CLAT-2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS (24th SEPTEMBER)

SCO countries complete joint military exercise in Russia | english.lokmat.com

CONTENT 

 

  1. Lok Sabha passes Amendment Bill, 2021 

  2. Prime Minister Modi to chair debate at UN Security Council on August 9 

  3. Why Gilgit-Baltistan matters to India and Pakistan 

  4. JOINT MILITARY TRAINING EXERCISE WITH SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANISATION (SCO) 

  5. NHPC’s 510 MW Teesta-V Power Station, Sikkim conferred with ‘Blue Planet Prize’ by International Hydropower Association (IHA) 

 

 

 

Lok Sabha passes Amendment Bill, 2021 

 

 

  • Lok Sabha on August 2, 2021, passed the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill, 2021. 

 

  • The Insurance Business Amendment Bill was introduced by the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Lok Sabha on July 30, 2021. 

 

  • The bill seeks to amend the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Act, 1972 to provide greater participation in the public sector insurance companies.

 

  • The latest bill, which was passed by the Lower House of Parliament without any discussion, has been protested upon by the opposition and West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra. 

 

  • A letter was also written to the Finance Minister, urging her not to privatize the public sector insurance companies.

 

  • The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman refuted the charges by the opposition and said that the Central Government was not snatching any rights.

 

(SOURCE: PIB)

 

 

 

Prime Minister Modi to chair debate at UN Security Council on August 9 

 

 

  • It will be the first time an Indian Prime Minister will chair an open debate at the United Nations Security Council. 

 

  • India assumed the presidency of the UN Security Council for August. The country commenced its two-year tenure as a non-permanent member of the Security Council on January 1, 2021. 

 

  • It is also India’s seventh term on the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member.

 

  • The country has previously been a member of the UNSC in 1950-51, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1984-85, and 1991-92.

 

  • India’s representative to the UN TS Tirumurti informed that India will be organizing events in three key areas- 

 

  • Peacekeeping 

 

  • Maritime security 

 

  • Counter terrorism 

 

  • The non-permanent members are elected by UN General Assembly for two-year tenure starting on January 1, with 5 replaced each year.

 

(SOURCE: THE PRINT) 

 

 

 

Why Gilgit-Baltistan matters to India and Pakistan

 

 

  • Pakistan’s Law and Justice Ministry has finalised draft legislation to incorporate Gilgit-Baltistan, the region known before 2009 as Northern Areas, as a province of the country.

 

  • Gilgit was part of the princely state of Jammu & Kashmir, but was ruled directly by the British, who had taken it on lease from Hari Singh, the Hindu ruler of the Muslim-majority state. 

 

  • When Hari Singh acceded to India on October 26, 1947, the Gilgit Scouts rose in rebellion, led by their British commander Major William Alexander Brown. 

 

  • The Gilgit Scouts also moved to take over Baltistan, which was then part of Ladakh, and captured Skardu, Kargil and Dras.

 

  • In battles thereafter, Indian forces retook Kargil and Dras in August 1948. 

 

(SOURCE: INDIAN EXPRESS)

 

 

 

JOINT MILITARY TRAINING EXERCISE WITH SHANGHAI COOPERATION ORGANISATION (SCO)

 

 

  • The 6th Edition of Exercise PEACEFUL MISSION: 2021 of SCO Member States hosted by Russia at the Orenburg Region of South West Russia culminated on 24 September 2021. 

 

  • The twelve days long joint training involving Armed Forces of all Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states was organised with an aim to foster close relations between SCO member states and to enhance abilities of the military leaders to command multinational military contingents.

 

  • In this joint multinational exercise which began on 14th September 2021, SCO member nations conducted joint training focusing on combating terrorism.

 

  • All military contingents took part in the final joint exercise where-in multinational forces exhibited their tactical prowess, combat power and overwhelming dominance over terrorist groups. 

 

  • The validation phase of the Exercise was witnessed by all Chiefs’ of the General Staff of the SCO member states.

 

  • Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) who is currently on a visit to Russia witnessed the validation exercise on 23 September 2021 and expressed great satisfaction on the high standards of synergy and close ties achieved among member states during the exercise.

