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Days after Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju targeted the Supreme Court’s Collegium system of appointing judges as “opaque, not accountable” involving a “lot of politics”, Justice D Y Chandrachud, who takes over as the 50th Chief Justice of India Wednesday, said criticism of the Collegium system must be looked at in a “positive light” and attempts made to improve it.
While we work within the fold of that system… yet at the same time, there are several improvements which we can bring about because no institution in any constitutional democracy can lay claim to being perfect. So, I think it’s a constantly evolving process.
On the charge of the Collegium working being opaque, Justice Chandrachud said there is a “legitimate… public interest in knowing how judges are appointed” but “we also need to preserve the privacy of the people”, members of the Bar or judges of the High Court “who are under consideration”.
Otherwise, if we start exposing every little detail of our discussions, of our deliberations, in the public scrutiny, the net result would be that many good people will just not be interested in seeking judgeship or accepting it when the offer of judgeship is made.
Because the feeling would be that well, by even accepting the offer of judgeship, you are exposing your own intimate personal lives to a level of scrutiny which is not really relatable to the needs or interests of the institution.
I do believe that as judges, what we do in terms of our written word in our judgements, and in our work as judges, is what should count.
So, the best way to deal with criticism is to work in a manner which is more accommodating of diverse critiques of the functioning of the Collegium. Some of the criticism may not be entirely justified.
Some of the criticism may warrant some look at how better we can foster our procedures which is something which we will do. But all change has to be taking place in an incremental manner so as to promote stability, so as to promote certainty and better outcomes for everybody.
On his priorities for the judiciary, Justice Chandrachud said the first on the list is filling vacancies, from the district judiciary to High Courts to the Supreme Court. He also underlined the need to bring in more diversity in the judiciary.
With courts increasingly going in for live streaming of cases, this, he said, “will place new demands on our judges.
So, it’s important that we also train ourselves, and we must have robust training programmes in place for judges on the abilities to handle this new challenge of the times in which we live.”
Global South in acute pain, return to table: Jaishankar to Russia (Page no. 1)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
Stating that the Ukraine conflict was a dominant feature in his discussions with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the global economy is too inter-dependent not to be impacted by a significant conflict and the Global South is feeling “this pain very acutely”, especially after two years of the pandemic.
The Global South refers to the developing and less developed countries in Latin America, Asia, Africa and Oceania.
Speaking after the bilateral talks, Jaishankar said India “strongly advocates a return to dialogue and diplomacy” and is on the side of “peace, respect for international law and support for the UN Charter”.
He even offered help in issues including food grains and fertiliser shipments, and support for any initiative that de-risks the global economy.
On buying cheap Russian oil, he made it clear that India will continue with the purchases to cater to the needs of its consumers.
While Jaishankar said it is essential that their time-tested defence relationship continues to perform smoothly, Lavrov said they had a detailed discussion on the prospects in military and technical cooperation including joint production of weaponry.
Lavrov expressed appreciation for the Indian position on the Ukraine situation, and briefed Jaishankar on what he called the Russian “special military operation” aimed at “achieving the goals” set by President Vladimir Putin.
He said he discussed how Western countries are using the pretext of Ukraine to dominate the global order.
After the talks, Jaishankar said, “It is natural that as Foreign Ministers, we exchanged views on the international situation from our particular perspectives and vantage points. Obviously, the Ukraine conflict was a dominant feature, although we will continue to have discussions on it.”
“As Prime Minister Modi conveyed to President Putin in Samarkand in September, this is not an era of war. The global economy is simply too inter-dependent for a significant conflict anywhere, not to have major consequences elsewhere.
We are seeing a conflict that is coming on top of severe stresses created by two years of Covid. The Global South, especially, is feeling this pain very acutely. India, therefore, strongly advocates a return to dialogue and diplomacy. We are clearly on the side of peace, respect for international law and support for the UN Charter.
Insofar as specific initiatives pertaining to issues like food grains and fertiliser shipments are concerned, or any other problem for that matter, India will be as helpful as we can be.
Indeed, I would say that for any initiative that de-risks the global economy and stabilises the global order at this stage, India will be supportive.
And in that respect, quite honestly, we have seen that the India-Russia relationship has worked to our advantage. So, if it works to my advantage, I would like to keep it going.
India pushes Rupee trade beyond Russia (Page no. 1)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
On the lines of an arrangement being worked out with Russia, India is in talks with Sri Lanka, the Maldives and multiple south east Asian, African and Latin American countries to initiate trading in the Indian Rupee.
The countries in these geographies have shown interest in opening Special Rupee Vostro or SRV accounts. A Vostro account is an account held by a bank that allows the customers to deposit money on behalf of another bank.
The Reserve Bank of India had announced guidelines on overseas trade in Indian Rupee in July. In part, this is also aimed at curtailing India’s dollar dependence for trade, and indirectly strengthen the domestic currency.
The first country to open a special Rupee Vostro account is Russia, which has increased supply of discounted crude to India post the Ukraine war.
In September, government-owned UCO Bank received the RBI’s approval to open a special vostro account with Gazprombank of Russia and in October, Sberbank and VTB Bank – the largest and second-largest banks of Russia – opened special vostro accounts in their respective branches in Delhi.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, various countries in the West and the US have put sanctions on Moscow and the country is off the SWIFT system too (system used by banks for payments in foreign currency).
Russia would be, for the time being, interested in trading in rupee since other modes of payment may not be available.
The Ministry of External Affairs mentioned their missions abroad in this regard. Interest was also forthcoming from several countries, notably Sri Lanka, Maldives, various Southeast Asian, African and Latin American countries,” read the minutes of the meeting in September chaired by the then Department of Financial Services secretary Sanjay Malhotra.
The Department of Economic Affairs also mentioned that based on their interaction in various bilateral meetings/dialogues with partner countries, there was considerable interest from various countries in opening SRV accounts.
Malhotra and T. Rabi Sankar, Deputy Governor, RBI, chaired the meeting that was attended by representatives of various ministries, RBI, IBA and both private and government banks.
The Ministry of External Affairs was represented by Vinod Bahade, Director, and Aparna Bhatia, Advisor, represented the Department of Economic Affairs.
Under the Indian rupee arrangement, banks in India will open Vostro accounts (an account that an Indian bank will hold on behalf of another bank) of correspondent bank/s of the partner country for trading. Indian importers can pay for their imports in rupee into these accounts.
Express Network
India’s first private launch vehicle all set for maiden flight (Page no. 9)
(GS Paper 3, Space)
India’s first privately developed launch vehicle – Hyderabad-based Skyroot’s Vikram-S – is all set to make its maiden flight from the country’s only spaceport in Sriharikota between November 12 and 16.
Marking the beginning of private sector launches, the mission named ‘Prarambh’ will see Vikram-S carry three customer satellites in a sub-orbital flight.
The final launch date will be decided based on weather conditions. “The Vikram-S rocket is a single-stage sub-orbital launch vehicle which will carry three customer payloads and help test and validate technologies in the Vikram series space launch vehicles,” said Naga Bharath Daka, COO and co-founder of the company.
Sub-orbital flight, just like the ones undertaken by Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson, are those vehicles which are travelling slower than the orbital velocity – meaning it is fast enough to reach outer space but not fast enough to stay in an orbit around the Earth.
The company is designing three Vikram rockets that will use various solid and cryogenic fuels to carry between 290 kg and 560 kg payloads to sun-synchronous polar orbits.
In comparison, India’s workhorse PSLV can carry up to 1,750kg to such an orbit while the newly-developed small satellite launch vehicle – meant for carrying smaller commercial satellites – can carry up to 300 kg to sun-synchronous orbit.
We could build and get our Vikram-S rocket mission ready in such a short time only because of the invaluable support we received from ISRO and IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre), and the technology talent that we inherently possess.
We are proud to announce our path-breaking mission ‘Prarambh’ dedicated to the Indian private space sector, which has hugely benefited from the reforms and vision of the Government of India.
Although Skyroot will be the first private company to launch its rocket, others are not far behind. Take for example Agnikul Cosmos, whose semi-cryogenic Agnilet engine was test- fired for 15 seconds at Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO’s) vertical testing facility at Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS), Thiruvananthapuram. ISRO’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLV) are also likely to be manufactured and operated by private players soon.
As for private satellite missions, ISRO’s heaviest launch vehicle Mark III launched 36 OneWeb satellites (India’s Bharti is a stakeholder). The space agency will be launching another fleet of 36 satellites for the company as well. Other than that, the space agency has also launched at least four satellites made by students.
