The Supreme Court expressed prima facie disagreement with Justice Yashwant Varma's claim that Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla overstepped his authority by unilaterally constituting an inquiry committee. The case involves allegations against Justice Varma regarding "half-burnt currency" found at his residence. The legal debate centers on Section 3(2) of the Judges (Inquiry) Act, which mandates joint constitution of a committee if motions are admitted in both Houses. However, the Court questioned if a Speaker is barred from acting if the Rajya Sabha Chairman rejects a similar motion, especially when the Chairman's office was vacant or the motion was not formally admitted.
The Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, governs the procedure for the investigation and removal of Supreme Court and High Court judges.
A removal motion requires the support of at least 100 Lok Sabha members or 50 Rajya Sabha members to be initiated.
If motions are admitted in both Houses, the Speaker and Chairman must jointly constitute a three-member inquiry committee.
Exam Points
Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968
Section 3(2) of the Judges (Inquiry) Act
Justice Yashwant Varma (sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court)
The National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) is scrutinized as a potential tool for "digital authoritarianism." Initially conceived after the 26/11 attacks to link intelligence databases, its scope has expanded to include the National Population Register (NPR) and facial recognition. Critics argue that NATGRID operates without a robust statutory framework or independent oversight, potentially violating the privacy doctrine established in the Justice K.S. Puttaswamy case. The integration of various datasets allows for "entity resolution," which can profile individuals based on patterns rather than specific evidence, raising concerns about mass surveillance and the lack of judicial or parliamentary scrutiny.
NATGRID was established to provide a centralized platform for 11 security agencies to access 21 categories of data from various providers.
The project lacks a specific Act of Parliament and was created via executive order by the Cabinet Committee on Security.
The integration with the NPR and the use of AI-driven 'entity resolution' raise significant concerns about mass surveillance and profiling.
Exam Points
Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) & Anr. vs. Union of India (2017)
NATGRID announced on December 23, 2009
Initial project allocation of ₹1,002.97 crore under 'Horizon-I'
This editorial criticizes the Election Commission of India (ECI) for its "Special Intensive Revision" (SIR) of electoral rolls, which has led to the removal of millions of names. While the ECI claims a constitutional duty to exclude foreigners, the author argues this focus is causing harassment to genuine Indian citizens. Under Article 324, the ECI has independent control over electoral rolls, but this power must be used to ensure no Indian is disenfranchised. The editorial suggests that the ECI's current priorities may undermine its institutional integrity and the spirit of the Constitution by prioritizing exclusion over enrollment.
Article 324 of the Constitution grants the ECI the power of superintendence, direction, and control of elections, including electoral rolls.
The ECI is conducting a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to remove non-citizens from the voter list, leading to the striking off of millions of names.
Critics argue that the burden of proof placed on ordinary citizens to prove their identity is excessive and leads to disenfranchisement.
Exam Points
Article 324 of the Indian Constitution
Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls
ECI argued its case before the Supreme Court on January 6
The Tamil Nadu government has introduced the Tamil Nadu Assured Pension Scheme (TAPS), attempting to balance electoral promises with fiscal prudence. TAPS serves as a middle ground between the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). It assures pensioners 50% of their last drawn pay, similar to the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS) implemented for central government staff. While it retains employee contributions, it includes features like death-cum-retirement gratuity. This move aims to address employee demands for OPS restoration without pushing the state into a perilous financial position given its high debt-to-GSDP ratio.
TAPS is a hybrid model blending elements of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and the Unified Pension Scheme (UPS).
It guarantees 50% of the last drawn pay as pension while maintaining the employee contribution element of the CPS.
The scheme includes a minimum assured payout regardless of service duration and a death-cum-retirement gratuity.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Mann Ki Baat" address highlighted Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) as a major health concern. AMR occurs when bacteria and other pathogens evolve to resist antibiotics, often due to the "misuse and overuse" of drugs. India has established the National Action Plan on AMR and the NARS-Net surveillance system to monitor resistance trends. However, experts call for expanding surveillance to non-urban areas and private hospitals to get a representative national picture. A "One Health" approach, integrating human, animal, and environmental health, is deemed essential to combat this "silent pandemic" effectively.
