1) SCO Summit 2023: Recently, India has chaired the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) virtual Summit, leaders called for the formation of a “more representative” and multipolar world order in the global interest
Key Highlights:
- The New Delhi Declarationwas signed by the member nations, which states that the international community must come together to “counter the activities of terrorist, separatist and extremist groups, paying special attention to preventing the spread of religious intolerance, aggressive nationalism, ethnic and racial discrimination, xenophobia, ideas of fascism and chauvinism.”
- The leaders adopted two thematic joint statements– one on cooperation in countering the radicalization leading to separatism, extremism, and terrorism & the second one cooperation in the field of digital transformation.
- India has created five new pillars and focus area for cooperation in the SCO, which include,
- Startups and Innovation.
- Traditional Medicine.
- Youth Empowerment.
- Digital Inclusion.
- Shared Buddhist Heritage.
- India refused to be part of the BRI (Belt and Road Initiative) of the SCO members’ economic strategy statement, mentioning “interested member states’.
- The Indian PM highlighted the significance of connectivity for enhancing mutual trade and trust among SCO member states.
- The Indian PM criticized countries that employ Cross-Border Terrorism as an instrument of their policies and provide shelter to terrorists, urging the SCO not to hesitate in condemning such nations and emphasized the importance of consistency in addressing these critical issues.
2) Scheme to Support Pregnant Minor Victims of Sexual Assault: The Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India has unveiled a new scheme aimed at providing critical care and support to pregnant minor victims of sexual assault who lack family support.
- The scheme seeks to assist minor girls who have been abandoned by their families due to forced pregnancies resulting from rape or gang rape.
- Victims below the age of 18, who become pregnant due to rape or assault as per the provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and are either orphans or abandoned by their families, will be covered under the scheme.
- It aims to provide medical, financial, and infrastructural support to such victims under the Nirbhaya Fund.
- The funds will be utilized to set up shelters dedicated to these victims, either as standalone shelters or designated wards within existing child care institutions (CCIs).
- The scheme will leverage the administrative structure of Mission Vatsalya in collaboration with State governments and CCIs to actualize this support to minor victims.
- According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data from 2021, 51,863 cases were reported under the POCSO Act.
