Today News Diary on 13 Feb 2021

1. Lok Sabha passes Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2021
2. Budget 2021 will set up the pace to become self-reliant: Sitharaman
3. BBC World News banned China, Britain says, step will only damage China's reputation
4. Mary Kom, Manish Kaushik to return to the ring as Olympic-bound Indian boxers gear up for Boxam meet
5.PM greets radio listeners on World Radio Day
 

6. Punjab becomes the 13th State to complete One Nation One Ration Card system reform ; Gets additional borrowing permission of Rs.1,516 crore
7.President appoints Shri Justice Puligoru Venkata Sanjay Kumar as the Chief Justice of Manipur High Court
8. President appoints Smt. Pushpa Virendra Ganediwala as Additional Judge of Bombay High Court
 

9. Mushaira” to be organised by Union Ministry of Minority Affairs in New Delhi on 20thFeb, 2021
10.Indian astronomers detect huge optical flare in one of the oldest astronomic objects
11.SERB announces Women Excellence Award 2021 on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science
12. Ministry of Tribal Affairs bags Award of Appreciation in the 18th CSI SIG E-Governance Awards 2020

News Detail:

1. Lok Sabha passes Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2021

Lok Sabha passes the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, 2021. The Bill seeks to merge the J&K cadre with the AGMUT cadre for All India Services.

Speaking on the Bill, Home Minister Amit Shah accused the Opposition of dividing the bureaucracy on religious lines. Shah warned the opposition not to spread fake news that Jammu & Kashmir would be denied of its statehood and clarified that the bill has nothing to do with that.

Highlighting some of the points that have contributed to the development of the region post Art  370 and 35 A, Shah said that cent per cent electrification of the State has been achieved in the last 17 months.

The success of Panchayat and local body election is a mandate against all the forces who supported 370 in the region. People of J&K are now reaping the benefits of all the central schemes and thanks to Modi government’s policy of decentralization even the matter of mining is now a prerogative of the Sarpanches.

The region is 100 pc ODF free. We are working towards making J&K an Atmanirbhar state. The region would attain the statehood status when the time is right. 25 thousand government jobs shall be given to J&K youth by 2022, informed Shah.

We had to block the 4 G network in view of the law and order situation but let me remind the House that schools were closed for 12 years in earlier regimes accused Shah.   

Shah said no major business house would invest in Jammu & Kashmir earlier, but after Article 370 was revoked, many businessmen are now investing there. Ladakh is also progressing rapidly thanks to better infrastructure despite the challenges of COVID.

2. Budget 2021 will set up the pace to become self-reliant: Sitharaman

Union Finance Minister was at her attacking best against the Congress Party while supporting the budget in the Lower House. Sitharaman said that stimulus and reforms taken by the government will set up the pace to become self-reliant. She said Budget 2021 will provide the necessary impetus to the growth of the economy affected by the Covid-19 situation.

3. BBC World News banned China, Britain says, step will only damage China's reputation

China has banned BBC World News on Friday from broadcasting in the country, according to a statement from China's National Radio and Television Administration (NRTA).

In an apparent retaliatory move, the announcement comes one week after British media regulator Ofcom withdrew broadcasting license for state-owned China Global Television Network (CGTN) in the United Kingdom. It comes against the backdrop of growing conflict between Beijing and Western governments over issues ranging from human rights to trade and the COVID-19 pandemic. The BBC said it was "disappointed" by the decision.

China's NRTA said that BBC World News reports about China were found to "seriously violate" broadcast guidelines, including "the requirement that news should be truthful and fair" and not "harm China's national interests". On February 4, China's Foreign Ministry criticized the BBC for its coverage of China's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, and dismissed its reports as "fake news." China has also expressed its displeasure with BBC reporting on China's actions on Uyghur and other ethnic Muslim minorities including alleged forced labour and sexual abuse of women in the western region of Xinjiang. The BBC has said it stands by its reporting as fair and accurate.

It is unclear how much impact China's ban of BBC World News will have in mainland China. BBC World was shown only on cable TV systems in hotels and apartment compounds for foreigners and some other businesses. Most Chinese people cannot view it But the ban has also spread to Hong Kong, where Beijing has increasingly been exerting control. On Friday, public broadcaster Radio Television Hong Kong, or RTHK, announced that it would suspend airing BBC World Service and BBC News Weekly.

