NEWS:SC says judge’s transfer is not related to ‘rumours’,
GS-2: Polity & Governance – Judiciary, Judicial Accountability, Collegium System
ISSUE:
- Justice Yashwant Varma’s transfer from Delhi HC to Allahabad HC led to public speculation linked to an “incident” at his official residence.
- Reports suggested a large amount of cash was found after a fire broke out, prompting Supreme Court’s clarification.
- SC Collegium stated transfer proposal was based solely on seniority and procedural norms, unrelated to the incident.
- In-house enquiry into the “incident” initiated by Delhi HC Chief Justice; report to be reviewed by CJI.
- Process ensures exclusion of bias/favouritism; confidential to protect judge’s integrity
- Bar Association criticized transfer as repatriation to “trash bin”; called for dignity and transparency in such actions.
In-House Enquiry Mechanism
- Referenced 2015 SC judgment: Two-stage process for probing judges:
- Prima facie ascertainment by HC CJ.
- If required, CJI forms a 3-member committee for deeper probe.
- Emphasis on natural justice and ensuring fair opportunity for defense.
Constitutional Protection for judges:
- Article 121 of the Constitution prohibits parliamentary discussion on the conduct of Supreme Court or High Court judges, except when a motion is made for their removal.
- Article 211 of the Constitution prohibits state legislatures from discussing the conduct of Supreme Court or High Court judges in the discharge of their duties.
Difficult Impeachment Process:
- Article 124(4) of the Constitution requires an impeachment motion to be supported by a majority of the total membership and at least two-thirds of members present and voting in each House.
- Narrow Definition: The grounds of removal are proved misbehaviour or incapacity.Misbehaviour under Article 124(4) of the Constitution is a high standard, covering corruption, lack of integrity, and moral turpitude.
- NEWS:‘Delimitation meet the start of historic movement
- GS-2 GOVERNANCE
- ISSUE:
- Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Friday said if Tamil Nadu and other States lost representation in Parliament owing to delimitation, it would strike at the very foundation of federalism.
- Said delimitation will erode the essence of democracy itself.
- “This is more than a meeting. It is the beginning of a movement that will shape the future of our country.
- Together, we will achieve #FairDelimitation!”
- .
- extend his warmest welcome to the leaders from Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, West Bengal and Punjab who are joining us for the Joint Action Committee meeting on #FairDelimitation.
- DELIMITATION:Delimitation in India refers to the process of redrawing the boundaries of parliamentary and assembly constituencies to ensure equal representation based on population changes. It is a critical aspect of India’s democratic framework, as it ensures that each vote carries roughly the same weight
Delimitation Commission
- Appointment:
- The Commission is appointed by the President of India and works in collaboration with the Election Commission of India.
- Composition:
- Retired Supreme Court judge
- Chief Election Commissioner
- Respective State Election Commissioners
- Functions:
- To determine the number and boundaries of constituencies to make the population of all constituencies nearly equal.
- To identify seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, wherever their population is relatively large.
- Powers:
- In case of a difference of opinion among members of the Commission, the opinion of the majority prevails.
- The Delimitation Commission in India is a high-power body whose orders have the force of law and cannot be called in question before any court
- Constitutional Provisions:
- Under Article 82, the Parliament enacts a Delimitation Act after every Census.
- Under Article 170, States also get divided into territorial constituencies as per Delimitation Act after every Census
NEWS:CM to launch scheme to help artisans excel in craft making
GS-2 GOVERNANCE
- Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will soon launch the Kalaignar Kaivinai Thittam
- It has been designed to help artisans excel in craft making, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu said on Friday.
- 7,297 applications had been received for inclusion in the scheme.
- The outlay for the scheme was ₹138 crore, and the subsidy component was ₹28 crore, he said.
Kalaignar Kaivinai Thittam scheme
- It aims to assist artisans and craftspersons aged 35 and above
- with relevant experience by providing loan assistance of up to ₹3 lakh, along with a 25% subsidy capped at ₹50,000.
- Subsidy is granted after completing skill and entrepreneurship training and is proportional to loan tranches.
- Loans have a 90% credit guarantee cover and 5% interest subvention reimbursement.
- The scheme targets new or diversified activities, not business expansions, and has no income ceiling.
- Applicants must not have received a subsidy exceeding ₹1.5 lakh from Tamil Nadu schemes in the past five years.
NEWS:There is progress on GM food crops, says official
GS-3: Science & Technology, Environment – GM Crops, Bio-Technology, Bioeconomy
Current Status
- GM mustard approval (2022) under challenge; SC to hear petitions from April 15.
- DBT Secretary: Progress in GM tech despite legal scrutiny; emphasized need to view science with today’s lens.
Policy & Regulation
- BioE3 policy aims to boost bio-agriculture, currently just 8.1% of India’s $165.7 billion bio-economy.
- GM cotton is only cultivated GM crop; mustard under conditional approval.
Safety Concerns
- GM crops face objections from activist groups citing safety; Supreme Court to review scientific validity and national policy.
GM Mustard Crop (DMH-11)
- DMH-11 is developed by Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants (Delhi University).
- It paves the way for the commercialisation of the country’s first GM food crop.
- GM mustard has not been released for commercial cultivation yet.
- DMH-11 is a result of a crossing between two mustard varieties (‘Varuna’ and East European ‘Early Heera-2’).
- This is difficult to do by conventional breeding because mustard is self-pollinating, i.e., the pollen from the male part pollinates and fertilises the female part of the same plant.
- This cross has been done after introducing the barnase and barstar gene from the soil bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciense.
