Tag: latest Current Affairs

CURRENT AFFAIRS
17 September 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Delhi riots case: Police submit a 20,000-page charge sheet.

Nearly 7 months after communal violence gripped the north-eastern parts of the capital city, the Delhi Police have filed a 20,000-page charge sheet. 15 persons have reportedly been named as accused in the charge sheet, this was said by a Delhi police officer on the evening of 16 September. A team of the special cell of the Delhi Police submitted the charge sheet in a Delhi court. A total of 20 persons have been arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. A supplementary charge sheet will reportedly be filed against student leader Umar Khalid, who was arrested on Sunday, and against activist Sharjeel Imam. The 15 named accused are Taahir Hussain, Mohd Parvez Ahmed, Mohd Illyas, Saifi Khalid, Ishrat Jahan, Miran Haider, Safoora Zargar, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Shahab Ahmed, Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita, Tasleem Ahmed, Salem Malik, Mohd Saleem Khan, and Athar Khan. A total of 745 witnesses have recorded their statements. Civil rights groups have been critical of the Delhi police for a biased investigation, a charge that the Delhi police have denied.

B) MSPs will stay, assures BJP president J.P. Nadda. 

With long-term ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) opposing 3 Bills related to agriculture, including the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill cleared by the Lok Sabha on 15 September, BJP president J.P. Nadda hastened to dispel misgivings, saying the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) will remain, notwithstanding the fact that the Bills seek to deregulate the sector. J.P. Nadda on 16 August said that the 3 Bills related to agriculture introduced by the Modi government in Parliament will boost production and help farmers get better prices for the produce. Underscoring that farmers were at the core of the government’s policies, he said all the 3 farm sector Bills were far-sighted and would boost agriculture production. When asked about the MSP, he asserted that it would continue to be in operation. Farmers’ groups in Punjab and Haryana have been protesting against the Bills, which they fear will deregulate the sector without an adequate safety net for small and marginal farmers.

C) Meanwhile, Punjab CM warns of unrest if Agri Bills passed.

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on 16 September led a Congress delegation to submit a memorandum to Governor V.P. Singh Badnore, seeking his intervention for non-pursuance of the agriculture-related Bills by the Centre in Parliament. He cautioned that the enactment of the legislation would lead to unrest in Punjab, which was already at the receiving end of Pakistan’s concerted efforts to foment trouble. Singh said he told the Governor that any move to tinker with the present procurement system, and that too at a time of nation-wide crisis, may deepen social unrest among the farmers of the State. These Bills, one of which has already been passed in the Lok Sabha on 15 August, are against the national interest, and particularly detrimental to Punjab where the majority of the farmers tilled less than 5 acres and would be the worst hit, he said. Hoping that the Centre will not get the other two passed in Parliament, he said the Centre had failed to take the interest of the farmers into account and instead took a stand in favor of corporate houses.

D) CBI court to pronounce verdict on Babri Masjid demolition case on Sept 30

A special CBI court is scheduled to pronounce its verdict on the Babri mosque demolition case on September 30. All the accused, including senior BJP leaders L.K. Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, Kalyan Singh, and Uma Bharti have been asked to be present in court. The 16th-century mosque in Ayodhya was demolished by Kar sevaks on December 6, 1992. The Special CBI court framed charges of criminal conspiracy in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya against Advani and several others, most of them linked to the Sangh Parivar, in 2017. The Supreme Court had used its extraordinary constitutional powers under Article 142 to restore the criminal conspiracy charges framed against Advani and others in 2017, overruling the Allahabad High Court judgment dropping the charges. In 2010, the Allahabad HC had upheld a special CBI court’s decision in 2001 to drop the conspiracy charges against Advani and others.

