Legal Bites August 2022: Monthly Legal GK Updates

Here are Legal Bites August 2022 monthly GK updates. The notable happenings of the months were related to the appointment of Justice UU Lalit as CJI, maritime mission 'Nari Shakti', Central University (Amendment) Bill 2022, the apex court's decision on Talaq-e-Hasan, and so on. We have covered all the happenings in the gist so that it helps the readers to remember all legal and current updates about August 2022 most efficiently and easily.

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Key Highlights: Legal Bites August 2022

1. Flag Code of India: All You need to know

2. Marriage or Licence to rape: Why does marital rape still prevail in India?

3. When You abuse a woman, You stop being a Man

4. Right to Have a Clean and Healthy Environment: Analysing the Judicial Trends

5. Supreme Court on Election Freebies 

                    Legal Bites August 2022: Monthly Legal GK Updates

1. HAL to supply 12 light utility helicopters (LUHs) to armed forces (01-08-2022)

Hindustan Aeronautical Limited has received a letter of intent from the services to manufacturing 12 light utility helicopters, which have been designed and developed indigenously. Last November, the Defence Acquisition Council approved the procurement of 12 LUHs.

2. Maldives President Ibrahim Solih arrived in India for a bilateral meeting (02-08-2022)

Maldives President Ibrahim Solih discussed strategic ties and infrastructure agreement status with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. An MOU was signed on cybersecurity which aims to promote closer cooperation and exchange of information pertaining to cybersecurity.

3. Central University (Amendment) Bill, 2022 introduced in Lok Sabha (02-08-2022)

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced Central University (Amendment) Bill, 2022 which seeks to convert National Rail and Transport Institution (NRTI), a deemed-to-be university into Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, an autonomous central university.

4. Supreme Court quashed Jharkhand's 100% local reservation (03-08-2022)

Supreme Court upheld the High Court decision that held that the Jharkhand government's 2016 decision to grant 100% reservation to local people of 13 scheduled Areas in public jobs was discriminatory and impermissible. The apex court said that "the citizens have equal rights and total exclusion of others by creating an opportunity for one class is not contemplated by the founding fathers of the Constitution of India".

5. Al-Qaeda chief killed in US strike in Kabul (03-08-2022)

US President Joe Biden announced that the most wanted terrorist, Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri has been killed. He was suspected of being the mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attack.

6. India to hold UNSC meeting on counterterrorism (04-08-2022)

The Union External Minister, S. Jaishankar, announced that India would host diplomats and officials of all 15-member United Nations Security Council countries in Delhi and Mumbai. The meeting will focus particularly on terrorism financing, cyber threats, and the use of drones.

7. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi lands in Taiwan (04-08-2022)

US House Speaker and Veteran Democratic Politician Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei, Taiwan marking it the most high-level political visit from US to Taiwan in 25 years. China condemns the visit as a major political provocation.

8. Architect of National Flag honoured in Andhra Pradesh (04-08-2022)

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy unveiled the portrait of Pingali Venkayya, the architect of the national flag at his 146th birth anniversary celebration.

9. Navy's women pilot showcased first of its kind maritime mission 'Nari Shakti' (05-08-2022)

Five officers of the Indian navy created history by completing the first all-woman independent maritime reconnaissance and surveillance mission in the Arabian Sea, on board a Dornier-228 aircraft.

10. Himachal Pradesh to ban all non-woven plastic bags from New Year (06-08-2022)

In a bid to control littering and environmental pollution, the state government imposed a ban on non-woven plastic carry bags less than 60- Gram per Square Metre (GSM) apart from the use of plastic carry bags irrespective of size and thickness.

11. Jagdeep Dhankhar is appointed as 14th Vice President of India (07-08-2022)

Jagdeep Dhankhar is a former West Bengal governor and a candidate for the National Democratic Alliance. He received 528 votes out of 710 valid votes in the 16th Vice-Presidential election held in parliament. The opposition Ms. Margaret Alva is a congress leader who got 182 votes.

12. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) gets its first woman chief (08-08-2022)

N. Kalaiselvi, is appointed for the first time in its 80 years of history as a woman director general of CSIR- Central Electro Chemical Research Institute (CSIR- CECRI) for a term of two years.

13. Supreme Court observed that identifying linguistic and religious minorities district-wise is contrary to law (09-8-2022)

A bench of Justice U.U. Lalit and Justice Ravindra Bhatt marked that the minority status of a linguistic and religious community has to be considered state-wise. The judges referred majority decision in the 11-judge bench case of TMA Pai v. State of Karnataka (2002) and said that the court cannot be given general directions to the states to bestow certain communities with minority rights.

14. Assets worth Rs. 47,099 crores attached by Enforcement Directorate during 2014-2022 (09-08-2022)

The Enforcement Directorate has attached assets worth Rs. 47,099 crores in 515 money laundering cases related to fraud in public and private sector banks from 2014-2022.

15. 80% decline in value of fake currency notes (09-08-2022)

The value of the counterfeit currency in the banking system showed a discernible trend of reduction amounting to 80%, said finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

16. Delhi gets its first bamboo theme park on Yamuna floodplain (10-08-2022)

Lieutenant-governor V.K. Saxena laid the foundation stone for the city's first bamboo plant theme park titled "Baansera" on the Yamuna floodplains. The Delhi Development Authority stated that over 25, 000 special varieties of bamboo have been procured from Assam. It is aimed at augmenting the much-needed public spaces in the capital and ensuring that the rich biodiversity of floodplains is preserved and protected.

17. Justice U.U. Lalit was appointed as 49th CJI (11-08-2022)

Justice Uday Umesh Lalit was appointed as 49th Chief Justice of India after President Draupadi Murmu signed his warrant of appointment. Justice Lalit will have a brief tenure of less than three months as he will demit office on November 8.

18. Aviation safety regulator opens the door for transgender pilots (11-08-2022)

The Aviation safety regulator has for the first time framed new medical guidelines that allow transgender persons who have completed gender transition therapy or surgery to be declared fit to fly. This is the first time that the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has changed its stance on transgender persons.

19. India, Australia to sign film treaty (11-08-2022)

Union Cabinet gives approval for joint production of audio-visual content and approved the signing of an Audio Video Co-Production Treaty between India and Australia which is aimed at facilitating joint production of films between the two countries.

20. Supreme Court reserved order in EPFO Case (12-08-2022)

The Supreme Court reserved judgment on an appeal filed by the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) against a decision of the Kerala High Court setting aside an amendment on "determination of pensionable salary" under the Employees Provident Fund Scheme (EPS), 1995 as ultra vires. The dispute revolves around a controversial amendment made to Clause 11(3) of the EPS 1995.

21. Supreme Court held that de-recognizing parties over freebies are anti-democratic (12-08-2022)

Supreme Court acknowledged that the impact of the issue on the country's fiscal health of freebies promised by political parties is serious but said that they are not in the favour of derecognizing any political party over this issue because that would be anti-democratic.

22. Himachal Pradesh brings a more stringent bill on conversion (13-08-2022)

The Himachal Pradesh government brings The Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2022 which would be the stringent version of The Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act 2019. The bill proposed enhanced punishment and add a specific mention of "mass conversion" in an existing law that forbids change of religion by force or allurement.

23. No GST on residential premises if rented out for personal use: Government said (13-08-2022)

The GST will not be applicable on the residential unit if they are rented out to a private person for personal use. GST will be levied only when the residential unit is rented out to a business entity. GST will also be not levied even if the proprietor or partner of a firm rents a residence for personal use.

24. Taliban offers security to Indian Mission (14-08-2022)

India re-establishes its diplomatic presence in Kabul by deploying a technical team in its embassy in the Afghan capital. Taliban promises to ensure security to the Indian mission in completing its unfinished projects in Afghanistan.

25. Government lost Rs. 8,000 crores due to five cases: NITI Aayog (15-08-2022)

A recent report commissioned by NITI Aayog has estimated that five cases of the Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal favouring larger protection of the environment had cost the government around Rs. 8,000 crores in revenue. These five cases are the MOPA Airport Case, the Goa Mining Cases, the Sterlite Copper Case, the Regulation of Sand Mining, and the Banning of Construction Activities in NCR to curb Air Pollution.

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26. Fundamental Duties key to social transformation: CJI said (16-08-2022)

The Chief Justice of India, during his Independence Day address at the Supreme Court, said that the Fundamental duties are not merely to serve a pedantic or technical purpose, they are meant to guide citizens and engineer a social transformation.

27. India gifts Dornier aircraft to Sri Lanka (16-08-2022)

The gifting of Dornier 228 to Sri Lanka is the latest contribution of India to Sri Lanka to enhance mutual understanding, mutual trust, and cooperation. It reaffirms the security of the Indian Ocean region with the island nation.

28. Submarine deal is unrealistic: said Russia (16-08-2022)

Russia has pulled out of the Indian Navy's tender to construct six advanced submarines under Project 78I and informed India that it cannot meet the terms and conditions for the Rs. 40,000 crore projects without changes.

29. Super Vasuki's maiden trial a hit: longest and heaviest freight train run by railways (17-08-2022)

The Railways conducted a test run of its longest freight train, Super Vasuki, with 295 loaded wagons carrying over 27,000 tonnes of coal. The 3.5km long freight train covered a distance of about 267 km between Korba in Chhattisgarh and Rajnandgaon in Nagpur and was run by the South East Central Railway (SECR).

30. Child Mortality has dipped to 35 per 1,000 births: Government launched new app Paalan 1000(17-08-2022)

Paalan 1000 is a National Campaign and Parenting App that focuses on children's cognitive development in the first two years of their life. the app will provide practical advice to caregivers.

31. Supreme Court observes that the Muslim Personal Law practice of Talaq-e-Hasan is not so improper (17-08-2022)

Supreme Court said that Talaq-e-Hasan is not so improper and a Muslim woman has an option to divorce by the process of Khula by returning the dower or something else that she received from her husband or without returning anything as agreed by the spouses or Qadi's decree depending on the circumstances.

32. Supreme Court to examine the validity of child gang rape law (17-08-2022)

Supreme Court agreed to examine the validity of Section 376DB of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 which sends a guilty man to prison for life of gallows for raping a child under 12 years of age without affording him a chance to atone for his crime or reform.

33. Delhi PM 2.5 levels worst in the world (18-08-2022)

The report, Air Quality and Health in Cities, released by US-based Health Effects Institute, states that Delhi's Particulate Matter Emission (PM) is 2.5, the highest in the world. Kolkata placed second. While the nitrogen dioxide emission is less in these cities.

34. Supreme Court orders status quo on the move to put the panel in charge of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) (19-08-2022)

Supreme Court orders status quo on the implementation of High Court order to hand over the affairs of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to a Committee of Administrator (CoA) because the appointment of the committee may result in a sporting ban on India globally.

35. New behaviour of the Great India Bustard to produce 2-egg clutch hailed as a record (19-08-2022)

The critically endangered bird species, the Great India Bustards (GIBs) has adopted an altogether new behaviour of giving a clutch of two eggs at a time as a result of increased feed and excessive rain. The breeding project aimed at preserving the population of GIBs with a special focus on spatial prioritization, risk characterization, and conservation management with the endangered species.

36. Amethi Unit in Uttar Pradesh is all set to make AK-230 rifles (20-08-2022)

The production of AK0230 assault rifles by the Indo-Russia joint venture at Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, is set to begin by the year-end, and the manufacturing equipment required for it will be dispatched by Russia.

37. Indian team deliberating on ocean diversity pact (20-08-2022)

A delegation of India and other member countries of the United Nation is to deliberate in New York on one of its kind agreements to conserve marine diversity in the high seas, namely the oceans that extends beyond countries' territorial waters. A key aspect of the agreement is deciding the rights of the companies that undertake the exploration of marine resources.

38. Foreign Trade Agreement (FTA) norms will prevail in Rules of Origin disputes (20-08-2022)

The finance ministry clarified that the exemptions specified in the Foreign Trade Agreement (FTA) with regard to the country of origin would prevail in case of conflict between the revenue department and the importer.

39. Himachal Pradesh is prone to natural disasters (21-08-2022)

A report released by the Department of Environment, Science and Technology states that Himachal Pradesh is prone to natural disasters like cloud bursts. Landslides, avalanches, flash floods, and other natural hazards. It further states that the fragile ecology of the mountain state coupled with the large variations in the physio-climatic conditions has rendered it vulnerable to the vagaries of nature.

40. United Nations is all set to end the travel ban on 13 top members of the Taliban (21-08-2022)

Under a 2011 United Nations Security Council Resolution, 135 Taliban officials are subjected to sanctions like assets freeze and travel ban. Now, 13 of them are exempted from the travel ban.

41. Supreme Court held that the 50% management quota rule in CMC, Vellore is absolute (22-08-2022)

The Supreme Court has ruled that the management of the prestigious Christian Medical College in Vellore will fill up 50% of undergraduate and postgraduate seats in accordance with inter-se merit as per NEET results.

42. India and Iran sign pact to aid the movement of seafarers (23-08-2022)

In a bid to aid the movement of seafarers between the two countries, India and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on recognition of certificates of competency in unlimited voyages to help seafarers from both countries as per the provisions of the International Convention on Standard of Training, Certification and Watch Keeping for Seafarers, 1978.

43. DRDO and Indian Navy tests indigenously missile VL-SRSAM (24-08-2022)

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy have successfully flight-tested indigenously developed Vertical Launch Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) from the integrated test range (ITR) at Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.

44. Researchers want Odisha's Angul to plan the transition to green energy (25-08-2022)

Researchers have urged policymakers to switch to green energy and economy in Odisha's Angul- one of India's largest coals producing districts -before power coal grade reserves are exhausted. Angul District accounts for 12% of India's coal production.

45. India and Bangladesh discuss river water sharing issue (26-08-2022)

India and Bangladesh discussed a wide range of issues related to major common rivers such as the Ganga, Teesta, and other smaller rivers during the 38th Joint River Commission (JRC) Meeting. The two sides also discussed the exchange of flood-related data and information, river-bank protection works, common basin management, and river interlinking projects in India.

46. Army speeds up procurement of light tank 'Zorawar' for Line of Actual Control (27-08-2022)

The Indian army is prioritizing the procurement of an Indian light tank, "Zorawar", for deployment in the mountain to outmanoeuvre the movement of Chinese forces during the stand-off in eastern Ladakh.

47. Lifetime perks for former Chief Justices of India and Supreme Court Judges in the amended rules (28-08-2022)

The Central Government has amended the Supreme Court Rules that provide chauffeurs and domestic help to retired Chief Justices of India and Supreme Court judges for their lifetime. Along with this, the amended rules also announced a slew of extra retirement benefits, which provide lifetime secretarial assistance to CJIs, Personal security guard for 5 years to CJIs and for 3 years to SC Judges, and Monthly phone/internet bill reimbursement up to Rs. 4,200.

48. Road Ministry proposes a tree bank scheme for faster approval (29-08-2022)

The Road Transport and Highways Ministry, Nitin Gadkari, has proposed a tree bank scheme for faster infrastructure approvals. The agencies can open an account and plant trees to compensate for cutting or transplanting trees during projects.

49. Delhi's most unsafe metro for women (30-08-2022)

According to the National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) report, the national capital has recorded the highest number of rape cases among all 19 metropolitan cities in India. For the third consecutive year, Delhi tops the list of crimes against women.

50. Telangana tops the inflation chart at 8.32% (31-08-2022)

As many as 14 states and erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir witnessed retail inflation higher than the national average of 6.79%. Telangana tops the Inflation chart, followed by West Bengal (8.06%) and Sikkim (8.01%).

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