Category Archives: GENERAL STUDIES & GK

Green shipping corridors gaining momentum

Climate & Environment, GENERAL STUDIES & GK

Green shipping corridors gaining momentum

The Hotel New York in Rotterdam
Rotterdam’s historic Hotel New York building was formerly the headquarters of Dutch shipping firm Holland America Line

The powerful diesel engine roars as the water taxi cuts through the choppy water that connects Rotterdam’s gritty port areas to what remains of the city’s historic maritime grandeur.

As the yellow speedboat docks in front of the glamorous Hotel New York, the city’s global shipping heritage is there for all to see.

The 122-year-old building, one of few to survive the extensive bombing of Rotterdam in World War Two, was originally the headquarters of Dutch shipping company Holland America Line. The firm’s name is still adorned on the front of the building in large letters.

Next door, from its headquarters in a skyscraper that vaguely resembles a lighthouse, the Port of Rotterdam Authority is keen to shine a light on the future of shipping rather than look back on its past. More specifically, it is focusing its spotlight on how the sector can continue efforts to reduce it emissions.

As the manager and operator of Europe’s largest port, the authority has partnered with its opposite number in Singapore to create one of the world’s first new, long-distance green shipping corridors.

The idea behind these corridors is that cargo ships travel along the routes using only zero or low emission fuels. To help make this possible, both Rotterdam and Singapore are building new storage facilities for green fuels, such as ammonia and methanol, as alternatives to fuel oil.

Ammonia is a gas produced by fusing hydrogen with nitrogen. It is called “green ammonia” if the hydrogen is produced using 100% renewable energy. Meanwhile, methanol is a form of alcohol that can also be produced with green energy.

The Port of Rotterdam’s interim chief executive, Boudewijn Siemons, says the link-up between the Dutch city and Singapore aims to show how the concept can practically work.

“It’s a pragmatic approach to carbon reduction in shipping,” he says. “We have to get started somewhere, and you cannot get started by implementing zero emission shipping as a total solution everywhere in the world.

“That’s why we’re seeking these green corridors as proof points on a limited scale. We then have to scale up from there.”

In September of this year, the first container ship sailed between Singapore and Rotterdam in this green way. Called the Laura Maersk, it was powered by methanol, which currently delivers an up to 65% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to burning fossil fuels.

The Laura Maersk
The Laura Maersk went from Asia to Europe in September, powered by methanol

The green corridors concept was born at COP26, the global environment summit held in Glasgow, Scotland in 2021. Called the Clydebank Declaration, and agreed by 22 countries including the UK, it included a commitment to create at least six corridors by the middle of this decade.

This month’s COP28 in the United Arab Emirates saw the announcement of new corridors, including one from Canada’s west coast to Korea and Japan, one in the Caribbean, and another between Houston in the US and Belgium’s Antwerp.

It followed a pledge by the International Maritime Organisation, which represents the shipping industry, that the sector will achieve net-zero emissions “by or around” 2050.

While ports such as Rotterdam are continuing to prepare for the switch to zero emission shipping, it is clear that ship builders face an equally big challenge.

Industry figures show that just 0.6% of cargo ships around the world run on alternative fuels, and only 15 to 16% of vessels currently on order will run on dual or alternative fuels.

Yet there is some high-profile demand for more green shipping, such as from online shopping giant Amazon. The firm, a founding member of the Zero-Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance, along with other companies such as furniture group Ikea and clothing firm Patagonia, recently renewed a reduced emissions contract with shipping giant Maersk.

Meanwhile, cargo firm North Sea Container Line is launching a ship powered by ammonia, which will operate between Norway and Germany. And Hoegh Autoliners, which specialises in transporting cars and trains, is building 12 new ammonia-ready ships.

Lynn Loo is the chief executive of the Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation, a body that promotes the move to green fuels in the industry. She forecasts that ammonia production could double or even treble by 2050.

Ms Loo says there needs to be “a dramatic rise in the number of vessels capable of transporting ammonia from the 200 that are on the water today”. She adds that there also needs to be “significant infrastructure buildout to support the much higher throughput of ammonia in the future”.

Lynn Loo
Lynn Loo is predicting a big rise in the number of ships powered by ammonia

“None of these are going to be easy to scale,” observes Edward Glossop, head of sustainable operations at Bunker Holding, the world’s largest supplier of marine fuels.

“But ammonia may be the least challenging. The first ammonia engines will be delivered to shipyards by the end of 2024, and we aim to be a commercial supplier of low emission ammonia within the next few years.”

However, there are currently no plans to enforce green shipping lanes and some who watch the industry doubt whether they will prove popular.

“We know the future fuels will be expensive,” says veteran maritime economist Martin Stopford. “You’re attempting to implement change that’ll make people poorer, so it’ll be unpopular.”

He adds that even if production of clean fuels does take off, the maritime industry will be up against sectors such as manufacturing, domestic heating, road transportation aviation all competing for supplies.

“There is going to be some very big heavyweights in the queue ahead of shipping,” says Mr Stopford.

Mr Siemons acknowledges that the process of decarbonising shipping “is both complex and expensive”.

“But we should not predict the future based on the state of the technologies today, and on the state of the markets today,” he reasons.

“Yes today fuel oil is cheaper than hydrogen or ammonia, but that doesn’t mean it has to be so in the future.”

Out on the water in front of his building, even Rotterdam’s yellow water taxis are joining in the green transition. As far back as 2016, Europe’s first electric-powered water taxi entered service here, and last year a hydrogen-powered one also took to the water.

“It all has to become renewable,” Mr Siemons concludes.

 

Source:-https://www.bbc.com/news

Highlights Of Bills Replacing IPC, CrPC & Evidence Act

Current Affairs, GENERAL STUDIES & GK, Politics

Highlights Of Bills Replacing IPC, CrPC & Evidence Act As Stated By Home Minister In Lok Sabha 

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah introduces the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha

One of the five PRAN taken by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi before the country on August 15 was – to end all signs of slavery – today’s three bills are going to fulfil this one vow of Shri Modi

Today, we have brought 3 new Bills by repealing Indian Penal Code, 1860, Criminal Procedure Code, (1898), 1973 and Indian Evidence Act, 1872, which were enacted by the British and passed by the British Parliament

Indian Penal Code, 1860 will be replaced by Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023, the Criminal Procedure Code, 1898 will be replaced by the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, 2023 and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 will be replaced by the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023

These three outgoing laws were made to strengthen and protect the British rule and their purpose was to punish, not to give justice

The soul of the three new laws will be to protect all the rights given to Indian citizens by the constitution, and, their purpose will not be to punish but give justice

These three laws made with Indian thought process will bring a huge change in our criminal justice system

Modi government has brought this law by taking a very principled decision to bring citizens at the centre, instead of governance

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had said in 2019, all the laws made during the time of the British across all the departments, should be made in accordance with today’s time and in the interest of the Indian society after adequate discussion and consideration

18 States, 6 Union Territories, the Supreme Court, 16 High Courts, 5 Judicial Academies, 22 Law Universities, 142 Members of Parliament, around 270 MLAs and public have given their suggestions on these new laws

The Home Minister said, for 4 years intense discussions were held on these laws and he himself was present in 158 consultation meetings

Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, which will replace CrPC, now has 533 sections, 160 sections of old law have been changed, 9 new sections have been added and 9 sections have been repealed

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill 2023, which will replace the Indian Penal Code, will have 356 sections instead of the earlier 511 sections, 175 sections have been changed, 8 new sections have been added and 22 sections have been repealed

Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, which will replace the Evidence Act, will now have 170 sections instead of the earlier 167, 23 sections have been changed, 1 new section has been added and 5 have been repealed

These three old laws had signs of slavery, they were passed by the British Parliament, today we have come up with new laws by removing these signs of slavery from a total of 475 places

The law expands the definition of documents to include electronic or digital records, e-mails, server logs, computers, smart phones, laptops, SMS, websites, locational evidence, mails, messages on devices

Provision has been made in this law to digitize the entire process from FIR to case diary, case diary to charge sheet and charge sheet to judgement

Videography has been made compulsory at the time of search and seizure which will be part of the case and will not implicate innocent citizens, without such recording by the police no charge sheet will be valid

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi took a historic decision to set up the National Forensic Science University to promote forensic science in a bid to increase the conviction ratio

After three years, every year 33,000 forensic science experts and scientists will be available in the country, the target has been set in the law to take the conviction ratio above 90%

The visit of the forensic team is being made compulsory on the crime scene of crimes having provision for punishment of 7 years or more, through this, the police will have a scientific evidence, after which the chances of acquittal of the culprits in the court will be very less

