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As the first step to holding simultaneous elections in the country, the high-level committee headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind has recommended that the government take a “one-time transitory measure”, which would require the Union government to identify an “appointed date” immediately after a Lok Sabha election and all state assemblies that go to poll after the said date would have their terms expire with the Parliament.
This would synchronise the electoral cycles of the central and state governments and bring back simultaneous elections.
Then, as the second step, municipality and panchayat elections should be held within 100 days of the Lok Sabha and state elections.
Editorial
No going back to square one (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 2, Judiciary)
After the Supreme Court declared the electoral bonds scheme unconstitutional, and directed the SBI to deliver the data in its possession to the Election Commission of India which, in turn, will make it public, the nation is waiting with bated breath.
By all accounts, from the figures declared by the SBI, it would be impossible to match the donors and recipients. In its application to the apex court, the bank had requested for extension of time up to June as it would take time to match the two (something the SC order never asked for) — the all-important information citizens are waiting for, to see the nexus.
The SBI should now be asked to give this information even by June, since they have admitted it is possible, to match the two figures. That alone will establish if there has been a quid pro quo between corporates and the government.
Express Network
Pak urges India to comply with the stipulated timeline of testing ballistic missiles (Page no. 12)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
Pakistan on Thursday urged India to comply with the timeline stipulated in the pre-notification of flight testing of ballistic missiles as it took note of the first flight test of India’s indigenously developed Agni-5 missile.
Responding to a question about India testing a missile capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said that Islamabad had taken note of the Indian missile test on March 11 as New Delhi shared its advance notification to Islamabad.
However, she said India did not follow the three-day timeline stipulated in Article 2 of the Agreement on Pre-notification of the ‘Fight Testing of Ballistic Missiles’.
Explained
Unpacking Kovind panel report (Page no. 16)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Constitution)
In its report submitted to President Droupadi Murmu, the High Level Committee on One Nation, One Election headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind has recommended that elections to Lok Sabha and state Assemblies should be held at the same time and, subsequently, elections to local bodies (municipalities and panchayats) too should be “synchronised” so that they are held within 100 days of the simultaneous state and national elections.
To give effect to its recommendation, the committee has suggested 15 amendments to the Constitution of India — in the form of both new provisions and changes to existing provisions — to be carried out through two Constitution Amendment Bills.
The first Bill will deal with the transition to a simultaneous election system, and the procedure for fresh elections to Lok Sabha or a state Assembly before the expiration of their stipulated five-year term.
According to the Kovind committee, this Bill can be passed by Parliament without the requirement for consultation with state governments or ratification by state Assemblies.
Ratification by states: What it will take to make panel view legally tenable (Page no. 16)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Constitution)
A total of 15 Constitution Amendments which include changes in three provisions and new insertions in 12 provisions; amendments to three statutes that govern Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, and all other Union Territories; and a Presidential notification of an “appointed date” to tie all elections — these are the key changes in the legal framework recommended by the the High Level Committee on One Nation, One Election, headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind, in its report on Thursday (March 14).
According to the report, the framework for simultaneous polls could be kicked off as early as June this year, with the President issuing a notification to declare an “appointed date” as the “date of the first sitting of the House of the People after a general election”.
Economy
Lead acid batteries most successful example of a circular economy (Page no. 19)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
Amara Raja Energy & Mobility Limited is among the largest lead-acid battery manufacturers in India, clocking in a revenue of over Rs 10,000 crore in FY23.
In response to the clean energy transition, they are also diversifying through their new energy business, which deals with lithium-ion technologies. Harshavardhana Gourineni, Executive Director (Automotive & Industrial) at Amara Raja, speaks to Aggam Walia about the rise of lithium-ion, the future of lead-acid, entry of new players in the battery market, and the building circular supply chains.
The main benefit of the lithium-ion technology is its far superior energy density. So, wherever form factor is the limitation, definitely lithium-ion is preferred.
We see telecom moving rapidly that way. For industrial UPS, for areas where form factor is not a constraint, lead-acid still is quite relevant and has continued to dominate the market.