UPSC Key: Oil Spill, Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act and Impeachment of Judges

Cash at residence: Govt likely to bring motion to impeach Justice Varma

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Indian Constitution—historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure.

What’s the ongoing story: FOLLOWING his indictment by the Supreme Court in-house inquiry panel, the government is likely to bring an impeachment motion in the upcoming monsoon session against former Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma, The Indian Express has learnt.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the Procedure for Removal of a Judge in India?

• What is Impeachment?

• What are the constitutional provisions and procedures governing the impeachment of High court judges?

• The process of impeachment of a judge of the Supreme Court is laid down in Article 124(4) of the Constitution of India-True or false?

• What Article 218 of the Constitution of India says?

• What are the Grounds of Impeachment?

Key Takeaways:

• On May 3, a three-member panel, set up by the Supreme Court, had found credence in the allegations that wads of currency notes were discovered at the judge’s official residence when a fire broke out there on March 14.

• Appointed by the CJI on March 22, the panel, comprising Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the High Court of Punjab & Haryana; Justice G S Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh; and Justice Anu Sivaraman, Judge of the High Court of Karnataka, recorded the statements of a range of witnesses.

• The Indian Express had reported on May 9 that then Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna had forwarded a copy of the inquiry report, along with a recommendation to initiate impeachment proceedings against the judge to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

• Justice Varma was also asked to resign but he is learnt to have refused to do so. He was transferred out on March 20 and he took oath as judge at the Allahabad High Court on April 5 but he has not been assigned work.

• It is learnt that the President has now referred the former CJI’s recommendation to the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha Speaker.

• Top sources in the government said that since the former CJI’s report recommended impeachment, the motion has to be brought in Parliament. For a motion of impeachment to be taken up, it has to be moved by not less than 100 members in the Lower House, and at least 50 members in the Upper House.

Do You Know:

• The Constitution states that a judge of a constitutional court can only be removed on two grounds: proved “misbehaviour” and
“incapacity”. The procedure to be followed for removal is laid down in the Judges Inquiry Act, 1968. Once a motion for impeachment is adopted by either House, the Speaker/ Chairman has to constitute a three-member committee of inquiry. The committee is headed by the Chief Justice of India or a judge of the Supreme Court, and has a Chief Justice of any High Court, and a person who is in the opinion of the Speaker/ Chairman, a “distinguished jurist”.

• If the committee renders a guilty finding, the report of the committee is then adopted by the House in which it was introduced, and the judge’s removal is debated.

• For an impeachment motion against an SC or HC judge to go through, at least two-thirds of those “present and voting” in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha must vote in favour of removing the judge — and the number of votes in favour must be more than 50% of the “total membership” of each House. If Parliament passes such a vote, the President will pass an order for the removal of the judge.

• The process of impeachment of a judge of the Supreme Court is laid down in Article 124(4) of the Constitution of India. Article 218 says the same provisions shall apply in relation to a judge of the High Court as well.

• Under Article 124(4), a judge can be removed by Parliament through a laid-down procedure on only two grounds: “proved misbehaviour” and “incapacity”.

• In other words, for an impeachment motion against an SC or HC judge to go through, at least two-thirds of those “present and voting” in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha must vote in favour of removing the judge — and the number of votes in favour must be more than 50% of the “total membership” of each House.

• Once the MPs submit the motion, the presiding officer of the House can either accept or reject it. If accepted, a three-member committee, comprising two judges and a jurist, is constituted to probe the complaint and determine if it is a case fit for initiating the process of impeachment.

• The committee includes one judge from the Supreme Court and the Chief Justice of a High Court if the complaint is against a High Court judge, or two Supreme Court judges if the complaint is against a sitting judge of the apex court.

