CURRENT AFFAIRS - 13.12.2023

 

1. Social engineering in BJP's surprise picks Who The BJP picked first-time MLA Bhajan Lal Sharma on Tuesday as Rajasthan's next chief minister, ending days of speculation that followed its victory in the assembly polls. Sharma's selection for the CM's post completes the BJP's hat-trick of surprises in the three Hindi heartland states, where it won the latest round of assembly elections. The surprise choice was announced after BJP lawmakers met in Jaipur and elected the 56-year-old MLA from Sanganer as the leader of its legislature party. Social engineering This comes after the BJP chose a tribal face in Chhattisgarh and a Yadav-OBC leader in Madhya Pradesh to head the governments. Two deputy CMs Diya Kumari, a member of the erstwhile Jaipur royal family, and Prem Chand Bairwa, a Dalit face in the state BJP, will be the deputy chief ministers in Rajasthan. Vasudev Devnani, a five-time MLA and former state minister, has been chosen for the Speaker's role in the state assembly. Why Sharma Hailing from the Bharatpur district, Sharma has the backing of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. He holds a master's degree in political science. He is currently the Rajasthan BJP's general secretary. Interestingly, just before the legislature party meeting, Sharma was seen standing in the last row when a group photo was taken. What's different from Raje Sharma began his political career with the ABVP, the RSS's youth wing. Unlike Vasundhara Raje, he is seen as an organisation man. Raje was often found at variance with the top leadership. Rajasthan politics is dominated by Rajputs and Jats. Raje suited the caste arithmetic as a Rajput married into a Jat family. A new candidate from either community carried the risk of antagonising the other bloc ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. A Brahmin face thus was a safe choice for the BJP in Rajasthan. Raje proposed his name for the CM's post in the meeting. More here

2. Terror redefined, what else's there in new criminal code? New code The government tabled three redrafted bills in Parliament to replace the existing criminal laws by including various recommendations made by a parliamentary panel. The Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita (BNS) Bill was introduced first in the Lok Sabha on August 11 along with the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam bills. They were referred to a parliamentary committee for further scrutiny. The three bills seek to replace the Indian Penal Code, 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure Act, 1898, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, respectively. What's new In the reintroduced bills, at least five changes have been made, including in the definition of terrorism. In the NBS Bill, the definition of terrorism now includes threatening "economic security". It says, "Whoever does any act with the intent to threaten or likely to threaten the unity, integrity, sovereignty, security, or economic security of India or with the intent to strike terror or likely to strike terror in the people or any section of the people in India or in any foreign country..." Punishment for a terrorist act is death or imprisonment for life. Those found conspiring or attempting to abet or incite such action could be jailed for five years or life. Protecting women The new Bill says causing harm to physical or mental health of women is "cruelty" towards them. The earlier version though provided for a three-year jail term for the husband of his family members for committing cruelty towards women but it didn't define "cruel treatment". The Bill makes it punishable (two-year jail term) to publish a court's proceedings that may reveal the identity of victims of rape or that of similar offences without the court's permission. The committee recommended retaining the provision that made adultery an offence. The Supreme Court had decriminalised it, holding the provision discriminatory towards women. The new Bill has not brought it back.

3. A U-turn on election commissioners What The Rajya Sabha approved on Tuesday a bill designed to regulate the appointment and service terms of the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and election commissioners. What's new When the Bill was introduced in the upper house in August this year, it faced opposition from political parties and ex-CECs for granting the poll panel members the rank of cabinet secretary. They argued that the move jeopardized the EC's independence. Now, the CEC and other commissioners have been given the status of a Supreme Court judge, as was the case earlier. The search committee The Bill introduced modifications to the structure of the search committee, emphasising an upgrade. Instead of being chaired by the cabinet secretary, the committee will now operate under the chairmanship of the law minister. Legal protection A notable addition to the Bill is a new clause shielding the CEC and other election commissioners from legal proceedings related to duty actions. The new clause comes against the backdrop of the suspension of a Telangana judge for hastily directing an FIR against CEC Rajiv Kumar. Opposition not convinced Despite receiving approval through a voice vote, the Bill encountered resistance from Opposition members. Their primary contention revolved around the perceived erosion of the Election Commission's independence. In response to the debate, Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal said the amendments to the CEC Bill were aimed at rectifying the search committee's structure and addressing weaknesses in the previous legislation Why a new Bill The Bill's introduction followed a Supreme Court ruling delivered in March, mandating a three-member panel, headed by the prime minister, for selecting the CEC and election commissioners until Parliament enacted a specific law on their appointment. The Bill establishes the prime minister as the head of the selection committee, with the Leader of Opposition and a Union minister as other members.

