LAST WEEK OF HOUSE SESSION, NO SIGN OF THAW

As this Monsoon session of Parliament enters its final week, there is little possibility of both the Houses functioning smoothly as Opposition parties Sunday made it clear they will continue to insist on a discussion on the Pegasus spyware issue — a demand that the Government is unlikely to accede to.

The government has managed to introduce 12 new Bills, eight in Lok Sabha and four in Rajya Sabha. All these bills have been passed in the House in which they were introduced.

On Sunday, the Trinamool Congress put out a three-minute video clip on what Opposition leaders have said on the Pegasus issue and the farmer’s protests on the floor of the House during passage of the Bills.

The idea behind the video put out by TMC Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien is to show how Opposition leaders used the words “farmers”, “Pegasus” and “spyware” during discussions on various Bills in an attempt to voice these issues. “When the official channels are being denied, this is a new way to reach the masses,” said O’Brien.

The compilation includes Opposition speakers such as Vandana Chavan (NCP), Manoj Jha (RJD), Deepinder Hooda (Congress), Sukhendu Shekar Roy (TMC), Priyanka Chaturvedi (Shiv Sena), Elamaram Kareem (CPM) — and Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari (Congress) among others

DAY AFTER RAHUL’S TWITTER ACCOUNT ‘TEMPORARILY LOCKED’, CONGRESS TRENDS ‘I TOO AM RAHUL’

Several Congress leaders Sunday trended #main_bhi_Rahul or I-too-am-Rahul, a day after they claimed that his Twitter account was “temporarily locked”.

They also posted screenshots and photographs of tweets that Rahul Gandhi posted after meeting with the family of the Dalit girl in Delhi, who died after allegedly being gangraped.

The nine-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a priest and three other men. Twitter had taken action against Gandhi’s account for posting photographs of him with the family.

On Sunday, Congress general secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted that even the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, and former BJP MP Anju Bala, had tweeted out photographs of the parents. “If a former BJP MP and member of SC Commission put photos of parents on Twitter on 3rd August, then it’s fine. However, if Rahul Gandhi asks for justice for his daughter, then it’s a crime!” He also accused the Modi government of intimidating Twitter to close Rahul Gandhi’s account.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera posted a screenshot of Rahul Gandhi’s tweet, appearing to dare Twitter to lock out his account.

“Instead of giving justice to the daughter of a Dalit, the Modi government is conspiring to suppress the loud voice demanding sympathy and justice,” Surjewala tweeted.

PARL PANEL WANTS SCHOOLS REOPENED, CITES HAZARDS

The Standing Committee on Education, Women and Children said in its report to Parliament this week that closure of schools due to Covid-induced lockdowns had aided child marriages and child labour and hazards of continued closure were too serious to be ignored.

Backing school reopening, the panel said, “The closure of schools has impacted the social fabric of families in a negative manner, leading to early marriages or child marriages and increased involvement of children in household chores. The present situation has exacerbated the learning crisis that existed even before the pandemic with the marginal and vulnerable children getting adversely affected.”

Not just the Parliament panel, the ICMR too has backed the idea saying children could handle viral infections better than adults, as shown by recent evidence.

The closure of schools for over a year had a deep impact on the wellbeing of students and their mental health, the panel chaired by BJP’s Vinay Sahasrabuddhe noted. It said the confinement of young children within the four walls of the house, where they were unable to attend school, had altered the relationship between the parent and the children adversely.

“The learning loss caused by school closure is a huge deficit and is likely to impair the cognitive capabilities of students. This might have a debilitating effect on vulnerable sections of the society like poor and rural students, marginalised sections of society and young women who might have been unable to connect to any form of digital education during the pandemic,” the panel said.

KEY COVID NUMBERS

Current Active Cases Countrywide: 3,96,690

New Cases in last 24 hours: 36,027

Recovered in last 24 hours: 39,835

Change in no. of Active cases in last 24 hours: -4,255

No. of deaths in last 24 hours (Total Covid Deaths so far): 447 (4,28,339)

Daily Tests (Saturday): 17,22,221

Daily Positivity Rate (Proportion of Positives among total Tested): 2.3%

Percentage of Population Vaccinated (At Least One Dose / Two Doses): 29.6% / 8.4%

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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GAMES END AS TOKYO DOUSES OLYMPIC FLAME

Tokyo handed its Olympic flag to the mayor of Paris on Sunday, setting the stage for the next Games in 2024 at a closing ceremony that featured park scenes of both cities, emphasising human contact even as the pandemic continues.

In Tokyo, athletes got a surreal glimpse of everyday Tokyo life on Sunday when the closing ceremony was briefly transformed into a park with grass. Performers danced, skipped and played soccer, mingling and waving to athletes, who gathered closely together on the grass. Organisers said the scene was meant so they could "experience Tokyo", a poignant nod to the fact that many spent their time at the Games cooped up in rooms or competing in venues.

It was a duly odd closing to a Games that were upended by the pandemic and then transformed by the drama of politics, sport and personal turmoil.

The Tokyo Olympics were originally intended to show Japan's recovery from a devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis in 2011.

After being postponed for a year, organisers said the Games would serve as a symbol of the world's triumph over the pandemic. Held without spectators and with COVID-19 variants resurgent, the Games fell short of triumph and the financial windfall Japan first sought.

Instead, the host nation is saddled with a $15 billion bill, double what it initially expected, and with no tourist boom to offset it.

In Paris, several thousands sports fans waving the tricolour flag thronged into a fan zone across the river from the Eiffel Tower as the French capital prepared to take the Olympic baton from Tokyo.

TALIBAN SEIZES THREE MORE PROVINCIAL CAPITALS IN NORTHERN BLITZ

The Taliban tightened the noose around northern Afghanistan on August 8, capturing three more provincial capitals as they take their fight to the cities after seizing much of the countryside in recent months.

The insurgents have snatched up five provincial capitals in Afghanistan since August 6 in a lightning offensive that appears to have overwhelmed government forces.

Kunduz, Sar-e-Pul and Taloqan in the north fell within hours of each other on August 8, lawmakers, security sources and residents in the cities confirmed.

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FULLY VACCINATED PEOPLE CAN TRAVEL IN MUMBAI LOCAL TRAINS FROM AUG 15

People who have been fully vaccinated and completed 14 days after receiving the second dose of an anti-Covid vaccine will be allowed to travel in Mumbai suburban local trains from August 15, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced Sunday.

Mumbai has fully vaccinated 19 lakh people, most of whom are entirely dependent on public transportation. At present, only government employees and essential services staffers are allowed to travel in local trains.

Thackeray said a meeting with the state Covid Task Force will be held Monday to discuss steps to ease curbs for places of worship and provide more relaxation to the hotels, restaurants and malls.

“We are allowing the local trains to the general public from August 15. In the first phase, those who have taken both the doses of vaccines and have completed 14 days after taking the second dose, will be allowed to travel by the local trains. We have prepared a mobile application where fully vaccinated people can register to get a railway pass,” Thackeray said while addressing the state through social media Sunday.

COVID-19: DELHI TO IMPLEMENT COLOUR-CODED ACTION PLAN WITH 'IMMEDIATE EFFECT'

The Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) announced on Sunday that the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) is being implemented in the Capital “with immediate effect,”. The implementation of the plan, which was approved by lieutenant governor Anil Baijal on July 9, means that henceforth, all restrictions and relaxations in the city, related to the coronavirus pandemic, will be determined in accordance with the colour-coded scheme.

The GRAP, which has been devised to tackle a possible new Covid-19 wave in Delhi, the national capital's fifth, takes into account three parameters: positivity rate, new Covid-19 cases, and average occupancy of oxygen beds in Delhi. Four colour-coded alert levels have been recommended under the plan: yellow, amber, orange and red. The order of alert, according to the DDMA notification, will be issued when any of the three parameters is at the specified level of alert.

The alerts have been classified from level 1-4, with yellow being the lowest and red the highest, while amber and orange are in the middle, respectively. Level-1 alert will be issued when positivity rate tops 0.5% on two successive days, or fresh infections increase to 1500, or occupancy of oxygen beds reaches 500. For Level-2 alert, positivity rate should be above 1%, or fresh infections at 3500, or oxygen bed occupancy of 700.

The corresponding figures for the two highest levels of alerts are as follows: over 2%, 9000, and 1000; over 5%, 16,600, and 3000, respectively.

THREAT TO HUMAN RIGHTS IS HIGHEST IN POLICE STATIONS: CJI

Pointing out that custodial torture and other police atrocities are problems that still prevail in society, Chief Justice of India N V Ramana Sunday said the “threat to human rights and bodily integrity are the highest in police stations”.

“The threat to human rights and bodily integrity are the highest in police stations. Custodial torture and other police atrocities are problems that still prevail in our society. In spite of constitutional declarations and guarantees, the lack of effective legal representation at the police stations is a huge detriment to arrested/detained persons,” the CJI said, addressing an event organised by National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).

“To keep police excesses in check, dissemination of information about the constitutional right to legal aid and availability of free legal aid services is necessary. The installation of display boards and outdoor hoardings in every police station/prison is a step in this direction,” CJI Ramana said, as he called upon NALSA to carry out nationwide sensitisation of police officers.

MIXED COVISHIELD, COVAXIN DOSES PRODUCE BETTER IMMUNITY: ICMR

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) yesterday said that a mixed Covid immunisation routine, with a dose of Covishield followed by one of Covaxin, was safe and elicited a better immune response than the regime where uniform two doses of any of the two vaccines were administered.

“The immunisation with a heterologous combination of an adenovirus vector platform-based vaccine (Covishield) followed by an inactivated whole virus vaccine (Covaxin) is safe and elicits better immunogenicity than two doses of homologous vaccination using the same vaccines,” said the study, published as a pre-print but yet to be peer-reviewed.

Led by ICMR scientist Rajni Kant, the study said the findings had an important implication for the Covid-19 vaccination programme wherein heterologous immunisation would pave the way for induction of improved and better protection against the variant strains of SARS-CoV-2.

“Despite the high median age of the participants of the heterologous group (62 years) which got mixed vaccine in our study, the reactogenicity profile demonstrated that mixing of the two vaccines based on different platforms is safe,” the study shows.

CITIZENS CAN NOW OBTAIN COVID VACCINATION CERTIFICATE THROUGH WHATSAPP

Citizens who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 can now get their vaccination certificate through WhatsApp within seconds, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya’s office said on Sunday. Presently, people have to download their vaccination certificate by logging into the CoWin portal.

“Revolutionising common man’s life using technology! Now get COVID-19 vaccination certificate through MyGov Corona Helpdesk in 3 easy steps. Save contact number: +91 9013151515. Type & send ‘covid certificate’ on WhatsApp. Enter OTP. Get your certificate in seconds,” Mandaviya’s office tweeted.

INDIA’S ADVANCED ‘EYE IN THE SKY’ GISAT-1 ALL SET FOR AUG 12 LAUNCH

Just three days ahead of Independence Day, India will finally launch its most advanced geo-imaging satellite (Gisat-1), which will allow better monitoring of the subcontinent, including its borders with Pakistan and China, by imaging the country 4-5 times a day.

The pandemic delayed the launch of the new-series geo-satellite, which has civilian and strategic importance, several times since last year. Isro’s GSLV-F10 rocket will finally put the 2,268-kg Gisat-1, codenamed EOS-3, into the geo-orbit.

The advanced ‘eye in the sky’ can constantly monitor areas of interest and will give real-time information about a large area. MoS (Space) Jitendra Singh had said that EOS-03 is capable of imaging the whole country 4-5 times daily. The satellite is capable of near real-time monitoring of floods and cyclones.

GOVT MAY HAVE TO TAKE THE BIGGEST HIT IF VODA IDEA FAILS

With outstanding dues of nearly Rs 1.6 lakh crore in spectrum payments and AGR dues, the government may be the biggest loser in case Vodafone Idea collapses under crippling losses and heavy debt. The hit for the government just doesn’t stop here. If one adds the outstanding Rs 23,000 crore owed to the banks, the impact could be one of the biggest in corporate history as a large part of the loans (65-70%) is extended by state-run lenders. The banks have further extended guarantees worth thousands of crores to the company, which also run the risk of defaults.

“The telecom department and the national exchequer would lose the most in case of a collapse of Vodafone Idea. The picture looks grim considering the poor recoveries and unrealised outstanding after the collapse of Anil Ambani’s Reliance Communications and Aircel, where too several thousands of crores of rupees remain locked. Taxpayers stand to lose the most,” an analyst said.

Rs 107, the company remains precariously placed with the lowest average revenue per user (ARPU) among its peers. Reliance Jio reported ARPU of Rs138 and Bharti Airtel at Rs 145, though the latter has said time and again that at least Rs 200 ARPU is needed to nurse the capital-intensive sector back to health.

IN A WORLD FIRST, SOUTH AFRICA GRANTS PATENT TO AN AI SYSTEM

At first glance, a recently granted South African patent relating to a food container based on fractal geometry seems fairly mundane. The innovation in question involves interlocking food containers that are easy for robots to grasp and stack.

On closer inspection, the patent is anything but mundane. That's because the inventor is not a human being it is an artificial intelligence (AI) system called DABUS.

DABUS (which stands for device for the autonomous bootstrapping of unified sentience) is an AI system that simulates human brainstorming and creates new inventions. DABUS is a particular type of AI, often referred to as creativity machines because they are capable of independent and complex functioning.

The patent application listing DABUS as the inventor was filed in patent offices around the world, including the US, Europe, Australia, and South Africa. But only South Africa granted the patent (Australia followed suit a few days later after a court judgment gave the go-ahead).

A TEARFUL MESSI CONFIRMS HE IS LEAVING BARCELONA

A tearful Lionel Messi confirmed on Sunday he was leaving FC Barcelona after the club said it could no longer afford paying the Argentine's high wages, adding he was in negotiations with French club Paris St Germain over a possible move.

While Messi did not confirm he would definitely join the Parisians, he said his plans were to carry on playing as long as possible, adding he still harbours ambitions to win another Champions League trophy. "As long as I go on being competitive and as long as my body responds (I'll carry on playing)," he told a news conference. "As long as I can, I will carry on competing."

"I tried to behave with humility and respect and I hope that is what remains of me when I leave the club," said an emotional Messi as hundreds of fans, many wearing his No. 10 jersey, massed outside Barca's Camp Nou stadium to bid farewell to the player they called Messiah.

Messi, 34, who has been at the club for 21 years, becoming their all-time goalscorer with 682, broke down in tears before giving a speech and was greeted by a lengthy standing ovation from the media, current and former team mates and coaches in attendance.

TRENT BRIDGE TEST DRAWN AFTER DAY 5 WASHED OUT

The opening Test between India and England ended in a dull draw after rain washed out what had promised to be a humdinger of a final day on Sunday.

England captain Joe Root's stellar century and India spearhead Jasprit Bumrah's bowling mastery had set up an intriguing final day in the weather-bedevilled contest.

India, chasing 209 for victory, went into the final day with a slight advantage needing 157 runs with nine wickets in hand to go 1-0 up in the five-Test series.

Both Root and his India counterpart Virat Kohli lamented the weather which robbed the see-saw game of an exciting finish.

The second Test is scheduled at Lord's from Thursday.

TOKYO OLYMPICS: FINAL MEDALS TALLY (TOP 10)

Rank                Country /           Gold     /           Silver   /           Bronze  /           Total

1                      United States    /           39        /           41        /           33        /           113

2                      China   /           38        /           32        /           18        /           88

3                      Japan   /           27        /           14        /           17        /           58

4                      Great Britain     /           22        /           21        /           22        /           65

5                      ROC     /           20        /           28        /           23        /           71

6                      Australia           /           17        /           7          /           22        /           46

7                      Netherlands      /           10        /           12        /           14        /           36

8                      France  /           10        /           12        /           11        /           33

9                      Germany          /           10        /           11        /           16        /           37

10                    Italy      /           10        /           10        /           20        /           40

48                    India     /           1          /           2          /           4          /           7

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing, that's why we recommend it daily. - Zig Ziglar

OFF TRACK

Simple home remedies that work!!

1. To avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables, get someone else to hold the vegetables while you chop.

2. A mouse trap placed on top of your alarm clock will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

3. You only need two tools in life - WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

7. If you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem.