13 July 2026 Current Affairs (With PDF)

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Judicial Removal and Resignation in India

Context

The Lok Sabha Speaker decided to table the inquiry committee's report on former Allahabad High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma, despite his resignation, reviving the debate on judicial accountability and whether resignation ends the removal process.

Constitutional Framework for Removal of Judges

• Article 124(4): Empowers Parliament to remove a Supreme Court judge only on grounds of proved misbehaviour or incapacity through a special majority.
• The Constitution uses the term "removal", not "impeachment."
• Article 218: Extends the same removal procedure to High Court judges.
• The Constitution does not define "misbehaviour" or "incapacity."
• Supreme Court has interpreted misbehaviour to include Corruption, Wilful misconduct, Moral turpitude.

Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968

1. Enacted under Article

• 124(5) to regulate investigation and proof of judicial misbehaviour or incapacity.

2. Procedure

• A removal motion requires signatures of 100 Lok Sabha members, or 50 Rajya Sabha members.
• The Speaker (Lok Sabha) or Chairman (Rajya Sabha) may admit or reject the motion.
• If admitted, a three-member inquiry committee is constituted comprising A Supreme Court Judge or Chief Justice, A Chief Justice of a High Court, A distinguished jurist.
• If the committee finds the judge not guilty, the proceedings end.
• If guilt is established, both Houses must pass the removal motion in the same session by Majority of the total membership, and Two-thirds of members present and voting.
• The President issues the removal order only after Parliament passes the address.

In-House Judicial Mechanism

• Introduced by the Supreme Court in 1999 following the C. Ravichandran Iyer (1995) judgment.
• Deals with misconduct below the threshold for formal removal.
• If serious misconduct is established, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) advises resignation.
• If the judge refuses, the CJI withdraws judicial work and recommends parliamentary removal.

Judicial Resignation

• Articles 124(2)(a) and 217(1)(a): SC and HC judges may resign by writing to the President.
• Gopal Chandra Misra (1978): Resignation is a unilateral act & does not require Presidential acceptance.
• The Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968 is silent on whether removal proceedings continue after resignation.
• Even after resignation, Pension and retirement benefits cannot presently be forfeited under the Act.
• Judges remain liable for prosecution under laws such as the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, if applicable.

Key Issues with the Present Framework

• Accountability Gap: Judges may resign before completion of removal proceedings, avoiding formal removal.
• Political Gatekeeping: Speaker or Chairman may reject a motion without assigning reasons.
• Limited Grounds: Judicial delays, inefficiency, and minor ethical violations are outside Article 124(4).
• No Public Complaint Mechanism: Removal proceedings depend entirely on Members of Parliament initiating the process.
• High Voting Threshold: A guilty finding may still not result in removal if Parliament fails to secure the required special majority.

Geneva Conventions Act, 1960

Context

Hind Rajab Foundation invoked the Geneva Conventions Act, 1960 before Indian authorities, seeking action against an Israeli reservist accused of grave breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza.

About the Geneva Conventions Act, 1960

• Enacted to implement India's obligations under the 1949 Geneva Conventions.
• Gives domestic legal effect to international humanitarian law governing armed conflicts.
• Applies the principle of universal jurisdiction for specified grave breaches.

Key Provisions

Section 3:

• Prescribes punishment for grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions.
• Wilful killing of a protected person: Death penalty or life imprisonment.
• Other grave breaches: Imprisonment up to 14 years.

Section 4:

• Empowers Indian courts to try any person found in India for offences under the Act, irrespective of nationality or the place where the offence occurred.

Universal Jurisdiction

1. Allows a State to prosecute certain serious international crimes regardless of:

• Where the crime was committed,
• Nationality of the accused, or
• Nationality of the victim.

2. Based on the

• principle that some offences are crimes against the international community as a whole.

Article 146 of the Fourth Geneva Convention

Obligates every State Party to:

• Search for persons alleged to have committed grave breaches.
• Either prosecute them before its own courts or extradite them to another State willing to prosecute.

Geneva Conventions (1949)

• Comprise four international treaties establishing rules for humanitarian protection during armed conflicts.
• Protect Civilians, Prisoners of war, Wounded and sick military personnel, Medical personnel and humanitarian workers, Shipwrecked armed forces.

Hummus Trail

• A popular backpacking circuit in India frequented by young Israelis after compulsory military service (Tiul HaGadol).
• Major destinations include Kasol, Manali, Goa, Pushkar, Rishikesh, and Hampi.

OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2026–2035

Context

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) jointly released the Agricultural Outlook 2026–2035, projecting long-term trends in global agriculture, fisheries, and food markets.

About the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook

• A joint annual flagship report by the OECD and FAO.
• Provides a 10-year outlook for Agricultural commodities, Fisheries and aquaculture, Biofuels, Global food markets.
• Serves as an evidence base for food security, agricultural, and trade policies.
• Supports monitoring progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 – Zero Hunger.

About the OECD

• Established: 1961
• Headquarters: Paris, France
• An intergovernmental organisation promoting Economic growth, International trade, Better public policies, Global economic cooperation.

About the FAO

• A specialized agency of the United Nations.
• Headquarters: Rome, Italy
• Mandate Eradicate hunger, Improve nutrition, Enhance food security, Promote sustainable agriculture.

Key Highlights of the Report

1. Agricultural Output

• Global agriculture and fisheries production is projected to increase by 13% by 2035.
• Growth will be driven primarily by productivity improvements, particularly in Asia, Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa.

2. Changing Consumption Patterns

• India and Southeast Asia are expected to account for 39% of global growth in food consumption.
• China's contribution to global consumption growth is projected to decline due to slower population growth and demographic changes.

3. Agricultural Income

• Global gross agricultural income per worker is expected to rise by 9%.
• However, significant disparities will persist Farm workers in high-income countries may earn around 20 times more than those in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

4. Environmental Outlook

• Agricultural greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are projected to increase by about 6.5%.
• Since production is expected to grow faster than emissions, emission intensity (emissions per unit of output) is projected to decline, reflecting improved production efficiency.

NATO Summit 2026

Context

• The 36th NATO Summit, held in Ankara, Türkiye, concluded with the adoption of the Ankara Summit Declaration.

About the NATO Summit 2026

• Hosted in Ankara, Türkiye.
• It was Türkiye's second NATO Summit, the first being the 2004 Istanbul Summit.
• Focused on strengthening collective defence, enhancing military capabilities, and addressing evolving security threats.

Key Highlights

1. Defence Spending

• NATO members reaffirmed their commitment to increase defence expenditure to 5% of GDP by 2035.
• Intended to strengthen military preparedness, deterrence, and burden-sharing among Allies.

2. Drone Edge Initiative

• NATO launched the Drone Edge Initiative to counter emerging drone threats.
• Members pledged USD 40 billion over five years for Counter-uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS), Drone detection and interception, Advanced defence technologies.

3. Continued Support for Ukraine

• Allies reiterated their commitment to provide Military assistance, Training, Defence industrial cooperation, Long-term security support for Ukraine.

4. Reaffirmation of Collective Defence

• NATO reaffirmed its commitment to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, under which an armed attack against one member is considered an attack against all members.
• Reiterated the importance of the transatlantic alliance between North America and Europe.

About NATO

1. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is a military alliance established under the North Atlantic Treaty (Washington Treaty).

• Established: 1949
• Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
• Purpose: To safeguard the freedom and security of member states through political consultation and collective defence.

2. Article 5 of the Washington Treaty

• Forms the cornerstone of NATO's collective defence principle.
• Invoked for the first and only time after the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

World's Fastest Supercomputer

Context

China's LineShine was ranked the world's fastest supercomputer at ISC High Performance 2026, replacing the United States' El Capitan at the top of the global rankings.

Key Highlights

• LineShine (China) became the world's fastest supercomputer in 2026.
• It secured the top position based on its double-precision performance in the High-Performance Linpack (HPL) Benchmark.
• It replaced El Capitan (USA) as the highest-performing supercomputer globally.

High-Performance Linpack (HPL) Benchmark

• The global standard benchmark used to rank supercomputers.
• Measures a system's ability to solve large dense systems of linear equations.
• Evaluates computing performance in Floating-Point Operations Per Second (FLOPS).
• A higher FLOPS value indicates greater computational capability.

Floating-Point Operations Per Second (FLOPS)

• Standard unit for measuring a computer's computational speed.
• Represents the number of floating-point calculations performed each second.
• Common higher units include: TFLOPS (10¹² FLOPS), PFLOPS (10¹⁵ FLOPS), EFLOPS (10¹⁸ FLOPS)

ISC High Performance

• Formerly known as the International Supercomputing Conference.
• Established: 1986
• The world's oldest annual conference dedicated to High-Performance Computing (HPC), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Quantum Computing, Data-intensive computing.

Supercomputers

• Extremely powerful computing systems that combine thousands to millions of processing cores.
• Use parallel processing to perform multiple computations simultaneously.
• Applications include Climate and weather modelling, Space research, Artificial intelligence, Drug discovery, Nuclear simulations, Defence and cryptography.

