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Australia to join Malabar French authorities shut naval exercise with India, US down Paris mosque to and Japan curb extremism N L ew Delhi, October 19 (IANS): In a message to China on getting a wider footprint in the Indo-Pacific region, India invited Australia to take part in an annual naval drill -- Malabar Exercise -in the Indian Ocean region along with the US and Japan to which Australia has agreed.
ondon, October 20 (IANS): A well-known mosque in a northern suburb of Paris has been shut down by French authorities as part of their clampdown on Islamist groups and suspected extremists after a history teacher was beheaded outside his school.
The Indo-Pacific region is seen from the west coast of India to the US. It is for the first time that all the ‘Quad’ countries - an informal security forum comprising India, the US, Japan and Australia -
will be part of Malabar exercise scheduled for November.
October 21 for six months. Continued on P 3
Continued on P 3
who strayed across LAC ew Delhi, October 21 (IANS): India in a goodwill gesture ensured the release of a Chinese soldier who had strayed inside Indian territory across the disputed zone of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
French President Emmanuel Macaron
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk claims victory in Queensland state election
India frees Chinese soldier P
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The French police are investigating networks suspected of promoting extreme religious beliefs, spreading hate and encouraging violence. The interior minister, GĂŠrald Darmanin, said the mosque in Pantin would be closed on
Indian agencies that he had crossed the disputed border to retrieve a yak that had strayed into India.
remier Annastacia Palaszczuk has claimed victory in the Queensland state election, becoming the first female party leader to win three elections in Queensland.
While declaring victory, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk thanked the Queenslanders, saying ‘Queensland was the best place on earth’.
in South Brisbane, pushed on by LNP preferences flowing to the minor party.
She said her team would ‘roll up our sleeves and get back to work as quickly as possible’ to help the economy recover from COVID.
Meanwhile, an upbeat Ms Deb Student Visas I Skilled Visas I Tourist Visas Frecklington was giving her concession speech at the same Temporary Graduate Visas I Business Migration time as Ms Palaszczuk’s victory speech. This victory has given Ms I Sponsored Family stream Visas I Partner Visa Specialist Visas Palaszczuk the first fixed fourThe astray Chinese soldier was She said Queenslanders had year parliamentary for detained in the Demchok sectorReady I Skill Assessments Job I AATterm representation made their decision, that it was in the disputed border in Eastern Ladakh. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) corporal had told
Queensland.
But Ms Palaszczuk’s former deputy premier Jackie Trad has been defeated by a Greens surge
respected by the LNP and she would continue as leader of the party.
“I’m so proud of the campaign
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COVER STORIES
Australia to join Malabar French authorities shut down naval exercise with India, Paris mosque to curb extremism US and Japan T
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onfirming the Australian Navy’s participation in the Malabar series, the Indian Defence Ministry in a statement on October 19 said, “India seeks to increase cooperation with other countries in the maritime security domain and in the light of increased defence cooperation with Australia, Malabar 2020 will see the participation of the Australian Navy.” The Malabar series of naval exercises started in 1992 as a bilateral India-US naval exercise. Japan joined it in 2015. This annual exercise has been conducted off the coast of Guam in the Philippines Sea in 2018, off the coast of Japan in 2019 and is expected to be held in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea later this year. This year, the exercise has been planned in a ‘non-contact-at sea’ format. The exercise will strengthen the coordination between the navies of the participating countries. The participants in the exercise are engaging to enhance safety and security in the maritime domain. “They collectively support free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific and remain committed to a rules based international order,” the
ministry said.
Earlier this year, the Indian Navy had conducted exercises with Russia and the ‘Quad’ countries. The Indian Navy had carried out a three-day bilateral maritime exercise with Japan in the north Arabian Sea from September 26, 2020 to September 28. It was the fourth edition of the India-Japan Maritime bilateral exercise JIMEX, which is conducted biennially. The Australian Navy and the Indian Navy carried out a passage exercise in the East Indian Ocean Region on September 23 and 24. The exercise involved the participation of HMAS Hobart from the Australian side and Indian naval ships Sahyadri and Karmuk. In addition, an Indian maritime patrol aircraft and helicopters from both sides carried out coordinated exercises. A bilateral maritime exercise took place between the Indian and Russian navies in the Bay of Bengal on September 4 and 5. The exercise is known as ‘Indra Navy’ and was the 11th edition. Indian Navy units undertook Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with units of the US Nimitz Carrier Strike Group as they transited through the Indian Ocean region on July 20.
Javadekar: Those who called Pulwama a ‘conspiracy’ must apologise
he mosque, which has about 1,500 worshippers, had posted a Facebook video about Samuel Paty days before the 47-year-old history and geography teacher was decapitated on October 16, The Guardian reported. The video violently criticised Paty’s decision to show his class -- after giving Muslim students the chance to leave if they felt uncomfortable -- two caricatures of the prophet Muhammad alongside other cartoons as part of a class discussion on free speech. Paty was stabbed and beheaded outside his secondary school in Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, about 20 miles north-west of Paris, by an 18-year-old of Chechen origin named Abdullah Anzorov who was shot dead by the police soon
afterwards.
Before his murder, a fierce online campaign against Paty and the school was started by the father of a pupil who had not attended the lesson. The father had posted a number of videos calling for Paty’s dismissal, one of which the mosque shared. Both the father and Abdelhakim Sefrioui, a well-known Islamist radical who also posted videos online and campaigned for Paty’s removal, were among the 16 people arrested in connection with the killing, including four members of Anzorov’s family. Jean-Michel Blanquer, French education minister, said on October 20 that Paty would be posthumously awarded France’s highest award, the Légion d’Honneur, and a national
ceremony would be held in his honour at the Sorbonne University in Paris on October 21. French President Emmanuel Macron is under pressure to come up with an effective response to the latest in a series of Islamist terror attacks that have rocked France since the 2015 Charlie Hebdo massacre, in which two brothers, Saïd and Chérif Kouachi, forced their way into the magazine’s office and killed 12 people for publishing cartoons of the prophet Muhammad.
More than 240 people have died from Islamist violence since 2015, prompting opposition politicians -- particularly on the right -- to accuse the government of waging a battle of words rather than taking decisive action.
India frees Chinese soldier who strayed across LAC
H
e was handed over at Chushul Moldo meeting point on the night of October 20.
clothes to protect him from the vagaries of extreme altitude and harsh climatic conditions.
Earlier, the Indian Army in a statement said: “A PLA soldier identified as Corporal Wang Ya Long was apprehended in the Demchok sector of Eastern Ladakh on October 19, 2020 after he had strayed across the LAC.”
“A request has also been received from the PLA about the whereabouts of the missing soldier,” Indian Army said.
India said that the PLA soldier had been provided medical assistance, including oxygen, food and warm
It said that as per established protocols, he would be returned back to Chinese officials at the Chushul - Moldo meeting point after completion of formalities.
thousands of soldiers, tanks and missiles in the worst-ever border crisis in four decades. Multiple rounds of talks between senior military commanders and diplomats and ministers have failed to resolve the crisis. Winters are harsh in the Himalayas and soldiers face the prospect of braving sub-zero temperatures even up to minus 30 degrees Celsius.
India and China have amassed
Police remove posters of Macron pasted on Mumbai road M
umbai, Oct 30 (IANS): Minutes after posters of French President Emmanuel Macron were found pasted on the Mohammed Ali Road, Mumbai Police stepped in and removed them, officials said here on Friday.
Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat briefs the media on Cabinet decisions, in New Delhi on Oct 29, 2020
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ew Delhi, Oct 30 (IANS): A day after Pakistan’s acceptance that it was behind the Pulwama attack in India last year, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar has targeted opposition leaders who spread conspiracy theories about it, asking them to apologise to the country. “Pakistan has admitted that it was behind the Pulwama attack,” the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister said on Friday. “Now, the Congress and the rest of those who talked about a conspiracy should apologise to the country.”
After the confession, Pakistan has once again been exposed. India had already proved Pakistan’s role in the Pulwama attack on the basis of hard facts. But Pakistan’s prime minister Imran Khan was not ready to accept its complicity. Now his own minister has exposed Khan’s lies. Forty CRPF Jawans were martyred in an attack in Pulwama on February 14, 2019.
The posters, put up by some unknown persons, were noticed on Friday afternoon after videos made by passersby showing people walking and vehicles driving over them went viral on social media. While a team from the Pydhonie police station swooped in and removed the posters, no case has been lodged in the incident even as the police were busy with the Eid Milad-un-Nabi procession on Friday afternoon. French President Macron has been under criticism from Muslims worldwide following
his remarks in the wake of the recent row in his country over the Prophet’s caricature and other incidents in his country. Macron has been under fire for defending the publication of caricatures depicting Prophet Muhammad on free speech grounds, sparking angry protests across the Muslim world and
campaigns to boycott French products. Meanwhile, BJP legislator Atul Bhatkalkar has demanded stringent action by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray against those responsible for sticking posters of the French President, who has stood by India solidly vis-a-vis China in recent times.
Javadekar’s response came after the statement of Pakistan Minister Fahad Chaudhry in Pakistan’s parliament on Thursday saying that the attack in Pulwama was a big success for Pakistan under the leadership of Imran Khan.
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Nov 1-15, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 9
NEWS FROM INDIA
Pakistan prompts terror groups People in J&K aspire to a decent, quality life: to revive terrorism in Kashmir Lt Gen Raju
Hafiz Saeed (left) and Syed Salahuddin
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ew Delhi, October 19 (IANS): As India enhanced its infiltration grid at Line of Control, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) held a meeting with Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed and Hizbul Mujahideen head Syed Salahuddin to push militants into Kashmir to carry out unrest in the valley, a top government source said. Salahuddin and Saeed are Specially Designated ‘Global Terrorist’ by the US Department of State. To execute this, the ISI held a high-level meeting with heads of terror organisations at Kotli on October 4, 2020 and at Nikial on October 7, 2020, the source said. The meeting was attended by Syed Salahuddin and Hafiz Saeed, all launch pad commanders and guides of various tanzeems.
The source said that each tanzeem has been allotted Rs 20 lakhs and an additional Rs 30 lakhs have been promised, if successful operations are conducted by them. Around 270 to 300 terrorists are camping in various launch pads across the Line of Control in Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir. Sources further pointed out that they are making infiltration attempts before winter sets in the valley. It was also found that infiltration along the Line of Control with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir has stopped substantially. The Line of Control is a de facto border between India and Pakistan in the region of Kashmir. Last year, there were 130 infiltrations that took place, and this year 27 have been reported so far.
Covid-19: Indian PM urges caution during festive season
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ew Delhi, October 20 (IANS): Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on October 20 that the lockdown may have ended, but the virus is still out there and urged people not to be complacent and drop their guard in the fight against Covid-19. During his address to the nation on the evening of October 20, the Prime Minister emphasised that the government is working on a blueprint to develop a Covid-19 vaccine, and when it is ready, it will be available to each and every citizen. Modi said he recently saw many pictures and videos which showed that people are not taking enough precautions to contain the spread of the virus. “This is not right. We must keep in mind that the lockdown may have ended but the virus is still there. We cannot be careless or believe that Covid-19 has ended. If you are careless and are moving around without a mask, you are putting yourself, the children and the elderly in your family at risk,” Modi said. The Prime Minister also lauded the healthcare workers’ efforts in fighting the pandemic and claimed that India is on a better footing in the fight against Covid-19 as compared to many western countries.
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rinagar, October 18 (IANS): The people in Jammu and Kashmir seek a decent and a quality life like anyone else in the world and do not want violence, says the Indian Army’s commander in Kashmir Lt General B.S. Raju.
of this small component,” he contended.
“What people here want is just a quality and decent life like anyone else in the world wants. This is the common man’s aspiration in the Valley,” Lt Gen Raju, who commands the Srinagarheadquartered 15 Corps, told IANS.
Then, there was a lockdown by local All Parties Hurriyat Conference and other separatist organisations. “Some amount of defiance was there,” he said, but noted that by December, things opened up and winter tourism was in full swing.
However, there is a small component of Over Ground Workers which is aligned to the cause which is inimical to the armed forces, he said. “One or two per cent of such people drive the agenda. The silent masses suffer because
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ew York, October 21 (IANS): Hip-hop loving Indian American US district judge Amit P. Mehta has been picked to preside over the Justice Department’s landmark lawsuit against Google, which is the US government’s most aggressive antitrust case in the tech sector in more than two decades. Recently, Mehta had ruled that US President Donald Trump couldn’t block a subpoena from a House committee seeking financial records from his accounting firm. That case continues to be litigated after being referred to the Supreme Court. The decision enraged Trump, who slammed it as a “crazy” decision by an “Obama appointed judge”.
said, “Most of us are stepping out of our homes every day to fulfil our responsibilities. The festive season is also round the corner.”
Modi said the recovery rate in the country is good and the fatality rate is low when compared to the US and some countries in Europe. Modi emphasised that India is doing better than many developed countries in the fight against coronavirus. He said the fatality rate in India is 83 out of every 10 lakh people, whereas it is more than 600 in countries like the US, Brazil, Spain and Britain. He reiterated that till a vaccine is developed, people should not drop their guard and indulge in reckless behaviour. Urging people to be careful during the festive season, Modi
“Gulmarg alone was getting 500 to 700 tourists, including foreigners. By February, children were going to school and colleges. It was encouraging to see the level of activity there. However, the Covid-19 lockdown started.
Indian Army_s commander in Kashmir Lt General B.S. Raju “The trajectory gives hope that we are on the right track and things will normalise,” he said. The Srinagar Corps Commander also said that Indian Army is taking up various outreach programmes in the valley so that barrier between the army and local people is broken.
Indian American judge to preside over Google antitrust case
Among his more famous cases,
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Lt Gen Raju said that after abrogation of Article 370 on August 5 last year, a lockdown was imposed to ensure that there was no civilian casualty.
On the development of a vaccine, Modi said that scientists of the country are working on a war footing to develop a vaccine and a few candidates are in advanced stages of trials. The Prime Minister added that initially in the US and many countries in Europe, Covid-19 cases dropped very sharply, but they began to rise again at an alarming speed. Modi also invoked sages like Sant Kabir and the holy scripture of Ramcharitmanas to make his point that people should not develop a casual approach towards the disease. He also urged journalists and people using social media to create awareness regarding Covid-19.
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Mehta was part of the defence team for former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn in a sexual assault case filed against him by hotel maid Nafissatou Diallo. In a 2015 judgement on a case related to copyright infringement, Mehta lit up his online fandom after bunging in an epic footnote saying that he’s no “lay person” when it comes to hip-hop music and lyrics. Born in India, Mehta has an undergraduate degree from Georgetown University in 1993 and later studied law at the University of Virginia. Mehta began his career in a San Francisco law firm before clerking in the Ninth Circuit court.
Indian American judge Amit Mehta Mehta went on to work at the Washington D.C.-based law firm Zuckerman Spaeder LLP where his practice focused on whitecollar criminal defence, complex business disputes, and appellate advocacy. He also worked as a public defender in Washington for five years. Mehta was appointed to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia on December 22, 2014, becoming the first Asia Pacific American appointment there.
Modi congratulates New Zealand PM on poll victory
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ew Delhi, October 18 (IANS): Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern on her resounding victory for a second term in office. “My heartiest congratulations to the PM of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, on her resounding victory. Recall our last meet a year ago and look forward to working together for taking India-New Zealand relationship to a higher level,” Modi said in a tweet. Ardern has served as the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand and leader of the Labour Party since 2017.
New Zealand voted to award Ardern a second term in office on October 17. Ardern’s liberal Labour Party won a historic mandate by securing 49 per cent of the vote in comparison to the 27 per cent bagged by its primary challenger, the conservative National Party. In fact, this is the first time since New Zealand implemented a proportional voting system 24 years ago that a single party (Labour) won an outright majority of seats in Parliament. Ardern was voted to the top job in 2017 when her Labour Party entered into an alliance with two other parties.
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NEWS FROM INDIA
One country, one system will ‘Pink Patrol’ for safety of women in Uttar Pradesh wreck federalism: Former L Indian Finance Minister the Constitution gives that right to every state,” he asked. “In fact, in a federal system there is space for as many models as there are states. One country one system will lead to mediocrity and wreck federalism.
Former Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram
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ew Delhi, October 21 (IANS): After the Punjab Assembly passed laws unanimously, formally rejecting the Centre’s agricultural laws, former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on October 21 advocated the existence of two models, including one accepted by states. In a series of tweets, he said the Narendra Modi-led Central government has adopted one model of agricultural produce marketing, and the Punjab government has adopted another model. “Why can’t there be two models of marketing farm produce in a large country like India? Article 254 of
“Let the people of each state decide which model they want. That is a decision that the people must make, not the Governor or the President,” he tweeted. The Bills passed by the Punjab Assembly provide for imprisonment of not less than three years and a fine for sale or purchase of wheat or paddy under a farming agreement below the MSP, exemption of farmers from attachment of land up to 2.5 acres and prevention of hoarding and black-marketing of agricultural produce, among other things. The three Bills, rejecting outright the Centre’s ‘anti-farmer’ laws, and the proposed Electricity Amendment Bill that led to widespread protests by farmers in the agrarian states of Punjab and Haryana, were passed with a voice vote amid the presence of the Shriomani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) members.
ucknow, October 18 (IANS): Amid rising reports of sexual and brutal offences against women every day, the Uttar Pradesh government has decided to further ramp up efforts to ensure their safety and security with the creation of a special women police unit that will be operational round the clock. The new women patrolling force called ‘Pink-Patrol’ is a part of the Mission Shakti campaign launched to mark the beginning of Navratri. Approximately 250 women police personnel have been deployed in the ‘Pink Patrol’ after going through a rigorous training.
The Yogi Adityanath government is looking forward to set up the ‘Pink Patrol’ Scheme in other districts of Uttar Pradesh namely Kanpur, Agra, Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Meerut, Noida, Ghaziabad and Moradabad. In the first phase of this program, around 100 Scooty and 10 SUV’s have been put into service in the State. The ‘Pink- Patrol’ is designed
to take immediate action on the cases of molestation and crime against women. Under the Safe City plan, the ‘Pink Patrol’ will operate in the places that have been identified by Lucknow police as hotspots. According to the government spokesman, “These will be initially stationed at places including girls’ colleges; places where women move around in large numbers. Areas where cases of molestation take place will also
be included.” Patrolling will also be done on the basis of complaints and suggestions from women. Lucknow Police officials said that ‘Pink Patrol’ can also be deployed at night as per the need. The force will be directly connected to the nearest police station with 1090, 112 and integrated control room so that additional police force can be dispatched immediately, if needed.
Supreme head of Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church passes away
Rahul Gandhi condemns T senior Congress leader’s ‘item’ remark
hiruvananthapuram, October 18 (IANS): Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan, the supreme head of the Thiruvalla headquartered Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church passed away early on October 18, said church officials. He was 89. The Metropolitan was battling cancer for a while and was admitted to a private hospital at Thiruvalla for a few days. Till recently he was conducting the weekly Sunday mass at the Thiruvalla church, located about 130 km from here. The last rites were held at the church headquarters on October 19 at 3 p.m.
Rahul Gandhi with Congress leader Kamal Nath (right)
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ew Delhi/Wayanad, October 20 (IANS): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on October 20 said that he “did not appreciate” the ‘item’ remark used by senior party leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath for the state’s Dalit woman minister Imarti Devi. “Kamal Nathji is from my party, but personally I don’t like the type of language that he used; I don’t appreciate it, regardless of who he is. It is unfortunate,” Rahul Gandhi told the media on the second day of his visit to his parliamentary constituency Wayanad in Kerala.
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While campaigning in Dabra (Reserve) Assembly segment in Gwalior district on October 18 ahead of the bypolls to the 28 seats of Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, Kamal Nath had used ‘item’ word for Imarti Devi, who is the BJP candidate from the seat. While the BJP turned aggressive and even held ‘silent protests’ on October 19 across Madhya Pradesh to protest against the Congress leader’s remark against the state Women and Child Development Minister, the Congress accused the BJP of trying to misinterpret the word.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death and tweeted, “His Grace the Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma Metropolitan was a remarkable personality who served humanity and worked hard to improve the lives of the poor and downtrodden. He was blessed with abundance of empathy and humility. His noble ideals will always be remembered,” tweeted Modi, who incidentally inaugurated the Navathi celebrations (commencement of age 90) online in June this year.
Major crisis prevented in Bihar as 2 IEDs defused
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urangabad, October 28 (IANS): As the first phase of polling got underway on October 28 in Bihar, two IEDs (cane bombs) were recovered from the Maoistinfested Aurangabad district’s Dhibra area, police said. Both were defused and a calamity averted. The IED placed under a culvert
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were recovered on time by the police, Dhibra police station incharge Pramod Kumar said. Kumar said prima facie it could be the Maoists who may have planned to execute a big incident. A probe is underway. Earlier on Tuesday, two IEDs placed by the Maoists were also
recovered in Imamganj area of Gaya district that were defused later by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Thereafter, an alert was sounded in all Maoist-affected areas. Voting is going on in 71 constituencies in Bihar on October 28.
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NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA
Prime Minister welcomes easing of Australia reopens border to visitors from New Zealand Covid-19 curbs in Victoria
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anberra, October 19 (IANS): Prime Minister Scott Morrison on October 19 welcomed the easing of strict Covid-19 restrictions in Victoria, the hardest-hit state by the pandemic in the country. On October 18, Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews had announced that the 5-km travel radius imposed on residents of Melbourne would be extended to 25 km from October 19 onwards, Xinhua news agency reported. He also said that the two-hour time limit for exercising would be scrapped and groups of 10 people would be allowed to gather outdoors. Responding to the announcement, Morrison, Minister for Health Greg Hunt and Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said they “welcome the continued and sustained reduction in Covid-19 cases in Victoria”.