• As Article 124 (4) of the Constitution says, the motion for impeachment “has to be supported by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-third of the members of the House present and voting” – in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

• So far there have been four attempts to impeach High Court judges and two to remove Supreme Court judges, with the last being in 2018 against then Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra. None of the motions cleared the entire process.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Impeachment of judges

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
1. Consider the following statements: (2020)
1. The motion to impeach a Judge of the Supreme Court of India cannot be rejected by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha as per the Judges (Inquiry) Act 1968.
2. The Constitution of India defines and gives details or what constitutes ‘incapacity and proved misbehaviour’ of the Judges of the Supreme Court of India.
3. The details of the process of impeachment of the Judges of the Supreme Court of India is given in 4 the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968.
4. If the motion for the impeachment of a Judge is taken up for voting, the law requires the motion to be backed by each House of the Parliament and supported by a majority of total membership of that House and by not less than two-thirds of total members of that House present and voting.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 3 only
(c) 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 3 and 4

Exports to UK carry tariff risk as carbon tax left out of FTA

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance

Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.

What’s the ongoing story: India’s goods exports worth at least $775 million to the UK continue to face the risk of higher duties under its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) despite the conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) earlier this month, a UK official said Tuesday.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the meaning of free trade agreement?

• India and the United Kingdom Free Trade Deal—Know the key highlights

• What is the carbon boundary adjustment mechanism CBAM?

• How India-UK Free Trade Agreement will benefit India and UK?

• What are the key goods included in India-UK Free Trade Agreement?

• What do you understand by the ‘Rules of origin’?

• What led to the deal, and what issues emerged during negotiations?

• What about UK’s carbon tax?

Key Takeaways:

• A policy that was first proposed by the European Union and later by the UK, CBAM seeks to put a tariff of up to 35 per cent on carbon intensive products such as iron, steel and aluminium.

• During negotiations, India had sought to secure a carve-out for MSMEs from the CBAM policy after exporters told the Ministry of Commerce and Industry they were not in a position to meet its extensive data requirements. Exporters had also raised concerns that complying with carbon tax could compromise confidential trade data of manufacturers.

• Confirming that CBAM was not part of the India–UK FTA, the UK official said these types of mechanisms usually don’t form part of the deal.

• Arguing that CBAM is not WTO-compliant, India had also proposed a ‘rebalancing mechanism’ which would require UK to compensate Indian industries for losses incurred due to the policy.

• Trade experts said under the trade deal, the UK has agreed to allow 99 per cent of India’s exports to enter duty-free. This concession could, however, be undermined as select Indian goods may face tariffs of 20–35 per cent, equivalent to the CBAM charges.

Do You Know:

• The carbon tax negotiations are significant, as the UK’s CBAM — set to take effect in 2027 — will initially target carbon-intensive products such as iron, steel, aluminium, fertilisers, hydrogen, ceramics, glass and cement, with scope to expand the list in future.

• According to the think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), the carbon tax could impact $775 million worth of Indian exports. “By not securing a carve-out or exemption clause on CBAM, India lost a vital opportunity to protect its carbon-intensive exports. From January 2027, the UK can impose carbon taxes on Indian steel and aluminium, even as we grant UK goods duty-free access. That’s a serious asymmetry. Expect the same treatment in India’s FTA with the EU,” said Ajay Srivastava, founder of GTRI.

• As no concession was secured under the FTA, India could challenge the regulation at the WTO on the grounds that CBAM violates special and differential treatment (SDT) provisions, which advocate longer implementation periods for developing countries to protect their trade interests.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍How FTAs with US, UK, EU could impact India’s agriculture trade

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
2. Consider the following countries: (2018)
1. Australia
2. Canada
3. China
4. India
5. Japan
6. USA
Which of the above are among the ‘free-trade partners’ of ASEAN?
(a) 1, 2, 4 and 5
(b) 3, 4, 5 and 6
(c) 1, 3, 4 and 5
(d) 2, 3, 4 and 6

US pauses student visa interviews, plans social media vetting: Report

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.

What’s the ongoing story: The Trump administration has told US embassies around the world to stop scheduling new interviews for international student visas, according to The Guardian. The move comes as the government plans to expand social media checks for all student and exchange visitor visa applicants.

Key Points to Ponder:

• How did the US become a top destination for Indian students?

• How many Indian students go to the US each year?

• What are the implications of the U.S. administration’s decision to pause new student visa interviews?

• What are the potential impact of the 2025 U.S. visa policy changes on the financial stability and international reputation of American higher education institutions?

• How the 2025 U.S. visa policy changes might influence the choices of international students, particularly from India?

Key Takeaways:

• A State Department message sent on Tuesday said: “Consular sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor (F, M, and J) visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued.” The instruction applies to student and exchange visas, which many foreign students need to study in the US.

• The pause could lead to long delays in visa processing and impact universities that depend on international students for income. More than one million international students were studying in the US in the past year, contributing nearly $43.8 billion to the US economy, according to the NAFSA association.

• The new policy comes as the Trump administration looks to tighten rules for student visas. The government says it wants to expand social media vetting for all student visa applicants. Consular officers will be expected to look at posts, likes, comments and shares on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and X, to check for any signs of content they see as a national security threat.

• In a cable seen by The Guardian, the administration said the new rule is part of a review of how visas are screened and processed. Since March, consular officers have already been checking the social media of students who joined pro-Palestinian protests, taking screenshots of posts considered “potentially derogatory” even if the content was later deleted.

• The wider expansion would apply to all student visa applicants, not just those flagged for activism. President Donald Trump has also accused some universities of promoting far-left ideas, and his administration has linked the new visa checks to efforts to fight antisemitism.

• US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week that thousands of student visas had already been revoked. “I don’t know the latest count, but we probably have more to do,” he told senators.

Do You Know:

• The suspension of visa interviews comes just months before the new academic year begins, raising concerns that many students may not be able to reach the US in time. Universities across the country are warning that this could affect not just students but also research, teaching, and funding.

• The United States offers a vast range of opportunities with over 4,000 educational institutions, most of which offer four-year degree programs. While many US institutions do not require IELTS scores, students are still required to prove their proficiency in English. US officials have also actively organised educational events across India to promote American universities and attract more Indian students.

• Education consultants have identified the surge in Indian students seeking the US for higher studies in recent years as a fallout of changes in the immigration policies of Canada, Australia and the UK. In 2024, Canada introduced a cap on the number of international students, making it harder for many to gain admission. Both Australia and the UK have tightened their student visa rules, making the US a more attractive and stable option.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍US pause on student visa appointments: How this impacts Indian students

EXPRESS NETWORK

NGOs getting foreign funds can’t publish news content: MHA

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance-Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy, Rights Issues, etc.

Main Examination: General Studies II: Development processes and the development industry —the role of NGOs, SHGs, various groups and associations, donors, charities, institutional and other stakeholders.

What’s the ongoing story: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has amended the rules under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) and henceforth, NGOs engaged in publication-related activities and receiving foreign contributions will not be able to publish any newsletter and must get a certificate from the Registrar of Newspapers for India that it does not circulate any news content.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is the issue exactly?

• Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA)-What and When it was enacted?

• Rationality behind the enactment of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA)?

• Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 and Foreign Contribution Regulation (Amendment) Rules 2020-Key Changes

• NGOs and FCRA-why most of the NGOs are brought under FCRA?

• What is foreign contribution defined in Section 2(1)(h) of FCRA, 2010?

• What is a foreign source?

• Can NGOs use the foreign contributions for investment in Mutual Funds and other speculative investments?

• Who can receive foreign contribution?

• Who cannot receive foreign contribution?

• Are there any banned organisations from whom foreign contribution should not be accepted?

• What is ‘pressure group’?

• What is Non-governmental Organizations?

• What are the legislations which regulates the finances of NGOs in India?

• A large number of Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs )exist in India-Can you recall some of those?

• Relationship between Government and Non-governmental Organizations -Analyse

• What is difference between charity and Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)?

• Know the terms and differences between them- Non-Governmental Organization, Non-Profit Organization Charity Organization, Pressure Group and Social Enterprise

Key Takeaways:

• In a notification issued late Monday night, the ministry said under the amended rules, NGOs which are seeking permission to get foreign funding must give an undertaking that they will adhere to the Good Practice Guidelines of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

• “Such bodies or NGOs, which are seeking registration, must enclose financial statements and audit reports of the last three years, including the statement of assets and liabilities, receipts and payments account, and income and expenditure account,” it said.

• “If the audit reports and financial statements do not contain activity-wise expenditure for the last three financial years, a chartered accountant’s certificate specifying the activity-wise amount spent by the association, duly reconciled with the income and expenditure account and the receipt and payment account must be submitted,” it added.

