Tag: dailycurrentaffairs

CURRENT AFFAIRS
08 May 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) Supreme Court upholds High Court order on quantum of oxygen supply to Karnataka. 

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a Karnataka High Court order of May 5 directing the Centre to supply 1,200 MT of oxygen every day to the State. A Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah described the interim order of the High Court as a careful, calibrated and judicious exercise. The top court pointed out that even the Karnataka government had projected the need for 1,800 MT oxygen if cases climbed to 3.95 lakh. The cases, the Bench noted, had gone up to 4.95 lakh on May 5, and the minimum requirement was 1,100 MT. Hence, the HC order shows an extraordinarily well-calibrated approach. Prima facie, the government is under an obligation [to provide the oxygen], Justice Chandrachud addressed Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. Mehta, who represents the Centre which has challenged the HC order, said the issue was not about the supply of oxygen to Karnataka. The Centre is not and cannot be averse to that. I am only sharing a concern about a national problem. This is a pan-India issue. If every HC starts ‘judiciously’ examining what amount of oxygen should be supplied, etc, where would it lead to… The Centre and State should decide the allocation of oxygen. If every HC starts entertaining petitions for allocation of oxygen under Article 226, COVID management would become unworkable. There will be a complete lack of pandemic management, Mehta argued. Justice Chandrachud said the judges, including Karnataka Chief Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Aravind Kumar, who passed the order in question, were human beings sensitive to what was happening around them. They have seen the deaths in Chamarajanagar and Kalburgi.

B) Legal counsel of Election Commission resigns citing conflict in values.

An advocate on record on the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) panel of counsel in the Supreme Court, Mohit D. Ram, on Thursday resigned from the position, citing a difference in values with the functioning of the Commission currently. Ram wrote to the ECI, saying that he had been one of its panel counsels since 2013, but could no longer continue. He have found that my values are not in consonance with the current functioning of the ECI; and hence he withdraw myself from the responsibilities of its panel counsel before the Supreme Court of India, the letter stated. He added that he would ensure a smooth transition on the matters pending with his office. Ram’s letter comes in the wake of the ECI moving the Supreme Court against remarks by the Madras High Court that it was responsible for the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, where Assembly elections were concluded on May 2, and that ECI officials should be charged with murder. The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to restrain the media from reporting the observations.

C) SC declines to hear plea to stop Central Vista work amid COVID surge.

While acknowledging the extremely urgent concerns raised by two Delhi residents over the ferrying of labourers to and from the Central Vista redevelopment site amid a devastating public health crisis, the Supreme Court ordered them to go back and approach the Delhi High Court Chief Justice on Monday with a request to hear their case as early as possible. The petitioners, Anya Malhotra and Sohail Hashmi, had moved the Supreme Court after the Delhi High Court adjourned the hearing of their case to May 17, ostensibly to study a judgment of the Supreme Court pronounced on January 5, allowing the Central Vista project. However, a Bench of Justices Vineet Saran and Dinesh Maheshwari said that since the case was already pending before the High Court, it did not want to enter into its merits. It added that the mention for an urgent hearing before the Delhi High Court Chief Justice could even be made jointly by the petitioners’ lawyer, senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, for the Centre. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday attacked the Union government over the Central Vista project, terming it a criminal wastage and asked the dispensation to focus on people’s lives. Central Vista is criminal wastage. Put people’s lives at the centre not your blind arrogance to get a new house, he said on Twitter. Gandhi and his Congress party have been asking the government to shelve its plans on the Central Vista project and give priority to improving medical infrastructure during the Covid-19 pandemic to save people’s lives. It has also criticised the government for according the construction work of the Central Vista project essential services tag and accused it of having its priorities wrong.

D) Supply 700 MT oxygen to Delhi every day, we mean business: SC tells Centre.

The Supreme Court on Friday underlined the obligation of the Centre to comply with the order to supply 700 MT of oxygen to Delhi every day, saying we mean business. A Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah warned the Centre of forcing the court into taking coercive action against it by reneging on its assurance in court to supply 700 MT of oxygen to Delhi, which is battling a devastating second wave of the pandemic. The court’s comments came after it went through a tabulated chart detailing the Centre’s comprehensive plan for the allocation, supply and distribution of oxygen to the national capital. Justice Chandrachud said he and Justice Shah had a discussion before the hearing on the issue and had agreed that the court in its previous orders intended that Delhi should get 700 MT every day. They did not mean that they supply 700 MT on one day. They meant to do it every day until they further examine the modalities. Please do not drive us to a situation where we have to be firm and take the coercive way. It is 700 MT every day, every single day, Justice Chandrachud emphasised. Mehta said he would convey the court’s observations to the authorities concerned during the day. On May 5, the Supreme Court had ordered the Centre to burn the midnight oil and prepare a comprehensive plan for the supply of 700 MT of life-saving oxygen to Delhi on a daily basis. The court had noted that the lack of oxygen was causing tremendous anxiety in the capital.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) CPJ sends letter calling on EU to address press freedom during summit with India on May 8.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an independent non-governmental organisation that champions press freedom around the world, has written to the European Union (EU) urging it to emphasise the importance of press freedom and call for the release of all imprisoned journalists in India during the upcoming EU-India summit on May 8. As India grapples with an astounding Covid-19 surge, the government has responded in part by attempting to clamp down on criticism and reporting. Unfortunately, this is not a new reaction. Last year, CPJ documented dozens of cases of journalists who were arrested, threatened, assaulted, and served legal notices over their coverage of the pandemic, the letter stated. As leaders from both sides discuss the pandemic, trade, and the environment during this important summit, EU leaders should ensure that press freedom concerns are not sidelined, but prioritised, and make public and robust calls for India to release all journalists in detention, the letter said.

B) WhatsApp scraps May 15 deadline for accepting privacy policy terms.

WhatsApp has scrapped its May 15 deadline for users to accept its controversial privacy policy update and said not accepting the terms will not lead to deletion of accounts. WhatsApp had faced severe backlash over user concerns that data was being shared with parent company Facebook. A WhatsApp spokesperson told PTI that no accounts will be deleted on May 15 for not accepting the policy update. No accounts will be deleted on May 15 because of this update and no one in India will lose functionality of WhatsApp either. We will follow up with reminders to people over the next several weeks, the spokesperson said in an emailed response to a query on Friday. The spokesperson added that while a majority of users who have received the new terms of service have accepted them, some people have not had the chance to do so yet. However, the company did not clarify the reason behind the decision and did not divulge the number of users who have accepted the terms so far.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
07 May 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Supreme Court wants oxygen-sharing formula ahead of third wave.

