Current Affairs – February 10, 2021

 

INDIA

Rajya Sabha passes bill to regularise unauthorised colonies in Delhi

The Rajya Sabha on February 9, 2021 passed the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill, 2021 to regularise unauthorised colonies in Delhi. It replaces the National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020 which was promulgated by President Ram Nath Kovind on December 30, 2020.

India, Afghanistan sign MoU for construction of Shatoot dam

India and Afghanistan on February 9, 2021 signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the construction of the Shatoot dam to provide drinking water to Kabul. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Afghan counterpart Hanif Atmar signed the MoU for the construction of the dam.

IIT Kharagpur develops solar-powered pesticide sprayer for smaller farm fields

Researchers at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur have developed energy-efficient pesticide sprayers devices for smaller agricultural tracts owned by marginal farmers. The device is aimed to increase field capacity and uniformity in liquid spraying. It will also reduce the drudgery to the operator and dependency on fossil fuel for carrying out spraying in cropped areas.

Govt cancelled FCRA licence of over 20,600 NGOs in 10 years

The government presented the data that it has cancelled the FCRA licences of over 20,600 NGOs in the last 10 years. Most of these cancellations were done on account of non-filing of annual returns which is a mandatory requirement under the law. The NGOs were found to have violated various provisions of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), 2010.

Bollywood actor-director Rajiv Kapoor dies at 58

Bollywood actor-director Rajiv Kapoor passed away on February 9, 2021 at the age of 58.

Economy & Corporate

SC nod for SBI MF plan to distribute Rs 9,122 cr to Franklin Templeton unitholders

The Supreme Court (SC) on February 9, 2021 approved the mechanism proposed by SBI Mutual Fund to distribute Rs 9,122 crore to the unitholders of shuttered debt schemes of Franklin Templeton Mutual Fund. The distribution mechanism was framed in consultation with market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and Franklin Templeton MF. SC on February 2 had directed to distribute Rs 9,122 crore to respective unitholders in proportion to their holdings in the schemes.

247 CPSEs earn profit of Rs 1.78 lakh crore during 2018-19: CAG

The Comptroller Auditor General (CAG) has said that 247 central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) earned profit of Rs 1.78 lakh crore during 2018-19. However, the CAG flagged that 189 CPSEs had accumulated losses of Rs 1.4 lakh crore as on March 31, 2019. Out of these, net worth of 77 companies had been completely eroded due to the accumulated losses.

HDFC Bank invites applications from entrepreneurs for SmartUp grants

HDFC Bank is inviting applications from start-ups and solo entrepreneurs for its SmartUp grants under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) brand — Parivartan. The window to apply will close on February 16, 2021. The bank will be focusing on start-ups in the education (edtech) and skill development sector this year for the grant.

Govt has decided to shut 2 pharma PSUs, disinvest other 3

The government has decided to close two pharma public sector undertakings and disinvest the other three. The Department of Pharmaceuticals has five public sector undertakings (PSUs). Out of the five PSUs, the government will close two pharma PSUs, namely Indian Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd (IDPL) and Rajasthan Drugs & Pharmaceuticals Ltd (RDPL). While the government will strategically disinvest the other three — Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd (HAL), Bengal Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals Ltd (BCPL), and Karnataka Antibiotics & Pharmaceutical Ltd (KAPL).

Centre launches scheme ‘Formation and Promotion of 10,000 FPOs’

The Ministry of Agriculture has said that the government has launched a new Central Sector Scheme titled ‘Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Produce Organizations (FPOs)’ and it has committed resources in this regard with a budgetary provision of Rs 6,865 crore. The FPOs will be developed to produce clusters, wherein agricultural and horticultural products are grown for leveraging economies of scale and improving market access for members. The FPOs will be provided financial assistance upto Rs 18 lakh per FPO for a period of three years.

India to overtake EU as world’s 3^rd largest energy consumer by 2030: IEA

India will overtake the European Union as the world’s third-largest energy consumer behind China and the US by 2030. It was highlighted by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its India Energy Outlook 2021 report released on February 9, 2021.

