India News - Feb 1-15, 2021; Vol 1 Issue 15

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R-Day celebrations: India Australia has beaten 3rd wave pandemic: PM Following the meeting he told Jan 22 (IANS): displays military might, diversity Canberra, reporters that “we have beaten Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday declared that the country has successfully beaten a third wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

His declaration came after a meeting of the National Cabinet, which consists of the Prime Minister and state and territory leaders, to discuss Australia’s ongoing response to the pandemic, reports Xinhua news agency.

New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS): India’s military might, cultural diversity, social and economic progress were displayed during the 72nd Republic Day celebrations at the majestic Rajpath in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Representing India’s strides

in indigenous defence technologies, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) contingent this year consisted of two tableaux depicting among others Light Combat Aircraft (LCA)-Take off from INS Vikramaditya.

Continued on Page 3

the third wave� that began with an infection clusters in Sydney.

Despite the good news, he said that the cap on international arrivals to Australia would not be lifted until February 15.

Arrivals to New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland were halved earlier in January in response to the threat of the mutant Covid-19 strain.

WHO chief thanks Modi for ‘continued support’ to Covid-19 response

PM Scott Morrison delivers Student Visas I Skilled Visas I Tourist Visas Australia Day message

Temporary Graduate Visas I Business Migration the global pandemic, Australians, together, have prevailed, in our Family stream Partner Visa Specialist I Sponsored Visas ownVisas Australian Iway. to the global Covid-19 response.

Geneva, Jan 23 (IANS): Tedros During this past year, we have Australians patiently doing the Job Ready I Skill Assessments AAT representation AdhanomIGhebreyesus, Directorbeen reminded once again of our right thing.

India’s ‘Vaccine Maitri’ initiative Canberra, Jan 26: As Australians, our fates have always been bound together.

shared fortunes. How much we depend on each other.

In a year where much of the world has struggled under the strain of

Health workers collecting samples and tracing the virus; nurses, aged and disability care

Continued on Page 3

General of the World Health Organization (WHO), on Saturday thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “continued support�

is providing vaccines to its neighbouring countries.

“Thank you #India and Prime

The right guidance, at Continued the right on Page 3time.

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Minister @narendramodi for your continued support to the global #COVID19 response. Only if we #ACTogether, including sharing of knowledge, can we stop this virus and save lives and livelihoods,� the WHO chief said in a tweet.

Brazilian President Jair M. Bolsonaro also thanked Modi for dispatching two million doses of India made coronavirus vaccines to Brazil.

India dispatched two million doses of Covishield vaccine to Brazil on Friday. Covishield has been developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University and is being manufactured by the Serum Institute of India (SII).

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INDIA NEWS

Feb 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 15

EDITORIAL TEAM Dr Ram Mohan, Chairman Dr Ashutosh Misra, Editor-in-Chief Mr Harpreet Bhagrath, India Editor Dr Priyabrata Behra, Bureau Chief, New South Wales Ms Priyadarshini Rana, Bureau Chief, Victoria Ms Apoorva Raghubanshi, Bureau Chief, ACT

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News from India

Page 14

News from Victoria

Page 18

World News

Page 21

Make in India

EDITORIAL BOARD Professor Prasad Yarlagadda, Queensland University of Technology Ms Audrey Courty, Griffith University Dr Uttam Kumar Sinha, Senior Fellow, Nehru Memorial Museum & Library, India Mr Shaun Star, Director, Centre for Australia India Studies, Jindal Global University, India INDIA NEWS TV Mr Karthik Pratap Singh, News Director Mr. Agastya Yeturi, Cinematographer Mr Nishit Chandan, Special Correspondent Ms. Ananya Dhyani, Consulting News Editor

Invoking Gandhian philosophy for a better world

WRITERS Mr Devashish Chakraborty Ms Deepika Banerjee Mr Rabindra Mukherji INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERS Institute for Australia India Engagement Australia India Business Council

WORLD THIS WEEK

Business & Trade

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Editorial

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Travel

Mrs Sumedha Chithade: Provider of life-giving oxygen at Siachen

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INDIA NEWS

Feb 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 15

COVER STORIES

R-Day celebrations: India displays Australia has beaten 3rd wave pandemic: PM Continued from Page 1 military might, diversity to commence, in mid- to lateoverseas.

As of Friday, Australia had Continued from Page 1 Indian Army displayed main battle Tank T-90 Bhishma, infantry combat vehicle Ballway Machine Pikate (BMP-II) -- Sarath, Mobile Autonomous Launcher of the Brahmos Missile system, Pinaka Multi Launcher Rocket System and Samvijay Electronic Warfare System and others.

The other marching contingents of the Army included the Jat Regiment, the Garhwal Regiment, the Mahar Regiment, the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles Regiment, the Bengal Sappers and the Territorial Army.

Indian Navy in addition to tableau murals depicted Pakistan Army surrendering, a Petya class ship and Operation X undertaken by divers of Indian Navy and Mukti Bahini and some other ships which took part in the 1971 India-Pakistan War. The Naval contingent comprised 96 sailors and four officers led

by Lieutenant Commander Lalit Kumar as Contingent Commander. It was followed by the Naval Tableau titled ‘Swarnim Vijay Varsh’.

The Indian Air Force showcased Mi-17 V5, Chinook and Apache helicopters and newly inducted fighter aircraft.

The Air Force contingent, comprising 96 airmen and four officers, was led by Flight Lieutenant Tanik Sharma. It was followed by the Air Force Tableau titled ‘Indian Air Force: Touch the Sky with Glory’.

The Air Force tableau showcased

scaled down models of Light Combat Aircraft, Light Combat Helicopter, Su-30 MK-I aircraft and Rohini radar against a skyblue background. The smartly attired officers in their flying overalls stood alongside the models.

Thirty-two tableau -- 17 from states and union territories, nine from various ministries, departments and paramilitary forces and six from the defence ministry, depicting the nation’s rich cultural heritage, economic progress and defence prowess rolled down the Rajpath.

School children performed folk arts and crafts displaying skills and dexterity handed down from generations; Bajasal, one of the most beautiful folk dances of Kalahandi, Odisha; Fit India Movement, Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

The 122-member proud contingent of the Bangladesh Armed Forces comprising soldiers of the Bangladesh Army, sailors of the Bangladesh Navy and Air Warriors of the Bangladesh Air Force lead the contingent march on the Rajpath.

The Bangladesh contingent carried the legacy of legendary Muktijoddhas of Bangladesh, who fought against oppression and mass atrocities and liberated Bangladesh in 1971.

The grand event culminated with Rafale aircraft flying at a speed of 900 kilometre per hour carrying out a ‘Vertical Charlie’.

recorded zero new cases of community transmission for five days.

“There is the opportunity for me to engage with individual states and territories on a bilateral basis if we can create additional capacity,” Morrison said.

“But that is not an indication that (it) will occur.”

More than 35,000 Australian residents or citizens who have registered to return to the country remain stranded

The National Cabinet also on Friday discussed Australia’s vaccine program, which is set to begin in February, and supply issues with the Pfizer vaccine amid high demand.

“I think we’re being very careful to be clear about expectations here. We know that we’d be starting at a small scale before moving to a much greater scale,” Morrison said.

“We’ve set out indicative time frames when we would hope

February, but that will obviously change and be subject to any impacts on production schedules overseas.

“There are huge demands across Europe from other clients. So we’ll just continue to work through that and we’ll update the Australian people, as we have information available to us.”

Australia has so far reported 28,755 confirmed coronavirus cases and 909 deaths.

WHO chief thanks Modi for ‘continued support’ to Covid-19 response Continued from Page 1 Meanwhile, 92 countries have approached India for Covid-19 vaccines, including Brazil, which currently accounts for the third highest coronavirus caseload in the world and the second largest death toll.

#ACTogether,” the WHO chief

said in another tweet.

Besides Covishield, India has also granted emergency use authorisation to Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.

India this week also announced it would supply Covid-19 vaccines under grant assistance to Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Seychelles.

“Vaccines are giving us all hope of overcoming #COVID19, but ending the pandemic everywhere will require every Member State, every partner, and every vaccine producer to be on board and

PM Scott Morrison delivers Australia Day message Continued from Page 1

workers tending to our elderly and vulnerable; medical teams, our ADF and police running our quarantine facilities; farmers, truck drivers, wholesale and retail workers keeping our supermarket shelves stocked and all those working to produce our vaccine.

There is no escaping or cancelling this fact. For better and worse, it was the moment where the journey to our modern nation began.

And, of course, the many business owners of Australia, small and large, struggling with the uncertainty that a pandemic brings, keeping their show together and Australians in work.

Our stories since that day have been of sorrow and joy. Loss and redemption. Failure and success.

On this Australia Day, we say thank you to the many who have once again pulled Australia through.

But this is not a new experience.

From whatever our beginnings or circumstances, Australians have always demonstrated our ability to overcome. To rise above. To better our history. To create our future.

Today, on Australia Day we reflect on that journey, the price that has been paid for our freedom, the lessons of our history and the privilege of being able to call ourselves Australians.

We do it on the day when the course of this land changed forever.

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And it is this continuing Australian journey that we recognise today.

We are now a nation of more than 25 million stories, all important, all unique and all to be respected.

Whether it is the story of our first nation peoples’ strong, ancient and proud culture and their survival in the face of dispossession and colonisation.

Or the forsaken souls who came as convicts, not to start a new world, but because they had been banished from the old one. Condemned and outcast by empire, they too overcame.

The settlers and waves of immigrants who have followed seeking a better life for themselves and their families, creating a nation in the process, including the 12,000 people from over 130 nations who become citizens today.

These stories do not compete

with each other, they simply coexist. They weave together.

This year we will face many more challenges.

Today we reflect on how far we have come, and humbly acknowledge the work still ahead of us.

But it is Australian to be optimistic and look forward.

We have risen above our brutal beginnings.

Our optimism has enabled us to push past the adversities we have faced and overcome.

We have overcome, survived and thrived.

We have learned and are still learning.

And as the many peoples of the world joined our journey, we have become even stronger, The most successful and cohesive immigration and multicultural nation on earth.

The home of the world’s oldest living human culture.

A modern, prosperous and generous nation. Fair minded, hard working.

A standard bearer for liberal democracy, in a world where authoritarianism is once again pushing itself forward.

An honest nation that continues to confront the truth of our past and to reconcile this with our future.

Much to appreciate and be thankful for.

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It is a choice we make to believe in hope.

We have been made extraordinary by the extraordinary contributions of ordinary Australians.

In 2021 we will be relying once again on all Australians to be at their best.

To once again exercise their responsibility and make their own unique contributions to our success.

In our families, in our communities, in our places of work, education and worship and in our environment, caring for country.

The exercise of these responsibilities and contributions are the ones that will continue to make for a successful and resilient nation.

We do this, because in Australia we believe in the unique value of each Australian as individuals,

rather than seeing or indeed allowing ourselves to be defined solely through the identity prism of our age, race, gender, ethnicity or religion.

As Australians we are more than any and all of these things, and together we share and steward our Australian inheritance.

As Australians we write our own story. We create our own future.

And we will do so again this year, together.

Happy Australia Day Prime Minister Scott Morrison

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INDIA NEWS

Feb 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 15

REPUBLIC DAY - AUSTRALIA DAY

India–Australia Day 2021: A celebration with full festive zeal

T

he combined celebration of 72ndIndian Republic Day and Australia Day took place with full festive zeal on the 26 Jan at the “SunPAC”, Sunnybank.

The event was organised by the Federation of Indian Communities of Queensland (FICQ) which has been in the forefront of conducting the event from 2012 with full support from the Queensland Government, Brisbane City Council (BCC) and other Local Governments Councils, National Australia Day Council, Federal Government, Indian High Commission for Australia and all Indian and

Indian origin communities and associations.

The Master of Ceremonies for the event were Mr. Naren Sinnathamby and Mr. Zain Chamadia, who were exceptional in managing the event all through the evening. Distinguished dignitaries, community and business leaders from Australia and India were present to celebrate the function. The celebration began with the lighting of lamps by the distinguished dignitaries and followed by the Acknowledgement of the Country by Aunty Peggy Tidymann. The singing of the

Australian and Indian national anthem by the students of the Sargam Music Academy followed.

The messages from all of the distinguished guests from Australia and India was in summary to celebrate the unity in diversity and multicultural Australia for the betterment of all and community prosperity and harmony. The celebration also involved spectacular cultural performances from the Nadananjali School of Dance, Tapori Squad, the Indigenous dance performance by Taleatha Wright-Morgan, Yatra Music, Sargam Music Academy, Let’s

FICQ President Mr Shyam Das

Bollywood and Taal Dance Group.

present in the event.

The event concluded with the vote of thanks by the Vice President of FICQ, Mr. Anoop Nannuru. The celebration this year was well supported by Macgregor Ward Cr Steve Huang, Runcorn Ward Cr Kim Marx and Calamvale Ward Cr. Angela Owen.

As per the press statement from FICQ: “FICQ as a whole, led by the current President Mr. Shyam Das, takes immense pride and thanks everyone in continuing to celebrate this event with uniting all the Indian and Australian Communities year after year.”

The event was a grand success with FICQ and its executive team working together with the greater Indian and multicultural communities in bringing oneness, unity, peace and harmony.

Delicious and scrumptious Indian dinner by Saviruchi Indian Restaurant was organised for all

For further updates and details, visitors can access www.ficq.org. au.

H R K Photography for photos and Photo Vision for videography covered the highlights of this event.

Senator Paul Scarr

Yatra Music with sitarist Mrs Sudha Manian (centre)

Aunty Peggy Tidymann Dignitaries and high-level government officials together on stage

FICQ executive committee members posing together

Calamvale Ward Cr. Angela Owen

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INDIA NEWS

Feb 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 15

REPUBLIC DAY - AUSTRALIA DAY

Fiji Senior Citizens Assn organises citizenship ceremony on Australia Day F

ollowing their yearly tradition, Fiji Senior Citizens organised the Australia Day Citizenship Ceremony on Jan 26 at Multicultural Hub, Annerley.

About 80 peoples participated in the ceremony, including

candidates and their families and friends and 20 community leaders from diverse communities.

The ceremony started by flag raising by Senator Paul Scarr and other community leaders in the presence of the candidates and

their families and friends.

Aunty Peggy Tidyman performed ‘welcome to country’ and Surendra Prasad OAM acknowledge all the guests, candidate and their families and congratulated the candidates for choosing to become Australian citizens. He said that it takes courage, endeavour and commitment to live in a new country and participate fully as a citizen.

Surendra Prasad said: “To become Australian citizen means that you are making an ongoing commitment to Australia and all that this country stands for.

It is also the beginning of your formal membership of Australian community. It is the step that will enable you to say “I AM AUSTRALIAN”.

Fiji Senior Citizens Assn of Qld presenting the cheque for $3210 for cyclone Yassa victims

Senator Paul Scarr, the presiding officer, conducted the Citizenship Ceremony, Michael Po Saw provided entertainment, Zon Pan Phyu (Zonnie) sang National Anthem and “WE ARE ONE WE

ARE AUSTRALIAN” and Barbara Bittle, Agnes and Nancy Singh provided light lunch after the ceremony.

President, Fiji Senior Citizens Assn of Qld said on the occasion.

Wreath laying at Indian monument organised on Indian Republic Day

Fiji Senior Citizens Assn of Qld Inc (FSCAQ) joined hands with Sunnybank United Multicultural Association to raise funds for the recent Fiji cyclone Yassa which has destroyed many homes, farms, personal belongings, schools, etc., in Fiji.

On India’s Republic Day on Jan 26, the Australians of the Indian Heritage War Memorial Committee organised wreath laying at the Indian Monument at RSL Sunnybank at Memorial Garden, which was unveiled on 18 November, 2017.

On this special Indian Republic Day, the wreath was laid in memories of our young men and women who fought alongside Australian soldiers and were killed in world wars 1 and 2.

“After 100 years, we have come together and built this monument in memories of our Indian Soldiers sacrifice their lives in both the wars and this will be remembered in Queensland history,” Surendra Prasad,

FSCAQ raises funds for cyclone Yassa victims

FSCAQ organised Fundraising dinner on 15 January but it was cancelled due to restrictions imposed by the Queensland government.

“We continue to raise funds through our members and friends, and we raised $3210 and the cheque for the same was presented to Rotary Club of Brisbane International. This fund will be used to provide building materials and funds will be looked after by local Rotary Club in Fiji,” Surendra Prasad, President, Fiji Senior Citizens Assn of Qld said.

High Commissioner hosts Indian community in Canberra on the Republic Day

O

n the occasion of 72nd Republic Day of India, High Commissioner Gitesh Sarma unfurled the Tricolour in High Commission at Canberra and read out the Rashtrapati Bhavan’s address to the nation in front of the Indian community members present.

High Commissioner Gitesh Sarma unfurled the Indian flag and addressed the Indian Community

Patriotic songs being sung by the Indian women

New languages for Western Australian schools Perth, Jan 21: Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery today announced the development of three new languages for WA schools.

Pre-primary to Year 10 syllabuses for both Hindi and Korean will be adapted from the curriculum developed by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA).

Year 11 and 12 syllabuses for these two languages will be developed in Western Australia.

Tamil will be fully developed in WA for Pre-primary to Year 12.

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In 2021 every student in Year 3-6 at a Western Australian public school will learn a language.

The Year 3 syllabuses for Hindi, Korean and Tamil will be available from 2023, with transitional implementation through the academic years.

It is anticipated that Year 11 courses for these three languages will be available to students in 2023.

Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery said: “I am very pleased to announce the development of these three new language courses

for Western Australian students.

“Language and culture play an important role in a child’s development.

“We have an internationally diverse culture in Western Australia and these new subjects will give schools the opportunity to offer a broader choice to students in their local area.

“Western Australia’s engagement with Asia is a State priority, and giving students the opportunity to engage with these additional languages will set them up for jobs for the future.

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“Parents often raise with me the choice of languages in WA schools so I am thrilled to be able to announce this today.”

Citizenship and Multicultural Interests Minister Paul Papalia said: “With more than 190 languages spoken throughout the State, linguistic diversity is one of Western Australia’s greatest strengths and provides social, cultural and economic benefits.

“The addition of Hindi, Korean and Tamil to languages taught at Western Australian public schools will work with the Government’s

Community Languages Program.

“Community Languages Program, administered by the Office of Multicultural Interests, provides support and funding for language programs in the community.

“These programs are often staffed by volunteers and provide language and cultural maintenance programs. Today’s announcement means dedicated students of these programs will now have an opportunity to expand their learning in a school environment.”

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INDIA NEWS

Feb 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 15

REPUBLIC DAY - AUSTRALIA DAY

Republic Day 2021: Australia Day 2021: Message from India Message from the Prime Minister the Prime Minister I

A

s Australians, our fates have always been bound together.

During this past year, we have been reminded once again of our shared fortunes. How much we depend on each other.

In a year where much of the world has struggled under the strain of the global pandemic, Australians, together, have prevailed, in our own Australian way.

From the kids who made masks for others and who studied remotely; to the aged care residents who endured difficult COVID restrictions: every Australian has played a part responding to a once-in-a century pandemic.

Australia Day is a day to reflect, respect and celebrate.

On Australia Day we reflect on that journey, the price that has

been paid for our freedom, the lessons of our history and the privilege of being able to call ourselves Australians.

Today, we honour 60,000 years of Indigenous history; draw strength from our representative democracy that is a beacon to free peoples; and express our gratitude on the bounty that is ours as the most successful multicultural nation on Earth.

These stories do not compete with each other, they simply coexist and are woven together.

We are a decent, fair, enterprising, and generous people who respond to whatever challenge is put before us. We are a people “one and free” who look out for each other and our neighbours, and are always striving to do better.

Whilst our celebrations will be

am delighted to send my best wishes to everyone celebrating India’s Republic Day.

cooperation on maritime, cyber and critical technology, speaks to our trust in each other.

It is a wonderful coincidence of history that Australia and India share 26 January as our national day.

This year our nations have responded to a global pandemic.

This has meant the free flow of peoples between our two countries is not what it traditionally has been.

Of course, we share more than a day on the calendar. Australia and India are guided by the same ideals: of democracy, freedom, and the rule of law.

PM Scott Morrison different this year because of the pandemic, we look to the future with hope and optimism – understanding that together we can and will get through these difficult times.

Happy Australia Day! The Hon Scott Morrison MP Prime Minister of Australia

NADC’s Australia Day 2021 campaign

Our shared history is long, and our connections are many. We are friends and natural partners – and each year we draw even closer.

As nations, 2020 will be remembered as a pivotal moment in our friendship. Seven months ago, Prime Minister Modi and I announced a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This major step forward for our trade and investment, defence and scientific partnerships, as well as

However, I want to assure you that Australia longs for when we can welcome our Indian friends, family and students back to our shores. Like you, we look forward to the day when we can move more freely and we are safely on the other side of the pandemic.

Today, as you celebrate your national day, know that your friends in Australia are celebrating too – and share your pride, confidence and optimism.

Happy Republic Day. The Hon Scott Morrison MP Prime Minister of Australia

India News-IAIE organise double celebration on Republic Day and Australia Day

R

epublic Day and Australia Day celebrations in Brisbane were organised jointly by IAIE and India News at Rocks Riverside Park in Seventeen Mile Rocks on Jan 26.

drinks, attendees were treated to a good game of tennis ball cricket as well to celebrate India’s historic win in the recently concluded Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Besides the barbeque lunch and

Over the past year our nation has faced fire, flood, drought and the coronavirus pandemic.

and on the impact that European settlement had on our First Australians and their way of life.

On Australia Day 2021, we reflect on the selfless and courageous sacrifice of thousands of first responders and frontline workers who put the safety and wellbeing of others before their own.

We respect their extensive of knowledge of land, sea and sky, which allowed them to care for Country as they would a family member.

We reflect on the resilience of communities and the spirit of helping, giving and supporting that defines us as Australians.

We respect the stories, histories and contributions of all Australians, especially those who have given so much over the past year.

Australia Day 2021 is a day for us to celebrate and thank the first responders and frontline workers who kept going to work, so that the rest of us could stay safe at home.

On Australia Day we celebrate being Australian together.

Reflect, respect, celebrate – we’re all part of the story.

On Australia Day, we reflect on our nation’s true history, which began tens of thousands of years ago with the First Australians – the world’s oldest living culture –

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We reflect on our modern history – the waves of immigration that have shaped us into one of the world’s great multicultural success stories.

We respect that, regardless of where we come from, the faith we follow or the language we grew up speaking, we are all Australian and we all have a contribution to make.

And we celebrate our nation’s place in the world – a proud, ancient, multicultural nation built on shared values that allow us to enjoy the freedoms and opportunities that other nations aspire to.

We celebrate Country and how the land and sky defines our Australian identity – from the saltwater to the freshwater, from the rainforest to the desert.

About The Story of Australia The National Australia Day Council’s campaign celebrates the extraordinary achievement that is our nation. It is a story that began tens of thousands of years ago and has untold chapters still to write.

The stars of the campaign are everyday Australians from across the nation reading an original poem, The Story of Australia.

India News Editor-in-Chief Ashutosh Misra (right), News Director Karthik Pratap Singh (1st left) and publisher Dr Ram Mohan (2nd left)

In 2021, the campaign recognises the contributions and sacrifices made by Australians in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

People like Leanne, a nurse, and Alex, a primary school teacher.

Australia Day Date Australia Day is a time for all Australians to come together to reflect, respect and celebrate.

The National Australia Day Council supports Australia Day on 26 January – our national holiday.

Australia Day is more than a commemoration of a single day in our nation’s history. It is the day, above all others, for Australians to reflect on our past, respect the contribution we all have to make and celebrate our nation and its people.

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INDIA NEWS

Feb 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 15

After clashes with police, farmers swarm Red Fort, hoist pennant

NEWS FROM INDIA

Opposition leaders condemn violence during tractor parade New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS): In the wake of clashes between police and protesting farmers in Delhi on Tuesday as the tractor rally burst into the city, opposition parties condemned the violence and called for calm.

Some also attacked the government over the fracas.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi, in a tweet, said: “Sheer anarchy, utter lawlessness, and an absolute mess!

New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS): Protesting farmers on Tuesday swarmed the Red Fort in New Delhi during a ‘tractor rally’ here on the Republic Day even as police tried to prevent them from driving towards central Delhi.

The farmers barged into the 17th century monument, climbed up its ramparts and waved farmer union flags and banners and even hoisted a pennant.

Police and other security personnel deployed at the Red Fort could be seen lathi-charging the protesters even as the former were clearly outnumbered by the farmers.

A few youths climbed up the flagpole on the ramparts of the 17th century landmark and put up a saffron pennant with a religious symbol. Later, a few of them even climbed up further and fixed a farmer union flag near the spot where a bigger Tricolour was aflutter.

After sometime, security personnel succeeded in removing the farmers from the fort ramparts, after which they had skirmishes with the police and also chased them that led to injuries to several farmers and policemen.

Soon, the farmers left the spot and moved towards central Delhi.

All this occurred after thousands of farmers riding tractors and motorcycles thronged the busy ITO intersection and played catand-mouse games with the police to proceed towards India Gate.

In the meantime, a young farmer died near the ITO intersection in the central Delhi due to unknown reasons. Fellow farmers sat on protest on the spot along with the body of the deceased, who hailed from western Uttar Pradesh.

