Tag: railway

NATIONAL NEWS 

Supreme Court declines interim relief in plea to extend validity of expired FCRA licences of NGOs 

The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to pass an interim order directing the government to extend the validity of licences of NGOs under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) which expired on September 30 last year, instead opting to pronounce its judgment first in a pending case challenging the very constitutionality of the amendments to the law on the flow of foreign funds into India.  A Bench led by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar was hearing a plea made by a U.S.–based organisation, Global Peace Initiative, represented by senior advocate Sanjay Hegde, which challenged the expiry of the FCRA licences of nearly 6,000 NGOs. The organisation urged the court to let these NGOs continue with their licences until further orders.  Countering the plea, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the government had extended the licences of 11,594 NGOs which applied within time. Mehta further questioned the locus standi of the petitioner, asking how an organisation based in Houston was concerned with the FCRA licences in India.  The court refused to intervene in the issue though it allowed the petitioner to approach the authorities with a representation which would be considered on its merits. The court said the petition would be taken up after it had pronounced its judgment in the pending Noel Harper versus Union of India case on the validity of the amendments made to the FCRA in 2020.  The apex court had reserved its verdict on the question of validity of the amendments on November 9, last year. The government, through the Ministry of Home Affairs, had maintained that the NGOs had no fundamental right to receive unbridled foreign contributions.  

Supreme Court notice on parties’ promises of ‘irrational freebies’ before elections

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought responses from the Union government and the Election Commission of India (ECI) on the continued ‘tamasha’ of political parties promising or distributing ‘irrational freebies’ using public funds.  A Bench of Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana, Justices A.S. Bopanna and Hima Kohli issued notice to the Centre and the top poll body on a petition filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, represented by senior advocate Vikas Singh, to issue stringent guidelines to deregister the errant political parties and seize their election symbols.  The ‘tamasha’ has been going on for decades. Promises always remain as promises. Most of them, except freebies, are not implemented, the petition said and contended that the offer of these freebies amounted to bribery and undue influence.  The court, however, drew a skeptical note about how Upadhyay, in his petition, named only a few, select political parties and States. Upadhyay said he did not mean to target only a few parties and offered to make all political parties respondents in the petition.  The court said it would start, for the time being, by issuing notice to the Centre and the ECI, which have been named respondents now. The court listed the case after four weeks.  In the hearing, Singh submitted that parties, even in debt-ridden States, were promising/distributing these freebies to garner votes and to create an uneven playing field before the elections. Singh said the election commission’s guidelines on the freebies, issued after a Supreme Court judgment in the Subramaniam Balaji case, reported in 2013, were toothless.  Promise/distribution of irrational freebies from public fund before election unduly influences the voters, shakes the roots of free-fair election, disturbs level playing field, vitiates the purity of election process and also violates Articles 14, 162, 266(3) and 282, the plea said.   

U.P. Assembly polls: Polarisation suits both BJP and SP to consolidate vote bases, says Priyanka Gandhi 

Alleging that polarisation suits both the BJP and the SP to consolidate their vote bases in Uttar Pradesh, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday said the ruling party may end up being the largest beneficiary of this divisive rhetoric and therefore people need to be given a choice of another kind of politics that doesn’t divide society on religious or caste lines.  Citing that farm laws and the Lakhimpur Kheri incident caused immense pain to farmers, she also said the government’s indifference’’ and hostile approach towards the farmers will play an important part in determining the outcome of the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh’s western belt. In an exclusive interview to PTI, Priyanka Gandhi said her party will take a call on whether to forge a post-poll alliance once the election results are out and if and when such a situation should arise. With her party going to the polls with a focus on women and announcing that it will give 40% of tickets to them, she said women are 50% of the population and if they consolidate into a political and electoral force by recognising their own value and strength in political terms, they can change the politics of our nation.  The saffron party, in turn, has accused the Akhilesh Yadav-led party SP of invoking Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Pakistan to vitiate the discourse.  Priyanka Gandhi said people are suffering and they have to be made to connect this suffering to the lack of governance. Event management is not the same as effective governance. People have to be made to understand that, and demand good governance. Despite the crores it spends on advertising itself as one of the leading state governments in India, the truth is that the BJP government in UP does not know how to govern, she alleged.   

In West Bengal, parents demand reopening of schools, colleges

A campaign is on in West Bengal in favour of reopening of educational institutions, with many angry parents demanding to know why it is always the students who are made to sit home whenever pandemic–related restrictions are imposed.  Schools and colleges, which had reopened late last year, were to resume classes on January 2 after winter vacations but were shut again after the Omicron-driven third wave caused an explosion in the number of COVID-19 cases. As of now, they are to remain shut till January 31 but there is no official word yet on whether they will reopen after that date.  The campaign is reflecting online, with demands for re–opening of institutions being made under the hashtag #openschoolcollegeuniversities. There was a time when the closure was a necessity. But now that we are trying to normalise ourselves, why are students being made to stay home? asked Sunetra Mitra, a professor of history at the Ramakrishna Sarada Mission Vivekananda Vidyabhavan in Kolkata.  You see the young people go everywhere — on vacations, to malls, to restaurants, to pandals — to seem to be going everywhere except to their schools or colleges.  Also, it is not possible for a vast majority of students to afford online classes. How many of them actually have access to a smartphone or laptop? Such students are eventually dropping out. Bandyopadhyay, who recently wrote in the letters-to-the-editor column of a leading Bengali daily calling for resumption of offline classes, said closure of educational institutions was necessary two years ago because no one was prepared for a pandemic but now schools and colleges must reopen with COVID protocols in place.  Closure is not a solution. The biggest disadvantage of online teaching is I cannot see the faces of my students. I have no idea how receptive they are. The online mode also compromises on the assessment during exams — meritorious students are at a great disadvantage, Bandyopadhyay said. 

Pfizer starts Omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine trial Pfizer and its partner 

BioNTech have begun enrolment for a clinical trial to test the safety and immune response of their Omicron-specific COVID-19 vaccine in adults aged up to 55, the companies said in a statement on January 25.  Pfizer’s CEO Albert Bourla has previously said that the pharmaceutical giant could be ready to file for regulatory approval of the shot by March. The company’s head of vaccine research Kathrin Jansen said in a statement that while current data showed that boosters against the original COVID-19 strain continued to protect against severe outcomes with Omicron, the company was acting out of caution.  We recognise the need to be prepared in the event this protection wanes over time and to potentially help address Omicron and new variants in the future, she said. Ugur Sahin, CEO of BioNTech, added that the protection of the original vaccine against mild and moderate COVID-19 appeared to wane rapidly against Omicron.  Combo photo shows logos Pfizer and BioNTech.   This study is part of our science-based approach to develop a variant-based vaccine.  The trial will involve 1,420 people aged 18-55. A spokesperson for Pfizer said that it did not include people older than 55 because the goal of the study was to examine the immune response of participants dosed, rather than estimate vaccine efficacy. The trial is taking place across the United States and South Africa, and the first participant was dosed in North Carolina.  The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was the first COVID-19 shot to be authorised in the West, in December 2020. Because it is based on messenger RNA technology, it is relatively easy to update to reflect the genetic code of new variants. Several countries have begun to emerge from their latest waves driven by Omicron, the most transmissible strain to date, even though global new cases are still rising. The coronavirus has killed some 5.6 million people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019.  

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NATO sends ships, fighter jets to eastern Europe as Russia continues troop build-up near Ukraine 

NATO said Monday that it’s putting extra forces on standby and sending more ships and fighter jets to eastern Europe as Russia continues its troop build-up near Ukraine. It said that it’s beefing up its deterrence presence in the Baltic Sea area. A number of members of the 30-country military organisation have offered troops and equipment.  Denmark is sending a frigate to the Baltic Sea and deploying F-16 war planes to Lithuania.  Spain is sending ships to join NATO’s standing maritime force and considering sending fighter jets to Bulgaria. France stands ready to send troops to Bulgaria, NATO said.  NATO will continue to take all necessary measures to protect and defend all Allies, including by reinforcing the eastern part of the Alliance. We will always respond to any deterioration of our security environment, including through strengthening our collective defence, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in a statement.  

Julian Assange granted appeal in UK to fight extradition to US WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange’s battle to avoid extradition to the US will go to Britain’s Supreme Court after he was granted the right on Monday to appeal a lower court ruling. The High Court in London allowed Assange to appeal its decision that he could be sent to the US to stand trial on espionage charges. The decision is the latest step in Assange’s long battle to avoid trial on a series of charges related to WikiLeaks’ publication of classified documents more than a decade ago. Just over a year ago, a district court judge in London rejected a US extradition request on the grounds that Assange was likely to kill himself if held under harsh US prison conditions. US authorities later provided assurances that the WikiLeaks founder wouldn’t face the severe treatment his lawyers said would put his physical and mental health at risk.  The High Court last month overturned the lower court’s decision, saying that the US promises were enough to guarantee Assange would be treated humanely. The court on Monday gave Assange permission to appeal that ruling to the Supreme Court. 

Group opposes protection from caste discrimination in California Varsity’s faculty union. 

A group of faculties in the California State University (CSU) system has written to the Board of Trustees asking that caste not be added as a ‘protected category’ to the system’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA), on the grounds that it would apply to Indian-origin faculty alone and single them out for targeted scrutiny.  A protected category in the U.S., refers to a category that has specific protections against discrimination. The proposed changes to the agreement with the union follow from a change across the system’s 23 campuses announced on January 20, in which caste was specifically made part of the institutions’ anti-discrimination policy.  The faculty letter, a copy of which was released by the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), was, according to the writers, written by over 80 CSU faculty (the list of names was withheld, so the number has not been verified by The Hindu). The letter requests that the CBA only be approved after caste, as a category, is taken out. Meetings to ratify the agreement between the CSU and the union (the California Faculty Association or CFA), are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.  The reason why caste oppressed people are asking for the category to be made explicit, is that when institutions make it explicit, they’re extending the existing rights more clearly, for caste oppressed people, she told The Hindu on Monday over the phone. Because once it’s listed, institutions then will build competency around it.  The faculty letter alleges that Equality Labs is an anti-Hindu activist organization and that a member of the group was called in as a witness to the January 14 Union meeting. 

NATIONAL NEWS 

Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha to have staggered timing

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are likely to function with staggered timing during the budget session of the Parliament, which is scheduled to start from January 31, 2022 amid rising number of COVID Cases in the country. While the Rajya Sabha is likely to meet in the first half of the day, the Lok Sabha is likely to meet in the second half of the day. President Ram Nath Kovind will address the joint sitting of the two Houses on January 31st. The budget will be presented on February 1st.

National Voters Day 2022

The 12th National Voters Day was observed today to commemorate the foundation day of the Election Commission of India. The Election Commission was set up on January 25, 1950. The National Voters Day aims to encourage the new voters to enroll themselves in the electoral process.

Air India likely to be handed over to Tata on January 27

National carrier Air India is likely to be handed over to the Tata Group on January 27, 2022. The government has decided to complete the disinvestment process by then, as per sources. Talace Pvt Ltd, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tata Sons Pvt Ltd, had won the bid last year to acquire 100 per cent equity shareholding of government-owned Air India. 

Health Minister to hold meeting with health ministries of 9 states/ Uts

The Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will hold virtual meeting with health ministers of nine states and union territories today over the COVID-19 situation. These states and Uts include Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Ladakh and Chandigarh. 

President Kovind to address the nation on eve of 73rd Republic Day  

President Ram Nath Kovind will address the nation on Tuesday on the eve of the 73rd Republic Day, a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique issued on Monday night said. The address will be broadcast from 7 pm on the entire national network of All India Radio (AIR) and telecast over all channels of Doordarshan in Hindi followed by the English version, it said.  

Delhi HC to hear plea on PM’s security on April 30  

The Delhi High Court on Monday posted for hearing on a petition on issue of safety and security of the Prime Minister on April 30. At the outset of the hearing, a Bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Jyoti Singh said petitioner Ashish Kumar could seek representation with the Central government on the issue. The Bench noted that the top court was awaiting the report of the committee appointed by it.  

FCRA registration: SC to hear plea against Centre’s decision on Tuesday  

The Supreme Court Monday said it would hear on Tuesday a petition which has sought quashing of the Centre’s alleged decision by which 5,789 entities lost their Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration. The FCRA registration is mandatory for any association and NGO to receive foreign funding.  

More restrictions in Kerala as COVID-19 cases continue to rise. As Kerala continues to register a steep rise in COVID-19 cases, the State government on Monday said the educational institutions which have less than 40%attendance for consecutive three days will be closed for two weeks. The COVID-19 evaluation meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan virtually from the USA where he is undergoing treatment, decided to declare the educational institutions with less than 40% attendance as clusters.  

PM Modi to interact with BJP workers on Tuesday  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will interact with BJP workers from across the country via NaMo app on Tuesday. The interaction comes in the run-up to the assembly polls in five states, including Uttar Pradesh, with the Election Commission not allowing physical rallies by political parties due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Houses of Parliament to work in shifts  

During the upcoming Budget Session, Parliament will function in two shifts, with Rajya Sabha functioning from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Lok Sabha from 4 p.m. till 9 p.m. The two Houses are sitting in shifts to enable the members to be seated across both chambers of Parliament to ensure social distancing.  

Japan to widen virus measures and boost testing amid omicron  

Japan’s government plans to put the majority of the country under pre-emergency status and extend COVID-19 restrictions as omicron cases have surged and threatened to disrupt basic services like hospitals and schools. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday that he will tighten anti-virus measures in 18 more prefectures, including Hokkaido in the north to Osaka and Kyoto in western Japan, until Feb 20. This will be in addition to areas where similar restrictions are already in place or to be further extended — including Tokyo, Okinawa, Yamaguchi, and Hiroshima.  

Saina top attraction in Odisha Open beginning on Tuesday

London Olympics bronze medallist Saina Nehwal will be the star attraction in Odisha Open Super 100, the state’s first-ever international tournament under Badminton World Federation, which begins on Tuesday. Saina has been seeded first in the women’s singles while P Kashyap is the top seed in men’s singles of the tournament to be played at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium. More than 300 players from 17 countries are participating in this tournament. The event begins with the qualifying round on Tuesday and will continue till January 30.   Morning Filter will return tomorrow. Follow up on the day’s biggest stories and get concise analysis by The Hindu with the Evening Wrap newsletter.  Today’s Top Picks  Justice Ayesha Malik takes oath as first woman judge of Pakistan’s Supreme Court  What you need to know about the 2022 Goa polls | Talking Politics with Nistula Hebbar   ‘Emergency’ movie review: Carey Williams’ satire on racial politics is a knockout   Lucknow IPL team to be called Lucknow Super Giants  Copyright @ 2021, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. If you are facing any trouble in viewing this newsletter, please try hereIf you do not wish to receive such emails go here   

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Meta’s new AI supercomputer to be the world’s fastest by mid-2022

Meta, Facebook’s parent company, said recently that its new artificial intelligence supercomputer is expected to be the world’s fastest by the middle of this year. The company also stated that developing the next generation AI will require supercomputers capable of performing quintillions of operations per second.

 

US places 8,500 troops on ‘heightened alert’ over Russia-Ukraine standoff

The Pentagon informed on January 24, 2022 that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has placed up to 8,500 troops on heightened alert to prepare them for deployment if needed amid fears of Russia invading Ukraine. This comes after Russia has amassed almost 100,000 soldiers along its border with Ukraine.

 

NATIONAL NEWS

Vice President of India tests positive for COVID-19

Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu tested positive for COVID-19 on January 23, 2022. The Vice President is currently under self-isolation in Hyderabad. He had earlier paid floral tributes to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary yesterday in Hyderabad. The VP had also attended the first convocation ceremony of the Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE) in Visakhapatnam on January 22nd.

National Girl Child Day 2022 observed today

National Girl Child Day is celebrated in India every year on January 24th since 2008. The day aims to spread awareness among the public about inequities faced by girls in the Indian society. It also aims to promote awareness about girl child’s rights and the importance of female education, health, and nutrition.

India suffers 3-0 ODI series whitewash against South Africa

N suffered 3-0 whitewash in its ODI series against South Africa after a narrow loss in the third and final ODI against South Africa by four runs at the Newlands Cricket ground on January 23, 2022. India had won the toss and chosen to field first. Chasing 288 runs to win, India stumbled early after losing captain KL Rahul in the 5th over for 9 runs. India fell short of the target by 4 runs after being bowled out for 283.

Omicron wave to turn to villages after metros: Expert 

The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is likely to spread in small towns and villages after its transmission in metro cities, said Dr Rajeev Jayadevan who is advising the COVID-19 task force at IMA Kochi, Kerala. The medical expert said that each time, a wave first hit mobility areas that include metro cities and then smaller areas and villages. 

India withdraws from AFC Women’s Asia Cup 2022

 The Indian women’s football team has withdrawn from the ongoing AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2022. The decision came after several players tested positive for COVID-19. India is the host of the ongoing football tournament. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed that India has withdrawn and their remaining matches stand canceled.

Health Minister Mandaviya launches revamped central govt health schemes websites

The Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched the revamped Central Government Health scheme website and the mobile app. The Minister stated that the mobile app has several features which will benefit more than 40 lakh beneficiaries with the real-time information from the convenience of their homes. Among the various features of the upgraded website is also that it has been made bilingual with Hindi and English with a provision to make it multi-lingual in the future. The website also has a link to the beneficiary login to access various online facilities such as tracking of the grievances, medical claims, downloading of CGHS card, and the online appointment system.

12th National Voters’ Day to be observed on January 25

 The 12th National Voters’ Day will be observed on January 25. The theme is ‘Making Elections Inclusive, Accessible and Participative’. Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu will be the Chief Guest for the event. The National Awards for the Best Electoral Practices for 2021-22 will also be conferred on the State and District Level Officers for their outstanding performance in the conduct of elections. During the National Voters’ Day function, the newly enrolled voters will also be felicitated and will be handed over their Elector Photo Identity Card. National Voters’ Day in India has been celebrated since 2011 on January 25 to mark the foundation day of Election Commission of India.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Russia planning to install pro-Russian leader in Ukraine: UK

The UK foreign office informed on January 22, 2022 that it has information that the Russian government is planning to install a pro-Russian leader in Ukraine while it considers whether to invade and occupy the country. Former Ukrainian MP Yevhen Murayev is reportedly being considered as a potential candidate for the role. 

New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern cancels her wedding amid new Omicron restrictions

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden has cancelled her wedding as the nation imposes new restrictions to slow the community spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, she told reporters on Sunday. New Zealand will impose mask rules and limit gathering from midnight on Sunday after a cluster of nine COVID-19 Omicron cases showed community spread from the North to South islands after a wedding. New Zealand will move to a red setting under its COVID-19 protection framework, with more mask wearing. Indoor hospitality settings such as bars and restaurants and events like weddings will be capped at 100 people. The limit is lowered to 25 people if venues are not using vaccine passes, Ms. Arden said. The country has kept its borders shut to foreigners since March 2020. The government pushed back plans for a phased reopening from mid-January to the end of February out of concern about a potential Omicron outbreak in neighbouring Australia. About 94% of New Zealand’s population over the age of 12 is fully vaccinated and about 56% of those eligible have had booster shots.

Beijing to test 2 million ahead of Winter Olympics

China’s capital, Beijing, will test more than two million residents as it deals with a new cluster of COVID-19 cases just two weeks before it hosts the Winter Olympics, city officials said on Sunday. Beijing’s Fengtai district, the centre of the latest outbreak, reported nine new cases on Sunday — a small number in most places but a break from normalcy in a city where a strict zero-COVID strategy has been in place — with the total number over the weekend nearing two dozen. Xu Hejian, a spokesperson for the Beijing government, said all of Fengtai’s two million residents would be tested in coming days. Under China’s Zero-COVID approach, the country still maintains tight restrictions on international travel, and carries out mass testing and quarantining of all close contacts in centralised facilities until cases are brought to zero. The approach has helped China avoid a major second wave and maintain normalcy at home for much of the past year, although it has come at the cost of continued international isolation. Beijing is particularly on edge ahead of the Winter Olympics, which President Xi Jinping will open on February 4. Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Pakistan’s Imran Khan are among foreign leaders expected to attend.

