Today in History (February 22nd, 1997)
Dolly the sheep was indeed announced to the world on February 22, 1997. She was the first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell using a technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). This groundbreaking achievement opened up new possibilities and raised ethical questions about cloning technology and its applications in both animal and human contexts. Dolly’s birth marked a significant milestone in the field of genetics and biotechnology.
Summary of Today’s News
On Financial devolution among States.
The divisible pool of taxes, outlined in Article 270 of the Constitution, consists of taxes like corporation tax, personal income tax, central GST, and the Centre’s share of IGST. Managed by the Finance Commission, it determines funds allocation between the Centre and States, considering vertical (share of States) and horizontal (distribution among States) devolution. Issues include exclusion of cess and surcharge from the pool, leading to revenue disparity among States and decreasing share for southern States over time.
Ignoring protests, Assam government tables Bill against ‘magical healing’ in the Assembly.
The Assam government introduced the Healing (Prevention of Evil) Practices Bill, 2024, in the State Assembly to combat non-scientific healing practices exploiting people’s ignorance and health issues. Aimed at promoting scientific temper, the proposed legislation faced criticism from the Assam Christian Forum, which opposed equating magical healing with proselytization.
Let’s proceed with IMEC despite Gaza war, says Greek PM.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis emphasized the importance of continuing the India-Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEC) project despite regional instability. He underscored Greece’s strategic position as a gateway to Europe and discussed enhancing bilateral ties with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to India. Discussions included doubling trade, finalizing a migration pact, collaborating on military hardware, and Greece’s decision to join the Indo-Pacific Oceans initiative.
Manipur HC withdraws contentious part of its order on ST tag for Meiteis
The Manipur High Court modified its previous order from March 27, 2023, by removing Paragraph 17(iii), which instructed the Manipur government to consider including Meiteis in the list of Scheduled Tribes. This direction had triggered ethnic conflict between Meiteis and tribal Kuki-Zo communities and faced scrutiny from the Supreme Court due to tribal bodies’ appeals.
