TODAY ON March 16, 2023
GK News Headlines

Governors cannot precipitate the fall of elected governments: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Wednesday said that Governors seriously undermine democracy if they use their constitutional office to call for a trust vote, citing dissension within a ruling political party, and precipitate the fall of a legitimately established and functioning government.

Eric Garcetti confirmed as U.S. Ambassador to India after 20-month fight
President Joe Biden’s close aide Eric Garcetti won confirmation Wednesday from a divided Senate as the nation’s next ambassador to India, more than a year and a half after he was first nominated by the President and after weathering doubts about his truthfulness in a sexual harassment scandal involving a City Hall adviser.

Foreign lawyers, firms can operate in India: BCI
The Bar Council of India (BCI) has opened up law practice in India to foreign lawyers and law firms.
The BCI, a statutory body governing legal practice in India, has framed the ‘Bar Council of India Rules for Registration of Foreign Lawyers and Foreign Law Firms in India, 2021’ to enable foreign lawyers and law firms “to practice foreign law, diverse international law and international arbitration matters in India on the principle of reciprocity in a well-defined, regulated and controlled manner”.

SC to hear plea on OBC quota in U.P. civic polls on March 24
The Uttar Pradesh government on March 15 informed the Supreme Court that the State Local Bodies Dedicated Backward Classes Commission has completed its “contemporaneous rigorous empirical investigation” to identify backward classes who deserve political representation in local bodies.

Railways’ video surveillance system project stumped by lack of cyber security clearance
After facing hurdles in the implementation of CCTV surveillance systems at major railway stations across the country, the Ministry of Railways has flagged a critical cyber safety issue involving national security with the NITI Aayog.

436 CAPF personnel die by suicide in three years, government sets up task force
The Union Home Ministry informed the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that it has set up a task force to suggest remedial measures for prevention of suicides and fratricides in Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).

NGOs received over ₹22,000 crore foreign funds in 2021-22: Centre
Despite a crackdown by the Union Home Ministry under the stringent Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), non-governmental organisations (NGO) and associations received over ₹22,000 crore of foreign funds in the 2021-22 fiscal year. The amount is higher than that received in the previous two years.

Parliamentary panel expresses concern over drastic cut in MGNREGS budget
Taking note of the drastic cut in allocation for the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Generation Scheme (MGNREGS) in the Union Budget, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Rural Development, in a report tabled on Wednesday, questioned the government’s rationale behind the reduction in the allocation for the scheme considering the key role it plays for the distressed populace of the country.

Increase in minimum age of marriage for women to 21 years two years after Bill is notified: Centre
The increase in minimum age of marriage for women to 21 years as provisioned in the Prohibition of Child Marriage Amendment Bill, 2021, would come into effect two years after the Bill is notified following its passage in Parliament, the government said on Wednesday. This gap would provide ample time to citizens to prepare for this “momentous” reform, it added.

79 children died in specialised adoption agencies from April-December 2022
A total of 79 children have died between April to December, 2022, in Specialised Adoption Agencies (SAAs) majorly due to unsafe abandonments which exposed them to harm like being bitten by animals or asphyxia. Very low birth weight and premature birth were some of the other reasons.

Perry and Kanika shine as RCB tastes first success
Virat Kohli gave a pep talk to the beleaguered women of Royal Challengers Bangalore on Wednesday. That seemed to have worked.
RCB, after losing five matches in a row, finally won a game in the Women’s Premier League. Its five-wicket victory against UP Warriorz came in a desperate situation: another loss would have meant the end of the road.