Tag: PO

NATIONAL NEWS 

Editors Guild moves SC demanding SIT probe into Pegasus snooping

The Editors Guild of India on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court seeking a special investigation team (SIT) probe into the Union government’s role in the Pegasus snooping row. It has stated that the indiscriminate use of top-end surveillance technology against journalists destroys free speech and poisons the heart of democracy. The Guild pointed out that freedom of the Press is a hard-won right essential to democracy. Freedom of the Press relies on non-interference by the government and its agencies in the reporting of journalists, including their ability to securely and confidentially speaking with sources, investigate abuse of power and corruption, expose governmental incompetence, and speak with those in the Opposition, the petition, filed through advocate Lzafeer Ahamed B.F., said. The petition follows the one filed by senior journalists N. Ram and Sashi Kumar, challenging the government to come clean about the Pegasus allegations. Rajya Sabha member John Brittas and Supreme Court lawyer ML Sharma have separately moved the court. Journalists Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, SNM Abdi, Prem Shankar Jha, Rupesh Kumar Singh and Ipsa Shataksi, reported to be victims of Pegasus surveillance, had also moved the apex court, saying they were subjected to deeply intrusive surveillance. They said a forensic examination done by the Amnesty International on mobile phones revealed traces of interference. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana is scheduled to hear the Pegasus row petitions on August 5. On Tuesday, the Guild said a court-monitored probe should look into every aspect of the use of Pegasus by the government against Indian citizens, especially journalists. Questions and attempts to garner the truth from the government have reached a dead-end. In fact, the government had stonewalled efforts to seek accountability, the petition said. The government had deliberately avoided public debate on the issue. It had only provided some obfuscated answers to straight questions about its alleged role in the snooping, the plea stated. The citizens of India have a right to know if the Executive government is infringing the limits of their authority under the Constitution and what steps have been taken to safeguard their fundamental rights, it said. The Guild told the court that it was only seeking the enforcement of the public’s right to know the truth about who was behind the Pegasus surveillance exercise. It also sought a complete overhaul of the surveillance architecture by even challenging the constitutionality of Section 5 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, Rule 419A of the Indian Telegraph Rules 1951, Section 69 of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Interception, Monitoring and Decryption) of Information Rules, 2009.

 

Rahul Gandhi reaches Parliament on a bicycle to protest against rising fuel prices

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday gave a call to Opposition leaders to unite the majority voice of the people of India that is represented by their parties. Accompanied by his party colleagues and Opposition leaders, Gandhi rode a bicycle to Parliament to protest against the rise in the prices of fuel and cooking gas. Just before the cycle protest, he hosted a breakfast meet for leaders of 15 Opposition parties at the Constitution Club, close to Parliament. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi rides a bicycle in a symbolic protest over rising fuel price after a breakfast meeting with the Opposition leaders on August 3, 2021. We [the Opposition parties] represent 60% of the people, the majority of the people. When the government shuts us up, they are not humiliating us as members of Parliament but the majority voice of the people of India. The single most important thing in my view is: let’s unite this voice, he told all the Opposition MPs. The more this voice unites, the more powerful it will become, more difficult it will become for the BJP and RSS to suppress this voice, he asserted. The principles for the foundation of such unity should be worked out now, he added. Congress spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Abhishek Singhvi called the meet historic and claimed that it was a trailer for 2024 [Lok Sabha polls]. He said, This shows you the new resolve, new direction, new momentum and a new determination and grit. We will proceed unitedly without fear and deterrence. Be it Pegasus, the terrible price rise, the farmers’ issue or any number of governance issues. He, however, played down a question on who would be the face of the united Opposition by terming it irrelevant at this point in time. DMK’s Kanimozhi, NCP’s Supriya Sule and Praful Patel, Trinamool Congress’s Saugato Roy, Kalyan Banerjee and Mahua Moitra, Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut and Priyanka Chaturvedi, Samajwadi Party’s Ram Gopal Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Manoj Jha were among those present.The BSP was a notable absentee. The Congress is clearly sending a subtle message that it continues to occupy the pole position when it comes to taking on the Narendra Modi government. Gandhi said on Twitter, Neither our faces are important nor our names. What is essential is that we are the people’s representatives. Behind every face lie crores of faces who are troubled by price rise and inflation. Are these the ‘acche din’ [good days]. In its third week now, Parliament has failed to function properly, as the Opposition has been insisting on discussing the Pegasus issue and the three farm laws before every other issue. Gandhi’s is one among the select few Indian numbers that were identified as a possible suspect for hacking by an international consortium of investigative journalists.

Parliamentary panel recommends money in banks, social security measures for informal workers

Direct transfer of money into bank accounts of informal workers and an urban employment guarantee scheme were among the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Labour in its report on the impact of the pandemic on rising unemployment and job loss. The report, which was presented in the Lok Sabha and tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, said: The pandemic has devastated the labour market, denting the employment scenario and threatening the survival of millions of workers and their families. The panel, which is chaired by Bhartruhari Mahtab, called on the government to improve social security measures for workers. Citing the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), the report said 90% of workers were in the informal sector, which is 419 million of the 465 million workers. The PLFS quarterly bulletin for April-June 2020 showed the unemployment rate in urban areas for those above 15 years at 20.8%, an increase from 9.1% in January-March 2020. The committee noted that the PLFS data for years prior to the pandemic were available and the real impact of Covid-19 would only be seen when the PLFS for 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 are available. It asked the Labour Ministry to take up the issue of timely completion of the PLFS with the Statistics and Programme Implementation Ministry. Although no survey data are available as yet on the impact of the second wave which has undisputedly been more severe than the first, anecdotal evidence as well as the situation experienced during the first wave suggest that there would have been significant income losses particularly in the informal sector, pushing the vulnerables deeper into crisis, the report said. The panel said it was of the studied opinion that the Covid-19 crisis in India has come in the backdrop of pre-existing high and rising unemployment. Therefore, a comprehensive plan and roadmap are required to  address the deteriorating condition of employment much aggravated by the pandemic, and widening disparities in the job market in the organised sector. Offering another round of income support to the poor to compensate for loss of jobs/employment incurred due to the two lockdowns imposed would go a long way in mitigating their woes.

Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 3,17,28,944  with the death toll at 4,25,275. The second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic is still raging in the country and is far from over, Lav Aggarwal joint secretary, Health Ministry, told a press conference on Tuesday. Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu, Mizoram, Karnataka, Puducherry and Kerala have registered a rise in the Reproduction Number (Rt ), which was a cause of concern, he said. Reproduction Number is the average number of new infections generated by one infected individual during the entire infectious period. R>1 denotes a spreading infection. Rt for India is 1.2. If it has gone over 1, it shows it is a significant problem and some States have registered an increasing trend of over 1, said Aggarwal. Only Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra show a declining trend and in States like Bengal, Nagaland, Haryana, Goa, Delhi and Jharkhand, the R-factor is at 1. The Health Ministry said 44 districts had reported a high case positivity and eighteen districts had shown an increasing new Covid-19 cases trend in the last four weeks. The Delta-driven second wave is still not over, and currently we have Kerala (10 districts), Manipur (9), Mizoram (6), Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya (4 each) among others that remain a cause of concern. Also 49.85% of the total cases in the last week were reported from Kerala. Malappuram, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Ernakulam, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Kasargod, Pathanamthitta, Wayanad and Idukki districts in Kerala are showing a worrying trend, said Aggarwal. An overall declining trend had been observed across India in weekly positivity since the week ending 10th May . Weekly positivity has been less than 2% for the first time in the past 3 months, he said. The pandemic was far from over and globally too there was a rise in cases, NITI Aayog member (Health) V.K. Paul said. The Delta variant was a dominant problem. COVID-appropriate behaviour and vaccination are vital and we urge the vulnerable population to avail themselves of the vaccination facility as soon as possible. This definitely contributes to the reduction of severity and mortality.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Israeli SC offers compromise to avoid Palestinian evictions. Israel’s Supreme Court has floated compromises that would block the evictions of dozens of Palestinians in the east Jerusalem town of Sheikh Jarrah, where attempts by Jewish settlers to expel them from their homes sparked an 11day war between Israel and Gaza militants in May. The cases examined on Monday involve four Palestinian families, numbering a total of about 70 people. The settlers have been waging a decades-long campaign to evict the families from densely populated Palestinian neighbourhoods just outside the walls of the Old City, in one of the most sensitive parts of east Jerusalem. The settlers say the homes are built on land that was owned by Jews prior to the 1948 war surrounding Israel’s creation. Israeli law allows Jews to reclaim such property, a right denied to Palestinians who lost lands and homes in the same conflict. The Palestinians say they have owned the properties for decades. During Monday’s hearing, the Supreme Court proposed a pair of compromises, according to Ir Amim, a human rights group that supports the Palestinians and which sat in on the hearing. It said the first proposal offered the residents protected status, meaning they would be protected from eviction for years in exchange for recognising the settlers’ ownership over the land. This offer would allow the four families the right to pass down their properties for two generations. But after the four families rejected the proposition, the court proposed an alternative settlement where the four families would receive protected status while instead acknowledging that Israel once registered the properties with previous Jewish owners, according to Ir Amim. It said the settlers rejected that proposal, while the families asked for more time to consider it.

