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A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court reserved for judgment a batch of petitions seeking to strike down a Tamil Nadu law which protects Jallikattu by claiming that the bull-taming sport is a cultural heritage of the State and is protected under Article 29 (1) of the Constitution.
The five-judge Bench led by Justice K.M. Joseph heard detailed arguments on the part of activists and the Tamil Nadu government.
The bone of contention is the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act of 2017 and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Conduct of Jallikattu) Rules of 2017, which had re-opened the gates for the conduct of the popular bull-taming sport in the name of culture and tradition despite a 2014 ban by the Supreme Court.
The primary question involved was whether Jallikattu should be granted constitutional protection as a collective cultural right under Article 29 (1).
Article 29 (1) is a fundamental right guaranteed under Part III of the Constitution to protect the educational and cultural rights of citizens.
The court examined if the laws “perpetuate cruelty to animals” or were actually a means to ensure “the survival and well-being of the native breed of bulls.
The five-judge Bench heard parties on whether the new Jallikattu laws were “relatable” to Article 48 of the Constitution, which urged the state to endeavour to organise agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines.
Explainer
What will India offer during its presidency of the G20? (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 2, International Groupings)
On December 1, India assumed the presidency of the G20 forum, taking over from Indonesia. Prime Minister Narendra Modi called it a “huge opportunity for India”.
India must utilise the opportunity of G20 leadership by focusing on global good and welfare. Be it peace or unity, sensitivity towards the environment or sustainable development, India has solutions to challenges related to all such things.
The G20 comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the U.K., the U.S. and the European Union.
The G20 forum was established in 1999 by the finance ministers and central bank governors of seven countries – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the U.K., and the U.S. after a meeting in Washington DC. The uniting factor was the 1997-98 financial crisis and its aftermath.
The representatives met in Berlin, Germany, for the first annual meeting of the group. The first meeting of G20 leaders took place in 1999, and it was elevated to the level of heads of government/State in 2008. In 2009, G20 was designated the “premier forum for international economic cooperation”.
The forum initially dealt with matters related to macroeconomics, but over the years, its agenda has expanded to cover issues relating to trade, climate change, sustainable development, health, agriculture, energy, environment, climate change, and anti-corruption.
Today, G20 members account for more than 80% of the world’s GDP, 75% of global trade and 60% of the population of the planet.
G20 Summit is held annually under a rotating presidency, which currently rests with India for 2023. The group does not have a permanent secretariat, and the presidency is supported by the previous, current, and future holders of the post, together called the troika. Along with India, 2023’s troika includes Indonesia and Brazil.
As the President-nation, India will host the 18th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit in December 2023 in New Delhi. The summit will bring an end to a series of meetings over the course of the year.
News
Process to appoint ad hoc judges must be less cumbersome: SC (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 2, Judiciary)
The Supreme Court suggested a less cumbersome and even "out-of-the-box" thinking, including roping in senior lawyers to act as ad hoc judges in High Courts, to meet the rising tide of pendency.
A Bench led by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said senior advocates in High Courts may not be willing to give up their lucrative legal practices permanently, but may be interested in joining the Bench as ad hoc judges under Article 224A of the Constitution for a limited period of may be two years.
We should not have the procedure so cumbersome that the whole purpose is lost," Justice Kaul, heading a three-judge Bench, addressed Attorney General R. Venkataramani.
The court pointed out that retired judges who were willing to come back to the Bench as ad hoc judges would bring their experience in dealing with arrears.
The court was hearing a case filed by NGO Lok Prahari seeking invocation of Article 224A for appointment of ad hoc judges in High Courts.
In April last year, the court had identified five situations in which the judiciary could seek the aid of ad hoc judges, including of the vacancies were over 20%, cases were pending for over five years and if the rate of disposal had sharply dipped in comparison to the filing of cases.
RS clears Wildlife Bill that promises better protection (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 3, Environment)
The Rajya Sabha passed the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment.Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav assured the House that elephants would be protected and conserved according to the provisions of the Act.
The Bill, which had undergone scrutiny of a parliamentary panel, seeks to conserve and protect wildlife through better management of protected areas and rationalise schedules which list out species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The Lok Sabha cleared the legislation in August during the Monsoon Session.
The Bill seeks better management of protected areas and provides for certain permitted activities such as grazing or movement of livestock and bona fide use of drinking and household water by local communities.
Sushmita Dev of the Trinamool Congress said the amendment has given huge leeway for the transportation of elephants and expressed concern about protection of the animal as the amendment contravened Section 27 of the Act.
Congress member Jairam Ramesh opposed the Bill in its current form. He said the Minister had accepted the recommendations of the Standing Committee but deviated from an important suggestion.
The Standing Committee accepted the religious significance of the elephant, but the Minister has also included the words ‘any other purpose’. What are these words supposed to stand for.
Field trials of GM mustard DMH-11 showed high yield, says Minister for Science (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 3, Biotechnology)
Field trials of the transgenic mustard variety, DMH-11, revealed them to be higher yielding and they didn’t deter the pollination habits of honey bees, Union science minister Jitendra Singh said in Rajya Sabha in a written response to a query.
Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11 (DMH-11) had recently been approved by the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) for cultivation in farmer fields, as a precursor to commercial cultivation.
The GEAC is an autonomous body of experts authorised by the Union environment ministry to appraise the safety of genetically modified seeds.
Mr. Singh’s statement in Rajya Sabha is the first time that a Central ministry has endorsed the safety and benefits of the seed in Parliament. The only other transgenic seed permitted to be commercially cultivated in India is Bt cotton.
The Centre has defended the approval accorded to DMH-11 in the Supreme Court, which is hearing a petition filed by activist Aruna Rodrigues questioning the GEAC approval to DMH-11.
DMH-11 has been tested for three years against national check Varuna and zonal check RL1359 during confined field trials at multiple locations.
DMH-11 showed approximately 28% more yield than the national check and 37% more than the zonal checks, Mr. Singh said on Thursday.
‘Checks’ refer to reference varieties of mustard in a region and usually, new varieties must prove themselves superior to be considered for commercial release.
Field trials were conducted to assess the impact on human health and the environment as per the stipulated guidelines and applicable rules.