The Supreme Court on Thursday highlighted the need for the Union government to start preparations for oxygen allocation to the States, its supply and distribution, ahead of a third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic. The court drew the attention of the government to reports that children may be affected in the next wave. A Bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and M.R. Shah said the government needed to finalise a formula for allocation, supply and distribution of oxygen in a scientific manner ahead of the coming wave. It said the rough-and-ready formula devised presently on the oxygen-for-bed arrangement would hardly work. The current formula of allocating oxygen to Delhi, for example, on the basis of the number of ICU/non-ICU beds grossly underestimated need for oxygen in the National Capital. Also, not everyone who went to a hospital required an oxygen bed and not everyone required ICU or ventilator. There are many who have been asked to stay at home and quarantine, Justice Chandrachud said, picking loopholes in the formula. The court said the formula for allocation and distribution of oxygen among the States should be based, among other things, on an oxygen audit, that is, to determine the actual need of oxygen in a State. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, while informing the court that 730.7 MT (metric tonnes) of oxygen was received in Delhi on Wednesday as directed by the Bench, agreed that a minimum fault prone formula for oxygen supply, allocation and distribution was the need of the hour. The government agreed to revisit the formula.

B) Lucknow Hospital booked for ‘false’ oxygen shortage notice.

A private hospital in Lucknow, which had put up a notice saying it had a shortage of oxygen, was booked on charges of creating an atmosphere of fear, with the administration alleging that the hospital had sufficient stock of cylinders and was trying to hoard oxygen. The director of Sun Hospital was booked under Sections 188 and 269 of the Indian Penal Code, Sections 51 and 52 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the Epidemic Diseases Act in the Vibhuti Khand police station. On May 3, the hospital had allegedly put out a notice signed by its administrator Udit Singhal on social media asking family members of patients who were on oxygen support to take their patients elsewhere. After repeated requests to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and the Central Government, we are not able to get enough oxygen supply, said the notice. The Lucknow administration said they carried out an inspection at the hospital and found that the hospital had sufficient supply of oxygen. In his police complaint, Suresh Pandey, Superintendent of CHC Chinhat, said it was found that the hospital had eight jumbo oxygen cylinders, two B-type filled cylinders and oxygen concentrators. Twenty-five Covid-19 patients were admitted in the hospital, 20 of whom were on oxygen support, Pandey said. After the examination from the medical point of view, it was established that the hospital had sufficient oxygen in proportion to the admitted patients, the FIR said. The official also said that on May 1, when it had 18 patients, the hospital had received 26 jumbo cylinders while on May 2, when the number of patients was 17, it had got 58 jumbo cylinders. The action against Sun Hospital comes after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recently instructed top officials to take action against hospitals if they found them to be reporting a scarcity of oxygen supply just to create fear. On May 4, the Allahabad High Court had observed that the deaths of Covid-19 patients due to lack of supply of oxygen to hospitals is a criminal act and not less than a genocide by those who have been entrusted the task to ensure continuous procurement and supply chain of the liquid medical oxygen.

C) SC dismisses ECI plea to restrain media from reporting High Court remarks.

Real-time reportage of court proceedings, including the oral exchanges in courtrooms between judges and lawyers, is part of the right to freedom of speech, the Supreme Court has held in a judgment. A Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud declined a plea made by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to restrain the media from reporting oral remarks made by a Division Bench of the Madras High Court. The High Court judges had said that the poll commission officials should be charged with murder for allowing rallies and mass gatherings during the Tamil Nadu Assembly election. The judges had remarked that the ECI was solely responsible for the Covid-19 surge. The Chief Election Commissioner had appealed to the Supreme Court after the High Court did not restrain the media from reporting the remarks nor make any of them take back the remarks. The ECI said cases had already been filed against its officials for murder. In the judgment, Justice Chandrachud said the case posed a delicate balancing of powers between the High Court and the ECI, which were both constitutional authorities. The case also features prominently the power of the media to report judicial proceedings honestly and fairly in real time. The court said that except in cases of child sexual abuse and marital issues, the phenomenon of free Press should extend to court proceedings. In its petition in the Supreme Court, the ECI had said the oral comments by the Madras High Court would lower the faith of the masses in the ECI and democratic process. The ECI had said the comments were disparaging and derogatory.

D) Arrival of central team soon after govt formation irks Mamata.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the BJP of inciting violence and criticised the Union government for sending a team to the State within 24 hours of her government formation. Within 24 hours of the swearing-in of the new government, a Central team came to the State. The BJP should accept the mandate of people, she said at a press conference in the State Secretariat. A four-member team of the Union Home Ministry arrived in the State during the day and held a meeting with senior State officials. I have not seen such a thing in my life. May good sense prevail. Such threats will not work, she said. Some fake videos were being circulated on the social media and police would take strong action against those spreading them, she added. The Chief Minister announced a compensation of ₹2 lakh to each of the families of the deceased in political violence. She alleged that even Union Ministers were visiting the State and trying to incite trouble. Anyone coming from outside, be it a Union Minister, will have to undergo RT-PCR test, she said. Violence was more in areas where the BJP had won in the polls, she stated.

E) RLD chief Ajit Singh passes away due to Covid-19 complications.

Former Union minister and chief of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) Ajit Singh, 82, passed away on Thursday of Covid-19 related complications. His son, Jayant Chaudhary confirmed the demise of his father early on Thursday morning. Singh, the son of former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, was one of the first IITians in Indian politics, and became Rajya Sabha member in 1986 as his father fell ill. He contested and won from the Baghpat seat from 1989 till 2009. After his own father’s demise, he headed the Lok Dal (A), and the Janata Party and through the vissitudes of coalition politics of the 1990s, allied with the Janata Dal, BJP and Congress before going it alone in 2014. He was minister for agriculture in the Vajpayee government during 2001-2003, and minister for civil aviation in the second term of the UPA government. His politics stemmed from the rural hinterland of western Uttar Pradesh, especially the agrarian Jat and Muslim communities, a constituency that his father Chaudhary Charan Singh had built in the 1960s.

F) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 2,12,42,410 with the death toll at 2,31,479. Madhya Pradesh on Thursday announced a lockdown till May 15 to break the chain of transmission of coronavirus cases. Meanwhile, Mumbai municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal on Thursday directed officials to set up a drive-in vaccination centre in each of seven administrative regions of the city within 24 hours, PTI reported. The first drive-in centre where people can get a shot of the coronavirus vaccine without getting out of their vehicles started in the city on Tuesday in Dadar area. Chahal directed deputy municipal commissioners to set up at least one such centre in their respective regions within 24 hours, a civic official said. Those above 60 years can get vaccinated at drive-in centres only by appointment, and they shall not drive themselves but will be accompanied by an attendant or a driver, the municipal commissioner said in an order.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A) U.S. to support intellectual property waiver for Covid-19 vaccines.

The United States will support an initiative at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to waive Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) protection for Covid-19 vaccines, the Biden administration said on Wednesday. The news will support the increased production of vaccines globally as countries, including India, continue to reel under the impact of the pandemic. The initiative was first floated by India and South Africa last October. The administration believes strongly in intellectual property protections, but in service of ending this pandemic, supports the waiver of those protections for Covid-19 vaccines, United States Trade Representative Katherine Tai announced, adding that the extraordinary circumstances called for extraordinary measures. Over a 100 countries have supported the proposal, according to the Associated Press. U.S. President Joe Biden has also been under growing pressure, domestically, to support a waiver, with 110 Democratic Members of Congress writing to him last week on the issue. Earlier in April, Bernie Sanders and nine Democratic Senators, including Elizabeth Warren, had also written to the President in support of a waiver

B) 20% Google employees to permanently work from home, Pichai says.

Google is all set to launch a new hybrid workspace model that will allow 60% of Google employees to work in the office only few days a week. About one-fifth of its staff will be allowed to work from home, and another remaining 20% may work from a different location altogether. CEO Sundar Pichai said in an email to employees that the company is testing new multi-purpose offices and private workspaces equipped with advanced video technology to help staff work with greater flexibility when they return to office. They will move to a hybrid work week where most Googlers spend approximately three days in the office and two days wherever they work best, Pichai wrote. There will also be roles that may need to be on site more than three days a week due to the nature of the work. Employees will be able to apply for a move to another office, but a transfer will be made after reviewing whether business goals can be met in the new location. Google will also check whether the team has the right infrastructure in to support work in a different location. Additionally, employees can apply for complete remote work within their product area or function. Google employees can also choose to choose to work from anywhere other than their main office for up to four weeks a year. Their managers must approve such requests. Google says this will provide employees more flexibility around summer and holiday travel.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
06 May 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Maratha quota law unconstitutional, rules Supreme Court.

A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday unanimously declared a Maharashtra law which provides reservation benefits to the Maratha community, taking the quota limit in the State in excess of 50%, as unconstitutional. The Bench, led by Justice Ashok Bhushan, found there was no exceptional circumstances or extraordinary situation in Maharashtra that required the Maharashtra government to break the 50% ceiling limit to bestow quota benefits on the Maratha community. The Supreme Court struck down the findings of the Justice N.G. Gaikwad Commission, which had led to the enactment of the Maratha quota law, and set aside the Bombay High Court judgment that had validated the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act of 2018. The High Court had, in June 2019, reduced the quantum of reservation for Marathas from the 16% recommended by the Gaikwad Commission to 12% in education and 13% in employment. The Supreme Court concluded that even the reduced percentages of reservation granted by the High Court were ultra vires. In fact, the Supreme Court held that a separate reservation for the Maratha community violates Articles 14 (right to equality) and 21 (due process of law). Most notably, the Supreme Court declined to re-visit its 1992 Indira Sawhney judgment, which had fixed the reservation limit at 50%. We don’t find any substance to revisit the Indira Sawhney judgment or referring it to a larger bench. The judgment has been upheld by at least four Constitution Benches, Justice Ashok Bhushan said, reading from his lead opinion on the question of validity of the Maratha quota law.

B) SC asks Centre, Delhi govt to learn from Maharashtra and BMC how to manage oxygen supply.

The Supreme Court on May 5 ordered the Centre to burn the midnight oil and prepare a comprehensive plan for the supply of 700 MT of life-saving oxygen to Delhi on a daily basis. The plan, which has to be handed over to the court in the form of a tabulated chart at 10.30 a.m. on May 6, should identify the sources of supply of oxygen to Delhi, and the provisions for transport and logistical arrangements, including distribution points for oxygen. The court orally urged Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, to comply with the April 30 order of the Supreme Court and ensure that Delhi received 700 MT oxygen by May 5 midnight. According to the Centre, Delhi had received 351 MT of oxygen till noon. The Bench, however, stayed a Delhi High Court order initiating contempt action against the Centre’s officers for the continued shortfall in the supply of oxygen to Delhi, which is battling a devastating second wave of Covid-19. Hauling officers up for contempt will not bring oxygen to Delhi, Justice Chandrachud reasoned. Contempt is when something is done absolutely willfully. This is a national crisis, nobody can dispute that the Centre has not done anything. But still what is your plan for distribution and assessment of requirement of oxygen? Justice Shah asked Mehta. The court asked the Centre and the Delhi government officials to get the help of Maharashtra government and consult with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, especially its Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal. The court asked the Centre to take a leaf from Maharashtra’s successful management of oxygen supply and creation of storage tanks when the active caseload was up to 92,000 in Mumbai. Mehta agreed there was nothing wrong for the Centre to consult the municipal body.

C) Third wave of pandemic is inevitable, says principal scientific advisor.

VijayRaghavan, Principal Scientific Advisor, while addressing the media during the Health Ministry’s briefing said that a third wave was inevitable in the country. The second wave was expected, he said, while adding that a third wave was inevitable. We have to be prepared and vaccine updates are needed, he said. He said it is vital that people persisted with Covid-appropriate behaviour as the virus-variants don’t change their fundamental behaviour. He said the vaccines were effective as of now. Meanwhile, Lav Agarwal, Joint Health Secretary, said that Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Gujarat have recorded a dip in daily cases recorded. However, an increase in the number of daily cases was noted in States like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Haryana and Punjab, among others. The Joint Health Secretary noted the rise in cases in cities like Bengaluru, Ernakulam, Kannur and Kanpur among others as alarming.

D) Covid-19 scare at G7 meeting after two members of Jaishankar’s delegation test positive.