“It has been a very challenging time for Victorians,” they said in a joint statement. “We understand the ability to now travel up to 25 km, spend more time outdoors, go to the hairdresser and greater freedom to undertake a range of outdoor activities will be important to the economic and social wellbeing of the community. “As we said at the time, it was regrettable such tough restrictions had to be implemented. It has been to the credit of Victorians that they have managed to adhere to these rules and we commend them for their commitment,” the statement added. They also renewed their call for restrictions keeping the retail and hospitality sectors closed to be lifted. “Victoria’s three-day rolling average is now below two cases
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison per day. Maintaining this result will make a strong case for the retail and hospitality sectors to reopen before the next review date in November. This should remain under active consideration,” the statement said. “Every day Victoria remains under restrictions to get the second wave in Victoria under control comes at a heavy cost.”
Prime Minister’s car vandalised by rights activists
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risbane, October 12 (IANS): Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s car was vandalised by a group of refugee rights activists during his visit to the University of Queensland here on October 12.
Morrison had been travelling in.
Amid Morrison’s visit, some 50 protesters gathered at the university’s Australian Institute of Bio-engineering and Nanotechnology, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) said in a news report.
After Morrison’s exit, the protesters, some who wore masks and held signs that read “free the refugees” and “indefinite detention is torture”, also left the site.
The protesters threw red paint on the glass doors and windows of both entrances to the building and also on the car which
According to the ABC News report, the Prime Minister was escorted out through a loading bay, shortly after the building went into lockdown.
Speaking to the ABC, Senior Sergeant Leonie Scott said the protesters “wilfully damaged the site of the building by throwing
paint, tomatoes and other fruit items”, adding that one woman was arrested. Meanwhile, Morrison said he was disappointed to see the protest taking place when he was visiting the campus to observe the development of a Covid-19 vaccine. The ABC report said the activists were protesting against the indefinite detention of 120 men inside the Kangaroo Point Central Hotel and Apartments accommodation facility who were moved there from offshore detention.
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anberra, October 16 (IANS): Since they were shut in March due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Australia on October 16 reopened its borders to international travellers from New Zealand, but in a limited capacity. From October 16 onwards, travellers from New Zealand can enter New South Wales (NSW) and the Northern Territory (NT) without having to spend 14 days in quarantine, reports Xinhua news agency. More than 350 passengers were scheduled to arrive in Sydney on three flights. It marks the first time that tourists from overseas have been allowed into Australia since Prime Minister Scott Morrison closed the country’s borders in March to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Glen Hingley, chief executive of Tourism Top End, said that families reuniting after months apart made up the majority of the first travellers but the scheme would provide a major boost for the tourism industry.
“There are half a million Kiwis living in Australia, and we know people reuniting is an important motivator for travel,” he told News Corp Australia on October 16. “We also know New Zealand tourists like to explore, and while they have traditionally favoured Australia’s east coast, the Territory offers unique and different experiences that could appeal to many of them.” While travel between the countries has been opened on a strictly one-way basis, Winston Peters, New Zealand’s Deputy Prime Minister offered hope that Australians could soon visit New Zealand. “I think in Australia’s case, we are only a few days away to be able to say certain states are on top of (the virus) so to speak,” he told Nine Network television. “Australia is going so well then you had that huge spike in Melbourne and that’s very, very sad. It’s better to be safe than sorry,” Peters added.
Australia to stop wage subsidy support in March 2021: Treasurer
Home Affairs official warns of critical C security threats
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anberra, October 14 (IANS): The Secretary of Department of Home Affairs Michael Pezzullo has called for a rethink of the national security strategy to account for extreme weather, climate change and pandemic. In a speech to the National Security College in Canberra on October 13, Pezzullo said that security can no longer be thought of as only defence from armed attacks, Xinhua news agency reported. Pezzullo provided a list of 25 security threats including nuclear conflict, cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure, climate change and natural disasters. “This is an apocalyptic list to be sure,” he said. “Complacency is certainly not warranted in the face of this register, but nor is an existentially
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anberra, October 12 (IANS): Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has confirmed that the government’s coronavirus wage subsidy will end in March 2021, leaving some businesses with no choice but to close.
pessimistic fatalism. An exaggerated sense of danger is positively harmful, as is the over application of threats. Overarming the state is as great a danger as under-powering it.” He said the “extended state” was required whereby all tiers of government, business and wider society would form an extended security partnership. “Today, one of the most vital security practices in the face of the threat of COVID-19 is hand washing and good hand hygiene, a measure which is as far removed from the appearance and character of a complex weapon system, and yet of more importance to the current security of the population than every weapon in our armed forces,” Pezzullo said. “However, a view of security
The JobKeeper Payment for workers who have lost hours as a result of Covid-19, was reduced from A$1,500 per fortnight to A$1,200 on September 28 and will be cut again to A$1,000 on January 4, 2021 until the end of March, reports Xinhua news agency. Secretary of Home Affairs Michael Pezzullo which is concerned exclusively with the administration of violence does not assist us to prepare for other dilemmas which might impinge on civil peace, such as a global pandemic, or a potentially catastrophic geomagnetic storm which could well occur on a scale which would render most electrified technologies inoperable.”
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Frydenberg said on October 11 that the scheme will end in March 2021 regardless of the status of the pandemic in Australia. The Treasurer said he was hopeful that measures included in the federal budget for financial year 2020/21 would continue to prop-up businesses affected by the pandemic but conceded that some would not survive. “Treasury doesn’t calculate the number of businesses that will be created or the number of
Treasurer Josh Frydenberg businesses that will close,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). “Some business will not survive and some jobs will be lost. “There will be businesses that will fold, there is no doubt about that, and we can’t save every business and we can’t save every job.” The country’s streak of three consecutive days without a coronavirus death has ended, with the death toll increasing by one to 898.
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Prime Minister launches new military vehicle centre of excellence in Queensland
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risbane, October 11: The Morrison Government has officially opened Rheinmetall Defence Australia’s Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence (MILVEHCOE) in Redbank, Queensland, which will see hundreds of long-term jobs created for Queensland workers.
capability projects and reservist days to support jobs, the Australian defence industry and the wider economy.”
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the new defence industry facility in Redbank is part of the Economic Recovery Plan to create jobs as the nation recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The MILVEHCOE will create more than 450 long-term jobs and become a national asset for military vehicles.”
“We are committed to keeping Australians safe, while protecting the nation’s interests in a rapidly changing global environment,” the Prime Minister said. “This week’s budget has seen the Federal Government bring forward $1 billion worth of
“This Queensland centre will be where some of the most advanced armoured vehicles in the world will be produced, by Australian workers.”
The Prime Minister also congratulated Rheinmetall Defence Australia for securing work to export at least 30 Lance Turrets from MILVEHCOE to Hungary. Minister for Defence, Senator Linda Reynolds CSC said the vehicles from MILVEHCOE
represent a new level of capability for the Army. Minister for Defence Industry, Melissa Price said MILVEHCOE represented a watershed in Defence self-reliance, backed by a secure domestic supply chain provided by home-grown Australian businesses. Rheinmetall will use the MILVEHCOE facility to build and assemble the majority of Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles, which are being delivered to the Australian Army under the $5 billion LAND 400 Phase 2 project. The facility will also be used to conduct integration, support and heavy grade repair for the logistics trucks and modules being delivered under the LAND 121 Phase 3B and 5B projects.
Government facilitates more flights to help Australians return
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anberra, October 16: The Australian government is facilitating additional commercial flights from the United Kingdom, India and South Africa to help more Australians return amid the unprecedented travel disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The government has finalised an initial programme with Qantas of eight flights over coming weeks from London, New Delhi and Johannesburg. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) officials are working with Qantas to ensure the most vulnerable Australians registered are given priority access to these flights. The first two flights departed London on 22 October and New Delhi on 26 October. Each flight carried 175 passengers. As more quarantine facility space has become available with fewer
domestic travellers needing to quarantine, DFAT officials have been working with the Northern Territory Government so Australian passengers from overseas can undertake their 14 days’ quarantine on return at the Howard Springs facility. This arrangement will create the capacity for more than 5,000 Australians to return over the next six months. In parallel, DFAT continues to work with state and territory authorities to increase quarantine capacity through major airports, as well as for further facilitated flights. The department is also continuing discussions to increase the number of airports receiving Australians from overseas. The Government continues to assist vulnerable Australians overseas through consular assistance and through the
Hardship Program. Financial assistance is available to help cover the costs of flights where other sources of finance have been exhausted. There are more than 29,000 Australians currently registered with DFAT wishing to return to Australia. Around 398,000 Australians have returned since 13 March. The Australian Government has helped over 29,100 Australians return, including on 64 directly facilitated flights. More than 4,100 Australians registered with DFAT have returned since 18 September, including over a quarter who were considered vulnerable. The Government is underwriting the cost of the flights, and airfares will be available at commercial rates to passengers, with loans through DFAT available to those who need assistance.
South Australia’s Premier greets Hindus on Navratri
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remier of South Australia Steven Marshall and Assistant Minister to the Premier Jing Lee, Government of South Australia, have sent their best wishes to everyone in the Hindu community of South Australia during the community’s Navratri celebrations.
and spend time with their loved ones. COVID-19 has presented difficulties and challenging times for families and communities to be together to celebrate the festival this year. We are thinking of you and sending our thoughts and best wishes to leaders and community members.
The message to the community read, “For the Hindu community, Navratri is a festival which represents motherhood, as Shiva is said to have given permission for Goddess Durga to visit her mother for nine days of the year. During this time, many families return home to celebrate the bonds between family members
We have a large, vibrant and diverse Hindu community in South Australia with many active and passionate community organisations which have greatly contributed to our community. We would especially like to express our gratitude to all the community leaders and volunteers who have donated
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time, effort, and financial resources to assist vulnerable members of the community during the pandemic. May Goddess Durga shower her blessings on you and your family. Wishing you excellent health, strength, wisdom, courage to get on top of COVID and look towards a bright future ahead. HAPPY NAVRATRI!” The community members thanked the Premier and the Assistant Minister to the Premier, Government of South Australia, saying, we pray to goddess Durga to bless and protect our state and country.
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NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA
Changes in visa application charges to support tourism and Agriculture T he Morrison government wants to make sure Australia remains an attractive destination for tourists, and temporary visa holders who often fill critical skills shortages, by offering refunds or waivers of visa application charges (VAC). In a media release Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs Alan Tudge and Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham said that working holiday makers, seasonal and pacific workers, prospective partners and temporary skilled workers whose travel has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic will be eligible. Waiver for visitor visa holders The media release further stated that visitor visa holders who are overseas and whose visas expired or will expire between March 2020 and December 2021 will be eligible for a waiver when they apply for a new visa. This will boost Australia’s $45 billion international tourism sector when international travel restrictions are eased. The ministers acknowledge that these measures will help in encouraging people to travel to Australia when the international borders of the country are re-opened thereby allowing once again for injecting vital tourism dollars into Australia’s economy. Waiver for working holiday makers The media release also noted that backpackers on working holiday maker visas who have been unable to come to Australia or who had to leave Australia early due to COVID-19 will also be eligible for a waiver, when they decide to return to Australia. As for those who are unable to return because they have passed the age limit for a working holiday maker visa, they will be able to claim a refund. Working holiday makers play a key role in being major contributors to Australia’s tourism industry and also make up for critical workforce shortages, particularly in regional and rural Australia. They generally spend all their money in Australia and contribute more than $3 billion a year to the Australian economy and support local jobs as well.
that Seasonal Worker Program and Pacific Labour Scheme visa holders will also be eligible for a refund of the VAC if they were granted a visa before 20 March 2020 and have been unable to travel to Australia due to COVID-19 These programs were restarted in August to make up for labour shortages in key industries, particularly the farming sector.
Further, Visa conditions for these workers have also been temporarily relaxed and options are available for them to extend their stay in Australia for up to 12 months to support the agriculture sector. Waiver for Temporary skilled workers Due to travel restrictions necessitated by Covid-19 there are many Temporary Skill Shortage and Temporary Work (Skilled) visa holders who have not made their initial entry to Australia, or have had to return home due and may wish to apply again. To support local businesses that want to access critical skills not available in the local labour workforce, the government will offer a waiver of the VAC for subsequent applications by affected temporary employer sponsored skilled migrants. But subsequent skilled visa applications will be subject to the strict labour market testing requirements to ensure Australians have first priority for jobs. Prospective Marriage visa holders will benefit too Also, VAC refunds will be available for Prospective Marriage visa holders who have been unable to enter Australia before their visa expired, due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions. Refunds will allow these visa holders to apply for another visa to travel to Australia and hold their wedding once travel restrictions are lifted. For those visas that have already expired, any new application will be prioritised. Visa extensions will be available for Prospective Marriage visa holders whose visas are still valid.
The media release noted that these changes bolster a number of measures announced by the Morrison government to allow working holiday makers to remain in Australia longer and support the critical sectors of health, aged care, disability care, childcare, agriculture and food processing. Visa relaxation for Seasonal Worker Program and Pacific Labour Scheme
Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Simon Birmingham
The media release points out
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Australia domestic border restrictions eased
The new measures followed an easing of restrictions in Victoria announced by Premier Daniel Andrews. Under the eased restrictions, Victoria residents can leave their homes for any reason, and can have a “household bubble” of five visitors. Pubs and restaurants can also serve outdoors. “I want to thank the border communities for their patience. We are able to ease restrictions on the border given the reduced risk of COVID-19 transmission in regional Victoria,” NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said. Previously, residents of regional Victoria in the border area could only enter NSW for a permitted purpose. According to Hazzard, the border region will also be expanded to include some areas around Pleasant Hills, Lockhart, Benalla, Bright and Mount Beauty. “Any person with an existing border region permit will be able to take advantage of these changes, which we hope will make day to day life a lot easier for border communities,” Hazzard said. The border policy change also
Courtesy_Vic Gov website
Sydney, 19 October: Border restrictions between the states of New South Wales and Victoria eased recently to allow residents to move freely within the region due to a drop in the number of fresh Covid-19 cases.
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews came after a drop in confirmed cases in Victoria, which recorded 28 new cases and eight deaths overnight, the lowest spike in about three months. The state’s 14-day averages also continued to fall. “That is a fantastic outcome and a tribute to the hard work, sacrifice and contribution every single Victorian is making,” Andrews said. However, residents in Melbourne, which moved from stage four to the first step of the roadmap for reopening with modest changes including more social interaction and more time outside, are still not allowed to travel to regional Victoria. People who unlawfully travel to regional Victoria from metropolitan Melbourne will be fined nearly 5,000 U.S. dollars under a new penalty designed to protect the regional areas. Seven permanent checkpoints will be reinforced on major freeways.
NSW Government approves of Cricket Australia’s bid to quarantine India in Sydney Sydney, 21 October: Cricket Australia is still awaiting a final sign-off on their schedule from the all-powerful BCCI, but sources said recently that the NSW Government had given their approval for the Indians to quarantine and train in Sydney. Cricket officials were left blindsided by revelations that the Queensland Government were baulking at their quarantining requests and had gone cold on allowing the Indians to train while serving their two weeks of isolation, unless they were prepared to potentially bunker down at a boarding school. The stunning development was a deal breaker with potentially monumental consequences, but CA officials scrambled quickly and fast-tracked a better deal with the NSW Government within 72 hours. NSW Government officials did not return calls, but it’s understood Cricket Australia received final ministerial approval following a recent meeting. After being strung along for six
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weeks by Queensland, the NSW Government moved at lightning speed with police approving the measures proposed by CA. It means Kohli’s Indians and Australia’s returning IPL stars such as Steve Smith and David Warner will be allowed to train while in quarantine in Sydney when it’s expected they will arrive from Dubai on either November 11 or 12, and will be permitted to operate in conditions similar to the National Rugby League’s New Zealand Warriors and the Argentinian rugby union team. Cricket Australia must receive a final green-light from Indian officials before they can release a summer schedule, which as revealed by News Corp previously, will feature a first day-night Test in Adelaide starting on December 17, a Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, a later than usual Sydney Test starting on January 7, and a final Test in Brisbane from January 15. NSW’s rescue package means the preceding limited overs series will be split between Canberra
NEWS FROM NEW SOUTH WALES
Australia’s first Sikh temple granted heritage listing significance to the cultural history of NSW as it demonstrates the migration and permanent settlement of the Sikh community in our state,” the NSW Minister for Heritage Don Harwin said while making the announcement. Courtesy_Facebook
INDIA NEWS
The First Gurdwara of Australia, Woolgoolga Sydney, 22 October: Way back in the 1960s, three Australians in Woolgoolga NSW got together to help the growing Sikh community find a safe space for themselves to be able to practice their culture. They did not know that half a century later, their grassroots
efforts would become a heritage site. Australia’s first gurdwara (Sikh temple) at Woolgoolga near Coffs Harbour was recently listed on the NSW government’s State Heritage Register. “The temple is of great
“It is a wonderful achievement by the Sikh community in our state and country,” said the Temple committee’s Public Officer Amandeep Singh Sidhu. The heritage listing was sought for the original building that was built in 1968, called The First Sikh Temple. The new gurdwara currently in use came up adjacent to it in 2019. In a first, however, heritage status was granted to the entire block, including the new construction. “This is quite significant, as it highlights the site’s importance in the state’s cultural history,” Sidhu observed.
Melbourne students create inclusive masks for turbans and hijabs Sydney, 20 October: Like it or not, masks are here to stay. If you wear a turban or a hijab though, that poses a problem: how do you loop them around your ears? Three medical students from Melbourne have now got that covered. Their innovative face mask design for people wearing religious or
other headgear won first place in the Monash SEED Incubator Program. It saw the launch of their social enterprise Ekta. melbourne that has now taken off in the community. When masks became mandatory to mitigate the risk of Coronavirus, healthcare students Ayesha Barmare, Monish Puri and Anika Yesmin realised that conventional masks were not
designed to be all inclusive.
IABCA founder Sonia Sadiq Gandhi said the IABCA was designed to celebrate bilateral exchange across agriculture, education, energy, financial services, healthcare, infrastructure, resources, science and innovation, sport and tourism.
billion of trade revenue annually,” Gandhi said.
To fulfil this overlooked need of culturally diverse communities, ‘Ekta masks’ were innovated. The masks have longer ties that allow them to be secured on the back of the head and away from the ears .The design works wonderfully also for those wearing earrings and headphones.
NSW strengthening business and community ties with India Sydney, 14 October: AustraliaIndia bilateral awards initiative is coming to Sydney in 2021 under a three-year partnership with the NSW Government. “India Australia Business and Community Awards (IABCA) would complement other activities designed to promote greater links with the Asia-Pacific giant”, said Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres.
“The state of NSW plays a significant role in Australia’s rapidly developing economic ties with India, accounting for $1.8
The IABCA, scheduled for next March, will form part of the NSW Government’s broader engagement, including initiatives such as the recently concluded, 12-month long Access India program, supporting firms to connect with the country’s fastpaced technology sector.
Qantas flight from Delhi for stranded Aussies Sydney, 26 October: The Government has finalised an initial programme with Qantas of eight flights over the coming weeks from London, New Delhi and Johannesburg. Over the next few weeks, over 5,000 Australian citizens stuck in various parts of the globe will return home. The returning passengers will initially be and the Sydney Cricket Ground – which would host three matches each from November 26 or 27 through to December 8. There has been some conjecture out of India over whether or not the tourists will be allowed to bring their families into quarantine with them; however, Cricket Australia sources
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quarantined in Northern Territory as more space for quarantine facilities has become available with fewer domestic travellers needing to quarantine.
as for further facilitated flights. Discussions to increase the number of airports receiving Australians from overseas are also ongoing currently.
The government also mentioned in the announcement that they are continuing to work with state and territory authorities to increase quarantine capacity through major airports, as well
There are more than 29,000 Australians currently registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) wishing to return to Australia.
indicated they were not aware of any roadblocks.
anything other than Kohli’s team honouring their $300 commitment to save the Australian summer in the midst of COVID-19.The relative luxury of quarantining and training in Sydney is a huge improvement on what India might have been offered by Queensland.
Sources out of India say players would want the ability to bring family members given the time they will be spending away from home in a bubble, immediately following an exhaustive eightweek IPL. No indications have come out of India to suggest
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WORLD NEWS
US Justice Dept praises CBI’s action Sindh Police officers rebel against Army in Pakistan against technical-support fraud operations were conducted at the offices of these companies and at the residences of the directors of the entities. According to CBI, incriminating digital evidence related to the scheme was collected and seized during the searches.
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“The Department of Justice sincerely appreciates the CBI’s efforts to disrupt and prosecute technical-support fraud, government imposter fraud, and all other schemes directed at the American public,” it said.
ew Delhi/Washington, October 16 (IANS): India’s premier investigative agency Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has been applauded by the US Department of Justice (USDOJ) for taking simultaneous action against several companies for transmitting pop-ups to the victims’ personal computers with warnings or bogus messages about serious technical problems, including malware infections and defrauding US citizens.
the USDOJ in a statement lauding the effort of CBI said, “In an unprecedented collaborative effort, the CBI in India took actions in parallel with today’s filing against corporate and individual participants in the scheme located in Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, and Jaipur. CBI, India’s federal investigative agency, took note of the international fraud being perpetrated by these companies operating from various locations in India.”
On October 15, in Washington,
It said that coordinated search
The CBI registered a case in September this year on a complaint against six private companies Softwill Infotech Pvt Ltd, Innovana Thinklabs Ltd, Jaipur, Benovellient Technologies Pvt Ltd, Noida, Systweak Software Pvt Ltd, Jaipur, Saburi TLC Worldwide Services Pvt Ltd, Saburi Global Services Pvt Ltd, Gurugram and unknown others on a complaint, alleged to be involved in technical support fraud scheme.
Macron pays homage to beheaded teacher guests. The coffin was brought into the ceremony on the shoulders of a guard of honour and to the sound of the song “One” by the rock group U2. On top of the casket was Paty’s Legion d’Honneur, France’s highest honour. It was posthumously awarded to Paty. Macron said Paty had tried to teach his pupils how to become citizens.
French President Emmanuel Macron
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aris, October 22 (IANS): French President Emmanuel Macron has paid tribute to “quiet hero” Samuel Paty, the teacher who was beheaded on October 16. Paty was targeted close to his school near Paris for showing cartoons of Prophet Muhammad in class. His killer, 18-year-old
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ew Delhi/Taipei, October 20 (IANS): After approving incentives for Taiwanese firms, the Indian government is now likely to have formal talks on a trade deal with the Tsai Ing-wen administration. The move will be significant since India, like most countries, does not formally recognise Taiwan because of Beijing’s ‘One China Principle’ under which the democratic island is its “integral” part. However, in the last six months, China’s aggression against India along the Line of Actual Control
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Abdullakh Anzorov, was shot dead by the police. Speaking at a televised memorial service on October 21, Macron told viewers that France “will not give up our cartoons”, the BBC reported. The service was attended by the teacher’s family and some 400 in Ladakh has pushed New Delhi to review its foreign policy in the region and its approach towards the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime. The CCP has been threatening to invade Taiwan but President Tsai Ing-wen recently warned it against any such move. Incidentally, on Taiwan’s National Day celebrations in early October, Tsai had announced that Taipei will play an active role in establishing a new regional and international order in the face of the Chinese aggression against democracies.
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ew Delhi/Islamabad, October 21 (IANS): In a major show of open defiance against Pakistan Army, police officers in Karachi have threatened to go on mass leave after the Sindh Police chief was allegedly kidnapped and coerced to act against Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) (PML(N)) Vice President Marayam Nawaz Sharif. Sources in Islamabad said that Pakistan is rapidly slipping into a civil war-like situation with the ongoing tussle between the opposition parties and the Army.
In Karachi in Sindh province, headed by Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), the Sindh Police in a major show of defiance against the Pakistan Army have threatened to go on leave after they were pressurised to arrest PML(N) Vice President Marayam Nawaz’s husband Safdar Awan. Sources said that Sindh IGP Mushtaq Mahar and at least two additional inspector generals, seven deputy inspector generals and six senior superintendents of Sindh Police on October 20 applied for leave in order to “come out of the shock” caused by the “episode of registration of FIR against Capt (R) Safdar”. The Sindh Police on October 19 had arrested Safdar Awan, the husband of Maryam Nawaz Sharif, and the son-in-law of exiled former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, from a hotel in Karachi. The arrest came just hours
PML(N) Vice President Marayam Nawaz Sharif after the PML(N) Vice President criticised Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government at a massive rally of People’s Democratic Movement (PDM) -- an alliance of 11 opposition political parties which have joined hands to challenge the Imran Khan government backed by the Pakistan Army. He was later released on bail. Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has ordered an inquiry into Safdar Awan’s arrest after Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari questioned the Army and the ISI about the incident in a tweet. Pakistani media quoted Bilawal alleging that the Sindh Police chief was abducted by Pakistan Army and its intelligence wing for a few hours before Safdar Awan was arrested. Bilawal insinuated that Pakistan military had pressurised the Sindh Police to act against Safdar Awan.
India, Taiwan set to conduct formal talks on trade deal
“He was killed precisely because he incarnated the Republic”, Macron said. “He was killed because the Islamists want our future. They know that with quiet heroes like him, they will never have it.” Paty had been the target of threats since he showed the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad during a class on October 6. The history and geography teacher had advised Muslim students to leave the room if they thought they might be offended. Tsai’s statement had come days after the foreign ministry level meeting of the Quad comprising Japan, Australia, US and India in Tokyo, where US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lashed out at China’s military moves against India, Taiwan and in South China Sea. The Quad has also been discussing global overdependence on China’s supply chains for manufactured products. Earlier in October, the Modi government approved $6.65 billion incentives for 16 firms, including Taiwan’s three major partners of Apple -- Foxconn Technology Group, Wistron Corp
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Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and Pegatron Corp -- to boost domestic smartphone production over the next five years. Incidentally, Apple launched its online store in India September. Though in the last three years, Wistron and Foxconn began assembling a few iPhone models in India, sources said the incentives to them will now change the whole dynamic. Overall, the 16 firms will create more than 200,000 direct employment opportunities for
Indians. Around 60 per cent of the products manufactured in India will be exported. India and Taiwan already signed a bilateral investment agreement in 2018. But a formal trade deal amidst tensions with China can lead to further breakdown of the New Delhi-Beijing relationship and may also result in complications at the World Trade Organization. However, sources said, a lot will depend on the US backing to Taiwan.
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WORLD NEWS
Dalai Lama congratulates Japanese PM probes Indonesia and Vietnam as new Indo-Pacific partners NZ PM on landslide victory been recently flagged by senior US officials who have been prowling the region, following the Trump administration’s open spat with China following the Covid-19 pandemic. Japan and the US are security allies, who are in constant dialogue with each other, sharing in-depth intelligence in areas of common interest, including China and the Indo-Pacific region.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga
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ew Delhi, October 20 (IANS): Just a few days after foreign ministers of the Indo-Pacific Quad comprising India, Australia, Japan and the United States met in Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister, Yoshihide Suga has sped to Vietnam and Indonesia -- two major middle powers, whose role would be pivotal in constraining China’s regional footprint. China would be following the visit with considerable anxiety,
as Suga’s dialogue in Hanoi and Jakarta could help further fortify, if not expand, the Quad security core at a later stage. Suga’s visit could feed into the emergence of a new balance of power in the region, experiencing intense rivalry, between China and the US. The Prime Minister’s trip is likely to add another layer, and in some ways amplify some of the talking points which have
Speaking in Tokyo on October 16, Suga said he wants his trip to Southeast Asia “to show our nation and the world that Japan will play a leading role in the region’s peace and prosperity,” Nikkei Asia reported. Following their talks, Suga and his Vietnamese counterpart, Nguyen Xuan Phuc, agreed to cooperate on the “free and open IndoPacific” initiative. Addressing a joint press conference on October 19, Suga said Vietnam is a pivot and an important partner in achieving a free and open Indo-Pacific. The two countries were also close to an agreement on export of Japanese military hardware to Vietnam.
Time for optimum efforts to revitalize economy: South Korean President
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eoul, October 28 (IANS): South Korean President Moon Jae-in on October 28 declared a full-fledged policy drive for the clear recovery of the country’s economy, coupled with the firm stabilization of the Covid-19 situation here. In his parliamentary speech on the state budget, Moon assured lawmakers that the government would create a record high budget, proposed for 2021, with a focus on creating jobs, reinvigorating the economy and winning the fight against the coronavirus, Yonhap news agency reported. “It’s time to operate full-scale measures to invigorate our economy to put it on a normal track starting next year,” he said during the annual address at the National Assembly. Moon described a clear economic recovery and a win in the antivirus fight as “two rabbits” that South Korea should catch at the same time without fail. “First, (the government) will put its priority on a quick and strong economic recovery,” the President said regarding the direction of the government’s fiscal operation plans. He emphasized the importance of maintaining and creating jobs, saying it is a starting point for an economic recovery, as well as the most important issue associated with people’s livelihoods. He cited the Korean version of the New Deal aimed at transforming the nation into a “pacesetting”
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NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Dalai Lama
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haramsala, October 19 (IANS): Upon receiving the news of her party’s resounding victory in the 2020 New Zealand general elections, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama wrote to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and congratulated her on the landslide win, his office said on October 19. “I admire the courage, wisdom and leadership you have shown in these challenging times,” he wrote. “I particularly applaud the way you have responded with calm, compassion and respect for others in the face of tragedy. “During my several visits to your beautiful country over the years I have been deeply touched by the openness and warmth of people from all walks of life. I have been encouraged by the enthusiasm and interest they have shown in
my efforts to promote a sense of oneness of humanity and the need for inter-religious harmony,” the Tibetan spiritual leader added. The Nobel Peace Laureate concluded by wishing Ardern every success in meeting whatever challenges may lie ahead in fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people of New Zealand. In another message, Central Tibetan Administration President Lobsang Sangay said the “astounding victory” reaffirmed Ardern’s able and compassionate leadership of the people of New Zealand, adding that “the world needs more of such leaders”. In the elections held on October 17, Ardern’s ruling Labour Party secured a majority by winning 49 per cent of the votes, paving the way for her second term in office.
Fresh unrest in Philadelphia after police shooting
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hiladelphia, October 28 (IANS): Scores of protesters in Philadelphia have marched through the city for a second night, demanding racial justice after police fatally shot a black man.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in economy via job creation and the development of future growth engines, especially in digital and environment friendly sectors, a project to cost a total of around 160 trillion won.
that his liberal administration remains determined to curb real estate speculation amid soaring prices of houses, as well as rents and down payments, called “jeonse” here.
Moon said South Korea is proving to be a country “strong in crises,” as it has done better so far in both virus control and economic stimulus than many other countries.
The government will “certainly stabilize the jeonse market” by enforcing newly enacted relevant laws with stability and expanding the supply of “good quality middle-sized public-lease apartments,” the President said.
South Korea’s economy, the fourth largest in Asia, grew in the July-September period mainly on a rebound in exports after having contracted for two consecutive quarters, according to the Bank of Korea. The President stressed the need to continue expansionary fiscal policies, but he pledged no negligence in efforts to maintain fiscal soundness apparently through a “bonecutting” restructuring of budget expenditures. Moon, meanwhile, made clear
He also requested bipartisan support for the passage of major pending bills, including those on promoting a fair economy. Moon said the government will strive to reveal the truth behind the case in a transparent and responsible manner. “On the one hand, it has become a chance to confirm the urgency of a peace regime,” he added, expressing hope for the two Koreas to explore ways for coexistence with a “community for life and safety.”
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The family of Walter Wallace, 27, says he was suffering a mental health crisis when officers opened fire on him, the BBC reported. Police say they shot him because he wouldn’t drop a knife he was holding. Police reinforcements as well as the National Guard have been deployed. Officials say 30 officers were hurt during the first night of clashes.
Police also warned residents to stay away from the riverfront Port Richmond district as widespread looting occurred. The Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management advised residents across a swathe of the city to stay indoors because of “widespread demonstrations that have turned violent”. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, protesters tried to erect makeshift barricades using bins. Police used pepper spray and batons after saying they were attacked by demonstrators. Shops around the city had closed early and constructed barricades on October 27.
The city’s police have also accused protesters of looting and ransacking businesses during the unrest.
Residents found pharmacies shuttered and were unable to get medicine, according to CBS News, the BBC’s partner in the US.
Wallace had bipolar disorder, and his wife told officers this before they shot him, a lawyer representing his family said.
Mayor Jim Kenney, a Democrat, has said the video of the fatal police shooting on October 26 “presents difficult questions that must be answered”.
On the night of October 27, the marches began peacefully but became more confrontational as the evening drew on. Officers in riot gear arrived in squad cars, on bicycles and on buses, and used their bikes to shove protesters back from barricade lines.
The mayor did not elaborate, but said he was looking forward “to a speedy and transparent resolution for the sake of Wallace, his family, the officers, and for Philadelphia”.
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INDIA NEWS
Nov 1-15, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 9
THE WORLD THIS WEEK
The US - Saudi Arabia strategic dialogue
Contributed by National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru*
Abigail Miriam Fernandez, Lokendra Sharma and Lakshmi V Menon, Harini Madhusudan, Rashmi Ramesh, and Sukanya Bali Despite the imposition of emergency, protestors have come out in large numbers in the streets of Bangkok, defying the prohibitory orders. Even as many prominent leaders have been arrested, protestors have vowed to continue with their struggle for democracy. What does this mean?
Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif
Pakistan: PDM sets off with first antigovernment rally What happened? On 16 October, the Opposition parties joined together to kick-start their first rally in Gujranwala under the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) banner, promising to turn the rally into a ‘big power show.’ The 11-party PDM in what was seen as an impressive show of strength promised to dislodge the “selected and incapable” Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government in weeks. Hundreds of supporters and workers had gathered at the Jinnah Stadium from different cities in the form of rallies while shouting ‘Go Imran Go’ as violations of safety protocols were observed. While addressing the gathering via a video link, Nawaz Sharif accused the Establishment of being behind his ouster as Prime Minister and for “bringing Imran Khan into power”. Further, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Chief and the PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman said the Opposition was committed to restoring the sanctity of the people’s vote. Pakistani Muslim League (Nawaz) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz tweeted, “I embark on this mission as your foot soldier, Nawaz Sharif. I have dedicated myself to your struggle, your mission for Pakistan and its people.” Similarly, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari invited every Pakistani to become part of the PDM and end the “joke” that is going on in Pakistan for the last 70 years. What does it mean? The creation of the PDM reflects the Opposition’s success in coming together. This, in turn, has allowed them to have leverage given its composition of both mainstreams as well as smaller provincial and religious parties. Further, the other major difference between the PDM and any other alliance is the antiestablishment agenda which clearly reflects a marked shift in
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the Opposition’s stance, with the focus now on the Establishment, whom they see as the real power behind the PTI government. However, the success of the PDM will depend on how it establishes itself as a movement moving from political sloganeering and rhetoric to implementing the objectives of the alliance. The PTI government has kept a brave face thus far; however, this is just the beginning. It is yet to be seen if the government’s confidence will decline as the rally closes in. On the other hand, what the payoff for the Pakistani people remains vague at this point.
The protests are treading on a dangerous path. There have been instances of violence by the state and military in the past. So far, notwithstanding the arrests and detention of prominent protest leaders, the administration and the police have been accommodative and allowed an element of dissent. However, with the protests intensifying, the administration has calibrated its response by declaring a state of emergency. If the protesters continue to defy prohibitory orders, or if the scale of protests assumes unmanageable proportions, the State might employ police or the military to disperse them, using violent means. It would change the nature of protests and also the State response.
Israel resumes new Thailand: Emergency settlements in West declared in Bangkok Bank as protests intensify What happened? On 14 October, ending an eightmonth settlement expansion lull, the Israeli government approved 2,166 new settler homes across the occupied West Bank. The approvals come before the visit by a US delegation of top officials to Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in support of the recently concluded US-brokered normalization deals between the three countries – the Abraham Accords. The delegation aims “to support Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha What happened? On 16 October, Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha chaired an urgently convened meeting of the cabinet and formally approved the state of emergency in Bangkok which was declared a day earlier. The emergency would be in place for a month and comes in the wake of intensifying pro-democracy street protests. The PM also rejected calls to step down and warned about imposing night curfews. According to the emergency rules, any gathering of five or more people is prohibited; media organizations cannot publish anything that harms the public order and national security; and one could be detained up to 30 days without being charged.
expanded economic cooperation” among the signatories. Meanwhile, the global watchdog group Peace Now says that Israel has already approved over 12,000 illegal settlement houses in 2020. What does it mean? Before drawing inferences, two things must be considered: First, in January 2020, a controversial plan unveiled by Netanyahu gave the US blessing to Israeli annexation of swathes of the West Bank, including the illegal settlements. Second, in August 2020, Trump’s adviser Jared Kushner said that the US would not approve Israeli annexation for “some time”. Thus, the US is on board with Israel’s resumption of West Bank annexation. While blunt reactions can be expected from the US, UAE and Bahrain, the Palestinian cause has lost its power over the Arab world. Furthermore, the politics of the Arab world
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WORLD THIS WEEK
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is transforming from the strife for Palestinian statehood to the containment of Iran. Arab unity has crumbled.
Also in the news New Zealand: Jacinda Ardern wins second term On 17 October, Jacinda Arden won the elections in New Zealand in what is seen as the biggest victory for the centre-left Labour Party in half a century by securing the highest votes in the general elections. The Labour party won 64 of the 120 seats with 49 per cent of the total votes. The opposition party secured 27 per cent votes. The mandate ensures that Arden can form a single-party government, a first in decades since New Zealand adopted a proportional voting system. The major attribute to her victory is the management of the Covid situation in New Zealand, and her swift action to ban guns after the shooting in 2019. China: Trade relations with Australia decline further On 12 October, the Chinese government indicated to its state-owned power stations, steel mills, and ports, to suspend the import of Australian coal, a move that could impact the Australian economy by $15 billion annually. On 16 October, China further announced a ban on cotton imports from Australia. The move has led Australia to call for immediate negotiations with China. Australia-China relations have steadily worsened over the past 18 months, with trade disputes impacting multiple industries, especially the barley, wine, wheat, and beef industries. India and China: Seventh round of military talks On 12 October, India and China held the seventh round of Corps Commander level meeting at Chushul on the Indian side of the LAC. Similar to the sixth round of the talks, representatives from the military and foreign ministry from both sides were present, yet failed to reach a disengagement agreement. The joint press statement did not clearly state a timeline for a possible disengagement. China has once again blamed India for the standoff at the LAC. The infrastructural development along the LAC and the abrogation of Article 370, have been the major irritants in this regard. The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that Beijing does not recognize the creation of Union Territory of Ladakh, as it includes Aksai Chin. India, on the other hand, has opposed China’s unilateral actions in changing the status quo in Eastern Ladakh.
On 14 October, the US Secretary of State and the Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, participated in a “strategic dialogue,” with an aim to strengthen their ties. The meeting concluded with an understanding on the need to address “destabilizing behaviour” of Iran. Pompeo invited Saudi Arabia to join the “changing dynamic” in the region by recognising Israel; following the other Arab Gulf states and also observed that frequent attacks by the Houthis on Saudi territory was an indicator of Iran’s involvement. Prince Faisal raised concerns over the Safer oil tanker on the Red Sea, which the Houthis blocked partially. Additionally, the United States has invested $1 billion on diplomatic construction in the kingdom, with its plans to build a new Embassy in Riyadh and the missions in Jeddah and Dhahran. France: Killing of a school teacher in Paris On 16 October, a teacher at a secondary school was murdered for showing the controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad to his students. The attacker is said to have inflicted multiple wounds with a knife and then beheaded him, after which he posted photos of the victim to a Twitter account, along with insults to Mr Macron and French “infidels” and “dogs.” The attacker later fired at the police with an airgun before being shot dead. President Emmanuel Macron has stated that the attack bore all the hallmarks of an “Islamist terrorist attack” and the teacher had been murdered because he “taught freedom of expression”. Europe: The Second-wave and a new lockdown As winter approaches, there are heightened fears of the pandemic bringing another public health emergency closer to Europe. The UK, France, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and the Czech Republic have all unveiled new virus-related restrictions this week. In Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland, infections hit record daily highs on 15 October. France has imposed evening curfews in its biggest cities. Countries across Europe are seeing resurgence in COVID-19 cases after successfully slowing outbreaks early in the year and the vast majority of countries are declaring more cases each day now than they were during the first wave. About the authors Sukanya Bali, Lakshmi V Menon, and Abigail Miriam Fernandez are Research Associate, Research Consultant, and Research Assistant respectively, and Lokendra Sharma, Rashmi Ramesh, and Harini Madhusudan are PhD Scholars with the School of Conflict and Security Studies, at NIAS. *The report has been modified by India News due to space considerations.
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INDIA NEWS
Nov 1-15, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 9
EDITORIAL
Empowering millions Malabar manthan: Naval churning embraces Australia in the Indo-Pacific by powering AustraliaIndia energy ties A P
olicy reforms under the Narendra Modi government, elevating India’s ‘doing business with ease’ rankings and making it the sixth fastest growing economy, surpassing France, has captured the world attention. Making a fossil fuel imports dependent (covering 70% demand) India, a $5 trillion economy would require increasing the share of non-conventional energy production. As the third largest consumer of electricity in the world, with an installed power capacity reaching 345.49 GW as of July 2018, India’s power sector requires an 8% growth per annum. With its burgeoning population and industrialisation, power demands estimated to increase from 1160.1 TWh in 2016 to 1,894.7 TWh in 2022, will be covered under new schemes like the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana, Integrated Power Development Scheme and Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya). These schemes are open for 100% foreign direct investment. India’s power sources include thermal (coal & gas, 64%), hydro (13%) and nuclear (across 7 plants, 2%), and an increasing share of renewables (21%). India’s Draft National Energy Policy also is looking at making India self-sufficient in thermal coal by 2037. Currently, India is Australia’s fourth largest resources and energy trading partner totalling $5 billion. The Australia-India Joint Working Group on Energy and Minerals, 2000, provides the bilateral mechanism for cooperation and implementation of the Strategic Action Plan, 2008. Australia supplies around 71% of the cooking coal to India which will further rise following the clearance for Adani Enterprises’ Carmichael mine in North Queensland. It is noteworthy that the first delivery of uranium has already been completed by Australia, post-signing of the Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement, 2016. Uranium exports will grow further as India places more IAEA safeguards at the 10 new power reactors for generating 7,000 MW of clean energy. The Peter Varghese report highlights policymakers and businesses that the demands for energy commodities such as LNG, coal and uranium, and Australian expertise in mining equipment,
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technology and services (METS), will grow steadily to 2035. India’s RE target set at 175 GW [comprising wind (60 GW) and solar (100 GW)] by 2022, is due for a six-fold jump by 2030 from 70.65 GW in 2017, largely due to declining tariff and equipment costs and increasing regulatory support for RE procurement. Wind energy is another promising sector in which India ranks 4th globally. But India’s RE sector requires state of art load and weather forecasting tools and facilities, energy storage system, improved transmission capacity and highquality solar panels. Australian businesses may tap opportunities in India’s RE infrastructure including, power quality management (voltage flickering, unbalanced phases voltages and harmonic distorted supply), mini and smart grids and smart meters to supply electricity to households, commercial, industrial, and institutional organisations through a power distribution network. Smart grids are on the anvil in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka (all priority states in the Varghese report). As a founding leader in the International Solar Alliance, India is looking for joint ventures in investments and R&D with Australia. An Australian company, ITP renewables has already undertaken a feasibility study and provided 13 recommendations to India’s National Solar Mission project on concentrated solar power panels. India’s RE-based water supply and locomotive manufacturing can also benefit from Australia’s expertise and further advance the use of aviation fuel from sugarcane (ethanol based). Reflecting the rising global trends, in India the EV Sales is projected to grow exponentially and achieve 100% vehicle sale electrification by 2030. In the EV sector, there are huge opportunities ahead for Australian based companies in investment, manufacturing of batteries and installations of charging stations at government and public places. Australian industrial bodies, businesses and research organisations are deepening their presence in India as a stable and strong supplier of commodities and services to help India meet its energy demands.
