Tag: latest Current Affairs

CURRENT AFFAIRS
12 November 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Netflix, Amazon Prime, other OTT platforms now under government regulation. 

The government has issued an order bringing online news portals and Over The Top (OTT) content providers such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Hotstar under the regulatory purview of the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry. From now on, government regulations will also apply to news on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. At present, the Press Council of India regulates the print media, the News Broadcasters Association (NBA) represents the news channels, the Advertising Standards Council of India regulates advertising, while the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) monitors films. Until now, there was no law or autonomous body governing digital content. This order, therefore, will give the government control over OTT platforms, which were unregulated till now. This is a move that could have potentially far-reaching consequences. We explain here in detail how the I&B Ministry might approach the question of digital content.

B) Nitish Kumar set to return as CM, thanks PM Modi for support. 

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, whose party Janata Dal (United) had a dismal performance in the Bihar Assembly elections, on 11 November he thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his support. Kumar-led JD(U) won only 43 seats out of the total of 115 that it contested under the NDA coalition umbrella. People are the real owners who gave majority to NDA. He pay his respect to them. He thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for getting his support, CM and JD(U) president Nitish Kumar tweeted. When the election results became clear late on Tuesday night, Kumar had not come out of his official residence to address media persons, or make any statement. He stayed confined to his sprawling bungalow, triggering speculation that he might take some surprise steps in view of his party’s dismal performance. However, his party men, along with the BJP national leadership, have reiterated that Kumar would be the chief minister of the state again. Before the elections, the BJP national leadership had announced that whatever numbers the NDA parties would get in the Bihar poll, Nitish Kumar will be the chief minister of the state. The new government in Bihar is expected to be formed after Diwali, with the state assembly likely to be constituted by November 29.

C) Supreme Court grants interim bail to Arnab Goswami. 

The Supreme Court on November 11 ordered the Maharashtra government to forthwith release Republic TV editor-in-cheif Arnab Goswami and two others on interim bail in an abetment to suicide case, holding that personal liberty is increasingly becoming a casualty in the country. People are now put in jail for a tweet. They are travelling through the path of destruction of liberty. They may not like his ideology. Left to himself, he will not watch his channel. But citizens are sent to jail, high courts don’t grant bail. They have to send a strong message, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, heading the Bench, orally observed. The Bench, also comprising Justice Indira Banerjee, directed Goswami and two others to execute a personal bond of ₹50,000 each with the jail superintendent. The court said they should co-operate with the probe and not influence witnesses. Goswami had appealed to the apex court after the Bombay High Court refused him bail on November 9. During the day-long hearing, Justice Chandrachud referred to a recent case of a woman who was hauled up by the West Bengal government for a tweet. 

D) Supreme Court refuses to interfere with Calcutta High Court crackers ban. 

The Supreme Court on 11 November has refused to interfere with the Calcutta High Court order banning the use and sale of firecrackers in West Bengal on Kali Puja, saying preservation of life was more important amid the coronavirus pandemic. A vacation Bench of Justices D.Y.Chandrachud and Indira Banerjee said that though festivals were important, life itself has been in imperil amid the pandemic. The Bench said the high court knew the local conditions better and it should be allowed to do the needful. The apex court was hearing an appeal filed by one Gautam Roy and the Burrabazaar Fireworks Dealers Association, challenging the high court order last week banning the use and sale of firecrackers during the upcoming festivals, including Kali Puja and Chhath Puja, to curb pollution. Kali Puja will be celebrated on Saturday. They are all battling for life in this situation and all of them have elderly people in our home, it observed. They are in a situation where, at this time, preservation of life is more important and the high court knows what is required at the ground level.

E) Wholesale passenger vehicle sales up 14% in October: SIAM. The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) on 11 November has said wholesale passenger vehicle sales, i.e. the passenger vehicles dispatched by manufacturers to the dealers, continued its upward trend, rising 14.19% in October due to festive demand. The double-digit growth in wholesale comes even as retail sales of passenger vehicles in October declined nearly 9%, with factors such as lower discounts and supply chain-related issues dragging down demand, according to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA). As per the data shared by the SIAM, passenger vehicle sales volume stood at more than 3.10 lakh units last month, as against approximately 2.71 lakh units in October 2019. This was driven by 9.68% growth in car sales to 1.82 lakh units, and 20.45% growth in utility vehicle sales to over 1.13 lakh units.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Covid-19 vaccine Sputnik V shows 92% efficacy, says Russia. 

Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine has proven to be 92%efficacious among a group of volunteers who are part of Phase 3 trials to test the vaccine, the Russian Health Ministry said in a statement on 11 November. The results were based on an analysis of 20 participants in the trial who were confirmed Covid-19 positive. The trials consisted of 20,000 people who got one dose of the vaccine, and 16,000 who got two, 14 days apart. The efficacy percentage means that when cases were split among the placebo group and vaccinated group, 92% of those who were vaccinated were safe. This is close to the efficacy percentage claimed by Pfizer, which said on Monday that its m-RNA vaccine was 90% efficacious, though that relied on a larger Covid-19-positive volunteer set of 94. The Russian trials are ongoing in multiple countries, and a Phase 2/3 trial that tests for an immune reaction in a limited number of people is ongoing in India too. Hyderabad-based Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories is a partner of the Russian organization, Gamaleya Research Foundation, which has developed Sputnik V.

