PM MODI PAYS TRIBUTE TO GEN BIPIN RAWAT, OTHERS KILLED IN IAF CHOPPER CRASH

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the country’s top military brass on Thursday paid homage to India’s first Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika, Brig LS Lidder and 10 more defence personnel at the Palam air base after their bodies were brought to Delhi in a military aircraft.

Heart-wrenching scenes were seen at the Palam airport as 13 caskets were lined up inside a hangar in presence of their family members.

Only three of the 13 bodies have been identified so far—Gen Rawat and his wife, Madhulika Rawat and Brigadier LS Lidder. Army officials said the bodies of those identified will be released to the families for last rites. The other bodies will be kept at the mortuary at the Army Base Hospital till they are identified.

The lone survivor, Group Captain Varun Singh, is currently undergoing treatment at a military hospital in Bengaluru.

The final journey of Gen Bipin Rawat from his residence to the Brar Square Crematorium is scheduled to start from his residence at about 1400 hours today. Last rites of Brig LS Lidder are planned at the same place at 0900 hours today.

The Indian Air Force has ordered a tri-service investigation led by Air Marshal Manavendra Singh, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief Training Command, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told both Houses of Parliament,

FARMERS CALL OFF AGITATION, TO VACATE DELHI BORDERS FROM DEC 11

The Samyukt Kisan Morcha on Thursday announced the end of farmers’ agitation with the Centre  making a final and decisive outreach to the agitating farmers promising to take back all criminal cases registered against them during the course of the agitation along with a purposeful discussion on ways to guarantee the MSP through representation in the committee Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Nov 19.

In the letter dated December 9 to Samyukt Kisan Morcha, Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal has promised the unions that the Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh governments had already committed to retracting all criminal cases against farmers.

The SKM said it would mark December 11 as victory day and start vacating Delhi borders from that day.

The announcement regarding the end of the agitation flows from the union agriculture secretary’s letter which added that the Haryana and UP governments had principally consented to compensating families of deceased farmers, so had the Punjab government.

The government also assured stakeholders comprehensive discussions on the Electricity Amendment Bill, including with SKM representatives.

Agriculture secretary Sanjay Agarwal said the liability of farmers regarding stubble burning had already been done away with.

MAMATA ASKS COPS TO ENSURE BSF LIMITS, RILES GUV

In a fresh spat, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Thursday said Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's alleged directive to the state police to ensure that the BSF does not cross its jurisdiction of 15 km from the international border is 'potentially alarming' for national security.

In a letter to the chief minister, Dhankhar urged Banerjee to take appropriate steps urgently and address the issue in public and national interest.

"Deeply concerned at your directives concerning BSF including 'BSF is allowed for 15 km that too with the permission of state police' to state apparatus during the course of the official administrative meeting at Ganga Rampur on December 7. These are not in sync with law or the recent Union home ministry notification increasing jurisdiction of the BSF in the state from 15 km to 50 km. Your stance has sent disturbing signals and is potentially alarming for federal polity and national security," Dhankhar said in the letter which he shared on Twitter.

INDIA STAYS AWAY FROM US-LED POLITICAL BOYCOTT OF BEIJING WINTER OLYMPICS

India and the US are making common cause at the Joe Biden-hosted virtual Democracy Summit that began on Thursday but there was dissonance in their stands on the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games.

Biden had called for a political boycott of China two days back which has been endorsed by Canada, the UK, Australia and a clutch of smaller countries, some of which hedged the non-representation by pointing out that one reason was the Covid scare.

France and Italy were among the bigger western countries that will send both athletes and government representatives for the event.

New Delhi had announced its support along with that of Moscow at the virtual meeting of the Russia-India-China Foreign Ministers.

India’s support is mainly symbolic and its biggest team at the Winter Olympics has been of four athletes. This time, a skier from Kashmir, Arif Khan, is the sole qualifier.

