Tag: latest Current Affairs

CURRENT AFFAIRS
13 December 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Ready for talks, but demands are the same say farmer leaders.

Sticking to their demands, leaders of various farmers’ groups today said they are ready to hold talks with the government, but will first discuss repealing the three new farm laws and also announced further intensification of their ongoing protest. Addressing a press conference at Singhu Border in New Delhi, farmer leader Kanwalpreet Singh Pannu said that thousands of farmers will start their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march from Rajasthan’s Shahjahanpur through the Jaipur-Delhi Highway at 11 am on Sunday. He said that farmers from other parts of the country are also on their way to join the protesters here and they will take the agitation to the next level in the coming days. If the government wants to hold talks, they are ready, but their main demand will remain the scrapping of the three laws. They will move onto their other demands only after that, the farmer leader said. Farmer union leaders will also sit on a hunger strike between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on December 14 against the new agriculture laws, he said. Pannu alleged the government tried to weaken the agitation, but that the protesting farmers did not let it happen. The government on Friday had asked the protesting farmers to be vigilant against their platform being misused, saying some antisocial as well as Leftist and Maoist elements were conspiring to spoil the atmosphere of the agitation. Photographs of some protesters at the Tikri border seen holding posters demanding release of activists arrested under various charges had earlier gone viral on social media.

 

B) Movement infiltrated by Leftists, Maoists says Union Minister.

This was a line picked up by Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday, who said the agitation no longer remains a farmers’ movement as it has been infiltrated by Leftist and Maoist elements demanding the release of those put behind bars for anti-national activities. This, he said, was clearly to derail agriculture reforms brought by the government. Mr. Goyal, however, did not say if the government had or is planning to take any action against any person belonging to banned outfits seen at the protests. They now realise that the so-called farmer agitation hardly remains a farmers’ agitation. It has almost got infiltrated by Leftist and Maoist elements, a flavour of which they saw over the last two days when there were extraneous demands to release people who have been put behind bars for anti-national (and) who have been put behind bars for illegal activities, Mr. Goyal, the Minister for Railways, Commerce and Industry and Food and Consumers Affairs, said at FICCI’s annual meeting.

 

C) New laws will bring maximum benefit to farmers: PM Modi.

Also speaking at the FICCI AGM, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today once again batted for the new farm laws, saying they would give farmers access to new markets and technology, while also helping increase the investments in the agricultural sector. Farmers will be able to access new markets and avenues. They will be able to leverage technology. With all this, more investment will come in the agriculture sector. And the maximum benefit will come to India’s farmers, the Prime Minister said. He added that in a vibrant economy, walls could not be erected around different sectors as this harmed the economy of the country. The reforms being undertaken will take these walls down and the recent agriculture reforms are a part of this process. To strengthen the country’s agri sector many steps have been taken. It has become much more vibrant. India’s farmers have the choice of selling their produce in the ‘mandis’ as well as outside them. The ‘mandis’ are undergoing a tech revolution, but farmers can now also sell and purchase goods using digital platform, he said.

 

D) India will meet national security challenge: Jaishankar.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said India was being tested in the seven month-long border standoff with China in eastern Ladakh and expressed confidence it will rise to the occasion and meet the national security challenge. In an interactive session, also at the FICCI AGM, Mr. Jaishankar also said that what has happened in eastern Ladakh was not actually in China’s interest as it has significantly impacted public sentiment in India. When asked whether the stand-off with China will be a long-haul or a breakthrough is expected soon, Mr. Jaishankar said that he would not go into prediction zone at all whether it is going to be easy or not, and what will be the timelines and so on. He also believe that what has happened is not actually in the interest of China. Because what it has done is it has significantly impacted public sentiment (in India). Professionally, he have seen the evolution of how the Indian public feels about China over the last many decades and he is old enough to remember much more difficult days, especially in his childhood and in his teens, he said. Mr. Jaishankar said a lot of work had gone into developing the relationship on both sides.

 

E) Not accountable to Home Minister, says TMC on summons over Nadda’s convoy attack. 

Senior Trinamool Congress lawmaker Kalyan Banerjee wrote to Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Saturday, saying that West Bengal’s chief secretary and director-general of police were summoned to Delhi over the attack on BJP chief J.P. Nadda’s convoy with political motive, asserting that law and order is a state subject. Mr. Banerjee, the chief whip of the TMC in the Lok Sabha, alleged that the Centre was resorting to coercive means to intimidate the State administration, and the top officials were summoned at the instance of the Union Home Minister. BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, however, said that everyone saw how Mr. Nadda’s convoy was attacked by alleged TMC workers on December 10 and Banerjee’s letter to Bhalla has little merit. It appears that with a political motive and at the instance of your minister, who is a political person belonging to Bharatiya Janata Party, you have issued the said letter. You are trying to coerce the officers of West Bengal with political vindictiveness. It appears you are interfering with the federal structure, Mr. Banerjee added. He said that in respect of law and order, the State government is accountable to the legislative assembly but not to you or to your Home Minister. 

 

F) Workers go on a rampage at iPhone factory near Benagluru. 

Thousands of workers at Wistron Infocomm Manufacturing (India), which is part of the Taipei-based Wistron Corporation and which makes iPhones for Apple at its Narasapura factory on the outskirts of Bengaluru, went on a rampage and ransacked the company premises over delays in payment of salary and overtime wages. A source said the protest began shortly after their shift ended, but took a violent turn by 6 a.m. on Saturday. The workers alleged that they have not been paid salary or overtime wages for three or four months. A contingent of police personnel was deployed on the premises and an additional force was called in to contain the situation. The company has around 15,000 employees, but only 1,400 of them are actually on the rolls. The rest are contract workers placed through five staffing firms.. According to the employees, most of them are paid in the range of ₹13,000 to ₹15,000.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) U.S. approves Pfizer vaccine as millions of doses begin shipping.

