Current Affairs in Short: 8 September 2020

ITBP deploys female doctors at forward locations in Ladakh for first time 

• The Indo-Tibet Border Police (ITBP) has sent female doctors to forward operating locations in Ladakh for the first-ever time. The ITBP female doctors have given all kinds of charge from sending troops from Leh to taking care of them at the forward locations.
• The ITBP, which did not allow any female officer to be deployed at such locations, has changed its standard operating procedure (SOP), considering the tensed situation at the border.
• The department, irrespective of gender, has sent female doctors and other staff to the forward locations a few weeks back. Earlier, only male doctors were sent to the forward locations near to the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
• The female officers have now been deployed at the border area to take care of troops along with other para-medics. These females doctors have been tasked to supervise the medical requirements of troops.
• They have been deployed in different strategic locations with other paramedics to assist them. Pharmacists and nursing assistants have been deployed in large numbers to deal with any situation and sufficient supply have been sending consistently as per the requirement.

Firing at LAC: Chinese PLA troops fired in air, Indian Army exercises great restraint 

• Indian Army confirmed on September 7, 2020 that Chinese soldiers fired in the air while attempting to close in on Indian positions across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh. The Army stated that the Indian troops exercised great restraint. 
• The Indian Army added saying that the Chinese PLA troops have been "blatantly violating agreements and carrying out aggressive maneuvers."
• The firing incident took place on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh where Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a border stand-off since May. The incident comes just a few days after a high-level meeting between Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the SCO Defence Ministers’ meet. 
• The Indian troops recently thwarted an attempt by the Chinese army to transgress into Indian areas near the southern bank of Pangong Tso near Chushul in Ladakh.

EAM S Jaishankar to leave for Russia to attend SCO Foreign Ministers meet

• External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar is scheduled to leave for Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers' meet in Moscow on September 8, 2020. 
• Dr. S Jaishankar is likely to have a short halt at Tehran, Iran where he is likely to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
• Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had attended the joint meeting of the Defence Ministers of CIS, the SCO and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Moscow on September 4, 2020.
• During the Defence Minister’s bilateral interactions with his Russian counterpart Gen Sergey Shoigu, Russia reiterated its policy of no arms supply to Pakistan following India's request on the same.

French Open to allow spectators amid COVID-19

• The organisers of the French Open confirmed on September 7, 2020 that they have  decided to allow spectators inside the stadium for the matches despite the concerns regarding the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the nation. 
• The French Open is scheduled to be held from September 27 to October 11. It will see participation from stars including Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Ashleigh Barty, and Simona Halep, who have already confirmed their availability for the competition.
• The decision to allow spectators to attend was announced after health protocols were unveiled for the clay-court Grand Slam. The spectators will be granted access only to the area of the stadium shown on their numbered ticket. 
• They will be able to watch matches on all of the courts within the site, including the corresponding outside courts. 

PUBG Corporation ends partnership with Chinese firm Tencent Games in India

• PUBG Corporation has decided to end the PUBG MOBILE franchise with Tencent Games in India in the view of the latest developments. The PUBG Corporation has decided to take on all publishing responsibilities within the country moving forward. 
• The announcement followed the recent bans of PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map: Livik and PUBG MOBILE Lite in India. PUBG Corporation further acknowledged the overwhelming amount of support for the game from India’s the player base and thanked the community for their passion and enthusiasm.
• The company is currently exploring ways to provide its own PUBG experience for India in the near future and is committed to doing so by sustaining a localized and healthy gameplay environment for its fans.
• PUBG Corporation stated in its official statement that it fully understands and respects the measures taken by the government as the privacy and security of player data is a top priority for the company. 
• The company further expressed hope to work hand-in-hand with the Indian government to find a solution that will allow gamers to once again drop into the battlegrounds while being fully compliant with Indian laws and regulations.