- SC TO HEAR PLEAS SEEKING STAY ON CAA ON APRIL 9
- The Supreme Court agreed to consider the question of staying the operation of the rules notified under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA on April 9
- The three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud sought to calm the apprehensions of 237 petitioners that the government would go ahead and implement the CAA rules in the meantime.
- But, the government refused to make a statement that it would not grant fast-tracked citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan during the pendency of the case.
2. 21 LAKH SIM CARDS IN USE HAVE FAKE PROOF
- India Cracks Down on Fake SIM Cards
- The Problem – A massive analysis by India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) identified 21 lakh (2.1 million) SIM cards activated with fake identity or address documents
- How They Found It: The DoT’s AI unit (AI&DIU) analysed a staggering 114 crore (1.14 billion)mobile connections across India. This analysis revealed invalid, fake, or forged documents used for SIM card subscriptions
- Suspected Criminal Activity: Authorities believe many of these fake SIM cards are used for cybercrimes and online frauds.
- Beyond Fake Documents: The DoT also found 1.92 crore (19.2 million) cases where individuals exceeded the limit of 9 SIM cards per person. This includes some wrongly categorised “bulk connections”.
- Data Discrepancies: In some instances, subscriber information had gibberish data for proof of identity or address
- Taking Action: The DoT alerted telecom companies like Airtel, MTNL, BSNL, Jio, and Vodafone Idea to: – Re-verify documents of suspicious subscribers
- Disconnect SIM cards found to be fake
- Sanchar Saathi Initiative – This citizen-centric program allows people to verify mobile connections registered in their name and request disconnection of unauthorised SIMs
- The DoT emphasises the importance of accurate data for this initiative This crackdown highlights India’s efforts to combat cybercrime and ensure responsible SIM card issuance.
3. 27.6 MILLION PEOPLE ENGAGED IN FORCED LABOUR IN 2021: ILO
- Forced Labor on the Rise: ILO Report
- Purpose: To expose the economic scale of forced labor and its devastating impact
- Publisher: International Labour Organisation (ILO)
- Findings – Global Problem: Forced labor generates $36 billion in illegal profits annually, a 37% increase since 2014
- Increased Exploitation: Profits per victim are rising, reaching nearly $10,000 per person
- Geographic Breakdown: The report estimates the highest profits in Europe & Central Asia, followed by Asia & Pacific, Americas, Africa, and Arab States
- Profit by Sector: Forced commercial sexual exploitation generates the most profit (73%), followed by industries like manufacturing
- Exploitation’s Impact: The report highlights the stolen wages, poverty, and human rights violations caused by forced labor
- Growth in Numbers: There are an estimated 27.6 million people in forced labor globally, representing 3.5 per 1,000 people
- Worsening Trend: The number of forced labor victims has increased by 2.7 million since 2016
- Recommendations – The report calls for urgent international action to end forced labor
- The focus should likely be on disrupting the economic gains of exploiters and protecting vulnerable workers This report sheds light on the significant economic incentive behind forced labor, urging the international community to address this growing human rights crisis.
4. ACTIVIST CALLS FOR BORDER MARCH IN LADAKH TO MARK LAND LOST TO CHINA
- Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk plans a march with 10,000 Ladakhis to the China border
- This aims to highlight what they believe is land encroachment by China
- Issue Ladakhi shepherds have reported restricted access to traditional grazing areas They claim to be stopped kilometers short of where they could graze earlier
- Wangchuk also criticises the conversion of prime grazing lands into solar parks
- He fears this pushes nomads out while China encroaches from the north
- The march will target areas like the Finger area, Demchok, and Chushul along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)
- Why now? This protest comes after failed talks between Ladakhi leaders and the Indian government regarding granting Ladakh statehood
- This situation highlights several issues Border tensions between India and China: The march focuses on land perceived to be lost to Chinese encroachment
- Impact on Ladakh’s nomadic community: Restricted grazing areas due to both claimed Chinese encroachment and development projects threaten their livelihood
- Politics of Ladakh: The protest reflects frustration with the central government’s response to Ladakh’s demands for statehood
5. ISRAEL MAY BE USING STARVATION AS A WEAPON OF WAR SAYS UN
- UN Raises Alarm on Potential Starvation in Gaza The UN human rights chief, Volker Turk, has expressed serious concerns about the situation in Gaza
- Severity: He warns of rampant hunger, potential famine, and the displacement of most of Gaza’s population
- Cause: He blames Israel’s restrictions on aid and destruction of infrastructure for this situation
- War Crime Allegation: Turk suggests these restrictions, coupled with ongoing military actions, could amount to using starvation as a weapon of war, which is a war crime UN Food Security Assessment
- A UN-backed assessment indicates “catastrophic” hunger for nearly half of Gaza’s population (around 1.1 million people)
- The assessment warns of imminent famine in Gaza’s war-battered north by May if aid isn’t increased significantly
- Humanitarian Challenges – UN acknowledges the difficulty of definitively declaring a famine based on strict criteria
- However, reports suggest people in some areas are already resorting to eating unconventional food sources like bird seed and weeds
- Israeli Response: The statement by Mr. Turk has been criticized by Israel. This situation highlights the urgency of delivering aid to Gaza and addressing the risk of famine. The UN’s allegations raise serious concerns about potential war crimes.
ONE LINER
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