6 days ago
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‘Unconstitutional’: Federal justice halts Trump bid to extremity birthright citizenship
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and authorities of developed and processing countries connected India’s interests, Indian diaspora.
What’s the ongoing story: A national justice successful Seattle has temporarily blocked an enforcement bid by President Donald Trump that sought to curtail birthright citizenship successful the United States.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is ‘birthright citizenship’?
• Which amendment of the U.S. Constitution enshrines the conception of birthright citizenship?
• What was the superior statement presented by Donald Trump’s medication against birthright citizenship?
• Which ineligible principles is associated with birthright citizenship successful the U.S.?
• Discuss the conception of birthright citizenship arsenic a instrumentality for promoting inclusivity successful divers societies. Compare its exertion successful the United States and India.
• Analyse the implications of ending birthright citizenship connected the socio-political cloth of a country.
• Examine the ineligible and law challenges associated with the effort to extremity birthright citizenship successful the U.S.
Key Takeaways:
• The ruling came connected Thursday aft US District Judge John Coughenour granted a impermanent restraining order, halting enforcement of the argumentation for 14 days portion the tribunal considers a preliminary injunction.
• The order, signed by Trump connected his archetypal time backmost successful office, directs national agencies to contradict citizenship to children calved successful the US if neither genitor is simply a national oregon ineligible imperishable resident.
• The ruling marks the archetypal large ineligible setback for Trump’s renewed effort to redefine American citizenship laws.
• Judge Coughenour, appointed by Republican erstwhile President Ronald Reagan, did not mince words during the hearing, describing the enforcement bid arsenic “blatantly unconstitutional.” Responding to the Justice Department’s defence of the directive, the justice expressed disbelief that immoderate ineligible nonrecreational could see the bid constitutionally sound.
• “I americium having occupation knowing however a subordinate of the barroom could authorities unequivocally that this bid is constitutional,” Coughenour told Brett Shumate, the Justice Department lawyer defending the administration’s position. “It conscionable boggles my mind.”
• The ruling came aft 4 Democratic-led states — Washington, Arizona, Illinois, and Oregon — filed suit, arguing that the bid violated the 14th Amendment’s citizenship clause, which guarantees citizenship to anyone calved connected US soil, careless of their parents’ migration status.
Do You Know:
• The statement implicit birthright citizenship centres connected the 14th Amendment, which was adopted successful 1868 pursuing the Civil War and guarantees citizenship to each individuals calved successful the United States.
• The amendment was a effect to the Dred Scott determination of 1857, which denied citizenship to enslaved Black radical and their descendants. Since then, the citizenship clause has been interpreted to see each children calved successful the US, adjacent to non-citizen parents.
• The Supreme Court cemented this mentation 127 years ago, ruling successful United States v. Wong Kim Ark that children calved successful the US to non-citizen parents are entitled to citizenship.
• Trump’s enforcement bid seeks to overturn this long-established precedent, a determination that ineligible scholars accidental is apt to look important judicial scrutiny.
• Trump has agelong sought to extremity birthright citizenship, a argumentation that has been a cornerstone of his migration docket since his archetypal statesmanlike run successful 2016. During his erstwhile term, Trump floated the thought of ending birthright citizenship done enforcement action, but the connection was ne'er formalised into policy. His latest enforcement bid represents a renewed and much assertive effort to redefine the parameters of American citizenship.
• The medication argues that birthright citizenship incentivizes amerciable migration and places a strain connected nationalist resources.
• In defending the order, the Justice Department described it arsenic an “integral part” of Trump’s efforts to betterment the US migration strategy and code the situation astatine the confederate border. Shumate, the Justice Department lawyer, called the ruling to artifact the bid “wildly inappropriate” and maintained that the enforcement bid was a indispensable measurement to hole what the medication views arsenic a breached migration system.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
UPSC Previous Year Mains Question Covering akin theme:
📍‘What introduces friction into the ties betwixt India and the United States is that Washington is inactive incapable to find for India a presumption successful its planetary strategy, which would fulfill India’s National self-esteem and ambitions’. Explain with suitable examples. (UPSC CSE, GS2, 2019)
New wildfire adjacent LA explodes to 9,400 acres, forces wide evacuations
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Main Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, biology contamination and degradation, biology interaction assessment.
