Basic Structure of the Constitution of India

• The basic structure doctrine is dealt in the Kesavananda Bharati vs State of Kerala Case.

Verdict in the Kesavananda Bharati Case:

• The 13-judge bench concluded with a 7-6 majority that the Constitution’s ‘basic structure’ is inviolable and cannot be altered by the Parliament.
• The judgement read, the above structure is built on the basic foundation, i.e., the dignity and freedom of the individual.
• This is of supreme importance and cannot by any form of amendment be destroyed.
• Proponents of the basic structure doctrine consider it to be a safety valve against majoritarian authoritarianism.
• While the court itself did not define what this basic structure meant, it cited the following to be included in this basic structure.
• The judgement listed some basic structures of the constitution as:
  1. Supremacy of the Constitution
  2. Unity and sovereignty of India
  3. Democratic and republican form of government
  4. Federal character of the Constitution
  5. Secular character of the Constitution
  6. Separation of power
  7. Individual freedom

World Economic Forum (WEF)

• The World Economic Forum, mostly known for its annual summit in Davos, Switzerland, is a non-governmental lobbying organisation founded by economist Klaus Scwab.
• Scwab pioneered the concept of stakeholder capitalism.
• Klaus Schwab founded the WEF in 1971 and has been its chairperson since then.
• The WEF was envisioned as a forum that would bring Schwab’s vision of capitalism to life by engaging with foremost political and business leaders of the world.
• The WEF is largely funded by its partnering corporations.
• These are generally global enterprises with annual turnover greater than $ 5 billion.
• WEF also partners with public subsidies.
• The reports released by WEF includes, Environmental Performance Index, Global competitive Index, Global Gender Gap Report, Global Information Technology Report, Human Development Index and Sustainable Development Goals.
• World Trade Organisation (WTO) was established in 1995.

National Clean Air Campaign (NCAP)

• A non-attainment city is one whose air did not meet the national ambient air quality standards of 2011 to 2015.
• The National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) was launched for such cities, seeking to bring a 20-30 per cent reduction in pollution levels from PM2.
• The country’s current, annual average prescribed limits for the two main classes of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) are 40 micrograms/per cubic metre (ug/m3) and 60 micrograms/per cubic metre.
• The NCAP initially set a target of reducing key air pollutants PM10 and PM2.5 by 20-30% in 2024, taking the pollution levels in 2017 as the base year to improve upon.
• In September 2022, however, the Centre moved the goalposts and set a new target of a 40% reduction in particulate matter concentration, but by 2026.

Yellow Band Disease in Corals

• It is named for the colour it turns corals before destroying them.
• It was first spotted decades ago and has caused widespread damage to reefs in the Caribbean.
• There is no known cure.
• Scientists believe overfishing, pollution and rising water temperatures because of climate change may be making the reefs more vulnerable to yellow-band disease.
• The disease's impact cannot be reversed, unlike the effects of coral bleaching.
• When the coral is infected with this disease, it just dies.
• The loss of corals could have a devastating impact on the ecosystem, the reef is like a forest, sustaining massive amounts of life, and its death could eventually impact humans too.

Gandhi Smarak Bhawan

• It is a trust which was constituted after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948.
• At the outset, the trust was named Gandhi Smarak Nidhi (GSN).
• Then national leaders, including Dr Rajendra Prasad, Pt Jawaharlal Nehru, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad and Shri Jagjivan Ram, among others, were the founder trustees.
• From 1952 to 1959 the work of the GSN was conducted from Delhi.
• Later in 1962-63 separate state bodies were established and registered as a State Gandhi Smarak Nidhi.
• In 1963, the Punjab State Gandhi Smarak Nidhi was registered as an independent trust named Gandhi Smarak Nidhi Punjab.
• When Punjab state was divided into three states, then the Trust was renamed the Gandhi Smarak Nidhi Punjab, Haryana & Himachal Pradesh.
• The objectives of the organisation is to conduct and promote the manifold constructive activities with which Mahatma Gandhi was associated during his lifetime.