• “In case the association or the NGO is engaged in publication-related activities or if publication activities are among its aims as stated in the Memorandum of Association or trust deed, an undertaking from the chief functionary regarding compliance with the FCRA, 2010, must be given,” it said.

Do You Know:

• The FCRA was enacted during the Emergency in 1976 amid apprehensions that foreign powers were interfering in India’s affairs by pumping money into the country through independent organisations. These concerns were, in fact, even older — they had been expressed in Parliament
as early as in 1969.

• The law sought to regulate foreign donations to individuals and associations so that they functioned “in a manner consistent with the values of a sovereign democratic republic”.

• An amended FCRA was enacted under the UPA government in 2010 to “consolidate the law” on utilisation of foreign funds, and “to prohibit” their use for “any activities detrimental to national interest”.

• The law was amended again by the current government in 2020, giving the government tighter control and scrutiny over the receipt and utilisation of foreign funds by NGOs.

• Broadly, the FCRA requires every person or NGO seeking to receive foreign donations to be (i) registered under the Act, (ii) to open a bank account for the receipt of the foreign funds in State Bank of India, Delhi, and (iii) to utilise those funds only for the purpose for which they have been received and as stipulated in the Act.
They are also required to file annual returns, and they must not transfer the funds to another NGO.
The Act prohibits the receipt of foreign funds by candidates for elections, journalists or newspaper and media broadcast companies, judges and government servants, members of legislature and political parties or their office-bearers, and organisations of a political nature.

• NGOs that want to receive foreign funds must apply online in a prescribed format with the required documentation. FCRA registrations are granted to individuals or associations that have definite cultural, economic, educational, religious, and social programmes.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Explained: What is FCRA, the law related to NGO funding which certain MHA officials are accused of violating?

Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme:
📍Examine critically the recent changes in the rules governing foreign funding of NGOs under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 1976. (2015)

EXPLAINED

Why Covid cases are rising, why you needn’t worry

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: General Science and Current events of national and international importance.

Main Examination: General Studies III: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nanotechnology, bio-technology.

What’s the ongoing story: The Health Ministry this week said fresh cases of Covid-19 have been seen mainly in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, and that a new subvariant, NB.1.8.1, had been detected in at least one sample.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is NB 1.8 1?

• What is the current situation in India?

• What is triggering the increase in cases?

• Which new variants have emerged, and which one is currently widespread?

• The term “endemicity” in context of infectious diseases refers to what?

• Which COVID-19 variant has been linked to the 2025 mild surge in India, according to INSACOG?

• What Lessons India learnt from Second Wave of Covid-19?

• What is a variant of interest (VOI)?

• What is a variant of concern (VOC)?

• The Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium (INSACOG)-Role, Under which Ministry?

Key Takeaways:

• This sample, which was collected and sequenced in April, was submitted to INSACOG, India’s Covid-19 genome sequencing consortium, from Tamil Nadu.

• Several countries are reporting Covid-19 surges; World Health Organisation (WHO) data show noticeable increases in South-East Asia. On May 13, Singapore reported a rise from 11,100 cases during April 20-26 to 14,200 during April 27-May 3.

• While reporting their surge on May 13, the Singaporean health authorities pointed out that periodic waves of Covid-19 — like other endemic respiratory diseases — were expected throughout the year.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19, has not disappeared, but it no longer behaves like an unpredictable emergency — rather, it has become part of a recurring cycle of illnesses, similar to the flu.

Do You Know:

• There were 1,010 active infections as of Tuesday evening, according to data on the Health Ministry’s Covid-19 dashboard. The largest number of cases (43%) were in Kerala, followed by Maharashtra (21%). Delhi, Gujarat, and Tamil Nadu had 10%, 8%, and 7% of cases.

• Since May 19, deaths have been reported in Maharashtra (3), Kerala (2), and Karnataka (1). However, the Ministry has said “more details are awaited” before these deaths can be attributed to Covid-19.

• The outbreak seems to be geographically limited. The numbers of active cases were in double digits in only nine states on Tuesday, and only Kerala, Maharashtra, and Delhi had more than 100 cases each.

• However, a clearer picture is expected to emerge over the next fortnight, as testing of symptomatic individuals increases.

• Official data on hospitalisation are not yet available. But large hospital chains have not reported any significant increase in Covid-19-related admissions. The few patients who have been admitted mostly have pre-existing comorbidities — which suggests that new cases are not, as of now, leading to severe disease.

• INSACOG was established in December 2020 as a joint initiative of the Union Health Ministry of Health and Department of Biotechnology (DBT) (under the Ministry of Science and Technology) with the Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to expand the whole-genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes the Covid-19 disease, across India with the aim of understanding how the virus spreads and evolves. INSACOG started out with the participation of 10 national research laboratories of the central government, and gradually expanded to a network of 38 labs, including private labs, operating on a hub-and-spoke model. The 10 INSACOG Genome Sequencing Laboratories handhold the new laboratories, and the pan-India consortium works to monitor genomic variations in SARS-CoV-2 by a sentinel sequencing effort which is facilitated by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), involving the Central Surveillance Unit (CSU) under the central government’s Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP).

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍What is INSACOG, India’s network of labs to sequence the genome of the Covid-19 coronavirus?

Cargo ship sinks near Kerala coast: What can be the impact if oil spills?

Syllabus:

Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance.

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

What’s the ongoing story: The threat of a possible oil spill looms large in Kerala as a cargo ship, which was carrying diesel and hazardous substances, sank off the state’s coast on Sunday. The Liberia-flagged MSC ELSA 3, a 28-year-old vessel, was sailing from Vizhinjam port in Thiruvananthapuram to Kochi when it capsized around 25 km southwest of Alappuzha.

Key Points to Ponder:

• What is oil spill?

• What is the main cause of oil spills?

• What are the effects of oil spills?

• What are the hazards caused by oil spills?

• How can an oil spill affect the ecosystem?

• How do oil spills get cleaned up?

Key Takeaways:

• The ship went down with more than 600 containers, some of which washed ashore on Monday. So far, no oil spill has been reported. Indian agencies, including the Coast Guard, have initiated pre-emptive action to deal with the situation.

• The MSC ELSA 3 was carrying at least 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367 metric tonnes of furnace oil, according to the Coast Guard. A simulation done by the Hyderabad-based Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) showed that if all of this diesel and furnace oil leaked into the sea, there was a high probability that these chemicals would drift towards the coast of Kerala. The entire coastal stretch between Alappuzha and Thiruvananthapuram districts could be affected, the simulation revealed.

• Each oil spill has unique aspects as it is influenced by the nature and chemical composition of the oil that gets leaked. Usually, before planning the clean-up, experts try to observe the colour of the oil slick (under sunlight seen as black, rainbow, brown or colourless) which can indicate the possible composition and extent of the spill.

Do You Know:

• Oil spills can severely damage the marine ecosystem as they can result in the death of fish and other organisms, and destroy mangroves and coral reefs. If an oil spill takes place near the coast, it can affect the livelihood of fishermen and disrupt the local economy.

• Such spills are dangerous because oil is lighter than water and it keeps floating on the surface of the sea, forming a thin layer called slick. This layer spreads rapidly over the surface as it is carried by wind and ocean currents. Moreover, most of the components of the spilled oil remain suspended in water which can lead to long-term harm. That is the reason why after an oil spill, a quick clean-up with human intervention is necessary.

• During the clean-up process, pillows made of oleophilic (oil-attracting) materials are first deployed at the site of an oil spill. These materials act like a sponge and absorb oil (not water) from the surface. This helps clean up large portions of undivided oil slicks.

• Then, sheets made of cotton, or a material which has properties similar to cotton, are deployed to absorb the leakage.

• Another method for removing the oil is to use specialised motors which can pump out water. However, these motors are deployed only when
an oil spill has taken place over calm waters such as a lake.

• As oil does not mix or dissolve in water, an entire clean-up of this emulsified liquid is not an easy task. The process is very costly and labour-intensive, and can sometimes extend to months.

• Also, in water bodies such as rivers and the sea, the perpetual flow of the water can pose a challenge. Experts suggest that in the case of MSC ELSA 3, if an oil leak takes place, it would be crucial to not let the oil slicks reach near the shores.

Other Important Articles Covering the same topic:

📍Kerala: Scientists say oil spill ‘hard to clean once it hits shore’

 

PRELIMS ANSWER KEY

1.(c)  2.(c)

  

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