MONITORING SITUATION BETWEEN INDIA AND CHINA 'VERY CLOSELY': US DEFENCE

SECRETARY

Describing the Chinese military's activities in the region as

"destabilising", US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper on Tuesday said America

was "very closely" monitoring the situation between India and China along

the Line of Actual Control.

Esper made the remarks while addressing a virtual security seminar amid

China's renewed military assertiveness in eastern Ladakh as well as in the

South China Sea.

"We are obviously monitoring the situation between India and China very

closely, what"s happening along the Line of Actual Control and we are very

pleased to see both sides are trying to de-escalate the situation," Esper

said in response to a question on the tension between the two countries.

Asserting that the People's Liberation Army activities in the region are

"destabilising", he said that it "continues its aggressive behavior in the

East and South China Seas."

Esper also said that America's relationship with India is "one of the

all-important defence relationships of the 21st century".

Esper pointed to a joint exercise in the Indian Ocean shows growing

cooperation between the naval forces of India and the US. "I want to

highlight our increased defence cooperation with India, one of the most

important defence relationships of the 21st century. We conducted our

first-ever joint military exercise last November. As we speak today, USS

Nimitz is conducting a combined exercise with the Indian Navy in the Indian

Ocean, demonstrating our shared commitment to stronger naval cooperation and

support to a free and open Indo-Pacific," he said.

Esper asked the Chinese leaders to abide by the international laws and norms

that China - and the Chinese people - have benefited greatly from over the

years. "And while we hope the CCP will change its ways, we must be prepared

for the alternative," he cautioned.

INDIA'S THREE FOREIGN POLICY 'BURDENS', ACCORDING TO FOREIGN MINISTER

India has had to struggle mightily to gain influence in a domain that could

have come more easily earlier as its foreign policy carries "three major

burdens" from its past, says External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in his

new book "The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World", which is

scheduled for release on September 7.

Jaishankar says India's foreign policy carries three major burdens from its

past. "One is the 1947 Partition, which reduced the nation both

demographically and politically. An unintended consequence was to give China

more strategic space in Asia.

Another is the delayed economic reforms that were undertaken a decade and a

half after those of China . the 15-year gap continues to put India at a

great disadvantage."

The third, Jaishankar says, is the prolonged exercise of the nuclear option.

"As a result, India has had to struggle mightily to gain influence in a

domain that could have come so much more easily earlier..."

NO AMARNATH YATRA THIS YEAR DUE TO COVID OUTBREAK

On the day the Amarnath Yatra was scheduled to begin, the J&K administration

announced that the annual pilgrimage will not be held this year. Given the

coronavirus pandemic, the Yatra had already been shortened and was to start

on July 21 and end August 3, instead of the usual 45-day duration.

The decision follows questions being raised over the administration planning

for the Yatra even as other religious gatherings in Jammu and Kashmir have

been barred till July 31 because of Covid-19.

DELHI SERO-SURVEY SHOWS 1 IN 4 HAVE DEVELOPED ANTIBODIES

A National Centre for Disease Control surveillance of the Delhi population

has shown that 23.48 per cent of the people have developed antibodies to the

disease showing their past history of COVID-19 infection.

The NCDC conducted sero surveillance between June 27 and July 10. Blood

samples were collected from 21,387 people and the ICMR developed ELISA tests

were also done to detect antibodies for the disease.

"Nearly six months into the epidemic, only 23.48 per cent of the people are

affected in Delhi, which has several pockets of dense population. This can

be attributed to the proactive efforts taken by the government to prevent

the spread of the infection such as prompt lockdown, effective containment

and surveillance measures, including contact tracing and tracking, as well

as citizen's compliance COVID Appropriate Behaviours," Health Ministry said

yesterday.

A downside of the survey, however, is that a large population in the

national capital is still susceptible to the disease since only a very small

proportion have been infected.

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

(Indian data from covid19india / and World Data from

worldometers.info/coronavirus/ )

Total Cases 11,93,680 (+39,167) / 1,50,93,246 (+2,40,546)

Total Deaths 28,770 (+671) / 6,19,465 (+6,252)

Total Recovered 7,52,393 (+27,691) / 91,10,623 (+2,03,933)

Active Cases 4,12,517 (+10,805) / 53,63,158 (+30,361)

TOP IMPACTED NATIONS SO FAR: (AND SOME OF INDIA'S NEIGHBOURS)

