India News
US supports Covid vaccine patent waiver plan, India welcomes move
Biden had been under intense pressure to waive protections for vaccine manufacturers, especially amid criticism that rich nations were hoarding shots.
The Joe Biden-led United States administration has come out in support of waiving the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) on Covid-19 vaccines on Wednesday.
The decision comes at a time when rich countries have been accused of hoarding vaccines. The move could help poor nations ton initiate their vaccination programmes, as more drug makers will be able to manufacture the vaccine. This decision may lead to the speeding of inoculation drives worldwide.
Biden had been under intense pressure to waive protections for vaccine manufacturers, especially amid criticism that rich nations were hoarding shots.
The death counts in India, hit a new daily record with 3,780 deaths on Wednesday. India on Wednesday reported 3,82,315 new Covid-19 cases, taking the tally to 2,06,65,148.
What has said by the US Trade Representative Katherine Tai?
The US Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Wednesday announced support for a global waiver on patent protections for Covid-19 vaccines, offering hope to poor nations that have struggled to access the life-saving doses. In a statement, she said this is a global health crisis, and the extraordinary circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic call for extraordinary measures.
Tai said that the administration believes strongly in intellectual property protections but in service of ending this pandemic, supports the waiver of those protections for Covid-19 vaccines.
Tai had earlier held meetings with CEOs of several vaccine manufacturing companies, including Moderna and Pfizer, on the TRIPS waiver issue. Amid mounting pressure, the White House had earlier stated it will do whatever is best to end the pandemic.
How India reacted?
India has appreciated the Biden administration’s decision to support the proposal moved by India and South Africa.
India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu said, India appreciate the US administration’s announcement of its support for waiver of IPR for Covid-19 vaccines.
For the past several weeks, Sandhu, along with the diplomats from South Africa, had been meeting US lawmakers and officials regarding the proposal.
Why does India want the waiver?
If India succeeds in getting the proposed waiver of the agreement on TRIPS, it will reduce the cost of vaccines substantially and enable free flow of medicines, easy technology transfer across the world.
India and South Africa had approached the global trade body in October, calling on it to waive parts of the agreement on TRIPS.
Why rich countries are against waiver?
Wealthy countries like the US and Britain as well as the European Union were against the proposal to waive TRIPS. They said that a ban would stifle innovation at pharmaceutical companies by robbing them of the incentive to make huge investments in research and development.
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These countries argued that this would be especially counterproductive during the current pandemic which needs the drugmakers to remain on their toes to deal with a mutating virus.
India News
Manipur: N Biren Singh government declares entire state as disturbed area
The details indicate that the state as a whole, with the exception of 19 designated police station districts, has been classified as a disturbed area.
In light of the current state of law and order, the Manipur government on Wednesday announced the whole state as a disturbed area.
The details indicate that the state as a whole, with the exception of 19 designated police station districts, has been classified as a disturbed area.
According to a notification from the state government, the authorities believe that violent activities of various extremist/insurgent groups warrant the use of the Armed Forces in aid of civil administration in the entire state of Manipur.
Manipur’s capital Imphal, Lamphel, City, Singjamei, Sekmai, Lamsang, Patsoi, Wangoi, Porompat, Heingang, Lamlai, Irilbung, Leimakhong, Thoubal, Bishnupur, Nambol, Moirang, Kakching, and Jiribam are listed among the disturbed areas that have been announced.
The notification goes on to say that due to the overall law and order situation in the state and the capability of the state machinery, the state government has decided to maintain the status quo on the present disturbed area status for a term of six months.
Tuesday saw numerous student protest marches over the kidnapping and murder of two youngsters in the state capital Imphal. Following the release of the news of the murders, a new round of protests began on Tuesday. At least 45 protestors were hurt during clashes with the Rapid Action Force (RAF).
In preparation for potential unrest, sizable contingents of Manipur Police, CRPF, and RAF soldiers have been stationed around Imphal and other regions of the state.
Manipur’s Chief Minister N Biren Singh, promised to assure the people of the state that both the state and central governments are closely working together to nab the perpetrators. The CBI has been given the case involving the murder of the two young people.
Meanwhile, as a first step to calming the unrest, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge urged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi remove the BJP’s incompetent chief minister on Wednesday.
Additionally, he charged that the BJP has turned Manipur into a battleground by turning violence against women and children into a weapon.
Bihar news
Bihar: LJP leader Anwar Khan shot dead by unidentified assailants in Gaya
Furious residents and LJP leader Anwar Khan’s family staged a protest by blocking National Highway 82
In a shocking incident, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Anwar Khan was shot dead in broad daylight by unknown assailants in Bihar’s Gaya. The leader belongs to the faction led by Pashupati Kumar Paras.
According to reports, LJP leader Anwar Khan who was the state president of the LPJ’s labour cell was at a salon on Wednesday when three unidentified assailants on bike opened fire. Following this, the leader was killed instantly.
Reports further stated that people in the area fled from the scene as panic gripped in the neighbourhood. All the shops and other activities were immediately shut down as a protective measure.
Meanwhile, furious residents and Anwar Khan’s family staged a protest by blocking National Highway 82 after the incident took place. A senior police official concerned to the matter asserted that police forces have been deployed at the scene and a forensic team has also been sent to gather evidence. At present, an investigation is carried out in the matter.
Earlier in August, a journalist with a prominent Hindi daily was shot dead by four unidentified assailants at the doorstep of his home in Bihar’s Araria district. The journalist was likely to testify as a prime witness in his younger brother’s 2019 murder. The journalist was gunned down three days after the death of a police officer who was shot by suspected cattle smugglers in Samastipur.
The policeman was critically injured after alleged cattle smugglers opened fire on him in Bihar’s Samastipur. Assistant Sub-Inspector Nandkishore Yadav was shot near his left eye and was undergoing treatment in a hospital. However, he succumbed to his injuries during the treatment.
Nadikishore Yadav was acting on a tip-off and intercepted a truck that was illegally transporting cattle and arrested three alleged smugglers. The accused was taken to the police station, their associates too reached the spot and opened fire on Yadav and escaped.
India News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits robot exhibition in Ahmedabad, inaugurates Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit
During his visit, PM Modi also enjoyed tea, served by robots at the Robotics Gallary.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the robot exhibition at Science City in Gujrat’s Ahmedabad on September 27. PM Modi also inaugurated the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit during his visit.
At Science City, PM Modi was accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Governor Acharya Devvrat to take part in a programme marking the celebration of 20 years of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit.
During his visit, PM Modi also enjoyed tea, served by robots at the Robotics Gallary.
Executive Chairman of ArcelorMittal Lakshmi Mittal, at a programme marking 20 years of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, said we have kept a goal to increase our production capacity first 2 fold and then 3 fold. He further said we will make technologically advanced products, that will take India towards import substitution and self-reliance.
During an event marking 20 years of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, PM Modi said Vibrant Gujarat is not just a programme of branding but more than that it is a programme of bonding.
He claimed that those who previously ran the central government would link Gujarat’s growth with politics. Vibrant Gujarat was something the Minister of the then central government used to refuse to attend. They used to threaten foreign investors and tried to stop foreign investors from coming to Gujarat, PM Modi added. He said even after so much of threatening, foreign investors came to Gujarat.
PM Modi further said that we not only did redevelopment of Gujarat but also thought about its future, Asserting that we made Vibrant Gujarat a key channel for this. Vibrant Gujarat was made a channel to increase the self-confidence of Gujarat and a channel to speak to the world eye to eye, the Prime Minister added.
The absence of big hotels in Gujarat made it difficult for foreign guests to stay when Vibrant Gujarat started. Even government guesthouses used to get full and we used even University guesthouses, PM Modi claimed.
