Current and corporate news 12 september 2020
COVID-19
0.73 pct adults in India were exposed to COVID amounting to 6.4 million infections by early May: ICMR sero survey: The findings of the first national sero survey conducted by the ICMR, published in the Indian Journal of Medical Research, indicate that 0.73 per cent adults in India were exposed to SARS-CoV-2 amounting to a total of 6.4 million infections by early May. The survey was conducted from 11th May to 4th June and covered 28 thousand individuals whose blood samples were tested for IgG antibodies using COVID Kavach ELISA kit. Also, seropositivity was the highest in the age group of 18 to 45 years with 43.3 per cent, followed by those between 46 to 60 years with 39.5 per cent and it was the lowest among those aged above 60 with 17.2 per cent. The survey report said, it’s estimated that there were a total of 64 lakh 68 thousand 388 adult infections in India by early May. The report said, the low prevalence observed in most districts indicates that India is in the early phase of the epidemic and the majority of the Indian population is still susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. It highlighted the need to continue to implement context-specific containment measures including testing of all symptomatics, isolating positive cases and tracing high-risk contacts to slow down transmission and prevent overburdening of the health system.
NATIONAL NEWS
Centre launches Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework along with ‘Streets for People Challenge’: Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri today launched the Climate Smart Cities Assessment Framework, CSCAF 2.0, along with the ‘Streets for People Challenge’ in a virtual event. The objective of CSCAF is to provide a clear roadmap for cities towards combating Climate Change while planning and implementing their actions, including investments. CSCAF initiative intends to inculcate a climate-sensitive approach to urban planning and development in India. The Streets for People Challenge is the response to the need for making the cities more walkable and pedestrian friendly. The Challenge builds on the advisory issued by the Ministry for the holistic planning for pedestrian-friendly market spaces, earlier this year. The Challenge will support cities across the country to develop a unified vision of streets for people in consultation with stakeholders and citizens.
PM Modi to dedicate to nation three key projects related to Petroleum sector: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation three key projects related to the Petroleum sector in Bihar through video conferencing on Sunday. The projects include the Durgapur-Banka section of the ParadipHaldia-Durgapur Pipeline Augmentation Project and two LPG Bottling Plants. They have been commissioned by Indian Oil and Hindustan
Petroleum Corporation Limited- HPCL, under the aegis of the Ministry of
Petroleum and Natural Gas. The 193 kilometer long Durgapur-Banka pipeline section is a part of the Paradip-Haldia-Durgapur Pipeline
Augmentation Project, for which the foundation stone was laid by the Prime
Minister on 17th February 2019. Durgapur-Banka section is the extension of the existing 679 Kilometer long Paradip-Haldia-Durgapur LPG pipeline to thenew LPG bottling plant at Banka in Bihar.
India, China agree on five points for disengagement & easing of tensions at LAC: India and China have agreed on five points to guide their approach to the situation on the Line of Actual Control (LAC). In the bilateral meeting between Foreign Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi held yesterday along the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Ministerial meet in Moscow, both the Ministers agreed for early disengagement and easing of tensions at the LAC. Firstly, the two Ministers agreed that both sides should take guidance from the series of consensus of the leaders on developing India-China relations, including not allowing differences to become disputes. Secondly, the two Foreign Ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions. Thirdly, the two Ministers agreed that both sides shall abide by all the existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs, maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas and avoid any action that could escalate matters. The two sides also agreed to continue to have dialogue and communication through the Special Representative mechanism on the India-China boundary question. They also agreed in this context that the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs, should also continue its meetings. Lastly, the Ministers agreed that as the situation eases, the two sides should expedite work to conclude new Confidence Building Measures to maintain and enhance peace and tranquillity in the border areas.
Santosh Gangwar addresses Virtual Meeting of G-20 Labour and Employment Ministers: Labour and Employment Minister Santosh Gangwar has called upon all G20 members to continue to work together for finding solutions to the common problems resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Mr Gangwar was speaking at Virtual Meeting of G-20 Labour and Employment Ministers last evening through video conferencing. Referring to region specific measures to contain the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, the Minister underlined that to mitigate the problems of the workers, India encouraged its employers for payment of wages to their workers. Mr Gangwar added that adequate arrangements were made to provide temporary shelters, food and medical facilities to the migrant labourers.
STATE NEWS
Gujarat & Andaman and Nicobar Islands named best performers in State StartUp Rankings 2019: State of Gujarat and Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been named the best performers in the State StartUp Rankings 2019. They have been recognized for their outstanding performance in simplifying commerce, enhancing productivity and leveraging technology. The State Startup Rankings was released in New Delhi today. Karnataka and Kerala are the top performing states in the State StartUp Rankings for fostering innovative entrepreneurship to attract business and finance. Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Sikkim and Uttar Pradesh are the emerging startup ecosystems in the country. Speaking on the occasion, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that during COVID period, Indian Startups have come up with brilliant ideas and solutions to the many problems that the country and the world face. Mr Goyal said, they also see a number of startups coming up with innovative ideas on delivery of groceries, meeting the essential requirements of the people of the country, and coming up with newer ideas to promote the digital economy and ecommerce in different ways.
