Tag: Latest Affairs

NATIONAL NEWS 

Samyukt Kisan Morcha calls farmers to gather at protest sites on November 26 to mark first anniversary of their agitation 

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the repeal of the three contentious farm laws, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) on Saturday, said the struggle will continue to get all demands of the protesting farmers fulfilled. In a statement, the SKM, an umbrella body of 40 farmers’ unions, urged farmers to gather in large numbers at all protest sites to mark the first anniversary of their agitation on November 26. The SKM has welcomed the prime minister’s decision and said it will wait for the announcement to take effect through due parliamentary procedures.  Thousands of farmers, particularly those from Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh, have been protesting at the borders of the national capital since November 26 last year demanding repeal of the three farm laws.  Farmers seen celebrating at Singhu border in New Delhi on November 19, 2021   Farmer leaders said that a final decision on the future course of the agitation and the issue of minimum support price (MSP) will be taken in a meeting of the SKM at the Singhu border protest site on Sunday. The farmers’ body said the first anniversary of the agitation will be marked by parades by tractors and bullock carts in other States.  In various states that are far away from Delhi, the first anniversary on November 26 will be marked by tractor and bullock cart parades in capital cities, along with other protests, the SKM said in the statement. It said that the prime minister announced repeal of the three black farm laws but he chose to remain silent on the other pending demands of the farmers.  More than 670 farmers martyred in the farmers’ movement so far and the Government of India did not even acknowledge their sacrifice. These martyrs’ families have to be supported with compensation and employment opportunities. The martyrs also deserve homage to be paid to them in Parliament session, and a memorial should be erected in their name, the SKM said in the statement.  Hundreds of cases in which thousands of farmers have been implicated in Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh and elsewhere have to be withdrawn unconditionally, it said. It added that during the Monsoon Session of Parliament from November 29, peaceful and disciplined march of 500 protesters in tractor trolleys to Parliament every day will go ahead as planned.  It also indicated that its movement for a statutory guarantee of MSP and demand for the withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill will continue. BJP MP Varun Gandhi, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged him to take strict action against BJP MP against Minister of State for Home Ajay Kumar Mishra, whose son, Ashish Mishra, remains incarcerated for the Lakhimpur Kheri incident which saw the death of eight people, including four farmers. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s demand for the same appeared to have struck a chord with the BJP MP. They are cousins.  

No positive evidence against Aryan Khan: Bombay High Court

The details of the order granting bail to 23-year-old Aryan Khan, son of actor Sharukh Khan, which were made available on Saturday offered reasons for setting the young man free. The single judge bench observed that there was little evidence available on record to suggest that the accused persons intended to commit an unlawful act. With lower courts denying bail, Aryan Khan had spent 22 days in jail before being set free.  A single judge bench of Justice Nitin Sambre, while granting bail to Aryan Khan also said, the court prima facie has not noticed any positive evidence against Aryan Khan and two others, the order stated.   The court stated, This Court is of the opinion that the claim put forth by the Narcotic Control Bureau that the accused should be considered to have intention to commit an offence under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, having found in possession of commercial quantity, in the backdrop of case of hatching conspiracy is liable to be rejected.  The court also took note of the fact that the accused were not even subjected to medical examination so as to determine whether they had consumed drugs at the relevant time. On October 2, the Central agency had seized 13 gm of cocaine, 5 gm of MD (mephedrone), 21 gm of charas, 22 pills of MDMA (‘Ecstasy’), and ₹1,33,000 cash at the International Cruise Terminal, Mumbai.  Aryan Khan arrives at the NCB office to mark his attendance in a drugs case in Mumbai, Friday, Nov. 19, 2021.   Mr. Khan, and eight others, were charged under Section 8 (c) (prohibition to produce, manufacture, possess, sell, purchase, transport, warehouse, use, consume, import inter-State, export inter-State, import into India, export from India or tranship any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance); Section 20 (b) (punishment for contravention in relation to cannabis plant and cannabis produces, manufactures, possesses, sells, purchases, transports, imports inter-State, exports inter-State or uses cannabis); Section 27 (punishment for consumption of any narcotic drug or psychotropic substance); Section 28 (punishment for attempts to commit offences); and Section 29 (punishment for abetment and criminal conspiracy) read with Section 35 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act(presumption of culpable mental state).  

Rains wreck Andhra Pradesh 

Rains lashed across Andhra Pradesh and claimed the lives of 13 people in   rain-related incidents in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh on Friday. In Tirupati, the situation continued to be grim in various localities with hundreds of houses close to Tirumala foothills inundated. Road traffic was cut off from Tirupati towards Pudi and Pachikapallam. Vehicular movement from Tirupati towards Chittoor and Madanapalle was also stopped. Rescue teams found eight bodies after 50 persons went missing after they were washed away in the gushing waters when the Annamayya dam breached near Rajampeta in Kadapa district on November 19. Most of the victims were passengers of two RTC buses caught in the floodwaters on the road down the reservoir zone.  After a five-hour-long rescue operation, about 20 passengers were rescued. The rescue teams found eight dead bodies. Unconfirmed reports said that another four bodies were found.  The Annamayya project, constructed in 1978, was getting heavy inflows from the Bahuda river, after the Pincha project suffered damage near Rayachoti in the district. A concrete bund to a length of 336 metres got washed away in the morning. The waters gushed through the Cheyyeru river and entered the road nearby. Three buses were immediately marooned.  In Chittoor district, the body of a woman factory worker was retrieved, while three others were feared dead after they were washed away in the swirling waters of Balijapalle tank after it overflowed on a causeway on Thursday night.  Chittoor district received a cumulative record 7,473.6 mm rainfall in the last 24 hours ending Friday morning. About 1,400 villages were cut off after they were surrounded by floodwaters due to overflowing streams and tank breaches.  Several incidents were reported from across Anantapur as heavy rain continued till Friday evening. A youth died when the roof of his house at Ganthumarri village caved in on him. An IAF helicopter from Yelahanka rescued 10 persons stranded in an earthmover in the middle of Chitravathi river at Veldurthy village in Anantapur district.  

Sidhu walks into a Pakistan and sets off a raging debate in India

Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Saturday visited the revered Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan and offered prayers and stressed on opening of a new friendship chapter and trade between the two countries, days after India reopened the visa-free Kartarpur corridor for Sikh piligrims. But it was his address of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan as ‘bada bhai’ that irked the BJP which has demanded that All India Congress Committee president Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi explain the party’s stand on Pakistan.  While he didn’t name Mr. Sidhu, Congress MP Manish Tewari on Twitter said, Imran Khan may be anybody’s elder brother but for India he is that cat’s paw of Pak Deep State ISI-Military combine that drones’ arms & narcotics into Punjab & sends terrorists on a daily basis across LOC in J&K. Have we forgotten martyrdom of our soldiers in Poonch so soon? The Kartarpur corridor links Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, with the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district in India’s Punjab State. The 4 km-long corridor provides visa free access to Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit the Darbar Sahib.  The Kartarpur corridor was reopened on Tuesday for pilgrims after it was suspended in March last year following the COVID pandemic.  In the name of Baba Guru Nanak, a new chapter of friendship between the two countries should begin, Mr. Sidhu told journalists upon his arrival at the Kartarpur Sahib. There is a need to open windows in the walls erected in 74 years (between India and Pakistan), he said, stressing on opening of trade between the two countries. There should be trade between two countries, the cricketer-turned-politician said. Mr. Sidhu thanked Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan for taking a step to open the corridor.  Earlier this week, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi along with 37 others, including his Cabinet Ministers, and Jagir Kaur, president of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), had visited    the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib. Some 2,500 Indian Sikhs who have come to Pakistan via Wagah border on the occasion of the 552-birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev will also visit the Darbar Sahib.  

