Tag: motivation

CURRENT AFFAIRS
10 May 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Himanta Biswa Sarma to be Assam’s new Chief Minister.

Himanta Biswa Sarma will succeed Sarbananda Sonowal as the 15th Chief Minister of Assam, his election at the Legislature Party meeting today ending weeks of speculation. Outgoing Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal proposed his name as the BJP Legislature Party leader soon after tendering his resignation to Governor Jagdish Mukhi on Sunday. Mr. Sarma, who became the BJP’s chief poll strategist after switching over from the Congress in 2015, was later named as Mr. Sonowal’s successor. The replacement of Mr. Sonowal with Mr. Sarma is the recognition of the fact that the latter has not only put out many fires for the BJP in Assam like the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) but also his role as Health and Finance Minister in Assam, in managing the COVID-19 pandemic, The Hindu’s political editor Nistula Hebbar writes in a profile of Mr. Sarma. A Ph.D from Gauhati University, Mr. Sarma is a lawyer by training and was active in student politics as general secretary (for three terms) at Cotton College and with the All Assam Student’s Union. He joined the Congress in the 1990s and became an MLA from Jalukbari constituency defeating Asom Gana Parishad’s Bhrigu Phukan in 2001. Since then he has represented Jalukbari on behalf of the Congress till 2016 and from 2016 to the present on a BJP ticket. He became Minister in the Congress-led State governments and also rose to the position of the action man of the Tarun Gogoi government, and much of the credit for the 2011 Congress victory in the State is laid at his door. Mr. Gogoi and Mr. Sarma became at odds with each other over the former’s plans to promote his son, Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi in politics, while Mr. Sarma had earmarked the position of successor for himself. The differences became too big and the Congress’ high command was either unwilling or unable to sort it out. In either case, Mr. Sarma jumped ship and joined the BJP – despite the party’s own attack on Mr. Sarma a few months before this on the issue of a CBI inquiry against him in the Louis Berger case.

B) Mallikarjun Kharge writes to Naidu, Modi, offers 6 suggestions.

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately convene an all-party meeting to collectively forge a holistic blueprint to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic. In a letter to the Prime Minister, he alleged that the Union government seems to have abdicated its duties towards the people and the situation requires a collective and consensual effort. He also sent his set of six suggestions to tackle the crisis due to the pandemic and said the Prime Minister’s Office alone cannot handle it. Mr. Kharge said he is writing to convey his deep concern and a sense of anguish regarding the unprecedented crisis the nation faces. Calling for free inoculation, he said, Parliament had allocated ₹35,000 crores in the union budget to ensure free vaccines for all. Despite this, the Union government allowed private companies to set exorbitant and differential prices for vaccines and outsourced the procurement of vaccines to already stretched state governments. This will adversely impact millions of Indians. It is heartbreaking to witness millions of ordinary Indians scrambling to access basic healthcare, oxygen, medicines, ventilators, hospital beds and even crematoriums and cemeteries, he said, adding that ordinary Indians are selling their land, jewellery and expending their savings to ensure treatment for their loved ones. The leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha also called for free immunisation drive for all citizens and urged him to utilise the 35,000 crore earmarked by Parliament for this purpose.

C) Union Minister complains to U.P. CM on Covid response.

Minister of State with independent charge in the Ministry of Labour and Employment Santosh Kumar Gangwar flagged concerns over the COVID-19 response in Uttar Pradesh in a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on May 8. Mr. Gangwar complained about officers not answering phone calls and patients being forced to visit multiple facilities before being admitted to a hospital. Mr. Gangwar, who is the Lok Sabha MP from Bareilly in U.P., participated in a review meeting called by the Chief Minister in Bareilly on May 8, where, sources said, the letter with suggestions and complaints was handed over. In a tweet on Sunday, Mr. Gangwar said the Chief Minister met the elected representatives and officials of Bareilly to review the ongoing second wave of COVID-19 and made suggestions to improve the healthcare provided to residents. In the letter, Mr. Gangwar said vendors were selling essential equipment needed by hospitals like ventilators for higher prices than before. He said the government should fix the prices of these machines. Mr. Gangwar wrote that it was important for COVID-19 patients to receive medical care as soon as possible, but he had come to know that when patients went to any government hospital, they were asked to first go to a district hospital and get a referral. The patients’ oxygen levels keep dropping while they had to visit multiple places before being admitted, he wrote. Terming it a cause of concern, he asked the Chief Minister to address the issue. He said those who had stored oxygen cylinders at home without needing them, and those who were selling them, should be identified. Mr. Gangwar complained that important officers involved with the COVID-19 response in Bareilly did not answer phone calls, which was leading to inconvenience to patients. The Minister suggested that all private hospitals in Bareilly should cater to COVID-19 patients.

D) Exemption from customs duties for Covid relief material.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on May 9 said GST exemption to domestic supplies and commercial import of COVID-19 drugs, vaccines and oxygen concentrators would make these items costlier for consumers as manufacturers would not be able to offset the taxes paid on inputs. Earlier in the day Ms. Banerjee wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to consider exempting organisations, agencies and individuals supplying equipment and drugs related to the management of the COVID-19 pandemic from customs duty and other Central taxes. A list of items for COVID relief granted exemption from IGST for imports was issued on May 3, 2021. These were given exemption from Customs Duty/health cess even earlier. Hon. CM @MamataOfficial, may notice that items in your list are covered, she said, adding Full exemption from Customs duties, including IGST, is already available to ALL COVID relief material [not confined to a list] imported by @IndianRedCross for free distribution in the country. Ms. Sitharaman said: With effect from 3 May, 2021, full exemption from all duties has been provided to Remdesivir injections, Remdesivir API, and for a chemical for the manufacture of this drug.

E) 16 AMU staff, ex-teachers die of Covid-19.