E) COVID Watch: Numbers and Developments

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 50,97,030 with the death toll at 83,072. 35 military personnel have died due to Covid-19 so far, including 32 from the Army and three from the Air Force, the Parliament was informed on 16 September. The number of Covid-19 cases in Army, Navy, and Air Force are 16,758, 1,365, and 1,716 respectively, the Government said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. The Delhi High Court on 16 August suggested that the AAP government increase the RT-PCR test capacity to the maximum possible in order to detect Covid-19 infections, as Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) were only 60% accurate. The High Court asked an expert committee to convene a meeting on a priority basis to consider the extent to which the capacity of testing by RT-PCR should be ramped up. At present, the sanctioned strength is 14,000 per day in Delhi. The High Court expressed concern over the continuous rise in Covid-19 cases, with nearly 4,500 new infections reported on 15 September.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) RDIF has tied up with Dr. Reddy’s for clinical trials and distribution of Sputnik V. 

Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) V.G. Somani has given permission to the Serum Institute of India (SII) to resume clinical trials of the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine candidate in the country. He revoked the earlier order suspending any new recruitment for Phase II and Phase III trials. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has tied up with pharma major Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories for clinical trials as well as the distribution of its Sputnik V vaccine in India. It intends to supply 100 million doses of the vaccine to Dr. Reddy’s. Deliveries could potentially begin in late 2020, subject to the successful completion of trials and registration of the vaccine by regulatory authorities in the country. The Sputnik V vaccine, according to the RDIF, is based on the human adenoviral vector platform. RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev said the platform of human adenoviral vectors, which is the core of the Russian vaccine, has been tested in more than 250 clinical studies over decades and has been found safe with no potential negative long-term consequences. Dr. Reddy’s managing director G.V.Prasad said the Phase I and II clinical trials of the vaccine have shown promising results. 

B) Youtube tests a new rival to Tik Tok in India. 

On 14 September, YouTube has begun testing a TikTok rival in India. It said that it would refine its short video format and roll it out in more countries in the coming months. YouTube Shorts made its debut as TikTok pursues a partnership with Oracle that it hopes will save it from being shut-down in the U.S. by President Donald Trump. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has confirmed a bid from Oracle concerning TikTok’s American operations, after the video-sharing app’s parent, ByteDance, rejected a proposal from Microsoft. It however remains unclear whether the venture would pass muster with Washington regulators. YouTube vice president of product management said that Shorts is a new short-form video experience for creators and artists who want to shoot short, catchy videos using nothing but their mobile phones. 

C) Scientists detect possible signs of alien life in Venus’s clouds

Data from the Magellan spacecraft and Pioneer Venus Orbiter of NASA is used in an undated composite image of the planet Venus. Data from the Magellan spacecraft and Pioneer Venus Orbiter of NASA is used in an undated composite image of the planet Venus. Scientists said that they have detected, a gas called phosphine, in the harshly acidic clouds of Venus, which indicates that there might be microbes living in the inhospitable neighbor of Earth. The researchers did not discover actual life forms, phosphine is produced by bacteria thriving in oxygen-starved environments. The existence of extraterrestrial life has long been a central question in science. Researchers have used probes and telescopes to seek biosignatures indirect signs of life on other planets and moons in our solar system and beyond.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
09 September 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) India says it was the PLA that opened fire along the LAC

Hours after the Chinese Army claimed that Indian troops opened fire along the disputed Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, the Indian Army said on the morning of 8 September that it was actually the troops of China which had fired some rounds in the air. Following fresh tensions, Army chief Gen Manoj Naravane briefed Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on the ground situation. As per an army spokesperson, in the instant case on September 7, it was the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops who were attempting to close-in with one of our forward positions along the LAC and when dissuaded by our troops, the troops of PLA had fired a few rounds in the air in an attempt to intimidate own troops. No shots have been fired along the disputed boundary between India and China since 1975. By stating that India was committed to disengagement and de-escalating the situation along the LAC, China continues to undertake provocative activities to escalate. In a late-night statement on 7 September, the PLA had accused the Indian Army of illegally crossing the LAC and entering the south bank of Pangong Lake and the Shenpao mountain area and outrageously firing warning shots.

B) NCB arrests Rhea Chakraborty.

