Author: Shivali Varshney, Vidhyarthi Darpan

NATIONAL NEWS 

Senior BJP leader and eight-time MLA Harbans Kapoor passes away in Uttarakhand.

The Senior leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Harbans Kapoor passed away on December 12, 2021, in Dehradun. He was a former Speaker of Uttarakhand Legislative Assembly and also an eight-time MLA. The Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed grief over Kapoor’s demise and wished strength for his family members. The Chief Minister also said that soft-spoken Harbans Kapoor always lives life with simplicity. The popularity of Harbans Kapoor was proved by his win of assembly polls eight times. He was also always vocal about the development of his constituency.

Digital platform for Management of Complaints inaugurated

The Chairperson of Lokpal Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose has launched a digital platform for the management of complaints. The portal is called ‘LokpalOnline’ and it can be accessed easily by all the citizens of the country. Complaints on the portal can also be filed from anywhere and at any time. LokpalOnline is a web-based facility that will facilitate in quick disposal of complaints in a transparent, accountable, and efficient manner with benefits to all the stakeholders. While speaking on the occasion, Justice Ghose said that corruption in the country is a key element in the underperformance of the economy. It also undermines rule of law and democracy.

Prime Minister Modi’s account briefly hacked

The Twitter handle of Prime Minister Modi was briefly hacked early on December 12, 2021. A post claiming that India has officially adopted bitcoin as legal tender was tweeted from PM’s account. While Twitter took necessary steps to secure PM Modi’s account, it also added that as per the investigations done by the company the hack was not due to a compromise of its systems or service. PM Modi’s account was also hacked earlier in March 2020 with hackers trying to attempt to solicit cryptocurrency from Prime Minister Modi’s Twitter followers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has over 73.4 million followers on Twitter and he follows 2,367 accounts.

India’s Harnaaz Sandhu crowned Miss Universe 2021

India’s Harnaaz Sandhu brought home the Miss Universe crown after a gap of 21 years. Lara Dutta had won the prestigious beauty pageant back in 2000. The 21 years Sandhu is from Punjab, she represented India at the 70th Miss Universe 2021. Sushmita Sen had won the first Miss Universe crown for India in 1994.

Kashi Vishwanath Corridor inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi. 

Prime Minister Modi inaugurated phase 1 of Kashi Vishwanath Dham. Kashi Vishwanath Corridor has been constructed at a cost of around Rs 339 crores. PM Modi also earlier offered prayers to Lord Shiva at Kashi Vishwanath temple. The Corridor project connects the Kashi Vishwanath temple to the banks of River Ganga in Varanasi.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

G7 nations warn Russia to face consequences if Ukraine is invaded

The Group of 7 nations has warned Russia to face major consequences and pay costs of President of Russia Vladimir Putin decided to attack Ukraine. The meeting of G7 Foreign Ministers took place in Liverpool during which the delegates unitedly condemned Russia’s military build-up near Ukraine and called the country to de-escalate. The G7 ministers also reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. According to US intelligence agencies, Russia can be planning a multi-front offensive on Ukraine early in 2022 and can involve up to 1 lakh 75 thousand troops in the operations. However, Russia has denied any plans to invade Ukraine.

Virtual meeting between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping on December 15

The President of China Xi Jinping and President of Russia Vladimir Putin are scheduled to hold a virtual meeting on December 15, 2021. The news was shared by the Spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The Chinese diplomat did not provide any further details about the upcoming meeting between the two leaders. However, it will be significant as Russia and China will work to strengthen ties amid the escalating tensions with the West. On the foreign policy, both Russia and China share similar approaches to Syria, Iran, and Venezuela. They also recently revived a push to lift United Nations sanctions imposed on North Korea.

Dubai becomes first in the world to go 100% paperless

Dubai has become the world’s first government to turn 100% paperless. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Emirates, shared the news while also pointing at the savings of 1.3 million Dirham (USD 350 Million) and 14-million-man-hours. All forms of transactions and the procedures in the Dubai Government are now 100% digital.

Max Verstappen wins Formula One World Champion

Max Verstappen was crowned Formula One world champion. He overtook Lewis Hamilton who was heading for his 8th title, to win his first-ever Formula One title. Verstappen has become the first Dutch world champion. Hamilton’s Mercedes team protested against Verstappen’s win.

NATIONAL NEWS 

After 15 months, Farmers go home victorious 

Fifteen months after they arrived in large convoys of tractors to lodge a passive resistance against the passage of three contentious farm laws by the government, several protesting farmers who had picketed on the borders of the Capital and in their respective states, began returning to their home states triumphant. The farmers lifted blockades on highways at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur borders and took out a ‘Victory March’ to celebrate the repeal of the three laws and other demands, including constituting a committee for legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) for crops. They had also demanded the withdrawal of cases registered against them.  Emotions ran high as the farmers set off for their homes in different States, including Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, after a successful movement.  Farmers packing their belongings during the process of vacating the Ghazipur border on December 11   Tractors bedecked with colourful lights rolled out of the protest sites blaring songs of victory while the elderly flaunted their colourful turbans and danced with youngsters.  Thousands of farmers had been protesting at the borders of the national capital since November 26 last year to demand the repeal of the three farm laws.  On November 29, the Parliament passed the Bill to repeal the farm laws, one of the main demands of the farmers.However, the farmers refused to end their protest, demanding that the government fulfil their other demands that included legal guarantee on MSP and withdrawal of police cases against them.  As the Centre accepted the pending demands, the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 40 farm unions spearheading the stir, on December 9 decided to call off their agitation and announced that farmers will go back home on December 11 from the protest sites at Delhi borders.  Farmer leaders said that they will again meet on January 15 to see if the government has fulfilled their demands. To recap, Parliament passed a bill on November 29 to repeal the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and the Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.   

