Daily News Capsules
1. SC stays Aravalli order, stresses ecological risks
The Supreme Court on Monday stayed its November 20 judgment narrowing the definition of Aravalli hills to landforms rising at least 100 metres above the surrounding terrain, holding that there was a “dire need to further probe and clarify” the issue to prevent regulatory gaps that could undermine the ecological integrity of one of India’s most fragile and significant mountain systems. Hearing the matter suo motu (on its own), a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and justices JK Maheshwari and AG Masih ordered that the earlier judgment and the recommendations of a court appointed committee be kept “in abeyance” until a comprehensive re-examination is carried out with the assistance of a high-powered panel of independent domain experts. The interim stay is likely to put on hold the mapping and delineation exercise initiated earlier this month by the Union environment ministry and state governments to identify Aravalli areas strictly on the basis of the now-stayed 100-metre elevation criterion – an exercise that was meant to form the foundation for future mining decisions in the region. Describing the Aravallis as the “green lungs of north-western India”, the court underlined that the two-billion-year-old range serves as an indispensable ecological and socio economic backbone of the region. The decision came after weeks of outrage over concerns that the definition could expose the ancient ranges to commercial exploitation and mining. While stating that there was no scientific material on record to justify outright acceptance of these criticisms, the court said it appeared prima facie that both the committee’s report and the November judgment had failed to expressly clarify several “critical issues”.
Possible Question
Examine the constitutional and regulatory challenges involved in defining ecologically sensitive areas in India. How can judicial intervention both protect environmental integrity and avoid regulatory uncertainty?
2. Apex court puts on hold HC relief for rape convict Sengar
The Supreme Court on Monday stopped the release of former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmaker Kuldeep Singh Sengar, staying a Delhi high court’s order last week that had opened the door for him to walk free and noting that the 2017 Unnao rape case convict was found guilty under both the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (Pocso) and the Indian Penal Code. A special vacation bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and justices J K Maheshwari and Augustine George Masih, which was hearing the Central Bureau of Investigation’s plea challenging the high court order, said that substantial questions of law had arisen in the matter that required consideration. On December 23, the Delhi high court said that Sengar was convicted under Section 5 (C) (aggravated penetrative sexual assault by a public servant) of the Pocso Act but an elected representative did not fit the definition of a “public servant” under Section 21 of IPC. But the top court differed. “This definition of public servant (given by the HC) in the context of POCSO is a little bit disturbing. We are worried if a constable or patwari will be a public servant but an elected member of a legislative assembly or council who is accused of such an offence, by this definition, will be exempt,” said the bench. Sengar, a strongman politician from the Unnao region of central Uttar Pradesh, has won the assembly elections four times from three different parties, most recently from Bangarmau in 2017 on a BJP ticket. In 2019, he was convicted under Indian Penal Code Section 376 (rape) and Section 5(c) of the Pocso Act. A year later, he was convicted under IPC Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) over the death of the survivor’s father in custody. The apex court also issued notice to Sengar, seeking his response within four weeks on CBI’s plea. It noted that Sengar was also convicted and sentenced in a separate case and was still in custody in that matter.
Possible Question
The Supreme Court has questioned a High Court interpretation that excluded elected representatives from the definition of “public servant” under the POCSO Act. Analyse the implications of statutory interpretation on criminal accountability of public office holders. How should courts balance literal interpretation with legislative intent in social protection laws?
3. US pledges $2bn for UN aid, warns agencies to ‘adapt, shrink or die’
The United States on Monday announced a $2 billion pledge for UN humanitarian aid as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to slash US foreign assistance and warns United Nations agencies to “adapt, shrink or die” in a time of new financial realities. The money is a small fraction of what the US has contributed in the past but reflects what the administration believes is a generous amount that will maintain the United States’ status as the world’s largest humanitarian donor. The pledge creates an umbrella fund from which money will be doled out to individual agencies and priorities, a key part of US demands for drastic changes across the world body that have alarmed many humanitarian workers and led to severe reductions in programmes and services. The $2 billion is only a sliver of traditional US humanitarian funding for UN-backed programmes, which has run as high as $17 billion annually in recent years, according to UN data. US officials say only $8-$10 billion of that has been in voluntary contributions. The United States also pays billions in annual dues related to its UN membership. Critics say the Western aid cutbacks have been shortsighted, driven millions towards hunger, displacement or disease, and harmed US soft power around the world. The move caps a crisis year for many UN organisations like its refugee, migration and food aid agencies. The Trump administration has already cut billions in US foreign aid, prompting them to slash spending, aid projects and thousands of jobs. Other traditional Western donors have reduced outlays, too. “This humanitarian reset at the United Nations should deliver more aid with fewer tax dollars — providing more focused, results-driven assistance aligned with U.S foreign policy,” said US Ambassador to the United Nations Michael Waltz.
