GS2: Governor
Governors can’t sit over Bills endlessly: SC judges
Context: Three of the five judges on the Presidential Reference Bench orally observed along with the States of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal that Governors could not sit endlessly over Bills placed before them for assent.
- Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai and Justices Vikram Nath and P.S. Narasimha separately remarked that Governors could neither delay the wisdom of the legislature indefinitely nor impede the functioning of the Constitution. “No organ can impair the functioning of the Constitution,” Justice Narasimha said.
- Tamil Nadu, represented by senior advocates A.M. Singhvi and P. Wilson, said Governors “cannot assume to be royalty in a Republic”.
- Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, for West Bengal, submitted that high offices under the Constitution must work collaboratively and not combatively with each other.
- “When the Constitution is clear that a Governor should act with immediacy, why should he hold back Bills? There is a sense of urgency associated with the Governor’s assent. Legislation is a sovereign act. It cannot wait,” Mr. Sibal emphasised.
- Mr. Singhvi said that Bills were meant to realise the felt necessity of the times.
- Mr. Sibal argued that “absurdity” would follow if the court agreed with the Centre’s argument that Governors had absolute power to withhold State Bills under Article 200 (Governors’ power to assent to Bills).
- Countering the Centre, he said States cannot go in search of political solutions to coax Governors’ assent. Gubernatorial delay thwarts the constitutional scheme, he said. “This Constitution has its genesis in history, but its alignment is with the future… And who decides the future of this country? You five in this case. The future of India is at stake if you give such absurd powers to the Governor,” Mr. Sibal submitted.
- The Bench is hearing a Presidential Reference of May questioning time limits placed on the Governors and the President to deal with State Bills.
- The Reference followed an April 8 judgment pronounced by a two-judge Bench of the apex court in the case of the Tamil Nadu Governor, who had delayed assent to 10 State Bills since 2020. The Division Bench had imposed a three-month deadline for the President and Governors to decide the fate of the Bills. If the Bills were left pending beyond three months, they would be “deemed” to have received assent and become laws.
- The Bench, however, expressed doubts about the court imposing “general” time limits on the President and Governors and granting “deemed assent” to Bills. “What happens if the time limit of three months set by the Supreme Court [in the TN Governor judgment] is not followed by the President or Governors,” Justice Nath asked. He queried why it was “deemed assent” alone. “Why cannot the other options —withholding assent or reference to the President — also be “deemed”.
- Justice Narasimha said time limits could be prescribed in individual cases after considering the peculiar facts and circumstances of each.
- Chief Justice Gavai said a broad brushstroke of a “general” timeline applicable to all cases of delay may amount to overreaching by the judiciary. “Timelines help in maintaining discipline and immediacy. This dispute began with individual cases. Kerala and Tamil Nadu came with their own cases. However, the problem [gubernatorial delay] has proven to be endemic and repetitive,” Mr. Singhvi said explaining the reason for the Tamil Nadu Governor case judgment fixing a “general” three-month deadline.
- Mr. Sibal said the sovereign act of the legislation cannot be impaired by a recalcitrant Governor. “He cannot say ‘I choose to sit back and do nothing’. The Governor is not a postman. He has certain play in the joints. If he feels a Bill requires consideration by the President, the Governor can consult lawyers, etc, and refer it…,” he said.
Sources: TH
GS2: Welfare of Backward classes
Maharashtra forms panel for Maratha quota; protest ends
Context: The Maharashtra government issued a Government Resolution (GR) announcing the formation of a special committee to facilitate the issuance of Kunbi caste certificates to eligible members of the Maratha community.
- The decision followed marathon negotiations between State Ministers and activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, who had been on a hunger strike at Mumbai’s Azad Maidan for five days, demanding reservation for the Marathas under the Other Backward Classes category. Following the announcement, Mr. Jarange-Patil ended his fast.