Modi government is going to start Zero FIR for the first time after 75 years of the Independence for the convenience of the citizens, with this initiative, the citizens will be able to lodge complaint even outside of their police station area

Provision of e-FIR is being added for the first time, every district and police station will designate a police officer who will officially inform the family of the arrested person about his arrest online and in person

The statement of the victim has been made compulsory in the cases of sexual violence and the video recording of the statement has also been made compulsory in the cases of sexual harassment

It will be compulsory for the Police to give the status of the complaint in 90 days and thereafter every 15 days, to the complainant

No government will be able to withdraw a case of imprisonment of 7 years or more without listening to the victim, this will protect the rights of the citizens

Scope of summary trial has been increased in petty cases, now crimes punishable up to 3 years will be included in summary trial, with this provision alone, over 40% of cases in sessions courts will end

A time limit of 90 days is fixed for filing the charge sheet and depending on the situation, the court can further give permission for 90 more days, the investigation will have to be completed within 180 days and trial should begin

Courts will now be bound to give notice of framing of charge to the accused person within 60 days, within 30 days after the completion of arguments, the Hon’ble Judge will have to give verdict, this will not keep the decision pending for years and the order will have to be made available online, within 7 days

Government has to decide on permission within 120 days for trial against civil servant or police officer else it will be treated as deemed permission and trial will be started

A provision has been brought for attachment of property of declared offenders, a new provision of harsh punishment against inter-state gangs and organized crimes is also being added to this law

Sex on the pretext of false promise of marriage, employment, promotion and false identity has been made a crime for the first time, 20 years of imprisonment or life imprisonment in all cases of gang rape

Provision of death penalty has also been made in case of crime with girls below 18 years of age, for mob lynching also, all three provisions of 7 years in jail, life imprisonment and capital punishment have been made

Earlier, there was no provision for snatching of mobile phone or chain from women, but now a provision has been made for the same

Provision has been made for imprisonment for 10 years or life imprisonment in case of permanent disability or being brain dead

Punishment increased from 7 to 10 years for a person committing crime with children, provision has been made to increase the amount of fine in many crimes

There were many cases of using pardon for political gains, now the death penalty can only be changed to life imprisonment, life imprisonment to a minimum of 7 years and 7 years to a minimum of 3 years, no culprit will be freed

Modi government is going to repeal sedition law completely because India is a democracy and everyone has the right to speak

Earlier, there was no definition of terrorism, now crimes like armed insurgency, subversive activities, separatism, challenging the unity, sovereignty and integrity of India have been defined in this law for the first time

A historic decision regarding trial in absentia has been taken, a person declared fugitive by a Sessions Court judge will be tried and sentenced in his absence, no matter where in the world he may be hiding, if the fugitive has to appeal against punishment, he will have to follow Indian law

A total of 313 changes have been made in this law which will bring a widespread change in India’s criminal justice system, now anyone will be able to get justice within a maximum of 3 years

In this law, special care has been taken of women and children, it has been ensured that criminals are punished and the police cannot misuse their powers

On one hand, laws like sedition have been repealed, on the other hand, provision of punishment for heinous crimes like exploiting women by cheating and mob lynching have been made, provisions also made for crack down on organized crimes and terrorism

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah introduced the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, 2023 and Bharatiya Sakhshya Bill, 2023 in the Lok Sabha, today.

Shri Amit Shah said that today the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav is culminating and Amrit Kaal is beginning. Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav will end on August 15 and the journey of 75 to 100 years of independence will begin from August 16, which will create a great India. He said that in his address from the ramparts of the Red Fort on August 15, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had kept Panch Pran in front of the people of the country, one of them isto end all signs of slavery. He said that these three bills introduced today are in a way fulfilling one of the five vows taken by Modi Ji. All these three bills have basic laws for the criminal justice system. He said that today we have brought three new laws by abolishing the Indian Penal Code, 1860, Criminal Procedure Code, (1898), 1973 and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 made by the British and passed by the British Parliament. The Indian Penal Code, 1860 will be replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, 2023, the Criminal Procedure Code, 1898 will be replaced by the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, 2023 and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 will be replaced by the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023. These three Acts which will be replaced, were made to strengthen and protect the British rule and their purpose was to punish, not to give justice. We are going to bring changes in both these fundamental aspects. The soul of these three new laws will be to protect all the rights given by the Constitution to the Indian citizens. The objective will not be to punish anyone but give justice and in this process punishment will be given where it is required to create a sense of prevention of crime.

Union Home Minister assured the Lok Sabha that from 1860 to 2023, the criminal justice system of India continued to be operated on the basis of the laws made by the British Parliament, but now these three laws will be replaced with new laws imbibing the Indian soul, which will bring a big change in our criminal justice system. He said that in the current laws heinous crimes like murder or crime against women were placed very low and crimes like treason, robbery and attack on the official of the government were kept above these. He said that we are changing this approach and the first chapter in these new laws will be on crimes against women and children. The second chapter will be on murder/homicide and criminality with human body. We have brought this law by taking a very principled decision of bringing the citizen at the centre instead of governance.

Shri Amit Shah said that a long process has been followed in making of these laws. He said that in 2019, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had guided all of us that all the laws made during the time of the British across all the departments should be discussed and reviewed in accordance to the present times and in the interest of the Indian society. He said that extensive consultation has been done everywhere to make these laws. He said that in August 2019, he had written letters to all the judges of the Supreme Court, the Chief Justices of all the High Courts of the country and all the law universities of the country. In 2020, letters were written to all MPs, Chief Ministers, Governors and Administrators of Union Territories. After extensive consultation, today this process is going to become a law. He said that 18 States, 6 Union Territories, Supreme Court, 16 High Courts, 5 Judicial Academies, 22 Law Universities, 142 Members of Parliament, about 270 MLAs and public have given their suggestions regarding these new laws. Shri Shah said that for 4 years these were discussed in depth and he himself was present in 158 meetings.

Union Home Minister said that Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, which will replace CrPC, will now have 533 sections, 160 sections have been changed, 9 new sections have been added and 9 sections have been repealed. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, which will replace the IPC, will have 356 sections instead of the earlier 511 sections, 175 sections have been amended, 8 new sections have been added and 22 sections have been repealed. The Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, which will replace the Evidence Act, will now have 170 sections instead of the earlier 167, 23 sections have been changed, 1 new section has been added and 5 repealed.

Shri Amit Shah said that these three old laws were full of signs of slavery, they were passed by the British Parliament and we only adopted them. These laws refer to Parliament of the United Kingdom, Provincial Acts, Notifications by the Crown Representative, London Gazette, Jury and Barristers, Lahore Government, Commonwealth Resolutions, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Parliament. These laws include the references to Her Majesty’s and by the Privy Council, these laws were based on the Copies and Extracts Content in the London Gazette and Possession of the British Crown, Court of Justice in England and Her Majesty’s Dominions are also mentioned at many places in these laws. He said that by ending these 475 signs of slavery, we have brought new laws today. We have tried to connect the new era with these laws. Our criminal justice system takes a long time, justice is delivered so late that justice has no meaning, people have lost faith and are afraid to approach the court.

Home Minister said that the state-of-the-art technologies have been incorporated in these laws. The definition of documents has been expanded to include electronic or digital records, e-mails, server logs, computers, smart phones, laptops, SMS, websites, locational evidence, mails and messages available on devices, which can be used in courts, which will give freedom from the pile of papers. He said that provision has been made in this law to digitize the entire process from FIR to case diary, case diary to charge sheet and from charge sheet to judgement. At present, only the appearing of the accused in court can be done through video conferencing, but now the entire trial, including cross questioning, will be done through video conferencing. Examination of complainant and witnesses, investigation and recording of evidence in trial and High Court trial and entire appellate proceedings will now be possible digitally. We have made it after discussing with National Forensic Science University and scholars and technical experts from all over the country on this subject. We have made videography compulsory at the time of search and seizure, which will be part of the case and this will save the innocent citizens from being implicated. No charge sheet will be valid without such recording by the police.

Union Home Minister said that even after 75 years of independence, our conviction rate is very low, that is why we have worked to promote forensic science. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has taken a historic decision to establish National Forensic Science University. After three years, the country will get 33,000 forensic science experts and scientists every year. In this law, we have set a target to take the conviction ratio above 90 percent. For this, an important provision has been provided which will make the visit of the forensic team to the crime scene compulsory for offenses punishable for 7 years or more. Through this, the police will have scientific evidence, after which the chances of acquittal of the culprits in the court will be significantly reduced. We will computerize all the courts in the country before the year 2027. Similarly mobile forensic vans have also been experienced. In Delhi, we have done a successful experiment that the FSL team visits the scene of any crime with a provision of punishment of more than 7 years. For this we have launched the concept of Mobile FSL which is a successful concept and there will be 3 mobile FSLs in every district and will go to crime scene.

