Chhattisgarh Congress leaders face ED searches
Summary:
India's Enforcement Directorate has searched more than a dozen locations in Raipur and Bhilai in Chhattisgarh in connection with a coal levy scam. The premises of several politicians, including MLAs, were searched. The Congress accused the BJP government of "politics of vendetta," and Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel questioned the timing of the searches, which were conducted days before the 85th plenary session of the Congress. The ED is looking into allegations of money laundering in a scam in which an illegal levy of INR25 ($0.34) per tonne was being extorted for every tonne of coal transported in Chhattisgarh by a cartel.
EPFO lists norms for opting higher pension
Summary:
The Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has issued a circular instructing its regional offices to implement the November 4 Supreme Court verdict on higher provident fund pension. The circular lists the procedures and required documents for existing employees and those who retired after September 1, 2014, to claim higher pension based on actual salary beyond the prescribed ceiling in the Employees' Pension Scheme of 1995. The employees can submit the joint option with the employers using the members' section of the EPFO website, which will be made available soon. Trade unions said the circular was delayed beyond the date suggested by the top court and will cause inconvenience for pensioners as the deadline to submit joint options ends on March 3.
Waqf Board moves HC against Centre’s decision to take over 123 properties
Summary:
The Delhi Waqf Board has gone to court against the Indian government's move to seize 123 waqf (Islamic endowment) properties, while minority community leaders have called for the Board's chairman, Amanatullah Khan, to be disciplined for failing to properly represent waqf interests, resulting in the loss of properties. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs had issued a letter to the Board, saying that it had not represented any interest in the properties despite having many opportunities to do so before a committee established by the central government. The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP), the Delhi State unit of which has been fighting the case in court for over three decades, said that it had saved 123 properties, valued at about INR200bn ($2.7bn), from going into illegal occupation by the Delhi Waqf Board.
A ‘democratisation’ that is more a fallacy
Summary:
The article explores the premise that social media has democratised self-expression. It analyses the shift in online communication, which has moved from long-form texts to tweets, retweets, likes, memes, and emojis, limiting the possibilities of self-expression. The author argues that social media moulds expression to fit its format, and the incentives of social media platforms shape discourse by privileging antagonism, snark, and outrage over dialogue and reason, dictating the message. The article highlights the "creator economy" and the emergence of generative AI, which could further diminish self-expression. The article concludes that even though capitalism thrives on increasing user choice, standardisation and mass production are natural corollaries.
The problems with the Data Protection Bill
Summary:
The article discusses the draft Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in India. The proposed law is designed to balance people's right to privacy and information while processing personal data for lawful purposes. However, the Bill's provisions have come under scrutiny as it dilutes the Right to Information Act, which empowers citizens to access information and hold governments accountable. The proposed Bill seeks to expand the RTI Act's Section 8(1)(j) and exempt all personal information from the ambit of the RTI Act. The article also criticizes the Bill's lack of autonomy of the Data Protection Board, which is responsible for enforcing the provisions of the law. The Bill's provisions that give the government control over the institution raises serious apprehensions of misuse.
India and Italy eye defence pact during Meloni visit
Summary:
Italian Prime Minister, Georgia Meloni, is expected to visit India in March, during which a bilateral defence cooperation agreement is likely to be discussed. Talks have reportedly been held between Italy's State Secretary for Defence, Matteo Perego Di Cremnago, and India's Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh. The agreement is significant as relations between the two countries have been strained since the arrest of two Italian marines in 2012, leading to tensions and disruptions in defence cooperation. The agreement may also be tied to Italy's Indo-Pacific strategy. The countries are also involved in multilateral fora in the Indian Ocean Region and Indo-Pacific.
Centre may notify emissions trading scheme by June
Summary:
India is in the final stages of notifying an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), requiring polluting industries to achieve certain standards of energy efficiency and allow them to trade these improvements. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) would be the nodal coordinator of the scheme, giving sectors energy efficiency targets, and companies that exceed them would get credits or certificates that they could bank or sell to companies that failed to meet the targets. The targets will be announced by June, but unlike Europe or other countries, companies will not be required to cut carbon emissions in absolute terms. India committed to reducing the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% (of 2005 levels) by 2030.
‘Kyiv stands,’ declares Biden as he makes a surprise visit to Ukraine
Summary:
President Joe Biden made an unannounced visit to Ukraine to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky as a show of Western solidarity with a country still fighting against a “brutal and unjust war”. Biden spent over five hours in Kyiv, discussing the next steps and honoring the country’s fallen soldiers. The timing of the visit is crucial, as Biden is trying to keep allies unified in their support for Ukraine as the war is expected to intensify with spring offensives. Biden announced an additional half-billion dollars in US assistance for shells for howitzers, anti-tank missiles, air surveillance radars, and other aid but no new advanced weaponry.