The Daily Brief – 14th October 2018

Guadeloupean author Maryse Conde (81) was awarded New Academy Prize in Literature, an alternative award formed in protest to Nobel Literature Prize. She is considered as grand storyteller who belongs to world literature. New Academy Prize in Literature was formed by New Academy consisting of more than 100 Swedish writers, artists and journalists in protest to denounce bias, arrogance and sexism of Swedish Academy, which selects Nobel laureates.

Sikkim was awarded UN Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) Future Policy Gold Award (Gold Prize) for its achievement in becoming the world’s first totally organic agriculture state. Sikkim beat out 51 other nominees from around the world for the award. Policies from Brazil, Denmark and Quito (Ecuador) were jointly Silver Awards. This award in nicknamed the “Oscar for best policies”. FAO is specialised agency of UN that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Its parent organization is UN Economic and Social Council (UNESC). It was established on 16 October 1945 and its headquarters are in Rome.

The 13th Convention of Central Information Commission was held in New Delhi. It was inaugurated by President Ram Nath Kovind. CIC was established in 2005 by Central Government under provisions of Right to Information (RTI) Act (2005). It is plays important role in maintaining transparency in system of governance essential for healthy democracy. CIC submits annual report to Union government on the implementation of the provisions of RTI Act.

NITI Aayog has inked agreement with Microsoft India to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to address challenges in agriculture and healthcare and promote adoption of local language computing among others. This partnership will help NITI Aayog to move beyond pilots and understand how to scale AI implementation in sectors characterized by preponderance of public goods.

National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) released special silver jubilee logo and commissioned documentary titled ‘NHRC: 25 years, Billion Hopes’ as a part of celebrations of Silver Jubilee (25 years) on October 12, 2018 in New Delhi. NHRC was set up on October 12, 1993. It also organized ‘Human Rights Mela’ and ‘Human Rights Street Theatre Festival’ in New Delhi. NHRC, multimember body consisting of Chairman and four members, is apex statutory watchdog of human rights in the country.

India was elected to United Nations’ Human Rights Council’, the main body of UN charged with promoting and monitoring human rights for period of three years beginning January 1, 2019. This was fifth time India has been elected to UNHRC. It was created by UNGA on 15 March 2006 by adopting resolution 60/251 to promote human rights globally. It had replaced former UN Commission on Human Rights. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. It is made up of 47 UN member states which are elected by UNGA.

As per the 2018 Global Hunger Index (GHI), the level of hunger and under nutrition worldwide fell to 20.9, down from 29.2 in the year 2000. As per the index, India was ranked 103rd (with a score of 31.1) out of 119 qualifying countries. It was prepared jointly by global NGOs namely, Concern Worldwide (Ireland) and Welthungerhilfe (Germany). GHI index is calculated based on four indicators- Undernourishment, Child Wasting, Child Stunting and Child Mortality.

The Supreme Court Collegium consisting of Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, Justices Madan B Lokur and Kurian Joseph has recommended the appointment of five Chief Justices to the High Courts. Justice NH Patil-Bombay, Justice DK Gupta-Culcutta, Justice Ramesh Ranganathan- High Court of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, Justice AS Bopanna-Karnataka and Justice Vijai Kumar Bist- Uttarkhand.