5 January 2024

• Governance: the President gave assent to two significant bills: the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners Bill and the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill.
• Economy: India's GDP growth projection for FY24 was revised upward to 6.7 per cent, with Q2 growth confirmed at 7.6 per cent.
• Finance: direct-to-cell satellites from SpaceX raised fresh spectrum licensing questions as 21 satellites were launched.
• Culture: West Bengal declared Poila Baisakh as State Day, with Rabindranath Tagore's "Banglar Mati, Banglar Jal" designated the state song.

GS area: Polity (Elections, constitutional appointments)

The Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023 received presidential assent on 5 January 2024.

• What it changes: the new law replaces the earlier system under which the President appointed the Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners on the Prime Minister's advice. The Act creates a selection committee comprising the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and a Union Cabinet Minister nominated by the PM.
• The constitutional background: Article 324 vests the superintendence, direction and control of elections in the Election Commission. The Constitution is silent on the appointment process beyond saying the President shall make the appointment.
• Supreme Court ruling (2023): a five-judge Constitution Bench held in Anoop Baranwal vs Union of India that until Parliament enacted a law, appointments should be on the recommendation of a committee including the Chief Justice of India. The new Act replaces the CJI with a Cabinet Minister.
• Controversy: critics argued removing the CJI from the committee undermined the independence of the process.

Static linkage: Election Commission, constitutional appointments (Polity).

GS area: Polity (media regulation, fundamental rights)

The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill received presidential assent on the same day, replacing the Press and Registration of Books Act of 1867.

• Core change: the 1867 Act required physical registration through a magistrate. The new law digitises the process through an online portal managed by the Registrar of Newspapers for India.
• RNI: the Registrar of Newspapers for India is the government body that registers all newspapers and periodicals and monitors their circulation.
• Article 19(1)(a): freedom of speech and expression underpins press freedom in India. The government has emphasised that the new Act streamlines, not restricts, registration.

Static linkage: media regulation, press freedom, fundamental rights.

GS area: Economy (national income, growth data)

The first advance estimate for FY24 revised India's GDP growth projection upward to 6.7 per cent, with Q2 FY24 confirmed at 7.6 per cent year on year.

• Current account deficit: projected to narrow to 1.3 per cent of GDP.
• Merchandise exports: expected to fall 9.3 per cent year on year due to global demand weakness.
• Context: the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2024 report by UN-DESA projected India's growth at 6.2 per cent, slightly below the government's estimate.

Two institutions to remember: the National Statistical Office under MoSPI publishes advance GDP estimates. The UN-DESA WESP report is released in January.

Static linkage: national income statistics, economic data releases.

GS area: Governance (labour welfare, social security)

The Employees' Provident Fund Organisation extended the deadline for wage details upload under the higher pension validation scheme to 31 May 2024, from the earlier deadline of 31 December 2023.

• Context: the Supreme Court had directed EPFO to allow employees to opt for higher pension under the Employees' Pension Scheme 1995. EPFO launched an online portal in February 2023 for this.
• Pending applications: approximately 3.6 lakh applications were pending validation as of January 2024.
• EPFO: the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation administers three schemes: the EPF Scheme 1952 (provident fund), the EPS 1995 (pension), and the EDLI Scheme 1976 (life insurance). It is supervised by the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Static linkage: EPFO, social security schemes, labour law.

• GI tags for Arunachal Pradesh products: Adi Kekir ginger, handmade carpets, and Wancho wooden craft from Arunachal Pradesh received Geographical Indication tags, taking the state's total GI products to eight. GI registration in India is administered by the Registrar of Geographical Indications under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.
• NHAI-NRSC satellite partnership: the National Highways Authority of India and the National Remote Sensing Centre signed an MoU to develop a Green Cover Index for national highways using satellite imagery. NRSC is based in Hyderabad and operates under ISRO.
• Chandubi Festival: the 14th edition of the Chandubi Festival concluded on 5 January at Chandubi Lake, 64 km from Guwahati. The festival celebrates the Rabha, Garo, and Gorkha tribal communities. Chandubi Lake was created during the 1897 earthquake.