Polity 

On the appointment of ad-hoc judges to High Courts - The Hindu 

To address the growing backlog of criminal cases, the Supreme Court on January 30, allowed High Courts to appoint retired judges on an ad-hoc basis, provided they hear only criminal appeals as part of a Bench led by a sitting judge. A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justices B.R. Gavai and Surya Kant relaxed a rule set in Lok Prahari Through Its General Secretary S.N. Shukla IAS (Retd.) vs Union of India (2021), which had limited such appointments to High Courts where judicial vacancies exceeded 20% of the sanctioned strength.

Constitutional Provisions

• Article 224-A: Introduced by 15th Constitutional Amendment (1963), allows the appointment of retired judges to High Courts.
• Mandate: Requires consent of the retired judge and President’s approval.
• Allowance: Judges receive allowances as determined by the President.
• Powers: Same jurisdiction, powers, and privileges as sitting High Court judges.
• Procedure: Governed by the 1998 Memorandum of Procedure (MoP).

Conditions for Appointment:

• Vacancies exceed 20% of sanctioned strength.
• Cases pending over five years in a specific category.
• Over 10% of total cases pending for more than five years.
• Case clearance rate lower than the filing rate.

Latest Supreme Court Order (2024)

• Reason for appointment: 62 lakh pending cases in High Courts (18.2 lakh criminal, 44 lakh civil).
• Jurisdiction of ad-hoc judges: Will handle only criminal appeals.
• Limit on ad-hoc judges: Cannot exceed 10% of a High Court’s strength (2-5 per HC).

Past Instances of Ad-hoc Appointments:

• 1972: Justice Suraj Bhan (Madhya Pradesh HC) for election petitions.
• 1982: Justice P. Venugopal (Madras HC).
• 2007: Justice O.P. Srivastava (Allahabad HC) for Ayodhya title suits.

World Affairs 

Under the scanner: Adani’s project in Sri Lanka - The Hindu

Sri Lanka recently revoked a 2024 power purchasing agreement signed with Adani Green Energy Limited. A Sri Lankan official told the agency that while the project itself had not been cancelled, the government has appointed a committee to review it. The Adani Group “categorically denied” cancellation of the project. 

Adani Wind Power Project in Sri Lanka

• Location: Mannar and Pooneryn, Northern Sri Lanka.
• Investment: $442 million.
• Capacity: 350 MW to be added to the national grid by 2025.

Approval Timeline

• October 2021: Gautam Adani met Sri Lankan President Rajapaksa after securing a deal for Colombo Port’s Western Container Terminal.
• March 2022: Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) signed an MoU with Adani Green, bypassing competitive bidding.
• June 2022: CEB Chairman resigned after alleging that PM Modi pressured Sri Lanka to approve the project.
• February 2023: Sri Lanka’s Board of Investment formally approved.
• May 2024: Government fixed purchase price at 8.26 cents/kWh.

Opposition to the Project

• Environmental Concerns: Mannar is part of the Central Asian Flyway, a key migratory bird corridor.
• Fisherfolk Impact: Local communities fear the project will affect their livelihoods.
• Legal Challenge: Multiple petitions were filed, and the next hearing is in March 2025.

US decision on G20: message for ICJ, diplomacy test for India - Indian Express

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has recently announced that he would “NOT” attend the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa.

South Africa’s Case Against Israel at ICJ

• Background: South Africa filed a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
• January 31, 2025: South Africa and Malaysia launched a campaign to uphold ICJ and International Criminal Court (ICC) rulings against alleged US interference.
• Hague Group: A nine-nation group was formed to defend Palestinian rights and coordinate actions against Israel’s alleged violations.

Uncertain Future of G20

• Impact of US Stance on G20: If the US withdraws or reduces participation, it could affect G20’s effectiveness.
• Upcoming G20 Events:
  • G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
  • G20 Leaders’ Summit
  • South Africa’s Presidency
• Trump’s America First policy: Advocated "America First" policies, causing tensions on trade and global cooperation.

India’s Concerns 

• India’s Role globally: India views G20 as a more effective platform than the UN for addressing global challenges.
• Potential Challenges Under Trump 2.0: Russo-Chinese dominance over G20 may increase in the absence of US engagement.
• Impact on India’s Global South Diplomacy: India’s role as a bridge between the West and the Global South could be less valued.

Economy 

India’s single largest solar cell-making unit launched—The Hindu

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin inaugurated the country’s single largest solar cell and module manufacturing unit at the Gangaikondan SIPCOT Industrial Growth Centre recently.