Chaos prevailed near the ITO intersection in central Delhi as hundreds of farmers rallied there to outnumber the security personnel at the spot.

Other video clips showed farmers chasing away policemen on foot as well with tractors, and trying to remove a DTC bus parked across the ITO road stretch by pushing it out of way with a tractor.

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The police fired tear-gas shells and lathi-charged the protesters on different occasions as farmers remained adamant to move towards the Red Fort.

Later, Rapid Action Force and the Border Security Force was also deployed at the ITO intersection.

The farmers, after confrontation with police that lasted for around 40 minutes, moved towards Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, which houses the offices of Aam Aadmi Party, Delhi Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party.

Later, farmers opened another front in Nangloi area as they removed a trailer truck parked across the road to stop them.

Hundreds of farmers overturned the trailer to make way for the tractors to enter the national capital and even damaged temporary police tents set up at Nangloi.

On Tuesday morning, a section of farmers stationed at Singhu and Tikri borders started their tractor parade much ahead of the scheduled time to enter the national capital in violation of an agreement with authorities.

Skirmishes with police were reported from multiple fronts as farmers gathered at Karnal Bypass, Mukarba Chowk, Transport Nagar, Akshardham, Ghazipur and Tikri borders. Some farmers armed with swords were seen brandishing the weapons.

Police fired tear-gas shells on farmers after they entered Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar from the Delhi-Haryana border at Singhu.

Visuals of protesters riding horses were witnessed at the Karnal Bypass while others broke through barricades at Singhu and Mukarba Chowk. Some farmers damaged trucks and DTC buses parked on roads to stop them to enter towards central Delhi.

On Sunday, Delhi Police had allowed the tractor rally after the official Republic Day parade.

During their talks with the police, the protesters were told that they could not disrupt the celebrations on the Rajpath even as farmers insisted their parade would be “peaceful”.

“This government defines inefficiency, mismanagement, and transgression. The government has taught the world how to turn a peaceful protest into a mobocracy.”

Another Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergil, however, said the protest will weaken due to such acts.

“Peace is the strength of any protest and gets weakened when you need to bank upon violence - urge both sides (protestors & police) to remain calm, follow the dharma of democracy because when lives are lost & national property is damaged then it is loss of entire Nation.”

Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said: “It is saddening that people are defending the sacrilege that we witnessed at the Red Fort, dear apologists there is only one flag and that is the Indian Flag that should fly high from the ramparts of our historic monument however strong a cause for protest one might have.”

Congress leader and former Union Minister Shashi Tharoor expressed concern over the death of a protesting farmer.

“Saddened to learn of the death

of a protestor in police firing.

Authorities must urge the police to observe restraint. Violence resolves nothing & resorting to it reduces the state to the level of its enemies. We must resolve this crisis through democratic means, not force,” he said.

Communist Party of IndiaMarxist General Secretary Sitaram Yechury attacked the police for excessive force at ITO. “Tear gassing and lathicharging Kisans is unacceptable. Why, after the Delhi Police & Samyukt Kisan Morcha agreement? Why is the government provoking a confrontation. They must allow the peaceful, agreed tractor parade to continue,” he said in a reaction prior to the hooliganism at Red Fort.

In an unexpected development, hundreds of protesting farmers swarmed the historic Red Fort on Tuesday as their ‘Kisan Gantantra Parade’ turned violent at several places in the national capital.

tractors and motorcycles and with tricolours and farmer union flags, stormed the Red Fort.

A few youths even climbed up the flagpole on the 17th century landmark and put up a saffroncoloured pennant.

Visuals from the spot showed farmers swarming the Red Fort even as hundreds of others clashed with Delhi Police personnel near the ITO intersection in central Delhi, which witnessed chaos as security personnel were clearly outnumbered by the protesters.

Other video clips showed farmers chasing away policemen and trying to remove a DTC bus parked across the ITO road stretch by pushing it out of the way with a tractor.

The police fired tear gas shells and lathi-charged the protesters on multiple occasions as farmers remained adamant to move towards the Red Fort.

A large group of farmers, riding

PM salutes ‘nation’s daughters’ on National Girl Child Day New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday saluted the ‘daughters of the nation’ on the occasion of the National Girl Child Day and praised all those working towards the empowerment of the girl child and ensure them a life of dignity and opportunity.

In a series of tweets, Modi said: “On the National Girl Child Day, we salute our #DeshKiBeti and their accomplishments in various fields. The central government has undertaken many initiatives that focus on empowering the girl child, including access to education, better healthcare and improving gender sensitivity.”

“Today is also the day to specially appreciate all those working towards empowering the girl child and ensuring she leads a life of dignity and opportunity.”

The National Girl Child Day was launched by the Ministry of

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Women and Child Development in 2008 to spread public awareness

on inequalities girls faced in Indian society.

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ADVERTISEMENT

Webinar conducted to mark 31st Kashmiri Hindus forced Exodus day I ndian Diaspora of Australia marked the tragic occasion of the 31st anniversary of the Kashmiri Hindus forced Exodus day on 19th January, 2021 by conducting a webinar on zoom.

The event which was organized in collaboration with several prominent community groups, including Kashmiri Pandits Australia, and media partners Indus Age and Lotus World, had among its panel of guest speakers, Aditya Raj Kaul, senior journalist and anchor from India; Ashoke Pandit, Indian film-maker and social activist; Manu Khajuria, commentator, Dogra activist, Voice of Dogra, UK; Sunanda Vasisht, political commentator, USA; and Sushil Pandit, social activist and author, India. Gitesh Sarma, Indian High Commissioner, Sydney also joined the webinar to pay homage to the Kashmiri Hindu diaspora members who had to bear severe losses on 19th January, 1990 when they were compelled to severe ties with their homeland.

In his opening speech, Bimal Kaul, one of the members of the event organizing committee and a displaced Kashmiri Hindu who was forced to live in exile in Australia, traced the history of the Kashmiri Hindus, a community renowned for having 100 per cent

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literacy rate, thereby earning the name of “Pandits”. Giving a vivid account of the Kashmir valley, he talked about the transformation of Kashmir from a paradise to a hellish place as the Islamic separatist movement and terrorism descended upon the valley and the consequent mass exodus of Kashmiri Hindus who are now scattered all across the globe.

This was followed by the narration of some harrowing stories by Kashmiri Hindu community members who were subjected to the atrocities of the terrorists and even lost their loved ones. One such devastating tale was narrated by Jammu-based gynaecologist, Dr Sushma Shalla.

Her father who worked for the Indian government was not only threatened by separatist militant outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen but also ultimately captured, subjected to torture and then shot at point blank range even as the local inhabitants looked on without making any efforts to stop this grave injustice.

Guest speaker Aditya Raj Kaul, a New Delhi-based independent journalist who has a decade long experience in covering conflicts, foreign policy and internal security extolled the efforts of the Indian Diaspora

of Australia in organizing this event with a bid to sensitise the various members of the vast and vibrant Indian diaspora spread across the globe. Being one of the frontrunners championing the rights of the Kashmiri Hindus, he has been working tirelessly to spread awareness about the predicament of the Kashmiri Hindus who were relegated to refugee camps in Jammu for a long time following their forced exodus. He commented on how the world kept silent while the Hindu minority in Kashmir was subjected to the horrors of ethnic cleansing and genocide, but were compelled to sit up and pay attention only when the perpetrators of separatism and terrorism came knocking ominously at their doors.

However, he also acknowledged that there is a faint glimmer of hope that Kashmiris will return to the valley in the near future after having been guaranteed their fundamental rights following the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35a.

life. His documentary , And the world remained silent recounts the heart wrenching tale of the exodus of the 320,000 Kashmiri Hindus even as the world turned a blind eye to their agony and anguish. He also extended his gratitude to the Dogra community in Jammu for welcoming the Kashmiri Pandits and making them feel at home in their darkest

hour.

Manu Khajuria, a representative of Voice of Dogra, UK delineated the atrocities encountered by the Hindu and Sikh women in Kashmir since 1947 thus, providing testimony to the fact that Kashmir’s history is replete with tragic stories right from the time of India’s Independence.

Highlighting the plight of the Kashmiri Hindus residing at the Jagti refugee camp in Jammu, Indian film-maker and social activist, Ashoke Pandit mentioned how the people residing their lack all the basic amenities which are indispensable for leading a comfortable and respectable

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INDIA NEWS

Feb 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 15

ADVERTORIAL

Everything is here – schools, shopping centres and parks” - Springfield teacher Garima Shekhawat W

hen it comes to education, Greater Springfield teacher Garima Shekhawat has a passion for seeing students of all ages excel.

A Springfield Lakes resident, Mrs Shekhawat lives at The Peninsula, close to the lake, with her husband and three children aged 14, 12 and 8.

Mrs Shekhawat, a teacher for several large Australian organisations, is opening Oz Brainiac Kids Tutoring Centre in Springfield Central in February.

“It’s such a quiet area, and so community orientated. The spirit of the people is good and I feel safe here,” she said.

Mrs Shekhawat, a motherof- three, decided to invest in the area after getting a ‘great response’ after starting her own tutoring centre.

“There’s so many schools in the Greater Springfield area to cover and so many young Indian families who need tutoring for their children,” she said.

“I got an amazing response from the community and people started talking about me because of my teaching methodology and the grades reflected in their children’s report cards.

“Until now, I have taught hundreds of kids and prepared many for the Queensland Academy entrance test, MAGNA academic excellence program and ACER test. My own daughters passed the QASMT entrance test and are attending the school.”

Her son attends St Peters Lutheran College and two daughters attend Toowong’s Queensland Academy for Science Mathematics and Technology.

Born and raised in Rajasthan India, Mrs Shekhawat was married at the age of 26 and moved to the USA with her husband in 2006.

“My father, who worked as a professor of philosophy in Rajasthan University, and is an author of several books, encouraged me to make education my priority,” she said.

“I grew up in an environment where wisdom and analysis were respected, and home was always full of logic. My family believed that education is priceless- not just a gateway to career.”

After finishing her college education, she started her teaching career in one of the

reputed schools of Jaipur, Rukmani Birla Modern High School.

Mrs Shekhawat said: “It took me a while to get adjusted to the culture and climate but soon my life was on track”.

it’s growing so rapidly,” she said.

“The infrastructure here is so good. I hardly go to Brisbane city anymore. Everything is here – schools, shopping centres and parks.”

She said education was important and having a variety of schools and facilities available in the ever expanding Greater Springfield was testament to the master planned community.

“I enrolled myself in Oklahoma State University to pursue higher education, but due to my critical pregnancies I could not complete my studies.

“I started tutoring children of our friends and neighbourhood as it was an ideal fit for me because of my young family and the flexibility it provided me.”

Mrs Shekhawat said she was born to be a teacher.

“I love young kids, and love helping them. I am really passionate about it, not the money,” she said.

Having lived in America for 11 years, Mrs Shekhawat admitted she was reluctant to make the move to Queensland.

After finding out about Greater Springfield via a Google search, her family relocated and haven’t looked back.

“It’s such an evolving community.

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Feb 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 15

NEWS FROM INDIA

India is following Ram Temple donation scam: in Netaji’s 5 booked for duping people footsteps: PM Modi Pilibhit (Uttar Pradesh), Jan 22 (IANS): Five people have been booked for allegedly collecting donations for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya through a ‘fake’ local outfit.

Kolkata, Jan 23 (IANS): Paying homage to legendary freedom fighter Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the country is following in his footsteps and working towards creating an India Netaji once dreamt of.

One of the five accused, having a criminal record, has been arrested.

A written complaint was filed in this regard by district president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).

“Netaji had dreamt of a strong India, from LAC to LOC, and we are following in his footsteps,” the PM said addressing an event organised in Kolkata’s Victoria Memorial. He said that Netaji’s bravery and ideals inspire every Indian.

As part of a nationwide campaign of VHP to collect voluntary donations from people for the construction of the grand Ram temple, teams of VHP and RSS

“On the 125th birth anniversary of the leader, I bow to him on behalf of the grateful nation. His contribution to India is indelible.

Modi said that Netaji would have been immensely proud to see how India is now manufacturing its own Covid-19 vaccines and also helping other countries across

When one such team reached the Kala Mandir locality under Sungarhi police station to collect the donation, devotees told team members that they had already given money to another local outfit.

The VHP functionary told the police that members of the other outfit had issued ‘fake’ receipts to voluntary donors even though they were not authorized to collect money for Ram temple construction.

said that the receipt issued by the local outfit revealed the names of its office bearers. All of them were found to be the residents of Pilibhit city.

The police have now booked them under IPC sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forging a document purporting to be a receipt acknowledging the payment of money), 468 (committing forgery, intending that the document forged shall be used for the purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document).

Sungarhi SHO, Shrikant Dwiwedi,

Names of Galwan braves get engraved on National War Memorial

PM Modi on Saturday visited Kolkata to pay tributes to Netaji and said the country bows to his love for the motherland.

“On this very day, that brave son was born, who gave a new direction to the dream of independent India...there was that consciousness in the darkness of slavery, who stood in front of the biggest power of the world and said, I will not ask you for freedom, I will take it away,” he said.

workers have been constituted in Pilibhit.

the world.

Addressing the Parakram Diwas celebrations in the city, the PM paid floral tributes at the feet of Netaji’s statue at the National Library. He was accompanied by West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar.

“India bows to the great Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. I also salute this virtuous land of Bengal which gave birth to the great leader,” he said.

New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS): The names of Galwan braves who were killed in action during clashes with China in Ladakh have finally made it to the National War Memorial in New Delhi ahead of Republic Day. It took almost seven months for their names to make it to the National War Memorial due to bureaucratic delays.

Though the names were cleared, but because of procedural delays they were not put up so far. After it was realised the names would be missing during the Republic Day ceremonies when the Prime Minister pays homage to the fallen soldiers at the national war memorial, the authorities swung into action.

Since last year, tributes have been paid to those who sacrificed their lives in military action at the new memorial on Republic Day instead of India Gate.

The war memorial was built in the memory of those who were killed in action after India’s

Independence.

In the ‘Galwan clash’ of June 15, 2020, 20 Indian soldiers died even as the Chinese never made their casualties public.

Speaking on the occasion of Army Day on January 15, Army Chief General M.M. Naravane said the sacrifice of bravehearts of Galwan would not go waste.

The Ministry of Defence in its year-end review stated that in a major skirmish in Galwan,

20 brave Indian soldiers lost their lives while preventing PLA troops from ingressing into our territory. “The Chinese also suffered significant casualties,” the ministry has stated.

The standoff between India and China has entered its ninth month as both sides continue with heavy deployment of troops, artillery guns, tanks and armoured vehicles in close proximity.

Violent protesters endangered lives, legal action to follow: Delhi Police New Delhi, Jan 26 (IANS): The Delhi Police on Tuesday said legal action would be taken against violent protesters who not only violated mutually agreed guidelines with the police but also went on a rampage and damaged property on Delhi streets amid the farmers’ protests.

The lives of policemen who were on duty were also endangered.

The Delhi Police in a statement also said that the cops acted in the professional manner and in accordance with the guidelines agreed upon but the protesting farmers took out the tractor rally before the designated time which led to a law and order situation in the capital.

“Legal action according to law

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would be taken against those who damaged public property and injured the Delhi police personnel. Some even tried to run their tractors over the policemen,” said Alok Kumar, Joint CP Delhi Police.

deceased.

The Delhi Police has also appealed to the protesters to stop the violence and return to the designated routes as early as possible.

Protesting farmers on Tuesday swarmed the Red Fort during a ‘tractor rally’ on Republic Day amid police attempts to block them from proceeding towards central Delhi, as they barged into the 17th century monument, climbed up the ramparts and waved farmer union flags and banners and even hoisted a pennant.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police also issued video footage to counter the claim of some of the protesters that a farmer was allegedly shot by police at ITO. The police through the video claimed that the speeding tractor overturned at DDU Marg near ITO which led to fatal injuries to the

Clashes between police and protesting farmers were witnessed at the ITO as a section of farmers tried to break through the security arrangements made

by Delhi Police in the city’s heart. Meanwhile, additional paramilitary forces were later deployed in the capital.

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Delhi to get first exclusive public toilet for third gender New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS): It may seem a little late but the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has finally decided to provide toilets in the national capital exclusively for the third gender.

In its annual budget for 20212022, the civic body has proposed to built toilets exclusively for transgender people.

H.P. Singh, a senior NDMC official dealing with the project, told IANS: “Construction of toilets exclusively for the third gender, especially in busy marketplaces, has been a long-pending demand from the transgender community in Delhi. Therefore, observing their requirement, the NDMC has constructed a toilet exclusively for the third gender at Shastri Bhawan.”

“The NDMC has built the first toilet for third gender at Shastri Bhavan, which is yet to get in use.

We are in the process to identify sites to construct a few more such toilets in the NDMC area,” Singh further said.

“They are also allowed to use common toilets but many of them hesitate to use them due to many reasons and we must respect their priorities,” Singh added.

NEWS FROM INDIA

India’s new education policy to travel across the world

Despite scores of transgender people residing in several parts of Delhi -- such as Paharganj, Daryaganj, Burari, Shastri Park, Subhash Park, Laxmi Nagar -for decades, there is not a single toilet exclusively for transgender people built by any government authority in the Capital so far.

New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS): With the aim to develop India as a global destination for education, the Central government is sharing the new Education Policy with various countries including the US, the UK, Oman, the UAE, Mauritius and Kuwait.

The under-construction toilet at Shastri Bhawan will be the first exclusive toilet for the people of the transgender community in the Capital.

Initiatives have also been taken to take the new Education Policy to the Gulf countries. The Union Ministry of Education has informed the UAE Minister of Education Hussain bin Ibrahim Al Hammadi about this through the bilateral virtual dialogue.

Hammadi has also praised the National Education Policy 2020.

Delhi, despite being the Capital, has so far failed to provide exclusive toilets for trans-gender people.

The Supreme Court in 2014 recognised transgender people as third gender and had directed the Centre and the states to create separate toilets for transgender people, among other facilities.

Giving information about this, Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said, “The ‘Indian School Muscat’ is a strong step in this series. The institute was started in Muscat in 1975. Now, it is the largest coeducational institute with 9,200 students in the Gulf countries.

Under the new education policy, the Union Ministry of Education is now planning to extend the same kind of Indian education to other countries as well.”

Mysuru was the first city in the country where third-gender people were provided exclusive toilets. After Mysore, Bhopal became the second city where a toilet for trans-gender people was built in 2018 and after that many other state governments began building toilets exclusively for them.

Programmes on the National Education Policy (NEP) are also being organised in Kuwait. “The

new National Education Policy is the ‘vision document’ of the new India of the 21st century and the whole world has high expectations from India. We can give a lot to the world through ‘talent and technology’. This policy would establish India as a ‘knowledge superpower’ as well as a global leader because it connects the past along with the future. This also paves the way for holistic and multidisciplinary education,” Nishank said.

The Union Education Minister has also met India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, for a detailed discussion on the policy.

According to Nishank, the Indian ambassador has been asked to consult other Indian consulates in the US. Various stakeholders have been urged to find out the expectations of the US universities to open their campuses in India. This allows us to explore ways to attract American students to India under the “Study in India” scheme.

Programmes are also being organised to discuss India’s new education policy. A special programme was organised in London this week regarding the

Indian education policy in which Nishank also participated. Former England minister Joe Johnson also became part of it. The outreach of the new Indian National Education Policy was discussed in detail here.

Talking about taking the education policy to the global level, Nishank said: “During this epidemic, we have brought this policy by turning challenges into opportunities. This policy was brought after suggestions from the Prime Minister to village heads. A very systematic and concerted effort has been made to address all challenges. This will enable the overall restructuring of the higher education ecosystem to suit the needs of the new India.”

On the subject of the education policy and globalisation of Indian languages, Nishank said, “It is also a symbol of Hindi becoming a global language. The writers of Mauritius, Fiji, Britain and America are active on the world stage of Hindi writing. Also, the way Hindi creators in Canada have enriched the India diaspora writing after the efforts from the Hindi Writers Guild in Canada, it is appreciable.”

Violence by certain elements in Delhi unacceptable: Punjab CM Palaniswamy Subramanyan Karthigeyan

Courtesy: indianexpress.com

appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to Fiji

Chandigarh, Jan 26 (IANS): Terming the violence perpetrated by certain elements during Tuesday’s tractor rally in the national capital as unacceptable, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh urged all the genuine farmers to immediately vacate Delhi and return to the borders, where they had been protesting peacefully for the past two months.

The Chief Minister also ordered a high alert in Punjab amid the tension and violence in Delhi and directed Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta to ensure that law and order in the state is not disturbed at any cost.

Expressing grave concern over the situation, the Chief Minister said the violence was apparently triggered by some people who violated the rules laid down for the tractor rally through mutual agreement between the Delhi Police and the farmers’ unions.

It was unfortunate that these

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elements disturbed the peaceful agitation of the farmers, he said, condemning the incidents that took place at the historic Red Fort and some other key points of the national capital.

Pointing out that the major farmer leaders had already disassociated themselves from the violence, Amarinder Singh said the agitating farmers should immediately vacate the national capital and get back to their camps at the borders, and continue to engage with the Centre to resolve the crisis over the farm laws.

“Shocking scenes in Delhi. The violence by some elements is unacceptable. It’ll negate the goodwill generated by peacefully protesting farmers. Kisan leaders have disassociated themselves and suspended the tractor rally. I urge all genuine farmers to vacate Delhi and return to borders,” the Chief Minister tweeted.

New Delhi, Jan 28: Shri Palaniswamy Subramanyan Karthigeyan (IFS batch 2004), presently the Deputy High Commissioner in the High Commission of India, Canberra,

has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of Fiji.

He is expected to take up the assignment shortly.

Budget 2021: Rural poor, farmers’ progress to be govt’s priority New Delhi, Jan 31 (IANS): Amid the coronavirus pandemic when the pace of manufacturing and services sector came to a grinding halt, agriculture and allied sectors in India have picked up pace as the country saw the strength of the farm sector.

The government also took care of a large population of the country related to agriculture and farming and enacted new laws to intensify the winds of improvement in the agricultural sector. The Budget 2021-22 is going to be presented in Parliament on Monday, amid wrangling over agricultural reform.

In such a situation, it is expected that the Modi government, which claims to give priority to the progress of villages, the poor and farmers, will also give priority to agriculture and rural development in the upcoming

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Budget.

According to the Economic Review 2020-21, while the industry and services sectors are projected to fall by 9.6 per cent and 8.8 per cent, respectively, in the current financial year, the growth rate of agriculture and allied sectors can remain at 3.4 per cent. The agriculture and allied sectors recorded a growth rate of 3.4 per cent at constant prices during FY 2020-21 (first advance estimate).

The Modi government’s priority has been to double the income of farmers by 2022 and to develop basic facilities in villages including ‘pucca’ houses for all the poor in the country. Therefore, with a view to achieving these goals, the budgetary allocation of major schemes of agriculture and rural development sector can

be expected to increase in the upcoming Budget.

A senior official of the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare said that farmers’ awareness about all the schemes of agriculture sector including Prime Minister Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) is continuously increasing and the benefits of these schemes are beginning to be seen at the ground level.

The government will also focus on the scheme to provide short-term agricultural loans to farmers at affordable interest rates. Other schemes of the agriculture sector, including the Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme, the Prime Minister Agricultural Irrigation Scheme, can also be given importance in this budget.

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NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA

Border curbs further Google-Australia tussle over eased in Australia new media code deepens Sydney/New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS): The News Media Bargaining Code has started a bitter war between Google/Facebook and the Australian government, with Google threatening to pull its Search engine from the country.

Rod Sims, chair of the watchdog Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), said on Friday that Google and Facebook just don’t want the code to be implemented.

Canberra, Jan 23 (IANS): Western Australia (WA) authorities on Saturday announced that the state will reopen its border to New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland from Monday as they have continued to record zero locally acquired Covid-19 cases.

Travellers from NSW and Queensland, two of Australia’s most populous states, could enter WA but still need to get into self-quarantine for 14 days in a suitable premise and be prepared for possible test at the airport clinic and during the quarantine, reports Xinhua news agency.

NSW and Queensland were kept out of WA’s border after concerning Covid situation recorded in the two states.

NSW witnessed reappearance of locally acquired cases and small case clusters shortly before Christmas last year while the mutant strain of virus found in Britain was detected in a local case in Queensland earlier this month.

“WA’s careful and cautious approach has stood us in good stead and our controlled border

arrangements have kept us safe allowing for swift action to stop the virus in its tracks,” state Premier Mark McGowan said.

At the same time, Australia’s biggest city of Sydney, also capital of NSW, was also reviewed as less risky by the neighbouring states of Victoria and Australian Capital Territory, which allowed travellers from Greater Sydney to enter from Friday afternoon except the Cumberland local government area in west Sydney where a local cluster originated.

Queensland and South Australia still keep their borders closed to Greater Sydney while Queensland said it will review the border rule on January 28.

“Google and Facebook like to do things on their terms. I think the code does what it’s intended to do. It is workable. It allows for a process of negotiation we’ve seen these sorts of things work in the past where you’ve got negotiatearbitrate regimes, so I think this is just something Google and Facebook don’t want,” he was quoted as saying in media reports.

Sims has said the majority of issues Facebook and Google have raised with the News Media Bargaining Code had been

addressed in the legislation that passed the lower house in December, reports ZDNet.

publishers, small businesses, and the millions of Australians that use our services every day.

