28 September 2023

DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS ANALYSIS

1 – Protection of MPs from bribery allegations: GS II – Parliament-related issues

Context:

• The Supreme Court has brought to a seven-judge bench the issue of whether lawmakers are shielded from prosecution in a criminal court for the offence of giving or accepting bribes by the legal immunity provided by Articles 105(2) and 194(2) of the Constitution.

Legislators are exempt from prosecution under the following provisions:

• The powers, privileges, and other matters pertaining to the Houses of Parliament, its members, and committees are covered in Article 105 of the Constitution.
• By virtue of this clause, MPs are shielded from liability for any remarks made or deeds committed while doing their duty.
• Some non-members, such as the Indian Attorney General and Ministers who may not be members but speak in the House, are granted this protection.
• Instead of the court, the Speaker of the House will deal with instances where a member goes beyond the bounds of permissible free speech.
• This immunity is extended to MLAs and states by Article 194(2).
• In this case, the court must determine whether or not prosecution for accepting or requesting a bribe falls under the legal immunity enjoyed by legislators.

What was the verdict in 1998?

• Two of the five judges on the bench in this instance expressed the opinion that the immunity given and the protection under Article 105(2) or 194(2) could not apply to cases involving bribery for giving a speech or casting a certain vote in the House.
• The majority opinion was that the Bench’s outrage should not, however, result in a restrictive interpretation of the constitutional provisions because this could undermine the guarantee of parliamentary participation and debate.
• As a result, the top court in 1998 invalidated the MPs’ case by claiming their immunity under Article 105(2).

Source The Hindu

2 – Details of Socialist and secular in Preamble: GS II – Constitution related issues

Context:

• The leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha asserted that the Preamble of the Indian Constitution, copies of which were distributed to MPs, lacked the terms “socialist” and “secular.”

Key information:

• These two phrases were not initially included in the Preamble.
• During the Emergency enacted by the then-prime minister Indira Gandhi, they were inserted by The Constitution (42nd Amendment) Act of 1976.

What does the Constitution’s Preamble say?

• There is a philosophy behind every constitution.
• The Objectives Resolution, which the Constituent Assembly adopted on January 22, 1947, encapsulated the concept that underpinned the Indian Constitution.
• The Objectives Resolution’s aim is expressed in the Preamble of the Constitution.
• It outlines the Constitution’s fundamental tenets and objectives and acts as an introduction to it.
• What is the significance of the phrases “socialist” and “secular” in the Preamble?

Socialist:

• To emphasise that socialism was the aim and philosophy of the Indian state at the time, the administration placed the word in the Preamble.
• However, the socialism that the Indian state envisioned was not the socialism practised at the time in the USSR or China.
• It did not call for the total nationalisation of India’s productive assets.

Secular:

• Enshrining the notion of secularism in the Preamble was done in an effort to foster the unity and brotherhood of the many different religiously affiliated citizens of India.

This basically indicates that:

• The state offers equal protection to all religions,
• respects all religions with neutrality and impartiality, and
• does not support one faith as the official “state religion”.
• Therefore, the Indian Constitution’s secularism is a matter of legislation rather than a matter of religious sentiment.
• Articles 25 to 28 of the Constitution guarantee the secular nature of the Indian state.

Prior to the 42nd Amendment:

• In essence, it has always been a part of the Constitution’s guiding principles.
• The Indian Republic’s founders specifically intended for Articles 25, 26, and 27 to advance and promote the ideology of secularism in the Constitution.
• The 42nd Amendment only formalised the word’s inclusion in the Constitution and made plain what was always implied in the document’s many clauses and overarching philosophy.

Source The Hindu

3 – About Tharosaurus indices: GS III – Environmental Conservation

Context:

• In a report that was just published, scientists described dinosaur fossils from the Middle Jurassic period that the Geological Survey of India discovered in the Thar desert close to the Jaisalmer Basin.

Key information:

• They found the earliest known fossils of this particular species of sauropod after discovering the dinosaur’s remains.
• These fossils are the first dicraeosaurid sauropods to be discovered in India, and they are members of the superfamily Diplodocoidea and the family Dicraeosauridae.
• They are the oldest known diplodocoid fossils in the world at 167 million years old.
• The dinosaur was given the name Tharosaurus indicus, which includes:
• from the Greek “sauros,” which means lizard, and
• owing to its Indian heritage, indicus.

Regarding Saurpods:

• Around 200 million years ago, during the Jurassic period, sauropods first arrived on Earth.
• When dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago during the late Cretaceous period, they were one of the most dominating dinosaur clades.
• While there are plenty of sauropod fossils from the Early Jurassic and Late Cretaceous periods in India, there are surprisingly few from the Middle or Late Jurassic, which would be between 160 and 180 million years ago.
• A few earlier, more primitive sauropods, such Kotasaurus and Barapasaurus, also lived in India.

The value of the Indian landmass:

• India was not where it is today 167 million years ago when Tharosaurus thrived; it was a part of a collection of southern hemisphere continents called Gondwanaland that also included Africa, South America, Madagascar, and Antarctica.
• These diplodocoid sauropods may have had their origins in India during the Middle Jurassic period and may have travelled to Madagascar, Africa, and South America using the land connections available at the time.
• Fossils of diplodocoid dinosaurs can be found on different continents, including Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
• This raises the likelihood that the Tharosaurus’ early radiation occurred on the Indian landmass.
• This shows that this diplodocoid group of sauropods may have evolved and originated in India, along with the discovery of early Jurassic archaic sauropod fossils in India, such as those of Kotasaurus and Barapasaurus.

