The Union Cabinet approved a proposal to permit registration of religion-neutral marriages. The proposal has been brought in the form of amendment to the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969. A in this respect will be introduced in the Budget Session of the Parliament commencing on April 24, 2012.
Objective of this proposed Bill:

• It will give relief to couples having inter-religion wedlock as these couples often face social and community pressures for having married as per their wishes.
• The proposed bill to amend the Registration of Births and Deaths Act.
• I will save women in case of inter-religion marriages from unnecessary harassment in matrimonial and maintenance cases.
• It will also provide evidentiary value in the matters of custody of children, right of children born from the wedlock and the age of the persons married.
• The present system of issuing religion-based certificates will continue.

The Union Cabinet also gave its approval to another bill under which Sikhs would be able to register marriages under the “Anand Marriage Act, 1909”.

Objective of this Move:

At present, the Sikhs Marriages are registered under the Hindu Marriage Act and in the official documents Sikhs are shown as Hindus. Besides Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists are also issued certificates under this Act. There has been a long standing demand from the Sikh community for a separate Marriage Act for Sikhs. “The Anand Marriage Act” was passed by the British in 1909 but was annulled after partition. 

The Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court has directed the Centre and Uttar Pradesh government to ensure that there is no reporting on movement of troops by print or electronic media. The bench held that the issue of movement of army troops is not a matter which should need public discussion at the cost of defence secrecy and the security of the nation.

The Union Ministry of Communications and Information Technology drafting a policies for:

1. Use of social media by several departments
2. For engaging citizens in designing government programmes.

A draft framework for using the social media by various departments of government of India and the state governments has been prepared.

Drafting another framework, the ministry wants to engage citizens in the design of various government programmes. This policy is aimed at plugging the gap b/w the field reality and what is being designed and planned. The Ministry is holding consultations with civil society regarding the framework of the policy.

  In order to assist the CBI in probing cases related to bank, commercial and financial frauds, the CVC (Central Vigilance Commission) reconstituted an advisory board.

What will be the Structure of the Board?

The board will have 6-members with each having tenure of 2 years. The Board will form part of the organisational infrastructure of the CBI and RBI offering the needed investigative and secretarial services along with the required funds.

Who will head the Board?

The board, will be under the chairmanship of former Deputy Governor of RBI Shyamala Gopinath. The Board will be based in Mumbai but it can meet anywhere in India at its ease.

What will be the authority of the Board?

• The Board’s jurisdiction would be limited to those cases where the CBI wants to register a Regular Case/Preliminary Investigation in respect of an allegation of a fraud or where it has a difference of opinion with any Bank, PSUs or financial institution, regardless of the level of the officers/officials involved in it.
• The Board may also advise on any other technical matter referred to it by the CBI or CVC.

Delhi High Court removed the accusations filed against U.S. based internet giant Yahoo Inc. The company clarified the court that there was no defamatory material posted on its website and that no case was filed against it. Yahoo India has already been discharged by the court for lack of any case against the company.

Against whom & why the suit was filed against websites?

The complaint was filed by Mufti Aijas Arshad Quasmi, against websites allegedly for propagating objectionable material. Mufti Aijas Arshad Quasmi had moved the court against Yahoo, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Orkut, Youtube, Blogspot, Zombie Time, Exboii, Boardreader, IMC India, My Lot, Shyni Blog and Topix and others allegedly for hosting defamatory content.