Britain's Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said in a statement, "China's decision to ban BBC World News in mainland China is an unacceptable curtailing of media freedom." China has some of the most severe restrictions on media and internet freedoms across the globe and this latest step will only damage China's reputation in the eyes of the world," he said.

The European Union on Saturday called on China to reverse its ban on the BBC World News television channel. The EU said in a statement that Beijing’s move further restricted “freedom of expression and access to information inside its borders,” and violated both the Chinese constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The US State Department condemned the decision, calling it part of a wider campaign to suppress free media in China.

It wasn’t clear whether BBC reporters in China would be affected. Last year, Beijing expelled foreign reporters for The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times amid disputes with the Trump administration and complaints over media criticism of the ruling Communist Party. Britain’s Ofcom, revoked the license for CGTN, China’s English-language satellite news channel, on Feb. 4, citing links to the Communist Party, among other reasons.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Ofcom acted on “political grounds based on ideological bias.” Ofcom’s revocation of broadcasting license was a major blow for CGTN, which is part of a global effort by China to promote its views and challenge Western media narratives about the country, into which it has poured enormous resources. London was a major hub for CGTN operations in Europe.

4. Mary Kom, Manish Kaushik to return to the ring as Olympic-bound Indian boxers gear up for Boxam meet

While the sporting world is still trying to make a comeback, 26 elite Indian boxers are geared up to participate in the two international tournaments. The Olympic qualified as well as probable boxers will be going to Castellon, Spain for the Boxam International Boxing Tournament while the rest of the elite boxers will be travelling for the Strandja Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Six-time world champion Mary Kom (51kg) and Commonwealth Games silver medalist Manish Kaushik (63kg) will return to the ring for the first time after the Asian Olympic Qualifiers held in Jordan in March last year. Mary Kom recovered from dengue while Manish Kaushik freshly rehabilitated from an injury and are all geared to pack a flurry of punches once again.

The World Championship silver medallist Amit Panghal (52kg), who had won gold in the recently-concluded Cologn World Cup, along with Hussam Uddin Mohammed (57 kg), Vikas Krishan Yadav (69 kg), Ashish Kumar (75 kg), Sumit Sangwan (81 kg), Sanjeet (91kg) and Satish Kumar (+91 kg) are the other India men boxers who will be fighting for the title in their respective weight category. It will also be the first tournament for the Asian Games gold medallist Vikas since returning from a pro boxing stint in the US.

Youngster Jasmine, who has been highly impressive in the ongoing national camp, will be accompanying the boxers to Spain for her maiden senior tour and will fight in the 57kg women's category alongside Asian Championship bronze medallist Manisha Moun. While Simranjit Kaur (60kg), who clinched gold at the Cologn World Cup in December, Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) and Pooja Rani (75kg) are the other Indian women boxer to participate at the Boxam meet from scheduled from March 1 to 7.

While the Olympic-bound boxers battle it out at the Boxam meet, the country's 12 (7 men and 5 women) other pugilists will present a challenge at the sport's one of the oldest and prestigious tournaments, 72nd Strandja International Boxing Tournament scheduled from February 21-28.

In the men's category, Deepak (52 Kg), Kavinder Singh Bisht (57 Kg) will lead the charge alongside Naveen Boora (69 Kg), Ankit Khatana (75 Kg), Sachin Kumar (81 Kg), Naveen Kumar (91 Kg) and Manjeet Sandhu (+91 Kg) will be seen in action.

The women's team will be represented by Jyoti (51 Kg), Sakhsi (57 Kg), Shashi Chopra (60 Kg), Lalita (69 Kg) and Bhagyabati Kachari (75 Kg). The boxers who are currently in the national camp are undergoing final preparations ahead of these crucial preparatory matches.

5.PM greets radio listeners on World Radio Day

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has greeted all radio listeners on World Radio Day and said Radio is a fantastic medium, which deepens social connect.

In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, "Happy World Radio Day! Greetings to all radio listeners and kudos to all those who keep the radio buzzing with innovative content and music. This is a fantastic medium, which deepens social connect. I personally experience the positive impact of radio thanks to #MannKiBaat."

6. Punjab becomes the 13th State to complete One Nation One Ration Card system reform ; Gets additional borrowing permission of Rs.1,516 crore

Punjab has become the 13th State in the country to successfully undertake “One Nation One Ration Card system” reform stipulated by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance. Thus, the State has become eligible to mobilise additional financial resources of Rs.1,516 crore through Open Market Borrowings. Permission for the same was issued by the Department of Expenditure.

