Tag: latest Current Affairs

CURRENT AFFAIRS
01 October 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) All acquitted in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

A special CBI court in Uttar Pradesh today held that the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992 was not planned but involved “anti-social elements” who got agitated and caused the destruction. It acquitted all the 32 persons accused by the CBI of a conspiracy to bring down the mosque, including BJP leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, and Uma Bharti. The court also held that the audio and video evidence produced by the CBI did not establish conspiracy charges. It further said that the audio of the speeches was not clear. There is no evidence that the accused got together in common cause with anti-social Kar Sewaks to bring down the disputed structure. The leaders seated on stage and those near the Ram Chabutara, VHP leader Ashok Singhal and BJP’s Vijaya Raje Scindia, did not suspect that a section of the Kar Sewaks will get agitated.  The mosque demolition was preceded by a series of ‘Rath Yatras’ led by L.K. Advani, whose campaign for a Ram temple catapulted the BJP to the national spotlight. The CBI alleged that Advani, Joshi, Uma Bharti, and Kalyan Singh, the chief minister of the U.P. at the time, were present near the mosque and delivered speeches that instigated the crowds to carry out the demolition. The CBI will decide on filing an appeal against the special court verdict after consulting the legal department, its counsel said. 

B) Verdict runs counter to SC judgment, constitutional spirit: Congress.

Reacting to the Babri verdict, the Congress on 30 September said that it runs counter to a Supreme Court judgment and the constitutional spirit. Congress’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said every Indian who has innate faith in the Constitution and in the spirit of communal amity and brotherhood expects and urges the central and state governments to file an appeal against the decision of the special CBI court. Last year on 9 November, the Supreme Court has pronounced its Judgement that the demolition of Babri Masjid was clear illegality and an egregious violation of the rule of law, Surjewala told reporters. But the special court exonerated all the accused. 

C) Supreme Court refuses to defer civil services prelims.

On 30 September, the Supreme Court has refused to defer the civil services preliminary examination which was scheduled for October 4 but asked the authorities to consider a possible concession for those aspirants who are unable to take their last shot at the exam due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A Bench led by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar asked the authorities to ensure that candidates with admit cards are able to find suitable accommodation near the exam centers/sub-centers. The court said security and health protocols should be strictly followed. The examination is scheduled to be held at 72 centers (2,569 sub-centers) across the country.

D) Crime against SCs/STs saw a rise of 7% and 26% in 2019: NCRB.

Crime against Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) saw an increase of over 7% and 26% respectively in 2019 compared to 2018, according to the annual Crime in India 2019 report which was published on 30 September by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). A total of 45,935 cases were registered for committing a crime against SCs, showing an increase of 7.3% over 2018 when 42,793 such cases were recorded. At 11,829 cases, Uttar Pradesh recorded the highest number of crimes against SCs in 2019, followed by 6,794 cases in Rajasthan, and 6,544 cases in Bihar, the report said. Rajasthan topped the list with 554 cases, in the number of cases of rape of women belonging to Schedule Casts, followed by Uttar Pradesh at 537, and Madhya Pradesh at 510 cases.

E)COVID Watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 62,93,194 with the death toll at 98,581. The Centre on 30 September has announced fresh guidelines for Unlock 5.0, with relaxations allowing for the reopening of movie theatres, swimming pools, entertainment parks, and educational institutions. Movie theatres and multiplexes are permitted to open from October 15 with 50% seating; Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for this will be issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. States and Union Territories can open schools and colleges in a staggered manner post-October 15. B2B exhibitions will be permitted in open areas outside containment zones after October 15. Swimming pools used by sportspersons can be opened after October 15. Entertainment parks and similar places will be permitted to open after October 15, with SOPs to be issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. There will no longer be any restrictions on the inter-State or intra-State movement of persons, and no special permit will be required for this purpose.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) German Chancellor accuses China of ‘cruel treatment’ of minorities. 

