Training of Gaganyaan crew to begin soon

The four astronauts shortlisted for the Gaganyaan project - India’s first manned space mission - will receive training in Russia for 11 months, Union Minister Jitendra Singh has said. The minister of state for atomic energy and space said their training in Russia will start from the third week of January. “After 11 months of training in Russia, the astronauts will receive module-specific training in India. In that, they will be trained in crew and service module designed by the ISRO, learn to operate it, work around it and do simulations,” the statement read. The Rs 10,000 crore ambitious project is expected to be launched in 2022, the year of the 75th anniversary of India’s independence. India’s heaviest launch vehicle GSLV Mark-III will carry the Gaganyaan astronauts to space.

Japan reports case of mystery coronavirus

Japan has confirmed a case of a mystery virus that first emerged in China and is from the same family as the deadly SARS pathogen. It appears to be only the second time the novel coronavirus has been detected outside China, after the WHO confirmed a case in Thailand. Japan’s health ministry said a man who had visited the central Chinese city of Wuhan - the apparent epicentre of the outbreak - was hospitalised on January 10, four days after his return to Japan. He reported a persistent fever. Tests on the patient confirmed he was infected with the new virus. The outbreak has caused alarm because the new virus is from the same family as the pathogen that causes SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which killed 349 people in mainland China and 299 people in Hong Kong in 2002 and 2003.

RBI enhances safety of credit / debit cards

The RBI has asked banks and card-issuing companies to provide a facility to customers to switch on and off their debit or credit cards, a move aimed at enhancing security for digital transactions. As the volume and value of transactions made through cards have increased manifold, the RBI said that at the time of issue or re-issue, all cards (physical and virtual) should be enabled for use only at contact-based points of usage (ATMs and Point of Sale devices) within India. Issuers should provide cardholders a facility for enabling card not present (domestic and international) transactions, card present (international) transactions and contactless transactions, the RBI said. For existing cards, issuers may take a decision, based on their risk perception, whether to disable or not, it added.

BJP raised Rs 1,450 cr via electoral bonds

The BJP raised Rs 2,410 crore during 2018-19, of which Rs 1,450 crore came as donations through electoral bonds, according to election watchdog Association For Democratic Reforms (ADR). The Congress raised Rs 918.03 crore, of which 383.26 crore came through the debt instrument, which can be purchased from select branches of SBI and donated to any political party. During 2018-19, out of the six national parties, only the BJP, the Congress and the Trinamool Congress “have declared receiving an income from contribution through electoral bonds, a total of Rs 1,931.43 crore”, according to an ADR analysis. The TMC declared a total income of Rs 192.65 crore, the CPM Rs 100.96 crore and the BSP 69.79 crore during the financial year 2018-19, the report said.

‘India has not closed doors on joining RCEP’

India has not closed its doors on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and will carry out a cost benefit analysis to evaluate its merit, said External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. He said India pulled out of the RCEP as the offer made by countries of the bloc did not match India’s expectations. “Where RCEP is concerned, we have to look at cost and benefit. We will evaluate RCEP on its economic and trade merit. We have not closed our mind to it,” he said. On whether India will join it, he said the ball was in the court of the member countries of the RCEP. After years of negotiations, India in November pulled out of the proposed RCEP over unresolved “core concerns” at a summit meeting. India said the proposed pact in its current form would have an adverse impact on the lives and livelihoods of all Indians.

Trump impeachment articles sent to Senate

Two articles of impeachment against Donald Trump were delivered from the US House to the Senate on January 15, setting in motion the trial of the US president. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signed the articles, which charge Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, before they were ceremonially walked through the Capitol to the Republican-controlled Senate. The Senate will be converted into a court of impeachment for only the third time in US history. Trump is accused of secretly holding up aid to Ukraine to pressure Kiev to investigate former vice-president Joe Biden, the Democratic frontrunner in this year’s White House race. Trump was formally impeached on December 18 when the House charged him with abusing his power by illicitly seeking help from Kiev.

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