Morning Filter: Amit Shah in U.P.

1. Amit Shah to address three public rallies in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday Union Home Minister Amit Shah will address public meetings in Hardoi, Sultanpur and Bhadohi districts on Tuesday as part of the BJP's campaign for the Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh due early next year. The BJP's Uttar Pradesh media co-incharge, Himanshu Dubey, on Monday said Mr. Shah is scheduled to visit the State on Tuesday and address three rallies as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party's 'Jan Vishwas Yatra'. 2. Haryana cabinet expansion on Tuesday The Haryana cabinet expansion will take place here on Tuesday, the second one in the past two years. Among the probables whose names are doing the rounds for induction into the cabinet include Devender Singh Babli, the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) MLA from Tohana, while one from the BJP camp is also likely to be inducted. "The cabinet expansion will take place at a function to be held at Haryana Raj Bhavan at 4 pm on December 28," an official statement said. 3. Maharashtra firm on holding Assembly speaker's election on Tuesday The Maharashtra government is working on holding the Assembly speaker's election on Tuesday, the last day of the ongoing winter session, sources said on Monday. The development comes amid reports that Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has not accepted the state government's plea for holding the speaker's election during the winter session of the state legislature. 4. Expedite vaccination programme in poll-bound states: EC to health secretary The Election Commission on Monday assessed the COVID-19 situation in the five poll-bound states with the Union health secretary and asked the government to expedite vaccination programme there. The commission noted that the percentage of those administered the first dose of coronavirus vaccine was still less in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Manipur, while it was nearing 100 per cent in Uttarakhand and Goa. The poll panel also asked Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan to expedite administering second dose to those eligible in these five election-bound states, highly-placed sources said. 5. CDSCO panel recommends emergency use authorisation for SII’s Covid vaccine Covovax An expert panel of the country’s central drug authority has recommended granting emergency use authorisation to Serum Institute of India's COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covovax’ with certain conditions, official sources said on Monday. Prakash Kumar Singh, director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at Serum Institute of India (SII) had submitted an application to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) in October for grant of market authorisation for Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations. 6. Be on guard against bids to peddle divisive agenda during Gangasagar Mela, Mamata tells officials West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday asked everyone to be on guard against any attempt to peddle "divisive agenda" during the upcoming Gangasagar Mela. Banerjee, at a meeting here on the preparations made for the annual religious fair, said there will be 13 medical camps at Sagar Island, where RT-PCR tests will be conducted. A 600-bed COVID-19 hospital will also be readied for meeting any eventuality, she said. 7. Sena members seek suspension of BJP MLA Nitesh Rane over behaviour towards Maha minister Aaditya Thackeray The Maharashtra Assembly was briefly adjourned on Monday after the Shiv Sena members demanded that BJP legislator Nitesh Rane be suspended over his alleged inappropriate behaviour towards state Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray. The issue was raised by Shiv Sena MLA Suhas Kande after the Question Hour. 8. Delhi's air quality improves to 'poor' category after rains; max temp settles at 22.6 Deg C After staying in the 'severe' category for six days, Delhi's air quality improved to the 'poor' category on Monday following rains a day before, while the maximum temperature settled at 22.6 degrees Celsius, two notches above the season's average. The 24-hour air quality index (AQI) of Delhi read 283 at 4 pm. The AQIs of its neighbouring cities -- Faridabad (260), Ghaziabad (212), Gurugram (250), Greater Noida (242) and Noida (226) -- were also recorded in the 'poor' category. 9. 3,481 kids orphaned during Covid pandemic to get benefits under PM CARES for Children scheme Of 6,098 applications received under the 'PM CARES for Children' scheme, 3,481 children orphaned during the COVID-19 pandemic have been approved as eligible for its benefits, the government said on Monday. In a statement, the Ministry of Women and Child Development said as per the PM CARES for children portal, total applications registered as on December 24 is 6,098, out of which 3,481 applications have been approved by district magistrates. It also said post office accounts have been opened for 3,275 beneficiaries under the scheme. 