Shri Amit Shah said that for the first time after 75 years of independence, we are starting Zero FIR to ensure the convenience of the citizens. Wherever the crime may have happened, the citizens will be able to lodge complaint even outside of their police station area. Within 15 days of the registration of crime, it will have to be forwarded to the concerned police station. For the first time we are adding the provision of e-FIR. Every district and police station will designate a police officer who will inform online and in person about the arrest to the family of the arrested person. Shri Shah said that the statement of the victim has been made compulsory in the case of sexual violence and video recording of the statement has also been made compulsory in the case of sexual harassment. It will be compulsory for the police to give the status of the complaint to the complainant in 90 days and thereafter in every 15 days. No government will be able to withdraw a case of imprisonment of 7 years or more without hearing the victim, this will protect the rights of the citizens. Under this law, for the first time, we are bringing community service as a punishment. The scope of summary trial in small cases has also been increased, now offenses punishable up to 3 years will be included in summary trial, with this provision alone more than 40 percent cases in sessions courts will be finished. A time limit of 90 days has been fixed for filing the charge sheet and depending on the situation, the court will be able to give permission for further 90 days. In this way, within 180 days the investigation will have to be completed and will be forwarded for trial. Courts will now be bound to give notice of framing of charges to the accused person within 60 days. The Hon’ble Judge will have to give the decision within 30 days of the completion of the argument, this will not keep the decision pending for years, and the decision will have to be made available online within 7 days.

Union Home Minister said that the government will have to decide on the permission for trial against a civil servant or police officer within 120 days, otherwise it will be treated as deemed permission and the trial will be started. We have made another big revolutionary change, the SP who is currently working, will testify after seeing the same file, the earlier concerned officer was not required to come, which will provide quick testimony and justice will also be delivered soon. Apart from this, we have also brought a provision for attachment of the property of declared criminals. We are also adding a new provision of different type of harsh punishment against inter-state gangs and organized crimes in this law. We have also made many provisions to deal with crime and social problems against women. For the first time, a provision has been made to criminalize sexual intercourse on the basis of false promises of marriage, employment and promotion and on the basis of false identity. In all cases of gang rape, a provision of 20 years of punishment or life imprisonment has been made, which is not being implemented today. In the case of girls below 18 years of age, a provision of death penalty has also been kept. For mob lynching all three provisions of 7 years, life imprisonment and death penalty have been kept. There was no provision for mobile phone or chain snatching from women, but now provision has been kept for the same.

Shri Amit Shah said that there was a provision of punishment of 7 years in both the cases of grave injury and in case of minor injury, we have separated both. He said that in case of permanent disability or brain dead, a provision has been made for punishment of 10 years or life imprisonment. The punishment for offenses against children has been increased from 7 years to 10 years. Provision has also been made to increase the amount of fine in many crimes. There is also a provision of 10 years of imprisonment for criminals who run away from custody. There were many cases of using pardon from sentences for political gains, now the death penalty can be changed to life imprisonment, life imprisonment to a minimum of 7 years and 7 years to a minimum of 3 years, no culprit will be spared.

Union Home Minister said that the Modi government is going to end sedition completely because India has a democracy and everyone has the right to speak. Earlier there was no definition of terrorism, but now crimes like secession, armed insurgency, subversive activities, separatism, crimes like challenging the unity, sovereignty and integrity of India have been defined in this law for the first time and the rights have been given to confiscate the properties of those related to these crimes. The court will order this on the cognizance of the investigating police officer. Shri Shah said that the Modi government has taken a historic decision regarding trial in absentia. The Sessions Court Judge, after due process, will try and sentence a person declared a fugitive in absentia, no matter where in the world he may be hiding. He will have recourse to Indian law and court to appeal against the sentence.

Shri Amit Shah said that a large number of case properties are lying in police stations across the country, these can be disposed of by videography and submitting the verified copy to the court. He said that a total of 313 changes have been made in this law which will bring a widespread change in our criminal justice system and anyone will be able to get justice within a maximum of 3 years. Shri Shah said that special care has been taken of women and children in this law, it has been ensured that the criminals are punished and such provisions have also been made to prevent the police from misusing their powers. On the one hand, laws like sedition have been repealed, on the other hand, provision of punishment for exploiting women by cheating and heinous crimes like mob lynching, and cracking down on organized crimes and terrorism has also been done.

 

 

 

 

Source:- https://pib.gov.in/

Israel has gone beyond Self-Defence in Gaza

Current Affairs, GENERAL STUDIES & GK, Politics

Israel has gone beyond Self-Defence in Gaza 

Israel has “gone beyond self-defence” and lost the moral authority in its war with Hamas, the chair of the Commons foreign affairs committee has said.

Tory MP Alicia Kearns told the BBC she thinks Israel has broken international law and risks increasing support for Hamas among Palestinians.

She said: “Bombs don’t obliterate an ideology and neither can a stable state be constructed from oblivion.”

Former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has also criticised Israel’s tactics.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he said Israel’s legal basis for military action in Gaza was “being undermined” and warned its government was “making the mistake of losing its moral authority alongside its legal one”.

Asked if she agreed with Mr Wallace that Israel has damaged its standing with its conduct in Gaza, Ms Kearns told BBC Radio 4’s World At One: “I think unfortunately it has.

She said a truce that could be turned into a lasting ceasefire should be pursued, rather than a focus on the eradication of Hamas – which Israel, the UK, US and some other Western powers class as a terrorist organisation.

Ten Tory MPs – including former Cabinet ministers Kit Malthouse and George Eustice – have written to the Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron urging him to push for an “immediate ceasefire”, describing Israel’s strategy as “neither proportionate nor targeted”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has insisted operations, which were launched when Hamas carried out an unprecedented assault on Israel on 7 October, will continue until the group is dismantled.

Around 1,200 people were killed and an estimated 240 people were taken hostage by Hamas – and despite some being returned during a temporary truce, about 120 are still thought to be inside Gaza.

Ms Kearns – who chairs the committee of MPs tasked with holding the Foreign Office to account – warned Israel could inadvertently increase support for Hamas among Palestinians.

She said: “Hamas is an ideology which recruits into its membership.”

An opinion poll carried out between 22 November and 2 December by a respected Palestinian think tank, the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research, found that support for Hamas had more than tripled in the occupied West Bank compared to three months ago.

Supporters of Hamas were still in a minority, but 70% of the respondents said armed struggle was the best means of ending the Israeli occupation.

Smoke rising over Gaza
Israel has carried out air strikes and land operations against targets in Gaza

Israel has come under growing international pressure over the scale of civilian casualties in Gaza, which Hamas-controlled authorities put at more than 19,400.

The same authorities claimed 110 people were killed on Sunday in Israeli air strikes on the Jabalia refugee camp, which had been the largest settlement for displaced people prior to the current fighting.

The retaliatory Israeli offensive has seen much of northern Gaza damaged and 85% of the territory’s 2.3 million population driven from their homes.

On Sunday, Lord Cameron signalled a shift in tone from the government by calling for a “sustainable ceasefire” – echoing a form of words Prime Minister Rishi Sunak used in the Commons last week.

Writing in the Sunday Times, the foreign secretary said: “Our goal cannot simply be an end to fighting today. It must be peace lasting for days, years, generations.”

Speaking to reporters during a visit to Scotland on Monday, Mr Sunak called for Israel to respect humanitarian law, adding: “It’s clear that too many civilian lives have been lost and nobody wants to see this conflict go on a day longer than it has to.”

The government has consistently stopped short of calling for a full ceasefire, saying it respects Israel’s right to self-defence.

Israeli soldiers in a tunnel
The Israeli military said it located a large underground tunnel constructed by Hamas on Sunday

Israeli government spokesman Eylon Levy pushed back against Mr Wallace’s criticism, describing his choice of words as “unfortunate language”.

He told the BBC said allowing Hamas to “literally get away with murder” would be more likely to radicalise people than Israel’s military tactics.

However, Husam Zomlot, the head of the Palestinian mission to the UK, accused the Israeli army of normalising “the mass murder of children, [and] women” and “the mass destruction of hospitals, schools, churches, mosques”.

 

 

Source:- https://www.bbc.com/

The Khalistan- Land of the Pure

GENERAL STUDIES & GK, Politics

“More than anything else, Khalistan is a project for bringing about the destruction of the Indian state in a welter of communal disturbances…” — Holy War Against India, Connor Cruise O’Brien, 1988

Starting in the early 1980s, radical separatists spearheaded a bloody campaign to carve out an independent, theocratic Sikh state known as Khalistan (Land of the Pure) in Punjab and other parts of Northern India.

