TODAY NEWS ON August 15, 2024
News Headlines for CAT, CLAT and IPM aspirants

Source: The Hindu

National News:

• Army captain killed, civilian injured in J&K encounter with militants in Doda’s Assar area
• PM Modi set to deliver 11th Independence Day address in a row
• Violence erupts at R.G. Kar Hospital during ‘Reclaim the Night’ march
• West Bengal’s private hospitals go on strike, shut down out-patient services
• President Droupadi Murmu urges people to reject tendencies that stoke discord
• Rahul Navin appointed ED Director
• CBI team reaches Kolkata, begins probe into doctor’s rape, murder case
• Parvathaneni Harish appointed as India’s Permanent Representative to U.N.
• BJP sweeps Panchayat polls in Tripura, wins 97% of seats
• Supreme Court refuses to restrict States’ power to tax mines only prospectively
• Supreme Court rejects plea against NMC’s decision to not hold NEET-SS exam this year
• Indian textile firms reboot operations in Bangladesh
• Wholesale price inflation drops to 2.04% in July

International News:

• Growing unease about Russian state-owned media targeting Opposition leaders
• Second Russian border region declares emergency as Ukrainian forces press their incursion
• Thailand Prime Minister Srettha removed from office by court order over ethics violation
• J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk named in Algerian Olympic gold-medalist Imane Khelif’s cyberbullying lawsuit
• Mpox vaccines likely months away even as Africa CDC declares public health emergency
• Morne Morkel appointed as India men’s bowling coach

Army captain killed, civilian injured in J&K encounter with militants in Doda’s Assar area

An Army captain was killed and a civilian was injured in the ongoing encounter with militants in Assar forests area of Doda, in Jammu and Kashmir, on August 14. One militant is suspected to have been injured in the encounter. A rifle and ammunition were seized from the encounter site. The militants were engaged in a firefight on August 13 evening. Meanwhile, the search operation is continuing in the area.

PM Modi set to deliver 11th Independence Day address in a row

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unfurl the national flag for the 11th time in a row on Independence Day – the centrepiece annual event where he lays out his government’s agenda, presents its report card, makes important policy, and programme announcements and speaks about burning issues.

Violence erupts at R.G. Kar Hospital during ‘Reclaim the Night’ march

Violence erupted at R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital during a march organised by women to ‘Reclaim the Might’ protest against the rape and murder of a doctor inside the seminar hall of the hospital.

West Bengal’s private hospitals go on strike, shut down out-patient services

Out-patient departments and services remained shut in private and government hospitals across West Bengal on Wednesday (August 14). Doctors closed services to show solidarity for the doctor who was raped and murdered in Kolkata’s R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital. Several doctors of private hospitals also held marches on the EM Bypass Road.

CBI team reaches Kolkata, begins probe into doctor’s rape, murder case

A team of senior CBI officers, who reached Kolkata on August 14 morning, began its investigation into the rape and murder of a woman doctor at a State-run hospital in West Bengal, officials said. The CBI team, which comprises medical and forensic experts, will visit the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital’s seminar hall where the body of the trainee doctor was found on August 9, they said.

Indian textile firms reboot operations in Bangladesh

Textile factories in Bangladesh owned by Indian firms have restarted operations, following the recent unrest in the country, even as the movement of trucks between the neighbouring countries has revived across the Petrapole border, a senior Commerce Ministry official said.

Growing unease about Russian state-owned media targeting Opposition leaders

The Indian government is concerned about India-based Russian state-owned media targeting Indian Opposition leaders on social media and is likely to take it up with Russian authorities, official sources indicated. Rahul Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi have been among the recent targets.

Vinesh Phogat’s appeal for joint silver medal dismissed

Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat will not be awarded a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, after the ad hoc division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed her appeal for a joint silver medal on Wednesday.

Tendencies that stoke discord on perceived social hierarchies have to be rejected: President Droupadi Murmu

President Droupadi Murmu on August 14 emphasised the need to strengthen affirmative action as a tool for inclusion while urging the rejection of divisive tendencies rooted in perceived social hierarchies. In her address to the nation on the eve of the 78th Independence Day, Ms. Murmu highlighted the steady progress of political democracy in India, asserting that it reflects advancements towards social democracy. “The spirit of inclusion pervades every aspect of our social life. We move together as a cohesive nation with our diversity and plurality. Affirmative action must be strengthened as an instrument of inclusion. I firmly believe that in a vast country like ours, tendencies that stoke discord based upon perceived social hierarchies have to be rejected,” she said.