10. Sri Lanka to shut 3 foreign missions as dollar crisis worsens Sri Lanka announced on Monday the closure of three overseas diplomatic missions as part of a “restructuring” bid to save the country’s much-needed foreign currency reserves and minimising expenditure in the wake of grave economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sri Lanka High Commission in Abuja, Nigeria, the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Frankfurt, Germany, and the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Nicosia, Cyprus will be shut with effect from December 31, the foreign ministry said. 11. Amit Mitra urges PM to call GST meet to reverse tax hike on textiles Former West Bengal finance minister and currently advisor to the state's Chief Minister, Amit Mitra on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convene an urgent meeting of the GST Council to reverse a hike in tax on man-made fibre textiles. The union government had notified an increase in GST on natural fibre products from 5 per cent to 12 per cent, including apparels in the lower tax bracket with effect from January 1, 2022. 12. South Africa vs India first Test - Day 3 The Indian team will look to reset its first innings target after the second day's play in the opening Test against South Africa had to be called off without a ball being bowled due to heavy and persistent rain since morning here on Monday. What started as a drizzle this morning became a steady downpour in the afternoon and with 90 overs lost in the game, Virat Kohli's men, sitting pretty at 272 for 3 after day one, will now have to quicken up the proceedings in the remaining three days with a high probability of winning the match. 13. The Ashes | England in big trouble in third Test amid virus scare - Day 3 On an extraordinary of cricket both on and off the field, England faced an uphill battle to save the third test against Australia and with it the Ashes. Before play even began Monday. Cricket Australia called for calm after a COVID-19 scare involving two members of England’s support staff resulted in a delay to the start of the second day of play at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. 14. ISL: Hyderabad, Odisha aim for better show after winless streaks Hyderabad FC will look be eager to get back to winning ways and maintain pressure on the teams in the other top four when they take on Odisha FC in the Indian Super League here on Tuesday. Hyderabad FC are currently fourth in the points table with 12 points from seven matches. The Manolo Marquez-coached outfit are three points adrift of leaders Mumbai City FC and a win against Odisha will only propel them forward after dropping points in the last two encounters. Morning Filter will return tomorrow. Follow up on the day’s biggest stories and get concise analysis by The Hindu with the Evening Wrap newsletter. [logo] The Morning Filter 28 DECEMBER 2021 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Morning Filter newsletter, your guide from The Hindu on the major news stories and events to follow today. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Here are the latest updates and the big news stories to follow today 1. Amit Shah to address three public rallies in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday [Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses a public meeting in Orai, Uttrar Pradesh on Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021.] Union Home Minister [Amit Shah will address public meetings]( in Hardoi, Sultanpur and Bhadohi districts on Tuesday as part of the BJP's campaign for the Assembly election in Uttar Pradesh due early next year. The BJP's Uttar Pradesh media co-incharge, Himanshu Dubey, on Monday said Mr. Shah is scheduled to visit the State on Tuesday and address three rallies as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party's 'Jan Vishwas Yatra'. 2. Haryana cabinet expansion on Tuesday The [Haryana cabinet expansion will take place]( here on Tuesday, the second one in the past two years. Among the probables whose names are doing the rounds for induction into the cabinet include Devender Singh Babli, the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) MLA from Tohana, while one from the BJP camp is also likely to be inducted. "The cabinet expansion will take place at a function to be held at Haryana Raj Bhavan at 4 pm on December 28," an official statement said. 3. Maharashtra firm on holding Assembly speaker's election on Tuesday The Maharashtra government is working on holding the Assembly speaker's election on Tuesday, the last day of the ongoing winter session, sources said on Monday. The development comes amid reports that Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari has not accepted the state government's plea for holding the speaker's election during the winter session of the state legislature. 4. Expedite vaccination programme in poll-bound states: EC to health secretary The [Election Commission on Monday assessed the COVID-19 situation]( in the five poll-bound states with the Union health secretary and asked the government to expedite vaccination programme there. The commission noted that the percentage of those administered the first dose of coronavirus vaccine was still less in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Manipur, while it was nearing 100 per cent in Uttarakhand and Goa. The poll panel also asked Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan to expedite administering second dose to those eligible in these five election-bound states, highly-placed sources said. 5. CDSCO panel recommends emergency use authorisation for SII’s Covid vaccine Covovax An expert panel of the country’s central drug authority has recommended [granting emergency use authorisation to Serum Institute of India's COVID-19 vaccine ‘Covovax’Â]( certain conditions, official sources said on Monday. Prakash Kumar Singh, director, Government and Regulatory Affairs at Serum Institute of India (SII) had submitted an application to the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) in October for grant of market authorisation for Covovax for restricted use in emergency situations. 