The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers’ meeting in London was hit by a Covid-19 scare on Wednesday when India’s foreign minister and his entire team said they were self-isolating after two delegation members tested positive. Britain is hosting the three-day meeting the first such G-7 event in two years which has been heavily billed as a chance to restart face-to-face diplomacy and an opportunity for the West to show a united front against threats from China and Russia. India is attending the G7 as a guest and had been due to take part in meetings on Tuesday evening and throughout Wednesday. Was made aware of exposure to possible Covid positive cases, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Twitter. As a measure of abundant caution and also out of consideration for others, he decided to conduct his engagements in the virtual mode. That will be the case with the G7 Meeting today as well. The meeting is a precursor to the main G7 summit due to take place at a rural English resort in June, with U.S. President Joe Biden and other world leaders set to attend. A British official confirmed the two positive tests and said the entire Indian delegation was self-isolating. British rules require a 10-day self-isolation period. The Indian delegation had not yet attended the main summit venue at Lancaster House, and so meetings scheduled for Wednesday went ahead as planned. Asked if, in light of the positive tests, it had been a mistake to hold the summit in person, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, I think it’s very important to try to continue as much business as you can as a government. Johnson said he would speak with Jaishankar later on Wednesday by Zoom. Jaishankar was pictured meeting British interior minister Priti Patel on Tuesday, although Patel did not have to self-isolate because the meeting had been held in line with existing rules. Both were wearing masks in the photograph. India is not a G7 member but was invited by Britain to this week’s summit, along with Australia, South Africa and South Korea.

E) Mamata sworn in Chief Minister for third time.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee was on May 5 sworn in as the Chief Minister of West Bengal. She was administered the oath of office by Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar. She has assumed the office of Chief Minister for the third time in a row. The TMC had won 213 seats in the 294-member Assembly in the recent election. The party’s vote share was also at an all-time high of 47.9 %. TMC legislators had unanimously elected Banerjee as leader. She want to thank all the people of the State, ‘Maa, Maati Manus’ of West Bengal. There were many in the country and across the world whose eyes were on West Bengal, she said after being sworn in. Banerjee said that her first priority would be to contain the Covid-19 crisis. She also appealed for peace and ending the post-poll violence. I will appeal to all political parties to maintain peace. Take proper care that there is no violence. West Bengal does not like violence, and I do not support violence, she said.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) ‘U.S. to send vaccines to other countries by July 4’

U.S. President Joe Biden said countries that receive U.S. vaccines will receive them by July 4 India and Brazil are likely on this list. His comments were made during remarks he delivered on Tuesday afternoon, updating the public on his administration’s vaccination programme achievements. The U.S., which entered into an agreement with Canada and Mexico in March to share 4 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, said last week that another 10 million doses would become available in the coming weeks, followed by a further 50 million by the end of June. India expects to receive the largest share of the 60 million doses, Reuters had reported last week. They’re sending a lot of the precursors. So they are doing a lot for India, Mr. Biden said in response to a question on what criteria were being used to decide which countries (India, Brazil were specifically cited in the question) got the vaccine. With regard to the AstraZeneca vaccine, they have sent that vaccine to Canada and to Mexico and to other countries we are talking to now, Mr. Biden said, adding he had spoken to a head of state on Tuesday and was not prepared to announce which other countries would be getting the vaccine. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said five of six shipments of assistance had already reached India and that more flights are on the way, with a total of over $100 million in assistance, including rapid tests, oxygen cylinders and concentrators and masks. They have also sent 2.5 million N-95 masks and we have an additional 12.5 million N-95 masks available, should that request come from the Indian government, Ms. Psaki said.

B) EU unveils plan to cut dependency on China.

The European Union (EU) unveiled on Wednesday a plan to cut its dependency on Chinese and other foreign suppliers in six strategic areas like raw materials, pharmaceutical ingredients and semiconductors after the pandemicinduced economic slump. 317 products The 27-nation bloc outlined the urgency of the task citing Europe’s reliance on China for about half of 137 products used in sensitive ecosystems, mainly raw materials, pharmaceuticals and other products key to its green and digital goals. The updated industrial strategy plan was devised after the COVID-19 pandemic showed bottlenecks in supply chain and the executive European Commission plans to conduct in-depth reviews of supply chains in raw materials, batteries, active pharmaceutical ingredients, hydrogen, semiconductors and cloud and edge technologies, to decide how to deal with them. Today’s updated Industrial Strategy is about making sure our industries are equipped to drive the digital and green transformations of our economy while ensuring the competitiveness of our industries, also in the context of the recovery from the coronavirus crisis, European Commission VicePresident Margrethe Vestager told a news conference.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
05 May 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

 

A) West Bengal post-poll violence: NCW takes suo motu cognisance of attacks on women.

A team of the National Commission for Women (NCW) headed by its chairperson, Rekha Sharma, will visit West Bengal to investigate attacks on women during the post-poll violence seen in the State. A statement issued by the NCW said that it was taking suo motu cognisance of such attacks after videos were shared on Twitter of women being beaten up in Nandigram. The Commission is deeply perturbed and has viewed this incident seriously as it concerns the safety and security of women in the State, the statement added. On May 3, BJP leaders Kailash Vijayvargiya and Sambit Patra shared videos of the party office in Nandigram being ransacked as well as women supporters of the party being physically assaulted. The Commission has also written to DGP West Bengal to investigate instances of violence and arrest the accused persons. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called up West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar and expressed serious anguish over reports of post poll violence in the State. Various political parties, including the BJP, the CPI(M) and the Congress have alleged that their cadre were being attacked by victorious Trinamool Congress members. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury also condemned the violence, tweeting, Are these reports of gruesome violence in Bengal TMC’s ‘victory celebrations’? Condemnable. Will be resisted and rebuffed. Instead of focusing on combating the pandemic TMC unleashes such mayhem. CPI(M), as always will be with the people to protect, assist, providing relief. BJP president J.P. Nadda is expected to visit the homes of the party cadre who have allegedly been victims of violence. The Trinamool Congress leadership rubbished the allegations as baseless and false. TMC leader Firhad Hakim said that the BJP is trying to spread a false narrative when in certain places it is the TMC supporters who are at the receiving end of the violence.

B) Foreign aid for Covid-19 mostly went to Central hospitals.

