# State election commissioners

• The supreme court on friday held that independent persons and not bureaucrats should be appointed state election commissioners.

• Supreme court said giving government employees the additional charge of state election commissioners is a “mockery of the constitution”.

• The top court directed that the states should appoint independent persons as SEC all along the length and breadth of the country.

# NOVAVAX

• Novavax, a US based biotechnology company developing a recombinant vaccine for covid-19 announced a final efficacy of 96.49% against mild, moderate, and severe disease in a pivotal phase 3 trial in the UK.

• The serum institute of India has an agreement with Novavax to manufacture a substantial volume of the vaccine.

# Retail inflation

• Retail inflation quickened to a three month high of 5.03% in february, from 4.06% in January.

• The retail inflation spurred by higher food and fuel prices.

• Food price inflation rose to 3.87% last month, from 1.96% in january.

# National green tribunal

• A joint committee appointed by the NGT to study air pollution in kerela has recommended the installation of vapour recovery system at fuelling stations and retrofitting of diesel vehicles with particulate filters to improve air quality.

• The report submitted before the southern bench of the tribunal pointed out that petrol refuelling stations were a major source of benzene emissions, volatile organic compounds and PM 2.5 concentration.

• This is to be implemented in coordination with the petroleum and explosives safety organisation (PESO).

# Influx from myanmar

• The ministry of home affairs has written the chief secretaries of nagaland, manipur, mizoram and arunachal pradesh to take appropriate action as per law to check illegal influx from myanmar into India.

• The ministry said the state governments had no powers to grant ” refugee status to any foreigner”.

• The MHA also said that India is not a signatory to the united nations refugee convention of 1951.