Dr Vijay Sakhuja
joining the Malabar exercises.
few weeks from now, navies of Australia, India, Japan and the US would conduct exercises in the Indian Ocean. These exercises, dubbed as Malabar series, have been held since 1992, first between Indian and the US Navy, and later in 2007 included navies of Australia, Japan and Singapore. The Malabar grouping was suddenly disbanded, ostensibly due to Chinese pressures, but was partially restored in 2015 after the Japanese Navy rejoined. Now, after a hiatus of over a decade, the Australian Navy has been readmitted to the grouping, however, little is known whether the Singaporean Navy would join in the future.
Be that as it may, since 2019, the Indian and the Pacific oceans are churning with naval exercises. For instance, warships from India, Japan, US and the Philippines conducted maneuvers in the South China Sea. It is not unusual for three of the above navies to operate together, however the inclusion of the Philippines Navy is noteworthy. Likewise, navies of Australia, Japan, South Korea and the US held military drills designated as Pacific Vanguard off Guam to showcase their combined strengths and commitment to ensure a ‘free and open Indo-Pacific’. The deployment by the Canadian Navy in South China Sea and its transit through the Taiwan Strait is an example of independent operations which other navies may imitate in the future.
Notwithstanding various reasons for respective powers for leaving or rejoining the Malabar exercises, these engagements had paved the way for greater understanding among the naval forces and helped develop broad frameworks for operating together. At its inception, the exercises were basic in nature but improved progressively in content and complexity. The introduction of advanced surface ships, aircraft carriers, submarines including nuclear propelled platforms, and long range maritime patrol aircraft acted as a catalyst for an advanced naval cooperation. This also helped familiarity with each other’s communication procedures, rules of engagement, and aircraft operations, also known as ‘interoperability’. The formative Malabar exercises between the Indian and the US navies were conducted largely to counter non-traditional security threats and challenges; but there has always been a ‘China overhang’. Beijing had carefully monitored these events. In the current instance i.e. Australia’s re-entry into the Malabar exercises, the spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs observed, “military cooperation between countries should be conducive to regional peace and stability,” which is a mild observation unlike in 2007 when Beijing issued ‘demarche’ to the participating countries to ascertain the reasons for Australia, Japan and Singapore
While much of the above naval activity has been dominated by the Asian and Pacific powers, European navies too are exercising or operating in the region. France spearheaded the exercise La Perouse in the Bay of Bengal involving Australian, French, Japanese and U.S. navies. These high-end naval exercises featured French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, JMSDF’s helicopter carrier Izumo and Australian submarine Collins. Likewise, British naval presence in the South China Sea has increased since early 2019 and deployment by aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth in the South China Sea in the coming months has been announced. Chinese strategic and naval planners are keeping a close eye on the ongoing operationaltactical engagements between the western and Asian navies. Perhaps the biggest worry for China is their collective naval capability that can overwhelm the People’s Liberation Army Navy. China has no Asian partner or friends to call upon and join hands to counter these maneuvers; however, the Russian Navy, which is making a strong comeback in the Pacific Ocean, is the best bet for China. A six-day joint naval exercise, codenamed Joint Sea 2019 between PLA Navy and the Russian Navy may be a
modest consolation. Similarly, the PLA Navy joined Iran led naval exercise codenamed Marine Security Belt, (MSB) that included Russia and was held amid tensions between Iran and the US. Also, Chinese naval units including a submarine rescue ship Liugongdao participated in Pakistan Navy’s annual Sea Guardian 2020 exercises raising doubts about the possibility of a Chinese submarine lurking around. By all counts, the focus of current Malabar exercises is on the growing combat power of the Chinese Navy as also its aggressive posturing in the South China Sea and in the Himalayas against India. It merits attention that the current Malabar grouping is also the architect of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD) which has called for a ‘free and open Indo-Pacific’. Beijing calls it an anti-China alliance, labelling it an “Asian NATO”, and terming it a representative of the ‘Cold War mindset’. The QSD members have also conceptualized initiatives such as the Blue Dot Network, a joint regional infrastructure scheme, more recently the Resilient Supply Chain Initiative (RSCI), as also digital connectivity particularly the 5G in support of their Indo-Pacific strategy or vision. Beijing sees these initiatives as attempts to challenge its flagship global project, the Belt and Road Initiative, in which China has invested trillions of dollars. The QSD is aligning notwithstanding the fact that Quad members do not have any territorial claims in the South China Sea but are concerned about the safety and security of maritime trade that transits through the region. In particular they have reaffirmed their shared commitment to uphold international law, freedom of navigation and over flight. In essence, the Indo-Pacific waters are witnessing an unprecedented contestation which can potentially create Blocks (US led or China driven) that will likely shape the geopolitical dynamic of the IndoPacific region and a variety of pathways along which the Asian security architecture may evolve in the future. Dr Vijay Sakhuja is former Director National Maritime Foundation, New Delhi.
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INDIA NEWS
Nov 1-15, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 9
SPECIAL FEATURE
Coping with depression: Help not attention is critical By Vijay Lokpally Trigger warning: The following article mentions suicide, and may be disturbing for some Solitude, a soulmate Sadness has been an integral part of my life: the sadness of losing loved ones, friends, family members. I would read of a stranger’s death and skip a meal, brood. I loved it, this being alone, being sad. I was surrounded by family and friends, all of whom loved me, yet I revelled in solitude. I don’t know when I began to love melancholy in cinema, and dreamt of being Rajesh Khanna from Anand or Guru Dutt in Kaagaz ke Phool. Why would anyone feel alone amidst so many people? It is hard to explain, but easy to understand if you are in depression — a condition I was diagnosed with only later in life, but probably had even as a boy — where you want to shut yourself off from the world and just disappear. The first time it came to the fore was when I was 12 years old. I was emotionally attached to my sisterin-law. She was a friend, sister, mother, and I drew inspiration from her. One day, she scolded me for something silly and my world seemed to have crashed. I slipped out of her home in Delhi and wandered around, looking for ways to end my sadness. Over the next few days, I contemplated suicide many times over, often showing up at a spot in the city.
This one time, a ragpicker had been observing me, and that day, two strong hands pulled me back from the brink. He dragged me to the police station nearby, and I pleaded with them to let me go. They took pity on me, and did. I returned to my sister-in-law’s arms and just broke down. That was my first brush with death. I grew up with the guilt of having caused suffering to my vahini (Marathi for sisterin-law). I also grew up avoiding people, not turning up for social events, because I wanted to stay in my room. I never understood why; my family thought it was the anger that goes with teenage years. It wasn’t. Working at it As a sports journalist travelling around the world, I have walked around both strange and familiar cities alone, not wanting to communicate with people. Many have misunderstood this to mean that I call only when I want something. Playing football and cricket, and my sports writing kept me afloat, but I did not have the courage to confide in anyone that there was something wrong inside. What would they think of me?
ways. Being alone was weird. Then 15 years ago, my family doctor confirmed I was suffering from acute depression, when I repeated the suicidal episode. This time, I had my wonderful wife and son — Sunanda and Akshay — and office colleague C Rajshekhar Rao to look after me. They hijacked me from my work, and sent me off to the mountains — 15 days of bliss. I came to terms with myself and settled into a routine, looking to make new friends, basically to convince everyone that I was normal. Only a few knew. Kadambari Murali Wade, a fellow journalist at the time, was one, and would speak to me for hours on end over the phone. Books, my saviour I looked for refuge in books and for peace by forging new friendships. In fact, I excelled at striking up conversations with strangers of all ages, mainly because they wouldn’t ask me, “Tu paagal toh nahi hai?” I wasn’t sure if it was written on my face, this sadness. I dreaded the mirror because it reflected a sorrowful image. I decided to fight it by immersing myself in work.
I had the best parents. They pampered me, and then I lost them in quick succession when I was 30. Much before they took leave of this world, they had come to understand what some of my friends thought were my “weird”
My coping mechanisms also lay in writings on spirituality. The Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda became a companion and I loved it when Virat Kohli tweeted a selfie with that book a few years ago. Not that he had my mental health
with expanding digital economy
cyber attacks
condition. Swami Vivekananda also became my new friend. Of course, I was ravaged time and again by painful memories of losing the people I loved, one by one — in just four years, I had lost three close friends. The realisation that I wouldn’t see them again would leave me acutely depressed. It would become worse when seeking help from friends — as grateful I am for them, at the time, I felt they all had their own worlds and could not always spare time for me. During the lockdown My low moods were becoming more frequent and damaging, and worsened after the lockdown. My diabetes and hypertension forced me to stay home for months. I began to read literature online about battling depression. I was never convinced that counselling would heal my mental state. I believed in facing it on my own. But a few online counselling workshops during this period gave me the strength to come to terms with life and my condition again. Then I got this priceless recommendation from a friend. I ordered Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression — and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann Hari and slowly accepted that depression was a condition that could be dealt with, and that the stigma attached to it should be broken — hence I am writing this.
I realised that your best friends are at home: my family, and my childhood friend Ghaus Mohammad. They have all the time for you. I have learnt to smile again, thanks to them. I have acquired the courage to accept my condition and look for ways to conquer it, rather than deny it or pretend it isn’t there: a daily walk, reading a variety of literature, and writing that often gives me an escape. I have learnt to enjoy my life in the moment. To the question, ‘Tu paagal toh nahi hai?’ I would say, I am seeking help, not attention. Vijay Lokpally is a veteran Indian sports journalist. This article was originally published in The Hindu, for the series My Mind Matters that encourages people to talk about their experiences with mental health.
AIBC hosts webinar on cyber security global collaboration A
ustralia India Business Council (AIBC), a non-profit organization, established in 1986 to foster the bi-lateral relations between India and Australia, conducted an online interactive workshop on Australia India cyber security collaboration opportunities and market launch on October 28. As part of the Australia Cyber Week, the October 28 AIBC webinar was organized under the Australia India Innovation Bridge series. The event which was moderated by Irfan Malik, the AIBC National Chair for Startups and Innovation had among its speakers and workshop panelists Manish Gupta, Consulate General of India, Sydney; Ashok Mysore, the AIBC National Chair for Digital and ICT; Dr. Sriram Birudavolu, CEO, Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (CCoE); Prerana Mehta, Chief of Ecosystem Development, Aust Cyber, Australia; Penny Wong, CEO, Radmis Advisory, Australia; and Prasanna Lohar, Head of Innovation, DCB Bank, India. Mysecurity Media, Sumeru Solutions and Vertex security were the three cyber security specialist start-ups that were presented towards the end of the webinar. Burgeoning cyber vulnerabilities
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Talking about the pathbreaking reforms that have been undertaken in the last years hastening India’s transformation into a digital economy, Manish Gupta, Consulate General of India, Sydney expressed his concern over the extremely high cyber vulnerabilities which have been laid bare. While the Indian government’s flagship programmes such as Digital India and Skill India have been aiming at harnessing the power of digital economy to develop digital backbone for urban areas; much needs to be done for the cyber disruptions which the Indian business ecosystem faces in the form of phishing, malware and ransomware. However, he feels that there are a lot of opportunities for collaborations between India and Australia to strengthen cyber security, in the form of innovative partnerships between Australian universities and Indian institutions. He suggested that these partnerships need to be leveraged so that the Australian universities can share cutting-edge cyber security know-how with India and even establish centres of excellence in India. Awareness, Accessibility and Adaptability- keys to combat
Ashok Mysore, the AIBC National Chair for Digital and ICT asserted that with massive digitization right across the industrial sector and with the advent of cloud computing, government and private business have a wide network over the internet like never before. In the wake of the pandemic, work from home has become the new normal with people conducting business through laptops, mobile phones and tablets. This has exponentially increased the points of connectivity in the world wide network but at the same time opened up multiple points of cyber intrusion and failure. According to him, cyber security is about staying ahead of the threat as otherwise it can spread like a pandemic. With 83% workload expected to be carried out through cloud computing by 2025, it has become all the more necessary to counter the top cloud security threats of data breaches, misconfiguration and account hacking. In the last 12 months, there have been around 2200 cyber security incidents in Australia and of these 35% have affected the critical service providers such as health care and education. The only solution here is to make the government, industry and citizens more aware
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about cyber threats, and have access to the best cyber security measures through regular cyber security audits and upgradation in which help of white hat hackers needs to be sought. AIBC can play an even more significant role in creating more business networks, providing regular updates on ICT and help in organizing more trade and business delegations between Australia and India especially since the private sector has a lot of collaborative opportunities to fortify cyber security. Aust Cyber enabling cyber security growth Prerana Mehta, Chief of Ecosystem Development, Aust Cyber, Australia highlighted the significant role that Aust Cyber- a federally funded autonomous agency- has been playing in assisting the government in policy formulation for cyber resilience and representing the industrial sector in Australia. Stating the need to increase awareness regarding cyber security among the public, small businesses and government, she gave a brief overview of how Aust Cyber is providing opportunities to the cyber security businesses to connect directly with small and medium enterprises and also by providing a range of inexpensive solutions to counter cyber threat
issues. She emphasized the need for multiple level involvements between the Australian and Indian governments, business to business involvements, and business to customer as well as customer to customer involvements to achieve outcomes in cyber security sector in both the countries. CCoE building cluster of cyber security companies Hyderabad-based Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (CCoE) which is a part of Data Security Council of India, a cyber security arm of India’s largest IT industry body, NASSCOM is working on building a cluster of cyber security companies in the Indian state of Telangana. Participating in the webinar on behalf of CCoE, Dr. Sriram Birudavolu, CEO reiterated the importance of a strong and resilient business ecosystem to combat cyber security threats and the need to build a talent pool keeping in mind both the quantitative and qualitative aspects to service the rapidly burgeoning market of cyber security. He also stated that collaborations between India and Australia involving start up cyber security agencies and large corporations both in India and Australia having sufficient venture capital, is the key to a robust cyber environment in both the countries.
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INDIA NEWS
Nov 1-15, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 9
MAKE IN INDIA
Make in India: Emerging Opportunities As world economies restart their engines in a bid to regain lost ground due to the Covid-19 pandemic, India too shows signs of economic buoyancy and promise. India’s Make in India initiative holds a key to the global economic revival, something that should interest Australian government ministries, corporate sector, entrepreneurs, institutions seeking R&D collaborations and Australia Inc. in general, among others. India assumes greater importance as several major world economies, including American, Japanese, German, British and South Korean look to move out and diversify their businesses from China. India has jumped to 63rd rank in the World Bank’s Ease of Development 2020 report, and has also been ranked as the 9th largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment destination in 2019 by the World Investment Report 2020 of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
CAPITAL GOODS Building India of tomorrow India’s Capital Goods manufacturing industry serves as a strong base for its engagement across sectors such as Engineering, Construction, Infrastructure and Consumer goods, among others. The capital goods industry in FY 2018 -19 had an overall production figure amounting to $13.6 bn. Capital Goods industry in India provides approximately 1.4 mn direct and 7 mn indirect jobs. Market-oriented reforms such as “Power for All” along with plans to add 93 GW by 2022 will generate huge demand for power transmission and distribution (T&D) equipment. • By 2022, the Electrical equipment industry, comprising generation and T&D equipment, is targeted to reach a size of $100 bn • By 2022, the T&D equipment segment is targeted to reach a size of $75 bn
the country. India has an abundance of raw materials with access to 20% of world’s cattle and buffalo and 11% of the world’s goat and sheep population. The leather industry is an employment intensive industry providing jobs to more than 4 mn people, mostly from the weaker sections of the society. Women employment is predominant in Leather products industry with about 30% share. The leather industry in India has one of the youngest workforces with 55% of the workforce below 35 years of age. The major markets for Indian leather and leather products are USA with a share of 17.22%, Germany 11.98%, U.K 10.43%, Italy 6.33%, France 5.94%, Spain 5.01%, Netherlands 3.52%, U.A.E 3.35%, China 2.61%, Hong Kong 2.15%, Belgium 2.21% and Poland 2.11%. The Leather industry has the
TEXTILE & APPAREL India - Knitting the future India is among the world’s largest producers of textiles and apparel. The domestic textiles and apparel industry contributes 2% to India’s GDP, 7% of industry output in value terms and 12% of the country’s export earnings. The textiles and apparel industry in India is the second-largest employer in the country providing direct employment to 45 million people and 60 million people in allied industries. India has also become the second-largest manufacturer of PPE in the world. More than 600 companies in India are certified to produce PPEs today, whose global market worth is expected to be over $92.5 bn by 2025, up from $52.7 bn in 2019. • FDI in the textiles and apparel industry has reached up to $3.45
• 100% FDI is allowed under the automatic route Industry Scenario The Capital Goods in India has a market size of $ 43.2 bn. The industry is divided into 10 sub-sectors where Electrical equipment is the largest sub-sector followed by Plant equipment, and Earthmoving/ Mining machinery. The market size of each of the sub-sectors is as follows: • Heavy electrical equipment: $ 24.2 bn • Process plant equipment: $ 3.7 bn • Earth-moving and mining machinery: $ 3.3 bn • Printing machinery: $ 3.01 bn • Food processing machinery: $ 2.4 bn • Dies, moulds and press tools: $ 2.3 bn • Textile machinery: $ 1.8 bn • Machine tools: $ 1.4 bn • Plastic machinery: $ 0.5 bn • Metallurgical machinery: $ 0.4 bn
LEATHER World’s tannery The leather industry in India accounts for around 12.9% of the world’s leather production of hides/skins and handles a robust annual production of about 3 bn sq. ft. of leather. The country accounts for 9% of the world’s footwear production. The industry is known for its consistency in high export earnings and it is among the top ten foreign exchange earners for
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tendency to generate 250 jobs for every $0.2 mn investment. Industry Scenario Exports of leather and leather products touched $5 bn during 2019-20. Exports are segmented as: • Footwear export accounts for 51.77% share during April 2019 to March 2020 worth $2.6 bn; • Leather goods and accessories with a share of 26.44%; • Finished leather 10.34%; • Leather garments 8.46%, and • Saddlery and harness 2.99% The major production centres for footwear, leather and leather products in India are located in the states of Tamil Nadu – Chennai, Ambur, Ranipet, Vaniyambadi, Vellore, Pernambut, Trichy, Dindigul and Erode; West Bengal – Kolkata; Uttar Pradesh – Kanpur, Agra, Noida, Saharanpur; Maharashtra – Mumbai; Punjab – Jalandhar; Karnataka – Bengaluru; Telengana- Hyderabad; Haryana – Ambala, Gurgaon, Panchkula, Karnal and Faridabad; Delhi; Madhya Pradesh – Dewas; Kerala – Kozhikode and Ernakulam / Cochin; Rajasthan- Jaipur; Jammu & Kashmir; Srinagar.
bn during 2020. • Exports in the textiles and apparel industry are expected to reach $300 bn by 2024-25 resulting in a tripling of Indian market share from 5% to 15%. Industry Scenario Textile & garments industry in India is expected to reach $223 bn by 2021 from $140.4 bn in 2018.
consumption of $100 bn was divided into apparel at $74 bn, technical textiles at $19 bn and home furnishings at $7 bn. While exports comprised of textile exports at $20.5 bn apparel exports at $16.1 bn and handlooms at $3.8 bn.
RETAIL & E-COMMERCE The top retail destination The retail market in India has undergone a major transformation and has witnessed tremendous growth in the last 10 years. The overall retail market is set to cross the $1.75 tn mark by 2026 from $795 bn in 2017. India’s e-commerce retail market which stood at $30 bn in 2019 is also set to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% for gross merchandise value to be worth $200 bn by 2026. Directto-Consumer segment could have a US $100 billion addressable market by 2025.
• Recent policy changes allow 100% FDI under the automatic route for single-brand retail trading. Industry Scenario The retail industry in India has experienced a healthy growth over the last few years achieving a total market size of $795 bn in 2017. India’s retail market is estimated to reach $1.75 tn by 2026, from $0.79 tn in 2018, growing at a CAGR of 9-11%, driven by sociodemographic and economic factors such as urbanisation, income growth and rise in nuclear families. On the other hand, the Indian e-commerce industry is expected to cross $200 bn mark by 2026. The e-commerce market in India is also set to grow at a CAGR of 30% for gross merchandise value to reach $200 bn by 2026, and have a market penetration of 12% compared to 2% currently.
• India ranked No. 2 in Global
India is largely an unorganized retail market, contributing 88% to the total retail sector in India. The organized retail market is currently valued at $60 bn, while the unorganized market holds the rest. The share of the organized retail market is projected to increase to 22-25% by 2021, thereby reducing the unorganized retail market’s share to 77%. The organized retail market,
Retail Development Index (GRDI) in 2019.
therefore, has the potential to reach approximately $140-160 bn.
India ranks among the best countries to invest in retail space. Factors that make India so attractive include the second largest population in the world, a middle class of 600 mn people, increasing urbanisation, rising household incomes, connected rural consumers and increasing consumer spending.
The textiles and apparel industry in India has strengths across the entire value chain from fibre, yarn, fabric to apparel. It is highly diversified with a wide range of segments ranging from products of traditional handloom, handicrafts, wool and silk products to the organized textile industry. The organized textile industry is characterized by the use of capital-intensive technology for mass production of textile products and includes spinning, weaving, processing, and apparel manufacturing. The domestic textiles and apparel industry stood at $140 bn in 2018 (including handicrafts) of which $100 bn was domestically consumed while the remaining portion worth $40 bn was exported to the world market. Further, the domestic
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• Retail is India’s largest industry, currently accounting for over 10% of the country’s GDP and 8% of total employment.
Source: INVEST INDIA, Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Government of India
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INDIA NEWS
Nov 1-15, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 9
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Slight delay in India’s human JGU student receives US and India patents Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global October 16 (IANS): In an Devansh worked on developing space flight mission: ISRO chief Sonipat, University lauded Devansh Manoj this technology for a while and in unprecedented development, Independence in 2022, an Indian son or daughter will be flying into space under the Gaganyaan mission.
Sivan said that the Gaganyaan mission has advanced well and the country is taking the help of other space-faring nations like Russia for training the astronauts and some other critical aspects, France in the space medical area and is also approaching US space agency, NASA. ISRO chief K. Sivan
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hennai, October 12 (IANS): India’s human space flight mission Gaganyaan will be “slightly delayed” owing to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic even as Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) resumes rocket launch activities from the first week of November, space agency chief K. Sivan said on October 12. Answering a query at the plenary session of the International Astronautical Congress 2020, the ISRO Chairman said India’s first human space flight was targeted in August 2022, but owing to Covid-19’s impact on the operations, there will be a slight slip in meeting the mission’s target date. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his Independence Day speech on August 15, 2018, had said when the nation is celebrating the 75th year of
On resuming rocket launches, he said some missions were delayed as officials were unable to travel to the rocket port from different cities. Sivan said ISRO is planning to launch its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle C49 (PSLV C49) during the first week of November. The PSLV C49 rocket will fly with RISAT-2BR2 as the main passenger and about several other third party satellites for a fee. According to Sivan, international cooperation is the hallmark of India’s space activities. The country has signed about 250 collaboration agreements with about 59 nations. He said India’s international collaborations are a mix-some for getting advanced technologies and some are for helping other space faring nations and pointed out training 60 persons from 23 nations in building nanosatellites.
an Indian law student of O.P. Jindal Global University ( JGU) has received both the Indian and the US Patent for a technology he invented entitled ‘Method and System for Managing the Usage of a Plurality of Battery Units to Power an Electric Vehicle.
This technology aims to make the usage of electric vehicles more practical, flexible and economical in India and other developing countries. Devansh Manoj Jalan is currently pursuing his law degree at the Jindal Global Law School.
July 2019, filed for a provisional patent with the Indian Patent Office. After fine-tuning of the technology, he applied for patents in the Indian Patent Office and in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
After due process and hearings, Devansh received the US Patent in September 2020 and the Indian Patent in October 2020. The PCT application also reserves for him, the right to patent this technology in 153 other countries. C. Raj Kumar, Founding Vice
Jalan’s feat and said, “At JGU, we always nurture our students to evolve into leaders with a vision for the future of our world. Typically, such achievements relating to patents are witnessed in institutions that offer STEM disciplines. However, the institutional ecosystem at JGU has enabled non-STEM students like Devansh to think out of the box and pursue innovation and entrepreneurship opportunities that transcend disciplinary boundaries.’
IoT-based solution promises better yields without fertilisers
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ew Delhi, October 15 (IANS): A group of students has developed a farm-friendly Internet of Things (IoT) system that reduces water usage and minimises dependency on fertiliser, an innovation that can help produce greater yields minus fertiliser costs for farmers.
of IoT and magnetisation.
The team from Sona College of Technology, Salem, secured first place in the hardware category at the ‘Smart India Hackathon 2020’ conducted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare, for their solution that uses the principles
Of the 343 problem statements released for all participants across 40 nodal centres, solutions from four teams from across India were recognised in the finals.
“Our project aims to help farmers by purifying their available borewell water significantly, with zero waste,” Dr R Malathy, Dean (R&D) and Professor, Department of Civil Engineering who mentored the team said in a statement on October 15.
While borewell water is used for almost all farm applications,
the nature of such water causes scaling. This, in turn, leads to nonuniform water supply to plants and poor mineral absorption. The limescale deposition also damages soil structure. Such hard water is absorbed by the plant cells with difficulty. According to the college, if through intervention, the water’s minerals are broken down into smaller particles, they become more bioavailable to these plant cells.
Indian cabinet approves space cooperation MoU between India and Nigeria
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ew Delhi, October 21 (IANS): The Indian Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on October 21 apprised of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed
between India and Nigeria on cooperation in the exploration and uses of outer space for peaceful purposes. The MoU was signed between Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) of India at Bengaluru in June this year and by the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) of Nigeria at Abuja in August this year.
It will enable potential interest areas of cooperation such as remote sensing of the earth, satellite communication and satellite-based navigation or for that matter space science and
planetary exploration among others. Use of spacecraft, launch vehicles, space systems and ground systems are also areas of cooperation that the MoU will help, believes the centre.
Cows prefer ‘live’ interaction with humans, reveals Study
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ondon, October 17 (IANS): After months of technology-based communication enforced by Covid-19, many may be missing a ‘live’ human interaction, but we are not the only ones feeling so -a new study reveals that cows too prefer a face-to-face chat. The study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, discovered that cows are actually more relaxed when spoken to directly by a live human, rather than when listening to a recorded voice via a loudspeaker.
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“Cattle like stroking in combination with gentle talking. In scientific contexts, a recording of a human voice speaking gently could be used to relax the animals, because it can be difficult to repeat the same phrases in the same way during experiments,” said study author Annika Lange from the University of Veterinary in Austria. Using a recorded voice means conditions are as similar as possible in each trial, following a concept known
as “standardization” -- an important principle of scientific experimentation. However, the team of scientists wanted to find out if cows respond differently to the sound of recorded voices compared to a human talking directly to them. “Our study suggests that live talking is more relaxing for our animals than a recording of a human voice. Interactions may be less positive when they become artificial through standardization,” Lange added.
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INDIA NEWS
Nov 1-15, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 9
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INDIA NEWS
Nov 1-15, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 9
INDIANS IN AUSTRALIA
Engineers Australia Fellow Eur Ing Government cuts jobs, restructures migration plans visas were granted to overseas Like the US migration ndians planning to migrate to Bishnujee Singh honoured with people wishing to settle and programme, this programme Australia might have to face Idisappointment work anywhere in the country. also accords priority to specific as Australia Doctor of Professional Studies professions like IT and healthcare. Employer-sponsored visas are has drastically overhauled its
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ellow of Engineers Australia Dr Bishnujee Singh, who is also a renowned American Chartered scientist has been conferred with Doctor of Professional studies, an honorary degree, by Latin American University, Universidad Azteca on September 8, 2020 in Mexico.
Dr. Eur Ing Bishnujee Singh
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Universidad Azteca is affiliated with Centro de Estudios Superiores Azteca. The Azteca university was established in 1984 and recognized by the federal Secretary of Public Education (SEP) of the Government of Mexico in 1987.
migration planning programme for 2020-21 in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Engineer in design, development of First series Boeing 777-300 ER and 777-200 LR manufacturing program. He has published several research publications on the impact of aerospace industry due to Covid 19 in various reputed journals under University Grants Commission, government of India. His research areas in Doctorate program has focused on developing recovery plan for United States Aviation Industry impacted by global pandemics.
Based on the recommendation of the Board of Trustees and Governing Council of the Confederation of International Accreditation Council (CIAC) and by scrutiny along with approval of their Board, Director and Chair International programs, Azteca University has granted the honorary degree of Doctor of Professional Studies in the field of Engineering Management to Dr Eur Ing Bishnujee Singh for his splendid performance in the field of Aerospace Engineering. One of the most prestigious awards conferred by Azteca University is the honorary doctoral degree. It is awarded to those individuals who have made extraordinary academic or social contributions, particularly in the fields of relevance and importance at national and international levels.
He has the distinction of being the first Chartered scientist in the history of Aviation with Science council in association with Royal Aeronautical Society, London. He has been Fellow of Royal Aeronautical Society, Fellow of Engineers Australia, Fellow Chartered Mathematician with Institute of Mathematics & Application, UK.
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indus are critical of proposed requirement of English proficiency for partners of Australian residents for gaining permanent visa, saying it is heartbreaking and amounts to cruelty.
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he Indian Film Festival of Melbourne held its ninth edition online, with special tributes to late Bollywood stars Irrfan Khan, Rishi Kapoor and Sushant Singh Rajput.
of freedom and equality in the contemporary world and celebrate diversity that defines us all. “Film is a powerful way to bring people together be it if they are
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“Australia seemed to be defying God/gods as love was the major component of all religions and no scripture told us to only partner with people who knew English,” he said. “Governments should not be in the business of dictating people whom to love, what language your lover should speak, and defining which relationships were “appropriate”. “English language
‘Habaddi’ movie director Nachiket Samant with child actor Karan Dave languages; “Film India World” for films that cross international borders; and the Documentary section. Highlight of the festival also included the micro-budgeted film “Lorni: The Flaneur”; “The Illegal”, a film about immigrants in the US; “Run Kalyani”, a poetic and realist drama about duties, dreams and desires which opened the 2019 New York Indian Film Festival; “The MisEducation of Bindu”; and documentary “Moti Bagh”, which was sent for the Oscar this year.
He is the world record holder for maximum number of professional engineer registration in engineering with World Book of Records, London.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) recently, asked, “When Australian residents fall in love next time, should they ask the partner on the first date—how is your English proficiency? When did it become a sin to love somebody who did not know English?” Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, wondered.
The focus for the permanent migration programme 2020-21 is to assist in the national economic recovery, helping Australian businesses to grow and creating more jobs for Australians.
Late Bollywood actors Rishi Kapoor, Irrfan Khan and Sushant Singh Rajput
He was awarded First British Cayley Award in 2003 as 2nd generation pioneers in Aviation.
English test for partner visas unwarranted, says Hindu statesman
also expected to decline by 22% to 22000 spots.
Indian Film Festival of Melbourne goes online for 2020 edition
He is honored with Fellow of Engineers Australia besides being CPEng and RPEQ with BPEQ Queensland Government.
Dr Bishnujee Singh has a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from The Aeronautical Society of India, New Delhi. He has been Chief Executive Officer of Cayley Aeropace Inc, a Washington government approved Aircraft Engineering Corporation. He has served in Aircraft Manufacturing Industry with distinction over past 26 years. He has been involved as Aircraft Structures
Hindu Statesman Rajan Zed
Under the new migration programme, jobs for immigrants have been lowered considerably as the federal government needs to create more job opportunities for native Australians.
As compared to 2019-20 when 108,682 placements were done in the skill stream, this year only 79,600 placements under the same have been done so far. Even the skilled independent visa allocations have witnessed a sharp decline of 65% as compared to last year as merely 6500 such
Vidya Balan and Sanika Patel in Natkhat The festival, which was held online this year from 23rd October to 30th October due to the coronavirus pandemic, screened more than 60 movies in 17 languages over the course of eight days. Earlier the fest was planned for August, but was postponed due to the burgeoning Covid-19 positive cases. It kicked-off with the screenings of two films -- “Natkhat” and “Habbadi” -- addressing the issues of disability and gender equality. “Indian filmmakers - from independent short filmmakers to our most powerful directors - turn their gaze to issues proficiency” and “love” were two entirely different issues,” Rajan Zed pointed out. Zed urged Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison to move Australia forward and not backward by creating additional burden and stress for lovers by such proposals. “In a multicultural society like Australia,
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sitting in a packed cinema or in in their homes,” IFFM director Mitu Bhowmick Lange said. Calling 2020 as a challenging year for many people, the IFFM partnered with Mental Health Foundation (MHO) Australia and sought participants to donate to MHO while booking. This year, the festival witnessed 34 international premiers and over 50 Australian premiers under five streams. The festival sections were -“Hurrah Bollywood” for the best mainstream Hindi cinema from the last twelve months; “Beyond Bollywood” for art house and cinema in regional Indian Parliament should not approve such ill-conceived and blatantly discriminatory requirements,” he said. Rajan Zed also urged Australian Catholic Bishops Conference General Secretary Stephen Hackett, Anglican Church of Australia Primate Geoffrey Smith and Uniting Church in Australia
The fest honoured the work of stars Rishi Kapoor, Sushant Singh Rajput and Irfan Khan who passed away this year. Apart from this, selected films from its short film festival competition which received an overwhelming response of over 3000 entries, were also made available for online viewing. IFFM statement said that the unprecedented response indicated people’s creativity during lockdown. A selection of short films shot over last 12 months, ‘Made in Melbourne’ showing streets and interiors of Melbourne were also virtually screened during the fest. (Courtesy: PTI) President Deidre Palmer to openly condemn such proposals which created hurdles in love. As per 2016 Census, there were over 300 separately identified languages spoken in Australian homes. More than one-fifth of Australians spoke a language other than English at home.
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INDIA NEWS
Nov 1-15, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 9
INDIANS IN AUSTRALIA
Australia domestic border VHP Cricket Club organizes cricket game restrictions eased V
The new measures followed an easing of restrictions in Victoria announced by Premier Daniel Andrews. Under the eased restrictions, Victoria residents can leave their homes for any reason, and can have a “household bubble” of five visitors. Pubs and restaurants can also serve outdoors. “I want to thank the border communities for their patience. We are able to ease restrictions on the border given the reduced risk of COVID-19 transmission in regional Victoria,” NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard said. Previously, residents of regional Victoria in the border area could only enter NSW for a permitted purpose. According to Hazzard, the border region will also be expanded to include some areas around Pleasant Hills, Lockhart, Benalla, Bright and Mount Beauty. “Any person with an existing
border region permit will be able to take advantage of these changes, which we hope will make day to day life a lot easier for border communities,” Hazzard said. The border policy change also came after a drop in confirmed cases in Victoria, which recorded 28 new cases and eight deaths overnight, the lowest spike in about three months. The state’s 14-day averages also continued to fall. “That is a fantastic outcome and a tribute to the hard work, sacrifice and contribution every single Victorian is making,” Andrews said. However, residents in Melbourne, which moved from stage four to the first step of the roadmap for reopening with modest changes including more social interaction and more time outside, are still not allowed to travel to regional Victoria. People who unlawfully travel to regional Victoria from metropolitan Melbourne will be fined nearly 5,000 U.S. dollars under a new penalty designed to protect the regional areas. Seven permanent checkpoints will be reinforced on major freeways.
ISKCON to relocate and build a new temple
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SKCON in Brisbane, which is currently located at 32 Jennifer Street, is all set to relocate and build its new temple on the neighbouring land owned by ISKCON. A statement from ISKCON stated that it is their priority to commence construction for the new temple as soon as possible and they are exploring options to break up the build into multiple phases. Phase one would allow them to move the deities into a habitable structure with just the essentials. The remainder of the project could be completed at a later stage. Rajiv Pandit, an experienced structural engineer has joined the team to lead the project which is progressing well every day. The temple is very close to entering a “tender Phase” which will involve communicating with potential contractors to gauge a more accurate estimate of the cost of building the temple. Progress is also being made in other areas, including the development of a website which is expected to launch in the first half of November, and some aspects of the new temple design are being finalized, including the layout and the domes. The statement further stated that the project team is working closely with the engineers to determine the construction timeframe. A plan to relocate to the new temple premises is
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Idols of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai being developed based on this timeframe, the statement said. The statement also said that all of this progress is aiding in making the transition to the fundraising phase. “We had intended to start fundraising in March earlier this year, but the global spread of COVID-19 had a significant impact on the ability of potential donors to contribute. However given the sale of 32 Jennifer Street, we cannot delay any longer,” the statement said. “Our goal is to move the deities from 32 Jennifer Street directly into the new temple. This will be an incredible challenge which will only be achievable with Lord Krishna’s mercy and the full support of the community,” the statement further said.
It was a high scoring game (96 in 12 overs) with nail biting finish where both teams showed extraordinary gusto and talent. Motivated by the ‘Nari Shakti’ the men couldn’t resist having their own game (240 in 12 overs) after lunch and some amazing partnership by two new batsmen was also seen. VHP’s Women Cricket Team will participate in South Australian Cricket Association tournament this season.
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Sydney, 19 October: Border restrictions between the states of New South Wales and Victoria eased recently to allow residents to move freely within the region due to a drop in the number of fresh Covid-19 cases.
ishva Hindu Parishad’s VHP Cricket Club organized its first family event to launch the 2020-21 season with an exhibition Mums &Daughters cricket game.
Mum’s Daughters cricket game participants
BAV celebrates Durga Puja 2020 with online cultural programme
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engali Association of Victoria (BAV), an organization of Indian Bengalis which keeps the Bengali culture alive in Australia by celebrating Bengali festivals like Durga Puja and Saraswati Puja; and by organizing various cultural programmes, sought the virtual platform this year to keep alive the festivities associated with the biggest and most sacred festivals of the Bengali community. On the ninth day of Navratri- the nine-day long festival dedicated to Mother Goddess Durga, members of BAV organized a cultural programme in which a wide array of entertaining performances were presented
“Lockdown Agomoni” by the Srishti school of dance members dance that spread the message of solidarity despite the forced social distancing and a new dawn followed by the dispelling
and “Kajra Mohabbat wala”. The virtual programme culminated with a comical play, “Modern Mahishasur Pala”, in which community members dressed up as mythological characters gave a modern and comical twist to an age-old mythological play.
The virtual programme culminated with a comical play, “Modern Mahishasur Pala” remotely via zoom thus, maintaining the tradition of annual celebrations. The programme commenced with a solo Odissi dance performance paying obeisance to Goddess Durga by the community group member, Ishita Mandal followed by a solo Kathak dance performance by Ramana Bhattacharjee on the song “Pujana chali Mahadeva” expressing how Goddess Parvati practiced asceticism and meditation by living in the mountains in order to win over the affection of Lord Shiva. One of the most noteworthy dance performances was “Lockdown Agomoni” by the members of the Srishti school of
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of darkness, which captured the current global scenario where a wave of optimism is imperative so that people do not lose hope. Another equally delightful dance performance by young community members, which was yet again choreographed by the Srishti school of dance, took everyone down the memory lane of simpler childhood days when Durga Puja celebrations were all about letting one’s hair down and enjoying the festivities. Other performances included a dance performance on an instrumental rendition of one of the songs of the popular Bollywood movie “Dil to Paagal hei” and two couple dances on the foot-tapping yet romantic numbers, “Rangamati”
Solo Odissi dance performance Ishita Mandal
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INDIA NEWS “I can hear the roar of women’s silence”, Thomas Sankara once said. Women in every part and corner of the world are now making their mark and setting the bar high. In a patriarchal world they are fighting their
Nov 1-15, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 9 brings to you inspirational stories of some of the extraordinary women among us displaying grit, kindness and leadership of the highest variant. NAARI is a column envisaged by INDIA NEWS Consulting News Editor Ananya
way to rightful and muchdeserved place on the high table challenging stereotypes. They are changing the world for the better and accomplishing herculean undertakings, where others would not dare to tread. INDIA NEWS
NAARI Dhyani paying tribute to women leaders among us who are changing our world without much salutation that they deserve. It is our humble initiative to say ‘thank you’ to them.
Shashi Thakur: A mother cop with courage of steel Ernest Hemingway once rightly said, “Courage is grace under pressure”. Standing up for the ones that cannot defend themselves is bravery. Advocating truth and justice fearlessly is in not only her middle name but also her life’s driving principle. She wears her uniform with pride and holds her position to right the wrong. A crusader for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and a nightmare for the lawbreakers, our NAARI for today is a specimen for valour and kindness. The very bold and audacious Shashi Thakur is the Deputy Superintendent of Police (Dy SP) of Jammu and Kashmir. Khaki is my identity It has nearly been three decades since Dy SP Shashi Thakur joined the police academy. It was the encouragement of her in-laws that boosted her zeal to stand tall against the stereotypes of the society. “Females were a rare sight in the police department back then”, recalls Shashi. Born into a distinguished family that was way ahead of its time and married into a wonderfully supportive family, she was blessed with prosperity. Joining the police training college was a privilege in a generation where women in Khaki were a rarity. While women were still struggling to make an identity outside of the home, Shashi was already becoming a ray of hope for women everywhere and being praised for her commendable work in the police department. As a young achiever she was making heads turn in the division calling out the wrongs with boldness. I am here to stay Dy SP Thakur was always a headstrong woman. She knew it was never going to be easy to make history by being one of the few females admitted into the police force, but she
was prepared. Shashi remarks, “In the police force you get to see it all, from petty domestic quarrels to murders, and the police has to be prepared for everything”. Her first impediment in professional pursuits was acceptance, as her abilities were always questioned even after all the training and hurdles she overcame. Her colleagues saw her as a liability rather than an asset for the police department and giving soft postings in the police control room rather than in the field. It was Shashi Thakur’s firm dedication and discipline towards her service that silenced her critics who questioned her abilities. Over the years she has answered all the questions that were raised on her ability as a deserving police officer.