The U.S. green lighted the Pfizer-BioNTech cov1D-19 vaccine late on Friday, paving the way for millions of vulnerable people to receive their shots in the world’s hardest-hit country. President Donald Trump immediately released a video on Twitter, where he hailed the news as a medical miracle and said the first immunizations would take place in less than 24 hours. It comes as infections across America soar as never before, with the grim milestone of confirmed deaths fast approaching. The U.S. is now the sixth country to approve the twodose regimen, after Britain, Bahrain, Canada, Saudi Arabia and Mexico. The move came earlier than expected, and capped a day of drama after it was reported that the White House had threatened to fire Food and Drug Administration chief Stephen Hahn if he did not grant emergency approval on Friday. Mr. Trump’s intervention reinserts politics into the scientific process, which some experts have said could undermine vaccine confidence. The U.S. is seeking to inoculate 20 million people this month alone, with long-term care facility residents and health care workers at the front of the line. The government also said that it is buying 100 million more doses of the Moderna vaccine candidate, amid reports the government passed on the opportunity to secure more supply of the Pfizer jab. Following Britain’s lead, the first vaccine shipments to 14 sites across Canada are scheduled to arrive Monday with people receiving shots a day or two later. Israel, which accepted its first shipment of the Pfizer vaccine on Wednesday, is targeting a rollout on December 27.

 

B) Iran executes dissident journalist.

Iran on Saturday executed a once-exiled journalist over his online work that helped inspire nationwide economic protests in 2017, authorities said, just months after he returned to Tehran under mysterious circumstances. Iranian state television and the state-run IRNA news agency said that Ruhollah Zam, 47, was hanged early Saturday morning. The reports did not elaborate. In June, a court sentenced Zam to death, saying he had been convicted of corruption on Earth, a charge often used in cases involving espionage or attempts to overthrow Iran’s government. Zam’s website AmadNews and a channel he created on the popular messaging app Telegram had spread the timings of the protests and embarrassing information about officials that directly challenged Iran’s Shia theocracy. Those demonstrations, which began at the end of 2017, represented the biggest challenge to Iran’s rulers since the 2009 Green Movement protests and set the stage for similar mass unrest in November of last year. The initial spark for the 2017 protests was a sudden jump in food prices. Many believe that hard-line opponents of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani instigated the first demonstrations in the conservative city of Mashhad in northeastern Iran, trying to direct public anger at the President.

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS
12 December 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Farmers prepare to block Delhi-Jaipur highway, picket toll plazas. 

More farmers are streaming towards the capital in response to the protesting unions’ call to intensify the agitation on Saturday by blocking the Delhi-Jaipur highway and picketing toll plazas. Police personnel have been deployed to deal with the situation and provide alternative routes for commuters. For the last two weeks, tens of thousands of farmers have gathered at several points on Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. They are demanding a full repeal of three contentious agricultural marketing reform laws passed by Parliament in September. More farmers have now joined the dharna sites at Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur and Palwal, said a statement from the All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee. Farmers from Tamil Nadu have arrived and groups of farmers from almost all states of India shall be arriving to join the Delhi protest soon, it added. In Amritsar, thousands of farmers and farm labourers under the banner of Kisan Mazdoor Sangarsh Samiti started their tractor-trolley ‘march’ to Delhi on Friday to ensure that the ongoing agitation doesn’t lose steam. The Samiti is the only Punjab outfit which is still continuing with the ‘rail roko’ agitation, preventing the movement of passenger trains in Amritsar. Both carriageways of the Delhi-Agra Highway have been blocked at Palwal by farmers from Madhya Pradesh for the past week. In Uttar Pradesh, the Tikait faction of the Bharatiya Kisan Union is making plans to besiege toll barriers. With thousands of farmers protesting against the Centre’s new agri laws staying put at Delhi borders, several routes in the national capital remained off bounds for commuters on Friday. The Delhi Traffic Police took to Twitter to inform people about road closures.

B) West Bengal Governor sends report to Centre on law and order in the State. 

The Centre on Friday received a report from Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on the prevailing law and order situation in West Bengal, a day after BJP president J.P. Nadda’s convoy was attacked in the state, officials said. The State government, however, has not sent any report as sought by the Union Home Ministry on the serious security lapses during Nadda’s two-day visit to West Bengal. The Home Ministry has received a report from the West Bengal governor on the law and order situation in the state. Asked about the contents of the report, the official said that it is under examination. Dhankar, however, took to social media to voice his concerns. In a series of tweets, the Governor said that he had alerted the chief secretary and the director general of police of the possibility of the collapse of law and order during Nadda’s scheduled rally but their non responsive stance signals failure of constitutional machinery in the state. The report from the Governor was sought after Nadda’s convoy was attacked on Thursday in Diamond Harbour, the Lok Sabha constituency of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee. Meanwhile, a defiant West Bengal government on Friday decided not to send the state’s chief secretary and police chief to New Delhi in compliance with a summons from the Union Home Ministry. West Bengal Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay and Director General of Police (DGP) Virendra have been called by the Home Ministry, and were expected to explain the law and order situation in West Bengal.

C) China’s rise has attracted a great deal of attention: Gen. Rawat.