What’s the ongoing story: More than 50,000 residents successful Southern California person been placed nether evacuation orders oregon warnings arsenic a monolithic and fast-moving wildfire broke retired successful the rugged mountains northbound of Los Angeles.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Discuss the geographical factors that marque regions similar Los Angeles prone to wildfires.
• How clime alteration is influencing the frequence and strength of wildfires globally.
• Analyse the interaction of wildfires connected ecosystems, biodiversity, and section communities. Provide examples from caller wildfire incidents.
• Examine the argumentation measures taken by the United States to negociate and mitigate wildfires.
• How tin planetary practice lend to wildfire prevention and catastrophe management?
• Evaluate the relation of municipality readying and governance successful reducing the vulnerability of cities similar Los Angeles to wildfires.
Key Takeaways:
• The Hughes Fire, which erupted connected Wednesday morning, rapidly dispersed done parched vegetation, sending acheronian plumes of fume implicit the
region arsenic beardown winds fueled its expansion.
• The occurrence ignited adjacent Lake Castaic, a fashionable recreational country astir 40 miles (64 kilometers) from the areas already devastated by the Eaton and Palisades fires.
• Within hours, the Hughes Fire had scorched implicit 15 quadrate miles (39 quadrate kilometers) of wood and brush, prompting the evacuation of much than 31,000 people. An further 23,000 residents stay nether evacuation warnings, according to LA County Sheriff Robert Luna.
• Authorities are battling to incorporate the fire, with LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone noting that the blaze has been challenging to control, though immoderate advancement is being made. “Firefighters are getting the precocious hand,” Marrone said.
• A 30-mile agelong of Interstate 5, 1 of California’s captious north-south routes, was closed arsenic the Hughes Fire precocious crossed hilltops and descended into wooded canyons.
Do You Know:
• Southern California has been nether siege from wildfires since aboriginal January. The Palisades and Eaton fires, some ignited connected January 7, person already claimed astatine slightest 28 lives and destroyed implicit 14,000 structures. Firefighters person made headway successful containing the blazes, with the Palisades Fire present 68% contained and the Eaton Fire 91% nether control.
• The expanding frequence and strength of wildfires successful California tin beryllium attributed to a operation of earthy and human-induced factors, with clime alteration playing a cardinal role. Rising planetary temperatures person created hotter, drier conditions crossed the landscape. This makes fires not lone much apt to ignite but besides easier to spread. The hottest years connected grounds globally — 2023 and 2024 — person seen utmost vigor intensify droughts and adust retired vegetation, creating an perfect substance root for wildfires.
• Southern California is besides often affected by the Santa Ana winds, which bring strong, adust gusts that further substance the fires and marque containment difficult. This operation of heat, dryness and upwind is compounded by the information that communities are progressively being built adjacent vegetated areas (known arsenic the “wildland-urban interface”), putting some radical and their built situation astatine greater risk. As mean temperatures successful California proceed to rise, truthful does its vulnerability to catastrophic fires.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
UPSC Practice Prelims Question Covering akin theme:
1. Which of the pursuing is an inaugural to mitigate the interaction of wildfires successful the United States?
(a) Smokey Bear Program
(b) Paris Agreement
(c) Kyoto Protocol
(d) Bonn Challenge
UPSC Previous Year Mains Question Covering akin theme:
📍Most of the antithetic climatic happenings are explained arsenic an result of the El-Nino effect. Do you agree? (UPSC CSE, GS3, 2014)
FRONT PAGE
After NSA, Foreign Secy to sojourn China connected January 26-27
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Main Examination: General Studies II: India and its neighbourhood- relations.
What’s the ongoing story: MOVING TO resume bilateral engagements aft the disengagement astatine the India-China border, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri volition question to Beijing connected January 26-27 for a gathering of the “Foreign Secretary-Vice Minister mechanics betwixt India and China”.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Discuss the evolving quality of India-China bilateral relations successful the discourse of the caller high-level visits and their value for determination stability.
• What are the challenges and opportunities successful the solution of borderline disputes betwixt India and China?
• Highlight the relation of diplomatic engagements similar NSA and Foreign Secretary-level talks.
• “India and China are important players successful the planetary geopolitical arena”-Discuss
• Evaluate the relation of multilateral platforms similar BRICS and SCO successful improving India-China relations.
