Exports drop by 12.2% in a year on slow demand
Summary:
India's merchandise exports fell 12.2% YoY to $34.48bn in December 2022, amid slowing global demand. Imports also contracted 3.5% to $58.2 billion from $60.33 billion a year ago. This is the second time in three months that the value of outbound merchandise shipments has fallen YoY. The country's merchandise trade deficit eased slightly from just under $24 billion in November to $23.76 billion in December, remaining under the $25 billion mark for the second month in a row. Despite the dip in two months, merchandise exports in the first nine months of 2022-23 are still 9.1% higher than a year ago at $332.76 billion.
Nepal plane crash: black box recovered from accident site
Summary:
All 72 people on board the Yeti Airlines aircraft that crashed on Sunday are believed to be dead as rescue workers made little progress in finding any survivors. They recovered one more body and the black box from the accident site, officials said on Monday. Both the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder have been recovered as rescue teams rappelled down a 300-metre gorge to continue their efforts. The boxes could offer vital clues about Sunday’s crash — Nepal’s deadliest aviation accident in over 30 years. The operation to recover the remaining bodies will resume on Tuesday.
Uncounted special ballots go missing in Perinthalmanna, found at Malappuram office
Summary:
A box of uncounted special ballots in the 2021 Assembly election in Perinthalmanna was found missing from the Sub Treasury office, but later found at the office of the District Joint Registrar of Cooperative Societies at Malappuram. This triggered allegations of conspiracy by the candidates. The UDF candidate Najeeb Kanthapuram had a narrow victory of 38 votes over K.P. Mustafa of the Left Democratic Front. The High Court will consider the case on Tuesday.
EDITORIAL
This is an ‘address’ of great constitutional importance
Summary:
he Governor of Tamil Nadu, in the customary Governor’s address to Members of the Tamil Nadu Assembly, skipped an important and politically significant paragraph, which has stirred up a hornet’s nest of controversy in the State. The paragraph in question referred to the Dravidian model of governance which has great political and cultural significance especially in Tamil Nadu. The present Governor is known to have no emotional link with the concept of a Dravidian model of governance or politics or its rich cultural past. The issue here is not one of the Governor’s personal likes or dislikes of a particular political ideology or a cultural tradition, but whether the constitutional authority can deviate from well-established and mandatory constitutional practices while performing a constitutional function.
India must amplify views of the Global South as president of the G20 summit
Summary:
India's "Voice of the Global South Summit" as its first big leadership-level G20 event is a departure from New Delhi's traditional focus on relationships with the UNSC P5 and G-7, and instead focuses on a more just view of the world and how the developing world is being affected by global inequalities. During the virtual summit, India and representatives of 125 countries, of the 134 that make up the G-77, discussed issues such as the fragmentation of the international landscape, shortages in grain exports, oil and gas, and fertilizer as a result of the Ukraine war, and terrorism. Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushed for a "human-centered" globalization that counters the "first world's" view of expediting climate change goals at the cost of development, ensuring immigration and work mobility for skilled populations of the global south, and resilient renewable energy access. The summit marks a reset in India's foreign policy outlook and aims to lead to a more inclusive meeting at the summit level particularly with reference to South Asian and the subcontinent's regional problems.
Time to streamline the Provident Fund pension scheme
Summary:
The article discusses the ongoing wait for higher pension under the Employees' Pension Scheme (EPS) 1995 for around 70 lakh pensioners in India. Despite the Supreme Court of India reiterating its approval of the idea of higher pension over two months ago, a circular issued in December by the Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO), the administering body for the EPS, has only limited the coverage of beneficiaries and imposed certain conditions. Pensioners who had expected to receive the benefits are disappointed and confused by the circular and are awaiting further clarification from the EPFO. The main concern of the EPFO is the sustainability of the pension fund and the potential for those receiving lower pensions to cross-subsidize pension payouts for those getting higher pensions.
Why is Kerala opposing the new Electricity Rules?
Summary:
What is Rule 14 in the new Electricity (Amendment) Rules, 2022? How are consumers going to be a"ected by
the amended rules? Why is the State government blaming the Centre?
