Saturday- At a scan

July 30, 2021
 Team

Important Picks of the Day

NATIONAL​

Pegasus row: SC to hear next week plea seeking an independent probe

The Supreme Court on Fri agreed to hear the plea of senior journalist N Ram seeking an independent probe into the Pegasus snooping matter. Pitching for an urgent hearing, N Ram’s counsel Kapil Sibal said that the Pegasus issue is making waves in India and across the world.

Senior US commander meets Army Chief Naravane, holds talks on issues of ’mutual interest’

General MM Naravane and Commander of US Special Operations Command General Richard D Clarke, who is on a 3-day India visit, also briefly discussed the situation in Afghanistan.

Monsoon Session: Lok Sabha adjourned till 11 AM on Aug 2nd

Amidst the fuelled uproar created by Opposition parties in the Parliament on Fri, the Lower House of the Parliament has been adjourned till 11 AM on Aug 2. Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha got adjourned again for the 2nd time till 2.30 pm on Fri following an uproar by the opposition parties on various issues. Earlier today, the Rajya Sabha got adjourned till noon amidst the ruckus.

Govt moves key Bills on insurance divestment, NCR pollution in Lok Sabha

Fin min N Sitharaman tabled The General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill, 2021. The govt also tabled The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas Bill, 2021. The govt hopes to achieve its planned divestment target of ₹1.75 lakh crore for 2021-22 despite hurdles posed by the pandemic.

12th round of Corps Commander level talks between India and China to be held in Moldo on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control around 10:30 am tomorrow.

 India and China expected to discuss disengagement from the Hot Springs and Gogra Heights areas: Indian Army sources

Lok Sabha strength to be increased to 1,000 from 543? Here’s how it can be done

Congress MP Manish Tewari has said the new Parliament Chamber is being constructed with 1,000 seats. A look at the Constitutional provisions to see how this can happen.

We are contributing to peace-building efforts in Afghanistan: India at UNGA

India’s development partnership with Afghanistan includes more than 550 Community Development Projects covering all its 34 provinces and is aimed at strengthening the country, said Counsellor in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN

NEIGHBORHOOD

China-Pak corridor in Indian territory: MEA

Thursday rejected the recent “elections” held in PoK, while simultaneously rejecting a reference to the CPEC in a recent Pakistan-China joint statement, saying it lies in India’s territory that has been illegally occupied by Pakistan and which is resolutely opposed by India. An MEA spokesperson said India lodged a “strong protest” with the Pakistan government on a “cosmetic exercise” to hold elections in PoK.

US House approves bill prohibiting map showing Taiwan as Chinese territory

The US House of Representatives passed a bill that calls for the ban of the use of public funds to buy, make or display any map showing Taiwan as part of Chinese territory. The House resolution 4373, introduced by Republican lawmakers Tom Tiffany, Steve Chabot, and 3 others, was adopted on Capitol Hill by a vote of 217 to 212. The motion “prohibits the expenditure of funds to create, procure or display any map that depicts Taiwan as part of the of China,” Newsweek quoted the text of the bill.

The US concerned over 'harassment, intimidation' of foreign journalists in China

The United States has expressed “deep concerns” with what it called increasingly harsh surveillance, harassment, and intimidation of US and other foreign journalists in China, after correspondents of several international media outlets were reportedly heckled and booed on the streets of Henan province while covering floods.

Taliban assassinations of Afghan pilots 'worrisome,' US government watchdog says

The Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction, in its quarterly report to Congress covering the 3 months through June, broadly portrayed an Afghan Air Force (AAF) under growing strain from battling the Taliban amid the U.S. withdrawal – and becoming less ready to fight.

US, Pakistan NSAs meet in Washington to discuss the Afghan security situation

The national security advisers of Pakistan and the US met in the US capital on Thu, where they discussed the “urgent need for reduction in violence and a negotiated political settlement in Afghan”. US NSA Jake Sullivan waited till Thu evening to confirm their meeting, posting brief tweets stating that their talks also covered other issues of mutual interest.

