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Legal Current Affairs

“All pending trials, appeals and proceedings with respect to the charge framed under Section 124A of IPC be kept in abeyance” – Supreme Court

Facts: Two journalists were charged with sedition claiming these incited a feeling of hatred towards the government. Kishorechandra Wangkhemcha, (from Manipur) had three FIRs filed against him under Section 124A for comments and posts made on Facebook. These comments and posts criticised the Government of Manipur for its management of a crisis at the Manipur University.  Kanhaiya Lal Shukla(from Chattisgarh), posted cartoons on Facebook that depicted fake encounters by the police. On 16th July, 2021, a 3-judge Bench consisting CJI Ramana, Justice Bopanna and Justice Roy, included three other petitions filed by retired Major General S.G. Vombatkere, Aamoda Broadcasting Company Pvt. Ltd., and Editors Guild of India, respectively, to be heard along with Kishorechandra Wangkhemkcha’s. The petitioners filed a writ petition challenging the validity of Section 124A IPC, that criminalises and provides punishment for sedition. These petitions contended that Section 124A infringes upon an individual’s right to freedom of speech and expression (guaranteed by Article 19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution, 1950). They also state that Section 124A does not impose a reasonable restrictions, therefore, it does not fall under the restrictions to the freedom of speech and expression allowed under Article 19(2). The Court held: “it is clear that the Union of India agrees with the prima facie opinion expressed by this Court that the rigors of Section 124A of IPC is not in tune with the current social milieu, and was intended for a time when this country was under the colonial regime. In light of the same, the Union of India may reconsider the aforesaid provision of law”. “ This Court is cognizant of security interests and integrity of the State on one hand, and the civil liberties of citizens on the other. There is a requirement to balance both sets of considerations, which is a difficult exercise. The case of the petitioners is that this provision of law dates back to 1898, and pre-dates the Constitution itself, and is being misused”. Concluding, the court granted interim stay in the writ petition until further orders and directed the state and central government to ” restrain from registering any FIR, continuing any investigation or taking any coercive measures by invoking Section 124A of IPC while the aforesaid provision of law is under consideration”. If in any situation a new case is registered under section 124A, the affected parties may approach the court for relief from the same and that “All pending trials, appeals and proceedings with respect to the charge framed under Section 124A of IPC be kept in abeyance”.

