The Supreme Court clarified that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, provides enforceable rights to persecuted religious minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, but these rights are contingent upon official verification. An NGO, Aatmadeep, raised concerns about the 'Special Intensive Revision' (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, which risks making refugees stateless due to delays in issuing citizenship certificates. The Court emphasized that while the law exists, a mechanism for implementation must be followed. It has sought responses from the Centre and the Election Commission regarding the status of these applicants and the validity of their acknowledgment receipts.
The CAA 2019 grants citizenship rights to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians from three neighboring countries.
The Supreme Court stated that every claim must be enquired into and verified by authorities before citizenship is conferred.
The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has created a fear of statelessness among those whose claims are pending.
Exam Points
Proviso to Section 2(1)(b) of CAA exempts specific religious minorities from being considered 'illegal migrants'.
Section 6B of the CAA allows eligible persons to apply for registration or naturalization certificates.
The cutoff date for entry into India under CAA is on or before December 31, 2014.
The article reflects on the 150th anniversary of Vande Mataram, written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. Originally published in the novel Anandamath in the 1880s, the song became a rallying cry for the Indian national movement. In 1937, the Indian National Congress decided to use only the first two stanzas to maintain inclusivity across religious lines. The Constitution of India later accorded it the status of the national song. The article criticizes recent partisan debates in Parliament, urging a return to the song's original spirit of accommodation and mutual respect among diverse religious and linguistic communities to ensure national unity.
Vande Mataram was instrumental in uniting diverse sections of society against British colonial rule during the freedom struggle.
The Indian National Congress (INC) adopted the first two stanzas in 1937 to ensure the song remained a symbol of unity and secularism.
The song holds the status of 'National Song' in the Republic of India, distinct from the National Anthem, Jana Gana Mana.
Exam Points
Written by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and published in the novel Anandamath in the early 1880s.
The year 2024-25 marks the 150th anniversary of the song's composition.
The INC decision to use the first two stanzas at gatherings was formalized in 1937.
This article advocates for a shift in mental health care from a purely clinical or 'deficit' model to one rooted in disability justice and dignity. It highlights that current systems often fail to address the social, relational, and structural causes of distress, such as poverty, isolation, and discrimination. Citing NCRB data, it notes that a significant portion of suicides in India are linked to relational ruptures and emotional distress. The authors call for a 'real-world sensitive' approach that values lived experience and integrates care into the community rather than focusing solely on individual treatment or rigid definitions of normalcy.
Mental health care should be viewed as a pursuit of dignity and disability justice rather than just medical symptom management.
Social determinants like housing precarity, economic instability, and social exclusion are major drivers of mental distress that clinical models often ignore.
The 'deficit lens' in psychiatry often overlooks the complex narratives of individuals and their specific socio-economic contexts.
Exam Points
National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data indicates that one-third of suicides in India are due to family problems and relational ruptures.
The gap in mental health care access continues to range from 70% to 90% globally.
Organized by Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA), the National Convention on Health Rights (December 11-12) aims to address India's major health challenges. The convention highlights that India has one of the lowest financial allocations for public health globally, at just 2% of the Union Budget. Key demands include affirming health care as a fundamental right, regulating private health care to prevent overcharging, and reducing out-of-pocket expenses, which remain high despite insurance schemes. The event also focuses on the rights of health workers and the need for essential medicines to be brought under price control to ensure equitable access.
The convention advocates for a transition from commercialized health care to a robust, responsive public health system.
India's per capita public health spending is approximately $25, which is significantly lower than global averages.
Medicines constitute up to half of a household's medical spending, yet 80% remain outside price control mechanisms.
Exam Points
India allocates only 2% of its Union Budget to health services.
The convention marks the 25th anniversary of Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA).
Universal Health Coverage Day is observed annually on December 12.
The Supreme Court has directed the Union government to furnish six years of nationwide data on missing children. A bench led by Justice B.V. Nagarathna expressed concern over the rising number of untraced children and the lack of a dedicated nodal officer in the Home Ministry to coordinate with states. The court ordered the appointment of such an officer within two weeks and mandated that their details be uploaded to the Mission Vatsalya portal. This portal, administered by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, is intended to be a central platform for tracking and securing outcomes for missing children.
The Supreme Court emphasized the need for effective dissemination of information and coordinated use of the Mission Vatsalya platform.
The Ministry of Home Affairs was criticized for not having a dedicated officer to oversee missing children cases despite being the central agency.
The directive came during a hearing of a PIL filed by the NGO Guria Swayam Sevi Sansthan regarding untraced children.
Exam Points
Mission Vatsalya is a scheme administered by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
The Supreme Court requested data covering the last six years of missing children cases.
The Bench was led by Justices B.V. Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan.
A House panel on Social Justice and Empowerment has advised the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to stop sanctioning new Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS) until land is secured. Currently, over one-third of sanctioned schools are non-functional, primarily due to land unavailability. Out of 722 sanctioned locations, only 477 are functional, with many operating from rented or temporary government buildings. The committee also criticized the slow progress in establishing Tribal Freedom Fighters' Museums across the country, noting that only three out of ten proposed museums have been inaugurated so far to honor Adivasi contributions.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee highlighted that land unavailability is the primary reason for the non-functionality of EMRS.
The panel recommended that the Ministry of Tribal Affairs establish a clear timeline for completing pending school projects.
The committee expressed dissatisfaction with the slow implementation of the Tribal Freedom Fighters' Museums project.
Exam Points
Out of 722 sanctioned EMRS locations, only 477 are currently functional.
Only 3 out of 10 proposed Tribal Freedom Fighters' Museums have been inaugurated.
The House panel is headed by BJP MP P.C. Mohan.
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