1. NGT Unique
- The Supreme Court has declared the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) position as a “unique” forum endowed with suo motu powers to take up environmental issues across the country.
- The court said the NGT need not wait for the “metaphorical Godot” to knock on its portal to flex its considerable muscles to save the environment.
- The exercise of power by the NGT is not circumscribed by the receipt of applications.
- When substantial questions relating to the environment arise and the issue is civil in nature, the NGT, even in the absence of an application, can self-ignite action either towards amelioration or towards prevention of harm
- It is a specialized body set up under the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources.
- NGT is mandated to make disposing of applications or appeals finally within 6 months of the filing of the same.
- The role of the NGT is not simply adjudicatory in nature.
- The Tribunal has to perform equally vital roles that were preventative, ameliorative, or remedial in nature.
- The NGT is one of the most progressive Tribunals in the world.
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2. New Rules on Pregnancy
- The government has notified new rules under which the upper limit for termination of a pregnancy has been increased from 20 to 24 weeks for certain categories of women.
- According to new Rules, 2021, these categories include survivors of sexual assault or rape or incest, minors, and women whose marital status changes during an ongoing pregnancy, and women with physical disabilities.
- The new rules also cover mentally ill women, cases of fetal malformation that has a substantial risk of being incompatible with life
- The rules also cover if the child is born it may suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities to be seriously handicapped.
- Earlier, abortion required the opinion of one doctor if it is done within 12 weeks of conception and two doctors if it is done between 12 and 20 weeks.
3. New Cicadas discovered
- A new cicada species Platyomia kohimaensis was found in the Naga Hills, Nagaland almost after a century.
- No new cicada was discovered after those found by British entomologists in the Naga Hills in the early 1900s.
- The collection site of Platyomia kohimaensis was a semi-disturbed forest patch, with human activities as evident nearby in the form of farming and agricultural land.
- The main threat to many cicada species is their rapidly diminishing natural habitat, where they live and breed
- Some cicadas like Savazana mirabilis and Salvazana imperialism they discovered in Meghalaya prefer only certain tree species found in undisturbed forests.
What are cicadas
- Cicadas are hemipteran insects known for their loud, complex, and species-specific acoustic signals or songs.
- The generic diversity of cicadas in India and Bangladesh ranks the highest in the world, followed by China.
- Cicadas, with their acoustic signatures, act as indicators of a healthy forest ecosystem.
- As of now, it’s not even recognized as a taxon of significance.
- Most cicadas are canopy dwellers and are found in natural forests with large trees.
- The periodical cicada Chremistica ribhoi described in 2013 is confined to areas surrounding the Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary in Meghalaya.
4. ePLI bond
- Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, launched the digital version of the Postal Life Insurance policy bonds, also termed as “ePLI bond”, on the occasion of Azadi Ka Amrit
- It is the Department of Posts’ first digital integration with Digilocker which will greatly facilitate citizens in a meaningful way by providing ease of access and quick claim settlements.
- ePLI bond is made available in collaboration with DIGILOCKER, National eGovernance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY) Government of India.
- DigiLocker has been providing a secure cloud-based platform for storage, sharing, and verification of documents & certificates for various organizations.
5. Kotak Launched Micro ATMs
- To deliver essential banking services conveniently to a larger section of consumers living in relatively far-off areas, Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd has announced the launch of Micro ATMs
- Customers of all banks who possess a debit card can use a Kotak Micro ATM for key banking services such as cash withdrawals and checking account balances.
- A mini version of an ATM, micro ATMs is small handheld devices.
6. IndusInd Bank to Collect tax
- IndusInd Bank has been authorized by the Reserve Bank of India for the collection of direct and indirect taxes on behalf of the Central Board of Direct Taxes and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs.
- The authorization has been awarded basis a recommendation from the Controller General of Accounts as well as the Ministry of Finance
- It comes close on the heels of the Bank being appointed as an ‘Agency Bank’ of the RBI to conduct government business.
7. Global Girlhood Report 2021: Girls’ rights in crisis
It is a global report released by the organization Save the Children released on International Day of the Girl.
Highlights of the Report
- Child Marriage Kills More Than 60 Girls A Day
- More than an estimated 22,000 girls a year are dying from pregnancy and childbirth resulting from child marriage
- With the highest rate of child marriage in the world, West and Central Africa account for nearly half (9,600) of all estimated child marriage-related deaths globally, or 26 deaths a day.
- South Asia sees 2,000 child marriage-related deaths every, followed by East Asia and the Pacific with 650 deaths, and Latin American and the Caribbean, with 560 annual deaths
- COVID-19 pandemic has worsened inequalities that drive child marriage.
- A further 10 million girls are now expected to marry by 2030 leaving more girls at risk of dying.
- Gender inequality continues to fuel child marriage, as revealed in a national report from Save the Children in Nigeria.
- On focusing in Nigeria there is a belief that children born to young mothers are healthier and smarter is widespread among many communities. There’s also a common perception that younger girls “refresh” older men with their “younger blood.”
- Child marriage practice is still widespread in Burkina Faso which has one of the highest rates of child marriage globally.
8. ICC Women’s T20 batting rankings
- Indian Women’s T20I opener Shafali Verma dropped to the second spot while Smriti Mandhana remained third in the ICC Women’s T20 batting rankings.
- Verma has 726 rating points, Mandhana has 709.
- Australia’s Beth Mooney climbed to the top with 754 points.
- The Australians dominate the rankings, with skipper Meg Lanning (4th) and Alyssa Healy (6th) also featuring in the top 10.