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

Cases

1 USA 40,28,569 / 1,44,953 /

18,86,583 / 19,97,033

2 Brazil 21,66,532 / 81,597 /

14,65,970 / 6,18,965

3 India 11,94,085 / 28,770 /

7,52,393 / 4,12,922

4 Russia 7,83,328 / 12,580 /

5,62,384 / 2,08,364

5 South Africa 3,81,798 / 5,368 /

2,08,144 / 1,68,286

6 Peru 3,62,087 / 13,579 /

2,48,746 / 99,762

7 Mexico 3,56,255 / 40,400 /

2,27,165 / 88,690

8 Chile 3,34,683 / 8,677 /

3,06,816 / 19,190

9 Spain 3,13,274 / 28,424 / N/A

/ N/A

10 UK 2,95,817 / 45,422 / N/A

/ N/A

11 Iran 2,78,827 / 14,634 /

2,42,351 / 21,842

12 Pakistan 2,66,096 / 5,639 /

2,08,030 / 52,427

17 Bangladesh 2,10,510 / 2,709 /

1,15,397 / 92,404

111 Sri Lanka 2,730 / 11 /

2,048 / 671

TOP IMPACTED INDIAN STATES SO FAR

State / Confirmed Cases / Active Case / Recovered /

Deceased

Maharashtra 3,27,031 / 1,32,236 /

1,82,217 / 12,276

Tamil Nadu 1,80,643 / 51,347 / 1,26,670

/ 2,626

Delhi 1,25,096 / 15,288 / 1,06,118

/ 3,690

Karnataka 71,069 / 44,136 / 25,460 /

1,469

Andhra Pradesh 58,668 / 32,336 / 25,574 /

758

Uttar Pradesh 53,288 / 20,204 / 31,855 /

1,229

Gujarat 50,465 / 11,761 / 36,504 / 2,200

Telangana 47,704 / 10,890 / 36,385 /

429

West Bengal 47,030 / 17,813 / 28,035 /

1,182

Rajasthan 31,373 / 8,052 / 22,744 /

577

Bihar 28,564 / 9,624 / 18,741 / 198

Haryana 27,462 / 6,146 / 20,952 /

364

Assam 26,773 / 8,667 / 18,034 / 69

Madhya Pradesh 24,095 / 7,082 / 16,257 /

756

Odisha 18,757 / 5,314 / 13,310 / 133

Jammu and Kashmir 15,258 / 6,540 / 8,455 /

263

Kerala 13,995 / 8,056 / 5,890 / 45

Punjab 10,889 / 3,237 / 7,389 / 263

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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

EU REACHES $2.1 TRILLION PANDEMIC RECOVERY DEAL

Weary but relieved, European Union leaders finally clinched a deal on an

unprecedented 1.8 trillion-euro ($2.1 trillion) budget and Covid recovery

fund early Tuesday, somehow finding unity after four days and nights of

fighting and wrangling over money and power in one of their longest summits

ever.

With masks and hygienic gel everywhere at the summit, the 27 leaders were

constantly reminded of the potent medical and economic threat the virus

poses to their continent, and grudgingly committed to a costly, massive aid

package for those hit hardest by Covid.

TRUMP SHIFTS STANCE, URGES WEARING OF MASKS

President Donald Trump, in a shift in rhetoric on facial coverings,

encouraged Americans on Tuesday to wear a mask if they cannot maintain

social distance from people around them in an effort to curb the spread of

the coronavirus.

In his first briefing in months focused on the pandemic, Trump told

reporters at the White House that the virus would probably get worse before

it gets better, in one of his first recent acknowledgements of how bad the

problem has become.

Trump, who downplayed the virus in its early stages and has been focused on

reopening the economy in recent months despite an increase in cases, has

been reluctant to wear a mask himself in public.

THE REST

========

KARNATAKA CM SAYS NO MORE LOCKDOWN

Putting an end to rumours that lockdown in Bengaluru and other parts of the

state would be extended till July-end, Karnataka CM B S Yediyurappa Tuesday

confirmed that there will be no extension of lockdown in the state. However,

lockdown rules will continue to be enforced in containment zones.

"There will be no lockdown in Bengaluru from tomorrow. However, I humbly

request the people of Karnataka - with folded hands - to wear masks and to

practice social distancing. This is the only way to combat COVID-19, at

least till a vaccine is found," he said in a video address streamed online

on YouTube and Facebook.

Hours after the CM's public address, the Karnataka government issued an

official order for the 'unlock process' in the state mentioning curfews will

continue on Sundays and during the night hours.

As of Tuesday, Karnataka has cumulatively reported 71,069 Covid-19 cases and

1464 deaths. Of these, 34,943 cases and 720 fatalities have been linked to

the pandemic from capital city Bengaluru alone

RAJASTHAN HC DEFERS MATTER TILL JULY 24; GEHLOT CALLS CABINET MEETING

The Rajasthan Congress crisis was further prolonged on Tuesday with the

state high court deferring the decision on the Sachin Pilot camp petitions

until July 24, asking Speaker CP Joshi not to act against the rebel MLAs

disqualification notices for three days. The high court said it would take

up the matter again on July 24, while asking the Speaker's counsel not to

act against the petitioning MLAs till July 24.

