivers’ status as independent contractors, not employees.

B) China says four of its soldiers died in Galwan clash. 

China on Friday said for the first time that it had lost four soldiers, including a battalion commander, in the June 15 clash in the Galwan valley, breaking its silence over the number of casualties suffered by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). The PLA said the announcement, made eight months after the clash, was aimed at honouring the soldiers and setting the record straight, after it accused India of distorting the truth and slandering the Chinese border troops. Twenty Indian soldiers died in the clash which marked the worst violence on the border since 1967. The official PLA Daily said five Chinese frontier officers and soldiers stationed in the Karakoram Mountains have been recognised by the Central Military Commission of China for defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity, one of whom was injured. The report, however, did not say how many injuries the PLA suffered in total. The PLA likely suffered a far higher number of injured, with Indian officials saying they counted around 60 Chinese soldiers being carried on stretchers after the clash.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
19 February 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Two minor Dalit girls die after being found unconscious in a field in Unnao; another in serious condition.

Two minor Dalit girls were declared brought dead to the hospital and another was in a serious condition after they were found in an unconscious state in a field in Unnao district in eastern Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, police said. The three girls, aged 15, 14 and 16, were found tied in a field in Babuhara village in Asoha, around 36 km south of Lucknow, by villagers when they did not return after they left their house to take fodder for the cattle, police said. Director General of Police H.C. Awasthy said the post-mortem could not ascertain the cause of death and the viscera had been preserved for chemical examination. No injury mark was found on the body of the deceased in the autopsy, he stated. On the condition of the third girl, he said she had been referred to a Kanpur hospital for better treatment. According to the medical bulletin, it is a suspected case of poisoning and her condition is critical but stable. Six teams have been formed to investigate the case from all possible angles. Ramesh Chandra Prayalankar, Circle Officer, Purwa, said that on the complaint of the family members, an FIR had been registered against unidentified persons under sections 302 and 201 of the IPC. The girls were cousins. They were found in the wheat field of the family, he told. He denied reports that the victims’ family members were detained at the police station and not allowed to talk to the media. There is no such attempt. They were called to understand the sequence of events and now they have been sent home under police protection to conduct the last rites, he said. Chief Medical Superintendent of Unnao District Hospital Basant Bhatt said that when the girl was brought in, she was in a serious condition. Clinically, it appeared like a case of organo phosphorous poisoning. The chemical is used in insecticides. Froth was coming out of her mouth and she was gasping for breath. They have intubated her to take water out of lungs. The Opposition described it as yet another example of the deteriorating law and order situation in the State. A delegation of the Samajwadi Party met the family members of the victims. First a daughter in Hathras, then a mother in Budaun, and now sisters of Unnao – women are not safe in BJP rule, tweeted SP President Akhilesh Yadav in Hindi.

B) ‘Rail roko’ protest remains peaceful.

Farmers on Thursday gathered near railway tracks at many places in Punjab and Haryana for the ‘rail roko’ protest against the Centre’s new agri laws, with officials stopping trains at stations as a precautionary measure. The rail blockade did not have much impact in Uttar Pradesh, with farmers organising token protests near railway tracks and stations in the state. Around 25 trains have been regulated in the northern zone due to the ‘rail roko’ call by farmers protesting the three agri laws on Thursday, a zonal railway spokesperson said. Regulating trains means they have either been cancelled, short terminated or rerouted. Farmers protesting on railway track against the new farm laws at the Rail Roko agitation at Modinagar railway station in Ghazibad, Uttar Pradesh. Farmers protesting on railway track against the new farm laws at the Rail Roko agitation at Modinagar railway station in Ghazibad, Uttar Pradesh. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions which is spearheading the protest, last week had announced the nationwide rail blockade to press for its demand to repeal the legislations and had said that the agitation will be from 12 pm to 4 p.m.

C) Third Quad ministerial meeting to discuss regional, global issues.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will join his counterparts from the U.S., Japan and Australia on February 18 (later this evening) under the framework of the Quad coalition to deliberate on ways to enhance cooperation in the Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of growing Chinese assertiveness in the region. This is the first such meeting since the election of U.S. President Joe Biden. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the Ministers will exchange views on regional and global issues, especially practical areas of cooperation towards maintaining a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. The third India-Australia-Japan-USA ministerial meeting will be held on February 18 with participation of the respective Foreign Ministers, the MEA said in a brief statement. The evolving situation in the Indo-Pacific region in the wake of China’s increasing military muscle-flexing has become a major talking point among leading global powers. The U.S. has been favouring making Quad a security architecture to check China’s growing assertiveness. The MEA said the meeting will provide an opportunity to continue the useful exchange of views from their last meeting in Tokyo in October last.

D) LG asks Puducherry CM to prove majority in the Assembly on February 22.