Possible Question
With the United States sharply reducing traditional humanitarian funding while demanding structural reform of UN agencies, critically assess the impact of donor driven conditionality on multilateral institutions. How might such shifts affect global humanitarian governance and the soft-power balance?
4. Quota can’t bar candidate from merit selection in unreserved category: SC
The Supreme Court has ruled that the mere availability of reservation cannot operate as a bar against a reserved category candidate being considered for unreserved or open category posts, underscoring that even the most meritorious candidates from disadvantaged sections today face intense competition in an era of shrinking public employment. A bench of justices Dipankar Datta and AG Masih made it clear that excluding reserved category candidates from the general pool solely on account of their social category, despite their having secured marks higher than the general cut-off, will not only harm candidates from disadvantaged sections but also undermine the constitutional promise of equality. The court said that it is often out of anxiety to secure employment that such candidates indicate their reserved status at the time of application, but that declaration cannot later be used to fence them off from consideration on pure merit. The judgment pushes the doctrine of the ‘”own merit” candidate a step further, recognising that meritorious candidates from reserved categories cannot be shut out of open competition on artificial grounds of “double benefit” or because of not migrating to general category, and that all open, unreserved and general category posts remain equally accessible to them if they qualify purely on merit. The judgment assumes wider significance in the evolving jurisprudence on reservations, reaffirming that principles of equality under Articles 14 and 16, as the court held cannot be “a sterile invocation of formal legal equality, but an assessment of the real-world consequences.”
Possible Question
The Supreme Court has reaffirmed that meritorious candidates from reserved categories cannot be excluded from unreserved posts solely due to their social category. Examine how this judgment advances the constitutional balance between equality of opportunity and affirmative action under Articles 14 and 16.
5. Industrial output growth at 2-year high of 6.7% in Nov
India’s industrial activity rebounded sharply in November, with the Index of Industrial Production (IIP) rising 6.7% year on year, driven by a strong recovery in manufacturing output, data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) on Monday showed. The November print marks a sharp turnaround from the 0.5% growth recorded in October. The growth in the index is also the highest since October 2023, when it recorded a growth of 11.9%. Manufacturing, which carries the highest weight of 77.6% in the index, expanded 8% in November compared to 2% in October, supported by robust output in basic metals, pharmaceuticals and motor vehicles. Mining output also picked up, growing 5.4% after the end of the monsoon season and stronger production of metallic minerals. The sector had contracted for two preceding months. Electricity generation, however, remained a drag, contracting 1.5% during the month. However, the contraction in November was less than the 6.9% contraction recorded in October. According to the use-based classification, growth was broad-based. Infrastructure and construction goods led with a 12.1% expansion, followed by capital goods at 10.4%, and intermediate goods at 7.3%. These goods had recorded a growth of 7.1%, 2.1%, and 2.6% in October. Consumer goods also showed signs of improvement, with consumer durables growing 10.3% and non-durables rising 7.3% in November. They had recorded a contraction of 1.3% and 5.2% in October. “Encouraging growth in Centre’s capex continues to be positive. Furthermore, the overall capex outlook remains optimistic as evidenced by the strong order books of the capital goods companies. Going forward, while domestic conditions show signs of improvement, global headwinds, especially those stemming from the ongoing tariff-related uncertainties, are expected to persist,” said Rajani Sinha, chief economist at CareEdge Ratings.
Possible Question
India’s Index of Industrial Production recorded its highest growth in two years, driven by manufacturing and capital goods. Analyse the role of public capital expenditure in reviving industrial growth. What structural constraints could limit the sustainability of such a recovery amid global economic uncertainties?
