Morning Digest | Centre sets up secure e-mail for 10,000 users in critical ministries; SCs were never counted in Andaman and Nicobar, now a parliamentary committee sits up and takes notice, and more

The Hindu Morning Digest gives a select list of stories to start the day. Read the top news today on December 18, 2023

Centre sets up secure e-mail for 10,000 users in critical ministries

In the wake of cyberattacks, the Centre has set up a secure e-mail set-up for 10,000 users in critical ministries and departments, a senior government official said. The e-mail system that works on Zero Trust Authentication (ZTA) has been designed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). Recently, senior officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) held a meeting to discuss the provisions of the secure e-mail set-up. The 10,000 emails span across 17 union ministries and departments.

Revoke suspension of 13 Opposition MPs, Congress’ Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury writes to Lok Sabha Speaker

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on December 17 wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and urged him to revoke the suspension of 13 Opposition Members of Parliament, while reiterating their demand for a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on the December 13 security breach. Mr. Birla, in a letter to all MPs on Saturday, had clarified that the suspension of the Opposition members had nothing to do with the security breach but was to maintain the decorum of the House since they brought placards into the Well of the House.

SCs were never counted in Andaman and Nicobar, now a parliamentary committee sits up and takes notice

Nearly 20 years after the never-accounted-for Dalit population of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was clubbed with the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category by the Union Territory administration, and a decade after the Centre did the same, a parliamentary committee has now called for a special panel to evaluate the issues faced by the Scheduled Castes in particular, and ensure their representation in services in the islands. 

Kashi Tamil Sangamam strengthening idea of ‘Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat’, says Modi