Today in History (September 6th, 1901)
President William McKinley was indeed shot by Leon Czolgosz on September 6, 1901, during a public event at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. McKinley was taken to a hospital for treatment but succumbed to his injuries and passed away on September 14, 1901.
Summary of Today’s News
‘Bharat’ replaces ‘India’ in G20 invite from President.
President Droupadi Murmu’s invitations for the G20 Summit in New Delhi raised controversy as they replaced “India” with “Bharat.” This change sparked mixed reactions, with the government supporting it for cultural emphasis, while the opposition questioned its motive. Government sources suggest that “Bharat” will feature more in official communications, reflecting a potential shift in India’s cultural identity.
The implications of the expansion of BRICS
During the 15th BRICS summit in Johannesburg, the five-member BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) extended invitations to six new members: Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Argentina. This expansion follows interest from 40 countries and formal applications from 22. BRICS, which has held annual summits since 2009, has established institutions like the New Development Bank (NBD) and the Contingent Reserve Arrangement.
Laws governing forests of the Northeast
The Mizoram Assembly, on August 22, unanimously passed a resolution opposing the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act of 2023. This resolution is aimed at safeguarding the rights and interests of the people of Mizoram. Mizoram has special Constitutional protections under Article 371G, which prevent the application of any law enacted by Parliament that encroaches upon Mizo customary law, land ownership, and resource management.
SC reserves verdict on petitions on Article 370
In a legal case, petitioners represented by various senior lawyers challenged the Union’s actions in Parliament and through executive orders that transformed the state of Jammu and Kashmir into the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. They argued that this move was an assault on federalism and a deception of the Constitution. The petitioners contended that Article 370 had acquired permanent status after the dissolution of the J&K Constituent Assembly in 1957. They also argued that Article 368, pertaining to Parliament’s power to amend the Constitution, did not apply to Article 370.
A Constitution Bench, comprising several justices, indicated that its focus would be on the events leading to the dissolution of Article 370, starting with the dissolution of the Jammu and Kashmir State Legislative Assembly by the Governor in 2018.
