Top Events Today: Nationwide Doctors Strike Windfall Tax On Petroleum Crude Slashed Blinken To Visit Israel, More

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Today marks important events like the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced the nationwide doctors strike in response to nationwide outrage over the rape and murder of a second-year trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College. Take a look:

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has announced a nationwide strike on August 17 (Saturday), with General Secretary Anil Kumar J Nayak stating that all members will participate, while only emergency services will remain operational.

Also Read: Kolkata doctor rape case LIVE updates: NCW levels 'tampering' charge; victim's father says 'entire dept is suspect...'

A 24-hour nationwide withdrawal of services by doctors of modern medicine, starting from 6 am on Saturday, August 17, and ending at 6 am on Sunday, August 18.

Meanwhile, the Faculty Association of AIIMS (FAIMS), Delhi, has announced that routine OPD and operation theatre services will be suspended on Saturday to protest against the alleged rape and murder of a trainee woman doctor at a state-run hospital Kolkata and subsequent vandalism at the facility, ANI reported.

Doctors at the Centre-run hospitals Safdarjung and RML will hold a silent protest march, sporting black ribbons, in solidarity with the protesting doctors.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to visit Israel on Saturday, August 17, to advance efforts towards securing a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, as well as facilitating the release of hostages from Gaza.

During his visit, Blinken will emphasise the critical need for all parties in the region to avoid escalation.

"Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will travel to Israel on August 17 to continue intensive diplomatic efforts to finalise the agreement for a ceasefire and the release of hostages and detainees, through the bridging proposal presented today by the United States, with support from Egypt and Qatar," said Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, Vedant Patel, in a press statement on Friday.

The CPI(M)-led Left Front on Thursday demanded the resignation of CM Mamata Banerjee as West Bengal's Health and Home minister over the violence at the state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, PTI reported.

Also Read: 'Absolute failure of state machinery: Calcutta High Court blasts Mamata Banerjee govt over RG Kar vandalism

Chief Minister Banerjee holds the Health and Home portfolios.

A mob entered the hospital campus in the early hours and ransacked the emergency room, parts of the OPD (outpatient department) and the dais where junior doctors were protesting the rape and murder of their colleague.

The central government has cut the windfall tax on petroleum crude to ₹2,100 per metric ton from ₹4,600 per ton, effective August 17. Earlier, the windfall tax on crude was lowered by 34.2 per cent to ₹4,600 per tonne on July 31. There will be no windfall tax on export of diesel and aviation turbine fuel (ATF).

India started levying a windfall tax on crude oil producers from July 2022 and extended the taxes to exports of gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel, as private refiners wanted to sell fuel overseas to gain from refining margins instead of selling it domestically.

The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday issued notices to the state government and others seeking their reply in 24 hours on the strike called by doctors on August 17 to protest against the alleged rape and murder of a woman medic at a Kolkata hospital and vandalization of the health facility.

As reported by PTI, a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf issued notices to the dean of Bhopal-based Gandhi Medical College (GMC), the Junior Doctors Association and others while hearing a petition filed by Anshul Tiwari, a resident of Narsinghpur district, challenging the strike.

Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources Richard R. Verma will visit India from August 17 to advance and support a prosperous, secure, and resilient future for both countries, the US state department has announced.

Verma, a top Indian-American diplomat, will lead a US delegation to India between August 17 and 22 to meet senior government officials, climate leaders, aerospace academics and industry representatives to advance the US-Indian partnership on a full range of issues, including economic development, clean energy and climate action, and STEM education, the statement said.

(With inputs from agencies)

MENAFN17082024007365015876ID1108569472