A five-judge Supreme Court bench, while hearing a Presidential Reference, observed that Governors cannot indefinitely delay or sit over bills passed by state legislatures. The court emphasized that no organ can impair the functioning of the Constitution or the legislature's wisdom. This follows an April 8 judgment regarding the Tamil Nadu Governor, where a three-month deadline was suggested. The bench is debating whether 'deemed assent' should apply if deadlines are missed. The Centre argued Governors have absolute power under Article 200, while States contend such delay thwarts the constitutional scheme.
Governors must act with immediacy and cannot assume 'royalty' status in a Republic.
The Supreme Court is examining if a general timeline, such as three months, can be imposed on constitutional heads for bill assent.
Article 200 of the Constitution governs the Governor's power to assent, withhold, or reserve bills for the President.
Exam Points
Article 200 of the Indian Constitution deals with the Governor's power to assent to bills.
The Tamil Nadu Governor case involved a delay in assent to 10 State Bills since 2020.
Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar has approached the Supreme Court seeking to exclude the State Chief Minister from the selection process of Vice-Chancellors (V-Cs) for state-run universities. The Governor argues that according to University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations, the Chancellor (Governor) has the sole prerogative to select V-Cs from a list submitted by a search committee. He contends that the State Universities Act does not envisage a role for the CM and that political interference undermines the independence and autonomy of higher education institutions.
The Governor claims UGC regulations override state laws regarding university appointments.
The petition seeks to implead the UGC to clarify the mandatory requirement of its nominees in search panels.
The Governor argues that as Chancellor, he is not expected to act on the advice of the Cabinet for university appointments.
Exam Points
The case involves the A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technological University and Digital University Kerala.
UGC regulations mandate that search committee members be persons of eminence in higher education.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking at the Semicon India 2025 conference, announced India's goal to secure a significant share of the projected $1-trillion global semiconductor market. He emphasized the government's commitment to 'faster approvals' and reducing paperwork to accelerate the 'file to factory' transition. Comparing semiconductor chips to 'digital diamonds,' he highlighted their role as key economic drivers of the 21st century. The PM noted that India achieved a 7.8% GDP growth in the first quarter, signaling robust economic health despite global uncertainties and trade tariffs.
The government aims to reduce the time taken to start manufacturing through a national single-window system.
Five new semiconductor projects were cleared in 2025, bringing the total to ten with an $18 billion investment.
India is positioning itself as a reliable alternative in the global supply chain amidst shifting trade dynamics.
Exam Points
India's GDP grew by 7.8% in the first quarter of the current financial year.
The total investment in semiconductor projects has reached $18 billion (₹1.5 lakh crore).
Prime Minister Modi's visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit marks a significant shift in India's foreign policy. This was the first bilateral engagement with President Xi Jinping since the 2020 military standoff. The meeting approved a normalization process initiated in October 2024, focusing on troop disengagement along the LAC and boundary resolution. The 'Tianjin declaration' issued at the summit included strong language against cross-border terrorism. While engaging with the SCO, India maintained its opposition to China's Belt and Road Initiative but found common ground on issues like Gaza.
The summit facilitated the resumption of direct flights, visa facilitation, and economic ties between India and China.
India used the platform to condemn cross-border terrorism while balancing relations within the Eurasian grouping.
PM Modi skipped the 'SCO Plus' summit, focusing instead on bilateral and core SCO engagements.
Exam Points
The Tianjin declaration condemned the 'cross-border movement of terrorists.'
The SCO is a Eurasian political, economic, and security alliance.
Despite the Supreme Court's sanctioned strength of 34 judges, there is a persistent gender imbalance, with Justice B.V. Nagarathna currently being the sole woman judge. Historically, only 11 women have been appointed to the apex court since 1950, representing a mere 3.8% of the total 287 judges. The article argues for institutionalizing gender representation in the Collegium's selection criteria. It highlights that diversity brings unique perspectives and increases public trust. The lack of transparency in the Collegium system and the 'seniority' argument are cited as barriers to female appointments.
Justice B.V. Nagarathna is scheduled to become the first woman Chief Justice of India (CJI) in 2027, but only for 36 days.
Only five women have ever been part of the Supreme Court Collegium, with only three involved in appointments.
Diversity in the judiciary should include gender, caste, religion, and regional representation to be truly inclusive.
Exam Points
The sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court of India is 34 judges.