In the midst of conflicts in the last three decades, the global financial crisis and the mushrooming of many multilateral organisations, China’s rise has been one of the most defining moments of the 21st century, said Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen. Bipin Rawat on Friday. He also said that the Covid-19 pandemic had turned from a global health crisis to an economic crisis with global ramifications. In recent years, China’s economic and military rise, coupled with competition to increase influence in the region, has attracted a great deal of attention. At present, there are over 120 warships of extra-regional forces deployed in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) in support of various missions. For now, by and large, the region has remained peaceful, albeit under contestation, Gen. Rawat said, talking of the developments in the Indo-Pacific at the Global Security Summit. On the post-Covid situation, Gen. Rawat said the world was entering a new geopolitical phase likely to be based on nationalism, protectionism, and strategic realignments. They are, and they will, continue to witness the rise of nationalism, economic patriotism, shift towards buying local brands, the need to take back supply chains, and the shifting of strategic industries within the country’s boundaries even at the expense of increased production costs, he said.

D) Delhi HC stays CIC order directing IAF to provide info on PM’s foreign visits.

The Delhi High Court on Friday stayed a Central Information Commission (CIC) direction to the Indian Air Force (IAF) to provide an RTI activist information regarding each foreign visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh undertaken on IAF aircraft. Justice Navin Chawla also sought a response from the RTI activist, Commodore (retired) Lokesh K. Batra, who had requested certified copies of Special Flight Returns Part-I and Part-II relating to foreign visits of Modi and Singh undertaken on IAF aircraft from April 1, 2013 onwards. The IAF had moved the High Court challenging the July 8, 2020, order of the CIC, saying that the information sought was extremely sensitive in nature as it related to details of the Prime Minister’s security apparatus. The information so sought includes details related to the entire entourage, names of Special Protection Group (SPG) personnel accompanying the Prime Minister of India on foreign tours for his personal safety, and the same, if disclosed, can potentially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security, strategic, scientific or economic interests of the State, the IAF said. Justice Chawla noted that the details sought were sought of not only passengers, including the SPG personnel, but also officials of the government accompanying the Prime Minister. 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) Astra-Zeneca to use part of Sputnik V vaccine in its own trials. 

Pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca’s Russian branch said on Friday it would use part of Russia’s homemade Sputnik V vaccine in further clinical trials. They announce a clinical trial programme to assess safety and immunogenicity of a combination of AZD1222, developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, and Sputnik V, developed by Russian Gamaleya Research institute, AstraZeneca said in a statement published on its website in English and Russian. The pharmaceutical company said that adults over the age of 18 will be enrolled in the trials. Both the AZD1222 and Sputnik V jabs use human adenovirus vectors. Russia’s Direct Investment Fund, which funded the development of Sputnik V, said in a statement on Friday that on November 23, it offered AstraZeneca the option “to use one of the two vectors of the Sputnik V vaccine in additional clinical trials of its own vaccine. Those trials are expected to start before the end of this year. Combinations of different Covid-19 vaccines may be an important step in generating wider protection through a stronger immune response and better accessibility, AstraZeneca said in its statement.

B) PM, Uzbek President discuss Afghan projects. 

India and Uzbekistan plan to cooperate on connectivity projects in Afghanistan and will participate in a trilateral dialogue with Iran, said the two sides after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev during a virtual summit on Friday. Both addressed the need to fight terrorism and shared the same vision on the future of the Afghanistan peace process. They have similar concerns about extremism, fundamentalism and separatism. They both stand firmly together against terrorism. They also have a similar approach on regional security issues, Mr. Modi said in his opening statement welcoming President Mirziyoyev to their first virtual summit. The two sides signed a Dollar Credit Line Agreement between the Export-Import Bank of India and the Uzbekistan Government and several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) including in the areas of renewable energy and information technology on the sidelines of the meeting. The leaders instructed their officials to fast-track the conclusion of the ongoing Joint Feasibility Study that will pave the way for commencement of negotiations on a Preferential Trade Agreement, MEA joint secretary Adarsh Swaika said, adding that the two leaders acknowledged that the current bilateral trade level of about US $285 million (2018) was far below the potential.

C) Award-winning S. Korean director Kim Ki-duk dead. 

South Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-duk, a controversial figure both for his work and his personal life, died in Latvia from COVID-19 complications on Friday, a Latvian film official said. Kim, who had won awards at the Venice, Cannes and Berlin film festivals, had been staying in the Latvian capital Riga in a private capacity after travelling to neighbouring Estonia for work, according to Dita Rietuma, director of Latvia’s state National Film Centre. Kim, 59, died at a hospital in Riga, Ms. Rietuma told Reuters, citing the director’s private secretary. Latvian media Delfi first reported Kim’s death, referring to Vitaly Mansky, a Russian documentary film director who was reportedly working with Kim. Kim earned global praise as a regular at international festivals, but also faced criticism, especially over his portrayals of women, including in the ultra-violent film Pieta. That movie won the Golden Lion prize at the Venice Film Festival in 2012. Kim had not directly responded to those claims, but appealed in November after losing a lawsuit he pursued against one of the actresses and a local TV network that broadcast her accusations.

D) Key Obama-era officials among Biden’s Cabinet picks.

President-elect Joe Biden announced several administration picks on Thursday, including Obama-era officials such as former National Security Adviser Susan Rice as White House Domestic Policy Council director and exchief of staff Denis McDonough as veterans affairs secretary. The appointments, laid out by Mr. Biden’s presidential transition team, highlight the diversity which Mr. Biden pledged to bring to his Cabinet. This is the right team for this moment in history, and I know that each of these leaders will hit the ground running on day one to take on the interconnected crises families are facing today, Mr. Biden said in a statement. Ms. Rice had been a contender for Secretary of State. But she was expected to face intense opposition from Republicans in the Senate confirmation process over her role in the Benghazi crisis of 2012, and that prestigious Cabinet position went to Mr. Biden’s close adviser, Antony Blinken. Ms. Rice’s appointment may come as a surprise given her experience in foreign policy. The position, which she tweeted she was “humbled and excit• ed” to take, does not need Senate confirmation.