Indian student’s death in Tianjin is homicide, suspect held, says Chinese Foreign Ministry. 

The death of a 20-year-old Indian student in China’s Tianjin city was a homicide and a foreigner has been arrested in connection with the murder, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said here on Tuesday. The suspect’s nationality has not been disclosed, officials said. Aman Nagsen, who hailed from Bihar’s Gaya, was a student of Business Administration in the Tianjin Foreign Studies University. He was found dead on July 29. The Chinese Foreign Ministry, in a written response to PTI, said that around 8.00 pm, Tianjin police received a call that an Indian student was lying on the floor of the dormitory with no sign of life. The initial investigation of the public security organ found it to be a case of homicide and the suspect is another foreign student of the university. Compulsory measures have been taken on the suspect and the case is still under further investigation. Relevant Chinese competent authorities have notified the Indian Embassy in Beijing of the situation of the case on July 30 and 31 respectively and maintained communication with the Embassy, it said. The Chinese side will handle the case in accordance with law and offer assistance in follow-up matters, it said, adding that an autopsy was conducted on Tuesday. The issuance of the death certificate is expected to take a few days as it is a case of homicide, the officials said. Nagsen was one of the few Indian students who remained in China through the coronavirus pandemic while most of the 23,000 odd Indian students, who left for home, were stuck in India, unable to return due to Beijing’s reluctance to lift visa restrictions. Embassy officials said Nagsen’s family has been informed of the progress of the investigations. An official of the embassy was expected to visit Tianjin, located about 100 kms from Beijing, to discuss the progress of the case and work out arrangements to send the body to India. Currently, no flights are operational between India and China.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Preventive detention only if detenu affects or likely to affect public order: SC

The Supreme Court on Monday said a preventive detention order can only be passed if the activities of the detenu affects or are likely to adversely affect the maintenance of public order, PTI reported. The court said this as it quashed the Telangana government’s detention order against a man, booked in several criminal cases related to fraud and forgery, saying that for ‘public order’ to be disturbed, there must in turn be public disorder, affecting the society at large. A close reading of the detention order, under the Telangana Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act (TPDAA), makes it clear that it was issued not on any apprehension of widespread public harm, danger or alarm but only because the detenu was successful in obtaining anticipatory bail/bail from the Courts in each of the five FIRs against him, the apex court said. A bench of Justices R F Nariman and B R Gavai allowed the appeal against the Telangana High Court order, dismissing the plea filed by a woman challenging the detention order passed against her husband under the TPDAA. It said that while it cannot seriously be disputed that the detenu may be a white collar offender as defined under provisions of TPDAA, yet a preventive detention order can only be passed if his activities adversely affect or are likely to adversely affect the maintenance of public order. The bench noted that a public order as defined under the Act is to be a harm, danger or alarm or a feeling of insecurity among the general public or any section thereof or a grave widespread danger to life or public health. Multiple FIRs were lodged against the woman’s husband for cheating, fraud and criminal breach of trust but he had been successful in getting anticipatory bail/bail in all the cases against him. We, therefore, quash the detention order on this ground. Consequently, it is unnecessary to go into any of the other grounds argued by the learned counsel on behalf of the Petitioner. The impugned judgment is set aside and the Detenu is ordered to be freed forthwith. Accordingly, the appeal is allowed, the bench said. It said that in the facts of this case, it is clear that at the highest, a possible apprehension of breach of law and order can be said to be made out if it is apprehended that the detenu, if set free, will continue to cheat gullible persons. There can be no doubt that for ‘public order’ to be disturbed, there must in turn be public disorder. Mere contravention of law such as indulging in cheating or criminal breach of trust certainly affects ‘law and order’ but before it can be said to affect ‘public order’, it must affect the community or the public at large.

SC asks States to respond to plea that says citizens are still being booked under Section 66A of IT Act

The Supreme Court on Monday asked States to respond to a petition that citizens continue to get booked and prosecuted under Section 66A of the Information Technology Act for expressing themselves freely on social media. Section 66A was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in a judgment in 2015. A Bench led by Justice Rohinton F. Nariman said State governments, which control the police force, had to answer for this violation of the Supreme Court judgment. The Supreme Court said the judiciary could be reined in from wrongly charging under Section 66A, but the cooperation of the States was necessary to put the brakes on the police from registering FIRs under Section 66A. The court said it intended to pass a wholistic order after hearing the States. The court listed the case after four weeks. On July 5 this year, Justice Nariman had found it distressing, shocking and terrible that people were still booked and tried under Section 66A even six years after the Supreme Court struck down the provision as unconstitutional and a violation of free speech. An NGO, People’s Union of Civil Liberties, represented by senior advocate Sanjay Parikh and advocate Aparna Bhat, had drawn the court’s attention to the violations. Justice Nariman had authored the judgment, trashing Section 66A in a petition filed by law student Shreya Singhal, who highlighted cases of young people being arrested and charged under the ambiguous provision for their social media posts. In its response, the Centre said the police and public order were State subjects under the Constitution. Prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of crimes and capacity-building of the police are primarily the responsibility of the States, the Centre submitted in an affidavit to the Supreme Court. It said law enforcement agencies shared equal responsibility to comply with the Supreme Court judgment. They took action against cyber-crime offenders as per the law. Section 66A had prescribed three years’ imprisonment if a social media message caused annoyance or was found grossly offensive. The Supreme Court had concluded the provision to be vague and worded arbitrarily. Justice Nariman had agreed with Parikh on July 7 that the state of affairs is shocking.

In Rajya Sabha, Opposition raises farm bills along with Pegasus

Opposition protest continued to disrupt the proceedings of the Rajya Sabja for the 10th consecutive day on Monday, with the parties raising objections to the three controversial farm laws besides the Pegasus ‘cyberattack’. While the Trinamool Congress (TMC) continued with the protest on Pegasus, the Congress, Left and others raised a demand to scrap the farm bills. The protests led to two adjournments, and the Inland Vessels Bill, 2021, was passed amid din. The TMC, Congress, SP and the Left parties were in the well of the House, while the NCP, Shiv Sena and the RJD stood at their seats in protest. Many members, sources said, felt that taking a militant position on Pegasus had left other issues unheard. Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh dialled Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of the Opposition in the House. Sources said it was just a courtesy call. No offer of an all-party meeting on Pegasus was made by Singh. The Opposition parties want Parliament to run and discuss three important issues. A: Withdraw the farm bills and have a discussion on the ongoing agitation by farmers. B: we need a discussion on the state of the economy and unemployment. C: National Security that is Pegasus. But we have to start with C, TMC floor leader Derek O’Brien said. All the 15 parties who attended the morning meeting of Opposition parties were all on the same page, he asserted. The Congress though is still uncomfortable with this position. Sources said that they wanted to pause the protests to be able to participate in the debate on the Inland Vessels Bill. But with raucous protests from the TMC, Congress MP Shakti Sinh Gohil, who was designated to speak on the Bill, could not raise his concerns. The Congress did not join the others in the well of the House once the Bill was taken up for discussion. Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the Bill would bring uniformity in application of laws relating to inland waterways and navigation within the country. The Bill was passed as the Opposition members shouted no from the well of the House. As the Opposition continued to protest, the House was adjourned for an hour, only to resume for a few minutes before being adjourned for the day.

