BILL TO REPEAL THREE FARM LAWS PASSED IN BOTH HOUSES

Parliament on Monday passed the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, to repeal the three contentious agri laws against which farmers have been protesting for over a year, with its passage in Rajya Sabha.

Earlier in the day, Lok Sabha also passed the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021, within minutes of its introduction in the lower House. 

As soon as Rajya Sabha met in the afternoon, Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar introduced the Farm Laws Repeal Bill, 2021.

Before the motion was adopted for the passage of the bill, Deputy Chairman Harivansh allowed Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge to speak for two minutes.

Kharge was of the view that the government has taken back the three farm laws in view of the forthcoming elections in five states after reviewing the results of recent bypolls. He also mentioned about the death of over 700 farmers in more than a year during agitation against these laws.

When Kharge took more than the allocated time, the deputy chairman called Tomar to move the motion. Tomar moved the motion and said while moving the bill for passage that the three laws were brought for the benefit of farmers.

He regretted that the government could not convince the agitating farmers about the benefits of the laws. He also attacked the Congress for adopting "double standard" on the laws, as its own election manifesto talked about the need for reforms in the farm sector.

He said as both the government and the opposition parties are for repeal of the laws, so there was no need for any discussion on the farm repeal bill.

12 OPPN MPs SUSPENDED FROM RS FOR REMAINING PART OF WINTER SESSION

Twelve opposition members in Rajya Sabha were on Monday suspended for the remaining part of the Winter Session for their misconduct and unruly behaviour during the last session.

Among the suspended members, six are from the Congress, two each from the TMC and Shiv Sena and one each from the CPM and the CPI.

The Upper House had witnessed ugly scenes when the opposition members were protesting against the three farm Bills during the Monsoon Session.

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh announced the suspension of the members and adjourned the House till Tuesday.

Fourteen Opposition parties led by the Congress are mulling a possible boycott of the Rajya Sabha over the issue. In a joint statement, the parties described the move as “authoritarian” and “unprecedented.” The TMC, even though two of its members were among the MPs suspended, was absent.

Justifying the suspension, government sources said the Opposition leaders could have presented their side of the story had they agreed to be part of a committee to look into the events of August 11.

They also argued that since the events happened on the last day of the previous session, Monday was the first opportunity for the government to bring in a motion to suspend them.

Government sources pointed out that soon after the end of the previous session, Union minister Piyush Goyal had written to Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu complaining against the conduct of 20 MPs in the House, and seeking a special disciplinary committee to decide “exemplary disciplinary action” against them and formulate a code of conduct. However, a senior government source said, “many Opposition parties refused to be a part of it” even after the Chairman requested them. “If such a committee would have been formed, each party could have had a chance to explain their position and raise their concerns.”

OMICRON NEWS FROM SOUTH AFRICA: HIGH FATIGUE, LOW HOSPITALISATION

South African health authorities have conveyed to top medical experts in India that they are witnessing “very low hospitalisation” directly linked to Omicron, although the new Covid variant of concern is “highly transmissibile” and patients are experiencing extreme fatigue even with mild disease, The Indian Express has learnt.

Experts from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) held a detailed exchange with South African authorities on Omicron, including the transmissibility and severity of infection.

Significantly, the South African experts have informed that Omicron has not resulted in any deaths, as of now. “So far, it only manifests in the form of mild disease with extreme fatigue and throat irritation being the predominant symptom,” sources said.

The South Africans also highlighted that patients are not experiencing loss of sense, smell and taste as reported in other variants, or drop in oxygen levels as reported in the Delta variant.

In Delhi, meanwhile, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement that India expresses “solidarity with the countries, particularly in Africa, who have so far been affected by the Omicron variant”. It said that the Government “stands ready to support the countries affected in Africa in dealing with the Omicron variant, including by supplies of Made-in-India vaccines”.

COVID DASHBOARD – INDIA

As of 0800 IST 30/Nov

from mohfw.gov.in ,

New Cases on Monday 6,990

Active Cases 1,00,543 (-3,316)

Deaths 4,68,980 (+132)

Total Vaccination: 123.25 Crores (+78,80,545)

INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

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OMICRON: WARY WORLD SLAMS DOORS SHUT

Countries around the world slammed their doors shut again to try to keep the new Omicron variant at bay on Monday, even as more cases of the mutant coronavirus emerged and scientists raced to figure out just how dangerous it might be.

New cases in Portugal and Scotland might already point toward local spread of the variant outside of southern Africa.

“This time the world showed it is learning,” said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, singling out South African President Cyril Ramaphosa for praise. But that did not hold Ms. von der Leyen back from pushing the 27-nation EU toward imposing an immediate ban on flights from seven southern African nations — similar to measures many countries have taken.

Cases had already been reported in Belgium, Denmark and the Netherlands before Portuguese authorities identified 13 cases of Omicron among team members of the Belenenses professional soccer club. Authorities reported that one member recently traveled to South Africa. Its game against Benfica over the weekend had be abandoned at halftime for lack of players.

Taking no chances, Japan, which has yet to detect any Omicron cases, reimposed border controls that it eased earlier this month for short-term business visitors, foreign students and workers.

OZ CHALLENGES FB TO BACK ANTI-TROLL DEFAMATION LAW

In the latest of several attempts to hold global internet companies to greater account for content on their platforms, Australia plans to make them share the identities of people with anonymous accounts if another person accuses them of defamation. If the social media company fails to give that information, it must assume legal liability. The proposed law would also make social media operators legally responsible for defamatory comments beneath publishers’ posts on their platforms. you want to say something, then you should say who you are, and if the social media company lets you do that with a mask on, then we’ll hold them to account.”

A Facebook spokesperson declined to comment. The company has previously said it could not reasonably be expected to monitor all comments on its website for defamation, and that it often has less access to users’ pages than the users themselves. Asked on TV station Nine News if he was worried Facebook might quit Australia over the new law, Morrison said doing that “would be an admission that they have no interest in making the online world safe”. It was not free speech “to hide in your basement as a masked troll and abuse and harass and stalk people,” Morrison said.

In February, global social media companies threatened to quit Australia over laws making them pay media outlets for content appearing on their websites. That standoff culminated in Facebook cutting all third-party content from Australian accounts for more than a week, before it resumed its service and struck deals to pay media providers.

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SHASHI THAROOR’S TWEET LANDS HIM IN TROUBLE, AGAIN

Activists hit out at Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Monday for allegedly “objectifying” women after he posted a picture with six women MPs and a caption that the Lok Sabha is an “attractive place” to work, saying it is high-time politicians realise that women are much more their looks.

“Who says the Lok Sabha isn’t an attractive place to work? With six of my fellow MPs this morning,” Tharoor had tweeted and posted a picture of himself with Supriya Sule, Preneet Kaur, Thamizhachi Thangapandian, Mimi Chakraborty, Nusrat Jahan Ruhi and Jyothimani.

After his tweet drew criticism, Tharoor said, "The whole selfie thing was done (at the women MPs' initiative) in great good humour & it was they who asked me to tweet it in the same spirit. I am sorry some people are offended but i was happy to be roped in to this show of workplace camaraderie. That's all this is."

Reacting sharply, National Commission for Women Chairperson Rekha Sharma tweeted, “You are demeaning their contribution in parliament and politics by making them an object of attraction. Stop objectifying women in Parliament.”

Karuna Nundy, a Supreme Court lawyer, said, “Incredible that someone as exposed to equality discourse as @ShashiTharoor would attempt to reduce elected political leaders to their looks, and centre himself in the comment to boot. This is 2021, folks.”

Tharoor later apologised for offending “some people”.

2,116 CASES OF ADVERSE EFFECTS REPORTED AMONG 119 CR COVID VACCINE DOSES

A total of 2,116 serious and severe AEFI (adverse event following immunisation) cases have been reported from over 119.38 crore doses of Covid-19 vaccines administered till 24 November, the Government of India has told the Supreme Court in an affidavit.

The affidavit was filed in response to a petition seeking details of the scientific process followed for the clearance of the two vaccines. The petition also seeks the entire segregated trial data for each of the phases of trials to be made public.

DID WAZE-PARAM BIR SPEAK FOR 30 MINUTES? MUMBAI POLICE ORDERS PROBE

The Mumbai police on Monday recorded the statements of four personnel who had escorted dismissed API Sachin Waze to a hearing before the Justice Chandiwal Commission after he and former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh managed to speak to each other.

Singh and Waze were in a room together, speaking to each other for more than 30 minutes, and an objection to this was raised with the Justice Chandiwal Commission by the lawyer of former state home minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh.

The one-member commission has been set up by the state government to probe into allegations of corruption leveled against Deshmukh by Singh after the latter was removed as Mumbai police commissioner.

"Singh and the witness (Waze) are sitting together for the last one hour. He (Singh) might influence the witness," Deshmukh's lawyer had said earlier in the day.

JACK DORSEY HANDS OVER TWITTER REINS TO PARAG AGRAWAL

Indian-origin technology executive Parag Agrawal has been appointed as the new CEO of Twitter after the social media giant's co-founder Jack Dorsey stepped down on Monday.

Agrawal, an IIT Bombay and Stanford alumnus, said in a note posted on Twitter that he is ”honored and humbled’ on his appointment and expressed gratitude to Dorsey's ”continued mentorship and your friendship.”

Agrawal is 37, the same age as Meta Platform Inc. CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Citing security concerns, Twitter wouldn’t disclose Agrawal’s date of birth, but confirmed he was born later in 1984 than Zuckerberg’s May 14 birthday.

SENSEX VALUATION HITS LOWEST IN 15 MONTHS

The valuation of the BSE Sensex, or the price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple relating to the 30 companies comprising the index, has declined to its lowest level in over a year. This is owing to a surge in corporate profitability in the last two quarters, leading to an increase in earnings per share (EPS), and a weakness in the market.

The index is trading at a trailing P/E multiple of 26.8, the lowest since August last year.

The index valuation was the highest in March this year when it was trading at a P/E of around 35X.

Equity valuation may have eased in the past six months but the market remains expensive compared to its valuation in the past. The current P/E multiple is 4 per cent higher than the Sensex's five-year average earnings multiple of 25.8 and around 20 per cent higher than its 10-year average earnings multiple of 22.2. In recent weeks, many foreign brokerages went underweight on Indian equity, citing higher valuations here and lower ones in other emerging markets such as China.

HC UPHOLDS ORDER EVICTING SINGER SHWETA SHETTY FROM FATHER’S HOUSE

Taking serious note of the harassment faced by senior citizens at the hands of their own children, the Bombay High Court refused to quash a tribunal’s order evicting singer Shweta Shetty from the south Mumbai residence of her 95-year-old father for ill-treating him.

A Division Bench of Justices Gautam Patel and Madhav Jamdar, on November 25, said till the father is alive, the singer has no right to claim share in his property.

“Shweta demands her share. What is her ‘share’ while he is alive? She has none....So long as he is alive, Shweta has no ‘share’ in his property,” the order said.

The court, in its order, noted that in its experience in Mumbai and particularly amongst the wealthy of this city, senior citizens and elderly parents were subjected to all kinds of harassment and deprivation in their twilight years.

“In case after case, we have complaints from senior citizens that their own sons and daughters are harassing them. In every case, the harassment is an attempt to somehow grab the senior citizen’s property in his or her lifetime without a thought spared to the mental or physical health, well-being or happiness of these seniors,” the court said.

LIONEL MESSI WINS RECORD SEVENTH BALLON D’OR

Argentine forward Lionel Messi has claimed his seventh Ballon d’Or, edging out Polish striker Robert Lewandowski and Italian midfielder Jorginho for the top honour.

Messi, who moved from Barcelona to Paris St Germain over the summer, retained the prestigious award on Monday, breaking his own record set in 2019 when he won the Ballon d’Or for the sixth time.

The Ballon d’Or was not awarded last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Messi won his first major international tournament with Argentina in July, helping the country’s national team beat Brazil to lift the Copa America trophy.

Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski won the “Striker of the year” while Italy stopper Gianluigi Donnarumma clinched the best goalkeeper award. The Kopa trophy for best young player went to Barcelona’s Pedri. Chelsea, meanwhile, won the best club award.

KANPUR TEST: KIWIS DEFY INDIA'S SPINNERS TO CLINCH A NAIL-BITING DRAW

Debutant Rachin Ravindra and number 11 batsman Ajaz Patel survived intense pressure to help New Zealand draw the opening Test against India in Kanpur on Monday.

Chasing a target of 284 for victory on the final day, New Zealand slumped to 155/9 with nearly nine overs to go and an upbeat India was pressing for victory in fading light.

But Ravindra and Patel batted resolutely to deny India and guided New Zealand to 165/9 when bad light stopped play. Ravindra faced 91 balls for his 18 not out, while Patel survived 23 balls to be unbeaten on two.

Tom Latham top-scored for New Zealand with 52, but it was New Zealand's unbroken last-wicket partnership which saved the match for them. The last wicket partnership stood unbeaten for 52 deliveries.

Ravindra Jadeja (4/40) and Ravichandran Ashwin (3/35) took the bulk of the wickets for the hosts.

"Very good game of cricket, they played really well," India captain Ajinkya Rahane said.

India batsman Shreyas Iyer was adjudged man-of-the-match for smashing a century and a fifty in his debut Test.

Ravichandran Ashwin has now gone past Harbhajan Singh to become the third highest wicket-taker (419 in 80 matches) for India in Test cricket, reaching the mark in his 80th match.

Anil Kumble tops the chart with 619 scalps and is followed by Kapil Dev, who has a total of 434 wickets under his name. Harbhajan has 417 from 103 matches.

Ashwin's Average runs per wicket (24.48) and Strike Rate (52.70) is far superior to the rest.

The second and final Test starts in Mumbai on Friday.

Scores: India 345 & 234/7 (Declared); New Zealand 296 & 165/9 - Match Drawn

DRAVID DEFENDS DECLARATION TIMING

India's head coach Rahul Dravid dismissed the suggestion that the timing of their declaration may have cost them victory in the drawn opening Test against New Zealand in Kanpur on Monday.

"I don't think so. That's not my reading of the game," Dravid, who took over the coaching role earlier this month, said when asked if India had delayed their declaration too long. "Till half an hour before we declared, we were under pressure. All three results were possible, to be very honest with you."

"I thought we timed that declaration really well. We needed that partnership which was critical for us - from 167-7 to get to 234-7 was absolutely necessary," Dravid said of the Saha-Patel stand.

Setting New Zealand a smaller target could have backfired, the former India captain said. "If they were chasing 240 to 250 in approximately 110 overs, then they're looking at 2.3 runs per over. That's not a lot of runs on the last day if a couple of batsmen get set.

"I thought we did it well, we timed it well. We managed to get a wicket yesterday and we came very close today."

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

To think is easy. To act is hard. But the hardest thing in the world is to act in accordance with your thinking. - Johann von Goethe

OFF TRACK

Two drunken men were driving home.

The first started screaming: - Hey, watch out for the wall, watch out for the waaaaall! Baaaaam!

They hit the wall.

The next day in the hospital the first man asked his friend: - You good for nothing, I'd been screaming for you to watch out, why didn't you?

The second one replied: - Bastard, you were the one driving!