Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Village Defence Guards (VDGs)
Mains level: Terrorism, insurgency and Border security challenge
Context
- The revival of the Village Defence Committees (VDCs), albeit with a new name, Village Defence Guards (VDG), in the Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu division has been viewed with suspicion. Sceptics doubt the prospects of its success in combating terrorism, which has raised its head in the region after a prolonged lull.
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What are Village Defence Committees (VDCs)?
- Raised in 1990s: Raised initially in the mid-1990s to take on terrorists, the VDCs had instilled a sense of security among the people.
- To retaliate terrorists: Able-bodied men and ex-service personnel were roped into these committees to retaliate whenever terrorists ventured into the villages.
- Successful experiment: The experiment was successful, going by the decline in terrorist activities in the Rajouri and Poonch sectors.
What are Village Defence Guards (VDG)
- Village Defence Guards (VDGs) are a similar concept to Village Defence Committees (VDCs),
- The VDGs play a crucial role in maintaining security in rural areas of Jammu and Kashmir,
- They are responsible for providing intelligence to the security forces and help in counter-insurgency operations.
- They are also armed and trained by the Indian Government.
How VDG’s are developed?
- CRPF trains VDG’s: The CRPF has been tasked to train the VDGs in the use of automatic weapons,
- J&K police plays a crucial role: though the Jammu and Kashmir police is playing a pivotal role in organising the VDGs into a formidable force to combat terrorists.
- Need a plan strategy: These VDGs need to have a planned strategy to take on the terrorists lest they be caught unawares in the event of an attack, leading to chaos.
The similar experiments in other areas
- Village Volunteer Force (VVF) in Manipur: At the peak of insurgency in Manipur, the Village Volunteer Force (VVF) proved to be an asset. Comprising largely of surrendered militants, the armed VVF personnel not only took on the militants operating in their areas but were of immense help in collecting intelligence. These forces, though, were headed by officers drawn on deputation from the CRPF and the BSF as Liaison Officers and Area Organisers.
- Salwa Judum In chattisgarh area: The Salwa Judum, a civilian force in Chhattisgarh to combat Maoists, was raised by a prominent Congress leader Mahendra Karma in June 2005. Supported by the state government, as many as 23 Salwa Judum camps were established in the Bastar and Dantewada districts.
- Similar civilian force in Jharkhad and Telangana: The initial series of successes in pinning down the Maoists prompted other states like Jharkhand and Telangana to raise similar militias to counter the Maoist menace.
- Brave villagers of Punjab: When Punjab was in the grip of militancy in the 1980s and early 1990s, certain villagers were given weapons to retaliate and the experiment turned out to be successful. They were brave enough to counter the militants for hours and successfully repulsed their attacks. Some of them, including women, went on to be honoured with the prestigious Shaurya Chakra and Kirti Chakra for thwarting the attacks by militants.
Importance of reactivated VDG’s
- Sense of Security and confidence in the villages: The reactivation of the VDGs would go a long way in instilling a sense of security and confidence in the villagers.
- Deterrence and resistance to terrorists: VDG’s also serve as a deterrent to the terrorists who would expect stiff resistance if they ever ventured to attack the villagers.
- Valuable assets: Apart from the VDGs being largely ex-servicemen, their being armed with automatic weapons, coupled with training, will be an asset in taking on terrorists.
- Source of Intelligence: Additionally, they could serve as sources for the collection of intelligence. With the additional deployment of the CRPF, the response time for the security forces to rush to trouble spots would be drastically reduced.
Concerns: The Case of Salwa Judum
- The popularity the Salwa Judum had gained did not last for too long.
- Repeated complaints of human rights violations by the volunteers, of beating up people and even raping tribal women, resulted in a case being filed in the Supreme Court.
- On July 5, 2011, the Supreme Court declared Salwa Judum illegal and unconstitutional and ordered its disbandment.
- It would be in the interest of the denizens of the Poonch and Rajouri districts to strengthen the VDGs and provide them with all logistical and training support on a long-term basis as a force multiplier rather than dismantling them after complete normalcy is restored. The proximity to the 120-km stretch of the Line of Control along Pakistan-occupied Kashmir warrants a permanent security blanket for all villages in the region, what with Pakistan always being up to some mischief.
Mains question
Q. What is Village Defence Guards (VDG)? What necessitates such a civilian force? Provide examples of similar forces established from time to time in India.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Land Subsidence
Mains level: Reasons for disasters at Himalaya
Context
- Disasters have become commonplace in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, the most recent one being the sinking of Joshimath. Although climate change has triggered these events, the most important underlying factors are poor planning and a lack of vision.
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- Kedarnath floods: Nature has given enough warnings of the dangers in the Himalayas. The 2013 Kedarnath floods took more than 5,000 lives, according to official records.
- Nepal earthquake: The 2015 Gurkha Earthquake in Nepal killed as many as 8000 individuals.
- Floods in Pakistan: The recent floods in Pakistan left millions of people homeless and devastated.
- Sinking of Joshimath: The ‘Joshimath sinking’ phenomenon has received national and global attention. However, other cities and towns across Uttarakhand are also on the brink of collapse. Joshimath is the first one to succumb to human pressures, thankfully without causing any damage to human lives.
Reasons for disasters at Himalaya (Uttarakhand)
- Construction in Prohibited areas: The geological fragility of Uttarakhand is part of scientific and popular knowledge. Government policies and bylaws prohibit people from constructing houses on vulnerable slopes.
- Mindless decision making: With increasing access to internet facilities, almost everyone can find information. Yet one is compelled to ask about the role technological advancement and information abundance have played in environmental decision-making as mindless construction over vulnerable slopes continues uninhibited.
- Ignorance by bureaucrats: The technicalities of science and academic jargon are complex for bureaucrats to understand and laypersons and bureaucratic mindsets only engage with the research community for obligatory and cosmetic purposes.
Infrastructure of mountainous area and plain area
- Normal construction methods for fragile ecology: We have continued to borrow practices from elsewhere for implementation on the delicate eco-geological systems of the Himalayas.
- Gurugramisation of Uttarakhand: Gurugram’s infrastructure development took a toll on Gurugram itself. For the Himalayas, Gurugram-style development is enormously devastating. The “Gurugramisation” of Uttarakhand needs to stop.
- Disregards to laws and regulations: The divide between science–policy, and people, has promoted disconnected decision-making and encouraged individuals to casually flout bylaws and regulatory policies. A common Uttarakhandi is forced to live a life full of uncertainty and fear.
Case study of Nainital
- Vulnerable to landslides: Nainital, one of the most vulnerable cities in the entire Himalayan region. The Nainital lake is situated over an active Faultline and surrounded by slopes vulnerable to landslides.
- Earthquake prone area: It falls under a high earthquake-prone zone (Zone IV). Since its settlement in 1841 small and big landslides continue to threaten the city. The most devastating of them was the 1880 landslide that took 151 human lives.
- Construction on vulnerable slopes: Despite having robust scientific evidence, building bylaws, and an aware citizenry, the brutal assaults on the biophysical environment of the city are ongoing. The slope that collapsed in 1880 (less than a fraction of a second earlier on a geological time scale) is now inhabited by more than 15,000 individuals.
- Ground water exploitation: In 2017, the Nainital lake level plummeted 18 feet due to the excessive withdrawal of water from the lake bed to meet local and unprecedented tourism needs. Such a decline was never experienced in the past.
- Mindless tourism activities: The biggest threat to Nainital is the crumbling “Balianala”. To make matters worse, construction work over the most important recharge area of the Nainital lake “Sukhatal” is underway. The intention is to enhance tourism-related activity. But the question is, does a city that receives more than 10,000 tourists and 2,000 vehicles on a daily basis in the summer months and weekends need more tourism?
Conclusion
- The carrying capacity of the cities in Himalayas has been exhausted. The natural infrastructure is fatigued and dangers of a possible collapse are visible to the human eye. Government must the amend and implement the construction laws and regulations for sustainability of Himalayas.
Mains Question
Q. What are the reasons for recent sinking in Joshi math? Illustrate the vulnerability of Himalayas using the case study.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Uranium contamination, causes and effects
Mains level: Groundwater pollution
Context
- The most recent report on the state of groundwater released by the Central Groundwater Board. It revealed that the twelve Indian states have uranium levels beyond permissible limits in their groundwater. Uranium concentrations in the country’s shallow groundwater range from 0-532 parts per billion (ppb), according to the document titled Groundwater yearbook 2021-2022 released in January, 2023.
What is a Safe level of uranium in groundwater?
- The safe levels for uranium in groundwater in India are 30 ppb as prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the World Health Organization (WHO).
- The safe level of 30 µg/L is established to minimize the risk of these health effects. However, it should be noted that long-term exposure to even low levels of uranium can also cause health problems.
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Findings of the report
- No presence in Kerala: Uranium concentration is found to be within safe limits in 13 states and none of the samples collected from Kerala had its presence.
- Punjab worse affected: Punjab is the worst-affected state in terms of the percentage of wells found to have uranium concentration of more than 30 ppb, the safe level. Nearly 29 per cent, or about three in every 10 wells tested in Punjab, is contaminated with uranium. Uranium presence in Punjab’s groundwater is found to be 17.7 times more than the safe limit prescribed by WHO. The concentration of the element was also highest in the state, with 532 ppb.
- Haryana stands second: Haryana is the second state in terms of uranium prevalence in groundwater. The state also recorded the second-highest concentration of uranium in the country, with 518 ppb or 17.3 times the WHO-prescribed safe limit.
- Uttar Pradesh third largest in terms of uranium concentration: The state was the third-highest in terms of uranium concentration, with 532 ppb or 7.9 times more than the safe limit. For example, 9.2 per cent of the samples from Uttar Pradesh had a high concentration of uranium.
- Localised pockets of other states: Uranium concentration was found to be higher than the threshold level in localised pockets of seven other states Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Odisha, Telangana and Bihar.
Uranium: A toxic element
- Uranium is a nephrotoxic element, which means people dependent on groundwater containing the element are at a higher risk of impaired renal function and kidney disease.
- Exposure to uranium may also lead to other adverse health impacts, including bone toxicity and problems such as neurological effects, reproductive and developmental effects, and immune system effects.
- Ingestion of large amounts of uranium can lead to immediate health effects such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Inhalation of uranium dust or fumes can cause lung irritation and damage, including lung cancer.
Causes of contamination
- Geogenic plus anthropogenic: Geogenic processes are responsible for uranium contamination, but the overexploitation of groundwater can also be a reason for it.
- High concentration largely due to natural uranium content: High levels of uranium are largely due to natural uranium content in aquifer rocks, oxidation state and groundwater chemistry, noted researchers from Duke University.
- High bicarbonate levels: Extreme bicarbonate levels were also found at the sites with high uranium levels. Bicarbonates help to bring the uranium out of the source rocks and is a reason for the high occurrence of the element, said Rachel Coyte, the lead author of the study.
- Human-made causes too be behind this: Groundwater-table decline, nitrate pollution and over-exploitation of groundwater from irrigation further exacerbate uranium mobilisation, said the study.
- Overexploitation of groundwater: Overexploitation of groundwater resources is likely to be one of the reasons for uranium and other geogenic contaminants, including arsenic and fluoride, according to the BARC study published in 2021.
Reverse osmosis could be a probable solution
- Reverse osmosis (RO) is a way to purify water.
- It uses a special membrane to filter out impurities, such as minerals and other dissolved contaminants, including toxic elements such as uranium.
- The water is forced through the membrane by applying pressure, leaving behind the impurities and creating clean, purified water on the other side.
- The impurities are removed by the membrane and the clean water is collected.
- BARC has conducted studies on the removal of uranium from drinking water using a hybrid membrane technique.
- Field studies are also being carried out in a few districts of Punjab based on RO technique at a village level to provide potable water, stated the BARC researchers.
Conclusion
- Uranium contamination has been attributed to geogenic processes coupled with the overexploitation of groundwater in the country. This assessment of uranium contamination in groundwater across India highlights the need for an urgent response. Reverse osmosis (RO) is one of the latest membrane-based technologies used in water purification systems to remove uranium could be a solution.
Mains question
Q. Almost half of India’s states have uranium levels in their groundwater above permissible limits. Highlight the causes and effects of uranium contamination in groundwater.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Capital Expenditure
Mains level: Significance of Capex
A sharp 61.2% sequential rise in capital expenditure (capex) by the Central and State governments lifted fresh investment plans announced in the third quarter (Q3) of 2022-23 to ₹7.1 lakh crore, even though private sector investments dropped 41% from ₹6.31 lakh crore in Q2 to ₹3.71 lakh crore.
What is Capital Expenditure (CAPEX)?
- Capital expenditure refers to investments in upgrading existing or building new physical assets by the government or private businesses.
- As businesses expand, capex has a multiplier effect on the economy, creating demand and unleashing animal spirits.
Types of CAPEX
Many different types of assets can attribute long-term value to a company. Therefore, there are generalized types of purchases that may be considered CAPEX.