World

Safer Internet Day observed on Feb 9

Safer Internet Day was observed on February 9, 2021. The day is observed every year on the second day of the second week of February. From cyberbullying to social networking to digital identity, each year Safer Internet Day aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues and current concerns.

Pak SC orders immediate rebuilding of Hindu temple in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

The Pakistan Supreme Court has directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government to start the immediate rebuilding of a Hindu temple located in Karak district’s Teri area which was set on fire by a mob on December 30, 2020. In January 2021, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had also announced reconstruction of the temple, as well as a crackdown against the attackers.

US Senate declares that Trump’s impeachment trial is constitutional

On a 56-44 vote, the Senate has declared that the impeachment trial for Donald Trump is constitutional and will move forward. The vote came after four hours of arguments from Trump’s lawyers and the Democratic impeachment managers.

China blocks Clubhouse, app used for political discussion

Chinese authorities are blocking access to Clubhouse, a social media app that allowed users in China to discuss sensitive topics with people abroad including Taiwan and treatment of the country’s Muslim minority. The move adds Clubhouse to thousands of websites and social media apps to which the ruling Communist Party blocks access in an effort to control what China’s public sees and reads.

UAE’s unmanned space probe enters orbit of Mars

The first Arab interplanetary mission entered the orbit of Mars on February 9, 2021 after nearly seven-month, 300-million-mile journey to unravel the secrets of weather on the Red Planet. The unmanned space probe named “Al-Amal”, Arabic for “Hope”, blasted off from Japan in 2020.

SARS-Cov-2 transmission most likely due to intermediary host species: WHO

The WHO team of experts investigating the origin of novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan said that the virus most probably jumped to humans through an intermediary host species.

French screenwriter Jean-Claude Carriere dies at 89

French novelist and screenwriter Jean-Claude Carriere died on February 8, 2021 at the age of 89. He was awarded Padma Shri by the Indian government in 2015. He also won Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film (1963) for ‘Heureux Anniversaire’, shared with Pierre Étaix and Academy Honorary Award (2014) for lifetime achievement.

Sports

England defeat India in first Test at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

England (578, 178) defeated India (337, 192) by 227 runs in the first Test to take a 1-0 lead in the four-match series at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on February 9, 2021.

TISSNET MA admit card 2021 released, check exam date

 TISSNET MA admit card 2021: The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) has released the admit card for the national entrance test (TISSNET) conducted for MA admissions. The hall ticket is available for download at the website- admissions.tiss.edu.

TISSNET is a computer-based common screening test to be held on February 20 at centres across India. Candidates will be given 100 minutes to solve 100 objective-type multiple-choice questions (MCQ).

TISSNET MA admit card 2021: How to download

Step 1: Visit the official website- tiss.edu

Step 2: Click on download ‘MA 2021 TISSNET hall ticket’ link

Step 3: Enter the login credentials- registration number/ roll number, date of birth

Step 4: Hall ticket will appear on the screen

Step 5: Download, take a print out for further reference.

The selection process consists of passing the TISS national entrance test (TISS-NET) exam followed by TISS programme aptitude test (TISS-PAT) along with TISS online personal interview (OPI).

The entrance exam is being conducted for admission in MA, MSc, MHA and MPH courses.

Source: Indian Express, 9/02/21

Rise of Hindutva has enabled a counter-revolution against Mandal’s gains

 Hindu nationalism is generally defined as an ethno-religious movement. But it may have as much to do with social factors as with identity markers, as its last phase of expansion has been primarily a reaction to Mandal. Soon after the then prime minister, V P Singh, announced the implementation of the Mandal Commission report, Organiser wrote of “an urgent need to build up moral and spiritual forces to counter any fallout from an expected Shudra revolution”. And when Mandal II happened, the same newspaper argued that the “Congress-led-UPA government at the Centre is bent upon destroying the last bastion of merit…”. After the BJP was defeated in 2004, and again in 2009, it became urgent to hone a strategy that would enable it to come to power and prevent the deepening of policies that went against its Hindu nationalist ideology and the interests of its base.

