TOPIC OF THE DAY:–
“Impasse Ends: On K.M. Joseph’s Elevation”
Good sense seems to have prevailed at last. The Centre has cleared the elevation of Justice K.M. Joseph to the Supreme Court, seven months after the five-member collegium first recommended his appointment. The Centre had no option but to elevate the Uttarakhand High Court Chief Justice once the collegium reiterated its original recommendation after the Law Ministry returned his name. The collegium had combined its reiteration of his name with two other names so that three Chief Justices could be elevated in one go. The Centre’s objections to Justice Joseph’s candidature were unconvincing from the very beginning. It made an issue of his relative lack of seniority among the Chief Justices of the various high courts, adding somewhat curiously that his elevation would give excessive representation to Kerala. It also spoke of an imbalance in regional representation. It was obvious that these were not good enough reasons to turn down his appointment. It only served to strengthen the suspicions that Justice Joseph found himself in disfavour because he was on a Bench that quashed the imposition of President’s Rule in Uttarakhand in 2016, a charge the government vehemently denied. Now that his elevation is all set to go through, these issues may not appear to be relevant anymore. However, it is difficult not to see a pattern in the government’s conduct. It has been splitting recommended lists and selectively approving proposals from the collegium, while holding back or returning some names. In the case of Justice Joseph, his name was sent along with that of senior advocate Indu Malhotra to the Centre in January. However, three months later, the government cleared only one of the two names, while seeking reconsideration of Justice Joseph’s candidature. Such decisions tend to alter the inter se seniority among sitting judges, a factor that determines who becomes Chief Justice of India and who joins the collegium. The Centre’s right to seek the reconsideration of a recommendation, on the basis of information available to it, cannot be disputed — but it is worrying that one or two names are held back from a number of batches. The reasons for seeking reconsideration need to be explicitly stated in every such instance. Even in its adherence to the norm that reiteration of a recommendation is binding, the Centre has not been consistent. Recently, it returned a recommendation concerning two appointments to the Allahabad High Court for the second time. The other issue is delay — there is no justification for sitting on files without taking a decision one way or another, particularly given the backlog in the Supreme Court. The current controversy may have come to a close, but the possibility of other flashpoints cannot be ruled out. If the judiciary and the government want to dispel the impression of a prolonged conflict, a fresh memorandum of procedure for appointments has to be agreed upon: it is unclear what exactly is holding it up.
MEANINGS AND WORD :-
1) Prevailed
Meaning: Prove more powerful or superior.
Example: “it is hard for logic to prevail over emotion”
Synonyms: Win, Overcome
2) Collegium
Meaning: An organization for people who have similar interests or who do similar work.
Example: No one wanted to miss the inaugural meeting of the Collegium of Black Women Philosophers at Vanderbilt University.
3) Reiterated
Meaning: Say something again or a number of times, typically for emphasis or clarity.
Example: “she reiterated that the government would remain steadfast in its support”
Synonyms: Repeat, Restate
4) Turn down
Meaning: If the economy or market turns down, there is less business activity and fewer opportunities to make money.
Example: When the market turns down, recruitment is one of the first areas companies look at to make savings.
5) Quashed
Meaning: Reject as invalid, especially by legal procedure.
Example: “his conviction was quashed on appeal”
Synonyms: Cancel, Reverse
6) Vehemently
Meaning: In a forceful, passionate, or intense manner; with great feeling.
Example: “he vehemently denied any suggestion of improper conduct”
7) Splitting
Meaning: Divide and share (something, especially resources or responsibilities).
Example: “they met up and split the booty”
Synonyms: Apportion, Allocate
8) Disputed
Meaning: Question whether (a statement or alleged fact) is true or valid.
Example: “the accusations are not disputed”
Synonyms: Challenge, Deny
Antonyms: Accept
9) Binding
Meaning: (of an agreement or promise) involving an obligation that cannot be broken.
Example: “business agreements are intended to be legally binding”
Synonyms: Unbreakable, Indissoluble
10) Consistent
Meaning: Unchanging in nature, standard, or effect over time.
Example: “he is their most consistent player this season”
Synonyms: Steady, Stable
Antonyms: Inconsistent, Irregular
11) Sitting on
Meaning: To force someone to be silent or not to do something:
Example: The boss is going to sit on him to make sure he says nothing.
Synonyms: Limiting, Restricting
12) Backlog
Meaning: A large number of things that you should have done before and must do now:
Example: I’ve got a huge backlog of work to do.
13) Flashpoints
Meaning: A place, event, or time at which violence or hostility flares up.
Example: “the conflict reached a flashpoint last year”
14) Ruled out
Meaning: To prevent something from happening.
Example: This recent wave of terrorism has ruled out any chance of peace talks.
15) Prolonged
Meaning: Continuing for a long time or longer than usual; lengthy.
Example: “the region suffered a prolonged drought”