Mr. McDonough, 51, served multiple roles in Barack Obama’s administration, including White House Chief of Staff and Deputy National Security Adviser. He has been nominated to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, a sprawling government agency tasked with managing a healthcare network that serves nine million enrolled veterans.

He also named Tom Vilsack, 69, Mr. Obama’s Secretary of Agriculture for two full terms, to the same role.

International trade expert Katherine Tai has been chosen to be the U.S. Trade Representative. Ms. Tai, currently the chief trade lawyer for the House Ways and Means Committee, would be the first Asian American and first woman of color in the USTR role

CURRENT AFFAIRS
11 December 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Govt. urges farmers to consider its proposal; farmers demand ‘concrete solution’

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday made an appeal to farmer union leaders to consider the proposals sent by the Central government and continue the dialogue. He was holding a press briefing with the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal on the matter. Saying he was pained to see that farmers were not able to take decisions despite all their doubts being addressed by the government, Tomar said the government was ready to talk to them with an open mind. He added that farmers should soon decide on the next date of talks. Tomar said farmer unions should give up the path of agitation since it was not correct to intensify the stir when talks were on. On the possibility of repealing the three contentious laws, Tomar said that no law was completely bad. He reiterated that the government was ready to discuss with an open mind any provisions that the farmers felt were against them. Responding to the renewed appeal by the Union government to the farmer unions to consider their proposal for amendments in the three agriculture sector laws, the joint front of the farmer unions maintained that they too had not shut the doors for negotiations but the government must come up with a concrete solution to end the impasse. Reacting to the government’s appeal for talks, Bharatiya Kisan Union (R) president Balbir Singh Rajewal, in a press conference by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha leaders at Singhu border, the proposals sent by the government on Wednesday had been discussed for hours in several meetings and there was nothing new in them.

B) J.P. Nadda’s convoy attacked in West Bengal, Amit Shah orders probe. 

The convoy of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president J.P. Nadda was attacked on Thursday when he, along with other senior party leaders, was on his way to Diamond Harbour in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district to participate in a party workers rally. Videos clips shared by BJP’s West Bengal unit showed that vehicles of several party leaders, including national general secretary Kaliash Vijayvargiya, vice-president Mukul Roy, and State BJP president Dilip Ghosh were damaged. The videos showed people standing on both sides of the road holding Trinamool Congress flags and posters against the BJP when suddenly stones start hitting the windscreen and windows of the vehicles. Several vehicles in which the BJP leaders were travelling were damaged. A few BJP leaders and their security personnel were injured in the attack. Vehicles in which mediapersons were travelling were also damaged. The convoy was stopped at various places because of roadblocks along the route. Speaking at the event in Diamond Harbour, Nadda said what he witnessed today had made it evident that the government of Mamata Banerjee had become synonymous with a state of lawlessness and intolerance. Home Minister Amit Shah has ordered an investigation into the attack and asked the Governor for a detailed report on law and order in the state.

C) PM lays foundation stone for new Parliament building. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the new Parliament building, for which the ground-breaking ceremony was held, would reflect the aspirations of 21st century India. The ceremony was attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Harivansh, Union Minister Hardeep Puri and Pralhad Joshi, along with senior members of the Union Cabinet, diplomats, and Members of Parliament. The ceremony included an all-faith prayer as well, while priests from Karnataka’s Shringeri Math did the rituals. Our Constitution was framed and given to us in the current parliament building and it is the repository of much of our democratic legacy but it is important to be realistic as well. Over the last 100 years several modifications have been made to the current building to the point where even the building requires rest. Which is why the decision was taken to construct a new Parliament building, Modi said, explaining the decision. He also spoke of some of the features being added to the new building, including a place where constituents could meet their MPs, a facility missing in the current building.

D) India ‘totally’ responsible for LAC situation: China.

China on Thursday said that the responsibility totally lies with the Indian side for the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), responding to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s statement that China had violated border agreements by deploying a large number of soldiers along the border. Jaishankar had said that China had given India five differing explanations for its unprecedented deployment of forces on the LAC this summer, speaking at a virtual session with the Sydney-based Lowy Institute on Wednesday. They are today probably at the most difficult phase of our relationship with China, certainly in the last 30 to 40 years or you could argue even more, he had said. He added that the relationship this year has been very significantly damaged by China’s violation of border agreements under which both sides would not deploy large number of forces along the LAC. In Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying, responding to a question about Jaishankar’s statement, said the merits of the situation were very clear. The merits of the situation at the border area are very clear and the responsibility totally lies with the Indian side. China has been strictly observing the agreements signed between the two sides and committed to resolving the border issue through dialogue and we are committed to safeguarding regional peace and tranquillity at border areas… But like all sovereign states we are determined in safeguarding our territorial integrity. So on the Indian side, I think this is a serious question on which it should reflect upon, Hua said.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) U.S. govt, 48 states sue Facebook for ‘predatory’ conduct. 

The U.S. government and 48 states and districts sued Facebook on Wednesday, accusing it of abusing its market power to crush smaller competitors and seeking remedies that could include a forced spin-off of the social network’s Instagram and WhatsApp messaging services. The landmark antitrust lawsuits, announced by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and New York Attorney General Letitia James, mark the second major government offensive this year against seemingly untouchable tech behemoths. The Justice Department sued Google in October for abusing its dominance in online search and advertising the government’s most significant attempt to buttress competition since its historic case against Microsoft two decades ago. Amazon and Apple have also been under investigation in Congress and by federal authorities for alleged anticompetitive conduct. James noted at a press conference that it’s really critically important that we block this predatory acquisition of companies and restore confidence to the market. The FTC said Facebook has engaged in a a systematic strategy to eliminate its competition, including by purchasing smaller up-and-coming rivals like Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014. James echoed that in her press conference, saying Facebook used its monopoly power to crush smaller rivals and snuff out competition, all at the expense of everyday users.