On 8 September, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has arrested actress Rhea Chakraborty on charges of allegedly procuring drugs, in a case linked to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. She reached the office of NCB around 10.30 am, which is located at Ballard Estate in south Mumbai. She reached there in a car that was escorted by a Mumbai Police vehicle. She had been questioned by the NCB for about 8 hours on 7 September and 6 hours on 6 September. The NCB had started its inquiries based on WhatsApp chats retrieved from Chakraborty’s phone, which allegedly revealed conversations around procuring drugs. The agency, in its remand application, sought judicial custody of Chakraborty till September 21.

C) Opposition to put up a joint candidate for Deputy RS Chairman

On 8 September, the Congress has decided that the Opposition will put up a joint candidate for the post of Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman and it will reach out to various parties in this regard. The incumbent, Harivansh Narayan Singh from the Janata Dal (United), was elected to the post in 2018. He demitted office when his Rajya Sabha term ended this year. But he has since been re-elected to the House, making him eligible to hold the post again. While the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is expected to once again pick him as their candidate for the post, the Congress may ask the DMK to contest the election.

D) Maharashtra scraps 70:30 quota for medical admissions

The Maharashtra government has scrapped the 70:30 region-wise formula for admission in medical courses in the State. The formula implied reservation for 70% locals (from that region) in medical colleges and 30% from the rest of the State. Making an announcement in the State Assembly. The Minister of Medical Education said that the admissions would now be based on the results of students who have appeared for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET). Instead of the 70:30 quota, it would be one Maharashtra, one merit. Under the quota, 70% of seats in medical colleges were reserved for students in their districts. The number of medical colleges in the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions of Maharashtra are less compared to the other areas. Hence, students from these regions felt that they were at a disadvantage when it came to getting admission in medical colleges.

E) COVID Watch: Numbers and Developments

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 43,38,106 with the death toll at 73,506. Notwithstanding the concerns raised about Russia’s vaccine development process, the Central government on 8 September said that Russia has requested the help of India in the manufacturing of its vaccine by Indian companies and for conducting phase three studies in India. Russia rolled out the first batch of its Sputnik V vaccine for public use on 8 September. Earlier in the day, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan wrote to Railways Minister Piyush Goyal urging him to resume the ‘Shramik Special’ trains from Odisha to other states to facilitate the return of migrant workers to their workplaces.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) PUBG Corp says China’s Tencent won’t publish the mobile game in India

PUBG Corporation which is the unit of a South Korean company behind Player Unknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), has decided that it will no longer give Tencent Games the rights to publish its popular mobile game in India.  The announcement came after 1 week of India banned 118 apps, most of Chinese-origin and PUBG among them, to step up pressure on Beijing amidst tensions along the border. Moving forward, the company said that PUBG Corporation will take on all publishing responsibilities within India. It was also exploring some ways to provide gaming experiences to Indian users. Tencent Games, which ran its franchise in India has confirmed that the PUBG Corp will take the further responsibilities of publishing the mobile game in India. Their existing cooperation with PUBG Corporation in global markets other than India is not affected. India is the biggest market in the game by the number of users.

B) China has confirmed five youngsters from Arunachal are in PLA custody, says Rijiju

Union Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs Kiren Rijiju has said that the 5 youngsters from Arunachal Pradesh who were allegedly captured by the PLA less than a week ago have been found in China. The PLA of China has responded to the hotline message sent by the Indian Army. They have confirmed that the missing youths from Arunachal Pradesh have been found by their side. Further modalities to hand over the persons to our authority are being worked out. Rijiju is the BJP MP from the Arunachal West constituency that covers the Upper Subansiri district. Officials in Arunachal Pradesh hoped the PLA would return the five teenagers soon, just as the Indian Army had handed over 13 yaks and four calves to China on September 7. The animals had strayed into East Kameng district west of Upper Subansiri on August 31. The 5 teenagers from the Nacho area of Upper Subansiri district had gone hunting to the Tungdara Mountain or Sera-7, close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China. They went missing on September 4 and members of their families claimed they were taken away by PLA personnel.

C) Scientists question Russia’s findings on the vaccine.