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Gaofen-11 03- China launches a new satellite

China launched a new satellite called Gaofen-11 03 from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre. This satellite is also called as Chang Zheng 4B, CZ-4B and LM-4B. It is an expendable orbital Launch vehicle of China. The satellite was Launched from Launch Complex 1 of Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center. It is a 3-stage rocket, which is used to place satellites into low Earth orbit as well as sun-synchronous orbits.

Spain’s Garbine Muguruza wins 2021 WTA Finals

In tennis, Garbine Muguruza of Spain beat Anett Kontaveit of Estonia, 6-3, 7-5 in the final to claim her first WTA Final title. Muguruza is also the first Spaniard to win the WTA Finals. Muguruza battled back from a breakdown in the second set, winning the last four games of the match to seal her 10th career title. In doubles, Czech’s Barbora Krejčíková and Kateřina Siniaková defeated Hsieh Su-wei (Chinese Taipei) and Elise Mertens (Belgium) 6–3, 6–4.

World Toilet Day is observed on 19 November

World Toilet Day is observed as an official United Nations international day across the world on 19th November 2021. The day is observed to inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis. The day is observed to inform, engage and inspire people to take action toward achieving the goal of improving sanitation and aims to Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

Draft Food Safety & Standards (Genetically Modified or Engineered Foods) Regulations, 2021

Draft Food Safety and Standards (Genetically Modified or Engineered Foods) Regulations, 2021 was issued by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on November 15, 2021. It will be applicable to Food or Processed food comprising of Genetically Modified ingredients produced from but not containing GMOs, LMOs or GEOs.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Modi announces repeal of three contentious farm laws Prime Minister 

Narendra Modi on Friday announced the repeal of three contentious farm laws, assuring farmer groups protesting against them for the past year that the legislative process for the repeal would be completed in the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament.  Modi also announced the formation of a committee with representatives from both Central and State Governments to look into issues related to agriculture, such as zero budget farming, fertilizers, change in crop patterns, transparency in establishing Minimum Support Prices and so on.  Addressing the nation in a television broadcast, the Prime Minister said his government’s intentions in bringing in these laws was to provide alternatives to small farmers, who constituted 80% of farmers in India, for access to markets and good prices for their crops.   I apologise to you, my countrymen, that despite my government’s good intentions, there may have been some lack in our Tapasya (penance) that we could not convince some of our farmer brothers of the intentions of these laws which were as pure as the light from a lamp, he said, while announcing the repeal.  Earlier governments too had considered such measures and we consulted a range of stakeholders and experts before bringing in these laws. Many farmers were happy with the reforms and we are grateful to them. We could not explain to some farmers despite our efforts. Agricultural economists, scientists and progressive farmers also tried their best to make them understand the importance of agricultural laws, he noted.  Even though this section was not a huge part of the larger category of farmers, it was important for us that we convince them. We tried engaging them in dialogue, we listened to their arguments and the logic that they put forward, we agreed to suspend the implementation of these laws for two years, and the matter has also been put before the Supreme Court. Particular sections of the laws that they objected to were also removed, but may be there was something lacking somewhere that we were not able to convince this section of farmers, said Modi, explaining the background to the decision taken by his government.  On this auspicious day of Gurpurab [birth anniversary of Guru Nanak], I appeal to all farmers who are protesting to return home in good spirits, he said. The announcement of the repeal of the laws comes in the backdrop of Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, where the protests have had some traction.   

Will continue agitation until the laws are actually repealed in Parliament, say farm unions   

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement to repeal the three contentious farm laws, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) announced the mobilisation of a large number of farmers to protest sites on November 26 to mark the first anniversary of anti-farm law agitation being intensified.  Although they welcomed the announcement by Modi, farmers, however, said that they will continue their agitation until the government withdraws the three laws in the Parliament. The protest will not be withdrawn immediately, we will wait for the day when the farm laws are repealed in Parliament. Along with MSP, the government should talk to farmers on other issues too, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait tweeted in Hindi.  A protesting farmer distributes sweets after hearing the announcement on repeal of three farm laws, at Ghazipur border, on November 19, 2021.   Minister of State for Agriculture Kailash Choudhary urged them to return home and not be adamant as the Centre has met their demand of repealing three farm laws.  Various farmers unions have been protesting at the borders of the national capital since last year to demand repeal of three farm laws.   

Withdrawal of farm laws impelled by fear of elections: Chidambaram  

Calling the Centre’s decision to repeal the farm laws as a great victory for the farmers and the Congress, senior party leader P. Chidambaram on Friday took a dig at the government, saying the move was not inspired by a change of heart but impelled by fear of elections.  His remarks came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an address to the nation on Friday morning, announced that the government has decided to repeal the three farm laws, which were at the centre of protests by farmers for the past year.  What cannot be achieved by democratic protests can be achieved by the fear of impending elections! Chidambaram tweeted. The PM’s announcement on the withdrawal of the three farm laws is not inspired by a change of policy or a change of heart. It is impelled by fear of elections, the Congress leader charged in a series of tweets.  Anyway, it is a great victory for the farmers and for the Congress party which was unwavering in its Opposition to the farm laws, Chidambaram said. In another tweet, Chidambaram said if there is fear of losing the next election, the prime minister will admit that demonetisation was a Himalayan blunder, admit that the GST laws were poorly drafted and implemented in a hostile manner, admit that Chinese troops have intruded into Indian territory and occupied our land, admit that the CAA is a patently discriminatory law, admit that the Rafale deal was dishonest and requires to be investigated, admit that the acquisition and use of Pegasus spyware were illegal.  Many farmers had been protesting and were encamped at Delhi’s borders since November 2020 with a demand that the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 be rolled back and a new law made to guarantee MSP for crops.  The Centre, which has held 11 rounds of formal dialogue with the farmers, had maintained that the new laws are pro-farmer, while protesters claimed they would be left at the mercy of corporations because of the legislations.   

Hyderpora incident: Bodies of two locals exhumed and handed over to families in Srinagar for burial  

The Jammu and Kashmir administration, on Thursday night, handed over the bodies of two locals to their families for burial. Altaf Bhat and Dr. Mudasir Gul were among the four killed during an anti-militancy operation at Srinagar’s Hyderpora on Monday.  The bodies were earlier exhumed around 5:30 p.m. on Thursday from the two graves located at a far-off hillock, Wadder Zachaldara, in north Kashmir’s Handwara in front of a local magistrate.  Official sources said the bodies of Bhat, who owned the building where the incident took place, and Dr. Gul, who had rented accommodation in the building, were taken to the Police Control Room (PCR) in Srinagar from Handwara. The close relatives were also called to the PCR and the bodies were handed over to them for burial at their ancestral graveyards in Srinagar, officials said.  Family sources of Bhat and Gul said the bodies would be buried before the sunrise at the Barzalla and Pirbagh graveyards. With relatives and locals waiting for the bodies to arrive, emotional scenes were witnessed at the two residences.  Srinagar Mayor, Junaid Azim Mattu, while confirming that the bodies were exhumed at Handwara earlier, said, This is the first step towards ensuring justice is done in this case. I also hope the magisterial probe is now changed into a judicial probe.  However, the body of third slain local, Amir Magray, son of Abdul Latief Magray, who has won the bravery award for killing a militant with a stone, was not exhumed or handed over to the family yet.  The return of two bodies is a step forward. But what about Aamir Magray of Ramban? His body ought to be returned as well, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) spokesperson Suhail Bukhari said.  Earlier, Section 144, which bars assembly of more than five people, was imposed in three villages of Magray’s native place Ramban. The families of Magray, Bhat and Gul had contradicted the police statement that they were killed in exchange of firing during an encounter or had any links with the militants. They accused the security forces of staging the encounter and using the civilians as a human shield. The J&K administration has already ordered an inquiry into the incident.   

