UPSC Current Affairs – January 28, 2021

The Supreme Court has questioned the Centre over inordinate delays in clearing the Collegium’s recommendations for appointment of High Court judges. Out of the 246 recommendations made by the Collegium since 2018, 126 appointments are still pending approval. The Collegium system has evolved via SC judgments that appointments can only be refused for cogent reasons. Intelligence checks are permitted but if the Collegium reiterates a name, the government is bound to approve it.

With High Court functioning hampered by over 40% vacancy and cases piled up, timely appointments are key. While executive roles in selection exist, judicial primacy must be maintained. The logjam over appointments also comes amidst calls for reforming the opacity plagued Collegium system through an independent body that ensures independence, diversity and integrity.

India Signs Pact with IEA to Boost Strategic Energy Partnership

India has signed an agreement with the International Energy Agency to strengthen cooperation across pillars of global energy security like stability, affordability and sustainability. This will enable wider knowledge exchange, a pathway for India towards full IEA membership and boost work around priorities like energy efficiency, storage, transition to gas-based economy and expansion of clean energy.

With India expected to drive global energy demand rise till 2040 as its economy grows, association with the world’s premier energy agency to build technical knowhow and design robust policies across renewables, electric mobility and hydrogen etc. will be key to ensure energy transitions without compromising energy access for all.

Putin Signs Off on Last Nuclear Arms Control Deal’s Extension

In a breakthrough for global arms control efforts, the Kremlin has formally approved the five year extension of New START, the last remaining nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia. The pact, which caps the strategic nuclear warheads held by both countries at 1,550 was set to expire on February 5th.

Against the backdrop of the two nations withdrawing from Cold War era arms control treaties, New START’s extension has been hailed as a step towards restarting bilateral arms negotiations. With both nations holding over 90% of global nuclear weapons, experts have stressed that more comprehensive agreements to control atomic stockpiles and multilateral disarmament efforts are the need of the hour as Ripple effects of US-Russia tensions risk accelerating global nuclear proliferation.

Disinvestment Receipts Abysmally Low, Fiscal Deficit to Overshoot

The Centre has missed its disinvestment targets for 2020-21 by a huge margin so far, raising doubts on reining in the fiscal deficit. Against the Rs 2.1 lakh crore target, only around Rs 18,000 crore or under 3% has been raised through stake sales in PSUs so far.

With COVID-19 severely hampering economic activity, the government’s revenue position has weakened further. Disinvestment forms a key avenue to fund welfare schemes and bridge expenditure-revenue gaps i.e fiscal deficits. But historially, barring a few exceptions, the Centre has struggled to achieve aggressive, market-driven disinvestment targets leading to higher borrowings. While the fiscal slippage will impact taxpayer money, proper utilization of funds raised via assets sale to boost growth and welfare spending is equally vital.

IRDAI Panel Suggests Introducing Cyber Insurance Policies

An IRDAI committee has recommended introduction of tailored cyber insurance policies covering areas like online fraud protection, cyber stalking, data and privacy breach. This will help guard individuals and businesses against rising cases of cyber crimes. As digital usage explodes, cyber risks have also grown massively. Hence, cyber insurance can prove a crucial risk transfer mechanism to cover financial and personal losses.

The panel noted policies largely address individual requirements currently but seek more clarity on exclusions and coverage aspects. It also advised against mandatory standardization given the evolving nature of cyber threats that necessitates innovative products. Instead, minimum guidelines may be issued even as insurers simplify claim processes for faster relief to victims.

Nation Remembers Freedom Fighter Govind Ballabh Pant

The nation paid homage to iconic freedom fighter and nation builder Govind Ballabh Pant on his birth anniversary. Pant was one of the tallest leaders who shaped modern India through his roles as UP Chief Minister and later Union Home Minister. He began public life under Congress stalwarts like Gokhale and Malaviya, getting drawn to the freedom struggle in the 1920s while also pleading for reforms in the Assembly.

Jailed multiple times by the British, Pant opposed separate electorates for minorities and spearheaded relief during the 1943 Bengal famine. After Independence, he oversaw several key legislations, vigorously pushed for Hindi as national language and played a lead role in convincing sceptical rulers to merge their territories into the Indian union.

Tigress Death in Kanha Reserve Buffer Area Sparks Concern

The carcass of a tigress was found in the buffer zone of the Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, ringing alarm bells over rising cases of big cat deaths in the state’s forests in recent years. At over 940 sq km, the Kanha Tiger Reserve is the largest in MP and famous as the world’s only habitat for the rare hard ground Swamp deer.

With central India’s tiger corridors facing threats from mining, infra projects and poaching rackets, conservationists have called for strengthening protection, monitoring and revamping village relocation from core forest areas. Loss of apex predators like tigers disrupts the ecosystem balance, hence beyond ensuring strict penalties, changing societal mindsets to curb demand for tiger parts and value biodiversity is vital via awareness drives.

PM Reviews Progress of Key Infra Projects Under PRAGATI

The Prime Minister chaired the 35th PRAGATI meeting to review progress of 10 major infrastructure projects worth over Rs 54,000 crore. Launched in 2015, the multi-modal digital platform aims at grievance redressal, faster project implementation and smoother Centre-State coordination for development schemes. Projects using latest technology across rail, road and metro came up during the meeting even as the spread of PRAGATI sessions has now covered over 30 sectors.

With higher transparency and real-time monitoring enabling course correction, over 1.4 lakh cases have also been reviewed to fast track files unduly stuck at various points. The platform’s success has shown how smart governance systems can overcome coordination and delivery bottlenecks to accelerate growth.

Row Over Judicial Appointments, Opaqueness in Collegium Under Cloud

The continuing logjam over appointment of High Court Judges has reignited debate over reforming the opaque Collegium system. Often criticised over lack of transparency and scope for nepotism in selection of judges, the present Collegium is also battling perception issues with senior lawyer Harish Salve opining trust in the system hangs by a ‘very slender thread’.

Further vacancies in Higher Courts directly burden citizens with long drawn legal battles. The stand-off has highlighted why an independent body for judges’ appointment that boosts diversity and integrity as envisaged through the National Judicial Commission needs to be reconsidered post extensive consultations. Any new system must balance executive roles with judicial primacy to uphold cooperative federalism and independence of judiciary – cornerstones of the Constitution.

Road Transport Ministry Notifies Green Tax on Older Vehicles

In a move that will raise pollution costs for owners, the Road Transport Ministry has notified a ‘Green Tax’ on vehicles older than 8 years. To be levied at the time of mandatory renewal of fitness certificates, differential green tax rates of 10-25% of road tax will apply on personal and public transport vehicles in phases. Electric, alternate fuels, agricultural vehicles and strong hybrids among others have however been exempted from the additional levy.

Funds collected will finance government’s pollution abatement efforts as part of polluter pays principle. But experts have called for balancing pricing measures with incentives that boost demand for electric and clean fuel vehicles to drive faster adoption without hurting consumer interests during post-pandemic recovery.