CJI offers to send Andhra-Telangana Krishna water dispute for mediation

Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana on Monday offered to send a water dispute case filed by Andhra Pradesh against Telangana for mediation while saying, in the background of the Assam-Manipur border flare-up, that the people of the two southern States were brothers and should not even dream of doing harm to each other. The CJI’s remark came in response to an indirect allusion made by senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for Andhra Pradesh, to the Assam-Manipur violence. Looking at what happened in the northeast Dave began. Immediately interjecting at this point, Chief Justice Ramana said, Do not think like that even in your dreams. We are all brothers. During the hearing, Chief Justice Ramana said he hailed from both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. He could not adjudicate the case legally. So, the CJI gave the parties an option. If you want to settle the issue through mediation, I will send it for mediation. On the other hand, if you want the case to be adjudicated or to be heard legally, I will list it before another Bench, Chief Justice Ramana addressed the parties. Dave said the CJI’s suggestion was eminently fair. The senior lawyer said this was a political issue and sought time to get instructions from the State government. The case concerned Andhra Pradesh’s petition accusing Telangana of depriving its people of their legitimate share of water for drinking and irrigation. Andhra Pradesh said Telangana was refusing to follow decisions taken on river water management in the Apex Council constituted under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act of 2014. It had also ignored the directions of Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) constituted under the 2014 Act and the Central government. Fundamental rights, including right to life of its citizens, are being seriously impaired and infringed on account of unconstitutional, illegal and unjust acts on part of State of Telangana and its officials, resulting in the citizens of the State of Andhra Pradesh being deprived of their legitimate share of water for drinking and irrigation purposes, the petition said.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

J&K is integral &inalienable part of India, says Tirumurti. 

Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inalienable part of India and if there needs to be a change in status it is the vacation of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), India’s Permanent Representative to the UN and president of the UN Security Council for the month of August T.S. Tirumurti said on Monday. India, currently a nonpermanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2021-22 tenure, assumed the rotating presidency of the powerful UN organ for the month of August. Briefing reporters at the UN Headquarters on Monday, Ambassador Tirumurti said India would host signature events on the key themes of maritime security, counter-terrorism and peace keeping. In response to a question on Jammu and Kashmir and the abrogation of Article 370, Mr. Tirumurti said, Right at the outset, I do want to make something very clear that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral and inalienable part of India. I think it’s important to recognise that. And the issues relating to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are internal affairs of India. In fact, even the members of the Security Council, when this was brought up, almost all of them agreed that this issue was not for the Council to discuss. In response to another question on UN Secretary-general Antonio Guterres’ statement of August 8, 2019, on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Mr. Tirumurti said, As I told you, Jammu and Kashmir  is an  integral and inalienable part of India. If there needs to be a change in status, it is the vacation of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The Secretary General’s 2019 statement had recalled the 1972 agreement on bilateral relations between India and Pakistan – the Simla Agreement- which states that the final status of Jammu and Kashmir is to be settled by peaceful means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.

 

Democrats call on Biden to extend eviction ban. 

House  Nancy Pelosi and the House Democratic leaders called on the Biden administration to immediately extend the nation’s eviction moratorium, calling it a moral imperative to prevent Americans from being put out of their homes during a COVID-19 surge. An estimated 3.6 million Americans are at risk of eviction, some as soon as Monday. Congress was unable to pass legislation swiftly to extend the ban, which expired at midnight Saturday, and the Democratic leaders said in a statement that it was now up to President Joe Biden’s administration to act. They called on the administration to extend the moratorium through October 18. ‘Moral imperative’ Action is needed, and it must come from the Administration, Ms. Pelosi said in the statement signed by Majority Leader Whip James E. Clyeburn and Assistant Speaker ASKatherine Clark. Science S-and reason demand that they must also extend the omoratorium in light of the 1gDelta variant. Doing so is a moral imperative. Some Democratic law makers said they were caught by surprise last Thursday when Mr. Biden d-announced that he would not extend the moratorium  it again in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling that suggested congressional action was necessary for another extension. Lawmakers were left with only days to act before the ban expired, creating frustration and exposing a rare rift with the administration. On Sunday, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, said that the Democrats had to call a spade a spade and pointed to her own party. We cannot in good faith blame the Republican Party when House Democrats have a majority, she told CNN. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez and other Democrats joined Rep. Cori Bush, who camped outside the Capitol over the weekend in protest. Landlords had argued for speeding up the distribution of rental assistance and opposed another extension of the moratorium. Mr. Biden has called on local governments to take steps to disburse the funds. There can be no excuse for any state or locality not accelerating funds to landlords and tenants that have been hurt during this pandemic, Mr. Biden said. The White House has maintained that Mr. Biden wanted to extend the moratorium but that concerns remained over challenging the court.

 

SPORTS NEWS 

Indian women create history, enter Olympic hockey semifinals for first time

The Indian women’s hockey team scripted history on August 2 qualifying for the Olympic Games semifinals for the first time, beating three-time champions Australia by a solitary goal here. Indian women hockey players celebrate their victory against Australia in the quarterfinal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, in Tokyo on August 2, 2021.  A day after the Indian men’s team entered the Olympic semifinals following a 41-year gap, the world no. 9 women’s side also entered the history books with a phenomenally gritty performance. Coming into the match, the odds were against India as world no. 2 Australia, a mighty unbeaten opponent, awaited them in the last-eight round. The Indian side, determined to prove a point, produced a strong and brave performance to eke out the narrow win over the Hockeyroos. Drag-flicker Gurjit Kaur rose to the occasion when it mattered and converted India’s lone penalty corner in the 22nd minute to surprise the Australians. India’s best performance in the Olympics came way back in the 1980 Moscow Games where they finished fourth out of six teams. In that edition of the Games, women’s hockey made its debut in the Olympics and the sport was played in a round-robin format with top two teams qualifying for the final. The Rani Rampal-led side will play Argentina in the semifinal on August 4.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Assam, Mizoram CMs bat for talks after call from Shah 

The Chief Ministers of Assam and Mizoram have sought to ease tensions along their troubled inter-State border after a telephonic discussion with Union Home Minister Amit Shah. An exchange of fire between the police forces of both the States on July 26 left six Assam policemen and a civilian dead and 60 others, including Cachar district’s Superintendent of Police Nimbalkar Vaibhav Chandrakant injured. Assam claimed the firing was one-sided and unprovoked while Mizoram said they had retaliated to the aggression by the Assam police. Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga on Sunday took to Twitter to say he had a telephonic discussion with Shah and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma we agreed to resolve the Mizoram-Assam border issue amicably through meaningful dialogue, he tweeted. He also asked the people of Mizoram to avoid posting sensitive messages and make judicious use of their social media platform to prevent any possible escalation of the situation. He later deleted the tweet but retweeted a post by Dr. Sarma. Our main focus is on keeping the spirit of North-East alive. What happened along the Assam-Mizoram border is unacceptable to the people of both states, the Assam Chief Minister said, adding, Border disputes can only be resolved through discussion. Later, he told reporters in Guwahati that the Assam government would approach the Supreme Court in 15 days for an amicable solution to the boundary row for both the States to follow. The two States share a 164.6 km volatile border with each government accusing the other of not maintaining the status quo and encouraging its people to encroach. The border conflict is decades old but things started getting violent from October 2020. Since the July 26 incident, locals in Assam have blocked the National Highway 306, besides uprooting a stretch of the lone railway track connecting Mizoram. Transportation of people and goods to and from Mizoram has thus been affected. The Mizoram government is likely to withdraw the FIR filed against Dr Sarma, the State’s Chief Secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo told reporters in Aizawl on Sunday. Our Chief Minister has suggested that I should look into the inclusion of the Assam Chief Minister’s name in the FIR, he said, pointing out that naming Dr. Sarma in the FIR did not have Zoramthanga’s approval. The Chief Secretary did not specify if the cases against six Assam officials and 200 other unidentified police personnel would be withdrawn. The Mizoram police had booked four senior Assam police officers, including an Inspector-General of Police, the Deputy Commissioner and Divisional Forest Officer of Cachar district on various charges, including attempt to murder and assault. They were asked to appear before the investigation officer at Vairengte police station in Mizoram’s Kolasib district. Likewise, the Assam police summoned Mizoram’s Rajya Sabha member K. Vanlalvena and six others officials, including the Kolasib Deputy Commissioner and Superintendent of Police for questioning at Cachar’s Dholai police station on Sunday.

