Today in History (July 5th, 1996)
On this day in 1996, Dolly, the first successfully cloned mammal, was born in Edinburgh. She was cloned by the associates of the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh, using the process of nuclear transfer from a cell taken from a mammary gland.
Summary of Today’s News
SCO calls for a multi-polar world.
The Head of the State Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), chaired by the Indian Prime Minister, called for forming a more representative and multipolar world order in the world’s best interest. The summit saw the signing of the ‘New Delhi Declaration’, which outlines the areas of cooperation among the SCO members, a joint statement on countering terrorism, and digital transformation. India stayed out of a joint statement on SCO Economic Development Strategy 2030. Iran was inducted as the ninth and the latest member of SCO.
Rajasthan proposes life imprisonment to curb question paper leaks.
The State Government of Rajasthan proposed introducing stringent laws to prevent recruitment exam paper leaks by enhancing the maximum punishment for the offense from 10 years to life imprisonment. The Chief Secretary has been asked to discuss with Rajasthan Public Service Commission and the Rajasthan Staff Selection Board to improve transparency in competitive exams.
Government to help combat child trafficking in border areas.
The Union Government has decided to build infrastructure in border areas to combat child trafficking and provide for victims’ rehabilitation and protection. The Union Ministry of Women and Child Development will provide financial assistance to the States and Union Territories along the border areas to set up homes to protect trafficked persons from neighbouring countries. India is a source as well as a destination country for human trafficking. The central source countries are Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar.
Jens Stoltenberg to remain NATO Secretary-General for another year.
The incumbent NATO Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, will remain in his office for another year. He is a former Norwegian Prime Minister who has been NATO’s Secretary-General since 2014. He is the second-longest serving NATO Secretary-General, since its formation in 1949, after former Dutch foreign minister Joseph Luns.