After 16 of its faculty members, other employees and retired teachers living in the vicinity of the campus died of COVID-19, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) has written to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) asking for an analysis of the samples to find out what was behind the surge. In a statement on Sunday, AMU public relations officer Omar Peerzada said: In order to analyse the severity of Covid-19 and its suspected new variant that wreaked havoc in Aligarh as many faculty members, retired teachers and other employees of the university succumbed to it, the samples collected at the ICMR approved COVID-19 testing laboratory of the Department of Microbiology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, AMU have been sent for viral genome sequencing to the CSIR-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi after suspicions of a new COVID variant fuelling the surge of Coronavirus cases in Aligarh. The statement said that the samples had been sent along with a letter by AMU vice-chancellor Prof. Tariq Mansoor to ICMR director general Prof. Balram Bhargava requesting him to order the concerned department to perform the analysis. The V-C’s letter said: This is to bring into your notice that 16 AMU faculty members, a number of retired teachers and employees in other categories, who were living in the university campus and adjoining localities have succumbed to COVID-19. This is giving rise to a suspicion that a particular viral variant may be circulating in the Civil Lines area of Aligarh in which AMU and many adjoining localities are situated.

F) Trinamool requests virtual parliamentary committee hearings.

The Trinamool Congress has written to Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu and Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, urging them to let parliamentary committee meetings be held virtually to enable them to address issues of public interest amidst the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This is the TMC’s third letter on the issue, the party said, adding that the first letter was written in July 2020 and the second letter in August 2020. India has reported more than 3 lakh new COVID-19 cases per day for the past two weeks. In light of the prevailing circumstances, he urge your good offices to reconsider our request for conducting virtual meetings of parliamentary committees, including departmentally related standing committees, consultative committees and select committees, the letter from RS MP and the party’s national spokesperson Derek O’Brien said. He also said that the party had received a letter from the chairman’s office dated August 27, which stated that it was decided in a meeting that the matter regarding holding of virtual meetings of the Parliamentary Committees vis-à-vis existing provisions on confidentiality of the proceedings of the Committees, may be referred to the Committees on Rules in both the Houses. He further request you to share any findings/decisions that the Committees on Rules of both the Houses may have reached. He urge you again to allow the Parliamentary Committees to function virtually so that issues of public importance can be taken up timely and discussed, especially in light of the serious circumstances in the country, Mr. O’Brien said.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Amid weekend clashes, Israel vows to keep Jerusalem order.

Israel vowed on Sunday to restore order in Jerusalem after hundreds of Palestinian protesters were wounded in a weekend of clashes with Israeli security forces, while the Justice Ministry put off a key court ruling on a flashpoint property dispute. Consecutive nights of violence around the revered AlAqsa mosque compound in the Old City has been the worst since 2017, fuelled by a years-long bid by Jewish settiers to take over nearby Palestinian homes in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that Israel would decisively and Palestinians hurling stones at Israeli security forces in Jerusalem’s Old City. Tunisia said it has called for a meeting on Monday Of the UN Security Council to discuss the situation. Some 121 Palestinians were wounded in Saturday’s overnight clashes, the Palestinian Red Crescent said. Israeli police said 17 of its officers were wounded. The previous night more than 220 people again mostly Palestinians, were hurt as police stormed AlAqsa, saying Palestinians had thrown rocks at officers. Four Arab countries that normalised ties with Israel over the past year the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan all condemned Israel’s actions and voiced support for the Palestinians. On Saturday, thousands of Palestinians packed mosque compound for prayers. But police set up roadblocks to limit access to the Old City and avoid violent riots effectively preventing hundreds from praying.

B) Johnson calls for U.K. talks after Scottish Nationalists win. 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday invited the leaders of the U.K.’s devolved nations for crisis talks on the union after Scotland’s pro-independence party won its fourth straight parliamentary election. Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), said the poll results proved that a second independence vote for Scotland was the will of the country and that any London politician who stood in the way would be picking a fight with the democratic wishes of the Scottish people. The United Kingdom is made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, with devolved governments in the latter three. Mr. Johnson congratulated Ms. Sturgeon on her re-election, but told the leaders of the devolved governments in a letter that the U.K. was best served when we work together. The letter invited the leaders to a summit to discuss plans to recover from the coronavirus pandemic and work out how the four nations can work together to overcome shared challenges. Final results of Thursday’s local elections showed that the SNP won 64 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament. Although it fell one seat short of securing an overall majority, the Parliament still had a pro-independence majority with the help of eight members of the Scottish Greens. Ms. Sturgeon said an independence referendum was now a matter of fundamental democratic principle, and did not rule out legislation paving the way for a vote at the start of next year. Mr. Johnson has the ultimate authority whether or not to permit another referendum on Scotland gaining independence. He wrote in Saturday’s Daily Telegraph that another referendum on Scotland would be irresponsible and reckless as Britain emerges from the pandemic. He has consistently argued that the issue was settled in a 2014 referendum where 55% of Scottish voters favoured remaining part of the U.K. But proponents of another vote say the situation has changed fundamentally because of the U.K.’s Brexit divorce from the European Union.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
09 May 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Supreme Court forms National Task Force for transparent oxygen allocation.

The Supreme Court has constituted a 12-member National Task Force to streamline and ensure the effective and transparent allocation of liquid medical oxygen on a scientific, rational and equitable basis to States and Union Territories fighting Covid-19. The apex court had expressed its dissatisfaction at the Centre’s earlier oxygen-for-bed formula. This rough-and-ready arrangement, as the court put it, was based on calculating the allotment of oxygen based on the number of ICU/non-ICU beds. The court, however, said the formula did not take into consideration the fact that many Covid-19 patients in dire need of oxygen do not get beds or were confined to home care. A Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, in a 24-page order released on Saturday, said the formula should be scrapped and the problem of allocation of oxygen should be looked at afresh. A new mechanism devised more scientifically should take care of present requirement for oxygen as well as be flexible enough to accommodate unforeseen demands due to emergencies which may arise within the allocated territories. The court said setting up an expert body or task force drawn of renowned national experts with diverse experience in health institutions to function within the Central government apparatus would facilitate a public health response to the pandemic based on scientific and specialised domain knowledge. The court said the decision-makers should go beyond cobbling together ad-hoc solutions based on present problems. They have to prepare for the future. The task force’s work would provide the Centre with inputs and strategies. The Convenor of the National Task Force, who shall also be a member, will be the Cabinet Secretary to the Union Government. The Task Force is to start work immediately and have an initial life-span of six months. The court urged the Task Force to take up and determine the pressing issue of the modalities of oxygen within a week.

B) DCGI approves anti-COVID drug developed by DRDO for emergency use.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted permission for emergency use of anti-Covid-19 therapeutic application of the drug 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), a lab of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), in collaboration with Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL),Hyderabad. In a release issued on Saturday, the Ministry of Defence said that as per the order, emergency use of this drug as adjunct therapy in moderate to severe Covid-19 patients is permitted. It added that being a generic molecule and analogue of glucose, it can be easily produced and made available in plenty in the country. The drug comes in powder form in sachet, which is taken orally by dissolving it in water. It accumulates in the virus-infected cells and prevents virus growth by stopping viral synthesis and energy production. Its selective accumulation in virally infected cells makes this drug unique. Clinical trial results have shown that this molecule helps in faster recovery of hospitalised patients and reduces supplemental oxygen dependence, noted the release. It further said that higher proportion of patients treated with 2-DG showed RT-PCR negative conversion in Covid-19 patients. The drug will be of immense benefit to people suffering from Covid-19, said the Ministry.

C) Positive test for Covid-19 not mandatory for admission, says Health Ministry.

Requirement of a positive test for the Covid-19 virus is not mandatory for admission to a Covid-19 health facility and no patient will be refused services on any count, the Health Ministry said on Saturday, announcing the revised national policy for admission to various categories of Covid-19 facilities. The patient-centric measure aims to ensure prompt, effective and comprehensive treatment of patients suffering from Covid-19, said the Ministry. The revised guidelines cover medications such as oxygen or essential drugs even if the patient belongs to a different city, added the release. The revised guidelines noted that no patient shall be refused admission on the ground that he/she was not able to produce a valid identity card establishing they belonged to the city where the hospital is located. Admissions to hospital must be based on need. It should be ensured that beds are not occupied by persons who do not need hospitalisation. Further, the discharge should be strictly in accordance with the revised discharge policy, added the Ministry. The Ministry has advised Chief Secretaries of States/Union Territories to issue necessary orders and circulars, incorporating the new directions within three days, which shall be enforced till replaced by an appropriate uniform policy. The Supreme Court has taken a humanitarian view of the four-lakh-plus prison population inside overcrowded jails even as the second wave of the pandemic continues its devastating run across the country. India has more than four lakh prison inmates. It is observed that some of the prisons in India are overburdened and are housing inmates beyond optimal capacity. The requirement of decongestion is a matter concerning the health and right to life of both the prison inmates and the police personnel working, the Bench led by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, and comprising Justices L. Nageswara Rao and Surya Kant, stressed.

D) Tamil Nadu announces two-week complete lockdown from May 10.

The Tamil Nadu government on May 8 imposed a complete lockdown (with few relaxations) for two weeks across the State between 4 a.m. on May 10 and 4 a.m on May 24 to combat the spread of Covid-19. The State government said there would be no restrictions across the State between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m. shops will function during this period on May 8 and 9 to allow the public to prepare ahead of the complete lockdown. Non air-conditioned provision and grocery stores and meat stalls can remain open till 12 noon and with 50% customers. Inter-district and intra-district vehicular movement (including public transport) will remain suspended during the lockdown, except for essential travel. Travel for weddings of close relatives, funerals, job interviews and hospitals would be allowed on production of relevant documents. In a statement, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said all shops, except provision and grocery stores and meat stalls, would remain closed.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Pakistan opposition leader stopped from flying abroad. 

Pakistan’s ailing opposition leader, who has been charged with corruption, was turned back on Saturday at the international airport in Lahore and prevented from leaving the country, his party spokesperson said. Shahbaz Sharif, head of the opposition bloc in the lower house of Parliament and the Pakistan Muslim League party, was not allowed to board a Qatar Airways flight to London, said Maryam Aurangzeb, the party spokeswoman. She said immigration officials at the airport said Mr. Sharif’s name was still on Shahbaz Sharif the black list so he could not leave. On Friday, the Lahore High Court ruled that Sharif could leave Pakistan and stay abroad for treatment till early July. The court had acted on a petition from Mr. Sharif, who pleaded that as a cancer survivor he now needed treatment outside of the court order drew criticism from Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government, which said it would explore legal options to stop Sharif from leaving. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the government had not received any application from Sharif or his party asking that he be taken off the black list. Mr. Sharif faces corruption charges in three separate court cases. He leads his brother’s Pakistan’s Muslim League party after Nawaz Sharif, a three-time PM, was disqualified from office.

B) Scotland’s pro-independence governing party close to a majority. 

Scotland’s governing Scottish National Party was on course on Saturday to win its fourth straight parliamentary election and very close to securing a majority that would enable it to make a push for another referendum on independence from the U.K. With 60 constituencies counted, the SNP had won 51 of the 129 seats and was clearly on course to extend its dominance of Scottish politics. However, given Scotland’s electoral system, also allocates some seats by a form of proportional representation, the party may fall short of the 65 seats it would need in the Edinburgh-based Parliament to have a majority. In Wales, the concluded vote count showed the Labour Party doing better than expected in the parliamentary election as it extended its 22 years in control of the Welsh government. Ballots continue to be counted from local elections in England, which already have been particularly good for U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party. But it’s the Scottish election that could have the biggest U.K.-wide implications by fast-tracking another referendum on Scotland’s future within the U.K. Were the SNP to win a majority, its leader, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, would argue that she has a man. date to call another referendum. Speaking after winning her seat in Glasgow on Friday, Ms. Sturgeon said her immediate priority would be to deal with the pandemic and then when the time is right to offer this country the choice of a better future. Scotland has been part of the U.K. since 1707 and the issue of Scottish independence appeared settled when Scottish voters rejected secession by in a 2014 referendum. But the U.K.-wide decision in 2016 to leave the European Union ran against the wishes of most Scots 62% voted in favor of staying within the bloc while most voters in England and Wales wanted to leave. That gave the Scottish nationalist cause fresh legs.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
08 May 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Supreme Court upholds High Court order on quantum of oxygen supply to Karnataka. 

