NATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
Rajasthan introduces the first digital Lok Adalat in India: During the 18th All
India Legal Services Authorities’ convention, which was held here, National
Legal Services Authority Chairman Uday Umesh Lalit unveiled the first digital
Lok Adalat driven by artificial intelligence. Rajasthan State Legal Services
Authority’s (RSLSA) digital Lok Adalat was created by Jupitice Justice
Technologies, the organization’s technological partner. Key Points:
a)
N
V Ramana, the Chief Justice of India, opened the two-day event in the presence
of Kiren Rijiju, the Union Minister of Law and Justice, and Ashok Gehlot, the
Chief Minister of Rajasthan.
b)
India’s
increasing litigation backlog has recently made attention, particularly during
the pandemic when courts were temporarily halted.
c)
The
oldest pending case in the nation was recently resolved by a district court in
Bihar after 108 years of deliberation.
d)
The
NITI Aayog report also estimated that it would take 324 years to resolve every
case now outstanding in India.
e)
According
to the survey, between 5 million and 40 million legal issues arise each month
but only between 75% and 97% of them end up in court.
Note: Chief Justice of India: N V Ramana;
Union Minister of Law and Justice: Kiren Rijiju
2.
Consumer Affairs Department launches Jagriti, its new mascot: Jagriti is a mascot
created by the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) with the goal of
empowering customers and raising awareness of their rights. Jagriti will be
shown as an educated consumer who is advocating for her rights and finding
answers to the issues she encounters. The Jagriti mascot will be employed to
raise consumer awareness of a variety of Departmental topics, including the
provisions of the 2019 Consumer Protection Act, hallmarking, the National
Consumer Helpline toll-free number 1915, provisions of the Weights and Measures
Act, decisions of the Central Consumer Protection Authority, and consumer
testimonies regarding grievance redressal.
3.
Kerala becomes first state to have own internet service: Kerala is now the
first and only state in the country to have its own internet service, according
to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who made the announcement. The announcement
followed the Department of Telecommunications’ granting of an Internet Service
Provider (ISP) licence to the IT infrastructure project of the Kerala Fiber
Optic Network Ltd (K-Fon), which aims to provide everyone in the state access
to the internet. K-FON:
a)
K-Fon
or Kerala Fiber Optic Network Ltd is a state government initiative that aims to
eliminate the digital gap. As per the government, the infrastructure created by
this project is expected to complement the state’s current telecom ecosystem.
b)
Create
a core network infrastructure (information highway) with non-discriminatory
access to all service providers so that they can augment their connectivity gap.
c)
Provide
a reliable, secure and scalable intranet connecting all government offices,
educational institutions, hospitals, etc.
d)
Partner
with Multiple System Operators, Telecommunication Service Providers, and
Internet Service Providers for providing free internet to economically backward
households.
Note: Kerala Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan;
Kerala Capital: Thiruvananthapuram; Kerala Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan.
4.
Govt establishes commission to build a framework for right to repair: The Department of
Consumer Affairs has formed a committee under the leadership of Additional
Secretary Nidhi Khatri in an effort to provide an overall framework for the
Right to Repair. Anupam Mishra, Joint Secretary DoCA, Justice Paramjeet Singh
Dhaliwal, G.S. Bajpai, Chancellor, Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law,
Patiala, Ashok Patil, Chair of Consumer Law and Practice, and members from
stakeholders like ICEA, SIAM, consumer activists, and consumer groups make up
the committee. Key Points:
a)
Creating
a framework for the right to repair in India aims to empower local consumers
and product buyers, harmonise commerce between original equipment makers and
third-party buyers and sellers, place an emphasis on establishing sustainable
use of products, and reduce e-waste.
b)
Spare
components are under the exclusive responsibility of manufacturers (regarding
the kind of design they use for screws and other). A repair industry monopoly
violates the customer’s freedom to chose.
c)
Digital
warranty cards make sure that a customer loses the ability to make a warranty
claim if they purchase a product from a non-recognised business.
5.
First-Ever ‘Made In India’ surgical robotic system installed at Rajiv Gandhi
Institute: Rajiv
Gandhi Cancer Institute and Research Center, New Delhi (RGCI) have installed
the first-ever Made-in-India Surgical Robotic System, “SSI-Mantra”, devised by
the new-age Indian med-tech start-up SS Innovations. The ingenious SSI Mantra
will be signifying the beginning of a new era of surgical procedures in India,
making robotic surgery accessible and affordable for the people of our country.
After two pilot projects where Dr Sudhir Rawal and his team from RGCI
successfully performed a total of 26 surgeries with SSI Mantra, thereby
validating safety, feasibility and effectiveness, the robot is now ready to
provide an advanced method of surgery, which will be accessible to the general
public at a much lower cost.
6.
