FARMERS' STIR: 5TH ROUND OF TALKS TODAY

The government and farmer leaders are scheduled to meet again on Saturday

for their fifth round of talks to end the deadlock over the new farm laws.

Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Food Minister Piyush Goyal and

Minister of State of Commerce and Industry Som Parkash, who will be present

in the meeting, will deliberate on the points that farmer leaders had raised

and offer possible solutions. It hopes to break the deadlock on Saturday so

that the farmers' protest ends at the earliest.

In the previous meeting on Thursday, Tomar had assured 40 farmer union

leaders that thegovernment is open to considering ways to strengthen APMC

mandis, create a level-playing field with proposed private markets, and

provide a provision for approaching higher courts for dispute resolution,

while asserting that procurement at MSP will continue.

But the other side stuck to their demand of repealing the three

'hastily-passed' farm laws, saying that the legislations with several

loopholes and deficiencies cannot be amended.

Interestingly, the opposition had urged the government not to pass the Bills

in a hurry, but to send them for Parliamentary scrutiny given the sweep,

intent and implications. From MSP to mandi system, contract farming to

dispute resolution mechanism, these concerns of the farmers had been flagged

by MPs, even from parties such as AIADMK and BJD which are considered

friendly to the government. Yet Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar,

who is now leading the talks with the farmers, told Lok Sabha on September

17: "I want to request the farmers not to get influenced by disinformation

for political ends."

It needs to be seen whether farmer leaders will accept solutions offered by

the government and end the protest due to which Delhi's border points

remained choked as thousands of farmers from Haryana, Punjab, and other

states held demonstrations for the ninth consecutive day.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait has threatened that

the farmers' agitation would intensify if the government fails to meet the

demands. Hardening their position ahead of today's talks with the

government, agitating farmers on Friday announced a 'Bharat Bandh' on

December 8 and threatened to occupy toll plazas on that day.

COVID VACCINE WILL BE READY IN NEXT FEW WEEKS; ROLLOUT SOON: MODI

Making a major announcement on the national fight against the pandemic,

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India wouldn't have to wait long

for the rollout of a Covid vaccine and it would be ready in the next few

weeks.

Addressing an all-party meeting of Parliament floor leaders on Covid, the PM

said as soon as scientists gave the green signal to proceed with Covid

vaccine rollout, the inoculation drive will start.

Priority in vaccination will be given to health workers, frontline workers

and elders with pre-existing serious diseases," the PM said.

He said the Centre was talking to states on vaccine pricing and the same

would be determined with public and national good in mind.

The PM also assured the nation of national capacity to scale up production

and distribution of the COVID vaccine saying India's vaccine distribution

network was unparalleled in the world and assessment of additional need of

cold chains and logistics is being done.

In an important appeal to political parties, the PM said they must warn

people against potential circulation of myths around COVID vaccine. "We must

guard against any fake news in respect of the COVID vaccine," the PM said.

"We have done better than many countries by basing our decisions on science.

India has a very high daily testing rate, very high national recovery rate

and very low mortality rate," he noted saying India's resilience in the face

of COVID remains unmatched globally.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asked Prime Minister to clarify when every

Indian will get it. The Congress also asked what would happen to the BJP's

poll promise in Bihar of providing the coronavirus vaccine free of cost to

every person in the state.

INDIA SUMMONS CANADIAN ENVOY, TRUDEAU REITERATES STAND ON FARMER PROTESTS

Days after Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came out in support of

protesting farmers, India summoned the Canadian envoy Friday and warned that

such "actions", if they continue, will have a "seriously damaging impact" on

bilateral ties.

Trudeau, however, did not back down from his comments. "Canada will always

stand up for the right of peaceful protests anywhere around the world. And

we are pleased to see moves towards de-escalation and dialogue," he said in

Ottawa when asked about India's move.

Earlier, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement: "The Canadian

High Commissioner was summoned to the Ministry of External Affairs today and

informed that comments by the Canadian Prime Minister, some Cabinet

Ministers and Members of Parliament on issues relating to Indian farmers

constitute an unacceptable interference in our internal affairs." "Such

actions, if continued, would have a seriously damaging impact on ties

between India and Canada," it said.

This statement is different from its statement Tuesday because the MEA

mentions the Canadian Prime Minister. In its earlier statement, it had

mentioned "some Canadian leaders".