Pegasus row: SC to hear next week plea of journalists N Ram, Sashi Kumar seeking inquiry headed by the top court judge

  • The Supreme Court on Fri agreed to hear next week the plea of senior journalists N Ram and Sashi Kumar seeking an inquiry headed by a sitting or retired judge of the apex court to investigate into the reports of the government using Israeli software Pegasus to spy on politicians, activists, and journalists.
  • A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana said the court will hear the plea next week after senior advocate Kapil Sibal for the petitioners mentioned the matter for urgent hearing.
  • Sibal said that civil liberties of citizens, politicians belonging to opposition parties, journalists, etc. have been put under surveillance, and the issue is making waves in India and the world over and requires an urgent hearing.
  • The petition filed by the senior journalists seeks a direction to the Centre to disclose if it or any of its agencies have used Pegasus Spyware either directly or indirectly to conduct surveillance in any manner.
  • Issue direction of constituting an inquiry to investigate the extent of surveillance on Indian citizens using the Pegasus spyware and other entities responsible for it, headed by sitting or retired judge of this court duly nominated by this court, stated the plea.
  • The plea further said that the targeted surveillance using military-grade spyware is an unacceptable violation of the right to privacy which has been held to be a fundamental right under Articles 14, 19, and 21 by the Supreme Court in KS Puttaswamy case.

India raises pitch against Pakistan, asks it to ‘vacate all areas under illegal occupation’

  • Modi govt slams ‘so-called’ China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, says it is in ‘India’s territory that has been illegally occupied by Pakistan’.
  • Thursday slammed Pakistan and asked Islamabad to “vacate all areas under illegal occupation”, even as it came down heavily on Beijing over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and said it is inside India’s territory.
  • India Thursday also reacted against Taliban leaders visiting China and meeting the country’s leaders there.
  • Reacting to the recent elections held in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir Arindam Bagchi, Spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs Thursday said it was a “cosmetic exercise”.
  • “The so-called elections in Indian territory under the illegal occupation of Pakistan are nothing but an attempt by Pakistan to camouflage its illegal occupation and the material changes undertaken by it in these territories. Pakistan has no locus standi on these Indian territories. We call upon Pakistan to vacate all Indian areas under its illegal occupation,” Bagchi said at a media briefing.
  • Bagchi added that India has lodged a strong protest with the Pakistani authorities on this “cosmetic exercise, which has been protested and rejected by the local people.”

‘UT of J&K and UT of Ladakh integral part of India’

  • Bagchi also said that the “so-called” China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is in “India’s territory that has been illegally occupied by Pakistan.”
  • “The Union Territory of J&K and the Union Territory of Ladakh has been and will remain an integral and inalienable part of India … We resolutely oppose any attempts by other countries to change the status quo in areas illegally occupied by Pakistan as also to Pakistan bringing up any material change in Indian territories under its illegal occupation. We call upon parties concerned to cease such actions,” the MEA spokesperson said.
  • Bagchi’s comment comes in the wake of a meeting between China’s State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on CPEC, held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province of China last week.

Senior US commander meets Army Chief Naravane, holds talks on issues of ’mutual interest’

Army Chief General MM Naravane held talks with Commander of US Special Operations Command General Richard D Clarke on Thu, focussing on various key aspects of bilateral defense and security cooperation. Gen Clarke is on a 3-day visit to India.

  • Officials said various dimensions of bilateral defense cooperation, including ways to further deepen it, figured in the talks.
  • It is understood that General Naravane and General Clarke also briefly deliberated on the evolving situation in Afghanistan.
  • Before meeting General Naravane, the US official laid a wreath at the National War Memorial. “The visit will enhance defense cooperation and military ties between the two nations,” the Army said.
  • Separately, General Naravane also held a telephonic conversation with Lieutenant General Charalampos Lalousis, Chief of Hellenic Army General Staff, focussing on defense cooperation between India and Greece.

The Indo-US defense ties have been on an upswing in the last few years: In Oct last year, India and the United States sealed the Basic Exchange and Cooperation Agreement (BECA) to further boost the bilateral defense ties. The pact provides for sharing of high-end military technology, logistics, and geospatial maps between the two countries.

  • The firming up of the BECA came two years after the two countries signed another pact called COMCASA (Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement) that provides for interoperability between the two militaries and the sale of high-end technology by the US to India.
  • In June 2016, the US designated India as a “Major Defence Partner”, intending to elevate defense trade and technology sharing with the country to a level commensurate with that of its closest allies and partners.
  • The two countries had also inked the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) in 2016 that allows their militaries to use each other’s bases for repair and replenishment of supplies as well as provides for deeper cooperation.

Lok Sabha strength to be increased to 1,000 from 543? Here’s how it can be done

  • The Congress party has claimed that the Narendra Modi government has decided to increase the total strength of the Lok Sabha to 1,000. On 25 July, Congress MP Manish Tewari tweeted that the new Parliament Chamber was being constructed with 1,000 seats.
  • The current strength of the Lok Sabha is 543 members, out of which 530 represent states while the remaining represent the Union Territories. Can this number be increased? ThePrint takes a look at Constitutional provisions.

