Table of Contents
CERT-In:
The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team is an office within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. CERT-In is the national nodal agency for responding to computer security incidents as and when they occur. CERT-In was created by the Indian Department of Information Technology in 2004 and operates under the auspices of that department. The purpose of CERT-In is to respond to computer security incidents, report on vulnerabilities, and promote effective IT security practices throughout the country. According to the provisions of the Information Technology Amendment Act 2008, CERT-In is responsible for overseeing the administration of the Act.
Pitch Black 2020:
Exercise Pitch Black is a biennial warfare exercise hosted by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Australia’s multilateral air combat training exercise, Pitch Black 2020 has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 situation. In the last edition of Pitch Black in 2018, the Indian Air Force (IAF) had for the first-time deployed fighter aircraft for the exercise.
Southern Transitional Council (STC):
The Southern Transitional Council is a secessionist organization in Yemen. The 26 members of the STC include the governors of five southern governorates and two government ministers. It was formed by a faction of the Southern Movement, also known as al-Hirak al-Janoubi. Separatists in southern Yemen have declared self-rule, breaking a peace deal signed in November with the internationally recognized government. The coalition consists of the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) and the Saudi-backed government forces.
Saudi Arabia abolishes flogging:
Saudi Arabia has abolished flogging as a form of punishment, the country’s supreme court has announced. The court said on Saturday that the “human rights advances” are part of reforms pushed by King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz and his son, the kingdom’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Now, with flogging abolished, judges will have to choose between fines, jail sentences and non-custodial alternatives such as jail sentences. This reform was made in order to “bring the kingdom into line with international human rights norms against corporal punishment”.
Basava Jayanti:
Basava Jayanthi is traditionally observed by the Lingayats and is observed as a holiday in the Indian state of Karnataka. It marks the birthday of Basavanna, 12th-century poet-philosopher, and the founding saint of the Lingayat sect. Basavanna was a 12th-century philosopher, statesman, Kannada poet, and a social reformer during the reign of the Kalachuri-dynasty king Bijjala I in Karnataka, Basavanna spread social awareness through his poetry, popularly known as Vachanaas. Basavanna rejected gender or social discrimination, superstitions, and rituals.