CRPF to be deployed on Assam - Mizoram border

Parliament has passed the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill 2021 with Rajya Sabha approving it n Wednesday amid din.The Lok Sabha has already passed the Bill. The Bill seeks to amend the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015. The amendments include authorizing District Magistrate including Additional District Magistrate to issue adoption orders to ensure speedy disposal of cases and enhance accountability. Defining eligibility parameters for appointment of Child Welfare Committee members and categorizing previously undefined offences as serious offences are some of the other aspects of the Bill. Replying to the Bill, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said that children need support and justice and Child Welfare Committee needs to be strengthened. She said, protection of rights and need of the children is the priority of the Government. She said, the bill seeks to provide justice and support to the children.

-The Centre has asked States and Union Territories to issue strict directions to the district and all other local authorities concerned, to take necessary measures for management of COVID-19. In a letter to States Chief Secretaries, Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has  said, the officers concerned should be made personally responsible for any laxity in strict enforcement of COVID appropriate behaviour. He said, with the decline in the number of active Covid cases, the States and UTs are re-opening the activities in a gradual manner. Bhalla said, while the decline in the number of Covid cases is a matter of satisfaction, the absolute case numbers are still significantly high. He said, there should be no room for complacency and the process of relaxing restrictions should be carefully calibrated. Home Secretary said, strictest possible measures should be taken in the districts that are still showing high positivity rates. He said, there is need to ensure Covid appropriate behaviour in all crowded places in view of the upcoming festivals.

-Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla on Wednesday chaired a meeting of Chief Secretaries and DGPs of Assam and Mizoram. The meeting lasted for over two hours. Both the State governments agreed for deployment of a neutral force. Therefore a Central Reserve Police Force, CRPF will be deployed in the affected area on the Assam - Mizoram border along NH -306 under supervision of a senior officer of CRPF. According to Ministry of Home Affairs officials, both the sides also agreed to continue discussion mutually to resolve the border issue in an amicable manner.

-The Gujarat government has decided to slash rates of RT-PCR tests being conducted by private laboratories to Rs 400 from the existing Rs 700. For RT-PCR samples collected from homes or hospitals, private laboratories will have to take only Rs 550.Briefing the media in Gandhinagar Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said, the decision to reduce the rates of RT-PCR tests has been taken as part of the state government’s preparation for a possible third wave of the pandemic.Patel said the government has also reduced the rates of RTPCR test being conducted at the airports to Rs 2700 from the existing Rs 4,000.The rates for HRCT scan conducted at private hospitals have also been reduced to 2,500.Keeping in mind the possibility of third wave, Patel said the state government will purchase CT scan and MRI machines for various government hospitals and medical colleges at Rs 112 crore.

-Government has identified more than 2.38 lakh companies as shell companies in the last three years.This information was given by the Minister of State for Corporate Affairs Rao Inderjit Singh in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.He said the Government has undertaken a Special Drive for identification and striking off Shell Companies during the last three years. He said, the Special Task Force, set up by the Government to look into the issue of Shell Companies, had recommended the use of certain red flag indicators as alerts to identify the Shell Companies.The highest number of 52,869 Shell companies have been identified in Mumbai followed by 45 thousand in Delhi and 20 thousand in Hyderabad.