The roots of Khalistan lie in the British colonial policies of the late 1800s and early 1900s that sought to divide Sikhs and Hindus. Sikhs were recruited into the British army in large numbers to use against Hindu rulers that rebelled against the British Raj.  Subsequently, after Indian independence in 1947, tensions between the state of Punjab and the central Indian government surfaced, leading to grievances amongst many Sikhs against the Indian government.

Punjab, for instance, was trifurcated into the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh in 1966, along linguistic lines (Punjab as a Punjabi speaking state, and Haryana and Himachal Pradesh as Hindi speaking states), which created resentment amongst many Sikhs that the historic contours of Punjab were being further divided after it has already been divided between India and Pakistan in 1947. Interestingly, it was the later division of Punjab that allowed Sikhs to enjoy a religious majority in the state, given the predominantly Hindu populations in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh.

Many Sikhs in Punjab also resented sharing the joint capital of Chandigarh with Haryana, and viewed water sharing agreements with Haryana as unfair and favoring farmers there to the detriment of those in Punjab. Sikh religious leaders were additionally apprehensive of the community losing its identity and culture, and wanted greater state powers for Punjab.

Although these types of issues often mark normal state-federal government relations in newly independent countries such as India, they were perceived by many Sikhs as religiously motivated policies of discrimination against them and were exploited by radical leaders, who built a narrative that Sikh interests would only be safe in an independent Sikh country of Khalistan. This was further compounded by an “incendiary mix of unprincipled politics and the manipulation of religious identities and institutions” that brought radical Sikh forces to the forefront of politics in the state of Punjab.

Violent clashes between radicalized Sikh groups led by Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and the Nirankari sect (considered heretical by the former) in April 1978 is considered the beginning of the Khalistan movement. And in 1980, Bhindranwale and his supporters started targeting Hindus and murdered Lala Jagat Narain, the publisher of Punjab Kesri, a vernacular newspaper, and a vocal critic of Bhindranwale. This was soon followed by large scale violence against civilians across the state.

The Khalistan movement peaked in the 1980-90s and the violent campaign included bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, and selective killing and massacres of civilians.  The movement resulted in nearly 22,000 deaths of Sikhs and Hindus alike, including approximately 12,000 civilians. The violence took on an international dimension in 1985 when Khalistani separatists based in Canada exploded a bomb on an Air India flight enroute from Toronto to New Delhi, killing all 329 people on board, including 82 children under the age of 13. That incident remains the deadliest terrorist attack in Canadian history.

According to Human Rights Watch, “Militants were responsible for numerous human rights abuses during the violent separatist struggle for an independent Khalistan, including the killings of Hindu and Sikh civilians, assassinations of political leaders, and the indiscriminate use of bombs leading to a large number of civilian deaths in Punjab and other parts of India. Under the cover of militancy, criminals began to coerce businessmen and landowners, demanding protection money.”

As Canadian Political Science Professor, Hamish Telford, has also noted, “Over time, the Khalistan movement descended into thuggery. The militants increasingly engaged in robbery, extortion, rape, indiscriminate killings and ever-escalating terrorist attacks on innocent civilians. By 1991, Sikh militants were generally viewed as unprincipled criminal gangs.”

In response to the movement, and in an attempt to end militancy in the state, Indian security forces and local Punjab police responded with force, at times committing human rights abuses. Moreover, the Congress Party led central government contributed to problems in the state by undermining democratic institutions and interfering with elections, and failing to adequately address local/state issues and relations between the state and the central government. It is important to note, however, that the majority of the police, security forces, and politicians in Punjab were and are Sikh. In fact, the police captain credited for ending the Khalistan insurgency, KPS Gill, was himself a Sikh. Moreover, Sikh politicians, such as former Chief Minister Beant Singh, were themselves assassinated by militants.

Violence Against Hindu and Sikh Civilians

The majority of the victims of the militant violence were innocent Sikhs who were killed by separatists for opposing the Khalistan movement. In 1990-1991, for instance, Sikh civilians comprised over seventy percent of the victims of militant attacks. Moreover, Mazhabi Sikhs (so called lower caste Sikhs in Punjab) were frequently the victims of militant attacks.

Hindus were also targeted in large numbers as part of a strategy to ignite communal tensions and force Hindus to flee Punjab in fear. Along with systematic violence, posters often appeared in villages threatening Hindus to leave and those Sikhs that sought to help Hindus were similarly threatened by militants. As a result, thousands of Hindus fled their homes in Punjab and lived as refugees in neighboring states and New Delhi.

Reports of grenades and bombs being thrown into Hindu religious festivals and movie theaters; militants firing indiscriminately into crowded markets; Hindus being pulled off busses and trains and massacred were common occurrences during that period. The following are a few representative examples of attacks on civilians that drew international attention:

May 1985 — Khalistani militants set off more than 30 bombs over the span of 14 hours at bus and train stations and public parks in New Delhi and the states of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, leaving at least 86 people dead.

December 1986 — 24 Hindu passengers were massacred and seven others wounded after being ordered off of a bus by militants near Khuda in Hoshiarpur district. In a similar incident, four months earlier, 15 Hindu passengers were slaughtered on a bus in Muktsar after militants told all the Sikh passengers to leave.

March 1988 — Militants killed 32 Hindus and injured 25 more when they opened fire on villagers celebrating the Hindu festival of Holi in Hoshiarpur district. 12 additional Hindus were killed in separate incidents the night before.

June 1989 — Two Sikh bus passengers were shot dead by militants for intervening and trying to save the lives of Hindu passengers.

November 1989 — 19 students were killed by militants while sleeping in a dormitory at Thapar Engineering College in the city of Patiala.

June 1991 — 125 men, women, and children were killed by Khalistan Commando Force militants on two trains. The first train was stopped near the city of Baddowal and militants opened fire indiscriminately on the train. A second train was stopped nearby where militants segregated Sikh and Hindu passengers, ordering Hindus off the train before killing them execution style.

May 1992 — All India Radio station director in Patiala, M.L. Manchanda was kidnapped and decapitated by Babbar Khalsa militants for failing to comply with an edict to only broadcast in Punjabi. The torso of Manchanda’s dead body was left in Patiala, while his head was left in Ambala.

The Khalistan movement’s campaign of violence further included attacks on those participating in statewide elections in Punjab. In February 1992, for instance, militants gunned down election workers, political campaigners, voters, and set off over 18 bombs.

Anti-Hindu Propaganda

The horrific violence in Punjab was accompanied by virulent anti-Hindu rhetoric and propaganda that demonized and intimidated the state’s minority Hindu community and encouraged and celebrated violence against Hindu civilians.  This was part of an attempt by militants, led by Bhindranwale, to disrupt the social fabric of the state and create divisions between Hindus and Sikhs, who had historically enjoyed strong relations, shared religious traditions, and frequently intermarried.

The Dal Khalsa, which gained notoriety for hijacking an Indian Airlines plane in 1981, placed severed cow heads at several Hindu temples in the state to intimidate Hindus, who consider cows to be sacred.

Bhindranwale, the most prominent Khalistan leader, frequently used anti-Hindu rhetoric in his speeches. Noted Sikh journalist, Kushwant Singh, described Bhindranwale as a “hate monger” who routinely used hateful and inflammatory language against Hindus and exhorted every Sikh to “kill 32 Hindus to solve the Hindu-Sikh problem.”

Similarly, on July 28, 1984, Ajaib Singh Bagri, a leader in the Khalistani militant group, Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), declared at a public rally in Canada that “I give you my most solemn assurance that until we kill 50,000 Hindus, we will not rest!” The crowd of thousands of pro-Khalistan supporters responded with chants of “Hindu dogs! Death to them!”

BKI, along with the International Sikh Youth Federation, were later designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) organizations by the US Department of State under section 1(b) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13224.

Operation Bluestar

As the Khalistan movement expanded and violence escalated, Bhindranwale and his heavily armed followers occupied the Golden Temple, Sikhism’s holiest shrine, in Amritsar. Starting in 1982, Bhindranwale used the Golden Temple as a base of operations and stored arms and ammunition there. He openly declared that he was directing attacks and violent acts from the sacred Temple. There were also reports of the militants committing atrocities on pilgrims and devotees inside the sacred space.

On June 6, 1984, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered an army operation — code-named Operation Bluestar — to flush out Bhindranwale and the militants holed up in the Golden Temple.

According to an academic study of the Khalistan insurgency:

“Bhindranwale established the center of his terror campaign in the Harimandir Sahib of Amritsar – the holiest of all Sikh temples. Many of his decisions and actions contravened the fundamental dogmas of the Sikh religion, but the faithful tolerated even this from him. He stockpiled arms and ammunition in the temple and from its sanctuary openly defied the state and federal governments. The police dared not enter the temple complex, because it did not want to provoke the Sikhs…”

“…thousands of pilgrims were in the Golden Temple grounds when the [army] assault began, and the insurgents used many of them as human shields. Bhindranwale and many of his associates were killed – but there were a very large number of civilian casualties as well. The insurgents made their goal crystal clear: to create an independent, sovereign Khalistan, where the Sikh religion informs governance, Sikh culture dominates and Punjabi is spoken.”

The fallout from Operation Bluestar resulted in the assassination of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and the subsequent anti-Sikh pogrom in New Delhi in October 1984 in response to Prime Minister Gandhi’s assassination. The pogrom took the lives of over 3,000 innocent Sikhs.

While the Indian government and judiciary have taken some positive steps to prosecute and convict those leaders involved in planning and carrying out the violence, several individuals and high level government leaders have still not been brought to justice more than 30 years later. Collectively, Operation Blue Star, and the anti-Sikh pogrom of 1984 and lack of justice thereafter have left a deep psychological wound in the minds of many Sikhs, and have further fueled the Khalistan militant movement or support for it.

Subsequent to his death, Bhindranwale, along with other Khalistan militants, have been anointed by supporters as saints, saviors, and martyrs. To this day, images of an armed Bhindranwale almost always adorn pro-Khalistan websites, social media pages, and posters at events.

International Support for Khalistan

In both its heyday and today, the Khalistan movement has received financial and logistical support from pro-Khalistan separatists based in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, as well as Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Agency.

In particular, according to Indian defence analyst, Ajai Sahni, Pakistan’s ISI spy agency provided refuge, training, arms, and funding to Khalistani terrorist organizations and coordinated “their activities with Islamist terrorist organisations such as the Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, as well as with organised crime operators, and drug and weapons’ smugglers who have assisted in the movement of men and materials across the border into Punjab.”

Moreover, according to foreign affairs analyst Christine Fair, “[t]he involvement of the diaspora was an important dimension of the Sikh insurgency. Not only was it a source of diplomatic and financial support, it was also a factor in enabling Pakistan to get involved in fueling the Sikh separatist efforts. Sikhs in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States played important roles in arranging for cadres to travel to Pakistan, where they received financial and military assistance.”

Khalistan supporters in the West have actively used American, Canadian, and British soil to lobby their respective governments against India, while raising funds for Khalistan terror groups, often using informal hawala networks (often used by criminal and terrorist organizations in South Asia) for transferring money.

There have further been a number of investigations into the activities of pro-Khalistan extremists in the US, including by the FBI, DEA, and United States Customs Service (USCS).

In March 2017, for instance, a Khalistan extremist and US resident, Balwinder Singh, was convicted of providing material support to Khalistani terrorist groups in India and sentenced to 15 years in federal prison. He had been arrested by the FBI in 2013 on “charges of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to murder or otherwise harm persons in a foreign country” and for falsifying an asylum claim. Singh was providing support to BKI and another group, Khalistan Zindabad Force, to commit acts of terrorism in India.

And previously, an undercover USCS sting operation of a Khalistan activist in California, Bhajan Singh Bhinder, revealed that he attempted to purchase military grade weapons, such as “M-16s, A.K.-47s, detonators, night-vision goggles, mobile communications equipment, remote-control equipment, grenade and rocket launchers,” for Khalistan groups committing terror attacks in India. The investigation was later abandoned after Bhinder backed out of the deal. Bhinder has since gone on to found several other organizations, most notably Organization for Minorities of India (OFMI), which engages in anti-India and anti-Hindu activities.

Another US-based organization, Sikhs for Justice, has become the most prominent pro-Khalistan group in the west and reportedly enjoys the support of the ISI. It purportedly peacefully advocates for a 2020 referendum on Khalistan, but has openly associated with convicted Khalistan terrorists and those suspected of being involved in large-scale terror plots in India. It funded the legal defense of Jagtar Singh Tara, for instance, a leader of Indian designated terrorist group Khalistan Tiger Force, who assassinated the Chief Minister of India’s Punjab state in 1995.

SFJ and its legal advisor, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, also have close links with Paramjit Singh Pamma, a BKI fundraiser wanted by Indian authorities for his material support of terrorism. Mr. Pannun himself was reportedly arrested by police in the United Kingdom in 2000 after receiving terrorist training in Pakistan and was sentenced to 30 months in prison for his involvement with BKI, a banned terrorist group in the UK, although he denies the allegation.

 

 

Source:- http//www.hinduamerican.org

The colored stripes that explain climate change

Climate & Environment, Current Affairs, GENERAL STUDIES & GK

The colored stripes that explain climate change

In 2017, Ellie Highwood, then professor of climate physics at the University of Reading, posted a photograph on Twitter of a “global warming blanket“ she had crocheted, in which rows of color represented average global temperature changes across time. She had no idea that a graphic version later created by a colleague would become a global symbol of climate change.

The “climate stripes” image has been embraced by activists globally, and used as a cover image for Greta Thunberg’s The Climate Book, as well as for print editions of The Economist and the Folha de S.Paulo, a Brazilian newspaper. The stripes have been worn in London Fashion Week catwalks and as part of the UK football team Reading FC’s players’ uniform.

The stripes have been displayed as public infrastructure, on public transport in Europe, decorated buildings and even natural landmarks such as the White Cliffs of Dover in England. Recently, they were shown in a three day music festival in Mexico City.

The warming stripes have been used to decorate public transport such as electric trams and buses in countries including the UK and Germany (Credit: Ed Hawkins)

The warming stripes have been used to decorate public transport such as electric trams and buses in countries including the UK and Germany (Credit: Ed Hawkins)

Cycling 4 Climate, a foundation that has organised rides in six countries to promote climate change awareness, chose the stripe pattern as a uniform because of the strong message it conveys.

“It gives me the feeling that even when I’m exercising, I’m working on increasing climate change awareness,” says co-founder Joost Brinkman, based in the Netherlands. “I frequently get asked about the shirt because people like the design. It’s an easy conversation starter and people are always shocked when they understand the story.”

Unlike traditional data visualisations, the blanket’s pattern only features colours – and resembles a barcode more than a normal graph. “Some people switch off as soon as they see a graph, right?” says Highwood. In her blog, she shared instructions to replicate the blanket using yarn or other materials. “The craft version does something different. If you are physically reproducing the pattern, you are internalising the data, and there’s more chance you’ll feel that it’s real.”

When Ed Hawkings, climate scientist and professor at the same university, saw the climate stripes and witnessed people’s reactions, he thought they would be a good way to visualise the data from climate change online. He reduced the range of colours to tones of blues and reds, universally associated in weather maps with temperature.

In 2020, Cycling 4 Climate rode for 400km (249 miles) along the future Dutch coastline, using their climate stripes jerseys as a conversation starter (Credit: Cycling 4 Climate)

In 2020, Cycling 4 Climate rode for 400km (249 miles) along the future Dutch coastline, using their climate stripes jerseys as a conversation starter (Credit: Cycling 4 Climate)

A year later, looking for a simple way of communicating with a non-scientific audience, Hawkins tested the design at the Hay Festival in the UK. After a positive reception, he embarked on a mission to make the climate stripes widely accessible and launched a website for people to customise the graphic to their location. Within a week, the site had more than one million downloads from across 180 countries.

“Part of tackling the issues we face is to normalise this topic as a part of our everyday conversations, like we talk about the economy, healthcare or politics,” says Hawkins.

Bernadette Woods Placky, chief meteorologist at Climate Central, an organisation that communicates climate change science and solutions, first saw the stripes on a Facebook group of TV meteorologists and reporters in 2018. When a weather presenter in the network printed the design on a tie to wear on TV, and asked if anybody else wanted to join, she saw an opportunity for the community to collaborate. They partnered with Hawkins, universities, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and others, and had a WhatsApp group with TV weather presenters from more than 100 countries. Soon, the campaign went global.

“Climate change is the biggest challenge of our time, and there is no one way to answer this. The fact that this resonates across such a variety of audiences…. That is what’s most important to me,” says Woods Placky.

October 2023 was the warmest on record globally, and 2023 is virtually certain to be the warmest year on record. A 2023 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report concluded that human activities, mainly through emissions of greenhouse gases, have caused global warming, increasing the likelihood and intensity of extreme weather events.

“Climate change can be a really tough subject, but people see these stripes and they get excited. There’s something about them that is inspiring and uniting. You see energy build in a positive way,” says Woods Placky.

For Amanda Makulec, Executive Director of the Data Visualization Society (DVS), the warming stripes are just another way of presenting data. Makulec believes that what makes them special is that they have taken on a life of their own. Anybody can use the pattern in imaginative ways, helping them connect with the message.

Makulec views artistic or physical representations of information as a way to make it less daunting. “It can make the data seem less technical, and allows us to look at the big picture and reflect,” she adds.

Although it’s impossible to isolate or measure the effect of a single campaign on climate policies and negotiations around the world, some experts believe that the climate stripes may have contributed to generating attention for rising temperatures.

US Senators have worn them as pins and French members of the ecologist group had them on their shirts whilst speaking in parliament. Gabriel Boric, now Chile’s president, wore them as a facemask during the final debate before the elections.

The stripes have also had significant international exposure in recent COP (Conference of the Parties) climate events, confirms Jean-Pascal van Ypersele, scientist and former IPCC vice-chair. COPs gather government representatives, the general public, the media and activists from hundreds of nations.

He recently wore his climate stripes tie during a meeting with the COP28 president. “When you don’t have PowerPoint [presentation software], it’s a visually powerful way to spread the message of the rapid evolution of global temperature,” says van Ypersele.

Hawkins hoped the climate stripes visual would spark curiosity in people and start conversations about rising temperatures (Credit: Ed Hawkins, University of Reading)

Hawkins hoped the climate stripes visual would spark curiosity in people and start conversations about rising temperatures (Credit: Ed Hawkins, University of Reading)

However,  van Ypersele observed that in other settings the graphic is not always understood.

“Sometimes people come up to me and say, ‘oh, you have a nice tie’, and then I see they don’t get it,” he adds. So, whenever he wears the tie, he is always prepared to offer an explanation about its meaning, as well as the causes and effects of climate change and what we can do to slow it down.

The graphic has also faced some backlash, mainly from the scientific community, says Hawkins, for being too simple.

“I certainly have had criticism because you can’t see the details, the numbers. I think that’s fair. There’s no one way of presenting this, in a way that is easily understandable and gives everyone all they want from a graphic. It is only one from a wide range we can draw on to talk to different audiences about the same issue,” says Professor Hawkins.

CARBON COUNT

The emissions from travel it took to report this story were 0kg CO2. The digital emissions from this story are an estimated 1.2g to 3.6g CO2 per page view. Find out more about how we calculated this figure here.

Although the climate stripes have become popular in North America and Europe, this is not necessarily the case in other regions. Habiba Ahut Daggash, who researches technology and policy for climate change mitigation and clean energy across Africa, says that in Nigeria ” they are only recognized by people familiar with climate science. I’m not sure it would be recognizable to even all environmental activists or civil society without explanations.”

The warming stripes may not necessarily be the solution, but perhaps they represent a first step in recognizing the problem, especially when misinformation is abundant.

“Climate change has been a very political challenge, and if the stripes have opened doors to start those conversations… I can’t think of a better impact,” says Makulec.

 

 

Source:- https://www.bbc.com/

New Delhi: Capital of India

Constitution Of India, GENERAL STUDIES & GK, Politics

New Delhi: Capital of India

13 February 1931: New Delhi became the capital of India

New Delhi, the capital city, had its foundation stone laid by George V, the then Emperor of India. The event took place in the Delhi Durbar of 1911. The city’s architecture and planning were done by two British architects, namely Sir Herbert Baker and Sir Edwin Lutyens. It was on 13 February 1931 that Lord Irwin, India’s Viceroy, inaugurated New Delhi as the new capital of the country. Since then, New Delhi has become the center of government, with all the branches (legislative, judiciary and executive) needed to run the country.

Before New Delhi became the capital of India, Kolkata had the privilege of being the country’s capital till 1911. However, Delhi had been the financial and political center of many empires that had earlier ruled India. Some of the best examples of this are the reign of the Delhi Sultanate as well as the reign of the Mughals from 1649-1857. With the coming of the British in India, many things changed. It was in the early period of the 1900s that the British administration thought of shifting the capital of the British Indian Empire from Calcutta to Delhi.

One of the main reasons that were cited for the capital shift was the location of Delhi. Calcutta was situated in the eastern coastal part of the country, while Delhi was located in the northern part. The British government of India felt that ruling India from Delhi was easier and more convenient. The proposal was heartily accepted by the British Raj. During the Delhi Durbar on 12 December 1911, George V, the then ruling Emperor of India, along with Queen Mary, announced that the capital of India would be shifted from Kolkata to Delhi. Along with the announcement, the foundation stone for Coronation Park, Kingsway Camp, was also laid. This would be the Viceroy’s residence.

The initial planning and architecture for Delhi were done by two British architects, Herbert Baker and Edwin Lutyens. They were among the leading architects in Britain then. Once the plan was sanctioned, the contract of building the city was endowed on Sobha Singh. The construction work began after the First World War and the whole construction got over by 1931. The city was finally inaugurated by the then Viceroy of India, Lord Irwin, on 13 February 1931. Once the city was inaugurated, plans of extending the city also started coming up. Different architects gave their ideas and inspirations but the majority of them got rejected by the Viceroy. The main reason behind the rejection was the huge cost involved.

Once the capital of the British Indian Empire shifted to Delhi from Calcutta, a temporary secretariat building was constructed in North Delhi in 1912. Many of the important offices shifted to the place so that general working would not be affected. It is also quite interesting to note that for proper running of the various offices of the then British Indian Government, employees were brought from Madras Presidency, Calcutta Presidency, and so on. The employees lived in the nearby areas and later turned into one of the most posh residential areas of New Delhi.

 

 

Source:- https://www.mapsofindia.com/

Election Commission Of India (ECI)

Constitution Of India, GENERAL STUDIES & GK, Politics

Election Commission Of India (ECI)

The election commission is an independent body that the Constitution of India set up to ensure a free and fair election. The election commission of India is in charge of hosting the Lok Sabha elections. The constitution has vested the election commission to direct, superintendent, and control the elections of the parliament, state legislature, the President, and the Vice President of India’s office.

Constitutional Provisions for Election Commission Of India

 The election commission of India is one body that is common to both the Central government and the state governments. However, the election commission does not deal with the elections of municipalities and panchayats in the different states. For these elections, a separate election commission has been provided by the constitution of India.

The appointment of the Election Commission of India (ECI)

The election commission of India was established in 1950, and till 1989, it was a one-member body that consisted of only the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC).

  1. The voting age was made 18 years from 21 years, on 16 October 1989. Thus, two new election commissioners were brought in by the President of India to help with ever-increasing pressure on the election commission. Since then, the election commission has consisted of three election commissioners.

  2. Later in 1990, the two posts were eliminated. However, the action was repeated in 1993 when the President appointed back the two election commissioners.

  3. The three election commissioners execute the same power and emoluments and salaries as the Supreme Court judge. In case of a difference of time between and among the election commissioner, the decision is reached by the commission through a majority vote.

  4. The Election Officer can hold his office for 6 years or until they attain the age of 65 years, whichever comes first. However, they can also design or be removed any time before their expiry.

The Election Commission’s Powers

The Election Commission of India is a permanent constitutional body. 

  1. The constitution has given the election commission the power to direct and control the entire conduct of elections in the country.

  2. The commission looks after the elections to the offices of the President and the Vice-President, state legislators, and the parliament. It can be divided into three categories – Administrative, advisory, and quasi-judicial.

  3. The election commission advises the President on whether elections should be held in a state currently undergoing the President’s rule.

The powers vested on the election commission include, but are not limited to, the following –

  1. To choose the territorial areas of the electoral constituency throughout the country, based on the Delimitation Commission Act of the Parliament.

  2. To prepare and revise the electoral rolls and register all eligible voters.

  3. To decide the schedule and date for the election and scrutinize the nomination papers.

  4. To recognize the different political parties and allocate their election symbols to them.

  5. The election commission acts as a court to end all the disputes that concern the granting of recognition to political parties and assigns them election symbols.

  6. Appoint officials to look into disputes that may concern electoral arrangements.

  7. Create a program that shall publicize the policies regarding all political parties on different media platforms, such as the TV and radio, during the elections.

  8. Advise the President on matters that may concern the disqualification of MPs, and advise the Governor on issues that may involve the disqualification of MLAs.

  9. The election commission can cancel polls in cases such as booth capturing, rigging, violence, etc.

The Election Commission’s Functions

The functions of the election commission include, but are not limited to, the following –

  1. The commission looks after the elections to the offices of the President and the Vice-President, state legislators, and the parliament.

  2. Scheduling the election timings to hold periodic and timely elections for general and by-elections.

  3. Deciding the spot of the polling stations, assigning voters to their polling stations, a spot for counting centers, and making arrangements in the polling stations and counting centers and other related matters.

