Latest news with #Amendment)Regulation
Indian Express
a day ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
In Ladakh, Centre's notifications go a long way in addressing demands of people
Since 2019 and the bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, the leaders from the Union Territory of Ladakh have demanded constitutional protections for land ownership, economic opportunities, preserving tribal cultures and languages, and a more representative government. Each of these clusters of demands is rooted in the unique historical and demographic profile of the region, and the promise — both explicit and implicit — at the time of the abrogation of Article 370 was that they would be addressed. Earlier this week, a slew of notifications by the central government moved the needle significantly on many of the demands from Ladakh, especially around domicile-based government jobs, protection and promotion of languages and quotas. Welcome as they are, these orders should be followed in due course by measures that ensure a deepening of representative democracy in Ladakh and assuage some of the anxieties around land rights. The Ladakh Civil Services Decentralisation and Recruitment (Amendment) Regulation introduces a domicile requirement for government jobs: To be eligible, a person must have resided in Ladakh for 15 years or appeared in Class X or Class XII examinations in the UT. The Union Territory of Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Regulation has placed a cap of 85 per cent on reservation, excluding the EWS quota. This, in effect, provides nearly blanket reservation for local people (the UT has a 90 per cent Scheduled Tribe population). The Centre has also recognised English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti and Purgi as official languages of the Union Territory, in addition to facilitating other mechanisms for promoting and protecting the region's culture and heritage. Bhoti and Purgi are spoken by a majority of the population, and their long-delayed recognition has been a demand for many years. There is no gainsaying the fact that the Centre and the armed forces have — and will continue to have — a deep interest and presence in Ladakh. The UT borders both Pakistan and China and has been a military flashpoint with both countries — in Kargil with Pakistan in 1999, and the border clashes with China from 2020 to 2024. In addition, vast swathes of land in the region are important for the country's renewable energy goals. These imperatives, however, cannot negate the underlying principles of democracy. The demand from many in Ladakh was the area's inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution — like parts of the Northeast — which allows for significant autonomy. The Centre, on its part, has sought to provide protections through its orders. But it does not seem to have engaged with the demand for restrictions on people from outside owning land. Even more glaring in its absence is a greater devolution of powers to the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (LAHDCs). Currently, these local elected bodies have no legislative powers and few administrative ones. Ladakh, like the rest of the erstwhile state of J&K, deserves some form of representative government. As the Centre and the local leadership negotiate the next steps on the political architecture for the UT, giving its people a voice should be paramount.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
UPSC Key: Domicile rules for Ladakh, G7 Summit and Volcanoes
Important topics and their relevance in UPSC CSE exam for June 4, 2025. If you missed the June 3, 2025 UPSC CSE exam key from the Indian Express, read it here FRONT PAGE Domicile rules for Ladakh notified by Govt to address job and quota concerns Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Indian Polity and Governance Main Examination: General Studies II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. What's the ongoing story: THE CENTRE has notified a series of regulations aimed at addressing Ladakh's concerns over jobs, quotas and cultural preservation. The new legal framework introduces a domicile-based job reservation system, recognition of local languages, and procedural clarity in civil service recruitment. Key Points to Ponder: • What is domicile? • 'The Centre has notified a series of regulations aimed at addressing Ladakh's concerns over jobs, quotas and cultural preservation'—What are the new regulations? • Why are these regulations significant? • What were the demands in Ladakh? • How are the new regulations different from existing provisions? • How do they compare with Jammu & Kashmir's protections? • What are the limitations of these regulations? Key Takeaways: • As per the new regulations, a person has to be a resident of Ladakh for 15 years to get a domicile certificate and be eligible for jobs, while the ceiling on total quota has been lifted to 85%, excluding reservation for EWS. Since Ladakh is 90% tribal, it would virtually give reservation to all the indigenous Ladakhis. • The regulations, issued come amid demands in Leh and Kargil for tribal autonomy and legal protection following Ladakh's bifurcation from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. However, the regulations do not address another key Ladakh demand, to restrict land ownership by outsiders, which is behind the call for constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule. • The most substantive change comes in the form of the Ladakh Civil Services Decentralization and Recruitment (Amendment) Regulation, 2025, which inserts a clear domicile criterion for recruitment into government services in the Union Territory. • Under Section 3A of the amended regulation, a person is considered a domicile of Ladakh if they have resided in the region for 15 years, or studied there for at least seven years and appeared in Class 10 or 12 examinations. Children of Central government employees who have served in Ladakh for at least 10 years are also eligible. • Following a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah last week, a High-Powered Committee (HPC) comprising representatives from both Leh and Kargil had reached a consensus that anyone living in Ladakh for 15 years from 2019 onwards could be considered a domicile of the region. This was a climbdown from the earlier demand that domicile certification require a period of stay of 30 years. Do You Know: • The Union Territory of Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Regulation, 2025, updates the earlier Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004, capping overall reservations at 85%, excluding the EWS quota. It's seen as a way to streamline existing quotas without creating new categories specific to Ladakh's tribal demography. • This 85% cap has also been extended to professional institutions such as engineering and medical colleges in Ladakh, where the quota for SC/STs and OBCs was earlier capped at 50%. • Over 90% of Ladakh's population is ST, with Buddhist and Muslim tribal communities dominating Leh and Kargil, respectively. The 85% reservation allows near-complete representation for tribal and socially backward groups, aligning with Ladakh's demography. • By explicitly excluding EWS from the 85% limit, the regulation safeguards tribal and backward class quotas from being eroded by newer economic reservations, and addresses Ladakh's concerns regarding identity-based protections. • Besides, through the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (Amendment) Regulation, 2025, 'one-third reservation for women' is now mandated in these councils through rotation of constituencies. However, while LAHDCs in Leh and Kargil have played a key role in local governance, their powers remain limited, especially in the absence of Sixth Schedule protection. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍New protections for Ladakh Chill in ties, window closing for Canada invitation to G7 summit Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests. What's the ongoing story: With less than two weeks to go for the start of the G7 Summit, being hosted by Canada in Kananaskis in Alberta from June 15-17, India is still to receive an invitation to the gathering. Key Points to Ponder: • What is G7 group? • Who are the members of G7? • Know the name of G7 countries • Map Work-G7 Countries • The G7 countries Global GDP-know the data • How did G7 become G8 and again G7-Reasons • G7, Canada and India-Know in Brief Key Takeaways: • If the invitation window closes, Delhi's absence at the summit will be the first break since 2019. Barring 2020 when the G7 huddle was cancelled by the US, the host country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has attended every summit since 2019. • The chill in Delhi-Ottawa ties has not gone unnoticed. The two countries downgraded diplomatic ties after Justin Trudeau, the then Canadian Prime Minister, set off a political storm in 2023 when he alleged 'potential' involvement of Indian government agents in the killing of a Canada-based Khalistan separatist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar. India rejected the charges as 'absurd' and 'motivated'. • Usually, G7 host countries invite some countries as guest countries or outreach partners. Canada has so far invited Ukraine and Australia. It has not released names of other guest countries. • France was the host of the G7 leaders' summit in Biarritz in August 2019 — after Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, this was the first invitation. • Before that, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had attended the G8 summit five times between 2004 and 2014 — the grouping became the G7 in 2014 after Russia's suspension, and subsequent exit, over its annexation of Crimea. • In 2020, US President Donald Trump called the G7 a 'very outdated group' and said he would like to include India, Australia, South Korea and Russia in the grouping of the largest advanced economies. Trump had suggested that the Group of 7 be called 'G10 or G11', and proposed that the grouping meet in September or November 2020. But due to the pandemic and the US elections, that did not happen. • Modi attended the G7 summit in 2021 via virtual mode, and then attended the summits in Germany in 2022, Japan in 2023 and Italy in 2024. Do You Know: • The Group of Seven is an informal group of leading industrialised nations. It consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. • As is customary in recent years, leaders from some non-G-7 countries and international organizations will also participate in some sessions. The leaders discuss a wide range of issues, including economic policy, security, climate change, energy and gender. • The first summit was in 1975, when France hosted what was then a Group of Six meeting to discuss tackling a recession that followed an Arab oil embargo. Canada became the seventh member a year later. Russia joined to form the G-8 in 1998 but was expelled after Moscow's 2014 annexation of Crimea. • Over the years, the G7 has evolved from an economic forum to a platform which aims to address a range of global challenges. While it lacks a permanent administrative structure, the G7 rotates its presidency annually and the presidency serves as a temporary secretariat. • Concluding with a communiqué outlining political commitments, the annual summit influences global governance, agenda-setting and decision-making processes. • In comparison, the G20, which was established in response to the 2008 financial crisis, is seen as a more inclusive forum. The Bruegel analysis argued that the G20's creation proved the G7's inability to handle-modern day crises. But due to its size, the authors claimed that the G20 was 'too big and heterogeneous to make decisions when not mired in deep crisis'. They proposed a reconfigured G7+, which would include a common euro-zone representative and make space for China, India, and Brazil, thereby better reflecting the current global economic landscape in terms of both GDP and population. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Knowledge Nugget: G7 summit in Canada — Historical evolution and importance for UPSC Previous year UPSC Prelims Question Covering similar theme: 1. In which one of the following groups are all the four countries members of G20? (2020) (a) Argentina, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey (b) Australia, Canada, Malaysia and New Zealand (c) Brazil, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam (d) Indonesia, Japan, Singapore and South Korea GOVT & POLITICS PM Modi to launch Aravalli Green Project tomorrow Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change – that do not require subject specialization. Mains Examination: General Studies III: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment. What's the ongoing story: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Centre's Aravalli Green Wall project, on June 5 to mark World Environment Day, to combat desertification and restore degraded land across four states, Environment Ministry sources said Tuesday. Key Points to Ponder: • What is the Aravalli Green Wall project? • Which peak is the highest point of the Aravalli Range? • The Aravalli Range is arguably the oldest geological feature on Earth, having its origin in which era? • The Aravalli Range, is believed to be the oldest range of fold mountains in India-True or False? • What is fold mountain? • What is desertification? • What are the reasons for rising desertification • How Aravalli Green Wall project will combat desertification and restore degraded land? Key Takeaways: • Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta will join the PM for planting a tree in Delhi's ridge area, the sources said. The Chief Ministers of Haryana, Rajasthan and Gujarat will also plant trees in their respective states, sources said. • While the land restoration project was initially launched in 2023, a detailed action plan for the project was launched recently. The project, pegged at Rs 16,053 crore, aims to create a buffer zone of 5 km around the mountain range, covering 6.45 million hectares. • Ministry sources said the project would also contribute in meeting India's key climate goals of creating an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent through improving tree and forest cover. India has also committed to restoring 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030. Do You Know: • Extending from southwest Gujarat in Champaner to northeast Delhi and Haryana, the 700-km long Aravalli mountain range acts as a natural barrier against incursion of sand and dust from the Thar desert. It supports rivers such as Luni, Banas, Sabarmati among others, as well as keystone wildlife such as tiger, bears, wolves and leopards. However, the range is facing widespread degradation due to deforestation, mining, urbanisation, agriculture practices and development. • The Aravalli Green Wall Project seeks to revive the Aravalli range through various initiatives such as banning single-use plastics, promoting water conservation, and protecting natural resources. It also aims to combat land degradation and desertification by creating green corridors across 29 districts in four states: Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Delhi. The Aravalli hills landscape spans over 6 million hectares. • At the 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) held in Riyadh, India introduced the Aravalli Green Wall Project, which was launched in 2019. In March, the Environment Ministry released the project's action plan. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Protect whatever is left of Aravallis, combat illegal mining, environmental group urges Haryana government Garden Reach inks pact with Norway firm, India to build its first polar research vehicle Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Main Examination: General Studies III: Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, biotechnology and issues relating to intellectual property rights. What's the ongoing story: Kolkata-based Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE), a Government of India undertaking, signed an MoU with Norwegian firm Kongsberg on Tuesday to co-design and build India's first-ever polar research vehicle (PRV) indigenously. Key Points to Ponder: • What is a polar research vehicle (PRV)? • The polar research vessel being developed through the GRSE-Norwegian collaboration will primarily support missions in which region? • Which Indian research station is located in Antarctica? • What is a key technological requirement for a polar research vessel? • Discuss the strategic and scientific importance of India building its first indigenous polar research vessel. • What are the technological and environmental challenges in constructing and operating a polar research vessel? Key Takeaways: • The MoU was signed in Oslo in the presence of Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal, who termed it 'a commitment to fostering scientific discovery, advancing India's capabilities in polar and ocean research, and contributing to global efforts to address pressing challenges like climate change.' • 'Let this MoU signing be a beacon of hope and progress, signalling India's unwavering commitment to scientific advancement and sustainable development. Together, we are building not just a vessel but a legacy — a legacy of innovation, exploration and international cooperation that will inspire generations to come,' Sonowal said. • A PRV is a ship which serves a platform for research in the polar regions (areas surrounding the North and South Poles). It can also help scientists undertake research in the ocean realm. Do You Know: • India currently operates three research base stations in the polar regions — Bharati and Maitri in Antarctica, and Himadri in the Arctic region — and had been planning to have its own PRV for a while now. In 2023, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju informed the Rajya Sabha that the country would have its first PRV within five years at an estimated cost of Rs. 2,600 crore. • The PRV will be equipped with the latest scientific equipment, enabling researchers to explore the oceans' depths and study marine ecosystems, Sonowal said. It will be a testament to India's critical shipbuilding capabilities, boosting the Government's 'Make In India' initiative, he added. • Underlining PM Narendra Modi's vision of SAGAR – Security and Growth for All in the Region – Sonowal said it 'leverages India's vast coastline, strategic location, and maritime heritage to drive economic prosperity, enhance regional security, and ensure sustainable development for all stakeholders'. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍India building its largest research vessel to explore deep oceans THE EDITORIAL PAGE The great churn in Asia Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India's interests. What's the ongoing story: C. Raja Mohan Writes: For over three decades, India's Asian strategy was premised on great-power harmony, regional stability, economic interdependence and stronger regional institutions. That era may be ending. Delhi must now contend with growing disorder, which demands both stronger national capabilities and enhanced strategic flexibility. Key Points to Ponder: • What is Shangri-La Dialogue? • What is discussed at Shangri-La Dialogue? • India and the Shangri-La Dialogue-Connect the dots • 'Since it was first convened in 2002, the SLD has become the premium forum where defence ministers of Asia gather to publicly articulate their positions on regional security as well as conduct bilateral and minilateral defence diplomacy behind closed doors'-Elaborate • How the changing nature of U.S. engagement in Asia affects India's strategic calculus? Key Takeaways: • Two recent developments to India's east offer insights into the rapidly shifting contours of Asian geopolitics. The first was the annual Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) in Singapore, where US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth outlined the administration's priorities for Asia. The second was South Korea's presidential election, where the likely victory of left-leaning candidate Lee Jae-myung could reshape not only Korea's political trajectory but also the strategic dynamics of Northeast Asia. • As expected, US-China relations dominated discussions at the SLD. The absence of China's defence minister underscored the current crisis in bilateral ties. • The SLD historically served as a valuable platform for US-China dialogue on regional security. Much of Asia was eager to hear from Hegseth about the Trump administration's strategic intentions. Many countries remain caught in the crossfire of President Donald Trump's trade wars and were watching closely to see if Washington would uphold traditional alliances or, as in Europe, move to dismantle them. • Hegseth, however, steered clear of economics, saying his focus was 'tanks, not tariffs'. He had strong words on China's military capabilities and ambitions of annexing Taiwan. • Asked about NATO's potential role in Asia, Hegseth urged Europe to remain focused on Russia rather than overstretch its resources in the Indo-Pacific. Macron, however, had a different message. Do You Know: • The Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) is an annual international security conference held in Singapore. It serves as a platform for dialogue and cooperation among defense ministers and experts from various countries, focusing on regional and global security issues. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍An arena called Asia THE IDEAS PAGE The Centre, for the states Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. Mains Examination: General Studies II: Functions and responsibilities of the Union and the States, issues and challenges pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of powers and finances up to local levels and challenges therein. What's the ongoing story: B V R Subrahmanyam and Shashank Shah Writes: In the past 11 years, India has witnessed an era of cooperative and fiscal federalism. The Centre and state governments have worked together on socioeconomic transformation for the achievement of shared goals. Key Points to Ponder: • The Government of India has established NITI Aayog to replace what? • How are the principles followed by the NITI Aayog different from those followed by erstwhile Planning Commission in India? • Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog 2025-know key highlights • Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog 2025-what are the key takeaways? • What is the Governing Council of NITI Aayog? • Who chairs Governing Council of NITI Aayog? • The term 'cooperative federalism' stands for what? • How NITI Aayog has contributed to the deepening of cooperative and competitive federalism in India? Key Takeaways: B V R Subrahmanyam and Shashank Shah Writes: • The transformation of the Planning Commission into the NITI Aayog in 2015 was an important change – it replaced a Centre-to-state one-way flow of policy with a collaborative partnership between the two. For long, knowledge resided where power was wielded. A phygital world is increasing the gap. NITI Aayog plays a vital role in bridging it. Unlike the Planning Commission, it encourages states to take ownership of their development agendas and has become a bridge between the Centre and states. • The Aayog's annual Governing Council Meeting acts as the apex platform for the political leadership of the Centre and states to deliberate on issues of national importance. The annual Chief Secretaries Conference is a platform for the senior-most bureaucrats of the country to discuss challenges and share best practices. Its indices have acted as a catalyst for a competitive federal system, inspiring laggard states to improve their performance. The Aspirational Districts and Blocks Programme has been transformative in improving the quality of life of citizens from nearly 350 districts and 500 blocks. It has brought the most backward regions at par with state averages across key socio-economic parameters. • The key to development for states is the availability of sufficient resources. A significant step in this direction was the decision to increase the states' share in the divisible pool of taxes from 32 per cent to 42 per cent. • The Centre's commitment to fiscal federalism has empowered states with more resources in the last decade compared to the previous decade. The ratio of gross transfers (including states' share in central taxes, grants, and loans) to GDP was 5.2 per cent in the decade preceding 2015-16, and has now increased to 6.5 per cent. During this period, grants from the Centre have increased by 234 per cent, and gross loans from the Centre have increased by a massive 992 per cent. Do You Know: • The Governing Council of NITI Aayog comprises the Prime Minister of India; Chief Ministers of all the States and Union Territories with Legislature; Lt Governors of other UTs; Ex-Officio Members; Vice Chairperson, NITI Aayog; Full-time Members, NITI Aayog and Special Invitees. First constituted in February 2015 and reconstituted in February 2021, the Governing Council embodies the objectives of cooperative federalism and presents a platform to discuss inter- sectoral, inter-departmental and federal issues to accelerate the implementation of the national development agenda. • So far, nine meetings of the Governing Council, chaired by the Hon'ble Prime Minister, have been held and facilitated shaping India's development agenda collaboratively. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Leverage FTAs, remove obsolete laws, PM tells states in NITI meeting EXPRESS NETWORK India experienced wettest May since 1901: IMD Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Current events of national and international importance. What's the ongoing story: This year, May was not about sweltering heat and extreme temperatures but rain and floods. India experienced the wettest May in 124 years as the country recorded 126.7 mm of rainfall last month, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Key Points to Ponder: • Which weather phenomena is most likely linked to unseasonal or extreme pre-monsoon rainfall in India? • India received the wettest May rainfall since 1901—what are the contributing meteorological factors? • What are the short-term and long-term impacts of unseasonal rainfall on India's agriculture? • Examine the role of IMD in forecasting and managing extreme weather events? • How changing rainfall patterns reflect the need for climate-resilient infrastructure and smart agricultural practices in India. • What policy measures should the government adopt to reduce the vulnerability of marginal farmers to erratic weather events like excessive pre-monsoon rain? Key Takeaways: • May was unusually wet and marked by the early southwest monsoon onset, which brought bountiful rainfall over southern and eastern India regions over the past 10 days. • According to the IMD, there were 1,053 heavy rainfall events (64.4 – 115.5 mm) reported in May concentrated along the west coast, northeast and north India. This was the highest number of heavy rainfall events for the month since 2021. • Central India recorded the highest-ever May rainfall (100.9 mm) since 1901. Over the southern peninsular India, where May rainfall was 199.7 mm, it was the second wettest May in 124 years and the wettest since 2001, the IMD said. • The all-India rainfall of May pushed the pre-monsoon rainfall quota quantitatively to 42 per cent 'above' normal (185.8 mm). • May rainfall topped the charts among the pre-monsoon season with the all-India rainfall settling at 106.4 per cent of the normal. Do You Know: • The pre-monsoon season was dominated by frequent western disturbances (4 each, in March and April and 7 in May), which brought rainfall over north and central India regions. In addition, these wind streams interacted with moisture-laden winds coming in from the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, causing widespread rainfall and thunderstorms over the southern peninsular. • Soon after the southwest monsoon onset on May 13 over the south Andaman Sea, the overall rainfall intensity over the country picked up. Multiple, favourable atmospheric and ocean conditions prevailed which also contributed to heightened rainfall over large parts of the country, keeping the all-India rainfall average above normal during May 17 – 31. • The all-India monthly average temperature for May was 1.52 degrees Celsius below normal of 36.60 degrees Celsius. Upon receiving the highest May rainfall in over a century, central India's monthly average maximum temperature saw the sharpest departure from normal (-2.63 degrees Celsius) and it settled at 36.63 degrees Celsius. • Significantly, there was no development of a cyclone over the north Indian Ocean basin (Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea) during May. This is the first time since 2020 when a cyclone activity was missing in the basin in May, which is otherwise prone to peak cyclogenesis in May. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍Why have rains subsided in Mumbai after a historic early onset? EXPLAINED WHAT CAUSED THE MASSIVE ERUPTION OF ITALY'S MOUNT ETNA Syllabus: Preliminary Examination: Indian and World Geography-Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World. Mains Examination: General Studies I: Important Geophysical phenomena such as earthquakes, Tsunami, Volcanic activity, cyclone etc., geographical features and their location-changes in critical geographical features and in flora and fauna and the effects of such changes. What's the ongoing story: Italy's Mount Etna, the largest volcano in Europe, produced an explosive eruption on Monday morning, sending a huge cloud of ash, smoke and rock fragments several kilometres into the sky. Key Points to Ponder: • Where is Mount Etna? • What kind of eruption did it have? • Volcanoes and Volcanic Landforms-Know in detail • Know the Types of Volcanoes • Plate Tectonics, Volcanoes and Earthquake-connect the dots • How can volcanic eruptions affect the environment and natural ecosystem? Key Takeaways: • Mount Etna, sometimes referred to simply as Etna, is an active volcano on the east coast of Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, lying just off the toe of the Italian 'boot'. Etna's peak is the highest in Italy south of the Alps, and it is the largest of Europe's active volcanoes. • Etna's summit has five craters, which are responsible for most of the volcano's eruptions. 'Flank' eruptions also occur at the 300-odd vents of varying sizes along the slopes of the mountain. • The volcano is in near-constant activity. Since 1600, at least 60 flank eruptions and many more summit eruptions have happened. In recent years, summit eruptions have occurred in 2006, 2007-08, on two occasions in 2012, in 2018, and 2021; flank eruptions have taken place in 2001, 2002-03, 2004-05, and 2008-09. • Etna has been a World Heritage Site since 2013, and according to UNESCO, the volcano's eruptive history can be traced back 500,000 years. At least 2,700 years of this activity have been documented. • Experts suggest that the eruption began with an increase in pressure inside the volcano due to expanding gases, which led to the collapse of the southeast crater, resulting in hot lava flows. • According to Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) Etna Observatory, the volcano was witnessing a 'Strombolian' eruption. This type of eruption is usually characterised as discreet moderately explosive bursts which can eject chunks of rock and cinders that can travel hundreds of metres into the air. It occurs due to the presence of gas in the magma chamber within the volcano. Do You Know: • According to the US Geological Survey: 'Volcanoes are openings, or vents where lava, tephra (small rocks), and steam erupt onto the Earth's surface.' • Volcanoes can be on land and in the ocean. They are formed when material significantly hotter than its surroundings is erupted onto the surface of the Earth. The material could be liquid rock (known as 'magma', when it's underground and 'lava' when it breaks through the surface), ash, and/or gases. • The rise of magma can take place in three different ways, according to NASA. First, when tectonic plates — massive, irregularly shaped slabs of solid rock that carry both continents and oceans and are constantly in motion — move away from each other. 'The magma rises up to fill in the space. When this happens underwater volcanoes can form,' it added. Second, when the plates move towards each other. 'When this happens, part of Earth's crust can be forced deep into its interior. The high heat and pressure cause the crust to melt and rise as magma,' NASA said. Third is how magma rises at the hotspots — hot areas inside of the Earth, where magma gets heated up. As magma gets warmer, it becomes less dense, leading to its rise. • According to the British Geological Survey, the type of volcano depends on the viscosity of the magma, the amount of gas in the magma, the composition of the magma, and the way the magma reaches the surface. • There are two broad types of volcanoes: a stratovolcano and a shield volcano. Stratovolcanoes have steep sides and are more cone-shaped than shield volcanoes have a low profile and resemble a shield lying on the ground. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍WHAT ARE VOLCANOES—AND WHY DO THEY KEEP ERUPTING IN ICELAND? For any queries and feedback, contact 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. Priya Kumari Shukla is a Senior Copy Editor in the Indian Express (digital). She contributes to the UPSC Section of Indian Express (digital) and started niche initiatives such as UPSC Key, UPSC Ethics Simplified, and The 360° UPSC Debate. The UPSC Key aims to assist students and aspirants in their preparation for the Civil Services and other competitive examinations. It provides valuable guidance on effective strategies for reading and comprehending newspaper content. The 360° UPSC Debate tackles a topic from all perspectives after sorting through various publications. The chosen framework for the discussion is structured in a manner that encompasses both the arguments in favour and against the topic, ensuring comprehensive coverage of many perspectives. Prior to her involvement with the Indian Express, she had affiliations with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) as well as several coaching and edutech enterprises. In her prior professional experience, she was responsible for creating and refining material in various domains, including article composition and voiceover video production. She has written in-house books on many subjects, including modern India, ancient Indian history, internal security, international relations, and the Indian economy. She has more than eight years of expertise in the field of content writing. Priya holds a Master's degree in Electronic Science from the University of Pune as well as an Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management (EPPPM) from the esteemed Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, widely recognised as one of the most prestigious business schools in India. She is also an alumni of Jamia Milia Islamia University Residential Coaching Academy (RCA). Priya has made diligent efforts to engage in research endeavours, acquiring the necessary skills to effectively examine and synthesise facts and empirical evidence prior to presenting their perspective. Priya demonstrates a strong passion for reading, particularly in the genres of classical Hindi, English, Maithili, and Marathi novels and novellas. Additionally, she possessed the distinction of being a cricket player at the national level. Qualification, Degrees / other achievements: Master's degree in Electronic Science from University of Pune and Executive Programme in Public Policy and Management (EPPPM) from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta ... Read More
The Wire
2 days ago
- Business
- The Wire
‘Issue of Statehood and Sixth Schedule Unresolved': Ladakh Leaders as Union Govt Notifies New Rules
