FARMERS GEAR UP FOR BHARAT BANDH, DRAW MORE SUPPORT

With almost all opposition parties backing the 'Bharat Bandh' and many

announcing parallel protests in support of the farmers, the Centre has

issued an advisory directing all the states and Union Territories to tighten

security and ensure peace is maintained.

The railways too asked its personnel to step up vigil saying protesters may

organise rail blockades in 16 states.

Appealing to everyone to join the 'symbolic' bandh, farmer leaders said they

will block key roads during their 'chakka jam' protest from 11 am to 3 pm as

part of their stir, which has drawn people from northern states especially

Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi since the last 12 days. "Our bandh

is different from that of political parties. It is a four-hour symbolic

bandh for an ideological cause. We want that there should be no problem to

the common people. We appeal to them not to travel during this period,"

farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said. "We also urge shopkeepers to shut their

outlets during this period," he said.

Bhartiya Kisan Ekta Sangathan president Jagjit Singh Dallewala asked farmers

to maintain peace and not to try enforce the shutdown. He said emergency

services will be exempted during the bandh.

Targeted by the opposition parties, the BJP hit back and accused them of

'shameful double standards', claiming many of them had endorsed these

reforms when in power or had supported them in Parliament. Senior BJP leader

and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the opposition parties have

joined the agitation in a bid to save their existence after being repeatedly

rejected by people in different elections across the country.

Reacting to Prasad's remarks, Congress's communication department in-charge

Randeep Surjewala, while insisting on a repeal of the three laws, said, "It

was the Modi government that brought the three black laws through a midnight

ordinance. It was the BJP government that forcibly passed the three black

laws by a voice vote denigrating Parliament procedures and practice. The

Modi government is acting as a subservient and subjugated servant of a

handful of crony industrialists to hand over the 25 lakh crore agriculture

product trade to its friends. And it is an irony that it is blaming the

Congress for it."

Tweeting in support of the protesters, former Congress president Rahul

Gandhi said, "The 'Adani-Ambani Farm Laws' have to be revoked. Nothing less

is acceptable." In another tweet, he said the Congress would support the

Bharat bandh fully. "Atrocities and injustice on the annadatas cannot be

tolerated," he added.

CENTRAL VISTA: SC HALTS WORK

Expressing its concern at the Government proceeding "aggressively" with the

Central Vista redevelopment while petitions against the project are pending,

the Supreme Court Monday gave its go-ahead for the foundation-laying

ceremony on December 10 for the new Parliament building only after it was

assured that no construction, demolition, or translocation of trees will be

carried out at the site till it decides the various pleas.

"We clarify that the authorities would be free to continue with procedural

processes without altering the status of the site(s) in question in any

manner, including to continue with the scheduled programme of foundation

stone-laying on 10th December, 2020," a Bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar,

Dinesh Maheswari and Sanjeev Khanna said.

The Supreme Court order comes at a time when the government is aiming to

complete the new Parliament building by August 2022. For the government, the

advantages of the project are many: security, technology and the

cost-benefit of integrated offices. It will now have to put its plans on

hold till the court clears the way.

REFORMS NEEDED FOR DEVELOPMENT, SAYS PM AMID FARMERS' PROTEST

Amid the row over laws meant to bring a major change in the agri-marketing

sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said reforms are needed for

development and some laws from the past century have become a burden now.

Launching the Agra Metro rail project through video conference, Modi said

the reforms carried out by his government are also getting reflected in

election results. But during his brief address, the Prime Minister made no

direct reference to the new laws or farmers' protests.

"Some laws that used to be good in the past century have become a burden in

the present century. Reforms should be a continuous process," he said.

Modi said his government is carrying out "holistic reforms". "Earlier,

reforms used to happen in a piecemeal manner, or keeping in mind some

sectors and departments," the Prime Minister said. He said the reforms

carried out in recent past have infused self-confidence in the country,

adding that people will be satisfied when they go through the "finer

details".

"This confidence has been seen in every election in the recent past. A

glimpse of this confidence is seen in the election results in every part of

the country, including Uttar Pradesh," he said.

The Prime Minister said in recent years the poor and the middle class have

showered their "unprecedented blessings" on the efforts of the government.

He said their support and the small joys experienced by the countrymen

"gives me the courage to do new things and take new initiatives".

