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Amid a debate on the proposed Uniform Civil Code, triggered by the Law Commission’s decision to examine the issue afresh and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s subsequent remarks on the matter, BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Law, is learnt to have questioned the feasibility of a UCC in tribal areas, including those in the North East, since their customs, traditions and rituals are different from other communities and the Constitution grants them protection.
A meeting of the Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice was convened Monday to hear the views of the Department of Legal Affairs, Legislative Department and the Law Commission of India on the June 14 notice issued by the Law Commission, inviting views of stakeholders on the UCC. Congress MPs raised questions and DMK’s P Wilson opposed implementation of the proposed UCC.
Wison and Congress MP Vivek Tankha made public the notes they submitted to committee chief Sushil Modi, uploading it on Twitter via their personal handles. The Opposition MPs flagged the point that there are concerns regarding the legislative powers of states.
In the note he posted on Twitter, Wilson said “implementation of Uniform Civil Code will destroy the diversity of the nation”. He pointed out that “matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, and property rights fall under the Concurrent List of the Constitution, which allows both the central and state governments to legislate on these subjects.
However, Article 44 stipulates that a Uniform Civil Code will be applicable to ‘citizens throughout the territory of India’, suggesting that States may not have the power to amend it”.
Govt & Politics
SCO meet today; terror territorial integrity on agenda (Page no. 8)
(GS Paper 2, International Organisation)
Cross-border terrorism, cooperation in de-radicalisation strategies, promotion of millets and sustainable lifestyles to address climate change, and digital transformation — these are some of the key areas which will be discussed and be part of the New Delhi declaration at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will host the virtual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) on Tuesday, which is expected to be attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif among others.
The summit is expected to begin at 12.30 pm and conclude around 3 pm. Earlier, the summit was scheduled to take place in-person in New Delhi, but the plan was changed early June.
As India had taken a tough stance at the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Goa, which was attended by Pakistan’s Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, China’s Qin Gang and Russia’s Sergey Lavrov among others, all eyes will be on the formulation of the Delhi declaration on terrorism — especially since Pakistan Prime Minister Sharif will be attending the summit.
Express Network
Video-conferencing, LED video wall: SC gets tech makeover (Page no. 11)
(GS Paper 2, Judiciary)
Moving with the times, the Supreme Court of India has given itself a digital makeover, the futuristic upgrades being part of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud’s vision to enhance the use of technology in the judicial system.
As the top court reopened after the annual summer recess, the CJI told lawyers in his court, Court 1: “I hope lawyers have more space now, with the books and all gone from the sides.”
The courtrooms earlier used to have bookshelves on either side of the area where lawyers and litigants would stand, which contributed to the congestion during important hearings when the courts would be full. This has now been done away with in the CJI’s court; other court halls will follow suit.
The CJI said all courts will now resemble his court — “no books and papers at all” — and quickly added that this is not to say that the court will no more rely on books or papers.
A votary of technology, CJI Chandrachud, who took over in November 2022, has been on a mission to make the court paperless and had insisted during Constitution Bench hearings that lawyers use electronic gadgets to read out from, instead of relying on physical books and papers.
On Monday, the CJI said that Wi-Fi connectivity has been provided in courtrooms 1 to 5, as well as the passages, and that Bar rooms will be upgraded soon.
To improve upon the virtual hearings ushered in by the pandemic situation, a state-of-the-art digital video-conferencing system has now been installed in the courtrooms. Sources in SC said this will facilitate efficient communication and collaboration.
Ideas Page
Smoothing the path of science (Page no. 13)
(GS Paper 3, Science and Technology)
On June 28, the Union Cabinet approved the National Research Foundation (NRF) Bill in Parliament. The NRF will be an apex body to provide high-level strategic direction to scientific research in India, aligning with the recommendations of the National Education Policy (NEP), 2023.
The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), created by an act of Parliament in 2008, will stand repealed and subsumed into the NRF.
The administrative department of the NRF will be the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government. of India. The governance of NRF will be formulated by a Governing Board, presided over by the Prime Minister, and comprising the Union Ministers of Science and Technology and of Education as Vice-Presidents, and eminent scientists representing various disciplines as members. An Executive Council, with the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India as its chair, will oversee the NRF’s functioning.
The principal reason to form the NRF is to foster collaboration among academic and research institutions, industry and government departments.
The NRF will create a policy framework and regulatory processes that can encourage collaboration and increased spending by industry on research and development.
Apparently, a Bill needed to be introduced because current laws do not easily permit a private organisation to contribute funds for research to a body, such as the NRF.
World
NATO lays out biggest military rejig against Russia since cold war (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 2, International Organisation)
Russia's armed forces are bruised but by no means beaten in the war in Ukraine, a top NATO military officer, as he laid out the biggest revamp to the organisation's military plans since the Cold War should Moscow dare to widen the conflict.
They might not be 11 feet tall, but they are certainly not 2 feet tall,” the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, told reporters.
So, we should never underestimate the Russians and their ability to bounce back.” US President Joe Biden and his NATO counterparts are set to endorse a major shakeup of the alliance's planning system at a summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius next week.
NATO, as an organisation, does not provide weapons or ammunition to Ukraine. It's sought to avoid being dragged into a wider war with nuclear-armed Russia. At the same time, it is massively reinforcing the security of member countries near Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.
Explained
SCO meet: What’s on the table (Page no. 15)
(GS Paper 2, International Organisation)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hosting the virtual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which is likely to see the participation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The meeting comes at a crucial time, with India’s ties with neighbours Pakistan and China tense and war raging in Europe.
Ashok Sajjanhar, a former IFS officer who has served as the ambassador of India to Kazakhstan, Sweden and Latvia.
As far as Russia is concerned, I think President Putin will be able to see that the influence and the relevance of Russia has declined because of the war. This was apparent at the last SCO meeting in Samarkand in September 2022 too, and I think 10 months down the line, Putin will be able to see that for the Central Asian countries, Russia’s importance has come down further. This will send the message to him that possibly the war needs to be brought to a close as quickly as possible.