12 October 2022

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

1 – SC Collegium: GS II Topic Judiciary related issues

Context:

• The Law Ministry has already requested that the Chief Justice of India, U.U. Lalit, name his successor; as a result, the Supreme Court Collegium has agreed to cease further discussion of the ten candidates for justices on the highest court.

About:

• The collegium, which is presided over by the Chief Justice of India, is composed of the Supreme Court’s four senior-most justices.
• The four seniormost judges on the High Court make up the collegium, which is led by the Chief Justice of the High Court.
• Names recommended for appointment by a High Court collegium do not reach the government until they have been approved by the CJI and Supreme Court collegium.
• The collegium system is used to select judges for the higher judiciary.

Government Role:

• The government will be involved once the collegium has chosen names.
• The government is required to have the Intelligence Bureau conduct an inquiry before a lawyer is appointed as a judge in the High Court or Supreme Court (IB).
• The government may also object to the collegium’s conclusions and demand explanations.
• If the collegium suggests the same names again, the government must appoint them as judges in conformity with the Constitution Bench’s rulings.

Constitutional Provision:

• The Supreme Court and High Court judges are chosen by the President in accordance with Articles 124(2) and 217 of the Constitution.
• The President shall confer with any justices of the Supreme Court and of the High Court who he deems to be important.

Source The Hindu

 2 – Space Economy: GS III – Topic Science and Technology related issues

Context:

• According to a report co-authored by EY and the Indian Space Organisation (ISpA), the nation’s leading industry association of space and satellite enterprises, the Indian space economy is predicted to reach $13 billion by 2025.

Introduction:

• Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, was launched in 1957, marking the beginning of space exploration. The bitter struggle between the US and the former USSR to rule the universe defined the cold war era. In this competition, state-owned space organisations from the USSR and US grabbed the lead. The most significant change in the global space economy since then, among many others, has been the engagement of the commercial sector. Humans first entered space in a private, as opposed to a government-built, craft in 2020, making history.

What is the state of the space economy right now?

• The $447 billion global space market is divided into three segments: the commercial satellite market, operator revenue, and ground infrastructure and operations (space services and consumer equipment).
• The three following sectors make up an alternative classification model for the space economy: (a) launch operations; (b) space surveillance, monitoring, leasing, and trading; and (c) (d) space applications (Direct to Home broadcast, satellite telephony, remote sensing, etc).

Why is it necessary to emphasise the space economy?

• India barely manages to take 2%, or US$7 billion, of the global space economy, thus there is a huge untapped potential. The small fraction cannot be explained solely by resources and technology; policy must also be changed.
• Economic Growth: Enabling end-to-end commercial space operations will lead to a $5 trillion US economy by 2024. Furthermore, it is anticipated that by 2040, the market for the space economy will increase by more than US$ 1 trillion.
• Low Cost: The Indian space industry can launch spacecraft for a far smaller sum of money. This was demonstrated by the Mars Orbiter Mission, which was 10 times less expensive than missions from the West. You will gain a lot of international business because of this.
• Demand is rising, and by 2026, 10,000 satellites are anticipated to be placed in low-Earth orbit. Additionally, from US$ 12.6 billion to US$ 42.8 billion, the predicted expansion of small and miniature satellites has increased thrice. Small and medium-sized businesses might therefore enter the market in a variety of ways as a result.

What actions has the government made to advance the space economy?

• The Indian Space Association (ISpA) works to speak on behalf of the industry as a whole in India. Leading domestic and foreign businesses with cutting-edge experience in satellite and space technologies will represent ISpA.
• The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) was established with the goal of giving private companies an equal opportunity to use the Indian space architecture. By serving as a connection between any interested private enterprises and the ISRO, IN-SPACe will hasten time-consuming administrative processes. It will be advantageous in two ways: (a) It will make it possible for more capable people to conduct academic research and study. For instance, establishing a SpaceX-like organisation in India would free up ISRO to concentrate on more difficult missions, such as the development of cutting-edge technologies.
• Opening the Space Sector: In June 2020, the government allowed commercial engagement from India in all spheres of space activity. The development of satellites, their deployment, and formerly unattainable space-based services are all examples of this.

What obstacles face the growth of the space economy?

• Budgetary Restraints: According to the CDS and IIST study, less money has been set aside for space-related operations. This has caused a decline in the space economy during the past two years. Budget expenditures decreased from INR 13,033.2 billion in the previous fiscal year to INR 9,500 billion in 2020–21.
• Using scientific methodologies, the CDS and IIST paper was an early attempt to estimate the extent of the space economy. The market for space-based remote sensing was still too small to be estimated.
• Now that more businesses are able to launch their satellites and vehicles into the already crowded orbit, there is more space junk in the atmosphere. Over 200,000 1–10 cm fragments and more than 15,000 traceable parts, according to some estimates.

What other options are there?

• Prior to enabling private companies join the space sector, policies must be properly put into place. Through more private investment and tighter linkages to the international commercial space industry, they are predicted to increase the scale of the sector. The government should also encourage cooperation between well-known foreign private companies like SpaceX, Virgin Galactic, and others, as well as Indian private companies.
• To further decentralise investments, the FDI reform is essential. Hughes Communications, a US company, announced a $500 million investment but has failed to secure licences since 2017. To achieve its goals, IN-SPACe must provide domestic and foreign enterprises with a way to bypass red tape.
• Third, cooperation between the public and private sectors will be essential in the event of space debris. The number of programmes that can run in space and whether they can collaborate to clear debris from orbit are decisions made by the government.