India sends medicines to Afghanistan 

In a significant gesture, India on December 11, sent the first consignment of medicines as part of humanitarian assistance to help the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan deal with the deteriorating health situation in the country.  India has not recognised the Taliban administration in Afghanistan and has urged the international community to proceed cautiously in dealing with the Taliban in view of its rigid position on issues related to human rights.  The consignment was sent in a special Kam Air flight that brought 10 Indians and 94 Afghan minority community members here on  December 10, said the Ministry of External Affairs.  “The medicines will be handed over to the representatives of the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Kabul and will be administered at the Indira Gandhi Children’s Hospital, Kabul,” a statement from the Ministry added.  This is the first time India has sent humanitarian aid to Afghanistan after the Taliban took over Kabul in August by dislodging the government of President Ashraf Ghani.  It is an important development and is likely to be followed by large-scale humanitarian assistance from India to Afghanistan, which will be given through a transit facility in Pakistan.

PM inaugurates the Saryu canal project; lashes out at those who didn’t complete Pakistan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the Saryu Canal National Project which will provide assured water for irrigation to over 14 lakh hectares of land and benefit about 29 lakh farmers, mainly in eastern Uttar Pradesh and used the opportunity to criticise the “opposition” in the state for not working in farmers’ interest  in finishing the project earlier. Mr Modi’s political comments were made at a government event.  In an address laced with sarcasm, Mr Modi said some people only cut ribbons and then forget about completing the work.  With Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath by his side, the Prime Minister said, “When I started from Delhi, I was waiting since morning ki kab koi aayega aur kahega (when will somebody come and say) … we laid the foundation stone for this project. Some people do this out of habit, maybe they cut the ribbon for this project in their youth. Some people’s priority is ‘imagination’, our priority is execution.”  The project has been completed at a cost of over ₹9,800 crore, out of which more than ₹4,600 crore was provisioned in the last four years. Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Union Minister for Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya were among those present at the project inauguration programme.  The Saryu canal project also involves interlinking of five rivers — Ghaghara, Saryu, Rapti, Banganga and Rohini — to ensure optimum usage of water resources of the region.  Work on the project started in 1978 but due to lack of continuity of budgetary support, interdepartmental coordination and adequate monitoring, it got delayed and was not completed even after nearly four decades, according to an official statement.  Consequently in 2016, the project was brought under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana with the target to complete it in a time-bound manner. The renewed focus has resulted in the project being completed in only about four years, it said.  The project will provide assured water for irrigation to over 14 lakh hectares of land and benefit about 29 lakh farmers of more than 6,200 villages, the statement said. It will benefit nine districts of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, namely Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Gonda, Siddharthnagar, Basti, Sant Kabir Nagar, Gorakhpur and Maharajganj, it said.  The farmers of the region, who were the worst sufferers of the inordinate delay in the project, will now immensely benefit from the upgraded irrigation potential, the statement said. They will now be able to grow crops on a larger scale and maximize the agri-potential of the region, it said.   

Racial profiling in Arunachal 

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has registered a complaint filed by the Chakma Development Foundation of India (CDFI) on December 2 against racial profiling of Chakmas and Hajongs in Arunachal Pradesh through an exclusive census of both the communities from December 11-31.  The Deputy Commissioner of Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district had on November 26 notified the “census of Chakmas and Hajongs 2021”, which the CDFI said was in clear violation of their right to life, including the right to privacy and the right to equality. The Deputy Commissioner has denied such a notification. The PMO wrote to the State’s Chief Secretary on December 7 seeking appropriate action on the complaint and informing it on the matter.  There are about 65,000 Chakmas and Hajongs in the State; about 4,500 are migrants from 1964 to 1969. The rest are descendants and citizens by birth under Section 3 of the Citizenship Act of 1955, the CDFI said.  The migrants were primarily displaced by the Kaptai dam in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of present-day Bangladesh, then called East Pakistan.  The CDFI had termed the exclusive Chakma-Hajong census in the State as an act of racial profiling “because there is no census on the illegal immigrants from Myanmar and China, the illegal immigrants who had entered through Assam as well as thousands of people who had entered Arunachal Pradesh without inner line permit (ILP)”.  “On the contrary, the Chakmas and Hajongs were settled by the Union of India from 1964 to 1969 to permanently settle them in the State and they do not require ILP,” the CDFI said.  ILP is a temporary travel permit required for Indian citizens to enter Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland besides Arunachal Pradesh. The Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation of 1873 necessitates this permit.  Many indigenous groups see the Chakmas and Hajongs as outsiders and have been demanding their “deportation” besides denial of voting rights and access to government schemes.  

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Powerful tornadoes kill at least 78 in five U.S. states.

Dozens of devastating tornadoes ripped through five US states overnight, leaving more than 70 people dead Saturday in Kentucky — many of the workers at a candle factory — and inflicting deadly damage at a sprawling Amazon warehouse in Illinois. The western Kentucky town of Mayfield was “ground zero” of the storm — a scene of “massive devastation,” one official said early Saturday.

Vizag-born professor named president of Penn State varsity.

A professor of Indian origin, Neeli Bendapudi, is the first woman and person of color to be named as president of America’s prestigious Pennsylvania State University. This was announced by the educational institution on Thursday. Ms. Bendapudi was born in Visakhapatnam and had gone to the U.S. in 1986 for pursuing her higher studies. She is at present serving as president and professor of marketing at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. “She has been unanimously named as Penn State’s next president by the Penn State Board of Trustees on December 9,” the university disclosed in a statement on its website. Ms. Bendapudi is the 18th president of the University of Louisville and is a recognized leader in higher education, who specializes in marketing and consumer behavior. In a career spanning nearly 30 years, she has taught marketing and has served in a variety of administrative roles, including provost and executive vice-chancellor at the University of Kansas, Dean of the School of Business at the University of Kansas, and founding-director of the Initiative for Managing Services at Ohio State University.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao: 80% of funds spent on media campaigns, says Parliamentary Committee 