- “In accordance with the historical references contained in the Hyderabad gazetteer, a dedicated scrutiny process shall be conducted to verify documents and establish eligibility of persons from the Maratha community for Kunbi caste certificates. The committee shall ensure that every claim is assessed in a time-bound and transparent manner,” the GR stated.
- Shortly after the announcement, celebrations erupted at the Azad Maidan and the CSMT Square, where thousands of protesters had gathered.
- Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis hailed the resolution and thanked Mr. Jarange-Patil for calling off the protest. “My government has always worked for the welfare of the Maratha community. The Kunbi certification process ensures that eligible individuals can benefit lawfully while maintaining balance with OBC reservation,” Mr. Fadnavis said.
Sources: TH
GS2: Polity; Foreigners Tribunals
FTs can issue arrest warrants, send ‘foreigners’ to detention centres
Context: The Union Home Ministry has given the Foreigners Tribunals (FT), so far unique to Assam, powers of a first class judicial magistrate. The fresh Immigration and Foreigners Order, 2025, notified paves the way to send persons to a detention or a holding centre if they fail to produce any proof that they are “not a foreigner”. This was earlier enforced through executive orders.
- The 2025 order, which replaces the Foreigners (Tribunal) Order, 1964, empowers the FTs to issue arrest warrants if a person whose nationality has been contested fails to appear in person. The order has been notified under the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, passed by Parliament in April repealing four other laws.
- According to Assam’s Home Department, there were 11 Illegal Migrant Determination Tribunals (IMDT) in the State that were converted to tribunals after the Supreme Court scrapped the Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunals) Act, 1983, in 2005. In total, 100 FTs are currently operational in the State.
- The number of FTs was increased after the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was published in 2019 in Assam on the orders of the Supreme Court. The NRC, again unique to Assam, excluded 19 lakh out of 3.29 crore applicants and FTs were to give adequate opportunity to the those excluded from NRC to present their case.
- Though the order is applicable across the country, FTs are functional only in Assam.
- In other States, an illegal migrant is produced before a local court.
Curbs on employment
- The order also bars employing foreigners in private undertakings that are engaged in the supply of power or water, in the petroleum sector, in the fields of defence, space technology, nuclear energy and human rights without the Central government’s nod.
- “The designated Border Guarding Forces or the Coast Guard shall take steps to prevent illegal migrants attempting to enter into India by sending them back after capturing their biometric information and available demographic details on the designated portal of the Central Government,” the order said. It added that matters related to detection and deportation of illegal migrants settled in the country shall be closely monitored by a nodal officer designated for this purpose by the State government.
- The order states that a foreigner may be refused entry or stay in India, “if he is convicted on charges of anti-national activities, espionage, rape and murder, crime against humanity, terrorist and subversive activity… human trafficking, racketeering in fake travel document and currency (including crypto currency), cyber crime, child abuse or found involved in such offences.”
- The Ministry notified the Immigration and Foreigners (Exemption) Order, 2025 exempting Nepal and Bhutan citizens , Tibetans, and Sri Lankan Tamils from the Act.
Sources: TH
GS3: Economy; GST
SJM seeks lower rate of GST on beedi and plastic waste
- The Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), the economic wing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, on Tuesday requested Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to reconsider the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on beedi and plastic waste, saying higher tax will affect the people working in this sector.
- In a letter to the Finance Minister, the SJM said that the beedi industry is a major source of employment, especially for women in more than nine States of India.
- Similarly, millions of ragpickers are engaged in collection of plastic waste and an 18% GST reduces incentives for rag-pickers who collect and recycle plastic waste, the SJM said. The GST council is set to meet on September 3 and 4.
Sources: TH
GS3: Environment; Climate Change
COP-30 to focus on known solutions, says its President
Context: Instead of big-ticket announcements, the forthcoming edition of the UN climate summit is expected to focus on “well-known solutions”, with the host country, Brazil, moving to cleave the “negotiations” aspect of climate talks from the “implementation” of agreements.
