GOVERNMENT 'OBLIVIOUS' TO THREAT POSED BY OMICRON: CONGRESS

Accusing the government of being "ignorant" to the threat posed by the Omicron variant of coronavirus, the Congress on Sunday demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi must follow a clear vaccination policy, provide jabs for children between 5 and 15 years and spell out the roadmap to combat the pandemic.

The Congress also took a swipe at Prime Minister Modi over political rallies, saying while in Uttar Pradesh gatherings at weddings are being limited to 200, the prime minister is holding rallies wherein lakhs participate The Opposition's attack at the Centre over its handling of the pandemic came a day after the prime minister announced that vaccination against COVID-19 for children between 15 and 18 years will start from January 3, while "precaution dose" for healthcare and frontline workers and the elderly.

Reacting to the announcement, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the Centre has "accepted my suggestion" to allow the administration of booster doses of Covid vaccine and asserted that the protection of vaccines and booster shots has to be provided to every citizen of the country.

At a press conference, Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged that the Modi government has "failed India" during the pandemic. Surjewala said past experience shows that once the virus has taken root in the UK and US, it hits India within 65 days and within 80 days it is at its peak.  "Why is it that the government is oblivious and ignorant, bordering on criminal negligence, to the threat of the Omicron virus. We know that it doubles between 1.5 and 3 days, it escapes existing antibodies, we know that it changes protein spikes, it is fastest communicable, it will lead to large scale massive hospitalisation," he said.

As many as 422 Omicron cases have been detected across 17 states and union territories in India so far and 130 of these people have recovered or migrated, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Sunday.

CENTRE TO SET UP HIGH-LEVEL COMMITTEE TO EXAMINE POSSIBILITY OF LIFTING AFSPA FROM NAGALAND

The Centre has decided to constitute a “five-member” panel to look into the demand for withdrawal of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act – AFSPA from the states in the North-East region of the country.

This was announced by Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, in an official statement.

Rio further said the committee would submit its recommendations within 45 days, based on which the decision on whether to continue designating Nagaland as a “disturbed area” or withdrawing AFSPA from the state will be taken.

The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on December 23 to discuss the present situation in Nagaland, the CM informed, while adding that convener of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was also present during the deliberations.

“A court of inquiry will initiate disciplinary proceedings against the army unit and personnel who were involved in the Oting incident and action will be taken on the basis of a fair probe. The identified persons facing the investigation will be placed under suspension with immediate effect,” the statement read.

“The undersigned is grateful to the Union Home Minister for taking the matter with utmost seriousness and appreciates the Government of India for taking the required steps to ensure justice and also for positively responding to the voice of the people,” it further read.

Fourteen civilians were killed by security forces in firing incidents in Mon district earlier this month triggering demands in Nagaland to withdraw AFSPA from the states in the North-East region.

RAJNATH LAYS FOUNDATION STONES FOR DEFENCE PROJECTS IN UP

India wants to manufacture BrahMos missiles not to attack anyone but to ensure that no other country has the audacity to cast an evil eye on it, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday stressing the need to maintain nuclear deterrence.

“We want to manufacture BrahMos on Indian soil so that no country has the audacity to cast an evil eye on India,” Rajnath Singh said referring to the missile that is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. “India should have nuclear deterrents so that no country in the world attacks us, and we have shown this,” Rajnath said after laying foundation stones of the Defence Technologies and Test Centre and the BrahMos Manufacturing Centre in Lucknow.

The defence minister praised UP CM Yogi Adityanath for expediting land acquisition for the projects.

Rajnath said the projects are important from the security point of view and hoped that Uttar Pradesh will be able to get a special place in terms of defence manufacturing units. “This will provide jobs to people living in Lucknow and in UP. I can see that a new chapter has been added to the economy of Uttar Pradesh,” he added.

GAP BETWEEN 2ND COVID VACCINE SHOT AND PRECAUTION DOSE 'LIKELY' TO BE 9-12 MONTHS

The gap between the second dose of Covid-19 vaccine and the third, which is being called a “precaution dose”, is likely to be 9 to 12 months, official sources said on Sunday.

The nitty-gritty of the gaps for the vaccines currently being used in India’s inoculation programme— Covishield and Covaxin—is being worked out, and a final decision over this will be taken soon, they said.

More than 61 per cent of India’s adult population has received both doses of the vaccine. About 90 per cent of the adult population has received the first dose.

COVID DASHBOARD – INDIA

As of 0800 IST 27/Dec

from mohfw.gov.in ,

New Cases on Sunday 6,531

Active Cases 75,841(-925)

Total Deaths (Deaths Yesterday) 4,79,997 (63)

Total Vaccination: 141.70 Crores (+29,93,283)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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DESMOND TUTU, WHOSE VOICE HELPED SLAY APARTHEID, DIES

Desmond Tutu, South Africa’s Nobel Peace Prize-winning icon, an uncompromising foe of the country’s past racist policy of apartheid and a modern-day activist for racial justice and LGBT rights, died on Sunday at 90.

Tutu worked passionately, tirelessly and non-violently to tear down apartheid — South Africa’s brutal, decades-long regime of oppression against its Black majority that only ended in 1994. The buoyant, blunt-spoken clergyman used his pulpit as the first Black bishop of Johannesburg and later the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town as well as frequent public demonstrations to galvanise public opinion against racial inequity, both at home and globally.

Tutu and Nelson Mandela shared a commitment to building a better, more equal South Africa. Upon becoming president in 1994, Mandela appointed Tutu to be chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which uncovered the abuses of the apartheid system.

Tutu’s death on Sunday “is another chapter of bereavement in our nation’s farewell to a generation of outstanding South Africans who have bequeathed us a liberated South Africa,” South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said.

NO TRIPS FOR AFGHAN WOMEN UNLESS ESCORTED BY MALE RELATIVE: TALIBAN

Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities said Sunday that women seeking to travel long distances should not be offered road transport unless they are accompanied by a close male relative. The guidance issued by the ministry for the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice, which also called on vehicle owners to refuse rides to women not wearing headscarves, has drawn condemnation from rights activists.

The move follows the Taliban barring many women in public-sector roles from returning to work in the wake of their August 15 seizure of power, and as girls remain largely cut off from secondary schooling.

It also comes despite the hardline Islamists seeking to project a moderate image internationally in a bid to restore aid suspended when the previous government imploded during the final stages of a US military withdrawal.

Weeks ago, the ministry asked Afghanistan’s television channels to stop showing dramas and soap operas featuring women actors. It also called on women TV journalists to wear headscarves. Muhajir said the hijab would be required for women seeking transport.

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DELHI TO RE-IMPOSE NIGHT CURFEW FROM MONDAY AMID SPIKE IN COVID CASES

With the COVID-19 positivity rate touching 0.55 percent, the Delhi government is reportedly set to re-impose night curfew from Monday.

Officials said the night curfew will kick in under the four-stage graded response action plan if the positivity rate settles at 0.5 percent for two consecutive days.

The number of active Covid cases in Delhi stands at 1,103, of which 583 patients are in home isolation.

Night curfew, closure of schools and colleges, and shops of non-essential items, and halved seating capacity in metro trains are the other restrictions that will come in place under the yellow alert.

THAROOR HAS TO FALL IN LINE WITH PARTY DECISION: KERALA CONGRESS CHIEF

Kerala PCC (KPCC) president K Sudhakaran on Sunday said no one, including Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, in the party has the authority to oppose its directions, and warned the latter that he will be removed from the party if he does not fall in line with its decisions.

Sudhakaran’s comments come in the wake of growing discontent in the state unit against Tharoor’s reluctance to sign a letter prepared by the MPs from the party-led UDF to the Centre against the state government’s semi-high speed rail corridor and his recent open praise of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for his “investment-friendly” initiatives.

SIDHU TARGETS CHANNI GOVT AGAIN

Taking on his own party's government, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Sunday asked people whether they were getting cable TV connection and sand at the cheap rates announced recently. "There may be many announcements. Are you getting cable at Rs 100? Are you getting sand free of charge, its price is Rs 3,700-4,400 (trolley)," he said, addressing a public meeting at Batala in Gurdaspur.

Last month, Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi had announced that the charges for cable TV connection had been fixed at Rs 100 a month. He also announced that sand will be sold at Rs 5.50 per cubic feet.

CJI DRAWS ATTENTION TO HALF-BAKED LEGISLATIONS

Chief Justice of India N V Ramana Sunday cited the prohibition law in Bihar as an example of “lack of foresight” in drafting legislation that leads to courts being inundated with cases, and said it appears that the legislature has “not been able to make optimum use” of the Parliament Standing Committee system to “enhance scrutiny of Bills”.

“I hope this will change, as such scrutiny improves the quality of legislation,” CJI Ramana said at a Law College in Vijayawada.

In his speech, the CJI also defended the judiciary in the wake of charges that the Collegium system of appointment of judges amounted to judges appointing themselves. “I consider this to be one of the widely propagated myths. The fact is the judiciary is merely one of the many players involved in the process. Many authorities are involved, including the Union Law Ministry, state governments, Governor, High Court Collegia, Intelligence Bureau, and lastly, the topmost executive, who all are designated to examine the suitability of a candidate. I am sad to note that the well-informed also propagate the aforesaid notion. After all, this narrative suits certain sections,” he said.

The CJI also responded to criticism of judicial overreach through the power of review, saying that “such generalisations are misguided”. He said that “if the judiciary does not have the power of judicial review, then the functioning of democracy in this country would be unthinkable”.

MINISTRIES IN BLAME GAME AS LADAKH PROJECT FAILS

At a time when Indian troops are still in a faceoff with the Chinese along the LAC in eastern Ladakh, an infrastructure project for troops guarding the region has turned out to be a non-starter after five years of work and investment of crores of rupees.

And the failure of the project has also pitted two key ministries of the government — Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Jal Shakti — against each other.

The project involved construction of over 40 integrated Border Outposts (BOPs) announced by the government in 2015. These BOPs were supposed to be the first of their kind in the region with freeze-proof toilets, running water and temperature maintained above 22 degree Celsius at all times.

The project was awarded to National Projects Construction Corporation (NPCC), a PSU under the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Five years later, and after spending about Rs 20 crore, the project has, for all practical purposes, been declared a failure by the ITBP. Sources in the ITBP and the MHA said the BOP is unable to maintain temperatures of over 10-11 degree Celsius and the quality of construction is so poor that the 40-odd jawans staying in the BOP have begun to miss the insulated pre-fabricated huts where they lived earlier.

The MHA, sources said, is so unhappy that it has not only stopped part payment to the NPCC for the project, but is also thinking of dumping the project altogether.

MP MINISTER NAROTTAM MISHRA MAKES ONE MORE COMPANY BACK OFF

Music label Saregama on Sunday said the company will “change” the lyrics and the name of the song “Madhuban” after Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra alleged that the video of the track has hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus.

The minister on Sunday had warned actor Sunny Leone, who stars in the video, and singers Shaarib and Toshi to apologise and withdraw their song ‘Madhuban mein Radhika’ within three days or else face action.

“In light of the recent feedback & respecting the sentiments of our fellow countrymen, we will be changing the lyrics & the name of the song Madhuban. The new song will replace the old one across all platforms over the next 3 days,” Saregama, which had released the aforementioned song on its YouTube channel on December 22, said in a statement.

The initial few words of this song match with the iconic ‘Madhuban mein Radhika naache re’ song from the 1960 film “Kohinoor”. That song was sung by late singing legend Mohammed Rafi and featured late actor Dilip Kumar.

In October this year, Mishra had issued a 24-hour ultimatum to fashion and jewellery designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee to withdraw an advertisement with “objectionable and obscene” portrayal of mangalsutra or else face statutory action. The designer had later withdrawn this advertisement.