Srinagar: The new reservation and domicile policies brought out by the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP)-led Union government for Ladakh have fallen short of addressing widespread concerns over the constitutional disempowerment and suspension of democracy in the border region following its separation from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. 'For us, the main issue of statehood and the inclusion of Ladakh in Sixth Schedule remains unresolved,' Leh Apex Body (LAB) leader Chering Dorjay, who has been leading talks with the Union government over the last more than two years along with members of Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), told The Wire . He added, 'While we welcome the new measures, we want the government to talk about restoration of statehood now and granting of constitutional safeguards for Ladakh in some form. The job reservation was a small problem which should have been solved much earlier but the government sat on the matter unnecessarily for a long time.' Environmentalist and innovator Sonam Wangchuk, who has been protesting against the alleged disempowerment of Ladakh in the aftermath of its separation from J&K in 2019 and demotion into a Union territory (UT) without a legislature, said that the reservation policy was the least important demand of the LAB-KDA combine. 'In urgency, it (reservation policy) was the highest, but in importance it was the lowest. They (LAB-KDA combine) seem to have mutually decided (with the Union government) on picking the low hanging fruit first,' Wangchuk said, adding that the government didn't concede the demand of the LAB-KDA combine to set the condition of 30 years continuous residency for a non-local in Ladakh to obtain domicile certificate. The Ladakh Civil Services Decentralization and Recruitment (Amendment) Regulation, 2025, which was notified by President Droupadi Murmu along with a set of new regulations on Monday (June 2) and Tuesday (June 3), sets 15-year continuous residency from October 31, 2019 for a non-local to obtain domicile certificate among other rules. The rules for obtaining domicile certificate have been laid out in the Ladakh Civil Services Domicile Certificate Rules, 2025. Ladakhi leader Mohammad Haneefa Jan, who won the region's only Lok Sabha seat in 2024 general election as an independent candidate, said that the new domicile policy was 'meaningless' in the absence of restoration of Ladakh's statehood. 'The government had agreed on a new domicile policy earlier also, so there is nothing new in it, especially because the LAB and KDA leaderships' demand of 30 years continuous residence has not been conceded by the Union government,' he said. While the rules governing the new regulations are yet to be specified, LAB chief Dorjay said that 95% jobs (including 10% for 'Economically Weaker Section' category) were now reserved for local domiciles under the Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Regulation, 2025, which was also notified on Tuesday. The new regulation increases the cap on reservation in government jobs in Ladakh from 50% to 85% for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and other educationally and socially backward groups. 'Even if outsiders become domiciles of Ladakh after 2034, they can only compete for five percent of jobs while 95 percent jobs are reserved for original residents which is the highest in the country,' Dorjay said. He said that unlike in Jammu and Kashmir which got a domicile policy with retrospective effect after 2019, the policy in Ladakh has a prospective effect, 'The policy has been extended to admissions to medical, engineering and other professional institutions in Ladakh,' Dorjay said. According to the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, Ladakh has more than 83% tribal population and the new rules are seen as an attempt by the BJP to quell widespread public anger over the erosion of Ladakh's unique identity and appropriation of work opportunities in the government by outsiders post 2019. However, Ladakhi leader Jan, who is also a member of a high-powered committee set up by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in 2023 to examine the four-point demands of LAB-KDA combine, said that the main issue of negotiations was the 'restoration of democracy' in Ladakh. 'The country came out of the British colonial rule in 1947 but Ladakh has been pushed into slavery since 2019. We have no role in policymaking and the imported bureaucratic regime has turned Ladakh into an arena of slavery. The government should now focus on resolving the main issues,' he said. Wangchuk, who went on hunger strikes twice last year to demand constitutional safeguards under Sixth Schedule, also cautioned that the 15-years clause in the new domicile policy has not gone down well among the people of Ladakh. 'They were hoping for at least 30 years of continuous residence and the new regulation has not made them too happy. It was, however, important to address this issue because all the vacancies in the government are blocked which is not good for the administration to run the system and it is not good for the youth of Ladakh to remain unemployed,' he said. Wangchuk said that the next two meetings between the Ladakh civil society and the MHA were going to be crucial to determine the future course of the agitation. He said that many people are projecting the regulations on reservation and domicile as 'some kind of resolution' for the problems in Ladakh 'which is far from truth'. 'If the central government sincerely discusses safeguards under Sixth Schedule and restoration of democracy and statehood, then people would be very happy. But if they don't and hold the hill council elections, then it will impact the credibility of any democratic process,' he said. In the 2020 Hill Council election, the promise to include Ladakh in Sixth Schedule figured among the top three agendas of the BJP's election manifesto for the border region. According to the manifesto, the party promised to protect 'land, job and environment' by bringing 'constitutional safeguards under Sixth Schedule' with the agenda of 'political empowerment' of Ladakh following its separation from Jammu and Kashmir. 'It completes a full circle,' Wangchuk said of the BJP's reference to the Sixth Schedule in its election manifesto, 'If that promise is not fulfilled again, then consequences will be seen in the election as was seen in the 2024 parliamentary election when the BJP lost in Ladakh because in 2019 parliamentary election, they had promised to include Ladakh in Sixth Schedule and failed to fulfil it.' He added, 'In a democracy, people send a message through the electoral process which is what might happen again after the parliamentary election in the hill council election towards the end of September this year.' Among a series of notifications issued by President Murmu also includes the Ladakh Official Languages Regulation, 2025 which recognises English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti and Purgi as official languages of the Union Territory with making recommendations about their use, and The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (Amendment) Regulation, 2025 under which one-third of seats in Hill Councils in Kargil and Leh would be reserved for women. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Explained: Centre's new regulations for jobs and domicile in Ladakh, where they fall short
