Current Affairs

 

 

CAA - Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 

About: - 

• The CAA, which aims to give citizenship to migrants belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan, was notified on 12thDecember 2019, and came into force on 10thJanuary 2020. 

Associated Concerns with CAA 

Targeting a Particular Community: 

• There are apprehensions that the CAA, followed by a country-wide compilation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), will benefit non-Muslims excluded from the proposed citizens’ register, while excluded Muslims will have to prove their citizenship. 

Issues in the North-East: 

• It contradicts the Assam Accord of 1985, which states that illegal migrants, irrespective of religion, heading in from Bangladesh after 25th March, 1971, would be deported. 
• There are an estimated 20 million illegal Bangladeshi migrants in Assam and they have inalienably altered the demography of the state, besides putting a severe strain on the state’s resources and economy. 

Against Fundamental Rights: 

• Critics argue that it is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution (which guarantees the right to equality and is applicable to both the citizens and foreigners) and the principle of secularism enshrined in the preamble of the constitution. 

Discriminatory in Nature: 

• India has several other refugees that include Tamils from Sri Lanka and Hindu Rohingya from Myanmar. They are not covered under the Act. 
• Difficulty in Administration: It will be difficult for the government to differentiate between illegal migrants and those persecuted.

Hampering Bilateral Ties: 

• The Act throws light on the religious oppression that has happened and is happening in these three countries and thus may worsen our bilateral ties with them MHA Clarification.

Not Applicable on Indian Citizens: 

• The CAA does not apply to Indian citizens. Therefore, it does not in any way take away or abridge the rights of any Indian citizen.

Legal Process of Acquiring Indian Citizenship Remain Unchanged: 

• Further, the present legal process of acquiring Indian citizenship by any foreigner of any category as provided in the Citizenship Act,1955 is very much operational and the CAA does not amend or alter this legal position in any manner whatsoever.
• Hence, legal migrants of any religion from any country will continue to get Indian citizenship once they fulfil the eligibility conditions already provided in the law for registration or naturalization.

Nilgai antelope 

• It is the largest Asian antelope (family Bovidae). 
• The nilgai is indigenous to the Indian subcontinent, and Hindus accord it the same sacred status as cattle (both belong to the subfamily Bovine). 

Description: 

• Nilgai is the Hindustani word for “blue cow,” which describes the blue-grey of adult bulls. 
• It has a long neck with a short upright mane, a bony narrow head, a barrel-like chest, strong legs, and high withers sloping back to the croup. 

Habitat: 

• It lives in a lightly wooded forest, wooded grassland, scrub areas and agricultural areas and human settlements. Blue Bull usually avoids dense Forests. 

Threats: 

• It is seldom killed or injured in retaliation in response to crop-raiding. 
• The major threat to this species is habitat loss and degradation due to human encroachment, clearing of forest for agriculture and over-grazing of livestock in their habitats. 

Conservation Status: 

• The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species listed it as Least Concern. 
• It enjoys legal protection by virtue of the species having been included in ScheduleIII of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

Implications of Suspension of MPs 

Prohibited to attend the meetings: 

• Suspended MPs are not allowed to enter the chamber or attend any meetings of the committees. 

No notices 

• Suspended MPs are not allowed to give any notices for discussions etc 

No replies to questions: 

• By convention a suspended loses its right to get replies to her questions.
• Revocation of Suspension of MPs Lok Sabha: 
• The Speaker has the authority to suspend a Member, but the power to lift this suspension is not within her jurisdiction. 
• The House, if it wishes, decides through a motion to revoke the suspension. 
• Rajya Sabha: The House by motion terminates the suspension. 

courts intervene in a matter of suspension of MP 

• Article 122 of the Indian Constitution says parliamentary proceedings cannot be questioned before a court. 
• In some cases, however, courts have intervened in the procedural functioning of legislatures. 
• For example, the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly passed a resolution in its 2021 Monsoon Session suspending 12 BJP MLAs for a year. 
• The matter came before the Supreme Court, which held that the resolution was ineffective in law beyond the remainder of the Monsoon Session. 

Parliamentary Etiquette Rules: 

• MPs are advised to adhere to certain rules of the parliament 
• Examples: Lok sabha rule book says that MPs should not intervene in the speech of others. 
• Decorum of the house: Members should members should not shout slogans, display placards, tear up documents in protest, and play a cassette or a tape recorder in the House

Maratha Military Landscapes of India 

Context: - 

• India has put “Maratha Military Landscapes of India” as its nominee for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List for 2024-25. 

More in News: 

• The Maratha Military Landscapes of India, crafted between the 17th and 19th centuries, embody an exceptional fortification and military system conceptualized by the Maratha rulers. This nomination comprises twelve distinct elements, including: 
• Hill Forts: Salher, Shivneri, Lohgad, Raigad, Rajgad, and Gingee forts, 
• Hill-forest fort: Pratapgad, 
• Hill-plateau fort: Panhala, 
• Coastal fort: Vijaydurg & 
• Island forts: Khanderi, Suvarnadurg, and Sindhudurg. 
• Spread across varied geographical and physiographic regions, these components collectively highlight the strategic military prowess of the Maratha rulers. 

The Military Landscapes of the Marathas: 

• The Maratha military landscape was established during the reign of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, in 1670 CE and persisted through successive rulers until 1818. Significance: Strategic Utilization of Terrain: These networks exemplify how the existing terrain was utilized by the Maratha army to develop guerrilla warfare strategies. 
• These strategies were instrumental in countering the imperial might of the Mughals on the landward side and European coastal powers from the seaward side. 
• A Unique Military Legacy: In the context of India’s military landscape, the Maratha Empire’s warfare strategy emerges as a unique and noteworthy example with the potential to be showcased to the world. 

Criteria under World Heritage List Nomination by UNESCO: 

• The nomination process for the World Heritage List involves two categories:
• Cultural and Natural Criteria United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
• It is a specialized agency of the United Nations.
• Established in 1945. 

Headquartered in Paris. 

• Dedicated to fostering international collaboration, UNESCO strives to promote peace and security by advancing educational, scientific, and cultural reforms. 
• With 194 member states and 12 associate members, UNESCO counts India among its founding members. 

The Maratha Military Landscapes of India fall under the cultural criteria category. 

• There are six criteria (i to vi) for cultural sites and four criteria (vii to x) for natural sites to be considered for inclusion in the World Heritage List. 

The Maratha Military Landscapes of India is nominated under three specific cultural criteria: 

• Criterion (iii): Demonstrating a unique or exceptionally significant testimony to a cultural tradition or civilization, whether living or extinct.
• Criterion (iv): An outstanding example of a specific type of building, architectural or technological ensemble, or landscape that illustrates significant stages in human history. 
• Criterion (vi): Directly or tangibly associated with events, living traditions, ideas, beliefs, or artistic and literary works of outstanding universal significance.

UNESCO-Recognised Sites in India at present: 

• India is home to 42 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, among these, 34 are designated as Cultural sites, 7 as Natural sites, and 2 as mixed sites, each acknowledged for their exceptional universal value to humanity.
• Recently UNESCO added Shantiniketan, the 41st UNESCO World Heritage Site in India and the inscription of the 13th-century sacred ensemble of temples of the Hoysala rulers — the famed temples of Belur, Halebid and Somananthpura in Karnataka — into the World Heritage list making India’s total sites on the World Heritage list as 42.