Today News Headlines on 15 February 2021

1. Government to start administering COVID-19 vaccine to 3rd prioritized group of people above 50 yrs from next month
2. PM Modi: Liberalising policies for acquisition and production of geospatial data will provide huge impetus to Digital India
3. Dr Ajay Mathur elected new Director General at special assembly of International Solar Alliance
4.Delhi Police receives Best Marching Contingent Trophy-2021
5. PM Modi lays foundation stone and inaugurates various projects in Kochi, Kerala
6. More than 2000 Rohingya refugees sent to newly developed Bhashan Char relocation centre in Bangladesh
7. UN expresses concern over deployment of armoured vehicles, use of force in Myanmar
8. ‘Pahela Phagun’ Spring festival celebrated in Bangladesh
9. MV Anastasia crew reaches India after a crew change in Japan
10. US Senate acquits former President Donald Trump for second impeachment trial
11. PM hands over a Chadar for Ajmer Sharif Dargah on the 809th Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti"

GK Snapshots on 15 Feburary 2021

National

CM Kejriwal to address 'kisan mahapanchayat' at Meerut on Feb 28

New Delhi: AAP national convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will address a ''kisan mahapanchayat'' at Meerut on February 28 in support of farmers protesting the Centre''s new agri laws, the party said.

Foreign secretary Shringla to pay 2-day visit Russia from Wednesday

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla will pay a two-day visit to Russia beginning Wednesday during which both sides will deliberate on bilateral as well as topical issues of regional and global importance, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday.

Kanhaiya meets Nitish aide, sets tongues wagging in NDA

Many eyebrows were raised in Bihar on Monday as news broke of a meeting between CPI''s rising star Kanhaiya Kumar and Ashok Choudhary, a minister and key aide of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Polls to urban local bodies in AP to be held on March 10

Elections to urban local bodies (ULBs) in Andhra Pradesh would be held on March 10, the State Election Commission announced on Monday, eleven months after it suspended the process for the polls mid-way last year in view of COVID-19 pandemic.

Ready to offer job, financial support to family of deceased DYFI activist: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said her government is ready to provide financial support to family members of DYFI activist Maidul Islam Midda, who succumbed to injuries sustained during a clash between police and members of Left parties.

Health infrastructure improved considerably in West Bengal: Mamata

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said that the health infrastructure in the state has improved considerably over the last few years.

President condoles loss of lives in road accident in Maharashtra

President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday said he was deeply distressed by the loss of lives in a road accident in Maharashtra''s Jagaon.

Arrest of Disha Ravi unprecedented attack on democracy: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday called the arrest of climate activist Disha Ravi in the toolkit document case an unprecedented attack on democracy . The 21-year-old activist was arrested on Saturday from Bengaluru for being allegedly involved in sharing the "toolkit" related to the farmer''s protest on social media.

COVID-19: India records 11,649 new cases, 90 fresh fatalities

New Delhi: India''s tally of COVID-19 cases rose to 1,09,16,589 with 11,649 new infections, while fresh fatalities were recorded below 100 for the ninth time this month, according to the Union Health Ministry data.

International

Myanmar rattled by army movements, apparent internet cutoff

Yangon: Sightings of armored personnel carriers in Myanmar''s biggest city and an internet shutdown raised political tensions late Sunday, after vast numbers of people around the country flouted orders against demonstrations to protest the military''s seizure of power.

Separatists grow majority in Catalonia despite Socialist win

The pro-union Socialist Party claimed a narrow win in regional elections in Catalonia late Sunday, but the bloc of parties supporting secession by Spain''s northeastern corner widened their control of the regional parliament.

Peru's foreign minister quits over secret vaccination

Peru''s foreign minister resigned Sunday amid an uproar over government officials being secretly vaccinated against the coronavirus before the country recently received 1 million doses for health workers facing a resurgence in the pandemic.