Daily News Update

10th & 11th May 2022 Current Affairs

PRELIMS BITS  1. International Day of Argania 2022 observed on:--10th May (2022 theme “The Argan tree, symbol of resilience”). 2. National Technology Day is observed every year on:--11th May (2022 theme “Integrated Approach in Science and technology for sustainable future”). 3. Who has received, The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Civil Division) Award 2022 – Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) recognition from the Queen at Buckingham Palace, London, UK:--Guruswamy Krishnamoorthy, CEO of Penlon. 4. Which government will provide the provide free sewer connections under the --“Mukhyamantri Muft Sewer Connection Yojana”:Delhi government. 5. Recently Vice President (VP) of India, M Venkaiah Naidu, released a book titled “The Struggle for Police Reforms in India: Ruler’s Police to People’s Police” authored by:Former IPS officer, Prakash Singh in New Delhi. 6. Who won 106th class of Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography:--Adnan Abidi, Sanna Irshad Mattoo, Amit Dave and the late Danish Siddiqui of Reuters for images of Covid’s toll in India. 7. The fifth Romain Rolland Book Prize – Romain Rolland Book Prize 2022 has been awarded to:--Bengali translation of the French novel “Meursault, contre- enquête” (The Meursault Investigation).  8. Who has won the inaugural Miami Grand Prix for Red Bull after defeating the Ferrari rival Charles Leclerc:--F1 world champion Max Verstappen. 9. Who broke a 30-year-old record of Bahadur Prasad in 5000m, setting a new national record with a timing of 13:25.65 at the Sound Running Track meet in San Juan Capistrano, USA:--India’s Avinash Sable. (The 27-year-old from Maharashtra broke the old record of 13:29.70 set by Bahadur Prasad in 1992). 10. Who has won the second gold medal for India in shooting at the ongoing 24th Deaflympics in Caxias do Sul, Brazil:--Abhinav Deshwal. 11. Who has won the men’s singles Madrid Open title 2022 after beating the defending champion Alexander Zverev (Germany):--Carlos Alcaraz (Spain). 12. Who sworn in as South Korea’s new president:--Yoon Suk-yeol. NEWS IN DETAIL (FOR U.P. JUDICIARY MAINS + PRELIMS) 13. New Electoral Map released for Jammu and KashmirA three-member Delimitation Commission redrawing the electoral map of Jammu and Kashmir allotted 47 Assembly seats for Kashmir division and 43 for Jammu in its final decision submitted barely a day before its two-year term was to end.After the panel, led by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai, approved the final verdict, giving Jammu six additional seats and Kashmir one more, a gazette notification was released. Jammu had 37 Assembly constituencies and Kashmir had 46 before the restructure, which increased the overall number of Assembly seats in the Union Territory to 90.Tangmarg has been renamed Gulmarg, Zoonimar has been renamed Zaidibal, Sonwar has been renamed Lal Chowk, Padder has been renamed Padder-Nagseni, Kathua North has been renamed Jasrota, Kathua South has been renamed Kathua, Khour has been renamed Chhamb, Mahore has been renamed Gulab. The Commission heard from Kashmiri migrants and displaced persons from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir at the public hearing. 14. LS Speaker Om Birla launches One of its Kind ‘Kalam Website’Lok Sabha (LS) Speaker, Om Birla has launched the one-of-its-kind literary initiative Kalam website of the Prabha Khaitan Foundation (PKF) to support and encourage vernacular literature.The aim of Kalam is to popularize Hindi literature and provide a platform for veteran and young authors and poets to talk about their writings and love for vernacular literature.Kalam started its journey back in the summer of 2015 in the cities of Jaipur and Patna and has conducted over 550 sessions spread over 40 cities in India and overseas since then.Kalam is in sync with the philosophy of our nation – ‘Unity in Diversity which is reflected in the tagline of Prabha Khaitan Foundation – ‘Aapne Bhasha Aapne Log’. 15. Tamil Nadu becomes the first state to offer breakfast along with midday meals?Chief minister, MK Stalin has announced that all government primary school students from 1st to 5th standards will be provided nutritious breakfast on all working days.This includes the launch of integrated urban health centres within the Corporation and Municipal limits.The schemes are a free morning breakfast scheme for government school students, a scheme to eradicate nutrition deficiency, the establishment of schools of excellence and primary health centres in urban areas and the expansion of ‘CM in Your Constituency’, a public grievances redress system, to all 234 constituencies. 16. Anurag Thakur launches mascot, logo and jersey of Khelo India Youth Games.Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur has launched the mascot ‘Dhakad’ along with the official logo and official jersey of the Fourth Khelo India Youth Games at Panchkula and lauded the effort of Haryana to host the games.The competition is being organized by the Sports Authority of India and the state government of Haryana. In this edition of the Khelo India Youth Games, over 8,500 athletes will be participating.Haryana will set an example by hosting the fourth edition of the Khelo India Youth Games from June 4 to June 13 at Panchkula, Chandigarh, Shahabad, Ambala and Delhi. This was supposed to be held in the year 2021 but got delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 17. Vietnam opens world’s longest glass-bottomed bridge. World’s Largest Glass Bottom Bridge was opened in Vietnam. It is called as Vietnam’s Bach Long pedestrian bridge, which is 632m (2,073ft) long and located 150m (492ft) above a huge jungle.As per the reports, the Asian country has opened a glass-bottomed bridge suspended above a lush jungle. It surpasses a 526m Glass Bottom Bridge in Guangdong, China.The Bach Long pedestrian bridge which means ‘white dragon’ in Vietnamese. The bridge suspends above the rainforest The bridge can support up to 450 people at a time and the floor of the bridge is made from tempered glass. 18. NSO survey: Unemployment rate of India at 8.7% in October-December 2021The National Statistical Office (NSO) data has revealed that the unemployment rate for people above 15 years in urban areas slipped from 10.3% to 8.7% between October and December 2021. Joblessness or unemployment rate (UR) is defined as the percentage of unemployed persons in the labour force.Among males, the unemployment rate in urban areas also dipped to 8.3% in October-December 2021 compared to 9.5% a year ago. It was 9.3% in July-September 2021.The data also showed that the joblessness or unemployment rate among females (aged 15 years and above) in urban areas also declined to 10.5% from 13.1% in the same period. It was 11.6% in July-September 2021.Labour force participation rate in CWS (current weekly status) in urban areas for persons 15 years of age and above remained unchanged at 47.3% in the October-December quarter of 2021, compared to the same period a year ago. It was 46.9% in July-September 2021.Labour force refers to the part of the population which supplies or offers to supply labour for pursuing economic activities for the production of goods and services.The work Population Ratio in urban areas for persons of age 15 years and above stood at 43.2% in October-December 2021, up from 42.4% in the same period a year ago. It was 42.3% in July-September 2021.

