Today in History (July 8th, 1497)
On this day in 1497, Vasco da Gama sailed from Lisbon with four vessels to discover a sea route connecting Europe with Asia. His fleet arrived in Calicut in Kerala on 20th May 1498, after voyaging through the Cape of Good Hope in Africa.
Summary of Today’s News
Gujarat High Court refuses relief to Rahul Gandhi in defamation case.
The Hon’ble Gujarat High Court declined to stay the conviction of Sri Rahul Gandhi, a former Member of Parliament, in the criminal defamation case in which he was sentenced to two years in jail by a Session Court of Surat, Gujarat. The case relates to his remarks against the Prime Minister, Sri Narendra Modi while campaigning for the 2019 Lok Sabha election in Karnataka. The conviction by the Surat Court led to his disqualification from the Lok Sabha under Article 102(1)(e) of the Constitution and Section 8 of the Representation of People Act, 1951.
Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has put out a consultation paper for soliciting public opinion for selectively banning messaging apps such as Whatsapp in places where an Internet shutdown would otherwise have been imposed. In addition, the paper also aims to solicit the opinion of stakeholders for bringing Whatsapp under licensing framework. Telecom operators have previously called for regulation of messaging apps and making payments for costs incurred by networks in running their infrastructure.
Russia-Ukraine Crisis
The United States of America has decided to provide cluster munitions to Ukraine as a part of an $800 million new military aid package for the war effort against Russia. With a reduced ‘dud rate,’ these munitions can result in unintended civilian deaths. The package includes Bradley and Stryker armoured vehicles and the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System.
Pradhan Mantri Gati Shakti Plan
The Union Government has decided to share data on multi-modal connectivity and other physical and social infrastructure captured on the PM Gati Shakti platform with industry and potential investors. The Network Planning Group (NPG) has multiple layers of geospatial data from across the country, evaluating 85 large central infrastructure projects worth Rs. 5.4 lakh crore.
