Govt-farmers talks on December 30

Ambassadors from 27 European Union (EU) Member States on Monday unanimously approved the EU-UK post-Brexit trade deal. The deal is likely to become law on 1st January, as the UK Parliament is expected to approve it on Wednesday. Under EU rules, it can take effect provisionally, though the European Parliament will vote on it in January. The deal sets the framework for trade once the UK leaves the EU single market and customs union in four days' time.Spokesman for the German Presidency of EU Sebastian Fischer said, the deal, which ended nine months of negotiations, will be approved by all 27 EU Governments in writing on Tuesday. The deal ends nearly 50 years of UK membership of the bloc, covering a vast array of policies besides those governing common trade rules.

-Central Government has invited the protesting farmer unions for talks on Wednesday to end the impasse over the three farm laws. This will be the sixth round of talks between the government and farmers to end the deadlock.The Centre has written to 40 protesting farmer unions and invited them for talks. Apart from the farm laws, discussions will be held on MSP and on legislations related to air quality and the electricity.

-The Home Ministry on Monday issued an order to extend the earlier Guidelines for Surveillance to remain in force upto 31st January 2021. It said, while there has been a continuous decline in the active and new COVID-19 cases, there is need to maintain surveillance, containment and caution, keeping in view the surge in cases globally and emergence of a new variant of the virus in the United Kingdom.Accordingly,  Containment Zones continue to be demarcated carefully, prescribed containment measures strictly followed within these zones, COVID-appropriate behaviour promoted and strictly enforced and the Standard Operating Procedures prescribed in respect of various permitted activities followed scrupulously. It said, therefore, the focused approach on surveillance, containment and strict observance of the guidelines or SOPs issued by Home Ministry and Health Ministry as envisaged in the Guidelines issued on 25th of last month, need to be enforced strictly by States and UTs.

-Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday unveiled a statue of Arun Jaitley and paid tributes to him at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, formerly known as the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, on the occasion of the late minister’s 68th birth anniversary. Shah said, Arun Jaitley was an outstanding Parliamentarian and excelled in many fields. Shah said, his pioneering contribution in promoting cricket will never be forgotten.The Home Minister said, Jaitley was an incredible person dedicated towards nation’s progress. He was known for his sportsmanship spirit in political circle. He remained aggressive in his speeches, but never lowered the dignity of the Parliament. He said, it is a matter of great honour and joy for him that he is at Ferozshah Kotla Stadium, which has witnessed some historic cricket moments in the past. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also inaugurated a bust Jaitley at the Arun Jaitley Park in New Delhi.

-Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan inaugurated India’s first pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, PCV. The vaccine named Pneumosil has been developed by the Serum Institute of India Private Limited, SIIPL in collaboration with partners like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.Recognizing SIIPL as the world’s largest manufacturer of vaccines by number of doses and its contribution to India’s economy, Dr. Harsh Vardhan remarked that Serum Institute’s Vaccines are used in 170 countries and every third child in the world is immunized with the manufacturer’s vaccine.He reminded the audience that SIIPL developed and got license of first indigenous Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine from Government of India during COVID-19 pandemic lock-down in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat. He also mentioned about the extraordinary efforts of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in this endeavour to make India self-reliant in PCV.