FM CONFIDENT ECONOMIC RECOVERY IS HERE TO STAY

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday contested the observation in

certain quarters that the recent economic recovery was due to the pent-up

and festival demand and would soon wither away, saying every sector had

showed that the revival would sustain. She also did not agree with the view

that proper recovery would have to wait till 2022-23, and said it would

happen next year itself and the vaccine would aid that process.

"Things are looking up in terms of recovery. I am not going into alphabet

jugglery whether it is V, or K or any other alphabet, but every sector is

showing clear signs of a revival. Some would say patchy, but recovery is

consistently happening over the last two months," Sitharaman said at HT

Leadership Summit. She said just the pent-up or festival demand could not

explain the over Rs 1-trillion GST collection for two months.

"Yes, normally this is a season when festival demand always adds a bit more

fervour to the demand, which prevails through in a year. I also see reports

and I am also talking to industry leaders who are looking at capacity

expansion," she said.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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

FORTUNE OR FORESIGHT? ASTRAZENECA AND OXFORD'S STORIES CLASH ON COVID-19

VACCINE

AstraZeneca and Oxford University have given conflicting accounts of how

they came upon the most effective dosing pattern for their COVID-19 vaccine,

a rare instance of public dissension between major institutions

collaborating on a pivotal project.

The discrepancy centres on the regimen administered to a smaller group of

volunteers in the late-stage trials, of half a dose followed by a full dose.

This diverged from the original plan of two full doses, given to the

majority of participants.

The half-dose pattern was found to be 90% effective, versus the 62% success

rate of the two-full-dose main study, based on interim data.

AstraZeneca's research chief told Reuters 10 days ago, when interim trial

data was released, the half-dose was given inadvertently as a first shot to

some trial participants, and emerged as a stroke of fortune - that

scientists expertly harnessed.

This narrative was refuted by a leading Oxford University scientist,

however, who told Reuters on Monday that the half-dose shot was given

deliberately after thorough consultations.

Uncertainty over how the dosing regimen came about raises questions about

the robustness of the data, according to some experts who said it risked

slowing down the process of gaining regulatory approval for the shot and

denting public confidence.

COVID-19 VACCINE WILL NOT BE MANDATORY: JOE BIDEN

US President-elect Joe Biden said on Friday that Americans will not be

forced to take the coronavirus vaccine and he is willing to get vaccinated

publicly to assuage any concerns about its efficacy and safety.

"I don't think they should be mandatory. I wouldn't demand it to be

mandatory, but I would do everything in my power just like I don't think

masks have to be made mandatory nationwide," Biden told reporters at a news

conference in Wilmington, Delaware.

Biden was responding to a question if Covid-19 vaccine be made mandatory.

Biden, who is due to take office on January 20, said he will make sure that

the vaccine is both free and available and that any follow up on the vaccine

is free and available that relates to any health complications from it.

THE REST

========

BJP MAKES SIGNIFCANT INROADS IN HYDERABAD, SAYS TELANGANA NEXT

Marking a stunning performance in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal

Corporation (GHMC) elections, the BJP on Friday emerged as the

second-largest party, dislodging the ruling TRS from half the seats it had

held. While the BJP tally went up from four in 2016 to 48, the TRS numbers

went down from 99 to 55.

Only one result in the 150-member GHMC is till pending following the order

for a recount.

While the AIMIM retained its tally of 44 seats, while contesting 51 seats

instead of 60 last time, the blow of ending up behind the BJP will hurt. The

GHMC polls were a prestige battle for AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on

his home turf, and the BJP that ran a high-pitch campaign rolling out its

big guns had principally targeted it.

The Congress's tally stood at two, the same as in 2016.

BJP leaders said the party's performance "made it ambiguously clear that it

is emerging as the alternative force" in Telangana, which they said was

their agenda for this election.

TRS now faces the unenviable prospect of depending on Owaisi's party to

retain control of the GHMC.

Following another dismal performance by the Congress, its PCC chief N Uttam

Kumar Reddy submitted his resignation.

J&K DDC POLLS: 50% TURNOUT IN THIRD PHASE; CANDIDATE SHOT AT

A turnout of 50.53 per cent was recorded in the third phase of the District

Development Council (DDC) polls in Jammu and Kashmir as the Jammu division

and south Kashmir districts recorded higher turnouts than the second phase

on Friday.

In the first incident of violence during the ongoing polls, a Jammu and

Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) candidate was injured when militants shot at him

while he was canvassing in Sagam constituency in south Kashmir's Anantnag

district.

J&K's Election Commissioner K K Sharma told the media that 31.61 per cent of

voters exercised their right in Kashmir and the figure stood at 68.88 in the

Jammu region.

TEJASHWI, MAMATA BACK PROTESTING FARMERS

Bihar's leader of Opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Friday expressed

solidarity with the protesting farmers and backed the demand for written

legal provision of MSP. Tejashwi told reporters he would lead RJD's dharna

at Patna's Gandhi Maidan to lend support to farmers on Saturday.

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on Friday reached out to farmers protesting

on the Delhi-Haryana border against new farm laws pushed through Parliament

a few months ago by the Centre. She called for a nationwide protest against

the legislation. Earlier in the day, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien

reached Singhu on the Delhi-Haryana border and connected Banerjee to farmer

leaders over the phone. In her message to the protesters, the chief minister

said, "I want to thank you for raising the farmers' issue. I also went on a

26-day hunger strike when the land of farmers was being forcibly seized.

That is why your movement is my movement and we are ready to extend any help

you need. If you want, I can even send people to be with you. The

anti-farmer laws must be withdrawn. You must keep up your movement till they

are withdrawn."

EDITORS GUILD TELLS MEDIA HOUSES NOT TO LABEL PROTESTING FARMERS

'KHALISTANIS', 'ANTI-NATIONALS'

The Editors Guild of India (EGI) on Friday expressed concerns over the news

coverage of the farmers' protests in Delhi, saying certain sections of the

media were delegitimising the stir by labelling them "Khalistanis" and

"anti-nationals" without any evidence.

This goes against the tenets of responsible and ethical journalism, and such

actions compromise the credibility of the media, it said in a statement.

"The Editors Guild of India is concerned about the news coverage of the

farmers' protest in the national capital, wherein certain sections of the

media have been labelling them as 'Khalistanis', 'anti-national', and other

such terms to delegitimise the protests without any evidence or proof," the

EGI said.

ANVAY NAIK SUICIDE CASE: CHARGESHEET FILED AGAINST ARNAB, BUT A KEY CHARGE

IS DROPPED

The Raigad police, in the 1,914-page chargesheet filed in the Anvay Naik

suicide case on Friday, have dropped the charge that indicated that the

three accused, including Republic TV Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami, together

conspired to drive Naik to suicide in April 2018.

Naik, an interior decorator, had named Goswami, Feroz Shaikh of

IcastX/Skimedia and Niteish Sarda of Smartworks as responsible for the

suicide. He had worked for them and wrote in the suicide note that they had

not paid him Rs 5.40 crore for the work.

While the FIR registered by the Raigad police soon after the incident had

added IPC Section 34 (common intent) - which meant the three had worked

together to drive Naik to commit suicide - the chargesheet has dropped that

section. The chargesheet has retained Section 306 (abetment to commit

suicide) and added Section 109 (punishment of abetment). Dropping Section 34

assumes significance since it was one of the main factors mentioned by the

earlier investigating officer while closing the case in 2019.

ABOUT LAB-GROWN MEAT, CLEARED BY SINGAPORE

The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) approved this week the sale of a lab-grown

meat product. This is the first time cultured meat has been cleared for sale

anywhere in the world. The product approved by the SFA is cultured chicken,

produced by US-based Eat Just.

The meat, to be sold as nuggets initially, will be priced at premium chicken

prices when it first launches in a restaurant in Singapore "in the very near

term", co-founder and CEO Josh Tetrick said.

The lab-grown or cultured meat is completely different from plant-based

meat. The latter is made from plant sources such as soy or pea protein,

while cultured meat is grown directly from cells in a laboratory. Both have

the same objective: to offer alternatives to traditional meat products that

could feed a lot more people, reduce the threat of zoonotic diseases, and

mitigate the environmental impact of meat consumption.

In terms of cellular structure, cultured or cultivated meat is the same as

conventional meat - except that cultured meat does not come slaughtered

animals.

