The Daily Brief – 3rd January, 2017

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  • Pursuant to the Lodha Committee Report on the functioning of the BCCI, the Supreme Court stripped Anurag Thakur and Ajay Shirke of their posts on the organisation. Mr. Thakur was serving as the President of the BCCI while Mr. Shirke was the secretary. The Supreme Court ordered them to “forthwith cease and desist” from associating themselves with the BCCI, Indian cricket’s most powerful body.
  • A seven judge bench of the Supreme Court in a majority judgment, held that an appeal for votes during elections on the basis of religion, caste, race, community or language, even that of the electorate, will amount to a ‘corrupt practice’ and call for disqualification of the candidate under the Representation of People Act.

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  • A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court widened the boundaries of judicial review to the extent that it can now examine whether the President or the State Governor was spurred by an “oblique motive” to bypass the legislature and promulgate an ordinance. In case the Court concludes that the President or the Governor was influenced by ulterior motives to promulgate the ordinance, such an act by the two constitutional authorities would amount to a fraud on their respective powers.
  • The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has launched a Mobile App for the Haj Pilgrimage. The app will provide information and facilitate e-payments for the pilgrimage.
  • President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed Prof David R Syiemlieh as the Chairman of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), under Article 316 of Constitution. He will take over from Alka Sirohi and shall remain the head of the organisation till his retirement on January 21, 2018 or till further orders.
  • China has begun its first freight train service to London from Yiwu, a famed wholesale market town in the eastern province of Zhejiang. The train will travel for 18 days over more than 7,500 miles(12,000 km) to reach Britain from China. It willpass through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany,Belgium and France before arriving in London.

Today’s Quiz

  1. Who has been appointed as the Chairman of the UPSC?





2. The Ministry of Minority Affairs recently launched a mobile app for which of the following pilgrimages?





3. How many judges form a Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court?