Tag: Latest Affairs

NATIONAL NEWS 

Charanjit Singh Channi to be next Punjab Chief Minister

All India Congress Committee (AICC) on Sunday announced Charanjit Singh Channi, a Dalit Sikh, as the leader of Punjab Congress Legislature Party (CLP), who would also be expected to be the State’s next Chief Minister. The move, coming ahead of the Assembly elections early next year, seems aimed at neutralising both the Shiromani Akali Dal-BSP alliance, and the BJP’s bid to attract Dalit voters. AICC in-charge of Punjab affairs Harish Rawat announced the name of new CLP leader on twitter. It gives me immense pleasure to announce that Sh. #CharanjitSinghChanni has been unanimously elected as the Leader of the Congress Legislature Party of Punjab, he said. Channi was one among the Cabinet ministers who rebelled against Capt. Amarinder Singh, expressing lack of faith in the leadership of the Chief Minister in fulfilling the party’s 2017 Assembly election promises. As per the 2011 Census, Dalits comprise nearly one-third (32%) of the Punjab population. AICC-appointed observers Harish Chaudhary and Ajay Maken, and Punjab affairs incharge Harish Rawat were in Chandigarh and held meetings with party leaders and collected feedback from MLAs ahead of the announcement. Earlier, on September 18 in the CLP meeting, the party MLAs had passed a resolution in which the Congress president was authorised to select the CLP leader. The announcement came a day after the Congress high command forced the resignation of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh ahead of a Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting convened by the AICC on September 18. The final decision of the new chief minister was left to the party president Sonia Gandhi.

India may soon allow foreign tourists in view of declining COVID-19 cases 

Amid a decline in COVID-19 cases in the country, India may soon reopen its doors to foreign tourists for the first time in one-and-a-half years, officials said. The first five lakh foreign tourists will be issued visas free of cost in an attempt to revive the tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic since March 2020, when a nationwide lockdown was announced. Top Union Home Ministry officials are deliberating with all stakeholders on the expected date and modalities for opening up of the country for foreign tourists. A formal announcement allowing foreign tourists to visit India may come within the next ten days, an official from the Home Ministry said. The decision is being taken in view of the declining number of COVID-19 cases in the country. India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has also crossed 80 crore. The free visa to the tourists will be issued till March 31, 2022, or the issuance of five lakh visa, whichever is earlier. The total financial implication for this would be ₹100 crore. The free visa move is expected to incentivise short-term tourists visiting India, the official said. The cost for a month-long e-tourist visa is country-specific but is around $25. A year-long multiple entry e-tourists visa charge is around $40. The e-tourist visa has been suspended since March 2020. Home Ministry officials said they are still deliberating whether the entry of foreign tourists will be allowed with certain conditions, such as limiting it only to vaccinated travellers for now and having a negative list of countries where COVID-19 cases remain a concern. The opening up is also expected to be phase-wise to see the response and implications, another official said. Many countries, including some of those in Europe, have already opened up for tourism.

BJP uses Taliban, Afghanistan, Pakistan to garner votes: Mehbooba 

Accusing the BJP of playing politics over the issues of Taliban, Afghanistan and Pakistan to garner votes, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti on September 19 alleged that the seven-year-rule of the saffron party has brought miseries to the people of the country and left Jammu and Kashmir destroyed. She claimed that it is not Hindus but the democracy and India which are in danger under the BJP rule, which has undone all the good work of the past 70 years of the Congress and started selling national resources and raising the prices of essentials to fill its coffers and to buy or intimidate opposition legislators. The former chief minister taunted her critics and said the mere mention of Taliban or the party’s vision of self-rule makes her anti-national and triggers debates and discussions even as the focus should have been the ongoing agitation of the farmers, inflation and other issues of public importance. Jammu and Kashmir is in trouble and so is the entire country…they say Hindus are in danger but they are not in danger and in fact it is India and the democracy which are in danger because of them (BJP), Mufti said, addressing a rally organised by the youth wing of her party here. Mufti reached Jammu late on September 18 after a five-day tour of Poonch and Rajouri districts, facing a small protest by a group of Rashtriya Bajrang Dal activists whose attempt to stop her cavalcade near Dogra chowk in the city was foiled by police. As the elections in different States come nearer, the BJP will start cashing on the god-given opportunity of Taliban and Afghanistan and if it would not work, they will bring Pakistan and drones into picture, the PDP chief said. They will not talk about China, which has intruded into Ladakh because they do not get votes by talking about that country. If you want to frighten people, talk about Taliban, Afghanistan and Pakistan and do something here and there and seek votes, she said. Referring to the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Mufti alleged that the BJP’s incumbent State chief minister failed to provide jobs, roads and schools, while the river Ganga, which is considered sacred by the people of the country, became a dumping ground for human corpses because people do not have the money to perform the last rites of their relatives. Mufti said the BJP is watching what she is saying to trigger a debate in media. The farmers’ agitation, growing unemployment, inflation and other issues facing the country should have been the focus of our debates but there is no discussion on these important issues. Since the elections in U.P. are drawing closer, there will be more discussion on Taliban and Afghanistan, she said. Mufti said there are debates on the oppressive measures adopted by the Taliban against women in Afghanistan but nobody is talking about the women of India who are facing rapes and dowry deaths. I know unemployment is such that we cannot provide jobs to everyone. Mufti had a plan to address this problem but if I name the plan which is self-rule, I will be dubbed as anti-national and it will trigger debates and discussions, she said.

Rahul Gandhi takes dig at government over record COVID-19 vaccinations 

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took a swipe at the government over the record COVID-19 vaccinations in a single day, and said the event is over now. He also shared a graph of the vaccination trend in the last 10 days as per data from the Cowin website to show the decline in inoculations after the record. India vaccinated 2.5 crore people on a single day in Friday to mark Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday. Using the hashtag vaccination, Gandhi said in a tweet, Event over. Gandhi on Saturday had hoped more such record vaccinations happened in the country. Looking forward to many more days of 2.1 crore vaccinations. This pace is what our country needs, he had said on Twitter.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

After recalling ambassadors, French Minister decries ‘duplicity’ in U.S.-Australia submarine deal 