On 30 September, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has accused China of poor and cruel treatment of minorities and underlined deep concerns over the crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong. In a speech at the Bundestag, she vowed to bring up rights issues and Germany’s worries over the situation in the former British colony in any future dialogue with Beijing. She said they have to bring up their different opinions in talks, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the European Union. That’s why they have flagged up their deep concern about the development in Hong Kong. The principle of one country, two systems stands but again and again, it’s being undermined. They will bring that up, as well as the poor and cruel treatment in part of the rights of the minorities in China. She did not name the minorities bearing the brunt of poor treatment but activists have accused China over the mass internment of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang. Hong Kong was guaranteed autonomy under the One Country, Two Systems deal agreed ahead of its 1997 handover from Britain. But critics say the security law, imposed following months of large and often violent protests calling for greater democratic freedoms and accountability, spells the end of the agreement.

B) As fighting rages on, Armenia, Azerbaijan rejects talks. 

Armenia and Azerbaijan vowed to keep fighting and rejected international calls for negotiations on 30 September as clashes over the disputed Nagorny Karabakh region raged for a fourth day. The confirmed death toll surpassed 100 people including civilians and both sides are claiming to have inflicted heavy losses on opposing forces. Baku and Yerevan have ignored mounting international pressure for a ceasefire, as fears grow that the conflict could escalate into an all-out war and draw in regional powers like Turkey and Russia. Moscow, which has a military pact with Armenia but also good ties with Azerbaijan, has called for an end to the fighting and also offered to host negotiations. Meanwhile, Turkey said that on 29 September it was fully ready to help Azerbaijan recover Nagorny Karabakh. Yerevan is claiming that Turkey, an ally of Azerbaijan, is providing direct military support for Baku. It said that a Turkish F-16 flying in support of Baku’s forces had downed an Armenian SU-25 warplane, but Ankara and Baku denied the claim. French President Emmanuel Macron on 30 September condemned what he called Turkey’s reckless and dangerous statements backing Baku. But Turkey fired back, by accusing Mr. Macron of supporting Armenia’s occupation of the region. Russia also called on Turkey to stop proclaiming support for Azerbaijan and to work toward a diplomatic solution to the conflict.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
30 September 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Amnesty International halts India operations.

On 29 September, Amnesty International India (AII) has said that the government had frozen all its bank accounts, leading to all of its work in the country coming to a halt. The freezing of accounts was the latest in the witch-hunt of human rights organizations. The continuing crackdown on Amnesty International India over the last 2 years and the complete freezing of bank accounts is not accidental. The constant harassment by the government agencies including the Enforcement Directorate is a result of the unequivocal calls for transparency in the government, more recently for accountability of the Delhi Police and the Government of India regarding the grave human rights violation in the Delhi riots and Jammu & Kashmir. For a movement that has done nothing but raises its voices against injustice, this latest attack is akin to freezing dissent. Reacting to Amnesty’s statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said that human rights cannot be an excuse for defying the law of the land. In a statement, the MHA said that the stand was taken and the statements made by Amnesty International are unfortunate, exaggerated, and far from the truth.

B) 60 million Indians may have been exposed to coronavirus: ICMR survey. 

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on 29 September has released the results of the second serosurvey, conducted in the same 700 villages and (urban) wards from 70 districts across 21 states that were covered in the first. The survey was held between August 17 and September 22. According to the survey results, around 7% of the adult population of India, or 60 million people, may have been exposed to the coronavirus. This is roughly a 10-fold jump from the first serosurvey, where scientists said that 0.73% of adults or about 6.4 million across the country were likely infected. During the first survey, it emerged that there were 82-130 infections for every confirmed COVID positive case. That number has dropped to 26-32 infections, which according to by ICMR Director-General, Dr. Balram Bhargava, was the result of a ramp-up of testing and early case detection. The average prevalence in major cities in India ranged from 50% in Mumbai to 29% in New Delhi, 22% in Chennai, and 7.8% in Indore. The serosurvey, because it aims to capture national prevalence, samples many more from rural India than cities to reflect the population spread in India. On May 3, there were 49,720 confirmed cases in India, and by September 1, this had risen to 3.7 million cases  a 74-fold increase. Sero-surveys are conducted by drawing blood samples and checking for a specific class of antibodies called IgG that appear within two weeks of infection. Because it is still unclear how long antibodies to the coronavirus detectably persist in the body, their presence only indicates past exposure and not a presence of the virus.

C) Hathras gang-rape victim dies in Delhi hospital.