B) Ladakh standoff: India, China finalising phased disengagement plan. 

India and China are working out modalities to finalize a plan for phased disengagement and de-escalation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, beginning with the North Bank of Pangong Tso. The proposal from the Chinese side, put forward at the eighth round of Corps Commander talks on November 6, includes pulling back their troops and equipment from Finger 4 to Finger 8 on the North Bank, two sources confirmed on 11 November. This is still a proposal under discussion and will be taken up at the next round of Corps Commander talks soon. Once agreed upon, it will be done in multiple phases, with on-ground verification after each step. There is no change in the ground situation as of now. Verification on the ground at each step, in addition to aerial monitoring using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), will be key to ensuring that the Chinese fully honour the understanding on the ground. Since the standoff began in early May, China has moved a large number of troops and equipment close to the LAC, in addition to the ingress by Chinese troops inside Indian territory at various places in eastern Ladakh. On the North Bank, Chinese troops made ingress from Finger 8 up to Finger 4, blocking Indian patrols. India holds till Finger 4 but claims till Finger 8 as per alignment of the LAC.

 

CURRENT AFFAIRS
11 November 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Bihar Elections: NDA and Mahagathbandhan locked in close fight. 

As the counting of votes continued, the JD(U)-BJP combine of NDA and the RJD-led Mahagathbandhan (MGB) were going neck and neck in a close race to the majority mark of 122 seats in an assembly of 243. The final outcome of the Bihar elections is expected to be clear later tonight. One indication of how close this election has been the vote shares: with 82% of the votes counted, NDA had a vote share of 37.18%, while the MGB had 37.08%. Asaduddin Owaisi-led All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM), which was given tags like ‘vote cutter’ and spoiler in the Bihar assembly polls, appeared set to win five seats in the RJD’s stronghold of Seemanchal. With the election results on a knife’s edge, AIMIM could play a key role in the formation of the next government in case there is a hung assembly. After 12 hours of counting, as per provisional data from the Election Commission, the lead margins in over 100 seats were less than 5,000 votes. The RJD on Tuesday accused Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his deputy, Sushil Kumar Modi, of applying pressure on district and election officials to that ensure verdicts in closely-contested seats are declared in favour of the ruling JDU-BJP alliance. In a tweet posted in Hindi, the RJD’s party handle said officials were delaying counting in at least 10 seats and not handing certificates to winning candidates from others. The Nitish Kumar administration is delaying counting in 10 seats. Candidates who have won have not been given certificates. Sitting in the Chief Minister’s house, Nitish Kumar and Sushil Kumar are making the Chief Secretary exert pressure on officials for seats where the margin is slim, the party said. Most exit polls had predicted a comfortable victory for the MGB, an alliance comprising the RJD, the Congress, and Left parties (CPM, CPI and CPI-ML). But at the time of publication, in terms of seats won and leads, the NDA was headed for a final tally of 123, while the MGB was set to get 113, with Chirag Paswan’s LJP on course for zero wins.

B) Bypoll results: BJP secures majority in MP, sweeps Gujarat, Karnataka. 

Along with the Bihar Assembly elections, results were also coming in for the by-polls held in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Manipur. In Madhya Pradesh, the most consequential of these by-polls, the BJP is assured of a majority in the Assembly, with the party securing nine, and on course to win 19 out of the 28 seats that saw polling. The BJP needed at least eight of the 28 seats in the Assembly by-polls to attain a simple majority in the 230-member Assembly, whose effective strength is 229. The bypolls in M.P. are being seen as a barometer of Jyotiraditya Scindia’s influence in the changed political scenario in the State. The Congress, still smarting from Scindia’s defection, was hoping to make a dent in the Gwalior-Chambal region, believed to be a stronghold of the Scindias, but has failed to do so. At the time of writing, the Congress had won one seat and was leading in eight. In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP was ahead in six of the seven seats, while the Samajwadi Party (SP) was leading on one. On Monday, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav had accused the BJP of rigging the elections in its favour. He, however, did not elaborate on the accusation, and said he would provide details after the results are declared on 10 November. In Gujarat, the BJP swept all the eight assembly seats that saw elections. In Karnataka, too, it made a clean sweep, winning both Sira in Tumkur district and Rajarajeshwarinagar in Bengaluru. In Manipur, BJP candidates won two seats while an Independent candidate bagged one in the by-elections to four Assembly constituencies, the results of which were announced on November 10.

C) Arnab Goswami moves Supreme Court for bail. 

The Bombay High Court had on 9 November had refused to grant interim bail to Goswami and two others in the case and asked them to move the local court for relief. An apex court Bench of Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Indira Banerjee will hear his bail plea. Meanwhile, the Alibaug Sessions Court today reserved its order on the revised petition filed by Raigad police challenging the order of the Chief Judicial Magistrate refusing police custody of Goswami and sending him to judicial custody instead. It will pronounce its verdict in this case on Thursday. The bail application filed by Goswami in this court has also been listed for hearing on the same day.

