Category: Current Affairs

CURRENT AFFAIRS
16 January 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) No breakthrough in Centre-farm union talks.

The ninth round of talks between the Centre and farmers unions on Friday failed to break the impasse over the demand to repeal the three contentious farm reform laws. Its main achievement was to establish that these direct dialogues will continue, in parallel with the Supreme Court-appointed panel’s proceedings on the same issue. In fact, the date for the tenth round of talks was set for January 19, the same day as the court-appointed panel is likely to hold its own first meeting. The protesting farm unions have refused to participate in the proceedings of the court-appointed committee, but were apprehensive that the Centre would use the court’s order as an excuse to end the direct negotiation process. However, it has now been agreed that this process will continue. A solution can emerge from the Centre’s talks with farmers as well as from the court-appointed panel’s deliberations, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar told journalists after the meeting. He emphasized that the Centre is fully committed to the Supreme Court’s order and will present its perspective to the court-appointed panel when invited to do so. He accepted that the unions wish to continue their own dialogue with the government alone, but emphasized the court is the supreme authority in the country, and that its panel would also work in the interests of farmers’ welfare. Earlier, the farmer unions also raised allegations of government intimidation and harassment against their movement and its supporters. The Haryana government has filed FIRs against protestors there, while the National Intelligence Agency, which comes under the Union Home Ministry, has been interrogating Punjab transporters who provide logistics support to the transporters, said Rakesh Tikait, who heads one faction of the Bharatiya Kisan Union. On their side, the unions explicitly clarified that their movement has nothing to do with the Sikhs for Justice organization, which has been making inflammatory statements.

B) Supreme Court to hear farmers’ protests case on Monday. 

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the farmers’ protests case on Monday amid media reports that one of the four members of its expert committee, set up on January 12 to negotiate between the government and farmers, has recused himself. The case list on January 18 shows that the court is to pass orders/directions on a plea by the government to injunct protesters from holding tractor marches to disrupt the Republic Day celebrations on January 26. There is also a change in the composition of judges on the Bench sitting on Monday. The Bench, though still headed by Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde, would have Justices L. Nageswara Rao and Vineet Saran as puisne judges. The Bench, on January 12, when it had stayed the implementation of the three farm laws and formed the committee, had Justices A.S. Bopanna and V. Ramasubramanian accompany the CJI. The Supreme Court has agreed to examine a plea made by the Centre seeking an injunction order against any proposed tractor, trolley or vehicle march or any other kind of protest by farmers to disrupt the Republic Day events. The Supreme Court has agreed to examine a plea made by the Centre seeking an injunction order against any proposed tractor, trolley or vehicle march or any other kind of protest by farmers to disrupt the Republic Day events. It is to be seen whether the court on Monday would take note of the recusal of Bhupinder Singh Mann, National President, Bhartiya Kisan Union and All India Kisan Coordination Committee, from the expert panel. The committee is supposed to start work in 10 days and submit a report in two months. However, the stated objective of the Monday hearing is to address the Centre’s apprehension about protesters disrupting the Republic Day ceremonies. It has come to the knowledge of the security agencies through various sources that a small group of protesting individuals/organisations have planned to carry out a tractor/trolley/vehicle march on Republic Day. The proposed march is slated to disturb and disrupt the August celebrations of the nation on Republic Day and would be bound to create a massive law and order situation, the government application has said.

C) WhatsApp chats between Arnab Goswami and ex-BARC CEO leaked.

Transcripts of WhatsApp conversations between Republic TV’s editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami and Partho Dasgupta, the former CEO of Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), which were part of a supplementary charge sheet filed by the Mumbai Police in the TRP-fixing case, were leaked today and were trending on social media. The transcripts of the WhatsApp messages intercepted via Dasgupta’s phone, running into more than 1,000 pages, show many instances of him asking Goswami to reach out to the government on his behalf. In one such instance, April 4, 2019, just days before the general elections, Dasgupta asked Goswami to stall the Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRAI)’s proposal to make the BARC’s viewing data public instead of just supplying them to the channels. Dasgupta tells Goswami that if the data is made public, many channels could be blacked out by Multi System Operators (MSOs) and Local Cable Operators (LCOs). With public data MSOs and LCOs will push you guys for more carriage, Dasgupta says. At this, Goswami assures him that when the BJP government returns to power after the 2019 elections, the TRAI won’t have teeth. He also asks Dasgupta to send him points on how these reforms could politically hurt the government. There are also many instances in the transcripts that show Goswami boasting about his proximity to the PMO and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, with him detailing his visits to Delhi to meet various ministers. There is another instance where he says that all the ministers are with them. Goswami also complains about other news channels getting better ratings than his and Dasgupta assures him that necessary steps will be taken to clean the data. Posting a screenshot of the chats, senior Supreme Court lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan tweeted that these are a few snapshots of the damning leaked WhatsApp chats between BARC CEO & #ArnabGoswami. They show many conspiracies & unprecedented access to power in this govt; gross abuse of his media & his position as power broker. In any Rule of law country, he would be in jail for long.

D) Indian scientists divided over nod for Covaxin. 

While 3,000 sites across India are all set to vaccinate 300 million high-risk individuals, beginning with healthcare workers from January 16, scientists and doctors are divided over the restricted use approval granted to the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin, a Covid-19 vaccine. In a tweet on January 14, the Health Ministry said both Covishield and Covaxin, approved for restricted use by the Indian regulator, are safe. The Health Ministry released a statement made by four-dozen scientists and doctors in India who collectively assure the safety of both the vaccines. After Gagandeep Kang, Professor of Microbiology at CMC Vellore, told The Hindu that she will not take Covaxin in the absence of efficacy data, 12 other scientists, including Partha P. Majumder from the National Institute of Biomedical Genomics, Kalyani, have issued a statement asking for efficacy data before vaccination. While acknowledging the safety and the promising immunogenicity data of Covaxin, they said: It is imperative that relevant data from the larger Phase-3 trial become available before administering the vaccine to large numbers of people. Providing a vaccine without adequate efficacy data can lead to a false sense of security among vaccine recipients. They also added a greater degree of transparency prior to the start of the vaccination programme is essential. This is especially true for Covaxin, for which phase-3 safety and efficacy data are not yet available.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Mounting pressure on China, U.S. blacklists Xiaomi, CNOOC.