With partial relief to MLAs on Tuesday, CM Ashok Gehlot would be forced to

strategise afresh. Gehlot has called a state cabinet meet where he might opt

to call an assembly session and seek trust of the house through a floor

test.

If there is a floor test the Congress can issue a fresh whip to all MLAs,

including rebels, who would be forced to take a stand. If they defy the whip

they can be disqualified in the house.

All eyes are now on the state cabinet meeting and Gehlot's next moves.

TRIPURA CM APOLOGISES FOR HIS REMARK ON PUNJABIS, JATS

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on Tuesday apologised for a

statements of his about Punjabis and Jats. Deb had stirred a controversy by

saying Punjabis and Jats are physically strong but less brainy while

Bengalis are known to be very intelligent.

In a series of tweets in Hindi on Tuesday morning, the chief minister sought

forgiveness for his remarks and said many of his friends were Punjabis and

Jats, and he is proud of people hailing from the two communities.

"I always salute the contributions of the Punjabi and Jat communities in the

freedom struggle of the country. And I can never imagine raising questions

on the role played by these two communities in advancing India," Deb

tweeted.

"I had expressed the views some people have about them. I am proud of

Punjabi and Jat communities. I have lived among them for quite some time...

If my statement has hurt anyone's feelings, I apologise for that," the chief

minister said on Twitter.

A video clip of the chief minister's statement had gone viral on social

media.

On Monday, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala had said that Deb,

with his controversial remark, has insulted the "Sikh brothers" of Punjab

and the Jat community of Haryana. "This is the BJP's lowly mindset. Why are

Khattar ji and Dushyant Chautala silent? Where are Modi ji and Nadda

MAOISTS OUT IN SUPPORT OF TELUGU POET VARAVARA RAO

The Telangana State Committee of the CPI (Maoist) has called upon the people

of Telangana to observe a complete bandh on July 25 to press for the

immediate release of poet Varavara Rao and others who are in jail and

withdrawal of the GreyHounds personnel from forest areas.

In a statement, committee spokesperson Jagan urged the people to demand for

the release of Rao and others jailed for the alleged involvement in Bheema

Koregaon incidents, the release of all political prisoners and prisoners

aged above 60.

Rao was arrested in 2018 by the Maharashtra Police from his house in

Hyderabad. He was lodged in the Mumbai jail, where he developed health

issues and was later shifted to the city's JJ Hospital. He had been

hallucinating and was referred to a neurologist.

Last week, Rao tested positive for Covid-19 and has been reporting failing

health.

Following media reports of the poet's ill health, Maoists have sought his

immediate release.

COUGH DROPLETS TRAVEL LONGER WHEN IT'S COLD & HUMID

A new study has found that respiratory droplets from a cough or sneeze

travel farther and last longer in humid, cold climates than in hot, dry

ones.

Conducted by researchers from University of California San Diego (UCSD)

Indian Institute of Science (Bengaluru) and University of Toronto, the study

is published in the journal Physics of Fluids.

The researchers describe a new mathematical model that they say can be used

to predict the early spread of respiratory viruses including Covid-19, and

the role of respiratory droplets in that spread. The model combines the

physics of droplets with the spread of a pandemic based on population-scale

interaction. It examines how far and fast droplets spread, and how long they

last.

Depending on weather conditions, it was found that some respiratory droplets

travel between 8 feet and 13 feet away from their source before evaporating.

At low temperatures and 80% humidity, a droplet can travel up to 12 feet.

This means that without masks, six feet of social distancing may not be

enough to prevent infection, the researchers said.

The study provides a size range for droplets that carry greater risk. It

found that droplets in the range of 14-48 microns take longer to evaporate

and travel greater distances. Smaller droplets evaporate within a fraction

of a second, while droplets larger than 100 microns quickly settle to the

ground.

SC INITIATES CONTEMPT PROCEEDINGS AGAINST PRASHANT BHUSHAN, TWITTER INDIA

The Supreme Court on Tuesday initiated suo motu contempt of court

proceedings against activist lawyer Prashant Bhushan and Twitter India for

his tweets allegedly scandalising the judiciary. The contempt case is listed

for hearing today before a three-judge Bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra.

Recently Bhushan had tweeted, "CJI rides a (Rs) 50 Lakh motorcycle belonging

to a BJP leader at Raj Bhavan Nagpur, without a mask or helmet, at a time

when he keeps the SC in Lockdown mode denying citizens their fundamental

right to access Justice."

Bhushan's tweet critical of the CJI had come after Justice SA Bobde's

picture showing him riding a luxurious bike in Nagpur went viral on social

media. Later, it turned out that the CJI didn't ride Harley Davidson bike

and just sat on it to have a feel of the machine. He didn't even know who

its owner was, it was clarified.

But it was immediately not clear if Bhushan's tweet about the CJI was the

reason behind the contempt proceedings or the development related to

something else.

OIL MARKETING COMPANIES INVITE START-UPS TO DELIVER DIESEL AT DOORSTEP

In what might be the Uber-Ola moment for fuel retail in India, oil marketing

companies (OMCs) are planning to rope in start-ups or FuelEnts (fuel

entrepreneurs) for doorstep delivery of high-speed diesel (HSD) through

mobile petrol pumps. This move is expected to help garner around Rs 9,000

crore of investments, according to industry experts.

The OMCs - Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum Corporation, and Hindustan Petroleum

Corporation - have invited expressions of interest (EoIs) from start-ups

that wish to be enrolled as FuelEnts. The firms that were already in the

sector as partners of OMCs will now become official resellers after turning

FuelEnts.

"To improve last-mile delivery, the government is promoting less capital

petrol pumps, that can be operated with a small investment of Rs 20-30 lakh.

We expect at least 30,000 entrepreneurs to get registered as FuelEnts, that

may see investments to the tune of Rs 9,000 crore," said Chetan Walunj, CEO,

Repos Energy, which is a start-up backed by Ratan Tata.

CHETAN BHAGAT ACCUSES VIDHU VINOD CHOPRA OF 'ALMOST DRIVING ME TO SUICIDE'

Writer Chetan Bhagat set Twitter raging on Tuesday as he accused Bollywood

producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra of "bullying him and almost driving him to

suicide" over a controversy related to blockbuster '3 Idiots'.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra produced the 2009 film that had Aamir Khan, Madhavan and

Sharman Joshi starring as titular '3 Idiots'. The blockbuster Chetan Bhagat

claims was on his book 'Five Point Someone'

In a tweet targeting Vidhu Vinod Chopra's wife Anupama Chopra, who is a film

critic, Chetan Bhagat wrote he was "bullied", "denied credit for the

storyline" and almost "driven to suicide" by her husband.

The sparring began as Anupama reacted to Chetan Bhagat's tweet urging

critics not to "write rubbish" about late actor Sushant Rajput's last film.

"Each time you think the discourse can't get lower, it does!" she wrote.

To this, Bhagat responded: "Ma'am, when your husband publicly bullied me,

shamelessly collected best story awards, tried denying me credit for my

story and drove me close to suicide, and you just watched, where was your

discourse?"

IPL 2020 ALL SET TO BE PLAYED IN UAE

Indian Premier League (IPL) Governing Council chairman Brijesh Patel on

Tuesday confirmed that the 13th edition of the premier T20 tournament will

be held in the UAE. A full-fledged IPL consisting of 60 matches is on the

cards and the league is expected to be completed inside 44 days between

September 26 to November 08 - a window already zeroed in by the BCCI.

While the official dates are yet to be decided, BCCI wants to conclude the

tournament early in November to ensure the Indian players can leave on time

for their Test series against Australia which gets underway from December

03.

BCCI has sought permission from the Indian government to conduct the

tournament in UAE.

INDICATORS

Sensex 37,930 (+511), Nifty 11,162 (+140), Trading Value NSE ,(Rs.crores)

66,930

Nasdaq 10,680 (-87) Dow 26,840 (+160), S&P 3,257 (+5)

US$-Rs. 74.39 GBP-Rs. 94.52, Euro-Rs. 85.37, UAE Dhm-Rs.20.25, Can$-Rs.

55.20, Aus$- Rs. 52.67

GBP 0.78 /US$, Euro 0.87 /US$, Jap.Yen 107.05 /US$, Aus$ 1.41 /US$, Sing

1.38 /US$, Bang Taka 83.20 /US$, Can$ 1.34 /US$, Mal Ring 4.25 /US$,

Pak Re 167.38 /US$, Phil Peso 49.29 /US$, Russian Rouble 70.89 /US$, NZ$

1.51 /US$, Thai Baht 31.59 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 27.45 /US$, Norway NOK 9.15

/US$

Bitcoin - USD 9,367

Dollar Index 95.02 Brent Crude 44.07 BDI 1,794

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,859 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 4,910 / 4,810

Silver (Rs. Per KG) 53,160

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

It doesn't matter how many times you fail. You only have to be right once

and then everyone can tell you that you are an overnight success. - Mark

Cuban

OFF TRACK

A romantic pair were in the throes of silence as the car rolled smoothly

along an enchanting forest road, when the girl broke the spell.

"Dear," she said softly, "can you drive with one hand.

"Yes, my sweet," he cooed in ecstasy of anticipation.

"Then," said the lovely one, "you'd better wipe your nose."