 

NATIONAL NEWS 

PM Modi asks districts to set time-bound targets for Government programmes to increase ease of living 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked District Magistrates (DMs) to work on time-bound targets for 100% saturation of government services and facilities and urged every district to prepare a vision for next two years that aims to increase ease of living for people.  Mr. Modi, who virtually interacted with DMs and Chief Ministers of select States after reviewing the the implementation of various government schemes, said the teamwork of Centre, States and local administration has yielded good results in the Aspirational Districts.  Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with District Magistrates through video conference, in New Delhi on January 22, 2022. In his closing remarks, the Prime Minister dwelt upon the successes of the Aspirational Districts programme — aimed at quickly and effectively transforming 112 most under-developed districts across the country — and lauded the officials as well as the State governments.  While the Prime Minister sought direct feedback from the DMs about the key steps taken by them that has resulted in success in the districts and the challenges faced by them, the officials shared their experiences, the PMO said in a statement.     

Plea in Supreme Court seeks action against political parties that promise ‘irrational’ freebies from public funds 

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to seize the election symbol or de-register a political party that promises or distributes irrational freebies from public funds before elections.  It said there should be a total ban on such populist measures to gain undue political favours from the voters as they violate the Constitution and the ECI should take suitable deterrent measures.  The plea urged the court to declare that the promise of irrational freebies from public funds before elections unduly influences the voters, disturbs the level playing field and vitiates the purity of the poll process.  The petition has also sought a direction to the ECI to insert an additional condition in the relevant paragraphs of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order 1968, which deals with conditions for recognition as a State party, that a political party shall not promise/distribute irrational freebies from the public fund before the election.  The plea has referred to the promises being made by certain political parties in the ongoing Assembly poll process in some States.     

Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite hymn ‘Abide with me’ dropped from Beating Retreat tunes 

The traditional Christian hymn ‘Abide with me’, a favourite of Mahatma Gandhi, has been dropped from the list of tunes for this year’s Beating Retreat (BTR) ceremony. The tune had been played at the annual ceremony every year since 1950.  ‘Abide with me’ is played by the Massed Bands at the end of the ceremony, and this year there are three tunes without it instead of the four tunes played in 2021 including the hymn.  Members of the Indian military band rest before rehearsals for the Beating Retreat ceremony in New Delhi on January 21, 2022.   The three tunes to be played by Massed Bands this year are ‘Kadam kadam badhaye ja’, ‘Drummers call’ and ‘Ae mere watan ke logon’. In contrast, the four tunes in 2021 were ‘Bharat ke jawan’ (new composition in 2021), ‘Kadam kadam badhaye ja’, ‘Drummers call’ and ‘Abide with me’.  Beating Retreat is a centuries-old military tradition going back to the days when troops disengaged from battle at sunset. As soon as the buglers sounded the ‘retreat’, troops ceased fighting, sheathed their arms and withdrew from the battlefield.  

Why have States raised questions about Centre’s proposed changes on IAS deputation? 

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) sent a communication to all States on January 12 seeking their opinion on the proposal to amend Rule 6 (deputation of cadre officers) of the Indian Administrative Service (Cadre) Rules 1954. Similar letters were also sent proposing changes in cadre rules of the other two All India Services (AIS): the Indian Police Service and the Indian Forest Service (IFoS). Through the amendments, the Union government plans to acquire powers to depute IAS/IPS and IfoS officers to the Central Government and Ministries without necessarily taking the State government’s nod.   The Centre proposes four amendments including two new insertions, including one that says if the State government delays posting a State cadre officer to the Centre and does not give effect to the Central government’s decision within the specified time, the officer shall stand relieved from cadre from the date as may be specified by the Central government.  The DoPT says in spite of existing provisions, States are not sponsoring adequate numbers of officers for Central deputation and the available officers are not sufficient to meet requirements, and has sent multiple letters in this regard to the States. However, half-a-dozen States opposed the move and the rest did not respond.  The Centre then revised its proposal and States have been given time till January 25 to reply.  Read our explainer here.  

Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments  

A team of researchers, including an Indian-origin scientist at the prestigious University of British Columbia, has become the first in the world to conduct a molecular-level structural analysis of the Omicron spike protein, which could help accelerate the development of more effective treatments against the variant.  Spike protein helps the virus enter and infect cells.  Dr. Sriram Subramaniam, professor in UBC faculty of medicine’s department of biochemistry and molecular biology, said that Omicron has greater binding affinity than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus, with levels more comparable to what seen with the Delta variant.  The findings, published in Science journal, sheds new light on why Omicron is highly transmissible and will help accelerate the development of more effective treatments, according to a statement issued by the Vancouver-based university.  The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 3,89,06,225 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 4,88,923.  

