1 – Suspension of Rajya Sabha MP:GS II

Topic àParliament related issues

·       When may the chairperson call for suspension?

·       Rule 255 of the Rajya Sabha’s General Rules of Procedure:

·       The Chairman may order any member whose conduct is, in his opinion, grossly disorderly, to withdraw immediately from the Council and any member so ordered to withdraw shall do so forthwith and shall absent himself during the remainder of the day’s meeting, according to Rule 255 (‘Withdrawal of Member’) of the General Rules of Procedure of the Rajya Sabha.

·       How are suspensions under Rules 255 and 256 different from one another?

·       Rule 255 offers a milder punishment whereas Rule 256 calls for the “Suspension of Member.”

·       According to Rule 256, “the Chairman may, in his discretion, suspend a member from the Council’s duty for a period not to exceed the balance of the Session.”

·       Parliamentary etiquette guidelines:

·       Parliamentary etiquette has some guidelines that MPs must follow.

·       For instance, the Lok Sabha rules provide that MPs must not speak during other people’s speeches, keep their mouths shut, or impede the discussion by hissing or making running remarks.

·       These laws were revised in 1989 as a result of newer protest movements.

·       Members are no longer permitted to scream slogans, hold signs in protest, or utilise a cassette player or tape recorder in the House.

·       Similar procedures apply in Rajya Sabha. The rulebook also grants the presiding officers of both Houses specific, related powers to facilitate the proceedings.

·       The Rajya Sabha’s Speaker and Chairman each have different authority:

·       According to Rule Number 255 of the Rule Book, the Chairman of Rajya Sabha has the authority to “command any Member whose conduct is in his judgement highly disorderly to withdraw immediately” from the House, just like the Speaker of Lok Sabha.

·       The Rajya Sabha Chairman does not have the authority to suspend a Member, in contrast to the Speaker.

·       Steps followed to suspend a Rajya Sabha member:

·       A member who “disregards the authority of the Chair or violates the rules of the Council by continuously and intentionally impeding” business may be named by the Chairman.

·       In this case, the House may pass a motion suspending the Member from House duty for a time limit not to exceed the remainder of the current session.

·       The suspension may be ended by another motion made by the House, though.

·       What justifies the suspension of MPs?

·       Unruly behaviour requires a long-term solution that adheres to democratic principles.

·       There is no doubt that the proper execution of the Presiding Officer’s supreme authority is necessary for the efficient running of proceedings.

·       However, it’s important to strike a balance. It must be kept in mind that the Presiding Officer’s role is to preside over the House, not to rule it.

·       How frequently have interruptions resulted in MP suspensions?

·       Instance number one took place in 1963. While President Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan was delivering the joint address to both Houses, a few Lok Sabha MPs first interrupted him before leaving.

·       The Lok Sabha adjourned with a censure of these MPs. 63 MPs were expelled from the Lok Sabha in 1989 as a result of the debate over the Thakar Commission report.

·       More recently, in 2010, 7 MPs were expelled from the Rajya Sabha for stealing the minister’s bill on women’s reservations.

·       Since then, members of parliament have raised chants, pepper sprayed within the House, and held placards.

Source à The Indian Express

2 – Family Courts Bill:GS II

Topic à Government Policies and Interventions

·       Context:

·       The Family Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2022 was approved by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. It aims to alter the Family Courts Act, 1984 to establish family courts in Himachal Pradesh starting on February 15, 2019, and in Nagaland starting on September 12, 2008.

·       Additionally, the bill aims to include a new Section 3A that will retroactively legalise all actions made by the state governments of Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland as well as their respective family courts under the aforementioned Act before the Family Courts (Amendment) Act of 2022 took effect.

·       Rijiju responded to the discussion of the bill by stating that as of the first of May 2022, there were 11.49 lakh cases outstanding in 715 family courts spread across 26 states and Union Territories.

·       Historical Context:

·       In order to foster conciliatory behaviour and enable the swift resolution of disputes involving matrimonial and family matters, the Family Courts Act of 1984 was passed into law. The major objective of family courts is to transfer family and marital issues to a straightforward court where a layperson might comprehend the process, away from overworked and traditional courts of law. Counseling and conciliation are the two pillars on which the entire framework of family courts is founded.

·       Family courts: what are they?

·       Family courts are specialist courts designed to protect the welfare of the family by employing a multidisciplinary strategy to resolve family issues within the bounds of the law.

·       These courts work to safeguard people’s legal rights while also acting as a mentor, advisor, and counsellor for families to cope with issues and reestablish family unity.

·       Provisions:

·       In order to enable conciliation and ensure the speedy resolution of marital and family problems, the Family Courts Act, which was enacted in 1984, authorised for the establishment of family courts.

·       It has 23 sections and 6 chapters.

·       In order for this court to have the required knowledge to handle these issues quickly, the Act called for the establishment of a Specialized Court that will only deal with family problems.

·       The Family Court may request that the hearings be held behind closed doors, as well as if either party requests it.

·       According to Section 3 of this act, the State government shall establish the Family Court in every area of the state with a population of more than one million people or in any other area where the State government deems it essential, after conferring with the High Court.

·       The rules governing the appointment of judges in the Family Court are covered in Section 4 of the Family Courts Act of 1984.

·       In cases and processes, the family courts have the same authority and jurisdiction as the District Court or Subordinate Civil Courts under Section 7 of this Act.