How are states represented in Lok Sabha?

  • According to Article 81 of the Constitution, the Lok Sabha can have a maximum of 530 members representing the states and 20 members representing the Union Territories.
  • In addition to this, Article 331 allowed the President to nominate two members of the Anglo-Indian community to the Lok Sabha. However, via a Constitutional amendment notified in January 2020, the provision for the nomination of Anglo-Indians was done away with.
  • Equal representation of the states is ensured through a system of “proportional representation” by the formula prescribed in clause 2 of Article 81. It says that every state will be allowed the number of seats in the Lok Sabha in such a manner that the ratio between the number of seats and the population of the state is the same for all states, “so far as practicable”.
  • As for smaller states with a population of less than 6 million, this proportion does not apply and they are allotted at least one seat, even if their population-to-seat ratio does not make them eligible for it.
  • Article 82 of the Constitution provides readjustment of allocation of Lok Sabha seats to the states as well as state legislative assembly constituencies after completion of every census — essentially to represent the changes in population in the states. The process is called delimitation.

Over- and under-representation: However, it has often been pointed out that by 2031, the population figures based on which parliamentary seats are currently allotted to states will be six decades old.

Experts have also pointed out the over-and under-representation that this leads to. For instance, it was calculated that according to the 2001 census, Uttar Pradesh should have been allotted 7 more seats while Tamil Nadu should have had 7 fewer Lok Sabha seats.

We are contributing to peace-building efforts in Afghanistan: India at UNGA ANI

  • India’s development partnership with Afghanistan includes more than 550 Community Development Projects covering all its 34 provinces and is aimed at strengthening the country, said Counsellor in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Pratik Mathur.
  • During a debate on peace-building and sustaining peace on Thu at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Mathur said: “Our development partnership with Afghanistan includes more than 550 Community Development Projects. It is aimed at strengthening Afghanistan.”
  • He also said that India has always played a constructive role in peace-building processes, especially in its neighboring countries.
  • “As a democracy, India is conscious of the need to prioritize institution building, in particular, governance structures to strengthen institutional capacity and the rule of law, taking into account the views of the host government,” Mathur said.
  • “India, through its extensive development partnerships with developing countries, particularly in Africa and Asia, has always played a constructive and significant role in peace-building. In our neighborhood, for instance in Afghanistan, India is also contributing to peace-building efforts.
  • His remarks came after the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that there can’t be a military solution or a takeover by use of force in Afghanistan.
  • “I articulated our position at a press conference that was jointly held with the visiting US Secretary of State. We were very clear that there must be a negotiated, political settlement in Afghanistan,” he told the House on Thu.

Buoyed with US airstrikes, Afghan security forces push back Taliban

  • The Afghan security forces have cleared several villages along the highway of Taliban insurgents. They also foiled an attack on India-built and funded Salma Dam in Herat, in which several Taliban fighters were killed and five others injured.
  • Buoyed by support from the international community and airstrikes by the US, the Afghanistan National Defence Security Forces (ANDSF) have begun the pushback against the Taliban with the latest reports from the ground indicating fierce fighting in 20 provinces including Ghazni, Takhar, Kandahar, Helmand, and Baghlan.
  • The Taliban with Pakistan fighters within ranks have suffered heavy casualties in these attacks.
  • The action against the Sunni Pashtun insurgent group also includes keeping the important highways of the country safe.
  • The Afghanistan govt has stepped up the security of Maymana-Aqina, Hairatan–Kabul-Torkham, Spin Boldak-Kandahar city-Lashkarga, and Islam Qala-Herat highways to ensure free movement of security forces.
  • The ANDSF cleared several villages along the highway of insurgents and defused at least nine improvised explosive devices or IEDs according to intelligence reports from Afghanistan.
  • They also foiled an attack on India-built and funded Salma Dam in Herat, in which several Taliban fighters were killed and five others injured.
  • The security cover of Kabul and other important cities, including Mazar-e-Sharif, Jalalabad, Kandahar city, and Herat, has also been increased.
  • The local leaders are encouraging the people to raise arms against the Taliban.

Maharashtra | Naxals are using small drones for surveillance of our posts near the Chhattisgarh border.

In the last 4-5 months we have reported 7-8 incidents. Considering all the possibilities we’re taking anti-drone measures: Sandip Patil, DIG, Gadchiroli

Team
  • Team
Newsletter

Leave a Reply