GOVT GIVES NOD TO STRONGER CLIMATE TARGETS FOR 2030

Incorporating two of the promises made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Glasgow conference last year, India on Wednesday enhanced its climate change targets for 2030. India has said it was now committing itself to at least 45 per cent reduction in emissions intensity of GDP (emissions per unit of GDP) from 2005 levels. The existing target was a 33 to 35 per cent reduction.

At the same time, India is also promising to ensure that at least 50 per cent of installed electricity generation capacity in 2030 would be based on non-fossil fuel-based sources. This is an increase from the existing 40 per cent target.

Both these enhanced targets have been included in India’s updated NDC, or nationally determined contributions, that every country has to periodically finalise and submit to the UN climate body. The  updated NDC was approved by the union cabinet on Wednesday. India’s first NDC was submitted in October 2015, just ahead of the finalisation of the Paris Agreement, which formalised this process.

“The updated NDCs seek to enhance India’s contributions towards the achievement of the strengthening of global response to the threat of climate change, as agreed under the Paris Agreement. Such action will also help India usher in low emissions growth pathways,’’ said a statement from the Environment Ministry.

India’s first NDC had eight goals, but only three had quantified targets. Apart from the two mentioned above — those relating to emissions intensity, and proportion of non-fossil sources in electricity generation – India had set a forestry target, promising to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030.

In Glasgow last year, Prime Minister Modi had made a series of new promises to strengthen climate action from India. Only two of them, mentioned above, have been converted to official targets, but the others are also inter-linked, and progress on one would lead to corresponding progress on others.

NEED COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT FREEBIES ISSUE, SUGGEST MEASURES: SUPREME COURT

With the Centre in favour of an end to freebies by political parties using public money to lure voters, the Supreme Court Wednesday sought suggestions from petitioners and respondents, in a plea seeking directions against freebies, on the composition of a committee which can go into the issue “dispassionately” and make recommendations.

The bench of Chief Justice of India N V Ramana and Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli said, “After hearing the counsel, the considered opinion of the court is that… all the stakeholders, the beneficiaries and the people who are opposing these freebies, and in addition to that the government as well as organisations like Niti Aayog, Finance Commission, RBI and Opposition parties… have to be involved in the process of making some brainstorming and come to some conclusions on these issues. So, we direct all the parties to make their suggestions about the composition of such a body and make recommendations.”

During the hearing, the CJI said the reality is that “no political party will allow to take out these freebies. All want this. That’s the reality”.

17 OPPOSITION PARTIES SEEK REVIEW OF SUPREME COURT VERDICT ON ED'S POWERS

The Opposition on Wednesday expressed deep concern and apprehension about the long-term implications of the recent Supreme Court judgment upholding the Amendments to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002, and called for its review.

Seventeen Opposition parties, including the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and Trinamool Congress, as well as Independent Member of Rajya Sabha Kapil Sibal said they were “very disappointed that the highest judicial authority, invited to give an independent verdict on the lack of checks and balances in the Act, had virtually reproduced the arguments given by the executive in support of the draconian Amendments”. The parties said they hoped the “dangerous verdict will be short-lived and constitutional provisions will prevail soon”.

In a signed statement, the Opposition placed on record their apprehensions on the “long-term implications of the Supreme Court judgment in the matter without examining whether some of the Amendments to the PMLA could have been brought by way of the Finance Act”. The Supreme Court on July 27 upheld the validity of several stringent provisions of the PMLA which gave the Enforcement Directorate wider powers of arrest and seizure and made it difficult for the accused to obtain bail. However, it left the question of the 2019 Amendment to the PMLA having been passed as Money Bill to be decided by a larger Bench of seven judges before which the question was already pending.

“These far-reaching Amendments strengthened the hands of a government, indulging in political vendetta of the worst kind, by using these very amended laws relating to money laundering and investigation agencies to target its political opponents...,” the parties said.

GOVT WITHDRAWS DATA PROTECTION BILL TO BRING REVAMPED, REFRESHED REGULATION

The government has withdrawn the Personal Data Protection Bill from Parliament as it looks to come up with a “comprehensive legal framework” for regulating online space including separate legislation on data privacy, the overall internet ecosystem, cybersecurity, telecom regulations, and harnessing non-personal data for boosting innovation in the country.