Just after 4 days of the results of the Phase-1/2 trials of the Sputnik V vaccine of Russia for the novel coronavirus was published in The Lancet, a group of 16 scientists has written an open letter to the authors of the paper and Dr. Richard Horton, editor of the journal, raising questions about the integrity of the published data. The letter by Enrico M. Bucci, Adjunct Professor at Temple University, who is well known for his work in biomedical scientific integrity, along with 15 other scientists from Italy, Japan, Germany, and France, has raised concerns over potential data inconsistencies in the published paper. With a group of colleagues, he found the data presented in the recent paper on The Lancet a bit puzzling. They need access to the original data. Stating that the scientific community should pay even more attention to the scientific evidence and the underlying data, they pointed out the importance of making data fully available for close scrutiny. In the lack of the original data, the research described in the article published by The Lancet presents several different points of concern. The points raised by the 16 scientists are valid. Without access to the actual data, the points and patterns on the graphs look too similar at multiple places. This raises concern about the data, and therefore the way this vaccine was tested,” virologist Dr. Shahid Jameel, CEO of the DBT-Wellcome Trust India Alliance.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
08 September 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) The Government needs to be frightened out of its complacency, says Raghuram Rajan on GDP contraction.

In a LinkedIn Post, former RBI governor, Raghuram Rajan said that the 23.9% contraction in growth of GDP for the first quarter of Financial Year 2020-21 should alarm all of us and the government and its bureaucrats need to be frightened out of their complacency and into meaningful activity. He added that the reluctance of the Congress to do more today to conserve resources for a possible future stimulus is a self-defeating strategy. The growth potential of the economy will be damaged seriously without relief measures. He further said that the 23.9% contraction in India, which will probably be worse when estimates of the damage in the informal sector come out, compares with a drop of 12.4% in Italy and 9.5% in the United States 2 of the most COVID-19-affected advanced countries. Government-provided relief becomes all the more important. 

B) Vodafone and Idea merge to become one brand: ‘Vi’

Vodafone and Idea, the 2 brands of Vodafone Idea Ltd (VIL) have together been rebranded as “Vi” from Monday and with this new identity, the two distinct brands will now fade away. VIL said that the integration of 2 brands is the peak of the largest telecom integration in the world. Unveiling the new brand, Ravinder Takkar, MD & CEO of VIL said that Vodafone Idea came together as a merged entity two years ago on August 31, 2018. Since then, they have focused on integrating 2 large networks. He said that brand integration not only marked the completion of the largest telecom merger in the world but also set the company on its future journey to offer world-class digital experiences to one billion Indians.

C) Govt intervention in education policy should be minimal, says PM

On 7 September, PM Modi said that the intervention of the government in the education policy should be minimal. He also stressed that the policy belongs to the whole country, rather than to any particular government in power. Modi was addressing the inaugural session of the Governors’ conference on the National Education Policy (NEP), which is being attended by State Education Ministers and Vice Chancellors. The focus of the conference is the NEP implementation. He also said that the education policy and the education system are an important means of fulfilling the aspirations of the country. The Central and the State governments, as well as local bodies, all have responsibility for the education system. But it is also true that the government’s interference or intervention in education policy should be minimal. Just as the foreign policy or defense policy are the policies of the country, not of the government, so is the education policy. It belongs to the whole country. He urged collective responsibility in implementing the policy.

D) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 42,44,604 with the death toll at 72,161. After recording a daily jump of 90,802 new cases, India has displaced Brazil to take second place after the United States in terms of the caseload. It is the second consecutive day when India reported over 90,000 new cases. Meanwhile, the Attorney General of India KK Venugopal went into self-isolation on 7 September after his colleague tested positive for the virus.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Chinese spokesperson says China ‘never recognized so-called Arunachal Pradesh’, calls it ‘south Tibet’.

Days after 5 Indians were reportedly abducted by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) from Upper Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh, the state-affiliated media outlet of China, Global Times reported foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian as saying that Beijing had no details on the Indian army sending a message to PLA about 5 missing Indians in the region. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju had tweeted that the Indian army had sent a hotline message to the PLA about the alleged abduction incident. The Global Times report also quoted Lijian as saying that China had never recognized the so-called Arunachal Pradesh which is the south Tibet region of China. 

B) Djokovic disqualified from U.S. Open.

Novak Djokovic was disqualified from the U.S. Open after a bizarre incident on 6 September. Trailing 5-6 in the first set of his U.S. Open fourth-round match against World No. 30 Pablo Carreno Busta, a frustrated Novak Djokovic unintentionally struck a lineswoman on the throat with the ball. Djokovic immediately realized that he had made a grave error and rushed over to check on the lineswoman. But the damage was done, and tournament officials following the rule book had no option but to disqualify Djokovic and award the match to Busta. While there is little doubt that Djokovic struck the lineswoman unintentionally, the Grand Slam rulebook leaves little room for excuses such behavior. The Serbian had to be disqualified for intentionally hitting a ball dangerously or recklessly within the court or hitting a ball with negligent disregard of the consequences”.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
02 September 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) SC provides telecom companies 10 years to pay AGR dues.

The Supreme Court on 1 September allowed the telecom companies a time of 10 years to pay their adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues to the government. The government had earlier suggested a 20-year-formula for them to make staggered payments of the dues. An October 2019 judgement of the court in the AGR issue had originally wanted that the companies should make the repayment in 3 months. But the Centre had intervened, saying it would create a huge financial crisis in the telecom sector. The chairmen and managing directors of the telecom companies should sign the undertakings to follow the court judgment. The AGR dues should be paid from April 1, 2021 till March 31, 2031 as yearly instalments.

B) Allahabad HC orders release of Dr Kafeel Khan, revokes NSA charges. The Allahabad High Court has ordered the immediate release of Dr Kafeel Khan, who has been in jail since January 29 for delivering a speech at the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) on December 12, 2019 during the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) protests. The court said that the prosecution had failed to produce corroborative evidence to show that Khan’s speech promoted hatred or violence. Furthermore, the order declared that the extended detention of Khan was illegal. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, who had in July written to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath seeking justice for Khan, welcomed the court order.

C) Congress steps up attack over GDP contraction. 

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on 1 September said that the collapse of the Indian economy started with the November 2016 demonetization. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh tweeted the chronology of the policies : 1. Demonetisation & botched up GST killed growth. 2. Tax cuts put money in hands of corporates instead of people. Consumption collapsed. 3. Unplanned lockdown led to total meltdown of economy. Former Union Finance Minister P. Chidamabaram lauded the stance taken by various states with regard to GST compensation and asserted that the Centre should bear the burden of additional borrowing.

D) Delhi HC grants bail to Pinjra Tod member Devangana Kalita in riots case

On 1 September, the Delhi High Court has granted bail to Pinjra Tod activist Devangana Kalita, who was arrested in the northeast Delhi riots case. The bail was granted because of the failure of police to produce any material showing her delivering a hate speech. However, she will continue to remain in jail, as she has managed to secure bail in only 3 of the 4 cases registered against her, and the Delhi police has invoked sections of the stringent anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in a separate case against her. The bail granted to her is in connection with an FIR registered on February 26, 2020, which is being investigated by the Crime Branch. She is currently facing 4 different FIRs in connection with the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) protests in Jafrabad, the northeast Delhi riots, and violence in Daryaganj during a protest against the new citizenship law last year.

E) Covid watch: Numbers. 

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 37,59,989 at the with the death toll at 66,451. Former President Pranab Mukherjee, who passed away on 31 August, was cremated with full military honours on 1 September. His cremation was done by his son Abhijit Mukherjee at the Lodhi crematorium on 1 September. Earlier, Mukherjee’s mortal remains were placed at his residence, 10 Rajaji Marg, to enable dignitaries and the general public to pay their last respects.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Charlie Hebdo will republish the cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed.

On 1 September, the satirical weekly of French, Charlie Hebdo, the target of a massacre by Islamist gunmen in 2015 said that it will republish the hugely controversial cartoons of Prophet Mohammed. This decision was taken to mark the start of the trial of the alleged accomplices of the attackers. “We will never lie down. We will never give up,” this week. The director of the magazine has wrote this in an editorial which will go with the republished cartoons in its latest edition.

