Daily Briefing: Opposition attacks Centre over India-China LAC faceoff; latest on rollout of cervical cancer vaccine for girls aged 9-14 years; and more

The face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector triggered a political firestorm in Parliament with the Opposition demanding a discussion and accusing the Government of remaining a “mute spectator” to “brazen Chinese aggressions” which, it said, affect India’s national security and territorial integrity. Opposition parties, led by the Congress, also staged walkouts in both Houses. 

Speaking in Parliament, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that Chinese forces had tried to “transgress” the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and “unilaterally change the status quo” in the Yangtse area of Tawang sector, but Indian troops prevented the bid, resulting in a “physical scuffle leading to injuries to a few personnel on both sides”.

But, why do Chinese PLA troops target the Yangtse region? Yangtse is one of the 25 contested areas along the 3488-km Line of Actual Control between the two countries, stretching from the Western Sector to Middle Sector to Eastern Sector. We explain why this region is significant. 

Only in the Express

Meanwhile, in an interview with The Indian Express, Congress leader and Rajya Sabha member P Chidambaram said that Rajnath’s statement was completely bland and empty.  He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was afraid of even mentioning China, and that the government should have allowed a discussion in Parliament.

With the cheaper, indigenously developed HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine to prevent cervical cancer scheduled to become available by April-May next year, a nationwide immunisation drive for girls in the age group of 9-14 years is likely to begin by mid-2023. Disclosing this, Dr N K Arora, chairperson of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI), told The Indian Express: “There is political commitment at the highest level.”

From the Front Page 

Maharashtra has set up a panel, named “Intercaste/ Interfaith marriage-family coordination committee (state level)”, to gather detailed information about couples in such marriages, and maternal families of the women involved if they are estranged. 

The Collegium, headed by CJI DY Chandrachud, Tuesday recommended five High Court judges for appointment as judges of the top court, days after the Centre cleared the appointment of Justice Dipankar Datta as a judge of the SC. Sources told The Indian Express that the Collegium was of the view that fresh recommendations would be made only after Justice Datta’s name was cleared.

Must Read 

The Aner river cuts through the twin villages of Umarti, one in Maharashtra and the other in Madhya Pradesh. While the Umarti in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district is populated by tribal farmers, its namesake in MP’s Barwani is the hub of illegal weapons that their way to neighbouring states and all the way to Punjab. The Indian Express visited Umarti recently and spoke to a couple of villagers and officials. The revelations they made were shocking.

In our Opinion section today, Jabin T Jacob writes on how the flare-up at Tawang marks shortcomings of India’s China diplomacy. “If there is one lesson that can be drawn from India’s experiences with Chinese transgressions, it is that the Chinese seem to set pace on the nature and timing of these transgressions. So, what was the purpose of India’s negotiations with China? If it was a strategy for buying time, the question that follows is of what buying time was for exactly.”

Scientists in the US have achieved a net gain in energy from a nuclear fusion reaction, seen as a big step forward in the endeavour to master a technology that is considered the most dependable source of energy. Though the use of the process for generating electricity at a commercial scale is decades away, the latest experiment is still a big deal. We explain how their method is different from that being used by ITER, of which India is a partner, and what the road ahead is. 

And Finally… 

Express At FIFA World Cup: Morocco’s improbable, history-making run at the World Cup is about to get its ultimate test as Africa’s first World Cup semifinalist is playing defending champion France and its star striker Kylian Mbappé on Thursday (12.30 am IST). While France has scored the most number of goals (11) among the four survivors, Morocco have conceded the fewest goals (one). If Morocco can shackle France’s Kylian Mbappe, it will be half the battle won.

Delhi Confidential: The SC has seen a steady rise in the number of mentionings — when lawyers place their request for urgent hearing on some matter — before the CJI, more so after Justice D Y Chandrachud took over. For the second time this month, the bench presided by the CJI had 105 matters listed for mention before it on Tuesday. The CJI told the crowded courtroom: “As CJI, I can only thank you for reposing your faith in us by coming in such large numbers.”

🎧 In today’s episode of the ‘3 Things’ podcast, we discuss about the Indian-China face-off in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang region, a recent study regarding POCSO cases, and how people from various economic backgrounds are getting cosmetic surgeries done at government hospitals.

Until tomorrow, 

Rahel Philipose and Anandu Suresh