The U.S. government has blacklisted Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi Corp. and China’s third-largest national oil company for alleged military links, heaping pressure on Beijing in President Donald Trump’s last week in office. The Department of Defense added nine companies to its list of Chinese firms with military links, including Xiaomi and state-owned plane manufacturer Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (Comac). U.S. investors will have to divest their stakes in Chinese companies on the military list by November this year, according to an executive order signed by Mr. Trump last November. Xiaomi did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Apple Inc. as the world’s No. 3 smartphone maker by sales in the third quarter of 2020, according to data by Gartner. Separately, the Commerce Department put China National Offshore Oil Corp. (CNOOC) on the entity list, an economic blacklist that forbids U.S. firms from exporting or transferring technology with the companies named unless permission has been obtained from the U.S. government. The move comes after about 60 Chinese companies were added to the list in December, including drone maker DJI and semiconductor firm SMIC. CNOOC has been involved in offshore drilling in the disputed waters South China Sea, where Beijing has overlapping territorial claims with other countries including Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei, Taiwan, and Malaysia. China’s reckless and belligerent actions in the South China Sea and its aggressive push to acquire sensitive intellectual property and technology for its militarization efforts are a threat to U.S. national security and the security of the international community, U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said. CNOOC acts as a bully for the People’s Liberation Army to intimidate China’s neighbours, he added.

B) After U.S., Russia pulls out of Open Skies treaty.

Russia announced on Friday it was pulling out of the Open Skies treaty, saying that the pact, which allows unarmed surveillance flights over member countries, had been seriously compromised by the withdrawal of the United States. The move, announced by Russia’s Foreign Ministry, comes days before U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s January 20 inauguration amid fears of a burgeoning arms race. Moscow’s last major nuclear arms pact with Washington is set to expire next month. The United States left the Open Skies arms control and verification treaty in November, accusing Russia of violating it, something Moscow denied. Russia said in a statement that Moscow had made specific proposals to other members to mitigate against the impact of the U.S. exit but that those proposals were not backed by Washington’s allies. Moscow will formally notify other member states about its exit once it has completed unspecified withdrawal procedures at home, it said. The exit process usually takes months to be finalised. Sharing of intelligence Russia has raised concerns that despite leaving the treaty Washington could potentially retain access to overflight intelligence gathered by allies who remain members in the treaty. The Kommersant newspaper reported earlier that Moscow had tried to get guarantees from other countries that they would not share such intelligence with the U.S. but had not been given any assurances. Arms control tensions have been rising between Moscow and Washington and New START, their last remaining major nuclear arms control treaty, is set to expire in February. Mr. Biden has said he’s keen to renew it but it remains unclear for how long.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
15 January 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Modi to launch vaccination drive on January 16. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the pan-India rollout of COVID-19 vaccination drive on January 16 at 10:30 am via video conferencing, said a release issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on Thursday. It added that this will be the world’s largest vaccination programme covering the entire length and breadth of the country. A total of 3006 session sites across all States and UTs will be virtually connected during the launch. Around 100 beneficiaries will be vaccinated at each session site on the inaugural day, said the release. The vaccination programme will use Co-WIN, an online digital platform developed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, which will facilitate real time information of vaccine stocks, storage temperature and individualised tracking of beneficiaries for COVID-19 vaccine. This digital platform will assist programme managers across all levels while conducting vaccination sessions. A dedicated 24×7 call centre – 1075 – has also been established for addressing the queries related to COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine rollout and the Co-WIN software. Adequate doses of both COVISHIELD and COVAXIN have already been delivered across the country to all States/UTs with the active support of the Ministry of Civil Aviation. These have been further delivered by the State/UT governments to the districts. All preparations are in place to initiate the programme on the principles of Jan Bhagidari, added the release.

B) No foreign leader as chief guest for Republic Day this year. 

For the first time in several decades, India’s Republic Day festivities will be held at Rajpath without a foreign leader as chief guest. Due to the global COVID-19 situation, it was decided not to have a foreign head of state or head of government as R-Day chief guest, Anurag Srivastava, Spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs said at a regular media briefing in New Delhi on Thursday. U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was supposed to be the chief guest for this year’s Republic Day event. However, he had to cancel his visit owing to the COVID-19 situation in his country. Foreign leaders have graced the Republic Day parades every year barring 1952, 1953 and 1966. The then Indonesian President Sukarno was the first chief guest to grace Republic Day in 1950. In 2020, Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro was the chief guest. In 2018, the entire Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leadership comprising 10 heads of states were present in the Republic Day parade.

C) BKU leader Mann recuses himself from SC committee on farm laws. 

Bhartiya Kisan Union president Bhupinder Singh Mann on Thursday said he is recusing himself from the four-member committee appointed by the Supreme Court to resolve the impasse between farmers and the Centre over the new agri-marketing laws. Farmer unions and opposition parties had raised doubts over the composition of the panel, insisting that its members have been in favour of the three laws in the past. Mr. Mann said he is thankful to the apex court for nominating him on the panel but would give up any position to prevent farmers’ interests from being compromised. As a farmer myself and a union leader, in view of the prevailing sentiments and apprehensions amongst the farm unions and the public in general, he is ready to sacrifice any position offered or given to him so as to not compromise the interests of Punjab and farmers of the country, he said in a statement. The apex court had on Tuesday stayed the implementation of the three central laws till further orders and announced the formation of a committee to hear the grievances of the farmers and the opinion of the government. Apart from Mr. Mann , Shetkari Sanghatana (Maharashtra) president Anil Ghanwat, International Food Policy Research Institute’s Pramod Kumar Joshi and agriculture economist Ashok Gulati were appointed on the panel.