D) Top commanders ironing out process to reach pact: Gen Naravane

Senior military commanders of India and China were ironing out the modalities of how to proceed ahead. They are very hopeful that we will be able to reach an agreement that is mutually acceptable and mutually beneficial, said Army Chief Gen Manoj Naravane on 10 November on the situation in eastern Ladakh. The Army Chief also asserted that there was no shortage of extreme weather clothing or equipment for troops deployed on the front line. They had the 8th round of talks on November 6 between the highest military-level commanders on both sides. They are ironing out the modalities of how to proceed within the overarching guidelines, which had been communicated post the interactions and meetings between the respective Ministers [Defence and External Affairs), Gen Naravane said at the defence attach conclave organised by news portal Bharat Shakti. It was discussed by the defence ministers that it has to be an overall solution to the entire issue which brought this situation to the fore. Within those guidelines, they are discussing how to actually achieve it on the ground, he said.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) EU charges Amazon with distorting competition

European Union regulators on 10 November has charged Amazon with distorting competition in online retail and opened a second investigation into its business practices. The European Commission has been investigating Amazon’s dual role as a marketplace for merchants and also a rival seller since July last year, following complaints from traders about the company’s practices. It has also looked into how Amazon uses competitively sensitive merchant data to select winners for its buy box, which allows customers to add items from a specific retailer directly into their shopping carts. They must ensure that dual-role platforms with market power, such as Amazon, do not distort competition, said Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s competition commissioner, who has a reputation of being one of the world’s toughest antitrust regulators. Data on the activity of third-party sellers should not be used to the benefit of Amazon when it acts as a competitor to these sellers. The conditions of competition on the Amazon platform must also be fair, she added. The charges come as the Covid-19 pandemic has amplified Amazon’s role in the global economy, with online sales soaring. The second investigation is into the possible preferential treatment of Amazon’s own retail offers and those of marketplace sellers that use Amazon’s logistics and delivery services. Amazon has disagreed with the EU charges. The company can ask for a closed door hearing to defend itself. The final decision from EU could come next year.

 

B) Trump accuses Pfizer of delaying vaccine announcement

Incumbent United States President Donald Trump has accused the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and drug manufacturer Pfizer of withholding the announcement on Covid-19 vaccine ahead of the presidential elections in the country to deny him a vaccine win.  His comments came after Pfizer and German biotechnology company Bio M.Tech. announced that their coronavirus vaccine was more than 90% effective in phase three clinical trials. The US Food and Drug Administration and the Democrats didn’t want to have me get a Vaccine WIN, prior to the election, so instead it came out five days later as he have said all along! Trump said in a tweet without giving any evidence to back the claim. Trump also fired Defence Secretary Mark Esper and is reportedly looking at terminating other top security officials, including FBI director Christopher Wray. He has still not formally conceded the election to President-elect Joe Biden and his campaign has launched legal suits in several states challenging the validity of the election outcome.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
10 November 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) NGT bans crackers in areas with poor air quality

The Delhi government on Thursday decided to ban firecrackers in the national capital. The Delhi government on Thursday decided to ban firecrackers in the national capital. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 9 November has directed that there would be a total ban on sale or use of all kinds of firecrackers between November 10 and 30 in all cities and towns across the country where the average ambient air quality in November fell under the poor and below category. A Bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel also directed that in places across the country where the ambient air quality fell under the ‘moderate’ or below category, only green crackers would be permitted to be sold, and timings for the use and bursting of crackers would be restricted to two hours. The green panel specified that data from November 2019 would be calculated to ascertain the average ambient air quality for both the instances. The Tribunal in its order also noted that Odisha, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Delhi and Chandigarh, among others, had already prohibited the sale and use of firecrackers to protect vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children, and persons with co-morbidities.

B) Bombay High Court denies interim bail to Arnab Goswami 

The Bombay High Court on 9 November has refused to grant interim bail to journalist Arnab Goswami in the 2018 case of abetment to suicide. A division bench of justices SS Shinde and MS Karnik said observations made by this court were only prima facie and restricted to this application and shall not affect the trial court in any manner. The editor-in-chief of Republic TV has also filed for regular bail before the Alibaug sessions court. The Bench has been hearing Goswami’s plea for immediate release from November 6. There was a special hearing on Saturday, which went on for the whole day despite Diwali vacations. Goswami was sent to judicial custody on November 4 after being arrested by the Raigad police from his house in Mumbai the same day. He, along with two others, has been accused of abetting the alleged suicide of interior designer Anvay Naik and his mother Kumud Naik.

C) 15th Finance Commission submits its report to President 

The 15th Finance Commission said it has taken the unique requirements of each of India’s 28 States on board and come up with State-specific considerations in its report submitted to President Ram Nath Kovind. The main report, titled Finance Commission in Covid Times depicts on its cover a set of scales to denote the balance between the Union and the States. The Commission has also presented two more volumes as part of its submissions. The first one focuses on the state of the Union government’s finances, with an in-depth scrutiny of key departments, the medium-term challenges facing the Centre, and a roadmap for the future. The other volume is entirely dedicated to States, with the finances of each analysed at great depth. The panel has come up with State-specific considerations to address the key challenges that individual States face, as per a statement issued by the Commission after its meeting with the President. The report is expected to be presented to Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon, and will be available in the public domain once it is tabled in the Parliament by the government.

