- Bharat Ratna to be conferred to Shri Lal Krishna Advani.
Union Government announced that veteran BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani will be conferred the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to Shri Lal Krishna Advani and congratulated him on being conferred this honour.
Mr Advani’s decades-long service in public life has been marked by an unwavering commitment to transparency and integrity, setting an exemplary standard in political ethics.
LK Advani has served as the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party for the longest period since its inception in 1980.
He is credited with crafting BJP’s rise through the 1990s when it came to power for the first time as the head of coalition governments under Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
He served as the deputy prime minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led cabinet from 2002 to 2004.
- Champai Soren becomes the 7th Chief Minister of Jharkhand.
Following the arrest of Mr. Hemant Soren over PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) allegations by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Mr. Champai Soren becomes the 7th Chief Minister of Jharkhand.
- Law Commission of India recommends the retention of criminal defamation as an offence.
On 31st January, the 22nd Law Commission of India in its 285th report, submitted to the Union Law Ministry a recommendation regarding the retention of criminal defamation as an offence within the schemes of criminal laws in the country, emphasizing that not all utterances and publications are worthy of protection of the free speech rights.
Reputation is an asset which can take a lifetime to build and mere seconds to destroy. Protection of one’s reputation and its facets are the essence of the Law of Criminal Defamation.
According to the report, reputation cannot be allowed to be jeopardized just because a person must enjoy his freedom of speech at the expense of hurting the sentiments of others.
- Law Commission of India compels offenders to pay for the damage to public property as a precondition for being granted bail.
The 22nd Law Commission of India in its 284th report compelled offenders to deposit the estimated value of the public property damaged by them as a condition for granting bail as it would work as a deterrent against their acts.
With respect to damage caused to public property by any Hartal or Bandh which is called by any organization, the organization shall be deemed to be guilty of the commission of the offence of abetment of an offence.
- Shri Banwari Lal Purohit resigns from office.
Shri Banwari Lal Purohit, the Governor of Punjab submitted his resignation to the President citing personal reasons. He was also holding charge of Administrator, Union Territory of Chandigarh.