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

Louie Anderson, an Emmy winning comedian, dies at 68

The Emmy-winning comedian, actor, and game show host Louie Anderson passed away at the age of 68 after battling cancer. He was undergoing treatment after he was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Anderson was one of America’s most beloved comedians.

Family of four, believed to be Indians, frozen to death along U.S.-Canada border

In a heartbreaking tragedy, a family of four, including a baby, all believed to be Indians, has died from exposure to cold weather on the Canadian side of the border with the U.S. in an apparent human smuggling operation, according to media reports. Manitoba Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on Thursday said that the bodies of four people — two adults, a teen and an infant — were found on the Canadian side of the U.S./Canada border near Emerson on Wednesday. U.S. officials say the dead are believed to be a family from India. They are thought to have been attempting to cross into the U.S., according to media reports. RCMP Assistant Commissioner Jane MacLatchy shared the discovery with reporters in a news conference on Thursday. What I am about to share is going to be difficult for many people to hear, she said, calling it an absolute and heartbreaking tragedy. At this very early stage of the investigation, it appears that they all died due to exposure to the cold weather, MacLatchy said, adding RCMP believe the four people are connected to the group that was apprehended on the U.S. side of the border. She said all four were located within 9-12 metres of the border. MacLatchy said that the group was on their own in the middle of a blizzard and faced not only the cold weather but endless fields, large snowdrifts and complete darkness.

NATIONAL NEWS

Election Commission of India to take call on holding physical poll rallies today

The Election Commission of India will hold a meeting with the Health Secretaries and the Chief Health Secretaries of the five-poll bound states on January 22, 2022. The officials will review a ban on holding physical roadshows and rallied by the political parties before assembly elections.

Ladakh gets its first open synthetic track

Ladakh has got its open synthetic track and the football turf in Leh under Khelo India Programme. According to a coach, before this, the athletes had to run on the roads but now they can witness improvement because they can now measure distance and speed easily.

Government releases guidelines for management of COVID-19 in children

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has issued guidelines for the management of COVID-19 in children. The Government has recommended not to use antivirals or monoclonal antibodies for children less than 18 years of age irrespective of the severity of infection.

Supreme Court to steer ex gratia payment to kin of COVID-19 deceased 

The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to take the reins and marshal the efforts to pay compensation to families that lost their relatives to COVID-19, after noticing some States responded to the humanitarian move in a lukewarm fashion.  A Bench of Justices M.R. Shah and Sanjiv Khanna told the States that many of these families were economically challenged. They may have been further crippled by the fact that COVID-19 took away their sole breadwinner.  The court said payment of ₹ 50,000 each as ex gratia to the loved ones of every COVID-19 patient was a welfare gesture and essential to a welfare state. File   The court said payment of ₹50,000 each as ex gratia to the loved ones of every COVID-19 patient was a welfare gesture, and so, essential to a welfare State. Delays and bureaucratic red-tape to release the money or process the application did not augur well. Moreover, applications for compensation ought not to be rejected merely on technical glitches. Every reason for denying a claim should be recorded, it noted.  The court ordered the States to reach out especially to children orphaned by the pandemic and whose details have been uploaded in the Bal Swaraj portal of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR).  The Commission, through its web portal, is identifying and collecting information from across the country about children orphaned, abandoned or left with one parent.  

No foreign dignitary as Republic Day chief guest this year too Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host a meeting with five Central Asian leaders virtually next week, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Wednesday, formally indicating that they will not travel to Delhi, as planned, as chief guests at the Republic Day celebrations.  An official also confirmed that there will be no foreign dignitary as chief guest during the events around January 26.  The MEA had not officially confirmed their presence, but sources said the Presidents of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan had in December accepted an invitation to jointly attend the parade and Republic Day reception. They were due to also participate in the first India-Central Asia summit meeting during their visit to Delhi.  Sources said proposals to this effect had been sent out to Presidents Kassym-Jomart Tokayev (Kazakhstan), Sadyr Japarov (Kyrgyzstan), Emomali Rahmon (Tajikistan), Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov (Turkmenistan) and Shavkat Mirziyoyev (Uzbekistan), suggesting changing the summit to the virtual format. This is the second year in a row the government has had to cancel invitations to chief guests due to the COVID-19 pandemic after U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson was unable to attend the celebrations in 2021.  Foreign leaders have graced the Republic Day parades every year barring 1952, 1953 and 1966. The then Indonesian President Sukarno was the first chief guest to grace Republic Day in 1950. In 2020, Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro was the chief guest.  

