11 February 2023

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

1 – Gaganyaan Mission: GS III – Topic Science and Technology

 Context:

• Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and the Indian Navy undertook a significant test for the Gaganyaan manned space flight programme. On Tuesday, they carried out the Crew Module’s initial recovery testing at the Navy’s Water Survival Test Facility (WSTF) in Kochi.
• The exercises were a part of preparation for the crew module recovery operations for the Gaganyaan mission, which, according to the space agency, will take place in Indian waters with the aid of Indian Government agencies and be supervised by the Indian Navy.

About:

• Three launches into orbit are planned.
• There will be one manned and two unmanned space missions.
• The Gaganyaan system module, also known as the Orbital Module, would carry three Indian astronauts, one of whom is a woman.
• It will orbit the planet at a low Earth orbital altitude of 300–400 km for 5-7 days.

Payload elements consist of:

• A human-carrying spacecraft referred to as a crew module.
• Powered by two service module-mounted liquid-propellant engines.
• It will contain features for mission cancellation and emergency evacuation.
• Launch: Because it has the necessary payload capacity, the three-stage heavy lift launch vehicle GSLV Mk III, also known as the LVM-3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3), will be used to launch Gaganyaan.

Russian Assistance:

• The Human Space Flight Centre of the ISRO and the Russian government-owned Glavkosmos inked a deal for the training in June 2019. It involves Russian support in the selection of applicants, their medical examination, and their training in space.
• The applicants will thoroughly examine the Soyuz manned spacecraft’s equipment and train in short-term weightlessness aboard the Il-76MDK aeroplane.
• The Soyuz spacecraft was made in Russia. The Soyuz shuttles passengers and supplies to and from the space station.
• Il-76MDK, a military transport plane, was developed especially for parabolic flights by would-be astronauts and space tourists.

Significance:

• It will stimulate youth and enhance the nation’s technological and scientific skills.
• Gaganyaan will involve a wide range of divisions, organisations, laboratories, subject areas, and businesses.
• It will help to promote industrial growth.
• The government recently established a new organisation, IN-SPACe, as part of efforts to increase commercial participation in the space sector.
• It will advance technology for the betterment of society.
• It will help to improve international cooperation.
• One International Space Station (ISS) developed by various countries might not be sufficient. Local ecosystems will be necessary, and Gaganyaan will focus on addressing local needs for the security of food, water, and energy.

Additional forthcoming initiatives in India:

• Chandrayaan-3 is a new moon mission that India is preparing. Probably in the first half of 2021, it will make its debut.
• The ISRO is also getting ready for a Venus expedition that it has given the working name Shukrayaan.

 Source  The Indian Express

2 – Disinvestment: GS III – Topic Indian Economy

 Context:

• In the Union Budget for 2023–2024, the government has set a disinvestment goal of 51,000 crore, which is just 1,000 crore less than the revised estimate and down around 21% from the budget forecast for the current year. The objective is also the lowest in seven years. Additionally, while having produced a total profit of 31,106 crores thus far, of which 20,516 crores, or roughly a third of the intended estimate, came from the IPO of 3.5% of its shares in the Life Insurance Corporation, the Center has not yet attained the disinvestment goal for 2022–23. (LIC).

Background:

• With only about Rs 14,000 crore having been raised thus far through minority stake sales, the government’s disinvestment aim for 2020–2021 is to raise Rs 2.1 lakh crore.
• New public sector regulations As part of the “Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan” programme, the government announced in May 2020 that there would only be a maximum of four public sector enterprises in the strategic sectors and that state-owned companies in other industries will eventually be privatised.
• The strategy calls for the release of a list of important industries that will include at least one and a maximum of four public sector corporations in addition to private sector companies.
• Central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) in other industries may be privatised depending on their viability.

 Current situation:

• The deadline for submitting bids for the disinvestment of Pawan Hans has been extended by one month.
• Strategic sales of government-owned businesses like Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) and Air India are not likely to be completed this year.
• Before the Life Insurance Corporation of India gets listed on the stock market, the LIC Act of 1986 needs to be amended further.
• Need for Disinvestment Proceeds:
• To support the economic recovery and meet forecasts for rising healthcare costs, the government is under pressure to increase financing.
• The upcoming budget’s increased public spending will need the collection of disinvestment earnings and the sale of assets to cover a sizeable percentage of the cost.
• to eliminate the need for government action in areas that are not crucial from a strategic standpoint.