 

D) People’s Conference asks for early hearings on Article 370 petitions 

The Peoples Conference, headed by Sajad Lone, on 9 November had submitted a plea before the Supreme Court seeking an early hearing of the pending petitions contesting the measures taken by the Centre since August 5 last year in Jammu and Kashmir, including the abrogation of provisions of Article 370. Allow the present application on behalf of the petitioner for an early hearing of the present petition and the other petitions and fix an early date for hearing, read party spokesman Adnan Ashraf Mir’s plea. He said the petitions ought to be heard and disposed of urgently as significant changes to the rights of the residents of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir have already been brought about by the Centre.

E) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments

The number of coronavirus cases reported from India stood at 85,60,170 with the death toll at 1,26,748. Stating that Covid-appropriate behaviour is still our best bet, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan on Monday interacted with State Health Ministers and senior officials of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Telangana, Punjab, Haryana and Kerala to review the Covid-19 situation and preparedness. He said that of the total active Covid-19 cases in the country, 0.44% of the patients were on ventilator support, 2.47% were in ICU, and 4.13% occupied oxygen-supported beds. He added that India had the highest recovery rate and one of the lowest fatality rates globally.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Pfizer says Covid-19 vaccine 90% effective in Phase 3 trial

There has been a major development in the battle against coronavirus: a vaccine jointly developed by Pfizer and BioNTech was 90% effective in preventing Covid-19 infections in ongoing Phase 3 trials, according to a statement released by the companies on 9 November. Protection in patients was achieved seven days after the second of two doses, and 28 days after the first, according to preliminary findings. The first set of results from our Phase 3 Covid-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine’s ability to prevent Covid-19, Pfizer chairman and CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement. Based on supply projections, the companies said they expect to supply up to 50 million vaccine doses globally in 2020, and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021. Since the Pfizer/BionTech vaccine uses messenger-RNA (mRNA) technology, it will need to be stored and distributed at minus 70 degrees Celsius a big challenge for India and other developing countries with under-developed cold chain infrastructure. On the other hand, viral vector (adenovirus) vaccines typically have less stringent refrigeration requirements, and can be shipped at 2-8 degrees Celsius. The vaccine candidates being developed by Oxford/AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, and Sanofi/Novavax, for instance, use viral vector technology.

B) Biden campaign urges federal body to approve transition of power

President-elect Joe Biden’s campaign urged the Trump political appointee who heads the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) to approve an official transition of power despite President Donald Trump’s refusal to concede. The GSA has not yet certified the election result though it has been called by all major news outlets based on projections. The Trump campaign, meanwhile, has planned a spate of lawsuits in several states to challenge the results and vote counts. The Biden campaign warned that U.S. national security and economic interests depended on a clear signal that the country would engage in a smooth and peaceful transfer of power. GSA Administrator Emily Murphy, appointed to the job by Trump in 2017, has not yet determined that a winner is clear, a spokesperson said, delaying the Biden team’s access to millions of dollars in federal funding and the ability to meet with officials at intelligence agencies and other departments. The spokesperson declined to say when a decision could be made.

Indian-American physician Dr. Vivek Murthy on November 9 was named one of the three co-chairs of the Covid-19 task-force that will guide President-elect Joe Biden on dealing with the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed over 2,36,000 lives in the country. Dr. Murthy, 43, a former U.S. Surgeon General, along with two other co-chairs — Dr. David Kessler and Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith — would lead a team of top public health experts who will advise Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris on the deadly virus.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
09 November 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) On fourth anniversary of demonetisation, PM lists benefits. 

On the fourth anniversary of demonetisation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 8 November said it has helped reduce black money, increase tax compliance and formalisation, and given a boost to transparency. On November 8, 2016, Prime Minister Modi announced the decision to ban all currency notes of higher denomination of ₹500 and ₹1,000 from midnight. Taking to Twitter, Prime Minister Modi listed the beneficial outcomes of demonetization. Demonetization has helped reduce black money, increase tax compliance and formalization and given a boost to transparency, he tweeted. These outcomes have been greatly beneficial towards national progress, Mr. Modi said on Twitter using the hashtag ‘DeMolishingCorruption’. Along with his tweet, the Prime Minister also shared a graphic on how demonetisation has ensured better tax compliance, improved tax and GDP ratio, made India a lesser cash based economy and gave a boost to national security.

B) My life is danger, please tell courts to help: Arnab Goswami. 

Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami along with two of the co-accused in the case of abetment to suicide has been shifted to Taloja Central Jail in Navi Mumbai by jail officials citing security reasons. Mr. Goswami who was arrested on November 4 has been in judicial custody since then and was lodged in the Alibag jail-quarantine centre which is a school run by the Alibag Municipal Council. The shifting decision was by jail authorities. On Monday, we have a hearing on our revision petition before Alibag sessions court and if we are granted police custody, he will have to be brought back, Raigad Superintendent of Police Ashok Dudhe said. After reaching near Taloja jail when he saw media persons, Mr. Goswami started shouting, he is not allowed to speak to my lawyers, my life is under threat. His life is in danger, please tell the courts to help him. Groups of people against Mr. Goswami and in support of him had reached outside Taloja jail shouting slogans.

C) Open to SC to initiate suo motu contempt against Jagan: AG. 