Editorial Snapshots
A. In Myanmar, a flawed election
The three-phase elections that the Tatmadaw (the armed forces) announced to elect a civilian government in Myanmar began on Sunday. But with the principal political group in that country, the National League for Democracy (NLD), and its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, banned from electoral politics, the election has a farcical ring to it. In fact, the United Nations and many Western capitals have questioned the credibility of the elections. Importantly, the junta has little control over large parts of Myanmar, which are under the control of local militias. The junta expects a civilian government, which it can control from the barracks, to negotiate a way out of sanctions that have crippled the Myanmar economy. The military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party is expected to win the election. The junta in Myanmar had disbanded the NLD in 2021, a year after it won the popular mandate. The NLD, drawing on Suu Kyi’s popularity, a result of her family legacy and her own principled political life that included long years of incarceration, was the glue that held together Myanmar’s complex and ethnically diverse polity. For sure, the NLD’s policies towards the Rohingya minority diminished Suu Kyi’s moral authority in the West, but she commanded trust and respect at home. In her absence, Myanmar slid into anarchy, and the strong-arm tactics of the junta only revived the ethnic fault lines, leading to civil war and general misery. India has preferred to watch the developments in Myanmar from the sidelines — Suu Kyi lived in exile in India for many years, and New Delhi has worked to build ties with the Tatmadaw, seen as close to China — despite its impact in the northeastern states. The porous border in Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram, with people across borders sharing ethnic ties, has led to a refugee influx into India. A refugee crisis is in the making in Mizoram, whereas the ethnic conflict in Manipur has a cross-border angle. India has supported a “democratic transition” in Myanmar and underlined the holding of fair elections with full political participation. The poll outcome will be closely watched in New Delhi.
Possible Question
Myanmar’s military-backed elections have drawn criticism for excluding major political actors and lacking territorial control. Discuss why electoral processes without political legitimacy often fail to stabilise post-conflict societies. What are the implications of Myanmar’s crisis for India’s neighbourhood and border management strategy?
B. When Kerala’s capital city has a BJP mayor
A BJP councillor, VV Rajesh, was sworn in as the mayor of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, on Friday. This achievement is significant for both the BJP and Kerala politics. First, the symbolism in having a BJP mayor in the state capital is not to be missed, especially when assembly elections are due in less than six months. Second, the BJP has never before won a corporation in Kerala, which is why Prime Minister Narendra Modi said it was “a watershed moment” for the party. However, the BJP should be worried that its vote share in the local bodies drastically fell from 19.26% in 2020 to 14.76% this time. An interesting aspect of the BJP’s record in Kerala is that the groundwork it has done in the past few years by raising local issues, especially related to faith such as entry of women in the Sabarimala shrine, and building broader social coalitions with the help of caste organisations and political groups outside the two dominant political coalitions in the state, have helped the party increase its vote share in successive elections. But, the rise in votes (for instance, 10.5% vote share in the 2014 general elections to 16.8% in 2024) has not produced the expected electoral gains — the party has won just one assembly seat (2016) and one Lok Sabha seat (2024) from Kerala so far. This is unlike in other southern Indian states, where the BJP has been successfully associated with dominant parties/coalitions and won assembly and parliamentary seats. Kerala politics has been a duopoly since the state’s formation in 1956, and voters have refused to back any party outside the two coalitions led by the CPM and the Congress. The BJP has broken that pattern in Thiruvananthapuram; the challenge is to replicate it in the assembly polls.
Possible Question
A change in political leadership at the municipal level does not always reflect a broader shift in voter preferences. Examine the role of urban local bodies as sites of political experimentation. Can municipal success translate into state-level political legitimacy?
Fact of the day
INSV Kaundinya embarks on first overseas voyage to Oman: Indian Naval Sailing Vessel Kaundinya, the locally built traditional stitched vessel, on Monday sailed on her maiden overseas voyage from Porbandar to Muscat. Western Naval Command chief Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan flagged off the vessel that was inducted in the navy in May. INSV Kaundinya has been constructed using traditional stitched shipbuilding techniques, employing natural materials and methods that date back several centuries. “Inspired by historical sources and iconographic evidence, the vessel represents India’s rich legacy of indigenous shipbuilding, seamanship, and oceanic navigation. The voyage retraces ancient maritime routes that once connected the western coast of India with Oman, facilitating trade, cultural exchange and sustained civilisational interactions across the Indian Ocean,” the navy said in a statement. The arrival of INSV Kaundinya in Muscat will serve as a powerful symbol of the enduring bonds of friendship, mutual trust, and respect that have linked the two maritime nations for centuries, it added. “The voyage also highlights the deep historical connections between Gujarat and Oman, reflecting a legacy of cooperation that continues to the present day.”
