Whatsapp 93125-11015 For Details
For the first time since eight former Indian Navy personnel were handed death sentences by a Qatari court in October, the Indian ambassador in Doha met them in prison on December 3.
This consular access was granted just a couple of days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai on December 1.
The two leaders had discussed bilateral partnership and the “well-being of the Indian community” living in Qatar.
India was given a round of consular access to the detainees on November 7, but this was the first time that the Indian ambassador, Vipul, got an opportunity to meet them.
Our ambassador got consular access to meet all eight of them in prison on December 3,” the Ministry of External Affairs’ official spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi.
This comes weeks after the Indian government appealed against the death penalty handed to the eight men, on the alleged charge of espionage, by a Qatar court on October 26. The appeal, filed before an appellate court in Qatar, was accepted in the last week of November.
In Parliament
Bills to set up Central tribal university in Telangana clears LS (Page no. 6)
(GS Paper 2, Governance)
Amid jibes by Opposition MPs over the University Grants Commission’s recent letter asking colleges to set up selfie points with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image in the background, the Lok Sabha passed a Bill to establish a Central Tribal University in Telangana.
The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was passed by a voice vote, with the House rejecting the amendments moved by Opposition members. During a debate on the Bill, a BJP MP also suggested the word “tribal” be removed in line with the PM’s aim to rid the country of “all signs of slavery”.
The Bill, which amends the Central Universities Act, 2009 to set up the Sammakka Sarakka Central Tribal University in Telangana’s Mulugu district, was cleared by the Union Cabinet in October. The Centre has allotted Rs 889.7 crore for it.
In his reply to the debate, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the university will cater to the regional aspirations for years to come and promote higher education and research among tribal communities, including in subjects such as tribal art, culture and customs, and technology.
Establishing a Central Tribal University in Telangana was obligatory under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, which carved out Telangana from the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh state.
Govt & Politics
President accepts resignation of 3 ministers who are MLAs now (Page no. 8)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Constitution)
President Droupadi Murmu, as advised by the Prime Minister, accepted the resignations of Union ministers Narendra Singh Tomar (Agriculture), Prahlad Singh Patel (MoS, Food Processing Industries and Jal Shakti) and Renuka Singh (MoS Tribal Affairs), who won their seats in the recently-concluded Assembly polls, even as the BJP is yet to announce its chief ministerial choices.
Apart from these three, there are many other CM hopefuls, including some MPs who put in their papers after the results came out.
Arjun Munda will now be Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, in addition to his existing portfolio; Shobha Karandlaje, Minister of State, will also be assigned the charge of the Minister of State in Ministry of Food Processing Industries; and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Minister of State, will be Minister of State in Ministry of Jal Shakti, in addition to his existing portfolios.
Bharti Pravin Pawar, Minister of State, will be Minister of State in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, in addition to her existing portfolio.
With all eyes on the party’s choices for the chief ministerial posts in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the BJP is expected to announce the names of observers to the three states.
Global military aviation market to grow to $60bn by 20: CDS (Page no. 9)
(GS Paper 3, Defence)
Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan said the Indian defence industry should exploit opportunities on offer from the global military aviation market, which is expected to grow to up to $60 billion by 2030.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the two-day Avionics Expo-2023 organised by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited here, General Chauhan said the aviation sector was on the cusp of an unprecedented growth. He asked the military and the civil aviation sector to come together to reduce import dependency.
“Global aviation military market is projected to grow to the tune of $60 billion by 2030 at a compounded annual growth of 5 per cent in the next 10 years or so. This market provides us a window of opportunity that needs to be exploited by believing in the mantra ‘Make for India and Make for World’.
Noting that the Indian defence industry has the potential to drive the country’s economic goals, the CDS said India’s challenges have to be resolved through indigenous solutions with global uncertainties like Covid and the Russia and Ukraine war, leading to disruptions in supply chains across the world.
Express Network
Govt bans use of sugarcane juice for ethanol making (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
The Centre on Thursday banned the use of ‘sugacane juice and sugar syrup’ for ethanol production in the 2023-24 supply year that started this month, in order to maintain adequate sugar availability for domestic consumption and to keep prices under check.
However, the government has allowed use of ‘B-molasses’ for ethanol production in 2023-24, a move which sugar industry bodies welcomed.
In a letter issued to all sugar mills and distillers, the Food Ministry directed them “not to use sugarcane juice /sugar syrup” for ethanol production during the 2023-24 ethanol supply year (December-November).