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a Karnataka High Court order of May 5 directing the Centre to supply 1,200 MT of oxygen every day to the State. A Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah described the interim order of the High Court as a careful, calibrated and judicious exercise. The top court pointed out that even the Karnataka government had projected the need for 1,800 MT oxygen if cases climbed to 3.95 lakh. The cases, the Bench noted, had gone up to 4.95 lakh on May 5, and the minimum requirement was 1,100 MT. Hence, the HC order shows an extraordinarily well-calibrated approach. Prima facie, the government is under an obligation [to provide the oxygen], Justice Chandrachud addressed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. Mehta, who represents the Centre which has challenged the HC order, said the issue was not about the supply of oxygen to Karnataka. The Centre is not and cannot be averse to that. I am only sharing a concern about a national problem. This is a pan-India issue. If every HC starts ‘judiciously’ examining what amount of oxygen should be supplied, etc, where would it lead to… The Centre and State should decide the allocation of oxygen. If every HC starts entertaining petitions for allocation of oxygen under Article 226, COVID management would become unworkable. There will be a complete lack of pandemic management, Mehta argued. Justice Chandrachud said the judges, including Karnataka Chief Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Aravind Kumar, who passed the order in question, were human beings sensitive to what was happening around them. They have seen the deaths in Chamarajanagar and Kalburgi.

B) Legal counsel of Election Commission resigns citing conflict in values.

An advocate on record on the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) panel of counsel in the Supreme Court, Mohit D. Ram, on Thursday resigned from the position, citing a difference in values with the functioning of the Commission currently. Ram wrote to the ECI, saying that he had been one of its panel counsels since 2013, but could no longer continue. He have found that my values are not in consonance with the current functioning of the ECI; and hence he withdraw myself from the responsibilities of its panel counsel before the Supreme Court of India, the letter stated. He added that he would ensure a smooth transition on the matters pending with his office. Ram’s letter comes in the wake of the ECI moving the Supreme Court against remarks by the Madras High Court that it was responsible for the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, where Assembly elections were concluded on May 2, and that ECI officials should be charged with murder. The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to restrain the media from reporting the observations.

C) SC declines to hear plea to stop Central Vista work amid COVID surge.

While acknowledging the extremely urgent concerns raised by two Delhi residents over the ferrying of labourers to and from the Central Vista redevelopment site amid a devastating public health crisis, the Supreme Court ordered them to go back and approach the Delhi High Court Chief Justice on Monday with a request to hear their case as early as possible. The petitioners, Anya Malhotra and Sohail Hashmi, had moved the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court adjourned the hearing of their case to May 17, ostensibly to study a judgment of the Supreme Court pronounced on January 5, allowing the Central Vista project. However, a Bench of Justices Vineet Saran and Dinesh Maheshwari said that since the case was already pending before the High Court, it did not want to enter into its merits. It added that the mention for an urgent hearing before the Delhi High Court Chief Justice could even be made jointly by the petitioners’ lawyer, senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for the Centre. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday attacked the Union government over the Central Vista project, terming it a criminal wastage and asked the dispensation to focus on people’s lives. Central Vista is criminal wastage. Put people’s lives at the centre not your blind arrogance to get a new house, he said on Twitter. Gandhi and his Congress party have been asking the government to shelve its plans on the Central Vista project and give priority to improving medical infrastructure during the Covid-19 pandemic to save people’s lives. It has also criticised the government for according the construction work of the Central Vista project essential services tag and accused it of having its priorities wrong.

D) Supply 700 MT oxygen to Delhi every day, we mean business: SC tells Centre.

The Supreme Court on Friday underlined the obligation of the Centre to comply with the order to supply 700 MT of oxygen to Delhi every day, saying we mean business. A Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah warned the Centre of forcing the court into taking coercive action against it by reneging on its assurance in court to supply 700 MT of oxygen to Delhi, which is battling a devastating second wave of the pandemic. The court’s comments came after it went through a tabulated chart detailing the Centre’s comprehensive plan for the allocation, supply and distribution of oxygen to the national capital. Justice Chandrachud said he and Justice Shah had a discussion before the hearing on the issue and had agreed that the court in its previous orders intended that Delhi should get 700 MT every day. They did not mean that they supply 700 MT on one day. They meant to do it every day until they further examine the modalities. Please do not drive us to a situation where we have to be firm and take the coercive way. It is 700 MT every day, every single day, Justice Chandrachud emphasised. Mehta said he would convey the court’s observations to the authorities concerned during the day. On May 5, the Supreme Court had ordered the Centre to burn the midnight oil and prepare a comprehensive plan for the supply of 700 MT of life-saving oxygen to Delhi on a daily basis. The court had noted that the lack of oxygen was causing tremendous anxiety in the capital.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) CPJ sends letter calling on EU to address press freedom during summit with India on May 8.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an independent non-governmental organisation that champions press freedom around the world, has written to the European Union (EU) urging it to emphasise the importance of press freedom and call for the release of all imprisoned journalists in India during the upcoming EU-India summit on May 8. As India grapples with an astounding Covid-19 surge, the government has responded in part by attempting to clamp down on criticism and reporting. Unfortunately, this is not a new reaction. Last year, CPJ documented dozens of cases of journalists who were arrested, threatened, assaulted, and served legal notices over their coverage of the pandemic, the letter stated. As leaders from both sides discuss the pandemic, trade, and the environment during this important summit, EU leaders should ensure that press freedom concerns are not sidelined, but prioritised, and make public and robust calls for India to release all journalists in detention, the letter said.

B) WhatsApp scraps May 15 deadline for accepting privacy policy terms.

WhatsApp has scrapped its May 15 deadline for users to accept its controversial privacy policy update and said not accepting the terms will not lead to deletion of accounts. WhatsApp had faced severe backlash over user concerns that data was being shared with parent company Facebook. A WhatsApp spokesperson told PTI that no accounts will be deleted on May 15 for not accepting the policy update. No accounts will be deleted on May 15 because of this update and no one in India will lose functionality of WhatsApp either. We will follow up with reminders to people over the next several weeks, the spokesperson said in an emailed response to a query on Friday. The spokesperson added that while a majority of users who have received the new terms of service have accepted them, some people have not had the chance to do so yet. However, the company did not clarify the reason behind the decision and did not divulge the number of users who have accepted the terms so far.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
07 May 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Supreme Court wants oxygen-sharing formula ahead of third wave.

