Current Affairs – March 5, 2021

 

India

Ease of Living Index: Bengaluru best among cities with million plus population

The government’s Ease of Living Index 2020 was released by Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. The rankings were announced for cities with a population of more than a million, and cities with less than a million people. While Bengaluru was ranked first among cities with a population of more than a million, Shimla topped the list of cities with less than a million people. 111 cities participated in the assessment exercise that was conducted in 2020.

Municipal Performance Index: Indore best among cities with million plus population

The government’s Municipal Performance Index (MPI) 2020 was released by Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. The assessment framework under MPI 2020 has classified municipalities based on their population- Million+ (municipalities having over a million population) and Less than Million Population. In the Million+ category, Indore has emerged as the highest ranked municipality, followed by Surat and Bhopal. In the Less than Million category, New Delhi Municipal Council has emerged as the leader, followed by Tirupati and Gandhinagar.

Delimitation Commission gets one-year extension to conclude its task in J&K

The Delimitation Commission, a panel for redrawing the parliamentary and Assembly constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir, has got a one-year extension. The panel, headed by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, came into existence on October, 2019 after the Centre abrogated the special status of the erstwhile state in August 2019 and announced its reorganisation.

Maritime India Summit-2021 concludes with ‘Chabahar Day’

The three-day Second edition of Virtual Maritime India Summit-2021 concluded with the observation of ‘Chabahar Day’ on March 4, 2021. In his key note address of Chabahar day Session, Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said that Chabahar Port project in Iran will be developed as transit hub for cross connectivity between the India and Eurasia.

Indian Army begins training of Turkmenistan Special Forces

The Indian Army on March 4, 2021 began the training of Turkmenistan Special Forces in “Combat Free Fall” to help them build their capabilities. In January, India and Turkmenistan had reviewed various aspects of bilateral relations, including political, economic, commercial, defence, education and consular cooperation during the fourth round of foreign office consultations.

QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021 unveiled

As many as 12 Indian institutions made it to the list of top-100 in the world in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021 unveiled on March 4, 2021. IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, IIT Kharagpur, IISC Bangalore, IIT Guwahati, IIM Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad, JNU, Anna University, University of Delhi, and O.P Jindal University.

Economy & Corporate

EPFO decides to retain 8.5% rate of interest on EPF deposits for 2020-21

Retirement fund body EPFO on March 4, 2021 decided to retain 8.5 per cent rate of interest on provident fund deposits for 2020-21. EPFO has more than five crore active subscribers. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Central Board of Trustees, which is Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation’s (EPFO) apex decision-making body, in Srinagar on March 4, 2021.

India attracted total FDI inflow of US$ 67.54 billion during April to December 2020

India has attracted total FDI inflow of US$ 67.54 billion during April to December 2020. It is the highest ever for the first ninth months of a financial year and 22% higher as compared to the first ninth months of 2019-20 (US$ 55.14 billion). FDI equity inflow grew by 40% in the first 9 months of F.Y. 2020-21 (US$ 51.47 billion) compared to the year ago period (US$ 36.77 billion).

Dr Harsh Vardhan launches “CSIR Floriculture Mission”

Science & Technology Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan launched the “CSIR Floriculture Mission” through virtual mode in New Delhi on March 4, 2021. Recently, CSIR Floriculture Mission has been approved for implementation in 21 States and Union Territories of India wherein available knowledgebase in CSIR Institutes will be utilized and leveraged to help Indian farmers and industry re-position itself to meet the import requirements.

ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel inks pact with Odisha to set up Rs 50,000 cr steel plant

Steelmaker ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) on March 4, 2021 inked an agreement with the Odisha government for setting up a 12 mtpa integrated steel plant in Kendrapara district with an investment of Rs 50,000 crore. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and steel tycoon Lakshmi N. Mittal were present during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Bhubaneswar.

Wipro to buy UK-based consultancy Capco for $1.45bn

Wipro on March 4, 2021 said it will acquire UK-based IT consultancy firm for financial institutions Capco for $1.45 billion. London-headquartered Capco’s clients include many marquee names in the global financial services industry.

