2 new Supreme Court judges take oath of office

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Restoring full strength

Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud administered the oath of office to Justices N. Kotiswar Singh and R. Mahadevan as Supreme Court judges, taking the sanctioned strength of judges in the court to 34.

This comes after the retirement of Justice Aniruddha Bose on April 1 and Justice A.S. Bopanna in May.

Historic appointment

Justice N. Kotiswar Singh, who was earlier the Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, has become the first Supreme Court judge from Manipur. His appointment marks increased representation for the Northeast.

Community representation

Justice R. Mahadevan, who was ranked third among the sitting judges of the Madras High Court, was preferred by the Collegium to increase representation for the backward community.

Future recommendations

The Collegium recommended the appointment of Justice K.R. Sriram' as the Chief Justice of Madras High Court.

GRSE gets Rs 840 crore deal to build marine research ship

Overview of the deal

Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Ltd has signed a contract with the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences for the construction and delivery of an Ocean Research Vessel (ORV). The deal, finalized on July 16, is worth ₹840 crore.

Project timeline and significance

The project is expected to be completed within 42 months and is the third order received by GRSE in the last month. It reflects the company's growing portfolio and its importance in marine research and development.

Capabilities of the vessel

According to the official statement of GRSE, the ORV will be equipped to conduct underwater swath multibeam and geophysical seismic surveys in both coastal seas and deep waters.

Additionally, the ship will provide training and education opportunities for scientists and technicians, thereby enhancing research capabilities in oceanographic studies.

Knesset votes to reject Palestinian statehood

Knesset vote

The Israeli Knesset on Wednesday voted by 68 to nine to oppose the establishment of a Palestinian state, calling it an "existential threat" to Israel. The decision comes days ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's scheduled visit to Washington.

Significance of the resolution

Although the resolution is symbolic, it emphasizes that a Palestinian state on land occupied by Israel would perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and destabilize the region.

The timing of the vote is significant as it precedes the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) opinion on the legitimacy of Israel's occupation of the West Bank.

Rationale and criticism

The resolution claims that advocating for a Palestinian state would ‘encourage terrorism and encourage Hamas and its supporters.’

Referring to the October 7 attacks, which resulted in 1,200 deaths, most of them civilians. The vote has attracted widespread Palestinian and international criticism.