The article is about the new Electricity (Amendment) Rules, 2022 that were introduced by the Indian central government. These rules include a rule (Rule 14) that allows distribution companies (Discoms) to automatically recover from consumers, on a monthly basis, the expenses arising out of variations in fuel price and power purchase costs. The state government of Kerala, led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist), has fiercely opposed this rule, arguing that it endangers consumer interests and creates an unstable pricing situation in the power sector. The state government is seeking legal advice on how to enforce the rules without burdening consumers.
Plagiarism and malicious intent: does ChatGPT have an ethics problem?
Summary:
OpenAI's AI chatbot, ChatGPT, which was opened to users in November 2022, has been tested for its ability to create malicious code. Illicit actors have attempted to bypass the tool's safeguards and carry out malicious use cases with varying degrees of success. The chatbot is programmed to block obvious requests for illegal or phishing content, but it can be tricked into correcting or enhancing malicious code for more skilled hackers. OpenAI notes that asking the bot for such content may violate its content policy, but for those who do so, the bot can provide a starting point. Cybersecurity firm Check Point's researchers found that the bot could generate an impressive phishing email and the company warns that "defenders and threat hunters should be vigilant and cautious" in adopting the technology quickly, so as not to be one step behind attackers.
Will consider plaints against PIL petitioner Upadhyay: SC
Summary:
The Supreme Court of India is considering complaints against advocate Ashwini Upadhyay for his alleged "scurrilous" remarks against minority communities in a petition against "illegal" religious conversions and for his alleged track record of filing and withdrawing petitions "on his own fancy". The Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud, addressed Upadhyay and stated that it appears PIL petitioners do not adhere to the rule of pleadings and locus standi. Senior advocate P. Wilson argued that Upadhyay had withdrawn a similar petition citing rampant illegal conversions in the country after the top court refused to entertain it in 2021. Additionally, senior advocate Dushyant Dave drew the attention of the Chief Justice Bench to the vexatious and disparaging remarks made in Upadhyay's petition against Muslims and Christians.
Rijiju seeks govt. nominees in court collegiums, writes to CJI
Summary:
The Indian Law Minister has written a letter to the Chief Justice of India suggesting that the Union government should have a nominee in the Supreme Court Collegium (a group of judges who make decisions on appointments to the higher judiciary) and a State representative in each of the High Court collegiums. This move has raised complaints and the Minister has suggested the formation of a search-and-evaluation committee, which will have government representatives, to suggest names for appointment as judges in constitutional courts. This move has been met with opposition from the Congress party and Delhi's Chief Minister, who have called it a "poison pill for the judiciary" and "extremely dangerous" respectively. The move comes as the government's recommendations for appointment of 5 Supreme Court judges are pending and as the Law Minister's letter also criticizes a Supreme Court judgment from 2021 which gave the government a maximum of 18 weeks to process names for appointments.
Proceedings overlap, says SC as it refuses to hear plea on Joshimath
Summary:
The Supreme Court of India has asked the Uttarakhand High Court to consider complaints or grievances regarding relief and rehabilitation for people affected by the Joshimath land sinking incident. The court has said that the issue should be considered with "reasonable dispatch" if it is raised before it. A bench led by the Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud said that the Supreme Court should not intervene when the Uttarakhand High Court is already dealing with a broad range of issues concerning the Joshimath land sinking. The court also highlighted that the Uttarakhand High Court has already directed the state government to strictly implement the ban on construction in Joshimath. The court has given the petitioner the liberty to approach the Uttarakhand High Court either by filing a substantial and separate petition or through intervention in the current proceedings before it.
ISRO likely to push Venus mission ‘Shukrayaan I’ to 2031
Summary:
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) may postpone its Venus mission, known as Shukrayaan I, from December 2024 to 2031 due to lack of approval from the Indian government. The Venus mission was first proposed in 2012, and ISRO has been conducting preliminary studies since 2017. The Venus mission is also waiting for money to be allocated before spacecraft assembly and testing can begin. The Venus mission is considered a crucial opportunity as optimal launch windows to Venus occur once every eight years, and other space agencies such as the US and Europe also have Venus missions planned for 2031.
SC to hear petitions against marital rape from March 21
Summary:
CJI asks Union government to !le its a"davit on or before February 15; Solicitor-General
Tushar Mehta says the case has not only legal rami!cations but also widespread social impact
The Supreme Court of India announced on Monday that it will begin hearing a series of petitions that call for the criminalization of marital rape. A three-judge bench, led by the Chief Justice of India, D.Y. Chandrachud, has directed the Union of India (the central government) to file a response in an affidavit. The solicitor-general, Tushar Mehta, representing the government, said that the case has legal implications as well as a widespread social impact. The court asked the government to file its affidavit on or before February 15.
Calcutta HC directs DMs to take action in MGNREGS case
Summary:
The Calcutta High Court has directed the District Magistrates in West Bengal to “take appropriate action” in the imbroglio relating to implementation of MGNREGA after the Paschim Banga Khet Majdoor Samity (PBKMS) provides details of the aggrieved workers. Wages to workers under MGNREGS have not been paid since December 2021 and the PBKMS, a union of agricultural workers, had "led the petition before the High Court on November 28, 2022. The petition sought payment of the pending wages.
Toll from Russian strike on residential building in Ukraine rises to 40
Summary:
The article is talking about a recent attack in the city of Dnipro in Ukraine that left 40 people dead and 34 missing. The attack involved a missile strike on a residential building, and residents are still searching for survivors in the rubble. The Russian government is denying responsibility for the attack and instead blaming Ukraine, but residents and emergency services are pointing to the destruction caused by the missile as evidence of Russian involvement. The article also mentions that Russia and Belarus are beginning new joint military drills, and the UN atomic watchdog chief is visiting Ukraine to deploy observer missions at nuclear power plants. Additionally, the article mentions the resignation of the German Defense Minister, Christine Lambrecht, and the recent pledge by Britain to supply Ukraine with 14 tanks.
As talks with Tamils drag on , Ranil pledges full implementation of 13th Amendment
Summary:
The President of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe, announced that the government will "fully implement" the 13th Amendment of the Constitution. This is a piece of legislation that was passed in the 1980s and guarantees a certain level of power devolution to the country's provinces. The President made this announcement at an event for the Tamil community in the Northern Province. The Tamil National Alliance, a group representing Tamils in the north and east of the country, has been in talks with the President since December 2022, and has urged the government to fully implement the 13th Amendment as a first step towards finding a durable political solution to the civil war-scarred nation's long-pending national question. However, the TNA has criticized previous promises made by the government to implement the amendment and has little hope in the current process, unless the government takes some specific actions.
States’ gross fiscal deficit may dip to 3.4% this year
from 4.1% in FY20: RBI study
Summary:
The study by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) shows that the financial health of the states in India has improved from a sharp deterioration caused by the pandemic in 2020-2021, due to a broad-based economic recovery and high revenue collections. The gross fiscal deficit of states is expected to decrease from 4.1% of GDP in 2020-2021 to 3.4% in 2022-2023. The study also showed that the debt of states is expected to decrease to 29.5% of GDP in 2022-2023 from 31.1% in 2020-2021. However, it is still higher than the 20% recommended by the N.K. Singh Committee for reviewing the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act in 2018, which means that there is a need for debt consolidation. The study suggests that increased allocations for sectors such as health and education can help expand productive capacities if states mainstream capital planning rather than treating them as first stops for budgetary cutbacks.
Supreme Court to hear Google plea in ₹1,337-crore penalty case on January 18
Summary:
The article is reporting on a case in which Google is appealing a penalty of 1,337 crore rupees (approximately $182 million) that was imposed on the company by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for alleged anti-competitive practices in relation to Android mobile devices. Google has filed a plea with the Supreme Court of India and the court has agreed to hear the case on January 18th. Google's legal team is arguing that the CCI's order should be overturned and that there is no finding of abuse of dominance. The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) had previously refused to provide any interim relief to Google and had scheduled the case for April, which Google's legal team argues would render their appeal infructuous.
India rampages past abject Sri Lanka
Summary:
The article is discussing a cricket match between India and Sri Lanka, in which India won by a record margin of 317 runs. It highlights the performances of two Indian players, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli, with Gill scoring a century and Kohli scoring an unbeaten 166 runs. It also mentions the performance of Indian bowler Mohammed Siraj who took four wickets in the match. The article also mentions that this win helped India to whitewash Sri Lanka 3-0 in the series.