4. Has Trump fear forced Biden to skip R-Day event in New Delhi? What US President Joe Biden is not travelling to India next month to grace the Republic Day celebrations as the chief guest. The reasons for the decision are believed to be the State of the Union address in late January or early February, Biden's focus on his re-election bid and Washington's increasing focus on the Hamas-Israel conflict. The Trump angle This comes amid reports that Biden's predecessor Donald Trump has emerged as a strong contender for the 2024 presidential poll. A Reuters/Ipsos poll has found that the looming election rematch would be closely fought, with both candidates saddled with profound vulnerabilities that could cost them the White House. The poll showed Trump with a marginal 2-point lead in a head-to-head matchup, 38% to 36%, with 26% of respondents saying they weren't sure or might vote for someone else. The timing There has been a flurry of visits by senior US officials to India in the last few months. They included US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, who visited India in November for the '2+2' ministerial dialogue. FBI Director Christopher Wray is currently in New Delhi against the backdrop of the US's charge about an Indian link to a foiled plot to kill a Khalistani extremist on American soil. Impact on Quad summit India was planning the hold the next Quad summit around the R-Day event but now the meeting is likely to be deferred to a later date. The Quad or Quadrilateral coalition comprises India, the US, Japan and Australia. India's R-Day headache This is the second time that a US president skipped the invite for the Republic Day celebrations — after Trump failed to make it for the 2019 event. South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa graced the occasion back then. Barack Obama remains the only US president to have attended the Republic Day celebrations — in 2015. Eyes will be on the government's move to find a new guest for the occasion.

NEWS IN CLUES 5. Identify this country Clue 1: Its former top leader once resided in what is currently the Indian National Congress's headquarters Clue 2: The first of its three wars with the British led to the annexation of Assam to British India Clue 3: A military coup ousted its civilian government in February 2021 Scroll below for answer

6. What's hindering India-Bangladesh border fencing project Centre blames WB The Indo-Bangladesh border fencing project has been hindered due to non-cooperation of the West Bengal government and pending land acquisition issues in the state, the Centre told the Supreme Court on Tuesday. Work in progress Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, told a five-judge constitution bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud that the Union government has taken multi-pronged steps to secure the Indo-Bangladesh border. The law officer told the apex court that West Bengal shares a 2,216.7 km border with Bangladesh and 81.5% fencing has been done. All efforts are being made to secure the remaining length through fencing or technological solutions. A land acquisition problem "It is submitted (that) the West Bengal Government follows a far slower, more complex direct land purchase policy. Even for national security purposes like border fencing, there is non-cooperation by the state government. If the State of West Bengal cooperates in acquiring the land and hands over the land for fencing, the central government will do so," Mehta told the bench. Hearing on Section 6A The submission came a day after the Centre told the top court in an affidavit that it is not possible to collect data of illegal migrants living in various parts of the country as entry of foreign nationals is clandestine and surreptitious. All these issues regarding border fencing and illegal immigrants resurfaced during the ongoing hearing of petitions challenging Section 6A of the Citizenship Act related to grant of Indian citizenship to illegal immigrants in Assam. The top court has reserved its order on the petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Section 6A.

7. A prediction and an analogy for 2024 Policy continuity There is likelihood of policy continuity to be maintained in India as the incumbent administration is "most likely" to retain power in the general elections due in April-May, Fitch Ratings said on Tuesday. However, the size of the majority in the next Indian Parliament could influence the ambitiousness of the administration's reform agenda, it said. A third term PM Narendra Modi-led BJP government came to power in 2014 and came back with a thumping majority in the 2019 general elections as well. The 2024 general elections are due in April-May and Fitch expects the Modi government to come back to power for the third time. Not just India The global rating agency said almost half of its rated portfolio in the Asian region will hold legislative or presidential elections in 2024. Fitch said it expects continuity to be the main theme of the elections among its rated Asian sovereigns due in 2024. 'Who needs Money Heist' PM Modi on Tuesday invoked a popular crime series to assail the Congress on the recovery of more than Rs 350 crore from premises linked to its MP Dhiraj Prasad Sahu. He made the remarks in reaction to a post on X by the BJP in which it shared a video showing pictures of Sahu with senior Congress leaders, including party chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi, and the piles of cash recovered during Income Tax raids on premises linked to the Jharkhand MP. The BJP captioned the video "Congress presents the Money Heist!" while the series' popular title song played in the background. Meanwhile... Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the BJP leader does not know history and "keeps rewriting" it. His comments were targeted at Home Minister Amit Shah for his attack on India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru in the Rajya Sabha a day ago. Gandhi also said the whole matter was about distracting from the issue of caste census and in whose hands the country's money is going.

