Barbados becomes the World’s newest republic

Barbados has become the World’s newest republic, around 400 years after it became a British colony.

Important Points

• Barbados, the Caribbean Island nation, removed Queen Elizabeth II as the head of the state.
• Dame Sandra Prunella Mason, took over as the President of Barbados.
• Mason was selected to become the first president of Barbados in October 2021.
• Mason was selected as President of Barbados, at a joint meeting of both the Houses of Parliament of Barbados.
• His name was announced by Speaker of the House of Assembly, Arthur Holder.

Mason

Since 2018, Mason has been the governor-general of the Barbados. Mason completed her judicial education in London, after studying at Queen’s College. She also completed a judicial fellowship in Canada. She started her career as a teacher and worked in banking sector until 1978. She then started working as Magistrate of the Juvenile and Family Court in Barbados. In between 1991 to 1991, she served as Chair & Vice-Chair at UN Committee on Rights of Child. She became the first female who sworn in as Court of Appeal Judge of the Barbados Supreme Court in 2018. In 2014, she became the first Barbadian to be a member of Commonwealth Secretariat Arbitral Tribunal (CSAT). She also became the first female president of the SCAT in 2017.

Significance

Barbados is said to have been made a ‘slave society’ by the British. It first became an English colony in 1625. In gained its independence in 1966.

WHO: Omicron Poses Very High Global Risk

On November 29, 2021, World Health Organization (WHO) warned that; the new variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus called “Omicron” poses very high global risk.

Important Points

• Early evidence shows that, this highly mutated coronavirus could lead to surges with ‘severe consequences.’
• It also noted that, “considerable uncertainties’’ remain about Omicron, which was first detected in southern Africa, some days ago.
• It warned that, it is possible that the variant has mutations, which would enable it to escape an immune-system response. Mutations would also boost its ability to spread from one person to another.
• WHO issued warning as several countries reported cases of this variant and started putting restrictions.
• Spain is the latest countries to report its first confirmed case of Omicron variant.

Steps taken by countries

• Japan and Israel announced to bar entry of all foreign visitors.
• Morocco banned all incoming flights.
• Other countries, including U.S. and European Union members, banned travellers arriving from southern Africa.

India’s cases

Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said in Rajya Sabha that, no case of Omicron variant has been reported in India so far.

SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant

This variant was first reported on November 24, 2021 to the World Health Organization (WHO) from South Africa. On 26 November, the Technical Advisory Group of WHO on SARS-CoV-2 Virus Evolution declared PANGO lineage B.1.1.529 as a variant of concern and named it as omicron. Variant has unusually a large number of mutations. Thirty-two mutations affect the spike protein, which is the main antigenic target of antibodies.

Judges Bill introduced in Lok Sabha

The Judges Bill was introduced by The Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in Lok Sabha. The bill intends to amend the High Court Judges (Salaries and Conditions of Service) Act and Supreme Court Judges (Salaries and Condition of Service) Act.

Judges Bill

The bill seeks to bring clarity whether the SC and HC judges are entitled to get additional pension on attaining a certain age. Currently, every retired judge or his family (after his death) is entitled to get an additional quantum of pension. This is generally referred as family pension.

Background

Currently, the retired High Court and Supreme Court judges are provided with additional quantum of pension on completing 80 years or 85 years or 90 years or 95 years or 100 years which ever the case may be. These are the slabs of the pension. Now the confusion is should the pension be given from the first day of the month when he completes the age or the first day of the month when he enters the age. The bill inserts explanation about this issue.

Importance

The bill says that the pension shall be provided on the first day of completing the age and not in the starting. For this, Section 17B and Section 16B are to be included.

Court orders

• In 2018, the Guwahati High Court pronounced that the additional quantum of pension shall be made available from the first day he is entering the slab (80 years or 85 years, etc.)
• In 2020, the Madhya Pradesh High Court also pronounced the same.

Constitutional provisions

The salaries of SC judges are fixed based on Article 125. The Article 125 says that the salaries of SC judges are determined by the parliament by law. Also, the parliament shall decide on the privileges and allowances provided to the judges in respect of leave of absence and pension.

The Government of India recently formed an Economically Weaker Section (EWS) review panel. The panel will look in to the criteria of 10% reservation for the economically weaker section in government jobs and educational institutions.

EWS Criteria review panel formed

The Government of India recently formed an Economically Weaker Section (EWS) review panel. The panel will look in to the criteria of 10% reservation for the economically weaker section in government jobs and educational institutions.

Mandate

• The panel will review the criteria determining the EWS category.
• It will examine approaches followed in identifying EWS category.
• It will analyse and recommend a new criteria to identify the EWS in the country.

Background

The panel was formed following the Supreme Court query to the Government of India. The SC asked “On what rationale, the central government is fixing the quota eligibility at Rs 8 lakh?” For person to be labelled under OBC (Other Backward Caste), his income limit should be less than Rs 8 lakh per annum. This was questioned by the Supreme Court.

EWS

Apart from the above said Rs 8 lakh criteria, the following persons:

• Owning five acres of agricultural land
• Owning residential plot of 1,000 square feet
• Owning residential plot of 100 square feet in notified municipalities
• Owning residential plot of 200 square yards in areas other than the notified municipalities

Are not eligible to get 10% EWS quota.

OBC vs EWS

• The OBC reservation is provided for the non – creamy layer of the Other Backward Classes section. They receive 27% reservation. The EWS reservation is for the “General Class”. They are not covered under OBC, SC or ST.
• In OBC, the criteria of income of spouse is not included. But in case of EWS, it is included.

Article 15

Article 15 (4) says that nothing shall prevent the state from making special provisions for the advancement of the socially and educationally backward classes or scheduled tribes or scheduled caste.