 

(SOURCE: PIB)

 

 

 

NHPC’s 510 MW Teesta-V Power Station, Sikkim conferred with ‘Blue Planet Prize’ by International Hydropower Association (IHA)

 

 

  • NHPC’s 510 MW Teesta-V Power Station located in the Himalayan State of Sikkim has been conferred with the prestigious Blue Planet Prize by International Hydropower Association (IHA). 

 

  • The International Hydropower Association (IHA) is a London based non-profit membership association operating in 120 countries. 

 

  • The power station has been built, owned and being operated by NHPC.

 

  • The award for Teesta-V Power Station was announced yesterday during the World Hydropower Congress, 2021. 

 

  • The award had been conferred to Teesta-V Power Station based on its sustainability assessment undertaken by a team of accredited lead assessors of IHA in 2019 using the Operation Stage tool of the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol (HSAP) of IHA. 

 

  • The IHA membership includes leading hydropower owners and operators, developers, designers, suppliers and consultants. 

 

  • The IHA Blue Planet Prize is awarded to hydropower projects that demonstrate excellence in sustainable development.

 

  • The Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol (HSAP) is the leading international tool for measuring the sustainability of hydropower projects. 

 

  • It offers a way to benchmark the performance of a hydropower project against a comprehensive range of environmental, social, technical and governance criteria. 

 

(SOURCE: PIB)

 

 

CLAT-2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS (23rd SEPTEMBER)

Anand Yadav (@AnandJacker1) | Twitter

 

 

CONTENT

 

  1. INDIAN ARMY TO ORGANISE CULTURAL FEST

  2. 118 MAIN BATTLE TANKS ARJUN MK – 1A FOR INDIAN ARMY

  3. SUPREME COURT REJECTS CENTRE’s PLEA TO ALLOW WOMEN IN NDA EXAM FROM 2022

  4. PFRDA TO OBSERVE NPS DIWAS ON OCTOBER 1

  5. TALIBAN ASK TO SPEAK AT UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN NEW YORK

 

 

 

INDIAN ARMY TO ORGANISE CULTURAL FEST

 

 

  • The Indian Army will organise a festival from September 26-29 at Kolkata to showcase the cultural linkage between India and Bangladesh during the liberation war of 1971. 

 

  • The festival named ‘Bijoya Sanskritik Mahotsav’ is being organised by the Eastern Command of the Indian Army. 

 

  • Highlights of the event during the program include a Fusion band display of Army Pipe, Brass and Jazz Band, performances by renowned Bengali playback singers and a play on 1971 Indo-Pak war by RSR Group. 

 

  • A display of vintage vehicles and equipment of Eastern Command and guided tours of Fort William Military Station has also been scheduled.

 

  • The events will be organised at the Rabindra Sadan and Nandan Convention Centre, Kolkata. 

 

  • The festival will showcase the tales of valour of Indian army and liberation war fighters of Bangladesh ‘Muktijodhas’ in the historical battles during the 1971 war of liberation. 

 

  • The event is being organised as part of the Swarnim Vijay Varsha celebrations to commemorate the 50 years of liberation of Bangladesh and India’s victory over Pakistan in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war.

 

  • Lt. Gen. Manoj Pande, Army Commander, Eastern Command will inaugurate the event at Rabindra Sadan on 26 September. 

 

(SOURCE: NEWSONAIR)

 

 

 

118 MAIN BATTLE TANKS ARJUN MK – 1A FOR INDIAN ARMY

 

 

 

  • Ministry of Defence (MoD) placed an order with Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF), Avadi, Chennai for supply of 118 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) Arjun Mk-1A for the Indian Army on September 23, 2021.

 

  • The order, worth Rs 7,523 crore, will provide further boost to the ‘Make in India’ initiative in defence sector and is a big step towards achieving ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’. 

 

  • The state–of-the-art MBT Mk-1A is a new variant of Arjun Tank designed to enhance fire power, mobility and survivability.

 

  • It has been designed and developed by Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) by incorporating numerous upgrades on Arjun MBT, the in-service main battle tank with the Indian Army.

 

  • The MK-1A is equipped with accurate & superior firepower, and all-terrain mobility. This tank is particularly configured and designed for Indian conditions.

 

  • This production order to HVF, Avadi opens up a large avenue in defence manufacturing for over 200 Indian vendors including MSMEs, with employment opportunities to around 8,000 people.

 

  • The MBT Arjun Mk-1A has been designed & developed by Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE), along with other laboratories of DRDO within two years (2010-12). 