India signs pact with Philippines for sale of BrahMos missiles

India on March 2, 2021 signed a key pact with the Philippines for the sale of “defence material and equipment”, which are likely to include BrahMos cruise missiles. Philippine Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who was also present at the pact’s signing ceremony in Manila, has reportedly said that his country is buying BrahMos missiles.

World

UN adopts India-sponsored resolution naming 2023 as International Year of Millets

The U.N. General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution sponsored by India and supported by over 70 nations declaring 2023 as the ‘International Year of Millets’, aimed at raising awareness about the health benefits of the grain and their suitability for cultivation under changing climatic conditions. Primary objective of the resolution is to raise awareness and direct policy action to the nutritional and health benefits of millets consumption and their suitability for cultivation under adverse and changing climatic conditions.

Sports

Kieron Pollard becomes 3^rd to hit 6 sixes in an over in international cricket

West Indies limited-overs format skipper Kieron Pollard on March 4, 2021 became the third batsman after South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs and India’s Yuvraj Singh in the history of international cricket to hit six 6s in an over. He achieved the feat in the first T20I of the three-match series against Sri Lanka at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Osbourn, Antigua. Pollard hit Sri Lanka’s Akila Dananjaya for six 6s in the sixth over of the innings.

India score in QS subject ranking: 25 programmes, 12 institutes in top 100

 TWENTY-FIVE PROGRAMMES — mostly in engineering — offered by higher education institutions in India rank among the top 100 in the world in their respective subject categories, according to the latest edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject. Last year, this number stood at 26.

While the number of Indian universities/ institutes in the top 100 subject rankings has increased from eight to 12 this year, IIM-Calcutta, which is embroiled in a turf war between its Board and director, suffered its worst-ever ranking. While IIM-Ahmedabad, IIM-Bangalore, IIM-Lucknow and IIM-Kozhikode have more or less maintained their positions in the Business and Management Studies category, IIM-Calcutta slipped from the 101-150 band last year to 451-500 band this time.Except one, all the 25 programmes are in institutions run by either the state or union government. The O P Jindal Global University is the only private university to have entered the top-100 club. Its law programme is now ranked 76th globally. And, interestingly, 17 of the 25 globally ranked Indian programmes are in engineering. IIT-Madras’s Petroleum Engineering programme registered the best performance among Indian institutes — 30th in the world.

The four new universities/ institutes in the top 100 subject rankings are: IIT-Guwahati (for petroleum engineering), Jawaharlal Nehru University (anthropology), Anna University (petroleum engineering), and O P Jindal Global University (law).

IIT-Bombay has cornered more top 100 positions than any other Indian institution. Seven of its programmes (art and design; computer science and information systems; chemical engineering; civil and structural engineering; electrical and electronic engineering; mechanical, aeronautical and manufacturing engineering and mineral and mining engineering) are among the best 100 in the world. Last year, it had nine — chemistry and materials science engineering do not feature in the top 100 this year.

IIT-Delhi has four programmes among the top 100 and IIT-Madras has three. IIT-Kharagpur and IISc Bangalore have recorded two programmes each. IIM-Ahmedabad and IIM-Bangalore are ranked 80 and 76, respectively, for business and management studies.

While the public Institutions of Eminence (IoE) such as the IITs are better-represented in the QS World University Rankings, the private ones have made a mark in the Subject Rankings edition. Among the private IoEs, Birla Institute of Technology and Science has entered the rankings (151- 200 band) for Pharmacy and Pharmacology, Mathematics (451-500 band) and Business and Management Studies (451-500 band). Jamia Hamdard and Manipal Academy of Higher Education have been placed in the 101-150 band and 151-200 band, respectively for Pharmacy and Pharmacology. The Vellore Institute of Technology has broken into the top 300 for Electrical and Electronic Engineering (251-300 band).

QS World University Rankings by subject calculate performance based on four parameters — academic reputation, employer reputation, research impact (citations per paper) and the productivity of an institution’s research faculty.

Source: Indian Express, 5/03/21

India’s migrant workers need better policies

 The lockdown-induced suffering of millions of migrants raised awareness regarding their magnitude, vulnerability, and role in the economy. It also led to a flurry of measures by the central and state governments. It is now encouraging that the Niti Aayog, on the request of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, has prepared an umbrella policy document for migrant labourers, including informal sector workers. This is something that this author has been advocating for over a decade. It is also highly appropriate that the Niti Aayog undertook the responsibility of drafting this policy since it required inter-sectoral and inter-ministerial coordination.