• How multilateral platforms similar BRICS and SCO tin complement bilateral efforts betwixt some the nations?
Key Takeaways:
• His sojourn comes conscionable implicit a period aft National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who are besides the Special Representatives, met successful Beijing connected December 18 — little than 2 months aft a borderline patrolling statement was announced connected October 21, which was followed by a gathering betwixt Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping connected the sidelines of the BRICS Summit successful Kazan, Russia connected October 23.
• Misri was India’s Ambassador successful Beijing successful 2020 erstwhile the borderline standoff started, and is acquainted with the Chinese enactment and the formed of characters successful the constitution successful Beijing. His sojourn volition beryllium the archetypal specified engagement astatine the Foreign Secretary level since the borderline standoff.
• Announcing the visit, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said: “The resumption of this bilateral mechanics flows from the statement astatine the enactment level to sermon the adjacent steps for India-China relations, including successful the political, economical and people-to-people domains.”
• Incidentally, this comes a time aft the Quad Foreign Ministers’ gathering successful Washington DC which, successful a thinly-veiled notation to China’s assertive behaviour successful the Indo-Pacific that ranges from Taiwan to India-China border, pledged to “strongly reason immoderate unilateral actions that question to alteration the presumption quo by unit oregon coercion”.
• The Foreign Secretary’s visit, however, is simply a determination to repair bilateral ties that headed southbound aft Chinese incursions successful 2020 triggered a subject standoff on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) successful eastbound Ladakh.
Do You Know:
• At the Special Representatives’ gathering successful Beijing past month, India and China said they agreed connected a acceptable of “six consensus” including resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, trans-border stream practice and Nathula borderline trade. This was the archetypal gathering of the SRs “since frictions emerged successful the occidental assemblage of the India-China borderline areas successful 2020”.
• The gathering took spot little than 2 months aft a borderline patrolling statement was announced connected October 21, which was followed by a gathering betwixt Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping connected the sidelines of the BRICS Summit successful Kazan, Russia connected October 23. The determination to revive the SR dialog mechanics and different specified formats was taken astatine the Modi-Xi meeting.
• Earlier, Chinese officials had said the 2 sides were discussing ways to bring ties backmost to “normal” — arsenic it was earlier the face-off started successful April-May 2020.
• The Chinese officials outlined their “wishlist”: resumption of “direct flights” betwixt the 2 countries, easing of visa curbs connected Chinese nationals including diplomats and scholars, lifting of the prohibition connected Chinese mobile apps, letting Chinese journalists study from India, allowing much Indian movies successful Chinese theatres, etc.
• These restrictions were imposed aft the Galwan clashes successful June 2020, successful which 20 Indian soldiers including a Colonel-rank serviceman and astatine slightest 4 Chinese soldiers were killed, casting a shadiness connected bilateral ties.
• After respective rounds of discussions betwixt the 2 countries, a breakthrough was announced connected October 21 — an statement connected patrolling arrangements successful the borderline areas.
• Subsequently, India and China completed the process of disengagement astatine the 2 friction points of Depsang Plains and Demchok successful eastbound Ladakh, on the Line of Actual Control, mounting the signifier for resumption of patrolling.
• The statement connected “patrolling arrangements” was an important opening to the three-step process of disengagement, de-escalation and de-induction of troops. Now that the disengagement process is completed successful eastbound Ladakh, India is looking astatine de-escalation and de-induction of troops.
• On September 18, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, connected the sidelines of the G20 leaders’ acme successful Rio de Janeiro successful Brazil. The 2 ministers discussed the “next steps successful India-China relations”.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
UPSC Practice Prelims Question Covering akin theme:
2. Which of the pursuing borderline areas has been a important flashpoint betwixt India and China?
(a) Arunachal Pradesh
(b) Doklam Plateau
(c) Ladakh (Galwan Valley)
(d) All of the above
UPSC Previous Year Mains Question Covering akin theme:
📍The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is viewed arsenic a cardinal subset of China’s larger ‘One Belt One Road’ initiative. Give a little statement of CPEC and enumerate the reasons wherefore India has distanced itself from the same. (2018)
EXPRESS NETWORK
Mazagon-Thyssenkrupp apt to onshore `70K-crore submarine deal
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Main Examination: General Studies III: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways etc.
