The citizen’s ‘climate rights’

• In a recent ruling in M K Ranjitsinh & Ors. v. Union of India, the Supreme Court affirmed that individuals have a fundamental right to be free from the negative consequences of climate change while highlighting the need for nations like India to respect their international commitments for a healthy and sustainable development.

Background of M K Ranjitsinh & Ors. vs Union of India Case:

• The Great Indian Bustard (GIB), which is critically endangered, was at issue in this case.
• M K Ranjitsinh, a former government officer and conservationist, filed a writ petition in 2021 to save the endangered Greater Giant Butterfly and Lesser Florican.
• According to the Supreme Court, everyone has a “right to be free from the adverse effects of climate change,” which the Constitution’s Articles 14 and 21 ought to recognize.
• Chief Justice of India (CJI) D Y Chandrachud, along with Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, comprised the three-judge bench that rendered this decision.

The latest revision to the previous ruling rendered by the Supreme Court:

Who applied for modification of an earlier case?

• The 2021 order was sought to be modified by the Ministries of Power, Environment, Forests and Climate Change, and New and Renewable Energy on the grounds that it would negatively affect India’s power industry and that it would be impractical to subterranean electrical lines.
• One of the main justifications for requesting a revision of the 2021 decree is the Paris Climate Treaty of 2015.

What SC did say in this case?

• Subterranean powerlines: After taking into account variables like topography, population density, and infrastructure needs, the Supreme Court revised its April 2021 ruling directing the undergrounding of high- and low-voltage power lines. It also instructed specialists to evaluate the viability of subterraneaning power lines in particular locations.
• The previous course was unworkable: The decision recognized that, in addition to not being practical to carry out, the prior directives “would not result in achieving its stated purpose, i.e., the conservation of the GIB.”
• Appropriate link between FR and DPSP: The court underlined that the right to life and personal liberty as guaranteed by Article 21 must be taken into consideration when interpreting the Directive Principles of State Policy when addressing environmental concerns.

What are the implications of the judgment for environmental jurisprudence?

• Enhancing Environmental and Climate Justice: By acknowledging the complex effects of climate change on many communities, the ruling places a strong emphasis on enhancing environmental and climate justice.
• Extension of Article 14 and Right to Life: The ruling broadens the protection of equality before the law provided by Article 14 of the Constitution to include environmental issues.
• Impact on Government Policies and Public debate: It is anticipated that the ruling would impact government policies and public debate on environmental concerns, reshaping priorities and public perceptions of environmental protection.
• Creation of Legal precedent: The ruling creates a major legal precedence by recognizing the “right against adverse effects of climate change.”

The Supreme Court’s affirmation of people’ “right to be free from adverse effects of climate change” fortifies environmental justice, broadens constitutional safeguards, shapes public policy, and establishes a significant legal precedent.

Does the right to clean environment entail legal regulation on burning crackers during Diwali? Discus in the light of Article 21 of Indian Constitution and judgements of the apex in this regard.(UPSC 2015)

The most significant achievement of modern law in India is the constitutionalization of environmental problems by the Supreme Court.” Discuss this statement with the help of relevant case laws. (UPSC 2022)

POEM-3: ISRO’s ‘Zero Orbital Debris’ Milestone

According to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), there is essentially no trash in Earth’s orbit left over from the PSLV-C58/XPoSat mission.

About PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3 (POEM-3)

• POEM-3 was launched on January 1, 2024, using the PSLV-C58 vehicle’s discarded PS4 stage, which was used to launch XPoSat first.
• In order to support payloads, it is a three-axis, altitude-controlled platform with power production, telecommand, and telemetry capabilities.
• The goal of the XPoSat mission was to leave no debris in orbit, proving ISRO’s dedication to ethical space operations.
• In order to reduce orbit decay time when the experiment is over, POEM-3 was guided to a 350 km circular orbit after being launched into an orbit at 650 km.
• POEM-3 spent 73 days in space before returning to Earth’s atmosphere after 400 orbits.

Significance of this achievement

• Space debris is becoming a major concern because to the increase of satellites orbiting the planet.
• The majority of space debris in low earth orbit (LEO) is made up of rocket, spacecraft, and defunct satellite fragments as well as items that have undergone explosive degradation due to anti-satellite missile testing.
• There are times when this debris travels around at up to 27,000 km/h.
• They are a threat to multiple space assets because of their sheer bulk and momentum.

Threats posed by Space Debris

Space debris also leads to two major risks:

• It creates unusable regions of the orbit due to excessive debris, and
• Leads to the ‘Kessler syndrome’ – creation of more debris due to cascading collisions resulting from one collision.

Sittwe Port in Myanmar

• India now has the authority to run Sittwe, a second overseas port in Myanmar, in addition to Chabahar.
• This construction is a component of the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport project, which intends to use the Sittwe port to offer alternative connections from India’s eastern coast to the northeastern states.

About Sittwe Port

• Situated in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, the Sittwe Port is an essential part of the Kaladan multimodal transit transport project.
• It was created in accordance with a framework agreement between India and Myanmar for the building and management of a Kaladan River multimodal transportation facility.
• It is a deep-water port that improves trade and connectivity between India and Myanmar by acting as a maritime gateway.

Significance

• The Kaladan multi-modal transit system project includes the Sittwe Port.
• The project intends to establish a maritime link between the seaports of Sittwe, Myanmar, and Kolkata, eastern India.
• Additionally, it connects Paletwa, Myanmar, to Zorinpui, Mizoram, via a road component, and Sittwe Port to Paletwa, Myanmar, via the Kaladan River canal.
• In addition to providing a different route for exporting commodities to the northeastern states, this link will drastically cut the price and travel time from Kolkata to Mizoram and other destinations.
• Additionally, it will lessen reliance on the chicken’s neck, or Siliguri Corridor, which is crammed between Bangladesh and Bhutan.

CREDIT-DEPOSIT RATIO

• According to data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the ratio of credit to deposits has risen to its highest point in a minimum of two decades.

Context:

• The increase in the credit-deposit ratio suggests that a larger portion of the bank’s deposit base is being used for loans, such as mortgages and other loans for consumer goods.

About CREDIT-DEPOSIT RATIO

• A financial indicator called the credit-deposit ratio quantifies the percentage of a bank’s total deposit base that is allocated to lending.
• It is computed by dividing the bank’s total amount of loans by the total amount of deposits.
• A lower ratio implies that more deposits are being kept in reserve or invested in other assets, whilst a higher ratio shows that a greater percentage of the bank’s deposits are being given out as credit.
• A bank that has an 80% credit-deposit ratio, for example, is using 80% of its deposits to fund loans. When evaluating a bank’s lending ability and liquidity, this ratio is essential.

GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL (GCC)

• The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has unveiled its “Vision for Regional Security” in Riyadh for the first time since its founding.

Context:

• In regional politics, the GCC is important because it fosters cooperation in a number of areas.

About GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL (GCC)

• A regional, intergovernmental, political, and economic union, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is also referred to as the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.
• Six nations make up the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC): Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
• The GCC was formally chartered in 1981 and came into existence.
• in May 25, 1981, in Abu Dhabi City, United Arab Emirates, the charter was signed (in the Islamic calendar, this day is May 21, 1401).
• The goal of the GCC is to promote business, science, and economic cooperation among its member nations.
• It provides a forum for coordination and cooperation at the regional level.
• The capital city of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh, is home to the GCC’s main office.
• The GCC’s armed wing, the Peninsula Shield Force, was established in 1984.