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 Hindustan Times October 21, 2020 Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) Ministry Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha chaired a high-level meeting to review the various interventions made by the Ministry in the recent months to contribute to the preventive steps and management of Covid-19. Principal secretaries and secretaries of AYUSH and health departments of different states and UTs took part in the meeting held through video conferencing. An official release said on Tuesday that Kotecha appraised the states about the recently released National Ayurveda and Yoga Protocol for Management of Covid-19, the need to expedite the operationalising of AYUSH Health Wellness Centres approved under National AYUSH Mission (NAM) and the urgent need to improve the expenditure and fund flow under NAM. The AYUSH Grid project of the Ministry, which aims to establish a unified IT backbone for the sector, was discussed in detail. Information about the completion of a c...

 Hindustan Times October 21, 2020 The challenge for the Indo-Pacific is getting more acute by the day. For all the efforts that China has made to ensure that the term Indo-Pacific gets a decent burial, it has failed miserably in ensuring such an outcome. From Australia, Japan, and India to the European Union (EU) and the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) member-states, the Indo-Pacific narrative is today widely accepted and reflected in foreign policy outlooks. The idea is a structural imperative now for all regional stakeholders and this has been made possible due to China’s behaviour. The only thing left now for Beijing is to mobilise regional states through fear-mongering, something it is adept at. This was what China’s foreign minister, Wang Yi, tried to do during his trip last week to Cambodia, Malaysia, Laos, Thailand, and Singapore. Calling on Asian countries to remain vigilant over the United States (US)’ plans in the region, Wang described Washington’s Indo-P...

 Hindustan Times October 21, 2020 The education ministry, after consultation with the Ministry of External Affairs, is considering making it mandatory for Indian universities to obtain prior permission from the government before signing any memorandum of understanding (MoUs) with educational institutions of countries that share land borders with India. The proposal was mooted by the education ministry after an August 9 review of China-funded Confucius Centres attached to universities here and also MoUs signed between Indian and Chinese universities. The Confucius program is financed by the Office of Chinese Language Council International which has been linked to China’s United Front Work Department (UFWD) now headed by President Xi Jinping. Ostensibly meant to teach Chinese language and culture, the Confucius program has been accused of promoting China’s viewpoint and act as a vehicle for propaganda. Several countries including Australia and the US have previously had issues with t...

 Hindustan Times October 22, 2020 Britain on Thursday said it would partner with an Oxford-based firm to provide testing for the T cell response of coronavirus vaccine candidates to try to assess their immune responses. T cell immunity is thought to be essential to protection against infection from the SARS-COV-2 coronavirus, and could provide longer term immunity than antibodies. The UK Vaccine Taskforce has chosen Oxford Immunotec to supply T cell testing for its assessment of different vaccine candidates. “It is important to be able to assess the different vaccines head-to-head and the T cell response is part of our portfolio of accredited assays that we are employing for cross comparisons,” Kate Bingham, chair of the UK Vaccines Taskforce, said in a statement. Britain has signed supply deals for six different coronavirus vaccine candidates, including those being made by AstraZeneca and Pfizer and BioNTech, seen as among the frontrunners in the race for a vaccine. Oxford Immunot...

 Hindustan Times October 22, 2020 The US State Department in a federal notification Wednesday proposed to make changes to its existing visa regulations under which foreign professionals, which would fall under H-1B, would not be issued temporary visa for business, as has been widely prevalent currently. If finalized, this proposal will eliminate any misconception that the “B-1 in lieu of H policy” provides an alternative avenue for foreign professionals to enter the US to perform skilled labour that allows, and potentially even encourages them and their employers to circumvent the restrictions and requirements relating to the H non-immigrant classification established by the Congress to protect US workers, the State Department said. The move is likely to impact a lot of Indian companies who send their technology professionals on B-1 visas for a short stay to complete the jobs on site in the US. On December 17, 2019, the California Attorney General announced a USD 800,000 settlement...