Manoj Kumar assumes charge as KVIC’s new chairman: Manoj Kumar, former
expert member of marketing at Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC),
has been promoted to take charge as Chairman of the Government of India’s
statutory body. KVIC’s former Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena has moved on to take
charge as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. Manoj Kumar was earlier part of
KVIC as the Expert Member (Marketing) and has professional experience in the
areas of marketing and rural development.
Note: KVIC Founded: 1956; KVIC
Headquarters: Mumbai.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1.
British govt launched ‘Aviation Passenger Charter’ to help passengers know
their rights:
The British government has launched an “Aviation Passenger Charter” to help passengers know their rights if they
are faced with problems at airports after the widespread disruption seen this
year. The new charter will help passengers know what to do if they are
confronted by cancellations, delays or missing baggage. It has been developed
by the British government in partnership with the aviation sector & travel
industry.
Long queues and cancelled flights caused by
staff shortages have caused chaos at times, prompting airlines to cut back
their schedules as the industry struggles to keep up with a surge in demand
after the COVID-19 pandemic. Last month, the government published a 22-point
support plan to avoid further disruption, including telling airlines to run
“realistic” summer schedules and promising to speed up security checks.
2.
Expat Insider Rankings for 2022: India ranks 36th: Mexico has topped
the Expat Insider Rankings for 2022, which was released by the InterNations
recently, while India has been ranked on 36th position out of the 52 countries
on the list, with a high affordability score. Kuwait is the worst country for
expats in the ranking. The best and the worst:
Top 10: Mexico, Indonesia, Taiwan,
Portugal, Spain, UAE, Vietnam, Thailand, Australia, Singapore.
11 to 20: Estonia, Oman, Kenya, USA,
Bahrain, Brazil, Russia, Malaysia, Switzerland, Czechia.
21 to 30: Philippines, Netherlands, Canada,
Austria, Hungary, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Belgium, Denmark.
31 to 40: France, Finland, China, Norway,
Egypt, India, UK, Ireland, Sweden, South Korea.
41 to 52: Greece, Germany, Malta, Italy,
Turkey, South Africa, Japan, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Hong Kong, New Zealand,
Kuwait.
About the Expat Insider Rankings: The Expat Insider
survey is conducted every year by InterNations, a community for expatriates.
The survey takes a look at some of the best possible ex-pat destinations around
the world, which offer the best quality of life to the people who move abroad
to improve their quality of life.
OTHER UPDATES:
SPORTS
1.
West Indies Cricketers Lendl Simmons & Denesh Ramdin Announce Retirement: Former West
Indies skipper Denesh Ramdin announced his retirement from international
cricket with immediate effect. He played his last match for West Indies in a
T20I in December 2019. However, he will continue to play franchise cricket. He
has played 74 Tests, 139 ODIs and 71 T20Is. He started out in Test cricket,
making his debut against Sri Lanka in Colombo in July 2005. He played a part in
West Indies T20 World Cup triumphs in 2012 and 2016.
Meanwhile, West Indies batter Lendl Simmons
also announced his retirement from international cricket. His decision came to
the fore after his Caribbean Premier League franchise Trinbago Knight Riders
posted a congratulatory message for the player. Simmons made his international
debut way back in 2008 in an ODI against Pakistan at Faisalabad. Thereafter, he
made his T20I and Test debuts in 2007 and 2009 respectively. In 8 Tests, 68
ODIs and 68 T20Is, the right-handed batter scored 278, 1958 and 1527 runs
respectively, with the help of 2 centuries and 25 half-centuries.
2.
Mairaj Ahmad Khan of India writes history by winning gold medal in skeet: Veteran Indian
shooter Mairaj Ahmed Khan made history by becoming the first person to ever win
a men’s skeet gold medal at an ISSF World Cup. The 46-year-old from Uttar
Pradesh shot 37 in the 40-shot final to finish ahead of Minsu Kim from Korea
(36), who took second place, and Ben Llewellin from Britain (26), who took
third place. Key Points:
a)
The
shooter qualified over two days with a score of 119/125 before winning his
first individual gold in a five-way shoot-off. The two-time Olympian, who is
now the oldest participant for India at Changwon, won silver in the World Cup
in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
b)
Anjum
Moudgil, Ashi Chouksey, and Sift Kaur Samra won bronze in the women’s 50m rifle
3P team competition earlier in the day.
c)
In
the bronze medal match, the Indians easily defeated the Austrian team of
Sheileen Waibel, Nadine Ungerank, and Rebecca Koeck 16-6 to take the podium
spot. But Khan unquestionably owned the day.
d)
After
placing 119th overall, he found himself competing for two last qualification
berths alongside four other athletes, including Kuwaiti Abdullah Al Rashidi, a
two-time Olympic medalist.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
1.