The directive was issued as per clause 4 and 5 of the Sugar (Control) Order 1966. “Supply of ethanol from existing offers received by Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) from B-Heavy molasses will continue.
The decision by the ministry comes in the backdrop of estimated fall in sugar production in 2023-24 marketing year (October-September).
SC asks Centre, Assam to give estimate of illegal migrants (Page no. 11)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Constitution)
The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre and Assam government to provide details on the “estimated inflow of illegal migrants” to Assam and other Northeastern states after March 25, 1971, and the status of border fencing.
While hearing petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, a five-judge Constitution bench, presided by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, directed the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to file the affidavit on or before December 12.
The bench said, “While the arguments raising the constitutional challenge form the core of the controversy, submissions have been urged before this court in regard to the impact of illegal immigration into Assam both on the demographics and cultural fabric of state”.
Editorial
COP and the new abnormal (Page no. 12)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
COP28 is underway in Dubai and the global focus is on climate change. A debate on fossil fuels has been raging at the climate meet.
Air pollution’s relationship with climate change is complex and as a result, there is often less engagement with the former.
However, if humans keep burning fossil fuels and biofuels, air pollution will worsen and so will climate change. At the end of the day, cleaner air will lead to a healthier planet. It should be a global priority.
India’s vibrant capital city witnessed dangerously poor levels of air quality in November 2023, to a degree not seen in several years.
The haze across Delhi was thick, and it felt as though the city was enveloped by a dark mushroom cloud. It suffered an unequalled PM2.5 level (monthly average) of 243 ug/m3, the highest since 2018 and an astonishing leap of more than 50 per cent over last year’s monthly average of 155 ug/m3.
The AQI was in the “severe” category for a record 15 days this November. The rains on November 9 and 10 broke the smog canopy, which extended from Punjab and Haryana to Delhi at a transport height of around 900-950mb, reducing the “severity” of pollution.
Explained
Article 99 of UN charter (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 2, International Organisation)
Amid Israel’s ongoing military attacks on the Gaza Strip, particularly in its southern region, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter in a bid to establish a ceasefire.
In a post on X on Wednesday (December 6), Guterres attached a copy of a letter addressed to the UN Security Council President, and wrote: “Facing a severe risk of collapse of the humanitarian system in Gaza, I urge the Council to help avert a humanitarian catastrophe & appeal for a humanitarian ceasefire to be declared.”
The UNSC is one of the principal organs of the UN. It comprises five permanent members – the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China and Russia – and 10 non-permanent members appointed for specific periods.
On a rotational basis, each of these 15 countries holds the presidency for a month. The South American country of Ecuador is the President for December 2023.
Mining for critical minerals: What is the auction process, why is it important? (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
Twenty blocks of critical minerals are currently on auction for commercial mining by the private sector. The mineral blocks contain lithium ore, which has use in batteries and electric vehicles, and another 10 of the 30 minerals that the government declared as “critical” in July.
The bidding process began on November 29, and bids can be submitted until January 22 next year. The total value of these blocks is estimated at Rs 45,000 crore, subject to further discoveries or revisions in inferred reserves.
This is the first time that rights related to the mining of lithium ore are being auctioned to private parties. Other minerals in the blocks include nickel, copper, molybdenum, and rare earth elements (REEs).
All these minerals are utilised in key supply chains for vehicle batteries, energy storage devices, consumer electronics, and vital industrial processes.
Lithium is truly a mineral of the future… In today’s launch of critical mineral auctions, 2 lithium blocks have been offered. Once operational, they will help to cut down imports and build an #AatmanirbharBharat,” Minister for Mines Pralhad Joshi posted on X last month.
Economy
Economy to grow at 6.5% in FY24: CEA (Page no. 19)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
India’s growth momentum is expected to continue in the October-December quarter as well, putting the economy on track for a 6.5 per cent growth rate this financial year.
On private investments, the CEA said there has been a rise in import of capital goods and increased production of capital infrastructure goods in the industrial output.
He said private sector capital formation is “not an aircraft that is waiting for take-off but has already started to move and fly.
Strong tax collections, both direct and indirect, suggest the economy might be doing better than what is being currently measured, Nageswaran said. “It is a theoretical possibility that when you have a tax buoyancy which is as high as 1.9 or close to 2, which is historically unprecedented, then it is quite possible that we are not measuring the economy’s underlying momentum and activity and dynamism as we should be after the release of second quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth numbers.