Today in History (November 25th, 1970)
On November 25, 1970, Japanese novelist Mishima Yukio attempted a coup by taking the commandant of the Japan Self-Defense Forces Ichigaya Camp in Tokyo hostage. Mishima sought to inspire a coup to restore the emperor’s pre-war powers. However, his efforts failed, as the soldiers did not join his cause. Faced with defeat and embarrassment, Mishima performed seppuku (ritual suicide) in the commandant’s office.
Summary of Today’s News
Generic drugs for 4 rare diseases made available in India.
The Union Health Ministry in India has introduced a significant initiative to provide relief to patients with rare diseases. Generic drugs for four specific ailments have been made available at greatly reduced prices, ranging from 60 to 100 times lower than their current market value. These diseases include Tyrosinemia-Type 1, Gaucher’s Disease, Wilson’s Disease, and the Dravet-Lennox Gastaut Syndrome.
Centre exempts CERT-In from purview of RTI Act.
The Indian government has added the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) to the list of organizations exempted from the Right to Information Act (RTI). CERT-In, responsible for responding to computer security incidents, is now among the entities whose information is not accessible through RTI requests. The exemption, granted under Section 24(2) of the RTI Act, includes allegations of corruption and human rights violations. CERT-In, functioning under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has played a significant role in investigating cyberattacks, notably responding to a ransomware attack on AIIMS in November 2022.
Read up Punjab case verdict on giving assent to Bills, SC tells Kerala Governor
The Supreme Court has instructed the office of Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan to review a recent judgment emphasizing that governors must act within the State Legislature’s bounds and lack a non-existent veto power over bills. The judgment, prompted by Punjab’s case, clarified that governors cannot indefinitely withhold assent to bills.
Afghanistan Embassy in Delhi shuts down
The Afghanistan Embassy in Delhi has officially closed down permanently as of November 23, according to a statement from the mission. The embassy attributed the closure to pressure from both the Taliban rulers in Kabul and the Government of India. The embassy had ceased operations on September 30 when senior Afghan diplomats and the ambassador left India.
