Hindu Notes from General Studies-01

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India’s large cities staring at water crisis: Water Stress Index

News

• The recent acute water shortage in Chennai has fuelled concerns that a potential water crisis is awaiting India’s large cities, which are grappling with the pressures of rapid population growth, depletion of water resources and adverse effects of climate change.

Findings

• The present plight of Chennai ‘could be the new normal for tens of millions of people’ living in the country’s big cities, according to new study on the water scarcity risks facing India.
• The sub-national Water Stress Index, lists India as the 46th highest risk country in the world. What’s more worrying is that 11 of India’s 20 largest cities face an ‘extreme risk’ of water stress and seven are in the ‘high risk’ category.
• According to the index, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Nashik, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Indore are among the cities facing ‘extreme risk’. The index measures the water consumption rates of households, industries and farm sectors and the available resources in rivers, lakes and streams.
• The index suggests that Bengaluru and Surat are experiencing the greatest surge in demand for water and are most at risk of facing scarcity. Chennai and Delhi are extremely vulnerable too, the paper notes.
• Increasing demand for water could lead to an economic crisis. The United Nations estimates that Delhi’s population will grow from 28 million people to above 43 million by 2035, a 52% rise, while Chennai will grow by 47% to top 15 million over the same period.
• The study says Chennai is the tip of the iceberg for India’s water stressed cities.
• The average population growth rate among the 11 extreme risk cities is 49%; more than 127 million people will call them home by 2035. Securing water resources will be an important consideration for businesses to ensure continuity in operations and for cities to fuel economic activity.
• India is rated ‘high risk’ in the Climate Change Vulnerability Index, which suggests that effects of climate change like an ‘extended dry season’ would make matters worse for the country’s cities.
• Many major Indian cities are projected to experience a higher number of consecutive drought days when precipitation is less than 1 mm. Bengaluru, for example, is expected to experience 5% increase in consecutive drought days by 2060, relative to the period from 1981 to 2005.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-02

Cabinet approves increasing strength of Supreme Court judges from 31 to 34

 News

• Against the backdrop of rising cases in the Supreme Court, the Union Cabinet approved increasing the number of judges in the top court from the present 31 to 34, including the Chief Justice of India.

Beyond News

• At present, the sanctioned strength of the apex court is 31.
• At present, the Supreme Court is working with its full sanctioned strength of 31.
• The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 was last amended in 2009 to increase the judges’ strength from 25 to 30 (excluding the CJI).
• The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 originally provided for a maximum of 10 judges (excluding the CJI). This number was increased to 13 by the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1960, and to 17 in 1977.
• The working strength of the Supreme court was, however, restricted to 15 judges by the Cabinet (excluding the chief Justice of India) till the end of 1979. But the restriction was withdrawn at the request of the Chief Justice of India.

Thailand in talks with India to buy BrahMos cruise missiles

News

• In possibly the first sale of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to another country, Thailand is in talks with India for their purchase, official sources said.
• A few other countries have also expressed interest in BrahMos but nothing has fructified yet.

Beyond News

• As part of the expanding defence cooperation between the two countries, Thailand has made a request for repair and refurbishing their Dornier maritime patrol aircraft.
• In addition, Thailand Navy is looking to increase its capabilities and planning to induct more ships, defence sources said. In line with that, Indian Navy is exploring opportunities wherein India could help in ship design and has even “offered ship construction at the various defence public sector undertaking shipyards.”
• The Indian Navy’s foreign cooperation initiatives include highlighting the capability of various Defence Public Sector Undertakings and Indian defence industry to friendly foreign navies.
• Discussions are on to integrate Thailand into India’s coastal surveillance radar chain network which sources is “likely to be finalised by year end.” Several littoral states including Maldives and Seychelles have already been integrated into it.
• The two navies already conduct a Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) and a new bilateral exercise is also in the works apart from the trilateral. As members of the Indian Ocean rim association (IORA) and Indian Ocean Naval symposium (IONS), navies of India and Thailand are working closely in the areas of disaster risk management, maritime security safety, information sharing and interoperability.

Lok Sabha passes bill for eviction of officials from govt. premises

News

The Lok Sabha passed the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Amendment Bill, 2019.

Beyond News

• The Bill amends the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971 that provides for the eviction of unauthorised occupants from public premises in certain cases.
• The Act pertained to all government premises. The amendments under consideration were related only to accommodations occupied by government officials.
• The three-days’ notice for evacuation would be given only after all other means of resolution were exhausted.
• The bill defines ‘residential accommodation occupation’ as the occupation of public premises by a person on the grant of a license for such occupation. The bill adds a provision laying down the procedure for eviction from residential accommodation.
• If the person in unauthorised occupation of the residential accommodation challenges the eviction order passed by the estate officer in court, he will be required to pay damages for every month of such occupation.

Hindu Notes from General Studies-03

Core sector growth slows to 0.2% in June

News

• Growth of eight core industries dropped to 0.2% in June mainly due to a contraction in oil-related sectors as well as in cement production, according to official data.

Beyond News

• The eight core sector industries viz. coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizer, steel, cement and electricity had expanded by 7.8% in June last year.
• According to the data released by the government, crude oil output contracted by 6.8% while the refinery segment de-grew by 9.3%.
• Cement output declined by 1.5%. Fertiliser production was also in the negative zone.
• Steel and electricity production, however, increased by 6.9% and 7.3%, respectively, during the month under review.
• During April-June, the eight sectors grew by 3.5% compared with 5.5% in the same period last year.

Pak evacuates 50 Chinese nationals in PoK due to continuous firing near LoC

News

• Over 50 Chinese nationals working on a hydroelectric project in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir were evacuated after skirmishes along the Line of Control with India, Pakistani authorities said.

Beyond News

• Pakistan Army warned that it would respond to the alleged ceasefire violations of the LoC by Indian forces and take measures to protect civilian lives.
• Pakistan summoned India’s Deputy High Commissioner and condemned the alleged “unprovoked ceasefire violations” by Indian troops across the Line of Control which resulted in the death of a man.

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