A 19-year-old Dalit girl was sexually assaulted and tortured by 4 upper caste men in Uttar Pradesh’s Hathras district 2 weeks ago and was succumbed to injuries at Delhi’s Safdarjang hospital in the early hours of 29 September. The incident took place on September 14 when the girl went to collect animal fodder from the field. She was allegedly gang-raped and later strangulated with her dupatta. The demonstrators shout slogans during a protest inside the premises of Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi on September 29, 2020, after the death of a rape victim from Uttar Pradesh. She was shifted to Delhi from the JN Medical College of Aligarh on 28 September at the request of her father. Members of the Azad Samaj Party alleged that the administration delayed referring her to Delhi and that the facilities in Aligarh were inadequate.  Hathras police have arrested the 4 accused  Sandip, Ramu, Lavkush, and Ravi on charges of attempt to murder and gang rape. SSP Vikrant Vir had transferred the SHO of Chandpa police station to police lines for failing to act promptly in the case.

D) Supreme Court asks the J&K administration how long it can detain Mehbooba Mufti.

On 29 September, the Supreme Court has asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to clarify how long they intend to detain former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti under the Public Safety Act. Two issues should be dealt: What is the maximum period for which a person can be detained, and how long do you propose to continue the detention, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, heading a Bench, addressed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and listed the case for October 15. The court was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by Mufti’s daughter, Ilija, represented by advocates Nitya Ramakrishnan and S. Prasanna. Mufti was detained on August 5 last year following the scrapping of provisions of Article 370 that had accorded special status to the erstwhile State. Ilija said that the grounds of her mother’s detention were vague, stale, and have no rational nexus with disturbance to public order. They are based on extraneous material”. She contended that her mother had no access to any form of public speech and expression, and there was no reason or material to show that she would act in a manner prejudicial to the maintenance of public order. 

E) RBI reschedules the Monetary Policy Committee meeting.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced a rescheduling of its Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting which was scheduled to take place from September 29 to October 1. The terms of 3 external members on the 6-member MPC ended last month, and the government is yet to name their replacements. The rules of the panel require at least 4 members to be present at the meeting. The RBI is for waiting for the government to appoint the new external members to the committee. Reacting to the development, former finance minister P Chidambaram put out a series of tweets slamming the government for negligence. How much the government and the PM care for the economy are illustrated by the fact that the Monetary Policy Committee will be defunct tomorrow. Consequently, RBI cannot hold a meeting of the MPC ahead of its monetary policy announcement and has been forced to postpone the meeting. This is unprecedented. 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) India rejects China’s LAC claim, Beijing questions Ladakh’s status.

On 29 September, India and China had to exchange sharp statements by blaming each other for the continuing border tensions.  New Delhi described the Line of Actual Control (LAC) of China side claims as untenable and Beijing said that they did not recognize the Union Territory of Ladakh. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that India has never accepted the so-called unilaterally defined 1959 Line of Actual Control (LAC).  The LAC of 1959 was first referenced in a letter from then Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai to Jawaharlal Nehru which was an idea rejected then by Nehru and subsequently never accepted by India. A South Block official said that China had, this summer, gone even beyond this 1959 claim line. While they don’t recognize the 1959 claim line, even going by their own 1959 line which runs near Patrolling Point (PP) 14, the clash in Galwan Valley happened approximately 800 metres west of PP14. So they are violating their own claims. The position of India that it never accepted the 1959 line was consistent and well known, including to the Chinese side by adding that in previous bilateral border agreements both sides had committed to clarification and confirmation of the LAC to reach a common understanding of the alignment of the LAC. Both the countries have agreed not to add troops to an already tense LAC following the sixth round of talks between Corp Commanders on September 21, but there has not yet been agreement on disengagement and returning to the status quo prior to May’s transgressions by China.

B) Apple vendors may invest $900 million in India.

3 of Apple Inc.’s top contract manufacturers plan to invest a total of nearly $900 million in India in the next 5 years to tap into a new production-linked incentive plan.  Foxconn, Wistron, and Pegatron all plan to make investments under the scheme. The $6.65 billion production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme offers firms cash incentives on any increase in sales as compared with 2019-20 levels of locally-made smartphones over the next five years. The scheme aims to make India an export manufacturing hub. Foxconn has applied to invest about ₹4,000 crores, while Wistron and Pegatron have committed to invest close to ₹1,300 crores and ₹1,200 crores respectively under the scheme. It is unclear whether all of the investment will go into making Apple devices, but industry insiders said much of it would be focused on expanding the manufacturing of the iPhone.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
29 September 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Sonia asks CMs to consider bringing laws that override the Centre’s farm Bills. 