Gujarat government announces state’s first Heritage Tourism Policy: Gujarat Government has announced the state’s first Heritage Tourism
Policy. This was announced after the meeting chaired by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani in Gandhinagar today. According to sources, the policy has
provisions to permit use of pre-1950 historical buildings such as heritage
palaces and forts, as heritage hotels, heritage museums, heritage banquet
halls and heritage restaurants, provided that basic heritage structure is not
disturbed. This decision paves a way for creating tourism attraction in
unused historical buildings. Under this policy, the State Government will
provide an aid of five to ten crore rupees to new or existing heritage hotels
for renovation and expansion. According to the policy provisions, the
developers will be provided an aid of 45 lakh to one crore rupees, to start
new or restore an existing heritage museum, heritage banquet hall and
heritage restaurant. The restoration or expansion work should be done
without altering or damaging the existing original structure. The State
Government expects that the new policy will place Gujarat on the world
heritage tourism map. International tourists will not only be able to enjoy the heritage sites, but also enjoy a stay at ancient palaces, forts owned by Kings and other ancient monuments.
Bihar: Congress MLAs Purnima Yadav, Sudarshan Kumar resign from party: In Bihar, two Congress MLAs Purnima Yadav and Sudarshan Kumar today resigned from party and joined JD(U). Purnima Yadav represents Govindganj while Sudarshan Kumar Barbigha assembly constituency.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Americans paying tributes on 19th anniversary of
September 11 attacks: Americans are commemorating the 19th Anniversary of the September 11 attacks with tributes that have been altered by Coronavirus precautions and woven into the Presidential campaign. The observance will be restricted so that not even victims’ families can attend, though small groups can visit the memorial there later in the day. According to White House, President Donald Trump will pay respects in the morning at the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville in Pennsylvania. Democratic challenger Joe Biden to pay respects in the afternoon at the same venue after attending the observance at the 9/11 memorial plaza at the World Trade Centre in New York. The hijacked plane attacks on September 11, 2001 killed nearly 3,000 people at the trade centre, at the Pentagon and near Shanksville in Pennsylvania.
Air India operates 5th Vande Bharat flight from Delhi to Ningbo, China: India operated its fifth Vande Bharat flight to China yesterday. Late last night, Air India flew in 212 Indians, three OCI card holders, Chinese nationals and few foreign nationals to Ningbo in China from Delhi. This enabled many stuck Indians to unite with their family members and enabled them to join back work in China. Indian Consulate in Shanghai tweeted that the flight carried back 54 Indians who wanted to return back to motherland. Travellers to both sides will have to follow extant quarantine requirements in respective countries.
India, US ask Pakistan to expeditiously bring perpetrators of 26/11 Mumbai, Pathankot airbase attacks to justice: India and the United States of America have asked Islamabad to expeditiously bring the perpetrators of terrorist attacks, including the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and the Pathankot airbase attack to justice. This was announced in a joint statement released after the meeting of India-US Counter Terrorism Joint Working Group and the India-US Designations Dialogue which concluded yesterday. Both India and US said that there is an urgent need for Pakistan to take immediate, sustained and irreversible action to ensure that no territory under its control is used for terrorist activities. In the statement, both sides denounced the use of terrorist proxies and strongly condemned cross-border terrorism in all its forms. Views were exchanged on threats posed by UN-sanctioned terrorist entities. Emphasis was laid for concerted action against all terrorist networks, including alQa’ida, ISIS, Lashkar e-Tayyiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, and Hizb-ul Mujahideen.
US revokes visas of more than 1,000 Chinese students deemed to be a security risk: The US has revoked the visas of more than 1,000 Chinese students and researchers who are deemed to be a security risk. A statement issued by the State Department said, the revocation of the visas was authorized by a proclamation signed by President Donald Trump.
OBITUARY
Arya Samaj leader, Social activist Swami Agnivesh passes away: Arya Samaj leader and social activist Swami Agnivesh passed away today
at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences, ILBS in New Delhi. He was 80.
Swami Agnivesh was suffering from liver cirrhosis and was critically ill and
on ventilatory support since Tuesday due to multi organ failure. Today, his
condition deteriorated and he went into cardiac arrest in the evening. ILBS
said, resuscitation was attempted but the he passed away at 6:30 PM. Agnivesh was elected to Haryana Legislative Assembly in 1977 and served
as a Cabinet Minister for Education in the state in 1979. He founded Bonded
Labour Liberation Front in 1981 and worked against bonded labour. He also led numerous movements against alcoholism. Swami Agnivesh also served as president of the Sarvadeshik Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, World Council of Arya Samaj.
SPORTS
US Open Tennis: Victoria Azarenka sets up final clash with Naomi Osaka in Women’s Singles: In the US Open Tennis, Belarusian Victoria Azarenka will face Japan’s Naomi Osaka in the summit clash of the women’s singles tomorrow. In the semifinal, Azarenka defeated Serena Williams 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 and ended Serena’s 24th Grand Slam singles title. In another semi final, Naomi Osaka of Japan beat American Jennifer Brady 7-6, 3-6, 6-3. In Men’s Singles semifinals later tonight, while Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain will face Germany’s Alexander Zverev, Russian Daniil Medvedev will take on Dominic Thiem of Austria. The winners will meet in the final on Sunday.
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Compiled By : CS Surbhi Saxena
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