21 March 2013 Current Affairs
Apex court confirms death sentence for Yakub Memon
On March 21 the Supreme Court confirmed the death sentence awarded to Yakub Abdul Razak Memon, the main accused (A-1), and brother of Tiger Memon (the mastermind and absconding key conspirator), holding him guilty of being the “driving spirit” in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts that killed 257 people.The court also upheld the conviction of actor Sanjay Dutt in the case, but reduced to five years the six-year jail term awarded to him by a designated TADA court in 2006 for illegal possession a 9 mm pistol and an AK-56 rifle, which was part of the consignment of weapons and explosives brought for the serial blasts. A Bench of Justices P. Sathasivam and B.S. Chauhan, however, commuted the death sentence awarded to 10 persons by the TADA court, into life imprisonment till their death.
India votes for resolution against Sri Lanka
On March 21 India voted for a United States-sponsored resolution at the United Nations' top human rights body censuring Sri Lanka for its alleged rights violations during the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.With 24 votes for, 15 against and 8 abstentions, the 47-member United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted the resolution, which noted with concern that an internal inquiry report in Sri Lanka did not adequately address “serious allegations” of violations of international law.In addition to Sri Lanka , Pakiatan also oppose the resolution.
S C Jamir sworn in as new Odisha governor
On March 21 Veteran Congress leader and former governor of Maharashtra and Goa, Senayangba Chubatoshi Jamir was sworn-in as the governor of Odisha.Jamir, also a former Nagaland chief minister, was administered the oath of office by the chief justice of Orissa high court Justice Chokalingam Nagappan at a ceremony in Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar.
6.8 crore Indians are Living in Slums
Union Govt. on 21 March 2013 released a census report on slum households prepared by the Registrar General of India (RGI), which is the first such report on slum households by the RGI. According to this report how many Indians live in slums? – About 6.8 crore (It was reported that majority of slum-dwellers were located in 6 states of the country – Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh)
Babasaheb Neelkanth Kalyani Nominated as the Chairman of IJBLF
Babasaheb Neelkanth Kalyani, the Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Forge Limited was nominated by the Government of India for the post of Chairman of India-Japan Business Leader’s Forum (IJBLF).