What’s the ongoing story: The associated task of state-run Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd and Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems appears adjacent to securing the Indian Navy’s Rs 70,000-crore stealth submarine deal, with the Defence Ministry rejecting the associated bid from Larsen and Toubro (L&T) and Spanish steadfast Navantia connected method grounds.
Key Points to Ponder:
• Which Indian Navy task is associated with the Rs 70,000-crore submarine woody involving Mazagon Dock and Thyssenkrupp?
• What are the cardinal diagnostic of submarines nether Project 75I?
• What is the strategical value of the Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) strategy successful submarines?
• Discuss the relation of planetary collaborations successful India’s defence manufacturing sector
• Analyse the strategical value of Project 75I for India’s maritime information successful the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• Why indigenization successful India’s submarine manufacturing programs nether initiatives similar Make successful India is important?
• What are the challenges and opportunities associated with large-scale defence procurements similar the Rs 70,000-crore submarine deal. How tin India guarantee transparency and ratio successful specified projects?
Key Takeaways:
• The Mazagon-Thyssenkrupp bid to manufacture six submarines volition present beryllium opened, followed by negotiations implicit outgo and method requirements to finalise the contract, sources said.
• L&T and Navantia failed to conscionable the method requirements of a proven air-independent propulsion (AIP) strategy — a next-generation
submarine exertion — said the sources. However, they person 45 days to record objections.
• The Navy is looking for accepted submarines that tin enactment underwater for up to 3 weeks. The budget, however, has ballooned from the archetypal Rs 43,000-crore estimate.
• If the declaration is signed, the archetypal submarine is expected to beryllium delivered by 2032, 7 years from the day of signing, sources said. The woody is taking spot nether the Defence Ministry acquisition task named Project 75 (India).
• The Navy’s request — submarines susceptible of 3,000-tonne displacement — posed a situation for some bidders. While Thyssenkrupp’s AIP system, installed successful much than 60 Type-214 submarines, required scaling up, it was deemed acceptable owed to its way record, it is learnt.
• Navantia, connected the different hand, relied connected an AIP strategy integrated into its S-80 people submarine that is acceptable for commissioning successful 2026. This was the archetypal clip the Spanish state-run defence institution was attempting to export a submarine to different country.
Do You Know:
• The air-independent propulsion (AIP) system, besides known arsenic BEST (Bio-Ethanol Stealth Technology), is the next-generation exertion for accepted submarines. Using bio-ethanol to make oxygen, which sustains the unit and ensures substance combustion, BEST tin supply submarines with up to 21 days of underwater endurance. Though atomic submarines person higher underwater endurance, AIP submarines origin little noise, reducing chances of detection. These submarines, which tin accommodate astir 40 unit members, tin beryllium equipped with heavyweight torpedoes, anti-ship missiles and different weapons.
• Project 75 (India), the subject acquisition task of the Defence Ministry, employs a strategical concern exemplary wherever Indian shipyards collaborate with overseas archetypal instrumentality manufacturers to transportation exertion and physique submarines successful India. The task mandates an summation successful indigenous contented successful the submarines from 45 per cent successful the archetypal to 60 per cent successful the sixth. This aligns with India’s Make successful India propulsion for home defence manufacturing.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
UPSC Previous Year Prelims Question Covering akin theme:
3. Which 1 of the pursuing is the champion statement of ‘INS Astradharini’, that was successful the quality recently? (2016)
(a) Amphibious warfare ship
(b) Nuclear-powered submarine
(c) Torpedo motorboat and betterment vessel
(d) Nuclear-powered craft carrier
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, important provisions and basal structure.
What’s the ongoing story: Observing that usage of loudspeakers is not indispensable portion of immoderate religion, the Bombay High Court connected Thursday directed the Maharashtra authorities to person an in-built mechanics to power decibel levels successful loudspeakers, nationalist code strategy (PAS) oregon immoderate different sound-emitting gadgets utilized astatine places of worship, oregon institutions, irrespective of religion.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is “Essential Religious Practices” doctrine successful Indian law law?
• Discuss the value of the “Essential Religious Practices” doctrine successful Indian law law. • How does Essential Religious Practices equilibrium the close to state of religion and different cardinal rights?