 

(SOURCE: PIB)

 

 

 

 

SUPREME COURT REJECTS CENTRE’s PLEA TO ALLOW WOMEN IN NDA EXAM FROM 2022

 

 

 

  • The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to accede to the government’s request to allow women candidates to sit for the National Defence Academy entrance exam only in May 2022. 

 

  • Entrance exams to the NDA are held twice a year. In an affidavit filed in the court, the Defence Ministry had asked for time until May 2022 to issue the notification allowing women to sit for the NDA exams.

 

  • So that the Academy — which until now enrolled only men — would have enough time to make changes, including in infrastructure and curriculum, to accommodate the women cadets.

 

  • A two-judge bench headed by Justice S K Kaul did not accede to the government’s request for more time, stating that the court had, in its interim order in August, allowed women candidate to take this year’s exams in November and did not want to belie their hopes.

 

  • The court was hearing a plea by Advocate Kush Kalra seeking its intervention to allow eligible women candidates to appear for the NDA exam.

 

  • Initially, the government had termed the decision to restrict NDA to only male candidates as a matter of policy, but the court refused to accept this and said the policy “is based on gender discrimination”. 

 

  • Appearing for the petitioner, Senior Advocate Chinmoy Pradip said allowing women to take the May 2022 exams would mean they will be admitted only by 2023.

 

(SOURCE: INDIAN EXPRESS)

 

 

 

PFRDA TO OBSERVE NPS DIWAS ON OCTOBER 1

 

 

  • The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) have kickstarted a campaign under ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. 

 

  • The Pension Regulator will be observing 1st October 2021 as the National Pension System Diwas (NPS Diwas) to promote pension and retirement planning for a carefree ‘azad’ retirement.
About PFRDA: 
  • Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority is the regulatory body under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance, Government of India for overall supervision and regulation of pension in India.

 

  • The Pension Fund Regulatory & Development Authority Act was passed on 19 September 2013 and the same was notified on 1 February 2014. 

 

  • PFRDA is regulating NPS, subscribed by employees of Govt. of India, State Governments and by employees of private institutions/organizations & unorganized sectors.

 

  • The PFRDA is ensuring the orderly growth and development of the pension market.

 

(SOURCE: PIB)

 

TALIBAN ASK TO SPEAK AT UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN NEW YORK

 

 

 

  • The Taliban have asked to address world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly this week in New York City. 

 

  • The Taliban also nominated their Doha-based spokesperson, Suhail Shaheen, as Afghanistan’s UN ambassador.

 

  • The group, which seized control of Afghanistan last month, said the envoy for the ousted government no longer represented the country.

 

  • The request to participate in the high-level debate is being considered by a credentials committee, whose nine members include the US, China and Russia. 

 

  • Under UN rules, Ghulam Isaczai will remain Afghanistan’s ambassador to the global body.

 

  • No government has formally recognised the Taliban as Afghanistan’s new government and for the UN to agree to its nominee for ambassador would be an important step towards international acceptance.

 

  • When the Taliban last controlled Afghanistan, between 1996 and 2001, the ambassador of the government they overthrew stayed on as a UN representative.
  • At the UN meeting on Tuesday, Qatar urged world leaders to stay engaged with the Taliban.

 

  • Qatar has become a key broker in Afghanistan. It hosted talks between the Taliban and US which culminated in a 2020 agreement to withdraw US-led Nato forces. 

 

(SOURCE: BBC)

CG 

ARJUN MK 1A 

 

 

CLAT-2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS (22ND SEPTEMBER)

CONTENTS

 

  1. INDIA WARNS UK OF RECIPROCAL STEPS OVER QUARANTINE RULES

  2. NO LINK BETWEEN AUKUS AND QUAD

  3. MISSION DEPLOYED – INS TABAR

  4. WHY HAS SAARC FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING BEEN CALLED OFF?

  5. WORLD RHINO DAY: ASSAM BURNS RHINO HORNS TO BUST MYTH

 

INDIA WARNS UK OF RECIPROCAL STEPS OVER QUARANTINE RULES

 

  • India may take “reciprocal measures” if the UK doesn’t change a policy that requires visiting Indian nationals to undergo mandatory quarantine. 

 

  • The rules require Indians visiting the UK to quarantine themselves for 10 days and undergo covid-19 tests even if they are fully vaccinated with Covishield. 