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Introduction
Empathy makes better officers Shashi Thakur has always believed that her duty as a police officer is incomplete without kindness and empathy. She remarks, “I will never restrain myself from going the extra mile if I have the means to do so”. She adds, “The joy of inspiring people and the pride of serving them justice is the best feeling and it gives me satisfaction in what I do.” A few years ago, she encountered a case where a man wanted to abandon his two daughters after the death of his wife to marry another woman. Shashi was counselling them regularly not knowing how she was inadvertently impacting upon their lives. However, in an unfortunate accident, one of the sisters passed away and the other was fighting for her life in the hospital. Unaware of what had happened she received a distress call from the hospital and upon arrival found out that the girl had listed her as next of kin. With no other relatives and an irresponsible father waiting to take advantage of the situation, Shashi took it upon herself and
Deputy Superintendent of Police of Jammu and Kashmir Shashi Thakur became the girl’s guardian. She took the responsibility of her medical treatment and empowered her with her constant support. The girl is now a police inspector and is happily married. She exclaims, “It does not require much to have empathy and there is no greater honour than helping someone in need. This is my true medal”. Truth always triumphs Crusader of anti-encroachment in Jammu and Kashmir, Shashi Thakur is among the few fearless officers that prevented the illegal encroachment upon state properties. For decades she has fought in courts, not once wavering in her faith in the judicial system. Despite several threats and defamations against her, she remains steadfast in her mission. She is cleansing the rot in the police department which should have been long done. Encroachments are
typically listed under the names of criminals (benami) to prevent anyone from questioning them. “Since when did the crime become above the law?”, she questioned. Katra railway station, Sainik Colony, Reka forest are some of the encroachments that were removed by her accruing crores in revenue to the state. It was her mettle that made it possible for the High Court to move to Katra in Jammu after the encroached land was vacated. “As extraordinary as this sounds there were a lot of dangers associated with it”, remarks Shashi Thakur. She has remained true to her oath and would not let her uniform’s pride be blemished in anyway. After a lot of effort and time, the Anti-Corruption Bureau gave the verdict to demolish these illegal properties. Shashi suggests, “The government is now in motion, but if we could refer these cases to the Central Bureau of Investigation, India’s top investigation agency,
try them as test cases by involving external teams, it will surely fasttrack this process and prevent meddling.” Calm, cool and courageous Shashi Thakur has made great contributions to provincial services, helping found Jammu’s first women cell. She strongly stands for women’s empowerment and believes that empowerment is not just about granting rights. In true essence, it is educating women about their duties, rights and responsibilities collectively that the Constitution of India grants them. She defines NAARI as a cool, calm and courageous catalyst and harbinger of social change. “People may be unfair, but the police department is and will forever be fair and I will always be proud of it,” exclaims DySP Shashi Thakur before requesting leave to attend to her other mission.
SC extends grant of PC for women officers in Navy till Dec 31 New Delhi, Oct 29 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Thursday extended, till December 31, the deadline for implementation of its verdict on grant of permanent commission (PC) to women SSC officers in the Indian Navy. A bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud, Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee passed the order on a civil contempt petition filed by five women officers, through advocate Pooja Dhar, as the officers concerned with the implementation of the March 17 verdict had not taken steps to comply with the directions issued
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by the court. The bench also asked the Centre to provide Rs 25 lakh compensation in four weeks to the five Naval women officers, who were not considered for the permanent commissions besides the pensionary benefits, which has already been given to them. The bench extended the time for grant of permanent commissions SSC women officers in the Navy till December 31. In its March 17 verdict, the top court had said men and women are equal and women should be
treated equally, as it paved the way for permanent commissions for women officers in Navy and directed the Centre to implement the directions within three months. In June, the Centre filed an application in the top court for extension of the deadline by six months against the backdrop of Covid-19 pandemic. “After the judgement was delivered by this court, the petitioners had awaited communication from the respondents regarding the
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compliance of the judgement. However, no such communication was forthcoming. In such circumstances, the petitioners wrote to the respondent, reminding them of their obligation to comply with the directions issued by this court,” said the women officers in their plea, citing various representation sent to officers concerned. The plea claimed that their representations have been ignored and the government has not moved any application for extension of time before the top court.
The Supreme Court of India In the March verdict, the top court had said: “As a one-time measure, all SSC women officers who were before the High Court (Delhi) and the AFT who are not granted PCs shall be deemed to have completed substantive qualifying service for the grant of pension and shall be entitled to all consequential benefits.”
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Australia surpasses 900 Covid-19 deaths
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anberra, October 14 (IANS): Australia has surpassed 900 coronavirus deaths about seven months after reporting its first death. As of October 14 afternoon there had been 904 deaths from Covid-19 in Australia, up from 899 on October 13, Xinhua news agency reported. It comes after Australia confirmed its first death from the virus on March 1 and marks Australia’s deadliest day since seven deaths were reported on September 29. All five deaths were in Victoria, the hardest-hit state by the
Covid-19 pandemic in the country, which now accounts for 90.2 per cent of the country’s coronavirus deaths. It has taken about a month for the death toll to increase from 800 to 900 compared to about eight days for it to grow from 700 to 800, reflecting the subsiding second wave of Covid-19 infections. “Of the 904 deaths in Australia, 690 have been in either residential care or home care,” Greg Hunt, the Minister for Health, said in a press conference in Canberra. The total number of Covid-19
cases in Australia rose to 27,341 on October 14 afternoon, and the number of new cases in last 24 hours is 25, according to the latest figures from Australian Government Department of Health. Victoria confirmed seven new cases and New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state, reported 14 cases, three of which were recently returned travellers in hotel quarantine. It is the second consecutive day that New South Wales has recorded more new cases than Victoria.
Indian-American teenager scientist bags $25K prize towards finding effective cures for influenza disease after a severe bout of the infection last year. But because of the widespread impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, she changed directions to target SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19, she told CNN.
Indian-American teenager scientist Anika Chebrolu New York, October 19 (IANS): Indian-American teenager Anika Chebrolu has won a $25,000 prize for her work on a potential Covid-19 treatment. Along with the prize money, 14-year-old Anika has also been conferred the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist” for winning this year’s 3M Young Scientist Challenge, a middle school science competition in the US. Her invention uses in-silico
methodology for drug discovery to find a molecule that can selectively bind to the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in an attempt to find a cure for the Covid-19 pandemic. Anika, who comes from Frisco, Texas, said that she entered the competition as she has “always been amazed by science experiments” since her childhood, according to 3M. She said she was originally drawn
Anika said she would like to learn more from 3M scientists to pursue her drug development and with their help and that she would like to conduct in-vitro and in-vivo testing of her lead drug candidate. The young scientist, who finds internet to be the most exciting invention of the past 100 years, hopes to become a medical researcher and professor in the next 15 years. When she is not pursuing her education or science goals, Anika trains for the Indian classical dance Bharatanatyam, the CNN report said on October 19.
Sputnik V vaccine gets green signal for clinical trials in India human trials of the Sputnik V, a Covid-19 vaccine made by Russia.
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ew Delhi, October 17 (IANS): The Drug Controller General of India has granted approval to Dr Reddy’s, a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in India, to conduct phase 2 and 3 clinical
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On September 16, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Limited had agreed to cooperate on clinical trials and distribution of Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine in India. Sputnik V, an adenovirus vectorbased vaccine, was developed by
the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, along with the Russian Direct Investment Fund and registered on August 11. Co-chairman and Managing Director of Dr Reddy’s Laboratories, G.V. Prasad in a statement said “This is a significant development that allows us to commence the clinical trials in India and we are committed to bringing in a safe and efficacious vaccine to combat the pandemic.” “On regulatory approval in India, RDIF shall supply to Dr Reddy’s 100 million doses of the vaccine.
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HEALTH
Covid 19 vaccine in advanced stage of development: Modi
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ew Delhi, October 19 (IANS): India is now at the forefront of vaccine development for Covid-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on October 19 while virtually addressing the ‘Grand Challenges’ annual meeting. The assertion came just 48 hours after the Prime Minister chaired a meeting to review India’s vaccine delivery, distribution and administration process. Earlier, the Centre had said that three vaccines are in advanced stages of development in India, out of which two are in Phase II and one is in Phase III. During his address on October 19, Modi said that India has one of the highest recovery rates at 88 per cent. “This happened because India was one of the first countries to adopt a flexible lockdown,” he said. Modi added that India is seeing a decline in the number of daily cases. India’s Covid tally on October 19 crossed the 75 lakh-mark to 75,50,273 cases. Out of these, 7,72,055 are currently active, 66,63,608 have been discharged, while 1,14,610 people have succumbed to the virus.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi Meanwhile, the Prime Minister heaped praises on India’s scientific fraternity and institutions. “They have been India’s biggest assets, especially during the last few months. Be it containment or the issue of capacity building, they have achieved wonders,” the Prime Minister said. He pointed out that the future will be shaped by societies which will choose to invest in science and innovation. However, he warned, “This cannot be attained in a short-sighted way. Investment in science and innovation needs to take place well in advance. Only then can we reap the benefits at the right time.”
Global Covid-19 cases cross 41.1mn: Johns Hopkins Washington, October 22 (IANS): The overall number of global coronavirus cases has increased to more than 41.1 million, while the deaths have soared to more than 1,130,400, according to the Johns Hopkins University. As of October 22 morning, the total number of cases stood at 41,148,042, while the death toll surged to 1,130,405, the University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed in its latest update. The US is the worst-hit country with the world’s highest number of cases and deaths at 8,333,591 and 222,063, respectively, according to the CSSE. India comes in second place in terms of cases at 7,651,107, while the country’s death toll soared to 115,914. The other top 15 countries with The Sputnik V vaccine, which is based on well-studied human adenoviral vector platform with proven safety, is undergoing clinical trials for the coronavirus pandemic,” a statement from the Russian fund had earlier stated. The Russian Direct Investment Fund had also said that the deliveries could potentially begin in late 2020 subject to
the maximum amount of cases are Brazil (5,298,772), Russia (1,438,219), Argentina (1,037,325), Spain (1,005,295), France (1,000,369), Colombia (981,700), Peru (874,118), Mexico (867,559), the UK (792,194), South Africa (708,359), Iran (545,286), Chile (495,637), Italy (449,648), Iraq (438,265) and Bangladesh (393,131), the CSSE figures showed. Brazil currently accounts for the second highest number of fatalities at 155,403. The countries with a death toll above 10,000 are Mexico (87,415), the UK (44,248), Italy (36,705), Spain (34,366), France (34,075), Peru (33,875), Iran (31,346), Colombia (29,464), Argentina (27,519), Russia (24,786), South Africa (18,741), Chile (13,719), Indonesia (12,857), Ecuador (12,453), Belgium (10,489) and Iraq (10,418). completion of successful trials and registration of the vaccine by regulatory authorities in India. “The agreement between RDIF and Dr Reddy’s reflects the growing awareness of countries and organisations to have a diversified anti-COVID vaccine portfolio to protect their populations,” RDIF added.
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BMC headquarters to open as a weekend tourist attraction admire its architecture. Both the CSMT and the BMC Building were designed by British architect Frederick W. Stevens. “It’s a building that’s always captured my imagination and left millions like me awestruck. I’m sure that not just tourists, but many Mumbaikars would also love to see the building of the BMC headquarters, the way Mumbai is run from in here and seek inspiration from the historic figures that built the city from here,” Thackeray said in a tweet. Housed in a Grade IIA Heritage building, the BMC - the biggest and richest civic body in Asia has been politically controlled by the Shiv Sena for nearly a quarter century.
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umbai, October 14 (IANS): The iconic, V-shaped Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) headquarters -- opposite the UNESCO World Heritage Site Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT)-- will soon be opened for tourists, Tourism Minister Aditya
Thackeray has announced. A memorandum was signed on October 13 between the BMC administration and the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation to throw open the civic headquarters for tourists on weekends to
The agreement was signed in the presence of Thackeray, Minister of State for Tourism Aditi Tatkare, Mayor Kishori Pednekar, BMC Commissioner I.S. Chahal, BMC Additional Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, Principal Secretary Tourism Valsa Nair-Singh, MTDC Managing Director Ashutosh Salil and other officials.
TRAVEL & TOURISM
IGIA emerges as world’s second safest airport amid pandemic New Delhi, October 21 (IANS): Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has bagged the second position amongst the world’s safest airports. The Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) said that ‘Safe Travel Barometer’ has certified Delhi airport as the second safest airport for effective implementation of coronavirus health and safety protocols. “Close on the heels of Singapore Changi Airport, which scored 4.7 out of 5, Delhi’s IGIA has bagged the second position in the ‘Safe Travel Barometer’s’ list by scoring 4.6,” DIAL said in a statement. “Besides, Frankfurt Airport and Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport have also secured the second position, each tied at 4.6 out of 5.” The ‘Safe Travel Score’ is an industry-first rating initiative by ‘Safe Travel Barometer’, which
assessed more than 200 airports on their implementation of coronavirus health and safety protocols during the Covid-19 pandemic. The barometer is considered among the world’s largest and most comprehensive tools to monitor traveller health and safety protocols. “With this achievement, Delhi Airport also becomes India’s safest airport for various safety measures taken by DIAL to help control the spread of coronavirus,” the statement said. “These include the launch of ‘RT-PCR’ testing laboratory, implementation of touchless initiatives to enhance the passenger experience, ‘UV’ based disinfection process and development of ‘AIR SUVIDHA’ portal for easy and hassle-free arrival process of India-bound international passengers.”
Mysuru decks up for Pushkar Fair likely to be cancelled scaled-down Dasara fest amid Covid this year due to Covid J
aipur, October 15 (IANS): A pall of gloom has descended on travel and tourism stakeholders in Rajasthan with the state Tourism Department indicating the world-famous Pushkar Fair is headed for cancellation this year in wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Pushkar Fair is one of the world’s largest cattle fairs. The nine-day event, which witnesses trading of thousands of camels and horses, was scheduled to start from November 22, but there is no official word yet whether it will be held or not. A senior Tourism Department official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told IANS that although there is no confirmation yet about the event’s fate, it seems certain that it won’t take place as per the advisory issued by the
Home Department. “The advisory limits the gathering of people to 100 in any event being organised in the state,” said the official, adding: “There will be a challenge to limit the number of people coming in from different villages if the fair is organised and hence it is difficult to give the go ahead to the event.” “We have asked the Animal
Husbandry Department to call a meeting so that official information on the fair can be disseminated,” he said. Meanwhile, stakeholders, in view of the silence of tourism officials on Pushkar Fair, have started discussing its impact on tourism as well as on the rural economy, as the event was a big source of business for locals as well as the tourism industry.
Sayani Gupta celebrates her birthday in Goa
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After staying at home for the longest time, I needed a break and some time to pamper myself. With travel reopening, I knew I had the perfect opportunity to get away,” said versatile actor Sayani Gupta.
colours of the Goan sea in mind. This calm and relaxing space, called ‘Tranquil Haven in Siolim’ imbibes the spirit of the ocean, sky, and earth, with lots of natural light pouring in along with a private garden.
The promising young star is in the sunshine state of Goa, where she is looking to find inspiration for yet another mind-blowing performance. Sayani has been staying at a gorgeous Live Anywhere home on Airbnb, designed with the soothing
“This year, I had an urge to drive away from the city, to be by myself and enjoy some quiet time while reconnecting with nature. Life has been stressful and unpredictable for all of us, for the past few months, and this metime by the beach is something
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I am looking forward to refresh and recharge. I am glad I have the option to ‘Live Anywhere’ with Airbnb,” adds Gupta. While many are actively seeking new and innovative ways to look after themselves and manage their well-being, there is no antidote to the new normal like traveling. True to the spirit of Live Anywhere, provide the perfect getaway with the freedom to live and work from anywhere.
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ew Delhi, October 21 (IANS): Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) has bagged the second position amongst the world’s safest airports. The Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) said that ‘Safe Travel Barometer’ has certified Delhi airport as the second safest airport for effective implementation of coronavirus health and safety protocols. “Close on the heels of Singapore Changi Airport, which scored 4.7 out of 5, Delhi’s IGIA has bagged the second position in the ‘Safe Travel Barometer’s’ list by scoring 4.6,” DIAL said in a statement. “Besides, Frankfurt Airport and Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport have also secured the second position, each tied at 4.6 out of 5.” The ‘Safe Travel Score’ is an industry-first rating initiative by ‘Safe Travel Barometer’, which
assessed more than 200 airports on their implementation of coronavirus health and safety protocols during the Covid-19 pandemic. The barometer is considered among the world’s largest and most comprehensive tools to monitor traveller health and safety protocols. “With this achievement, Delhi Airport also becomes India’s safest airport for various safety measures taken by DIAL to help control the spread of coronavirus,” the statement said. “These include the launch of ‘RT-PCR’ testing laboratory, implementation of touchless initiatives to enhance the passenger experience, ‘UV’ based disinfection process and development of ‘AIR SUVIDHA’ portal for easy and hassle-free arrival process of India-bound international passengers.”
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ENERGY & RESOURCES
Indian Cabinet approves India-Australia MoU Green recovery plans
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ew Delhi, October 14 (IANS): The Union Cabinet on October 14 gave approval for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and Australia on ground water management last year. The Central Ground Water Board,
Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga rejuvenation, India had inked the MoU with the Managing Aquifer Recharge and Sustaining Groundwater Use Through Village-level Intervention PARTNERS, Australia in October
last year. The MoU aims to promote cooperation in surface and groundwater training, education and research to achieve water security for agricultural, urban, industrial and environmental purposes.
Coal demand slated to rise in festive season: India Ratings and Research
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ew Delhi, October 21 (IANS): Coal demand is expected to pick up on a year-on-year (YoY) basis as the end-user industries ramp-up capacity utilisations during the festive season, said India Ratings and Research (IndRa) on October 21. The ratings agency cited that coal demand is expected to rise as the end-user industries ramp-up their capacity utilisations to cater to improved demand for their products, gradually overcoming Covid-19 led disruptions. “Coal supply is also expected to improve YoY, given the easing of mobility restrictions, receding inventory levels at power stations and the government’s continued focus on reducing coal imports,
by entering into definitive agreements with end-users to substitute imported coal with domestic coal,” the ratings agency said in a release.
production bounced back sharply in September 2020 to 43.9MT, higher 25.3 per cent YoY and 10.7 per cent MoM, despite the monsoon season.
“The green shoots of demand in the economy indicate a recovery path ahead. Supported by a 4 per cent YoY recovery in domestic power demand for the first time after six consecutive months of a lower YoY demand, coal offtake recovered strongly by 26.6 per cent YoY to 50.1MT in September 2020, higher 6.3 per cent month on month (MoM).”
“Such recovery has been seen after subdued production for the four consecutive months over April-July 2020, followed by a marginal 1.8 per cent YoY recovery in August 2020,” the statement said.
“The increased demand was also partially fed by inventory at power stations.” Accordingly, domestic coal
“Domestic coal imports are likely to have been lower in September 2020 YoY, due to the consistent push from the government of India to reduce coal imports, especially non-coking coal, which can be substituted partially by domestic coal.”
Indian Prime Minister discusses wind energy sector issues with Vestas
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ew Delhi, October 7 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has interacted with Henrik Anderson, president and CEO, Vestas on the issues related to the wind energy sector and highlighted India’s efforts to harness renewable energy. “Had an insightful interaction with Mr. Henrik Andersen, President and CEO, @Vestas. We discussed a series of issues relating to the wind energy sector. Highlighted some of India’s efforts to harness renewable energy in order to build a cleaner future for the coming generations,” PM Modi tweeted on October 6. “Great talk with Hon’ble PM @ narendramodi on innovative ideas that can push the envelope in the #energytransition. Very insightful and we are very much
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ew Delhi, October 21 (IANS): Oil cartel OPEC may decide on extending the existing level of production cuts beyond December to keep the crude price stable next year as the extended run of Covid-19 pandemic threatens to keep demand under check over a longer period, though the global economy looks to reach closer normalcy next year. Oil sector experts, privy to the development said that an Ordinary Meeting of OPEC is scheduled in Vienna on November 30. This meeting, they said, may also discuss extension
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looking forward to a continued collaboration and increased footprint in India”, Anderson said in a tweet. “We’re thankful to be able to exchange ideas and ambitions with you, Prime Minister, as you are equally committed to building a more #sustainablefuture. Today we’re launching the V155 turbine as a first step towards this,” the company tweeted. Vestas has introduced a lowwind variant suited for India’s wind market and expands its production footprint in the country. The global demand for sustainable energy solutions in low and ultra-low wind areas continues to grow as renewable technology improves in efficiency and cost. This trend is especially prominent in India, the world’s of production cuts beyond December and is likely to seal a deal in this regard after having few more parleys over next one month. “Demand recovery reversal due to rising infections and/or Iran’s supply rise are risks to oil price but to counter these risks, OPEC can delay pruning of production cuts from 7.7 million barrels of oil per day (mbpd) to 5.8 mbpd to a later date or deepen cuts,” a research report by ICICI Securities has said. Though oil is out of the woods with demand recovering from April 2020 lows, and demand
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi
can create more jobs than ‘return-to-normal’ stimulus, suggests Study N ew Delhi, October 19 (IANS): If all major nations, including India, developed strong plans for a green recovery from COVID-19, global annual emissions would be seven per cent lower in 2030 than in 2019 and millions of new jobs would be created in the energy, transport and materials sectors. An analysis, commissioned by the We Mean Business coalition and conducted by Cambridge Econometrics, on October 19 showed green recovery plans boost income, employment and GDP better than return-tonormal stimulus measures, with the added benefit of reducing emissions. In all geographies modelled, including the EU, Germany, Poland, the UK, the US and India, green recovery plans were found to be more effective than returnto-normal stimulus approaches that reduce VAT rates and encourage households to resume spending. Hector Pollitt, Chief Economist, Cambridge Econometrics, told IANS: “The full effects of Covid-19 in India are yet to be determined but they are likely to be severe.” “Stimulus measures could hasten the eventual recovery, with green measures especially effective. However, the green measure
that gives the biggest boost to GDP (electric vehicle promotion) will not reduce CO2 emissions while India remains reliant on coal-fired generation. To obtain economic and environmental benefits simultaneously, India will also need to implement measures to boost low-carbon electricity generation.” The analysis models a five point ‘green recovery plan’ and a ‘return-to-normal’ plan, each at an equal cost to the government. The green recovery plan includes a (smaller) reduction in VAT and public investment in energy efficiency, subsidies for wind and solar power, public investment in upgrading electricity grids, car scrappage schemes in which subsidies are only provided to electric vehicles and tree planting programmes. Both recovery plans provide immediate boosts to output and employment, but the impact is consistently larger in the green recovery plan. The key findings include that the green recovery plan in the EU would result in two million more jobs by 2024 whilst a green US recovery would deliver nearly one million more jobs than a returnto-normal plan.