- Buildings may be used for office space, manufacturing of goods, storage of inventory, or other purposes.
- Land may be used for further development. Accounting treatment may different for land specifically held as a speculative long-term investment.
- Equipment and machinery may be used to manufacture goods and convert raw materials into final products for sale.
- Computers or servers may be used to support the operational aspects of a company including the logistics, reporting, and communication of operations. Software may also be treated as CapEx in certain circumstances.
- Vehicles may be used to transport goods, pick up clients, or used by staff for business purposes.
- Patents may hold long-term value should the right to own an idea come to fruition through product development.
Why need CAPEX?
- Asset creation: Capex is generally made to acquire fixed assets with a useful life of more than one accounting period.
- Infra upgrade: It may sometimes add value to an asset by incurring upgrading and maintenance expenditures, thereby increasing the shell life of an investment.
- Business sustainability: CAPEX increases the profit earning capacity of the business in the long term.
India’s Capital spending
- India’s budgets have seen an increase in allocations for the infrastructure segment, essentially roads and railways.
- In the last Budget, FM announced a big jump in the government’s planned capex.
- In 2022-23, the government will have a capex spend of ₹7.5 lakh crore (even more if we add grants-in-aid for capital assets including MGNREGA) — a spike of 27% over the estimates for the previous year (2021-22).
- Also, the government has ambitious plans to exponentially ramp up spending on expressways, logistics parks, metro systems and housing — much of this work will be sourced out to private contractors.
Challenges of Capital Expenditure
The following are the challenges faced due to CAPEX –
- Substantial funds: Normally, huge funds are required for processing a capital expenditure, and the availability of funds may be an issue. Therefore, organizations must wisely make capex decisions.
- Long term burden on exchequer: The amount of Capex is charged as an expense in more than one accounting period.
- Irreversible: Once a CAPEX is incurred, the decision cannot be changed easily. Reversing the capex decision may prove to be significantly costlier for any entity.
- Uncertainty: It becomes difficult to foresight expenses that may occur in the future. CAPEX involves huge costs and results that may be extended to the future. Hence, characterizing the exact decision regarding CAPEX is uncertain, which affects future expenses.
- Measurement Issue: The cost and benefits of CAPEX are challenging to identify and measure
- Temporal Spread: Decisions made regarding CAPEX are consistent over a long time, and investments it includes are called long-term investments. These long-term investments create problems in getting the exact discount rates and maintaining their equivalence in the coming period.
Why India focuses on CAPEX?
- Demand push: A thrust on capex eases supply-chain bottlenecks and revives demand.
- Job creation: So, while capex adds to the productive capacities of the economy, boosting long-term growth, it also spurs job creation and consumption.
Way forward
- Timely implementation: Emphasis must also be provided on timely implementation of projects within the earmarked outlay by strengthening monitoring, redressal mechanisms and processes for controlling project delays.
- Project management: The solution lies in optimising project management processes of all the key stakeholders, including implementation agencies, state governments, vendors and others.
- Ensuring quality control: This would also help in ensuring quality control, which, in turn, will result in capital assets providing benefits over a longer term following the multiplier effect.
- Revenue saving: The government should also aim to cut down on inefficient revenue expenditure and focus on creating a balanced and stable virtuous cycle, which can have positive knock-on effects over the long term.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Freedom of speech and reasonable restrictions
Mains level: Free speech vs. Hate speech
The Supreme Court has said the “buck ultimately stops with the government” to clamp down on hate speech and hate crimes, as they are offenses committed on society.
What is ‘Hate Speech’?
- There is no specific legal definition of ‘hate speech’.
- The Law Commission of India, in its 267th Report, says: “Hate speech generally is an incitement to hatred primarily against a group of persons defined in terms of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, religious belief and the like …
- Thus, hate speech is any word written or spoken, signs, visible representations within the hearing or sight of a person with the intention to cause fear or alarm, or incitement to violence.”
- In general, hate speech is considered a limitation on free speech that seeks to prevent or bar speech that exposes a person or a group or section of society to hate, violence, ridicule or indignity.
Attributes of Hate Speech
Hate Speech has three important attributes:
- Hate speech can be conveyed through any form of expression, including images, cartoons, memes, objects, gestures and symbols and it can be disseminated offline or online.
- Hate speech is “discriminatory” (biased, bigoted or intolerant) or “pejorative” (prejudiced, contemptuous or demeaning) of an individual or group.