The Supreme Court on Thursday highlighted the need for the Union government to start preparations for oxygen allocation to the States, its supply and distribution, ahead of a third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The court drew the attention of the government to reports that children may be affected in the next wave. A Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah said the government needed to finalise a formula for allocation, supply and distribution of oxygen in a scientific manner ahead of the coming wave. It said the rough-and-ready formula devised presently on the oxygen-for-bed arrangement would hardly work. The current formula of allocating oxygen to Delhi, for example, on the basis of the number of ICU/non-ICU beds grossly underestimated need for oxygen in the National Capital. Also, not everyone who went to a hospital required an oxygen bed and not everyone required ICU or ventilator. There are many who have been asked to stay at home and quarantine, Justice Chandrachud said, picking loopholes in the formula. The court said the formula for allocation and distribution of oxygen among the States should be based, among other things, on an oxygen audit, that is, to determine the actual need of oxygen in a State. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, while informing the court that 730.7 MT (metric tonnes) of oxygen was received in Delhi on Wednesday as directed by the Bench, agreed that a minimum fault prone formula for oxygen supply, allocation and distribution was the need of the hour. The government agreed to revisit the formula.

B) Lucknow Hospital booked for ‘false’ oxygen shortage notice.

A private hospital in Lucknow, which had put up a notice saying it had a shortage of oxygen, was booked on charges of creating an atmosphere of fear, with the administration alleging that the hospital had sufficient stock of cylinders and was trying to hoard oxygen. The director of Sun Hospital was booked under Sections 188 and 269 of the Indian Penal Code, Sections 51 and 52 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the Epidemic Diseases Act in the Vibhuti Khand police station. On May 3, the hospital had allegedly put out a notice signed by its administrator Udit Singhal on social media asking family members of patients who were on oxygen support to take their patients elsewhere. After repeated requests to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and the Central Government, we are not able to get enough oxygen supply, said the notice. The Lucknow administration said they carried out an inspection at the hospital and found that the hospital had sufficient supply of oxygen. In his police complaint, Suresh Pandey, Superintendent of CHC Chinhat, said it was found that the hospital had eight jumbo oxygen cylinders, two B-type filled cylinders and oxygen concentrators. Twenty-five Covid-19 patients were admitted in the hospital, 20 of whom were on oxygen support, Pandey said. After the examination from the medical point of view, it was established that the hospital had sufficient oxygen in proportion to the admitted patients, the FIR said. The official also said that on May 1, when it had 18 patients, the hospital had received 26 jumbo cylinders while on May 2, when the number of patients was 17, it had got 58 jumbo cylinders. The action against Sun Hospital comes after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently instructed top officials to take action against hospitals if they found them to be reporting a scarcity of oxygen supply just to create fear. On May 4, the Allahabad High Court had observed that the deaths of Covid-19 patients due to lack of supply of oxygen to hospitals is a criminal act and not less than a genocide by those who have been entrusted the task to ensure continuous procurement and supply chain of the liquid medical oxygen.

C) SC dismisses ECI plea to restrain media from reporting High Court remarks.

Real-time reportage of court proceedings, including the oral exchanges in courtrooms between judges and lawyers, is part of the right to freedom of speech, the Supreme Court has held in a judgment. A Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud declined a plea made by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to restrain the media from reporting oral remarks made by a Division Bench of the Madras High Court. The High Court judges had said that the poll commission officials should be charged with murder for allowing rallies and mass gatherings during the Tamil Nadu Assembly election. The judges had remarked that the ECI was solely responsible for the Covid-19 surge. The Chief Election Commissioner had appealed to the Supreme Court after the High Court did not restrain the media from reporting the remarks nor make any of them take back the remarks. The ECI said cases had already been filed against its officials for murder. In the judgment, Justice Chandrachud said the case posed a delicate balancing of powers between the High Court and the ECI, which were both constitutional authorities. The case also features prominently the power of the media to report judicial proceedings honestly and fairly in real time. The court said that except in cases of child sexual abuse and marital issues, the phenomenon of free Press should extend to court proceedings. In its petition in the Supreme Court, the ECI had said the oral comments by the Madras High Court would lower the faith of the masses in the ECI and democratic process. The ECI had said the comments were disparaging and derogatory.

D) Arrival of central team soon after govt formation irks Mamata.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the BJP of inciting violence and criticised the Union government for sending a team to the State within 24 hours of her government formation. Within 24 hours of the swearing-in of the new government, a Central team came to the State. The BJP should accept the mandate of people, she said at a press conference in the State Secretariat. A four-member team of the Union Home Ministry arrived in the State during the day and held a meeting with senior State officials. I have not seen such a thing in my life. May good sense prevail. Such threats will not work, she said. Some fake videos were being circulated on the social media and police would take strong action against those spreading them, she added. The Chief Minister announced a compensation of ₹2 lakh to each of the families of the deceased in political violence. She alleged that even Union Ministers were visiting the State and trying to incite trouble. Anyone coming from outside, be it a Union Minister, will have to undergo RT-PCR test, she said. Violence was more in areas where the BJP had won in the polls, she stated.

E) RLD chief Ajit Singh passes away due to Covid-19 complications.

Former Union minister and chief of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) Ajit Singh, 82, passed away on Thursday of Covid-19 related complications. His son, Jayant Chaudhary confirmed the demise of his father early on Thursday morning. Singh, the son of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, was one of the first IITians in Indian politics, and became Rajya Sabha member in 1986 as his father fell ill. He contested and won from the Baghpat seat from 1989 till 2009. After his own father’s demise, he headed the Lok Dal (A), and the Janata Party and through the vissitudes of coalition politics of the 1990s, allied with the Janata Dal, BJP and Congress before going it alone in 2014. He was minister for agriculture in the Vajpayee government during 2001-2003, and minister for civil aviation in the second term of the UPA government. His politics stemmed from the rural hinterland of western Uttar Pradesh, especially the agrarian Jat and Muslim communities, a constituency that his father Chaudhary Charan Singh had built in the 1960s.

F) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 2,12,42,410 with the death toll at 2,31,479. Madhya Pradesh on Thursday announced a lockdown till May 15 to break the chain of transmission of coronavirus cases. Meanwhile, Mumbai municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal on Thursday directed officials to set up a drive-in vaccination centre in each of seven administrative regions of the city within 24 hours, PTI reported. The first drive-in centre where people can get a shot of the coronavirus vaccine without getting out of their vehicles started in the city on Tuesday in Dadar area. Chahal directed deputy municipal commissioners to set up at least one such centre in their respective regions within 24 hours, a civic official said. Those above 60 years can get vaccinated at drive-in centres only by appointment, and they shall not drive themselves but will be accompanied by an attendant or a driver, the municipal commissioner said in an order.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) U.S. to support intellectual property waiver for Covid-19 vaccines.

