SC says it can end the wait for a consensual divorce.

Topic: GS2

Context:

• The Supreme Court has stated that it has the authority, under Article 142 of the Indian Constitution, to grant a divorce based on the irretrievable breakdown of a marriage if it is clear that separation is unavoidable. Any damage to the relationship is irreparable.

What is article 142?

• Article 142 empowers the Supreme court to enforce decrees & supreme court orders which are deemed necessary for doing complete justice.
• This can be done for any case pending before it, or an order passed by it.
• There orders will be enforceable according to the law made by the Parliament. The Parliament has enacted the contempt of court act 1971 in this regard.

Issue: What Supreme court has said:

• The Supreme Court can use its extraordinary power under Article 142 of the Constitution to grant a divorce by mutual consent for couples trapped in bitter marriages.
• The court can also use this power to quash pending criminal or legal proceedings against the man or woman in cases of domestic violence or dowry, allowing them to start afresh their separate lives.
• Divorce law, built predominantly on assigning fault to one or the other partner, fails to serve broken marriages.
• The Supreme Court can use Article 142 to grant the divorce on the ground of irretrievable breakdown of marriage if the separation is inevitable and the damage is irreparable.
• Grant of divorce on this ground is not a matter of right but a discretion that must be exercised with great care and caution.
• The facts established must show that the marriage has completely failed, and there is no possibility that the parties will cohabit together.
  

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Patrolling units, anti-smog guns, sprinklers: CM unveils plan to curb air pollution

Topic: GS2

Context:

• The Chief Minister of Delhi has announced a strategy to combat air pollution, which includes patrolling units, anti-smog guns, and sprinklers.

Issue:

• Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced a 14-point action plan to reduce air pollution during the summer, focusing on controlling dust pollution.
• The plan includes procuring mechanical road-sweeping machines, water sprinklers, and mobile anti-smog guns to tackle dust.
• Smaller lanes will be sprinkled with water once or twice weekly to settle dust.
• 225 teams will patrol the city during the day and 159 units at night to identify sources of pollution.
• 13 hotspots have been identified, and solutions to curb pollution will be found through Real-Time Source Apportionment Study.
• Construction sites over 500 square metres must register with the government, and 750 have done so far.
• Working with neighbouring States is essential in reducing pollution.

Status of air pollution in India:

• According to a 2021 report by IQAir, which tracks air quality data worldwide, India is home to 35 of the world’s 50 most polluted cities regarding delicate particulate matter (PM 2.5) concentration.
• According to a 2018 report by the Indian Council of Medical Research(ICMR), exposure to air pollution in India led to 1.67 million deaths in 2019, making it the leading risk factor for premature mortality.
• Air pollution has significant economic costs as well. For example, a 2021 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research estimated that air pollution reduces India’s GDP by 5.2% annually.
  

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The ever-expanding medicinal uses and properties of psychedelic substances.

Topic: GS3

Context:

• The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act in India has banned psychedelic drugs.
• However, recent research indicates that these drugs may be potentially effective treatments for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, especially in cases where traditional treatments have failed to produce results.

Issue:

• Psychedelic substances cause changes in perception, bodily experience, mood, thought-processing, and entheogenic experiences.
• Recent research shows robust and sustained antidepressant effects can occur without psilocybin’s psychedelic effects, which could benefit people with treatment-resistant depression.
• Modern neuroimaging suggests that psychedelics increase the cross-talk between different brain networks rather than acting as stimulants or depressants of brain activity, which correlates with the subjective effects of psychedelics.
  

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India leads in ‘laundering’ Russian oil and selling to Europe: report.

Topic: GS2 -International relations.

Context:

• According to a group based in Finland, countries that are part of the Price Cap coalition have boosted their imports of refined oil products from India, China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Singapore.
• These countries have now become the top importers of Russian crude oil. This circumvents the sanctions imposed on Russia.

Issue:

• A Finland-based group released a report claiming that five countries, including India, are bypassing European sanctions against Russia by importing crude and selling processed products to European countries.
• The report, titled Laundromat, states that India is leading the “laundromat” countries by exporting nearly8 million tonnes of oil products to price-cap coalition countries, including the EU, G-7 countries, Australia, and Japan.
• The report accuses Indian sellers and European buyers of possibly “circumventing sanctions” by selling crude products from a Gujarat refinery co-owned by Russian oil company Rosneft.
• The report recommends that a “place of origin” certification accompany oil products sold to Europe to prevent this loophole from undermining the impact of sanctions on Russia.
  

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Inaugural ASEAN-India maritime exercise in the South China Sea from today.

Topic: GS2 -International relations.

Context:

• The military cooperation between India and ASEAN is taking a step forward with the beginning of the ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise (AIME), which will be held in the South China Sea.

Issue:

• The maiden ASEAN-India Maritime Exercise (AIME) started on May 3, 2023, in the South China Sea.
• The exercise involves eight ASEAN countries (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand) and India.
• The Indian Navy deployed a destroyer, a frigate, a corvette, and a submarine for the exercise.
• The exercise aims to enhance interoperability and cooperation between the Indian Navy and the navies of ASEAN countries in dealing with various maritime security challenges.
• The exercise will involve various activities, including coordinated manoeuvres, surface warfare exercises, and anti-submarine warfare exercises.
• The exercise is expected to promote the region’s peace, stability, and security and demonstrate India’s commitment to maritime security in the Indo-Pacific.
  

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Uzbekistan President wins referendum to Rewrite the Constitution.

Topic: GS2 -International relations.

Context:

• President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s proposal to amend Uzbekistan’s Constitution, which could potentially extend his rule beyond the current two-term limit and grant more liberties to citizens, was overwhelmingly supported by voters in a Sunday referendum in the former Soviet republic.

Issue:

• In a referendum held in Uzbekistan, most voters supported President Mirziyoyev’s proposal to rewrite the country’s constitution.
• Preliminary results showed that 90.21% of voters supported the changes, while 9.35% voted ‘No’.
• The referendum promises more freedoms to the people of Uzbekistan, including human rights, gender equality, and media releases.
• The new charter would also extend the presidential term to seven years, with a two-term limit, allowing President Mirziyoyev to extend his rule beyond his current two-term limit.
• Many Uzbeks see the promised changes as a welcome move, especially women and youth, rather than worrying about the President extending his rule.