SUMMIT AND CONFERENCES

10th All India CAT Conference

• Chief Justice of India B. R. Gavai inaugurated the 10th All India Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) Conference in New Delhi.

• CAT was recognized as a platform designed to ensure faster justice and efficiency in handling service matters of government employees.

• Justice Gavai underlined CAT’s four decades of dedicated service and called for consistency and transparency in its rulings.

• He stressed that tribunal judgments must be clear, logical, and inspire confidence among litigants.

• Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal observed that routine appeals against correct CAT orders should be discouraged.

• Union Minister Jitendra Singh highlighted that CAT was established to ease the burden of high courts and make justice more accessible.

• The conference focused on discussions to strengthen CAT’s role as a cost-effective and citizen-friendly dispute resolution forum.

28th National e-Governance Conference 2025 in Visakhapatnam

• The 28th National Conference on e-Governance is being held in Visakhapatnam on 22–23 September 2025, jointly hosted by DARPG, MeitY, and the Andhra Pradesh government.

• Themed ‘Viksit Bharat: Civil Service and Digital Transformation’, the event was inaugurated by CM N. Chandrababu Naidu and Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh.

• The conference will honour 19 e-Governance projects with the National Awards 2025, including 10 Gold, 6 Silver, and 3 Jury Awards.

• Awardees represent central ministries, state departments, local bodies, and academic institutions for their digital governance initiatives.

• Around 70 speakers from government, industry, and academia will address topics like AI, cybersecurity, agri-tech, grassroots innovations, and service delivery.

• An exhibition will showcase India’s e-Governance milestones, along with a Wall of Fame for past award winners.

• Delegates from all 28 States and 8 UTs are attending, and the conference will conclude with the Visakhapatnam Declaration on e-Governance 2025, presented by Smt. Sarita Chauhan.

India Secures Re-Election to UPU Councils

• India has been re-elected to both the Council of Administration (CA) and the Postal Operations Council (POC) of the Universal Postal Union (UPU).

• The decision was made at the 28th UPU Congress in Dubai, reinforcing India’s global standing in postal reforms.

• The Ministry of Communications highlighted that this reflects global confidence in India Post’s modernisation efforts.

• India Post’s digital innovations have drawn recognition from the international community.

• Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia credited the achievement to India’s rising global leadership and acknowledged the role of Dr. S. Jaishankar in securing support.

• India, a UPU member since 1876, has consistently contributed to global postal growth and cooperation.

• The CA oversees governance and regulatory issues, while the POC focuses on technical and operational improvements in postal services worldwide.

STATE NEWS

Dhordo: Gujarat’s New Solar-Powered Model Village

• Dhordo village in Kutch has become fully powered by solar energy, making it the fourth solar village in Gujarat after Modhera, Sukhi, and Masali.

• The achievement will be dedicated by PM Narendra Modi on 20 September during the ‘Samudra Se Samriddhi’ event in Bhavnagar.

• Dhordo, already honoured by the UNWTO as the ‘Best Tourism Village’, now stands out as a symbol of clean energy and rural progress.

• Under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, all 81 households in the village have been fitted with rooftop solar systems.

• Together, these rooftops provide a 177 kW capacity, expected to generate around 2.95 lakh units of electricity each year.

• The initiative not only cuts electricity costs for villagers but also enables extra income by selling surplus power to the grid.

• Dhordo’s transition highlights Gujarat’s leadership in renewable energy, setting benchmarks in sustainability and rural empowerment.

NATIONAL NEWS

ECI De-Lists 474 Political Parties: Streamlining the Electoral System

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) has de-listed 474 Registered Unrecognised Political Parties (RUPPs) for not contesting elections in the last six years, bringing the total removals in two months to 808.

• RUPPs are registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which grants them benefits such as symbols and tax exemptions, but also binds them to election participation and financial reporting.

• The main grounds for removal include non-participation in polls for six years, failure to file audited accounts for three financial years (2021–22 to 2023–24), and non-submission of expenditure reports.

• The de-listing process involves show-cause notices from State CEOs, hearings for the parties to present their case, followed by the EC’s final decision.

• This action aims to weed out inactive and non-compliant parties, ensuring that only serious organisations retain registration privileges.

• The move enhances transparency in political finance, reduces clutter, and helps both voters and administrators focus on active participants.

• After this round, 2,046 RUPPs remain, while 359 more are under review for irregularities, signalling the EC’s continued push for accountability in the democratic process.

AWARDS

Mohanlal Honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2023

• Mohanlal has been selected for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2023, India’s top honour in cinema.

• The award will be presented at the 71st National Film Awards on 23 September 2025.

• He is recognised for his four-decade-long career with over 400 films across languages.

• His achievements include five National Awards and multiple Kerala State Film Awards.

• Mohanlal also received the Padma Shri (2001) and Padma Bhushan (2019) for his contribution to arts.

• In 2009, he was designated as an Honorary Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army.

• The Dadasaheb Phalke Award, instituted in 1969, honours exceptional contributions to Indian cinema.

DEFENCE

India Opens First Defence Manufacturing Plant in Morocco under Aatmanirbhar Bharat

• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is on a two-day visit to Morocco, marking the first-ever trip by an Indian Defence Minister to the country.

• He inaugurated Tata Advanced Systems Maroc’s facility in Berrechid, dedicated to defence production.

• The plant will manufacture the Wheeled Armoured Platform, boosting defence collaboration.

• This is India’s first defence manufacturing unit in Africa, reflecting the outreach of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

• Rajnath Singh held talks with Moroccan Defence Minister Abdeltif Loudiyi on strengthening ties.

• Both nations signed an MoU on defence cooperation, covering training, industrial partnerships, and exchanges.

• The Minister also engaged with the Indian diaspora in Rabat during his visit.