Author: Shivali Varshney, Vidhyarthi Darpan

CURRENT AFFAIRS
01 September 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Former President Pranab Mukherjee passes away. 

On 31 August, former President Pranab Mukherjee had passed away.  He was 84 years old. The news was announced by his son Abhijit via Twitter. He tweeted that with a heavy heart, he is informing that his father Shri Pranab Mukherjee has just passed away despite the best efforts of the doctors & prayers, duas & Prarthana from people throughout India. He also thanked the people for praying for their father. On 19 August, Pranab Mukherjee had developed a lung infection. He also underwent life-saving emergency surgery for a brain clot on 19 August and was on ventilator support till then. He had also tested positive for Covid-19. The current President of India, Mr. Ram Nath Kovind said that it was the passing of an era.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India grieves the passing away of Bharat Ratna Shri Pranab Mukherjee. He has left an indelible mark on the development of the nation. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also expressed condolences on the passing of Pranab Mukherjee. He said that with great sadness, the nation receives the news of the unfortunate demise of our former president Shri Pranab Mukherjee, I join the country in paying homage to him. 

B) India’s GDP contracted by 23.9% in the April-June quarter. 

The GDP of India has shanked by 23.9% in the April-June quarter because of the novel coronavirus lockdowns which slowed the economy. This is the worst ever performance of the economy since 1996 when India began releasing quarterly figures. This was also worse than any of the biggest economies of the world. Data also showed that manufacturing was in full recession, as output fell by a whopping 39.3% in the June quarter, close on the heels of a 1.4% drop in the previous quarter. It is believed by the analysts that India is on course for its first full-year contraction in 4 decades. On the day the GDP numbers came in, the BSE index fell 839 points (2.13%)to close at 38,628, while the NSE Nifty settled 260 points (2.23%) lower at 11,388.

C) Prashant Bhushan fined ₹1 by Supreme Court for contempt of court. 

On 31 August, a 3 Judge Bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Arun Mishra has punished noted civil rights lawyer Prashant Bhushan with a ₹1 fine for committing criminal contempt with his 2 tweets. The court said that Prashant Bhushan, who was present at the sentencing hearing held via video conference, had to pay the fine by 15 September else he has to face 3 months of simple imprisonment and a 3-year ban on legal practice. He duly paid the fine.  He also indicated that he will seek a review of the original judgment that held him guilty of contempt of court. Justice Mishra, who read out the sentencing judgment, said the court had on not 1, but several occasions asked the lawyer to seek apology for his tweets. It had, nonetheless, considered Attorney General K.K. Venugopal’s suggestion to take into account the professional good done by Bhushan. Reacting to the sentencing, Bhushan, said that he will propose to submit himself to this order and will respectfully pay the fine, just as he would have submitted to any other lawful punishment.

D) COVID Watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 36,79,751 with the death toll at 65,436.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has extended the suspension of scheduled international flights till September 30. However, the international scheduled flights may be allowed on selected routes. In India, International flights have been barred since March 23. On 31 August, Union Home Minister Amit Shah was discharged from All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, Delhi after treatment. He had been admitted on August 18. West Bengal will observe a complete lockdown on September 7, 11, and 12. A notification in this regard was released today. As per Unlock 4 guidelines issued by the Centre, the Union government has to be consulted before such lockdown decisions. However, the state’s Chief Secretary said that the West Bengal government will go ahead with this lockdown schedule.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) A first commercial flight between Israel and the UAE.

The first historic commercial flight between Israel and the UAE left for Abu Dhabi on 31 August from the Ben-Gurion airport, after few days of normalization of relations between the two countries under U.S. mediation. The flight was carrying a high-level Israeli delegation led by National Security Adviser Meir Ben Shabbat and a U.S. delegation headed by President Donald Trump’s adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, and U.S. National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien. On 13 August, Israel and the United Arab Emirates had announced that they were establishing full diplomatic relations by following a U.S.-brokered deal which required Israel to suspend its plan to annex parts of the West Bank. UAE is only the third Arab country to establish diplomatic ties with Israel. Egypt and Jordan, are the other two Arab nations that recognize this Jewish state.