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has directed Chief Ministers of 4 Congress-ruled states Punjab, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Puducherry to explore the possibility of enacting legislation that overrides the 3 agricultural laws passed by the Parliament in its monsoon session. Party general secretary (organization) KC Venugopal said that all 4 states have been told to pass laws under Article 254 (2) of the Constitution, which allows state legislatures to pass a law that overrides a central law. The legislation thus passed will then have to get the President’s assent in order to become law. Article 254 (2) of the Constitution essentially enables a state government to pass a law, on any subject in the Concurrent List, that may contradict a Central law, provided it gets the President’s assent. In late 2014, the BJP government in Rajasthan took this very route to make changes to the central labor laws – the Factories Act, the Industrial Disputes Act, and the Contract Labour Act – which subsequently got the President’s assent.

B) Punjab, Chhattisgarh already looking for alternatives.

The Punjab government led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has already started work on these lines. It had been contemplating amending the existing Agriculture Produce Market Committee Act and declare the entire state as a principal mandi yard. This would circumvent provisions in The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, which was passed in Parliament. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, too, had recently said that his government will take steps to ensure that private players do not get an entry into the agriculture sector. At least 40% of the paddy production in Chattisgarh is procured by the Food Corporation of India for the central pool. 

C) Anti-farm Bill protesters set tractor on fire at Indian Gate.

On 28 August, a tractor was set on fire at Delhi’s India Gate by a group of men protesting against the Farm Bills. Eish Singhal, who is the DCP of New Delhi has said that around 15 to 20 persons gathered at Rajpath and they also tried to set a tractor on fire. The fire was doused and the tractor removed. Mr. Singhal said that they have detained 5 persons in the matter till now. The persons held are native of Punjab. They are verifying their identities. According to police, eyewitnesses said that the protesters brought the tractor on a truck, and after reaching Rajpath, pushed it on to the road and set it on fire. The protesters were holding pictures of Bhagat Singh and raised slogans against the Farm Bills passed recently by Parliament.

D) Novel Coronavirus is likely to keep the accused of Babri from the Court on the day of the verdict. 

A Special CBI court in Lucknow will pronounce judgment in the Babri Masjid demolition case on 30 September, almost 28 years after karsevaks demolished the Mughal-era monument in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992. Senior BJP leader and former deputy prime minister L.K Advani, his colleagues Murli Manohar Joshi, Uma Bharti, and Kalyan Singh are among the accused. However, it is doubtful if all of them would be able to make it in person during the pandemic as some of them are either aged or unwell. While Advani is 92, Joshi is 86, Singh is 88, and Mahant Nritya Gopal Das is 82. Five accused persons are unwell, said K.K. Mishra, one of the defense lawyers. While Bharti is Covid-19 positive, Singh has been admitted to a hospital. Mahant Das is receiving treatment in his ashram and another accused, Satish Pradhan, is wheel-chair bound after suffering from gangrene. “Nothing is official as of now, but looking at the circumstances we can estimate that it won’t be possible [for the unwell accused persons] to come,” said Mishra. While 351 prosecution witnesses were examined by the court, Mishra told The Hindu that they did not produce any witness in court as it was difficult to find one from among the group [that had gathered in Ayodhya]. Senior lawyers pointed out that it was common for the defense side to not produce many witnesses in criminal cases. The CBI judge has directed all 32 accused persons in the criminal conspiracy case to be present in court in person on Wednesday.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Trump’s tax returns show chronic losses. 

The President of the United States Donald Trump has 1 paid $750 in federal income taxes in the year in which he had won the presidency. In the first year in the White House, he has paid another $750. He had paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the previous 15 years largely because he had reported losing much more money than he made. The tax returns that Donald Trump has long fought to keep private tell a story fundamentally different from the one he has sold to the American public. His reports to the IRS have portrayed a businessman who takes in hundreds of millions of dollars a year yet it racks up a chronic loss that he has aggressively employed to avoid paying taxes. Now, with his financial challenges mounting the records show that he depends more and more on making money from the businesses that put him in potential and often direct conflict of interest with his job as a President. 

