In Delhi, Swachh focus on public toilets
• The Swachh Bharat Mission was supposed to build more than 1.25 lakh new toilets in Delhi homes.
• So far, the National Capital Territory has only built 458 individual household toilets under that scheme, according to data presented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in response to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
• The twist in the data comes in the category of community or public toilets, where Delhi has actually exceeded its target, building 19,171 such toilets against the target of only 11,138.
Three in five HIV-carriers now have access to drugs: UN
Almost three in five people infected with HIV, or 21.7 million globally, took antiretroviral therapy in 2017 a new record for anti-AIDS drug access, the UNAIDS said.
Law panel reviewing sedition legislation
The government told the Rajya Sabha that the Law Commission was considering the “scope and ambit” of the law on sedition and suggest amendments, if any.
Two-constituency norm reasonable: govt. tells SC
The government objected to a plea to stop candidates from contesting from two different constituencies, saying such a limitation infringes on a person’s right to contest the polls and curtails the polity’s choice of candidates.
Bill on death penalty for child rape to be tabled
The Bill to award the death penalty for those convicted of raping girls below the age of 12 will be introduced in the monsoon session of Parliament
Amendments Proposed to Central Motor Vehicles Rules
Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has notified draft amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules.
Activists oppose draft anti-trafficking Bill
The Union Cabinet approved the draft Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection and Rehabilitation) Bill 2018.
RTI Bill to be placed in monsoon session
• The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2018, which proposes to give the Centre the power to set the tenure and salaries of State and Central Information Commissioners, will be introduced in the Lok Sabha in the monsoon session.
• The current law gives Information Commissioners a tenure of five years and salaries which match those of Election Commissioners.
President clears Bill against witch-hunting
State of Assam received the President’s approval for the Assam Witch Hunting (Prohibition, Prevention and Protection) Bill, 2015
Nominated members of Rajya Sabha
Under article 80 of the Constitution, the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) is composed of not more than 250 members, of whom 12 are nominated by the President of India from amongst persons who have special knowledge or practical experience in respect of such matters as literature, science, art and social service.