Tag: latest Current Affairs

CURRENT AFFAIRS
06 November 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) UGC issues guidelines for reopening colleges and universities. 

Reopening of colleges and universities should start with libraries and laboratories, research scholars, science and technology post-graduates, and final year students, according to the University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines issued on Thursday. For all other students, online and distance learning will continue to be the preferred method. Only institutions outside containment zones can be re-opened, and students and staff living in containment zones will not be allowed to attend physical classes, according to the UGC guidelines. The Home Ministry had already given States permission to reopen schools and colleges from October 15, depending on the local situation. Several States have announced plans to reopen high schools, colleges and universities this month. According to the UGC guidelines, for centrally funded institutions, it is up to the head of each institution to take a decision on reopening if they are satisfied with the feasibility of physical classes. All other institutions, whether private or state-funded, must depend on the decision of the respective state governments. Only 50% of the student strength will be allowed on campus at a time, and all facilities will be disinfected regularly. All personnel on campus will be required to wear face masks, and follow hand sanitising practices. However, maintaining six feet distance is only recommended “as far as feasible”, and detection of illness is based on self-monitoring rather than mandatory temperature checks. The installation of Aarogya Setu app is being recommended wherever possible. Institutions are also free to mandate stricter rules. Although the guidelines discourage hostel reopening, it will be permitted so long as there is no sharing of rooms and 14-day quarantines are imposed on students coming from other locations.

 

B) This is my last election, says Nitish Kumar.

On 5 November, the last day of the poll campaign, JD (U) President and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced that this was going to be his last election and all is well that ends well. “Parso chunav hai aur yeh mera aakhri chunav hai…aur ant bhala to sab bhala (day after tomorrow there is poll and this is my last election…all is well that ends well),” said Kumar while addressing a public meeting at Dhamdaha in Purnia district of northeast Bihar. Kumar, 69, is facing anti-incumbency in the polls as he seeks a fourth consecutive term as Chief Minister. RJD leader and party spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari said that the  leader Tejashwi Yadav has been saying for long that on November 10, farewell of Nitish Kumar is guaranteed. Yeh to aise bhi unka last chunav hi tha (it was anyway his last election). The third and last phase of Bihar polls will be held on November 7. Counting will be done on November 10.

C) Delhi could soon become ‘corona capital’, says HC.

Expressing displeasure over the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the Capital, the Delhi High Court on Thursday said the city could soon become the corona capital of the country. A Bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Subramonium Prasad made the remark while hearing a bunch of petitions relating to non-payment of salaries to doctors, paramedical staff, safai karamcharis, teachers and retired engineers among others, employed with the North Delhi Municipal Corporation. The Bench noted that the Delhi government had made many claims of topping the charts in testing but the number of cases had also soared. The city could soon become ‘corona capital’ of the country, thanks to the number of cases shooting up, the Bench said, adding it was going to take the matter very seriously. The High Court said the unpaid municipal workers and retired staff have faced the real and maximum pinch during the pandemic, and asked the civic bodies to make an attempt to release their pending salaries as the festival of Deepavali is round the corner. During the hearing, the civic bodies raised the issue of non-release of full amount by the government, leading to non-payment of salaries. The Delhi government’s counsel disputed the claim saying the way revenue collection had hit the municipal corporations, it had affected the State too. The court directed the three civic bodies and the Delhi government to file status reports regarding the release of the salaries and pensions and listed the matter for further hearing on December 16.

D) Govt. orders ban on crackers 

The Delhi government on 5 November has put a complete ban on the sales, purchase, and use of all firecrackers in Delhi between November 7 and November 30. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also appealed to the residents to celebrate Deepavali by performing Lakshmi Puja at their homes instead of bursting crackers. The ban came on a day when the air quality in the Capital turned severe and Delhiites in many areas burst crackers on the occasion of Karva Chauth on Wednesday. A government official said that the cracker ban included green crackers that had been permitted for use by the Supreme Court. The apex court in 2018 had banned the use of conventional firecrackers in Delhi and had permitted the use of green crackers during a two-hour window on Deepavali between 8 p.m and 10 p.m. Event to be livestreamed Mr. Kejriwal said that he will be performing Lakshmi Puja on Deepavali, along with other Cabinet Ministers, which will be livestreamed by some TV channels and requested everybody to join in. “If we burn crackers, we will be playing with the health of our children and our family,” he said.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Biden closer to the finish line as counting continues. 

The U.S. presidential election is still poised on a knife’s edge, with the two candidates going neck and neck in several battleground states. Democratic candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden has scored victories in the crucial states of Michigan and Wisconsin and also narrowed the gap with President Donald Trump in Georgia and Pennsylvania. Meanwhile the Trump campaign, in a last ditch effort, has filed lawsuits in Georgia, Michigan and Pennsylvania, and has demanded a recounting of votes in Wisconsin. As we indicated in our newsletter yesterday, Pennsylvania, which can potentially count votes till Friday night, seems to be the most likely target. They are going to win Pennsylvania, but they are trying to cheat them out of it because they know it is their only path to victory, Eric Trump, the younger son of the President, told reporters at a news conference in Philadelphia. With Trump insisting without evidence that there were major problems with the voting and the ballot counting, especially with mail-in votes, dozens of his angry supporters converged on vote-counting centers in Detroit, Michigan and Phoenix, Arizona as the returns went against him in the two key States. At the same time, thousands of anti-Trump protesters demanding a complete tally of the ballots in the still-undecided election took to the streets in cities across the U.S.