India's AI Supercomputer

• AIRAWAT-PSAI is India's leading public AI supercomputer.
• Developed and hosted by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Pune.
• Featured in the TOP500 Supercomputer List (2026).
• Supports AI research, scientific computing, and advanced data analytics.

WSIS Prize 2026

Context

India's Samriddh Gram Initiative won the WSIS Prize 2026 under the "Action Line C6 – Enabling Environment" category at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) Forum 2026.

About the WSIS Prizes

• A global awards programme led by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
• Recognises innovative projects that leverage Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to promote sustainable development and bridge the digital divide.
• Presented annually during the WSIS Forum.

WSIS Forum

• A high-level global platform on digital development and ICT governance.
• Co-organised by: International Telecommunication Union, UNESCO, United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
• Brings together governments, industry, academia, civil society, and international organisations to advance the goals of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).

Samriddh Gram Initiative

• A flagship pilot project of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications.
• Initially launched in Madhya Pradesh.

Key Features

• Operates on a "phygital" (physical + digital) model to improve rural service delivery.
• Uses BharatNet as its digital backbone to provide high-speed broadband connectivity.
• Establishes Samriddhi Kendras as integrated village service centres.
• Services Offered through Samriddhi Kendras: Telehealth services, Smart agriculture advisory, Digital literacy and skill development, E-governance services, Financial inclusion, E-commerce support for rural communities

Balod's Water Conservation Success

Context

Balod district (Chhattisgarh) emerged as a model of community-led water conservation under Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) 2.0, significantly enhancing groundwater recharge and rainwater harvesting.

Key Highlights

• 2.8 lakh water conservation and groundwater recharge structures were created between June 2025 and May 2026.
• The initiative substantially increased the district's rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge capacity.
• Implemented through active participation of Gram Panchayats, Local communities, District administration.
• Demonstrates the "Jan Bhagidari" (People's Participation) model in water resource management.

Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari (JSJB) Initiative

• A flagship community-driven programme under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR) campaign.
• Implemented by the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• Promotes participatory water conservation through a Whole-of-Government and Whole-of-Society approach.

Objectives

• Enhance rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge.
• Encourage community ownership of water resources.
• Strengthen sustainable water governance at the grassroots.
• Improve water security through decentralized conservation measures.

Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR-120)

Context

DRDO successfully flight-tested the Pinaka Long Range Guided Rocket (LRGR-120) at the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, significantly enhancing India's indigenous long-range artillery capability.

About LRGR-120

• Pinaka LRGR-120 is an indigenously developed precision-guided rocket for the Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher (MBRL) system.
• Developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• Designed to replace the Russian-origin BM-21 Grad rocket systems in the Indian Armed Forces.

Key Features

• Range: Up to 120 km, over three times the 37.5 km range of the original Pinaka Mark-I.
• Guidance System: Integrates an Inertial Navigation System (INS) with NavIC (IRNSS) satellite navigation for high-precision targeting.
• Compatibility: Can be fired from existing Pinaka launchers, requiring no major platform modification.
• Shoot-and-Scoot Capability: Highly mobile launchers can fire a salvo and quickly relocate before enemy counter-battery radar detects and targets them.

About the Pinaka MBRL System

• An indigenous multi-barrel rocket launcher developed for the Indian Army.
• Capable of launching 12 rockets in approximately 44 seconds.
• Used for area saturation, destruction of enemy troop concentrations,
• artillery positions, logistics hubs, and command centres.
• Named after Pinaka, the divine bow of Lord Shiva.

Indira Point

Context

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has proposed protection and development works at Indira Point and its historic lighthouse in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

About Indira Point

• Southernmost point of India, located on Great Nicobar Island in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
• Lies in the Bay of Bengal, south of the proposed Galathea Bay International Transshipment Port.
• Geographically, Indonesia’s Sumatra Island is closer to Indira Point than mainland India.
• Earlier known as Pygmalion Point.
• Renamed Indira Point in 1985 after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

Indira Point Lighthouse

• Serves as a crucial navigational aid for international shipping.
• Located along the busy Singapore–Colombo international maritime route.
• Plays an important role in ensuring safe maritime navigation through the eastern Indian Ocean.

Strategic Significance

• Enhances India's maritime presence near the Six Degree Channel and the approaches to the Strait of Malacca, one of the world's busiest sea lanes.
• Supports India's Blue Economy, maritime security, and Indo-Pacific strategy.
• Complements the proposed Galathea Bay Transshipment Port, strengthening India's role in regional shipping and logistics.
• Reinforces India's strategic position in the eastern Indian Ocean close to Southeast Asia.

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