In relation to disinvestment:

• Disinvestment is the term used to describe when the government sells or liquidates assets, usually businesses, projects, or other fixed assets in the Central and State Public Sector.
• Disinvestment is a step done by the government to reduce the burden on the exchequer or to raise money to meet specific requirements, including making up for a shortfall in income from other regular sources.
• Strategic disinvestment is the process of handing over control and administration of a public sector organisation to another organisation (mostly to a private sector entity).
• Comparing a strategic sale to a straightforward disinvestment, privatisation is suggested.
• A strategic sale, as defined by the disinvestment commission, is the selling of managerial control and up to 50% of the government’s shareholding in a central public sector enterprise (CPSE).
• The Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM) of the Ministry of Finance serves as the main point of contact for the sale of strategic holdings in PSUs (PSUs).
• Strategic disinvestment in India is based on the fundamental economic tenet that the government should not be engaged in the manufacture of goods or the provision of services in markets where competition is already established.
• Strategic investors may be better able to determine the economic potential of such companies due to a variety of factors, including cash infusion, technological update, effective management approaches, etc.

 Source  The Indian Express

3 – Collegium System: GS II – Topic Judiciary-related issues

 Context:

• The Supreme Court Collegium on Thursday suggested five new Chief Justices to the High Courts of Calcutta, Allahabad, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, and Manipur to replace the present Chief Justices who have either retired or been appointed to the position of judges on the Supreme Court.
• The Collegium of Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, and K.M. Joseph finalised the recommendations based on seniority, experience, regional representation, and inclusion at a meeting that took place throughout the day.

About:

• The mechanism for appointing and transferring judges has evolved as a result of Supreme Court rulings rather than being established by a statute passed by parliament or a provision in the constitution.

Modifications to the System:

The First Judges Case of 1981:

• It was said that “cogent arguments” might be offered to disprove the “primacy” of the Chief Justice of India’s recommendation regarding judicial transfers and appointments.
• The Executive would have precedence over the Judiciary in appointing judges for the subsequent twelve years.

Second Judges Case of 1993:

• SC created the Collegium system with the idea that “consultation” genuinely meant “concurrence.”
• It was further clarified that this was not the CJI’s personal judgement but rather a decision made by the institution in cooperation with the two senior judges of the SC.

Third Judges Case (1998):

• On the President’s referral (Article 143), the SC enlarged the Collegium to a five-member panel, which included the Chief Justice of India and four of his most senior colleagues.

Who Is the Collegium Head of the System?

• The CJI is in charge of the SC collegium, which is made up of the four most senior judges on the court (Chief Justice of India).
• A collegium is made up of the three senior judges on the High Court, including the incumbent Chief Justice.
• Only the collegium system is utilised to nominate judges for the higher judiciary, and when the collegium has selected names, the government gets involved.

What are the procedures for judicial appointments?

 CJI:

• The President of India appoints the Chief Justice of India and the other SC judges.
• In terms of the CJI, the outgoing CJI suggests his successor.
• The only deciding element in practise has been seniority ever since the supersession controversy of the 1970s.

SC judges:

• For the other judges of the SC, the CJI makes the proposal.
• The CJI makes contact with the other Collegium members as well as the court’s senior-most judge who is a member of the High Court, where the suggested person is a member.
• The consultees are required to provide textual feedback, which should be saved in the file.
• The Collegium sends the recommendation to the Law Minister, who subsequently sends it to the Prime Minister for the President’s approval.

For the Chief Justice of the High Courts:

• The Chief Justice of the High Court is chosen in accordance with the custom of having Chief Justices from outside the different States.
• The Collegium decides whether to promote someone.
• The CJI and the two most senior justices form a Collegium that makes recommendations for High Court judges.
• The outgoing Chief Justice of the relevant High Court, however, initiated the recommendation after speaking with two of her most senior colleagues.
• The recommendation is given to the Chief Minister, who suggests that the Governor give it to the Union Law Minister.

What Issues Do the Collegium System Present?

 Exclusion of executives:

• The full exclusion of the executive from the judicial selection process led to a system where a small number of judges covertly appoint the remaining judges.
• They are also not accountable to any administrative body, which increases the risk that they would choose the wrong candidate while omitting the right one.

Probabilities of favouritism and nepotism:

• Because the collegium system does not outline any criteria for evaluating candidates for the office of CJI, it gives a lot of space for nepotism and favouritism.
• It has a negative impact on the nation’s ability to maintain peace and order by making the justice system less transparent.
• Contravening the concept of checks and balances:
• The check-and-balance principle is ineffective under this arrangement. In India, three organs function largely independently of one another, yet they keep one another in check and curb any organ’s excessive power.
• However, the collegium structure gives the judiciary a great deal of power, leaving few options for checks and balances and increasing the risk of misuse.

Closing Mechanism for Doors:

• Critics have called attention to the fact that this setup lacks a formal secretariat. It is believed that a collegium meets in private and renders decisions without the knowledge of the general public.
• Furthermore, there are no official records of collegium meetings.

Uneven Representation:

• The other area of concern is the makeup of the upper court, where women are noticeably underrepresented.
• What were the efforts to reform the appointment system?
• On the grounds that it threatened the independence of the judiciary, the court dismissed the attempt to replace it with a “National Judicial Appointments Commission” (through the 89th Amendment Act of 2014) in 2015.

How to Proceed:

• The procedure for filling vacancies is continuous and has no deadline because it involves both the executive and judicial departments. The time has come, however, to think about establishing a long-lasting, independent organisation to institutionalise the process with adequate protections to preserve the independence of the judiciary and ensure judicial supremacy, but not judicial exclusivity.
• It should guarantee impartiality, display diversity, display competence and honesty, and reflect

 Source The Indian Express

4 – Border Connectivity of India: GS III – Topic Internal Security of India:

 Context:

• India’s connectivity attempts with Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Myanmar have advanced as a result of its “clear” concerns about the Chinese border, according to S. Jaishankar, minister of external affairs. He cited a number of development projects along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and attempts to link the borders of “friendly neighbours,” which include all nations that border India on land with the exception of Pakistan.
• We have prioritised the rapid development of infrastructure along the northern borders with China for obvious strategic reasons, Mr. Jaishankar told a gathering of journalists. In order to improve trade, energy, and other people-to-people interactions, he allegedly continued, “We have focused on quickly building border connections with our friendly neighbours.” This was said in anticipation of an expected attack on the ongoing military standoff with China at the LAC by opposition parties in Parliament.

What does the Border Infrastructure & Management (BIM) Scheme aim to achieve?

• The BIM project would assist in building infrastructure such as border walls, border floodlights, technology solutions, border roads, Border OutPosts (BOPs), and corporate operating bases to protect India’s borders with Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, Nepal, Bhutan, and Myanmar.
• By bolstering the border infrastructure, it will enhance border management, policing, and border protection.
• The length of India’s border with Pakistan is 3,323 km, including 775 km of the Line of Control. There are 4,096 kilometres of border with Bangladesh and Bangladesh, 3,488 km with China, 1,751 km with Nepal, 699 km with Bhutan, and 1,643 km with Myanmar.

What further border security measures exist?

Vibrant Villages Program:

• Small-population, poorly connected, and underdeveloped border settlements frequently miss out on the advantages of development. Such northern border settlements would be included in the new Vibrant Villages Programme, which was proposed in the Budget 2022–23.
• A few of the proposed projects include the development of village infrastructure, housing, tourist attractions, road connectivity, the availability of decentralised renewable energy, direct home access to Doordarshan and educational channels, and support with livelihood creation.
• Chinese “model villages” close to the LAC prompted the protest (Line of Actual Control).
• The programme will be a more improved version of the existing border area development programme.

 Border Area Development Program:

• In order to ensure the infrastructural development of border areas and the promotion of a sense of security among the border people, the BADP was initiated in the border regions of the western region during the Seventh Five Year Plan (1985-1990).
• The programme aims to meet the special development needs of the residents of remote and inaccessible areas adjacent to the international border and to saturate the border areas with the necessary infrastructure through the convergence of Central/State/BADP/Local schemes and a participatory approach.

Smart Fencing in India (CIBMS):

• The Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) has completed two pilot projects totaling about 71 km on the border between India and Pakistan (10 km) and India and Bangladesh (61 km).
• A few of the cutting-edge surveillance technologies used as part of CIBMS include thermal imagers, infrared and laser-based intruder alarms, aerostats for aerial surveillance, unattended ground sensors that can help detect intrusion bids, radars, sonar systems to secure riverine borders, fiber-optic sensors, and a command and control system that shall receive data from all surveillance devices in real time.
• BOLD-QIT (Border Electronically Dominated QRT Interception Technique) is also in use in the Dhubri district of Assam along the Indo-Bangladesh border.
• The Border Road Organization, which was founded in 1960, is a major actor in the construction of defence infrastructure, including as roads, bridges, highways, airports, tunnels, buildings, and other similar structures.
• has constructed lifelines extending more than 53,600 km for the citizens of Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, Meghalaya, Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

 Source The Indian Express