Tag: latest Current Affairs

CURRENT AFFAIRS
30 August 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Coronavirus unlocks 4.0: Metro rail services to resume from September 7.

Announcing the guidelines for Unlock 4.0 on 29 August, the center said that Metro rail can resume its services from September 7, while social, cultural, religious, academic, sports or political gatherings will be permitted with a restriction of allowing only 100 persons from September 21. The guidelines also stated that the state governments will not impose any local lockdown except the containment zones without prior consultation. The Ministry of Home Affairs said that after discussing with the States and Union Territories, it has decided that all the educational institutions will remain closed for students till September 30, 2020. 

B) Congress reiterates demand for Parliamentary panel probe into the Facebook issue. 

On 29 August, the Congress has reiterated their demand that the government constitutes a joint parliamentary committee to investigate an unholy intimacy between Facebook’s India operations and the BJP. The Congress has flagged a Time magazine story, for which they said that it confirmed a piece by The Wall Street Journal and pointed out that WhatsApp as well, which is owned by Facebook. The Congress alleged that WhatsApp, which was used by 40 crore Indians, had been compromised and controlled indirectly by the BJP.

C) COVID Watch: Numbers and Developments

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 35,33,939 with the death toll at 63,631. Meanwhile, for every 1 million population, India’s coronavirus cases and fatalities are one of the lowest compared to the global averages. As of 29 August, 8 states which include Uttar Pradesh,  Maharashtra, Odisha, Karnataka, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu contribute around 73% of the active caseload. 7 states including Maharashtra, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal account for 81% of total deaths due to coronavirus infection. The media and protocol division of AIIMS, New Delhi said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was admitted to AIIMS for post-COVID care has recovered and is likely to be discharged soon.

D) Democracy is getting overwhelmed by dictatorship: Sonia Gandhi.

On 29 August, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said that Anti-national and anti-poor forces are spreading the poison of hatred and violence in our country, democratic institutions are being destroyed, and democracy is getting overwhelmed by a dictatorship. Without naming anyone, she further said that they want to suppress the voice of the people of the country. What do they want? They want the people of the country, the youth, the tribal people, the women, the farmers, the shopkeepers, the small traders, and the jawans will keep their mouths shut. They want to keep the nation’s mouth shut.

E) Facebook news service to launch in the UK, India, Brazil. 

The Timepiece alleged that Shivnath Thukral, who is the current Public Policy director of WhatsApp used to operate websites and Facebook pages for the Bhartiya Janta Party in 2013. It claimed that on hate speeches on its platform, WhatsApp was going slow as it wants to launch its own payment platform soon. The spokesperson of Congress, Pawan Khera said that there is a need for an unbiased investigation by a joint parliamentary committee between the links of Facebook employees and the ruling establishment which is unended. The investigation must include how Facebook has manipulated the opinion of the voters and allowed hate speech. Congress demanded that until the inquiry is complete, WhatsApp must not be granted approval for its payment operations.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Xi Jinping calls for building an impregnable wall for Tibet. 

The President of China, Xi Jinping on 29 August has outlined some plans so as to solidify border defense and also to build an impregnable wall so that the stability of Tibet can be ensured. His statements in Beijing were underlining the need to solidify the border defense, but he did not specifically mention the ongoing tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Earlier in August, the Foreign Minister along with the State Councilor had rarely visited to inspect the border infrastructure in Tibet. Mr. Xi Jinping has said that the efforts were made to ensure national security, peace, and stability, and also to steadily improve the lives of people and to maintain a good environment,  strengthen the border defense and to ensure frontier security.

B) UAE puts an end to the economic boycott of Israel

An economic boycott against Israel has been ended by the President of the United Arab Emirates by allowing trade and financial agreements between both countries. Israel and the UAE said on August 13 that they would normalize the diplomatic relations in a deal brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump that reshapes the order of West Asia’s politics, from the Palestinian issue to the fight against Iran. The announcement came because the Israeli flag carrier El Al Israel Airlines Ltd. has prepared to operate the first direct flight between capital Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport and the capital of United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi. 

The Agriculture Minister of Israel has said that Israel was working on potential joint projects which can help to improve the oil-rich Gulf nation’s food security, such as water desalination and crop cultivation in the desert.

SPORTS NEWS 

A) Chess Olympiad: Humpy wins Armageddon, helps India reach final

India staged a magnificent comeback to defeat Poland and move into the final of the online Chess Olympiad on 29 August. After the teams were level at the end of the two matches in which there were 6 games apiece the winner had to be decided by Armageddon (tie-breaker). Koneru Humpy is the women’s world no. 2 from Vijayawada. That meant she had 4 minutes to make her moves against her rival’s five. Humpy did more than what was required, winning in 73 moves. After losing the opening match with 2-4, the Indians had to win the second match. They did that in some style, with a 4.5-1.5 victory. In the final which will be held on 30 August, India will take on the winner of the second semi-final to be played between top seed Russia and the United States.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
29 August 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) States can postpone final year UGC exams beyond September 30 but can’t promote students, in that case, says SC

The Supreme Court of India on 28 August upheld the validity of the decision taken by some states to cancel final-year UGC exams due to Covid-19. These exams are supposed to be completed by September 30. The court, however, added that students cannot be promoted until they have given the exams. But the states can apply and ask the UGC for an exam deadline extension. Maharashtra,  Delhi, Odisha, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana have canceled their UGC examinations. A Bench which was led by Justice Ashok Bhushan held that the States’ Disaster Management authorities acted beyond their jurisdiction in seeking to promote final-year students without exams. 

B) Six non-BJP States move SC against the conduct of JEE/NEET.

The Ministers of 6 non-BJP states have moved the Supreme Court against the conduct of the JEE Mains and the NEET during the pandemic by saying that lakhs of young students should not fall prey to the Centre’s haphazard plans, which could prove worse than the disease itself. The National Testing Agency (NTA) had notified the date of JEE between September 1 to 9. The NEET is scheduled to be held on September 13. The JEE is to be conducted over 660 exam centers with 9.53 lakh students giving it. This means that roughly 1,443 students in every center. Similarly, the NEET will see 15.97 lakh students in 3,843 centers across the country or around 415 students to an exam center. The Ministers of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Punjab moved the court. The petition from these states comes after a meeting among Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and the chief ministers of these non-BJP States. Meanwhile, the President of INC Sonia Gandhi on 28 August said that the decision to hold NEET and JEE should be taken with the concurrence of students. In a separate video message, former chief of the INC, Rahul Gandhi said that the government should have a conversation with students and decide on holding the exams only after arriving at a consensus.

C) Covid watch: Numbers and Developments.

A record single-day spike of 77,266 infections in a day, as reported in the Union Health Ministry data updated on August 28 marked the highest single-day spike for any country in the world. According to data given by JohnsHopkins University, 77,255 new cases were reported in the U.S. on July 17, 2020, was the previous high. India currently stands third in the number of cases after the U.S. and Brazil. In terms of deaths, India has recorded the fourth highest mortality, after the U.S., Brazil, and Mexico. The total number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 34,56,147 with the death toll at 62,708. The Supreme Court rejected a petition asking to postpone the Bihar Assembly elections due to the current coronavirus crisis. The Assembly polls are scheduled to be held in November. The dates, however, are yet to be announced. Justice Ashok Bhushan that Coronavirus cannot be a ground for stopping elections and interfering with the powers of the Election Commission.

D) Ministry of Home Affairs notifies new rules for administration in J&K.

On 28 August, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has notified new rules for the administration in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir that specify the functions of the Lieutenant Governor (LG) and the Council of Ministers. As per the rules which were notified by the Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla says that the matters which affect the peace and tranquility of the Union Territory or the interest of any minority community shall essentially be submitted to the Lieutenant Governor through the Chief Secretary, under intimation to the Chief Minister, before issuing any orders. In case of a dispute of opinions between a Minister and LG, the decision of the LG shall be final and should be accepted by the Ministers. 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Shinzo Abe resigns as Japan’s PM, citing health reasons.

The Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, who is Japan’s longest-serving premier has announced his resignation on 28 August. He citing poor health as the reason behind the same. This brings to an end an 8-year stint at the helm of the world’s third-biggest economy. It was the second time he has resigned as the Prime Minister because of poor health. He similarly quit in 2007 after one year as premier due to illness. He has battled the disease ulcerative colitis for many years and 2 recent hospital visits within a week had provided speculation that he would not be able to serve out his term. In a statement, he said that he apologized from the bottom of his heart that despite getting all the support from the citizens, he is leaving the post with a year left in his tenure and in between various policies and coronavirus. 

B) UN Secretary-General slams India’s push for fossil fuels such as coal. 

The Secretary-General of United Nations, Antonio Guterres on 28 August has criticized India for subsidizing fossil fuels and promoting coal auctions. He said that they are the ticket to growth and prosperity. Yet, in India, subsidies for fossil fuels are still some 7 times more than the subsidies for clean energy. The continued support for fossil fuels in so many places around the world is deeply troubling. His criticism is significant in the light of Prime Minister Modi launching an auction of 41 coal blocks for commercial mining on June 18, as part of India’s Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyaan. At the launch, PM Modi had said that it marked not only the implementation of reforms to the coal mining sector but also the creation of lakhs of jobs. The government had decided to spend ₹50,000 crore for the creation of infrastructure for coal extraction and transport. However, there has been severe criticism of the decision to auction these blocks, with independent analysts pointed out that it would cause the destruction of the pristine forests in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh. Others have the opinion that investing in polluting coal plants was an economically unsound policy.

SPORTS NEWS 

A) CSK to increase its quarantine period. IPL team Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will be extending its quarantine period till early next week after some members of the contingent has tested positive for the coronavirus upon landing in Dubai for the IPL. While the franchise officials remained tight-lipped on the matter, Sportstar has learned that the test reports of at least 10 members of the franchise which includes a fast bowler who has played for India have returned positive.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
28 August 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) GST compensation: States get 7 days to choose between two options. 

The Centre on 27 August has proposed 2 options for States to borrow in order to meet compensation shortfall. The States will come back within 7 days and then GST Council will take final decision. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman after chairing a five-hour meeting of the GST Council, said that the Centre will work with the RBI to facilitate borrowing so that interest rates do not vary. The meeting was called to discuss the means to meet the compensation shortfall. Initial estimate of total compensation requirement was around ₹3 lakh crore. The Government expects collection through GST compensation to be around ₹65,000 crore, while the remaining ₹2,35,000 crore would be the shortfall. So now there are two options left to meet this shortfall. Option 1: States, through a special window of the RBI, will be able to borrow ₹97,000 crore at a reasonable rate of interest. Option 2: The entire GST compensation gap of ₹2,35,000 crore of this year can be borrowed by the states, again through a special window of the RBI.

The repayment of principal and interest would be linked to compensation cess receivables. This means cess could be levied beyond five years on 29 items falling in the 28% category such as automobiles, cement, and air-conditioners. Sitharaman said that the aim would be to facilitate borrowing through a special window of the RBI. If the States rushed to open market, then there would be a possibility of varying interest rates. She also explained that additional 0.5% borrowing under FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act) of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) as provided under Atmanirbhar Bharat can be used for this purpose. 

B) 2004 verdict on sub-classification of SC/STs needs to be reconsidered, says Supreme Court.

On 27 August, the Supreme Court held that the verdict of 2004 which was holding that the ]states do not have the power to further sub-classify the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in order to grant quotas in jobs and admissions to educational institutions needs to be revisited. A 5 Judge bench said that the  verdict of the constitution bench in the E.V. Chinnaiah case in 2004 needs to be reconsidered. Hence, the matter is placed before the Chief Justice of India for appropriate direction. The bench said that the 2004 verdict in its view was not correctly decided and states can make laws to give preferential treatment by sub-classifying caste within SC/STs. The bench referred the case, filed by the Punjab government against a high court order, before CJI JJustie Bobde so that a larger bench can be set up to revisit the order that was passed earlier. 

C) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 33,76,468 with the death toll at 61,623. Indian on 27 August registered its highest single-day spike of over 75,000 new cases.

D) SC refuses ‘general directions’ allowing Muharram processions.

The Supreme Court on 27 August has refused to pass general directions to allow Muharram processions across the country between the pandemic restrictions. The Court cited that an order like that would lead to chaos and targeting a particular community for spreading the virus. Just a few days ago, while allowing prayers at 3 Jain temples in Mumbai, the CJI had orally remarked that the court found it strange that  the states are willing to allow those activities which involves economic interests. But if it involves any religion, then they cite Covid and say that they cannot open. It was pointed out that the court had permitted the annual chariot procession related to the Jagannath Puri temple festivities during the pandemic. But the CJI replied that those permissions were given for specific places and not the entire country. There were no general directions passed.

E) Delhi High Court halts insolvency proceedings against Anil Ambani.

The Delhi High Court on 27 August has stopped insolvency proceedings against Reliance Group chairman Anil Ambani under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).  The  Court prohibited him from disposing of any of his assets. Anil Ambani had filed a plea with the Delhi High Court challenging the appointment of a resolution professional over a roughly ₹1,200 crore ($163 million) personal guarantee which he had given to the State Bank of India (SBI) for giving loans to his companies. The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), earlier in this month had appointed a bankruptcy administrator in order to verify the claim of SBI that Ambani offered about ₹ 1,200 crore of personal guarantees to seek the loan. 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Republicans defend cops after yet another shooting of a black man.

The Republicans defended the law enforcement on the third night of their convention because the nation has faced renewed tensions as the police shooted a Black man in Wisconsin. The shooting of the black man has sparked the protests in a state which could be a deciding role in the presidential elections going to held in November. The Vice-President of United States argue that the Democratic leaders are allowing lawlessness to prevail in cities from coast to coast. He and others described the cities as wracked by violence, though protests in most places have been largely peaceful. The black man was shot by the police on Sunday in Wisconsin, as soon as he leaned into his car. His children witnessed the whole scenario. Hundreds of people rallied outside the police headquarters of Kenosha, hours after he was shot by the police. As the protests went on, many cars were set alight and a night-time curfew was eventually take place. The protests have been continuing for four days now.

B) TikTok CEO resigns from his post. 

The chief executive officer of TikTok, Kevin Mayer has quit the company. The famous video maker application company has said in a statement. His resignation comes some days after the popular short-form video-sharing app and one of its employees separately sued U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration over his executive order banning transactions in the US. They described the order of Trump as a pretext to fuel anti-China rhetoric as he seeks re-election. The CEO of TikTok iina letter to the staff said that It is with a heavy heart that he wanted to let them all know that he have decided to leave the company.

C) Russia for concluding fighter, helicopter deals by year-end.

Russia is hopeful of concluding contracts for MiG-29 and SU-30MKI fighters jets and 6 Ka-31 helicopters by the end of this year. The representative of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) told this at the ongoing Army 2020 expo in Russia. The deliveries of S-400 long-range air defense systems will begin by the end of 2021 and could not be accelerated further. The official representative of the FSMTC said that they are aware that the Indian government has allocated additional funds for the procurement of additional batches of Russian MiG-29 and SU-30 MKI jets and six Ka-31 choppers. They anticipate that the respective contracts can be signed before the end of 2020 if the official requests come to them in due time.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
27 August 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Loan moratorium: Don’t hide behind RBI, SC tells Centre.

On 26 August, the Supreme Court has criticized the Centre for hiding behind the RBI without making clear its stand on the loan moratorium scheme which was introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic. The court wanted to know whether the deferment of EMIs during the moratorium period meant to help the borrowers to cope with the lockdown-induced financial crunch would lead to the accrual of further interest once the freeze is lifted on August 31. The government is yet to file its affidavit. The court said that the government is fully empowered to take an independent stand under the Disaster Management Act. Solicitor General of India, Mr. Tushar Mehta said that the government was working in tandem with the RBI and it was unfair to say that it did not have an independent view. The court gave the Centre time till September 1 to file a detailed affidavit by clarifying its stand. 

B) Rahul urges Centre to “give money to the poor” to revive the economy

Slamming the government over its handling of the economy, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the Centre needs to give money to the poor in order to revive consumption. He further said that distractions through media won’t help the poor or make the economic disaster disappear. His attack on the government follows an assessment by the RBI on Tuesday that demand will take a long time to mend and the shock to consumption is severe.

C) Mizoram complains to the Centre about Assam Rifles.

The Mizoram government has written to the Centre by accusing paramilitary force Assam Rifles of boycotting the Independence Day celebrations in the State. Chief Secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo on August 24 informed the Ministry of Home Affairs that the head of the Assam Rifles in the State boycotted the 1-Day celebration which was held on August 15. He also apprised the Ministry of Home Affairs violations of Covid-19 protocols by Assam Rifles personnel on the Assam-Mizoram border on August 18. He said that the personnel had barged into Mizoram in violation of the entry and safety protocols laid down by the State government to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

D) Transman can live-in with a woman partner: Orissa HC.

The High Court of Orissa has pronounced a Judgement by allowing a transman that he can stay with his woman live-in partner. The Court said that everyone has the right of self-determination of sex or gender and to enter into a live-in relationship with a person of his or her choice. A Division Bench of Justices S. K. Mishra and Savitri Ratho pronounced the judgment while hearing the petition of a transman who had sought the court’s intervention for restoration of a live-in relationship with a woman.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Phase 2 trials of Oxford Covid19 vaccine begins. 

The phase 2 human clinical trial of the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine candidate, which is to be manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII), began at Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical College and Hospital in Pune with two volunteers being administered the vaccine. SII has partnered with British-Swedish pharma company AstraZeneca for manufacturing the Covid-19 vaccine candidate developed by the University of Oxford. They have got all the approvals from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

B) The U.S. blacklists 24 Chinese firms amid South China Sea dispute. 

On 26 August, the United States has blacklisted 24 Chinese companies and targeted a number of individuals. They said that this was a part of various actions of construction and military-related disputed islands in the South China Sea. The Commerce Department of the United States said that 24 companies have helped the Chinese military in construction and militarization of the internationally deplored artificial islands in the South China Sea. China was accused by the United States for the militarization of the South China Sea and also for intimidating the Asian Neighbors with a motive to exploit its reserves of Oil and Gas. Multiple freedom navigation operations have been conducted by the United States to ensure freedom of access to those waterways which are connected internationally.

C) Israel strikes Hezbollah’s posts.

On 26 July, Israel said that it had launched airstrikes against the Hezbollah observation posts in Lebanon. This decision was taken after shots were fired across the border towards their troops. The Prime Minister of Israel, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu has blamed the shooting on Shiite militant group Hezbollah because of a devastating long war in 2006 with them, which goes on for a month. It was said by the army of Israel that a security incident was unfolding near Manara which is a place near the UN-demarcated boundary between both the countries. The National News Agency of Lebanon has reported that gunfire and flares that belong to Israel have been found around a village which is across the border. The Supreme Defense Council of Lebanon has decided to file a complaint against the United States security Council for this attack.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
26 August 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Prashant Bhushan hearing: Is it a sin to apologize, asks SC.

In a sentencing hearing on 25 August, the Supreme Court wondered at the consistent resolve shown by civil right lawyer Prashant Bhushan not to offer an apology in the face of contempt by saying that if you have hurt someone, you must remove the hurt. On his continuous statements, Justice Arun Mishra asked that is it wrong to apologize or whether apologizing is a sin. A chance has been given earlier to Mr. Bhushan that the matter can be sorted out if he apologizes before the Court. But he clearly stated that he won’t apologize for the same. Meanwhile, the top law officer of India, Attorney General K.K. Venugopal, has urged the court not to give punishment to Mr. Bhushan instead they should warn him and let him go. He said this when the Court asked him for his advice on the matter. 

B) Monsoon session of Parliament likely from September 14-October 1

It was recommended by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs that the monsoon session of Parliament can be held from September 14 to October 1. There will be a total 18 sittings. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Parliament is likely to see several first-time measures, such as a staggered sitting of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and the use of both chambers and galleries to accommodate members, besides strict physical distancing norms etc. According to the Secretariat of the Rajya Sabha, members of the Upper House will be seated in both chambers and galleries during the session.

C) Seven lakh users affected by Rail Yatri security breach, report says.

As per a security report by Safety Detectives research lab, a data breach at the online travel marketplace RailYatri has affected about 7 lakh users. The Safety Detectives said that it reported a breach to RailYatri and to Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) as well. In an official statement by RailYatri, the server was a test server. It was immediately plugged out from the network after the security issue was brought into their notice by CERT-In. They clarified that the report says that approximately 7 lakh email addresses were leaked in those 3 days. Factually seeing it was not correct because it is not possible because the capacity of the server to hold data was at most for a day. 

D) Greta Thunberg speaks up for students protesting exams amid pandemic. 

On 25 August, Greta Thunberg, who is a climate activist spoke up in support of the nationwide student movement to postpone JEE NEET. She said that conducting the exams during a pandemic was truly unfair to the students. Across the whole country, the parents and students have been calling for a postponement of the engineering and medical entrance exams. This is because of the ongoing pandemic in the whole country and also due to floods in many states of India. But the government has so far remained quiet and still on their decision of conducting the examinations on their scheduled time. From September 1, the entrance exams for undergraduate engineering courses (JEE) will begin and from 13 September, the entrance exam for medical courses (NEET) will begin.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) China floats BRICS 5G base as India mulls ban. 

China has proposed the creation of a BRICS innovation base. This will take forward 5G and Artificial Intelligence (AI) cooperation among the 5 countries. There was also a virtual meeting of the Ministers of these countries which was held on 24 August. The Minister of Industry and Information Technology of China has urged its fellow nations to boost cooperation in areas including 5G and Artificial Intelligence. He urged the same to India as well. He added that China was considering the establishment of a BRICS innovation base in China very actively. This will help to strengthen cooperation with the BRICS. The Foreign Minister of Russia said that they are ready to work on 5G with China. The Vice President of Brazil has also indicated the same. India is not likely to allow the participation of China in 5G, particularly after banning 59 Chinese apps.

B) Facebook vows to challenge the forced removal of the Thai group. 

On 25 August, Facebook said that it would file a case against the Thai government because they have ordered to remove a group in which pro-democracy activists were having discussions about the monarchy, which is a taboo subject in Thailand. The group which was removed on 25 August was having more than one million members. The name of that group was Royal Marketplace. As per Facebook, the government has forced the network to remove the group. Facebook said that they will work to protect and defend the rights of all its internet users. They are preparing to legally challenge the government for pressurizing them. The details of the legal action are not yet provided by the company. Prime Minister of Thailand has also warned that they will take legal action against Facebook under their laws. 

C) Kremlin slams German doctors. 

On 25 August, the Kremlin accused the  German doctors because they were too hasty as they said that tests on Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is one of the critics of President Putin indicated that he had been poisoned. Before transferring to Germany, he was treated in a hospital in Siberia. His supporters claimed that he was given some poison in his teacup at the Siberian Airport from where he was about to take a flight to Moscow. They put this blame on Putin. The spokesman of Kremlin has said that Russian doctors had diagnosed the condition of Mr. Alexei same as the German doctors. However, they are unaware of what caused it. They told me that the medical analysis of both the doctors is the same but how can their conclusion is coming out to be different. After completion of reports and investigations, criminal cases will be filed against those who have done this.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
25 August 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) DNA Bill can be misused for caste-based profiling, says parliamentary panel’s draft report.

The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Act, 2019 proposes DNA sampling and profiling of citizens accused of the crime. It also proposes storing their unique genetic information for administrative purposes. But a draft report of the parliamentary standing committee on science and technology has said that the Bill has some alarming provisions that could be misused for caste or community-based profiling. The committee which was headed by Congress leader Jairam Ramesh met on 24 August, but for want of quorum, the draft report, which has been circulated among the committee members, was not finalized. The committee, in its draft report, pointed out that DNA profiles can reveal extremely sensitive information about an individual, including descent, skin colour, behaviour, illnesses, health status, and susceptibility to diseases. 

B) C to consider ‘effect’ of Bhushan’s supplementary statement tomorrow.

Noted human rights lawyer, Mr Prashant Bhushan told the Supreme Court on 24 August that tendering an insincere apology for his tweets, which were an expression of his bona fide beliefs, would amount to contempt of his conscience and of an institution that he holds in the highest esteem. A 3 Judge Bench, which was led by Justice Arun Mishra had given the lawyer time till 24 August to tender an unconditional apology. Now the SC will consider the effect of the supplementary statement of Prashant Bhushan on 25 August. In an earlier statement which was given by the lawyer during the contempt hearings on 20 August, he refused to apologize for this tweet on Judiciary. 

C) Unlock 4.0: Metros could reopen. 

The Ministry of Home Affairs is likely to allow the restarting of Metro rail services in the issuing of Unlock 4.0 guidelines. Since there had been a huge demand from many States to reopen Metro rail services, the government thinks that Metro services can also be resumed. Moreover, domestic flights having a span over 3 hours are also operating, but a passenger will not spend more than 1 hour inside the train. Public transport buses and air-conditioned buses were already operating by following the strict social distancing norms. Educational institutions, bars, and cinema halls would remain shut.  The Ministry of Home Affairs is likely to issue fresh guidelines under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 by the end of August.

D) Consider holding online NEET from next year, SC tells MCI.

The Supreme Court on 24 August has asked the Medical Council of India to consider providing an online option for taking the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance (NEET) from the next year. They raise the query that if Joint Entrance Exam can be conducted online then why not NEET. Since both the examinations are conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA), so they should think of conducting NEET online too. However, the court has refused to order the authorities to set up examination centres abroad or to conduct the NEET online this year in order to facilitate the candidates abroad. The NEET is fixed for September 13, 2020. 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) India and China prepare for fresh talks.

The stand-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh has entered in the 17th week and India and China are preparing for another round of military talks so as to resolve the ongoing tensions between both the countries. Both the countries have agreed to conduct the next round of military talks. Discussions are on the way on the issue but dates have not been fixed till now. This follows the diplomatic-level talks at the Joint Secretary level last week of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs. Following those talks, the Defence Minister of India, Mr Rajnath Singh has reviewed the situation with National Security Adviser along with the Chief of the Defence Staff and the three service chiefs as well.

B) China launches warship for Pakistan Navy.

China has launched first of the 4 advanced naval warships. China is building for Pakistan because of the deepening defence ties between both the countries. The launching ceremony for the first warship was held at the Hudong Zhonghua Shipyard in Shanghai on 23 August. The first that was launched is Type 054 class frigate. It is equipped with the latest technologies and sensors. It will be one of the most technologically advanced surface platforms of the Pakistan Navy. Pakistan has signed a contract with China Shipbuilding Trading Company Ltd. for the delivery of these 2 frigates back in 2017. 

C) White House counsellor Kellyanne Conway to resign. 

Kellyanne Conway who is a Senior White House counsellor has announced that she is stepping down from her position at the end of the month in order to focus on her family. She made this announcement because of a weekend tweet from her daughter Claudia Conway in which she said that said her mother’s job had ruined her life. Mrs Conway said that she will be transitioning from the White House at the end of this month. Her 4 children are teens and every parent worldwide knows that their kids require more attention because of their school from home. Her husband who is a lawyer and one of the biggest critic of Donald Trump has said that he will also support her wife and will also devote more time to his family.