CHINA’S ATTEMPT TO ALTER STATUS QUO CAN HAVE ‘REPERCUSSIONS’: INDIAN ENVOY

India on Friday warned China that trying to alter the status quo on the

ground by resorting to force will not just damage the peace that existed on

the border areas but can also have “ripples and repercussions” in the

broader bilateral relationship, and demanded that Beijing stop its

activities in Eastern Ladakh.

The only way to resolve the current military standoff along the LAC in

eastern Ladakh was for Beijing to realise that trying to “change the status

quo by resorting to force or coercion, is not the right way forward,”

IndiaÂ’s ambassador to China Vikram Misri said in an interview to PTI.

Asserting that actions taken by the Chinese forces on the ground have

damaged “considerable trust” in the bilateral relationship, the Indian

ambassador added that it was entirely the responsibility of the Chinese side

to take a careful view of the relations and to decide which direction the

ties should move.

He also rubbished ChinaÂ’s claim of sovereignty over Galwan Valley in Ladakh

as “completely untenable”, and asserted that these kinds of exaggerated

claims are not going to help the situation. “Whatever activities we may be

carrying on have always been on our side of the Line of Actual Control

(LAC), so the Chinese need to stop activities to alter the status quo. It is

very surprising that they should attempt to do so in a sector which has

never before been a sector of concern.” he said.

Emphasising that India is “very aware and very clear about the alignment of

the LAC in the Galwan Valley,” he said our troops have been patrolling up to

these areas without any difficulty for a very, very long period of time.

MisriÂ’s strong comments came in response to the recent claims by the Chinese

military and the foreign ministry of sovereignty over Galwan Valley.

MisriÂ’s comments came a day after the external affairs ministry said China

has been amassing a large contingent of troops and armaments along the LAC

in eastern Ladakh since early May, and warned that continuation of the

current situation would only vitiate the atmosphere for the development of

the relationship.

RGF CHARGES MANUFACTURED: CONGRESS

The Congress yesterday said the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation funding issue raised

by BJP chief JP Nadda was a distraction and a manufactured controversy to

divert national attention from the governmentÂ’s failures to foil Chinese

aggression on the Ladakh border.

In a statement, Congress media head Randeep Surjewala said Rs 1.45 crores

that RGF received from the Chinese Embassy in 2005 was for the purpose of

the disabled welfare and research on Sino-Indian relations and was used for

these purposes.

“RGF accounts were duly audited and statutory returns were filed under

Foreign Contributions Regulation Act (FCRA) to the Government of India. This

grant has been reflected in all filings to the income tax and the Home

Ministry and no authority has ever found any wrongdoing of any nature,”

Surjewala said.

The Congress also admitted RGF receiving money from the PM Relief Fund but

said, “Pursuant to the unprecedented Tsunami in the last week of 2004, RGF

received a modest amount of Rs 20 lakh from the Prime MinisterÂ’s National

Relief Fund in the financial year 2005 which was duly utilised to undertake

relief activities in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.”

Surjewala added PM Narendra Modi and BJP president JP Nadda‘s “total failure

to protect national security and territorial integrity of India cannot be

washed away in the cacophony of manufactured and desperate allegations

vis-à-vis grants received by the RGF foundation which has been audited and

reported both to the Income Tax and Home Ministry”.

The Congress leader said, “Diversion, disinformation and distraction were

the hallmark of the BJP government when exposed and caught lying on issues

of national security and territorial integrity.”

IF CHINA HASN'T OCCUPIED TERRITORY, WHY WERE OUR 20 SOLDIERS MARTYRED, ASKS

SONIA

Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday

asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to state facts in respect of the ongoing

LAC standoff between India and China and take the country into confidence on

the matter.

In her video message on the occasion of the party’s “Speak Up for Jawans”

campaign, Sonia Gandhi cited satellite images, media reports and former

generalsÂ’ takes on the Chinese incursions into India and asked Prime

Minister Narendra Modi to explain if Indian land had indeed been taken.

“Is our territorial integrity being violated by China in Ladakh? Will the

Prime Minister take the nation into confidence on the matter,” asked Sonia

Gandhi.

In a video message put out as part of the CongressÂ’ campaign to honour the

soldiers who gave the supreme sacrifice in Ladakh, she asked why our

soldiers were martyred when China had not captured any Indian territory, as

claimed by the Prime Minister.

“The nation wants to know if China has not transgressed into our land in

Ladakh, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed, why were 20 soldiers

martyred,” she asked.

Assuring support to the government, Sonia Gandhi asked the PM: “When and how

will the government retrieve Indian territory?”