INDIA AMONG TOP 10 PERFORMERS IN GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE INDEX

India remains in the top 10 for the second year in a row in the latest

global Climate Change Performance Index released in Germany on Monday. The

biggest current emitter of greenhouse gases China figures at 33rd rank while

the largest historical polluter, the USA, appears at the bottom of the list.

Though India slid one position down from ninth in 2019 to 10th this year,

the country's journey towards climate protection has been consistent with it

improving its ranking from 31st in 2014. Globally none of the countries

assessed for the annual CCPI report are, however, on the path to meet their

Paris Agreement commitment of keeping global warming increase below 2 degree

celsius by the end of the century and actually to make efforts to restrict

it to 1.5 degree celsius rise.

The list is prepared by assessing performances of 57 countries and European

Union (as a whole) in four categories - GHG emissions (40%), renewable

energy (20%), energy use (20%) and climate policy (20%). These 57 countries

and the EU collectively are responsible for about 90% of global GHG

emissions.

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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

BRITAIN BEGINS ROLL-OUT OF PFIZER'S COVID-19 VACCINE

Britain today starts rolling out the Covid-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer

and BioNTech - it is the first Western country to start vaccinating its

general population in what was hailed as a decisive watershed in defeating

the coronavirus.

The mass inoculation will fuel hope that the world may be turning a corner

in the fight against a pandemic that has crushed economies and killed more

than 1.5 million, although ultra-cold storage and tricky logistics will

limit its use for now.

In total Britain has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech shot.

As each person requires two doses, that is enough to vaccinate 20 million

people in the country of 67 million.

About 800,000 doses are expected to be available within the first week, with

care home residents and carers, the over 80s and some health service workers

the top priority to get them.

The roll-out provides a test case for Pfizer and BioNTech's distribution

networks. The shot must be stored at -70C and only lasts five days in a

regular fridge.

Russia and China have both started giving vaccine candidates to their

populations before final safety and efficacy trials have been completed.

IRAN SAYS 'SMART SAT-CONTROLLED MACHINE GUN' KILLED N-SCIENTIST

A satellite-controlled machine gun with "artificial intelligence" was used

in last week's assassination of a top nuclear scientist in Iran, the deputy

commander of the Revolutionary Guards told local media on Sunday. Mohsen

Fakhrizadeh was driving on a highway outside Tehran with a security detail

of 11 Guards on November 27, when the machine gun "zoomed in" on his face

and fired 13 rounds, said rear admiral Ali Fadavi.

The machine gun was mounted on a Nissan pickup and "focused only on martyr

Fakhrizadeh's face in a way that his wife, despite being only 25 centimetres

(10 inches) away, was not shot," Mehr news agency quoted him as saying. It

was being "controlled online" via a satellite and used an "advanced camera

and artificial intelligence" to make the target, he added. Fadavi said that

Fakhrizadeh's head of security took four bullets "as he threw himself " on

the scientist and that there were "no terrorists at the scene".

State-run Press TV had previously said "made in Israel" weapons were found

at the scene.

THE REST

========

KEJRIWAL VISITS SINGHU BORDER, REVIEWS ARRANGEMENTS FOR PROTESTING FARMERS

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Monday visited the Singhu border, where

thousands of farmers are protesting against the Centre's new farm laws, and

checked arrangements made for them by the city government.

"I checked the arrangements. We received a lot of pressure to allow the use

of stadia as temporary prisons but we did not give permission and I feel

this helped the movement. Since then our party MLAs and ministers have been

involved in ensuring that farmers do not face any discomfort," Kejriwal

said.

"We are working like 'sewadaars'. Here I have not come as a chief minister

but as a 'sewadaar' to serve the farmers. It is our responsibility to

support the farmers," he told reporters. "The farmers said they are happy

with the arrangements."

On the bandh called by farmers on Tuesday, the Chief Ninister said, "AAP

will participate in the nationwide strike. I hope the whole country joins it

peacefully and I appeal to them to join and support the farmers."

ONE FARM GROUP IN HARYANA BACKS CENTRE'S NEW LAWS

A group of farmers from Haryana met Union agriculture minister Narendra

Singh Tomar to lend support to three new farm laws, appealing the minister

not to repeal the legislation.

Their demand comes at a time when thousands of farmers, largely from Punjab

and Haryana, have called for a nationwide blockade on December 8 in protest

against the farm laws and vowed to intensify their agitation if the

government did not repeal the laws.

This is the first time since the agitation began when a section of farmers

have come out in support of the laws.

The farmers, representing Har Kisan, an organization of 116 farmer-owned

agri enterprises known as farmer producer organisations, met the agriculture

minister and asked for a separate meeting with him with more members of

their organization.

The farmers' group from Haryana said they were not opposed to any amendments

that the government may be considering but they want to the laws to be in

force. "We want MSP to continue, we also want the mandi system to continue

but we also want more marketing options that these new laws will create,"

said Satpal Singh, one of the signatories of a memorandum submitted by the

delegation to the farm minister.

BHARAT BIOTECH ALSO SEEKS EMERGENCY USE AUTHORISATION OF ITS VACCINE

Bharat Biotech on Monday applied to the Drug Controller for emergency use

authorisation for COVAXIN - this makes Bharat Biotech the first company to

apply for regulatory approvals for a "fully developed and made in India

COVID vaccine".

The COVAXIN trials are in late stage phase 3 and the vaccine is being

developed by the Hyderabad-based company in collaboration with the ICMR.

Pfizer India and Serum Institute have already sought authorisations. While

Pfizer is a vaccine developed by foreign firms, SII-manufactured Covishield

is being produced in India but was developed abroad by Oxford University and

AstraZeneca.

SII is said to be close to signing a supply contract with the Union

government. The price is likely to be fixed at Rs 250 per dose of the

vaccine, people in the know said.

SC REFUSES TO QUASH FIRS AGAINST NEWS ANCHOR AMISH DEVGAN

The Supreme Court on Monday refused to quash FIRs against TV news anchor

Amish Devgan for his alleged defamatory remark against Sufi saint Khwaja

Moinuddin Chisti, but said the protection from arrest given to him would

continue if he cooperated with the investigation.

"Having given our careful and in-depth consideration, we do not think it

would be appropriate at this stage to quash the FIRs and thus stall the

investigation into all the relevant aspects," a Bench of Justice AM

Khanwilkar and Justice Sanjiv Khanna said.

The Bench, however, clubbed all seven FIRs lodged against Devgan in

Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana to Ajmer in

Rajasthan. It also asked the states concerned "to examine the threat

perception of the petitioner and family members and take appropriate steps

as may be necessary."

FIRs have been lodged against Mr. Devgan in Rajasthan, Maharashtra and

Telangana for his remarks during a programme telecast on June 15. Two were

registered at Ajmer and Kota in Rajasthan, one at Bahadurpura in Hyderabad

and two in Nanded and Pydhonie in Maharashtra. Devgan had later tweeted an

apology, saying that he was actually referring to Muslim ruler Alauddin

Khilji and inadvertently ended up naming Chishti. He had also issued a

clarification on Twitter. He said it was an error on his part, and thus,

could not be treated as an offence.

AS VIVAD SE VISHWAS SCHEME DRAWS TO CLOSE, TAX OFFICERS FACE THE HEAT

With three weeks to go before the Vivad Se Vishwas direct tax dispute

resolution scheme window closes, Finance Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey and

the CBDT Chairman P C Mody pulled up tax officers for the dismal

declarations, in a meeting held last week.

It was argued that the declarations were 'not even 10 per cent' of the

potential level, while the final payments made after the declarations

remained 'dismal.' Besides, officers were urged to reach out to central

public sector enterprises (CPSEs) to settle disputes under the scheme.

"Tax officers were told that those displaying subpar performance would be

held accountable since the scheme was being monitored by Prime Minister

Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. They were asked to

hold webinars and keep the lines of communication open with the assesses

where eligible appeals were pending, and persuade them to come under the

scheme," said a government official.

Vivad Se Vishwas scheme was announced in the Union Budget presented on

February 1. It allows the waiver of interest, penalty, and prosecution for

settling tax disputes due up to January 31, 2020. While the declarations

under the scheme have to be filed by December 31, 2020, the government had

in October extended the deadline for making payment by three months till

March 31, 2021, in view of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

According to government estimates, there are more than 400,000 such cases

eligible to avail of the scheme, involving at least Rs 9.3 trillion. But, as

of November 17, the government collected Rs 72,480-crore tax through the

scheme.

GOOGLE PAY, PHONEPE ACCOUNT FOR 82% OF UPI MARKET BY VOLUME IN NOV

According to the data released by the National Payments Corporation of India

(NPCI), Google Pay and PhonePe together have more than 82 per cent of the

market by volume and more than 86 per cent by value.

In November, Google Pay had done 960.02 million transactions, accounting for

Rs 1.61 trillion, followed by PhonePe, with 868.4 million transactions,

worth Rs 1.75 trillion.

New entrant into the market WhatsApp Pay had done 300,000 transactions in

November, worth Rs 13.87 crore.

Paytm's UPI transactions in November had breached 260 million, worth Rs

28,986.93 crore.

Other large players, such as Amazon Pay, had reported 37.15 million

transactions, worth Rs 3,524.51 crore, while NPCI's own Bhim app had

processed 23.56 million transactions, worth Rs 7,472.20 crore.

The NPCI had recently imposed 30-per cent cap on third-party applications

(apps) on total volume transactions processed via UPI, effective January 1,

2021. This had prompted many to criticise the regulator for stifling

competition in the UPI space.

BOB DYLAN TO SELL HIS ENTIRE SONG CATALOG TO UNIVERSAL

Universal Music Group is acquiring Bob Dylan's entire song catalog, a

collection that spans six decades and includes many of the most iconic

tracks in music history.

Universal didn't disclose a price for the deal, though Dylan's songs are

worth more than $200 million, according to people familiar with the terms.

The collection encompasses 600 works, from early-'60s songs such as "Blowin'

in the Wind" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'" to an album released just

this year, "Rough and Rowdy Ways."

Dylan, 79, is cashing in on the boom in music rights. The value of songs and

recordings has skyrocketed in recent years thanks to streaming, which has

fueled a five-year expansion for the music industry after a deep slump. He

isn't selling the recordings, which are a separate asset.

"It is no exaggeration to say that his vast body of work has captured the

love and admiration of billions of people all around the world," Universal

Chief Executive Officer Lucian Grainge said in a statement. "I have no doubt

that decades, even centuries from now, the words and music of Bob Dylan will

continue to be sung and played - and cherished - everywhere."

INDICATORS

Sensex 45,427 (+347), Nifty 13,356 (+97), Trading Value NSE ,(Rs.crores)

68112.1

Nasdaq 12,520 (+56) Dow 30,070 (-148), S&P 3,692 (-7)

US$-Rs. 73.72 GBP-Rs. 98.45, Euro-Rs. 89.36, UAE Dhm-Rs.20.06, Can$-Rs.

57.59, Aus$- Rs. 54.71

GBP 0.74 /US$, Euro 0.82 /US$, Jap.Yen 104.07 /US$, Aus$ 1.34 /US$, Sing

1.33 /US$, Bang Taka 83.27 /US$, Can$ 1.27 /US$, Mal Ring 4.06 /US$,

Pak Re 159.69 /US$, Phil Peso 48.11 /US$, Russian Rouble 73.90 /US$, NZ$

1.42 /US$, Thai Baht 30.15 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 28.03 /US$, Norway NOK 8.78

/US$

Bitcoin - USD 19,183

Dollar Index 90.88 Brent Crude 48.37 BDI 1,197

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,866 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 4,932 / 4,832

Silver (Rs. Per KG) 67,500

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to his or her

commitment to excellence, regardless of his or her chosen field of endeavor.

- Zig Ziglar

OFF TRACK

A stock analyst and a Wall Street broker went to the race-track. The broker

suggested betting $12,000 on a certain horse. The analyst was skeptical; he

had never been to the races before and wanted to understand the rules and

look over all the horses before placing a wager.

"You're too cautious and detail-oriented," the broker criticized as he

placed his large bet. His horse won and he raked in a bundle of money.

"What's your secret?" the analyst asked.

"It's simple," the broker explained. "I have two kids... ages two and

six...so I add their ages together and bet on number nine."

"But two and six is eight, not nine!" protested the analyst.

"See!" the broker replied, "I told you you're too cautious and

detail-oriented."