New Zealand city enters 3-day lockdown after virus found

New Zealand''s largest city of Auckland has begun a three-day lockdown following the discovery of three unexplained coronavirus cases in the community.

Business

Bank, financial stocks power Sensex past 52k; Nifty tops 15,300

Mumbai: The Sensex rallied 610 points to finish above the 52,000-mark for the first time while the Nifty soared past 15,300 as investors piled into banking and finance stocks amid a bullish trend overseas.

India's exports up 6.16 pc in Jan

The country''s exports grew by 6.16 per cent to USD 27.45 billion in January, according to data by the commerce ministry.

Rupee rises 14 paise to 72.61 against US dollar in early trade

The rupee strengthened by 14 paise to 72.61 against the US dollar in opening trade on Monday on the back of positive macroeconomic data and upbeat local equities.

Sensex rallies over 500 pts to fresh peak; Nifty tests 15,300

Mumbai: Equity benchmark Sensex rallied over 500 points to scale its fresh lifetime high in opening trade tracking gains in index-heavyweights HDFC twins, ICICI Bank and Kotak Bank amid positive trend in global markets.

Indian Angel Network plans to invest over Rs 100 cr in start-ups in 2021

Venture capital consortium Indian Angel Network (IAN) is planning to invest over Rs 100 crore in start-up firms across sectors in 2021, according to a governance committee member and co-founder of the network.

Rupee rises by 7 paise to end at nearly 1-year high on positive macro data

The rupee on Monday rose by 7 paise to settle at nearly one-year high of 72.68 against the US dollar supported by positive macroeconomic data, weak dollar and a rally in domestic equities.

Legal

SC grants 5-day bail to journalist to visit ailing mother in Kerala

New Delhi: The Supreme Court granted 5-day bail to journalist Siddique Kappan, arrested on his way to Hathras where a young Dalit woman had died after being allegedly gang-raped, to visit his ailing mother.

HC refuses to quash FIR against Rajput's sister Priyanka Singh

The Bombay High Court on Monday refused to quash an FIR lodged against late actor Sushant Singh Rajput''s sister Priyanka Singh for allegedly forging and fabricating a medical prescription for her brother.

Former SC judge P B Sawant dies in Pune

Former Supreme Court judge P B Sawant died due to cardiac arrest at his residence here in Maharashtra on Monday morning, family sources said.

SC notice to Centre, WhatsApp on plea alleging lower standards of privacy for Indian users

The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre and WhatsApp within four weeks on a fresh plea alleging lower standards of privacy for Indians in comparison to European users of the messaging app.

Why most posts in minorities commission lying vacant, HC asks Centre

The Delhi High Court Monday asked the Centre to explain why as many as six out of seven posts at the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) are lying vacant since October last year.

SC committee finds advocate's clerk guilty of sexual harassment, bars entry for 3 months

The Gender Sensitisation and Internal Complaints Committee (GSICC) of the Supreme Court has found a clerk of an advocate guilty of sexual harassment within the precincts of the top court and debarred from entering the precincts. Pursuant to a complaint, GSICC conducted an inquiry against Ashok Saini under Regulation 11(1)(b) and (c) and 11(2)(a) of the Gender Sensitisation and Sexual Harassment of Women at the Supreme Court of India (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal), Regulations, 2013, a notice uploaded on the apex court''s website said.

Entertainment

Want to produce films to have some control, says Gerard Butler

London: Hollywood star Gerard Butler says he enjoyed serving as a producer on the disaster action film "Greenland" as the stint allowed him to have control in shaping the film.

'Harry Potter' actor Evanna Lynch announces memoir

Actor Evanna Lynch, best known for portraying the role of Luna Lovegood in the "Harry Potter" film series, is coming out with a memoir on September 14.

Vanessa Hudgens confirms relationship with Cole Tucker

Actor Vanessa Hudgens has confirmed she is in a relationship with Major League Baseball player Cole Tucker on Valentine''s Day, nearly three months after the couple sparked dating rumours.

