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A Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who entered India before December 31, 2014, can now seek Indian citizenship without producing a valid passport of these countries or a valid visa from India, according to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, (CAA) rules notified .
The rules, which pave the way for implementation of the CAA, state that “any document” that shows one of the parents, grandparents or even great-grandparents of the applicant was from one of these countries would suffice to prove their nationality. And instead of a visa, even a certificate issued by an elected member of a local body would be enough.
With the notification, the Centre has eased the process of granting Indian citizenship to members of these communities from the three countries, as envisaged in the legislation passed in December 2019.
The development is likely to benefit thousands of non-Muslim migrants from the three countries who are seeking Indian citizenship. Until now, these migrants were either living in India illegally or on long-term visas.
PM hails first test of Agni 5 with multiple warhead technology
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Constituion)
India successfully tested a new-age Agni-5 ballistic missile equipped to carry multiple warheads, each of which is capable of hitting a separate target.
The test marks a long-awaited upgrade of India’s missile system and significantly enhances its strike capability, including the nuclear option.
This ability to carry multiple warheads on a single missile, called MIRV or Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle, is a technology that originated five decades ago, but is in possession of only a handful of countries — the United States, Russia, China, United Kingdom and France. Last year, Pakistan also claimed to have tested a MIRV-equipped missile, Ababeel.
Underlining the significance of the test, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced it himself in a congratulatory message for Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), much like he had done five years ago when India had carried out an anti-satellite test.
Proud of our DRDO scientists for Mission Divyastra, the first flight test of indigenously developed Agni-5 missile with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle (MIRV) technology.
Express Network
First batch of Indian military personnel leaves Maldives : Reports
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
The first batch of Indian military personnel stationed in the Maldives manning a helicopter gifted by India have departed from the island nation after handing over the operations of the chopper to an Indian civilian crew, the Maldivian media reported.
A media official for the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) told the media here that approximately 25 Indian soldiers who were stationed in Addu city are now back in India after handing over the operations of a helicopter to an Indian civil crew.
There was no immediate confirmation from India’s defence ministry on the withdrawal of the first batch of Indian military personnel from the Maldives as reported by the media here.
The MNDF official confirmed that, as agreed, the Indian military troops left the country ahead of March 10. The helicopters will, from now on, be operated by civilian experts from India who have been transferred to the Maldives for the purpose, the Editon.mv news portal reported.
Kerala witness Mumps outbreak : 190 cases in a day
(GS Paper 2, Health)
Kerala is witnessing a mumps outbreak with the state having reported 190 cases in a single day on March 10 (Sunday).
There have been 2,505 cases of the viral infection this month, and 11,467 cases in the little over two months this year, according to Kerala health department data.
Officials from the Union Health Ministry confirmed the outbreak and said that the National Centre for Disease Control in the state has been alerted.
Mumps is caused by the paramyxovirus that is spread through direct contact or airborne droplets from the upper respiratory tract of an infected person.
It takes two to four weeks for the symptoms to manifest, which begin with low-grade fever, headache, bodyache, and malaise.
The most distinctive symptom of the disease is the swelling of the salivary glands. It usually affects young children but adolescents and adults can also get infected.
Most of the cases are being reported from Malappuram district and other parts of north Kerala, according to officials. While there exists a vaccine against mumps, along with measles and rubella, it is not part of the government’s universal immunisation programme.
Editorial
EC’s hour of reckoning
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Constituion)
In March last year, when the Supreme Court ordered the constitution of a selection committee for the Election Commission of India (ECI) with the Chief Justice of India (CJI) as a member, there were no vacancies in sight in the ECI. Just over a year later, and three months after Parliament passed a law excluding the CJI from the committee, there are two vacancies in the ECI and the time to test the law and its spirit is here.
Since the introduction of The Chief Election Commissioner And Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions Of Service And Term Of Office) Bill, 2023 in Parliament, I have been trying to understand the thought behind some of its provisions and the final amendments.
