ENSURE NONE IS LEFT OUT OF VACCINE SAFETY CIRCLE: PM ON MANN KI BAAT

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people to keep following Covid protocol and ensure that no one is left out of vaccination’s “circle of safety”.

In his monthly “Mann Ki Baat” radio broadcast, the PM also said common people were getting connected to digital transactions through fin-tech Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and its prevalence was increasing.

Noting that the festival season is approaching, Modi said when the whole country would celebrate “Maryada Purshottam” Shri Ram’s victory over untruth, people should also remember the fight against Covid.

He also underlined the significance of rivers on World Rivers Day, saying they are organically related to India’s ancient heritage and culture. He called for collective efforts to keep rivers pollution-free. “As we celebrate World Rivers Day today, I urge the people across the country to mark a ‘river festival’ at least once a year,” he added.

Late last evening, Modi also visited the construction site of the new parliament building, which is expected to be completed in the second half of the next year. The building is part of the Central Vista project, which has faced criticism from the opposition. Govt officials have said that Parliament’s winter session in 2022 will be held in the new building.

NITISH TURNS UP HEAT ON CASTE CENSUS, SAYS GOVT MUST RECONSIDER

Mounting pressure on the BJP, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Sunday reiterated his call for a caste census, saying it will be “in the national interest”, and urged the Centre to “reconsider” its position against such an exercise.

Nitish’s latest call comes three days after the Centre effectively ruled out a caste census in 2021, and told the Supreme Court that such an exercise “would not be feasible”, and that its stance on the issue is a “conscious policy decision”.

Asked if the JD(U) would exit the NDA in the event of the Centre rejecting his request, Kumar said: “There is no point discussing all that now. We will sit together and decide the future roadmap…and if you look closely, this is not just our demand. The demand has been raised in many states, not just in Bihar. It will be in the national interest.”

Nitish said political parties in Bihar will now chart the future course of action on the matter over which he had led a 10-party delegation from the state, including JD(U)’s principal rival RJD, to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 23.

DON’T SHIFT GOALPOSTS, CONFUSE BORDER MANAGEMENT WITH RESOLVING BOUNDARY QUESTION: INDIAN ENVOY TO CHINA

India has told China not to “shift goalposts” and “confuse” managing the border affairs and restoring peace at the frontiers with the larger issue of the resolution of the boundary question, which is dealt with by different designated mechanisms.

After the standoff erupted in eastern Ladakh in May last year, India has consistently maintained that peace and tranquillity in the border areas are essential for the overall development of relations between the two countries.

Besides being neighbours, India and China are also large and emerging economies and “it is not unusual to have differences and problems”, Indian envoy to China Vikram Misri said while addressing the 4th High-level Track II Dialogue on China-India Relations held recently.

The meeting held virtually was co-hosted by the School of International Studies of Sichuan University (SCU), China Centre for South Asian Studies and Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA) in which several former envoys and scholars took part.

Besides Misri, China’s Ambassador to India Sun Weidong also participated in the meeting.

“Following disengagement in the Galwan Valley in July last year, the two sides have been able to disengage from the North and South Banks of the Pangong Lake in February 2021, and most recently from Gogra in August 2021,” Misri said. “The conversation between the two sides continues regarding the remaining locations and we hope that disengagement at the remaining friction areas will enable us to reach a point where we can pick up the threads of bilateral cooperation,” he said.

“Far less complex issues which have a purely humanitarian context and are not connected to bilateral diplomatic stances, such as facilitating the movement of students, businesspersons and stranded family members from India to China for over a year and a half now, await a more balanced and sensitive approach. India, on the other hand, continues to issue visas to Chinese nationals,” he said. About 25,000 Indian students studying in China have been unable to resume regular classes. From March this year, China has even stopped its own nationals in India from returning home

KEY COVID NUMBERS

Current Active Cases Countrywide: 2,93,580

New Cases in last 24 hours: 27,015

Recovered in last 24 hours: 29,658

Change in no. of Active cases in last 24 hours: -2,920

No. of deaths in last 24 hours (Total Covid Deaths so far): 277 (4,47,225)

Daily Tests (Saturday): 15,81,862

Daily Positivity Rate (Proportion of Positives among total Tested): 1.8%

Percentage of Population Vaccinated (At Least One Dose / Two Doses): 47.3% / 16.9%

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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ANGELA MERKEL'S PARTY NARROWLY LOSES TO RIVALS IN GERMANY ELECTION

Germany's Social Democrats narrowly won Sunday's national election, projected results showed, and claimed a "clear mandate" to lead a govt for the first time since 2005 and to end 16 years of conservative-led rule under Angela Merkel.

The centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) were on track for 26.0% of the vote, ahead of 24.5% for Merkel's CDU/CSU conservative bloc.

With neither major bloc commanding a majority, and both reluctant to repeat their awkward "grand coalition" of the past four years, the most likely outcome is a three-way alliance led by either the Social Democrats or Merkel's conservatives. The new coalition could take months.

The SPD's rise heralds a swing left for Germany and marks a remarkable comeback for the party, which has recovered some 10 points in support in just three months to improve on its 20.5% result in the 2017 national election.

SPD candidate Olaf Scholz, 63, would become the fourth post-war SPD chancellor after Willy Brandt, Helmut Schmidt and Gerhard Schroeder.

Scholz's conservative rival Armin Laschet, signalled his bloc was not ready yet to concede.

OUT-OF-CONTROL FOOT SOLDIERS RUN AMOK, EMBARRASS TALIBAN

Despite announcing a general amnesty after taking control of Afghanistan, the Taliban foot soldiers have made life hell for the residents of Kabul and other cities with their acts of aggression against their political opponents and officials of the previous US-backed govt.

Taliban top leadership had immediately announced general amnesty after they entered Kabul. But these incidents of vengeance have become a headache for the group’s top leadership, who have been trying to convince the world that they have changed. Mullah Muhamad Yaqoob, the country’s new defence minister and son of the group’s slain founder Mullah Omar, has been compelled to warn his fighters that their abuses would not be tolerated.

According to Afghan journalists, majority of the Taliban fighter have not taken seriously the amnesty issue. They say that the Taliban foot soldiers just know how to fight because this is the only thing they have seen. They are not so organised and disciplined to follow a decree. Majority of the Taliban fighters stationed in Kabul are from the country’s rural Pashtun speaking areas. Many of them, according to observers, had never seen life in big cities.

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EAST COAST FACES CYCLONE FURY

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday spoke with Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and assured them of the Centre’s support in facing the situation arising in the wake of cyclone Gulab. Praying for the safety and well-being of everybody, he said.

The landfall process of cyclone Gulab has started on Sunday evening and it may continue for about three hours, the IMD said. The system hit the landmass between Kalingapatanam in Andhra Pradesh and Gopalpur in Odisha. During the landfall, the wind speed of the cyclone is about 90 kmph, an official said.

Hours before cyclone ‘Gulab’ made landfall in Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday set a “zero casualty” target in the vulnerable districts of the state, where rainfall activity started in the southern and coastal regions under the influence of the weather system.

DELHI POLICE DEPLOY EXTRA PERSONNEL IN VIEW OF ‘BHARAT BANDH’ ON MONDAY

The Delhi Police have intensified patrolling and deployed extra personnel at pickets in border areas of national capital ahead of the ‘Bharat Bandh’ called by farmer unions today to protest the Centre’s three farm laws, officials said on Sunday.

Samyukta Kisan Morcha, the umbrella body of over 40 farm unions spearheading the farmers’ agitation, had earlier appealed to the people to join the bandh.

RAJASTHAN SHUTS DOWN INTERNET AS 16 LAKH SIT FOR TEACHER EXAM

A teachers’ entrance examination held on Sunday saw an unprecedented shutdown of internet services and businesses across Rajasthan on the orders of the administration.

Nearly 16 lakh candidates appeared for the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers (REET) — held to recruit Level 1 (class 1-5) and Level 2 (classes 6-8) teachers — in 4,019 centres across the state on Sunday. The last REET was conducted in 2018.