Centre to use satellite mapping to resolve NE border disputes

With the inter-State border dispute between Assam and Mizoram flaring up and resulting in the death of six people last week, the Centre could be relying on satellite mapping to demarcate boundaries and settle such disputes, senior officials of the government of India said on Sunday. Two top officials, however, told The Hindu that the Centre has no plans to hold a ‘neutral probe’ into the July 26 firing incident between the two police forces that left five Assam Police personnel dead and over 50 injured. Return of normalcy and confidence-building is necessary in the area and that is why CRPF forces are patrolling the areas under the direct supervision of the Centre, the officials said. Both the State governments are cooperating and the Central government is assured that there will be no more border flare-up, one of the officials quoted above said. For a more permanent solution to deal with inter-State border issues, the North Eastern Space Application Centre (NESAC) has been asked to map and demarcate State boundaries using satellite imaging. The idea of using satellite imagery for settling border disputes was mooted by Union Home Minister Amit Shah a few months ago, said one of the officials. A joint initiative of the Department of Space (DoS) and the North Eastern Council (NEC), the Shillong-based NESAC is already being used for flood management in the region. In January this year, the Ministry for Development of the North East Region (DONER) gave the satellite imagery project to NESAC. Since there will be scientific methods in the demarcation of borders, there will little scope for discrepancy and there shall be better acceptability of the boundary solutions by the States, one of the officials said. However, an Assam government official, who didn’t want to come on record, contested such a claim. Disputes arise mainly because there is a difference in perception regarding what constitutes our area and what constitutes their area. For example, Mizoram wants to follow the 1875 notification regarding Lushai Hills but it’s not acceptable to us, the official said. The Mizoram government claimed that a 509 square-mile stretch of the inner-line reserve forest notified in 1875 under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation of 1873 belongs to it. The Assam government, on the other hand, maintained that the constitutional map and boundary drawn by Survey of India in 1933 was acceptable to it.

Jammu and Kashmir to deny passport, jobs to locals with ‘adverse police report’ 

The J&K police move to deny security clearance to those involved in crimes prejudicial to the security of the State, including stone-pelting is likely to impact hundreds of families in Kashmir, where the official list of street protesters swelled significantly between 2008 and 2017 up to around 20,000. All the field units of CID SB-Kashmir are hereby directed to ensure that during verification related to passport service and any other verification related to government services, schemes, the subject’s involvement in law and order, stone pelting cases and other crime prejudicial to the security of the State be specifically looked into and same must be corroborated from local police station records, the fresh order reads. It called for collecting digital evidence like the CCTV footage, photographs, videos, audio clips and quadcopter images available in the records of the police, security forces and agencies as references. Any subject found involved in any such cases must be denied the security clearances. Top sources said the list of persons including lawyers, journalists, politicians, civil society members with adverse background reports is growing longer in the last one year. Many mainstream leaders, even from the National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party, were denied passport and travel documents. Former Chief Minister and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti was also denied passport in March after an ‘adverse’ report by the CID. She approached the High Court but the judge observed that the scope of this Court in the matter of grant or otherwise of passport in favour of an individual is very limited. The fresh order is likely to leave hundreds of locals ineligible for passport and jobs in the Valley, which saw major upheavals and prolonged cycles of street protests and civilian killings during the 2008 Amarnath land row, the 2009 Shopian ‘murder’ case, the 2013 hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, the 2016 Burhan Wani killing and the protests after the Centre’s move to end J&K’s special status on August 5, 2019. According to the official figures, 3,773 cases of law and order were registered in 2016 and 2017 and resulted in the arrest of 11,290 people. Around 9,730 people faced charges between 2008 and 2017 for participating in the protests. Later, the Omar Abdullah and the Mehbooba Mufti governments announced amnesty in many cases.

CIC slams Centre’s denial of information on medical oxygen committee 

The Central Information Commission (CIC) has slammed the Centre’s blanket denial of information related to a committee overseeing medical oxygen supplies during the pandemic, saying its rationale was far fetched and unjustified. In its order on Saturday, Information Commissioner Vanaja Sarna directed the Centre to respond to the Right to Information (RTI) request within ten days. The RTI request filed by activist and freelance journalist Saurav Das in April 2021 sought information on a nine-member Empowered Group set up a year earlier under the Chairmanship of the Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. When the first wave of the pandemic began, it was responsible for coordinating the supply of PPE kits, RT-PCR test kits, N-95 masks and gloves. It subsequently became responsible for the supply of medical oxygen as well. Das requested information on the dates, agenda and minutes of the committee’s meetings till date, and presentations made to the committee. The Centre denied the request, citing the sections of the RTI law which allow exemptions on the grounds of national security, strategic interests, commercial confidences, intellectual property and Cabinet papers. In a hearing on Saturday, the Central Public Information Officer (CPIO) argued that the Empowered Group was set up in a time of crisis to cut across the several arms of the government, ensure that bureaucratic hassles did not impede decision making, and brought together government and private entities, both domestic and foreign. These proposals and deliberations contain highly sensitive information regarding technologies, strategies and processes to be adopted, regarding the commercial and costing aspects of different industries and commodities. The public disclosure of this information could greatly impede the scientific, strategic and economic interests of the state, he said, adding that it could also irreparably harm the competitive position of government and private entities. Given that the committee’s discussions were deliberated at the highest level, it must be protected from disclosure given the larger intent to protect such information from being misused or being adversely used against the interest of the state, he added. The CIC dismissed the Centre’s defence, saying that the citing of exemption on the grounds of Cabinet discussions appears to be an afterthought which seems far fetched also. The exemption cited related to national security was also not justified, it said. With regard to commercial confidence and intellectual property rights, the CIC said a blanket denial of all requested information was unjustified. The CIC directed the CPIO to provide a suitable point-wise reply within 10 days, warning that if any particular point was denied, it should be suitably justified with the relevant clause.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

India, U.K. to conduct clinical trials of ‘Ashwagandha’ for promoting recovery from Covid-19 

The Ministry of Ayush has collaborated with the U.K.’s London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) to conduct a study on ‘Ashwagandha’ for promoting recovery from CCovid-19 A Ministry release said that the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Ayush, and the LSHTM recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to conduct clinical trials of ‘Ashwagandha’ on 2,000 people in three U.K. cities Leicester, Birmingham and London (Southall and Wembley). ‘Ashwagandha’ (Withania somnifera), commonly known as ‘Indian winter cherry’, is a traditional Indian herb that boosts energy, reduces stress, and makes the immune system stronger. It is an easily accessible, over-the-counter nutritional supplement in the U.K. and has a proven safety profile. The positive effects of ‘Ashwagandha’ have been observed in Long COVID, which is a multi-system disease with no evidence of its effective treatment or management.

 

Pak. Finalises Bill to grant new status to Gilgit-Baltistan: report.

Pakistani authorities have finalised a law to award provisional provincial status to strategically located Gilgit Baltistan, a media report said on Sunday. India has clearly conveyed to Pakistan that the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, including the areas of Gilgit and Baltistan, are an integral part of the country by virtue of its fully legal and irrevocable accession. India maintains the Government of Pakistan or its judiciary has no locus standi on territories illegally and forcibly occupied by it. Dawn newspaper reported that under the proposed law by the Ministry of Law and Justice, the Supreme Appellate Court (SAC) of Gilgit Baltistan may be abolished and the region’s election commission is likely to be merged with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Sources in the Law Ministry told the newspaper that the draft of the Bill titled ‘26th Constitutional Amendment Bill’ had been prepared and submitted to Prime Minister Imran Khan. According to the sources, the draft Bill has been prepared after careful reading of the Constitution of Pakistan, international laws, the UN resolutions especially those related to a plebiscite on Kashmir, comparative constitutional laws and local legislation. The stakeholders, including the governments of Gilgit-Baltistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir, had been consulted on the proposed constitutional amendment, the report quoted sources.

