Dear reader, in our list today is the story of Stan Swamy. Elderly and suffering from a neurodegenerative disorder, one’d expect bail would be obvious given the “bail is rule, jail is exception” maxim. But not if one is charged under UAPA. Absurd or rule of law? In other news, June could be a better month for vaccinations as 120 mn doses are expected; the monsoon will be delayed. In our Monday Explainer, we look into why your cooking oil is more expensive.
CORONAVIRUS NEWS
💉Finetune: The govt plans to review the impact of extending interval between Covishield doses after collecting data on its effectiveness.
📦 June Joy: SII, Bharat Biotech to ramp up capacity and half of the doses will be shared with UT and state, while the other half will be available for direct procurement.
🚫 Not a Holiday: Union govt tells officials to act against private hospitals “tying up” with hotels for Covid vaccination.
😔 Suffering: Human rights activist 86-year-old Stan Swamy, also suffering from Parkinsons’, tests positive for Covid. He has been in jail since October 2020 under UAPA in the 2018 Elgar Parishad case.
🚷Lockdown: Maharashtra extends to 15 more days, Telangana to June 10, Odisha to June 17 and Haryana to June 7. UP relaxes in all but 20 districts, while J-K and MP too begins “unlock”.
🏭👨🏼🏭 Breathing Air: With the demand for medical oxygen down, GoI may soon lift the ban on supply of liquid oxygen to industry, in place since April 22. Some places are already doing it.
✍🏽 “Agenda”: RSS says reports of finding bodies in the Ganga were nothing new and that it had happened in 2015 and 2017 too. “Connecting them with Covid is clearly part of an agenda.”
⚰️ No Dignity in Death: A video surfaced of people dumping a PPE wrapped body into Rapti river in UP. The victim’s relatives were booked.
💰 Pushing O2: Govt okays expanding the Rs 3 lakh crore easy credit scheme for MSMEs to cover those wanting to set up O2 plants. Banks will offer unsecured loans of upto Rs 5 lakh for treatment.
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🎤 TOI interview with FM Nirmala Sitharaman
On stimulus for 2nd wave: (Let) Budget… go down to people…If necessary, I will give more but there is not that much demand … we have not made a final call on what is the impact of 2nd wave on economy.
On Tourism, Hospitality: We couldn’t bring a formulation that could work… I fully agree that (these sectors) have suffered).
On GST: There could be a (temporary) reduction (in collection).
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INDIA NEWS
🌧️ Rain Delay: IMD says monsoon to hit Kerala on June 3, two days behind schedule as south-westerly winds have not strengthened.
Bengal 🆚 GoI: State government yet to agree to transfer of its chief secretary for central deputation.
🍃 (Little) Amma Returns: After saying she would “step aside” from politics, V K Sasikala is slated to make her return and take advantage of the ongoing differences between former CMs of the AIADMK EPS and OPS.
💎🛩️ Choksi Trail: A mysterious Jet landed in Dominica where diamantaire Mehul Choksi is being held. Antigua PM says this is from India that is “going all out to make sure he is repatriated to India to stand trial”.
😱 Chilling: A 25-year-old killed himself in Kashmir saying that he hoped the problem of teachers – who have not been paid in over two years – would be solved. [HELP IS A CALL AWAY: 1800-599-0019]
🙏 Dead: AIDWA co-founder Mythili Sivaraman (81).
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WORLD NEWS
🇮🇱 Change of Guard: Israel’s Netanyahu is on the brink of losing power as opposition cobbles together an alliance against his Likud Party. Opposition Yair Lapid’s Atid Party has until Wednesday to prove majority.
🇳🇬 Nigeria: Around 150 Islamic school students abducted by gunmen.
🚢 Ship to help Shipping: The UK is planning to build a “national ship” flagship that would “help boost trade”. The earlier ship was called Royal Yacht Britannia that was retired in 1997. Opposition wants to know how exactly spending £200mn on a ship will boost trade.
🏔️ Conqueror: Zhang Hong from China becomes 1st blind man from Asia (3rd world) to climb Everest.
🙏 Dead: Singer B J Thomas (81, Raindrops are fallin on my head, Hooked on a feeling)
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ENVIRONMENT
Sensitivity: GoI has planned several infra projects – townships and resorts – in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Experts say this will require change in land use and although development is needed, should not come at the cost of ecology and indigenous people, and abdication of regulatory responsibility.
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🍳Monday Explainer: Edible Oil Price Rise
What: There are 6 edible oils – mustard, soybean, rapeseed, groundnut, palm and sunflower. The prices of each have risen to 11-year high in May.
Problem: 60% is imported. Aggressive demand from China for soybean to feed its livestock meant much of the produce diverted there. Drought in major producing nations and Covid-19 effect curtailed production. There is also push for using soybean and palm oil as biofuels.
Options: Lower import duty but this could risk int’l prices rising further. Another would be to subsidise. Long term, reduce import dependence.
Govt’s move: Using the Green Revolution method of distributing free oilseeds to farmers. Experts say this won’t work without assurance of procurement.
News Of Today 