The draft policy makes significant strides in providing a perspective on recognising the magnitude and role of migrant workers, their problems and vulnerabilities, and the role and responsibilities of various stakeholders in addressing these. It states that a sound policy must be viewed from a “human rights, property rights, economic, social development, and foreign policy lens”. It reiterates that a rights-based and labour rights perspective built around the core issue of dignity of labour must be a guiding principle of policy, which should lead to the fulfilment of ILO commitments and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 8.8 on the protection of labour rights and providing a safe and secure working environment for all workers, particularly migrants.

The document states that the migrant exodus led to an appreciation of their magnitude as well as role in the economy (which it estimates at 10 per cent of GDP), but finds that the data has failed to capture the growth in their numbers, particularly the numbers of circular migrants.

It describes the many sources of vulnerabilities of migrant labourers, ranging from their invisibility and political and social exclusion to informal work arrangements, exploitation and denial of labour rights, lack of collective voice, exclusion from social protection arrangements, formal skills, health, education, and housing. Following from this, it identifies portability of social protection, voting rights, right to the city (the collective ownership and participation of citizens in cities they have helped build) and health, education and housing facilities as key issues to be dealt with. It also reflects on the need for pro-poor development and provision of livelihoods in the source areas.

Its recommendations on the above issues are addressed to various stakeholders which includes central ministries, state and local governments, community based organisations (CBOs), employers, trade unions, and multi-lateral organisations. Many of these build on earlier recommendations (for instance, those of the Working Group on Migration, 2017) and guidelines, including those laid down in Supreme Court orders. It further proposes a governance structure with the Ministry of Labour as the nodal ministry and a dedicated unit under it which will act as a focal point for inter-ministerial and Centre-state coordination. It also proposes mechanisms for coordinating the effort on inter-state migration, especially on principal migration corridors.

While many of the proposals need critical discussion, detailing, and modification, the policy document is an important step forward taken by the government in creating a framework under which migrant workers and their families can access entitlements and possibly work in a safer and better environment. However, the draft falls short of recognising and addressing many critical issues.

The National Commission for Rural Labour argued way back in 1991 that unequal development was the main cause of labour migration. This is implicitly recognised in the draft. In the last three decades, disparities in development and inequalities have grown ceaselessly, calling for deep correctives in the development strategy being pursued, without which migration and the adverse inclusion of migrants in labour markets is bound to grow unchecked. The report falls short of acknowledging this.

Similarly, while the report correctly pinpoints the exclusion of migrants by urban local governments in the provision of basic entitlements, it fails to acknowledge the root cause of the lopsided urban development strategy. Increasingly, the urban strategy has catered to national and global capital and the urban middle classes, marginalising the poor, particularly the migrants, whose struggle to find a foothold has become even more intense.

The report also makes a false dichotomy between approaches which rely on cash transfers and special dispensations and a second approach which enhances the agency and capability of migrants and removes constraints on these. The denial of the first approach has led the report to brush aside the migrants’ and informal workers’ right to social security. Social security is acknowledged as a universal human right in international covenants to which India is a signatory and is given due place in the Constitution. It also has a strong relationship to workers’ productivity and agency. The National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganised Sector (NCEUS) showed in 2006 that providing a minimum level of universal social security was financially and administratively feasible. The Commission also recommended a universal registration system and issuance of smart social security cards, but its recommendations have unfortunately remained a dead letter.

Perhaps the biggest fundamental weakness of the report is its approach towards labour rights and labour policy. By putting grievance and legal redressal above regulation and enforcement on which it remains silent, the report puts the cart before the horse. Surprisingly, the report does not take stock of the new labour codes, mentioning only the defunct laws that were subsumed by them. A perusal of the Codes shows that they accentuate the very problems — informality, precarity, the role of contractors and the lack of organisation — which the report itself describes. As mentioned by this author in an earlier article (‘Towards greater precarity’, IE October 3, 2020), the Codes, in promoting ease of business, have tilted the balance firmly in favour of capital, increasing precarity, liberalising the role of contractors, weakening the bargaining power of labour, and further weakening an already debilitated enforcement system.

In essence, the draft policy framework justifies the adage of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds. It identifies the problems but fails to address the policy distortions which lie at their root. Hopefully, however, the draft will be opened up for further discussions and feedback to enrich and complete what is already a significant beginning.

Ravi Srivastava 

This article first appeared in the print edition on March 4, 2021 under the title ‘Fighting for a foothold’. The author is Director, Centre of Employment Studies, Institute for Human Development, and a former member of the NCEUS

Source: Indian Express, 4/03/21

Want to study abroad? Here are 8 smart strategies for you

 Making it to a top global university requires a lot of planning. Here is all you need to do while planning to study abroad.Getting the right degree from the right university can be challenging for a student. Sometimes, it may require you to move abroad. Making it to a top global university has been the dream of millions of Indian students. Data from UNESCO reveals that out of the 5 million students studying abroad in 2018, 750,000 were Indians. According to some facts and figures shared by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), more than 1 million Indian students were studying abroad till July 2019.

Surprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic has increased the scope of studying abroad with various countries offering post-study work visas, courses and online programmes at lower fees, so on and so forth. However, moving out of one’s own country is one of the most significant transitions in the entire lifecycle of a student. This requires a lot of planning and of course, an appropriate execution. Here is what you need to do if you want to study abroad.

Do your homework well

Research is the key while it comes to choosing a university abroad and the right course. Do an in-depth research of the universities you want to apply to, their programmes, course curriculum, selection procedures, eligibility criteria, fee structure as well as the accommodations they provide.

Take a virtual tour of the university campus from the website and go through the prospectus carefully and make sure that you don’t get carried away by attractive advertisements. Try to reach out to the alumni of the universities you are applying to in order to get the necessary insider information. Also, check the credentials of the faculty and their placement records.

Consult a career counsellor

Career counsellors will help you make the right choices. Education counsellors will also be your guide while it comes to understanding the selection procedure as well as doing paperwork and documentation, tedious tasks for sure.

Apart from your academic results and other relevant document, most universities ask for Statement of Purpose (SOP), Letter of Recommendation (LOR), so on and so forth. These can be the deciding factors behind your selection. Educational consultancies can help you with these crucial documents as well. But you need to choose a credible career counselling agency, or else, they may misguide you to fulfil their vested interests.

Apply as soon as possible

Early birds have an edge over others in many aspects, especially when it comes to financial aids. The earlier you apply, the higher are your chances of grabbing a scholarship. Do not stop applying even if you receive a lot of rejection letters. You never know, when fortune strikes!

Prep your SOP well

This is a must if you want to get admission to your preferred college or university in the US, UK, Canada or Australia. In fact, premium educational institutes all across the world ask for it. The name, however, may vary. While some institutes call it SOP, others refer to it as Letter of Intent, Personal Statement, Goals Statement, etc. This is an extremely crucial document because your overall profile is what interests the authority, apart from your academic accomplishments. These are the factors to keep in mind while writing your SOP:

• Be honest. Don’t exaggerate and void mentioning things that are already in the CV.

• Share your course-related achievements and experiences.

• Paint an authentic picture of your real, unique persona in front of the admissions committee.

• While explaining why you chose a particular institute, make sure that you explain how your dream college/university will benefit from you.

• Share your interest in extra curricular activities. This is crucial because it gives the authorities an idea about your Emotional Quotient, which is as important as Intelligence Quotient. Your areas of interest help them figure out how you can contribute to the broader campus life beyond the classroom.

• Talk about your unique cultural lineage and how it can add to the diversity of the institute.

• Consider adding an audio or video document of your profile.

However, seek help from your career counsellor or SOP writing agencies if you are not confident about your language skills.

Choose the right person for LOR

Most colleges, especially in Europe, require a letter of recommendation for international students. You need to get it from a teacher or professor whom you have worked with closely for a project relevant to your course. It will be best if he or she has been a student or teacher of the institute you are applying for. Your recommendation letter should include your achievements, improvement over time and your unique qualities.

