The Lok Sabha debated a resolution moved by the Opposition to remove Speaker Om Birla, alleging partisan behavior and questioning the Chair's neutrality. Congress Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi initiated the debate, emphasizing the need to protect the institution's neutrality. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju countered, calling it an 'attack on democracy.' The motion was admitted after more than 50 MPs supported it, highlighting concerns over the Speaker's conduct, interruptions during debates, and the vacant Deputy Speaker post. The discussion is allotted 10 hours and will conclude with a vote, underscoring the ongoing tensions regarding parliamentary decorum and impartiality.
The Opposition moved a resolution in Lok Sabha for the removal of Speaker Om Birla, citing concerns over the Chair's neutrality.
The motion was admitted after receiving support from over 50 Members of Parliament.
The debate highlighted accusations of partisan behavior by the Speaker and interruptions faced by Opposition leaders.
Exam Points
The resolution for the Speaker's removal was moved by the Opposition in Lok Sabha.
More than 50 MPs are required to support a motion for the Speaker's removal for it to be admitted.
Congress Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi initiated the debate.
The recent no-confidence motion against Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has reignited debate on the constitutional role and accountability of the Speaker's office. The article emphasizes the Speaker's critical role as an impartial arbiter, safeguarding members' rights and maintaining parliamentary order. It details the stringent removal procedure under Article 94(c), requiring a majority of all Lok Sabha members, reflecting the intent to ensure stability. Challenges include growing politicization, frequent confrontations, and weakening parliamentary conventions. Reforms such as reinforcing institutional norms, enhancing transparency, and codifying best practices for discretionary powers are suggested to preserve credibility and strengthen democracy.
The Speaker's office is a critical pillar of India's parliamentary democracy, expected to be an impartial arbiter.
The removal procedure for the Speaker is stringent, requiring a resolution passed by a majority of all Lok Sabha members under Article 94(c).
Historically, no-confidence motions against the Speaker have been rare and unsuccessful, demonstrating the difficulty of removal.
Exam Points
The procedure for removing the Speaker is outlined in Article 94(c) of the Constitution.
A resolution for removal requires a majority of all members of the Lok Sabha.
Only three no-confidence motions against the Speaker have occurred in India's parliamentary history (1954, 1966, 1987), all of which failed.
India's natural gas supply crunch is expected to be temporary, as higher global prices make imports from distant sources like the U.S. and Norway economically viable. While these shipments take about two months to arrive, potentially prolonging the interim shortage, officials confirm diversification of supplies. Domestic LPG production has increased by 10% after prioritizing household supplies over industrial users. The government has also formed a committee to address commercial LPG shortages faced by restaurateurs, ensuring uninterrupted supply to domestic households remains the utmost priority. This strategic shift aims to secure energy needs despite global market fluctuations.
India's natural gas shortage is expected to be short-lived due to the economic viability of importing from new sources like the U.S. and Norway.
Domestic LPG production has increased by 10% by prioritizing supplies to households.
Shipping from distant sources will cause an interim delay of approximately two months for new supplies to arrive.
Exam Points
Qatar gas price was $6-8 per MMBtu, now $15 per MMBtu, making Norway and U.S. gas viable above $10 per MMBtu.
Shipping from the U.S. or Norway to India takes about two months.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) has invoked the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, to implement a tiered allocation structure for natural gas, prioritizing certain sectors. Domestic piped natural gas (PNG), Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for vehicular fuel, and Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) production are among the priority sectors, along with fertilizer manufacturing and industrial consumers. Priority allocation ensures uninterrupted supply at "hundred per cent" for these sectors, based on their average consumption over the previous six months. Fertilizer plants will receive 70% of their consumption requirements. This move aims to manage supply amid shortages and ensure critical sectors are served efficiently.
The government invoked the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, for tiered allocation of natural gas.
Priority sectors include domestic PNG, CNG for vehicles, LPG production, fertilizer manufacturing, and other industrial consumers.
Priority sectors will receive 100% uninterrupted supply based on previous six months' average consumption.
Exam Points
The Essential Commodities Act, 1955, was invoked by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG).
A gazette notification was issued on March 9.
Fertilizer plants will receive 70% of their consumption requirements.
The article highlights the alarming rise of childhood obesity and overweight, now impacting even younger children, traditionally associated with metabolic diseases in older age. The World Obesity Atlas 2026 projects a significant increase in obese and overweight children in India by 2040, leading to early signs of chronic illnesses like hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Causes include insufficient physical activity, unhealthy food consumption, poor access to healthy school meals, and sub-optimal breastfeeding. The World Obesity Federation calls for urgent action, including marketing restrictions, sugar levies, physical activity recommendations, mandatory breastfeeding, and healthier school food standards, to prevent a future health crisis and safeguard the nation's youth.
Childhood obesity is a growing global and national health crisis, with metabolic diseases affecting younger populations.
The World Obesity Atlas 2026 projects a substantial increase in obese and overweight children in India by 2040.
Risk factors include insufficient activity, unhealthy food, poor access to healthy school meals, and sub-optimal breastfeeding.
Exam Points
The World Obesity Atlas 2026 report was released on World Obesity Day (March 4).
In 2025, 14.9 million children aged 5-9 and over 26.4 million aged 10-19 in India were overweight or obese.
By 2040, 20 million children in India are projected to be obese and 56 million overweight.
The article discusses the complex relationship between AI development and national security, prompted by Anthropic's request to label Chinese AI labs as threats and the Pentagon's 'supply chain' risk designation for Anthropic. It highlights that generative AI, a dual-use technology, is more akin to semiconductors than nuclear weapons, making its proliferation hard to control due to talent mobility and workarounds to restrictions. The debate extends to the ethical use of AI models by militaries and the inadequacy of corporate guardrails. The author advocates for plurilateral commitments by states for responsible AI use, including human control over lethal decisions and prohibitions on mass civilian surveillance, to ensure effective governance.
Generative AI is a dual-use technology, comparable to semiconductors, making its control and non-proliferation challenging.
The U.S. military's use of AI models and the Pentagon's 'supply chain' risk designation for Anthropic highlight the national security implications.
Restrictions on AI technology are often ineffective due to talent mobility and workarounds, consolidating power in a few dominant companies.
Exam Points
Anthropic, an American AI lab, requested three Chinese AI labs (DeepSeek, MoonshotAI, MiniMax) be treated as national security threats.
The Pentagon labeled Anthropic a 'supply chain' risk.
Anthropic reported '16 million exchanges with Claude through approximately 24,000 fraudulent accounts'.
The Supreme Court is considering a plea challenging provisions of the Shariat Application Act, 1937, which allegedly discriminates against Muslim women in inheritance by giving them a smaller share than men. While acknowledging the discrimination, the bench orally suggested deferring to Parliament's wisdom to enact a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) rather than judicially striking down the Act, fearing it could create a legal vacuum. The court referenced the Mary Roy vs State of Kerala judgment, which secured equal inheritance rights for Syrian Christian women. The Chief Justice questioned whether striking down the Act would lead to re-legislation by the court, emphasizing the complexities of judicial intervention versus legislative action on personal laws.
The Supreme Court is hearing a plea challenging the Shariat Application Act, 1937, for alleged discrimination against Muslim women in inheritance.
The court expressed concern that striking down the Act could create a legal vacuum in Muslim inheritance law.
The bench suggested that enacting a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) through Parliament would be a more appropriate solution, aligning with Article 44 of the DPSP.
Exam Points
The challenged law is the Shariat Application Act, 1937.
Muslim women receive a one-eighth or one-fourth share (widows) and half of a son's share (daughters) under the current law.
Article 44 of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) calls for a Uniform Civil Code.
The Union Cabinet has approved the extension of the Ministry of Jal Shakti's Jal Jeevan programme until 2028. The mission aims to provide a minimum amount of daily potable water to every rural household in the country. Along with the extension, more funds have been provisioned to achieve this goal. A significant change in the programme's focus has been announced, shifting from "infrastructure creation" to "service delivery," indicating a move towards ensuring the actual provision and quality of water supply rather than just building infrastructure. This strategic reorientation aims for more effective and sustainable water access.
The Union Cabinet extended the Jal Jeevan Mission until 2028.
The mission's goal is to provide daily potable water to every rural household.
Additional funds have been provisioned to meet the mission's objectives.
Exam Points
The Jal Jeevan Mission is under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
The mission has been extended to 2028.
The primary goal is to provide a minimum amount of daily potable water to every rural household.
The Supreme Court is seeking a balance between protecting free speech and combating fake online content, while the Union government defends its Information Technology Rules, stating they are not intended to curb humor, satire, or criticism. The Centre appealed against a Bombay High Court decision that struck down the Fact Checking Unit (FCU) notification and deemed amended IT Rules of 2023 unconstitutional for violating Articles 14 and 19. The Chief Justice emphasized the importance of balancing rights without destroying constitutional rights, acknowledging the potential damage of offensive online content while questioning who defines 'fake' or 'misleading.'
The Supreme Court is deliberating on balancing free speech with the need to combat fake online content.
The Union government asserts its IT Rules do not aim to curb humor, satire, or criticism.
The Bombay High Court previously struck down the FCU notification and deemed amended IT Rules of 2023 unconstitutional.
Exam Points
The IT Rules (Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules) were amended in April 2023.
A Fact Checking Unit (FCU) was notified in March 2024 under the Press Information Bureau.
The Bombay High Court struck down the FCU notification and amended IT Rules of 2023, citing violations of Article 14 and Article 19.
The article analyzes the Sixteenth Finance Commission's (FC16) recommendations, noting that while the States' share in the divisible pool remains at 41%, this figure is misleading. The divisible pool as a proportion of gross tax revenues has shrunk significantly due to growing cesses and surcharges retained by the Union. FC16 discontinued various grants and deferred structural reforms like amending Fiscal Responsibility Legislation and controlling off-budget borrowings. A key change is replacing the 'tax and fiscal effort' criterion with 'contribution to GDP' in the horizontal devolution formula, benefiting high-GSDP states and disadvantaging states with greater fiscal need. This re-engineering, coupled with conditional local body grants, shifts power towards the Centre and impacts states with weaker governance.
The 41% States' share in the divisible pool is an 'illusion' as the divisible pool itself has shrunk relative to gross tax revenues due to increasing cesses and surcharges retained by the Union.
The Sixteenth Finance Commission (FC16) discontinued revenue deficit, sector-specific, and State-specific grants, impacting targeted fiscal relief.
FC16 deferred structural reforms such as amending Fiscal Responsibility Legislation and controlling off-budget borrowings.
Exam Points
The Sixteenth Finance Commission (FC16) recommended retaining States' share in the divisible pool at 41%.
The divisible pool as a proportion of gross tax revenues (GTR) averaged 89.2% (FC13), fell to 82.1% (FC14), and further to 78.3% (FC15).
The 'contribution to GDP' criterion, assigned a 10% weight, replaced the 'tax and fiscal effort' criterion (2.5% weight in FC15).
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