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The Supreme Court took note of the Tamil Nadu government’s argument that the Constitution does not provide Governor R.N. Ravi “discretion” to withhold the 10 Bills “re-passed” by the State Legislative Assembly.
The court was reacting to arguments raised by the State, represented by senior advocates A.M. Singhvi, Mukul Rohatgi, P. Wilson and advocate Sabarish Subramanian, that the first proviso of Article 200 states:
If the Bill is passed again by the House or Houses with or without amendment and presented to the Governor for assent, the Governor shall not withhold assent therefrom.
‘China is the biggest security anxiety for India and Australia’ (Page no. 1)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
For both Australia and India, China is the biggest trading partner, and China is our “biggest security anxiety”, said Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, making the opening remarks at the 2+2 dialogue.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said this is a partnership which is “consequential for us, but it is crucial for our region.”
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said there is consensus on both sides that a strong India-Australia partnership will augur well, “not just for the usual benefit of both our countries but also for the overall peace, security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific.”
Editorial
Making sense of the employment challenge (Page no. 6)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
By proposing that Indians work longer to achieve a larger national output, N.R. Narayana Murthy, the founder of India’s iconic business house, Infosys, has issued something akin to a challenge to his compatriots.
In particular, he proposed a 70-hour work week. To strengthen his case he has pointed to the experience of Japan and Germany after the Second World War, when citizens worked longer hours than we do on average in India today.
It is indeed correct that these countries had a miraculous rise in the 1950s, but is the comparison valid? Can Indians simply choose to work longer hours to replicate their experience? This is not obvious.
Ever since the Keynesian Revolution in economics, we know that output is determined by aggregate demand, which is the demand for the total volume of goods and services produced in an economy.
The demand for labour is entirely dependent upon this demand. There is no demand for labour independent of the demand for goods.
Firms that employ more labour while aggregate demand has not increased will find themselves with unsold goods.
So, an offer by workers to work longer hours will not ensure that they will find employment so long as firms are unwilling to hire them.
A fact check unit that is unconstitutional (Page no. 6)
(GS Paper 2, Polity and Constitution)
The Government of Tamil Nadu issued an order recently to set up a Fact Check Unit with the intent of checking across all media platforms the authenticity of information related to the Government of Tamil Nadu.
This government order (GO) is violative of several fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India, and is unconstitutionally vague and arbitrary.
Earlier this year, the Government of India had amended the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, to set up a fact check unit in order to identify “fake, false or misleading” information in respect of “any business of the Central Government”.
These rules were challenged before the Bombay High Court, and the judgment is expected to be delivered on December 1.
The Government of India gave an undertaking to the High Court that the fact check unit will not be notified until the judgment.
Even though the GO has a passing reference to these provisions of the IT Rules, it does not disclose the undertaking given by the Government of India to the Bombay High Court.
Opinion
A renewed focus on emerging technologies (Page no. 7)
(GS Paper 3, Science and Technology)
Emerging technologies, an euphemism for capabilities that rely on a combination of cyber technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), unmanned systems, and advanced computing, is in vogue among most militaries.
The Indian military is seemingly alive to this development. At the Chanakya Defence Dialogue, the Chief of the Army Staff, General Manoj Pande, said that the Army had identified 45 niche technologies in the field of military applications.
Similarly, under ‘UDAAN’, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is using AI, cyber and virtual reality to address its operational, logistical, and training needs.
The Navy, too, says that it is moving forward with emerging technologies, which includes an Integrated Unmanned Roadmap, while also encouraging indigenisation under project ‘Swavlamban’.
Not to be left out, the Defence Ministry, through ‘AIDef’, has showcased its initiatives in this realm, which includes the Defence AI Council and the Defence AI Project Agency.
Both these efforts are aimed towards incorporating AI into various allied organisations, such as Defence Public Sector Undertakings and the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
However well-intentioned these efforts maybe, the Ministry and the services need to think more creatively about their approach to emerging technologies.
More specifically, for these initiatives to be successful, the military must be cognisant that technology is not a silver bullet and should not be imagined as a ‘plug and play’ — readily adjusted to existing practices.
Instead, it needs to be accompanied by organisational and doctrinal changes and a willingness to share data with the civilian environment.
Text & Context
How free cancer care alone won’t help the fight against cancer in India (Page no. 9)
(GS Paper 2, Health)
By 2040, according to one estimate, 20 lakh people a year will be diagnosed with cancer in India. Cancer is already the third leading cause of death in India.
In the coming years, it is expected to take over heart disease and infections as well. The Indian health system has tried adjusting to these changing health needs, but there is one particularly pressing issue.
The money spent by a patient on an ailment is the highest for cancer. The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) has offered some respite by providing health insurance of ₹5 lakh per family per year.
However, despite this support, people are financially destroyed by cancer and its treatment. A June 2023 study reported that even among patients availing of the PMJAY or other state-sponsored health insurance coverage, cancer treatment rendered catastrophic health expenses in more than 80% and impoverishment in more than 60% of people.
News
India-Australia ties to benefit security of the Indo-Pacific (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles held bilateral talks during which they underscored enhancing cooperation further in information exchange and Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA).
The two sides are also in an advanced stage of discussion to conclude implementing arrangements on hydrography cooperation and cooperation for air-to-air refuelling.
Mr. Singh emphasised that the forces of the two countries should also look at cooperating in niche training areas like artificial Intelligence, anti-submarine and anti-drone warfare and cyber domain.