 The Caravan October 20, 2020 UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday appealed to the Government of India to safeguard the rights of human rights defenders and NGOs, and their ability to carry out their crucial work on behalf of the many groups they represent. Bachelet expressed regret at the tightening of space for human rights NGOs in particular, including by the application of vaguely worded laws that constrain NGOs‟ activities and restrict foreign funding. “India has long had a strong civil society, which has been at the forefront of groundbreaking human rights advocacy within the country and globally,” the High Commissioner said. “But I am concerned that vaguely defined laws are increasingly being used to stifle these voices.”  Bachelet cited as worrying the use of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), which a number of UN human rights bodies* have also expressed concern is vaguely worded and overbroad in its objective. The Act prohibi...

 Hindustan Times October 22, 2020 In line with its mandate to open up the space sector for private players, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has released the draft of a new Spacecom Policy 2020 to govern the commercial use of orbital slots, satellites, and ground stations for communication needs. The policy details how private players can get authorisation for setting up new communication satellites and ground stations. Comments on the draft policy have been sought, with the last date of submission being November 4. The policy will come into effect once the Union cabinet clears it. Allowing private players in the space communication sector will also enable India to keep pace with the growing demand for satellite-based broadcasting, network connectivity, and global mobile personal communication. This will also establish India as a significant player in the global space communication sector, the document states. The policy will allow only Indian entities to seek authoris...

 Hindustan Times October 21, 2020 There were hardly any celebrations in Beijing this month when President Xi Jinping’s China, often rebuked for human rights violations, made it back to the United Nations human rights council this month. Because tucked behind Beijing’s win, was a huge loss of support that many see as a reflection of China’s track record. Beijing secured only 139 votes for its inclusion in the world body’s 47-member Human Rights Council, the lowest vote among the 15 countries selected. Its tally also reflected a loss of support from 41 UN member states that had supported China in the 2016 election. China had then claimed its 180 votes - up from 167 in 2009 and 167 in 2013 - was evidence of “credit given by the international community to China for its achievement in developing human rights.” This time, the Chinese foreign ministry primarily focused on the fact that it was its fifth stint in the council. The seat on the rights panel, however, hasn’t insulated China. Tw...

 Hindustan Times October 21, 2020 The US sued Google on Tuesday, accusing the $1 trillion company of illegally using its market muscle to hobble rivals in the biggest challenge to the power and influence of Big Tech in decades. The Justice Department lawsuit could lead to the break-up of an iconic company that has become all but synonymous with the internet and assumed a central role in the day-to-day lives of billions of people around the globe. Such an outcome is far from assured, however, and the case is likely to take years to resolve. The lawsuit marks the first time the US has cracked down on a major tech company since it sued Microsoft Corp for anti-competitive practices in 1998. A settlement left the company intact, though the government’s prior foray into Big Tech anti-trust - the 1974 case against AT&T - led to the breakup of the Bell System. The federal government’s complaint against Alphabet Inc’s, which alleges that Google acted unlawfully to maintain its position ...

 Hindustan Times October 21, 2020 Against the backdrop of Nagaland government and civil society urging negotiating groups in the Naga peace talks to come together towards achieving ‘One Solution for One People’, the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs), who have been engaged in talks with Centre since 2017, on Tuesday questioned the soundness of the ‘Framework Agreement’ of 2015 signed between the Centre and the NSCN (IM). Without naming NSCN (IM) directly, the NNPGs blamed the organisation for making toxic political expletives in statements and interviews, and for unprecedented labelling of apex Naga tribal bodies and civil societies as ‘anti-Naga’ and ‘traitors’ without compunction. This allegation comes close on the heels of an interview given by the NSCN (IM) chief Th. Muivah to a media house where he claimed that Nagas did not accept the union of India and there would be no settlement without a separate Naga flag and Constitution. “After twenty-three years of political talks...