NJAC judgment ignored basic structure of Constitution: Jaitley – (Indian Polity)
- Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has strongly criticised the Supreme Court’s scrapping of the 99th Constitutional Amendment or the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act, saying the “Supreme Court’s judgment may be final, but it is not infallible” and that it privileged a certain “tyranny of the unelected” in its logic.
Bangladesh Minister pitches for end to Nepal blockade – (International Relation)
- The blockade aimed at Nepal is no longer a matter between India and Nepal as it has the potential to hurt the plans for shared prosperity among the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) members.
- Bangladesh Minister of Commerce Tofail Ahmed told The Hindu that the blockade, which had been hurting Nepal’s economy, should end at the earliest.
Why Justice Khehar did not recuse – (Indian Polity)
- Among the pages of the voluminous judgment striking down the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) is a short narrative of Justice J.S. Khehar’s inner struggle when asked to recuse as the presiding judge of the Constitution Bench.
- This narrative, in a 16-page order, is fashioned as a message to the judiciary, drawn from his personal experience in the NJAC case, that the choice to step down from a case is that of a judge and no litigant should “scare a judge out of a case.”
Nepal importers not to get fee waiver – (International Relation)
- The agents of global shipping liners have told Nepali importers that waiver of the container detention fee is “out of their mandate.” Request for it cannot be processed from Kolkata.
- The members of the Association of Shipping Interests in Calcutta (ASIC), who mostly run the branch offices of major liners, said that while they were “sympathetic” to the plight of importers, they “cannot play any role” in reducing losses.
Engaging with an aspirational Africa – (International Relation)
- Indian businesses have been betting big on Africa’s rise. However, an absence of good connectivity has mean that the trans-continental relationship is yet to realise its full potential.
- India’s attitude towards Africa cannot remain imprisoned in the ‘dark continent’ stereotype. Neither can it be defined solely by the legacy of the colonial era. Our language of engagement needs to create a new edifice defined by an aspirational Africa’s quest for a good life.
New chapter with Nepal – (International Relation)
- By inviting Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa to New Delhi, India has chosen wisely to begin a fresh chapter with its neighbour with a view to ending the mistrust that has marked the relationship in the past two months.
- Two short-term objectives — of ending the pile-up of trucks at the border in Bihar that Nepal terms an unofficial blockade, and of bringing the new Prime Minister, K.P. Sharma Oli, to Delhi for talks — could soon be reached.
Perils of the messiah complex – (Indian Polity)
- The NJAC judgment is, at its core, founded on a combination of mistrust of government, lack of respect for the people of India and with unquestioned faith in the absolute competence of judges.
The citizen and the politics of the verdict – (Indian Polity)
- There is a sinking feeling that there is no role for the people in this clash between the political class and a judicial hierarchy. Who will speak truth to judicial power?
Judging the Judge-maker – (Indian Polity)
- The four judgments of the majority have reasserted judicial independence, with its concomitant autonomyin appointments, as an integral part of the Constitution’s basic structure .
- The Court has now opted to take the path to reform, rather than change to an altogether new road.
Pension fund regulator seeks fiscal support from Centre – (Economics)
- After achieving a new milestone in assets under management (AUM) and subscriber base early this month, the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) is looking for some fiscal support from the government for its ongoing move to expand subscriber base further.
- The AUM of its national pension system (NPS) has crossed Rs.1-trillion-mark in the first week of October at around Rs.1,10,000 crore, while the NPS subscriber base also crossed 1-crore-mark in the first week of October
Need for an insurance index to measure financial and social progress in India: study – (Economics)
- There is a need to set up an insurance index in India for insurance penetration to be quantified as a measure of financial and social progress as it is not enough to limit the study of insurance growth to mere premium figures and policy numbers, highlighted a joint study.
- “By including insurance parameter within a measure, it is possible to get a more holistic view of the extent of financial under-penetration,” highlighted the study ‘Changing Landscape of Insurance in India,’ conducted by The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) jointly with research firm Crisil.
Govt. seeks views on new guidelines for solar projects – (Economics)
- The Central Government has sought views of developers and other stakeholders on the proposed amendment to the guidelines for setting up of over 2,000 MW grid-connected solar power projects with viability gap funding (VGF).
- These projects are being set up under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM).