7 January 2023

• Polity: The Supreme Court transferred all pending same-sex marriage petitions to itself for an authoritative ruling. The legal debate turns on the Special Marriage Act, 1954.
• Society: Road accidents killed 1.5 lakh people in India in 2021, placing India first among the top 20 nations for accident deaths.
• Economy: An ILO report found that remote work preserved jobs during the pandemic but produced a "great resignation" phenomenon in several economies.
• Culture: Sagol Kangjei, Manipur's indigenous polo played on Manipuri Ponies, is one of five recognised Indian equine breeds.

GS area: Polity (judiciary, fundamental rights)

The Supreme Court transferred all petitions pending in various High Courts on the recognition of same-sex marriages to itself. A Constitution Bench will hear the matter.

• Current law: The Special Marriage Act, 1954 allows interfaith civil marriages between a man and a woman. The Act uses gender-specific language and does not contemplate same-sex unions.
• Precedent: In Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India (2018), a five-judge Constitution Bench unanimously decriminalised consensual same-sex relations by reading down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
• What petitioners seek: Recognition of the right to marry for same-sex couples, either through a court interpretation of existing law or a direction to Parliament to legislate.
• Global landscape: 32 countries recognised same-sex marriage as of early 2023. Taiwan was the first Asian country to legalise it. South Africa was the first African country (2006). The United States Supreme Court ruled in favour in 2015.
• Distinction for prelims: Decriminalisation of a private act (Section 377) versus recognition of a civil institution (marriage) are legally distinct questions. The 2018 ruling addressed only the former.

Static linkage: Judiciary, fundamental rights, personal laws (GS Paper 2).

GS area: Society, Governance

India recorded 1.5 lakh deaths from road accidents in 2021, placing it at the top of the accident-death table among the 20 most populous countries.

• Primary causes: Speeding and dangerous driving account for 90 per cent of fatal accidents. Drunk driving and non-use of seatbelts and helmets are significant secondary causes.
• Legal basis: Section 136A of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 mandates automated speed enforcement systems. The 2021 National Road Safety Board Rules created a standing advisory body.
• Gender angle: 84 per cent of women's trips in Indian cities use public transport. Road design that does not account for pedestrian and public-transport user safety disproportionately affects women.
• Four Es framework: Road safety policy organises around Engineering (road design), Enforcement (traffic law), Education (public awareness), and Emergency response.
• SDG linkage: SDG 3.6 targets halving road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030.

Static linkage: Social issues, governance (GS Papers 1 and 2).

GS area: Economy, Society

An ILO report titled "Working Time and Work-Life Balance Around the World" documented the labour market effects of the pandemic-era shift to remote work.

• Benefit: Remote work preserved employment during lockdowns in sectors where work could be done digitally. It reduced commute time and in some cases improved productivity.
• Great resignation: A phenomenon first observed in the United States in 2021. About 4.3 million workers resigned in August 2021 alone. Peak sectors were hospitality, healthcare and education. Reasons cited: work-life imbalance, wage stagnation relative to cost of living, and desire for more flexible arrangements.
• India's context: The Indian labour force is predominantly in informal and contact-intensive sectors where remote work is not possible. The great resignation was largely a white-collar, urban, educated-workforce phenomenon.
• ILO: The International Labour Organization was established in 1919. It is the UN's specialised agency for labour standards. Headquarters: Geneva.

Static linkage: Labour markets, social issues (GS Papers 1 and 3).

GS area: Art and Culture, Geography

Sagol Kangjei is an indigenous polo-like sport played in Manipur on Manipuri Ponies, one of five officially recognised Indian equine breeds.

• Origin: Dates to the 14th century CE. It is considered the ancestor of modern polo, which British officers adapted from the Manipuri game in the 19th century.
• Equipment and rules: Played on a field with long bamboo sticks and a ball. The deity Marjing is associated with the sport and worshipped by its practitioners.
• Manipuri Pony: One of five breeds recognised by the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources. The others are the Spiti, Bhutia, Kathiawari and Marwari.
• Conservation: The Marjing Polo Complex in Manipur was developed partly to support conservation of the breed and the sport.
• Cultural significance: Sagol Kangjei is performed at festivals and is integral to Manipuri cultural identity.

Static linkage: Art and culture (GS Paper 1).

GS area: Economy (payments, financial sector)

The Reserve Bank of India halted the licensing process for New Umbrella Entities (NUE), a class of payment system operators intended to compete with the National Payments Corporation of India.

• NUE concept: Alternative retail payment system operators that could have competed with NPCI (which operates UPI, RuPay, NACH and IMPS). Applicants included consortia involving Facebook, Google, Amazon and Flipkart.
• Key difference from NPCI: An NUE can charge transaction fees. NPCI has historically been asked to keep UPI transactions free to encourage adoption.
• RBI's decision: The central bank found applicants did not meet expectations on governance, technology infrastructure, and capital requirements. The process was halted in 2022.
• Policy implication: NPCI retains its dominant role in India's retail payments infrastructure. The question of whether a monopoly on payment infrastructure is in the public interest remains open.

Static linkage: Payment systems, financial sector regulation (GS Paper 3).

• Article 176 (Governor's address): The Governor must address the state legislature at the commencement of the first session after each general election and at the first session of each year. Article 87 provides the equivalent for the President addressing Parliament.
• Young Professionals Scheme (India-UK): A mobility arrangement allowing 3,000 degree-holders from each country aged 18 to 30 to live and work in the other country for two years. Established under the India-UK Migration and Mobility MoU of 2021.
• Zebrafish protein discovery: Scientists identified the Ccn2a protein in zebrafish that regenerates aged vertebral disc tissue via the FGFR1-SHH signalling pathway. The finding has potential applications for spinal degeneration treatments in humans.