Tag: motivation

NATIONAL NEWS

A) 14 J&K leaders invited to meet with PM in Delhi to discuss future course.

As many as 14 leaders from Jammu and Kashmir, including four former chief ministers of the erstwhile State, have been invited for a meeting that will be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on June 24, officials said on Saturday. Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla reached out to these leaders to invite them to the meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence to discuss the future course of action for the Union Territory, the officials said. Among those invited are four former chief ministers — Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah of the National Conference, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, and PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti. Dr. Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah meet Mehbooba Mufti at her residence on October 14, 2020.  Four former deputy chief ministers of the erstwhile State — Congress leader Tara Chand, People’s Conference leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig, and BJP leaders Nirmal Singh and Kavinder Gupta — too have been invited to the meet. In addition, CPI(M) leader Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami, Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) chief Altaf Bukhari, Sajjad Lone of the People’s Conference, J-K Congress head G A Mir, BJP’s Ravidner Raina, and Panthers Party leader Bhim Singh have been invited to the meeting. The meeting the first such exercise since the Centre announced the abrogation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and its bifurcation into Union Territories in August 2019 is likely to be attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah and other central leaders. When contacted, Omar Abdullah said that he had received an invitation and would go along the direction of the party chief. Sources in the National Conference said that over the next few days, the senior Abdullah will be holding consultations with party leaders. The Political Affairs Committee of the PDP would also be meeting on Sunday to take a decision about the talks.

 

B) West Bengal post-poll violence: HC asks NHRC to form panel.

The Calcutta High Court has urged the chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to constitute a committee to examine complaints of political violence in West Bengal. A bench of five judges of the court directed that the committee shall examine all the cases and, may be by visiting the affected areas, submit a comprehensive report to this court about the present situation. It asked the committee to suggest steps to be taken to ensure confidence of the people that they can peacefully live in their houses and also carry on their occupation or business to earn their livelihood. The court order issued on June 18 stated, The persons prima facie responsible for crime and the officers who maintained calculated silence on the issue, be pointed out. In the 12-page order, the bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal, Justices I.P. Mukerji, Harish Tandon, Soumen Sen, and Subrata Talukdar said the State had been denying allegations of political violence from the very beginning but the facts as had been placed on record were different. In our view, this exercise of filing of affidavit and counter-affidavit will continue. It may not lead us anywhere because State, from the very beginning, had been denying everything, but the facts as have been placed on record by the petitioners and also as is evident little bit from the report dated June 3, 2021, filed by the Member Secretary of the West Bengal State Legal Services Authority, are different, the order read. The court observed that against some of the complaints compiled by the West Bengal State Legal Services Authority (WBSLSA), the remarks were that no response had been received from the authority concerned. The State could not be allowed to proceed in the manner it liked.

 

C) SC flags delay in listing of bail application for more than a year before Punjab and Haryana High Court

A shocked Supreme Court found that a bail application had not even been listed for hearing for more than a year before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, that too at a time when judiciary is going the extra distance to hear cases virtually. A Vacation Bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and V. Ramasubramanian noted that denial of hearing is an infringement of right and liberty assured to an accused. The top court said it normally did not intervene with the operations of the High Courts, but in this case, it was constrained to take note of the delay in hearing the bail plea. Even during the pandemic, when all courts are making attempts to hear and decide all matter, non-listing of such an application for bail defeats the administration of justice, the Bench recorded in a recent order. The court was hearing a special leave petition filed in an Enforcement Directorate case. Under the prevailing pandemic, at least half of the judges should sit on alternate days so that hearing is accorded to the person in distress. Non-listing of application for regular bail, irrespective of seriousness or lack thereof, of the offences attributed to the accused, impinges upon the liberty of the person in custody, the Supreme Court observed. The Bench said it hoped the High Court would be able to take up the application for bail at an early date so that the right of the accused of hearing of application for bail is not taken away.

 

D) Kulbhushan Jadhav case: India ‘misrepresenting’ ICJ verdict, says Pakistan.

Pakistan on Saturday accused India of misrepresenting the verdict of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the Kulbhushan Jadhav case and asserted that it is ready to fulfill all obligations under the international law. India on Thursday asked Pakistan to address the shortcomings in a Bill brought out to facilitate the reviewing of the case of Jadhav, saying the proposed law does not create a mechanism to reconsider it as mandated by the ICJ. Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Arindam Bagchi in New Delhi said the Review and Reconsideration Bill 2020 does not create a mechanism to facilitate effective review and reconsideration of Jadhav’s case as mandated by the ICJ judgment. He added that municipal courts cannot be the arbiter of whether a state has fulfilled its obligations in international law. Mr. Jadhav, a 51-year-old retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017. A man holds a placard depicting Kulbhushan Jadhav in the neighborhood where he grew up, in Mumbai. The Hague-based ICJ ruled in July 2019 that Pakistan must undertake an effective review and reconsideration of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav and also grant consular access to India without further delay. Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) on Saturday said Islamabad abides by all its international obligations, and this applies to the ICJ judgment in the case of Jadhav. It is regrettable that the Government of India has chosen to misrepresent the ICJ judgment which clearly states in Paragraph 147 that Pakistan is under an obligation to provide, by means of its own choosing, effective review and reconsideration of the conviction and sentence of Jadhav, the FO said. In line with paragraph 146 of the ICJ judgment, Pakistan chose to provide Jadhav the right of review and reconsideration by superior courts of Pakistan through the ICJ (Review and Re-consideration) Ordinance, 2020, it said.

