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.