B) China bars travellers from India, U.K. citing Covid-19 cases.

On 5 November, China has effectively barred travellers from India, the United Kingdom, Belgium and the Philippines by temporarily suspending valid visas, with measures targeting other countries also expected as Beijing moves to tighten international travel restrictions citing a rising number of imported Covid-19 cases. The move has left it unclear whether four repatriation flights announced by India for this month will go ahead on schedule. The announcement to bar travellers was made in separate and near-identical notices issued on Wednesday and Thursday by Chinese missions in India, the U.K., Belgium and the Philippines. With Beijing broadly controlling the local transmission of cases within the country and China returning to normalcy in recent months following stringent measures, authorities are now emphasising that dealing with “imported” cases from international travellers is the top priority.

C) EU cuts growth forecast, says recovery unlikely until 2023.

The European Union’s executive commission on 5 November has lowered its growth forecast for the economic rebound from the coronavirus pandemic next year and said the economy wouldn’t reach pre-virus levels until 2023. The regular autumn forecast foresees the economy of the 19 countries that use the euro growing only 4.2% in 2021, instead of the previous estimate of 6.1%. The downgrade comes as governments record increasing numbers of infections, and sick people in hospitals and deaths, leading to renewed restrictions on businesses and activity. The commission added a warning that the situation with the virus means that its growth forecasts are subject to an extremely high degree of uncertainty. Output in both the euro area and the EU is not expected to recover its pre-pandemic level in 2022, the commission said in a statement accompanying the forecast report.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
05 November 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Arnab Goswami arrested in abetment of suicide case.

On 4 November, Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami was on arrested by the Local Crime Branch (LCB) of the Raigad Police in an abetment to suicide case. Two other accused, Feroz Shaikh and Nitesh Sarda, have also been arrested. Interior designer Anvay Naik, who was found dead in his farmhouse at Kavir Village in Alibaug on May 5, 2018, had left a alleged suicide note accusing Goswami, Shaikh of icastX/Skimedia, and Sarda of Smartworks of not paying dues amounting to ₹5.40 crore for his interior design work, as a result of which his firm, Concorde Designs Private Limited, suffered severe losses. Naik’s mother was also found dead in the farmhouse. While Goswami was arrested from Worli, Shaikh was arrested from Kandivali, and Sarda from Jogeshwari. Post-mortem reports revealed that Naik himself ended his life. His mother, Kumud, had been strangulated, and a murder case too was registered by the police in the case. The case was earlier given a closure report but was reopened after Naik’s daughter met the DIG and produced more evidence. After reopening the case, it was transferred to the LCB. We then investigated and found more evidence. Goswami had attempted to transfer money into Naik’s account after his death, but the bank rejected it as the account holder was not alive. This showed that he actually owed the money, Inspector Jamil Shaikh of the LCB said.

B) Several Union Ministers come out in support of Arnab Goswami.

Several Union Ministers immediately came out in support of Goswami, with some comparing his arrest to the 19-month Emergency imposed by the Indira Gandhi government in 1975. In a tweet, Home Minister Amit Shah said that Congress and its allies have shamed democracy once again. Blatant misuse of state power against Republic TV and Arnab Goswami is an attack on individual freedom and the fourth pillar of democracy. It reminds us of the Emergency. This attack on free press must be and WILL BE OPPOSED. (sic). Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar and several others in quick succession put out tweets comparing his arrest to the 19-month long emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Sitharaman, in a series of tweets, questioned both Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi. She said, Does the President @INCIndia #SoniaGandhi approve of this? Is she happy to carry the #Emergency baggage? Does the President-in-line @RahulGandhi think this is the new governance model he supports? Having armed policemen harassing the children of those they have a problem with? The Congress hit back at the BJP for what it called selective outrage by the union ministers. The party said that the law will take its own course and no innocent person will be punished. 

C) It’s in public interest for courts to try criminal politicians: Supreme Court.

Justice N.V. Ramana, leading a three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court, on 4 November has said the court has only public interest and faith in the judiciary in mind while pushing for the setting up of special courts to expeditiously try sitting and former MPs and MLAs accused of various crimes. The purpose of this adjudication is in public interest and to maintain public faith in the judiciary by making sure that long-pending cases against sitting and former MPs and MLAs are decided without delay. It is for the public we have taken up this case, Justice Ramana explained. The Bench was considering a report filed by a committee of the Madras High Court that raised reservations over the setting up of special courts to exclusively try legislators for various offences. The committee had said that special courts cannot be offender-centric. The committee report, dated October 13, drew special attention from the Bench as it comes in the face of a 2017 Supreme Court order authorizing the Centre to set up 12 Special Courts to exclusively try criminal politicians. 

