UPSC Key: Ecocide, Syama Prasad Mookerjee and Office of Chief Minister

Key Points to Ponder:

• According to the Election Commission, the tenure of the current Bengal Assembly began on May 8, 2021, and expires on May 7, 2026. If the current CM does not resign, then what are the options constitutionally?

• Chief minister of a state-what are the constitutional provisions?

• How Chief Minister is appointed?

• Office of Chief Minister-What Constitution says?

• The Article 164 of the Constitution says what?

• What are the powers and functions of Chief Minister?

• ‘The term of the Chief Minister is not fixed and he holds office during the pleasure of the governor’-decode the statement

• Can Governor dismiss Chief Minister at any time?

• What are the Supreme Court rulings regarding a governor’s power to dismiss a chief minister?

• What is floor test?

• What is tenure of a state Assembly?

Key Takeaways:

• She alleged that Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidates, including herself, were assaulted inside counting centres and votes were looted through EVM manipulation.

• Mamata Banerjee lost to the BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari by over 15,000 votes in Bhabanipur.

Do You Know

• Article 164 of the Constitution says that, “The Chief Minister shall be appointed by the Governor and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister, and the Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the Governor.” Thus, technically, the Governor of a state can dismiss the Chief Minister, although various safeguards are in place for this to not become an arbitrary exercise. A string of Supreme Court rulings have interpreted that power of the Governor primarily flows from the “aid and advice” of the Council of Ministers.

• Also, if the Governor asks one CM to step down and wants to invite another candidate for the post while the Assembly’s tenure is still on, there has to be a floor test, where each side tries to prove their majority (who has the support of more than half the sitting MLAs) in the House. As a last resort, President’s Rule (Article 356) can be imposed if no stable government can be formed.
In this case, if Mamata refuses to resign, the Governor can ask for her resignation. Also, the tenure of the Assembly itself is set to expire.

• Article 172 of the Constitution says that, “Every Legislative Assembly of every State, unless sooner dissolved, shall continue for five years from the date appointed for its first meeting and no longer and the expiration of the said period of five years shall operate as a dissolution of the Assembly.”
According to the Election Commission, the tenure of current Bengal Assembly began on May 8, 2021, and expires on May 7. After that, the Governor will have to set in motion the process of constituting a new Assembly, which means the new MLAs will have to take oath and a new government will have to be elected.
If Banerjee indeed sticks to her decision and there is a standoff, it will be unprecedented.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Mamata Banerjee says won’t resign: What happens if an outgoing CM refuses to step down

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
1) Which of the following are not necessarily the consequences of the proclamation of the President’s rule in a State? (UPSC CSE, 2017)
1. Dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly
2. Removal of the Council of Ministers in the State
3. Dissolution of the local bodies
Select the correct answer using the code below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Union Cabinet clears Rs 2.55 lakh-cr lifeline for MSMEs, airlines hit by West Asia war

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

What’s the ongoing story: With an aim to meet the additional credit needs of industries under distress amid the ongoing West Asia conflict, the Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved a credit support scheme named ‘Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme 5.0’ targetting additional credit flow of Rs 2.55 lakh crore including Rs 5,000 crore for airlines.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is a credit guarantee scheme?

• Why GOI launched Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme 5.0?

• Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme 5.0-Know the key features

• How does a credit guarantee scheme reduce lending risk for banks and financial institutions?

• Why are MSMEs particularly vulnerable during external economic shocks?

Key Takeaways:

• On the lines of similar credit guarantee schemes extended to distressed sectors during the Covid-19 pandemic, the latest scheme has an estimated outlay of Rs 18,000 crore, which is the cost to the government for providing the credit guarantees.

• Additional credit will be available to MSMEs and non-MSMEs (except aviation) up to 20% of peak working capital utilised during Q4 FY26 (capped at Rs 100 crore), an official release said. For airlines, the credit will be up to 100%, capped at Rs 1,500 crore per borrower, subject to certain specific conditions, it said.

• Guarantee fees will be waived under the scheme. For MSMEs and non-MSMEs (except airline sector), the tenor of the loan would be 5 years from the date of first disbursement, including a moratorium of 1 year.

• About 1.1 crore MSMEs have benefitted so far from the existing credit guarantee schemes and Rs 3.7 lakh crore has been extended under these schemes, he added.

• The maximum period of guarantee cover shall be co-terminus with the tenor of the loan, it said. The scheme will apply to all loans sanctioned during the period from the date of issue of these guidelines by NCGTC upto March 31, 2027.

Do You Know

• The scheme aims to provide credit guarantee coverage of 100% for MSMEs and 90% for non-MSMEs as well as airline sector, to Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) by National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC) for the amount in default under the additional credit facility extended to the eligible borrowers to tide over any short-term liquidity mismatches in view of West Asia Crisis.

• The Salient features of the scheme are:
—Eligible borrowers: MSMEs and non-MSMEs with existing working capital limits and scheduled passenger airlines having outstanding credit facilities, as of March 31, 2026, provided their accounts are standard.
—Guarantee coverage: 100% for MSMEs and 90% for non-MSMEs as well as airline sector.
—Quantum of Support: Additional credit up to 20% of peak working capital utilised during Q4 FY 26 (capped at Rs.100 crore). For airlines up to 100% (capped at Rs.1,500 crore per borrower, subject to satisfying certain specific conditions).

• The scheme aims to enable businesses to tide over the challenges arising from the West Asia conflict. Additionally, this is expected to help businesses maintain their operations, protect jobs, and sustain supply chains. The proposed credit guarantee scheme is a major step to help businesses, particularly MSMEs and airline sector, to ensure their additional working capital needs, are catered by the Banks & FIs. By providing timely liquidity, the scheme will sustain the businesses and prevent job losses. It will also promote uninterrupted domestic production and maintain the resilience of the ecosystem.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Cabinet approves Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme 5.0

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
2) What is/are the recent policy initiative(s)of Government of India to promote the growth of manufacturing sector? (UPSC CSE, 2012)
1. Setting up of National Investment and Manufacturing Zones
2. Providing the benefit of ‘single window clearance’
3. Establishing the Technology Acquisition and Development Fund
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Politics

Cabinet approves Bill to increase SC judges’ strength from 34 to 37

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance

Main Examination: General Studies II: Structure, organization and functioning of the Executive and the Judiciary

What’s the ongoing story: AHEAD OF the Monsoon Session of Parliament, the Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved a Bill to increase the strength of judges in Supreme Court from the existing 34 to 37.

Key Points to Ponder:

• The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026-what are the key features?

• What is the procedure for Increasing the strength of judges in Supreme Court?

• What is Article 124 (1) in Constitution of India?

• Who appoints the Judges of the Supreme Court?

• Which part and Articles of the Constitution deals with the organisation, independence jurisdiction, powers, procedures and so on of the Supreme Court?

• The Constitution of India has made certain provisions to safeguard and ensure the independent and impartial functioning of a Judges-Know
in detail

Key Takeaways:

• In a statement, the government said the Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, which seeks to amend the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, to increase the strength of the court by four.

• Currently, the Act provides for a maximum of 33 judges of the Supreme Court, excluding the Chief Justice of India. The amendment increases that to 37 judges, excluding the CJI.

• The Supreme Court currently has a strength of 32 judges, with at least four judges expected to retire in 2026. While Justice Rajesh Bindal retired in April, Justices J K Maheshwari and Pankaj Mithal are set to retire in June, Justice Sanjay Karol will retire in August, and Justice Satish Sharma will retire in November this year. Effectively, the SC Collegium headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant will have to make at least 9 recommendations this year, if the Bill is cleared. He has a tenure till February 2027.

• The last time the strength of the court was increased was in 2019, when an amendment raised it from 30 to 33, excluding the CJI. Originally, the Act had provided for a maximum of 10 judges, excluding the CJI, which was increased to 13 in 1960 and then 17 in 1977.

Do You Know

• Article 124 (1) in Constitution of India inter-alia provided “There shall be a Supreme Court of India consisting of a Chief Justice of India and, until Parliament by law prescribes a larger number, of not more than seven other Judges…”.

• An act to increase the Judge strength of the Supreme Court of India was enacted in 1956 vide The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act 1956. Section 2 of the Act provided for the maximum number of Judges (excluding the Chief Justice of India) to be 10.