SPORTS NEWS 

Tokyo Olympics: Sindhu secures bronze in badminton singles while India enters men’s hockey semis after 49 years

Star Indian shuttler P.V. Sindhu on Sunday became only the second Indian to win two Olympic medals, securing a bronze after a straight-game win over world no.9 He Bingjiao of China in the women’s singles third-place play-off here. Sindhu, who has returned with medals from each of the big-ticket events such as Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and BWF World Tour Finals in the last five years, outwitted eighth seed Bing Jiao 21-13 21-15 to add a bronze to her silver that she had secured at the 2016 Rio Games. Wrestler Sushil Kumar is the first and only other Indian to win two Olympic medals, following up his bronze at 2008 Beijing with a silver at the London edition. Up against an opponent who has beaten her nine times so far in the last 15 meetings, Sindhu showed great determination to outplay Bing Jiao with her aggression to scoop India’s second medal at Tokyo. Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has already gone back after collecting a silver, while boxer Lovlina Borgohain is assured of at least bronze so far. With this win, the sixth seeded Sindhu also made up for the straight-game loss to world no.1 Tai Tzu Ying in the semifinals on Saturday. She had beaten Japanese world no 5 Akane Yamaguchi in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, the Indian men’s hockey team defeated Great Britain 3-1 today in a quarterfinal match to qualify for the semifinals of the Olympics Games. India scored three field goals through Dilpreet Singh (7th minute), Gurjant Singh (16th) and Hardik Singh (57th) to seal the win for the eight-time Olympic champions. The lone goal for Great Britain was scored by Sam Ward in the 45th minute. Even though India’s last of the eight Olympic gold medals came way back in 1980 Moscow Games, there were no semifinals in that edition as only six teams participated in the event. The last time India featured in the semifinals of the Olympics was in 1972 Munich Games where they lost 0-2 to arch-rivals Pakistan. India will take on world champions Belgium in the semifinal on Tuesday. Belgium defeated Spain 3-1 in another quarterfinal to seal their place in the last four round. The other semifinal of the men’s hockey competition will be played between Australia and Germany.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Jaish militant killed in an ecounter

Saturday morning brought the news of two militants killed in an encounter in the upper reaches of a forest range connecting Srinagar and Anantnag districts, with the J&K Police tweeting the news that one of the two killed was a wanted Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) militant from Pakistan who belonged to the family of the outfit’s chief Azhar Masood. The encounter broke out early in the morning during a search operation in a forest range falling between Nagberan and Marsar zones, closer to the Dachigam forest range of Srinagar. In the past, the upper range of Dachigam has been a relatively quiet place. 15 Corps Commander Lt. Gen. D.P. Pandey (centre), Inspector-General of Police Vijay Kumar (left) and General Commanding Officer Rashim Bali address a press conference at the Army headquraters in Srinagar on July 31, 2021. The reports of two militants killed come in the wake of a new challenge that security forces in Kashmir face now. As reported earlier in this newspaper, the presence of hybrid militants not listed as such but radicalised enough to carry out terror strikes has become a nightmare for the security forces as they are difficult to track down let alone identify them as such. It could be your neighbour. Elaborating on the attack, the IG said Lamboo, who had infiltrated into India in the second half of 2018, had even stayed with Adil Dar, who rammed an explosive laden vehicle into a convoy in Pulwama that left 40 CRPF jawans dead in 2019, till the day of ‘fidayeen’ attack. He is believed to be the person who had fabricated the IED used in the attack. The viral video of Dar had his voice in it, he added. Around 85 militants have been killed in the Valley following some aggressive operations mounted in Kashmir. The identity of the second militant killed in Saturday operations is yet to be ascertained.

India and China talks continue

India and China will be looking towards concluding an agreement for disengagement at Gogra and Hot Springs as part of the overall disengagement and de-escalation in Eastern Ladakh to end the standoff which began last year as the 12th round of Corps Commander talks between the two sparring countries got under way in Moldo on the Chinese side around 10. 30 a.m. on Saturday. While China had indicated that the meeting should be held on July 26 the Indian side had conveyed that the day being Kargil Vijay Diwas it would not be convenient. While disengagement has been completed on both banks of Pangong Tso in February, other friction points that remain to be resolved are Gogra and Hot Springs, Demchok and Depsang. Buffer zones were established in some places as part of earlier talks which remain in place and the situation on the ground remains stable, one official said. Another round of Major General level talks is also scheduled to be held very soon. In Eastern Ladakh, India and China have two mutually agreed disputed areas, Trig Heights and Demchok, and 10 areas of differing perception. The coming days will see the two countries make an attempt at ironing out their differences.

Babul Supriyo exits politics.

One-time professional singer and full-time politician, BJP MP, Babul Supriyo quit his Lok Sabha seat bringing his disappointing about not being given a cabinet berth out in the open. Supriyo, who had held several portfolios as MoS in the Narendra Modi government since 2014, was removed earlier this month during a major cabinet reshuffle. Supriyo’s disappointment found an outlet on Facebook with the following post by the former MP. If someone were  ask  whether leaving the politics is somehow connected to losing ministry. Yes then it is true to some extent…. Also had differences with the state leadership since the assembly poll campaign, he wrote. I have stayed for too long. I have helped somebody, have disappointed somebody, It is for the people to decide. To be involved in social work, you can do that without being involved in any politics, his post read. Leaving, Alvida. Spoke to my parents, wife, friends, and after listening to the advice I am saying that I am leaving. Am not going to any other party – TMC, Congress, CPIM, nowhere. I am confirming that nobody has called me. I am going nowhere. I am a one-team player! Have always supported one team #MohunBagan – Have been with only one party – BJP West Bengal. That’s it!! Leaving,  Supriyo said in a Facebook post. The two-time MP from Asansol was among the several ministers dropped in the major cabinet reshuffle on July 7.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Indian-American picked for key position in U.S.

U.S. President Joe Biden has nominated Indian-American attorney Rashad Hussain as the Ambassador-at Large for International Religious Freedom, the first Muslim to be nominated to the key position, according to the White House Mr. Hussain, 41, is currently Director for Partnerships and Global Engagement at the National Security Council. Today’s announcement underscores the President’s commitment to build an Administration that looks like America and reflects people of all faiths. Hussain is the first Muslim to be nominated to serve as the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, the White House said in a statement on Friday. He previously served as Senior Counsel at the Department of Justice’s National Security Division. During the Obama administration, he served as U.S. Special Envoy to the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), U.S. Special Envoy for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications and Deputy Associate White House Counsel. In his roles as envoy, Mr. Hussain worked with multilateral organisations such as the OIC and the UN, to expand partnerships in education, entrepreneurship, health, international security, science and technology and other areas.

UN warns hunger is expected to rise in 23 global hotspots. Hunger is expected to rise in 23 global hotspots in the next three months with the highest alerts for catastrophic situations in Ethiopia’s embattled Tigray region,  Madagascar, Yemen, South Sudan and northern Nigeria, two U.N. agencies warned on Friday. The Food and Agriculture Organization and World Food Program said in anew report on Hunger Hotspots between August and November that acute food insecurity is likely to further deteriorate. They put Ethiopia at the top of the list, saying the number of people facing starvation and death is expected to rise to 4,01,000 the highest number since the 2011 famine in Somalia if humanitarian aid isn’t provided quickly. In southern Madagascar, which has been hit by the worst drought in thepast40 years, pests affecting staple crops, and rising food prices – 14,000 people are expected to be pushed into catastrophic acute food insecurity marked by starvation and death by September. And that number is expected to double by the end of the year with 28,000 people needing urgent help, the two agencies said. Acute hunger is increasing not only in scale but also severity, FAO and WFP said in Friday’s report. Overall, over 41 million people worldwide are now at risk of falling into famine or famine-like conditions, unless they receive immediate life and livelihood-saving assistance. The two Rome-based agencies called for urgent humanitarian action to save lives in the 23 hotspots, saying help is especially critical in the five highest alert places to prevent famine and death.

SPORTS NEWS 

India’s hopes for a gold dashed.

