NATIONAL NEWS 

A) India a natural ally of G7, Modi tells grouping.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said India is a natural ally for the G7 countries in defending the shared values from a host of threats stemming from authoritarianism, terrorism and violent extremism, disinformation and economic coercion. In a virtual address at a session on ‘open societies and open economies’ at the G7 summit, the Prime Minister highlighted India’s civilisational commitment to democracy, freedom of thought and liberty, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The leaders of the world’s advanced economies held a summit in Cornwall in the U.K. from June 11-13. It is for the first time the leaders of the grouping met in person since the coronavirus pandemic began. PM Modi also highlighted the revolutionary impact of digital technologies on social inclusion and empowerment in India through application such as Aadhaar, Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and JAM (Jan Dhan-Aadhaar- Mobile) trinity. In his remarks, the Prime Minister underscored the vulnerabilities inherent in open societies and called on tech companies and social media platforms to ensure a safe cyber environment for their users, additional secretary (economic relations) in the MEA P Harish said at a press conference. The Prime Minister’s views were appreciated by other leaders in the gathering, he said. Harish said the G7 leaders underlined their commitment to a free, open and a rules-based Indo-Pacific and resolved to collaborate with partners in the region. India’s participation at the G7 sessions reflected understanding within the bloc that resolution to the biggest global crisis of our time is not possible without India’s involvement and support, he said, in a reference to the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the G-7 nations have pledged over 1 billion coronavirus vaccine doses for poorer nations. Speaking at the end of the summit, Johnson said the doses would come both directly and through the international COVAX program. The commitment falls far short of the 11 billion doses the head of the World Health Organization said is needed to vaccinate at least 70% of the world’s population by mid-2022 and truly end the pandemic. The Group of Seven (G7) comprises the U.K., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States. As chair of G7, the U.K. invited India, Australia, South Korea, South Africa to the summit as guest countries.

B) Left parties seek rollback of fuel prices, announce 15-day protest.

The Left parties have announced a 15-day protest from June 16 to 30, demanding a rollback of fuel price hike and controlling the prices of essential commodities. A joint statement signed by general secretaries of the five Left parties Sitaram Yechury of the CPI (M), D. Raja of the CPI, Debabrata Biswas of the All India Forward Bloc, Manoj Bhattacharya of the Revolutionary Socialist Party, and Dipankar Bhattacharya of the CPI (ML) pointed out that the prices of petroleum products had gone up 21 times since the results of the recent Assembly elections were announced on May 2. This is leading to a cascading inflationary spiral with the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) rising to a 11-year high. The prices of food articles have risen by nearly 5% in April. Primary commodities saw a rise of 10.16% and manufactured products have risen by 9.01%. By the time these commodities reach the retail markets, the consumers are charged much more, the parties said. Earlier, the Congress too had held a day-long protest at petrol pumps across the nation against the fuel hike. The Left parties said that the economy was going into deep recession. Clearly, unscrupulous black-marketing and hoarding is taking place under state patronage. Modi government must strictly crackdown on such black-marketing, especially of essential drugs, vital for people’s survival, they said. The announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent address to the nation of extending till Deepavali the PM Garib Kalayan Anna Yojana of 5 kgs of food grains was completely inadequate, the parties said. Instead, 10 kg food grains per month to all individuals, including a food kit with pulses, edible oil, sugar, spices, tea etc., must be distributed free. Modi government must immediately give direct cash transfers of ₹7,500 per month for six months to all families not in the income tax paying bracket, the joint statement said.

C) India’s investment in research unsatisfactory: UNESCO report.

While India has made ‘solid progress’ towards the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets concerning industry, infrastructure and innovation, the country’s investment in research remains unsatisfactory, the UNESCO Science Report has observed. The gross domestic expenditure on research (GERD) has been stagnant at 0.7% of the GDP for years although, in absolute terms, research expenditure has increased, the chapter on India authored by Sunil Mani, director, Centre for Development Studies (CDS), Thiruvananthapuram, noted. India has one of the lowest GERD/GDP ratios among the BRICS nations, according to the report which is published every five years. India’s research intensity has been declining since 2014. The Science and Technology Policy of 2003 fixed the threshold of devoting 2% of GDP to research and development (R&D) by 2007. This target date was set back to 2018 in the new Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (2013) then again to 2022 by the Economic Advisory Council of the Prime Minister. In 2020, the task force drafting the country’s new Science and Technology Policy recommended pushing back the target date to a more realistic 2030, it noted. Dr. Mani said that in 1990, the density of scientists/engineers engaged in R&D in the country per 10,000 of the labour force stood at ten. It rose to just 11 in 2018, when it stood at 50 in China, 130 in Japan and 180 in South Korea, he said. R&D in the government sector has been in steady decline since 2015, whereas the share of private business enterprises in it has shot up to 42%. While in theory this is a positive trend, the R&D is focused primarily in sectors such as pharmaceuticals, automotive, and information technology. Even in these industries, it is concentrated in a small number of firms, the report said. It further noted that investment in R&D by foreign multinationals is on the rise, accounting for as much as 16% of private-sector investment in R&D in 2019. On the bright side is the encouraging increase in scientific publications by Indian researchers on cutting-edge technologies. Total publications have risen from 80,458 in 2011 to 1.61 lakh in 2019. Indian researchers are publishing between 1.5 and 1.8 times the global average on smart-grid technologies, photovoltaics, biofuels and biomass and wind turbine technologies, complementing the government’s push to expand green energy sources, the report noted. But then again, patenting by domestic corporations, research institutes, universities and individuals remains low in India. The report noted that the majority of the software-related patents were being bagged by MNCs operating from Indian soil, while pharma patents were obtained mostly by domestic firms. The UNESCO Science Report underscores the need for ‘policy bridges’ for fostering a more effective interaction between foreign and local research firms.

D) U.S.-bound Indian students need Covid-19 negative report taken 72 hours prior to departure: American diplomat.

The U.S. mission in India is actively working to accommodate as many student visa applicants as possible in July and August, and facilitating their legitimate travel remained a top priority for it, a senior American diplomat said on June 13. Don Heflin, the Minister Counselor for Consular Affairs at the U.S. embassy, also said that the U.S.-bound students will not require any proof of Covid-19 vaccination to enter the country. They will need a negative report of their Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours prior to their departure. There has been growing anxiety among a sizeable number of Indian students aspiring to fly to the U.S. for higher studies in view of certain restrictions in getting visa appointments due to the coronavirus pandemic. The embassy will start giving visa interview slots for Indian students from June 14. We recognise the stress and anxiety this has caused to students and their families, and we are actively working to accommodate as many student visa applicants as possible in July and August. Facilitating legitimate student travel to the United States remains a top priority for the U.S. Mission to India, Heflin told PTI in an interview. The official was asked about the rising uncertainty among the Indian students wanting to travel to the U.S., which had imposed fresh travel restrictions in May. Students returning to academic programmes that resume on or after August 1 may travel to the United States up to 30 days before the programme resumes. There is no National Interest Exception required in this situation, he said. We recommend continuing students discuss their specific resumption plans with their respective universities to develop a travel timeline, Heflin said. The National Interest Exceptions (NIE) allow travel to the U.S. for persons whose entry is considered of national interest. We intend to start an intensive two months of interviewing student visa applicants on July 1. We will plan to open as many appointments as we can safely accommodate, based on local pandemic conditions across India, Heflin said. Student visa applicants do not need an expedited appointment to schedule their visa interview. On June 14, we will open July and August appointments for students, he added.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) ‘Can extradite cyber criminals to U.S. only on reciprocal basis’

