3 August 2023

• Polity: The Government of NCT of Delhi (Amendment) Bill, 2023 was introduced to replace an ordinance that overrode the Supreme Court's May 2023 order giving Delhi control over administrative services.
• Health: A WHO report on tobacco control found global smoking prevalence fell from 22.8 per cent in 2007 to 17 per cent in 2021. India's health-warning labels on tobacco packaging cover 85 per cent of pack area.
• International Relations: Intra-regional trade in South Asia grew from 2 per cent of regional trade in 1990 to 6 per cent today. ASEAN achieves 27 per cent intra-regional trade integration by comparison.
• Environment: Western Tragopan, the Himachal Pradesh state bird, faces habitat loss and holds IUCN Vulnerable status.

GS area: Polity, Federalism, Centre-State Relations

The Amendment Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 3 August 2023. It replaces the Government of NCT of Delhi (Amendment) Ordinance, 2023 issued in May 2023.

• Supreme Court background: A five-judge Constitution Bench ruled on 11 May 2023 that the Delhi government has legislative and executive control over administrative services (bureaucracy). This reversed the Centre's position.
• Ordinance: The Centre issued an ordinance within a week of the judgment to override the ruling, taking back control of administrative services.
• The Bill: Establishes the National Capital Civil Services Authority (NCCSA) to make recommendations on postings and transfers of Group A officers in Delhi.
• NCCSA composition: Chaired by the Chief Minister of Delhi. Other members are the Principal Home Secretary and the Chief Secretary of the Delhi Government.
• Constitutional issue: Delhi is a special category Union Territory under Article 239AA. The legal dispute concerns the distribution of power between an elected government and the Centre in a UT.
• Legislative history: The dispute between the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor over administrative control began in 2015 and has seen multiple Supreme Court judgments, including a split verdict in 2019.

A critical point for prelims: Delhi is not a full state. The Legislature of the NCT cannot legislate on entries in List II relating to public order, police, and land, unlike state legislatures.

Static linkage: Constitutional provisions for Union Territories, federalism (GS Paper 2).

GS area: Health, Governance

The World Health Organization released the 10th edition of its Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic, 2023.

• Progress globally: Global smoking prevalence fell from 22.8 per cent in 2007 to 17 per cent in 2021. The report estimates 300 million fewer smokers globally.
• MPOWER measures: WHO's six-component tobacco control framework:
  • M: Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies.
  • P: Protect people from tobacco smoke.
  • O: Offer help to quit tobacco.
  • W: Warn about the dangers of tobacco.
  • E: Enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship.
  • R: Raise taxes on tobacco.
• Coverage: More than 5 billion people (71 per cent of the global population) are now protected by at least one MPOWER measure.
• All six measures: Only four countries implement all six MPOWER measures: Brazil, Turkey, the Netherlands, and Mauritius.
• India's performance: India excels at health warning labels, which cover 85 per cent of tobacco packaging. India also enacted the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003 and banned e-cigarette sales.

Static linkage: Public health policy, international health conventions (GS Paper 2).

GS area: International Relations

Intra-regional trade within South Asia stands at only 6 per cent of regional trade, up from 2 per cent in 1990. ASEAN achieves 27 per cent integration. The gap reflects political barriers more than geographical or economic ones.

• India's bilateral trade: India exported approximately 16 billion dollars to Bangladesh, 8 billion to Nepal, and 6 billion to Sri Lanka in 2022. These are large by South Asian standards but small relative to each economy's total trade.
• SAARC: The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation was founded in 1985. Its effectiveness is constrained by the India-Pakistan relationship. The last SAARC summit was held in 2014.
• Neighbourhood First Policy: India's foreign policy doctrine that prioritises relations with immediate neighbours. It is operationalised through connectivity projects, credit lines, and disaster assistance.
• BIMSTEC: The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation groups India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Thailand. It excludes Pakistan and is increasingly seen as a complement to the stalled SAARC.

Static linkage: Regional organisations, India's neighbourhood policy (GS Paper 2).

GS area: Polity, Governance (alternative dispute resolution)

Parliament passed the Mediation Bill, 2021. The legislation creates a formal framework for commercial mediation.

• Pre-litigation mediation: Parties in commercial disputes must attempt mediation before approaching a court. Mediation is not mandatory for personal disputes.
• Timeline: The process is capped at 180 days. The parties can agree to extend it.
• Mediation Council of India: The Bill establishes this body to register and regulate mediators and mediation service providers.
• Singapore Convention: Settlement agreements reached through mediation are enforceable under the Singapore Convention on Mediation (2020). The Bill aligns India's framework with this international instrument.
• Exclusions: Disputes involving the government are limited; the government can only be brought to mediation in commercial matters where it explicitly agrees.

Static linkage: Dispute resolution, access to justice (GS Paper 2).

GS area: Science and Technology, Environment

The National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bengaluru developed the JALDOST airboat to clean water bodies, remove aquatic weeds, and collect floating waste.

• NAL: A constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). It is India's primary civil aviation research institution.
• Design: The hull uses an airtight pontoon structure that makes the vessel unsinkable. Power comes from an air propeller rather than an underwater screw, allowing operation in very shallow and weed-choked water.
• Relevance: Invasive aquatic weeds such as water hyacinth choke reservoirs, impede navigation, and reduce fish yields. Mechanical removal is the most effective control method.

Static linkage: CSIR laboratories, environmental technology (GS Paper 3).

• Justice G. Rohini Commission: Established in 2017 to examine sub-categorisation within the 27 per cent OBC reservation quota. The Commission submitted its report on 31 July 2023 after approximately six years of work. Its findings (released later in August) suggest that 97 per cent of OBC benefits go to 25 per cent of OBC castes, and 983 communities have zero representation.
• Western Tragopan: The state bird of Himachal Pradesh. It holds IUCN Vulnerable status. Its habitat in high-altitude Himalayan forests faces encroachment and climate-driven shifts.
• Polypill: A single tablet combining multiple medications, typically blood pressure and cholesterol drugs. The WHO has included the polypill concept on its Essential Medicines List. The "Polycap" is one such compound marketed in India.