Governance Community

The government aims to revive and develop 100 unserved and underserved airports, heliports, and water aerodromes by next year. This is part of a plan to operationalize 1,000 routes under the Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik, UDAN, scheme. In response to a question in the Rajya Sabha, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia stated that the government has approved a budget of Rs 4,500 crore for the revival of existing unserved, underserved airports, airstrips of state governments, the Airports Authority of India, PSUs, and civil enclaves. He stated that the Airports Authority of India has been monitoring the status of awarded aerodromes’ revival/development. He added UDAN launched in October 2016, is applicable for a period of 10 years. The Minister added, UDAN aspires to improve the Regional Connectivity Scheme and to make air travel affordable to the masses. Mr Scindia stated that 453 routes have been launched following four rounds of bidding up until last month, with seventy airports, including two Water Aerodromes and nine Heliports, being operational. According to him, the UDAN scheme provides affordable air connectivity to Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. He further stated that over two lakh UDAN flights had been operated, with over one crore people benefiting so far.

Cautioning against fake online platforms impersonating the government’s Jeevan Pramaan portal, the PIB Fact Check, a government of India initiative to combat misinformation about government schemes and policies, has issued an alert regarding a jeevanpraman.online portal claiming to provide a life certificate for Rs 150 under the pretext of a registration fee. In a tweet, the PIB Fact Check stated that there was no government affiliation with any such online portal. “A #Fake website ‘http://jeevanpraman.online’ is claiming to provide Life certificate and seeking a payment of ₹150 on the pretext of registration charge #PIBFactCheck No such website is associated with the Govt of India For authentic info, visit: https://jeevanpramaan.gov.in” Jeevan Pramaan is a biometrically enabled digital life certificate for pensioners based on Aadhaar. Pensioners must present a life certificate every November in order to collect their pension on time. How to Get the JeevanPramaan App on Windows Step 1: To download the jeevanpramaan application, go to https://jeevanpramaan.gov.in and click on the ‘Download’ option. Step 2: Enter your email address, complete the captcha, and click the ‘I agree to Download’ button. Step 3: You will receive an OTP on your email address; enter it. Step 4: After entering the right OTP, the download page displays; click the ‘Download For Windows OS’ button. Step 5: You will receive a download link in your e-mail – the link can only be clicked once before it expires – click on it. Step 6: A.zip file containing the jeevanpramaan application will be downloaded; unzip it; and then follow the directions in the ‘client installation document’. How to Get the JeevanPramaan Mobile App Step 1: To download the jeevanpramaan application, go to https://jeevanpramaan.gov.in and click on the ‘Download’ option. Step 2: Enter your email address, complete the captcha, and click the ‘I agree to Download’ button. Step 3: You will receive an OTP on your email address; enter it. Step 4: After entering the right OTP, the download page displays; click the ‘Mobile App download’ button. Step 5: You will receive a download link through email – the link can only be clicked once before expiring – click on it – the application (apk file) will be downloaded

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called for a “shift in fundamental mindset to benefit humanity as a whole” as India assumes the G20 presidency. PM Modi stated that India’s year-long G20 presidency will be “inclusive, ambitious, decisive, and action-oriented,” adding that it will encourage an honest conversation on minimising the risks posed by weapons of mass destruction and boosting global security. India began its G20 presidency today by emphasising counter-terrorism and “unity” in addressing global concerns such as the economic slowdown and climate change. The government also tries to develop agreement on debt sustainability and catastrophe and climate-resilient infrastructure. In addition, India’s G20 plans include a special emphasis on startups and bridging the digital divide. Over the following year, India will host up to 200 meetings across the country, with the first taking place later this week in Udaipur. In September 2023, the G20 Summit will be held in New Delhi. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stated that the G20 platform strives to find common ground among prominent countries on key issues.  “Our endeavor as the G20 chair is to make that consensus more relevant through wider consultation,” he said. For a week beginning today, 100 monuments across the country, including UNESCO world heritage sites, will be illuminated with the G20 logo. Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the logo and theme for India’s G20 presidency. The logo features a lotus flower and a globe, and the theme for India’s G20 presidency is “One Earth, One Family, One Future,” emphasising the country’s dedication to ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (world is one family). At the conclusion of the previous G20 summit in Bali on November 15 and 16, India was handed over the presidency of the influential bloc. The Group of 20 (G20) is an intergovernmental forum comprised of the world’s biggest industrialised and developing economies. Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union comprise the group. The member countries account for around 85% of global GDP, more than 75% of global trade, and almost two-thirds of global population.