President Vladimir Putin has said Russia would be ready to hand over cyber criminals to the United States if Washington did the same for Moscow and the two powers reached an agreement to that effect. Mr. Putin made the comments in an interview aired in excerpts on state television on Sunday ahead of a June 16 summit with U.S. President Joe Biden in Geneva. Ties between the powers are badly strained over an array of issues. The Russian leader said he expected the Geneva meeting to help establish bilateral dialogue and revive personal contacts, adding that important issues for the two men included strategic stability, Libya and Syria, and the environment. Mr. Putin also praised Mr. Biden for having shown professionalism when the United States and Russia agreed this year to extend the New START nuclear arms control treaty. The White House has said Mr. Biden will bring up ransomware attacks emanating from Russia at the meeting. That issue is in the spotlight after a cyber attack disrupted the North American and Australian operations of meatpacker JBS USA. A Russia-linked hacking group was behind that tack, a U.S. source familiar with the matter said last week. Asked if Russia would be prepared to find and prosecute cyber criminals, Mr. Putin said Russia’s behaviour here would depend on formal agreements being reached by Moscow and Washington. Both sides would have to commit to the same obligations, he said. If we agree to extradite criminals, then of course Russia will do that, we will do that, but only if the other side, in this case the United States, agrees to the same and will extradite the criminals in question to the Russian Federation, he said. The question of cyber security is one of the most important at the moment because turning all kinds of systems off can lead to really difficult consequences, he said.

B) Israel coalition set to end Netanyahu era.

Israel is set to swear in a new government on Sunday that will send Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into the opposition after a record 12 years in office and a political crisis that sparked four elections in two years. Naftali Bennett, the head of a small ultranationalist party, will take over as Prime Minister. But if he wants to keep the job, he will have to maintain an unwieldy coalition of parties from the political right, left and centre. The eight parties, including a small Arab faction that is making history by sitting in the ruling coalition, are united in their opposition to Mr. Netanyahu and new elections but agree on little else. They are likely to pursue a modest agenda that seeks to reduce tensions with the Palestinians and maintain good relations with the U.S. without launching any major initiatives. Mr. Netanyahu, who is on trial for corruption, remains the head of the largest party in Parliament and is expected to vigorously oppose the new government. If just one faction bolts, it could lose its majority and would be at risk of collapse, giving him an opening to return to power. The country’s deep divisions were on vivid display as Mr. Bennett addressed parliament ahead of the vote. He was repeatedly interrupted and loudly heckled by supporters of Mr. Netanyahu, several of whom were escorted out of the chamber. Mr. Bennett’s speech mostly dwelled on domestic issues, but he expressed opposition to U.S. efforts to revive Iran’s nuclear deal with world powers. Israel will not allow Iran to arm itself with nuclear weapons, Mr. Bennett said, vowing to maintain Mr. Netanyahu’s confrontational policy. Israel will not be a party to the agreement and will continue to preserve full freedom of action. Mr. Bennett nevertheless thanked President Joe Biden and the U.S. for its decades of support for Israel.

NATIONAL NEWS

A) Data breaches expose emails, passwords of several government officials to hackers.

Emails and passwords of hundreds of Union government officials have been exposed to hackers due to the recent data breaches of Air India, Domino’s and Big Basket, the government has warned officials. The internal communication, accessed by The Hindu, said the compromised emails on government domains such as @nic.in and @gov.in are potential cyber threats as they are being used by adversaries to send malicious mails to all government users. Days after the alert was sent on June 10, several government offices, including Defence Ministry officials, were targeted by a malicious web link sent on WhatsApp and SMS, asking them to update their vaccination status. The message asked officials to click on https://covid19india.in to generate a digital certificate of COVID-19 inoculation, redirecting them to a page @gov.in that resembles the government website mygov.in, and asked for the official e-mail and password. According to Rajshekhar Rajaharia, cyber researcher, the website was hosted in Pakistan in June. The page mentioned @nic.in email IDs to make the official believe it is a government page. The purpose seemed to be getting the e-mails and passwords of only government officials and get unauthorised access to government systems, the page does not accept any other domain such as gmail.com, said Mr. Rajaharia. Air India informed passengers on May 15 that its passenger service system, provided by multi-national IT company SITA, was subjected to a sophisticated cyber attack in the last week of February which affected around 45 lakh data subjects in the world registered between August 26, 2011 and February 3, 2021. Government officials are frequent Air India flyers. The alert sent to officials said, It is intimated that recent data breaches of Air India and other companies like Domino’s, Big Basket etc. have resulted in exposure of e-mail ID and passwords of many users, which includes lots of government email IDs as well. All such compromised gov. domain emails are potential cyber threats as they are being used by the adversaries to send out malicious mails to all gov email users. It may please be noted that largely these are name based email IDs which are available with the malicious actors. A government official said while such phishing attempts were common, in the past one year it has intensified. The Union Power Ministry on March 1 said State-sponsored Chinese hacker groups had targeted various Indian power centres. U.S. cyber security and intelligence firm, Recorded Future, discovered that Chinese state-sponsored actors may have deployed malware into Indian power grids and seaports after border tensions between India-China began escalating in May last. The National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the IT Ministry provides web hosting services to various ministries and department through nic.in and gov.in domains.

B) Rajnath Singh approves new policy for declassification of war history.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday approved a policy on archiving, declassification, compilation and publication of war and operations histories by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). However, declassification of older wars like the 1962 war is not automatic and will be taken up on case by case basis by a committee to be constituted under the new policy. According to the policy, records should ordinarily be declassified in 25 years. Records older than 25 years should be appraised by archival experts and transferred to the National Archives of India once the war/operations histories have been compiled, a Ministry statement said on Saturday. Asked about cases like the highly confidential Henderson Brooks report on the 1962 war with China and Operation Bluestar of 1984, a defence official said the committee will consider, and take a view on earlier wars and operations. The compiled history on wars and operations, within five years will be for internal consumption first, and later committee may decide to publicly release whole or parts of it, considering sensitivity of the subject, the official stated. The policy mandates constitution of a committee headed by Joint Secretary, MoD and comprising of representatives of the Services, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and other organisations and prominent military historians, if required, for compilation of war and operations histories, a Ministry statement said on Saturday. The History Division will be responsible for coordination with various departments while compiling, seeking approval and publishing of war and operations histories. The policy also set clear timelines with regard to compilation and publication of war and operations histories, the statement said adding the above-mentioned Committee should be formed within two years of completion of war and operations. Thereafter, collection of records and compilation should be completed in three years and disseminated to all concerned. The policy envisages that each organisation under the MoD such as Services, Integrated Defence Staff, Assam Rifles and Coast Guard, will transfer the records, including war diaries, letters of proceedings and operational record books, etc., to the history division of MoD for proper upkeep, archival and writing the histories, the Ministry said. The responsibility for declassification of records rests with the respective organisations as specified in the Public Record Act 1993 and Public Record Rules 1997. The requirement of having war histories written with clear cut policy on declassification of war records was recommended by Kargil Review Committee headed by K Subrahmanyam as well as N N Vohra Committee in order to analyse lessons learnt and prevent future mistakes. Post Kargil conflict, Group of Ministers (GoM) recommendations on national security also mentioned the desirability of authoritative war history. Timely publication of war histories would give people accurate account of the events, provide authentic material for academic research and counter the unfounded rumours, the statement added.

C) SAD, BSP to jointly contest Punjab Assembly election.

As the battle for the upcoming Assembly election in Punjab gains momentum, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on June 12 joined hands to contest the polls due in early 2022 in the State. SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal made an announcement in this regard. As per the seat-sharing arrangement, the SAD will contest 97 seats and the BSP 20, he said here at a press conference. There are a total of 117 Assembly constituencies in Punjab. Mr. Badal said the alliance was not a temporary one and would remain intact as both parties will contest not just the upcoming Assembly poll but other elections together as well. Given the fact that Dalits make up nearly 32% of the total population in the State, the alliance is being seen as critical for the SAD, especially after it broke its alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party over the contentious farm laws issue. With the Assembly poll a few months away, parties are aware of the importance of Dalit votes. The SAD had earlier announced it would appoint a Dalit as Deputy Chief Minister if it forms the government. With the announcement on Dr. Ambedkar’s birth anniversary, the SAD attempted to convey that it is pro-Dalit.

D) GST Council cuts tax rate on Covid-19 essentials.

The Goods and Services Tax has been waived for two critical drugs against COVID-19 and black fungus, Tocilizumab and Amphotericin B, while tax rates have been reduced to 5% on 14 major pandemic relief goods, including testing kits and hand sanitisers, from prevailing rates in the range of 12% and 18%. Ambulances, which are currently taxed at 28%, will now attract a GST levy of 12%, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday, announcing these concessional rates following a meeting of the GST Council to discuss the indirect taxes levied on COVID-19 supplies. The reduced rates, which Revenue Secretary Tarun Bajaj said were aimed at providing some succour to the people amid the pandemic, will remain effective till September 30, but could be extended further based on later assessments. The 5% GST levied on vaccines was left unchanged, following the recent changes in the country’s vaccine procurement strategy that puts the Union government in charge of augmenting supplies. When it was discussed, it was mentioned that the Centre is buying 75% of the vaccines and will remit the GST on it and the revenue on that will be shared 70% with the States, Mr Bajaj said, explaining that this will have no implications for people as they will receive the vaccine for free. This particular GST Council meeting is a single agenda meeting to discuss the recommendations of a group of ministers (GoM) set up at our last meeting (on May 28) , Ms Sitharaman said, stressing that no other subjects such as compensation to States were discussed. The recommendations of the GoM, led by Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma, were accepted by the Council, except for three items, where its proposed rates were reduced further, she said. This includes electric furnaces used in crematoriums, where the GoM had suggested as 12% GST rate, but the Council has reduced it to 5%. Similarly, for temperature checking equipment, the GoM had recommended an 18% GST which has been slashed to 5%. On ambulances, the GoM had recommended a 28% rate. However, after discussions, because of the crisis and as this is an enduring asset for hospitals, we thought even ambulances should be brought down. So the rate on ambulances has been brought down to 12%, Ms Sitharaman said. For oxygen concentrators, medical grade oxygen and related devices such as ventilators, BiPAP machines, the GST rate has also been brought down to 5% from 12%. The same reduction has been approved in the levies on COVID-testing kits and pulse oximeters.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Onus is on Pakistan to create conducive atmosphere: India at U.N.

India has said it desires normal neighbourly relations with all countries, including Pakistan, and asserted that the onus is on Islamabad to create a conducive atmosphere and not allow its territory to be used for cross-border terrorism against India in any manner. The remarks by Counsellor in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, R Madhu Sudan came at the UN General Assembly meeting on ‘Report of the Security Council for 2020′ on Friday. India desires normal neighbourly relations with all countries, including Pakistan. Our consistent position is that issues, if any, between India and Pakistan should be resolved bilaterally and peacefully, in an atmosphere free of terror, hostility and violence, Sudan said in the General Assembly. The onus is on Pakistan to create such a conducive atmosphere, including by taking credible, verifiable action to not allow any territory under its control to be used for cross-border terrorism against India in any manner, he added. Speaking earlier, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Munir Akram raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir during his remarks. Mr. Sudan said it is rather unfortunate that Pakistan continued to indulge in theatrics not befitting the forum. It is clear that the international community is not getting fooled by this delegation anymore, he said, adding that the country sought to exploit the UNGA forum and once again raised matters internal to my country. Mr. Sudan asserted that the decision taken by the Parliament of India on Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are matters internal to India. India, currently serving a two-year term on the Security Council as a non-permanent member, further said that as a member of the 15-nation Council it will continue its efforts along with other elected members to pursue reforms in the working methods and for better reporting to the General Assembly.

B) Saudi Arabia says hajj to be limited to 60,000 in kingdom.

Saudi Arabia announced on Saturday this year’s hajj pilgrimage will be limited to no more than 60,000 people, all of them from within the kingdom, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The announcement by the kingdom comes after it ran an incredibly pared-down pilgrimage last year over the virus, but still allowed a small number of the faithful to take part in the annual ceremony. A statement on the state-run Saudi Press Agency quoted the kingdom’s Hajj and Umrah Ministry making the announcement. It said this year’s hajj, which will begin in mid-July, will be limited to those ages 18 to 65. Those taking part must be vaccinated as well, the ministry said. The kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is honoured to host pilgrims every year, confirms that this arrangement comes out of its constant concern for the health, safety and security of pilgrims as well as the safety of their countries, the statement said. In last year’s hajj, as few as 1,000 people already residing in Saudi Arabia were selected to take part in the hajj. Two-thirds were foreign residents from among the 160 different nationalities that would have normally been represented at the hajj. One-third were Saudi security personnel and medical staff. Each year, up to two million Muslims perform the hajj, a physically demanding and often costly pilgrimage that draws the faithful from around the world. The hajj, required of all able-bodied Muslims to perform once in their lifetime, is seen as a chance to wipe clean past sins and bring about greater humility and unity among Muslims. The kingdom’s Al Saud ruling family stakes its legitimacy in this oil-rich nation on overseeing and protecting the hajj sites. Ensuring the hajj happens has been a priority for them. Disease outbreaks have always been a concern surrounding the hajj. Pilgrims fought off a malaria outbreak in 632, cholera in 1821 killed an estimated 20,000, and another cholera outbreak in 1865 killed 15,000 before spreading worldwide. More recently, Saudi Arabia faced danger from a different coronavirus, one that causes the Middle East respiratory syndrome, or MERS. The kingdom increased its public health measures during the hajj in 2012 and 2013, urging the sick and the elderly not to take part. In recent years, Saudi officials also instituted bans on pilgrims coming from countries affected by the Ebola virus. Saudi Arabia had closed its borders for months to try and stop the spread of the coronavirus. Since the start of the pandemic, the kingdom has reported over 4,62,000 cases of the virus with 7,500 deaths. It has administered some 15.4 million doses of coronavirus vaccines, according to the World Health Organization. The kingdom is home to over 30 million people.

