{"id":2673,"date":"2024-08-22T08:38:40","date_gmt":"2024-08-22T08:38:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lawentranceindia.com\/blogs\/?p=2673"},"modified":"2024-08-22T08:38:40","modified_gmt":"2024-08-22T08:38:40","slug":"mlc-daily-current-affairs-22-august-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawentranceindia.com\/blogs\/mlc-daily-current-affairs-22-august-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"MLC Daily Current Affairs – 22 August 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today in History (August 22nd<\/sup>, 1894)<\/h1>\n

Mahatma Gandhi forms the Natal Indian Congress (NIC) in order to fight against discrimination against Indian traders in Natal, South Africa. <\/p>\n

Summary of Today’s News<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Centre plans to take caste count during Census<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Census\"
\n\u2022 Centre’s Plan: The Indian government is considering adding a caste column to the next Census form.
\n\u2022 Political Pressure: The move responds to persistent demands from Congress and other political parties.
\n\u2022 Census Delay: The Census, last held in 2011, is indefinitely delayed, partly due to debates over including caste data.
\n\u2022 Historical Context: Independent India has not conducted a caste-wise population count, except for the 2011 Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC), which was never published and criticized for inaccuracies.
\n\u2022 Digital Census: The next Census will be conducted digitally, allowing self-completion of questionnaires.
\n\u2022 Boundary Freeze: The deadline to finalize administrative boundaries for the Census has lapsed multiple times since 2019.
\n\u2022 State Initiatives: Bihar and Karnataka have conducted state-level caste censuses recently, with varying levels of public disclosure.<\/p>\n

17 workers killed as fire breaks out after \u2018reactor blast\u2019 at A.P. pharma plant<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"\"
\n\u2022 Incident Overview: A fire erupted at Escientia Advanced Sciences Pvt. Ltd. in Atchutapuram, Andhra Pradesh, following a reactor blast.
\n\u2022 Casualties: At least 17 workers were killed, and 20 others sustained burns. The death toll may rise as some bodies are feared trapped under rubble.
\n\u2022 Damage: Thick smoke engulfed the area, and body parts were scattered on the premises.
\n\u2022 Emergency Response: Ten fire tenders and two National Disaster Response Force teams were deployed to rescue workers and control the fire.
\n\u2022 Workforce: The plant employed 381 workers in two shifts; the blast occurred during a shift change.
\n\u2022 Government Action: Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident.<\/p>\n

Puja Khedkar\u2019s \u2018fraud\u2019 affected chances of other aspirants, UPSC tells Delhi HC<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u2022 Accusations: UPSC alleges Puja Khedkar committed fraud by improperly using OBC and disability quotas to clear the exam.
\n\u2022 Legal Proceedings: Khedkar’s anticipatory bail plea was opposed by UPSC, which argued her arrest is crucial to uncover the extent of the fraud.
\n\u2022 Current Status: The Delhi High Court extended Khedkar’s interim protection from arrest until August 29.
\n\u2022 Police Allegations: Delhi police claim Khedkar falsely declared her eligibility and attempts in the Civil Services Examination (CSE) by changing her name and misrepresenting her family’s status.
\n\u2022 Fraud Details: Khedkar is accused of having used all permissible attempts but still appeared in subsequent CSEs by providing false information.<\/p>\n

PM begins Poland visit, says it will help forge more vibrant relations<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"PM
\n\u2022 Historic Visit: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Poland is the first by an Indian Prime Minister in 45 years.
\n\u2022 Objective: Modi aims to strengthen and enhance relations between India and Poland, marking 70 years of diplomatic ties.
\n\u2022 Activities:
\n\u2022 Welcoming Ceremony: Modi was received warmly by the Indian community in Warsaw, including a Garbha performance.
\n\u2022 Homage: Paid respects at memorials for Jam Saheb Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja, who aided Polish students during WWII, and at the monument for the Battle of Monte Cassino honoring Indian and Polish soldiers.
\n\u2022 Diplomatic Engagements: Modi plans to meet Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Andrzej Duda to advance bilateral cooperation.
\n\u2022 Future Visits: After Poland, Modi will visit Ukraine.
\n\u2022 Strategic Significance: The visit highlights India’s balancing act between the West and Russia and aims to boost trade and investment opportunities, with Poland as part of the EU’s ongoing investment and free trade negotiations with India.<\/p>\n

SC to Review Need for Environmental Regulator<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u2022 Examination Proposal: The Supreme Court is considering whether to establish a permanent environmental regulator, similar to those in telecom and electricity sectors.
\n\u2022 Current Situation: Existing environmental and climate regulators operate separately, leading to potential inefficiencies.
\n\u2022 Amicus Curiae\u2019s Argument: Senior advocate K. Parameshwar suggested consolidating various regulators into a single entity for better oversight.
\n\u2022 Government’s Stance: The Centre views a new regulator as potentially duplicative, citing existing layers of decision-making and specialized bodies.
\n\u2022 Further Hearing: The Supreme Court will hear the issue in detail on November 20.
\n\u2022 Mining Activities: The Court also asked the Centre to consider banning mining in conservation and community reserves.<\/p>\n

Rapid E-Commerce Growth Could Impact Retail Jobs and Storefronts<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u2022 Minister’s Concerns: Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal expressed worries about e-commerce’s rapid growth and its potential to harm millions of small retail stores and jobs.
\n\u2022 Predatory Pricing: Goyal questioned whether predatory pricing strategies by major e-commerce players, like Amazon, are beneficial for the country.
\n\u2022 Impact on Employment: He criticized a recent report that downplayed e-commerce\u2019s impact on employment, suggesting it was biased to minimize concerns.
\n\u2022 Cloud Kitchens and Delivery Apps: Goyal also highlighted concerns about the negative effects of online food delivery services on traditional restaurants.
\n\u2022 Amazon’s Practices: He criticized Amazon\u2019s reported losses and questioned the true intent behind their investments in India, suggesting they may be employing strategies to bypass regulations prohibiting certain business practices.
\n\u2022 Regulatory Compliance: Goyal referred to Press Note 3 of 2016, which restricts foreign e-commerce firms from holding their own inventory, and accused firms of circumventing these rules through complex arrangements.<\/p>\n