D) Proposals in works to hike retirement age in armed forces, cut down pension.

In a significant reform of the armed forces, the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), headed by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen. Bipin Rawat, has initiated proposals to increase the retirement age of officers and also cut down the pension of officers opting for Pre-Mature Retirement (PMR). The DMA proposes increasing the age of retirement of Colonels from the existing 54 to 57, for Brigadiers from 56 to 58, and for Major Generals from 58 to 59. The same is applicable to equivalent ranks in other Services. It is proposed that a draft Government sanction Letter (GSL) may be kindly processed for perusal by Secretary DMA by November 10, said a letter issued by the Office of Secretary DMA dated October 29. The age of retirement of Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) and Other Ranks in Logistics, Technical and Medical branches is also proposed to be increased to 57 years. The DMA noted that a large number of personnel were boarded out due to lesser vacancies and some service restrictions. It said that at the same time, there were several specialists and super specialists who were trained for highly skilled jobs in the services but quit to work in other sectors. Such loss of high-skilled manpower results in void in the Services skill matrix and is counter-productive to the armed forces, the letter said, adding that in view of this, it had been decided to review the pension entitlements.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) U.S. Elections: Trump claims victory, but three battleground states hold the key. 

The 2020 U.S. presidential election saw a record voter turnout with 160 million votes cast, according to media reports. President Donald Trump has won key swing States such as Florida, Texas and Ohio, forcing his Democratic rival Joe Biden to rely on the Midwestern States of Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan to see him through to the White House. As the results stated coming in 4 November, it quickly became clear that due to the unprecedented numbers of early and mail-in voting, many states could not be called, leaving the final result still in limbo. It could all boil down to how things pan out in the three battleground States of Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. But Trump did not hesitate to prematurely declare victory in a late night address. Claiming that he was leading by high margins in these three states, Trump declared that the Democrats had no chance of catching up. As the day progressed, however, that claim proved to be untrue. Trump, in his address, also said that he would go to the Supreme Court to stop more of postal ballots being counted. It is unclear at this point what the timeline for such a move might be and which states could realistically be affected by such an intervention. Pennsylvania, the state which has the most votes still to be counted, is likely to be a target. The Biden campaign responded by saying that their legal teams are also on standby.

B) Big win for ‘samosa caucus’.

In an impressive show, all the four Indian-American Democratic lawmakers — Dr Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna and Raja Krishnamoorthi — have been re-elected to the US House of Representatives. Both the Democrat and the Republican campaigns had initiated several measures to woo the approximately 1.8 million members of the community, which has emerged as a critical voting bloc in the battleground states of Florida, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas. The so-called ‘samosa caucus’, a termed sometimes used for an informal grouping of Indian-American lawmakers, might expand with at least one more addition as physician Dr Hiral Tipirneni was leading against Republican incumbent David Schweikert from the sixth Congressional district of Arizona when last reports came in. The ‘Samosa caucus’ currently comprises five Indian-American lawmakers, including four members of the House of Representatives and Senator and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, 56. Meanwhile, Indian-American former diplomat and Democrat nominee Srinivas Rao Preston Kulkarni lost the congressional race to Republican Troy Nehls in Texas’s 22nd.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
04 November 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Rajiv Gandhi murder case: Probe into larger conspiracy does not concern convicts already in jail, says SC.

On 3 November, the Supreme Court has said the Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) investigation into the larger conspiracy behind Rajiv Gandhi assassination in 1991 need not deter the Tamil Nadu Governor from deciding the plea for pardon of convicts such as A.G. Perarivalan, who have been serving their sentence in jail for over two decades. Turning to Additional Solicitor General K.M. Nataraj, appearing for the Centre, the judge asked this larger conspiracy investigation is pending for the past 20 years. The court was responding to submissions made by Mr. Nataraj that the scope of the MDMA probe extended to many countries and was still on. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, for Mr. Perarivalan, said the status reports filed about the MDMA probe was a copy-paste of earlier such reports. The court in January this year had said the body was yet to conclude its investigation pertaining to the origin and make of the bomb which killed the former Prime Minister. The court made it clear during the hearing that it was reluctant to exercise its jurisdiction when the Governor was already seized of Mr. Perarivalan’s plea for pardon under Article 161 of the Constitution.

B) Phase II: Bihar records over 55% polling.

The second phase of elections for 94 seats across 17 districts in Bihar ended peacefully on Tuesday, though there were some reports of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) malfunctioning. The voter turnout till 6 p.m. was over 54.05 %. In the first phase poll for 71 seats, voter turnout was over 55 % – higher that the figures for the 2015 Assembly election. Meanwhile, top leaders including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of the JD(U), Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav continued campaigning for the third phase of 78 seats. Addressing an election rally, Mr. Modi said he won elections because he worked to resolve the issues of mothers and sisters (among the poor). Mr. Modi also said that Bihar was all set to re-elect the NDA government to take the State to new heights. Some people ask how Mr. Modi wins elections. Mr. Modi wins elections because he works to resolve the issues of all the [poor] mothers and sisters…they bless Mr. Modi as their son who has dedicated his life for the poor, he said, while addressing a public meeting at Forbesganj in Araria district of northeast Bihar. Meanwhile, addressing a competing rally, Gandhi Congress leader and former party president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, alleging that they had looted the State and didn’t come out to help the poor migrant workers, who were forced to return home due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

C) Govt defence of land laws a bundle of lies: Gupkar alliance.