 

  • Covishield is produced under licence by Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s largest vaccine maker, and is a version of the vaccine developed in the UK by Oxford University and AstraZeneca. 

 

  • Britain and Scotland are expected to ease pandemic restrictions from early October. However, the list of countries with approved vaccines does not include India. 

 

  • Meanwhile, foreign minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday discussed the matter with his British counterpart Liz Truss on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. 

 

 

(SOURCE: LIVEMINT) 

 

 

 

 

NO LINK BETWEEN AUKUS AND QUAD

 

  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet U.S. President Joe Biden and attend the Quadrilateral (Quad) summit along with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga. 

 

  • The Quad meeting would deal with issues such as the pandemic, new and emerging technologies, climate change, infrastructure, maritime security, education, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

 

  • Mr. Modi is expected to begin his visit to the U.S. on September 24, and will hold talks with Kamala Harris, the first U.S. Vice-President of Indian origin. 
  • On September 25, Mr. Modi will meet Mr. Biden and both leaders will attend the Quad summit subsequently.

 

  • They will discuss the need to see an end to radicalism, extremism, cross border terrorism and the dismantling of global terrorist networks. 

 

‘Different visions’. 

 

  • “There is no link between AUKUS and Quad. AUKUS is a security alliance; Quad is a different group of countries working on a different vision of the Indo Pacific. 

 

  • The Malabar exercises [maritime exercises involving Australia, India, Japan and the U.S.] are those that are done between different nations and has nothing to do with Quad.

 

  • India had noted Australia’s clarification that the AUKUS partnership only dealt with nuclear power technology, and hence, was not a case of “nuclear proliferation”. 

 

(SOURCE: THE HINDU) 

 

 

 

MISSION DEPLOYED – INS TABAR

  • Towards enhancing military cooperation with friendly nations, Indian Naval Ship INS Tabar was mission-deployed in international waters for over three months from 13 June 21.

 

  • During the deployment, she made 11 port calls in nine countries of Europe and Africa, traversing nearly 20,000 nautical miles. 

 

  • The ship undertook twelve maritime partnership exercises with foreign navies at sea. 

 

  • These also included prominent bilateral exercises such as Exercise Konkan 21 with the Royal Navy and Exercise Indra-Navy 21 with the Russian Navy. 

 

  • A few of these exercises were maiden engagements, such as that with the Royal Norwegian Navy, the Algerian Navy and the Sudanese Navy.

 

  • INS Tabar also participated in the 325th anniversary celebrations of the Russian Navy at St. Petersburg in Russia. 

 

  • Post successful completion of this Operational Deployment, the INS Tabar is now deployed for patrol in the Gulf of Aden and the Persian Gulf. 

 

  • Commanded by Captain Mahesh Mangipudi, INS Tabar is a stealth frigate and has a crew of 300 personnel. 

 

  • Belonging to the Western Fleet, she had participated earlier in counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden. 

 

(SOURCE: PIB) 

 

 

 

WHY HAS SAARC FOREIGN MINISTERS MEETING BEEN CALLED OFF?

 

 

  • SAARC Foreign Ministers meeting that was scheduled to be held in New York on September 25, 2021 has been cancelled after Pakistan demanded the participation of the Taliban regime.

 

  • SAARC Chair Nepal sent a letter to SAARC member countries, officially informing them that the meeting stands cancelled.

 

  • If the meeting was held, Ghulam M. Isaczai, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations could have attended it but Pakistan refused to allow it.

 

  • It is reported that majority of SAARC members had agreed to keep an empty chair for Afghanistan during the meeting but Pakistan did not agree.

 

  • Pakistan demanded the participation of a Taliban representative, which was shot down by the remaining SAARC member countries including India and chair Nepal. 

 

  • The Taliban regime has not yet been recognised by governments across the world. In fact, many of the top Taliban cabinet ministers are blacklisted by the United Nations. 
About SAARC:

 

  • The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a regional intergovernmental organization that comprises eight South Asian countries as its member states including:

India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Afghanistan. 

  • SAARC was founded in December 1985 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The grouping aims to promote development of economic and regional integration.

 

  • Afghanistan is SAARC’s youngest member, as it joined the grouping in 2007. The SAARC Secretariat is located in Kathmandu, Nepal. 

 

  • With the recent developments in the region, questions have been raised on the functionality of SAARC and India’s engagement in the grouping given Pakistan’s continuous support to terrorism.

 

(SOURCE: JAGRAN JOSH) 

 

 

 

WORLD RHINO DAY: ASSAM BURNS RHINO HORNS TO BUST MYTH

 

 

  • Nearly 2,500 rhino horns were burnt and destroyed in Assam’s Bokakhat.

 

  • To mark World Rhino Day and discourage the myths that has propelled poaching of the endangered pachyderms.

 

  • About 2,479 horns weighing around 1300 kg, which had been seized or recovered from dead rhinos since 1979, were burnt in six large pyres at a stadium in Bokakhat, 240 km east of Guwahati. 

 

  • The chief minister said it was necessary not to sell the horns and add value to the illegal poaching industry. He added that this may be the largest such pile to be destroyed.

 

  • At 71%, Assam is home to the world’s largest population of one-horned rhinoceros. 

 

  • According to a 2018 census, there are nearly 2,650 rhinos in the state with around 2,400 of them in the Kaziranga National Park. 

 

  • Rhinoceros are listed in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, as endangered animals. 

 

  • There is an international ban on trade of rhino horns under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES). 

 

  • The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 allows for destruction of wildlife parts (including rhino horn) under Section 39 (3). 

 

  • 50 horns associated with pending court cases will be kept in state treasuries and 94 others will be preserved for exhibition or educational purposes.

 

  •  Before destroying them, experts verified the horns using scientific methods at the 12 treasuries where they were kept.

 

  • Each horn was cleaned, weighed, photographed, and labeled with a unique barcode, DNA samples extracted, and packed and sealed again in the presence of several witnesses.

 

  • Of the total 2,623 horns in state treasuries, 15 were of African rhinos (which have two horns) and 21 were found to be fake.

 

  • In recent years, the state government has taken measures to clamp down on poaching, including arming forest personnel with sophisticated weapons and increasing surveillance using drones. 

 

(SOURCE: HINDUSTAN TIMES) 

 

 

 

CLAT-2022 CURRENT AFFAIRS (21ST SEPTEMBER)

Coronavirus: Lord Jagannath Won't Forgive Us Allowing Rath Yatra, Says Supreme Court

 

 

CONTENTS

 

 

  1. OIL organizes study visit for school students to a Sucker Rod Pump 
  2. India now has 10 Blue Flag beaches 
  3. Nagaland: India’s 61st software technology park opened in Kohima 
  4. Punjab gets its first Dalit Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi 
  5. Karnataka passes law to protect religious structures 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OIL ORGANIZES STUDY VISIT FOR SCHOOL STUDENTS TO A SUCKER ROD PUMP

 

  • Oil India Limited (OIL), India’s second largest National Exploration & Production Company, organised a study visit for school students.

 

  • It was for a Sucker Rod Pump in one of its installation at Duliajan on 21st September 2021 as a part of celebration under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. 

 

  • Production Engineers from Oil India Limited explained the students about the functions of a rod pump. 

 

  • The engineers explained the students about the artificial lift technique in a well that provides mechanical energy to lift oil from bottom-hole to surface.

 

  • The students were explained how efficient, simple, and easy the technique is for field people to operate, and can be used to pump a well at very low bottom-hole pressure to maximize oil production rates. 

 

  • Around 25 students from nearby school visited the site today and were happy to learn about the rod pump and its function in hydrocarbon production process. 
(SOURCE: PIB)

 

 

 

INDIA NOW HAS 10 BLUE FLAG BEACHES

 

  • The coveted International eco-label “Blue Flag”, has accorded the Blue Flag Certification for 2 new beaches in India this year –Kovalam in Tamil Nadu and Eden in Puducherry beaches. 

 

  • Foundation for Environment Education in Denmark (FEE) which accords the globally recognized eco-label – Blue Flag certification, has also given re-certification for 8 nominated beaches.

 

These Beaches are:
  1. Shivrajpur-Gujarat,
  2. Ghoghla-Diu, 
  3. Kasarkod and Padubidri-Karnataka,
  4. Kappad-Kerala,
  5. Rushikonda- Andhra Pradesh,
  6. Golden-Odisha and Radhanagar- Andaman and Nicobar, 

 

  • To conduct regular monitoring & audits for strict compliance of the 33 criteria at all times. A waving “Blue Flag” is an indication of 100% compliance to these 33 stringent criteria and sound health of the beach.

 

  • The objective of BEAMS program is to abate pollution in coastal waters, promote sustainable development of beach facilities, protect & conserve coastal ecosystems & natural resources.

 

  • In the last 3 years or so, our Ministry has achieved commendable results in environmental management of these 10 beaches and some of them are enumerated below:

 

  • Sand dune restoration and nourishment of 95,000 Sqm (approx.) with native plantation.

 

  • Reduction in marine litter by 85 % and 78% in marine plastic in last 3 years.

 

  • Saving of 1100 ML/year of municipal water through recycling.

 

  • 3 years’ database on regular testing of bathing water quality (physical, chemical and biological contamination) and health risk monitoring.

 

  • The Ministry is further committed to develop and deliver 100 more beaches under its ICZM initiative in the ensuing 5 years of Ministry’s vision agenda.

 

(SOURCE: NEWSONAIR)

 

 

 

 

NAGALAND: INDIA’s 61st SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY PARK OPENED IN KOHIMA

 

  • Nagaland’s first and India’s 61st Software Technology Park of India (STPI) centre was opened on September 17, 2021, in Kohima. 

 

  • The Center was inaugurated by the Union Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Electronics and IT Rajeev Chandrashekhar.

 

  • The Software Technology Park in Nagaland will host as a Centre of Entrepreneurship in IT Applications in Graphic Design. 

 

  • Here the students, start-ups, and innovators will be able to utilize the facility for the research and development of new innovative solutions.

 

  • The Software Technology Park of India (STPI) in Nagaland will help in promoting the region as one of the preferred IT destinations.

 

  • The Center aims at attracting IT/ITES/ESDM units to the State, promote the export of IT Software and Services from the region thus contributing to the Gross National Exports. 

 

  • Nagaland Government has decided to create 5,000 jobs for the IT and Information Technology-enabled services (ITES) in the next 2 years.

 

(SOURCE: JAGRAN JOSH)

 

 

 

PUNJAB GETS ITS FIRST DALIT CHIEF MINISTER CHARANJIT SINGH CHANNI

 

  • Congress leader and former Technical Education Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Monday took oath as the new Chief Minister of Punjab. 

 

  • Two Deputy Chief Ministers — O.P. Soni and Sukhjinder Randhawa — also took the oath of office.

 

  • Mr. Channi is the first Dalit to head the government in the State.

 

  • Channi succeeded Captain Amarinder Singh, who resigned as the chief minister of Punjab on Saturday following months of infighting between him and (PPCC) chief Navjot Singh Sidhu. 

 

  • Channi is a three-time MLA and the first Dalit chief minister of Punjab. 

 

  • He has also been the former leader of opposition in the Punjab assembly. He represents the Chamkaur Sahib constituency. 

 

(SOURCE: THE HINDU)

 

 

 

KARNATAKA PASSES LAW TO PROTECT RELIGIOUS STRUCTURES

 

  • The Karnataka Religious Structure (Protection) Bill 2021 was introduced by the Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on September 20, 2021. 

 

  • The Bill aims at protecting illegal religious structures in the state after his government faced a backlash over the demolition of a temple in the Nanjangud district of Mysuru. 

 

ABOUT:

 

  • The Karnataka Religious Structure (Protection) Bill 2021 aims to empower the government to protect religious structures in public places that were constructed before the commencement of this Act. 

 

  • The Bill offers protection to all religious structures that include temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras, and other major religious constructions in public places that have been constructed since 2009 without requisite sanction from competent authorities.

 

  • The Bill further here on now restricts unauthorized religious structures and constructions of illegal shrines in public places in the future.

 

  • The Bill also protects the government and its officials from any legal suits or court proceedings for implementing the Act. 

 

  • The Bill bypasses all existing laws, decrees, judgments, or orders of any court, tribunal, or authority to protect religious structures that exist on the day the Bill commences. 

 

Supreme Court 2009 judgment:
  • The Supreme Court judgment dated September 29, 2009, on illegal religious constructions, had directed all states to demolish illegal religious structures stating that no unauthorized construction in the name of gods or religion can be allowed on streets, parks, or any public places.

 

  • However, the demolition of the Nanjangud temple on September 10, forced the Karnataka government to introduce a law to protect all religious structures.

 

(SOURCE: INDIAN EXPRESS)