COVID-19 DASHBOARD – (Nos. IN INDIA / Nos. WORLDWIDE)

(Indian data from covid19india / and World Data from

worldometers.info/coronavirus/ )

Total Cases 5,09,390 (+18,275) / 99,04,963 (+1,94,758)

Total Deaths 15,689 (+381) / 4,96,866 (+5,083)

Total Recovered 2,95,917 (+10,246) / 53,57,778 (+78,199)

Active Cases 1,97,784 (+7,648) / 40,50,319 (+1,11,476)

Serious / Critical Cases - N.A. / 57,643 (+24)

Top impacted nations so far: (And some of IndiaÂ’s Neighbours)

Country, Total Cases / Total Deaths / Recovered Cases / Active

Cases

1 USA 25,52,956 / 1,27,640 /

10,68,703 / 13,56,613

2 Brazil 12,80,054 / 56,109 /

6,97,526 / 5,26,419

3 Russia 6,20,794 / 8,781 /

3,84,152 / 2,27,861

4 India 5,09,446 / 15,689 /

2,95,917 / 1,97,840

5 UK 3,09,360 / 43,414 / N/A

/ N/A

6 Spain 2,94,985 / 28,338 / N/A

/ N/A

7 Peru 2,72,364 / 8,939 /

1,59,806 / 1,03,619

8 Chile 2,63,360 / 5,068 /

2,23,431 / 34,861

9 Italy 2,39,961 / 34,708 /

1,87,615 / 17,638

10 Iran 2,17,724 / 10,239 /

1,77,852 / 29,633

11 Mexico 2,08,392 / 25,779 / 1,20,562

/ 62,051

12 Pakistan 1,95,745 / 3,962 /

84,168 / 1,07,615

17 Bangladesh 1,30,474 / 1,661 /

53,133 / 75,680

105 Sri Lanka 2,014 / 11 /

1,619 / 384

Top 18 impacted Indian States so far: (Total No. of Confirmed case / No. Of

Deaths)

State / Confirmed Cases / Active Case / Recovered /

Deceased

Maharashtra 1,52,765 / 65,829 / 79,815 /

7,106

Delhi 77,240 / 27,657 / 47,091 / 2,492

Tamil Nadu 74,622 / 32,308 / 41,357 /

957

Gujarat 30,158 / 6,348 / 22,038 / 1,772

Uttar Pradesh 20,943 / 6,730 / 13,583 /

630

Rajasthan 16,660 / 3,218 / 13,062 /

380

West Bengal 16,190 / 5,039 / 10,535 /

616

Haryana 12,884 / 4,657 / 8,016 /

211

Madhya Pradesh 12,798 / 2,448 / 9,804 /

546

Telangana 12,349 / 7,346 / 4,766 /

237

Andhra Pradesh 11,489 / 6,147 / 5,196

/ 146

Karnataka 11,005 / 3,903 / 6,918 /

180

Bihar 8,678 / 1,953 / 6,669 / 56

Assam 6,920 / 2,660 / 4,248 / 9

Jammu and Kashmir 6,762 / 2,591 / 4,080 /

91

Odisha 6,180 / 1,734 / 4,422 / 24

Punjab 4,957 / 1,634 / 3,201 / 122

Kerala 3,877 / 1,846 / 2,006 / 23

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

======================

AGENCIES LIKE UNSC HAVE TEETH BUT RELUCTANT TO BITE: UN CHIEF

Multilateral instruments such as the UN Security Council have teeth but

"show little or no appetite to bite, UN chief Antonio Guterres has said as

he underlined the need for "effective and inclusive" multilateralism.

As the world body on Friday commemorates the 75th anniversary of the

adoption of the UN Charter, the founding document of the Organisation, the

Secretary General said there is a need to re-imagine the way nations

cooperate.

We need a networked multilateralism, bringing together the UN system,

regional organisations, international financial institutions and others. And

we need an inclusive multilateralism, drawing on the indispensable

contributions of civil society, business, cities, regions and, in

particular, with greater weight given to the voices of youth, Guterres said

at a virtual press conference Thursday.

Underling that in the 21st Century, governments are no longer the only

political and power reality, he said we need an effective multilateralism

that can function as an instrument of global governance where it is needed.

US IMPOSES VISA RESTRICTIONS ON CHINESE OFFICIALS

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that Washington is imposing visa

restrictions on Chinese Communist Party officials believed to be responsible

for undermining freedoms in Hong Kong.

Mr Pompeo said the sanctions targeted "current and former" party officials.

He said the move followed President Donald Trump's promise to punish Beijing

over a proposed security law that could erode Hong Kong's autonomy.

China said the US decision was a "mistake" that should be withdrawn.