- Hate speech calls out real or perceived “identity factors” of an individual or a group, including: “religion, ethnicity, nationality, race, colour, descent, gender,” but also characteristics such as language, economic or social origin, disability, health status, or sexual orientation, among many others.
How is it treated in Indian law?
- Provisions in law criminalize speeches, writings, actions, signs and representations that foment violence and spread disharmony between communities and groups and these are understood to refer to ‘hate speech’.
- Sections 153A and 505 of the Indian Penal Code are generally taken to be the main penal provisions that deal with inflammatory speeches and expressions that seek to punish ‘hate speech’.
[I] Section 153A:
- Promotion of enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony’, is an offence punishable with three years’ imprisonment.
[II] Section 505:
- 505(1): Statements conducing to public mischief– The statement, publication, report or rumour that is penalized under Section 505(1) should be one that promotes mutiny by the armed forces, or causes such fear or alarm that people are induced to commit an offence against the state or public tranquillity. This attracts a jail term of up to three years.
- 505(2): It is an offence to make statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes.
- 505(3): Same offence will attract up to a five-year jail term if it takes place in a place of worship, or in any assembly engaged in religious worship or religious ceremonies.
Some Supreme Court Judgements
1.Rangila Rasool case
- Rangila Rasool was a tract brought out by a Hindu publisher — that had made disparaging remarks about the Prophet’s private life.
- Cases against the first pamphlet, filed under Section 153A, were dismissed by the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which examined the question whether targeting religious figures is different from targeting religions.
- This debate in interpretation prompted the colonial government to enact Section 295A with a wider scope to address these issues.
2. Ramji Lal Modi v State of Uttar Pradesh
- The constitutionality of Section 295A was challenged.
- The Supreme Court upheld the law on the grounds that it was brought in to preserve “public order”.
- Public order is an exemption to the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression and the right to religion recognised by the Constitution.
3. Ramlal Puri v State of Madhya Pradesh
- In 1973, the Supreme Court said the test to be applied is whether the speech in question offends the “ordinary man of common sense” and not the “hypersensitive man”.
- However, these determinations are made by the court and the distinction can often be vague and vary from one judge to the other.
4.Baragur Ramachandrappa v State of Karnataka:
- A 2007 decision of the Supreme Court, “a pragmatic approach” was invoked in interpreting Section 295A.
- The state government had issued a notification banning Dharmakaarana, a Kannada novel on the ground that it was hate speech, invoking a gamut of provisions including Section 295A.
Why curb hate speeches?
- Creates social divide: Individuals believe in stereotypes that are ingrained in their minds and these stereotypes lead them to believe that a class or group of persons are inferior to them and as such cannot have the same rights as them.
- Threat to peaceful co-existence: The stubbornness to stick to a particular ideology without caring for the right to co-exist peacefully adds further fuel to the fire of hate speech.
Issues in regulating hate speech
- Powers to State: Almost every regulation of speech, no matter how well-intentioned, increases the power of the state.
- Hate speeches are Political: The issue is fundamentally political and we should not pretend that fine legal distinctions will solve the issue.
- Legal complications: An over-reliance on legal instruments to solve fundamental social and political problems often backfires.
- Misuse of Laws: Lower conviction rates for these provisions indicate that the process where a police officer can arrest without a warrant is often the punishment.
- Violation of free speech: Critics have pointed out that these laws are intended for the state to step in and restore “public order” rather than protect free speech.
- Vague terms in the law: The broad, vague terms in the laws are often invoked in its misuse.
- Old-aged Laws: Section 295A lie in the communally charged atmosphere of North India in the 1920s.
Suggestions made by Law Commission
In its 267th report, the Law Commission of India proposed including the following two provisions:
- Section 153C covers crimes committed when someone threatens someone with remarks meant to incite fear, hatred, or violence based on someone’s race, caste, religion, sex, gender identity, or other characteristics.
- Section 505A should be included and have provisions that make inciting fear, alarm, or violence a crime.
Suggestions for Changes in IPC:
Viswanathan Committee 2019:
- It proposed inserting Sections 153 C (b) and Section 505 A in the IPC for incitement to commit an offence on grounds of religion, race, caste or community, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, place of birth, residence, language, disability or tribe.
- It proposed punishment of up to two years along with Rs. 5,000 fine.
Bezbaruah Committee 2014:
- It proposed amendment to Section 153 C IPC (promoting or attempting to promote acts prejudicial to human dignity), punishable by five years and fine or both and Section 509 A IPC (word, gesture or act intended to insult member of a particular race), punishable by three years or fine or both.
Way forward
- Subjects like hate speeches become a complex issue to deal with, in a country like India which is very diverse, as it was very difficult to differentiate between free and hate speech.
- There are many factors that should be considered while restraining speeches like strong opinions, offensive comments towards certain communities, the effect on values like dignity, liberty and equality.
- We all have to work together and communicate efficiently for our country to be a healthy place to live in.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Merger of Sikkim
Mains level: Read the attached story
The Supreme Court in a judgment, held that exclusion of Sikkimese women who marry non-Sikkimese men after April 1, 2008 from exemptions under the Income Tax Act is unconstitutional and amounts to gender discrimination.
What is the news?
- The top court’s verdict came on appeal filed by the Association of Old Settlers of Sikkim and others seeking striking down of Section 10(26AAA) of the Income Tax Act, 1961.
- More particularly, the definition of “Sikkimese” in Section 10 (26AAA) to the extent it excludes Indians who have settled in Sikkim prior to the merger of Sikkim with India on April 26, 1975.
The story of Sikkim
- Sikkim witnessed 333 years monarchical rule of Namgyal dynasty under whose reign there many invasions, foreign interference, accession and annexation.
- On 28th March, 1861 Sikkim became a formal protectorate of the British Government and on 16th May, 1975 it became the 22nd state of the Indian Union.
- In erstwhile Himalayan Kingdom of Sikkim, no legal rights were conferred to Sikkimese women.
- However, after Sikkim’s merger with India such Regulations relating to Sikkim citizenship have become futile and non-operational.
How women rights in Sikkim are different from that of mainstream India?
The status of rights conferred to Sikkimese women is different from that of women in India. Certain conditionality were imposed upon their property or inheritance right such as the following:
- Immovable property inherited, gifted or purchased by women married to non-locals cannot be transferred and registered in their names.
- Immovable property of a Sikkimese woman cannot be transferred or registered to her legal heirs if her husband is non-Sikkimese.
- Mandatory requirement for Sikkimese women to submit an “unmarried certificate in all government procedures”.
- Identity of women is to be based on the identity of not one, but two men. A Sikkimese woman will be considered Sikkimese only if both, her father and husband are also Sikkimese
Issues with such regulations
- Unconstitutional: The discrimination is based on gender, which is wholly violative of Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution.
- Gendered bias: It is to be noted that there is no disqualification for a Sikkim man, who marries a non-Sikkimese after April 1, 2008.
- Associating identity to marriage: A woman is not a chattel and has an identity of her own, and the mere factum of being married ought not to take away that identity,” Justice Shah wrote.
- No legal basis: Sikkim has become a part of India and all Sikkim Subjects and all Sikkimese domiciled in the territory of Sikkim have become Indian citizens.
Note: Article 14 relates to equality before law, while Article 15 forbids discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth, and Article 21 provides for right to life and personal liberty.
Way ahead
- Legal reforms: The centre shall make an amendment to Explanation to Section 10 (26AAA) of IT Act, 1961, so as to suitably include a clause to extend the exemption from payment of income tax to all Indian citizens domiciled in Sikkim on or before April 26, 1975.
- Ensure parity: The reason for such a direction is to save the explanation from unconstitutionality and to ensure parity in the facts and circumstances of the case.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Ganga Vilas
Mains level: River tourism
Prime Minister has flagged off the world’s longest river cruise – MV Ganga Vilas – and inaugurated the tent city at Varanasi.
About Ganga Vilas
- MV Ganga Vilas is the first indigenously made cruise vessel to be made in India.
- The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is the coordinator of this ship tourism project.
- The cruise has three decks, 18 suites on board with a capacity of 36 tourists, with all the modern amenities.
- It will cover a distance of 3,200 km in roughly 51 days reaching Assam’s Dibrugarh through Bangladesh.
Destinations covered
- Set to sail from Varanasi, the cruise ship, MV Ganga Vilas, will cover 3,200 km over 51 days, crossing 27 river systems and several states before ending its journey at Dibrugarh.
- The voyage is packed with visits to 50 tourist spots, including World Heritage spots, national parks, river ghats, and major cities like Patna in Bihar, Sahibganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Guwahati in Assam.
- It will make pit-stops to cover the famous Ganga Arti in Varanasi, the Buddhist site of Sarnath; and even Majuli, the largest river island in Assam.
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