Siddharth-Garima's directorial venture 'Dukaan' to release in 2022

"Dukaan", a film on surrogacy directed by writer duo Siddharth Singh and Garima Wahal, is slated to be released next year, the makers announced on Monday.

Siddhant Chaturvedi, Malavika Mohanan to star in 'Yudhra'

Actors Siddhant Chaturvedi and Malavika Mohanan are set to feature in the romantic-action-thriller "Yudhra" and the film is slated for a summer 2022 release, the makers announced on Monday.

Sports

Our batsmen need to play spin better if they are to do well in T20 WC in India: Misbah

Karachi: Head coach Misbah-ul-Haq believes that Pakistani batsmen need to improve their play against spin if they are to do well in this year''s World T20 Cup in India.

Lukaku scores 300th goal as Inter beats Lazio 3-1 to go top

Romelu Lukaku scored twice and took his tally to 300 career goals as Inter Milan moved top of Serie A with a 3-1 win over Lazio on Sunday.

Frankfurt moves 3rd in Bundesliga with 2-0 win over Cologne

In-form Eintracht Frankfurt bolstered its bid for a place in the Champions League next season by moving third in the Bundesliga with a 2-0 win over Cologne on Sunday.

Man United's chase of Premier League leader City hit by draw

Manchester United''s Premier League title hopes took another blow in a 1-1 draw at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.

News in Detail

1.Government to start administering COVID-19 vaccine to 3rd prioritized group of people above 50 yrs from next month

Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has said that the government will start administering COVID-19 vaccine to a third prioritized group comprising people above 50 years of age from next month. Interacting with media persons regarding budgetary provision for Union Health Ministry for 2021-22, Dr Harsh Vardhan said that there are 26 crore people in this category. He said, the Centre had launched the vaccination drive against COVID-19 from 16th of January by administering vaccines to health care workers and the second prioritized group of frontline workers from 2nd of February. He informed that those who have taken the first dose of vaccine are being given the second dose from 13th of this month. Dr Harsh Vardhan said that currently around 18 vaccine candidates are in different stages of trials and will be rolled out in future.

2. PM Modi: Liberalising policies for acquisition and production of geospatial data will provide huge impetus to Digital India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that liberalising policies for acquisition and production of geospatial data will provide huge impetus to Digital India. In his tweet message after the release of the new geospatial guidelines today, PM Modi termed it as a massive step towards realisation of the vision of building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. The Prime Minister added that the reforms will unlock tremendous opportunities for the country's start-ups, private sector, public sector and research institutions to drive innovations and build scalable solutions. He asserted, this will also generate employment and accelerate economic growth in the country.

3. Dr Ajay Mathur elected new Director General at special assembly of International Solar Alliance

The International Solar Alliance (ISA) today announces Dr. Ajay Mathur as its new Director General following his election at the first special assembly of ISA members.

A coalition of 73 member countries, ISA was established at the end of 2015 to accelerate the demand for and use of safe, sustainable, and affordable solar energy for all. It aims to mobilize over $1 trillion USD of investment into solar projects by 2030 through focused advocacy, policy and regulatory support, capacity building, and by overcoming perceived investment barriers. Dr. Mathur replaces Mr. Upendra Tripathy, who has served as Director General since the ISA was founded in 2015.

Dr. Mathur’s leadership appointment to the ISA takes place in a year when addressing global climate change transition commitments will take center stage: 2021 started with the US’s renewed climate focus through the Biden administration and will culminate with COP26, the UN’s Climate Change Conference in the UK in November. As the sole multilateral forum dedicated to solar energy transition and building upon existing milestones, including pooling resources across its members, and creating economies of scale to reduce the cost for clean energy, ISA is poised to renew its commitment towards global solar transition through the new leadership.