6. Be on guard against bids to peddle divisive agenda during Gangasagar Mela, Mamata tells officials West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday asked everyone to be on [guard against any attempt to peddle "divisive agenda"]( during the upcoming Gangasagar Mela. Banerjee, at a meeting here on the preparations made for the annual religious fair, said there will be 13 medical camps at Sagar Island, where RT-PCR tests will be conducted. A 600-bed COVID-19 hospital will also be readied for meeting any eventuality, she said. 7. Sena members seek suspension of BJP MLA Nitesh Rane over behaviour towards Maha minister Aaditya Thackeray The Maharashtra Assembly was briefly adjourned on Monday after the [Shiv Sena members demanded that BJP legislator Nitesh Rane be suspended]( over his alleged inappropriate behaviour towards state Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray. The issue was raised by Shiv Sena MLA Suhas Kande after the Question Hour. 8. Delhi's air quality improves to 'poor' category after rains; max temp settles at 22.6 Deg C [The average 24-hour air quality index (AQI) in Delhi based on data from 35 monitoring stations was 459 with PM2.5 as the chief pollutant.] After staying in the 'severe' category for six days, Delhi's air quality improved to the 'poor' category on Monday following rains a day before, while the maximum temperature settled at 22.6 degrees Celsius, two notches above the season's average. The 24-hour air quality index (AQI) of Delhi read 283 at 4 pm. The AQIs of its neighbouring cities -- Faridabad (260), Ghaziabad (212), Gurugram (250), Greater Noida (242) and Noida (226) -- were also recorded in the 'poor' category. 9. 3,481 kids orphaned during Covid pandemic to get benefits under PM CARES for Children scheme Of 6,098 applications received under the 'PM CARES for Children' scheme, 3,481 children orphaned during the COVID-19 pandemic have been approved as eligible for its benefits, the government said on Monday. In a statement, the Ministry of Women and Child Development said as per the PM CARES for children portal, total applications registered as on December 24 is 6,098, out of which 3,481 applications have been approved by district magistrates. It also said post office accounts have been opened for 3,275 beneficiaries under the scheme. 10. Sri Lanka to shut 3 foreign missions as dollar crisis worsens Sri Lanka announced on Monday the closure of three overseas diplomatic missions as part of a “restructuring” bid to save the country’s much-needed foreign currency reserves and minimising expenditure in the wake of grave economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sri Lanka High Commission in Abuja, Nigeria, the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Frankfurt, Germany, and the Consulate General of Sri Lanka in Nicosia, Cyprus will be shut with effect from December 31, the foreign ministry said. 11. Amit Mitra urges PM to call GST meet to reverse tax hike on textiles Former West Bengal finance minister and currently advisor to the state's Chief Minister, Amit Mitra on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convene an urgent [meeting of the GST Council to reverse a hike in tax on man-made fibre textiles.]( The union government had notified an increase in GST on natural fibre products from 5 per cent to 12 per cent, including apparels in the lower tax bracket with effect from January 1, 2022. 12. South Africa vs India first Test - Day 3 The Indian team will look to reset its first innings target after the second day's play in the opening Test against South Africa had to be called off without a ball being bowled due to heavy and persistent rain since morning here on Monday. What started as a drizzle this morning became a [steady downpour in the afternoon and with 90 overs lost in the game]( Virat Kohli's men, sitting pretty at 272 for 3 after day one, will now have to quicken up the proceedings in the remaining three days with a high probability of winning the match. 13. The Ashes | England in big trouble in third Test amid virus scare - Day 3 [England side was given the all-clear barely 45 minutes before play was due to begin, with the start pushed back half an hour to give them a chance to warm up.] On an extraordinary of cricket both on and off the field, England faced an uphill battle to save the [third test against Australia and with it the Ashes.]( Before play even began Monday. Cricket Australia called for calm after a COVID-19 scare involving two members of England’s support staff resulted in a delay to the start of the second day of play at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. 14. ISL: Hyderabad, Odisha aim for better show after winless streaks Hyderabad FC will look be eager to get back to winning ways and maintain pressure on the teams in the other top four when they take on Odisha FC in the Indian Super League here on Tuesday. Hyderabad FC are currently fourth in the points table with 12 points from seven matches. The Manolo Marquez-coached outfit are three points adrift of leaders Mumbai City FC and a win against Odisha will only propel them forward after dropping points in the last two encounters. [underlineimg] Morning Filter will return tomorrow. Follow up on the day’s biggest stories and get concise analysis by The Hindu with the Evening Wrap newsletter. 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