The Indian Constitution provides for many institutions that form the spine of our democracy. Although each institution has a different purpose and character, it has a relationship with the government either supportive or regulatory, or as a counterweight.
Parliament exercises checks on the government through its legislative jurisdiction. The courts scrutinise laws passed by the legislature and examine the legality of the government’s decisions.
A somewhat similar function is performed by the tribunals. The Attorney General advises the government, occasionally representing it in courts.
The Comptroller and Auditor General maintains government accounts and audits government expenditure. The Public Service Commission carries out recruitment for the government and advises it on certain service matters.
Ideas Page
Moving to a better count
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
Recently, summary results of the Household Consumption Expenditure Survey (HCES), 2022-23, conducted by the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) were released.
In this context, we discuss three issues here: Trends in poverty; difference between private consumption expenditure of NSSO and the figure provided by the National Accounts Statistics (NAS); and changes in consumption patterns and implications for consumer price index and monetary policy. The HCES 2022-23 has undergone some changes as compared to the previous surveys in consumption expenditure.
These are: One, item coverage; two, changes in the questionnaire; three, multiple visits for data collection and computed assisted personal interviews compared to pen and paper interviews. These changes have to be kept in mind while comparing the results of HCES 2022-23 with those of previous surveys.
Explained
CAA : issues in the legal challenge to the citizenship law
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Constituion)
More than four years after Parliament passed The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, the Ministry of Home Affairs on Monday notified the Rules to implement the law.
The CAA, which had led to widespread protests in the winter of 2019-20, is also under challenge before the Supreme Court.
In December 2019, Parliament passed an amendment to The Citizenship Act, 1955, to include a provision for grant of citizenship to migrants belonging to the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, or Christian communities who entered India before December 31, 2014 from Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Bangladesh.
In essence, the amendment relaxed the eligibility criteria for certain classes of migrants (on religious lines) from three neighbouring Muslim-majority countries.
Certain categories of areas, including tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura, and areas protected by the ‘Inner Line’ system, were exempted from the purview of the CAA.
One missile many weapons
(GS Paper 3, Defence)
India announced that it had successfully tested a new Agni-5 missile capable of carrying multiple warheads and striking multiple targets. The most important thing about this new missile is its integration with what is known as the MIRV technology.
MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicle) technology is the capability that allows multiple warheads to be loaded on a single missile delivery system and programmed to hit different targets, thus greatly enhancing the missile’s destructive potential.
The development of MIRV capability marks a significant upgrade for India’s missile systems, and expands its nuclear options.
Traditional missiles carry a single warhead, or weapon, that goes and hits the intended target. MIRV-equipped missiles can accommodate multiple warheads, each of which can be programmed to strike a separate target.
They can all be made to hit the same location too, one after the other, thus ensuring complete annihilation of the target.
While simultaneous strikes at multiple locations can have a debilitating impact on the enemy, the use of nuclear warheads can bring the opposition to its knees.
Economy
India – EU still diverge on key issues as EFTA deal goes through
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
Nearly two years after India and the 27-member bloc European Union (EU) relaunched trade negotiations, both countries continue to differ on “key outstanding issues” with the next round of talks now scheduled only after India’s general elections, a report on the seventh round of negotiations released by EU.
This comes at a time when India and the four-nation European Free Trade Association (EFTA), an intergovernmental grouping of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, signed a trade pact on March 10, days before the dates for general elections are expected to be announced triggering the model code of conduct (MCC).
To be sure, the proposed India-EU FTA is among the most comprehensive deals that is being negotiated and could accrue tangible market access gain for India in services and labour intensive sectors such as leather, textiles and engineering among others.
However, the deal is also among the most complicated to close with differing positions of the 27 members during a global election year.
“Some progress was made on texts during this round, in particular on Intellectual Property Rights, but both side’s respective positions still diverge on many key outstanding issues.