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Mizoram: Governor's rule imposed in Chakma Autonomous District Council

Mizoram: Governor's rule imposed in Chakma Autonomous District Council

Hindustan Times5 days ago
AIZAWL: Mizoram Governor V K Singh on Monday imposed governor's rule in the Chakma Autonomous District Council (CADC) following prolonged political instability and frequent leadership changes. Mizoram Governor General (retired) VK Singh. (File Photo)
A notification issued by the Department of District Council and Minority Affairs stated that the Governor has, under constitutional provisions, assumed all powers and functions vested in or exercisable by the CADC.
The move follows the ousting of chief executive member (CEM) Molin Kumar Chakma through a no-confidence motion on June 16. Subsequently, Lakkhan Chakma staked claim to become the third CEM of the 11th CADC, backed by eight BJP members who defected to the ruling Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) on June 2.
The notification cited 'constant political instability' as a key reason behind the decision, stating that such a situation is 'extremely detrimental for the CADC' and contrary to the objectives of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which mandates effective administration of tribal areas.
The Governor has authorised the deputy commissioner of Lawngtlai district to exercise the council's powers on his behalf with immediate effect, for a period of six months or until further orders.
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One Nation, One Election: Next JPC meeting likely on Jul 30
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Time of India

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  • Time of India

One Nation, One Election: Next JPC meeting likely on Jul 30

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One nation, one poll: JPC likely to meet July 30; Ex-CJIs may share views
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Business Standard

time2 hours ago

  • Business Standard

One nation, one poll: JPC likely to meet July 30; Ex-CJIs may share views

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  • Indian Express

UPSC Key: One Nation One Election, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and Kailash-Mansarovar yatra