 

E) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 2,98,52,966 with the death toll at 3,85,767. If Covid-appropriate behaviour is not followed and crowding not prevented, the next wave of the viral infection can strike the country in the next six to eight weeks, AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria warned on Saturday. Until a sizeable number of the population is vaccinated, Covid-appropriate behaviour needs to be followed aggressively, he said and stressed on the need for stricter surveillance and area-specific lockdowns in case of a significant surge. Guleria reiterated that till now, there is no evidence to suggest that children will be affected more in the next wave of the infection. Earlier, India’s epidemiologists had indicated that a third wave of Covid-19 was inevitable and likely to start from September-October. There needs to be aggressive surveillance strategy in Coved hotspots and lockdowns in case of any significant surge. The moment a significant surge in cases in noted in a particular area and the positivity rate goes beyond 5%, area-specific lockdown and containment measures should be implemented, he said. However, a national-level lockdown cannot be a solution (to rein in the pandemic) keeping economic activity in mind, he added.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) Afghan President’s places top. 

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani replaced two top Ministers charged with managing the country’s faltering security on Saturday, as the Taliban pressed on with their campaign to capture new territory in fierce battles with government forces. The shake-up of the Defence and Interior Ministry portfolios comes as violence surges and peace talks remain deadlocked, with the Taliban claiming to have seized more than 40 districts in recent weeks across the rugged countryside. The presidency announced in a statement that General Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, who fought under the late anti-Taliban commander Ahmad Shah Massoud during a 1990s civil war, has been appointed the new Defence Minister. Gen. Mohammadi has previously held the Defence Bismillah Khan Mohammadi and Interior Ministry portfolios and also served as the chief of army staff after the fall of the Taliban regime following a U.S .- led invasion in 2001. Mr. Ghani also appointed General Abdul Sattar Mirzakwal as Interior Minister, the presidency said. Mr. Mirzakwal has previously held several regional posts. Gen. Mohammadi replaces Asadullah Khalid, who has repeatedly flown out of the country for treatment to wounds suffered after a suicide bomber attacked him in 2012. The latest Cabinet changes, which have to be approved by Parliament, come with violence increasing since early May after the U.S. military began the formal withdrawal of its last remaining troops. U.S. President Joe Biden has set September 11 the 20th anniversary of the attacks in the U.S. that ledto the invasion of Afghanistan – as the deadline to withdraw American soldiers. The insurgents claim to have seized more than 40 districts since early May, forcing military leaders to strategically retreat from a number of rural districts. The Taliban are now present in almost every province and are encircling several major cities – a strategy the militants employed in the mid-1990s when they overran most of Afghanistan until they were ousted by invading U.S .- led forces.

 

B) Hard-line judiciary head Ebrahim Raisi wins Iran presidency.

Iran’s hard-line judiciary chief won the country’s presidential election in a landslide victory on June 19, propelling the Supreme Leader’s protege into Tehran’s highest civilian position in a vote that appeared to see the lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic’s history. Initial results showed Ebrahim Raisi won 17.8 million votes in the contest, dwarfing those of the race’s sole moderate candidate. However, Raisi dominated the election only after a panel under the watch of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei disqualified his strongest competition. His candidacy, and the sense the election served more as a coronation for him, sparked widespread apathy among eligible voters in the Islamic Republic, which has held up turnout as a sign of support for the theocracy since its 1979 Islamic Revolution. Some, including former hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, called for a boycott. In initial results, former Revolutionary Guard commander Mohsen Rezaei won 3.3 million votes and moderate Abdolnasser Hemmati got 2.4 million, said Jamal Orf, the head of Iran’s Interior Ministry election headquarters. The race’s fourth candidate, Amirhossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, had around 1 million votes, Orf said. Hemmati offered his congratulations on Instagram to Raisi early June 19. I hope your administration provides causes for pride for the Islamic Republic of Iran, improves the economy and life with comfort and welfare for the great nation of Iran, he wrote. The quick concession, while not unusual in Iran’s previous elections, signalled what semi-official news agencies inside Iran had been hinting at for hours: That the carefully controlled vote had been a blowout win for Raisi amid the boycott calls. Raisi is the first serving Iranian president sanctioned by the U.S. government even before entering office over his involvement in the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988, as well as his time as the head of Iran’s internationally criticised judiciary — one of the world’s top executioners. His election will put hard-liners firmly in control across the government as negotiations in Vienna continue to try to save a tattered deal meant to limit Iran’s nuclear programme at a time when Tehran is enriching uranium at its highest levels ever, though it still remains short of weapons-grade levels. Tensions remain high with both the U.S. and Israel, which is believed to have carried out a series of attacks targeting Iranian nuclear sites as well as assassinating the scientist who created its military atomic program decades earlier.

NATIONAL NEWS

A) Third-wave could hit India by October: 

The third wave of coronavirus infections is likely to hit India by October, and although it will be better controlled than the latest outbreak, the pandemic will remain a public health threat for at least another year, according to a Reuters poll of medical experts.  The June 3-17 snap survey of 40 healthcare specialists, doctors, scientists, virologists, epidemiologists and professors from around the world showed that a significant pickup in vaccinations will likely provide some cover to a fresh outbreak.  Of those who ventured a prediction, over 85% of respondents, or 21 of 24, said the next wave will hit by October, including three who forecast it as early as August, and 12 in September. The remaining three said between November and February. Paediatric ICU ward (NICU) prepared at the 1,200-bed Civil Hospital in view of the third wave of COVID-19 in Ahmedabad.   But over 70% of experts, or 24 of 34, said any new outbreak would be better controlled compared with the current one, which has been far more devastating  with shortage of vaccines, medicines, oxygen and hospital beds than the smaller first surge in infections last year.  It will be more controlled, as cases will be much less because more vaccinations would have been rolled out and there would be some degree of natural immunity from the second-wave, said Dr. Randeep Guleria, director at All India Institute Of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).  So far, India has only fully vaccinated about 5% of its estimated 950 million eligible population, leaving many millions vulnerable to infections and deaths. While a majority of healthcare experts predicted the vaccination drive would pick up significantly this year, they cautioned against an early removal of restrictions, as some States have done. When asked if children and those under 18 years would be most at risk in a potential third wave, nearly two-thirds of experts, or 26 of 40, said yes. The reason being they are a completely virgin population in terms of vaccination because currently there is no vaccine available for them, said Dr. Pradeep Banandur, head of epidemiology department at National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS). Experts warn the situation could become severe. 

 

B) Supreme Court declines to stay bail given to student activists in Delhi riots case.

The Supreme Court on Friday did not intervene in the Delhi High Court decision of granting bail to student activists Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal and Asif Iqbal Tanha, but said the High Court’s order of June 15 would neither be treated as a precedent in any proceedings nor be relied on by parties. It is clarified that the release of the respondents [student activists] on bail is not being interfered with at this stage. The impugned judgment shall not be treated as a precedent and may not be relied upon by any of the parties in any of the proceedings, a Bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and V. Ramasubramanian recorded.  The three students were granted bail by the High Court after a year’s incarceration in Tihar Jail. They were accused of offences under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the North-East Delhi riots, which broke out after the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) turned violent last year. The High Court had accused the police of blurring the line between terrorist act under the UAPA and the students’ right to protest against a law. The issue is important. It has pan-India ramifications. There are many questions involved here… We want to decide it for the good of the entire country, Justice Gupta observed orally, issuing formal notice to the three students on the appeal. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued for the state that 53 people died and 700 were injured in the riots. The right to protest does not mean the right to kill and hurl bombs, he submitted. If the protests were held on the perceived belief that the CAA was against a particular community, then the lady who assassinated a former Prime Minister also did it on the belief that injustice was done to a particular community, he stated. Pushing for a stay of the High Court judgment, he said the three students may remain out but the High Court judgment may be used by others booked under the UAPA to get bail. A hearing on the limited question of bail for the three students was used by the High Court to discuss an entire law. Justice Gupta said, We understand the way the Act has been interpreted [by the High Courtre] requires to be examined. The court posted the government appeal for detailed hearing on the week commencing July 19.

 

C) ‘Rule of land’ is supreme, Twitter told by standing committee on IT.

Amid a tussle between the Union government and Twitter over the new IT rules, members of a parliamentary panel on Friday strongly objected to Twitter India officials’ observations that they abide by their policy and categorically told them that the law of the land is supreme. According to sources, members of the Parliamentary Panel on Information Technology also asked Twitter why it should not be fined as it has been found violating the rules of the country. Earlier this month, the Centre had issued a notice to Twitter, giving it one last chance to immediately comply with the new IT rules and warned that failure to adhere to the norms will lead to the platform losing exemption from liability under the IT Act. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Technology, chaired by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, had last week summoned Twitter over issues related to misuse of the platform and protection of citizens’ rights. Twitter India’s public policy manager Shagufta Kamran and legal counsel Ayushi Kapoor deposed before the panel on Friday. Members of the panel asked some tough and searching questions to Twitter India officials but the answers lacked clarity and were ambiguous, sources said. They strongly objected to the observation of Twitter India officials that its policy is on par with the law of the land and categorically told them, rule of the land is supreme, not your policy, sources said. Twitter representatives remained non-committal about the timeline by when they will be able to comply fully with the rules. We have also asked for a written reply to a set of questions, one of the members said. The BJP MPs also questioned Twitter on their fact-checking policy, pointing out that BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra was promptly given the manipulated media tag, while such alacrity was not shown in the Ghaziabad case. The BJP members accused Twitter of showing bias against the saffron party, alleging that their fact checkers are more inclined to blame BJP instead of fighting fake news. Sources said that Twitter informed the panel that the fact-checking is done by a third party and not by Twitter itself. 

 

D) Supreme Court declines to put off PG final year medical exams.

The Supreme Court on Friday declined to pass a sweeping order to postpone the final exams of the postgraduate medical courses in universities across the country. A Bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and M.R. Shah was hearing pleas by PG medical students, who said preparing for the exams amid Covid-19 duty was difficult. They sought more time to study for the exams. The court said it could not possibly be asked to pass a general order to postpone exams for which dates had not been announced yet. The Bench said the National Medical Commission would keep in mind the Covid-19 situation and doctors working round the clock during the pandemic. The court also noted that the universities had not been made parties to the case. How do we pass a general order when hundreds of universities are involved? the court asked. Senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, appearing for the students, said his clients would be made to choose between their Covid-19 duty and taking time off to study for their exams. He submitted this was something doctors should not be compelled to do during these dire times for public health. He said the court should intervene on behalf of the doctors to ensure that they are given reasonable time to prepare for the exams. On June 11, the court refused a plea by these students to waive the exams. The Bench said the court had, however, intervened on behalf of the students wherever possible. On June 11, the court, in a separate case, ordered the postponement of the AIIMS’ Post Graduate Entrance Test-INICET exams, scheduled for June 16, by a month after taking into consideration fatigue within the medical community after battling a particularly devastating second wave of the pandemic. In that case, a group of doctors had similarly moved the Supreme Court challenging an AIIMS notification that announced the exam in June in utter disregard of an assurance from the Prime Minister’s Office to postpone PG exams by four months. 

 

E) Buzz over Centre’s possible meeting with J&K parties.

J&K is witnessing a heightened political activity as the Centre mulls inviting all the political parties from the Union Territory (UT) to New Delhi in the last week of June to start a political engagement, which is likely to pave the way for the restoration of statehood. Several constituents of the Gupkar alliance, an amalgam of five political parties fighting for pre-August 5, 2019 position of J&K, met in Srinagar on Friday to discuss the future course, sources said. As J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and the top police officials met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Friday, sources said the Centre is likely to invite J&K parties on June 24 or after that. J&K was split into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh 22 months ago. We have no information about any initiative. We have not got any formal invitation yet. Let them make it public. We have never blocked the way forward, the Gupkar alliance spokesman M.Y. Tarigami told. Tarigami said J&K needs initiatives because the confidence is completely shattered here. I urge the democratic Government of India that enough is enough. Let there be initiatives to restore confidence in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, he said. The Gupkar alliance spokesman said the onus of proving sincerity lies with those who hampered the normalisation and with the leadership of the country. We have a set agenda that we agreed upon on August 4, 2019. We are for a special constitutional position of J&K and against bifurcation of J&K. We are committed to it. However, this does not mean we will not talk. We will see that legitimate rights of people of J&K are restored, he added. Sources said both the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), key constituents of the Gupkar alliance, are weighing their options in case a political process is announced by the Centre. The PDP is likely to hold a meeting of its leaders to take stock of the situation and decide whether to attend it or not.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) Turkey to secure Kabul airport.

President Joe Biden and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan agreed in a meeting this week that Turkey would take a lead role in securing Kabul airport as the United States withdraws troops from Afghanistan, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said on Thursday. However, the two leaders were not able to resolve the long-standing issue of Turkey’s purchase of Russian S-400 defence systems, Mr. Sullivan said, a bitter dispute that strained ties between the NATO allies. Mr. Sullivan told reporters that Mr. Biden and Mr. Erdogan, in their meeting on Monday at the NATO summit, discussed the Afghanistan issue. Mr. Erdogan sought certain forms of U.S. support to secure the airport and Mr. Biden committed to providing that support, Mr. Sullivan said. The clear commitment from the leaders established that Turkey would play a lead role in securing Hamid Karzai International Airport and we are now working through how to execute to get to that, Mr. Sullivan said, giving the first details from the U.S. side of the meeting. Contentious issues Turkey and the U.S. have been at odds over a host of issues, including Ankara’s purchase of Russian defence equipment, policy differences in Syria and the Eastern Mediterranean and expectations for a breakthrough in first face-to-face meeting between Mr. Erdogan and Mr. Biden were slim. The two leaders sounded upbeat after their meeting although they did not announce what concrete progressthey made. One potential area of cooperation has been Afghanistan, where Ankara has offered to guard and operate Kabul airport after U.S. and NATO forces withdraw in coming weeks. The security of the airport is crucial for the operation of diplomatic missions out of the Afghanistan as Western forces pull out. Last week, a Taliban spokesman said Turkey should withdraw its troops from Afghanistan under the 2020 deal for the pullout of U.S. forces, but Mr. Sullivan said the Taliban comments did not deter the detailed and effective security plan the U.S. was putting together.

 

B) U.S. to spend $3.2 bn to develop treatments for COVID-19.

The United States has announced that it will spend $3.2 billion on developing antiviral treatments for COVID-19 and prepare for other pandemic threats – viruses that have the potential to cause pandemics. Vaccines will continue to remain the centerpiece of our arsenal against COVID-19, Anthony Fauci, medical adviser to the U.S. President, said on Thursday, when he described the programme, called the Antiviral Program for Pandemics. However, antivirals can and are an important complement to existing vaccines, especially for individuals with certain conditions that might put them at a greater risk, he said. And it also adds a line of defence against other unexpected emerging things, like variants of concern that we are currently dealing with,  he added. Regarding viruses with pandemic potential, Dr. Fauci put up a slide listing some of them: coronaviruses (e.g ., SARS , MERS), filoviruses (e.g. Ebola), togaviruses (e.g ., chikungunya), paramyxoviruses (e.g ., Nipah) and picornaviruses (e.g ., enterovirus D68). The programme seeks to accelerate the testing and authorisation of promising medicines and also support the discovery of new molecules by industry and academia, he said.

 

C) Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Roche are among those testing antiviral.

The U.S. will be allocating 55 million vaccine doses to other countries in the coming days, the country’s coronavirus response coordinator Jeffrey Zients said at Thursday’s briefing. These 55 million doses are from a stockpile of 80 million doses that the U.S. has committed to other countries. This includes 60 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine that has not yet been approved for use in America. The U.S. has already allocated 25 million of these doses bilaterally and via international vaccine distribution alliance COVAX. It is unclear how many doses India will receive totally, but indications are it will not be more than a few million. Some countries such as Canada and Mexico have received such doses. There’ll be an increasing number of shipments each and every week as we ramp up these efforts. The process to export the 80 million takes partnership in coordination with the receiving governments. But that’s well underway now, Mr. Zients said.

 

D) VVIP chopper deal: Special Court rejects Christian Michel’s bail pleas.

A special court on Friday dismissed the bail applications of British national Christian Michel, a key accused in the ₹3,700-crore VVIP chopper deal scam, in connection with the cases being pursued by the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate. He is currently lodged in Tihar Jail. During the last hearing on June 10, the court had reserved its order on the bail pleas after the two agencies filed their replies. Michel was extradited from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in December 2018 and since then he has been in judicial custody. Both the agencies have recorded his statements. It is alleged that he had been hired by the helicopter suppliers as a middleman for routing the funds to be used to bribe Indian public servants to bag the deal. The Dubai Police had arrested Michel in February 2017 on the basis of an Interpol Red Notice issued against him. The Indian authorities sent the extradition request to the UAE authorities on March 19, 2017. After hearing both sides, the court there had allowed his extradition to India.

NATIONAL NEWS 

A) Delhi Police moves SC against HC bail to 3 student activists in north-east Delhi riots case.

The Delhi Police on Wednesday appealed to the Supreme Court against the grant of bail to student activists Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal and Asif Iqbal Tanha, who were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the Delhi riots that broke out last year after protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) turned violent. The overnight move to approach the top court came after the Delhi High Court made particularly sharp observations in its order, accusing the government of blurring the line between rightful dissent and terrorism. The police had arrested JNU students and Pinjra Tod members Narwal and Kalita last year. Tanha, a Jamia Milia student, was also taken into custody about the same time in May 2020. The trial court had denied them bail, following which they moved the High Court successfully. Narwal was recently given parole to perform the last rites of her father, who had died of Covid-19. It appears that in its anxiety to suppress dissent and in the morbid fear that matters may get out of hand, the State has blurred the line between the constitutionally guaranteed ‘right to protest’ and ‘terrorist activity’, a Bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Anup J. Bhambhani of the High Court said in a scathing order, releasing the three students on bail. Meanwhile, earlier in the day, the prisons department said that they had not received the release orders for Kalita, Narwal and Tanha as of 10 a.m. on Wednesday even though they had been granted bail on Tuesday.

 

B) U.P. Police book Twitter, journalists for circulating video, alleges that they tried to provoke communal unrest.

The Uttar Pradesh Police have booked microblogging platform Twitter, a news portal, and six persons in connection with the circulation of a video in which an elderly Muslim man narrates his ordeal after he was allegedly attacked by some people in Ghaziabad, PTI reported. The FIR, which was lodged at the Loni Border police station in Ghaziabad around 11.30 pm on Tuesday on the basis of a complaint lodged by a local policeman, alleges that the video was shared with an intention to provoke communal unrest. In the video clip, which surfaced on social media on June 14, the elderly Muslim man, Abdul Shamad Saifi, alleges he was thrashed by some young men and asked to chant Jai Shri Ram’. However, the Ghaziabad police, who have arrested six persons, including Muslims, have ruled out a communal angle. They said the accused were unhappy about the ‘tabeez’ (amulet) he had sold to them. The arrested youth have been identified as Kalloo and Adil. Apart from them, Polly, Arif, Mushahid, and Parvesh Gurjar were also involved in the incident, Senior Superintendent of Police Amit Pathak said on Tuesday. Later on Tuesday, the police lodged an FIR against Twitter Inc, Twitter Communications India, news website The Wire, journalists Mohammad Zubair and Rana Ayyub, Congress politicians Salman Nizami, Masqoor Usmani, Dr. Sama Mohammad and writer Saba Naqvi for sharing the clip. These people did not verify the truth of the matter and shared it online with a communal angle with an intention to disrupt public peace and create a divide between religious groups, the FIR states. Besides this, Twitter Inc and Twitter Communications India also did not take any measures to remove their tweets, it adds. The FIR has been lodged under Indian Penal Code sections 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 153A (promoting enmity between groups on ground of religion, class etc), 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious belief), 120B (criminal conspiracy), among others.

 

C) Twitter failed to comply with IT rules, deliberately chose path of non-compliance: Prasad.

IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on June 16 said Twitter failed to comply with intermediary guidelines and has deliberately chosen the path of non-compliance despite being granted multiple opportunities. Lashing out at the microblogging platform over non-compliance, Prasad said that it is astounding that Twitter, which portrays itself as the flag-bearer of free speech, chooses the path of deliberate defiance when it comes to the Intermediary Guidelines. There are numerous queries arising as to whether Twitter is entitled to safe harbour provision. However, the simple fact of the matter is that Twitter has failed to comply with the Intermediary Guidelines that came into effect from the May 26, Prasad said in a series of posts on homegrown microblogging platform Koo. Ironically, the Minister also tweeted on the issue. Further, what is perplexing is that Twitter fails to address the grievances of users by refusing to set up a process as mandated by the law of the land. Additionally, it chooses a policy of flagging manipulated media, only when it suits its likes and dislikes, he said. The Minister said that what happened in Uttar Pradesh was illustrative of Twitter’s arbitrariness in fighting fake news. While Twitter has been over-enthusiastic about its fact-checking mechanism, its failure to act in multiple cases like U.P. is perplexing as well as points towards its inconsistency in fighting misinformation, he said. Prasad said that Indian companies, be it pharma or IT or others that go to do business in the U.S. or in other countries overseas, voluntarily follow the local laws. Then why are platforms like Twitter showing reluctance in following Indian laws designed to give voice to the victims of abuse and misuse, the Minister questioned.

 

D) Chirag Paswan says Paras betrayed him when he was bedridden; Paras hints at election for new LJP president.

MP Chirag Paswan addresses a press conference at his residence in New Delhi, Wednesday, June 16, 2021. Chirag Paswan on Wednesday accused his uncle Pashupati Nath Paras of betraying him, and the JD(U) of aiding the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) rebels, in crafting the split in the party. Addressing his first press conference since the coup in the party, he, however, carefully sidestepped questions on the BJP’s role but did obliquely express his disappointment that they did not come to his rescue. Paswan said efforts were on to break the LJP even when his father was alive. When asked whether he blames the JD(U), he said, This is an internal matter of my party. How can I blame anyone if my own party members betray me? But yes, I cannot deny the role JD(U) played. They have always believed in divisive politics and in engineering defections. Discontent in the party had been brewing since November 2019, when its founder and Chirag Paswan’s father, Ram Vilas Paswan, decided to anoint the son to the post of national president. The internal differences peaked soon after his appointment. Chirag Paswan replaced Paras, who for long had held the post of Bihar State unit chief, with his younger cousin, Prince Raj. The decision to campaign against the JD(U) and contest the polls alone while remaining in the NDA during the 2020 elections was the last straw. Throughout the poll campaign, Paswan asserted that he remained in the NDA and loyal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He went on to compare his devotion to Modi as that of Hanuman to Lord Ram. When asked at the Wednesday press conference why he did not seek help from his ‘Ram’ (Mr. Modi), he said, If Hanuman has to seek help from Ram, then what is the point of Hanuman or Ram. Minutes after Chirag’s press conference, rebel party leader and his uncle Pashupati Kumar Paras reached Patna along with senior party leader Suraj Bhan Singh. Both leaders went into the LJP office amidst heavy police deployment. Tomorrow, there is election for party president, quipped Paras as mediapersons jostled for words from him.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) Covishield dosage gap increase decision taken on scientific evidence: NTAGI chief.

The increase in gap between two doses of Covishield is based on scientific evidence, said chairman of COVID-19 Working Group of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) N.K. Arora. In a release issued by the Union Health Ministry on his interview on DD News Dr. Arora explained that the decision to increase the gap between two Covishield doses from 4-6 weeks to 12-16 weeks lay in the fundamental scientific reason regarding the behaviour of adenovector vaccines. In the last week of April, 2021, data released by Public Health England, the United Kingdom’s executive agency of the Department of Health, showed that vaccine efficacy varied between 65% – 88% when the interval is 12 weeks. This was the basis on which they overcame their epidemic outbreak due to the Alpha variant, he noted. This issue was discussed and with no dissenting notes, the recommendation was that the vaccine interval had to be 12 – 16 weeks. The earlier decision of four weeks was based upon the bridging trial data available then. Dr. Arora pointed to how emerging evidence and reports regarding the efficacy of partial vs full immunisation were being considered by the NTAGI. Two to three days after we took the decision to increase the dosage interval, there were reports from the U.K. that a single dose of AstraZeneca vaccine gives only 33% protection and two doses give about 60% protection; discussion has been going on since mid-May whether India should revert to four or eight weeks, he observed. It was decided to establish a tracking platform to assess the impact of the vaccination programme. When the NTAGI took this decision, we also decided that India will establish a vaccine tracking platform – to assess not only the impact of the vaccination programme, but also the type of vaccine and interval between doses, and what happens when someone is fully / partially immunised. This is very important in India, since around 17 – 18 crore people have received only one dose, while around 4 crore people have received two doses, he stated.

 

B) Putin, Biden end first round of talks after almost two hours.

U.S President Joe Biden, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin pose for media during their meeting at the ‘Villa la Grange’ in Geneva, Switzerland on Wednesday, June 16, 2021. The first round of talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden have finished after almost two hours, the TASS news agency cited Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying on Wednesday. Biden and Putin first met accompanied by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and a pair of translators. Two additional sessions are planned on Wednesday afternoon. with the leaders to be joined by additional aides and translators. On the U.S. side, the larger meetings are set to include Blinken, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Victoria Nuland, U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan, and National Security Council Russia experts Eric Green and Stergos Kaloudis. The Russian delegation is to include Lavrov, Putin’s foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov, Lavrov’s deputy Sergei Ryabkov, the chief of the General Staff of the Russian military Gen. Valery Gerasimov, Russian ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov, as well as Kremlin envoys on Ukraine and Syria and Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Overall, the summit is projected to last four to five hours before each leader holds a press conference.

NATIONAL NEWS 

A) State’s blurring of distinction between dissent and ‘terrorism’ puts democracy in peril, says High Court in Delhi riots case.

The Delhi High Court, while granting bail to Devangana Kalita, Natasha Narwal and Asif Iqbal Tanha on Tuesday, gave the Delhi Police a dressing-down for casually invoking provisions of anti-terror laws against the three students who had protested against the enactment of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).  Jawaharlal Nehru University students Kalita and Narwal, along with Jamia Millia Islamia student Tanha, were arrested in connection with the northeast Delhi riots last year. We are constrained to say, that it appears that in its anxiety to suppress dissent and in the morbid fear that matters may get out of hand, the State has blurred the line between the constitutionally guaranteed ‘right to protest’ and ‘terrorist activity’, a Bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani said. If such blurring gains traction, democracy would be in peril, it said. The High Court ruled that no offence under the anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) is made out against any of the three students. The phrase ‘terrorist act’ cannot be permitted to be applied in a cavalier manner to criminal acts or omissions that fall squarely within the definition of conventional offences as defined inter alia under the IPC [Indian Penal Code], the court said. Having given our anxious consideration to this aspect of ‘likelihood’ of threat and terror, we are of the view that the foundations of our nation stand on surer footing than to be likely shaken by a protest, however vicious, organised by a tribe of college students or other persons, operating as a coordination committee from the confines of a University situated in the heart of Delhi, the High Court observed. Noting that protests against governmental and parliamentary actions were legitimate, the Bench said though such protests were expected to be peaceful and non-violent, it was not uncommon for protesters to push the limits permissible in law. 

 

B) First death confirmed due to anaphylaxis following Covid-19 vaccination.

A government panel studying Covid-19 vaccine side effects has confirmed the first death, due to anaphylaxis, following Covid-19 vaccination here on Tuesday. According to a report submitted by the national Adverse Events Following Immunisation (AEFI) Committee, a 68-year-old man died due to anaphylaxis (severe allergic reaction) after being vaccinated on March 8. The death is reported as vaccine product related reaction in the report. The causality assessment of 31 reported adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) cases was carried out by the panel. N.K. Arora, advisor, National AEFI committee told The Hindu, It is the first death linked to Covid-19 vaccination due to anaphylaxis. But compared to the overall numbers, only a small number had a severe reaction. Those getting their vaccination need to wait for 30 minutes at the inoculation centre after vaccination as most of the anaphylactic reactions occur during this period and prompt treatment prevents deaths. Reacting to the report NITI Aayog, member, (Health), V.K. Paul said, This incident should not create fear in the minds of people and there should be no apprehension about the safety of the vaccines approved for Indian population. Whenever decisions about public health are taken we discuss the benefits and risks involved and in this case the risk involved is miniscule as opposed to the gains.

 

C) Two doses of Covishield provide 92% protection against hospitalisation for those infected by delta variant.

A real-world study undertaken by Public Health England in 14,019 people infected with the delta variant (B.1.617.2) in England found that vaccination with two doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines offered high protection against hospitalisation. Of the 14,019 people infected with the delta variant, only 166 required hospitalisation. The study was undertaken between April 12 and June 4. In the case of AstraZeneca, whose vaccine is marketed in India under the name Covishield, effectiveness against hospitalisation after full vaccination was 92%, while it was 96% in the case of Pfizer. The results have been posted as a preprint. Preprints are yet to be peer-reviewed. Public Health England had earlier found that despite modest reductions n effectiveness, vaccines remained potent against the delta variant. It found that in the case of the delta variant, full vaccination offered good protection against symptomatic disease. Vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic disease was 67% in the case of AstraZeneca and 88% with Pfizer. Effectiveness against hospitalisation was high even with one dose of AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccine. In the case of delta variant, one dose of AstraZeneca vaccine offered 71% protection against hospitalisation, while two doses offered 92% protection. In the case of Pfizer vaccine, the protection against hospitalisation was 94% after one dose and 96% after two doses.

 

D) SC gives 2 weeks to IUML to respond to MHA affidavit on citizenship.

The Supreme Court on Tuesday gave the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) two weeks to respond to an affidavit by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) that its May 28 order, delegating power to the Collectors of 13 districts in five States to grant citizenship to non-Muslims from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, has no relation whatsoever with the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) of 2019. Appearing before a Vacation Bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and V. Ramasubramanian, senior advocate Kapil Sibal and advocate Haris Beeran, for the IUML, sought time to file their rejoinder to the government’s reply to their petition challenging the legality of the May order. Petitions, including that filed by the PFI (Popular Front of India) and a private individual, have drawn parallels between the CAA and the May 28 notification, which facilitates non-Muslims from the three countries residing in 13 districts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana and Punjab to apply for citizenship. The IUML said the May 28 order was a deliberate ploy to implement the CAA’s malafide designs. In its response, the MHA said the May order merely delegates the power of [granting citizenship by registration and naturalisation] to the local authorities in particular cases. The Central Government used its authority under Section 16 of the Citizenship Act. It is merely a process of decentralisation of decision-making aimed at speedy disposal of the citizenship applications of such foreigners. It has no relation whatsoever to the CAA, the MHA affidavit said. 

 

E) Local leaders condemn arrest of Kashmir trader for remarks at a meeting.

The police booked Sajad Ahmad Sofi, 50, a local trader from Ganderbal’s Safapora area, under Section 153-A (promoting enmity) for his remarks made in front of Deputy Commissioner Krittika Jyotsna, an IAS officer. Jyotsna, an officer from Uttar Pradesh, was posted on deputation to J&K on February 8, 2021 along with her husband Rahul Pandey, also of the IAS, who works in the L-G’s office. The police took suo motu cognisance of the remarks wherein Sofi said he had expectations from Khan because he was a Kashmiri. I can grab you (Mr. Khan) by the collar to seek answers. What expectations, however, can I have from the officers who are outsiders, Sofi allegedly said, during the ‘public darbar’ aimed at addressing public grievances instantly. Sofi’s family alleged that he was jailed again despite being granted a bail on June 12 and booked under Sections 107 and 105 of the IPC. Seeking his preventive detention, the police told the court that Sofi indulged in loose talk and hurt the senior non-local bureaucrat. There was reasonable apprehension that he will create a law and order situation, a senior police officer said. CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami on Tuesday termed the arrest as unwarranted, uncalled for and brazen violation of the fundamental rights of people. He (Sofi) was a part of a delegation to demand a degree college in Safapora. If such incidents happen during the reach-out programme of the L-G administration, it can create a sense of fear. Such an attitude of the officer is highly authoritarian and detrimental. It only damages and dents the credibility of the institution the officer represents, Tarigami said. He said the police decision not to release him despite the interim bail was a brazen misuse of power and authority. Peoples Conference (JKPC) spokesman Adnan Ashraf Mir said such an action reflected the state of affairs in J&K. The action is a direct assault on democratic principles and goes on to relay the hopeless and scary picture. Slapping him with severe charges is a step towards demolishing the democratic institutions and stifling voices, he said.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Trump pressed Justice Dept. to probe poll fraud claims’

During the last weeks of his presidency, Donald Trump and his allies pressured the Department of Justice (DoJ) to investigate unsubstantiated claims of widespread 2020 election fraud, despite his former Attorney-General declaring there was no evidence of it, newly released emails show. The emails, released Tuesday by the House Oversight Committee, reveal in new detail how Mr. Trump, his White House chief of staff and other allies pressured members of the U.S. government to challenge the 2020 election over false claims, even though officials at Homeland Security and Justice, as well as Republican election leaders across the country, said there had been no pervasive fraud. Former Attorney General William Barr, a long-time Trump loyalist, was among those who said there was no evidence of such fraud. The emails also show the extent to which Trump worked to enlist then-acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen in his campaign’s failing legal efforts to challenge the election result, including suggesting filing a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court. The ones sent to Mr. Rosen include debunked conspiracy theories and false information about voter fraud. Mr. Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, asked about investigating allegations of voter fraud caused by satellites from Italy. Mr. Meadows tried to have Mr. Rosen investigate the conspiracy theories and pushed the acting Attorney General to meet with an ally of Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani who was pitching unfounded election conspiracies.

 

B) Taiwan reports ‘largest’ incursion by Chinese forces. 

As many as 28 Chinese air force aircraft, including fighters and nuclear-capable bombers, entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (ADIZ) on Tuesday, the island’s government said. It is the largest reported incursion to date. While there was no immediate comment from Beijing, the news comes after the Group of Seven leaders issued a joint statement on Sunday scolding China and underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The incursion involved J-16 and J-11 fighters, as well as H-6 bombers. Taiwan has complained over the last few months of repeated missions by China’s air force near the self-ruled island, concentrated in the southwestern part of its air defence zone near the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands. The latest Chinese mission involved 14 J-16 and six J-11 fighters, as well as four H-6 bombers, which can carry nuclear weapons, and anti-submarine, electronic warfare and early warning aircraft, said Taiwan’s Defence Ministry. It was the largest daily incursion since the Ministry began regularly reporting Chinese Air Force activities in Taiwan’s ADIZ last year. The Ministry said Taiwanese combat aircraft were dispatched to intercept the Chinese aircraft and missile systems were also deployed to monitor them.