Former SC judge among 6 new Governors appointed
Summary:
Six new faces have been appointed as Governors in India by President Droupadi Murmu, including former Supreme Court judge Justice S. Abdul Nazeer. Justice Nazeer, who was part of the five-judge bench that delivered the Ayodhya verdict in 2019 and headed the five-judge Constitution Bench that upheld the government's decision to demonetize ₹500 and ₹1000 currency notes, has been appointed as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh. Four leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have also been appointed as Governors, including Gulab Chand Kataria, who will be the new Governor of Assam. The reshu%e saw several incumbent Governors resign and be replaced by others, including Bhagat Singh Koshyari in Maharashtra and R.K. Mathur in Ladakh.
Ambedkar’s letter of resignation as Law Minister missing from records
Summary:
The resignation letter of India's first Law Minister, B.R. Ambedkar, is missing from official records. Despite a search in the Constitutional Affairs Section, the document could not be found. The case arose from a petition filed under the Right to Information Act, seeking a certified copy of the letter. The petitioner wrote to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the Cabinet Secretariat, and the President's Secretariat, but no information was available from any of these offices. The petitioner then filed an appeal before the Central Information Commission (CIC), but Chief Information Commissioner Y.K. Sinha said that only information that was available with a public authority could be provided and no direction could be issued for the creation of any record.
Delhi L-G approves Feb. 16 for mayoral elections
Summary:
The Delhi Lieutenant-Governor has approved February 16 as the date for a meeting of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to try and elect the city's Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and the Standing Committee for the fourth time. The Supreme Court is also going to hold a detailed hearing on Monday on a petition filed by the Aam Aadmi Party alleging deliberate stalling of mayoral elections. The latest attempt to elect the Mayor will be the fourth, as the previous three meetings were adjourned due to ruckus in the house by the BJP and AAP members. The Delhi government has majority in the MCD with 134 wards, while the BJP holds 104. The Lieutenant-Governor has also recalled files related to various pending infrastructure projects in the city due to inaction on the part of the AAP government.
Akhilesh to embark on U.P. tour to galvanise SP workers ahead of LS poll
Summary:
Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman responded to a Supreme Court inquiry regarding the recent Adani Group stock meltdown. The Supreme Court had expressed concerns about the volatility in the market and how to prevent it from happening again in the future. Sitharaman stated that Indian regulators are experts in their domains and are dealing with the matter. The Supreme Court is seeking a note from the Securities Exchange Board of India and may set up an expert panel. On another note, Sitharaman addressed criticism about the new personal income tax regime, saying it is meant to reduce the tax burden on the middle class and simplify direct taxation. She dismissed the notion that the government should induce households towards savings and emphasized the decision-making ability of householders.
India-U.S. space cooperation, from handshake to hug
Summary:
India and the United States agreed to collaborate on space activities, including human space exploration and commercial space partnership. This is a crucial time for both countries, as the US has just launched its Artemis program and India is set to embark on its first human space mission in 2024. The collaboration, however, faces structural obstacles, including differences in interests and capabilities, with the US focused on the moon and the private sector leading the way, while India focuses on building capabilities in and under earth orbits. These problems are compounded by disagreements on how to govern space activities. To overcome these obstacles, India and the US need to find novel solutions to cooperate, such as partnerships between state and private entities or consortia led by the government.
A medium of catharsis for Kashmiris
Summary:
Rahul Gandhi, a Congress leader, was given a warm welcome during the Kashmir leg of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, which surprised the party, security agencies, and political commentators. People in Kashmir, who have been quiet since the loss of the region's special constitutional status in 2019, used Gandhi's trip to deliver a cryptic message to Delhi. People were enthusiastic about seeing Gandhi and many wept on seeing him. The Congress leader represented principles such as democracy, plurality, civility, and detestation of hate politics, which the people of Kashmir support despite the popular portrayal of them as Islamists. This emotional support and release was a subtle message to the BJP and policymakers in Delhi regarding the policies they pursue in Kashmir.
The saga of appointing Justice Victoria Gowri
Summary:
Justice Lekshmana Chandra Victoria Gowri took office as an Additional Judge of the Madras High Court on 7th February amidst controversy. A group of 21 lawyers accused her of hate speech and launched a petition against her appointment. However, the petition was dismissed by a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and B.R. Gavai, reasoning that reviewing the Supreme Court Collegium's recommendation would violate the law. The bench also distinguished between the "eligibility" and "suitability" of a candidate, with eligibility based on objective factors and suitability determined by the Collegium. The petitioners pointed out that Justice Gowri was affiliated with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and described herself as "Chowkidar Victoria Gowri." The bench responded that an advocate's political leanings did not disqualify her from being appointed as a judge.
Aero India flies high with 98 participating nations
Summary:
Aero India 2023, the 14th edition of the biennial event, is expected to see the conclusion of 251 memoranda of understanding estimated at ₹75,000 crore ($10.5 billion) during the three business days. The event, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to promote exports of air platforms, with a focus on the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), and to attract foreign investments, including co-development and co-production. The event will host 98 countries and 32 foreign Defense Ministers, as well as CEOs of global and Indian original equipment manufacturers. The defense ministers' conclave will address aspects of deepening cooperation, such as capacity building, training, space, artificial intelligence, and maritime security. The annual defense innovation event, Manthan, will bring leading innovators, startups, MSMEs, incubators, academia, and investors from the defense and aerospace ecosystem.
In eternal city, a river comes to die a slow death under pollution, neglect
Summary:
The Assi River, a minor tributary of the Ganga, is slowly dying due to rampant encroachments and administrative negligence. Despite its strategic importance as the Lok Sabha constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and host of the forthcoming G-20 meetings in Uttar Pradesh, the city of Varanasi has more than two dozen sewers dumping waste into the river. A memorandum of understanding has been signed between the governments of Uttar Pradesh and Denmark to clean up the Ganga and its tributaries, but it is unclear when the plans will materialize. A group of Varanasi residents have formed the Assi Nadi Mukti Abhiyan to preserve the river and remove encroachments so that the river can return to its original form. The matter of revitalizing the Assi was taken to the National Green Tribunal, which constituted a committee to submit an action plan for restoration and rejuvenation. The report, submitted in mid-2021, suggested a survey to understand existing levels of encroachments, pollution mapping to identify the sources of pollution, and that the pollution in the river is more due to sewage rather than industrial effluents.