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

WEF announces annual meeting to be held in person in May 2022

The World Economic Forum has announced its annual meeting to be held in person for the first time during the pandemic. The meeting will be from May 22 to May 26, 2022, at Davos in Switzerland. The annual gathering of the forum has not been held since January 2020 due to the pandemic.

World faces shortage of lithium for electric vehicle batteries

Lithium is in hot demand due to rapidly growing production of electric vehicles that use lithium-ion batteries, but there is a global supply shortage of the metal, with western countries racing to bring on new mines to compete with China. The Serbian government on Thursday cancelled licenses for a major lithium project owned by Anglo-Australian miner Rio Tinto Plc, which industry experts said is likely to prolong the supply shortage to mid-decade. Lithium is currently produced from hard rock or brine mines. Australia is the world’s biggest supplier, with production from hard rock mines. Argentina, Chile and China are mainly producing it from salt lakes. Total global production, measured as lithium carbonate equivalent, was forecast in December at 485,000 tonnes in 2021, growing to 615,000 tonnes in 2022 and 821,000 tonnes in 2023, according to Australia’s Department of Industry.

 

NATIONAL NEWS

Amar Jawan Jyoti flame to be merged with National War Memorial flame 

Amar Jawan Jyoti flame, which has been burning since 50 years, will be extinguished and merged with the National War Memorial flame today. The National War Memorial has names of all Indian defence personnel who have lost their lives in different operations since 1947 etched on its walls. 

PM Modi most popular world leader, tops global rating

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has topped the list of most popular world leaders with an approval rating of 71 per cent. The list includes 13 world leaders. While US president Joe Biden is ranked at the 6th place with 43 per cent, Canadian President Justin Trudeau is at the 7th place with 43 per cent rating and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the 8th place with 41 per cent approval rating. 

Delhi CM sends recommendation to end weekend curfew

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has sent a recommendation to the Delhi Governor to end weekedn curfew. He has also asked the LG to remove the odd-even rule during week days so that the markets and private can be allowed to operate on 50 percent capacity.

ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year 2021

Three Indians have been named in the ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year 2021 including Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Ravichandran Ashwin. Kane Williamson has been named as the captain of the ICC Test Team of 2021. Williamson had led New Zealand to a win in the first-ever World Test Championship final against India. The ICC Men’s ODI Team of the Year 2021 does not include any Indian player. 

India to face Pakistan on October 23 in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022

India will yet again face Pakistan in its first match of the T20 World Cup 2022. The schedule for T20 World Cup 2022 was announced on January 21, 2022. India will begin its campaign on October 23, 2022 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). India had opened its campaign in the T20 World Cup 2021 as well against Pakistan. 

INTERNATIONAL NEWS 

White House warns Russia on invading Ukraine after Biden seems to suggest small incursions will be tolerated 

The White House clarified that U.S. President Joe Biden’s opposition to Russian aggression on Ukraine after Biden appeared to suggest during a press conference that a small incursion by Russia would be tolerated. In a statement released after the press conference, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that any incursion would be met with a severe response from the U.S. and its allies. President Biden has been clear with the Russian President: If any Russian military forces move across the Ukrainian border, that’s a renewed invasion, and it will be met with a swift, severe, and united response from the United States and our Allies, Psaki said. She added that paramilitary and cyber attacks by Russia would also be met with reciprocal action.

Tensions between the West and Moscow have soared as Russia has massed an estimated 100,000 troops along Ukraine’s borders.

Earlier on January 19, Biden had told reporters during a press conference to mark his first anniversary in office that the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), a military alliance of the West, was united in its opposition to the idea of Russia invading Ukraine, but qualified it to say the response would depend on the size of the incursion. It’s one thing if it’s a minor incursion, and then we [ NATO allies] end up having a fight about what to do and not do etc., Biden said. But if they actually do what they’re capable of doing … it is going to be a disaster for Russia, if they further invade Ukraine and that our allies and partners are ready to impose severe cost and significant harm on Russia and the Russian economy, he had said.