COVID DASHBOARD – INDIA

As of 0800 IST 10/Dec

from mohfw.gov.in ,

New Cases on Thursday 7.980

Active Cases 94,943 (+201)

Total Deaths (Deaths Yesterday) 4,74,735 (101)

Total Vaccination: 131.18 Crores (+74,57,970)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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

NO EVIDENCE YET THAT VACCINES ARE INEFFECTIVE AGAINST OMICRON: WHO AFRICA

Emerging evidence from South Africa has revealed that although Covid cases with Omicron are rising rapidly signaling its high transmissibility, the variant of concern is not causing severe disease or hospitalisations. There is also no current suggestion that vaccines are ineffective against Omicron, WHO Africa experts said.

In a briefing on Thursday, Coordinator for Immunisation and Vaccine Development, WHO Africa Region Richard Mihigo said, “Encouragingly, emerging data from South Africa suggests the Omicron variant may cause less severe disease. Data on hospitalisations across the country between November 14 and December 4 found ICU occupancy at only 6.3 pc, which is very low compared to the same period when South Africa was facing a peak with the Delta variant in July.”

Mihigo said this was the preliminary analysis.

He also said researchers were working around the clock to determine whether Omicron was more contagious, caused more severe illness or if it had any impact on vaccines and treatment.

BIDEN RALLIES DEMOCRACIES AGAINST AUTHORITARIANISM

With the US’ own credibility and integrity as an electoral democracy and constitutional republic under scrutiny, President Joe Biden on Thursday opened the first-ever Summit for Democracy with a warning that the world was at an inflection point in history to arrest the backward slide of democracy.

He called for safeguarding rights and freedoms in the face of rising authoritarianism. “This is the defining challenge of our time. Democracy can at times be fragile. But it also is inherently resilient and capable of self-correction and is capable of self-improvement,” Biden told delegates from over 100 countries in a virtual address after the White House rolled out a raft of initiatives, including committing modest sums of money for bolstering independent media, combating corruption, and defending free and fair elections and political processes across the world.

The summit opened amid charges from Russia and China that the Washington is “weaponsing democracy”, and even some domestic discomfort over lecturing the world when US’ own democracy, particularly the conduct of elections at home, is ragged and inconsistent.

The two-day virtual summit, for which India is an invitee, drew sneers from Moscow and Beijing, which were not invited, and which accused Washington of hypocrisy, claiming they were better democracies than the US. Pakistan, which was an invitee, also steered clear of the summit, earning praise from Beijing for being a “real iron brother.”

Biden though conceded that US is “not perfect” while maintaining that Washington wanted to lock arms with other like-minded nations and reaffirm a shared commitment “to make our democracies better, to share ideas and learn from each other.”

THE REST

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WOMEN DOMINATE ZERO HOUR, SPEAKER PRAISED

Speaker Om Birla on Thursday drew praise from Lok Sabha members for identifying potential of members and encouraging them to speak on the floor of the House after a first-time woman MP, known for spearheading self-help groups, raised the issue of women unemployment.

BJD MP Pramila Bisoyi (73), who speaks only her mother tongue Odia, raised the issue of women employment following the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak. She said many women who lost employment were unable to get jobs back and were confined to working at their homes or farms while men have been reemployed. She spoke in Odi.. The Lok Sabha website says the Aska MP has studied till primary classes. Birla noted that he personally urged her to speak in the House. She told him she only spoke Odia, he said, adding that her secretariat then helped her.

“Now she makes request for speaking in the House regularly. This is India's democracy,” the Speaker said, noting she had given employment to a large number of women.

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal rose to praise the Chair for identifying her potential. Many other members also thumped their desks to laud it. Birla on Thursday also allowed all woman members who wanted to speak during the Zero Hour to raise their issues.

Earlier, DMK member Kanimozhi raised the issue of reservation for women in Parliament, noting that the issue has been discussed for long but in vain so far.

GOVT SET TO START PROCESS TO APPOINT NEXT CDS; GEN NARAVANE FRONTRUNNER

The government is set to begin the process soon to appoint the next Chief of Defence Staff with Army Chief Gen MM Naravane emerging as the front-runner for the top post that fell vacant following the demise of Gen Bipin Rawat in a helicopter crash.

The move by the government comes even as a number of retired military commanders said it will be prudent to appoint Gen Naravane as he is retiring as the Chief of Army Staff in five months. Gen Naravane is the senior-most among the three service chiefs.

UK HIGH COURT REJECTS INDIA’S APPEAL TO EXTRADITE TERROR ACCUSED KULDEEP SINGH

The High Court in England on Thursday rejected an appeal by Indian authorities seeking permission to appeal against a magistrates’ court order turning down the extradition on human rights grounds of Kuldeep Singh, wanted in India as an alleged senior member of the banned terrorist organisation Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF).

District Judge Gareth Branston, presiding over the extradition case at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, ruled in January that as the offences carry maximum sentences and “no possibility of a review of such a life sentence with a view to its commutation, remission, termination or conditional release”, it would be contrary to Article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights.

“The District Judge’s comprehensive and clearly reasoned judgment cannot be faulted,” High Court Justices Nicola Davies and Pushpinder Saini said in their judgment.

INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS SUSPENDED TILL JAN 31, 2022: DGCA

India will keep its scheduled international passenger flights suspended till January 31 next year, aviation regulator DGCA said on Thursday.

Amid rising concerns over the coronavirus variant Omicron, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had on December 1 decided not to resume scheduled international flights from December 15, less than a week after announcing that it would restart the services.

Scheduled international passenger services have been suspended in India since March 23, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. But special international flights have been operating under the Vande Bharat Mission since May 2020 and under bilateral "air bubble" arrangements with selected countries since July 2020.

A PAKISTANI VETERAN’S TWEET ON GEN BIPIN RAWAT IS WINNING HEARTS ONLINE

A heartfelt Twitter exchange between a retired Indian Army Officer and a retired Pakistani Army officer over the tragic deaths of Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat other Defence personnel has gone viral.

Brigadier RS Pathania of India took to Twitter to express his respect and condolences for CDS Rawa..

Major Adil Raja of Pakistani wrote thus in the same thread: “Sir please accept my heartfelt condolences."

Brig Pathania replied to him, “Thank you Adil. That’s what is expected from a soldier. Salute you."

Major Raja responded thus: In our Punjabi folklore they say, “dushman maray te khushian na manawoo, kadday sajna v mar jaana" Means: “Don’t celebrate the deaths of your enemies as some day friends would also die".

Replying to this, Brig Pathania wrote, “Thank you again Adil. I understand Punjabi and speak it as well.”

RJD LEADER TEJASHWI YADAV GETS MARRIED IN DELHI, INA LOW KEY CEREMONY

Celebrations were on at the RJD state headquarters in Patna on Thursday when news broke that the party’s de facto leader Tejashwi Yadav had tied the knot with a childhood friend. Couple got married at a farm house in Delhi, in the presence of their immediate families and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav.

The 32-year-old got hitched to Rachel Iris about whom not much is known barring the fact that the couple have known each other since childhood and the bride’s father is a Haryana-based businessman.

TOP 500 INDIAN FIRMS ADDED $1.2 TRN WEALTH SO FAR IN CY21: HURUN REPORT

The top 500 Indian companies added $1.2 trillion in value to a total of $3 trillion valuation as stock markets rose to record high in 2021 on the back of a fast-growing digital economy coupled with increased optimism for the post-Covid growth trajectory of the Indian economy, as per a latest report from Hurun India, a research firm.

In a report released yesterday, Hurun India said with a total value of $3 trillion, which is more than India’s current GDP, these 500 companies make up the backbone of the Indian economy. Together, these 500 companies had combined sales of $770 billion, and employed 6.9 million staff.

