LEGAL NEWS

India Justice Report 2023: Pendency in Juvenile Justice Boards

• The latest India Justice Report shows that over half of all cases before Juvenile Justice Boards remained unresolved nationwide as of 31 October 2023.

• Juvenile Justice Boards—set up under the JJ Act, 2015 to handle cases of children in conflict with law—are struggling due to major staffing gaps.

• Nearly one-fourth of the Boards are not fully formed, reflecting persistent vacancies that affect day-to-day functioning.

• About 30% of JJBs do not have legal-aid clinics, limiting children’s access to proper legal assistance.

• Each Board is dealing with an average of 154 pending cases a year, creating caseload pressure that slows proceedings.

• Pendency levels vary widely across states, with Odisha reporting the highest backlog at 83% and Karnataka the lowest at 35%.

• These shortages and delays undermine child-centric justice, risk procedural errors, weaken rehabilitation efforts, and ultimately erode confidence in the juvenile justice system.

APPOINTMENTS

Major Secretary-Level Reshuffle by the Centre

• The Union government has announced a wide-ranging reshuffle of secretaries across key ministries, approved by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

• Neeraj Mittal has shifted roles, taking charge as secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

• Former UIDAI chief Amit Agrawal has been selected as the new telecom secretary.

• Manoj Joshi, who recently joined the land resources department, has now been posted to lead the pharmaceuticals ministry.

• PMO special secretary Atish Chandra will move to the agriculture ministry as OSD, and will formally become agriculture secretary from 1 February after Devesh Chaturvedi retires.

• Tourism secretary V. Vidyavathi has been reassigned to the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.

• Srivatsa Krishna will take over as the new tourism secretary, replacing Vidyavathi.

• New appointments also include Sunil Paliwal as chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India and Anju Rathi Rana as member secretary of the 23rd Law Commission, while Rajiv Mani’s term as legislative secretary has been extended till July 2028 with additional charge of legal affairs.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

South Africa Assumes G20 Presidency 2025

• South Africa has taken charge of the G20 Presidency for 2025, focusing on Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability with priorities like disaster readiness, climate finance, debt solutions and clean-energy shifts.

• This is the first time the G20 Summit will be held in Africa, strengthening Global South representation — a move long supported by India.

• The G20, a major platform for global economic cooperation, brings advanced and emerging economies together to address key economic and governance issues.

• The grouping was created in 1999 after the Asian Financial Crisis and elevated to leaders’ level in 2008–09 to steer coordinated responses to global crises.

• Its agenda has broadened over the years, now covering climate action, digital economy, health systems, food security, development, taxation and anti-corruption matters.

• The forum includes 19 nations plus the EU and AU, accounting for around 85% of global GDP, 75% of global trade and nearly two-thirds of the world’s population.

• The G20 Troika for 2024–26 comprises Brazil, South Africa and the United States, ensuring smooth continuity of priorities between presidencies.

• With its 2025 leadership, South Africa aims to steer collective action on sustainable development, resilient economies and inclusive global governance.

SPORTS

India Shines at World Boxing Cup Finals 2025

• India finished the World Boxing Cup Finals 2025 in Greater Noida with nine gold medals, marking one of its strongest overall performances.

• Women boxers dominated the tournament, earning seven golds through Jaismine Lamboria, Nikhat Zareen, Parveen Hooda, Arundhati Choudhary, Preeti Pawar, Minakshi Hooda and Nupur Sheoran.

• Jaismine Lamboria clinched the 57 kg title with a 4–1 win over Taiwan’s Wu Shih Yi, while Nikhat Zareen topped the 51 kg category with a clean 5–0 victory.

• Parveen Hooda secured the 60 kg gold by edging past Japan’s Ayaka Taguchi, and Arundhati Choudhary dominated Uzbekistan’s Aziza Zokirova in the 70 kg bout.

• Preeti Pawar won the 54 kg final against Italy’s Sirine Charaabi, Minakshi Hooda triumphed in the 48 kg class, and Nupur Sheoran claimed gold in the 80+ kg category.

• In the men’s events, Sachin Siwach (60 kg) and Hitesh Gulia (70 kg) earned gold, overcoming tough opponents from Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

• The Indian men added to the medal tally with four silver medals, won by Ankush Panghal, Abhinash Jamwal and Pawan Bartwal in their respective weight divisions.

AWARDS

Miss Universe 2025

• Fatima Bosch from Mexico won the Miss Universe 2025 crown at the pageant held in Thailand.

• Contestants from Côte d’Ivoire, the Philippines, Thailand, and Venezuela advanced to the final round.

• Denmark’s Victoria Kjær Theilvig crowned Bosch as the new Miss Universe.

• Venezuela earned the second runner-up position, while the Philippines secured third place.

• Côte d’Ivoire finished fourth, and India’s Manika Vishwakarma missed out on the Top 12 cut.

• Bosch, who has overcome dyslexia and ADHD, highlighted how her struggles inspired her social work for migrants and vulnerable communities.

• The 74th edition of the pageant carried the theme “The Power of Love”, continuing India’s title drought since Harnaaz Sandhu’s 2021 victory.

MISCELLANEOUS

Hornbill Festival 2025

• Nagaland has announced Switzerland and Ireland as official partners for the 2025 Hornbill Festival, marking a new global milestone for the event.

• CM Neiphiu Rio confirmed Switzerland’s participation after meeting Ambassador Maya Tissafi in New Delhi.

• Ireland also came on board as a partner nation following Rio’s discussions with Irish Ambassador Kevin Kelly.

• With Switzerland and Ireland joining the UK, the festival’s international appeal and cultural diplomacy reach have expanded further.

• The 2025 edition will be held from 1–10 December at Kisama Heritage Village near Kohima.

• This year’s theme, “Cultural Connect,” highlights stronger global cultural exchange and inter-community bonding.

• Known as the “Festival of Festivals,” Hornbill celebrates Nagaland’s tribal heritage and is named after the iconic hornbill bird.

India’s Final Crop Production Estimates 2024–25

• Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan released the 2024–25 final crop estimates, highlighting an impressive 8% rise in overall foodgrain output.

• India’s total foodgrain production jumped by over 106 million tonnes, reflecting strong agricultural performance.

• Rice output hit a record 1,501 lakh tonnes, surpassing last year’s 1,378 lakh tonnes.

• Wheat production also reached a new high, growing by 46.53 lakh tonnes from last year to touch 1,132 lakh tonnes.

• Nutritional and coarse grains recorded solid numbers — 639.21 lakh tonnes; maize alone contributed 434.09 lakh tonnes.

• Pulses and oilseeds showed robust results: 256.83 lakh tonnes of pulses, and 429.89 lakh tonnes of oilseeds, including record soybean (152.68 lakh tonnes) and groundnut (119.42 lakh tonnes) outputs.

• Sugarcane production remained strong at 4,546.11 lakh tonnes, maintaining India’s leadership in sugarcane cultivation.