The United States will support an initiative at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to waive Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) protection for Covid-19 vaccines, the Biden administration said on Wednesday. The news will support the increased production of vaccines globally as countries, including India, continue to reel under the impact of the pandemic. The initiative was first floated by India and South Africa last October. The administration believes strongly in intellectual property protections, but in service of ending this pandemic, supports the waiver of those protections for Covid-19 vaccines, United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced, adding that the extraordinary circumstances called for extraordinary measures. Over a 100 countries have supported the proposal, according to the Associated Press. U.S. President Joe Biden has also been under growing pressure, domestically, to support a waiver, with 110 Democratic Members of Congress writing to him last week on the issue. Earlier in April, Bernie Sanders and nine Democratic Senators, including Elizabeth Warren, had also written to the President in support of a waiver

B) 20% Google employees to permanently work from home, Pichai says.

Google is all set to launch a new hybrid workspace model that will allow 60% of Google employees to work in the office only few days a week. About one-fifth of its staff will be allowed to work from home, and another remaining 20% may work from a different location altogether. CEO Sundar Pichai said in an email to employees that the company is testing new multi-purpose offices and private workspaces equipped with advanced video technology to help staff work with greater flexibility when they return to office. They will move to a hybrid work week where most Googlers spend approximately three days in the office and two days wherever they work best, Pichai wrote. There will also be roles that may need to be on site more than three days a week due to the nature of the work. Employees will be able to apply for a move to another office, but a transfer will be made after reviewing whether business goals can be met in the new location. Google will also check whether the team has the right infrastructure in to support work in a different location. Additionally, employees can apply for complete remote work within their product area or function. Google employees can also choose to choose to work from anywhere other than their main office for up to four weeks a year. Their managers must approve such requests. Google says this will provide employees more flexibility around summer and holiday travel.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
06 May 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Maratha quota law unconstitutional, rules Supreme Court.

A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday unanimously declared a Maharashtra law which provides reservation benefits to the Maratha community, taking the quota limit in the State in excess of 50%, as unconstitutional. The Bench, led by Justice Ashok Bhushan, found there was no exceptional circumstances or extraordinary situation in Maharashtra that required the Maharashtra government to break the 50% ceiling limit to bestow quota benefits on the Maratha community. The Supreme Court struck down the findings of the Justice N.G. Gaikwad Commission, which had led to the enactment of the Maratha quota law, and set aside the Bombay High Court judgment that had validated the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act of 2018. The High Court had, in June 2019, reduced the quantum of reservation for Marathas from the 16% recommended by the Gaikwad Commission to 12% in education and 13% in employment. The Supreme Court concluded that even the reduced percentages of reservation granted by the High Court were ultra vires. In fact, the Supreme Court held that a separate reservation for the Maratha community violates Articles 14 (right to equality) and 21 (due process of law). Most notably, the Supreme Court declined to re-visit its 1992 Indira Sawhney judgment, which had fixed the reservation limit at 50%. We don’t find any substance to revisit the Indira Sawhney judgment or referring it to a larger bench. The judgment has been upheld by at least four Constitution Benches, Justice Ashok Bhushan said, reading from his lead opinion on the question of validity of the Maratha quota law.

B) SC asks Centre, Delhi govt to learn from Maharashtra and BMC how to manage oxygen supply.

The Supreme Court on May 5 ordered the Centre to burn the midnight oil and prepare a comprehensive plan for the supply of 700 MT of life-saving oxygen to Delhi on a daily basis. The plan, which has to be handed over to the court in the form of a tabulated chart at 10.30 a.m. on May 6, should identify the sources of supply of oxygen to Delhi, and the provisions for transport and logistical arrangements, including distribution points for oxygen. The court orally urged Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, to comply with the April 30 order of the Supreme Court and ensure that Delhi received 700 MT oxygen by May 5 midnight. According to the Centre, Delhi had received 351 MT of oxygen till noon. The Bench, however, stayed a Delhi High Court order initiating contempt action against the Centre’s officers for the continued shortfall in the supply of oxygen to Delhi, which is battling a devastating second wave of Covid-19. Hauling officers up for contempt will not bring oxygen to Delhi, Justice Chandrachud reasoned. Contempt is when something is done absolutely willfully. This is a national crisis, nobody can dispute that the Centre has not done anything. But still what is your plan for distribution and assessment of requirement of oxygen? Justice Shah asked Mehta. The court asked the Centre and the Delhi government officials to get the help of Maharashtra government and consult with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, especially its Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal. The court asked the Centre to take a leaf from Maharashtra’s successful management of oxygen supply and creation of storage tanks when the active caseload was up to 92,000 in Mumbai. Mehta agreed there was nothing wrong for the Centre to consult the municipal body.

C) Third wave of pandemic is inevitable, says principal scientific advisor.

VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Advisor, while addressing the media during the Health Ministry’s briefing said that a third wave was inevitable in the country. The second wave was expected, he said, while adding that a third wave was inevitable. We have to be prepared and vaccine updates are needed, he said. He said it is vital that people persisted with Covid-appropriate behaviour as the virus-variants don’t change their fundamental behaviour. He said the vaccines were effective as of now. Meanwhile, Lav Agarwal, Joint Health Secretary, said that Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Gujarat have recorded a dip in daily cases recorded. However, an increase in the number of daily cases was noted in States like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Haryana and Punjab, among others. The Joint Health Secretary noted the rise in cases in cities like Bengaluru, Ernakulam, Kannur and Kanpur among others as alarming.

D) Covid-19 scare at G7 meeting after two members of Jaishankar’s delegation test positive.

The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers’ meeting in London was hit by a Covid-19 scare on Wednesday when India’s foreign minister and his entire team said they were self-isolating after two delegation members tested positive. Britain is hosting the three-day meeting the first such G-7 event in two years which has been heavily billed as a chance to restart face-to-face diplomacy and an opportunity for the West to show a united front against threats from China and Russia. India is attending the G7 as a guest and had been due to take part in meetings on Tuesday evening and throughout Wednesday. Was made aware of exposure to possible Covid positive cases, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Twitter. As a measure of abundant caution and also out of consideration for others, he decided to conduct his engagements in the virtual mode. That will be the case with the G7 Meeting today as well. The meeting is a precursor to the main G7 summit due to take place at a rural English resort in June, with U.S. President Joe Biden and other world leaders set to attend. A British official confirmed the two positive tests and said the entire Indian delegation was self-isolating. British rules require a 10-day self-isolation period. The Indian delegation had not yet attended the main summit venue at Lancaster House, and so meetings scheduled for Wednesday went ahead as planned. Asked if, in light of the positive tests, it had been a mistake to hold the summit in person, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, I think it’s very important to try to continue as much business as you can as a government. Johnson said he would speak with Jaishankar later on Wednesday by Zoom. Jaishankar was pictured meeting British interior minister Priti Patel on Tuesday, although Patel did not have to self-isolate because the meeting had been held in line with existing rules. Both were wearing masks in the photograph. India is not a G7 member but was invited by Britain to this week’s summit, along with Australia, South Africa and South Korea.

