NewsBytes

Prez reference: Constitution does not allow deemed assent of Bills, says SC       

The Supreme Court on Thursday said deemed consent of the governor or the president on Bills at the expiry of a judicially set timeline is virtually a "takeover and substitution" of the executive functions by the judiciary, which is impermissible. It said the concept of deemed assent of pending bills by the court in exercise of jurisdiction under Article 142 is virtually a takeover of the role and function of a separate constitutional authority. In its unanimous opinion on the Presidential Reference, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai said the concept of 'deemed assent' in the context of Articles 200 and 201 presupposes that one constitutional authority, that is the court, could play a "substitutional role" for another constitutional functionary, that is the governor or the president. "Such a usurpation of the gubernatorial function of the governor, and similarly of the president's functions, is antithetical not only to the spirit of the Constitution, but also specifically, the doctrine of separation of powers – which is a part of the basic structure of the Indian Constitution," the bench said. The bench, also comprising Justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, P S Narasimha and A S Chandurkar, said reliance on Article 142 cannot lead to supplanting constitutional provisions itself. Article 142 of the Constitution empowers the top court to pass any decree or order necessary for doing "complete justice" in any case or matter pending before it.

NITI Aayog to transform Arunachal's Jemeithang into model village          

As part of NITI Aayog's ongoing collaboration with Arunachal Pradesh government under the Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP), Jemeithang in Tawang district has been identified to be developed as a model village. In this connection, a stakeholders' consultation workshop was organised near the historic Gorzam Stupa, in coordination with the Tawang district administration and the Indian Army. The workshop focused on developing a comprehensive roadmap for transforming Jemeithang, with discussions centred around livelihood enhancement, infrastructure improvement, and promotion of eco-tourism, an official report said. Meanwhile, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has expressed happiness over the development. He said Jemithang in Tawang district, identified as a Model Village under the #AspirationalBlocksProgramme and #VibrantVillage initiative, is now moving ahead with a clear roadmap for development.

Israel's cybersecurity firm Check Point looking at more investments in India

Israel-based cybersecurity solutions provider Check Point on Thursday said it is looking to expand its research and development (R&D) centre in Bengaluru by investing and hiring more engineers in the coming years. Nadav Zafrir, CEO of Check Point said India is a "very" important market for the company. "....in the next 10 years, we're talking about in the range of hundreds of millions of dollars of investment in India, which for us at Check Point, is a very strategic investment," he told reporters here after meeting Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. Goyal is leading a 60-member business delegation to Israel. He is meeting leaders and businesses to discuss ways to boost bilateral trade and investments. He said that huge opportunities are there for the company in areas like banking, trading, defence and electricity in India.

Study projects heatwaves to get hotter, longer with delay in reaching net zero emissions     

Heatwaves could be hotter, more prolonged and frequent, the longer countries delay in reaching net zero emissions, a balance between greenhouse gases emitted and those taken out from the atmosphere, according to a modelling study. Trends published in the journal 'Environmental Research: Climate' also indicate that heatwaves do not start to revert towards pre-industrial conditions for at least a millennium even after achieving net-zero targets.

Regions in the Southern Hemisphere are projected to experience heatwaves of significantly increasing severity when net zero was modelled to occur by 2050 or later. Lead author Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, professor of climate science at the Australian National University, said the work challenges a general belief that conditions after net zero will begin to improve for future generations. China, the US and countries in the European Union are among those that have pledged to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 during the UN Climate Change Conference 2021 or COP26, while India has targeted 2070 for reaching net zero. COP30 is ongoing in Belem, Brazil.