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9th, August, 2022

A joint exercise between the special forces of India and the USA began in Himachal Pradesh’s Bakloh in District Chamba.

The drill aims to improve inter-operability between the special forces of both the countries.

The 13th edition of the Indo-US Joint Special Forces exercise — Ex Vajra Prahar 2022, began at the Special Forces Training School in Bakloh today,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
The 12th edition of this exercise between India and the US was conducted at Joint Base Lewis Mcchord, Washington (US) in October 2021.

This joint annual exercise is hosted alternately between India and the US to share the best practices and experiences in areas such as joint mission planning and operational tactics.
The US contingent is represented by personnel from the 1st Special Forces Group (SFG) and Special Tactics Squadron (STS) of the US Special Forces while the Indian Army contingent is formed by drawing Special Forces personnel under the aegis of SFTS, the statement said.
According to the Defense Ministry, during the course of the next 21 days, teams of both armies would jointly train, plan and execute a series of special operations, counter terrorist operations, airborne operations in simulated conventional and unconventional scenarios in mountainous terrain.
This joint exercise is a significant step in strengthening the traditional bond of friendship between the special forces of both nations as well as improve bilateral defense cooperation between India and the US, the statement noted.

(Source: business-standard)

The Rajya Sabha on Thursday passed the Family Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2022 by voice vote.
The Bill makes a provision to grant statutory cover to family courts set up in Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
Lok Sabha passed the Bill last week.

The Bill seeks to insert a provision in sub-section 3 of section 1 to provide for the establishment of family courts in Himachal Pradesh with effect from February 15, 2019 and in Nagaland with effect from September 12, 2008. It also seeks to insert a new section 3A to retrospectively validate all actions under the act taken by the governments of Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland and the family courts of these states.

(Source: the statesman)

MC Act Amendment: Amendment to Municipal Corporation Act challenged in Himachal High Court.

The amendment to the Municipal Corporation Act has been challenged before the Himachal Pradesh High Court.

The amendment has been made to prepare an election list on the lines of the Assembly for the Shimla Municipal Corporation elections.

A division bench of Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice C B Barowalia issued notice to the government and sought its response by August 22. It has been alleged that the amendment to the Municipal Corporation Act is contrary to the provisions given in the Constitution.

Under this, only those people will be able to vote in the Municipal Corporation elections, whose name will be in the voter list of the Municipal Corporation Shimla Assembly. Four wards of Shimla Rural Assembly constituency and two wards of Kasumpti Assembly fall under the purview of Shimla Municipal Corporation.

Advocate Hamendra Singh Chandel, appearing for the petitioner, told the court that if a person from outside the periphery of municipal corporation Shimla area wants to vote in the municipal elections, he will have to get the vote cut from his home assembly constituency.
It has also been alleged that municipal election rules have been amended after 28 years to gain political mileage. Before making this rule, the government has not sought any objection from the people.
The government had issued a notification in this regard on March 9, 2022. The government has issued this notification contrary to the Constitution to gain political mileage. About 20,000 people have been deprived of exercising their fundamental right in the Shimla Municipal Corporation elections.

(Source: Amar Ujala)