“They don’t like the idea of arbitration, they talk of commercial deals, where they’re in full control of the deal. In my view, that’s not a commercial deal,” Sims emphasised.

“Coupled with the unmanageable financial and operational risk if this version of the Code were to become law it would give us no real choice but to stop making Google Search available in Australia,” Silva told the panel.

Facebook and Google have been engaged in a battle with the ACCC since August last year over the new media code.

Google on Friday threatened to pull its Search engine from Australia if a proposed media bargaining law, that directs Google to pay news publishers, goes into effect.

Mel Silva, Managing Director of Google Australia and New Zealand, appeared before a public hearing of the Senate Economics Legislation Committee that is reviewing the proposed new law.

She said that in its current form, the Code remains unworkable and if it became law would hurt not just Google, but small

Australia’s Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which drafted the law, suggested last year that this shouldn’t affect Google’s search business.

“Google will not be required to charge Australians for the use of its free services such as Google Search and YouTube, unless it chooses to do so,” the ACCC had said.

The proposed News Media Bargaining Code law is currently in draft and targets Facebook and Google.

Facebook has also threatened to block its news from being shared in Australia if the new media code is implemented.

Study finds massive doubts over Aus forests’ ability to recover from bushfires

All Australian states and territories on Saturday recorded zero locally acquired cases.

However, as for the international border, Australia started applying stricter rules from Friday which require international travellers to have a Covid test negative results within 72 hours before boarding a flight and face masks are mandatory on international flights and in airports.

Oppn leader says preparing for federal election Canberra, Jan 24 (IANS): Leader of opposition Labor Party Anthony Albanese said on Sunday that he is preparing for a federal election, promising to release his signature economic policies well in advance of votes being cast.

He told Sky News that the economic policies of the two major parties would be the main issue in the election, promising that a Labor government would prioritise boosting productivity and better outcomes for workers, Xinhua news agency reported.

He said there would be revenue policies and expenditure policies before the election.

An election is not due until 2022, but there is speculation Prime Minister Scott Morrison will call one in the second half of this year.

“If it’s early, it’s because Scott Morrison doesn’t have the confidence in his own government to be able to last a

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three-year term,” Albanese told Sky News.

The Labor Party has not governed in Australia since 2013.

The party was defeated by the Liberal National Party coalition in the 2019 federal election despite opinion polls projecting a comfortable victory.

According to the latest polls, the coalition holds a narrow lead over Labor with Prime Minister Morrison enjoying record-high approval ratings for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

Canberra, Jan 21 (IANS): A new study published on Thursday revealed “massive concerns” about the long-term recovery of Australian forests from the devastating 2019-20 “Black Summer” bushfires.

The study, which was published

by Australian National University (ANU) and Griffith University, warned that early signs of recovery from the fires could be deceiving, reports Xinhua news agency.

It found that the drought that preceded the 2019-20 bushfire season was so severe that it reduced forests’ capacity for regrowth.

More than 18.6 million hectares of land, mostly on Australia’s east coast, were burned by fires that

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raged for more than half a year.

“It’s wonderful to see the green growth back in the forests,” said co-author David Lindenmayer from ANU. “But there are some underlying issues that are creating real problems and I have massive concerns about what we will see there in 20 years time.”

“Our ecosystems have not been geared up to deal with the high frequency and severity of these disturbances. It’s burning far too often now,” he said.

“This century we’ve had three megafires (over 1 million hectares) on the east coast, in 2009, 2014 and 2020. But in the century before that there was one, and in the century before that we also just had one.”

Forests in the northeast of Victoria and south of New South Wales (NSW) were hit hardest by the fires.

A forests’ ability to recover from fires is largely dependent on big trees that produce a majority of seeds, pollen, flowers and nectar.

“There’s a big risk now the wetter forests across huge swathes of Victoria and southern NSW won’t be able to recover,” Lindenmayer said.

The “Black Summer” fire season destroyed thousands of homes and claimed 33 lives, including nine firefighters.

Nearly 3 billion animals were also killed or displaced, and the fires harmed many threatened species and ecological communities.

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NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA

Australia unlikely to fully Australian PM urged to rebuke re-open borders in 2021 lawmaker for Covid disinformation Canberra, Jan 18 (IANS): A poll published on Monday revealed that 76 per cent of Australians have called on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to rebuke a lawmaker over disinformation regarding the coronavirus pandemic.

Canberra, Jan 18 (IANS): Brendan Murphy, Secretary of the Australian Department of Health, revealed on Monday that it was unlikely that the country’s borders will fully re-open in 2021.

Murphy, who headed Australia’s initial response to Covid-19 as the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) before becoming the Department Secretary, said that full-scale travel to and from Australia would likely not resume until 2022, reports Xinhua news agency.

“I think the answer is probably no,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) on Monday when asked if borders would “realistically” be reopened in 2021.

“I think we’ll go most of this year with substantial border restrictions. Even if we have a lot of the population vaccinated we don’t know whether that will prevent transmission of the virus and it’s likely that quarantine will continue for some time,” he said.

Australia has so far reported a total of 28,708 confirmed coronavirus cases, and the

numbers of locally and overseas acquired cases in the last 24 hours were six and 13 respectively, according to the latest figures from the Department of Health.

The country’s death toll stood at 909.

Australia’s borders were closed to non-citizens and non-residents from March 20, 2020.

Australians were banned from leaving the country for nonessential reasons from March 25, 2020.

Murphy said on Monday that the unpredictable nature of the pandemic made it impossible to predict when Australians would be allowed to travel overseas en masse.

“I don’t want to predict more than two or three months ahead, the world is changing.

“At the moment we’ve got this light at the end of the tunnel, the vaccines, so we’re going to go as safely and as fast as we can to get the population vaccinated and then we’ll look at what happens,” he added.

The poll published by the think tank Australia Institute found that 76 per cent of Australians agreed that Morrison “has a responsibility to clearly and publicly criticize” members of his governing Liberal National Party coalition who spread misinformation about the pandemic, reports Xinhua news agency.

It comes after government MP Craig Kelly shared posts on social media earlier in January likening mask mandates for children to child abuse.

“Forcing children to wear masks is causing massive physical & psychological harm - that can only be defined as child abuse,” he wrote.

condemn Kelly and others who were “torching the foundation of community health and science”.

“Hopefully we can get the leaders being very strong and clear in their advice and strong about supporting science,” AMA Vice President Chris Moy said.

The poll found that disapproval of Kelly was strong across party lines with 77 per cent of coalition voters agreeing that he should be censured.

The Australia Institute also found that 56 percent of voters agreed that Morrison should criticise or condemn outgoing US President Donald Trump for his role in inciting the January 6 Capitol Hill riots in Washington D.C.

In the wake of the post the peak body for doctors, the Australian Medical Association (AMA), called on Morrison to publicly

Morrison condemned participants in the riots for the “terribly distressing” scenes but has not addressed Trump’s role.

terribly from the travel ban,” the petition said.

More than 60 international students arrived in the Northern Territory (NT) in December 2020 as part of a pilot program, becoming the first students to enter Australia in March.

Petition urges Aus govt to allow int’l students’ return Canberra, Jan 16 (IANS): Thousands of people have signed a petition calling for the Australian government to allow international students back into the country.

As of Saturday afternoon, the petition had garnered more than 5,700 signatures - the second-most of current position addressed to the lower house of Australian Parliament, the House of Representatives, reports Xinhua news agency.

Australia’s lucrative international education industry has been devastated by the government’s decision to close the country’s borders in March 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“International students suffer

“High school students cannot go to school. University students struggle with online lessons with bad quality. We are forced to defer because of invalid internships and in-person courses.

“Lots of students do not have online classes and they have to be exempted to enter Australia to schools as soon as possible.

“International students contribute millions of dollars to the Australian community and benefit Aussie society in various areas.

“International students are willing to quarantine, obey any rules and pay all the fees,” the petition added.

However, Prime Minister Scott Morrison in November 2020 ruled out allowing students to enter Australia in large numbers until more than 35,000 citizens and residents stranded overseas were repatriated.

“There is a queue and Australians are at the front of the queue,” he said at the time.

The weekly cap on international arrivals to Australia was temporarily slashed by more than 2,000 per week earlier in January in response to fears over the mutant strain of Covid-19.

Aus Covid vaccine ad Oxford Covid-19 vaccine boss campaign to target warns Aus against delaying rollout ‘community concerns’ Canberra, Jan 10 (IANS): Australia’s Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Sunday that the government would target young women, migrants and indigenous Australians with its coronavirus vaccine advertising campaign.

Hunt said that the A$24 million campaign, which will be rolled out weeks before vaccinations begin in mid-February, would be “a very detailed information program”, reports Xinhua news agency.

Research commissioned by the government has found that about 80 per cent of Australians are willing to receive vaccines approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) but that women aged 30-39 were the most likely to hold safety concerns.

Hunt said the campaign would

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seek to reassure Australians’ confidence in vaccines.

“The Department of Health invests in understanding community concerns, and is developing information and communication to meet the needs of the community, including pregnant women and young families,” he told Nine Entertainment newspapers.

“We are confident, given Australia’s high vaccination coverage rates, Australians will take up a safe and effective Covid-19 vaccine in equally high numbers.”

The government has repeatedly ruled out following the lead of other countries in granting emergency approval for vaccines.

Canberra, Jan 15 (IANS): A scientist who led the development of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine on Friday warned Australia against delaying its rollout.

The Australian and New Zealand Society for Immunology recently called on the Canberra government to pause its planned rollout of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccines, saying it may not be effective enough to generate herd immunity to the virus, reports Xinhua news agency.

In response, head of the Oxford Vaccine Group Andrew Pollard said that the focus should be on the vaccine’s ability to prevent serious illness or death from COVID-19 rather than its capacity to stop transmission of the virus.

“Having a supply of vaccines today

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and getting them into people’s arms is what will save lives. That to me has got to be the absolute focus,” he said, according to The Sydney Morning Herald on Friday.

“The one hard bit of data we have for all the vaccines is that people who are vaccinated do not end up in hospital from Covid-19 and we’ve seen that consistently from our trials.”

The Australian government has agreed to purchase 53.8 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine pending approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

Some experts cited trials of the vaccine that found it was 62 per cent effective at preventing Covid-19, compared to about 95 per cent for vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna.

vaccine could only be determined “when they’re in people’s arms”.

“We don’t have any possibility of herd immunity without having high levels of vaccine coverage and nowhere in the world has had that happen yet,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Australian Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly on Wednesday dismissed calls to postpone the rollout, which is set to begin in mid-February.

Australia has so far reported 28,658 confirmed coronavirus cases, and the numbers of locally and overseas acquired cases in the last 24 hours were zero and 10 respectively, according to the latest figures updated by the Department of Health.

Pollard said that the impact of a

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NEWS FROM VICTORIA

Vigilance around water urged as state National Cabinet heats up discuss Covid response Melbourne, Jan 22: The National Cabinet met to discuss Australia’s COVID-19 response, the Australian COVID-19 Vaccination Policy and management of Australia’s borders.

Minister for Police and Emergency Services Lisa Neville joined Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp and Life Saving Victoria’s Dr Bernadette Matthews in Port Melbourne this morning to warn Victorians about the dangers of being complacent around water. The warning comes after three devastating drownings occurred on Wednesday, 13 January in separate incidents at Bushrangers Bay and Rye on the Mornington Peninsula, and at Venus Bay in South Gippsland.

National Cabinet continues to work together to address issues and find solutions to the health and economic consequences of COVID-19. The Acting Chief Medical Officer, Professor Michael Kidd, provided an update on the latest epidemiological data and medical advice in relation to COVID-19.

Tragically, a four-year old girl later died in hospital after an incident at Lysterfield Lake in Melbourne’s south-east on 13 January, bringing the drowning death toll to four as a result from drowning incidents on one single day.

That same day, seven people were taken to hospital after neardrowning incidents across the state. A male has sadly drowned in waters off Woodside in South Gippsland overnight, bringing the total number of drownings to five in the space of a week.

With temperatures set to soar in the next few days and over the Australia Day holiday, authorities have stressed the need for extra vigilance when heading to Victoria’s many and varied coastal beaches, rivers or inland waterways. The warning is particularly important after many Victorians missed the opportunity for swimming lessons or improving their skills around water due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Courtesy @lisanevilleMP - Twitter

Melbourne, Jan 20: Victorians are being reminded of the importance of water safety this week as the state heads into more hot weather, following a terrible spate of drownings recently.

Minister for Police and Emergency Services Lisa Nevill (2nd left) Victoria is experiencing one of its worst years for drownings, with 40 drowning deaths since 1 July 2020. This is 13 more drowning deaths than the 5-year average, 16 more than the 10-year average and the highest number of drowning incidents for the period 1 July 2020 – 13 January since 2004-05.

and an additional helicopter for situational analysis.

These tragic statistics are a stark reminder to take care around water this summer – follow the warnings, swim between the flags at patrolled times, supervise children, never swim alone, and don’t drink and swim.

“Our thoughts remain with the family and friends of those who tragically lost their lives in separate drowning incidents in the last week, as well as the emergency services and members of the public who jumped in to help.

Since 2015-16, the Andrews Labor Government has invested over $71 million in lifesaving Throughout Victoria. More than $38 million has been provided to lifesaving clubs for facilities redevelopment and direct grants, and more $33 million provided to Life Saving Victoria for a range of statewide water safety programs and services. A further $1.7 million funding boost for Life Saving Victoria was also announced late last year to ensure the safety of swimmers at Victoria’s iconic beaches this summer.

This latest funding has provided more lifeguards, more patrolled areas, increased aerial surveillance including drones

It is now clear that through the actions of every Australian, we have successfully prevented a third wave of infections, a rare achievement given the significant increase in global cases. Australia has achieved 6 days in a row of zero cases of local transmission.

There have been 28,754 confirmed cases in Australia and, sadly, 909 people have died. There are now 34 people in hospital. More than 12.6 million tests have been undertaken in Australia.

Minister for Police and Emergency Services Lisa Neville said: “Last week was a horror one on our waters –it’s more important than ever for Victorians to be vigilant and do the right thing when visiting our beaches, pools and waterways.

“We’ve given our emergency services additional tools and support to keep the public safe when by the water – but it’s up to all of us to play our part by following the warnings and being smart and safe around water.”

Australia has done well on both the health and economic fronts compared to most countries around the world.

National Cabinet noted the significant increase in COVID-19 cases in many countries and the comparative strength of Australia’s effort in addressing COVID compared to most other developed economies.

Emergency Management Commissioner Andrew Crisp said: “We know Victorians are keen to finally enjoy a late summer, but we’re all responsible when it comes to water safety. Our world class emergency services and lifesaving teams are the last frontier, so check the conditions, swim in patrolled areas, supervise others and know your limits.”

Globally there have been over 97 million cases and sadly over 2 million deaths, with 674,054 new cases reported in the last 24 hours. National Cabinet discussed the management of emerging COVID-19 variants. Australia continues to manage the new COVID-19 variants through extended quarantine, testing and mask wearing arrangements.

National Cabinet reaffirmed commitment to the Australian COVID-19 Vaccination Policy, which sets out the roles and responsibilities of the Commonwealth, states, and territories in rolling out COVID-19 vaccination. National Cabinet will meet again on Friday 5.

Empowering students to help stop violence

Courtesy Victoria Government

Vaccine implementation strategy

Melbourne, Jan 24: Victorian school students will learn about the impact of violence and coward punches through a series of Be Wise Education presentations, supported by the Andrews Labor Government.

Minister for Education James Merlino today announced a $150,000 investment to support the Pat Cronin Foundation to expand its Be Wise Education

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program. The funding will help deliver 200 presentations to government and non-government schools in 2021.

The Pat Cronin Foundation was established by Matt and Robyn Cronin in memory of their 19-year-old son who died from a coward punch on a night out in Diamond Creek in 2016. The Pat Cronin Foundation and the Be Wise Education program

were established to help end the coward punch by helping young people to make wise decisions.

The program complements the Victorian Curriculum F–10 delivery of personal and social capability curriculum and provides students with resources and presentations to raise awareness about the drivers and consequences of social violence and how their actions

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Professor Brendan Murphy, the chair of the COVID-19 Science and Industry Technical Advisory could impact on other people.

Ambassadors of the Pat Cronin Foundation include sporting heroes Matthew Richardson, Kevin Sheedy and Andrew Gaze.

Minister for Education James Merlino said:“It is vital to educate Victorian students that violence is never the solution and just a single punch could take a life.”“We’re helping our students make wise decisions – for their sake, and to make our community safer.”

Group and Secretary of the Commonwealth Department of Health provided an overview of the extensive arrangements underway to develop the Australian vaccination Strategy and prepare for the roll out of COVID-19 vaccines to priority groups.

National Cabinet thanked Professor Murphy for the significant work underway, noting the development of the vaccination program implementation plan, and reiterated the importance of close cooperation between the Commonwealth, states, and territories on the roll out.

National Cabinet agreed the interim AHPPC advice on COVID vaccination and aged care facilities.

The Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC) has provided advice that state and territory public health orders should not be utilised to require the COVID-19 vaccine for aged care workers at this point. There is currently a lack of evidence regarding effectiveness at preventing transmission and there is not yet a clear date by which all residents, staff, visitors, and carers will have had an opportunity to be vaccinated.

The AHHPC will continue to monitor the situation and will reconsider this matter and provide advice once further evidence becomes available.

Currently, AHPPC believes that Commonwealth and jurisdictional efforts should focus on communications to strongly encourage community uptake, which is expected to be high.

International passenger arrival caps National Cabinet reaffirmed a commitment to return international passenger arrival caps to previous levels on 15 February 2021.

National Cabinet further agreed to prioritise the return of Australians, with a shared focus on improving confidence in, and expanding quarantine capacity safely to accommodate returning Australians.

The Commonwealth will continue to engage with relevant states on earlier return to caps and further increases.

Pat Cronin Foundation Matt Cronin said: “The government’s investment in the Be Wise Education program helps us with our core mission to stop social violence and end the coward punch.”

“Our presentations help empower students by giving them an understanding of Pat’s story and fostering discussion about anger, aggression and strategies to deal with these issues.”

Founder and Chair of the

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QCS officers awarded Australians Corrections Medal as part of Australia Day Honours List

Brisbane lifts indoor face mask mandate

T

hree Queensland Corrective Services (QCS) officers have been awarded the Australian Corrections Medal (ACM) as part of the Australia Day Honours List.

Brisbane, Jan 21 (IANS): People living in Brisbane will no longer need to wear a mask in indoor venues as Queensland announced that it has managed to bring the local spread of a mutant Covid-19 strain of COVID-19 under control.

Queensland continues to record zero local cases, allowing the authorities to further ease the pandemic restrictions.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk attributed the result to the state’s “go hard and go quickly” strategy.

Earlier this month, an emergency three-day lockdown had been declared by Palaszczuk for the entire Greater Brisbane area with a mandatory face mask order in place after a local quarantine hotel cleaner was tested positive for the mutant virus detected in

Courtesy Queensland Labor

Minster for Corrective Services, Mark Ryan MP said QCS officers were front-line public safety officers playing a vital role in community safety.

Britain, the first local case of the kind in the nation.

The ease of restrictions came after the health authorities conducted contact tracing on 1,200 people and made sure there were no further spreading of the virus, the state’s Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said.

Australia has so far reported 28,740 coronavirus cases and 909 deaths.

Brisbane, Jan 23: Two new Queensland Government-led residential developments in Carseldine and Oxley are leading the nation with 100% solar and battery neighbourhoods, saving homebuyers thousands of dollars in electricity.

Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development Steven Miles said both developments, which feature zero net energy emission homes, are showcasing innovation and sustainability, while supporting economic recovery and job creation.

“All the Carseldine Village terrace homes and the Oxley Songbird detached residential dwellings homes will come with solar PV, battery storage systems, heat pump hot water systems, WiFi air conditioning and will be electric vehicle charger ready,” Mr Miles said.

“This could save owners up to $1600 per year off their power bills.”

Minister for Energy Renewables and Hydrogen and Minister for Public Works and Procurement Mick de Brenni said that these futuristic homes were ensuring that Queensland reaches its renewable energy target of 50% by 2030.

Member for Aspley Bart Mellish said the Carseldine Village development had committed to delivering net zero energy emissions with energy saving features to slash power bills.

“There will be a solar PV system in every home, with an AlphaESS solar battery to store surplus

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“Steven, a Senior Psychologist at Maryborough Correctional

Since the onset of the pandemic last year, Queensland has registered 1,300 infections and six fatalities.

Qld Govt-led residential developments go 100% solar and battery

Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development Steven Miles energy generated from the solar panels to provide power when the sun isn’t shining,” Mr Mellish said.

“This will save people living in terrace homes here in Carseldine money on their power bills and make living here a more sustainable choice.”

An energy assessment found in comparing an average existing home to a similar sized energy efficient terrace home with solar PV and an AlphaESS battery system at Carseldine Village, owners could save up to $1600 per year.

The Deputy Premier said at Oxley’s Songbird development, a landmark deal with Natural Solar and Tesla will see homeowners have access to a solar PV and Tesla Powerwall package.

“Solar PV combined with a Tesla Powerwall will have on and off grid capability and the option to link into a virtual power plant to generate revenue for the homebuyer,” Mr Miles said.

“On behalf of the Government and the people of Queensland, I am honoured to congratulate this year’s Australian Corrections Medal recipients: Ms Roberta Embrey, Mr Steven Mitchell and Ms Chel Sealey,” Minister Ryan said.

“Roberta, Acting Chief Superintendent of Sentence Management Services, is recognised for her commitment to improving outcomes for prisoners and offenders within Queensland Corrective Services over her 24year career and her significant contribution to community safety.

Centre, is recognised for his distinguished services to Queensland Corrective Services, to the rehabilitation of prisoners and to community safety throughout his 24-year-career.

“Chel, who is the Acting Superintendent of South Coast Region Community Corrections, is recognised for her distinguished service to Queensland Corrective Services, particularly in the Community Corrections field, throughout her 15-year career.

“Congratulations to Roberta, Steven and Chel for their efforts to keep the community safe and for the for their distinguished service to the people of Queensland,” Minister Ryan said.

Commissioner Peter Martin APM said this year’s recipients represented the many different roles that corrective services officers play to keep the community of Queensland safe.

“Roberta, Steven and Chel work in different fields across our

state, which highlights the various ways our officers make a real difference to community safety,” Commissioner Martin said.

“One of the guiding principles of Corrections 2030 is excellence, and it is important that we appropriately recognise our officers who demonstrate excellent work as they perform their vital role of keeping the community safe,” “On behalf of all QCS officers, my warmest congratulations go to Roberta, Steven and Chel for their commitment to the safety of the community.”

Established in 2017, the ACM is awarded every year on Australia Day and the Queen’s Birthday ( June) for distinguished service by correctional officers across Australia.

The Australian Corrections Medal features the Federation Star and bears the scales of justice and is surrounded by a laurel of Australian wattle.

QFES staff and volunteers recognised at Australia Day Achievement Awards Courtesy Department of State Development Qld

“From 1 a.m. we will be back to having amongst the lowest restrictions in our economy in the country - this is great news for business, great news for tourism, and great for the people of Queensland to celebrate,” Xinhua news agency quoted the state’s Health Minister Yvette D’Ath as saying.

NEWS FROM QUEENSLAND

Brisbane, Jan 21: Dedicated members of the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) were recognised today at the 2021 Australia Day Achievement Awards held at the Emergency Services Complex in Kedron, recognising both State office and Brisbane Region staff.

Minister for Fire and Emergency Services Mark Ryan said QFES had provided outstanding fire and emergency services over the past year.

“From fighting devastating bushfires, helping Queenslanders recover from severe storms, rescuing people from home fires and floodwater, to providing crucial support during COVID-19 operations, QFES members have been out in force to protect our communities,” Mr Ryan said.

“These awards are an opportunity to acknowledge the outstanding commitment and achievements of those who have gone above and beyond.

“We have presented 69 awards to QFES members across the region who have made major contributions to building safe and resilient communities.

“Members of the Fire and Rescue Service, Rural Fire Service and State Emergency Service are always at the ready to respond to a range of disasters.

“It’s an honour to recognise their service and dedication on behalf of all Queenslanders.”

“Congratulations to all of our award recipients for supporting our communities when they need it most.”

QFES Commissioner Greg Leach congratulated the award recipients for their outstanding work with Queensland communities.

“The award recipients have exemplified QFES’ core values of respect, integrity, courage, loyalty and trust,” Mr Leach said.

“Thanks to their outstanding achievements, Queenslanders

can rest assured they are in safe hands when disaster strikes.

“I would like to thank our major, long-term sponsor, QSuper, for their ongoing support of QFES and the Australia Day Achievement Awards.

“I am immensely proud of all our award winners today and thank them for their contributions over the past 12 months.”

QSuper Chief Executive Officer Michael Pennisi said the awards recognised the incredible response by frontline workers to challenges in 2020.

“Difficult times often bring out the best in people, and each of the nominees and award recipients of the Australia Day Achievement Awards is a testament to that belief,” Mr Pennisi said.

“QSuper’s support for the staff and volunteers of QFES is unwavering and we are continually inspired by their work to keep our communities safe.”