The People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an amalgam of around six parties in Jammu and Kashmir, on 3 November have disputed the Centre’s defence of the newly introduced land laws and described it as a bundle of lies and an attempt to change demography. The PAGD rejects the statement of the official spokesman [of November 2] as a bizarre attempt to distort facts, weave lies and mislead people, a spokesman of the Gupkar alliance said in a statement. Disputing the remarks made by government spokesman Rohit Kansal that the previous laws were archaic and regressive, the alliance spokesman said the land laws regime of Jammu and Kashmir was the most progressive, pro-people and pro-farmer in the entire Indian subcontinent. The real object of repealing the basic land laws and making massive amendments to the other laws is to push in and implement the agenda of effecting demographic change and disempowering the people of Jammu and Kashmir. 

D) After U.P., Haryana, now Karnataka and M.P. mull law against ‘love jihad’.

The BJP government in Karnataka is set to follow the example of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, with Karnataka Minister and BJP National General Secretary C.T. Ravi on 3 November declaring that the State will enact a law banning religious conversions for the sake of marriage. They will not remain silent when Jihadis strip the dignity of their Sisters. Any one involved in the act of conversion shall face severe & swift punishment, Mr. Ravi tweeted. His statement comes 3 days after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s remarks that his government would bring an effective law against love jihad, a term used by the Hindu right-wing to target inter-faith relationships and marriages involving a Muslim man. Earlier, on Monday, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had also said that his government will make legal arrangements to curb the alleged practice of love jihad in the state. To date, four BJP-ruled states have announced their intention to make legal provisions against love jihad.

E) Future Retail files caveat before Delhi High Court against any early move by Amazon.

Kishore Biyani led-Future Group has filed a caveat before the Delhi High Court requesting it to be heard if any plea is filed by e-commerce major Amazon over its ₹24,713 crore deal with Mukesh Ambani-led RIL. Anticipating a move by Amazon, which had got an interim arbitration award in its favour, putting the announced deal on hold, the Future Group firm has moved the Delhi High Court. A caveat is filed by a litigant in High Courts and in the Supreme Court to ensure that no adverse order is passed against the party without it being heard. The Future group firm has already served a copy of the caveat petition to Amazon, it said. On October 25, Singapore International’s Arbitration Centre (SIAC) passed an interim award in favour of Amazon, with a single-judge bench of V K Rajah barring Future Retail Ltd (FRL) from taking any step to dispose of or encumber its assets or issuing any securities to secure any funding from a restricted party. However, subsequently, in a regulatory filing, FRL said the Singapore arbitrator’s interim order against its ₹24,713 crore deal with RIL is not binding and any attempt to enforce it will be resisted.

F) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 82,97,920 with the death toll at 1,23,641. The Health Ministry on 3 November has said that it has asked state governments to refrain from making isolated plans for vaccine distribution. In a statement, it noted that states have been asked to create a database according to the template issued by the Central government and also take stock of the storage and transport facilities for vaccine distribution.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Trump vs Biden: Americans head out to vote.

It’s Election Day in the U.S., and polling has begun in a hugely consequential battle between Republican incumbent Donald Trump and Democratic challenger and former Vice President Joe Biden. As a result of the unprecedented circumstances of 2020, some 100 million Americans have already cast their ballot through mail-in voting, throwing up a number of possibilities for how the declaration of results could play out. News agencies also tackle the question of whether there will be a conclusive result on the night of 3 November in the U.S., as President Trump has repeatedly questioned the validity of mail-in voting and has already hinted that a legal challenge could be in the works.

B) China suspended 37 billion dollar stock market listing.

China has suspended the Jack Ma-led Ant Group’s $37 billion stock market listing in both Shanghai and Hong Kong in a dramatic move just two days before what was set to be the world’s largest-ever stock market debut. Ant said that its listing was suspended following a recent interview that regulators held with its founder Jack Ma and top executives. It said it may not meet listing qualifications, and also cited recent changes in the fintech regulatory environment. Ant was set to go public in Hong Kong and Shanghai on Thursday after raising about $37 billion.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
03 November 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) A-G declines consent for contempt proceedings against AP CM, aide.

Attorney-General K.K. Venugopal on 2 November has declined his consent to initiate contempt proceedings against Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and his Prinicipal Advisor Ajeya Kallam. Mr. Venugopal, however, said the timing of the Chief Minister’s letter to the Chief Justice of India containing allegations against Supreme Court judge, Justice N.V. Ramana, and the subsequent public release of the document could certainly be said to be suspect. Mr. Venugopal said Reddy’s letter on October 6 and its release by Mr. Kallam at a press conference held on October 10 was suspect because they came in the background of the order passed by Justice Ramana dated September 16, directing pending prosecutions of elected representatives to be taken up and disposed of expeditiously. 

B) SC stays ECI order revoking ‘star campaigner’ status of Kamal Nath.

The Supreme Court on 2 November has stayed the October 30 order of the Election Comission of India (ECI) revoking the ‘star campaigner’ status of former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath. Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad A. Bobde, heading a three-judge Bench, said the Commission had no power to determine who should be ‘star campaigner’ of a political party. Mr. Dwivedi said Mr. Nath’s petition against the October 30 order was already infructuous as the campaigning for by-polls to 28 Assembly seats in Madhya Pradesh was already over and polling is on November 2. The ECI revoked his name on the basis of a complaint from the BJP that Mr. Nath derogatorily referred to its candidate, Imarti Devi, as an item during a campaign rally at Dabra in Gwalior district. Mr. Nath, represented by senior advocate Kapil Sibal and advocates Varun K. Chopra and Gurtejpal Singh, said it was the prerogative of his party and not the ECI to remove his name as a ‘star campaigner.

C) SC refuses to extend security of former judge who pronounced Babri verdict.

The Supreme Court on 2 November has refused a plea made by former CBI judge S.K. Yadav, the author of the Babri Masjid demolition case verdict, to allow him to continue with his personal security. Mr. Yadav had acquitted top BJP and Sangh Parivar leaders such as L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and others in the case on his last day in office. He had written to the Supreme Court on September 30 to permit him to continue having a security cordon around him considering the sensitivity of the case. They do not consider it necessary to continue the security, a Bench led by Justice Rohinton F. Nariman concluded. The acquitted BJP and Sangh Parivar leaders were accused of criminal conspiracy which led to the demolition of the 16th century Babri Masjid by kar sevaks in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.

D) Bihar elections: 89% of constituencies have 3 or more candidates with criminal records: ADR.

In Bihar, 89% of the assembly constituencies have three or more candidates who have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits for the ongoing elections, an analysis by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) found on 2 November. The ADR analysis of election affidavits of 3,722 of the 3,733 candidates found that 32% of them had declared criminal cases. The affidavits of the remaining 11 were not available at the time of compiling the report, the ADR said. Releasing the report at a virtual press conference, ADR founder Jagdeep S. Chhokar said the Bihar elections were the first general elections to be held after the Supreme Court directions to parties on February 13 to publish the reasons for choosing a candidate with a criminal background. The court had directed the parties to give reasons why a candidate without criminal antecedents could not be chosen. As per these mandatory guidelines, the reasons for such selection have to be with reference to qualifications, achievements and merit of the candidate concerned. Therefore, such unfounded and baseless reasons given by political parties like popularity of the person, does good social work, cases are politically motivated, etc. are not sound and cogent reasons for fielding candidates with tainted backgrounds, the report said. The report also found that the assets declared by the 201 re-contesting MLAs had increased by ₹2.02 crore, or 71% on average, from the 2015 Assembly polls. 

E) Poet Munawwar Rana booked for remarks on France attacks.

Renowned Urdu poet Munawwar Rana was booked by the Uttar Pradesh police for allegedly spreading enmity between groups with his recent comments in which he purportedly provided a justification for the murders in France by extremists over caricatures of Prophet Muhammad. In an interview to a Hindi television channel last week, Mr. Rana condemned the person who drew the caricatures of the prophet. In the same breath, however, he said that persons who committed the murders over the caricature had committed even more deplorable acts. What landed him in a soup was the part where he said that if someone had drawn a cartoon of his parents or even of Hindu gods and goddesses, he would have done the same (murder). Mr. Rana went on to say that he would also feel like killing a person who makes disgusting, obscene and objectionable cartoons of Sita, Lord Ram or other gods and goddesses. A case was lodged against Rana at the Hazratganj police station on the complaint of a sub-inspector. The FIR accuses Mr. Rana of justifying the murders and spreading communal discord. Talking to a news agency after the FIR, Mr. Rana said he stood by his statement. Talking to other media, he said his remarks were taken out of context and that he only meant to provide the perspective for acts committed in the name of religious fanaticism.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Trump, Biden search for last-minute support. 

U.S. President Donald Trump hunted for support in four battleground States on 2 November, while Democratic rival Joe Biden focused on Pennsylvania and Ohio during the final day of campaigning in their race for the White House. The Republican Mr. Trump trails Mr. Biden in national opinion polls ahead of Tuesday’s Election Day. But the race in the swing States is seen as close enough that Mr. Trump could still piece together the 270 votes needed to prevail in the State-by-State Electoral College that determines the winner. Mr. Trump, aiming to avoid becoming the first incumbent President to lose re-election since fellow Republican George H.W. Bush in 1992, will hold five rallies on Monday in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan. He won these States in 2016, but polls show Mr. Biden is threatening to recapture all four for the Democrats.

B) Chennai-born Priyanca is New Zealand’s new Minister. 

