Today in History (July 21st, 1906)
On this day, in 1906, Womesh Chandra Bonnerjee passed away. He was the first President of the Indian National Congress session of December 1885 held at Bombay) and also a famous barrister and defended Surendranath Banerjee in a contempt of court case in the High Court of Calcutta.
Summary of Today’s News
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is a statutory body established under the Protection of Human Rights Act 1993 to safeguard human rights in India. It consists of a chairperson (should be either a retired Chief Justice of India or a judge of the Supreme Court) and five members (should be a serving or retired Judge of the Supreme Court, a serving or retired Chief Justice of a High Court and three persons, out of which at least one should be a woman, having knowledge or practical experience with respect to human rights.), appointed by the President based on a six-member committee’s (consisting of Prime Minister as its head, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Leaders of the Opposition in both the Houses of Parliament, Central Home Minister) recommendations, and serves a term of three years or until the age of 70, whichever is earlier.
Katchatheevu island
Katchatheevu, an uninhabited island in the Palk Strait, was originally owned by the king of Ramnad. Administered jointly by India and Sri Lanka during British rule, India ceded it to Sri Lanka in 1974, along with fishing rights. Despite maritime boundary agreements, fishermen from both countries continue to fish in the area, leading to tensions and conflicts with the Sri Lankan Navy.
Kerch Bridge
The Kerch Bridge opened in 2018 and connects Russia and Russian-annexed Crimea across the Kerch Strait. It consists of parallel road and rail bridges, serving as a vital transport link for goods and military convoys to the region. The bridge gained strategic significance during the Russia-Ukraine war, facilitating transportation to southern Ukraine.
National Investigation Agency (NIA)
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is India’s Central Counter Terrorism Law Enforcement Agency, established after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. It operates under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs and has jurisdiction over terror-related crimes across states without special permission. NIA special courts, presided over by the Judges appointed by the Central Government. The agency’s headquarter is in Delhi, and it has branches in multiple cities across India.