School gates open to thousands of young Queenslanders Brisbane, 26 Jan: Queensland schools welcome almost 870,000 students, 54,000 teachers and 19,000 teacher aides for the first day of the 2021 school year.

Of these 870,000 students, about 582,000 are expected at Queensland’s 1254 state schools.

And Independent and Catholic schools expect to welcome more than 284,000 students across 535 schools.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk today visited Heatley Secondary College in Townsville with

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Education Minister Grace Grace and Member for Thuringowa Aaron Harper to celebrate the first day back at school.

The Premier said state school students would be entering more classrooms, with more teachers and better facilities in 2021.

“Our infrastructure spend in 2020-21 of $1.9 billion is also an investment in almost 4800 jobs for local tradies as we unite and recover from the impact of the global pandemic.

Minister Grace said today was

also a special day for 829 students who walked through the gates of our five brand new state schools, with construction supporting 1360 local jobs.

“Our five new state schools that opened this morning - Palmview State Primary School, Palmview State Special School and Baringa State Secondary College on the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane South State Secondary College at Dutton Park and Gainsborough State School on the Gold Coast - are of a world-class standard,” she said.

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NEWS FROM NEW SOUTH WALES

Biggest infrastructure investment NSW action plan to in history of NSW national parks turn ideas into jobs Sydney, Jan 20: More than 750km of new and upgraded walking tracks, 33 campground upgrades and 61 new and improved picnic areas are set to be delivered, as part of a record investment in community infrastructure in NSW national parks.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the NSW Government is investing $257 million to deliver 170 new and improved community infrastructure projects across the national parks estate. “Not only are our national parks good for the environment and our health and wellbeing, they are good for the health of the economy – injecting around $18 billion into the economy each year and

supporting 74,000 direct and indirect jobs,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“We’ve seen a huge surge in visitation during the pandemic as people rediscover the joys of the great outdoors, and we want to do everything we can to make the national park visitor experience even better.” Environment Minister Matt Kean said the record funding amount will be delivered over three years, with priority given to projects that benefit the community and boost eco-tourism across the state.

“Whether it’s improving accessibility with new walking tracks and trails, or new and improved places to share a picnic with family and friends,

we are delivering the single biggest investment in community infrastructure in the history of our national parks,” Mr Kean said.

“Over this summer alone, more than 18.5 million visits are expected in the state’s almost 900 national parks, providing a much needed boost for nearby small businesses and nature-based tourism operators.

“I urge each and every one of those visitors to jump online and head to the national parks website which is jam-packed with the information you need to know to keep yourself safe, your friends safe and your family safe in our national parks.”

Australia’s oldest museum offers late night entertainment Sydney, Jan 29 (IANS): The Australian Museum in Sydney, the country’s oldest which reopened its doors to the public last November, is now offering late night entertainment, giving visitors an opportunity to wander through new spaces and exhibitions in the evenings.

Located in downtown Sydney, the Australian Museum boasts of a history of over 190 years. After 15 months of renovation, the museum reopened on November 28, 2020, Xinhua news agency reported on Friday. The summer evening program will feature extended hours every Thursday from January to March 2021.

evenings and enjoy a ‘Night at the Museum’, wandering through our exhibitions, encountering special talks, enjoying live music and even late-night shopping in our new museum store,” McKay added.

From stunning pictures taken by 2020 Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year about the country’s terrific natural beauties, to an exploration of the museum’s most precious collections, visitors could enjoy a couple of exhibitions, workshops and events in different parts of the museum.

“There is something magical about the museum at night, and we’re thrilled to be able to extend our hours on Thursday evenings to provide a fun and vibrant space for people to connect and come together which is now more important than ever,” Director and CEO of Australian Museum Kim McKay said.

“With free general entry and extended hours on Thursday evenings, anyone can discover and enjoy all that Australia’s first, and recently revamped museum has to offer. There is something for everyone to enjoy at the transformed museum,” Minister for the Arts of the state of New South Wales (NSW) Don Harwin said.

“Visitors can pop in after work or after dinner on summer

Among all the exhibitions, the one about the whole family of a

tyrannosaurus is most popular for children during the current school holiday.Visitors can come face-to-face with a life-sized tyrannosaurus and observe a colossal collection of skeletons, skulls and fossil eggs. The interactive exhibition features virtual reality, touch screens, immersive projections and AI. Facing the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the largely reduced visitor flow in downtown, the NSW state government also hoped the summer evening program could promote Sydney’s night-time economy and contribute to the revitalization of the Central Business District.

“With its central location opposite Hyde Park, the Australian Museum is a key attraction for residents and visitors to our city, and offering extended evening hours at our premier cultural institutions is an important step in supporting our creative economy to be back up and running,” NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said.

Sydney, Jan 25: Research and development will become a key jobs creator in NSW as the government launches a bold new plan to make the state an R&D world leader. The report, which was delivered to the Premier by her Parliamentary Secretary Gabrielle Upton, is the NSW Government’s first significant step towards reforming the R&D sector.

“The pandemic has reinforced to us the power of collaboration,” Ms Berejiklian said. “The private sector, academia and the NSW Government collaborated to unlock crucial supplies and to solve difficult problems on behalf of the people of NSW. “We are now bottling that spirit of collaboration and applying it to how we support R&D across the State. This is only the start of the commitments we will be making to R&D. “R&D will be a powerful jobs creator during our economic recovery. For every dollar invested in R&D there can be an economic benefit of 14 dollars in return.”

Ms Upton worked with an Advisory Council of eminent leaders chaired by David Gonski AC and undertook broad public consultation to finalise five priority actions.

The NSW Government has already committed $26 million from the NSW 2020/21 Budget to fund two of the priority actions in the report including launching a Small Business Innovation Research program and establishing an R&D matchmaking platform.

Ms Upton said the Advisory Council conducted extensive consultations with leaders in large, SME and start-up businesses, investors, educators, researchers and innovators across all sectors.

“Their message to our government was the increasing need to be proactive in supporting and attracting new businesses, especially in future industries that will sustain economic growth, productivity and employment,” Ms Upton said.

Visitors are seen at the Australian Museum in Sydney, Australia, Jan. 28, 2021. (XinhuaBai Xuefei)

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“In a post–COVID-19 world, this means that the NSW Government’s record investments in ‘hard’ infrastructure such as roads and public transport needs to be complemented by strategic

investment in ‘soft’ infrastructure – R&D, research translation and infrastructure – which drives these growing and emerging industries.”

Mr Gonski welcomed the report and thanked the wide range of people and organisations who contributed to it.

“This report comes at a critical time. The devastating impact of COVID-19 on investment in R&D and the downstream impacts on economic growth and job creation makes this task an urgent one,” Mr Gonski said.

“Decisive government action to attract and leverage investment, improve crosssector collaboration and rapidly translate ideas into new products and services will be integral to our recovery from this crisis.”

NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer, Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte said the action plan’s focus is on implementing its five priority actions in a coherent, integrated and sustainable way to accelerate the translation and commercialisation of research in NSW. “Another crucial aspect is the recommendation of the launch of a program of NSW R&D Missions aimed at solving the state’s longterm strategic challenges in areas including bushfire response, drought resilience, health and the transition to renewable energy.”

The NSW push to turn ideas into jobs is already underway, with the home grown AgTech pioneer, Agerris, developing robotic and AI technologies to increase on-farm operational productivity.

Agerris technology was partially supported by a $1.3m grant from the NSW Office of the Chief Scientist and Engineer to develop and deploy an Agricultural Robotics STEM program.

Agerris can trace its origins to the world-class Australian Centre for Field Robotics based in Sydney and recently raised $6.5 million in new funding to commercialise its research. Agerris currently has 13 employees and is using these funds to build and scale their innovative robots here in NSW, providing high quality jobs.

Given the size of Australia’s agricultural sector, the opportunities for applying cutting edge technologies to increase productivity are huge.

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NEWS FROM ACT

Biggest infrastructure investment Free webtool to help in history of NSW national parks renters cut energy costs Canberra, 21 January: The ACT Government recognises that climate change poses a real and immediate threat to our city, our country, and the world.

Through the 2020-21 budget, the Government will build on the ACT’s achievement of 100% renewable electricity through investing $307 million over five years to take the next steps to transition the ACT to net zero emissions through the following initiatives: • Establish a $150 million fund for the Sustainable Household Scheme to offer zero-interest loans of up to $15,000 to help households with the upfront costs of investing in rooftop solar panels, household battery storage, zero emission vehicles and efficient electric appliances.

• Funding of $100 million over five years, including the 2020-21 financial year, will be allocated to deliver a Big Canberra Battery of at least 250MW of new ‘largescale’ battery storage distributed across the ACT. • Waive registration fees on new ZEV registered vehicles for the first two years of registration

from May 2021 to encourage more Canberrans to purchase electric vehicles.

• Establish a $5 million Building Energy Efficiency Upgrade Fund to support community clubs to undertake energy efficiency upgrades through initiative like water and ventilation audits, partial grants for certain energy and water efficiency upgrades and no-interest loans for certain upgrades such as rooftop solar.

• Establish a $50 million Vulnerable Household Energy Support Initiative to improve building efficiency and sustainability for social and public housing, low income owner occupiers and low performing rental properties.

• Make it easier for ACT households to get better energy deals by making it mandatory for electricity retailers to provide customers with a reference bill for a typical consumer, and to notify customers of plans that would reduce the customer’s bills.

• Initial funding of $855,000 to support phasing out fossil fuel gas through continuing work on the ACT’s sustainable energy policy

actions and developing legislation to prevent new gas mains network connections to future stages of greenfield residential development in the ACT. • Invest $915,000 over two years to establish an Office of the Coordinator General for Climate Action to coordinate government efforts and oversee major projects to keep our Climate Action commitments on track.

At a time of climate crisis, we know that the decisions we make today will have significant consequences for future generations of Canberrans.

The ACT Government has one of the most ambitious agendas for addressing climate change globally and is committed to showing other jurisdictions what is possible to achieve in a short period of time, while supporting all Canberra households through the necessary transition.

These initiatives are the first steps to progressing the ACT Government’s commitment to Climate Action through the Parliamentary Agreement of the 10th Legislative Assembly.

COVID-19 testing clinic changes announced Canberra, 21 January: The West Belconnen COVID-19 Testing Clinic will no longer operate as a testing clinic from Jan 22. This will allow the facility to return to delivering Child and Family services.

Free testing is still available at Garran Oval, Weston Creek, Kambah and EPIC drive through sites. You can also access free testing, by appointment at YourGP@Crace and Lakeview Medical Practice in Tuggeranong

on weekdays, and Winnunga Nimmityjah Respiratory Clinic, which provides a culturally appropriate assessment and testing centre for First Nations people and existing clients of Winnunga.

Alistair Coe to resign from March Canberra, 23 January: The Former ACT opposition leader Alistair Coe will resign his seat, after the Liberals failed to win the 2020 ACT election in October.

Coe said: “In the weeks since the 2020 election, I’ve had the opportunity to contemplate my future. I am proud of what I have achieved and my commitment to the ACT over the past 12 years.”

The ACT Greens acknowledged Mr Coe’s contributions to the ACT Legislative Assembly during his time as an MLA. “As the longest serving Liberal MLA in the Assembly at the moment, Alistair has shown a real dedication to his community and the issues he has championed since he entered the Assembly in 2008,” said ACT Greens Leader Shane Rattenbury.

“While we often disagreed heartily

about issues, Alistair represented his beliefs and his constituency in a genuine and heartfelt manner.”

“Being elected as a representative of our community is a privilege and a large responsibility that

requires great deal of time, work and dedication. On behalf of the ACT Greens, we wish Mr Coe and his family the best as he closes this chapter.”

Face masks mandatory for domestic air travel Canberra, 22 January: A new public health direction will make face masks mandatory for domestic commercial air travel in and out of the ACT, and while in the Canberra Airport, from 11.59pm on Friday 22 January 2021.

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The direction is in line with the commitment jurisdictions have made to implement this policy for all domestic air travel across Australia, as part of National Cabinet.

This new direction will mean

Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction Shane Rattenbury said that while it is designed for renters, the webtool can be used by anyone who wants to find ways to reduce their energy bills and make their home more comfortable all year round.

“We want to ensure homes are comfortable and affordable for everyone, but renters and people in older homes in the region know how challenging it can be to keep cool in summer and warm in winter”, Minister Rattenbury said.

“In a recent survey on the ACT Your Say Community Panel, more than 4 in 10 renters said they cannot keep their homes comfortably warm.

“This free webtool will suggest the best actions renters can take to reduce energy use on things like heating, cooling, appliances, hot water, lighting, and cooking.

Importantly, the webtool also generates a report with steps that the building owner can take, such as installing insulation.”

The Parliamentary and Governing Agreement for this term of the Legislative Assembly includes a commitment to introduce minimum energy efficiency standards for rental

“Alistair also worked hard to engage the multicultural community in ACT politics - an important contribution to making Canberra a more inclusive city, and work that will strengthen our democracy.”

“Having worked with Alistair on a number of committees and pieces of legislation over the years, I have always appreciated both his attention to detail and a willingness to find a way through contested discussions - something important in politics when you are trying to get the best outcomes for the community.”

Canberra, 22 January: Canberra’s renters will be able to assess their home energy efficiency and reduce their energy costs, after the ACT Government today launched the Actsmart Home Energy Assessment Webtool.

The online tool, which asks the renter a series of questions, instantly downloads a tailored report that lists the best actions the household can take to reduce energy use and increase their comfort.

people 12 years and above, including workers who interact with the public, must wear face masks while inside the Canberra Airport terminal and during domestic commercial flights in and out of Canberra.

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Although face masks will not be required outside the terminal, passengers embarking and disembarking a flight on the tarmac must keep them on.

People will be permitted to remove their face mask to ascertain their identity when going through security or when eating and drinking or taking medication both in the airport terminal and during a flight. They will also be able to remove their mask during an emergency and to communicate effectively, for example, with someone who is hearing impaired.

properties this year, with staged implementation over the coming years.

The ACT Government has also committed to implementing higher energy-efficiency standards for new homes, to ensure they’re climate-ready, liveable and sustainable, addressing issues such as insulation, glazing, passive design, phasing out gas, and the requirement for electric vehicle charge points. “Setting energy efficiency standards for rental properties and setting higher standards for new homes are essential to achieving a netzero emissions ACT,” Minister Rattenbury said.

“While those are being developed and implemented, this webtool is something renters can use today to cut emissions, save money and make their homes more comfortable.

“Climate change is making it more challenging to be comfortable in our homes, so I encourage everyone to try this online tool. It only takes around half an hour, so you can try it out at any time.”

The Australian Energy Foundation assisted the ACT Government in designing the webtool and local organisations like Better Renting are providing input and feedback on the program to help refine the tool for Canberra renters.

The Government’s Actsmart program also offers free, expert home energy assessments for renters and for homeowners, either over the phone or face-toface, and engages the St Vincent de Paul Society to assist lowincome households. must be designed or made to be worn over the mouth and nose, and should fit securely around your face to provide the wearer with protection against infection. A scarf or bandana is not considered an appropriate face mask.

There are exceptions to this direction, including for infants and children under the age of 12, as well as people with a disability or a particular medical condition that makes wearing a face mark unsuitable.

Under the direction, face masks

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US rejoins Paris climate pact, WHO under Biden

Tibetans hopeful of seeing Biden host the Dalai Lama Dharamsala, Jan 24 (IANS): Tibetans are hopeful of being united with the States once again with their globetrotting spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who has a special relationship with US presidents that began with a gold watch, calling on President Joe Biden soon for substantive discussions.

New York, Jan 21 (IANS): Getting to work soon after the inauguration festivities, President Joe Biden has signed orders for the US to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord and the World Health Organization (WHO) in the first set of actions to undo the policies of his predecessor Donald Trump.

He signed 17 executive orders covering also immigration and the fight against Covid-19 on Wednesday afternoon after he was sworn-in as president and Kamala Harris as Vice President.

Biden said that he is fulfilling “a commitment I made that we’re going to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord as of today”.

Trump had pulled out of the Paris agreement asserting that it placed an unfair economic burden on American compared to countries like India and China.

He also quit the WHO because it was being deferential to China, especially during the Covid-19 crisis.

Rejoining the WHO “will strengthen our efforts in strengthening global health,” his Spokesperson Jan Psaki said.

Biden also ended oil and gas exploration on federal lands and the laying of a pipeline to transport oil from Canada.

The first order Biden signed was for the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. It mandated the wearing of masks and observance of social distancing on federal government politics and on planes, trains and buses travelling between states.

Taking up immigration issues, Biden gave protection and work permits to those who came in as children and are in the country illegally. It would not help those who came in legally and stayed legal like the children of those on H1-B visas who can be deported when they become adults.

He issued another order ending the construction of the wall on the Mexican border that Trump had ordered to deter illegal immigration.

He was also sending to Congress an immigration bill that would give legal status to about 11 million people who are in the country legally and eventually citizenship. According to one of Biden’s election manifestos, 500,000 Indians would be covered by it.

The bill would not cover those legally in the country on nonimmigrant visas like H1-B and can wait several decades for getting Green Cards or immigrant status.

Trump’s second impeachment trial to start in February New York, Jan 23 (IANS): The second impeachment trial of former US President Donald Trump will begin in the second week of February, although the process for it will start next week when the document with the charges will be received by the Senate and the Senators will be sworn in as jurors.

Senate Democratic Party Leader Chuck Schumer announced the schedule on Friday night after he reached a deal with the Republicans, who wanted a two-week delay in starting the trial to give Trump to prepare his

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defence.

He said that Speaker Nancy Pelosi will deliver the Articles of Impeachment, as the chargesheet voted by the House of Representatives is known, to the Senate on Monday and the Senators will be sworn-in as jurors the next day, but the trial itself will not start till two weeks later.

Impeachment is the framing of charges against an official by the House, which then holds a judicial-style trial with senators as the jury. Two-thirds of them,

WORLD NEWS

After a four-year unusual exception of President Donald Trump, they feel Biden will continue a decades-old practice of the deep and enduring affinity between Americans and Tibetans that has been followed religiously

by American presidents by extending an invitation to the Buddhist monk in the Oval Office, generally reserved for visiting heads of state, as the pandemic subsides.

Since George H.W. Bush (1991), the Dalai Lama has met all the US presidents, including Barack Obama on four occasions: February 18, 2010, July 16, 2011, February 21, 2014, and June 15, 2016.

Likewise, he met Bill Clinton and George W. Bush several times.

Every time the meetings prompted sharp reaction from the Chinese government, which views the Nobel Peace laureate as a hostile element bent upon

splitting Tibet from China.

In 2007, the Dalai Lama received the US Congressional Gold Medal, even in the face of protests by China.

The last official meeting was when President Obama greeted the Dalai Lama in 2016 at the White House.

The first meeting of the two old trusted friends, the Dalai Lama and Obama, was in 2005 when the latter was a member of the Senate. In 2017, Obama met the spiritual leader in New Delhi, sixth in the series, to discuss promoting peace in the world.

The 85-year-old monk, who was enthroned two years before President Biden was born, has lived in exile in India since fleeing Tibet during a failed uprising against the Chinese government in 1959.

On his first day in office, President Biden signed an executive order for the US return to the Paris climate accord, which earned accolades, including one from the Dalai Lama, the Buddhist leader who met with presidents, prime ministers and crown rulers of major nations, including US President Franklin Roosevelt, who sent the Dalai Lama the gift of a pocket-watch when he was a young boy.

The Dalai Lama, who visits only on invitation, described the gold watch as magnificent and even took it with him when he fled Tibet in 1959.

In his election campaign, Biden had said if voted to power, his administration will sanction Chinese officials responsible for human rights abuses in Tibet, besides meeting with His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

In a congratulatory letter to Biden on becoming the 46th President, the Dalai Lama wrote, “The whole world places its hope in the democratic vision and leadership of the United States…Once again I take this opportunity to express our gratitude for your longstanding support for the Tibetan people.

In her speech at the Congressional Gold Medal award giving ceremony by President George W. Bush at Capitol Hill in Washington on October 17, 2007, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she would always be grateful to Chairman Tom Lantos for affording many Members of Congress their first meeting with His Holiness in 1987.

The 14th Dalai Lama was born on July 6, 1935, in a small village in the remote Amdo region of Tibet.

India, Singapore sign deal for submarine rescue missions New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS): India and Singapore signed a strategic partnership agreement on Monday, under which both the countries’ navies will support and cooperate with each other for submarine rescue missions.

It is one of the major steps taken by the Indian government to strengthen ties with South East/ Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries.

The decision was taken during a defence ministerial dialogue in the national capital. Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh co-chaired the fifth IndiaSingapore Defence Ministers’ 67 members in the 100-member Senate, will have to vote to convict.

Last year the Senate could not convict him at his first impeachment.

Trump has been accused of inciting an “insurrection” -- the January 6 storming of the Capitol building while Congress was in the middle of counting the electoral college votes from the November 3, 2020, election and ratifying the election of Joe Biden as President and Kamala Harris as Vice President.

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Dialogue along with Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Defence, Singapore.

During their virtual interaction, both ministers expressed satisfaction at the progress of the ongoing defence cooperation engagements between the two countries despite limitations imposed by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Defence and security engagements between India and Singapore have broadened significantly in scale and scope across all three services of the armed forces as well as in the areas of defence technology and industry. Both countries The delay in starting the trial also helps Biden, who wants his cabinet and other senior officials confirmed by the Senate and move forward his agenda to deal with the Covid-19 crisis and its economic fallout.

By agreeing to the delay, Schumer has undercut this argument and short-circuited an excuse that some Republicans may want to use.

The Senate is divided equally with each party having 50 members and the Democrats will have to get 17 Republicans to defect on

have also found common ground on multilateral fora and engagements.

The ministers witnessed the signing of the Implementing Agreement on Submarine Rescue Support and Cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Singapore Navy.

They also conveyed their full support towards the early conclusion of agreements to facilitate the conduct of live firings and to establish reciprocal arrangements for the crossattendance of military courses.

the issue to get the two-thirds majority to convict Trump.

McConnell and some Republicans have blamed Trump for the riot which left five people dead, including a police officer.

But he has not indicated how he would vote on the impeachment.

There have also been questions whether a president who is out of office could be impeached.

The aim of the impeachment would be to block Trump from running for office again.

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US to operationalise India as Major Defence Partner: Austin

Guterres hails Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty’s coming into force United Nations, Jan 22 (IANS): UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday welcomed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty’s coming into force.

New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS): US Secretary of Defense nominee, Lt Gen Lloyd Austin (retd) has said that he would further operationalise India’s “Major Defence Partner” status.

During his confirmation hearing in Congress, the former US Central Command chief was asked on how he would enhance the overall defence relationship between the US and India and what priorities would he establish.

Austin said: “If confirmed, my overarching objective for our defence relationship with India would be to continue elevating the partnership. I would further operationalise India’s ‘Major Defence Partner’ status and continue to build upon existing strong defence cooperation to ensure the US and Indian militaries can collaborate to address shared interests.”

“I would also seek to deepen and broaden our defence cooperation through the Quad security dialogue and other regional multilateral engagements,” he added.

On Pakistan, Austin said: “I understand Pakistan has taken constructive steps to meet US requests in support of the Afghanistan peace process.”

Austin said that Pakistan has also taken steps against anti-Indian groups, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, although

this progress is incomplete.

“Many factors in addition to the security assistance suspension may impact Pakistan’s cooperation, including Afghanistan negotiations and the dangerous escalation following the Pulwama terrorist attack,” he said.

On the Afghanistan issue, Austin said that Pakistan is an essential partner in any peace process in Afghanistan. “If confirmed, I will encourage a regional approach that garners support from neighbours like Pakistan, while also deterring regional actors, from serving as spoilers to the Afghanistan peace process,” he added.

Austin said Pakistan will play an important role in any political settlement in Afghanistan. “We also need to work with Pakistan to defeat al Qaeda and the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) and to enhance regional stability,” he said.

Austin said he will press Pakistan to prevent its territory from being used for terrorist purposes. “If confirmed, I will press Pakistan to prevent its territory from being used as a sanctuary for militants and violent extremist organisations.”

Continuing to build relationships with Pakistan’s military will provide openings for the United States and Pakistan to cooperate on key issues, Austin said.

Pak actions on anti-Indian terrorists incomplete: US Defence chief nominee New York, Jan 22 (IANS): President Joe Biden’s Defence Secretary-nominee Lloyd Austin has said that Pakistan’s actions against anti-Indian terrorist groups are “incomplete” and that he will press Islamabad to stop giving them sanctuary.

In written replies to questions from the Senate Armed Services Committee, he said, “If confirmed, I will press Pakistan to prevent its territory from being used as a sanctuary for militants and violent extremist organizations.”

Austin who needs the US Senate confirmation to be the defence secretary, provided written answers to questions from the Committee ahead of its hearings

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held earlier this week.

Both the Senate and the House of Representative voted on Thursday to give him a waiver from a US law that prohibits retired military officials from becoming defence secretaries for seven years after their retirement. Austin retired only in 2016.

One of the Committee questions asked if there were changes in Islamabad’s cooperation with Washington since it withheld security assistance in 2018.

He wrote, “Pakistan has also taken steps against anti-Indian groups, such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed ( JeM), although this progress is incomplete.

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“I am pleased to recognize today’s entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the first multilateral nuclear disarmament treaty in more than two decades. The treaty is an important step towards the goal of a world free of nuclear weapons and a strong demonstration of support for multilateral approaches to nuclear disarmament,” Guterres said in a video message.

He commended the states that have ratified the treaty and

welcomed the instrumental role of civil society in advancing negotiation and entry into force, Xinhua news agency reported.

The survivors of nuclear explosions and nuclear tests offered tragic testimonies and were a moral force behind the treaty, and its entry into force is a tribute to their enduring advocacy, the UN chief said.

“I look forward to carrying out the functions assigned by the treaty, including in preparation for the first meeting of states parties,” the Secretary-General added.

Nuclear weapons pose growing dangers and the world needs urgent action to ensure their elimination and prevent the catastrophic human and

environmental consequences any use would cause, according to Guterres.

The elimination of nuclear weapons remains the highest disarmament priority of the UN, he said.

“I call on all states to work together to realise this ambition to advance common security and collective safety.”

The treaty was adopted in July 2017 and was opened for signature in September 2017.

Honduras signed the 50th ratification of treaty on October 25, 2020, triggering it to enter into force on January 22, 2021, 90 days after its 50th instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession has been deposited.

UNGA adopts resolution to safeguard religious sites United Nations, Jan 22 (IANS): The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution to promote a culture of peace and tolerance to safeguard religious sites all across the world.

The resolution adopted on Thursday calls for strengthened international efforts to foster a global dialogue on the promotion of a culture of tolerance and peace at all levels, based on respect for human rights and for the diversity of religions and beliefs, Xinhua news agency reported.

It condemns all acts or threats of violence, destruction, damage or endangerment, directed against religious sites and denounces any moves to obliterate or forcibly convert any religious sites.

It invites all member states, the UN system, regional and nongovernmental organisations and other relevant stakeholders to support UN initiatives that promote tolerance, including the UN Plan of Action to Safeguard Religious Sites.

The resolution expresses concern about the increase in incidents of racial and religious intolerance, discrimination and related violence, as well as of negative racial and religious stereotyping.

It condemns any advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence, and urges states to take effective measures to address and combat such incidents.

It expresses deep concern at the continued serious instances of derogatory stereotyping, negative profiling and stigmatization of persons based on their religion or belief, as well as programs and agendas pursued by extremist individuals, organisations and groups aimed at creating and perpetuating negative stereotypes about religious groups.

It reaffirms the essential need to strengthen international, regional and sub-regional cooperation aimed at enhancing the national capacity of member states to prevent and effectively suppress attacks on places of worship.

It deplores damage to the cultural heritage of countries in situations of crisis, conflict and post-conflict, and calls for an

Taiwan makes history at Biden inauguration New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS): History was made at the US presidential inauguration last night and it wasn’t just about an outgoing President not attending the ceremony for the first time in 152 years. As Hsiao Bi-khim entered the Capitol building, Taiwan was represented in an official capacity at the US presidential inauguration for the first time since 1979, the year which saw a break in diplomatic relations between Washington and Taipei.

“Honoured to represent the people and government of Taiwan here at the inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Harris. Democracy

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is our common language and freedom is our common objective.

I look forward to working with the next US administration in advancing our common values and interests,” Hsiao said in a video message posted on Twitter while standing in front of the West Front.

It was in 1979 that the Jimmy Carter administration had switched diplomatic relations from Taipei to Beijing. China treats Taiwan as a breakaway province and continues to make provocative moves in the region.

For nearly four decades, the US policy has been guided by the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979,

the three joint communiques between Washington and Beijing, and the Six Assurances provided

by President Reagan to Taipei in 1982.

And while, in spite of severe pressure from mainland China, Taiwan did win support from the US - in 2002, Secretary of State Colin Powell said that Taiwan is “a success story of democracy” and in March 2008, President George W. Bush said: “Taiwan is a beacon of democracy to Asia and the world” - representatives of Taiwan were able to attend the ceremony only after being handed over admission tickets by Congress members.

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Feb 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 15

WORLD THIS WEEK

WORLD THIS WEEK

Contributed by the National Institute for Advanced Studies, Bengaluru

Compiled by Professor D. Suba Chandran, Ms Akriti Sharma and Mr Lokendra Sharma

The US: Biden brings America to Paris

diplomacy What happened?

On 19 January, the Ministry of

export vaccines to the other poor and middle-income countries as part of an arrangement with GAVI, the vaccine alliance.

India will export vaccines to other regions like Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. This will boost India’s international standing, goodwill, and softpower.

ALSO IN NEWS China: Beijing sanctions 28 US nationals including Mike Pompeo

On 20 January 2021, as a part of the first day actions, the new American President issued a series of directives, including rejoining the Paris agreement on climate change What happened?

On 20 January 2021, as a part of the first day actions, the new American President issued a series of directives, including rejoining the Paris agreement on climate change, focussing on global warming. He has appointed John Kerry, former Secretary of State (during Obama’s period), as the US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. Kerry made an immediate announcement on the wasted years of climate change.

On the same day, Biden has also revoked the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline, thereby impacting the expansion of the pipeline that would bring the Canadian crude oil to the US Gulf Coast.

On the same day, the administration also announced a 60 days freeze, to any new drills on federal lands and waters.

What does it mean?

Biden’s reversal of Trump’s inward-looking and disastrous climate change policies are much needed to take the Paris agreement forward. The decision taken on the first day shows Biden’s urgency and also underlines a plan on how the US would approach the climate change issue.

From a global perspective, the return of the US to Paris agreement is much wanted.

John Kerry’s appointment as the Climate Envoy should give a new push to the climate change debate and actions globally. One should also welcome Kerry’s initial statement on the subject, as he underlined the wasted years. Now with Biden at the White House, US and rest of the world have to take the process forward, as the climate clock is ticking.

India: New Delhi’s re-engagement with neighbours through vaccine

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External Affairs announced that India would begin delivering the Indian-manufactured vaccine to six nations — Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, in response to neighbouring countries’ requests Myanmar, and Seychelles. On the same day, Bhutan received its first batch of 1.5 lakh doses of Covishield developed by the Serum Institute of India (SII) followed by the Maldives which received one lakh doses.

On 21 January, Nepal received one million doses, and Bangladesh received two million doses of Covishield. Nepali PM KP Sharma Oli tweeted: “I thank Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji as well as the Government and people of India for the generous grant of one million doses of Covid vaccine to Nepal at this critical time when India is rolling out vaccination for it’s own people”.

On 22 January, Myanmar received 1.5 million doses of Covishield.

Mauritius and Seychelles also received vaccines.

What does it mean?

First, India has yet again proved to be the pharmaceutical

On 21 January, the Global Times published a statement by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs which announced sanctioning 28 US nationals “who have seriously violated China’s sovereignty”. This list includes former Secretary of State Pompeo and former National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien. The sanctioned persons are barred from entering China and doing business with the Chinese companies.

Taiwan: De facto Ambassador attends Biden’s inaugural On 20 January, Taiwan’s de facto Ambassador to the US BiKhim Hsiao attended President Joe Biden’s inauguration after receiving a formal invitation; a first since 1979. Hsiao tweeted: “Honored to represent the people and government of Taiwan here at the inauguration of President Biden and Vice President Harris.”

Singapore: Agreement on submarine rescue signed with India On 20 January, Singapore’s Defence Minister and his Indian counterpart signed an agreement on naval submarine rescue during the fifth Defence Ministers’ Dialogue. Under the agreement, Singapore can take help of Indian Navy’s Deep-Sea Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) in case of any mishap or emergency. Both sides also committed to further strengthening defence ties.

On 21 January, two bombers blew themselves along with 32 others in the Baghdad market powerhouse of the region. It has increased the reliability of India’s healthcare sector on which its neighbours are heavily dependent. This will further bolster medical tourism in India.

Second, with an efficient mass production capacity, India will

Myanmar: Naypyitaw agrees to start the Rohingya repatriation On 19 January, Myanmar and Bangladesh held talks under Chinese mediation on the question of Rohingya repatriation.

Myanmar agreed to start the

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Myanmar has agreed to start the Rohingya repatriation under the 2017 agreement it reached with Bangladesh who were injured were treated repatriation under the 2017 and released from the hospital. agreement it reached with No group claimed the attack.

Bangladesh. Currently, over one UN Secretary-General Antonio million Rohingya refugees live Guterres issued an appeal “to in the latter in camps in squalid the people of Iraq to reject any conditions. Acknowledging the failures at repatriation in the past, attempts to spread fear and Bangladeshi Foreign Minister said violence aimed at undermining peace, stability and unity.” that they have taken “lessons” and “finding ways on how we can Syria: Talks on a new become successful”. constitution to resume on 25 India-China border: Beijing defends the construction of village in Arunachal Pradesh

On 21 January, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that the country’s “position on Zangnan [Arunachal Pradesh] region is consistent and clear”.

“We never recognized the so-called Arunachal Pradesh,” the spokesperson added.

On 22 January, Global Times reported: “The area has never been recognized by the Chinese government and Chinese ethnic minority groups such as the Moinba, the Lhoba and Tibetan people live in the area.” Earlier, on 18 January, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said that it was aware of the Chinese construction along the border.

Bangladesh: Agreement signed for Bangabandhu Satellite 2 On 19 January, Bangladesh Satellite Company Limited (BSCL) signed an agreement with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for its second satellite called the Bangabandhu Satellite-2. The satellite will get ready by 2023.

BSCL Chairman said: “Bangladesh can reduce its dependency on foreign countries after launching the satellite and the country will be self-reliant in technology as well.”

Afghanistan: Government refuses to release more Taliban prisoners On 20 January, Afghanistan President Ghani’s senior adviser for public and strategic affairs said that the government would not release more Taliban prisoners over fears of increased violence. “We are not in favor of releasing more Taliban prisoners,” he said. Taliban has demanded the release of 7,000 more prisoners, removal of its members from the UN blacklist, and the formation of an Islamic system to continue the peace talks. Earlier, 5,000 prisoners were released, but it did not reduce violence.

Iraq: Suicide bombing in Baghdad On 21 January, two bombers blew themselves along with 32 others in the Baghdad market. The health ministry said that those

January, says UN envoy

On 20 January, the UN special envoy for Syria announced that the next round of talks toward revising its constitution would start in Geneva on January 25.

He urged the parties to move to actual drafting. He also told the UNSC that he views the meeting of delegations from the Syrian government, opposition, and civil society as very important.

It is time for the Constitutional Committee to ensure that “the meetings are better organized and more focused”, he added.

Russia: Opposition leader Navalny arrested on arrival in Moscow On 17 January, Navalny returned to Moscow from Berlin after recovering from a nerve-agent attack in August 2020. He was arrested on arrival at the Moscow airport on charges of violating previous prison sentences’ terms.

On 18 January, a court extended his detention for the next 30 days.

His arrest was criticized by the EU, the UN and the US. In a video message released after a court hearing, Navalny called for street protests.

The US: Biden takes over as country’s 46th President On 20 January, Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the US. Kamala Harris, his running mate, was sworn as Vice President, becoming the first woman, first African-American and Asian-American to occupy the post in the country’s history.

In his inaugural speech, Biden said: “Today, we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate, but of a cause, the cause of democracy”.

After taking over, he immediately signed orders relating to the pandemic, immigration, economy, racial equity, and climate change.

About the authors D Suba Chandran is Professor and Dean, Akriti Sharma and Lokendra Sharma are PhD Scholars, in the School of Conflict and Security, NIAS. The report has been modified

by India News due to space considerations.

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INDIA NEWS

Feb 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 15

MAKE IN INDIA

Make in India: Investment opportunities As world economies restart their engines in a bid to regain lost ground due to the Covid-19 pandemic, India too shows signs of economic buoyancy and promise. India’s Make in India initiative holds a key to the global economic revival, something that should interest Australian government ministries, corporate sector, entrepreneurs, institutions seeking R&D collaborations and Australia Inc in general, among others. India assumes greater importance as several major world economies including American, Japanese, German, British and South Korean look to move out and diversify their businesses from China. India has jumped to 63rd rank in the World Bank’s Ease of Development 2020 report, and has also been ranked as the 9th largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investment destination in 2019 by the World Investment Report 2020 of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Development of NE to facilitate Atmanirbhar Bharat: Modi

Guwahati, Jan 23 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that with the all-round development of the northeastern region, “Atmanirbhar Bharat” would be achieved.

Addressing a massive gathering at Jerenga Pothar in Sivasagar in eastern Assam, Modi said that since the central government was led by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the present NDA (National Democratic Alliance) government has been according top priority to the development of Assam and other northeastern states.

“From infrastructure and connectivity development to growth in health, education, employment generation, the double engine governments at the centre and the state are taking forward Assam’s all round progress.”

their speedy development. These would ensure a life of dignity for many and protect Assam’s unique culture.

“Love of the people of Assam brings me back again and again.

I have had the privilege to visit various parts of the state over the years. I have come to celebrate with the people of the state on a major achievement of the state’s indigenous people,” the Prime Minister added.

He said that for the development of the gas and oil based infrastructures, Rs 40, 000 crore are being invested since the past few years.

Modi’s Saturday’s public address can be termed as the first big election rally as Assembly polls are scheduled to take place in Assam along with West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry in April-May.

“In these multi dimensional water connectivity projects, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar are also involved,” he said referring to the “Act-East Policy”.

He said that when the Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal-led BJP government came to power in Assam (in 2016), more than six lakh indigenous families had no legal rights over their land.

“In the past four years more than two lakh such families have been allotted “patta” or the land ownership document and more than one lakh famiies added today (Saturday).

The Prime Minister said Assam is a significant part of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” where 11,000 km road and several important bridges have been constructed and the way to “Atmanirbhar Assam” is through “Atmavishwaas” among the people of Assam.

The government has fulfilled its commitment in protecting the rights of the indigeneous people, A”The land pattas would guarantee their ‘Swabhiman’ (pride), Swadheenta (freedom) and Suraksha (protection),” Modi pointed out in his half-an-hour speech.

In the public gathering at the historical Sivasagar district, the Prime Minister launched the Assam government’s mega programme to distribute land “patta” (land allotment permit) to 1,06,940 landless indigenous people.

Criticising the previous government for depriving indigenous people, he reiterated that the BJP-led government is devoted to protecting the traditional culture, language besides land of the indigenous people.

“Nearly 70 tribes of Assam have been provided social security.

The BJP government in Assam also took many schemes for

Highlighting various flagship schemes, the Prime Minister said that more than 35 lakh women including over four lakhs people

The government has taken simultaneous modern projects for the development and expansion of road, rail, air, water connectivities of Assam and other northeastern states.

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He said that at least 40 per cent population benefited in Ayushman Bharat health scheme with over 1.5 lakh people have received free treatment.

“Over 2.5 lakh people have received water connection in the last two years. In the next three years, every household would get water connection and electricity already available in almost all households.”

He said that in the last six years, from 38 per cent toilets, Assam now has toilets in 100 per cent households.

The Prime Minister said that over 2.5 crores Jan Dhan bank accounts were opened and due to which during the pandemic women and farmers received government allocated funds directly in their bank accounts.

Referring to the new land policy adopted in 2019, Modi said that through the PM KISAN, Fasal Bima Yojana and through other pro-farmers schemes lakhs of farmers in Assam would be benefited and they are getting easy bank loan for the cultivation of their crops and their marketing.

Saying about the historic Bodo peace accord, signed in January last year, the Prime Minister said that Assam is now in the path of peace and progress.

Referring to the celebration of the 125th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose as “Parakram Divas”, Modi said that the day “inspires hope and national pride”.

He also lauded the state government for having freed the internationally famous Kaziranga National Park from the illegal encroachers. He said he was confident that Assam will take forward the vaccination drive now and appealed to all to get vaccinated.

Highest recoverable reserves of crude oil and natural gas in India Assam Gas Cracker Project, North-East India’s largest petrochemical project is being

implemented by Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL).

ssam, with a geographical area of 7.8 mn ha, shares its border with all North-Eastern states in India and internationally with Bangladesh and Bhutan. Six airports, two inland waterways and one inland container depot connect Assam with major cities of the country and with nearby international cities. There is also a proposal to connect Assam with the neighbouring country Bhutan by road.

gas to name a few), the state also has a dedicated tea park, food processing park, agri-export zones, and four oil refineries. The Assam-Araku Basin in Northeast India is an important oilproducing region and containes more than 15% of the country’s reserves. The state has India’s longest road bridge, the Bhupen Hazarika Bridge and India’s longest railroad bridge, Bogibeel Bridge, houses 300 medical plants and herbs and is also the third largest producer of petroleum and natural gas with a capacity of 150,000 barrels per day.

A

Assam has more than 600 ha of land dedicated to industrial use.

To capitalize on its pool of natural resources (tea, oil and natural

Bihar 3rd largest producer of vegetables in India Bihar is one of the strongest agricultural states in India and 74% of the state’s population is engaged in the sector.

B

ihar enjoys a unique locationspecific advantage because of its proximity to the vast markets of Eastern and Northern India and Nepal. The state is well connected to the rest of India and international markets through over 200,000 km of road network, 6,700 km of rail network and an international airport.

The Golden Quadrilateral Highway passes through the districts of Kaimur, Sasaram, Aurangabad, Gaya, and Patna, connecting the state to major metro cities in the country.

Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor also passes through the

state, providing access to ports in East India such as Kolkata and Haldia; to raw material sources, and mineral reserves in the neighbouring states.

Bihar currently has 52 industrial areas and mega industrial parks. The state has identified Agriculture, IT, electronics, textiles and leather as it high priority sectors. Other manufacturing sectors, power – thermal and renewable, hospitality, communications and aquaculture are some of the fast-growing sectors in the state.

India’s first electric locomotive manufacturing facility, opened as a JV between Alstom and the Indian Railways, launched its first electric locomotive engine in March 2018.

Before leaving for Kolkata, Modi also tweeted : “We are working towards Assam’s development based on the requirements and aspirations of the state’s dynamic people.”

Sonowal and Finance and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also spoke in the gatherings.

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Photo courtesy - Daniel Mueller-Greenpeace

belonging to scheduled caste and scheduled tribes have been benefited by Ujjwala Yojana in Assam while the numbers of LPG distributors were increased to 575 from 330 distributors in 2014.

“Over 90 per cent households in Assam now have cooking gas facilities.”

INDIA NEWS

Feb 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 15

BUSINESS & TRADE

Bullet Train Project: 7 cos willing Policy proposal for employment generation, to construct undersea tunnel

scale-up in MSME sector

New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS): At least seven Indian companies have shown interest for the construction of the undersea tunnel for the ambitious MumbaiAhmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) corridor during the pre-bidding stage, officials said on Sunday.

A National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL) official told IANS, “Seven Indian companies had participated in pre bid meeting for constructing the undersea tunnel of the corridor.”

The official said that the tender for the construction of the tunnel has been floated and bids are invited till February 19, 2021.

The bullet train project will have a 21 km long underground corridor from BKC to Kalyan Shilphata in the state of Maharashtra.

The official said that around 7 km of this underground corridor is under the Thane creek. Of this, 1.8 km long section will be developed under the sea bed, while the remaining part of the stretch is to be built under the mangroves marshland on either side of the creek.

The official said that tender is

for the development of tunnel, which includes testing as well as commissioning for double-line high speed railway for the project using tunnel boring machine (TBM) and a new Austrian tunnelling method (NATM).

A geo-technical investigation of the undersea tunnel area was carried out earlier by a team of engineers from NHSRCL, RITES and Japan’s Kawasaki Geological Engineering firm.

In order to study the sea bed structure, a static refraction technique (SRT) survey was carried out by the team, which involved firing a high energy sound wave towards the seabed from below the water surface as well as mapping the refracted sound wave in order to determine the density of the rock under the sea bed. The team had also

submitted the final report with the NHSRCL. Last year, the NHSRCL awarded civil contracts for the construction of 64 per cent of MAHSR alignment which includes five HSR stations at Vapi, Billimora, Surat, Bharuch, Anand/ Nadiad, train depot at Surat and one mountain tunnel of 350 metres.

The bullet trains are expected to run at 350 km per hour, covering the 508-km stretch in about two hours. Trains plying on the route take over seven hours and planes about an hour.

Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on September 14, 2017 laid the foundation stone for the Rs 1.08 lakh crore ($17 billion) HSR project.

Gujarat govt inks pact with Adani for largest logistics park Gandhinagar, Jan 22 (IANS): The Gujarat government on Friday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the private infrastructure company, Adani Port & SEZ Ltd., to setup the country’s largest multi-modal logistics park at Sanand with an estimated investment of Rs 50,000 crore.

The proposed 1,450 acre park will have a dedicated air cargo complex with 4.6 km long runway to handle even large sized cargo aircraft and will offer direct air, rail and road connectivity. It will also have a provision of direct rail connectivity with dedicated freight corridor which is part of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC).

It will have potential to generate direct and indirect employment

for 25,000 persons.

According to the state government, the project will be completed in a phased manner in three years as the work will commence within six months after obtaining required clearances and permissions.

There will be a 90 lakh sq ft warehouse zone with facilities such as air freight station, grade-A warehouse, cold storage among others in the park. The warehouse will have 38 lakh sq ft space for textile, bulk, e-commerce, nine lakh sq ft space for bonder warehouse, four lakh grade-A palatized facility and 60,000 temperature controlled palletized facility. Against 3.3 lakh capacity, a container yard in this park will have four handling lines with TEU (twenty ft equivalents).

The park will have three lakh square feet of space for business and skill development centre.

The Central government has sanctioned Rs 2 lakh crore for setting up of multi-modal mega logistics parks in 34 cities of the country. Cities like Vijayawada, Chennai, Nagpur, Bengaluru, Surat, Hyderabad and Gauhati are selected among others. Six cities of Gujarat are selected, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat,Bharuch, Valsad and Kandla, where these projects will be set up on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.

60 per cent of the cargo in the country is transferred via road.

The transportation cost is 14 per cent of the GDP in the country, which the Central government wants to bring down to 7 per cent.

Consumer sentiments on India’s economic prospects improve New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS): Sentiments of Indians regarding the economic prospects of the country have improved in January, according to the Refinitiv-Ipsos Primary Consumer Sentiment Index (PCSI).

The PCSI Economic Expectations Sub-Index for January has increased 3.5 percentage points.

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The overall consumer confidence increased by 4.7 percentage points in January 2021, said an IPSOS statement.

The monthly PCSI is driven by the aggregation of the four weighted sub-indices, including the economic expectations subindex.

The PCSI Employment

Confidence Sub-Index is up by 2.5 percentage points, and the Current Personal Financial Conditions Sub-Index has moved up by 6.0 percentage points.

The sub-index for investment climate has soared by 6.0 percentage points.

Amit Adarkar, CEO, Ipsos India said: “India is clearly in

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New Delhi, Jan 23 (IANS): A new policy proposal for creating an Udyog Sahayak Enterprises Network (USENET) was released on Saturday. The proposal is the result of a collaboration between Azim Premji University, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

The report proposes the creation of a support system that will improve Ease of Doing Business for largely informal micro and small entrepreneurs. Udyog Sahayak Enterprises will take services such as digitisation and formalisation, availing of government loans, subsidies or other benefits, ensuring compliance with local, regional and national regulations, aiding partnership with digital marketing platforms and digital payment platforms, to the microentrepreneurs at their doorstep.

The report estimates that by enabling scale-up, USENET can aid in the creation of an additional 1 crore (10.3 million) jobs over five years going up to nearly 6 crores (56.9 million) over 10 years. Based on value-added per worker observed in this sector and assuming a 12 per cent nominal rate of growth in GVA,

these jobs represent an additional economic value of Rs 2,16,000 crores at the end of 5 years and over 19 lakh crores at the end of 10 years.

Inaugurating the event, Anurag Behar, Vice-Chancellor of Azim Premji University, underlined the role played by automation in weakening the connection between growth in value-added and growth in jobs. He observed that “this endeavour is truly remarkable as you are putting a possible solution out there, not only identifying a problem.”

TISS Director, Prof. Sahlini Bharat, noted the resonance with TISS’ mission of fostering socially relevant entrepreneurship and called the proposal “simple in approach but lofty in goal.” She also observed that the idea is an excellent example of supporting technology for society.

Presenting the policy proposal, Chairman FICCI Telangana State Council and co-author of the report, T. Muralidharan underlined the problem of “jobless growth” and pointed out that we are in danger of losing our demographic dividend. He called for giving micro-entrepreneurs their due recognition in the making of the nation.

India’s foreign exchange reserves down $1.8 bn Mumbai, Jan 22 (IANS): India’s foreign exchange reserves declined by $1.839 billion during the week ended January 15.

According to the Reserve Bank of India’s weekly statistical supplement, the reserves decreased to $584.242 billion from $586.082 billion reported for the week ended January 8.

India’s forex reserves comprise of foreign currency assets (FCAs), gold reserves, special drawing rights (SDRs), and the country’s reserve position with the recovery mode. We are witnessing a bounce back. All these indicators validate how as a market we are getting back on grid and the consumer sentiment is seeing an upturn.”

the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

On a weekly basis, FCAs, the largest component of the forex reserves, edged lower by $284 million to $541.507 billion.

Besides, the value of the country’s gold reserves decreased by $1.534 billion to $36.060 billion.

Similarly, the SDR value slipped by $4 million to $1.512 billion.

The country’s reserve position with the IMF fell by $17 million to $5.163 billion. confidence has bounced back to pre-pandemic level. The upcoming budget will show us the way forward on which way consumer sentiment will go,” he added.

“For the first time, consumer

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BUSINESS & TRADE

Inoculation drive to pump up airline Yogi boost for startups: sector 4 get Rs 20 lakh New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS): India’s aviation sector is set to become a major beneficiary of the massive anti-Covid vaccination programme which has re-ignited the confidence of the travellers.

Market insiders have cited that the commencement of the inoculation drive has raised travellers’ optimism, which will not only boost air travel, but also the entire hospitality value chain.

Consequently, industry players like ixigo have seen a surge in demand and search queries.

“We are already seeing a renewed sense of optimism among the travellers in the wake of the vaccine roll-out. Demand and search queries for travel are slowly increasing, while domestic travel is on the road to a strong recovery,” said Rajnish Kumar, Co-founder and CTO, ixigo.

“On the international front, we

Lucknow, Jan 22 (IANS): As part of the ‘Start in UP’ programme, the policy implementation unit in the state has approved marketing assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to four startups, including one that aims to use artificial intelligence for face recognition to provide safety for women and children. are still at 40 per cent of preCovid range in terms of bookings due to the current country restrictions. A widespread and effective distribution of the vaccine will be critical to get the international travel numbers back to normal,” he added.

India launched the biggest vaccination drive in the world on January 16. The programme is backed up by the country’s comparative advantage of having the largest vaccine manufacturing capacity in the world and a rich

experience of mass inoculation drives against polio and measles.

“The pick up in leisure as well as business travel is dependent on the improvement in consumer sentiments, which in turn is dependent on the wide availability of a vaccine,” said Kinjal Shah, Vice President, ICRA. India’s airline industry was heavily battered by the pandemic’s onslaught. It is now gearing up to deploy 100 per cent of the pre-Covid capacity.

Attractive LNG prices to boost India’s plan on gas-based economy New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS): India’s efforts to build a gas based economy is set to get a boost from the falling spot LNG prices that had skyrocketed to over $30/ mmbtu (from $2 a few months ago on the back of the winter demand and supply constriants.

According to an estimate made by Emkay Global Financial Services, Asian spot LNG prices have started cooling off now with the latest deals happening at sub-$ 10

level for March delivery.

This should consolidate at $ 5-6/mmbtu due to seasonality and resolution of supply issues, offering higher volumes for the Indian LNG players, the brokerage said in its report.

Indian spot LNG demand (20 per cent of consumption) is likely to be affected in January and February months but, thereafter supplies are expected to recover

on the back of sub $ 10/mmBtu prices. This should also better avenues for entries such as GSPL, PLNG. Indian deals (for spot LNG) have happened at the rate of up to $ 14-15/mmbtu recently. Out of 95mmscmd of Indian RLNG demand, 50-55mmscmd is long term, 10-15mmscmd is short term and remaining 30mmscmd is spot.

Govt formulating new action plan, Chinese telecom giants could be out of game New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS): Chinese telecom giants Huawei and ZTE could be potentially out of the game in India with the government set to begin formulating an action plan on the implementation of ‘National Security Directive on Telecommunication Sector on Thursday.

With an aim to protect India’s essential national security interests, a committee headed by the Deputy National Security Advisor (Dy NSA) will soon clear all equipment and gadgets, including 5G mobile networks and supply chains.

Top sources in the government told IANS that “a meeting of nodal officials of key ministries was called (on January 21) to formulate a strategy to secure India’s paramount interest in the field of cyber and telecom security”.

Key officials of the Telecom Ministry, Commerce Ministry and the DRDO, along with cyber security experts were called in the all important meeting, sources said, adding that “a meeting was called by the National Security

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Alok Kumar, additional chief secretary (IT and electronics), who heads the unit, said that the funds would be released to the four startups over a period of a year to allow them to launch a ‘minimum viable product’ in the market.

The four startups, which have been granted approval, include G. Systems of Prayagraj for farming, Enray Solutions LLP of Ghaziabad for solar power, Bhurak Technologies of Saharanpur for a face recognition project and Matfusion Weld Pvt. Ltd. of Lucknow for a project in the biofuel sector.

Bhurak Technologies of Saharanpur has been founded

by Kumar Satyam who has developed a prototype of artificial intelligence-based face recognition system, mainly to ensure safety of children and women through facial recognition.

G. Systems, founded by Ashish Kushwaha, aims to promote smart farming systems based on the Internet of Things (IoT) with machine learning-based sensors for automated irrigation and other farm-related activities.

Enray Solutions LLP founder Rishabh Bhardwaj has developed a prototype of a water-free

Gen Naravane said red-tapism has made the defence acquisition process a “vicious cycle”.

The security action plan aims to classify telecom products/ equipment and their suppliers under the trusted and nontrusted categories. In simpler words, companies or suppliers not trusted by the experts committee would not be allowed to do business with Indian telecom service providers.

Once implemented, the action plan would make it very difficult for Chinese telecom equipment

suppliers like Huawei or ZTE to procure supply orders from the Indian telecom players such as Jio, Airtel or Vodafone Idea.

In fact, Huawei and ZTE have been under global scrutiny for allegedly installing “backdoor” vulnerabilities in a desperate bid to do spying for the Chinese government. In the wake of the India-China border tensions, the government’s action plan on telecom front seems much appreciated and awaited by the Central security and intelligence agencies.

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Matfusion Weld Pvt. Ltd. has been registered by Vivek Kumar which is working on the concept of converting waste cooking oil into biofuel. It has already entered into a 10-year contract for supplying biofuels to Indian Oil Corporation.

Alok Kumar said that the objective of facilitation and incentives in the early stages of product development was to encourage innovators to stimulate commercialisation of their inventions.

He said that under the new startup policy, seed capital in the form of marketing assistance up to Rs 5 lakh per startup will be given to 10 startups, per incubator per year to launch a minimum viable product in the market.

“Under this provision, seed capital will be disbursed in milestone-based instalments in three tranches, 40 per cent as advance and 30 per cent in two instalments on the completion of milestones,” he said.

Red-tapism made acquisition process a vicious cycle: Indian Army Chief New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS): Selfreliance is a strategic necessity but to achieve it a revolution is needed in bureaucratic affairs, Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane has said while pointing out that defence modernisation is often held hostage to the processes and procedures involved.

Council Secretariat, but it was all too confidential. Nothing can be revealed further”.

automatic solar panel cleaning system to mitigate wastage of drinkable water.

Talking about the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020, he said it has been aligned to empower domestic industry.

He appreciated the government’s initiative to increase the FDI in defence production to 74 per cent from the existing 49 per cent.

But he made a point that more needs to be done. He also quoted late Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar as saying that the “entire procurement process is based on distrust”.

He said DAP 2016 which is about 450 pages and DAP 2020 has about 681 pages but it has not been able to fast track the process of acquisition. In the end what

happens is that the processes and procedures rather than product become paramount and these impede defence modernisation, Gen Naravane said.

He further pointed out that a qualitative requirement, for example, is formatted in a very stringent manner.

He explained that to compound the issue, vendors also tend to overpromise and it ultimately becomes undeliverable.

Gen Naravane said the labourious, time consuming and often rigid acquisition process also in itself creates delays in the acquisition cycle.

The process should be only to help these two ends and waiver clauses must be there to cater to operational conditions and logic and to accommodate different specifications that were originally promulgated.

The aim should be to end up with the product faster rather than go through all the processes, stages, as a mandatory kind of requirement. He said that bureaucratic revolution is needed.

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INDIA NEWS

Feb 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 15

EDITORIAL

Wonder Downunder: When Invoking Gandhian rookies became stars philosophy for a better world Dr. Jyoti M. Pathania

U

ndoubtedly, the IndiaAustralia cricketing rivalry has become the most intensely contested rivalry in modern day cricket. The 2020-21 BorderGavaskar Trophy and India’s tour of Australia is a case in point in which India won both, the test and T20 series 2-1, while Australia clinched the one-day series 2-1.

At the start, few imagined that the series would conclude with the fireworks at ‘Fortress Gabba’, in Brisbane, creating history and leaving an indelible mark on cricket tragics on both sides for posterity. Australia is also in India’s debt for coming to play despite stiff Covid restrictions this summer.

The series raised the bar with outstanding individual performances and gave birth to new heroes in the world of cricket. The series was packed with on and off the field drama, offering plenty of masala to the grapevine and media for their stories. After the end of limited over euphoria, shock and awe scripted the tale in the pink ball test in Adelaide. From a position of strength at one stage, India’s dramatic collapse within an hour for a paltry 36 (their lowest ever) left the team and fans stunned.

The team was written off by the cricketing greats predicting a 4-0 whitewash. To add to India’s miseries, Captain Virat Kohli returned to attend to the birth of their first child denting India’s morale and prospects. As Indians vented their frustrations at Kohli, a group of never-saydie rookies emerged from the ashes of Adelaide defeat, led by their stop-gap Captain Ajinkya Rahane, whose calm and assertive leadership, bowling and fielding decision-making and aggressive batting would become a stuff of legend.

India put up an unmatched fight led by debutant Shubhman Gill, newcomer Muhammad Siraj, and Shardul Thakur and spinner Washington Sunder who would later stun everyone with their 123-run partnership at Gabba, keeping India in contention. After the humiliating pink-ball Adelaide loss, India beat the Australians in Melbourne by eight wickets, propelled by the Captain Rahane’s century, Ravindra Jadeja’s cameo and Jasprit Bumrah’s firepower.

Debutant Shubhman Gill’s aggressive stroke-play against the Aussie also solidified India’s top order.

Next, India’s perseverance

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was subjected to an acid test in Sydney. After four days of roller-coaster battle, India was required to see-off day five to save the game—an uphill task— most believed. But led by Gill’s 50, the gritty batting display by R. Ashwin and injured Hanuma Vihari, allowed India to see off 131 overs and secure a valiant draw, deflating the Aussie morale completely.

The chit-chat between Captain Tim Paine and Ashwin in the dying hours of SCG test set the stage for a high-tension battle at the “Fortress Gabba”, where Australia hadn’t lost in 32 years.

India, plagued with debilitating injuries to Muhamamd Shami, Umesh Yadav, K.L. Rahul, Vihari, Ashwin, Jadeja and Bumrah, was struggling to even field a fit XI. The backbenchers and net bowlers were summoned, including Thangarasu Natarajan.

Australia put an imposing total of 369 and 294, asking India to chase 328 runs to win. Amazingly, India’s rookie team, made battleready over the years by Rahul Dravid, bowled Australia out in both innings, led by Siraj’s fifer, a record in itself.

On day five facing a massive 328 to chase, the “Indian fan army” prayed to the rain gods to rescue the team. But the clear blue skies scripted a miraculous and historic victory, led by Shubhman Gill’s 91, Pujara’s defiant batting braving multiple body-blows, and a swashbuckling 89 not out

by Rishabh Pant. The resultant match and series win became one of India’s greatest triumphs, made more remarkable by the extreme odds against which it was cliched.

Even some Aussie fans became internet sensations overnight for their “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram” chants.

The historic win has been cast in stone for Siraj sticking with the team despite his father’s unfortunate demise and leading the charge in the absence of Bumrah and Shami; Gill emerging as India’s rockstar opener; Washington and Shardul as allrounders; Pant as the x-factor; and Captain Courageous Ajinkya Rahane’s as a strong leader.

Pant’s first innings failure and heroics in the second, is a lesson that life gives second chances, and one must grab it with both hands. The rookies turned into stars overnight and in the face of adversities their courage came shining through. Team India, take a bow!

Mahatma Gandhi’s 73rd death anniversary is an opportune time to revisit, rejudge and replicate his credo and vision. During the challenging COVID-19 times, where the world is marred by conflicts, violence, and unending clashes and protests, Gandhi’s conflict resolution ideals will act as the guiding light giving courage to the millions globally and uniting those who believe in humanity. His ideas were never based on fixed doctrines as he strongly believed that knowledge and learning is a continuous path and human knowledge and achievements are a continuous process and ever evolving.

Gandhi’s conflict resolution methodology is based on the principle of ‘Satyagraha’ and ‘Non-Violence’ which is based on a people-centric approach, to achieve social or political change.

Often described as ‘the politics of ordinary people’ this form of social struggle has been adopted all over the world in campaigns for social justice, liberty and equality. Such non-violent mass protests can be seen in the ongoing political demonstrations, rallies and marches taking place in many parts of the world: the protest marches in Belarus against President Alexander Lukashenko; mass protests in the United States under the banner “Black Lives Matter”; the nonviolent demonstration by the people in Hong Kong against the oppressive policies of the Chinese regime; protest marches against Russian President Putin; rallies and marches against the Brazilian president Jair Bolsanaro. This effective and potent method of voicing dissent and protest is prevalent in regimes of all hues, be it democracy, communism, authoritarianism, monarchy or capitalism.

With the world locked in an unending arms race as regional tensions and graeat power rivalry gather steam in the IndoPacific theatre, there is a need to galvanise domestic constituencies of peace to pressurize governments to move towards disarmament International conflicts can be resolved on grounds of morality as Gandhi believed that threefourths of the world’s miseries and misunderstandings in the world would disappear if we step into the shoes of our

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adversaries and understand their viewpoint. This approach is enshrined in the UNESCO’s motto, “since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed”.

Hence, mindsets need changing, but is it practical in today’s changing geopolitical world order, especially in the COVID-19 times, where the glaring inequalities are coming to the forefront between the developed and the developing world?

International organisations, like the United Nations and the World Health Organisation (deemed leaders in internationalism), have completely failed in their response mechanism in these testing times. Their biases and decision-making are being questioned and derided by nations globally. If these organisations have become the mouthpieces of the biggest funding countries, where is the morality, one may ask? Why

don’t international organisations cut much ice on moral and ethical grounds? The need today, therefore, is to reset their moral compass and infuse a dash of idealism in international relations. Otherwise, believing and practising only strategic interests or tactical considerations in every sphere of activity or engagement will only make nations more and more self-centred, aggressive, assertive and even violent at times. The recent border clashes between the Chinese and the Indian soldiers is testimony to the aggression of China, aspiring to attain a superpower status by bulldozing its way in the near and extended neighbourhood.

With the world locked in an unending arms race as regional tensions and great power rivalry gather steam in the Indo-Pacific theatre, there is a need to galvanise domestic constituencies of peace to pressurize governments to move towards disarmament. Domestic peaceful movements have a huge potential to put brakes on the power aggrandizement of big powers.

This seems to be a Utopian ideal but Gandhian philosophy is its most potent symbol which brought once a mighty colonial empire on its knees. Peace movements championing the cause of disarmament should be built from the grass roots, and through non-violence means

only global peace is attainable.

It is imperative to highlight that peace does not mean simply cessation of hostilities, but entails freedom from protracted, structural conflicts and exploitation. This will finally lead to positive peace, progress and growth. Gandhi wrote in Harijan newspaper, “Peace will never come until the great powers courageously decide to disarm themselves.

Exploitation and domination of one nation over the other can have no place in a world striving to put an end to all wars. I do not doubt that unless big nations shed their desire of exploitation and the spirit of which war is the natural expression and atom bomb the inevitable consequences, there is no hope for peace in the world.” Gandhi’s international appeal was essentially aimed at developing a “culture of peace”, wherein human beings curb aggressiveness and prepare to follow a policy of peaceful coexistence or at least a policy of non-military competition. For Gandhi, war was a creation of a few, to impose their will upon the majority. War was ‘unrighteous” because it contradicted the principles of Ahimsa and the higher law of Dharma, he believed. Therefore, a progressive moral world order is the need of the hour.

In the present, there is an even greater need than before to cherish and practice the Gandhian philosophy. In India, Gandhian values have been championed by the National Democratic Alliance government, both in public welfare schemes as well as international engagements where India chose to help the world fight the pandemic in the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. Indian prime minister Narendra Modi has very passionately emulated Gandhi’s vision and philosophy, in promoting good work culture, personal discipline and hygiene, public cleanliness (SWATCH Bharat Mission) and mutual compassion. It is a matter of pride as an Indian that Gandhian philosophy even after more than a century continues to inspire global peace movements and lends courage and hope to individuals and institutions to stand up and challenge big powers’ behaviour in the rapidly altering international order.

Dr. Jyoti M. Pathania is the Founding Editor of Online Indian Journal of Peace and Conflict Resolution, Senior Fellow and Chairperson Outreach at the Centre for Land Warfare Studies, New Delhi, India

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INDIA NEWS “I can hear the roar of women’s silence”, Thomas Sankara once said. Women in every part and corner of the world are now making their mark and setting the bar high. In a patriarchal world they are fighting their

Feb 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 15 brings to you inspirational stories of some of the extraordinary women among us displaying grit, kindness and leadership of the highest variant. NAARI is a column envisaged by INDIA NEWS Consulting News Editor Ananya

way to rightful and muchdeserved place on the high table challenging stereotypes. They are changing the world for the better and accomplishing herculean undertakings, where others would not dare to tread. INDIA NEWS

NAARI Dhyani paying tribute to women leaders among us who are changing our world without much salutation that they deserve. It is our humble initiative to say ‘thank you’ to them.

Mrs Sumedha Chithade: Provider of life-giving oxygen at Siachen

Mrs Sumedha Chithade

H

oward Zinn once aptly said, “Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” In today’s day and age, our world requires more kindness and generosity. The fast-paced life has swept ground off our feet to such an extent that it has made us strangers to even our neighbours.

But there are exceptions always, a few souls in the world that kindle compassion around them and strive for the betterment of the society. Such selflessness radiates from our “Naari” from this issue who has dedicated herself to the service of the Indian armed forces. A humble teacher from the city of Pune and an inspiration for the masses, Mrs Sumedha Chithade’s tale takes us to the highest battlefield in the world— the Siachen glaciers, also known as the ‘Third Pole’.

Problem at the peaks of Himalayas Located at 23,000ft, the highest battlefield in the world, the Indian Army base camp at

Siachen, defies imagination and boundaries of martial valour and physical grit, and appears more like a work of fiction. Ever since India occupied the Saltoro Ridge under Operation Meghdoot, led

by Lt. General M.L. Chibber in 1986, under extreme weather conditions and unending threat from the neighbouring Pakistan, Indian soldiers guard the frozen frontiers braving extremities, unimaginable for the rest of us.

The Jawans protect the border in excruciating conditions, where more men die of natural causes than enemy bullets (primarily pulmonary edema and avalanches), needing an unending supply of oxygen cylinders.

“Oxygen is a luxury to them,” says Mrs Chithade.

Service, before self Mrs Chithade proudly shares, “I am not only an army wife, but mother to a Major in the army and upholding the moral of service before self.” In 2017, Mrs Chithade’s husband Mr Yogesh Chithade, an ex-Indian Air Force

officer, came to know of the oxygen supply situation at the Siachen base camp. He learnt that transporting oxygen cylinders out of Chandigarh aboard IL-76 was not only inefficient but also very dangerous for the carriers as well as the soldiers with little assurance of the cylinders reaching in time. “Siachen is a critical war zone, and imagine the horror of having to ration your oxygen supply, which should be the last thing on your mind when fighting the enemy,” explains Mrs Chithade. She rues that while the army gallantly protects the citizens in extreme conditions, the citizens do not sufficiently reciprocity, and this needs to change. This daily existential

Time and money allocated They knew that installing an oxygen generation plant was going to be an arduous exercise in itself, let alone at such dizzy heights in the Himalayas. But she was determined and began her research to provide oxygen and more. Her research revealed that the machine had to be imported from Germany at a price of Indian rupees 1.5 crores (A$ 300K) and installed before 15 October 2019, just before extreme winter conditions engulf the region. It is believed that Mrs Chithade sold her jewellery to raise funds, and quite beamingly she says, “If I were to expect people to donate, I would have had to set an example first. So this is not an

rigorously travelling around Maharashtra to collect donations for the Siachen oxygen plant. They made over 100 presentations for different organisations to profile their dream project and convince people to donate for this noble cause. Along their journey, they also spread awareness about of the need to consider armed forces as a career option for the youth of India. Soon they formed Soldiers Independent Rehabilitation Foundation (SIRF), a trust that would soon become a watershed in India’s battle in Siachen. A lot of helping hands joined along the way, sensing the gravity of the situation, and further fuelled Mrs Sumedha Chithade’s passion and mission.

The plant being inaugurated at Siachen struggle of the soldiers for oxygen struck them, inspiring them to take on the responsibility of installing an oxygen generation plant at 11,000 ft at the Siachen glacier to ensure an uninterrupted supply of oxygen to the soldiers.

act of greatness, and I am simply fulfilling my duty and obligations towards the Indian army.”

Over hundred presentations made For 18 months, Mrs Chithade Sumedha and her husband were

Oxygen plant operational Eleven days before the deadline set by Mrs Sumedha Chithade, the oxygen generation plant was finally installed on 4 October, 2019 at the Siachen base camp. Thanks to her astonishing commitment, the plant provides oxygen to 20,000 people including, over 8,000 soldiers.

In addition, the SIRF trust that she started along with six other founding members would ensure the betterment and welfare of the soldiers and families for the times to come. The trust is now there to ensure that the members of the armed forces can rest assured of the help when needed. Indeed, as Charles D. Gill said, “There are many wonderful things that will never be done if you don’t do them” and we believe Mrs Sumedha Chithade is a perfect example of this metaphor. For demonstrating such exemplary compassion, dedication and selfless service, INDIA NEWS salutes Mrs Chithade and her team. Jai Hind!

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INDIA NEWS

Feb 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 15

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INDIA NEWS

Feb 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 15

ARTS & LITERATURE

JLF’s 14th edition to return 18 book covers in Oxford Bookstore virtually from Feb 19-28 Book Cover Prize longlist New Delhi, Jan 24: The Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize has announced its longlist for the sixth edition at the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival 2021.

The nominated books in the longlist include: Sarojini’s Mother; Magical Woman; Girl in White Cotton; Women of Prey; Calcutta Nights; The Courtesan, The Mahatma and the Italian Brahmin; One hell of a lover; The CEO Factory; Gun Island; Bein Gandhi; Two Plays; Suralakshmi Villa; The Camel Merchant of Philadelphia; Afsaane; Dastaane-Mughal-e-Azam; MOOM; White as Milk and Rice and The Amils of Sindh.

New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS): Dubbed the “greatest literary show on Earth”, the Jaipur Literature Festival ( JLF) returns in a virtual avatar from February 19-28 featuring a spectacular lineup of speakers from across the world, consisting of writers, poets, playwrights, thinkers, politicians, journalists, cultural icons and recipients of major literary awards including the Man Booker, the Pulitzer, JCB Prize for Literature, Commonwealth, European Union Prize, the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature and the PEN Award for Poetry in Translation.

The programme is vast and kaleidoscopic, with themes ranging from Technology & AI, Politics & History, Environment & Climate Change, Mental Health, Economics, Translations, Poetry & Music, Food & Literature, Geopolitics, Science & Medicine, Democracy & Constitutions, Water & Sustainability, Historical Fiction and Travel et al.

Some highlights from the programme include Glasgowborn author Douglas Stuart whose 2020 Booker Prize-winning debut novel “Shuggie Bain” evokes the essence of addiction, parenthood, courage and love. Celebrated American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, historian, social critic, and political activist Noam Chomsky’s latest book, “Requiem for the American Dream: The 10 Principles of Concentration of Wealth & Power”, sharply questions the utopian idea of neo-liberalism and the consequences of markets dictating all aspects of society.

Covering the ongoing pandemic, doctors and co-authors Randeep Guleria, Chandrakant Lahariya and Gagandeep Kang will discuss their exciting new project in conversation with award-winning journalist Maya Mirchandani.

Award-winning Irish writer Colm Toibin will take us through the rhythm and roots of his writing process and celebrated career.

Marina Wheeler, a Queen’s Counsel in England, opens the portals of memory as the daughter of a woman traumatised by the Partition of 1947 that

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divided British India into Pakistan and India.

In a special session, director and writer Devashish Makhija’s latest book, “Oonga” will be launched followed by a conversation exploring the book. The book narrates the journey of a little boy in the midst of a clash between Adivasis, Naxalites, the CRPF and a mining company.

Journalist and writer George Packer’s “Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century” is an enduring account of the force behind the Dayton Accords which famously ended the Balkan wars. Packer will dive into the life and career of an extraordinary and deeply flawed man and the political and social circles he inhabited.

Journalist and writer Meenakshi Ahamed’s latest book, “A Matter Of Trust”, charts the complex relationship between India and the United States from the years following Indian Independence to today’s evolving politics.

Tripurdaman Singh’s latest book “Sixteen Stormy Days: The Story of the First Amendment” of the Constitution of India is a fascinating look into the turbulent history and contentious legacy of the First Amendment of the Constitution.

In a session focused on Hindi poetry, scholar and academic Rupert Snell will speak of the enduring legacy of the 17th century Bihari Satsai with its evocative romantic imagery and visual vocabulary, in conversation with fellow scholar, academic and translator Harish Trivedi.

“The first Bhojpuri novel to be translated into English, “Phoolsunghi”, is a period piece about the life of a tawaif in the late 19th century in colonial Bihar.

In conversation with academic and award-winning translator Jatindra Kumar, the festival will remember legendary Indian actress Devika Rani through award-winning author and playwright Kishwar Desai’s book “The Longest Kiss: The Life and Times of Devika Rani” which charts the life and career of the celebrated actress.

Instituted in March 2015 by Oxford Bookstore, the longlist has been chosen by the distinguished jury comprising Shobhaa De, Prominent Author, Indian columnist and novelist, Shashi Tharoor, well known Indian politician, writer and Member of Parliament, Kunal Basu, Author besides Priti Paul Director, Apeejay Surrendra Group and the creative force behind Oxford Bookstores and Namita Gokhale author, publisher & literary historian. A list of eighteen book covers made it to the longlist which was announced at the AKLF. The eighteen longlisted titles were announced by Jurors Priti Paul, Namita Gokhale and Kunal Basu. The varied interests of these eminent jurors helped put together diverse perspectives for selecting the longlist. The evening witnessed a talk session with the jury in the unique hybrid format where the jurors connected to share the platform over their love

for books and the visual appeal of the book covers, from different parts of the worlds.

The Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize is a first-of-itskind honor for splendor in book design, and an endeavor by an iconic bookstore to perceive and empower the phenomenal work of artists, designers and distributors crosswise over India.

The new prize acknowledges the significance of the adjust of illustrations and story, especially in our undeniably visual age, and trusts that a book cover translates and interprets the resulting content in critical ways that add to its definitive achievement.

Under the guidance of Priti Paul, Director, Apeejay Surrendra Group, Oxford Bookstores has been pushing all boundaries to encourage the publishing industry and celebrate the business of books.

Standout cover design is an integral part of the success of a book, designers and illustrators play a vital role in helping a book become emblematic and create

recall.

The shortlist of the Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize’s sixth edition will be announced virtually by Oxford Bookstore followed by the winner announcements at Jaipur BookMark of Jaipur Literature Festival in February.

In its first year, the prize was given to designer, Bena Sareen for the book, Talking of Justice by late author, Leila Seth, published by Aleph followed by Pinaki De, for the second year who was declared winner for book Kalkatta authored

by Kunal Basu, published by Picador India. The third Oxford Bookstore Book Cover Prize was awarded to Maithili Doshi Aphale for the book Himalaya authored

by Ruskin Bond and Namita Gokhale, published by Speaking Tiger. In the fourth year the prize was awarded to Bonita Vaz Shimray for the book Remnants of a Separation by Aanchal Malhotra published by Harper Collins. In the fifth edition, the prize was handed over to Sneha Pamneja for Tiffin, published by Roli Books.

Former bureaucrat, Hyderabad biographer Narendra Luther passes away Hyderabad, Jan 19 (IANS): Former civil servant, historian and author Narendra Luther passed away here on Tuesday. He was 89.

struggle to fulfill his dream, his experiences as an administrator and his love for Urdu, Hyderabad and humour.

Luther, who was also a poet, was ailing for some time. He is survived by wife, a son and a daughter.

Born in Hoshiarpur in 1932, Luther did his primary schooling in Dharam Pura, a suburb of Lahore, with Urdu as the medium of instruction.

One of the first officers of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), he was considered to be an authority on Hyderabad’s history and culture and a symbol of the city’s “Ganga Jamuni tehzeeb”.

He was also engaged in conservation activities playing a key role in the Society to Save Rocks.

The last rites were performed at Vaikunta Mahaprasthanam, Whisper Valley, in the evening.

Luther authored 14 books, the last being his autobiography “A Bonsai Tree”, published in 2017. It is a gripping story encompassing heartrending events of the Partition, the life of a migrant on the Indian side of Punjab, his

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The family escaped along with many others and migrated by train from Rawalpindi to Amritsar in 1947.

Luther later became one of the first IAS officers. He began his stint in Kurnool in 1956 and transferred to Hyderabad in 1958.

He wrote in his autobiography that when he arrived in Hyderabad, he wondered whether it was compensation for the loss of Lahore. “It was a popular saying in Punjab that one who had not seen Lahore had not yet been born! Coming to Hyderabad, I felt twice born,” he wrote.

Luther fell in love with the city for its cosmopolitan culture, Urdu

language and poetry, rich history and heritage and became part of the social circle even while discharging official duties in key positions. As a special officer at the Municipal Corporation, he used to act on petitions received in Urdu.

Luther served in various positions including Chief Secretary in undivided Andhra Pradesh before retirement in 1991.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has condoled the death of Luther, recalling his services as a person who worked on the history and culture of erstwhile Hyderabad State and its rulers and also as the President of the Society to Save Rocks, Hyderabad.

The Chief Minister also recalled his services as a bureaucrat working in various capacities in the united Andhra Pradesh Government. Rao conveyed his condolences to the members of the bereaved family.

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Feb 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 15

HEALTH

UK mulls hotel quarantine New UK Covid strain: amid new variant concerns India needs to stay vigilant, say experts

London, Jan 24 (IANS): the UK government is considering the possibility of hotel quarantines for arrivals into the country amid concerns over new coronavirus variants found abroad.

Ministers were to discuss the issue at a meeting on the following Monday whether to further tighten restrictions at the borders, Xinhua news agency reported.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson did not rule out taking further action at British borders during a virtual press briefing at Downing Street on Friday.

Under the current coronavirus restrictions, almost all people arriving in the UK must have a negative coronavirus test for72 hours before travelling to be allowed entry.

All passengers are also required to quarantine for up to 10 days.

The isolation period can be cut short with a second negative test after five days in England.

Johnson also warned that the coronavirus variant first identified in Britain may be more deadly than the older variant.

England is currently under the third national lockdown since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country.

The new strain of coronavirus first identified in Kent, England, is thought to be up to 70 per cent more transmissible. However, Johnson said that the current vaccines are still effective against the new variant.

Similar restriction measures are also in place in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The UK has so far reported a total of 3,627,746 coronavirus cases and 97,518 deaths.

Bird flu outbreak reported in 13 states so far: Centre

New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS): With reports now showing the new UK Covid-19 strain to be not just more infectious but also associated with a higher degree of mortality, health experts have cautioned that Indians need not panic over the mutations, but the country needs to stay vigilant.

UK for about a week earlier in the month and also increasing screening measures for travellers from that country later.

So far 150 people in India have tested positive for the UK variant of coronavirus, according to the Union Health Ministry on Saturday.

India’s present active case-load consists of just 1.74 per cent of India’s total positive cases.

This is despite India temporarily suspending all flights from the

However, India’s total active case-load has continued to show downward movement over the past few weeks as the numbers on Saturday dropped to 1.85 lakh.

However, health experts here have said that Indians have no reason to panic.

Over 3 crore kids to be given polio vaccine on Sunday

New Delhi, Jan 23 (IANS): Cases of bird flu have been confirmed in 13 states so far of which Avian Influenza has been reported in poultry birds from nine states, the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying confirmed on Saturday.

As on January 23, outbreaks of Avian Influenza (Bird flu) have been confirmed in nine states (Kerala, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and

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Punjab) for poultry birds and in 12 States (Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Rajasthan, Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab) for crow/migratory/ wild birds, said the ministry in a statement.

However, crow/pigeon samples submitted from Rudraprayag, Lansdowne Forest Range and Paudi Forest Range of Uttarakhand; pigeon samples from Sriganganagar district of

Rajasthan; crow and peacock samples from Fatehpur district of Uttar Pradesh have been found negative for Avian Influenza, the statement added.

Control and Containment Operations (Cleaning and Disinfection) are going on in the affected epicentres of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Kerala.

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Lucknow, Jan 30 (IANS): Around 3 crore and 40 lakh children will be administered polio drops across Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, officials said.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will kick off the pulse polio immunisation campaign by giving polio drops to several children in Lucknow’s Dufferin hospital.

Subsequently, the campaign will start across all the districts in the state. Children up to 5 years of age will be administered the polio drops.

Sudha Verma, Chief Medical Superintendent of Dufferin hospital, said that the polio campaign will be rolled out with adherence to the Covid-19 safety norms.

Under the polio campaign, around 3 crore 40 lakh children up to 5 years of age will be immunised.

Director General (Family Welfare) Rakesh Dubey said that the state has 1,10,000 polio booths.

Besides, 69,000 teams have been constituted who will visit each house to give polio drops.

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After South Asia, India sends coronavirus vaccines to Morocco in Africa

HEALTH

92 countries post request for Made-in-India vaccines New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS): Ninetytwo countries have approached India for Covid-19 vaccines, bolstering New Delhi’s credentials as the vaccine hub of the world.

Highly placed sources said that scores of countries are approaching India, as the word spreads that Indian vaccines are showing negligible side-effects, since the immunization drive in the country began on Saturday.

India is sending its domestically developed vaccines to several neighbouring countries including Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar.

New Delhi, Jan 23 (IANS): India has flown the first lot of coronavirus vaccines to Africa, after having shipped these to friendly South Asian neighbours when a Royal Air Maroc plane left India for Moroccan capital Rabat on Friday evening.

about protecting their people with no vaccine supply on the horizon.

The Indian embassy in Rabat tweeted: “In a manifestation of excellent relationship between India and Morocco, the first consignment of COVID-19 vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University and produced

by Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine producer was shipped from India for Morocco today.” The embassy later replied to its own tweet, saying: “AffordableVaccine4All.”

Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan addressed that concern. Dr Vardhan reassured the WHO’s executive board session this Monday that India remains committed to “equitable distribution of vaccines.”

He added that vaccines have brought a ray of hope and now governments across the world have to ensure that the ray of hope reaches everyone.

Earlier this week, Minister for External Affairs, S Jaishankar had met the ambassadors of African countries. He tweeted: “Our conversation covered COVID recovery, vaccines, air travel, and digital experiences. Also spoke about India’s current priorities & challenges. Assured them of India’s interest in an early IAFS (India-Africa Forum Summit) Summit.”

Jaishankar hinted that his talks with the African envoys did touch vaccines and path to recovery.

African countries including multilateral agencies are worried over vaccine hoarding by the developed world. Canada has hoarded enough vaccines to give five jabs per person. Other Western countries too have reserved or pre-booked more vaccines with manufacturers than they require. Stockpiling of vaccines has led to concern that poorer nations may not be able to fend for their citizens - ironically, prolonging the existence of the virus, thereby keeping everyone vulnerable to the infection.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hit out over “vaccine inequity,” saying this could amount to a “catastrophic moral failure” on a global scale. The US, Canada, the UK and most European countries are into their second month of mass vaccination even as the lower-income countries fret

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A number of statements by high ranking Indian officials indicate that the country plans to support African countries in their battle against an unpredictable pandemic.

Barely a fortnight back, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla told the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that India would continue to support African countries and empower Africa on the principles of “inclusivity, sustainability, transparency and socio-economic development with dignity and respect.”

Shringla was referring to the debt-trap that many African countries find themselves in owing to ‘concessional loans’ from China. He also highlighted supplying critical medicines to African countries during the Covid crisis.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated at least twice this month that India will help the world meet its healthcare needs.

On Wednesday, Modi tweeted: “India is deeply honoured to be a long-trusted partner in meeting the healthcare needs of the global community. Supplies of Covid vaccines to several countries will commence tomorrow, and more will follow in the days ahead.”

For Africa, the current situation is a throwback to the HIV/AIDS epidemic that ravaged nations due to prohibitive costs of drugs.

Eventually, high-quality but inexpensive generics from India saved the day for the continent massively bringing down the cost of treatment and helping nations beat back AIDS. Indian medicines proved effective in a situation where the West failed.

In a letter to PM Modi on Tuesday, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of the Dominican Republic, has also requested for inoculation, signally that the demand for Indian jabs has acquired a transcontinental appeal. In other parts of Latin America, Brazil, which has the second highest number of coronavirus cases in the world next only to the United States, has sent a special plane to pick up Indian vaccines from Pune.

A Brazilian plane is expected to fly the first 2 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine purchased by the government’s Fiocruz biomedical institute.

According to a Reuters report from Sao Paulo, Health Minister Eduardo Pazuello said the documentation is ready for bringing the AstraZenecaOxford University vaccine being produced at the Serum Institute of India.

Brazil’s Anvisa has scheduled a meeting for next Sunday to decide on the emergency use of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca

and Oxford as well as one by developed by China’s Sinovac Biotec.

Meanwhile the Bolivian government had also signed a contract with India’s Serum Institute for the supply of 5 million doses of AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine.

President Luis Arce said that combined with a recent deal to buy 5.2 million Sputnik V vaccine doses from Russia, Bolivia now expected to be able to inoculate all of its vaccinable population.

The sources said that in tune with Prime Minister Modi’s message that India’s vaccine approach are intended to heal humanity, India would not be averse to provide vaccines to Pakistan, as part of a drive to eliminate the virus globally.

And in the course of time if the Chinese vaccine does not work, India would not hesitate to supply jabs to Beijing as well. The sources pointed out that India’s

vaccine exports to China may go a long way in addressing India’s adverse trade balance with the Middle Kingdom.

So far, China’s vaccine has shown patchy results. For instance, after Thailand has discovered that the efficacy of the two million doses of the Chinese Sinovac Biotech Covid-19 vaccine, has dropped dramatically.

The Bangkok Post said that the Thai Ministry of Public Health has requested further information about the vaccine it has ordered from China following a report “it might not be as effective as first thought” even as it goes ahead with its plan to receive and administer the vaccine from Sinovac Biotech.

Singapore too has confirmed that the vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech will have to go through regulatory scrutiny and authorisation by the country’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA) before being rolled out for the public.

Covid-19 traces found in Canberra wastewater Canberra, Jan 30 (IANS): Australian health authorities on Saturday said that traces of the novel coronavirus were detected in the wastewater at a suburb of the country’s capital Canberra.

According to information provided by the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) government, the virus “was found in a sewage sample collected on January 27 from the Belconnen wastewater testing location”, reports Xinhua news agency.

Vanessa Johnston, deputy chief health officer of the ACT, said that the detection does not mean the Capital Territory has new Covid-19 cases, but it was treated with caution.

“It may represent a person who has recovered from Covid-19 and is no longer infectious but is continuing to shed the virus,” Johnston said.

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She said that the shedding can last for weeks after the person recovered.

“This detection may be indicative of a person in this category, who has recently returned home or visited the ACT,” she said.

“For example, we know that ACT residents continue to return to Australia from overseas.

These individuals undergo hotel quarantine in other states and territories before returning to the ACT. Some of these residents develop Covid-19 in hotel quarantine and then return to the ACT once they have recovered and are no longer infectious.

“However, it may also be an undetected active case, which is why the community should remain alert, but not alarmed,” the top health official added.

The ACT government urged people with even the mildest

of symptoms to get tested for Covid-19.

“We urge anyone who lives in, works in, or has recently visited the Belconnen area, to get tested for Covid-19 if they are experiencing even the mildest of symptoms, and to self-isolate until they receive a negative result. This is particularly important for anyone who has recently travelled outside the ACT,” said Johnston.

“If there is an active case we are unaware of, it is vital that we detect this quickly to keep the community safe.”

Sewage was tested for fragments of the virus that causes Covid-19 at six locations in the ACT weekly.

The ACT has so far recorded 118 coronavirus cases, with three deaths.

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SPORTS

Mahindra to gift SUVs to Team India’s win over Australia highly Thakur, 5 debutant cricketers inspirational for youth: PM Modi New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday again lauded the stellar performance of the Indian cricket team which registered a remarkable Test series win over Australia Down Under, saying the victory is highly inspirational for the youth of the country.

New Delhi, Jan 23 (IANS): Mahindra group chairman Anand Mahindra on Saturday said that he would be gifting a Mahindra Thar SUV to six players who played an integral role in India’s victory over Australia in the recently concluded Test series Down Under.

Mahindra said that the cars will be going to the six players who made their debut in the series -- batsman Shubman Gill, allrounder Washington Sundar, and fast bowlers Mohammed Siraj, T Natarajan, Navdeep Saini, and Shardul Thakur.

Thakur may have been playing his second Test, but he had managed to bowl just 10 balls in his debut Test in October 2018 before being injured.

“Six young men made their debuts in the recent historic

series #INDvAUS (Shardul’s 1 earlier appearance was shortlived due to injury)They’ve made it possible for future generations of youth in India to dream & Explore the Impossible (1/3),” said Mahindra in the first of a thread of three tweets.

“Theirs are true ‘Rise’ stories; overcoming daunting odds in the pursuit of excellence. They serve as an inspiration in all arenas of life. It gives me great personal pleasure to gift each of these debutants an All New THAR SUV on my own account-at no expense to the company. The reason for this gift is to exhort young people to believe in themselves & ‘Take the road less traveled.’

Bravo Mohammed, Shardul, Shubhman,Natarajan,Navdeep& Washington! I now plead with @ Mahindra_Auto to get them their THARS on priority,” he tweeted.

Addressing the 18th Convocation of Tezpur University, Assam via video conferencing, the Prime Minister said the team, despite facing a number of challenges, overpowered the Australia team with their talent and temperament.

“Indian team faced a lot of challenges in the recent tour of Australia. They suffered crushing defeat yet recovered equally fast and won the next match. The players showed determination despite injuries. They took the challenge head on and looked for fresh solutions instead of getting frustrated by difficult conditions,” Modi said.

“There were inexperienced players but their morale was high and they grabbed the opportunity given to them. They overpowered a better team with their talent and temperament,” he added.

The Indian team, after facing an embarrassing loss in the first Test in Adelaide where they were bowled out for their lowest Test

score of 36, came back strongly in the next three matches to retain the Border-Gavaskar trophy in an emphatic manner. The series saw Indian team register their first win at the Gabba in Brisbane - a venue where Australia last suffered a defeat in 1988.

The prime minister stressed that the stellar performance of our players is important not just from the point of view of the sports field.

First, we should have faith and confidence in our ability; second, a positive mindset begets positive results. Third and most important lesson, said Modi, is - if one is facing two options, one safe and the other is an option of a difficult victory, one must surely explore the option of victory.

“There is no harm in occasional

failure and one should not refrain from taking the risks. We need to be proactive and fearless,” he said.

“If we overcome the fear of failure and unnecessary pressure, we will emerge fearless. This new India, confident and dedicated to goals, is evident not only in the cricket field, all of you are part of this picture,” Modi added.

Earlier, after the three-wicket win in the last Test on Tuesday, Modi had congratulated the Ajinkya Rahane-led side and tweeted: “We are all overjoyed at the success of the Indian cricket team in Australia. Their remarkable energy and passion was visible throughout. So was their stellar intent, remarkable grit and determination. Congratulations to the team! Best wishes for your future endeavours.”

Six reasons why India beat Australia in Test series I

ndia defeated Australia for the second successive time in a Test series in two years, with both the series wins coming in Australia.

Here are the six main reasons that helped the underdogs and injurystricken India beat host Australia 2-1 in the four-match series: 1. Indian Premier League (IPL) -- The T20 has removed the Indian players’ inhibitions against Australians while giving access to top Aussie brains in dressing rooms at nets. All four teams that made the IPL play-offs this season -- Delhi Capitals (Ricky Ponting), Mumbai Indians (Andrew McDonald), Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB, Simon Katich) and Sun Risers Hyderabad (David Warner as captain) -- had Aussies at the forefront to guide them.

Most of these persons were also part of the Aussie team in some position or the other during the just-concluded series.

India player Rishabh Pant, who made 89 not out on the last day at the Gabba, has gained immensely under Ponting while both Mohammed Siraj (fifer in second innings in Brisbane) and Washington Sundar (62 and three wickets in first innings and 22 in second innings) have been under Katich’s wings at the RCB where Aussie limited-overs captain Aaron Finch also plays. That apart, the presence of top Aussie players in different teams have

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also helped. Shubman Gill, who hit 91 on the last day, has faced Pat Cummins regularly at the KKR nets while Josh Hazlewood and Shardul Thakur, who picked seven wickets and hit 67 in first innings, have also shared the ball at the Chennai Super Kings nets.

2. Strong bench -- Since 2010, India A have played 52 firstclass matches, the most by any team in the world. Pace bowler Mohammed Siraj has played 16 first-class matches, batsman Shubman Gill eight, HanumaVihari 12 and Rishabh Pant four for India A and toured overseas also. Pace bowler Shardul Thakur, who too has played a few games for India A, credited those games for ensuring proper preparation for the senior team. This is apart from the List A games.

“We were here in Brisbane in 2016. We played a couple of fourday games at the Allan Border Field. Though the pitch there is different, at least you get used to the climate. You get used to the Australian conditions. So, when you take that leap from India A to India team, the transition is not that difficult,” said Thakur after the third day’s play. That apart, Rahul Dravid’s policy of letting one batch play only one under-19 World Cup has ensured there is a regular flow of young players with a taste of some form

of international cricket. Dravid has been grooming the second string quite well, providing them exposure.

3. Frequent tours to Australia -- The Indian team has toured Australia four times in the last 10 years. This is apart from the ‘A’ tours that the Indians have undertaken to the country. India’s last tour to Australia came in 2018-19, just two years ago. The frequent trips have ensured that the players have become used to the conditions Down Under -- weather as well as pitches and did not need much time to get acclimatised to the conditions.

4. Covid-19 -- The Indian squads for all three formats reached Australia together. The Test team benefited the most as they arrived in Australia over a month

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before the series was to start.

The one-month long stay helped the team get acclimatised to the conditions. They also played a couple of warm-up games ahead of the series. T Natarajan, Shardul Thakur and Washington Sundar who stayed back as net bowlers too got time to get used to the conditions.

5. Competition within the team -- The intense competition for places in the squad has helped players grab opportunity with both hands. When Prithvi Shaw was dropped after the first Test, youngster Shubman Gill walked into the squad and grabbed the opportunity with both hands and returned with 259 runs at 51.8. Rishabh Pant’s place was also questioned due to his poor wicketkeeping skills but he performed with the bat to cement

his spot.

6. Domestic cricket -- India’s well laid out domestic cricket structure, comprising Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy, and Irani Trophy in multi-day format, allowed a lot of players to get plenty of cricket under their belt before they made their Test debut.

Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, T Natarajan, Navdeep Saini, who all showed no nerve while playing their first full Test series, all made their first-class debut at least five years ago and have been frontline bowlers for the state sides. The Indian domestic cricket has also provided flat, battingfriendly pitches and that has helped batsmen get confidence to play shots and bowlers to bowl tight, something that helped on the flat Australian pitches.

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SPORTS

Djokovic says demands Positive Covid tests by Oz Open players believed to be ‘virus shedding’ for Australian Open players ‘misconstrued’

Canberra, Jan 21 (IANS): World number one Novak Djokovic said his demands for tennis players in quarantine ahead of the Australian Open were “misconstrued”.

More than 70 players competing in the Australian Open have been confined to their hotel rooms for 14 days after fellow passengers on their charter flights to Melbourne tested positive for Covid-19.

In an open letter to the Australian public published from hotel quarantine in South Australia, Djokovic defended his “good intentions”, reports Xinhua news agency.

Other players including Djokovic, who will compete in an exhibition tournament in Adelaide before heading to Melbourne, are allowed out of their rooms for five hours per day to train.

It comes after the eight-time Australian Open champion was widely criticised after issuing a list of demands for players in quarantine to Australian Open chief Craig Tiley, including shorter quarantine periods and “moving as many players as possible” to houses with private tennis courts.

“I genuinely care about my fellow players and I also understand very well how the world is run and who gets bigger and better and why,” Djokovic said in his letter.

Djokovic said that his letter to Tiley was taken the wrong way.

“My good intentions for my fellow competitors in Melbourne have been misconstrued as being selfish, difficult and ungrateful,” he said. “This couldn’t be farther from the truth.”

Sydney, Jan 20 (IANS): Positive Covid-19 tests attributed to two Australian Open players are now suspected to be instances of ‘virus shedding’ following evidence of past infections, authorities confirmed on Wednesday.

Victoria’s Minister for Emergency Services Lisa Neville has clarified the total number of cases linked to the event that weren’t considered shedding was seven, none of which were players, reports Xinhua news agency.

“I’ve earned my privileges the hard way and for that reason, it is very difficult for me to be a mere onlooker knowing how much every help, gesture and good word mattered to me when I was small and insignificant in the world pecking order.

Neville explained that one of the players initially reported as positive on Tuesday was in hotel lockdown and was reclassified as a virus shedding case, while the other who tested positive along with a support staff member was also suspected to be a case of virus shedding, which health officials were working to confirm.

“Hence, I use my position of privilege to be of service as much as I can where and when needed,” he added.

Instances of positive cases on three flights arriving in Australia last week led to 72 players being considered close contacts and

forced to isolate in their hotel rooms, despite previously being told they would be able to train for five hours per day.

Players continued to voice their discontent on social media, prompting a backlash from Australians, particularly those in Melbourne who endured one of the world’s longest lockdowns in the latter months of last year.

However Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley said most players understood why they had to quarantine and were fully cooperating with authorities.

“I think the majority of the players understand and accept it and it is a minority that are struggling with it... we’re going to do whatever we can to make it better for them,” Tiley told national broadcaster ABC. “It’s a tightrope that we walk and one of them is we’ve always said our priority is the safety of the Victorian community and

that will not be compromised under any circumstance and I do understand the players.”

Following the public response, several big name stars have distanced themselves from previous criticisms of how the situation was being handled, including World No. 13 Roberto Bautista Agut who appeared in an interview comparing the two week quarantine to prison.

After his statements became public, Agut took to social media to apologise for anyone he had offended.

