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Russia’s parliament completed the passage of a law withdrawing ratification of the global treaty banning nuclear weapons tests, evidence of the deep chill in relations with the United States as Moscow pursues its war in Ukraine.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia was not prepared to resume discussing nuclear issues with the U.S. unless Washington dropped its “hostile” policy.
The bill to deratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was approved by 156 votes to zero in the upper house after the lower house also passed it unanimously. It now goes to President Vladimir Putin for signing.
Putin had requested the change to “mirror” the position of the United States, which signed the CTBT in 1996 but never ratified it.
Though it has never formally come into force, the CTBT has made nuclear testing a taboo – no country except North Korea has conducted a test involving a nuclear explosion this century.
Explained
LS Ethics committee (Page no. 4)
(GS Paper 4, Ethics)
The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee, which will take up Nishikant Dubey’s complaint against Mahua Moitra, last met on July 27, 2021, according to information on the Parliament website. Since being established as an ad hoc entity more than two decades ago, the panel has heard several complaints, most of which have been for relatively light offences.
The members of the Ethics Committee are appointed by the Speaker for a period of one year. The Committee is currently headed by the BJP’s Kaushambi MP Vinod Kumar Sonkar, and includes Vishnu Datt Sharma, Sumedhanand Saraswati, Aparajita Sarangi, Dr Rajdeep Roy, Sunita Duggal, and Dr Subhash Bhamre of the BJP; Ve Vaithilingam, N Uttam Kumar Reddy, and Preneet Kaur (Congress); Balashowry Vallabbhaneni (YSR Congress); Hemant Godse (Shiv Sena); Giridhari Yadav (JD-U); P R Natarajan (CPI-M); and Kunwar Danish Ali (BSP).
A Presiding Officers’ Conference held in Delhi in 1996 first mooted the idea of ethics panels for the two Houses.
China launches new missile submarine (Page no. 4)
(GS Paper 3, Defence)
China has launched its first nuclear-powered guided missile submarines, according to the Pentagon's latest report on China's military - giving it land and sea attack options once the sole province of U.S. and Russian vessels.
The Pentagon report, published Oct. 20, marks the first apparent confirmation that modified submarines seen in Chinese shipyards over the last 18 months are Type 093B guided missile submarines.
Front Page
Contours of joint theatre commands ready, await Govt nod before tweaks (Page no. 5)
(GS Paper 3, Defence)
The Armed Forces have narrowed down the final contours of the integrated theatre commands with a proposal for theatre commanders under a national defence committee likely to be headed by the Defence Minister.
Officials said the structures of the theatre commands are awaiting the approval of the government, based on which there may be further changes.
The theaterisation plans seek to integrate the Army, Navy and Indian Air Force and their resources into specific theatre commands.
An official said members of the Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) are also likely to be part of the defence committee that will oversee the work of theatre commanders.
SC to Judges: Follow roster, taking unassigned cases gross impropriety (Page no. 5)
(GS Paper 2, Judiciary)
Underlining the importance of the roster for allocating work to Judges, the Supreme Court has said that “Judges have to follow discipline and ought not to take up any case unless it is specifically assigned by the Chief Justice”.
The bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Pankaj Mithal was hearing an appeal against a Rajasthan High Court Judge’s decision to allow a civil writ petition for clubbing of FIRs against some accused.
The bench noted that the accused had first filed two criminal writ petitions, but a single Judge, in April this year, had refused to grant any interim relief.
Thereafter, in what the SC called a “very extraordinary step”, the accused filed a civil writ petition. In May, the other Judge hearing civil writ petitions allowed the FIRs to be clubbed, and, in June, also directed that no coercive action be taken against the accused.
The appellant, Ambalal Parihar, at whose instance six FIRs were registered against the accused, claimed before the apex court that a civil writ petition was filed to avoid the roster judge who had not granted interim relief.
Editorial
Balance of green power (Page no. 8)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
Reports of coal’s death are highly exaggerated. Between the strike notice by Coal India’s unions, to the power minister’s recent announcements of India’s intent to build new coal power plants, to addressing the peak power problems which have repeatedly surfaced during seasonal demand surges, the dilemma of energy transition has reared its face in the last few months.
Between the G20, the Clean Energy Ministerial and the actions of the International Solar Alliance, much has been said about India’s global commitments and actions toward decarbonisation. But the logic and incentives of domestic energy transition need to be considered closely.
The first wave of power plant construction in India, between the mid-1970s and the mid-1990s, happened on the back of a push by central PSUs to solve the imbalances of state power supply.
Some state electricity boards managed to build up power plants, others did not. The creation of the NTPC and Coal India in the mid-1970s was a central solution to a regional problem. NTPC’s first four power plants (Ramagundam, Farakka, Singrauli and Korba) were sited so that they could supply power to multiple states.
The second great wave of power plant construction between 2000-2015 was driven primarily by private promoters who built plants after the Electricity Act, 2003 was passed.
Express Network
Centre approves Rs 22303 cr fertiliser subsidy for rabi season (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
The Union Cabinet approved a Rs 22,303 crore subsidy on P&K fertilisers for the current Rabi season to ensure farmers continue to get soil nutrients at reasonable rates despite high global prices.
The decision was informed by Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur after the Cabinet meeting.
The Union Cabinet has approved nutrient-based subsidy rates (NBS) for various nutrients, like nitrogen, phosphorous, potash and sulphur for the Rabi crop season (October 1, 2023 – March 31, 2024).
Thakur said di-ammonium phosphate will continue to be sold at the old rate of Rs 1,350 per bag, while for Muriate of Potash (MoP) the rate will go down.
Economy
New made in India charging standards: How this could push EV adoption (Page no. 15)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has approved an indigenously developed AC and DC combined charging connector standard for light electric vehicles (LEVs) such as scooters, bikes, and rickshaws. Electric vehicle (EV) charging connector standards are conceptually similar to charging connector standards for mobile phones, such as the USB Type-C charger or Apple’s lightning charger.
The new standard, ISI7017 (Part 2 / Sec 7): 2023, cleared by BIS last week, has been developed through collaboration among NITI Aayog, the Department of Science and Technology, electric two-wheeler maker Ather Energy, and various other government and industry stakeholders.
The indigenously developed charging standard is the first in the world that combines alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) for LEVs.
Combined AC and DC charging standards for electric four-wheelers are already in use around the world, like the Combined Charging System (CCS) standard that is widely used in Europe.
Cabinet approves India – Japan Chip supply chain partnership (Page no. 15)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
The Union Cabinet has approved a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between India and Japan on developing a semiconductor supply chain partnership, which will focus on research and development (R&D), manufacturing, design, and talent development for the industry.
The MoC was initially signed in July this year between the IT Ministry and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
The MoC intends to strengthen cooperation between India and Japan towards enhancement of the semiconductor supply chain, recognising the importance of semiconductors for the advancement of industries and digital technologies, a statement released by the Union Cabinet said.
India is looking to establish itself as a reliable presence in the semiconductor supply chain, especially at a time when companies are looking to diversify from China, which has been the hub of electronics manufacturing for several decades now.