The brand of national-populism that Narendra Modi had initiated in Gujarat was the perfect alternative. It could transcend caste barriers in the name of an existential defence of Hindus against threatening Others (by resorting to polarisation techniques) and attract OBCs and even Dalits, not only because of the polarisation but also because of the plebeianisation of the BJP, which used to be identified with the upper castes until then. Modi himself came from a backward caste, had developed the chaiwala narrative and pretended that he had been victimised by the English-speaking establishment of Delhi — a feeling many OBCs shared. After all, many of them had started to emancipate themselves after Mandal, but they had not succeeded in joining the middle class. Modi could exploit their frustration — all the more so as he promised to apply the “Gujarat model” for creating jobs.

While the BJP already had the support of the urban, upper-caste middle class, Modi brought to the party the OBC plus vote. The percentage of OBCs who supported the party jumped from 22 per cent in 2009 to 34 per cent in 2014 and 44 per cent in 2019. These figures explain the rise to power of Modi’s BJP, and, correlatively — but paradoxically — the comeback of upper-caste politicians. In the Hindi belt, 45 per cent of the BJP MPs were upper caste in 2014 and 2019. This over-representation of the upper castes was reflected in the BJP’s ticket distribution. If one removes SC and ST candidates from the picture, 62 per cent of all general category MP candidates of the BJP in the Hindi belt were upper castes as against 37 per cent for all other parties’ combined. In the government that Modi formed in 2019, 47 per cent of the 55 ministers were from the upper castes, 13 per cent from the dominant castes (including Jats, Patels and Reddys), 20 per cent were OBCs, 11 per cent were SCs and 7 per cent from the STs (plus one Muslim and one Sikh).

Parallelly, the Modi government has transformed the reservation system. First, the erosion of the public sector has resulted in a steady decrease in the number of jobs reserved for SCs. At the same time, the number of civil service candidates shortlisted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) dropped by almost 40 per cent between 2014 and 2018, from 1,236 to 759. Second, the creation of a lateral entry in the Indian administration has diluted the quota system. Third, the introduction of a 10 per cent quota in 2019 for the economically weaker sections (EWS) has altered the standard definition of backwardness and de facto reserved such a quota to upper castes who were not that weak. (By setting an income limit of Rs 8,00,000 per annum to qualify under EWS, the government has made over 95 per cent of the upper castes eligible for this quota).

Besides, BJP leaders have started to eulogise the moral superiority of the upper caste in public. For instance, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, BJP leader from Rajasthan Om Birla, declared: “Brahmin community always works towards guiding all other communities… hence, Brahmins are held in high regard in society by the virtue of their birth.” BJP leaders have also displayed caste-based observances that reflected their belief in the notion of impurity. After Yogi Adityanath was elected Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Hindu priests made elaborate arrangements for purifying rituals at the sprawling chief minister’s bungalow that had been previously occupied by Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati and Mulayam Singh Yadav.

The Sangh Parivar attempted also to enforce the value system of the Hindu upper castes. While vigilante campaigns launched against “love jihad” targeted Muslims, lower castes have been collateral casualties. This is not new. Twenty years ago, when Babu Bajrangi, the Ahmedabad-based Bajrang Dal leader, “rescued” Patel girls who had eloped with Muslim or Dalit men, he made sure they would marry within their caste. Incidentally, Adityanath declared in 2014: “Muslims who want to become Hindus will be purified and we will form a new caste for them” — a clear illustration of the role of caste as a building block of society.

Similarly, “gau rakshaks” also attacked Dalits who did leather work. In 2016, in Una (Gujarat again), Dalit leather workers were accused of cow slaughter and beaten up by Hindu vigilantes while they were skinning a carcass. Vigilante groups played a similar role vis-à-vis the conversion of Hindu Dalits to another religion. The ghar wapasi movement also affected them. In 2018, for instance, Bajrang Dal activists in UP reportedly reconverted a young Dalit who had become a Muslim.

