ISRO launched RISAT-2BR1
India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) successfully completed its 50th spaceflight on 11 December 2019, placing country's advanced radar-imaging satellite RISAT-2B1 into space from Sriharikota.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22317-isro-launched-risat-2br1.html
#ISRO #RISAT #2BR1 #PSLV #AAI #IRNSS #GSO #SatishDhawan

ILP extended to Manipur
The inner line permit (ILP) regime was extended to Manipur on 11 December 2019 with President Ram Nath Kovind signing the order in this effect.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22316-ilp-extended-to-manipur.html
#ILP #LokSabha #RamNathKovind #AmitShah #Manipur

Recycling of Ships Bill
Parliament passed a landmark “The Recycling of Ships Bill 2019’’ for Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships in India.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22315-recycling-of-ships-bill.html
#ShipsBill #GDP #revised #SOC #Gujarat #HKC

World’s newest nation
The South Pacific region of Bougainville voted overwhelmingly to become the world’s newest nation by gaining independence from Papua New Guinea, results showed on December 11.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22314-world-s-newest-nation.html
#ABG #Bougainville #BertieAhern #BCL #Worldsnewestnation

UN Global Climate Action Award
IT services major Infosys Ltd was presented with the United Nations Global Climate Action Award in the ‘Climate Neutral Now’ category at the UN Climate Change Conference in Madrid, Spain.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22313-un-global-climate-action-award.html
#UN #GlobalClimate #ActionAward #UNGCAA #IT

WTO's appellate body becomes dysfunctional
WTO's dispute settlement mechanism will be impaired with the departure of two of the three judges on its appellate body following completion of their term on 10 December 2019.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22312-wto-s-appellate-body-becomes-dysfunctional.html
#WTO #ASEAN #India #RohanShah #dysfunctional #GRA

Watch KSG India State Series Manipur | Manipur Gk | Manipur complete General Knowledge #iascoaching
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdas7woRRso

Watch: KSG DYK - World’s only floating National Park is located in? #SHORTS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC1re0RJbEo

Today's Headlines - 20 July 2023
NITI's Export Preparedness Index 2022
GS Paper - 3 (Economy)

Tamil Nadu has pipped Maharashtra and Gujarat to emerge as the top state in the Niti Aayog's Export Preparedness Index 2022. The index is aimed at assessing the readiness of the states in terms of their export potential and performance. Gujarat had topped the chart in the last two rankings.

More about the Index

Tamil Nadu with an overall score of 80.89 topped the third edition of rankings. Maharashtra with a score of 78.20 was second while Karnataka (76.36) was third.
Gujarat with a score of 73.22 was fourth, followed by Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and Kerala in that order in the ranking of coastal states, according to the government think tank's report released on 17 July 2023.
Among hilly/Himalayan states, Uttarakhand (59.13) has ranked at the top position. It is followed by Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Sikkim, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram in that order.
Haryana (63.65) topped the chart among the landlocked regions. It was followed by Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
In the category of union territories/small states, Goa (51.58) was ranked first. Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar and Ladakh were ranked second, third, fourth and fifth, respectively.

Flashback

The index can be used by the regions to benchmark their performance against their peers and analyse potential challenges to develop better policy mechanisms to foster export-led growth at the sub-national level.
The ranking is based on four main pillars: policy, business ecosystem, export ecosystem and export performance.
The index is also aimed at promoting competition among all states (coastal, landlocked, Himalayan and UTs) to bring about favourable policies, ease the regulatory framework, create necessary infrastructure and assist in identifying strategic recommendations for improving export competitiveness.

#upsc #news #nitis #economy #tamilnadu #maharashtra #gujarat #nitiaayog #performance #ranking #karnataka #andhrapradesh #coastalstates #uttarakhand #himachalpradesh #manipur #mizoram #arunachalpradesh #haryana #telangana #uttarpradesh #madhyapradesh #ecosystem #strategic #mechanisms

Today's Headlines - 22 July 2023
Section 69 (A) on social media platforms
GS Paper - 2 (Polity)

After a video of two Manipur women sparked outrage, the Centre has asked Twitter and other social media platforms to take down the video. The Centre has powers to issue content takedown orders to social media companies under Section 69 (A) of the Information Technology Act, 2000.

What is Section 69 (A)?

Section 69 of the IT Act allows the government to issue content-blocking orders to online intermediaries such as Internet Service Providers (ISPs), telecom service providers, web hosting services, search engines, online marketplaces, etc.
The Section requires the information or content being blocked to be deemed a threat to India’s national security, sovereignty, or public order.
If the Centre or state government are satisfied that blocking the content is “necessary” and “expedient” on grounds of “sovereignty or integrity of India, defence of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of any cognizable offence relating to above or for investigation of any offence,” it may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, direct any agency “to intercept, monitor or decrypt or cause to be intercepted or monitored or decrypted any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer resource,” the law says.
As per rules that govern these blocking orders, any request made by the government is sent to a review committee, which then issues these directions.
Blocking orders issued under Section 69 (A) of the IT Act are typically confidential in nature.
What has the SC said on Section 69 (A)?