India’s hopes of a possible gold or silver medal were dashed today as the country’s favourite and the reigning world champion P V Sindhu lost to Tai Tzu-Ying of Chinese Taipei in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She was defeated 21-18, 21-12 out maneuvered by Tai Tzu who has defeated Sindhu in their last three face-offs. P.V. Sindhu plays against Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-Ying during their women’s singles badminton semifinal match at the Olympics in Tokyo on July 31, 2021. Sindhu lost the match 18-21, 12-21.  Sindhu will now take on China’s He Bing Jiao for the bronze medal. The 26 year old who won the silver in the Rio Olympics will be fighting for a medal in the Olympics. The news of Sindhu’s loss comes on a day when another medal hopeful, boxer Pooja Rani, exited out of the Olympics in the quarter final stage and the Women’s Hockey team entered the quarter finals as the women in blue  shorts beat South Africa. India’s hope for a gold continues.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Supreme Court to hear N. Ram and Sashi Kumar’s plea on Pegasus next week

The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear next week a petition filed by senior journalists N. Ram and Sashi Kumar for an independent probe headed by a former or sitting judge into mass surveillance of over 142 potential targets, including journalists, lawyers, ministers, Opposition politicians, constitutional functionaries and civil society activists, using military-grade Israeli spyware Pegasus. The petition was mentioned by senior advocate Kapil Sibal before a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana. Sibal submitted that the petition ought to be heard urgently as it concerns issues affecting the fundamental rights, civil liberties of citizens and even national security. He said the issue was making waves not only in India but also globally. Such mass surveillance using a military-grade spyware abridges several fundamental rights and appears to represent an attempt to infiltrate, attack and destabilise independent institutions that act as critical pillars of our democratic set-up, the petition said. It has sought a full disclosure from the government on whether it had authorised the snooping, which seems be an attempt to muzzle free speech and to chill dissent. The government, the petition said, had still not given a straight answer to whether the illegal hack was done with its blessings. Respondents [Ministries of Home, Information Technology and Communications] have not categorically ruled out obtaining Pegasus licences to conduct surveillance in their response, and have taken no steps to ensure a credible and independent investigation into these extremely serious allegations, the petition highlighted. The spying had caused serious dents on the rights to free speech and privacy. It had no legal basis. In fact, the legal regime for surveillance under Section 5(2) of the Telegraph Act had been completely bypassed. Civilians had become targets. Surveillance/interception is justified only in cases of public emergency or in the interests of public safety, and the existence of such conditions must be inferred reasonably and cannot be determined solely on the assessment of the government. The hack/interception/decryption occasioned by the Pegasus spyware constitutes a criminal offence, the petition said.

Pegasus: No attempt by government to reach out to Opposition, say leaders 

Opposition parties on Friday denied that the government has made any attempt to reach out to them. Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said the Opposition has already laid down its demands and it was up to the government now to show willingness to run the House. Government sources on Thursday had said that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh may hold talks with senior opposition leaders on Friday, subject to the timing of his return from Tajikistan. But so far, the opposition parties said, nothing had come of the proposal. When asked if Singh had reached out to him and offered any peace deal, Kharge told The Hindu, Nothing. Mr. Singh himself telephoned me earlier. I told him as soon as you come, if you request all the floor leaders, we will come there. But there was no response to this, Kharge said. He added that he had had a meeting with Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Pralhad Joshi. They came to my chamber to say that the House should run. Then I said the simple way is to agree for a discussion on Pegasus. Kharge said, at a meeting of Opposition leaders from both Houses, it was agreed that a discussion on Pegasus cyber attack takes precedence over everything else. Meanwhile, senior Congress leader P. Chidamabaram has questioned the government’s ostrich-like attitude in avoiding a debate on alleged Pegasus cyberattack even as new details emerge. In the latest, France’s cybersecurity agency has confirmed that the mobile phones of two French journalists of news portal Mediapart were infected with the Pegasus spyware. Mediapart broke the story that the Rafale aircraft deal was being probed in France, Chidambaram pointed out. How long could the government duck, hide and scoot, he asked. Will the government give up its ostrich-like attitude and agree to the Opposition’s demand for a full discussion in Parliament on misuse of Pegasus spyware in India?, he said. The hacking of their phones with Pegasus was confirmed by IT specialists from the Agence Nationale de la Securite des Systemes d’Information (ANSSI) on Thursday, Mediapart reported.

Activist Bezwada Wilson slams government’s denial of manual scavenging deaths; demands apology 

Condemning the Centre for its inhuman and cruel statement that no deaths have been reported due to manual scavenging in the last five years, Safai Karamchari Andolan convenor Bezwada Wilson said that at least 472 people have died cleaning human excreta during this period. He demanded an apology and a statement from the Prime Minister addressing the issue. Wilson was responding to Social Justice Minister Ramdas Athawale’s written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Congress MPs Mallikarjun Kharge and L. Hanumanthaiah had asked for the number of people engaged in manual scavenging who had died in the last five years. No such deaths have been reported due to manual scavenging, said the Minister’s response. The statement itself is a very inhuman statement. The practice is inhuman of course, but the statement is very inhuman and cruel. They know that people died, and they reported it in the last Parliament, and now in this Parliament they are saying that nobody died, said Wilson. The human rights activist accused the Centre of manipulating the definition of the word, noting that the question did not refer to those who clean dry latrines alone, but also included those who are forced to clean septic tanks and sewers without protective equipment. Employment of both is prohibited under the 2013 law against manual scavenging. Responding to a similar question in the Lok Sabha last year, the government had acknowledged that deaths have been reported among those cleaning septic tanks and sewers. It is completely misleading the whole Parliament. They are not just talking of any numbers, they are talking of the life of the citizens. So you are unable to protect the life of the citizens, said Wilson. They claimed in the last Parliament session, 340 deaths, but according to our records, it is 472 in last five years. In this year, 2021, so far, 26 people have died. And they have not even made one statement about it. This is a gross violation and the Prime Minister must answer for it, he added, demanding an immediate repeal and apology for the statement made in Parliament. Wilson pointed out that if the problem is not acknowledged, it will not be dealt with. How are you going to prevent the deaths? There is no action. Instead of doing preventive mechanisms to stop the deaths and the killings in the sewer line and septic tank, you are stating nobody died. Which means you want to kill more and more people, you are welcoming that, he said. You don’t feel shame, no remorse for the things that happened, he added.

Taking suo moto cognisance, SC says Dhanbad judge death case has wider ramifications 

Spurred by the murder of a judge in Jharkhand, the Supreme Court on Friday took suo motu cognisance of the mounting concerns about the dangers faced by the subordinate judiciary, especially trial judges, in the line of duty. A Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) noted that the death of Judge Uttam Anand, who was fatally knocked down by a vehicle while he was out for a morning jog in Dhanbad on Wednesday, had wider ramifications on the independence of the judiciary. The suo motu case has been titled ‘In Re: Safeguarding courts and protecting judges (death of Additional Sessions Judge, Dhanbad). The Supreme Court said it would be focussing on the larger aspects of the case, including the threats and appalling working conditions in which trial judges function. The Bench said its suo motu case would not interfere in any manner with the inquiry opened by the Jharkhand High Court on Thursday specifically into the judge’s death. The Dhanbad case has wider ramifications. We are getting reports that judicial officers are under attack across the country. We want to examine this issue and may seek reports from the States, the CJI observed. The court, to start with, asked the Jharkhand government and the Director General of Police to file their affidavits in a week. A video footage of the incident showed Anand being knocked down from behind by a vehicle. The incident was initially considered a hit-and-run until the video surfaced, leading to a murder investigation.