The Centre has notified a series of regulations for Ladakh's land, jobs, and cultural preservation, aimed at addressing concerns raised by the civil society in Ladakh over the past five years. The new legal framework introduces a domicile-based job reservation system, recognition of local languages, and procedural clarity in civil service recruitment. What are the new regulations? On June 2 and 3, the government notified five regulations: 1. Ladakh Civil Services Decentralization and Recruitment (Amendment) Regulation, 2025 This regulation introduces a domicile requirement for recruitment in government posts under the Union Territory of Ladakh, for the first time. The domicile is defined as a person who has resided in Ladakh for 15 years; or a person who has studied for 7 years and appeared in either Class 10 or 12 examination in Ladakh; Children of Central Government employees who have served in Ladakh for at least 10 years; and children and spouses of domiciles. 2. Ladakh Civil Services Domicile Certificate Rules, 2025 These rules lay out the procedure and documentation required to obtain a domicile certificate. The tehsildar is designated as the issuing authority, while the Deputy Commissioner is the appellate authority. Applications can be submitted both physically and electronically. 3. Union Territory of Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Regulation, 2025 This regulation caps the total reservation for Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), and other socially and educationally backward groups at 85%, excluding the 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS). Importantly, these reservations have also been extended to professional institutions, such as engineering and medical colleges in Ladakh. The quota for SC, ST and OBC for admissions into these colleges was earlier capped at 50% and has now been expanded to 85%. 4. Ladakh Official Languages Regulation, 2025 This law recognises English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti, and Purgi as the official languages of Ladakh. It also mandates institutional support for the promotion of Shina, Brokskat, Balti, and Ladakhi, for preserving Ladakh's linguistic and cultural diversity. 5. Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (Amendment) Regulation, 2025 This amends the LAHDC Act of 1997 to reserve one-third of the seats for women in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil, through rotation. Why are these regulations significant? This is the first comprehensive attempt by the Centre to tailor governance and administrative frameworks specifically for Ladakh, following its bifurcation from Jammu & Kashmir in 2019. Since the government is reluctant to grant Sixth Schedule status to Ladakh, which would result in greater autonomy under the Constitution, the regulations aim to address Ladakhi concerns through executive orders rather than constitutional guarantees. By defining the domicile criteria and creating a legal filter for recruitment, the government has taken a significant step towards reserving jobs for the local population, a demand that has been at the heart of the protest movement. Additionally, the language regulation offers long-awaited recognition to Bhoti and Purgi, which are mother tongues for large sections of the population. The promotion of Ladakhi, Balti, and other minority dialects reflects an understanding of the importance of cultural identity in political demands. Since the abrogation of Article 370 and the enactment of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019, the political and legal status of Ladakh has been a deeply contentious subject. With the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir being bifurcated into two UTs — Jammu & Kashmir with a legislature, and Ladakh without one — the people of Ladakh found themselves under direct central administration. What followed was not a celebration, but concern. Despite assurances from the Centre, residents feared that without constitutional protections, Ladakh's unique tribal identity, fragile ecology, and limited resources would come under pressure from external economic and demographic forces. This led to a growing demand for the inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule, which provides tribal-majority areas in certain northeastern states with legislative and financial autonomy through autonomous district councils. The demand is grounded in the fact that more than 90% of Ladakh's population belongs to Scheduled Tribes. The demand has been consistently voiced by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), which jointly represent the Buddhist and Muslim communities in the region. In 2024 and 2025, the movement gained national visibility thanks to a high-profile hunger strike led by Sonam Wangchuk, an engineer, innovator and climate activist. How are the new regulations different from existing provisions? Before these regulations, Ladakh was governed largely by adapted versions of laws in J&K, including the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004 and the Civil Services Decentralization and Recruitment Act, 2010. These did not include any concept of domicile specific to Ladakh, protection for jobs for locals, clear reservation caps or exclusions for EWS, and recognition of Ladakhi languages in official use. In that sense, the 2025 regulations represent a departure from borrowed laws and a move towards region-specific governance. How do they compare with Jammu & Kashmir's protections? After bifurcation, the UT of Jammu & Kashmir received: In contrast, Ladakh: So, while these regulations bring Ladakh somewhat closer to the protections given to Jammu & Kashmir post-2019, the region still lags behind in constitutional safeguards. What are the limitations of these regulations? Despite being an important step, the regulations fall short of addressing certain core demands of the Sixth Schedule movement: 1. Lack of constitutional protection: All new rules and regulations have been made under Article 240 of the Constitution, which allows the President to make regulations for UTs without the legislature. These are executive decisions that can be amended or withdrawn by the Centre at any time, unlike the Sixth Schedule, which is part of the Constitution and offers guaranteed protections. 2. No land safeguards: The most critical omission is the absence of any restriction on land ownership by non-domiciles. This is a key issue in Ladakh, given concerns over large-scale tourism, infrastructure projects, and climate vulnerability. 3. No local legislature or council with law-making powers: The Sixth Schedule allows for the creation of Autonomous District Councils with powers over land, forests, customs, education, and more. The LAHDCs, even with one-third seats now reserved for women, remain administrative bodies without legislative power. 4. Symbolic cultural protection: While local languages have been recognised, there is no roadmap for their official use in education, governance, or the judiciary. KDA leader Sajjad Kargili expressed partial satisfaction with the new regulations. 'Something is better than nothing. There was a huge pressure from the public due to rising unemployment. We hope that the government will also now quickly notify vacancies and fill up posts so that the frustration of youth is addressed,' Kargili told The Indian Express. He, however, said the Ladakhi civil society will continue to push for inclusion in the Sixth Schedule. 'Our demand is that the domicile condition should be 30 years and not 15 years. Also, the new provisions do not address our concerns over land and environment. There is no protection for land in the new regulations. Also, our key demand has been representative politics through the creation of an Assembly. So, these regulations are welcome, but they are only baby steps,' he said. Sources said the Ladakh delegations will meet representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs next month, and all pending issues will be discussed. 'In our past meetings with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, we have been assured that all issues will be discussed,' Kargili said. Rishika Singh is a Senior sub-editor at the Explained Desk of The Indian Express. She enjoys writing on issues related to international relations, and in particular, likes to follow analyses of news from China. Additionally, she writes on developments related to politics and culture in India. ... Read More