4.Delhi Police receives Best Marching Contingent Trophy-2021

On 15th February, 2021 Sh. Rajnath Singh, Minister of Defence honoured Delhi Police with the Best Marching Contingent Trophy during Republic Day 2021 in the midst of glittery ceremony at South Block. Sh. Robin Hibu, Spl. CP/Armed Police received the trophy on behalf of Delhi Police. 
Defence Minister highly appreciated the Delhi Police for showing exceptional professionalism in the recent highly stressful time. He congratulated all the officers and jawans of Delhi Police for winning such prestigious Best Marching Contingent Trophy in spite of having very stressful duties and facing a volatile situation for last few months. 

5. PM Modi lays foundation stone and inaugurates various projects in Kochi, Kerala

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid foundation stone of various projects in Kochi Kerala today. Governor of Kerala, Chief Minister of Kerala, Union Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan,Ministers of State Shri Mansukh Mandaviya , Shri V. Muraleedharanwere present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that the works inaugurated today cover a wide range of sectors.They will energise the growth trajectory of India. He said that Propylene DerivativePetrochemical Project (PDPP), inaugurated today, will help strengthen India’s journey towards being Aatmanirbhar as it will save foreign exchange.

A wide range of industries would gain and employment opportunities would be generated. Similarly, with Ro-Ro Vessels, a distance of almost thirty kilometres on road will become 3.5 kilometers through waterways leading to less congestion and more convenience, commerce and capacity-building. the full support of my Government is there to ensure their welfare” said the Prime Minister.

6. More than 2000 Rohingya refugees sent to newly developed Bhashan Char relocation centre in Bangladesh

Continuing with the process of relocating Rohingya refugees from the crowded camps of Cox’s Bazar, a batch of 2010 Rohingyas were sent to the newly developed facility at Bhashan Char on Monday.

With this close to 8700 Rohingya refugees have been sent to Bhashan Char from the camps of Cox’s Bazar. The Rohingya refugees reached the Bhashan char island in the afternoon after covering the distance from Patenga at Chattogram in about 3 hours by four naval ships. Earlier, they had arrived from the Ukhiya Baluakhali camp at Cox’s Bazar on Sunday, reports the official news agency BSS.

Fleet Commander of the Bangladesh Navy Rear Admiral Abul Kalam Azad told BSS that another batch of 1600 Rohingya refugees will leave for Bhashan Char on Tuesday. The Government of Bangladesh started relocating the Rohingya refugees from Cox’s Bazar to Bhashan Char from December 4 despite doubts raised by environmental groups and UN agencies about the safety of the relocated persons as the island is a newly emerged landmass.

Mohammad Samsuddauja, additional commissioner of the government’s Refugee Relief and Repatriation Office, said that the government has made arrangements to accommodate more than 1 lakh Rohingya refugees on 13,000-acres of char land at a cost of Taka 3,095 crore. Bhashan char is an uninhabited island which formed in the Bay of Bengal about two decades back. The environmentalists say that the Bhashan char falls in an ecologically fragile area prone to floods, erosion and cyclones. But the government says that adequate safety arrangements in terms of embankments and cyclone shelters have been made for the protection of the people in case of any natural calamity. 
Currently more than a million Rohingya are living in refugee camps in Bangladesh after fleeing the military crackdown in the Rakhine province of Myanmar in August 2017.

7. UN expresses concern over deployment of armoured vehicles, use of force in Myanmar

The United Nations Secretary General António Guterres has expressed deep concern over the situation in Myanmar including the increasing use of force and the reported deployment of additional armoured vehicles in major cities of the country.

The Secretary General called upon the Myanmar military and police to ensure the right of peaceful assembly of the protestor. He also expressed deep concern over the ongoing arrest of government officials, civil society actors and media representatives along with restrictions on internet and communication services.

The embassies of US, UK, the Delegation of the EU and European Union Member States with presence in Myanmar including Denmark, Czech Republic, New Zealand and Australia also issued a statement on Sunday condemning the detention and ongoing arrests of political leaders, civil society activists, and civil servants, as well as the harassment of journalists. The ambassadors called upon the security forces to refrain from violence against demonstrators and civilians who are protesting against the military government.

