Droupadi Murmu elected 15th President of India

Former Jharkhand Governor Droupadi Murmu was elected the 15th President of India, the first (santhal) tribal woman to be appointed to the position and the youngest as well.

The President of India

The President of India is recognized as the first citizen of the country and the head of the state.

The elected President of India is a part of the Union Executive along with several other members of the parliament including the Prime Minister, Attorney-General of India and the Vice – president.

Electing the President

The provisions of the election of the President are laid down in Article 54 of the Constitution of India.

The Presidential and Vice-Presidential Election Act 1952 led to the establishment of this Constitutional provision.

Qualifications to become the President of India

The qualification of being the President of India are given below:

He/ She must be an Indian citizen

A person must have completed the age of 35.

A person must be qualified for election as a member of the House of the People.

Must not hold a government (central or state) office of profit

A person is eligible for election as President if he/she is holding the office of President or Vice-President.

Actual course of election

The President of India is elected indirectly by an Electoral College following the system of proportional representation utilizing a single transferable vote system and secret ballots.

MPs and MLAs vote based on parity and uniformity values.

Why need Proportional representation?

The President of India is elected through proportional representation using the means of the single transferable vote (Article 55(3)).

It allows the independent candidates and minority parties to have the chance of representation.

It allows the practice of coalition with many voters under one government.

This system ensures that candidates who are elected don’t represent the majority of the electorate’s opinion.

Why is President indirectly elected?

If Presidents were to be elected directly, it would become very complicated.

It would, in fact, be a disaster because the public doesn’t have absolute clarity of how the president-ship runs or if the candidate fits the profile of a president.

Another reason why the direct election system isn’t favorable is that the candidate running for the president’s profile will have to campaign around the country with the aid of a political party.

And, this will result in massive political instability.

Moreover, it would be difficult and impossible for the government to hand out election machinery (given the vast population of India).

This will cost the government financially and may end up affecting the economy as well.

The indirect election system is a respectable system for the First Man of India (rightly deserving).

The system/method of indirect electing of the president also allows the states to maintain neutrality and minimize hostility.

Women have Right to Safe Abortion: SC

Denying an unmarried woman the right to a safe abortion violates her personal autonomy and freedom, the Supreme Court held in an order.

What did the SC say?

A woman’s right to reproductive choice is an inseparable part of her personal liberty under Article 21 of the Constitution.

She has a sacrosanct right to bodily integrity, the court quoted from precedents.

The court said forcing a woman to continue with her pregnancy would not only be a violation of her bodily integrity but also aggravate her mental trauma.

Indispensable clause of safety

The court ordered a medical board to be formed by the AIIMS to check whether it was safe to conduct an abortion on the woman and submit a report in a week.

What is the case?

A Bench led by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud was hearing the appeal of a woman who wanted to abort her 24-week pregnancy after her relationship failed and her partner left her.

The lower court had taken an “unduly restrictive view” that her plea for a safe abortion was not covered under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act.

This was since the pregnancy arose from a consensual relationship outside wedlock.

What was the last amendment?

The court noted that an amendment to the Act in 2021 had substituted the term ‘husband’ with ‘partner’, a clear signal that the law covered unmarried women within its ambit.

Reiterating the live-in recognition

Chastising the lower court, the Bench said live-in relationships had already been recognised by the Supreme Court.

There were a significant number of people in social mainstream who see no wrong in engaging in pre-marital sex.

The law could not be used to quench “notions of social morality” and unduly interfere in their personal autonomy and bodily integrity.

Russia resumes gas supplies to Europe via Nord Stream Pipeline

Russia restored critical gas supplies to Europe through Germany via the Nord Stream pipeline after 10 days of uncertainty in guise of maintenance.

Nord Stream Pipeline

It is a system of offshore natural gas pipelines running under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany.

It includes two active pipelines running from Vyborg to Lubmin near Greifswald forming the original Nord Stream, and two further pipelines under construction running from Ust-Luga to Lubmin termed Nord Stream 2.

In Lubmin the lines connect to the OPAL line to Olbernhau on the Czech border and to the NEL line to Rehden near Bremen.

The first line Nord Stream-1 was laid and inaugurated in 2011 and the second line in 2012.

At 1,222 km in length, Nord Stream is the longest sub-sea pipeline in the world, surpassing the Langeled pipeline.

Why in news?

Germany, which is heavily dependent on Russian gas, had feared that Moscow would not reopen the pipeline after the scheduled work and accused Moscow of using energy as a “weapon”.

The showdown came amid the worst tensions in several years over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Germany believes Russia is squeezing supplies in retaliation for Western sanctions over the war.

Why is Russian gas so important?

(1) Major chunk of energy

Russia supplied some 40% of Europe’s natural gas before the war.

That has dropped to around 15%, sending prices through the roof and straining energy-intensive industries.

(2) Everyday use

Gas is used across a range of processes that most people never see – to forge steel to make cars, make glass bottles and pasteurise milk and cheese.

Companies warn that they often can’t switch overnight to other energy sources such as fuel oil or electricity to produce heat.

(3) Fuel inflation

High energy prices are already threatening to cause a recession in Europe through record inflation, with consumers having less to spend as costs rise for food, fuel and utilities.

A complete cutoff could deal an even heavier blow to an already troubled economy.

What is visible in Russia’s game plan?

Since the invasion, Russia’s revenue from exporting oil and gas to Europe has doubled over the average from recent years, to $95 billion.

So Putin has cash in hand and could calculate that painful utility bills and an energy recession could undermine public support for Ukraine in Europe and increase sentiment for a negotiated settlement in his favour.

It would be unwise to exclude the possibility that Russia could decide to forgo the revenue it gets from exporting gas to Europe in order to gain political leverage.

What alternatives does Europe have?

The EU has turned to more-expensive liquefied natural gas, or LNG, which comes by ship from places like the US and Qatar.

Germany is fast-tracking construction of LNG import terminals on its North Sea coast, but that will take years.

But LNG alone can’t make up the gap.

Conservation and other energy sources are key.

Could people freeze this winter?

Its unlikely homes, schools and hospitals will lose heat because governments are required to impose rationing first on businesses.

The German government also could allow gas suppliers to immediately pass on increases to customers.

The choices could include torpedoing industry and/or socking consumers with even higher bills.

The IEA recommends that European countries step up campaigns for people to conserve at home and plan to share gas in an emergency.

Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022

The Lok Sabha deferred the consideration and passing of the Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022 as the Opposition benches were empty due to the ongoing protests outside of Parliament.

Indian Antarctic Bill, 2022

Aims and objectives:

To provide for national measures to protect the Antarctic environment and associated ecosystems and to give effect to the Antarctic Treaty

To provide a harmonious policy framework for India’s Antarctic activities through a well-established legal mechanism

Facilitate activities of the Indian Antarctic programme, including management of Antarctic tourism and sustainable development of fisheries

To prohibit carrying of certain activities without a permit or the written authorisation of another party to the protocol

To provide for inspection in India by an officer designated by the Central government as an Inspector and to constitute an inspection team to carry out inspections in Antarctica

To prohibit drilling, dredging, excavation or collection of mineral resources or even doing anything to identify where such mineral deposits occur.

Key feature: Committee on Antarctic governance

It will empower the government to establish a committee on Antarctic governance and environmental protection to monitor, implement and ensure compliance with the relevant international laws, emissions standards and rules of protection.

The panel is to be headed by the secretary of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, as ex officio chairperson.

Among other roles, he/she has also been the vice-president of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research of the International Science Council since 2018.

The committee will have ten members from various ministries, departments and organizations of the Union government, plus two experts on the Antarctic environment or other relevant areas.

Prohibited activities

The Bill prohibits certain activities in Antarctica including:

Nuclear explosion or disposal of radioactive wastes,

Introduction of non-sterile soil, and

Discharge of garbage, plastic or other substance into the sea which is harmful to the marine environment

Need for the Antarctic Legislation

The growing presence of Indian scientists in Antarctica and the commitment to Antarctic research and protection prompted the government to adopt domestic legislation consistent with its obligations as a member of the Antarctic Treaty system.

These laws will enable India’s courts to deal with disputes or crimes committed in parts of Antarctica, and help build credibility vis-à-vis India’s participation.