NEWS:SC Collegium moots transfer of four HC Chief Justices,

GS Paper 2 – Polity and Governance: Judiciary, Separation of Powers, Judicial Appointments and Transfers

• SC Collegium headed by CJI B.R. Gavai recommends transfer of Chief Justices of Madras, Rajasthan, Tripura, and Jharkhand High Courts.
• Justice K.R. Shriram (Madras HC) to be transferred to Rajasthan, while Justice Manindra M. Shrivastava (Rajasthan HC) is recommended for Madras HC.
• Chief Justice Aparesh K. Singh (Tripura HC) proposed to Telangana, and CJ M.S. Ramachandra Rao (Jharkhand HC) to Tripura.
• 21 other High Court judges also recommended for transfer/repatriation across multiple states.
• Collegium also proposes five new appointments as Chief Justices in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Guwahati, Patna, and Jharkhand HCs.

Collegium System

• It is a novel mechanism devised to ensure a democratic system of appointment and transfer of judges. It came into existence through Second and Third Judges Case judgments.
• There is no such law or Constitutional Provision that mentions or defines the collegium system.
• Head: It is headed by the CJI and comprises 4 other senior-most judges of the court.
• High Court (HC) Collegium: An HC collegium is led by its Chief Justice (CJ) and four other senior-most judges of that court.

Evolution of Collegium System

• Article 124(2) of the Constitution of India: Every judge of the Supreme court is appointed by the President of India in consultation with such of the judges of the Supreme court and High courts as the President may deem necessary.

NEWS:IIP growth falls to eight-month low of 2.7% in April

GS Paper 3 – Indian Economy: Growth and Development, Infrastructure, Manufacturing Sector, Industrial Policies

• Index of Industrial Production (IIP) grew by 2.7% in April 2025, the slowest in 8 months.
• Mining and quarrying sector shrank by 0.2%, the worst since August 2024.
• Capital goods sector showed robust growth of 20.3%, driven by machinery output and a low base effect.
• Manufacturing sector rose 3.4%, a three-month high.
• Electricity sector growth slowed to 1.1%; Primary goods contracted by 0.4%.
• Consumer durables grew by 6.4%, while consumer non-durables fell by 1.7%—its third consecutive quarter of contraction.

Index of Industrial Production (IIP)

• The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is a key statistical tool used to measure the short-term changes in the volume of production in Indian industries.
• It provides insight into the growth or contraction of industrial activity over a given period, making it a crucial economic performance indicator.
• The IIP is published by the Central Statistics Office(CSO), which is part of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
• The current base year for the index is 2011–12. This base year was adopted to reflect modern industrial structure and production patterns, following periodic revisions from earlier base years such as 1937, 1946, 1951, 1956, and so on.

NEWS:Cabinet approves hike in MSP for kharif crops; outlay stands at ₹2.07 lakh crore

GS Paper 3 – Agriculture: Pricing and Subsidies, Food Security, Inclusive Growth

• MSP hiked for 14 kharif crops for the 2025–26 marketing season.
• Total outlay: ₹2.07 lakh crore approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.
• Highest absolute MSP increase: Nigerseed (₹820/qtl), followed by ragi (₹596), cotton (₹589), and sesamum (₹579).
• MSP margin over production cost highest for bajra (63%), followed by maize and tur (59%), urad (53%).
• Hike aligned with the Union Budget 2018-19 commitment of MSP = 1.5x weighted cost of production.
• Nutri-cereals (“Shree Anna”) continue to be incentivized through higher MSPs.
• Procurement of kharif crops has risen from 4,679 lakh tonnes (2004–14) to 7,871 lakh tonnes (2014–25).

Minimum Support Price?

• About:
  • MSP is the guaranteed amount paid to farmers when the government buys their produce.
  • MSP is based on the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), which considers various factors such as cost of production, demand and supply, market price trends, inter-crop price parity, etc.
    • CACP is an attached office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. It came into existence in January 1965.
  • The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the Prime Minister of India takes the final decision (approve) on the level of MSPs.
  • The MSP is aimed at ensuring remunerative prices to growers for their produce and encouraging Crop Diversification.
• Crops Under MSP:
  • The CACP recommends MSPs for 22 mandated crops and fair and remunerative price (FRP) for sugarcane.
  • The mandated crops include 14 crops of the kharif season, 6 rabi crops and 2 other commercial crops.

NEWS:The importance of the Deputy Speaker – ensuring democratic balance

GS Paper 2 – Indian Constitution, Parliamentary Institutions, Separation of Powers, Democratic Norms

• The post of Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha has remained vacant since 2019, breaching constitutional principles and democratic conventions.
• The Deputy Speaker plays a key role in maintaining continuity of legislative work, not merely substituting for the Speaker.
• Article 93 mandates the election of both Speaker and Deputy Speaker “as soon as may be” — signaling urgency.
• Article 94 and Article 180 emphasize the continuity and constitutional duties of the Deputy Speaker in case of Speaker’s absence or resignation.

Role of the Deputy Speaker:

• Assumes full powers of the Speaker when the Speaker is absent.
• Acts as a neutral arbiter in sensitive and contested discussions.
• Maintains legislative momentum and institutional balance in the functioning of the House

Mains Mock Question:
Critically examine the Collegium system of judicial appointments and transfers in India. How to ensure greater transparency and institutional reform in this process?