- Ban on Students Islamic Movement of India(SIMI): The government has extended the ban on a group called ‘Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI)’ for five more years under a law called the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. SIMI was banned in 2001 initially, Since then, the outlawing of SIMI has been consistently renewed at regular intervals.
It’s a group with Islamic fundamentalist beliefs.
The SIMI group was established in 1977, in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh. It was initially started as the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH).SIMI has been involved in activities that promote terrorism, disrupt peace, and threaten the sovereignty, security, and integrity of the country.
- Stamp Duty: It is essentially a government tax, which is levied to register documents, like an agreement or transaction paper between two or more parties, with the registrar. The specified amount is usually fixed based on the type of document. Sometimes, it is a percentage of the value mentioned in the agreement.
Stamp duty can be imposed on various documents like bills of exchange, cheques, promissory notes, bills of lading, letters of credit, insurance policies, share transfers, debentures, proxies, and receipts. Documents with paid stamp duties are considered valid evidence in a court of law. The Central government imposes stamp duties but the money collected goes to the respective states. This is done according to Article 268 of the Constitution, allowing states to appropriate these funds within their territories.
The centre has proposed repealing the Indian Stamp Act 1899 and bringing in a new stamp duty regime. Reasons for Proposing the Indian Stamp Bill 2023:certain parts of the Indian Stamp Act 1899 are no longer useful or effective, Digital E-stamping Absent, Inconsistent State Laws, While the 1899 Act applied to 30 states and Union Territories, six states had separate stamp acts and rules.
- One Stop Centre scheme: It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme formulated under the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD).The objective is:
- To provide integrated support and assistance to women affected by violence, both in private and public spaces under one roof.
- To facilitate immediate, emergency and non-emergency access to a range of services including medical, legal, psychological and counselling support under one roof to fight against any forms of violence against women.
It supports all women including girls below 18 years of age affected by violence, irrespective of caste, class, religion, region, sexual orientation or marital status. For girls below 18 years of age, institutions and authorities established under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 linked with the OSC.
The Scheme will be funded through the Nirbhaya Fund. The Central Government will provide 100% financial assistance under the Scheme. The day-to-day implementation and administrative matters would be the responsibility of the District Collector/District Magistrate.