College cut-offs to soar as 70,004 CBSE Class 12 students cross 95% 

The number of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) students scoring above 95% in Class 12 has almost quadrupled over the last two years, meaning that cut-offs for college admissions are likely to hit levels never seen before. In a year when schools were closed and board examinations cancelled, 99.37% of the CBSE’s beleaguered 2021 cohort passed their final year, a huge leap from the 88.78% pass of the previous year. However, a sharper spike in the number of high-scoring students means that the marks needed to get into top colleges will shoot up significantly as well. Two years ago, before Covid-19 disrupted the education system, an elite 1.5% of the 2019 class — just 17,693 students — scored above 95%, giving most of them a reasonably good chance of admission into a college of their choice. This year, that group has grown almost 300% to a whopping 70,000 students. They make up 5.4% of their class. Overall, 2.2 lakh students, 17% of their class, scored above 90% this year. This is more than double the 94,299 students who crossed that mark in 2019. The overall results are not really comparable with past years given that the 2021 board exams were completely cancelled due to the pandemic, which had also partially affected the 2020 exams. This year, final results were calculated by schools in accordance with a Supreme Court-approved formula using Class 10 board exam scores, Class 11 final exam marks and the marks obtained in Class 12 practical exams and internal assessments such as mid-terms, unit tests and pre-board exams. Schools were also asked to moderate marks as needed to ensure that the overall performance of their students aligned with the average past performance over the last three years. Given this unusual marking system, the Board decided not to publish any merit list of the top 0.1% of students this year. Nor will it issue merit certificates. Results are still under process for 1,060 new schools that did not have any past performances to use as reference, as well as a few other schools that had not completed the moderation process. This means that the results have been delayed for 65,184 candidates whose marks will be declared by August 5. Of the 13.04 lakh candidates for whom results were declared, 12.96 lakh passed Class 12. Girls performed marginally better, with a 99.67% pass percentage, in comparison to 99.13% for boys. The Kendriya Vidyalaya schools as well as the schools of the Central Tibetan Schools Administration all achieved 100% pass percentage.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Israel launches booster dose for those above 60. Israel launched a campaign on Friday to give people aged over 60 coronavirus booster shots, at a time when the rest of the world is still struggling to complete the standard course. Kicking off the campaign, President Isaac Herzog, 60, received a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv. We are beginning the booster vaccination so that life in Israel can return to normal as soon as possi ble, Mr. Herzog said after getting the injection. With this new step of the Israeli government. I believe that it’s also a lesson to the entire humankind that we have to protect each oth er and take the necessary steps. An Israeli epidemiologist of Jerusalem’s Hebrew University, Hagai Levine, acknowledged his country was going it alone with third shots, which have yet to be approved in the U.S. or EU. This decision is based on experts’ opinion, on logic but not on solid scientific evidence, but that is okay, Dr. Levine said. In public health and in medicine, you sometime make a decision based on your experience and reason. Israel was quick to roll out its vaccination campaign and had dropped many restrictions on public gatherings in June, as new COVID-19 cases shrank from 10,000 a day to less than 100. About 55% of its nine million population has been double vaccinated, most with the Pfizer-BioNTech jab. About one million Israelis eligible for the shot, however, still refuse to be vaccinated.

Navy carrier on course in South China Sea: U.K.

The U.K. government on Friday denied it was provoking Beijing with the deployment of its most powerful Navy task force in a generation, after Chinese state media issued a blunt warning. The flotilla has entered the disputed South China Sea after exercises with Asian allies. It is led by the new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth, and comprises other Royal Navy vessels plus U.S. and Dutch warships. In an editorial, the nationalist state-run newspaper Global Times warned U.S. allies China might feel compelled to send a message to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Just as a popular Chinese phrase indicates: To execute one as a warning to a hundred, it said. Addressing the U.K. and allied strike force specifically, it said: We seriously warn this group: They are obliged to remain restrained and obey the rules. Please follow the current international shipping lanes and stay at least 12 nautical miles away from the Chinese islands and reefs. The carrier strike group is lawfully navigating the South China Sea, just as one third of global shipping does  on an annual basis, a Ministry of Defence spokesperson said. It is taking the most direct route through international waters. 

SPORTS NEWS 

Lovlina Borgohain assures India of a boxing medal at Tokyo Olympics 

Lovlina Borgohain outsmarted former World champion Nien-Chin Chen to reach the women’s 69kg semifinal and assure India of another medal at the Tokyo Olympics today. The two-time World championships bronze medallist gave a fine performance against an experienced opponent to record a 4-1 victory in the quarterfinals. Lovlina will be the second Indian woman boxer after Mary Kom, and third overall, to clinch an Olympic medal. She has pulled herself up after the disappointing show in the 2016 Rio Olympics. The taller Lovlina, who had got a first round bye and beaten accomplished German boxer Nadine Apetz in the second round, put up an excellent exhibition of long range boxing to stay ahead of her powerful opponent. In the process, Lovlina avenged her defeat to Chen in the 2018 World championships semifinals in New Delhi.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Supreme Court urged to take cognisance of alleged murder of Additional District Judge in Jharkhand

The judiciary swung into action on Thursday after a chilling video of a vehicle fatally ramming into an Additional District Judge out for a morning jog in Jharkhand surfaced online. Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana is said to have informed Supreme Court Bar Association president, senior advocate Vikas Singh, that he has already discussed the issue with the Jharkhand Chief Justice. The Jharkhand HC has, in turn, taken cognisance of the video and initiated investigation. As soon as the court started on Thursday, Singh made an urgent oral mention before a Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah, saying the alleged murder of Judge Uttam Anand in Dhanbad was a shocking and brazen attack on the independence of the judiciary. The video, Singh said, showed a vehicle suddenly swerving off the road and slamming into Anand from behind on a lonely stretch of road early on July 28 morning. He was found bleeding on the road and taken to the hospital where he was left unidentified for hours. The police finally traced the body after the family gave a missing person’s complaint. His family, who initially thought the cause of death to be a hit-and-run accident, has filed a complaint for murder. Singh said the video footage was evidence and should be taken on record. Justice Chandrachud had advised Singh to make a mention after sending an email to the Chief Justice of India and the Registrar in charge of Mentioning process in the court. Our judicial officers should be protected. If judiciary has to be independent, we have to come in very sternly, Singh submitted. Justice Chandrachud asked Singh to take up the issue with the Chief Justice of India. I had then mentioned it before the Chief Justice of India who said he had already talked to the Jharkhand Chief Justice. I was informed that the issue was taken up by the High Court on the judicial side. I am demanding a CBI inquiry into the incident, Singh said. Judge Anand’s death comes close on the heels of a July 22 judgment authored by Justice Chandrachud that turned the spotlight on the appalling work conditions of the district judiciary. The observations in Justice Chandrachud’s judgment concerned an order passed by a trial judge in Madhya Pradesh revealing that he was facing threats in a murder case in which the husband of a BSP MLA was the prime accused. The Supreme Court, in its judgment, had highlighted how judges are targeted simply for standing up for what is right, and sadly, a subservience to the administration of the High Court for transfers and postings which renders them vulnerable.

Meanwhile, two held for the ‘killing’ of the judge

The Jharkhand police on Thursday arrested two persons, including the driver of the autorickshaw that deliberately knocked down Uttam Anand, Additional Session Judge of Dhanbad, on Wednesday morning, leading to his death. The incident happened when he was jogging on an empty road about 500 metres away from his official residence. A passer-by took him to a hospital but he was declared brought dead. The judge was hearing two high-profile murder cases and one pertained to illegal coal transportation (theft). Initially, it was thought to be a hit-and-run case. But after the emergence of a close circuit television (CCTV) footage, which has since gone viral, it became clear that the hit was deliberate. The footage shows the autorickshaw suddenly veering towards the judge, who was running along the extreme left side of the road, and hitting him. The footage found resonance in the Supreme Court. Forensic team examining auto-rickshaw involved in alleged murder of judge on Thursday. The police constituted a special investigation team (SIT) under Dhanbad Superintendent of Police (City) R. Ramkumar to probe the case. Addressing a press conference later in the day, Dhanbad’s Senior Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar said, A case was registered under 302 of the IPC. We analysed CCTV footage that captured the place of the incident. We managed to arrest Lakhan Verma, the autorickshaw driver, and another person, Rahul Verma. The autorickshaw used in the crime was also seized from Girdih district. We are carrying forward the investigation in close coordination between the forensic team and personnel of the crime investigation department. The two arrested persons had previous involvement in some petty theft cases and police stations were alerted to provide more information about them, he stated. Police sources said the autorickshaw was stolen around 2 a.m. and the judge was knocked down at 5 a.m. Its owner had been identified. The Jharkhand High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the matter. The incident is condemnable. The government is very sensitive to the issue. What appears from the footage is that it was a case of murder. The police administration took prompt action and picked up two persons. The culprit will not be spared, said Rajiv Ranjan, Jharkhand Advocate General.