France’s Foreign Minister on Saturday denounced what he called the duplicity, disdain and lies surrounding the sudden rupture of France’s lucrative contract to make submarines for Australia in favour of a U.S. deal and declared that a crisis is at hand among the Western allies. A day after France recalled its ambassadors to the United States and Australia, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian pummeled what he suggested was a backroom deal that betrayed France. The recalling of its ambassadors signifies the force of the crisis today between the French government and Washington and Canberra, he said in an interview on France 2 television. He said it was the first time ever that France, the United States’ oldest ally, has recalled its ambassador to the United States. The announcement by President Joe Biden of the deal, alongside the leaders of Australia and Britain, for at least eight nuclear-powered submarines has set France in a fury. France had signed a contract in 2016 for a dozen conventional diesel-electric submarines and the work to make them was already underway. The deal with French majority state-owned Naval Group was worth at least $66 billion. Diplomatic niceties have gone out the window as French authorities seek to make their anger known. Le Drian denied reports that there had been advance consultations with France ahead of the announcement, saying this isn’t true. Allies don’t treat each other with such brutality, such unpredictability, a major partner like France. So there really is a crisis, Le Drian said. There are reasons for us to question the strength of our alliance, Le Drian said. Earlier, France’s ambassador to Australia also strayed from diplomatic language when describing what has been widely billed in France as the contract of the century. This has been a huge mistake, a very, very bad handling of the partnership, French ambassador Jean-Pierre Thebault said before flying home to France. The arms agreement between France and Australia, signed in 2016, was supposed to be based on trust, mutual understanding and sincerity, a fuming Thebault said. I would like to be able to run into a time machine and be in a situation where we don’t end up in such an incredible, clumsy, inadequate, un-Australian situation. He said he found out about the canceled contract in the Australian press. Le Drian said in a written statement Friday that the French decision to recall its ambassadors — at the request of President Emmanuel Macron — is justified by the exceptional seriousness of the announcements made by Australia and the United States.

Taliban-run Kabul govt. tells women workers to stay home.

Women employees in the Kabul city government have been told to stay home, with work only allowed for those who cannot be replaced by men, the interim Mayor of Afghanistan’s capital said on Sunday. The decision to prevent most women city workers from returning to their jobs is another sign that the Taliban are going back on their promises that they would be tolerant and inclusive. In their previous rule in the 1990s, the Taliban had barred girls and women from schools, jobs and public life. In recent days, the new Taliban government issued several decrees rolling back the rights of women. It told women middle-and high school students that they could not return to school. On Friday, the Taliban shut down the Women’s Affairs Ministry, replacing it with a Ministry for the propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice. On Sunday, over a dozen women staged a protest outside the Ministry, holding up signs calling for the participation of women in public life. A society in which women are not active is (sic) dead society, one sign read. The protest lasted for about 10 minutes. After a short verbal confrontation with a man, the women got into cars and lef. Interim Kabul Mayor Hamdullah Namony said the women employees have been ordered to stay home, pending a further decision. He said exceptions were made for women who could not be replaced by men, including some in the design and engineering departments and the attendants of public toilets for women. Namony did not say how many women employees were forced to stay home. Meanwhile in Jalalabad, witnesses said an explosion targeted a Taliban vehicle. Hospital officials said five people were killed in the second such deadly blast in as many days in the Islamic State stronghold.

 

NATIONAL NEWS 

Captain steps down

Chief Minister Captain (retd.) Amarinder Singh stepped down from his post handing over his resignation to Governor Banwarilal Purohit. Perhaps, after 40 MLAs wrote to the All India Congress Committee to convene a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party, and with Congress President Sonia Gandhi speaking to the Captain, it was just a matter of time before the Captain stepped down. Once considered among the most powerful Congress leaders, the decline of support for the Punjab Chief Minister has been swift and almost overnight. I have resigned from the post of Chief Minister. I spoke to the party president and conveyed that I shall be resigning in the morning itself. The point is that it was the third time in the past few months that MLAs are being summoned to Delhi (by party central leadership); it gives an impression of element of doubt upon me for not being able to run (the government), but I feel humiliated the way things have gone, Capt. Amarinder told the media after submitting his resignation. I decided to quit, and they can elect anyone as Chief Minister who they trust, he added. On his next course of action, Capt. Amarinder said he would decide after talking to his supporters. He reiterated the same answer when asked if he would support the new chief minister. Earlier, Congress President Sonia Gandhi is learnt to have put a call to the Captain, asking him to step down, after nearly 40 MLAs wrote to the party’s central leadership, expressing lack of faith in the leadership of the Chief Minister in fulfilling the party’s 2017 Assembly election promises. The MLAs are alleged to have said that hardly anything was being done towards fulfilment of the 18-point programme issued by the party high command and demanded a meeting of the Congress Legislature Party. While appearing before the Mallikarjun Kharge-headed panel in June, set up to resolve the factionalism in the State, several MLAs had complained about the Chief Minister’s inaccessibility and complete control over the administration by bureaucrats. Though the Mallikarjun Kharge panel had given an 18-point agenda for the Punjab government to focus on and deliver, not much progress could be made.  Those who  raised the banner of revolt against Capt. Amarinder include four Ministers — Sukhjinder Randhawa, Tript Rajinder Bajwa, Sukhbinder Sarkaria and Charanjit Channi — apart from other MLAs. Saturday’s dramatic resignation is certainly not the last chapter in the power tussle between Capt. Amarinder and former minister and PPCC chef Navjot Sidhu. The latter was appointed on July 18 as president of the PPCC in an apparent attempt to resolve the crisis. Capt. Amarinder and Sidhu have been  at loggerheads since the 2019 Lok Sabha poll. Future politics is always an option and I’ll use it at an appropriate time, the Captain said after his resignation.  Among the list of probables likely to don the mantel of CM, former PCC chief and Gandhi family loyalist Sunil Jakhar is considered a frontrunner. In fact, both AICC observers — Harish Chaudhary, a minister in the Rajasthan government, and Ajay Maken — are considered close to former party chief Rahul Gandhi.

Actor under siege

Days after the Income-Tax Department conducted searches on the premises linked to Bollywood actor Sonu Sood, a move criticised by human rights organisations worldwide as the actor had earned praise for his philanthropic work during the Covid pandemic, the agency on Saturday issued a statement, without naming him, claiming it had detected tax evasion of more than ₹20 crore so far. The Income-Tax Department conducted a search and seizure operation on various premises of a prominent actor in Mumbai and also a Lucknow-based group of industries engaged in infrastructure development. A total of 28 premises spread over Mumbai, Lucknow, Kanpur, Jaipur, Delhi and Gurugram have been covered in the search operation, it said. According to the agency, during the searches on the premises of the actor and his associates, incriminating evidence pertaining to tax evasion was found. The main modus operandi followed by the actor had been to route his unaccounted income in the form of bogus unsecured loans from many bogus entities, said the Department. Investigations so far have revealed use of 20 such entries, the providers of which, on examination, have accepted on oath to have given bogus accommodation entries. They accepted to have issued cheques in lieu of cash. There have been instances where professional receipts have been camouflaged as loans in the books of accounts for the purpose of evasion of tax, it said. The agency said these bogus loans were used for making investments and acquiring properties. The charity foundation incorporated by the actor on July 21, 2020, had collected donations to the tune of ₹18.94 crore from April 1, 2021, till date, of which it spent around ₹1.9 crore towards various relief work and the balance of ₹17 crore was found lying in the foundation’s bank account. Funds to the tune of ₹2.1 crore have also been raised by the charity foundation from overseas donors on a crowd-funding platform in violation of FCRA [Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act] regulations, said the agency. The simultaneous searches on the Lucknow-based infrastructure group, in which the actor had entered into a joint venture real estate project and invested substantial funds, resulted in detection of tax evasion and irregularities in the books of account, said the I-T Department. It was alleged that the group was involved in bogus billing of subcontracting expenses and siphoning off funds. Evidence of such bogus contracts found so far are to the tune of over ₹65 crore…the said infrastructure group/company has entered into dubious circular transactions to the tune of ₹175 crore with an infrastructure company based in Jaipur, said the agency.