Allahabad High Court urges Centre to speed up Uniform Civil Code  

Stating that the Uniform Civil Code is a necessity and mandatorily required today, the Allahabad High Court has called upon the Central government to forthwith initiate the process for its implementation.  The UCC cannot be made ‘purely voluntary’ as was observed by Dr. B.R Ambedkar 75 years back, in view of the apprehension and fear expressed by the members of the minority community, Justice Suneet Kumar said on November 18. The court directed the Centre to consider the constitution of a committee or commission for implementing the mandate of Article 44, as directed by the Supreme Court.  A common civil code will help the cause of national integration by removing disparate loyalties to laws which have conflicting ideologies. No community is likely to bell the cat by making gratuitous concessions on this issue. It is the State which is charged with the duty of securing a uniform civil code for the citizens of the country and, unquestionably, it has the legislative competence to do so, the court observed.  Justice Kumar made the observations while hearing a bunch of 17 petitions filed by inter-faith couples, who contracted marriage upon conversion, seeking protection of their life, liberty and privacy guaranteed under Article 21, to live independently as man and woman without the interference of the their family or others. The petitioners apprehended threat to their life and liberty at the hands of their parents, relatives and other family members in connivance of the State machinery.  Noting that there has been a steep rise in inter-community, inter-caste and interfaith marriages and relationships, which has exploded specially in the last few decades, the court said that since 1950 the society has considerably evolved and the relationships, be it interfaith, inter culture, coupled with the rise in the number of single women requires a comprehensive Family Code which is in conformity with the changing times.  Providing relief to the 17 inter-faith couples, the court also said the marriage registrar lacks the power to withhold the registration of marriage merely for the reason that the parties have not obtained the necessary approval of conversion from the district authority.  The court noted that the new anti-conversion law in UP, which was brought by the Yogi Adityanath-led government last year, per se, does not prohibit interfaith marriage but the requirement of approval by the district authorities could make it tedious for such couples.  Such an approval is directory and not mandatory. If interpreted otherwise, the Act (The Uttar Pradesh Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021) would not satisfy the test of reasonableness and fairness, and would fail to pass the muster of Article 14 and Article 21, the court said.  The HC, while allowing the petitions, observed that the consent of the family or the community or the clan or the State or executive is not necessary, once two adult individuals agree to enter into a wedlock which is lawful and legal.  Their consent has to be piously given primacy, with grace and dignity. The Marriage Officer/Registrar cannot refuse to register a duly solemnized marriage, and/or, insist of a conversion approval of the district authority, the court said.  Holding that Intimacies of marriage lie within a core zone of privacy, which is inviolable, Justice Kumar said, The absolute right of an individual to choose a life partner is not in the least affected by matters of faith.  

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Austria to enter lockdown, bring in mandatory vaccinations

Austrian Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said Friday that the country will go into a national lockdown to contain a fourth wave of coronavirus cases. Schallenberg said the lockdown will start Monday and initially last for 10 days. Most stores will close, and cultural events will be cancelled.  He initially said all students would have to go back into home schooling. Wolfgang Mueckstein, the country’s health minister, later said that kindergartens and schools would remain open for those who needed to go there but all parents were asked to keep their children at home if possible.  Starting on February 1, the country will also make vaccinations mandatory, public broadcaster ORF reported.  We do not want a fifth wave, Schallenberg said, according to ORF. Nor do we want a sixth or seventh wave. Austria had initially introduced a national lockdown only for the unvaccinated that started Monday, but as virus cases continued to skyrocket, the government said it had no choice but to extend it to everyone.  This is very painful, Schallenberg said. The national lockdown will initially last for 10 days, then the effects will be assessed and if virus cases have not gone down sufficiently, it can be extended to a maximum of 20 days.  Austria’s intensive care doctors welcomed the government’s decision. The record infection figures that we have now experienced day after day will only be reflected in normal and intensive care units with a time lag. It really is high time for a full stop, Walter Hasibeder, the president of the Society for Anesthesiology, Resuscitation and Intensive Care Medicine told Austrian news agency APA.  Given the current infection developments, we believe there are no alternatives to even greater contact restriction than recently, so any measures that help curb the momentum are welcome, he added.  For the past seven days, the country has reported more than 10,000 new infection cases daily. Hospitals have been overwhelmed with many new COVID-19 patients, and deaths have been rising again, too. So far, 11,525 people have died of the virus in Austria.  Austria, a country of 8.9 million, has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Western Europe — only 65.7% of the population is fully vaccinated. Despite all the persuasion and campaigns, too few people have decided to get vaccinated, Schallenberg said, leaving the country no other choice but to introduce mandatory vaccinations in February.  The chancellor said the details would be finalised in the coming weeks but those who continued to refuse to get vaccinated would have to expect to get fined. For a long time, the consensus in this country was that we didn’t want mandatory vaccination, Schallenberg said. For a long time, perhaps too long.  

Kamala Harris becomes first woman to get US presidential powers 

US Vice-President Kamala Harris on November 19, 2021, became the first female acting President of the United States for one hour and 25 minutes when US President Joe Biden temporarily transferred power to Harris while he went under anesthesia for a routine colonoscopy. With this development, 57-years-old Kamala Harris is now the first woman ever who held presidential powers in the 250-years-old history of the US. Kamala Harris is the first woman, first African-American and first Asian-American, first Indian-American who holds the second-most powerful position in the US. Harris was elected US Vice-President on November 7, 2020, after Joe Biden was declared the President of the United States in the US Presidential Elections 2020. US President Joe Biden, 79-years-old, on November 19, 2021, underwent his first routine annual physical checkup at Walter Reed Medical Center since taking the office. Following this, it is a protocol for a Vice-President to assume Presidential powers while the President undergoes a medical procedure that requires sedation or anesthesia.

 

NATIONAL NEWS 

Government accepts Cairn’s offer on retro tax; company to withdraw cases now, refund to follow 

Moving quickly towards ending a retrospective tax dispute with a firm that gave India its largest oilfield, the government has accepted Cairn Energy PLC’s undertakings which would allow for the refund of taxes, sources said.  Meeting the requirements of the new legislation that scraps levy of retrospective taxation, the company had earlier this month given required undertakings indemnifying the Indian government against future claims as well as agreeing to drop any legal proceedings anywhere in the world.  The government has now accepted this and issued Cairn a so-called Form-II, committing to refund the tax collected to enforce the retrospective tax demand, two sources with direct knowledge of the development said.  Following the issuance of Form-II, Cairn will now start withdrawing all cases in international courts. Once this is complete, the company will be issued a ₹7,900 crore refund, they said, adding the withdrawal of cases may take up to three-four weeks. While a Cairn spokesperson did not immediately respond to requests for comments, a senior finance ministry official confirmed the government accepting the company’s undertakings.  Seeking to repair India’s damaged reputation as an investment destination, the government in August enacted new legislation to drop ₹1.1 lakh crore in outstanding claims against multinationals such as telecom group Vodafone, pharmaceuticals company Sanofi and brewer SABMiller, now owned by AB InBev, and Cairn.  About ₹8,100 crore collected from companies under the scrapped tax provision are to be refunded if the firms agreed to drop outstanding litigation, including claims for interest and penalties. Of this, ₹7,900 crore is due only to Cairn.  Subsequent to this, the government last month notified rules that when adhered to will lead to the Centre withdrawing tax demands raised using the 2012 retrospective tax law and any tax collected in the enforcement of such demand being paid back.  For this, companies were required to indemnify the Indian government against future claims and withdraw any pending legal proceedings. Cairn on November 3 had stated that it has entered into undertakings with the Government of India in order to participate in the scheme introduced by recent Indian legislation, the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill 2021, allowing the refund of taxes previously collected from Cairn in India. Cairn’s undertaking furnished in Form No.1 under the rule 11UE(1) of the amended law have been accepted by the Principal Commissioner for Income Tax, the sources said.  The August legislation cancelled a 2012 policy that gave the tax department power to go back 50 years and slap capital gains levies wherever ownership had changed hands overseas but business assets were in India.  The 2012 legislation was used to levy a cumulative tax of ₹1.10 lakh crore on 17 entities, including U.K. telecom giant Vodafone, but nearly 98% of the ₹8,100 crore recovered in enforcing such a demand was only from Cairn.  India issued Cairn with tax claims six years ago, and in December 2020 the company won an international arbitration against such demands.  