If vigilantes were doing it before, what is new is the passing of laws against conversion or the regulation of slaughterhouses. Once again, Dalits are at the receiving end. In Gujarat, those who want to convert to Buddhism need to get permission from the District Magistrate since 2003. Whether the same problem will result from the anti “love-jihad” ordinance in UP remains to be seen. But the inclinations of the state find expression not only in laws and ordinances but even in the conduct of the police. This evolution is well illustrated by the way Dalits have been singled out in the state’s action against so-called “urban Naxals”. While searching the houses of one of the accused in the Bhima-Koregaon case, the police reportedly asked, “Why are there photos of Phule and Ambedkar in your house, but no photos of gods?’’ And to the accused’s daughter, they said: “Your husband is a Dalit, so he does not follow any tradition. But you are a Brahmin, so why are you not wearing any jewellery or sindoor? Why are you not dressed like a traditional wife?”.

The BJP’s rise to power may, therefore, result, not only in a post-Mandal counter-revolution that has enabled upper-caste politics and policies to stage a comeback but also in the promotion of some upper-caste orthopraxy and ethos via state vigilantism. The new dispensation exemplifies a style of control that is as much based on political power as on the enforcement of social order, something very much in tune with the RSS’s tradition.

This article first appeared in the print edition on February 10, 2021, under the title “The return of upper-caste politics”. Jaffrelot is senior research fellow at CERI-Sciences Po/CNRS, Paris, professor of Indian Politics and Sociology at King’s India Institute, London

Source: Indian Express, 10/02/21

On India, a fracture in the diaspora

 The Indian-American community is increasingly divided on political, religious, and generational lines. India will find that the more polarisation grows at home, the more its diaspora will become polarised, and one of the country’s strongest foreign policy assets will be increasingly less so.People of Indian origin constitute one of the largest diasporas in the world, residing in at least 200 countries. The stock of Indian migrants has almost tripled over the past three decades, from 6.6 million in 1990 to 17.9 million in 2020.

The benefits of leveraging the diaspora for India’s economic and foreign policy goals have been recognised for decades, but even more so since Prime Minister (PM) Atal Behari Vajpayee initiated the first Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas in 2001. But no leader has courted his country’s diaspora as assiduously as PM Narendra Modi.

Diasporas, however, have a Janus-face. The acts of migration and living abroad affect identities — ethnic, religious, and those of national origin. One of the largest Indian diasporas — and certainly the wealthiest and most influential — resides in the United States (US). Yet, we know little about how Indian-Americans view India. How do they remain connected to their ancestral homeland? And how do they regard political changes underway in India?

The Indian American Attitudes Survey (IAAS), a nationally-representative survey of Indian-Americans we conducted in September 2020, found that this population is, by and large, quite connected to its homeland through family and social networks, culture, and politics. However, the nature and intensity of this connection varies substantially. Indian-Americans born outside of the US are much more likely to report a strong connection to India compared to those born in the US (see figure).

Further, IAAS finds that Indian-Americans support more liberal positions in the US and more conservative ones in India on an array of contentious policy questions. This could be a case of “when in Rome do as the Romans do,” or the reality that a group’s attitudes differ according to whether it perceives itself to be part of the majority or a minority community.

IAAS demonstrates that there are also inter-generational and partisan differences on political and social changes underway in India. Indian-Americans are divided on India’s trajectory. While 36% report that India is currently on the right track, 39% believe it is on the wrong track — with those born in the US less optimistic. IAAS respondents are also markedly more pessimistic than the Indian population at large. According to a July 2020 Ipsos survey, 60% of Indians reported that India was on the right track.

Modi enjoys substantial support among Indian-Americans. But views on Modi suggest a modest partisan tint. Republicans give Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) the highest approval, although Democrats also rate them favourably — well above the Congress and Rahul Gandhi. However, the religious divide is striking. Almost seven in 10 Hindus approve of Modi’s performance, while just one in five Muslims do. Indian-American Christians are almost evenly divided. However, Modi’s popularity among the Indian-American community is considerably weaker in the US than in India. While he enjoyed a 19% net favourability in the IAAS survey, a Morning Consult poll conducted in India concurrently with our survey put this number at 55%.

It is evident that the divisions that animate Indian society also manifest within the diaspora. In particular, Hindu Indian-Americans hold very different views on domestic politics and policy in India compared to their non-Hindu counterparts, on average. Moreover, the second generation — those born in the US — are more liberal than their immigrant parents.