D) Google removes some personal loan apps from Playstore amidst concerns. 

Google on Thursday said it had removed some personal loan apps from its application store after reviewing hundreds of such apps for violation of user safety policies. The move follows reports over many such applications, who are not authorised lenders, targeting vulnerable borrowers to offer loans at very high interest rates and then using extreme measures for recovery of money. They have reviewed hundreds of personal loan apps in India, based on flags submitted by users and government agencies. The apps that were found to violate their user safety policies were immediately removed from the Store, and they have asked the developers of the remaining identified apps to demonstrate that they comply with applicable local laws and regulations, Suzanne Frey, vice-president, Product, Android Security and Privacy, said in a blog post. She added that the apps that failed to do so would be removed without further notice. Google, she said, would continue to assist the law enforcement agencies in their investigation of this issue. Personal loan apps have received attention recently, and we wanted to clarify the action we have taken on these apps on Google Play, she said.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Donald Trump becomes first U.S. President to be impeached twice.

President Donald Trump was impeached by the U.S. House for a historic second time on January 13, charged with incitement of insurrection over the deadly mob siege of the Capitol in a swift and stunning collapse of his final days in office. With the Capitol secured by armed National Guard troops inside and out, the House voted 232-197 to impeach Mr. Trump. The proceedings moved at lightning speed, with lawmakers voting just one week after violent pro-Mr. Trump loyalists stormed the U.S. Capitol, urged on by the President’s calls for them to fight like hell against the election results. Ten Republicans voted to impeach Mr. Trump, joining Democrats who said he needed to be held accountable and warned ominously of a clear and present danger if Congress should leave him unchecked before Democrat Joe Biden’s inauguration Jan. 20.

B) Mr. Trump is the only U.S. President to be twice impeached.

The Capitol insurrection stunned and angered lawmakers, who were sent scrambling for safety as the mob descended. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi invoked Abraham Lincoln and the Bible, imploring lawmakers to uphold their oath to defend the Constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic. She said of Mr. Trump: He must go, he is a clear and present danger to the nation that they all love. The soonest Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell would start an impeachment trial is next Tuesday, the day before Mr. Trump is already set to leave the White House, Mr. McConnell’s office said. The legislation is also intended to prevent Mr. Trump from ever running again.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
14 January 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Agri Ministry denies RTI query on farm law consultations, claiming it is sub-judice.

The Agriculture Ministry has denied a Right to Information (RTI) request for details on pre-legislative consultations on the farm reform laws, saying the matter is sub judice. In its response, the Ministry cited the clause from the RTI Act that exempts information which has been expressly forbidden to be published by a court of law or whose disclosure would amount to contempt of court. This comes after an earlier response claiming that the Ministry did not have any record of such consultations. RTI activist Anjali Bhardwaj had filed her request on December 11, asking for specific details regarding stakeholder consultations held before the Centre promulgated three ordinances on agricultural reforms in June. Within the 30-day period given to respond, two Central Public Information Officers in the agricultural marketing divisions of the Ministry disposed of her request, saying that they did not have any record of such consultations. On January 13, Bhardwaj received a fresh response from a CPIO who had previously passed on the request. It is informed that the information being sought for has been challenged in various Hon’ble High Courts as well as Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. As such being a sub-judice matter it may not be feasible at this moment to provide information under Section 8(1)(b) of RTI Act, 2005, said the CPIO, adding that the delay in providing a reply is due to the Covid-19 situation.

B) Adultery can’t be decriminalised for armed forces, govt. tells SC. 

The Supreme Court on Wednesday admitted a petition filed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) seeking to exempt armed forces personnel from the ambit of a Constitution Bench judgment of 2018 that decriminalised adultery. A three-judge Bench led by Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman said the plea had to be considered by a Constitution Bench because the original verdict, striking down Section 497 (adultery) of the Indian Penal Code, was pronounced by a five-judge Bench in September 2018. The court referred the case to the Chief Justice of India to pass appropriate orders to form a five-judge Bench to clarify the impact of the 2018 judgment on the armed forces. The government said in the petition that personnel of the Army, Navy and the Air Force were a distinct class. They were governed by special legislations, the Army Act, the Navy Act, and the Air Force Act. Adultery amounted to an unbecoming conduct and a violation of discipline under these three Acts. These special laws imposed restrictions on the fundamental rights of the personnel, who function in a peculiar situation requiring utmost discipline. The three laws were protected by Article 33 of the Constitution, which allowed the government to modify the fundamental rights of the armed forces personnel. The judgment of 2018 created instability, it said, because it allowed a peronnel charged with carrying on an adulterous or illicit relationship to take cover under the judgment. Discipline necessary for the performance of duty, crucial for national safety, would break down and the provisions of the Acts should be allowed to continue to govern the personnel as a distinct class, irrespective of the 2018 judgment, the petition argued.

C) Publication of notice under Special Marriage Act optional; mandatory notice invades privacy: Allahabad HC.

In a significant judgment affecting interfaith couples seeking to get married under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, the Allahabad High Court has ruled that it would be optional and not mandatory for them to publish a notice about their intended marriage. The provision for mandatory publication of notice, derived through simplistic reading of the particular law, would invade the fundamental rights of liberty and privacy, including within its sphere freedom to choose for marriage without interference from state and non-state actors, of the persons concerned, the court said in a judgment delivered on January 12. Since the matter relates to protection of fundamental rights of a large number of persons, the judge directed the senior registrar of the court to send a copy of the order to U.P. Chief Secretary. The same is to be communicated to all the marriage officers in the State and other concerned authorities as expeditiously as possible. Justice Vivek Chaudhary mandated that while giving notice under Section 5 of the Special Marriage Act, 1954, it shall be optional for the parties to the intended marriage to make a request in writing to the marriage officer to publish or not to publish a notice under Section 6 and follow the procedure of objections as prescribed under the Act. In case they do not make such a request for publication of notice in writing, while giving notice under Section 5 of the Act, the Marriage Officer shall not publish any such notice or entertain objections to the intended marriage and proceed with the solemnisation of the marriage, the court said. The requirement of publication of notice under Section 6 and inviting or entertaining objections under Section 7 can only be read as directory in nature, to be given effect only on request of parties to the intended marriage and not otherwise, the court observed in a 47-page judgment.

E) Govt defers polio immunisation programme. 

The National Polio immunisation programme, as part of which children in the age group of 0-5 years are administered polio drops, has been deferred till further notice by the Centre citing unforeseen activities. The National Immunisation Day (NID), commonly known as Pulse Polio Immunisation programme, was scheduled for January 17 across India. The Union Health Ministry has communicated the decision to defer the polio immunisation programme to all states through a letter on January 9. This is to inform that due to unforeseen activities, it is decided to postpone the scheduled Polio NID (National Immunisation Day) round from January 17, 2021 till further notice, stated the letter sent to the Principal Secretary in the Health department of all states. Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Harsh Vardhan had said on January 8 that polio immunisation will be carried out on January 17. The country will launch its Covid-19 vaccination drive from January 16.

F) HAL to make 83 jets for IAF in biggest indigenous defence deal.

In what is effectively the largest procurement deal for an indigenous defence product, the Cabinet Committee on Security which met on Wednesday approved the procurement of 83 Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) MK-1A for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The aircraft will be manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The CCS chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today approved the largest indigenous defence procurement deal, worth about ₹48,000 crore, to strengthen IAF’s fleet of homegrown fighter jet LCA-Tejas, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in a tweet. This deal will be a game changer for self-reliance in Indian defence manufacturing, he added. The indigenous content of LCA-Tejas is 50% in MK-1A variant, and it will be further enhanced to 60%, Singh said. The first LCA MK-1A is expected to roll out in 2023-24, after which HAL plans to ramp up the production rate to 16 aircraft per year.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) U.S. House of Representatives opens Donald Trump impeachment session. 

The Democrat-controlled U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday opened debate on a historic second impeachment of President Donald Trump over his supporters’ attack of the Capitol that left five dead. Lawmakers in the lower chamber are expected to vote for impeachment around 3 p.m. ET on Wednesday (1.30 a.m. IST on Thursday), marking the formal opening of proceedings against Trump. Trump is on the verge of being impeached for a second time in the unprecedented House vote, a week after he encouraged a mob of loyalists to fight like hell against election results just before they stormed the U.S. Capitol in a deadly siege. While Trump’s first impeachment in 2019 brought no Republican votes in the House, a small but significant number of leaders and lawmakers are breaking with the party to join Democrats, saying Trump violated his oath to protect and defend U.S. democracy. If inviting a mob to insurrection against your own government is not an impeachable event, then what is?said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., a drafter of the article of impeachment. Trump, who would become the only U.S. President twice impeached, faces a single charge of incitement of insurrection. At least five Republican lawmakers, including third-ranking House GOP leader Liz Cheney of Wyoming, announced they would vote to impeach Trump, cleaving the Republican leadership, and the party itself. The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack, Cheney said in a statement. There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.

B) Trump is a clear and present danger : Pelosi. 

President Donald Trump is on the verge of being impeached for a second time in a fast-moving House vote, just a week after he encouraged loyalists to tight like hell against election results and then a mob of his supporters stormed the US. Capitol. During debate on Wednesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked Republicans and Democrats to search their souls ahead of the historic afternoon vote. Mr. Trump would be the first American president to be impeached twice. Trump must go, Ms. pelosi said. He is a clear and present danger to the nation we all love. A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Republican leader would not agree to bring the chamber back immediately, ensuring a Senate trial could begin at least until January 19, a day before the inauguration of President elect Joe Biden. While Mr. Trump’s first impeachment in 2019 brought no Republican votes the House, several GOP leaders and other lawmakers are breaking with the party to join democrats this time, saying Mr. Trump violated his oath to protect and defend U.S. democracy.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
13 January 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Supreme Court suspends farm laws, forms committee despite farmers’ objections. 

 

The Supreme Court on Tuesday suspended the implementation of three controversial farm laws, terming its order the victory of fair play. If there is a victory at all, it is the victory of fair play, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad A. Bobde corrected senior advocate Harish Salve. The CJI was responding to an apprehension expressed by Salve that the stay on the implementation of the laws should not be misconstrued by some as a political victory of sorts. The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act shall be stayed until further notice, Chief Justice Bobde said at the end of an hour-long virtual court hearing. The stay on their implementation means the Centre cannot, for the time being, proceed with any executive actions on the basis of the three laws. The court formed an expert committee to hear the apprehensions raised by farmers against the laws. The committee is composed of Bhupinder Singh Mann, agriculture economist Ashok Gulati, Dr. Pramod Kumar Joshi (former director, National Academy of Agricultural Research Management) and Anil Ghanwat from Shetkari Sangathan. The committee will report back to the court. Interestingly, all the panel members have a track record of endorsing the farm laws a fact that has caused outrage among the agitating farmers. 

B) Will continue protest, won’t appear before ‘pro-government’ panel, say farmers. 

