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By admin: Aug. 12, 2022

Justice Uday Umesh Lalit appointed as 49th Chief Justice of India

Tags: Person in news

Justice Uday Umesh Lalit was appointed as the 49th Chief Justice of India on 10 August after President Draupadi Murmu signed the warrant of appointment.

Important facts

• Justice Lalit will take over as the 49th Chief Justice of India on 27th August 2022.

• NV Ramana is currently the Chief Justice of India.

• He was appointed as Judge of the Supreme Court of India in August 2014 from the Bar Association.

• Justice Lalit would become the second Chief Justice of India to be directly elevated from the Bar to the Supreme Court, after Justice SM Sikri, who served as the 13th Chief Justice in 1971.

• Justice Lalit has twice served as a member of the Supreme Court Legal Services Committee.

About Justice Uday Umesh Lalit 

• He was born on 9th November, 1957 at Solapur, Maharashtra. 

• Justice Lalit was enrolled as an Advocate by the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa in June, 1983.

• He practised in the Bombay High Court until December 1985, before moving to Delhi in January 1986.

• He worked in Soli Sorabji's chamber from October 1986 to 1992 and was on the panel of lawyers for the Union of India during the period when Soli Sorabji was the Attorney General of India.

• From 1992 to 2002 he served as Advocate on Record and was designated as Senior Advocate by the Supreme Court in April 2004.

• He was also appointed amicus curiae in many important matters like forest matters, vehicular pollution, pollution of Yamuna etc.

Landmark Judgments

• In August 2017, a five-judge Constitution Bench, which also included him, declared the practice of instant divorce through 'triple talaq' as "void", "illegal" and "unconstitutional" by a 3-2 majority.

• In another important judgement, a bench headed by Justice Lalit had empowered the then royal family of Travancore to manage the historic Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Kerala, which is one of the richest temples.

• A bench headed by Justice UU Lalit had ruled that touching the sexual parts of a child's body or any act involving physical contact with 'sexual intent' is punishable under Section 7 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act.

Argentine Rear Admiral Guillermo Pablo Ríos appointed Chief Military Observer of UNMOGIP

Tags: Person in news International News

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed a veteran Argentine naval officer as Head of Mission and Chief Military Observer for the United Nations Military Observer Group (UNMOGIP) in India and Pakistan.

Important facts

• Rear Admiral Guillermo Pablo Ríos of Argentina has replaced Major General Jose Eladio Alcán of Uruguay.

• After graduating as a Middle Shipman from the Naval Academy, Rear Admiral Ríos has had a distinguished career in the Argentine Navy since 1988.

• He, most recently, served as the General Director of Education, Training and Doctrine of the Joint Staff (2022).

• Prior to this, he was Marine Infantry Commander (Core Commander) (2020-2021).

• He has also served as Marine Infantry Fleet Commander (Brigade Commander) (2019), Head of Education, Navy Warfare School (2018) and Defence, Military, Navy and Air Force in Russia (2016-2018).

• He has also been a training officer in the United States Marine Corps Regiment under the United States and Argentina Marine Exchange Program (2002–2003).

• Ríos has served in two peacekeeping missions, including the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) in 1993 and 1994, and the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO) in 2007.

• He has also served as a Humanitarian Mining Observer with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Angola (1997–1998).

• He holds a master's degree from the Naval University Institute and E-Salad University in Argentina.

About UNMOGIP

• UNMOGIP was established in January 1949.

• Following the Indo-Pakistani War and the Armistice Agreement in 1971, UNMOGIP's main tasks are to oversee developments related to strict adherence to the ceasefire.

• It has 44 military observers, 25 international civilian personnel from 10 countries and 47 local civilian staff. 

• India has maintained that UNMOGIP has outlived its utility and is irrelevant after the Simla Agreement and the establishment of the Line of Control (LoC).

• The last report of the Secretary-General of the Security Council on UNMOGIP was published in 1972.

• The group is financed by the United Nations.

Simla Agreement

• It was signed by India and Pakistan in July 1972.

• It established the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir, which was similar to the ceasefire line established by the Karachi Accords.

• Under this, India and Pakistan mutually agreed on certain principles.

• They emphasised respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty, not interfering in each other's internal affairs.

India expresses concern over shelling near Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant

Tags: International News

India has expressed concern over reports of shelling near the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine and called for mutual restraint to ensure that the safety and security of nuclear facilities is not endangered.

Important facts

• India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ruchira Kamboj said that India expresses its concern over reports of shelling near the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant.

• The statement came as Ukraine again accused Russia of shelling the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) on 11 August.

• India attaches high importance to ensuring the safety and security of nuclear plants, as any accidents involving nuclear facilities can potentially have serious consequences for public health and the environment.

• In March 2022, the Russian military took control of Europe's largest nuclear power plant, the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant.

• An emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council was held on this development regarding the plant.

• On February 24, Russia launched a "special military operation" in Ukraine, which the West called a "war without cause".

• As a result, Western countries have also imposed severe sanctions on Moscow.

About Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant

• It was built between 1984 and 1995, is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe and the sixth largest in the world.

• It is located in south-east Ukraine in Enerhodar on the banks of the Kakhovka reservoir on the Dnieper river.

• It is located about 200 km from the disputed Donbass region and 550 km south-east of Kyiv.

• In normal times it generates one-fifth of Ukraine's total electricity.

World's largest nuclear power plants 

1. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa - Japan - capacity - 7,965 megawatts 

2. Bruce Nuclear Generating Station - Canada - 6,384 MW

3. Kori Nuclear Power Plant - South Korea - 6,040 MW

4. Hanul Nuclear Power Plant - South Korea - 5,928 MW

5. Hanbit Nuclear Power Plant - South Korea - 5,875 MW

6. Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant - Ukraine - 5,700 MW

India-UK conclude fifth round of FTA talks

Tags: Economy/Finance International News

India and the United Kingdom (UK) concluded the fifth round of talks for an FTA on the 29th of last month.

Important facts

• In the fifth round of talks, technical experts from both sides came together to discuss 15 policy areas.

• Currently, India is holding FTA talks with some of its trading partners including the European Union, Canada and Israel.

Consensus between both countries

• Officials in India and the UK will continue to work intensively throughout the summer to finalize talks on a comprehensive and balanced free trade agreement by the end of October 2022.

• UK agrees to end duties on Indian rice and textile items.

• India may allow duty-free entry of British apples, medical equipment and machinery manufactured in the UK.

• India initially proposed an early harvest agreement or interim FTA that would be ready by Diwali.

• Through this agreement, India-UK bilateral trade is estimated to double to about $100 billion by 2030.

• An agreement is also expected to be reached on mutual recognition of higher education qualifications.

• India is likely to get more skill visas, as the UK currently faces a shortage of experts in the IT and programming sectors.

• The India-UK FTA agreement is also expected to give a boost to the domestic textile sectors.

What is Free Trade Agreement (FTA)?

• Under this agreement, customs duties, regulatory laws, subsidies and quotas etc. are simplified on the products under import-export between two countries.

• Its main objective is to simplify trade.

• A major advantage of FTA is that the cost of production of the two countries between which this agreement is made becomes cheaper as compared to other countries.

• This encourages trade and gives impetus to the economy.

Latvia and Estonia withdraw from cooperation group between China and Central and Eastern European countries

Tags: International News

Latvia and Estonia have withdrawn from a cooperation group between China and more than a dozen Central and Eastern European countries.

Important facts

• The move comes amid Western criticism of China over increasing military pressure on Taiwan.

• Relations between Lithuania and China deteriorated after Taiwan was allowed to open a de facto embassy late last year.

• Latvia and Estonia said they would continue to work towards a constructive and pragmatic relationship with China while respecting a rules-based international order and human rights.

China and Central & Eastern European (CEE) 17+1 cooperation group

• It is a China-led format founded in 2012 in Budapest. 

• It aims to expand cooperation between Beijing and Central and Eastern European (CEE) member states with investment and trade for the development of the CEE region.

• It also aims at the development of infrastructure projects such as modernization of bridges, motorways, railway lines and ports in the member states.

• It includes twelve EU member states and five Balkan states.

• Name of the countries in 17+1 - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia. 

150th birth anniversary of Sri Aurobindo

Tags: Person in news National News

On the occasion of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Maharshi Aurobindo and the 75th Year of  Independence, the Union Ministry of Culture is commemorating the life and philosophy of Shri Aurobindo by undertaking Spiritual Programmes in 75 prisons across the nation from 12 to 15th August.

Important facts

• These programs aim to transform the lives of inmates by imbibing Aurobindo's philosophy and adopting yoga and meditation.

• The ministry has partnered with notable spiritual leaders and organizations to carry out these programs.

• Mainly keeping in mind the association with the national freedom struggle, the Ministry of Culture has identified 75 prisons across the country where these events will be held.

• Five organizations including Ramakrishna Mission, Patanjali, Art of Living, Isha Foundation and Satsang Foundation have been roped in to organize the programme.

Who was Maharshi Aurobindo?

• He was born in Calcutta on 15th August 1872.

• He was a yogi, seer, philosopher, poet and Indian nationalist.

• He propounded the principle of divine life philosophy on earth through spiritual development.

• His education began at a Christian convent school in Darjeeling.

• He entered the University of Cambridge, where he mastered two classical and several modern European languages.

• He cleared the ICS exam securing 11th rank out of 250 candidates.

• He also studied yoga and Indian languages, including classical Sanskrit.

Role in Indian Revolutionary Movement

• He participated in the struggle to free India from the British from the year 1902 to 1910.

• He was imprisoned by the British in the year 1908 in the Alipore Bomb Case.

• Two years later he fled British India and took refuge in the French colony of Pondicherry.

• He converted his entire life in Pondicherry into a complete and spiritual form and devoted himself to the development of yoga.

• In Pondicherry he founded a community of spiritual seekers which took shape in the year 1926 as Sri Aurobindo Ashram.

His literary works

• Bhagavad Gita and Its Message

• Bases of Yoga

• The Future Evolution of Man

• Rebirth and Karma

• Hour of God

IAF leaves for Malaysia to participate in bilateral exercise 'Udarashakti'

Tags: Defence

A contingent of the Indian Air Force left for Malaysia on 12 August to participate in a bilateral exercise named 'Udarashakti'.

About Udarashakti Exercise 

• This is the first bilateral exercise being conducted between the Indian Air Force and the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).

• This exercise will take place at the RMAF base of Kuantan.

• The Indian Air Force will participate in the aerial exercise with Sukhoi-30 MKI and C-17 aircraft while the RMAF will fly Su-30 MKM aircraft.

• The exercise will give an opportunity to the IAF contingent to share and learn best practices with some of the best RMAF professionals while discussing mutual combat capabilities.

• Various aerial combat exercises will be conducted between the two air forces in the four-day exercise.

• It will help in strengthening defence cooperation between the two countries.

• In 2021, the RMAF issued a request for proposal (RfP) to five countries: Italy, Russia, China, South Korea and India to purchase fighter jets.

• Malaysia is expected to announce its decision to purchase the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) 'Tejas' in September.

Pitch Black Air Combat Exercise

• Both India and Malaysia are participating in a multilateral aerial warfare exercise Pitch Black which is conducted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF).

• The drill is starting from next week and 17 countries are participating and 100 aircraft will take part in the Defensive Counter Air (DCA) and Offensive Counter Air (OCA) Combat Drills.

• 17 countries are participating including Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia and South Korea.

World Elephant Day

Tags: Important Days

World Elephant Day is celebrated every year on 12 August to raise awareness about the conservation of elephants around the world.

Important facts 

• Poaching is the first threat facing elephants.

• Habitat loss, human-elephant conflict, abuse by humans and other issues are some of the issues that affect elephants.

• World Elephant Day is also celebrated to draw people's attention to these issues and to tell them the importance of protecting this humble animal.

• Theme of 2022 - Bringing the World Together to help Elephants  

Background 

• World Elephant Day was first celebrated on 12 August 2012.

• It was due to the efforts of Canadian filmmaker Patricia Sims and the Elephant Breeding Foundation of Thailand that August 12 was celebrated as World Elephant Day.

• World Elephant Day aims to spread awareness about the plight of Asian and African elephants.

Some facts about elephant

• Elephants are the largest land mammals found on Earth.

• The African savanna (bush) elephant is the largest land animal on our planet.

• It has 3 species - African savanna (bush), African forest and Asian.

• Elephants are pachyderms, which means they have thick skin, with some areas covering about 2.5 cm of skin.

• It is found throughout Southeast Asia, including the forested regions of India, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Laos.

• India has the largest number of Asian elephants.

• There are about 28,000 elephants in India, of which about 25% are in Karnataka.

• Elephants are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Initiatives for conservation of Elephants

• Project Elephant

• Elephant corridors and reserve

• Gaj Yatra Nationwide campaign

• Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) programme

International Youth Day

Tags: Important Days

International Youth Day is celebrated across the world on 12 August every year.

Important facts

• The day aims to draw attention to the cultural and legal issues surrounding youth.

• It also aims to raise awareness about the challenges and difficulties faced by youth around the world.

• Everyone aged 15 to 24 is considered young, and according to statistics, more than half of the people on our planet are 30 or younger, and this number is expected to reach 57% by the end of 2030.

Background 

• The United Nations General Assembly began efforts to focus on youth in 1965.

• In the year 1999, the United Nations decided to celebrate this day as International Youth Day every year.

• It was based on a recommendation made to the United Nations General Assembly by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for the Welfare of Youth in Lisbon in 1998.

• The first International Youth Day was celebrated on 12 August 2000.

Theme of 2022 

• "Intergenerational Solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages" is the theme for 2022.

• This year's theme aims to spread the message that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals requires action across all generations, including youth.

• It also aims to raise awareness of ageism, which has negative aims at young and old individuals alike.