Hyderpora encounter: Return bodies to families, says Gupkar alliance; LG orders magisterial probe 

People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), an amalgam of Jammu and Kashmir’s regional parties, on Thursday met in Srinagar over the Hyderpora incident and resolved to help the three families to get the bodies of civilians killed in the encounter.  We did not meet for any political process or to hold elections. All we want is to safeguard the lives of our people. We appeal to the people of Jammu as well that we are together to save the lives, Constitution, and institutions which should guarantee the security of the common man, Gupkar alliance spokesman M.Y. Tarigami stated.  The meeting was held at the residence of Gupkar alliance chairman Dr. Farooq Abdullah.  In case such incidents don’t stop and bodies are not returned, we will knock every door to raise our voice. Members of Parliament will also raise the issues in Parliament, Tarigami, a CPI(M) leader, said.  The Gupkar alliance demanded that those involved should be dealt as per the law and the bodies should be returned.  Those involved, irrespective of their position, are violators and deserve punishment, Tarigami remarked. Dr. Abdullah approached the administration to allow him to meet the families but permission was not granted. Burial [of the bodies] is not being allowed, citing several issues including COVID-19, security reasons, which is against the constitution, he added.  National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah also held a sit-in in solidarity with the families, which were protesting and demanding the bodies.  Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the encounter in Hyderpora, Srinagar, November 15 after three families claimed that the three deceased out of the four killed during the operation were civilians.  The order came hours after the police removed the family members from a protest site in the city. A magisterial inquiry by an officer of ADM [additional district magistrate] rank has been ordered in Hyderpora encounter. The government will take suitable action as soon as the report is submitted in a time-bound manner. The J&K administration reiterates commitment of protecting lives of innocent civilians and it will ensure there is no injustice, a statement issued by Raj Bhawan read.  There has been a growing public outcry over the incident. Earlier, in a midnight action, the family members and protesters who had gathered at the Press Enclave in Srinagar on Wednesday to demand the bodies of the civilians were evicted and the sit-in was disallowed by the police. The family members were seen being dragged and bundled into a police vehicle during the police action that was carried out after snapping electricity in the area.  Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said she was disallowed to come out of her residence to join the protest. Their narrative right from the start was based on lies to escape accountability. They don’t want to be held accountable for their actions and that’s why they are muzzling voices that speak up against such injustice and atrocities, she said in a tweet.  She accused the police of arresting party leaders Najmu Saqib and Suhail Bukhari. They too have been arrested. The pattern of using innocent civilians as human shields and then denying their families the right to a decent burial shows that the Government of India has plumbed new depths of inhumanity, she stated.  Sharing a video of the police action at night, National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah said, This is the ‘Naya Kashmir’ of 2021. This is how the J&K police fulfills the Prime Minister’s promise to remove ‘dil ki doori and Dilli se doori’. It’s outrageous that the J&K administration did not allow the families to conduct a peaceful sit-in.  The Hurriyat, headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has called for a shutdown on Friday over the killings. Infant daughter, distraught mother protesting in freezing weather not for punishment to the killers but begging for the bodies for a decent burial is agonising, the Mirwaiz said in a statement.  

Sexual intent of the offender, not skin-to-skin contact, forms assault: SC  

The Supreme Court on Thursday quashed a Bombay High Court decision to acquit a man charged with assault under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) solely on the grounds that he groped the child over her clothes without ‘skin-to-skin’ contact.  The act of touching a sexual part of the body with sexual intent will not be trivialised and not excluded under Section 7 of the POCSO Act, a Bench of Justices U.U. Lalit, S. Ravindra Bhat and Bela M. Trivedi held.  Section 7 mandates that whoever with sexual intent touches the vagina, penis, anus or breast of the child or makes the child touch the vagina, penis, anus or breast of such person or any other person, or does any other act with sexual intent which involves physical contact without penetration is said to commit sexual assault.  Justice Trivedi, who authored the judgment, observed that the purpose of law is not to allow the offender to sneak out of the mesh of law. The court said limiting the ambit of touch to a narrow and pedantic definition would lead to an absurd interpretation.  Image used for representational purpose only.   The Bench said the most important ingredient in Section 7 was the sexual intent of the offender and not skin-to-skin contact.  The conclusion that ‘sexual intent’ mentioned in the provision should be ex facie skin to skin would defeat the object of the provision. It would, rather than giving effect to the rule, destroy it.  Justice Trivedi, speaking for the Bench, said when legislature had clarified its intent, the court should not introduce ambiguity.  The court should not be overzealous in searching for ambiguity when the words in the section are plain. Someone can wear a surgical glove and exploit a child and get away scot-free… This is an outrageous order, Attorney-General K.K. Venugopal, who moved the top court in the constitutional capacity of his office, had argued during the hearing.  The court, while setting aside the High Court decision, confirmed the guilt of the offender in the case and sentenced him to three years of rigorous imprisonment subject to the period he has already undergone.  Venugopal had argued that the High Court order would set a very dangerous precedent and cripple the intention of the POCSO Act to punish sexual offenders.  He added the High Court order had a deleterious effect when the number of POCSO cases had reached 43,000 in a year.  On January 19, a Single Judge of the Bombay High Court’s Nagpur Bench created a furore by acquitting a man under the POCSO Act and holding that an act against a minor would amount to groping or sexual assault only if there was skin-to-skin contact.  The High Court had concluded that mere touching or pressing of a clothed body of a child did not amount to sexual assault.  The accused was sentenced to the minimum three years’ imprisonment under Section 8 of the POCSO Act. That was set aside by the HC and his sentence was reduced to one year under Section 354 (assault of a women to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code… This is very disturbing, Venugopal had submitted in the top court shortly after he mentioned the case.  The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights had earlier asked the Maharashtra government to urgently appeal the High Court judgment.  Several organisations, including the Youth Bar Association of India, represented by advocate Manju Jetley, had also moved the top court against the High Court judgment.  The petitioners had said they were badly perturbed to note that the January 19 verdict contained several observations about the victim child’s modesty, which were both derogatory and defamatory. The child was even named in the judgment, the petition said.   

Paytm shares make weak debut; tumble over 27% during day trade  Shares of One97 Communications Ltd, Paytm’s parent company, on November 18 made a weak market debut and tumbled over 27% during the day from the issue price of ₹2,150. The stock was listed at ₹1,955, slipping 9% from the issue price on the BSE. It then tumbled 27.25% to ₹1,564 during the day.  On the NSE, it debuted at ₹1,950, registering a decline of 9.30% against the issue price. During the day, the stock plunged 27.34% to ₹1,562. Paytm, the biggest IPO in India so far, debuted the secondary market on a weaker note as compared to our expectations of a flat listing, Santosh Meena, head of research, Swastika Investmart Ltd., said.  The company commanded a market valuation of ₹1,01,484.00 crore in late afternoon trade on the BSE. Ant Group-backed Paytm’s ₹18,300 crore IPO was oversubscribed 1.89 times on the last day of India’s biggest share sale last week. This was greater than miner Coal India’s ₹15,000 crore offer a decade back.  Paytm founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma breaks down while delivering a speech during his company’s IPO listing ceremony at the Bombay Stock Exchange in Mumbai on November 18, 2021.   Paytm, formally called One97 Communications debuts today at exchanges which saw a dull response and got subscribed only 1.89 times from the investors, which is much lower compared to the other recently listed companies, Parth Nyati, founder, Tradingo said.  He added that they feel that due to the brand the company sought high valuation and it might see a correction in the near term.  The initial public offering of Paytm’s parent company One97 Communications Ltd. received bids for 9.14 crore equity shares against the offer size of 4.83 crore shares, according to information available with stock exchanges on November 10.  Paytm had fixed its IPO in a price band of ₹2,080-2,150 per share. Incorporated in 2000, One97 Communications is India’s leading digital ecosystem for consumers and merchants.  It offers a range of services, including payment services and financial services.  Launched by a son of a school teacher from a small town Aligarh nearly a decade ago as a platform for cellular recharging, Paytm grew rapidly after ride-hailing agency Uber listed it as a fast cost possibility.  