B) Tik-Tok gets reprieve in U. S. as Judge halts download ban. 

On 27 September, a federal judge of the United States has halted a politically charged ban ordered by the President of United States Mr. Donald Trump administration on downloads of the popular video app TikTok, hours before it was set to take effect. District Judge Carl Nichols has issued a temporary injunction on the request of TikTok, which the White House has called a national security threat by alleging that their Chinese parent firm is tied to the government of Beijing. The opinion was sealed, so for the decision, no reason was released in a single page order by the court in Washington. The administration of  United States President Donald Trump has sought to ban new downloads of the app from midnight but would allow the use of TikTok until November 12. The Judge had denied the request of TikTok to suspend the ban of November 12. Judge Nichols has heard the arguments on the free-speech and national security implications of the ban on the Chinese-owned app. The lawyer of TikTok, John Hall has said that a ban would be punitive and close off a public forum used by tens of millions of Americans.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
28 September 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Former Union Minister Jaswant Singh no more. 

Former Union Minister Jaswant Singh passed away this morning after a long illness at the Army’s Research and Referral Hospital in New Delhi. Hospital officials said that he had been admitted on June 25 this year and was being treated for sepsis and multi-organ dysfunction syndrome, and the effects of an old severe head injury. He had a cardiac arrest this morning. He is survived by his wife and two sons, including former Barmer MP Manvendra Singh. He was 82 years old. He was a veteran leader and held the key positions of finance, defense, and external affairs minister in governments which were headed by late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of the former Union Minister by tweeting that Jaswant Singhji served our nation diligently, first as a soldier, and later during his long association with politics. Singh, a former Army man himself, had dabbled in politics in his native Rajasthan in the 1960s after leaving the army, but came into the limelight in 1980, after being elected to the Rajya Sabha by the newly formed BJP. He remained a part of either House of Parliament between 1980-2014, being elected to the Rajya Sabha five times, in 1980, 1986, 1998, 1999, 2004, and four times to the Lok Sabha in the years 1990, 1991, 1996, 2009. Suave and well-versed in language and diplomatese, he soon became the go-to man in his party for strategic affairs as well as finance, also serving for a spell as deputy chairperson of the planning commission. He was also the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha between 2004-2009. Singh was a close personal friend of former Prime Minister Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani.

B) Farmers can break free of APMC shackles: Modi.

Less than 24 hours after the oldest ally in the NDA, the Shiromani Akali Dal announced a parting of ways over the 3 farm Bills which were passed last week by the Parliament. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had highlighted the benefits of the Bills in his monthly radio broadcast, “Mann ki Baat”. The Prime Minister’s remarks come after a stormy monsoon session of Parliament where the Bills, aimed at reforming trade in agricultural produce were cleared, sparking protests in various parts of the country by farmers groups and opposition parties. Referring to the Bills, PM Modi said that Farmers now have the power to sell their produce anywhere and to anyone and they have the freedom to grow any crop and to sell it at a price best suited to them. He said that even in this time of crisis, the agricultural sector of our country has again shown its resilience. The agricultural sector of the country, farmers, villages are the very basis of Atmanirbhar Bharat, a self-reliant India. He also said that If the farmers remain strong then the foundation of Atmanirbhar Bharat will remain strong. 

C) President gives assent to farm Bills.

On 27 September, President Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent to the 3 farm Bills that were passed in the Parliament last week and triggered protests in several parts of the country, especially in Punjab and Haryana. 2 Bills – the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, were passed in the Parliament on September 20. The last one, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, was also approved by a voice vote in Rajya Sabha on September 22. This proposed legislation is now going to be implemented as law. 

D) Ladakh BJP delegation calls off council poll boycott

Indian Government is open to discuss protection available under the 6th Schedule of the constitution to Ladakh. This was said by the Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju at a press conference on 27 September. He said that the delegation has agreed to withdraw their demand to boycott the elections. The People’s Movement, which is a platform representing various politicians, religious and social organizations campaigning for the Sixth Schedule for Ladakh, had announced a boycott of the upcoming elections to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Leh on Tuesday, which is scheduled for October 16. Mr. Rijiju said that the delegation was assured that all issues related to land, jobs will be considered by the government. 