The government spent a whopping 80% of funds under its flagship Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme on media campaigns and must now revisit this strategy and invest in measurable outcomes in health and education for girls, noted the Parliamentary Committee on Empowerment of Women in its report tabled in Lok Sabha.  The Committee finds that out of a total of ₹446.72 crore released during the period 2016-2019, a whopping 78.91% was spent only on media advocacy, said the report. It adds, over the last six years, through focussed advocacy BBBP has been able to capture the attention of political leadership and national consciousness towards valuing the girl child. Now, it is time to focus on other verticals by making ample financial provisions to help achieve measurable outcomes related to education and health envisaged under the scheme. The Committee noted that the massive spend on advertisements was despite the clearly laid down formula for utilisation of funds – ₹50 lakh per year is earmarked for a district for utilisation under six different components. Of this, 16% of funds are for inter-sectoral consultation or capacity building, 50% for innovation or awareness generation activities, 6% for monitoring and evaluation, 10% for sectoral interventions in health, 10% for sectoral interventions in education and 8% as flexi funds.  The Committee is chaired by Heena Vijaykumar Gavit and the report is titled ‘Empowerment of Women through education with special reference to Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’. It was tabled in Lok Sabha on Thursday. The Beti Bachao scheme was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in January 2015 with the aim to address sex selective abortion and the declining child sex ratio which was at 918 girls for every 1,000 boys in 2011. The programme is being implemented across 405 districts in the country.  The total utilisation under the scheme was also poor – the Committee found that since the inception of BBBP in 2014-15 till 2019-20, the total Budgetary allocation under the scheme was ₹848 crore, excluding the COVID-stricken financial year of 2020-21. During this period, an amount of ₹622.48 crore was released to the States but only 25.13% of the funds, i.e. ₹156.46 crore, have been spent by the States and Union Territories.  

Supreme Court directs Air Quality Commission to decide on relaxing curbs in Delhi

Noting that the air quality in Delhi had started improving, the Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre’s Air Quality Commission to take a decision on relaxing restrictions imposed by the court on sources of pollution — including industries, constructions and factories — in the capital.  A Special Bench led by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana asked the panel to look into the issue within a week.  The court had earlier ordered the regulation of construction and the operation of factories using unclean fuel. It had banned the entry of polluting trucks not carrying essential goods into Delhi. The Delhi government had also closed educational institutions.  The commission had, in a previous hearing, said that thermal plants within a 300-km radius of Delhi would continue to be regulated. Only five of 11 plants were functional. The rest would remain inoperative till December 15.  Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta, speaking for the commission, said long-term anti-pollution measures were already under contemplation.  During the last hearing on December 3, the commission informed the court about the creation of an ‘Enforcement Task Force’ and flying squads to prevent and penalise polluters in Delhi NCR. Mehta had, at the time, informed the court that 17 flying squads had been formed thus far and this number would be increased to 40 in the next 24 hours. The court, in a hearing on December 2, had questioned the very purpose of having the Air Quality Commission as pollution levels continued to rise unabated. It had given the Centre a 24-hour deadline to act.  The court mentioned orally that the commission was participating in the hearings and the Bench could not go into individual cases.  The court further directed Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan to pay wages to construction workers from the welfare cess. 

No proposal to scrap sedition law: Govt. 

Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Friday told the Lok Sabha that the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has no proposal under consideration to scrap Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that deals with sedition.  Rijiju also informed the House that the question of law regarding Section 124A is pending for adjudication before the Supreme Court.  The Ministry of Home Affairs has informed that there is no proposal under consideration to scrap Sec 124A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. Further, the question of law regarding Section 124A is pending for adjudication before the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, the Law Minister said in a written reply to a question that asked if the government was planning to strike it down.  Section 124A of the IPC says, Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards, the Government established by law in [India], shall be punished with [imprisonment for life], to which fine may be added, or with imprisonment which may extend to three years, to which fine may be added, or with fine.  He was responding to a question from All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) member from Assam, Badruddin Ajmal, who asked whether the Supreme Court had recently termed the sedition law as colonial and made an observation that it is being misused and if the court has directed the Union Government to submit its response on the necessity and validity of this law.  No such observations have been found in any judgment or order delivered by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, the Law Minister said.  However, he said, in a writ petition, the top court has observed that the ambit and parameters of the provisions of Sections 124A, 153A and 505 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 would require interpretation, particularly in the context of the right of the electronic and print media to communicate news, information and the rights, even those that may be critical of the prevailing regime in any part of the nation.  The Law Minister said the top court, in a writ petition (criminal) issued notice to the Centre, said the petitioners have made a prayer before the Supreme Court for an appropriate writ, order or direction declaring Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 to be unconstitutional and void.  Upon hearing the matter, the Hon’ble Supreme Court vide order dated July 12, 2021 has granted time for filing written submissions and counter affidavit in the matter on behalf of the Union of India, he said.  The Writ petition (Civil) No. 682/2021 has been tagged with other matters wherein similar question of law has been raised and are pending for consideration before the Hon’ble Supreme Court, Mr. Rijiju’s reply noted. 

Man lynched in Bihar allegedly for stealing cattle 

Police have filed an FIR against unknown persons after a man was lynched by a mob allegedly for stealing cattle in Bihar’s Araria district on December 8.  According to the police, Mohd Siddiqui, 52, was lynched by a mob at Bhawanipur village under Fulkaha police station of Forbesganj sub-division in Araria district on Wednesday allegedly for stealing cattle. However, the incident came to light on December 10.  A villager raised an alarm after he spotted some men stealing buffaloes and bullocks owned by his co-villager Sanichar Bariyet and when they started chasing thieves, one of them fired a gunshot in the air to scare them away, but another of them Mohd Siddiqui was caught by the villagers while, others managed to escape. Mohd Siddiqui was beaten up with sticks and fists and he succumbed to his injuries, said Fulkaha police station Inspector Nagina Kumar.  He also said an FIR has been lodged against unknown persons. Villagers said cattle thieves often sell stolen cattle to slaughter houses in areas bordering Nepal. The victim Mohd Siddiqui was identified as resident of the neighbouring district of Supaul.  We’re questioning villagers to identify attackers as there were around 100 people gathered at the spot when the incident had happened, said the police officer while adding, no arrest has been made yet in the case.  We keep getting complaints of cattle theft regularly in the area but not of mob lynching. Arrests will be made soon in the case, a senior police official of the district said. 