Similarly, a few days before that, Dabur India Private Limited had withdrawn its Fem cream bleach advertisement, which showed same-sex couple celebrating ‘Karva Chauth’ and watching each other through a sieve, after the MP home minister termed the ad as objectionable and warned of taking legal steps against the company.

GOVT, PVT SECTOR READY TO STEER INDIA TO PATH OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY

The poster boys of India’s energy sector have already pitted their green ambitions against each other. While Reliance Industries (RIL) made a splash with a Rs 75,000 crore investment plan in green energy, Adani Enterprises is betting $20 billion in the same.

Tata Power and JSW Energy have both announced their Net Zero plan, and state-owned oil majors, too, are inching towards electric mobility.

While there is no overarching target yet for phasing out fossil fuels, especially coal, and planning a ‘just transition’, policy changes and private investment seem to be coming together to move towards a green future.

If oil marketing companies (OMCs) are to be believed, petrol pumps could become a thing of the past, with leading players gearing up to offer “integrated energy stations”. These ‘Mobility Stations’, as Reliance BP Mobility (RBML) is calling them, will have electric vehicle (EV) charging and/or battery swapping, along with petrol and diesel dispensing units.

State-owned OMCs - IOC, BPCL, HPCL -  have also announced plans to set up 22,000 EV charging stations over the next three years. According to BPCL’s chairman and managing director, Arun Kumar Singh, the goal is to convert their existing pumps into ‘energy stations’ that offer at least five fuels – petrol, diesel, gas, flexi-fuels like ethanol, and EV charging stations.

As for green fuels, though the Centre is yet to finalise the Hydrogen Mission announced by the Prime Minister on August 15, 2021, the private sector is already investing in the sector.

Adani Enterprises, which recently launched its petrochemicals arm, is planning to offer a range of green fuels and use its existing supply chains and renewable energy units for their production and transport. The company plans to manufacture green hydrogen, green methanol, green ammonia and green fertilisers, said senior executives.

ASHES 3RD TEST: ENGLAND GET BOXING DAY POUNDING

England’s hopes of keeping the Ashes alive plunged as their batsmen again capitulated on a dismal opening day of the third Test against Australia in Melbourne yesterday.

Sent in to bat on a grassy wicket after returning Australia captain Pat Cummins won the toss, England were skittled for 185 to the delight of a festive Boxing Day crowd, leaving the tourists’ bowlers with an improbable rescue mission. By stumps, that mission appeared doomed, with Australia having pushed to 61/1 on the strength of a quickfire 38 by David Warner. Marcus Harris was 20 not out and nightwatchman Nathan Lyon yet to score.

Leading 2-0 after thumping wins in Brisbane and Adelaide, holders Australia need only a draw here to retain the urn. But Cummins’ men will be hell-bent on taking the series outright before the New Year Test in Sydney.

KL RAHUL'S UNBEATEN TON GIVES INDIA A GOOD START TO SERIES

Opener K L Rahul dished out a majestic knock in testing conditions to register his sixth overseas century as India made a near-perfect start to the Test series against South Africa, in Centurion, on Sunday.

Rahul (batting 122 off 248 balls), alongside opener partner Mayank Agarwal (60), set up a strong platform for India in a 117-run stand, enabling the visitors to reach 272 for 3 at stumps on Day 1 of the first Test.

Skipper Virat Kohli (35 off 94 balls) fell to a loose shot after doing all the hard work, while the under-pressure Cheteshwar Pujara lasted just one delivery.

Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane (batting 40 off 81 balls), who, like Pujara is fighting to save his place in the team, were in the middle at close of play.

Barring Lungi Ngidi, who bagged all the wickets to fall on the day, South Africa’s pacers did not probe enough in line and length and offered too many loose deliveries.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

A stupid man's report of what a clever man says is never accurate because he unconsciously translates what he hears into something he can understand. - Bertrand Russell

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