Editorial
A voice for global south (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 2, Space)
On November 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the logo, website and theme for India’s presidency of the G20, setting the tone for the country’s G20 presidency, beginning December 1.
Modi’s clarion call was “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, aptly underscored by the phrase “VasudhaivaKutumbakam”. Apart from the national flag’s colours, the logo depicts a lotus with seven petals on which symbolically rests the earth, its oceans and the seven continents signalling a pro-planet approach.
Modi drove home the point that India’s presidency will transcend the limitations of geography and categories to encompass the whole world, leaving none behind. India will work to deliver global goods as a voice for the Global South.
The lotus, a symbol of purity and resilience, suggests hope that the global community will overcome the debilitating economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
India’s G20 presidency coincides with its growing confidence, matched by its rising stature and high economic growth rate. It must nonetheless countenance a complex geopolitical moment, with tensions between G7 nations and Russia over the war in Ukraine, and growing friction between the US and China.
India’s commitment to advancing South-South cooperation is well acknowledged. At the height of the pandemic, India provided 250 million vaccine doses to 101 countries, apart from other medical assistance.
PM Modi’s recent advice to President Putin that “now is not the time for war” is anchored in the ethos of peace and non-violence, the legacy of Buddha and Gandhi.
India’s stewardship of the G20 will be defined by continuity and change. The developmental agenda must receive first billing. Differences over energy diversification and the emerging challenges in trade and technology will need reconciliation.
Stagflation in the US, China and Europe threatens to affect the global economic outlook. Policy coherence in macroeconomics and trade is an important imperative.
At the “Global Supply Chain Resilience” meeting in October 2021, Modi advocated cooperation on three critical aspects — trusted source, transparency and time frame — to improve global supply chains.
At the SCO Summit this year, he cited the disruption of supply chains due to the Ukraine crisis and spoke of the unprecedented energy and food crises.
India’s commitment to digital transformation will be a key element in forging an accessible and inclusive digital public architecture.
Explained
Restricted herbicide glyphosate and the larger GM question (Page no. 13)
(GS Paper 2, Health)
The Union Agriculture Ministry has restricted the use of glyphosate, a widely used herbicide. This comes even as the Supreme Court on November 10 is about to take up a plea seeking a ban on all herbicide-tolerant crops, including transgenic hybrid mustard and cotton.
It is a herbicide used to kill weeds — undesirable plants that compete with crops for nutrients, water and sunlight. Since weeds basically grow at the expense of crops, farmers remove them manually or spray herbicides.
Glyphosate is a broad-spectrum herbicide that can control a wide range of weeds, whether broadleaf or grassy. It is also non-selective, killing most plants.
When applied to their leaves, it inhibits the production of a protein ‘5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS)’. This enzyme, produced only by plants and microorganisms, synthesises aromatic amino acids that are necessary for their growth.
There are nine glyphosate-based formulations containing different concentrations of the chemical registered for use under the Insecticides Act, 1968.
These are approved largely for weed control in tea gardens and non-crop areas such as railway tracks or playgrounds. Farmers also apply glyphosate on irrigation channels and bunds to clear these of weeds, making it easier for water to flow and to walk through them. Weeds growing on bunds are, moreover, hosts for fungi, such as those causing sheath blight disease in rice.
In general, though, the scope for glyphosate use is limited for the very reason that it is non-selective. Designed to kill all plants coming into contact with it, the chemical cannot ordinarily distinguish between crop and weed.
Hence, it can be used in tea or rubber plantations, but not in fields where the crops and weeds are at almost the same level.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, on October 21, issued a notification stating that “the use of glyphosate involves health hazards and risk to human beings and animals”.
It has, however, not banned and only “restricted” its use. The spraying of glyphosate and its derivatives shall henceforth only be permitted through “pest control operators”.
As earlier noted, the scope for glyphosate is already restricted in normal agricultural crops by virtue of it being a non-selective herbicide. Glyphosate application has increased only with the advent of genetic modification (GM) or transgenic technology.
In this case, it has involved incorporating a ‘cp4-epsps’ gene, isolated from a soil bacterium Agrobacterium tumefaciens, into crop plants such as cotton, maize and soyabean.
This alien gene codes for a protein that does not allow glyphosate to bind with the EPSPS enzyme. The said GM crop can, therefore, “tolerate” the spraying of the herbicide, which then kills only the weeds.