AMR is driven by the irrational use of antibiotics, including self-medication and over-the-counter purchases without prescriptions.
India's NARS-Net provides data to the WHO’s Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System (GLASS).
The 2015 WHO Global Plan on AMR outlines five objectives, including awareness, surveillance, and optimizing antimicrobial use.
Exam Points
NARS-Net (National AMR surveillance network)
GLASS (Global Antimicrobial Resistance and Use Surveillance System)
The Viksit Bharat Young Leaders Dialogue (VBYLD) is a platform designed to involve India's youth in shaping the nation's future towards 2047. Launched in January 2025, the initiative includes the Viksit Bharat Challenge and a National Youth Festival. Over 50 lakh youth participated in the Viksit Bharat Quiz, with selected leaders interacting directly with the Prime Minister. The program aims to move beyond mere participation to active leadership, encouraging young citizens to propose solutions for national challenges and align personal ambitions with collective progress, emphasizing the role of 'yuva shakti' in national development.
VBYLD is a strategic initiative to harness India's youth power for national development and the 'Viksit Bharat' 2047 vision.
The dialogue culminates at Bharat Mandapam, where youth leaders engage in free-flowing discussions with the Prime Minister.
National Youth Day (January 12), commemorating Swami Vivekananda, serves as a key date for these interactions.
The Union Agriculture Ministry has released the draft Pesticides Management Bill, 2025, for public feedback. This legislation aims to replace the 57-year-old Insecticides Act, 1968, and the Insecticides Rules, 1971. The bill introduces stricter controls on spurious pesticides and significantly enhances penalties for violations. It incorporates digital technology to streamline processes and mandates the accreditation of testing laboratories to ensure pesticide quality. The reform is described as farmer-centric, focusing on quality assurance and effective regulation of the pesticide industry to protect agricultural productivity and safety.
The Bill seeks to modernize pesticide regulation by replacing the outdated Insecticides Act of 1968.
It proposes higher penalties for the sale of spurious or substandard pesticides to protect farmers' interests.
Mandatory accreditation for testing laboratories is a key feature to ensure the quality of pesticides reaching the market.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch the PSLV-C62/EOS-N1 mission on January 12, 2026, from Sriharikota. EOS-N1 is an earth imaging satellite designed for strategic purposes. This mission is significant as it marks ISRO's first launch of 2026 and follows a previous glitch in the PSLV-C61 mission in May 2025. The PSLV, often called ISRO's "workhorse," will also carry payloads from startups and academia. Additionally, ISRO recently successfully launched the U.S. BlueBird Block-2 satellite using the LVM-3 vehicle, demonstrating its continued capability in the global space market.
The EOS-N1 is a strategic earth observation satellite that will be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre.
This will be the 105th launch from Sriharikota and the first for ISRO in the year 2026.
The mission aims to restore confidence in the PSLV after a third-stage observation caused a mission failure in May 2025 (EOS-09).
India has made significant strides in meeting its Paris Agreement commitments, particularly in reducing emission intensity and expanding non-fossil fuel capacity. By 2023, emission intensity had decreased by approximately 36% from 2005 levels, meeting the 2030 target early. Non-fossil capacity reached 43% by 2023, on track for the 50% goal by 2030. However, challenges remain: absolute emissions continue to rise alongside GDP growth, and carbon sequestration through forest cover is lagging. The transition requires scaling battery storage, grid modernization, and addressing the continued reliance on coal for "baseload" electricity to ensure sustainable future growth.
India committed to reducing emission intensity by 33-35% (later updated to 45%) by 2030 compared to 2005 levels.
While intensity has dropped, India’s absolute greenhouse gas emissions were approximately 2,959 MtCO2e in 2020 and continue to grow.
The 'forest sink' target of 2.5-3.0 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2030 faces hurdles due to definitions of 'forest cover' and slow sequestration progress.
Exam Points
Paris Agreement targets
36% reduction in emission intensity by 2023 relative to 2005
43% non-fossil fuel capacity as of 2023
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