8. A suicide attack stuns Pakistan Army Deadly suicide attack At least 23 Pakistan Army soldiers lost their lives and another 36 people were wounded in a brazen attack on a Pakistan military base. The incident happened in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Dera Ismail Khan district near the Afghan border. A suicide squad of six terrorists — suspected to have been affiliated with Pakistani Taliban — targeted an outpost in the early hours of Tuesday. The target After security forces thwarted an attempt to breach the post, the attackers rammed the military base with an explosive-laden vehicle. The blasts led to the collapse of the building, causing multiple casualties. All six attackers were killed during the attack that saw a counter-attack by the forces. Several soldiers who died were sleeping in the base, which was a repurposed government school, located adjacent to a police station. The timing The attack happened barely two months before the national election scheduled for February 8, heightening worries about the security situation in Pakistan. Political observers expressed concerns about the feasibility of holding the vote amid a surge in militant activities in both the northwest and southwest regions of Pakistan. Who did it? The Tehrik-e-Jihad Pakistan (TJP), a newly formed militant group that is an affiliate of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), claimed responsibility for the attack. Pakistan alleges that hostile groups operate from "sanctuaries" across the Afghan border, a claim routinely denied by the Taliban regime of Afghanistan. Pakistan vs terrorists The TTP has long been attacking the Pakistani state, aiming to overthrow the government and establish a strict Islamic system. The first half of 2023 saw a nearly 80% spike in militant attacks compared to the previous year, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies. Analysts attribute the surge to the emboldening of Islamist fighters following the withdrawal of US forces and the subsequent takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban in August 2021.

9. A discordant note for COP28 Bridging gaps The COP28 climate talks went into overtime on Tuesday and countries engaged in "shuttle diplomacy" to seek a new draft agreement and try to close a rift over ending the world's use of fossil fuels. Many nations criticised a draft text for a deal released on Monday for failing to call for a "phase-out" of oil, gas and coal. The aim is to bring change, but ... Negotiators from the nearly 200 countries at the Dubai summit are attempting to agree on a global plan of action to limit climate change fast enough to avert more disastrous flooding, fatal heat and irreversible changes to the world's ecosystems. The United Arab Emirates' COP28 Director General Majid Al Suwaidi said the COP28 presidency aimed for a "historic" result that included mentioning fossil fuels - but that it was up to countries to agree. A 'critical' phase Deals at UN climate summits must be passed by consensus. Then individual countries are responsible for delivering the deal, through national policies and investments. Germany's Climate Envoy Jennifer Morgan said the talks had entered a "critical, critical phase". "There is a lot of shuttle diplomacy going on," she said on X, referring to fast-paced meetings between countries to hunt for compromise. Where is the problem? The draft released on Monday triggered negotiations that ran overnight into early Tuesday. The text had suggested eight options countries "could" take to cut emissions. One was "reducing both consumption and production of fossil fuels, in a just, orderly and equitable manner to achieve net zero by, before, or around 2050" - which led to disagreements. The proposed move fell short of the "phase-out" of coal, oil and natural gas or the emphasis on cutting their use this decade, which scientists say must happen to avoid climate change escalating. Also, Reuters quoted unidentified sources saying that the UAE's COP28 President Sultan al-Jaber had faced pressure from Saudi Arabia, de facto leader of the OPEC oil producers' group to which UAE belongs, to drop any mention of fossil fuels - which he did not do.

10. You share your b'day with... Source: Various

Answer To NEWS IN CLUES Myanmar. Myanmar surpassed Afghanistan as the world's top opium producer in 2023, following the Taliban's crackdown on the trade, reports the United Nations. Producing an estimated 1,080 metric tonnes of opium, Myanmar took the lead as Afghanistan's production plummeted by 95% to around 330 tonnes after a ban on poppy cultivation. The "Golden Triangle" region, including Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand, has long been associated with illegal drug production. The opiate economy in Myanmar is now valued between $1 billion and $2.4 billion, comprising 1.7% to 4.1% of the country's 2022 GDP, according to the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime. COURTESY : TIMES TOP 10