::NATIONAL::

Supreme court uphelds Aadhar as a reasonable restriction upon individual rights

•  The Supreme Court, in a majority opinion on Wednesday, upheld Aadhaar as a reasonable restriction on individual privacy that fulfils the government’s “legitimate aim” to provide dignity to a large, marginalised population living in abject poverty.

•  The majority view by Chief Justice of India DipakMisra and Justices A.K. Sikri and A.M. Khanwilkar declared Aadhaar a “document of empowerment.” An “unparalleled” identity proof. A document that cannot be duplicated unlike PAN, ration card, and passport.

•  Justice Sikri said technology had become a vital tool for ensuring good governance in a social welfare state. Schemes like PDS, scholarships, mid-day meals, LPG subsidies, involve a huge amount of money and “fool-proof” Aadhaar helped welfare reach the poor.

•  Upholding the passage of the Aadhaar Act as a Money Bill, the Supreme Court said neither were individuals profiled nor their movements traced when Aadhaar was used to avail government benefits under Section 7 of the Aadhaar Act of 2016. The statute only sought “minimal” biometric information, and this did not amount to invasion of privacy.

• Supreme Court says govt. need not produce ‘quantifiable data’ of backwardness to bring in promotion of SC/ST’s

•  A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday modified a 2006 judgment requiring the State to show quantifiable data to prove the “backwardness” of a Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe community in order to provide quota in promotion in public employment.

•  The 58-page judgment by a five-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India DipakMisra gives a huge fillip for the government’s efforts to provide “accelerated promotion with consequential seniority” for Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes (SC/ST) members in government services.

•  Justice Nariman pointed out that the Presidential List for Scheduled Castes contains only those castes or groups or parts as “untouchables.” Similarly, the Presidential List of Scheduled Tribes only refers to those tribes in remote backward areas who are socially extremely backward.

•  “It is only those persons within that group or sub-group, who have come out of untouchability or backwardness by virtue of belonging to the creamy layer, who are excluded from the benefit of reservation,” Justice Nariman wrote.

::ECONOMY::

New telecom policy to bring broadband access to all citizens by 2022

•  The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the new telecom policy that aims to provide broadband access to every citizen at 50 Mbps speed by the year 2022.

•  The National Digital Communications Policy 2018, which envisions attracting $100 billion investments into the country’s digital communications sector, aims at creating at least 40 lakh new jobs in the sector in the next four years.

Agmark certification process becomes online

•  Minister of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare ShriRadha Mohan Singh today launched the online software for Agmark. On this occasion he said that fulfilling Prime Minister’s Digital India dream and following its footsteps, the application processes related to Agmark certification are being done online by the Directorate of Marketing & Inspection (DMI). The process of application will be simple, quick, transparent and 24x7.

•  He informed that the Agmark online system is being implemented across the country to conduct quality control functions. Through the Agmark online system, certificate of authorisation (domestic), permission of printing press, permission of laboratories (domestic) and services related to laboratory information management system will be provided online.

•  Shri Singh said that the existing procedures for Agmark certification were in physical form and time consuming. The use of modern technologies by the National Informatics Center has made these processes easy, reliable and cost effective by providing online electronic mode.

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::INTERNATIONAL::

India –Uzbekistan sign crucial agreements

•  The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister ShriNarendraModi has approved the signing of an Agreement between India and Uzbekistan for cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors.

•  The Agreement provides for constitution of a Joint working Group comprising of representatives from both countries, the task of which would be to prepare plans of cooperation, provide solutions to the problems arising during the implementation of this Agreement and to monitor the implementation of tasks determined by the Parties.

•  The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister ShriNarendraModi has also approved theMoU between India and Uzbekistan on Mutual Cooperation in Combating Illicit Trafficking in Narcotics, Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Precursors.

•  The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister ShriNarendraModi has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Uzbekistan for establishment of the Uzbek-Indian Free Pharmaceutical Zone in the Andijan Region of Uzbekistan.

•  Signing of the MoU in the field of Tourism will also help the two countries in creating an institutional mechanism for enhancing cooperation in the tourism sector. It will also help in increasing foreign tourist arrivals from Uzbekistan to the country.

India and Oman Agree to Enhance Bilateral Cooperation in the Field of Maritime Security

•  His Excellency, SayyidBadr Saud Harib Al Busaidi, the Minister Responsible for Defence Affairs, Sultanate of Oman, is on an official visit to India at the invitation of RakshaMantriSmtNirmalaSitharaman.

•  The Omani Minister met with RakshaMantri in South Block today afternoon. The Ministers undertook a comprehensive review of bilateral defence cooperation and discussed measures to further enhance bilateral exchanges.

•  Both Ministers also shared their perspectives on recent developments related to regional security.

::SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY::

Astra BVR test fired successfully

•  Astra, the indigenously developed Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile (BVRAAM), was successfully test fired by the Indian Air Force from Su-30 aircraft, today from Air Force Station, Kalaikunda.

•  The missile successfully engaged a manoeuvring target with high precision meeting the mission objectives. In the series of trials held to date, Astra has been launched in the complete Su-30 flight envelope. The flight test assumes significance as it was part of the series of final pre-induction trials

::SPORTS::

National sports awards distributed

•  Flash bulbs worked overtime and made the sport stars shine brightly in the Durbar Hall of the RashtrapatiBhavan as President Ram NathKovind presented the National sports and adventure awards on Tuesday.

•  Starting with the Rajiv KhelRatna to weightlifter MirabaiChanu and ViratKohli, the packed audience applauded every awardee, making it an emotional experience for the achievers.

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