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June 2nd Current Affairs

Home / UPSC / Current affairs / UPSC Current Affairs – June 2nd

Table of Contents

IMEC Gains Strategic Importance Amid Global Supply Chain Shifts

What is IMEC?

What is IMEC?

The India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) is a major connectivity project announced during the 2023 G20 Summit in New Delhi. It aims to connect India with Europe through the Middle East using a combination of ports, railways, energy pipelines, and digital cables.

Countries Involved

  • India
  • United Arab Emirates
  • Saudi Arabia
  • Jordan
  • Israel

European countries through the European Union network

Why is IMEC Important?

  1. Strategic Alternative to Existing Routes

IMEC seeks to reduce dependence on the Suez Canal and vulnerable maritime routes affected by conflicts in the Red Sea and West Asia.

  1. Faster and Cheaper Trade

Studies suggest that IMEC could:

  • Reduce transit time by up to 40%
  • Lower logistics costs by around 30% for India-Europe trade.
  1. Counter to China’s BRI

The corridor is viewed as a strategic alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, offering diversified connectivity and supply chains.

  1. Energy and Digital Connectivity

Besides transport, IMEC includes:

  • Green hydrogen corridors
  • Electricity grids
  • Undersea digital cables for data connectivity.

Challenges

  • Ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia, particularly the Gaza conflict, have slowed implementation.
  • Funding, coordination, and security concerns remain significant hurdles.

Article 124: Supreme Court Strength Expansion and Judicial Reforms

Why is Article 124 in the News?

Article 124 has come into focus after the Union Cabinet approved the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, proposing an increase in the sanctioned strength of the Supreme Court from 34 to 38 judges (including the Chief Justice of India) to address rising case pendency.

What is Article 124?

Article 124 of the Constitution deals with the establishment, composition, appointment, qualifications, tenure, and removal of judges of the Supreme Court of India.

Key Provisions

1. Establishment of Supreme Court

  • Provides for a Supreme Court consisting of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) and other judges.
  • Parliament has the power to increase the number of judges through legislation.

2. Appointment of Judges

  • Judges are appointed by the President.
  • In practice, appointments are made through the Collegium System following Supreme Court judgments.

3. Qualifications

A person must be:

  • A citizen of India, and
  • A High Court judge for at least 5 years, or
  • An advocate in a High Court for at least 10 years, or
  • A distinguished jurist in the opinion of the President.

4. Tenure      

  • Supreme Court judges retire at the age of 65 years.

5. Removal of Judges

  • A judge can be removed only through impeachment by Parliament on grounds of proved misbehaviour or incapacity.
  • Requires a special majority in both Houses of Parliament.

Why is Increasing the Number of Judges Important?

Benefits

  • Faster disposal of cases.
  • Reduction in judicial backlog.
  • More Constitution Benches can function simultaneously.
  • Improved access to justice.

Concerns

  • Merely increasing judges may not solve systemic issues.
  • Vacancies often remain unfilled.
  • Reforms in appointment procedures and case management are also necessary.

BRICS Faces Internal Divisions as India Leads 2026 Chairship and Pushes for Global Governance Reform

Why is BRICS in the News?

BRICS has recently been in news due to:

  • India assuming the BRICS Chairship for 2026
  • Ongoing foreign ministers’ meetings in New Delhi
  • Rising internal divisions within BRICS over West Asia conflicts
  • Discussions on UN reform, de-dollarisation, and Global South leadership

What is BRICS?

BRICS is a grouping of major emerging economies:

Original members (2009–11):

  • Brazil
  • Russia
  • India
  • China
  • South Africa

Expanded members (recent years):

  • Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia (in expanded BRICS+)

It serves as a platform for:

  • Economic cooperation
  • Political coordination

Reform of global institutions

Key Highlights

1. India’s 2026 BRICS Chairship

  • India is leading BRICS in 2026.
  • Theme focuses on:
  • Global South cooperation
  • Reform of global governance
  • Digital economy and innovation
  • Multilateral reforms

2. Lack of Consensus in Meetings

Recent BRICS meetings in New Delhi:

  • No joint statement issued
  • Reason: sharp divisions over West Asia conflict (Israel–Iran–Palestine issues)
  • Countries failed to agree on common language in diplomacy

👉 Result: India had to issue a Chair’s Summary instead of a joint declaration

3. Internal Contradictions in BRICS

BRICS expansion has created challenges:

  • Members now include rival countries (e.g., Iran vs UAE)
  • Differing geopolitical alignments
  • Conflicting positions on global conflicts

👉 This has made consensus-based decision-making difficult

4. India’s Strategic Role

India is trying to balance:

  • Relations with West Asian countries
  • Engagement with Russia and China
  • Leadership role in Global South diplomacy

India is promoting:            

      • UN Security Council reform
      • Multipolar world order
      • Fair representation of developing nations

Major Challenges for BRICS

  • Lack of unity due to geopolitical conflicts
  • Expansion leading to ideological differences
  • No binding decision-making mechanism
  • Competing national interests

Opportunities for India

  • Leadership of Global South
  • Platform for UN reform advocacy
  • Strengthening trade in local currencies
  • Strategic balancing between West and East

Rising “Orbital Rivalry” Signals Intensifying Space Militarisation as China Expands Counter-Space Capabilities

Why is it in the News?

The Challenge of China’s Space Power” highlights the growing militarisation of outer space, especially China’s rapid development of counter-space weapons and the strategic risks this poses to India and global security.

What is “Orbital Rivalry”?

Orbital rivalry refers to:

  • Competition among major powers to dominate outer space
  • Development of military and dual-use space technologies
  • Control over satellites that support:
    • Communication
    • Navigation (GPS/NavIC-type systems)
    • Surveillance & intelligence
    • Military command and control

👉 Space is no longer peaceful; it has become a strategic war-fighting domain (like land, sea, air, cyber).

China’s Space Militarisation – Key Features

1. Anti-Satellite (ASAT) Capability

  • 2007: China destroyed its own satellite using a missile test
  • Demonstrates ability to destroy enemy satellites in orbit

2. Laser & Electronic Warfare

  • Can blind or disrupt satellite sensors
  • Difficult to attribute (no physical destruction)

3. Co-orbital Satellites

  • Satellites that can follow, inspect, or disable other satellites
  • Used for potential sabotage in orbit

4. Large Satellite Constellations

      • Thousands of satellites planned (LEO networks)
      • Aim: dominance in global space communication systems

Why Space Power Matters?

  • Satellites control modern life:

    • Defence communication
    • Banking & financial systems
    • Navigation (air, sea, missiles)
    • Disaster management
    • Intelligence gathering

    👉 If satellites are disrupted → a country can become “blind and deaf” in warfare

Implications for India

1. Vulnerability

  • India has far fewer satellites than China
  • Limited redundancy → loss of a few satellites can severely impact capability

2. Strategic Risk

  • Chinese counter-space systems could:
  • Disrupt India’s ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance)
  • Affect communication during conflicts (especially LAC region)

3. Mission Shakti – Limited but Important

  • India demonstrated ASAT capability in 2019
  • Made India a space power with deterrence capability

But not enough for sustained space warfare preparedness

Challenges for India

  • Low satellite numbers compared to China/US
  • Limited space defence doctrine
  • Dependence on select critical satellites (lack of redundancy)
  • Absence of fully developed counter-space systems

Way Forward (India’s Response Strategy)

1. Expand Satellite Constellations

  • Increase number of communication + reconnaissance satellites

2. Build Redundancy

  • Multiple satellites for same function (backup systems)

3. Develop Space Defence Doctrine

  • Clear policies on retaliation and deterrence in space

4. Strengthen Indigenous Capabilities

  • Advanced launch systems
  • Electronic warfare resilience
  • Secure ground infrastructure

5. International Cooperation

    • Partnerships with friendly nations for space data sharing

Supreme Court Push for Clarity on “Right to Be Forgotten” Reignites Privacy and Digital Rights Debate

Why is it in the News?

    • The issue of the Right to Be Forgotten (RTBF) has resurfaced in The Hindu due to ongoing judicial discussions on:

      • Removal of personal data from the internet
      • Balancing privacy rights vs public information
      • Lack of a clear law in India governing digital erasure of data

      It is linked to India’s evolving digital privacy framework after the Puttaswamy judgment (2017).

What is “Right to Be Forgotten”?

    • The Right to Be Forgotten (RTBF) means:
      👉 An individual can request deletion or removal of personal information from public platforms or search engines when it is:

      • No longer relevant
      • Excessive or outdated
      • Harmful to privacy or reputation

Constitutional Link in India

RTBF is derived from:

1. Right to Privacy

  • Recognised as a Fundamental Right under Article 21
  • Established in K.S. Puttaswamy vs Union of India (2017)

2. Digital Data Protection Law

  • Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023
  • Provides limited rights to:
    • Access data
    • Correct data

Erase data (in certain conditions)

How RTBF Works Globally

European Union (GDPR)

  • Strongest implementation of RTBF
  • Users can request Google and platforms to remove links containing personal data

India           

  • No absolute RTBF
  • Courts decide on a case-by-case basis

Indian Judicial Position

Indian courts have supported RTBF in limited cases:

  • Name removal from judgments in sensitive cases (e.g., matrimonial disputes)
  • Protection in cases involving:
    • Sexual offences
    • Stale criminal accusations
    • Privacy violations

However:       

  • Courts also protect public interest and transparency, especially in criminal cases.

Key Issues in News

1. Lack of Clear Law

  • India does not have a comprehensive RTBF statute
  • Leads to inconsistent court decisions

2. Conflict of Rights

  • Privacy vs Freedom of Speech (Article 19(1)(a))
  • Public interest vs individual dignity

3. Digital Permanence

  • Once online, information is difficult to erase completely
  • “Right to be forgotten” is technically challenging

Arguments in Favour of RTBF

  • Protects personal dignity and reputation
  • Prevents lifelong stigma from old data
  • Supports rehabilitation of individuals
  • Enhances digital privacy rights

Arguments Against RTBF

  • May conflict with freedom of press
  • Can be misused to hide public misconduct
  • Weakens transparency and accountability
  • Difficult to implement globally on the internet

Way Forward

  • Clear legislation defining RTBF scope
  • Strong Data Protection Authority oversight
  • Balanced judicial guidelines
  • Distinction between:
    • Public figures vs private individuals
    • Criminal records vs irrelevant data

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