Farmer unions protesting against the new agriculture-marketing laws on Tuesday disapproved of the Supreme Court-appointed committee and said they will not appear before the panel. Addressing a press conference at the Singhu border near Delhi, union leaders asserted that the members of the committee formed by the top court are pro-government. The members of the SC-appointed committee are not dependable as they have been writing on how agri laws are pro-farmer. They will continue their agitation, farmer leader Balbeer Singh Rajewal told the press conference. Another farmer leader Darshan Pal Singh said they will not appear before any committee, and added that the Parliament should discuss and resolve this issue. They don’t want any external committee, he said. However, the farmer leaders said they would attend the January 15 meeting with the government. Before the Samyukt Kisan Morcha meeting, Singh, the Krantikari Kisan Union president said, all the members of the committee have already declared themselves in favour of the three laws, so what is the point of this fraud exercise? Bhupinder Singh Mann, he is from Punjab, and he has already met the Agriculture Minister and expressed support for the laws. Anil Ghanwat is from the Shetkari Sangathan, both do not speak for farmers interests. [Agricultural economist] Ashok Gulati is known to be a government man. Pramod Kumar Joshi, the fourth member of the panel, has also supported the farm sector reforms.

C) CJI not in favour of resuming physical. Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde on Tuesday disagreed with the idea of resuming physical hearings in the Supreme Court, saying the court did not want to be the cause of fatalities due to the spread of coronavirus. They have been facing closedown of courts for nearly a year. It is dangerous to get a congregation of people in courts. They do not want the number of fatalities to increase due to the courts, Chief Justice Bobde said. They will take appropriate decision after consulting medical authorities, the CJI said. The three-judge Bench was hearing a suo motu case seeking financial aid to young lawyers struggling to make ends meet during the pandemic. One of the lawyers had sought a physical court hearing in the case. During the hearing, senior advocate P.S. Narasimha, as a senior member of the Bar, said Bar Councils were ready to stand guarantee for government loans of up to ₹3 lakh to young, struggling lawyers. But the Chief Justice said the Bar and affluent lawyers should contribute more than what they had already done. Ways to channelise funds from the Bar should be devised. The Bar has primary responsibility to these lawyers. The government has only a secondary responsibility, the Chief Justice said.

D) Carlsberg India probes find ‘potential improper payments’, child labour. 

An investigation of alleged unlawful practices at Carlsberg India found potential improper payments to government officials and other regulatory lapses, its former auditor said in a document seen by Reuters. Reports by a different global consultancy, also seen by Reuters and previously unreported, disclosed other lapses at Carlsberg India Pvt Ltd in 2018, including child labour. The findings cast a fresh shadow on operations and compliance practices at the Indian joint venture of Danish brewer Carlsberg A/S, which has a 17% share of India’s $7 billion beer market. Carlsberg’s probes and a boardroom dispute come amid other challenges: an antitrust investigation last year concluded that Carlsberg India colluded for years on prices with rivals, though a final ruling is pending. An India affiliate of the Price waterhouse Coopers (PwC ) network recently resigned as Carlsberg India’s financial auditor after declining for two years in a row to give an opinion on the brewer’s financials, amid boardroom tussles and internal probes into local practices, Reuters reported in November. Since at least 2019, Carlsberg had been probing allegations levelled by some past and current employees around promotion of alcohol in prohibited areas, kickbacks, and bribery.

E) Will hold ground along LAC as long as it takes: Gen. Naravane. 

Army Chief Gen. Manoj Naravane on Tuesday asserted that the Army was ready to hold territory as long as it took along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh to achieve the national objective, and noted that a collusive threat from China and Pakistan existed and India must be ready for it. Every summer, for training, a number of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) units come to Tibet and go back. These are, in terms of depth, anything from 500-1,500 km from the border. They should not lay too much significance on these comings and goings. But they keep an eye on them as they can be moved to the front in 24-48 hours, he said, at the Army’s annual press conference. There has been no reduction in the friction areas or where they are in eyeball to eyeball situations, he said, in response to questions on whether China has withdrawn some troops from the depth areas.

F) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 1,04,91,964 with the death toll at 1,51,531. As part of the sequential rollout, the vaccination of about 1 crore health workers will begin on January 16, followed by two crore frontline workers, then of the nearly 27 crore people aged 50 years or older, and finally those below this age limit but with co-morbidities, Health Secretary Rajeev Bhushan said. The cost of vaccination of health care and frontline workers will be borne by the Central government. Vaccines will first reach four major stores in Karnal, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai. All States have at least one State-level regional vaccine store. 54.72 lakh doses have already been received till 4 p.m. today, and 100% of the doses will be received by January 14 in all States and Union Territories. In a related development, the Centre on Tuesday announced that it has agreed to procure 55 lakh doses of Bharat Biotech’s vaccine against the coronavirus. Of these, 38.5 lakh doses will be priced at ₹295 each. Earlier in the day, Serum Institute of India (SII) Chief Executive Officer Adar Poonawalla said the company has given a special price of ₹200 for the first 10 crore doses of the coronavirus vaccine only to India, in order to support the common man and the health workers.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Worries rise over more violence in U. S. 

U.S. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf announced his resignation unexpectedly on Monday as worries rose over more violence during President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration next week. Mr. Wolf’s departure as head of the body in charge of security for the January 20 event came five days after President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, hoping to prevent Mr. Biden from replacing him. The Homeland Security Department oversees several law enforcement bodies, including the Secret Service, the point agency for security for the White House and the U.S. President. Mr. Wolf named Pete Gaynor to replace him. But the move did not end questions over whether the U.S. capital city would be adequately secure over the coming week. An internal FBI document warned of the possibility that armed Trump supporters could hold protests in all 50 States between the coming weekend and January 20, according to U.S. media. The White House issued a statement saying that Mr. Trump had declared that an emergency exists in the District of Columbia and ordered Federal assistance to supplement the District’s response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from the 59th Presidential Inauguration from January 11 to January 24, 2021. 

B) Malaysia declares state of emergency over virus surge. 

Malaysia’s king declared a nationwide state of emergency on Tuesday to fight a coronavirus surge and Parliament was suspended, with critics charging that it was a bid by the unstable government to cling to power. The surprise move came a day after the Prime Minister announced sweeping new curbs across much of the Southeast Asian nation, including the closure of most businesses, and warned the health system was at breaking point. Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah agreed to declare an emergency until August 1 following a request from Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, the national palace said in a statement. It is the first time Malaysia has declared a national state of emergency in over half a century and Mr. Muhyiddin, in a televised address, confirmed Parliament would be suspended and elections would not take place for the time being. Not a coup, says PM But the leader, whose 10 month-old administration is showing signs of falling apart, insisted that the civilian government will continue to function. The emergency declaration is not a military coup and a curfew will not be enforced, he said, insisting that he was committed to holding a general election once the outbreak is brought under control.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
12 January 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) SC says it intends to stay farm laws.

The Supreme Court on Monday said it intended to stay the implementation of the controversial agricultural laws while proposing to form an independent committee chaired by a former Chief Justice of India to amicably resolve the stand-off between the protesting farmers and the Union government. A three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad A. Bobde underlined its disappointment at the Centre’s handling of the farmers’ protest, including the string of failed talks, States up in rebellion, suicides among protestors, and the sight of aged farmers, women and children suffering in the biting cold amid the pandemic even as Republic Day looms close. Meanwhile, the Centre has filed an urgent affidavit saying that there is a misconception being propagated that government held no discussions or consultations with any Committee before the Farm Acts were passed. The Agriculture Ministry said that this was an erroneous notion being spread by the protestors and that most farming communities were happy with the laws. In another development, Delhi Police, in a separate intervention in the Supreme Court, has sought an order of injunction against any tractor rallies by farmers on Republic Day.

B) PM-KISAN payouts worth ₹ 1,364 cr went to 20 lakh ‘wrong’ beneficiaries: RTI info.

PM-KISAN payments worth ₹ 1,364 crore have been wrongly made to more than 20 lakh ineligible beneficiaries and income tax payer farmers, according to information provided by the Agriculture Ministry in response to an RTI request from activist Venkatesh Nayak. There are 11 crore beneficiaries registered under the scheme. Punjab tops the list of States where undeserving payouts were made, accounting for 23% of the people who wrongly received money. Maharashtra and Assam also saw large numbers of such payments. A number of State Agriculture Departments have now been tasked with recovering the money wrongly paid. PM-KISAN is the Centre’s flagship scheme to provide income support worth ₹6,000 per year to farming families. When it was launched just before general elections in 2019, it was meant to cover only small and marginal farmers who owned less than two hectares of agricultural land. Later that year, large farmers were included in the scheme as the government removed land size criteria. However, certain exclusions remained. If any member of a farming family paid income tax, received a monthly pension above ₹10,000, held a constitutional position, or was a serving or retired government employee, they were not eligible for the scheme. Professionals and institutional landholders were also excluded. Until July 2020, 20.5 lakh people who should have been excluded had wrongly received PM-Kisan payouts. According to the Agriculture Ministry’s response to the RTI query, 56% of these undeserving persons belonged to the income tax payee category, while the rest belonged to the ineligible farmers category. However, 72% of the payout amount was paid to income tax payees, indicating that this category continued to receive money for multiple installments before their ineligible status was discovered and they were weeded out of the scheme’s beneficiary database. Punjab (23%), Maharashtra (17%) and Assam (14%) accounted for more than half of the beneficiaries of wrong payments, followed by Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh with 8% each.

C) Bird flu outbreak confirmed in 10 states so far: Govt.

The Centre on Monday said bird flu has been confirmed in 10 states so far and stressed on increased surveillance around water bodies, live bird markets, zoos and poultry farms. Till January 11, 2021, Avian Influenza has been confirmed in 10 states of the country, the department of animal husbandry and dairying said in a statement. The outbreak was confirmed in seven states : Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh as on January 10. On Monday, bird flu has also been confirmed in Delhi, Uttarakhand and Maharashtra. States have been asked to build awareness among the public and avoid the spread of misinformation. States/ UTs have been requested to increase surveillance around water bodies, live bird markets, zoos, poultry farms, etc. along with proper disposal of carcass, and strengthening of biosecurity in poultry farms, it said. The Centre has also directed states to maintain adequate stock of PPE kits and accessories required for culling operations.

D) AAP MLA Somnath Bharti arrested in UP shortly after youth hurls ink at him. 

Aam Aadmi Party MLA Somnath Bharti on Monday had ink hurled at him in Rae Bareli and was arrested later for allegedly making objectionable remarks. Shocked to learn that his bail application has been kept pending till 13th January n he was sent to judicial custody of 14 days, Bharti tweeted. He was arrested on charges of criminal intimidation and promoting enmity between groups, the police said, following derogatory remarks allegedly referring to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the state’s hospitals. A little earlier, a youth hurled ink at the Delhi MLA when he was emerging out of a guest house. Superintendent of Police (of Rae Bareli) Shlok Kumar said, ink was thrown on the AAP MLA, and the matter is being probed. The arrest took place less than an hour after the ink-throwing incident. Shortly after ink was flung at him, Bharti retweeted a video clip in which he is heard using a derogatory term for Adityanath while talking about atrocities on women in the state. Amethi police arrested Bharti, a former Delhi minister, in Rae Bareli on the basis of a complaint filed by BJP worker Somnath Sahu over the alleged remarks made last week.

E) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments. 

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 1,04,76,734 with the death toll at 1,51,339. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday claimed that the two already approved made-in-India Covid-19 vaccines are more cost-effective than any other in the world, and have been developed as per the country’s needs. Interacting with chief ministers of all States to discuss the vaccine roll-out, Modi also said that apart from the two already approved vaccines, four others are in the pipeline. Public representatives are not part of the three crore corona warriors and frontline workers to be vaccinated first, Modi said. In the first phase, starting on January 16, the cost of vaccination for these three crore people would be borne by the central government, he added. Meanwhile, the government has placed a purchase order with Serum Institute of India (SII) for 11 million doses of the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine, Covishield, each costing ₹210, including GST. India’s drugs regulator has approved Covishield and the indigenously developed Covaxin of Bharat Biotech, for restricted emergency use in the country.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Trump could be impeached again.