These divisions foreshadow a more fractured, less homogeneous Indian-American community. The political polarisation infecting both India and the US appears to be seeping into the diaspora. Furthermore, polarisation among Indian-Americans has troubling implications not only for the community’s role within US politics, but also for its role as the lynchpin of India’s “soft power.”

For better or worse, diaspora communities today have more mechanisms at their disposal to call attention to issues of interest in their home countries. The digital revolution and the diffuse nature of foreign policymaking in the US multiply opportunities to pressure the host country.

All of this is occurring at a time when India is facing grave foreign policy challenges. In recent years, the US has ranked among India’s most significant bilateral partners. For its part, the Indian-American community has played the role of bridge-builder, best captured by its lobbying for the India-US nuclear deal.

The rise of the second generation of Indian-Americans, with weaker emotional and personal connections to India, was bound to diversify the diaspora’s views. And so it is possible that sections of the community will urge US politicians to ramp up pressure on India, rather than deepen the partnership. Former US Senator Arthur Vandenburg once warned his colleagues that politics must stop “at the water’s edge”. Today, that norm appears a distant dream.

India will find that the more polarisation grows at home, the more its diaspora will become polarised, and one of the country’s strongest foreign policy assets will be increasingly less so.

Sumitra Badrinathan (University of Pennsylvania), Devesh Kapur (Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies), and Milan Vaishnav (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace) are the authors of a new report, How Do Indian Americans View India? Results From the 2020 Indian American Attitudes Survey.

Source: Hindustan Times, 10/02/21

How social media has changed the way we see ourselves

 There is a connection between social media and body image issues. While, on the one hand, social media has opened up many avenues for networking, it has brought with it, the desperate need for validation from the online community.As social media becomes all-pervasive, it has had a significant impact on society. Almost everybody is on social media today.

As more people join Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and other networking sites, there is far greater sharing of information, content, thoughts and ideas than ever before. Social media helps build online communities, connect audiences, and generate revenue.

However, the downside to these activities is the desire to stay in the spotlight. This can consequently lead to low self-esteem and create a negative perception of one’s “body image”.

Body image is how people think about their appearance and how they perceive themselves. A negative body image harms individuals who are affected by the impractical, often absurd, manner in which they view themselves.

The assumption that a person must always look good on social media has become a disorder in itself.

There is a strong connection between social media and body image issues. While, on the one hand, social media has opened up many avenues for networking, it has brought with it, the pressure to look good, get thousands of likes and positive comments on various platforms. This can affect the mental health of many young people. Validation from the online community has become something of an addiction.

Everyone likes to be complimented on their looks. But when this happens on social media, its effect is often amplified. People often seek approval and appreciation from strangers who they meet online. But if, despite their best efforts, the comments they receive are negative, it can lead to sadness and depression.

A majority of those who have body image issues are people who compare their pictures with those posted by others. If they perceive that they fall short, they feel dejected. Low self-esteem has become something of a norm among social media users and can be detrimental to their mental well-being.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, low self-esteem affects people of all ages, not just the young. They get affected by things such as weight issues, which then can be a catalyst that forces them into depression and alcohol or substance abuse. Similar findings were revealed in a poll of 4,505 adults by YouGov in the United Kingdom. The study revealed that 57% of people aged 18 to 24 years admitted to having anxiety over their body image, compared with 30% in the age group of 45 to 54 years, and 20% for those over the age of 55.

Global statistics show that at least 91% of women are not happy with how they look and end up following trendy diets to achieve an “ideal body”. These statistics apply across race, marital status, gender and age. Almost half of the population that uses social media has admitted to having had low self-esteem.

Negative body image and low self-esteem can lead to anxiety, nervousness, depression, jealousy, eating disorders, alcohol abuse, and living in a make-believe world where social media perfection has a disproportionate influence on people.

However, with some effort, society can overcome body image issues. There should be a culture of inclusivity and the promotion of a positive body image. Parents should be more careful and look for signs of negative body image among children and seek timely help. Parents can help their children by promoting a positive body image, making their children understand the implications of unnecessary social media use. They can seek help from trained counsellors and psychiatrists.Social media is both a blessing and a curse. It is up to us how we use it.