Source The Hindu

4 – Details of Adi Shankaracharya: GS I – Indian Culture

Context:

• A massive statue of Adi Guru Shankaracharya was recently inaugurated by the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh.

Key information:

• The 108-foot-tall statue, known as the Ekatmata ki Murti (Statue of Oneness), represents the Indian philosopher and theologian from the eighth century who codified the Advaita Vedanta theory.
• The unveiling marked the start of the first phase of the grandiose Ekatma Dham project of the State government.
• The government intends to develop it as a significant site for spiritual and religious tourism along the lines of the Mahakal Lok corridor.

Regarding Adi Shankara:

• Indian philosopher and theologian Adi Shankara developed the Advaita Vedanta philosophy.
• He promoted the ancient Hindu doctrine that describes how the soul (atman) and the Supreme Soul (Nirguna Brahman) are one.
• The efforts of Shankaracharya to combine the six sub-sects, known as the “Shanmata,” are among his most significant works.
• The worship of six ultimate deities is known as “Shanmata,” which means “six religions” in the original Sanskrit.
• He also started the organisation “Dashanami Sampradaya,” which promotes living a monastic lifestyle.
• Despite being a fervent supporter of traditional Hinduism, Shankaracharya denounced the “Mimamsa school of Hinduism,” which was solely based on ritualistic practises.

Works:

• Adi Shankaracharya is well known for his magnificent commentary on classical texts.
• The oldest surviving commentary on the “Brahma Sutra” is his analysis of the text, known as “Brahmasutrabhasya.”
• He also published commentary on the ten main Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita.
• ‘Stotras’ (poems) by Adi Shankaracharya are also well-known.
• Additionally, he wrote the well-known “Upadesasahasri,” which is translated as “a thousand teachings” in English.

Philosophy:

• He argued for the Supreme Soul’s and the soul’s existence.
• According to him, only the Supreme Soul has absolute existence and is genuine, whereas the soul is a changeable thing and does not.

Mathas:

• At each of India’s four cardinal points, Adi Shankaracharya established one of his four monasteries, or “mathas”:

Sharada Peetham of Sringeri:

• Adi Shankaracharya built his first monastery at this location.
• It is situated along the banks of the Tunga River in the southern region of India.
• The Sringeri Sharada Peetham was founded on the principles of the Yajur Veda and promotes the idea of “Aham Brahmasmi” (I am Brahman).

Pitha Dvaraka:

• India’s western region is home to Dvaraka Pitha.
• Dvaraka Pitha was founded on the Sama Veda and promotes “Tattvamasi” (That thou art).
• This matha’s leader was appointed to be Hasta Malaka, also known as Hastamalakacharya.

The Jyotirmatha Peetham:

• In the northern region of India, there stands this monastery.
• The matha that promotes “Ayamatma Brahma” (This Atman is Brahman) was given Totakacharya as its leader.
• The Atharva Veda served as the foundation for Jyotirmatha Peetham.

Govardhana Matha:

• Govardhana Matha is situated in India’s eastern region.
• The well-known Jagannath temple includes the matha.
• This monastery, which promotes the idea that “Prajnanam Brahma” (consciousness is Brahman), was given over to Padmapada.
• Rig Veda served as its foundation.

Source The Hindu

5 – Details of Climate Ambition Summit: GS III – Environmental Conservation

Context:

• Major economies whose actions have a substantial impact on future global emissions were conspicuously absent from the Climate Ambition Summit (CAS), which was held in New York as part of the United Nations General Assembly.

Key information:

• China, the U.S., and India—the top three emitters of greenhouse gases worldwide—who together account for approximately 42% of them—were all conspicuously absent from the meeting.
• The summit’s purpose was to highlight influential figures with credible plans, strategies, and actions to uphold the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 degree Celsius temperature goal and provide climate justice to those who are experiencing the effects of the climate catastrophe firsthand.
• On the summit day, only delegates from 34 states and seven institutions were given the chance to speak.
• The roster of speakers included speakers from growing economies including South Africa and Brazil as well as from India’s neighbours Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Pakistan.
• On the podium with them were Canada, Germany, France, and the European Union.

Countries had to meet the following requirements in order to be considered for a speaking position at the summit:

• revised Nationally Determined Contributions for the period before 2030 (as decided in Glasgow).
• fresh net-zero goals.
• energy transition plans with pledges to stop using new coal, oil, and gas.
• intends to phase out fossil fuels.
• more challenging goals for renewable energy.
• Green Climate Fund contributions.
• plans for resilience and adaptation at the national level.
• All G-20 governments and major emitters would be urged to make the commitment to submit by 2025 more ambitious, economy-wide NDCs that included absolute emissions reductions and covered all gases.

Situation in India:

• India last revised its climate commitments in 2022, pledging to improve its 2015 commitment by 10% and reduce emissions intensity (the amount of emissions per unit of gross domestic product (GDP)) by 45% from 2005 levels by 2030.
• The administration promised to get 50% of its electricity from non-fossil, renewable sources, up from the 40% pledged at the Paris Agreement.
• By 2030, it vowed to increase the amount of forest and tree cover and produce an additional 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of Co2-equivalent [GtCO2e] carbon sink.

Source The Hindu