Red flags over greenwashing (Page no. 13)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
The use of unfair practices in climate action is not new. Corporations, and sometimes even countries, attempt to exaggerate the actions they are taking to help the fight against climate change, and also the impacts of these actions.
In the process, they provide misleading information, make unverifiable claims, and sometimes plainly lie about their products or processes.
In the first official acknowledgment of ‘greenwashing’, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned private corporations to desist from such practices and mend their ways within a year. There will be zero tolerance for greenwashing, he said at the ongoing climate meeting in Sharm el-Shaikh.
There is a growing tendency among firms and governments to mark all kinds of activities as climate-friendly, as something that would lead to emissions reduction, or avoidance of emissions.
Many of these claims are unverifiable, misleading, or dubious. While they help in boosting the image of the entity, sometimes even helping them garner benefits, they do nothing in the fight against climate change.
While Guterres spoke against greenwashing in the context of net-zero targets being pursued by many corporations and sub-national governments, greenwashing is prevalent across a whole range of environmental activities.
Developed countries, for example, are often accused of greenwashing their normal business investments in developing countries, or their bilateral aid, by highlighting climate co-benefits of the financial flows, sometimes with very little justification.
The Volkswagen scandal, in which the German car company was found to have been cheating in emissions testing of its supposedly green diesel vehicles, was a case of greenwashing.
Several other multinational corporations, including oil giants like Shell and BP, and Coca Cola have faced accusations of greenwashing.
Greenwashing presents a false picture of the progress being made on the climate change front, thereby pushing the world towards disaster, while at the same time rewarding entities for irresponsible behaviour.
The processes and products that can potentially cut emissions are so many that it is practically impossible to monitor and verify all. There is lack of regulation and standardisation in most of these spaces.
The processes, methodologies and institutions to measure, report, create standards, verify claims and grant certifications are still being set up.
In the meanwhile, large number of organisations have sprung up claiming expertise in these areas and offering their services for a fee. Many of these organisations lack integrity and robustness, but their services are still availed by corporations because it makes them look good.
As Arjun Dutt, Senior Programme Lead at Delhi-based Council on Energy, Environment and Water, said, sometimes, corporations make genuine mistakes.
Mother tongue survey of India (Page no. 13)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Governance)
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has completed the Mother Tongue Survey of India (MTSI) with field videography of the country’s 576 languages.
“In order to preserve and analyse the original flavour of each indigenous Mother Tongue, it has been planned to set up a web-archive at the National Informatics Centre (NIC),” says the Home Ministry’s annual report for 2021-22.
According to the report, the Mother Tongue Survey of India is a project that “surveys the mother tongues, which are returned consistently across two and more Census decades”.
It also documents the linguistic features of the selected languages.
The report states that the NIC and the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) will be documenting and preserving the linguistic data of the surveyed mother tongues in audio-video files. Video-graphed speech data of Mother Tongues will also be uploaded on the NIC survey for archiving purposes.
As per an analysis of 2011 linguistic census data in 2018, more than 19,500 languages or dialects are spoken in India as mother tongues, PTI had reported earlier.
The category “mother tongue” is a designation provided by the respondent, but it need not be identical with the actual linguistic medium.
After subjecting the 19,569 returns to linguistic scrutiny, edit and rationalisation, they were grouped into 121 mother tongues, the Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India, had earlier said.
According to the 2011 linguistic census, Hindi is the most widely spoken mother tongue, with 52.8 crore people or 43.6 per cent of the population declaring it as the mother tongue. The next highest is Bengali, mother tongue for 9.7 crore individuals, and accounting for 8 per cent of the population.
The new National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for the foundational stages of education, launched by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan last month, has recommended that mother tongue should be the primary medium of instruction in schools for children up to eight years of age.
While the focus on mother tongue as the medium of instruction, especially for primary schooling, has been a feature of education policies for years, the latest push for the use of mother tongue has come after repeated policy articulations in its favour from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
The new NCF, which deals with pre-school and classes I-II, emphasises the virtues of the mother tongue as the primary medium of instruction, saying that by the time children join pre-school, they acquire significant competence in the “home language”.
According to the NCF, evidence from research confirms the importance of teaching children in their mother tongue during the foundational years and beyond.
“Since children learn concepts most rapidly and deeply in their home language, the primary medium of instruction would optimally be the child’s home language/ mother tongue/ familiar language in the Foundational Stage,” it states.