Current Affairs in Short: 1 July 2020

Bollywood actors Hrithik Roshan, Alia Bhatt to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

•  Bollywood actors Hrithik Roshan and Alia Bhatt are among the 819 people invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The organisation announced the new invitees on June 30, 2020.
•  If they accept the invitation they will have voting rights for this year’s Oscar’s awards. Documentary filmmakers Nishtha Jain and Amit Madheshiya, designer Neeta Lulla, casting director Nandini Shrikent and visual effects supervisors Vishal Anand and Sandeep Kamal have also been invited.
•  The 2020 list includes Brian Tyree Henry, Florence Pugh, Ana De Armas, Lakeith Stanfield, Beanie Feldstein, Jang Hye-Jin, Jo Yeo-Jeong, Park So-Dam and Constance Wu. Directors like Lulu Wang, Ari Aster, Terence Davies and Matthew Vaughn are also on the list.

FCC designates 2 Chinese companies as National Security Threats

•  The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has designated two Chinese companies - Huawei Technologies and ZTE Corporation as national security threats.
•  FCC Chairman Ajit Pai stated that both Huawei and ZTE have close ties with Chinese Communist Party and China’s military apparatus. He stated that the US government will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to exploit vulnerabilities in US communications networks.
•  The agency is considering banning these Chinese telephone companies from entering the US market. As per the US, Huawei’s equipment could be used by China for spying.

Uttarakhand Govt announces SOP for Char Dham Yatra

•  The Uttarakhand Government has permitted the state’s residents to go for Char Dham Yatra from July 1, 2020. The Char Dham Yatra includes a pilgrimage to Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri shrines.
•  The state has issued a standard operating procedure for the yatra, which includes few restrictions such as people from containment zone or buffer zone will not be allowed to visit any shrine.
•  All pilgrims have also been requested to carry identification and address proof. Arrangements have been made for 600 devotees to stay at Badrinath and 50 pilgrims for stay at Kedarnath. A health check-up of all pilgrims will be carried out at Rudraprayag and Chamoli. 
•  The e-pass will be issued only to Uttarakhand residents and it will be valid for one-time use. As per SOPs, the pilgrims should avoid meeting senior citizens and children below 10 years and they have been strictly advised to not touch any idol. 

Transport Ministry prepares blueprint for scheme of cashless treatment of motor accident victims

•  The Road Transport and Highways Ministry has prepared a blueprint to implement a new scheme for the cashless treatment of motor accident victims. The scheme includes the creation of a Motor Vehicle Accident Fund.
•  The Ministry has requested states and union territories to share their views by July 10. The National Health Authority with over 21 thousand hospitals onboard has been entrusted with the responsibility to implement the scheme.
•  Under the new scheme, compulsory insurance cover will be provided to all road users in the country. The Motor Vehicle Accident Fund will be used for the treatment of road accident victims and payment of compensation to the injured or to the family of a person losing life in hit and run cases.

India, Pakistan exchange lists of civilian prisoners in custody

•  India and Pakistan on July 1, 2020 exchanged lists of civilian prisoners and fishermen in their custody through diplomatic channels at New Delhi and Islamabad.
•  Such lists are exchanged every year on January 1 and July 1 under provisions of the 2008 Agreement between the two nations. 
•  While India gave a list comprising 265 Pakistan civilian prisoners and 97 fishermen, Pakistan shared lists of 54 Indian civilian prisoners and 270 fishermen in its custody.
•  The Indian Government has called for early release and repatriation of civilian prisoners and fishermen along with their boats from Pakistan's custody.