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Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Explained: Everything you need to know about Nagaland insurgency Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions General Studies-III: Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life What's the ongoing story: Ruchi Gupta: As the US and China drive a new era of AI competition, and the EU asserts leadership on AI regulation, India has articulated its ambition to lead in technology and shape global AI governance. With its democratic legitimacy and digital capacity, India is positioned to represent the Global South in AI forums. Key Points to Ponder: • What is the role of India in shaping global AI governance? • What are the initiatives taken by India to ensure AI governance? • What is the IndiaAI Mission? • What is the share of India's GDP on R&D? • What is the significance of investing in R & D for a growing nation like India? • What are the issues with the government AI policies? What are the recommendations suggested by the author? • Learn about the application of AI in governance, health, education, judiciary and other sectors Key Takeaways: • The IndiaAI Mission, approved last year with a budget of over Rs 10,000 crore, is a welcome step. But it is a mission without a mandate. Housed as a division of a Section 8 company under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, it is led by a bureaucrat. 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Funding remains skewed towards consumer tech, not foundational research. • India needs a Cabinet-endorsed National AI Strategy — presented to Parliament — that sets out a vision, an actionable roadmap, and mechanisms for democratic accountability. This strategy must establish an empowered coordinating authority with a whole-of-government mandate; align R&D, industrial policy, and security strategy, and create frameworks for public engagement and parliamentary oversight. Do You Know: • Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the field of computer science which aims to make computer systems think, reason, learn, and act to solve a complex system like humans. • The term artificial intelligence was coined by McCarthy. 'McCarthy later admitted that no one really liked the name — after all, the goal was genuine, not 'artificial', intelligence — but 'I had to call it something, so I called it 'Artificial Intelligence','' wrote Melanie Mitchell in her book, 'Artificial Intelligence: A Guide for Thinking Humans'. • AI can be classified into two types: Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI) also known as weak AI and Artificial General • Intelligence (AGI) also referred to as strong AI. • ANI is designed for specific tasks and excels within a narrow domain. Examples include virtual assistants like Siri, recommendation systems on platforms like Netflix, and image recognition software. ANI systems are highly specialised and cannot transfer their expertise to unrelated tasks. • In contrast, AGI aims to replicate human cognitive abilities, enabling it to perform any intellectual task a human can do. 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What's the ongoing story: K J Alphons writes: Experts will propose dramatic changes in defence strategy, just as the art of war changed with the invention of gunpowder, machine guns, fighter planes, rockets, nuclear bombs, missiles etc. In light of recent developments, I have the following observations on future planning. Key Points to Ponder: • What is the Operation Spider's Web? • What are the US B-2 stealth bombers? • What are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)? How has it become significant in modern warfare? • What are stealth fighters? • Role of the private sector in the production of defense equipment • How have wars evolved over time? • What are the recommendations of the author for India's defence sector? Key Takeaways: • First, fighter planes are flying ducks, and horribly expensive, too. Earlier, fighters were lost in dogfights; now, they can be shot down in one's own air space from enemy territory. 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They can easily be replaced with more effective and less expensive equipment — don't waste money on them. • Fourth, future wars will be satellite/UAV-driven conflicts. Not only will these track everything, they will deliver the munitions as well, including nuclear warheads. Spend lots of money on these. • All over the world, the best defence equipment is manufactured by the private sector. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has focused on the development and production of defence equipment locally. • The DRDO's wings should be clipped drastically and it should stick to its areas of core competence, such as missile technology. Let the private sector do the rest, without any supervision by the DRDO. They will produce world-class products. Give them a free hand and have a large PLI for the sector. Do You Know: • The nature of warfare has undergone an irreversible shift. From boots on the ground and dogfights in the air to remote strikes from unmanned platforms and AI-driven decision cycles, war is now a contest of networks, autonomy, and lethality at machine speed. Nations that adapt to this shift will dominate; those that lag will perish in obsolescence. • Manoj K Channan writes: In this evolving paradigm, four key assertions emerge. One, artillery (rockets/missiles) will dominate offensive operations. Two, air defence (AD) will become the primary defensive shield. • Three, sappers will rise in operational relevance beyond mobility and countermobility. And four, the infantry and the armoured corps will execute decisive manoeuvres, shaped by strategic fires and autonomous systems. • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) are military aircraft that is guided autonomously, by remote control, or both and that carries sensors, target designators, offensive ordnance, or electronic transmitters designed to interfere with or destroy enemy targets. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Warfare is going autonomous — India must catch up Previous year UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by our adversaries across the borders. to ferry arms / ammunitions, drugs, etc., is a serious threat to the internal security. Comment on the measures being taken to tackle this threat. (UPSC CSE 2023) Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. General Studies III: Linkages between development and spread of extremism. 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It will then be sent to the Governor for his assent, following which it will become law. • The statement of objects and reasons of the Bill says the 'menace of Naxalism is not only limited to remote areas of the Naxal affected states, but its presence is increasing in the urban areas also through the Naxal front organisations'. • According to the government, these 'frontal organisations' provide logistics and safe refuge to armed Naxal cadres, and 'existing laws are ineffective and inadequate to tackle this menace of Naxalism'. • To address this situation, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha have enacted Public Security Acts and banned 48 Naxal frontal organisations, the Bill says. • The Bill gives the government the power to declare any suspect 'organisation' as an 'unlawful organisation'. It prescribes four offences for which an individual can be punished: (i) for being a member of an unlawful organisation, (ii) when not a member, for raising funds for an unlawful organisation, (iii) for managing or assisting in managing an unlawful organisation and, (iv) for committing an 'unlawful activity'. • These offences carry jail terms of two years to seven years, along with fines ranging from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. The offence relating to committing an unlawful activity