ASEAN STATES WARN OF S. CHINA SEA TENSIONS

Vietnam and the Philippines warned of growing insecurity in Southeast Asia

at a regional summit on Friday amid concerns that China was stepping up its

activity in the disputed South China Sea during the coronavirus pandemic.

Both Hanoi and Manila lodged protests with China in April after Beijing

unilaterally declared the creation of new administrative districts on

islands in the troubled waterways to which Vietnam and the Philippines also

have competing claims.

"Even as our region struggles to contain COVID-19, alarming incidents in the

South China Sea occurred," Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte told an

online meeting of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders on

Friday. "We call on parties to refrain from escalating tensions and abide by

responsibilities under international law," he said.

THE REST

========

INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS TO REMAIN SUSPENDED TILL JULY 15

The aviation regulator DGCA said on Friday it is extending the suspension of

scheduled international passenger flights in the country till July 15 but

added that some international scheduled services on select routes may be

permitted on a case-to-case basis.

Scheduled international passenger flights were suspended in India on March

23 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“The competent authority has decided that scheduled international commercial

passenger services to or from India shall remain suspended till 2359 hrs IST

of July 15, 2020,” said the DGCA circular. “However, international scheduled

flights may be allowed on selected routes by the competent authority on a

case to case basis,” said the circular by the Directorate General of Civil

Aviation (DGCA).

Air India and other private domestic airlines have been operating

unscheduled international repatriation flights under the Vande Bharat

Mission, which was started on May 6 by the Central government. India resumed

scheduled domestic passenger flights on May 25, after a gap of two months.

Meanwhile, schools, colleges, and universities will continue to remain shut

as state governments have expressed their reluctance to resume classes. MHRD

Minister Ramesh Pokriyal had earlier said that schools may start classes

from mid-August. Moreover, the recent decisions taken by CBSE, ICSE, ISC,

and several other state boards to cancel class 10, class 12 exams go to show

their unwillingness to resume classroom proceedings anytime soon.

The government sources also stated that metro train services is likely to

remain closed as a large gathering of people in enclosed spaces may take a

huge toll on the public health system as the COVID-19 cases are rising

exponentially each day.

The Indian Railways Friday said it “may not be possible to run all trains in

near future given the coronavirus situation”.

Speaking to reporters, the Chairman for the Railway Board, Vinod Kumar

Yadav, however, expressed optimism that the trend of people coming back to

Maharashtra and Gujarat from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar is very “encouraging”,

indicating an improvement in the economic situation.

The Railways, he added, could introduce more trains depending on current

occupancy on routes, Covid-19 numbers in states and demand from states.

100% FDI IN COAL SECTOR CONTRADICTS SPIRIT OF SELF-RELIANCE, MAMATA WRITES

TO PM MODI

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has requested Prime Minister

Narendra Modi to reconsider the CentreÂ’s decision to allow 100 per cent FDI

in the coal sector, saying it contradicts the “very essence of an

Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India)”.

Expressing reservations about the move, Banerjee in a letter to Modi on

Thursday night said it would send “a wrong message...and would also kill the

vision of self-reliant policy that we have been following since beginning”.

At a time when the worldÂ’s largest coal mining company, Coal India Limited

(CIL), is producing 80 per cent of the countryÂ’s coal with a pre-tax profit

of Rs 27,000 crore (2018-19) and holding a reserve of Rs 31,000 crore, “the

decision...to relax FDI in coal for MNCs will carry a wrong message, it

would contradict the very essence of Atmanirbhar Bharat and would also kill

the vision of self-reliant policy that we have been following since

beginning,” she said.

The CM also described the move of the coal ministry to shift the desk

offices of four of its subsidiary companies from the state as an “abrupt

decision” and requested the prime minister to intervene in the matter.

ELGAR PARISHAD: INTERIM BAIL PLEA OF VARAVARA RAO AND SHOMA SEN REJECTED

A special court on Friday rejected the interim bail applications of

81-year-old writer-poet Varavara Rao and 61-year-old former professor Shoma

Sen, who are behind bars since 2018 in the Elgaar Parishad case. Both Rao

and Sen had sought interim bail citing their ill health and susceptibility

to Covid-19.

The National Investigation Agency had opposed the pleas stating that since

they have been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, there

was no provision to grant them temporary bail.

2 OF 3 ‘DOCTORS’ IN RURAL INDIA HAVE NO FORMAL MEDICAL DEGREES: STUDY

At least two of every three “doctors” in rural India are informal providers

of care, with no qualifications in modern system of medicine, according to

IndiaÂ’s first comprehensive assessment of public and private health care

availability and quality, as measured by their medical knowledge.

