Current Affairs – January 12, 2021

 

India

Supreme Court Slams Centre over farmers protest

On January 11, 2021, Supreme Court stayed the implementation of the controversial agricultural laws. The apex court has proposed to constitute an independent committee chaired by Chief Justice of India to resolve the standoff between the farmers and the union government.

Government of India places order of 11 million doses of COVISHIELD

On January 11, 2021, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the state governments need not pay for vaccinating the priority group of three core health and Frontline workers. The cost or to be Borne by the Central Government. The Government of India has place a purchase order of 11 million doses of COVISHIELD with the Pune based Institute of India. The cost of one dose is 210 rupees including GST.

Government of India order state governments not to shutdown poultry markets

On January 11, 2021, the central government asked the state governments not to shutdown poultry markets. According to the World Health Organisation the virus will be destroyed if the poultry products are cooked at 70 degree Celsius and above .

ISRO to adopt hundred Atal tinkering labs

On January 11, 2021, Niti Aayog, Atal innovation mission and the Indian Space Research Organization announced that the ISRO will be adopting 100 Atal tinkering lab. This is being done to promote space education and space Technology related innovations for school students.

Heritage conservation committee approves construction of new Parliament building

On January 11, 2021, the Heritage conservation committee approved the construction of new parliamentary building. The committee is headed by the secretary of housing and urban affairs ministry.

Environment Minister releases management effectiveness evaluation of 146 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries

On January 11, 2021, the minister of environment in, forest and climate change Prakash Javadekar released management effectiveness evaluation of 146 national parks and wildlife sanctuaries in the country. The management effectiveness is required to assess the efficacy of protected areas in the country. Currently India has a network of 903 protected areas covering 5% of the total Geographic area of the country.

Khadi Prakritik Paint

The Khadi and Village Commission is to introduce Khadi Prakritik Paint.  The paint has antifungal and antibacterial properties. The main ingredient of the paint is cow dung.

Sea-Vigil 21 exercise

The Indian Navy is to organise a mega defence exercise called Sea Vigil-21. The exercise will cover the 7516 kilometres of coastline and the Exclusive Economic Zone.

Air India operates longest non-stop Flight operated by an all women crew

Air India recently operated the longest non-stop Flight operated by an all women cockpit group. The flight recently landed at the Kempegowda international airport in Bengaluru. They flew for 17 hours.

Kerala government wave entertainment tax for Cinemas

On January 11, 2021, the Kerala government waved entertainment tax for Cinemas to help the film industries in the state.

Abhilash Tomy retires

On January 10, 2021, commander Abhilash Tomy retired from Indian Navy. He was the first Indian to circumnavigate the globe solo and unassisted in a sail yacht.

Turlapati kutumba Rao dies

On January 11, 2021, the veteran journalist and Padma Shri awardee Kutumba Rao died in Vijayawada at age of 87.

Bangladesh to be the country of focus at the 51st international film festival of india

At the 51st international film festival of India, Bangladesh should be the country of focus. The festival is to be organised from January 16 to January 24, 2021 in Goa. In paragraph economy and corporate

Single window clearance portal of coal ministry launched

On January 11, 2021, the ministry of coal launched single window clearance portal. It is a unified platform to facilitate approvals required for starting a coal mine in India.

World

India hands over Chinese soldiers

The Indian Army recently handed over the People’s Liberation Army Soldiers who strayed into Ladakh region.

Tenzin Lekphell appointed as new secretary general of BIMSTEC

Tenzin Lekphell has been appointed as the new secretary general of BIMSTEC. BIMSTEC initiative for multi-sectoral technical and economic cooperation .

William J Burns to Lead The Central Intelligence Agency

On January 11, 2021, the US President elect Joe Biden announced that he has nominated the former career diplomat William J Burns to lead the Central Intelligence Agency.

Ved Prakash Mehta dies

On January 9, 2021, the Indian American novelist and journalist Ved Prakash Mehta died at the age of 86.

Sports

Cheteshwar Pujara crosses 6,000 run mark in Test cricket in his 80th match played in Sydney.

ISRO to adopt 100 Atal Tinkering Labs to promote scientific temperament among students

 ISRO will adopt 100 Atal Tinkering Labs across the country to promote scientific temperament among students and encourage them for space education and space technology-related innovations. This decision was taken by ISRO and Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog at a virtual meeting on Monday.