Punjab has now joined 12 other States namely, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh, who have completed this reform. On completion of One Nation One Ration Card system reform, these 13 States have been granted additional borrowing permission of Rs.34,956 crore by the Department of Expenditure.

Till now, 17 States have carried out at least one of the four stipulated reforms and have been granted reform linked borrowing permissions. Out of these, 13 States have implemented the one nation one ration card system, 12 States have done ease of doing business reforms, 6 States have done local body reforms and 2 States have undertaken power sector reforms. Total reform linked additional borrowing permission issued so far to the States stands at Rs.­­­76,512 crore.

7.President appoints Shri Justice Puligoru Venkata Sanjay Kumar as the Chief Justice of Manipur High Court

The President of India, in exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 217 of the Constitution of India, appointed Shri Justice Puligoru Venkata Sanjay Kumar, Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, to be the Chief Justice of the Manipur High Court. A notification in this regard has been issued by Department of Justice, Ministry of Law & Justice yesterday. Shri Justice Puligoru Venkata Sanjay Kumar, was enrolled as an Advocate on 25 th August, 1988 and  practiced in High Court of Andhra Pradesh in Civil, Constitutional and Service  matters. He was appointed as an Additional Judge of the Andhra Pradesh High  Court on August 8, 2008 and as Permanent Judge on January 20,2010. He was transferred to Punjab and Haryana High Court on 14.10.2019.

8. President appoints Smt. Pushpa Virendra Ganediwala as Additional Judge of Bombay High Court

The President of India, in exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 224 of the Constitution of India, appointed Smt. Pushpa Virendra Ganediwala, to be an Additional Judge of the Bombay High Court for a period of one year with effect from 13 th February, 2021. A notification in this regard has been issued by Department of Justice, Ministry of Law & Justice yesterday. Smt. Justice Pushpa Virendra Ganediwala, joined the Judicial Service as direct District Judge on 26.10.2007 and she served as Judicial Officer in various courts in Maharashtra State. She also worked as Joint Director, Maharashtra Judicial Academy & Indian Mediation Centre and Training Institute, Uttan; as Registrar (Vigilance) and as Registrar General, High Court of Bombay. She was appointed as Additional Judge of Bombay High Court for a period of two years with effect from 13.02.2019.

9. Mushaira” to be organised by Union Ministry of Minority Affairs in New Delhi on 20thFeb, 2021

The theme of “Mushaira” will be “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat”

“Mushaira” and “Kavi Sammelan” is a rich cultural legacy of our country which strengthens the fabric of “Unity in Diversity”: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

Union Ministry of Minority Affairs will organise “Mushaira” on the theme of “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat” in New Delhi on 20th February 2021 where renowned poets of the country will present their couplet.

Renowned poets and poetess such as Shri Wasim Barelvi; Mrs Shabeena Adeeb; Shri Manzar Bhopali; Shri Popular Meeruthi; Mrs Saba Balrampuri; Ms Naseem Nikhat; Mrs Mumtaz Naseem; Col. V. P. Singh; Shri Alok Shrivastava; Sardar Surendra Singh Shajar; Shri Khursheed Haider; Shri Aqeel Nomani; Dr. Nayyar Jalalpuri; Shri Sikandar Hayat Gadbad will enthral the audience in “Mushaira”, to be organised at Dr.Ambedkar International Centre, Janpath in New Delhi.

Union Minister for Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today said here that the “Mushaira” will be organised on 20th February 2021 from 4 to 7 PM. The renowned poets will present their poetry full of commitment to “Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat” and “Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.

10.Indian astronomers detect huge optical flare in one of the oldest astronomic objects

Indian Astronomers have reported one of the strongest flares from a feeding supermassive black hole or blazar called BL Lacertae. Analysis of the flare from this blazar, one of the oldest astronomical objects, can help trace the mass of the black hole and the source of this emission. Such analysis can provide a lead to probe into mysteries and trace events at different stages of evolution of the Universe.

Blazars or feeding supermassive black holes in the heart of distant galaxies receive a lot of attention from the astronomical community because of their complicated emission mechanism. They emit jets of charged particles traveling nearly at the speed of light and are one of the most luminous and energetic objects in the Universe.

BL Lacertae blazar is 10 million light-years away and is among the 50 most prominent blazars that can be observed with the help of a relatively small telescope. It was among the 3 to 4 blazars that was predicted to be experiencing flares by the Whole Earth Blazar Telescope (WEBT), an international consortium of astronomers. 