Babul Supriyo joins Didi

After Mukul Roy defected to the Trinamool Congress, it was the turn of former Union Minister and two-time BJP MP from Asansol Babul Supriyo on Saturday to join Didi.  On July 31, Supriyo in a Facebook had said that he would stay away from active politics. He later said he will continue to be MP. After joining the TMC,  Supriyo told journalists that a great opportunity has been extended to him by the party leadership and he has decided to take it up. It was with great disillusionment that I had announced that I will quit politics. A great opportunity has been extended by Didi [Mamata Banerjee] and Abhishek Banerjee and I am happy to accept that, he said. Speculation is rife in political circles that Supriyo may be nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the Trinamool as replacement for Arpita Ghosh who had quit the Upper House on Wednesday. Supriyo lost the 2021 Assembly poll from Tollygunj on the BJP ticket. He had to resign as Union Minister of State during the Cabinet reshuffle in July. Since then, he has been expressing discontent towards the party leadership saying he was not given enough responsibility. I was expecting something more after seven years as a Union Minister of State. Then differences started growing with the party. Supriyo was elected to the Lok Sabha from Asansol in 2014 and 2019. The defection comes weeks before the crucial Bhabanipur bypoll where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting. Interestingly, the BJP had nominated Mr. Supriyo among the star campaigners for the seat. Mamata Banerjee needs no campaign but if the party considers me, I will be happy to campaign in Bhabanipur,  Supriyo said. The BJP had earlier received a jolt when Mukul Roy joined the TMC. At least four MLAs of the party have joined the TMC in the past four months. Babul Supriyo has cheated the people of Asansol and also proved that his entire aim was to remain a Minister and enjoy power, State BJP spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya said. A section of party leaders like MP Jagannath Sarkar said the BJP should give tickets only to those who are committed to its ideology and not outsiders. The TMC leadership said the BJP, which organised mass defections from the party before the Assembly polls and sent a charter plane to ferry them to Delhi, cannot take the moral high ground.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

A tragic strike

A top U.S. military commander has apologised for the drone strike last month in Kabul killing 10 civilians including seven children. Briefing reporters on the results of the investigation of the August 29 strike, General Frank McKenzie, the commander of the U.S. Central Command, took responsibility for the tragic outcome of the drone strike and  said it was unlikely that the vehicle and those who died in the drone strike were associated with ISIS-K or were a direct threat to U.S. forces. Gen. McKenzie said that having thoroughly reviewed the findings of the probe and supporting analysis, he is convinced that as many as 10 civilians, including up to seven children, were tragically killed in that drone strike. It was a mistake, and I offer my sincere apology. As the combatant commander, I am fully responsible for this strike and this tragic outcome, he told reporters at a Pentagon news conference. Gen McKenzie said that 48 hours before the strike, sensitive intelligence indicated that the compound was being used by ISIS-K planners to facilitate future attacks. In the 36 hours preceding the strike, our leaders at the airport and in the strike cell received more than 60 different pieces of intelligence related to imminent threats, with some corroborating and some conflicting with events observed from our UAVs flying above Kabul throughout the day, the commander of the U.S. Central Command added. While the team conducted the strike did so in the honest belief that they were preventing an imminent attack on our forces and civilian evacuees, we now understand that to be incorrect, he said. I’m here today to set the record straight and acknowledge our mistakes. I will end my remarks with the same note of sincere and profound condolences to the family and friends of those who died in this tragic strike, Gen McKenzie said, adding the U.S. is exploring the possibility of ex-gratia payments for the tragic outcome of the drone strike.

 

Girls excluded as secondary school reopen in Afghanistan

Girls were excluded from returning to secondary school in Afghanistan on Saturday, after the country’s new Taliban rulers ordered only boys and male teachers back to the classroom. The hard-line Islamist group ousted the U.S .backed government last month, promising a softer brand of rule than their repressive reign in the 1990s, when women were mostly banned from education and work. But the diktat from the Education Ministry was the latest move from the new government to threaten women’s rights. All male teachers and students should attend their educational institutions, a statement said ahead of classes resuming on Saturday. The statement, issued late on Friday, made no mention of women teachers or girl students. Secondary schools, with students typically between the ages of 13 and 18, are often segregated by sex in Afghanistan. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they have faced closures and have been shut since the Taliban seized power. Primary schools have already reopened, with boys and girls mostly attending separate classes and some women teachers returning to work. The new regime has also permitted women to go to private universities, though with tough restrictions on their clothes and movement. In a further sign that the Taliban’s approach to women and girls had not softened, they appeared to have shut down the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and replaced it with a department notorious for enforcing strict religious doctrine during their first rule. In Kabul on Friday, workers were seen raising a sign for the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice at the old Women’s Affairs building. 

 

NATIONAL NEWS 

Supreme Court Collegium on mission mode; fills up vacancies with staggering speed

The Supreme Court Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) N.V. Ramana, is proceeding with staggering speed to fill the vacancies and strengthen the judiciary as seen in a latest slew of recommendations, which include eight new Chief Justices to High Courts, the transfer of five High Court Chief Justices and the shuffling of 28 High Court judges across the country. It has been reliably learnt that the eight High Court judges recommended for elevation as Chief Justices of High Courts include Acting Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Justice Rajesh Bindal as Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court. Among the five Chief Justices learnt to have been recommended for transfer is Justice A.A. Kureshi of the Tripura High Court. He has been recommended for transfer to the Rajasthan High Court as its Chief Justice. He was in the middle of a prolonged stalemate between the Collegium and the government over his initial appointment as Madhya Pradesh High Court Chief Justice about two years ago. The past one month has seen the Collegium recommend over 100 judicial appointments, several transfers and elevations of judges, advocates and Chief Justices. The Collegium began its work on a historic note with the successful recommendation of nine new judges to the Supreme Court that were quickly approved by the government. Among the nine was Justice B.V. Nagarathna, who may become India’s first woman CJI in 2027. This accomplishment was followed by the recommendation of 68 names to various High Courts, significantly, in one go. The back-to-back meetings and recommendations in the past one month indicate the resolve within the Collegium to get the better of the perennial problem of vacancies, especially in the High Courts. Besides the CJI, the Collegium has Justices U.U. Lalit, A.M. Khanwilkar, D.Y. Chandrachud and L. Nageswara Rao. Besides Justice Bindal, the other judges recommended for elevation as Chief Justices of High Courts are Justice Prakash Srivastava for Calcutta, Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra for the Andhra Pradesh High Court, Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi for Karnataka, Justice Satish Chandra Sharma for Telangana, Justice Ranjit V. More for Meghalaya, Justice Aravind Kumar for Gujarat, and Justice R.V. Malimath for Madhya Pradesh. This is probably the largest number of judges recommended by the Collegium for elevation as Chief Justices of High Courts. Other than Justice Kureshi, the other Chief Justices of High Courts recommended for transfer include Andhra Pradesh Chief Justice Arup Kumar Goswami to Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh Chief Justice Mohd. Rafiq to Himachal Pradesh, Chief Justice Indirajit Mohanty of the Rajasthan High Court to Tripura and Meghalaya Chief Justice Biswanath Somadder to Sikkim. Earlier this month, Chief Justice Ramana described judicial appointments as an ongoing process. He said the Collegium intended to live up to the herculean task of filling up 41% of vacancies existing in all the High Courts. Commending the young and dynamic Law Minister, Kiren Rijuju, who was present on the dais at a function organised by the Bar Council of India, the CJI had indicated that in another one month we expect 90% of the vacancies filled in this country.