According to the Good Food Institute (GFI)'s 2019 State of the Industry

Report on cultivated meats, compared to conventional beef, cultivated beef

could reduce land use by more than 95%, climate change emissions by 74-87%

and nutrient pollution by 94%.

The report adds that since cultivated meat is created in clean facilities,

the risk of contamination by pathogens such as salmonella and E coli, which

may be present in traditional slaughterhouses and meat-packing factories, is

significantly reduced. It does not require antibiotics either, unlike

animals raised for meat, thereby reducing the threat posed to public health

by growing antibiotic resistance.

were focused on cultivated meat products, including Future Meat Technologies

(chicken, lamb, beef) in Israel, Biftek (beef) in Turkey, Cubiq Foods

(chicken fat) in Spain, Netherlands-based Meatable (pork, beef), French

company Gourmet (foie gras) and US-based Memphis Meats (beef, chicken,

duck). Also among these is Delhi-based Clear Meat, which is developing

cultured chicken.

'CONCUSSION SUB' CHAHAL TRUMPS AUSTRALIA, INDIA WIN FIRST T20 BY 11 RUNS

Yuzvendra Chahal turned out to be the perfect concussion substitute after an

injured Ravindra Jadeja did his part with the bat as the duo played their

roles to perfection in India's impressive 11-run victory over Australia in

the first T20 International here on Friday.

Jadeja was hit by a Mitchell Starc bouncer in the final over of the Indian

innings.

While Jadeja smashed an unbeaten 44 off 23 balls to propel India to 161 for

7, his head injury turned out to be a blessing in disguise with India

unleashing Chahal (3/25 in 4 overs) on an Australian side caught completely

off-guard. The hosts could manage only 150 for 7 in 20 overs.

Credit also goes to the lion-hearted effort from debutant T Natarajan (3/30)

and off-spinner Washington Sundar (0/16 in 4 overs), who bowled well in

Powerplay.

ICC match referee David Boon allowed the visitors a "like for like"

replacement, as mandated by the rules, for Jadeja in Chahal even though home

team coach Justin Langer looked visibly angry. And to make matters worse,

Chahal dimissed two in form men - Aaron Finch (35) and Steve Smith (12) - in

his first two overs to turn the game on its head.

Australia all-rounder Moises Henriques on Friday questioned whether

Yuzvendra Chahal could be called a "like for like" concussion substitute for

Ravindra Jadeja. "But was it a like-for-like replacement? That is the

question. Jadeja was more of an all-rounder and he had done his batting.

Chahal is a (pure) bowler," he said.

INDICATORS

Sensex 45,080 (+447), Nifty 13,259 (+125), Trading Value NSE ,(Rs.crores)

72020.34

Nasdaq 12,464 (+87) Dow 30,218 (+249), S&P 3,699 (+32)

US$-Rs. 73.67 GBP-Rs. 99.14, Euro-Rs. 89.49, UAE Dhm-Rs.20.05, Can$-Rs.

57.41, Aus$- Rs. 54.73

GBP 0.74 /US$, Euro 0.82 /US$, Jap.Yen 104.00 /US$, Aus$ 1.34 /US$, Sing

1.33 /US$, Bang Taka 83.20 /US$, Can$ 1.28 /US$, Mal Ring 4.05 /US$,

Pak Re 159.58 /US$, Phil Peso 48.03 /US$, Russian Rouble 74.18 /US$, NZ$

1.41 /US$, Thai Baht 30.12 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 28.07 /US$, Norway NOK 8.77

/US$

Bitcoin - USD 18,811

Dollar Index 90.79 Brent Crude 49.25 BDI 1,189

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,839 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 4,933 / 4,833

Silver (Rs. Per KG) 67,500

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

We are all inclined to judge ourselves by our ideals; others, by their acts.

- Harold Nicolson

OFF TRACK

The importance of punctuation.

Dear Thomas, I want a man who knows what love is all about. You are

generous, kind, thoughtful. People who are not like you admit to being

useless and inferior. You have ruined me for other men. I yearn for you. I

have no feelings whatsoever when we're apart. I can be forever happy--will

you let me be yours? - Maria

Dear Thomas, I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are

generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being

useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I

have no feelings whatsoever. When we're apart, I can be forever happy. Will

you let me be? Yours, Maria