E) Covid watch — Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India has crossed 6 million and stands at 60,68,928 with the death toll at 95,498. On 27 September, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan had cautioned that the Indian Council of Medical Research’s (ICMR) first serosurvey should not create a sense of complacency in people with regard to the virus. Speaking in his social media interaction Samvaad-3, he said that the indications from the up-coming second sero survey are that India is far from having achieved any kind of herd immunity which necessitates that all of us should continue following COVID appropriate behavior. In a reversal, he said that the Health Ministry has advised against the wide usage of investigational therapies such as Remdesivir and plasma therapies. Private hospitals have also been advised against routine use of these investigational therapies and doctors in the States/UTs have also been made aware of this. Meanwhile, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Uma Bharti tested positive for the coronavirus. In a tweet on 26 September, she said that she had developed a mild fever during her trip to the Himalayas. She added that she will stay in quarantine at the Vande Mataram Kunj, which is situated between Haridwar and Rishikesh, and urged all those who came into contact with her to get tested.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Senate pushes to confirm Trump’s SC pick. 

On 27 September, the Senate Republicans of the United States have prepared a concerted push toward quickly confirming President Donald the third Supreme Court nominee of Trump, Amy Coney Barrett, despite strenuous objections by Democrats. In a White House Rose Garden ceremony on 27 September, Donald Trump has announced Judge Barrett, as his selection to replace liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died on September 18. Judge Barrett said that she would be justice in the mold of the late staunch conservative Antonin Scalia. Supreme Court role in elections Trump urged Republicans, who hold a 53-47 Senate majority, to confirm Judge Barrett, a federal appeals court judge and a favorite of religious conservatives, by the November 3 election. Mc Connell said that he looks forward to meeting with the nominee next week and will carefully study her record and credentials. He has also made confirming the judicial appointments of Trump as a paramount priority.

B) In the first Trump-Biden debate, the U.S. will finally see its choice.

The volatile US. presidential election enters a fierce new stage this week when Donald Trump and Joe Biden hold their first debate, a television spectacle finally allowing Americans to witness the 2 antagonists head to the clash held on Tuesday, coming right after Mr. Trump defied Democrats and nominated a conservative to replace the late Supreme Court liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg, could again upend an already nail-biting contest. Mr. Joe Biden, leads in polls against the Republican incumbent, both nationwide and in most of the crucial swing states set to provide the decisive electoral college count on November 3. But Mr. Trump, is campaigning hard, crisscrossing those battlegrounds on Air Force One while Biden runs a far lower profile strategy. Yet unlike the fawning treatment Donald Trump enjoys during his weekly call-ins to Fox News, he’ll find himself facing a man painting him as toxic in front of the entire country.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
27 September 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Modi holds talks with Rajapaksa, pitches for devolution of powers to minority Tamils. 

On 26 September, India has pitched for devolution of powers by the Sri Lankan government to the minority Tamils in the island. The issue was dealt with in a virtual bilateral summit between the Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi and his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapaksa. In the talks, Modi has emphasized the need to fully implement the 13th amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution, by saying it is essential for the peace and reconciliation process. The 13th amendment provides for the devolution of powers to the Tamil community in the neighboring country. Both the leaders also deliberated on a range of key issues, including ways to deepen defense and security ties, as well as trade and investment cooperation. The outcomes of the summit are substantial, forward-looking, and will help in setting an ambitious agenda to deepen ties,  Joint Secretary in the Indian Ocean division in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Amit Narang said at a media briefing. In the talks, Modi also announced grant assistance of $15 million for the promotion of Buddhist ties with Sri Lanka.

B) Renowned economist Isher Judge Ahluwalia dies aged 74

Dr. Isher Judge Ahluwalia, a renowned economist, and Padma Bhushan awardee, who had worked extensively on issues related to urbanization and education, passed away on 26 September in the national capital. Fondly known as Isher by her colleagues and friends, the 74-year old, who was married to former Deputy Chairperson of the erstwhile Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, was battling cancer over the past ten months. Her demise comes a little over a month after she stepped down from the chairpersonship of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), which she is credited with transforming into a research institution to reckon with. Dr. Ahluwalia was ICRIER’s chairperson for a period of 15 years till she resigned citing her declining health. Prior to that, she had been the director and Chief Executive of the think tank since 1998. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the President of India in 2009 for her services in the field of education and literature. Dr. Ahluwalia had also led a high-level expert group on urban infrastructure and services for the Centre.

