National

Constitutional Law & Electoral Governance

• Supreme Court Hearing on ECI Independence:
  • The Election Commission of India (ECI) filed a 250-page joint affidavit in the Supreme Court affirming that the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) can be removed from office strictly in the manner and on grounds identical to a Supreme Court judge.
• TNPSC Academy’s Bitz:
  • Article 324(5) of the Constitution: It provides that, subject to any law made by Parliament, the service conditions and tenure of Election Commissioners and Regional Commissioners are determined by the President.
  • The CEC can be removed only in the same manner and on the same grounds as a Supreme Court judge, and service conditions cannot be altered to his disadvantage after appointment.
  • Other Election Commissioners or Regional Commissioners can be removed only on the recommendation of the CEC.
  • Following that, Parliament passed the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, which provides for the resignation and removal process as mentioned in the Constitutiton.

Tropical Cyclones & Disaster Management

• Cyclone ‘Arnab’ in Bay of Bengal:
  • The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued red alerts for 7 coastal districts in Andhra Pradesh as Cyclone ‘Arnab’ approached as a ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ with winds gusting up to 140 kmph.
  • Disaster mitigation protocols were activated across Andhra Pradesh and southern districts of Odisha.

International Relations & World Affairs

• Brazil Presidential Election:
  • Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won a historic 4th presidential term in Brazil, defeating Flávio Bolsonaro by over 4 million votes.