Attorney General K.K. Venugopal has said it is open for the Supreme Court to initiate suo motu contempt proceedings against Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy for his letter on October 6 to the Chief Justice of India containing allegations against sitting Supreme Court judge Justice N.V. Ramana. The very crux of the alleged contempt lies in the contents of the letter written by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to the Chief Justice of India, and thus it is open to the Supreme Court to take up the matter of contempt suo motu as provided by the Contempt of Courts Act, and the rules made there under, Mr. Venugopal wrote to Supreme Court advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay on November 7. Mr. Venugopal was replying to Mr. Upadhyay’s request to reconsider his earlier refusal to permit contempt action against Mr. Reddy. The AG stood by his decision, reiterating that that the CJI was already seized of the matter and it would be inappropriate on his part to grant consent and preclude the determination of the Chief Justice of India in the issue.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) In first speech as President-elect, Biden promises to unify. 

United States President-elect Joe Biden, making his first remarks on 8 November after several news outlets projected his win, pledged to be a leader who will unite rather than divide. He pledge to be a president who does not see red or blue states, but United States, Biden told a crowd of cheering supporters. He added that it was time to stop treating political opponents as enemies and to lower the rhetoric. This is the time to heal America. Let this grim era of demonization in America begin to end, here and now. Mr. Biden added that his administration’s work will begin by putting together a plan to bring the coronavirus pandemic under control as the U.S. continues to post a record number of cases day on day. On Monday, he will name a group of leading scientists and experts as transition advisors to help take the Biden-Harris Covid plan and convert it into an action blueprint that starts on January 20th, 2021, Biden was quoted as saying by AP. Donald Trump, the sitting U.S. president for now, has so far refused to make a statement of concession and his campaign is still planning to file several legal cases challenging the validity of the election results.

B) Political leaders across the spectrum congratulate Biden, Harris. 

Congratulations for Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris poured in from across the world and from across the political spectrum in India. BJP leaders on Sunday said Indo-U.S. relations are based on the principles of democracy, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr. Biden will take the ties forward to the next level. BJP leader Ram Madhav said the people of America have made their choice and now it is for the rest of the world to welcome their decision and congratulate their leadership. The U.S. and India stand on a strong bipartisan bilateral relationship based on the principles of democracy, mutual benefits and global peace. He is  sure under the new leadership of Biden-Harris, US-India ties will continue to progress as strong as they have been, he said. Mr. Modi and Mr. Biden knew each other well from the days of the Obama administration, Mr. Madhav said, while pointing out that the latter was instrumental in holding an event of the prime minister at New York’s Madison Square on his first trip to the United States since being elected to the top post.  Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in a letter to Mr. Biden, said, like millions around the world, the Indian people have followed with great interest the course of the election during the last 12 months. We were greatly re-assured by your measured speeches, stress on healing divisions among the people, and promotion of gender and racial equality, global co-operation and sustainable development of all countries. The Indian people share these concerns and we are confident that India and the United States will continue to work together, as in the past decades, for the welfare of the people of both countries.

C) Kamala Harris may speak out on human rights issues in India: Uncle. 

Kamala Harris will speak out on issues that are important to her, said the maternal uncle of the Vice-President-elect of the United States. G. Balachandran, policy commentator and technology expert said that Ms. Harris was raised by her mother Shyamala Gopalan Harris who participated in the civil rights movement in the 1960s and she may choose to speak out on human rights related issues in India. Mr. Balachandran has worked in Chennai as The Hindu’s Development Correspondent, between 1978 and 1984. She will speak out if she is moved by something. You may not want her to say that but she will say, he is sorry but he will have to say this, said Mr. Balachandran. He pointed out that Ms. Harris would not keep quiet if she finds something happening in India that she disagrees with. The Biden-Harris campaign had maintained that India should restore civil and political rights in Kashmir and Ms. Harris had indicated her disapproval after August 5, 2019 decision on ending the special status of Jammu and Kashmir. When asked about the issue, Ms. Harris had said last year, they are all watching. Do not think that just because India has done something, she would keep quiet on that. She has spoken on issues like Kashmir earlier, Mr Balachander reminded.

D) No progress in India-China Corps Commander talks.

At the eighth round of India-China Corps Commander talks on Friday the two sides had a candid, in-depth and constructive exchange of views on disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and agreed to continue the talks, a joint statement issued on Sunday said. With no breakthrough in talks, the standoff in its seventh month now is set to continue into the winter for which both sides have made preparations. Both sides agreed to earnestly implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, ensure their frontline troops to exercise restraint and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation, the statement said.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
08 November 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Bihar third phase turnout over 57%; exit polls favour Mahagathbandhan.

Turnout in the third and final phase of polling in the Bihar assembly elections – for 78 seats spreading across 15 districts — was over 57%, according to the Election Commission of India (ECI). Speaking at the press conference, EC secretary general Umesh Sinha said Bihar had witnessed enthusiastic polling in the three phases on October 28, Tuesday and Saturday, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. During campaigning for the three phases, 876 violations of the Model Code of Conduct and 156 violations of Covid-19 safety norms were seen, he said. Seizures of ₹66.84 crore were made, which were many times higher than previous elections, he said. In the first phase, 71 seats spread across 16 districts went to poll, while in the second, voters in 94 seats of 17 districts exercised their franchise on November 3. With the voting concluding for all the 243 seats, the focus now shifts to the November 10 counting of votes, which will give Bihar a new government. Speaking of a new government, most exit polls have put the Mahagathbandhan ahead of the NDA by varying margins. The People’s Pulse Bihar Exit Poll has projected 85-95 seats for the RJD, 15-20 for the Congress, and 3-5 seats for the Left parties, for a rough tally of around 110 seats for the Grand Alliance. It has projected 65-75 seats for the BJP and 25-35 for the JD (U), for a rough total of 90-100 seats for the NDA. On the other hand, the exit polls of Chanakya have predicted a landslide win for the Tejashwi Yadav-led opposition, giving it more than 180 seats and a clear majority in the assembly. The Times Now C-Voter poll has projected 120 seats for the Grand Alliance and 116 for the NDA, while the ABP-C Voter survey has estimated 131-108 seats for the Mahagathbandhan and 128-104 for the NDA.

