NEWS

As both the Houses of Parliament cleared the passage of a Bill repealing three controversial agricultural laws on Monday, the major Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh lashed out at the BJP government for doing so without discussion, especially on the death of farmers during the protests that have gone on for over a year.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati demanded a proper law to define the Minimum Support Price for crops. She hailed the repeal of the laws as the victory of democracy but pointed out that the Centre was silent on the demands of farmers on a guaranteed MSP. She called for a discussion in Parliament about taking “solid steps” for the upliftment of farmers.

The Vice President of India and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday defused a situation that could have ended up pitting the legislature against the judiciary.

During a meeting with Naidu at his residence, floor leaders of various parties and groups, ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament, expressed concerns over recent comments made by the Supreme Court on the functioning of the Parliament and other legislatures and the manner of law making by them.

To avoid friction with the judiciary, Naidu tactfully asked members of the Upper House to "counter such comments by other constitutional entities by ensuring proper functioning of the legislature through dignity and decorum."

New cases of Omicron COVID variant detected in more countries; WHO says 'we need more info'. The World Health Organization (WHO) said it was not yet clear whether Omicron, first detected in Southern Africa, is more transmissible than other variants, or if it causes more severe disease.

"Preliminary data suggests that there are increasing rates of hospitalization in South Africa, but this may be due to increasing overall numbers of people becoming infected, rather than a result of specific infection," WHO said.

It said understanding the level of severity of Omicron "will take days to several weeks".The detection of Omicron triggered global alarm as governments around the world scrambled to impose new travel curbs and financial markets sold off, fearing the variant could resist vaccinations and upend a nascent economic reopening after a two-year global pandemic.

Scaling up preventive measures amid the cases of the new Omicron variant that has been found in countries like Botswana, South Africa and Hong Kong, the Uttar Pradesh government has intensified screening and strengthened surveillance at the airports as per the guidelines of the central government.

Lucknow DM Abhishek Prakash told India Today that preparations for free RT-PCR tests for international flight passengers have been made and it will be mandatory for those coming from different countries.

Upgrading its guard against the new variant B.1.1.529, which has been classified as a ‘Variant of Concern’ by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the state government has taken prompt action by putting the health teams in all the 75 districts on alert, according to an official statement.