INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
In the Rajya Sabha, Union minister Harsh Vardhan said that a coronavirus vaccine is likely to be available in India by
early next year and added that the Centre is aiming to bring down India's COVID-19 mortality rate
Lok Sabha passed two
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal resigning as Union minister "in protest against anti-farmer" legislations.The
Union Cabinet.Harsimrat is the only representative of SAD in the Union government, and the regional party is one of the BJP's oldest
allies.Opposing the bills, SAD said, "Punjab has spent its last 50 years to develop the state's agriculture situation
The Bill will allow corporate and private companies to interfere in this, which Akali Dal will never allow."Other Opposition MPs in the
Lower House also countered the Centre's farm legislations
The parties said the bills will "facilitate the interests of corporations" and that farmers will "suffer huge losses" due to the proposed
laws.However, Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that the legislations will "help to develop" the agriculture sector
Responding the MPs' arguments on the issue, Tomar said that the bills will equip farmers to "get better prices"."This bill will lead to more
traders competing for farmers producution, so farmers will get better prices now," he was quoted by The Hindu as saying and added that the
it "will bring an end to license, Inspector Raj and corruption".Addressing the criticism over the inclusion of contract farming in the
legislations, Tomar said the concept is meant to "help farmers".He said that the bill will ensure that many services will reach small
"Contract will not lead to taking over of land
If the corporates build some infrastructure, it will only benefit the farmer in the end," he added.Meanwhile, the Rajya Sabha saw a detailed
discussions on the LAC border issue with China, and the Centre's COVID-19 management strategy.Farm bills aim to facilitate corporate
interests, say LS Opposition MPsThe Opposition parties against the bills included the Congress, DMK, Trinamool Congress, RSP, Bahujan Samaj
Support Price (MSP) and said, "75 percent farmers in Punjab are not so affluent
We collect about Rs 3,631 crore at mandis (markets), which are used for the farmers' welfare infrastructures and are created and maintained
using the funds."Agriculture does not come under your legislative competence
Under the proposed law, will the small time farmers be able to resolve disputes with big players? Businessmen would set up mandis and
operate without any licence
The Food Corporation of India procures grains for the entire country, you are now doing away with it."Meanwhile, Revolutionary Socialist
farmer suicide statistics, he added that "aggressive" agricultural reforms have harmed the farmers."NCRB reports show more than 3 lakh
farmers ended their life in between 1995-2005
(With these bills)..farming community will be exploited
All the ordinances aim to facilitate the interests of corporates," he said.Meanwhile, TMC MPs Mahua Moitra and Kalyan Banerjee said that the
bills are "thoroughly unconstitutional" because the Lok Sabha "cannot legislate on the issue of agriculture produce".Stating that poor and
marginal farmers will be affected, Banerjee added, "Small and marginal farmers will be forced to enter into agreement
Effect of the Bill is that such farmers will be forced to enter into agreement under the conditions set by the superior bargaining parties,
They will be forced into litigation."It wouldn't be possible for them to pursue litigation up till Supreme Court
The proposed provisions will also lead to hoarding and black marketing, profiteering, consumers will suffer..The entire agriculture industry
will move towards privatisation."Meanwhile, while the BJD asked the Centre to send the Bill to the Standing Committee for scrutiny, the BSP
said that if not for the COVID-19 pandemic, "farmers would have been in the streets of Delhi".Additionally, the BJP's estranged ally, the
Shiv Sena, supported the bills but sought clarification on how the Centre plans to merge the existing agriculture framework and the the
framework proposed in the bills.Similarly, the TDP was also quoted as saying that the party supports the bills, but is concerned about
whether the Parliament has the competency to make laws regarding agriculture."On the other hand, Agricultural Produce - Livestock Market
Committee (APMC) is already in place, so how will this be integrated
There's no clarity on it, " Party MP Ram Mohan Naidu said, according to The Hindu.On the other hand, the JD(U) and AIADMK joined BJP MPs
the Parliament complex.The party said that the bills defeat the purpose of the Green Revolution and will be "a death knell for the future of
farming" as it alleged that the Modi dispensation, akin to the coronavirus pandemic, was attacking lives and livelihood of farmers
Some Congress MPs from Punjab also burnt copies of the farm bills inside the Parliament Complex.Farmers in Punjab and Haryana have been
Sabha, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan said that a coronavirus vaccine is likely to be available in India by early next year and added