B) China won’t be the first to escalate’ says foreign minister Wang Yi. 

On 1 September, the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi said that Beijing will not be the first to complicate or escalate the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh. As the boundary between China and India has not yet been demarcated, there will always be problems of this kind. He said that China was ready to manage all issues through dialogue and called on India to place the issues in an appropriate position in the bilateral relationship. Moreover, they also accused India of breaking earlier consensus and called on India to immediately withdraw its troops in statements issued in Beijing and New Delhi that questioned India’s account of the latest tensions. On 31 August, the Indian Army had said that on the night of August 29 , the PLA violated the previous agreements and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo, and India had also taken appropriate measures to pre-empt these moves.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
01 September 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Former President Pranab Mukherjee passes away. 

On 31 August, former President Pranab Mukherjee had passed away.  He was 84 years old. The news was announced by his son Abhijit via Twitter. He tweeted that with a heavy heart, he is informing that his father Shri Pranab Mukherjee has just passed away despite the best efforts of the doctors & prayers, duas & Prarthana from people throughout India. He also thanked the people for praying for their father. On 19 August, Pranab Mukherjee had developed a lung infection. He also underwent life-saving emergency surgery for a brain clot on 19 August and was on ventilator support till then. He had also tested positive for Covid-19. The current President of India, Mr. Ram Nath Kovind said that it was the passing of an era.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India grieves the passing away of Bharat Ratna Shri Pranab Mukherjee. He has left an indelible mark on the development of the nation. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also expressed condolences on the passing of Pranab Mukherjee. He said that with great sadness, the nation receives the news of the unfortunate demise of our former president Shri Pranab Mukherjee, I join the country in paying homage to him. 

B) India’s GDP contracted by 23.9% in the April-June quarter. 

The GDP of India has shanked by 23.9% in the April-June quarter because of the novel coronavirus lockdowns which slowed the economy. This is the worst ever performance of the economy since 1996 when India began releasing quarterly figures. This was also worse than any of the biggest economies of the world. Data also showed that manufacturing was in full recession, as output fell by a whopping 39.3% in the June quarter, close on the heels of a 1.4% drop in the previous quarter. It is believed by the analysts that India is on course for its first full-year contraction in 4 decades. On the day the GDP numbers came in, the BSE index fell 839 points (2.13%)to close at 38,628, while the NSE Nifty settled 260 points (2.23%) lower at 11,388.

C) Prashant Bhushan fined ₹1 by Supreme Court for contempt of court. 

On 31 August, a 3 Judge Bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Arun Mishra has punished noted civil rights lawyer Prashant Bhushan with a ₹1 fine for committing criminal contempt with his 2 tweets. The court said that Prashant Bhushan, who was present at the sentencing hearing held via video conference, had to pay the fine by 15 September else he has to face 3 months of simple imprisonment and a 3-year ban on legal practice. He duly paid the fine.  He also indicated that he will seek a review of the original judgment that held him guilty of contempt of court. Justice Mishra, who read out the sentencing judgment, said the court had on not 1, but several occasions asked the lawyer to seek apology for his tweets. It had, nonetheless, considered Attorney General K.K. Venugopal’s suggestion to take into account the professional good done by Bhushan. Reacting to the sentencing, Bhushan, said that he will propose to submit himself to this order and will respectfully pay the fine, just as he would have submitted to any other lawful punishment.

D) COVID Watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 36,79,751 with the death toll at 65,436.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has extended the suspension of scheduled international flights till September 30. However, the international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes. In India, International flights have been barred since March 23. On 31 August, Union Home Minister Amit Shah was discharged from All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, Delhi after treatment. He had been admitted on August 18. West Bengal will observe a complete lockdown on September 7, 11, and 12. A notification in this regard was released today. As per Unlock 4 guidelines issued by the Centre, the Union government has to be consulted before such lockdown decisions. However, the state’s Chief Secretary said that the West Bengal government will go ahead with this lockdown schedule.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) A first commercial flight between Israel and the UAE.