Around 40 lakh items, comprising medicines, oxygen cylinders and masks received in foreign aid have been distributed to 86 institutions and hospitals, mostly run by the Central government in 31 States and Union Territories, according to a statement issued by the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday. Amid the second wave of Covid-19, with over 3 lakh cases being reported daily, India for the first time in 17 years decided to accept foreign aid. Emergency aid continued coming into the country from various countries. Seven tankers with 20 metric ton Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) each arrived at the Mundra port in Gujarat from United Arab Emirates (UAE), which is the first such shipment of LMO to India, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. In a joint effort by the U.K. with the Indian Air Force (IAF), an IAF transport aircraft ferried 450 oxygen cylinders to Chennai, while the fifth in a series of consignments carrying medical equipment, including 545 oxygen concentrators, arrived from the U.S. Also, a shipment from Kuwait arrived in India with 282 oxygen cylinders, 60 oxygen concentrators, ventilators and other medical supplies. Out of the eight hospitals in Delhi, six that received the aid sent from foreign countries are run by the Central government. Delhi is one of the worst affected States hit by oxygen shortage, with the Central government and the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government sparring over the oxygen allocation. Oxygen allocation is being centrally controlled by an empowered group of officers. The Lady Hardinge Medical College, Safdarjung Hospital, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), and National Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases in Delhi have received the foreign aid, the Ministry said. Two other hospitals in Delhi and a hospital run by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in Noida have also received such aid. The 24 categories of items that have been received from foreign countries include BiPAP machines, oxygen concentrators and cylinders, PSA oxygen plants, pulse oximeters, drugs such as Flaviparivir and Remdesivir, PPE coveralls, N-95 masks and gowns, the Ministry said.

 

C) Both SP and BJP claim victory in U.P. panchayat polls.

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday claimed that the party had been the first preference of voters in the Uttar Pradesh panchayat polls, counting for which has been going on since May 2. The victory of the Samajwadi Party in large numbers is a clear indication that it has acceptability among the farmers, youth and in villages, Yadav said in a statement. However, the BJP on Monday evening claimed that it was ahead of the other parties and candidates linked to it had won 918 zilla panchayat member seats while on 557 others they enjoyed a decisive lead. Parties do not issue their symbols for the three-tier panchayat polls but indicate the candidates they support in the zilla panchayat election. The SP did not mention the specific number of candidates supported by it who had won. Party spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary, however, claimed that the BJP received a jolt in both Gorakhpur and Varanasi, the political home ground of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, respectively. The SP also received huge success in Lucknow, he said, adding that the BJP’s tricks had failed to work even in Prayagraj, Etawah and Azamgarh. The State Election Commission on Monday evening said that so far 2.32 lakh gram panchayat members, 38,317 gram panchayat pradhans, 55,925 kshetra panchayat members and 181 Zilla Panchayat members have been elected.

 

D) Twitter permanently suspends Kangana Ranaut’s account.

Twitter on Tuesday permanently suspended actor Kangana Ranaut’s account following a series of controversial tweets over the prevailing situation in West Bengal, which triggered sharp reactions on social media. When contacted, a Twitter spokesperson, said: We’ve been clear that we will take strong enforcement action on behaviour that has the potential to lead to offline harm. The referenced account has been permanently suspended for repeated violations of Twitter Rules, specifically our Hateful Conduct policy and Abusive Behaviour policy. We enforce the Twitter Rules judiciously and impartially for everyone on our service. Kangana is still active on her Instagram handle, where she shared a video on how the violence in West Bengal has left her distressed and beyond words and called it the death of democracy. She posted the video stating that it was an important message for our government on the Bengal violence.

 

E) HC asks Centre why it should not face contempt for failing to supply oxygen to Delhi as ordered.

The Delhi High Court Tuesday directed the Centre to show cause as to why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against it for failing to comply with order on supply of oxygen to Delhi for treating Covid-19 patients, PTI reported. A bench of Justices Vipin Sanghi and Rekha Palli also rejected the Centre’s submission that Delhi was not entitled to 700 metric tonnes of medical oxygen in light of existing medical infrastructure. We see grim reality everyday of people not able to secure oxygen or ICU beds in hospitals, which have reduced beds due to gas shortage, it said. The high court directed two senior central government officers to be present before it on Wednesday to respond to the notice. It said the Supreme Court’s April 30 detailed order shows direction to the central government to provide 700 MT of oxygen per day to Delhi, not just 490 MT. It further said that the Supreme Court has already directed and now the high court is also saying that the Centre will have to supply 700 MT oxygen daily to Delhi right away, by whatever means.

 

F) BCCI suspends IPL 2021 after players test positive for Covid-19.

The Indian Premier League’s (IPL) 2021 edition has been indefinitely suspended, according to IPL chairman Brijesh Patel. They have suspended the IPL for now. The new window will be worked out later on. A statement will follow soon, Patel told. BCCI was forced to take the call since at least four teams have been affected by Covid-19. Earlier in the day, Sunrisers Hyderabad wicket-keeper Wriddhiman Saha and Delhi Capitals leg-spinner Amit Mishra were diagnosed to have contracted the Covid-19 infection. Multiple members of biosecure bubbles of both the franchises confirmed to The Hindu that Saha and Mishra have tested positive for Covid-19.

 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) India to invest £530 million, including £240 million by Serum Institute, and create 6,500 jobs in U.K. under Modi-Johnson deal. 

Britain has finalised £1 billion worth of new trade and investment with India, creating over 6,500 jobs in the UK. The deal was signed at a virtual summit between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Tuesday. The investments form part of an Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP), which will set the ambition to double the value of UK-India trade by 2030 and declare a shared intent to begin work towards a comprehensive Free Trade Agreement (FTA). Each and every one of the more than 6,500 jobs we have announced today will help families and communities build back from coronavirus and boost the British and Indian economies, Johnson said. The trade and investment package unveiled by Britain contains over £533 million of new Indian investment into the UK, covering areas such as healthcare and technology. This includes a £240 million investment by the Serum Institute of India in the U.K. into its vaccine business and a new sales office in the country, expected to generate new business worth over $1 billion. Serum’s investment will support clinical trials, research & development and possibly manufacturing of vaccines, to help the UK and the world defeat the coronavirus pandemic and other deadly diseases, Downing Street said. British businesses have also secured new export deals with India worth more than 446 million pounds, which is expected to create more than 400 British jobs. Last week, Johnson spoke to Indian business leaders from companies such as Infosys and HCL, and the software majors are among the Indian companies listed as part of a series of investment deals, set to create 1,000 jobs each in the UK. Some of the others on the list include the likes of biotech firm Global Gene Corp, TVS Motors and Goila Butter Chicken.

