Parliament gave its assent to the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Bill, 2020 with Lok Sabha passing it with voice vote in a late night sitting yesterday. Rajya Sabha gave it’s nod to the bill on 19th of this month. The bill amends the Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897 to include protections for health care service personnel combating epidemic diseases and expands the powers of the Central Government to prevent the spread of such diseases. The bill repeals the Epidemic Diseases (Amendment) Ordinance that was promulgated in April this year. The legislation makes harm, injury, hurt or danger to the life of health care service personnel as a cognizable and non-bailable offence. It has provisions of imprisonment from three months to five years and a fine between 50 thousand rupees to two lakh rupees. Persons convicted of offences under the bill will also be liable to pay compensation to the health care service personnel whom they have hurt.
Author: CS SURBHI SAXENA
About
Surbhi Saxena edits the daily Current Affairs News.
The author is qualified member of The Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI).
Lok Sabha passes Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill, 2020
Lok Sabha passed the Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Bill, 2020 today. The bill aims to make Kashmiri, Dogri, Hindi, English and Urdu as the official languages of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking about the bill in Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Home Ministry G. Kishan Reddy said that that the legislation will fulfill the long awaited demand of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. The minister informed that earlier the official language for the Union territory was only Urdu. He said
the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir had informed the Centre that people across the Union Territory had been demanding to include the languages they speak and understand as their official language.
United Nations faces crisis of confidence without comprehensive reforms: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that the United Nations faces a crisis of confidence without comprehensive reforms. He asserted that the world needs a reformed multilateralism that reflects today’s realities, gives voice to all stakeholders, addresses contemporary challenges and focuses on human welfare. The Prime Minister said this while addressing the high level meeting of United Nations General Assembly to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of United Nations last night through video conferencing. Mr Modi said, the Declaration that being adopted on this occasion acknowledges that work still needs to be done in preventing conflict, ensuring development, addressing climate change, reducing inequality and leveraging digital technologies. He said, our world today is a better place because of the United Nations.
Any broader global rebalancing is incomplete without genuine re-emergence of Africa: External Affair Minister S Jaishankar
Outlining India’s strong commitment in supporting Africa in its development journey, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today said that any broader global rebalancing is incomplete without the genuine re-emergence of the Africa. In an address at a conclave on India-Africa partnership, Dr Jaishankar said, only after genuine emergence of
Africa, world’s strategic diversity will come into full play. He said, New Delhi welcomes the evolution and rise of the continent as a key factor in the contemporary world. On Africa’s development journey, Dr Jaishankar said India is committed to supporting the countries in the continent as per their individual priorities and our shared ethics. He said India’s relationship with Africa is based on four key pillars — development partnership, trade, people-to-people contact and cooperation in defence and security sector. The Minister said India is also looking at the continent for cooperation in the energy sector. He said, for India, Africa’s rise as one of the global system’s poles is not just desirable but it is absolutely necessary.
Turkey President says UN failed amid coronavirus pandemic
Turkey’s president, who has long called for a reform of the United Nations, said the world body has failed in its response to the coronavirus pandemic. In a televised address following a Cabinet meeting, Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed the UN was late in accepting the existence of the pandemic and had failed to make its presence felt for nations requiring help to fight infections.He said, the UN, which has fallen flat concerning crises from Syria to Yemen, as well as developments in fragile regions of Africa and
South America, has also flunked during the pandemic. His comments came as world leaders mark the 75th anniversary of UN General Assembly this week.
DRDO conducts successful flight test of ABHYAS
The successful flight test of ABHYAS – High-speed Expendable Aerial Target was today conducted by Defence Research and Development Organisation, DRDO from the Interim Test Range, Balasore in Odisha. During the trials, two demonstrator vehicles were successfully test flown. The vehicle can be used as target for evaluation of various missile systems. Abhyas is designed and developed by Aeronautical Development Establishment of DRDO. The air vehicle is launched using twin underslung booster. It is powered by a small gas turbine engine and has MEMS based Inertial Navigation System
for navigation along with the Flight Control Computer for guidance and control.
Piyush Goyal called upon G-20 to play leadership role in crafting pathway to recover from COVID-19
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal today took part in the virtual meeting of the G-20 Trade and Investment Ministers. Making interventions during the meeting, he called upon G-20 to play a leadership role in crafting a pathway to recover from COVID19. He said, one of the key lessons for all countries is the need to strike the right balance between their external and internal economic policies, with a view to ensuring balanced
and sustainable development. He said that India stands ready to engage constructively with all G-20 Members to push an agenda that is inclusive and development oriented.