LAW AND AMENDMENT

Rajasthan HC: Sarpanch responsible for stopping child marriage

• The division bench of the Rajasthan High Court has mandated the state government to ensure no child marriage occurswithin the state.

• Despite the enforcement of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006, child marriages continueto occur.

• The order of the High Court comes on the eve of the Akshay Tritiya festival, which is being celebrated on 10 May this year.

• Most child marriages in the state are performed on the occasion of the Akshay Tritiya festival.

• The court highlighted that there has been a reduction in child marriages thanks to governmentalefforts, but stressed that more action is required.

• Village heads (sarpanches) and panchayat members are specifically held accountable; they willface responsibility under Section 11 of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 if they fail toprevent child marriages.

• The court has ordered the state to investigate and report on measures taken to prevent childmarriages and to monitor the list of scheduled child marriages provided in the PIL.

• It was emphasized that sarpanches must adhere to their duties as outlined in the Rajasthan Panchayati Raj Rules 1996, which include the prevention of child marriages.

NATIONAL NEWS

GST Appellate Tribunal will be headed by Sanjaya Kumar Mishra.

• The Goods & Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) will now be led by Retired Justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra, who has been appointed as its President.

• This significant appointment aims to facilitate businesses in swiftly resolving various disputes related to GST.

• The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet has granted approval for Mishra's appointment, following the recommendation of the SCSC (Search-cum-Selection Committee).

• He will remain in office for four years or till attaining the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier.

• In 2023, the Central government issued a notification to set up 31 GSTAT benches with one Principal Bench in Delhi.

• GST Tribunals handle disputes related to GST, providing a timely and efficient resolution mechanism.

• It plays a crucial role in ensuring fairness, accountability, and the rule of law in tax administration.

India's first constitution park has been inaugurated in Pune.

• India's inaugural Constitution Park has been unveiled in Pune, marking a historic milestone in the country's commemoration of its foundational document.

• Developed through a collaboration between the Indian Army and the Punit Balan Group, the park stands as a testament to the nation's reverence for its constitutional values.

• The park has been inaugurated by GOC-in-C, Southern Command, Lt Gen Ajai Kumar Singh.

• This Constitution Park is a tribute to the founding leaders of the Constitution.

• This park is a symbol of unity and commitment towards values in the Constitution of India.

• The Constituent Assembly of India developed the Constitution by taking provisions from other nations' constitutions.

• The Constituent Assembly prepared it in about 2 years and 11 months.

• It is the lengthiest written constitution in the world with approximately 1,45,000 words.

• It was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on 26th November 1949 and came into force on 26th January 1950.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India and Nigeria agreed to enhance cooperation in energy and Local currency settlement.

• India and Nigeria have recently agreed to strengthen their collaboration in the energy sector and local currency settlements.

• Both countries have identified key areas such as crude oil, natural gas, pharmaceuticals, Unified Payments Interface (UPI), local currency settlement systems, and the power sector for enhancing cooperation.

• They have reached consensus on promptly finalizing the Local Currency Settlement System Agreement.

• A seven-member delegation from India discussed issues related to cooperation during its recent visit to Nigeria.

• In this discussion, the Indian delegation was led by Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce, Amardeep Singh Bhatia.

• Indian delegation consisted of officials from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), EXIM Bank of India and National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).

•Nigeria is the second largest trading partner of India in the Africa region.

• India and Nigeria's bilateral trade has declined from $11.8 billion in 2022-23 to $7.89 billion in 2023-24.

• Around 135 Indian companies are actively working in Nigeria with an investment of $27 billion.