B) India and Nepal launch air bubble to resume flights. 

India and Nepal have decided to launch an air bubble arrangement for restarting commercial flights, after months of disruption caused by the pandemic. India had proposed the arrangement, which was cleared after the recent visit of Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla to Kathmandu, an informed source said on Thursday. Initially they are starting with one flight daily from each side between Delhi and Kathmandu. From the Indian side, it will be Air India which, in normal times, had a daily flight between Delhi and Kathmandu. We are starting with Indians, Nepalese, OCI/PIO cardholders of all nationalities and all valid Indian visa holders, said the source, adding that tourist visas would not be considered in the starting phase. The air bubble arrangement, the source said, would follow the usual medical protocols as mandatory in other cases, and include the need for RT PCR test report 72-hours prior to travelling.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
10 December 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Farmers reject Centre’s amendment proposals, plan to intensify agitation. 

Protesting farmer leaders have rejected the Centre’s proposal to amend the three contentious agricultural marketing laws, and vowed to intensify their agitation until the laws were repealed. They plan to block the capital’s highways toward Agra and Jaipur by December 12, and hold a nationwide dharna two days later. The Centre delivered its written proposal to the farmer leadership at the Singhu border point on Tuesday afternoon, two weeks after tens of thousands of farmers began their protest, camping on Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. The Centre’s proposal offered a written assurance that government procurement at minimum support prices will remain, along with proposals to amend the laws to deal with the concerns raised by farmers regarding parity between state-run and private mandis, registration of traders, and dispute resolution mechanisms. There is nothing different in this from what has been said during the discussions, which we have repeatedly rejected. The government wants to dress up its old proposals in new clothes. It’s an insult to the farmers of this country, said Darshan Pal, president of the Krantikari Kisan Union.

B) Opposition leaders urge President to persuade Centre to accept farmer demands. 

The government should not have any misunderstanding that the farmers will give up and the agitation will be called off before these farm bills are withdrawn, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi said, after a delegation of opposition leaders met President Ram Nath Kovind and urged him to persuade the government to accept the demands raised by farmers’ groups. The delegation that met President Kovind consisted of former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, CPI (M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI General Secretary D Raja and DMK leader TKS Elangovan. They urge upon them, as the custodian of the Indian Constitution, to persuade the government not to be obdurate and accept the demands raised by India’s annadata, the joint memorandum signed by the five leaders read. Their point to the President was that this was passed in an anti undemocratic manner, a proper consultation and discussion would have prevented this kind of situation. The farmers are carrying out a very heroic and courageous strike and keeping this in mind the government should immediately repeal the act, Yechury said.

C) Serum Institute, Bharat Biotech Covid-19 vaccine applications put on hold. 

An expert committee of the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) has kept on hold, pending more evidence, proposals by the Serum Institute of India (SII) and Bharat Biotech requesting emergency use authorisation of their vaccine candidates in India, a person closely connected with the approval process confirmed this. When evaluating their applications on Wednesday, the committee members opined that they needed more data to gauge the vaccines’ efficacy. Neither company presented data from their ongoing phase-3 trials. .The committee consists of members from multiple disciplines and meets periodically to recommend approval, or rejection, of new drugs and vaccines. The SII is testing a vaccine candidate developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, on 1,600 volunteers in India. This vaccine is yet to be approved by regulators in the United States and the United Kingdom for public use. Were any of these countries’ regulators to approve, we would consider it favourably for approving in India. But now we have neither this nor convincing India-specific data, the person added. The Union Health Ministry termed as fake news a media report on Wednesday which said that SII and Bharat Biotech‘s applications were rejected. However, a ministry spokesperson didn’t offer additional clarification. Meanwhile, a delegation of foreign envoys visited manufacturing facilities of vaccine makers Bharat Biotech and Biological E in Hyderabad’s Genome Valley on Wednesday. Bharat Biotech said a team comprising Ambassadors, High Commissioners and government representatives of 70 countries, from across the world, visited the facility and had interacted with company officials. They extensively discussed about Covaxin, the company said. Both SII and Bharat Biotech are relatively ahead of other vaccine companies in India that are developing potential vaccines for Covid-19, having initiated large human trials, or phase-3 trials.

C) Cabinet approves setting up of public Wi-Fi networks. 

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the proposal for setting up of public Wi-Fi networks across the country to accelerate the proliferation of broadband internet services. These networks, which will be called PM-WANI (Wi-Fi Access Network Interface), will be set up at Public Data Offices (PDOs). During a press conference announcing the decision, Communications and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said these PDOs can be opened up by anyone, including tea shops or a public office, and there will be no license fee for providing broadband internet through these public Wi-Fi networks. Providers will get themselves registered with DoT through an online registration portal without paying any fee. The registration will be granted within seven days of the application, an official release said.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Quad is a ‘devious policy’ to involve India in anti-China games, says Russia. 

Russia hit out at the 4-nation quadrilateral strategic dialogue or Quad, calling it a devious policy by western powers to engage India in anti-China games. While Moscow has expressed concerns about the United States’ Indo-Pacific policy and criticised the Quad (a formation that includes the U.S., Australia, Japan and India) as a“divisive and exclusivist concept, this is the first time it has suggested that India-Russia ties could be affected by it. India is currently an object of the western countries’ persistent, aggressive, and devious policy as they are trying to engage it in anti-China games by promoting Indo-Pacific strategies, the so-called Quad, while at the same time the West is attempting to undermine our close partnership and privileged relations with India, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at Moscow-based think tank Russian International Affairs Council. This is the goal of the U.S.’s very tough pressure on New Delhi in the MTC [military and technical cooperation] area, Lavrov stated, which diplomats said indicated growing MTC between India and the U.S. In the past month, India hosted military exercises with all the members of the Quad, and signed the final pending ‘foundational agreement’ BECA, which facilitates intelligence-sharing between Indian and U.S. militaries. The incoming Biden administration is also expected to press harder on India against its purchase of the S-400 anti-missile system from Russia, which could attract U.S. sanctions.