The Congress government in Puducherry will face a test of strength on Monday, newly appointed Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan said, by citing the Opposition’s stand that the ruling party no longer enjoyed a majority. Just months before an election, the state government is believed to have lost its thin majority after four recent resignations, though Chief Minister V Narayanasamy denies this. He insists that two of those resignations are yet to be accepted. Soundararajan, who was sworn in as Lieutenant Governor on Thursday after Kiran Bedi’s sudden removal, said a floor test was needed to ascertain whether the Congress government enjoys a majority. The vote will take place by 5 pm on Monday. A statement said the Lieutenant Governor had conveyed to Narayanasamy that the assembly would meet for a single agenda, namely whether the government of the incumbent Chief Minister continues to enjoy the confidence of the House. Of the 30 elected MLAs in the assembly, the Congress had 15 members and, along with the DMK’s three and one independent member, was just past the majority mark of 16. After the resignations, the government and the opposition both are at 14. The Congress has 10 members, leaving the government one short of the majority mark, which has dropped to 15 with the assembly strength coming down to 28.

E) SC makes queries to govt on felling of trees of a certain species, age. 

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad A. Bobde on Thursday asked the government whether measures could be taken to prevent the felling of trees of a certain species and age, after considering their contributions to ecology, even for infrastructure projects. Can something be done to see if trees of a certain age and type are never cut down, Chief Justice Bobde addressed the government, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati. Chief Justice Bobde said certain species of trees could be identified and graded on the basis of their abilities to provide oxygen and to bind the soil. The remarks came even as a Supreme Court-appointed expert committee filed a report that said the felling of 300 heritage trees to construct five railway overbridges in West Bengal would cost India a staggering ₹2,23,50,00,000. The 10-digit figure was arrived at by the committee after calculating the products these trees would produce over the 100 years of their natural lifetime. These include oxygen, micro-nutrients, compost and bio-fertilizer, besides being valuable members of the natural environment. The committee had said an individual tree annually parts with products worth ₹74,500. Though the report was submitted a year ago, the figures of loss quoted in the report had managed to alarm Chief Justice Bobde’s Bench. The CJI had suggested framing a new protocol by which road and highway projects ought to be cleared only after checking the feasibility of other modes of transport such as waterways and railways.

F) ‘Metroman’ E. Sreedharan to join BJP. 

In a major boost for the party, E. Sreedharan, principal advisor to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and popularly known as Metroman, is all set to join the BJP. This was announced by the BJP Kerala unit president K. Surendran at a news conference here on Thursday. Sreedharan, 88, would officially join the party during the inauguration of the Statewide Vijaya Yatra led by Surendran from Kasaragod on February 21, ahead of the Assembly polls. Surendran claimed both the Congress-led United Democratic Front and the CPI (M)-led Left Democratic Front had opposed and humiliated Sreedharan on several occasions. He said that Sreedharan was an asset for the State. The BJP had already requested him to contest the polls, Surendran said.

G) PM moots special visa scheme for medical staff during Covid workshop with nine countries. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday suggested that neighbouring countries should consider creating a special visa scheme for doctors and nurses, so that they could travel quickly within the region during health emergencies, on the request of the receiving country. Modi was addressing a workshop on ‘COVID-19 Management: Experience, Good Practices and Way Forward’ with nine neighbouring nations, including Pakistan. India was hosting the secretary-level virtual meeting, chaired by Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan.The Prime Minister said that civil aviation ministries could coordinate a regional air ambulance agreement for medical contingencies and countries could come together to create a regional platform for collating, compiling and studying data about the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines among populations.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Facebook news goes dark in Australia.

Australians woke to empty news feeds on their Facebook Inc pages on Thursday after the social media giant blocked all media content in a surprise and dramatic escalation of a dispute with the government over paying for content. The move was swiftly criticised by news producers, politicians and human rights advocates, many of whom pointed out that official health and meteorology information had also been scrubbed during the coronavirus pandemic and at the height of Australia’s summer bushfire season. Facebook was wrong, Facebook’s actions were unnecessary, they were heavyhanded, and they will damage its reputation here in Australia, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said. Mr. Frydenberg said facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg gave no warning of the news shutdown when the pair spoke over the weekend about looming laws that will force them to pay local publishers for content. The two had a subsequent conversation on Thursday morning which was constructive, Mr. Frydenberg said, adding they discussed what he called differing interpretations about how the new Media Bargaining Code would work.

B) Texas shivers amid power outages, water shortages. 

Power was gradually being restored but hundreds of thousands of households remained without electricity on Thursday across Texas, the oil and gas capital of the U.S., with some facing water shortages as a deadly winter cold spell that pummelled the southeastern part of the country headed east. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a winter storm warning. It said the storm would bring ice, sleet and heavy snow to parts of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi as it tracks to the northeast, causing power outages, tree damage and making driving hazardous. Even though the Arctic air mass was beginning to lose its grip on an area of the country not used to such extreme cold, the frigid temperatures would continue, the NWS said. More than 30 storm-related deaths have been reported.