Legal Current Affairs

“No individual can be forced to be vaccinated”- Supreme Court

Facts: The issue arose when the Petitioner (Jacob Puliyel) who was a member of the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization (NTAGI) and was advising the Government of India on vaccines filed a Writ Petition in public interest asking the government to release the entire segregated trial data for each of the phases of trials that have been undertaken with respect to the vaccines being administered in India for COVID as he claimed there were some adverse effects due to it and to declare that vaccine mandates, in any manner whatsoever, even by way of making it a precondition for accessing any benefits or services, a violation of rights of citizens and hence unconstitutional. The court held: “Respect to the infringement of bodily integrity and personal autonomy of an individual considered in the light of vaccines and other public health measures introduced to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, we are of the opinion that bodily integrity is protected under Article 21 of the Constitution and no individual can be forced to be vaccinated. Further, personal autonomy of an individual, which is a recognised facet of the protections guaranteed under Article 21, encompasses the right to refuse to undergo any medical treatment in the sphere of individual health. However, in the interest of protection of communitarian health, the Government is entitled to regulate issues of public health concern by imposing certain limitations on individual rights, which are open to scrutiny by constitutional courts to assess whether such invasion into an individual’s right to personal autonomy and right to access means of livelihood meets the threefold requirement as laid down in K.S. Puttaswamy “ Concluding, even though no individual in the country could be forced to get vaccinated, the current vaccine policy in India could not be said to be unreasonable and manifested arbitrarily.

Daily News Update

9th May 2022 Current Affairs

PRELIMS BITS  1. In Manipur, which tribe has declared that inhabited areas will be a Drug-Free Zone supporting the State government’s War on Drug campaign:-- The Poumai tribe(A huge delegation of the Poumai tribe by MLA and leaders of the students union and civil organization met Chief Minister N. Biren Singh today at Imphal and conveyed the resolution of the Drug-Free Zone in Poumai inhabited areas of the State. They also informed the Chief Minister that the poppy plantation will not be allowed in the Poumai areas.)• Manipur Chief Minister: N Biren Singh;• Capital of Manipur: Imphal;• Manipur Governor: La. Ganesan. 2. Which state government to launch ‘Shaili App’ for diagnosing, and controlling lifestyle diseases:--Kerala government.(The app has been set up as part of the population-based screening project launched by the Health Department under the Nava Kerala Karma plan.)• Kerala Capital: Thiruvananthapuram;• Kerala Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan;• Kerala Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan. 3. Which state government launched ‘e-Adhigam’ Scheme to distribute tablets to students:--Haryana State Government‘e-Adhigam’ scheme under which nearly 3 lakh students will be receiving tablet computers to aid their online education.  4. Supreme Court gets 2 new judges to regain full strength of 34:--Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, the chief justice of Gauhati High Court, and Justice Jamshed Burjor Pardiwala, a judge of the Gujarat High Court, are appointed as judges of the Supreme Court. 5. Delhi Govt recently announced which policy to aid the entrepreneur:--“Delhi Startup Policy” 6. Name the Indian Grandmaster who has emerged as champion in the 1st Chessable Sunway Formentera Open 2022 chess tournament in Punta Prima:--D Gukesh It was a hat-trick of titles for him after he had previously won the La Roda tournament and the Menorca Open in recent weeks. 7. Which book is released by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh at the 37th Air Chief Marshal PC Lal Memorial Lecture organised by the Air Force Association in New Delhi, Delhi:--‘INDO-PAK WAR 1971- Reminiscences of Air Warriors’The book was edited by Air Marshal Jagjeet Singh and Group Captain Shailendra Mohan. 8. Name the Nepal’s legendary climber who has climbed Mt Everest, the tallest peak in the world for the 26th time to set a new world record:-- Kami Rita Sherpa Leading an 11-member rope fixing team, Kami Rita & his team reached the summit, breaking his own previous world record. 9. Who has become the first Indian woman to climb five peaks above 8000 metres?-- Priyanka Mohite from Maharashtra’s Satara district Priyanka achieved the milestone after climbing Mount Kanchenjunga. The 30-year-old climbed the third highest peak on Earth on May 5 at around 4:42 pm. NEWS IN DETAIL (FOR U.P. JUDICIARY MAINS + PRELIMS) 10. Utkarsh MahotsavThree-day Utkarsh Mahotsav is being organized by Central Sanskrit University in New Delhi. The objective behind organising the Utkarsh Mahotsav is to promote the Sanskrit language across the country and beyond.The event is being jointly organised by the Central Sanskrit University, New Delhi, Shri Lal Bahadur National Sanskrit University, New Delhi and National Sanskrit University, Tirupati.The main theme of this Mahotsav is ‘Global Orientation of Sanskrit Studies in the New Educational Era’ Vice-Chancellors of 17 Sanskrit Universities, Scholars and a large number of students participated in the event. 11. IRCTC’s Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train to stop at Nepal’s JanakpurThe Indian Railway Catering and Ticketing Corporation (IRCTC) will launch its maiden Bharat Gaurav Tourist train, with a stop in Nepal’s Janakpur.  This train will go around the Ramayana Circuit, which has been identified under the Swadesh Darshan scheme and includes major locations related with Lord Shri Rama’s life, such as the Ram Janaki temple in Janakpur, Nepal. After Ayodhya, the tourists will travel to Buxar, Bihar, where they will see Maharishi Vishwamitra’s hermitage and the Ramrekha Ghat, where they can take a holy plunge in the Ganga. The train then travels to Sitamarhi to see Sita’s birthplace before continuing on to Janakpur by road (Nepal). Tourists will spend the night in Janakpur hotels and visit the famed Ram-Janaki Temple.After Sitamarhi, the train travels to Varanasi, the world’s oldest living city.Tourists visiting Kashi will go about the temples of Varanasi, ‘Sita Samahit Sthal,’ Prayag, Shringverpur, and Chitrakoot. At Varanasi, Prayag, and Chitrakoot, hotel accommodations will be given.