Stop harassment of activists, journalists, peaceful protesters, Human Rights Watch tells Indian govt 

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Friday accused the Indian authorities of using politically motivated allegations of tax evasion and financial irregularities to silence human rights activists, journalists, and other critics of the government. In a statement released from New York, a day after the Enforcement Directorate’s searches on the premises linked to social activist Harsh Mander, the HRW said that this month, government financial officials had conducted raids in Srinagar, Delhi and Mumbai on journalists’ homes, media offices, an actor’s premises, and the home and office of a human rights activist. The raids are part of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party-led national government’s escalating crackdown on freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly since coming to power in 2014. The authorities have brought politically motivated criminal cases, including under broadly worded terrorism and sedition laws, against activists, journalists, academics, students, and others. They have also used foreign funding regulations and allegations of financial misconduct to target outspoken groups, it said. The Indian government’s raids appear intended to harass and intimidate critics, and reflect a broader pattern of trying to silence all criticism, said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia Director at the HRW, adding, these abuses weaken India’s core democratic institutions and break down fundamental freedoms. Journalism organisations, such as the Editors Guild and Press Club of India, have repeatedly called for an end to harassment of independent media, saying that it is a blatant attack on press freedom, said the HRW. The authorities have repeatedly targeted Mander, who has been a vocal critic of the BJP government’s discriminatory policies against religious minorities and works with victims of communal violence. Delhi police, instead of taking action against BJP leaders who incited communal violence in Delhi in February 2020, filed a fabricated case of hate speech and inciting communal violence against Mander, said the HRW. The HRW said that on September 8 the police in Jammu and Kashmir raided the houses of four Kashmiri journalists — Hilal Mir, Shah Abbas, Showkat Motta, and Azhar Qadri — and confiscated their phones and laptops.

Shashi Tharoor, Revanth Reddy row reflects simmering tensions within Congress 

A patch-up late on September 16 between senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor and his Lok Sabha colleague Revanth Reddy has put the lid on public sparring over Reddy’s comments against Tharoor. However, the episode clearly reflects the simmering tensions between loyalists of the Gandhi family and the G-23 reformists or the group of 23 letter writers who sought internal reforms within the Congress. I spoke to shri @ShashiTharoor ji to convey that I hereby withdraw the remarks and reiterate that I hold my senior colleague in the highest regard. I regret any hurt that may have been caused to him by my words. We share our faith in the values and policies of the Congress Party. And I know he joins me in wanting Congress to win the support of the public to form the next government in Telengana, tweeted Reddy, a person seen as being close to former party chief Rahul Gandhi. Responding to the tweet, Tharoor said on Twitter, I received a gracious call from @revanth_anumula to apologise for what was said. I accept his expression of regret & am happy to put this unfortunate episode behind us. We must work together to strengthen @INCIndia in Telengana & across the country. The public feud started after a newspaper reported that Reddy had used derogatory language against Tharoor for praising the work of the Telangana government. The report, which claimed Reddy hoped for the expulsion of Tharoor, was promptly highlighted by Telangana Information Technology Minister K.T. Rama Rao. Making a political point against the high command’s appointee in Telangana, Lok Sabha member Manish Tewari told Reddy on Twitter, Dr @ShashiTharoor is a valued colleague of yours & mine It would have been better if you would have spoken to him if you had some misgivings about a purported statement of his. Tharoor, Lok Sabha member from Thiruvananthapuram who is among the reformists, was a star campaigner for the party during the recently concluded Assembly election in Kerala, addressing as many as 56 meetings. However, relations with the high command may have soured again after many of them, including Tharoor, attended a dinner meet hosted by Kapil Sibal to rally Opposition leaders.

Manipur seeks to delay compensation plea of detained activist

The Manipur government on Friday sought an adjournment in the hearing of a plea for compensation filed by the father of Erendro Leichombam, who was detained earlier this year under the National Security Act (NSA). An activist, Leichombam was detained for two months for his Facebook posts questioning the efficacy of cow dung and cow urine as a cure for COVID-19 in the context of the death of a BJP leader due to the virus. A Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, while orally remarking about the inconvenience suffered by advocate Shadan Farasat, the petitioner’s lawyer, who was made to wait for the case only for the government side to seek adjournment, scheduled the next hearing on October 5. Leichombam was released from custody in July after the apex court had made it clear that he should not spend another night in prison. The court had agreed to examine the issue of compensation, saying somebody lost their liberty for over two months… It is a serious matter. However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the State, had urged for quietus in the issue. Mehta had said the activist was released immediately after the apex court order. While the court said whether or not to ask compensation was up to the petitioner, the latter did not relent. Farasat had argued that the government was increasingly using preventive detention provisions in cases in which even ordinary penal sections did not apply. He had submitted that the Facebook posts were criticism against the advocacy of cow dung and urine as a cure. He said stringent NSA provisions were slapped on the activist to chill his right to free speech.

