Context: Elon Musk-owned X (formerly Twitter) has challenged the government’s use of Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act) to moderate and order the removal of content on social media.

Background: –

• X has asked the court to direct the government that orders to block content can only be issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000, and not by invoking Section 79(3)(b) of the Act. 

Key takeaways

• In Shreya Singhal v Union of India (2015), the Supreme Court struck down Section 66A of the IT Act which criminally punished, among other things, sending false information “for the purpose of causing annoyance or inconvenience”. SC said the provision was vague, giving the government unchecked powers to restrict the freedom of speech.
• After this decision, Section 69A of the IT Act became the primary law governing the matter. This section allows the Centre to issue orders blocking “any information generated, transmitted, received, stored or hosted in any computer resource”, but unlike 66A, it contains safeguards against misuse.
• For blocking content under Section 69A, the Centre must deem it “necessary”. This “necessity”, however, is only justifiable under grounds provided in Article 19(2) of the Constitution which “imposes reasonable restrictions” on the freedom of speech “in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with Foreign States, public order, decency or morality or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence”.
• The Centre must record its reasons in the blocking order so that it can be challenged in court.

Govt’s use of Section 79

• The SC in Shreya Singhal also clarified the application of another provision — Section 79 of the IT Act. The provision is a “safe harbour” measure that exempts an “intermediary” (such as X) from liability for information published on the platform by a “third party”, that is, users of the platform.
• But Section 79(3)(b) states that the intermediary could be held liable if it does not immediately remove such unlawful information “upon receiving actual knowledge, or on being notified by the appropriate Government or its agency”.
• The apex court limited the scope of this provision, ruling that the requirement under Section 79(3)(b) will only kick in once a court order has been passed to that effect, or the government issues a notification stating that the content in question is related to grounds provided in Article 19(2).
• But in 2023, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) issued a directive to all ministries, state governments, and the police saying that information blocking orders could be issued under Section 79(3)(b). A year later in 2024, MeitY launched a portal called “Sahyog” where the aforementioned authorities could issue and upload blocking orders.
• X’s challenge argues that MeitY’s orders are an attempt to “bypass the multiple procedural safeguards” provided under Section 69A. The petition relies upon the SC’s ruling in Shreya Singhal, and says that content can only be censored though the process given under Section 69A or through a court order.

Source: Indian Express

Context: After meeting on March 20, the Supreme Court collegium unanimously decided to transfer Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma back to the Allahabad High Court, where he originally came from.

Background:

• This came after a large sum of cash was allegedly recovered from Justice Varma’s residence after a fire.

About Collegium

• It is the system by which judges of the higher judiciary in India — the Supreme Court and High Courts — are appointed and transferred. 
• Although not rooted in the Constitution or any specific law, it has evolved over the years through judgments of the apex court popularly known as the the “Judges Cases”.
• The Supreme Court collegium is a five-member body headed by the incumbent Chief Justice of India (CJI), and comprising the four other senior most judges at that time. High Court collegiums are led by the incumbent Chief Justice and the two other senior most judges of that court.

How does the collegium system work?

• The SC collegium recommends the names of judges to be appointed to the apex court. So do HC collegiums (for their respective High Courts), although their recommendations must be approved by the SC collegium.
• These recommendations reach the government, whose role in the process is limited to conducting an Intelligence Bureau (IB) inquiry into the persons recommended. While the government can raise objections and seek clarifications regarding the collegium’s choices, it is bound under Constitution Bench judgments to approve the names if the collegium reiterates the same.

Why has the system been criticised?

• Critics have pointed out that the system is non-transparent, since it does not involve any official mechanism or secretariat. It is seen as a closed-door affair with no prescribed norms regarding eligibility criteria, or even the selection procedure.
• There is no public knowledge of how and when a collegium meets, and how it takes its decisions as there are no official minutes of collegium proceedings.

Have any alternatives been suggested?

• The Justice M N Venkatachaliah Commission, appointed by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2000, recommended the creation of a National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) to replace the collegium. This would comprise the CJI and the two seniormost SC judges, the Union Law Minister, and an eminent person to be chosen by the President in consultation with the CJI.
• While the Narendra Modi government cleared the NJAC Bill in 2014, it was struck down by the SC within a year as unconstitutional.

Source: Indian Express

Context: Two satellite photos taken 33 years apart show the disappearance of Okjökull glacier in Iceland that was the first ice mass to be declared dead as a result of human-caused climate change.