Through this collaboration, the Indian Space Research Organisation will facilitate coaching and mentoring of students in advanced 21st century cutting-edge technologies, including those related to space, an official statement said.

The students will not only gain theoretical but also practical and application-based knowledge of STEM and Space Education related concepts such as electronics, physics, optics, space technology, material sciences and many more, it said.

Atal Innovation Mission and NITI Aayog have established over 7,000 ATLs across the country so far, enabling more than three million students between classes 6 to 12 to acquire a problem solving, tinkering, and innovative mindset, the statement said.

It said scientists and engineers from ISRO centres, in close coordination with the Capacity Building Programme Office at the space agency’s headquarters, would actively mentor the children, as well as interact with teachers in these ATLs for encouraging experiments, brainstorming ideas and spreading awareness in space activities.

ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan invited students associated with these ATLs to witness the launch of one of its rockets from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, a spaceport at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

In his address, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant expressed joy over collaborating with ISRO to make advancements in space technology via Atal Innovation Mission and its initiatives.

“I am glad that to nurture our future space scientists, ISRO, in collaboration with their regional research centers, are adopting 100 Atal Tinkering Labs where ISRO scientists and researchers will personally guide and mentor the young innovators in the field of STEM education and Space technology,” Kant added.

Source: Indian Express, 11/01/21

A new vision for legal education in India

 

Legal education and law schools are the foundation whose quality, workmanship and solidity determine the beauty, longevity and functional utility of the superstructure of law. But, in India, only a few dynamic and outstanding law schools remain islands of excellence amid a sea of institutionalised mediocrity.

A lawyer is to be a harmoniser, a reconciler, a legal architect, indeed an inventor. The character of law schools determines the character of the Bar and Bench. We must focus on tying up the existing corpus of rich data on legal education into a national legal education plan. The democratisation of legal education is vital. We have to spread distributive equity over inclusive legal education. And the fact that no Indian law school — barring two — finds a place in the top 300 global law schools adds to the urgency of designing a road map to transform legal education.

First, our legal curricula must be made multidisciplinary, creative and flexible. We must integrate topics such as reforms in the justice delivery system, clinical legal education, practitioner’s workshops, legal writing and alternative dispute resolution into a national course module.

Second, there is the serious problem of law teachers, or the lack of them. Law teaching can attract young minds only by shortening the substantial financial gap between leaders of the Bar and teachers. Reciprocally, those under special remunerative schemes have to be bound by valid legal instruments to teach for a minimum duration. A pilot programme must create an alternative remuneration scheme with more public-private partnerships, greater autonomy and special financial terms.

Third, our law libraries are too few and poorly stocked. The latest technological tools of research must link each law school with the best sources of knowledge globally. A library cess levied only on senior advocates across the country must be operationalised for law libraries for maximum ground impact in rurban and rural India.

Fourth, internships and post-degree placements have to be sewn up into a national scheme — today placements are ad hoc with no institutionalised system of matching applicants and hosts. Some students, especially with contacts, have the luxury of plenty, while several of their more talented but less influential colleagues fall by the wayside.

Fifth, a national scheme must ensure that senior practitioners, with expertise in particular areas, compulsorily take a minimum number of classes in lesser-endowed law schools. The legal educational sector, the Bar, the Bench, the corporate legal sector and law firms continue to function in silos of isolated splendour when the need is for the exact opposite— close, continuous, coordinated alignment qua legal education.

Sixth, even experienced and established lawyers, judges and other law persons must submit to periodic and continuing legal education programmes. Judges and lawyers alike should be ready for such short, structured, continuing legal education capsules.

Seventh, our National Law Schools shone because of three important innovations; academic autonomy by making each a stand-alone university; entrance through a strictly merit-based admission system based on a written test; and an integrated, professional five-year law programme plus curricula innovation. Why we don’t have this, even partially, in other Indian law schools, remains a mystery.

Eighth, the 2009 Bar Council resolution that all law schools should establish a legal aid centre to provide inexpensive and efficient advice to needy sections of society has been observed mostly in the breach.

Ninth, the negative impact of stratification of colleges has to be remedied. Central Universities set up by Parliament have their law faculty as the university’s law school. State universities are mostly affiliating universities for private law colleges. There is an institutionalised mediocrity and dilution of academic standards in most of these affiliated colleges. Many do not have adequate and qualified faculty or law libraries with e-resources and no regular conduct of classes and examinations.

Tenth, phasing out of many existing colleges must be completed swiftly. The Madras High Court said in 2017 that 85% of law colleges must be closed, an irony since the number has jumped from 800 in 2000 to 1,500 in 2019. The closure of at least 500 mediocre profit shops would minimise the sale of fake law degrees.

Eleventh, our starry-eyed view of five-year courses must not be at the cost of strengthening the three-year programme which must be made more rigorous and full-time.

Twelfth, the unique aspect of legal education in the United States (US) with its engagement between law firms, corporations, non–governmental organisations, legal aid centres, think tanks, government agencies and intergovernmental organisations, must be replicated in India.

Last, the elephant in the room must be addressed. The Bar Council has too many functions — law reform, disciplining lawyers, setting standards — to do justice to a full-time job like legal education. Electoral politics compromises its independence. An empowered committee of academicians, chief justices and eminent lawyers should be set up or an independent, autonomous National Council for Legal Education and Research must be created to bring objectivity into the system.

Abhishek Singhvi is a third-term MP; jurist; former chairman, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law & Justice; former Additional Solicitor General; and senior national spokesperson, Congress

By Abhishek Singhvi

This is based on a speech delivered at a global conference organised by Jindal Global Law School

Source: Hindustan Times, 10/01/21

Quote of the Day January 11, 2021

 

“If you can’t make it good, at least make it look good.”
Bill Gates

“यदि आप अच्छा बना नहीं सकते तो कम से कम अच्छा दिखाने का प्रयत्न तो करें।”
बिल गेट्स

Economic & Political Weekly: Table of Contents

 

Vol. 56, Issue No. 2, 09 Jan, 2021

Editorials

Elusive Support for Recovery

The Regulatory Myopia of ‘Work from Home’

From the Editor's Desk

Meaning of Labour and the Pandemic

Gopal Guru

From 50 Years Ago

From 50 Years Ago: Kashmir

Commentary

Punjab Agriculture - Pinning Hopes on Private Sector for Revival

Sukhpal Singh

Is Borrowing Relief Ending Too Soon? - Post-lockdown Income Recovery and Loan Moratoriums in Rural India

Britta Augsburg, Bansi Malde

Restricting Third Country Imports - Boom or Bane for India’s Foreign Trade?

Ram Singh, Surendar Singh

Formation of the Union Territory of Ladakh - One Year After

Rekha Chowdhary

Riverfront Development of Mula–Mutha - Exploring Alternatives to the Sabarmati Model

Madhura Bedarkar

Book Reviews

Economic Ideology for Well-defined Policymaking

S Mahendra Dev

From Developing to Developed Nations

Lakhwinder Singh

Perspectives

Ambedkar’s Dhamma or Buddha and Plato minus Dialectics

Viplov Dhone (Wingkar)

Special Articles

Caste in MGNREGA Works and Social Audits

Nitin Dhaktode

Understanding Inflation Dynamics in India - A Revisit

Gopinath Tulasi, Amaresh Samantaraya, Thangjam Rajeshwar, Abhishek Chaubey

Southern Hindutva - Rhetoric, Parivar Kinship and Performative Politics in Kerala, 1925–2015

P K Yasser Arafath

Current Statistics

Current Statistics

Postscript

Rage against the Machine

Susan Haris

Cyclone in the Sundarbans

Snehashish Mitra

​We Did It!

Vandana

Last Lines

Letters

Labour Laws and Migrants

Zafar Mahfooz Nomani

Indian Banks Recovering

Prashant Salwan

Appointments/Programmes/Announcements

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Current Affairs – January 10

 

India

COVID-19 vaccination process to start from Jan 16: Health Ministry

The COVID-19 vaccination drive in India will begin on January 16, with priority being given to an estimated three crore healthcare workers and frontline workers, the Health Ministry said on January 9, 2021. This would be followed by the voluntary vaccination of people above 50 and those below 50 with co-morbidities, numbering around 27 crores. The announcement followed a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to review the status of the pandemic in the country along with the preparedness of the States and the Union Territories for the vaccination programme. The Drugs Controller General of India (DGCI) had granted Emergency Use Authorisation to two vaccines — Covishield and Covaxin.

Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention held in virtual format

The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) convention was organised on January 9, 2021. It was by inaugurated Prime Minister Narendra Modi through virtual mode. President of Suriname Chandrika Persad Santokhi was the Chief Guest of the convention. The theme of PBD 2021 is “Contributing to Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.

Suriname President among 30 Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awardees

Suriname President Chandrika Persad Santokhi, Curacao Prime Minister Eugene Rhuggenaath and New Zealand minister Priyanca Radhakrishnan were among 30 NRIs, and Indian-origin people and organisations who were conferred the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award on January 9, 2021. President Ram Nath Kovind presented the awards at a virtual event on the third and final day of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations.

High Level Committee for 125^th birth anniversary of Subhas Chandra Bose set up

A High-Level Committee, headed by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has been constituted to commemorate the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. It will decide on the activities for a one-year long commemoration, beginning 23rd January 2021. The Members of the Committee include distinguished citizens, historians, authors, experts, family members of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, as well as eminent persons associated with Azad Hind Fauj.

India’s ‘Institutions of Eminence’ can now set up campuses in foreign countries

Indian universities and colleges with the Institutions of Eminence (IOEs) tag, which include several IITs, will now be able to set up campuses in foreign countries with the University Grants Commission (UGC) issuing fresh guidelines on the same. They will, however, require approval from as many as three ministries — education, home and external affairs — before they can venture out. The Education Ministry had launched the IoE scheme in 2018 as per which 20 institutions were to be selected — 10 public and 10 private ones — that would enjoy complete academic and administrative autonomy.

MP’s anti-conversion ordinance gets governor’s nod, becomes law

Madhya Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel on January 9, 2021 gave assent to an ordinance which penalizes religious conversions through fraudulent means including those for the sake of marriage. The Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Ordinance, 2020, provides for ten years in jail in some cases.

Madhavsinh Solanki, former External Affairs Minister and Gujarat CM, dies

Congress veteran Madhavsinh Solanki, who served as chief minister of Gujarat in 1976-77, 1980-85 and 1989-90, died in Gandhinagar on January 9, 2021 at the age of 93. He had also served as External Affairs Minister from June 1991 to March 1992.

Jose K. Mani of Kerala Congress (M) resigns from Rajya Sabha

Kerala Congress (M) chairman Jose K. Mani has resigned from the Rajya Sabha. His party is a constituent of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala.

Economy & Corporate

Japan extends fresh loan to India to combat socio-economic impacts of Covid

Japan on January 8, 2021 decided to assist India by providing a loan of up to 30 billion yen (appx. INR 2,129 Crore) for its efforts to mitigate socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 in India. The Exchange of Notes for the COVID-19 Crisis Response Support Loan for Social Protection were signed by Suzuki Satoshi, Ambassador of Japan to India and Dr C. S. Mohapatra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs.

DGCA issues guidelines for safe carriage of COVID-19 vaccines by air

The DGCA on January 8, 2021 issued guidelines for safe carriage of COVID-19 vaccines, allowing airlines to pack them in dry ice in order to maintain temperatures ranging from -7 degree Celsius and -70 degree Celsius. The aviation safety regulator has allowed airlines to carry dry ice as a refrigerant material in aircraft belly and the passenger cabin. The special permission was necessary as dry ice is classified among dangerous goods as it turns into carbon dioxide under low pressure situations.

Indian Railways enhances its maximum speed to 130 kmph

Indian Railways has started the New Year by achieving a landmark achievement by drastically enhancing the maximum speed to 130 kilometres per hour for 1,280 km length out of 1,612 Km in Golden Quadrilateral – Golden Diagonal route. This covers the entire GQ-GD route over South Central Railway, except Vijayawada – Duvvada section, where signalling up-gradation work is in progress.

World

Indian sailors stuck at Chinese port since June 2020 to return

23 Indian sailors onboard Indian ship M. V. Jag Anand which has been stuck at Chinese port of Jingtang since June 2020, have finally got respite as the ship is all set to sail to Chiba, Japan for a crew change. This was announced by Shipping Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on January 9, 2021.

