The Hindu Editorial Analysis- 26th November 2022 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Context

The Constitution of India was adopted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949 for ‘We the people of India’. After being unnoticed for long, the day began to be celebrated as Constitution Day since 2015. This day is indeed a historic day for the nation, with the framing of a Constitution for the governance of independent India 

Key Points

• About:
  • It is celebrated on 26^th November every year.
  • It is also known as National Law Day.
  • On this day in 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India formally adopted the Constitution of India that came into force on 26^th January 1950.
  • The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment on 19^th November 2015, notified the decision of the Government of India to celebrate 26 November as 'Constitution Day’.
• Framing of Constitution:
  • In 1934, M N Roy first proposed the idea of a constituent assembly.
  • Under the Cabinet Mission plan of 1946, elections were held for the formation of the constituent assembly.
  • The Constitution of India is framed by the Constituent Assembly. The Constituent Assembly of India appointed a total of 13 committees to deal with different tasks related to the framing of the constitution.
  • There were 8 major committees and the rest were minor ones. The list of major committees and their heads are mentioned below:
• Drafting Committee – B. R. Ambedkar
• Union Power Committee – Jawaharlal Nehru
• Union Constitution Committee – Jawaharlal Nehru
• Provincial Constitution Committee – Vallabhbhai Patel
• Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas – Vallabhbhai Patel.
• Rules of Procedure Committee – Rajendra Prasad
• States Committee (Committee for Negotiating with States) – Jawaharlal Nehru
• Steering Committee – Rajendra Prasad
• Facts about the Constitution of India:
  • World's lengthiest Constitution.
  • Federal System with Unitary Features.
  • Parliamentary Form of Government.
  • The framing of the Constitution took over 2 years, 11 months and 18 days.
  • The original copies of the Indian Constitution weren’t typed or printed. They have been handwritten and are now kept in a helium-filled case within the library of the Parliament.
  • Prem Bihari Narain Raizada had written the unique copies of the Structure of India.
  • Originally, the Constitution of India was written in English and Hindi.
  • The basic structure of the Indian Constitution stands on the Government of India Act, 1935.
  • The Constitution of India has also borrowed some of its features from a number of countries.

• While the developing and vulnerable nations continue to demand climate finance at COP27, it is important to realise that the lives have also been severely affected by global catastrophes, especially in the year 2022.

How have Past Global Catastrophes Devastated the Planet?

• Pakistan Floods:
  • Pakistan recorded 62% less than normal rainfall in the month of March, 2022 and the warmest April preceding the monsoon season.
  • Glaciers melted as a result of these heat waves, which led rivers to swell. Access to basic necessities became difficult for 33 million people of Pakistan’s 220 million population.
  • Extreme rainfall further triggered the most devastating floods from June to September.
    • The flood was the worst in the country’s recent history.
    • Over 1,500 people were killed, with millions being displaced and developing serious health issues such as skin infections, malaria and diarrhea.
• Hurricane Ian in the US:
  • NASA data revealed that warm ocean waters in the Gulf of Mexico powered Hurricane Ian in the US towards the end of September, 2022 making it one of the strongest hurricanes to hit the country in recent memory.
    • It resulted in the loss of 101 lives and monetary losses of more than USD 100 billion.
    • The disaster was the costliest climate-induced disaster of the year.
  • The escalation brought severe floods, relentless rains and strong winds to southwestern Florida.
• European Droughts
  • In June and July, 2022, Europe was hit by two extreme heat waves, which claimed approximately 16,000 lives.
  • This year's drought is likely to be the worst in 500 years.
  • Water levels in Europe’s biggest rivers – Rhine, Po, Loire, and Danube – shrunk, and dry conditions continue to prevail in different parts of the continent.
• Spain and Portugal:
  • An atmospheric high-pressure system, which causes dry air to descend over subtropical regions in the Northern Hemisphere during winter and spring seasons, called Azores high, has the ability to block wet weather outlets.
  • This caused dry conditions in Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, and the Mediterranean region.
  • Spain and Portugal hence faced the driest weather in 1,200 years, along with wildfires.
• Natural Disasters in India:
  • India recorded natural disasters almost every day in 2022.
  • India recorded “extreme weather events on 241 of 273 days” in the first nine months of the year.
  • Thunderstorms, persistent rains, cyclones, droughts, heat waves, lightning, floods and landslides occurred all throughout these months.
  • Himachal Pradesh recorded the highest number of deaths followed by Assam and Madhya Pradesh.
  • Overall, these disasters claimed about “2,755 lives, affected 1.8 million hectares (ha) of crop area, destroyed over 416,667 houses and killed close to 70,000 livestock.”

What are the Major Outcomes of the COP27?

• “Loss and Damage” Fund for Vulnerable Countries:
  • The United Nations Climate Change Conference COP27 signed an agreement to provide "loss and damage" funding to vulnerable countries.
  • Technology:
  • At COP27, a new five-year work program was launched to promote climate technology solutions in developing countries.
• Mitigation:
  • A mitigation work programme was launched aimed at urgently scaling up mitigation ambition and implementation.
  • The work programme will start immediately following COP27 and continue until 2030, with at least two global dialogues held each year.
  • Governments were also requested to revisit and strengthen the 2030 targets in their national climate plans by the end of 2023, as well as accelerate efforts to phase down unabated coal power and phase-out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies.
• Global Stocktake:
  • Delegates at the UN Climate Change Conference COP27 wrapped up the second technical dialogue of the first global stocktake, a mechanism to raise ambition under the Paris Agreement.
  • Prior to the conclusion of the stocktake at COP28 next year, the UN Secretary-General will convene a 'climate ambition summit' in 2023.
• Sharm-El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda:
  • It outlines 30 Adaptation Outcomes to enhance resilience for 4 billion people living in the most climate vulnerable communities by 2030.
• Action on Water Adaptation and Resilience Initiative (AWARe):
  • It has been launched to reflect the importance of water as both a key climate change problem and a potential solution.
• African Carbon Market Initiative (ACMI):
  • It was launched to support the growth of carbon credit production and create jobs in Africa.
• The Global Renewables Alliance:
  • It brings together, for the first time, all the technologies required for the energy transition in order to ensure an accelerated energy transition.
  • As well as ensuring targets are met, the Alliance also aims to position renewable energy as a pillar of sustainable development and economic growth.