PM Modi’s Paris Visit

Why in NEWS

India and France has adopted a roadmap for next 25 years, Horizon 2047:25th Anniversary of India-France Partnership.

Key developments

• Launch of India’s UPI in France.
• Marseilles to get a new India consulate.
• Jointly make military platforms for friendly countries.
• Plans for French firms to develop helicopter engine.
• Production of spare parts, MRO facilities in India.
• Pact between Indian Oil & Total for LNG supply.
• Target of 30,000 Indian students by 2030.

Gifts presented to PM Modi are

• Charlemagne chessman

o ‘Charlemagne’ chessmen, which represents Indian origins of the game of chess and the long history of trade between India and Europe.

o This unique item represents both the long history of trade between India and Europe, with the elephant piece recalling the Indian origins of the game of chess, and the expertise of French companies in terms of innovation and new technologies.

o ‘Chaturanga’, the common ancestor of European and Chinese chess, appeared in India from the 7th century CE.

• In Search of Lost time: Marcel Proust

o A la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time) is a series of novels by Marcel Proust (1871-1922) published between 1913 and 1927 and recognized as one of the most important works of French literature of the early 20th century.

• Prime Minister Modi was also presented with ‘Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour’, the highest French honour in military or civilian orders.

GS PAPER – II

Jharkhand Governor plans to helm the Tribal Advisory Council

Why in NEWS

• In June 2021, the Jharkhand government had notified the Jharkhand Tribes Advisory Council Rules, 2021, which amended the rules for constituting the TAC.

• This made the Chief Minister the body’s ex officio chairperson which is recently opposed by Governor.

Issue

• The governor argued that state is “not following the spirit of the Fifth Schedule” by notifying the TAC Rules, 2021, without consulting the Governor’s office.

• The Fifth Schedule does give the Governor power to make rules prescribing or regulating the appointing of all TAC officials.

• States have argued that powers of the Governor under the Fifth Schedule were an extension of those under Article 154 and hence, Article 163 of the Constitution forbade the Governor from acting on his own discretion even when it comes to TAC.

What is fifth schedule?

In the Article 244(1) of the Constitution, expression Scheduled Areas means such areas as the President may by order declare to be Scheduled Areas.

• The Governor of each State having Scheduled Areas (SA) shall annually, or whenever so required by the President, make a report to the President regarding the administration of Scheduled Areas in that State.

• The Union Government shall have executive powers to give directions to the States as to the administration of the Scheduled Areas.

• Para 4 of the Fifth Schedule provides for establishment of a Tribes Advisory Council (TAC) in any State having Scheduled Areas.

• The TAC shall advise on such matters pertaining to the welfare and the advancement of the STs in the State as may be referred to them by the Governor.

• The Governor may, by public notification, direct that any particular Act of Parliament or of the Legislature of the State shall or shall not apply to a SA or any part thereof in the State, subject to such exceptions and modifications, as specified.

• In making such regulations, the Governor may repeal or amend any Act of Parliament or of Legislature of the State or any existing law after obtaining assent of the President.

• No regulations shall be made unless the Governor, in case a TAC exists, consults such TAC.

At present, 10 States namely Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan and Telangana have Fifth Schedule Areas.

What is Tribal Advisory Council?

• Each State having Scheduled Areas has a Tribes Advisory Council consisting of not more than twenty members, three-fourths of whom are to be the representatives of the Scheduled Tribes in the State Legislative Assembly.

• A similar Council may be created in the State which has Scheduled Tribes, but not Scheduled Areas, if the President so directs.

• The Tribes Advisory Council advises on such matters pertaining to the welfare and advancement of the Scheduled Tribes as the Governor may refer to it.

• The Governor may direct by public notification that a law made by Parliament or the State Legislature shall not apply to a Scheduled Area, or shall apply subject to specified exceptions and modifications.

GS PAPER – III

Chandrayaan 3

Why in NEWS

• Chandrayaan-3, was successfully launched by Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3) rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on 14th July 2023.

Key details

• This is India’s second attempt at soft-landing robotic instruments on the lunar surface after the previous attempt, Chandrayaan-2, failed in 2019.

• Only three countries, the U.S., Russia and China, have successfully soft-landed on the moon.

• The landing is currently planned on August 23. The duration is of 42 days.

• The propulsion module will carry the lander (containing the rover) from the elliptic parking orbit around earth to a circular orbit around the moon, at an altitude of 100 km. This module also carries an instrument called ‘Spectro-polarimetry of Habitable Planetary Earth’ (SHAPE), to study spectral emissions coming from earth.

• According to ISRO, the lander can soft-land at a specified lunar site and deploy the rover.

• The rover will perform in-situ chemical studies of the lunar surface as it moves around.

• The lander also has scientific instruments to study the lunar surface and subsurface.

GS PAPER – III

Silver line project

• E. Sreedharan mooted the idea of Semi-high-speed trains operating at an average speed of 125 km per hour will be able to cover the approximately 420-km Thiruvananthapuram-Kannur distance in three-and-a-half hours through standard gauge tracks in another six years.

About Silver line project

• The Silver Line is a proposed higher-speed rail line in India that would connect Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city, and Kasaragod of Kerala state.
• It will have an operating speed of 200 kilometres per hour allowing trains to cover the 532-kilometre (331 mi) distance in less than four hours, compared to the present 10 to 12 hours.
• Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Chengannur, Kottayam, Kochi, Thrissur, Tirur, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod will be the stations in this corridor.
• The project is temporarily halted by the state government till the Central government approval.