Health Ministry announces 27% for OBCs, 10% for EWS in All India Quota for UG, PG medical, dental courses 

The Union Health Ministry has announced 27% reservation for the OBCs (Other Backward Classes) and 10% quota for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in the All India Quota (AIQ) scheme for undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) medical / dental courses (MBBS / MD / MS / Diploma / BDS / MDS) from 2021-22 onwards. This decision, it said, would benefit every year nearly 1,500 OBC students in MBBS and 2,500 such students in post-graduation, and around 550 EWS students in MBBS and around 1,000 such students in post-graduation. The AIQ was introduced in 1986 under the directions of the Supreme Court to provide for domicile-free merit-based opportunities to students from any State to aspire to study in a medical college located in another State. It comprises 15% of UG seats and 50% of PG seats in government medical colleges. Initially, there was no reservation in the AIQ up to 2007. That year, the Supreme Court introduced the reservation of 15% for SCs and 7.5% for STs in the scheme. When the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act became effective in 2007, providing for uniform 27% reservation to the OBCs, the same was implemented in all the Central Educational Institutions viz. Safdarjung Hospital, LadyHarding MedicalCollege, Aligarh Muslim University and Banaras Hindu University etc. However, this was not extended to the AIQ seats of State medical and dental colleges. The OBC students from across the country shall now be able to take the benefit of this reservation in AIQ to compete for seats in any State. Being a Central scheme, the Central List of OBCs shall be used for this reservation. Around 1,500 OBC students in MBBS and 2,500 in postgraduation will be benefited through this reservation, said the Ministry in a release. In the last six years, MBBS seats in the country have increased by 56%, from 54,348 seats in 2014 to 84,649 seats in 2020, and the number of PG seats by 80%, from 30,191seats in 2014 to 54,275 seats in 2020. In the same period, 179 new medical colleges have been established and now the country has 558 (govt 289, pvt. 269) medical colleges.

Open letter to CJI seeks moratorium on use of Pegasus 

The Supreme Court must declare a moratorium on the export, sale, transfer and use of Pegasus spyware in India and investigate the snooping scandal, women’s rights activists, human rights defenders and concerned citizens have urged Chief Justice of India (CJI) N.V. Ramana in an open letter to him. We believe that the Supreme Court can only instill confidence in people’s, and particularly women’s minds by transparently demanding and making public all answers relating to the use of Pegasus in India. Above all, we look to the Supreme Court to declare a moratorium on the export, sale, transfer and use of Pegasus in India, says the open letter with over 500 signatories, including Ayesha Kidwai, JNU Professor; Romila Thapar, historian; Harsh Mander, human rights activist; Kavita Krishnan, Secretary, All India Progressive Women’s Association; Vrinda Grover, senior lawyer; Lillette Dubey, actor & director. The letter also raises the issue of the woman who accused ex- CJI Ranjan Gogoi of sexual harassment being snooped on, as well as 10 mobile numbers linked to her family members being hacked. If the complainant was under such criminal duress at the time, can the proceedings of the In-House Committee really have been free and fair? The silence of the Supreme Court as an institution on these revelations is deeply troubling for women in India, it states. The letter calls the hacking episode an act of state-sponsored cyber terrorism, and asserts that the Pegasus project and information in public domain raises concerns for the integrity of constitutional authorities including the independence of the Supreme Court. The investigation starkly discloses that the rights and freedoms of peoples, of which the Supreme Court is the guardian, are under grave risk.

Lok Sabha passes two Bills without debate 

Amid continuous Opposition protests, the Lok Sabha on Thursday passed two Bills before it was adjourned for the day. The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India (AERA) Amendment Bill, 2021, and The Inland Vessels Bill, 2021, were passed in the din without debate. Opposition members kept protesting over the Pegasus issue and the three Central farm laws despite Lok Speaker Om Birla cautioning them that he would be forced to take strict action against those who ‘repeatedly disrupt the proceedings’. When the House began at 11 a.m., Birla said he was deeply hurt by the Wednesday incident, when some members tore papers and threw them at the Chair and Treasury benches. If you don’t take care of the parliamentary practices, then how will the parliamentary process strengthen? My endeavour is that all members get adequate time to raise their issues and give them their due respect, he said. If such incidents are repeated, then I would need your cooperation. I would take stern steps against such members so that we can maintain the dignity of Parliament. When Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi demanded an apology, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said Opposition members were not able to put forth their views because of the ‘stubborn’ attitude of the government. In between the interruptions, Business Advisory Committee members met to discuss the agenda. When the House reconvened at 2 p.m., Dr. Kirit Premjibhai Solanki, who was in the Chair, took up the two Bills. Soon after, Ports and Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal moved the Inland Vessels Bill that seeks to introduce a uniform regulatory framework for navigation across the country and provide a central database for registration of vessels and their crew.

Delhi Assembly passes resolution against Rakesh Asthana’s appointment as Delhi Police Commissioner; Kejriwal says move against SC order.

The Delhi Assembly on Thursday passed a resolution urging the Centre to immediately withdraw the appointment of Rakesh Asthana as the Delhi Police commissioner, with the AAP MLAs expressing reasonable apprehensions that he will be used to create a reign of terror against political rivals in the national capital. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed the appointment as against the Supreme Court order and said the Union government should make appointments in accordance with rules. Leader of Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, however, called Asthana an honest and decorated IPS officer who was awarded the President’s Police Medal twice. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged that the move aimed to harass the party leaders. Raising the issue on the first day of Delhi Assembly’s Monsoon session, AAP MLA Sanjiv Jha moved a resolution, saying that Asthana’s appointment is unconstitutional. This House expresses its strong disapproval over the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India, order dated July 27, 2021, appointing Rakesh Asthana to the post of Commissioner of Police, Delhi, for a period of one year or till further orders. Given the past track record of this officer (Asthana), there is a reasonable apprehension that the central government will use him for foisting false cases on political rivals to create a reign of terror in the national capital, the resolution stated. Speaking to reporters, Kejriwal noted, I feel the appointment of Rakesh Asthana is against the Supreme Court order. According to reports, he could not become the CBI director as he was ineligible for the post. He is also not eligible for this post (Delhi Police commissioner) for the same reason. The Centre should make the appointment as per rules, he said. The resolution passed by the Delhi Assembly also stated that such a controversial individual should not be heading the police force in the country’s national capital. The MHA order is in complete violation of the Supreme Court judgement dated March 13, 2019, in clearly laying down that no individual who has less than six months of service left, can be considered for appointment as head of police force anywhere in the country. Further, the post of Commissioner of Police, Delhi, belongs to the AGMUT IPS cadre. This appointment of a controversial Gujarat-cadre officer, who has faced multiple enquiries on serious charges in the past, will only bring Delhi Police into controversies, read the resolution. The Union government had on Tuesday appointed Asthana as the Delhi Police commissioner, giving him a one-year extension on the new post days before his retirement.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Turkey courts Biden with offer to protect Kabul airport. 

Turkey is offering to protect Kabul’s strategic airport after the U.S. forces leave, in what experts view as a highrisk bid to improve Ankara’s strained ties with Washington. Keeping the air hub safe from advancing Taliban forces became a major issue after U.S. President Joe Biden called an end to Washington’s 20-year involvement by ordering all troops out of Afghanistan by the end of next month. Hamid Karzai International Airport offers the safest route for Embassy staff and humanitarian aid to reach the war-torn country. Its fall could leave Afghanistan largely cut off from the world. Ankara’s surprise proposal gave Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan a chance to build a rapport with Mr. Biden during their first meeting at a NATO summit in June. The offer meets two of the Turkish leader’s objectives: warm chilly ties with Western allies and avert an influx of refugees by keeping aid routes open. Turkey has a vested interest in Afghanistan’s stability, said Magdalena Kirchner, Afghanistan director at German foundation Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung. Turkish officials play down the diplomatic aspects of the mission and stress the importance of relieving the suffering in Afghanistan. Our objective is to make sure Afghanistan is not closed to the outside world, that it is not isolated, a Turkish diplomatic source said. The United Nations this month said 18 million people – or half the Afghan population – needed assistance, while half of all children under the age of five suffered from acute malnutrition. While Washington still views Turkey as an important ally ina volatile part of the world, relations have been bedevilled by disputes, including Ankara’s acquisition of a Russian missile defence system. U.S. sanctioned Ankara for the purchase last year.

 

Tunisia’s President Saied launches graft crack down

Tunisia’s President Kais Saied accused 460 businessmen of embezzlement as he launched a crackdown on corruption, days after grabbing power in what his opponents have dubbed a coup. Mr. Saied, who suspended parliament for 30 days and seized all executive powers on Sunday, slammed the bad economic choices made in recent years, during a meeting with a leader of the employers’ federation UTICA. In his comments late on Wednesday, the president singled out for criticism those who plunder public money. Mr. Saied accused 460 businessmen of owing 13.5 billion dinars ($4.9 billion) to the state, citing the findings of a commission of inquiry into graft under former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. This money must be returned to the Tunisian people, he said, adding that he intends to offer the businessman for judicial arbitration.