14 March 2024

• Polity: A seven-judge Supreme Court Bench began hearing the Punjab vs Davinder Singh case on whether states can sub-classify within Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for reservation purposes.
• Defence: The SIPRI arms trade report named India the world's top arms importer for 2019-23, with Russia's share of Indian imports falling below 50 per cent for the first time in 60 years.
• Health: The National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming targeted halving snakebite deaths by 2030 from the current 50,000 per year.
• Telecom: TRAI proposed a Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) service to display verified caller names to reduce spam and fraud calls.

GS area: Polity (reservations, constitutional law)

A seven-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court began hearing the State of Punjab vs Davinder Singh case. The core question: can state governments create sub-categories within Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe lists to prioritise the most backward communities within the broader group?

Background and conflicting judgments:

• E.V. Chinnaiah case (2004): a five-judge Bench held that SCs and STs are a homogeneous class and states cannot sub-classify within the Presidential lists. Sub-classification would amount to tinkering with the Constitution's (Scheduled Castes) Order 1950 and (Scheduled Tribes) Order 1950, which only Parliament can alter.
• Punjab vs Davinder Singh (2020): a five-judge Bench disagreed with Chinnaiah and allowed sub-classification. The conflict was then referred to a seven-judge Bench.

Constitutional articles at stake:

• Article 15(4): enables states to make special provisions for the advancement of socially and educationally backward classes or SCs/STs.
• Article 16(4): enables states to reserve posts for inadequately represented backward classes in public employment.
• Article 341(1) and 342(1): the President, in consultation with the Governor, specifies which castes and tribes are Scheduled. Only Parliament can include or exclude groups from these lists.

Communities most affected: Balmikis and Mazhabi Sikhs (Punjab), Madiga (Andhra Pradesh), Paswans (Bihar), Jatavs (UP), Arundhatiyars (Tamil Nadu).

Static linkage: Polity (reservations, fundamental rights, constitutional law).

GS area: International Relations, Defence

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute published its five-yearly assessment of global arms transfers for 2019-23. Key India findings:

• India: the world's top arms importer, with a 4.7 per cent increase from the previous five-year period.
• Russia's declining share: Russia supplied under 50 per cent of India's arms imports for the first time in 60 years, dropping from 64 per cent in 2014-18. This reflects both the diversification drive and Russia's supply disruptions following Ukraine sanctions.
• New suppliers: France moved to second place (supplying Rafale jets, Scorpene submarines and helicopter engines). The US has grown as a supplier (C-17 transporters, Apache helicopters, P-8I maritime patrol aircraft).

Global findings:

• Largest exporters: United States (17 per cent increase in exports), France second, Russia (exports fell 50 per cent).
• Largest importers beyond India: Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

The data underlines India's continued dependence on imports despite the push under Atmanirbhar Bharat for defence self-reliance.

Static linkage: International relations, defence (procurement policy).

GS area: Health, Government schemes

India accounts for approximately 50,000 snakebite deaths annually, more than any other country. The National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming targets:

• 50 per cent reduction in snakebite deaths by 2030.
• One Health approach: integrating human health, veterinary, wildlife and tribal affairs departments. Snakes live in agricultural and forest edge habitats; effective response requires coordination across sectors.

Key bottlenecks:

• Antivenom supply is limited and uneven across districts.
• Many deaths go unrecorded because they occur in remote areas.
• Tribal communities with high exposure often have the least access to health infrastructure.

Static linkage: Health (one health, disease burden).

GS area: Governance (telecom regulation), Science and Technology

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India proposed the Calling Name Presentation (CNAP) service:

• How it works: displays a verified name (drawn from the telecom operator's Customer Application Form database) alongside the incoming call number.
• Problem addressed: Unsolicited Commercial Communication (UCC), colloquially spam calls and fraud calls.
• Limitation: the name shown would be the one on the KYC form, not the caller's choice. Fraudsters using prepaid SIMs with fake details could still evade the system.

Static linkage: Governance (telecom, TRAI), science and technology.

• RPTUAS (Revamped Pharmaceuticals Technology Upgradation Assistance Scheme): incentivises pharmaceutical manufacturers to upgrade facilities. Investment incentive: 20 per cent for units with turnover below Rs 50 crore, 15 per cent for Rs 50-250 crore, 10 per cent for Rs 250-500 crore. Maximum support: Rs 1 crore per unit.
• Astronomical Grand Cycles: a study found Earth's climate fluctuates in a 2.4-million-year cycle linked to gravitational interactions between Earth's and Mars's orbital paths. These cycles affect deep ocean circulation.
• NFECS and NECCE: two national curriculum frameworks for early childhood launched by NIPCCD. NFECS covers birth to 3 years (stimulation for caregivers). NECCE covers 3 to 6 years (early childhood care and education). Both aligned with the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage 2022.