Daily News Update

7th and 8th May Current Affairs

PRELIMS BITS 1. When is the World Athletics Day 2022 Celebrated?--7th May (In 1996, World Athletics Day was started by the then International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) President Primo Nebiolo.) 2. When is World Red Cross Day observed?--8th May. ( 2022 Theme - 'BeHumanKind', World Red Cross Day is also known as World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day) 3. When is World Thalassemia Day 2022 celebrated?--8th May, 2022 Theme: ‘Be Aware.Share.Care: Working with the global community as one to improve thalassemia knowledge.’ 4. When does BRO celebrates its raising day?--7th May (recently celebrated its 62nd raising day on 7th may 2022) 5. Who has been named the Managing Director of TVS Motor Company?--Sudarshan Venu 6. Who has assumed the appointment of Director General (Inspection and Safety) of Indian Air Force?--Air Marshal Sanjeev Kapoor NEWS IN DETAIL (FOR U.P. JUDICIARY MAINS + PRELIMS) 1. Under which mission is world’s largest film restoration project going to commence?National Film Heritage Mission. Information and Broadcasting Minister, Anurag Thakur informed that the process of restoring over 5900 short films, documentaries and features is underway. This exercise is to be carried out by the National Film Archive of India. 2. Which corporation will receive India’s first Regional Rapid Transit System train set at Savli:National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) will receive India’s first semi-high-speed train set for Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) at Alstom’s Savli project in Gujarat.The RRTS train sets are produced under the Make in India initiative and can reach a top speed of 180 kilometres per hour. 17-kilometre priority segment between Sahibabad and Duhai is expected to be operational by 2023, with the entire corridor completed by 2025. 3. ‘Vehicle Movement Tracking System’ Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has launched a Vehicle Movement Tracking System (VMTS) mobile app to track the vehicles carrying sand and other mining material. The app will be used at different checkpoints in all the districts of Haryana. 7. MoU with ISRO signed by Ministry of Skill DevelopmentThe Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has signed  an MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the Indian Space Research Organisation with the goal of upskilling the technical workforce at the Department of Space of ISRO. Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary MSDE, and Shri S. Somanath, Secretary Department of Space/ Chairman ISRO, signed the MoU. 8. Who is heading the committee formed by Supreme Court formed for recovery of money from NSEL defaulters?Headed by retired Bombay High Court Judge Pradeep Nandrajog, for recovery of money from the defaulters against whom the National Spot Exchange (NSEL) has secured money decrees. 9. ‘Enterprise India National Coir Conclave 2022’The ‘Enterprise India National Coir Conclave 2022’ was inaugurated at Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, by Union Minister for MSME Shri Narayan Rane and Minister of State for MSME Shri Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma, along with other state ministers, keeping in mind expansion of coir production in other states. Coir Board also unveiled new coir products such as a coir composite fruit bowl, a geo-textile shadow lamp, coir buttons, coir auto mirror covers, a flat rectangular tray, and a certificate holder, as well as the publication of the Manual of Coir Technologies, Books on Coir Pith, Geo-textiles, and Coir Floor Furnishing.A ‘Run for Coir’ will be held to promote the usage of coir as a natural, biodegradable, and environmentally beneficial commodity. Thousands of people are anticipated to attend, including dignitaries, college students, and the general public. 10. 6.2 percent increase in death rate as per CRS during 2020.According to Vital Statistics of India based on the Civil Registration System’s report the number of registered births declined from 2.48 crore in 2019 to 2.42 crore in 2020, representing a 2.40 percent decrease.the number of registered deaths increased by 6.2 percent from 76.4 lakh in 2019 to 81.2 lakh in 2020.The Registration of Birth and Death Act (RBD) of 1969 governs the registration of births and deaths.

