Learn with NITISH KUMAR

🗞 Indian Navy signs contract for autonomous armed boat swarms under SPRINT scheme: • The Indian Navy has signed an agreement with Sagar Defence Engineering Pvt. Ltd for armed autonomous boat swarms under ‘SPRINT’, an initiative to promote development of niche defence technologies by domestic companies. • This is the 50th contract under ‘SPRINT’, which aims at the development of 75 indigenous technologies by the industry for the Navy, officials said. • SPRINT’ stands for Supporting Pole-vaulting In R&D through Innovations for Defence Excellence (IdeX), Naval Innovation and Indigenisation Organisation (NIIO) and Technology Development Acceleration Cell (TDAC). It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last July. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/navy-signs-contract-for-autonomous-armed-boat-swarms-under-sprint/article66349788.ece

🛳️ World’s longest river cruise, 'Ganga Vilas': • Prime Minister Narendra Modi is all set to flag off the world’s longest river cruise, ‘Ganga Vilas’ from Varanasi to Dibrugarh via Bangladesh on January 13. • Covering a journey of 3200 km in 50 days and passing through 27 river systems in India and Bangladesh, the cruise ship will give tourists a chance to visit over 50 architecturally important places, including world heritage sites. • During its itinerary, GangaVilas cruise will sail along three major waterways in the sub-continent: National Waterway 1 over the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River system, the Indo-Bangla Protocol Route from Kolkata to Dhubri, and National Waterway 2 over Brahmaputra. • There will be facilities like music, cultural programs, a gym, a spa, an open-air observation deck, personalised butler service etc. • The Antara Luxury River Cruise, which is offering the package, hasn’t revealed the price details for the cruise.

🗞 Poverty, caste-discrimination at the root of manual scavenging, reveals study: • A study report by Social Awareness Society for Youth (SASY) on ‘The status of implementation of prohibition of employment as manual scavengers and rehabilitation (PEMSR) Act - 2013 in T.N’. • According to data from the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis, in the past 29 years (1993-2022), a total of 989 members died in various parts of the country while cleaning underground sewage tanks. • Tamil Nadu reported the highest number of deaths of manual scavengers. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/manual-scavenging-study-reveals-poverty-caste-discrimination-at-its-roots/article66350006.ece

🗞️ Case against T.N. Governor R.N. Ravi not maintainable, rules Madras High Court: • The Madras High Court on Thursday held as not maintainable a writ of quo warranto filed against Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi questioning the authority under which he is holding the office while simultaneously serving as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of Auroville Foundation in Puducherry. • First Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice T. Raja and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy held that a writ petition against the Governor could not be entertained in view of the immunity enjoyed under Article 361 of the Constitution. • In an affidavit, filed through his counsel S. Doraisamy and V. Elangovan, he said, Article 158(2) of the Constitution prohibits Governors from holding any other office of profit and therefore Mr. Ravi must be called upon to explain the authority under which he was holding the office of Governor dehors the Auroville appointment. □ About Article 361: • Article 361- Protection of President and Governors and Rajpramukhs. • Article 361 is an exception to Article 14 (Right to Equality) of the Indian Constitution. • According to Article 361, the President or the Governor shall not be answerable to any court for the exercise and performance of the powers and duties of his office. • No criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be instituted or continued against the President, or the Governor of a State, in any court during his term of office. • No process for the arrest or imprisonment of the President, or the Governor of a State, shall issue from any court during his term of office. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/case-against-tn-governor-rn-ravi-for-office-of-profit-not-maintainable-rules-madras-high-court/article66341069.ece

🗞️ Case against T.N. Governor R.N. Ravi not maintainable, rules Madras High Court: • The Madras High Court on Thursday held as not maintainable a writ of quo warranto filed against Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi questioning the authority under which he is holding the office while simultaneously serving as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of Auroville Foundation in Puducherry. • First Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice T. Raja and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy held that a writ petition against the Governor could not be entertained in view of the immunity enjoyed under Article 361 of the Constitution. • In an affidavit, filed through his counsel S. Doraisamy and V. Elangovan, he said, Article 158(2) of the Constitution prohibits Governors from holding any other office of profit and therefore Mr. Ravi must be called upon to explain the authority under which he was holding the office of Governor dehors the Auroville appointment. □ About Article 361: • Article 361- Protection of President and Governors and Rajpramukhs. • Article 361 is an exception to Article 14 (Right to Equality) of the Indian Constitution. • According to Article 361, the President or the Governor shall not be answerable to any court for the exercise and performance of the powers and duties of his office. • No criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be instituted or continued against the President, or the Governor of a State, in any court during his term of office. • No process for the arrest or imprisonment of the President, or the Governor of a State, shall issue from any court during his term of office. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/case-against-tn-governor-rn-ravi-for-office-of-profit-not-maintainable-rules-madras-high-court/article66341069.ece