In a landmark 2015 ruling, the Supreme Court in Shreya Singhal vs Union of India struck down Section 66A of the Information Technology Act of 2000, which entailed punishment for sending offensive messages through communication services, etc.
The plea had also challenged Section 69A of the Information Technology Rules 2009, but the SC held this to be “constitutionally valid”.
It will be noticed that Section 69A unlike Section 66A is a narrowly drawn provision with several safeguards. First and foremost, blocking can only be resorted to where the Central Government is satisfied that it is necessary to do so.
Secondly, such necessity is relatable only to some of the subjects set out in Article 19(2).
Thirdly, reasons have to be recorded in writing in such blocking order so that they may be assailed in a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution, the Court noted.
How did the Karnataka HC rule on this?

Section 69A was again under legal scrutiny in July last year when Twitter approached the Karnataka HC against the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY).
Alleging disproportionate use of power by officials, Twitter challenged the Ministry’s content-blocking orders issued under Section 69 (A) after the IT Ministry wrote to the social media giant, asking it to comply with its orders or lose safe harbour protection.
In July this year, a single-judge bench of the Karnataka HC dismissed the plea, saying the Centre had the power to block tweets.
Justice Krishna D Dixit also ruled that the blocking powers of the Centre extend to not just single tweets but entire user accounts.

#upsc #news #section69 #socialmedia #manipur #technology #constitution #disproportionate #karnataka #alleging #ministry #electronics #polity #manipurwomen #information #content #sovereignty #integrity #monitor #landmark

Today's Headlines - 27 July 2023
No-confidence motion against government
GS Paper - 2 (Polity)

The ongoing strife in Manipur in Parliament, which has brought the monsoon session to a standstill, opposition parties belonging to the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc have taken a significant step. They decided to move a no-confidence motion against the government, with a particular focus on the situation in the northeastern state.

What is a no-confidence motion?

A no-confidence motion is a parliamentary process that allows the opposition to challenge the government's majority and ability to govern. If the motion is passed, the government must resign.
Any member of the Lok Sabha can move a no-confidence motion. However, the motion must be supported by at least 50 members of the House.
A no-confidence motion must be in writing and must be signed by the member moving it.
The motion must be submitted to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha on any day on which the House is sitting.
The Speaker of the Lok Sabha will decide whether to admit the motion for discussion and debate.
If the motion is admitted, the Speaker will then decide on the date and time for the discussion. The Speaker may grant time for the discussion of the motion (under sub-rule (2) and (3) of rule 198 of Lok Sabha Rules.

How many no-confidence motions have been moved in the Lok Sabha?

Since independence, 27 no-confidence motions have been moved in the Lok Sabha.
The first no-confidence motion was moved against Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in 1963.
PM Indira Gandhi faced the most no-confidence motions (15), followed by Lal Bahadur Shastri and PV Narasimha Rao (three each).
The Atal Bihari Vajpayee government lost the no-confidence motion by a margin of one vote (269–270) in April 1999.
The most recent no-confidence motion was moved against the Narendra Modi government in 2018.

#upsc #news #noconfidence #motion #polity #manipur #parliament #INDIA #loksabha #primeminister #Jawaharlalnehru #lalbahadurshastri #atalbiharivajpayee #narendermodi #narasimharao #indiragandhi

Today's Headlines - 11 August 2023
Manipur Police have filed an FIR against AR
GS Paper - 2 (Polity)

Police in Manipur have registered an FIR accusing the Assam Rifles (AR) of preventing police from doing their duty, including blocking their way with armoured vehicles, which allegedly allowed Kuki militants suspected of killing Meiteis to escape.

Who are the Assam Rifles, and what is their role?

The AR is one of the six central armed police forces (CAPFs) under the administrative control of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
The other five forces are the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).
The AR is tasked with maintaining law and order in the Northeast along with the Indian Army. It also guards the Indo-Myanmar border.
The AR have a sanctioned strength of more than 63,000 personnel, organised in 46 battalions, apart from administrative and training staff.

The AR is unique

It is the only paramilitary force with a dual control structure. While the administrative control of the force is with the MHA, its operational control is with the Indian Army, which is under the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
This means that salaries and infrastructure for the force is provided by the MHA, but the deployment, posting, transfers, and deputation of AR personnel is decided by the Army.
All its senior ranks, from DG to IG and sector headquarters are manned by officers from the Army. The force is commanded by a Lieutenant General of the Indian Army.
The AR is in effect a central paramilitary force (CPMF) — its operational duties and regimentation are on the lines of the Indian Army.
However, being a CAPF under the MHA, the recruitment, perks, and promotion of AR personnel, and their retirement policies are governed according to rules framed for CAPFs by the MHA.
There are demands within the AR that only one Ministry should have full control over the force.
A large section within the AR wants to be under the administrative control of the MoD, as that would mean perks and retirement benefits that are far better than those enjoyed by the CAPFs under MHA.
However, Army personnel retire early — at age 35 — while the retirement age of CAPFs is 60 years.
Also, CAPF officers have recently been granted non-functional financial upgradation (NFFU) to at least financially address the issue of stagnation in their careers due to lack of avenues for promotions.
But Army personnel also get‘one rank, one pension’ (OROP) which is not available to CAPFs.

#upsc #news #headline #manipur #FIR #polity #police #AR #CAPF #ministryofhome #affairs #MHA #CRPF #BSF #CISF #SSB #tibetan #border #CISF #ITBP #myanmar #indian #army #MoD #OROP