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Centre notifies domicile rules, seeks to address Ladakh job, quota concerns
THE CENTRE has notified a series of regulations aimed at addressing Ladakh's concerns over jobs, quotas and cultural preservation. The new legal framework introduces a domicile-based job reservation system, recognition of local languages, and procedural clarity in civil service recruitment. As per the new regulations, a person has to be a resident of Ladakh for 15 years to get a domicile certificate and be eligible for jobs, while the total quota for SC/STs has been capped at 85%, excluding the reservation for EWS. Since Ladakh is 90% tribal, it would virtually give reservation to all the indigenous Ladakhis. The law, as it existed until now, under the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004, only mentioned that reservation for SC/STs 'shall not exceed the ratio and proportion as the population of each such category'. The regulations, issued on Monday and Tuesday, come amid demands in Leh and Kargil for tribal autonomy and legal protection following Ladakh's bifurcation from Jammu and Kashmir in 2019. However, the regulations do not address another key Ladakh demand, for restricting land ownership by outsiders, which is behind the call for constitutional safeguards under the Sixth Schedule. Sajjad Kargili of the Kargil Democratic Alliance, which has been spearheading protests in the Kargil region of Ladakh and been part of the meetings between the Centre and Ladakh civil society groups over their demands, expressed partial satisfaction over the regulations notified by the government. 'Something is better than nothing. There was a huge pressure from the public due to rising unemployment. We hope the government will also quickly notify vacancies now and fill up posts so that the frustration of youth is addressed,' Kargili told The Indian Express. The most substantive change comes in the form of the Ladakh Civil Services Decentralization and Recruitment (Amendment) Regulation, 2025, which inserts a clear domicile criterion for recruitment into government services in the Union Territory. Under Section 3A of the amended regulation, a person is considered a domicile of Ladakh if they have resided in the region for 15 years, or studied there for at least seven years and appeared in Class 10 or 12 examinations. Children of Central government employees who have served in Ladakh for at least 10 years are also eligible. The accompanying rules, notified by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday, lay out a detailed procedure for issuing domicile certificates, with tehsildars designated as the competent authority and deputy commissioners as the appellate authority. Applications may be made physically or online, the rule states, adding: 'The format shall clearly mention that the domicile certificate is valid only for the purpose of appointment to the posts under the Union Territory of Ladakh.' Following a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah last week, a High-Powered Committee (HPC) comprising representatives from both Leh and Kargil had reached a consensus to define a timeline for domicile certificates for Ladakh. At the meeting, a consensus was reached that anyone living in Ladakh for 15 years from 2019 onwards could be considered a domicile of the region. This was a climbdown from the earlier demand that domicile certification require a period of stay of 30 years. However, since the starting point is 2019, the first domicile certificates would take effect in Ladakh only in 2034. Incidentally, in the case of J&K, there is no cut-off year from when the 15-year stay in the UT is to be calculated for the purpose of domicile. The Union Territory of Ladakh Reservation (Amendment) Regulation, 2025, updates the earlier Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004, capping overall reservations at 85% for SCs and STs, excluding the EWS quota. It's seen as a way to streamline existing quotas without creating new categories specific to Ladakh's tribal demography. Over 90% of Ladakh's population is ST, with Buddhist and Muslim tribal communities dominating Leh and Kargil, respectively. The 85% reservation allows near-complete representation for tribal and socially backward groups, aligning with Ladakh's demography. This is substantively different from other UTs or states where STs are a minority compared to the rest of the population. By explicitly excluding EWS from the 85% limit, the regulation safeguards tribal and backward class quotas from being eroded by newer economic reservations. This addresses Ladakh's concerns regarding identity-based protections. Besides, through the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Councils (Amendment) Regulation, 2025, 'one-third reservation for women' is now mandated in these councils through rotation of constituencies. However, while LAHDCs in Leh and Kargil have played a key role in local governance, their powers remain limited, especially in the absence of Sixth Schedule protection. To address concerns about cultural erosion, the government has notified The Ladakh Official Languages Regulation, 2025, which recognises English, Hindi, Urdu, Bhoti and Purgi as official languages of the Union Territory. In addition, Section 4 of the regulation empowers the Administrator to set up institutional mechanisms and an 'Academy of Art, Culture and Languages' to promote native dialects such as Shina, Brokskat, Balti and Ladakhi. However, this may not entirely satisfy the demand for protections in Ladakh as the regulation lacks enforceable mandates for the use of these languages in official functions or education. Since the special status of J&K was scrapped and Ladakh was carved out as a separate UT, residents have been seeking inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which provides greater legislative and financial autonomy to tribal areas. In December 2023, a four-member committee formed by the Ministry of Home Affairs to examine these demands held multiple consultations but stopped short of recommending Sixth Schedule status. The Centre is believed to be reluctant to include Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule, and has repeatedly told delegations that have had meetings with Amit Shah and other senior Home Ministry officials that the Centre will nevertheless provide safeguards to jobs, land, culture and language through legislation. Unemployment has been a big concern for Ladakh since once it was carved out of J&K, it was disconnected from the employment policy of J&K, which retained its Public Service Commission. 'Over the last six years, no gazetted posts have been notified in Ladakh and nearly all recruitment is being done on contract basis,' Kargili had told The Indian Express earlier. On Tuesday, he said that the Ladakh civil society will continue to push for inclusion of Ladakh under the Sixth Schedule. 'Our demand is that the domicile condition should be 30 years and not 15 years. Also, the new provisions do not address our concerns over land and environment… One of our key demands has been representative politics through the creation of an Assembly. So, these regulations are welcome, but they are only baby steps,' he said. Sources said the Ladakh delegations will meet Union Home Ministry representatives next month to discuss the pending issues. 'In our past meetings with Amit Shah, we have been assured that all issues will be discussed,' Kargili said.