NATIONAL NEWS 

A) How will migrants get food without ration cards, asks Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court on Friday asked the Centre how it intended to deliver food to crores of migrant labourers who have no ration cards. How will food reach migrant labourers without ration cards? a Bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and M.R. Shah addressed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, for the Centre. The court said the schemes rolled out so far seemed to cover only ration card holders. Bhati explained that the Centre had kept its best foot forward with the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana, which covers 80 crore poor identified as beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act. The scheme provides 5 kg of free food grains to every person for May and June. It intends to help the poor tide over the economic disruptions caused by the pandemic. Eight lakh metric tonnes of food grains have already been given, she added. No doubt you [the Centre] are providing food… No doubt some migrant labourers have ration cards. But we are only bothered about those who do not have them. We want to know about your mechanism to identify and provide food for people who do not have ration cards. Justice Bhushan addressed the government side. Bhati said the Centre was only in charge of making available or procuring food grains. The States had to distribute the food within their territories. The law officer said the Centre was ready to give the States whatever they wanted. Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, who appeared for some activists along with advocate Prashant Bhushan, said the Centre was leaving them [the poor without ration cards] to the mercy of the States. Those without ration cards cannot be allowed to die. The economic situation is far more dire now, Dave said. Mehta strongly objected to Mr. Dave’s submissions, saying he was dramatising the issue. In the previous hearing, Bhushan had submitted that the Centre had last year recorded 8 crore migrant workers without ration cards. The States had identified 2.8 crore of them. At this point, the court pulled up the government for delaying the completion of a national database to identify and register migrant workers. The creation of the database portal has remained a non-starter for months now. The government said the delay had something to do with the software. The database would have helped the Centre work in tandem with State governments to identify migrant labourers and provide them timely welfare during the pandemic. The government side said the database would be ready in the next three or four months.

B) Mukul Roy and his son return to Trinamool.

Nearly a month after the BJP suffered a big defeat in the West Bengal Assembly polls, its vice president Mukul Roy on Friday returned to the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Roy (67), one of the founding members of the TMC, had shifted to the BJP in November 2017. TMC supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Roy, now a BJP MLA from Krishnanagar Uttar, held a joint press conference after a two-hour meeting. Roy described Banerjee as a leader of the entire country. He said he was feeling relieved after quitting the BJP. In the present circumstances, no one can stay in the BJP in Bengal, he stated. Banerjee in turn described Roy as an old family member and added that old is always gold. Our party is already a strong party. Mukul is an old family member. He was pressured by agencies. I think this decision will provide him mental relief. His health was deteriorating also. His defection from the BJP indicated that more people from the BJP would join the TMC, she said. Those who defected from the party just before the elections and attacked it in sharp language would not be allowed to join it again. Only those who are gentle, we will consider them, she observed. Roy’s son and former MLA Subhrangshu Roy also followed his father’s footsteps to return to the TMC. The speculation of Mukul Roy’s return to the TMC gained momentum after Banerjee visited a city hospital to inquire about the health of his wife last week. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too called up Roy. The veteran politician was reportedly upset for not being given much importance during the 2021 Assembly polls, where Nandigram MLA Suvendu Adhikari emerged as the important face of the BJP. Roy had played a crucial role in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when the BJP won 18 out of the 42 seats.

C) Supreme Court refuses to hear Mumbai Police ex-chief’s plea seeking transfer of inquiries.

The Supreme Court on Friday told former Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh that people who live in glass houses should not throw stones at others while refusing to entertain his plea seeking the transfer of the inquiries/case against him outside Maharshtra to be investigated by an independent agency. He has alleged that the State government is trying to frame him for levelling corruption charges against Shiv Sena leader Anil Deshmukh, who had to resign as Home Minister. Along with Singh’s petition, the Bench of Justices Hemant Gupta and V. Ramasubramanian was also considering an application filed by Mumbai Police Inspector Bhimraj Rohidas Ghadge, who accused Singh, in turn, of corruption and vindictiveness. Ghadge, represented by senior advocate S.B. Talekar and advocate Vipin Nair, accused his former boss of having tried to silence him by framing fake cases against him. It is commonly said that people who live in glass houses should not throw stones at others, Justice Gupta told senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, appearing for Singh. Jethmalani raised an objection to the comment, saying it was a prejudicial statement and amounted to pre-judging the case. The court, however, was not impressed. Singh alleged that the government had instituted departmental inquiries against him as an act of reprisal for his complaint about Deshmukh. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta was present in court for the CBI. However, the court saw it differently. You [Singh] are part of the Maharashtra IPS cadre. You have served the State for 30 years, and now you don’t have confidence in your own State. It is shocking… It is a shocking allegation you are making, Justice Gupta addressed Jethmalani. The senior lawyer said there were other police officers in Maharashtra who, like his client, had been victimised by the State government. He claimed that the Maharashtra DGP had approached him as a mentor to give up on his complaint. If a person in the rank of DGP can be pressurised, then there is nobody left. Please do not make these make-believe stories, Justice Gupta told Jethmalani. The court said it cannot possibly intervene and stay the registration of FIR against Singh. Mr. Jethmalani, you are an experienced criminal lawyer. How can there be a blanket stay by a court on the power of the police to register an FIR against any person Justice Gupta asked.

D) Not in touch with BJP, says Sachin Pilot.

While former Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot on Friday dismissed reports of BJP leaders being in touch with him, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Rajasthan Ajay Maken asserted that there would soon be a cabinet expansion of the Ashok Gehlot-led government. The AICC general secretary also played down reports of Pilot being ‘angry’ with the party. When I am here, how is it possible that views of the MLAs are not heard? We are taking future steps after talking to everyone and ascertaining their views. The vacant posts that are there, be they in the Cabinet or the Boards of Commissions, appointments will happen very soon, Maken said on the sidelines of a symbolic protest against the continuous fuel price hike. On his part, Pilot took part in a protest against fuel hike in Jaipur and categorically rejected the claims that Congress-turned-BJP leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi had spoken to him. I also heard that Rita Bahuguna Joshi had spoken to Sachin. Maybe she spoke to Sachin Tendulkar. She doesn’t have the courage to speak to me, Pilot quipped to reporters at the protest venue. Amid speculation that the former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister could be the next to exit from the Congress after Jitin Prasada, Maken said he was in regular touch with Pilot. I speak to him regularly [Pilot]. If he was angry, then would he have spoken to me, Maken said. However, a source close to Pilot told The Hindu that the Pilot camp is not happy that the Congress High Command has not been able to ‘deliver’ on the promises made to him and his supporters even after 10 months. After his unsuccessful revolt against Gehlot, the Congress had removed Pilot both from the post of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief as well as Deputy Chief Minister. The MLAs and the ministers who support him were also stripped of all official positions. Last August, the AICC had formed a three-member committee with Congress general secretary (organisation), K.C. Venugopal, Maken and Ahmed Patel to look into Pilot’s grievances. However, the panel made little progress due to Patel’s prolonged hospitalisation due to Covid-19 and his subsequent death.