B) Another escalation in Ladakh as PLA intrudes again

On 31 August, Chinese troops have carried out aggressive moves to change the status quo on the South Bank of Pangong Tso in an escalation of the ongoing standoff on the border in Ladakh. The army said that the attempts had been thwarted. A Brigade Commander-level flag meeting was in progress at Chushul to resolve the issues. Around 25 PLA soldiers intruding across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) were blocked by Indian troops, a defense source said. Around 100 PLA soldiers were also seen below Black Top hill just across the LAC. There was no physical clash. In the wake of this latest confrontation in Ladakh, the Kashmir-Ladakh road has been closed for civilian traffic to ensure that the movement of military vehicles is not disturbed.

C) Norway fund sells Page Industries stake, Cites risk of human rights violation. 

The $1 trillion wealth fund of Norway said that it had excluded the Formosa Chemicals and Fiber of Taiwan.  Formosa Taffeta and the Page Industries of India said that they had posed an unacceptable risk for the violation of human rights. However, Formosa Chemicals and Fibre have declined the comment. In recent years the fund, that operates under the guidelines established by the Norwegian parliament, has focused on the working conditions in textile factories in Asia. It excludes those companies that can be proved to be an ethical risk to their investments. The fund was set up in 1996 in order to preserve the oil revenues of Norway for future generations. It holds around 1.5% of globally listed shares, its decisions are often followed by other investors. By the end of 2019, NBIM was holding a 0.84% stake in Formosa Chemicals & Fibre, whose value is $144 million. The stake in Page Industries at that time stood at 0.42%, with a market value of $15.4 million.

SPORTS NEWS 

A) Anand thrilled with the addition to the medal collection.

One medal was missing from Viswanathan Anand’s collection, the one from the biennial Chess Olympiad. On 30 August, the gold-sharing performance of India in the inaugural FIDE online Olympiad gold has ensured a new addition to the five-time World champion’s trophy cabinet. Mr. Anand thinks that Olympiad is a very special title. He really liked the sensation and the ambiance of winning as part of this team. After a drama which lasts for 2 hours on 30 August, the protest of India over two lost games following internet outage across several nations was upheld and it was declared the joint winner with Russia. Many Indian players, including Anand, congratulated Russia. On his part, skipper Vidit Gujrathi said that it was a great experience to lead a team, featuring Anand and Humpy. He still has the autographs he took of these 2 legends. In the case of juniors, they had to consider their styles before finalizing their line-up.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
31 August 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) The first phase of Census 2021 and NPR updates may be delayed by a year. 

The first phase of the Census and the exercise to update the National Population Register (NPR), scheduled for this year and shifted due to the coronavirus outbreak, may be delayed by 1 year because of the current situation of the global pandemic and its abruptly increasing rate without any sign of a slowdown. The census of India is one of the biggest administrative and statistical exercises in the world. It involves more than 30 lakh officials who visit each household across the whole country. Census is not essential for now. Even if it is delayed by 1 year, there would be no harm. No final decision has been taken yet on when the Census 2021 and NPR update would take place but it is sure that the census of India will not take place because of the increasing rate of the novel coronavirus. 

B) 14 lakh people affected by Odisha floods

On 30 August, over 14 lakh people were affected due to floods in 5 river systems of Odisha. Heavy rain triggered by back-to-back low-pressure areas over the Bay of Bengal had caused flooding in 20 districts. 17 people have lost their lives due to wall collapse and by slipping into swollen rivers. Around 2.65 lakh people were marooned by vast sheets of water in 340 villages and 57,824 people were being served cooked food after their evacuation from water-logged houses. Approximately 10,382 houses and 1.68 lakh hectare of cropland were affected by the flood.

C) The current banking challenge is the most intractable one even before COVID-19: Urjit Patel

In his first interaction with a journalist after stepping down from the Reserve Bank of India, former Governor Urjit Patel spoke about his new book, Overdraft: Saving the Indian Saver, in a conversation on invitation from the Pune International Centre. In the banking sector in India, which he has observed at various distances over the last 30 years, it’s the other way round. The macroeconomic problems have created a financial sector crisis periodically. The current banking challenge is the most intractable one even before COVID19. We have a tendency to make a premature pronouncement of victory over any challenge that we desire to solve. We get tired very quickly. 