Aryan Khan seeks relaxation in bail terms 

Aryan Khan, son of actor Shah Rukh Khan, moved the Bombay High Court seeking minor changes in the bail conditions imposed on him by the court in the drug racket case against him.  On October 29, a single bench of Justice Nitin Sambre granted bail to Khan, 23, and two others and directed that they be released from Arthur Road Jail after executing a cash bond of ₹1 lakh with one or more sureties.  Khan sought a relaxation in the conditions requiring him to appear at the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Mumbai office every Friday between 11a.m. to 2 p.m.  In the application filed on Thursday, Khan said the cruise ship drug heist case was now being drug probed by a special investigation team based in Delhi. He also urged the court that there should be police presence when he attended the NCB office because of the heavy media presence there.  The application is likely to be heard by the High Court next week, his lawyers said.  On October 2, the central agency seized 13 grams of cocaine, five grams of MD (mephedrone), 21 grams of charas, 22 pills of MDMA (ecstasy) and ₹1,33,000 cash at the International Cruise Terminal, Mumbai. Khan along with others were booked under several sections of the NDPS Act.  

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

U.K. court permits Assange extradition to U.S. on spying charges A British appellate court opened the door Friday for Julian Assange to be extradited to the United States by overturning a lower court ruling that found the WikiLeaks founder’s mental health was too fragile to withstand the American criminal justice system.  Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks. File   The High Court in London ruled that U.S. assurances were enough to guarantee Assange would be treated humanely and directed a lower court judge to send the extradition request to the home secretary for review. The home secretary, who oversees law enforcement in the U.K., will make the final decision on whether to extradite Assange.  However, the appellate court ruling handed down on Friday is likely to be appealed.  A lower court judge earlier this year had refused an American request to extradite Assange to the U.S. to face spying charges over WikiLeaks’ publication of secret military documents a decade ago. District Judge Vanessa Baraitser denied extradition on health grounds, saying Assange was likely to kill himself if held under harsh U.S. prison conditions.  The United States appealed, challenging the notion that Assange’s mental health made him too vulnerable to withstand the U.S. judicial system. Lawyer James Lewis said Assange has no history of serious and enduring mental illness and does not meet the threshold of being so ill that he cannot resist harming himself.  U.S. authorities have told British judges that if they agree to extradite Assange, he could serve any U.S. prison sentence he receives in his native Australia.  U.S. prosecutors have indicted Assange on 17 espionage charges and one charge of computer misuse over WikiLeaks’ publication of thousands of leaked military and diplomatic documents. The charges carry a maximum sentence of 175 years in prison, although Lewis said the longest sentence ever imposed for this offense is 63 months.  Assange, 50, is currently being held at London’s high-security Belmarsh Prison.  

India airlifts stranded Indians from Kabul, Afghanistan. 

A special flight arrived to India from Kabul in Afghanistan carrying 110 stranded people in the war-torn country. The flight bought 10 Indians and 94 Afghans including the members of the Afghan Hindu-Sikh minority community. Ancient Hindu scriptures and three holy Shree Guru Granth Sahib Ji were also brought back.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Tri-service inquiry ordered into IAF chopper crash, says Rajnath Singh 

A tri-service inquiry has been ordered by the IAF headed by Air Marshal Manvendra Singh, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Training Command, to investigate the Mi-17V5 helicopter crash that killed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen. Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other military personnel, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in a statement in Parliament on Thursday.  The Flight Data Recorder (FDR) of the crashed helicopter has been recovered from the wreckage, an IAF official said. It will be sent for analysis to find out what happened in the last moments before it went down in the jungle.  Giving out the details of the incident, Singh said Gen. Rawat was on a scheduled visit to the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, to interact with the student officers. The IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter took off from the Sulur Air Base at 11:48 a.m. on Wednesday and was expected to land at Wellington by 12:15 p.m. The Air Traffic Control at the Sulur Air Base lost contact with the helicopter at approximately 12:08 p.m.  Defence Minister Rajnath Singh briefs the Parliament on the Indian Air Force chopper crash in Tamil Nadu, on December 8, in the Lok Sabha during the Winter Session, in New Delhi, on December 9.   Subsequently, a few locals noticed a fire in the forest near Coonoor and rushed to the spot where they saw the wreckage of the military helicopter engulfed in flames, he said. Rescue teams from the local administration in the vicinity reached the site and attempted to recover the survivors from the crash site.  All those recovered from the wreckage were rushed to the Military Hospital, Wellington, and 13 of the 14 persons onboard the ill-fated helicopter have succumbed to their injuries. Group Captain Varun Singh is on life support in the Military Hospital at Wellington and all efforts are being made to save his life, Singh said, ending the statement by paying homage to the deceased persons and expressing condolences to the bereaved families.  

Farm agitation called off as SKM leaders accept Centre’s proposal 

Thousands of protesting farmers camped out on the borders of Delhi for 380 days are set to go home on Saturday, after marking a ‘vijay diwas’ to celebrate the achievement of most of their demands. On Thursday, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), a joint platform of protesting farm unions, announced that it had accepted the Central government’s proposal to resolve pending demands and called off the year-long agitation.  The unions will meet again on January 15 in the capital to monitor and review whether the government has kept its promises to unconditionally withdraw cases filed against protestors, provide compensation for the kin of farmers who died at the protests, and form a committee to ensure that all farmers can avail remunerative rates for their produce. A decision will also be taken at that time on whether to campaign against the BJP in the upcoming UP and Uttarakhand polls — an issue which different farmer factions have diverse views about.  This is a historic victory for Indian farmers after a historic movement both in terms of size as well as unity and peaceful nature of the protest, said All India Kisan Sabha leader Hannan Mollah.  Farmers waiting for the SKM meeting to begin on December 9, 2021 morning  The Centre’s formal proposal, which was signed by Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal despite the fact that farm leaders said most negotiations on the document were held with Home Ministry representatives, was received on Thursday morning. It included the same five points as in Wednesday’s draft, with major concessions on case withdrawal and compensation. On the issue of MSP, it said a promised committee would have a specific mandate to ensure all farmers get MSP and promised that SKM leaders would be among the representatives. After discussing the proposal in an hour-long meeting at the Singhu border protest site, SKM leaders emerged to announce their acceptance.   

Lok Sabha passes bills to extend CBI, ED directors’ tenures up to maximum of 5 years 

Two bills were passed by Lok Sabha on Thursday to extend the tenures of directors of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate up to a maximum of five years from the present two years.  The Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and the Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2021 were passed separately by voice vote after the House rejected various amendments moved by Opposition members on the two bills.  Congress MPs walked out of the House, saying they were not satisfied with the reply of Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh.  These bills seek to replace two ordinances issued last month. The Opposition and the BJP sparred over the government’s move to extend the tenures of the directors of the CBI and the ED up to a maximum of five years, with the Opposition alleging that it would completely undermine the autonomy of these institutions, and the ruling party defending the step as being necessary to fight large scale corruption.   

Shah misled House on Mon incident, says Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary 

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary, leader of the Congress legislative party in the Lok Sabha, said on Thursday that Union Home Minister Amit Shah came out with a misleading statement in the Lok Sabha on Monday saying the victims of the firing in Mon district of Nagaland on December 4 had been shot after they continued to flee after being asked to stop by the armed forces.  Raising the issue at the start of the zero hour, Chowdhary stated that there were now statements by survivors of the incident that they had been directly shot.  Chowdhary noted that Congress president Sonia Gandhi had constituted a delegation comprising Lok Sabha members Gaurav Gogoi and Anto Antony to visit Mon village in Nagaland and share the grief of the locals whose family members were killed in the firing. But they are not being allowed to enter the State. Even after the Lakhimpur Kheri incident, our party leaders were prevented from providing sympathy to the families of the victims, he observed.  Responding to Chowdhary, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal said the issue raised by him pertained to the State government and not the Lok Sabha.  On Monday, the Home Minister expressed regret over the death of 14 civilians in three consecutive episodes of firing by security forces, the first of which was a case of mistaken identity. Narrating the sequence of events, Mr. Shah told the House that the Army had received information on movement of insurgents in Mon and ’21 Para Commando’ unit had laid an ambush.   

Bhima Koregaon case: Sudha Bharadwaj released from Byculla jail 

Human rights lawyer and trade unionist Sudha Bharadwaj was released on Thursday from Byculla jail after spending over three years there in connection with the Bhima Koregaon caste violence case of 2018.  The other co-accused Shoma Sen and Jyoti Jagtap are still in jail. Bharadwaj, 61, was arrested on August 28, 2018 from her residence in Faridabad where she lives with her daughter Maaysha, 24.  After repeatedly denying Bharadwaj default bail, medical bail and bail on merits, the Bombay High Court granted her bail on December 1.  The court held, On the touchstone of the guarantee of personal liberty under Article 21 (Right to Life) of the Constitution, in our view, to deprive Ms. Bharadwaj of the indefeasible right of bail would be taking a too technical and formalistic view of the matter. In our view, all the requisite conditions to release Ms. Bharadwaj on default bail stood fully satisfied.  Soon after this order, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) probing the case filed an appeal challenging the order of granting her bail. One of the grounds was that she has been charged with the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The Supreme Court, however, dismissed the plea and paved way for Bharadwaj’s release.  On December 8, the special NIA court laid the conditions for her bail and directed her to furnish a cash bond of ₹50,000 with one or two sureties.  In jail, she suffered from pre-existing medical conditions of diabetes, high blood pressure, hypertension and a history of pulmonary tuberculosis. She has also had an extremely painful swelling in her joints and a frozen shoulder that restricted her movement.   

WHO warns fears of omicron could spark new vaccine hoarding 

The World Health Organisation expressed concerns Thursday that rich countries spooked by the emergence of the omicron variant could step up the hoarding of COVID-19 vaccines and strain global supplies again, complicating efforts to stamp out the pandemic.  The UN health agency, after a meeting of its expert panel on vaccination, reiterated its advice to governments against the widespread use of boosters in their populations so that well-stocked countries instead can send doses to low-income countries that have largely lacked access to them.  What is going to shut down disease is for everybody who is especially at risk of disease to become vaccinated, said Dr. Kate O’Brien, head of WHO’s department of immunization, vaccines and biologicals.  We seem to be taking our eye off that ball in countries. Months of short supplies of COVID-19 vaccines have begun to ease over the last two months or so, and doses are finally getting to needier countries — such as through donations and the UN-backed COVAX programme — and WHO wants that to continue.  It has long decried vaccine inequity by which most doses have gone to people in rich countries, whose leaders locked down big stockpiles as a precautionary measure. Dr. O’Brien urged a rational, global perspective about what’s actually going to shut down this pandemic. We have the tools at hand, we have the choices we can make, and the next days and weeks are really going to determine what direction the world decides it’s going to go in, on omicron, she said. 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

RSF report says China is world’s biggest captor of journalists

According to the report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), China is the world’s biggest captor of journalists. Currently, 127 journalists have been detained. However, China has justified the arrests of citizens and journalists, and reporters by accusing them of provoking trouble. RSF report titled ‘The Great Leap Backwards of Journalism in China’ has revealed China’s violations against its own international commitment to freedom of expression and opinion. The report also demonstrates how Beijing has viewed journalism not as a tool of providing information to the public but as an instrument of state propaganda. Reporters Without Borders has ranked China 177th out of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index 2021 which is just two places above North Korea

US, India, Israel, UAE Quad meeting might happen in early 2022

The Ambassador of Israel to India, Naor Gilon informed that the Quad meeting between India-US-Israel-UAE can happen in early 2022 in Dubai. The Sherpas from the four nations identified for the meet will identify the fields of cooperation in infrastructure.