B) Chinese vaccine 86% effective, says UAE. 

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said on Wednesday that it has approved a Chinese coronavirus vaccine that is being tested in the country after preliminary data showed that it was 86% effective. The U.A.E.’s Ministry of Health and Prevention said it reviewed an interim analysis by Sinopharm, a Chinese state-owned vaccine maker, of data from late-stage clinical trials, which showed that its vaccine was 86% effective in preventing infection from Covid-19. The development represents a political and scientific win for China, which has three other vaccine candidates in late-stage trials.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
09 December 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Will only demand ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ from Amit Shah, say farmer leaders. 

There was a mixed response to the Bharat Bandh called by farmers groups on Tuesday, with normal life affected in large parts of northern India, especially Punjab, as well as in Odisha, and the southern states of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Demonstrators in West Bengal and Maharashtra stopped trains, and in Gujarat, groups blocked three highways. Large numbers of protesters and leaders were detained during the day, including Members of Parliament, both pre-emptively and during agitations. Major highways around Delhi, and parts of northern India were blocked in a chakka jaam until 3 pm. Farm unions under the banner of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha have been agitating for more than two months, demanding the repeal of the three contentious laws aimed at reforming agricultural marketing. The Bandh call was supported by at least 25 political parties, as well as major trade unions, traders and transport associations, and professional bodies such as the Bar Association of the Supreme Court. The farmers met Union Home Minister Amit Shah at 8 pm this evening. Farmers who did not wish to be named said that it was an unofficial meeting.

B) SC upholds Centre’s notification to acquire land for NHAI’s Chennai-Salem highway. 

The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave the green signal for the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the Centre to acquire land for the construction of the 277.3 km long Chennai-­Krishnagiri-­Salem national highway project worth over ₹10,000 crore, saying national highways are the arteries of India’s economy. The eight-lane highway (NH­179A and NH­179B) is part of the first phase of the ‘Bharatmala Pariyojna’ project, which stretches across 24,800 km and has an estimated outlay of ₹5.35 lakh crore, to improve the efficiency of freight and passenger movement across the country by bridging critical infrastructure gaps. The highway intends to cut travel time between Chennai and Salem by half. However, the project had faced opposition from locals, including farmers, over fears of losing their land. Environmentalists had pointed out that the project runs through reserve forest and water bodies. Justice Khanwilkar, who authored the judgment, said the Madras High Court had been wrong to quash the acquisition proceedings on the ground that no prior environmental clearance was taken. The apex court said it was too premature to have got such clearances. The government was not required by law to get them as it had, at the time, only expressed an intention to acquire certain land under Section 3A of the National Highway Act. It had also merely notified a certain stretch or a section of area to be a ‘national highway’ under Section 2(2) of the Act. No land had been vested with the NHAI.

C) Too much democracy hampering reforms, says NITI Aayog CEO. 

NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant on Tuesday said it is difficult to carry out tough reforms in India as there is too much of democracy, and emphasised that more reforms are needed make the country competitive, PTI reported. Addressing a virtual event organised by Swarajya magazine, Kant said that for the first time, the Centre has carried out hard reforms across sectors, including mining, coal, labour, agriculture, and the next wave of reforms must be pushed by the states. Tough reforms are very difficult in the Indian context, they have too much of democracy. They needed political will to carry out these reforms (mining, coal, labour, agriculture) and many more reforms still need to be done, he said. It is not easy to compete against China without hard reforms, Kant said. This government has demonstrated political will to carry out hard reforms, he added. The NITI Aayog CEO stressed that the next wave of reforms must come from States.

D) Can’t pass an order that will risk economy, says Supreme Court. 

The Supreme Court on Tuesday orally said it would not pass any order that will risk the economy going haywire after the Union government revealed that a blanket waiver of interest on debts incurred by all classes and categories of borrowers for the moratorium period would mean forgoing an estimated over ₹6 lakh crore. If the banks were to bear this burden, it would necessarily wipe out a substantial and a major part of their net worth, rendering most of the banks unviable and raising a very serious question mark over their very survival, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted before a Bench led by Justice Ashok Bhushan. The Supreme Court is hearing the government’s response to separate pleas made by industry, real estate, and power sectors, among others, for debt relief, including waiver of interest, for the six-month loan moratorium period, to help them get back on their feet amid the pandemic. Mehta said a possible crippling of the banking sector was one of the main reasons for not even contemplating waiver of interest and restricting relief to deferment of payment of installments. It was necessary for the Centre to rationalise any kind of financial relief. The government cannot do anything which would topple the overall economic scenario. There is a need to conserve and rationally use financial resources to deal with the economic effects pandemic over an uncertain and indeterminate time frame, Mehta submitted.

E) AAP alleges that Kejriwal was kept under house arrest. 

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday alleged that party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was being kept almost under house arrest by the Central government’s Delhi Police. The Delhi Police denied the allegation. After the Chief Minister met farmers at Singhu border, the Central government’s Delhi Police, on directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), has barricaded the house of the Chief Minister of Delhi from four sides and kept him almost under house arrest. No one can meet him and he cannot come out, AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj said while addressing a press conference. He claimed that when party MLAs went to meet the Chief Minister, Delhi Police beat them up and even a maid was not allowed to go to Kejriwal’s house.

F) Andhra Pradesh’s mysterious illness continues. 

