Times Top10: Today’s Top News Headlines and Latest News from India & across the World

A invoice

• The union authorities has listed a invoice that might prohibit all personal cryptocurrencies however lays the bottom for an official digital foreign money within the upcoming winter session of the parliament, scheduled to start on Monday (Nov. 29).
• The Cryptocurrency and Regulation of Official Digital Foreign money Invoice, 2021 seeks to “create a facilitative framework for creation of the official digital foreign money to be issued by the Reserve Financial institution of India,” a bulletin on Lok Sabha’s web site mentioned. It didn’t furnish additional particulars of the invoice.

The demand

• The Reserve Financial institution of India has been constantly against digital currencies, terming it a risk to the sovereign banking and foreign money system in addition to a possible software for cash laundering.
• Cryptocurrencies resembling bitcoin are decentralised, and don’t require an middleman to difficulty it, facilitate a transaction, or be promissory of the worth — a financial institution’s position.
• That they’re designed to be nameless (or way more nameless than fiat) additionally means they can be utilized to conduct transactions hidden from the regulator’s view.

The pushback

• However cryptocurrency startups, principally exchanges, have been pushing again in opposition to a blanket ban. In March 2020, for example, they efficiently appealed in opposition to RBI’s ban on buying and selling in cryptocurrencies on the Supreme Court docket.
• They as an alternative name for guardrails, arguing the know-how in itself is progressive.

The workaround

• However by introducing an official digital coin, RBI might make use of the strengths of the know-how, whereas avoiding the pitfalls of anonymity or a “parallel foreign money”.
• China, too, has taken this route, banning all personal cryptocurrencies whereas piloting a digital renminbi.
• The centre’s invoice would additionally present “exceptions to advertise the underlying know-how” — blockchain. Although cash are its hottest utility, blockchain’s tamper proof verification system has utility in lots of fields.

International rights teams and UN particular rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders referred to as for the speedy launch of Kashmiri human rights activist Khurram Parvez, who was arrested and charged underneath the anti-terror regulation UAPA by the Nationwide Investigation Company.

What occurred?

• Parvez was arrested late Monday after NIA performed raids at his residence and workplace of the Jammu-Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society (JKCCS), an advocacy, in Srinagar. His telephone and laptop computer have been reportedly seized.
• He has been charged with elevating funds and being a member of or related to a terrorist organisation in addition to underneath sections of IPC pertaining to felony conspiracy and waging a struggle in opposition to the state.
• JKCCS information circumstances of human rights violations by safety forces and militants in Kashmir. Parvez was awarded the Reebok Human Rights Award in 2006. JKCC was awarded the Rafto Prize for human rights in 2017. Parvez was beforehand arrested in 2016 underneath the J&Okay Public Security Act, however was freed after 76 days when a courtroom dominated the arrest unlawful.

Requires launch:

• Norway-based Rafto Basis mentioned the allegations in opposition to Parvez “lack any credibility in anyway”. “We’ve got labored intently with Khurram Parvez and JKCCS for 4 years… Their denouncement of political violence has been vehement and absolute,” it mentioned. “This aggressive invasion into and constriction of the house of human rights defenders and their organisations sadly suits a sample of behaviour by the Indian authorities,” it mentioned.
• Amnesty Worldwide referred to as it a “one more instance of how anti-terror legal guidelines are being misused to criminalise human rights work & stifle dissent in India.”
• Human Rights Watch’s Meenakshi Ganguly said “the UAPA is being repeatedly misused to punish human rights activists or others that protest abuses.”
• Mary Lawlor, the UN particular rapporteur, referred to as the arrest “disturbing”, including, “he’s not a terrorist, he’s a Human Rights Defender.”