Boeing 737-500 plane of Indonesia’s Sriwijaya Air crashes

A passenger plane of Indonesia’s Sriwijaya Air carrying 62 people on board crashed into waters off Jakarta on January 9, 2021. The Boeing 737-500 was on an estimated 90-minute flight from Jakarta to Pontianak, capital of West Kalimantan province on Indonesia’s Borneo island.

Twitter permanently suspends account of outgoing President Donald Trump

Twitter has announced that it had permanently suspended the account of outgoing President Donald Trump due to “risk of further incitement of violence”, three days after his supporters stormed the US Capitol and five people died in the violence. The unprecedented move by the social media platform comes after Trump tweeted that he would not attend the inauguration of his successor Joe Biden on January 20.

Sports

Agnes Keleti, the oldest living Olympic champion, turns 100

Agnes Keleti, the oldest living Olympic champion, turned 100 on January 9, 2021. She won 10 medals for Hungary in gymnastics at the Olympic Games including 5 golds — 1 at Helsinki in 1952 and 4 at Melbourne in 1956.

World Hindi Day 2021: Here are the top universities across the world that offer Hindi courses

 World Hindi Day 2021: World Hindi Day 2021: World Hindi Day is celebrated every year on January 10. Hindi is not only the country’s most-spoken language, but it is the third most-spoken language in the world with 615 million speakers after English, Mandarin, according to the UN.

Being one of the most popular languages in the world, there is a huge interest among students from across the world to pursue a career in Hindi language

Here’s the list of foreign varsities which offers courses in Hindi

University of Washington: The Department of Asian Languages and Literature of the University of Washington offers both graduate and undergraduate programmes in Hindi. The department offers BA, MA, and PhD degrees in South Asian languages, which covers Hindi, Sanskrit, Chinese, Korean and Japanese as well.

The BA programme in South Asian Language comprises intermediate, advanced Hindi, and Sanskrit courses. According to the varsity, the course will broadly cover topics on derivational morphology of Hindi, a survey of modern Hindi literature – short stories, poetry, novels, drama, advanced conversational Hindi, advanced Hindi readings, studies in medieval Braj literature, studies in medieval avadhi literature, studies in medieval sant literature, studies in medieval Rajasthani literature, the structure of Hindi. The courses have a total of 15 credits.The university offers programmes in Hindi- BA in South Asian languages, BA in Asian languages and cultures, minor in South Asian languages, minor in Asian languages and cultures, MA and Ph.D. with specialisation in South Asian languages. The varsity is yet to open the admission process this year.

University of Chicago: The Department of South Asian Languages and Civilisations of the varsity offers first, second, third/fourth-year programmes on Hindi. Apart from it, its BA programme in Humanities Collegiate Division will offer a student to study any of the South Asian languages- Bangla (Bengali), Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi, Pali, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Tibetan, or Urdu for a year.

The varsity also offers content courses on aspects of Hindi literary culture for advanced students. The varsity is now inviting applications for various postgraduate programmes- Visual Arts, Classics, English, Germanic Studies, others. For further details, candidates can check the varsity website — salc.uchicago.edu.

University of London: The School of Languages, Cultures, and Linguistics of the varsity offers both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Hindi. The varsity’s UG programme covers chapters on Hindi, Sanskrit, Urdu languages. The postgraduate (MA) programme on South Asian studies and intensive language covers Hindi, Urdu, and Sanskrit languages.

According to the varsity, “In their first year, students take 30 credits of intensive language instruction in Hindi, Sanskrit or Urdu, and 60 credits in the disciplines and 15 credits open option.” The course fee is £20,930 for overseas students, Rs 20,85,191 for Indian students. The application process is open till June 30, 2021 at soas.ac.uk.

Cornell University: The Department of Asian Studies, Cornell University offers three levels of instruction in Hindi language. The first level is for beginners, while others are for experienced. There is also a placement cell for Hindi learners where students with prior exposure to the Hindi language can take the placement exam.

Besides, the varsity’s undergraduate programme in Asian Studies covers topics on South Asian Poetry and Narrative: From Ghazals to Film. The varsity also offers a fellowship programme in Hindi, Bengali and Tamil. For further details on courses, the candidates can check- asianstudies.cornell.edu.

Source: Indian Express, 10/01/21