25 July 2024, The Indian EXPRESS
It’s Bench vs Bench at SC over Delhi case: ‘Judicial propriety not adhered to’
Page no- 1
GS2-Structure, Organization and Functioning of the Judiciary
- A Supreme Court Court Bench led by Justice B R Gavai on Wednesday said another Bench led by Justice A S Oka had “not adhered to judicial propriety” by acting on a contempt plea against the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) in the tree-felling case, pointing out that it had already issued notice in the matter.
- “The Additional Solicitor General (ASG) had informed the other Bench that this court is already seized of the matter, that this court has already issued notice for contempt,” Justice Gavai said.
A sepia Hinduism
Page no- 15
GS1-Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India
- Hinduism is a religion with an impressive textual tradition but the religion that is practised rarely draws upon its holy books.
- Unlike the Bible and the Quran, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata are not instructions on proper ways of being devout.
- They are expansive stories about the multiple possibilities of being good and the frequently blurred distinctions between good and evil.
- Depending on behaviour, demons can become saints and saintly persons can suffer demise in their status.
- Just as caste in India does not follow a pan-Indian template — Brahmins in Punjab and Haryana do not enjoy social and cultural dominance — Hinduism, too, does not derive — or earlier sought to derive — legitimacy from a set of written rules.
Netanyahu looks to bolster US support, faces protests and lawmaker boycotts
Page no- 16
GS2-Effect of Policies and Politics of Developed and Developing Countries on India’s interests
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks before Congress on July 24 in hopes of bolstering U.S. support for continuing Israel’s offensives against Hamas and other adversaries.
- But boycotts of his appearance by some Democratic lawmakers and expected protests outside are highlighting how his hard-line government's conduct of the devastating war in Gaza is opening fissures in longstanding American support for his country.
- Mr. Netanyahu is assured a warm welcome from Republican lawmakers who arranged his speech in the House chamber, an appearance making him the first foreign leader to address a joint meeting of Congress four times, surpassing Winston Churchill.
Chinese scientists find traces of water in lunar soil
Page no- 16
GS3-Awareness in the fields of Space
- Chinese scientists studying the soil samples of the moon brought by Chang’e-5 mission found water molecules in lunar soil, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
- The research – carried out jointly by researchers from the Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and the Institute of Physics of CAS and other domestic research institutions – was published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Astronomy on July 16, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.
India creates legroom to sign UK, UE FTAs with Custom Act amendments
Page no- 17
GS3-Indian Economy and issues relating to Planning, Mobilization of Resources, Growth, Development
- To create legroom for signing free trade agreements (FTAs) with developed nations such as the UK and European Union, the Union Budget 2024 has introduced amendments in the Customs Act, liberalising compliance with value-addition norms that typically guard against misuse of concessions agreed in a trade pact.
- Value addition norms guided by ‘rules of origin’ assume special significance at a time when India is signing a slew of FTAs.
- Rules of origin are the criteria needed to determine the national source of a product.
- While trade agreements help boost trade volumes with partner countries, it often risks a third country benefiting from the concessions resulting in a loss of revenue if rules of origin are breached.
AI mission: With fresh budgetary allocation, IT ministry looks to procure up to 500 GPUs
Page no- 17
GS3-Achievements of Indians in Science & Technology
- After receiving its first budgetary allocation for the ambitious IndiaAI Mission, the IT Ministry is looking at soon releasing a tender to procure between 300 to 500 graphics processing units (GPUs) to help the private sector build domestic computing capacity for building and testing artificial intelligence (AI) systems, The Indian Express has learnt.
- In the Union Budget 2024, the Ministry of Electronics and IT has been allocated Rs 551.75 crore for the IndiaAI Mission for 2024-25.
Why SC couldn’t agree on environmental release of GM mustard
Page no- 21
GS3-Environmental Pollution and Degradation
- That the international framework for fighting climate change has been ineffective is evident from the fact that none of the targets set by it has ever been met.
- It is also well known that the system is highly inequitable.
- And yet, any suggestion of an alternative approach risks being seen as heresy.
- The Economic Survey presented on Monday decided to risk it.
- Its two chapters on climate change were devoted almost entirely to pointing out the flaws and inequities in the system, and suggesting alternative pathways that incorporate, among other things, lifestyle and behavioural changes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Mitigation vs adaptation
Page no- 21
GS3-Environmental Pollution and Degradation
- That the international framework for fighting climate change has been ineffective is evident from the fact that none of the targets set by it has ever been met.
- It is also well known that the system is highly inequitable. And yet, any suggestion of an alternative approach risks being seen as heresy.
- The Economic Survey presented on Monday decided to risk it.
- Its two chapters on climate change were devoted almost entirely to pointing out the flaws and inequities in the system, and suggesting alternative pathways that incorporate, among other things, lifestyle and behavioural changes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The politics around Panchamasali Lingayats’ quota demands in Karnataka
Page no- 21
GS1-Salient features of Indian Society, Diversity of India
- Panchamasali Lingayats, a sub-caste of Karnataka’s dominant Lingayat community, have been demanding inclusion in Category 2A of the Other Backward Classes (OBC) for more than three years.
- This will enable them to avail the 15 per cent quota in government jobs and college admissions earmarked for this category, as against the 5 per cent quota the Lingayat community currently enjoys under Category 3B of Karnataka’s OBC quota matrix.
- On Tuesday (July 23), community leaders held a meeting with lawyers to look at how to take forward the agitation which had fizzled out in 2023.