• The Supreme Court docket on Tuesday dismissed Trinamool Congress’ enchantment to postpone the contentious municipal elections in Tripura, scheduled for Thursday (Nov. 25), however requested the state to boost the safety preparations. The Court docket mentioned suspending elections ought to be a matter of “final and even excessive recourse”.
• Trinamool Congress accuses the state BJP authorities of failing to curb violence in opposition to its candidates, in contempt of a earlier courtroom order, issued on November 11, directing the state to make sure rights of political events will not be impeded.
• The civic elections have gained significance as Trinamool, excessive on confidence after the win within the West Bengal polls, is looking for a symbolic win in a state the place BJP had gotten practically 43% votes within the 2018 meeting elections.
• The polls additionally observe incidents of communal violence within the state through which outlets, properties and locations of worship of Muslims have been allegedly vandalised by right-wing mobs in retaliation to violence throughout Durga Puja festivities in neighbouring Bangladesh.
• The courtroom is to listen to the matter once more on Wednesday.
• Over within the capital metropolis of Agartala, Trinamool candidate Gouri Mazumdar has alleged that BJP employees attacked her residence and opened hearth. She mentioned the bullet narrowly missed her, and that vacant cartridge shells have been handed over to the police.

• A primary: In what’s a primary within the historical past of the oil market, India, together with China, Japan and South Korea have agreed to a US proposal on a ‘privately coordinated’ launch of their strategic petroleum reserves (SPR) as “an expression of resentment in opposition to excessive oil costs” The choice has stored world crude oil costs subdued under the $80 per barrel mark even on Tuesday, down from over $82 per barrel final week. An earlier such launch in 2011 of SPR on account of provide disruptions in Libya was coordinated by the Worldwide Power Company.
• U-turn: The choice by New Delhi to accede to Washington’s ‘request’ is stunning since simply final week petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri had argued in opposition to launch of SPR for cooling down crude oil costs, saying they weren’t “ever meant for a state of affairs like this” as they have been a backup plan for a “pressure majeure state of affairs” like an earthquake, struggle or shutting off of provides. Nonetheless, India had earlier in August began promoting its SPR as a way to create house at its storage amenities to commercialise it by leasing it out to 3rd events.
• How a lot? India has strategic petroleum reserves (SPR) of 38 million barrels — or about 5.33 million tonnes, equal to 9 days of pre-pandemic oil consumption — of which 5 million barrels of crude oil shall be launched within the subsequent 7-10 days. Total, 100-120 million barrels of SPR from all of the nations shall be launched of which the foremost share — 50 million barrels — shall be by the US, in accordance with a press release by White Home on Tuesday.
• Will it assist? Unlikely. That’s as a result of neither is the amount of SPR launched very giant — India’s personal day by day consumption is round 5 million barrels a day — neither is the influence going to final past a couple of weeks at greatest. Furthermore, with OPEC+ nations warning that they are going to cancel plans to spice up their very own manufacturing if nations launch their SPR, any softening of crude oil costs could shortly be negated.

• Clue 1: There have been 219 winners until date.
• Clue 2: Lieutenant Colonel Dewan Ranjit Rai, who performed a key position in the course of the Indo-Pakistan Battle of 1947, was the first-ever recipient (posthumous).
• Clue 3: IAF veteran Jag Mohan Nath holds the uncommon distinction of being the primary particular person to be awarded it twice.

Scroll under for reply

• The Supreme Court docket on Tuesday dismissed a petition difficult a proposed change in land use from “leisure” to “residential” to deal with the brand new official residences of excessive dignitaries such because the vice-president and Prime Minister as a part of the bold Central Vista Undertaking.
• This after it had authorized the Rs 20,000 crore venture — masking a 3 km stretch from Rashtrapati Bhavan to India Gate on the coronary heart of Delhi — in January this 12 months.
• The most recent petition: The problem by social activist Rajeev Suri was solely to the proposed change in land use of Plot 1, which is able to lead to lack of leisure space and open inexperienced space for the general public.
• With about 6 acres of inexperienced space proposed to be taken over, the change of open inexperienced space to residential space is in opposition to public curiosity, Suri’s counsel argued. He added the prayer was to guard the inexperienced areas and alternate websites ought to be explored by the authorities.
• However the courtroom mentioned: “This can’t be the scope of judicial overview”, mentioned the three-Decide SC bench, including that it’s the prerogative of the authority involved and a matter of coverage. “The whole lot may be criticised, however there ought to be constructive criticism.”
• “It is not (a) personal property being created there. There may be sure to be greenery round. The plan has already been authorized by authorities except you might be alleging malafide in that course of,” it added. “Will we begin asking the widespread man now the place will the residence of the Vice-President be?”