C) NCB questions Deepika Padukone for over 5 hours

On 26 September, Actor Deepika Padukone was questioned in Mumbai for over 5 hours by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) probing the alleged Bollywood-drug nexus linked to film star Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case. Her WhatsApp chats, including purported conversations about drugs with one ‘D’, are on the radar of the anti-drugs agency. She reached the NCB guest house in Colaba in south Mumbai around 9.50 am, left around 3:50 pm. The NCB is also questioning actors Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan at its office separately in connection with the alleged drug nexus. Actor Rhea Chakraborty had been arrested by the federal agency. Apparently, the names of Deepika and Shraddha were mentioned in WhatsApp chats on the phone of Rajput’s talent manager Jaya Saha. Meanwhile, the family of Sushant Singh Rajput has criticized the direction the probe has taken. In general, the NCB’s mandate is to probe drug cartels, smugglers and suppliers rather go after individual consumers.

D) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 59,80,040 with the death toll at 94,448. The coronavirus vaccine in India would likely retail between $2-3 (₹140-210), a highly placed. He also said that those unable to afford the vaccine will get it for free, and the government is considering a large immunization program to make the vaccine widely available. On 26 September, Adar Poonawalla, CEO, Serum Institute of India (SII), has tweeted that the expenses involved in delivering the vaccine could cost the government ₹ 80,000 crore, which roughly works out to ₹600 per person for 130 crore Indians. Will the government of India have 80,000 crores available, over the next 1 year? This is the next concerning challenge that India need to tackle. 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) Reforms the need of the hour, says PM Modi in an address to UN General Assembly.

On 26 September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that reform of the United Nations is the need of the hour. He also asked that for how long will India be kept out of the decision-making structures of the United States. Narendra Modi also raised questions about the response of the United States in combating the Covid-19 pandemic and assured the global community that India will use its production capacity in fighting the deadly disease. Modi said as he asserted that reform in the responses, in the processes, and in the very character of the UN is the need of the hour. In his pre-recorded video statement to the landmark General Debate of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, Modi said that even during these difficult times of the pandemic, the pharmaceutical industry if India has sent essential medicines to over 150 countries. The remarks of Prime Minister remarks questioning the effectiveness of United States in combating the pandemic came amidst strident criticism of the World Health Organization (WHO) by U.S. President Donald Trump, this week he alleged that the top world health body was virtually controlled by China. Modi told the 193-member UN General Assembly that in India and the neighborhood, they are moving ahead with phase 3 clinical trials. He also assured that India will also help the world for the delivery of the vaccines.

B) Donald Trump’s $200 prescription cards won’t hit mailboxes just yet. 

On 25 September, the government officials of the United States said that the key details of the election-year giveaway of Donald Trump still have to be fleshed out. Trade groups that were representing the 2 industries were most affected by the plan drug companies and insurers said that they have received no specifics from the administration of Trump. Public policy experts were calling it an attention-grabbing move. The administration had nearly 4 years to work with Congress or to go through the regulatory process to adopt proposals that could have a real and sustained impact on drug prices. Meanwhile, the administration is still working on regulatory actions to try to lower prices abroad. Medicare enrollees can get prescription drug coverage by purchasing a Part D drug plan or by joining a Medicare advantage plan. By using the figure of 33 million people, Trump by getting the $200 cards, the cost would work out to $6.6 billion. The White House says that the prescription cards are definitely coming. They will be sent the mail in the coming weeks. As per the White House, the cards would provide savings off copays owed by seniors for their medications.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
26 September 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) S.P. Balasubrahmanyam no more.

Legendary playback singer S.P. Balasubrahmanyam passed away at a private hospital in Chennai on 25 September. He was 74. Balasubrahmanyam was admitted in the hospital in August at MGM Healthcare because he was tested positive for coronavirus. On September 4, he was tested negative for novel coronavirus but he continued to be on the ventilator. In a further setback on the morning of 25 September, despite maximal life support measures and the best efforts of the clinical team, his condition deteriorated further and he suffered a cardio-respiratory arrest. With profound grief, he has passed away on September 25th at 13.04 hours. Popularly known as SPB, Balasubrahmanyam made his singing debut in 1966 with the Telugu film Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna. He has sung more than 40,000 songs in 16 languages including Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi. He was also a voice-over artist and has also acted in a few movies. 