Look for scholarships

The first option is to browse through the website of the universities you are applying to. Almost all of them have ample information about financial aid, scholarship, other funding options, eligibility and deadlines for them. In case of queries, reach out to the relevant authorities via email. The next option is to look for financial support elsewhere on the internet. Some authentic resources include:

Here are the various types of scholarships that you can apply for if you want to study abroad:

• Scholarships for excellent academic results (also called merit scholarships)

• Scholarships for research, artistic, or athletic achievements

• Scholarships for students with low incomes

• Scholarships for under-represented groups (e.g. women, Hispanic and African-American students, citizens from developing countries)

Get your visa sorted

Start the visa processing work well in advance as it may take months. Also, check country-specific visa requirements. Visa approval also requires an SOP. Make sure that it is well-written.

Learn the local language

This is crucial if you are going to a country where people don’t speak English. Learning the local language will make life a lot easier and you’ll be able to make friends easily. Enroll yourself in an online course before setting off for your dream university. However, the programme you have signed up for, may also offer a beginner level local language class.

Source: Hindustan Times, 4/03/21

Quote of the Day March 3, 2021

 

“It's beauty that captures your attention; personality which captures your heart.”
Anonymous

“सौंदर्य आपके ध्यान को आकर्षित करता है, लेकिन व्यक्तित्व आपके दिल को आकर्षित करता है।”
अज्ञात

CSE’s State of Environment Report- Highlights

 The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has released its State of Environment Report, 2021 on February 25, 2021. The report highlighted how the Covid-19 pandemic will impact the children across world.

Key Findings

• The report highlighted that the pandemic will impact the 375 million children across the world.
• Children including from newborns to 14-year-olds will suffer long-lasting impacts.
• These children will be vulnerable to being underweight, stunting and increased child mortality.
• Their education and work productivity will also be impacted.
• As per the report, pandemic has forced over 500 million children out of school globally. Out of the total children, India accounted for more than half.
• The report further highlighted that; 115 million additional people might get pushed into extreme poverty due to pandemic. Most of the poorer people live in South Asia.

Where does India stand?

• As far as sustainable development is concerned, India ranked 117 among 192 nations.
• Further, India’s air, water and land have become more polluted in between the year 2009 and 2018.
• The Central Pollution Control Board highlighted that, out of 88 major industrial clusters in the country, 35 went through environmental degradation, 33 went through worsening air quality, 45 clusters comprised of polluted water and while 17 clusters had land pollution
• Tarapur in Maharashtra was the most polluted cluster.

What does data show?

The experts from the Centre for Science and Environment highlighted that the data shows that action has not been taken in the past three years control and reduce the pollution even in those areas that were already polluted.

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)

CSE is a not-for-profit public interest research and advocacy organisation. It is based in New Delhi. The organisation was established in the year 1980. The organisation works on the poor planning, environment-development issues, climate shifts in India and advocate for policy changes & better implementation of existing policies.

Current Affairs – March 3, 2021

 

India

Lok Sabha TV & Rajya Sabha TV merged into one single entity

Parliament has merged the Lok Sabha TV and Rajya Sabha TV channels into one single entity called “Sansad TV”. Ravi Capoor, IAS, will be the CEO of the new joint entity for a period of one year. The services of Manoj Kumar Pandey, the CEO of Rajya Sabha TV, have been terminated.”

Nand Kumar Singh Chauhan, BJP Lok Sabha member from Khandwa (MP), dies

Nand Kumar Singh Chauhan, the BJP Lok Sabha member from Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh, died on March 2, 2021 at the age of 69. He was an MLA from 1985 to 1996. He was elected as the Lok Sabha member for the first time in 1996 and got re-elected in 1998, 1999, 2004, 2014 and 2019.

Union Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot launches ‘Sugamya Bharat’ App

Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Thaawar Chand Gehlot launched the ‘Sugamya Bharat’ App to ease accessibility issues faced by differently-abled in buildings and transport system. He also released a handbook titled ‘Access – The Photo Digest’ on March 2, 2021. The App and the handbook have been developed by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities. The app will enable people with disabilities and even the elderly to register accessibility-related problems in buildings, in modes of transport or any infrastructure by uploading pictures on it.

Pokhriyal releases study material of Indian Knowledge Tradition courses of NIOS

Union Minister of Education Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ released the study material of Indian Knowledge Tradition courses of National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) in Noida, Uttar Pradesh on March 2, 2021. NIOS imparts school education through Open and Distance Education in the field of Secondary, Senior secondary level and vocational training. NIOS has prepared 15 courses of Indian knowledge tradition such as Veda, Yoga, Science, Vocational Skills and Sanskrit language subjects in Sanskrit, Hindi and English medium at all three levels of Open Basic Education Program. These courses are equivalent to classes 3rd, 5th and 8th.

Udaipur Science Centre inaugurated at Udaipur in Tripura

The Udaipur Science Centre, at Udaipur, Tripura was dedicated to the people by the Governor of Tripura, Ramesh Bais on February 28, 2021. Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Culture and Tourism, Govt. of India Prahlad Singh Patel, was the Chief Guest on the occasion. A. D. Choudhury, DG, NCSM informed that Udaipur Science Centre is the 22nd Science Centre which has been developed by NCSM (National Council of Science Museums).

Sri Lanka to develop West Container Terminal at Colombo Port with India, Japan

Sri Lanka on March 2, 2021 said it will develop the West Container Terminal (WCT) at the Colombo Port along with India and Japan. Approval has been granted to develop the WCT with investors nominated by India and Japan. While India has named Adani Ports, Japan is yet to respond. India and Japan will be accorded 85% stakes in WCT.

IAF participating in Exercise Desert Flag being hosted by UAE in March

The Indian Air Force will participate for the first time in Exercise Desert Flag which is beginning in Al-Dhafra air base in UAE from March 3, 2021. Exercise Desert Flag is an annual multinational large force employment warfare exercise hosted by the United Arab Emirates Air Force. The large-scale exercise ending on March 27 will provide the participating forces, including IAF, a unique opportunity to exchange knowledge, experience, enhance operational capabilities and interoperability.

Passenger train service between Dhaka & New Jalpaiguri to start from March 26

A new passenger train service between Dhaka and New Jalpaiguri is set to start from 26th of March marking the 50th Anniversary of the liberation of Bangladesh. The d train will run through the Chilahati-Haldibari cross border rail route. There are two passenger trains currently running between Bangladesh and India. The Maitree Express runs between Dhaka and Kolkata and Bandhan Express links Khulna with Kolkata.

Economy & Corporate

Cheque dishonour cases can’t be filed or continued against firms facing insolvency

The Supreme Court on March 1, 2021 held the cheque bounce cases can neither be instituted nor be continued against companies which are facing insolvency proceedings and are protected under a provision of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) putting a moratorium on legal proceedings against them.

PM inaugurates ‘Maritime India Summit 2021’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the three-day ‘Maritime India Summit 2021’ on March 2, 2021. According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the Maritime India Summit 2021 is being organised by the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways on a virtual platform www.maritimeindiasummit.in. The summit will visualise a roadmap for India’s Maritime sector for next decade and will work to propel India to the forefront of the Global Maritime Sector. Denmark is the partner country for the three-day summit.

World

Japan dismisses Chinese claims over Senkaku Islands

Japan on March 2, 2021 dismissed China’s claim over disputed Senkaku islands in the East China Sea, and criticized China saying the claim breaks international law. Japan’s Defense Minister Kishi Nobuo said that the Senkaku Islands are an inherent part of Japanese territory, in terms of history and international law. He said the islands are also under Japan’s control. China and Taiwan claim the Senkaku islands.

Vernon Jordan, U.S. civil rights activist and lawyer, dies aged 85

Vernon Jordan, who grew up in the segregated South to become an influential leader in the American civil rights movement, Washington politics and Wall Street, died at age of 85 on March 1, 2021.

Sports

Virat Kohli becomes first cricketer to have 100 million followers on Instagram

India captain Virat Kohli became the first cricketer in the world to have 100 million followers on social media platform Instagram. The 32-year-old Kohli is also the fourth most followed sportsperson on Instagram. Portugal football star Cristiano Ronaldo tops the chart with 265 million followers, ahead of Argentina football captain and FC Barcelona legend Lionel Messi and Brazil’s Neymar, who are second and third in the list with 186 million and 147 million followers respectively.