B) No immediate relief for Arnab Goswami as Bombay HC reserves order on bail plea. 

After a marathon hearing that lasted more than six hours, the Bombay High Court today reserved its orders on the applications filed by Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami and other co-accused arrested in the 2018 abetment to suicide case involving the death of architect Anvay Naik. The two-judge division Bench of Justices S.S. Shinde and M.S. Karnik, hearing the habeas corpus petition and a bail application filed by Goswami, refused to pass an order for interim relief. It also refused to quash the FIR filed against Goswami in the abetment to suicide case and asked his lawyer to approach the sessions court with a regular bail application. Justice Shinde said that they can’t pass order on 7 November. It is already six. Meanwhile they will clarify that pendency of the petition will not bar the petitioner from approaching the sessions court for bail and if such an application is filed, it should be decided within four days. 

C) Notice issued to Maharashtra govt on closure of 2018 abetment to suicide case.

During the hearing, lawyers appearing for Anvay Naik’s daughter, Adnya Naik, who is seeking a re-investigation into the 2018 case, sought action against the police officers who did a miserable job of investigation in the first instance. Questioning the urgency behind giving Goswami three days of hearing, they argued that the victim’s family might be harmed if the journalist is released. The Bombay High Court then issued notice to Maharashtra government seeking its response on the plea by Adnya Naik seeking an inquiry against the investigation officers who filed ‘A-summary’ closure report in 2019 on her 2018 FIR. Meanwhile, the sessions court at Alibaug in Maharashtra’s Raigad district will hear on Monday, November 9, the police’s revision plea challenging the magistrate’s order of judicial remand to Goswami (they had sought police custody). Interestingly, legal experts have noted the contrast in how Goswami has been able to get immediate hearings for his applications, in contrast to some others. For instance, when the 83-year-old tribal rights activist Stan Swamy, arrested in the Elgar Parishad case, moved the court earlier this week requesting a straw and sipper as he was suffering from Parkinson’s disease and could not hold a glass, the court gave the prosecution 20 days to reply to his application and fixed the next hearing for November 26.

D) Political parties under Gupkar alliance to fight upcoming J&K District elections as a united front. 

Seven mainstream political parties of Jammu and Kashmir, who are part of the Gupkar alliance, on Saturday announced they would unitedly fight the upcoming District Development Council (DDC) elections in the Union Territory. The parties, including the National Conference (NC) and the PDP, are part of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), which was formed for the restoration of special status of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir. Elections to DDCs and vacant posts of sarpanch and panch will be held in eight phases from December 1 to December 24 in Jammu and Kashmir, according to a notification issued by the J-K Election Commission on Friday. The PAGD decided to participate in the DDC polls at its first meeting in Jammu, since its formation last month. The alliance’s spokesperson, Sajad Ghani Lone, said that one point of the agenda (for the meeting) was the upcoming DDC elections, and a unanimous decision was taken that we will fight these elections unitedly despite the abruptness of the timing. All of a sudden, they (government) sprung a surprise and are going to finish the task within a month, said Lone, who was flanked by NC leader and PAGD chairperson Farooq Abdullah and PDP chief and the alliance’s vice chairperson Mehbooba Mufti. He said the PAGD will go through the modalities and Farooq Abdullah would release the names of candidates.

E) India successfully launched its latest earth observation satellite EOS-01. 

India successfully launched its latest earth observation satellite EOS-01 and nine customer satellites on board its Polar rocket from the spaceport in Sriharikota on 7 November. This is the first mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) this year. EOS-01 is intended for applications in agriculture, forestry and disaster management support, the space agency said. The customer satellites were from Lithuania (1), Luxembourg (4) and USA (4). Indian Space Research Organisation launches all-weather Earth Imaging Satellite EOS-01 and nine other foreign satellites onboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C49 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh on November 7, 2020.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Biden set to be the 46 U.S. President, Kamala Harris the first female, black, Asian-American VP.

Victory for Joe Biden now remains a mere formality, with the Democrat nominee pulling ahead in the battleground states of Georgia and Pennsylvania to forge a path to the presidency. There are lingering doubts, however, over whether President Donald Trump will concede once all the counting is done and Biden emerges the clear winner. In the past three days, Trump has made numerous unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud as his lead in the battleground states evaporated. It remains to be seen how any legal challenge mounted by him plays out, given that the U.S. Supreme Court is packed with conservative judges. Biden, meanwhile, has stuck to the each ballot must be counted mantra. Set to be the oldest man to become American President, he will be entering the White House amidst a pandemic and one of the highest rates of unemployment in the country’s history. His running mate Kamala Harris will make history as the first ever female, black, Asian American Vice President. As some one who ran for the presidency before she became the VP nominee, Harris is expected to play a critical role in shaping the Biden administration’s polices.

