06 May 2021: UPSC Exam Comprehensive News Analysis

A. GS 1 Related

Category: GEOGRAPHY

1. Unfamiliar lineament among Assam earthquake factors

Context:

An unfamiliar lineament is among the factors behind frequent earthquakes in northern Assam’s Sonitpur area.

• Sonitpur was the epicentre of the huge 6.4 earthquake after 33 years because of the tectonic complexity. 

Read more on the recent Assam Earthquake covered in 29^th April 2021 Comprehensive News Analysis.

Details:

• According to the Geological Survey of India (GSI), Sonitpur district lies within a tectonically complex triangular area bounded by the east-west trending Atherkhet Fault, the northwest-southeast trending Kopili Fault and a north-south trending lineament.
  • A lineament is a linear feature in a landscape dictated by an underlying geological structure such as a fault.
• The two faults and the lineament, along with the oblique convergence of the Indian plate, have caused frequent earthquakes.
  • Both the Atherkhet and Kopilli faults are active.
  • However, Atherkhet and Kopili are not the only faults that impact the Sonitpur region.
  • The Siang Fracture, Yemla Fault, Namula Thrust and Canyon Thrust are spread across the northeast and are active along with Main Himalayan Thrust, Main Boundary Thrust, Main Central Thrust and several subsidiary faults.
• The northeast is demarcated as Seismic Zone V, which indicates a zone with high vulnerability.
  • The Indian plate is moving northeast toward the Eurasian plate in the Himalayan region, their oblique collision and release of stress and strain accumulated in the local tectonic or fault environments lead to earthquakes.

B. GS 2 Related

Category: POLITY AND GOVERNANCE

1. Maratha quota unconstitutional, violates right to equality, says SC

Context:

A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court unanimously declared the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act of 2018, unconstitutional.

• The Maharashtra law provides reservation benefits to the Maratha community taking the quota limit in the State in excess of 50%.
• The law granted reservation to the Maratha community in admissions and government jobs in the state. 

Details:

• The Bench, led by Justice Ashok Bhushan, found there were no “exceptional circumstances” or “extraordinary situation” in Maharashtra, which required the State government to break the 50% ceiling limit to bestow quota benefits on the Maratha community.
• All five judges agreed that the Marathas are a dominant forward class and are in the mainstream of national life. The above situation is not extraordinary.
• The SC struck down the findings of the Justice M.G. Gaikwad Commission, which led to the enactment of the Maratha quota law, and set aside the Bombay High Court judgment which validated the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act of 2018.

State Government’s Argument:

• The state government’s argument was that since the population of the backward class is 85% and the reservation limit is only 50%, an increase in reservation limit would qualify as an extraordinary circumstance.
• All five judges disagreed with this argument.

Supreme Court Verdict:

• The High Court, in June 2019, reduced the quantum of reservation for Marathas from the 16% recommended by the Gaikwad Commission to 12% in education and 13% in employment.
  • The Supreme Court concluded that even the reduced percentages were ultra vires.
• The Supreme Court held that a separate reservation for the Maratha community violated Articles 14 (right to equality) and 21 (due process of law).
• “The ceiling of 50% with the ‘extraordinary circumstances’ exception, is the just balance — what is termed as the ‘Goldilocks solution’ — i.e. the solution containing the right balance that allows the State sufficient latitude to ensure meaningful affirmative action to those who deserve it and at the same time ensures that the essential content of equality,” Justice S. Ravindra Bhat on the Bench agreed.

Revisiting 1992 Indra Sawhney judgment:

• The Supreme Court declined to revisit its 1992 Indra Sawhney judgment, which fixed the reservation limit at 50%.
• The Indira Sawhney judgment had categorically said “50% shall be the rule, only in certain exceptional and extraordinary situations for bringing far-flung and remote area population into mainstream, 50% rule can be relaxed.”
• The court said that the 50% ceiling, although an arbitrary determination by the court in 1992, is now constitutionally recognised.

On 102^nd Constitutional Amendment:

• The Constitution (One Hundred and Second Amendment) Act, 2018 gives constitutional status to the National Backward Classes Commission. The Amendment also gives the President powers to notify backward classes.
• Several states raised questions on the interpretation of the Amendment and argued that it curtails their powers.
• The Bench unanimously upheld the constitutional validity of the 102nd Amendment.
  • The Court has ruled that, henceforth, there will only be a single list of socially and educationally backward classes with respect to each State and Union Territory notified by the President of India.
• The Supreme Court held that “the final say in regard to inclusion or exclusion (or modification of lists) of socially and economically backward classes (SEBCs) is firstly with the President under Article 342A (1), and thereafter, in case of modification or exclusion from the lists initially published, with the Parliament”.
• In the task of identification of SEBCs, the President shall be guided by the Commission set up under Article 338B; its advice shall also be sought by the state in regard to policies that might be framed by it.
• The Centre alone is empowered to identify Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) and include them in the Central List for claiming reservation benefits.
• While the identification of SEBCs will be done centrally, state governments retain the power to determine the extent of reservation and make specific policy in the spirit of “cooperative federalism”.
• The President’s prerogative as regards the identification and inclusion of SEBCs in the List would not affect the States’ power to make reservations in favour of particular communities or castes, the quantum of reservations, the nature of benefits and the kind of reservations, and all other matters falling within the ambit of Articles 15 and 16.

C. GS 3 Related

Category: ECONOMY

1. RBI steps in to ease COVID-19 burden

Context:

The Reserve Bank of India has stepped in with measures aimed at alleviating any financing constraints for healthcare infrastructure and services, as well as small borrowers who may be facing distress due to a sudden spike in health expenditure amidst the surge in COVID-19 cases.

Details:

• RBI Governor announced a Term Liquidity Facility of ₹50,000 crore with a tenor of up to three years, at the repo rate, to ease access to credit for providers of emergency health services.
• Under the scheme, banks will provide fresh lending support to a wide range of entities, including vaccine manufacturers, importers/suppliers of vaccines and priority medical devices, hospitals/dispensaries, pathology labs, manufacturers and suppliers of oxygen and ventilators, and logistics firms.
• These loans will continue to be classified under the priority sector till repayment or maturity, whichever is earlier.
• Under the scheme, banks are expected to create a COVID loan book.
• As part of a “comprehensive targeted policy response”, the RBI has also unveiled schemes to provide credit relief to individual and MSME borrowers impacted by the pandemic.
  • To provide further support to small business units, micro and small industries, and other unorganised sector entities, the RBI decided to conduct special three-year long-term repo operations (SLTRO) of ₹10,000 crore at the repo rate for Small Finance Banks.
  • The SFBs would be able to deploy these funds for fresh lending of up to ₹10 lakh per borrower.

D. GS 4 Related

Nothing here for today!!!

F. Prelims Facts

Nothing here for today!!!

G. Tidbits

Nothing here for today!!!

H. UPSC Prelims Practice Questions

Q1. Which of the following was held by the Supreme Court in Indra Sawhney v Union of India
case?

1. Economic backwardness is not a criteria for providing reservation.
2. Reservation can be provided only at the time of recruitment, and not at the time of the promotions.
3. Reservation cannot exceed 50% under any circumstance as it was needed to ensure “efficiency” in administration.

Select the correct option from below:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 1 and 3 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. All of the above

Q2. The Constitution (One Hundred and Second Amendment) Act, 2018 deals with:

1. Withdrawal of political reservation in favour of Anglo Indians.
2. Providing constitutional status to National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC).
3. 10% reservation in government jobs and educational institutions for the economically weaker section in the unreserved category.
4. Implementation of Goods and Services Tax.

Q3. Which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. Department of Military Affairs (DMA) is headed by the Chief of Defence Staff, as its ex-officio secretary.
2. Officers from the Army, Navy and the Air Force are posted as Joint Secretaries in the Department of Military Affairs (DMA).
3. Department of Military Affairs (DMA) is an independent department directly under the command of the Prime Minister.

Options:

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 1 and 3 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. All of the above

Q4. Consider the following statements:

1. MRIs (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) use radio waves and CT (Computed Tomography) scans use X-rays.
2. CT scans can spot blood clots while X-rays cannot.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Q5. Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding Brahmo Samaj? (UPSC 2012)

1. It opposed idolatry.
2. It denied the need for a priestly class for interpreting the religious texts.
3. It popularized the doctrine that the Vedas are infallible.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

1. 1 only
2. 1 and 2 only
3. 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

I. UPSC Mains Practice Questions

1. The Supreme Court declared the Maratha quota to be unconstitutional as it violates the right to equality. Critically evaluate. (250 words; 15 marks) [GS-2, Polity and Governance]
2. Write a detailed note on the India-Sri Lanka fishermen dispute. (250 words; 15 marks) [GS-2, International Relations]