1. Anandiben Patel to be new CM of Gujarat
i. Gujarat Revenue Minister Anandiben Patel was today elected leader of the BJP Legislature Party Leader, who will succeed PM-designate Narendra Modi as Chief Minister of the state.
ii. 73-year-old Patel’s name was proposed and adopted unanimously at a meeting of the Legislature Party in the presence of Modi, who had moments earlier had resigned as the chief minister.
iii. She will be the first woman chief minister of Gujarat.
iv. Patel, considered to be very close to Modi, is minister of Revenue and Urban Development in the Modi government. She was also a minister in the government of Modi’s predecessor Keshubhai Patel.
2. 3rd Nuclear Security Summit 2014 held in Netherlands
i. The Third Nuclear Security Summit was held in The Hague, Netherlands from 24 to 25 March 2014.
ii. The summit was attended by 58 World leaders. The third NSS synergizes previous two summits without their backdrops.
iii. At the Summit, the leaders agreed to build a robust Nuclear Security Structure. Besides, the summit also saw the agreement on Strengthening Initiative wherein 35 countries agreed to incorporate the guidelines of IAEA into their national legislation to assess the security of nuclear materials.
3. EC launches Voter Educational Channel
i. The Election Commission has launched its own internet-based media arm called ‘Voter Education Channel’.
ii. Numerous video clips featuring iconic personalities urging citizens to vote have been uploaded on the channel and can be viewed on social media platform YouTube.
iii. While the first clip showcases a recorded speech of Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath asking voters to exercise their voting right, a number of other video links have sportpersons like M S Dhoni, Saina Nehwal and MC Mary Kom urging the young and the old to go for the most important right of an Indian citizen — that of the vote.
iv. Voters can also view videos of EC brand ambassadors such as former President APJ Abdul Kalam and actor Aamir Khan on the e-link.
v. The YouTube link, tagged as ECI which stands for the Election Commission of India, also hosts a number of other messages recorded by various state Election Offices asking and motivating voters to exercise their franchise.
vi. Some of the e-links of the unique ‘EC Channel’ give details about the procedures deployed to use the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and their functioning while others detail about the NOTA option procedure.
4. SC recognizes transgender as third category of sex
i. In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court on Monday recognised transgenders or eunuchs as third category of gender and directed Centre and states to grant them all facilities including voters ID, passport and driving licence.
ii. The Centre and States were also directed to take steps for bringing the community into the mainstream by providing adequate healthcare, education and employment.
iii. A bench of Justices K S Radhakrishnan and A K Sikri directed the government to take steps for granting recognition to transgenders as a separate third category of gender after male and female.
iv. The apex court expressed concern over transgenders being harasssed and discriminated in the society and passed a slew of directions for their social welfare.The apex court said that trangenders were respected earlier in the society but situation has changed and they now face discrimination and harassment.
v. The bench clarified that its verdict pertains only to eunuchs and not other sections of society like gay, lesbian and bisexuals who are also considered under the umbrella term 'transgender'.
i. Gujarat Revenue Minister Anandiben Patel was today elected leader of the BJP Legislature Party Leader, who will succeed PM-designate Narendra Modi as Chief Minister of the state.
ii. 73-year-old Patel’s name was proposed and adopted unanimously at a meeting of the Legislature Party in the presence of Modi, who had moments earlier had resigned as the chief minister.
iii. She will be the first woman chief minister of Gujarat.
iv. Patel, considered to be very close to Modi, is minister of Revenue and Urban Development in the Modi government. She was also a minister in the government of Modi’s predecessor Keshubhai Patel.
2. 3rd Nuclear Security Summit 2014 held in Netherlands
i. The Third Nuclear Security Summit was held in The Hague, Netherlands from 24 to 25 March 2014.
ii. The summit was attended by 58 World leaders. The third NSS synergizes previous two summits without their backdrops.
iii. At the Summit, the leaders agreed to build a robust Nuclear Security Structure. Besides, the summit also saw the agreement on Strengthening Initiative wherein 35 countries agreed to incorporate the guidelines of IAEA into their national legislation to assess the security of nuclear materials.
3. EC launches Voter Educational Channel
i. The Election Commission has launched its own internet-based media arm called ‘Voter Education Channel’.
ii. Numerous video clips featuring iconic personalities urging citizens to vote have been uploaded on the channel and can be viewed on social media platform YouTube.
iii. While the first clip showcases a recorded speech of Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath asking voters to exercise their voting right, a number of other video links have sportpersons like M S Dhoni, Saina Nehwal and MC Mary Kom urging the young and the old to go for the most important right of an Indian citizen — that of the vote.
iv. Voters can also view videos of EC brand ambassadors such as former President APJ Abdul Kalam and actor Aamir Khan on the e-link.
v. The YouTube link, tagged as ECI which stands for the Election Commission of India, also hosts a number of other messages recorded by various state Election Offices asking and motivating voters to exercise their franchise.
vi. Some of the e-links of the unique ‘EC Channel’ give details about the procedures deployed to use the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and their functioning while others detail about the NOTA option procedure.
4. SC recognizes transgender as third category of sex
i. In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court on Monday recognised transgenders or eunuchs as third category of gender and directed Centre and states to grant them all facilities including voters ID, passport and driving licence.
ii. The Centre and States were also directed to take steps for bringing the community into the mainstream by providing adequate healthcare, education and employment.
iii. A bench of Justices K S Radhakrishnan and A K Sikri directed the government to take steps for granting recognition to transgenders as a separate third category of gender after male and female.
iv. The apex court expressed concern over transgenders being harasssed and discriminated in the society and passed a slew of directions for their social welfare.The apex court said that trangenders were respected earlier in the society but situation has changed and they now face discrimination and harassment.
v. The bench clarified that its verdict pertains only to eunuchs and not other sections of society like gay, lesbian and bisexuals who are also considered under the umbrella term 'transgender'.