In the city of Eluru in Andhra Pradesh, the number of people affected by a mysterious illness has now risen to over 500. According to officials, 525 patients were admitted with epilepsy, dizziness and vomiting-like symptoms in the last four days (since December 5). The victims include children, women and the aged. West Godavari district Joint Collector Himanshu Shukla said 171 patients were undergoing treatment in Eluru Government General Hospital (GGH), 354 were discharged, and 22 cases have been referred to Vijayawada and Guntur GGH. Patients were collapsing suddenly with epilepsy and frothing. They were complaining of headache and dizziness. Over 50 fresh cases were reported in the last 12 hours, said a doctor. Of the total, 73 were aged one to twelve years, 288 patients were between 12 to 35 years, and 169 were above 35 years. The recovery percentage is good, Shukla said. Meanwhile, the mysterious disease was spreading to other colonies in Eluru town and the neighbouring villages, the locals said.

G) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments. 

The number of coronavirus cases reported from India stood at 97,28,905 with the death toll at 1,41,520. A 90-year-old woman from Northern Ireland on Tuesday became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine marking the start of the UK’s mass vaccination programme against the deadly disease. Margaret Keenan, from Enniskillen, said she felt so privileged to receive the jab at University Hospital, Coventry. Keenan became the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine outside trial conditions, the BBC reported.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Biden picks retired Gen. Lloyd Austin as Defence Secretary.

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden is expected to nominate retired General Lloyd Austin as his Defence Secretary according to reports, making Gen. Austin the first African American in the post, if he is confirmed by the Senate. In choosing Gen. Austin, Mr. Biden has passed over contenders for the job, such as former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson and Pentagon official Michéle Flournoy. Mr. Biden could announce his nomination of the 67 year-old four-star General on Tuesday, as per Politico, which first reported the story. Gen. Austin formerly headed the U.S. Central Command overseeing combat in Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen and Syria. Gen. Austin oversaw the U.S. response to the rise of the Islamic State (IS) including a $500 million failed programme to recruit Syrian fighters against IS and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. U.S. law requires a seven year cool-off period from the Army before becoming Defence Secretary Gen. Austin will need a waiver from the U.S. Congress if he is to be confirmed to the position. If that happens, it will be the second time in recent history with U.S. President Donald Trump having got a waiver for his nomination Jim Mattis, who became Defence Secretary in 2017.

B) Sri Lanka to get $300 mn Chinese tyre factory. 

Sri Lanka announced on Tuesday the first large-scale Chinese investment in manufacturing in the country, a $300-million tyre factory near a strategic deep-sea port. Western nations, as well as regional power India, have long been concerned about Chinese influence in Sri Lanka through projects under its gargantuan Belt and Road infrastructure initiative. The factory will be adjacent to the Hambantota port, which was leased to a Chinese company in 2017 after Sri Lanka failed to service the $1.4-billion debt from Beijing used to build it. Generous concessions Sri Lanka’s Cabinet approved the setting up of the tyre plant under legislation that allows generous tax concessions, Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella told reporters in Colombo. He said Shandong Haohua Tire Co Limited will export at least 80% of production, with the option of selling the rest on the local market. The announcement came just weeks after Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa unveiled the country’s 2021 budget, banking on a huge Chinese real-estate development in Colombo to attract more investment and revive the island’s economy. The Colombo Port City a $1.4 billion land reclamation project which started in 2014 has doubled the size of Sri Lanka’s current financial district. When Mr. Rajapaksa was President between 2005-15, Colombo borrowed billions from China, accumulating a mountain of debt for a string of infrastructure projects including an international airport dubbed the world’s emptiest by media for its lack of flights.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
08 December 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Bharat bandh: Support us but leave your flags at home, farm unions tell political parties. 

On the eve of the Bharat bandh that they plan to observe tomorrow, farmer leaders tried to find a balance between highlighting Opposition party endorsement as a sign of the widening support, and refuting the government’s allegation that the protests have been hijacked by vested political interests. They want to thank political parties for their support, but they appeal to them to leave their own flags and banners at home, and stand solely in support of farmers, said Krantikari Kisan Union president Darshan Pal, during a press conference called by Punjab farmer leaders at the Singhu border on Monday. So far, 24 political parties have come out in support of the bandh, according to farmers’ groups. The list includes the Congress and Left parties, and regional outfits such as the DMK, TRS, SP, BSP, RJD, Shiv Sena, NCP, SAD, TMC, AIMIM, AAP, JMM and the Gupkar Alliance. Pal dismissed the Centre’s accusations of party politics overtaking the farmers’ agenda. Even Kejriwal saab came this morning, but we did not give him our stage. We have been here from November 27. You cannot give even one example of the farmers taking funds from political parties, or allowing them to speak from our stage. We are very firm on it, he said. The BJP may have its own narrative. But they must answer why we have support from such a wide section of society. Tuesday’s bandh includes plans for a chakka jaam, or road blockade, between 10 am and 3 pm. Supplies of milk and vegetables will also be stopped during this period, although emergency services will not be affected, said farm leaders, appealing for peaceful protests.

B) Centre asks states to tighten security for Bharat bandh. 

Farmers listening to the address given by various leaders ahead of the Bharat Bandh called by the protesting farmers at the Singhu Border in New Delhi on December 7.Farmers listening to the address given by various leaders ahead of the Bharat Bandh called by the protesting farmers at the Singhu Border in New Delhi on December 7. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued an advisory to all states and union territories that no untoward incident should occur during Tuesday’s all-India strike called by farmers’ unions. It asked them to tighten security and ensure that all Covid-19 guidelines are strictly followed. The Bharat bandh is against the three farm laws passed by Parliament in the September monsoon session. The strike call has received support from many political parties, including the Congress, DMK, NCP, SP, Trinamool Congress and the Left parties. The union leaders have said the strike will be effective from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. but no kind of essential or emergency services will be disrupted. Thousands of farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and other parts of the country have assembled at Delhi’s borders to protest against the three farm laws.

