Section 6A of the Citizenship Act (Assam Accord), Kartarpur Corridor, World Economic Outlook Report of IMF on Indian Economy

(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 recent Supreme Court ruling on Section 6A of the Citizenship Act, 1955, addresses a contentious issue in Assam, dealing with citizenship criteria for migrants from what is now Bangladesh.

Background of Section 6A of the Citizenship Act –

• Section 6A: This section was introduced in 1985 as part of the Assam Accord, signed between the Indian government and Assam’s student organizations to address the influx of migrants from Bangladesh due to the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.
• Provisions: The law provides citizenship for migrants who arrived in Assam before January 1, 1966. Those who arrived between January 1, 1966, and March 24, 1971, were given restricted citizenship rights until full citizenship after a ten-year period.
• 1971 Cut-off Date: Migrants arriving after March 25, 1971, are considered illegal and thus subject to deportation. This cut-off date is distinct from the 1948 cut-off date applicable to other parts of India, as set in Articles 6 and 7 of the Indian Constitution.

The Supreme Court’s Verdict –

The Supreme Court’s Constitution Bench upheld Section 6A’s constitutionality with a 4:1 majority.

• Majority Opinion (led by Justice Surya Kant and joined by Chief Justice Chandrachud): The judgment argued that Section 6A’s distinct cut-off date for Assam does not violate Article 14 of the Constitution (equality before the law) due to Assam’s unique historical context and demographic pressures.
  • Humanitarian Grounds: Recognized the special historical migration circumstances around 1971 and the Assam Accord’s commitment to balancing the influx’s impact with humanitarian considerations.
  • Constitutional Consistency: The Court held that Section 6A aligns with Articles 6 and 7, which address citizenship for people who migrated from Pakistan. Article 11 was cited as giving Parliament broad powers to frame laws for citizenship, including special provisions for Assam.
• Dissenting Opinion (Justice Pardiwala): Argued that Section 6A has worsened demographic imbalance and cultural shifts, particularly affecting the indigenous Assamese population, and is thus unconstitutional.
  • Incentive for Illegal Migration: Highlighted that the absence of a sunset clause has contributed to continued migration, disrupting local demographics and violating constitutional principles.
  • Implementation Flaws: Criticized Section 6A’s reliance solely on government detection to enforce deportation and questioned its deviation from the broader framework of the Citizenship Act and the Constitution.

Implications and Broader Context –

• National Register of Citizens (NRC): The March 25, 1971, cut-off date for citizenship in Assam is pivotal for the NRC, which identified 19 lakh people as non-citizens in Assam’s 2019 NRC draft.
• Impact on Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019: The ruling strengthens demands from Assamese organizations to repeal the CAA, which sets December 31, 2014, as the citizenship cut-off for non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, diverging from Assam’s March 25, 1971 cut-off.

This Supreme Court ruling reinforces Assam’s distinct citizenship framework, recognizing the region’s unique circumstances while underscoring the need for continued judicial monitoring of deportation processes. The decision adds complexity to the ongoing discourse on citizenship and immigration in India, especially with overlapping laws like the CAA, raising essential questions on federalism, cultural preservation, and humanitarian obligations.

• Recent research found that the first brown dwarf discovered in 1995, Gliese 229B, is actually two brown dwarfs orbiting closely in a binary system, a rare arrangement for brown dwarfs.
• The two brown dwarfs, now named Gliese 229Ba and Gliese 229Bb, have masses 38 and 34 times that of Jupiter, respectively, and orbit a small star.
• Brown dwarf is too small to be a star but more massive than a planet. Most astronomers would classify any object with between 15 times the mass of Jupiter and 75 times the mass of Jupiter to be a brown dwarf.
• Brown dwarfs are celestial objects that failed to achieve enough mass to initiate nuclear fusion like stars but are still more massive than the largest planets.
• They can burn deuterium (a heavy form of hydrogen) but not the most common form of hydrogen.

Dig Deeper: What is more ‘missing mass’ problem?

• U.S. FDA approved Cobenfy, a new drug combining xanomeline and trospium chloride, for treating schizophrenia with a novel mechanism that avoids older drugs’ side effects.
• Cobenfy is the first antipsychotic targeting cholinergic receptors instead of dopamine receptors.
• Schizophrenia is a severe psychiatric disorder affecting 1 in 100 people.
• It reduces life expectancy by 13-15 years and has a suicide risk of 5%.
• The disorder is slightly more common in men and often manifests in late adolescence or early adulthood.
• Schizophrenia symptoms fall into three categories:
• Reality distortion e.g., delusions, hallucinations
• Disorganization e.g., cognitive impairment, poor judgement and memory.
• Negative symptoms e.g., reduced speech, lack of motivation.
• Schizophrenia is a multifactorial disorder with genetic, neurodevelopmental, and environmental risk factors.

Dig Deeper: Read about other psychiatric disorders.

• India and Pakistan have renewed their agreement for the Kartarpur Corridor for another five years, enabling Indian pilgrims to visit the Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan.
• Agreement will ensure uninterrupted access for Indian pilgrims to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib.
• In Kartarpur, Guru Nanak Dev laid the foundation of the Sikh faith after returning from his extensive travels between 1520 and 1522. This place holds immense historical and spiritual importance in Sikhism.
• Guru Nanak gained enlightenment during his time at Sultanpur Lodhi and came to Kartarpur after extensive travels.
• He settled in Kartarpur with his family, choosing a householder’s life over that of an ascetic.

Dig Deeper: Read about the evolution of Sikhism under various Gurus.

• The International Monetary Fund (IMF) maintained its June growth projections for India in its latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) report, released during the World Bank and IMF Annual Meetings.
• India is expected to grow at 7% in FY2024 and 6.5% in FY2025.
• The drop from 8.2% in 2023 is attributed to the exhaustion of pent-up demand from the pandemic.
• Global Growth and Inflation: World output is projected to grow at 3.2% in 2024 and 2025. Global inflation has declined, expected to reach 3.5% by 2025, down from a high of 9.4% in 2022.
• Key Global Risks:
• Geopolitical risks, including the Russia-Ukraine war and conflicts in West Asia.
• Growing protectionist policies and prolonged tight monetary policies.
• Sovereign debt stress and weak economic activity in China.
• The IMF recommends a “triple policy pivot” including:
• Moving towards a neutral monetary policy stance.
• Building fiscal buffers after years of loose fiscal policy.
• Implementing structural reforms to enhance growth, address climate transition, and boost resilience.

Dig Deeper: Read about K-shaped economic recovery.

• India continues to enhance its nuclear deterrence capabilities with the launch of its fourth nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine (SSBN), S4, marking a significant step in the development of Indigenous defence technology.
• Launch of S4: India launched its fourth SSBN, S4, at the Ship Building Centre, Visakhapatnam.
• S4 is more advanced and larger than INS Arihant, the first SSBN, with significant indigenous content.
• India has two operational SSBNs: INS Arihant (commissioned in 2016) and INS Arighaat (commissioned in August 2023).
• The third SSBN, Aridhman, is undergoing sea trials and is expected to be commissioned next year.
• INS Arihant is equipped with the K-15 SLBM (750 km range), while S4 will carry the more advanced K-4 SLBM with a 3,500 km range.
• The K-4 provides India with enhanced undersea nuclear deterrence, enabling nuclear weapon launches from Indian waters

Dig Deeper:  Read about the Nuclear Submarine Program of India and the ‘Nuclear Triad’.  (Refer to August Current Affairs Magazine for more)