The Evening Wrap: Djokovic deported from Australia

Novak Djokovic has been deported from Australia on having lost a sensational legal battle over his coronavirus vaccination status and with his dream of clinching a record 21st Grand Slam in tatters. An “extremely disappointed” Djokovic said he would comply with a unanimous Federal Court decision to uphold his visa cancellation over fears he could stoke anti-vaccine sentiment. “I cannot stay in Australia and participate in the Australian Open,” he said on the eve of a tournament that he has dominated for a decade. “I hope that we can all now focus on the game and tournament I love.” An AFP reporter captured images of Djokovic at Melbourne's Tullamarine airport late on January 16, as the humbled star boarded a flight for Dubai. EK409 took off at 10.51 p.m. local time (5.21 p.m. IST). Just hours earlier, in a few dry words, the chief justice of Australia's Federal Court, James Allsop, dispensed with the unvaccinated tennis superstar's attempt to reinstate his cancelled visa and to make tennis history. “The orders of the court are that the amended application be dismissed with costs,” Justice Allsop said in understated remarks that ended a week of legal high drama. Three Federal Court justices had listened to half a day of feisty legal back-and-forth about Djokovic’s alleged risk to public order in Australia. Immigration Minister Alex Hawke claimed Djokovic’s stance could inspire anti-vaccine sentiment, leading some people to face the pandemic without vaccination and inspiring anti-vaxxer activists to gather in protests and rallies. Mr. Hawke welcomed verdict, saying, “Australia’s strong border protection policies have kept us safe during the pandemic.” “[They] are also fundamental to safeguarding Australia’s social cohesion,” he said. 70% Indian adults fully vaccinated against COVID-19, 93% receive at least one dose The countrywide vaccination drive against COVID-19 has completed one year, during which over 156.76 crore vaccine doses were administered. According to Health Ministry officials, over 93% of the adult population have received at least one dose while over 69.8% have been fully vaccinated. A commemorative postage stamp on indigenously developed vaccine Covaxin was released to mark one year of the inoculation drive. Earlier in the day, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, in a tweet, said that India crossed the landmark milestone of administering 10 crore vaccine doses on April 1, 2021. As many as 25 crore vaccine doses were administered on June 25, crossed 50 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses on August 6 and 75 crore on September 13, he said. “As a result of the country’s solidarity and Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji’s commitment during the Corona crisis that the country not only manufactured a vaccine but also inoculated a large part of the population in a very short time. This one year of vaccination campaign shows India's resolve,” Mr. Mandaviya said in another tweet. The drive was rolled out on January 16, 2021 with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase. Vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2. The next phase of the COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions. Vaccination of all people aged over 45 started from April 1. The government then decided to expand the ambit of the inoculation drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1. The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from January 3, 2022 for adolescents in the age group of 15-18 years. No justification now for keeping schools closed in view of COVID-19: World Bank Education Director There is no justification now for keeping schools closed in view of the pandemic and even if there are new waves, closing schools should be the last resort, according to the World Bank’s Global Education Director Jaime Saavedra. Mr. Saavedra, whose team has been tracking the impact of COVID-19 on the education sector, says there is no evidence that reopening schools has caused a surge in coronavirus cases and that schools are not a “safe place”. He also asserted that it does not make sense from public-policy perspective to wait till children are vaccinated as there is “no science” behind it. “There is no relation between opening schools and spread of coronavirus. There is no evidence linking the two and there is no justification now to keep the schools closed. Even if there are new waves of COVID-19, closing schools should be the last resort,” Mr. Saavedra told PTI in an interview from Washington. “It does not make sense to keep restaurants, bars and shopping malls open and keep schools closed. There is no excuse,” he added. According to various simulations by the World Bank, health risks for children if schools are opened are low and the cost of the closure is extremely high. “During 2020, we were navigating in a sea of ignorance. We just didn't know what is the best way of combating the pandemic and the immediate reaction of most countries in the world was let's close schools. Time has passed since then and with evidence coming in from late 2020 and 2021, we have had several waves and there are several countries which have opened schools,” he said. “Even if the kids can get infected and with the Omicron it is happening even more but fatalities and serious illness among children is extremely rare. The risks for children are low and costs are extremely high,” he added. Hate speech