Speaker Birla for action plan to increase sittings of legislatures

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday told an All-India Presiding Officers’ Conference in Shimla that there was need to prepare an action plan for increasing the sittings of legislatures. He was addressing the valedictory session of the two-day conference.  We should try to make a definite action plan to increase the number of meetings of the legislatures so that we can provide maximum time and opportunities to the members so that the people’s representatives can discuss the major issues of their state and country extensively, he stated. He called for drastic changes to the functioning of standing committees, including changes to their rules.  Presiding officers should evaluate the work of parliamentary committees once a year and make them more accountable to people. The tradition of zero hour should be started in State legislatures to give members the chance to raise urgent matters pertaining to their constituencies, he noted.  Addressing the issue of increasing disruptions, he observed that the matter would be discussed with leaders of all political parties. The work of creating a single platform for all legislatures would be done by 2022.  Speaking earlier in the session, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said a law was as good or bad as its implementation. Sometimes laws are passed, but the rules are not made for two or three years, he pointed out.  The conference adopted a resolution that there should be no disturbance in the House during the President and Governor’s address and Question Hour. This will be discussed again with all the parties… It has been agreed in this conference that the smooth conduct of the legislatures is the moral responsibility of the presiding officers and all the MPs and MLAs, the resolution said.  

INTERNATIONAL NEWS  

US remains India’s biggest trading partner, India-US trade to surpass $145 billion in 2021: US Consul General

The US remains India’s biggest trading partner with trade increasing from approximately $20 billion in 2001 to $145 billion in 2019, said the US Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin while addressing the United States India Business Council after the opening of the India-US Tech Conclave as part of the Bengaluru Tech Summit. The US-India bilateral relationship continues to be expanding from collaboration on mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 and climate change to space exploration. Both countries have a joint commitment towards a free and open Indo-Pacific region. US Consul General Ravin further said that US Trade representative Katherine Tai will be in New Delhi on November 22, 2021 to hold talks with Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal on expanding bilateral trade.

Israel PM Naftali Bennett likely to visit India in 2022

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett is likely to visit India in 2022. Both countries are working on the tentative dates, informed Ambassador of Israel to India Naor Gilon. Meanwhile, Indian Chief of Army Staff General MM Naravane is currently visiting Israel. PM Modi and Israeli PM Bennett met for the first time on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. They discussed the environment, defence, global, and regional issues. Both countries have also discussed Free Trade Agreement negotiations and will finalize it by June 2022. Former Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu had visited India in January 2018 where he met Indian PM Narendra Modi.

NATIONAL NEWS

U.P. agrees to SC proposal to have ex-judge monitor Lakhimpur Kheri probe 

The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday agreed to the Supreme Court’s suggestion  appoint a retired judge to monitor the investigation into the Lakhimpur Kheri murders and violence. The cases concern a convoy, allegedly belonging to Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Mishra, ploughing into a group of farmers and civilians protesting the controversial agricultural laws and the ensuing violence at Lakhimpur Kheri district. Minister’s son Ashish Mishra is a prime accused in the case concerning the farmers’ deaths. We leave it to Your Lordships… You may appoint whoever you want, senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for U.P., submitted before a three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) N.V. Ramana. The Bench, also comprising Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli, after a briefly conferring among themselves, said it needed a day to zero in on the judge. We are considering former Punjab and Haryana HC Judge Rakesh Kumar Jain or others. We have to consult them, the court said. Salve stated that the government had left it to the wisdom of the court. However, he made a suggestion. He made a point that the court’s choice of a retired judge should not rest on whether he or she was from the State or outside. You mean it can be from any State… the court sought to clarify from him. Salve explained that the focus should be on the person, the judge, whether or not from or outside the State. It should be just that Your Lordships are appointing a person… he offered. The Bench indicated that it may consider either a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge willing to take up the assignment. The court further asked the government to provide it with a list of names of IPS officers of U.P. cadre, but who were not native to the State to be considered for inclusion in the task force. It noted that some of the members of the present task force were of sub-inspector level or drawn from the Lakhimpur Kheri police station itself. Salve interjected that a senior police officer had been recently appointed to the task force. But the court said the task force needed to be upgraded. It asked the government to provide the list by November 16. It posted the case next for November 17. The suggestion from the court to have a retired judge at the helm came after it expressed its waning confidence about the fate of the investigation at the hands of the State police. It observed that such a step may be necessary to infuse fairness and impartiality in the probe. In an earlier hearing, the CJI stated, The investigation is not going the way we expected… We are here to see that a proper investigation takes place. There is a need to appoint a retired High Court judge to monitor it (investigation) without bias. The court had refused to entertain suggestions from lawyers to order the CBI to take over from the police. The CBI is not the solution to everything, it said.  

Delhi air pollution: SC asks Centre to hold emergency meeting 

The Supreme Court on Monday said the cat is out of the bag to prove that urban factors such as construction activities, industry, vehicular exhaust and road dust were actually the major causes of pollution in the Capital and not farmers’ stubble burning. A special Bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) N.V. Ramana gleaned the fact from the affidavits filed by the Centre and the Delhi Government. The Centre, for one, stated that farm fires in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh contributed only 10% of the pollution. A flock of pigeons seen on a smoggy day in the national capital as the Air Quality Index remains in severe category in New Delhi on November 15, 2021. In the previous hearing, the court had questioned the narrow focus of the Centre and the Delhi Government on farmers. You say 76% of the pollution is caused by industry, dust, vehicles and construction and not due to stubble burning… So the cat is out of the bag… So, you are now trying to target pollution that is insignificant? Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, on the Bench, asked both Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and senior advocate Rahul Mehra, appearing for the Centre and Delhi, respectively. Are you agreeing in principle that farm fires are not the major cause? So all that hue and cry had no scientific or actual basis? Justice Surya Kant queried. Chief Justice Ramana noted that the court had been insisting that stubble burning was not the major cause. Pollution is caused by city-related issues… You first take care of them and then we will come to stubble burning, he observed, nudging the Centre, Delhi and States towards a firm commitment to act against pollution. The court was shocked to realise that Delhi had only 69 mechanised road sweepers to cover the entire streets of the Capital. Mehra was quick to assure commitment at the top. He said the municipal corporations in Delhi were autonomous bodies and suggested the court should ask the Mayors to file specific affidavits. This is like the story told by grandma… Everyone is passing the buck, Chief Justice Ramana scoffed. Justice Kant lashed out at the Delhi Government for coming up with lame excuses. He said if this went on, the court would be constrained to order an audit inquiry into the money the government spent on popularity slogans seen across the Capital. Justice Chandrachud asked, How will you augment the number of machines in the next 24 hours. Justice Kant stated, Municipal corporations say they don’t even have the money to pay their staff. Mehra, after conferring with officials, said MCD can say how many they require, the government will release the funds. We are committed… We will do on a war footling. Tall words… the CJI reacted at one point. The Delhi counsel persisted that the government had been doing everything the Union of India had asked to quell pollution. Mehra said, Everything that needs to be done further, will be done in 24 to 48 hours. Senior advocate Vikas Singh, for the petitioners, said the Centre had made a wrong statement in court today on stubble burning as their high-powered meeting last night has recorded that stubble burning even now is responsible for 35-40% of Delhi air pollution. He said construction needed to be regulated rather than banned. The court scheduled the next hearing for November 17.  

