Legal Current Affairs

If you’re doing CLAT Preparation, Current Affairs play a significant role in securing a good score. So, you need to be updated with the daily current affairs and current happenings across the globe. Here is a list of some legal current affairs that took place this week.

National Cybersecurity Strategy In Final Stages

India is in the final stage of clearing the National Cybersecurity Strategy in the aftermath of increasing cyber-attacks and threats from nation-state actors against India.

Key Facts

India has become one of the most cyber-attacked nations across the world. About 4 million malware are detected here on a daily basis.
India also has a large attack surface comprising 1.15 billion phones and more than 700 million Internet users.
India has been working on the “National Cybersecurity Strategy” for the last two years, which is in the cabinet for final approval.

India’s rank in Global Cybersecurity Index

India has managed to avoid any major cyber-attacks or threats. As a result, in Global Cybersecurity Index 2021, India has jumped from 47 to 10.

Challenges with policy

As the policy is implemented, the country will face the challenge of addressing cyber-skilling. As per the report, there will be around 1.5 million job vacancies in cybersecurity in India by 2025.

Cyber-Shikshaa programme

Microsoft and the Data Security Council of India (DSCI) have invested in the ‘Cyber-Shikshaa programme’. This programme will help in creating a pool of skilled women security professionals in India. Microsoft is also coordinating with MeitY to skill security leaders in cybersecurity.

National Cyber Security Strategy 2020

National Cyber Security Strategy 2020 was drafted with the aim of improving cyber awareness and cybersecurity by means of stringent audits. Under the policy, empanelled cyber auditors will carefully look at the security features of organizations. To reinforce the idea that cyber-attacks can happen on a regular basis, table-top cyber crisis management exercises will be conducted.

UIDAI Seeks Exception From Data Bill

The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has appealed for exemption from Personal Data Protection (PDP) Law to avoid the duplicity of laws.

Key facts

UIDAI is already being governed by the Aadhaar Act.
The PDP law was making Aadhaar compulsory for several services, including the banks, which first initiated the data privacy debate.

Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI)

UIDAI is a statutory authority established under the Aadhaar Act, 2016, by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY). It was established to issue Unique Identification numbers (UID) called “Aadhaar”, to the residents of India.

Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019

The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 was passed to protect the personal data of individuals. It seeks to create a framework for processing personal data, by establishing a Data Protection Authority. Also, It governs the processing of personal data by the government, companies incorporated in India, as well as foreign companies that deal with the personal data of individuals in India. It categorizes personal data like financial data, caste, religious & political beliefs, biometric data, etc., as sensitive personal data.

Provisions of the bill

Section 35 of the bill calls on sovereignty & integrity of India, security of the state, public order, and friendly relations with foreign states to provide powers to the Central government to suspend all or any provisions of the Act for government agencies.
Section 12 provides for processing data for the purpose of service or benefit to the data principal. However, prior notice has to be given.

Aadhaar Act, 2016

This act is also called as Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and other Subsidies, benefits and services) Act, 2016. It provides legal backing to the Aadhaar unique identification number project. The Lok Sabha passed it on March 11, 2016.

National Steering Committee for implementation of the NIPUN Bharat Mission

On October 25, 2021, a National Steering Committee (NSC) was formed to implement the NIPUN Bharat Mission.

NIPUN Bharat Mission

NIPUN stands for “National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy”.
This mission was launched by the “Department of School Education and Literacy” in July 2021.
Mission was launched with the aim of achieving the goal of universal proficiency in foundational literacy & numeracy in accordance with the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020).
NEP 2020 envisages providing universal proficiency in foundational literacy & numeracy to every child by the end of Class 3 by 2026-27.

National Steering Committee (NSC)

The government has established the “National Steering Committee” to implement the NIPUN Bharat mission. Committee will be chaired by Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan. Minister of State for Education, Annapurna Devi will act as the vice-chairperson.

The objective of the committee

The National Steering Committee has been established with the objective to oversee the progress of “National Mission on Foundational Literacy & Numeracy”. Committee will also provide guidance on policy issues and help in achieving the desired target in 2026-27. It will also review programmatic and financial norms in a bid to ensure that they are synchronized with targets to be achieved.

Function of NSC

One of the responsibilities of NSC is to disseminate tools for measuring yearly progress in the form of guidelines. It also seeks to develop an assessment methodology to analyze the progress & provide feedback to States & UTs.

Members of NSC

Other members of the NSC include- Secretary of School Education & Literacy; Director of NCERT; Secretary of Education, Karnataka; Secretary Education, Uttar Pradesh; Director SCERT Sikkim and Director SCERT Gujarat.

Andhra Pradesh: Cabinet gives the nod for caste-based census

Andhra Pradesh Cabinet has decided to request the Centre to take up a caste-based census to mention other backward classes (OBCs) in the national census for 2021.

Highlights

Cabinet authorized the state backward classes minister, Venugopala Krishna, to move a request resolution in the upcoming assembly session to take up the caste census of OBCs.
Recently, on October 8, the Telangana government also adopted a similar resolution in the state assembly.

Department for the welfare of weaker sections

The Andhra Pradesh cabinet has also approved the formation of a separate department for the welfare of economically weaker sections.
This department was created with the aim of implementing welfare schemes for upper caste poor people.

New posts in medical & health department

The Andhra Pradesh Cabinet also decided to create 4035 new posts in the medical and health department. It includes 560 pharmacist posts in YSR Urban clinics. The Cabinet also approved 2190 additional posts for teaching faculty, paramedical staff, and staff nurses. The government also proposed to fill 41,000 vacancies in the Medical Health department. In the last two & a half years, around 26,917 posts have been filled.

Amendment to Cinematography Act, 1965

Andhra Pradesh Cabinet also approved for amendment of the Cinematography Act, 1965. It allows an online ticketing platform which is managed by AP State Film, Television, and Theatre Development Corporation, to issue cinema tickets.

Centre’s take on caste census

The Union government has ruled out to conduct Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) in an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court on September 23, 2021, stating that caste census was unfeasible and administratively difficult.

Do we need a caste census?

We need a caste-based census because it will be beneficial for policy making. The census will bring a large number of issues to light that any democratic country needs to attend. It will generate exhaustive data, which in turn will allow policymakers to develop better policies and implementation strategies. It will also help in addressing prevalent inequalities such as Unequal distribution of education, wealth and resources.

Stay tuned for more updates on legal current affairs and tips on CLAT preparation.

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