Delhi HC notice to I-T Department on plea by Newslaundry 

The Delhi High Court on Friday issued notice to the Income Tax (I-T) Department on a petition by online news portal Newslaundry and its CEO Abhinandan Sekhri to not leak any material seized during a recent survey at its office in South Delhi. Newslaundry, in its plea, stated I-T officials impounded a hard disk and cloned the office desktop, laptop and phone of Sekhri, his personal email accounts, and a bunch of papers. The petition contended that the seized material contained private data, including chats and communications of Sekhri. Senior advocate Siddharth Dave, along with advocate Nipun Katyal, representing Newslaundry, raised the apprehension that the private data, which do not have any incriminating or relevant material for the purposes of income tax or any other legal proceedings, would not be secure in the hands of the I-T Department. They said the private data could be misused/ leaked/ illegally released in the public domain, which would be a breach of Sekhri’s privacy. This apprehension is well founded since the Respondent [IT Department] did not give the hash value of the data after seizing it, their petition said. A Bench of Justices Manmohan and Navin Chawla asked the I-T Department to respond to the petition by September 21. Newslaundry, in its petition, said that the department issued its first notice on June 29 this year. In pursuance to the notice, Sekhri duly cooperated with the officials of the department and complied with the instructions given by its officials. Newlaundry said the I-T officials did not give sufficient time to Sekhri to delete personal information such as private photographs, private WhatsApp chats and text messages. Newslaundry said it was into investigative journalism, and the electronic devices contained sensitive journalistic data and personal data of Sekhri. If the data was leaked, it would be an extreme breach of privacy and cause irreparable loss to him, it said.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Australia shrugs off China anger on Nuclear subs 

Australia on Friday shrugged off Chinese anger over its decision to acquire U.S.nuclear-powered submarines, while vowing to defend the rule of law in airspace and waters where Beijing has staked hotly contested claims. U.S. President Joe Biden announced the new Australia-U.S .- Britain defence alliance on Wednesday, extending U.S. nuclear submarine technology to Australia as well as cyber defence, applied artificial intelligence and undersea Capabilities. Beijing described the new alliance as an extremely irresponsible threat to regional stability, questioning Australia’s commitment to nuclear non-proliferation and warning the Western allies that they risked shooting themselves in the foot. China has its own very substantive programme of nuclear submarine building, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison argued on Friday in an interview with radio station 2GB. They have every right to take decisions in their national interests for their defence arrangements and of course sodoes Australia and all other countries, he said. In a series of media interviews, the Australian leader said his government was reacting to changing dynamics in the Asia-Pacific region where territory is increasingly contested and competition is rising. Australia is very aware of China’s nuclear submarine capabilities and growing military investment, he told Channel Seven television. We are interested in ensuring that international waters are always international waters and international skies are international skies, and that the rule of law applies equally in all of these places, he said. Australia wanted to ensure that there were no nogo zones in areas governed by international law, the Prime Minister said.

Junta to put Suu Kyi on graft trial

Myanmar’s junta will put ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi on trial for corruption, her lawyer said on Friday, adding to a raft of ongoing cases that could see her jailed for decades. Ms. Suu Kyi has been under house arrest since her National League for Democracy (NLD) government was deposed by the military in a February coup that sparked a mass uprising and a brutal crackdown on dissent. The 76-year-old Nobel laureate is currently on trial for flouting coronavirus restrictions during polls the NLD won in a landslide last year, illegally importing walkie talkies and sedition. Each corruption charge carries a maximum sentence of 15 years. Trial to begin on Oct. 1 She will face a new trial on four charges of corruption beginning on October 1 in the capital Naypyidaw, her lawyer Khin Maung Zaw said. The newest trial forms part of a junta plan to get her (Suu Kyi) out of the picture said Manny Maung, a researcher at Human Rights Watch. Dragging out legal proceedings while Suu Kyi is confined to an unknown location will impact the ability of the NLD to bounce back and deny her supporters a point around which to rally, Ms. Maung added. The ongoing trials were delayed for two months as Myanmar grappled with a coronavirus surge and only resumed this week, with Ms. Suu Kyi skipping the first day on health grounds. Journalists have been barred from all proceedings so far. The junta has also charged her for accepting illegal payments of gold and violating a colonial-era secrecy law, although these are yet to come to court.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Centre agrees to reinstate Justice Cheema as Acting Chairperson of NCLAT after Supreme Court threatens to suo moto stay Tribunals Reforms Act

After a brief impasse with the Supreme Court on Thursday, the Centre agreed, as a one-off measure, to reinstate Justice A.I.S Cheema as Acting Chairperson of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) till the date of his retirement on September 20 so that he can pronounce judgments pending with him. The government blinked after the to and fro between the Bench led by Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana and the government, represented by Attorney-General K.K. Venugopal, reached such a pass that the court threatened to suo motu stay the Tribunal Reforms Act of 2021. The government made it clear that Justice Cheema’s reinstatement was after considering the peculiar circumstances of his case and should not be treated as a precedent. The reinstatement spells relief for Justice Cheema, who had challenged his premature and sudden removal from office as NCLAT Acting Chairperson on September 10. Senior advocate Arvind Datar, for Justice Cheema, had raised the point that this was no way to treat a former Bombay High Court judge who had been part of the legal profession for 40 years. Venugopal informed the court that Justice M. Venugopal, a former Madras High Court judge who was appointed the new NCLAT Acting Chairperson on September 11, would go on leave for the next few days till Justice Cheema completes his tenure on September 20. Chief Justice Ramana appreciated K.K. Venugopal’s efforts to resolve the brief stalemate between the court and the government on the issue. Datar also thanked the Attorney-General. However, the first half of the hearing witnessed a tense exchange between the Bench and K.K.Venugopal. It began with K.K. Venugopal placing on the table the offer that Justice Cheema would be treated as Acting Chairperson till September 20 and be paid his service benefits. The top law officer said it would be very awkward for the government to remove Justice Venugopal now. But the Bench said Justice Cheema still had to pronounce five judgments. The court said it was the government which had created the awkward situation. The court said if there was admittedly no doubt whatsoever about Justice Cheema’s integrity, why had the government stopped him from completing his term on September 20. Initially, K.K. Venugopal said the government would then argue the case on merits. However, the CJI decided to hear the case again after some time, giving K.K. Venugopal an opportunity to consult the government. Half an hour later, K.K. Venugopal conveyed to the court the government’s decision to reinstate Justice Cheema till September 20.

Cabinet clears ₹30,600-crore guarantee for bad bank 

The Union Cabinet has cleared a proposal to provide ₹30,600 crore government guarantee for security receipts issued by the National Asset Reconstruction Company (NARCL) as part of resolution of bad loans, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday. The proposed bad bank or NARCL will pay up to 15% of the agreed value for the loans in cash and the remaining 85% would be government-guaranteed security receipts. The government guarantee would be invoked if there is loss against the threshold value. Briefing reporters on the decision, she said banks have recovered ₹5.01 lakh crore of unpaid loans in the last six years. Of this, ₹3.1 lakh crore has been recovered since March 2018.