C) Cannot build the coming century with laws of the last century: PM Modi

In the video grab made out of @narendramodi Twitter account, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the construction of the Agra Metro Project via video conferencing on December 7, 2020. India cannot build the coming century with laws of the last century, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday, stressing the significance of reforms. His remarks come a day before a proposed Bharat bandh called by farmer groups to protest against the Centre’s agri-reform laws. For new facilities and systems, reforms are necessary. They cannot build the coming century with laws of the last century, he noted. Launching the construction of Agra Metro through video-conferencing, he said that the laws that were beneficial in the last century will become a burden in the next century. For this reason, there must be continuous process for reforms, he asserted. People often wondered why reforms are working better today in comparison to the past. The reason is simple. Earlier, reforms would take place in fragments, keeping some sectors and departments in mind. Now reforms are being brought with a thought of entirety, he said.

D) SC allows laying of foundation stone for new Parliament complex. 

The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the new Parliament building to go ahead as scheduled on December 10, after the government gave an undertaking to keep in abeyance any construction or demolition of buildings and shifting of trees in the Central Vista area for the time being. A Bench led by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar expressed displeasure with the Centre for aggressively continuing with the construction, demolition and shifting of trees even as questions concerning the legality of the Central Vista project were in court. They thought they are dealing with a prudent litigant and deference will be shown. They have shown deference to them and expected that they will act in a prudent manner. The same deference should be shown to the Court and there should be no demolition or construction, Justice Khanwilkar addressed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for the Centre. Mehta, after receiving instructions from the government, apologised to the court and gave an undertaking that no physical changes would be made to the area. He can make a statement that there will be no construction, demolition or felling of trees. Foundation stone will be laid. But, no physical change, Mehta assured.

E) Sushil Kumar Modi elected to Rajya Sabha. 

Sushil Kumar Modi receives the election certificate from Divisional Commissioner on being elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha. Modi receives the election certificate from Divisional Commissioner on being elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha.  Senior Bihar BJP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi was today elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha. The seat had fallen vacant after the death of Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Ram Vilas Paswan in October.  The election was scheduled to be held on December 14 but since no Opposition candidate had filed nominations, Modi was elected unopposed. His election was considered a formality as the NDA had got a majority in the Assembly in the recently concluded elections. Modi is likely to be inducted into the Union Cabinet in the next expansion of the Council of Ministers.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Iran’s planned centrifuges ‘deeply worrying’: France, U.K. and Germany

France, Germany and Britain said today that they were alarmed by an Iranian announcement that it intended to install additional, advanced uranium-enriching centrifuges. If Iran is serious about preserving a space for diplomacy, it must not implement these steps, the three powers, who along with China and Russia are party to a 2015 nuclear containment deal with Tehran known as the JCPoA, said in a joint statement. A confidential International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report obtained by Reuters said Iran planned to install three more cascades, or clusters, of advanced IR-2m centrifuges in its enrichment plant at Natanz, which was built underground apparently to withstand any aerial bombardment. Iran’s nuclear deal with major powers says Tehran can only use first-generation IR-1 centrifuges, which refine uranium much more slowly. Iran’s recent announcement to the IAEA that it intends to install an additional three cascades of advanced centrifuges at the Fuel Enrichment Plant in Natanz is contrary to the JCPoA and deeply worrying, the three powers said, reacting to the U.N. watchdog’s report, which is yet to be made public. Such a move would jeopardize their shared efforts to preserve the JCPOA and also risks compromising the important opportunity for a return to diplomacy with the incoming U.S. administration, they said, referring to Joe Biden, who defeated President Donald Trump in the November 3 election.

 

B) China pushes false theories about virus. 

The mild mannered German scientist never anticipated becoming a Chinese propaganda star. But Alexander Kekule, director of the Institute for Bio security Research in Halle, Germany, has been all over the state-run media in China in recent days. News outlets have taken Mr. Kekule’s research out of context to suggest that Italy, not China, is where the coronavirus pandemic began. Photos of him have appeared on Chinese news sites under headlines reading. China is innocent. Mr. Kekule, who has repeatedly said that he he believes virus first emerged in China was startled. This is pure propaganda, he said. Facing global anger over their initial mishandling of the outbreak, Chinese authorities are now trying to rewrite the narrative of the pandemic by pushing theories that the virus originated side China. In recent days, Chinese officials have said packaged food from overseas might have initially brought the virus to China. Scientists have released a paper positing that the pandemic could have started in India. The state news media has published false stories misrepresenting foreign experts, including Mr. Kekule and officials at the WHO, as having said the virus came from elsewhere. The campaign seems to reflect anxiety within the ruling party about the continuing dam to China’s reputation brought by the virus.

C) Biden picks California AG as first Latino Health Secretary. 

President-elect Joe Biden has picked California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to be his health secretary, putting a defender of the Affordable Care Act in a leading role to oversee his administration’s coronavirus response. Separately, Mr. Biden picked a Harvard infectious disease expert, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And he announced a new role for Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert. If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Becerra, will be the first Latino to head the Department of Health and Human Services, a $1 trillion plus agency with 80,000 employees and a portfolio that includes drugs and vaccines, leading-edge research and health insurance programmes covering more than 130 million Americans. Mr. Biden’s selection of Mr. Becerra and Ms. Walensky was announced on Monday in a press release from the transition office. Mr. Biden also announced other top members of his health care team, though some posts remain unfilled. Mr. Becerra, as the State of California’s top lawyer, has led the coalition of Democratic states defending Obamacare from the Trump administration’s latest effort to overturn it, a legal case awaiting a Supreme Court decision next year. Mr. Becerra was involved in steering the Obama health law through Congress in 2009 and 2010.