OPEC may extend production cuts beyond December
fourth largest wind energy market, where the energy demand is expected to double and the government intends to add around 100 GW wind power in the predominantly low-wind market by 2030.
exceeding supply from June 2020, the fresh wave of the pandemic in Europe and increasing cases in US has thrown fresh concerns over normalcy returning to the market anytime soon. Global crude oil price has moved between $40-42 per barrel range for last couple of months even through rising demand in recent months has created minor supply shortage of oil in the market. According to US Energy Information Administration, global oil demand has exceeded supply since June 2020 with global supply deficit at 1.7-3.6 mbpd in June-September 2020
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vs supply surplus of 19.5 mbpd in April 2020. But concerns remain over continuation of demand rise into 2021 over the pandemic. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has estimated global oil demand to rise by 5.5 mbpd YoY but supply rise is estimated at only 2 mbpd YoY in CY21E, assuming OPEC+ prunes cuts to 5.8 mbpd from January 2021
and Libyan output ramps up; thus, supply deficit of 1.2 mbpd is estimated in CY21E vs surplus of 2.2 mbpd in CY20E. But according to ICICI Securities, these numbers may come under pressure if the pandemic run is extended. Therefore, experts said that OPEC decision will be closely watched as continuation of production cuts would support oil prices if demand remains subdued.
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Indian Prime Minister lauds higher enrolment of girls in higher education enrolling for higher education, which augurs well for the country’s development. In IITs (Indian Institute of Technology), their (girls) enrolment has gone up to 30 per cent in 6 years from 8 per cent in 2014,” said Modi in Hindi while delivering the centenary convocation address of the University of Mysore through virtual mode from New Delhi. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi ysuru, October 19 (IANS): Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 19 lauded more enrolment of girls in higher education, especially in professional courses like engineering and medicine.
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“I am glad to learn more girls are
Modi also hailed the century-old university for having more young women graduating in higher education than young men. Advising the university’s faculty and students to become more innovative, the Prime Minister said the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 would help them to become more competitive in multi-disciplinary programmes.
“It is for the first time in the country such sweeping reforms in the education field have been ushered in for multiple sectors such as incubation, technology development, industry-academic linkage and inter-disciplinary subjects,” said Modi. Exhorting the students to strive for excellence, Modi advised them to think out of box ideas, especially in the area of startups for achieving self-reliance (atmanribhar) in diverse areas. “The NEP will bring about fundamental changes in the education set up from prenursery to PhD (research), as the need of the hour is for a multidimensional approach to become globally competitive and locally productive,” said Modi in his 25-minute address.
Indian Supreme Court to examine if universities can be sued under consumer law
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ew Delhi, October 21 (IANS): The Indian Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal, challenging a verdict of National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission , which raised the question, whether an educational institution or university can be sued for deficiency in services under the consumer protection law. A bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud, Indu Malhotra and Indira Banerjee, admitting the appeal, said: “Since there are divergent views of this court bearing on the subject as to whether an educational institution or University would be subject to the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act 1986, the appeal would require admission.” The order was passed by the top court on October 15.
The appeal has been filed by Manu Solanki and other students of a medical course against Vinayaka Mission University at Salem, Tamil Nadu. The top court also asked advocate Soumyajit, representing the caveator university, to file the response within six weeks. The students have alleged that the university has indulged in unfair trade practice and there was deficiency of service, as it induced them to take admission in a course on an assurance that requisite approvals from the authorities have been obtained. In 2005-2006, the students were admitted in an offshore programme of two-year study in Thailand and two-and-a half year study in the university in India. They were assured that the MBBS
final degree is recognised by the Indian Government and Medical Council of India. However, after completion of studies in Thailand, the students were told to continue their course there. The students’ in their plea said they were informed that a Foreign Medical Degree will be conferred on them and they would have to appear for screening test in India. The university had objected to the maintainability of this plea contending that petitioners are not consumers and education is not a commodity. The university cited top court verdicts in the Maharishi Dayanand University and in the PT Koshy cases where it was held that education is not a commodity and educational institutions do not provide any kind of service.
Riddi Viswanathan conferred with Pioneer Alumni of the Year award
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ew Delhi, October 18 (IANS): UK Based Indian student leader Riddi Viswanathan, who is a graduate from the University of Manchester, has been awarded Global International Education Award 2020 for her contributions towards diverse student communities, particularly for her vital role in the campaign and addressing hate crime in UK Universities. Riddi has held leadership positions in the UK as the former diversity officer and the First full-time International Students’ Officer at the University of Manchester Students’ Union. She has also been elected as the Overseas Representative 2019-20
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for the National Union of Students (NUS) UK, where she has been the first Indian to represent over 400,000 overseas students from over 192 countries in the UK. Riddi, a native of Puducherry, shared the ‘Pioneer Alumni of the Year’ award with Thomson Ch’ng from Curtin University, Australia. The Pioneer awards are the only global awards that celebrate innovation and achievement across the international education world. This year the awards had a total of 18 categories. On winning the award, Riddi Viswanathan told the IANS, “I am truly grateful to the University of Manchester, my students’ union, my family and friends for always
encouraging me. This is definitely a great moment for me as we celebrate international education but the challenges faced by the migrant students across the globe due to the pandemic spread has somehow faded the celebration. We can truly celebrate international education when all students, regardless of the colour of their passports can access education equally, globally.” “I am delighted to hear that Riddi has won this award. It is so well deserved and a great recognition of all the work she has done for diverse student communities,” said Nancy Rothwell, President and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Manchester.
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EDUCATION
Education can integrate Muslims with the mainstream
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ew Delhi, October 19 (IANS): Kaleemul Hafeez began his career as a works engineer in the School of Planning and Architecture in Delhi, turned entrepreneur and then evolved into an educationist. These days, Hafeez runs a well-known school and coaching centre, besides his own company which is into hospitality and other diverse fields. Having been orphaned at the age of 13, Hafeez completed his education with much hardship but learnt valuable life lessons after moving to Delhi. Once in Delhi, Hafeez came in contact with a number of influential people including politicians and others working in the field of education, many of them hailing from South India. The perception was that North Indian Muslims lagged behind in education.
Kaleemul Hafeez like that but now, when you see social media, the kind of stuff written or posted there about the community is disgusting.” But when asked who should be blamed for backwardness of the community, he says there are three big culprits: religious leaders, political leaders and social leaders.
So Hafeez started working on this and established a CBSE School upto class XII at Badayun in Uttar Pradesh and a coaching centre in Delhi. Today 78 children from his coaching centre have cleared the coveted NEET exam.
Religious leaders did not involve the community in politics except telling them it is not their work, the political leadership got a chance but lacked vision, while social leaders were not bothered about the community’s upliftment but just bickered with each other, elaborates Hafeez.
The young educationist is astonished with the kind of communal division in the country. Hafeez says the society at large doesn’t discriminate but there is politics involved in it. “I have never faced anything
He also runs a reputed NGO dedicated to social service and disaster relief work.
Hafeez runs the 40-acre AlHafeez Educational Academy, in Budaun, Uttar Pradesh, besides a CBSE school and an NIOS Centre.
Work like warriors to implement NEP: Karnataka Deputy CM
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engaluru, October 21 (IANS): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Ashwath Narayana on October 21 said that all stakeholders need to work like warriors towards the phasewise implementation of the New Education Policy (NEP). Narayana, who is Minister for Higher Education, was speaking on an online platform on the ‘Role of Competent Authorities in Prosperity of Universities’, jointly organised by Bharatiya Shikshana Mandala Karnataka North Chapter and Rani Channamma University of Belagavi here. He maintained that the policy -- whose phase-wise implementation will begin by 2021 --is expected to impact socioeconomic changes in a big way. “We all need to work like warriors to implement this ambitious policy.” He called on authorities concerned to prepare themselves
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Ashwath Narayana to play a vital role in NEP implementation at the universitylevel. “Syndicates and Academic Councils of all universities in the state should also strive hard to implement NEP, which will ensure greater transparency and accountability,” he added.
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WHAT’S ON
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India shifting rapidly towards indigenously-made supercomputers N
ew Delhi, October 21 (IANS): India is fast expanding its supercomputer facilities and developing the capacity to manufacture its own supercomputers in the country, the Ministry of Science and Technology said on October 21. The National Super Computing Mission (NSM) is rapidly boosting high power computing in the country through its various phases to meet the increasing computational demands of academia, researchers, MSMEs, and startups in areas like oil exploration, flood prediction as also genomics, and drug discovery, it said. With the infrastructure planned in NSM Phase-I already installed and much of Phase-II in place, the network of supercomputers through the country will soon reach to around 16 petaflops (PF), the ministry said.
Phase-III, to be initiated in January 2021, will take the computing speed to around 45 petaflops. The NSM is jointly steered by the Ministry of Electronics and IT and Department of Science and Technology (DST) and implemented by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune and the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. Param Shivay, the first supercomputer assembled indigenously, was installed in IIT-BHU, followed by Param Shakti and Param Brahma at IIT-Kharagpur and IISER, Pune, respectively. Work on Phase-III will start in 2021 and will include three systems of 3 PF each and one system of 20 PF as a national facility.
The mission has also created the next generation of supercomputer experts by training more than 2,400 supercomputing manpower and faculties till date.
ew Delhi, October 21 (IANS): Days after Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman indicated that a further economic stimulus is not off the table, Secretary, Economic Affairs, Tarun Bajaj on October 21 said the Centre is open for further measures to boost the economy. Participating at a CII event, he said that the government has received suggestions from various ministries and sectors on the needed measures. Bajaj also said that while preparing the next Union Budget, the government would be looking at expenditure for this year and the requirements of various ministries. “We have been pushing
government departments to undertake capital expenditure to create a multiplier effect in the economy. We will allocate more money for capital expenditure wherever necessary in our revised estimates too,” he said. The senior official’s statement comes after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on October 19 said that the Centre has not closed the option for another stimulus package. On October 12, the Finance Minister announced a number of measures to induce government employees to spend in the upcoming festive season, including a ‘LTC Cash Voucher Scheme’ and a ‘Special Festival Advance Scheme’.
Such indigenously designed systems with most parts designed and manufactured in India will be installed at places like IIT-Mumbai, IIT-Chennai, and Inter-University Accelerator Centre (IUAC) at Delhi, C-DAC, Pune, which are covered under Phase-III and help move towards supercomputers developed and manufactured totally in India paving the way for self-reliance in the field.
In May, the government came up with the much talked-about Rs 20 lakh crore ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ economic package. Both the rounds of stimulus so far have received flak along with appreciation from the industry and experts, as many are of the opinion that they are inadequate, more so in terms of boosting demand. A recent Moody’s report said that that the second round of fiscal stimulus amounts to just 0.2 per cent of the country’s real GDP forecast for the financial year 2021 and in total, the two rounds of stimulus bring the government’s direct spending on coronavirusrelated fiscal support to just around 1.2 per cent of GDP.
Bezos vs Ambani: Massive battle for India’s retail crown An emergency hearing of the arbitration took place in Singapore on October 16. Harish Salve appeared for the Future Retail (being acquired by RIL) while Singapore-based lawyer Davinder Singh appeared on behalf of Future Coupons Pvt Ltd. (FCPL), the holding company of Kishore Biyani. Gopal Subramanium, former Solicitor General of India, appeared for Amazon.
Mukesh Ambani (left) and Jeff Bezos
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ew Delhi, October 20 (IANS): The arbitration proceedings between Amazon and Kishore Biyani have begun in Singapore. Former Attorney General of Singapore, V.K. Rajah concluded
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the arbitration hearing on October 16. Rajah, former Attorney General of Singapore, is the sole arbitrator in the Amazon vs. Future vs. Reliance arbitration matter.
Jewellery brand Tanishq latest victim of cyberbullying
Experts said that the pace at which things are moving forward, we may soon have the motherboards and sub-systems manufactured in India, making the supercomputers indigenously designed and manufactured.
Centre open to take forward economic stimulus: Indian Secy
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BUSINESS & TRADE
The hearing is said to have lasted for five hours. When contacted, an Amazon spokesperson said, ‘We cannot comment as the matter is subjudice’.
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A shot from the Tanishq _Ekatvam_ advertisement
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ew Delhi, October 15 (IANSlife): Celebrities and influencers are often the target of cyber bullying and trolling, but the latest victim to a long list of names is jewellery brand Tanishq. The retail brand from Titan Company Ltd (Tata Group) finds itself in what can only be described as caught between a rock and a hard place in its attempt to celebrate the “coming together of people from different walks of life.” Ahead of the festive season, traditionally a time when people across the country buy and invest in gold, Tanishq has ruffled feathers for releasing a 45-second advertisement for its latest collection ‘Ekatvam’, wherein it tried to showcase “unity in oneness” by depicting a moment between a Hindu daughter-in-law and her Muslim mother-in-law. The brand has received censure for promoting what some have called “Love Jihad” and these sections have shouted out to viewers to #BoycottTanishq. After the jewellery major pulled the advertisement down for hurting sentiments, it was then called out for giving into cyber bullying and not sticking to its stand by those who believe that there was absolutely nothing wrong with the video. Tanishq was quick to release a statement on its Twitter handle clarifying, “The idea behind the Ekatvam campaign is to celebrate the coming together That judgement will eventually decide the fate of Reliance’s deal with the Future Group. Amazon’s investment in FCPL is around Rs. 1500 crore, which is an insignificant amount for Jeff Bezos, the richest man in the world and CEO of Amazon. According to experts, Amazon’s legal salvo at Future is indirectly aimed to thwart Reliance’s attempt to establish its leadership position in the Indian retail sector. Analysts see this as a war between the world’s richest man Jeff
of people from different walks of life, local communities and families during these challenging times and celebrate the beauty of oneness. This film has stimulated divergent and severe reactions, contrary to its very objective. We are deeply saddened by the inadvertent stirring of emotions and withdraw this film keeping in mind the hurt sentiments and wellbeing of our employees, partners and store staff.” A series of illustrations have now replaced the advertisement on the company’s social media accounts. On the one hand politician Shashi Tharoor has spoken out in favour of the advertisement, while on the other, actress Kangana Ranaut has criticised it. Advertisement bodies have come out in support of the brand and have demanded action against what they call “intimidating behaviour”. The Advertising Club released a statement on behalf of the Indian Media and Advertising Industry strongly “condemning the threatening and targeting of ‘Tanishq’ and its employees in regards to their latest advertisement”, emphasising it breaks no “ethical standards, is not derogatory to any person, organisation or religion and does not hurt any national sentiment.” Rejecting a complaint against the advertisement for “promoting communal intermingling”, The Advertising Standards Council of India said that there is no violation of any code. Bezos, having a net worth of $ 204.6 billion and India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani with a (net worth of $ 88.4 billion) for control over India’s retail sector.
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Nov 1-15, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 9
ARTS & LITERATURE
Epitome of courage, Rituparna Chatterjee, author of ‘The Water Phoenix’ New Delhi, October 23 (IANS): How many women have the courage to portray in graphic detail the sexual abuse they have suffered from age six? Rituparna Chatterjee grew up through the “sheer hell” of it; and “healed and made peace with the demons” to write “The Water Phoenix” (Bloomsbury), a memoir that she describes not as a catharsis for her but one which she hopes will serve as a purge for the many grownups who have never spoken out about their own horrors of being abused and who are already reaching out. “I was afraid to write it though, even more so when I was told it won’t work as auto fiction but it would be very powerful as a memoir, especially because stories of healing from abuse are extremely rare. Writing it was therefore an act of courage,” Chatterjee told IANS in an email interview from San Fransisco,
where she is now settled -- far away from the rural Bengal where she was born.
“I wasn’t afraid to revisit what had happened, for I am the very rare case of someone who has healed. This is also why this book was not a catharsis for me. But it will be for the many grownups who have never spoken about their own horrors of being abused and who are already reaching out. I’m frankly overwhelmed. We need more such stories so that there is a collective catharsis,” she added. However, it was not a book Chatterjee set out to write. “I was trying to write another novel but it was not going anywhere. I sought refuge in writing poetry, as I have done since childhood, and finished two volumes that I’ve chosen to never publish. And still, no traction with the novel. Then while painting, ‘The Water Phoenix’ came, wanting to burst out, and so it did, writing itself fairly quickly.” Set in five parts -- Childhood,
Boarding School, Bombay, Forgiveness and Freedom -- the tale unfolds through 21 chapters. It begins with the earliest memories from a highly intuitive toddler’s beautiful world, steeped in magic realism; being raped at six by a family elder and having her first near death experience; attending sex education classes for high school girls by orthodox nuns that turns her internal world into a horror movie; deciding it’s best to avoid the opposite sex altogether; successive near death experiences; a very joyful family event but where she’s face-to-face with the original rapist; Bombay becomes a haven; and transforming her life by becoming a healer now that she has transcended abuse. The final chapter is very appropriately titled “I Am Not My Story: Life as Art”. “Life is art. The greatest art there is. What happened does not matter. What matters today is what you do with the past. When you let go of your story and live
in the now, infinite possibilities show up....
“Today, a family of redwoods watch over me from my bedroom window” - just like the tall peepul tree in her garden when she was two-and-a-half-years-old, Chatterjee concludes the book. “Children’s books made me happy no matter how dark life was,” Chatterjee said during the interview. So, she started off by nursing her wounded inner child and writing a children’s novella, “The Plight of the Purple Genie” in 2007.
However, with the demands of her job as a foreign correspondent for a leading Indian economic daily (for which she continues to write a lifestyle column) “working on multiple time zones, I didn’t have the bandwidth to incorporate the edits publishers had suggested”, she said. In the end, she abandoned this and wrote a series of short stories for children which got published in children’s anthologies. These
challenged the status quo by showing maids were feminist incarnations of mother goddesses like Durga, uncomfortable relationships between stepchildren of divorced parents turning into deep bonds, feminist, no-nonsense, badass grandmothers who chose to live alone and independent lives, inspiring spoiled rich grandkids to find their own self-concepts and work towards them, et al. “Childhood never really ends and our childhood selves never leave us for they are our purest essence, when we felt things deeply. I would tell stories of my childhood, read from the unpublished novella and narrate my own baby adventures to my child. So now, with the luxury of hindsight, it seems like ‘The Water Phoenix’, and its genre, a magic realism memoir, were natural progression,” Chatterjee concluded. May the Force always be with her!
Mahatma Gandhi believed in utilitarian art: Indian-American Indologist Carolina, told IANS in an interview about her seminal work, “Gandhi in the Gallery -- The Art of Disobedience” (Roli Books).
Indian-American Indologist Sumathi Ramaswamy New Delhi, October 15 (IANS): Mahatma Gandhi was a finicky master choreographer of his own image, dismissed most works of art around him as lacking a soul, was not a patient or good “sitter”, and thus an “indifferent muse”. And yet, artists were repeatedly drawn to him, says noted IndianAmerican Indologist Sumathi Ramaswamy in a path-breaking book that chronicles the manner in which artists have portrayed the Father of the Nation for more than a century. Gandhi “was a master choreographer of his own image”, satyagraha “was itself an aesthetic form and social scientists who ignore this fact really missed a foundational aspect of the Mahatma’s way of being and relating to the world”, Ramaswamy, James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of History and International Comparative Studies at Duke University at Durham in North
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For instance, in a conversation in October 1924 with Santiniketan-trained Gandhian G. Ramachandran, he stated point blank that “all true art is the expression of the soul”, and dismissed most works of arts that he saw around him as not embodying “the soul’s upward urge and unrest”, Ramaswamy said. Art, if it had to count for Gandhi, had to be “useful” - and to be of service “to the people”; hence his emphasis on “craft” rather than “art” per se. So, he also had a rather utilitarian and even instrumentalist idea of what constituted “art”. By all accounts, including by artists’ reporting of attempts to pose for him, he was not a very patient or good “sitter” and hence “my characterization of him” as “indifferent muse”. And yet, artists were drawn to him, again and repeatedly, Ramaswamy said. “Drawn to him” would be an understatement, given that every artist you can name, from Jamini Roy, to Nandlal Bose, Aparna Caur, M.F. Hussain, Atul Dodiya, Bhupen Khakhar, Paresh Maiti, S.H. Raza, Vivian Sundaram, L.N. Tallur (whose luminous sculpture adorns the cover of the book), Ram Rahman, Margaret BourkeWhite and Henri Cartier-Bresson, to name just a few, have produced at least one work on the Mahatma, 130 of which are reproduced in the book.