Daily News Update

5th and 6th May Current Affairs

PRELIMS BITS 1. Which is the world’s longest glass-bottom bridge, newly opened?--The Bach Long pedestrian bridge in Vietnam (around 500 ft. off the ground). 2. Who won The World Snooker Championship Title 2022?--Ronnie O’Sullivan (England). 3. Who is appointed as the first ever Chief tech officer of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)?--Indian-Origin, Nand Mulchandani, first-ever Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the first line of defence for the United States. 4. Which TV Channel has won ENBA Award 2021 for the best in-depth Hindi series for its TV series based on pet care ‘Best Friend Forever’ at the 14th edition of the Exchange4media News Broadcasting Awards (ENBA)?--Doordarshan. 5. Which plan is launched by UN to take a major step towards catalyzing the large-scale action and support needed for the transition to clean, affordable energy for all and net-zero emissions against the backdrop of a global energy crisis and worsening climate emergency?--UN-Energy Plan of Action Towards 2025. 6. Who is appointed as chairman, Board of Directors by InterGlobe aviation?--Venkataramani Sumantran has been named chairperson of the IndiGo board. 7. Who received The World Food Prize 2022?--Senior research scientist and head of the Climate Impacts Group at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York City, Cynthia Rosenzweig has received the 2022 World Food Prize. 8. Who won gold in men’s 10m air rifle at the 24th Deaflympics?--Shooter Dhanush Srikanth has won gold and Shourya Saini has won the bronze in the men’s 10m air rifle competition in the 24th Deaflympics at Caxias do Sul, Brazil.9. Name the Last Surviving F1 Race Winner From 1950s who has recently passed away?--Tony Brooks, a British racing driver who won six Formula One Grand Prix in the 1950s and was nicknamed the “Racing Dentist”, has passed away.10. Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2022:-- 8 Universities from India are placed in the top 300 universities in the world. The ranking is topped by Western Sydney University (Australia); followed by Arizona State University (The US), Western University (Canada).11. Who is elected to the Board of Federal Reserve Bank of New York?--IBM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Arvind Krishna.12. What operation has been launched by Railway Protection Force (RPF) recently?--“Operation Satark”, from 5th April to 30th April 2022. NEWS IN DETAIL (FOR U.P. JUDICIARY MAINS + PRELIMS) 13. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO’s) flagship released its publication “The State of the World’s Forests”.The State of the World’s Forests 2022 explores the significance of three forest pathways for achieving green recovery and addressing environmental crises such as climate change and biodiversity loss, against the backdrop of the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use and 140 countries’ pledge to end forest loss by 2030 and support restoration and sustainable production and consumption.The State of the World’s Forests 2022 includes evidence on the paths feasibility and value, as well as the first steps that may be made to pursue them further. 14. Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF) World Press Freedom Index 2022.India drops to 150th position in World Press Freedom Index.When and WhatAccording to the index released by the Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), on 3rd May 2022 which (also observed as World Press Freedom Day 2022), India ranked 150th out of the 180 countries across the globe. India ranked 142 the RSF’s WPFI ranking in 2021.Top 3 countries in the index:• Norway -1• Denmark -2 • Sweden -3Bottom 3 countries in the index:• Pakistan- 157• Bangladesh- 162• China- 175 15. India to be ‘Country of Honour’ at Cannes Marche’ Du Film in France.Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Thakur has announced that India will be the official Country of Honour at the upcoming Marche’ Du Film, organized alongside the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, in France.The Country of Honour Status thereby ensured India’s presence as Focus Country at the Opening Night of Marche Du Films being organized at the Majestic Beach with a spotlight on India, its cinema, its culture & heritage.India has been given an opportunity to pitch 5 selected movies at the “Goes to Cannes Section”. These movies are part of the Work In Progress lab under the Film Bazaar:• Baghjan by Jaicheng Zxai Dohutia – Assamese, Moran• Bailadila by Shailendra Sahu – Hindi, Chhattisgarhi• Ek Jagah Apni (A Space of Our Own) by Ektara Collective – Hindi• Follower by Harshad Nalawade – Marathi, Kannada, Hindi 16. First-ever unique kind of Flow Chemistry Technology Hub.Hosted by Hyderabad, At Dr. Reddy’s Institute of Life Sciences (DRILS), a multi-industry-supported Flow Chemistry Technology Hub (FCT Hub) has been launched. While inaugurating the hub, Jayesh Ranjan, Principal Secretary of the Industries and Commerce (I&C;) and Information Technology (IT), said that this is the first of its kind in our country and an enabler for the pharma business in India.This inauguration will help the API and intermediate industry take concrete steps toward developing local abilities in green manufacturing processes. 17. RailTel & WHO inaugurated Mobile Container Hospital at Visakhapatnam. The RailTel Corporation of India Ltd had designed and established a “Health Cloud” at Visakhapatnam premises of Andhra Pradesh Med Tech Zone (AMTZ). The Andhra Pradesh Med Tech Zone (AMTZ) is the world’s first integrated medical device manufacturing hub. The “Health Cloud” at AMTZ has been inaugurated by Louise Agersnap, Head of WHO Innovation Hub, WHO-Geneva. 18. ISRO plans mission to Venus by Dec 2024.The Indian Space Research Organisation will send a spacecraft to orbit Venus to study what lies below its surface, the space body’s Chairperson S Somnath announced, by December.The aim of the mission is to study Venus’ atmosphere, which is toxic and corrosive in nature as clouds of sulphuric acid cover the planet. 19. Who has become India’s first weightlifter to have won a gold medal at the IWF Junior World Championships.Eighteen years old Harshada Sharad Garud has become India’s first weightlifter to have won a gold medal at the IWF (International Weightlifting Federation) Junior World Championships that is being organized in Heraklion, Greece from 2nd to 10th May 2022 in the women’s 45 kg category. She won the gold with a total effort of 153kg i.e. 70kg+83kg. Along with her Gyaneshwari Yadav and V Rithika have also won medals in the 49 kg category.

