CURRENT AFFAIRS

According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), the election for the next Vice President post will be held on September 9. This date has been announced after former Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar submitted his resignation to the President of India under Article 67 (a) of the Constitution.

The Supreme Court has cited the persistent delays by Speakers in deciding anti-defection petitions and urged Parliament to reconsider whether the current system serves its democratic purpose.

The Centre has notified a Single Window System for the appointment of Directors General of Police (DGPs) in the states in line with the directions of the Supreme Court.

India's Legal Aid System, despite being one of the largest systems in the world, is suffering from inadequate capacity, lack of awareness and access. This emphasises the urgent need to boost institutional and grassroots capacities to ensure justice, especially for the marginalised.

The Odisha government has taken steps to expedite the effective implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (POSH) Act, 2013 in all districts and government institutions.

According to the Supreme Court, companies can also fall under the definition of ‘victim’ under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and are entitled to compensation and legal remedies on the same level as individual (judicial) victims.

The Delhi High Court has asked the Central government to explain its stand on why same-sex couples are not allowed to give medical consent for each other, raising concerns about the lack of legal recognition and rights.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament has called for a review of the functioning of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), including the high rate of failure in Aadhaar biometric authentication, which may deprive many beneficiaries of social welfare schemes.

According to the 2011 Census, there are 121 languages and 270 mother tongues in India. About 96.71% of the population of the country speaks one of the 22 scheduled languages as their mother tongue.

On 25 June 1975, the then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi, declared Emergency in India without the written consent of the Cabinet. The next 21 months witnessed draconian measures like suspension of civil liberties, curbing freedom of the press, mass arrests, postponement of elections and rule by decree.