attacks individual dignity, threatens national unity: SC judgments The seeming delay in taking criminal action against the perpetrators of hate speeches in Haridwar and Delhi is despite the Supreme Court’s judgments that hate speech is an attack on dignity in the “matter of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship” and threatens the unity of the nation as a whole. “The unity and integrity of the nation cannot be overlooked and slighted, as the acts that promote or are likely to promote divisiveness, alienation and schematism do directly and indirectly impinge on the diversity and pluralism, and when they are with the objective and intent to cause public disorder or to demean dignity of the targeted groups, they have to be dealt with as per law,” the Supreme Court observed in its December 7, 2020 judgment in the Amish Devgan case. In the Sabarimala judgment, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud noted that “religious beliefs and faiths ensure wider acceptance of human dignity and liberty, but when conflict arises between the two, the quest for human dignity, liberty and equality must prevail”. The court in Pravasi Bhalai Sangathan versus Union of India takes a leaf from the Canadian Supreme Court’s judgment which lays down three tests to determine a hate speech: First, the courts must apply the hate speech prohibition objectively. The question courts must ask is whether a reasonable person, aware of the context and circumstances, would view the expression as exposing the protected group to hatred. Second, the legislative term “hatred” or “hatred or contempt” must be interpreted as being restricted to those extreme manifestations of emotion described by the words “detestation” and “vilification”. Third, the courts must focus their analysis on the effect of the expression in question, namely, whether it is likely to expose the targeted person or group to hatred by others. Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The number of reported coronavirus cases from India stood at 3,72,08,446 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 4,86,174. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 16 JANUARY 2022 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Novak Djokovic deported from Australia [Novak Djokovic has been deported from Australia]( on having [lost a sensational legal battle]( over his coronavirus vaccination status and with his dream of clinching a record 21st Grand Slam in tatters. An “extremely disappointed” Djokovic said he would comply with a unanimous Federal Court decision to uphold his visa cancellation over fears he could stoke anti-vaccine sentiment. “I cannot stay in Australia and participate in the Australian Open,” he said on the eve of a tournament that he has dominated for a decade. “I hope that we can all now focus on the game and tournament I love.” An AFP reporter captured images of Djokovic at Melbourne's Tullamarine airport late on January 16, as the humbled star boarded a flight for Dubai. EK409 took off at 10.51 p.m. local time (5.21 p.m. IST). [Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic walks in Melbourne Airport before boarding a flight, after the Federal Court upheld a government decision to cancel his visa to play in the Australian Open, in Melbourne, Australia, January 16, 2022.]  Just hours earlier, in a few dry words, the chief justice of Australia's Federal Court, James Allsop, dispensed with the unvaccinated tennis superstar's attempt to reinstate his cancelled visa and to make tennis history. “The orders of the court are that the amended application be dismissed with costs,” Justice Allsop said in understated remarks that ended a week of legal high drama. Three Federal Court justices had listened to half a day of feisty legal back-and-forth about Djokovic’s alleged risk to public order in Australia. Immigration Minister Alex Hawke claimed Djokovic’s stance could inspire anti-vaccine sentiment, leading some people to face the pandemic without vaccination and inspiring anti-vaxxer activists to gather in protests and rallies. Mr. Hawke welcomed verdict, saying, “Australia’s strong border protection policies have kept us safe during the pandemic.” “[They] are also fundamental to safeguarding Australia’s social cohesion,” he said. [underlineimg] 70% Indian adults fully vaccinated against COVID-19, 93% receive at least one dose The countrywide vaccination drive against COVID-19 has completed one year, during which over 156.76 crore vaccine doses were administered. According to Health Ministry officials, [over 93% of the adult population have received at least one dose while over 69.8% have been fully vaccinated](. A commemorative postage stamp on indigenously developed vaccine Covaxin was released to mark one year of the inoculation drive. [A commemorative postage stamp was released to mark one year of the COVID-19 inoculation drive. Photo: Twitter/@mansukhmandviya]  Earlier in the day, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, in a tweet, said that India crossed the landmark milestone of administering 10 crore vaccine doses on April 1, 2021. As many as 25 crore vaccine doses were administered on June 25, crossed 50 crore COVID-19 vaccine doses on August 6 and 75 crore on September 13, he said. “As a result of the country’s solidarity and Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji’s commitment during the Corona crisis that the country not only manufactured a vaccine but also inoculated