E) Mamata sworn in Chief Minister for third time.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee was on May 5 sworn in as the Chief Minister of West Bengal. She was administered the oath of office by Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar. She has assumed the office of Chief Minister for the third time in a row. The TMC had won 213 seats in the 294-member Assembly in the recent election. The party’s vote share was also at an all-time high of 47.9 %. TMC legislators had unanimously elected Banerjee as leader. She want to thank all the people of the State, ‘Maa, Maati Manus’ of West Bengal. There were many in the country and across the world whose eyes were on West Bengal, she said after being sworn in. Banerjee said that her first priority would be to contain the Covid-19 crisis. She also appealed for peace and ending the post-poll violence. I will appeal to all political parties to maintain peace. Take proper care that there is no violence. West Bengal does not like violence, and I do not support violence, she said.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) ‘U.S. to send vaccines to other countries by July 4’

U.S. President Joe Biden said countries that receive U.S. vaccines will receive them by July 4 India and Brazil are likely on this list. His comments were made during remarks he delivered on Tuesday afternoon, updating the public on his administration’s vaccination programme achievements. The U.S., which entered into an agreement with Canada and Mexico in March to share 4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, said last week that another 10 million doses would become available in the coming weeks, followed by a further 50 million by the end of June. India expects to receive the largest share of the 60 million doses, Reuters had reported last week. They’re sending a lot of the precursors. So they are doing a lot for India, Mr. Biden said in response to a question on what criteria were being used to decide which countries (India, Brazil were specifically cited in the question) got the vaccine. With regard to the AstraZeneca vaccine, they have sent that vaccine to Canada and to Mexico and to other countries we are talking to now, Mr. Biden said, adding he had spoken to a head of state on Tuesday and was not prepared to announce which other countries would be getting the vaccine. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said five of six shipments of assistance had already reached India and that more flights are on the way, with a total of over $100 million in assistance, including rapid tests, oxygen cylinders and concentrators and masks. They have also sent 2.5 million N-95 masks and we have an additional 12.5 million N-95 masks available, should that request come from the Indian government, Ms. Psaki said.

B) EU unveils plan to cut dependency on China.

The European Union (EU) unveiled on Wednesday a plan to cut its dependency on Chinese and other foreign suppliers in six strategic areas like raw materials, pharmaceutical ingredients and semiconductors after the pandemicinduced economic slump. 317 products The 27-nation bloc outlined the urgency of the task citing Europe’s reliance on China for about half of 137 products used in sensitive ecosystems, mainly raw materials, pharmaceuticals and other products key to its green and digital goals. The updated industrial strategy plan was devised after the COVID-19 pandemic showed bottlenecks in supply chain and the executive European Commission plans to conduct in-depth reviews of supply chains in raw materials, batteries, active pharmaceutical ingredients, hydrogen, semiconductors and cloud and edge technologies, to decide how to deal with them. Today’s updated Industrial Strategy is about making sure our industries are equipped to drive the digital and green transformations of our economy while ensuring the competitiveness of our industries, also in the context of the recovery from the coronavirus crisis, European Commission VicePresident Margrethe Vestager told a news conference.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
05 May 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) West Bengal post-poll violence: NCW takes suo motu cognisance of attacks on women.

A team of the National Commission for Women (NCW) headed by its chairperson, Rekha Sharma, will visit West Bengal to investigate attacks on women during the post-poll violence seen in the State. A statement issued by the NCW said that it was taking suo motu cognisance of such attacks after videos were shared on Twitter of women being beaten up in Nandigram. The Commission is deeply perturbed and has viewed this incident seriously as it concerns the safety and security of women in the State, the statement added. On May 3, BJP leaders Kailash Vijayvargiya and Sambit Patra shared videos of the party office in Nandigram being ransacked as well as women supporters of the party being physically assaulted. The Commission has also written to DGP West Bengal to investigate instances of violence and arrest the accused persons. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called up West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar and expressed serious anguish over reports of post poll violence in the State. Various political parties, including the BJP, the CPI(M) and the Congress have alleged that their cadre were being attacked by victorious Trinamool Congress members. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury also condemned the violence, tweeting, Are these reports of gruesome violence in Bengal TMC’s ‘victory celebrations’? Condemnable. Will be resisted and rebuffed. Instead of focusing on combating the pandemic TMC unleashes such mayhem. CPI(M), as always will be with the people to protect, assist, providing relief. BJP president J.P. Nadda is expected to visit the homes of the party cadre who have allegedly been victims of violence. The Trinamool Congress leadership rubbished the allegations as baseless and false. TMC leader Firhad Hakim said that the BJP is trying to spread a false narrative when in certain places it is the TMC supporters who are at the receiving end of the violence.

B) Foreign aid for Covid-19 mostly went to Central hospitals.

Around 40 lakh items, comprising medicines, oxygen cylinders and masks received in foreign aid have been distributed to 86 institutions and hospitals, mostly run by the Central government in 31 States and Union Territories, according to a statement issued by the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday. Amid the second wave of Covid-19, with over 3 lakh cases being reported daily, India for the first time in 17 years decided to accept foreign aid. Emergency aid continued coming into the country from various countries. Seven tankers with 20 metric ton Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) each arrived at the Mundra port in Gujarat from United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is the first such shipment of LMO to India, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. In a joint effort by the U.K. with the Indian Air Force (IAF), an IAF transport aircraft ferried 450 oxygen cylinders to Chennai, while the fifth in a series of consignments carrying medical equipment, including 545 oxygen concentrators, arrived from the U.S. Also, a shipment from Kuwait arrived in India with 282 oxygen cylinders, 60 oxygen concentrators, ventilators and other medical supplies. Out of the eight hospitals in Delhi, six that received the aid sent from foreign countries are run by the Central government. Delhi is one of the worst affected States hit by oxygen shortage, with the Central government and the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government sparring over the oxygen allocation. Oxygen allocation is being centrally controlled by an empowered group of officers. The Lady Hardinge Medical College, Safdarjung Hospital, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and National Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases in Delhi have received the foreign aid, the Ministry said. Two other hospitals in Delhi and a hospital run by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in Noida have also received such aid. The 24 categories of items that have been received from foreign countries include BiPAP machines, oxygen concentrators and cylinders, PSA oxygen plants, pulse oximeters, drugs such as Flaviparivir and Remdesivir, PPE coveralls, N-95 masks and gowns, the Ministry said.

 

C) Both SP and BJP claim victory in U.P. panchayat polls.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday claimed that the party had been the first preference of voters in the Uttar Pradesh panchayat polls, counting for which has been going on since May 2. The victory of the Samajwadi Party in large numbers is a clear indication that it has acceptability among the farmers, youth and in villages, Yadav said in a statement. However, the BJP on Monday evening claimed that it was ahead of the other parties and candidates linked to it had won 918 zilla panchayat member seats while on 557 others they enjoyed a decisive lead. Parties do not issue their symbols for the three-tier panchayat polls but indicate the candidates they support in the zilla panchayat election. The SP did not mention the specific number of candidates supported by it who had won. Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary, however, claimed that the BJP received a jolt in both Gorakhpur and Varanasi, the political home ground of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, respectively. The SP also received huge success in Lucknow, he said, adding that the BJP’s tricks had failed to work even in Prayagraj, Etawah and Azamgarh. The State Election Commission on Monday evening said that so far 2.32 lakh gram panchayat members, 38,317 gram panchayat pradhans, 55,925 kshetra panchayat members and 181 Zilla Panchayat members have been elected.

 

D) Twitter permanently suspends Kangana Ranaut’s account.

Twitter on Tuesday permanently suspended actor Kangana Ranaut’s account following a series of controversial tweets over the prevailing situation in West Bengal, which triggered sharp reactions on social media. When contacted, a Twitter spokesperson, said: We’ve been clear that we will take strong enforcement action on behaviour that has the potential to lead to offline harm. The referenced account has been permanently suspended for repeated violations of Twitter Rules, specifically our Hateful Conduct policy and Abusive Behaviour policy. We enforce the Twitter Rules judiciously and impartially for everyone on our service. Kangana is still active on her Instagram handle, where she shared a video on how the violence in West Bengal has left her distressed and beyond words and called it the death of democracy. She posted the video stating that it was an important message for our government on the Bengal violence.

 

E) HC asks Centre why it should not face contempt for failing to supply oxygen to Delhi as ordered.

The Delhi High Court Tuesday directed the Centre to show cause as to why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against it for failing to comply with order on supply of oxygen to Delhi for treating Covid-19 patients, PTI reported. A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli also rejected the Centre’s submission that Delhi was not entitled to 700 metric tonnes of medical oxygen in light of existing medical infrastructure. We see grim reality everyday of people not able to secure oxygen or ICU beds in hospitals, which have reduced beds due to gas shortage, it said. The high court directed two senior central government officers to be present before it on Wednesday to respond to the notice. It said the Supreme Court’s April 30 detailed order shows direction to the central government to provide 700 MT of oxygen per day to Delhi, not just 490 MT. It further said that the Supreme Court has already directed and now the high court is also saying that the Centre will have to supply 700 MT oxygen daily to Delhi right away, by whatever means.

 

F) BCCI suspends IPL 2021 after players test positive for Covid-19.

The Indian Premier League’s (IPL) 2021 edition has been indefinitely suspended, according to IPL chairman Brijesh Patel. They have suspended the IPL for now. The new window will be worked out later on. A statement will follow soon, Patel told. BCCI was forced to take the call since at least four teams have been affected by Covid-19. Earlier in the day, Sunrisers Hyderabad wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha and Delhi Capitals leg-spinner Amit Mishra were diagnosed to have contracted the Covid-19 infection. Multiple members of biosecure bubbles of both the franchises confirmed to The Hindu that Saha and Mishra have tested positive for Covid-19.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) India to invest £530 million, including £240 million by Serum Institute, and create 6,500 jobs in U.K. under Modi-Johnson deal. 

Britain has finalised £1 billion worth of new trade and investment with India, creating over 6,500 jobs in the UK. The deal was signed at a virtual summit between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Tuesday. The investments form part of an Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP), which will set the ambition to double the value of UK-India trade by 2030 and declare a shared intent to begin work towards a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Each and every one of the more than 6,500 jobs we have announced today will help families and communities build back from coronavirus and boost the British and Indian economies, Johnson said. The trade and investment package unveiled by Britain contains over £533 million of new Indian investment into the UK, covering areas such as healthcare and technology. This includes a £240 million investment by the Serum Institute of India in the U.K. into its vaccine business and a new sales office in the country, expected to generate new business worth over $1 billion. Serum’s investment will support clinical trials, research & development and possibly manufacturing of vaccines, to help the UK and the world defeat the coronavirus pandemic and other deadly diseases, Downing Street said. British businesses have also secured new export deals with India worth more than 446 million pounds, which is expected to create more than 400 British jobs. Last week, Johnson spoke to Indian business leaders from companies such as Infosys and HCL, and the software majors are among the Indian companies listed as part of a series of investment deals, set to create 1,000 jobs each in the UK. Some of the others on the list include the likes of biotech firm Global Gene Corp, TVS Motors and Goila Butter Chicken.

 

B) Bill and Melinda Gates announce they are ending marriage

Bill and Melinda Gates have said that they are divorcing but would keep working together at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the largest charitable foundations in the world. In identical tweets, the Microsoft co-founder and his wife said they had made the decision to end their marriage of 27 years. They have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives, they said in a statement. They ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life. Bill Gates was formerly the world’s richest person and his fortune is estimated at well over $100 billion. How the couple end up settling their estate and any impact on the foundation will be closely watched. The Gateses were married in 1994 in Hawaii. They met after she began working at Microsoft as a product manager in 1987. The Seattle-based Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the most influential private foundation in the world, with an endowment worth nearly $50 billion. It has focused on global health and development and U.S. education issues since incorporating in 2000.