The first historic commercial flight between Israel and the UAE left for Abu Dhabi on 31 August from the Ben-Gurion airport, after few days of normalization of relations between the two countries under U.S. mediation. The flight was carrying a high-level Israeli delegation led by National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbat and a U.S. delegation headed by President Donald Trump’s adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, and U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien. On 13 August, Israel and the United Arab Emirates had announced that they were establishing full diplomatic relations by following a U.S.-brokered deal which required Israel to suspend its plan to annex parts of the West Bank. UAE is only the third Arab country to establish diplomatic ties with Israel. Egypt and Jordan, are the other two Arab nations that recognize this Jewish state.

B) Another escalation in Ladakh as PLA intrudes again

On 31 August, Chinese troops have carried out aggressive moves to change the status quo on the South Bank of Pangong Tso in an escalation of the ongoing standoff on the border in Ladakh. The army said that the attempts had been thwarted. A Brigade Commander-level flag meeting was in progress at Chushul to resolve the issues. Around 25 PLA soldiers intruding across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) were blocked by Indian troops, a defense source said. Around 100 PLA soldiers were also seen below Black Top hill just across the LAC. There was no physical clash. In the wake of this latest confrontation in Ladakh, the Kashmir-Ladakh road has been closed for civilian traffic to ensure that the movement of military vehicles is not disturbed.

C) Norway fund sells Page Industries stake, Cites risk of human rights violation. 

The $1 trillion wealth fund of Norway said that it had excluded the Formosa Chemicals and Fiber of Taiwan.  Formosa Taffeta and the Page Industries of India said that they had posed an unacceptable risk for the violation of human rights. However, Formosa Chemicals and Fibre have declined the comment. In recent years the fund, that operates under the guidelines established by the Norwegian parliament, has focused on the working conditions in textile factories in Asia. It excludes those companies that can be proved to be an ethical risk to their investments. The fund was set up in 1996 in order to preserve the oil revenues of Norway for future generations. It holds around 1.5% of globally listed shares, its decisions are often followed by other investors. By the end of 2019, NBIM was holding a 0.84% stake in Formosa Chemicals & Fibre, whose value is $144 million. The stake in Page Industries at that time stood at 0.42%, with a market value of $15.4 million.

SPORTS NEWS 

A) Anand thrilled with the addition to the medal collection.

One medal was missing from Viswanathan Anand’s collection, the one from the biennial Chess Olympiad. On 30 August, the gold-sharing performance of India in the inaugural FIDE online Olympiad gold has ensured a new addition to the five-time World champion’s trophy cabinet. Mr. Anand thinks that Olympiad is a very special title. He really liked the sensation and the ambiance of winning as part of this team. After a drama which lasts for 2 hours on 30 August, the protest of India over two lost games following internet outage across several nations was upheld and it was declared the joint winner with Russia. Many Indian players, including Anand, congratulated Russia. On his part, skipper Vidit Gujrathi said that it was a great experience to lead a team, featuring Anand and Humpy. He still has the autographs he took of these 2 legends. In the case of juniors, they had to consider their styles before finalizing their line-up.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
31 August 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) The first phase of Census 2021 and NPR updates may be delayed by a year. 

The first phase of the Census and the exercise to update the National Population Register (NPR), scheduled for this year and shifted due to the coronavirus outbreak, may be delayed by 1 year because of the current situation of the global pandemic and its abruptly increasing rate without any sign of a slowdown. The census of India is one of the biggest administrative and statistical exercises in the world. It involves more than 30 lakh officials who visit each household across the whole country. Census is not essential for now. Even if it is delayed by 1 year, there would be no harm. No final decision has been taken yet on when the Census 2021 and NPR update would take place but it is sure that the census of India will not take place because of the increasing rate of the novel coronavirus. 