Congress demands ‘white paper’ from BJP, AAP on steps taken to tackle pollution in Delhi 

The Congress demanded a white paper from both the Centre and the Delhi Government on November 15 on the steps taken by them to tackle pollution in the national capital and said they should be held accountable for playing with the health of people. Talking to reporters in New Delhi, Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill accused both the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of indulging in a blame game and wasting the taxpayers’ money on hollow advertisements. AAP’s Delhi government and BJP’s central government should issue a white paper on what steps they have taken to tackle the black pollution except hollow advertisements and playing blame game politics and wasting the taxpayers’ money, he said. Shergill said the Supreme Court’s observations have exposed the spineless and careless approach of the AAP and the BJP towards tackling pollution. The truth is that Delhiites are paying a heavy price for the BJP’s and the AAP’s politics, and their obsession with self publicity, he noted, soon after the apex court came down heavily on the two governments over the rising air pollution in the national capital. It is high time political accountability was fixed and the people of Delhi should hold both the BJP and the AAP accountable for playing with their health and jeopardising it, the Congress leader said. People have been suffering due to the severe air pollution in the national capital over the last few days with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of over 500.

Three months ahead of Uttar Pradesh elections, PM Modi to open Purvanchal Expressway on November 16 

With three months left for the 2022 Uttar Pradesh elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Tuesday inaugurate the 341-km six-lane Purvanchal Expressway that would connect the State capital to the eastern regions of the State. Since the leading Opposition Samajwadi Party has built a formidable caste alliance against the ruling BJP in the region and claimed credit for the project, the new expressway has come under the political spotlight, much like the Agra-Lucknow Expressway built under Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. Politics over the expressway intensified after the Ghazipur administration denied permission to the SP to hold a roadshow to Azamgarh, citing that no traffic would be allowed on the expressway on November 16 due to Modi’s launch of the highway on the same day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi. File In response, Yadav on Monday at a press conference said his party would shower petals at different places on the highway and mark a ‘symbolic’ launch of the highway the foundation stone of which, he said, was laid during his tenure. The SP also re-scheduled its rath yatra to November 17 and changed the route to Lucknow from Ghazipur. Modi will inaugurate the expressway at Karwal Kheri in Sultanpur where he will also witness an air show by the IAF on the 3.2-km long airstrip constructed on the expressway to enable landing and take-off of fighter planes in cases of emergency. The project was built at a cost of ₹22,497 crores, said the Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA). It starts from village Chaudsarai in Lucknow and ends at village Hydaria on National Highway 31, 18 km east of UP-Bihar border. It would pass through Lucknow, Barabanki, Amethi, Ayodhya, Sultanpur, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Mau and Ghazipur districts. Yadav accused the BJP of trying to steal credit for the project. He also said the BJP government had not only removed the word ‘Samajwadi’ from the original name of the project but also ‘compromised’ on the quality to cut costs and launched an incomplete highway, putting commuters at risk. Riders would have to face back pain, he said. In contrast, If you are drinking tea in a car on the Agra-Lucknow Expressway, you will not spill it even at the speed of 100 kmph, Yadav said. The UPEIDA in a statement said the SP Government had also opened the Agra-Lucknow Expressway in 2016 when it was incomplete and that the BJP Government had to finish several portions of it after 2017. With the farmers protest raging in western U.P., the stakes are high for the BJP in Purvanchal where it hopes to showcase the expressway as a beacon of development. In November 2016, the then SP Government opened the 302-km Agra-Lucknow Expressway with a spectacular show of simulated take-offs and landings —‘touch-and-go’ manoeuvre — by six fighter planes of the IAF. It was touted as the hallmark of Yadav’s pitch to project his infrastructural works. However, in the 2017 election, in the 10 districts touched by the expressway, the BJP had won 48 seats while the SP could manage only 10. The BSP and the Congress got one each.  

Sidhu asks Punjab government to make public fiscal situation every month 

Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday alleged that the State was reeling under acute debt and asked the government to make public the fiscal situation every month. Pointing out that his focus was beyond the 2022 Assembly elections, he asserted that Punjab was the most indebted State in the country and party workers were looking towards a solution. Today Punjab is the most indebted State in India. Debt accounts for 50% of State GDP. Half of our expenditure is funded by expensive debt. Let’s not derail from real issues to which every Punjabi & party worker demands solution, because there’s #PunjabBeyond2022, he tweeted. Financial Accountability and Transparency are pillars of Punjab Model. Accountability demands revealing sources of funds at every scheme announcement, whether from income or from more debt. Transparency demands making public state’s fiscal health every month, he stated. Borrowing was not the way to go forward for Punjab. Taxes should not go to settle debt but go back to people in the form of development. Borrowing is not the way forward! Taxes should not go to settle debt but go back to the people in the form of development. Solution oriented model is to stop theft of State’s resources, fill up public exchequer and create a Welfare State through income generation, he added.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

6th edition of Indo-France joint military exercise ‘Ex-Shakti 2021’ begins on November 16

The 6th edition of Indo-France joint military exercise ‘Ex-Shakti 2021’ began on November 16 at the French port town of Frejus. The 12-day long bilateral exercise will conclude on November 26, 2021. The Ex-Shakti 2021 will be focusing on Counter-Terrorism operations in semi-urban terrain under UN Mandate with an aim at enhancing inter-operability and military cooperation between both armies. The Indian Army is being represented by a platoon strength of a Gorkha Rifles Infantry Battalion whereas the French Army is being represented by troops of the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade. The last edition of Ex-Shakti was conducted from October 31 to November 13, 2019 at Foreign Training Node in Mahajan Field Firing Ranges, Rajasthan during which Counter-Terrorism operations in semi-desert terrain were conducted. India and France armies carry out three biennial training exercises namely Exercise SHAKTI with the Indian Army, Exercise VARUNA with the Indian Navy, and Exercise GARUDA with Indian Air Force. 

Bangladesh writer Hasan Azizul Haque dies away at 82

Renowned literary figure and short-story writer of Bangladesh Hasan Azizul Haque passed away on November 15, 2021. Born in 1939, Haque was 82-years-old. Hasan Azizul Haque was one of the most prominent literary figures of Bangladesh. He was conferred with the Ekushey Padak in 1999 and Bangladesh’s top civilian honour Independence award in 2019. He has also been awarded the Bangla Academy award, Ananda Sahitya Puraskar, and Adamjee Sahitya Puraskar in 2018 in Kolkata for his novel ‘Agunpakhi’. Haque was known for his short stories in Bangla namely ‘Jibon Ghoshe Agun’, ‘Atmoja O Ekti Karabi Gaach’, ‘Gotrahin’ and ‘Naamhin’.

 

NATIONAL NEWS 

CBI, ED directors can now have tenures of up to five years;

 Centre issues two ordinances The tenures of Directors of the CBI and the ED can now be up to a maximum of five years from the present two years, according to two ordinances brought in by the government on Sunday.  The Directors of the Central Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement Directorate enjoy a fixed tenure of two years from the date of their appointment in the wake of the directives of the Supreme Court in the famous Vineet Narain case.  The Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Ordinance comes barely three days ahead of the retirement of incumbent Enforcement Directorate chief S.K. Mishra, a 1984-batch IRS officer.  The government had given him an extension of one year in 2020 after the completion of his two years fixed term. The matter was heard by the Supreme Court this year which did not quash the extension but told the government not to give any further extension to Mishra beyond November 17.  However, with the promulgation of the ordinance it remains to be seen whether Mishra would continue as the ED chief or not, officials said. The ordinance promulgated by President Ram Nath Kovind that comes into effect at once states: Provided that the period for which the Director of Enforcement holds the office on his initial appointment may, in public interest, on the recommendation of the Committee under clause(a) and for the reasons to be recorded in writing, be extended up to one year at a time: Provided further that no such extension shall be granted after the completion of a period of five years in total including the period mentioned in the initial appointment, it states.  The ED Director is appointed by the Central Government on the recommendation of a committee chaired by the Central Vigilance Commissioner and members comprising of Vigilance Commissioners, Home Secretary, Secretary DOPT and Revenue Secretary.  The government has also brought in Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Ordinance, 2021 which is also effective at once.  The ordinance inserts the provision in DSPE Act that Provided that the period for which the Director holds the office on his initial appointment may, in public interest, on the recommendation of the Committee under sub-section (1) of section 4A and for the reasons to be recorded in writing, be extended up to one year at a time: Provided further that no such extension shall be granted after the completion of a period of five years in total including the period mentioned in the initial appointment, it states.  The Director CBI is selected on the basis of the recommendation of a committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the Chief of Justice of India and the Leader of Opposition.  The fixed term of two years was aimed at ensuring the chiefs of CBI and ED work free from government interference without worrying about any adverse action for the probes carried out by divide. 