Daily News Update

3rd and 4th May Current Affairs

PRELIMS BITS 1. World Asthma Day 2022 was observed on?--3rd may (every first Tuesday of May) Theme – “Closing Gaps in Asthma Care”. 2. World Press Freedom Day 2022 observed on?--3rd May (also known as World Press Day)Theme - “Journalism under digital siege”. 3. India’s first home made Hydrogen-fuelled electric vessel: --Sarbananda SonowalMinistry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways would develop and build India’s first indigenous hydrogen-fueled electric vessels at Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL). 4. Where is Nation’s first Ethanol Plant set-up?--Ganeshpur Parora, about 12 km from Purnia District, Bihar. 5. Who is appointed as chairman of CBDT(Central Board of Direct Taxes):--Sangeeta Singh 6. 100th unicorn start-up for India:--India got its 100th unicorn when neobanking fintech portal, “Open”, raised fresh capital to push up its value to over a billion dollars. 7. Which is India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier, which will be handed over to the Indian navy:-- INS VikrantSecond sea trials of India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier (IAC) Vikrant began, ahead of her anticipated induction into the Indian Navy in August next year8. Who won 35th Spanish League title:--Real MadridCarlo Ancelotti became the first coach to lift trophies in the top five European leagues.9. Who won the seventh Santosh Trophy title:--Kerala beat West Bengal 5-4 in the penalty shootout to win the 75th Santosh Trophy 2022 at the Manjeri Stadium in Malappuram, Kerala. 10. “Leaders, Politicians, Citizens” published in Hachette India is authored by?--Author-journalist Rasheed Kidwai. NEWS IN DETAIL (FOR U.P. JUDICIARY MAINS + PRELIMS) 11. NATO Exercises Defender Europe 2022 & Swift Response 2022 began North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) exercise, Defender Europe 2022 (DE22) and Swift Response 2022 (SR22) began on May 01, 2022, aimed at building preparedness and interoperability between Allies and partners of the United States (US) and NATO. The exercises are scheduled from May 01 to May 27, 2022. 12. Chhattisgarh launched ‘Mukhyamantri Mitaan Yojana’Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh, Bhupesh Baghel has launched ‘Mukhyamantri Mitaan Yojana’ (Mitaan stands for a friend), which will be implemented on a pilot basis in 14 municipal corporations including the cities like Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur and Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh. Under the Scheme, the residents of Chhattisgarh can avail around 100 public services at their doorstep.Under the Scheme, people can contact the ‘Mitaan’ (nominated individual) on the toll-free number (14545) for the service. The required documents of the residents will be collected from their homes through the Mitaan, who will then scan the certificates and get the processes rolling for the issuance of certificates or services.Once the concerned department issues the certificate, it will then be delivered at the citizen’s doorstep by the ‘Mitaan’ in a sealed envelope within the prescribed time limit.

