Today in History (May 10th, 1994)
Nelson Mandela, whose efforts to end apartheid led to his imprisonment (1962–90) and earned him a share (with F.W. de Klerk) of the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, became president of South Africa on 10th May, 1994.
Summary of Today’s News
Assam plans to ban polygamy
Government in Assam has decided to set up a panel towards handling a “part of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC)” after a crackdown on child marriage – polygamy. The committee would be tasked with scrutinising the provisions of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Act, 1937, along with Article 25 of the Constitution of India, in relation to the directive principles of State policy for UCC.
Minimising the threat from IEDs
On April 26, an IED (improvised explosive device) killed 10 security personnel of the District Reserve Guard in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada area. The jawans were out on an Anti-Maoist mission when they were ambushed. Legislative measures are required for mandatory addition of odoriferous chemicals and/or biosensors to explosives used in industry and mining etc. for their easy detection during transport.
It depends on who is giving the rating: Centre on India’s rank in press freedom index
India has fallen to 161st position in press freedom out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index published by the non-profit organisation, Reporters Without Borders. In 2022, India was ranked at 150. India is ranked behind countries such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia.
Both State, Centre responsible for riots in Manipur: Congress
On Monday, the CJI said that it was the President and not the court who had the power to designate a community as Scheduled Tribe. Courts do not have power to “add or subtract”.
Salvaging the idea and reality of Manipur
The communal riots which erupted in Manipur since the evening of May 3, between the Meiteis and Kuki Hmar Zomi communities, have unleashed unprecedented human displacement, a tragic loss of lives and destruction of property, and show no signs of closure. The large-scale deployment of paramilitary forces, predominantly in urban areas, is clearly not sufficient to maintain ‘law and order’ in the State’s peripheries.
