29 April 2024

• Polity: The Supreme Court dismisses petitions demanding a return to paper ballots, upholding EVM-VVPAT as robust. Orders increased microcontroller checks.
• Culture: Madurai's Chithirai Festival, one of Tamil Nadu's largest, continues. The festival is tied to the Vaigai River and the Silappadikaram epic.
• Tribal rights: Bru (Reang) community resettled in Tripura casts votes in a Lok Sabha election for the first time under the 2020 Quadripartite Agreement.
• Economy: Gem and Jewellery sector entities get Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status, easing customs clearance.
• Energy: The World Energy Congress 2024 is held in Rotterdam, Netherlands; India underscores its green hydrogen and solar ambitions.

GS area: Polity (elections, judiciary)

The Supreme Court bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, on 26 April 2024, delivered its verdict in the EVM-VVPAT case, rejecting the demand for paper ballots.

Key facts:

• Petitioners' demands:
  1. Revert to paper ballots, or
  2. Count 100 per cent of VVPAT slips against EVM tallies.
• SC order: Dismissed both demands. Held that EVMs have adequate technical and administrative safeguards. Did not find any systemic flaw requiring a change.
• Additional direction: SC directed that after results are declared, candidates may request the ECI to verify the microcontroller burned programme within 7 days. If requested, a technical committee checks the chip.
• VVPAT count maintained at: 5 randomly selected EVMs per assembly segment (existing protocol). Not increased.
• Constitutional basis of SC jurisdiction: Article 324 vests election management in the ECI. SC can review but generally respects the ECI's technical processes.
• EVM design: India's EVMs are standalone, not network-connected. They are manufactured by BEL (Bharat Electronics Limited) and ECIL (Electronics Corporation of India Limited), both PSUs.

Static linkage: elections, Supreme Court, polity.

GS area: Art and Culture

Madurai's Chithirai Festival is held every year in the Tamil month of Chithirai (April-May), one of the oldest religious-cultural festivals in Tamil Nadu.

Key facts:

• Duration: Approximately 12 days, drawing millions of pilgrims to Madurai.
• Deities: The festival celebrates the marriage of Goddess Meenakshi (an avatar of Parvati) with Lord Sundareswarar (Shiva) at the Meenakshi Amman Temple.
• The Meenakshi Amman Temple: Located in Madurai. Known for its towering gopurams (gateway towers) decorated with thousands of sculptures. One of the largest temple complexes in India.
• Vaigai River: The river on whose banks Madurai stands. Mentioned in Sangam literature. Subject to seasonal flooding and ecological pressures.
• Silappadikaram connection: The Silappadikaram is one of the five great Tamil epics (Five Epics of Tamil Literature). It is set partly in Madurai and features Kovalan and Kannagi. Its climax involves Kannagi cursing the Pandya king in Madurai.
• Sangam Age: Madurai was the capital of the Pandya kingdom, a major power in the Sangam Age (3rd century BCE to 4th century CE).

Static linkage: art and culture, Tamil Nadu history.

GS area: Polity (Tribal rights, elections), Society

The Bru (Reang) community, internally displaced from Mizoram in 1997 and resettled in Tripura under the 2020 Quadripartite Agreement, voted in a Lok Sabha election for the first time.

Key facts:

• Bru/Reang: A tribal community originally from Mizoram. Displaced due to ethnic violence with the Mizo community in 1997. Approximately 37,000 Bru lived in relief camps in Tripura for over two decades.
• Quadripartite Agreement (January 2020): Signed by the Centre, Mizoram, Tripura, and Bru representatives. Agreed to permanently settle willing Bru families in Tripura. Provided each family land, a house, and financial assistance.
• Earlier electoral exclusion: Displaced persons could not vote in their place of residence as their electoral rolls remained in Mizoram. The resettlement removed this barrier.
• Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG): The Bru/Reang are classified as a PVTG.
• Tripura's tribal politics: Tripura has a 19-seat Tribal Area ADC (Autonomous District Council) under the Sixth Schedule. Tribal communities are about 31 per cent of Tripura's population.
• Sixth Schedule: Provides for autonomous tribal administration in the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura.

Static linkage: tribal rights, polity, northeast India.

GS area: Economy (Trade, Exports)

The government extended Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) status to entities in the Gem and Jewellery sector, easing customs procedures.

Key facts:

• AEO: A programme of the World Customs Organisation (WCO). Businesses that demonstrate compliance with customs laws, financial solvency, and security standards are certified as low-risk traders. Benefits include faster customs clearance, reduced inspections, and deferred duty payment.
• India's AEO programme: Implemented by the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC). Three tiers: AEO-T1, T2, and T3, with escalating benefits and requirements.
• Gem and Jewellery sector: India is the world's largest cutting-and-polishing centre for diamonds and one of the largest jewellery exporters. The sector employs approximately 5 million people.
• Export significance: Gems and jewellery account for approximately 10-12 per cent of India's merchandise exports.
• GJEPC: Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council. The apex body for the sector, under the Ministry of Commerce.

Static linkage: economy, trade, governance.

GS area: International Relations, Environment (Energy)

The 26th World Energy Congress was held in Rotterdam, Netherlands in April 2024, with India highlighting its renewable energy ambitions.

Key facts:

• World Energy Congress: Held every three years by the World Energy Council (WEC). Brings together energy ministers, executives, and experts.
• WEC: Non-governmental international organisation, founded in 1923. Over 90 member countries.
• India's presentation at WEC 2024:
  • 500 GW renewable capacity target by 2030.
  • 5 million metric tonnes green hydrogen production by 2030.
  • One Sun, One World, One Grid (OSOWOG): India's proposal for a global electricity grid connecting countries across time zones.
• Energy transition challenges: Global energy investment in 2023 reached $1.8 trillion, with over half going to clean energy for the first time. However, fossil fuels still supply 80 per cent of global energy.
• OSOWOG: India-led concept for a transnational green grid enabling solar energy to follow the sun across the globe.

Static linkage: environment, energy, international relations.

• Star campaigners and election expenditure: The ECI clarified that expenditure by designated star campaigners (up to 40 for national parties, 20 for state parties) does not count against individual candidates' expenditure ceiling (Rs 95 lakh for most Lok Sabha constituencies). This distinction matters for election expense compliance.
• Cyclone preparedness: IMD issued a cyclone watch for the Bay of Bengal as a low-pressure area intensified ahead of Phase 3 polling.
• Trachoma elimination: India declared elimination of Trachoma as a public health problem in April 2024. Trachoma (caused by Chlamydia trachomatis) is the world's leading infectious cause of blindness.