D.Y. Chandrachud takes charge as the 50th Chief Justice of India (GS Paper 2, Judiciary)
Why in news?
- Recently, Justice Dhananjaya Yashwant Chandrachud was sworn in as the 50th Chief Justice of India (CJI) after Justice Uday Umesh Lalit demitted office.
(Swarajya)
Tenure:
- He will have a tenure till November 10, 2024.
- Justice Chandrachud as CJI will have a term of two years and will head India’s judiciary until November 10, 2024, a day before he completes 65 years.
Father and son have become CJI:
- Justice Chandrachud's father Justice YV Chandrachud was the 16th Chief Justice of India serving from February 2, 1978, to July 11, 1985.
- His father, Y.V. Chandrachud, holds the distinction of being the longest-serving Chief Justice.
- This has become the first time in the history of the judiciary, Father and son have become CJI.
Progressive and liberal judge:
- Chief Justice Chandrachudhas been part of several Constitution Benches and landmark verdicts of the top court, including judgments on the Ayodhya land dispute, and the Right to Privacy.
- He wrote the lead judgment for a nine-judge Constitution Bench in the Justice K.S. Puttaswamy vs Union of India case, in which it was unanimously held that the Right to Privacy was a fundamental right.
- Recently, a Bench headed by him expanded the scope of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act to include unmarried women for abortion between 20-24 weeks of pregnancy.
- He has been part of the Benches that delivered path-breaking judgments on decriminalising same-sex relations, after it partially struck down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.
- He has been part of Benches that ruled on the validity of the Aadhaar scheme and the Sabarimala issue, and paved the way for permanent commission for women officers in the armed forces.
Background:
- He was designated as a senior advocate by the Bombay High Court in June 1998 and became Additional Solicitor-General that year till his appointment as a judge in the Bombay High Court on March 29, 2000.
- He went on to become the Chief Justice of the Allahabad High Court from October 31, 2013 until he was elevated to the top court in May 2016.
Malabar Exercise begins off Japanese island Yokosuka
(GS Paper 3, Defence)
Why in news?
- Recently, the Malabar Exercise featuring the navies of all four Quad countries; India, the US, Australia and Japan began off the Yokosuka Island near the East China Sea in the backdrop of China's increasing military muscle-flexing in the region.
- It is being hosted by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
(News India 18)
Key Highlights:
- Indian Naval ships Shivalik and INS Kamorta have been deployed for the 10-day exercise.
- The exercise will feature a number of complex drills involving several frontline warships and other assets of the four navies.
About Malabar Exercise:
- The Malabar exercise started in 1992 as a bilateral drill between the Indian Navy and the US Navy in the Indian Ocean.
- Japan became a permanent member of the exercise in 2015.
- Following India's invitation, Australia participated in the Malabar exercise in 2020, effectively making it a drill by all four member nations of the Quad or Quadrilateral coalition.
- Australia participated in 2021’s exercise as well.
Phases:
- This annual exercise was conducted off the coast of Guam in 2018 and off the coast of Japan in 2019.
- In 2020, the exercise was hosted in two phases in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. In 2020, the mega wargame took place off the coast of Guam in the Western Pacific.
China Factor:
- There have been mounting global concerns over China's growing military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region.
- China has been suspicious about the purpose of the Malabar exercise as it feels that the annual war game is an effort to contain its influence in the Indo-Pacific region.
Way Forward:
- India, the US, Australia, Japan and many other like-minded countries are working towards ensuring a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
Level of groundwater extraction lowest in 18 years, finds study
(GS Paper 3, Judiciary)
Why in news?
- Groundwater extraction in India saw an 18-year decline, according to an assessment by the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) in 2022.
(Send Story)
Details:
- The total annual groundwater recharge for the entire country is 437.60 billion cubic metres (bcm) and annual groundwater extraction for the entire country is 239.16 bcm.
- Further, out of the total 7,089 assessment units in the country, 1,006 units have been categorised as “over-exploited”.
- By comparison, an assessment in 2020 found that the annual groundwater recharge was 436 bcm and extraction 245 bcm.
- In 2017, recharge was 432 bcm and extraction 249 bcm. The 2022 assessment suggests that groundwater extraction is the lowest since 2004, when it was 231 bcm.
Key Observations:
- A detailed analysis of the information collected from the assessment indicates increase in ground water recharge which may mainly be attributed to increase in recharge from canal seepage, return flow of irrigation water and recharges from water bodies/tanks & water conservation structures.
- Further, analysis indicates improvement in ground water conditions in 909 assessment units in the country when compared with 2017 assessment data.
- In addition, overall decrease in number of over-exploited units and decrease in stage of groundwater extraction level have also been observed.
Earlier estimates:
- Such joint exercises between the CGWB and States/Union Territories were carried out earlier in 1980, 1995, 2004, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2017 and 2020.
- The groundwater recharge levels don’t reflect the water that can be actually extracted, called the “extractable groundwater resources”.
- In 2020, for instance, the “extractable groundwater resources” amounted to 397.62 bcm, which is less than the recharge that year.
Indias First Sovereign Green Bonds Framework
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
Why in news?
- Recently, the Ministry of Finance approved the final Sovereign Green Bonds framework of India.
(The Environment)
Background:
- The Framework comes close on the footsteps of India’s commitments under “Panchamrit” as elucidated by the Prime Minister at COP26 at Glasgow in November, 2021.
- The approval is fulfillment of the announcement in the Union Budget FY 2022-23 by the Union Finance Minister that Sovereign Green Bonds will be issued for mobilising resources for green projects.
What are Green Bonds?
- Green bonds are financial instruments that generate proceeds for investment in environmentally sustainable and climate-suitable projects.
- By virtue of their indication towards environmental sustainability, green bonds command a relatively lower cost of capital vis-à-vis regular bonds and necessitates credibility and commitments associated with the process of raising bonds.
India’s first Sovereign Green Bonds framework:
- India’s first Sovereign Green Bonds framework was formulated and as per the provisions of the framework, Green Finance Working Committee (GFWC) was constituted to validate key decisions on issuance of Sovereign Green Bonds.
- Further, CICERO, an independent and globally renowned Norway-based Second Party Opinion (SPO) provider, was appointed to evaluate India’s green bonds framework and certify alignment of the framework with ICMA’s Green Bond Principles and international best practices.
- After due deliberation and consideration, CICERO has rated India’s Green Bonds Framework as ‘Medium Green’ with a “Good” governance score.
Way Forward:
- This approval will further strengthen India’s commitment towards its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs) targets, adopted under the Paris Agreement, and help in attracting global and domestic investments in eligible green projects.
- The proceeds generated from issuance of such bonds will be deployed in Public Sector projects which help in reducing carbon intensity of the economy.