E) USFDA rejection of Covaxin has no impact on its use in India, says Centre.

The rejection by the USFDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) of the emergency use application of Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin has no impact on the policies in India, NITI Aayog member (Health) Dr. V.K. Paul said at a Union Health Ministry press conference on Friday. Every country has its parameter for approval of vaccinations for its population despite the world sharing a common scientific framework for approval. India also follows its own regulatory process for approval that is tailor-made for our population. It’s their decision, it should be respected. Our regulator has endorsed this vaccine and there is no impact on use of Covaxin in our national programme,’’ he stated, noting that Covaxin phase-3 clinical trial data would be published in the next 7-8 days. We expect that the Covaxin manufacturers will be able to comply with the regulators’ requirement. Our regulator has approved this vaccine. We have enough data on safety and efficacy, he asserted. With the Health Ministry saying on Friday that India was now showing indications of an improving Covid-19 scenario, Dr. Paul said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) was preparing for a national survey. The ICMR will begin work for next sero survey this month. But if we want to protect our geographies, we won’t have to depend on national sero survey alone, we’ll have to encourage States for sero surveys too, he observed.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) China-Sri Lanka Friendship Hospital opened.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday inaugurated the China-Sri Lanka Friendship Hospital in Polonnaruwa, built with a Chinese grant of $60 million. The hospital, located in Sri Lanka’s North Central Province, will specialise in treating kidney ailments, a widely prevalent and recurring concern in the region, especially among farmers. For years now, residents Of this agriculture-intensive area have been frequently diagnosed with a kidney disorder that the country’s medical experts have identified as Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology (CKDu), a condition for which causal factors remain unknown. Following a request from former President Maithripala Sirisena during his time in office he is from and currently represents Polonnaruwa in Parliament the Chinese government provided the grant. The facility was built within 30 months, a press release from the President’s office said. The hospital, said to be one of the largest in South Asia for nephrology care, with a capacity of 200 beds, follows China’s earlier grant projects in Sri Lanka, also built as large public spaces, such as the well-known Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall in Colombo, that Beijing gifted in the 1970s, and the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapaksa Threate, that China funded during former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s time in office.

B) Myanmar violence escalating, creating rights catastrophe: UN.

The UN rights chief said on Friday that violence was escalating across Myanmar, warning that the country had plunged into a human rights catastrophe since the February I coup. Pointing to reported military build-up in several regions of the country, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet called for a halt to the already spiralling violence to avert even greater loss of life and a deepening humanitarian emergency. In just over four months, Myanmar has gone from being a fragile democracy to a human rights catastrophe, she said in a statement, adding that the military leadership was singularly responsible for the crisis. The country has been in turmoil since the generals ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1. The UN rights office pointed on Friday to credible reports showing that at least 860 civilians had been killed in a brutal crackdown by security forces on near-daily protests against the coup. Fighting has flared in several communities especially in townships that have seen a high death toll at the hands of police and some locals have formed defence forces. Ms. Bachelet pointed to intensifying violence in many parts of Myanmar, including Kayah State, Chin State and Kachin State. Human shields State security forces have continued to use heavy weaponry, including air strikes, against armed groups and against civilians and civilian objects, including Christian churches, she said. She pointed to credible reports that security forces have used civilians as human shields, shelled civilian homes and churches, and blocked humanitarian access, including by attacking aid workers.

NATIONAL NEWS 

A) Bihar COVID toll goes up by 72% after court orders recount.

Following a recent direction by the Patna High Court, the Bihar government recounted its Covid-19 toll, which has jumped by a whopping 72.84%. On June 7, the official toll figure in the State was 5,424 but on June 8, the government said the figure had gone up to 9,375 after it recounted deaths in all 38 districts. A Division Bench of the Patna High Court had in May slammed the Bihar government and expressed concern over inconsistencies in the toll in Buxar district, presented by two top government officials in two separate affidavits. The court had asked the government to verify all facts before placing them on record. All facts must be verified from all sources and then only be placed before us, else it will amount to filing of false or incomplete affidavit Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice S. Kumar told the government. The Bihar Chief Secretary, who is said to have got the figures from the State Health Department, had submitted in court that a total of six deaths occurred due to Covid-19 in Buxar district since March 1, while the Divisional Commissioner’s affidavit had mentioned 789 cremations at just one cremation ground of the district between May 5 and May 14. In view of the court direction, the State Health Department had sent detailed instructions to District Magistrates, civil surgeons and heads of medical colleges and hospitals to verify the tolls in their respective districts and hospitals. On June 8, the State government said that the toll due to COVID-19 pandemic in the State had gone up to 9,375 from the figure of 5,424 it had reported on June 7. In the verification exercise that lasted 20 days, the State government added 3,951 more deaths. Most of the deaths, according to State health officials, occurred in the second wave of the pandemic since April 2021. Among the districts, Patna registered the highest toll of 2,303 deaths, followed by Muzaffarpur with 609, Nalanda (463), Begusarai (454), East Champaran (425), Darbhanga (342) and Madhubani (317). The spurt in the number of deaths reflects those reported at private hospitals, in transit to health facilities, under home isolation, and those dying of post-COVID complications after they tested negative and were discharged from hospitals, Additional Secretary (Health) Pratyaya Amrit told reporters on Wednesday.

B) 11 killed, 7 injured as rickety building collapses in Mumbai.

Eleven people, including eight children were killed, and seven others injured after a portion of a four-storey residential structure collapsed on an adjacent two-storey structure in western Mumbai late on Wednesday. The incident was reported from the Malvani slum in Malad in the western suburbs of Mumbai following incessant rains throughout the day. The Maharashtra government has announced an ex-gratia of ₹5 lakh to the kin of the deceased. According to civic officials, the building had serious structural faults and was further damaged during cyclone Tauktae after which some more dangerous changes were made to it. The collapse has affected the adjacent residential structures as well, leading to the civic body evacuating them. Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar asked the culprits behind the tragedy to take responsibility. Today 11 people including children have died. When the building is declared under C category, the occupants must be moved out immediately. Culprits must take the responsibility, she said. Pednekar added that instead of searching for the authority responsible for it, had every authority worked with responsibility, the tragedy could have been averted. Buildings in category C mean that they are beyond repair and need to be demolished. The dead have been identified as Sahil Sarfaraz Sayyed, 9, Arifa Sheikh, 9, Shafiq Md Saleem Siddiqui, 45, Tausif Shafiq Siddiqi, 15, Aalisha Shafiq Siddiqui, 10, Alfisa Shafiq Siddiqui, 1.5, Afina Shafik Siddiqui, 6, Ishrat Bano Shafiq Siddiqui, 40, Rahisa Bano Rafik Siddiqui, 40, Tahes Safik Siddiqui, 12, and Jhon Irranna, 13.