Background: –

• Because of inconsistent monitoring and debates about the true sizes of glaciers, it is unclear exactly how many glaciers have been lost due to climate change, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center.

Key Points

• Okjökull, often referred to as “Ok Glacier,” was a glacier located atop the Ok volcano in western Iceland. 
• In the late 19th century, it spanned approximately 16 square kilometers. However, due to rising global temperatures, it experienced significant shrinkage over the 20th century. By 2012, its area had diminished to merely 0.7 square kilometers.
• In 2014, glaciologists declared Okjökull “dead,” as it no longer possessed the characteristics essential for a glacier, notably the ability to move under its own weight. This marked the first instance in Iceland where a glacier lost its status due to climate change.

Additional Information

• In 2023, Iceland created the world’s first iceberg graveyard, where ice-like headstones were constructed for the 15 major glaciers listed on the Global Glacier Casualty List, all of which are either dead or critically endangered, according to the United Nations.
• The Global Glacier Casualty List (GGCL) is a comprehensive initiative aimed at documenting glaciers worldwide that have disappeared or are critically endangered due to climate change. 
• Established in 2024 through a collaboration between Rice University, the University of Iceland, the Iceland Glaciological Society, the World Glacier Monitoring Service, and UNESCO, the GGCL seeks to preserve the names and stories of these glaciers, highlighting their cultural, economic, and environmental significance.

Source: Live Science

Eminent Hindi writer Vinod Kumar Shukla was on Saturday( 22 March) named the recipient of the 59th Jnanpith Award, India's highest literary honour. He will be the first writer from Chhattisgarh to receive the award.

• The 88-year-old short story writer, poet and essayist, considered one of the greatest contemporary writers in the language, is the 12th Hindi writer to receive the award.
• The award carries with it a cash reward of Rs 11 lakh, a bronze statue of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of learning, and a citation.
• The decision was made during the meeting of the Jnanpith Selection Committee, chaired by eminent storyteller and Jnanpith awardee Pratibha Ray.

Online travel ticket booking platform Goibibo has appointed famous Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant as its new brand ambassador, unveiling a campaign that also features cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar.

• The campaign brings a playful twist to one of Gavaskar's iconic commentary phrases as it showcases travel deals and encourages viewers to plan their next trip with ease.
• Goibibo has been creating fun advertisements that appeal to a wide range of travellers, and the new promotion continues that trend. 
• The campaign adds a fun spin on Sunil Gavaskar's phrase, ‘Stupid, Stupid, Stupid’ during commentary, to guide customers in their travel and stay plans.

Amitabh Kant, former CEO of NITI Aayog, has been appointed as the Chairperson of NIIT University. The appointment is effective from March 10, 2025. With this, Kant succeeds renowned scientist K Kasturirangan in the role.

Kant brings a wealth of experience from his tenure at NITI Aayog (2016–2022), where he spearheaded key initiatives such as the Atal Innovation Mission, the Aspirational Districts Programme, and the National Programme on Artificial Intelligence.

He also played a pivotal role in the launch of flagship programs like Make in India, Startup India, and Ease of Doing Business reforms.

Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan on Friday inaugurated Bharat Petroleum Corporation’s floating solar power plant at the Kochi Refinery.

The 3.2MW AC floating solar plant has been set up in the rainwater harvesting pond and covers eight acres of the waterbody, which has a total area of around 19 acres, according to a release.

The plant has been set up at a cost of Rs.28.93 crore.

Ms. Muraleedharan also visited the 150 TPD municipal solid waste to compressed bio gas (CBG) plant being set up by BPCL near the Brahmapuram waste dumping yard of the Kochi Corporation and reviewed its progress

Anuj Kumar Singh (IRSEE) has been appointed as Joint Secretary (Director level) in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), Delhi.

The appointment has been made under the Central Staffing Scheme for a tenure of five years or until further orders, whichever comes earlier.

Singh is an Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineers (IRSEE) officer from the 2009 batch.

His selection for Central deputation was recommended by the Ministry of Railways.

Following his appointment, he has been directed to assume his new role at UPSC with immediate effect.

Boxing champion George Foreman, the former two-time heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist, passed away on March 21, 2025, at the age of 76. 

• Known for his devastating power inside the ring and his larger-than-life personality outside of it, Foreman’s impact stretched far beyond boxing. 
• He was a preacher, an entrepreneur, and a beloved figure who inspired generations. 
• His family confirmed the heartbreaking news in a statement, and tributes from the boxing world and beyond have poured in, honoring the man who stood as a pillar of the sport.