  4. To issue the Electronic Photo Identity Card (EPIC) and create the electoral roll.

Composition of the Election Commission

Article 324 of the Indian constitution has made some provisions regarding the composition of the election commission. It includes the following –

  1. The President of India is in charge of appointingthe Chief Election Commissioner and the other election commissioners

  2. If any other EC is appointed, the CEC serves the role of the election commission’s Chairman

  3. The President can appoint regional commissioners to assist the commission as well, such as a commissioner can be appointed chiefly to look after the Karnataka election commission

  4. The President decides the tenure of the office and conditions of service of all the election commissioners

Conclusion

The election commission of India is in charge of handling almost every duty that will ensure a free and fair election in the country. Today, the election commission has become the backbone of true democracy. It looks after the elections to the offices of the President and the Vice-President, state legislators, and the parliament.

 

 

Source:- https://unacademy.com/

How Supreme Court Judge Appointed?

Constitution Of India, GENERAL STUDIES & GK

How Supreme Court Judge Appointed? 

Provisions as per Constitution of India

LAW, COURTS AND THE CONSTITUTION

India has one of the oldest legal systems in the world. Its law and jurisprudence stretches back into the centuries, forming a living tradition which has grown and evolved with the lives of its diverse people. India’s commitment to law is created in the Constitution which constituted India into a Sovereign Democratic Republic, containing a federal system with a Parliamentary form of Government in the Union and the States, an independent judiciary, guaranteed Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy containing objectives which though not enforceable in law are fundamental to the governance of the nation.

SOURCES OF LAW

The fountain source of law in India is the Constitution which, in turn, gives due recognition to statutes, case law and customary law consistent with its dispensations. Statutes are enacted by Parliament, State Legislatures and Union Territory Legislatures. There is also a vast body of laws known as subordinate legislation in the form of rules, regulations as well as by-laws made by Central and State Governments and local authorities like Municipal Corporations, Municipalities, Gram Panchayats and other local bodies. This subordinate legislation is made under the authority conferred or delegated either by Parliament or State or Union Territory Legislature concerned. The decisions of the Supreme Court are binding on all Courts within the territory of India. As India is a land of diversities, local customs and conventions which are not against statute, morality, etc. are to a limited extent also recognised and taken into account by Courts while administering justice in certain spheres.

ENACTMENT OF LAWS

The Indian Parliament is competent to make laws on matters enumerated in the Union List. State Legislatures are competent to make laws on matters enumerated in the State List. While both the Union and the States have power to legislate on matters enumerated in the Concurrent List, only Parliament has power to make laws on matters not included in the State List or the Concurrent List. In the event of repugnancy, laws made by Parliament shall prevail over laws made by State Legislatures, to the extent of the repugnancy. The State law shall be void unless it has received the assent of the President, and in such case, shall prevail in that State.

APPLICABILITY OF LAWS

Laws made by Parliament may extend throughout or in any part of the territory of India and those made by State Legislatures may generally apply only within the territory of the State concerned. Hence, variations are likely to exist from State to State in provisions of law relating to matters falling in the State and Concurrent Lists.

JUDICIARY

One of the unique features of the Indian Constitution is that, notwithstanding the adoption of a federal system and existence of Central Acts and State Acts in their respective spheres, it has generally provided for a single integrated system of Courts to administer both Union and State laws. At the apex of the entire judicial system, exists the Supreme Court of India below which are the High Courts in each State or group of States. Below the High Courts lies a hierarchy of Subordinate Courts. Panchayat Courts also function in some States under various names like Nyaya Panchayat, Panchayat Adalat, Gram Kachheri, etc. to decide civil and criminal disputes of petty and local nature. Different State laws provide for different kinds of jurisdiction of courts. Each State is divided into judicial districts presided over by a District and Sessions Judge, which is the principal civil court of original jurisdiction and can try all offences including those punishable with death. The Sessions Judge is the highest judicial authority in a district. Below him, there are Courts of civil jurisdiction, known in different States as Munsifs, Sub-Judges, Civil Judges and the like. Similarly, the criminal judiciary comprises the Chief Judicial Magistrates and Judicial Magistrates of First and Second Class.

CONSTITUTION OF SUPREME COURT

On the 28th of January, 1950, two days after India became a Sovereign Democratic Republic, the Supreme Court came into being. The inauguration took place in the Chamber of Princes in the Parliament building which also housed India’s Parliament, consisting of the Council of States and the House of the People. It was here, in this Chamber of Princes, that the Federal Court of India had sat for 12 years between 1937 and 1950. This was to be the home of the Supreme Court for years that were to follow until the Supreme Court acquired its own present premises.

The inaugural proceedings were simple but impressive. They began at 9.45 a.m. when the Judges of the Federal Court – Chief Justice Harilal J.Kania and Justices Saiyid Fazl Ali, M. Patanjali Sastri, Mehr Chand Mahajan, Bijan Kumar Mukherjea and S.R.Das – took their seats. In attendance were the Chief Justices of the High Courts of Allahabad, Bombay, Madras, Orissa, Assam, Nagpur, Punjab, Saurashtra, Patiala and the East Punjab States Union, Mysore, Hyderabad, Madhya Bharat and Travancore-Cochin. Along with the Attorney General for India, M.C. Setalvad were present the Advocate Generals of Bombay, Madras, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, East Punjab, Orissa, Mysore, Hyderabad and Madhya Bharat. Present too, were the Prime Minister, other Ministers, Ambassadors and diplomatic representatives of foreign States, a large number of Senior and other Advocates of the Court and other distinguished visitors.

Taking care to ensure that the Rules of the Supreme Court were published and the names of all the Advocates and agents of the Federal Court were brought on the rolls of the Supreme Court, the inaugural proceedings were over and put under part of the record of the Supreme Court.

After its inauguration on January 28, 1950, the Supreme Court commenced its sittings in a part of the Parliament House. The Court moved into the present building in 1958. The building is shaped to project the image of scales of justice. The Central Wing of the building is the Centre Beam of the Scales. In 1979, two New Wings – the East Wing and the West Wing – were added to the complex. In all there are 19 Court Rooms in the various wings of the building. The Chief Justice’s Court is the largest of the Courts located in the Centre of the Central Wing.

The original Constitution of 1950 envisaged a Supreme Court with a Chief Justice and 7 puisne Judges – leaving it to Parliament to increase this number. In the early years, all the Judges of the Supreme Court sat together to hear the cases presented before them. As the work of the Court increased and arrears of cases began to cumulate, Parliament increased the number of Judges from 8 in 1950 to 11 in 1956, 14 in 1960, 18 in 1978, 26 in 1986, 31 in 2009 and 34 in 2019 (current strength). As the number of the Judges has increased, they sit in smaller Benches of two and three – coming together in larger Benches of 5 and more only when required to do so or to settle a difference of opinion or controversy.

The Supreme Court of India comprises the Chief Justice and not more than 33 other Judges appointed by the President of India. Supreme Court Judges retire upon attaining the age of 65 years. In order to be appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court, a person must be a citizen of India and must have been, for atleast five years, a Judge of a High Court or of two or more such Courts in succession, or an Advocate of a High Court or of two or more such Courts in succession for at least 10 years or he must be, in the opinion of the President, a distinguished jurist. Provisions exist for the appointment of a Judge of a High Court as an Ad-hoc Judge of the Supreme Court and for retired Judges of the Supreme Court or High Courts to sit and act as Judges of that Court.

The Constitution seeks to ensure the independence of Supreme Court Judges in various ways. A Judge of the Supreme Court cannot be removed from office except by an order of the President passed after an address in each House of Parliament supported by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of members present and voting, and presented to the President in the same Session for such removal on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity. A person who has been a Judge of the Supreme Court is debarred from practising in any court of law or before any other authority in India.

The proceedings of the Supreme Court are conducted in English only. Supreme Court Rules, 1966 and Supreme Court Rules 2013 are framed under Article 145 of the Constitution to regulate the practice and procedure of the Supreme Court.

SUPREME COURT REGISTRY

The Registry of the Supreme Court is headed by the Secretary General who is assisted in his work by eleven Registrars, and twenty five Additional Registrars etc. Article 146 of the Constitution deals with the appointments of officers and servants of the Supreme Court Registry.

ATTORNEY GENERAL

The Attorney General for India is appointed by the President of India under Article 76 of the Constitution and holds office during the pleasure of the President. He must be a person qualified to be appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court. It is the duty of the Attorney General for India to give advice to the Government of India upon such legal matters and to perform such other duties of legal character as may be referred or assigned to him by the President. In the performance of his duties, he has the right of audience in all Courts in India as well as the right to take part in the proceedings of Parliament without the right to vote. In discharge of his functions, the Attorney General is assisted by a Solicitor General and twenty three Additional Solicitors General.

