The Hindu – 3 Aug

Haryana clashes : toll rises to six

Six people has died  in communal violence in South Haryana .

3 additional paramilitary forces need to be deployed in addition to 20 .

Pradeep Sharma , a Bajrang dal coordinator in Bulandshahpur died .

Internet ban has been extended .

HM Anil Viz said social media posts fuelled the violence .

CM Khattar told that those who have vandalized property will not be spared .

GST council sticks plan to collect 28% tax online gaming .

GST council on Wednesday stuck to its earlier decisions of imposing 28% GST on betting , online gaming , casinos , and horse racing with an eye on implementing it from October 1.

Sikkim and Goa were the only two states that showed problem with the modalities .

                   Clearing this Ms Sitharaman said if a person enters a Casino and buys chips worth ₹1000 plays a round and wins ₹300 .the tax will not be levied on ₹1300 but on the entry amount of ₹1000 . Though there are those who tell that the deciot is death knell on Indian gaming industry . It will endanger billions of dollars of investment and thousand of jobs there are those . E gaming Federation and Federation of Indian Gaming sports has welcomed this as ” repeat taxation”

One more Cheetah died at Kuno National Park , taking the toll to six .

The female Cheetah Dhatri sourced from South Africa is believed to have getting a parasitic infection after repeatedly scratching its skin and wounding itself .This is the sixth death reported among 20 Cheetahs brought from Namibia and South Africa .

                      On Tuesday , National Tiger Conservation Authority ( NTCA) had told SC that the deaths of Cheetahs are due to ” natural causes ” and not from any accidents .

Governor interfering in administration : Mamta on anti graft cell

West Bengal CM Mamta Banerjee has accused Governor C v Ananda Bose of interfering in state’s administration after he opened an ‘ anti corruption cell at Raj Bhawan .

                        Earlier in the day , the Governor opened ” anti corruption cell ” ar Rajbhawan saying that it was set up as CM’s strong stand against graft .

Post 1957 , govt retained the power to scrap article 370 : SC

SC on Wednesday said that post 1957 ( dissolution of J&K constituent assembly ) , govt of India retains the power to scrap article 370 .

Clause ( 3) of article 370 said that it can be made “inoperative ” or modified  by president of India but only after the Jammu and Kashmir constituent assembly .

                         “A Constituent Assembly is not a permanent body like the Parliament and the Supreme Court. No Constituent Assembly can have an indefinite life… The J&K Constituent Assembly was constituted for a specific purpose — to draft the Constitution of J&K. It became functus officio once the J&K Constitution was framed… This proviso making the Constituent Assembly’s ‘recommendation’ necessary before abrogation has no application. If the proviso ceased to operate, surely the substantive part of Clause 3 in Article 370 will remain,” Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, heading a Constitution Bench, observed orally on the first day of hearing.

                 The gist of what CJI observed is that as the J&K constituent assembly got dissolved in 1957 . And no constituent assembly exists now . So the part of clause that requires recommendation of j&k constituent assembly to declare article 370 stands void .

                   In 2019 govt of India made a law Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization act  and abolished article 370 . Several political parties had called it unconstitutional and challenged in court .

Security intensified as tribes plan mass burial of 35 bodies

Additional forces have been rushed to borders of Bishnupur and Churachandpur districts , where the Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum ( ITLF ) had announced that they would bury 35 kuki zo bodies . ITLF had earlier announce that bodies will be buried in Bojlang village on Thursday . The bodies are those which were unidentified but are of Kuki Zo community .

The village comes in Bishnupur district and Coordinating Committee of Manipur ( COCOMI ) which is Meitie supporting community has warned against using the village land for burial .

Bishnupur is Mietie dominated district .while Churachandpur is Kuki Zo  hill tribes dominated district .

 Center forms expert panel to revise anti – discrimination guidelines on campuses .

Govt kicks off contractual dispute settlement scheme

Govt on Wednesday launched ” Vivad se Vishwas 2 ” a scheme that aims to settle dispute between govt and it’s vendors .

” The scheme will be applied to all domestic contractual dispute where one of the parties is either govt of India or an organization working under it’s control ” , The finance ministry said in a statement .

The scheme was announced in Budget this year .

●     Govt will offer the contractors voluntary settlement amount .

●     Govt will offer settlement amount upto 85% of that awarded by courts .

India passes  law allowing private firms to bid for and mine lithium .

Govt passed a law in parliament to allow private companies to mine lithium from newly discovered mines in Jammu and Kashmir .Lithium is critical for EV batteries .

           Other minerals that govt has opened for mining is beryl , niobium , titanium and zirconium . These were earlier allowed to be mined by state owned companies only . The involvement of private firms will be ” force multiplier ” ,  govt statement said .

Street turns into river as Beijing records heavy rain .

Recent rains in Beijing has surpassed 140 year old record . The Beijing Meteorological services said that the capital has just experienced the ” heaviest rainfall in 140 years ” , when city authorities started keeping records . Millions of people have been affected . 11 deaths have been recorded from Beijing itself .

                           Storm Doksuri , a former super typhoon which hit southern Fujian province last year has moved North wards .

                   China has been hit by hard by extreme weather in recent months , from record-breaking heat waves to deadly rain

China plans to limit Children’s smartphone time to 2 hours .

China’s  cyberspace watchdog has put forward plans to limit the usage of smartphones by children to no more than 2 hours a day .Tech companies need to introduce ” minor mode ” to enforce it. .

                    The draft ” guidelines for the construction of minor mode of the Mobile internet ” is open for public comment till September 2 , and is expected to be passed .

The proposed guidelines proposes following :

●     6 categories has been divided for age under 3 , 3-8 , 8-12 , 12 -16 , 16 -18 .

●     Under age 3 – No video content , internet providers should recommend children’s song , enlightment education and other parent child companionship program

●       For children 3-8 ” minor mode.”  will permit 40 minutes per day .

●     For age 16-18  : 2 hours internet use will be permitted by ” minor mode ”

There is still not clarity on how it will be implemented .

In 2021 Chinese authorities restricted the online gaming for those below 18 years for 1 hour betwee. 8 PM to 9 PM on Friday , Saturday and Sunday only .It was enforced effectively  

‘Afghan citizens’ helping  suicide bombers : Sharif

Militant from the recent suicide attack in Khar in Pakistan were being helped by ” Afghan citizens ” and they were operating from safe ” sanctuaries ” across the border as told by Pakistan PM Shahbaz Sharif on Wednesday .

                       Afghan govts spokesperson on Wednesday told that Khar attack was a ” criminal act  . The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is very serious about preventing it’s lands use against anyone , and we won’t allow anyone to create a sanctuary here ” .

                   In recent blast in Khar newe Afghanistan border in Pakistan has killed 54 . Islamic State Khorasan ( IS-K ) had taken the responsibility .

Tarique Rahman to be jailed for 9 years :

Bangladesh’ s exiled opposition leader was sentenced to 9 years of jail for corruption by Anti Corruption Commission .

                 Tarique Rahman is acting chairman of Bangladesh National Party ( QmeuupqBNP) . The sentence has triggered a row of protest in Bangladesh .

Russian drone strike hit Ukrainia port that is key to grain export

Russia. Port on Wednesday hit the port Izmail a Ukrianian port city  along the border of NATO member Romania.

Thailand MFP excluded from coalition to form govt .

Pheiu Thai the second largest party in its coalition has exploded the largest party Move Forward Party over its proposed criticism to law banning countries monarchy .

Editorial 2 :

France and US must push for the talks to restore democracy .

About the editorial :

The editorial talks about current situation in Niger . The military coup and the way forward to get amicable solution.

Pre coup situation :

Niger is largest country in Sahel region of Africa . Sahel region has been quite unstable in recent times . With Islamic militancy rising , several country mainly Burkina Faso and Mali facing several coup in just few years.

                  Niger got its independence from France in 1960 . In 2021 it got its first democratically elected govt . President Bouzom  thougj was not able to fulfill expectations of its people . Country was over dependent on France .Presidential guards were not happy as well .

Coup and situation ahead :

Presidential guard exploited  this situation and home arrested  the president . Later army head declared himself as head of state . There is lot of role of Wagner group of Russia in this which has been involved in Mali and Burkina Faso as well . France and US has told that they can use force .But this will not be right option . This will further aggravate counties situation . To call the two parties on table of talk and do amicable talk will be right step .