Why in News

The minutes of the MPC meeting of 5–7 October show that broadening inflation and the risk of second-round price rises dominated its discussion.

The MPC voted unanimously to raise the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.5%, but two external members dissented on the shift in stance.

About Broadening Inflation

• Wider spread: The share of items in the CPI basket with inflation above 4% rose from 20% in March to 37% in August.
• Core inflation: It rose to 4.2% in August from 3.9% in July. Core inflation excluding precious metals also rose to 2.9%, helped by strong monthly momentum of 0.5%.
• Why it matters: When price rises spread across many items, they become harder to reverse and can feed into wages and expectations. This is called a second-round effect.

About Calibrated Tightening

• Meaning: The stance signals that rate cuts are off the table in the near term. Future action is limited to a hike or a pause.
• What it depends on: The length and size of the hiking cycle will depend on growth and inflation trends, the spread of price pressures, second-round effects of supply shocks and demand conditions.
• Earlier step: The October hike raised the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.5%, as the RBI had decided earlier.

Mains Angle

• Supply shock, demand tool: Oil-driven inflation comes mostly from supply, so rate hikes reach it only in part. The RBI is acting to stop it from spreading into core prices and expectations.
• Growth trade-off: Dissent on the stance reflects the worry that tighter policy can slow growth.
• Communication: Clear signals about the future path help anchor inflation expectations.

Why in News

An Army officer has challenged a show-cause notice for administrative termination over extramarital affairs before the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT). Though the Supreme Court decriminalised adultery in 2018, it remains a punishable offence in the armed forces.

About Adultery and the Armed Forces

• Joseph Shine v. Union of India (2018): The Supreme Court struck down Section 497 of the IPC and decriminalised adultery.
• 2023 clarification: A five-judge Constitution Bench held that the 2018 judgment does not affect the Armed Forces Acts.
• Why the difference: Article 33 lets Parliament restrict fundamental rights of armed forces members to preserve discipline.
• Provisions used: Section 45 (conduct unbecoming of an officer) and Section 63 (acts prejudicial to good order and military discipline) of the Army Act, 1950, with matching provisions in the Navy and Air Force Acts.
• Spouse clause: “Stealing the affection of a brother officer’s wife” is the traditional description of the offence. It now also covers a spouse for women officers.

About Administrative Termination

• Two routes: An officer can be tried by court-martial or removed administratively under Section 19 of the Army Act, read with Army Rules 14 and 19.
• Conditions: The competent authority must be satisfied that trial is inexpedient and that keeping the officer is undesirable. The officer must first get a show-cause opportunity.
• Remedy: Under the Armed Forces Tribunal Act, 2007, the AFT can re-examine evidence and set aside findings that are legally unsustainable or caused by material irregularity. Further appeal lies to the SC with leave on a point of law, or by special leave under Article 136.

Mains Angle

• Discipline vs rights: The armed forces are a distinct class under Article 33, so their discipline can limit rights that civilians enjoy.
• Judicial review: The AFT provides a check on procedural fairness even in military administrative action.
• Consistency: The difference between civilian and military law raises the question of how far personal conduct should be regulated in the name of discipline.

Why in News

Andhra Pradesh has issued a notification to hold rural polls in three panchayats of Kotia on 28 November, in an area both States claim.

The BJD and Congress have accused Odisha’s government of staying silent, and Odisha’s Revenue Minister has asked Koraput officials to watch the situation closely.

About the Kotia Dispute

• Origin: The dispute is over seven decades old and began in March 1955, when Andhra officials tried to collect rent from villagers.
• Failed efforts: The Union Home Minister’s attempt at a solution failed, and Odisha moved the Supreme Court in 1968.
• Andhra’s push: Andhra Pradesh stepped up welfare schemes in the area after 2015.
• Odisha’s response: In 2018, Odisha formed an inter-departmental committee to monitor Andhra’s work, and announced a ₹100 crore development package.
• Elections: Both States held panchayat elections in the disputed region in 2021 and 2022.
• Dual identity: Most voters in Kotia’s villages hold voter ID cards of both States.

About Inter-State Boundary Disputes

• Court route: Article 131 gives the Supreme Court original jurisdiction in disputes between States.
• Parliament’s power: Article 3 lets Parliament alter State boundaries by law.
• Comparison: As with the Assam–Meghalaya border, where an earlier MoU settled six of 12 disputed areas, talks and local consultation have often worked better than courts.

Mains Angle

• Cooperative federalism: Boundary disputes need dialogue between States and the Centre, not political blame.
• Administrative claims: Running welfare schemes and elections in a disputed area strengthens each State’s claim on the ground.
• Residents’ interest: Voters holding cards of both States show that development and services matter more to residents than the legal claim.

Why in News

Scientists at the IIA have produced Doppler velocity images of the solar corona using the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) on Aditya-L1.

The images are expected to show how coronal mass ejections (CMEs) move along the Sun–Earth direction, which has not been possible so far.

About Doppler Velocity Images

• Principle: The Doppler effect in light works like it does in sound. Motion toward or away from the observer changes the observed wavelength.
• Reading the images: Positive velocities show plasma moving away from the observer, and negative velocities show plasma moving towards the observer.
• Why they matter: They can tell scientists whether a CME is heading towards Earth or elsewhere.
• Software: The processing software was developed by the VELC payload operations team at IIA, and the technical details were published in the Astrophysical Journal after international peer review.
• Unique capability: Only VELC can make such images at present, because of its spectroscopic observing capability in the visible wavelength range. The processed images will be shared with the scientific community.

About Coronal Mass Ejections

• What they are: Massive and energetic clouds of hot plasma thrown out by the Sun during powerful eruptions.
• Why they matter: CMEs can disrupt near-Earth space, so knowing their direction early is important.

About Aditya-L1

• India’s first solar mission, placed in a halo orbit around the Sun–Earth L1 point.
• VELC: It is one of the mission’s payloads and is led by IIA, whose Principal Investigator is a senior IIA scientist.

Mains Angle

• Space weather: Better CME tracking supports early warning for satellites, power grids and communication systems.
• Scientific leadership: A unique capability on an Indian payload shows India’s growing role in solar physics.
• Open data: Sharing the images with the wider scientific community adds to the value of the mission.