CHIEF INFORMATION COMMISSIONER

Why is in news?

Heeralal Samariya was appointed as the Chief Information Commissioner.

About Chief Information Commissioner:

• The Central Information Commission was constituted in 2005 under the Right to Information Act, 2005. It is not a constitutional body.
• The jurisdiction of the Commission extends over all Central Public Authorities.
• The Central Information Commission shall consist of the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) and not more than 10 Information Commissioners.
• The Right to Information (Amendment) Act, 2019 amended the Right to Information Act, of 2005.
• The RTI (Amendment) Act, 2019 stated that the central government will notify the term and quantum of salary through rules.
• The commissioners are appointed by the President on the recommendation of a committee consisting of:

1. The Prime Minister, who shall be the Chairperson of the committee;
2. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha; and
3. A Union Cabinet Minister to be nominated by the Prime Minister.

• The Chief Information Commissioner and an Information Commissioner shall hold office for such term as prescribed by the Central Government or until they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier, and shall not be eligible for reappointment.

BHARAT ATTA

Why is in news?

The Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Textiles and Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal flagged off 100 mobile vans for sale of wheat flour (Atta) under ‘Bharat’ brand.

About Bharat Atta:

• The atta will be available at an MRP not exceeding ₹ 27.50/Kg.  The launch of retail sale of ‘Bharat’ brand Atta will increase supplies in the market at affordable rates, and will help in continued moderation of prices.
• ‘Bharat’ Atta will be available at all physical and mobile outlets of Kendriya Bhandar, NAFED and NCCF and will be expanded to other co-op/retail outlets.

About NAFED:

• The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) is an apex organization of marketing cooperatives for agricultural produce in India.
• It was established on October 2, 1958, under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act.
• NAFED was set up with the objective to promote cooperative marketing of agricultural produce to benefit the farmers.

About NCCF:

• National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India Limited (NCCF) was established on 16 th October, 1965 to function as the apex body of consumer cooperatives in the country.
• It is registered under the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act, 2002.
• It operates through a network of 26 Branch Offices located in different parts of the country.
• It is headquartered in New Delhi.

BLETCHLEY DECLARATION

Why is in news?

Twenty-nine countries have agreed to work together to prevent “catastrophic harm, either deliberate or unintentional” that may arise from artificially intelligent computer models and engines.

About Bletchley Declaration:

• The central objective of the Bletchley Declaration is to address risks and responsibilities associated with frontier AI in a comprehensive and collaborative manner.
• The document emphasizes the necessity of aligning AI systems with human intent and urges a deeper exploration of AI’s full capabilities.

Member countries:

• Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Saudi, Arabia, Netherlands, Nigeria, The Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Rwanda, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, and the European Union.

Significance:

• It was marked by an agreement which resolved to establish “a shared understanding of the opportunities and risks posed by frontier AI”.
• It includes:
  • Identifying misuse
  • Identifying risks
  • Focusing on international cooperation
  • The importance of safeguarding human rights, transparency, explainability, fairness, accountability, regulation, safety, human oversight, ethics, bias mitigation, privacy, and data protection.

WORLD FOOD INDIA 2023

• The ‘World Food India 2023’ was organized by the Ministry of Food Processing Industry.
• The event was inaugurated by the Prime Minister.
• It is a gateway to the Indian food economy.
• It aims to position India as the ‘food basket of the world.’
• The event coincides with the celebration of the International Year of Millets.
• It was held with the support of ten Ministries/Departments of the Government of India.
• It is one-of-a-kind gathering of manufacturers, producers, food processors, investors, policymakers, and organisations from across the global food ecosystem.
• It is a promising platform to showcase, connect and collaborate in retail, processing, technology transfer, manufacturing, and cold chain logistics, along the global food value chain.
• It showcased investment opportunities in backward linkages, processing equipment, research and development, cold chain storage, start-ups, logistics, and retail chains.

FACT CHECK UNIT (FCU)

Why is in news?

PIL plea in High Court is challenging the formation of Fact Checking Unit by T.N. government.

About the Fact Check Unit (FCU):

• The Tamil Nadu government has formed a Fact Check Unit (FCU) under the Special Programme Implementation Department to check the authenticity of information related to the state government across all media platforms.
• The unit will check the veracity of information related to the announcements, policies, schemes, guidelines, and initiatives of Tamil Nadu.
• This would be the official Fact Check Unit of the government for fake news, mis/disinformation, and hate speech pertaining to the government.
• The FCU will have a Central Task Force. Each district will have an analysis team.
• It will take up complaints related to the government, its ministries, departments, public sector entities, etc for evaluation/fact-checking.
• It can take suo motu cognizance on fact-checking as well as receive complaints from various sources.

NATIONAL CANCER AWARENESS DAY

• National Cancer Awareness Day is observed on 7th November in India every year since 2014.
• It is to create public awareness about early detection, prevention, and treatment of cancer.
• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, representing nearly 1 in 6 deaths globally.
• Theme: ‘Close The Care Gap.’

PLACES IN NEWS

Gelephu

• Gelephu is located towards the south of Bhutan.
• It is revered as one of the most fertile regions and biodiversity hotspots.
• It is also called the ‘Gateway to the Royal Manas National Park.’ The town is also an ideal place to witness and experience cross border trade with India.