Source The Hindu

 3 – Russian Missile Attacks on Ukraine: GS II – Topic International Relations

Context:

• At least eight people were murdered in Kyiv’s downtown as a result of the deadly airstrikes that Russia conducted against several Ukrainian cities on Monday.
• In the largest attack against civilians since the beginning of Russia’s invasion, President Vladimir V. Putin launched a series of sweeping missile attacks against cities around Ukraine on Monday, striking the centre of Kiev and other areas far from the front lines.
• Even though it also appeared that the attacks were intended to placate hard-liners in Russia who had been openly critical over the conduct of the war, Mr. Putin claimed that the attacks on nearly a dozen cities were in retaliation for a blast that partially destroyed a bridge connecting Russia to the Crimean Peninsula.

What impact could this conflict have on India?

• The crisis in Russia and Ukraine would increase the cost of gasoline, cooking gas, and other fuels for households and businesses in India. Shipping and transportation expenses rise along with rising oil prices.
• The tensions may affect government budget estimates, particularly the fiscal deficit, depending on how long oil prices remain high, and they may cast doubt on the reliability of the RBI’s inflation forecasts.
• The cost of importing gold and crude oil into India would increase due to the rise in crude oil prices, which could result in an increase in imports and put pressure on the rupee.
• Russian petroleum products make up a relatively small portion of India’s total budget for oil imports, therefore they can be replaced.
• However, it could be challenging to find alternatives for sunflower oil and fertiliser.
• There may be problems with shipments of medicines, tea, and other goods to the CIS, but less than 1% of total Indian exports travel to Russia. Increases in freight costs may also reduce the overall competitiveness of exports.

Way Ahead:

• Today, in contrast to the Cold War, there is a close interdependence of the global economy. A protracted conflict would have a far too devastating effect given the level of suffering and death already existing in Ukraine.
• The Covid-19 pandemic, which disproportionately affects the poorest countries and individuals, has shocked the entire world. Conflict-related delays must not be accepted.
• Before all parties can sit down for new negotiations, Russia must impose a cease-fire. The problem can’t possibly grow worse.

Source The Hindu

4 – SCO: GS II – Topic International Relations

Context:

• Pakistan has been invited to the Joint Anti-Terror Exercise (JATE) concluding ceremony on October 13 that is being hosted by India and is being supervised by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, according to official and diplomatic sources (SCO).

What is the history of the SCO?

• The Shanghai Five, an alliance made up of Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan, established the SCO in 1996.
• It evolved into a tool for regional economic and security cooperation over time, shifting from being a barrier to boundary disputes.
• The group changed its name to the “Shanghai Cooperation Organization” in 2001 after Uzbekistan became a member. (SCO).

Why does India value the SCO?

• The addition of Pakistan and India has changed the SCO’s geographic, racial, and economic composition.
• Today, the SCO, whose southern borders reach the Indian Ocean, has more than half of the world’s population and a quarter of its GDP.
• Geographically, economically, and geopolitically, the SCO is crucial to India because of the close proximity of its member countries.
• Members of the SCO from Central Asia share borders with Afghanistan, and southern Tajikistan is only separated from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir by a short patch of land.
• Logistics – When relations with your neighbours are tense, it makes sense to strengthen your connections with their neighbours.
• Given Pakistan’s admittance to the group and Afghanistan’s and Iran’s desires for entrance, India’s participation is now more justified.

What SCO policies concerning Pakistan and India should we be aware of?

• Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, claims that collaboration within the SCO could help relations between India and Pakistan.
• Additionally, he highlighted how China’s SCO membership has facilitated the swift resolution of boundary disputes with Russia and the Central Asian countries.
• The expressed optimism is heartening, despite the fact that the circumstances are not comparable and the Indo-Pak tensions go beyond simple border issues.
• China made major concessions to resolve its boundary issues with Russia and Central Asia in order to accomplish more significant geopolitical objectives.
• The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), a significant SCO organisation, coordinates for security and stability through the sharing of intelligence.
• In the RATS, India and Pakistan must learn to cooperate instead of constantly blaming one another for such problems.
• India has decided to participate in the next SCO anti-terrorist military exercises in Russia.

What lies ahead for SCO?

• Dilution – As the SCO has expanded, some of its once-firm consensus stances on important topics have gotten softer.
• Notably, despite the fact that neither India nor Pakistan have accepted the “Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty,” the SCO values it highly.
• The project’s exclusion from the list of SCO-endorsed projects allayes China’s BRI’s worries with India.
• Government statements and counterterrorism initiatives are carefully adjusted to take into account opposing viewpoints.
• Eastern Grouping – The SCO, an alliance of eastern power, has grown to be a potent counterweight to the west due to the group’s structural strength and diversity.
• Even while some people still believe that this is a continuation of the political considerations of the Soviet Block from the Cold War, there has been a considerable change in vocabulary.

Source The Hindu