| 10 June 2023
1. CBI Forms Probe Team to Investigate Manipur Unrest The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has formed a special investigation team (SIT) consisting of ten members, led by a DIG-rank officer, to probe six cases related to the ongoing violence in Manipur. The state government referred these cases to the CBI. Home Minister Amit Shah, during his visit to Manipur, announced a CBI probe into five cases of alleged criminal conspiracy and one case of general conspiracy behind the violence. Naga legislators in Manipur have requested to maintain the status quo in the hill areas of the state. The Naga MLAs emphasized that any separate administrative set-up for the hill districts should align with the Naga peace process. The Naga rebel group NSCN (I-M) seeks the integration of all Naga-inhabited areas in the Northeast, but the idea has been rejected by the Centre to protect the territorial integrity of neighboring states.
2. Political Scientists Suhas Palshikar and Yogendra Yadav Express Displeasure Over NCERT Textbook Changes Political scientists Suhas Palshikar and Yogendra Yadav have requested the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to remove their names as chief advisors from all political science textbooks. They claim that the recent rationalization exercise has severely altered the books and rendered them academically dysfunctional. The controversy arises from the deletion of chapters on democracy, diversity, challenges to democracy, and political parties from the newly released political science textbooks for Class 10. Similar concerns have emerged in Karnataka, where the government plans to revise school textbooks. There are speculations that texts related to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), its founder KB Hedgewar, and Hindutva ideologue VD Savarkar might be removed, leading to a political debate between the ruling Congress party and the opposition BJP.
3. Prime Minister Modi Meets OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Highlights AI's Potential Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and acknowledged the vast potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing India's tech ecosystem, especially among the youth. PM Modi tweeted about welcoming collaborations that can expedite India's digital transformation to empower its citizens. Meanwhile, IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar stated that AI, in its current form, is mainly task-oriented and does not possess the capability for logical reasoning. He assured that there is no immediate threat to jobs due to the advent of AI. The government aims to regulate AI technology to safeguard digital citizens and ensure companies mitigate user harm. Self-regulation is essential, but external guidelines on ethical use of AI are also being considered.
4. Enforcement Directorate Issues Show-Cause Notices to Xiaomi and Foreign Banks The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has issued show-cause notices to Chinese mobile manufacturer Xiaomi, its chief financial officer, director, and three foreign banks for alleged foreign exchange violations amounting to over Rs 5,551 crore. The ED has been intensifying scrutiny against Chinese businesses in India since the Galwan clash in 2020. The show-cause notices have been issued under the Foreign Exchange Management Act to Xiaomi Technology India Private Limited, its executives, CITI Bank, HSBC Bank, and Deutsche Bank AG. The ED investigation revealed that the company had remitted foreign currency equivalent to Rs 5,551.27 crore to three foreign-based entities, including a Xiaomi group entity, in violation of FEMA provisions. The accused will be required to pay a penalty once the show-cause notice is settled.
5. West Bengal Panchayat Polls Scheduled for July 8 The three-tier panchayat elections in West Bengal will be held in a single phase on July 8. This election is considered a crucial test for both the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The nomination filing started on June 4 and will continue until June 15, with the vote counting scheduled for July 11. The results of rural elections in Bengal often serve as an indicator of voting patterns in subsequent Lok Sabha elections. The TMC gained significant ground in previous panchayat and assembly elections, while the BJP made significant gains in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Previous elections in West Bengal have witnessed incidents of violence, and both the BJP and Congress have approached the Calcutta High Court seeking the deployment of central forces during the nomination filing process
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