New statue of “Lady Justice”

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Recently, the Chief Justice of India unveiled the ‘new lady justice’ statue in the Supreme Court premises replacing the ‘original lady justice’. 

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• The new statue has been designed by Vinod Goswami, a muralist who teaches at the College of Art in Delhi.
• The origin of the modern-day ‘lady justice’ is Justitia, the goddess of Justice in Roman mythology. 
• The unveiling of the statue aligns with recent legal reforms, including new criminal codes, reflecting India's goal of "decolonizing" its legal framework.

21^st Divya Kala Mela

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Recently, the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment inaugurated the 21^st Divya Kala Mela in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.

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• The event was launched through the National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation (NDFDC), from 17^th October to 27^th October 2024. 
• It is a monumental fair dedicated to the economic empowerment of persons with disabilities (PwDs)  providing platform for differently abled entrepreneurs to showcase their products, talents, and skills. 
• Over 100 Divyang entrepreneurs and artisans from more than 20 States and Union Territories gathered at this 11-day mela to showcase an impressive range of locally-made products.
• Loans worth ₹1.21 crore were also distributed in the event by Madhya Pradesh Gramin Bank, Union Bank, and IDBI Bank to disabled entrepreneurs.
• Since its inception in 2022, with over 20 fairs organized across the Nation, generating a combined income exceeding ₹15 crore for participating Divyangjans.
• The fair will feature ‘Divya Kala Shakti,’ a cultural program showcasing Divyang artists from across India, becoming a national platform for their creative expression.
• The government is urged to host a World Art Fair in Jabalpur, promoting collaboration among the public sector, private companies, and NGOs to empower Divyangjans

‘Click to Cancel’ rule

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Recently, the US Federal Trade Commission announced that it will soon implement a “Click-to-Cancel” Rule. 

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• This rule will make it easier for consumers to cancel subscriptions and memberships. 
• This rule will hold companies accountable for making cancellation difficult, and they could face penalties for doing so.

“Click-to-Cancel” New Rule

• The “click to cancel” rule requires retailers, gyms and other businesses to get consumers’ consent for subscriptions, auto-renewals and free trials that convert to paid memberships. 
• The cancellation method must be “at least as easy to use” as the signup process. 
• Cancellations must be available through the same method (online, phone, etc.) that consumers used to sign up.

Some crucial guidelines of the rule are as follows:

• Companies cannot require people to talk to a live or virtual representative to cancel if they did not have to do that to sign up;
• Companies cannot charge extra for phone cancellation, and must answer the phone or take a message during normal business hours. If they take a message, companies have to respond promptly;
• For memberships/subscriptions that were originally offered in person, companies cannot mandate an in-person subscription, and have to offer options for cancellation online or on the phone

India does not have any such regulation at the moment.

Musaned Platform

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Recently, Saudi Arabia launched the digital platform Musaned to ensure wage protection of expatriate workers.

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• Musaned is an electronic platform and a new integrated system that facilitates recruitment procedures in an unprecedented manner.
• The platform aims to facilitate the recruitment process of domestic workers, enhance the protection of rights for all parties involved, and inform employers and domestic workers of their rights and responsibilities.
• It will benefit at least 10 African countries like Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda, Egypt and Kenya as well as nine Asian countries such as India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Vietnam, Philippines and Sri Lanka.
• This system allows foreign embassies to have “view access” on the system on “all the details related to their citizens working in Saudi.
• Under the platform, foreign workers in the domestic (household) work sector can check the existing employment contracts and follow updates in a dedicated Musaned labour app. 
• The platform can be linked with contract insurance and health benefits.

Samarth Scheme

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The government extends the “Samarth” Scheme till March 2026.

Samarth Scheme

• Samarth is a demand-driven and placement-oriented umbrella skilling program of the Ministry of Textiles. 
• The scheme has been extended for two years (FY 2024-25 and 2025-26) with a budget of Rs. 495 Crore to train 3 lakh persons in textile-related skills.

Goal: 

• To encourage and support the industry in creating jobs in the organized textile and related sectors, covering the entire value chain of textiles, excluding Spinning and Weaving. 
• The training program and curriculum have been rationalized to meet the evolving technological and market needs.
• Under the Samarth Scheme, the Ministry, through implementing partners, has trained 3.27 lakh candidates, of which 2.6 lakh (79.5%) have been employed.