SUPREME COURT ADVOCATES

There are three categories of Advocates who are entitled to practise law before the Supreme Court of India:-

(i) SENIOR ADVOCATES

These are Advocates who are designated as Senior Advocates by the Supreme Court of India or by any High Court. The Court can designate any Advocate, with his consent, as Senior Advocate if in its opinion by virtue of his ability, standing at the Bar or special knowledge or experience in law the said Advocate is deserving of such distinction. A Senior Advocate is not entitled to appear without an Advocate-on-Record in the Supreme Court or without a junior in any other court or tribunal in India. He is also not entitled to accept instructions to draw pleadings or affidavits, advise on evidence or do any drafting work of an analogous kind in any court or tribunal in India or undertake conveyancing work of any kind whatsoever but this prohibition shall not extend to settling any such matter as aforesaid in consultation with a junior.

(ii) ADVOCATES-ON-RECORD

Only these Advocates are entitled to file any matter or document before the Supreme Court. They can also file an appearance or act for a party in the Supreme Court.

(iii) OTHER ADVOCATES

These are Advocates whose names are entered on the roll of any State Bar Council maintained under the Advocates Act, 1961 and they can appear and argue any matter on behalf of a party in the Supreme Court but they are not entitled to file any document or matter before the Court.

 

 

Source:-https://main.sci.gov.in/

Article 370: SC Decision

Current Affairs, GENERAL STUDIES & GK

Article 370: India Supreme Court upholds repeal of Kashmir’s special status

India’s top court has upheld the stripping of special status from the former state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in 2019 revoked the Indian constitution’s Article 370, which had given the region significant autonomy.

The state of more than 12 million people was also split into two federally administered territories.

The court added that the government should hold elections in the region by September 2024.

The five-judge bench also ordered that the region should be restored as a state “at the earliest.”

“The state of Jammu and Kashmir does not have internal sovereignty different from other states,” Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said while reading out the judgement.

In his concurring judgement, Justice SK Kaul recommended that an “impartial truth and reconciliation commission” be set up in Kashmir to investigate human rights violations by both “state and non-state actors” over the past few decades.

The revocation was one of Mr Modi’s poll promises in 2019 and the court’s decision comes months before he seeks a third term. Local politicians in the region have expressed disappointment over the order.

Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he was “disappointed but not disheartened”.

The scenic Jammu and Kashmir region was once a princely state which joined India in 1947 soon after the sub-continent was divided up at the end of British rule.

Nuclear-armed neighbors India and Pakistan have since fought two wars and a limited conflict over Kashmir. Each has come to control different parts of the territory with a ceasefire line agreed.

Security has been tightened in Kashmir since Monday morning.

“We are duty-bound to ensure that peace prevails in the [Kashmir] valley under all circumstances,” VK Birdi, the inspector general of Kashmir zone, told PTI news agency.

Security was also beefed up and the region witnessed a communication blackout when the revocation happened.

On 5 August 2019, the Indian government revoked nearly all of Article 370 of the Indian constitution, which granted special privileges to the people of Jammu and Kashmir state.

The assembly, overseeing the state’s budget, spending, employment, education, and economic activity, was dissolved. A lieutenant governor was appointed to govern the region until local elections were conducted. Several activists and senior opposition leaders in the region were detained.

Article 370 allowed the state its own constitution, a separate flag and freedom to make laws. Foreign affairs, defence and communications remained the preserve of the federal government.

As a result, Jammu and Kashmir could make its own rules relating to permanent residency, ownership of property and fundamental rights. It could also bar Indians from outside the state from purchasing property or settling there.

The constitutional provision had underpinned India’s often fraught relationship with Kashmir, the only Muslim-majority region to join India at partition.

Mr Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had long opposed Article 370 and revoking it was in the party’s 2019 election manifesto.

They argued it needed to be scrapped to integrate Kashmir and put it on the same footing as the rest of India. After returning to power with a massive mandate in the April-May general elections in 2019, the government lost no time in acting on its pledge.

Critics say the BJP ultimately wants to change the demographic character of the Muslim-majority region by allowing non-Kashmiris to buy land there.

In August this year, the constitution bench of the Supreme Court began hearing nearly 23 petitions challenging the government’s decision.

The petitioners had stressed on the unique nature of Kashmir’s relationship with India, and said Article 370 “acted as a bridge” between the constitutions of India and Jammu and Kashmir.

The state comprised the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley, the Hindu-dominated Jammu region and the high altitude Buddhist enclave of Ladakh.

The petitioners argued that the state’s reorganisation into Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as federally administered territories violated India’s constitution, which requires the state legislative assembly’s approval to reduce a state to a union territory.

The petitioners said that the abrogation of Article 370 also took away the region’s internal sovereignty without considering the will of its people. But the government had claimed this sovereignty was surrendered to India in 1947.

Many of the restrictions imposed after the scrapping of the special status have been eased and the picturesque Kashmir valley attracted more than 16 million tourists in 2022. The government has said it is ready to hold state elections and restore statehood.

However, the government frequently imposes communication restrictions in the region for security reasons, criticised by rights groups as measures to suppress dissent.

 

 

Source:- https://www.bbc.com/

Fundamental Duties

Constitution Of India, GENERAL STUDIES & GK

FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES

We all talk about Fundamental Rights very loudly, but when it comes to our fundamental duties towards the country, Defend the country and Promote harmony. We all fall back in a state of hesitation. This Constitution has given us the fundamental duty to decide the responsibility towards the society and the country for Defending the country and Abide by the Indian Constitution, either no one wants to talk about it, or we do not do it intentionally, it is clear that we want everything but in return or considering it as our responsibility. don’t want to do.

These Fundamental Duties were mainly inspired by the body of the former Soviet Union. Total 11 essential duties in India. We should Abide by the Indian Constitution.

The following is a list of 11 fundamental duties – 

  1. Abide by the Constitution and respect national flag & National Anthem
  2. Follow ideals of the freedom struggle
  3. Protect sovereignty & integrity of India
  4. Defend the country and render national services when called upon
  5. Developing the spirit of common brotherhood
  6. Preserve composite culture of the country
  7. Preserve natural environment
  8. Develop scientific temper and humanity
  9. Safeguard public property and avoid violence
  10. Strive for excellence in all spheres of life.
  11. Duty of all parents/guardians to send their children in the age group of 6-14 years to school.

The purpose behind the creation of Fundamental Duties is that every citizen should realize that the first is to Defend the country and promote harmony of the nation; that is, the national interest should be ahead of every action and goal.

Indian Fundamental Duties include abiding by the Indian Constitution, respecting our flag, keeping a sense of respect for the national anthem and protecting public property.

In this constitution, through the 42nd Amendment Act 1976, the fundamental duties of citizens were listed. Article 51 ‘A’ embodied in Part IV of the Constitution deals with Fundamental Duties. In India, January 6 is celebrated as “Fundamental Duties Day”.

Enforcement of Fundamental Duties

  1. The Court cannot enforce fundamental Duty. Meaning is unenforceable.
  2. There is no mention of any law in the constitution for the direct enforcement of these duties or the redressal of their violation.
  3. But if any law is made keeping in mind Article 14 and Article 19, it will be honorable.

Criticism of Fundamental Duties

  1. Some other essential subjects not included in this list like paying taxes, family planning and voting etc.
  2. Many Fundamental Duties are not defined correctly. That’s why it is difficult to understand.
  3. There is no talk of enforcement of duties, which is the main criticism. Because for this reason it has not been implemented well till now.
  4. Some experts believe that by including it in Part-4A, the value of Fundamental Duties gets reduced following the policy directive principles.

Swaran Singh Committee

This committee was highly important, and no discussion on fundamental duties can be considered complete without referring to this one, irrespective of other provisions.

There was no mention of Fundamental Duties in the original Constitution of India. In 1976, the Indira Gandhi government constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Sardar Swaran Singh.

 This committee recommended eight Fundamental Duties, but the government added ten duties.

But three suggestions of these committees were not considered by the government.

  1. Parliament should be given the power to make laws for the implementation of these duties and to punish for the violation.
  2. Such a law will be valid even if it violates the fundamental right.
  3. The duty to pay taxes should also be a fundamental duty of the Indian people.

Conclusion

By the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976, part 4 (a) and Article 51 (a) were added in which ten fundamental duties were mentioned. Because the government was expecting that the citizens of India would fulfil their duties, they included new ones like Defend the country and Promote harmony voluntarily in independent India.

 

 

 

Source:- https://unacademy.com/