The U.S House of Representatives plans to vote on a resolution on Monday to ask Vice- President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment, a statute by which the President Donald Trump can be removed on grounds of incapacitation. This comes days after Trump’s supporters attacked the Capitol building. If Pence does not invoke the statute, the House will consider impeaching Trump, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a letter to fellow House Democrats on Sunday evening (U.S. time). In protecting our Constitution and our Democracy, we will act with urgency, because this President represents an imminent threat to both. As the days go by, the horror of the ongoing assault on our democracy perpetrated by this President is intensified and so is the immediate need for action, Pelosi wrote. Given Pence’s apparent hesitation to invoke the 25th Amendment, it is highly likely the House will seek to impeach Trump this week. There are 10 days left in Trump’s term and if impeached, he will be the first President to be impeached twice. If convicted in the Senate, Trump could be barred from running for office again in the future.

B) WHO experts to visit China to trace origins of COVID-19.

Chinese authorities said on Monday a team of experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) will arrive in China on Thursday to study the origins of COVID-19. The trip had been scheduled for last week, but some members of the team were at the last minute told the trip would be delayed. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said last week he was very disappointed China had not permitted the trip, in rare criticism of Beijing from the agency. China’s National Health Commission said the team will arrive on Thursday to conduct joint research with Chinese scientists on the origin-tracing of the novel coronavirus. China’s Foreign Ministry said during the visit the international experts will hold exchanges with Chinese scientists and medical experts over scientific cooperation in origin-tracing. China’s decision to not permit the trip last week appeared to come at the last minute and catch the WHO by surprise, with some of the experts already having left home and in transit when told the visit would not take place. Investigations into the origins of the coronavirus have Zhao Lijian already become politicised. The WHO has been criticised, particularly by the United States, for its response to the pandemic and was de scribed by President Donald Trump as being China-centric and a puppet of China. China’s authorities for their part have suggested they will control how much access international scientists will have and that its scientists will have a say in how the investigations go forward.

SPORTS NEWS 

A) Third Test between India and Australia ends in a draw.

India’s Hanuma Vihari receives treatment to a leg injury during play on the final day of the third cricket test between India and Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney, Australia on January 11, 2021. Hanuma Vihari and Ravichandran Ashwin batted out the entire evening session on Day 5 to eke out a memorable draw against Australia in the third Test in Sydney on Monday. Vihari (23 not out off 161) and Ashwin (39 not out off 128), who got together in the 89th over of India’s second innings, batted for more than 42 overs. India ended up with 334 for five in 131 overs. Vihari, who was limping for a major part of his innings due to a hamstring injury, and Ashwin kept the Australians at bay with a marathon match-saving effort. The series remains tied at 1-1 going into the fourth and final Test, beginning at the Gabba in Brisbane on January 15.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
10 January 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) First phase of vaccination to start on January 16. 

India’s Covid-19 vaccination drive is scheduled to start on January 16, with priority given to an estimated three crore healthcare workers and frontline workers, the Health Ministry said on Saturday. It added that this will be followed by voluntary vaccination of those above 50 years of age and the under-50 population groups with co-morbidities, numbering around 27 crore. The announcement followed a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review the status of the pandemic in the country and the preparedness of States and Union Territories for the roll-out of the vaccine. Emergency Use Authorization or Accelerated Approval has been granted by the National Regulator for two vaccines : Covishield and Covaxin whose safety and immunogenicity have been established, the release said. The vaccination exercise will use the principles of people’s participation (Jan Bhagidari), and the experience of elections (booth strategy) and Universal Immunization Program (UIP). There will be no compromise of existing healthcare services, especially national programmes and primary health care. They aim for it to be an orderly and smooth implementation driven by technology, noted the release.

B) Former Gujarat Chief Minister Madhavsinh Solanki passes away.

Former Chief Minister of Gujarat and former Union Minister Madhavsinh Solanki passed away in Gandhinagar on Saturday. He was 94. A four-time Chief Minister, he was a Congress stalwart in Gujarat, where the party last won the Assembly polls under his leadership in 1985. The party then won 148 Assembly seats, which still remains a record in State politics. He also served as a Union Minister in the Rajiv Gandhi government. Solanki dominated Gujarat politics for decades and was regarded as a powerful politician and mass leader in the State. His social engineering theory KHAM (Kshatriya, Harijan, Adivasi, Muslim) proved to be a powerful base in electoral politics that won the Congress landslide victories over two decades. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of the leader. In a Twitter post, he said, Shri Madhavsinh Solanki Ji was a formidable leader, playing a key role in Gujarat politics for decades. He will be remembered for his rich service to society. Saddened by his demise. Spoke to his son, Bharat Solanki Ji and expressed condolences. Om Shanti. Solanki’s son Bharatsinh Solanki also served as Union Minister in the UPA and was Gujarat Congress president twice.

C) Kejriwal announces ban on import of live birds. 