Observer Status granted to International Solar Alliance by UNGA

The United Nations General Assembly has granted an Observer Status to the International Solar Alliance. The news was shared by the Ambassador of India to UN TS Tirumurti. In a tweet, Tirumuti mentioned that ISA has become an example of positive global climate change action through partnerships.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Bipin Rawat, wife, 11 others die in IAF helicopter crash near Coonoor 

Chief of Defence Staff, General Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 others were killed in a helicopter crash near Coonoor on December 8, the Indian Air Force said.  The copter carrying Gen. Rawat and his entourage crashed in apparently foggy conditions, killing the 13 people on board, the IAF and other officials said. One person survived the crash and is being treated at a hospital.  With deep regret, it has now been ascertained that Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat and 11 other persons on board have died in the unfortunate accident, the IAF said in a tweet.  Gen. Rawat was on a visit to Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington to address the faculty and student officers of the staff course when the fatal mishap happened.  Gen. Bipin Singh Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat in New Delhi. File   Group Captain Varun Singh SC, Directing Staff at DSSC and the sole survivor, was undergoing treatment for injuries at the Military Hospital, Wellington, IAF added.  The Prime Minister-led Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) was briefed about the crash and top Cabinet brass expressed condolences on the death of Gen. Rawat. Besides Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the meeting was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, official sources said.  The IAF confirmed that the crash happened at around 2 p.m., saying the Mi-17V5 helicopter with Gen. Rawat on board met with an accident near Coonoor. It has already ordered an inquiry to ascertain the cause of the accident.  President Ramnath Kovind, Mr. Modi, Mr. Singh and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi condoled the death of Gen. Rawat.  Gen. Rawat had served as the Chief of the Indian Army from December 17, 2016 to December 31, 2019. He was appointed as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff on December 31, 2019.  

Bhima Koregaon case: Sudha Bharadwaj to be released on cash bond  

The special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court on Wednesday said human rights lawyer and trade unionist Sudha Bharadwaj would be released from Byculla jail on a cash bond of ₹50,000 with one or more sureties in the Bhima Koregaon case.  Special judge D.E. Kothalikar permitted Bharadwaj, who was present in the court, to submit temporary cash security valid for three months. On December 1, the Bombay High Court granted her bail and directed the special NIA court to decide her bail conditions on Wednesday.  The central agency moved in appeal against the bail before the Supreme Court which dismissed the appeal on Tuesday.  Citing bail conditions, the NIA court on Wednesday directed Bharadwaj to not leave Mumbai without the court’s permission and inform the agency and the court about her place of residence, her contact number and those of her relatives.  The conditions included giving the addresses of at least three blood relatives. The NIA court said if there was any change of residential address, the NIA would conduct physical or virtual verification to confirm it.  She was also directed to attend proceedings of the trial, and not make any statement regarding the proceedings to anyone from the media. Advocate Yug Chaudhry, appearing for Bharadwaj, told the court that she was a practising lawyer in Chhattisgarh and needed to get back to work for a living and hence should be allowed to travel between Mumbai, Chhattisgarh and Delhi. The court said she could practise in Nagpur.   

Opposition boycotts Rajya Sabha; blames Piyush Goyal for impasse  

The Opposition leaders from the Rajya Sabha boycotted the proceedings for the day to sit in solidarity with their 12 colleagues who have been staging a protest at the Gandhi statue in Parliament against their suspension for the last eight days now. The leaders, speaking to The Hindu, blamed Leader of the House, Piyush Goyal, accusing him of inflexibility and leaving little room for compromise.  Opposition parties’ MPs participate in a protest near Mahatma Gandhi’s statue demanding revocation of the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs, during the Winter Session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021.   At the protest site, Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said tendering an apology remains out of question. He said though Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu asked him and Goyal to sit together and solve the issue on Wednesday, there has been no outreach from the Government.  It is only in the House that they speak about reaching out. Outside the House they blame, criticise and humiliate us. They have no moral right to hold the Opposition responsible for this impasse, Kharge said.  Congress Rajya Sabha chief whip Jairam Ramesh said he visited the homes of the Opposition leaders, met Goyal, Chairman Naidu and Deputy Chairman Harivansh to explore options to resolve the deadlock. In the last three days, I have moved heaven and earth to find a way out. Chairman Naidu’s position in all fairness is not unreasonable. He has appealed to both sides to come together and talk. But I must say Goyal has taken fundamentalist position, leaving little room for a compromise, Ramesh said.  Senior RJD leader Manoj K Jha was equally critical of Goyal’s role. He said, The Leader of the House should have the capacity and the willingness to transcend barriers. Instead of transcending barriers we see that new ones are created. I would go to the extent of saying that we are missing the presence of Arun Jaitely.  CPI(M) leader Elamaram Kareem said the Government had deliberately suspended the 12 MPs to ease the passage of key Bills. Mr. Goyal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi humiliate and ridicule us inside the House. In such a situation, how can there be any headway out of this, he said.  He said the question of whether the Opposition is giving a free walk over to the Government is misplaced. Everyone must remember that we are in this situation because of the Government’s insistence on passing the General Insurance Bill despite protests and our call seeking a vote in the last session, he said.  NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar and Samajwadi leader Akhilesh Yadav also participated in the protest. Along with the slogans, the lawmakers sang songs as they sat through the day on the grass in the shadow of the Gandhi statue. TMC MP Dola Sen and AAP MP Sanjay Singh were the lead singers.  Many others also joined in. Various leaders have been taking turns to bring in food for their protesting colleagues. On Wednesday, the responsibility fell on NCP leader Supriya Sule. Sule, along with her party leaders Vandana Chavan and Fauzia Khan, was seen serving food at the protest site.   

Nagaland killings: Naga People’s Front MP says Amit Shah erred on facts  

Naga People’s Front MP from Manipur Lorho S. Pfoze demanded that the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in force in many northeastern States be repealed, while also raising questions over the sequence of events shared by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his statement in Parliament on the events of December 4 in Nagaland that left 14 civilians dead.  While Dr. Pfoze raised in the Lok Sabha the issue of what happened in Nagaland on December 4 evening, he could not complete his submission to the Chair under matters of Urgent Public Importance. While referring to the cruel and brutal murder of 14 civilians in Nagaland, and the suffering of the States of the northeast under the AFSPA, his time was up. Speaking to The Hindu outside of Parliament however, Dr. Pfoze said that he wanted to put on record that some facts put forward by Shah on the sequence of events leading to the killings did not survive close scrutiny.  I basically wanted to say that the Home Minister’s statement in Parliament that it was a case of mistaken identity and that the armed forces had asked the truck carrying the civilians to stop and only fired when the truck didn’t stop is wrong. We now have videos of eyewitness accounts of a survivor who says that the truck was not asked to stop and firing happened, he said.  This event and many others in the northeastern States have brought down what is a glorious legacy of Indian democracy all because of the AFSPA being in force in these States. The time has now come that this law be repealed, he said. 

Samyukt Kisan Morcha, met at the Singhu border to consider the government’s amended proposal. 

The leadership of the farmers’ body, Samyukt Kisan Morcha, met at the Singhu border on Wednesday to consider the government’s amended proposal in response to their pending demands regarding an MSP law, and withdrawal of cases against protestors. We have reached a consensus among ourselves to accept the proposal. No final decision yet on calling off the agitation, another meeting to be held tomorrow once we have received the official communication from the government, said farmers leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni.   Virat Kohli was on Wednesday removed as India’s ODI captain, with the national selection committee making Rohit Sharma the sole white-ball leader of the team till the 2023 50-over World Cup. In another significant development, Ajinkya Rahane was removed from Test vice-captaincy, a position which was also given to Rohit. The BCCI also announced the 18-member squad for the three Test series against South Africa, which doesn’t include all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, spinner Axar Patel, and opener Shubman Gill due to various injuries.  

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Canada joins US allies to boycott Beijing Winter Olympics.

Canadian Prime Minister Justine Trudeau informed on December 8, 2021 that the nation will also join the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom in their diplomatic boycott of 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics over human rights concerns at Xinjiang Province. The nations will still be sending their teams to the Olympic Games but will not be sending their officials. Trudeau said that they are extremely concerned by the repeated human rights violations by the Chinese government and added that they should not be surprised that we will not be sending any diplomatic representation. Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly called on other countries also to take more similar action. China warned that the nations would inevitably regret launching the joint diplomatic boycott of the multi-sports event next winter. The nation said that using the Olympic platform for political manipulation is unpopular and self-isolating.

Singapore removed from India’s ‘at-risk’ nations list.

India has removed Singapore from its list of at-risk nations. The countries that are currently in the list include South Africa, Botswana, Ghana, Mauritius, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Israel, the United Kingdom and China. The development comes after the detection of a new Omicron variant in 57 countries. The World Health Organization (WHO) expects the number to grow further. As a precaution, India had added several countries to the list of ‘at risk’ nations, from where travellers would need to follow additional measures upon their arrival in India including post-arrival testing for infection. The new Omicron variant was first reported from South Africa on November 25.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Supreme Court refuses to interfere with Bombay HC order granting Sudha Bharadwaj bail 

The Supreme Court on Tuesday refused to interfere with a Bombay High Court order granting default bail to advocate Sudha Bharadwaj in the Bhima Koregaon case, paving the way for her release from jail after a span of two years.  A Bench of Justices U.U. Lalit, S. Ravindra Bhat and Bela M. Trivedi declined the arguments made by the NIA that the High Court on December 1 erred in concluding that the Pune Sessions Court, which took cognisance of its charge-sheet and extended the period of her detention under Section 43D(2) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), had no jurisdiction in the case. The Sessions Court was not notified as a Special Court under the NIA Act, the High Court had noted.  The default bail order of Bharadwaj comes into effect from December 8. She has to appear before the Special Court on Wednesday for a hearing on the conditions of her bail. “We find no reason to interfere,” Justice Lalit said in the order.  During the hearing, Justice Lalit said the moot question was whether the court that extended the detention was competent or not.  “Within 90 days, you have to complete the investigation, unless you can show reasons not to have completed,” Justice Lalit said.  The High Court had, in its order, upheld Bhardwaj’s indefeasible right to personal liberty.  It had said the guarantee of personal liberty under Article 21 (right to life) of the Constitution cannot be thwarted on technical grounds that her plea for default bail was premature. That would be a “too technical and formalistic view of the matter”.  The High Court had, however, denied bail to Rona Wilson, Varavara Rao, Sudhir Dhawale, Surendra Gadling, Shoma Sen, Mahesh Raut, Vernon Gonsalves and Arun Ferreira in the case. They are lodged in Taloja Central Jail.  Bharadwaj was taken into custody by the Pune police in August 2018. The charge-sheet was filed in February 2019.   

Nagaland calls off major ongoing festival amid shutdown in Mon 

Nagaland’s Mon district observed a shut down on Tuesday to protest against the killing of 14 civilians by the security forces while the State Government called off a major ongoing festival as a mark of respect to the deceased.  The Government also decided to write to the Centre to immediately repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, from the State. The Act, deemed draconian, is said to give the armed forces the licence to kill.  Government spokesperson and Planning Minister Neiba Kronu said the Cabinet, at an emergency meeting in Kohima on Tuesday, discussed the botched ambush by an elite force in Mon’s Oting village on December 4.  Placards and black flags are put up at the venue of Hornbill festival in solidarity with the civilians, killed in an anti-insurgency operation, in Kisama, Nagaland, Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021.   “The Cabinet decided that the special investigation team headed by an IGP should complete its probe into the Mon incident and submit its report within a month. It also decided to write to the Government of India for repealing the AFSPA immediately from the State,” he told journalists.  He said the Cabinet had decided to cancel the ongoing Hornbill Festival in view of the mourning announced for the deceased and to express solidarity with the bereaved families.  The 10-day annual marque festival that attracts tourists from all over began on December 1, marking the day Nagaland attained statehood in 1963. The Tourism Department has been asked to wind up the festival — barring the entrepreneurial activities — with a short, solemn closing ceremony.  Kronu said two persons injured in the Mon incident were still in a critical condition in a hospital in Dibrugarh and six others are under treatment in Dimapur while 22 persons have been discharged.  “Further, we have decided to support the demands that the Konyak Union has put forward to the President of India,” he said. The Konyak Union, apex body of the dominant Naga tribe in Mon, had imposed the district bandh on Tuesday to protest against the “massacre” and its violent aftermath besides the scrapping of the AFSPA.  The union also declared seven-day mourning across the district from Wednesday and asked the armed forces to abstain from patrolling in the Konyak region during this period. 

Samyukt Kisan Morcha discusses Home Ministry letter accepting most of the farmers’ demands 

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has received a letter from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, which accepts most of their pending demands. The Centre’s offer was discussed during the SKM leadership’s meeting at the Singhu border on Tuesday.  A few sticking points remain, and the SKM’s five-member committee has been asked to iron out these details with the Government by Wednesday afternoon. The SKM will meet again at 2:00 p.m., at which time a final decision on whether to withdraw the agitation will be announced.  Several leaders sounded confident that the agitation will end at that time, as their major demands have been accepted. However, others objected to the Centre’s condition that cases against protesting farmers will be withdrawn only after the agitation is called off.  There is also a lack of clarity on the mandate of the Government’s proposed committee on MSP, and whether it will be empowered to discuss a legal guarantee. The letter specifically mentions that SKM leaders will be part of the committee, but there are fears that others opposing MSP may also be included, sources said.  The Centre’s failure to dismiss Minister of State for Home Amit Mishra Teni is also another bone of contention. The in-principal assurance that States will provide compensation to the kin of protesting farmers who died during the agitation was welcomed as a positive move.   

Protests: Centre, farmers seek adjournment of hearing on ‘blocking highways’ in Supreme Court 

Citing “changed circumstances”, the Centre and the farmers’ side came together in the Supreme Court on Tuesday to postpone the hearing of a plea to remove farmers “blocking” the highways to the National Capital.  “On the lighter side, it is good to see Solicitor General Tushar Mehta [for the Centre] and advocate Prashant Bhushan [for farmers] on the same side,” Justice S.K. Kaul said granting the adjournment.  Though both sides did not elaborate, the “changed circumstances” may be the repeal of the three controversial farm laws by Parliament. The court deferred the hearing to January.  The hearing on Wednesday was in stark contrast to earlier ones which had seen verbal clashes between the opposing sides. In the previous hearing, the farmers’ side had blamed the State for deliberately blocking the roads to turn public sentiments against them. They had urged for permission to enter Ram Lila Maidan and Jantar Mantar in the heart of the Capital to continue their protests against the laws.  Mehta had reminded the court about the Red Fort violence in January which had left several hundreds injured and others killed. The court had reiterated its position that the right to protest should not hamper the right to movement of the public. The farmers had argued that the right to protest was a fundamental right and the roads were blocked by the police.   

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

CEO fires over 900 employees during a webinar in U.S. 

An Indian-origin CEO of a U.S.-based homeownership company, Vishal Garg, abruptly fired more than 900 employees, about 9% of its workforce over a webinar, citing market efficiency, performance and productivity as the reasons behind the move.  “If you’re on this call, you are part of the unlucky group that is being laid off,” he said on the call. “Your employment here is terminated effective immediately,” Garg said.  The CEO informed more than 900 employees on call that they were being terminated just before the holidays.  He then said employees could expect an email from the Human Resource department, detailing benefits and severance. “Having to conduct layoffs is gut-wrenching, especially this time of year,” CFO Kevin Ryan said in a statement.  “However, a fortress balance sheet and a reduced and focused workforce together set us up to play offense going into a radically evolving homeownership market,” he said.  Meanwhile, Fortune reported that Garg accused the employees of “stealing” from their colleagues and customers by being unproductive and only working two hours a day.  “This is the second time in my career I’m doing this and I do not want to do this. The last time I did it, I cried,” Garg said on the call. Among those fired were the diversity, equity and inclusion recruiting team.  

 

Olaf Scholz to be sworn in as new Germany Chancellor

Social Democrat Olaf Scholz will take oath as the new Chancellor of Germany on December 8, 2021, marking an end to the 16-year rule of Angela Merkel, who had been the first female chancellor of Germany. India has deep relations with Germany and it is expected to continue as per the newly elected tripartite coalition led by Olaf Scholz. German Ambassador to India Walter J Lindner informed that Olaf Scholz has notably visited once before in 2012 when he was the Mayor Hamburg.  He had visited New Delhi and Mumbai during his trip. Olaf Scholz was confirmed to be the next German chancellor after the leaders of three parties sealed a coalition deal. The pact paves way for a three-way coalition government comprising the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens and liberal Free Democrats (FDP). The SPD, Greens and FDP coalition pact brings to an end nearly five weeks of formal negotiations. The 3-way coalition is known as the traffic-light coalition, due to their respective colors of red, green and yellow. The parties worked behind the closed doors to reach to an agreement.