• The Judge strength of the Supreme Court of India was increased to 13 by The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1960, and to 17 by The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1977. The working strength of the Supreme Court of India was, however, restricted to 15 Judges by the Cabinet, excluding the Chief Justice of India, till the end of 1979, when the restriction was withdrawn at the request of the Chief Justice of India.

• The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1986 further augmented the Judge strength of the Supreme Court of India, excluding the Chief Justice of India, from 17 to 25. Subsequently, The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 2008 further augmented the Judge strength of the Supreme Court of India from 25 to 30.

• The Judge strength of the Supreme Court of India was last increased from 30 to 33 (excluding the Chief Justice of India) by further amending the original act vide The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 2019.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Cabinet approves increase in the Judge strength of the Supreme Court of India by Four to 37 from 33

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
3) The power to increase the number of judges in the Supreme Court of India is vested in (UPSC CSE, 2014)
(a) the President of India
(b) the Parliament
(c) the Chief Justice of India
(d) the Law Commission

Explained

Bengal to J&K: The life & politics of S P Mookerjee

Preliminary Examination: History of India and Indian National Movement.

Mains Examination: General Studies I: Modern Indian history from about the middle of the eighteenth century until the present- significant events, personalities, issues and Post-independence consolidation and reorganization within the country.

What’s the ongoing story: In his victory speech at the BJP headquarters on Monday evening (May 4), Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that “the soul of Syama Prasad Mookerjee must be at peace today”. As the party won West Bengal for the first time ever, the PM recalled Mookerjee, the Bengali leader who founded the BJP’s predecessor, the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, in 1951.

Key Points to Ponder:

• Personality in news- Syama Prasad Mookerjee

• The political significance of Syama Prasad Mookerjee in post-independence India-Know in detail

• How did the formation of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh reflect ideological diversification in Indian politics after independence?

• What is the relationship between the Bharatiya Jana Sangh and the present-day Bharatiya Janata Party?

• Why is Syama Prasad Mookerjee associated with the issue of Jammu & Kashmir’s constitutional integration?

• How Syama Prasad Mookerjee fought for J&K’s integration with India?

• Discuss the contribution of Syama Prasad Mookerjee to post-independence Indian politics.

Key Takeaways:

• A year after its formation, the Jana Sangh made a modest electoral debut, winning just three Lok Sabha seats — two of them from Bengal. The party merged with the Janata Party in the 1977 election to defeat Indira Gandhi, but the Janata experiment soon collapsed. It was in 1980 that the Jana Sangh’s successor, the BJP, was founded, with Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who had once been associated with Mookerjee, as its first president.

Do You Know

• Born on July 6, 1901, Mookerjee — son of Ashutosh Mookerjee, Calcutta High Court judge and vice-chancellor of Calcutta University — studied at Presidency College, Calcutta, and Lincoln’s Inn. He became the youngest vice-chancellor of Calcutta University at just 33.

• He was elected to the Bengal Legislative Council in 1929 and 1930, first as a Congressman and then as an independent. From 1941 to 1942, he joined the Progressive Coalition government of Fazlul Haque as Finance Minister. The government was formed in opposition to the Muslim League. Mookerjee justified his decision by saying that the need of the hour was to organise Hindus and cooperate with Muslims who believed in working together.

• From 1943 to 1946, Mookerjee was the Hindu Mahasabha president. He took up the cause of Bengal’s Hindus in the run-up to Partition, opposing Muslim League leader and Bengal Prime Minister H S Suhrawardy’s “United Bengal” plan — which called for an independent state separate from India and Pakistan. Mookerjee saw this as an attempt to ensure domination of Hindus by a Muslim majority. He called for the partition of Bengal, with Hindu-majority West Bengal staying with India.

• After the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi, Mookerjee made the Hindu Mahasabha’s Working Committee adopt resolutions that “expressed shame that Gandhi’s assassin had been connected with the organisation, and declared support for the government in its efforts to suppress terrorism or subversive activities in any shape or form”, writes BD Graham in Hindu Nationalism and Indian Politics (2007).
In November 1948, Mookerjee resigned from the Hindu Mahasabha after it rejected his suggestion to broaden its membership if it wanted to be a modern political party.

