Daily current affairs -15 July, 2020 | The Hindu |

  The Hindu newspaper analysis-15 July,2020

1- centre limits duration of online school session,:-

   

          • Schools can hold live online classes for a maximum of 1.5 hours per day for Classes 1­8, and three hours per day for Classes 9­12, according to the Pragyata guidelines for

digital education, released by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

• These guidelines, pre-pared by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT), are only advisory in nature, and State governments.

• “Children exposed to digital technologies or gadgets for a longer time are prone to severe health issues,”

2- India, China hold fourth round of consultations :- 

        

            • India and China held the fourth round of Corps Com­ manders talks at Chushul,on the second phase of disengagement on the Line of

Actual Control (LAC). 

• The focus of the talks is to work out details of further disengagement from the standoff.

• During the talks, India has consistently maintained restoration of status quo

ante of April and complete withdrawal of  deployment by China along the LAC.

3- ICMR caution on itolizumab, tocilizumab:-

              • There is yet no evidence from trials that itolizumab and tocilizumab, two drugs,

one of which has been developed by Bengaluru­based Biocon Biologics, reduce

death in severely ill COVID­19 patients, Director-

General of the ICMR.

• Both drugs are lab­cloned antibodies, and work at thwarting or reducing a rush of chemicals called pro­-in-flammatory cytokines that are released by the immune system to counter the coronavirus attack on lung cells.

• Cytokines prime the im­ mune system to send special cells to neutralise virus parti-

cles. However a ‘cytokine storm’ that is manifested usually as an Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) ends up causing 

In flammation and aggravating lung damage and harm to others organs.

4-  EU, India to meet on resuming FTA negotiations:-

              • Seven years after talks on a free trade agreement were suspended, India and the Eu-

ropean Union (EU) are set to agree on a “high­level dialogue on trade and invest­ ment” to restart negotiations. 

• During this summit, India and the EU are expected to conclude several agreements

including a roadmap for cooperation, an agreement on research sharing for civil

nuclear cooperation and launch a maritime security dialogue as well as negotiations between Europol and the CBI. 

• The trade and investment dialogue, to be conducted between Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan, is expected to give a boost to

negotiations on the Bilateral Trade and Investment Agree­ ment (BTIA) as the EU­India

FTA is known.

• India formed under 3% of the EU’s global trade, which is “far below” what was expected of the relationship. Conversely, the EU is India’s largest trading partner and

investor, and accounts for 11% of India’s global trade.

5- U.S. rejects Beijing’s claims in S. China Sea:-

           • the United States would treat Beij-

ing’s pursuit of resources in the dispute­rife South China Sea as illegal, ramping up

support for Southeast Asian nations and triggering a fu-rious response from Beijing.

 • It was the latest forceful statement by President Donald Trump’s administration

to challenge China, which he has increasingly cast as an enemy ahead of the Novem-

ber elections.

• “The world will not allowbBeijing to treat the South China Sea as its maritime

empire.”The United States has long rejected Beijing’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea, which is both home to

valuable oil and gas deposits and is a vital waterway for the world’s commerce.

• “America stands with ourSoutheast Asian allies andpartners in protecting their

 overeign rights to offshore resources , consistent with their rights and obligations under international law.

‘‘Vague delineation’ - Beijing claims most of the South China Sea through a so­called nine­dash line, a vague delineation based on

maps from the 1940s.

6- Britain bans Huawei from future role in 5G network:-

        

              • Britain’s government on Tuesday backtracked on plans to give Chinese tele-

communications company Huawei a limited role in the U.K.’s new high­speed mobile phone network in a decision with broad implica-

tions for relations between London and Beijing. 

7- First federal execution in U.S. in 17 years:-

     

              • The U.S. carried out its its first federal execution in 17 years , putting to death convicted murderer Daniel Lee over objection 

By his victims relatives after the supreme court gave it's go ahead.

• Lee was convicted for is role in the killng of three members of of an Arkansas family in 1996. His accomplice, Chevie Kehoe,is serving life term.

8- Alcohol­based sanitisers attract 18% GST: AAR:-

    

                 • The Goa Bench of the GST-Authority for Advance Rulings (AAR) ruled, on June 25,

that alcohol­based hand sanitisers attract an 18% GST and merely classifying any

goods as essential commodity would not be a criteria for exempting such goods from the tax.

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