MLC Daily Current Affairs – 14 Mar 2024

Today in History (Mar 14^th, 1879)

German American physicist Albert Einstein, one of the most creative intellects in human history, known for his groundbreaking theories of relativity, was born in Ulm, Germany.

Let’s revise

A) Which country has officially joined NATO as its 32nd member?

1. Belgium
2. Sweden
3. Finland
4. Ukrain

Ans. (b)

B) Which country is a non European country as a member of NATO?

1. Ukraine
2. Turkey
3. Finland
4. Japan

Ans. (b)

C) Which one of the following organisation was established with the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington?

1. Warsaw Pact
2. NATO
3. World Bank
4. IMF

Ans. (b)

D) Who has assumed the role of Chairman of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)?

1. Kishor Makwana
2. Rajiv Kumar
3. Arun Goel
4. Shaktikant Das

Ans. (a)

E) Find correct statement about National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC).

1. It’s a constitutional body
2. It’s a non-statutory body
3. It’s a body under UPSC
4. It’s a department under the ministry of Minority Affairs

Ans. (a)

F) National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) has been established under which of the following Article of the Indian Constitution?

1. Article 338
2. Article 226
3. Article 123
4. Article 233

Ans. (a)

G) “Cutlass Express” near Seychelles was in news. It is ____

1. A news paper in USA
2. A train recently launched in Mumbai
3. A Naval Exercise
4. A direct train between Russia and China

Ans. (c)

H) Recently Vajra sentinel system was in news. What is it?

1. Anti drone system
2. Anti missile system
3. Anti tank missile
4. A nuclear weapon of India

Ans. (a)

I) What is the aim of Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT)?

1. Combat tax avoidance
2. Combat money laundering
3. Combat inflation
4. Combat corruption in public sector banks

Ans. (a)

J) Vivad se Vishwas (VSV) Scheme is associated with _____

1. Income Tax Department
2. Forest and environment conservation
3. Save Water
4. Combat with air pollution

Ans. (a)

Summary of Today’s News

UCC in Uttarakhand

• President Droupadi Murmu signed the Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2024,
• Uttarakhand has become the first state in independent India to have Uniform Civil Code.
• The Bill has prohibited rites linked to marriage and divorce in Muslim Personal Law, such as talaq, iddat, and halala, while keeping tribal people outside of its purview.
• On February 7, 2024 the Assembly passed the bill.
• It guarantees women’s equality of rights with regard to inheritance and property rights.
• Under Article 201 of the “Constitution of India,” the President approved the Uttarakhand Uniform Civil Code Bill 2024
• Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami emphasized that through the enforcement of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) law, the government is dedicated to ensuring equal rights for every citizen.
• The Bill, comprising 392 Sections across seven Schedules, is derived from a comprehensive 750-page draft spanning four volumes.
• This draft was meticulously prepared by an expert committee established by the government in June 2022 to assess the feasibility of introducing the UCC in the State.

Political background of advocate and appointment as judge

• The Supreme Court Collegium ignored a Department of Justice communication suggesting that a lawyer being considered for a judge position in the Kerala High Court is perceived as sympathetic to the CPI (M) party.
• Recommending advocate Manoj Pulamby Madhavan for the High Court judge role, the Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, noted that having a political background isn’t necessarily a reason to reject a candidate for a judicial post.

SC to hear plea to include CJI on EC selection panel

• The Supreme Court is set to urgently hear a plea concerning the appointment of two new Election Commissioners following the resignation of Arun Goel just before the Lok Sabha elections.
• Filed by the NGO Association for Democratic Reforms, the plea seeks the suspension of the new law governing Election Commissioners’ appointments.
• The NGO also calls for the reinstatement of the Chief Justice of India in the selection committee for Election Commissioners, citing a landmark Supreme Court ruling from March 2, 2023, in the Anoop Baranwal case.
• The case addresses concerns over potential imbalance due to the Executive’s increased authority in appointing two Election Commissioners.
• Emphasizing the Election Commission’s crucial role in ensuring free and fair elections, the NGO stresses the need for impartial appointments independent of government influence.
• The court had previously mandated that the President appoint the Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners based on recommendations from a committee including the Prime Minister, Leader of the Opposition, or leader of the largest opposition party, along with the Chief Justice of India.
• However, the government enacted a new law, The Chief Election Commission and other Election Commissions (Appointment, Conditions of Service, and Term of Office) Act, 2023, replacing the Chief Justice of India with a Cabinet Minister on the selection committee, which the NGO argues grants excessive authority to the Centre.
• The NGO asserts that political interference poses a significant threat to democracy, emphasizing the need to protect the Election Commission from such intervention.
• With elections looming, leaving Election Commissioner positions vacant would be unwise.

Will publish poll bond data ‘in time’, says CEC

• Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar affirmed the Election Commission’s commitment to transparency regarding electoral bonds.
• The Supreme Court directed the State Bank of India to submit electoral bond data by March 12.
• Rajiv Kumar stated that the Commission would review the data provided by SBI and ensure timely disclosure.
• The Election Commission prioritizes disclosure to maintain transparency standards.
• SBI has issued electoral bonds worth ₹16,518 crore across 30 tranches since the scheme’s inception in 2018.

Digital arrest’: duping people by posing as officers

• In November 2023, Rohini from Noida’s Sector 34 was tricked by individuals claiming to be TRAI officials, alleging her SIM card was linked to money laundering, resulting in her falling victim to a ‘digital arrest’ scam.
• Rohini, complying with fake IPS officers’ instructions via Skype, transferred her entire savings of ₹11,11,295 to a specified account, realizing the deception after receiving no response for three days. She reported the scam to the police on the fourth day, and the case is under investigation.
• DCP Kuldeep Kumar R. Jain, also handling cybercrime, highlighted the virtual “house arrest” effect of such scams, citing ongoing investigations into two cases in Karnataka, involving a retired IAS officer and a senior journalist, who collectively lost over ₹12.7 crore.
• Investigations revealed convincing layers of deception by scammers, including fake constables, sub-inspectors, and DCP-level officers contacting victims.