carries the toughest punishment: imprisonment of seven years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh. • Offences under the proposed law are cognizable, which means arrests can be made without a warrant, and are non-bailable. • The Bill was first brought at the fag end of the 2024 Monsoon Session of the Assembly. The day after the Bill was tabled, the Assembly was prorogued and the Bill was not passed. Do You Know: • While often conflated, Maoism, Naxalism, and Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) have distinct origins. Maoism is based on Mao Zedong's doctrine of agrarian revolution and guerrilla warfare. Its Indian variant emerged with the 1967 Naxalbari uprising, leading to the broader Naxalite movement. • Over decades, this transformed itself into factions, with the CPI (Maoist) becoming the dominant group in 2004 through the merger of the People's War Group (PWG) and the Maoist Communist Centre (MCC). LWE is the term used by the Indian state to categorise such insurgencies within a national security framework. • By contrast, 'Urban Naxal' is often used to refer to supporters of Naxalism, including intellectual and financial support. • The Maoist insurgency traces its roots to the CPI(Marxist-Leninist) founded by Charu Mazumdar and Kanu Sanyal. The movement fractured during the 1970s–90s into numerous groups, many of which operated in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍What lies ahead as Centre mounts offensive against Maoists 📍This Word Means: Maoist UPSC Mains Question Covering similar theme: 📍What are the determinants of left-wing extremism in the Eastern part of India? What strategy should the Government of India, civil administration and security forces adopt to counter the threat in the affected areas? (UPSC CSE 2020) 📍The persisting drives of the government for development of large industries in backward areas have resulted in isolating the tribal population and the farmers who face multiple displacements. With Malkangiri and Naxalbari foci, discuss the corrective strategies needed to win the Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) doctrine that affected citizens back into the mainstream of social and economic growth. (UPSC CSE 2015) Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance Mains Examination: General Studies-I: Salient features of the world's physical geography. General Studies-II: India and its neighbourhood- relations. What's the ongoing story: After a five-year hiatus triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic and extended due to tensions between India and China, the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra has resumed in 2025. Key Points to Ponder: • Where is Nathu La pass located? • Map work: Mount Kailash, Dirapuk, Dolma La, and Zutul Puk • What is the cultural significance of the Kailash Mansarovar yatra? • What is the significance of initiatives like the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in improving bilateral ties between India and China? • How does cultural diplomacy complement traditional diplomatic mechanisms? Key Takeaways: • This year, the Ministry of External Affairs chose 750 pilgrims who would be making the storied pilgrimage. • With an elevation of 6,638 metres, Mount Kailash (Gang Rinpoche in Tibetan) is located in the Ngari Prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region, near the tri-junction of India, Tibet and Nepal. • To its south on the Tibetan plateau are two lakes: the freshwater Manasarovar (Mapam Yumtso) and saltwater Rakshastal (Lhanag Tso). • Both lakes and the towering mountain in their background are significant in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Tibetan Bon traditions. • Four major rivers — the Yarlung Tsangpo (which later becomes the Brahmaputra), the Indus, the Sutlej, and the Karnali (later known as Ghaghra, a major tributary of the Ganga) — trace their to origins 'the watershed of this iconic mass of rock,' Alice Albinia wrote in her award-winning book Empires of the Indus: The Story of a River (2008). • Despite its age-old sacredness, however, the Kailash-Mansarovar complex was not a popular pilgrimage site till 'as recently as the early 1900s…,' wrote Tibetologist Alex McKay in his book Kailas Histories: Renunciate Traditions and the Construction of Himalayan Sacred Geography (2015). • Pilgrims typically travel to and circumambulate Mansarovar, a 90-km walk that takes between three to five days to complete. Some then circumambulate Mount Kailash, a much more arduous 52-km trek that takes around three days to complete. • The Kailash trek began on the southern side of the mountain, at Tarchen. Pilgrims typically travel clockwise around the mountain, always keeping Kailash to their right. The trek passes through Dirapuk, Dolma La, Zutul Puk, and finally culminates in Tarchen. • On the Nathu La pass route, which first opened in 2015, the journey is even easier: pilgrims travel the entire 1,500 km from Nathu La to Mansarovar by car or bus. Do You Know: • There are two primary routes to reach Lake Mansarovar from India. • LIPULEKH PASS ROUTE: Lipulekh pass lies at an altitude of 5,115 metres, on the border between Uttarakhand and TAR, near the trijunction with Nepal. It is an ancient passageway between the Indian subcontinent and the Tibetan Plateau, frequented by traders and pilgrims alike. • While the Lipulekh pass route is the most direct way to get to Mansarovar from India — as the crow flies, the lake is roughly 50 km from the border — the terrain makes the journey very challenging. Currently, this route entails roughly 200 km of hard trekking. Before 2020, it had been operational since 1981. • NATHU LA PASS ROUTE: Nathu La pass lies at an altitude of 4,310 metres on the border between Sikkim and TAR. It is one of two mountain passes in the region — the other being Jelep La — that have connected Sikkim and Tibet since ancient times. • The route to Mansarovar from Nathu La is much longer in terms of distance — close to 1,500 km. But it is fully motorable, meaning pilgrims can make it all the way to the lake without any trekking. (They would only need to trekk 35-40 km for the circumambulation of Mount Kailash). This route became operational in 2015. • NEPAL ROUTE: No private operators function on the two official routes. There is, however, a third route through Nepal in which private companies do operate. In theory, this route has been accessible to Indians since 2023, when China reopened its border with Nepal. But visa and permit requirements, as well as high costs due to China-imposed fees, have meant that few have likely availed this option. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Kailash Mansarovar Yatra to resume soon: Everything you need to know 📍India, China move to normalise ties, Kailash Mansarovar Yatra to resume in June after 5 years Prelims Question Covering similar theme: (4) Consider the following pairs : Which of the above pairs are correctly matched? (a) l and 3 only (b) 2 and 4 only (c) 1, 3 and 4 only (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4 One, it uses a quick, easy-to-use tool, which helps a doctor determine whether a patient is severely ill and needs to be hospitalised soon after being diagnosed with TB. The tool does not require any laboratory-based investigations. Two, the initiative follows a differentiated care model which offers a patient-centred approach instead of a one-size-fits-all treatment. Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for June 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Khushboo Kumari is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She has done her graduation and post-graduation in History from the University of Delhi. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. She holds experience in UPSC-related content development. You can contact her via email: ... Read More

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