The Evening Wrap: Kerala pulls back from controversial ordinance to curb abusive content

The Hindu Newsletter - Here are the latest updates and the big news stories to follow today [The Hindu Logo](M-B9HlHIB91HtGAABeY2qe/link17) [Facebook](M-B9HlHIB91HtGAABeY2qe/link1) [Twitter](M-B9HlHIB91HtGAABeY2qe/link3) [Youtube](M-B9HlHIB91HtGAABeY2qe/link40) [Linkedin](M-B9HlHIB91HtGAABeY2qe/link15) [Instagram](M-B9HlHIB91HtGAABeY2qe/link14) Monday 23, November 2020 [alt_text](M-B9HlHIB91HtGAABeY2qe/link39) The Evening Wrap [The Evening Wrap: Kerala pulls back from controversial ordinance to curb abusive content](M-B9HlHIB91HtGAABeY2qe/link36) [alt_text](M-B9HlHIB91HtGAABeY2qe/link36) 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. Kerala pulls back from controversial ordinance to curb abusive content Responding to widespread criticism, the[Kerala government on Monday shied away from enacting a controversial ordinance](M-B9HlHIB91HtGAABeY2qe/link28) that would have empowered the police to prosecute persons who disseminated information that the law enforcement deemed defamatory. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said various quarters had aired reservations about the recent revision to the Kerala Police Act, 2011. Hence, the government had decided not to put into effect the ordinance signed into law by Kerala Governor Arif Muhammad Khan last week. Alternatively, the government would seek a consensus view by placing the amendment for debate in the Legislative Assembly, he said. The significant U-turn on the policy came about approximately an hour after Vijayan conferred with members of the CPI(M) State secretariat and the Left Democratic Front (LDF). The LDF and the government [had come under withering criticism from Opposition parties](M-B9HlHIB91HtGAABeY2qe/link30) journalist organisations, and civil rights activists for promulgating the law. LDF convener and CPI(M) acting State secretary A. Vijayaraghavan said concerns raised by progressive persons had prompted the rethink. In a rare instance, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also found themselves on the same page opposing the new law. The amendment had proposed three years of imprisonment and a fine of up to ₹10,000 for those convicted of producing, publishing or disseminating derogatory content through any means of communication to intimidate, insult or defame any person. The law also did not restrict itself to curbing “vile and inhumane social media posts against women and children” alone, as claimed by Vijayan repeatedly. Notably, the ordinance did not unambiguously mention social media posts and had left the amendment open to broad and subjective interpretation by the police. Former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi dies aged 84 Former Assam Chief Minister[Tarun Gogoi died on Monday in Guwahati](M-B9HlHIB91HtGAABeY2qe/link25)while undergoing treatment for post-COVID-19 complications, State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. He was 84 and survived by wife Dolly, daughter Chandrima and son Gaurav. Gogoi, a three-time Chief Minister, breathed his last at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital at 5.34 pm, Mr Sarma said. He was first admitted to the hospital on August 26 after testing positive for Covid-19 and was released for a brief period before being admitted again on November 2. Gogoi was the MLA from the Titabor assembly constituency since 2001. He was also a six-time parliamentarian and a Union minister twice. “Shri Tarun Gogoi Ji was a popular leader and a veteran administrator, who had years of political experience in Assam as well as the Centre. Anguished by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family and supporters in this hour of sadness,” tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi. [Reactions to Tarun Gogoi's death](M-B9HlHIB91HtGAABeY2qe/link33) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted, “Shri Tarun Gogoi was a true Congress leader. He devoted his life to bringing all the people and communities of Assam together. For me, he was a great and wise teacher. I loved and respected him deeply. I will miss him. My love and condolences to Gaurav & the family.” Oxford vaccine shows 90% efficacy in Phase-3 trial Interim data analysis of Phase-3 trial of [Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 candidate vaccine (ChAdOx1 nCoV-2019) offers higher efficacy](M-B9HlHIB91HtGAABeY2qe/link38) in preventing Covid-19 disease, said an Oxford university press release. No serious safety events related to the vaccine were found. The results were based on 131 Covid-19 cases seen in the Phase-3 trial. Two doses of the vaccine given in two different regimens showed different efficacies. In the case of the regimen where a halved dose was used as a prime (first dose) followed by a standard dose of booster, the efficacy was 90%. However, where full doses (standard dose) were used both for the prime and booster doses, the efficacy was only 62%. The combined analysis from both dosing regimens resulted in an average efficacy of 70%. Unlike in the case of the mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, the Oxford vaccine showed “early indication” that the regimen where a half-dose prime and a full-dose booster was used could reduce virus transmission. This was based on observed reduction in asymptomatic infections in participants who received the vaccine in the Phase-3 trial. Like the Pfizer and[Moderna vaccine](M-B9HlHIB91HtGAABeY2qe/link37), the Oxford vaccine, too, showed that it was capable of preventing severe Covid-19 disease. No hospitalised or severe cases were seen in anyone who received the Oxford vaccine, the release said. COVID-19 situation worsening, says SC, asks for status reports [The Supreme Court on Monday said the daily spike in COVID-19 cases](M-B9HlHIB91HtGAABeY2qe/link24) in Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Assam looked ‘grim’ and they should “take time to introspect” and “prepare for December”. “Situation of COVID cases is worsening and likely to do so in December,” a Bench led by Justice Ashok Bhushan noted. The court asked the States to file status reports in two days on preparedness and steps taken by them. [ A healthcare worker takes a swab sample of a woman to test for COVID-19 at Teen Darwazaa Deepavali shopping market in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on November 11, 2020. ] A healthcare worker takes a swab sample of a woman to test for COVID-19 at Teen Darwazaa Deepavali shopping market in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on November 11, 2020.  “Things have worsened in the last two weeks, in November. Our question is what is your present situation? What more steps are you taking? That is what we are going to look into,” Justice Bhushan addressed Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, for Delhi. The court hauled up the Gujarat government for unbridled celebrations, weddings and public gatherings in the State despite an [exponential rise in cases](M-B9HlHIB91HtGAABeY2qe/link31). “Gujarat is worst, after Delhi and Maharashtra. What is your policy? What is happening? Weddings, parties, celebrations by political parties are happening... What is all this,” Justice M.R. Shah asked the Gujarat side. The hearing is based on the suo motu cognisance taken by the Supreme Court on the treatment meted out to Covid-19 patients and the bodies of those who lost the battle with the virus. The court had, in June, referred to several media reports on the lack of infrastructure, instances of patients and their families running from pillar to post to get themselves admitted, and videos of Covid-19 dead being thrown into pits. India to host G20 summit in 2023 G20 leaders announced on Sunday that [India will host the summit of the high-profile grouping](M-B9HlHIB91HtGAABeY2qe/link27) in 2023 — a year later than what was decided earlier. India was earlier slated to host the summit in 2022, with the Osaka declaration of the G20 stating last year that “We look forward to meeting again in Saudi Arabia in 2020, in Italy in 2021, and in India in 2022”. “We thank Saudi Arabia for hosting a successful Riyadh Summit and its contribution to the G20 process. We look forward to our next meetings in Italy in 2021, Indonesia in 2022, India in 2023 and Brazil in 2024,” the G20 Riyadh Summit Leaders Declaration said. On India now hosting the summit in 2023, a source said, “The order of the rotating presidency is decided among member states on the basis of consultations and mutual convenience.” IMD warns of ‘severe cyclonic storm’ approaching Tamil Nadu [A developing cyclonic disturbance in the Bay of Bengal](M-B9HlHIB91HtGAABeY2qe/link26) is expected to become a 'severe cyclonic storm' by November 24 evening, the cyclone warning division of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday. [Third stage of cyclone warning raised in Pamban in Tamil Nadu on Monday morning.]Third stage of cyclone warning raised in Pamban in Tamil Nadu on Monday morning.  The developing storm, which is yet to be named officially, is currently about 600 km south-southeast of Puducherry and 630 km south-southeast of Chennai. “It is very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours. It is very likely to move north-westwards and cross Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts between Karaikal and Mamallapuram around 25th November 2020 afternoon,” noted the IMD’s afternoon update on Monday. Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The number of [coronavirus cases reported from India](M-B9HlHIB91HtGAABeY2qe/link21) stood at 9163355 at the time of writing this newsletter, with the death toll at 450311. The Maharashtra government will now require a COVID negative report from an RT-PCR test for people travelling to the state from Delhi-NCR, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Goa. The Maharashtra government issued detailed guidelines this evening to put a check on incoming people from these states, all of which are experiencing a surge in Covid-19 cases. The rules will cover both flight and train passengers, who have to show the negative test results before boarding. At least five persons died due to Covid-19 every hour on an average in Delhi in the last 24 hours, accounting for the largest chunk of such fatalities across the country, which recorded an average of 21 deaths in this period. In Brief: [Antony Blinken is the leading contender to become President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee](M-B9HlHIB91HtGAABeY2qe/link22) for secretary of state, according to sources familiar with the Biden team’s planning. Advisers to the President-elect’s transition have said they’ll make their first Cabinet announcements on Tuesday. Blinken, 58, served as deputy secretary of state and deputy national security adviser during the Obama administration and has close ties with Biden. If nominated and confirmed, he would be a leading force in the incoming administration’s bid to reframe the U.S. relationship with the rest of the world after four years in which President Donald Trump questioned long-time alliances. In a first among central banks, the [RBI has become the first monetary authority in the world to have more than 1 million followers](M-B9HlHIB91HtGAABeY2qe/link19) on its official Twitter handle. Despite much less monetary firepower, the RBI has beaten the world’s most powerful central banks — the U.S. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank — on Twitter by a wide margin, emerging as the most popular central bank on the microblogging site, with over 1 million followers. 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