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Even as the Law Commission is now close to finalising its report on the conduct of simultaneous polls, the Election Commission (EC), in its meeting with members of the law panel earlier this year, is learnt to have underlined the need for a “definite lead time” of up to a year before implementation, citing “steep” logistical challenges in manufacturing voting machines.
As first reported by The Indian Express on September 27, the Law Commission, headed by Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, former Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, is likely to support the idea of holding elections to Parliament and all state assemblies together.
It is likely to suggest tentative timelines for 2024 to set the ball rolling by holding some state assembly elections with the Lok Sabha elections, and build that up to full-fledged simultaneity in 2029.
Can be more patient to bring down inflation to 4% RBI panel member (Page no. 1)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee member Jayanth R Varma is of the view that there is a need to be more patient when it comes to gliding inflation to the 4 per cent target, and this is the price to pay for avoiding a growth shock.
With retail inflation at 5 per cent now and an environment of greater economic stability. There are differences of opinion in the Monetary Policy Committee of the central bank.
A more rapid pace of reduction could impose an intolerable growth sacrifice. We should be willing to accept inflation between 4 per cent and 5 per cent for several quarters as the price of avoiding a growth shock.
Editorial
Through a narrow lens (Page no. 8)
(GS Paper 2, Judiciary)
There is a saying amongst Muslims: “…went to get exemptions from prayers (namaz), instead, but got the additional duty of fasting”. This sums up the much-awaited verdict in the marriage equality matter — Supriya Chakraborty v Union of India.
Forget the recognition of marriages for sexual minorities or civil unions of queer people, it appears that even others seem to have lost the fundamental right to marry in heterosexual marriages.
Unlike Navtej Singh Johar (2018), which was a unanimous ruling decriminalising homosexuality, the present judgment had the majority (3:2) favouring the refusal of legal recognition to unions other than heteronormative ones.
The central government in this matter – unlike in Navtej where it left the decision to the wisdom of the Court – strongly opposed recognition of marriages outside the traditional and religious ideas of heterosexual unions. This fact possibly made quite a difference.
Ideas Page
Towards a politics of presence (Page no. 9)
(GS Paper 2, Social Justice)
In September, history was made with Parliament passing the Women’s Reservation Bill, the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam.
A compelling imperative for all political parties to acknowledge the importance of the role of women in an inclusive polity, it is a clarion call to women to recognise their agency, assume equal responsibilities as citizens and define their destinies. It is a significant achievement of the women’s movement in the country.
The journey for the Bill’s approval in Parliament took 27 years. However, the movement for women’s participation as equal stakeholders in the nation’s future predates its Independence.
The arguments in feminist discourses have been layered, even contradictory at times. These range from Sarojini Naidu’s strong rejection of quotas for women during the Constituent Assembly debates, to Sushma Swaraj’s request, in 2014, to fellow parliamentarians asking them to support this landmark legislation.
Economy
US emerges as India’s biggest trading partner during April September this fiscal (Page no. 11)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
The US has emerged as India’s biggest trading partner during the first half of the current financial year despite global economic uncertainties and declining exports and imports, according to government data.
According to the provisional data of the Commerce Ministry, the bilateral trade between India and the US has declined by 11.3 per cent to $59.67 billion during April-September 2023 against $67.28 billion in the same period last year.
Exports to the US have come down to $38.28 billion during April-September 2023 from $41.49 billion a year ago.
Imports also declined to $21.39 billion during the first six months of the current fiscal compared to $25.79 billion in the same period last year.
Similarly, the two-way trade between India and China also dipped by 3.56 per cent to $58.11 billion.
World
Israel hits Syria, Lebanon; US boosts military assets (Page no. 12)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
CONCERNS ABOUT the risk of the Israel-Hamas war mushrooming into a wider Middle East conflict rose on Sunday with the US sending more military assets to the region as Israel pummelled Gaza anew & hit Hamas supporters in Lebanon and Syria.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said Washington would send more military assets to the Middle East in support of Israel and strengthen the US defence posture in region after "recent-escalations by Iran and its proxy forces"-a reference to Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamist militants.
In a first, South Korea, Japan and US perform joint aerial exercises (Page no. 12)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
The South Korean, U.S. and Japanese militaries conducted their first-ever trilateral aerial exercise on Sunday in response to evolving North Korean nuclear threats, South Korea’s air force said.
The training held near the Korean Peninsula was to implement the three countries’ earlier agreement to increase defense cooperation and boost their joint response capabilities against North Korean threats, the air force said in a statement.
The drill involved a nuclear-capable B-52 bomber from the United States and fighter jets from South Korea and Japan.
South Korea and Japan are both key U.S. allies in Asia, which together host about 80,000 American troops.
Explained
Vienna convention (Page no. 13)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
Amid the ongoing standoff between India and Canada, the Canadian government announced it has recalled 41 diplomats posted in India, and their family members.
Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said this was because they were “in danger of having immunity stripped on an arbitrary date” and that would have “put their personal safety at risk”.
Joly had said in a recent press conference, “I can confirm that India has formally conveyed its plan to unilaterally remove diplomatic immunities for all but 21 Canadian diplomats and dependents in Delhi by tomorrow, October 20.”
Earlier this month, India had sought ‘parity’ with Canada, asking it to downsize its diplomatic staff here. India has about 20 diplomats in Canada and said there should be a similar number of Canadian diplomats in India as well.
Amid divide, Bedouin Arabs serving the Israeli army : History, present (Page no. 13)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
Among the casualties on the Israeli side since the October 7 Hamas assault plunged Israel and Gaza into a vortex of violence, are at least four Bedouin soldiers.
A popular video on social media shows local Israelis expressing their gratitude to a Bedouin commander named Ashraf for putting up an effective defence against Hamas fighters.
The Bedouins are a nomadic Muslim Arab people who live mainly in the Negev desert of southern Israel. They have traditionally been pastoralists with no powerful or exclusive national affiliation, who would, until about a century and a half ago, wander the area between Saudi Arabia and the Sinai with their livestock.
During the last several decades of Ottoman rule, the Bedouin began to settle into a largely sedentary life. Before the formation of Israel, groups of Bedouin were employed by early Jewish settlers to guard clusters of their communities in Palestine.
During the Arab-Israeli war of 1948-49, many Bedouin provided valuable intelligence to the Jewish militias and the newly formed IDF, and some of them also fought against the Arab armies alongside the Jews.