- The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will hold its 30th Conference of Parties (COP-30) in November, in the Brazilian port city of Belem, a gateway to the Amazonian rainforest.
- With U.S. President Donald Trump having withdrawn his country from the UNFCCC’s Paris Agreement for the second time and casting global trade into flux with his tariffs, diplomats and seasoned climate negotiators said that this was a “difficult year and things could go bad” for the COP process.
- However, COP-30 president André Corrêa do Lago, a Brazilian Minister, insisted that there are also “grounds for optimism”. Addressing a conclave organised here by the Council on Energy Environment and Water (CEEW), he said: “In the run-up to COP-30, we are trying to de-couple the process of negotiation – and agreements like the UNFCCC are designed for negotiation – from that of implementation.”
- The typical process of climate negotiations in most COPs focusses on creating a “text”, said Mr. Lago, noting that it was “horribly difficult” to assemble all countries and have them agree on one.
COP-21 Paris Agreement
- The Paris Agreement ironed out at COP-21 in 2015 is considered historic as it committed all countries, not just developed countries, to take action to contain greenhouse gas emissions to keep the increase in average global temperatures from exceeding 2 degrees Celsius and “as far as possible below 1.5C” by the turn of the century. However, scientific assessments suggest that the impact of all countries’ current commitments, even if implemented, will still lead to an increase of more than 2.6 C.
Sources: TH
GS3: Polity; Public Accounts Committee
Parliament panel seeks better rural mobile services
Context: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament, headed by Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal, has directed India’s leading telecom service providers to share details of steps taken to improve the network.
- Expressing concern over poor connectivity of mobile networks in rural areas, the PAC, at a meeting, discussed the subject of “Levy and regulation of fees, tariffs, user charges, etc. on public infrastructure and other public utilities”.
- “Today, the Public Accounts Committee deliberated over the audit report that flagged the delay of payments by private providers to the Telecommunications Department due to various reasons. We thoroughly examined the issue,” Mr. Venugopal said at the conclusion of the meeting. The members pointed out that the problem was pronounced in border districts, especially in the northeastern States, sources said.
- Connectivity is extremely poor in villages on the India-Nepal border that many residents opted for Nepal networks, one of the members said.
- The four service providers were asked by the panel to take more care to expand their networks in such remote districts.The members also flagged the lukewarm progress made by the National Broadband Mission.
Sources: TH
GS3: Science & Technology; Semiconductor
PM Modi receives first Made in India Vikram 32-bit chip
Context: Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw presented Prime Minister Narendra Modi a memento containing the ‘Made in India’ Vikram 32-bit Processor Launch Vehicle Grade chip at the Semicon India 2025.
- The microprocessor chips were designed and developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL), Chandigarh.
- Utilised for space flights, it is an advanced refurbished version of the indigenously designed 16-bit VIKRAM1601 microprocessor, which has been used in the Avionics system of ISRO’s launch vehicles since 2009.
- Other than the ‘Made in India’ chip, the memento also contained 31 more prototype chips created by academic institutions including IIT Jammu, IIT Roorkee, IIT Dhanbad, NIT Durgapur, NIT Calicut and IIT Ropar, among others.
- In his address at the annual semiconductor conference, the Union Minister overseeing technology observed that in the three-and-a-half years since the inauguration of the Indian Semiconductor Mission “the world is looking at India with confidence”.
- Elaborating on India’s progress in the realm, Mr. Vaishnaw said construction of five semi-conductor units was going on at a rapid pace, with the pilot line of one unit completed.
- Two more units are expected to start production “in a few months from now”, he said. “Overall, foundation of the foundational industry is laid very well,” he observed.
- Pitching India as a potential manufacturing hub to the participants from the semiconductor ecosystem on Tuesday, Mr. Vaishnaw said, “In these uncertain times, you should come to India because our policies are stable, we have attempted to cover all important aspects of the manufacturing sector.”
Sources: TH