NATIONAL NEWS

Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan or Accessible India Campaign Complete 9 Years

The Government of India’s flagship programme for Persons with Disabilities, Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan, or the Accessible India Campaign, completed 9 years on 3rd December 2024.

The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan, or the Accessible India Campaign, was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 3rd December 2015, on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

The Campaign aims to raise public awareness about the challenges faced by persons with disabilities or Divyangjans in accessing public buildings, public transport, etc.

 It aims to solve these problems by creating an accessible environment.

India is a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and has committed to creating an accessible environment for people with disabilities.

The Campaign aims to achieve universal accessibility for Divyangjans across India.

The Government had set a target to achieve these targets by March 2024, but the campaign objectives have been absorbed into the Creation of a Barrier-Free Environment Scheme under the broader umbrella of the Scheme for Implementation of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (SIPDA).

Uber Starts India's First Water Transport Service In Srinagar

The American multinational ride-hailing app Uber has launched its first water transport service in India with the onboarding of the Shikaras at the iconic Dal Lake in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.

For the first time, a ride-hailing app in India has launched a booking service for water transport in India.

Shikaras are houseboats that resemble the gondolas of Venice but are smaller in size and are tastefully decorated.

Uber offers water transport services in some European countries, including Venice, Italy.

However, the service introduced in Srinagar was the first such service launched by the company in Asia.

According to Uber, seven Shikara owners have signed an agreement with it, and Uber users can book shikaras at government-determined rates.

The company said Uber is not charging any fees from its shikara partners and will pass the entire amount on to them.

The launch of the Uber service is expected to provide an assured income to the Shikara operators.

To the tourists, it will offer ease of convenience in booking shikaras, end the bargaining of rates with the shikara owners, and boost tourism in the area.

Telangana Set to Follow Andhra Pradesh in Scrapping Two-Child Policy

Telangana is considering scrapping its “two-child policy,” which prohibits individuals with more than two children from contesting local body elections.

This move is part of a larger trend, as neighbouring Andhra Pradesh already did away with the policy.

Telangana will need to amend its Panchayat Raj Act, 2018, for the policy to be reversed.

There is a concern that the state’s population will age, and by 2047, Telangana will need more children or younger individuals to support the elderly population.

Andhra Pradesh's Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is low at 1.5, compared to the national average of 2.11, which could impact future productivity.

PM Modi Dedicate Three New Criminal Laws To The Nation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation the successful implementation of the three new criminal laws: Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 at a function held in Chandigarh on 3 December 2024.

The function was organised in Chandigarh as Chandigarh is India's first state/Union Territory to have fully implemented the three new criminal laws.

Union Minister Amit Shah said the three new criminal laws will be implemented in the country within three years.

The three new criminal laws, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023, were implemented on 1st July 2024.

The three new criminal laws replace the British-era criminal laws and seek to make the country’s legal justice system more transparent, efficient, and modern.

The three new laws replace the following laws:

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which replaced the Indian Penal Code 1860,

Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, which replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and

Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, will replace the Indian Evidence Act of 1872.

The Union Home Ministry has also launched four apps—e-Sakshya, Nyaya Setu, Nyaya Shruti, and e-Summon—to ensure the country's smooth implementation of the three new criminal laws.

 

BANKING

Reserve Bank of India Allocates ₹3,497 Crore of Green Bond Auction to PDs

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) devolved ₹3,497 crore of the Sovereign Green Bond (SGrB) auction on Primary Dealers (PDs).

This occurred due to limited investor interest and low bids at the auction.

In May, the RBI cancelled a Sovereign Green Bond auction due to insufficient demand.

In the August auction, the RBI accepted only ₹1,697 crore out of the ₹6,000 crore initially notified, indicating low participation.

The notified amount for the recent SGrB auction was ₹5,000 crore.

The RBI received 73 competitive bids aggregating ₹9,630 crore and four non-competitive bids amounting to ₹2 crore.

The RBI accepted all non-competitive bids and only nine competitive bids totalling ₹1,500 crore.

The remaining amount of ₹3,497 crore was devolved on Primary Dealers (PDs).

PDs are intermediaries that provide liquidity in the secondary market and act as underwriters at Government Security (G-Sec) auctions.

They absorb the devolved amount when investor demand is insufficient.

The cut-off yield at the auction was 6.79%, which is the interest rate at which the bonds were sold

 

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

Chairman Of The International Cricket Council

Jay Shah officially took over as the chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) on December 1, 2024, at the age of 36, making him the youngest-ever ICC chairman.

Shah replaces Greg Barclay, the outgoing New Zealand lawyer, who did not seek a third consecutive term.

Shah is the 5th Indian to hold the position, following prominent figures like Jagmohan Dalmiya, Sharad Pawar, Shashank Manohar, and N Srinivasan.

His selection as chairman was unanimous by the ICC Board of Directors.

It is unclear who will replace Shah as the BCCI secretary.

However, India will likely be represented on the ICC Board by either current president Roger Binny or vice-president Rajiv Shukla.

Arun Dhumal, Ashish Shelar, and Devajit Lon Saikia are among the names being considered for the BCCI secretary’s post.

 

SPORTS

20th Asian Women’s Handball Championship 2024

The 20th Asian Women’s Handball Championships 2024 commenced in New Delhi on 3rd December 2024.

This is the first time that India is hosting the Asian Women’s Handball Championships.

The 19th Asian Women’s Handball Championships 2022 was held in the South Korean cities of Incheon and Seoul from 24 November to 4 December 2022, which South Korea won.

The 20th edition of the Championships was to be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan, but was later shifted to India.

The Asian Women’s Handball Championship is a flagship event of the Asian Handball Federation, the sport's governing body in Asia.

The Asian Handball Federation organises the Championships, and a member federation hosts the event.

The 20th Asian Women’s Handball Championships will be held at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, New Delhi, from 3-10 December 2024.

 

OBITUTARY

Ex-Australian Cricketer Ian Redpath

Ian Redpath, one of Australia's most respected opening batters, has passed away at the age of 83.

he was born in Geelong, Victoria.

Redpath played 66 Tests and 5 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) for Australia between 1964 and 1976.

Test Debut was against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where he was dismissed for 97 (just short of a century).

He scored 132 runs against West Indies at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1969.

Redpath was the last Australian cricketer to play as an amateur, turning down his match fee in 1963-64 to focus on his amateur career in Australia Rules Football.

He served as deputy to both Ian and Greg Chappell during his career.