TP Solar’s 4.30-GW Manufacturing Unit

• Established by: TATA Power’s solar energy arm, TP Solar Limited.
• Investment: ₹3,800 crore.
• Employment: Over 2,000 jobs, including 1,700 women from nearby areas.
• Annual Output: 4-GW photovoltaic cells & modules for solar power generation.
• Technology: Advanced TOPCon and Mono Perc for higher efficiency.
• Automation: Uses robotic automation for better efficiency and reliability.
• Raw Material Manufacturing: Includes production of essential components for module manufacturing.
• Vikram Solar’s New Facility:
  • Location: Gangaikondan SIPCOT.
  • Capacity: 3-GW solar cells & 6-GW module manufacturing.
  • Foundation stone laid by: Chief Minister.

Environment 

HOW THE CLIMATE CRISIS IS INTENSIFYING MARINE HEATWAVES - Indian Express

The marine heatwaves (MHWs) linked to the death of more than 30,000 fish off the coastal Western Australia in January were made up to 100 times more likely to occur due to climate change, according to a new analysis. 

Marine Heatwaves (MHWs)

• Definition: Extreme weather event causing a rise in sea surface temperature by 3-4°C above average for at least five days.
• Duration: Can last from weeks to years (NOAA).
• 2018 Study: MHW days doubled between 1982-2016.
• 2021 IUCN Report:
  • MHWs have increased by 50% in the past decade.
  • More frequent, intense, and prolonged.
  • Occur across all latitudes, depths, and marine ecosystems.

Intensification of Marine Heatwaves (MHWs)

• Cause: Climate crisis; 90% of excess heat absorbed by oceans, increasing global mean sea surface temperature (SST) by 0.9°C since 1850.
• Regional Impact: Coastal Western Australia experiencing more frequent and intense MHWs.
• September 2024: Temperature anomalies 1.2°C above average.
• January 2025: Anomalies above 2°C on three occasions (Climate Central Report).
• Future Projections
  • 1.5°C global warming → 16 times more MHWs.
  • 2.0°C global warming → 23 times more MHWs (2018 study).

Impact of Marine Heatwaves (MHWs)

• Marine Life Disruption: 
  • Mass fish kills due to sudden temperature spikes (2010-11 Western Australia MHW).
  • Destruction of kelp forests, affecting marine ecosystems dependent on cooler waters.
• Coral Bleaching
  • MHWs cause coral stress, reducing their reproductive ability and making them vulnerable to diseases.
  • Coral reef degradation threatens thousands of marine species.
  • 2024 Great Barrier Reef bleaching reached "catastrophic" levels, marking the seventh mass bleaching event.

India's repositioning on climate—Indian Express

In the last year or so, India has signalled a subtle but important shift in the way it views the climate crisis and how it wants to deal with it. The country has questioned the “excessive preoccupation” of the international climate regime to achieve a specific temperature goal and argued that for developing countries like itself, adaptation must take precedence over reducing emissions.

Slow Progress on Mitigation

• Emission Trends: World not on track to meet 2030 or 2035 emission reduction targets.
• India’s Shift in Climate Strategy:
  • Limited incentive for India to invest in mitigation since global benefits depend on collective action.
  • Resilience linked to economic prosperity – India sees development as the best climate shield.
• Economic Survey 2024-25 Recommendations:
  • India should aim for developed country status by 2047, then pursue net-zero by 2070.
  • Avoid aggressive decarbonization at the cost of economic growth.
• Comparison with China
  • China prioritized industrial growth, leading to a fourfold rise in emissions since the mid-1990s.
  • Now global leader in renewable energy deployment and clean energy manufacturing.
  • Emissions yet to peak, but China has the capacity to transition to cleaner energy rapidly.

Climate Action on Back-burner

• Declining Global Focus: Developing countries frustrated with the international climate regime’s failure to deliver results.
• COP29 developments: COP29 (Baku, Azerbaijan) financial package deemed inadequate, eroding trust in climate negotiations.
• Impact of US withdrawal: US withdrawal from Paris Agreement (2025) and increased fossil fuel production weaken global climate efforts.
• India’s Position: Less global pressure on India as developed nations prioritize national interests over climate action.

India’s Unique Trajectory in Decarbonisation

• Balancing Growth & Clean Energy Transition: India’s economic growth must align with low-carbon pathways to stay competitive.
• India’s Push for Self-reliant Clean Energy Development: Scaling up  clean energy technology is crucial to reduce dependence on foreign chains.
• Focus on Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs): India has been slow in expanding nuclear energy despite India-US civil nuclear deal & NSG waiver.
• Expanding Clean Energy Portfolio: Even if 100 GW of nuclear energy is achieved by 2047, it will constitute less than 10% of installed capacity.