• A brief excerpt from Congress MP and ‘Group of 23’ member Manish Tewari’s yet-to-be-released e book 10 Flash Factors; 20 Years — Nationwide Safety Conditions that Impacted India has put the social gathering in additional sizzling water. He claimed that the Indian authorities, then helmed by the Congress-led UPA, ought to have taken stricter motion in opposition to Pakistan after the 26/11 Mumbai terror assaults in 2008.
• The excerpt: “For a state that has no compunctions in brutally slaughtering a whole lot of harmless individuals, restraint isn’t an indication of energy; it’s perceived as an emblem of weak point … 26/11 was one such time when it simply ought to have been finished. It, subsequently, is my thought of opinion India ought to have actioned a kinetic response within the days following India’s 9/11.”
• Opposition reacts: BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia mentioned Tewari’s e book confirmed that the “Congress-led UPA authorities was insensitive, ineffective and was not even involved about nationwide safety”. The UPA authorities had put the nationwide safety at stake, he alleged.
• Cong reacts: Adhir Chowdhury informed information company ANI: “He [Manish Tewari] ought to be focussing extra on China that has captured a lot of our areas in Ladakh and constructed villages in Arunachal Pradesh. He’s regaining consciousness now. Why has he not talked about it at the moment”.
• This after: Congress chief Salman Khurshid, courted controversy earlier this month for drawing comparisons between radical Islamic group ISIS and Hindutva, in his e book Dawn Over Ayodhya.

• The Kerala Excessive Court docket (HC) on Tuesday issued a discover to the Centre directing it to file its counter in a petition filed by a Proper to Info (RTI) activist difficult the inclusion of PM Narendra Modi’s {photograph} on the Covid-19 vaccination certificates.
• The petitioner argued that since he had paid for his Covid-19 vaccination at a personal hospital, depiction of Modi’s picture on his vaccination certificates was a violation of his basic rights as he was being handled like a captive viewers, which, his counsel argued, was in opposition to his proper of free speech that prohibited pressured and obligatory listening. Furthermore, he argued, since Modi is the chief of a political social gathering, utilization of his {photograph} on vaccination certificates might have an effect on a person’s selection of voting.
• It could be recalled that earlier this 12 months, the Election Fee of India (ECI) had requested the Central authorities to take away Modi’s {photograph} from vaccination certificates issued within the 4 states and one union territory (UT) that went to polls — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry. The ECI contended that utilization of Modi’s {photograph} on vaccination certificates issued in ballot sure states and UT was a violation of the Mannequin Code of Conduct (MCC) that got here into impact on February 26 — a day after the ECI introduced the dates for the meeting polls

• Italy’s antitrust authorities have fined Apple and Amazon practically 200 million euros ($225 million) for anti-competitive practices in opposition to resellers of Apple and Beats branded merchandise.
• The watchdog mentioned a 2018 settlement between the tech giants restricted entry to Italy’s Amazon market to chose resellers.
• Apple was fined over $151 million; and Amazon, $77 million. The Italian Competitors Authority additionally ordered them to finish the restrictions and provides resellers entry in a “non-discriminatory method.”
• Each Apple and Amazon mentioned they might enchantment. Apple argued that teaming up with chosen resellers helps buyer security because it ensures merchandise are real.

Maha Vir Chakra. Colonel B Santosh Babu, 37 (in pic), who was killed in the course of the conflict with Chinese language troopers in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley in 2020, was posthumously awarded the Maha Vir Chakra on Tuesday for extraordinary braveness and management, by President Ram Nath Kovind. The President additionally awarded Vir Chakra to 5 different Galwan braves who fought off numerically superior Chinese language troops on Jun. 15, 2020; 4 of them have been awarded the Vir Chakra posthumously.