All India Radio News Summary: 06 MARCH 2018
- Transparency and accountability are very important for a democratic and participative governance
Context:
Prime Minister inaugurated a new building of Central Information Commission at Munirka in New Delhi.
Highlights of PM speech:
- It is a transparent system ensures accountability towards the public.
- Empowered citizens are one of the strongest pillars of democracy.
- Today, India is moving fast towards a digitally-empowered society.
- Through PRAGATI, it was possible to review projects worth 9.5 lakh crore rupees.
Prime Minister launched the CIC Mobile App which will facilitate the people in filing application and complaints besides getting the latest information about the Commission.
- Emergency declared in Sri Lanka for seven days following communal violence.
The Sri Lankan government has declared a state of emergency in the country for seven days following violence against the minority community in Kandy district over the last two days.
- The emergency came as a move to prevent violence spreading to other areas.
- Emergency provisions equip government to take suspects into custody for a longer period and enhanced powers for security forces.
- This is the first time emergency has been imposed in last seven years as Sri Lanka was under emergency for almost three decades of LTTE war.
- India saw a sharp decline of 20 per cent in child marriages in the last decade.
- The United Nations children’s agency UNICEF said that as against 47 per cent of girls getting married before the age of 18, a decade ago, 27 per cent underage girls are getting married, now.
- The drop in India has contributed significantly to a global decline in child marriages.
- Overall, the proportion of girls who were married as children decreased by 15 per over the last decade.
- The UNICEF says, 25 million child marriages were prevented globally in the decade of 2005-06 to 2015-16.
- The largest reduction by more than a third was seen in South Asia with India being at the forefront.
- The UN children’s agency attributed the improvement to increased rate of girls’ education, proactive government investments in adolescent girls, and strong public awareness about the illegality of child marriage and the harm it causes.
Conclusion
Each and every child marriage prevented gives another girl the chance to fulfil her potential and that’s why any reduction is welcome news. However, still have a long way to go.
- South Korea says North Korea is willing to stop testing nuclear missiles.
- Officials in Seoul said Kim Jong-un told them that he is willing to talk with the United States about getting rid of its nuclear weapons, if he felt that the regime’s security could be guaranteed.
- Mr Kim also said there would be no missile tests while diplomacy continued and would pause weapons testing.
- Relations between the two Koreas have warmed following last month’s Winter Olympics, which were held in Pyeongchang in the South.
- Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has reacted cautiously to the news saying statements coming out of South Korea and North Korea have been very positive.
- Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO)
Context:
The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) summoned ICICI Bank Chief and Axis Bank Managing Director for interrogation in relation to the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam case.
About SFIO:
- The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) is a fraud investigating agency in India under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
- The SFIO is involved in major fraud probes and is the co-ordinating agency with the Income Tax Department and the Central Bureau of Investigation.
- It consists of experts in the field of accountancy, forensic auditing, law, information technology, investigation, company law, capital market and taxation for detecting and prosecuting or recommending for prosecution white-collar crimes/frauds.