• Analyse the Bombay High Court’s judgement connected loudspeakers successful the discourse of the close to state of religion and the close to life.
• Examine the biology and wellness impacts of sound contamination caused by the usage of loudspeakers.
• Discuss the ethical considerations progressive successful balancing spiritual state and nationalist payment successful the discourse of regulating loudspeaker use.
Key Takeaways:
• The HC directed the Mumbai Police to instrumentality strict enactment against violators and told the authorities to earnestly see issuing
directives to constabulary authorities for calibration and car fixation of decibel limits of loudspeakers oregon PAS utilized astatine specified places.
• The tribunal passed these directives connected a plea by Jaago Nehru Nagar Residents Welfare Association and The Shivsrushti Co-op. Housing Societies Association Ltd. of residents of suburban Nehru Nagar, Kurla (East) and Chunabhatti area. The plea alleging nonaccomplishment of constabulary to instrumentality enactment against usage of loudspeakers and amplifiers by spiritual places specified arsenic mosques successful the country beyond prohibited hours and permissible decibel limits.
• It referred to the 2016 HC judgement that issued respective directives for the strict implementation of Noise Pollution (Regulations and Control) Rules, 2000. The HC had past observed that “use of loudspeakers is not an indispensable portion of immoderate religion and truthful extortion nether Article 25 (freedom of religion) of constitution is not available” to violating institutions.
• The HC took a judicial enactment of the contented and said “generally people/citizens bash not kick astir the things until it becomes intolerable and a nuisance”.
• The seat told the Mumbai CP to nonstop each constabulary officers to usage decibel level measuring mobile exertion and prehend those loudspeakers oregon different instrumentality producing offending noise, violating law.
• It said that constabulary authorities should guarantee individuality of complainants are not disclosed to offenders, “to debar specified complainants being targets oregon sick volition and processing hatred”, it added.
• The HC said astatine archetypal instance, constabulary tin caution the alleged offender and connected repeated violation, tin enforce fines connected acrophobic trusts oregon organisations arsenic per provisions of Maharashtra Police Act and pass them of strict enactment successful lawsuit of further violation. On adjacent occasion, the tribunal said, constabulary shall prehend the loudspeakers and whitethorn proceed to cancel the licence issued successful favour of institutions to usage specified equipment.
Do You Know:
• The doctrine of “essentiality” was invented by a seven-judge Bench of the Supreme Court successful the ‘Shirur Mutt’ lawsuit successful 1954. The tribunal held that the word “religion” volition screen each rituals and practices “integral” to a religion, and took upon itself the work of determining the indispensable and non-essential practices of a religion.
• The Constitution Bench had ruled successful 1994 that “A mosque is not an indispensable portion of the signifier of the religion of Islam and namaz (prayer) by Muslims tin beryllium offered anywhere, adjacent successful open.”
• The ‘essentiality doctrine’ of the Supreme Court has been criticised by respective law experts.
• Scholars of law instrumentality person argued that the essentiality/integrality doctrine has tended to pb the tribunal into an country that is beyond its competence, and fixed judges the powerfulness to determine purely spiritual questions.
• As a result, implicit the years, courts person been inconsistent connected this question — successful immoderate cases they person relied connected spiritual texts to find essentiality, successful others connected the empirical behaviour of followers, and successful yet others, based connected whether the signifier existed astatine the clip the religion originated.
• Freedom of religion was meant to warrant state to signifier one’s beliefs based connected the conception of “inward association” of antheral with God.
The apex tribunal successful ‘Ratilal Panachand Gandhi vs The State of Bombay and Ors’ (March 18, 1954) acknowledged that “every idiosyncratic has a cardinal close to entertain specified spiritual beliefs arsenic whitethorn beryllium approved by his judgement oregon conscience”. The framers of the Constitution wanted to springiness this autonomy to each individual.
• Scholars specified arsenic Prof Mustafa person argued that the essentiality trial impinges connected this autonomy. The apex tribunal has itself emphasised autonomy and prime successful its Privacy (2017), 377 (2018), and Adultery (2018) judgments.
• As per sound contamination norms, the decibel bounds successful residential areas during the time indispensable beryllium astatine the astir 55 decibels and during the nighttime should beryllium 45 decibels. However, arsenic per 2023 affidavit of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) decibel levels astatine 2 mosques acrophobic were supra 80 decibels.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍Use of loudspeaker not cardinal right: Bombay HC
UPSC Practice Prelims Question Covering akin theme:
4. In the discourse of spiritual practices, which landmark lawsuit established the “Essential Religious Practices” doctrine successful India?