11.SERB announces Women Excellence Award 2021 on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science

Four young women fellows of National Science Academies have been awarded for excelling in science and engineering on the International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2021.

The SERB Women Excellence Award that has been conferred on them provides a grant of Rs. 15 lakhs for a period of three years to the awardees to pursue their research ideas.

The award given by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a Statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) supporting basic research in the frontier areas of science and engineering, was launched in the year 2013. It is a one-time award given to women scientists below 40 years of age who have received recognition from any one or more of the National Academies such as Young Scientist Medal, Young Associateship, etc.

The for women scientists selected for the awards include Dr. Shobhna Kapoor, Assistant Professor at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, working in the area of Chemical Biology with expertise in ‘Host-Pathogen Interactions and Membrane Biology, Chemical Biology and Biophysics’, Dr. Antara Banerjee, Scientist B National Institute For Research In Reproductive Health, Mumbai, Maharashtra from the Health Sciences area with expertise in Signal Transduction, Biology of Reproduction and Endocrinology, Dr. Sonu Gandhi Scientist D from National Institute Of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad from Bionanotechnology area focusing on Nanosensors, Design and Fabrication of Label-free Biosensors and Dr. Ritu Gupta, Assistant Professor at Indian Institute Of Technology Jodhpur, Rajasthan working on Nanotechnology with expertise in Materials Science, Nanodevices and Sensors, Health & Energy.

12. Ministry of Tribal Affairs bags Award of Appreciation in the 18th CSI SIG E-Governance Awards 2020

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs bags the prestigious Award of Appreciation in the Project Category-Central Government Entity – in the 18th CSI SIG eGov Awards 2020 for their ‘Performance Dashboard Empowering Tribals Transforming India through various ICT initiatives”. The award was received by the Joint secretary of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Dr. Navaljit Kapoor from the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Shri Yogi Adityanath Ji in Lucknow yesterday.

GK Snapshots on 13 Feb 2021

National

DDC polls held in two districts of Kashmir, adjourned in 3 districts of Jammu

Srinagar/Jammu, Feb 13  Elections for posts of chairperson and vice-chairpersons of the District Development Council (DDC) were held in two districts of Kashmir in the final phase on Saturday, while a lack of quorum forced adjournment of polls in three of the four districts in Jammu region.

Arrangements in place for Sunday's civic body polls in Punjab

All the arrangements are in place for the civic body elections in Punjab on Sunday, an official spokesperson of the State Election Commission said on Saturday.

Keylong shivers at minus 5.9 deg C as weather remains dry in HP

The tribal Lahaul and Spiti''s administrative centre Keylong continued to be the coldest place in Himachal Pradesh at minus 5.9 degrees Celsius, Shimla Meteorological Centre Director Manmohan Singh said on Saturday.

India records 12,143 new COVID cases, recoveries cross 1.06 crore

New Delhi: India''s tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 1,08,92,746 with 12,143 new infections being reported in a day, while the recoveries crossed 1.06 crore, according to Union Health Ministry data.

International

Tensions high as mass protests in Myanmar enter second week

Yangon: Mass street demonstrations in Myanmar entered their second week with neither protesters nor the military government they seek to unseat showing any signs of backing off from confrontations.

India accounts for 10 per cent of global road crash victims: World Bank

India, which has one per cent of the world''s vehicles, accounts for 10 per cent of all road crash victims, the latest World Bank report on road safety said on Saturday.

Russian track president steps aside over government job

The Russian track federation''s president stepped aside Saturday after taking a job with a government agency, bringing more leadership churn to a body which is already suspended from World Athletics over doping.

Oxford University launches COVID-19 vaccine study on children

London, The University of Oxford has launched the first study to assess the safety and immune responses in children and young adults of its coronavirus vaccine.

WHO chief warns of complacency as global virus cases drop

The head of the World Health Organization has said that the in confirmed COVID-19 infections around the world was encouraging, but cautioned against relaxing restrictions that have helped curb the spread of the coronavirus.

China holiday train travel down nearly 70 per cent amid restrictions

Railway journeys in China during the usually frenetic Lunar New Year holiday travel rush are down by almost 70 per cent amid calls for people to stay where they are to avoid a new outbreak of COVID-19.

Air travellers to Canada to isolate at hotels starting Feb 22

Air travellers to Canada will quarantine in a hotel starting on February 22 as they await the result of a coronavirus test, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said.