B) China’s Oct. exports surge, imports rise. 

China’s exports grew at the fastest pace in 19 months in October, while imports also rose, official data showed on Saturday, as the world’s second-largest economy continued to recover after being hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis earlier this year. Exports rose 11.4% from a year earlier, beating analysts’ expectations of a 9.3% increase and quickening from a solid 9.9% increase in September. The surge in exports pushed the trade surplus for October up to $58.44 billion, compared with the poll’s forecast for a $46 billion surplus and a $37 billion surplus in September. China’s trade surplus with the United States widened to $31.37 billion in October, from $30.75 billion in September. China’s exports have stayed largely resilient amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as strong demand for medical supplies and reduced manufacturing capacity elsewhere worked in China’s favour. China’s exports could stay strong in the rest of 2020 as domestic firms resume production faster than global rivals and sell more COVID-19 related goods such as face masks, Mr. Liu said. However, some analysts said exports could come under pressure in the coming months, as major European economies, including France, Germany and the United Kingdom, went back into lockdown as a second wave of coronavirus cases gathered strength. Imports rose 4.7% year on-year in October, slower than September’s 13.2% growth, but still marking a second straight month of growth. China has a better recovery from the pandemic and has a comparative advantage, so it has gained a larger market, said Zhou Hao, an economist at Commerzbank in Singapore.

C) UAE set to overhaul Islamic laws. 

The United Arab Emirates announced on Saturday a major overhaul of the country’s Islamic personal laws, allowing unmarried couples to cohabitate, loosening alcohol restrictions and criminalizing so-called -honor killings. The broadening of personal freedoms reflects the changing profile of a country that has sought to Bill itself as a Westernised destination for tourists, fortune-seekers and businesses despite its Islamic legal code that has previously triggered court cases against foreigners and outrage in their home countries. The reforms aim to boost the country’s economic and social CM standing and consolidate the UAE’s principles of tolerance. state-run WAM news agency reported. The announcement follows a historic U.S.-brokered deal to normalize relations between the UAE and Israel, which is expected to bring an influx of Israeli tourists and investment. The changes also reflect the efforts of the Emirates’ rulers to keep pace with a rapidly changing society at home. Changes include scrapping penalties for alcohol consumption, sales and possession for those 21 and over. The decrees were announced on WAM and detailed in State-linked newspaper The National, which said they would take immediate effect. Although liquor and beer is widely available in bars and clubs in the UAE’s luxuriant coastal cities, individuals previously needed a government-issued license to purchase, transport or have alcohol in their homes. Another amendment allows for cohabitation of unmarried couples, which has long been a crime in the UAE.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
07 November 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Chief of Defence Staff Gen Rawat flags possibility of larger conflict with China.

India will not accept any shifting of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and unprovoked tactical military actions spiraling into a larger conflict cannot be ruled out, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat said on 6 November as the eighth round of talks between the military commanders of India and China got underway at Chushul to resolve the ongoing standoff. Their posturing is unambiguous. They will not accept any shifting of the LAC. In the overall security calculus, border confrontations, transgressions, and unprovoked tactical military actions spiraling into a larger conflict therefore cannot be discounted, Gen. Rawat said, while addressing a webinar by the National Defence College as part of its diamond jubilee celebrations. Speaking of the situation in eastern Ladakh, Gen. Rawat said tensions were high and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was facing unanticipated consequences of its misadventure in Ladakh because of the Indian defence forces’ firm and strong response. With no progress in the talks so far, both sides have made preparations to maintain thousands of troops and equipment in the extreme conditions of high altitude winter.

B) GST shortfall for States could be ₹5-7 lakh crore by 2022, says 15th Finance Commission, moots unique ‘fiscal glide path’ for each State.

The gap between GST cess collections and the revenue shortfall faced by States for implementing the Goods and Services Tax (GST) could snowball to anywhere between ₹5 lakh crore to ₹7 lakh crore by June 2022, from the ₹2.35 lakh crore estimated for this year, the Fifteenth Finance Commission is learnt to have projected in its report. The Commission, which finalized its report proposing a framework for sharing revenues between the Centre and the States for the next five years on October 30, is learnt to have recommended a unique fiscal glide path for each State for the period 2020-21 to 2025-26, in a separate volume dedicated to States. Given the uncertainty created by the pandemic and the slowdown in the economy that pre-dated the Covid-19 virus, the panel, whose report will be submitted to President Ramnath Kovind on Monday, has had to rely on variable growth projections for each of the five years rather than assuming a steady growth trend.

C) Stubble burning: panel has begun work, Centre tells SC.

The Union government informed the Supreme Court on 6 November that the new Commission to check stubble-burning by farmers in the adjoining States of Delhi would start functioning this day. The Commission will start functioning from 6 November itself, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed a three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad A. Bobde. The Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Ordinance of 2020 was promulgated by the Centre recently. It is meant to both prevent and monitor stubble-burning by the farmers of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The air pollution caused by the indiscriminate burning of fields is choking Delhi. Former Delhi Chief Secretary M.M. Kutty was appointed chairperson of this Commission. Its other members include Mukesh Khare of IIT-Delhi, Ramesh K.J., Ex-Director General, India Meteorological Department; and A.K. Nautiyal, a joint secretary in the Ministry. Ajay Mathur, Director General, The Energy Resources Institute, and Ashish Dhawan of the Air Pollution Action Group have been appointed as representatives of NGOs.