 

B) Bill and Melinda Gates announce they are ending marriage

Bill and Melinda Gates have said that they are divorcing but would keep working together at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, one of the largest charitable foundations in the world. In identical tweets, the Microsoft co-founder and his wife said they had made the decision to end their marriage of 27 years. They have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives, they said in a statement. They ask for space and privacy for our family as we begin to navigate this new life. Bill Gates was formerly the world’s richest person and his fortune is estimated at well over $100 billion. How the couple end up settling their estate and any impact on the foundation will be closely watched. The Gateses were married in 1994 in Hawaii. They met after she began working at Microsoft as a product manager in 1987. The Seattle-based Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the most influential private foundation in the world, with an endowment worth nearly $50 billion. It has focused on global health and development and U.S. education issues since incorporating in 2000.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
04 May 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Cannot stop media reports on court observations, says SC.

Media cannot be stopped from reporting oral remarks made by judges during a court hearing. The honest and full reportage of these comments gives the public an insight into whether judges are genuinely applying their minds to resolve a crisis, the Supreme Court told a hurt Election Commission of India (ECI) today. The ECI had complained to the Supreme Court about certain oral comments made by a Division Bench of the Madras High Court. The HC judges had accused the ECI of being solely responsible for the super-spread of Covid-19 through uncontrolled election rallies and campaigning. Instead of patting the EC officials on their backs, the HC judges had said the ECI should be charged with murder. Soon after, a troubled ECI had approached the HC to take back its words and restrain the media from reporting the comments as FIRs for murder were registered against the poll body officials. But the HC had, on April 30, refused to budge, saying there were more pressing issues at hand. They cannot expect the media not to report dialogues. Oral observations are as important as orders… Unfolding of process of judicial thinking is equally of interest to the public, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud addressed the ECI, represented by senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi. Public interest is not limited to judgments, but also the raising of questions in a court hearing, the dialogue between the Bar and the Bench. All of these show the public whether there was a genuine application of mind by judges. The Bench said the ECI’s prayer to stop media from reporting the comments from the Bench was simply far-fetched. When Mr. Dwivedi complained that the HC should not have accused another constitutional authority like the ECI of murder, Justice Chandrachud said judges were humans too. Their comments may be borne out of frustration, but were certainly made for the cause of larger public interest. Justice Shah said the ECI should take oral observations of judges in the right spirit.

B) 23 Covid-19 patients die in Karnataka hospital, triggering fears of oxygen shortage

A surge in the deaths of Covid-19 patients in Chamarajanagar in Karnataka has sparked panic among the people regarding oxygen scarcity. Against a daily average of eight to 10 deaths, a total of 23 Covid-19 patients died late on Sunday. All the patients who died were on ventilator and had co-morbidities. The deaths were not necessarily due to oxygen shortage, Deputy Commissioner of Chamarajanagar M.R. Ravi told. Even though he clarified that the deaths were not linked to non-availability of oxygen, Ravi said it was difficult to source oxygen from Mysuru. The suppliers, who were under pressure to meet Mysuru’s requirements, were finding it difficult to ensure regular supply to Chamarajanagar. Education Minister S. Suresh Kumar, who is in charge of Chamarajnagar district, announced has ordered a death audit of the tragedy. In a hurriedly-convened press conference, he said, Not all deaths, which occurred over 24 hours, were due to oxygen shortage. A death audit will reveal the exact cause, he said. However, he admitted that there was a shortage of oxygen to the district and there was a crisis for two hours post mid-night on Sunday. The district, categorised as one of the most backward in Karnataka, is dependent on neighbouring Mysuru for oxygen supply. The minister said that he had requested the Chief Secretary to ensure a regular supply of oxygen to the district. 

C) EC official was threatened, will approach courts over Nandigram poll result, says Mamata.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that her party will approach the court on the Nandigram election results. Speaking to journalists outside her residence, Banerjee said that the returning officer for Nandigram was threatened that he could lose his life if he ordered a recounting of the votes for the constituency. While she lost from Nandigram, her party has won 213 of the 292 seats that went to polls in West Bengal. Everywhere there is one result, at one place it is different. Then suddenly the server went slowly for four hours, and then there was load-shedding for forty minutes. They have changed many things, including machines, Banerjee said. She asked what grounds the Election Commission had to refuse a recounting of votes. Anyone can demand recounting of votes. What stake does the Election Commission have to deny re-counting, Banerjee asked. Banerjee also brought to fore a message that the returning officer (RO) had allegedly sent to an acquaintance. In the message, the RO had allegedly said that his life would be in danger if he ordered a recount. Look at the situation. The RO says there is a threat on his life, she said, as she asked a journalist to read out the message loud. The Nandigram Assembly seat had kept both the TMC and the BJP on tenterhooks till late on Sunday evening. After the end of 17 rounds of counting, the ECI website showed that BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari had defeated Banerjee by a margin of 1,956 votes. Meanwhile, TMC supporters continued to protest outside the counting center in Purba Medinipur district. Banerjee said that the EC should ensure that the EVMs used for polling in Nandigram are properly preserved.

D) Election Commission should be disbanded: Congress.

Deputy Leader of the Congress in the Rajya Sabha, Anand Sharma, on Monday lashed out at the Election Commission of India (EC) for being ‘partisan’ and asserted that the present poll body should be disbanded as it had betrayed the trust of voters. He also suggested that the Supreme Court should decide the criteria for a person to qualify for the position of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and Election Commissioner (EC). The present Election Commission should be disbanded and the actions of its members probed. The EC has disgraced itself and betrayed the voters’ trust. A Constitution bench of the Supreme Court should decide on the composition, qualifying criteria for the appointment of the CEC and the ECs, and firm guidelines for the conduct of free and fair elections as per the Constitution, Sharma said in a statement, a day after results of Assembly elections to four States and one Union Territory came out. The senior Congress leader said that the conduct of the EC during the recent elections has raised serious concerns and accused the Commission of violating its Constitutional mandate under Article 324 to conduct free and fair polls. Blatantly partisan, its actions in Bengal were shocking and condemnable. There have been instances where it acted as a willing accomplice of the BJP, he said. Sharma said that the EC must be held accountable for fuelling the surge in Covid-19 cases and increasing the suffering of the people by allowing unrestricted mass rallies and violations of COVID protocols.

F) Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments.

The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 2,00,86,109 with the death toll at 2,20,184. As the second wave of coronavirus continues to engulf several parts of the country, the Centre on Monday said some states are showing very early signs of plateauing in daily new cases, while some remain a cause of concern. Addressing a news briefing, Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry Lav Agarwal said 13 States, including Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Punjab, are showing early signs of plateauing, while States like Bihar, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and West Bengal are showing an increasing trend in daily cases. Amid a shortage of medical oxygen in the country, he said the government is exploring the feasibility of converting existing nitrogen plants to produce oxygen. Chhattisgarh, where 15,583 cases were reported on April 29, recorded 14,087 fresh cases on May 2. Similar was the case with Delhi, Daman and Diu, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Ladakh, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. He said 12 States had active cases of more than a lakh each. They were Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. The Centre has worked out a tight, new deadline for the ₹20,000 crore Central Vista project, according to which the Prime Minister’s new residence shall be completed by December 2022. The Central Vista projected has been declared an essential service so that construction work can continue uninterrupted even as the national capital remains under lockdown and continues to reel under oxygen shortage amid an alarming surge on new cases of Covid-19.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Russia turns to China to make Sputnik V jabs to meet demand.

Russia is turning to multiple Chinese firms to manufacture the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in an effort to speed up production as demand soars for its shot. Russia has announced three deals totaling 260 million doses with Chinese vaccine companies in recent weeks. It’s a decision that could mean quicker access to a shot for countries in Latin America, the West Asia, and Africa that have ordered Russia’s vaccine, as the U.S. and the EU focus mainly on domestic vaccination needs. Earlier, criticism about Russia’s vaccine have been largely quieted by data published in The Lancet that said large-scale testing showed it to be safe, with an efficacy rate of 91%. Yet, experts have questioned whether Russia can fulfill its pledge to countries across the world. While pledging hundreds of millions of doses, it has only delivered a fraction. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry peskov has said demand for Sputnik V significantly exceeds Russia’s domestic production capacity. To boost production, the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which bankrolled Sputnik V, has signed agreements with drug makers in India, South Korea, Brazil, Serbia, Turkey, Italy and others. There are few indications, however, that manufacturers abroad, except for those in Belarus and Kazakh. Stan, have made any large amounts of the vaccine so far. Airfinity, a U.K.-based science analytics company, estimates Russia agreed to supply 630 million doses of Sputnik V to over 100 countries, with only 11.5 million doses exported so far.

B) U.S. officials in West Asia to reassure jittery allies over Iran. 

Top Biden administration officials and U.S. Senators crisscrossed the West Asia on Monday, seeking to assuage growing unease among Arab partners over America’s re-engagement with Iran and other policy shifts in the region. The trips come as the U.S. and Iran, through intermediaries in Vienna, discuss a return to Tehran’s tattered 2015 nuclear deal with world powers that former President Donald Trump abandoned three years ago. The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf allies, excluded from Obama-era nuclear negotiations, have repeatedly pressed for a seat at the table, insisting that any return to the accord must address Iran’s ballistic missile programme and support for regional proxies. Sen. Chris Coons, a key Biden ally, told reporters in Abu Dhabi that he hoped to allay the sheikhdom’s understandable and legitimate concerns about the return to the landmark deal and to create broader engagement with Gulf partners. Mr. Coons said that close consultation with the UAE about the ongoing talks in Vienna was important, expected and happening, adding that he hopes the Emiratis may not just be notified, but actually help. He did not in any way mean to suggest that there was some deal in the works where the Emiratis would be securing anything, he said. Vienna is the place where the U.S. government is negotiating. Senator Chris Murphy joined the flurry of diplomatic activity in the region this week, jetting to Oman, Qatar and Jordan for dialogue on a political solution to the war in Yemen.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
03 May 2021

NATIONAL NEWS:

A) Mamata Banerjee decisively stops BJP juggernaut in Bengal.

In the biggest story of this cycle of State assembly elections, Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata Banerjee led her party to one of its biggest political victories in the past three decades by single-handedly stopping the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) juggernaut from coming to power in Bengal and paving way to become Chief Minister for a third consecutive time in the State. The West Bengal Assembly polls saw a high-voltage campaign with the BJP putting all its might into the State. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior BJP leaders campaigned vigorously in the State holding several public meetings and road shows. Yet the Trinamool Congress logged one of its biggest ever victories, winning a vote share of over 48% at the time of writing this newsletter. The victory also puts the 66-year-old Ms. Banerjee at the forefront of national politics with all the leaders of Opposition parties congratulating her for the massive win. Till late evening, with counting still on, the party had leads and victories in over 217 of the 292 seats that went to polls. In the 2016 Assembly polls, the TMC had won 211 seats and the percentage of votes polled was about 44.9%. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, however, lost from Nandigram against BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari by a narrow margin of about 1,736 votes. The TMC has demanded a recounting of votes in Nandigram though Ms. banerjee bruised off the setback. Some initial readings of the polling data indicated Muslims that comprise about 27.01% of the State’s population have overwhelmingly supported the Trinamool Congress. In districts like Malda and Murshidabad , which are minority-dominated areas, the State’s ruling party was leading or winning over 80% seats. The Trinamool Congress was also leading in a majority of seats of South 24 Parganas, North 24 Parganas, Howrah and Hooghly. The State’s ruling party was leading or emerged victorious in all the 11 seats in Kolkata.

B) DMK heading for big win in Tamil Nadu, Stalin ends long wait for CM chair. 

After a decade in opposition, the DMK, in alliance with the Congress, is heading for a big win in the 234-member Tamil Nadu assembly. At the time of writing, the alliance is leading in over 140 seats. DMK president M.K. Stalin said the new government to be formed under him would actually be run by those who were aspiring for an ideal government for Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu has announced the victory of the DMK. The State will win hereafter, he said in a statement. It wasn’t entirely the landslide that many opinion polls predicted however, with the incumbent AIADMK leading in 80-plus seats. Actor Kamal Haasan and his Makkal Needhi Maiam or MNM failed to make any kind of impact, with Mr. Haasan himself trailing. It has been a long journey for Mr. Stalin, who has had to wait four decades since his entry into politics to occupy the seat once held by his father M Karunanidhi. Even though he rose from being youth wing leader to legislator, Chennai Mayor, Minister and Deputy Chief Minister over the years, Mr. Stalin had to constantly prove his mettle. He was often compared adversely with his redoubtable father. Afraid of a backlash against being seen as promoting him in the party and government, Karunanidhi allowed him only a step-by-step elevation, lest his rise be seen as meteoric. Mr. Stalin’s tenure as mayor gave him a foundation in administration. He was made Minister of Rural Development and Municipal Administration after the party was elected to power in 2006. He strengthened women self-help groups in the State and his growing influence in the administration and party led to his promotion as the State’s first Deputy Chief Minister in 2009. Meanwhile, he also became the DMK’s treasurer.

C) Left Front on course for a historic win in Kerala.

The ruling Left Democratic Front in Kerala is heading for a historic relection, the first government in Kerala in nearly four and a half decades to beat the trend of anti-incumbency. At the time of writing the LDF was leading in 99 of the 140 seat assembly while the the main opposition the United Democratic Front (UDF), led by the Congress was leading in 41 of the seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) i snot on course to win any seats. BJP candidate Metro Man E Sreedharan lost to Congress leader Shafi Parambil in Palakkad constituency of Kerala by a margin of 3,859 votes. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan dedicated the historic victory of the Left Democratic Front in the assembly polls to the people and said it proved that there was no room for communal politics in the state. Flaying both the Congress-led UDF and BJP-NDA and a section of the right-wing media for trying to tarnish the image of the government and its development and welfare programmes, he said the people have rejected their ‘vicious propaganda’ by giving the Left a decisive mandate.

D) BJP will return for second term in Assam.

The Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition will return to Assam for a second term with a clear majority in the Assembly. The majority mark for the 126 seat assembly is 64 and at the time of writing the BJP had won 15 seats and was leading in 42 others. The party’s allies, the Asom Gana Parishad and the United People’s Party Liberal were on course to win 11 and seven seats, respectively. The leads and wins of the alliance added up to a total of 75 seats. Among the Opposition parties, the Congress had won five seats and was ahead in 25. Badruddin Ajmal’s All India United Democratic Front was leading in 14, while Bodoland Peoples Front was ahead in two seats and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) was leading in one seat.

E) Defectors change the game in Puducherry. 

The spate of defections of several heavyweights that triggered the fall of the Narayanasamy-led Government before completing term, is now scorching the electoral prospects of the Congress alliance with many former associates notching up crucial wins for the rival front as early results of the April 6 elections came in on Sunday. At the time of writing, The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has crossed the halfway mark in the 30-seat Puducherry Assembly. Its lead in 16 seats gives the alliance the majority needed to form the government in the Union territory. Whereas, the Congress-DMK-led alliance was leading in nine seats.

F) Ensure uninterrupted oxygen supply to all hospitals, 13 Opposition parties tell Centre.

Top Opposition leaders on Sunday, in a joint statement, asked the government to focus all its attention on ensuring uninterrupted oxygen supply to hospitals across the country and undertake a mass free vaccination programme against COVID-19. The statement comes just a day after, at least, 12 critical patients including a doctor died on Saturday at Batra Hospital, a leading private hospital in Delhi, because of an oxygen crisis. Signatories to the statement include former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar, Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief M K Stalin and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav. Other signatories include National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah, CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI’s D Raja and Tejashwi Yadav of Rashtriya Janata Dal. On Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting on the augmenting oxygen requirements from industrial units and add more oxygen beds to meet the surge in demand. Apart from the deaths in Batra Hospital on Saturday because of a shortage in oxygen supply, less than a fortnight ago 20 COVID-19 patients died without oxygen at Jaipur Golden Hospital and 25 at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in the national capital. So severe has been the oxygen crisis in the capital that many hospitals have had to approach the High Court to ensure uninterrupted oxygen supply. The government had, however, denied that there was any shortage and put it to logistics issue in transporting oxygen to places that has seen increased demand for oxygen.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A) Afghan fighting leaves scores of Taliban fighters dead: Ministry. 

Fighting between Afghan government forces and the Taliban has left more than 100 insurgents dead in the past 24 hours, the Defence Ministry said on Sunday, as the U.S. military pressed on with its withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Taliban and government forces clashed across several provinces, including in the former insurgent bastion of Kandahar where the U.S. military carried out a precision strike on Saturday as it formally began the final troop pullout. Another 52 Taliban fighters were wounded in the clashes, the ministry said in a statement, without giving details of any casualties suffered by government forces. The Taliban did not offer any comment on the fighting, but both sides are known to exaggerate casualties inflicted on the other. Fighting on the ground has continued unabated in recent months as peace efforts aimed at ending the 20 year conflict have faltered. The U.S. military formally began withdrawing its remaining 2,500 troops from the violence-wracked country on Saturday, as ordered by President Joe Biden last month. The pullout of all U.S. forces will now be completed by the 20th anniversary of the September Il attacks, as announced by President Biden.

B) India receives aid from Taiwan.

India on Sunday received assistance from Taiwan, including oxygen concentrators and cylinders, with more batches of medical equipment set to follow from Taipei. A first batch, consisting of 50 oxygen concentrators and 500 oxygen cylinders, landed in New on Sunday on a Boeing 747 of China Airlines, the government owned airline of Taiwan. Taiwan’s deployment Of medical supplies is testament to the close collaboration and partnership across multiple agencies on both sides, said a statement from the Taipei Economic and cultural Centre (TECO, Taiwan’s representative Office in India. India and Taiwan do not maintain formal diplomatic relations or embassies. India, meanwhile, has not yet accepted Beijings offers of aid and assistance that were conveyed again on Friday both in a message from President Xi Jinping to prime Minister Narendra Modi and in a phone call between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. India has preferred to source medical supplies from China on a commercial basis. A large number of such orders have been placed by Indian companies with Chinese firms, with the production of at least 40,000 oxygen generators currently under way, China’s Ambassador to India Sun Weidong told the Communist Party-run Global Times. As far as I know, Chinese companies have been accelerating production of at least 40,000 oxygen generators orders placed by the Indian side, and they are working around the clock to deliver them as soon as possible. Many Chinese firms and private organisations are also using their own channels to provide various forms of help to India, he said. Mr. Sun said on Twitter the past two weeks witnessed 61 freight flights from China to India in operation and China had, since April, supplied more than 5,000 ventilators, 21,569 oxygen generators, over 21 million masks and around 3,800 tons of medicine to India.