“One of the things that got me really intrigued in the course of (writing this book) is the fact that drawing, painting, sculpting Gandhi is almost a rite of passage with artists of India - and not just in Gandhi’s life time but especially since the 1990s. Both the most famous of artists, and then newest of artists have produced at least one work on him. In fact, at one point, I even began to look for artists who have not produced any work about him, and wondered if pursuing this angle would be a useful way to think about what is it about the Mahatma that captures the imagination of the artist,” Ramaswamy said. “As to why they are drawn to him - I think there are numerous reasons and the reasons shift over time... minimally they see in him a fellow artist, someone who was seeking to live a life creatively and conducting his life in a creative manner. For artists since the 1990s, especially those on the secular Left, I have also suggested that they are drawn to Gandhi as a means to another end; he becomes a means through which to speak out against the growing intolerance of Indian society, the runaway consumption, the increasing use of state violence, and so on. This is what I mean when I characterize the Indian artist as Gandhi’s conscience keeper,” the author added. In doing so, these artists also acknowledge how “this most disobedient of ‘modern’ icons has grabbed their attention, resulting in a veritable art of disobedience as a homage to one of the
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twentieth century’s prophets of disobedience” the author said -- which explains the book’s subtitle. How did the book come about? Growing up in India in the 1970s as a committed Nehruvian Gandhi was not really on her horizon other than as a symbolic personage -- Ramaswamy learned to appreciate him more as a teacher in a US classroom -- “as you may know, and alas, Gandhi is perhaps the only Indian the average US student knows of, so several of us who teach Indian history approach the subcontinent through the lens of Gandhi. It is through teaching that I got hooked, if you will”, the author explained. So, she was primed, in a manner of speaking to begin engaging with Gandhi visually - which she did at first in her monograph “The Goddess and the Nation” (2010) in which she explored the colourful lithographs that feature him as Mother India’s devoted son (a paradox given that he is also the Father of the Nation), Ramaswamy pointed out. While she was working on the project, the Delhi-based curator Gayatri Sinha approached her to do a piece and that led her to write an article titled “The Mahatma as Muse: An Image Essay on Gandhi in Popular Indian Visual Imagination.” That appeared in Sinha’s edited volume for Marg publications in 2009 titled “Art and Visual Culture in India, 1857-1947”. “In this essay, I explored the
paradox of Gandhi serving as the muse for so many artists who produced for the massmarket and yet was himself very ambivalent about art qua art, and especially about bazaar lithographs (he wrote pungently against these ‘caricatures’),” Ramaswamy said. In both these projects, she was firmly focused on popular, massproduced art, rather than singular high-end gallery works, which is the dominant focus of Gandhi in the galleries. “As I worked on this latter project, it allowed me to also refine as well as critique my earlier arguments - this is the beauty of being a scholar, one is constantly learning and through that process revisiting older positions,” Ramaswamy explained. What was the impact on the author of writing this book? “The most important realization I arrived at as a scholar in engaging with the amazing artworks in the book is the realization that Gandhi was a master choreographer of his own image, an ‘artist’ himself of sorts. As a historian, I would not have thought him so; it is only leaving my ‘comfort zone’ of the archives and texts that I came to this realization. Doing this work made me realise how much more interesting and intriguing Gandhi really is,” Ramaswamy concluded. The outcome, as is quite apparent, is a book that must occupy an essential space in your bookshelf.
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SPORTS
Indian cricket team likely to Australian Open golf get quarantine concession called off for 1st time assumed that the application seeks concessions, possibly a less than 14-day quarantine period, which would enable them to play a warm-up match and train before the One-day International series which begins tentatively on November 25.
since WWII
“Queensland Health is currently assessing an application received from the Indian cricket team. We will work directly with the team as the assessment progresses,” the spokesperson said in reply to a query from IANS on October 9.
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ew Delhi, October 9 (IANS): The Indian cricket team, which is set to tour Australia for a full-fledged series in November, may get a concession for the 14-day mandatory quarantine protocol in place in Queensland where the Indians will land, the
Queensland Health department has hinted. A Queensland Health spokesperson confirmed to IANS that an application from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) regarding quarantine is under consideration. It is
The query was about players’ quarantine period and a possible practice game before the ODI series. The spokesperson, however, didn’t give details. Cricket Australia, the governing body of the game, has not announced the itinerary as yet.
World Junior Badminton Championships cancelled due to Covid-19 situation expected to stretch into next year, postponement was not an option, it added.
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uala Lumpur, October 22 (IANS): World Junior Badminton Championships 2020, slated to be held in New Zealand, have been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) announced on October 22.
The ongoing Covid-19 restrictions and uncertainty left BWF, Badminton New Zealand and tournament organisers no choice but to cancel the event, a BWF statement read. With a host for the next edition already in place for later in 2021, and the uncertainty of the Covid-19
“We are of course disappointed not to be able to stage the 2020 version of the BWF World Junior Championships, but the entry restrictions in place and complexities related to the Covid-19 situation makes it impossible for the event to be planned and therefore hosted in New Zealand in January 2021 as currently scheduled,” said BWF Secretary General Thomas Lund. The world badminton body further said that Badminton New Zealand are still committed to hosting the World Junior Championships and the BWF have accepted a proposal for them
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ydney, October 16 (IANS): Australia’s three biggest golf tournaments have fallen victim to the Covid-19 pandemic as it was announced on October 16 that men’s and women’s Australian Open and the PGA Championship, have been cancelled. All were due in February. It is for the first time since 1945 that the men’s Open will not be played. In the final year of the Second World War, the men’s Open was not staged; it’s the first time since 1995 that the PGA will miss it; and the first time since 2006 that the women’s Open will not be contested. “It’s unprecedented and a real blow for Australian golf and its fans,” PGA of Australia chief executive Gavin Kirkman said in a news release on October 16. “We have collectively spent months in exhaustive
As per the report, the tour will commence with a white-ball component before the fourTest series, which at this stage, begins in Adelaide on December 17-21. The other venues include Melbourne (December 2630), Sydney ( January 7-11) and Brisbane ( January 15-19).
With no tournaments this year, Nisha feels this is a great
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BCCI President Sourav Ganguly
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ydney, October 15 (IANS): Cricket Australia chairman Earl Eddings has put doubts over India’s upcoming tour to Australia to rest, saying he has got assurance from his Indian counterpart Sourav Ganguly that Virat Kohli’s men would travel Down Under for a full-fledged series.
opportunity to improve her skills as a defender. Speaking of her own growth in the team, Nisha said, “I just want to utilise the opportunities I get and prove myself to the team.
The New Zealand tour was a great exposure for me and I got to learn a lot from that tour especially about the match temperament required to play against good teams like New Zealand.”
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The Australian Open and Australian PGA Championship - the feature events on the PGA Tour of Australasia - were originally slated for a late November and early December window, to be played at Melbourne’s Kingston Heath and Brisbane’s Royal Queensland, respectively.
The Australian quoted Eddings as saying.
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“It is not easy to be in camp for long period but the seniors have made it easy and they have been supportive all along, particularly during the lockdown when there were no activities,” said Nisha who has made positive strides since her debut last year at the Fédération Internationale de Hockey (FIH) Series Final.
Australia has closed its international borders to most travellers as part of its effort to stem the spread of novel coronavirus.
CA confident of a full India-Australia series
Seniors have been supportive during camp, says Indian hockey player
engaluru, October 21 (IANS): Indian women’s hockey team defender Nisha has stated that seniors have made it easier for youngsters like her to be at ease during the ongoing national camp which is taking place in a biosecure environment at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) facility amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
consultation with all relevant authorities and our sanctioning partners to try to find a way to stage all three events safely. But even with multiple contingency plans, it has reached a point where decisions have to be made and this, regrettably, is the one we’ve had to take,” he added.
“I’m 100 per cent confident they are coming. Sourav Ganguly and I talk about it most days and we are already planning when we can catch up once he and the team get over here,” a report in
The report further said that the Indian team would land in Brisbane, instead of Perth or Adelaide, and will not face much strictness in terms of quarantine time despite the state of Queensland currently seeing severe restrictions. Ganguly, president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, is currently in the United Arab Emirates where the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League is taking place. Team India, under Kohli’s leadership in 2018, had become the first Asian team to register a Test-series win Down Under when they won the four-match series 2-1.
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ENTERTAINMENT
Sushant case: NCB arrests brother Has won battle against cancer, says Sanjay Dutt of Arjun Rampal’s girlfriend
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umbai, October 19 (IANS): In another major development in a drug case related to the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on October 18 arrested the brother of actor Arjun Rampal’s girlfriend, Gabriella Demetriades.
Earlier the NCB had arrested Sushant’s girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik, Sushant’s house manager Samuel Miranda, personal staff Dipesh Sawant and several others.
According to NCB officials privy to the probe, the drug law enforcement agency has arrested Agisilaos Demetriades.
The NCB has also questioned several Bollywood divas, including Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, and Shraddha Kapoor in connection with the case.
The NCB official alleged that Agisilaos, a South African national, was arrested after it came to the fore that he was in touch with the drug peddlers arrested in Sushant’s case. He was produced before a local court and sent to NCB custody.
Rhea spent 28 days in jail before getting bail from Bombay High Court in the case.
The NCB has also arrested former Dharma Productions executive producer Kshitij Ravi Prasad in connection with the case. Sushant was found dead on June 14 at his Bandra flat. The NCB registered the case on the request
Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt
M Sushant Singh Rajput of Enforcement Directorate after several alleged chats relating to drugs came to the fore.
Mumbai police probe rape allegation against Mithun’s son
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umbai, October 17 (IANS): A woman has lodged a police complaint of rape against veteran Bollywood actor Mithun Chakraborty’s son and actor, Mahaakshay alias Mimoh at the Oshiwara police station here, an official said on October 17. “We have lodged the complaint and are investigating the matter,” Senior Police Inspector Dayanand H Bangar told IANS, but declined to elaborate. The complainant has also named Mimoh’s mother (Mithun’s wife) and former actress Yogeeta Bali as co-accused. The complainant claimed that she was in a relationship with Mimoh since 2015 and he had promised to marry her but backtracked.
She alleged that Mimoh called her home at that point in time and spiked her drink, before forcibly making physical relations with her.
Dutt posted a statement on Instagram expressing joy while making the announcement. “The last few weeks were very difficult time for my family and me. But like they say, God gives the hardest battles to his strongest soldiers. And today, on the occasion of my kids’ birthday, I am happy to come out victorious from this battle and be able to give them the best gift I can-the health and well-being of our family,” the statement read.
and doctors for taking proper care of him. He also expressed his gratitude to well-wishers for showering him with love. “This wouldn’t have been possible without the unwavering faith and support from all of you. I am eternally grateful to my family, friends and all the fans who have stood by me and been my source of strength through this trying time. Thank you for the love, kindness and the countless blessings that you have sent my way. I am especially grateful to Dr. Sewanti and her team of doctors, nurses and the medical staff at Kokilaben Hospital who have taken such good care of me in the last few weeks. Humbled and grateful,” he concluded.
The actor thanked his family
She alleged that when she became pregnant, Mimoh forced her to abort and when she refused he gave her some pills that terminated her pregnancy.
Sethupathi gets support for doing Murali’s biopic
The woman also claimed that she was threatened by Mimoh’s mother when she was to lodge a police complaint. Married to television serial actress Madalasa Sharma in 2018, Mahaakshay, 36, made his Bollywood debut with “Jimmy” (2008), besides acting in films like “Haunted 3D”, “Loot”, “Enemmy”, and “Ishqedarriyaana” etc.
umbai, October 21 (IANS): Actor Sanjay Dutt, who recently confirmed that he was fighting cancer, on October 21 shared a health update saying he has come out victorious in his battle with the disease.
Bollywood actor Mahaakshay (Mimoh) Chakraborty
Despite limitations, spirit of celebrations alive: Big B
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umbai, October 18 (IANS): Megastar Amitabh Bachchan feels the coronavirus pandemic might have changed the way people celebrate festivals, but the spirit remains the same.
relatives and the customs and the codes and the atmosphere of fulfilment , as the air brings the temperature down and the Surya devta begins to show its brilliance in greater detail,” he added.
“And they say the festive season has begun .. the Navratri the Durga Pooja and soon the festive Diwali and Dussera .. and the limitations of the celebration loom large among us all .. but the spirit of prayer and wellness and the reason for the festivity has never changed or stepped down .. it remains steadfast, unchanged and devout in its presence,” Big B wrote on his blog.
On the work front, the actor has four films lined up. He will be seen in Nagraj Manjule’s “Jhund”, the Emraan Hashmi co-starrer “Chehre”, and Ayan Mukerji’s action fantasy drama “Brahmastra”, co-starring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Mouni Roy and Telugu superstar Nagarjuna. Big B will also star with Deepika Padukone and Telugu superstar Prabhas in a multilingual mega production for the big screen. The yet-untitled film is slated to release in 2022.
“There is the exhilaration of the joy that such moments bring .. the memories of the times spent earlier .. of the friends and the
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Former Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan
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hennai, October 17 (IANS): Slowly voices have started to emerge in Tamil Nadu in support of actor Vijay Sethupathi donning the lead role in the movie ‘800’ a biopic of Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan.
Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan
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However, the South Indian Artists’ Association popularly known as Nadigar Sangam, the body representing the interests of actors and many other actors who used to voice on various issues, is maintaining a studied silence on the issue.
On October 17, actor-turnedpolitician and the founder of All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi, R.Sarathkumar said political interference and opposition in the art field is not right. In a statement, Sarathkumar, former head of the Nadigar Sangam, has come out in support of Tamil actor Vijay Sethupathi acting in the lead role in the Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan’s biopic ‘800’.
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ENTERTAINMENT
Biden supporters use Bollywood hit Madhavan basks in tune to woo Indian-Americans love showered by social media fans It is on YouTube and is circulating on social media.
A shorter version of it with three languages is running on TV Asia, a channel popular among IndianAmericans. Bhutoria said that the prime target of the campaign is the Indian-Americans living in the swing states, those which neither party has locked down and could go either way.
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ew York, October 18 (IANS): Turning a Bollywood hit tune into a campaign anthem, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s supporters are wooing Indian-American voters with an eye on swing states where small margins can decide who becomes the next President. Ajay Bhutoria, who produced the video, told IANS that he wanted to reach the estimated 1.3 million Indian-American voters through
a unique campaign media with an element from popular culture that resonates with them. The campaign video based on the motif of “Lagaan” movie hit song “Chale Chalo” composed by A.R. Rahman, includes appeals to voters in 14 languages. “We chose this song from the movie ‘Lagaan’. Me and my wife wrote the lyrics for it, ‘Chale chalo Biden, Harris ko vote do’,” Bhutoria said.
After working in 2016 for Hillary Clinton who lost the election despite getting 2.3 million more popular votes than Donald Trump because she failed to carry the electoral college made up of state delegates that finally decides who the President is, Bhutoria said he was determined to not see that happen again. Seeing that she lost Michigan by only 10,000 votes and some others by slim margins, he wanted to mobilise IndianAmerican voters there who could make the difference.
Shabana Azmi: Need to tackle patriarchy and masculinity patriarchy, because patriarchy affects not only women but also men. Men also internalise. We have definite ideas of how a man should behave. Boys should never cry -- why shouldn’t they? Why is it looked down upon?” she added.
Shabana Azmi
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ew Delhi, October 29 (IANS): Actress Shabana Azmi wonders why society is stuck with definite ideas about masculinity, from telling boys not to play with dolls to telling them not to cry. She says it is important to tackle patriarchy and the notion of masculinity first and foremost, to change things for women as well as men. “Many years ago, when I was a Member of Parliament, I was on a committee that was set up by the chief minister’s wife on the scourge of female foeticide. Many steps at that point were taken and one feels that ultimately, it is based in patriarchy. The belief that a boy should be privileged at birth because of being born male -- that discrimination against the girl child exists all through her childhood, adolescence and then later adulthood,” Shabana told IANS while talking about her film, “Kaali Khuhi”, which explores the issue of female infanticide through the lens of horror. “What we need to do is to tackle
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The actress continued: “Why do we, at the age of three, decide that girls should be playing with dolls and the minute a boy decides to play with dolls we say, ‘haww, this is terrible’. All this stratification, that starts sometimes consciously and sometimes unconsciously, is what we need to really get to the root of.” She cited her son Farhan Akhtar’s MARD (Men Against Rape and Discrimination) as an example to elaborate on her point. “For instance, my son Farhan; he runs an organisation called MARD, which asks that we redefine masculinity. Why is masculinity about brute power and muscle power? Why isn’t it about passion or compassion? Why isn’t it about gentility, gentleness, compassion, or kindness?” she asked. There are many questions, and the answers lie in tracing the root cause, and changing -- which Shabana feels is a “huge battle that one has to fight”. “It is all very well that we say that we need to bring up our daughters as independent, and we are doing a good job of it. But until and unless we change the male and the notion of masculinity by bringing up our sons differently from how we bring them up, this scourge is not
going to end. It is a huge battle that one has to fight. So, whatever steps can be taken (should be taken), film being a very important medium, particularly because it is told in a story form,” added the daughter of late Urdu poet Kaifi Azmi. Mentioning that one needs to involve men to change things for women, Shabana added: “Change the way we bring up our boys definitely.” On screen, the acclaimed artiste will next be seen bringing alive the complexities of the character of Satya Maasi, who is haunted by her own past in “Kaali Khuhi”. Set in a Punjab village, the Netflix Original film traces the journey of a girl named Shivangi (Riva Arora), who is put to the ultimate test when she witnesses her family getting engulfed in the secrets of a mysterious well. “It was the script that resonated with me. It was very interesting that the issue of female infanticide was being tackled through this. I would hesitate to call it a horror film. I think it’s more like a dark thriller. Because if you call it horror then there are some preconditioned responses. You think there will be lots of prosthetics and you feel, ‘oh God, there are going to be these jump shots’. But the fact that it was being told through a story that held your attention made it more effective in reaching out to audiences,” said the National Award winning actress while talking about the factors that drew her towards the project.
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ew Delhi, October 28 (IANS): Actor R. Madhavan is happy with the love he gets from fans on social media. He says he does not put up pictures that make him feel entitled, but he likes to put up things that make people happy. Madhavan has a fan following of over 2.6 million on Instagram and enjoys a virtual family of over 2.7 million on Twitter. “I feel very grateful. I don’t know what to say. It’s very humbling. I am 50-years-old and I will be 51 next June and it feels people just want to give me love. I try to form my social media and always spread positivity,” Madhavan told IANS. He understands that the digital space has become dark and toxic. “The world is like that; even if you put a picture of a small smiling baby, some negative comments will be there. So, if I can spread happiness whichever way I can (I will). I don’t put up a picture that makes me feel very entitled, but I like to put things that make
R. Madhavan people happy and they feel that he too has the same insecurities. I think it is the reciprocation of that positive attitude which makes people give me so much love,” he said. Madhavan was recently seen in the digitally released thriller film “Nishabdham”. The film also stars Anushka Shetty, Anjali, and Subbaraju along with Hollywood star Michael Madsen in a special role. The film released on Amazon Prime Video.
Ratnam and Panchapakesan back anthology aiding Tamil film workers
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ew Delhi, October 28 (IANS): Filmmakers Mani Ratnam and Jayendra Panchapakesan have united to present the Tamil anthology film Navarasa, the proceed of which will go towards the well-being of film workers in Tamil cinema who are hit by the Covid pandemic. “Navarasa” will be based on the nine rasas or emotions. In sync with the theme, nine short films will narrate stories across nine emotions -- anger, compassion, courage, disgust, fear, laughter, love, peace and wonder. Directors Arvind Swami, Bejoy Nambiar, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Karthik Subbaraj, Karthick Naren, KV Anand, Ponram, Rathindran Prasad and Halitha Shameem are on board to bring their distinctive perspective on each rasa. The short films will feature over 40 cast members and several hundred creative and film technicians. The cast and crew involved in the project have offered their services pro bono, with the objective of supporting the Covid-hit Tamil film industry. “We have always loved to brainstorm and come up with unique ideas to raise money for deserving causes. This time the brainstorming was for the cause of our own industry, to soothe and try and alleviate to some extent the agony of our people who had no work for months. The idea of making short films and
raising money through them for this cause was born on one such brainstorming evening,” said Ratnam and Panchapakesan in a joint statement. “We were thrilled when the idea resonated well instantly with leading directors, actors and technicians of the industry that we approached. The idea of ‘Navarasa’ was a spark when we discussed it and the industry has come together to make it glow, give it soul and make it count for its people,” added the filmmakers. The nine-film anthology will be released on Netflix. “We admire how this wonderful ensemble of filmmakers and talent have joined hands to support the creative community. ‘Navarasa’ is a celebration of the craft of filmmaking and the magic of Tamil cinema that we can’t wait to take to the world,” said Srishti Arya from the streaming platform.
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Nov 1-15, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 9
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