Priyanca Radhakrishnan on 2 November has became New Zealand’s first-ever Indian-origin minister after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern brought five new ministers into her executive. Born in India, Radhakrishnan, 41, went to school in Singapore before moving to New Zealand for higher studies. She has spent her work life advocating on behalf of people whose voices are often unheard women survivors of domestic violence, and migrant workers who have been exploited. She was first elected first as a Member of Parliament belonging to the Labour Party in September 2017. In 2019, she was appointed the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister for Ethnic Communities. Her work in that area helped her build the base for her new role of Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities. In addition to this, she has become the Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector and Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment. She has become New Zealand’s first-ever Kiwi Indian Minister, the New Zealand Herald newspaper quoted Indian Weekender as saying.

 

C) Manipal Hospitals to acquire Columbia Asia in 2,100-cr. Deal. 

Manipal Hospitals, a multi-specialty healthcare provider, on 2 November has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 100% stake in Columbia Asia Hospitals Private Limited (Columbia Asia). The deal is valued at ₹2,100 crore, as per market sources. This effectively makes Manipal Hospitals the country’s second largest healthcare chain, after Apollo Hospitals. The deal is valued at Rs. 2100 Crore, a person with knowledge Of the transaction, who declined to be identified, said. On completion, Manipal Hospitals would become India’s largest healthcare chain after Apollo Hospitals. Columbia Asia started operations in India in 2005 in Hebbal, Bengaluru, and presently operates Il hospitals across the Country including in Mysuru, Kolkata, Gurugram, Ghaziabad, Patiala and Pune. The network comprises more than 1,300 beds, 1,200 clinicians and 4,000 employees. This combination of Columbia Asia and Manipal Hospitals is very exciting because of the strong cultural alignment between the two companies and the opportunity it provides for continued growth,” Dan Baty, Chairman, Columbia Pacific Management, said.

The combined entity will have 27 hospitals across 15 cities with more than 7,200 beds and 4,000 doctors.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
02 November 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Hizb chief Saifullah killed in encounter near Srinagar. 

Hizbul Mujahideen’s chief operational commander Saifullah has been killed in an encounter at Rangreth area in Srinagar, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar announced today. Saifullah had taken over the reins of the Hizb after the killing of its chief Reyaz Naikoo in an encounter in May, Mr. Kumar said. The gunfight started on November 1 afternoon as the security forces launched a search-and-cordon operation following a tip off about the presence of militants. According to the Press Trust of India, Saifullah, who had taken command of the outfit after the killing of Riyaz Naikoo in May this year, was one of the most wanted militants in the Kashmir Valley and involved in several attacks on the security forces. Addressing reporters near the encounter site, Mr. Kumar said they had received information that Saifullah had come here from south Kashmir and was hiding in a house. So the security forces cordoned off the area and an operation was launched. In the exchange of firing, one militant was killed.  This is a huge success for the police and security forces. This is not a small achievement, Mr. Kumar said. Incriminating material, including arms and ammunition, were recovered from the encounter site, he added.

B) After U.P., Haryana now considers law against ‘love jihad’.

A day after Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said his State government will bring a strict law to curb incidents of love jihad, Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij said the same will be done in Haryana as well. A law against love jihad is being considered in Haryana, Mr. Vij tweeted in Hindi on Sunday. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar meanwhile, claimed the Centre is also looking for ways to check love jihad cases, while confirming that his State was considering legal provisions. Since the Ballabhgarh case is being linked with love jihad, the Centre, as well as the State government, is looking into it, and considering legal provisions so the guilty cannot escape and no innocent person is punished, Mr. Khattar said. Mr. Khattar was referring to a 21-year-old woman who was shot dead in broad daylight in Haryana’s Faridabad on October 26, by a man who first tried to shove her into his car.

C) GST collection crosses ₹1 lakh crore for first time in 8 months.

The goods and services tax (GST) collected in October rose to ₹1.05 lakh crore, crossing the ₹1 lakh crore mark for the first time since February this year, reflecting a pick-up in economic activity and demand. The Finance Ministry in a statement said on Sunday that the total number of GSTR-3B returns filed till October 31, 2020 is 80 lakh. The gross GST revenue collected in October 2020 is ₹1,05,155 crore, of which CGST is ₹19,193 crore, SGST is ₹5,411 crore, IGST is ₹52,540 crore (including ₹23,375 crore collected on import of goods) and cess is ₹8,011 crore (including ₹932 crore collected on import of goods), the Ministry said. The revenues for the month are 10% higher than ₹95,379 crore collected in the same month last year. The GST collections fell from the psychologically important ₹1 lakh crore mark as the lockdown imposed to contain the COVID-19 spread dented economic activity.

D) MHA asks States to register more FIRs for cybercrime.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has written to all States to examine and register FIRs based on the complaints received on National Cybercrime Reporting Portal- www.cybercrime.gov.in. As per data available with the Ministry, only 2.5% of total complaints registered on the portal are converted into First Information Reports (FIRs). Through the portal, MHA also aims to raise a group of cybercrime volunteers to flag unlawful content on the Internet. Good Samaritans are welcome to register as Cyber Crime Volunteers in the role of Unlawful Content Flaggers for facilitating law enforcement agencies in identifying, reporting and removal of illegal / unlawful online content, says the website. The unlawful content is categorised as content against the sovereignty and integrity of India, against defence of India, against security of the State, against friendly relations with foreign States, content aimed at disturbing public order, disturbing communal harmony and child sex abuse material. The volunteers will have to submit photograph, name and address proof to be enlisted as a volunteer.