The two Ministers agreed that deepening cooperation in defence industry and research would give a fillip to the already strong relationship.”
Israel-Hamas conflict may hit connectivity initiatives: U.S. envoy (Page no. 10)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
The Israel-Hamas conflict and bombardment of Gaza could “pause” progress on India-U.S. trade, and connectivity initiatives, including the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and the India-Israel-UAE-U.S. (I2U2) groupings, U.S. Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said, but that the ideas would “stand the test of time”.
Speaking about the India-U.S. 2+2 dialogue held on November 10, Ambassador Garcetti said that bilateral cooperation is growing in several domains.
He also said that the two countries must advance their engagement on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), highlighting dangers that had been outlooked by both U.S. President Joseph Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at different events last week.
The region is not capable, I would argue the world is not capable of dreaming of building something new when there’s an ongoing war, and that’s just the reality of conflict, speaking at a round table event organised by the Observer Research Foundation.
Govt. releases Pharmacy Commission Bill draft (Page no. 12)
(GS Paper 2, Governance)
The Union Health Ministry invited comments from the public and stakeholders on the proposed National Pharmacy Commission Bill, 2023.
The Ministry proposes to finalise the Bill for setting up the National Pharmacy Commission and repealing the Pharmacy Act, 1948.
For this, a draft National Pharmacy Commission Bill has been prepared and uploaded on the website of the Ministry for comments.
The Bill aims to improve access to affordable and high-quality pharmacy education and ensure the availability of pharmacy professionals nationwide.
It seeks to promote equitable healthcare by making pharmacy services accessible to all citizens. It also calls for a periodic and transparent assessment of pharmacy institutions and facilitating maintenance of a pharmacy register for India.
The Bill encourages professionals to integrate the latest research into their work, contribute to research, and uphold high ethical standards.
World
China keen to extend Myanmar economic corridor to Sri Lanka (Page no. 13)
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
China is “prioritising” the extension of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) to Sri Lanka, the country’s Special Envoy told President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in an indication that China is looking to scale up the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) project in South Asia.
Paying a courtesy call on the Sri Lankan President, Special envoy of the Chinese President and state councillor Shen Yiqin said China is prioritising the extension of the Corridor to the island nation.
Additionally, both parties agreed to expedite the implementation of the China-Sri Lanka Free Trade Agreement.
The CMEC is the newest of the six land corridors under the BRI, and has assumed prominence in place of the Bangladesh China India Myanmar (BCIM) corridor which has largely been stalled. India and Bhutan are the only countries in South Asia that have stayed out of the BRI and China’s more recent Global Development Initiative.
Mr. Wickremesinghe noted that countries such as Sri Lanka, which are participants in the BRI, “are prepared to embark on the second phase of the initiative, which is expected to make a more substantial economic contribution.”
Business
‘Subsidies to spur growth for now, investment to take off post 2024 polls’ (Page no. 14)
(GS Paper 3, Economy)
India’s spending on subsidies and the rural employment guarantee scheme are expected to rise ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections possibly at the expense of public capex outlays, while private investments will likely rebound post-poll, Goldman Sachs said in a report.
The firm’s India 2024 Outlook report forecasts that the Reserve Bank of India may cut interest rates only towards the end of 2024 and early 2025, in two tranches of 25 basis points each, as inflation will remain elevated at about 5.1% through next year from an estimated 5.7% this year, limiting the room for monetary easing.
The pivot towards subsidies and welfare spending going into the elections is likely to continue, though given the fiscal constraints... we don’t expect the government to increase the fiscal deficit.
Thus, we think that a decline in public capital expenditure will have to share the burden of fiscal consolidation, among a reduction in other current expenditure.
Growth may ease a tad from 6.4% in 2023 to 6.3% in 2024, but it is likely to be “a tale of two halves”. “Subsidies and transfer payments as we head into the general elections in Q2 2024 [April to June] will likely be the consumption and growth driver in the first half. Post-elections, we expect investment growth to re-accelerate, especially from the private side,” the firm averred.
The firm expects 6.2% real GDP growth in 2023-24 to rise to 6.5% in 2024-25, with “the main domestic risk emanating from political uncertainty”.
Science
Energy burst in distant galaxy disturbed ionosphere (Page no. 20)
(GS Paper 3, Science and Technology)
About two billion years ago in a galaxy far beyond our Milky Way, a big star met its demise in a massive explosion called a supernova that unleashed a huge burst of gamma rays, which pack the most energy of any wave in the electromagnetic spectrum.
Those waves traversed the cosmos and finally reached the earth last year. This gamma-ray burst, researchers said, caused a significant disturbance in the earth’s ionosphere, a layer of the planet’s upper atmosphere that contains electrically charged gases called plasma.
The ionosphere is situated about 50-950 km above the earth’s surface, stretching to the very edge of space. It helps form the boundary between the vacuum of space and the lower atmosphere inhabited by people.
The gamma rays from the burst impacted the atmosphere for about 13 minutes on October 9, 2022. They were detected by the European Space Agency’s Integral (International Gamma-Ray Astrophysics Laboratory) space observatory and various satellites orbiting close to the earth.
The gamma rays caused a strong variation in the ionosphere’s electric field, according to Mirko Piersanti, a space weather researcher at the University of L’Aquila in Italy and lead author of the research published in the journal Nature Communications.
“It was similar to what happens in general during a solar flare event,” Piersanti said, referring to powerful bursts of energy from the sun.