On Friday, Principal Secretary, Home, Abhay Kumar had written to the state, divisional and district officials to take a call on suspending internet services to enforce law and order, and to prevent fraud during the exam.

Incidentally, in 2018, while it was in the opposition, the Congress had opposed the suspension of internet for police constable recruitment examinations.

In Bikaner, five persons, including three REET candidates, were arrested before the exam as the aspirants were found wearing slippers with Bluetooth devices.

CJI BATS FOR 50% QUOTA FOR WOMEN IN JUDICIARY

Highlighting under-representation of women in the judiciary, Chief Justice of India NV Ramana on Sunday exhorted women lawyers to strongly demand 50 per cent representation and assured them of his “total support” to address the problem of gender gap in the field of law.

“Enough of suppression for thousands of years. It’s high time we have 50 per cent representation for women in the judiciary. It’s your right. It’s not a matter of charity,” the CJI said at a function organised by women lawyers of the Supreme Court to facilitate the nine newly appointed judges, including three women judges. “I don’t want you to cry but with anger, you have to shout and demand that we need 50% reservation… With the help of all of you, we may reach this goal in the apex court and other courts. I don’t know whether I will be here or somewhere else. That day I will definitely be happy,” the CJI said.

The CJI, during whose tenure four women judges, the maximum so far, are there in the Supreme Court, said, “I am happy to have colleagues in the Collegium who are progressive and determined to bridge the gap in the higher judiciary.”

RSS'S PANCHJANYA SAYS AMAZON IS 'EAST INDIA COMPANY 2.0'

E-commerce major Amazon has been termed as "East India Company 2.0" by the RSS-linked weekly, Panchjanya. In its latest edition, which will hit the stands on October 3, Panchjanya has carried a cover story that is highly critical of Amazon.

"Whatever the East India Company did in the 18th century to capture India, the same is visible in the activities of Amazon," the article titled "East India Company 2.0" reads.

Claiming that Amazon wants to establish its monopoly in the Indian market, it says, "For doing so, it has started taking initiatives for seizing the economic, political and personal freedom of the Indian citizens."

Hitting out at Amazon's video platform, Prime Video, the article says it has been releasing movies and television series that are against the Indian culture.

It also alleges that Amazon has established many proxy entities and "there are reports that it has distributed crores in bribes for policies in its favour".

GOVT TO WEED OUT OLD FILES BY OCT 31

The stereotype of a govt office—full of archaic cabinets with dusty old files—may soon be a thing of the past.

Next month, the govt is set to dispose of all pending public grievances and complaints, along with all pending assurances given to Parliament, MPs and state govts as well as conclude all inter-ministerial consultations. As part of this exercise, the govt will be weeding out old, unwanted files along with all obsolete material.

“The existing processes may be reviewed with a view to reducing compliance burden and unnecessary paperwork done away with, wherever feasible,” says the letter to all ministries from Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, who wrote “to convey the directions of the Prime Minister.” “It may be recalled that during his Independence Day address this year, the Prime Minister has emphasized the need to review existing rules and procedures on a continuing basis,” the letter states.

RECURRING CARD PAYS TO BE HIT FROM NEXT MONTH

Some cardholders might see standing instructions for payment on their credit card fail from next month. These could be for subscriptions with online content platforms, edtech companies or standing instructions for online advertisement payments. Some of these merchants are yet to comply with RBI’s new requirement of additional factor authentication (OTP) for recurring payments through cards though the deadline is less than a week away.

According to sources, around 75% of the banks have put in place the technology to meet RBI’s directive. However, there are some banks and merchants who are still in waitand-watch mode.

According to Razorpay, which processes close to a third of all recurring payment transactions, a dozen banks have already put in place the new setup where even for repeat payments the bank will alert the customer a day in advance and also provide them with a link to discontinue the mandate. “In the short term, there may be some disruption but, in the long term, this move by the RBI can take growth in recurring payment mandates off the charts,” said Razorpay chief technology officer and co-founder Shashank Kumar.

Kumar says the RBI directive addresses two key issues. Earlier, discontinuing a standing instruction to a merchant could be extremely cumbersome with some asking for a letter to be sent by post asking to discontinue the subscription. Second, debit cards were a grey area and recurring payments were done largely in credit cards. Incidentally, even after October 1, international mandates will continue as neither banks nor the RBI has jurisdiction over international billers.

CANADA LIFTS BAN ON DIRECT FLIGHTS FROM INDIA

Canada will allow direct flights from India from Monday, lifting the ban on them after a gap of more than five months. Announcing the decision, Transport Canada on Saturday in a tweet said: “Beginning at 00:01 EDT on September 27, direct flights from India can land in Canada with additional public health measures in place.”     

“Travellers must have proof of a negative Covid-19 molecular test from the approved Genestrings Laboratory at the Delhi airport taken within 18 hours of the scheduled departure of their direct flight to Canada,” it added.

In April, Canada banned all direct flights to and from India when the second Covid wave hit India. The date of reopening has been postponed many times.

INDIAN WOMEN HOLD NERVE TO SCRIPT RECORD CHASE, END AUSTRALIA’S 26-MATCH WINNING RUN

In the space of 48 hours, Jhulan Goswami found redemption, as India pulled off their highest-ever chase in an ODI and finally ended Australia’s 26-match winning streak — which lasted for almost four years —in the 50-over format in thrilling fashion. Ironically, Australia’s amazing streak had started against India (in India back in Match 2018) and ended against India too.

On Friday night, struggling with dew, Goswami had let her team down when she conceded 13 in a poor final over which had two full tosses — the second being a controversial no ball — leading to a five-wicket defeat in a humdinger in the second ODI at the Great Barrier Arena in Mackay.

On Sunday, against the same opponents, at the same ground, the 38-year-old came back with a vengeance, taking three wickets with her incisive bowling and then smashing a four in the final over when India needed three off four balls to chase down 265 — something they’d never done before. Putting in an all-round performance of the highest quality, Jhulan showed why she would be a key player for India going into the ODI World Cup in New Zealand next year — set to be her swansong event.

IPL: JADEJA CAMEO HELPS CSK BEAT KKR; RCB TROUNCE MUMBAI INDIANS

Ravindra Jadeja won a close match for Chennai Super Kings for the umpteenth time as his back-end pyrotechnics ensured a two-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders in an Indian Premier League thriller on Sunday.

Jadeja (22 off 8 balls) launched into pacer Prasidh Krishna, who bowled the 19th over, where the pacer lost his length completely under the Saurashtra all-rounder's onslaught with CSK reaching the target of 172 in exactly 20 overs.

Instead of bowling yorkers, Krishna repeatedly bowled length balls as Jadeja hit two sixes and two boundaries to make it a cakewalk in the final over. Krishna conceded 22 runs in the penultimate over to leave CSK with four runs to get in the final over.

Earlier, former skipper Dinesh Karthik's late cameo and Nitish Rana's steady long handle took Kolkata Knight Riders to a par-score of 171.

In the second IPL match yesterday, Glenn Maxwell's brilliant all-round performance and Harshal Patel's hat-trick powered Royal Challengers Bangalore to a thumping 54-run victory against Mumbai Indians. Maxwell, who hit 56, took 2/23 including the key wicket of Rohit as Mumbai were bowled out for 111 in 18.1 overs in reply to RCB's 165/6.

Medium pacer Harshal sent the Mumbai lower order collapsing with the wickets of Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard and Rahul Chahar off successive deliveries in the 17th over.

CSK (Placed 1st) – 10 Matches, 8 Wins; RCB (3) 10M, 6W, KKR (4) 10M, 4W, MI (7) 10M, 4W

Today’s Match: SRH vs RR

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

If modern civilized man had to kill the animals he eats, the number of vegetarians would rise astronomically. – Christian Morgenstern

OFF TRACK

After I got a new bookshelf made, I took out my collection of books lying in cardboard boxes. I began to stack the books on the shelf while my 8-year-old son was busy on his computer nearby. As I proudly took out my encyclopedia Britannica volumes and stacked them on my new bookshelf, he looked up and asked, "What are all these books?"

I replied that they were encyclopedias.

"Really?" he exclaimed. “Someone printed out the whole thing?"