D) PM touts India’s potential to become ‘toy hub’.

On 30 August, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India has the talent and the ability to become a toy hub for the entire world. So, he called upon startups to work towards understanding this potential by being vocal about local toys. He said that the global toy industry is over ₹7 lakh crore but the share of India in it is very small. So, he focused on the need to work to increase the share of India in the global toy industry. He called upon start-up entrepreneurs to ‘team up for toys’ and said that it is the time to get vocal for local toys. He also stressed on the young entrepreneurs that they should develop computer games to increase our share. 

 

E) COVID watch – Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stands at 36,12,916 with the death toll at 64,604. A record single-day spike of 78,761 infections has pushed India’s COVID-19 tally to above 35 lakh.

F) The Tamil Nadu government announced its guidelines for Unlock 4. The Tamil Nadu government has announced its guidelines for Unlock 4 on 30 August, a day after the Union Home Ministry announced its guidelines for Unlock 4. The relaxations that were announced by the state are the opening of all places of worship, shopping malls, showrooms, and big formal stores that can open with 100% staff and metro rail services to resume from September 7. Educational Institutions, amusement parks, and other similar places will remain shut. Parks will be open only for normal walking and exercise and not for any kind of gatherings. Shops that supply essentials can stay open till 8 p.m. Restaurants and tea shops between 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and parcel services till 9 p.m.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) Singapore to offer free tests to taxi drivers, hawkers

Singapore will offer free COVID-19 tests to community groups such as taxi drivers, food delivery workers, and hawkers in order to increase the testing rate. The government on 29 August has announced that the costs of the tests will be given by the government. To date, there are 56,771 confirmed cases of COVID19 in Singapore, in which 55,447 have fully recovered from the infection. Meanwhile, the government has reminded the people to use face coverings, Masks, sanitizers to prevent coronavirus. The government also tells to avoid the use of makeshift coverings for the face as scarves, etc. because these materials cannot be used to prevent the spread of the virus. They are not specifically made for the prevention of the disease. 

B) White House ends key briefings to Congress. 

The White House has announced to end in-person briefings to congressional intelligence committees about foreign election interference because of the accusations made on them on 29 August that they were taking Russian help for the re-election of US President Donald Trump. This announcement has made before 2 months of upcoming elections in which Donald Trump threatened foreign interference and accuses the democrats that they have leaked some sensitive information. He also said that the Congress will continue to access the classified written reports. But the lawmakers will no longer be able to question the officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). The Congress democrats described this move as a shameful act and accused Donald Trump of covering up the Russian Interference. 

C) TikTok’s sale in the U.S. may need China’s approval

As per the new rules announced by China, the Byte Dance sale of US TikTok operation could need the approval of Beijing. Application ByteDance has been ordered by US President Donald Trump in order to divest  TikTok which is challenging the order in the United States because of security reasons over the personal data it handles. Late on 28 August, China has revised a list of technologies that are banned or restricted for the first time in 12 years in other countries. On 30 August, ByteDance said that it has noted the revisions to the technology of export list of China and it would strictly be governed by the rules while dealing with matters related to it. The Ministry of Commerce of China has added 23 items to the restricted list which can take up to a month for approval to technology export.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
30 August 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

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

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

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

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

C) COVID Watch: Numbers and Developments

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

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

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

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

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

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

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

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

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

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

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

SPORTS NEWS 

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

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

CURRENT AFFAIRS
29 August 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

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

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

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

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

C) Covid watch: Numbers and Developments.

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

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

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

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

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

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

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

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

SPORTS NEWS 

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

CURRENT AFFAIRS
28 August 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

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

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

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

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

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

C) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.

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

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

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

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

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

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

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

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

B) TikTok CEO resigns from his post. 

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

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

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

CURRENT AFFAIRS
27 August 2020

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

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

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

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

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

C) Mizoram complains to the Centre about Assam Rifles.

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

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

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

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Phase 2 trials of Oxford Covid19 vaccine begins. 

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

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

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

C) Israel strikes Hezbollah’s posts.

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