C) GST Council to meet on June 12 to discuss tax cuts on COVID essentials, black fungus medicine.

The all-powerful GST Council, chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, will meet on June 12 to decide on possible GST rate cuts for COVID essentials and black fungus medicine, according to officials. In the previous meeting on May 28, a Group of Ministers (GoM) was set up to recommend tax relief on COVID essentials, including PPE kits, masks and vaccines, to the GST council. The GoM submitted its report on June 7. Officials said the GST Council would be meeting on June 12 to discuss the GoM report as well as consider tax rate cuts for black fungus medicine. Some state Finance Ministers in the GoM are understood to have pitched for a rate cut on COVID essentials. Uttar Pradesh Finance Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna, who is also a member of the GoM, on Wednesday said that the state is in favour of cutting taxes on COVID essentials to facilitate patients, but will accept the decision of the GST council on tax rates. The GoM on GST concessions on COVID relief items was mandated to examine whether a GST rate cut or exemption is required for medical-grade oxygen, pulse oximeters, hand sanitizers, oxygen therapy equipment like concentrators, ventilators, PPE kits, N-95 and surgical masks and temperature checking equipment. Besides, the panel also looked into COVID vaccines, drugs, and medicines for COVID treatment and testing kits for COVID detection. The GST Council on May 28 had left taxes on COVID-19 vaccines and medical supplies unchanged after the BJP and opposition-ruled states sparred over whether the tax cut benefits will reach the common man.

D) ICMR approves new rapid antigen test kit.

Meril Diagnostics from Gujarat has announced that its self-use Rapid Antigen Test kit for Covid-19, CoviFind, has received approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). This indigenously researched and developed test kit can detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus reliably in infectious individuals and can therefore be used for testing symptomatic individuals and immediate contacts of confirmed coronavirus cases as specified by the recent ICMR guidelines, the company said in a statement. The CoviFind test for at-home self-testing is highly effective in individuals with mid to high viral load, especially in detecting infection in the case of individuals more likely to transmit the disease to others, the statement added. The test also delivers results swiftly, providing results in 15 minutes, it said. The test kit does not have any specific storage or refrigeration requirements, thus driving ease and convenience in distribution, it added. The test kit is priced at ₹250 and will be made available as a single-pack, with additional purchase options, including a pack of 3, 5 and 25 tests. Each test kit is equipped with testing materials including a test device, one sterile nasal swab, and a pre-filled buffer tube with a cap. No additional instrumentation is necessary. The kit will also contain an Instructions for Use (IFU) leaflet, detailing step-by-step procedure on administration, handling and post-use disposal of the test kit, along with a disposable bag. The self-use test is to be used alongside the company’s official home testing mobile application, ‘CoviFind App,’ which will be available to download from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store once the product hits the market. The test kit will be available in two weeks at retail pharmacies, e-pharmacies and through e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart, with the company trying to expedite the process, it said. It will also run a dedicated website for direct orders of the test kit by individuals and institutions.

E) Adityanath’s Delhi visit sparks speculation of U.P. Cabinet expansion.

Just a few days after BJP’s national general secretary (organisation) B.L. Santhosh’s visit to Lucknow on a political and organisational stock-taking visit, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s arrival in Delhi for a two-day visit, with appointments lined up with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and meetings with Home Minister Amit Shah and party president J.P. Nadda, has set off a flutter over a possible Cabinet expansion in Lucknow. While Adityanath’s aides insisted that the visit was with regard to the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, and raising the demand for a larger allocation of vaccines to the State, they admitted that after all that happened last week, of course political issues were and will be discussed. Santosh’s report to Nadda was detailed about the work culture in Yogi Adityanath’s chief ministerial office, the correctives required, which included being more accommodative of party allies in the State, in the run-up to the 2022 Assembly polls. The performance of the BJP in the recently concluded Panchayat polls in the State, where it came second to the Samajwadi Party (SP), was also underlined as a worrying situation. In fact, Apna Dal MP and leader Anupriya Patel also met Home Minister Amit Shah just after Yogi Adityanath’s meeting with the latter. Patel has been an ally of the BJP since 2014 both in the Lok Sabha and Assembly. After the breakup of the alliance between the BJP and the Om Prakash Rajbhar-led Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party, the Apna Dal is the main ally still with the BJP. Rajbhar’s party is likely to go with Samajwadi Party in the Assembly polls.

F) Paytm, MakeMyTrip, Infosys offer to help India with vaccine bookings.

Paytm, Infosys and MakeMyTrip are among companies seeking approval in India to provide online Covid-19 vaccine bookings, the head of the government’s tech platform said, as the country tries to make it easier for its huge population to book shots. The government relaxed rules last month to potentially allow third-party apps to offer vaccine bookings and has taken back control of procurement from states following delays and shortages. It also faced initial problems with its own vaccine booking platform. Around 15 State agencies and private companies, which also include Indian healthcare giants Apollo and Max, and online pharmacy 1mg, have asked to be allowed to offer vaccine bookings, R.S. Sharma, head of the government’s panel managing the CoWIN vaccination registration platform, told Reuters. Softbank-backed digital payments app Paytm has more than 100 million monthly active users and MakeMyTrip has 12 million. Their popularity is seen as providing more options to Indians looking to book their vaccine shots, particularly if they are struggling with an unfamiliar government platform. It will work in favour of the country, the union of all the entities is better than just one individual platform, Sharma said. Only 3.5% of India’s 1.3 billion population has been fully immunised against Covid-19 and health officials say the pace will have to be increased to avoid further deadly surges of the virus.

G) Online registration not enough, anyone walking in should get vaccine, says Rahul.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on June 10 demanded that every person walking into a Covid-19 vaccination centre should get the jab, saying those who do not have access to internet also have the right to life. The Congress has been batting for vaccines for the poor, especially those living in far-flung and rural areas, who do not have digital access or smart phones. The Opposition party has also been demanding that CoWIN registration should not be mandatory for getting the vaccine. Online registration is not enough for the vaccine. Every person walking in at a vaccination centre should get the vaccine. Those who do not have access to internet also have the right to life, he said in a tweet in Hindi. The Congress has been critical of the government’s vaccination policy and its handling of the Covid-19 situation in the country.

H) Assam CM asks minority communities to adopt population control.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has advised the minority community to adopt decent population control measures to reduce poverty and pressure on land. Reacting to criticisms of his government’s drive to free State-owned land from encroachment, the Chief Minister said the illegal occupation of land belonging to temples, satras (monasteries) and forests cannot be allowed. Most of those evicted were Bengali-speaking Muslims. Members of the community have assured us that they do not want encroachment on these lands, Dr. Sarma told journalists on Thursday while marking a month of the BJP-led government. No one is our enemy and we want the poor people of every community to progress but we need community support. Instead of criticising the government, organisations such as AIUDF (All India United Democratic Front) and AAMSU (All Assam Minority Students’ Union) should motivate people to have smaller families, he said. The Chief Minister said keeping the population in check could go a long way in easing the pressure on land. He cited the examples of the Bodo and Mishing communities that have not occupied forest lands over the decades because of family planning. He, however, justified giving land settlement certificates to indigenous forest dwellers because they have been protecting our forest resources.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) U.S. to donate 500 mn doses to World. 

The U.S. will purchase half a billion doses of the Pfizer BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and donate them to 92 low and middle-income countries and the African Union. The vaccines will be shipped from August onwards, with 200 million doses distributed this year and 300 million by the middle of next year, according to a fact sheet released by the White House. Rich countries have come under increasing pressure to not sit on orders of excess vaccines as many in middle and lower income countries remain unvaccinated. The news of Joe Biden’s plan broke on Wednesday, as the President was en route to the U.K. to attend the G7 meetings. Mr. Biden is expected to formally announce the plan on Thursday evening from Cornwall, following his meeting with U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The U.S. will work on delivering the vaccines via COVAX, an international coalition that is involved with global vaccine access. Mr. Biden is expected to emphasize, in his remarks, that his plan will give lower income countries access to mRNA vaccines, which have been mostly used in rich countries to date, partly owing to more stringent cold chain requirements, which are harder for poorer countries to ensure. Pfizer will sell the doses to the U.S. government at a not-for-profit price, the Washington Post reported. The doses will be produced at Pfizer’s plants in Michigan, Kansas, Missouri and Massachusetts, with a combined workforce of at least 7,500 people, according to the White House.

B) Myanmar military charges Suu Kyi with corruption.

The Myanmar junta has charged deposed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi with corruption over claims she accepted illegal payments of gold and more than half a million dollars in cash, state media reported. The country has been in turmoil since the generals ousted Ms. Suu Kyi on February 1, with more than 850 civilians killed in a brutal crackdown by security forces on near-daily protests against the coup. The 75-year-old Nobel laureate, who has been in Custody since the putsch, is facing a raft of wide-ranging criminal charges, including sedition and breaching a coIonial-era secrecy law. The latest charges relate to allegations by the former Yangon region Chief Minister that Ms. Suu Kyi illegally accepted in cash from him along with around Il kg of gold. The Anti-Corruption Commision found evidence that Ms. Suu Kyi had committed corruption using her rank, according to the Global New Light of Myanmar, a state-run newspaper. So she was charged under Anti-Corruption Law section 55. She is also accused of abusing her authority when renting two areas of land for her charitable foundation. After weeks of legal wrangling, two of Ms. Suu Kyi’s trials are due to start in earnest next week, hearing evidence from witnesses. In Naypyidaw, the remote capital purpose-built by the previous military regime, her trial on charges of violating restrictions during last year’s election campaign and possessing unlicensed walkie-talkies will start on. A separate case is scheduled to start on June 15, where she is charged with sedition alongside ousted President Win Myint and another senior member of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party. Her lawyer, Khin Maung Zaw, dismissed the corruption charges as absurd. There is an undeniable political background to keep her out of the scene of the country and to smear her prestige he told AFP, saying she could face long prison terms on the secrecy and corruption charges. That’s one of the reasons to charge her to keep her out of the scene. Ms. Suu Kyi spent more than 15 years under house arrest during the previous military rule before her 2010 release.

NATIONAL NEWS

A) Finance Ministry bats for 24/7 vaccine drive.

An accelerated vaccination drive is imperative to avoid or lower the ferocity of subsequent waves of the spread of Covid-19 and boost economic growth, the Department of Economic Affairs noted in its monthly economic report for May 2021. Calling for a doubling of shifts or even 24×7 vaccination drives for a couple of months, particularly in August and September when supply is expected to increase significantly, the Finance Ministry said this can enable the ambitious, but possible, target of 1 crore shots a day. Terming the vaccination of 70 crore people with at least the first dose till September 2021 as ‘paramount’ for boosting consumers and investors’ confidence and reinvigorating economic growth, the Finance Ministry pitched for it to be taken up on a ‘mission’ mode. Around 93 lakh vaccinations are required per day to achieve the herd immunity (by September-end). The peak daily vaccination rate attained till date is 42.65 lakh. This peak was achieved using one shift of 8-9 hours of vaccination, it pointed out. While attempts are being made to fast-track procurement of vaccines from the international market and 216 crore doses are expected to be made in India between August and December, the ministry suggested aligning supplies with the September 2021 target and a system whereby people already having antibodies (are) vaccinated later while people who have not been exposed (are) given priority. The operational challenges can be met by careful planning and upscaling of transportation, storage and vaccine administration capacity. Use of technology to ease the administration of the vaccine, increased shifts at vaccination centres, and integration of mass vaccination sites e.g., shopping areas, drive-ins, along with schools and primary health care centres will enhance faster coverage under vaccination, it noted. With the peaking of the second wave in the first half of May 2021 and the localised restrictions adopted to combat its spread, its economic impact is expected to be restricted to the first quarter of 2021-22, the Finance Ministry noted. The second wave’s spread to rural India has been rapid, but the share of rural districts in new cases was still lower than the levels seen at the first wave’s peak, the Finance Ministry said. This proportion stood at 57.9% in May, compared to 63.6% in September 2020. However, the number of rural districts bearing 20% of new cases increased sharply from 12 in March to 43 in April and 47 in May, which in turn is 3.4 times greater than their share during the peak of the first wave.

B) Congress leader Jitin Prasada joins BJP.

Former Union Minister Jitin Prasada on Wednesday quit the Congress where, he said, he felt he was unable to serve the interests of his people and society, and joined the BJP. His induction took place at the BJP’s national headquarters here in the presence of Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and BJP media cell in charge Anil Baluni. Goyal, sources said, was instrumental in negotiations between Prasada and the BJP top leadership before the induction. Interestingly, Jitendra Prasada had contested against Congress president Sonia Gandhi in organisational polls in November 2000. He was also a signatory to the G-23 missive sent to the Congress leadership pointing to organisational failures and was seen as a semi-rebellion in the ranks. Sources said Prasada’s induction was a response to heavy feedback from the Uttar Pradesh unit of the BJP that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s reported close identification with the Rajput community was alienating Brahmins, who form at least 12% of the vote in the State. The community also punches above its weight in terms of societal influence, said a source in the BJP. Prasada, who had formed a Brahmin Chetana Manch, with a patchy record of influence, is being seen as a part of the BJP national leadership’s move to press the reset button on the Brahmin-Rajput equations, and settle the upper caste vote consolidation. Meanwhile, reacting sharply to Prasada’s exit, the Congress accused him of playing politics of convenience and concentrating on short term gains instead of fighting the ideological battle. Speculations about Prasada joining BJP have been doing the rounds for the last seven years. He was a permanent invitee to the Congress Working Committee, which is the highest decision making body of the party. Ahead of the West Bengal elections, Prasada was appointed as state in-charge. The Congress drew a blank in the elections. Prasada also participated in the CWC meeting where he presented a report on the reasons for the party’s debacle in the polls. Prasada’s exit has also raised questions about the fate of senior party leader Sachin Pilot, who has once again questioned the leadership for not settling his grievances against the state Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot. Shrinate said that the issues raised by Pilot will be addressed soon. Prasada’s close friend Jyotiraditya Scindia, who had last year joined the BJP from Congress, is still waiting for his induction in the Narendra Modi cabinet. He was awarded with a Rajya Sabha berth, but so far has not got any crucial assignments within the party.

C) Hybrid hearings to continue, says Supreme Court.

Supreme Court e-Committee Chairperson Justice D.Y. Chandrachud has written to the Chief Justices (CJs) of the High Courts that hybrid hearings will have to continue in view of the pandemic situation, dispelling notions that courts may revert to the physical hearing mode soon. The onset of the pandemic in March 2020 witnessed a quick transition within the judiciary from physical hearings to video-conferencing. Justice Chandrachud noted that 96,74,257 cases were examined through video-conferencing across the country during the pandemic. Considering the present situation of the pandemic, consistent with the need to protect the safety of lawyers, litigants, court staff, judges and other stake-holders, it may not be possible to conduct only physical hearings of court proceedings and we may have to rely upon a hybrid model of hearing for some time. We need to plan effectively to be able to deal with all exigencies, he wrote to the CJs. Justice Chandrachud, who has spearheaded the transition of the courts from physical to virtual mode, said the committee was working on a uniform video-conferencing mechanism for courts across the country. However, until then, the letter requested the CJs to opt for a suitable video conferencing solution from any of the available options. Until the e-Committee can eventually provide one video-conferencing solution for all High Courts, certain steps can be taken to facilitate judicial work, on the re-opening of courts after the summer recess. We must ensure that a robust, efficient and user-friendly video-conferencing solution is available to users for effective hearing of court proceedings, Justice Chandrachud wrote. He urged the CJs to take corrective measures, intervene personally, and keep an eye to help improve the virtual court system, especially if advocates and litigants have grievances about its quality and connectivity impeding their right to access to justice.

D) Mamata writes to CMs to support farmers.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday extended support to the farmers protesting against the three Central farm Bills. She said she would write to the Chief Ministers of the Opposition-ruled States to support the cause of farmers. During the day, Banerjee met leaders of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, including Rakesh Tikait, at the State Secretariat. He congratulated her for her landslide victory in the Assembly polls. After defeating the BJP, Banerjee should now strive to make West Bengal a model State for farmers, farm leaders said. We have been supporting the protesting farmers from the start. We also passed a resolution in the Assembly against the Bills, Banerjee said. Farm leaders requested her to visit Delhi after the Covid-19 situation improves. The Chief Minister stated that she would take the initiative so that she could have a meeting with the Chief Ministers of the Opposition-ruled States on the issue. She asked why the Centre was not holding talks with the protesting farmers for the past seven months. Former Union Minister and Trinamool Congress leader Yashwant Sinha said the Centre was trying to hand over traditional agriculture to corporates. If traditional agriculture is dismantled, India will cease to be India.

E) BJP received ₹785 crore in donations in 2019-20, Congress ₹139.01 crore.

The BJP received ₹785.77 crore in donations from companies and individuals in 2019-2020, over five times as much as contributions to the Congress, according to the party’s annual contribution report submitted to the Election Commission of India (ECI). The party’s contribution report for 2019-2020, though filed on February 12, was published by the ECI on Tuesday night. The report includes all contributions of ₹20,000 or more made via cheque and bank transfer. Out of the total ₹785.77 crore in contributions declared by the party, ₹217.75 crore came from the Prudent Electoral Trust, which in turn received funds from DLF Limited, Bharti Airtel Limited, GMR Airport Developers, and other major corporate houses. The BJP also received ₹45.95 crore from the Jankalyan Electoral Trust, which received funds from companies of the JSW Group, including JSW Cement, JSW Energy and JSW Energy. Samaj Electoral Trust and AB General Electoral Trust, which was funded by Hindalco Industries Limited, gave the party ₹3.75 crore and ₹9 crore respectively. A range of companies, big and small, also donated to the party, from ITC Limited to Haldiram Snacks. Of the other recognised national parties, the Congress received ₹139.01 crore in contributions, according to its contribution report published in February. The All India Trinamool Congress declared ₹8.08 crore and the Communist Party of India declared ₹1.29 crore in their contribution reports for 2019-2020 that were published on Monday. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) declared contributions of ₹19.69 crore, the Nationalist Congress Party declared ₹59.94 crore, and the BSP declared nil contributions.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) UN rights rapporteur warns of starvation deaths in Myanmar.

The UN’s special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar has warned of mass deaths from starvation and disease in the wake of fighting between rebel groups and junta forces in the east of the country. Myanmar has been in chaos and its economy paralysed since a February putsch and a brutal military crackdown on dissent that has killed over 800, according to a local monitoring group. Fighting has flared in several communities especially in townships that have seen a high death toll at the hands of the police and some locals have formed defence forces. Clashes have escalated in Kayah State near the Thai border in recent weeks. The UN estimates around people have been displaced. The junta’s brutal, indiscriminate attacks are threatening the lives of many thousands of men, women and children in Kayah, Tom Andrews said in a statement on Twitter on Tuesday. Let me be blunt. Mass deaths from starvation, disease, and exposure, on a scale we have not yet seen could occur in Kayah State absent immediate action. Diplomatic efforts to halt the bloodshed have been led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) of which Myanmar is a member but the bloc is riven with infighting and has managed to put little pressure on the junta.

B) U.S. Senate passes huge innovation Bill.

The U.S. Senate passed a sweeping industrial policy Bill on Tuesday aimed at countering the surging economic threat from rival China overcoming partisan divisions to support pumping more than $170 billion into research and development. With both American political parties increasingly worried about competition from Asia’s largest power, the measure cleared the chamber on a 68-32 vote, one of the most significant bipartisan achievements in Congress since Joe Biden’s presidency began in January. It abo represents the largest investment in scientific research and technological innovation in according to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. The Bill now heads to the House of Representatives, which earlier Passed a different version. The two will  have to be reconciled into a single Bill before it is sent to the White House for the President’s signature. Biden encouraged Mr. Biden said he was encouraged by the Senate’s passage of the United States Innovation and Competition Act. We are in a competition to win the 21st century, and the starting gun has gone off, Mr. Biden said. As other countries continue to invest in their own research and development, we cannot risk falling behind. America must maintain its position as the most innovative and productive nation on Earth. The package, a key provision of which addresses a shortage of semiconductors that has slowed U.S. auto production this year, will help U.S. industry bolster its capacity and improve technology. It is seen as crucial for U.S. efforts to avoid being out-maneuvered by Beijing as the adversaries compete in the race to technological innovation. Today, the Senate took a critical bipartisan step forward to make the investments we need to continue America’s legacy as a global leader in innovation, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in a statement praising the passage of the Bill. This funding isn’t just about addressing the current semiconductor chip shortage, it is about long-term investments, she said.