Shaliza Dhami is first woman to be appointed to an IAF command post (GS Paper 3, Defence)
Why in news?
- In the first command appointment for a woman officer in the Indian Air Force, Group Captain Shaliza Dhami has been selected to take over the command of a frontline combat unit in the Western sector.
Details:
- Having been commended by the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief on two occasions, the officer is presently posted in the Operations branch of a frontline Command Headquarters.
- Group Captain Dhami was commissioned in 2003 as a helicopter pilot and has over 2,800 hours of flying experience.
- She is a qualified flying instructor, and has served as Flight Commander of a helicopter unit in the Western sector.
Background:
- The armed forces have opened up command appointments for women officers following a Supreme Court verdict.
French Senate approves raising retirement age to 64
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
Why in news?
- Recently, the Senate voted in favour of article 7 of the reform legislation while the remaining articles will be approved soon.
Details:
- The French Senate voted 201-115 to raise the retirement age by two years to 64 even as protests continue across the country.
- The Senate, dominated by the conservative Les Republicains party voted in favour of the motion, giving President Emmanuel macron his first mini-victory in the ongoing saga.
- The passing of the bill comes a day after fuel deliveries from refineries across the country were blocked by striking workers.
Why is the government extending the age limit?
- The government is of the view that extending the pension age will prevent the French service system from collapsing under the weight of deficits.
- Notably, the workers in France tend to retire much earlier than their European Union (EU) counterparts. The direct repercussion is that the French exchequer has to foot a bigger pension bill than most countries in the bloc.
- The French pensioners also receive 54.4 per cent of their last pay slip as pension on average. Comparatively, the average EU pension amount stands at 46.2 per cent.
- Despite the resistance, the Macron government has remained steadfast that it will pass the legislation, having failed to do so on previous occasions.
What’s next?
- The Senate voted in favour of article 7 of the reform legislation while the remaining articles are expected be approved soon.
- The proposal then will be sent to a meditation committee comprising lawmakers from the Senate and the National Assembly.