(a) Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala
(b) SR Bommai v. Union of India
(c) The Commissioner, Hindu Religious Endowments v. Sri Lakshmindra Thirtha Swamiar of Sri Shirur Mutt
(d) Shayara Bano v. Union of India
ECONOMY
Indian refiners question much West Asian lipid amid US sanctions connected Russian lipid trade
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, determination and planetary groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
What’s the ongoing story: The sweeping sanctions bundle announced earlier this period by the US against Russia’s lipid commercialized has already had an interaction connected near-term proviso of Russian lipid to Indian refiners, who are uncovering it hard to unafraid capable cargoes for Moscow’s crude.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What is the interaction of US sanctions connected Russia’s lipid trade?
• How are these sanctions reshaping planetary vigor dynamics and influencing India’s lipid import strategy?
• What are the implications of India’s expanding reliance connected Middle Eastern lipid for its vigor information and overseas policy?
• Examine the challenges and opportunities for India successful navigating planetary lipid markets amidst geopolitical tensions, specified arsenic US sanctions connected Russia.
• What are the relation of terms caps and sanctions arsenic tools of economical diplomacy successful the planetary vigor market?
• What lessons tin India gully for its ain vigor strategy?
Key Takeaways:
• The concern is forcing Indian refiners to look elsewhere—mainly to the Middle East—to regenerate volumes from Russia, presently India’s largest root marketplace for crude.
• India’s second-largest nationalist assemblage refiner Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) is incapable to get capable cargoes of Russian lipid for March delivery, the company’s Director (Finance) Vetsa Ramakrishna Gupta said successful a telephone with analysts connected Thursday.
• Officials successful different Indian refiners besides said that getting Russian lipid supplies for transportation beyond February has go hard owed to the caller sanctions, which person seemingly crippled the fleet of tankers transporting Russian crude.
• The sanctions were announced by the outgoing Joe Biden medication successful the US astatine a clip erstwhile Indian refiners were opening to question Russian lipid cargoes for March delivery.
• These sanctions are the latest successful the database of actions the Western powers person taken to curtail Russia’s gross from lipid exports, which they assertion is helping Moscow money its warfare successful Ukraine.
• According to the US Department of the Treasury, the latest enactment substantially increases the sanctions risks associated with the Russian lipid trade. A ample fig of the present sanctioned vessels person been delivering lipid to India and China.
Do You Know:
• Indian refiners are present chiefly looking astatine their accepted suppliers successful West Asia to summation lipid purchases and conscionable the shortfall successful Russian oil, manufacture officials and commercialized sources indicated. They are looking to summation supplies nether semipermanent contracts, isolated from seeking further cargoes from the spot marketplace from Middle Eastern suppliers. They are besides understood to beryllium successful the marketplace for much lipid from Africa and the US.
• From being a marginal lipid supplier to India anterior to the warfare successful Ukraine, Russia is present India’s biggest supplier of crude, acknowledgment to Moscow offering lipid astatine important discount aft the West started shunning Russian oil. In 2024, Russian lipid accounted for astir 38 per cent of India’s full lipid imports, per tanker data.
• Prior to the Russia-Ukraine war, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE were India’s apical 3 root markets for crude oil. They are presently astatine the second, third, and 4th spot, respectively, successful the database of India’s apical lipid suppliers. India is the world’s third-largest consumer
of crude lipid and depends connected imports to conscionable implicit 85 per cent of its requirement.
• Although India itself is not portion of the sanctions authorities against Russia, similar astir different countries, New Delhi has mostly followed a argumentation of not falling foul of US sanctions owed to fearfulness of secondary sanctions. While the India-Russia lipid commercialized is improbable to beryllium earnestly impacted during this wind-down period, beyond that, manufacture insiders expect a deed to Russian lipid supplies to India successful the adjacent term.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍Challenge for lipid PSUs: How to get $900 cardinal dividends retired of Russia
UPSC Practice Prelims Question Covering akin theme:
5. What is the superior mechanics utilized by Western nations to bounds Russia’s gross from lipid exports?
(a) Complete prohibition connected Russian lipid imports
(b) Setting a terms headdress connected Russian oil
(c) Tariffs connected Russian lipid imports
(d) Subsidizing alternate lipid suppliers
EXPLAINED
Ad hoc judges successful HC: When and however tin they beryllium appointed?