Biden administration to undo Medicaid work requirements

Washington: The Biden administration is moving to roll back Medicaid work requirements in its latest effort to undo a controversial Trump-era policy.

Business

Petrol nears Rs 95 in Mumbai as rate hiked for fifth day in a row

New Delhi: Petrol price in Mumbai neared record Rs 95 per litre mark as its rate as well as diesel prices were hiked for the fifth day in a row.

ONGC net falls 67 pc on in oil, gas prices

State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on Saturday reported over 67 per cent fall in the December quarter net profit on back of a in oil and gas prices.

Facebook's Oversight Board takes up new case from India

Facebook''s Oversight Board has taken up a new case related to a user''s post that was shared from a Punjabi-language online platform and contained insinuations against Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India accounts for 10 per cent of global road crash victims: World Bank

India, which has one per cent of the world''s vehicles, accounts for 10 per cent of all road crash victims, the latest World Bank report on road safety said on Saturday.

Skill ministry announces rollout of fellowship programme in all districts

The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship on Saturday said it is rolling out the Mahatma Gandhi National Fellowship (MGNF) programme in all the districts of the country.

Legal

Right to protest cannot be anytime and everywhere, says SC

New Delhi: The right to protest cannot be anytime and everywhere, the SC said as it dismissed a plea seeking review of its verdict passed last year in which it had held the occupation of public ways during the anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh was not acceptable.

Daily wager sentenced to 20 yrs RI for sexually assaulting minor daughter

A daily wage worker has been sentenced to 20 years Rigorous Imprisonment by a Mahila Court here for sexually assaulting his nearly three month old daughter some months back at Vellitiruppur village.

Bombay HC judge who gave controversial verdicts takes oath as its additional judge for 1 year

The Bombay High Court''s judge Justice Pushpa Ganediwala, who had delivered two controversial verdicts in sexual assault cases, on Saturday took oath as the high court''s additional judge for one more year.

NGT directs closure of illegal brick kilns in Rajasthan's Sri Ganganagar district

The National Green Tribunal has directed the authorities to take action against the illegal operation of brick kilns in Sri Ganganagar district of Rajasthan and shut down the units that are running without permission.

Court convicts Rose Valley group official for money laundering

A special PMLA court in Kolkata has convicted an official of a Rose Valley group company and awarded him seven years rigorous imprisonment on money laundering charges, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Saturday.

Entertainment

Justin Timberlake apologises to Britney Spears after documentary backlash

Los Angeles: Actor-singer Justin Timberlake has apologised to his ex-girlfriend Britney Spears, days after a new documentary led to criticism of how he treated her during their relationship.

Dia Mirza to marry businessman Vaibhav Rekhi next week

Bollywood actor Dia Mirza is set to tie the knot with businessman Vaibhav Rekhi on February 15 in an intimate ceremony.

Ruth Negga to star in Josephine Baker limited series

Actor Ruth Negga is set to play the lead role in a limited series based on the life of Josephine Baker, one of the most influential female entertainers of the 20th century.

Sonam Kapoor wraps shooting for 'Blind'

Actor Sonam Kapoor Ahuja on Saturday said she has completed shooting for her upcoming movie "Blind".

Actor Melissa Benoist signs overall deal with Warner Bros TV

"Supergirl" star Melissa Benoist has inked an exclusive, multiyear overall deal with Warner Bros. Television Group.

Sports

Rohit slams 161, India finish Day 1 on 300/6

Chennai: Opener Rohit Sharma slammed a magnificent 161 before India stuttered in the final session to reach 300 for six on the opening day of the second Test against England.

Djokovic skips practice; scheduled to play Raonic at night

Novak Djokovic skipped practice at the Australian Open ahead of his fourth-round contest.

Santi Mina nets 2 as Celta beats Elche 3-1 in La Liga

Striker Santi Mina scored twice as Celta Vigo showed off its talented attack in beating Elche 3-1 in the Spanish league.

Djokovic a doubt to continue Aus Open campaign after suffering muscle injury

Melbourne: Novak Djokovic''s Australian Open hopes are in the balance due to a torn stomach muscle.

Bopanna bows out of mixed doubles, India's campaign ends in Aus Open

Veteran Rohan Bopanna crashed out of the mixed doubles event with a straight-set loss in the opening round to draw curtains on India''s campaign at this year''s Australian Open here on Saturday.