CURRENT AFFAIRS
31 March 2021
NATIONAL NEWS:
A) COVID-19 surge has gone from ‘bad to worse’, says Health Ministry.
The COVID-19 situation in India has gone from bad to worse over the last few weeks, the Union Health Ministry said today. Trends show the virus is still very active and breaches our defences just when we think we can control it, VK Paul, the Chairman of National Expert Committee on Vaccine Administration said at the ministry briefing. Paul, however, denied that the mutated strains have a role to play in this surge. States, he said, are being told to enforce Covid-appropriate behaviour, including the use of masks. Use the law, use fine as an option, people need to wear a mask, he said. Delhi, taken as one district, is among the top ten Covid-19 high-burden districts. Eight such districts are from Maharashtra, he added. They have taken pride that fatality has been low. But the death rate is now at four times — at 271 from 73. The virus needs to be eliminated, Paul said. They want to emphasize that without contact tracing, quarantining, and isolation, they cannot contain the virus. There are 10 districts across the country that have the most number of active cases — Pune, Mumbai, Nagpur, Thane, Nashik, Aurangabad, Bengaluru Urban, Nanded, Delhi and Ahmednagar, health secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, adding, they have been in constant touch with officials to ensure higher rate of testing. The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 1,21,22,703 with the death toll at 1,63,684.
B) After backlash, Manipur retracts letter on Myanmar refugees.
The Manipur government has withdrawn the letter issued last week directing officials to not set up any camps for Myanmar nationals crossing the border into India and to politely turn away those seeking refuge. It appears that the contents of the letter have been misconstrued and interpreted differently. The State government has been taking all humanitarian steps, including taking them to Imphal, to treat the injured Myanmarese nationals. The State government continues to provide all aid, said H. Gyan Prakash, Special Secretary (Home) in Manipur government in the letter dated March 29. In order to avoid this misunderstanding he is directed to convey the decision of the government that it has decided to withdraw the letter dated 26.03.2021 mentioned above, Prakash added. Meanwhile, even though the Union Home Ministry asserted that the refugees should be identified and deported, the Mizoram government is planning to provide employment to refugees under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). The neighbouring state Mizoram, which shares a 510-km border with Myanmar, has been at odds with the Centre on the treatment of Myanmar nationals seeking refuge in India. Initially, the Mizoram government had issued guidelines directing officials to provide shelter to those crossing over following the coup on February1. The guidelines were withdrawn following directions from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
C) President Kovind undergoes successful bypass surgery.
President Ram Nath Kovind has undergone a successful bypass surgery at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the national capital on Tuesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said. He congratulate the team of doctors for the successful operation. Spoke to Director AIIMS to enquire about Rashtrapatiji’s health. Praying for his well-being and speedy recovery, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Twitter. Last Friday, Kovind visited the Army’s Research and Referral (R&R) Hospital following chest discomfort where he underwent routine check-up and was kept under observation. On Saturday, Kovind was shifted to AIIMS where after investigations, doctors advised him to undergo a bypass procedure, the Rashtrapati Bhavan had stated earlier.
D) Motor vehicle tax rebate proposed for scrapping old vehicles.
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has brought out a draft notification proposing concessions in motor vehicle tax for those who take their old vehicle for scrapping. The notification dated March 29 invites objections and suggestions to the proposal for a period of 30 days. The draft proposes up to 25% concession in motor vehicle tax for non-transport vehicles and up to 15% in case of transport vehicles upon submitting a Certificate of vehicle scrapping. The concession will be valid for a period of 15 years for non-transport vehicles and for 8 years for transport vehicles. The concession is among the several incentives planned by the Centre, including waiver of registration fees on purchase of new vehicles, to encourage scrapping of old vehicles.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
A) IS attack survivors stranded around Mozambique town.
Thousands of Palma residents remained stranded on Tuesday, hiding around the besieged northern Mozambique town and scrambling to escape the area overrun by violent jihadist militants last week, sources said. Insurgents affiliated with the Islamic State group (IS) launched a raid on the coastal town last Wednesday, ransacking buildings and murdering and beheading civilians. Dozens have been killed in what witnesses describe as a coordinated attack, just 10 km from a multibillion dollar gas project led by France’s Total. Shaken survivors have since streamed into the neighbouring town of Mueda and regional capital Pernba. But sources told AFP thousands were still wandering around Palma, desperate to find refuge. Total ferries 1,400 Some trudged days through surrounding forest, walking west towards Mueda and north to reach the Tanzanian border. Hundreds more travelled to the Afungi peninsula, the site of the gas exploration project, where they gathered outside Total’s fortified complex, UN work. ers said. Total ferried around 1,400 people, including both gas and government workers, to Pemba on Sunday, but has since been accused of turning its back on desperate residents.
B) Global leaders push for new pandemic treaty.
World leaders pushed Tuesday for a new international treaty to prepare for the next global pandemic and avoid the unseemly scramble for vaccines hampering the COVID-19 response. Leaders from 25 countries, the European Union and the World Health Organization (WHO) sought to get the ground rules down in writing to streamline and speed up the reaction to future global outbreaks. The treaty would aim to ensure that information, virus pathogens, technology to tackle the pandemic and products such as vaccines are shared swiftly and equitably among nations. The time to act is now. The world cannot afford to wait until the pandemic is over to start planning for the next one, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference. Without an internationally-coordinated pandemic response plan, they remain vulnerable, he warned. The call came in a joint article published in international newspapers on Tuesday, penned by leaders from five continents.
C) Myanmar crackdown death toll crosses 500.
The death toll in the Myanmar military’s crackdown on protesters has passed 500, as armed rebel groups on Tuesday threatened the junta with retaliation if the bloodshed does not stop. World powers have ramped up their condemnation of the military’s campaign against the anti-coup movement that is demanding the restoration of the elected government and the release of civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Washington suspended a trade pact with Myanmar and UN chief Antonio Guterres called for a united global front to pressure the junta after more than 100 protesters were killed in a bloody weekend. Adding to that pressure campaign, a trio of ethnic rebel groups on Tuesday condemned the crackdown and threatened to fight alongside protesters unless the military reined in its violence. Daily rallies across Myanmar by unarmed demonstrators have been met with tear gas, rubber bullets and live rounds. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) said it had confirmed a total of 510 civilian deaths but warned the true toll was probably significantly higher. On Tuesday, protesters in Yangon emptied rubbish bags in the streets as part of the latest action, while in the town of Muse in Shan state a 35-year-old protester was shot dead. There was also another fatality at Myitkyina, Kachin State, rescue workers confirmed.