The divide between haves and have-nots is still a reality: CJI Ramana  

The stark divide between haves and have-nots is still a reality and law must work to alleviate poverty, Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana said on Sunday.  Despite our being a part of a welfare state, benefits are not trickling down to the intended beneficiaries at the desired levels. People’s aspiration about leading a dignified life are often met with challenges. One of them, primarily, being poverty, the CJI said.  Chief Justice Ramana quoted Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru on the impact of poverty and a fragmented society in a country’s growth: There could be no real freedom without economic freedom and that to call a starving man free, is but to mock him.  He was speaking at a pan-Indian legal awareness and outreach campaign programme which coincided with the birth anniversary of Pandit Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister.  Chief Justice Ramana reminded that the fundamental mission of our Independence struggle was to find life and dignity for all.  The top judge reminisced how the Independence movement fought and won against the colonial attitude that poverty is a misfortune for which the law cannot take any responsibility at all.  The struggles and aspirations of our people shaped our Constitution, the document which promised us an egalitarian future, the CJI said.  The CJI said an independent and robust district judiciary was the foremost sign of a healthy judiciary. A woman in distress, a child in care of need, an illegal detainee approaches the trial court first.  The mind of the Indian judiciary can be known to millions largely through the actions of the trial court and the district judiciary. For an overwhelming majority of litigants, what is real and existing is only the district judiciary. Without robust justice delivery system at the grassroot level, we cannot imagine a healthy judiciary, Chief Justice Ramana said.  The CJI reinforced the need to practice a justice delivery system which reached out to those in need and rendered them help without delay. The CJI said such people care little for well-dressed, erudite lawyers or colossal court buildings.  All they want is to be relieved of their pain quickly, without exhausting all their resources, Chief Justice Ramana said.   

Gadchiroli encounter: Top Maoist leader Milind Teltumbde among 26 rebels killed, confirm Maharashtra police  

Maharashtra Police authorities on November 14 confirmed that top fugitive Maoist Milind Baburao Teltumbde was among the 26 members of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) who were killed in the November 13 encounter in the State’s Gadchiroli district.  Milind Teltumbde, known by his aliases ‘Jeeva’ and ‘Deepak’, was the central committee member of the CPI (Maoist) and in-charge of the newly formed Maharashtra-Madhya Pradesh-Chhattisgarh confluence (MMC) zone of the outlaws. Hailing from Rajur village in Yavatmal district’s Wani taluk, he carried a bounty of ₹50 lakh on his head and is said to have been instrumental in the growth of the outlawed movement in Gadchiroli, Gondia and Rajnandgaon districts in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh.  Six among the outlaws were women, who were killed along with other senior members of the CPI (Maoist) in the gun battle between teams of C-60 commandos and the outlaws that began early on Saturday in the Mardintola forest area of eastern Maharashtra (near the Chhattisgarh border) and lasted several hours.  Ankit Goyal (second from right), SP of Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district, and other officials on November 14, 2021 address a press conference on the encounter with 26 naxals the previous day at Gyarapatti-Kotgul forest near Dhanora in the district.    As per the primary identification, Teltumbde was one of the 26 Maoists killed in Saturday’s encounter. Three security personnel have also been injured in the crossfire. They have been airlifted by helicopter to Nagpur and admitted for treatment at a local hospital, said Gadchiroli Superintendent of Police Ankit Goyal.  While the identity of 10 of the slain rebels has yet to be ascertained, the 16 who have been identified include Lokesh alias Mangu Podiyam (also known as Mangu Madkam) and Mahesh alias Shivaji Gota – both Divisional Committee Members (DVCMs).  Mahesh Gota, who carried a bounty of ₹16 lakh on his head, was commander of the Kasansur ‘dalam’ (squad) while Lokesh, who was commander of company 4, carried a reward of ₹20 lakh.  Those killed also included Milind Teltumbde’s bodyguards, identified as Tilak Jade — an area committee member (ACM) also known by his aliases ‘Bhagatshingh’ and ‘Pradeep’ — and Manso Boga (known by her alias ‘Vimla’) who were said to be Milind Teltumbde’s bodyguards.  Milind Teltumbde had also been named as an accused in the 2018 Elgaar Parishad-Bhima Koregaon case, in which his elder brother Anand Teltumbde, a noted academic and writer, is currently lodged in Mumbai’s Taloja jail and is awaiting trial.  The National Investigation Agency’s charge sheet in the Elgaar Parishad case which it filed last year in October alleged that Milind Teltumbde had been apparently inspired by his elder brother to join the Maoist ranks.  The charge sheet had noted that Milind Teltumbde had been tasked with expanding the Maoist movement in urban areas with the help of his elder brother Anand Teltumbde on the international level and had allegedly taken guidance from him.   

Army Chief General MM Naravane on his first 5-day visit to Israel

The Chief of the Army Staff General MM Naravane has begun his 5-day visit to Israel. This will be Naravane’s first visit to Israel. During the visit, Naravane will meet Israel’s senior military and civilian leadership to discuss opportunities for enhancing Indo-Israel defence relations. Naravane will meet the Service Chief and visit the Headquarters of the Ground Forces element of the Israeli Defence Forces. Naravane will be further enhancing the excellent bilateral defence corporation between India and Israel through several meetings with senior officials of the security establishment.

President Ram Nath Kovind promulgates two ordinances extending tenure of CBI and ED Directors for upto 5 years

President Ram Nath Kovind on November 14, 2021, promulgated two Ordinances to extend the tenure of Directors of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) upto 5 years. The two ordinances are the Central Vigilance Commission (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 and the Delhi Special Police Establishment (Amendment) Ordinance 2021. As per the ordinances, the Chiefs of both agencies CBI and ED will be eligible for extensions every year for upto 3 years after they complete the 2-year term. The ordinances however stated that no such extension will be given after the completion of a period of 5 years in total including the period mentioned in the initial appointment. The current tenure of the Chiefs of CBI and ED is 2-years.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Glasgow climate summit commits nations to strengthen emission reductions  

The 26th United Nations Conference of Parties (COP) in Glasgow concluded late on Saturday, local time, with a resolution by countries to revisit and strengthen their existing emission targets by 2022.  The Glasgow Climate Pact, combined with increased ambition and action from countries, means that 1.5°C remains in sight, but it will only be delivered with concerted and immediate global efforts, said a statement from the United Nations Secretariat.  The Paris Agreement, a treaty signed in 2015, exhorts countries to strive to curtail emissions that would prevent temperatures from rising over 1.5°C by 2100. This would require significant adaptation to renewable energy, cutting global emissions by as much as 45% by 2030 and effectively zero emissions by mid-century.  A major target when negotiations began on November 1 was to tie up loose ends from 2015 Paris Agreement. The Paris Rulebook, that specifies guidelines for how the Paris Agreement is delivered, was also completed today after six years of discussions. This will allow for the full delivery of the landmark accord, after agreement on a transparency process which will hold countries to account as they deliver on their targets. This includes Article 6, which establishes a robust framework for countries to exchange carbon credits through the UNFCCC, the statement noted.  India was among the countries that had insisted on clarity on Article 6 because a bulk of the carbon credits accumulated by its several companies — private and public sector enterprises — over a decade were infructuous and India had pushed for them to be made valid again. Carbon credits allow companies in developed countries to indirectly pay for clean energy transitions in developing countries by accumulating credits. However, criticism mounted that that was not actually leading to measurable reductions in overall polluting emissions and the 1997 Kyoto Protocol that validated carbon credit trading had expired in 2020.  A key thrust of COP 26, led by the United States and the United Kingdom, which held the presidency this time, was to have countries such as India and China agree to a year, preferably mid-century, by which their emissions would be near zero. This would also imply phasing out coal. However India, in a last minute intervention and supported by China, opposed such wording in the text of the agreement. As a compromise, it now reads that coal will not be phased out but phased down.  The U.K. Presidency noted that as recently as 2019, only 30% of the world was covered by net zero targets and this had now moved close to 90%. Over the same period, 154 Parties (of the nearly 200) had submitted new national targets, representing 80% of global emissions. 