The government intends to incorporate data regulation rules in a new Digital India Act, according to Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State for Electronics and IT. Chandrasekhar stated at a Foreign Correspondent Club event on 5G that the recently issued draft of Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) focuses on the protection of data of Indian citizens. “It (DPDP) does not intend to appoint a regulator and create regulation for the data ecosystem. That is down the road when we create a new bill for Digital India Act. This is a bill which narrowly focuses on data protection of consumers,” Chandrasekhar said. The government has issued a draft of a new data protection bill after withdrawing the previous version of the bill from the Lok Sabha in August, citing various overlapping requirements in the updated version of the bill. Speaking of 5G, the minister stated that the next-generation technology is based on an open technological ecosystem, giving India the opportunity to lead the segment rather of simply being a consumer of the technology.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that the spirit of the Indian Constitution is youth-centric, and he asked government institutions and the judiciary to make efforts to raise constitutional awareness among youth. Modi also encouraged the country’s youth to participate more in constitutional discussions and debates. “Our Constitution is open, futuristic and known for its progressive views. The spirit of our Constitution is youth-centric. The development of our country is on the shoulders of the youth,” said Modi at a Constitution Day function at the Supreme Court. “I request government institutions and judiciary to make endeavours to inculcate more awareness about the Constitution among our youth… To make the youth understand the Constitution better, I urge the youth to participate more in discussions and debates regarding the Constitution. The youth must know of the constituent assembly debates,” Modi stated. In addition to Modi, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, and Attorney General of India R Venkataramani spoke at the event. Since 2015, the day has been observed as Constitution Day to commemorate the adoption of the Indian Constitution by the Constituent Assembly in 1949. During the programme, the prime minister announced several new initiatives related to the e-court project. The initiative is an endeavour to give services to litigants, lawyers, and the judiciary by enabling courts with ICT. The PM’s initiatives include the Virtual Justice Clock, JustIS mobile App 2.0, Digital Court, and S3WaaS Websites. The digital court is an initiative that aims to make court records available to judges in digitised form in order to facilitate the transition to paperless courts.

At the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Taleigo, Goa, tomorrow will mark the start of the 53rd edition of the International Film Festival of India. The festival’s official opening is being prepared for in full effect. The festival’s current edition will screen 280 movies from 79 different nations. The festival will begin with Dieter Berner’s Austrian film Alma and Oskar. The “Indian Panorama” will feature up to 25 feature films and 19 non-feature films from India, while 183 films will be shown as part of the international programming. Asha Parekh, recipient of the 52nd Dadasaheb Phalke Award, is honoured with a special section of the festival. Manipur State Film Development Society has put together an unique package of five feature films and five non-feature films to celebrate the completion of 50 years of Manipuri cinema. Carlos Saura, a Spanish film director, is being given the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award. Eight films will be screened as part of the Country Focus package with France serving as the “Spotlight” country.

Speaking about important sectors of cooperation like trade, mobility, defence, and security, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his British counterpart Rishi Sunak met on Wednesday. The meeting was held in conjunction with the G-20 summit in Bali, Indonesia. After the leader of Indian descent became the British prime minister a few weeks ago, it was their first meeting. Following the meeting, Modi stated that India places a great importance on strong ties with the UK. “Was great to meet PM @RishiSunak in Bali. India attaches great importance to robust India-UK ties. We discussed ways to increase commercial linkages, raise the scope of security cooperation in context of India’s defence reforms and make people-to-people ties even stronger,” he tweeted. The two leaders reportedly expressed satisfaction with the current status of the extensive India-UK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the development of the “Roadmap 2030” for future ties, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). According to the statement, “The two leaders appreciated the importance of working together in bilateral and multilateral forums including G20 and the Commonwealth.” The MEA added, “Discussions touched upon important sectors of collaboration such as trade, mobility, defence and security.” Source: Reuters

Justice Dhananjaya Yeshwant (DY) Chandrachud was sworn in as the 50th Chief Justice of India on Wednesday at a major change of guard at the Supreme Court of India. The two-year term of CJI Chandrachud is scheduled to end on November 10, 2024. Justice Chandrachud was sworn in as Chief Justice of India by President of India Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan. “To serve the nation is my priority. We’ll protect all the citizens of India, be it in terms of technology or registry reforms, or judicial reforms,” stated CJI Chandrachud. Soon after taking the oath of office, Chief Justice Chandrachud paid respects to the Mahatma Gandhi statue in the Parliament. CJI Chandrachud is the son of DY Yeshwant Vishnu Chandrachud, the sixteenth CJI. On May 13, 2016, Chandrachud was chosen to serve as a Supreme Court judge. From October 31, 2013 till his appointment to the Supreme Court, Chandrachud, who was born on November 11th, 1959, served as the chief justice of the Allahabad High Court. From March 29, 2000, he presided as a judge of the Bombay High Court. Justice Chandrachud has already served on various Constitution benches and been a part of significant rulings by the Supreme Court, including ones on the Ayodhya land dispute, the right to privacy, and adultery. He served on the benches that rendered ground-breaking rulings on the constitutionality of the Aadhaar programme, the validity of Section 377 of the IPC, and the Sabarimala issue. These rulings led to the decriminalisation of same-sex relationships. He presided over a bench that last month broadened the application of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act and related regulations to cover unmarried women seeking abortions between 20 and 24 weeks of pregnancy. Justice UU Lalit, who left office on November 8 after a brief 74-day term, is succeeded by Justice Chandrachud. Judges of the Supreme Court are eligible to retire at age 65. On October 11, retired Chief Justice Lalit suggested Justice Chandrachud as his replacement to the Centre. Jagdeep Dhankhar, the vice president of India and chair of the Rajya Sabha, Om Birla, the speaker of the Lok Sabha, and the union ministers Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, and Kiren Rijiju were all present for CJI Chandrachud’s swearing-in. Also present during the occasion was former CJI Lalit. Justice Chandrachud earned his LLB from the Campus Law Center at Delhi University after completing his BA with honours in economics at St. Stephen’s College in New Delhi. He graduated from Harvard Law School in the USA with an LLM and an SJD, a doctorate in the judicial sciences.

The Centre has announced the guidelines under which it would form appellate panels to resolve grievances that consumers may have regarding decisions made by social media sites like Twitter and Facebook regarding the hosting of disputed content. In three months, a three-member Grievance Appellate Committee will be established, and they will work to find a solution within 30 days. Along with pornography, trademark infringements, false information, and other items that may pose a threat to the sovereignty of the country, the government has now added objectionable religious content (intended to incite violence) to the list of items that users can report to social media platforms. Such flag-related decisions made by them can be challenged before grievance committees. “Empowering users. Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) has been introduced for hearing appeals against decisions of Grievance Officer appointed by the intermediary. Privacy policy and user agreements of intermediary to be made available in the Eight Schedule Indian languages,” tweeted IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. “These IT rules are the next step to realising our goals of an open, safe, and trusted, accountable internet,” said Rajeev Chandrasekhar, the state minister for electronics and information technology (Meity). “They also mark a new partnership between government and internet intermediaries in making and keeping our Interest safe and trusted for all Indians.” The Internet Freedom Foundation, on the other hand, claimed that the provisions establishing the so-called grievance appellate committees are essentially a government censorship body that would hear appeals against the choices made by social media platforms regarding whether or not to remove content. This would make bureaucrats the arbiters of our online free speech. The statement continued, “This will incentivise platforms to remove/suppress any speech unpalatable to the government or those exerting political pressure and increase government control and power since the government will be effectively able to also decide what content must be displayed by platforms. We urge for a thoughtful consideration by Meity to formulate a rights-respecting approach towards platform regulation. A step in that direction would be to withdraw IT Rules, 2021 in its entirety.”

Rozgar Mela, the 10 lakh-person recruitment drive, will be officially launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video conference on October 22 at 11 AM. 75,000 newly appointed individuals will get appointment letters during the ceremony. On this day, the Prime Minister will also speak to these candidates. This will be a key step toward the Prime Minister’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding citizen welfare and providing youth with employment possibilities. According to the Prime Minister’s instructions, all Ministries and Departments are operating in Mission Mode to fill positions available against sanctioned positions. The 38 Ministries/Departments of the Indian Government will welcome the new hires, who were chosen from around the nation. The appointments, who fall into four categories: Group A, Group B (Gazetted), Group B (Non-Gazetted), and Group C, will join the government at various levels. Central Armed Force Personnel, Sub Inspector, Constable, LDC, Steno, PA, Income Tax Inspectors, and MTS are just a few of the positions for which appointments are being made. Ministries and Departments are doing these hirings in mission mode, either independently or through hiring organisations like the UPSC, SSC, and Railway Recruitment Board. Selection procedures have been streamlined and made tech-enabled for quick recruitment.