Report on Child deaths
- International Vaccine Access Centre (IVAC) has recently released Pneumonia and Diarrhoea Progress Report”.
- The report was released ahead of the 10th World Pneumonia Day on November 12.
- The report looked at progress in fighting pneumonia and diarrhoea in 15 countries which accounted for 70% of global pneumonia and diarrhoea deaths in children under five.
- Globally, pneumonia and diarrhoea led to nearly one of every four deaths in children under five years of age in 2016.
- According to the report, India continues to have the highest burden of pneumonia and diarrhoea child deaths in the world.
- India’s progress – Coverage of Haemophilus Influenzae Type B (Hib) vaccine and introduction of rota virus vaccine led to improvement in addressing diarrhoea deaths.
- Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) was introduced in 2017 under Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) to address pneumonia.
Double Jeopardy
- Article 20(2) of the constitution deals with Double Jeopardy. It mandates that a person cannot be prosecuted or punished twice for the same offence.
- Recently, the Supreme Court has taken the issue of double jeopardy.
- It has held that the bar of double jeopardy does not arise if an accused was discharged of a criminal offence, even before the commencement of trial.
- The principles of double jeopardy cannot be invoked if the accused has not been tried at all and convicted or acquitted on the basis of an invalid sanction for prosecution.
- The judgment is based on an appeal filed by the State of Mizoram against an order passed by the Gauhati High Court in August 2015.
- Gauhati High Court upholds a special court decision to decline to entertain a second chargesheet filed in a corruption case against the accused on the ground of double jeopardy.
- SC has observed that the accused was earlier discharged due to lack of proper sanction and the principle of double jeopardy did not apply.
Disqualification of MLA
- Kerala High Court has recently declared the election of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) from the Azhikode assembly constituency for indulging in corrupt practices.
- He was disqualified for corrupt practices covered under the Section 123(3) and 123(4) of Representation of People’s Act 1951.
- Under section 123 of RPA, if a candidate or his agent appeals for votes on religious, caste, community, race and language grounds, it would amount to corrupt practice
- The court declared the election of MLA citing that he appealed to the voters to vote for muslim community candidate.
- The court also disqualified him from contesting any election for period of 6 years.
- The findings of the court will be forwarded to the President for appropriate action.
Myanmar Port Development by China
- China has signed a multi-billion-dollar deal with Myanmar to build a port at a strategic town along the coast of the Bay of Bengal.
- It will build the deep sea port project in Kyaukpyu town after negotiations dragged for years.
- Under the framework agreement, China will fund 70% of the investment for the project and Myanmar will pitch in the remaining 30%.
- This new framework agreement marks step for the China proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
- China is also developing deepwater strategic Gwadar port in Pakistan in the Arabian Sea which faces the Mumbai coast.
- It has also acquired Sri Lanka’s Hambantota port on debt swap in the Indian Ocean.
Simbex
- It is Singapore – India Maritime Bilateral Exercise.
- This year edition is scheduled to be organized in Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal.
- This year edition Simbex-18 marks silver jubilee of this maritime exercise and it is the largest edition since 1994.
Source: PIB, The Hindu, Business Standard