New Gujarat Cabinet has no Minister who served in Rupani administration 

In an unprecedented move as expected, the new Cabinet sworn in by Governor Acharya Devvrat in Gujarat on Thursday has no Minister who served in the erstwhile Vijay Rupani administration as the ruling party has adopted a no repeat formula in the Cabinet formation. A total of 24 Ministers have been sworn in, including ten Ministers of Cabinet rank while 14 were of the rank of Minister of State. With Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, there are 25 members in the new Cabinet. The ruling BJP has decided to drop all former Ministers who were part of the Rupani government. Assembly Speaker during the Rupani administration Rajendra Trivedi and former State BJP chief Jitu Vaghani have been made Cabinet Ministers. Surat BJP leader and legislator Purnesh Modi, who has filed a defamation case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, has also been made Cabinet Minister in the new administration that is taking over from Thursday. Out of a total of 25 members, including the Chief Minister, only a handful members have previous ministerial experience These include Rajendra Trivedi, who was a Minister in the Anandiben government, Kiritsinh Rana, who served in the government of Narendra Modi, and Raghavji Patel, who had served in the Shankarsinh Vaghela government in the mid-90s. Moreover, many of them are first-time legislators who have been tasked with ministerial responsibilities in the new administration just 15 months ahead of the crucial Assembly election.

ED conducts searches on premises linked to Harsh Mander 

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on September 16 conducted searches on premises linked to former Indian Administrative Service officer and social activist Harsh Mander in connection with a money-laundering probe. The searches were carried out at Adchini, Mehrauli and Vasant Kunj in south Delhi, hours after Mander left for Germany along with his wife for a six-month fellowship programme at the Robert Bosch Academy. The ED investigation is related to a First Information Report [FIR] registered by the Delhi Police’s Economic Offences Wing in February, said a senior agency official. The police instituted the case against two children’s homes and their parent body, Centre for Equity Studies, of which Mander is a director. It was based on a report submitted by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) last year, highlighting alleged financial irregularities. Mander’s name is not there in the FIR. In February, the Mehrauli police registered an FIR under various provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act and the Indian Penal Code on a complaint from the NCPCR Registrar alleging violations. NCPCR teams, in October 2020, conducted an inspection of children homes Umeed Aman Ghar and Khushi Rainbow Home in south Delhi. In a statement, the Centre for Equity Studies (CES) confirmed the ED searching its office, Umeed Ghar and Mander’s residence. This is a continuation of harassment and coercion of CES and Harsh Mander for being an outspoken and passionate defender of human rights, it alleged. The organisation said that over the past several months, it had been subjected to raids, investigation, and inquiries by different government agencies, including the Delhi Police and the NCPCR. The searches triggered sharp reactions from politicians. 

Government terms New York Times article on COVID-19 response ‘provocative, attention seeking’ 

The government called the recent New York Times article on India’s COVID-19 response a provocative, attention seeking piece that comes at a time when the country is doing well in tackling the pandemic. The article claimed that the ICMR tailored its findings to fit Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s optimistic narrative despite a looming crisis. Responding to a question at a press briefing, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Dr. Balram Bhargava said, This is a provocative, attention seeking article published at a time when India is doing good and our vaccination is excellent and it is diverting attention. All the issues raised are dead ones and probably do not merit any attention. We greatly value journalistic and editorial freedom and at the same time we must also realise that all of us — Union government as well as the State governments — are fully engaged in fighting a pandemic and all our energies and time is devoted to that, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said.

Hyderabad girl rape and murder: Suspect Raju found dead on railway track 

Pallakonda Raju (30), the only suspect in the rape and murder of a six-year-old girl at Saidabad, was found dead on the railway tracks near Station Ghanpur in Jangoan district of Telangana, 130 km from here. Confirming the development to The Hindu, a senior police officer said that on Thursday morning they found Raju’s mangled body on the tracks while searching for him, as he was absconding for a week now. We suspect he ended his life…, the officer said. According to eyewitnesses, the incident took place around 8.40 am when Raju came under Hyderabad-bound Konark Express. The victim’s mother suspected Pallakonda Raju to be the culprit as he was missing from his house. Just been informed by @TelanganaDGP Garu that the beast who raped the child has been traced & found dead on a railway track at station Ghanpur, IT Minister KT Rama Rao tweeted. A massive manhunt was launched for Raju and the Hyderabad city police have also announced a cash reward of ₹10 lakh for any information leading to the arrest of the former. As part of the massive manhunt, posters declaring Raju a ‘WANTED’ man were pasted on auto-rickshaws, buses, at toddy compounds, wine shops and all public places across the State. On September 9, the minor had gone missing from her home in Saidabad, and hours later, her body was recovered from Raju’s house, who was her neighbour. The autopsy at Osmania General Hospital has confirmed that she was ‘sexually assaulted’ before she was strangled to death. The victim’s mother suspected Raju to be the culprit as he too was missing from his house. The heinous incident has triggered widespread outrage in Hyderabad and elsewhere in the State with various political parties and youth groups staging protests demanding justice for the minor girl.

Virat Kohli to quit as T20 captain after World Cup 

Virat Kohli on Thursday announced he will step down as India’s T20 captain after the T20 World Cup in UAE but will continue to lead the side in ODIs and Test cricket. I’ve decided to step down as the T20 captain after this T20 World Cup in Dubai in October, Kohli said in a statement posted on his Twitter page. For some time, there has been speculation about Kohli’s future as white-ball captain, especially in the backdrop of Rohit Sharma’s brilliant track record of winning five IPL titles for Mumbai Indians. Understanding workload is a very important thing and considering my immense workload over the last 8-9 years playing all three formats and captaining regularly for last five to six years, I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian team in Test and ODI cricket, Kohli said in a statement on his Twitter page. I have given my everything to the Team during my time as T20 captain and I will continue to do so for the T20 team as a batsman moving forward, he further added. The decision, Kohli said, was taken after consulting head coach Ravi Shastri, his heir apparent Rohit, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah. The T20 World Cup starts on October 17.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Russia-led bloc to hold military drills on Afghanistan border. 

A Russia-led security bloc said on Thursday that it planned to hold large military drills in Tajikistan next month, amid what it described as a deteriorating situation in neighbouring Afghanistan. Moscow has moved to cement its positionasa key player in the region after the United States’ hasty retreat from Afghanistan and the Taliban’s takeover of the country. The general secretary of the Moscow-led Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) Stanislav Zas said the group would hold several largescale exercises in the ex-Soviet state. Tajikistan is the only country out of the six-member bloc led by Russia that shares a border with Afghanistan. The series of drills will include our largest exercise this year, Mr. Zas said. The group has taken collective measures to ensure Tajikistan’s security in case of an aggravation on its border with Afghanistan, he added. The CSTO said in a joint statement that it was alarmed by the deterioration of security in Afghanistan. Mr. Zas announced the drills after Russian Foreign MinisterSergei Lavrov put the Taliban on notice on Wednesday, noting that Moscow was monitoring the group’s fulfilment of promises to prevent radical groups from launching attacks on Afghanistan’s neighbours.

China fully vaccinates more than 1 billion people

China has fully vaccinated more than one billion peopleagainst the coronavirus 71% of its population – official figures showed on Thursday. The country, wherethe viruswas first detected, has mostly curbed the virus within its borders, but is racing to get the vastmajorityof its population vaccinated as a new outbreak flickers in the southeast. As of September 15, 2.16 billion vaccine doses have been administered nationwide, said National Health Commission spokesman Mi Feng at a press briefing. The Chinese health authorities said late last month that 890 million people in the country had been fully vaccinated, and two billion doses administered.The government has not publicly announced a target for vaccination coverage, but top virologist Zhong Nanshan said last month that the country is likely to have 80% of its population inoculated by the end of the year, reaching herd immunity.China is currently battling an outbreak of the Delta variant in the southeastern province of Fujian that has infected almost 200 people so far in three cities, dozens of whom are school children. The Fujian cluster is the biggest rebound in weeks and comes after the country declared the Delta variant under control, in a test of China’s zero-case approach to the coronavirus pandemic.

NATIONAL NEWS 

Supreme Court gives government two weeks to make appointments to all tribunals, accuses Centre of ‘cherry-picking’ names

The Supreme Court on Wednesday accused the Centre of cherry-picking names for appointments to tribunals groaning under a backlog and left almost defunct by long-pending vacancies. A Special Bench of Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, Justices D.Y. Chandrachud and L. Nageswara Rao held its hand on initiating contempt proceedings against the government and allowed the latter two weeks to make appointments to all the tribunals. If the government does not act, we will pass orders, the CJI said. Chief Justice Ramana termed the state of tribunals and the thousands of litigants waiting for justice pitiable. Cases were adjourned for months. There was no manpower to form Benches. Litigants were made to travel to other faraway States where there were at least some tribunal members available to hear their cases. The Bench addressed Attorney General K.K. Venugopal about how the government pulled the rug from underneath the hard work of the search-cum-selection committees headed by sitting Supreme Court judges tasked with interviewing and shortlisting suitable candidates for the tribunals. The government picked a few names from the final ‘select’ list prepared by the committee and then moved on to appoint a few other names from the ‘wait’ list, the Chief Justice said. I have seen the selection list of National Company Law Tribunal. The selection committee recommended nine judicial members and 10 technical members. The appointment letters indicate cherry-picking of three names from select list and others from the wait list, ignoring others in select list. In service law, you cannot go to wait list ignoring the select list. What kind of appointment is this, Chief Justice Ramana asked the Attorney General. But doesn’t the government have the power to choose someone, Venugopal asked. Justice Chandrachud highlighted the case of debt recovery tribunals which had become almost non-functional under the weight of their vacancies. When a bank decides to recover debt on a house or a factory, the debtor has no remedy. The High Court refuses to hear his case… There is no recourse to justice, Justice Chandrachud said. In one of the tribunals, the Bench said, the selection committee interviewed 534 candidates for judicial members and another 400 for technical members. A list was given. But the government picked a few from the select list and some others from the wait list. Chief Justice Ramana referred to how a Supreme Court judge, who headed a selection committee for a tribunal, travelled across the country to conduct interviews for appointments during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, no appointments were made by the government. We wasted so much time, the CJI chided the government side. The CJI pointed out that as per the latest appointment orders, the judicial members would only have a tenure of one year. Which High Court judge will go for a one-year tenure, the CJI asked.

NCLAT acting chief exit case concerns ‘premature’ replacement: CJI 

Chief Justice of India (CJI) N.V. Ramana on Wednesday requested Attorney General K.K. Venugopal to get instructions from the government and be present when the court takes up a petition on September 16 regarding the exit of Justice A.I.S. Cheema as Acting Chairperson of the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). Senior advocate Arvind Datar had orally mentioned the issue before the CJI Bench on September 14. Addressing the Attorney General, Chief Justice Ramana said the case concerned the premature replacement of Justice Cheema as Acting Chairperson of the NCLAT days before the end of his tenure on September 20. The CJI said it appeared as if the government department concerned had acted hurriedly. I do not how this is happening… he observed. Justice M. Venugopal, a former Madras High Court judge, replaced Justice Cheema as Acting Chairperson of the NCLAT with effect from September 11. Justice Venugopal, a judicial member at Chennai Bench of the NCLAT, is the third Acting Chairperson of the Tribunal since the retirement of the regular NCLAT Chairperson, Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya, in March last year.

Cabinet approves relief package for telecom sector 

The Union Cabinet has approved nine structural reforms and five process reforms for the telecom sector, aimed at giving relief to companies such as Vodafone Idea that have to pay thousands of crores in unprovisioned past statutory dues. The wide set of measures proposed entail reforms for the ailing sector by way of granting moratorium on unpaid dues, redefining adjusted gross revenue (AGR) prospectively, and cut in Spectrum Usage Charges. Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said non-telecom revenue will be taken out of AGR. PM took a bold decision over AGR (adjusted gross revenue) today. A decision has been taken to rationalise the definition of AGR, he told the media after the Cabinet meet. The regime of penalty and interest on various license fees and charges has been rationalised with penalty being removed completely and interest has been reduced. Future spectrum auctions will be for 30 years, as against the present 20 years. The Ministry will also allow companies to surrender spectrum after paying a fixed charge in case of change in business environment. Spectrum sharing has been allowed completely. The Union Cabinet has also approved 100% foreign direct investment through automatic route in the telecom sector. The government has approved four-year moratorium for dues of telecom service providers. They will, however, have to pay interest. Vaishnaw said the reforms are applicable from October 1 and none of them are with retrospective effect. There will be further reforms when 5G spectrum is auctioned, he added. The relief package for the telecom sector will come as a breather to the three private players at a time when Vodafone Idea is confronting an existential crisis.

NCRB report finds 28% jump in registration of cases in 2020

There was a 28% increase in the registration of cases in 2020 compared to 2019, primarily owing to the violations of COVID-19 norms across the country. An almost 21-fold jump was recorded in cases of disobedience to the order duly promulgated by public servant, and over four times in cases involving violations of other State local laws, according to a National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report. Crimes against Scheduled Castes, with a total of 50,291 cases, showed an increase of 9.4%. Simple hurt with 32.9% (16,543) formed the largest chunk, followed by cases under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act with 8.5% (4,273), and cases under criminal intimidation with 7.5% (3,788), the report said. In all, 8,272 cases were instituted for offences against Scheduled Tribes: an increase of 9.3% over 2019. Simple hurt (2,247) accounted for 27.2%, followed by rape with 13.7% (1,137), and assault on women with intent to outrage her modesty with 10.7% (885). The cases of sedition declined from 93 in 2019 to 73 last year, with Manipur reporting 15 cases, Assam 12, Karnataka eight, Uttar Pradesh seven, Haryana six, Delhi five and Kashmir two cases. A total of 66,01,285 cognisable crimes, comprising more than 42,54 lakh Indian Penal Code (IPC) offences and over 23.46 lakh Special & Local Laws (SLL) crimes, were registered in 2020, said the report. Effectively, there was a decrease in registration of traditional crime by about two lakh cases. It shows an increase of 14,45,127 (28.0%) in registration of cases over 2019 (51,56,158 cases). Crime rate registered per lakh population has increased from 385.5 in 2019 to 487.8 in 2020. During 2020, registration of cases under IPC has increased by 31.9% whereas SLL crimes have increased by 21.6% over 2019, said the report. As the country remained under complete lockdown from March 25 to May 31 last year during the first wave of COVID-19, cases of crime against women, children and senior citizens, theft, burglary, robbery and dacoity declined. Cases of murder showed a marginal increase of 1% to 29,193. Various kinds of disputes were found to be the motive in the majority of murder cases, followed by personal vendetta or enmity and gain.

NTA announces 87.89 as cut-off score for JEE Advanced 2021

Students who achieved a score of above 87.89 in the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE-Main) will be eligible to apply to write the entrance test for admission to the elite Indian Institutes of Technology, the National Testing Agency announced on September 15. The Common Rank List cut-off score for general category students is lower than the 90.37 cut-off last year. Among the 44 students who achieved a 100 percentile score, seven each were from Telangana and Delhi. Using the tie-breaker rules, 18 students were determined to share the top rank this year, including four from Andhra Pradesh, the highest among States. Overall, 9.39 lakh students wrote the examination, almost a lakh fewer than the 10.23 lakh who appeared last year. This year’s examination was marred by an alleged cheating scandal at a centre in Sonepat, Haryana, where computers were hacked to provide illegal assistance to students who paid up to ₹15 lakh. So far, 11 people have been arrested and a CBI probe is on. On account of using unfair means, a total of 20 candidates have been debarred from appearing in future examinations for a period of three years. Their results have also been withheld, said the NTA statement. JEE Main is used as an entrance test for admission to undergraduate engineering programmes at the National Institutes of Technology, and several other Central, State and private institutions. The top 2.5 lakh ranked candidates are also eligible to appear for JEE Advanced, which is the admission test for the elite Indian Institutes of Technology, and will be held on October 3. Registrations for JEE Advanced will open on September 15. This year’s Common Rank List cut-off score of 87.89 is more than two points below last year’s cut-off of 90.37. For students from economically weaker sections, the cut-off is a score of 66.22; for those from Other Backward Classes, it is 68.02; for those in the Scheduled Caste category, it is 46.88; and for those from Scheduled Tribe communities, it is 34.67. Cut-offs for all these categories are significantly lower than last year. Students can check their scores as well as the final answer keys at https://jeemain.nta.nic.in/. This year, the computer-based examination was offered four times, with the last two sessions postponed due to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Students were allowed to attempt the examination as often as they wished, with their best score being used for ranking purposes. More than 2.5 lakh chose to attempt all four sessions. Of the total 9.39 lakh students who wrote the examination, 70% were male.

Financial bids received for Air India disinvestment; Tatas among suitors 

The government today said it has received multiple financial bids for buying national carrier Air India. Meanwhile, a Tata Sons spokesperson told PTI that it has put in a bid for the airline. Financial bids for Air India disinvestment received by Transaction Adviser. Process now moves to concluding stage, DIPAM Secretary Tuhin Kanta Pandey tweeted. The government is seeking to sell 100% of its stake in the state-owned national airline, including Air India’s 100% shareholding in AI Express Ltd and 50% in Air India SATS Airport Services Private Ltd. The stake sale process, which began on January 2020, faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2021, the government asked potential bidders to put in financial bids. September 15 was the last day for putting in financial bids. Tata Group was among the multiple entities that had put in initial expression of interest (EoI) in December 2020 for buying the Maharaja. With previous attempts since 2017 failing to get any significant interest and after receiving feedback from potential investors, the government had in October last year sweetened the EoI clause relating to transfer of Air India’s debt to the new investor, giving bidders flexibility to decide on the quantum of humongous debt they want to absorb. As per the Air India EoI floated by the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) in January 2020, of the airline’s total debt of ₹60,074 crore as of March 31, 2019, the buyer would be required to absorb ₹23,286.5 crore. The rest would be transferred to Air India Assets Holding Ltd (AIAHL), a special purpose vehicle. Air India has been in losses ever since its merger with domestic operator Indian Airlines in 2007. The airline, which was formed by the Tatas as a mail carrier in 1932, will give the successful bidder control of 4,400 domestic and 1,800 international landing and parking slots at domestic airports, as well as 900 slots at airports overseas. Besides, the bidder would get 100% of the low-cost arm Air India Express and 50% of AISATS, which provides cargo and ground-handling services at major Indian airports.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Johnson demotes Foreign Minister in Cabinet rejig

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday appointed a new­look Cabinet to revamp his Brexiteer go­ vernment after controversies over COVID­19, Afghan­ istan and taxes, demoting his under­fire Foreign Secretary. Dominic Raab was moved to the lesser role of Justice Secretary but will retain the title of Deputy Prime Minister, Downing Street confirmed. The former lawyer, who deputised for Mr. Johnson when he was in intensive care with COVID­19 in April last year, has faced sustained criticism for his handling of the Afghan crisis. He was replaced by Inter­ national Trade Secretary Liz Truss, who has brokered a series of deals since Britain’s full exit from the European Union in January. She became only the second women foreign secre­ tary in British history. Among the other leading offices of state, Finance Minister Rishi Sunak — who has overseen big­spending economic support during the pandemic — and hard­ line Interior Minister Priti Patel both retained their roles. Gaffe­prone Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, meanwhile, was sacked, tweeting that it had been a privilege to serve in his role since 2019 when Mr. Johnson on took office on a vow to get Brexit done.

 

India, U.K. to begin FTA talks from November 1

Formal negotiations for a proposed India-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (FTA) would begin on November 1, with an interim ‘early harvest’ agreement to be completed by March 2022, the government said today. The interim trade pact would involve early tariff or market access concessions on certain key ‘high priority products and services’, the Commerce and Industry Ministry said in a statement following Minister Piyush Goyal’s meeting with his British counterpart, International Trade Secretary Elizabeth Truss on monday. The U.K. government, in a separate statement, noted that the two Ministers agreed on the steps to get ready to launch negotiations ‘later this year’, including a series of trade working groups from September to help both sides better understand each other’s position on potential chapter areas in any trade deal including tariffs, standards, IP and data regulation. The International Trade Secretary reaffirmed her ambition to negotiate a trade agreement that delivers results for the British people and businesses including those in digital and data, tech and food and drink, the U.K. statement highlighted, indicating its priority areas. The proposed FTA would unlock the ‘extraordinary’ business opportunities and generate jobs, Goyal stressed. He emphasised the need to strike a balance between commitments and concessions in goods and services. Discussions to finalise the terms of reference for the FTA negotiations would begin on October 1, he observed.