Meanwhile, the detention of the deposed State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi was extended by two more days today. She was scheduled to be presented before the court on Monday but now she will be brought before the court on Wednesday. She is facing charges of illegally importing Walkie-talkies into the country.

Protests in Myanmar are continuing despite deployment of armoured vehicles in several parts of the country and stepped up show of strength by the security forces. More than a dozen police trucks with four water cannon vehicles were deployed on Monday near the Sule Pagoda in central Yangon. This has been one of the main demonstration sites in the town as groups of protesters gathered outside the central bank and the Chinese embassy, reports Reuters. Armoured vehicles were also deployed on Sunday in the northern town of Myitkyina and Sittwe in the west, the first large-scale use of such vehicles since the army takeover.

Government employees have also joined the Civil Disobedience Movement against the military government in the country despite Army Chief Gen. Min Aung Hlaing’s warning to join back duties.

8. ‘Pahela Phagun’ Spring festival celebrated in Bangladesh

The first day of the spring called ‘Pahela Phagun’ was celebrated in Dhaka despite the continued shadow of Corona pandemic in the country. Cultural organisations held programmes at different venues in the city to herald the beginning of the spring. Programmes were held at the Suhrawardy Udyan, Nandan Manch of Shilpakala Academy and several other locations.

The Jatiya Basanta Utsab Udjapan Parishad organized the programme at the Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka. Young women wearing yellow saris and youth dressed in ‘Punjabis’ took part in the festivity. The programme featured dance and musical performances. The traditional programme of ‘Basanta Utsab’ at the Fine Arts faculty in Dhaka university was cancelled since educational institutions have been closed till Feb. 28 by the government due to the Corona pandemic.

The Bangladesh Shilpa Kala Academy held the spring festival at its Nandan Mancha. State Minister of Culture K.M. Khalid was the Chief guest on the occasion. Children from Bangladesh Performing art performed the musical drama ‘Aha Ki Ananda Akase Batase’. Music, dance and choreography performances were also organised during the event.

The day also coincides with Valentine's Day after the revision of the Bangla Calendar in 2019 by the Bangla Academy to align it with the Gregorian calendar. The two events were celebrated together by the youth of Bangladesh with the fragrance of love in the air.

9. MV Anastasia crew reaches India after a crew change in Japan

16 Indian crew members of MV Anastasia have reached India on Sunday after the shipping company arranged a crew change in Japan on 10 February.  Union Minister Mansukh Mandavia said in a tweet on 10th feb that the crew of Anastasia will be able to reunite with their families soon as they reach India on 14th February. One of the officers on the ship confirmed to Prasar Bharati about their arrival in Mumbai on 14th february. The ship was stuck at Chinese port of Caofeidian since September 2020. Last month, Indian ship MV Jag Anand was allowed to do a crew change in Japan after being stuck in Chinese waters for more than 7 months.

MV Anastasia and MV Jag Anand were transporting coal from Australia to China as they were stuck in the Chinese ports. Both the ships were refused permission by Chinese authorities to offload their cargo and leave, citing Covid-19-related restrictions. However, on 24 December, the Ministry of External Affairs had said that other ships, which arrived after these two, were allowed to offload cargo and leave, and the reasons for this were unclear. It created more confusion regarding the Chinese system. Around mid-December last year, China officially announced a ban on Australian coal imports as tensions between the two countries intensified, unofficial signs of which could be traced back to June 2020. The seafarers caught in the middle of a geopolitical feud between China and Australia faced great mental and physical sufferings.

A spokesperson from Mumbai-based Great Eastern Shipping Company Ltd, which owns Jag Anand, told Prasar Bharati that they were mainly waiting for a go-ahead from the Chinese cargo owner for moving away from Chinese coast, without which they would have faced legal action. Given the grave humanitarian situation, Indian Ambassador in China Vikram Misri had personally taken up the issue of Jag Anand with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister. Indian Embassy in Beijing had been constantly trying to break this deadlock while Chinese foreign ministry put the onus on freight forwarder for not allowing the ships to leave the port, adding that they are in touch with Indian side.

