CURRENT EVENTS 04-08-2022

1. Justice Uday U Lalit is set to take over as 49th CJI. CJI Justice N V Ramana retires on 26th Aug 2022

2. The Centre has withdrawn Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 what would have been the first law on personal data protection. The bill aimed to put a legal shape to the Right to Privacy that was made a fundamental right by Supreme Court in 2017. It sought to cover the rights people will have over their data and obligations for those that deal with such data, which would impact the industry at large. Several opposition members argued that the bill gave ‘unbridled power’ to the government. In 2019, the bill was referred to a joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). The JPC met stakeholders, debated far reaching reforms for data protection

What did JPC suggest ?

• The panel’s report was presented to the Lok Sabha on December 16, 2021

• It Suggested stricter compliance requirements for firms added/tweaked clauses that provide for lighter obligations on govt agencies, suggested greater say for state in legal mechanism.

The Bill proposed to set up a data protection authority, frame policies for non- personal data, including anonymised data, define significant social media platforms based on a threshold of users, decide penalties for data fiduciaries for failing to comply with the data protection law, and govern cross- border transfer of data. It also proposed to define sensitive, critical and personal data, and insist on data localisation. ‘‘Personal Data Protection Bill has been withdrawn because the Joint Parliamentary Committee recommended 81 amendments in a bill of 99 sections. Above that, it made 12 major recommendations’’ Therefore, the Bill has been withdrawn and a new Bill will be presented for public consultation.

Note - Similarly Three Agriculture Bills were withdrawn by Centre recently.

President Mrs. Droupadi Murmu appointed Suresh N. Patel as new Central Vigilance Commissioner.

Al Qaeda Leader Ayman – al - Zawahiri was killed by US forces in drone attack at Kabul Afghanistan , Osama bin Laden used to be the leader of Terrorist Organisation Al - Qaeda & Mastermind of 9/11 World Trade Centre attack . He was killed by US Forces at Abbottabad in Pakistan on 2 May 2011. Thereafter Ayman – al – Zawahiri took charge of AL- Qaeda

Nancy Pelosi – The Speaker of Lower House i,e, House of Representative of US parliament ( Congress ) visit to Taiwan has created tension over south China sea and among US & China. Possibility of attack of China over Taiwan cannot be ruled out . A situation similar to Russia – Ukraine crisis may occur.