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Structure, enactment and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary—Ministries and Departments of the Government; unit groups and formal/informal associations and their relation successful the Polity.
What’s the ongoing story: On Tuesday (January 21), the Supreme Court suggested temporarily appointing retired judges connected an advertisement hoc (as required) ground to code the increasing backlog of pending transgression cases earlier respective High Courts.
Key Points to Ponder:
• How is an advertisement hoc justice appointed?
• When tin an advertisement hoc justice beryllium appointed?
• When person advertisement hoc judges been appointed successful the past?
• Significance of Article 224A successful addressing the contented of lawsuit pendency successful Indian High Courts-Know successful detail
• How tin the usage of advertisement hoc judges lend to judicial efficiency?
• Discuss the implications of appointing retired High Court judges connected an advertisement hoc ground for judicial independency and accountability.
Key Takeaways:
• Notably, Article 224A of the Indian Constitution allows the Chief Justice of a High Court to petition retired HC judges to execute the duties of a justice again, with the support of the President of India. Though it has seldom been invoked, determination is simply a elaborate process for specified appointments, with the SC antecedently having weighed successful connected the practice.
• The SC connected Tuesday besides suggested modifying the apical court’s 2021 SC decision, which held that advertisement hoc justice appointments could lone beryllium made successful definite situations.
• Article 224A, titled “Appointment of retired Judges astatine sittings of High Courts”, states: “The Chief Justice of a High Court for immoderate State whitethorn astatine immoderate clip with the erstwhile consent of the President, petition immoderate idiosyncratic who has held the bureau of a Judge of that Court oregon of immoderate different High Court to beryllium and enactment arsenic a Judge of the High Court for that State”.
• Such appointees are entitled to allowances arsenic determined by the President’s bid and person each the jurisdiction, powers and privileges of a Judge of that High Court. However, they cannot beryllium “deemed” arsenic such. Further, some the retired justice and the President of India are required to consent to the appointment.
• The elaborate process tin beryllium recovered successful the 1998 Memorandum of Procedure (MOP) for the assignment of High Court judges, prepared pursuing the instauration of the collegium strategy for appointing judges.
• The MOP states that aft the retired justice has consented to the appointment, the Chief Justice indispensable guardant her sanction and details connected the duration of the assignment to the state’s Chief Minister. The CM volition walk this proposal to the Union Law Minister, who volition consult the Chief Justice of India earlier forwarding the proposal and the CJI’s proposal to the Prime Minister of India. The PM volition counsel the President connected whether to springiness her approval.
Do You Know:
• The SC, successful Lok Prahari, was considering measures to code pending cases earlier the courts and the vacancies successful posts for HC judges, stating that “A fig of vacancies arising each twelvemonth are hardly filled successful by caller appointments”. At the time, the SC was faced with astir 40% vacancies crossed each High Courts. The tribunal besides took enactment of Law Commission reports published successful 1979, 1988, and 2003, which suggested that temporarily appointing retired judges who already person decades of acquisition is simply a viable solution to tackle the mounting backlog of cases.
• Most importantly, the tribunal held advertisement hoc judges tin lone beryllium appointed erstwhile recommendations person not been made for little than 20% of the vacancies, aft considering some the fig of progressive judges and pending proposals for justice appointments.
• In 2021, the SC noted determination person lone been 3 recorded instances of advertisement hoc judges being appointed nether Article 224A, calling it a “dormant provision”. These include:
—The assignment of Justice Suraj Bhan to the Madhya Pradesh HC successful 1972 for 1 twelvemonth to perceive predetermination petitions;
—The assignment of Justice P. Venugopal to the Madras HC successful 1982. His word was renewed for different twelvemonth successful August 1983;
—The assignment of Justice O P Srivastava to the Allahabad HC successful 2007 to perceive the Ayodhya rubric suits.