Although 75% of villages have at least one health care provider and a

village on average has three primary health providers, 86% of them are

private “doctors” and 68% have no formal medical training, found a survey of

1,519 villages across 19 states in 2009 by researchers from the Centre for

Policy Research (CPR) in New Delhi. The study has been published in the

Social Science and Medicine journal.

Interestingly, the CPR study found that formal qualifications were not a

predictor of quality, with the medical knowledge of informal providers in

Tamil Nadu and Karnataka being higher than that of trained doctors in Bihar

and Uttar Pradesh.

SERUM INSTITUTE LOOKS TO RAISE $1 BILLION FOR VACCINE PROJECT

Pune-headquartered Serum Institute of India, the worldÂ’s largest vaccine

manufacturer and a frontrunner in IndiaÂ’s fight against COVID-19, plans to

raise around $1 billion as it looks to mass-produce billions of doses of

COVID-19 experimental vaccines on the back of tie-ups with various global

firms. One of these arrangements includes a critical licence to mass-produce

an experimental COVID -19 vaccine by University of Oxford and British

drugmaker AstraZeneca, which has entered the final stage of clinical trials.

Investment banks Goldman Sachs, Citi and Avendus Capital have been engaged

as advisors for the process by the privately held (by Poonawala family)

Serum Institute.

British drugmaker AstraZeneca has partnered with Serum Institute of India to

supply 1 billion doses of University of Oxford's potential COVID-19 vaccine.

NASA RELEASES EPIC 10-YEAR TIMELAPSE OF SUN

NASA has released a 10-year timelapse of the Sun prepared from the data

collected by the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO).

The SDO, which has been observing the Sun non-stop for more than a decade

now, captures an image of the Sun every 0.75 seconds, according to the space

agency. “SDO has gathered 425 million high-resolution images of the Sun,

amassing 20 million gigabytes of data over the past 10 years. This

information has enabled countless new discoveries about the workings of our

closest star and how it influences the solar system,” NASA said in a

release.

The video shows the rise and fall in activity that occurs as part of the

SunÂ’s 11-year solar cycle and notable events, like transiting planets and

eruptions.

However, despite the SDO keeping its eye pointed toward the Sun, it did miss

a few moments. “The dark frames in the video are caused by Earth or the Moon

eclipsing SDO as they pass between the spacecraft and the Sun.

In the little over 61 minutes long video, each second represents a day.

LÂ’OREAL TO DROP WORDS WHITE, FAIR, LIGHT FROM SKINCARE RANGE

French cosmetics major LÂ’Oreal Group on Friday said it would drop words such

as white, fair and light from all its skincare products, a day after

Unilever announced a similar move.

Cosmetics brands have been under the scanner over products that promote skin

fairness amid growing voices against racial stereotyping. This has

intensified in the wake of the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement in the West.

Recently, US-based healthcare and FMCG giant Johnson & Johnson (J&J) stopped

the sale of its skin-whitening creams globally, including in India.

Kolkata-based FMCG firm Emami, which owns fairness cream brand Fair &

Handsome, had said it was evaluating the current situation.

INDICATORS

Sensex 35,171 (+329), Nifty 10,383 (+94), Trading Value NSE ,(Rs.crores)

56,007

Nasdaq 9,757 (-260) Dow 25,016 (-730), S&P 3,009 (-75)

US$-Rs. 75.26 GBP-Rs. 93.16, Euro-Rs. 84.44, UAE Dhm-Rs.20.48, Can$-Rs.

55.08, Aus$- Rs. 51.72

GBP 0.80 /US$, Euro 0.89 /US$, Jap.Yen 107.10 /US$, Aus$ 1.45 /US$, Sing

1.39 /US$, Bang Taka 83.24 /US$, Can$ 1.36 /US$, Mal Ring 4.28 /US$,

Pak Re 166.98 /US$, Phil Peso 49.93 /US$, Russian Rouble 69.40 /US$, NZ$

1.55 /US$, Thai Baht 30.87 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 26.46 /US$, Norway NOK 9.68

/US$

Bitcoin - USD 9,110

Dollar Index 97.46 Brent Crude 41.02 BDI 1,749

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,771 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 4,826 / 4,726

Silver (Rs. Per KG) 47,610

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Be bold in what you stand for and careful what you fall for. - Ruth Boorstin

OFF TRACK

At a boat-club, the manager went to the lake's edge and yelled through his

megaphone, "Number 99, come in, please. Your time is up." Several minutes

passed, but the boat didn't return. "Boat number 99," he again hollered,

"return to the dock immediately or I'll have to charge you overtime."

"Something is wrong here, boss," his assistant said. "We only have 75 boats.

There is no number 99."

The manager thought for a moment and then raised his megaphone: "Boat number

66," he yelled. "Are you having trouble out there?"