·       The authority to exercise the same jurisdiction as a Magistrate of the First Class under Chapter IX of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, as well as any other jurisdiction authorised by law, is granted to the family courts by Section 7(2).

·       Jurisdiction:

·       The Family Courts have exclusive jurisdiction over matters pertaining to the following:

·       matrimonial relief includes declarations regarding the legitimacy of individuals, guardianship of individuals or custody of minors, nullity of marriage, judicial separation, divorce, restitution of conjugal rights, and maintenance of the wife, children, and parents. It also includes the property of the spouses or either of them.

·       Significance:

·       It makes an effort to bring family feuding parties together or to reach a resolution.

·       It provides for the association of social welfare organisations, counsellors, and other professionals, as well as the assistance of medical and welfare specialists, during the conciliation stage.

·       The right to legal representation for parties in a dispute before a Family Court is not one that they automatically have. However, the Court may ask a legal professional to serve as an amicus curiae in the interest of justice.

·       A dispute can be resolved successfully by simplifying the rules of evidence and procedure.

·       There is only one available appeals option, and that is to the High Court.

·       They use a multidisciplinary strategy to ensure a fair trial and the quick and affordable resolution of issues in order to lessen and simplify legal procedures.

·       Family courts have the authority to adopt their own settlement procedures through regulations created in consultation with the High Courts in order to streamline proceedings.

·       Therefore, two key elements in creating such a court are expertise and swift resolution.

·       Additionally, it aspired to create a flexible and informal atmosphere during the course of the procedures, as well as to offer a cheap remedy.

Source à The Hindu

3 – China Pakistan Economic Corridor:GS II

Topic à International Relations

·       About The CPEC, or the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor:

·       The multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a pet project of Chinese President Xi Jinping, aims to increase Beijing’s influence throughout the world by funding infrastructure projects. The CPEC, which was launched in 2015, is the initiative’s flagship project.

·       The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which spans 3,000 km, is made up of pipelines, railroads, and roads.

·       Through a large network of roads and railroads, CPEC eventually hopes to connect the city of Gwadar in South Western Pakistan to Xinjiang in North Western China.

·       The proposed project will be paid for with significantly subsidised loans that Chinese banks will give to the Pakistani government.

·       India’s worries on Afghanistan joining the CPEC

·       Port Chabahar:

·       India’s apprehension over Afghanistan’s investment in Iran’s Chabahar port is the main issue with Afghanistan joining CPEC.

·       China’s impact:

·       China is attempting to launch its Belt and Road (BRI) initiatives in Afghanistan and fill the economic gap left behind by the withdrawal of US forces from the country.

·       China would take a significant role in Afghanistan with the extension of CPEC, overwhelming India’s economic dominance there.

·       India is concerned about compromising the trilateral agreement between India, Iran, and Afghanistan that allows Afghanistan access to the sea through Chabahar port.

·       India’s economic influence is waning.

·       The position of India as Afghanistan’s economic, security, and geopolitical partner may be jeopardised by efforts to expand CPEC to Afghanistan.

·       $2 billion is at risk:

·       The largest regional donor to Afghanistan, India has provided more than US$2 billion for construction projects including roads, dams, power plants, parliament buildings, rural development, infrastructure, and more.

·       Metals from rare earths:

·       With the expansion of CPEC, China will take advantage of these vital components, which are used in a range of cutting-edge electronic technologies and sophisticated missile guidance systems.

·       Strategic Concerns and Terrorism:

·       China is better positioned to make use of its strategic advantages in Afghanistan given India’s weak strategic depth there.

·       Additionally, it will assist Pakistan in gaining the upper hand and strategic edge over India in Afghanistan.

·       India may be attacked via terrorism with the help of Pakistan.

·       Possession of ports and the Strategic Air Base:

·       The Afghan air force facility Bagram may be under threat from China.

·       The Bagram airport is the largest and most technologically advanced airport since the Americans used it instead of the Kabul airport until the very end.

·       In exchange for loans, China has a history of constructing military bases on the ports and air bases it has seized on foreign soil.

·       Next Steps:

·       Afghanistan’s improved infrastructure and security condition may make it easier for India to carry out its trade and commercial activities in a secure environment.

·       But in order to do that, the area must be free of terrorism.

·       If Afghanistan joins the CPEC, it will be a huge geopolitical win for China and Pakistan and a setback for India.

·       Additionally, it might help terrorist groups gain support and give them a safe harbour.

Source à The Indian Express

4 – International Space Station:

Prelims Specific Topic

·       Details:

·       A space station or habitable artificial satellite, the International Space Station (ISS) is in low Earth orbit.

·       The ISS, the largest man-made body in low Earth orbit, saw the launch of its first component into space in 1998.

·       It makes 15.5 orbits a day, taking around 92 minutes to complete one.

·       Crew members undertake research in physics, astronomy, meteorology, human biology, microgravity, and other subjects on board the International Space Station (ISS).

·       The $100 billion International Space Station was constructed by five distinct space organisations from 15 different nations, and it is still in use today.

·       Intergovernmental treaties and agreements have determined its ownership and use.

·       The longest continuous human presence in low earth orbit has been achieved by ongoing presence at the ISS.

·       Up until 2030, it’s anticipated to be in use.

·       In 2031, NASA intends to decommission it.

·       The ISS programme is a collaborative effort involving the following five space agencies:

·       Roscosmos (Russia), NASA (United States), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada)

Source à The Hindu