D) No bail yet for Arnab Goswami, hearing in High Court to continue tomorrow. 

There was no immediate relief for Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami  arrested on Wednesday in a 2018 abetment to suicide case as the hearing today on his interim bail plea before the Bombay High Court remained incomplete. The court on Saturday will continue to hear his petition seeking interim bail and challenging his arrest. Today a division bench of Justices S. S. Shinde and M. S. Karnik heard arguments by his lawyers Harish Salve and Aabad Ponda but said the hearing will continue on Saturday for paucity of time. They will assemble for this matter tomorrow at noon. Since regular court work will not be there tomorrow, we can hear this matter at length, the HC said. The High Court does not normally assemble on Saturdays. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Friday took suo motu cognisance and issued a contempt notice against the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Secretary for browbeating Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami, who had approached the apex court against a privilege notice issued against him. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad A. Bobde asked the Secretary to show-cause why he should not be punished for contempt for threatening Goswami with a penalty just because the journalist had approached the apex court in connection with a privilege motion.

E) Payments on WhatsApp go live in India. 

Following the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) nod to WhatsApp, owned by Facebook, to roll out its payments service in India, Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO of Facebook, said on Friday that payments were available now in 10 Indian regional language versions of the platform. Zuckerberg, in his video message, added that with UPI on which WhatsApp payments is built. India had created something truly special and was opening up a world of opportunities for micro and small businesses that were the backbone of the Indian economy. In a blogpost, WhatsApp explained that to send money in India, it was necessary to have a bank account and debit card.In a blogpost, WhatsApp explained that to send money in India, it was necessary to have a bank account and debit card. Now everyone can send money to their friends and family through WhatsApp as easily as sending a message. There’s no fee, and it’s supported by more than 140 banks. And because it’s WhatsApp, it’s secure and private too, he said. In a blogpost, WhatsApp explained that to send money in India, it was necessary to have a bank account and debit card. WhatsApp would send instructions to banks, also known as payment service providers, that initiated the transfer of money via UPI between sender and receiver bank accounts.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Greta Thunberg recycles Donald Trump’s jibe as he tries to ‘stop’ vote counting.

Swedish teen environmental activist Greta Thunberg on 6 November has mocked Donald Trump in his own words, and urged him to chill after the U.S. president, trailing behind his Democratic rival Joe Biden in the election, demanded that the counting of votes must stop. When she was named as Time magazine’s Person of the Year in December 2019, Trump had told Thunberg to work on her anger management problem and go to an old fashioned movie with a friend. Chill Greta, chill! Trump said in his tweet on December 12, in which he described her Time award as so ridiculous. Trump was raging on Twitter on Thursday and posted a number of tweets alleging unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud .The 17-year-old used the president’s own words to mock him after he tweeted, STOP THE COUNT. So ridiculous, Thunberg tweeted in reply to Trump’s post. Donald must work on his Anger Management problem, then go to a good old fashioned movie with a friend! Chill Donald, Chill! she wrote, in a perfect riposte, which has received some 1.2 million likes.

B) Biden almost home as he takes lead in two battleground States.

On 6 November, days after counting began for the race to the White House, Democratic nominee Joe Biden secured leads in key battleground States of Georgia and Pennsylvania, according to US media. Biden had been trailing Republican Donald Trump in both States earlier. He also took a narrow lead over President Donald Trump in the battleground state of Georgia for the first time early on Friday, putting the White House within his reach. Georgia, along with five other undecided states — Nevada, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Arizona and Alaska — continue to count ballots. Biden currently has a 253 to 214 lead in the state-by-state Electoral College vote that determines the winner, according to most media outlets. Should he clinch Pennsylvania, it would take his electoral vote count to 273, a jump of 20, if Arizona is not included. Arizona continues to be incredibly close though it was earlier called in favour of Biden by Associated Press and Fox News, among others. A narrow win for Biden in Georgia would most likely be challenged to a recount by the Trump campaign. A clearer path would appear to be Pennsylvania. This is also the state where there is ample room for him to overtake Trump by a large margin as mail-in ballots continue to be counted.

C) US media outlets cut off Trump as he peddles false claims in press conference.

In his first appearance since late on Election Night, President Donald Trump, speaking from the briefing room in the White House on the evening of 5 November, claimed that the election results so far were part of a broad conspiracy by Democrats to deprive him of a second term. According to The New York Times, the three big broadcast networks — ABC, CBS and NBC — all cut away from President Trump’s appearance as the president’s false claims about the integrity of the election mounted. Trump said that he wanted a halt in the counting of votes that came in late. They have already decisively won many critical states, including massive victories, he added. It’s amazing how those mail-in ballots are so one-sided. The president also expressed his outrage in all-caps declarations on Twitter. STOP THE COUNT! he proclaimed. However, the president has no authority over election counting. ANY VOTE THAT CAME IN AFTER ELECTION DAY WILL NOT BE COUNTED! he later wrote. STOP THE FRAUD, said another. All his tweets were flagged by Twitter as potentially misleading.