Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day's biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. We hope you are staying safe. Hathras case: UP police claims "international plot" to defame Adityanath govt Alleging that there was a conspiracy to trigger communal and caste riots in Uttar Praesh, the state police lodged several FIRs in Hathras for posting misleading content and illegally gathering in protest. The police action came after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath made a similar allegation targeted at the Opposition. "Our opponents are conspiring against us by trying to lay a foundation for caste and communal riots through international funding," Adityanath said. "For the last one week, Opposition parties were keen to see riots." The Uttar Pradesh police, which has been facing criticism for allegedly trying to covering up a crime by upper caste Thakur men, has mentioned sedition, an "international conspiracy", and incitement of religious hatred among 19 charges related to the Hathras case. The charges listed in the FIRs include sedition, conspiracy, inciting caste divides, religious discrimination, doctoring electronic evidence, a conspiracy against the state, and defamation. With Opposition politicians visiting the woman's family, the UP police has also filed cases over violation of social distancing and Covid-19 safety rules. Congress demands judicial probe Congress party workers stage a protest, demanding the transfer of Hathras district Magistrate Praveen Kumar Laxkar on October 4, 2020. The Congress on Monday demanded a judicial inquiry into the Hathras gangrape incident and the immediate removal of the District Magistrate (DM) Praveen Kumar Laxkar, whom the victim's family has accused of misbehaviour. "First of all Yogi Adityanathji's government must immediately dismiss the DM, who is on record, on a video, threatening the family. He should not be given any other posting till it is thoroughly investigated at whose behest the DM went to the family and threatened them in the manner that he did," All India Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev said at a press conference. The party also released a 9-minute video "Hathras: Fight for Justice" on the visit by Congress leaders to the victim's family. Meanwhile, a three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobde will on Tuesday hear a writ petition seeking a CBI or Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the brutal gangrape and murder of a 19-year-old Dalit woman in Hathras district of Uttar Pradesh. The petition filed by Delhi-based activist Satyama Dubey, said the investigation should be monitored by a former Supreme Court or High Court judge. Centre releases guidelines for reopening of schools Workers clean a classroom of a government school which will be reopened with limited students on October 8, in Puducherry on October 5, 2020. The Education Ministry on Monday released guidelines for reopening schools and asked states and union territories to frame their own Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for health and safety precautions based on their local requirements. "Schools must arrange and implement for thorough cleaning and disinfecting of all areas, furniture, equipment, stationery, storage places, water tanks, kitchens, canteen, washroom, laboratories, libraries, on school campus and ensure air flow in indoor space," the Ministry said in a set of guidelines for gradual reopening of schools from October 15. "Schools may be encouraged to make their own SOPs based on the guidelines issued by states and UTs, keeping in view the safety and physical or social distancing norms, and ensuring that the notices, posters, messages, communication to parents in this regard are prominently displayed and disseminated," it said. The Ministry recommended that schools adopt flexible attendance and sick leave policies. "Flexible attendance and sick leave policies may be developed and implemented to encourage students and staff to stay at home when sick. Students may attend schools only with the written consent of parents. Students may opt for online classes rather than physically attend school. There shall be no assessment up to 2-3 weeks of school reopening and use of ICT and online learning shall continue to be encouraged," it said. Universities and schools across the country were ordered shut on March 16 to contain the spread of the coronavirus. On March 25, the Centre announced a nationwide lockdown. While several restrictions have been eased gradually in different phases of "Unlock" since June 8, educational institutions continue to remain closed. However, as per the latest unlock guidelines, schools, colleges and other educational institutions can reopen outside containment zones after October 15. The decision on whether to reopen educational institutions has been left with states and union territories. 2020 Nobel: Three scientists share Prize in Physiology or Medicine Americans Harvey J Alter and Charles M Rice, and British scientist Michael Houghton were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology on Monday for the discovery of the hepatitis C virus. Announcing the prize in Stockholm on Monday, the Nobel Committee noted that the trio's work helped explain a major source of blood-borne hepatitis that couldn't be explained by the hepatitis A and B viruses. Their work made possible blood tests and new medicines that have saved millions of lives, the committee said. Thanks to their discovery, highly sensitive blood tests for the virus are now available and these have essentially eliminated post-transfusion hepatitis in many parts of the world, greatly improving global health, the committee said. Their discovery also allowed the rapid development of antiviral drugs directed at hepatitis C, it added. The disease is chronic and a major cause of liver inflammation and cancer. The medicine prize carried particular significance this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has highlighted the importance that medical research has for societies and economies around the world. Ready to take on China, says IAF Chief Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Rakesh Kumar Singh Bhadauria. "We are ready and very well positioned to take on China and there is no scenario where they can get the better of us," Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal (ACM) RKS Bhadauria asserted on Monday. "Next three months will depend on how talks progress. Current progress is slow, what we see is effort to dig in for the winter... We are taking action accordingly. Our further action will depend on the ground realities," ACM Bhadauria said at the annual press conference ahead of Air Force Day. He, however, noted that they were not underestimating the adversary. "Their strength lies in the surface-to-air systems they have put up in the area. They have long-range missile systems. We cater to those in our matrix... We can take on that threat". On deployment in Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), he said Ladakh is a small part of the Air Force's deployment. "We have deployed to all relevant areas. We are firmly and strongly deployed to take on any scenarios," he said. Extradition: Come clean about 'confidential' proceedings in U.K., SC tells Mallya Vijay Mallya's UBHL owes over ₹6,000 crore and compound interest to the SBI-led consortium of banks. The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the lawyers for businessman Vijay Mallya to come clean about the nature of 'confidential' proceedings going on after the rejection of his appeal against extradition in the U.K. Supreme Court. At the start of the hearing, the government informed a Special Bench of Justices U.U. Lalit and Ashok Bhushan that Mallya's extradition case in the U.K. is over, but some 'secret' proceedings are on. "Extradition was ordered by the highest court of the UK. But it [extradition] is not happening. Instead, some 'secret' proceedings are happening. We have not been made aware of these proceedings. We are not a party. They [Mallya's side] have not served us with anything," advocate Rajat Nair, appearing for the government submitted. Justice Lalit turned to Mallya's counsel and asked him to explain the nature of the confidential proceedings. But the lawyer said he would have to first take instructions on this issue. "We want to know what is going on, what is pending there now," Justice Lalit said to the lawyer. CBI raids Congressman D.K. Shivakumar's premises Police and media outside D K Shivakumar's residence at Sadashivnagar in Bengaluru The CBI conducted simultaneous raids at the house of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chairman D.K. Shivakumar and other premises linked to him on Monday morning. Raids were also on at the residence of Congress Bengaluru Rural MP and Shivakumar's brother D.K. Suresh. In a statement released later in the day, the central agency said, "CBI has registered a case against then Minister of Karnataka Government and others on the allegations of acquisition of Disproportionate Assets. Searches are being conducted today at 14 locations including 9 in Karnataka, 4 in Delhi, one in Mumbai." The raids come even as Shivakumar is leading the campaign for bypolls for two assembly seats — RR Nagar and Sira — scheduled for November 3. Leader of opposition Siddaramaiah tweeted: "BJP has always tried to indulge in vindictive politics And mislead public attention. The latest CBI raid on KPCC president D. K. Shivakumar's house in another attempt to derail our preparation for the bypolls." Covid-positive Trump flouts public health protocol again U.S. President Donald Trump waves to supporters as he briefly rides by in the presidential motorcade in front of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, U.S. October 4, 2020 US President Donald Trump sparked an angry backlash from the medical community on Sunday with a protocol-breaking visit to his supporters outside the hospital where he is being treated for Covid-19. He was masked as he waved from inside his bulletproof vehicle during a short trip outside the military hospital near Washington. Analysts said that the move may have been aimed at taking back the narrative on his improving health after a weekend of muddled messaging from his doctors. Medical experts, however, complained that the outing broke his own government's public health guidelines, which require patients to isolate while they are in treatment and still shedding virus. By his action, Trump had endangered his Secret Service personnel, they pointed out. Trump, who has been repeatedly rebuked for flouting public health guidelines and spreading misinformation on the pandemic, said in a video that dropped on Twitter just before his public appearance that he had "learned a lot about Covid" by "really going to school" as he battled the virus.But health experts said that his "stunt" demonstrated that he had learned nothing at all. Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 66,60,706 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 1,03,361. In Brief: The 42nd meeting of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council on Monday failed to yield a solution to the deadlock between the Centre and the states on the issue of borrowing to make up for compensation shortfall. The GST council has decided to meet again on October 12. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow |
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