Sasha Raikhy Sain is a consultant psychiatrist and psychotherapist, and director and founder, Possitive Vibes.

Source: Hindustan Times, 9/02/21

Quote of the Day

 

“When I was young I observed that nine out of every ten things I did were failures, so I did ten times more work.”
George Bernard Shaw

“मैं जब कम उम्र का था तो मैंने देखा कि हर दस काम जो मैं करता था उसमें से नौ में विफल होता था, तो मैंने दस गुना अधिक काम करना शुरु कर दिया।”
जॉर्ज बर्नार्ड शॉ

Current Affairs – February 09, 2021

 

INDIA

46 security personnel killed in ceasefire violations by Pakistan in 2020

Pakistan resorted to 5,133 incidents of ceasefire violations in 2020 in which 46 security force personnel were killed, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said in Rajya Sabha on February 8, 2021.

Rajya Sabha clears Bill to merge J&K cadre with AGMUT

Rajya Sabha on February 8, 2020 passed the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill to merge Jammu and Kashmir cadre of IAS, IPS and IFS with the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, and Union Territory, or AGMUT, cadre.

TERI to organise World Sustainable Development Summit on Feb 10-12

The 20^th edition of The Energy and Resources Institute’s (TERI) flagship event, the World Sustainable Development Summit, will be held online from February 10 to 12, 2021. The theme of the Summit is ‘Redefining our common future: Safe and secure environment for all’.

Govt. liberalises income criteria for grant of family pension

The Centre has issued instructions to liberalise the income criteria for eligibility of a deceased government servant or pensioner’s family member for pension, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on February 8, 2020. The relaxation is granted for family pension to differently-abled survivors as they require greater medical care and financial assistance.

Economy & Corporate

Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence announced

The Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence were announced on February 8, 2021.

• Lifetime Achievement Award was won by former HDFC Bank MD Aditya Puri.
• Businesswoman of the year award was jointly won by Preetha Reddy, Vice-Chairperson, Apollo Hospitals and Suneeta Reddy, MD, Apollo Hospitals.
• Emerging company of the year award went to ICICI Lombard General Insurance.
• Business reformer of the year award was won by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das.
• Corporate citizen of the year award was won by Tata Consultancy Services.
• Global Indian award was won by Piyush Gupta, CEO, DBS Group.
• Entrepreneur of the year award was won by Adar Poonawalla Chief Executive Officer, Serum Institute of India.
• Business Leader of The Year award was won by Pawan Munjal, Chairman, Hero MotoCorp.

Vodafone tax case: India moves Singapore HC against arbitration panel order

India has challenged in the Singapore High Court an international arbitration tribunal’s verdict that overturned its demand for Rs 22,100 crore in back taxes from Vodafone Group Plc, and the order passed in Cairn Group’s case is under consideration of the government, Parliament was informed on February 8, 2021.

World

Former U.S. secretary of state George Shultz dies aged 100

George Shultz, the U.S. Secretary of State in President Ronald Reagan’s administration from 1982 to 1989, passed away at the age of 100 on February 7, 2021.

China issues anti-monopoly rules aimed at internet players

China released new anti-monopoly guidelines on February 7, 2020 that target internet platforms, a move tightening the existing restrictions faced by the country’s top tech companies. The new rules formalise an earlier anti-monopoly draft law released in November 2019.

Sports

Centre grants permission to BCCI to use drones

Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) have granted conditional exemption to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for the deployment of drones for live aerial cinematography of the India Cricket Season in 2021.

Ishant Sharma becomes 6^th Indian bowler to take 300 wickets in test cricket

Veteran fast bowler Ishant Sharma on February 8, 2021 became the sixth Indian bowler to take 300 wickets in Test cricket in his 98th test against England at Chennai. Anil Kumble (619), Kapil Dev (434), Ravichandran Ashwin (377), Harbhajan Singh (417) and Zaheer Khan (311) are other Indian bowlers to take more than 300 wickets in tests.