Other Important Articles Covering the aforesaid topic:
📍To wide lawsuit backlog, SC paves mode for assignment of ad-hoc judges successful HCs
UPSC Practice Prelims Question Covering akin theme:
6. Which of the pursuing is NOT a situation associated with the assignment of retired judges arsenic advertisement hoc judges?
(a) Risk of undermining the regular judiciary
(b) Difficulty successful securing consent from retired judges
(c) Constitutional prohibition connected their appointment
(d) Possible conflicts with judicial independence
Syllabus:
Preliminary Examination: Current events of nationalist and planetary importance.
Main Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and authorities of developed and processing countries connected India’s interests, Indian diaspora.
What’s the ongoing story: During his predetermination campaign, Donald Trump had said “tariff” is his “favourite connection successful the dictionary” and that helium would usage tariffs to boost home manufacturing successful the US.
Key Points to Ponder:
• What are tariffs?
• Why tariffs are imposes?
• How are tariffs retaliated?
• Did Trump’s tariffs against China enactment successful the past?
• Discuss the implications of Trump’s tariff threats connected planetary commercialized dynamics.
Key Takeaways:
• The satellite over, policymakers and system analysts are waiting nervously for recently inaugurated US President Donald Trump to denote tariffs against immoderate oregon galore countries.
• The anticipation has been built successful due to the fact that during his predetermination campaign, Trump had said that “tariff” is his “favourite connection successful the dictionary” and that helium would usage tariffs to boost home manufacturing successful the US.
• In particular, helium intends to people countries with whom the US has heavy commercialized relations specified arsenic China, Mexico and Canada.
• As things stand, Trump has held disconnected unveiling immoderate circumstantial tariffs. Instead, helium has ordered his squad to survey however China reacted to the tariffs Trump imposed during his archetypal term.
• Ajay Srivastava, a erstwhile subordinate of the Indian Trade Service, and presently the caput (and founder) of Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) says, portion US imports from China declined by $81.56 cardinal betwixt 2017 and 2023, the wide US commercialized shortage (across each trading partners) widened arsenic imports shifted to non-Chinese sources, bypassing tariffs done escaped commercialized agreements.
• According to his study, cardinal beneficiaries of the commercialized warfare included Mexico, Canada, and ASEAN nations, which collectively accounted for 57% of the maturation successful US imports.
• The large interest for India is: Are Indian exporters acceptable and susceptible to marque usage of the accidental erstwhile a caller commercialized warfare happens oregon volition India go 1 of those markets that is utilized to walk done Chinese goods to the US, without overmuch value-addition astatine the home level?
Do You Know:
• A tariff is fundamentally a taxation that a authorities imposes connected goods that are being imported into the state successful question (the US successful this case). Imagine a script wherever home US car manufacturers merchantability a car for $120 and Chinese cars are imported and sold for $100. It is rather apt that overtime, Chinese car imports emergence arsenic US consumers similar to bargain the cheaper car. This has 3 wide implications.
—One, the US home car manufacturing firms suffer retired due to the fact that of debased sales. Their workers either get laid off, oregon astatine the precise least, get mediocre wage increments. Moreover, fewer caller jobs volition beryllium created.
—Two, US commercialized shortage balloons. A commercialized shortage is the quality betwixt the worth of imports and exports, and it fundamentally means wealth flowing retired of the country.
—Three, consumers are getting cheaper cars.
• The US authorities whitethorn determine to bash truthful for 1 oregon much of the pursuing 3 reasons:
—Protect US home car industry: After tariffs, the Chinese car would present outgo $150 and arsenic specified volition beryllium costlier than the US car ($120). Arguably, the request volition displacement to US car makers and the full manufacture volition beryllium amended disconnected financially.
—Raise authorities taxation revenues: The US authorities whitethorn determine to rise immoderate wealth by taxing a merchandise that seems to beryllium selling well. It is imaginable that if earning much revenues is the lone concern, the tariff complaint whitethorn not beryllium 50%, alternatively overmuch lower, accidental 5% oregon 10%, truthful that Chinese cars income don’t wholly adust up.
—Force the Chinese car manufacturers to acceptable up a mill wrong the US: This is called Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and it is simply a bully mode to guarantee that home consumers get amended oregon cheaper cars without home workers losing retired jobs.
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| PRELIMS ANSWER KEY |
| 1. (a) 2. (d) 3. (c) 4. (c) 5.(b) 6.(c) |
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