This comes after nearly four years of the Bill being in the works, where it went through multiple iterations including a review by a Joint Committee of Parliament (JCP), and faced pushback from a range of stakeholders including tech companies and privacy activists.

According to IT Ministry sources, the government is targeting the winter session of Parliament to introduce the new legislation.

A senior official said the new Bill will incorporate the broader ideas of data protection as recommended by the JCP and will be in line with the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment of 2017 in which it held privacy as a fundamental right. Given the significant number of amendments suggested by the JCP, the need to comprehensively redraw the contours of the legislation was necessitated, the official said.

COVID DASHBOARD – INDIA

As of 0800 IST / Aug 3

from mohfw.gov.in ,

New Cases on Tuesday  17,135

Active Cases 1,37,057 (-2,735)

Total Deaths (Deaths Yesterday) 5,26,477 (47)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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

IRKED BY NANCY PELOSI'S VISIT, CHINA SLAPS TRADE CURBS ON TAIWAN, BEGINS DRILLS

China has suspended some trade with Taiwan and has vowed to take “strong and resolute” countermeasures against US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s high-profile visit to Taipei, disregarding Beijing’s harsh statements and live-fire military drills. The curbs include the suspension of some fruit and fish imports from Taiwan, and exports of natural sand to the island but there is more in the offing. Pelosi left Taiwan on Wednesday but not before a final provocation to China by visiting the National Human Rights Museum where she paid tribute to those who “suffered and fought for Taiwan’s democracy”.

Tensions are set to escalate as China will begin further live-fire military drills on Thursday in zones encircling Taiwan — at some points within just 20 km of the island’s shore. The drills will include “long-range live ammunition shooting” in the Taiwan Strait, which separates the island from mainland China and straddles vital shipping lanes. But Taiwan was defiant and its Defence Ministry has put the army on alert and warned that the exercises in which some missiles might fly over Taiwan could endanger key ports and urban areas.

The social media was alight with many asking when Xi Jinping would live up to his strong man image. Xi needs to demonstrate resoluteness not just to the global audience but domestic constituents as well because he is vying for an unprecedented third term to continue in power for another five years.

SUNAK VOWS CRACKDOWN ON ISLAMIST EXTREMISM AS HE TRAILS TRUSS IN POLLS

British-Indian prime ministerial candidate Rishi Sunak on Wednesday pledged a crackdown on Islamist extremism, UK’s most “significant terror threat”, with a widened government definition of extremism and strengthening existing terrorism legislation.

Sunak, who is seen closing the gap with opponent foreign secretary Liz Truss in the race to 10 Downing St reet, also vowed to weed out organisations that promote extremism in the UK and refocus the “failing” Prevent programme, a government tool intended to tackle Islamist extremism. “There is no more important duty for a PM than keeping our country and our people safe,” he said. “Whether redoubling our efforts to tackle Islamist extremism or rooting out those who are vocalin their hatred of our country, I’ll do whatever it takes to fulfil that duty,” he said.

Sunak said he intends to add “vilification of the UK” to the definition of extremism, making sure that those with an extreme hatred of the country that leads them to pose arisk to national security can be “identified and diverted away from a destructive path”.

THE REST

=========

NATIONAL HERALD CASE: ED SEALS YOUNG INDIAN OFFICE; CONGRESS SAYS ‘UNDER SIEGE’

A day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated a search operation at Herald House in Delhi in connection with a money laundering probe, the agency on Wednesday sealed an office in the building of Young Indian — a firm linked to the Gandhi family, which had acquired Associated Journals Limited, the publisher of National Herald newspaper.

Sources in the ED said the office was sealed temporarily because the search could not take place on Tuesday in the absence of a representative of the firm.

The Delhi Police, meanwhile, increased deployment of personnel outside the Congress headquarters at 24, Akbar Road. The Congress, however, claimed that police had surrounded the residence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi at 10, Janpath, and that of former Congress president Rahul Gandhi at 12, Tughlaq Lane — both in central Delhi.

“The Congress is under siege. Delhi Police have surrounded our headquarters and homes of Congress president and ex-president. This is the worst form of vendetta politics. We will not submit. We will not be silenced. We will continue to raise our voice against injustices and failures of the Modi Sarkar,” AICC general secretary in charge of communication, Jairam Ramesh, said.

SC FROWNS AS SHINDE CAMP NOW SEEKS SPEAKER’S ORDER

The apex court on Wednesday strongly countered suggestions from rebel Sena MLAs, saved from possible disqualification prior to the fall of the MVA government on SC intervention, that the assembly speaker and not the SC should adjudicate on the disqualification issue.

Eknath Shinde faction’s counsel Harish Salve told a bench of CJI N V Ramana and Justices Krishna Murari and Hima Kohli that disqualification petitions, pending against almost all Sena MLAs should be decided by the speaker as the SC should not be the first forum of adjudication.

The bench said, “You came to the court first and were protected. Entertaining that petition is contrary to the SC judgment in the Karnataka case where we had ruled that it’s the speaker who should decide such issues. Now that you have garnered a majority and have elected your MLA as speaker, you want the issues to be decided by the speaker.”

GADKARI ‘GUARANTEES’ US-LIKE ROADS IN INDIA BY 2024

The government will construct 26 green express highways by 2024 and bring down travel time between key cities across the country, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari told Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Once the highways are completed, travel time from Delhi to Dehradun, Haridwar and Jaipur will be reduced to two hours, Gadkari said. Citing more examples, he told the members, “Delhi to Chandigarh will take two-and-a-half hours, Delhi to Amritsar four hours, and you will be able to do Delhi-Mumbai in 12 hours. By 2024, I guarantee that roads in India will be like those in the United States.”

He said the Transport Ministry is also looking at several new technologies to replace toll plazas in order to reduce traffic snarls at these points.

CANNOT EVICT PEOPLE WITH BULLDOZER AT DOORSTEP WITHOUT NOTICE: DELHI HC

Directing the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to go ahead with the demolition of unauthorised jhuggis on the Yamuna floodplains only in consultation with the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), the Delhi High Court has said people cannot be evicted “with a bulldozer at their doorstep early in the morning or late in the evening, without any notice, rendering them completely shelterless”.

Justice Subramonium Prasad said the action of the DDA in removing a person, whom they claim to be an encroacher, overnight from his residence, cannot be accepted. “A reasonable period has to be given to such persons and temporary location has to be provided to them before embarking on any demolition activities,” said the court, while directing the DDA to give sufficient time to dwellers to make alternate arrangements.

AIRTEL GEARS UP FOR 5G ROLL-OUT THIS MONTH; PARTNERS WITH ERICSSON, NOKIA

Bharti Airtel on Wednesday signed agreements with global telecom equipment majors Ericsson, Nokia, and Samsung to commence the deployment of 5G services across the country this month. The company is likely to start with Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Pune.

The announcement came just a couple of days after the much-awaited 5G auction ended with the government fetching more than Rs 1.5 trillion.

Airtel had forked out Rs 43,084 crore for 19,868 MHz spectrum while Reliance Jio was the top bidder with 24,740 MHz of airwaves at Rs 88,078 crore.

SCIENTISTS REVIVE CELLS IN DEAD PIGS’ ORGANS

The pigs had been lying dead in the lab for an hour. No blood was circulating in their bodies; their hearts were still, their brain waves flat. Then a group of Yale scientists pumped a custommade solution into the dead pigs’ bodies with a device similar to a heart-lung machine. What happened next adds questions to what science considers the wall between life and death. Although the pigs were not considered conscious in any way, their seemingly dead cells revived. Their hearts began to beat as the solution, which the scientists called OrganEx, circulated in veins and arteries. Cells in their organs, including the heart, liver, kidneys and brain, were functioning again, and the animals never got stiff like a typical dead pig.

The group reported its results Wednesday in Nature.

The researchers say their goals are to one day increase the supply of human organs for transplant by allowing doctors to obtain viable organs long after death.

COMMONWEALTH GAMES 2022

India Won Silver In Badminton Mixed TeamIndia won silver in the badminton mixed team event after losing 3-1 to Malaysia in the final. Kidambi Srikanth came up with an underwhelming performance as India succumbed 1-3 to Malaysia and eventually claimed the silver in the mixed team badminton event.

