LEGAL NEWS

Indian Courts Achieve Milestone in Case Disposals

• Indian courts recently achieved a milestone by disposing of more cases than pending ones.

• This marks a significant step in addressing the long-standing issue of case pendency in the judiciary.

• According to the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), district courts resolved over 13.4 million cases.

• Approximately 10.5 million cases remain pending, showing a notable reduction in the backlog.

• This achievement is a vast improvement from 2023, when only 3.14 million cases were disposed of.

• High courts cleared over 1.2 million cases in 2024, contributing to overall progress.

• The Supreme Court addressed 36,969 cases during the same period.

• The case disposal-to-pending ratio improved significantly, dropping from 2.38 in 2023 to 0.79 in 2024, showcasing enhanced efficiency.

Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam 2024 Replaces Aircraft Act of 1934

• The ‘Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam 2024’ replaces the outdated ‘Aircraft Act of 1934’.

• This new legislation comes into effect on January 1, 2025.

• The Act aims to improve passenger rights and boost investment in the aviation sector.

• Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu introduced the Act in the Winter Session of Parliament 2024.

• It aligns India's aviation regulations with global standards and modern requirements.

• The Act represents a significant shift in India's aviation landscape.

• Key objectives include enhancing passenger welfare and encouraging innovation in aviation.

• The legislation fosters an environment conducive to investment in the sector.

• It aims to modernize aviation operations while prioritizing passenger rights.

NATIONAL NEWS

Defence Ministry Announces 2025 as “Year of Reforms”

• On New Year's Eve, Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh led a meeting with Defence Ministry Secretaries.

• The meeting focused on reviewing the progress of ongoing schemes, projects, and reforms.

• A key decision was made to declare 2025 as the ‘Year of Reforms’.

• The goal of this initiative is to transform the Armed Forces into a tech-driven, combat-ready force.

• The reforms will enable the military to conduct integrated multi-domain operations.

• The initiative aims to modernize India's defence infrastructure.

• It also focuses on enhancing efficiency and innovation within the defence sector.

• Collaboration among stakeholders will be a key component of the reforms.

Sanskriti Utsav 2025

• The Uttar Pradesh government is hosting the ‘Sanskriti Utsava’ from January 2 to January 26, 2025.

• The festival marks Uttar Pradesh's foundation day and celebrates its rich cultural legacy.

• It will feature a variety of competitions across the state, promoting emerging artistic talent.

• The event is dedicated to commemorating ‘Uttar Pradesh Diwas.’

• The theme of the festival is ‘Uttar Pradesh Parv – Hamari Sanskriti-Hamari Pehchaan.’

• the festival aims to promote classical, semi-classical, and folk arts through competitions at various levels.

• It seeks to discover emerging talents and enrich the state's cultural heritage, showcasing diverse genres like Khayal, Dhrupad, and various folk music styles, along with classical dance forms such as Kathak and Bharatnatyam.

Anti-dumping duty has been imposed by Finance Ministry on digital plates from five countries.

• The Finance Ministry has imposed an anti-dumping duty on digital plates from five countries: China, South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

• The duty will remain in place for a period of five years.

• The decision follows recommendations from the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) after a sunset review petition.

• TechNova Imaging Systems (P) Ltd. filed the petition requesting a sunset review of the existing anti-dumping duty.

• The current anti-dumping duties, imposed in July 2020, will remain in effect until January 29, 2025.

• Digital Offset Printing Plates (DOPP), also known as Digital Plates, are used in the printing industry.

• DOPP is made from high purity litho-grade aluminium coils.

• The definitive duty aims to protect domestic manufacturers from unfair pricing practices.

• This step is part of India's effort to ensure fair competition in the printing industry.

STATE NEWS

Delhi government launched ‘Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana’.

• Delhi government introduced the 'Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana' under Arvind Kejriwal's leadership.

• The scheme offers a monthly honorarium of ₹18,000 to Hindu and Sikh priests.

• Registration for the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana is now open.

• Arvind Kejriwal had previously launched the Mahila Samman scheme for unemployed women.

• The Mahila Samman scheme provides a monthly stipend of ₹2,100 to women without jobs.

• Both schemes aim to support and empower specific community groups in Delhi.

SUMMIT AND CONFERENCE

India will host the World Audio-Visual Entertainment Summit Waves for the first time in 2025

• India will host the inaugural "World Audio-Visual Entertainment Summit – Waves" in 2025.

• The summit marks a significant move towards positioning India as a global content creation hub.

• Prime Minister Modi recognized the expanding role of India's creator economy.

• The growing creator economy is fueling India’s ambition to become a $5 trillion economy.

• "Waves" will bring together global players in the audio-visual entertainment industry.

• India aims to capitalize on its vibrant creative ecosystem to boost global content production.

• The summit is expected to open new opportunities for India's entertainment and digital sectors.

BANKING, ECONOMY AND FINANCE

In October 2024, monthly exports from India's services industry reached an all-time high of $34.31 billion.

• India’s services exports hit a record high of $34.31 billion in October 2024.

• The services sector saw a 22.3% growth compared to October 2023.

• Policy support and investments in digital infrastructure, like data centers and high-speed internet, have driven this growth.

• Services traded through computer networks, such as the internet, apps, emails, and digital platforms, have seen rapid expansion.

• India’s digitally provided services exports have surged to $257 billion, up from just $30 billion in 2005.

• The growth has been particularly remarkable since 2010.

• By 2014, exports grew nearly fourfold from $20 billion to $80 billion.

• Pre-Covid exports showed steady growth, reaching $191 billion in 2019.

• By 2023, exports nearly doubled their pre-Covid peak.

MISCELLANEOUS

China released a prototype of the world’s fastest train.

• China has revealed the CR450 prototype, the world's fastest train.

• The CR450 can reach speeds of up to 450 km/h, surpassing the previous CR400’s 350 km/h.

• This achievement follows years of extensive research and development.

• The train features an advanced braking system optimized for stability and safety at high speeds.

• The CR450 incorporates water-cooled, permanent magnet traction technology.

• It also includes a high-stability bogie system for improved performance.

• The launch marks a major milestone in China's high-speed rail ambitions.

• The CR450 will replace the older CR400 model.

• This innovation highlights China's leadership in the high-speed rail industry.