LAW AND AMENDMENTS

33% of seats have been reserved for women in the bar association committee by the Supreme Court.

• The Supreme Court has introduced a groundbreaking measure by reserving 33% of seats for women in the bar association committee. This move ensures greater representation and inclusivity within the Executive Committee of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA).

• Under the new regulation, a minimum of 3 out of 9 positions in the Executive Committee and 2 out of 6 Senior Executive Member posts will be designated for women.

• This decision, delivered by a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and K V Viswanathan, signifies a pivotal step towards gender equality and empowerment in the legal profession.

• The Supreme Court stipulated that at least one office-bearer position must be exclusively reserved for women on a rotational basis.

• For the term 2024-25, the position of treasurer within the executive committee will be specifically earmarked for a female member, furthering the objective of promoting diversity and inclusion within the legal fraternity.

IMPORTANT DAYS

World Press Freedom Day 2024 celebrated on 3 May

• On the 3rd of May each year, World Press Freedom Day is commemorated globally. This observance pays tribute to the invaluable role of media professionals in upholding the principles of unbiased journalism.

• The theme of the conference is “A Press for the Planet: Journalism in the Face of the Environmental Crisis.”

• The day serves as a platform to raise awareness about the significance of press freedom, a fundamental aspect of the Right to Freedom of Expression enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).

• The day also marks the anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration.

•UNESCO and Chile are hosting the 31st World Press Freedom Day conference from 2 to 4 May, 2024 in Santiago.

APPOINTMENTS

Justice PS Dinesh Kumar assumed the office of the presiding officer of the Securities Appellate Tribunal (SAT).

• Justice PS Dinesh Kumar, former Chief Justice of the High Court of Karnataka, has taken over as the presiding officer of the Securities Appellate Tribunal.

• Dheeraj Bhatnagar, retired Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Delhi has become the technical member of SAT.

• The tenure of both members will be four years.

• A SAT bench consists of three members including a presiding officer, a judicial and a technical member.

• SAT hears appeals against orders passed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India and the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority./p>

INDEX AND RANKINGS

World Press Freedom Index 2024

• In the World Press Freedom Index, India ranked 159th below Pakistan among 180 countries.

• Reporters Without Borders (RSF, short for Reporters sans frontières in French), an international non-profit organization, has released the latest annual World Press Freedom Index.

• However, Pakistan is ranked 152nd, seven places above India, which was ranked 150th in 2023.

• Norway, Denmark, and Sweden ranked 1st, 2nd, and 3rd respectively in the World Press Freedom Index.

• The World Press Freedom Index is based on five indicators including the Political indicator, Economic indicator, Legislative indicator, Social indicator and the Security indicator.

AWARDS

Purnima Devi Barman received the 'Green Oscar' Whitley Gold Award 2024.

• Dr Purnima Devi Barman, a wildlife biologist from Assam, has won her second Whitley Gold Award, also known as the Green Oscar.

• She received the award for her conservation efforts of the endangered Greater Adjutant Stork and its wetland habitat. Stork is locally as “Hargila” in Assamese.

• She wants to double the global population to 5,000 by 2030 by working across the stork's range in India and Cambodia.

• Apart from her, six other grassroots conservationists – from Guyana, Papua New Guinea, Bhutan, Cameroon, Nepal and Brazil have also received this award.

• Whitley Gold Award given by the Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN).

• It supports grassroots conservation leaders from around the world.

• The award is presented at a Royal Geographical Society awards ceremony in London. It is also known as the ‘Green Oscar’.

DEFENCE

7th India-Indonesia Joint Defence Cooperation Committee meeting held in New Delhi.

• On May 3rd, the 7th India-Indonesia Joint Defence Cooperation Committee meeting convened in New Delhi, marking a significant bilateral engagement.

• Chaired jointly by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane and Air Marshal Donny ErmawanTaufanto, Secretary General of the Indonesian Defence Ministry, the meeting underscored the importance of robust defense ties between the two nations.

• Air Marshal Taufanto's visit to India from May 2nd to May 4th further solidified the ongoing diplomatic exchanges between the two countries.

• Both countries also reviewed the progress made on various bilateral defense cooperation initiatives deliberated in meetings of Working Groups on Defence Cooperation and Defence Industries Cooperation.

• Additionally, he also held discussions with other Indian defense industry partners, such as Bharat Forge, Mahindra Defense, and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited.

• They also discussed ways to enhance defense industrial capabilities through cooperation in research and joint production.

• India and Indonesia have a comprehensive strategic partnership and have reached a common vision of the Indo-Pacific.

SPORTS

Vaishali Ramesh Babu becomes third Indian Woman Grand Master

• Indian Chess Prodigy, Vaishali Ramesh Babu who has been awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE, the International Chess Federation India is booming as far as the Chess landscape is concerned.

• She also expressed confidence that India will perform well at the upcoming World Championship.

• After Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli, Vaishali is the third Indian female Grandmaster.

• Vaishali is the third Indian female Grandmaster, joining Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli. Vaishali completed the requisite 2500 ELO points at the Llobregat Open tournament in Spain, last year.

ICC releases Men's T2O world cup 2024 official anthem

• The International Cricket Council (ICC) has released the official anthem of Men's T20 World Cup 2024.

• It has been prepared by the Grammy award-winning artist Sean Paul and Soca superstar Kes.

• With just 30 days left for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 to begin, the release of the anthem sets the stage for what will be the biggest cricket carnival spectacle ever.

• The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 will be held in which 20 international teams will play 55 matches from June 1-29 in West Indies and USA.

• The anthem, produced by Michael "Tano" Montano, was launched with a music video.

• It includes eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt, cricket stars Chris Gayle, Ali Khan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and other Caribbean celebrities.