a large part of the population in a very short time. This one year of vaccination campaign shows India's resolve,” Mr. Mandaviya said in another tweet. The drive was rolled out on January 16, 2021 with healthcare workers getting inoculated in the first phase. Vaccination of frontline workers started from February 2. The next phase of the COVID-19 vaccination commenced from March 1 for people over 60 years of age and those aged 45 and above with specified co-morbid conditions. Vaccination of all people aged over 45 started from April 1. The government then decided to expand the ambit of the inoculation drive by allowing everyone above 18 to be vaccinated from May 1. The next phase of COVID-19 vaccination commenced from January 3, 2022 for adolescents in the age group of 15-18 years. [underlineimg] No justification now for keeping schools closed in view of COVID-19: World Bank Education Director There is [no justification now for keeping schools closed in view of the pandemic]( and even if there are new waves, closing schools should be the last resort, according to the World Bank’s Global Education Director Jaime Saavedra. Mr. Saavedra, whose team has been tracking the impact of COVID-19 on the education sector, says there is no evidence that reopening schools has caused a surge in coronavirus cases and that schools are not a “safe place”. He also asserted that it does not make sense from public-policy perspective to wait till children are vaccinated as there is “no science” behind it. “There is no relation between opening schools and spread of coronavirus. There is no evidence linking the two and there is no justification now to keep the schools closed. Even if there are new waves of COVID-19, closing schools should be the last resort,” Mr. Saavedra told PTI in an interview from Washington. “It does not make sense to keep restaurants, bars and shopping malls open and keep schools closed. There is no excuse,” he added. According to various simulations by the World Bank, health risks for children if schools are opened are low and the cost of the closure is extremely high. “During 2020, we were navigating in a sea of ignorance. We just didn't know what is the best way of combating the pandemic and the immediate reaction of most countries in the world was let's close schools. Time has passed since then and with evidence coming in from late 2020 and 2021, we have had several waves and there are several countries which have opened schools,” he said. “Even if the kids can get infected and with the Omicron it is happening even more but fatalities and serious illness among children is extremely rare. The risks for children are low and costs are extremely high,” he added. [underlineimg] Hate speech attacks individual dignity, threatens national unity: SC judgments The seeming delay in taking criminal action against the perpetrators of [hate speeches in HaridwarÂ]( Delhi is despite the Supreme Court’s judgments that hate speech is an attack on dignity in the “matter of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship” and [threatens the unity of the nation as a whole](. “The unity and integrity of the nation cannot be overlooked and slighted, as the acts that promote or are likely to promote divisiveness, alienation and schematism do directly and indirectly impinge on the diversity and pluralism, and when they are with the objective and intent to cause public disorder or to demean dignity of the targeted groups, they have to be dealt with as per law,” the Supreme Court observed in its [December 7, 2020 judgment in the Amish Devgan case](. In the Sabarimala judgment, [Justice D.Y. Chandrachud noted]( that “religious beliefs and faiths ensure wider acceptance of human dignity and liberty, but when conflict arises between the two, the quest for human dignity, liberty and equality must prevail”. The court in Pravasi Bhalai Sangathan versus Union of India takes a leaf from the Canadian Supreme Court’s judgment which lays down three tests to determine a hate speech: First, the courts must apply the hate speech prohibition objectively. The question courts must ask is whether a reasonable person, aware of the context and circumstances, would view the expression as exposing the protected group to hatred. Second, the legislative term “hatred” or “hatred or contempt” must be interpreted as being restricted to those extreme manifestations of emotion described by the words “detestation” and “vilification”. Third, the courts must focus their analysis on the effect of the expression in question, namely, whether it is likely to expose the targeted person or group to hatred by others. [underlineimg] Covid Watch: Numbers and Developments The [number of reported coronavirus cases from India]( stood at 3,72,08,446 at the time of publishing this newsletter, with the death toll at 4,86,174. [underlineimg] Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. Today's Top Picks [[India Open | Lakshya stuns World champion Yew, clinches his maiden title] India Open | Lakshya stuns World champion Yew, clinches his maiden title]( [[Wordle | Game of words] Wordle | Game of words]( [[Explained | Has the process to measure TRPs improved?] Explained | Has the process to measure TRPs improved?]( [[Secunderabad Club blaze destroys a slice of Hyderabad's history] Secunderabad Club blaze destroys a slice of Hyderabad's history]( Copyright @ 2021, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. 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