Daily News Update

1st and 2nd May Current Affairs

PRELIMS BITS 1. Who took charge as India’s New Foreign Secretary?--Vinay Mohan Kwatra2. Who is appointed as Vice Chief of Indian Army--Lt Gen BS Raju (Baggavalli Somashekar Raju)3. India’s ‘open-for-all’ digital ecosystem for MSMEs has been lanched by?--ICICI Bank4. Who won bronze at Asian Badminton Championships--P.V. Sindhu5. World Laughter Day 2022?--1st May (celebrated on first Sunday of every May)6. International Labour Day 2022 observed globally on:--1st May7. Statehood day 2022 of Maharashtra and Gujarat--Maharashtra and Gujarat celebrated their statehood day on 1st May 2022. On May 1st, 1960, the bilingual state of Bombay was divided into two separate states by the Bombay Reorganisation Act, 1960. Gujarat was established as the 15th state of the Indian Union. NEWS IN DETAIL (FOR U.P. JUDICIARY MAINS + PRELIMS) 8. INDIA’S EMPLOYMENT STATEAccording to the latest data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), India’s Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) has fallen to just 40% from an already low 47% in 2016.According to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), the labor force consists of persons who are of age 15 years or older, and belong to either of the following two categories:-• Are employed• Are unemployed and willing to work and are actively looking for a jobThere is a crucial commonality between the two categories — they both have people “demanding” jobs. This demand is what LFPR refers to. While those in category 1 succeed in getting a job, those in category 2 fail to do so. Which state has the lowest unemployment rate?Chhattisgarh has the country’s lowest unemployment rate.  India’s Female and Male LFPRAccording to CMIE data, as of December 2021Male LFPR - 67.4%Female LFPR - 9.4%. Reason for low LFPR of IndiaDue to abysmally low level of female LFPR (25%) Reason for low female LFPR • Lack of adequate job opportunities for women.• Lack of conducive working conditions — such as law and order, efficient public transportation, violence against women, societal norms, etc.• Incorrect measuring of women’s contribution to the economy. Many women in India are exclusively involved within their own homes (caring for their family), which is not measured 9. INDIA’S FOREX RESERVES What is Forex ReservesForex or foreign exchange reserves are assets held by the central bank in foreign currencies as a reserve. Current status of India’s Forex Reserves• According to the latest data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), India’s forex reserves stood at $600.42 billion as of April 22, 2022.• All components in India’s forex reserves witnessed a fall in the week ending April 22, 2022. What are the components of forex reserves?The components of forex reserves are:• Foreign currency assets (FCA)• Gold holdings• SDRs (special drawing rights) of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).• Reserve tranche position (RTP) in the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Foreign currency assets (FCA) are expressed in terms of which currency?• US dollar Reason of dip in Forex reserves of India• Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is selling dollars to prevent a slide in the value of the rupee amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.• The RBI intervention started when the rupee crossed the 76 level.• The increase in global oil prices crossing $100 per barrel has affected India’s forex reserves. This is because India depends on imports for 85% of its oil needs.• There is also capital outflow due to sustained selling by foreign portfolio investors (FPIs). 10. OPEN NETWORK FOR DIGITAL COMMERCE (ONDC)About ONDC An initiative aimed to promote open networks for all aspects of the exchange of goods and services over digital or electronic networks.It will be based on open-sourced methodology, using open network protocols independent of any specific platform.Pilot phase is being conducted across five cities Delhi, Bengaluru, Coimbatore, Bhopal, and Shillong. 11. IOC PROJECT ON METHANOL BLENDED PETROLRecently, the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) rolled out M15 petrol on a pilot basis in Assam’s Tinsukia district. M15 is a blend of 15 % methanol and 85 % Petrol.Why Tinsukia districtBecause of availability of methanol, which is being manufactured by Assam Petrochemical Ltd in the vicinity of the Digboi refinery 12. MAHARASHTRA GENE BANK PROJECTMaharashtra Cabinet has approved ‘Maharashtra Gene Bank’; it is a first-of-its-kind project in India. To conserve genetic resources in Maharashtra including marine diversity, seeds of local crops, and animal diversity.The project will be implemented by the Maharashtra State Biodiversity Board (MSBB) and will be overseen by committees under the chief secretary and the principal secretary (forests). 13. SEMICON INDIA CONFERENCE 2022The Semicon India Conference-2022 was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Bengaluru will host this three-day conference. It is organised by India Semiconductor Mission in partnership with industry associations. Theme: Catalyzing India’s Semiconductor Ecosystem.

UP APO Vacancy 2022

The Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission has become active again. They have announced the UP APO Vacancy 2022 for eligible candidates. Eligible candidates will be able to apply for the Assistant Prosecution Officer post. If you are looking for the UP APO Vacancy 2022 official notification, then you must be informed that the official notification has not yet been revealed. However, it will be out anytime soon. According to the news, there will be a total of 44 vacancies that will be available to apply but only for a single post of APO. The Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission has not yet announced the date of UP APO Vacancy 2022. However, it is most possible that the vacancies will be announced today on April 21, 2022.UP APO Vacancy 2022 Important Date The UP APO Vacancy 2022 important dates have not yet been revealed completely. However, there is one piece of information the vacancies for the Assistant Prosecution Officer will be announced on April 21, 2022.  The news has been revealed in the Dainik Jagran newspaper. Users will be able to know more about the vacancies once the official notification is released on the website.

Recent Case Laws

Aparna Bhat v. State of M.P. [(2021) SCC 230]

The Supreme Court in this case had set aside a judgement of Madhya Pradesh High Court which required the accused to ask the victim to tie a rakhi around his wrist as a precondition to obtain bail. The instant case pertained to the accused outraging the modesty of his female neighbour.   The bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and S. Ravindra Bhat further opined that such orders effectively turn a molester into a brother via judicial mandate which is ‘wholly unacceptable’. The bench further requested the National Judicial Academy to develop modules for imparting ‘gender sensitization’ training to young judges, public prosecutors and standing counsels. It also directed the Bar Council of India to make such subjects as part of the curriculum of LLB and AIBE syllabus.Excerpts:The National Judicial Academy is hereby requested to devise, speedily, the necessary inputs which have to be made part of the training of young judges, as well as form part of judges’ continuing education with respect to gender sensitization, with adequate awareness programs regarding stereotyping and unconscious biases that can creep into judicial reasoning. The syllabi and content of such courses shall be framed after necessary consultation with sociologists and teachers in psychology, gender studies or other relevant fields, preferably within three months. The course should emphasize upon the relevant factors to be considered, and importantly, what should be avoided during court hearings and never enter judicial reasoning. Public Prosecutors and Standing Counsel too should undergo mandatory training in this regard. The training program, its content and duration shall be developed by the National Judicial Academy, in consultation with State academies. The course should contain topics such as appropriate court-examination and conduct and what is to be avoided. The Bar Council of India (BCI) should also consult subject experts and circulate a paper for discussion with law faculties and colleges/universities in regard to courses that should be taught at the undergraduate level, in the LL.B program. The BCI shall also require topics on sexual offences and gender sensitization to be mandatorily included in the syllabus for the All India Bar Examination. Each High Court should, with the help of relevant experts, formulate a module on judicial sensitivity to sexual offences, to be tested in the Judicial Services Examination. Further, the court also issued a set of guidelines while handling sexual crimes cases:  (a)Bail conditions should not mandate, require or permit contact between the accused and the victim. Such conditions should seek to protect the complainant from any further harassment by the accused; (b)Where circumstances exist for the court to believe that there might be a potential threat of harassment of the victim, or upon apprehension expressed, after calling for reports from the police, the nature of protection shall be separately considered and appropriate order made, in addition to a direction to the accused not to make any contact with the victim; (c) In all cases where bail is granted, the complainant should immediately be informed that the accused has been granted bail and copy of the bail order made over to him/her within two days; (d)Bail conditions and orders should avoid reflecting stereotypical or patriarchal notions about women and their place in society, and must strictly be in accordance with the requirements of the Cr. PC. In other words, discussion about the dress, behavior, or past “conduct” or “morals” of the prosecutrix, should not enter the verdict granting bail; (e)The courts while adjudicating cases involving gender related crimes, should not suggest or entertain any notions (or encourage any steps) towards compromises between the prosecutrix and the accused to get married, suggest or mandate mediation between the accused and the survivor, or any form of compromise as it is beyond their powers and jurisdiction; (f)Sensitivity should be displayed at all times by judges, who should ensure that there is no traumatization of the prosecutrix, during the proceedings, or anything said during the arguments, and (g) Judges especially should not use any words, spoken or written, that would undermine or shake the confidence of the survivor in the fairness or impartiality of the court. Further, courts should desist from expressing any stereotype opinion, in words spoken during proceedings, or in the course of a judicial order, to the effect that (i)women are physically weak and need protection; (ii) women are incapable of or cannot take decisions on their own; (iii) men are the “head” of the household and should take all the decisions relating to family; (iv) women should be submissive and obedient according to our culture; (v) “good” women are sexually chaste; (vi)motherhood is the duty and role of every woman, and assumptions to the effect that she wants to be a mother; (vii) women should be the ones in charge of their children,their upbringing and care; (viii) being alone at night or wearing certain clothes make women responsible for being attacked; (ix) a woman consuming alcohol, smoking,etc. may justify unwelcome advances by men or “has asked for it”; (x) women are emotional and often overreact or dramatize events, hence it is necessary to corroborate their testimony; (xi) testimonial evidence provided by women who are sexually active may be suspected when assessing “consent” in sexual offence cases; and (xii) lack of evidence of physical harm in sexual offence case leads to an inference of consent by the woman. The judgement can be seen to have references to the 19###sup/sup### century author, Henrik Ibsen on this subject. Justice Ravindra Bhat begins the judgement with Ibsen’s quote, “A woman cannot be herself in the society of the present day, which is an exclusively masculine society, with laws framed by men and with a judicial system that judges feminine conduct from a masculine point of view.” The judgement also quoted certain excerpts from the Canadian Commentaries on Judicial Conduct: “The wisdom required of a judge is to recognize, consciously allow for, and perhaps to question, all the baggage of past attitudes and sympathies that fellow citizens are free to carry, untested, to the grave. True impartiality does not require that the judge have no sympathies or opinions; it requires that the judge nevertheless be free to entertain and act upon different points of view with an open mind.”