CITING INDIA’S ‘SELF-RESPECT,’ IMRAN KHAN APPEALS TO PAKISTAN

Hours before facing a no-confidence vote in parliament, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday seemed to accept the writing on the wall and urged his supporters to stage peaceful protests across the country when the “new imported govt” comes into power Sunday.

In an address to the nation on the eve of a no-trust motion he has little chance of defeating, Khan, 69, cited the example of India as a “self-respecting nation” (khuddar qaum) which no world power can dictate terms to.

He expressed disappointment over the Supreme Court reversing the National Assembly deputy speaker’s rejection of the no-trust motion against him. “I will not accept this imported govt, I will take to street….Only people can bring me to power and I will come back with the help of the people,” he said, adding that his supporters should come out on Sunday evening after the new govt is expected to be set up.

He said EU envoys had criticised Islamabad for not taking a stand against Russia, but would not dare do the same in India as it is a “sovereign nation”.

He taunted the opposition to announce new elections and face the nation with him. “That is why I dissolved the assembly because I want people to elect the new govt,” he said.

The opposition parties need 172 members in the 342-member house to bring about the downfall of Prime Minister Khan. They have more than the required numbers.

Khan in recent weeks has talked about a ‘threat letter’ and claimed that it was part of a foreign conspiracy to remove him as he was not acceptable for following an independent foreign policy.

Meanwhile, the Imran Khan govt has set up a commission led by a retired Army officer to probe the alleged “foreign conspiracy” behind the noconfidence motion against embattled PM Imran Khan, a senior minister said on Friday. However, the retired Army officer, has refused to head the commission.

RECEIVING FOREIGN FUNDS NOT ABSOLUTE RIGHT: SUPREME COURT

Maintaining that sovereignty and integrity of India ought to prevail, the Supreme Court on Friday upheld the validity of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2020, saying it’s open to a sovereign democratic nation to completely prohibit acceptance of foreign donations.

A Bench led by Justice AM Khanwilkar—which had reserved its verdict on three petitions challenging various provisions of FCRA Amendment Act on November 9 last year—said there was no absolute right to receive foreign contribution.

”Receiving foreign donations cannot be an absolute or even a vested right. By its very expression, it is a reflection on the constitutional morality of the nation as a whole being incapable of looking after its own needs and problems,” it said, adding it can have a material impact on socio-economic structure and polity of the country.

The top court said “the strict regime had become essential because of the past experience of abuse and misutilisation of the ‘foreign contribution’ and cancellation of certificates of as many as 19,000 registered organisations on the ground of being grossly non-compliant.”

PAID PRECAUTIONARY DOSE FOR ALL ADULTS FROM SUNDAY

The health ministry on Friday announced the rollout of the precautionary third dose of the Covid-19 vaccine for the 18-plus population at private vaccination centres from April 10.

The health ministry has said that all those who are more than 18 years of age and have completed nine months or 39 weeks after receiving the second dose of the vaccine would be

The precautionary dose for the 18-plus population will be available at private vaccination centres. Therefore, the person who receives the dose will have to pay for it. Private centres will soon announce the price of the precautionary dose and the same will be reflected on the CoWin platform.

The priority groups — healthcare workers, frontline workers, and people above 60 years of age are eligible to get the third dose, free of cost, at govt vaccination centres.

India will continue to follow homologous vaccination for booster schedules. This means that a beneficiary who has received two doses of Covishield will have to take Covishield as the third dose. Similarly, those who received two doses of Covaxin will have to take Covaxin as the precautionary dose.

INDIA WALKS A TIGHT ROPE ON ASSISTANCE TO SRI LANKA

With just a week to go for the Tamil and Sinhala new year on April 14 — usually a time when all of Sri Lanka makes a beeline to grocery stores to stock up for the nearly weeklong holiday — the stores and their shelves are empty, and the lines at fuel pumps are long.

On the streets, there is palpable anger against the family that the Sinhala Buddhist-majority had worshipped not so long ago for defeating the LTTE.

Sri Lanka is a rice-growing country. But that, too, is scarce because the paddy crop failed after President Gotabaya announced a sudden switch to organic fertilisers, making it sound like a green move when, in fact, the govt did not have the dollars to import chemical fertilisers.

Young professionals and students have been turning out in large numbers for the protests. At Colombo’s own Independence Square, on the steps of the grand memorial hall, protesters holding placards declared: “You messed with the wrong generation.”

According to Indian High Commissioner Gopal Baglay, a portion of the first order of 40,000 metric tonnes of rice under India’s $1-bn credit line for food is on its way. India has also delivered a total of 2,70,000 mt of diesel, petrol and aviation fuel, so far. And yet, this time, Delhi seems to be conscious that the assistance it is sending should not be misread as a bailout for the Rajapaksas. At one of the street protests, a participant said: “I want to tell the Indian govt, do not support the Rajapaksa govt. We are extremely thankful for all the assistance India has sent to Sri Lanka, but India must side with the people.”

COVID DASHBOARD – INDIA

As of 0800 IST / April 9

from mohfw.gov.in ,

New Cases on Friday 1,150

Active Cases 11,365 (-127)

Total Deaths (Deaths Yesterday) 5,21,656 (11)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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

50 KILLED IN TRAIN STATION ATTACK IN UKRAINE, RUSSIA DENIES ROLE

Ukraine said as many as 50 people were killed and nearly 100 wounded and lost limbs in a rocket strike at a railway station packed with civilians fleeing the threat of a major Russian offensive in the country’s east. As authorities scrambled to rush civilians out of harm’s way, a group of European Union leaders meanwhile visited Kyiv to offer President Volodymyr Zelensky support and assure him there will be a path to EU membership for Ukraine.

Zelensky called the strike on the station in Kramatorsk in the eastern region of Donetsk region a deliberate attack on civilians.

The Russian defence ministry said the missiles said to have struck the station were used only by Ukraine’s military and that Russia's armed forces had no targets assigned in Kramatorsk

The White House decried the “horrific and devastating images” of the station attack. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, in Kyiv with the head of the EU executive Ursula von der Leyen, also condemned the strike. “This is yet another attempt to close escape routes for those fleeing this unjustified war,” he tweeted.

Russia meanwhile gave its most sombre take yet on the six-week long war in Ukraine, describing the “tragedy” of rising troop losses and the economic pain of sanctions. Russia has previously acknowledged its attack has not progressed as quickly as it wanted but on Thursday Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov lamented the rising death toll. "We have significant losses of troops," he told Sky News. “It's a huge tragedy for us”.

DECIDE WHETHER TO FEED PEOPLE OR PAY DUES, SAYS LANKA FM; OPPN PLOTS TRUST VOTE

Sri Lanka’s govt must decide whether to feed its people or pay outstanding debts, finance minister Ali Sabry told Parliament on Friday even as the opposition began collecting signatures for a ‘no confidence motion’ against the Gotabaya Rajapaksa dispensation.

Sabry, who had offered to resign a day after he was appointed, said the crisis-hit country must urgently restructure its debt as there was no alternative and seek external help. While 26 ministers including Sabry had tendered resignations on Tuesday, Sabry’s letter was not accepted.

Declaring that Gotabaya govt should “either lead, follow, or get out”, Samagi Jana Balawegaya, the main opposition group, threatened to move a no-confidence motion and began obtaining signatures against govt.

As discontent in the form of protests continued in the country, especially in Colombo, Sabry told Parliament a hard default was a dangerous situation. “Our trade deficit is about $8 billion, on top of that we have to repay debt … we cannot step away from repaying debt because the consequences are terrifying. There is no alternative, we must restructure our debt. ”

Sabry suggested going to the International Monetary Fund. “Going to the IMF is not a complete solution to the problems but there’s no better alternative as of now. ”

THE REST

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WORKING ON OPPN FRONT TO COUNTER RSS, MODI: RAHUL

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi yesterday said discussions were underway on forming a united Opposition front to counter the BJP and RSS. He urged all non-BJP forces to come together.

Speaking to mediapersons after meeting Opposition leader Sharad Yadav, whose party recently merged with the RJD in Bihar, Rahul said, “All parties opposed to the RSS and PM Narendra Modi should come together. The framework of such a joint Opposition front is being discussed and there is a need to develop it.”

Picking holes in the govt’s economic management strategy, he drew parallels between the Indian condition and the economic catastrophe Sri Lanka is witnessing.

“Any country can only temporarily escape or bury the reality. In a modern democracy, the media is the tool to escape the truth. But when the impact of rising prices hits people’s lives and livelihoods, the media is unable to hide the truth. Gradually the reality of India, which the media has hidden, will come out. That is what has happened in Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, the truth has surfaced. In India also the truth will surface… Don’t trust me today, but in two to three years, this will happen,” he said.

RBI POLICY THRUST: MONETARY TIGHTENING TO TACKLE INFLATION

For the eleventh time in a row, the RBI has decided to keep the main policy rate – repo rate – unchanged at 4%. It has also retained its accommodative stance, but indicated it will engage in a gradual and calibrated withdrawal of surplus liquidity to rein in inflation. The central bank has now decided to focus on inflation over growth by sucking out money from the system in a multi-year time-frame.

In the wake of the rise in crude oil and commodity prices and the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, RBI has slashed the growth forecast to 7.2% for fiscal 2022-23 from 7.8% projected earlier.

Also, financial market volatility induced by monetary policy normalisation in advanced economies, renewed Covid-19 infections in some major countries with augmented supply-side disruptions and protracted shortages of critical inputs such as semiconductors and chips, pose downside risks to the outlook, RBI said.

RBI has also increased the retail inflation projection from 4.5% to 5.7% in 2022-23.

‘NEW TREND OF GOVT MALIGNING JUDGES’: CJI NV RAMANA

Piqued by certain allegations made against the judiciary, the Supreme Court on Friday said the new trend of govts maligning judges if judicial pronouncements were not to their liking was “unfortunate”.

A Bench led by Chief Justice of India NV Ramana made the comment while hearing petitions filed by the Chhattisgarh Govt and an activist challenging the state high court’s decision to quash an FIR against a former IAS officer in a disproportionate assets case.

“Whatever fight you may take, that is alright. But do not try to malign the courts. I am watching in this court also, it’s a new trend,” the Bench said.

As senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, representing the state govt, tried to make a point, the CJI said, “No, we are watching it every day. You are a senior counsel, you have seen this more than us. It is a new trend. The govt has started maligning judges. It is unfortunate.”

AAKAR PATEL CASE: CBI COURT QUASHES LOWER COURT JUDGMENT

A CBI court on Friday directed former Amnesty International India chief Aakar Patel to not leave the country without its permission while staying a Delhi court’s order asking the CBI director to issue a written apology to Patel for the Look Out Circular (LOC) issued by the agency that prevented him from leaving for the US two days ago.

The stay was issued by Special Judge Santosh Snehi Mann, a day after the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (ACMM) asked the CBI to withdraw the LOC issued in connection with a case registered against Amnesty International India in 2019 under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act. At the time, Patel headed the organisation.

On Thursday, ACMM Pawan Kumar had asked the CBI director to issue a written apology to Patel for issuing the LOC in order to “uphold public trust in the agency” and “heal his wounds”.

On Friday, the CBI moved a revision petition before the special court, submitting that their right to issue a LOC was erroneously quashed and that the ACMM passed remarks against the agency’s functioning, which must be quashed as the observations were not made on merits.

Staying the part of the order that asked the CBI director to issue a written apology, Special Judge Mann told Patel’s lawyer, Tanveer Ahmed Mir: “Ensure that your client does not do any misadventure. He is not going to leave.”

IN A FIRST, CADILA PHARMACEUTICALS LAUNCHES 3-DOSE RABIES VACCINE

Cadila Pharmaceuticals Friday launched a three-dose recombinant nanoparticle-based rabies G protein vaccine in Ahmedabad.

Hailed as a “breakthrough” product by rabies experts, the three-dose regimen, to be administered over a span of a week (on day 0, day three and day seven) after exposure to the virus, is a first in the long list of existing rabies vaccines that require five doses. The three-dose regimen is expected to cost a patient Rs 2,145 and is expected to be launched in the private market across 11 states, including Gujarat, on April 18.

Based on existing studies and literature, nearly 30-40 per cent of patients drop out after three doses of the existing five-dose regimen owing to the complicated dosing schedule, frequent visits to the hospital or clinic and potential loss of income associated with these visits, said Dr Ravish HS of the department of Community Medicine, Kempegowda Institute of Medical Science, Bengaluru, and the lead author of the phase-3 trials. Hence, he said, the three-dose regimen of ThRabis will address this issue.

FASTAG COLLECTIONS TOP RS 4,000 CRORE IN MARCH, FY22 MOP-UP RS 38,000 CRORE

With growing mobility and increasing FASTag adoption, toll revenues on the platform reached Rs 4,095 crore in March, the highest since the digital toll collection system was introduced in 2016. This is the first time toll collections through FASTag crossed Rs 4,000 crore.

With March numbers in, highway toll collections through FASTag for the full fiscal year stood at Rs 38,084 crore, or 68 per cent higher than the previous year.

The central govt had declared all lanes of fee plazas on national highways as FASTag lanes in February last year.

Union minister for road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari had earlier stated that FASTag adoption in passenger vehicles had reached 97 per cent and the ministry is working to identify causes for non-adoption among the remaining highway commuters.

This data comes on the back of much higher than expected direct and Indirect tax collections.

WILL SMITH GETS 10-YEAR OSCARS BAN OVER CHRIS ROCK SLAP

The motion picture academy on Friday banned Will Smith from attending the Oscars or any other academy event for 10 years following his slap of Chris Rock at the Academy Awards. The move comes after a meeting of the academy’s board of governors to discuss a response to Smith’s actions.

“The 94th Oscars were meant to be a celebration of the many individuals in our community who did incredible work this past year. However, those moments were overshadowed by the unacceptable and harmful behavior we saw Mr. Smith exhibit on stage,” the academy said in a statement.

Will Smith pre-emptively resigned from the academy last week during the run-up to the meeting and said he would accept any punishment the academy handed down.

IPL MATCH 16: GUJARAT SNATCH WIN FROM PUNJAB IN LAST-BALL THRILLER

Rahul Tewatia smashed a couple of sixes off the last two deliveries after the talented Shubman Gill's magnificent 96 off just 59 balls as Gujarat Titans pulled off a dramatic six-wicket win over Punjab Kings in their IPL match at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Friday.

Chasing 190 for a win, Gill was out in the 19th over after hitting 11 fours and a six, followed by his captain Hardik Pandya (27) in the final over as the Titans needed 12 runs from the last two balls.

Tewatia (13 not out off 3 balls), who has a reputation of hitting big sixes in crunch situations, sent the last two balls bowled by Odean Smith for maximums to hand the Titans their third win on the trot.

The Punjab side made a brilliant comeback at the death and they were on the verge of a victory only to be denied by Tewatia in a dramatic fashion.

Gujarat now have 3 wins from 3 matches while Punjab have 2 wins from 4.

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Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,947 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 5,263 / 4,825, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 71,300

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine, it is lethal. - Paulo Coelho

OFF TRACK

Frank and Audrey had gotten up in years. One day, Audrey said to her husband, "Say, dear. Would you be kind enough some ice cream from the kitchen?"

"Of course," Frank replied. And he stood up to go into the kitchen.

"Dear," Audrey said. "Don't you think you should write it down so you don't forget?"

"Nonsense," replied her husband. "My memory isn't that bad."

A while later he came back into the room with a tray full of cereal, eggs, and bacon.

"Frank, I knew you should have written it down," said Audrey, a little annoyed. "You've forgotten the toast!"