Forming Unions and Legal Framework in India, Haber-Bosch Process, NCP-SP’s Plea to Restrain Use of ‘Clock’ Symbol

(General Studies II – Polity Section – Indian Constitution—Historical Underpinnings, Evolution, Features, Amendments, Significant Provisions and Basic Structure; Separation of Powers between various organs Dispute Redressal Mechanisms and Institutions.)

• The right to form unions is constitutionally protected under Article 19(1)(c), allowing workers to collectively bargain for fair treatment and improved working conditions. The Trade Unions Act of 1926 gives workers legal recognition to voice their grievances and demand changes.
• The ongoing Samsung India Workers’ Union (SIWU) protest in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, underscores the importance of this right, as workers seek recognition to negotiate collectively with the company.

Key Issues in the Samsung Workers’ Protest –

1. Registration Delays: Under the Trade Unions Act of 1926, workers can form unions with legal protection. However, the delay in registering SIWU has been criticized as a method of suppressing workers’ rights.
   • The Tamil Nadu government’s decision to form a workmen’s committee before registering SIWU violates legal norms, experts argue, as the union should have been recognized first.
2. Collective Bargaining Rights: The Industrial Disputes Act of 1947 grants workers the right to collective bargaining for better employment conditions. Although Samsung workers seek this, procedural hurdles and lack of union recognition prevent fair negotiations.
3. Right to Strike: The Industrial Disputes Act permits strikes, with conditions like advance notice and restrictions during conciliation proceedings. Despite this, the Tamil Nadu government’s use of police force to curb the strike raises questions about respect for workers’ rights.
4. Political Union Involvement: Samsung has objected to the involvement of CITU (Centre of Indian Trade Unions), but under Section 6 of the Trade Unions Act, political affiliations are allowed, and this cannot be a reason for denying registration.
5. Trademark Issues: Samsung cited the Trade Marks Act of 1999, arguing that using its name in SIWU violates trademark laws. However, trade unions are not commercial entities, and using the name could fall under nominative fair use, a principle recognized in many international legal frameworks.

Drawbacks of the Protests – According to labor experts, there are some drawbacks to the protests, including:

1. Potential for Political Influence: The involvement of CITU and other political unions can sometimes divert the focus of the protest away from workers’ immediate concerns and into broader political agendas.
2. Disruption to Business: Experts highlight that prolonged strikes can disrupt business operations, affecting not only employers but also workers who depend on wages for daily sustenance.
   • This can result in economic losses for both parties.
3. Risk of Escalation: Protests can escalate into confrontations between workers and law enforcement, as seen in the Samsung case, where police were involved.
   • This can sometimes undermine the legitimacy of workers’ demands if the situation spirals out of control.
4. Public Perception: Public sympathy may wane if protests are perceived as politically motivated or if the disruption extends too long, affecting daily lives or business operations.

The Samsung workers’ protest highlights the complexities surrounding union formation, collective bargaining, and the role of the state in ensuring workers’ rights. While the Industrial Relations Code of 2020 aims to streamline labor laws and protect workers, effective implementation is key. Moving forward, the challenge will be balancing the protection of workers’ rights with ensuring business stability, avoiding excessive political involvement, and respecting legal frameworks for a harmonious labor environment.

• The 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics was awarded for groundbreaking research on wealth inequality between nations.
• The laureates demonstrated how political and economic institutions shape prosperity across countries.
• The awarded work highlights the relationship between societal institutions and prosperity by analysing the systems introduced by European colonisers.
• The research shows how institutional differences lead to vast income disparities between countries.
• The laureates’ research explains why some countries prosper while others remain trapped in low economic growth.
• The research emphasizes the role of democracy in driving faster economic growth in countries transitioning from non-democratic regimes to democratic ones.
• The work advocates that inclusive political and economic institutions foster long-term prosperity.

Dig Deeper: Know more about India’s Wealth Inequality status as per the World Inequality Database.

