Why in the News?
Chief Justice of India (CJI) B.R. Gavai formally recommended Justice Surya Kant, the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court of India, as his successor and 53rd CJI.
About the Chief Justice of India (CJI):
- Position and Authority: She/He is the head of the Supreme Court and the highest-ranking judicial officer in the Republic of India. Acts as the “Master of the Roster”, empowered to constitute benches, allocate cases, and schedule hearings.
- Administrative and Judicial Role: Leads both judicial and administrative functions of the Supreme Court, as affirmed in State of Rajasthan v. Prakash Chand (1997). Embodies the idea of “first among equals”, where every Supreme Court judge is equal in judicial authority, though the CJI heads administration.
- Judicial Powers (Constitutional Basis):
- Article 145 – Constitutes Constitution Benches and interprets laws involving substantial constitutional questions.
- Article 136 – Exercises special leave jurisdiction for appeals involving major legal principles.
- Article 32 – Safeguards Fundamental Rights under the Court’s original jurisdiction.
- Judicial Leadership: Shapes the jurisprudential direction of the Supreme Court through allocation of landmark constitutional cases and formation of larger benches.
- Administrative Responsibilities:
- Manages the Supreme Court’s roster system, case assignments, and judicial schedules.
- Oversees registry operations, staff management, and disciplinary matters across subordinate courts.
- Ensures judicial governance, transparency, and institutional coordination with the executive and legislature.
- Advisory Jurisdiction (Article 143): The President of India may refer legal or constitutional questions for the Court’s advisory opinion; the CJI leads and represents the Court’s collective advisory view.
- Appointment Process (Article 124):
- The President appoints the CJI based on seniority convention — the senior-most Supreme Court judge is recommended by the outgoing CJI.
- The Law Minister seeks the outgoing CJI’s recommendation, which is forwarded via the Prime Minister to the President for formal appointment.
- Historical Exceptions:
- Justice A.N. Ray (1973) – superseded three senior judges post-Kesavananda Bharati.
- Justice M.H. Beg (1977) – superseded Justice H.R. Khanna after ADM Jabalpur.
- Qualifications (Article 124(3)): Must be an Indian citizen with either:
- 5 years as a High Court judge, or
- 10 years as a High Court advocate, or
- Recognition as a distinguished jurist by the President.
- Tenure and Retirement: Holds office until age 65 under Article 124(2).
- Removal (Article 124(4)): Possible only through impeachment by Parliament for proven misbehaviour or incapacity, requiring:
- Majority of total membership in both Houses, and
- Two-thirds majority of members present and voting.
| [UPSC 2021] With reference to the Indian judiciary, consider the following statements:
1. Any retired judge of the Supreme Court of India can be called back to sit and act as a Supreme Court judge by the Chief Justice of India with the prior permission of the President of India.
2. A High Court in India has the power to review its own judgment as the Supreme Court does
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Options: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 * (d) Neither I nor 2 |
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Why in the News?
The Supreme Court has allowed the Union Government to reconsider its additional Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) dues from Vodafone-Idea for FY 2016–17, giving relief to the debt-ridden telecom firm.
About Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR):
- Overview: AGR is the revenue base used by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to calculate license fees and spectrum usage charges (SUC) owed by telecom operators.
- Origin: Introduced under the National Telecom Policy, 1999, AGR represents a share of total earnings payable by service providers to the government.
- DoT’s Interpretation: Encompasses all revenues, both core telecom (e.g., call, SMS, data) and non-telecom (e.g., interest, rent, capital gains, dividends).
- Telecom Operators’ View: Contended that AGR should cover only core operational revenues, excluding non-telecom income unrelated to telecom services.
- Components (as upheld by the Supreme Court, 2019):
- Included: Call charges, data usage, roaming/interconnection fees, value-added services, interest, rent, and forex gains.
- Excluded: Goods and Services Tax (GST) and revenue already shared with other operators.
- Financial Fallout: The 2019 verdict imposed â‚ą1.47 lakh crore in retrospective dues, triggering a liquidity crisis and sectoral consolidation.
- Current Context (2025): The Supreme Court has permitted policy reconsideration of excess AGR demands, signalling a more flexible, reform-oriented telecom regime.
What is the AGR Dispute?
- Legal Conflict:  between telecom operators and the DoT on the scope of “gross revenue” used for fee computation.
- Operators’ Argument: Only telecom-related income, from calls, SMS, and internet, should form part of AGR.
- DoT’s Position: AGR must also include non-core revenues, expanding liability through inclusion of financial and ancillary income.
- Supreme Court Ruling (2019): Upheld DoT’s broad definition, mandating payment of full dues with interest, penalty, and interest on penalty.
- Sectoral Consequence: The judgment destabilised telecom finances, leading to the exit of smaller players and near-duopoly between Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel.
- Vodafone-Idea Case: With dues over â‚ą58,000 crore, Vi became the worst-hit; the government later converted part of its dues into equity, acquiring a 49% stake to prevent insolvency.
- Policy Evolution: AGR, once a litigation issue, now reflects a governance reform debate, balancing fiscal interests, sector viability, and consumer protection within India’s telecom ecosystem.
|
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Why in the News?
The 32nd APEC Economic Leaders’ Summit (2025) is being held in Gyeongju City, South Korea
About Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC):
- Establishment: Created in 1989 as a regional economic forum to enhance the growing interdependence of the Asia-Pacific region.
- Objective: Promote balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative, and secure growth, and accelerate regional economic integration.
- Membership: Comprises 21 member economies– Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States, and Vietnam.
- Secretariat: Headquartered in Singapore, coordinating policy dialogues, working groups, and capacity-building across member economies.
- Decision-Making Principle: Functions on voluntary, non-binding, and consensus-based commitments rather than treaty obligations.
- Economic Scale: Represents 2.9 billion people, accounting for ~60% of global GDP and ~48% of global trade.
- Terminology: Refers to its members as “economies” (not countries) to accommodate non-sovereign entities like Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Major Frameworks:
- Bogor Goals (1994) – Free and open trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific.
- APEC Putrajaya Vision 2040 – Envisions an open, dynamic, resilient, and peaceful Asia-Pacific community by 2040.
- Focus Areas: Trade liberalisation, digital economy, supply chain resilience, sustainable energy, and inclusive growth.
India and APEC:
- Membership: India is NOT a member but has shown consistent interest since the early 1990s, aligning with its Look East / Act East Policy.
- Geographical Criterion: APEC’s membership is limited to Asia-Pacific economies, while India is categorised under South Asia, restricting eligibility.
- Economic Context: India’s gradual liberalisation in the 1990s contrasted with APEC’s open market orientation, reducing its early appeal to members.
- Political Resistance: China has reportedly opposed India’s entry to maintain regional influence and prevent rival power balancing.
- Moratorium: A 1997 freeze on new memberships continues to block India’s formal inclusion.
- Current Engagement: Participates in Track-II dialogues, observer consultations, and partner discussions with APEC economies.
- Strategic Significance:
- APEC economies drive 60% of world GDP and 48% of global trade.
- Membership would improve market access, FDI inflows, and digital integration.
- Enhances India’s engagement with U.S., Japan, China, and ASEAN through multilateral diplomacy.
- Alternative Platforms: India engages APEC members via BRICS, QUAD, IPEF, and RCEP-linked forums, expanding Indo-Pacific economic influence.
- Future Outlook: Once the moratorium is lifted, India’s robust economic scale, digital economy, and supply chain capacity make it a strong candidate for future APEC membership.
| [UPSC 2017] With reference to `Asia Pacific’ Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (APMCHUD)’, consider the following statements:
1. The first APMCHUD was held in India in 2006 on the theme `Emerging Urban Forms – Policy Responses and Governance Structure’.
2. India hosts all the Annual Ministerial Conferences in partnership with ADB, APEC and ASEAN.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Options: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2* |
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Why in the News?
This newscard is an excerpt from the original article published in Down To Earth.
About Vidyapati Thakur (1352 – 1448):
- Identity and Origin: Celebrated Maithili poet, philosopher, and scholar from Mithila (northern Bihar), active under the Oiniwar dynasty during the 14th–15th centuries.
- Languages Used: Composed in Maithili, Sanskrit, and Avahatta, blending classical and vernacular idioms into a unified literary tradition.
- Cultural Role: Revered as the “Father of Maithili Literature”, he elevated a regional tongue to a medium of devotion and philosophy, breaking Sanskrit monopoly.
- Historical Setting: Lived amid the Bhakti movement’s eastern rise, when devotional currents merged with courtly Sanskrit and folk traditions.
Major Contributions:
- Bhakti Poetry (Padavali): Authored lyrical songs of Radha–Krishna love, giving women voice and agency through emotive Maithili verse.
- Linguistic Innovation: Asserted “Desil bayana sab jan mittha” – the sweetness of native speech – thereby legitimising vernacular expression against Sanskrit elitism.
- Ethical and Philosophical Thought: In Purusha-Pariksha, upheld knowledge and humility as the marks of true nobility, challenging caste and wealth hierarchies.
- Ecological Vision: Bhu-Parikramanam portrayed rivers, groves, winds as moral presences, anticipating environmental ethics centuries before modern discourse.
- Devotional Hymns: His Ganga Stuti personified the river as divine mother and moral teacher, uniting spirituality with ecological reverence.
- Administrative Scholarship: Likhanavali functioned as a manual of governance and record-keeping, showing mastery beyond poetics.
- Regional Influence: His idiom spread to Bengal, Odisha, and Assam, inspiring the Brajabuli tradition and Chaitanya-era Vaishnava poets.
- Culture–Nature Synthesis: Saw land as sacred, trees as temples, and rivers as teachers, merging ecology with devotion and ethics.
- Enduring Legacy: A bridge between Sanskrit classic and regional modernity, Vidyapati’s ideals of love, humility, and environmental ethic continue to define Mithila’s cultural identity.
| [UPSC 2019] Consider the following statements:
1. Saint Nimbarka was a contemporary of Akbar. 2. Saint Kabir was greatly influenced by Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Options: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2* |
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