E) Banks told to ensure interest payback: RBI to Supreme Court.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) informed the Supreme Court on 1 November that it has advised banks and financial companies to fully comply with a government scheme to pay back borrowers compound interest or interest on interest, charged on their loans during the six-month moratorium period. The RBI, in a short affidavit, said its circular was issued on October 26, just three days after the Ministry of Finance approved the scheme for ex-gratia payment of the difference in the compound interest and simple interest charged between March 1 and August 31 for eight categories of loans worth up to ₹2 crore by November 5, 2020. The RBI said it has advised commercial banks, co-operative banks, financial institutions and non-banking financial companies to comply with the government’s pay-back scheme. A three-judge Bench led by Justice Ashok Bhushan is scheduled to hear the case on November 2.

F) Covid watch – Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stands at 82,19,519 with the death toll at 1,22,746. India has managed to maintain its active Covid-19 caseload below the 6 lakh mark for the third consecutive day, a release issued by the Health Ministry said today. According to the Ministry, the country’s total active caseload stands at 5,70,458 currently. “New confirmed COVID cases stand at 46,963,” said the Ministry adding that Kerala is still reporting a very high number of new cases with more than 7,000 cases, followed by Maharashtra and Delhi with more than 5,000 cases each. The share of stubble burning in Delhi’s pollution rose to 40% on Sunday, the maximum so far this season, according to a central government air quality monitoring agency. The Ministry of Earth Sciences’ air quality monitor, SAFAR, said 3,216 farm fires were spotted over Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand on Saturday. The share of stubble burning in Delhi’s PM2.5 pollution was 40% on Sunday, the maximum so far this season. It was 32% on Saturday, 19% on Friday and 36% on Thursday, the second highest this season so far.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Super cyclone kills at least 7 in Philippines.

A powerful super typhoon slammed into the eastern Philippines with ferocious winds on November 1, killing at least seven people and causing volcanic mudflows to bury houses before weakening as it blew toward Manila, where the capital’s main airport was shut down. The Associated Press is reporting that Typhoon Goni hit the island Province of Catanduanes at dawn with sustained winds of 225 kmph and gusts of 280 kmph. It was barrelling west toward densely populated regions, including Manila, and rain-soaked provinces still recovering from a typhoon that hit a week ago and left at least 22 people dead. Governor Al Francis Bichara said at least four people were killed in his hard-hit Province of Albay, including a father and son who were in a rural community that was hit by mudflows and boulders swept down from Mayon Volcano by heavy rains. Villagers fled to safety as the typhoon approached, but the two apparently stayed put.  The child was found 15 km away, Mr. Bichara told DZMM radio, adding that the child was swept away by mudflows and floodwaters. Three other villagers, including one pinned down by a tree, were killed in Albay, the Office of Civil Defence said.

B) U.K. minister says lockdown in England could be extended. 

Michael Gove says that they can definitively say that unless they take action now, the health service is going to be overwhelmed in ways that none of us could countenance. The one-month lockdown for England announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson this weekend could be extended as Britain struggles to contain a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, a senior cabinet member said on 1 November. Mr. Johnson has announced on 31 October that the lockdown across England would kick in after midnight on Thursday morning and last until Dec. 2. The United Kingdom, which has the biggest official death toll in Europe from COVID-19, is grappling with more than 20,000 new coronavirus cases a day and scientists have warned a worst-case scenario of 80,000 dead could be exceeded. So far, it has reported 46,555 COVID-19 deaths – defined as those dying within 28 days of a positive test. A broader measure of those with COVID-19 on their death certificates puts the toll at 58,925. The other constituents of the United Kingdom – Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – have their own policies and enacted tougher COVID-19 health restrictions last month.

Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Saturday she was prepared to further tighten the rules there if necessary.

Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labour Party, said the government had missed a golden chance to lockdown England more effectively when schools were on half-term break last month.

SPORTS NEWS 

A) Dhoni will be back in the IPL next year. 

Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be back in the IPL next year. The World Cup–winning captain confirmed it himself at the toss of Chennai Super Kings’ final game of the season here on 1 November. Dhoni made the customary toss tradition a memorable one for his countless fans by confirming that he would be back in the yellow jersey next season. Definitely not, said Dhoni when asked by former New Zealand pacer Danny Morrison if the game against Kings XI Punjab was his last for CSK.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
01 November 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) PM laments ‘politics’ over Pulwama attack. 

Barely a few days after Pakistan’s Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhary admitted, in the National Assembly, his country’s role in the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 31 October has said that the truth about the attack has come out in the neighboring country’s parliament. Modi also lamented that some forces indulged in dirty politics for political gains and said that all should refrain from politics, which can affect the morale of the country’s security forces. The real face of such people has been exposed after the truth was accepted in the Parliament of our neighbouring country, he said, addressing Ekta Parade at Statue of Unity, Kevadiya, on the occasion of Sardar Patel’s birth anniversary. The country can never forget that some people were not saddened at the sacrifice of the security personnel during the Pulwama attack. At that time, these people were only doing politics. PM Modi has requested them not to do such politics in the interest of the nation.

B) Kamal Nath moves SC against EC’s decision to revoke his ‘star campaigner’ status.

Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath has moved the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission’s decision to revoke his ‘star campaigner’ status for violations of the model code during the campaign for the by-polls in 28 assembly constituencies in the State. Senior lawyer and Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha said that the senior Congress leader has challenged the ECI’s decision on various grounds and an urgent hearing on the plea would be sought. The poll panel on Friday took note of alleged breach of ethical and dignified behaviour and revoked the star campaigner status of the Congress leader. While the political party pays for the expenditure of a star campaigner, the candidate pays for the expenditure of other campaigners. In the order, the poll panel said, for repeated violation of Model Code of Conduct and for completely disregarding the advisory issued to him, the Commission hereby revokes the status of leader of political party (Star Campaigner) of Kamal Nath, Ex-Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh, with immediate effect for the current Bye-elections of Legislative Assembly of Madhya Pradesh. It said no permission will be granted by authorities to Nath as a star campaigner. However, if any campaign is done by Kamal Nath from now onwards, the entire expenditure related to travel, stay and visit will be completely borne by the candidate in whose constituency he carries out campaigning.

C) Sitharaman wanted me out of Finance Ministry, says former Finance Secretary Garg.

Subhash Chandra Garg, the former Finance Secretary who was shunted out of the Finance Ministry within three weeks of Modi-2.0 government’s first Budget last year, on 31 October has alleged that new Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman got him transferred out. Garg, who took voluntary retirement soon after being moved from the Finance Ministry, where he handled the Department of Economic Affairs to the Power Ministry, said Sitharaman, unlike her predecessor Arun Jaitley, had a very different personality and knowledge endowment. Garg said that he did not share a good and productive working relationship with Sitharaman, who came to the Finance Ministry with some pre-conceived notions about me. She did not seem to have confidence in me. She was not quite comfortable working with me as well, he said, adding that differences over whether RBI should give surplus as dividend to the government, and dealing with problems of non-banks had surfaced within months of her takeover.

D) Rajasthan government introduces Bills to negate impact of Centre’s farm laws.

The Rajasthan government on 31 October has introduced 3 bills in the Assembly to negate the impact of the farm laws enacted by the Centre recently. The move comes after the Punjab Assembly earlier this month adopted a resolution against the farm laws and unanimously passed four Bills to counter the Centre’s contentious legislations. Rajasthan’s Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shanti Dhariwal introduced the Essential Commodities (Special Provisions and Rajasthan Amendment) Bill 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill 2020, and the Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation and Rajasthan Amendment) Bill 2020. He also introduced the Code of Procedure (Rajasthan Amendment) Bill 2020 on the first day of the Assembly session. A number of provisions to protect the interests of farmers, including sale or purchase of a crop under farming agreement on a price equal or greater than minimum support price and imprisonment of three to seven years for harassment of farmers, have been included in the Bills.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) France church attack: Assailant’s family demands answers. 

A third suspect is in French custody on 31 October in connection with an Islamic extremist knife attack that killed three people in a Nice church, as the family of the suspected Tunisian assailant demanded to see video footage of what happened. Investigators in France, Tunisia and Italy are trying to determine the motive of chief suspect Ibrahim Issaoui and whether he acted alone and whether he premeditated Thursday’s attack on the Notre Dame Basilica. Authorities have labeled the attack, which took place amid growing tensions around cartoons published by a French newspaper mocking the Prophet Muhammad, an act of Islamist terrorism. Issaoui, who transited through Italy last month route to France, is in critical condition in a French hospital after being wounded by police as they arrested him. A 35-year-old man who had met with Issaoui in Nice was arrested overnight, a judicial official said Saturday. A 47-year-old man who had met with Issaoui the night before the attack was already in custody, bringing the number of detained suspects to three. Their connection to the attack remains unclear. A previously unknown Tunisian extremist group claimed responsibility for the attack, and Tunisian and French authorities are investigating whether the claim is legitimate. In Issaoui hometown of Sfax, his family expressed shock and appealed for peace. But they also expressed bewilderment that this young man who drank alcohol and showed no outward signs of radicalism would flee to France and attack a church.

B) Actor Sean Connery, who played James Bond, passes away.

Scottish movie legend Sean Connery, who shot to international stardom as British agent James Bond and went on to dominate the silver screen for four decades, has died aged 90. Connery was raised in near poverty in the slums of Edinburgh and worked as a coffin polisher, milkman and lifeguard before his body-building hobby helped launch an acting career that made him one of the world’s biggest stars. He will be remembered first as British agent 007, the character created by novelist Ian Fleming and immortalized by Connery in films starting with “Dr. No” in 1962. As Bond, his debonair manner and wry humour in foiling flamboyant villains and cavorting with beautiful women belied a darker, violent edge, and he crafted a depth of character that set the standard for those who followed him in the role.