Wholesale price inflation drops to 2.04% in July

Inflation in India’s wholesale prices dropped from a 16-month high of 3.4% in June, to 2.04% in July, with the rise in food prices cooling to 3.55% from 8.7% a month earlier. However, month-on-month gains in food prices accelerated to 2.7% from 2.1% in June, the highest pace in at least six months. Overall prices rose 0.84% in July compared to June levels, marking the sharpest sequential uptick since April, and primary articles prices rose 3.13% from June, which is again the sharpest pace in at least half a year, according to data released on August 14.

Rahul Navin appointed ED Director

Acting Enforcement Directorate chief Rahul Navin was on August 14 appointed as the full-time director of the federal Anti-Money laundering agency. An order issued by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) said the appointment of Mr. Navin, a 1993-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of the Income Tax cadre, has been made “for a period of two years from the date of assumption of charge of the post, or until further orders, whichever is earlier”.

Parvathaneni Harish appointed as India’s Permanent Representative to U.N.

Seasoned diplomat Parvathaneni Harish was on August 14 appointed as India’s next ambassador to the United Nations in New York. Mr. Harish, a 1990-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is presently serving as India’s ambassador to Germany. He is expected to take up the assignment shortly, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a brief statement.

BJP sweeps Panchayat polls in Tripura, wins 97% of seats

The ruling BJP swept the three-tier Panchayat polls in Tripura, winning 97% of seats, an official said on August 14. The BJP secured victory uncontested in 71% of the seats in Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samitis and Zilla Parishads. The voting for the remaining 29% of seats was held on August 8 and the counting ended on August 13. “The party won 584 Gram Panchayats out of 606, 34 of 35 Panchayat Samities and eight out of eight Zilla Parishads,” the official said. The saffron party had won the both Lok Sabha seats in the Northeastern State in June.

Supreme Court refuses to restrict States’ power to tax mines only prospectively

The Supreme Court on August 14 declined pleas by the Centre and assessees to apply its July 25 majority judgment upholding the power of State Legislatures to tax mines and minerals rights only with prospective effect. A nine-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud declared that States could levy tax on mines and mineral rights from April 1, 2005. Demands of tax would not operate for transactions prior to this court-off date.

Supreme Court rejects plea against NMC’s decision to not hold NEET-SS exam this year

The Supreme Court on August 14 dismissed a plea challenging a decision of the National Medical Commission to not conduct NEET-Super Speciality examination this year. A bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and justices J.B. Pardiwala and Manoj Misra termed the NMC’s decision “fairly equitable” and refused to tinker with the exam calendar.

Second Russian border region declares emergency as Ukrainian forces press their incursion

Russia’s Belgorod border region declared an emergency on August 14 under heavy shelling by Ukrainian forces that are pressing a major cross-border incursion into the adjacent Kursk region for a second week. Belgorod Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov described the situation there as “extremely difficult and tense” as the attacks destroyed homes and caused civilian casualties, unnerving local people.

Thailand Prime Minister Srettha removed from office by court order over ethics violation

A court in Thailand on August 14 removed Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office over an ethical violation, further shaking up Thai politics after the court-ordered dissolution of the main Opposition party a week ago. The case for which the Constitutional Court judged Mr. Srettha involved his appointment of a Cabinet member who had been imprisoned over an alleged attempt to bribe a court official.

J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk named in Algerian Olympic gold-medalist Imane Khelif’s cyberbullying lawsuit

Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, recently crowned Olympic gold medalist, has filed a criminal complaint in France accusing high-profile figures, including J.K. Rowling and Elon Musk, of aggravated cyber harassment, in new reports from Variety. The lawsuit, lodged with the Paris public prosecutor’s anti-online hatred centre, also includes former U.S. President Donald Trump in its scope of investigation. The complaint centers on a barrage of online abuse Khelif faced following her victory in the women’s 66 kg boxing competition at the 2024 Olympics. Despite clear support from the International Olympic Committee regarding her eligibility, Khelif was subjected to intense scrutiny and derogatory comments, largely driven by misinformation about her gender.

Mpox vaccines likely months away even as Africa CDC declares public health emergency

Vaccines to help curb an escalating mpox outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo and neighbouring countries may still not reach the central African country for months even as the World Health Organization considers following Africa’s top public health agency in declaring the outbreak an emergency. On August 13, Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention declared a public health emergency of continental concern for the first time ever, and on Wednesday, a WHO-led panel meets to decide if it represents a global threat.

Morne Morkel appointed as India men’s bowling coach

Morne Morkel, former South Africa speedster, has been appointed as India’s men’s cricket team’s bowling coach. Morkel’s appointment completes trio suggested by the new head coach Gautam Gambhir. Jay Shah, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary, confirmed that Morkel will join for the two-Test series against Bangladesh, starting September 19. The Hindu understands that Morkel will arrive in India in time ahead of the weeklong preparatory camp in Chennai, likely to begin from September 10.