• India and Russia recently held their first meeting of the working group on cooperation in the Northern Sea Route (NSR).
• The discussions centred on cargo transit targets, training Indian sailors for polar navigation, and developing joint Arctic shipbuilding projects.
• The working group drafted an MoU between India and Russia for developing cooperation in cargo shipping in the NSR waters.
• Rosatom’s Role: In 2018, Russia appointed Rosatom (Russian state nuclear energy corporation) as the NSR’s infrastructure operator, with a strategic goal of turning the NSR into a key shipping route connecting Europe, Russia, and the Asia-Pacific region.
• The Great Northern Sea Route is from St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad to Vladivostok.
• As India increased investments in Russia’s Far East, cooperation on the NSR Is critical.
• Both nations emphasized building efficient transport corridors and expanding logistics links to support a Greater Eurasian space.

Dig Deeper: Compare the Northern Sea Route with China’s Polar Silk Route.

• The Haber-Bosch process revolutionized agriculture by converting atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia.
• The Haber-Bosch Process was developed to synthesize ammonia by breaking the strong nitrogen bonds under high pressure and temperature, using hydrogen.
• This process produces significant amounts of ammonia, which is used to create synthetic fertilizers.
• Nitrogen exists abundantly in the atmosphere but is mostly in an inert form (N2), which plants cannot use.
• Reactive nitrogen forms such as ammonium and nitrates are essential for plant growth, enabling them to produce proteins and enzymes.
• Natural Nitrogen Fixation: Lightning and certain bacteria (such as Azotobacter and symbiotic bacteria in legumes) can convert inert nitrogen into reactive forms.

Dig Deeper: Read about other vital nutrient fertilisers in Agriculture.

• Nationalist Congress Party- Sharad Pawar has filed a plea in the Supreme Court, seeking to prevent the Ajit Pawar faction from using the ‘clock’ symbol in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections.
• The issue stems from a split in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in 2023.
• In past instances, symbols have been frozen before the resolution, as seen with AIADMK in 1989 and 2017 and Shiv Sena in 2022.
• Symbols Allotment Process:
• Political party symbols are allotted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, of 1968.
• National or state-recognized parties have reserved symbols, crucial for voter recognition, especially in a country with a significant illiterate population.
• NCP is recognized as a state party in Maharashtra and Nagaland.
• In the case of a party split, the ECI determines which faction retains the reserved symbol.
• The ECI in February, recognized the Ajit Pawar faction as the real NCP and allocated it the ‘clock’ symbol based its decision on the legislative majority, while the Sharad Pawar faction (NCP-SP) was given a temporary symbol.
• The Supreme Court’s Sadiq Ali vs. ECI (1971) case laid down a 3-test formula:
• Aims and objectives of the party
• Inner-party democracy
• Legislative majority
• The NCP-SP has also challenged the ECI’s recognition of the Ajit Pawar faction in the Supreme Court, which may lead to freezing the ‘clock’ symbol for the upcoming assembly elections.

Dig Deeper: Read about the Representation of People Act, 1951 and Election Symbol’s Order.

• Recent sightings of aurora in Ladakh, typically seen in far-northern regions, have validated ongoing efforts in space weather monitoring.
• These occurrences were predicted by a team of astrophysicists 48-72 hours in advance.
• The latest aurora, marked by intense red-hued rays of light.
• All-sky cameras at Hanle and Merak in Ladakh, operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, recorded the aurora throughout the night.
• Aurora sightings in Ladakh, a lower-latitude region, indicate heightened solar activity in the form of Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), which are associated with solar storms.

(Refer to May Month Magazine to know more)

Dig Deeper: Read about Sunspots, CME and Solar Storms.

• Precision medicine is ushering in a new era of personalized healthcare, utilizing advances in genomics, gene editing, and other technologies.
• Gene editing, mRNA therapeutics, and organ-on-chips contribute to personalized treatments.
• Gene therapy has restored vision in individuals, and stem cell therapy has been used to reverse diabetes.
• The mRNA platform, crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, won a Nobel Prize for its role in vaccine development.
• Recent advances include NexCAR19, India’s domestically developed CAR-T cell therapy, approved in 2023.

Dig Deeper: Read more about Genome India and Phenome India.