B) Centre has used GST compensation cess elsewhere, violated the law: CAG.

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has found that the Union government, in the very first two years of GST implementation, wrongly retained ₹47,272 crores of GST compensation cess, which was meant to be used specifically to compensate states for loss of revenue. The issue of compensation cess has been driving a wedge between the Centre and states at the GST Council, the highest decision-making body of the GST regime. States have still not been paid their promised compensation for letting go of their powers to levy taxes on goods and services, since last fiscal. The Centre has maintained that a slowdown in the economy due to the pandemic and lockdown has meant that not enough money was collected. It has instead asked states to borrow for meeting the revenue shortfall. However, the states ruled by the Congress, the Left, TMC and AAP have opposed the move completely, arguing that the Centre should borrow and provide to the states, since the states have transferred the majority of their taxation powers to the Centre under the GST regime introduced in July 2017. Significantly, the CAG’s findings run contrary to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s submissions in Parliament last week, that states could not be compensated for revenue shortfall from the Consolidated Fund of India (CFI). She had relied on an opinion from the Attorney General of India that there was no such provision in the law. 

C) In a tax dispute case of ₹14,200 crores,  Vodafone wins international arbitration against India.  

Vodafone Group Plc has won an international arbitration case against the Indian government in a ₹14,200-crore retrospective tax dispute, Reuters reported. The British telecom giant had moved the Hague-based International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2016. The tribunal said that the government must cease seeking the dues from Vodafone and should also pay over ₹40 crores to the company as partial compensation for its legal costs. The government said that Vodafone was liable to pay taxes on the acquisition. In 2012, the Supreme Court of India had ruled in favour of the telecom provider but the government later said that the rules were changed from that year in order to enable them to tax deals that had already been concluded. 

D) Bharat Bandh: Protests against farm Bills in Punjab, Haryana, Bihar, UP.

Thousands of farmers across north India hit the streets today to protest against the 3 farm Bills passed in the monsoon session of Parliament. The protests enjoyed the support of ten central trade unions and several Opposition parties, including the Congress, the DMK, AAP, RJD, Janata Dal and TMC. Farmers blocked traffic on highways leading to Delhi, causing massive jams. The Congress, which is part of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra, on Friday said it would work towards ensuring that the farm sector bills are not implemented in the state. They will work together and make a decision on non- implementation of the new farm laws in Maharashtra, state Congress president, and minister Balasaheb Thorat said during a press conference.

E) Bihar assembly poll in 3 phases.

Bihar Assembly polls would be held in 3 phases October 28, November 3 and November 7 and votes will be counted on November 10, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on 25 September. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora said the number of phases, as well as the duration of the conduct of polls, has been reduced due to the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the polling hours have been increased (except in the Left-wing extremism-affected districts) by an hour, from 7 am to 6 p.m. instead of 5 pm.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) France opened an anti-terror investigation. 

France has opened an anti-terror investigation after their two journalists were stabbed in Paris on 25 September.  They were stabbed near the former offices of the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine which was also attacked by the Islamist militants in 2015. Prime Minister Jean Castex immediately reached the scene. He also said that the main attacker had been arrested and the second person was also in custody. He was in his office at that time. He had also heard screams in the road. When one of the people who witnessed the incident looked out of his window, he saw a woman who was lying on the floor and had taken a whack in a machete. 

B) The U.S. proposes changes to the student, media visas. 

In line with the progressive restrictions on visas by the Trump administration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) of the United States has proposed a rule limiting the duration of the initial admission for foreign media, students, and exchange visitors. The rule proposes fixed time periods and extension periods for the 3 visa categories, which currently operate under the duration of status framework. Under the present system, visa holders in these categories are allowed to remain in the U.S. as long as the admission conditions are met. This rule, if finalized, will change that. Under the new proposed rule, F and J students would be admitted for an initial period of 4 years only which is the normal duration of an American undergraduate degree. This rule is likely to mean that Ph. D. students who typically need more than four years to complete their program in America will need to apply for extensions. There are some exceptions to the 4-year rule. The duration of stay will be 2 years for those from countries with visa-overstay rates greater than 10% and those non-U.S. citizens who were either born in the country or holding citizenship of a country.