News in Short

• The Kerala government has decided to amend the Kerala Police Act to check increasing abuse on social media and cybercrime.
• The cabinet decided to recommend to the Governor to issue an Ordinance to incorporate a new Section 118(A) into the Act to punish any person who creates or sends any information that is offensive or is intended to offend or threaten another person, through any means of communication, with an imprisonment of five years or a fine of ? 10,000 or both.
• The Kerala High Court had earlier directed the state police to take steps against hate campaigns and attacks through social media. The time of the coronavirus pandemic has seen a spurt in attacks and hate campaigns on social media.

• The Union Cabinet has approved the adoption of the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act, 1989, which was amended and notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on October 17.
• The amendment paves the way for the creation of District Development Councils (DDCs), whose members will be directly elected by the people.
• As per the amendment, the DDCs will have jurisdiction over the entire district, excluding those areas designated as municipalities or municipal corporations.
• The DDC shall consist of the directly elected members from territorial constituencies in the district, members of the Legislative Assembly representing a part or whole of the district whose constituencies lie within the district and the Chairperson of all Block Development Councils of the district.

• Mohammed Siraj became the first player ever to bowl two maiden overs in a single Indian Premier League (IPL) match during Royal Challengers Bangalore’s (RCB) clash against Kolkata.
• Siraj gave away only two runs in his third over and ended his first spell of three overs with figures of 3/2. He finished the match with figures of 3/8, giving away just six singles in the 19th over.
• Siraj has 34 IPL wickets from 30 matches at 28.17 and an economy rate of 9.02 with the best figures of 4/32. Meanwhile, his team, RCB, are placed third on the points table with 12 points from nine matches.

• Scientists in the Netherlands have discovered a potential new organ in the human throat that they stumbled upon while carrying out research on prostate cancer. They have named them “tubarial salivary glands”.
• The discovery may be important for cancer treatment. So far, this nasopharynx region — behind the nose — was not thought to host anything but microscopic, diffuse, salivary glands.
• The newly discovered glands are located over a piece of cartilage called the torus tubarius. The glands probably lubricate and moisten the upper throat behind the nose and mouth.

• Wing Commander (Retd) Dr Vijayalakshmi Ramanan, the first woman commissioned officer of the Indian Air Force, has died at the age of 96. Ramanan died peacefully due to old age ailments..
• Born in February 1924, she did her MBBS and later was commissioned in the Army Medical Corps on August 22, 1955 and was seconded to the Air Force with effect from the same day.
• Besides having served as a gynecologist at various Air Force Hospitals, she had also attended to the troops wounded during wars and performed administrative duties.
• Ramanan was promoted to the rank of Wing Commander in August 1972, and honoured with the Vishist Seva Medal five years later. She had retired in February, 1979.