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday announced a ban on the import of live birds to Delhi and ordered the shutting down of Ghazipur poultry market in the wake of the avian influenza Outbreak across the country. He said a 24 hour helpline 23890318 has been set up for the assistance of people and the Delhi government has collected 104 samples till now which haw been to a laboratory in Jalandhar. Three recreational parks, including the Hauz Khas park and the Dwarka Sector 9 park, and the famous Sanjay Lake were dosed by the authorities on Saturday as several birds were found dead on their premises in last couple of days. In the last few days, there have been several cases of bird flu across various parts of the country, which is a cause for worry. Cases of bird flu have been registered in Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh. Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. No confirmed case has been registered in Delhi until now, the Chief Minister said during a digital briefing. The Delhi government is following all guidelines and directions issued by the Central government with regard to the bird flu. Rapid response teams have been formed in every district to contain the spread and conduct proper surveillance. They win function under the District Magistrates, he said, According to Mr. Kejriwal, veterinary officers are conducting surveys in all bird markets, establishments and waterbodies across Delhi. The teams are specially focusing on the poultry market in Ghazipur, Shakti Sthal Lake, Bhalswa Lake, Sanjay lake, Delhi Zoo, DDA parks situated at Hauz Khas Village Pashchim Vihar and Dwarka.

D) Shriram City to focus on SME, gold loans.

Shriram City Union Finance Ltd., which has reached pre covid 19 levels in disbursements will focus on its core business of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and gold loans in FY22, a top official said. During December, they reached the pre-COVlD-19 levels in disbursements against the corresponding year-earlier period and also for Q3, said MD & CEO Y.S. Chakravarti. The first quarter was a washout. In the first half, they disbursed Rs. 4387 crore against 11,475 crore, he added. The disbursement in Q3 is about Rs. 6000 crore, and they hope to be able to keep up the momentum in Q4, the CEO said. The pongal season will drive two-wheeler sales in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Out of the total portfolio, SMEs accounted for 55%, personal loans 20%, and gold loans 7-8% he added. On an average, the nonbanking finance Company had been disbursing loans worth about Rs. 6000 crore quarter. It is targeting a growth of 12% to 15% during FY22 by prioritising lending to SMEs and for gold loans. While no new branches were being planned, Mr. Chakravarti said as far as SME loans were concerned, they would be entering new territories that could bring in additional revenue of Rs.400 crore to Rs. 500 crore in the first 12 months of operations. Currently, the company disburses SMEs loans of Rs. 12 lakh to Rs.15 lakh in five States, including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. This accounted for Rs. 1000 crore revenue during Q2 of FY21. The NBFC also distributes small ticket business loans of Rs.1 lakh. In retail lending, we can’t go beyond 18% and that’s why we are looking at growth over FY20, Mr. Chakravarti said. On gold loans, he said South India had a higher share in network and assets under management-contribution, especially in SME and gold loans. This is expected to increase in coming quarters due to business revival and festivals. Gold loan schemes would be introduced in Punjab and Haryana in a phased manner, he added.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Army apprehends Chinese soldier south of Pangong Tso. 

A Chinese soldier was apprehended in the early hours of January 8 on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the area south of the Pangong lake in eastern Ladakh, the Army said on Saturday. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldier had transgressed across the LAC and was taken into custody by Indian troops deployed in this area. The PLA soldier is being dealt with as per laid down procedures, and the circumstances under which he had crossed the LAC are being investigated, an Army statement said. Troops from either side are deployed along the LAC since a stand-off erupted in May last year due to unprecedented mobilisation and forward concentration by Chinese troops, the Army added. In a similar incident in October last year, a Chinese soldier identified as Corporal Wang Ya Long was apprehended in the Demchok area and was later handed over to the PLA. The Defence Ministry recently said that the Army has completed Advance Winter Stocking and winter preparations and troops are well entrenched to counter any misadventure by Chinese forces. With temperatures plummeting to minus 30 degrees Celsius and set to go down further, both sides have dug in for the harsh winter. The Army has deployed around 50,000 troops in addition to tanks and other equipment along the disputed boundary in eastern Ladakh to match the Chinese deployments since the beginning of the stand-off.

B) Boeing 737-500 plane feared crashed after losing contact in Indonesia. 

An Indonesian Sriwijaya Air plane is feared to have crashed into the sea after the Boeing 737 lost contact with air traffic control in the capital Jakarta, with flight tracking data suggesting that the jet plunged into a steep dive just four minutes after take-off. It was unclear how many passengers and crew were aboard Sriwijaya Air’s Boeing 737-500 when it left Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta international airport. It had a capacity of about 130. However, 62 passengers and crew were listed on an unconfirmed manifest, including seven children and three infants, local media reported. The usual flight time is about 90 minutes over the Java Sea between Java island and Kalimantan, Indonesia’s section of Borneo island. Data from FlightRadar24 said the plane reached an altitude of nearly 11,000 feet (3,350 metres) before dropping to 250 feet. It then lost contact with air traffic control. Sriwijaya Air flight #SJ182 lost more than 10,000 feet of altitude in less than one minute, about 4 minutes after departure from Jakarta, the tracking agency said on its official Twitter account. Broadcaster Kompas TV quoted local fishermen as saying they had found debris near islands off the coast of Jakarta, but it could not be immediately confirmed as belonging to the missing jet.

C) Trump banned permanently from Twitter; says he ‘won’t be silenced’.

Twitter has banned President Donald Trump’s account citing the risk of further incitement of violence. The social platform has been under growing pressure to take further action against Trump following the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Twitter had initially suspended Trump’s account for 12 hours after he posted a video that repeated false claims about election fraud and praised the rioters who stormed the Capitol. Trump has reacted by vowing that he and his support base would not be silenced. At the time of permanent suspension, he had 88.7 million followers and followed 51 people. In a statement hours after he was banned, Trump said that he predicted this would happen. They have been negotiating with various other sites, and will have a big announcement soon, while they also look at the possibilities of building out their own platform in the near future. They will not be silenced. Twitter is not about free speech. They are all about promoting a Radical Left platform where some of the most vicious people in the world are allowed to speak freely. Stay tuned, he said, indicating that some announcements in this regard were forthcoming. Twitter also started deleting new tweets posted by Trump on official government account @POTUS and suspended the account of his presidential campaign. The company said accounts used by Trump to try to get around the ban could face permanent suspension as well under its ban evasion policies.