Justice Fathima Beevi was the first woman judge of the Supreme Court, appointed in 1989.
A series of powerful earthquakes, including a magnitude 6.3 tremor near Jalalabad, have devastated Afghanistan, killing over 1,400 people. The disaster underscores the vulnerability of the region, which sits at the junction of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates. The editorial argues that while earthquakes are natural, the high death toll is a result of poor infrastructure and non-enforcement of building codes. Salvage operations are hampered by limited resources and international sanctions on the Taliban regime. The article contrasts this with countries like Chile, where strict codes minimize casualties.
Afghanistan is highly prone to seismic activity due to its location near the Hindu Kush mountains and plate boundaries.
Since 1900, there have been 12 earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 7 in north-east Afghanistan.
Strict adherence to building codes can prevent earthquakes from becoming 'death sentences.'
Exam Points
The primary tremor was magnitude 6.3, followed by a 4.7 magnitude aftershock.
Afghanistan is located at the junction of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
The Indian government's revised guidelines for assessing disabilities under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act, 2016, face criticism for their medicalized approach. Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and Thalassemia are recognized, but 'benchmark disability' status requires a 40% impairment threshold. This threshold is difficult to quantify for SCD, which involves fluctuating, invisible symptoms like intense pain and organ damage. The article argues that the current scoring system fails to capture the socioeconomic impact on marginalized communities, particularly Adivasi and Dalit populations, who are disproportionately affected.
The 40% disability threshold excludes many SCD patients from reservations in education and employment.
SCD is a painful, progressive blood disorder that is not always 'visibly' disabling but is debilitating.
A rights-based approach is needed to move beyond biomedical scoring to include social exclusion and structural barriers.
Exam Points
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Act was passed in 2016.
Section 2(r) of the Act defines 'benchmark disabilities' as having at least 40% of a specified disability.
The Union Home Ministry has notified the Immigration and Foreigners Order, 2025, granting Foreigners Tribunals (FTs) in Assam the powers of a first-class judicial magistrate. This allows FTs to issue arrest warrants if individuals whose nationality is contested fail to appear in person. The order replaces the Foreigners (Tribunal) Order, 1964, and aims to streamline the process of sending 'foreigners' to detention or holding centres. This move follows the repeal of four other laws by Parliament in April 2025. The order also bars 'foreigners' from employment in private or state undertakings.
FTs can now send persons to detention centres if they fail to produce proof that they are 'not a foreigner.'
The order is currently unique to Assam, where 100 FTs are operational.
Designated Border Guarding Forces or the Coast Guard are tasked with preventing illegal migration.
Exam Points
The Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, was passed by Parliament in April.
There are currently 100 Foreigners Tribunals (FTs) operational in Assam.
The upcoming UN climate summit, COP-30, to be held in Belem, Brazil, will shift focus from negotiating new 'texts' to the implementation of existing agreements. COP-30 President André Corrêa do Lago emphasized the need to decouple negotiations from the actual 'execution' of climate actions. The summit comes at a critical time as scientific assessments suggest current global commitments will lead to a temperature increase of more than 2.6°C, far exceeding the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal. The summit will also address the challenges posed by U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement and global trade uncertainties.
COP-30 will be held in the Brazilian port city of Belem, a gateway to the Amazonian rainforest.
The Paris Agreement (COP-21) aims to keep global temperature rise well below 2°C, preferably 1.5°C.
The summit aims to move beyond 'big-ticket announcements' to practical, well-known solutions.
Exam Points
COP-30 will be held in November in Belem, Brazil.
The Paris Agreement was ironed out at COP-21 in 2015.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was presented with the first 'Made in India' Vikram 32-bit Processor at the Semicon India 2025 conference. Designed and developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) of ISRO and the Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL), Chandigarh, this chip is an advanced version of the 16-bit VIKRAM1601. It is specifically designed for use in the avionics systems of ISRO's launch vehicles and space flights. This achievement marks a significant milestone in India's quest for self-reliance in strategic semiconductor technology.
The Vikram 32-bit chip is a 'Launch Vehicle Grade' chip intended for space missions.
It was developed through collaboration between ISRO and the Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL).
The chip represents a major step forward from the previous 16-bit version used since 2009.
Exam Points
The chip was developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and SCL, Chandigarh.
The previous version was the 16-bit VIKRAM1601 microprocessor.
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