The report said the value of these companies went up by 68 per cent or Rs 90 trillion, to a total of Rs 228 trillion. Of this, Rs 46 trillion of wealth came from just four companies--Reliance Industries, Tata Consultancy Services, HDFC Bank and Infosys. Tata group’s 14 companies were big gainers as they added Rs 8.5 trillion and accounted for nearly 10 per cent of the value of 500 companies. TCS also the biggest tax payer with a contribution of Rs 11,200.

Serum Institute of India increased its value by 127 per cent to Rs 1.8 trillion and is India’s most valuable unlisted company.

These 500 companies also contributed Rs 1.9 lakh trillion or nearly 62 per cent of corporate income tax collection in FY 2021.

VICKY KAUSHAL, KATRINA KAIF GET MARRIED

Bollywood star couple Katrina Kaif, 38, and Vicky Kaushal, 33, on Thursday began a “new journey together” as they tied the knot at a luxury hotel in Sawai Madhopur in the presence of family and close friends.

Hours after the wedding, the couple posted a series of pictures from their special day on Instagram, where they are seen holding hands while taking pheras and exchanging wedding garlands.

The wedding was largely a private affair with heavily guarded wedding venue making it difficult for the media to report much to the fans. The only clue from the high-end Six Senses Fort Barwara, a fort converted into a hotel from which the media and curious onlookers were kept at a safe distance, were three grainy pictures of the couple and a short video. The other pictures that leaked from the wedding showed guests hanging out in the balcony of the heritage property.

The big fat wedding of B-town was constantly in news, sparking media attention and even memes around the couple’s three-day elaborative festivities, such as sufi theme for sangeet, no camera policy, guests required to sign an NDA or the couple selling their wedding photo rights and streaming rights for huge amounts.

GANGULY ON WHY ROHIT REPLACED KOHLI AS ODI CAPTAIN

The selectors collectively took the call to appoint Rohit Sharma as India's full-time white-ball captain, said Board of Control for Cricket in India President Sourav Ganguly on Thursday.

Rohit was named India's new One-day International skipper on Wednesday. He will take over from Virat Kohli, starting with the South Africa series in January 2022.

"Actually, the BCCI had requested Virat to not step down as the T20I skipper but, obviously, he did not agree. And the selectors then did not feel it right to have two different captains for two white-ball formats. "So it was decided that Virat will continue as Test captain and Rohit will take over as the white-ball captain. I, as President, personally spoke to Virat Kohli; so did the chairman of selectors.

"We have full faith in Rohit Sharma's leadership abilities, and Virat will continue as the Test captain. We are confident that Indian cricket is in good hands. We thank Virat Kohli for his contributions as captain in the white-ball format," the BCCI president added.

Rohit was also named India's Test vice-captain, as the All-India Senior Selection Committee picked an 18-member squad for the upcoming three-match Test series against South Africa.

The Test series, which gets underway from December 26, is part of the new ICC World Test Championship cycle.

The 3 Tests will be followed by 3 ODIs and 3 T20is.

GABBA TEST, DAY 2: AUS IN DRIVER'S SEAT

Travis Head smashed a T20-style century to put Australia firmly in control of the first Ashes Test on Thursday as England were hit by an injury crisis during a miserable day two in the field at the Gabba.

David Warner fell six runs short of what would have been a fortuitous century but Head kept the blowtorch on with an unbeaten 112 from 95 balls that pushed Australia to 343/7 with a commanding 196-run lead over England's paltry first innings 147.

A day of sapping heat and humidity piled up problems for Joe Root's England. Talismanic all-rounder Ben Stokes was all but scratched from the attack by an apparent knee strain in the morning while paceman Ollie Robinson came off the ground after barely getting through one of his overs after tea.

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

No one can possibly achieve any real and lasting success or get rich in business by being a conformist. - Jean Paul Getty

OFF TRACK

Patient: In my dreams rats play football every night.

Doctor: Take this tablet you will be ok.

Patient: Can I take it tomorrow, tonight is final game