10. US Senate acquits former President Donald Trump for second impeachment trial

The US Senate has acquitted former President Donald Trump for a second time blocking the Democrat’s attempt to punish him for the storming of the Capitol by his supporters. After a week of the impeachment trial, only 57 Senators, including seven Republicans voted to convict him last night. The 57-43 tally fell 10 votes short of the two-third majority needed to convict him and to allow the Senate to move to disqualify him from holding future office. Mr Trump welcomed his second impeachment acquittal and said his movement has only just begun. He slammed the trial as yet another phase of the greatest witch hunt in the history of America. The Republican leader of the Senate, Chuck Schumer said that it was a vote of infamy in the history of the United States. Mr Trump was impeached by the House of Representatives in January on the charge that he incited an insurrection when his supporters attacked the Capitol on January 6.
The House accused him of inciting the riot in which his supporters entered the Senate chamber and offices of officials.

11. Historic decision to de-regulate Geospatial Map-making in India

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh today said that the Centre has taken a historic decision to completely deregulate Geospatial Map-making and unshackle the Geospatial sector in India for the first time in over seven decades.

Addressing a press conference along with Science & Technology Minister Dr Harshvardan,  Dr Jitendra Singh, who is also In-Charge Department of Space, said that the decision is an extension of a series of visionary reforms undertaken in the Space sector on the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said, it was at the behest of Prime Minister Modi that about four years back an extensive brainstorming was held at New Delhi between Space Scientists on the one hand and representatives of different Ministries and departments of Government of India to work out wherein Space Technology could be applied to bring “ease of working” in different sectors.  As a result, today, he said, Space Technology is being extensively used in construction of roads and buildings, smart cities, railway tracks, guarding railway crossings, Tele-education, Tele-medicine, rural development, agriculture, etc.  In other words, Space Technology today has entered every Indian household, he added. 

Dr. Jitendra Singh said, after unlocking the space sector to the private sector recently, today’s announcement heralds the unlocking of geo-mapping from restrictive use to wider use in the interest of nation building and creating an Atma Nirbhar Bharat. While in June last year, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleared the decks to allow private sector to participate in a range of Space activities including planetary exploration, today’s decision will enable India's Geo-mapping potentials to be used for a higher goal of India emerging as a frontline nation in all sectors and not confining to its geo-mapping capacities only for security purposes, he said. 

Dr Jitendra Singh said, this is one more distinct example of removal of some of the colonial legacies that India was still grappling with and added that deregulation of Map-making is historic in the sense that Geo-Map is now going to be recognised as an instrument for development rather than only a tool for securing the country.

The Minister said that unshackling the Geospatial sector would play a stimulating role for the Space industry as this sector is at the core of cutting edge technologies like 5G.

Dr. Jitendra Singh also invited lndian businesses to take lead and utilize the opportunities being thrown open for the making of Atmanirbhar Bharat. He said, the collaborative efforts from industry, academia and Government will make India a World leader in Geospatial knowledge. The Minister urged all sections to grab the opportunity and fulfil the aspirations of the nation to become a five trillion-dollar economy.

The new guidelines released today, said Dr. Jitendra Singh, also reiterate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to ‘Maximum Governance Minimum Government’ by moving away from a “Mechanism of approvals to a Mechanism of self-certification” in issues related to Space technology and Science.  He said, this is a continuation of the process which began in the early months of the Modi government when the practice of getting certificates or documents attested by Gazetted Officers was abolished and self-certification of documents was introduced.

11. PM hands over a Chadar for Ajmer Sharif Dargah

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has handed over a Chadar that would be offered at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah on the 809th Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti.

"Handed over a Chadar that would be offered at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah on the 809th Urs of Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti", the Prime Minister said.