 

Russia starts delivery of S-400 missile systems to India, says Russian official  

Russia has started the delivery of S-400 surface-to-air missile systems to India, according to a senior Russian official. Russia’s Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC) Dmitry Shugaev told Sputnik news that the deliveries are going as planned.  The supplies of the S-400 air defence system to India have started and are proceeding on schedule, he said. In October 2018, India had signed a $5 billion deal with Russia to buy five units of the S-400 air defence missile systems, despite a warning from the Trump administration that going ahead with the contract may invite U.S. sanctions.  File photo of Russian S-400 air defense missile systems.   India made the first tranche of payment of around $800 million to Russia for the missile systems in 2019. The S-400 is known as Russia’s most advanced long-range surface-to-air missile defence system.  Following U.S. sanctions on Turkey over the procurement of S-400 missile systems, there have been apprehensions that Washington may impose similar punitive measures on India.  

NATIONAL NEWS 

Gun battle in Gadchiroli

In what the Maharashtra Home Minister termed historic, at least 26 Maoists were killed in Gadchiroli district in the early hours of Saturday. The encounter between the C-60 commandoes and the Maoists reportedly took place at the Mardintola forest near Korchi. Three officers were injured during the operation and admitted to hospital. The identity of the Maoists is yet to be ascertained though there are unconfirmed reports that Milind Teltumbde, a member of the Maoists’ central committee, was among the dead. This incident is yet another victory for the state against the Maoists, who were once called India’s biggest internal security threat. The influence of the Maoists has been waning over the years, though the militants continue to hold sway in some parts. In September this year, the Home Ministry stated that the geographical influence of the Maoists had dropped to just 41 districts in the country from 96 in 2010. Only 25 of these districts now account for 85% of Left-Wing Extremism. The Maoist movement, which had strong ideological moorings, became more brutal over the years forcing the state to deal with the problem with an iron hand. The strategy of containing the Maoists as well as improving welfare measures in the poorest districts to reduce dissatisfaction has been effective in some parts, but not in others. The Maoists continue to hold sway in South Bastar in Chhattisgarh, the Andhra-Odisha border and some districts in Jharkhand. Home Minister Amit Shah said in September that security was being increased, especially in Maharashtra, Odisha and Chhattisgarh. But as this editorial from September pointed out, a purely security-driven approach fraught with human rights violations has only added to the alienation among the poor.

Maharashtra signed an MoU with RMI for technical support in EV Policy

Maharashtra government has signed an MoU with the United States-based Non-Profit Organisation, Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), to provide technical support for Maharashtra’s Electric Vehicle (EV) policy. The MoU was signed at Glasgow, United Kingdom, at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP26). Maharashtra state EV policy aims to have a 10 per cent share of EV vehicles of total registrations in India by 2025.

BharatPe launched World’s 1st Merchant Shareholding Programme

BharatPe launched the World’s 1st Merchant Shareholding Program (MSP) for its merchant partners. It is a $100 million worth program, under which the company offers its merchant customers an opportunity to buy BharatPe’s equity shares and become a partner. The company plans a public listing by 2024 and targets a public listing value of $1 billion.

TVS Motor became 1st Indian 2-wheeler maker to join UN Global Compact

TVS Motor Company, the flagship company of TVS Group, has joined the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the world’s largest voluntary corporate sustainability initiative. TVS Motor has become the 1st Indian two-wheeler and three-wheeler manufacturer to join the UNGC. TVS Motor will also engage in collaborative projects which will advance the development goals of the UN, particularly the Sustainable development goals (SDG).

44th Wangala festival begins in Meghalaya

Meghalaya state observed the 44th edition of ‘Wangala’, the festival of 100 Drums Festival begins. It is a post-harvest festival of the Garos tribe which is being held every year to honour ‘Saljong’, the Sun God of Garos, which also marks the end of the harvest season. Celebrated since 1976, it’s the most important festival of the Garo tribe and attracts a lot of tourists. During the Wangala, tribals offer sacrifices to please their deity Saljong, the Sun God.

Dr Ajay Kumar releases a book titled ‘FORCE IN STATECRAFT’

India’s Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar has released a book titled ‘FORCE IN STATECRAFT’ in New Delhi. The book is a compilation of essays on topics such as counter-insurgency operations, conflict in the North East, airpower, nuclear posture etc. contributed by all stalwarts of the Armed Forces, who have vast operational experience and understanding of several important cornerstones of forces and its application.

Bhopal’s Habibganj Railway Station renamed as Rani Kamlapati Station

The Habibganj railway station in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh has been renamed after 18th-century Gond Queen of Bhopal, Rani Kamlapati. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will inaugurate the revamped Rani Kamlapati railway station on November 15, during his visit to Bhopal. The railway station has been redeveloped with modern airport-like amenities at a cost of Rs 450 crore under Public Private Partnership mode in three years. Rani Kamlapati was the last Hindu queen of Bhopal and pride of the Gond community.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

6th India-France bilateral Army exercise EX SHAKTI 2021 begins

The Navies of India and France will carry out the 6th edition of the biennial training exercise EX SHAKTI 2021 from November 15 to 26, 2021 in Frejus, France. The Indian Army will be represented by the Gorkha Rifles Infantry Battalion and France Army will be represented by troops of the 21st Marine Infantry Regiment of the 6th Light Armoured Brigade.

World Diabetes Day observed on 14 November

World Diabetes Day is observed on 14th November every year. The campaign aims to raise awareness around the crucial role that nurses play in supporting people living with diabetes. The Theme for World Diabetes Day 2021-23: Access to Diabetes Care.

Australia wins their maiden T20 World Cup title

Australia won their maiden T20 World Cup title as they defeated New Zealand in the final by 8 wickets. A target of 173 in a global final is never easy but Marsh with his power and reach made it look like a walk in the park in the company of David Warner (53 off 38 balls), who also turned the wheels of fortune for himself and his team during a victory, achieved in 18.5 overs. Mitchell Marsh was named as the player of the match.

SPORTS NEWS 

Rahul Dravid named as brand ambassador of kids footwear brand Plaeto

Children’s footwear brand Plaeto has announced the appointment of celebrated Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid as its brand ambassador and mentor. Plaeto is India’s first D2C foot-health focused footwear brand designed specifically for Indian children. Plaeto was founded in March 2020 by Ravi Kallayil, Sara Kilgore and Pavan Kareti.

Children’s Day observed on 14th November

On 14th November, Children’s Day is celebrated every year to mark the birth anniversary of India’s first Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru. Children’s Day is popularly known as ‘Baal Diwas’ in India. The day aims at increasing the awareness of the rights, care and education of children. On this day, many educational and motivational programs are organised across the country, by and for children.

VVS Laxman to take charge as Head of National Cricket Academy

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly on November 14, 2021, confirmed that former India batsman VVS Laxman will take charge as the Head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA). Laxman is expected to take up the role by December 2021. The announcement comes after the post got vacant after the former Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid became Team India’s Head Coach on November 3, 2021.