14 April 2025 Current Affairs

Historic Development in Tamil Nadu Legislative Process

In a landmark constitutional development, Tamil Nadu made legislative history on April 12, 2025, by notifying 10 Acts in the Government Gazette without the formal assent of the Governor or the President. This action was based on a Supreme Court judgment deeming these Bills to have received assent.

Key Highlights:

• Supreme Court Ruling: Held that the Bills, readopted by the Tamil Nadu Assembly and forwarded to the President by the Governor, were “deemed” to have received assent.
• Constitutional Significance: First time in Indian history where legislation became law without either Governor or Presidential assent.
• Political Response:

- CM M.K. Stalin stated: “DMK means creating history.”

- DMK MP P. Wilson remarked: “These are the first Acts of any legislature in India to take effect on the strength of the Supreme Court’s judgment.”

Acts Notified by Tamil Nadu Government:

• The Tamil Nadu Fisheries University (Amendment) Act, 2020: Renames the University as The Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University
• The Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Amendment) Act, 2020
• The Tamil Nadu Universities Laws (Amendment) Act, 2022
• The Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University (Amendment) Act, 2022
• The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, Chennai (Amendment) Act, 2022
• The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (Amendment) Act, 2022
• The Tamil University (Second Amendment) Act, 2022
• The Tamil Nadu Universities Laws (Second Amendment) Act, 2022
• The Tamil Nadu Fisheries University (Amendment) Act, 2023
• The Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (Amendment) Act, 2023

Key Implications:

• University Governance Shift: Most Acts pertain to transferring the power to appoint Vice-Chancellors from the Governor (as Chancellor) to the State government.
• Judicial Review and Deemed Assent: Senior Advocate N.L. Rajah: Supreme Court brought previously non-reviewable areas under judicial purview and introduced the concept of deemed approval for Bills delayed by Governors.
• Timeline for Assent: Supreme Court ruling mandates Governors must act within 1 to 3 months on Bills sent to them.
• Legal Concerns Raised: Debate on whether a constitutional matter of such magnitude should have been handled by a two-judge Bench instead of a Constitution Bench of five judges.

Saras Mk2 Aircraft – India’s Indigenous Civilian Plane Set for 2027 Test Flight

The Saras Mk2, an upgraded version of India’s first indigenously developed civilian aircraft, is expected to take to the skies for its first test flight in December 2027, according to CSIR-NAL Director Abhay Pashilkar. Once deemed airworthy, it could potentially serve both military and civilian aviation sectors.

Key Highlights:

1. What is Saras Mk2?

• A 19-seater upgraded aircraft designed by CSIR-NAL (National Aerospace Laboratories).
• Intended for use as a commuter plane in small towns, air ambulances, or chartered aircraft.

2. Development Timeline & History:

• Based on the earlier 14-seater Saras prototype first flown in 2004.
• Project was suspended after a fatal crash in 2009, killing 3 IAF personnel.
• Revived in 2016 with a major redesign: wings and engine repositioned.

3. Production & Partnerships:

• Manufacturing to involve Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
• Wings and composites to be made in-house; metallic parts outsourced.
• Large vendors to be used for fuselage manufacturing.

4. Avionics & Tech:

• Avionics sourced from Genesis.
• Several systems to run on NAL-developed in-house computer.
• Brake management and environmental control developed at NAL.

5. Testing & Certification:

• Two prototypes to be built to accelerate certification.
• Aircraft must go through taxi trials before first flight.
• Strict regulatory compliance and pilot certification issues caused delays.

6. Revised Timeline:

• Initially expected flight: June 2024
• Revised first test flight: December 2027
• Production likely to begin around 2026–27

7. Military Interest:

• Indian Air Force has shown interest in procuring at least 15 Saras Mk2 planes, subject to airworthiness certification.

8. Prototype Use:

• The old PT1N prototype is now being used as a testbed for systems validation.
• It was showcased at Aero India 2019 in Bengaluru.

Historic Global Carbon Tax Imposed on Shipping Industry

In a landmark decision at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in London, India and 62 other countries voted in favor of the world’s first global carbon tax on the shipping industry. The move aims to tackle greenhouse gas emissions and transition the maritime sector toward cleaner technologies.

Key Highlights:

1. What Was Decided?

• A global carbon pricing mechanism will apply to all ships starting 2028.
• Ships must either shift to low-emission fuels or pay a pollution fee.

2. Projected Revenue:

• The tax could generate up to $40 billion by 2030.
• Funds will be used exclusively for decarbonising shipping, not for broader climate finance.

3. Pricing Mechanism:

• From 2028:

- $380/tonne for the most polluting emissions.

- $100/tonne for other emissions beyond threshold.

• Applied in stages, gradually discouraging fossil fuels (incl. LNG).

4. Who Supported and Opposed the Deal?

• Supported: 63 countries incl. India, China, Brazil.
• Opposed: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Russia, Venezuela.
• USA: Did not participate in negotiations or voting.

5. Implementation Timeline:

• Final technical details pending.
• Formal adoption expected in October 2025.
• Revenue distribution and operational design yet to be finalised.

Concerns and Criticism:

• Climate Finance Gaps: Developing nations and small island countries criticised the policy for not allocating revenue to help adapt to or recover from climate change.
• Emission Reduction Shortfall: The tax is expected to cut shipping emissions by only 10% by 2030, below the IMO’s 20% reduction target.
• Lack of Equity & Transparency: Tuvalu and Pacific Island nations called the process non-transparent and lacking strong incentives for clean fuel transition.
• Blocked Progress: Vanuatu’s Climate Minister accused countries like the U.S. and Saudi Arabia of obstructing efforts to align shipping policy with the 1.5°C Paris target.

Voices from the Climate Community:

1. Laurence Tubiana (European Climate Foundation):

• Welcomed the pricing system as a "polluter pays" principle milestone.
• Criticised the lack of a strong shipping levy and called it a "missed opportunity."

2. Environmental Groups & Negotiators:

• Pledge to continue pushing for an ambitious, equitable policy
  that supports the most climate-vulnerable nations.

IIP Growth Slows to 2.9% in February 2025 - Lowest in Six Months

India’s Index of Industrial Production (IIP) rose by just 2.9% in February 2025, marking the slowest pace of growth in six months, according to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. The slowdown was broad-based across mining, manufacturing, and electricity sectors.

Key Highlights:

1. Actual vs. Estimated:

• IIP growth at 2.9%, below Reuters' estimate of 4%.

2. Sector-wise Performance:

• Mining: Slowed to 1.6% (from 8.1% in Feb 2024)
• Manufacturing: Dropped to 2.9% (from 4.9% YoY)
• Electricity: Declined to 3.6% (from 7.6% YoY)

3. Use-Based Classification:

• Capital Goods: Grew fastest at 8.2% (vs. 1.7% YoY)
• Intermediate Goods: Slowest growth at 1.5%
• Consumer Non-Durables: Declined 2.1% (vs. -3.2% YoY)
• All other goods categories saw slower growth compared to Feb 2024.

4. Month-on-Month Drop:

• Output across all sub-sectors fell compared to January 2025
• This was the first month-on-month decline after five months of consistent growth.

Expert Insights:

1. Paras Jasrai (India Ratings & Research):

• Cited high base effect and slowing growth in mining & manufacturing as key reasons.
• Raised concerns about volatility and muted industrial momentum.

2. Aastha Gudwani (Barclays India Chief Economist):

• Manufacturing was the primary drag.
• Electricity demand helped cushion the slowdown.
• Expected March IIP growth to improve due to inventory buildup ahead of possible U.S. tariff announcements.

Quick Bits –