“Both my coach and I are following the protocols designed by the Australian government and Tennis Australia to avoid any risk and guarantee to compete again in a safe way. These are hard times for athletes and society in general,” Agut posted on Twitter.

“The management that has been made in Australia to prevent the spread of the virus is admirable.”

‘Aussies get Pantsed’: Oz media drools over India’s triumph Brisbane, Jan 20 (IANS): The Australian media on Wednesday hailed India’s historic Test win at the Gabba here, terming the 2020-21 Border-Gavaskar series win as one “for the ages”.

pictures: one of Siraj hugging Pant and other of Nathan Lyon where the Australia off-spinner seemed frustrated after he failed to deliver on the fifth day of the Test match.

India became the first team to beat Australia at the Gabba in a Test match in 32 years and thus recorded a second consecutive series win Down Under. It was also India’s first ever win at this venue.

“The day when Fortress Gabba was stormed by a group of cavalier raiders who kicked down the drawbridge, stole the crown jewels and raced off into the late afternoon sunshine towards hysterical fans who will cherish this memory forever. Take it all India. You deserve it...Australia are no longer bully boys of the game. They have been stared down by the impeccable forces of an Indian team,” said the Herald Sun in a report.

The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) posted a big image of Mohammed Siraj hugging Rishabh Pant from behind after the wicketkeeper-batsman guided India to a memorable win on Tuesday.

“India takes a series for the ages,” read the front page headline of SMH. “A staggering innings from Rishabh Pant steered India to an unlikely series win over Australia at the Gabba yesterday,” it wrote.

“India’s Gabba Miracle: Aussies Get Pantsed!” read the front-page headline of Herald Sun with two

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“And Australia may have secretly drooled watching young opener Shubman Gill, the gifted rookie who moves with the grace of a ball room dancer and the panache of a soldier with a bayonet. India have raised the bar in cricket.

The scary thing is it is likely to keep going up,” said the Daily

Telegraph.

Wrote the Australian: “Battered.

Bruised. Thrice struck on the helmet. Blows to the ribs. The fingers. The back. The shoulder.

The elbow. The bicep. The hip. The thigh. Courageous?

Outrageous. CheteshwarPujara was the upstanding epitome of the bravest touring squad to have visited these shores.”

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“Take it all India. You deserve it. Its not simply what you did - but how you do it, with a boldness that will inspire the entire cricket world. Australia included. Extraordinary. Amazing.

Stunning. The Gabba could host another 90 years of Tests and see nothing like it,” said The West Australian.

The Mercury said: “When all the

world thought India was terrified about visiting Fortress Gabba it hatched a cunning plan.... to storm it!”

Shubman Gill (91), Pant (89 not out) and Cheteshwar Pujara (56) all played brilliant innings as India chased down the mammoth 328-run target on the final day of the Test match, thus breaching Australia’s fortress in Brisbane.

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ENERGY & RESOURCES

River Ganga could send Mackay wins another $140M contract on Carmichael Project 3 bn microplastics a day into Bay of Bengal

Bravus Mining & Resources, CEO David Boshoff said DRA was known for its exceptional service to the Australian resources sector, and previous work on the Carmichael Project has demonstrated their experience and capability. DRA employs more than 700 people in Mackay.

“Mackay is renowned for its well-established mining services industry and it has always been our intention to engage services from regional Queensland wherever possible,” Mr Boshoff said.

“DRA will carry out the design, engineering and construction of our Coal Preparation Plant, in addition to the Coal Handling Plant that they are already delivering. We expect to see more than 250 people working on these combined projects onsite, ensuring regional Queensland cities like Mackay see the benefits going back into their local economies.”

Mr Boshoff said the Coal Handling Plant and the Coal Preparation Plant work together to prepare and process the coal to meet market specifications.

“The Coal Handling Plant resizes the coal and the Coal

Courtesy bravus.com.au

Brisbane, Jan 22: DRA Global (DRA) has won its second major contract on the Carmichael Project, delivering the $140m coal preparation plant, where the coal is processed and prepared for transport.

Preparation Plant processes the coal to meet final product quality requirements. In doing so, the finished product is more energy efficient and environmentally friendly,” Mr Boshoff said.

“It is these facilities that will see Carmichael coal become some of the better-quality coal from around the world.”

DRA Global CEO Andrew Naude said it was pleased to be involved in such a critical project.

“DRA is delighted to have been awarded an additional major contract on the Carmichael project and to be able to continue creating employment opportunities and supporting the Central Queensland region,” Mr Naude said.

Mr Boshoff said the work will provide a welcome boost to Mackay’s local economy.

“At a time when the local and global economy is struggling, we are pleased to be supporting fellow Australian companies and local businesses, making

the most of skills and expertise you can find right here in our own Queensland backyard,” Mr Boshoff said.

“We are proud to have made good on our promises to Queensland, and especially regional Queensland. We have created more than 2,000 jobs and signed more than $1.5 billion in contracts.

“More than 88% of our contracts are being delivered in Queensland and have been spread across all corners of the state to give as many regions as possible the opportunity to benefit from our project, while also enabling us to tap into the highly-skilled construction and resources industry workforce that Queensland possesses.

“Every week we are reaching exciting new major milestones on the Carmichael mine and rail projects bringing us a step closer to the reality of completion. We are on track and looking forward to producing first coal in 2021,” he said.

Air Quality Commission to set up AI-based system to improve Delhi’s air quality New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS): The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) in DelhiNCR and adjoining areas has roped in India’s top technical institutions to set up a decision support system, which will use Artificial Intelligence to help improve the air quality over targeted sectors of the city.

The Commission for Air Quality Management has begun the process of setting up a Decision Support System (DSS) having a web, Geographical Information System and multi-modal based operational and planning decision support tool.

This tool will help in capturing the static and dynamic features of the emissions from various sources. It will have an integrated framework to handle both primary and secondary pollutants using chemical transport model.

The system will also be able to handle the “source specific interventions” with the framework to estimate benefits of interventions and will focus on presenting the best results in a comprehensive user friendly and simple format for different users.

The Commission has entrusted

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the task to IMD Delhi, IITM Pune, IIT Delhi, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and Centre for Development of Advanced Computing for framework development of Air Quality Management Decision Support System for Delhi.

The Air Quality Management Decision Support Tool (DST) integrates an emissions inventory development application and database; regional, local and source-receptor modelling; and Geographical Information System (GIS) based visualization tools in a software framework so as to build a robust system to formulate and implement source specific interventions to improve the air quality.

The sources covered will include

industries, transport, power plants, residential, DG sets, road dust, agricultural burning, refuse burning, construction dust, ammonia, volatile organic compounds, landfill etc.

For instance, municipalities, industrial associations, industrial development authorities etc. would be the stake holders for identifying interventions related to waste burning, industrial source pollution, respectively.

Upon identification of feasible interventions, the artificial intelligence based expert system which has a hierarchical data base of simulated scenarios, potentially assessing the impact of the identified feasible intervention which would be implemented by the regulatory organization such as CPCB and state PCBs.

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Kolkata, Jan 22 (IANS): With the combined flows of the Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers, the Ganga river could be responsible for up to 3 billion microplastic particles entering the Bay of Bengal every day, according to new research by an international team of scientists.

The microplastics identified were dominated by fibers and fragments, according to the study.

Ganga rises in the Himalayas and runs through India and Bangladesh, where it joins the Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers shortly before reaching the Indian Ocean.

The combined flows of the three rivers are the largest in South Asia and form the most populous basin in the world, with over 655 million inhabitants relying on the water it provides.

The study was conducted using samples collected by an international team of scientists as part of the National Geographic Society’s ‘Sea to Source: Ganges expedition’.

“Globally, it has been estimated that 60 billion pieces of plastic are discharged into the ocean from rivers worldwide each day.

However, what has been lacking until now has been a detailed analysis of how microplastic concentrations vary along a river’s course,” said the study’s lead author Imogen Napper from the University of Plymouth in Britain.

Over two expeditions in 2019, 120 samples -- 60 each in pre and post-monsoon conditions -- were gathered from 10 sites by pumping river water through a mesh filter to capture any particles.

The samples were then analysed in laboratories at the University of Plymouth with microplastics found in 43 of the samples taken pre-monsoon, and 37 postmonsoon.

More than 90 per cent of the microplastics found were fibres and, among them, rayon and

acrylic -- both of which are commonly used in clothing -were the most abundant, said the study published in the journal ‘Environmental Pollution’.

Combining the predicted microplastic concentration at the mouth of the river with the discharge of the river, scientists estimate that between one billion and three billion microplastics might be being released from the Ganges Brahmaputra Meghna River Basin every day.

The research was led by researchers from the University of Plymouth’s International Marine Litter Research Unit, working with colleagues from the Wildlife Institute of India, University of Dhaka, WildTeam, University of Exeter, National Geographic Society and the Zoological Society of London.

The samples were collected during pre-monsoon (May to June 2019) and post-monsoon (October to December 2019), at sites ranging from Harsil closest to the source of the Ganga to Bhola in southern Bangladesh where it meets the Bay of Bengal.

The sample sites were selected to ensure a mixture of rural, urban, agricultural, tourism and religious locations, with the highest concentrations found closer to the river’s mouth at Bhola in Bangladesh.

“We know that rivers are a substantial source of microplastics in the ocean. But the information like this can help identify the key sources and pathways of microplastic and hence inform management interventions,” said one of the study’s co-authors, Richard Thompson, Head of the International Marine Litter Research Unit at the University of Plymouth.

“With this type of evidence, we can progress toward using plastics more responsibly so as to get the many benefits they can bring without unnecessary contamination of the environment,” Thompson said.

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Feb 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 15

TRAVEL

Australia’s Red Centre- the spiritual abode of the Anangu

Mutitjulu waterhole on the eastern side of Uluru

By Dr Ram Mohan Featuring spellbinding geological formations that form a dominant part of the vast red sandy plain of central Australia, the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park comprises Uluru, about half a billion yearold colossal sandstone monolith standing 348 metres tall with a circumference of 9.4 kilometres; and Kata Tjuta, the rock domes situated to the west of Uluru.

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is inextricably linked to the conventional belief system of the Anangu Aboriginal people.

Having had the privilege of venturing into this spectacular place, it would be a disservice on my part not to extol the virtues of my unique experience. My journey into Australia’s Red Centre, as it is colloquially known, was undertaken to detoxify myself after all the negativity that had been prevailing in the looming shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic.

We reached our destination at the crack of dawn and we could barely contain our excitement to commence the immensely popular Uluru base walk. But on our tour guide’s recommendation, we decided to cruise around the gigantic monolith on the Segway after a quick lesson.

Leaning forward on my Segway, I imagined the iron-rich red desert surging forward to greet me while we cruised ahead at a comfortable pace with our gazes directed towards the natural edifice which resembles a magnificent brain emerging out of the heart of the desert. The kaleidoscopic changes in the reddish hues of the Uluru sandstone with the ascending sun in the backdrop is a sight worth beholding. We also caught a glimpse of its pre-historic core with a labyrinth of tunnels which were partly exposed. Though climbing the rock is strictly forbidden for it is frowned upon

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by the Anangu who consider it a sacrilege if anyone flouts their age-old belief and treads upon the rock, this does nothing to dampen the anticipation of viewing the rock from a respectable distance.

Contrary to popular belief, Uluru is much more than a huge jutting orange rock for it is surrounded by valleys, peaks and trails, and even a number of waterholes that punctuate the otherwise arid region. Located on the eastern side of Uluru is the Mutitjulu waterhole which is known for its unusual shape. It is also one of the few perennial sources of water around Uluru. If you are

a photography enthusiast, be sure to carry a camera with a wide-angle lens and capture the waterhole at its best when the sun hits it directly around lunchtime.

Fortunate visitors might even catch a glimpse of wallabies among the tall grasses and gum trees. The area is also replete with bush foods such as tjantu (bush tomatoes) and arnguli (bush plums). Also, if you were to find yourself the sole occupant of the waterhole area for some time, grab the opportunity to be in complete communion with nature and absorb the tranquil atmosphere by sitting there with

Taking a break from cruising around the monolith on Segways closed eyes.

To really experience what it must have been for those in the early days when they pushed into the vast, dry expanse of the desert with the last rays of the sun illuminating the sky, a camel ride is highly recommended. You can almost conjure up a vivid image of how the first European settlers must have surveyed the Red Centre of Australia with curiosity

and awe as the humped beasts they were riding were the only other living creatures sharing their adventures. Sitting atop a camel, I sat enthralled viewing the sun gradually disappearing from the horizon leaving behind a redtinged halo in its wake. I knew then that this desert excursion had left an indelible imprint in my heart and soul.

The colossal sandstone monolith Uluru

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INDIA NEWS

Feb 1-15, 2021 - Vol 1, Issue 15

ENTERTAINMENT

Kim Kardashian: ‘I miss dressing up’ Pankaj Tripathi: ‘I Los Angeles, Jan 25 (IANS): American reality TV star Kim Kardashian strikes a stylish pose in a new snapshot she has posted on social media, though she says she misses dressing up.

In the picture she posted in the early hours of Monday, according to India time, Kim is seen stepping out of her car. Colourcoordinated with the all-black power wheels, Kim is dressed in all-black, too. She wears a frontopen black leather jacket that falls way below her knees, with a black

know people love me through social media’

leather off-shoulder short dress that has a cross embroidered on the torso.

The 40-year-old celebrity adds to her minimalistic no-makeup look with the caption she writes on the picture: “I miss dressing up”.

Kim has lately been in the limelight with reports in the media of her impending divorce with estranged husband Kanye West. According to recent media reports, the divorce is very much on, with Kim and Kanye hardly communicating.

Amitabh, Goa CM, Guv, laud IFFI success in Covid Panaji, Jan 24 (IANS): The triumph of humankind over coronavirus appeared to be the underlying theme of the closing ceremony of the 51st edition of the International Film Festival of India, with nearly all speakers at the concluding event lauding the successful organisation of the event amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a video message which was played to the audience during the closing ceremony films icon Amitabh Bachchan said that the successful organisation of the event was an example of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dictum of turning challenges into opportunities.

“I was wondering when the (Covid-19) situation would cease and I would get to meet everyone.

But all that became irrelevant when the government decided to hold IFFI. IFFI is a great example

of the PM’s call to change challenges into opportunities,” Bachchan said.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant who heads the Entertainment Society of Goa, a state government agency which co-organises the annual event with the central government’s Directorate of Film Festivals, expressed confidence that India would defeat Covid-19.

“India will defeat Covid, especially now that two rounds of vaccination are complete. Corona will lose. India will win,” Sawant said.

Union Minister of state for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Babul Supriyo said that while the pandemic had caused havoc and movie halls were closed cinema still found a way to people who cherish it.

Goa’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant financially in every way, but Goa must be congratulated for being indispensable to IFFI. This year we could not go to cinema halls, but cinema came to us in different forms with OTT platforms and television,” Supriyo said.

Goa Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari also lauded the organisers of the event saying “in Covid times to have a global festival with such courage and commitment is commendable”.

New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS): Pankaj Tripathi is one of the busiest actors in the Bollywood circuit, but he surprises you by saying he doesn’t quite understand what it means to be a star. However, he gets to know that people love him through social media reactions.

“Nothing has changed. I don’t have an idea if I am a star and I don’t know what it’s like to be a star. I don’t have an idea about stardom. I used to work with honesty and I am doing it with sincerity till now,” Pankaj told IANS. He is, of course, aware of the

love he has won, thanks to social media.

“I know people love me. I get to know about it through social media. Sometimes I feel that the love of the audience is like a fixed deposit with me and I have to give them back with interest. So, the responsibility and trust increases.

I have to return the love of the audience with interest,” he said.

Pankaj has a motley of films lined up in the year ahead. He will be seen in “83”, ‘Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar”, “Mumbai Saga” and “Bachchan Pandey”.

Danish film ‘Into the Darkness’ wins Golden When #BernieSanders joined Adhyayan Peacock award at IFFI “Pandemic has caused havoc to human minds, emotionally,

Suman’s housewarming puja Mumbai, Jan 24 (IANS): Actor Adhyayan Suman on Sunday shared a photo of his new home on social media.

However, at a time when almost the entire film industry is taking part in the Bernie Sanders meme fest, why should Adhyayan be left behind.

The actor shared a photograph of his housewarming puja on Twitter. In the photo, Adhyayan can be seen performing the puja together with his father Shekhar Suman as US Senator Bernie Sanders looks on from behind.

“My New House! Finally with all the love, support and my parent’s blessings, I’ve moved into a beautiful place with good vibes and positive energies! Thanking Mr #BernieSanders to inaugurate this house the traditional way! #newbeginnings #MyNewHouse #Goodvibes,” Adhyayan captioned the photo on Twitter.

US Senator Bernie Sanders became the subject of memes on social media due to his his antifashion look at the presidential

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Panaji, Jan 24 (IANS): Danish film “Into the Darkness” won the prestigious Golden Peacock award for the “Best Film” at the 51st International Film Festival of India (IFFI), which came to a glittering close on Sunday.

Nayfeh’s Arabic film ‘200 Metres’.

The “Best Director” award was presented to Chen-Nien Ko, who directed the Taiwanese film “Silent Forest”. Tzu-Chuan Liu, who was the lead actor in “Silent Forest” was honoured with the “Best Male Actor” award.

224 films from sixty countries were screened at the 51st edition of the IFFI, which was organised in a hybrid format, with movies and events held at the festival venue as well as in the virtual format.

The awards were presented at the closing ceremony of the festival held in Panaji.

“Best Female Actor” award was won by Polish actor Zofia Stafiej for her performance in the Polish film “I Never Cry”.

inauguration ceremony of Joe Biden recently.

The Senator was clicked sitting in a stoic pose with his hands crossed wearing a mask on his face, a simple coat and oversized mittens. It is his mittens which has grabbed the maximum attention of netizens!

A photograph of Sanders wearing the oversized mittens has gone viral on social media and inspired a meme fest online! Till now, several Bollywood celebrities have taken part in circulating Bernie Sanders memes, including actress Deepika Padukone.

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The “Special Jury” award was presented to the film “February”

by Bulgarian filmmaker Kamen Kavlev.

The “Best Debut Director” award and a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh was won by Brazilian Director Cassio Pereira Dos Santos for his film “Valentina”.

The ICFT-UNESCO UNESCO Gandhi Award was presented to Palestinian director Ameen

Veteran actor Biswajit was presented with the personality of the year award, while actor and Lok Sabha MP Ravi Kishan was also honoured for his contribution to Indian cinema.

199 screenings were physically screened in auditoriums at the festival venue, out of which 85 were national and international movie premiers.

80-year-old Italian cinematographer Vittorio Storaro was presented with the lifetime achievement award, while the ‘country focus’ section this time round was dedicated to cinema from Bangladesh.

A selection of 23 feature and 20 non-feature films were also showcased in the Indian Panorama section of the festival, while the event also celebrated 100 years of film icon Satyajit Ray.

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Kangana Ranaut takes a dig at Swara Bhasker Mumbai, Jan 24 (IANS): Actress Kangana Ranaut was getting bored on Sunday, and that is why she decided to tease actress Swara Bhasker.

On Sunday, the actress retweeted a collage featuring herself and Swara in similar looking outfits.

They are seen in golden saris with white blouses and large necklaces.

The picture which Kangana retweeted highlighted a portion of her scalp, mentioning Kangana ‘class’ and Swara ‘crass’.

Retweeting, she wrote, “Yeh sab kya keh rahe hain !! Aisa hai kya ? @ReallySwara (what are these people saying? Is it true?”

Soon, netizens started commenting how Kangana has

made preparations for everyone’s Sunday entertainment.

She responded: “Haan on a boring day thoda toh@ReallySwara ji ko cheda jaye (Thought I should tease Swara a little on a boring day).”

ENTERTAINMENT

Miley Cyrus to sing for healthcare workers at Super Bowl gig

Swara also replied: “Always happy to help alleviate your boredom Kangana...you know I love you.”

Michael B. Jordan not the sexiest man for girlfriend’s dad

C

omedian and host Steve Harvey says his daughter Lori

Harvey’s boyfriend Michael B. Jordan is a nice guy, but says he still got his eye on the Hollywood heartthrob.

Michael and Lori recently made their relationship official on Instagram. Now, Steve has opened up on what he thinks of the actor, who was recently named People’s Sexiest Man Alive, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

“I still got my eye on him. I mean I like him, but like I say to all of them, ‘I might like you. I might

approve of you, but I’ve got a thumb-sized section of my heart filled with nothing but pure hatred for you’. Just in case I need it,” said Steve. “(Michael is a) nice guy. But I got this little section where all I gotta do is click a switch and I’d hate your a**. You’re not the sexiest man in the world to me. Let’s be clear about that,” he added.

Meanwhile, Michael and Lori wanted to “get to know each other in private” before making their romance public.

“It seems they have wanted to get

to know each other in private.

They have been careful about being photographed together,” a source said earlier.

Shruti Haasan: ‘Will definitely bring out more music this year’ New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS): Actresssinger Shruti Haasan plans to focus as much on music this year as her film career. Beyond acting in films, Shruti has sung a plethora of songs in the English indie zone and over the years done playback in films, too.

The actress, who is currently seen in the Ravi Teja-starrer Telugu blockbuster “Krack”, promises more music to fans in 2021.

“You will definitely see more music this year from me and I’m so excited to share it with everyone. For years I had to place music to the side but I’m finally learning the balance, and I’m thrilled to be able to do both. Cinema allows me to play various beautiful characters and music allows me to show a valued part of myself and my spirit,” Shruti tells IANS. The actor turned 35 on January 28 but didn’t have any plans for a birthday party by then.

“I don’t have any major plans for

my birthday. This year has been inundated with lots of work for me and that’s what I’m focusing on.

Birthdays are special but it totally depends on work,” she says.

While 2020 was hard on everyone due to the pandemic and nationwide lockdown, Shruti says everyone learnt a lesson from the year in one way or the other.

“The year 2020 was extremely hard for everyone emotionally, physically, mentally and financially. It’s a great

test of our collective and individual human strength and that’s what we need to focus on. Each of us have lessons to learn from this experience and all of our lessons are different.

The journey into self is the most important thing right now and a sense of the collective responsibly we all share,” she says.

Rahul Dev: Web series offer time to develop, portray a character properly Mumbai, Jan 23 (IANS): Actor Rahul Dev plays an important role in the upcoming thriller web series, The Perfect Script. He says he enjoys working in web shows because the medium lets an actor develop and portray a character properly.

“The Perfect Script is a suspense thriller web series and it is based on betrayal. It is like one film divided into a series, which is always better because there is time to develop and portray a character properly,” said Rahul, about the show that also

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country!”Cyrus posted.

Cyrus shared the news on Instagram on Sunday.

TikTok Tailgate is a pregame event for the 7,500 vaccinated healthcare workers who have been invited to attend at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium in Florida next month, reports etonline.com.

“SUPER BOWL LV!!! I’ll be there for TIKTOK TAILGATE!!! I can’t wait to put on a show for the NFL’s honoured guests before the game…. Health care workers from Tampa and around the

There will be other performances too. Singers Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan will deliver “The Star-Spangled Banner” before the game. Additionally, H.E.R. will sing “America the Beautiful”.

Talk show legend Larry King dies at 87

“I’m thankful to the audiences for going to the theatres and making KRACK a hit , after the rough year we’ve had it’s a true blessing to begin 2021 with such a massive hit,” she adds.

The actress will soon be seen in Netflix’s first Telugu original, Pitta Kathalu, and says she is “really looking forward to its release.” She also reveals that she is doing more OTT content.

Los Angeles, Jan 25 (IANS): Singer Miley Cyrus is set to perform at a special Super Bowl LV pregame concert, which will be held specifically for healthcare workers.

features Rajniesh Duggall and Ruslaan Mumtaaz.

Los Angeles, Jan 23 (IANS): Talk show legend Larry King passed away on Saturday, aged 87. He was admitted to hospital earlier this month after testing Covid positive.

The news of King’s death, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre here, was shared via a statement posted online by his Ora Media company.

The statement read: “With profound sadness, Ora Media announces the sad death of our co-founder, host and friend Larry King. For 63 years and across the platforms of radio, television and digital media, Larry’s may thousands of interviews, awards and global acclaim stand as a testament to his unique and lasting talent as a broadcaster.”

“Additionally, while it was his name appearing in the shows’ titles, Larry always viewed his interview subjects as the true stars of his programmes, and himself as merely an unbiased conduit between the guest and audience. Whether he was interviewing a US president, foreign leader, celebrity, scandal-ridden personage or an everyman, Larry liked to ask short, direct, uncomplicated questions,” the statement added.

Rajniesh noted that the show was “a proper love-girl-betrayal-revenge suspense thriller”.

Ruslaan had an added attraction to work in the show -- his admiration for Rahul’s fitness. “The type of fitness and physique that Rahul Dev has is what motivates everyone and is an inspiration to me,” he said.

Directed by Partho Ghosh, the web series will release on the OTT platform Digiflix TV.

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“He believed concise questions usually provided the best answers, and he was not wrong in that belief...Ora Media sends our condolences to his surviving children Larry, Jr, Chance, Cannon and the entire King family,” the statement further read.

The statement also said that funeral services and a memorial service would be announced later in co-ordination with the King family, who “ask for privacy at this time”.

Over the years, King faced health issues including lung problem and prostate cancer.

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