Todays in History (February 8^th, 1587)

In 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots and a cousin of Queen Elizabeth I of England, was beheaded for plotting the assassination of her cousin.

Summary of Today’s News

Affluent among sub-castes could be omitted from quota list, observes SC

Context:

A seven-judge Constitution Bench on Tuesday questioned why affluent sub castes among backward classes should not be “excluded” from the reservation list and made to compete with the general category.

Key Points:

• “Why should there be no exclusion [from the reservation list]?
• Some of these sub-castes have done better and gone forward.
• They should come out of reservation and compete with the general category… Why stay there?” asked Justice Vikram Nath, one of the seven judges on the Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud.
• These advanced sub-castes could exit the domain of reservation to make room for sub-castes who were relatively more marginalised or most backward.
• The remaining sub-castes who are still backward, let them have reservation.
• “Once a person gets into IPS or IAS, his children do not suffer from the disadvantages of others from his group who live in a village… Yet his family will get the benefits of reservation for generations,” Justice B.R. Gavai, remarked.
• Punjab Advocate-General Gurminder Singh argued that, if communities could be classified into general and backward, the same could be done within the backward communities.

Rajkumari Amrit Kaur (1889 – 1964)

• She was remembered on her Death Anniversary.
• She played key role in both pre and post-Independence period.
• Key Contributions: Participated in the ‘Salt March’ and ‘Quit India Movement’ Fought battle against the various evil practices such as – Slavery, Purdah system, Child marriage and Devdasi.
• She played an important role as a member of the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly.
• First Health Minister of Independent India.
• She also laid the foundation of AIIMS, Delhi.
• Major literary work: Woman in India, Challenge to Women, To women etc.

Mekong River

A multibillion-dollar dam project underway across the Mekong River in Laos has prompted concerns that it could result in Luang Prabang city losing its UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

Key Points:

• It is the longest river in Southeast Asia, the 7th longest in Asia, and the 12th longest in the world.
• It has a length of about 2,700 miles (4,350 km).
• It rises in southeastern Qinghai province, China.
• It originates fromthe Sanjianyuang in the Tibetan Plateau, with the area designated a national nature reserve to protect the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow, and Mekong Rivers.
• The river drains approximately 795,000 square kilometers and flows through six Asian countries: China, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia, where it is referred to by different names.
• Vientiane (Viangchan), the capital of Laos, and Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, both stand on its banks.
• The river drains into the South China Sea south of Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam).

Article 142 of Constitution

Context:

Recently the Supreme of Court of India invoked Article 142 to remit the 20-year sentence of a person convicted under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012. Judgement was delivered in response to curative petition.

Key Points:

• A curative petition is the last recourse open to a petitioner after the review petition is dismissed.
• Article 142 exclusively enables the Supreme Court to issue or pass any order that it feels is necessary to provide ‘complete justice’ in a case before it.
• Article 142 confers unique power on the Supreme Court to do ‘complete justice’ between the parties where the law may not provide a remedy.
• Any decree so passed or order so made shall be enforceable throughout the territory of India