B) 14 lakh people affected by Odisha floods

On 30 August, over 14 lakh people were affected due to floods in 5 river systems of Odisha. Heavy rain triggered by back-to-back low-pressure areas over the Bay of Bengal had caused flooding in 20 districts. 17 people have lost their lives due to wall collapse and by slipping into swollen rivers. Around 2.65 lakh people were marooned by vast sheets of water in 340 villages and 57,824 people were being served cooked food after their evacuation from water-logged houses. Approximately 10,382 houses and 1.68 lakh hectare of cropland were affected by the flood.

C) The current banking challenge is the most intractable one even before COVID-19: Urjit Patel

In his first interaction with a journalist after stepping down from the Reserve Bank of India, former Governor Urjit Patel spoke about his new book, Overdraft: Saving the Indian Saver, in a conversation on invitation from the Pune International Centre. In the banking sector in India, which he has observed at various distances over the last 30 years, it’s the other way round. The macroeconomic problems have created a financial sector crisis periodically. The current banking challenge is the most intractable one even before COVID19. We have a tendency to make a premature pronouncement of victory over any challenge that we desire to solve. We get tired very quickly. 

D) PM touts India’s potential to become ‘toy hub’.

On 30 August, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India has the talent and the ability to become a toy hub for the entire world. So, he called upon startups to work towards understanding this potential by being vocal about local toys. He said that the global toy industry is over ₹7 lakh crore but the share of India in it is very small. So, he focused on the need to work to increase the share of India in the global toy industry. He called upon start-up entrepreneurs to ‘team up for toys’ and said that it is the time to get vocal for local toys. He also stressed on the young entrepreneurs that they should develop computer games to increase our share. 

 

E) COVID watch – Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stands at 36,12,916 with the death toll at 64,604. A record single-day spike of 78,761 infections has pushed India’s COVID-19 tally to above 35 lakh.

F) The Tamil Nadu government announced its guidelines for Unlock 4. The Tamil Nadu government has announced its guidelines for Unlock 4 on 30 August, a day after the Union Home Ministry announced its guidelines for Unlock 4. The relaxations that were announced by the state are the opening of all places of worship, shopping malls, showrooms, and big formal stores that can open with 100% staff and metro rail services to resume from September 7. Educational Institutions, amusement parks, and other similar places will remain shut. Parks will be open only for normal walking and exercise and not for any kind of gatherings. Shops that supply essentials can stay open till 8 p.m. Restaurants and tea shops between 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and parcel services till 9 p.m.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) Singapore to offer free tests to taxi drivers, hawkers

Singapore will offer free COVID-19 tests to community groups such as taxi drivers, food delivery workers, and hawkers in order to increase the testing rate. The government on 29 August has announced that the costs of the tests will be given by the government. To date, there are 56,771 confirmed cases of COVID19 in Singapore, in which 55,447 have fully recovered from the infection. Meanwhile, the government has reminded the people to use face coverings, Masks, sanitizers to prevent coronavirus. The government also tells to avoid the use of makeshift coverings for the face as scarves, etc. because these materials cannot be used to prevent the spread of the virus. They are not specifically made for the prevention of the disease. 

B) White House ends key briefings to Congress. 

The White House has announced to end in-person briefings to congressional intelligence committees about foreign election interference because of the accusations made on them on 29 August that they were taking Russian help for the re-election of US President Donald Trump. This announcement has made before 2 months of upcoming elections in which Donald Trump threatened foreign interference and accuses the democrats that they have leaked some sensitive information. He also said that the Congress will continue to access the classified written reports. But the lawmakers will no longer be able to question the officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). The Congress democrats described this move as a shameful act and accused Donald Trump of covering up the Russian Interference. 

C) TikTok’s sale in the U.S. may need China’s approval

As per the new rules announced by China, the Byte Dance sale of US TikTok operation could need the approval of Beijing. Application ByteDance has been ordered by US President Donald Trump in order to divest  TikTok which is challenging the order in the United States because of security reasons over the personal data it handles. Late on 28 August, China has revised a list of technologies that are banned or restricted for the first time in 12 years in other countries. On 30 August, ByteDance said that it has noted the revisions to the technology of export list of China and it would strictly be governed by the rules while dealing with matters related to it. The Ministry of Commerce of China has added 23 items to the restricted list which can take up to a month for approval to technology export.