• On June 26, 1952, Mookerjee pressed the Centre to convince Jammu and Kashmir to accept full integration with India. The Jana Sangh and Praja Parishad widely adopted a slogan – “ek desh mein do vidhan, do pradhan aur do nishan nahin ho sakte (in one nation, there cannot be two constitutions, two Prime Ministers and two flags).”

• Amid controversy, the Nehru government and the Jammu and Kashmir government signed the Delhi Agreement in July 1952, under which the state accepted the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. It also accepted the supremacy of the Indian flag, though the state’s flag would also remain in use. It further accepted the President of India’s power to declare a state of Emergency in the state under Article 352, subject to the concurrence of the state in the event of internal disturbances.

• In May 1953, Mookerjee decided to go to Jammu without a permit — a symbolic rejection of the special status of Kashmir — with Vajpayee. They went by train to Pathankot in Punjab, and then addressed multiple public meetings across the state for three days. Mookerjee was informed at Pathankot that he would be allowed to enter Jammu and Kashmir without a permit. This made Jana Sangh workers jubilant, and a slogan was coined, as per Choudhary’s book: “Permit system toot gayi, Nehru sarkar jhuk gayi (The permit system has been shattered; the Nehru government has been made to bend)”. (“Vajpayee: The Ascent of the Hindu Right, 1924–1977”, Abhishek Choudhary, 2023)

• On May 11, 1953, Mookerjee crossed into Jammu and Kashmir over the Ravi. However, the state police had put up barricades for his arrest. Mentally prepared for this, Mookerjee did not turn back and was arrested. He told Vajpayee to return to Delhi and tell everyone that he had entered Jammu and Kashmir without a permit, if only as a prisoner, writes Choudhary. Mookerjee was kept in a cottage about eight miles from Srinagar. However, the heart patient who had a blood pressure problem could not cope well in the conditions of his detention. On June 23, he fell ill suddenly, having suffered a massive heart attack, and died.

• What he left behind was a sense of ‘martyrdom’ for Kashmir among his party workers. LK Advani would recall in his public speeches that a journalist in Rajasthan had informed him that Mookerjee was no more, plunging the Jana Sangh into deep mourning. “What happened? How did he die in confinement?” Advani would ask the crowd in rallies.

• In allied organisations of the RSS, there is a popular slogan: “Jahaan hue balidaan Mookerjee, wo Kashmir hamara hai; jo Kashmir hamara hai, wo saare ka saara hai (where Mookerjee was martyred, that Kashmir is ours; the Kashmir that is ours is the full Kashmir).”

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍The forgotten architect: Syama Prasad Mookerjee and the BJP’s origins

Previous year UPSC Main Question Covering similar theme:
📍 To what extent is Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, bearing marginal note “Temporary provision with respect to the State of Jammu and Kashmir”, temporary? Discuss The future prospects of this provision in the context of Indian polity. (2016)

‘Ecocide’: Where international law stands in tackling war toll on environment

Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization.

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

What’s the ongoing story: The Rome Statute recognises four serious crimes: genocide; crimes against humanity; war crimes; aggression. In a belligerent world, should ‘ecocide’ be the fifth?

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is ecocide?

• The relationship between warfare and ecosystem collapse-connect the dots

• How does ‘ecocide’ differ from current provisions in international law?

• Where do current laws fall short?

• What is the enforcement challenge?

• Why environmental destruction during war is difficult to prosecute under existing international law?

• Why is the absence of a universally accepted legal definition of ecocide a major challenge in global governance?

• Know the environmental consequences of modern warfare.

Key Takeaways:

• ‘Ecocide’, a term that has been used for decades to describe widespread environmental harm caused by human actions, has come into prominence as global conflicts disrupt entire ecologies.
Environmental groups have called for the inclusion of the term as one of the international crimes under the Rome Statute that governs the International Criminal Court (ICC). But severe environmental damage is already covered under international law. So why the push?

• The reason lies in focus, scope and effect. Here’s a look at what ‘ecocide’ means and why the term matters.

Do You Know

• Ecocide refers to the very worst harms caused to the environment by human actions, usually on a major industrial scale or affecting a huge area.

• The term was coined in 1970 by Prof Arthur W Galston — a Yale plant biologist whose early research contributed to the development of Agent Orange — to describe massive, long-term environmental devastation, particularly caused by the herbicide’s use in the Vietnam War.

• Two years later, at the UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme used the term to refer to the Vietnam War.

• Indeed, Vietnam became the world’s first country to codify ecocide in its domestic law in 1990. Since then, the use of the term has become more widespread, with many countries — such as Russia, Ukraine, Chile, France and Belgium — incorporating ecocide (or its equivalent) into their laws.

• In 2021, an expert panel constituted by a non-profit called Stop Ecocide International proposed a definition of the term: “Ecocide means unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or long-term damage to the environment.” However, there is no universal recognition of “ecocide” as an international crime.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Is environment a silent casualty of war?

 Economy

New SOP for FDI nod: 12-week deadline & fully digital process

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization, of resources, growth, development and employment.

What’s the ongoing story: Months after easing investment curbs on land-bordering countries, the government has issued a new Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) as per which foreign direct investment (FDI) proposals will be required to be processed within 12 weeks. The move is aimed at accelerating FDI inflows into priority sectors.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is Foreign Direct Investment?

• Why Government eased FDI approval norms amid rising competition from China?

• How does liberalisation of FDI approvals influence global investor confidence in emerging economies?

• Why is ease of doing business closely linked with FDI inflows?

• How will it impact India’s investment climate?

Key Takeaways:

• As per the new SOP, the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT) is expected to disseminate the proposal to ministries concerned, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) within two days.

• The ministries concerned, along with MEA, RBI, and MHA, are expected to submit comments within eight weeks after internal scrutiny of the application. However, an additional two weeks “shall be given to DPIIT” for consideration of those proposals that are proposed for rejection or where additional conditions are proposed, the guidelines said.

• Experts said that the new process aims to eliminate duplication and ensure time-bound decisions, with timelines ranging from initial scrutiny within two weeks to final approvals in about 12 weeks.

• The guidelines further said that “no prior approval of the competent authority shall be required for an increase in the amount of foreign equity, provided that there is no change in the percentage of foreign/NRI equity already approved and total foreign equity is up to Rs 5000 crores”.

• The guidelines said that each ministry “should have a dedicated FDI Cell with a nodal officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary” and that regular review meetings with the administrative ministries concerned “on the pendency of FDI proposals” shall be convened by the DPIIT Secretary every “four to six weeks”.

• Under the new SOP, investments in broadcasting, telecommunications, space, private security agencies, defence, civil aviation, and mining and mineral separation of titanium-bearing minerals and ores, its value addition, and integrated activities shall require security clearance from MHA.

Do You Know

• According to Investopedia, foreign direct investment (FDI) refers to an ownership stake in a foreign company or project made by an investor, company, or government from another country. FDI is generally used to describe a business decision to acquire a substantial stake in a foreign business or to buy it outright to expand operations to a new region.

• It’s important to note that the term usually doesn’t describe a typical stock investment in a foreign company through a brokerage platform. It’s more complex than that. FDI is a key element in international economic integration because it creates stable and long-lasting links between economies.

• Foreign direct investment is a stake in a company or project by a foreign entity. Companies or governments considering an FDI generally consider target firms or projects in open economies that offer a skilled workforce and above-average growth prospects for the investor.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Economic Survey flags drying up of FDI/FII flow, Re stability

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
4) With reference to Foreign Direct Investment in India, which one of the following is considered its major characteristic? (UPSC CSE, 2020)
(a) It is the investment through capital instruments essentially in a listed company.
(b) It is a largely non-debt creating capital flow.
(c) It is the investment which involves debt-servicing.
(d) It is the investment made by foreign institutional investors in Government securities.

5) Consider the following: (UPSC CSE, 2021)
1. Foreign currency convertible bonds
2. Foreign institutional investment with certain conditions
3. Global depository receipts
4. Non-resident external deposits
Which of the above can be included in Foreign Direct Investments?
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 3 only
(c) 2 and 4
(d) 1 and 4

 

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1.(b)  2.(d)  3.(b)  4.(b)  5.(a)

  

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