Todays in History (February 12th, 1824)
On 12 February 1824, social and religious reformer Swami Dayananda Saraswati was born. He was born at Tankara located in Gujarat. He founded the Arya Samaj on April 7, 1875.
Summary of Today’s News
Chile’s independence from Spain declared
Chile formally declared its independence from Spain on February 12, 1818, marking a significant milestone in its struggle for freedom. The declaration came a year after the decisive victory at the Battle of Chacabuco on February 12, 1817, which was a crucial step towards Chilean independence. The final defeat of Spanish forces in Chile came later in April 1818 at the Battle of Maipú, solidifying Chile’s independence.
EC ‘snatched’ NCP from its founders, says Sharad Pawar
Senior Indian politician Sharad Pawar expressed disappointment and surprise over the Election Commission’s decision to recognize the faction led by his nephew, Ajit Pawar, as the legitimate Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and allocate the party symbol to them. He criticized this move as unprecedented and indicated his intention to challenge it in the Supreme Court.
Average annual sitting days in LS down to 55
The 17th Lok Sabha, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’sleadership, saw a significant decline in annual sitting days, averaging only 55 days compared to previous Lok Sabhas. Despite attributing some of this decrease to the pandemic, the Lok Sabha faced numerous early adjournments, resulting in the cancellation of many scheduled sittings. In 2020, Parliament reached its lowest sitting day count ever, totalling only 33 days.
Ensure fair, equitable evaluation process in NExT: House panel.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare has stressed the necessity for thorough scrutiny before implementing the National Exit Test (NExT) in medical education. Emphasizing the diverse backgrounds of medical colleges, the committee highlighted the importance of considering this diversity among the initial batch of NExT aspirants.
Stop referring to trial courts as lower courts: SC to registry
The Supreme Court, in an order issued on Thursday, directed its registry to cease referring to trial courts as “lower courts.”. The order further specified that even the records from trial courts should not be labelled as “lower court records,” suggesting that they should instead be referred to as “trial court records” (TCR).
Netanyahu promises ‘safe passage’ to Palestinians ahead of Rafah operation
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has indicated plans to extend military operations against Hamas into Gaza’s southern town of Rafah. He promised “safe passage” for civilians displaced there but did not specify where they could go.
- Hamas warned that any Israeli offensive in Rafah would jeopardize negotiations for the release of hostages held since the October 7 attacks.
