21 July 2024

• International: Bangladesh Supreme Court scaled back the quota system for government jobs. Protests had killed over 100 people by 20 July. India advised its nationals to avoid travel.
• Economy: National Landslide Forecasting Centre inaugurated on 22 July (anticipated). India ranks in the global top 5 for landslide vulnerability.
• Forest: National Landslide Forecasting Centre and SEHER women's entrepreneurship programme continued momentum from the previous week's announcements.
• Polity: IAS conduct rules in public scrutiny following the Puja Khedkar case.

GS area: International Relations, Comparative Polity

Bangladesh's Supreme Court on 21 July issued a landmark ruling scaling back the controversial quota system for government jobs. The protests that preceded this ruling killed over 100 people and injured thousands.

• The quota system: Bangladesh reserved 56 per cent of government jobs under various categories. The most contested was the 30 per cent reservation for descendants of 1971 Liberation War veterans (freedom fighters). Critics called it nepotistic and disproportionate.
• Protests: Student-led protests began in June 2024 demanding abolition of the veterans' quota. By 19 to 20 July the protests had become violent, with security forces killing over 100 demonstrators and the government imposing an internet shutdown.
• Supreme Court ruling (21 July): The court reduced the freedom fighter quota from 30 per cent to 5 per cent. The ruling directed that 93 per cent of government jobs be filled on merit, with 2 per cent reserved for ethnic minorities and 1 per cent for persons with disabilities.
• Internet shutdown: Bangladesh's mobile internet and social media were shut down for several days. This created a humanitarian communication crisis.
• India's advisory: The Indian High Commission in Dhaka advised Indian nationals to minimise movement and avoid local travel.
• Outcome: The court ruling did not immediately end the protests. Sheikh Hasina's government faced sustained domestic pressure in the days following the ruling.

Static linkage: India-Bangladesh relations (IR), comparative constitutionalism.

GS area: Geography, Disaster Management

The National Landslide Forecasting Centre (NLFC) was launched around this period. India is among the top five most landslide-vulnerable countries globally.

• Tools: Bhusanket Web Portal (for situational awareness) and Bhooskhalan Mobile App (for early warning delivery).
• Target: Nationwide Landslide Early Warning System operational by 2030.
• India's vulnerability: Over 12 per cent of the geographical area is landslide-prone.
  • 66 per cent of vulnerability is in the north-western Himalayas.
  • 19 per cent in the north-eastern Himalayas.
  • 14 per cent in the Western Ghats.
• Highest-risk districts: Rudraprayag and Tehri Garhwal in Uttarakhand.
• Primary trigger: Rainfall variability. Cloudbursts in the Himalayas are the most common immediate cause.
• National Landslide Susceptibility Mapping: Covering 0.42 million sq km at 1:50,000 scale to identify highest-risk zones.

Static linkage: Landslide disaster (Disaster Management), Himalayan geography.

GS area: Polity, Governance

The Puja Khedkar controversy continued to attract public attention to the rules governing civil service probation. Khedkar, a probationary IAS officer, was accused of misrepresenting OBC and disability status in her UPSC application.

• Probation period: Most IAS officers serve a two-year probation before confirmation. During this period they are closely supervised.
• Training: Probationers attend the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) in Mussoorie for foundational and induction training.
• Discharge during probation: Under IAS (Probation) Rules, Rule 12, an officer can be discharged before confirmation on grounds including unsatisfactory performance or ineligibility at the time of selection.
• OBC creamy layer: The creamy layer cut-off for OBC reservation in central government services is currently 8 lakh rupees per year household income. Candidates whose parents' income exceeds this cannot claim OBC reservation.
• UPSC's verification role: UPSC verifies certificates submitted by selected candidates. The Khedkar case raised questions about the adequacy of verification processes.

Static linkage: Civil services (Polity/Governance), OBC reservation criteria.

GS area: Economy, Geography

India has notified 111 National Waterways under the National Waterways Act 2016. As of 2024, cargo traffic on inland waterways has grown steadily.

• National Waterway 1: The Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system from Allahabad to Haldia (1,620 km). The busiest inland waterway in India.
• National Waterway 2: The Brahmaputra from Sadiya to Dhubri in Assam (891 km).
• IWAI: Inland Waterways Authority of India, established in 1986, is the statutory authority. Headquartered in Noida.
• JMVP (Jal Marg Vikas Project): World Bank-assisted project to develop NW-1. Includes constructing multi-modal terminals, ro-ro ferry services, and navigational aids.
• Cost advantage: Inland water transport costs about 1 rupee per tonne-km versus 2.5 for rail and 6 for road.

Static linkage: Waterway development (Economy), river systems (Geography).

GS area: Environment, International Relations

India and Japan are implementing a Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) for carbon trading.

• JCM purpose: Enables Japan to claim credit toward its climate targets for emission reductions it finances in partner countries including India.
• Carbon credits: A carbon credit represents one tonne of CO2 equivalent reduced or removed. Credits are issued, tracked, and retired through a registry to prevent double counting.
• India's carbon market: The Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act 2022 enables creation of a domestic carbon credit trading scheme. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency administers it.
• Concerns: Double counting (both India and Japan claiming the same reductions) is the principal integrity risk. Additionality (ensuring the reductions would not have happened anyway) is the other.

Static linkage: Climate finance (Environment), India-Japan relations.

• Immunity to Governors: Article 361 of the Constitution grants immunity to the President and Governors from criminal proceedings in any court during their term. The Supreme Court agreed to examine the constitutional validity of this provision following a criminal complaint against a sitting Governor.
• NLFC launch: National Landslide Forecasting Centre established under the Geological Survey of India. Bhusanket portal and Bhooskhalan app are the delivery tools.
• Phlogacanthus sudhansusekharii: A new plant species from the Acanthaceae family discovered in Arunachal Pradesh. Named after scientist Dr Sudhansu Sekhar Dash. Demonstrates the continuing pace of biodiversity discovery in India's North-East.