Following $100 million in investment, OneCard becomes India’s 104th unicorn: OneCard, a mobile-first
credit card company, raised $100 million in a series D round of funding backed
by Temasek, making it the 104th unicorn in India. India has created more than
20 financial unicorns so far in 2022, including OneCard, Open, Oxyzo, and Yubi
(formerly CredAvenue). Existing investors including QED, Sequoia Capital, and
Hummigbird Ventures also made investments in OneCard‘s most recent round, which
is owned by FPL Technologies of Pune.
Key Points:
a)
According
to Mohit Bhandari, managing director, investment (India), of Temasek, OneCard
is not affected by the PPI guidelines because it was not a PPI issuer and like
some of the other businesses, which now have to restructure their business
models.
b)
Onecard
offers technological solutions to banks. The banks issue legitimate credit
cards. Of course, OneCard participates in that as a provider of technological
solutions.
c)
As
part of its Series C fundraising, FPL Technologies earlier this year received
$75 million. Existing investors QED Investors, Janchor Partners, Sequoia
Capital India, Matrix Partners, and others helped to raise the round.
d)
Rupesh
Kumar, Vibhav Hathi, and Anurag Sinha launched the business in 2015. The trio
has experience in banking.
e)
India
will have 122 new unicorns in the next two to four years, predicts the ASK
Private Wealth Hurun India Future Unicorn Index 2022.
2.
Facebook-owner Meta released first annual human rights report: Facebook owner
Meta released its first annual human rights report, following years of
accusations that it turned a blind eye to online abuses that fueled real-world
violence in places like India and Myanmar. The report, which covers due
diligence performed in 2020 and 2021, includes a summary of a controversial
human rights impact assessment of India that Meta commissioned law firm Foley
Hoag to conduct.
Human rights groups including Amnesty
International and Human Rights Watch have demanded the release of the India
assessment in full, accusing Meta of stalling in a joint letter sent in
January. In its summary, Meta said the law firm had noted the potential for
“salient human rights risks” involving Meta’s platforms, including “advocacy of
hatred that incites hostility, discrimination, or violence.”
Note: Facebook Founded: February 2004;
Facebook CEO: Mark Zuckerberg; Facebook Headquarters: California, United
States.
DEFENCE
1.
INS Sindhudhvaj decommissioned after 35 years of service: INS Sindhudhvaj has
decommissioned after 35 years of glorious service to the nation. Vice Adm
Biswajit Dasgupta Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Naval Command was
the Chief Guest for the ceremony. The submarine crest depicts a grey colour
nurse shark and the name means flag bearer at sea. About the INS
Sindhudhvaj:
a)
Sindhudhvaj,
as the name suggests, was the flag bearer of indigenization and the Indian
Navy’s efforts towards achieving Atmanirbharta in the Russian-built Sindhughosh
class submarines throughout her journey in the navy.
b)
Commissioned
into the Navy in 1987, Sindhudhvaj, was one of the 10 Kilo-class submarines
India acquired from Russia between 1986 and 2000. It was the only submarine to
be awarded the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) rolling trophy for Innovation by PM
Modi.
2.
First mountain warfare training school established in NE by ITBP: As part of its
mission to train its troops in high-altitude combat and survival techniques,
the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), which is tasked with securing the Line
of Actual Control with China, has established its first mountain warfare
training facility in northeast India and its second overall. The facility was
built nearly 50 years after the founding of the first institution of its kind,
the Mountaineering and Skiing Institute (M&SI), which opened in Auli, near
Joshimath, in 1973–74.
Key Points:
a)
The
M&SI, which is situated in the Himalayan hills of Uttarakhand at a height
of over 9,000 feet, has taught hundreds of members of the ITBP, army, air
force, and other security professionals in this field as well as that of
adventure sports.
b)
The
new centre is situated in Sikkim, which shares a frontage of 220 kilometres
with the India-China LAC, at a height of 10,040 feet with distant Dombang,
which borders the LAC.
c)
According
to a senior ITBP officer, the Sikkim training centre was conceptualised to
improve the ability to train newly recruited and serving troops in mountain
warfare, rock climbing, high-altitude survival, and patrol even though the need
for a second facility beyond Auli had long been felt given the rising level of
engagement of its troops with the Chinese PLA in recent years.
Note: Chief of Army Staff: General Manoj
Pande
OBITUARIES
1. Renowned Ghazal Singer Bhupinder Singh passes away: Legendary ghazal singer, Bhupinder Singh passed away due to suspected colon cancer and COVID-19-related complications. He was 82. Singh was best known for songs such as ‘Duniya Chhute Yaar Na Chhute’ (“Dharam Kanta”), ‘Thodi Si Zameen Thoda Aasman’ (“Sitara”), which he sang with the late legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, ‘Dil Dhoondta Hai’ (“Mausam”), ‘Naam Gum Jayega’ (“Kinara”).
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