that the Centre is aiming to bring down India's COVID-19 mortality rate to less than one percent from the current 1.64 percent, which is
"still the lowest in the world".Replying to a debate in the Upper House, he said the country's recovery rate of 78-79 percent is one of
the highest in the world, adding though the total cases may have crossed 50 lakh, but the active cases are less than 20 percent.Deaths in
India due to coronavirus pandemic are less than many nations in Europe and the government was determined to better the testing rate of the
US, he said.Vardhan emphasised that efforts were being made to produce a vaccine by the ICMR, the Science and Technology ministry and drug
companies, but it was still necessary for people to follow social distancing and wear masks."Vaccines can come in future
Extensive planning is underway to execute how to manage the scenario, " Vardhan said
He said there are three vaccine candidates which have reached phase one, two or phase three level."Under the prime minister, an expert group
We expect by the beginning of next year we can have a vaccine in the country
In this regard we are also coordinating with WHO and global organisations," he said
India is among few countries globally which has been able to isolate the virus, Vardhan noted.He said that various international experts had
predicted that the cases in India will rise to 300 million by July-August, resulting in death of 5-6 million people."In the country of 135
crore people, we are doing 11 lakh tests now and are second to the US only
It has been possible only due to the united fight against the disease," he said.Terming the lockdown a historic step, he said the measure
taught people to fight the pandemic.In the backdrop of criticism over the Centre claiming that it had no data on deaths of migrant labourers
during the COVID-19 lockdown, Vardhan on Thursday said, "There is no doubt that for some time migrant workers faced problems during the
COVID19 period, 64 lakh of our migrant workers were sent to their native places by trains, buses."Meanwhile, the BJP and Aam Aadmi Party
sparred over the issue of COVID-19 management during a debate in Rajya Sabha on Thursday, with the AAP terming as "foolish" Modi's call to
clap and beat utensils in honour of coronavirus warriors.BJP's Sudhanshu Trivedi hit back, saying the prime minister's move was symbolic
and sought to unite the country socially just like Mahatma Gandhi chose the symbol of 'charkha' for national cohesion during the freedom
struggle.China violated peace in Ladakh, says Rajnath Singh in RS over LAC issueDefence minister Rajnath Singh addressed the Rajya Sabha on
Thursday regarding the border row with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh."China has shown complete disregard
for bilateral agreements and violated peace in the east Ladakh," he said in the Upper House, days after Congress MPs in the Lower House had
staged a walkout claiming that the Centre is unwilling to discuss the India-China border row.Rajnath said that China has, in the recent
past, illegally occupied 38,000 square kilometres of India's territory in Ladakh, added that Beijing has undertaken significant
infrastructure construction along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)."Our government too has stepped up the budget for border infrastructure
development to about double the previous levels," Rajnath said.The defence minister added that amassing of troops by China along the LAC
goes against the 1993 and 1996 agreements.On their part, Opposition leaders in the Upper House asked the Centre to restore status quo ante
on the India-China border.Cutting across party lines, members expressed their solidarity and support to the armed forces, which are facing a
standoff situation against the Chinese army in eastern Ladakh.Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, Anad Sharma and former defence minister
AK Antony of the Congress asked the government to take efforts to restore the status quo ante of April and resolve the over three-month-old
border standoff.Some members such as Prasanna Acharya of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Sanjay Raut of the Shiv Sena cautioned the government
while entering into any agreement with China over the present situation.PDP MP demands release of leaders under detention in Jammu and
KashmirRajya Sabha MP and PDP leader Mir Mohammad Fayaz demanded the release of all detained political leaders and workers, including his
party's chief Mehbooba Mufti, saying they are under detention in Jammu and Kashmir for over one year.Raising the matter during Zero Hour
in the Rajya Sabha, Fayaz said Article 370 was abrogated on 5 August last year and thousands, including political leaders, were arrested on
the same night."a year has passed
Still many leaders are detained under the PSA (Public Safety Act) or under house arrest," he said.Mufti, a former chief minister and
three-time Member of Parliament, has been booked under the PSA alleging she is a "threat" to the country, Fayaz said
He further said while many have been released, still hundreds are under detention.He also said that mainstream political leaders fear of
being arrested in raising public issues.With inputs from agenciesFind latest and upcoming tech gadgets online on
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