PV Sindhu won the women's singles while the men's doubles pairing of Satwik Sairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty went down in the opening doubles. With the win, Malaysia regained the title they had lost to India four years ago in Gold Coast.

Tejaswin wins CWG bronze in men's high jump

Tejaswin Shankar, a last-minute addition to the athletics team, became the first Indian to win a men's high jump medal in the Commonwealth Games, clinching a bronze in the final, in Birmingham, on Wednesday. The National record holder cleared 2.22 metres to finish third on countback.

Hamish Kerr of New Zealand won the gold while Australia's Brandon Starc clinched the silver. Both cleared 2.25m but could not soar over 2.28m but the Kiwi won the gold on count back.

Tulika wins silver in women's 78kg judo event

Indian judoka Tulika Maan gave her all but came up short against Scotland's Sarah Adlington in the final to settle for a silver medal in the women's 78kg category. Tulika, who won two fights earlier in the day to make it to the final, led for majority of the bout before Adlington pulled off a decisive move, an Ippon, to win gold.

Weightlifter Lovepreet claims bronze on CWG debut

Lovepreet Singh won a bronze in men's 109 kg to continue the country's medal rush in weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old lifted a personal best of 355 kg, including a new national record of 192 kg in clean and jerk, to finish third on the podium.

Junior Nyabeyeu of Cameroon claimed the gold medal with a total lift of 361 kg, while Jack Opeloge of Samoa bagged the silver by lifting 358 kg in the event.

Weightlifter Gurdeep bags bronze in 109+kg

Gurdeep Singh rounded off India's weightlifting campaign with a bronze medal in the men's 109+kg event. The-26-year-old debutant had a best effort of 390kg (167kg+223kg) for a podium finish.

The gold went to Paksitan's Muhammad Nooh Butt for his Games record-breaking lift of 405kg (173kg+232kg).

New Zealand's David Andrew Liti clinched the silver for his effort of 394kg (170kg+224kg).

With the bronze from Singh, India ended its weightlifting campaign with 10 medals -- three gold, three silver and four bronze.

SQUASH: Saurav Ghosal wins bronze with 11-6, 11-1, 11-4 win over James Willstrop, becomes first Indian squash player to win an individual medal at the Commonwealth Games.

HOCKEY: India women's team beat Canada 3-2, through to semi-finals. Men's team thrash Canada 8-0, go top of their group

India are now placed 7th, with 5 Golds, 6 Silvers and 7 Bronze medals.

INDICATORS

Sensex 58,350 (+214), Nifty 17,388 (+43), Trading Value NSE (Rs.crores) 57,396

Nasdaq 12,668 (+319) Dow 32,813 (+416), S&P 4,155 (+64)

(US$-Rs. 78.86 GBP-Rs. 95.89, Euro-Rs. 80.19, UAE Dhm-Rs.21.46, Can$-Rs. 61.33, Aus$- Rs. 54.66

GBP 0.82 /US$, Euro 0.98 /US$, Jap.Yen 133.58 /US$, Aus$ 1.44 /US$, Sing 1.38 /US$, Bang Taka 93.06 /US$, Can$ 1.28 /US$, Mal Ring 4.45 /US$,

Pak Re 234.27 /US$, Phil Peso 55.67 /US$, Russian Rouble 60.86 /US$, NZ$ 1.59 /US$, Thai Baht 36.20 /US$, Ukraine Hryvnia 36.62 /US$)

Bitcoin - USD 22,999

Dollar Index 106.28 Brent Crude 97.38 BDI 1,817

Gold world Spot Price USD/aoz 1,765 India (Rs. per gm 24k/22k) 5,144 / 4,715, Silver (Rs. Per KG) 63,000

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

When you see a good person, think of becoming like him. When you see someone not so good, reflect on your own weak points. – Confucius

OFF TRACK

How to avoid Flu? Eat right!  Make sure you get your daily dose of fruit and veggies. Take your vitamins and bump up your vitamin C. Get plenty of exercise because it builds your immune system. Get lots of fresh air. Try to eliminate as much stress from your life as you can. Get plenty of rest.

So...I walk to the pub. (exercise); I put lime in my vodka...(fruit); Celery in my Bloody Mary (veggies); Drink outdoors on the patio..(fresh air); Tell rude jokes and laugh....(eliminate stress); Then I pass out. (rest)