UPSC Daily Current Affairs| Prelimbits 02-08-2025

Nyaya Bandhu Legal Aid program

Why in News?

Union minister of law and justice in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha proceedings described Nyaya Bandhu Legal Aid program is enhancing legal aid in the country.

• Nyaya Bandhu – It is a pro bono legal services (free legal assistance) program to provide free legal aid to eligible marginalized beneficiaries through a mobile application.
• The program registers interested Pro Bono Advocates and connects them with the beneficiaries through the Nyaya Bandhu Application.

• Aim – To create a mechanism for delivering legal advice and assistance to needy beneficiaries across the country.
• Launched & implemented by – Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice.
• Program under - Designing Innovative Solutions for Holistic Access to Justice (DISHA) which is being implemented by Department of Justice.
• Eligible beneficiaries – People entitled for free legal aid under Section 12 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
• Features - A panel of Advocates has also been constituted in 23 High Courts to strengthen institutional mechanism for delivering pro bono legal services to the beneficiary.
  • To instill the spirit of free legal work among law students.
  •  Pro Bono Clubs constituted across 109 law colleges in the country.
• Awareness in remote areas – Through Pro Bono Clubs (PBCs) in the Law schools are engaged in providing community care legal assistance and legal awareness.
• through Common Service Centres (CSCs) in regional languages and via Helpline Toll- free number 14454.

• Impact – Till 30^th June, 2025, approximately, 14888 women beneficiaries have registered under the Nyaya Bandhu App seeking assistance across various problems.

Reference

PIB | Nyaya Bandhu Legal Aid program

WIFEX

Why in News?

 Recently, WiFEX has completed a remarkable ten successful years milestone stepping into next phase WiFEX-II which led to active response even during dense fog.

• WiFEX - Winter Fog Experiment, is one of the world’s few long-term open-field experiments.
• Aim - Dedicated research into North India’s dense winter fog and its impact on daily life and aviation safety.
• Launched in - Winter of 2015 at Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA), New Delhi.
• Led by - Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).
• Supported by - India Meteorological Department (IMD) and National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF).
• Nodal ministry - Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
• Instruments used - Micrometeorology towers, ceilometers, and high-frequency sensors
• Data collected on - Temperature layers, humidity, wind, turbulence, soil heat, and aerosols.
• Features
  • Region’s most advanced High-resolution (3 km) probabilistic fog prediction model.
  • It will predict when fog will begin, how dense it will be, how long it will last, and when it will clear.
  • Achieving more than 85% precision for very dense fog (visibility below 200 meters).
• Advantages
  • Aviation safety & fog solution – It will ensure less costly diversions, fewer delays, safer runways, and more informed travel during the challenging winter fog season.
• WIFEX II’s next phase
  • Localized extension, runway-specific fog predictions to more airports in north India.
  • Enhancing performance through Installation of dedicated sensors at additional sites
  • Airport operators will gain real-time data to help them activate response plans and ensure operations remain safe and efficient even during winter’s thickest fog.

Reference

PIB| WIFEX - A Remarkable 10-Year Milestone

Digital Payment Index

Why in News?

Recently, the Digital Payments Index revealed that Digital payments in India saw a 10.7% growth during Sept, 2024 to March, 2025.

• Aim – It is designed to track the extent of digitalisation in payments across the country.
• Introduced in – 2021.
• Base year – March, 2018 as the base period.
• DPI score - Set at 100 in 2018.
• Released by - Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• Oversight – Biannually (twice a year).
• Parameters 
  • Payment Enablers (25%),
  • Payment infrastructure Demand-side (10%) & supply-side (15%),
  • Payment performance (45%),
  • Consumer centricity (5%).
• Key findings
  • The current level in March 2025 marks a more than fourfold increase in digital payment activity since 2018.
  • The latest increase is primarily driven by improvements in Payment Infrastructure Supply-side factors and Payment Performance includes
    • An expanded merchant acceptance network,
    • Wider adoption of QR code-based payments,
    • Robust growth in Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions, and
    • Improved availability of digital banking services nationwide.
  • It highlights a broader transformation in the country’s payments ecosystem, supported by government initiatives such as Digital India, growing smartphone penetration, and active fintech innovation.
• Significance – It plays a crucial role in policy formulation and benchmarking progress.

Reference

DD NEWS| RBI – Digital Payment Index

Bilateral Agreement between India and Morocco

Why in News?

Recently, Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLAT) agreement was signed between India and Morocco.

• Aim - The Bilateral agreement aims to promote cooperation in the Judicial and legal spheres.
• It facilitates the widest measures of mutual legal assistance in civil and commercial matters in accordance with national laws.
• Assistance under the agreement -The service of summons and other judicial documents or processes;
• The taking of evidence by means of Letters of Request;
• The execution of judicial judgments (in the case of the Kingdom of Morocco), decrees (in the case of the Republic of India), settlements, and arbitral awards.
• Key features
  • Exchange of Expertise - Sharing experiences and expertise related to the functioning of the respective Ministries and judicial systems.
  • Legislation Exchange - Mutual sharing of legal publications, bulletins, and legislative materials to enhance legal understanding and cooperation.
  • Capacity Building - Organising symposiums, conferences, and joint courses on various legal issues and applications.
  • Legal Training and Delegation Exchange - Facilitating visits and training opportunities for lawyers and legal experts, including participation in each other’s training programs.
  • Judicial Information Systems - Cooperation in developing national legal information systems and related technological advancements through shared digital practices and tools in justice delivery. 
  • Implementation Mechanism - Formation of a joint coordination committee responsible for planning annual cooperation programs that are practical and within the financial capabilities of both parties.
• Significance - It contribute to institutional strengthening, capacity development, and modernization of legal frameworks, ultimately promoting rule of law and justice cooperation.

Reference

PIB| Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLAT)